Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

Exploring West Virginia Diabetes Educators' Perceptions Of And Experiences With Integrating Internet Technology In Their Practice, Elizabeth Quintana

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of the study was to explore how diabetes educators integrate Internet technology in their medical practice. The study focused on diabetes educators' perceptions and experiences using the Internet to provide diabetes education and how this educational strategy has influenced their diabetes educator-patient relationships.;Employing both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, the research population of this study involved 41 diabetes educators working in West Virginia. The quantitative research method consisted of a survey with a series of correlational analyses to describe perceptions and use of computer and Internet that diabetes educators employed in their practice. The qualitative case study followed …

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 …

Promoting Self-Directed Learning In Adult Piano Instruction, Rhonda Jane Mizok-Taylor

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

More and more adults are studying music. Because of this, the number of adult method books has been increasing; however, when writing an adult method book, it is important for the author to remember that adults are more capable of independent learning by using their own previous musical experiences to understand new material. They may not wish to be completely dependent on a teacher for every aspect of instruction.;Using questions derived from Malcolm Knowles' book Self-Directed Learning and questions used by Hung-Ling Chen in the dissertation "An Investigation of Self-Directed Learning among Non-Music Major Adult Piano Learners in One-to-One Piano …

Prescribing Safety In Primary Care. Comparing The United Kingdom And Saudi Arabia, Haya S. Zedan, Anthony J. Avery

Saudi Medical Journal

Most consultations in primary care end with a prescription for medication. As a result, the potential for error in prescriptions and the potential harm to patients must be carefully considered and action taken to increase the safety of patients in these situations. Policy makers and health professionals have an obligation to protect public health. This review aims to compare and critically assess the main policies, initiatives, and guidance that have been developed to improve the safety of prescribing in primary care in the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia. The report also suggests particular areas of need that might be addressed …

In Vitro Testing Of Daptomycin Plus Rifampin Against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Resistant To Rifampin, Faisal A. Khasawneh, Deborah S. Ashcraft, George A. Pankey

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To test for synergy between daptomycin (DAP) and rifampin (RIF) against RIF-resistant methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates. METHODS: Synergy testing using time-kill assay (TKA) was performed on 6 clinically, and genetically unique RIF-resistant MRSA isolates. The isolates were identified out of 489 (1.2%) samples collected during April 2003 to August 2006, from patients at the Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America. RESULTS: Synergy testing of DAP plus RIF by TKA showed that 5 isolates were indifferent, but one isolate was antagonistic. CONCLUSION: Our in vitro study failed to demonstrate synergy between DAP plus RIF, …

Hepatitis B And C Knowledge Among Saudi Dental Patients, Nahid Y. Ashri

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To explore Saudi dental patients9 awareness of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections and its knowledge of transmission; and to compare the HBV and HCV knowledge and practices of men and women. METHODS: A pre-tested anonymous self-administered one-page questionnaire consisting of 3 parts with 32 different statements concerning basic knowledge of HBV and HCV, their mode of transmission, risk behaviors, prevention, treatment and immunization were randomly distributed to dental patients at clinics and waiting areas of different governmental and private dental clinics. The study was conducted between 2006 and 2007, in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi …

Spatial Modeling Of Malaria Incidence Rates In Sistan And Baluchistan Province, Islamic Republic Of Iran, Masoud Salehi, Kazem Mohammad, Mahmud M. Farahani, Hojjat Zeraati, Keramat Nourijelyani, Farid Zayeri

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To identify the effect of environmental factors on malaria risk, and to visualize spatial map of malaria standard incidence rates in Sistan and Baluchistan province, Islamic Republic of Iran. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, the data from 42,162 registered new malaria cases from 21 March 2001 (Iranian new year) to 21 of March 2006 were studied. To describe the statistical association between environmental factors and malaria risk, a generalized linear mixed model approach was utilized. In addition, we used the second ordered stationary Kriging, and a variogram to determine the appropriate spatial correlation structure among the malaria standard incidence …

Patients Awareness Of Their Medical Conditions In Multi-Specialty Outpatient Clinics In Saudi Arabia, Saad S. Al-Khowaiter, Abdulaziz M. Al-Maawi, Mamdoh S. Al-Obaidy, Abdulaziz S. Al-Ali, Mohammed O. Al-Rukban, Yasser A. Al-Sedrani, Ayman A. Abdo

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To assess the patients awareness of their medical conditions, identify the factors affecting their awareness, and assess patient9s satisfaction with their doctors explanations of medical conditions. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in October 2005 in the outpatient clinics of King Khalid University Hospital in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. The statistical package for Social Science was used for analysis. RESULTS: Five hundred and one patients were included in the study. The mean age was 45.6 ± 16.8. Fifty-five percent were female and 29% were highly educated. Most of the patients …

Neonatal Screening Of Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency In Khorfakkan, United Arab Emirates, Saad S. Al-Ani, Amin A. Baker, Amal K. Al-Athmani, Bushra J. Al-Jesmi

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

A Comparative Study Of The Etiology Of Adult Mandibular Fractures In The Sultanate Of Oman And South Australia, Ahmed K. Al-Hashmi, Mohammed I. Al-Ismaily, Alastair N. Goss

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Autism Fast Start Checklist, Tina Taylor, Leeann Whiffen

Faculty Publications

This Fast Start Checklist was created to help parents in Utah who are concerned that their child is exhibiting signs of an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It serves as a general guideline for obtaining support through the evaluation and initial treatment process and is not intended to be all-inclusive. Early Intervention and school personnel can guide parents to these resources as they collaborate to determine the best route for serving children who exhibit signs of ASD. Parents should be encouraged to not try to do everything on this list, as they are provided as points to consider. This checklist is …

Decentralized Perimeter Surveillance Using A Team Of Uavs, Randal Beard, David Casbeer, Derek Kingston

Faculty Publications

Sponsorship: NASA, AFOSR. This paper develops a distributed algorithm to maintain a current estimate of the state of the perimeter using a team of UAVs. Using notions of consensus, an algorithm is developed and shown to distribute a UAV team uniformly around the perimeter.

A Comparative Analysis Of Factors Contributing To The Biblical Worldview Among High School Students In The American Association Of Christian Schools Of Georgia, North Carolina, And South Carolina, Michael Hugh Bryant

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This non-experimental quantitative study is a comparative analysis of factors contributing to the biblical worldview of students attending select Christian schools in the states of Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The research design uses non-randomized control groups, an instrument which includes original questions in addition to items from three other instruments, and a Likert-type scale. Results imply that the subjects appear to consistently reflect orthodox doctrine in their responses, if not always in their behavior. The subjects were homogenous in many of their answers even though there were particular questions that evoked a wide disparity of answers. The particular …

The Effect Of School Size On The Utilization Of Educational Technologies, Daniel Nelson Patton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of school size, as defined by student enrollment and by total school budget, on the utilization of educational technologies. The focus group for this investigation was Christian schools that were further delineated by three criteria: (a) membership, (b) scope of program, and (c) geographic location. Membership was schools that were members of the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). Scope of program was schools with comprehensive programs. Geographic location was schools in two ACSI regions. The survey instrument covered 23 categorical questions, several of which contained sub-questions. Survey data including …

Corporate Venture Capital, Disembodied Experimentation And Capability Development, Thomas Keil, Ekko Autio, Gerard George

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Studies invoking a capabilities lens often ascribe deliberateness in organizational decisions to develop new capabilities. Drawing on five longitudinal case studies of large, global firms in the information and communication technology sector, we examine how firms engender cognizance of their future capability needs in situations characterized by high decision-making uncertainty. We develop a theoretical account of how firms use investments in start-ups to actively engage in experimentation outside organizational boundaries, a learning process which we term as disembodied experimentation. Disembodied experimentation creates awareness of voids in the capability base of an incumbent and helps to overcome inertial restraints thereby influencing …

Corporate Confessions, Brandon L. Garrett

Cardozo Law Review

In corporate crime investigations, when prosecutors pursue charges against both employees and corporations, confessions raise several novel questions without clear answers in constitutional criminal procedure. First, corporations confess. The firm, a target of a criminal investigation, may itself admit to crimes by employees as part of a settlement agreement with prosecutors. While useful to study in their impact and form, as a constitutional matter such confessions can not be coerced, the Supreme Court has adopted a "collective entity rule" that corporate persons may not invoke Fifth Amendment privilege. Second, before itself confessing, the firm may encourage employees to provide statements …

Toward Ethical Plea Bargaining, Erica Hashimoto

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

New Product Development (Npd) Process In Subsidiary: Information Perspectives, Firmanzah Firmanzah

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

Information is an important resource for new product development (NPD) process in subsidiary. However, we still lack of research to analyze NPD process from information perspective in subsidiary context. This research is an exploratory research and it exploited 8 cases of NPD process in consumer goods subsidiaries operating in Indonesian market. Three types of information have been identified and analyzed NPD process; global, regional and local information. The result of this research reveals that new product will be resulted is determined by the type of information used. This research reveals four new product typology using information types. The semi-structured interview …

Soil Moisture Responses In Traditional And Drought Adapted Landscapes In The Intermountain West, James Gregory

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Water conservation in the Intermountain West will be an important issue in the future as population and demand for limited water resources increases. In Utah, outdoor water use accounts for up to 60% of total per capita water use with 67% of that outdoor water being used to irrigate non native plant species to maintain a uniform green appearance. The objective of this study was to measure intra landscape changes in soil water potential during a 21.5 day dry down from DOY 215 to 236.5 in the summer of 2005 and 2006. Four, 2 x 2 replicated traditional and drought …

Evaluation Of Competition Between Turfgrass And Trees In The Landscape, Christopher A. Hendrickson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Population growth in regions of the Intermountain West has resulted in rapid growth of residential neighborhoods. In Utah, the landscapes associated with these expanding neighborhoods consume vast quantities of treated water. This is a concern in all states of the Intermountain West, as water becomes increasingly scarce. Traditionally used turfgrasses, trees and other plants in Intermountain West landscapes require significant amounts of supplemental water considering the intense sunlight, dry winds and sparse rainfall typical of the region. Characterizing the interactions between turfgrass and tree species in these landscapes can aid in the identification of candidate species that consume less nutritional …

The Myth And The Reality Of American Constitutional Exceptionalism, Stephen Gardbaum

Michigan Law Review

This Article critically evaluates the widely held view inside and outside the United States that American constitutional rights jurisprudence is exceptional. There are two dimensions to this perceived American exceptionalism: the content and the structure of constitutional rights. On content, the claim focuses mainly on the age, brevity, and terseness of the text and on the unusually high value attributed to free speech. On structure, the claim is primarily threefold. First, the United States has a more categorical conception of constitutional rights than other countries. Second, the United States has an exceptionally sharp public/private division in the scope of constitutional …

Into The Great Wide Open: The West-German Modernist Bungalow Of The 1960s As A Psycho-Political Re-Creation Of Home, Carola Ebert

RIT Digital Archives

It was in the late the 1950s—on the brink of a prospering, forward-looking era after the re-building of destroyed cities—that the term ‘Bungalow’ arrived in West-Germany, where it took on specific cultural connotations that differ from those in the Anglo-American world. Paradoxically, in Germany the term itself is understood in reference to this world until today, even if the West- German bungalow differs greatly in its architecture. The West-German bungalow marks the intersection of two global phenomena: bungalow culture and modern architecture. Its cultural significance however, can only be understood in relation to the particulars of German history. I will …

The Martian Rose (2007): Exposing A Rose To The Martian Environment, Laura Cinti, Howard Boland

RIT Digital Archives

Our cultural concept of Mars has historically been entrenched with its possibilities of life since Percival Lowell gazed at Giovanni Schiaparelli’s canali over a century ago. Perhaps a small misinterpretation of language, an optical illusion, or the dream of an optimist, unlocked the myth of a war torn planet where unrivalled irrigation skills implied markings of intelligent creatures (Lowell, 1909). With new discoveries and the development of technological tools, Mars has become reduced from inhabiting man-like creatures to worms, plants and gradually only the potentiality of microbes. Indeed, many scientists shared this disappointment as the Mariner orbiters first laid their …

Dilemmas And Practices, Trish Bould, Kathy Oldridge

RIT Digital Archives

What can be revealed if we open a process which is normally closed to view, exposing it to vulnerabilities and misinterpretation? To investigate the notion of hidden spaces we decided to treat the development of an abstract as a practical collaborative drawing project. Our aim was to use drawing as the site of an active research project and look at the relationship between processes of thinking and the state of drawing [Image 1]. Within this methodology it was our intention to use drawing as a process in which concepts are formed, where an idea is in constant flux, in a …

Constituent Order And Participant Reference In Dolnia Hani Narrative Discourse, Karen L. Gainer

Theses and Dissertations

Hani is a language in the Loloish family, spoken primarily in Yunnan Province of southwest China. This thesis presents a description of constituent order and participant reference in written Hani narrative discourse. The primary data source for this thesis consists of three narratives, which are included in the appendices.

Constituent order in Hani is largely constrained by the principle of natural information flow. In order to conform to this principle, some constituents may appear in two or more different positions in the clause, depending on the information structure of the assertion being made. Information structure also influences the use and …

Verbal Tone In Mpyemo, Bradley D. Festen

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes the tonal patterns and alternations present in the Mpyemo language (Bantu A.86c – ISO code mcx), with special attention to the verbal system. Rules and autosegmental representations are used to clarify and provide a formal analysis. A tone raising rule causes the underlying two-tone system to display three phonetic levels at the surface. This thesis explores nominalized verbs and verbs in the imperative. In addition, inflected verbs are described, although only a limited set of inflectional morphemes are treated. Thus, I look at verbs with inflectional prefixes for subject agreement, the perfect, and a single verbal auxiliary …

Subordination, Grounding And The Packaging Of Information In Gojri, Kara Suzanne Fast

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is based on a collection of narratives told by Gujar women in northern Pakistan. It majors on the structure of subordinate clauses, the discourse functions of relative clauses and conjunctive participial clauses, and the function of the most common connectives: tɛ, fir, bas and ǰī.

The position of the relative pronoun indicates whether a relative clause is referring to an activated or a new participant. Relative clauses that appear superfluous indicate that the referent has a significant role to play in the subsequent discourse.

Conjunctive participial clauses may convey information of the same storyline status …

The Fit For And Interest In A Proposed Doctoral Program In Business Administration By Retirement-Eligible Military Commanders, Anthony B. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

From 1954 to 2003, a rapid expansion of colleges and universities offering doctoral degrees in Business Administration has occurred. This considerable growth, coupled with increasing business school faculty member retirements, have led to a national shortage of academically-qualified faculty members. This study was conducted to determine if retirement-eligible Air Force commanders would be a good fit for and interested in a proposed doctoral program in Business Administration. This proposed Doctor of Business Administration concept program was designed to enable these commanders to accept a faculty position in a school of business while completing their doctoral degree. This is accomplished through …

The Professional Development Of Teachers For International Contexts: A Case Study Of Concordia Language Villages' Study Abroad Programs, Michelle L. Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

In the face of globalization, educational institutions the world over have developed institutional learning outcomes that seek to graduate students who are culturally competent. To accomplish this goal, colleges and schools must have a faculty who is prepared to facilitate student growth in this regard or provide the faculty with professional development opportunities to achieve that end.

Concordia Language Villages, an intensive language and culture education program sponsored by Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, is intentional in its mission to prepare young people for responsible citizenship and has professional development opportunities available to personnel in their programs and educators; however, …