Thesis (M.A.)--Georgia State University, 2006. / Title from title screen. Michelle Brattain, committee chair; Charles Steffen, Hugh Hudson, committee members. Electronic text (113 p.) : digital, PDF file. Description based on contents viewed Aug. 2, 2007. Includes bibliographical references (p. 109-113).

In this thesis I will be concerned with linking the observed speechsignal to the configuration of articulators.Due to the potentially rapid motion of the articulators, the speechsignal can be highly non-stationary. The typical linear analysistechniques that assume quasi-stationarity may not have sufficienttime-frequency resolution to determine the place of articulation.I argue that the traditional low and high-level primitives of speechprocessing, frequency and phonemes, are inadequate and should bereplaced by a representation with three layers: 1. short pitch periodresonances and other spatio-temporal patterns 2. articulatorconfiguration trajectories 3. syllables. The patterns indicatearticulator configuration trajectories (how the tongue, jaws, etc. aremoving), which are interpreted as syllables and words.My patterns are an alternative to frequency. I use shorttime-domain features of the sound waveform, which can be extractedfrom each vowel pitch period pattern, to identify the positions of thearticulators with high reliability. These features are importantbecause by capitalizing on detailed measurements within a single pitchperiod, the rapid articulator movements can be tracked. No linearsignal processing approach can achieve the combination of sensitivityto short term changes and measurement accuracy resulting from thesenonlinear techniques.The measurements I use are neurophysiologically plausible: theauditory system could be using similar methods.I have demonstrated this approach by constructing a robust techniquefor categorizing the English voiced stops as the consonants B, D, or Gbased on the vocalic portions of their releases. The classificationrecognizes 93.5%, 81.8% and 86.1% of the b, d and gto ae transitions with false positive rates 2.9%, 8.7% and2.6% respectively.

This thesis critically comments on the unapologetic consumerist society that is feeding the obesity epidemic in the United States. Utilizing the medium of animation, this work displays the paradox advertisement creates by enticing individuals into an unhealthy life style, while simultaneously shaming their excessive indulgence by exhibiting images of ideals. The appealing surface level of this piece masks the dark underlying implications, similar to the colorful boxes of food that disguise illness as nourishment.

abstract: Since the 1990s, stop and frisk activities have been a cornerstone of the New York Police Department (NYPD). The manner in which the NYPD has carried out stop, question, and frisks (SQFs), however, has been a focal point of discussion, resulting in public outrage and two major lawsuits. Recently, the Federal District Court Judge ruled that the NYPD was engaging in unconstitutional stop-and-frisk practices that targeted predominately Black and Latino New Yorkers. Questions surrounding the NYPD’s SQF practices have almost exclusively focused on racial and ethnic disproportionality in the rate of stops without necessarily considering what transpired during the stop. This study will fill that void by examining the prevalence and nature of use of force during those stops, along with testing the minority threat hypothesis. By combining micro-level measures from the NYPD’s 2012 “Stop, Question, and Frisk” database with macro-level variables collected from the United States Census Bureau, the current study examines police use of force in the context of SQF activities. The results should help judges, policy makers, police officers, and scholars understand the nature of police use of force in the context of SQFs. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Criminology and Criminal Justice 2015

Submitted by Patricia Figuti Venturini (pfiguti@anhembi.br) on 2016-10-18T19:34:05Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Thiago Guedes.pdf: 2064416 bytes, checksum: 59a78b07f2945717d7fc87ac73de56c9 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Patricia Figuti Venturini (pfiguti@anhembi.br) on 2016-10-18T19:55:18Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Thiago Guedes.pdf: 2064416 bytes, checksum: 59a78b07f2945717d7fc87ac73de56c9 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Patricia Figuti Venturini (pfiguti@anhembi.br) on 2016-10-18T19:59:45Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Thiago Guedes.pdf: 2064416 bytes, checksum: 59a78b07f2945717d7fc87ac73de56c9 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-10-18T20:01:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Thiago Guedes.pdf: 2064416 bytes, checksum: 59a78b07f2945717d7fc87ac73de56c9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-12-21 / This paper approaches the imagery surfaces. For Aumont (2014), the “image civilization” is too broad a concept. On the other hand, the term reveals the widespread feeling of a world of images increasingly present, varied and interchangeable. The cinema, for example, is available on television, while paintings are observable in photographic reproductions (AUMONT, 2014). With such volume and diversification of images, an intricate process of exchange between the forms of narrating and presenting (BERTOCCHI, 2013) is perceptible. It is with this in mind that this project investigates the animated infographic, seeking initially to clarify the constructive elements in the visual language, as proposed by Aumont (2014), Caixeta (2005) and Moraes (2013). Then, it searches the illusory motion created as of the motion design, trying to understand the temporal attribute as a project-guiding element. The method for constructing the theoretical thinking of the animated infographic starts from the relation and hybridization between motiongraphics and static infographics. After the construction of what becomes the excited infographic, it was possible to realize a branch for different types of animated infographics, ranging from video to loop animations. / É acerca das superfícies imagéticas que o presente trabalho trata no primeiro momento. Para Aumont (2014), falar sobre "civilização da imagem" é muito amplo. Por outro lado, o termo revela o sentimento generalizado de um mundo de imagens cada vez mais presentes, variadas e intercambiáveis. O cinema é acessível pela televisão, assim como a pintura é observada em reproduções fotográficas (AUMONT, 2014). Com tal volume e diversificação de imagens, percebe-se um intrincado processo de intercâmbio de diferentes formas de narrar e apresentar (BERTOCCHI, 2013). Este projeto investiga o infográfico animado – buscando esclarecer inicialmente os elementos construtivos inseridos na linguagem visual, a partir de Aumont (2014), Caixeta (2005) e Moraes (2013). Em seguida, busca pesquisar o movimento ilusório criado a partir do motion design, na intenção de compreender o atributo temporal como elemento norteador projetual. O método para construir o pensamento teórico do infográfico animado parte da relação e hibridização entre o motiongraphic e o infográfico estático. Após a construção do que vem a ser o infográfico animado, foi possível perceber uma ramificação para diferentes tipos de infográficos animados, que vão do vídeo a animações em loop.

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Artes, Departamento de Artes Visuais, 2014. / Submitted by Ana Cristina Barbosa da Silva (annabds@hotmail.com) on 2014-12-08T17:53:59Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2014_FernandoNisio.pdf: 33482610 bytes, checksum: a2b6dce6d9975b8454ecccaa236558a7 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Raquel Viana(raquelviana@bce.unb.br) on 2014-12-09T16:53:52Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2014_FernandoNisio.pdf: 33482610 bytes, checksum: a2b6dce6d9975b8454ecccaa236558a7 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-09T16:53:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2014_FernandoNisio.pdf: 33482610 bytes, checksum: a2b6dce6d9975b8454ecccaa236558a7 (MD5) / Esta dissertação prática-teórica visa apresentar a concepção de um curta de animação em stop motion a partir das características estéticas do cinema expressionista alemão. Primeiramente, as referências artísticas que embasaram os procedimentos metodológicos da estética da animação "O Robô e a Maçã". Esses embasamentos foram oriundos do Cinema Expressionista Alemão, com os filmes “Nosferatu”, “Metrópolis”, “Da aurora e meia noite” e “O Gabinete do Doutor Caligari”. Em um segundo momento são destacadas as principais características da teoria do expressionismo cinematográfico alemão como o forte contraste entre o claro e escuro; a geometrização da forma; o grafismo; os planos; as linhas diagonais e ângulos quebrados e obtusos; o direcionamento da luz e a manipulação das sombras; entre outros. Finalmente, apresenta o processo de criação do curta em animação em stop motion em “O Robô e a Maçã” e a aplicação das características estéticas do Cinema Expressionista em sua concepção. ____________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT / This theoretical and practical dissertation presents the conception of a stop motion animated short drawing from the aesthetic characteristics of the German Expressionist Film. Firstly, the artistic references that back up the aesthetic process method in the “Robot and the Apple”, that originate in the German Expressionist Films, such as “Nosferatu”, “Metroplis”, “From Morning till Midnight” and “The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari”. In this context, highlights the main characteristics of the German Expressionist cinematography: the strong contrast between light and dark; the geometrization of forms, the graphic planes; the diagonal lines and broken angles; light and shadow placement and manipulation; among others. Finally, presents the creative process of the stop motion animated short “The Robot and the Apple” and the application of the aesthetic characteristics of the German Expressionism, in its conception.

This study examines the development of police stop and search in Scotland from the post-war period onwards. The aim is to explain the remarkable scale of stop and search, the attendant lack of political or academic engagement prior to the formation of the single service in in April 2013, and to draw out the implications, both for policing and the public. The thesis takes a top-down perspective which seeks to explain the policing direction in terms of elite outlooks and decision-making over time. It is argued that search rates in contemporary Scotland can be explained in terms of an incremental shift in the way that the tactic has been conceptualized by political and policing elites. Specifically, it is argued that the post-war construct of stop and search as a reactive mechanism premised on investigation, detection and the disruption of crime, has been displaced by a proactive model, premised on intensive, risk-based stop and search activity. It is argued that this shift has partly attenuated the link between stop searches and suspicious behaviour by introducing non-detection as a measure of successful deterrence, alongside the traditional aim of detection. In short, it is argued that stop and search has been remodelled as a tactic that can be legitimated irrespective of the outcome. The thesis will show how this shift has progressively weighted the balance between crime control and individual freedom in favour of the state, and weakened the rights of the individual, with minimal regard for procedural protection and human rights. The thesis employs a wide range of data sources and methodologies to investigate the core argument, which is developed from three interrelated positions. First, taking a historical perspective, the thesis examines elite sensibilities and decision-making in relation to stop and search from the early 1950s, through to the early 2000s. Next, the thesis adopts an empirical position to investigate the use of stop and search between 2005 and 2010, and shows how search activity on the street reflected dominant outlooks higher up the ranks. Finally, the thesis adopts a normative perspective in order to assess the ethical implications of stop and search practice in Scotland, and to develop a series of informed recommendations for policy and practice.

Mobbning och kränkande behandling är ett stort problem i dagens skolvärld. Det finns flera olika arbetssätt och metoder för att förebygga detta, dock är inte alla lika effektiva. Det är viktigt att skolan har kunskap om vilka åtgärder som krävs för att kunna förebygga mobbning och kränkningar. 2011 gjorde Skolverket en undersökning mellan åtta olika åtgärdsprogram för att se hur de fungerar i praktiken. Resultatet av Skolverkets undersökning blev att inget av dessa åtgärdsprogram rekommenderas fullt ut. Vår undersökning handlar därför om att jämföra två kommunala skolor i Uppsala kommun som inte använder sig av något av dessa åtgärdsprogram. Vi har undersökt dessa skolor för att vi ville ta del av deras arbetssätt och metoder och se vad de har gett för resultat, samt vad tidigare forskning rekommenderar. För att genomföra vår studie har vi besökt två kommunala skolor i Uppsala och intervjuat fyra pedagoger på lågstadiet, två på varje skola. Under vår studie kom vi fram till att både skola X och skola Y har metoder och arbetssätt som har resulterat i minskning av mobbning och kränkningar. Studien har även visat att tidigare forskning till stor del har stämt överens med skolornas förebyggande arbete, men att varje enskild skola på bästa sätt borde anpassa sina metoder och arbetssätt till skolans förutsättningar.

<p>The current thesis investigated to which extent Korean heritage speakers (N = 20) maintain their L1 phonology by comparing their perceptual abilities with those of native speakers and English-speaking second language learners of Korean (N = 20) in an AX discrimination task. An AX discrimination task was implemented to measure perceptual accuracy of participants in discriminating the Korean lenis–aspirated stop contrast (aspirated stops: ‘ㅍ’ [p^h], ‘ㅌ’ [t^h], ‘ㅋ’ [k^h]; lenis stops: ‘ㅂ’ [p], ‘ㄷ’ [t], ‘ㄱ’ [k]) which is believed to be the most challenging among the Korean laryngeal categories to acquire not only for second language learners but also native speakers. To investigate whether linguistic factors known to be correlated with overall proficiency of heritage speakers can extend to Korean heritage speakers’ perceptual abilities, the current thesis examined the effects of language use and exposure, age of acquisition, and articulation rate on the perceptual accuracy in the AX discrimination task. Results of a mixed-effects logistic regression model showed that heritage speakers were as accurate as native speakers in discriminating the contrast while outperforming second language speakers. Another finding of the current study is that verbal fluency of heritage speakers measured by articulation rate was found to be a predictor for their perceptual accuracy. The results align with previous work suggesting that heritage speakers have the advantage of early language exposure and use that is sufficient to develop and maintain native-like phonological perceptual abilities later in life.</p>

Det finns mer än ett sätt att skapa musik. Vissa sätt är dock mer okonventionella än andra. En särskild metod behöver inga professionella inspelningsmjukvaror eller digitala musikinstrument kompatibla för sammankoppling med datorer. Istället behövs, förutom ett musikinstrument, enbart videoinspelningsutrustning och videoredigeringsmjukvara. Syftet med denna rapport är att undersöka hur väl personer kan -med en instruktionsvideo innehållande tal, grafik och realtidsinstruktioner- lära sig att skapa egen musik. En inledande, mindre studie genomfördes för att finna personer (utan tidigare erfarenhet av musikskapande) villiga att göra ett användartest under uppsikt. Det tänkta antalet testpersoner hölls lågt till följd av den rådande covid-19-pandemin, samt det sista användartestets natur. Samtliga tillfrågade var entusiastiska till att genomföra testet att av instruktionsvideon och dess innehåll. För att besvara syftet utformades, genom en iterativ design- och redigeringsprocess, en instruktionsvideo. Denna instruktionsvideo visades för samtliga testpersoner varpå de instruerades att redigera samman egna, förutbestämda, korta musikstycken. Resultatet av de kvalitativa testerna visar att man kan lära sig denna typ av musikskapande förutsatt att vägledningen är pedagogisk, tydlig och tidseffektiv. / There are several ways to create music. Some ways are more unconventional than others, however. One particular method does not require professional audio editing softwares or digital music instruments compatible with computers. Instead, the only thing required, apart from a music instrument, is video recording equipment and video editing software. The purpose of this study is to examine how well people can –using a video tutorial containing speech, graphical elements and real time instructions- learn how to create their own music. A small-scale, initial study was conducted to find people (without any past experience of music creation) willing to take part in a supervised user test. The supposed amount of test subjects was kept at a minimum due to a current covid19-pandemic, as well as the nature of the test itself. Every respondent was enthusiastic about testing the tutorial and its content. Through an iterative design and editing process, a video tutorial was created with the intent to answer the purpose of this study. The video tutorial was shown to every test subject, whereupon they were instructed to edit their own, predetermined, short musical pieces. The results of the quality-based tests show that musical content creation can be taught, given that the tutorial is clear, pedagogical and efficient.