Master of Science / Department: Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology / Douglas Powell / Folklorama in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada is a 14-day temporary food service event that explores the many different cultural realms of food, food preparation, and entertainment. The ethnic nature and diversity of foods prepared within each pavilion presents a unique problem for food inspectors as each culture prepares food in their own very unique way. In 2010, the Russian pavilion at Folklorama was implicated in a foodborne outbreak of E.coli O157 causing 37 illnesses and 18 hospitalizations. Both the Department of Health and Folklorama Board of Directors realized a need for implementation of a food safety delivery program that would be more effective than a simple 2-hour food safety course delivered via PowerPoint slides. Until 2011, the 2-hour food safety course delivered to event co-ordinators and food operators for Folklorama pavilions was not mandatory. The course is now mandatory in 2011 for all Folklorama pavilions. Five randomly chosen pavilions were trained on-site, in their work environment, focusing on critical control points specific to their menu. A control group (five pavilions) did not receive on-site food safety training. Critical infractions noted on standardized food inspection reports were assessed. Results of the current study suggest no statistically significant difference in food inspection scores between the trained group and control group. Results imply that the 2-hour food safety course delivered via slides was sufficient to pass public health inspections.

The project is to design and implement a Web application for realizing an innovative, hands-on interactive learning experience for the Google Maps API. This learning environment was developed based on a real-world Geographic Information System (GIS), the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Geospatial Information Support System. Significant efforts were invested not only in development of this GIS system, but also in the design and implement that turns the production system into a learning environment. The Web development aspect attracts computer science students, while the opportunity to learn GIS concepts in an interactive way to attract students from the geography department and the opportunity to learn the Google Maps API proves interesting to regular internet users. The Web learning system was given to a focus group whose feedback was collected through a survey. The survey results reveal a favorable response to the interactive, hands-on learning model and the Web implementation.

O objetivo deste trabalho é desenvolver um algoritmo capaz de extrair medidas dos dedos e da palma das mãos. Essas imagens serão adquiridas através de um banco de imagens digitalizadas em um scanner de mesa, facilmente encontrado, e processadas para se obter uma curva do contorno da mão, permitindo assim que se extraia informações biométricas das mesmas. As imagens armazenadas no banco serão então associadas a um determinado usuário, visando em um estágio futuro, aplicações na identificação pessoal. / The object of this work is to develop an algorithm to extract fingers and hands palm measures. Those images will be acquired from a database of images digitalized by a scanner, easily founded, and processed to get the hand contour, allowing biometrics informations to be extracted. The images stored in the database will be associated with an user, aiming personal identification in a future stage.

"Speech enhancement in an automobile is a challenging problem because interference can come from engine noise, fans, music, wind, road noise, reverberation, echo, and passengers engaging in other conversations. Hands-free microphones make the situation worse because the strength of the desired speech signal reduces with increased distance between the microphone and talker. Automobile safety is improved when the driver can use a hands-free interface to phones and other devices instead of taking his eyes off the road. The demand for high quality hands-free communication in the automobile requires the introduction of more powerful algorithms. This thesis shows that a unique combination of five algorithms can achieve superior speech enhancement for a hands-free system when compared to beamforming or spectral subtraction alone. Several different designs were analyzed and tested before converging on the configuration that achieved the best results. Beamforming, voice activity detection, spectral subtraction, perceptual nonlinear weighting, and talker isolation via pitch tracking all work together in a complementary iterative manner to create a speech enhancement system capable of significantly enhancing real world speech signals. The following conclusions are supported by the simulation results using data recorded in a car and are in strong agreement with theory. Adaptive beamforming, like the Generalized Side-lobe Canceller (GSC), can be effectively used if the filters only adapt during silent data frames because too much of the desired speech is cancelled otherwise. Spectral subtraction removes stationary noise while perceptual weighting prevents the introduction of offensive audible noise artifacts. Talker isolation via pitch tracking can perform better when used after beamforming and spectral subtraction because of the higher accuracy obtained after initial noise removal. Iterating the algorithm once increases the accuracy of the Voice Activity Detection (VAD), which improves the overall performance of the algorithm. Placing the microphone(s) on the ceiling above the head and slightly forward of the desired talker appears to be the best location in an automobile based on the experiments performed in this thesis. Objective speech quality measures show that the algorithm removes a majority of the stationary noise in a hands-free environment of an automobile with relatively minimal speech distortion."

abstract: Between the years of 1818 and 1833 the Austrian composer, teacher, and pianist, Carl Czerny (1791–1857) wrote one of his greatest compositions, the f minor Grand Piano Sonata, Op.178 for piano four hands. Overshadowed by composers like Ludwig van Beethoven, Frederic Chopin, Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms and possibly because of Czerny’s prolific pedagogical output, this work has received little scholarly attention and is rarely performed. The aim of my paper is first to provide a concise background of the composer for better insight of his ideas and influences and, second to provide a theoretical framework and analysis of the composition to show how this piece is uniquely set in the musical backdrop among early nineteenth century piano music. Further, I will demonstrate performance concepts and ideas of the composition highlighting his instructional mastery. There are two components for this project including a research paper and a lecture recital. I hope this project could bring more musicians and audiences to Carl Czerny’s serious and concert music as he categorized his music. He had been a great model of true artist, he composes, teaches and perhaps not the greatest promoter of his own music like the contemporaries. However, he devoted most of his life to development of music and the new generation of pianists, which is the most honorable of an individual. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Music 2019

Le langage iconographique des mains est un système conventionnel utilisé par les peintres afin de doter les personnages de leurs oeuvres de fonctions discursives, affectives et symboliques particulières. La lecture des gestes figurés nous a ainsi permis de révéler des nouvelles structures narratives. Les différents signes gestuels sont étudiés ici en fonction de leurs origines, usages, connotations et stylistiques dans l’art français des XVIIe et XVIIIe siècles. Dans l’objectif de comprendre le potentiel sémantique de la main et son implication dans les oeuvres d’art, nous avons sollicité des écrits issus de champs épistémiques multiples. Lors de ce travail, nous avons souligné l’importance de la chirologie, discipline explorant les configurations signifiantes des mains et leurs possibles applications. Les gestes picturaux ne fonctionnent pas uniquement de manière isolée mais sont impliqués dans des schémas d’interaction, raccordés au genre et à la composition de l’oeuvre. L’étude du langage des mains favorise le dialogue entre l’histoire de l’art et d’autres disciplines scientifiques, engagées dans des questions de perception, de représentation et de mémoire. / The iconographic language of the hands is a conventional system used by the painters in order to provide some particular discursive, affective and symbolical functions to their characters. In our work, we show that the analysis of the figurative gestures reveals new narrative structures. The different gestural signs are studied according to their origins, usages, connotations and stylistics in the French art of the 17th and 18th centuries. With the aim of understanding the semantic potential of the hand and its implication in the works of art, we referred to multiple epistemic fields. In this study, we underline the importance of the chirology, discipline exploring the meaningful configurations of the hands and their possible applications. The pictorial gestures are not isolated but involved in interactional schemas, connected to the genre and the composition of the work of art. The study of the language of the hands favours the dialogue between the History of art and other scientific disciplines,engaged in the questions of perception, representation and memory.

A sample of 817 Grade 4-5 mathematics students in the diverse school district of Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS), Florida, USA was involved in an evaluation of the use of hands-on activities in terms of students' achievement, students' attitudes and students' perceptions of the mathematics classroom environment. Other aims included validating generally-applicable measures of classroom learning environments and students' attitudes to mathematics, and investigating associations between the classroom learning environment and the student outcomes of performance and attitudes. The study was conducted in two phases. Phase 1 had a sample of 442 participants and classroom environment was assessed with scales selected from the My Class Inventory, Questionnaire on Teacher lnteraction and Science Laboratory Environment Inventory. Factor analysis provided a degree of support for the factorial validity and internal consistency reliability (using Cronbach's alpha coefficient) for each of five classroom environment scales. Because of the small number of items per scale (15 items in five scales for the My Class Inventory, 12 items in four scales for the Question on Teacher Interaction and 15 items in five scales for the Science Laboratory Environment Inventory) in Phase I, it was not possible to replicate the a priori factor structure of each instrument scale. Scale reliabilities generally were acceptable. Phase 2, involving a sample of 375 Grades 4 and 5 students in four elementary schools, was necessary because questionnaires in Phase 1 had too few items to enable the researcher to establish satisfactory levels of reliability and validity. / The What Is Happening In this Class? (WIHIC) was modified to four scales and 29 questions for use in Phase 2. Factor analysis supported the structure of the WIHIC and internal consistency reliability was satisfactory for two units of analyses, namely, the individual and the class mean. In Phase 1 of the study, differences between an experimental group (that used manipulatives for 60% of the time) and a control group (that used manipulatives for less than 40% of the time), were described in terms of the effect size (magnitude of the difference in standard deviations) and statistical significance for each learning environment, attitude, and achievement scale. Differences between the pretest and posttest for the set of six dependent variables (Student Cohesiveness, Teacher Support, Task Orientation, Cooperation from the WIHIC and Adoption of Mathematical Attitudes and Enjoyment of Mathematics Lessons for the TOMRA) were analyzed in Phase 2 using a MANOVA for repeated measures. Effect sizes were used to describe the magnitude, as distinct from the statistical significance, of prepost changes. In Phase 2, associations between student attitudes and their perceptions of the learning environment were relatively weak for both pretest and posttest data with either the individual or the class mean as the as the unit of analysis. These results were unexpected and are inconsistent with past research, therefore highlighting the need for further research.

Abstract: Swedish private equity firms have demonstrated a historical success in the buyout industry. However, current trends in the industry such as institutional changes, phenomenon of capital overhang and an influx of new entrants have intensified competition among buyout firms. To maintain the expected high gains, private equity firms must actively create values for their portfolio companies. The purpose of this study is to describe and analyze how private equity firms with a hands-on approach add value to the companies under management. A literature review on value-creation by private equity firms was conducted. The valuecreation methods were classified by the authors under the four themes: governance engineering, financial engineering, operational engineering, and strategic redirections. In order to collect the empirical data, the authors chose an inductive approach, used semi-structured interviews with representatives from five private equity firms. The results show that the studied firms undertake to a large extent similar actions when it comes to corporate governance and financial engineering. With governance engineering, the firms attempt to strengthen the portfolio companies’ governance system through proper due diligence, the appointment of a competent and independent board of directors, an appropriate and deep management incentive program, establishment of a close relationship with management, and periodic management reports. The key to efficient governance is to give the portfolio firms 100% focus on operational and strategic issues in the board meetings. All but one firm use significant debt to lever the buyouts as it is evident that the pressure of debt repayment incentivizes management to better handle scarce capital. Operational engineering and strategic redirection are the two themes in which the firms mainly distinguish themselves. Operational engineering largely concerns running operation more efficiently through a combination of cost-cuttings (divestment of non-profitable product and customer, outsourcing, centralizing purchases) and higher revenue growth (finding new markets, providing more after-sale service, extending product range). Strategic redirection incorporates the focus on core competences, making strategic decisions about investments, divestments, and add-on acquisitions. There have been differences in actions taken by the studied firms. Factors that could affect the behavior of private equity firms are the type of companies acquired, the firm size, their perception of risk and reward regarding a particular action, as well as years of experiences in the industry. There is no common timeframe for actions taken by the studied firms. Nevertheless, all firms emphasize the importance of implementing fundamental changes in the early years of the investments.

This paper thoroughly studied the childhood, education, and job experiences of Hu Jintao, the present leader of Chinese Communist Party, and analyzed his personalities and cultural cultivation to understand his political character, behavior, and the thinking about policy on Taiwan. This paper includes six chapters. Chapter one includes the motive, objective, and the research method. Chapter two talks about the childhood of Hu Jintao. Chapter three describes how Hu became the fourth successive leader of Communist Party of China. Chapter four compares the 4 successive leaders and their policies on Taiwan. Chapter five discusses the consideration of Communist Party of China between its policy on Taiwan and international situation. Chapter six, the conclusion of this paper, brings out some suggestions for future thinking about foreign strategy toward China. After the 1949 civil war in China, the Government reined by Kuomintang withdrew to Taiwan and the Communist Party of China won the political power of China. It has been 60 years since the People¡¦s Republic of China was established on October 1st 1949. All of the 4 successive leaders claimed that there is only on China in the world, and Taiwan is part of China. Therefore, there were Mao Zedong¡¦s force liberation to peaceful liberation, Deng Xiaoping¡¦s peaceful liberation to ¡§one country with two systems,¡¨ Jiang Zemin¡¦s continuous ¡§one country two systems¡¨ based on Hong Kong experience, and Hu Jintao¡¦s two-side strategy ¡X ¡§milder for the milds, and firmer for the firms¡¨ and ¡§One country two systems for peaceful union.¡¨ Based on the above-mentioned background, this study compared the successive 4 leaders¡¦ breeding, learning, personalities, statecraft, leadership, value of life, and the policy on Taiwan collection and analysis of papers, periodicals, dissertations, scholars¡¦ writings, governmental publication, statistics, researches, records issued in China, and foreign periodicals, dissertations, and writings. Hopefully, the results were expected to be helpful to reveal China¡¦s strategies for Taiwan by describing in detail about the origins, historical causes, and possible future development between Taiwan and China. The final goal is helping China and Taiwan to understand each other more deeply and to have more friendly interactions, thus there would be more opportunities for the two parities to cooperate and benefit both sides.

Today the effective use of computers (e.g. those with Internet browsers and graphical interfaces) involves the use of some sort of cursor control like what a mouse provides. However, a standard mouse is not always the best option for all users. There are currently many devices available to provide alternative computer access. These devices may be divided into categories: brain-computer interfaces (BCI), mouth-based controls, camera-based controls, and head-tilt controls. There is no single solution as each device and application has to be tailored to each user's unique preferences and abilities. Furthermore, each device category has certain strengths and weaknesses that need to be considered when making an effective match between a user and a device. One problem that remains is that these alternative input devices do not perform as well when compared to standard mouse devices. To help with this, assistive user interface techniques can be employed. While research shows that these techniques help, most require that modifications be made to the user interfaces or that a user's intended target be known beforehand by the host computer. In this research, a novel target-agnostic assistive user interface algorithm intended to improve usage performance for both head-operated and standard mouse devices is designed, implemented (as a mouse device driver and in host computer software) and experimentally evaluated. In addition, a new wireless head-operated input device requiring no special host computer hardware, is designed, built and evaluated. It was found that the Virtual Dynamic Tunnel algorithm improved performance for a standard mouse in straight tunnel trials and that nearly 60% of users would be willing to use the head-tilt mouse as a hands-free option for cursor control.