Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, 2016, Communication Disorders

Studies in airflow during speech production typically use a pneumotachographic mask system placed upon the face to measure the expired airflows. Accurate measures of airflow require mask calibration and a complete seal of the mask rim to the face. Literature frequently cites mask rim leaks as causing flow measure inaccuracies, but quantitative studies of inaccuracies are needed. The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of inaccuracy of flow measurement using a Glottal Enterprises aerodynamic system for a variety of leak sizes. The primary hypothesis was that the greater the air leak cross sectional area at the rim of the mask, the greater the reduction in measured flows through the mask (and therefore the greater the error in measuring the upstream airflow). A range of airflows was both pushed and pulled through the Glottal Enterprises mask system with leaks being simulated by metal tubes of various cross-sectional areas. Two leak locations (bridge-of-nose and corner-of-mouth), single vs. multiple leaks, and two different leak geometries (rectangular and elliptical) were studied. Results suggest the following conclusions: (1) As leak area increases, the amount of leak flow increases; (2) the amount of flow leak is not independent of location; (3) given equivalent leak area, multiple leak locations provide more airflow resistance and less leak flow; (4) elliptical tubes were found to be more resistive to airflow than rectangular tubes. A general equation was obtained that relates the amount of flow reduction (the leak flow) to the rim leak cross sectional area and the upstream flow: Leak(cc/s) = 0.4125*Area(cm2)*Flow(cc/s), for airway flow in the range of ±2000 cc/s. This equation may provide researchers and clinicians in the field with a tool for generalizing airflow leak effects. 

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 1998, Civil Engineering (Engineering)

Early performance of concrete pavement containing ground granulated blast furnace slag

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2008, Mechanical Engineering

The scope of this dissertation is to develop and apply a non-intrusive molecular Rayleigh scattering diagnostic that is capable of providing time-resolved simultaneous measurements of gas temperature, velocity, and density in unseeded turbulent flows at sampling rates up to 32 kHz. Molecular Rayleigh scattering is elastic light scattering from molecules; the spectrum of Rayleigh scattered light contains information about the gas temperature and velocity of the flow. Additionally, the scattered signal is directly proportional to the molecular number density. These characteristics are utilized in the development of the measurement technique. This dissertation results in the following: 1. Development of a point-based Rayleigh scattering measurement system that provides time-resolved simultaneous measurement of temperature, velocity, and density at sampling rates up to 32 kHz. 2. Numerical modeling of the light scattering and detection process to evaluate uncertainty levels and capabilities of the measurement technique. 3. Validation of the developed measurement system in benchmark flow experiments in which velocity and temperature fluctuations were decoupled and independently forced at various amplitudes and frequencies. 4. Demonstration of simultaneous measurement of all three quantities in an electrically-heated free jet facility at NASA Glenn Research Center. 5. Comparison of Rayleigh scattering measurements in all experiment phases with thermal anemometry measurements. The experimental measurements are presented in terms of first-order time-series results that are measured directly by the technique, and second-order statistics, such as power spectral density and rms fluctuations, which are calculated from the direct time-resolved quasi-instantaneous measurements. Temperature fluctuation results are compared with constant current anemometry measurements and velocity fluctuation results are compared with constant temperature anemometry measurements. Experiments were (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2024, Vision Science

Significance This study provides a faster method for objectively measuring accommodative amplitude with an open-field autorefractor and identifies the optimal stimulus locations for eliciting the maximum accommodative response. Purpose Objective measures of accommodative amplitude with an autorefractor take time due to the numerous stimulus demands tested. This study compares three protocols using different amounts and types of demands to shorten the process. This study also aims to determine the optimal accommodative demand or demands that are needed to identify maximum accommodative amplitude in the quickest and most efficient manner. Methods One hundred participants were recruited for four age bins (5-9, 10-14, 15-19, and 20-24 years) and monocular amplitude was measured with an autorefractor using three protocols: 13-demand proximal, 5-demand proximal-lens (letter), and 5-demand proximal-lens (picture). For proximal, measurements were taken as participants viewed a 0.9 mm “E” placed at 13 demands (40 cm to 3.3 cm = 2.5 to 30 D). The other protocols used a target (either the “E” or a detailed picture) placed at 33 and 12.5 cm followed by 12.5 cm with a series of lenses (-2 D, -4 D, and -5.5 D). Accommodative amplitude was defined as the greatest accommodative response measured with each technique. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to compare group mean amplitudes across protocols and one-way ANOVA was used to compare differences between the letter protocols by age bin. Measurements taken at single demands and groups of demands were also analyzed to determine the demand or combination of demands that correctly identified maximum accommodative amplitude. Results Amplitudes were significantly different between protocols (P<0.001) with the proximal having higher amplitudes (mean ± SD = 8.04 ± 1.70 D) than both proximal-lens protocols (letter: 7.48 ± 1.42 D, picture: 7.43 ± 1.42 D) by post-hoc Tukey analysis. Differences in amplitude between the p (open full item for complete abstract)

MS, University of Cincinnati, 2021, Engineering and Applied Science: Computer Engineering

Experimental investigation of the permeability and porosity of rock samples is routinely performed in geological studies and is of high interest to the oil and gas industry. Many methods have been used while the most common one is core-flood experiment, where a rock core sample is flooded with brine solutions or other fluids at various temperature and pressure conditions to determine its permeability. This led to the development of distributed pressure measurement systems for core flood experiments. In a previous implementation, capacitive pressure sensors connected to readout circuits through wires were used for pressure gradient measurements; this requires undesirable and complicated feedthroughs between chambers of very high pressure differences to establish electrical connections. A wireless approach to interrogate the capacitive pressure sensors without the needs of feedthroughs is highly desirable. In the wireless pressure gradient monitoring system, a group of pressure sensors are implemented at the surface of the rock core. Each sensor, with its capacitance changing with pressure, forms a series LC circuit. The LC circuit is wirelessly coupled with a wireless readout circuit, which detects and records the change in the resonant frequency. This thesis work focuses on the development of working prototypes of such wireless readout circuit that can be implemented in a limited size for the intended core flood experiments in high temperature (up to 125ºC) and high pressure (up to 25 MPa) environments. There are various techniques for wireless LC sensors interrogation such as phase dip measurement and impedance measurement. This thesis work chose to implement the impedance technique considering the phase dip technique is heavily affected by the coupling coefficient (k) in a negative way at the intended coupling distance between the sensor and readout coils. The wireless readout circuit consists of multiple nodes, each with a standing wave ratio (S (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2021, Psychology-Counseling

There are several multidimensional scales that are proposed to measure the intersection between gender and racial identities with African American men. These measures have used total scale scores, or subscale scores based mostly on exploratory factor analysis. Few confirmatory factor analyses with priori structures have been performed on existing measures that would support the use of a scale score or a raw score. Moreover, they do not demonstrate a measurement model. This study assessed the dimensionality of the Rogers African American Masculinity Scale (RAAMS, Rogers, 2017). Through interpretation of several models (i.e., a bifactor model, correlated factors modela second order factor in a hierarchical model, or a unidimensional model) the RAAMS demonstrated strongest model fit using a bifactor model The RAAMS subscales raw scores were determined to be useful in measuring the latent subscale factors of Self-Definition, Discrimination, and Traditional Masculinity but not African American Values as it was determined that the construct does not contribute meaningfully from the general factor. There was also validity evidence of the RAAMS subscales through their correlations with similar scales (i.e., MIS and BMES). The RAAMS also demonstrated configural invariance, metric invariance, and scalar invariance for two age groups of African American Men. It was suggested that the RAAMS is approached in similar ways for the two different age groups. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Master of Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, 2021, EMC - Mechanical Engineering

Quantifying the chronic performance of a peripheral nerve electrode is critical to determine the long-term viability for the device in vivo. To develop a method of chronic evaluation, a non-invasive rodent hindlimb stabilization device was designed and tested to measure the resulting torque about the ankle joint due to sciatic nerve stimulation and isometric muscle contraction of the lower leg. With the increased accessibility of fused deposition modeling (FDM), eleven out of the fourteen custom-made components are fabricated using FDM printing to promote manufacturability and reduce cost. After benchtop calibration, an acute rodent study was conducted to assess apparatus measurement output and repeatability. The apparatus captured a maximum torque of 41.38 N-mm across rat subjects, which is consistent with published values in the literature. Apparatus inter-operator measurement variability calls for the development of a detailed protocol for apparatus use and repeatable implantation and evaluation of electrode stimulation-evoked ankle flexion.

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2020, EMC - Aerospace Engineering

For more than two decades researchers have sought to develop a micro aerial vehicle (MAV) capable of discrete remote surveillance and reconnaissance in hazardous environments where no other alternative means of observation exist. While some success has been found in multi-rotor designs such as quadcopters, these vehicles are limited in their flight duration, flight range, robustness, stealth, safety, and agility. Biology offers a source of inspiration in insect flight. Flapping-wing micro aerial vehicles (FWMAVs) have the potential to address the current shortcomings of MAVs. This dissertation approaches the development of FWMAVs by attempting to mimic two major flight components of a particular insect, the hawk moth Manduca sexta (L.). Novel methods are established to design, fabricate and assess the performance of artificial M. sexta forewings and a flapping-wing mechanism inspired by the M. sexta thorax. Results from forewing experiments indicate successful emulation of mass and forewing geometry, including camber. Flexural stiffness values are an order of magnitude greater than desired and suggest that membrane and venation structure material must change. However, lift production analysis reveals that the artificial forewings are capable of generating comparable amounts of force to naturally occurring M. sexta forewings. Kinematic simulations demonstrate advantages to using a Scotch yoke mechanism as opposed to a more traditional crank-slider mechanism to convert continuous rotary motion into oscillatory flapping-wing motion. A multibody dynamic simulation of a Scotch yoke mechanism and passively rotating forewings is developed as a tool to investigate areas of improvement for increased mechanism efficiency such as the addition of energy storing and releasing components and potential changes in mechanism geometry. Empirical performance data on various configurations of a flapping-wing system comprised of a Scotch yoke mechanism and artificial M. sexta forewings (open full item for complete abstract)

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2019, Leadership and Change

More than a decade after the emergence of social and digital media, professional communicators increasingly use these channels to interact with a wide array of stakeholders. Simultaneously, public relations (PR) and communications leaders seek to understand whether their efforts to communicate and engage with stakeholders through these channels are effective in establishing and building relationships, as well as to measure “effectiveness” in the new technology-driven communications landscape. With this study, I addressed a gap in the academic research with regard to understanding the effectiveness of social and digital media as a communications tool by assessing employees' perceptions of their organization with respect to five communication concepts, both in general and based specifically on the company's social media communications. I assessed the relationship between the employee stakeholder and the organization from two viewpoints: first, from the viewpoint of the employees with whom the organization is communicating, and second, from the viewpoint of the communications professionals who post social and digital media messages on behalf of the organization. The results showed that an intervention to educate employees about the organization's social and digital media communications did not result in employees' increased positive perceptions of the organization as a whole or of the organization's sites with regard to each of the five communications concepts. The increase in employees' positive perceptions of the organization's social and digital media sites, which reflected the communication concept “promoting communal relationships,” was significant at p < .10; also, increases for three individual statements that were part of the communications concepts were sufficient for statistical significance. The intervention did result in statistically significant increases in employee use of social and digital media to engage with the organization and in usage of specifical (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2019, Mechanical Engineering

During plastic deformation of metals only a portion of the plastic work done on the material is expended to modify its physical properties while the remaining energy is converted to heat. The associated rise in temperature during deformation can affect the mechanical response of the material (e.g. strain hardening, thermal softening, precipitating localizations, etc.). At low strain rates the conditions are virtually isothermal as there is sufficient time for the heat to transfer to the surroundings. At high strain rates the temperature in the metal can increase significantly and the conditions can become nearly adiabatic as the heat cannot dissipate to the surroundings. The portion of plastic work that is converted to heat is determined by the Taylor-Quinney coefficient (β) and is quantified by measuring both the plastic work and temperature rise in a material during deformation. By including the Taylor-Quinney coefficient, complex material models can more accurately model the thermoplastic deformation of the material over a wide range of strains, strain rates, and temperatures. An experimental program is introduced to investigate the dependence of the Taylor-Quinney coefficient on strain rate and strain. Tension tests with specimens made of Ti-6Al-4V, Aluminum 2024-T351, and Inconel 718 are performed at various strain rates ranging from 1E-4 to 6000 sˉ¹. The quasi-static tests are completed on a hydraulic load frame while tests ranging from 500 to 6000 sˉ¹ are completed using the split- iii Hopkinson bar (SHB) technique. Flat thin tensile specimens are used where strain is measured on one side of the specimen using 2D or 3D Digital Image Correlation (DIC) and simultaneous temperature measurements are recorded on the opposite side of the specimen via infrared thermography. A method to determine β by combining the full-field temperature and strain measurements together with the recorded force data is developed. The dependence of β on plastic strain and strain rat (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1980, Graduate School

MA, Kent State University, 2015, College of Communication and Information / School of Media and Journalism

This exploratory qualitative study supports the applicability of Latane's Social Impact Theory to the measurement of influence, particularly online. Depth interviews and ethnography produced a lexicon of influence attributes that fit into Latane's hierarchy of Strength, Immediacy and Number of sources. The research shows that strength factors dominate in impact on influence, namely importance (mainly who the influencer is) and salience (what characteristics the influencer possesses,) with closeness in space/time also a contributory attribute. The data also indicate that the way the communication industry has been measuring influence, by social media activity, a la Klout, is not as important as evaluating the propensity to be influenced as well as the characteristics of the influencer. A robust review of relevant literature grounds the research, and specific recommendations for measuring influence in a holistic manner are included.

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2015, Psychology/Industrial-Organizational

This study investigated potential causes of extant group mean differences of self-reported levels of burnout across sex. Based on the origins of burnout as an interpersonal construct, combined with research showing differences in how men and women perceive and resolve interpersonal conflict and stress, it was hypothesized that statistical artifacts, namely violations of the measurement invariance assumption, were present. It was further hypothesized that these artifacts were causing differences in the prevalence of self-reported burnout and that removing them would reduce the size of such differences. Participants (n = 579) completed three separate measures of burnout: the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory, as well as several measures of nomological correlates of burnout. The data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory approaches to measurement invariance. Results indicated that no violations of measurement invariance were present. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2014, EECS - Computer and Information Sciences

Network measurement is crucial for ensuring Internet's effective operation, security, and continued development. However, collecting representative measurements in a complex infrastructure like the Internet is extremely challenging. To address this challenge, we propose a novel approach to provide focused, on-demand Internet measurements called DipZoom (for Deep Internet Performance Zoom). Unlike prior approaches that face a difficulty in building a measurement platform with sufficiently diverse measurements and measuring hosts, DipZoom implements a matchmaking service, which uses P2P concepts to bring together experimenters in need of measurements and external measurement providers. Further, to demonstrate the utility of DipZoom as a tool for real-world research, we use it to answer some of the challenging questions regarding Internet operation. Specifically, we use DipZoom to conduct an extensive study of content delivery networks (CDN ), which are among the key components of today Internet infrastructure. in performance, security, and improvement aspects. First, we conduct a large-scale performance study of the CDN platform operated by the leading DNS service provider. The study's result shows that the number of worldwide data centers in CDN platform could be significantly reduced without affecting the content delivery performance. Therefore, system designers can decide on the number of data centers to meet their other objectives without having to worry about performance degradation. Second, we used some measuring techniques developed for the above performance study to uncover a significant security vulnerability in CDNs. We showed that several CDNs, including commercial CDNs, not only left their customers vulnerable to the application-level denial of service attack, but CDNs themselves are also susceptible to be recruited to amplify the attack. Finally, based on insights gained in our CDN studies, we propose an approach to improve the cont (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2013, Mechanical Engineering

Force measurement platforms play an important role in the field of biomechanics by allowing for accurate measurement of the ground reaction forces during studies. Several varieties of forces measurement platforms are available on the market, although strain gage based force platform are most prevalent. This thesis details the design of a 6-component load cell consisting of a machined aluminum cylinder with attached strain gages for use in force platforms. The load cell design is intended to improve accuracy, increase the natural frequency, and improve the calibration process for strain gage based force measurement platforms. The performance of different load cell geometries were tested using finite element analysis to determine strain levels. Once optimal load cell geometries were determined, two sets of load cells were manufactured and implemented in a full force platform assembly. While one of the prototype load cell designs proved to be ineffective in final installation, the other design slightly improved the natural frequency, maintained the accuracy, and allowed for a simplified calibration process.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2006, Educational Policy and Leadership

Non-profit organizations have historically focused their efforts on serving the needs of the poor and underserved without being too concerned with documenting and measuring the specific outcomes of their efforts. As competition for resources has grown over the past decade and accounts of mismanagement have become more frequent, philanthropic organizations have realized the need to become more results oriented. While numerous researchers discuss the issues surrounding outcome measurement, there is a gap in the research on the impact outcome measurement requirements have on non-profit practice. Few researchers have probed the system dynamics between the funder and service staff that promote a results orientation; and fewer still consider the potential for using outcome measurement as an organizational learning tool. This research enhances the existing literature in a unique respect, as it provides a holistic view of non-profit systems and the way they accommodate outcome measurement by exploring the impact of outcome measurement on non-profit systems in Florida. Data collected from both the non-profit funder and service providers illuminate the barriers and gateways to implementing effective outcome frameworks. Since one tenet of outcome measurement supporters is the information generated from the frameworks facilitates organizational learning, the researchers examine this claim and present the cycle associated with outcome measurement accommodation. The results indicate outcome measurement has changed non-profit practice. Funders and service providers now spend more resources on technology, data collection, and the acquisition of standardized assessment tools to measure outcomes. Other findings include that; in general, it takes between one to two years before the stakeholders come to a full understanding of how to implement outcome measurement systematically. It is not easy to balance innovation and learning in a compliance- dominated environment. Funders and policy (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2004, Educational Policy and Leadership

The maintenance of democracy requires the adequate education of our youth. Americans have struggled since the founding of the republic to define the scope of this democratic imperative and to fulfill its requirements. Over the course of the twentieth century, the educational minimum was defined in terms of fiscal resources for education. Educational equality, in turn, has been measured in terms of the equality of the distribution of fiscal resources. This paper contends that the shift away from fiscal equity toward achievement equity calls for a shift in our approach to the measurement of educational equality. The study expands the conceptual framework for measuring educational equality by incorporating the ideas of the democratic imperative for education and standards-based reform. These two ideas are brought together in the concept of egalitarian inequality, a condition marked by all students reaching or exceeding the level of educational attainment necessary to function in a democratic society. Drawing on this framework and established measures of equality, the study offers an empirical analysis of achievement equity. Posing the question of whether achievement equity has improved in recent years, as we would expect based on state and federal accountability legislation, we examine changes in equity in the distribution of reading proficiency scores drawn from a large, Midwestern school district for the years 1998 through 2003. Characteristics of the equality measurement techniques are described and compared. Following the federal mandate for disaggregating student subgroup achievement, decomposition techniques are applied to determine within- and between-groups contributions to district equity. Results of decomposition measures are presented and compared. Implications for policy makers and equity analysts are discussed with regard to gaining a more systematic understanding of the achievement gap and how, or whether, schools and districts are making progress toward (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2011, Civil Engineering (Engineering and Technology)

Pavement rutting can be an indicator that a section of roadway is in need of repair or replacement and can become a hazard to drivers. To better monitor pavement conditions throughout the state, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) purchased two road profilers with INO Laser Rut Measurement Systems (LRMS). The vehicle mounted systems provide ODOT pavement condition raters with a faster and safer method for evaluating pavement conditions. This study was intended to evaluate the accuracy, precision, and repeatability of the LRMS system and determine the correlation between manually collected data and data collected using the LRMS. The system's performance was evaluated by collecting rut measurements over two sections of pavement using the LRMS, the straight edge method, and a mechanical profiling system to compare results. The study showed that the LRMS produces accurate and repeatable results that are similar to those produced with a straight edge or profilometer. Minor adjustments to the Pavement Condition Rating (PCR) system are needed, however, to ensure that scores properly represent the condition of the pavement.

MS, Kent State University, 2008, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Computer Science

Measurement is important in every field of science. It is easy to measure attributes in some fields of science and difficult in others. Software engineering is a field of science where measurement is heavily used. Many software metric models were designed for different phases of software engineering including requirements, design, coding, implementing, testing and maintenance. Well known researchers like Norman Fenton focused measurement research in software engineering on the representational theory of measurement. In representational measurement, we understand and collect data from empirical observations and arrange them in some logical fashion in terms of familiar mathematical structures. The reason researchers in software measurement are interested in measurement theory is they believe that measurement theory principles, which have for the most part been developed for measurement in physical sciences, can help produce good software metrics. Interestingly, it should be noted that the measurement ideas of Norman Campbell who was a “father” of modern measurement are not in complete agreement with the representation theory of measurement. According to representation measurement theory, the set of entities and the relations of a measurable attribute have to be similar to a set of numerals and their relations. In fact, they should be isomorphic with each other. Relations on a set of entities need to be experimentally demonstrated or theoretically justified. Unfortunately, users of software metrics often assume that every relation which exists on a set of numerals also exists on the set of entities. Said differently, the properties of the measurement values should reflect the properties of the set of entities and their relations. The relations on the set of numerals should be in complete agreement with set of entities and their relations. But in software measurement, software designers do not provide adequate attention to this requirement. Software measurements is diff (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2008, Psychology/Industrial-Organizational

This study investigated how using different measurement models affects the ordering of respondents on personality measures and then how model choice affects the criterion-related validity of the measure. Of interest is what are called Generalized Graded Unfolding Models (GGUMs), which do not assume monotonically increasing Item Response Functions (in IRT), but instead require the response functions to form a single peak. It was hypothesized that these fairly new measurement models would more accurately estimate respondents' personalities when compared to models from general Item Response Theory (IRT), such as the Generalized Partial Credit Model (GPCM), as it was assumed that the GGUM has greater flexibility in modeling of the response process.In addition, this study conducted impact analyses to assess the amount of rank order change that occurred at the upper end of scores on the personality measure. Criterion-related validities were not found to change much from measurement model to measurement model, but the impact analyses revealed substantial changes occurring at the upper end of the score distribution depending on the measurement model used. In a personnel selection context, this would result in the selection of different applicants when a top-down selection strategy is utilized. Beyond possible linear relationships between personality and criteria, this study also investigated the possibility of non-linear relationships. More non-linear relations were observed with the GGUM compared to the GPCM. Finally, a simulation comparing the GGUM to the GPCM was conducted to compare the accuracy of latent trait estimates from these models. Results found that item characteristics within a scale helped determine whether the GGUM or GPCM produced more accurate thetas and more accurate criterion-related validities from those thetas. These findings suggest that it is important for researchers and practitioners to be aware of the characteristics of the items on their sc (open full item for complete abstract)