Since 1978 casino and gaming facilities in the United States have grown substantially. Drawing outside customers has helped to improve the local communities surrounding the gaming facilities. In a similar fashion, United States horse racing aims at increasing traffic and wagering at race tracks throughout the United States (but unlike casinos little expansion). Along with the fiscal impact to the United States, the horse racing industry has created thousands of jobs, and the industry is experiencing continual growth in nominal gross wagering. Many state’s have breeder programs that enhance purses and horses bred and raced in- state. The goal of this research was to assess whether these state bred event days (SBED) attendance and/or wagering were comparable to controls, the proximal weeks. Data was collected over a three year period and included sixteen states with such programs. The data was analyzed using ordinary least squares regression methods. Two models were run, an on-track wagering model, and an attendance model on a set of structural variables. In the on-track wagering model positive variables, including purse levels, change in track venue, and SBED concurrent with a major national race day (Triple Crown or Breeders’ Cup days), were associated with an increase in on-track wagering. California and New York SBED experienced significant increases in on- track wagering over open race days. The attendance model had similar results. While SBED programs are not used in every state, their overall contribution to horse racing is apparent and substantial. The enhancement and introduction of new well planned SBED programs in United States racing jurisdictions might increase attendance and wagering.

In recent years, the particle filter has gained prominence in the area of target tracking because it is robust to non-linear target motion and non-Gaussian additive noise. Traditional track filters, such as the Kalman filter, have been well studied for linear tracking applications, but perform poorly for non-linear applications. The particle filter has been shown to perform well in non-linear applications. The particle filter method is computationally intensive and advances in processor speed and computational power have allowed this method to be implemented in real-time tracking applications. This thesis explores the use of particle filters to detect and track stealthy targets in noisy imagery. Simulated point targets are applied to noisy image data to create an image sequence. A particle filter method known as Track-Before-Detect is developed and used to provide detection and position tracking estimates of a single target as it moves in the image sequence. This method is then extended to track multiple moving targets. The method is analyzed to determine its performance for targets of varying signal-to-noise ratio and for varying particle set sizes. The simulation results show that the Track-Before-Detect method offers a reliable solution for tracking stealthy targets in noisy imagery. The analysis shows that the proper selection of particle set size and algorithm improvements will yield a filter that can track targets in low signal-to-noise environments. The multi-target simulation results show that the method can be extended successfully to multi-target tracking applications. This thesis is a continuation of automatic target recognition and target tracking research at Cal Poly under Dr. John Saghri and is sponsored by Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems.

BACKGROUND: One of the most recurrent complaints after total joint replacement is difficulty sleeping. Sleep disturbance after major surgery is common. The “stress response” to surgery, personal factors and environmental factors can affect quality and quantity of sleep in the hospital setting. Occupational therapy intervention for individuals that have problems with function as a result of sleep insufficiency is an emerging practice area. However, there are few occupational therapy practitioners who have addressed the important occupation of sleep in acute care settings. There is a need to develop science-driven research and establish evidence to support acute care occupational therapy interventions that address sleep hygiene, a set of behavioral and environmental practices designed to improve both quality and quantity of sleep. In response to this need, the author designed and carried out a non- randomized controlled study to evaluate the effectiveness of a non-pharmacological occupational therapy intervention to improve quality and quantity of clients’ sleep in a fast track joint replacement center. OBJECTIVE: In the author’s study, the aim was to compare sleep quality, sleep quantity, and activities of daily living (ADL) performance before and after fast track total joint replacement surgery for clients who received an occupational therapy intervention targeted at improving sleep hygiene, in addition to conventional acute care occupational therapy, compared to those that received only conventional acute care occupational therapy. The project focused on 1) identifying evidence-based literature to support the benefit of non-pharmacological interventions for joint replacement surgery clients, 2) designing a program that represented best practice while incorporating the holistic and occupation-based theoretical base of occupational therapy, 3) implementing the program, 4) conducting summative program evaluation, and 5) developing a dissemination plan and implementation budget. RESULTS: There were no initial significant differences between the control and experimental groups. The quality of sleep in the experimental group at discharge was significantly better than in the controls and this group reported significantly improved quality of sleep at discharge compared to 2 weeks before surgery. At discharge the experimental group reported significantly longer sleep duration compared to the control group and the increase in duration from 2 weeks before surgery to discharge was significant. CONCLUSION: The results of this study demonstrated that improvement in sleep quality and quantity can be achieved in clients undergoing fast track joint replacement surgery who receive an occupation-based intervention that incorporates implementation of sleep hygiene practices. Moreover the change appears to persist after the client returns home. More research examining the effectiveness of this intervention with other surgical populations and the persistence of learned sleep hygiene practices over time after hospital discharge are warranted. / 2018-11-07T00:00:00Z

Carbody tilting is today a mature and inexpensive technology allowing higher speeds in curves and thus reduced travel time. The technology is accepted by most train operators, but a limited set of issues still holding back the full potential of tilting trains. The present study identifies and report on these issues in the first of two parts in this thesis. The second part is dedicated to analysis of some of the identified issues. The first part contains Chapters 2 to 5 and the second Chapters 6 to 12 where also the conclusions of the present study are given. Chapters 2 and 3 are related to the tilting train and the interaction between track and vehicle. Cross-wind stability is identified as critical for high-speed tilting trains. Limitation of the permissible speed in curves at high speed may be needed, reducing the benefit of tilting trains at very high speed. Track shift forces can also be safety critical for tilting vehicles at high speed. An improved track standard must be considered for high speed curving. Chapters 4 and 5 cover motion sickness knowledge, which may be important for the competitiveness of tilting trains. However, reduced risk of motion sickness may be contradictory to comfort in a traditional sense, one aspect can not be considered without also considering the other. One pure motion is not the likely cause to the motion sickness experienced in motion trains. A combination of motions is much more provocative and much more likely the cause. It is also likely that head rotations contribute as these may be performed at much higher motion amplitudes than performed by the train. Chapter 6 deals with services suitable for tilting trains. An analysis shows relations between cant deficiency, top speed, tractive performance and running times for a tilting train. About 9% running time may be gained on the Swedish line Stockholm – Gothenburg (457 km) if cant deficiency, top speed and tractive performance are improved compared with existing tilting trains. One interesting conclusion is that a non-tilting very high-speed train (280 km/h) will have longer running times than a tilting train with today’s maximum speed and tractive power. This statement is independent of top speed and tractive power of the non-tilting vehicle. Chapters 7 to 9 describe motion sickness tests made on-track within the EU-funded research project Fast And Comfortable Trains (FACT). An analysis is made showing correlation between vertical acceleration and motion sickness. However, vertical acceleration could not be pointed out as the cause to motion sickness as the correlation between vertical acceleration and several other motions are strong. Chapter 10 reports on design of track geometry. Guidelines for design of track cant are given optimising the counteracting requirements on comfort in non-tilting trains and risk of motion sickness in tilting trains. The guidelines are finally compared with the applied track cant on the Swedish line Stockholm – Gothenburg. Also transition curves and vertical track geometry are shortly discussed. Chapters 11 and 12 discusses the analysis, draws conclusions on the findings and gives proposals of further research within the present area. / QC 20101119

This report presents the results and findings gathered during the master thesis work performed by Madeleine Jareblom at Scania CV AB in Södertälje. Scania is a developer and manufacturer of trucks and buses. They always strive to improve their testing and simulations for current and future products.  In order to predict the outcome or to analyse the performance of components or systems, simulation models are a powerful tool to use. Realistic and adaptive models are of great interest for Scania and this thesis will cover a steering system performance simulation capability. A steering system consist of a hand wheel, steering gear and linkages down to the steering wheels. The purpose of a steering gear is to ease the resistance a driver has to apply in order to steer the wheels.  There are a lot of different steering systems that are being used in vehicles these days but one of the more common ones is Electric Hydraulic Power Steering (EHPS) which this paper will cover. The simulation model is of an open loop design for an EHPS system that takes input data and divide them into separate calculation blocks. Static variables and data from vehicle measurements were used, together with some assumptions such as; front wheel steering, only applicable for trucks, no roll inclination, 2- or 3-axel vehicles and some static angels in the suspension geometry. During the construction phase of the model, calibrations were performed and there it was found that the friction in the system was load dependent. When the model was calibrated the final output results consisted of; calculated trajectory of the vehicle, the required output torque from the steering gear, input and output power of the steering system together with the consumed energy. From the results of the trajectory output it could be seen that the model is sensitive to small deviations of the handwheel angle and possible road banking. This entailed that the calculated trajectory did not resemble the driven path gathered from vehicle test data. The calculated output torque from the model, was validated with the use of measured pressure and supplier specifications for the steering gear. The results indicated that the calculation model could capture torques from the steering gear close to reality. It could be concluded that the model could be used to describe resulting torques, output and input power together with the consumed energy.

Since 1988, the states of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been engaged in conflict over the enclave of Nagorno Karabakh. The conflict has developed into one of the most intractable and complicated disputes in the international arena, with the main parties being the two rivalling sovereign states plus the ¿unrecognised state¿ of Nagorno Karabakh. Despite the optimistic statements and claims by the OSCE and after many years of negotiations and talks, the peace process remains in stalemate. The research argues the virtues of Track Two diplomacy and highlights the successful instances where it has made important contributions to the ¿official¿ or Track One diplomatic process. It also explores the potential of a ¿no war no peace¿ situation by discerning the factors influencing the progress of the conflict. The research shows that a deeper understanding of the obstacles to peace is achieved by appreciating the significance of historical events as well as recognising the motives and interests of the different parties. The study reviews all major factors which have led to the failure of resolution efforts, particular the negative role played by Russia. It concludes that the scholars in the field of conflict resolution can bring about a lasting peace to this region, provided there is a fundamental change in the structure of the co-chairs of the OSCE.

Researchers have found evidence that when clinicians use an evidence-based feedback system that uses Clinical Support Tools (CST) for not-on-track clients, deterioration rates fall and success rates improve (Shimokawa et al., 2010). Despite multiple studies finding evidence in support of using the CST, there has been a discrepancy between effect sizes (i.e., d = 0.5; Simon et al., 2012). As such, further replicate of these past studies is needed to discover if small effect sizes still persist and if so, what possible variables may contribute to inconsistent findings. For the current study, it was predicted that the use of the CST would result in significantly lower OQ-45 scores at treatment termination after controlling for the intake OQ-45 score. Additionally, previous research indicated that the combined intervention of the progress feedback plus CST would significantly reduce deterioration rates with those NOT. Out of 1,122 participants, 172 were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: The CST feedback group (n = 71) and the no CST feedback group (n = 101). There was not a significant difference in the mean OQ-45 scores for the CST feedback group (M = 2.39, SD = 20.95) and the no CST feedback group (M = 4.17, SD = 19.74). The results of this study raise questions about how regularly the therapists were monitoring their clients' progress feedback and whether the CST are effective. Additionally, the author evaluates the timing of when the CST were administered to clients and when therapists reviewed the feedback.

Real-time water quality monitoring is crucial due to land utilization increases which can negatively impact aquatic ecosystems from surface water runoff. Conventional monitoring methodologies are laborious, expensive, and spatio-temporally limited. Autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs), equipped with sensors/instrumentation, serve as mobile sampling stations that reduce labor and enhance data resolution. However, ASV autopilot navigational accuracy is affected by environmental forces (wind, current, and waves) that can alter trajectories of planned paths and negatively affect spatio-temporal resolution of water quality data. This study demonstrated a commercially available solar powered ASV equipped with a multi-sensor payload ability to operate autonomously to accurately and repeatedly maintain established A-B line transects under varying environmental conditions, where lateral deviation from a planned linear route was measured and expressed as cross-track error (XTE). This work provides a framework for development of spatial/temporal resolution limitations of ASVs for real-time monitoring campaigns and future development of in-situ sampling technologies.

This qualitative, phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of tenure-track faculty serving in dual roles as administrators at Carnegie classified R2 and R3 higher education institutions within the United States. Fourteen participants completed one-on-one, semi-structured interviews about their lived experiences as tenure-track faculty members serving in dual roles. Participants discussed rewards and motivations as well as challenges. Additionally, participants discussed perceptions of their academic identities. Key themes emerged during data analysis. Rewards and motivations included the following: Community change agent and student advocate, a “seat at the table,” collegiality, flexibility, confidence from prior experience and clear tenure procedures, and job security and potential for career advancement. Challenges included workload and time management, research, operational confusion, politics including power dynamics and bureaucratic or hierarchical obstacles, changing conditions in higher education, professional invisibility, untenured stress and anxiety, and personal obstacles such as family and health issues. Themes related to academic identities included self-identity in relation to audience, perceptions from others based on interaction, and metaphors of identity. The findings from this study led to recommendations for best practice concerning tenure processes and policies as well as recommendations for dual role processes and policies. The findings from this study also revealed a need for more research concerning dual roles to aid in the creation of more equitable policy and practice for faculty serving in dual roles both pre- and post-tenure.

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