Digital Commons Network^™

Optimization Of A Strapdown Inertial Navigation System, Mario Ruiz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The focus of this Thesis is to find 21 error parameters in a Strapdown Inertial Navigation System (SINS) that would minimize objective functions or error functions to increase accuracy utilizing an optimization algorithm. The algorithm used is goal attainment by Gembiki which is a multi-objective optimization algorithm proven to outperform other optimization methods in terms of efficiency and accuracy over large numbers of problems. Simulations of a noise-free SINS mounted on an aircraft were done in a stationary and on the move scenario to simulate two conditions in which alignment could become necessary. The error parameters to find were sensor …

In Defense Of The Value Of Visual Arts In Public Education:An Examination Of Scholarly Arguments For Functionary Pedagogy And Intrinsic Fulfillment, Monica Lynn Seymore

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A descriptive study sought to find answers to an ongoing dichotomous argument about Visual Arts education in public schools: should Visual Arts function in support of core academic courses or should Visual Arts be taught primarily for their intrinsic value? Multiple sources as well as personal experience teaching art have influenced and contributed to resultant opinion in this study . Two main arguments clarified in detail and delineated in points of their disparate issues, function to defend visual arts in public schools. Conclusion maintain that arguments and support of the intrinsic values students experience through visual arts.

Multiplicative Riesz Decomposition On The Ring Of Matrices Over A Totally Ordered Field, Julio Cesar Urenda

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Riesz Decomposition Theorem for lattice ordered groups asserts that when G is an l-group and when a nonnegative element a is bounded by a product of nonnegative elements b1,...,bn, then a can be decomposed into a product of nonnegative elements b'1,...,b'n, i.e., a = b'1·...·b' n, with the property that b'i ≤ bi for any i = 1,...,n. In this work we characterize all nonnegative matrices for which this decomposition is possible with respect to matrix multiplication. In addition, we show that this result can be applied to ordered semigroups.

Understanding Deviant Behaviors Through Coercion And Social Support Theory, Maria Nicte-Ha Uribe

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Mark Colvin, Francis T. Cullen and Thomas Vander Ven (2002) developed an integrated theory of crime called "coercion, social support, and crime" which hypothesizes that coercion and social support are inversely related and that these variables have direct effects on criminal and deviant behavior as well as a combined effect. Specifically if an imbalance between coercion and social support exists, crime is more likely to occur because coercion induces weak social bonds and low self control thereby increasing crime. On the other hand, social support prevents criminal involvement through organized networks of human relations that assist people in meeting their …

Using Chromium Stable Isotopes To Monitor Chromium Reactive Transport: Oxidation Experiments And Field Studies, Alejandro Villalobos Aragon

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Chromium (Cr) is a common contaminant found at a number of sites globally. Cr sources can be either anthropogenic or natural. Cr occurs in nature in two valences, with Cr(VI) being carcinogenic, more toxic and mobile than Cr(III). Reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) is a common remediation strategy, but monitoring Cr reduction using only concentration and speciation analyses is a difficult endeavor because concentrations can be affected by dilution and advection in addition to reduction. Cr isotopes are fractionated during reduction processes, so monitoring isotopic changes in Cr may be a faster and more effective way to monitor reduction. This …

Laminar Burning Velocities Of Gas Mixtures, Vishwanath Reddy Ardha

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In this study, burning velocities of hydrogen-carbon monoxide (H2-CO) mixtures, which are primary constituents of syngas fuels, are measured. The effect of different burner systems, H2 concentration, and different measurement techniques on the burning velocities of H2-CO mixtures is also discussed. The burning velocities of H2-CO mixtures increase with the increase in H2 content in the mixture. When compared with different burner systems using different methods, the burning velocity data almost coincide in the lean condition, but at rich condition the data stray away from each other. The burning velocities of actual syngas compositions (based on different sources of coal) …

Real-Time Image-Based Motion Detection Using Color And Structure, Manali Chakraborty

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Motion detection is an important problem in computer vision and has multiple applications in the real world, including surveillance-related activities, gaming, and human-robot interactions. These systems need to be robust enough to handle fluctuations in light intensity and other external factors like noise and compression artifacts. In this thesis a method is proposed for detecting the regions of motion from a video sequence in real time. The main idea of this work is to detect motion based on both structure and color. Structure-based detection is carried out using information from the Census Transform computed on gradient images obtained with Sobel …

Introduction To Pseudo-Ordered Groups, Maria Dolores Cruz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

We will give a definition, examples and basic properties of pseudo-ordered groups. These generalize partially-ordered groups. The pseudo-ordered groups have a compatible pseudo-order relation that may lack transitivity. Unlike partially-ordered groups, our groups can be finite and still admit a non-trivial pseudo-order. We will show necessary and sufficient conditions for a group to have a compatible pseudo-order. We also consider maximal pseudo-orders. We give a definition of a pseudo chain induced by a pseudo-order and characterize all pseudo chains on the group $\mathbb {Z}_{n}.$ We will calculate the number of non-isomorphic pseudo-orders on $\mathbb {Z}_{n}$ for $ n < 24.$

The Association Of Dust Events With Asthma Exacerbation In The U.S.-Mexico Border Children: A Pilot Study, Monika Gaytan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background. Asthma is one of the most prevalent chronic pediatric illnesses in the U.S. and a major cause of childhood disability, hospitalization, and missed schooldays. Air pollution is one of a number of known environmental triggers known to exacerbate pediatric asthma. Emerging evidence also suggests that exposure to dust aerosols associated with dust storm events may trigger asthmatic symptoms. The Paso del Norte (PDN) region is the single most dust-prone major metropolitan area in the U.S., averaging 14.5 major dust events/yr. The annual peak in dust event activity occurs during March to May where there is a 42% chance of …

Percy Grainger And Ralph Vaughan Williams: A Comparative Study Of English Folk-Song Settings For Wind Band, Shawna Meggan Holtz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This thesis provides a comparison and study of English folk music collected by composers Percy Grainger and Ralph Vaughan Williams in the early twentieth century. Individuals who played a key role in beginning the folk music collecting movement are discussed, as well as the Folk Song Society's position in regulating and organizing folk-song collecting. A brief biography on Grainger is provided, along with his methods of collecting and setting folk-songs, and his ideas and processes on "free music." Chapters on Ralph Vaughan Williams follow, exploring his folk-song collecting and settings for the church. Grainger and Vaughan Williams' most well-known band …

Microstructural Characterization Of Overaged Gtd-111 Hp Turbine Buckets, Oscar Quintero

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Superalloys are metallic materials that exhibit excellent mechanical strength and creep resistance at high temperatures. They have good surface stability and are corrosion resistant. Superalloys are mostly used in the aerospace industry, gas turbine engines and blades (hot zones of gas turbines), and where extreme heat is encountered. The focus of this research was on the GTD-111 Ni-base superalloy, which is a General Electric (GE) proprietary superalloy mostly used in gas turbine blades with the form of high pressure or first stage buckets. This alloys features better mechanical properties, creep resistance, and a higher stress rupture temperature than the commonly …

Hip Hop Rhetoric: Relandscaping The Rhetorical Tradition, Roberto Jose Tinajero Ii

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation is a rhetorical analysis of hip hop music and culture. Chapter 1 focuses on adding hip hop rhetoric to the discussion and terrain of rhetoric and writing studies and to the rhetorical tradition. Chapter 2 uses the rhetorical notion of kairos to discuss the ethos of hip hop culture and discourse. Chapter 3 uses hip hop rhetoric to discuss the tensuous-solidarity between Latinos and African Americans. Chapter 4 focuses on Latino/Borderland Hip Hop and discusses the multi-consciousness of Latino identity. Chapter 5 focuses on Christiian religious imagery in gangsta rap music. There is also a short conclusion.

Survey Research On Communication And Language For English Language Learners And Native English Speakers Enrolled In A College Course On Statistical Literacy, Maria Guadalupe Valenzuela

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine in what ways language is a factor that affects the learning process of students in an introductory statistics class. This research used a questionnaire survey instrument called: CLASS, Communication, Language And Statistics Survey that was applied to a total of 137 college students from a large southwestern public university, 83 of these students were self-identified as native English speakers (NOELL) and 53 were self-identified as English learner speakers (ELL) and one was dropped. This research found that in statistical instruction, there are some particular differences in behavior and learning process in the …

Paraprofessionals Who Work With Elementary Grade Students With Significant Disabilities In Inclusive Settings, Regina Moreno

Dissertations and Theses

The use of paraprofessional services is an established and crucial aspect in the pursuit of a free and appropriate public education for students with disabilities. Paraprofessionals are often the primary providers of instruction for students with severe disabilities yet are the least trained instructional personnel in schools. Identified competencies and necessary training content for paraprofessionals who serve students with severe disabilities are nearly absent in the professional literature.

This study extended the current literature regarding paraprofessionals who serve students with disabilities in public schools by focusing specifically on those paraprofessionals who serve students with severe disabilities in inclusive general education …

Literacy Leadership In Secondary Schools: A Case Study Of Teaching And Learning In Two School Districts, Gregory Berry

Dissertations and Theses

Improvement in literacy learning in secondary schools requires a dual focus: a district and school organizational leadership approach, and a classroom- and instruction-focused approach. To help close the achievement gap and improve learning for all students, whole school reform efforts must be focused on literacy. Elements of whole school reform may include professional development programs such as professional learning communities, peer coaching, and literacy coaching. The sociocultural contexts that these approaches incorporate can help improve the learning of both teachers and students and can bring about significant secondary school reform and academic improvement.

This dissertation study is a qualitative, collective, …

Community College Online Course Retention And Final Grade: Predictability Of Social Presence, Simon Y. Liu, Joel Gomez, Cherng-Jyh Yen

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

This study employed a quantitative research design to examine the predictive relationships between social presence and course retention as well as final grade in community college online courses. Social presence is defined as the degree of one's feeling, perception and reaction to another intellectual entity in the online environment. Course final grades included A, B. C, D, F, I, or W. Course retention was defined as successfully completed a course with an A to C grade. The results of the binary and ordinal logistic regression analyses suggest that social presence is a significant predictor of course retention and final grade …

Is It The "Real Thing"? How Coke's One-Way Binding Arbitration May Bridge The Divide Between Litigation And Arbitration, Suzette M. Malveaux

Publications

Although the scholarly literature is replete with discussion of the pros and cons of mandatory arbitration and civil litigation, relative to one another, there has been no examination of one-way binding arbitration as a potential bridge between these procedural poles. The goal of this article is to fill that void. One-way binding arbitration requires an employee to use arbitration to resolve workplace disputes, but also gives the employee, but not the employer, the option of rejecting the arbitrator’s decision. In the event the employee is not satisfied with the outcome of arbitration, she can still pursue her claim in court. …

The Influence Of Dutch Water Management On The Revolt Of The Netherlands : 1568-1648, Robert J. Tiegs

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Survey Of Digenea For Neorickettsial Dna And Phylogenetic Analysis Based On Partial 16s Rrna Gene Sequences, Jay A. Schroeder

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Development Times For Protophormia Terraenovae (R-D) Reared On Different Food Substrates, J.-A. Warren, G. S. Anderson

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Experiments were conducted to determine whether a specific larval substrate impacted immature development rates. Protophormia terraenovae was raised on beef organs and compared with whole carcasses (rat), to determine if discrepancies in development times were observed. The minimum development time on beef liver was the most consistent with the rat carcass but a significant difference between all substrates was found after the third instar. These differences can be explained by the differences found between heart and muscle and the other substrates. Often length of the larvae is used to estimate insect age and so Day 2 measuring of weight, length, …

The Association Among Social Support, Binge Eating, And Binge Drinking In Ndsu College Students, Julie Irene Zaruba

Health Nutrition and Exercise Science

The purpose of this thesis was to determine the association between bingeing behaviors and social support in college students. Participants were 216 male (57%) and female students, between 18-25 years, who were enrolled in a university required Wellness course. Participants volunteered to complete an online survey. The survey contained questions related to binge eating (BE), binge drinking (BD), social support, and basic demographic data. Groups were constructed based on the participants' gender or age and reported bingeing behaviors (binge eating (BE), binge drinking (BD), binge eating and binge drinking (BE/BD), and no bingeing behavior (NB)). Further, the social support data …

Heavenly Genes: Eugenics And The New Woman In Fin De Siecle England., Jane V. Rago

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In 1886 the Contagious Diseases Acts were repealed after a long sixteen year fight, led by social reformers and what would later come to be known as the first wave of feminism. Western feminism was born and bred in large part out of the debates sparked by the Contagious Diseases Acts, debates that opened up into the appeal for women to be granted full citizenship through the right to vote, to own property after marriage, and the right to education and employment outside the home. The crux of this argument was grounded in a critique of mid-Victorian ideology of separate …

Bright Beginnings #9: Supporting Physical Growth And Development In Young Children, Sean Brotherson

FS Series – Family Science/HDFS

No abstract provided.

Bright Beginnings #18: Reading Choice And Children, Sean Brotherson

FS Series – Family Science/HDFS

No abstract provided.

Tips And Tools For Selecting Quality Child Care, Sean Brotherson

FS Series – Family Science/HDFS

No abstract provided.

Fellowship Food: Nourishing The Body And The Soul, Julie Garden-Robinson

FN Series – Food & Nutrition/HNES

No abstract provided.

Doing Well By Doing Good And Vice Versa: Self-Sustaining Ngo/Nonprofit Organizations, Barbara Bucholtz

Articles, Chapters in Books and Other Contributions to Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

Taking Note Of The Investment Aspect Of Purchasing A Franchise: A Proposal For Required Electronic Filing Of Pre-Sale Disclosure Documents, Tom Arnold

Articles, Chapters in Books and Other Contributions to Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

Quirky, Not Quacky: Quantum Computing For Librarians, Jill Cirasella

Publications and Research

This slideshow introduces librarians and non-scientists to the relatively young field of quantum computing.

Methodology Appendix: On The Craft Of Sociology In The Digital Era, Jessie Daniels

Publications and Research

An appendix to the book that explores the methodology of studying the Internet.