Digital Commons Network^™

Ammunition Identification Guide For Ukraine: A Collaborative Project Amidst War (Ukrainian Edition), Lieutenant Perederii, Tony Salvo, Drew Prater

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Під час операцій зі знешкодження вибухонебезпечних предметів вміння ідентифікувати боєприпаси є надзвичайно важливим. Після ідентифікації боєприпасу стає відомим його заряд вибухової речовини/наповнювач та потенційні небезпеки, що у свою чергу уможливлює безпечне та контрольоване поводження із даним боєприпасом. Під час очищення Фаллуджі, Мосула і прилеглих територій в Іраку ми зіштовхнулися із залишеними вибухонебезпечними предметами (ЗВП) та вибухонебезпечними залишками війни (ВЗВ) з двадцяти трьох різних країн, що кинуло виклик навіть найзавзятішим вибухотехнікам. З огляду на це, було створено документ з ідентифікації боєприпасів на основі знайдених боєприпасів, найновіше видання якого містить понад 340 різних боєприпасів. Ті, хто старанно працює над знешкодженням вибухонебезпечних предметів …

Reviving Old Mosul: 3d Modeling Aids Safe Clearance In Iraq, Erin Atkinson, Marc Dennehy, Craig Locke

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Under the 2014–2017 Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) occupation, the Old City of Mosul, Iraq, served as a headquarters for the self-proclaimed caliphate. ISIS produced, stored, and transited money, modern munitions, weapons, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) through the city's ancient stone streets. To approach the immense and technically challenging task of clearing the Old City efficiently, effectively, and safely—without compromising the city's rich cultural history—Tetra Tech created a 3D model using aerial photogrammetry to quantify and visualize the scope and scale of the project.

The Journal Of Conventional Weapons Destruction Issue 27.3 (2023), Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

No abstract provided.

Ammunition Identification Guide For Ukraine: A Collaborative Project Amidst War, Lieutenant Perederii, Tony Salvo, Drew Prater

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

To deal with such a large number of diverse munitions, the US-based nongovernmental organization (NGO) Bomb Techs Without Borders (BTWOB),[1] has co-published the Basic Identification of Ammunition in Ukraine[2] (https://ukr.bulletpicker.com/id-guides.html), which is in its fourth version and is available in Ukrainian and English. Initially, the guide was exclusively available in Ukrainian to cater to the target audience—Ukrainian security services, sappers, and EOD personnel. However, an English version of the 3.0 edition was subsequently published on 22 March 2023.

Mag Emergency Response: Digital Explosive Ordnance Risk Education In Somalia, Robin Toal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

On 9 June 2023, a tragic accident involving unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Qoryoley town in the Lower Shabelle region of Somalia claimed the lives of twenty-seven civilians, including twenty-two children, and left fifty-three others injured. The tragedy was caused when several young children discovered a mortar round on the ground in an open playing field that they started to play with and consequently exploded. In response to the accident, Mines Advisory Group (MAG) mobilized both headquarters and Somalia based staff to develop a rapid response digital explosive ordnance risk education campaign (DEORE) using paid adverts targeting Meta (Facebook & Instagram) …

An Accessible Seeded Field For Humanitarian Mine Action Research, Jasper Baur, Gabriel Steinberg, John Frucci, Anthony Brinkley

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The detection of buried and surface explosive remnants of war (ERW) is a critical task in the land release process.[1] The goal of this project is to create a long-term study site and benchmark to accelerate humanitarian mine action (HMA) research for the detection of buried ERW, including unexploded ordnance (UXO), landmines, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). A crucial step in transitioning experimental detection techniques from the lab to the field is conducting rigorous field testing in a realistic and safe environment.[2]^,[3],[4] With most academic institutions lacking access to stockpiles of inert ERW to …

Empowering Host Nation Counter-Ied And Counter-Insurgency Efforts: Innovative Application Of Ordnance Recycling, Lynna Banach, Commodore Roy Vincent T. Trinidad, Captain Julien B. Dolor

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

As the United States works to grow its defense partnership with the Philippines, the country continues to fight instability and insecurity amidst a lengthy battle against insurgent and terrorist groups.[i]^,[ii],[iii] As the overlap between urban areas and conflict zones increases, and with violent groups’ use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) against government forces, the danger to civilians escalates.[iv] This paper provides a deeper understanding of how the prevalence of unexploded ordnance (UXO) and the use of IEDs in the Philippines fuel the realities of insurgency and humanitarian danger in the country. Furthermore, using Golden …

Integrated Cooperation In Implementing Firearm Deactivation Capabilities: Bosnia And Herzegovina, Colonel Geir P. Novik

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Many of the illegal firearms used for terrorist and criminal activities throughout Europe originate from the Balkan region and have previously been legally exported and sold as deactivated firearms. However, due to variations in the quality of deactivation standards and verification processes, many deactivated firearms can easily be reactivated into fully functional military weapons. To prevent the illegal reactivation of additional weapons, new guidelines regarding deactivation standards and techniques have been introduced, thus ensuring that deactivated firearms are rendered irreversibly inoperable. Within the framework of the European Union Force Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR), a training program regarding the deactivation of …

Mine Action In Lebanon: Innovation, Learning, And Finishing The Job, Mark Wilkinson Phd

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Lebanon is a country that has been severely affected by landmines, cluster bombs, and other explosive remnants of war (ERW) through decades of war and civil war. In many cases these legacies of war remain today, intertwined with the complex geopolitics of the region. Yet Lebanon is also a country that exemplifies excellence in mine action—from the strategic to the operational level.

Department Of State's Quick Reaction Force: Twenty-Three Years Of Service, Charlie Holloway

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

For the past twenty-three years, the United States has provided rapid responses to landmine and munitions/explosives related emergencies in some of the most vulnerable populations around the world. Initiated with a group from Mozambique, the Quick Reaction Demining Force (QRDF) was designed by the U.S. Department of State to rapidly respond to landmine emergencies. Presently, its response capacity has expanded to include experts in battle area clearance (BAC) and physical security and stockpile management (PSSM). These professionals volunteer for deployments on short notice to address emergencies globally. The Department of State Quick Reaction Force (QRF), managed by the Political/Military Bureau …

How Can Transformational Leadership Be Unbound From The Gender Binary Paradigm?, Jody Condit Fagan, Michelle Hamilton-Page

Libraries

Disrupting binary conceptions of gender could be one of the most needed paradigmatic shifts in leadership studies. Nonbinary leadership paradigms can liberate people of all genders from a framework that forces them to describe their leader behaviors as aligned with or transgressive of a binary gender. Academic leadership studies has generally focused on differences between men and women and discrimination against women, with trans and nonbinary gender identities notably absent. Traditional models of leadership need to be interrogated to see if they hold up under a nonbinary lens. In this presentation, we will examine two dimensions of the iconic model …

Approaches To Comics Stewardship: Making The Case For Academic Library Special Collections, Brian Flota, Kate Morris

Libraries

No abstract provided.

Mixed Method Approach Towards The Life Of University Students During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Raihan Khan, Andrew White, Tony Jehi

Department of Health Sciences - Faculty Scholarship

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the higher education system. This mixed-methods study aimed to assess COVID-19 fear, anxiety, and stress among Shenandoah Valley college students.

Methods

An online survey was fielded and completed by n=680 students. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 students.

Results

The mean participant age was 22.14±5.48 years, and primarily White (81.9%), women (80.4%), and undergraduate (78.0%) students. Approximately 41% were enrolled in health-related majors (41.4%). Women students had significantly higher anxiety, depression, and fear of contracting COVID-19 than men. Undergraduate students had significantly higher depression than graduate students. Qualitative analysis revealed several major themes: …

Climate Change Journalism In Pakistan: Ethical Deliberations, Muhammad Ittefaq, Shafiq Ahmad Kamboh, Ayesha Ashfaq

School of Communication Studies - Faculty Scholarship

In the 21st century, research on climate journalism has received exponential growth globally. However, the media’s ethical role in covering climate change has not sufficiently been explored enough. In this chapter, we provide a broad overview of climate change journalism in Pakistan, the role of stakeholders that are directly involved in this crisis, and further highlighted the need to follow the UNESCO-led ethical principles and deliberations by the local climate journalism. We conclude that though a great deal of attention has been paid by the local scholars and scientists to highlight different dimensions of climate emergency, however, the findings of …

Ethnic Newspaper Industry In Pakistan And Impacts Of Corporate Ownership, Shafiq Ahmad Kamboh, Muhammad Ittefaq, Awais Hamed

School of Communication Studies - Faculty Scholarship

During the Indian independence movement, the Urdu-language ethnic newspapers played a significant role in instigating resistance against colonial authorities within local communities. However, later on, Urdu journalism underwent a transformation, shifting from the ‘advocate-journalist’ model to one dominated by corporate ownership in Pakistan. These commercial agents have faced criticism for using journalism as a shield for their other businesses, yet their presence has profoundly impacted current newspaper practices in various ways. Our case study of the Daily Express reveals that this newspaper, by implementing innovative journalism, technological advancements and efficient management practices, has influenced both preceding and subsequent Urdu dailies, …

Prosecutorial Actus Reus: Appellate Review Of Prosecutorial Misconduct And The Diminishment Of Responsibility, Elizabeth Griffiths, Heather L. Scheuerman, Sandy Xie

International Journal on Responsibility

The socio-historical concept of criminal responsibility links the action (actus reus) and mental state (mens rea), or intention, of the actor (i.e., the defendant) to determine legal and moral liability for his or her behavior and to apportion punishment. When the actor responsible for immoral conduct is the prosecutor in pursuit of a conviction, the courts respond very differently. More specifically, because prosecutors are presumed to be moral and ethical system actors, assumptions about their good character likely influence the ways in which they are held to account. This study explores the content and arguments made …

Examining Remorse In Attributions Of Focal Concerns During Sentencing: A Study Of Probation Officers, Colleen M. Berryessa

International Journal on Responsibility

This research, using interviews with probation officers in the United States (n = 151) and a constant comparative method for analysis, draws from the focal concerns framework to qualitatively model a process by which probation officers use a defendant’s remorse to attribute focal concerns in order to guide their sentencing recommendations in pre-sentencing reports. The model suggests that officers use expressions of remorse to make attributions about mitigated criminal intention (blameworthiness and notions of responsibility), reduced dangerousness and a high potential for reform (community protection), and organization-level effects for increasing caseload efficiency and using correctional resources (practical effects of …

Crisis Communication For Public Organizations: Examining Pakistan Railways' Use Of Information Technology And Social Media For Image Repair, Shafiq Ahmad Kamboh, Muhammad Ittefaq, Yan Jin

School of Communication Studies - Faculty Scholarship

This study examines the induction of information technology and the use of image-repair focused crisis response strategies on social media by Pakistan Railways amid a recent crisis. A mix-method based content analysis (i.e., qualitative and quantitative) to investigate whether and if so, how Pakistan Railways used Benoit's suggested image restoration strategies on social media to repair its image among customers and in print media. Our results show that Pakistan Railways predominantly used reducing the offensiveness of event (40%), followed by corrective action (34.6%), evasion of responsibility (10.6%), denial (8%) and mortification (6.4%) strategies, respectively. In addition, the use of image-repair …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Collaboration Between School Psychologists And Board-Certified Behavioral Analysts, Taylor Bronaugh

Department of Graduate Psychology - Graduate Student Scholarship

The aim of this paper is to examine the impact of communication styles brought on by distanced learning and its effect on collaboration for school psychologists and Bord Certified Behavioral Analysts (BCBAs). Prior studies have addressed collaboration habits between these school-based professionals. The current study aims to analyze the impact that COVID-19 had on these practitioners’ collaboration habits and to investigate their current communication and collaboration habits. A mixed methods locally developed anonymous survey was created and used for data collection. Participants were recruited through social-media groups and via word-of-mouth sharing. 20 school-based practitioners shared their perceptions and experiences with …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Collaboration Between School Psychologists And Board-Certified Behavioral Analysts, Taylor J. Bronaugh

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

The aim of this paper is to examine the impact of communication styles brought on by distanced learning and its effect on collaboration for school psychologists and Bord Certified Behavioral Analysts (BCBAs). Prior studies have addressed collaboration habits between these school-based professionals. The current study aims to analyze the impact that COVID-19 had on these practitioners’ collaboration habits and to investigate their current communication and collaboration habits. A mixed methods locally developed anonymous survey was created and used for data collection. Participants were recruited through social-media groups and via word-of-mouth sharing. 20 school-based practitioners shared their perceptions and experiences with …

Identifying Challenges And Resiliency Of Adolescents Living With Parents Misusing Substances: A Mixed Methods Study, Alison Palmer

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

This study aimed to identify challenges, resiliency factors, and needs of adolescents living with parents misusing substances. Seven first-year students at James Madison University in PSYC 101 and PSYC 160 classes signed up to participant in this study to receive course credit. While supervised by a mental health provider, participants individually completed a Modified CAST-6 screener as well as a locally developed survey. A nonexperimental mixed-methods study was conducted including the convergent collection of quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data were analyzed through Braun and Clarke’s (2006) model of thematic analysis. The …

Adversity, Resilience, Mental Health, And Well-Being In First-Year Student-Athletes: A Mixed Methods Intervention Study, Parker Leap

Dissertations, 2020-current

Research indicates that student-athletes face unique stressors as they transition to college. Resilience programming has been shown to have mental health benefits with the general college student population; however, few studies have examined efficacy of resilience programming with college-student athletes during their transition to college. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a novel, culturally-resonant, NCAA grant-funded resilience course on scores of resilience, student athlete mental health, and sport well-being. This study also sought to assess the feasibility of this course and explore participants’ subjective experiences. A mixed methods intervention research design was utilized and included …

Coaching In Differential Attention And Pride Skills During Child Directed Interactions For Siblings Of Children With Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Ava Sardoni

Dissertations, 2020-current

Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDDs) are an increasingly-common presentation that is often associated with significant behavioral and relational challenges. NDDs can impact multiple areas of functioning including social, academic, and adaptive functioning. As NDDs are developmental disorders in nature, they are often lifelong conditions that require intensive treatments and adaptations throughout the lifespan. One of the most important predictors of success and fulfillment for a child with an NDD is the support from the family system.

Siblings of a child with an NDD are often neglected from the conversation of supports and treatments for children with NDDs. However, challenging behaviors often associated …

Partner Or Participant? Parent Experiences Within Pre-Referral Meetings, Mason R. Folk

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Existing research on parent experiences in school-based problem-solving team meetings has focused on the special education process; however, the pre-referral process precedes this and may influence future collaborative efforts. This study investigates parents' experiences in pre-referral meetings and explores their perceptions of participation, factors influencing their involvement, and barriers they face. A convergent mixed methods approach was utilized to analyze parents’ quantitative and qualitative responses to an online survey; frequency of response to survey items and thematic analysis were used to present a holistic depiction of parents’ personal experiences. Results suggested that although parents report positive experiences within their meetings, …

Investigating The Specific Links Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Vulnerability To Suicide: A Mixed Methods Study, Priyata Thapa

Dissertations, 2020-current

Suicide is among the leading causes of death in the U.S. and it is imperative to improve prevention efforts (CDC, 2021). Previous research has demonstrated a strong association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and suicide risk (e.g. Felitti et al., 1998; Hughes et al., 2017), and the need for deeper understanding of these associations utilizing developmental and relational perspectives (e.g. Angelakis et al., 2019; Hjelmeland and Knizek, 2020). This study investigated the associations between ACEs, interpersonal learning history in early attachment relationships, and suicidality using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design. The Structural Analysis of Social Behavior (SASB; Benjamin, 1979) …

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Youth Experiencing Homelessness: A Qualitative Study, Bryan A. Pecoraro

Dissertations, 2020-current

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted youth experiencing homelessness (YEH). During the coronavirus outbreak, millions of people’s health worldwide was negatively affected. In addition to poor physical health, society’s mental health was affected by political discourse, viral mitigation factors, social distancing, and distrust of both the media and government. Decades of research with those experiencing homelessness suggest that the housing insecure suffer from a litany of poor outcomes. Their physical and mental health are negatively affected by traumas and illnesses suffered prior to, and during, their transience. This study takes a phenomenological …

Too Much Fun: A Collaborative Autoethnography Detailing The Significance Of Friendship Between Women Of Color In A School Psychology Graduate Program, Arayana A. Harris

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Using collaborative autoethnography (CAE), the presented thesis explores the friendship of four women of color attending a school psychology graduate program. Friendship is presented as a protective factor with particular relevancy for women of color, and for racially- and ethnically-minoritized (REM) students attending graduate school. Researcher-participants utilized a concurrent approach to CAE, and data collection methods included journal entries and recorded conversations between researcher-participants. Relevant themes identified using emergent thematic coding included the meaningful characteristics of friendship, as identified by researcher-participants, as well as skills and actions identified as being influenced by friendship. Key ideas discussed include the meaningfulness of …

Terror Management And The News: An Exploration Into The Effects Of Framing On Mortality Salience, Peter Montwill

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The present study explores the link between Terror Management Theory and the use of its principles within news media. Political news media in the digital age undergoes a variety of framing effects, more specifically episodic and thematic frames of stories. To induce mortality salience, college-aged participants were presented with stories framed from the perspective of an individual’s experience or a general theme of experiences regarding the controversial pro-life topic and a non-controversial hiking topic. These stories are presented in the style of Instagram posts to mirror how college-aged people consume news media. The stories also contain wording designed to induce …

Exploring The Needs Of Military Children In Public Schools: What School Psychologists Need To Know, Hannah A. Delmonte

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Although research has been published documenting the increased risk for negative social, emotional, behavioral, and academic outcomes of military-connected students, no research prior to this study has given voice to these students and explored their experiences and needs. Five military-connected high school students participated in a focus group exploring what their lived experiences are in the context of living in a military-connected home and what they wish their schools knew to better support them. A thematic analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data and six themes emerged from the discussion: the emotional burden these students carry, distance they feel …

Children’S Experiences Of Parental Death, “Lost But Still Remembered”, Nour Salem

Dissertations, 2020-current

Parental death is prevalent during childhood, and the emotional, social, and behavioral effects on children’s development are well-documented. Although there is extensive literature on grief in children, most studies on children’s grief have obtained data about children’s experiences though collateral interviews with parents or caregivers, from adults who lost a parent as a child, or through quantitative measures with children and caregivers. Few studies have implemented a qualitative exploration of parental death by asking bereaved children. The objective of the current study was to involve parentally bereaved children in responding to the research question, “what is it like to lose …