Digital Commons Network^™

An Automated Algorithm For The Identification Of Artifacts In Mottled And Noisy Images, Onome Augustine Ugbeme

Theses

This thesis proposes an algorithm for automatically classifying a specific set of image quality (IQ) defects on noisy and mottled printed documents. A rough initial estimate of the defects' location i.e. defect detection is manually provided with a scanned image. The approach then proceeds to derive a more accurate segmentation by performing several image processing routines on the digital image. This reveals regions of interest from which discriminatory features are extracted. A classification of four defects is achieved via a customized tree classifier which employs a combination of size, shape and region attributes at corresponding nodes to yield appropriate binary …

Honoring The Sacred Space Within, Karen Marie Pelc

Theses

Not Included

Bound, Michelle Griffith Perlich

Theses

This paper contains four major sections. The first section focuses on the historical development of the ring and how the finger ring in every era has reflected the function and aesthetics of its time. The second part delves into the different materials I have chosen to use, and why I selected them. The third section examines what influences have affected my work, and includes a detailed explanation of the eleven rings shown in my thesis project. The conclusion summarizes how my art reflects my aesthetic.

Cyber Attack Simulation And Information Fusion Process Refinement Optimization Models For Cyber Security, Jason Kistner

Theses

Cyber crime is an increasingly prominent threat to all aspects of society including businesses, government, banks, transportation, and individuals. The security of computer networks is dependent on the ability to recognize and defend against malicious cyber attacks. The goal of this thesis is to utilize operation research techniques to create tools that will significantly contribute to cyber security. A simulation framework and template is developed to efficiently represent computer networks and cyber security intrusion detection systems. The simulation is capable of generating complex cyber attacks based on the computer network configuration and the capabilities of the attacker. The simulation results …

Placement, Visibility And Coverage Analysis Of Dynamic Pan/Tilt/Zoom Camera Sensor Networks, John A. Ruppert

Theses

Multi-camera vision systems have important application in a number of fields, including robotics and security. One interesting problem related to multi-camera vision systems is to determine the effect of camera placement on the quality of service provided by a network of Pan/Tilt/Zoom (PTZ) cameras with respect to a specific image processing application. The goal of this work is to investigate how to place a team of PTZ cameras, potentially used for collaborative tasks, such as surveillance, and analyze the dynamic coverage that can be provided by them.

Computational Geometry approaches to various formulations of sensor placement problems have been shown …

Simulated Annealing With Min-Cut And Greedy Perturbations, Brian J. Cody

Theses

Custom integrated circuit design requires an ever increasing number of elements to be placed on a physical die. The process of searching for an optimal solution is NP-hard so heuristics are required to achieve satisfactory results under time constraints.

Simulated Annealing is an algorithm which uses randomly generated perturbations to adjust a single solution. The effect of a generated perturbation is examined by a cost function which evaluates the solution. If the perturbation decreases the cost, it is accepted. If it increases the cost, it is accepted probabilistically. Such an approach allows the algorithm to avoid local minima and find …

A Comparison Of Analog And Applied Setting Research Methods In Evaluating Motivational Distortion, Steven Verstraete

Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the appropriateness of analog research designs in the assessment of motivational distortion. The responses of analog experimental groups instructed to fake-good (analog, n = 22) or respond honestly (classroom, n = 22) on the Sixteen Personality Factor (16PF) 5th Edition were compared to the responses obtained from a group of applicants to a graduate program in school psychology (applicant, n = 38). Results indicate a consistent pattern of increasing score desirability across groups, from classroom, to applicant, to analog, with significant differences (p<.002) between groups. Thus, the applicability of analog research findings to applied settings is called into question and Cattell's (1968,1986) trait-view theory is supported.

Electrical Characterization And Application Of Pulsed Dc Magnetron Sputtered Zirconium Oxide, Michael R. Leathem

Theses

As aggressive scaling of CMOS circuits continues, gate oxide thickness is reduced in order to maintain control of ever shrinking channel lengths. Current cutting edge transistors are using a gate oxide thickness below 20Å, approaching a regime where direct, or quantum, tunneling is the primary leakage mechanism. Below ~16Å, leakage becomes too great for use in MOS transistors. There are short-term fixes in place, however the industry road map indicates the need for an alternative to SiO₂ within five years. Among the leading candidates is Zirconium Oxide (ZrO₂).

ZrO₂ was investigated as a possible replacement for …

Patterns Of Habitat Use By Primates In Eastern Ecuador, Seema Nayan Sheth

Theses

Lowland tropical rain forests of western Amazonia are characterized by the most speciose primate communities in the Neotropics, immediately leading to the question of to what extent does niche partitioning by primate species serve as a mechanism to promote species co-existence. Because the primate assemblages that we observe today reflect a combination of ecological and evolutionary processes, this study examines habitat occupancy and its relationship to phylogeny and space in a diverse diurnal primate community in an undisturbed lowland rain forest of Amazonian Ecuador. Specifically, the following null hypotheses are explored as potential factors that shape community structure: (1) mean …

Sequential Slice Object Labeling In Tomographic Data Via Trajectory Estimation, Brandon Thomas Mikulis

Theses

The increasing usage of volumetric imaging modalities, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) in areas such as medicine and nondestructive evaluation (NDE) has placed a great importance on 3D visualization techniques. This growth of volume data in the form of cross sections has created the need for object labeling in volume data sets for 3D visualization. A sequential, slice-to-slice approach is proposed that is less computational and memory intensive than 3D connected-component labeling while achieving better results than the 2D overlap sequential processing approach. Labeling occurs while tracking each object through the 3D volume via updated …

Curriculum For A 3 Day Iep Seminar, Stephanie Metzler

Theses

This seminar has been created to teach future teachers, like yourselves, how to create an effective educational plan for students with disabilities, with a strong emphasis on Deaf students.

Investigation Of Induced Charge Damage On Self-Aligned Metal-Gate Mos Devices, Robert Mulfinger

Theses

MOS capacitors and NMOS transistors were fabricated with various gate oxides and inter- level dielectrics (ILDs) in order to study the effects of plasma induced charging during the post-metal plasma deposition of an insulating oxide layer. The gate oxides investigated include thermal SiO 2, a low temperature oxide (LTO) deposited by low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) using silane and oxygen, and an oxide deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) using tetra-ethylortho- silicate (TEOS) as a precursor. A standard-recipe TEOS-based ILD was studied, as well as an alternative recipe that utilized decreased power. Additional wafers were fabricated with …

Role Of Illustration As A Visual Communication Strategy For Film Poster Design, Kapil Grover

Theses

Not Included

Learning In Interpreted Instructed And Direct Instructed Classrooms, Darlene De Siervi

Theses

It has been frequently documented that deaf and hard of hearing (henceforth, DHH) children do not have the same academic achievement as hearing children. One reason may be communication barriers that make learning by DHH students difficult. Some communication in mainstream classrooms is delivered through interpreters, which possibly invites additional obstacles. Is the DHH student receiving full access to quality education in the classroom? Even in a direct instructed setting, does the DHH student fully understand every word the teacher shares through sign language? It is imperative to point out that all DHH children have the right to a barrier-free …

Feral Child: The Legacy Of The Wild Boy Of Aveyron In The Domains Of Language Acquisition And Deaf Education, Wayne Cayea

Theses

Language Acquisition has been hotly debated since Chomsky's theory of innate ability in the 1950s. Feral children. i.e.. wild children who grow up in extreme isolation, provide a unique opportunity to study the process of language acquisition. What we can learn can have a major impact on what and how we teach our young students, especially deaf - students whose language development may be delayed. Victor, the Wild Boy of Aveyron, a famous feral child, is the focus of this study. He was discovered in the French wilderness in 1800, after three to eight years alone in the forest. After …

Discovery Learning In Mathematics Education: Using Multimedia Technology To Reach Teachers, Rachel Lewis

Theses

Being a teacher requires the dual skills ofboth knowing a content area and knowing effective methods for teaching that content. Teachers ofdeafstudents, however, frequently have more training related to deafness rather than their content area. At issue is access to resources which could remedy this problem. This paper outlines the development of an online workshop which will serve as a pilot project to explore ways to get pedagogical and content knowledge from skilled professionals to both teachers in the field and students in teacher preparation programs. The mathematical preparation of teachers of the deaf was reviewed and a workshop topic …

Matthew Ford's Diet: An Application Of The Diet Problem, Matthew Ford

Theses

Linear Programming has its origins in the 1940's, when complex planning problems needed to be solved to contribute to the wartime operations. The Diet Problem was one of those problems. My project deals with the formulation of my own diet problem tailored to my personal tastes where I minimize the cost of eating for one week while maintaining a healthy diet. I gathered data for different meals as well as nutritional information such as calorie count and number of servings. The formulation was eventually modified to introduce variety into the diet.

A Study Of Offshore Printing Between The United States And China, Yuen Wai Chow

Theses

In 2004, Andy Paparozzi of the National Association of Printing Leadership (NAPL) reported that it was a good year for the U.S. printing industry, because it was the first year since 2001 in which the industry showed growth. However, this good news cannot appease the complaints from U.S. printers who are concerned about losing their jobs to overseas printers. According to a survey conducted by the Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (PIA/GATF), 40% of printers think that their customers are seeking global sourcing for their printing needs. Offshoring is the new reality of globalization. Journalists constantly mention the …

Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall Of The House Of Usher: Bilingual Approaches, Michelle Johnston

Theses

This literature curriculum unit includes some implements the bilingual strategies (ASL and printed English) to teach deaf students about Poe's short story, "The Fall of the House of Usher." Throughout the curriculum, the students will read, analyze, and interpret the story in primary and secondary languages: ASL and printed English. The bilingual reading and writing processes require the students to read the story in printed English, discuss the literature elements of the story in ASL to decode, interpret and understand the literature elements of this story. The students will go through the writing process to write a h a 1 …

Deaf Japanese-Americans During World War Ii, Mikhael Rosenberg

Theses

Many teachers are using primary source documents in their social studies classrooms to compliment the standard issued textbooks. Primary sources include, but are not limited to: govenunent documents, pictures, posters, documentaries, and personal interviews. Research shows when teachers use primary sources in their instructions, their students become more engaged with the course. Research shows when teachers use primary sources in their instructions, their students become more engaged with the course. Furthermore, there is a positive correlation between student engagement in the course and student achievement in the class. When historical primary sources related to deaf individuals are used to supplement …

Creating Landscapes With Simulated Colliding Plates, Alex Jarocha-Ernst

Theses

The creation of realistic virtual terrain has been a longstanding computer graphics problem, as terrain will form the backdrop of any virtual world. Approaches to this problem to date have taken one of two approaches: either fractally generating landscapes, or simulating the processes of water and thermal erosion. I have developed a new method to synthesize virtual landscapes, by simulating some of the geological forces that create real-world landscapes

I model the collision and deformation of simulated tectonic plates, and create features that mimic those found along real-world plate boundaries. This is achieved through the use of a meshless object …

Strategic Alliances In The Printing Industry, Nattawan Techavichien

Theses

Strategic alliance has been viewed as a management solution of companies. Printing companies have begun to adopt this method as a way to survive or strengthen their position. The purpose of this research was to determine an overview of the practice of alliances in the printing industry. This thesis focuses on strategic alliances and attempts to improve understanding on this subject by classifying and evaluating the current practice of alliances in the printing industry. The investigated areas are 1) the type of alliances that exist in the printing industry; 2) who is entering into the alliances; and 3) the intention …

Motivation In Language Learning: A Comparative Study Of Motivation In The Learning Of Irish And German Among Leaving Certificate Students, Seosamh Ó Cuinneagáin

Theses

This study investigates Leaving Certificate students’ attitudes to and motivation in the learning of Irish and German in 25-selected second level schools, of which five are Irish-medium schools, in Munster and Leinster. A historical overview of the two languages is presented to contextualise the study, as well as to provide a broad framework for the subsequent literature review, in which government policies towards the teaching and learning of Irish and German are examined. A twelve-scale questionnaire, consisting of 228 items, is employed as a data collection instrument to measure language attitudes and motivation. A modified version of the international quantitative …

The Effect Of Sample Size And Ground Granulated Blast-Furnace Slag On Hydration Temperature In Hot Climates, Mariam Eissa Saeed Al-Harrasi

Theses

Heat of hydration of Portland cement mixes is of great importance to civil engineers. While there is great deal of work being carried out on the hydration temperature of OPC-slag mixes, there is a lack in the literature of research work on the effect of such materials in real hot climates. The current research examines the influence of ground granulated blast-furnace slag (ggbs) as a partial cement replacement on temperature evolution during hydration in winter and summer in AI-Ain (interior region of the United Arab Emirates). Evolution of temperature inside the concrete was recorded by the aid of a Labview …

Modeling And Optimization Of Biological Nutrients Removal In Wastewater Treatment Processes Considering Advanced Kinetic Modeling Techniques, Nawras Nabil Ai Ghazaly

Theses

In the field of wastewater treatment, there is an increasing demand to improve the effluent

quality especially if it is going to be discharged to surface water. Effluent discharged

to surface water should have minimum nutrients level (nitrogen and phosphorus) in order

to avoid eutrophication and the resulting algal blooms which deplete the water from the oxygen

needed by other plant and animal species. Moreover, there is a demand to reduce the chemical

consumption in the treatment processes and to depend as much as we can on the biological

Treatment methods in achieving the required effluent quality in terms of …

Syntactic Complexity Of Original And Altered Reading Materials, Monica Draiss

Theses

As deaf students struggle with a language they cannot hear, the acquisitioin of English in deaf learners is slower than in hearing learners (Berent, 2000). The average deaf 18-year-old graduates with approximately a fourth grade reading level (Traxler, 2000). Therefore, it is imperative for teachers to effectively choose appropriate literature for deaf learners to help them interact more successfully with text. This paper addresses some common challenges deaf readers have with respect to the acquisition of English syntax and how these difficulties affect their reading comprehension. Conjoined sentences and relative clause sentences serve as examples of complex grammatical structures that …

Quantity And Quality Simulation In Al Ain Water Distribution System, Awbath Saleh Salem Al Jaberi

Theses

A hydraulic and chlorine simulation is conducted for three selected areas in Al Ain region. WaterCad 7.0, a water distribution system model, was chosen to conduct the simulation of the hydraulic behavior within the water distribution system. The fate of residual chlorine flowing through these systems over time is tracked by this software. The conducted hydraulic model predicts the performance of Al Yahar, AI Dhaher and Sweihan networks. Skeletonaization approach is employed in setting up the model for each system. In this study, the customer storage tanks (CSTs) are taken into consideration in performing the extended period simulation. Each group …

10 Second Jimmy, Kevin Mcnulty

Theses

A descriptive narration of a project to create a 3-D computer animated film, "10 Second Jimmy," about an old man whose wife's rejection of him has unforeseen consequences. Includes proposal, original storyboard, color film stills, character sketches, modeling, discarded ideas, inspiration images, and promotional poster.

Real Time Face Matching With Multiple Cameras Using Principal Component Analysis, Andrew Mullen

Theses

Face recognition is a rapidly advancing research topic due to the large number of applications that can benefit from it. Face recognition consists of determining whether a known face is present in an image and is typically composed of four distinct steps. These steps are face detection, face alignment, feature extraction, and face classification [1]. The leading application for face recognition is video surveillance. The majority of current research in face recognition has focused on determining if a face is present in an image, and if so, which subject in a known database is the closest match. This Thesis deals …

Evaluation Of A Dual Chamber Vortex Generator For A Lithium Bromide-Water Absorption Refrigeration System, Lee Skolnik

Theses

Absorption refrigeration systems are widely accepted as a means of utilizing waste heat from industrial processes to provide cooling to buildings. In many cases waste heat is in the temperature range from 60°C to 90°C. At these relatively low temperatures, conventional absorption refrigeration systems operate at a low coefficient of performance (COP) rendering them economically infeasible. A new concept, the Dual Chamber Vortex Generator (DCVG) has been designed to replace the conventional generator in a lithium bromide-water absorption refrigeration system. The conceptual basis of the DCVG is that a vortical flow would be established inside the DCVG creating a high …