A portable absorbed dose measuring instrument with gamma discrimination

The characteristics of an electronic instrument for measuring the radiation dose absorbed by tissues are presented. The detector is a sphere of tissue-equivalent plastic with a single wire located on a diameter of the sphere. The electronic circuits and method of operation of the detector are described. Advantages are the small size and easy portability plus ability to selectively measure neutron and gamma plus neutron events

Stanford automatic photogrammetry research

A feasibility study on the problem of computer automated aerial/orbital photogrammetry is documented. The techniques investigated were based on correlation matching of small areas in digitized pairs of stereo images taken from high altitude or planetary orbit, with the objective of deriving a 3-dimensional model for the surface of a planet

Advanced Visualization and Intuitive User Interface Systems for Biomedical Applications

Modern scientific research produces data at rates that far outpace our ability to comprehend and analyze it. Such sources include medical imaging data and computer simulations, where technological advancements and spatiotemporal resolution generate increasing amounts of data from each scan or simulation. A bottleneck has developed whereby medical professionals and researchers are unable to fully use the advanced information available to them. By integrating computer science, computer graphics, artistic ability and medical expertise, scientific visualization of medical data has become a new field of study. The objective of this thesis is to develop two visualization systems that use advanced visualization, natural user interface technologies and the large amount of biomedical data available to produce results that are of clinical utility and overcome the data bottleneck that has developed. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a tool used to study the quantities associated with the movement of blood by computer simulation. We developed methods of processing spatiotemporal CFD data and displaying it in stereoscopic 3D with the ability to spatially navigate through the data. We used this method with two sets of display hardware: a full-scale visualization environment and a small-scale desktop system. The advanced display and data navigation abilities provide the user with the means to better understand the relationship between the vessel\u27s form and function. Low-cost 3D, depth-sensing cameras capture and process user body motion to recognize motions and gestures. Such devices allow users to use hand motions as an intuitive interface to computer applications. We developed algorithms to process and prepare the biomedical and scientific data for use with a custom control application. The application interprets user gestures as commands to a visualization tool and allows the user to control the visualization of multi-dimensional data. The intuitive interface allows the user to control the visualization of data without manual contact with an interaction device. In developing these methods and software tools we have leveraged recent trends in advanced visualization and intuitive interfaces in order to efficiently visualize biomedical data in such a way that provides meaningful information that can be used to further appreciate it

Children\u27s Sensitivity to Pitch Variation in Language

Children acquire consonant and vowel categories by 12 months, but take much longer to learn to interpret perceptible variation. This dissertation considers children’s interpretation of pitch variation. Pitch operates, often simultaneously, at different levels of linguistic structure. English-learning children must disregard pitch at the lexical level—since English is not a tone language—while still attending to pitch for its other functions. Chapters 1 and 5 outline the learning problem and suggest ways children might solve it. Chapter 2 demonstrates that 2.5-year-olds know pitch cannot differentiate words in English. Chapter 3 finds that not until age 4–5 do children correctly interpret pitch cues to emotions. Chapter 4 demonstrates some sensitivity between 2.5 and 5 years to the pitch cue to lexical stress, but continuing difficulties at the older ages. These findings suggest a late trajectory for interpretation of prosodic variation; throughout, I propose explanations for this protracted time-course

Ending Rape: Effective Strategies for Reducing Sexual and Relationship Violence on a College Campus

This capstone was done in conjunction with the Maxwell Citizenship and Civic Engagement program (CCE) and consists of a CCE Action Plan conducted in Spring 2017 as well as this accompanying essay. The action plan created a program called “Don’t Cancel That Class” that encourages professors who would otherwise have to cancel class to instead have the Office of Health Promotion (OHP) use the time to conduct a training session on sexual and relationship violence prevention. As part of the action plan, I worked with OHP to develop a webpage where professors can easily request a program. Don’t Cancel That Class was developed based on the work presented in this paper, which analyzes how to best craft an effective campus strategy to prevent sexual and relationship violence

Meaningful Play: Exploring the Possibilities of the Novel in Don DeLillo\u27s White Noise

This paper explores the use of sub-genre in Don DeLillo\u27s White Noise as a tool of meaning creation. The paper starts by examining previous approaches to the novel, which engaged with more explicitly political readings, and argues that these readings to not offer the contemporary reader much traction in thinking about White Noise. By providing an extensive account of how sub-genre is used in the novel\u27s three sections, the paper concludes that White Noise can offer a notion of political perspective, in the absence of offering political prescriptions

An American Fail: Reflections of a U.S. Man Abroad

Language is a form of currency. Every one of us deals in it daily. We exchange, barter, argue, persuade, describe and narrate with language. And just as some monetary currencies are more valued than others, language currencies are treated much the same way. In fact, I’d wager that if one were to match the strongest world monies to the country’s native language, one would find the so-called global languages at the top, and the English language chief among them. I feel confident that someone has done this already – or else, no one needs to because the results would not be all that surprising. But, as an educator, I must keep this language-as-currency metaphor in mind because it helps my frame of mind in the classroom, and keeps me cognizant of just how fortunate I am to be where I am from and speak the language I speak

A Valence-Name-Formula-Solubility Chart

The chart includes the names and symbols of all the common radicals used in general chemistry courses arranged in a definite order according to valence. Each small rectangular space formed by horizontal and vertical lines including a positive and negative radical represents a compound and contains a symbol representing the solubility in grams per 100 grams of water at 18 degrees centigrade. Each large rectangular space represents compounds having a common type formula. The primary purpose of the chart is to aid the student in acquiring speedily a working knowledge of valence, radicals and formula writing