Thesis (M.S. in Computer Science)--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2004. / Thesis advisor(s): Cynthia Irvine, Paul C. Clark. Includes bibliographical references (p. 167-168). Also available online.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Ohio University, June, 2009. / Release of full electronic text on OhioLINK has been delayed until June 1, 2012. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 222-251)

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Ohio University, June, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. Release of full electronic text on OhioLINK has been delayed until June 1, 2012. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 222-251)

Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on Feb, 18, 2010). The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file. Thesis advisor: Dr. Paul Bolls. Includes bibliographical references.

Cognitive Radio is an innovative technology that allows the secondary unlicensed users to share the spectrum with licensed primary users to utilize the spectrum. For maximum utilization of spectrum, in cognitive radio network spectrum sensing is an important issue. Cognitive user under extreme shadowing and channel fading can‟t sense the primary licensed user signal correctly and thus to improve the performance of spectrum sensing, collaboration between secondary unlicensed users is required. In collaborative spectrum sensing the observation of each secondary user is received by a base station acting as a central entity, where a final conclusion about the presence or absence of the primary user signal is made using a particular decision and fusion rule. Due to spatially correlated shadowing the collaborative spectrum sensing performance decreases, and thus optimum secondary users must be selected to, not only improve spectrum sensing performance but also lessen the processing overhead of the central entity. A particular situation is depicted in the project where according to some performance parameters, first those optimum secondary users that have enough spatial separation and high average received SNR are selected using Genetic Algorithm, and then collaboration among these optimum secondary users is done to evaluate the performance. The collaboration of optimal secondary user providing high probability of detection and low probability of false alarm, for sensing the spectrum is compared with the collaboration of all the available secondary users in that radio environment. At the end a conclusion has been made that collaboration of selected optimum secondary users provides better performance, then the collaboration of all the secondary users available. / Cognitive Radio is an innovative technology that allows the secondary unlicensed users to share the spectrum with licensed primary users to utilize the spectrum. For maximum utilization of spectrum, in cognitive radio network spectrum sensing is an important issue. Cognitive user under extreme shadowing and channel fading can‟t sense the primary licensed user signal correctly and thus to improve the performance of spectrum sensing, collaboration between secondary unlicensed users is required. In collaborative spectrum sensing the observation of each secondary user is received by a base station acting as a central entity, where a final conclusion about the presence or absence of the primary user signal is made using a particular decision and fusion rule. Due to spatially correlated shadowing the collaborative spectrum sensing performance decreases, and thus optimum secondary users must be selected to, not only improve spectrum sensing performance but also lessen the processing overhead of the central entity. A particular situation is depicted in the project where according to some performance parameters, first those optimum secondary users that have enough spatial separation and high average received SNR are selected using Genetic Algorithm, and then collaboration among these optimum secondary users is done to evaluate the performance. The collaboration of optimal secondary user providing high probability of detection and low probability of false alarm, for sensing the spectrum is compared with the collaboration of all the available secondary users in that radio environment. At the end a conclusion has been made that collaboration of selected optimum secondary users provides better performance, then the collaboration of all the secondary users available.

Abstract Purpose: To characterize physical activity of people using manual wheelchairs with spinal cord injury in Manitoba. Methods: An observational study of manual wheelchairs users with spinal cord injury. Participants completed surveys related to self-efficacy for exercise, physical activity participation, and shoulder pain. Accelerometers were worn for 7 days on the wrist and trunk (GT3X, 100 Hz, 5 s epochs) and completed an activity log concurrently. Individual specific thresholds were determined for moderate intensity during a pace graded wheeling trial. Physical activity and sedentary time were characterized using various derived variables. Results: Twenty five participants (12 tetra:13 para, 21M:4F) demonstrated excellent accelerometer adherence achieving an average of 6.2 days worn for over 13 hours per day. A total of 74.6 min (all activity) and 115 min (contiguous bouts of activity) were achieved over time worn (6.2 days), corresponding to 11.8 and 18.5 min/day respectively. The participants substantially exceeded the published SCI guidelines (40 min/week, P<0.01) but were under the able bodied threshold of 150 min/week (P<0.01). No relationships were observed between surveys and objectively measured PA. Characterization of PA bouts revealed few participants (n=7) exhibiting single bout durations greater than 10 minutes, with an average contiguous bout duration of 30 s. A new functional classification scheme revealed positive correlations to PA variables and wheeling performance. Sedentary times ranged from 6.25 to 8.4 hours per day depending upon accelerometer placement. Conclusion: Arm based accelerometry can be used to determine PA and sedentary characteristics of manual wheelchair users with individual specific moderate intensity thresholds. Participants exceeded the SCI specific activity guidelines in terms of time per week, and failed to reach bout durations of 20 min. This study supports the use of able-bodied PA guidelines as a target. A new functional classification scheme was derived based upon wheeling dependent muscle innervation that had enhanced prediction of PA relative to standard anatomical classification / October 2015

The applicant's research has led to a substantial body of published work and 17 pieces from this work are submitted here. Of these, eight are in peer refereed journals testifying to the importance of the body of work submitted. The work has attracted external funding of £73,000 from North West Thames Regional Health Authority which attests further to the quality of the work undertaken. In addition the applicant's expertise in the area has been recognised internationally by her appointments as World Health Organisation Advisor (Guidelines on Counselling of HIV Infected and AIDS Patients; Intravenous Drug Use and Risk of HIV Infection) and as UK representative to the Commission of the European Communities (Prevention of AIDS for Intravenous Drug Users) and she has presented evidence to a Home Office Working Party (Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs) and acted as academic referee for several academic journals including AIDS, AIDS Care, and Addiction. The submitted research publications are based upon five studies drawing upon 623 injecting drug users (idus) surveyed between 1985 and October 1992. The demographic characteristics of the clients included in each of the studies did not vary substantially between studies. Three of the studies involved evaluation of interventions for harm minimisation and two of those included designs of innovative interventions. The remaining two were aimed at identifying trends in risk - related behaviours and risk reduction. The body of work with its regular data collection over a seven year period from one location in the UK charts the behavioural changes and service responses from a point in time when AIDS awareness among idus was virtually non-existent through the response to the awareness of risks of sharing injecting equipment, followed by the introduction of needle exchange schemes and their evaluation, awareness of sexual transmission risks and need for sexual counselling, provides a unique perspective. The first and the final study had longitudinal components but the over all behavioural and attitudinal trends are identified from cross-sectional data. The approach taken by the research was to place risk-related behaviours within a context of the idus' social lifestyles rather than isolating behaviours from the contexts in which they occur. This approach contrasts with the individualistic social-cognitive models that have been used by others rather unsuccessfully to try to account for health related risk behaviours. The aims of the research were to obtain accurate information about the behaviours of idus with specific reference to HIV transmission related behaviours especially injecting practices and sexual behaviours by (1) identifying the characteristics of idus attending a drug dependency unit and/or syringe exchange unit in Central London (2) examining the sexual and drug-related behaviours of clients attending those services and their risks for HIV infections.

Magistrantūros studijų baigiamasis darbas, 59 puslapių, 11 paveikslų, 13 lentelių, 37 lite-ratūros šaltiniai, 3 priedai lietuvių kalba. Magistro darbe siekiama apibendrinti teorinius biokuro rinkos suderinamumo aspektus bei jų pritaikymo galimybes. Teorinėje dalyje analizuojami biokuro sistemos įvertinimo metodikos moksliniai spren-dimai, įvertinama Lietuvos biokuro verslo aplinka bei pateikiami biokuro rinkos veiklos suderi-namumo būdai. Tiriamojoje dalyje, remiantis teoriniu biokuro rinkos dalyvių ryšių įvertinimu, atliekamas biokuro rinkos dalyvių tyrimas. Pateikiamos teoriniu ir praktiniu biokuro rinkos suderinamumo tyrimu apibendrintos išvados ir rekomendacijos. Tyrimo objektas – biokuro rinka. Darbo tikslas – sukūrti biokuro rinkos dalyvių interesų suderinamumo modelį ir pagrįsti jo naudingumą. Tyrimo tikslui pasiekti darbe numatoma išspręsti šiuos uždavinius: 1) Nustatyti biokuro rinkos dalyvius ir jų tarpusavio santykius; 2) nustatyti galimus biokuro rinkos dalyvių interesų suderinamumo būdus; 3) parengti biokuro rinkos dalyvių interesų suderinamumo tyrimo metodiką; 4) pagal parengtą metodiką pasiūlyti sprendimus biokuro rinkos dalyviams. Tyrimo metodai - mokslinės literatūros analizė ir sintezė, loginė analizė ir sintezė, lygi-namoji analizė, struktūrinė santykinė analizė, statistinių duomenų analizė ir sintezė, grafinio vaizdavimo metodas. Teorinės dalies tyrimo metodikos santrauka pateikta straipsnyje „Biokuro rinkos suderi-namumo teoriniai aspektai“ (Tyla... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Research object – dimension compatibility of the biofuel market and its potencial use. In the theoretical part analysing biofuel system methodology scientific solution, rateab-ling Lithuanian biofuel bussines environment, and proceeding the way of the biofuel market compatibility. In the inquiring part, performing biofuel market users inquiring. Research object – biofuel market. Research aim – to value and to substantiate biomass and biofuel production and use sys-tem model compatibility, utility, expedience, and viable, also research plan arrangement premise. Objectives: 1) perform theoretic the analysis of biofuel market analysis, and to set it to use in heating energy make. 2) estimate potential ways of biofuel market. 3) frame the biofuel market methodology, to rate Lithuanian biofuel market procee-ding. 4) evaluate biofuel market in Lithuania according to the prepared methodology. Research methods: the analysis and synthesis of scientific literature, logical analysis and synthesis, comparable analysis, structural comparative analysis, the analysis and synthesis of sta-tistical information, graphic methods of modeling, method of rating. Teoretical part research methodology digest is given in the article „Theorical dimension compatibility of the biofuel market“ (Tyla, Ramanauskas, 2008).

Šiuolaikinėmis ypatingai didelės konkurencijos sąlygomis, kai rinka persotinta prekių ir paslaugų, daugelis įprastinių konkurencinių strategijų praranda savo poveikį, vis daugiau įmonių pradeda spręsti paslaugų kokybės užtikrinimo klausimą. Paslaugų sektoriuje labiausiai kreiptinas dėmesys yra į kokybišką aptarnavimą, nes tai didelia dalimi nulemia vartotojo apsisprendimą pasinaudoti ar ne teikiamomis paslaugomis. Didelis vartotojų pasitenkinimo lygis nulemia didesnį vartojimą. / In case of highly competitive market saturated of products and services, usual marketing strategies lose their efficiency. Companies reaction is implementing a new strategy based on solving the issues related to the “warranty’ service quality”. It is essential in the service sector to focus guaranteeing high standarts of services, which is to a large extend determinated by the user’s wish whether or not to benefit of these services. A high level of customer’s satisfaction usualy leads to higher consumption.

To date, very few studies have been conducted focusing on ratings of music and music listening experience of hearing aid (HA) users. This study aimed to collect more detailed and descriptive information via a questionnaire, on the music listening experience and ratings of musical sounds from postlingually deafened adults. The following hypotheses were posed: (i) ratings for music from HA users who have been assessed for a cochlear implant (HA-CI group) will be worse than those who have not been assessed for a CI (HA-NCI group); and (ii) HA users with a moderate or worse hearing loss (Moderate+ subgroup) will provide lower ratings for music than those with a mild hearing loss (Mild subgroup). A questionnaire by She (2008), was modified for this study, and subsequently called the University of Canterbury Music Listening Questionnaire – HA version (UCMLQ_HA). The questionnaire was divided into the following seven sections: music listening and music background, sound quality ratings, music styles, music preferences, music recognition, factors affecting music listening enjoyment, and a music training programme. Thirteen HA-CI recipients and 98 HA-NCI recipients returned the questionnaire. The HA-NCI group was divided into two subgroups: mild hearing loss (n = 51), and moderate or worse hearing loss (Moderate+; n = 47). Essentially findings were consistent with hypothesis one, but only partially consistent with hypothesis two. The HA-CI group provided lower ratings for ‘pleasantness’ and ‘naturalness’ of instruments (p = 0.007), and found music styles to be less ‘pleasant’ (p < 0.001) than the HA-NCI group. For musical styles, the HA-CI group preferred solo performers whereas the HA-NCI group preferred groups of performers. In addition to ratings of music, the HA-CI group provided significantly lower ratings for music listening (p = 0.001), and overall music enjoyment (p = 0.021) than the HA-NCI group. For the comparisons between the Mild and Moderate+ subgroups, the Mild subgroup found Instruments to sound significantly ‘less noisy’ (p < 0.001) and ‘less sharp’ (p < 0.001) than the Moderate+ subgroup. The Moderate+ subgroup provided higher ratings for overall enjoyment of listening to music with HAs than the Mild subgroup (p = 0.044). Both subgroups rated the drum kit (the lowest rated Instrument) to be significantly less pleasant and less natural than all other Instruments. It was also found that all musical styles were significantly more pleasant than Pop/Rock. There were similarities between the groups for music preferences; the male singer was significantly preferred over female singers (p = 0.021), and low-pitched instruments were significantly preferred over high-pitched instruments (p = 0.04). Classical music was also selected as the style that sounded the best with their HAs and listened to the most often. Almost all of the respondents indicated that they would like music in general to sound it would to those with normal hearing (97.1%). Close to 30% indicated that they would be interested in an MTP and would like it to focus on a wide range of music and feature commonly known tunes. In addition, training sessions should consist of two 30 minute sessions per week. Overall this study indicates that ratings of music differ with level of hearing loss to some degree. The general consensus was that music did not sound as they would expect it to sound to a person with normal hearing, and that respondents would like to enjoy listening to music more.