Digital Commons Network^™

A Study Of Important Content For Undergraduate Graphic Communications Programs, Tsung-Yu Hao

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study was an investigation of important content for undergraduate graphic communications programs in four-year colleges and universities. The findings of this study can help educational professionals as they design curriculum, equip laboratories, and recruit faculty.

Subject categories and content items were initially identified by a review of literature. These content items were then further refined and rated on level of importance by a panel of experts. Modified subject categories and content items were then sent to the panel a second time for rating. Through this process, 15 subject categories and 68 content items were identified.

A questionnaire was developed …

Use And Effectiveness Of Decision Support Systems (Dss): Study Of The Saudi Private Sector, Ibrahim A. Alhunaishel

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In the industrialized world today, management is characterized by extensive use of computers to manage rapid change, information overload, and complex decision-making. Literature suggests that Decision Support Systems, computer packages offering information retrieval, problem-structuring models, decision alternatives, and other types of decision support, are effective extensions of human decision-making and offer substantial benefits to organizations utilizing them.

In spite of overwhelmingly positive reviews for DSS, empirical literature has produced inconsistent results regarding DSS effectiveness, and definitions of “effectiveness” and of DSS itself are varied and sometimes contradictory. Distinguishing DSS from MIS (management information systems) and other types of managerial computer …

An Investigation To Measure The Performance Of Commercial Printing Firms For Conducting Business-To-Customer Activities On The Web, Devang Pranlal Mehta

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This research was conducted to investigate the current status of commercial printing firms regarding the success of their performance using Web technology for conducting business-to-customer (B2C) activities. It was primarily based on Rogers' innovation theory and Auger's empirical study. The impact of the Web technology on the organizational performance was studied. The organizational performance was divided into three levels: financial performance (FP), non-financial performance (NFP), and overall performance (OP). The financial performance was measured by four financial indicators; whereas, the non-financial performance was measured by three non-financial indicators. The overall performance was then measured by adding the four financial performance …

An Investigation Of Eddy Current Analysis For Laser Surface Treatment Of Steel, Ronald Edward O'Meara

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The problem of this exploratory study was to determine the strength of the bivariate correlational relationship between microhardness readings converted to Rockwell values and eddy current values of laser heat-treated AISI 1045 steel. Further, the microstructure was analyzed to determine the microstructural changes formed by laser surface treatment utilizing a carbon dioxide laser.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the microhardness and depth of hardness formed by laser surface treatment, to develop a measure of correlation between microhardness and eddy current values, and to study microstructural changes formed by the laser surface treatment. This knowledge could be used …

Attitudes And Perceptions Regarding Internet-Based Electronic Data Interchange In A Public Organization In Saudi Arabia, Abdulrahman S. Al-Zumaia

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study examined the attitudes and perceptions of staff members and administrators in the General Directorate for Private Institutes & Centers (GDPI&C), Training institutes, and Centers in Saudi Arabia toward Internet-based Electronic Data Interchange (I-EDI) in a public organization. A survey was conducted of a group of GDPI&C members and randomly selected Institutes and Centers. The 339 respondents participated anonymously by providing demographic information and completing the attitudes and perceptions section of I-EDI questionnaire. The survey response rate was 82.6%.

An attitude survey was distributed to staff members, administrators, and faculty members in the Saudi Arabian GDPI&C, Training Institutes, and …

The Status Of Dance Education Programs In Public Leisure Service And Non-Profit Youth Serving Organizations In The State Of Iowa, Ranae Elaine Keane-Bamsey

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this exploratory descriptive study was to investigate the status and scope of dance education programs offered by public leisure service organizations and non-profit youth agencies in the State of Iowa. In addition, the study was directed toward discerning the number of participants in existing dance programs provided by the aforementioned types of organizations. This research study was intended to provide a baseline of information to add to the general body of knowledge regarding the provision of dance education programs within the State of Iowa.

The Inventory of Iowa's Dance Programs, consisting of 31 questions, was distributed to …

Statutes - Telecommunications - From Calea To Carnivore: How Uncle Sam Conscripted Private Industry In Order To Wiretap Digital Telecommunications, Jason Broberg

North Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

Fundamental Rights In Conflict: The Price Of A Maturing Democracy, Harlan Loeb, David Rosenberg

North Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

Relationship Between Early Development Of Spelling And Reading, Lorraine S. Hammond

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The research reported in this thesis examined the relationship between beginning spelling and reading. More specifically, it focussed on the relationship between the development of early reading and spelling in a context where the approach to early reading instruction includes systematic phonological awareness and decoding instruction. A critical assumption made by proponents of developmental early literacy models is that transfer of skills and knowledge from reading to spelling will occur spontaneously and without formal instruction (Frith, 1980). By contrast instruction-centred approaches make the assumption that there are critical pre-requisite skills that can and should be taught explicitly (Carnine, Silbert & …

High School Students' Food Choices: A Nutrient Analysis Of Students' Canteen Purchases At Four High Schools, Jenny Kora

Theses : Honours

Links exist between poor eating habits established during childhood and adolescence and the development of dental decay, obesity and anaemia early in life (Ruxton, Kirk, Belton & Holmes, 1993; Douglas, 1999), as well as a number of diseases of affluence, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some cancers later in life (Baranowski et al., 1993; Birch, 1993; National Health and Medical Research Council, 1995; Antine, 1997; Harris et al., 1997; Douglas, 1998; Melnik, Rhoades, Wales, Cowel & Wolfe, 1998; Cholin, 1999; Huon, Wardle & Szabo, 1999). Adolescence has been identified as a unique stage in the life cycle when increased amounts …

The Effect Of Moderate +Gz On Cervical Muscle Strength Of Raaf Trainee Pilots Flying Pc-9 Aircraft, Elissa Jane Burton

Theses : Honours

External stimulus/loading initiates adaptations within skeletal muscle. Whilst performing flying manoeuvres under +Gz it has been previously found that the cervical area has the highest loading. The purpose of this study was to examine cervical muscle response to moderate +Gz force (+4-6Gz) loading generated during RAAF pilot training. Cervical muscle strength was monitored in nine RAAF pilots completing an eight-month flight training course and ten controls matched for gender, age, height and weight. Cervical muscle strength and range of movement were measured at baseline and at eight months using the Multi-Cervical Rehabilitation Unit (Hanoun, Canada). Also measured, using EMG, was …

Teacher Perceptions Of Student Speech, Yvonne G. Haig

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Although language variation is widespread and natural,it is subject to judgement. Where a standard language has developed, other varieties tend to be judged against its "standards". While a number of overseas studies have found that this type of linguistic bias occurs in education and negatively impacts on dialect speakers, there has been little research in Australia. The research reported in this thesis investigates how teachers perceive the speech of school-aged students and whether the socio-economic status or level of schooling of the students influence these perceptions. Further, it examines the relationships between the teachers' background, the way they define Standard …

Accumulated Response In Live Improvised Dance Performance, Joanna T. Pollitt

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The response project and accompanying thesis aim to affirm the role of the dancer as an authority in revealing patterns and traces of accumulated lived experience, knowledge and ideas through the practice and performance of dance improvisation. The dancing body is investigated as a dynamical and complex system of research that is embedded in a process of continual response to the present. These bodily inscriptions and the process of active response form the seminal grounds for the physical and energetic exchange of improvised dance in performance.

Downsizing : An Analysis Of Organisational Strategies And Human Resource Management Outcomes, Cecil A. Clabaugh

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The objective of this research was to examine the relationship between loss and retention of key employees in downsizing organisations and organisational performance. The purpose of this was to develop an understanding of the organisational performance that results when downsizing organisations are unable to retain their key workers. The secondary objective of the research was to examine the factors that make up a downsizing organisation's employee selection process in order to determine how these factors affect loss and retention of key workers. The research was guided by a theoretical framework developed by Kozlowski et al (1993) and Thornhill and Saunders …

Trace And The Makers Of Meaning, Lindon J. Thompson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

One of the greatest accessible records of trace and the past is the landscape, which over time acts as a repository of evidence from natural forces and things that humans have created or changed. This thesis considers trace as material and nonmaterial evidence, remnants, marks, vestiges of events past and forgotten or remembered. How can a past that is evidenced only by its traces be read within a landscape context by disciplines of knowledge production? The subsequent interpretation, generation of meaning and understanding of traces contributes to the knowledge, mythology and perceptions of reality for differing groups in different places. …

A Critical Linguistic Analysis Of A Popular Comic Genre In Japan, Angela Rawson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research will focus on the issue of power and gender in the language of Japanese comics (manga). Comics in Japan are enormously popular and are read by a wide audience. They are aimed at specific audiences and it is my argument that the language of manga helps to reinforce certain social stereotypes - particularly the inferiority of women and the dominance of males. The language of children's manga will be analyzed using the framework of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), which concerns itself with the relation between ideology and power in discourse. The analysis will be at various levels including …

An Evaluation Of The Orientation Program For Newly Appointed Catholic Primary Principals, Samuel G. Fontaine

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The structure and operation of Catholic schools in Western Australia have been in a process of change since the early 1970’s. Prior to 1971, most Catholic primary schools were administered by religious orders and much of the religious character of the school reflected the charisma of the particular religious order that operated the school. In the Year 2000 most Catholic primary schools former part of a state-wide system in which the Catholic Education Office (CEO) plays a major administrative and co-ordinating role.

The Effect Of Prescribed And Preferred Intensity Exercise On The Relationship Between Self-Efficacy And Perceived Exertion In Older Adults, Keith R. Scotson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study was concerned with acute responses to exercise in people over the age of 50 (N = 80). In particular the relationship between Self-efficacy and perceived exertion during exercise at workloads (a) based on a target heart rate (prescribed intensities) and (b) based on participant preference (preferred intensities) were observed. Perceptual (perceived exertion), Self-efficacy and heart rate responses of low active older participants engaged in either walking or cycle ergometer exercise at preferred and prescribed intensities were also reported. Significant inverse correlations were observed between pre and post exercise Self-efficacy and perceived exertion during acute exercise at prescribed intensities …

An Evaluation Of Environmental Disclosures Produced In Australian Local Government Annual Reports, Royston J. Tan

Theses : Honours

This thesis is an evaluation of the environmental disclosures published in Australian local governments' annual reports. The study is aimed in identifying disclosures of environmental information by Australian local governments and providing explanations for the variations in the quantity and quality of information disclosed. Various social responsibility theories were used in this study. The theories employed in this study were institutional factors, stakeholder theory, social and political theories. Institutional factors included issues such as local government characteristics and pressures exerted from various government and non·government organizations to implement and disclose environmental measures. A content analysis methodology was used in this …

Bluetooth Software On Linux, Wireless Hand-Held Devices, Teck Khoon Low

Theses : Honours

In order to enable existing computers (non-Bluetooth ready) to connect to a Bluetooth piconet, a Bluetooth hardware device comprising of the Radio antenna, the baseband and control circuit is used. The digital portion of this device is also known as a Host Controller, HC. In the traditional communication lingo, the Bluetooth Hardware functions, as the Data Communication Equipment (DCE) while the Host is the Data terminal Equipment (DTE). This report discusses the theory and implementation of the communication protocol between the Host and the Host Controller, enabling communication between the computer and the Bluetooth hardware

Storage Free Terrain Simulation, Warren Creemers

Theses : Honours

Landscape visualisation is the process of recreating a natural environment and displaying it in an interactive graphical simulation. To do this a terrain is displayed together with accompanying plant life and other objects. Present landscape visualisation software is capable in theory of displaying very detailed and large landscapes. The software is also in theory capable of simulating environments with thousands if not millions of individually structured plants. In practice though, the simulation of such landscapes requires such a large amount of storage space that it is not achievable on personal computers. Even storing small landscapes with a moderate amount plant …

The Effect Of Cycling On Muscle Activation In The Running Leg Of An Olympic Distance Triathlon, Tamika Heiden

Theses : Honours

Anecdotal reports from triathletes highlight the transition from cycling to running as the most difficult due to the change from non-weight carrying cycling activity to weight hearing running activity. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of prior cycling on activation of lower limb muscles in running during an Olympic distance triathlon. Ten elite level triathletes underwent two conditions; a 40krn ride followed by a 2km run and a 10km run followed by a 2km run, at their Olympic distance race pace. Testing was carried out in the field with at least one week between tests. EMG …

Investigation And Characterisation Of Growth Phases Of Polycrystalline Cadmium Sulfide Thin Films Produced By The Chemical Bath Deposition Method, Peter Duncan

Theses : Honours

This research project investigates the characterisation and morphology of the growth phases of polycrystalline CdS thin films that were created using the Chemical Bath Deposition (CBD) method. One batch of CdS thin films was created by the author (group B) whilst another batch (group A) was obtained from a previous research project. In both cases, the experiments were designed such that successive slides in a set represent successive phases in the growth of these CdS thin films. Therefor analysis of the near surface for all slides in a set gave an accurate representation of conditions on the surface at the …

Back Stress And Assistance Exercises In Extreme Weightlifting, Adam J. Beard

Theses : Honours

The purpose or this study was to test the suitability or selected assistance exercises to strengthen the low back for the Olympic lilts in elite weightlifters. Four subjects were filmed by a five-camera Motion Analysis system operating at 120Hz. The subjects completed both or the Olympic lifts (Snatch and Clean) at a near one repetition maximum and four assistance exercises (Bent-over Row, Clean Pull Deadlift, Romanian Deadlift, and Good Morning) at an intensity typically performed at a routine training session. Peak moments, compressive and shear forces about the L5/S1 intervertebral joint were calculated via a top-down inverse dynamics model. Comparisons …

Mine Dewatering In Arid, Saline Environments In Western Australia: The Response Of Biota Emerging From Rehydrated Sediments, Charelle Harkins

Theses : Honours

Mine dewatering is a critical part of the mining process to prevent flooding of underground or open pits, to allow for the excavation of the available resources. Groundwater is abstracted from underground pits to the surface through extraction bores. The issue of where to discharge the excess water is a major concern. The use of natural wetlands is one option for mine water discharge. Saline lakes in arid areas are ideal receiving environments for discharge options, acting as evaporation facilities for the storage and disposal of excess mine water. Mine water discharge into ephemeral lake systems modifies the volume of …

The Specificity And Sensitivity Of The Criteria Used To Measure Vo2max, Geoffrey D. Juranovich

Theses : Honours

The use of V0_2MAX as a measure of cardiorespiratory fitness is widespread throughout the fields of exercise physiology, physiology and medicine. VO_2MAX is described as the maximal rate of oxygen consumption during increasing exercise intensities and is defined by a plateau or levelling off of oxygen consumption (VO₂). Taylor et al. (1955) derived the primary criterion for a levelling off (plateau) of VO₂ at the end of an incremental exercise test to exhaustion to be a change in VO₂ (ΔVO₂) /kg/min during the final minute. This primary criterion has been widely accepted …

Adequacy Of Terrestrial Fauna Surveys For The Preparation Of Environmental Impact Assessments In The Mining Industry Of Western Australia [Thesis], Jason L. Fraser

Theses : Honours

The Environmental protection Authority has indicated that terrestrial fauna surveys as undertaken for the purpose of preparing Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) are not providing adequate information to enable decision-makers to assess development impacts on biodiversity and ecosystems. In the absence of a protocol to assess current standards of terrestrial fauna surveys, 'best practice' was defined through discussions held with an 'expert panel', and quantified through a questionnaire. This study examined current standards of terrestrial vertebrate fauna surveys, prepared for the purpose of EIA, with 'best practice' as defined by relevant expert opinion. Strengths and weaknesses of terrestrial fauna surveys were …

The Effect Of The Moon Phase On The Daily Catch Rate Of King, Tiger And Endeavour Prawns In The Shark Bay And Exmouth Gulf Fisheries, Tenniel Harman

Theses : Honours

Two of the major commercial prawn fisheries in Western Australia arc located in Exmouth Gulf and Shark Bay. Prawn fishing is the third most valuable fishing industry in WA, producing an annual income of $62 million. These two fishing regions are considered fully exploited (Fisheries WA Home Page) and careful management is needed to produce and maintain them as sustainable fisheries. The Western Australian Marine Research Laboratories have developed detailed computer models which estimate the stock abundance of the prawn fisheries. This provides information on what sort of restrictions should be made to maintain a stainable fishery. The impact of …

Documentary Photography/Postmodern Commodities, Allan Radich

Theses : Honours

This honours project is divided into two parts. Part one is the written thesis. Part two is the photographic component. Part one discusses some of the practices and discourses associated with 'documentary' photography. Some documentary practices and discourses of the past can be seen to be culturally divisive. These practices and discourses were based on being, white, male and European. This ideology and its discursive modes are in conflict with contemporary photographic practices and the relevant social and cultural theories that define it. The thesis defines the discourses and practices of the modernist and postmodernist documentary photographer. It highlights the …

Video Compression Using Wavelets And Hierarchical Motion Estimation, Andrew Peter Byrne

Theses : Honours

This thesis investigates the benefits and the significant compression that can be obtained from data that has been decomposed using a wavelet transform. A video compression algorithm was developed that employs the wavelet transform and a hierarchical motion estimation algorithm which itself utilises benefits of the wavelet transform. Using MATLAB, a popular software tool for matrix based computation and analysis, several functions were developed which together formed the video compression algorithm. A variety of tests were conducted on a sample video sequence to ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of the techniques employed. The results, although not the same as the …