Digital Commons Network^™

Virtual Battlespace Behavior Generation Through Class Imitation, Bryon K. Fryer Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Military organizations need realistic training scenarios to ensure mission readiness. Developing the skills required to differentiate combatants from non-combatants is very important for ensuring the international law of armed conflict is upheld. In Simulated Training Environments, one of the open challenges is to correctly simulate the appearance and behavior of combatant and non-combatant agents in a realistic manner. This thesis outlines the construction of a data driven agent that is capable of imitating the behaviors of the Virtual BattleSpace 2 behavior classes while our agent is configured to advance to a geographically specific goal. The approach and the resulting agent …

Combating Biological Terrorism From Imported Food, Jeffrey S. Nelson

Theses and Dissertations

There is a threat that a terrorist or terrorist organization will use access to the US food supply to kill or sicken Americans by contaminating imported food products from Mexico. The food that Americans eat is coming more and more often from foreign countries such as Mexico. Foodborne diseases infect nearly fifty million people in the US each year, resulting in over three thousand deaths. There are many terrorist organizations that would like to deliberately contaminate American food. Drug cartels and terrorist organizations currently operate in Mexico, one of the leading food importers into the US. The purpose of this …

By Product Synergy Analysis, Francisco Edgardo Leguiza

Theses and Dissertations

The United States Air Forces generates various waste during the repair and overhaul activities. These wastes can involve hazardous material. Depending on the material, technologies exist or could be readily developed to convert wastes into feed-stock for other processes. The old concept of managing material from cradle-to-grave now has evolved into cradle-to-cradle. This concept goes beyond the disposal of waste and can be even more cost-effective than recycling. The objective is to generate "food" by identifying and developing other processes to use current wastes in its own production processes. By shifting from waste disposal to an endless reusing model improves …

A Century Long Pursuit Of Alternative Fuels And Feedstocks: A Content Analysis, Elias J. Halvorson

Theses and Dissertations

he United States has dramatically increased its production of alternative fuels over the past seven years. With the passing of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA), alternative fuel production will increase in the United States over 700% from 2005 levels. However, the pursuit of petroleum alternatives is not a recent trend. Over the last 100 years, various nations have pursued petroleum alternatives with varying levels of success. This research focuses on the historical development of 10 leading alternative fuels and feedstocks. Through a thorough literature review we will identify commonalities among these fuels and feedstocks which have …

Retrospective Geospatial Modeling Of Pm10 Exposures From Open Burning At Joint Base Balad, Iraq, John P. Rinker

Theses and Dissertations

Predicting, determining, and linking theater-related source-specific exposures to health effects has proven difficult. The purpose of this research is to delineate retrospective exposure zones using spatially interpolated particulate air sampling point data from Joint Base Balad, create burn pit exposure isopleths from dispersion model outputs, and merge into a combined exposure model in GIS. Interpolated monitoring results and dispersion modeled results were combined to compare modeled exposures across base. Burn pit contribution to total PM10 was also modeled. The combined dispersion and interpolation map showed elevated concentrations within a 1 kilometer buffer of the burn pit. Buildings within this area …

"A Considered Conversion": The Conscious Choice To Accept Christianity By The Populace Of Iceland And Greenland In The Era Of Scandinavian Conversion, Robert A. Burt

Theses and Dissertations

A Considered Conversion: The Conscious Choice to Accept Christianity by the Populace of Iceland and Greenland in the Era of Scandinavian Conversion Robert A. Burt Department of History, BYU Master of Arts Most studies of the Christianization of Scandinavia attribute the phenomenon to the influence of powerful kings. However, many times the conversion experiences of Iceland and Greenland are either ignored, or tied to the influence of these distant kings. This thesis unites sociological ideas relating to conversion along social and familial lines, ideas introduced by Roger Stark and Rodney Finke, with historical details of Icelandic and Greenland family genealogies …

The Epidemiology Of Human Rabies Postexposure Prophylaxis In Virginia, 2002 And 2003, Marilyn Goss Haskell

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To describe a sample that received human rabies postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) in Virginia as a result of animal exposures in 2002 and 2003 and to determine the extent to which PEP decisions were appropriate.Methods: PEP surveillance data were requested from 35 Virginia health districts within 5 regions. Retrospective chart review was used to gather demographic, exposure and source animal data from patient records and animal exposure reports. Descriptive statistics are presented. True exposures and appropriateness of PEP were defined using the 2004 Virginia Rabies Control Guidelines and the Recommendations of the 1999 Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. The 2003 …

Sales Process Of International Products In Kosova Case Study: Rainbow Product, Adem Hamza

Theses and Dissertations

This study is done in field of sales, and the purpose of the research was to understand what kind of steps this company uses to come till the sale of the product. Also I will explain the relationship between theory and practice, does this company follow the steps of selling what is written in theory, or this company has its own steps that follow to sell its products.

This study uses a deductive approach, using quantitative and qualitative data. First of all I developed two questionnaires, in order to analyze in details my study. One questionnaire was developed for the …

Drips, Brigette Newberry

Theses and Dissertations

Artist Statement My work is intuitive and process oriented. It begins by layering images on top of small stacks of patterned paper or cloth. These images consist of drawings or photographs of organic, natural objects that I have drawn or photographed and then printed. With a sewing machine, I sew through all the layers in stacks using the lines that I find interesting on the top image. Then I cut into the layered stacks to reveal the new images from all of the new juxtapositions and associations as they reveal themselves during the cutting process. I intuitively search for the …

Spatiality And Temporality In Communication Theories, Diana Iulia Nastasia

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation has been planned and written as an extended review of literature on space and time within and outside of communication studies, and as a thorough categorization of issues about spatiality and temporality that have been and might be employed outside of and within communication studies. This dissertation has been envisioned and conceived as a critical look at both theories that consider space and time as unproblematic, that reify an ideal-typical perspective of time and an absolute-universal perspective of space, and theories that problematize space and time, that challenge the settled and predominant view of spatiality and temporality. The …

Contentious Politics In The Maghreb: A Comparative Study Of Mobilization In Tunisia And Morocco, Johan Rognlie Roko

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis sets out by exploring processes of socio-economic and political change leading up to the most recent upheavals in the Arab World, with a focus on Tunisia and Morocco. A comparative study of the different historical trajectories of these countries is useful to identify causes for variation between countries that share many cultural, historical, socio-economic, and also political characteristics. The thesis illustrates how these countries have liberalized their economies without liberalizing their polities to the same extent, a process that has undermined regime legitimacy gradually over many years. In Tunisia the worsening marginalization for growing segments of the population …

Remapping Borders And Boundaries In The Middle East: Amitav Ghosh And Mourid Barghouti, Reem Yasser Zaki Abd El-Barr

Theses and Dissertations

The Middle East map has undergone a remarkable change since the rise of geopolitical borders in the early twentieth century. These borders constructed by colonial powers and maintained by postcolonial ones have not only divided the region into nation-states but have also entailed boundaries between people on the basis of national, cultural, linguistic and religious differences. This study examines how borders and boundaries are contested and subverted in two Third World narrative productions set in the Middle East: In an Antique Land (1992) by the Indian-Bengali writer Amitav Ghosh and Ra'aytu RÄ m AllÄ h (1997), a memoir by the …

State Capacity And Rule Of Law: The Case Of Upper Egypt, Reem Abu Zahra

Theses and Dissertations

Governability or social order is a multi-faceted phenomenon where different actors, state, society and ruling regime, interact on daily basis. Sometimes, it is the regime that is blamed for the weak intensity of governance. Sometimes, it is the cultural setting and social norms that are accused of being anti-state. Culture in Upper Egypt has always been blamed for the inability of the police force to penetrate society and uphold rule of law. This piece of research tackled the phenomenon of tha'r as part of a bigger phenomenon of informal means of conflict resolution and the weak state penetration in society. …

Pluralities, Sandra Fernandez

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis attempts to answer the question - What does it mean to be half/plural Egyptian in Egypt? It focuses on the experiences of individuals with one Egyptian parent and one foreign parent living in Egypt. A secondary goal was to examine how individuals created niches and familiarity for themselves within a socio-cultural context marked by the upholding of rigid social boundaries. Contacts were made through existing social ties and referrals by friends and colleagues. Methodologically I conducted interviews with my interlocutors, after introductory e-mails explaining the project and requesting background information in order to ascertain participants' suitability for the …

A Case Study Of E-Learning Initiatives In New Zealand's Secondary Schools, Allison Powell

Theses and Dissertations

There is a shift occurring in education systems around the world, which could change the face of education as we have known it through blended and online learning. E-Learning offers opportunities and possibilities that were unknown to educators over a decade ago. Countries, states, and school districts are implementing online and blended learning environments to offer world class educational opportunities to all students no matter their zip code or socio-economic status. In general, research in the field of K-12 online learning has focused on the United States and Canada. However, an international survey of online learning in initiatives conducted by …

Organizational Change Effectiveness A Case Study In Customer-Alignment Structures For Employee Engagement And Service Delivery, Emily C. Logan

Theses and Dissertations

Although organizational changes are common in business, few of these changes are decided based upon clearly defined organizational goals (Hilmer & Donaldson, 1996). Making structural changes may not be the best approach to improve performance, given that organizational changes are disruptive to the organization (Day, Lawson, & Leslie, 2003). Instead of following prevalent management fads, organizational leaders need to evaluate carefully any potential changes for their situation and objectives before embarking on a disruptive change. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of an organizational change in which the defined goals were to create more empowered employees …

Interdisciplinary Authentic Assessment: Cognitive Expectations And Student Performance, Jenni M. Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

This two-pronged quantitative, non-experimental design study, conducted at an urban secondary school of 472 students in Los Angeles, California, was designed to gain understanding of the potential impact of interdisciplinary authentic assessment and the manner and complexity with which such tasks push students to think. Since limited research has been conducted around the results of such practices at the secondary school level, this research serves as a pilot study to examine (a) cognitive levels of Bloom's Taxonomy present within four interdisciplinary authentic assessment tasks, following an ongoing professional development intervention and (b) student performance on these assessments of varying cognitive …

Space Studies For The Ipad : Using Technology To Increase Public Knowledge And Interest In Space Topics, John A. Boucha

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Personality Types As An Indicator Of Online Student Success And Retention, Ben P. Meredith

Theses and Dissertations

With online education courses within public institutions realizing lower than average retention and success rates for students, current retention practices and models are falling woefully short of providing workable, viable answers to keeping students and helping them be successful without lowering academic standards. While a relationship between specific occupations and personality types have been noted, currently little research exists linking personality type with online student success and retention. This study sought to determine the relationship between the personality types of online students and their success and retention in online programs. In summer 2009, 149 students from Olympic College in Washington …

A Phenomenological Study On The Perceptions Of University Professors Regarding The Philosophical Orientations Underlying The Assessment-Driven Model Of Education, Stephen Pietrolungo

Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study of the current education reform model concerns this central research question: What are the perceptions of five California university professors working within a school of education in terms of learning theory, curriculum perspectives, and philosophical orientations? Throughout the history and development of American education, concurrent political ideologies influenced reform. Interviewees were university professors preparing students to serve as teachers and administrators within the public school system. Findings revealed that the current reforms are at odds with the development skills like problem solving, global awareness, critical and creative thinking, independent learning, collaborative learning, communication, and reflection. Schools need …

Nonprofit Capacity: A Comparative Case Study Of Capacity Building In Community-Based Organizations, Valerie K. Wright

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand the relationship between capacity-building activities and the capacity found in community-based organizations. This qualitative study examined the impact of capacity-building activities such as board development, staff training, fundraising, and leadership development to understand what factors were present and if they increased the level of capacity. The literature revealed that little to no agreement exists in the field of capacity building around the frameworks for successful development of capacity in community-based organizations. This subgroup of nonprofits was rarely identified as such in the literature. Definitions of capacity building can be summed up as …

Building And Leading A Culture Of Collaboration: An Analysis Of The Influence Of A Company's Social Networking Tools On Employee Collaboration, Sheri Lynn Nugent

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of a specific company's intranet social networking tools on building and leading a culture of collaboration in a corporate environment. The problem is the implementation of knowledge management and networking tools by a company for the purpose of collaborating, learning and replicating information across the enterprise without measurement of the receptivity of the corporate culture to use the tools effectively. This study focused on assessing the effective use of social networking tools to enable collaboration success in virtual on-line teams rather than physically co-located teams. A validated survey, the Wilder …

The Application Of Cultural Values By Contemporary Alaska Native Leaders And Alaska Native Corporations: Individual And Organizational Implications, Lorraine Henry

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the influence of traditional Alaska Native cultural values on current business practices within Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs). Five past and eight current chief executive officers of ANCs were interviewed to determine the impact of traditional Alaska Native cultural values on the ANCs. Key issues were identified by both samples. Basic assumptions of each sample also were determined. Values driving both samples additionally were identified. The study findings revealed substantial similarities from the two sets of leaders. It was concluded that reconciling the two different value systems (Western and Alaska Native) appears to have been achieved by blending …

A Study Of Reading First Implementation And Literacy Performance Of Students In Kindergarten Through Fifth Grade In Lancaster School District, Michele Marie Bowers

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined elementary student literacy performance in Lancaster School District in kindergarten through 5th grades for 6 elementary schools implementing the Reading First program and 6 elementary schools not implementing Reading First. Subgroup data for English Language Learners, Hispanic, and African American students was closely examined and compared with the literacy performance data of white students to determine whether implementation of the Reading First program has narrowed the achievement gap. The study also explored the relationship, if any, between the level of Reading First program implementation (RFII) and literacy achievement of students as measured by the English Language Arts …

Student-Led Conferences: Perceptions Held By Parents Of Children Attending A Christian Elementary School, Angele’ Foster-King

Theses and Dissertations

This concurrent multiple methods study was to inform the work at Ontario Christian School (OCS) related to student-led conferences in grades K-3rd during the 2009-2010 school year. OCS elementary parent perceptions were explored regarding the benefits, if any, of student-led conferences in addition to how, if at all, student-led conferences have influenced parent awareness of K-3rd student academic performance, communication between parents and students in regards to school, parental expectations and parenting style, as well as their influence on student motivation and accountability. Participating parents completed a quantitative survey and a qualitative questionnaire. Five main findings resulted. First, the parents …

Muslim Female Leadership, Maliha Marri

Theses and Dissertations

Leadership by women is by no means a new concept in the Islamic world. In fact, Islamic history is replete with female Muslim leaders. Researcher Badawi (1995) has extrapolated that the obstacles in the path of Muslim female leadership are “cultural practices”, not Islam. Even though it may be hard to do so in an Islamic way, there is actually no proof in the Quran that prohibits Muslim women from assuming leadership roles. Remnant androcentrism continues to be an impediment in the way of Muslim female leadership. Abugideriri has explained that traditionally, Islamic leadership has been gendered, with the males …

Significant Traits, Characteristics, And Qualities Of High Effective United Methodist Church Clergy, Grant John Hagiya

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation attempts to identify the key traits, characteristics, and qualities of high effective United Methodist Church clergy. The experimental study employed a mixed methods design, with a quantitative component that compared high effective and low effective clergy on the dimensions of their Emotional Intelligence using the BarOn Assessment, leadership qualities using the Leadership Practices Inventory, church size and vitality, and finally, self identification as to leadership abilities and ministry effectiveness. It also included a qualitative component in the form of in-depth interviews with high effective United Methodist Church clergy on their leadership traits, characteristics, and qualities. The dissertation's quantitative …

Identifying The Challenges And Support Needs Of Baby Boom Mothers Middle Managers, Audrey Sloofman

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the challenges, development needs, and support needs of Baby Boomer middle manager women who have children and plan to continue working for the next 10 years. Baby Boomer women have played the role of groundbreakers for other women in the workplace and must continue to do so, as many organizations are still male-dominated at the uppermost levels. As mothers and managers, they have developed a holistic view of the world, which can add insight at C-suite levels. This study involved in-depth interviews with 12 Baby Boom generation women (born between 1946 and …

Satisficing: A Decision-Making Strategy For School Choice, Kristine Anne Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate parent decision-making regarding school choice. Data were collected through a survey on how parents approached the decision making task of choosing a school for their child. Parents of kindergarten and first grade students in one public school district in Minnesota and five private schools in surrounding communities were invited to participate.

Four bodies of literature provide the theoretical basis of the study. They are education reform; school choice in Minnesota; factors parents consider when choosing schools; and decision-making theory.

Satisficing, a concept drawn from Herbert Simon's (1955, 1956) theory of bounded rationality …

"Them Boys Were Here Alright" : A Study Of Community, Cultural Identity, And Economics Within Douglas County, Minnesota, Kimberley M. Hoppe

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.