Optical and mechanical characterization of thin membranes for X-ray lithography

Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 1994.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 60-61).by Gabrielle M. Owen.M.Eng

Trial Spacing and the Conditioned Motivational Effects of a Food-Predictive Cue

Stimuli in the environment can come to influence motivation and behavior through a process known as Pavlovian conditioning. During Pavlovian conditioning, stimuli in the environment come to predict the availability of a reward. Two different procedures are used to investigate how stimuli can modify ongoing behavior and reward consumption, known as Pavlovian-instrumental transfer and potentiated feeding, respectively. In other procedures that investigate how stimuli modify behavior, certain time intervals during Pavlovian training can influence how much a stimulus can modify behavior. One of those intervals is the time between the presentation of a stimulus and the associated reward. This interval has been shown to influence both Pavlovian-instrumental transfer and potentiated feeding. The other interval, the time between the end of one stimulus and the beginning of the next, has not been investigated in regards to the aforementioned procedures. The current study assessed how differences in this interval altered Pavlovian-instrumental transfer and potentiated feeding. This interval did not affect Pavlovian-instrumental transfer in the current experiment. Potentiated feeding was not able to be assessed

Confronting the Biased Algorithm: The Danger of Admitting Facial Recognition Technology Results in the Courtroom

From unlocking an iPhone to Facebook “tags,” facial recognition technology has become increasingly commonplace in modern society. In the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement and call for police reform in the United States, it is important now more than ever to consider the implications of law enforcement’s use of facial recognition technology. A study from the National Institute of Standards and Technology found that facial recognition algorithms generated higher rates of false positives for Black faces—sometimes up to one hundred times more false identifications—than white faces. Given the embedded bias of this technology and its increased prevalence, the lack of federal regulation of facial recognition technology and its uses by law enforcement are alarming. This Note explores issues that arise with law enforcement’s use of facial recognition technology and how results from the technology should be treated in the criminal justice system. This Note cautions against admitting results from facial recognition technology into evidence in criminal trials based on the current state of the industry and the technology. Further, if facial recognition evidence is admitted, this Note argues that defendants should have access to the software’s source code to meaningfully challenge the evidence presented against them under the confrontation clause of the US Constitution. While this Note recognizes developers’ interest in protecting trade secrets, it nevertheless recommends that judges balance these interests with those of defendants and make case-by-case decisions about how to protect developers’ information without blocking defendants’ access to the software

Captikwł and The Laws of Nature; The Syilx People\u27s Ethical and Cultural Connection with Mother Earth

In this paper, I explore how the Syilx\u27s oral history (captikwł) shapes their identity and ethics through their understanding and respect for mother earth. I analyzed the captikwł of the Syilx and their discourses about life; drawing on their orature (written oral history) to demonstrate that because oral history is an important aspect of Syilx culture, the Syilx people of the British Columbia and Washington region have learned to survive for centuries due to how they relate to their lands. The anthology of the Syilx captikwł are reviewed in the paper to gain a better understanding of how this collection of stories inspire an environmental ethical philosophy and justice that is deeply rooted in their identity as indigenous people and practiced across generation

The privatisation of the back wards: the accommodation of people with intellectual disability and people with mental illness in licensed boarding houses in Sydney

This thesis explores the use of licensed boarding houses in Inner Sydney as an accommodation option for people with intellectual disability and people with mental illness. Deinstitutionalisation, a significant social policy of the last century was introduced into Australia in the 1960’s and 1970’s, and involved the closure of large institutions and the integration of former residents into the community. One of the community-based accommodation options used for people leaving institutions was boarding houses. This research explores the extent to which boarding houses enact the human rights principles of deinstitutionalisation and contribute to the quality of life of residents with intellectual disability and residents with mental illness.The research draws on an extensive literature review and policy and legislative analysis. Denzin’s interpretive interactionism was used as the overarching methodological framework of the study. Informing the research are forty interviews with a range of participants including current and former licensed boarding house residents, proprietors, and staff of community organisations and government agencies.The results of this research provide evidence that licensed boarding houses are a form of transinstitutionalisation and do not serve to enact the human rights principles articulated in current policy and legislation. This thesis argues for the staged deinstitutionalisation of licensed boarding houses in New South Wales

Alien Registration- Emond, Gabrielle M. (Lewiston, Androscoggin County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/29366/thumbnail.jp

Rattus Norvegicus as a Biological Detector of Clandestine Remains and the Use of Ultrasonic Vocalizations as a Locating Mechanism

In investigations, locating missing persons and clandestine remains are imperative. One way that first responder and police agencies can search for the remains is by using cadaver dogs as biological detectors. Cadaver dogs are typically used due to their olfactory sensitivity and ability to detect low concentrations of volatile organic compounds produced by biological remains. Cadaver dogs are typically chosen for their stamina, agility, and olfactory sensitivity. However, what is not taken into account often is the size of the animal and the expense of maintaining and training the animal. Cadaver dogs are typically large breeds that cannot fit in small, hard to reach places, such as collapsed buildings. Another small animal could be used as a biological detector in addition to cadaver dogs. This research tried to determine if Rattus norvegicus, or a brown laboratory rat, could be trained to identify the volatile organic compounds of decomposition and return when called, and if the vocalizations could alert to the location of the clandestine remains as well. Rats were trained in increasingly larger environments using classical conditioning and positive reinforcements. It was determined that while Rattus norvegicus could be trained to find the scent of decomposition and could be trained to return when call, Rattus norvegicus did not vocalize at the scent of decomposition. Future research projects would need to be done in order to determine the full ability of Rattus norvegicus as a biological detector of clandestine remains

The effects of music and rhythm on phonics instruction with beginning readers

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects music had on phonemic awareness instruction for beginning readers in five-year-old kindergarten. The Dr. Seuss Nonsense Word Test: An Assessment Sequence for Emergent to Beginning/Early Readers (Appendix A) was used for pre and post assessment. The intervention plan and procedures were connected to current research. The plan included explicit instruction in phonemic awareness skills such as decoding, rhyming, and segmenting/blending, within short /a/ and short /o/ vowel patterns. The students received approximately 60 minutes per week of intervention over a six week period. Analysis of pretest and posttest data showed improvement in the area of decoding within phonics