Digital Commons Network^™

Object Detection And Activity Recognition In Digital Image And Video Libraries, Ibrahim Burak Ozer

Dissertations

This thesis is a comprehensive study of object-based image and video retrieval, specifically for car and human detection and activity recognition purposes. The thesis focuses on the problem of connecting low level features to high level semantics by developing relational object and activity presentations. With the rapid growth of multimedia information in forms of digital image and video libraries, there is an increasing need for intelligent database management tools. The traditional text based query systems based on manual annotation process are impractical for today's large libraries requiring an efficient information retrieval system. For this purpose, a hierarchical information retrieval system …

Multi-Mode Cavity Effects In The Microwave Heating Of A Ceramic Slab, Stuart J. Walker

Dissertations

In order to gain insight into hot spot development in microwave heated ceramics, a partially insulated, two dimensional ceramic slab situated in a TE_M01 cavity is modeled in the small Biot number limit. If the electrical conductivity is an exponential function of temperture and E₀ is the strength of the incident mode, then the relationship between the spatially uniform, steady state leading order temperature, v₈, and E₀¹ is characterized by the well known bi-stable, or S shaped, response curve. The steady state second order temperature, v₁, is described by a boundary …

Numerical Studies Of Newtonian And Viscoelastic Fluids, Felix J. Alcocer

Dissertations

The direct numerical simulation (DNS) approach is used to understand the flow behavior of Newtonian and viscoelastic fluids in porous materials, four-to-one contraction and the flow of a Newtonian fluid past an airfoil.

In simulations the viscoelastic fluid is modeled by the finitely extensible nonlinear elastic (FENE) dumbbell and Oldroyd-B models. The finite element method (FEM) is used to discretize the flow domain. The DNS results show that the permeability of a periodic porous medium depends on the wavelength used for arranging particles in the direction of flow. Specifically, it is shown that for a given particle size and porosity …

Analysis Of Discrete Dynamical System Models For Competing Species, Jerry J. Chen

Dissertations

A discrete version of the Lotka-Volterra (LV) differential equations for competing population species is analyzed in detail, much the same way as the discrete form of the logistic equation has been investigated as a source of bifurcation phenomena and chaotic dynamics. Another related system, namely, the Exponentially Self Regulating (ESR) population model, is also thoroughly analyzed. It is found that in addition to logistic dynamics - ranging from the very simple to manifestly chaotic regimes in terms of the governing parameters - the discrete LV model and the ESR model exhibit their own brands of bifurcation and chaos that are …

A More Efficient Document Retrieval Method For Texpros, Yin Dong

Dissertations

Document processing is a critical element of office automation. Through document classification, extraction and filing, documents are automatically placed into a knowledge base according to certain rules. Document retrieval is a process to get a document back according to a user's requirements and to show the results to the user. Hence, a good user-interface and an efficient retrieval algorithm become core parts of document retrieval.

Unlike previous browsers that have been proposed for this purpose, this dissertation develops a new browser that has a user interface with more tools, and one that has a more efficient retrieval algorithm that can …

The Effectiveness Of The High-School Academic Program In Preparing Graduates For Post-Secondary Education As Perceived By Alumni From Four Seventh-Day Adventist Senior High Schools In Canada, Janice P. Maitland

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Social Construction Of The Sex Offender, Lisa L. Sample

Dissertations

Over the last two decades, Americans have come to perceive sex offending as a serious and widespread problem. As a response to the public's concern, new sex offender legislation has been enacted. This dissertation examines the contemporary sex offender problem and the legislative responses, within a social constructionist framework. I performed a content analysis of newspaper accounts, conducted interviews with public officials, and analyzed arrest data to determine the current definitions of sex offenders, the process by which those definitions found their way into law, and how they were applied to offenders.

I found that the media depict and policy …

Estrogen Influences On The Developing Rat Hippocampus Through Interactions With The Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor And P160 Coactivator Proteins, Derek Tyler Solum

Dissertations

In addition to their primary role in the maintenance and regulation of reproductive capacity, ovarian steroid hormones acting through specific nuclear receptors influence more general neurobiological functions, such as perceptual-spatial skills and learning and memory. Estrogens act to alter certain aspects of cognitive performance and pathology such as epileptic seizure activity and Alzheimer’s disease. Furthermore, ovarian steroids act during development to alter the neuronal cytoarchitecture and synaptic connectivity. These early influences of steroids on the brain are essentially permanent and in part determine the steroid responsiveness of the adult brain. The mechanism and sites of action for the effects of …

Teaching Strategies And Adaptations Of Teachers In Multiculturally Diverse Classrooms In Seventh-Day Adventist K-8 Schools In North America, Annabelle I. Lopez

Dissertations

Problem. The rapid growth of diverse populations is affecting the educational system, and teachers often have not received training in multicultural education. The goal of this study is to document the multicultural teaching experiences of elementary Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) teachers in the United States and Canada.

Method. Survey questionnaires were sent to elementary school teachers to ascertain training, goals, paradigms, and challenges in teaching students from diverse cultures. Through a purposive sampling process, three teachers were chosen for in-depth interviews and observation.

Results. Seventy percent of the 1,780 questionnaires sent out were returned. Many teachers reported receiving training in their …

A Study On Selected Factors Influencing School Choice Among The Seventh-Day Adventist Population In Southwest Michigan, Philip Omenge Mainda

Dissertations

The Problem. One of the most significant problems currently facing Seventh-day Adventist church schools in North America is declining enrollment in Grades K-12. In Southwest Michigan where this study was done. Seventh-day Adventist parents tend to make choices on where to send their children to school between Seventh-day Adventist schools and public schools. It was the purpose of this study to determine if a relationship exists between school choice and parental perception of selected causal factors.

Method. The design of the study was empirical ex post facto using a descriptive survey research method with a Likert-type scale which was …

Job Satisfaction Among Psychologists In A Managed-Care Environment, Walter R. Vyhmeister

Dissertations

The problem. The efforts of managed care to balance resources, cost, and quality of services have created new issues among mental health professionals, affecting their careers and having the potential to affect their job satisfaction. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to investigate how managed care has impacted career satisfaction among professional psychologists.

The method. The present investigation examined 21 factors in the prediction of job satisfaction among licensed psychologists. A sample of 1,000 licensed psychologists located in California, Oregon, and Washington was randomly selected from the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology. Three hundred seventeen participants …

The Fatherhood Of God: An Exegetical Study From The Hebrew Scriptures, David Russell Tasker

Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to develop a theology of the fatherhood of God from the Hebrew Scriptures. Although many studies have explored the topic from the perspective of other disciplines, the actual theology of God's fatherhood, as revealed in the Hebrew Scriptures, has been neglected until now. This has resulted in the dichotomization between the concept of God as presented in the so-called Old and New Testaments.

Because of the tendency to explain God through the lenses of Greek and Roman mythology, chapter 1 surveys ANE thought, showing that the fatherhood of god concept goes back a lot …

A Comparison Of The Health Beliefs Of Florence Nightingale And Ellen G. White And The Incorporation Of Them Into Their Respective Schools Of Nursing, Ruth Duncan Abbott

Dissertations

This study explored the similarities and differences of the health beliefs of Ellen G. White and Florence Nightingale and how these beliefs were incorporated into each of their respective schools of nursing, the Nightingale Training School for Nurses at St. Thomas' Hospital and the Medical Missionary Training School for Nurses at the Battle Creek Sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan. The research also examined the contextual factors that shaped each woman's philosophy and influenced the manner in which they carried out their work. Additionally, the research provides information about the historical context surrounding the beginnings of modern nursing, education, health, society, …

The Effectiveness Of Cooperative Learning Teams Using The Bcubetm Process, C. Vincent Anderson

Dissertations

Problem. Cooperative learning is attempted by placing students in group learning situations in which they receive assignments without a structured group or team-formation process. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the BcubeTM process with college students as a method of bringing together individuals of varied backgrounds to form cooperative- learning teams. In addition, the affect of the BcubeTM process on a particular learning outcome was also examined.

Method. Sixty-three Andrews University students (undergraduate and graduate) were divided into treatment and control groups. After a pretest was administered, the treatment group was given the BcubeTM process which is a method o …

Personality Profiles And Problems Related To Clergy Misconduct, Kenneth S. Brodie

Dissertations

Problem. Clergy sexual misconduct is a significant problem for the church. There are legal and financial problems, as well as damage to individuals and communities. The purpose of this study was to examine personality profiles and situational themes of ministers in treatment whose presenting problems included sexual misconduct.

Method. Inactive case files of ministers in treatment were analyzed. From the case file it was determined if the minister was involved in an intimate affair which included an emotional bond, a casual affair with no emotional bond, or was not involved in an affair. The complete MMPI-2 profile and the …

The Magisterium And Theologians In The Writings Of Avery Robert Dulles, Darius W. Jankiewicz

Dissertations

This study explores Avery Robert Dulles's views regarding the nature of doctrinal authority in the Roman Catholic Church, and particularly the relationship between the hierarchical magisterium and theologians, with special focus on the apparent disparity between his early post-Vatican II views and his recent views.

To attain this goal, Dulles's convictions were considered in the context of his doctrine of the Church, and, whenever relevant, from the perspective of his overall theological system, without neglecting the presuppositions undergirding his ideas and the methodologies used to support them. To highlight contrasting positions, three periods are studied consecutively: the earliest writings, i.e., …

The Learning Disabled College Student : Experiencing The Hundred-Acre Wood, Frances Lowry Schander

Dissertations

Problem. Learning disabled (LD) college students are attempting college in unprecedented numbers. This study explores the experiences of four graduating college students to determine how they managed their disability in the educational environment that has provided them with much difficulty for many years.

Method. A qualitative case study design with purposive sampling was used for this study. Over 9 months, four female college students, identified as learning disabled, were interviewed. In addition, conversations were held with their parents and teachers whom the four students identified as being “helpful.” Each student’s experience in college is described and analyzed. Important themes, along …

The Impact On Team Effectiveness Of Personality Preferences Of Team Members Involved In The Connecticut Early Intervention Project, Nancy Krafcik-Rousseau

Dissertations

Problem. Educators are faced with significant challenges daily as they attempt to meet the diverse needs of students. The establishment of school-based problem solving teams is one approach that supports teachers and students. This study will determine if personality preferences of team members impact the effectiveness of teams involved in the Connecticut Early Intervention Project (EIP). EIP incorporates a team approach providing assistance to requesting classroom teachers who have students experiencing difficulties.

Method. The research design consisted of a comparison of two groups of Connecticut public schools that participated in the Early Intervention Project (EIP) and were trained accordingly. Schools …

Adult Learning In The Context Of Interreligious Dialogue: A Collaborative Research Study Involving Christians, Jews, And Muslims, Nadira K. Charaniya, Jane West Walsh

Dissertations

What do American Jews really know about Muslims? What do American Muslims really know about Jews? These questions undergird this account of how two religious adult educators--a Jew and a Muslim--came to engage in collaborative, dialogic, relational and transformational interreligious learning and research. Emerging out of this collaborative doctoral research project at National-Louis University, this study addresses two different dimensions of research and practice in the field of adult education: the nature of adult learning in the interreligious dialogue process and the role of collaborative methods in research methodology.

Adult learning in the context of interreligious dialogue can best be …

A Study Of Officer's Use Of Leadership Skills Learned In The Navy's Intermediate Officer Leadership Course, William F. Conroy Edd

Dissertations

The U.S. Navy's present-day leadership training program, referred to as the Leadership Continuum, provides for leadership training for all enlisted personnel and officers at initial entry into the naval service and at designated career milestones until retirement. The Leadership Continuum evolved from a series of formal Navy leadership training programs dating back to the late 1970s. The Navy has expended a considerable amount of fiscal resources over the past 20 years in an attempt to provide quality leadership training to its personnel. However, past studies have revealed that leadership training course graduates are provided with little to no incentives by …

The Effect Of Professional Growth Opportunities As Determined By California Public High School Instrumental Music Teachers, Charles Friedrichs Edd

Dissertations

Improving the quality of teaching and instruction is a continuing challenge for schools and teachers. To meet this challenge the State of California requires all teachers to participate in professional growth activities by showing evidence of 150 hours of professional growth every five years (Ed. Code §44277-2b). The purposes of this study were to examine the professional growth habits and needs of high school instrumental music teachers in the state of California, and the effectiveness of current professional growth opportunities as perceived by those teachers. In addition, this study examined the implications of professional growth opportunities for these music teachers …

Teacher Portfolios In The Supervision Process: A Journey Of Discovery, Halyna M. Kornuta Edd

Dissertations

Facilitating the personal and professional growth of teachers is a very effective way to positively impact students' self-esteem, skills development, and behavior. Certain professional development strategies, for example, developmental supervision, enable teachers to plan for their own growth. Developmental supervision is a nonevaluative approach to providing feedback that meets individual needs of teachers. The process utilizes research in the areas of professional development, teacher supervision, and adult learning. Portfolio projects could be a component of developmental supervision. However, there is minimal empirical research to support the use of portfolio projects in nonevaluative supervision. The purpose of this qualitative study was …

The Balancing Act: Work Environment Issues For Women With Children In Student Affairs, Mary Kimberly Braun Padulo Edd

Dissertations

Increasingly in the past two decades, student affairs work at American's universities has been undertaken by women. This work with the co-curricular life of the students in higher education requires administrators at all levels to have a flexible schedule with the ability to commit evenings and weekends to their work. Challenges for academe and for women in the profession have emerged as more women enter the field. One of the most problematic areas is the retention of highly educated and experienced female administrators once they have children. Workplace environment, including work schedule, job demands and employer support, have been suggested …

School-Based Management In Alberta: Perceptions Of Public School Leaders, 1994–1997, Robert James Wilson Edd

Dissertations

In 1994, the Government of Alberta, Canada, instituted major fiscal measures designed to reduce operating costs and a large provincial debt. In tandem, Alberta Education restructured public education by: reducing the number of school districts, redefining the role of school boards, increasing the involvement of parents, initiating Charter schools, expanding student testing, downsizing Alberta Education, improving delivery of services to children, and mandating the implementation of school-based management in all public schools (Alberta Education News Release, January 18, 1994). The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of how the implementation of school-based management, through the first three …

The Effects Of Teachers' Flow Experiences On The Cognitive Engagement Of Students, Nian Q. Zhu Edd

Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the relationship between teachers' flow experiences and student cognitive engagement during class time. Study participants consisted of students and their teachers in grades 6 through 10 from a number of elementary and secondary schools in the Fraser Valley region of British Columbia, Canada. Data were collected through the use of the Experience-Sampling Method, originally developed by Csikszentmihalyi to investigate flow experiences, that allowed teachers and students to fill out sampling forms in response to randomly generated electronic signals transmitted to pagers or wrist watches that the teachers wore. Data were collected …

The Banquet Type-Scene In The Parables Of Jesus, Fazadudin Hosein

Dissertations

Biblical narratives abound in ancient literary and oral conventions. One such convention is the type-scene. The study of the type-scene originated in 1933 with Walter Arend who studied compositional recurrent patterns and variations in the epics of Homer. Later, the study was developed by Robert Alter inhis treatment of biblical narratives. The type-scene was a narratorial device used by ancient orators and writers in which traditional elements of repetitive compositional patterns were told and retold ininnovative ways to an audience, raising their expectation and sometimes causing surprise. Conventional elements that make up the type-scene were catchwords, motifs, characters, and themes. …

Values Education Influence On Elementary Students' Self-Esteem, Ron W. Germaine Edd

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine if there was a significant difference in measures of self-esteem between elementary school students to whom specific values were formally taught in their school as part of the curriculum and those who did not receive such instruction. The setting for the study was a school district in Canada that had identified sixteen values through community consensus. The district developed curriculum and lessons for the teaching of these values. A quasi-experimental research design was utilized. The treatment group was taught values as a formal part of their curriculum for a period of four …

Aligning Practice With Vision: Leadership For Developing Character And Employability Attributes, Douglas Archibald Hoey Edd

Dissertations

Leadership to achieve the development of character and employability attributes depends highly on one significant principle—aligning practice with vision. The purpose of this study was to investigate the leadership necessary to design and implement an intervention process to develop character and employability attributes in secondary school students. The work habit mark was the means of assessing the degree of success to which a student demonstrated the attributes. The research questions under investigation were: (1) Is there a change in the demonstration of work habits marks after the intervention, and (2) Do any changes in the demonstration of work habits marks …

Teachings From Cree Elders: A Grounded Theory Study Of Indigenous Leadership, Leona Makokis Edd

Dissertations

For the past two hundred and fifty years, the relationship between First Nations and Euro-Canadians, has shifted from an equal partnership to one of colonized and colonizer. Despite this history, First Nations people have shown resiliency, continuing to honor beliefs, values, and traditions. Constrained by Euro-Canadian government Indian Affairs polices, First Nations have not progressed economically or politically, but have been caught in the trap of administering their own poverty. The First Nations people are dying a slow death; thus, it is critical to examine their current reality, acknowledging that history does not begin with the arrival of the Europeans, …

Reflective Practices: Collective Case Studies Of Selected K–8 General Music Teachers In Peer Problem-Solving Discipline And Management Workshop Settings, Nan Leslie Mcdonald Edd

Dissertations

Considerable research indicates that classroom discipline is the most important factor influencing teachers' self-concepts of teaching effectiveness and job satisfaction. Yet, time is not allotted for critical reflection with peers closest to these practice concerns. K–8 general music teachers are further isolated from other teachers and experience discipline concerns specific to music teaching, concerns they need to reflectively problem-solve with job-alike peers. This qualitative study examined processes of guided critical reflection of 137 K–8 general music teachers from 16 states within researcher-led discipline and management workshops. Multiple sources of data included observation notes, participants' self-written case studies of their own …