Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Brigham Young University

Discipline
Keyword
Publication Year
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 17401 - 17430 of 19120

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Fraction Multiplication And Division Image Change In Pre-Service Elementary Teachers, Jennifer J. Cluff Jul 2005

Fraction Multiplication And Division Image Change In Pre-Service Elementary Teachers, Jennifer J. Cluff

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated three pre-service elementary teachers' understanding of fractions and fraction multiplication and division. The motivation for this study was lack of conceptual understanding of fractions and fraction multiplication and division. Pre-service elementary teachers were chosen because teachers are the conduit of information for their students. The subjects were followed through the fractions unit in a mathematics methods course for pre-service elementary teachers at Brigham Young University. Each subject volunteered to participate and were interviewed and videotaped throughout the study, and they also provided copies of all work done in the fractions unit in the course. The data is …

Go to article

Establishing Public Confidence In The Viability Of Fingerprint Biometric Technology, Nathan Alan Green Jul 2005

Establishing Public Confidence In The Viability Of Fingerprint Biometric Technology, Nathan Alan Green

Theses and Dissertations

The most common personal authentication techniques used for identity management employ a secret PIN or password that must be remembered. The challenge, for a given user, is that a multitude of such codes must be recalled over the course of the day for transactions involving distinct computer applications. Password mania prevails. Fingerprint biometric technology is an ideal alternate solution to this password recall problem. In spite of their availability for nearly thirty years, fingerprint biometric systems still remain uncommon in public sectors of industry such as education, government, and technology. Technology has improved sufficiently that false acceptance and rejection rates …

Go to article

Investigation Of The Mechanisms Of Ozone-Mediated Viral Inactivation, Seiga Ohmine Jul 2005

Investigation Of The Mechanisms Of Ozone-Mediated Viral Inactivation, Seiga Ohmine

Theses and Dissertations

Previous studies have established that ozone-oxygen mixtures can be used to inactivate a variety of microorganisms including bacteria, fungi and viruses. Ozone is a potent reactive oxygen species (ROS) that rapidly decays into a variety of additional short half-life ROS which have been shown to cause oxidative damage to biological molecules. I hypothesize that controlled ozone exposure and the subsequent generation of additional ROS would reduce viral infectivity by lipid and/or protein peroxidation. A proprietary ozone-oxygen delivery system was used to inactivate a series of enveloped [herpes simplex virus type-1 strain McIntyre (HSV-1), vaccinia strain Elstree (VAC), vesicular stomatitis virus …

Go to article

How Virtues And Values Affect Marital Intimacy, Natalie Jan Stevens Jul 2005

How Virtues And Values Affect Marital Intimacy, Natalie Jan Stevens

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to better understand how virtues and values affect marital intimacy. Ten married couples were given a marital satisfaction assessment and participated as individuals in 1-1/2 hour interviews which were audiotaped and then transcribed. Using grounded theory and also the constant comparative method, researchers were able to generate a theory involving a core theme of showing love for self and other, which strongly contributes to increased intimacy. This process is connected to living virtues and to becoming other-oriented. Two different ways of "being" were found to be connected both with showing love, living virtues, increasing …

Go to article

Representations For Understanding The Stern-Gerlach Effect, Jared R. Stenson Jul 2005

Representations For Understanding The Stern-Gerlach Effect, Jared R. Stenson

Theses and Dissertations

The traditional explanation of the Stern-Gerlach effect carries with it several very subtle assumptions and approximations. We point out the degree to which this fact has affected the way we practice and interpret modern physics. In order to gain a more complete understanding of the Stern-Gerlach effect beyond the standard approximations and assumptions it typically carries, we introduce the inhomogeneous Stern-Gerlach effect in which the strong uniform field component is removed. This change allows us to easily identify precession as a critical concept. It also provides us with a means by which to study precession and analyze it critically. By …

Go to article

A Mathematical Model Of Adhesion Interactions Between Living Cells, Casey P. Johnson Jul 2005

A Mathematical Model Of Adhesion Interactions Between Living Cells, Casey P. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents a simple force-based model of moving and interacting cells that incorporates a realistic description of cell adhesion and applies it to a system of spherical cells. In addition, several results in matrix theory are proved with the end of showing that the equations produced by the model uniquely determine the motion of the system or cells.

Go to article

An Improved Flexible Neutron Detector For Powder Diffraction Experiments, Thomas Kevin Mcknight Jul 2005

An Improved Flexible Neutron Detector For Powder Diffraction Experiments, Thomas Kevin Mcknight

Theses and Dissertations

Large amounts of money are being applied to the construction of the next generation of spallation sources for neutron scattering. Neutron powder diffraction instruments will be an important element of these facilities and the incorporation of detectors into these instruments with a high neutron capture efficiency is desirable. A new detector design named the Flexible Embedded Fiber Detector (FEFD) has been developed and tested for this thesis. This detector is based on wavelength shifting fibers embedded in a zinc-sulfide lithium-fluoride based scintillator. The virtue of this design is that the detecting surface can be curved around the Debye-Scherrer rings. This …

Go to article

Black Spaghetti: A Numerical Model Of Gravitational Collapse In 4 + 1 Spacetime, Michael P. Christenson Jul 2005

Black Spaghetti: A Numerical Model Of Gravitational Collapse In 4 + 1 Spacetime, Michael P. Christenson

Theses and Dissertations

We investigate spherically-symmetric gravitational collapse in the presence of a single "large" extra dimension through the use of analytical and numerical techniques. This has bearing on higher-dimensional ideas concerning hypothetical objects called "black strings," or black holes extending into an extra circular dimension, which dimension we hereinafter label zeta. These putative objects were first seriously considered as elements of string theory but have relevance in simpler, higher-dimensional generalization of Einstein's general relativity. We assume a universe topologically consisting of a two-dimensional Lorentzian manifold crossed with the sphere, crossed again with the circle. We model the formation of a uniform black …

Go to article

The Effects Of Divided Attention On Speech Motor, Verbal Fluency And Manual Motor Task Performance, Erin Hamblin Jul 2005

The Effects Of Divided Attention On Speech Motor, Verbal Fluency And Manual Motor Task Performance, Erin Hamblin

Theses and Dissertations

Research in dual task performance varies widely in its methodology and results. The present study employed three different types of activity to provide insights into the interference that occurs in dual task performance. Twenty young adults completed a speech task (repeating a sentence), a verbal fluency task (listing words beginning with the same letter), and right- and left-handed motor tasks (placing pegs and washers in a peg board) in isolation and in concurrent conditions. Speech kinematic data revealed that during concurrent performance of manual tasks, lip displacement and peak velocity decreased, while sound pressure level and spatiotemporal variability increased. The …

Go to article

Accelerated Ray Traced Animations Exploiting Temporal Coherence, Darwin Tarry Baines Jul 2005

Accelerated Ray Traced Animations Exploiting Temporal Coherence, Darwin Tarry Baines

Theses and Dissertations

Ray tracing is a well-know technique for producing realistic graphics. However, the time necessary to generate images is unacceptably long. When producing the many frames that are necessary for animations, the time is magnified. Many methods have been proposed to reduce the calculations necessary in ray tracing. Much of the effort has attempted to reduce the number of rays cast or to reduce the number of intersection calculations. Both of these techniques exploit spatial coherence. These acceleration techniques are expanded not only to exploit spatial coherence but also to exploit temporal coherence in order to reduce calculations by treating animation …

Go to article

Scale Construction And Halo Effect In Secondary Student Ratings Of Teacher Performance, Eric Paul Rogers Jul 2005

Scale Construction And Halo Effect In Secondary Student Ratings Of Teacher Performance, Eric Paul Rogers

Theses and Dissertations

The use of rating scales in the evaluation of secondary teacher performance has been called into question and widely criticized. Of particular concern has been the use of student ratings of teacher performance. A review of instruments and practices used in the rating process reveals serious design flaws that account for the criticisms leveled against the use of rating scales. This study sought to address the limitations evident in previous rating efforts by utilizing a combination of design methodologies and measurement models including elements of Classical Test Theory (CTT), factor analysis, and Item Response Theory (IRT). The IRT model employed …

Go to article

Personality Predictors Of Relationship Satisfaction Among Engaged And Married Couples: An Analysis Of Actor And Partner Effects, Nicole L. Mead Jul 2005

Personality Predictors Of Relationship Satisfaction Among Engaged And Married Couples: An Analysis Of Actor And Partner Effects, Nicole L. Mead

Theses and Dissertations

With a sample of 3,436 engaged and married couples, this study explores the prediction of relationship satisfaction using the personality traits of neuroticism, depression, kindness, impulsivity, flexibility, self-esteem, and extraversion while utilizing controls for non-independent couple data in structural equation modeling. Both actor effects (the impact of an individual's personality on his or her own satisfaction) and partner effects (the impact of the partner's personality on satisfaction) are examined, including comparisons of the relative strength of each for males and females. A comparison is also made of engaged and married couples to determine if relationship status acts as a moderator. …

Go to article

Computer-Aided Self-Access Pronunciation Materials Designed To Teach Stress In American English, Ann-Marie Krueger Bott Jul 2005

Computer-Aided Self-Access Pronunciation Materials Designed To Teach Stress In American English, Ann-Marie Krueger Bott

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, increasing attention has been placed on providing pronunciation instruction that meets the communicative needs of nonnative speakers (NNSs) of English. Empirical research and pronunciation materials writers suggest that teaching suprasegmentals before segmentals to intermediate and advanced NNSs could be more beneficial in a shorter period of time. However, the majority of the materials available that emphasize suprasegmentals are textbook-based, relying principally on classroom settings and teacher feedback. The purpose of Pronunciation Progress: Stress in American English is to provide NNSs with pronunciation materials for self-access and student-directed learning environments. These materials are designed as a series of …

Go to article

Task Localization, Similarity, And Transfer; Towards A Reinforcement Learning Task Library System, James Lamond Carroll Jul 2005

Task Localization, Similarity, And Transfer; Towards A Reinforcement Learning Task Library System, James Lamond Carroll

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis develops methods of task localization, task similarity discovery, and task transfer for eventual use in a reinforcement learning task library system, which can effectively “learn to learn,” improving its performance as it encounters various tasks over the lifetime of the learning system.

Go to article

Suitability Of The Nist Shop Data Model As A Neutral File Format For Simulation, Gregory Brent Harward Jul 2005

Suitability Of The Nist Shop Data Model As A Neutral File Format For Simulation, Gregory Brent Harward

Theses and Dissertations

Due to the successful application in internet related fields, Extensible Markup Language (XML) and its related technologies are being explored as a revolutionary software file format technology used to provide increased interoperability in the discrete-event simulation (DES) arena. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed an XML-based information model (XSD) called the Shop Data Model (SDM), which is used to describe the contents of a neutral file format (NFF) that is being promoted as a means to make manufacturing simulation technology more accessible to a larger group of potential customers. Using a two step process, this thesis …

Go to article

Beliefs, Practices, And Training In Marriage Preparation: A Comparison Between Members Of The Association Of Mormon Counselors And Psychotherapists (Amcap) And Select Protestant Clergy, Samuel L. Ashton Jul 2005

Beliefs, Practices, And Training In Marriage Preparation: A Comparison Between Members Of The Association Of Mormon Counselors And Psychotherapists (Amcap) And Select Protestant Clergy, Samuel L. Ashton

Theses and Dissertations

A sample of 127 members of the Association of Mormon Counselors and Psychotherapists (AMCAP) responded to a questionnaire regarding their beliefs, practices and training in premarital counseling (PMC). This study was a replication of a previous study of 226 clergy premarital counselors from four Protestant denominations by Jones, E.F., & Stahmann, R.F. (1994). The results of this study were compared with the results of the Jones & Stahmann study. Findings suggest that AMCAP members were less likely than Protestant clergy to believe that PMC should be required of all couples before marriage. AMCAP members and Protestant clergy both rated Enrichment, …

Go to article

Vision-Based Target Localization From A Small, Fixed-Wing Unmanned Air Vehicle, Joshua D. Redding Jul 2005

Vision-Based Target Localization From A Small, Fixed-Wing Unmanned Air Vehicle, Joshua D. Redding

Theses and Dissertations

Unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) are attracting increased attention as their envelope of suitable tasks expands to include activities such as perimeter tracking, search and rescue assistance, surveillance and reconnaissance. The simplified goal of many of these tasks is to image an object for tracking or information-gathering purposes. The ability to determine the inertial location of a visible, ground-based object without requiring a priori knowledge of its exact location would therefore prove beneficial. This thesis discusses a method of localizing a ground-based object when imaged from a fixed-wing UAV. Using the target's pixel location in an image, with measurements of UAV …

Go to article

Novel Neutron Detector For N-N Scattering Length Measurement, Eva Wilcox Jul 2005

Novel Neutron Detector For N-N Scattering Length Measurement, Eva Wilcox

Theses and Dissertations

The neutron-neutron (n-n) scattering length is a fundamental parameter in nuclear physics; however, measurements are plagued with large uncertainties caused by neutron detector cross talk. Many experimentalists also rely upon computer code to calibrate their neutron detectors. Experiments give one of two different numbers but there is still no adequate explanation for this discrepancy. We have developed a new neutron detector expressly for the purpose of improving the n-n scattering length measurement. It offers two important advantages: 1) minimal cross talk and 2) high counting efficiency. We calibrated the detector from 1 MeV to 6 MeV at 1 MeV increments. …

Go to article

Integrating Value Stream Mapping And Simulation, Michelle E. Scullin Jul 2005

Integrating Value Stream Mapping And Simulation, Michelle E. Scullin

Theses and Dissertations

An important principle in Lean manufacturing, value stream mapping (VSM) can be helpful in understanding how process flow and information flow affect each other. A VSM is a static picture of a process that allows the user to see where value is added into the value stream. Simulation is used to evaluate the behavioral issues of processes. In a manufacturing realm this means simulation shows how each operation affects other operations so determinations can be made about where bottlenecks or other problems exist in the process. Theoretically, the integration of VSM and Simulation can aide in process improvement by showing …

Go to article

Ortho-Planar Mechanisms For Microelectromechanical Systems, Craig P. Lusk Jul 2005

Ortho-Planar Mechanisms For Microelectromechanical Systems, Craig P. Lusk

Theses and Dissertations

A method for representing the design space of ortho-planar mechanisms has been developed. The method is based on the Theorem of Equality of Orientation Set Measures (TEOSM) which allows mechanisms to be represented by points in an abstract space. The method is first developed for single loop planar folded mechanisms with revolute joints, and later extended to mechanisms with prismatic joints and to spherical folded mechanisms. Functions which assign a value to each point in design space can be used to describe classes of mechanisms and evaluate their utility for MEMS design. Additionally, this work introduces the use of spherical …

Go to article

Triangulation Between Elderly Parents And Adult Children, Ryan J. Anderson Jul 2005

Triangulation Between Elderly Parents And Adult Children, Ryan J. Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the extent of triangulation between elderly people and their adult children, and examines the relationship of triangulation with marital and individual outcomes such as problem solving, negative affective communication, time spent together, intimacy, depression, and marital satisfaction. Triangulation between adult children and elderly parents was found to be strongly related with negative outcomes for elderly parents in each of the dependent variables.

Go to article

500 Essential English Words For Esl Missionaries, Carrie A. Thompson Jul 2005

500 Essential English Words For Esl Missionaries, Carrie A. Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

In order to help ESL missionaries teach the gospel from their hearts using their own words, I have developed a 500-word list of core gospel vocabulary in English. To enhance the 500-word list, I included a lexicon with simple definitions, some grammatical information, and examples of the words in context. The resulting product complies with the standards for master's projects established by the Department of Linguistics and English Language. Published literature shows that the development of specialized corpora can be beneficial for students learning another language. Additionally, specialized corpora act as a catalyst for in-depth vocabulary analysis and the development …

Go to article

Gps Velocity Field In The Transition From Subduction To Collision Of The Eastern Sunda And Banda Arcs, Indonesia, Hendro Nugroho Jul 2005

Gps Velocity Field In The Transition From Subduction To Collision Of The Eastern Sunda And Banda Arcs, Indonesia, Hendro Nugroho

Theses and Dissertations

Campaign GPS measurements during 2001-2003 in the transition between subduction and collision of the Banda arc reveal how strain is partitioned away from the trench and distributed to other parts of the arc-trench system. Genrich, et. al. (1996) conducted a GPS campaign (1992-1994) throughout the Eastern Sunda and Banda arcs that demonstrated partial accretion of the arc to the Australian plate. We reoccupied many of the sites from this earlier study and 7 additional stations, 3 of which are new benchmarks. Our study shortened many baselines and extended the observation epoch to ten years for many key stations. The resulting …

Go to article

Teacher Training Via Digital Apprenticeship To Master Teachers Of Arabic: Exposure, Reflection, And Replication As Instruments For Change In Novice Instructor Teaching Style, Jeremy L. Palmer Jul 2005

Teacher Training Via Digital Apprenticeship To Master Teachers Of Arabic: Exposure, Reflection, And Replication As Instruments For Change In Novice Instructor Teaching Style, Jeremy L. Palmer

Theses and Dissertations

The Modern Language Association (MLA) recently reported that from 1998 to 2002 there was a 92% increase in Arabic programs throughout the United States. With the increase in media coverage of current events in the Middle East, more and more students are desiring to learn about the region's languages and cultures. More teachers of Arabic are needed to meet this growing demand for Arabic instruction. This thesis investigates whether deliberate intervention via explicit and implicit exposure to the instructional behavior, skills, and strategies of master teachers of Arabic, combined with replication thereof, as well as critical personal reflection, positively alters …

Go to article

Microbial And Chemical Affects On Leachate From Calcareous Soils Treated With Wastewater Effluent, Craig M. Paul Jul 2005

Microbial And Chemical Affects On Leachate From Calcareous Soils Treated With Wastewater Effluent, Craig M. Paul

Theses and Dissertations

Increasing human populations are placing greater strain on water resources, prompting the use of treated wastewater effluent for irrigation in some areas, including the desert regions of the Western United States. To determine the potential effects of using secondary effluent for irrigation, we applied wastewater effluent and irrigation waters to natural and artificially constructed calcareous soils in greenhouse and field lysimeters, and in soil columns. The leachate from one field lysimeter contained increased fecal coliform counts than the effluent. Leachate coliform counts were decreased or not significantly changed in two field lysimeters. Electrical conductivity (EC), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), chloride …

Go to article

The Rhetoric Of Newspaper Rivalry In The Face Of Image Restoration And Transformation, Andrea Ludlow Christensen Jul 2005

The Rhetoric Of Newspaper Rivalry In The Face Of Image Restoration And Transformation, Andrea Ludlow Christensen

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a study of the rhetoric of newspaper rivalry, particularly under the pressures of image restoration and transformation. I use methods of critical discourse analysis to look at newspaper articles in Utah's two dominant newspapers, the Salt Lake Tribune and the Deseret Morning News. I compare a sample of news articles from each paper in 2002 to a sample in 2003, when the Tribune was working to restore its image after a scandal involving two of its reporters, and the News was working to transform its image as it transitioned from an afternoon newspaper to a morning newspaper. …

Go to article

Using A Diglot Reader To Teach Kanji: The Effects Of Audio And Romaji On The Acquisition Of Kanji Vocabulary, Kazumasa Aoyama Jul 2005

Using A Diglot Reader To Teach Kanji: The Effects Of Audio And Romaji On The Acquisition Of Kanji Vocabulary, Kazumasa Aoyama

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a computer-based Japanese/English diglot reader on the breadth and depth of the acquisition of kanji-words. On a diglot reader, L2 text is embedded in L1 text, thus allowing L2 learners to receive enough context to understand the L2 text and learn vocabulary in it. This study was also conducted to determine the effects of two methods of presenting pronunciation of kanji-words, audio recording and romaji, on the acquisition of the meaning and pronunciation of kanji-words as well as the overall effect of learning of pronunciation on the learning and …

Go to article

Long-Term Surface Uplift History Of The Active Banda Arc-Continent Collision: Depth And Age Analysis Of Foraminifera From Rote And Savu Islands, Indonesia, Nova Roosmawati Jul 2005

Long-Term Surface Uplift History Of The Active Banda Arc-Continent Collision: Depth And Age Analysis Of Foraminifera From Rote And Savu Islands, Indonesia, Nova Roosmawati

Theses and Dissertations

Analysis of foraminifera for synorogenic pelagic units of Rote and Savu Islands, Indonesia, reveals high rates of surface uplift in the past 1.5 Ma of the incipient Banda arc-continent collision. Paleodepth estimates are derived from benthonic forams and ages from planktonic forams. But estimates are complicated, however, by abundant reworking; yet several distinctive species have been found. Synorogenic deposits in western Rote yield forams of biozone Neogene (N) 18 and depths from 5000-5700 meters at the base of the section, and 3600 meters at the top of the section. Eastern Rote yields forams of N 19/20 - N 22 and …

Go to article

Saturday Nights Alone, Daniel C. Roberts Jul 2005

Saturday Nights Alone, Daniel C. Roberts

Theses and Dissertations

This novel blends first-person narrative prose with conventions of screenwriting to create a voice consistent with its main character, Rick Morgan, who's trying to escape his life as a real estate agent by becoming a screenwriter. As Rick struggles to write a new screenplay he finds it difficult to divorce his creative mind from the troubles of his personal life. As a result his preoccupations with destroying his boss and taking back the girl the boss stole from him, work their way into Rick's new project. The motif of art imitating life imitating art forces Rick to question long held …

Go to article

Beliefs About The Education Of Children: A Comparison Of Hispanic Immigrant And Anglo-American Parents, Elodie Gisele Martine Bertola Jul 2005

Beliefs About The Education Of Children: A Comparison Of Hispanic Immigrant And Anglo-American Parents, Elodie Gisele Martine Bertola

Theses and Dissertations

In light of the fact that the number of Hispanic children enrolled in American schools is dramatically increasing and that these children are at higher risk of academic difficulty than any other group, the present study investigates the educational and child-rearing beliefs held by Hispanic parents. Understanding these beliefs is pivotal in any attempt to improve Latinos' educational attainment since current research recognizes that parental educational beliefs influence home-literacy practices, which in turn influence subsequent academic achievement. The research questions focus on two types of potential differences in terms of educational and child-rearing beliefs: (1)intercultural (Anglo-Americans vs. Hispanics), (2) intracultural …

Go to article

First Prev Next Last