Thesis (M.A.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Spanish and Portuguese. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 67-71).

A new high-level language is sought after for implementing and mocking functional-ity on the Axis Communications platform. We analyze what impact the Node.js run-time environment has regarding performance and its ability to perform functionality.The performance refers to metrics on CPU, memory, free disk space and responsetimes and what effect an added Node.js runtime has on the platform. The functional-ity is based on Axis’ ideas about having Node.js run high-level services. A test planvalidates the functionality of a JavaScript service implemented as an API with JSONobjects as a POST and GET methods. To test the performance a test suite that sam-ples the data on a device and saves it like log files on a client. The variable is threedifferent stages, where the current device serves as the baseline. Secondly, to findout what impact Node.js itself has the second stage is with Node.js present and thethird stage represents a device where Node.js and the JavaScript service is put underload. The results show that it is possible to implement a JavaScript service runningunder Node.js since the test plan with its assertions passed on all tests. Regardingperformance and response time we did see a decrease in CPU idle time and memoryand an increase in the response time compared to the baseline.

Background The API DirectX 12 allows programmers to have more control over the GPUs memory management. This includes the ability to allocate resources on different types of memory heaps. But there is a lack of research on how these heap types affect the copying performance. Objectives The aim of this thesis is to benchmark the copying performance of the different heap types in DirectX 12 when increasing the data size. The heaps are tested with the three types of command queue that can be used to execute commands to the GPU. Method To answer our research question, a DirectX 12 prototype was implemented and used to copy increasing amount of data between different heap types. The copy operations were also combined with three different types of command queues to see if these have any impact on the performance. The tests ran on three different Nvidia graphic cards on the same computer setup, both to validate our results but also to spot any potential differences. Results The results from this study show that there is a difference in copying speed when copying data between resources that have been allocated on different heap types. The fastest to slowest were as follows: Default to Default, Upload to Default / Default to Readback and Upload to Readback. Using different types of command queues did not have an impact on performance with the exception of when data was copied from Default to Default on an RTX 2080. All of the tests that were carried out showed that the copying time scaled linearly with the data size. Conclusion This study shows the importance of allocating resources on the most suitable heap as there is a difference in copying time between them. In contrast, was the choice of command queue less important as this had no impact on performance in the majority of the tests. The results also show that the copying time scales linearly with the data size.

Homomorphic encryption is an encryption scheme that allows for simple operations on encrypted data. These operations are mainly boolean circuits combined into more complexarithmetic operations, rotations, and others. Homomorphic encryption was first implemented in 2009, and in the following decade, many different versions emerged. The early schemes were mainly proof of concepts. In contrast, the later schemes have been used in practical applications such as databases where queries were done without any decryption on the server. Another practical example is genome sequencing which benefits from utilizing supercomputers but the data is very sensitive. With the help of homomorphic encryption it was shown that this could be done without having any unencrypted data on the server. While these applications have different success rates, a field that have not been investigated is the use of homomorphic encryption with delta encoding. Delta encoding is a method of encoding a set (e.g., a set of characters) such that the set is expressed as an original (a starting point) with deltas (changes). A typical use case for delta encoding is: A user wants to edit a file located on the cloud and to save bandwidth, the user could encode a delta locally. This delta could then be sent to the cloud service and decoded together with the original version to create the updated version on the cloud. However, there is a privacy infringement risk with this. When standard encryption is used, the delta and the original must be decrypted to perform the decoding. If a malicious actor gains access to the data on the cloud machine, they would then have access to unencrypted data. For example, the cloud provider could snoop on its customers or have a policy that lets them use the users’ data. Homomorphic encryption would make it much harder since the data would still be encrypted while the decoding is performed. However, homomorphic encryption comes with a great overhead and is complex to tune, even with today’s libraries.To investigate the combination of homomorphic encryption and delta encoding, a testbed is created where a client and server act as user and cloud provider. Thetest bed consists of different configurations of delta encodings and homomorphic encryption schemes running different test cases. The configurations range from non-encrypted to homomorphically encrypted with different kinds of delta encodings to investigate the performance overhead of utilizing homomorphic encryption. The different tests are created to show what kind of overhead can be expected in different scenarios and which operations take the most time. With this testbed and these test cases, the results showed a substantial overhead with using homomorphic encryption. However, many optimizations could be done to increase efficiency and make homomorphic encryption a viable solution. For example, the decoding algorithm could be optimized to use homomorphic operations more efficiently. The tests showed that most of the runtime, when using homomorphic encryption, is on the server. Most of the runtime for the client are one-time operations, which consist of creating keys that can be reused.

INVIDUAL MOVEMENT PROGRAM TO INFLUENCE FITNESS AND AFFECT BODY WEIGHT Aims: The main aim of this thesis is to influence the fitness assumptions and to affect the body weight of a chosen person on the basis of an applied intervention program. Particular aims involve creating the intervention program, its fulfillment and practical verification, confirmation of defined hypotheses, stating and particulary explaining the differences between measured dates before and after the intervention and formulating relevant conclusions and recommendations.. Methods: The research method used in the thesis was an experiment. Its basis was creation and especially application of the six months lasting training program and further testing in laboratory conditions before and after the intervention. Results: The controlled person fulfilled the training program without complications and in a full scale. The created interventional program involved aerobic activities (running), bodybuilding and other activities (fitbox, cycling, in-line skating, swimming) without adjusting nutrition habits or an eventual diet. The feed-back tests showed/proved that the condition assumptions of the controlled person distincively improved in all chosen function parameters. Requested weight reduction though was not achieved. Key words:...

A avaliação funcional após a artroplastia total de joelho (ATJ) tem o intuito de analisar como os resultados alcançados após a cirurgia impactam na qualidade de vida e função dos pacientes. Questionários subjetivos de auto percepção da função são os instrumentos mais utilizados, porém, tendem a superestimar a função física. Os testes de desempenho físico avaliam objetivamente o que o indivíduo é capaz de executar, mas avaliam tarefas isoladas que nem sempre refletem a mobilidade nas atividades de vida diária. Portanto, o objetivo deste estudo foi analisar o quanto a avaliação funcional, que incluiu questionários subjetivos e testes de desempenho físico, permite avaliar as mudanças ocorridas longitudinalmente após a ATJ e permite estabelecer fatores pré e pós-operatórios preditivos da função após um ano de cirurgia. Foi realizado estudo longitudinal prospectivo com 87 sujeitos (62 mulheres), idade 67±7 anos, IMC 33±5 kg/m2, submetidos à ATJ primária unilateral. A avaliação ocorreu no pré-operatório e 3, 6 e 12 meses após a cirurgia. Análise da covariância analisou as mudanças ao longo do tempo e a árvore de classificação e regressão estabeleceu os fatores preditivos. O questionário subjetivo WOMAC-função e os testes de desempenho físico timed up and go (TUG) e teste de caminhada de seis minutos (TC6) aos 12 meses de pós-operatório foram as variáveis primárias. A idade, índice de massa corpórea (IMC), WOMAC-dor, função pré-operatória e força muscular do joelho operado e não operado, tanto pré quanto pós-operatoriamente, foram estabelecidas como variáveis secundárias. Os resultados mostraram que WOMAC e o TUG atingiram platô de evolução aos três meses de pós-operatório, enquanto oTC6 alcançou o platô aos seis meses de pós-operatório. Com relação aos fatores pré- operatórios preditivos da função após 12 meses de cirurgia, indivíduos com TUG <=19 s e idade entre 62 e 70 anos alcançaram melhor pontuação no WOMAC-função. Sujeitos com força dos músculos extensores do joelho não operado >=99 Nm/kg e TC6 >328 m antes da cirurgia percorreram maior distância no TC6. Sujeitos com TUG =421 m no pré-operatório obtiveram melhor desempenho no TUG. Sobre os fatores pós-operatórios preditivos da função, sujeitos com WOMAC-dor < 1,5 pontos, TC6 >=410 m e TUG < 8 s apresentaram melhor pontuação do WOMAC-função. Sujeitos com TUG <9 s e força dos músculos extensores do joelho operado >=113 Nm/kg apresentaram melhor desempenho no TC6. Sujeitos com TC6 >=421 m e força dos músculos flexores do joelho não operado >=47Nm/kg foram mais rápidos na execução do TUG. Concluímos que os questionários subjetivos e os testes de desempenho físico apresentaram diferentes comportamentos de evolução ao longo de um ano de pós-operatório de ATJ. Sujeitos com melhor desempenho físico pré e pós-operatório apresentam melhor pontuação no WOMAC-função após a cirurgia e sujeitos com pior dor pós-operatória apresentaram pior percepção da função no mesmo período. Os fatores de maior predição dos testes de desempenho físico foram a função pré-operatória e a força muscular pré e pós-operatória. / The functional evaluation after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is intended to analyze how the results achieved by the surgery affect the quality of life and function of patients. Subjective patient-report outcomes measures are the most commonly used instruments, but tend to overestimate physical function. Physical performance tests objectively evaluate what the individual is capable to perform, but evaluate isolated tasks that do not always reflect mobility in activities of daily living. Therefore, this study was aimed to analyze how functional evaluation, which encompassed subjective questionnaires and physical performance tests, enables us to evaluate the changes occurred longitudinally after TKA and to establish pre and post-operative predictive factors of this function one year after surgery. We performed a prospective longitudinal study with 87 individuals (62 women), age 66.9±6.66 years, BMI 32.5±5 kg/m2, submitted to unilateral primary TKA. The evaluation took place in the pre-operative period and 3, 6 and 12 months after surgery. The analysis of covariance assessed the changes over time, whereas the classification and regression tree established the predictive factors by considering the WOMAC-function questionnaire and the physical performance tests Timed Up and Go (TUG) and Six-minute Walk Test (6MWT) at 12 months post-operative as primary variables. Age, body mass index (BMI), WOMACpain, pre-operative function, and knee muscle strength, both pre-operatively and postoperatively, were set up as secondary variables. The results showed that the subjective questionnaires and the TUG tests reached a plateau of evolution at three months post-operative, while the 6MWT tests reached the plateau at six months postoperative. Regarding the pre-operative predictive factors of the function at 12 months after surgery, individuals with TUG<=19.3 seconds, aged between 62 and 70 years achieved a better score in the WOMAC-function one year after surgery. Individuals with non-operated knee extensor muscle strength >=99.43 Nm/kg and 6MWT >328 meters before surgery walked a longer distance in the 6MWT test. Individuals with TUG <12.3 seconds and 6MWT>=421 meters in the pre-operative period achieved better TUG performance. As for the post-operative predictive factors of the function, individuals with WOMAC-pain<1.5 points, 6MWT>=410.2 meters and TUG <7.90 seconds showed better scores of the WOMAC-function. Individuals with TUG<9.44seconds and operated knee extensor muscle strength>=112.8 Nm/kg showed better performance in the 6MWT test. Individuals with 6MWT>=421 meters and non-operated knee flexor strength>=47 Nm/kg were faster in executing the TUG test. We concluded that the subjective questionnaires and the physical performance tests showed different evolutionary behaviors during the first year after the TKA surgery. Individuals with better pre and post-operative physical performance show better scores in the WOMAC-function after surgery, while individuals with worse post-operative pain show worse perception of the function in the same period. The most predictive factors of the physical performance tests were pre-operative function and pre and post-operative muscle strength.

This thesis documents the action research study done to investigate the perceived challenges and benefits of a project-based language learning (PBLL) approach in a high school Spanish classroom. The research involved four high school Spanish 3 classes taught by the same teacher. Two classes formed an experimental group and were taught one thematic unit using a PBLL approach, while the other two classes formed the control group and were taught by the same approach that had been used the rest of the year. Two of the objectives of the study were to see how the PBLL approach affected the achievement and writing performance of the experimental group and how the students liked it in comparison to the teaching approach that had been used in the other units during the school year. The third objective was to identify effective steps in setting up project-based language learning in a high school classroom and its possible obstacles. The results from this study found that a PBLL approach possibly affected achievement in grammar in vocabulary from the pre-test to the post-test, but that the writing performance was unaffected. In this thesis, steps to setting up a PBLL unit are documented as well as possible obstacles. The thesis concludes with suggestions for overcoming these obstacles and for further research and collaboration in setting up PBLL units.

Thesis (M.S.)--Auburn University, 2005. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Auburn University, 2009. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 68-75).

Thesis (Ed.D.) -- Central Connecticut State University, 2006. / Thesis advisor: Carol Carter-Lowery. "... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 69-75). Also available via the World Wide Web.