Studies that explore integration of visual, auditory or vestibular cues, are derived from stimulus detection and discrimination tasks in which stimuli are selective and controlled. Multisensory processing is not as well understood in more dynamic and realistic tasks such as driving. As visual information is the dominant source of information when controlling a vehicle, we were interested in the contribution of auditory and physical motion (vestibular and proprioceptive) information to vehicle control. The simulated environment consisted of a straight, two-lane road and the task was to drive in the center of the right lane and maintain a constant speed, slowing down for occasional speed bumps. We examined differences in driving performance under four sets of sensory cues: visual only, visual and auditory, visual and physical motion, and visual, auditory and physical motion. The quality of visual information was manipulated across two experiments. In Experiment 1, participants drove in daylight in sunny weather, providing excellent visual information. In Experiment 2, visual information was compromised by providing dark and stormy weather conditions. In both experiments we observed an advantage of multisensory information, an effect that was enhanced when visual information was compromised. Auditory cues were especially effective in improving driver control. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / Multisensory processing (combining information from different sensory systems) is not well understood in realistic tasks such as driving. A simulated environment consisted of a straight, two-lane road was used for this study. The task was to drive in the center of the right lane and maintain a constant speed, slowing down for occasional speed bumps. We examined differences in driving performance under four sets of sensory cues: visual only, visual and auditory, visual and physical motion, and visual, auditory and physical motion. The visual information was manipulated across two experiments: first, participants drove in daylight in sunny weather, providing excellent visual information. Next, visual information was compromised by providing dark and stormy weather conditions. In both experiments we observed an advantage of multisensory information, an effect that was enhanced when visual information was compromised. Auditory cues were especially effective in improving driver control.

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A new method of numerical integration is presented here, the variable-step Stormer-Cowell method. The method uses error control to regulate the step size, so larger step sizes can be taken when possible, and is double-integration, so only one evaluation per step is necessary when integrating second-order differential equations. The method is not variable-order, because variable-order algorithms require a second evaluation. The variable-step Stormer-Cowell method is designed for space surveillance applications,which require numerical integration methods to track orbiting objects accurately. Because of the large number of objects being processed, methods that can integrate the equations of motion as fast as possible while maintaining accuracy requirements are desired. The force model used for earth-orbiting objects is quite complex and computationally expensive, so methods that minimize the force model evaluations are needed. The new method is compared to the fixed-step Gauss-Jackson method, as well as a method of analytic step regulation (s-integration), and the variable-step variable-order Shampine-Gordon integrator. Speed and accuracy tests of these methods indicate that the new method is comparable in speed and accuracy to s-integration in most cases, though the variable-step Stormer-Cowell method has an advantage over s-integration when drag is a significant factor. The new method is faster than the Shampine-Gordon integrator, because the Shampine-Gordon integrator uses two evaluations per step, and is biased toward keeping the step size constant. Tests indicate that both the new variable-step Stormer-Cowell method and s-integration have an advantage over the fixed-step Gauss-Jackson method for orbits with eccentricities greater than 0.15. / Ph. D.

This study was designed to gain a better understanding of whether electronic mail (email) was replacing traditional behaviors in which college students engage to achieve academic and social integration. Data consisted of printouts of email records, and corresponding logsheets detailing the relationship of the participant to the sender/receiver of each message and the general nature of the message. Additional data included answers to email survey questions and lists of traditional academic and social integration behaviors against which the email behavior categories were compared. Specifically, this study was designed to explore the following research questions: 1. For what purpose do students use email? 2. Do college students use email in lieu of traditional behaviors that lead to social integration? 3. Do college students use email in lieu of traditional behaviors that lead to academic integration? 4. Does students' use of email differ by gender? Two samples were selected for this study. The first consisted of a comprehensive list, compiled from nationally normed survey instruments, of traditional behaviors that students use to achieve academic and social integration. The second sample consisted of 23 traditional-aged freshmen who used email (11 males and 12 females). Results were based on an analysis of 4,603 messages sent or received by the participants and revealed several important findings. First, while the participants did use email for some academic and social integration purposes, the bulk of their email activity did not relate to either form of integration. Second, participants seemed to be using email to communicate extensively with family members and high school friends. Third, there were no major differences in either the extent of email use or the nature of that use by gender. Finally, the participants spent a considerable amount of time every day checking, writing, composing and sending email messages. These trends suggest that email has become an integral part of college student life and that college administrators need to explore new and effective ways to ensure that the use of email is beneficial, not detrimental, to the overall development of college students. / Master of Arts

Flip chip interconnections have superior performance for microwave applications compared to wire bond interconnections because of their reduced parasitics, more compact architecture, and flexibility in laying out flip chip bond pads. Reduction in interconnect parasitics enables these interconnects to support broadband signals, therefore increasing the bandwidth capabilities of flip chip-assembled systems. Traditional flip chip designs provide mechanical and electrical connections from a top chip to a carrier substrate with rigid solder joints. For heterogeneous assemblies, flip chip connections suffer from thermo-mechanical failures caused by coefficient of thermal expansion mismatches. As an alternative, flexible flip chip interconnections incorporating a metal, which is liquid at room temperature, mitigates the possibility of such thermo-mechanical failures. Additionally, liquid metal, flip chip interconnections allow for room temperature assembly, simplifying assembly and rework processes. This dissertation focuses on the design and characterization of liquid metal interconnections, specifically using Galinstan, an alloy of gallium indium and tin, for the heterogeneous assembly of active monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) onto a CTE mismatched substrate. Carrier substrates designed for liquid metal transitions were fabricated on high resistivity Si and on three dimensional copper structures. The three dimensional copper structures were fabricated in the PolyStrata™ process. Individual MMIC chips were post-processed to mate with carrier substrates in a liquid metal, flip chip configuration. S-parameter measurements of prototype MMIC assemblies with liquid metal, flip chip interconnections showed an average transition loss of 0.7dB over the MMIC's frequency of operation (4.9 - 8.5 GHz). Passive assemblies were also fabricated to characterize the power and temperature performance of liquid metal transitions. Liquid metal interconnections show excellent power handling, maintaining consistent RF performance while transmitting 100W of continuous wave power for an hour. Liquid metal interconnections were also tested following 200 temperature cycles over the -140°C – 125°C range. A comparison of S parameter measurements taken before and after temperature cycling, over a frequency range of 10MHz - 40GHz showed no significant changes in performance. These passive assemblies were also used to develop a lumped element model of the interconnection which is useful for the verification the interconnection\'s performance and for comparison of liquid metal interconnection parasitic to wire bond and flip chip interconnect parasitics. The experimental results presented in this dissertation confirm that liquid metal interconnect are viable for wider use in military and commercial applications. In the future, additional environmental testing and further refinement of the processing flow, such as improved contact metallurgy, are needed to make this interconnect approach more viable for large volume manufacturing. / Ph. D.

Extensive research is available about both academic and social integration among college students (Braxton & Hirschy, 2004; Dennis, 1998; Kuh, Kinzie, Schuh, & Whitt, 2005; Tinto, 1975 & 1987). As college students spend time and become more involved in the campus community, academic and social integration increases (Astin, 1977; 1985; Kuh, Schuh, Whitt, Andreas, Lyons, Strange, Krehbiel, & MacKay, 1991), which leads to student retention. There are differences, however, in academic and social integration by race and gender. Research also suggests that college students are spending more time on computers (Bugeja, 2006; Fallows, 2005; Gemmill & Peterson, 2006; Hawkins & Paris, 1997; Jones, 2002; Jones, 2003; Messineo & DeOllos, 2005; Rainie, Kaleoff, & Hess, 2002; Reisberg, 2000) though women and minority students still lag behind their peers when using a computer (Fallow, 2005; Hawkins & Paris, 1997; Messineo & DeOllos, 2005). Currently, however, there is no literature that examines the effects that computer use and race and computer use and gender may have on academic and social integration. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between academic and social integration by computer use and race and computer use and gender. Data from the College Student Experience Questionnaire (CSEQ) (Pace & Kuh, 1998) were employed to explore these issues. A dataset of 2,000 respondents that included representative numbers of the entire sample of men and women as well as Caucasians and respondents of other races was used. The respondents were categorized as low or high computer users based on responses to a series of items on the CSEQ. Other CSEQ items were used to assess respondents' academic and social integration. Results indicate that differences for academic and social integration exist by level of computer use. Overall, high computer users are more academically and socially integrated than low computer users. The results also indicate that academic integration does not differ by level of computer user and race or level of computer use and gender. / Master of Arts

Research suggests that college students persist in college when they feel connected to something or someone at their institution. These connections are often established through academic and social engagement. Tinto (1987) described these concepts as academic integration and social integration. Much research has been done regarding the importance of academic and social integration. Some have looked at technology's impact on the ways in which students achieve social and academic integration. However, there has been little research regarding how the current student population uses Instant Messaging to supplement traditional behaviors associated with academic and social engagement. The present study was designed to address these gaps in the present literature on social and academic integration. The purpose of this study was to examine how college students use Instant Messenger (IM). Specifically, the present study explored if college students use IM to supplement traditional behaviors associated with academic and social integration. Data were collected from emailed IM conversations, logsheets submitted by the participants, and answers to IM survey questions. The results of the analysis of these data were compared to Gatz's (1998) lists of traditional behaviors associated with academic and social integration. Results seem to suggest that college students use Instant Messaging for primarily social purposes. When students engage socially through IM, it is most often used to connect or stay connected with friends. Interestingly, the majority of the friends college students are Instant Messaging are fellow students from their home institution. When students do use IM for academic purposes, it is most often used to set up project meeting times or ask questions about a class. / Master of Arts

Migrationen till Sverige ökar ständigt och landet är mångnationellt med individer från olika nationer som lever sida vid sida. Integration är ett begrepp som ofta diskuteras och det finns många sätt att se på begreppet. Ett vanligt uttryck är att ”idrott förenar människor”. Detta är något som är aktuellt i Sverige nu med ett flertal integrationsprojekt involverande idrott som startas runtom i landet utöver de språkintroduktionsprogram som finns för nyanlända invandrarungdomar i högstadie/gymnasieåldern där de får chansen att bland annat idrotta på skoltid. Syftet med det här arbetet är att undersöka hur ledare för integrationsprojekt med idrott som gemensam nämnare ser på idrotten som en väg för invandrarungdomar att integreras in i samhället samt socialiseras i olika grupper. För att ta reda på detta genomfördes en kvalitativ studie bestående av samtalsintervjuer med sex ledare för olika integrationsprojekt, inklusive idrottslärare för språkintroduktionsprogram. Vi utgick ifrån en fenomenografisk ansats vilket innebär att det är respondenternas upplevelser samt variation av fenomenen inom ämnet som vi eftersträvar. I studien kommer vi fram till att respondenterna upplever att idrott är en fördelaktig arena för integration samt socialisation bland invandrarungdomar men att det finns ett flertal faktorer som gör att ledares arbete försvåras, bland annat handlar det om att idrottsrörelsen måste arbeta mer aktivt för att locka invandrarungdomar till idrottsrörelsen, upplever respondenterna.

ITC/USA 2008 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-Fourth Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 27-30, 2008 / Town and Country Resort & Convention Center, San Diego, California / Typically, FTI projects utilise acquisition hardware from multiple vendors. There are at least three ways of facilitating their integration. The first option is to implement a series of ad hoc mechanisms customised to the software interfaces provided by each specific FTI vendor. The second option is to define a meta-data format that can be used to define hardware setup and configuration in a common way. The final option is to define a common software architecture that prescribes a set of interfaces and services through which vendor hardware can be configured, and measurement data retrieved. This paper discusses the pros and cons of each approach and outlines the level of difficulty associated with each.

In the last three decades regional economic co-operation and integration attracted a great deal of interest in Southern Africa, as elsewhere in the Third World. Early attempts at regional integration in Southern Africa were generally characterised by poor and disappointing performance. Recent changes at both regional and international contexts suggest the need to rethink regional integration as part of an overall economic development strategy and as means to attain further political and security stability. This thesis examines the theory and practice of regional integration in developing countries during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Particular focus is directed at the theoretical and practical implications of different integration approaches for Southern Africa, as well as at the rationale for the revival of this development strategy in the 1990s. Integration schemes of various conceptual natures did not fulfil the expectations included either in the theoretical postulates or in the formal treaties. However, macroeconomic reforms centred in SAPs and their international development context as well as the post-apartheid regional context add new dimensions to regional co-operation and integration for development in the SAR. Among other things they imply a change in the emphasis from inward-looking to outward-looking integration strategies. By yielding the need for reconciling trade liberalisation and RECI this new dimension in integration poses a new challenge to both the contemporary integration approaches and the respective policy implications. Further research is required to determine the optimality of an "adjusted" integration approach, combining elements of the above perspectives.