Thesis advisor: Larry Ludlow / There has been a steady increase in the use of mixed-format tests, that is, tests consisting of both multiple-choice items and constructed-response items in both classroom and large-scale assessments. This calls for appropriate equating methods for such tests. As Item Response Theory (IRT) has rapidly become mainstream as the theoretical basis for measurement, different equating methods under IRT have also been developed. This study investigated the performances of two IRT equating methods using simulated data: linking following separate calibration (the Stocking-Lord method) and the concurrent calibration. The findings from this study show that the concurrent calibration method generally performs better in recovering the item parameters and more importantly, the concurrent calibration method produces more accurate estimated scores than linking following separate calibration. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2011. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Research, Measurement, and Evaluation.

Program notes and recording of choruses, sung by Kansas State University Chamber Choir; Deanna Freitag, piano; the author, conductor. / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

In a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM), the random effects are typically uncorrelated and assumed to follow a normal distribution. However, findings from recent studies on how the misspecification of the random effects distribution affects the estimated model parameters are inconclusive. In the thesis, we extend the randomization approach for deriving linear models to the GLMM framework. Based on this approach, we develop an algorithm for estimating the model parameters of the randomization-based GLMM (RBGLMM) for the completely randomized design (CRD) which does not require normally distributed random effects. Instead, the discrete uniform distribution on the symmetric group of permutations is used for the random effects. Our simulation results suggest that the randomization-based algorithm may be an alternative when the assumption of normality is violated. In the second part of the thesis, we consider an RB-GLMM for the randomized complete block design (RCBD) with random block effects. We investigate the effect of misspecification of the correlation structure and of the random effects distribution via simulation studies. In the simulation, we use the variance covariance matrices derived from the randomization approach. The misspecified model with uncorrelated random effects is fitted to data generated from the model with correlated random effects. We also fit the model with normally distributed random effects to data simulated from models with different random effects distributions. The simulation results show that misspecification of both the correlation structure and of the random effects distribution has hardly any effect on the estimates of the fixed effects parameters. However, the estimated variance components are frequently severely biased and standard errors of these estimates are substantially higher.

In 2005, Dennis Kam completed the Sonata Ibis which the ensemble Ibis Camerata premiered at the Festival Miami at the University of Miami that same year. The composition is the last of five versions of the same work, originally written for piano solo. The work was recorded by the Ibis Camerata, on their CD titled Glisten, and released in 2006 on the Albany Records music label. The composition presents an important addition to the existing repertoire for the ensemble of clarinet, violin, cello, and piano. Sonata Ibis is a single movement work not following traditional forms. The work reflects the composer's conscious aim of making works with different versions. One of the issues that this study takes up is the evolution of the Sonata Ibis through all five versions. Analysis of musical materials and techniques used in the Sonata are also a part of the study. One chapter of this paper deals with Dennis Kam's biography. One chapter discusses the formal structure and musical idiom of the work. Performance-related issues from the ensemble and a pianist perspective are discussed in the remaining two chapters.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center; full text release delayed at author's request until 2007 Sep 19

With the drastic increase in the demand for air travel, taxiway aircraft traffic scheduling is becoming increasingly important in managing air traffic. In order to reduce traffic congestion on taxiways, this thesis proposes a tool for air traffic controllers to use in decision making: a taxiway air traffic model developed using Mixed Integer Programming (MIP) that can be applied to a rolling time horizon. The objective of this model is to minimize the total taxi time, and the output is a schedule and route for each aircraft. This MIP model assumes that only the origin and destination of each aircraft is fixed; due to some uncertain factors in the air arrival and departure process, it allows for the departure time and arrival time to vary within a certain time window. This MIP model features aircraft type, and also incorporates runway crossings and runway separations. The model is programmed using C++ and Solved in CPLEX 12.1. Runways 26R and 26L of George Bush International Airport are used to find solutions. The author presents a rolling horizon method by dividing the large scheduling issue into smaller time interval problems according to the scheduled times of departure or arrival. A bound is also proposed based on the discretized time interval problems. By using partial data from George Bush International Airport (IAH), solutions are obtained. The results are compared with the bound and show fairly high optimality. Compared with the previous research, this thesis presents a model with more flexibility by considering different operations. By using the rolling horizon method, the problem is broken into smaller units that can be solved efficiently without losing much optimality.

Mixed Reality is the combination of the real world with a virtual one. In robotics thisopens many opportunities to improve the existing ways of development and testing. Thetools that Mixed Reality gives us, can speed up the development process and increasesafety during the testing stages. They can make prototyping faster and cheaper, and canboost the development and debugging process thanks to visualization and new opportunitiesfor automated testing.In this thesis the steps to build a working prototype demonstrator of a Mixed Realitysystem are covered. From selecting the required components, over integrating them intofunctional subsystems, to building a fully working demonstration system.The demonstrator uses optical tracking to gather information about the real world environment.It incorporates this data into a virtual representation of the world. This allowsthe simulation to let virtual and physical objects interact with each other. The results ofthe simulation are then visualized back into the real world.The presented system has been implemented and successfully tested at the HalmstadUniversity.

ABSTRACT Recent years the reducing number of public works projects has been a very serious situation. We had 380 billion and 360 billion projects in 2009 and 2010, in 2011 we only got 180 billion by the big amount of shrinkage of up to as much as 200 billion. In addition, more un-sold houses has been gradually increasing, which makes the relative reduction of the use in concrete can be expected, not even mention the follow-up addition works will be inevitably shrinking. The reduced Shipments plus the up-price of gravel, cement, oil, tires, etc, our industry is forced to raise a lot of the cost. The current situation is extremely unfavorable to the business. The requirements of concrete is being able to reach required strength after 28 days of compressive strength in order to satisfy suppliers and construction companies, in any case the price of course is the first consideration, so the ready-mix concrete companies have price competition in order to get orders, which will cause the poor quality and the shortage of quantity. And this is temporary means of the operation, eventually we will be out of the market by running the business in this way. In the future, I hope to seek the best business strategy through competitive analysis, but also reduce operating costs. As long as we streamline the organization and transformation of the management model, we should be able to get through the crisis, and enhance the industrial competitiveness. Eventually the undesirable industry will be naturally eliminated and the market will back on track.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) progression and hypotheses of the cognitive reserve theory were investigated by testing for a relation between educational attainment and rate of decline in patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment, possible AD, probable AD, and other progressive neurodegenerative dementias. Patient data (n = 726) were acquired from a clinical database at the Minneapolis VAMC GRECC Memory Loss Clinic. Analyses using mixed effect regression models found education was significantly related to an accelerated rate of decline in global cognition (MMSE: -0.022, SE = 0.007, p = .003) and a steeper linear rate of decline in functional ability (Cognitive Performance Test: -0.034, SE = 0.011, p = .005). Cox proportional hazard models found little evidence to support an association between educational attainment and relative mortality risk. These results are consistent with previous findings and predictions of the cognitive reserve theory.

Abstract This study focuses on analyzing depth distributions of d18O and changes in mixed layer thickness in the South China Sea (SCS). The oxygen isotopic compositions of the samples collected were determined using the Epstein-Mayeda (1953). The overall precision of the d18OSMOW measurements is +0.1‰. Our data suggest that depth changes of average d18OSMOW of seawater in the SCS as follows: the average d18OSMOW values for the surface (0-100m) is 0.02‰; subsurface (100-400m) is 0.2‰; intermediate (400-1500m) is ¡V0.03‰ and deep waters (>1500m) is ¡V0.06‰. The effect of monsoon on the mixed layer in the SCS water is evident as the increases in the mixed layer is always coincident with the northeast monsoon in winter. Furthermore, the d18OSMOW values are correlated linearly with the mixed layer thickness. In other words, the lower d18OSMOW values of seawater are, the less the thickness of mixed layer is.