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Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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Identifying Genomic Signatures For Predicting Breast Cancer Outcomes, Shruti Rathnagiriswaran Dec 2008

Identifying Genomic Signatures For Predicting Breast Cancer Outcomes, Shruti Rathnagiriswaran

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Predicting the risk for recurrence in breast cancer patients is a critical task in clinics. Recent developments in DNA microarrays have fostered tremendous advances in molecular diagnosis and prognosis of breast cancer.;The first part of our study was based on a novel approach of considering the level of genomic instability as one of the most powerful predictors of clinical outcome. A systematic technique was presented to explore whether there is a linkage between the degree of genomic instability, gene expression patterns, and clinical outcomes by considering the following hypotheses; first, the degree of genomic instability is reflected by an aneuploidy-specific …

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Video Modeling Via Implicit Motion Representations, Yunfei Zheng Dec 2008

Video Modeling Via Implicit Motion Representations, Yunfei Zheng

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Video modeling refers to the development of analytical representations for explaining the intensity distribution in video signals. Based on the analytical representation, we can develop algorithms for accomplishing particular video-related tasks. Therefore video modeling provides us a foundation to bridge video data and related-tasks. Although there are many video models proposed in the past decades, the rise of new applications calls for more efficient and accurate video modeling approaches.;Most existing video modeling approaches are based on explicit motion representations, where motion information is explicitly expressed by correspondence-based representations (i.e., motion velocity or displacement). Although it is conceptually simple, the limitations …

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Effects Of Rate Of Feedback And Reinforcement On Novel Responding, Vennessa L. Walker Dec 2008

Effects Of Rate Of Feedback And Reinforcement On Novel Responding, Vennessa L. Walker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Ten middle-school students were assigned to receive feedback and token reinforcement either every 1 min (HR) or every 15 min (LR). Subjects used a computer program to learn to perform 5 basic algebra skills at high rates and high accuracy. Subjects were yoked with a partner for practice so that each member of the pair completed the same number of items per skill. Subjects were provided with cumulative review worksheets and then were tested for distraction, adduction, and retention. Results suggest that HR facilitates faster acquisition of skills as well as better performance on cumulative reviews, distraction, and retention tests. …

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Development Of An Open Loop Fuzzy Logic Urea Dosage Controller For Use With An Scr Equipped Hdd Engine, Theodore R. Adams Dec 2008

Development Of An Open Loop Fuzzy Logic Urea Dosage Controller For Use With An Scr Equipped Hdd Engine, Theodore R. Adams

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) has been shown to be the most promising exhaust aftertreatment system for reducing oxides of nitrogen in near term in-use applications. SCRs use the ammonia containing compound urea, as a reducing agent. In order to control the urea dosage during transient operation of the engine, sophisticated control strategies are needed. The goal of this study was to design a controller to achieve the maximum NO x emission reduction possible in the transient mode of engine operation, without causing ammonia slip. The development of an open loop, non-sensor based fuzzy logic urea dosage controller is discussed in …

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Program-Assisted Analysis Of The Transverse Pressure Capacity Of Block Stoppings For Mine Ventilation Control, Timothy J. Batchler Dec 2008

Program-Assisted Analysis Of The Transverse Pressure Capacity Of Block Stoppings For Mine Ventilation Control, Timothy J. Batchler

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Previously a new test procedure, based on rigid arching, had been developed to determine the true transverse pressure capacity of mine ventilation block stoppings. Using this test procedure, a parametric study of the design parameters was tested to determine the arching capability in block stoppings. Theoretical assessments of arching and design equations were developed creating design guidelines based on the physical properties of the block stoppings. Based on these design guidelines, a computer program was developed to simulate the transverse pressure capacity of mine ventilation block stoppings. Inputs from users will generate a set of representative scenarios simulating a particular …

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Modeling Of Particle Trajectories Of Coal Size And Density Fractions In A Gasifier, Andrew A. Slezak Jr. Dec 2008

Modeling Of Particle Trajectories Of Coal Size And Density Fractions In A Gasifier, Andrew A. Slezak Jr.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A computational model of a generic commercial two-stage entrained-flow up-flow coal gasifier has been used in the present work to aid the researchers of the coal partitioning project at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). Specifically, the level of variation in the predicted performance in a generic entrained-flow gasifier if both coal slurry density fractions as well as diameter fractions are properly modeled in the CFD simulation was determined.;Simulations were performed using the commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software Fluent for a Pittsburgh #8 Bailey coal to analyze fixed carbon conversion, exit gas volume fractions, and particle trajectory patterns. The …

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Code Comparison Of Methane Hydrate Reservoir Simulators Using Cmg Stars, Manohar Gaddipati Dec 2008

Code Comparison Of Methane Hydrate Reservoir Simulators Using Cmg Stars, Manohar Gaddipati

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Natural gas is an important energy source contributing to 23% of the total energy consumption in United States. Domestic conventional natural gas production does not keep pace with increase in natural gas demand. Development of new alternatives like natural gas from methane hydrate can play a major role in ensuring adequate future energy supplies in the United States.;Methane hydrates are crystalline solids, very similar to ice, in which non-polar molecules are trapped inside the cages of water molecules. Methane hydrates could be potentially a vast source of energy. It is estimated that the total amount of natural gas trapped inside …

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Analysis Of Factors Affecting Wireless Communication Systems In Underground Coal Mines, David P. Mcgraw Dec 2008

Analysis Of Factors Affecting Wireless Communication Systems In Underground Coal Mines, David P. Mcgraw

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Since recent disasters in the mining industry in 2006 the push for a reliable communication system has became a high priority. This thesis will discuss each "wireless" communication system available and/or being developed for underground mines as well as the frequencies that will be used for each system's operation.;The second part of the investigation will be on the factors affecting these frequencies as well as possible ways to model these factors analytically. It is important to understand these factors in order to make intelligent conclusions as to what communication systems will perform adequately in an underground mining environment.;The third area …

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Optimization Of Magnetic Force Microscopy For Retrieval Of Data From An Erased Or Altered Audiotape, Chandar Prasad Palamadai Subramanian Dec 2008

Optimization Of Magnetic Force Microscopy For Retrieval Of Data From An Erased Or Altered Audiotape, Chandar Prasad Palamadai Subramanian

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Magnetic force microscopy (MFM) has been used to investigate the potential for retrieving information from an erased or altered audiotape. The audiotape recording process, the reasons for the distortion of signals during the recording process are presented. An in-depth study has been conducted to investigate the effects of MFM operation parameters on the data retrieval process. Most importantly, these include interleave height and tip speed. Interleave height (i.e., the height of the MFM tip above the surface) has been optimized for maximum clarity of MFM images. Tip speed studies have been carried out to optimize the data retrieval time and …

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Sensitivity Analysis Of Reliability For Structure-Based Software Via Simulation, Jun Xu Dec 2008

Sensitivity Analysis Of Reliability For Structure-Based Software Via Simulation, Jun Xu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Computer simulation is an appealing approach for the reliability analysis of structure-based software systems as it can accommodate complexities present in realistic systems. When the system is complex, a screening experiment to quickly identify important factors (components) can significantly improve efficiency of the analysis. The challenge is to guarantee the correctness of the screening results with stochastic simulation responses. Control Sequential Bifurcation (CSB) is a new method for factors screening using simulation experiments, when only main effects models are considered. By grouping factors, CSB can identify the importance of factors while reducing the simulation effort. With appropriate hypothesis testing procedures …

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Thermal Analysis Of Tilted Roofs Composed Of Two Separated Surfaces, Orlando J. Ugarte-Almeyda Dec 2008

Thermal Analysis Of Tilted Roofs Composed Of Two Separated Surfaces, Orlando J. Ugarte-Almeyda

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Due to the rising power costs and lack of nonrenewable energy sources, the cooling of houses is becoming more expensive. Looking for alternative methods applicable to this process is becoming not only an option, but also a necessity. Changes in the roof structure of buildings can be applied in order to achieve a more favorable thermal transmission behavior. The utilization of a tilted roof, composed of two separated surfaces, generates natural convection currents in the channel between them. These currents, after driving off part of the transferred heat, decrease the temperature of the lower surfaces and consequently, the heat flux …

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Republican Mothers Of And Above Their Time: Abigail Adams And Theodosia Burr Alston, Joanna Lyn Reynolds Dec 2008

Republican Mothers Of And Above Their Time: Abigail Adams And Theodosia Burr Alston, Joanna Lyn Reynolds

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Unique in their time, Abigail Adams and Theodosia Burr Alston possessed intellectual accomplishments, social prominence, and economic status. Also, both women enjoyed supportive marriages with influential husbands as well as proximity to leading male figures of the Revolution and the new nation. Yet, similar to other women of their era, Abigail Adams and Theodosia Burr Alston nurtured their children's educational and moral development, supported their husbands' public service, and kept informed about current events. While marked differences in lifestyle, geographic environment, familial dynamics, and the public and political affiliations of their male family members distinguished them from each other, as …

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Optimization Of Bit Interleaved Coded Modulation Using Genetic Algorithms, Raghu Chaitanya Doppalapudi Dec 2008

Optimization Of Bit Interleaved Coded Modulation Using Genetic Algorithms, Raghu Chaitanya Doppalapudi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Modern wireless communication systems must be optimized with respect to both bandwidth efficiency and energy efficiency. A common approach to achieve these goals is to use multi-level modulation such as quadrature-amplitude modulation (QAM) for bandwidth efficiency and an error-control code for energy efficiency. In benign additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channels, Ungerboeck proposed trellis-coded modulation (TCM), which combines modulation and coding into a joint operation. However, in fading channels, it is important to maximize diversity. As shown by Zehavi, diversity is maximized by performing coding and modulation separately and interleaving bits that are passed from the encoder to the modulator. …

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Development Of A Low Cost Controller And Navigation System For Unmanned Ground Vehicle, Shashidhar Muppidi Dec 2008

Development Of A Low Cost Controller And Navigation System For Unmanned Ground Vehicle, Shashidhar Muppidi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of this research was to develop an Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) which is capable of autonomously navigating to user specified Global Positioning System (GPS) waypoints. For rapid design and testing of the UGV, it was initially designed in a distributive approach using independent commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) computing modules for control and sensing. Autonomous navigation behavior of the UGV was tested to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the UGV design, using digital compass for heading and GPS for location measurements. The UGV waypoint navigation has been observed to be consistent for smooth terrains. Uneven terrains, however, posed a …

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Modeling Natural Fracture Networks: Establishing The Groundwork For Flow Simulation At Teapot Dome, Wyoming, Valerie L. Smith Dec 2008

Modeling Natural Fracture Networks: Establishing The Groundwork For Flow Simulation At Teapot Dome, Wyoming, Valerie L. Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Local properties of a fractured reservoir are characterized using borehole geophysical logs. These properties are extrapolated to reservoir scale for future use in flow simulation and history matching exercises. The development of a reservoir scale fracture model is undertaken using data for the Tensleep oil reservoir at Teapot Dome, Wyoming. The Tensleep reservoir intervals at Teapot Dome are formed in tight eolian sands that produce primarily from open fracture systems. On the local scale, FMI logs were used to define the dominant systematic fracture sets existing in the reservoir. FMI logs reveal the presence of open fracture systems that consist …

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Interactions Between Teachers And Students In Four Co -Taught, Inclusive, Middle School Classrooms, Nancy G. Burton Dec 2008

Interactions Between Teachers And Students In Four Co -Taught, Inclusive, Middle School Classrooms, Nancy G. Burton

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Co-teaching in inclusive, content classrooms is becoming increasingly more popular as schools work toward the inclusion of significantly more students with special learning needs in the general education environment. Inherent in every classroom environment is the expectation of teacher-student interactions. It is often the relationship between the teacher and the student that provides opportunities for student achievement and success. The daily interactions that occur between teachers and their students set the tone for the successes and failures that may be realized as a result. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to explore and identify both the context and frequency …

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Faculty Incorporation Of Liberal Essential Learning Outcomes, Shifang Li Dec 2008

Faculty Incorporation Of Liberal Essential Learning Outcomes, Shifang Li

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In 2007, the Association of American Colleges and Universities recommended a set of Essential Learning Outcomes as objectives for twenty-first-century college learning. This study examined to what extent Essential Learning Outcomes are endorsed by faculty members with different teaching experience, across academic disciplines, Carnegie Classifications, institution types of controls, and accreditation regions.;Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE) 2004 data were used for this study with permission from the Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research. ANOVA, t test, were used for hypothesis tests. Regression and multiple regressions were used to calculate effect sizes, which quantified the differences between groups.;The major findings …

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Evaluation Of Machine Vision Techniques For Use Within Flight Control Systems, Marco Mammarella Dec 2008

Evaluation Of Machine Vision Techniques For Use Within Flight Control Systems, Marco Mammarella

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this thesis, two of the main technical limitations for a massive deployment of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) have been considered.;The Aerial Refueling problem is analyzed in the first section. A solution based on the integration of 'conventional' GPS/INS and Machine Vision sensor is proposed with the purpose of measuring the relative distance between a refueling tanker and UAV. In this effort, comparisons between Point Matching (PM) algorithms and Pose Estimation (PE) algorithms have been developed in order to improve the performance of the Machine Vision sensor. A method of integration based on Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) between GPS/INS and …

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Communicative Functions Of Young Children's Visual Art, Clover Simms Wright Dec 2008

Communicative Functions Of Young Children's Visual Art, Clover Simms Wright

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

How can young children use visual art to communicate? This study used Halliday's communicative functions of language (Halliday, 1973), to frame the answer to this question; Halliday's categories of communicative functions are: instrumental, regulatory, interactional, personal, heuristic, imaginative, and representational/informative. Five children, between the ages of three and five, were observed and interviewed as they voluntarily created visual art over a six-week period. In that time period, each of the seven functions of language was demonstrated collectively by the participants. The research was conducted by an educator employed in the early childhood setting. Qualitatively, this study confirmed that young children …

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Analysis Of Elementary Teachers' Self-Reports Of Variables Influencing Teacher Decisions During The Special Education Referral Process, Bernard Charles Jones Aug 2008

Analysis Of Elementary Teachers' Self-Reports Of Variables Influencing Teacher Decisions During The Special Education Referral Process, Bernard Charles Jones

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to analyze West Virginia teachers' decision making during the special education referral process. Specifically, the study examined how academic achievement, behavior, socio-economic status, race/ethnicity, and gender impact the teacher's decision to refer students for special education services.;Elementary teachers completed a survey that consisted of questions that allowed them to report on the variables that most influenced their referral decisions. For each survey question, the Spearmen Rho correlation coefficient was used to determine if a correlation existed between individual variables and the teacher's decision to refer a student for special education services. The Mann-Whitney U …

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Characterization Of Key Performance Parameters In Dye Sensitized Solar Cells Using A Designed Experiment, Todd Robert Hamrick Aug 2008

Characterization Of Key Performance Parameters In Dye Sensitized Solar Cells Using A Designed Experiment, Todd Robert Hamrick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Inorganic photovoltaic cells have been in production for many years, but the silicon production process is expensive, so solar technology is cost prohibitive for all but niche markets. A more cost effective alternative would open usage of solar power production to more applications and make the cost to produce electricity more affordable. Inorganic solar cells could potentially be the lower cost alternative to conventional solar technology, but efficiency and durability are still not high enough for successful competition.;Other research has investigated how to improve individual aspects of dye sensitized solar cells. This work evaluated six primary factors of material and …

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Employ Sensor Fusion Techniques For Determining Aircraft Attitude And Position Information, Jason A. Jarrell Aug 2008

Employ Sensor Fusion Techniques For Determining Aircraft Attitude And Position Information, Jason A. Jarrell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) with the level of precision needed for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) can easily cost more than the vehicle itself. This drastically increases the amount of aircraft power consumption and payload weight that drives the need for a low cost solution. This can be achieved through the use of sensor fusion techniques on low cost accelerometers and gyroscopes fused with Global Positioning System (GPS) data. In this paper, existing GPS and Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) flight data is fused with the use of both an Kalman filter (KF) and Extended Kalman filter (EKF) methods for a more …

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Pilot In Loop Assessment Of Fault Tolerant Flight Control Schemes In A Motion Flight Simulator, Girish Kumar Sagoo Aug 2008

Pilot In Loop Assessment Of Fault Tolerant Flight Control Schemes In A Motion Flight Simulator, Girish Kumar Sagoo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research presents the pilot in the loop tests carried out in a Six-Degree of Freedom (6-DOF) motion flight simulator to evaluate failure detection, isolation and identification (FDII) schemes for an advanced F-15 aircraft. The objective behind this study is to leverage the capability of the flight simulator at West Virginia University (WVU) to carry out a performance assessment of neurally augmented control algorithms developed on a Matlab/Simulink RTM platform. The experimental setup features an interface setup of Gen-2 SimulinkRTM schemes with MOTUS Flight Simulator (MFS). The set up is a close substitute to a real flight and thus is …

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Methods For Reconstruction Of Transient Emissions From Heavy -Duty Vehicles, Madhava R. Madireddy Aug 2008

Methods For Reconstruction Of Transient Emissions From Heavy -Duty Vehicles, Madhava R. Madireddy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Emissions measurement analyzers give out a response that may not reflect the true instantaneous engine-out emissions. Currently, the heavy-duty diesel engines are being certified for emissions measured in a thirty second time window with certain specification requirements for the analyzers. Since these measured emissions values may not be the same as the true instantaneous emissions, integrated values for the thirty second windows may be affected by analyzer response.;This document presents and examines reconstruction techniques to estimate instantaneous heavy-duty engine-out emissions. These techniques will take as the input, the continuous set of emissions data and approximate dispersion characteristics of the analyzer …

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Pierce-Engel Hybrid Expansions, Andrea Sutyak May 2008

Pierce-Engel Hybrid Expansions, Andrea Sutyak

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Pierce and Engel expansions are representations of numbers between 0 and 1 as sums of unitary fractions (of alternating signs in the case of Pierce) whose denominators are built multiplicatively, choosing the successive factors greedily. We show some results for Pierce expansions, and investigate the idea of hybrid expansions, which are built similarly but without regard to the signs of the terms.

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Impact Of Attribution Retraining With Students Enrolled In An Internet-Based Instructional Technology Course At A Community College, Bonnie Mccall Ordonez May 2008

Impact Of Attribution Retraining With Students Enrolled In An Internet-Based Instructional Technology Course At A Community College, Bonnie Mccall Ordonez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study explores the use of attribution retraining in a community college, distance learning course. Attribution training is a form of psychotherapy used in an attempt to shift an individual's attitude, motivation, and locus of control (LOC).;Locus of control is a measure of how one attributes success and failure. Those with internal locus of control believe they are responsible and control their fate while those with external locus of control tend to look for fault outside of themselves.;The purpose of the study was to examine the impact of attribution training, which consisted of a multimedia, interactive intervention called Just Think …

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Relay Communications Over Frequency-Selective Fading Channels, John Paul Mazzie May 2008

Relay Communications Over Frequency-Selective Fading Channels, John Paul Mazzie

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Wireless communications over long distances can be assisted by a third radio acting as a relay. If the relay is placed close to the source, then the source-relay link will be characterized as a fairly benign additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel. However, the long distance link from relay to destination is susceptible to frequency-selective fading. This thesis explores the design and analysis of a particular relay communication system characterized by a low power source, a relay that is close to the source, and a frequency-selective channel from relay to destination. Because the direct link from source to destination is …

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Evaluation Bias In Effort Estimation, Omid Jalali May 2008

Evaluation Bias In Effort Estimation, Omid Jalali

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

There exists a large number of software effort estimation methods in the literature and the space of possibilities [54] is yet to be fully explored. There is little conclusive evidence about the relative performance of such methods and many studies suffer from instability in their conclusions. As a result, the effort estimation literature lacks a stable ranking of such methods.;This research aims at providing a stable ranking of a large number of methods using data sets based on COCOMO features. For this task, the COSEEKMO tool [46] was further developed into a benchmarking tool and several well-known effort estimation methods, …

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Increasing The Performance And Realism Of Procedurally Generated Buildings, Brian Sowers May 2008

Increasing The Performance And Realism Of Procedurally Generated Buildings, Brian Sowers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As multimedia such as games and movies grow, so does the need for content. Textures, 3D models, expansive terrain, sound effects, and other data must be generated to support and enrich these multimedia productions. As this need for content continues to grow, two critical problems emerge: the cost of hiring artists to create the content becomes extremely large, as does the amount of memory needed to store and manipulate the content.;To combat these issues, procedural content generation, or content generated algorithmically rather than via an artist, has been introduced. Algorithmically generating content allows for rapid creation of large amounts of …

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Attitudes And Knowledge Of Forestry By High School Agricultural Education Teachers In West Virginia, Kristin R. Lockerman Friend May 2008

Attitudes And Knowledge Of Forestry By High School Agricultural Education Teachers In West Virginia, Kristin R. Lockerman Friend

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes and knowledge of high school agricultural education teachers in West Virginia towards forestry. A descriptive research design was used for this study. Of the 86 West Virginia high school agricultural teachers selected for this study 40 teachers responded for a response rate of 47%. Of the responding teachers 85% wanted or needed more information on forestry. Also 57% of the responding teachers had not taken any other formal forestry training besides their college course work. When respondents were asked to react to the following statement: "agricultural education teachers need more …

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