Digital Commons Network^™

Physiologically-Based Vision Modeling Applications And Gradient Descent-Based Parameter Adaptation Of Pulse Coupled Neural Networks, Randy P. Broussard

Theses and Dissertations

In this research, pulse coupled neural networks (PCNNs) are analyzed and evaluated for use in primate vision modeling. An adaptive PCNN is developed that automatically sets near-optimal parameter values to achieve a desired output. For vision modeling, a physiologically motivated vision model is developed from current theoretical and experimental biological data. The biological vision processing principles used in this model, such as spatial frequency filtering, competitive feature selection, multiple processing paths, and state dependent modulation are analyzed and implemented to create a PCNN based feature extraction network. This network extracts luminance, orientation, pitch, wavelength, and motion, and can be cascaded …

Hydrocatalysis: A New Energy Paradigm For The 21st Century, Peter Mark Jansson

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will review the problems of worldwide energy supply, describe the current technologies that meet the energy needs of our industrial societies, summarize the environmental impacts of those fuels and technologies and their increased use by a growing global and increasingly technical economy. This work will also describe and advance the technology being developed by BlackLight Power, Inc. [BLP], a scientific company located in Malvern, Pennsylvania. BLP's technology purports to offer commercially viable and useful heat generation via a previously unrecognized natural phenomenon - the catalytic reduction of the hydrogen atom to a lower energy state. A review of …

Comparison Of Academic Success Between Students Who Live In Single Parent Households And Students Who Live In Two-Parent Households, Susan A. Ficco

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of thus study was to compare the impact household composition has on the academic achievement of elementary school students. The sample contained 83 third and fourth grade students from a small Southern New Jersey school district, 22 from single parent households, and 61 from two parent households. The grade point averages for reading, language and mathematics were recorded for two consecutive marking periods and the measuring device used was a paired sample t-test. The results of the study show a high correlation between household composition and academic achievement. The grade point averages of the students in two parent …

The Use Of Behavioral Intervention Techniques In Aiding Autistic Children In The Classroom, James H. Dundee Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to provide information to support that, through the use of behavioral intervention techniques, especially the use of positive reinforcement, teachers can help to improve the academic success of the child with autism. The purpose of this current study is to view two unique groups of subjects. Subjects for this design consisted of twelve (12) preschool-aged students from the Gloucester County Special Services School District. The subjects were randomly assigned to two groups. The first group would receive reinforcement for their behaviors and the second group would not. It was hypothesized for this study that …

Breastfeeding Beliefs, Attitiudes, And Experiences Of Rural Native American Women, Joanne Blue

Theses and Dissertations

Breastfeeding has long been recognized as the preferred method of feeding. There is an increasing awareness of the need to return to traditions and values such as breastfeeding, which has been part of the Indian culture in the past. The purpose of this descriptive, correlational study was to determine the attitudes, beliefs, and experiences of breastfeeding among rural Native American women. Ajzen and Fishbein's (1080) Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Leininger’s theory of Culture Care Diversity and Universality (1991) guided this study.

This study addressed the following questions: 1) What are the attitudes, beliefs and experiences of native American …

The Attention Deficit With Hyperactivity Disorder Handbook For Parents And Teachers: Birth To Age 5, Cheryl Moe-Olson

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Recruitment Of Partners In Dual-Career Couples As Faculty In Higher Education, Heidi L. Newell

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Burned Sugar Pie: Women's Cultures In The Literature Of Food, Traci Marie Kelly

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Male Involvement In Early Intervention For Young Children With Special Needs Both In Home And Inclusive School Settings, Cheryl Leigh Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Developmental Taxonomy And Distribution Of Paralarval Squid From The Florida Current, Carrie Leeonne Adams

Theses and Dissertations

Distribution patterns of paralarval squid across the continental shelf of Florida were examined based on five years of collections. Squid occurrence patterns were described in relation to coastal, intermediate, and Florida Current (Gulf Stream) water masses by comparing horizontal and vertical distribution patterns of squid species to physical-chemical distribution patterns Twenty-six squid taxa were collected in this study. Representative taxonomic descriptions and illustrations of all taxa were produced to serve as an identification aid for the paralarval squid from the Florida shelf. Patterns of species composition among stations were analyzed with cluster analysis based on four sampling approaches. Species distribution …

A Qualitative Study Of A College Visual Arts Course: A Multicultural Perspective, Jacqueline A. Badman

Theses and Dissertations

The United States is a multicultural place. With its ever increasing cultural and ethnic diversity, multicultural education is important. Since the visual arts have always been produced and perceived within cultures and offer students unique opportunities to explore human expression and experience, the analysis of an introductory art course taught within a multicultural context at a Midwestern university was a sensible starting point. This was especially timely since little research exists in relation to the visual arts taught from a multicultural perspective at the higher education level, and more theoretical works regarding multicultural visual arts exist than do actual studies. …

Distribution And Success Of Galling Insects On Upland Willow (Salix Humilis) In Itasca State Park, Minnesota, Erik J. Harris

Theses and Dissertations

A comparison was made of the distribution of six galling insects on varying-sized shoots and different ages of their host plant, Salix humilis. Survivorship of the most numerous galler, Iteyomia salicifolia, was used to determine if host use patterns were correlated with galler success. In northern Minnesota, all six gallers were non-randomly distributed among shoots of different length; each occurred at greater numbers than expected on the longest shoots. Two of the six gallers were at higher densities on juvenile ramets of S. humilis, than on mature ones. Densities did not vary between juvenile and mature clones.

A comparison was …

Integrating Technology Into The Library Curriculum Of Grades Four Through Eight For The Lower Alloways Creek Elementary School, Deborah A. Wesolek

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to develop a library curriculum guide for grades four through eight for the Lower Alloways Creek Elementary School, Salem, New Jersey.

Prior to this guide, the library curriculum for Lower Alloways Creek Elementary School consisted of an outdated skills array. It no longer met the needs of the students or the staff of the school. With the addition of an automated circulation and catalog system, as well as CD-ROM, and the Internet, it became clear that the curriculum must be redeveloped, revised and thoroughly updated to include these new technologies. This will assist in …

A Comparative Review Of Oppositional Defiant Disorder And Conduct Disorder, Denise Martell

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Involvement Of The Amino Terminal Of Actin In Actin-Aldolase Interactions., Tim Jeffrey Keith

Theses and Dissertations

Interactions between glycolytic enzymes and cytoskeletal proteins are electrostatic in nature. Studies conducted with derivatizing agents show that the amino side chains of basic amino acids on aldolase interact with carboxyl side chains of acidic amino acids on tubulin. In this study we used the techniques of covalent cross-linking, non-enzymatic cleavage and enzymatic cleavage to determine the amino acids in actin which are involved in the actin-aldolase interaction.Actin and aldolase were covalently cross-linked using the zero length cross-linker 1-ethyl-3- (3-dimethylaminopropyl) -carbodiimide to form a direct covalent link between the two proteins. The cross-linking procedure resulted in the formation of one …

The Learning Needs Of People Over The Age Of 60., M. Wayne Alexander

Theses and Dissertations

U.S. citizens remain healthy as they live to increasingly older ages. How shall the growing number of older people fill their expanding leisure time? Do they need to engage in learning activities in order to keep their wits about them? Which learning activities do they want? How do they want them structured? Which methods should their teachers use? What type of academic opportunities does higher education provide to older people? What causes the activities available to differ from those desired? Which goods and services do the aged need to help them take advantage of higher education opportunities?To investigate these issues …

The Transition From Junior High School To Middle School: Case Studies From North Dakota., Anne Shearer-Shineman

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the transformation process used by three North Dakota schools that previously operated as traditional junior high schools prior to changing to middle schools. The schools represented distinct situations in demographics, enrollment, and the process used to implement change. Through close inspection of three settings, I considered whether or not processes, problems, or successes common to all three schools existed. The most important questions dealt with the transition process used in each case and the result. Relevant information sought for the study included the rationale for implementation, description of the planning process, length of the transition process, and …

Discovering The Dimensions Of Collaboration: An Investigation Of The Reliability And Validity Of The Modified Interagency Arrangement Model., Linda Mae Olson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics of the Modified Interagency Arrangement Model and to add to the knowledge base about measurement of interagency collaboration. An instrument that would allow evaluation of the collaboration was developed. The characteristics of the instrument were investigated through a study of the North Dakota Early Childhood Tracking System (NDECTS) interagency arrangement structure. Validity of the instrument was examined by evaluating the modified IAM instrument's factor structure, content validity, and criterion-referenced validity. A measure of reliability was performed by examining the internal consistency of subscales and the entire scale.The sample studied were …

Quantification Of Weather Effects On Imaging Laser Radar, Clifton D. Stargardt

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force is investigating the use of imaging laser radar systems as autonomous guidance systems on future precision guided munitions. The Air Force's Wright Laboratory is currently testing a 1.06 micron wavelength laser radar (ladar) at Eglin Air Force Base. Since laser radiation can be susceptible to propagation problems through weather, quantitative understanding of these effects is important to the development of this weapon system. Ladar image degradation, in the form of target dropouts and false returns, was evaluated in various weather conditions. Statistical analysis of the images presented expected degrees of degradation according to visibility and rain fall …

Modeling A Chemical Battlefield And The Resulting Effects In A Theater-Level Combat Model, Todd M. Gesling

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes the development of a methodology to model chemical weapons use in the Joint Staff's Joint Warfare Analysis Experimental Prototype (JWAEP) and to quantify the resulting effects. The methodology incorporates organic unit assets and theater-level chemical assets into JWAEP by using the three principles of nuclear, biological, and chemical defense (NBC) which reflect joint and Army doctrine, and combines them with the basic concepts already used in existing theater-level models. Other aspects of the problem include representing chemical 'packages' on the battlefield, determining attrition and time effects, adjusting unit effectiveness, determining chemical package intelligence acquisition procedures, identifying solution …

Experiments In Aggregating Air Ordnance Effectiveness Data For The Tacwar Model, James E. Parker

Theses and Dissertations

An interactive MS Access&trademark; based application that aggregates the output of the SABSEL model for input into the TACWAR model is developed. The application was developed following efforts to create a functional approximation of the SABSEL data using neural networks, statistical networks, and traditional statistical techniques. These approximations were compared to a look-up table methodology on the basis of accuracy, (RMSE

In Search Of The Meandering Absolute: The Prints Of Mitzi Humphrey, Mitzi Humphrey

Theses and Dissertations

Art is more than just a bridge to (or a reflection of) the natural world; it is a natural force in itself. The author is a strong advocate of "artist's prints," prints which are conceived and printed by the artist. She believes that there is a natural sequence of actions and thoughts which cannot be approximated by the substitution of an artist/printer collaboration unless the artist is truly involved with the printer or assistant in every step of the decision-making and mark-making processes.

The prints of this series are not about realistic pictorial space; they are about interior space--that of …

Women In New York : A Translation Of Ethel Krauze's "Mujeres En Nueva York", Martha Patricia Orozco Rangel

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Expression Of P21 Waf1/Cip1 In Rat Nb2 Lymphoma Cells, Hugh V. Nguyen

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Coronary Blood Vessel Development Within The Epicardium Of The Embryonic Quail Heart, David H. Hyjek

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of A Developmentally Regulated Enhancer Pattern Expressed In Apodemes And The Peripheral Nervous System In Drosophila Melanogaster, Anne E. Scherer

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Descriptive Study Of Motivation Factors Leading To The Selection Of A School-To-Career Transition Curriculum By High School Students In Arkansas, Virginia Stevenson Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of the study was to identify elements that encourage high school students to select the school-to-career curriculum. The study included elements from successful school-to-career programs, background of the history of vocational legislation, and an examination of motivation theories including goal-setting, needs satisfaction, and choice. A survey was administered to 175 students in four districts in Arkansas. Students were given open- and closed-response questions to determine their present interest in the school-to-career curricula and elements they considered motivational. A univariate analysis was conducted. Responses were placed in a frequency distribution. The responses from the surveys indicated enrollment would increase …

Electrophysiological Effects Of Lysoplasmenylcholine On Rabbit Ventricular Myocytes, Ray Caldwell

Theses and Dissertations

Myocardial ischemia activates a phospholipase A2 that targets plasmalogen phospholipids and liberates 1-0-alkenyl-Iysoplasmenylcholine (LPLC) in preference to 1-0- acyl-Iysophosphatidylcholine (LPC). Although LPC is a pro arrhythmic ischemic metabolite, the effect of LPLC on cardiac electrophysiology is unknown. At the lowest doses investigated, LPLC induced spontaneous contractions in otherwise quiescent rabbit ventricular myocytes significantly faster than LPC. Spontaneous contractions developed with median times of 16.4 (n = 64), 27.4 (n = 36), and >60 min (n = 25) during exposure to 5, 2.5, and 1 JlM LPLC compared with 38.0 (n = 48) and >60 min (n = 29) for 5 …

The Effect Of Throwing Cords On Velocity And Strength, Marc D. Schmaltz

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Neuroanatomical Investigation Of Medial Frontal Cortical Projections To The Spinal Cord In The Rat, Mike E. Bennett

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.