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2009

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A Partial Discharge Measurement Technique For Applied Square Pulse Voltage With 50 Ns Rise Times, Clayborne Dudley Taylor Dec 2009

A Partial Discharge Measurement Technique For Applied Square Pulse Voltage With 50 Ns Rise Times, Clayborne Dudley Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

During the fabrication of solid electrical insulation, small cavities known as micro voids may form in the material. As electrical stress increases in this micro void, the breakdown probability also increases. This type of electrical breakdown is commonly known as partial discharge. Magnitudes of partial discharge currents are typically small but enough to cause degradation of the electrical insulation. To study degradation for fast-rise time voltage square pulse train, partial discharge measurement is needed. In current studies, partial discharge pulse widths have been measured in the range of nanoseconds. The best approach for measurement at ultra wide band frequencies is …

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The Bg News December 11, 2009, Bowling Green State University Dec 2009

The Bg News December 11, 2009, Bowling Green State University

BG News (Student Newspaper)

The BGSU campus student newspaper. December 11, 2009. Volume 100-Issue 73.

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Incorporating Multiresolution Analysis With Multiclassifiers And Decision Fusion For Hyperspectral Remote Sensing, Terrance Roshad West Dec 2009

Incorporating Multiresolution Analysis With Multiclassifiers And Decision Fusion For Hyperspectral Remote Sensing, Terrance Roshad West

Theses and Dissertations

The ongoing development and increased affordability of hyperspectral sensors are increasing their utilization in a variety of applications, such as agricultural monitoring and decision making. Hyperspectral Automated Target Recognition (ATR) systems typically rely heavily on dimensionality reduction methods, and particularly intelligent reduction methods referred to as feature extraction techniques. This dissertation reports on the development, implementation, and testing of new hyperspectral analysis techniques for ATR systems, including their use in agricultural applications where ground truthed observations available for training the ATR system are typically very limited. This dissertation reports the design of effective methods for grouping and down-selecting Discrete Wavelet …

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The Effectiveness Of Distance Education For Computer Application Software Instruction Versus The Cost Of Development And Implementation, Martha Anne Brock Dec 2009

The Effectiveness Of Distance Education For Computer Application Software Instruction Versus The Cost Of Development And Implementation, Martha Anne Brock

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if various types of distance education formats would be suitable for conducting a training course for a computer application. The study sought to determine if a face-toace format, interactive video format, minimally interactive online format or highly interactive and multimedia rich online format produced similar results in student performance in a training course for a computer application. The secondary purpose of this study was to determine if the increased cost of development of a highly interactive and multimedia rich online format was justified based on observed differences in student achievement in …

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The Effects Of Functional Behavior Assessment Teacher Training And Performance Feedback: Knowledge, Accuracy, And Acceptability And Their Ability To Accurately Complete Fba Procedures, Laquanta Watson Stewart Dec 2009

The Effects Of Functional Behavior Assessment Teacher Training And Performance Feedback: Knowledge, Accuracy, And Acceptability And Their Ability To Accurately Complete Fba Procedures, Laquanta Watson Stewart

Theses and Dissertations

Functional behavior assessment refers to the broad range of behavioral assessment methods used to identify or clarify the purpose or maintaining contingencies of problem behavior in order to design and implement function-based interventions designed to reduce the occurrence of the problem behavior and teach appropriate replacement skills. FBAs are required in the educational setting for students whose problem behavior is displayed to such a significant level that their learning or the learning of their peers is impacted. As such, previous researchers have conducted trainings on FBA for school-based personnel using a wide variety of methods. Unfortunately, the findings of these …

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The Importance Of Soft Skills In The Workplace As Perceived By Community College Instructors And Industries, Laura Suzanne Tribble Dec 2009

The Importance Of Soft Skills In The Workplace As Perceived By Community College Instructors And Industries, Laura Suzanne Tribble

Theses and Dissertations

Soft skills include communication skills, problem-solving skills, conflict resolution, working well with other people, and ensuring customer satisfaction. Employers need employees who have adequate technical skills but who also have soft skills. There is limited information about the perceptions of which soft skills are needed in the workplace. This study attempted to close the gap in the literature concerning the perceptions of instructors and employers in the area of soft skills in the workplace. For this study, the Soft Skills Survey for Instructors and Employers was used to gather the perceptions of information technology instructors and employers in five community …

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The Role Of Cattle And Gulf Coast Ticks (Amblyomma Maculatum) In The Epidemiology Of Rickettsia Parkeri Infection, Kristine T. Edwards Dec 2009

The Role Of Cattle And Gulf Coast Ticks (Amblyomma Maculatum) In The Epidemiology Of Rickettsia Parkeri Infection, Kristine T. Edwards

Theses and Dissertations

I hypothesized cattle and Gulf Coast ticks (GCT), Amblyomma maculatum, may be involved in epidemiology of Rickettsia parkeri infection. I demonstrated transient rickettsemia by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the 17 kilodalton (kDa) gene in 33% (2/6) of calves experimentally exposed to R. parkeri either by direct inoculation or by placement of R. parkeri-infected GCT on calves’ ears. Calves (4/4) receiving GCT developed lesions at attachment sites consistent with a pathologic condition known as “gotch” ear whether or not GCT were infected with R. parkeri, suggesting the condition is related to GCT attachment and not to rickettsial infection. In calves …

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Social Networking Systems Success Model: Assessment And Validation Of The Is Success Model In Social Context, Aaron Michael French Dec 2009

Social Networking Systems Success Model: Assessment And Validation Of The Is Success Model In Social Context, Aaron Michael French

Theses and Dissertations

Developments such as the ubiquity of electronic networks and the breadth of digital platforms beyond simple forums have lead to major economic and social transformations worldwide (Agarwal et al, 2008). This research will explore developments in the area of social networking using Internet technology in order to determine factors that lead to success. Despite considerable growth among the number of online communities available, very few are successful at retaining members and continued usage by its members (Ma & Agarwal, 2007). The purpose of this dissertation is to determine factors leading to a successful social networking site (SNS). Through the unification …

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Pathogen Entrance And Development Of Disease During Infection Of The American Channel Catfish Ictalurus Punctatus By The Enterobacterium Edwardsiella Ictaluri, Simon Menanteau-Ledouble Dec 2009

Pathogen Entrance And Development Of Disease During Infection Of The American Channel Catfish Ictalurus Punctatus By The Enterobacterium Edwardsiella Ictaluri, Simon Menanteau-Ledouble

Theses and Dissertations

Since being first reported in the late 1980ies, the Enterobacterium Edwardsiella ictaluri has rose in prevalence to become one of the two most damaging pathogens affecting the channel catfish industry. Despite this significance of the pathogen, understanding of the development of the disease, especially its route of entry into the host and the earlier stages of the infection, is still incomplete. A series of challenges were conducted using bioluminescent E. ictaluri either by infecting fish through immersion or topical application of the bacteria directly on the intact or abraded epithelium. This showed that abraded fish developed septicemia and died faster …

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Perceptions Of Motivation And Job Satisfaction For Information Technology Professionals At Institutions Of Higher Learning In Mississippi, Leann Mills Markham Dec 2009

Perceptions Of Motivation And Job Satisfaction For Information Technology Professionals At Institutions Of Higher Learning In Mississippi, Leann Mills Markham

Theses and Dissertations

Information technology is an ever evolving field that has become a mainstay in today’s society, especially in higher education. The employees who maintain the information technology (IT) infrastructure and systems at educational institutions are tasked with similar jobs as their equivalents in the private sector; however, these employees are faced with unique difficulties. A lower salary range, less benefits, and less technological variety are typical characteristics in a higher education setting for IT employees as compared to private industry. Faced with these circumstances, IT employees continue to perform their duties and ensure the institution is functioning on a daily basis. …

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Perceptions Of School From Students In A Rural School Environment, Helen Ruth Patton Kennard Dec 2009

Perceptions Of School From Students In A Rural School Environment, Helen Ruth Patton Kennard

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the perceptions of school from students of differing ages, genders, ethnic groups, and grade levels in a rural school environment. The ages were divided into four categories: 11–12 years of age, 13–14 years of age, 15–16 years of age, and 17–19 years of age. The ethnic groups in the school population were African Americans and Caucasians. The different grade levels were 7th through 12th. Wilson and Corbett (1999), in the Report for the Philadelphia Education Fund, “No Excuses”: The Eighth Grade Year in Six Philadelphia Middle Schools, discussed students’ views of what they want their teachers to …

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Dynamic Message Sign And Diversion Traffic Optimization, Jizhan Gou Dec 2009

Dynamic Message Sign And Diversion Traffic Optimization, Jizhan Gou

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation proposes a Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) diversion control system based on principles of existing Advanced Traveler Information Systems and Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS). The objective of the proposed system is to alleviate total corridor traffic delay by choosing optimized diversion rate and alternative road signal-timing plan. The DMS displays adaptive messages at predefined time interval for guiding certain number of drivers to alternative roads. Messages to be displayed on the DMS are chosen by an on-line optimization model that minimizes corridor traffic delay. The expected diversion rate is assumed following a distribution. An optimization model that considers …

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Current Sharing To Minimize Power Losses In Parallel Converters Using Pso, Dan Li Dec 2009

Current Sharing To Minimize Power Losses In Parallel Converters Using Pso, Dan Li

Theses and Dissertations

The Power Electronic Building Block (PEBB) concept leads to multifunctional converter systems, which provide robustness and flexibility in heavily power electronics based power systems. Systems comprised of flexible modular converters may have multiple possible operation conditions with respect to individual converters that meet the overall system goals. In this thesis, an optimization method for such flexible online power electronic systems is developed to minimize power losses of the overall group of converters in the system. Here the objective is to allocate sharing such that compensation objectives are met while the power loss of the entire parallel group of compensators is …

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Effects Of River Discharge And Marine Environmental Factors On The Brown Shrimp Fishery In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Adam George Pollack Dec 2009

Effects Of River Discharge And Marine Environmental Factors On The Brown Shrimp Fishery In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Adam George Pollack

Theses and Dissertations

Regression analyses and delta-lognormal models were used to investigate whether river discharge and environmental variables significantly affected relative abundance of brown shrimp, Farfantepenaeus aztecus, in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Significant negative relationships were found between mean river flow during winter and spring months and catch rates (CPUE) off Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi/Alabama. However, during the same months significant positive relationships between CPUE and the variation in mean river discharge were found for each state. In Texas and Louisiana, delta-lognormal models revealed depth zone was the most significant variable (P≤0.001) in describing distribution, while time of day (P≤0.001) was most …

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Efforts Toward Understanding Dietary Components And The Reproductive Behaviors And Limitations Of The Giant Panda (Ailuropoda Melanoleuca), Erin Donivan Trueblood Dec 2009

Efforts Toward Understanding Dietary Components And The Reproductive Behaviors And Limitations Of The Giant Panda (Ailuropoda Melanoleuca), Erin Donivan Trueblood

Theses and Dissertations

Preservation of giant pandas, Ailuropoda melanoleuca, is a worldwide concern. This study was designed to examine dietary and reproductive challenges associated with panda management. Phytoestrogens are natural plant compounds that mimic estrogen and often negatively impact mammalian reproduction. Phytoestrogens in bamboo, the panda’s primary food source, is unknown. Here, estrogen radioimmuno- and receptor-binding assays revealed estrogenic activity in three species of Phyllostachys bamboo. These results present indirect evidence of phytoestrogenic mimics in bamboo, but their relevance is still unknown. Studies were also conducted to observe panda reproductive behaviors in an attempt to augment the use of an artificial vagina (AV) …

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A Study On The Progress Toward Implementation Of Learning-Centered Approaches At A Large Urban Community College, Carmen Hawkins Walters Dec 2009

A Study On The Progress Toward Implementation Of Learning-Centered Approaches At A Large Urban Community College, Carmen Hawkins Walters

Theses and Dissertations

Faculty facing challenges of teaching students in a post-Katrina environment used learning-centered approaches to restore educational opportunities to its populations of hurricane-displaced students, the growing population of Hispanic students, and the business community. The study sought to determine if the faculty members had made progress toward implementing learning-centered activities and strategies into the classroom after attending seminars and workshops that covered the learning-centered principles. Additionally, the research sought to determine if there were differences among academic disciplines in the implementation of the learning-centered principles in the classroom at the college. The study used quantitative research methods. To collect the quantitative …

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Advancements In Power System Monitoring And Inter-Operability, Vinoth Mohan Mohan Dec 2009

Advancements In Power System Monitoring And Inter-Operability, Vinoth Mohan Mohan

Theses and Dissertations

In a typical utility control center, there could be hundreds of applications running to take care of day-to-day functionality. In many cases, these applications are custom-built by different vendors. With the expectation for high reliability of the electric power grid, many utilities are increasingly moving towards sharing data with each other and with security coordinators. But this data exchange is hampered by incompatible electrical applications built on proprietary data formats and file systems. Electric Power Research Institute's (EPRI‟s) Common Information Model (CIM) was envisioned as a one-sizeits-all data model to remove incompatibility between applications. This research work utilizes the CIM …

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An Examination Of Crisis Preparedness At Christian-Affiliated Institutions Of Higher Education, Stacy M. Burrell Dec 2009

An Examination Of Crisis Preparedness At Christian-Affiliated Institutions Of Higher Education, Stacy M. Burrell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine crisis preparedness at Christian-affiliated institutions of higher education. Second, this study examined Christian-affiliated institutions of higher education presidents’ perspective of their institution’s ability to prepare for crises based upon the four critical indicators of organizational crisis preparedness as described by Zdziarski (2001): a) the types of crisis institutions prepare for, b) the phase of crisis prepared for, c) the systems in place to respond to crisis, and d) the stakeholders involved and considered in preparations. Implications from this study provided recommendations for crisis preparedness that are specific to Christian-affiliated colleges and universities. …

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An Investigation Of A Rural Community College Meeting The Needs Of Nontraditional Students, Kishki Hall Dec 2009

An Investigation Of A Rural Community College Meeting The Needs Of Nontraditional Students, Kishki Hall

Theses and Dissertations

This study’s general purpose was to examine nontraditional students’ satisfaction with services provided by community colleges. A survey was administered to 81 Coahoma Community College students who identified themselves as nontraditional students. The Nontraditional Students’ Satisfaction survey was designed to examine the needs and satisfaction of nontraditional students. The nontraditional students at Coahoma Community College deemed getting information on financial aid opportunities, studying and test taking, computers and Internet use, job opportunities in their majors and academic tutoring as most important. The nontraditional students at Coahoma Community College deemed getting information on campus events and/or campus job opportunities as least …

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Attitudes Of Female Faculty Toward The Use Of Computer Technologies And The Barriers That Limit Their Use Of Technologies In Girls' Colleges In Saudi Arabia, Taghreed Abdulaziz Almuqayteeb Dec 2009

Attitudes Of Female Faculty Toward The Use Of Computer Technologies And The Barriers That Limit Their Use Of Technologies In Girls' Colleges In Saudi Arabia, Taghreed Abdulaziz Almuqayteeb

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine female faculty members’ use of computer technologies, their attitudes toward computers, the factors that best predict their attitudes toward computers, and the barriers that limit their use of computer technologies in girls’ colleges in Dammam and Jubail, Saudi Arabia. Also, this study examined how female faculty members’ attitudes and use of computer technologies differ according to their demographic characteristics. 206 female faculty members participated in this study, and only 197 usable questionnaires were analyzed and used in this study. Descriptive statistics, a one-way ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis were conducted to analyze …

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Waterfowl Foods And Use In Managed Grain Sorghum And Other Habitats In The Mississippi Alluvial Valley, Alicia Joy Wiseman Dec 2009

Waterfowl Foods And Use In Managed Grain Sorghum And Other Habitats In The Mississippi Alluvial Valley, Alicia Joy Wiseman

Theses and Dissertations

Grain sorghum provides energy-rich seeds for waterfowl. I conducted experiments in 22 sorghum fields in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana during falls 2006 – 2007 to evaluate abundance of ratoon grain (i.e., second crop after harvest), waste grain, and natural seeds. I also conducted surveys of wintering waterfowl in flooded croplands and moist-soil wetlands to evaluate if ducks and geese differentially used habitats. Fertilized plots in 2007 produced >4 times more ratoon grain (x = 219.57 ± 39.65 [SE] kg/ha) than other treatments. Fertilized plots in southern regions of my study area produced ~5 times more ratoon grain (x = 262.93 …

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Techniques To Aid In Switchgrass Establishment From Seed, Jason Brett Rushing Dec 2009

Techniques To Aid In Switchgrass Establishment From Seed, Jason Brett Rushing

Theses and Dissertations

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is a native warm-season grass where weed control during establishment is a limiting factor for stand. Objectives of this research are to develop a herbicide resistant cultivar and to test a variety of seed safeners to improve first year growth. Phenotypic recurrent selection (PRS) was used to select ‘Alamo’ switchgrass seedlings that showed resistance to imazapic herbicide at 245 g a.i./ha. Initial screenings of 364, 650 seedlings resulted in 63 survivors, a selection intensity of 0.0172%. Subsequent testing of the next generation of seedlings indicated that multiple generations of selection were needed in order to transfer greater …

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In Vivo And In Vitro Nutrient Balance And Assessment Of Pcr And Biophotonics As Techniques For Evaluating Ruminal Bacteria, Adam I. Orr Dec 2009

In Vivo And In Vitro Nutrient Balance And Assessment Of Pcr And Biophotonics As Techniques For Evaluating Ruminal Bacteria, Adam I. Orr

Theses and Dissertations

To better understand the facets of nutrient utilization, a series of in vivo and in vitro studies were undertaken to elucidate the effect of supplementation on utilization of moderate-quality bermudagrass hay and to identify mechanisms to evaluate the role of rumen bacterial populations on feedstuff utilization. A digestion trial was conducted using 6 ruminally cannulated steers receiving bermudagrass hay supplemented with soybean hulls (HULLS), cracked corn (CORN), or soybean hulls and cracked corn (MIX; 75% and 25%, respectively) in a 3x3 Latin Rectangle arrangement. Additionally, ruminal fluid was continuously cultured using the BioFlo® 110 fermentation system to evaluate the in …

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Incentives For Poultry Integrators To Contract Bio-Secure Producers And Implication For Government Indemnification Program, Yichen Zhang Dec 2009

Incentives For Poultry Integrators To Contract Bio-Secure Producers And Implication For Government Indemnification Program, Yichen Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

These recent events of H1N1 flu outbreak illustrate the potential ramifications of infectious diseases on modern society and how society responds to these threats. This thesis addresses the specific case of avian influenza in U.S. poultry production. By building an expected utility maximization model for integrators contracting with growers of varying bio-secure levels, one can investigate the relationship between the bio-secure choice of the poultry industry and their production performance. The model is empiricized using the Phoon, Quek, and Huang (PQH) simulation technique to conduct numerical analysis. The model selects the optimal percentage of bio-secure farms for the integrators to …

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Long-Term Benefits Of Head Start: Evidence From The Panel Study Of Income Dynamics, Matthew Terrill Alford Dec 2009

Long-Term Benefits Of Head Start: Evidence From The Panel Study Of Income Dynamics, Matthew Terrill Alford

Theses and Dissertations

Cross-sectional and geographical data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics were combined with school-district level data from the Census Bureau’s F-33 Survey of Local Government. Use of this unique dataset, allows for the examination of the longterm effects of preschool participation while controlling for the quality of schooling encountered post-program. Former Head Start participants report better health status than individuals with no preschool experience or experience in preschools other than Head Start. Individuals who attended these other preschools outperformed the Head Start group when it came to high school graduation and overall educational attainment. No differences were detected in …

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Flathead Catfish Stock Characteristics In The Pascagoula River Following Hurricane Katrina, Russell M. Barabe Dec 2009

Flathead Catfish Stock Characteristics In The Pascagoula River Following Hurricane Katrina, Russell M. Barabe

Theses and Dissertations

Flathead catfish stocks in the Pascagoula River were decimated by the passage of Hurricane Katrina. Age-0 fish survived the storm, producing a strong 2005 year-class. Reproduction by the remaining adults and/or downstream movement from tributaries produced an additional strong cohort in 2006. The strong 2005 year-class resulted in the capture of a high proportion of two-year-old fish in 2007. In 2008, a high proportion of two- and three-year-old fish were captured, illustrating the high rate of survival of the 2005 year-class, and the presence of a strong 2006 year-class. The flathead catfish population of the Pascagoula River was dominated by …

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Factors And Perceptions That Affect Enrollment In Career And Technical Education Programs In Rural East Central Mississippi, Aimee Chandler Brown Dec 2009

Factors And Perceptions That Affect Enrollment In Career And Technical Education Programs In Rural East Central Mississippi, Aimee Chandler Brown

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the factors and perceptions that affect enrollment in career and technical education (CTE) programs in rural East Central Mississippi. Specifically, the study had four key purposes. First, the academic grades of CTE students and non-CTE students were examined to determine whether academic grades differ significantly between the CTE enrollers and non-CTE enrollers. Secondly, the study determined the perceptions that students in rural East Central Mississippi have toward CTE programs. Next, the study examined the internal and external factors that cause students to enroll or not enroll in a CTE program. Finally, …

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A Cross Cultural Validation Of Perceptions And Use Of Social Network Service: An Exploratory Study, Chengqi Guo Dec 2009

A Cross Cultural Validation Of Perceptions And Use Of Social Network Service: An Exploratory Study, Chengqi Guo

Theses and Dissertations

The rapid developments Social Network Service (SNS) have offered opportunities to re-visit many seminal theoretical assumptions of technology usage within socio-technical environment. Online social network is a rapidly growing field that imposes new questions to the existing IS research paradigm. It is argued that information systems research must necessarily evolve in response to the emerging trends (Lyytinen and King, 2004). Specifically, one stream of research has been heavily lacking is SNS usage prediction (Hargittai, 2007). In SNS, the form of social network is realized by computing networks where the individual assumes an identity of an “avatar”. People are merging their …

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Labrat™: Miniature Robot For Students, Researchers, And Hobbyists, Paul Robinette, Ryan Meuth, Ryanne Dolan, Donald C. Wunsch Dec 2009

Labrat™: Miniature Robot For Students, Researchers, And Hobbyists, Paul Robinette, Ryan Meuth, Ryanne Dolan, Donald C. Wunsch

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

LabRat™ is an autonomous, self-contained mobile robot kit with batteries, motors, two bumper whisker sensors, and three infrared proximity sensors that double as channels for "Rat-to-Rat" communication. the vehicle determines its position with an optical sensor that detects movement in both lateral directions. the LabRat™ design is completely open source, including software examples and libraries. LabRat™ is designed to fit inside the body of a computer mouse and has applications in the classroom, the lab and the home. the device has been successfully used in an undergraduate robotics class. © 2009 IEEE.

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2009-12-10 Unm News Minute, University Of New Mexico Communication And Marketing Department Dec 2009

2009-12-10 Unm News Minute, University Of New Mexico Communication And Marketing Department

UNM News Minute 2009

No abstract provided.

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