Digital Commons Network^™

Novel Energy-Based Localization Technique For Multiple Sources, Lu Lu, Hsiao Chun Wu

Faculty Publications

Source localization using acoustic sensor networks has been drawing a lot of research interest recently. In a sensor network, there are a large number of inexpensive sensors which are densely deployed in a region of interest (ROI). This dense deployment enables accurate intensity (energy) based target localization. The maximum-likelihood is the predominant objective which leads to a variety of source localization approaches. However, the investigation on the energy-based localization for multiple sources has been very rare. The corresponding robust and efficient algorithms are still being pursuit by researchers nowadays. In this paper, we would like to combat the energy-based multiple-source …

Vol. 4 No. 1, Fall 2012; Illinois's Drug-Induced Homicide Statute: Injecting Some Sense Into A Misinterpreted Law, Seth Mcclure

Northern Illinois Law Review Supplement

In 1988, Illinois went on the offensive in the War on Drugs by creating the Drug-Induced Homicide Statute. In essence, this statute creates increased punishment beyond normal drug trafficking penalties when a person delivers drugs to another person and, as a result of that delivery, somebody dies. For twenty years, the law remained mostly dormant, only being charged and prosecuted in a handful of cases. In a new push to fight drug-related deaths across Illinois over the last few years, prosecutors have dusted off the old law and vastly increased the number of drug-induced homicide charges. As these charges become …

Succinct Representations Of Weighted Trees Supporting Path Queries, Manish Patil, Rahul Shah, Sharma V. Thankachan

Faculty Publications

We consider the problem of succinctly representing a given vertex-weighted tree of n vertices, whose vertices are labeled by integer weights from {1,2,.,σ} and supporting the following path queries efficiently:Path median query: Given two vertices i, j, return the median weight on the path from i to j.Path selection query: Given two vertices i, j and a positive integer k, return the kth smallest weight on the path from i to j.Path counting/reporting query: Given two vertices i, j and a range [a,b], count/report the vertices on the path from i to j whose weights are in this range. The …

On Position Restricted Substring Searching In Succinct Space, Wing Kai Hon, Rahul Shah, Sharma V. Thankachan, Jeffrey Scott Vitter

Faculty Publications

We study the position restricted substring searching (PRSS) problem, where the task is to index a text T[0.n-1] of n characters over an alphabet set Σ of size σ, in order to answer the following: given a query pattern P (of length p) and two indices ℓ and r, report all occℓ,r occurrences of P in T[ℓ.r]. Known indexes take O(nlogn) bits or O(nlog1 +εn) bits space, and answer this query in O(p+logn+occ ℓ,rlogn) time or in optimal O(p+occℓ,r) time respectively, where ε is any positive constant. The main drawback of these indexes is their space requirement of Ω(nlogn) bits, …

The Medieval Dark Horse: Challenge And Reward In The Middle English Lyric, Andrew S. Marvin

English Faculty Publications

“The Medieval Dark Horse: Challenge and Reward in the Middle English Lyric” explores the genre’s history and literary merits while addressing the question of why this valuable and extensive body of literature has largely gone untapped by scholars.

The introductory sections detail the historical and modern contexts of the lyric, including the state of scholarship, manuscripts, editions, dating issues, purpose, audience, types of lyrics, and themes. This background informs a discussion of the genre’s difficulties and offers solutions with which to counter them. Close readings of eight poems are included to exemplify the lyric’s thematic range, stylistic diversity, and literary …

Building Collaboration Through Project-Based Theater Design, Heather Rose Basarab

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

With the economic collapse of 2008, there has been a dramatic increase in government emphasis on the value of science and technology-based study in the nation’s high schools as a means for the United States to remain competitive in the world economic market. Financial, political and societal support for the hard sciences, coupled with evertightening budget restrictions for education, have contributed to the devaluing, underfunding, and elimination of the performing arts as a viable and valued academic pursuit (Whitman, 2011). The arts play an important role in secondary school education, developing a broad range of widely applicable social and organizational …

Special Educators' Perceptions Of Paperwork Demands And Job Efficacy: A Qualitative Study, Deborah K. Imhoff

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

This study examines the growing evidence that paperwork burdens associated with the jobs of special education teachers are contributing to high attrition rates among these educators. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact that paperwork demands have on special educators’ decisions to remain in this profession. In examining the literature for the primary reasons of difficulty in retaining special education teachers, several themes emerged: increasing paperwork burdens and administrative tasks as a result of budget cuts and increased class sizes in both special and general education classes, NCLB legal requirements and accountability policies, and time constraints. In-depth …

A Dialogue About Race: African-American Teachers Discussing History And Experience Of African-Americans In The Teaching Profession, Christina Clair Owens

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The achievement gap in the United States develops when millions of children enter the classroom on their first day of kindergarten. The sociological effects of the achievement gap as it relates to the racial and socio-economic strata create cyclical, systemic problems in our country that ultimately affect the next generations of children in our schools. The purpose of this study is to learn from adult African-American teachers about the issues confronting African-American high school students who no longer have role models in the classroom, as was previously the case, prior to school desegregation. A former teacher, of African-American history, was …

Parent And Educator Perspectives Of Asd Learning Environments In Public Charter Schools: A Qualitative Study, Victoria Marie Starr Soria

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The purpose of this study is to reveal parent and educator perceptions of the inclusion setting for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at the public charter school of study. Due to the limited research available on parent and educator perceptions and the learning environments for students with ASD within public charter schools, a wide range of literature has been reviewed. This includes what public charter schools provide Students with Disabilities (SWD), how lawmakers and public perception play a role in parent and educator perspectives of learning environments for students with ASD, what experts deem best for students with ASD, …

Informing Parents And Educators About The Importance Of Preschool For English Language Learners: A Guideline, Marinique Simone Perry

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The importance of pre-kindergarten experience for English Language Learners is that it gives them a foundation for their kindergarten experience. Many Hispanic families are hesitant in putting their child in the care of someone who is not a family member, which then puts these children behind others who had an academic experience in pre-kindergarten. This not only brings the Hispanic children down academically but also fails to teach them about the social aspect of school. The purpose of this study is to give people involved with these children a guideline to help them understand the importance of pre-kindergarten education for …

Reformed Worship (Rw) 106 - Lent / Easter (December 2012), Reformed Worship Editors

Reformed Worship Magazine

Features

Fulfilled by Ron Toornstra....3

Psalms: Voicing a Counter-World by Walter Brueggemann....22

The King of Creation in the Gardens of Redemption by Verlan Van Ee....36

Articles

Editorial: Living in Tension by Joyce Borger....2

Q&A: Virtual Lord's Supper by John Witvliet....15

For Pastors: Don't Look at That by Scott Hoezee....16

He Showed Them His Wounds by Leonard J. Vander Zee....18

With Unveiled Faces by Julia K. Start Fletcher....21

Words that Seep into Your Soul by Becky Hoeksema....30

Resources

Come and See: The Cross of Christ by Marianne and George VanDelft....10

How …

Determination Of The Maximum Mgs Mounting Height Phase Ii Detailed Analysis, Ramen D. Julin, Ronald K. Faller, John D. Reid, Mario Mongiardini

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Characteristics Of Fatigued Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers -- A Preliminary Investigation, Aemal Khattak, Carrie Mohlman

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

The goal of this research was to identify and correlate easily observable characteristics of drivers to different levels of fatigue, thus enabling state patrol officers to make more judicious decisions related to driver fatigue. A literature review was conducted pertaining to the characteristics of fatigued drivers. Next, a nationwide survey was administered to state patrol agencies to assess their practices regarding fatigue-involved driving. To explore relationships between state patrol agency practices and vehicular safety, data collected from the telephone survey were merged with data from different states on fatigue-involved vehicle fatalities and vehicle miles traveled. Analysis revealed that states with …

Cable Median Barrier Failure Analysis And Prevention, Dean L. Sicking, Cody S. Stolle

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

Cross-median crashes have been identified as one of the highest injury or fatality risk crash types. Although crossmedian crashes account for only 2% to 5% of all median crash events, they are disproportionately represented in the number and frequency of fatalities on interstate roadways. Many states have utilized cable median barriers to reduce the risk of cross-median crashes, frequently with great success. However, cable median barriers are also fixed obstacles to errant vehicles. Cable median barriers can place occupants at increased risk of severe injury or fatality if the barrier fails to adequately contain and redirect errant vehicles, resulting in …

Dynamic Testing Of Mgs W6x8.5 Posts At Decreased Embedment, Robert W. Bielenberg, Karla A. Lechtenberg, Ronald K. Faller, John D. Reid, Tyler L. Schmidt, Mario Mongiardini

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of The Environmental Impacts Of Bridge Deck Runoff, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt, Lauren Swadener, Ekizabeth G. Jones

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

Bridges are located in very close proximity to receiving waters, and regulatory agencies often require specific stormwater control measures for bridge deck runoff. While there is some information available on roadway runoff, few studies have focused on bridge deck runoff. Currently, there is no information available regarding the impacts of bridge deck runoff on receiving waters in Nebraska. Due to the cost, maintenance, and design issues associated with implementing structural controls for bridge deck runoff, it is important to develop a better understanding of the relationship between bridge deck runoff and potential impacts to receiving streams. The objectives of this …

Influence Of Teacher Qualifications, Experience, Instructional Methods, And Professional Development On Student Achievement On The Mississippi Writing Assessment In Grades Four And Seven, Stacy Kihneman Garcia

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if teacher qualifications, experience, instructional methods, and professional development influenced student achievement on the Mississippi Writing Assessment in grades four and seven. The study was conducted in the three coastal counties of southern Mississippi. Participants were fourth or seventh grade teachers who taught in one of the eight school districts that were included in the study.

Participants were asked to provide information regarding their qualifications, amount of classroom experience, preferred instructional methods, and feelings on professional development. Also requested from each teacher was his/her classroom average on the Mississippi Writing Assessment from …

The Effects Of School-Home Notes On Teacher Reports Of Academic Productivity And Disruptive Classroom Behaviors Of Middle School Students, Nichol Frances Pritchard

Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a schoolhome note (SHN) for increasing academic productivity and decreasing disruptive classroom behaviors of four middle high school students identified as at-risk for failure and/or dropout. Participants included four students from a middle school in a southern state referred for behavioral problems and low academic productivity. A changing criterion design with a withdrawal was employed to assess intervention effectiveness. Students’ levels of academic productivity and appropriate behavior were assessed using SHN point data. Percentage of disruptive behavior, weekly rates of office discipline referrals (ODRs), and frequencies of in-school …

Assessing A Culture Of Innovation Leadership On The Human Capital In Healthcare, Cheryl Zipay Kirby

Dissertations

In today’s organizational structure it is imperative to be innovative in order to maintain or gain market share. Efficiency and adaptability are at the forefront of business strategies. If organizations do not adapt, they cannot compete in today’s economy. Creativity and innovation is key to business acumen when creating a culture of adaptability and growth. The purpose of the study is to determine the culture of innovation leadership competencies perceived by employees at high-performing and low-performing organizations. Three culture of innovation leadership categories; problem-solving intelligence, innovation management, and organizational framework, assist organizations in fostering the creativity of the human capital …

Planet Formation In Transition Disks: Modeling, Spectroscopy, And Theory, Joseph Liskowsky

All Dissertations

An important field of modern astronomy is the study of planets. Literally for millennia, careful observers of the night sky have tracked these 'wanderers', with their peculiar motions initiating avenues of inquiry not able to elucidated by a study of the stars alone: we have discovered that the planets (as well as Earth) orbit the sun and that the stars are so far away, even their relative positions do not seem to shift perceptibly when Earth's position moves hundreds of millions of miles. With the advent of the telescope, and subsequent improvements upon it over the course of centuries, accelerating …

Index Of Volume Xxxix, 2012

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare Contents of Volume XXXIX-2012

Polymeric Eutectic Drug Delivery System, S. Tuntarawongsa, T. Phaechamud

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Eutectic system is the mixture of at least two substances that suppresses melting point for each of them. The viscosity enhancement of liquid eutectic by polymer addition might increase the viscous environment for retardation of drug release. Typically, there are rare polymers that can dissolve in the liquid eutectic. The aim of this study was to develop the polymeric eutectic delivery system for controlling the drug delivery. Liquid eutectic used as vehicle was prepared by mixing menthol and camphor in various ratios. The obtained lowest viscosity liquid eutectic was used as vehicle in this study. Various polymers were attempted to …

The Update, December 2012, University Of Northern Iowa. College Of Humanities, Arts And Sciences.

Update

Inside this issue:
-- Having a Field Day: UNI Students Attend Geology Camp in Wyoming
--Contents December 2012
-- Department News
-- Art Students Present Research Papers at Midwest Humanities Conference
-- School of Music Events
-- Challenging Bullying Through Art
-- Alumni Spotlight: James Arns: Physics
-- UNI Forensics Team

Taxonomy Of Phanaeus Revisited: Revised Keys To And Comments On Species Of The New World Dung Beetle Genus Phanaeus Macleay, 1819 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Phanaeini), W. D. Edmonds, J. Zídek

Insecta Mundi

The purpose of this paper is to reassess the taxonomy of Phanaeus MacLeay (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) to accommodate new taxa and changes in taxonomic opinion since the publication of Edmonds’ 1994 revision of the genus. The two subgenera and 13 species groups established by Edmonds (1994) remain unchanged. A revised set of keys with accompanying comments and illustrations separates 54 recognized valid species. Seven recently described valid species are incorporated into the revised classification: Phanaeus blackalleri Delgado-Castillo, 1991; P. bordoni Arnaud, 1996; P. changdiazi Kohlmann and Solís, 2001; P. lecourti Arnaud, 2000; P. martinezorum Arnaud, 2000; P. yecoraensis Edmonds, 2004; and …

Radio Direction Finding Network Receiver Design For Low-Cost Public Service Applications, Marcel Colman Eric Stieber

Master's Theses

A low-cost radio direction finding (RDF) VHF receiver has been investigated for development into a radio direction finding network (RDFN) with a particular focus towards public service and commercial asset tracking applications. The primary design criteria were reproducibility, low-cost, and simplicity such that public service and volunteer organizations can benefit from the technology. Two receiver designs were built and tested to allow for comparison of practicality, cost, and accuracy. A pseudo-Doppler RDF and a time difference of arrival (TDOA) receiver were built as proof-of-concept for a system design based on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components. The pseudo-Doppler system is a less …

Automated Student Code Assessment With Symbolic Execution And Java Pathfinder, Karl Bell

Master's Theses

The assessment of student code is a necessary part of most programming courses. However, many ways of assessing the correctness of student code can be very time-consuming and may be error-prone. This paper presents JSymTester, a tool which uses the symbolic execution framework of the Java PathFinder to find test inputs for student code and uses these inputs to extensively compare its functionality to a reference implementation. This allows for automatic testing of student code, relying only on the reference implementation and the student's own implementation, eliminating the need to manually write tests. This tool was tested on small assignments …

Implementation And Validation Of Fault-Rupture Response Spectrum Analysis Procedure In Csibridge For Bridges Crossing Earthquake Fault Ruptures, Jennifer Evelyn Tures

Master's Theses

This thesis evaluates the application of a simplified analysis procedure as implemented in version 16 of CSiBridge^TM for design of bridges crossing earthquake fault ruptures. The fault-rupture response spectrum analysis (FR-RSA) approximation method has been proved adequate for both straight and curved ordinary bridges, but lacked a comfortable interface to accommodate the method users. Computers and Structure, Inc. has implemented the FR-RSA procedure into CSiBridge^TM, a user-friendly integrated 3-D bridge design software, as an added seismic design feature. By combining the response of the bridge due to the quasi-static displacement from the fault strike-slip rupture and the …

The Effects Of Color Concentrates On The Rheology Of Tint Bases, Doug James Herrick

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

THE EFFECTS OF COLOR CONCENTRATES ON THE RHEOLOGY OF TINT BASES

Douglas James Herrick

Waterborne coatings are formulated with a number of different ingredients; water, latex polymers, pigments, surfactants, dispersants, defoamers, biocides, coalescing aids, and rheology modifiers or thickeners. Rheology modifiers are necessary in order to improve the physical properties of the coating before, during, and after application to a substrate. There are two kinds of rheology modifiers used in waterborne coatings; associative thickeners and non-associative thickeners. Coatings formulated with associative thickeners are quite sensitive to coating variations; the slightest change in the formulation has profound effects on the …

A Frequency-Modulated Continuous Wave-Based Boundary Detection System In A Small Pcb Profile, Hamid R. Asgarian

Master's Theses

Falls are a cause of concern for the elderly because it can make them unable to call for help. A monitoring system can detect automatically their immobility and provide help to the elderly if they fall. Ultra-wide band signals for a monitoring system is an excellent choice since it has low enough power to not interfere with other medical and household electronics as well as being able to transmit data to a central monitoring unit. One part of this monitoring system is a boundary detection system used to verify that the monitoring system is not capturing events outside the monitoring …

Controlling Nanoparticle Dispersion For Nanoscopic Self-Assembly, Nathan S. Starkweather

Master's Theses

Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter and devices on the nanometer scale. Below the critical dimension length of 100nm, materials begin to display vastly different properties than their macro- or micro- scale counterparts. The exotic properties of nanomaterials may trigger the start of a new technological revolution, similar to the electronics revolution of the late 20^th century. Current applications of nanotechnology primarily make use of nanoparticles in bulk, often being made into composites or mixtures. While these materials have fantastic properties, organization of nano and microstructures of nanoparticles may allow the development of novel devices with many unique properties. …