Atmospheric Visibility Assessment for Urban Areas Using Photographic Slides and Optical Densitometry (open access)

Atmospheric Visibility Assessment for Urban Areas Using Photographic Slides and Optical Densitometry

The factors involved in calculating Standard Visual Range (SVR) are discussed, and a comparison is made between the visibility reported by airport observers and the photographic slide/ optical densitometer method of calculating SVR. Using slides of Houston, Texas, from the fall and winter of 1988-89, it was found that the altitude at which the contrast measurements are made significantly affects the SVR. Also an index for predicting high and low humidity was developed using the blue/red ratio of the log exposure of the sky, and sun/shade target condition.
Date: May 1992
Creator: Jacob, Mary Katherine
System: The UNT Digital Library
Bus Ride to Liberation: a Historical Video Documentary of the Acres Homes Transit Company in Houston, Texas (open access)

Bus Ride to Liberation: a Historical Video Documentary of the Acres Homes Transit Company in Houston, Texas

The Acres Homes Transit Company in Houston, Texas is Texas' first African American owned and operated bus company. Some say it is the first in the South. The company was developed during the height of the civil rights period. It serves as an establishment of economic empowerment during the oppressive civil rights era. The video is a historical visual documentation of the bus company from its beginning to its end. An accompanying written profile describes the research process, the pre-production, production and post-production stages, as well as future proposals for the documentary.
Date: May 1994
Creator: Childress, Doris (Doris Elaine)
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Impact of Cultural Values and Perception of the Anglo-Dominant Curriculum on the Achievement of Mexican-American and Anglo-American Junior and Senior High School Students (open access)

The Impact of Cultural Values and Perception of the Anglo-Dominant Curriculum on the Achievement of Mexican-American and Anglo-American Junior and Senior High School Students

This study is concerned with the problem of determining whether there is a relationship between achievement and specific ethnic and profile characteristics of Anglo-American and Mexican-American junior and senior high school students who are enrolled in a large metropolitan public school district. The purposes include (a) delineation of demographic data on these students in terms of specific group membership, gender, age, and educational concerns; (b) identification of the attitudes and values of these students; (c) evaluation of the relationships between the demographic data and the degree to which ethnic membership and interpersonal concerns impact participation in the classroom.
Date: August 1994
Creator: Rorex, P. Dale (Paul Dale)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Maternal Stress and Cystic Fibrosis (open access)

Maternal Stress and Cystic Fibrosis

The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between parent and child factors for mothers of children diagnosed with cystic fibrosis to predict mother's psychological distress. Mothers were surveyed to identify measurement models in areas of Child and Parental characteristics and a Full Causal Model of Maternal distress. Factors related to Child Characteristics include general parental stressors and cystic fibrosis specific parental stressors. Factors related to Parental Characteristics include the mother's sense of parental competence and self-esteem. Additional factors related to the Full Causal Model include social support, major and minor life events, and demographics. Results were analyzed using LISREL IV structural equation modeling. Measurement model analysis found a good fit for the Child Characteristics model (Chi Square = 6.85, df = 4, JD = .144, Goodness of Fit Indices = .972) and Parental Characteristics model (Chi Square = 5.89, df = 3, p = .117, Goodness of Fit Indices = .971), but not for the full causal model of maternal distress (Chi Square = 114.98, df = 66, E = .000, Goodness of Fit Indices = .853)
Date: August 1996
Creator: Bizzell, Laurie
System: The UNT Digital Library
Virtual Reality for Scientific Visualization: an Exploratory Analysis of Presentation Methods (open access)

Virtual Reality for Scientific Visualization: an Exploratory Analysis of Presentation Methods

Humans are very effective at evaluating information visually. Scientific visualization is concerned with the process of presenting complex data in visual form to exploit this capability. A large array of tools is currently available for visual presentation. This research attempts to evaluate the effectiveness of three different presentation models that could be used for scientific visualization. The presentation models studied were, two-dimensional perspective rendering, field sequential stereoscopic three dimensional rendering and immersive virtual reality rendering. A large section of a three dimensional sub surface seismic survey was modeled as four-dimensional data by including a value for seismic reflectivity at each point in the survey. An artificial structure was randomly inserted into this data model and subjects were asked to locate and identify the structures. A group of seventeen volunteers from the University of Houston student body served as subjects for the study. Detection time, discrimination time and discrimination accuracy were recorded. The results showed large inter subject variation in presentation model preference. In addition the data suggest a possible gender effect. Female subjects had better overall performance on the task as well as better task acquisition.
Date: August 1997
Creator: Hetsel, Gene A. (Gene Arthur)
System: The UNT Digital Library