Six Noise Type Military Sound Classifier

Blast noise from military installations often has a negative impact on the quality of life of residents living in nearby communities. This negatively impacts the military's testing \& training capabilities due to restrictions, curfews, or range closures enacted to address noise complaints. In order to more directly manage noise around military installations, accurate noise monitoring has become a necessity. Although most noise monitors are simple sound level meters, more recent ones are capable of discerning blasts from ambient noise with some success. Investigators at the University of Pittsburgh previously developed a more advanced noise classifier that can discern between wind, aircraft, and blast noise, while simultaneously lowering the measurement threshold. Recent work will be presented from the development of a more advanced classifier that identifies additional classes of noise such as machine gun fire, vehicles, and thunder. Additional signal metrics were explored given the increased complexity of the classifier. By broadening the types of noise the system can accurately classify and increasing the number of metrics, a new system was developed with increased blast noise accuracy, decreased number of missed events, and significantly fewer false positives

The Influence of Building Positive Student-Teacher Relationships on Classroom Management in a South Carolina High School: A Phenomenological Study

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore how secondary school teachers develop positive relationships with students and the resulting impact of these relationships on classroom management in South Carolina public secondary schools. An extensive review of the literature was conducted which included the topics of classroom management and teacher training. This study was based on a qualitative research design, combined with Glasser’s theoretical framework to add more extensive information to the current body of research on classroom management components, design, and impact. Secondary students possess a human desire to belong and feel connected in the world; therefore, this desire drives their actions to meet these personal needs. This study explored the results of teachers acknowledging student needs, getting to know their students in a positive manner, and focusing on relationships as part of their classroom management. For this qualitative phenomenological study, data was collected and analyzed from individual interviews, focus group discussions, and participant questionnaires. This research study revealed that adding positive student-teacher relationships as a critical component of class management was a more effective means to establishing a safe learning environment and providing improved opportunities for academic achievement. This research study also showed that the impact of positive student-teacher relationships is cyclical in nature. Teacher attitude and effort in initiating the positive relationship with students directly correlates to student attitude and effort as related to behavior and academics

A Study Into The Factors That Have The Greatest Effect On Job Satisfaction For North Carolina Paramedics

This study seeks to determine which factors have the greatest influence on paramedic job satisfaction. More specifically, it seeks to determine if intrinsic or extrinsic factors have the greater effect. Additionally, the effects of education on paramedic job satisfaction are examined. Finally, it seeks to determine if the generation to which the paramedic belongs has an effect on job satisfaction. A cross-sectional survey was utilized to assess how paramedics felt about how their organizations rated regarding various motivational factors. In addition, the surveys sought to determine the paramedics’ current level of job satisfaction. The surveys were sent to various EMS agencies in North Carolina so as to only receive results from currently employed paramedics. The Human Services Job Satisfaction Questionnaire developed by Shapiro, Burkey, Dorman, and Welker (1997) was utilized to formulate the survey. Data was collected via an online survey during the period of October to December 2018. The number of returned surveys totaled 254. Only surveys completed by paramedics were retained for analysis, which reduced the sample size to 222. Analysis revealed that both intrinsic (rs = .68, p = < .001) and extrinsic (rs = .73, p = < .001) factors had strong positive relationships with job satisfaction, with extrinsic factors being slightly stronger. Education level, while showing a minimal negative relationship, did not have a statistically significant correlation with job satisfaction (rs = -0.108, p = .111). Further analysis did reveal statistically significant differences in job satisfaction levels between education groups (X2(3) = 2.840, p = 0.014). Finally, differences in job satisfaction levels between generations did prove statistically significant (X2(4) = 12.756, p = 0.013).INTRODUCTION 1 -- STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 2 -- CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE STUDY 3 -- Purpose of the Study 6 -- RESEARCH QUESTIONS 7 -- Hypotheses 7 -- Procedures 8 -- Significance of Study 10 -- Limitations of This Study 10 -- Summary of the Research Layout 10 -- A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 12 -- Introduction to the Literature 12 -- The History of EMS 13 -- Early Military History 13 -- The Civil War and Beyond 15 -- Early Civilian Emergency Medical Services 17 -- Modern EMS: 1960 to Today 18 -- Paramedic Education 22 -- Job Satisfaction 24 -- Employee Motivation 26 -- The Origins of Motivation 27 -- Classical Studies of Motivation 27 -- Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivators 38 -- Public Service Motivation 40 -- Education’s Effect on Motivation 44 -- Generational Differences 45 -- Summary 46 -- METHODOLOGY 48 -- OVERVIEW 48 -- Instrumentation 52 -- Validity 53 -- Participants 54 -- Outcome Variables 54 -- Dependent Variable 54 -- Independent Variables 55 -- Demographics 56 -- Data Analysis 57 -- Ethical Considerations 59 -- Summary 59 -- CHAPTER IV 60 -- RESULTS 60 -- OVERVIEW 60 -- Sample Overview 60 -- Exploratory Questions 62 -- Primary Question 62 -- Secondary Question Number 2 65 -- Summary 67 -- CONCLUSION 68 -- Summary 68 -- DISCUSSION OF THE RESULTS 69 -- Primary Research Question 69 -- Do intrinsic or extrinsic factors have the greater effect on paramedic job satisfaction? 69 -- Secondary Research Questions 71 -- Does a higher educational level affect the job satisfaction of the paramedic? 71 -- Does a paramedic’s generation affect the level of perceived job satisfaction? 73 -- Implications for the Field of EMS 74 -- Public Administration Theory 76 -- Limitations of Study 77 -- Recommendations for Future Research 77 -- Conclusion 78 -- APPENDIX A 90 -- JOB SATISFACTION SURVEY 90 -- APPENDIX B 101.Bamfo, Napoleon A.Stanford, Leigh R.Hubble, Michael W.Cruz, Becky K. daD.PA.Public Administratio

Two-dimensional acoustic cloaks of arbitrary shape with layered structure based on transformation acoustics

Acoustic metamaterials have attracted much attention in recent years. Acoustic cloaks, which make objects invisible to acoustic waves, are the most common use for acoustic metamaterials. In this paper, acoustic cloaks with arbitrary shapes are presented based on transformation acoustics. This method interprets the compression and dilation of space as appropriate properties of materials. The derived properties of the cloak with irregular shapes are highly inhomogeneous and anisotropic, much more complex than the annulus cloaks. The materials for this kind of cloak are impossible to find in nature, and difficult to fabricate with artificial materials. In order to overcome this difficulty, layered structure with isotropic materials is adopted to approximate the required properties of the cloak. Numerical simulations of cloaks of arbitrary shape are performed to validate the design

Mathematical model for characterizing noise transmission into finite cylindrical structures

This work presents a theoretical study of the sound transmission into a finite cylinder under coupled structural and acoustic vibration. Particular attention of this study is focused on evaluating a dimensionless quantity, "noise reduction," for characterizing noise transmission into a small cylindrical enclosure. An analytical expression of the exterior sound pressure resulting from an oblique plane wave impinging upon the cylindrical shell is first presented, which is approximated from the exterior sound pressure for an infinite cylindrical structure. Next, the analytical solution of the interior sound pressure is computed using modal-interaction theory for the coupled structural acoustic system. These results are then used to derive the analytical formula for the noise reduction. Finally, the model is used to predict and characterize the sound transmission into a ChamberCore cylindrical structure, and the results are compared with experimental data. The effects of incidence angle and internal acoustic damping on the sound transmission into the cylinder are also parametrically studied. © 2005 Acoustical Society of America

Non-singular three-dimensional arbitrarily shaped acoustic cloaks composed of homogeneous parts

Acoustic metamaterials are artificial materials with unique acoustic properties, permitting interesting behaviors, such as acoustic cloaking. Acoustic cloaks can make an object appear acoustically “invisible.” Prior cloaks that were designed based on transformation methods have been limited by inhomogeneous, anisotropic, and extreme material parameters. In this paper, a multistep transformation is proposed for a general tetrahedron. Each tetrahedron contains three homogeneous parts. Since most cloaks can be approximated as polyhedra, they can be divided into a series of tetrahedra. As a result, most of the 3D cloaks can be constructed of homogeneous parts by first approximating them as polyhedra. Two examples of the polyhedral cloaks are given, which are simulated using COMSOL Multiphysics finite element software. The results show that the cloaks work well at acoustically concealing 3D objects. Although the properties of each part are non-singular, a balance is still required between cloaking performance and moderation of the material property values

Performance of artificial neural network-based classifiers to identify military impulse noise

Noise monitoring stations are in place around some military installations to provide records that assist in processing noise complaints and damage claims. However, they are known to produce false positives (by incorrectly attributing naturally occurring noise to military operations) and also fail to detect many impulse events. In this project, classifiers based on artificial neural networks were developed to improve the accuracy of military impulse noise identification. Two time-domain metrics-kurtosis and crest factor-and two custom frequency-domain metrics-spectral slope and weighted square error-were inputs to the artificial neural networks. The classification algorithm was able to achieve up to 100% accuracy on the training data and the validation data, while improving detection threshold by at least 40 dB. © 2007 Acoustical Society of America

Effect of Dietary Calcium and Phosphorus Level Upon Calcium, Phosphorus and Nitrogen Balance in Swine

Three metabolism trials were conducted to determine the effects of dietary calcium and phosphorus level upon calcium, phosphorus and nitrogen balance in growing swine. The nine pigs in each trial averaged 22.6, 25.2 and 26.5 kg initially for trials 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The diets contained three levels of calcium and three levels of phosphorus and were rotated among the pigs in the three trials. Feed intake was adjusted to metabolic size

Effect of Dietary Calcium and Phosphorus Level Upon Calcium, Phosphorus and Nitrogen Balance in Swine

Three metabolism trials were conducted to determine the effects of dietary calcium and phosphorus level upon calcium, phosphorus and nitrogen balance in growing swine. The nine pigs in each trial averaged 22.6, 25.2 and 26.5 kg initially for trials 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The diets contained three levels of calcium and three levels of phosphorus and were rotated among the pigs in the three trials. Feed intake was adjusted to metabolic size