Digital Commons Network^™

Agent-Based Virtual Humans In Co-Space: An Evaluative Study, Yilin Kang, Ah-Hwee Tan, Fiona Fui-Hoon Nah

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Co-Space refers to interactive virtual environment modelled after the real world in terms of look-and-feel, functionalities and services. We have developed a 3D virtual world named Nanyang Technological University (NTU) CoSpace populated with virtual human characters. Three key requirements of realistic virtual humans in the virtual world have been identified, namely (1) autonomy: agents can function on their own; (2) interactivity: agents can interact naturally with players; and (3) personality: agents can exhibit human traits and characteristics. Working towards these challenges, we propose a brain-inspired agent architecture that integrates goal-directed autonomy, natural language interaction and human-like personality. We conducted an …

The Utah Model: Lessons For Regional Planning, Brenda C. Scheer

Brookings Mountain West Publications

Utah has become an unlikely leader in regional planning through a voluntary partnership of key leaders, agencies, local government, and the general public. Given that regional planning efforts around the nation have generally evoked strong reactions from residents concerned about losing local control, the success of Envision Utah—the organization that emerged as a key driver of regional planning in Utah—in building a consensus around regional growth management holds lessons for other regions.

Envision Utah adopted several strategies that have distinguished Utah’s regional planning efforts from other regions and given rise to what can be called the “Utah model” of collaborative …

Television And Fanfiction Online: Finding Identity, Meaning, And Community, Erin B. Waggoner

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This study focuses on fanfiction culture online, particularly how the stories relate to television fandoms and a need to participate or reinterpret a text on an individual and a global level to find meaning in the encoded messages. The study follows theoretical groundwork from Stuart Hall’s encoding/decoding and Walter R. Fisher’s narrative paradigm. Philosophical considerations are given to communitarian ethics and how humans innately need community to successfully fulfill the need to communicate with others. Through ethnographic research, the study discovers how and why fanfiction is being used to uncover and discover identity, meaning, and community by exploring a community …

Tragedy And Touchdowns: Media Coverage And The Impact On Disaster Recovery, Christa Clark Bell

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Media coverage of natural disasters informs audiences, but it also can serve as a catalyst for the formation of rhetorical communities, groups of people who subscribe to the rhetorical vision purveyed in media coverage of events. Existing research literature on communities and on the role of communities in disaster recovery points to the need for community as a basic part of the recovery process. National media coverage of the April 27, 2011, tornadoes that struck Tuscaloosa, Ala., contained fantasy themes that constructed a rhetorical vision of hope and survival. A fantasy theme analysis of three national sports media articles, when …

Improving Student Learning In Third World Communities Through The Applications Of Transformational Leadership And Technology, Jan Michael Co Uy

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Students in third world communities often face many economic and educational challenges. The main setback that many kids face today is continued education. Overall, the purpose of this research is how transformational leadership and technology contribute to student learning in third world communities. A few key theories were used in this research, which include Transformational Leadership, Early Childhood, Social Penetration, and Media Richness Theories. From a research method standpoint, meta-analysis was used to determine how these theories relate to themes from various case studies done on improving student learning. The overall finding is that technology in tandem with transformational leadership …

Analysis Of The Soccer Labor Market In Europe 2011‐2012: History And Trends Of Players From Argentina, Brazil, And West Africa, Eduardo Ortiz

Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Specific Gage Analysis On The Lower White River, Arkansas, Adam Levis Shaffner

Theses

This study documents the stage adjustments in the Lower White River between 1931 and 2012 at four rated gaging stations along the trunk stem of the river. The study reach extends from Calico Rock, Arkansas, to the confluence of the White River with the Mississippi River north of Arkansas City, a distance of about 509 km. The specific gage approach was used to track hydrological response in the study reach. In order to approach spatial homogeneity across the four gaging locations along the study reach, input discharges were normalized to multiples of mean daily flow (MDF). Specific gage analysis tracks …

Southern Illinois Gis Mapping For Next Generation 9-1-1, William Lee Barrett

Theses

Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG 9-1-1) will revolutionize how the public accesses emergency services and will alter the technological landscape within which existing public safety agencies operate. A lack of systematic methodologies exists for quality control of the required geospatial data layers for NG 9-1-1 systems. The primary objective of this study was to develop and systematize a highly accurate NG 9-1-1 GIS database for Counties of Southern Illinois (CSI). The project goals included mapping relevant geospatial data layers required by and based on NENA standard data formats; conducting data quality control and standardization; and providing standardized spatial datasets for NG …

Study Of Particle Swarm For Optimal Power Flow In Ieee Benchmark Systems Including Wind Power Generators, Mohamed A. Abuella

Theses

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF Mohamed A. Abuella, for the Master of Science degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering, presented on May 10, 2012, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE:STUDY OF PARTICLE SWARM FOR OPTIMAL POWER FLOW IN IEEE BENCHMARK SYSTEMS INCLUDING WIND POWER GENERATORS MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. C. Hatziadoniu, The aim of this thesis is the optimal economic dispatch of real power in systems that include wind power. The economic dispatch of wind power units is quite different of conventional thermal units. In addition, the consideration should take the intermittency nature of wind speed and operating constraints as …

Analyses Of Consumer Perceptions, Farmer Challenges, Polyamine, And Amino Acid Content Of Organic And Conventional Fresh Produce Grown In South Carolina, Emily Steinberg

All Dissertations

Execution of the USDA organic standards led to more support for local food as distinct from organic food. The current study was conducted to examine fresh produce perceptions and purchasing decisions of S.C. consumers. Four-hundred and eight S.C. consumers were surveyed at S.C. grocery stores. More than one-third of the S.C. consumers not knowing about the 'certified S.C. grown' program suggest that the S.C. Department of Agriculture (SCDA) may want to improve the promotion of their program. Eighty-five percent of consumers indicated that they would choose local over organic. This information would be useful to local S.C. produce farmers who …

Coaching Equestrian Vaulting: The Motivation Behind Volunteer Coaching, Amy Mccune

All Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to identify the primary motivations for people to become and continue as equestrian vaulting coaches. Using a nomothetic context for research, this study focused on gaining a better understanding of equestrian vaulting coaches by identifying factors that generally motivate their participation in the sport. The first research question related to what motivates someone to become a vaulting coach while the second question related to what motivates these coaches to continue in the coaching role.
Fifteen female coaches were selected for interviews from the American Vaulting Association membership. Interview questions were based on a preliminary …

Fish Assemblage Structure In Black Hills, South Dakota Streams, Luke D. Schultz, Sarah J. Lewis, Katie Nicole Bertrand

The Prairie Naturalist

Understanding factors structuring fish assemblages in a particular area is valuable to both sport fishery management and native species conservation. Fish assemblages in the Black Hills are unique to South Dakota because they contain economically valuable introduced salmonids as well as native species of conservation need. Our objective was to examine the relationship between fish assemblages and geomorphic and reach-scale habitat features across multiple stream reaches in the Black Hills. Canonical correspondence analysis, a direct gradient ordination analysis, indicated that factors operating at multiple spatial scales interacted to structure fish assemblages. There also was indication of segregation between native species …

The Dual-Faceted Federalism Framework And The Derivative Constitutional Status Of Local Governments, Michael W. Cannon

BYU Law Review

No abstract provided.

Explicating The Social Mechanisms Linking Alcohol Use Behaviors And Ecology To Child Maltreatment, Bridget Freisthler, Megan R. Holmes

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper begins to describe and explicate the specific mechanisms by which alcohol use and the alcohol use environment contribute to specific types of child maltreatment. These mechanisms relating alcohol outlet densities to child maltreatment described here include effects on social disorganization, parent's drinking behaviors, and parental supervision. By investigating potential mechanisms, new information could be obtained on the importance and role of alcohol and its availability in the etiology of child maltreatment. This knowledge can be used to further tailor interventions to those conditions most likely to prevent and reduce maltreatment.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 39, No. 4 (December 2012)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• DATING VIOLENCE POLICY: MAKING THE GRADE - Richard Hoefer, Beverly Black, and Mashooq Salehin
• EXPLICATING THE SOCIAL MECHANISMS LINKING ALCOHOL USE BEHAVIORS AND ECOLOGY TO CHILD MALTREATMENT - Bridget Freisthler and Megan R. Holmes PRIVATE PENSION PROTECTIONS SINCE ERISA: THE EXPANDED ROLE OF THE INDIVIDUAL - Karen A. Zurlo
• RECONCILIATION IN A COMMUNITY-BASED RESTORATIVE JUSTICE INTERVENTION - David K. Androff
• "WHERE ARE MY RIGHTS?" COMPROMISED CITIZENSHIP IN MIXED-STATUS MARRIAGE: A RESEARCH NOTE - April M. Schueths
• FEAR VS. FACTS: EXAMINING THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS IN THE U.S. - David Becerra, David K. Androff, Cecilia Ayón, …

Amaethon – A Web Application For Farm Management And An Assessment Of Its Utility, Tyler Yero

Master's Theses

Amaethon is a web application that is designed for enterprise farm management. It takes a job typically performed with spreadsheets, paper, or custom software and puts it on the web. Farm administration personnel may use it to schedule farm operations and manage their resources and equipment. A survey was con- ducted to assess Amaethon’s user interface design. Participants in the survey were two groups of students and a small group of agriculture professionals. Among other results, the survey indicated that a calendar interface inside Amaethon was preferred, and statistically no less effective, than a map interface. This is despite the …

Population Dynamics In Predynastic Upper Egypt: Paleodemography Of Cemetery Hk43 At Hierakonpolis, Ernest King Batey Iii

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The site of Hierakonpolis is considered to have played an important role in the development of the Egyptian state, which formed at end of the fourth millennium BC. Archaeological evidence suggests that, for the Middle and Late Predynastic periods (ca. 3900-3200 BC), Hierakonpolis may be characterized as having experienced the following: a growth in both settlement and population size, an increased reliance on cereal agriculture, development of craft specialization, and the presence of a Social hierarchy as interpreted from an observed increase in the differentiation of mortuary behavior. Historical data suggest that these Social and economic changes would have affected …

Norms And Law: Putting The Horse Before The Cart, Barak D. Richman

Duke Law Journal

Law and society scholars have long been fascinated with the interplay of formal legal and informal extralegal procedures. Unfortunately, the fascination has been accompanied by imprecision, and scholars have conceptually conflated two very different mechanisms that extralegally resolve disputes. One set of mechanisms might be described as the "shadow of the law," made famous by seminal works by Professors Stewart Macaulay and Marc Galanter, in which social coercion and custom have force because formal legal rights are credible and reasonably defined. The other set of mechanisms, recently explored by economic historians and legal institutionalists, might be described as "order without …

Teaching Accessibility And Design-For-All In The Information And Communication Technology Curriculum: Three Case Studies Of Universities In The United States, England, And Austria, Paul Ryan Bohman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Digital technologies allow people with disabilities to participate independently in society in ways they never could before. The full realization of these new opportunities remains elusive, though, because working professionals in the information and communication technology (ICT) field rarely receive adequate training in how to make digital ICT accessible to people with disabilities. Adding accessibility to the university ICT curriculum can help create a critical mass of ICT professionals with accessibility awareness and expertise to finally realize the full accessibility potential of digital technologies. This dissertation provides a rich informational context from which ICT curriculum leaders can decide how to …

Using Biophysical Geospatial And Remotely Sensed Data To Classify Ecological Sites And States, Carson A. Stam

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Within the Intermountain West, vast expanses of big sagebrush shrubland and steppe are considered emblems of the western range. Currently, there are approximately 60 million hectares of big sagebrush within the 11 western states, four million of which are in the state of Utah. However, the historic distribution of sagebrush has been impacted by conversion to other types of land cover through juniper encroachment, urbanization, invasive weeds, and agricultural expansion. In Utah alone, big sagebrush communities have been reduced to approximately 55% of their historic extent. A primary and current example of the cumulative impact of big sagebrush loss is …

Curriculum Design For An Integrated Language Arts Class At The High School Level Utilizing A Multi-Genre American Studies Approach, Susan K. Biddulph

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Curriculum integration and multi-genre approaches to education are acknowledged to be beneficial to both student learning styles and skill development; however, due to time and budget constraints, many teachers do not implen1ent these approaches. This language arts curriculum utilizes a theme-centered approach that smoothly integrates many subject areas and encourages skill development while adhering to the Utah Common Core Curriculum and incorporating multiple lean1ing styles. The theme of the curriculum is gender role expectations throughout history. While the units primarily rely on primary texts, they also incorporate numerous secondary texts in multiple subject areas and require both formal and informal …

‘The Rose Of No Man’S Land [?]’: Femininity, Female Identity, And Women On The Western Front, Nancy Martin

Journal of International Women's Studies

This article provides an analysis of a range literary texts and memoirs written by, and about, women who served as nurses, VADs, and ambulance drivers on the Western Front. It explores how these texts represent “feminine” identity in relation to the war’s emotional and physical trauma and focuses, in particular, on moments where conventional notions are challenged, or made impossible, by the war’s chaos. In addition, this article explores how these women understood, articulated, and represented the men they sought to aid. Fundamental to this discussion is an exploration of the period’s propaganda and iconography and how these women writers …

Pataya: Suatu Tinjauan Konstruksi Tempat Ngèbèr Komunitas Gay Di Surabaya, Kathleen Azali

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

Tempat ngèbèr, or hanging-out places where gay men in Indonesia meet, can be found in various—though relatively hidden—public places across Indonesia. Tempat ngèbèr as one of the more prominent sites in the constellation of gay serves not only as a space to find sexual partners, but also to socialize, to be open in expressing oneself, and to gain acceptance from one’s peers. Surabaya has a number of famous, well-known tempat ngèbèr, with Pataya being one of the largest places. Yet changes within the last few years have diminished its popularity. Through participant observation and non-formal interviews, this research attempts to …

Cooperation, Competition And The Development Of Institutional Capacity: Civil Rights And Public Transportation In Southern Nevada, Bruce Erwin Turner

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examines the implementation of social goals through government action and the context and relations of agencies charged with demonstrating and enforcing equality in transit. Specifically, I explain complexities involved in the top-down federal mandate to demonstrate equal transit service for minority communities and low income residents. Institutional entrepreneurship by local government agencies influenced the legislation and regulation that they were charged to enforce. The local Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), created to enable a local voice in major capital road projects, acquired new institutional capabilities as federal agencies tasked them with implementing new social goals. Engineers and planners, initially …

Beyond Neighborhood Play: Factors That Predict Child Civic Engagement, Tracy Waters

All Dissertations

This study utilized a unique mixed methodology to examine perceptions of neighborhood characteristics, independent mobility, and child civic engagement among 101 child-caregiver dyads. Children between the ages of 7 and 13 years completed a neighborhood walk with a member of the research team, identifying neighborhood boundaries, taking pictures of important places, and explaining their day-to-day activities. Responses from a written survey and neighborhood observations complimented the neighborhood walk data. Results revealed that spatial neighborhood and independent mobility did not vary significantly by age or gender. However, spatial neighborhood and independent mobility were positively related to several child and caregiver measures …

Geographic Information Systems For Real-Time Environmental Sensing At Multiple Scales, Samuel Esswein

All Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to design, implement, and apply a real-time geographic information system for data intensive water resource research and management. The research presented is part of an ongoing, interdisciplinary research program supporting the development of the Intelligent River® observation instrument. The objectives of this research were to 1) design and describe software architecture for a streaming environmental sensing information system, 2) implement and evaluate the proposed information system, and 3) apply the information system for monitoring, analysis, and visualization of an urban stormwater improvement project located in the City of Aiken, South Carolina, USA.
This research …

Zircon Geochronology Of Ash Beds In The Marcellus Shale Of The Appalachian Basin, Jessica M. Hayward

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Volcanic ash horizons, produced by arc magmatism in the Acadian orogeny, are interbedded with the Marcellus Shale and Onondaga Limestone of the Appalachian basin. Zircon grains from the ash layers are suitable for SIMS U-Th-Pb geochronology due to their resistant behavior against weathering and ability to record age of the eruptions.;A total of 24 Tioga ash layers within cores of the Middle Devonian Marcellus and Onondaga from six wells located in West Virginia and Pennsylvania were collected for U-Pb dating. The ash horizons were recognized as thinly laminated tuffaceous shale with graded beds of white mica and pyrite, ranging in …

Hiv/Aids Intervention In Ghana: A Constructivist Approach To Understanding Aids Policy, Nat Papa Kobina Markin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study is about how donor policy, NGO policy and public policy work together in Ghana's national strategic response to HIV and AIDS. The dissertation touches on two areas of public policy - development policy and health policy specifically relating to HIV/AIDS to determine congruity of the policy approaches of the three groups. Based on a survey done in Accra, Ghana in summer 2010 and on documentary sources of data collection, the study captures areas of agreement and disagreement of the three groups and discusses their effects on policy implementation. In broader terms, it analyzes assistance for HIV/AIDS in the …

Eurasianist Trends In Russian Foreign Policy: A Critical Analysis, Steven K. Voytek

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This paper examines and illustrates the presence of a powerful Eurasianist doctrine currently informing Russian foreign policy. It first presents the historical evolution of Eurasianism, its most recent incarnation present in contemporary Russia, and later seeks to explicate its development. The emergence of this particular doctrine was the result of a gradual process that began in 2000 when Vladimir Putin first became President of the Russian Federation although its historical roots are traced back to the 19th century. Over the course of the past decade a new brand of Eurasianism has emerged which this study identifies as 'Geopolitical Eurasianism'. Various …

The Eupm And Eufor Althea Missions In Bosnia And Herzegovina: An Evaluation, Ewa Agata Maczynska

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The political changes in Europe and the shift in the world's balance of power brought about by the collapse of the Soviet Union forced the European Union in the early 1990's to redefine the possible role it wanted to play in the international arena. From being an organization focused mostly on economic cooperation, the European Union quickly transformed itself into a player interested also in the security realm. The first place where the EU attempted to prove itself as a new crisis management power was post-war Bosnia-Herzegovina, a country that needed physical, political and social reconstruction. As a result in …