Restructuring or Disintegration of the German Corporate Network: Globalization as a Fifth Column

http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/39977/3/wp591.pd

The development of a natural language interface to a geographical information system

This paper will discuss a two and a half year long project undertaken to develop an English-language interface for the geographical information system GRASS. The work was carried out for NASA by a small business, Netrologic, based in San Diego, California, under Phase 1 and 2 Small Business Innovative Research contracts. We consider here the potential value of this system whose current functionality addresses numerical, categorical and boolean raster layers and includes the display of point sets defined by constraints on one or more layers, answers yes/no and numerical questions, and creates statistical reports. It also handles complex queries and lexical ambiguities, and allows temporarily switching to UNIX or GRASS

Investigating Perceptual Congruence Between Data and Display Dimensions in Sonification

The relationships between sounds and their perceived meaning and connotations are complex, making auditory perception an important factor to consider when designing sonification systems. Listeners often have a mental model of how a data variable should sound during sonification and this model is not considered in most data:sound mappings. This can lead to mappings that are difficult to use and can cause confusion. To investigate this issue, we conducted a magnitude estimation experiment to map how roughness, noise and pitch relate to the perceived magnitude of stress, error and danger. These parameters were chosen due to previous findings which suggest perceptual congruency between these auditory sensations and conceptual variables. Results from this experiment show that polarity and scaling preference are dependent on the data:sound mapping. This work provides polarity and scaling values that may be directly utilised by sonification designers to improve auditory displays in areas such as accessible and mobile computing, process-monitoring and biofeedback

CHIROPRACTORS IN AUSTRALIAN HOSPITALS: How can it work?

A discussion is presented outlining the necessary elements required of chiropractors to work successfully in hospitals

Business internships and their relationship with retention, academic performance, and degree completion

The purpose of this study was to understand the relationship between internships and grade point average, retention, and persistence to degree completion for business students in a private, not-for-profit, 4-year, liberal arts baccalaureate institution. Research has indicated benefits for students and schools involved in internship programs. Student retention and persistence has become an important measure of institutional efficiency. Student involvement, as well as academic and social integration, have been linked to increased retention and degree completion. A well-structured internship should increase student involvement and academic and social integration leading to increased retention, persistence, and degree completion. This study sought to answer the following research questions: Does participation in a student internship impact overall, final GPA? Does participation in a student internship significantly improve GPA for the semesters following an internship compared to prior semesters? Does participation in a student internship have an impact on GPA for the area of study as opposed to the GPA for other courses? Does participation in a student internship impact persistence or the probability of completion to graduation? Does participation in a student internship impact the timeliness of graduation? If an internship is beneficial, when in a student\u27s academic career is the optimal time to complete an internship? Studies on the effects of student performance, as measured by grade point average, have been limited and have shown mixed results. If it is determined that internships play a strong role in success for business students, such experiences would give confidence and weight to making internships a requirement in an undergraduate curriculum in business majors

SPINAL STENOSIS: A Summary and Review

A review of the etiology, clinical, radiological and laboratory presentation, differential diagnosis and management of spinal stenosis is presented

The establishment of the Chiropractic & Osteopathic College of Australasia in Queensland (1996–2002)

INTRODUCTION: For chiropractors and osteopaths after graduation, the learning process continues by way of experience and continuing education (CE). The provision of CE and other vocational services in Queensland between 1996 and 2002 is the subject of this paper. METHODS: The Chiropractic & Osteopathic College of Australasia (COCA) implemented a plan, which involved continuing education, with speakers from a broad variety of health provider areas; and the introduction of the concepts of evidence-based practice. The plan also involved building membership. RESULTS: Membership of COCA in Queensland grew from 3 in June 1996 to 167 in 2002. There were a total of 25 COCA symposia in the same period. Evidence-based health care was introduced and attendees were generally satisfied with the conferences. DISCUSSION: The development of a vocational body (COCA) for chiropractors and osteopaths in Queensland was achieved. Registrants in the field have supported an organisation that concentrates on the vocational aspects of their practice

MOST COMMON METHODS USED IN COMBINATION TO DETECT SPINAL SUBLUXATION: A Survey of Chiropractors in Victoria

The objective of this research was to identify the most common combination of methods used by chiropractors in Victoria to identify manipulable lesions or subluxations. A postal survey of chiropractors in Victoria achieved an 85% response rate and revealed that eight methods are commonly used in combination to detect subluxation. They are: visual posture analysis, pain description of the patient, plain static erect x-rays, leg length discrepancy, neurological tests, motion palpation, static palpation, orthopaedic tests. These methods have also been found to be used commonly and regarded as reliable