Digital Commons Network^™

A Multi-Faceted Approach To High Quality Professional Development, Meg A. Gawalis

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop a meaningful professional development program that promotes lifelong learning and supports continued growth through individual and group activity that includes independent study, action research, study groups, peer coaching, reflective journaling, computer applications, and training. The sample population included 170 members of the teaching staff at Absegami High School, a large comprehensive high school located in Galloway Township, New Jersey.

The study utilized an action research design in which a needs assessment was distributed to teachers to determine workshop offerings, and workshops were evaluated with respect to content, presenter, length of time, and …

Improving And Extending Behavioral Animation Through Machine Learning, Jonathan J. Dinerstein

Theses and Dissertations

Behavioral animation has become popular for creating virtual characters that are autonomous agents and thus self-animating. This is useful for lessening the workload of human animators, populating virtual environments with interactive agents, etc. Unfortunately, current behavioral animation techniques suffer from three key problems: (1) deliberative behavioral models (i.e., cognitive models) are slow to execute; (2) interactive virtual characters cannot adapt online due to interaction with a human user; (3) programming of behavioral models is a difficult and time-intensive process. This dissertation presents a collection of papers that seek to overcome each of these problems. Specifically, these issues are alleviated …

January: Search Based On Social Insect Behavior, Peter C. Lamborn

Theses and Dissertations

January is a group of interacting stateless model checkers. Each agent functions on a processor located on a super computer or a network of workstations (NOW). The agent's search pattern is a semi-random walk based on the behavior of the grey field slug (Agriolimax reticulatus), the house fly (Musca domestica), and the black ant (Lassius niger). The agents communicate to lessen the amount of duplicate work being done. Every algorithm has a memory threshold above which they search efficiently. This threshold varies not only by model but also by algorithm. Janaury's threshold is lower than the thresholds of other algorithms …

A Longitudinal Study On The Effectiveness Of Preschool Special Education, Kimberley L. Maneval

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this longitudinal cohort study was to analyze the grade school placements of children who received preschool special education services in order to determine how this type of early intervention impacted future learning. Data was obtained through non-interactive evaluation of existing class lists, student records, and Application for State School Aide (ASSA) reports of 342 disabled or developmentally delayed children between 3 and 5 years of age who participated in Evesham Township's Preschool Disabled Program between 1990 and 2001. Data from this study was also used to re-evaluate the preschool curriculum, policies and procedures, and to plan new …

A New Beginning Teacher Induction Program, Thomas P. Jones

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop and implement a new and effective beginning teacher support network at Paulsboro High School using an action research approach. During the study, a total of ten teachers participated ranging from one to two in years of experience in teaching at Paulsboro High School. The primary data collection techniques used in the study was surveys and one-on-one interviews with all of the teachers. The survey instrument was given to all of the teachers and one-on-one interviews were conducted before school, after school, or during common planning periods. The major finding of the project …

The Effects Of Nutrient Concentrations On Macroinvertebrate Distributions In Georgia, Paula Michele Pollock Brossett

Theses and Dissertations

Nutrients are considered the second largest nonpoint source pollutant in Georgia's running water ecosystems. Nutrients can naturally occur in low amounts and are typically increased in streams as a result of industry, agriculture, silviculture, and urbanization. In large amounts, nutrients can cause many problems to occur in the stream ecosystem. Macroinvertebrates have been established as good indicators for determining the level of impairment of a stream; however, not much research has been done on how nutrients affect macroinvertebrates in a stream. Approximately 225 reference and impaired streams were sampled over a 3 - year field season, (index period from September …

Alterations In Uterine And Placental Sodium Pump Abundance May Contribute To The Onset Of Mouse Labor, Carlos Jacob Vance

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Reductions in sodium pump (SP) abundance can give rise to increases in contractile force in uterine and vascular smooth muscle as well as an increased secretion in secretory cells, including potentially those of the placenta. To determine whether the mouse might serve as a model for human pregnancy in terms of the SP and to determine whether changes in SP abundance anticipate or follow labor, we studied pregnant mice over the final trimester of their pregnancy.

Study Design: C57Bl6 dams (n=46) were bred and studied during their pregnancy. Animals (n=4) were sacrificed at specific gestational time points. Other mice …

Ion Transmission In The First Vacuum Stage Of An Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer, Jeffrey Harris Macedone

Theses and Dissertations

The inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) is the instrument of choice for trace and ultra-trace elemental analysis. However, the ICP-MS suffers from matrix effects. Matrix effects occur when instrument response varies as the composition of the sample matrix is changed. Matrix effects, or non-spectroscopic interferences, limit the accuracy of routine analysis. Identification of the sources of matrix effects provide a basis for reducing or eliminating them. As inaccuracies in the ICP-MS are more severe than those in the ICP atomic emission spectrometer, the problem may be due, at least in part, to the vacuum interface used to couple the …

Phylogenetic Relationship Of Forest Spiny Pocket Mice (Genus Heteromys) Inferred From Mitochondrial And Nuclear Markers With Implications For Species Boundaries, Malinda Wallentine Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

I constructed a best estimate phylogeny based on congruence of multiple data sources. In recent years molecular data has been used both to construct phylogenies of taxonomic groups and to aid in the delimitation of new species. I generated and analyzed sequence data for forest spiny pocket mice (Genus Heteromys) for the mitochondrial gene cyt b (1143 bp) and two nuclear gene segments MYH2 (252 bp) and EN2 (189 bp). I used maximum parsimony and Bayesian analyses to infer relationships among species and to provide a framework for using a species delimitation method to investigate the possibility of multiple …

All Hexahedral Meshing Of Multiple Source, Multiple Target, Multiple Axis Geometries Via Automatic Grafting And Sweeping, Matthew N. Earp

Theses and Dissertations

The development of algorithms for the automatic creation of finite element meshes composed entirely of hexahedra (all-hex) is an active area of research. All-hex meshes are desirable for their characteristic of high accuracy with a low node count. Sweeping is one of the most widely used algorithms for generating all-hex meshes. A limitation of sweeping, however, is that it can currently be applied only to prismatic or extruded geometry types. This thesis develops a method to combine sweeping with another algorithm known as "Grafting". Grafting adjusts the mesh on one volume to conform to a second volume. In this manner …

Translating Huck: Difficulties In Adapting "The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn" To Film, Bryce Moore Cundick

Theses and Dissertations

Filmmakers have had four main difficulties adapting The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to film: point of view, structure, audience and the novel's ending. By studying the different approaches of various directors to each obstacle, certain facts emerge about both the films and the novel. While literary scholars have studied Huck from practically every angle, none have sufficiently viewed the book through the lens of adaptation, despite the fact that it has been adapted to film and television over twenty times. The few critics who have studied the adaptations have done so using dated methodologies that boil down to little more …

Dual-Stage Thermally Actuated Surface-Micromachined Nanopositioners, Neal B. Hubbard

Theses and Dissertations

Nanopositioners have been developed with electrostatic, piezoelectric, magnetic, thermal, and electrochemical actuators. They move with as many as six degrees of freedom; some are composed of multiple stages that stack together. Both macro-scale and micro-scale nanopositioners have been fabricated. A summary of recent research in micropositioning and nanopositioning is presented to set the background for this work. This research project demonstrates that a dual-stage nanopositioner can be created with microelectromechanical systems technology such that the two stages are integrated on a single silicon chip. A nanopositioner is presented that has two stages, one for coarse motion and one for fine …

Differences In Maximal Speed Running Between Baseball Players And Sprinters, Erin Kathleen Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in technique between sprinters and baseball players while running at maximal speeds. 20 male NCAA Division I athletes participated; ten members of the track and field team specializing in the 100 m or 200 m sprint or the 100 m hurdles and ten members of the baseball team. Each subject performed a maximal effort 80 m sprint while their sprint times were recorded every 10 m starting at the 20 m mark. Each subject was filmed at they ran through a set10 m marking that included where they reached their …

Algal Succession And Nutrient Dynamics In Elephant Butte Reservoir, Eric J. Nielsen

Theses and Dissertations

A water quality model was created for Elephant Butte Reservoir, New Mexico to understand nutrient dynamics and algal response during a three year period. The model chosen for this study was CE-QUAL-W2 because of its proven ability to represent hydrodynamics and the ability to represent multiple algal groups. Elephant Butte has been subject to large algal blooms. This study examined the phosphorus loading into the reservoir to see if it could sustain the observed algal growth. Data showed that the amount of bioavailable phosphorus was more than enough to support large blooms. This study also was an initial attempt to …

In-Fiber Optical Devices Based On D-Fiber, Kevin H. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents the fabrication and analysis of in-fiber devices based on elliptical core D-shaped optical fiber. Devices created inside optical fibers are attractive for a variety of reasons including low loss, high efficiency, self-alignment, light weight, multiplexibility, and resistance to electromagnetic interference. This work details how D-fiber can be used as a platform for a variety of devices and describes the creation and performance of two of these devices: an in-fiber polymer waveguide and a surface relief fiber Bragg grating. In D-fiber the core is very close to the flat side of the ‘D’ shape. This proximity allows access …

The Impact Of A University Wellness Requirement On Student Nutrition And Physical Activity Behavior, Lisa Marie Blaser

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The Brigham Young University General Education Wellness Program has three options available to students to fulfill the programs requirement. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of these three wellness options. Specifically we wanted to know; does the university wellness requirement affect student nutrition and physical activity behaviors and do the various options available differ in their abilities to impact student nutrition and physical activity behaviors?

Methods: A three-group pretest/posttest design was used and a survey was administered, at both the beginning and end of the semester, to all students enrolled in HEPE 129, live and …

Vegetation Response Of A Wyoming Big Sagebrush (Artemisia Tridentata Ssp. Wyomingensis) Community To 6 Mechanical Treatments In Rich County, Utah, Daniel David Summers

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, the importance of sagebrush to shrub-steppe ecosystems and associated plant and animal species has been recognized. The historical removal of herbaceous species by excessive and uncontrolled livestock grazing on many of our sagebrush ecosystems has resulted in a stagnant state where dense, competitive stands of sagebrush prevent herbaceous species from recovering. Most early research on sagebrush control was directed toward eradication to increase herbaceous forage for livestock production, rather than sagebrush thinning to improve shrub vigor and understory production for wildlife habitat and community diversity. Mechanical treatments have the ability to retain shrub and herbaceous components, while …

In-Line Particulate Transport And Dispersion Modeling Using The Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (Rams), John W. Englert

Theses and Dissertations

There are a number of analytical and semi-empirical models that describe the behavior of particulate matter in the atmosphere. Many of these require modification for all types of weather, dry versus wet deposition, and overall effects can be quite non-linear. Rainfall (rate, drop size, etc.), snowfall (rate, flake size, etc.), humidity, pressure, temperature, and combination of these greatly affect particle settling and washout rates. To that end, a method for tracking released constituents using the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) microphysics package is developed by modifying one of the hydrometeor categories (hail) in the microphysics package. The RAMS microphysics package …

Phylogenetic History, Morphological Parallelism, And Speciation In A Complex Of Appalachian Salamanders (Genus: Desmognathus), Nathan D. Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the mechanisms that generate shared morphologies across closely related taxa is important when identifying distinct evolutionary lineages using morphological characters. Desmognathus salamanders are an ideal group for testing hypotheses concerning the correlation between morphological similarity and genetic exchange within and among nominal species due to a pattern of high discordance between the two. Phylogeographic hypotheses are tested for populations of the D. quadramaculatus species complex throughout southern Appalachia by combining phylogenetic and population genetic methods with geographical information. Phylogenetic and phylogeographic inferences are then assessed in conjunction with morphological characteristics that have traditionally diagnosed taxonomic entities to understand the …

Contextual Relationship Model Across Four Cultures, Gary T. Horlacher

Theses and Dissertations

Research by a number of scholars working with different data has shown validity for a contextual model of relationships whereby a person's background characteristics affects or predicts her/his interpersonal style, which then affects or predicts her/his relationship satisfaction. This study tests if this relationship model is equivalent across four different cultural samples. This research also presents descriptive family data on a sample from Micronesia, a culture that has not previously been described in family science literature, compared to three other cultural groups. A total of 550 individuals from Micronesian (N=131), Hispanic-Americans (N=139), Non-LDS Caucasians (N=140), and LDS-Caucasians (N=140) filled out …

The Effect Of Religiosity And Spirituality On Transformatinal Leadership Characteristics Of Hospital Food And Nutrition Managers, Anna Naegle Sarver

Theses and Dissertations

Effective leadership in the field of dietetics is becoming increasingly vital in a rapidly changing world. A determination of factors which impact leaders and their followers is essential. This study was designed to examine the relationship between religiosity and spirituality and transformational leadership characteristics of hospital food and nutrition managers as rated by self as well as by those directly supervised by the managers. The influence of religious and spiritual beliefs on the workplace and workplace practices was also examined. Respondents were selected from the American Hospital Association database. Hospitals from 250 to 499 beds were included. Directors of Foodservice …

Developing New Multidimensional Knapsack Heuristics Based On Empirical Analysis Of Legacy Heuristics, Yong Kun Cho

Theses and Dissertations

The multidimensional knapsack problem (MKP) has been used to model a variety of practical optimization and decision-making applications. Due to its combinatorial nature, heuristics are often employed to quickly find good solutions to MKPs. While there have been a variety of heuristics proposed for the MKP, and a plethora of empirical studies comparing the performance of these heuristics, little has been done to garner a deeper understanding of heuristic performance as a function of problem structure. This dissertation presents a research methodology, empirical and theoretical results explicitly aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of heuristic procedural performance as a function …

Removal Of Cyclohexane From A Contaminated Air Stream Using A Dense Phase Membrane Bioreactor, Michael G. Roberts

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine the ability of a dense phase membrane bioreactor to remove cyclohexane, a volatile organic compound in JP-8 jet fuel, from a contaminated air stream using a biologically active film for degradation. The research answered questions regarding applications of membrane bioreactors, the ability of cyclohexane to diffuse through a dense phase membrane, growth of a viable microbial culture, and determination of the performance capabilities of the reactor. To answer these questions, a literature review was conducted and laboratory experiments were performed. Through the design, construction, and testing of the dense phase membrane bioreactor …

Validation Of An Innovative Groundwater Contaminant Flux Measurement Method, Seh J. Kim

Theses and Dissertations

The ability to measure groundwater contaminant flux is increasingly being recognized as crucial in order to prioritize contaminated site cleanups, estimate the efficiency of remediation technologies, measure rates of natural attenuation, and apply proper source terms to model groundwater contaminant transport. An innovative mass flux measurement method using horizontal flow treatment wells (HFTWs) was developed recently to compensate for the disadvantages of other flux measurement methods that are being used. Flux measurement methods can be categorized as either point methods or integral methods. As the name suggests, point methods measure flux at a specific point or points in the subsurface. …

An Investigation Into Palladium-Catalyzed Reduction Of Perchlorate In Water, Eric G. Barney

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, application of a catalytic reactor to facilitate chemical reduction of perchlorate was investigated. Palladium-coated pellets were used as the catalyst, and formic acid was used as the reductant. Reactor performance was evaluated under a variety of operating conditions (influent pH, reductant concentration, residence time). Very little perchlorate reduction was observed under any operating condition. At best, approximately 8% perchlorate reduction was observed. This small reduction efficiency is clearly not sufficient for environmental treatment applications. Perchlorate strongly adsorbed to the catalyst at low pH (3 - 3.3). At higher pH (4 - 10), little adsorption was observed. This …

Weapon Release Scheduling From Multiple-Bay Aircraft Using Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithms, Francis R. Lyons Iv

Theses and Dissertations

The United States Air Force has put an increased emphasis on the timely delivery of precision weapons. Part of this effort has been to us multiple bay aircraft such the B-1B Lancer and B-52 Stratofortress to provide Close Air Support and responsive strikes using 1760 weapons. In order to provide greater flexibility, the aircraft carry heterogeneous payloads which can require deconfliction in order to drop multiple different types of weapons. Current methods of deconfliction and weapon selection are highly crew dependent and work intensive. This research effort investigates the optimization of an algorithm for weapon release which allows the aircraft …

An Evolutionary Algorithm To Generate Ellipsoid Detectors For Negative Selection, Joseph M. Shapiro

Theses and Dissertations

Negative selection is a process from the biological immune system that can be applied to two-class (self and nonself) classification problems. Negative selection uses only one class (self) for training, which results in detectors for the other class (nonself). This paradigm is especially useful for problems in which only one class is available for training, such as network intrusion detection. Previous work has investigated hyper-rectangles and hyper-spheres as geometric detectors. This work proposes ellipsoids as geometric detectors. First, the author establishes a mathematical model for ellipsoids. He develops an algorithm to generate ellipsoids by training on only one class of …

Reconstruction Of Chromotomographic Imaging System Infrared Hyperspectral Scenes, Malcolm G. Gould

Theses and Dissertations

Hyperspectral imagery providing both spatial and spectral information has diverse applications in remote sensing and scientific imaging scenarios. The development of the Chromotomographic Imaging System (CTIS) allows simultaneous collection of both spatial and spectral data by a two-dimensional (2D) focal plane detector array. Post-processing of the 2D detector data reconstructs the three-dimensional (3D) hyperspectral content of the imaged scene. This thesis develops Estimation Theory based algorithms for reconstructing the hyperspectral scene data. The initial algorithm developed reconstructs the 3D hyperspectral scene data cube. An additional algorithm reconstructs a matrix comprised of one spectral dimension and one compound spatial dimension. This …

Lethality Of Bacillus Anthracis Spores Due To Short Duration Heating Measured Using Infrared Spectroscopy, Kristina M. Goetz

Theses and Dissertations

There are a number of analytical and semi-empirical models that describe the behavior of particulate matter in the atmosphere. Many of these require modification for all types of weather, dry versus wet deposition, and overall effects can be quite non-linear. Rainfall (rate, drop size, etc.), snowfall (rate, flake size, etc.), humidity, pressure, temperature, and combination of these greatly affect particle settling and washout rates. To that end, a method for tracking released constituents using the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) microphysics package is developed by modifying one of the hydrometeor categories (hail) in the microphysics package. The RAMS microphysics package …

A Comparison Of The Heft Subsurface And Delfic Particle Size Distributions And Effects In Hpac, Eric T. Skaar

Theses and Dissertations

The Heft subsurface three component lognormal fallout particle size distribution is compared and contrasted with the single lognormal fallout particle size distribution used by the Defense Land Fallout Interpretive Code (DELFIC). Comparison of the two distributions is accomplished with results from the AFIT smear code and the Hazard Prediction and Assessment Capability (HPAC). The effect of the distributions is explored in HPAC for varying yield weapons, varying surfaces, precipitation conditions, varying wind effects and varying dose rate times. The results from the two distributions are quantitatively compared using the concepts of grounded source normalization constant and the rate at which …