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The biological sense organ contains infinite potential. The artificial neural structures have emulated the potential of the central nervous system; however, most of the researchers have been using the linear combination of synaptic operation. In this thesis, this neural structure is referred to as the neural unit with linear synaptic operation (LSO). The objective of the research reported in this thesis is to develop novel neural units with higher-order synaptic operations (HOSO), and to explore their potential applications. The neural units with quadratic synaptic operation (QSO) and cubic synaptic operation (CSO) are developed and reported in this thesis. A comparative analysis is done on the neural units with LSO, QSO, and CSO. It is to be noted that the neural units with lower order synaptic operations are the subsets of the neural units with higher-order synaptic operations. It is found that for much more complex problems the neural units with higher-order synaptic operations are much more efficient than the neural units with lower order synaptic operations. Motivated by the intensity of the biological neural systems, the dynamic nature of the neural structure is proposed and implemented using the neural unit with CSO. The dynamic structure makes the system response relatively insensitive to external disturbances and internal variations in system parameters. With the success of these dynamic structures researchers are inclined to replace the recurrent (feedback) neural networks (NNs) in their present systems with the neural units with CSO. Applications of these novel dynamic neural structures are gaining potential in the areas of image processing for the machine vision and motion controls. One of the machine vision emulations from the biological attribution is edge detection. Edge detection of images is a significant component in the field of computer vision, remote sensing and image analysis. The neural units with HOSO do replicate some of the biological attributes for edge detection. Further more, the developments in robotics are gaining momentum in neural control applications with the introduction of mobile robots, which in turn use the neural units with HOSO; a CCD camera for the vision is implemented, and several photo-sensors are attached on the machine. In summary, it was demonstrated that the neural units with HOSO present the advanced control capability for the mobile robot with neuro-vision and neuro-control systems.

The biological sense organ contains infinite potential. The artificial neural structures have emulated the potential of the central nervous system; however, most of the researchers have been using the linear combination of synaptic operation. In this thesis, this neural structure is referred to as the neural unit with linear synaptic operation (LSO). The objective of the research reported in this thesis is to develop novel neural units with higher-order synaptic operations (HOSO), and to explore their potential applications. The neural units with quadratic synaptic operation (QSO) and cubic synaptic operation (CSO) are developed and reported in this thesis. A comparative analysis is done on the neural units with LSO, QSO, and CSO. It is to be noted that the neural units with lower order synaptic operations are the subsets of the neural units with higher-order synaptic operations. It is found that for much more complex problems the neural units with higher-order synaptic operations are much more efficient than the neural units with lower order synaptic operations. Motivated by the intensity of the biological neural systems, the dynamic nature of the neural structure is proposed and implemented using the neural unit with CSO. The dynamic structure makes the system response relatively insensitive to external disturbances and internal variations in system parameters. With the success of these dynamic structures researchers are inclined to replace the recurrent (feedback) neural networks (NNs) in their present systems with the neural units with CSO. Applications of these novel dynamic neural structures are gaining potential in the areas of image processing for the machine vision and motion controls. One of the machine vision emulations from the biological attribution is edge detection. Edge detection of images is a significant component in the field of computer vision, remote sensing and image analysis. The neural units with HOSO do replicate some of the biological attributes for edge detection. Further more, the developments in robotics are gaining momentum in neural control applications with the introduction of mobile robots, which in turn use the neural units with HOSO; a CCD camera for the vision is implemented, and several photo-sensors are attached on the machine. In summary, it was demonstrated that the neural units with HOSO present the advanced control capability for the mobile robot with neuro-vision and neuro-control systems.

Numerical dispersion resulting from using the second-order central-difference operation to approximate the differential operation is the main error source of the FDTD method. The effect of numerical dispersion can be minimized if the spatial grid size is small than£f/10. It is difficultly to analyze the modeling of electrically large structures since a huge amount of computer memory will be needed if using a very fine grid to discretize the structure. Using higher-order FDTD is the effective alternative to reduce the effect of numerical dispersion. In this paper will discuss the handling of the discontinuous PEC boundary condition in four-order FDTD and its applications to antenna pattern analysis. Using the fourth-order FDTD can enlarge the spatial grid size and reduce the requirement of computer¡¦s memory. The far field range of small size antenna operating at higher frequency is shorter enough to directly derive the far field pattern by enlarging the spatial size of fourth-order FDTD. It will compare the far field pattern derived by four-order FDTD with near-to-far field transformation and analyze their characteristic individually.

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This study weighs the importance of assessment in the K-8 classroom against the preparation of teachers to create and administer assessments that are effective and meaningful. Despite the enormous pressure teachers are put under to assess and evaluate, Teacher Education Programs (TEP) are remiss in providing students with the necessary skills for this task. Teachers feel that their training has been deficient and rely on pot-job placement Professional Development (PD) to acquire a degree of proficiency. Survey questions and assessment samples were analyzed in order to gain a frame of reference on teacher attitudes toward assessment and the quality of assessment products. Higher order thinking (HOT) was an important factor in examining the samples. Analyzation was also done by experts in the field and these supported the work of the researcher. The results of the study show that there is insufficient training in assessment during TEP. Data from assessment sample analysis prove that, to a large degree, teachers are not able to identify or construct HOT. Assessment has taken a major place in our schools. If it is to remain such an important piece in the mosaic of both effective teaching and successful learning, TEPs must adapt their curriculum to ensure assessment mastery in their students.

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In this research an innovative combination of the Herschel-Quincke tubes and traditional liners is proposed for application in noise reduction of aircraft engines. The approach consists of installing Herschel-Quincke (HQ) tubes on lined rectangular ducts. An analytical model was developed to predict the effects of HQ tubes applied to rectangular lined ducts. The technique involves assuming the tube-duct interfaces as finite piston sources. These sources couple the acoustic field inside the duct with the acoustic field within the HQ tubes. The accuracy of the analytical model was validated with experimental data. Three different types of experimental configurations were tested: liner only, HQ tube with a hard wall duct, and HQ tubes with liners. Analytical predictions were shown to correlate well with the experimental data. Two typical types of liners, perforate and linear, were tested in these investigations. The perforate and linear liners with HQ systems showed better sound attenuations than the HQ tubes with hard walled ducts and liners only systems. The performance of the perforate and linear liners with HQ tubes were investigated in various configurations. The results indicated possible combinations which show great potential for reducing the noise within the ducts. / Master of Science

In this paper, I analyze Kit Fine's account of the logic and semantics of vagueness. The overall aim of Fine's project is to develop an account of the logic and semantics of vague language which accommodates distinctive characteristics of vagueness including penumbral connections and higher-order vagueness. I begin Chapter 1 with a discussion of what vagueness is and is not. Next, I trace the development of supervaluationism, and summarize Kit Fine's supervaluationism and specification space approach to vagueness. I also discuss the more salient features of vagueness and I discuss them in relation to specification space models. I close with a look at the logic of vagueness and the logic of higher-order vagueness. Chapter 2 deals with penumbrae and penumbral connections. I analyze Fine's account of penumbral connections before arguing that his characterization of penumbral connections is too broad. Fine mistakenly identifies logically valid formulae and their instances as though they exhibited penumbral connections. After arguing that Fine's misidentification of penumbral connections results in an analysis of penumbral connections which is built for too wide a notion of penumbral connections, I suggest a more refined characterization of penumbral connections. I take up higher-order vagueness in Chapter 3. I begin with an overview of some characterizations of higher-order vagueness. Next, I revisit Fine's accounts of the D operator and higher-order vagueness. Lastly, I argue that higher-order vagueness is not a distinct feature of the vagueness of natural language, but, rather, it is an artifact resulting from the analysis of the vagueness of natural language. / Master of Arts

The use of formative assessment in the classroom is becoming a more widely used practice and acceptable way to support students’ learning. There are several different strands to the formative concept of assessment for learning as opposed to assessment of learning. This research project looks at one strand of formative assessment, namely, the use of wait-time in the classroom. Three wait-time strategies were investigated and examples of their use are provided in an upper primary situation with three students of lower ability and challenging behaviours. Findings from this brief study show no conclusive evidence to support either the widely recognised use of increased wait-time to support a learner’s needs or the opposing view that brief wait-time, when used with students with behavioural issues, might increase academic responses and improve on-task behaviours. The use of one of the strategies, that of ‘talking partners’, demonstrated a slight increase in academic responses with members of the focus group. This research project, together with limitations and further research suggestions, is discussed.