Thesis (M.S.)--University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2008. / Title from title page screen (viewed on Mar. 6, 2009). Thesis advisor: Robert D. Hatcher. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2008. / Title from title page screen (viewed on Mar. 9, 2009). Thesis advisor: John C. Sorochan. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2008. / Title from title page screen (viewed on Mar. 9, 2009). Thesis advisor: Bennett. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2008. / Title from title page screen (viewed on Mar. 9, 2009). Thesis advisor: Bharat Mehra. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

The acquisition of 3D point clouds representing the surface structure of real-world scenes has become common practice in many areas including architecture, cultural heritage and urban planning. Improvements in sample acquisition rates and precision are contributing to an increase in size and quality of point cloud data. The management of these large volumes of data is quickly becoming a challenge, leading to the design of algorithms intended to analyse and decrease the complexity of this data. Point cloud segmentation algorithms partition point clouds for better management, and scene understanding algorithms identify the components of a scene in the presence of considerable clutter and noise. In many cases, segmentation algorithms operate within the remit of a specific context, wherein their effectiveness is measured. Similarly, scene understanding algorithms depend on specific scene properties and fail to identify objects in a number of situations. This work addresses this lack of generality in current segmentation and scene understanding processes, and proposes methods for point clouds acquired using diverse scanning technologies in a wide spectrum of contexts. The approach to segmentation proposed by this work partitions a point cloud with minimal information, abstracting the data into a set of connected segment primitives to support efficient manipulation. A graph-based query mechanism is used to express further relations between segments and provide the building blocks for scene understanding. The presented method for scene understanding is agnostic of scene specific context and supports both supervised and unsupervised approaches. In the former, a graph-based object descriptor is derived from a training process and used in object identification. The latter approach applies pattern matching to identify regular structures. A novel external memory algorithm based on a hybrid spatial subdivision technique is introduced to handle very large point clouds and accelerate the computation of the k-nearest neighbour function. Segmentation has been successfully applied to extract segments representing geographic landmarks and architectural features from a variety of point clouds, whereas scene understanding has been successfully applied to indoor scenes on which other methods fail. The overall results demonstrate that the context-agnostic methods presented in this work can be successfully employed to manage the complexity of ever growing repositories.

This study looks at how autism is represented by characters in popular film, by analyzing the protagonists of two films, I rymden finns inga känslor and Please Stand By, with narrative and character analysis and then interpreting the result against social constructionism and theories of normality. The analysis results in the emergence of stereotypical characters in both films, and a statement that this can help to form a kind of symbol for what autism means for non-autistic individuals. The discussion states that in order to combat stereotypical representation in popular media, a change is needed from a medical model to a social model together with a change in the discourse around what autism means for autistic individuals.

This thesis examines the topic of representation of totalitarianism in videogames. It aims to show how the totalitarianism is depicted in selected games and whether the videogame as a medium has some influence on this depiction. Theoretical part introduces and examines all sorts of different approaches, based on which one can study videogame as a medium. An argument about the videogames as a medium of control is presented further on and is also discussed in relation with totalitarianism. Second half of theoretical chapter focuses on definition of totalitarianism which is used in the case studies later on. Empirical part analyzes four games - Half-life 2, Papers, please, Wolfenstein: the New Order and BioShock with focus on representation of totality or dystopia. The games are analyzed both with regards to their rules and fiction. The conclusion shows that totalitarianism was represented mostly by its outer activities rather than ideology which were usually represented rather marginally. However, in all cases there could be found some examples of how was the representation of totalitarianism used to merge with system of control in games.

This study aims to investigate the effects of the &ldquo / PLEASE&rdquo / (a general paragraph writing strategy ) writing strategy instruction through the Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) model on descriptive writing of fifth grade English language learners studying in a private primary school in Istanbul. The current study specifically focuses on if instruction on pre-writing planning through the SRSD model results in improvements in students&rsquo / written products, planning behaviors and self-beliefs as writers. For the study, eight fifth grade students participated in a writing club activity offered by the researcher at school. They were taught strategies for planning and drafting descriptive paragraphs, and the procedures for regulating the use of these strategies and the writing process itself. The data collection tools included comparison of students&rsquo / final pieces of writing in terms of overall quality and length, retrospective verbal protocols, individual interviews, and questionnaires all of which were conducted both at the pre-intervention and the post-intervention phases. As a result, the pre-test and the post-test writing scores indicated that each student experienced improvement in terms of overall quality and length of the written products. The strategy training helped students become more aware of the need for pre-writing planning and they started to engage in planning prior to writing in real practice. After the treatment, the students also experienced increased self-confidence.

The past decade has witnessed an unprecedented public concern about the effects of high noise levels. The concern has mostly resulted from the increased noise levels of aircraft and the annoyance which that noise can cause to an individual exposed to it regularly. An effect of high level noise which has also resulted in enormous concern, but mostly out of the public-eye, has been that of noise induced hearing loss. Throughout industry in the U.K. alone there is an estimated 2 million people subjected to noise levels sufficiently high to endanger their hearing if regular exposure continues over a period of years. In order that these people may be protected from eventual partial or complete deafness their hearing acuity must be measured at regular intervals. The general title of the techniques used for making this measurement is audiometry. In industry there is a growing requirement for accurate and reliable but fast and simple-to-use audiometric equipment to cope with the large numbers of workers requiring regular examination. As a result of recent advances in the design and performance of digital computers intended for control applications the decision was made to investigate their possible use in routine audiometry and in particular in an industrial audiometric unit. Initially in this thesis, an extensive review of the existing audiometric techniques as used in hearing conservation programmes is given. In addition, deficiencies in the methods presently used are highlighted and discussed to reveal possible suitable areas for the application of computer techniques. As a result of this work a new concept of a screening audiometer is evolved in the form of an adaptive screening instrument capable of adjusting its measuring technique to produce optimum results from each subject and of performing much of the record keeping and result-scanning presently done by hand. To substantiate this theoretical work the proposed audiometer system was built on a computer situated in the University. A series of examinations were performed using the system and the results compared with others obtained from the same people by a conventional method. The two sets of results agreed to within acceptable limits and the degree of personal attention required to administer the test was greatly reduced.

Déplaire : ni une notion constituée, ni un champ de recherche. Mais une revendication : celle de plusieurs écrivains et artistes français au XVIIIe siècle, rechignant à répondre aux attentes du public. L’avènement d’une « opinion publique », dont l’autorité est contestée, renforce leur désir d’autonomie. Parmi les plus éloquents d’entre eux : Rousseau. À partir du Discours sur l’origine de l'inégalité [1751] et à l’occasion d’une éclatante « réforme » personnelle, le Citoyen de Genève établit la nécessité de rompre avec les arts de plaire qui ordonnaient la vie sociale et l’écriture littéraire depuis le XVIIe siècle. Mais il est bientôt confronté aux écueils de la tentation autarcique et d’une revendication d’indépendance immédiatement susceptible de se transformer en stratégie de séduction. Ainsi l’écrivain dénonce, au tournant des années 1760, sa posture d’auteur « rébarbatif ». Ce faisant, il s’essaie à fonder un nouveau plaire, libre et dégagé des obligations courtisanes… La poétique qui accompagne cette réhabilitation d’une forme de séduction se déploie notamment dans La Nouvelle Héloïse. Parvient-elle pour autant à surmonter l’interdit du plaisir littéraire posé par la Lettre à d’Alembert ? Cela n’est pas certain ; car c’est sa propre entreprise de persuasion qu’en dernière instance l’écrivain dénonce, et c’est en empoisonneur public qu’il se présente, secrètement, entre les lignes de son roman. / To displease: this is not a concept, neither a matter of research, but rather a claim--the claim of several writers and artists from the French 18th century, who where reluctant to meet their public’s expectations. The accession of public opinion, whose authority is contested, confirms their desire for autonomy. Among the most eloquent of them is Rousseau. After his Discourse about the origins of inequality among men [1751] inspired his own personal “reformation”, the Genevan citizen unexpectedly proclaims the need to be rid of the long-standing “art to please,” which, up until this point, had ordered social and literary life since the 17th century. However, he is quickly confronted by the dangers of autonomy and a quest for independence that could easily be mistaken as a deceptive form of seduction. In light of this, at the end of the 1750’s, Rousseau decides to renounce his stance as an insolent, forbidding author, and he re-establishes the aim to please, although this time in a different way. The language that is characteristic of the seductive style this author inaugurates is found in his novel La Nouvelle Heloise. But is the novelist able to trump his position, stated in the Lettre à d’Alembert, where he attacks literary pleasure? He would say so; but ironically, it is Rousseau’very own means of seduction that the is attacking when he suggests, indiscreetly, through the lines of his work, that he has been poisoning the public mind.