Digital Commons Network^™

Integration Of Analysis And Deliberation To Evaluate Biodiesel Occupational And Environmental Exposures, Nora M. Traviss

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Many U.S. organizations interested in a renewable and domestic source of energy are considering switching from petroleum diesel to biodiesel blends for transportation and heavy-duty equipment use. Biodiesel is a fuel made from vegetable oils or waste grease. While there is a considerable body of evidence on the negative health effects of petroleum diesel exhaust exposures in occupational and urban settings, there has been little research examining the impact of biodiesel fuel on occupational and environmental exposures. This dissertation combined a collaborative exposure assessment of B20 (20% soy-based biodiesel/80% diesel) at a rural recycling center with a policy intervention to …

Connecting With Nature Through Land Use Decision Making, Cathy Setterlin

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This narrative inquiry, which draws on my experience as a land use decision maker, environmental educator, and scholar, examines the complexities of our human-nature relationship as we use and protect the life of the land in local communities. I began this research by interviewing seventeen land use decision makers representing a range of land use perspectives in New Milford, Connecticut, focusing on their views of land as a living community, their connections to land, and their sense of duty and responsibility.

Their responses led me to further inquiry and drew me into a process that transformed my views of both …

The Ecology Of Paradox: Disturbance And Restoration In Land And Soul, Rowland S. Russell

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This heuristic study explores environmental disturbance and ecological restoration in several North American settings in order to uncover epistemological, philosophical, aesthetic and ethical considerations revolving around those place-based processes. With fire as one of the central metaphors of this work, the initial place-based chapter examines Northern New Mexico's Pajarito Plateau to explore the region's fire ecology. The study then moves to the Pacific Northwest to draw restoration practice that attempt to restore wild salmon to urban Seattle habitat. The third place-based chapter focuses on the Midwest grass and farmlands in order to investigate the seeming contradictions between commodity and diversity …

Life-Affirming Leadership: An Inquiry Into The Culture Of Social Justice, Raquel Delores Gutierrez

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

A new paradigm for leading social change is emerging; a worldview acknowledging the importance of leadership that is life-affirming and lasts over time. The current inquiry explored the ways in which the social reality of Life-Affirming Leadership is created and the implications those realities have for the current and future generations of social justice workers, their organizations, and the communities in which they work. The dominant paradigm for social justice work needs to be radically renovated (see Horwitz, 2002; James, 2005; Ohlson, 2006; Polansky, 2005; Utne, 2006; Wheatley, 2005; Williamson, 1997; Yáhzí, 2005); as such, a re-evolution is in progress, …

How Scientist/Founders Lead Successful Biopharmaceutical Organizations: A Study Of Three Companies, Lynn Johnson Langer

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine how the leadership of scientist/founders of biopharmaceutical companies affects the success of their organization. Over half of all biotechnology firms are founded by scientists, yet for every start-up biotech firm that succeeds, 15-20 fail and eight out of 10 drugs fail in clinical trials (Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, 2007; Stanford Graduate School of Business, n.d.; Zhang & Patel, 2005). To bring a biopharmaceutical product from the research bench to the consumer costs more than $800 million (Tufts, 2007). This dissertation research explored the leadership practices of three successful scientist/founders and how …

A Critical Assessment Of Professional Skills And Knowledge In Supplier Diversity: A Delphi Study, Mia Cole

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Today, many US corporations have made great strides to embrace supplier diversity as a social consideration, and most importantly, as a strategic business enabler. From the earlier years of mandating minority inclusion to the realization that diversifying the supply chain creates value by capitalizing on the diverse background and experiences of minority businesses, supplier diversity has emerged as a major business initiative. It is one of the initiatives that contribute to the welfare of the country by building minority communities and strengthening our society. By developing business coalitions and partnerships with minority suppliers there is tremendous opportunity to impact the …

The Leadership Self-Identity Of Women College Presidents, Robbie Hertneky Phd

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this research study was to explore the concept of leadership self-identity in a particular population of formal leaders—women college presidents. Using narrative inquiry, the research examined the following: how these women describe and define themselves as leaders, what personal attributes they believe allow them to be leaders, their past and future career intentions, how their relationships with others influence their leadership self-identity, and the stories they tell about themselves and leadership. Participants were asked questions designed to reflect their core identity and personal narrative, and to describe their career and relationships. Common themes that emerge include: how …

Poetic Leadership, A Territory Of Aesthetic Consciousness And Change, R. Amrit Kasten-Daryanani

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Poetic leadership is a new theoretical construct that views leadership as an activity that unites a lyrical intellect with keenly felt emotion for the purpose of producing changes in the consciousness of self and others. This change begins within the interiority of self, moving surely to broader realms of one's surroundings and society, provoking movement that impacts the developing potential of the individual and the cultural milieu in which they exist. Emotion is the primary trace into consciousness used in this dissertation, which serves to unite experiences of the heart with experiences of the mind. The unification of these disparate …

How Are Nasa Engineers Motivated? An Analysis Of Factors That Influence Nasa Goddard Engineers’ Level Of Motivation, Howard Eric Kea

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

NASA is an organization known for pushing the envelope of engineering and scientific achievement. It can be argued that engineers working for NASA are intrinsically highly motivated due to the nature of the work and the mission of NASA. This study explores how supervisor behaviors, both intrinsic and extrinsic and demographic factors influence motivation of NASA Goddard engineers in their current environment. Recent Congressional and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) policies, such as full cost accounting, levy strict oversight of project spending. As a result of these policies, NASA engineers must now focus their attention on getting assigned work …

Fostering Sustainability In Higher Education: A Mixed-Methods Study Of Transformative Leadership And Change Strategies, Kim H. Mcnamara

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

As evidence of the earth’s limited capacity to sustain human life mounts, institutions of higher education are being looked to for leadership in the effort to educate students about environmental concerns and support the development of sustainable innovations. Colleges and universities are responding to this call for leadership by starting and/or expanding environmental research programs, integrating sustainability issues throughout the curriculum, adopting sustainable operations, and building green facilities. Reflecting upon the sustainability efforts of these institutions, this research study explores the following questions: What factors are essential for initiating and leading a successful change effort to foster sustainability in higher …

On Being A Nonprofit Executive Director, Janet Elizabeth Rechtman

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

In describing the course of change in a dynamic field such as the nonprofit sector, neo-institutional theorists argue that isomorphic forces such as replication of best practices tend to increase the homogeneity of actors. This interplay of structure and agency creates what is known as the structuration of an institutional field. These theorists have little to say about the people who influence and are influenced by these dynamics. This study explores this personal experience at the micro level of the nonprofit field executive leadership. It focuses on their challenges related to the isomorphic pressures resulting from: (1) socio-economic roles, (2) …

Small School Leadership: A Q Method Study Of Elements Of Leadership Specific To A Small School Setting, Charis Eirene Sharp

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Smaller schools have become an extremely popular school reform model. Research that connects them to student achievement is being used to support and create autonomous small schools as well as schools-within-schools. While it would seem to be a logical application, the schools-within-schools model is not performing at the levels expected as indicated by the small schools research. Research on these two different school settings needs to be separated, examined, and applied independently. Areas lacking research include questions about which aspects of schools support the functioning of the school, such as leadership. This study used Q-methodology to study leadership in a …

Dialogue As Performance. Performance As Dialogue, Laura Lynn

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation is an arts-based qualitative study in Leadership and Change that describes the qualities of dialogue revealed through the felt experience of Native and non-Native American music composers engaged in a dialogue through music composition. The fifteen co-collaborators who participated in the study range in age from three-years-old to elders. The study is theoretically embedded within Performance Studies, Dr. Carolyn Kenny’s music therapy model Field of Play, and aesthetic philosophy. Methodologically, this work is expressed through performance ethnography and autoethnography and privileges textual and non-textual modes of account including photographs, video excerpts, poetry, and music manuscript. The text is …

Imsa 2008 Profile, Office Of College And Academic Counseling

IMSA Profile

The internationally recognized Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy® (IMSA) develops creative, ethical leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. As a teaching and learning laboratory created by the State of Illinois, IMSA enrolls academically talented Illinois students (grades 10-12) in its advanced, residential college preparatory program. It also serves thousands of educators and students in Illinois and beyond through innovative instructional programs that foster imagination and inquiry.

Xess: The Xml Expert System Shell, Robert J. St. Jacques

Theses

The XML Expert System Shell (XESS) was designed to alleviate some of the difficulties associated with translating a knowledge base from one expert system to another. The major goal of XESS is to allow programmers to model an expert system, complete with traditional facts and rules, in an XML-based language that leverages the universally understood terms used when teaching artificial intelligence to students. XML, the extensible markup language, is a text-based standard for information interchange between disparate systems1; it was originally designed to represent data in an easily parsable, human readable format2. While some extensions of the XML specification, particularly …

Differential Virtualization For Large-Scale System Modeling, Jason Koppe

Theses

Today’s computer networks become more complex than ever with a vast number of connected host systems running a variety of different operating systems and services. Academia and industry alike realize that education in managing such complex systems is extremely important for computer professionals because, with computers, there are many levels of detailed configuration. Configuration points can occur during all facets of computer systems including system design, implementation, and maintenance stages. In order to explore various hypotheses regarding configurations, system modeling is employed – computer professionals and researchers build test environments. Modeling environments require observable systems that are easily configurable at …

A Needs Assessment & Exploration For Incorporating Tablet Pc Technology To Improve Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Students Cooperative Learning Experiences In The Mainstream Classroom, Sarah B. Remelt

Theses

This project focuses on qualitative exploratory research that analyzes the possible inclusion of Tablet PC technology and teaching strategies to enhance cooperative learning in the mainstream classroom environment. After 3 observations, suggestions for use of Tablet PC technology and teaching strategies were shared and modeled for the classroom Teachers of the Deaf(TODs). Feedback via interview and survey were solicited from the TODs involved in the study and a final report written. The report showed the findings that the Tablet PC is perceived to have the ability to enhance deaf and hard of hearing student experiences, participation and communication during cooperative …

Dividend Behaviour Of Nyse-Listed Banks Within An Optimal Control Theory Framework, Rumbi Mukonoweshuro

Plymouth Business School Theses

Within the dividend policy literature there is no universally accepted model to explain dividend behaviour. The theoretical dividend policy literature contains a promising dynamic mathematical model based on optimal control theory formulated by Davidson (1980), in the spirit of the Modigliani-Brumberg-Yaari types of lifecyle hypothesis, but despite being published some time ago the model has not been tested empirically, possibly due to its complexity. It is the main purpose of this research study to investigate the dividend behaviour patterns of banks listed on the NYSE within this optimal control theory framework. This work unfolds in three stages as follows: initially …

Implementation Of Medical Imaging With Telemedicine For The Early Detection And Diagnoses Of Breast Cancer To Women In Remote Areas, Alphonsine Imaniraguha

Theses

Nowadays, the cancer topic has become a global concern. Furthermore, breast cancer persists to be the top leading cause of death to women population and the second cause of cancer death after the lung cancer globally. Various technologies and techniques have been searched, developed and studied over the years to detect the disease at the early stage; the early diagnosis saves many lives in both developed and developing countries. The detection of cancer through a screening process before its symptoms emerge increases the survival rate dramatically (Li, Meaney and Paulsen). Moreover, sufficient knowledge of the disease, qualified staff, accurate, appropriate …

Elliptic Curve Cryptography: Generation And Validation Of Domain Parameters In Binary Galois Fields, Peter Wozny

Theses

Elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) is an increasingly popular method for securing many forms of data and communication via public key encryption. The algorithm utilizes key parameters, referred to as the domain parameters. These parameters must adhere to specific characteristics in order to be valid for use in the algorithm. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI), in ANSI X9.62, provides the process for generating and validating these parameters. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has identified fifteen sets of parameters; five for prime fields, five for binary fields, and five for Koblitz curves. The parameter generation and validation processes …

Personality Assessments And Their Uses In Washington State Registered Health And Human Service Organizations., Marianne Ille Mckeague

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem of this study was to identify the uses of personality assessments and their resulting consequences on employment at organizations registered with the Northwest Region of the U.S Department of Health and Human Services.This investigation reported on the application of psychometric testing within the organizational context.Specific to this study was personality or behavioral assessments administered when recruting,evaluating or evaluating or retaining workers,the potential implications of behavioral/personality assessments on workers within the organization,and the organizational value perceived by testers utilizing these forms of personality assessments.The investigation examined the current personality measuring practices of organizations by analyzing their responses to a …

2008 January, Office Of Communications & Marketing, Morehead State University.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for January of 2008.

Automated Generation Of Sw Design Constructs From Mesa Source Code, Keith Needels

Theses

This thesis is concerned with the Reverse Engineering of Mesa code. Mesa is a programming language used by the Xerox Corporation especially designed for ultra large scale software projects. Many Xerox projects have considerable amounts of code already developed and in service with very little up to date design documentation. The maintenance phase of Software requires that updates will occur continuously in response to customer demands. Software engineers, often not the original designers, will need to gain a thorough understanding of the code to make reliable changes. This thesis proposes to outline Software tools developed in Mesa that will extract …

Single Event Upset Detection In Field Programmable Gate Arrays, Shadab Gopinath Ambat

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The high-radiation environment in space can lead to anomalies in normal satellite operation. A major cause of concern to spacecraft-designers is the single event upset (SEU). SEUs can result in deviations from expected component behavior and are capable of causing irreversible damage to hardware. In particular, Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are known to be highly susceptible to SEUs. Radiation-hardened versions of such devices are associated with an increase in power consumption and cost in addition to being technologically inferior when compared to contemporary commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) parts. This thesis consequently aims at exploring the option of using COTS FPGAs in …

Supervised Agricultural Experience In Kentucky: Condition And Perceptions, Cameron Cash White

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Agricultural education consists of three components: classroom instruction, FFA, and supervised agricultural experience (SAE). SAE is the experiential learning component in which students apply agricultural principles and concepts. The purpose of this study was to identify the perceptions of Kentucky high school agriculture teachers toward the value of SAE, the quality components of SAE, and teacher satisfaction with SAE. A secondary purpose was to determine the status of SAE participation in Kentucky. This study concluded that Kentucky agriculture teachers perceive SAE as a valuable component of agricultural education. Moreover, teachers were in agreement with accepted quality standards for SAE programs, …

How Modes Of Interviewing Affect Self-Disclosure, Sara Elizabeth Nicholls

Theses

This study examined how different modes of interviewing affect the self-disclosure of sensitive information in emerging adults. Participants included 61 students ages 18 to 22 years old who attended a Western New York university. Internalizing behaviors such as feelings of depression and anxiety were measured using three questionnaire formats: face-to-face, computer, and paper/pencil. Results showed that participants answered significantly different between the interview modes on 6 of the 21 questions. Those in the computer group were significantly more likely to endorse "No" on questions pertaining to feelings of depression and anxiety. These results suggest that the computer mode may be …

Model Evaluation And Measurement Optimization For The Reproduction Of Artist Paint Surfaces Through Computer Graphics Renderings, Ying Chen

Theses

Light reflection models for computer graphics have been developed over the past several decades. For real paint surfaces, it is possible to model their bidirectional reflectance distribution function with simple models. A framework was established to evaluate two simple reflection models, Phong and Torrance-Sparrow, which were used to render artist paint surfaces under different illumination angles. An image acquisition system was devised to capture the images under selected illuminated angles. The parameters of the specular and the diffuse components were estimated with these image sequences. At the evaluation stage, both physicallybased metrics and psychophysical techniques were used to evaluate the …

A Highly Reliable Non-Volatile File System For Small Satellites, Rama Krishna Nimmagadda

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Recent Advancements in Solid State Memories have resulted in packing several Giga Bytes (GB) of memory into tiny postage stamp size Memory Cards. Of late, Secure Digital (SD) cards have become a de-facto standard for all portable handheld devices. They have found growing presence in almost all embedded applications, where huge volumes of data need to be handled and stored.

For the very same reason SD cards are being widely used in space applications also. Using these SD Cards in space applications requires robust radiation hardened SD cards and Highly Reliable Fault Tolerant File Systems to handle them. The present …

The Underlying Mechanism(S) Of Fasting Induced Neuroprotection After Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury, Laurie Michelle Helene Davis

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is becoming a national epidemic, as it accounts for 1.5 million cases each year. This disorder affects primarily the young population and elderly. Currently, there is no treatment for TBI, which means that ~2% of the U.S. population is currently living with prolonged neurological damage and dysfunction. Recently, there have been many studies showing that TBI negatively impacts mitochondrial function. It has been proposed that in order to save the cell from destruction mitochondrial function must be preserved. The ketogenic diet, originally designed to mimic fasting physiology, is effective in treating epilepsy. Therefore, we have used …

Incorporating Cooperative Learning Activities Into Traditional Aerospace Engineering Curricula, Abraham Mathew, David B. Spencer

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

Active learning is a term used to describe programs where students learn by doing. In active learning programs, students work on projects where they use their theoretical classroom knowledge in real-world, hands-on activities. The activities range from single person projects to larger, complex, team oriented programs. In many programs the students work on actual hardware and software, many times similar to those used in industry. Many of the methods and techniques in active learning, such as time management and cost control are also similar to that of industry. A benefit of these types of projects is that the students cannot …