Digital Commons Network^™

Faculty Scheduling Using Genetic Algorithms, Kevin Soule

Theses

The problem of developing a class schedule for a faculty has been proven to be NP-complete. Therefore when the schedule is large enough, finding just one feasible solution can be impossible for any direct search algorithm within a reasonable time. This project is geared toward investigating the possibility of using genetic-based algorithms to solve faculty scheduling problems of 100 courses or larger quickly. Multiple versions of genetic algorithms and heuristics are tested. Many parameter levels for these algorithms are optimized for fastest convergence.

Hf-Dsr: Dynamic Source Routing For High Frequency Radio Networks, Michael Stringer

Theses

HF-DSR is an ad hoc routing protocol designed to operate efficiently over high frequency (HF) radio networks. Ad hoc routing protocols allow networks to provide dynamic routing between endpoints. In contrast, static routing schemes require networks to be configured with potential routes in advance. As such, ad hoc routing mechanisms can compensate for unanticipated factors such as radio frequency (RF) interference or node mobility. HF-DSR is largely based on Dynamic Source Routing (DSR), a level 3 ad hoc networking protocol that emits network control information on demand. HF-DSR incorporates portions of DSR which minimize the quantity of control information transmitted. …

Web Based Monitoring System In Wireless Sensor Networks, Kanishk Panwar

Theses

Goal of the project is to develop a scalable web application to monitor a wireless sensor network. Wireless sensor network, an upcoming technology, is comprised of multiple data sensors that send back packets of information back to the base station. The sensor network runs on a real time operating system called TinyOS and the application is implemented using Moteiv Telos Revision B wireless sensors. The web application collects the reading from the base station and generates graphical representation of the readings for the front end and creates PDF reports when readings are not within defined thresholds. This application incorporates various …

A Charge Control Model For Iii-V Hemts Using A Self-Consistent Numerical Solution Of The Schrodinger And Poisson Equations, Melissa Manney

Theses

"With the increasing demand for smaller devices that can perform faster and more reliably there is a need to explore options that allow for this combination in spite of the fact that smaller size tends to lead to a reduction in reliability and overall device performance. High electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) have proven superior to MOSFETS and BJTs in the areas of voltage and temperature ranges in which they can operate as well as their high breakdown fields, carrier density and velocity saturation. Studying HEMTs and understanding their constraints and how they respond to variations in their makeup and in …

Adjusting The Margins: Building Bridges Between Deaf And Hearing Cultures Through Performance Arts, Luane Davis Haggerty

Theses

This study addresses a gap in scholarship on leadership styles in the Deaf community. There is an invisible style of leadership differing from the mainstream culture that has not been previously addressed in the literature at any depth. My study was composed of three interlocking parts in a sequence that constitutes the practice of anthropology: fieldwork, analysis, and presentation. The foundation for my fieldwork was an “archeology of the structure of the perceived world” (Merleau-Ponty), using the holding environment of the rehearsal process and the structural process of an acting technique called Del-Sign. Del- Sign is a fusion acting style …

Effects Of Hypoxia On Exercise Induced Muscle Damage, Trevor M. Farr

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The present study investigated the hypothesis that maximal voluntary contractions (MVC) peak torque, VJ, muscle tenderness, and plasma creatine activity would be significantly less for the condition that subjects were exposed to hypoxic (H) condition for 4 hours after eccentric exercise compared with the normoxic (N) condition.

Understanding Sustainable Tourism Development From A Complex Systems Perspective: A Case Study Of The Swan River, Western Australia, Janine R. Mcdonald

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Tourism does not operate in a predictable and mechanistic environment and is influenced by unpredictable circumstances. Influences include underlying values and perceptions keeping the system unpredictable and dynamic. Tourism that utilises natural resources is exposed to the additional unpredictability of natural changes and activities and/or decisions of other stakeholders. Tourism research generally adopts reductionist approaches and has not effectively understood tourism as a stakeholder within a complex system of stakeholders. Reductionist approaches have led to interpretations of sustainable tourism development being highly focused and sector specific limiting understanding of the complex systems in which tourism operates and resulting in narrow …

Drying And Re-Wetting Of Organic Wetland Sediments: Biogeochemistry And Implications For Wetland Management, Beate Sommer

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In the past decade, increasing instances of eutrophication and acidification of wetlands on the Swan Coastal Plain (SCP), Western Australia, and particularly on the Gnangara groundwater mound, have coincided with gradually decreasing ground- and surface water levels. The processes involved in determining whether a wetland will acidify or become eutrophic (or both) as a result of drawdown are still poorly understood, especially on the SCP where there are strong links between wetland water quality and underlying geomorphology. For instance, many of the wetlands located on the wellbuffered geomorphic unit called the Spearwood dunes are eutrophic due to high nutrient loads, …

Professional Perceptions Of Domestic Violence: The Relationship Between Causal Explanations And Views On Prevention And Intervention, Rachel A. Taylor

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The 1970s saw a shift of focus by professions responding to domestic violence cases perpetrated by men towards women within Australia. Their focus was targeted at the factors that surround male perpetrators? violent behaviour. As a result, a number of alternative interventions were established based on a new understanding of domestic violence. Wider explanations have therefore led professional groups to form different angles of approach. Consequently researchers have found that perceptions towards domestic violence and the effectiveness of relevant interventions remain controversial across professions (Laing, 2002). Based on the literature supporting the importance of consistent professional perceptions and responses towards …

The Relationship Between Individual Differences, Training In Second Language Aural Comprehension Strategies And Performance In Year 9 Indonesian Language Students, Wendy L. Young

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

There are three distinct but interrelated parts to this research. The first part measures language learning strategies (LLS) and other individual differences (IDs), as well as the relationship between LLS and the other IDs of year 9 students of Indonesian as a foreign language (L2). The second part measures differences in use of LLS between the control and experimental groups, and then over time. The third part measures the effects of training in LLS on listening comprehension. The study had three main aims. One was to determine the relationship between participants' LLS use and their language learning background, affective factors, …

The `Good Oil': The Role Olive Oil Plays In The Lives Of Western Australian Consumers, Trudie Michels

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Throughout Australia, a great number of resources have been devoted to the burgeoning billion dollar Australian olive industry. Recently a rapid increase in olive oil production has been witnessed. This growth combined with aggressive international competition will see pressure put on Australian producers to supply quality and price-effective olive oil into the Australian market. This will require a detailed understanding of consumers' perceptions of and thoughts about olive oil and a comprehension of how, when, where and why consumers utilise olive oil.

The Impact Of Personality And Affect On College Student's Motives For Marijuana Use., Lindsey W. Hawkins

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has examined the relationship between motives for drinking and alcohol use. However, less research has been conducted on the relationship between motives for marijuana use and marijuana use/problems. This study attempted to examine what predictors of marijuana use and problems are mediated by motives for marijuana use, Prior research has identified several predictors of marijuana use including psychological distress, expectancies, sensation seeking, and various personality factors. In addition, previous studies have suggested that use-related problems are not merely a function of how much of a substance one consumes, but also one's motivation for using that substance. The current …

Diagnosing Borderline Personality Disorder: The Effect Of Therapist's Negative Emotional Reactions On Diagnostic Judgements., Keith Mayo

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous studies suggest that clinicians are prone to bias in diagnosing Borderline Personality Disorder(BPD)and that BPD symptoms elicit negative emotional reactions(NER)from clinicians.However,no studies have specifically examined the effect of NER on the diagnosis of BPD.This study examined the decision-making processes used when assigning a diagnosis of BPD,specifically,whether clinicians NER towards patients exhibiting BPD symptoms bias decision-making and result in misuse of the BPD diagnosis.A randomly-selected national sample of 98 licensed psychologists completed an Internet survey in which they read two case vignettes that were designed to elicit NER but were below threshold for a diagnosis of BPD.Participants rated the representatives …

Meeting The Challenge Of Diversity : Ministry And Mission In A Multicultural Milieu, Chadwick L. Short

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Readiness For Hospital Discharge - Caregiver For An Adult Patient Form - English, Marianne E. Weiss

RHDS

The Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale, Quality of Discharge Teaching Scale, and Post-Discharge Coping Difficulty Scale were developed by Dr. Marianne Weiss to measure nurse-sensitive discharge care processes and patient outcomes. Three versions of the scales were developed concurrently for different patient populations – Adult medical-surgical patients, Parents of hospitalized children, and Postpartum Patient mothers (see Weiss & Piacentine, 2006, Weiss et al., 2007, and Bobay et al., 2018 for description of the development and initial testing). Additional scales and information about translation rights are located at Marquette Nursing.

PERMISSION TO USE

The Readiness for Discharge Scale, Quality of Discharge …

Readiness For Hospital Discharge Scale - Adult Form - English, Marianne E. Weiss

RHDS

The Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale, Quality of Discharge Teaching Scale, and Post-Discharge Coping Difficulty Scale were developed by Dr. Marianne Weiss to measure nurse-sensitive discharge care processes and patient outcomes. Three versions of the scales were developed concurrently for different patient populations – Adult medical-surgical patients, Parents of hospitalized children, and Postpartum Patient mothers (see Weiss & Piacentine, 2006, Weiss et al., 2007, and Bobay et al., 2018 for description of the development and initial testing). Additional scales and information about translation rights are located at Marquette Nursing.

PERMISSION TO USE

The Readiness for Discharge Scale, Quality of Discharge …

Perspective By Incongruity In Visual Advertising: Applying Kenneth Burke's Theory To The Adbusters Anti-Consumerism Campaign, Elizabeth B. Gorman

Theses

Kenneth Burke developed the theory of "perspective by incongruity" in which he claimed that oddly juxtaposed symbols influence audiences to have new perspectives by challenging their habits of thinking. This study applies Kenneth Burke's rhetorical theory of perspective by incongruity to the Adbusters anti-consumerism campaign. Twenty "spoof ad" postcards created by the Adbusters Media Foundation were analyzed to see how they utilize the technique of incongruous juxtaposition. The analysis concluded that the cards either juxtaposed two incongruous images, two incongruous phrases or words, or a combination of incongruous words and images in order to create new insights about consumer advertising …

Dynamic Analysis Of Hollow Tapered Isotropic And Composite Shafts Using Finite Element Techniques, Lindsay Larocca Parslow

Theses

Finite element techniques were used to analyze the dynamic characteristics of hollow tapered isotropic and composite shafts. Mathematical models of hollow tapered isotropic and composite shafts were developed, which were then discretized using Galerkin's Method to produce standard vibration equations. The solutions to the standard vibration equations were coded into two com puter programs, which can be used to calculate the torsional dynamic characteristics of an isotropic rotor system, and the coupled axial-torsional dynamic characteristics of a composite shaft. Several examples using each computer program are presented, illustrating their ability to predict natural frequencies and mode shapes of torsional systems.

Self-Directed Work Teams: Do They Impact Employee Motivation And Accountability To Reduce, Melissa Noyes

Theses

This thesis attempted to tie Self-Directed work teams (SDWT) to safety performance through research, employee surveys and statistical analysis. The ultimate focus of the thesis was to answer two related research questions. To answer the questions required a trip down a road that is not, at this time, traveled frequently by safety professionals or other management. It is not to say that managers throughout the world are unaware of SDWT, but because SDWT are not used in many companies, it was difficult to obtain information to fully attack the problem. However, the focus remained on answering the problem, and defining …

The Consideration Of Camera Testing For Accurate Color Reproduction Within Museums And Institutions, Natalie Russo

Theses

The need for color accurate digital images for fine art reproduction is a reality faced by art museums and institutions around the world. It is the goal of most institutions to replace old, sometimes used and abused, transparency archives with digital image archives; many institutions have already begun this work. A number of different imaging systems with varied workflows, some idiosyncratic, are being used for this work. There is, therefore, an urgent need for the development and sharing of working methods that will ensure efficient, consistent, and color accurate results. These workflows must use camera systems to their fullest capability. …

Assessing The State Of Web Accessibility, Laura Cook

Theses

People with disabilities continue to be at a disadvantage in terms of opportunities on the Web. Federal laws and state policies help govern website design for federal and state agencies, but their impact thus far is unclear. This thesis addresses the issue of web accessibility and examines the compliance of state websites. A sample of state websites was evaluated for accessibility with two different methods: (1 ) using two automated accessibility validation checkers (Bobby and Entre), and (2) using a process of gradually degrading the web pages down to a text-only page. A survey was developed and administered to web …

Graph Reconstruction Numbers, Brian Mcmullen

Theses

The Reconstruction Conjecture is one of the most important open problems in graph theory today. Proposed in 1942, the conjecture posits that every simple, finite, undirected graph with more than three vertices can be uniquely reconstructed up to isomorphism given the multiset of subgraphs produced by deleting each vertex of the original graph. Related to the Reconstruction Conjecture, reconstruction numbers concern the minimum number of vertex deleted subgraphs required to uniquely identify a graph up to isomorphism. During the summer of 2004, Jennifer Baldwin completed an MS project regarding reconstruction numbers. In it, she calculated reconstruction numbers for all graphs …

Charismatic Revival And The Mission Of The Church, J. Edward Crenshaw

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Missional Potential Of International Churches : A Case Study Of Capital City Baptist Church, Mexico City, Ernest Eugene Klassen

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Evolutionary Computation Approach To Optimization Of Isoelectric Point Prediction In Proteins, Chris Parkin

Theses

Computational biology has attacked the problem of isoelectric point prediction with little success, achieving a rough accuracy level of only 30%. In 2005, Matthew Conte performed a study focused on the relationship between sequence characteristics and isoelectric point prediction accuracy. Results indicated that charges between adjacent amino acids could have a significant impact on the overall predicted pi for the protein. In this study we introduce an evolutionary computation approach aimed at accounting for these problem dipeptides. For each possible dipeptide involving charged amino acids (7 chargeable groups -> 49 possibilities), the algorithm predicts a pKa value that, when included …

The Endorsement Court, Jay D. Wexler

Faculty Scholarship

Since 1986, when William H. Rehnquist was confirmed as the sixteenth Chief Justice of the United States, the Supreme Court has virtually rewritten the entire law regarding the First Amendment’s Religion Clauses. With respect to the Free Exercise Clause, the Court, in its 1990 Employment Division v. Smith decision, reversed years of jurisprudence and held that the First Amendment does not entitle religious believers to exemptions from neutral laws of general application. On the Establishment Clause side, the Court recently overturned a series of its earlier decisions on its way to creating a body of law quite amenable to the …

Risk Management, Ben J.M. Ale, Phil W.M. Brighton, Michael S. Baram

Faculty Scholarship

Risk management develops as the need arises. Usually after an accident people want “authorities” to do something. On the other hand, industry wants predictable behaviour of authorities to be able to judge the soundness of their investments. This led to an adaptive process involving many decision makers embedded in legal and cultural heritage. It was indeed as struggle to determine who should be responsible and how to have risk management done by competent party (i.e. (1) industry, (2) public (3) authorities).

Kitzmiller And The "Is It Science?" Question, Jay D. Wexler

Faculty Scholarship

When Judge John E. Jones, III, a United States District Court judge appointed by President George W. Bush, ruled that the Dover school board's intelligent design (ID) policy violated the Establishment Clause, ID opponents were ecstatic. They had good reason to be. The opinion was a comprehensive and complete victory for ID opponents. The decision held that the policy was an unconstitutional endorsement of religion when viewed both from a reasonable Dover student's perspective as well as from the perspective of a reasonable adult in the Dover community. It also held that the policy was adopted for a religious purpose, …

The Procedural Soft Law Of International Arbitration, William W. Park

Faculty Scholarship

The conference organizers set me the daunting task of exploring arbitration's “non-national instruments,” which is to say the guidelines of professional groups and non-governmental organizations related to evidence, conflicts of interest, ethics and the organization of arbitral proceedings. Frequently these procedural standards build on the lore of international dispute resolution as memorialized in articles, treatises and learned symposium papers. These guidelines represent what might be called “soft law,” in distinction to the harder norms imposed by arbitration statutes and treaties, as well as the procedural framework adopted by the parties through choice of pre-established arbitration rules.

The growth of procedural …

A Messaging System To Handle Semantic Dissonance, Ashish Rathod

Theses

Enterprises have been compelled to share their data internally and externally, but creating a consistent view of enterprise data has been challenging. Within a typical enterprise, each division uses its own domain specific data model and schema, and different enterprises obviously use their own data models and schema. Integrating these diverse data models and schemas, which have both syntactic and semantic differences, tends to be complex, slow, and inaccurate. Syntactic differences, i.e., differences in names or layout, have received substantial attention in research. Semantic dissonance simply means that the structure may be similar (or even the same) but the meaning …