Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Proximity Navigation For Map-Based Interfaces: Generalizing Menu Design For Multiple Dimensions, Brian Scott Malek

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The development of effective multidimensional map-based interfaces is an important area of research in need of design techniques and guidelines. To date, guidelines for multidimensional interfaces have been generalized from text-based interfaces and few experimental studies have been conducted to asses their effectiveness.

Guidelines for design were studied with the goal of extending the current body of knowledge about the usability of these interfaces. Based on design guidelines, multidimensional map-based interfaces with various levels of depth and breath, with and without scent-based components were used to perform simple and compound tasks. The goal of this study was to investigate the …

A Portable Computer System For Recording Heart Sounds And Data Modeling Using A Backpropagation Neural Network, Erik Mark Hudson

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cardiac auscultation is the primary tool used by cardiologists to diagnose heart problems. Although effective, auscultation is limited by the effectiveness of human hearing. Digital sound technology and the pattern classification ability of neural networks may offer improvements in this area. Digital sound technology is now widely available on personal computers in the form of sound cards. A good deal of research over the last fifteen years has shown that neural networks can excel in diagnostic problem solving. To date, most research involving cardiology and neural networks has focussed on ECG pattern classification. This thesis explores the prospects of recording …

Interaction And Interdependency Of Software Engineering Methods And Visual Programming, Robert A. Touchton

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Visual Programming Languages and Visual Programming Tools incorporate non-procedural coding mechanisms that may duplicate, or perhaps even conflict with, the analysis and design mechanisms promulgated by the mainstream Software Engineering methodologies. By better understanding such duplication and conflict, software engineers can take proactive measures to accommodate and, ideally, eliminate them. Better still, there may be opportunities for synergy that can be exploited if one is looking for them.

This research explored, documented and classified the interactions and interdependencies, both positive (synergies) and negative (conflicts), between two closely related and rapidly evolving Computer Science subdisciplines: software engineering and visual programming. A …

Simulation Modeling Of Prehospital Trauma Care, Robert L. Wears

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Prehospital emergency care systems are complex and do not necessarily respond predictably to changes in management. A combined discrete-continuous simulation model focusing on trauma care was designed and implemented in SIMSCRIPT II.5 to allow prediction of the systems response to policy changes in terms of its effect on the system and on patient survival.

The utility of the completed model was demonstrated by the results of experiments on triage and helicopter dispatching policies. Experiments on current and two alternate triage policies showed that helicopter utilization is significantly increased by more liberal triage to Level 1 trauma centers, which was expected, …

A Comparison Of Text And Graphics As Effective User Interfaces In A Proposed Advanced Train Control System, Kenneth A. Organes

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study tested the effectiveness of three screen interface formats for use in a proposed on-board computer to be used as part of an advanced train control system. One of the three formats contained only graphic depictions of the data, one contained only textual representations and the third had a mixture of graphic and textual data.

Twenty-eight subjects with varying railroad experience were recruited for the experiment. They were divided into three groups, each of which was presented with a simulation using one of the three interface types. The simulations depicted possible engine, track and train conditions that might be …