Wayfinding Design for Randomly Developed Areas : The Beltline Case Study

Wayfinding Design for Randomly Developed Areas: The Beltline Case Study proposes a wayfinding signage program for the new public transit project in Atlanta known as the Beltline. This program unites the Beltline with other transit options within Atlanta, such as MARTA, to form a comprehensive transit system. This program will be known as The Atlanta Unified Transit Program. My proposed signage program includes map kiosks, information posts and signs promoting the various levels of transit offered in Atlanta as well as information about the areas surrounded by public transit. The signage examples created for my thesis are prototypes that could later be applied to any location within the area serviced by public transit

Utility of near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy for wheat quality assessment, The

Department Head: Gary Peterson.2010 Summer.Includes bibliographical references.End-use quality improvement is an important objective in most wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) breeding programs. Limited sample size, destructive parameter testing, and the short duration between harvest and planting of winter wheat are challenges for testing early-generation breeding material for end-use quality parameters. Near-infrared reflectance (NIR) spectroscopy is a rapid and non-destructive technique that could facilitate early-generation selection for end-use quality. The precision and accuracy of an NIR equation for prediction purposes is dependent on the construction of a reliable calibration. The objectives of this study were to: 1) develop and validate NIR calibration models for grain volume weight, kernel characteristics, and Farinograph parameters, and 2) evaluate the performance of NIR calibration models in a breeding context for grain volume weight and single kernel characteristics. Calibration models for prediction of grain volume weight and single kernel characteristics were developed using NIR spectra and laboratory reference values from up to 10,000 samples collected from breeding nurseries under multiple environments over four crop years. Models encompassing all years of data revealed R2 (validation) of 0.73 for kernel diameter, 0.74 for kernel weight, 0.70 for kernel hardness, and 0.81 for grain volume weight. Of the Farinograph parameters, only absorption was effectively predicted using NIR calibration models for whole grain and flour with R2≥0.70. Realized heritability was estimated as a response to selection using NIR predicted values and laboratory reference values and was generally larger when using the reference values when compared to predicted values (0.17-0.77 vs. 0.05-0.77), but suggested that genetic gain was possible when using NIR models for selection. Classification errors when using the NIR models were highest in the mid-range reference values (56-66%), but could allow for divergent selection of high and low reference values. The results suggest that NIR models suitable for screening grain volume weight, SKCS kernel characteristics, and Farinograph absorption could be utilized in a breeding program and could aid in the elimination of early-generation samples with unacceptable values

ARE STATE CONSUMER PROTECTION ACTS REALLY LITTLE-FTC ACTS?

ABSTRACT: State Consumer Protection Acts (CPAs) were designed to supplement the Federal Trade Commission\u27s mission of protecting consumers and are often referred to as little-FTC Acts. There is growing concern that enforcement under these acts is not only qualitatively different than FTC enforcement, but may be counterproductive for consumers. This article examines a sample of CPA claims and compares them to the FTC standard. It identifies qualitative differences between CPA and FTC claims by commissioning a Shadow Federal Trade Commission of experts in consumer protection. The study finds that many CPA claims include conduct that would not be illegal under the FTC standards and that most of the cases with illegal conduct would not warrant FTC enforcement. Even among CPA cases where the plaintiff prevailed, nearly half do not include illegal conduct under the FTC standard and most of the cases with illegal conduct would not invoke FTC enforcement. The results clearly suggest private litigation under little-FTC Acts tends to pursue a different consumer protection mission than the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the Federal Trade Commission

Gamma-ray Bursts, Classified Physically

From Galactic binary sources, to extragalactic magnetized neutron stars, to long-duration GRBs without associated supernovae, the types of sources we now believe capable of producing bursts of gamma-rays continues to grow apace. With this emergent diversity comes the recognition that the traditional (and newly formulated) high-energy observables used for identifying sub-classes does not provide an adequate one-to-one mapping to progenitors. The popular classification of some > 100 sec duration GRBs as ``short bursts'' is not only an unpalatable retronym and syntactically oxymoronic but highlights the difficultly of using what was once a purely phenomenological classification to encode our understanding of the physics that gives rise to the events. Here we propose a physically based classification scheme designed to coexist with the phenomenological system already in place and argue for its utility and necessity.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures. Slightly expanded version of solicited paper to be published in the Proceedings of ''Gamma Ray Bursts 2007,'' Santa Fe, New Mexico, November 5-9. Edited by E. E. Fenimore, M. Galassi, D. Palme

Are State Consumer Protection Acts Really Little-FTC Acts?

State Consumer Protection Acts (CPAs) were designed to supplement the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) mission of protecting consumers and are often referred to as “Little-FTC Acts.” There is growing concern that enforcement under these acts is not only qualitatively different than FTC enforcement but may also be counterproductive for consumers. This Article examines a sample of CPA claims and compares them to the FTC standard. It identifies qualitative differences between CPA and FTC claims by commissioning a “Shadow Federal Trade Commission” of experts in consumer protection. The study finds that many CPA claims include conduct that would not be illegal under the FTC standards and most of the cases with illegal conduct would not warrant FTC enforcement. Even among CPA cases in which the plaintiff prevailed, nearly half do not include illegal conduct under the FTC standard and most of the cases with illegal conduct would not invoke FTC enforcement. The results clearly suggest private litigation under Little-FTC Acts tends to pursue a different consumer protection mission than the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the Federal Trade Commission

ARE STATE CONSUMER PROTECTION ACTS REALLY LITTLE-FTC ACTS?

ABSTRACT: State Consumer Protection Acts (CPAs) were designed to supplement the Federal Trade Commission\u27s mission of protecting consumers and are often referred to as little-FTC Acts. There is growing concern that enforcement under these acts is not only qualitatively different than FTC enforcement, but may be counterproductive for consumers. This article examines a sample of CPA claims and compares them to the FTC standard. It identifies qualitative differences between CPA and FTC claims by commissioning a Shadow Federal Trade Commission of experts in consumer protection. The study finds that many CPA claims include conduct that would not be illegal under the FTC standards and that most of the cases with illegal conduct would not warrant FTC enforcement. Even among CPA cases where the plaintiff prevailed, nearly half do not include illegal conduct under the FTC standard and most of the cases with illegal conduct would not invoke FTC enforcement. The results clearly suggest private litigation under little-FTC Acts tends to pursue a different consumer protection mission than the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the Federal Trade Commission

Are State Consumer Protection Acts Really Little-FTC Acts?

State Consumer Protection Acts (CPAs) were designed to supplement the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) mission of protecting consumers and are often referred to as “Little-FTC Acts.” There is growing concern that enforcement under these acts is not only qualitatively different than FTC enforcement but may also be counterproductive for consumers. This Article examines a sample of CPA claims and compares them to the FTC standard. It identifies qualitative differences between CPA and FTC claims by commissioning a “Shadow Federal Trade Commission” of experts in consumer protection. The study finds that many CPA claims include conduct that would not be illegal under the FTC standards and most of the cases with illegal conduct would not warrant FTC enforcement. Even among CPA cases in which the plaintiff prevailed, nearly half do not include illegal conduct under the FTC standard and most of the cases with illegal conduct would not invoke FTC enforcement. The results clearly suggest private litigation under Little-FTC Acts tends to pursue a different consumer protection mission than the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the Federal Trade Commission

Model AI Assignments 2018

The Model AI Assignments session seeks to gather and disseminate the best assignment designs of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Education community. Recognizing that assignments form the core of student learning experience, we here present abstracts of seven AI assignments from the 2018 session that are easily adoptable, playfully engaging, and flexible for a variety of instructor needs. Assignment specifications and supporting resources may be found at http://modelai.gettysburg.edu