Digital Commons Network^™

Riding Out The Risks: An Ethnographic Study Of Risk Perceptions In A South Louisiana Bayou Community, Susan Camille Manning

LSU Master's Theses

This ethnographic study explores the risk perceptions of a small unincorporated coastal community in southeastern Louisiana. This community has experienced social and environmental change due to events including tropical storms and hurricanes, erosion, subsidence, oil and gas activities, development, and the impact of global seafood markets. Many global risk perception studies have focused on the perception of risk to human health and property connected with natural and technological disasters, but few have explored the issue of minorities and small at-risk communities. To explore this theoretical and methodological gap, this study uses a variety of qualitative ethnographic methods to examine a …

Future Reasoning Machines: Mind And Body, Brian Duffy, Gregory O'Hare, John Bradley, Bianca Schoen-Phelan

Articles

In investing energy in developing reasoning machines of the future, one must abstract away from the specific solutions to specific problems and ask what are the fundamental research questions that should be addressed. This paper aims to revisit some fundamental perspectives and promote new approaches to reasoning machines and their associated form and function. Core aspects are discussed, namely the one-mind-many-bodies metaphor as introduced in the Agent Chameleon work. Within this metaphor the agent’s embodiment form may take many guises with the artificial mind or agent potentially exhibiting a nomadic existence opportunistically migrating between a myriad of instantiated embodiments. We …

Affective Design In Technical Communication, Michael Alan Rosen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Traditional human-computer interaction (HCI) is based on 'cold' models of user cognition; that is, models of users as purely rational beings based on the information processing metaphor; however, an emerging perspective suggests that for the field of HCI to mature, its practitioners must adopt models of users that consider broader human needs and capabilities. Affective design is an umbrella term for research and practice being conducted in diverse domains, all with the common thread of integrating emotional aspects of use into the creation of information products. This thesis provides a review of the current state of the art in affective …

The Effects Of Shilling On Final Bid Prices In Online Auctions, Robert J. Kauffman, Charles A. Wood

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

An increasing number of reports of online auction fraud are of growing concern to auction operators and participants. In this research, we discuss reserve price shilling, where a bidder shills in order to avoid paying auction house fees, rather than to drive up the price of the final bid. We examine the effect that premium bids have upon the final selling price, since they are linked with reserve price shill bids. We use 10,260 eBay auctions during April 2001, and identify 919 auctions involving 322 sellers and 1583 bidders involved in concurrent auctions for the exact same item. We find …

Fact Sheet, Yale University Office Of Institutional Research

Fact Sheets

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Computerized Smell Of Memory, Brandon Spencer

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

It has long been recognized that there is a major correlation between smell and memory. Until recently, commercialized multi-sensory experiences involving olfaction were limited to non-computerized mediums. Companies that manufacture computerized scent technologies tout the educational benefits of their product, yet prior to this study, there appeared to be no scholarly research in regard to the efficacy of computerized scent producing peripherals in educational environments. The aim of this research was to determine the odor memory enhancement benefits of incorporating olfactory, computerized peripherals into computerized multimedia-learning environments, from both a context dependent and context independent stand point. Specifically, within a …

Hamilton's Rule In Reciprocal Altruism And Symbiosis, Jeffrey Fletcher, Martin Zwick

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

In lieu of an abstract, here is the outline:

Do Inclusive Fitness and Reciprocal Altruism Models embody different or similar mechanisms?

Background

• The Prisoner’s Dilemma (PD), Hamilton’s Rule (Queller’s version)

Apply Hamilton’s Rule to Reciprocal Altruism:

• Iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma model
• A model of symbiosis

Towards a Unified Theory

Dynamic Systems And Organizational Decision-Making Processes In Nonprofits, Jennifer S. Tucker, Jennifer C. Cullen, Robert S. Sinclair, Wayne Wakeland

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

Social purpose organizations (SPOs) are nonprofit organizations that fulfill their social missions by seeking revenue from traditional business activities. SPOs often face difficulties attracting and retaining organizational members with the necessary mix of social and business skills and values. When coupled with resource limitations and an unstable environment, these issues create serious strategic challenges for leaders of small SPOs. In the present article, the authors describe several systems thinking concepts that may enable leaders to understand and therefore more effectively contend with the challenges of the SPO context. The authors also present a case study demonstrating the utility of systems …

The Pedagogical And Practical Issues Of Using Ict In Post-Primary Schools, Kay O'Sullivan Mc Carty

Theses

This study was an investigation into some of the pedagogical and practical issues that need to be considered when using ICT, with particular reference to post-primary schools. This investigation was prompted by the introduction of broadband into Irish schools in the next twelve months. Resources need to be developed that are subject specific and relevant to the Irish curriculum. The principle learning theories were examined and their pedagogical implications for post-primary teachers were discussed. The definition of learning styles was explored, different measurements were looked at and several internet based inventories were examined. The VARK questionnaire was administered to a …

A Context-Dependent Model Of Proximity In Physically Situated Environments, John D. Kelleher, Geert-Jan M. Kruijff

Conference papers

The paper presents a computational model for a context-dependent analysis of a physical environment in terms of spatial proximity. The model provides a basis for grounding linguistic analyses of spatial expressions in visual perception. The model uses potential fields to model spatial proximity. It has been implemented, and when combined with a handcrafted grammar, is used to enable a conversational robot to carry out a situated dialogue with a human. The key concept in our approach is defining the region that is proximal to a landmark based on the spatial configuration of other objects in the scene. The model extends …

Mcnair Research Journal

Georgia Southern University McNair Scholars Journal (Archived)

Full issue of the Georgia Southern University McNair Journal presented by the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program at Georgia Southern University.

• The Acceptability of Aggressive Behaviors in Dating Relationships Kirsten Barnard; Dr. Janice Kennedy

• A Response to My Bank Teller: How Has a Nation of Immigrants Become So Anti-immigrant Angel Beal; Darin Van Tassell, PhD.

• Glucose Fermentation Profiles of Geographically Diverse Spiroplasma Bacteria David Bostick; Laura B. Regassa, PhD.

• An Analysis of the Relation Between High Discretionary Quarterly Revenue Accruals and Fraudulent Earnings Management Enforcement Actions Taken by the Sec Korey S. Castleberry; Timothy Cairney, PhD.

• How Has the …

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Maintaining The Identity Of Dynamically Embodied Agents, Alan Martin, Gregory O'Hare, Brian Duffy, Bianca Schoen-Phelan, John Bradley

Conference papers

Virtual agents are traditionally constrained in their embod- iment, as they are restricted to one form of body. We propose allowing them to change their embodiment in order to expand their capabili- ties. This presents users with a number of di±culties in maintaining the identity of the agents, but these can be overcome by using identity cues, certain features that remain constant across embodiment forms. This pa- per outlines an experiment that examines these identity cues, and shows that they can be used to help address this identity problem.

Editorial Board & Iowa Academy Of Science Officers And Directors

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

No abstract provided.

End User Preference Of Customisable Features Within A Course Management System, Diana Taylor

Theses : Honours

Customisation is the means by which people alter and change various elements of their environment with the purpose of making it more suited to their immediate needs. This aids in creating a more personalised experience. People are extremely diverse in terms of age, gender, nationality, and with the dominant presence of technology people also have various levels of computer skills and experience. In the context of computer environments, customisation provides the ability to cater for a diverse user group, providing tools and options that assist with specific tasks, improve accessibility and achieve greater user satisfaction. Carter, MacLean, Lovstard & Moran …

117th Annual Meeting Of The Iowa Academy Of Science [Program, 2005], Iowa Academy Of Science

Iowa Academy of Science Documents

Contents:

Program Summary --- 4
General Session Presentations --- 6
Symposia Programs --- 9
General Poster Session Program --- 10
Cellular, Molecular and Microbiology Special Poster Session Program --- 12
Section Meeting Programs (Alphabetical by Section) --- 13
2005 IAS Awards and Recognition --- 18
Geology Field Trip Details --- 19
Section Meeting Abstracts (by Section) --- 20
Symposia Abstracts --- 64
Author Index --- 68

Julian Cecil Stanley Papers, Zach S. Henderson Library, Special Collections

Finding Aids

This collection consists of the research materials of Johns Hopkins professor of psychology, Julian C. Stanley. Materials range from 1950-2005 and include his published reprints, abstracts, reports, letters, and seminar papers. The collection also includes reviews of research materials and articles by prominent psychologists in similar fields.

Find this collection in the University Libraries' catalog.

Applying Scenario-Based Design And Claim Analysis To The Design Of A Digital Library Of Geography Examination Resources, Yin-Leng Theng, Dion Hoe-Lian Goh, Ee Peng Lim, Zehua Liu, Ming Yin, Natalie Lee-San Pang, Patricia Bao-Bao Wong

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

This paper describes the application of Carroll’s scenario-based design and claims analysis as a means of refinement to the initial design of a digital library of geographical resources (GeogDL) to prepare Singapore students to take a national examination in geography. GeogDL is built on top of G-Portal, a digital library providing services over geospatial and georeferenced Web content. Beyond improving the initial design of GeogDL, a main contribution of the paper is making explicit the use of Carroll’s strong theory-based but undercapitalized scenario-based design and claims analysis that inspired recommendations for the refinement of GeogDL. The paper concludes with an …

Fuzzy And Neutrosophic Analysis Of Women With Hiv/Aids, Florentin Smarandache, W.B. Vasantha Kandasamy

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

Fuzzy theory is one of the best tools to analyze data, when the data under study is an unsupervised one, involving uncertainty coupled with imprecision. However, fuzzy theory cannot cater to analyzing the data involved with indeterminacy. The only tool that can involve itself with indeterminacy is the neutrosophic model. Neutrosophic models are used in the analysis of the socio-economic problems of HIV/AIDS infected women patients living in rural Tamil Nadu. Most of these women are uneducated and live in utter poverty. Till they became seriously ill they worked as daily wagers. When these women got admitted in the hospital …

Fuzzy And Neutrosophic Analysis Of Periyar’S Views On Untouchability, Florentin Smarandache, Vasantha Kandasamy, K. Kandasamy

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

“Day in and day out we take pride in claiming that India has a 5000 year old civilization. But the way Dalits and those suppressed are being treated by the people who wield power and authority speaks volumes for the degradations of our moral structure and civilized standards.” Ex-President of India, the late K. R. Narayanan The New Indian Express, Saturday, 12 Nov. 2005 K.R.Narayanan was a lauded hero and a distinguished victim of his Dalit background. Even in an international platform when he was on an official visit to Paris, the media headlines blazed, ‘An Untouchable at Elysee’. He …

Medical Image Enhancement, Alina Monica Trifas

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Each image acquired from a medical imaging system is often part of a two-dimensional (2-D) image set whose total presents a three-dimensional (3-D) object for diagnosis. Unfortunately, sometimes these images are of poor quality. These distortions cause an inadequate object-of-interest presentation, which can result in inaccurate image analysis. Blurring is considered a serious problem. Therefore, “deblurring” an image to obtain better quality is an important issue in medical image processing. In our research, the image is initially decomposed. Contrast improvement is achieved by modifying the coefficients obtained from the decomposed image. Small coefficient values represent subtle details and are amplified …

Persuasive Email Messages For Patient Communication, Jiajie Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

To improve health and reduce costs, we need to encourage patients to make better health care decisions. Since email is widely available, it may be useful for patient-directed interventions. However, we know little about how the contents of an email message can influence a health-related decision. We propose a model to understand how patients may process persuasive email messages.

Human Mental Models Of Humanoid Robots, Sau-Lai Lee, Ivy Yee-Man Lau, Sara Kiesler, Chi-Yue Chiu

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Effective communication between a person and a robot may depend on whether there exists a common ground of understanding between the two. In two experiments modelled after human-human studies we examined how people form a mental model of a robot's factual knowledge. Participants estimated the robot's knowledge by extrapolating from their own knowledge and from information about the robot's origin and language. These results suggest that designers of humanoid robots must attend not only to the social cues that robots emit but also to the information people use to create mental models of a robot.

Computer Security: Investigating The Impact That Security Specific Education Has On Users’ Behaviour, Samuel David Jones

Theses : Honours

A lack in end-user awareness in computer security issues provides the rationale for this investigation. The research considers whether or not the provision of an educational package addressing computer security issues will improve awareness and transform behaviour of end-users in assessing and enacting appropriate responses in computer security situations. A group of twenty participants was studied in detail using a mixed methods research approach. The participants were drawn from a cross section of computer end-users, from elementary to advanced levels of computer literacy. Outcomes include a positive response to the provision of material, however human factors were found to be …

Maldi-Tof Ms Data Processing Using Wavelets, Splines And Clustering Techniques., Shuo Chen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mass Spectrometry, especially matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time of flight (TOF), is emerging as a leading technique in the proteomics revolution. It can be used to find disease-related protein patterns in mixtures of proteins derived from easily obtained samples. In this paper, a novel algorithm for MALDI-TOF MS data processing is developed. The software design includes the application of splines for data smoothing and baseline correction, wavelets for adaptive denoising, multivariable statistics techniques such as clustering analysis, and signal processing techniques to evaluate the complicated biological signals. A MatLab implementation shows the processing steps consecutively including step-interval unification, adaptive …

The Other Side Of Silence: Rachel Carson’S Views Of Animals, Marc Bekoff, Jan Nystrom

Animal Welfare Collection

The publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring in 1962 is widely regarded as one of the major events that launched the modern environmental movement. Silent Spring is a compelling blend of stories, natural history, human values, and biological facts. In this essay we consider Carson’s attitude toward animals in Silent Spring and in other texts. Despite the facts that she was raised to love Nature and animals, little direct attention has been given to Carson’s views about our moral responsibilities to, and the moral standing of animals. Carson favored responsible stewardship, was more of an animal welfarist and environmentalist/conservation biologist …

Full Issue, The Mcnair Team

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Acknowledgements, The Mcnair Team

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Annotation Manager: An Automated Web-Based Content Management System For Digital Libraries With Annotated Bibliographies, Frenny Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

With the expansion of the World Wide Web in the 90s, individuals (especially students) are always on a quest for information resources especially in the form of Web sites. Yet many of them are overwhelmed when faced with deciding which site will best suit their research needs. As a result, these individuals may select a resource for less than optimal reasons. To ease some of the burden, libraries have made great advances to provide a place to organize information resources. Such places are called library portals, and they typically provide a gateway to web resources by categorizing and annotating them …

An Investigation Of Secondary Teachers’ Knowledge Of Rate Of Change In The Context Of Teaching A Standards-Based Curriculum, Jihwa Noh

Dissertations

This study investigated teachers' mathematical content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge with respect to rate of change in the context of teaching a Standards-based high school mathematics curriculum that emphasizes rate of change as a central theme, the Core-Plus Mathematics Project (CPMP) materials. A framework was designed to provide a comprehensive guide for analyzing different aspects of rate of change knowledge incorporating existing frameworks relative to rate of change, NCTM recommendations described in Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics andPrinciples and Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM, 2000), and research related to pedagogical understanding of rate of change.

Data …

Two High School Teachers’ Initial Use Of Geometers Sketchpad: Issues Of Implementation, Kathryn G. Shafer

Dissertations

This study documents two teachers' instructional practices as they learn and incorporate Geometer's Sketchpad (GSP) activities into their curriculum. The researcher (as a mentor) worked closely with two high school geometry teachers following a case study methodology. As a secondary goal, this study examined the use of a mentor as a professional development model to assist classroom teachers in the learning and implementation of Geometer'sSketchpad. Data were gathered through interviews, surveys, observations, classroom videotape, participant journal entries, as well as researcher field notes.

Results are reported in the areas of goals of instruction, method of instruction, role of the teacher, …