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Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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A Dual-Stage Approach To Dental Image Registration., Zainab Millwala Jan 2004

A Dual-Stage Approach To Dental Image Registration., Zainab Millwala

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the development of Automated Dental Identification System (ADIS), we focus on registration to align the subject dental regions of interest with respective reference regions. With the goal to achieve high performance for dental image registration, a dualstage approach is proposed which is based on the hypotheses generation-verification paradigm. The registration of the dental regions of interest is the basis for hypotheses generation. The hypotheses generated by using a fast method are verified to retrieve the candidate parameter sets to give accurate alignment of the regions. The statistical distributions of local geometric properties of image contours constitute the essential concept …

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Developing Uv Photodetector And Ohmic Contact Techniques On Gallium Nitride., Lavanya Turlapati Jan 2004

Developing Uv Photodetector And Ohmic Contact Techniques On Gallium Nitride., Lavanya Turlapati

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Group III nitride wide bandgap semiconductors have recently attracted considerable interest due to their applications for optical devices operating in the blue and ultraviolet (UV) wavelength regions. These materials were also found to be suitable for operation at high power levels, high temperatures and harsh environments. Some applications of UV photodetectors include chemical and biological analysis, flame detection, and optical communications. This project is based on designing AlGaN based quantum well UV photodetector. It has been determined that the presence of multiple quantum wells in the active region improves the device responsivity. The device performance depends on many factors that …

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A Parametric Study Of In-Line Filter Holders., Glen A. Wilt Jan 2004

A Parametric Study Of In-Line Filter Holders., Glen A. Wilt

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

With modern diesel engines producing smaller and lighter particulate mass output, the performance of in-line filtering, used to determine emissions of particulate matter (PM), has become less understood. Several factors including filter characteristics, filter holder geometry, exhaust dilution, filter face temperature, and secondary dilution characteristics need to be investigated. This study investigates factors influenced by filter holder geometry. In the past, many loosely designed filter holders were applied to emissions testing. Recently, 40 CFR Part 1065 recommended a standard filter holder design to be used in all emissions tests. However, it is not known if this design is optimal. To …

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Multiterminal Relay Networks: Performance Bounds, Protocol Design, And Channel Coding Strategies., Bin Zhao Jan 2004

Multiterminal Relay Networks: Performance Bounds, Protocol Design, And Channel Coding Strategies., Bin Zhao

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The combination of silicon scaling and energy-efficient multi-terminal packet radio technology will soon allow low power devices to be embedded virtually everywhere, enabling a wide range of revolutionary applications that will radically change the way that people and devices interact with their environments. Given current trends in the advancement of technology, to engineer useful embedded wireless networks with long lifetimes and massive scale required for many applications, new analytical tools and approaches to protocol design that reflect recent perspectives on wireless networking are necessary. The major objective of this dissertation is to characterize the fundamental performance bounds and devise an …

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A Spatial-Temporal Optimization Approach To Watershed Management: Amd Treatment In The Cheat River Watershed, West Virginia., Xiaobing Zhao Jan 2004

A Spatial-Temporal Optimization Approach To Watershed Management: Amd Treatment In The Cheat River Watershed, West Virginia., Xiaobing Zhao

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Most water management studies concentrate on the inter-temporal allocation problem or, more recently, spatial dynamics—but not both. While early spatial-temporal studies focused on the allocation of water quantity, this paper presents an approach to water quality analysis that incorporates both spatial and temporal dynamics in a watershed framework. The model developed is an explicit economic watershed optimization model built upon an underlying water quality model where pollution loads are driven by pollution sources and alternative control strategies. It reflects the spatial aspects of pollution loads and treatment and the way the system reacts over time to management options and natural …

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The Influence Of Legal Language Upon Supreme Court Voting In Civil Liberties Cases., Sean Wilson Jan 2004

The Influence Of Legal Language Upon Supreme Court Voting In Civil Liberties Cases., Sean Wilson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Scholars such as Jeffrey Segal and Harold Spaeth contend that U.S. Supreme Court decisions are based primarily upon the ideological beliefs of the justices. However, in this work I show that this conclusion is exaggerated. The aggregation of votes into a summary statistic (the percent liberal rating) and its use by Segal and Spaeth in a regression having only 21 cases creates misleading results. The truth is that political ideology is a fluctuating influence upon the Court. In some areas of civil liberties voting, ideology is a poor explanation of how cases are decided (e.g., core political speech). But in …

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The Influence Attitude Has On Student Achievement In A Developmental College Algebra Course., Michael T. Wilder Jan 2004

The Influence Attitude Has On Student Achievement In A Developmental College Algebra Course., Michael T. Wilder

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Faced with unacceptable failure rates in introductory mathematics courses, institutions of higher learning are incorporating methods of placing students into their math courses based upon the students' preexisting math knowledge or skills. West Virginia University is no exception and is currently incorporating a combination of ACT/SAT scores with an internal placement exam to properly place students in the appropriate math course. This method is not working in that failure rates continue to rise in spite of continual increases in placement requirements. Based upon anecdotal evidence by experienced faculty over a ten year period it became clear that factors other than …

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A Hands-On Approach To Calculus., Mike Long Jan 2004

A Hands-On Approach To Calculus., Mike Long

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A Hands-On Approach To Calculus was a research study designed to examine the use of hands-on inquiry centered teaching strategies in a first semester calculus class and the ramifications of the hands-on strategies. The study used an experimental class, where activities were implemented into the teaching strategies, and a control class, where traditional teaching strategies of lecture of theory and drill were used. Students' learning in the two classes was examined by comparing exam scores in the two classes and by analyzing students' journals from the experimental class. The quantitative analysis of the exam scores did not indicate any significant …

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Moment Form And Joseph Schwantner's "Aftertones Of Infinity"., Michael D. Albaugh Jan 2004

Moment Form And Joseph Schwantner's "Aftertones Of Infinity"., Michael D. Albaugh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This document represents the first comprehensive analysis of Joseph Schwantner's Aftertones of Infinity as an example of moment form. Exploring Stockhausen's description of moment form and its recent interpretations in Jonathan Kramer's discussion of moment time, this paper will investigate Schwantner's Aftertones by focusing on its eighteen moments. The analysis will define these moments by their underlying static harmonies, fixed tempos, and consistency of textures, melodies, and rhythmic materials. This paper will further demonstrate that the musical meaning of the piece would remain unchanged even if its defined moments were reordered. An alternate ordering of the moments demonstrates to the …

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Educating Without Borders: The Influence Of International Cross-Cultural Experiences On Teaching With A Global Perspective In Higher Education., Nicholas A. Ciccarello Jan 2004

Educating Without Borders: The Influence Of International Cross-Cultural Experiences On Teaching With A Global Perspective In Higher Education., Nicholas A. Ciccarello

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Global issues, as well as multicultural and global education, are receiving national and international attention, not only within the educational community, but also within society at large. Global education is fast becoming the subject of a growing body of literature, and both K–12 and postsecondary schools have begun to place importance on the successful incorporation of global perspectives in education. The purpose of this study was to examine the various perceived effects of international cross-cultural experiences on the subsequent curricula and instruction of higher education faculty. This phenomenological study utilized data collection methods which included logistical data, recorded interviews, follow-up …

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Internationalizing An Institution: An Emerging Model Of Effective Leadership, Infrastructure And Cultural Factors., Amelia Davis Courts Jan 2004

Internationalizing An Institution: An Emerging Model Of Effective Leadership, Infrastructure And Cultural Factors., Amelia Davis Courts

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As the United States continues to play a leadership role in the international arena, it depends on the higher education sector to prepare capable leaders who can be guiding forces in the international economic, political, and social environments of the twenty-first century (National Association of State and Land Grant Universities, 2000). This is the ultimate goal of international education. Although current literature clearly describes the benefits of internationalizing higher education, there are few studies that describe how it can be successfully implemented at the institutional level. Using a qualitative, grounded theory approach, this study examined the factors that contributed to …

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The Transient Behavior Of Fluidized Bed Reactors: An Experimental Approach To Predict Erosion And Attrition Phenomena., Abdulaziz Aljodai Jan 2004

The Transient Behavior Of Fluidized Bed Reactors: An Experimental Approach To Predict Erosion And Attrition Phenomena., Abdulaziz Aljodai

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The attrition of fluidized particles and the erosion of in-bed tubes (IBT) cause serious practical problems in operating fluidized bed reactors, particularly in fluidized bed combustion systems (FBC-systems). In order to provide a basic understanding and an effective control of the attrition and erosion phenomena, a novel approach has been developed in this study. The proposed approach differs in three ways from the conventional one. First, the peaks of transient particles' forces prevailing in a fluidized bed (responsible for erosion of in-bed tubes and attrition of fluidized particles) were measured, and represented by fracture critical values (FCV) of sensitive tracer …

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The Quantitative Accomplishments Of Selected Aspects Of The Educational Process 1960-1990 With An Examination Of The Reading Curricula Concepts In Saudi Arabia., Mohammad Alrobaee Jan 2004

The Quantitative Accomplishments Of Selected Aspects Of The Educational Process 1960-1990 With An Examination Of The Reading Curricula Concepts In Saudi Arabia., Mohammad Alrobaee

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to outline some detailed history about some parts of the education process in Saudi Arabia especially about the general, higher, female education with a separate part about the curriculum of reading of education and to learn and spread information about the education development that my country is experiencing. The start of this development and its evolution was very difficult, but it passed through stages up to the current stage. We will see these constant changes proven by figures, statistics, and photographs. The detailing of the specifics related to this inventory is an endeavor to …

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Pseudo Dynamic Metrics: Early Assessment Of Dynamic Behavior Of Software Systems., Rajesh Gunnalan Jan 2004

Pseudo Dynamic Metrics: Early Assessment Of Dynamic Behavior Of Software Systems., Rajesh Gunnalan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Software Metrics have become an integral part of software development and are used during every phase of the software development life cycle. Research in the area of software metrics tends to focus predominantly on static metrics that are obtained by static analysis of the software artifact. These static metrics are readily available through automated tools and are widely used. However software quality attributes such as performance, reliability and error rates depend on the dynamic behavior of the software artifact. Hence, estimating software quality attributes based on dynamic behavior (dynamic metrics) of software system is more accurate and realistic. Dynamic metrics …

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A Cfd Analysis Of The Download Reduction For The V-22 Osprey Wing., Chris Barnes Jan 2004

A Cfd Analysis Of The Download Reduction For The V-22 Osprey Wing., Chris Barnes

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The V-22 tilt rotor aircraft experiences a download in hover mode decreasing the aircraft’s efficiency in this mode. This download is caused by the wing surface obstructing the rotor downwash. The presented research, conducted at West Virginia University (WVU) by the Center for Industrial Research Applications (CIRA), explores the reduction of this download via circulation control. Circulation control is implemented through the use of blowing slots at both the leading and trailing edges of the wing. The analysis was completed using computational fluid dynamics. The Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering department of West Virginia University, in conjunction with The Center for …

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A Conceptual Model Of Psychological Distress In Native Americans., Shari Ann Robinson Jan 2004

A Conceptual Model Of Psychological Distress In Native Americans., Shari Ann Robinson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The aim of the current study was to utilize a structural model to examine simultaneously the relationships among socioeconomic status (SES), anxiety sensitivity, stress, psychological problems, Native American identity, cultural related anxiety, and coping. The proposed structural equation model was tested using AMOS (Analysis of Moment Structures). The social stress literature provided a theoretical framework; it suggests that SES-linked social stressors that result in higher levels of psychological disorders adversely affect people from lower SES backgrounds. Data were gathered from 150 Native American attendees at a Pow-Wow. SES was hypothesized to impact negatively on anxiety sensitivity. Anxiety sensitivity was predicted …

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Solid Oxide Fuel Cell As A Distributed Generator: Dynamic Modeling, Stability Analysis And Control., Kourosh Sedghisigarchi Jan 2004

Solid Oxide Fuel Cell As A Distributed Generator: Dynamic Modeling, Stability Analysis And Control., Kourosh Sedghisigarchi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of this research is to analyze and control a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) used as a distributed generator. First, a detailed dynamic model of a SOFC is developed, which can be used for small signal and transient stability studies. The model based on electrochemical and thermal equations accounts for temperature dynamics and output voltage losses. The output voltage response of a standalone fuel cell plant to different and fast load variations is simulated to illustrate the dynamic response of SOFC to fast and slow perturbations. The proposed model is incorporated with a MATLAB based power system stability …

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The Use Of Assessment Data In Academic Strategic Planning., Susan L. Aloi Jan 2004

The Use Of Assessment Data In Academic Strategic Planning., Susan L. Aloi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study was based on the philosophical premise that the mission of an institution of higher education should be focused on student-learning outcomes, and all strategic decisions need to be made in accordance with what has been proven to enhance student learning. Because the assessment process results in data that can determine what conditions positively affect student learning, these data should be used to make the strategic decisions that affect the core student-learning mission of the institution. The intent of this research project was to cull best practices in integrating assessment with planning from institutions that have productive planning and …

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The Role Of Joint Control In The Manded Selection Responses Of Non-Vocal Children With Autism., Joyce C. Tu Jan 2004

The Role Of Joint Control In The Manded Selection Responses Of Non-Vocal Children With Autism., Joyce C. Tu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the present study, joint control training was applied when teaching selection responses to four non-vocal children with autism. This study is a systematic replication of Tu (2001). The children were two males (ages six and seven), and two females (ages twelve and thirteen). The result showed that it was only after the joint tact/self-mimetic/sequelic control training that the symmetrical performance of manded selection responses appeared with no additional training.

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An Efficient Method For Texture-Based Image Retrieval., Umasankar Kandaswamy Jan 2004

An Efficient Method For Texture-Based Image Retrieval., Umasankar Kandaswamy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The extraction of significant features from an image is a primary process in content-based analysis of image data. It is also a computationally intensive process. Using an appropriate approximation of the original image with effective signal processing can decrease the computational cost of the feature extraction process by orders of magnitude. This thesis shows that a pertinent approximation for texture images when used with a proposed distance measure can lead to a significant reduction in the cost of texture image analysis without introducing any significant error in the retrieval performance. An evaluation of the hypothesis is conducted in two popular …

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Accuracy Of Performing Space Analysis Using Emodels And Plaster Models., S. Russell Mullen Jan 2004

Accuracy Of Performing Space Analysis Using Emodels And Plaster Models., S. Russell Mullen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of emodels when calculating a Bolton ratio. Models from 30 patients from the West Virginia University Department of Orthodontics were measured using calipers and emodels, and the time it took to do the measurements was recorded. Ball bearings were scanned into an emodel file and measured to evaluate whether any magnification was present in emodels. The difference between the two methods was calculated and a paired t-test was used to analyze the data. There was no significant difference between the Bolton ratios calculated using the two methods. There was a …

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Study Of Surface Regeneration: Characteristics Of A Candle Filter At High Temperature., Balakrishnan Viswanathan Jan 2004

Study Of Surface Regeneration: Characteristics Of A Candle Filter At High Temperature., Balakrishnan Viswanathan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A hot gas particulate filtration system requires effective removal of particles to protect the downstream equipments. The leading technology for particle removal is the ceramic barrier filter technology. The ceramic candle filters are most promising to survive at temperatures up to 1600◦ F. At these high temperatures, there are certain problems that have to be dealt with candle filters. During the filtration process, with time, there is an accumulation of an ash cake on the outer surface of the filter. This causes the pressure drop through the thickness of the filter wall to increase with time. A back pulse in …

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Developing Intelligent Synthetic Logs: Application To Upper Devonian Units In Pennsylvania., Luisa F. Rolon Jan 2004

Developing Intelligent Synthetic Logs: Application To Upper Devonian Units In Pennsylvania., Luisa F. Rolon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A methodology to generate synthetic wireline logs is presented. Synthetic logs can help to analyze the reservoir properties in areas where the set of logs that are necessary, are absent or incomplete. The approach presented involves the use of Artificial Neural Networks, as the main tool, in conjunction with data obtained from conventional wireline logs. Implementation of this approach aims to reduce operation costs to companies. Development of the neural network model was completed using a General Regression Neural Network, and four wells that included gamma ray, density, neutron, and resistivity logs. Synthetic logs were generated through two different exercises. …

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Estimating The Impact Of Occupational Fatal Injuries On The United States Gross Domestic Product., Elyce Anne Biddle Jan 2004

Estimating The Impact Of Occupational Fatal Injuries On The United States Gross Domestic Product., Elyce Anne Biddle

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Mankind has been concerned with the safety and well-being of workers for more than 2,000 years. Despite this concern, occupational injuries have claimed the lives of nearly 60,000 American workers from 1992-2001 as reported through the Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program. The traditional measures of the human loss used—frequency, rate, and severity—are not the only measures of the achievements of the occupational safety and health community. Nor are they the only means to direct efforts to reduce the number of occupational incidents. Economic loss is another perspective that provides a more complete and meaningful …

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The Impact Of Instructor Credibility And Employment Of Relevance Strategies On College Students., Aaron D. Johnson Jan 2004

The Impact Of Instructor Credibility And Employment Of Relevance Strategies On College Students., Aaron D. Johnson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research investigated the impact of an instructor's credibility and employment of relevance strategies on a student's perception of content relevance, interest, state motivation, affective learning, and cognitive learning. The results of this study indicated a moderately strong positive main effect for an instructor's credibility on all of the outcome variables, and weak positive interaction effects were observed between instructor credibility and employment of relevance strategies on relevance and the meaningfulness dimension of empowerment. A significant main effect for an instructor's employment of relevance strategies was not found. The results of this study indicated the importance of an instructor's credibility, …

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The Relationship Between Pre-Enrollment Factors And Promise Success., Jimmy R. Stemple Jan 2004

The Relationship Between Pre-Enrollment Factors And Promise Success., Jimmy R. Stemple

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to determine which pre-enrollment factors in high school contribute to PROMISE success in the West Virginia PROMISE Scholarship Program, using the 2002–2003 inaugural class of PROMISE scholars at West Virginia University. PROMISE success was achieved if a scholar attained at least a 2.75 grade point average and passed at least 30 hours during the fall and spring semesters of his or her freshman year. PROMISE scholars who accomplished both of these requirements were eligible to retain the scholarship for the following year. This investigation examined high school transcripts, standardized test scores, college grade point …

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The Relationship Between Standardized Test Improvement Instruction And Stanford Nine Achievement Test Scores., Teresa R. Marsh Jan 2004

The Relationship Between Standardized Test Improvement Instruction And Stanford Nine Achievement Test Scores., Teresa R. Marsh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examined the relationship between standardized test instruction programs and Stanford Achievement Test Edition Nine scores. To examine this relationship, total basic skills scores were obtained from a selected high school's class of 2003–2004 as well as total basic skills score means from four other counties' classes of 2003–2004. The data set contained 131 total basic skills scores per grades eight through eleven from the selected high school and a total basic skills score mean from the seventh grade of those students and total basic skills score means from grades 7–11 from the class of 2003–2004 from two high …

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The Selection Of Counties And Locations Of Field Site Coordinators., Lina Maria Gomez Jan 2004

The Selection Of Counties And Locations Of Field Site Coordinators., Lina Maria Gomez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Health Sciences and Technology Academy (HSTA) is a 9th to 12th grade mathematics and sciences program established in 1994, at the West Virginia University Health Sciences Center. The main purpose of this program is to increase the number of underrepresented students (i.e., African Americans, financially disadvantaged, first generation attending college, and environmentally disadvantaged- -rural) from West Virginia to pursue degrees in the health sciences fields in the state of West Virginia. An important component of HSTAís program is the field site coordinators (FSCs) whose main function is to recruit students. In order for HSTA to achieve its goal, they …

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The Land Systems Of Colonial America: European And Native American Land Tenure Issues In The Colonial Eras Of The Americas., Shane Freeman Jan 2004

The Land Systems Of Colonial America: European And Native American Land Tenure Issues In The Colonial Eras Of The Americas., Shane Freeman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis is a comparative analysis of the transference of land tenure and land claims in the colonial age of the Americas. The time frame for this work begins in 1521 with Cortes’ entrada in Mexico and ends with the formation of the United States Indian Policy concerning land. The critical analysis is concerned with the ability of Native Americans to maintain there sovereignty over land and the methods that Europeans used to effect colonization. As well as the legal and political rights that were given or retained by Native American societies. The history of the colonial Americas, here, includes …

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Spectral Analysis And Regularity Quantification Of Skeletal Muscle Signals As A Non-Invasive Assessment Of Muscle Activity., Israel Restus Hall Jan 2004

Spectral Analysis And Regularity Quantification Of Skeletal Muscle Signals As A Non-Invasive Assessment Of Muscle Activity., Israel Restus Hall

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The research presented here was carried out at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Morgantown, West Virginia. At NIOSH, there is a strong need for modes of analyzing a wealth of biomedical data. In this particular case, that data was comprised of numerous muscleinduced force-time series, derived from two groups of experimental subjects. One group was comprised of rats exposed to vibration similar to that experienced by human workers who work with certain hand-tools or equipment. The other group was a control group, not exposed …

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