Digital Commons Network^™

Assessment Of Observed Weather Impacts On Small Unmanned Aircraft (Ua) Operations, Nicole Stevens

Theses and Dissertations

Unmanned Aircraft (UA) are being used more frequently and for an increased variety of purposes, from military use to medical deliveries, disaster and building infrastructure imagery, and agriculture. While the interest in and usage of UA grows, little is known about how often UA flight operations are impacted by different meteorological phenomenon. In this study, a 30-year climatology of surface stations and sounding observations are used to determine the likelihood of UA operations without weather-driven restrictions or grounding at five locations. The locations of Bismarck, ND, Riverton, WY, Oakland, CA, Albuquerque, NM, and Miami, FL are selected to represent different …

Native And Indigenous Women Of Hawai'i: Exploring The Importance Of Indigenous Narratives And Storytelling To Understand Ancestral Knowledge Systems, Renuka Mahari De Silva

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation contains three articles. The research for these articles was conducted through many interviews and working directly in the communities from around the Island of O ‘ahu, Hawai‘i. Each article addresses a research topic that is connected to ancestral stories and historical events brought forward by women through stories and storytelling. These stories embed rich ancestral knowledge from a specific time and a specific place and space. In reading these articles, the reader is exposed to the power of story and storytelling, and how that in turn, reconnects people to places to learn from ancestral knowledge, and apply these …

Use Of Landsat Satellite Imagery To Identify The Salinization Of Soil Due To Brine Spills In Northwestern North Dakota, Neha Patel

Theses and Dissertations

Oil and gas development in northwestern North Dakota, has resulted in the drilling of more than 32,000 wells and produced large volumes of salt water (brine). Brine spills can have negative impacts on plant and water resources. This research evaluated the detection of brine spills in Bottineau County, North Dakota using Landsat imagery and the Canopy Response Salinity Index (CRSI). The CRSI uses ratios of near-infrared and infrared bands from Landsat imagery. Spill data for Bottineau County from 1975 to 2017 were collected from the North Dakota Department of Health for analysis of spill volume, number of spills, and timing …

Determination Of Maximum Scour Depth For Spur Dikes Based On A Validated Two-Dimensional Hec-Ras Model, Mathew Lee Cox

Theses and Dissertations

The introduction of spur dikes into a river flow field can have many far-reaching positive effects on the stability of a river channel. While the flow velocity directly at the spur dike tip or crest may increase, a large embayment area downstream of the spur dike will form with reduced flow velocities. Due to the increase in flow velocity at the spur dike, a scour hole will form. Scour is the leading cause of failure of hydraulic structures. In the past many hydraulic structures were tested by building scale prototype models, this method is very costly and hard to model …

A Neoclassical Realist’S Analysis Of Sino-U.S. Space Policy, Christopher David Fabian

Theses and Dissertations

During the Cold War, the United States focused its collective policy acumen on forming a competitive, actor-specific strategy to gain advantage over the Soviet Union. The fragmentation of the Soviet Union resulted in a multi-polar geopolitical environment lacking a near-peer rival for the United States. Overwhelming soft and hard power advantages allowed American policy makers to peruse a general, non-actor specific strategy to maintain its hegemonic position. However, the meteoric rise of China as a near-peer competitor in East Asia has challenged this paradigm. In order to maintain its competitive advantage, or at the very least ensure the safety of …

Hunting And Fishing Attitudes, Behaviors And Ethics Related To Gender And Aggression, Victoria Williams

Theses and Dissertations

To date, no empirical studies have investigated the relationship between psychopathology (or other constructs) pertaining to hunting and fishing attitudes, behaviors and ethics relating to gender and aggression. Although experienced outdoorspeople assumedly adhere to, or are at least aware of, general hunting and fishing codes of ethics, many disregard them. This study investigates the differences between men and women on these variables by utilizing a newly developed measure of hunting and fishing attitudes and beliefs, the Sportsperson Attitude Scale (SAS) (McDonald, Williams, Sargent & McDonald 2017). This measure was created in order to better understand the potential motivators and reinforcers …

Transferability Of Maxent And Expert Opinion Models For American Beaver, Isidro A. Barela

Theses and Dissertations

Modeling habitat suitability is beneficial for management and conservation of a species. Although data-rich models are commonly used, opinion-based models may be a beneficial alternative to estimate suitable habitat locations. Despite the increasing use of habitat models, few studies have linked habitat model covariates (i.e., land cover, weather, and normalized difference vegetation indexes (NDVI)) to demographic parameters. This study evaluates model performance and transferability of maximum entropy (MaxEnt) and expert opinion models for predicting American beaver (Castor canadensis) distribution in the southeastern US. I also investigated the relationship of environmental and habitat model covariates to beaver survival. The model’s predictive …

The Effects Of A Web-Based Instructional Program: Promoting Student Growth In Reading And Mathematics Achievement, Penelope Pritchett Hill

Theses and Dissertations

As advances in technology allowed national and state education assessments to be administered digitally, many school districts transitioned to computer-based instructional programs and assessments to improve student achievement and better prepare students for high-stakes computerized assessments. One such rural public school district in Mississippi implemented a supplemental web-based instructional program, i-Ready, for the first time in the 2017-2018 school year. The purpose of this study was (a) to investigate the effects of the i-Ready program on student achievement in Grades 4 – 5 reading/language arts and mathematics and (b) to determine if there were significant differences in growth (from pretest …

Quantifying Pre-Industrial To Mid-Late 20th Century Anthropogenic Lead, Mercury And Cadmium Pollution In Caribbean Marine Environments Using Skeletonized Sea Turtle Remains, Felicia L. Pena

Theses and Dissertations

Various lines of evidence indicate that levels of anthropogenic pollutants, such as lead, mercury and cadmium, have increased in terrestrial and atmospheric environments since the early 19th century and the advent of industrialization. While the exposure to these three trace elements is a global concern, this study focused primarily on marine environments located throughout the Caribbean. Using ICP-MS, this study aimed to detect and quantify anthropogenic pollutants, specifically lead (Pb), mercury (Hg) and cadmium (Cd), using skeletonized remains of sea turtles as biological proxies for environmental quality. Archaeologically derived (n=5) and mid-late 20th century (n=6) Hawksbill and Green turtles were …

Landowner Perceptions Of Oil And Gas Development In Mississippi And Policies Associated With Managing The Industry And Natural Resources, Rachael Carter

Theses and Dissertations

Advances in oil and gas drilling technologies have led to an on-shore shale boom in the United States. This has increased drilling on forest land and conflicts regarding the tradeoffs of this practice. This study examines the forest landowner perspective of oil and gas development on forest land, policies that regulate the industry, opinions of land use tradeoffs, and what influences landowner decision making. This study also examines the balance of power between federal, state, and municipal government regarding the regulation of the oil and gas industry. A systematic random sample of 1200 landowners with more than 10 acres of …

Using Geospatial Techniques To Assess Responses Of Black Bear Populations To Anthropogenically Modified Landscapes: Conflict & Recolonization, Jamie Elizabeth Mcfadden

Theses and Dissertations

The convergence of three young scientific disciplines (ecology, geospatial sciences, and remote sensing) has generated unique advancements in wildlife research by connecting ecological data with remote sensing data through the application of geospatial techniques. Ecological datasets may contain spatial and sampling biases. By using geospatial techniques, datasets may be useful in revealing landscape scale (e.g., statewide) trends for wildlife populations, such as population recovery and human-wildlife interactions. Specifically, black bear populations across North America vary greatly in their degree of distribution stability. The black bear population in Michigan may be considered stable or secure, whereas the population in Missouri is …

Using The Unified Theory Of Acceptance And Use Technology To Determine Factors That Affect The Acceptance And Use Of Social Media To Advertise And Promote Agriproducts In Farmer' Communities In North Mississippi, Carlos Alberto Moreno-Ortiz

Theses and Dissertations

The present empirical study examined factors that affect the acceptance and use of social media platforms by farmers and vendors in farmers’ communities in North Mississippi for marketing their small farm businesses. Based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), structural equations modeling was used to examine several relationships: (1) the influence of performance expectancy (PE) on behavioral intention (BI) to use social media; (2) the influence of effort expectancy (EE) on BI; (3) the influence of social influence (SI) on BI; (4) the influence of facilitating conditions (FC) on actual use (USE) of social media; …

Testament To Home: Using The Cultural Landscape Report For Conserving Historic House Grounds, Sylvia Rody Mclaurin

Theses and Dissertations

The cultural landscape report (CLR) is a document commissioned by historic sites for the purpose of confirming an historic landscape’s significance and integrity, assessing its defining characteristics, evaluating the condition of its features, and recommending present and future landscape treatments. In this study of six publicly owned historic home grounds in the Deep South, the contents and format of the respective CLR’s are reviewed and site directors interviewed to determine their use of the CLR for their sites. While CLR’s are valuable especially to support bids for funding and other appropriations, directors indicate needs not readily met by their respective …

Strategjia E Teknologjisë Informative Në Agjencinë Kadastrale Të Kosovës, Nehat Maçastena

Theses and Dissertations

Teknologjia informative (TI) është duke e përshkuar dhe transformuar ekonominë në tërë globin, si sektorin publik ashtu edhe shoqërinë në përgjithësi. Ky trend drejt transformimit digjital e ka vendosur promovimin e sektorit të TI-së si prioritet kryesor në agjendat e shumë qeverive. Përveç kësaj, me një vlerë të madhe të tregut botëror, industria e TI-së nuk është vetëm sektori më i madh por edhe më dinamik, gjë që e bënë TI-në shtytësin kryesor të rritjes ekonomike dhe inovacionit.

Strategjia e TI-së (Strategjia e teknologjisë informative) është një plan gjithëpërfshirës që përshkruan se si duhet përdorur teknologjia për të përmbushur qëllimet …

Biogeography And Natural History Of Tiger Moths And Spongillaflies Of Intermountain North America With Experimental Studies Of Host Preference In The Lichen-Feeder Cisthene Angelus (Insecta: Lepdioptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae And Neuroptera: Sisyridae), Makani Layne Fisher

Theses and Dissertations

The Intermountain West is comprised of impressive land formations, numerous ecoregions, and a unique biota. The area has many flora and fauna that have been investigated, but the region is generally considered undersampled when it comes to insects. However, I propose the matter to be a lack of shared experience in identifying key insect species and the underutilization of professional and personal collections. These impediments are highlighted by two insect groups in the Intermountain West: spongillaflies and tiger moths.Spongillaflies can be difficult to recognize for the general entomologist and have rarely been recorded in the Intermountain West. My colleagues and …

Addie Graves (1922-2007) And The Creation Of Bethlehem Lutheran Church In Columbus, Georgia, Jesse David Chariton

Theses and Dissertations

Addie Graves (1922-2007) grew up in Wilcox County, Alabama, which at the time was a center of Lutheran African-American missions. After moving to Columbus, Georgia, in the early 1950s, she became the first black member of a Lutheran church in the city (Lutheran Church of the Redeemer). This is significant because most other churches in Columbus did not desegregate until decades later. It was also prior to any official desegregation action by the Lutheran Church -Missouri Synod. She could have joined a different church, but she evidently felt strongly about her Lutheran faith and identity. In 1963, she helped establish …

Bobcat Abundance And Habitat Selection On The Utah Test And Training Range, Kyle David Muncey

Theses and Dissertations

Remote cameras have become a popular tool for monitoring wildlife. We used remote cameras to estimate bobcat (Lynx rufus) population abundance on the Utah Test and Training Range during two sample periods between 2015 and 2017. We used two statistical methods, closed capture mark-recapture (CMR) and mark-resight Poisson log-normal (PNE), to estimate bobcat abundance within the study area. We used the maximum mean distance moved method (MMDM) to calculate the effective sample area for estimating density. Additionally, we captured bobcats and estimated home range using minimum convex polygon (MCP) and kernel density estimation (KDE) methods. Bobcat abundance on the UTTR …

First Steps In Retrofitting A Versatile Software Testing Infrastructure To Android, Carol Anne Oliver

Theses and Dissertations

Are existing software testing technologies satisfying the needs of mobile software testing practitioners? This dissertation provides evidence that the existing technologies fall short of practitioner’s actual needs and analyzes some reasons why this is so. The first contribution presents a framework for analyzing the software testing needs of practitioners, which is then used to assess the existing software testing tools and body of research, revealing significant gaps. The second contribution proposes a vision for a new software testing technology for mobile apps, which is then applied to a real-world problem causing problems for software testing practitioners (namely, the verification of …

Combining Faithfulness With Learning: Avoiding The Path Of Secularization At Brigham Young University, J. Gordon Daines Iii

Theses and Dissertations

Most research universities in the United States began as religiously affiliated institutions. Beginning in the late 19th century and continuing over the course of the 20th century, the vast majority of these institutions engaged in a process of secularization through which faith moved from the center of academic life to the periphery. This paper elucidates a conceptual framework for understanding how and why Brigham Young University did not follow the path of secularization that so many research universities, originally religious in nature, pursued. It examines the steps that the university and its sponsoring institution (The Church of Jesus Christ of …

Biogeography And Natural History Of Tiger Moths And Spongillaflies Of Intermountain North America With Experimental Studies Of Host Preference In The Lichen-Feeder Cisthene Angelus (Insecta: Lepdioptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae And Neuroptera: Sisyridae), Makani Layne Fisher

Theses and Dissertations

The Intermountain West is comprised of impressive land formations, numerous ecoregions, and a unique biota. The area has many flora and fauna that have been investigated, but the region is generally considered undersampled when it comes to insects. However, I propose the matter to be a lack of shared experience in identifying key insect species and the underutilization of professional and personal collections. These impediments are highlighted by two insect groups in the Intermountain West: spongillaflies and tiger moths. Spongillaflies can be difficult to recognize for the general entomologist and have rarely been recorded in the Intermountain West. My colleagues …

The Role Of Human Capital And Innovative Entrepreneurship In Developing Countries, José Rolando Torrech Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Human capital, innovation and entrepreneurship have long been associated with economic development in different contexts. However, in the recent past, several research studies carried out show that the complexity and technical nature of the everchanging business environment necessitated by technology have superseded the current human capital required to address innovative strategies in developing countries. Several scholars assert that although inadequate skills are a great challenge for entrepreneurs, more research needs to be done to break down the varying units affecting the impact of human capital on entrepreneurial development and economic growth. The purpose of the study was to investigate the …

Exploratory Analysis Of Accuracy Monitoring Techniques In Vehicle Detection Systems For Intelligent Transportation Systems Applications And Maintenance, Manasi Sanjay Palod

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of transportation management is to ensure the mobility of people and goods, in a reliable and efficient manner. Operation and maintenance of transportation infrastructure is key to accomplish their objectives. Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) applications rely on massive detection networks that collectively demand significant maintenance resources. Resource constraints force transportation agencies to look for innovative ways to optimize their operational and maintenance costs while serving their users at intended performance levels. The system inputs come from vehicle detection system (VDS), acting as field data collection devices, enabling traffic monitoring and management through response to specific conditions. This research …

Constructing A Data-Based Mortality Profile For Avian Tower Kills At Telecommunication Towers In Illinois, Rachel Dipietro

Theses and Dissertations

During spring and fall seasons, Neotropical migratory passerines travel nocturnally across the Western Hemisphere between their wintering and breeding grounds, often encountering man-made threats. One hazard that has gained considerable publicity in recent decades is the communication tower. While there have been many tower kill studies recorded, there has been no attempt at predicting the risk of towers based on their different attributes (e.g., height, type of light, landscape placement) spatially on a regional scale. The objective of this study was to create seasonal mortality profile maps in GIS for Illinois, based on tower attributes combined with key factors such …

Facilitating Student Autonomy: An Exploration Of Student-Driven Curriculum Development And Implementation, Edwin James Keyes

Theses and Dissertations

In order to improve his own teaching practice, the researcher observed and studied student-driven approaches to public art education that not only achieved the aims of the national standards, but also encouraged secondary students' engagement with art in personally relevant ways. Inspired and informed by these observations and studies, the researcher developed a curriculum based more on student concerns, which was studied using action research. The action research approach was driven by experimentation with the curriculum's content as well as its implementation and is fundamentally about improving the researcher's own teaching practice. Hence, the study focuses largely on the researcher's …

Latino Immigrant Family Involvement: Feelings Of Belongingness And Attachment In An Urban Elementary School, Christel Marie Hibbard Pond

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the relationship between Latino immigrant family involvement and feelings of belongingness and attachment in relation to the school community. This study explored how Latino immigrant family voices described their feelings of belongingness and attachment by investigating the linkages between Latino immigrant family beliefs and social capital relating to school involvement and perceptions of belongingness. This study used theories of attachment and belongingness to understand the relationship between family feelings of belongingness, attachment, social capital, and family involvement in the school community. Findings of the study revealed that although Latino immigrant …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Transition Metal Based Nanocomposites For Orr In Fuel Cell Applications, Hunter Austin Wayland

Theses and Dissertations

Development of economically viable platinum alternatives for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells is a fundamental step towards large-scale commercialization efforts, which aim to reduce reliance on non-renewable energy resources. This work explores the synthesis, characterization, and application of graphene supported cobalt(III) and iron(III) based MN4 complexes for oxygen reduction, and farther investigates the potential for gains in performance and enhanced stability following coating with a bioinspired self- assembling polymer, polydopamine. The nanocomposites were characterized using a variety of electron microscopy and spectroscopy techniques, and their electrochemical performance was assessed using a potentiostat/galvanostat. The polymer-uncoated nanocomposites were found to reduce oxygen …

Individual Similarities And Regional Differences: The Impact Of 2015 Refugee Crisis On Europeans’ Attitudes Toward Immigration, Liri Kosovare Bllaca

Theses and Dissertations

Whereas the extant literature has found much similarities in determinants and correlates of individual attitudes toward immigration to Europe there is less attention on Europe’s regional-based attitudes. We try to unpack this puzzle by accounting for attitude variations that the 2015 Europe’s refugee crisis brought about in three geopolitical regions of the continent, namely EU member countries from former communist Eastern Europe, EU member countries from Western Europe and non-EU Western countries. We argue that whereas some socioeconomic factors and other attitudinal variables predict the same reaction toward more/less immigration from poor countries outside Europe, trust in institutions and their …

Impact Of Explicit Instruction Using Culturally Relevant Texts In Reading On Student Confidence, Wendy Harriford Platt

Theses and Dissertations

This paper describes an action research question focused on how explicit instruction in reading, coupled with culturally responsive teaching, can affect the confidence levels of African-American male ninth graders regarding their reading comprehension abilities. The research question seeks to illustrate the benefits of using explicit instruction in the context of materials seen as relevant by the student to unpack each step of the reading comprehension process thereby engaging students who otherwise view reading as a streamlined, passive process; it also uses teacher modeling to show how to increase reading comprehension, Also, classroom instruction on the secondary level makes use of …

The Sequential Method: An Analysis Of Robert Jesselson’S Cello Pedagogy, Kalim D. Alvarez Campos

Theses and Dissertations

Dr. Robert Jesselson has made significant professional contributions as a cello performer and music educator. His pedagogical approaches are innovative in helping students overcome technical problems, building good work habits, instilling self- discipline, addressing kinesthetic issues, and improving practice techniques. His Sequential Method involves a systematic and logical progression of technical exercises, scale systems, etudes and repertoire. It is unique in its applications for teaching and learning left and right hand techniques, building a progression of etudes which address technical and musical issues and working through the cello repertoire in an organized and meaningful manner that is appropriate to the …

Politics And The Built Environment: Civic Structures Of Eighteenth Century Williamsburg, Virginia And Charles Town, South Carolina, Paul Bartow

Theses and Dissertations

This study compares Williamsburg and Charles Town as colonial capital cities with attention to how their political culture was reflected through public buildings and the built environment. Drawing on traveler accounts, contemporary descriptions, government records, and maps, this thesis analyzes the character-defining features of public architecture in each city. I examine the capitol buildings, governor’s residences, churches, and town plans to see how the colonists in these respective cities viewed their society, their political order, and their place within the British Empire.

I argue that due to its development in the late seventeenth century and its reliance on the architectural …