Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

2010

Discipline
Institution
Keyword
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 33691 - 33720 of 33784

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Florida's Definition And Subsequent Calculatons Of A Public High School Graduate, Terri N. Watson Jan 2010

Florida's Definition And Subsequent Calculatons Of A Public High School Graduate, Terri N. Watson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

On March 18, 2008, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida filed a class action lawsuit against The Palm Beach County School Board and its district superintendent on behalf of approximately 176,000 students under their jurisdiction (Schroeder v. The Palm Beach County School Board, 2008). The plaintiffs cited the defendants for their failure "to provide a uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and high quality education" (p. 7) as required by the Florida Constitution, Article IX, ß 1. They contended that their claim was substantiated by The School District of Palm Beach County's (SDPBC) dismal high school graduation rates. Spurred by …

Go to article

Framework For Requirements-Driven System Design Automation, Mihai. Fonoage Jan 2010

Framework For Requirements-Driven System Design Automation, Mihai. Fonoage

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

In this thesis, a framework for improving model-driven system design productivity with Requirements-Driven Design Automation (RDDA) is presented. The key to the proposed approach is to close the semantic gap between requirements, components and architecture by using compatible semantic models for describing product requirements and component capabilities, including constraints. An ontology-based representation language is designed that spans requirements for the application domain, the software design domain and the component domain. Design automation is supported for architecture development by machine-based mapping of desired product/subsystem features and capabilities to library components and by synthesis and maintenance of Systems Modeling Language (SysML) design …

Go to article

Gender And The Abject In The Symbolic Landscapes Of Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde And Olive Schreiner's The Story Of An African Farm, Janine. Mcadams Jan 2010

Gender And The Abject In The Symbolic Landscapes Of Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde And Olive Schreiner's The Story Of An African Farm, Janine. Mcadams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

The literature of the fin de siáecle challenged established societal norms through its use of avant-garde literary forms and controversial subject matter. This study will examine the use of landscape metaphors in two major works of fin de siáecle literature, Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Olive Schreiner's The Story of an African Farm, in order to reveal how these texts critique and re-vision the social dualities of gender. A wide range of literary theories-including, feminist theory, semiotics, and ecocriticism-are used to interpret these authors' influential narratives. This thesis will also apply Julia Kristeva's …

Go to article

Geoacoustic Inversion Of Subbottom Channels Using Mulitple Frequency Input Parameters, Rebecca. Weeks Jan 2010

Geoacoustic Inversion Of Subbottom Channels Using Mulitple Frequency Input Parameters, Rebecca. Weeks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

This thesis investigates inversion techniques used to determine the geoacoustic properties of a shallow-water waveguide. The data used were obtained in the Shallow Water '06 Modal Mapping Experiment in which four buoys drifted over a system of subbottom channels. The method used was perturbative inversion using modal eigenvalues as input parameters, which were found using an autoregressive spectral estimator. This work investigates the differences between a "channel" region and a "no channel" region based on an inferred stratigraphic model. Inversions were performed on data from a single buoy both at individual frequencies and multiple frequencies simultaneously. Since the use of …

Go to article

Gesture And Learning About Objects, Robert R. Freund Jan 2010

Gesture And Learning About Objects, Robert R. Freund

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

The role of gestures in determining the use of familiar and novel tools was explored. In the first study, participants were shown gestures for tools corresponding either to tool design, or to the physical affordances of a puzzle designed for each tool. In the second study, two additional conditions were added. In the first, gestures were used that did not correspond to tool design or the puzzle affordances. The second was a control condition in which no gestures were shown. Results indicate that the demonstration of gestures appropriate to a novel problem situation facilitate creative use of tools. Additionally, attention …

Go to article

Giving Voice To Historical Trauma Through Storytelling, Barbara K. Charbonneau-Dahlen Jan 2010

Giving Voice To Historical Trauma Through Storytelling, Barbara K. Charbonneau-Dahlen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Objectives: This study documented events contributing to historical trauma among American Indian mission boarding school survivors, described residual effects of that trauma, and verified the Dream Catcher-Medicine Wheel model as a culturally appropriate tool that enhanced storytelling. Research Design and Methods: Nine women from two Upper Plains tribes were located through snowball sampling and participant referrals. A descriptive exploratory qualitative approach facilitated them in relating their survival stories. Seven were tape-recorded and two were hand-written on the Dream Catcher-Medicine Wheel, a model specifically designed for this study; this, combined with traditional spiritual grounding ceremonies, enhanced perspective for researcher and participants …

Go to article

'Indie' Empowerment, Simone K. Harris Jan 2010

'Indie' Empowerment, Simone K. Harris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

The use of new media technology which refers to digital, computerized, or networked information and communication technologies such as the Internet, mobile devices, gaming, and social networks, has come to define the music industry today, and it is this technology that has empowered independent artists in such a way that they are now free to pursue heights of success previously only available to major label artists. New media technology has affected the traditional business models of major labels, it has resulted in gross decline in recording costs, given birth to new channels of music marketing, and business models, and has …

Go to article

Individual Profiling Of Perceived Tinnitus By Developing Tinnitus Analyzer Software, Baishali. Chaudbury Jan 2010

Individual Profiling Of Perceived Tinnitus By Developing Tinnitus Analyzer Software, Baishali. Chaudbury

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Tinnitus is a conscious perception of phantom sounds in the absence of external acoustic stimuli, and masking is one of the popular ways to treat it. Due to the variation in the perceived tinnitus sound from patient to patient, the usefulness of masking therapy cannot be generalized. Thus, it is important to first determine the feasibility of masking therapy on a particular patient, by quantifying the tinnitus sound, and then generate an appropriate masking signal. This paper aims to achieve this kind of individual profiling by developing interactive software -Tinnitus Analyzer, based on clinical approach. The developed software has been …

Go to article

Integrated Platform For Coordination Of Emergency Medical Response System Using Mobile Devices, Nabarun Chakrabarty Jan 2010

Integrated Platform For Coordination Of Emergency Medical Response System Using Mobile Devices, Nabarun Chakrabarty

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

This thesis presents a framework for a platform that integrates various infrastructural services and facilities in an automated manner to improve and coordinate the processes of medical emergency response system (MERS). It aims to improve the quality of healthcare system infrastructure by improving the quality of service of MERS. Presently the processes of MERS and their coordination are semi-automated, which adds to the complication of service availability and information exchange among participating systems, thereby affecting the MERS' quality of service adversely. An integrated platform for the coordination of MERS processes can help improve its quality of service and ensure better …

Go to article

Individual Profiling Of Perceived Tinnitus By Developing Tinnitus Analyzer Software, Baishali Chaudhury Jan 2010

Individual Profiling Of Perceived Tinnitus By Developing Tinnitus Analyzer Software, Baishali Chaudhury

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Tinnitus is a conscious perception of phantom sounds in the absence of external acoustic stimuli, and masking is one of the popular ways to treat it. Due to the variation in the perceived tinnitus sound from patient to patient, the usefulness of masking therapy cannot be generalized. Thus, it is important to first determine the feasibility of masking therapy on a particular patient, by quantifying the tinnitus sound, and then generate an appropriate masking signal. This paper aims to achieve this kind of individual profiling by developing interactive software - Tinnitus Analyzer, based on clinical approach. The developed software has …

Go to article

Intersection Of Gender And Italian/Americaness, Niki Caputo Wilson Jan 2010

Intersection Of Gender And Italian/Americaness, Niki Caputo Wilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

This dissertation uses a multiperspectival approach that analyzes production, text, and audience consumption to explore representations of gender and ethnicity in The Home Box Office, Inc. (HBO) original program The Sopranos. I first present the social, political, and economic factors that contributed to the continued critical and commercial success of the show. The hybrid genre of the show - an intermingling of the gangster and soap opera genres - proves particularly significant in its representation of gender and ethnicity. Both textual and audience analyses allow me to respond to the question central to this dissertation: Does The Sopranos reinforce or …

Go to article

Intra And Interspecies Association Patterns Of Atlantic Spotted Dolphins, Stenella Frontalis, And Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins, Tursiops Truncatus, And The Effects Of Demographic Changes Following Two Major Hurricanes, Cindy Rogers Elliser Jan 2010

Intra And Interspecies Association Patterns Of Atlantic Spotted Dolphins, Stenella Frontalis, And Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins, Tursiops Truncatus, And The Effects Of Demographic Changes Following Two Major Hurricanes, Cindy Rogers Elliser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Demographic changes, through immigration/emigration (or death) can affect the social and community structure of a population. This study reports on the effects of demographic changes following 2 intense hurricanes on two sympatric delphinid species: Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, and Atlantic spotted dolphins Stenella frontalis. Thirty percent of the bottlenose population was lost after the hurricanes, with an influx of roughly the same number of immigrants. The stable community split into two cohesive units. Preferences in association in relation to reproductive status and sex remained. Immigrants assimilated well into the population, especially males. There is a conflict of interest between …

Go to article

John Updike, Cindy M. Rosen Jan 2010

John Updike, Cindy M. Rosen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

There remain two recurring criticisms of John Updike's fiction. The first comes from feminist critics who condemn his negative portrayal of women, accusing his fiction of denigrating women. The second comes from late twentieth century critics who accuse him of avoiding political and historical discussions in his fiction. However, it is my contention that Updike is willing to address both of these concerns, and I arrive at such an argument by carefully analyzing his collection of short stories compiled in Too Far To Go: The Maples Stories. Within these stories, Updike's female characters illustrate the shifting gender paradigms over the …

Go to article

Knowledge Based Evaluation Of Nursing Care Practice Model, Shubhang. Tripathi Jan 2010

Knowledge Based Evaluation Of Nursing Care Practice Model, Shubhang. Tripathi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Provision of complete and responsive solution to healthcare services requires a multi-tired health delivery system. One of the aspects of healthcare hierarchy is the need for nursing care of the patient. Nursing care and observation provide basis for nurses to communicate with other aspects of healthcare system. The ability of capturing and managing nursing practice is essential to the quality of human care. The thesis proposes knowledge based decision making and analyzing system for the nurses to capture and manage the nursing practice. Moreover it allows them to monitor nursing care quality, as well as to test an aspect of …

Go to article

Mechanisms For Prolonging Network Lifetime In Wireless Sensor Networks, Yinying. Yang Jan 2010

Mechanisms For Prolonging Network Lifetime In Wireless Sensor Networks, Yinying. Yang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Sensors are used to monitor and control the physical environment. A Wireless Sen- sor Network (WSN) is composed of a large number of sensor nodes that are densely deployed either inside the phenomenon or very close to it [18][5]. Sensor nodes measure various parameters of the environment and transmit data collected to one or more sinks, using hop-by-hop communication. Once a sink receives sensed data, it processes and forwards it to the users. Sensors are usually battery powered and it is hard to recharge them. It will take a limited time before they deplete their energy and become unfunctional. Optimizing …

Go to article

Meryl Streep Mystique, Tracy. Allerton Jan 2010

Meryl Streep Mystique, Tracy. Allerton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

This thesis employs a star study of Meryl Streep, incorporating pertinent feminist, reception and culture-studies theories, to investigate biases within the Hollywood film industry. The actress has enjoyed a resurgence as a leading lady at age 61. Streep's star persona, acting prowess and career arc are examined across three theoretical platforms - production of culture, textual analysis, and audience analysis - or clues as to why she has been singled out among her peers. This thesis posits that Streep's unique star image and surge in popularity have helped her break out of hegemonic articulations of gender and aging that privilege …

Go to article

Message Authentication In An Identity-Based Encryption Scheme, Brittanney Jaclyn Amento Jan 2010

Message Authentication In An Identity-Based Encryption Scheme, Brittanney Jaclyn Amento

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

We present an Identity-Based Encryption scheme, 1-Key-Encrypt-Then-MAC, in which we are able to verify the authenticity of messages using a MAC. We accomplish this authentication by combining an Identity-Based Encryption scheme given by Boneh and Franklin, with an Identity-Based Non-Interactive Key Distribution given by Paterson and Srinivasan, and attaching a MAC. We prove the scheme is chosen plaintext secure and chosen ciphertext secure, and the MAC is existentially unforgeable.

Go to article

Mechanisms For Improving Energy Efficiency In Wireless Sensor Networks, Mirela Ioana Fonoage Jan 2010

Mechanisms For Improving Energy Efficiency In Wireless Sensor Networks, Mirela Ioana Fonoage

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

A Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) is composed of a large number of sensor nodes that are densely deployed in an area. One of the main issues addressed in WSNs research is energy efficiency due to sensors' limited energy resources. WSNs are deployed to monitor and control the physical environment, and to transmit the collected data to one or more sinks using multi-hop communication. Energy efficiency protocols represent a key mechanism in WSNs. This dissertation proposes several methods used to prolong WSNs lifetime focusing on designing energy efficient communication protocols. A critical issue for data gathering in WSNs is the formation …

Go to article

Low-Cost, High Rate Motion Measurement System For An Unmanned Surface Vehicle With Underwater Navigation And Oceanographic Applications, Chrystel. Gelin Jan 2010

Low-Cost, High Rate Motion Measurement System For An Unmanned Surface Vehicle With Underwater Navigation And Oceanographic Applications, Chrystel. Gelin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Standard GPS receivers are unable to provide the rate or precision required when used on a small vessel such as an Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs). To overcome this, the thesis presents a low cost high rate motion measurement system for an USV with underwater and oceanographic purposes. The work integrates an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), a GPS receiver, a flux-gate compass, a tilt sensor and develops a software package, using real time data fusion methods, for an USV to aid in the navigation and control as well as controlling an onboard Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP).While ADCPs non-intrusively measure water …

Go to article

Molecular Characterization Of A Subset Of Krab-Zfps, Alain. Chamoun Jan 2010

Molecular Characterization Of A Subset Of Krab-Zfps, Alain. Chamoun

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

There are approximately 20,000 genes in the human genome. Around 2% of these genes code for transcriptional repressors known as KRAB-ZFPs. It is already known that Zinc-Finger Proteins contain two main functional domains at either end of the polypeptide. In today's database, you will find a KRAB (Kruppell-associated Box) domain at one end and a tandem array of Zinc-finger repeats at the other end. The carboxyl terminal tandem Zinc-finger repeats function as sequence-specific DNA-binding domains. The amino terminal KRAB domain serves as a repressor domain, which will recruit a co-repressor termed KAP-1 (KRAB Associated Protein-1). Located in between these two …

Go to article

Multiple Birth Families, Religion, And Cultural Hegemony, Emily M. Cittadino Jan 2010

Multiple Birth Families, Religion, And Cultural Hegemony, Emily M. Cittadino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Reality television programming chronicling the daily workings of multiple birth families within American culture has gained notoriety in recent years. Such programs, especially Discovery Health and TLC's 17, 18 Kids and Counting and TLC's Jon and Kate Plus Ei8ht, film, edit and broadcast the "everyday" life of these families. This research study focuses attention on hegemonic ideologies surrounding family values, motherhood, gender roles and religious faith, illuminated through textual and audience analysis. Working from an interdisciplinary approach combining feminist media and cultural studies, this study finds that hegemonic notions of family values, gender representations, religious faith and conceptions of motherhood …

Go to article

Neuropsychological Examination Of The Effects Of Mindfulnesss Meditation In Elementary School Children, Sara Elizabeth Klco Jan 2010

Neuropsychological Examination Of The Effects Of Mindfulnesss Meditation In Elementary School Children, Sara Elizabeth Klco

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Many recent studies have confirmed that mindfulness meditation has wide ranging potential to improve the mental health and well-being of adults, though few studies have explored its potential to help younger populations. In the current study, a sample of 4th and 2nd grade students was trained in the techniques of mindfulness meditation. Baseline electroencephalograms (EEGs) were taken before the training, and again after a 10 week period of daily meditation practice. Measures of attention, creativity, affect, depression, behavioral inhibition/activation, emotion regulation, impulsive/aggressive behaviors, and social anxiety were also administered before and after the meditation practice period. Results indicate that mindfulness …

Go to article

Neural And Behavioral Correlates Of Song Prosody, Reyna Leigh Gordon Jan 2010

Neural And Behavioral Correlates Of Song Prosody, Reyna Leigh Gordon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

This dissertation studies the neural basis of song, a universal human behavior. The relationship of words and melodies in the perception of song at phonological, semantic, melodic, and rhythmic levels of processing was investigated using the fine temporal resolution of Electroencephalography (EEG). The observations reported here may shed light on a ubiquitous human experience and also inform the discussion of whether language and music share neural resources or recruit domain-specific neural mechanisms. Experiment 1 was designed to determine whether words and melody in song are processed interactively or independently. Participants listened to sung words in which the melodies and/or the …

Go to article

New Insights Into The Neuromodulatory Role And Potential Action Site Of Taurine In Retinal Neurons, Simon Bulley Jan 2010

New Insights Into The Neuromodulatory Role And Potential Action Site Of Taurine In Retinal Neurons, Simon Bulley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Taurine is the second most abundant amino acid in the CNS after glutamate and its functions have been found largely related to intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) modulation, osmoregulation, membrane stabilization, reproduction and immunity. The action of taurine has also been implicated in neurotransmission and neuromodulation though its specific sites of action are not fully understood. Isolated retinal neurons from the larval tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum) were used as a model to study the neuromodulatory role of taurine in the CNS and to gain insights into its potential sites of action. A combination of techniques was used, including whole-cell patch clamp recording …

Go to article

Object Recognition On Android Mobil Platform Using Speeded Up Robust Features, Vivek K. Tyagi Jan 2010

Object Recognition On Android Mobil Platform Using Speeded Up Robust Features, Vivek K. Tyagi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

In recent years there has been great interest in implementing object recognition frame work on mobile phones. This has stemmed from the fact the advances in object recognition algorithm and mobile phone capabilities have built a congenial ecosystem. Application developers on mobile platforms are trying to utilize the object recognition technology to build better human computer interfaces. This approach is in the nascent phase and proper application framework is required. In this thesis, we propose a framework to overcome design challenges and provide an evaluation methodology to assess the system performance. We use the emerging Android mobile platform to implement …

Go to article

Nursing And National Healthcare Implications With The Rise Of The California Nurses Association And The National Nurse Organizing Committee, John. Silver Jan 2010

Nursing And National Healthcare Implications With The Rise Of The California Nurses Association And The National Nurse Organizing Committee, John. Silver

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

In 1993, a group of unionized bedside nurses took control of their state nursing association. In 1995, they disenfranchised themselves from the American Nurses Association, which historically had billed itself as - THE voice of the profession of nursing. This study utilizes a case study format to look at who they are, what their intentions are, and what their vision is for the future of the profession. Twenty questions were submitted to key participants identified by the California Nurses Association (CNA). The questions were organized into three main areas: the period leading up to the disenfranchisement, the period of growth …

Go to article

Of Offal, Corpses, And Others, Robert William Jones Jan 2010

Of Offal, Corpses, And Others, Robert William Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

This thesis examines two works (My Journey to Lhasa and Magic and Mystery in Tibet) by Alexandra David-Neel. These works subvert the self/other dichotomies both necessary to and critiqued by postcolonial theory. Central to this study is an examination of a claim by His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama that David-Neel creates an "authentic" picture of Tibet. In order to do this the first chapter establishes a working definition of authenticity based on both Western philosophy and Vajrayana Buddhism. This project argues that the advanced meditation techniques practiced by Alexandra David-Neel allow her to access a transcendent self that is …

Go to article

Outreach Communication By Grassroots Environmental Organizations, Kimberly L. Estep Jan 2010

Outreach Communication By Grassroots Environmental Organizations, Kimberly L. Estep

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

The negative impact of human activities on the Earth's ecosystems has gained more attention in the last few decades; in turn interest and scholarship in the area of environmental rhetoric has also grown. This case study provides an in-depth examination of outreach material generated by Tampa Bay Watch to determine if grassroots environmental organizations are using rhetorical appeals that recent scholarly literature argues are ineffective. Alternative rhetorical appeals are also examined for their persuasiveness. Using an open coding approach, the analysis finds that the organization used persuasive appeals which varied from those predicted by the literature, and that a combination …

Go to article

Patterns For Web Services Standards, Ola Ajaj Jan 2010

Patterns For Web Services Standards, Ola Ajaj

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Web services intend to provide an application integration technology that can be successfully used over the Internet in a secure, interoperable and trusted manner. Policies are high-level guidelines defining the way an institution conducts its activities. The WS-Policy standard describes how to apply policies of security definition, enforcement of access control, authentication and logging. WS-Trust defines a security token service and a trust engine which are used by web services to authenticate other web services. Using the functions defined in WS-Trust, applications can engage in secure communication after establishing trust. BPEL is a language for web service composition that intends …

Go to article

Patterns For Wireless Sensor Networks, Anupama. Sahu Jan 2010

Patterns For Wireless Sensor Networks, Anupama. Sahu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019

Sensors are shaping many activities in our society with an endless array of potential applications in military, civilian, and medical application. They support different real world applications ranging from common household appliances to complex systems. Technological advancement has enabled sensors to be used in medical applications, wherein they are deployed to monitor patients and assist disabled patients. Sensors have been invaluable in saving lives, be it a soldier's life in a remote battlefield or a civilian's life in a disaster area or natural calamities. In every application the sensors are deployed in a pre-defined manner to perform a specific function. …

Go to article

First Prev Next Last