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2013

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Agent-Based Modeling To Simulate The Movement Of A Flock Of Birds, Naga Chaitanya Byrisetty Jan 2013

Agent-Based Modeling To Simulate The Movement Of A Flock Of Birds, Naga Chaitanya Byrisetty

Computer Science

The most beautiful, mysterious movements of bird flocks have always amused the human and led his thinking towards what makes these complex movements possible. This paper discusses the simulation of such bird behavior based on Craig W. Reynolds’s work on bird flocking, satisfying three main objectives and trying to mimic the natural behavioral characteristics of the flock in various circumstances using Netlogo5.1.  Objective One: To develop working software that simulates movement for a flock of birds using agent-based modeling in a two-dimensional world.  Objective Two: To direct the flock towards forage grounds while sustaining the wind and obstacles …

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Parallelization Of Generic Pso Java Code Using Mpjexpress, Manoj Babu Madamanchi Jan 2013

Parallelization Of Generic Pso Java Code Using Mpjexpress, Manoj Babu Madamanchi

Computer Science

Many scientific, engineering and economic problems involve the optimization of a set of parameters. The Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is one of the new techniques that have been empirically shown to perform well. The PSO algorithm is a population-based search algorithm based on simulating the social behavior of birds within a flock. Large-scale engineering optimization problems impose large computational demands, resulting in long solution times even on modern high-end processors. To obtain enhanced computational throughput and global search capability parallel algorithms and parallel architectures have drawn lots of attention. Parallelization of PSO has proved to enhance computational throughput and global …

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Representing The Poor Legal Advocacy And Welfare Reform During Reagan's Gubernatorial Years, Mark N. Aaronson Jan 2013

Representing The Poor Legal Advocacy And Welfare Reform During Reagan's Gubernatorial Years, Mark N. Aaronson

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

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International Paretianism: A Defense, Eric A. Posner, David Weisbach Jan 2013

International Paretianism: A Defense, Eric A. Posner, David Weisbach

Chicago Journal of International Law

A treaty satisfies what we call International Paretianism (P) if it advances the interests of all states that join it, so that no state is made worse off The principle might seem obvious, but it rules out nearly all the major proposals for a climate treaty, including proposals advanced by academics and by government officials. We defend IP, and for that reason urge commentators in the debate over climate justice to abandon efforts to right past wrongs, redistribute wealth, and achieve other abstract ideals through a climate treaty. Instead, the goal should be to develop a feasible treaty that states …

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Student Interpretations Of Phylogenetic Trees In An Introductory Biology Course, Jonathan Andrew Dees Jan 2013

Student Interpretations Of Phylogenetic Trees In An Introductory Biology Course, Jonathan Andrew Dees

Biological Sciences

Phylogenetic trees are a common visual representation in biology, and the most important visual representation used in evolutionary biology. Thus, phylogenetic trees have also become an important component of biology education. We sought to determine what forms of reasoning are utilized by introductory biology students to interpret taxa relatedness on phylogenetic trees, what percentage of students correctly interpret taxa relatedness, and how these results alter in response to instruction and over time. Our students demonstrated a tendency for counting synapomorphies and nodes, rather than more common misinterpretations found in current literature. Students also struggled mightily with correctly interpreting phylogenetic trees, …

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Development Of The Youth, Jeremy Bickel Jan 2013

Development Of The Youth, Jeremy Bickel

Architecture Theses

This thesis presents research on the benefits well designed youth centers can have on children as they grow into adulthood. The typology of this project is a center for the study of children maturation. The site is in Minot, ND, which is in the midst of major growth and development in response to the booming oil industry. The project's theoretical premise/unifying idea is: Architecture can contribute to a better understanding of the process of childhood maturation.

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The Relationship Between Pre-Harvest Stress And Carcass Characteristics And The Ability To Qualify For Kosher On Beef Steers And Heifers, Nathan Scott Hayes Jan 2013

The Relationship Between Pre-Harvest Stress And Carcass Characteristics And The Ability To Qualify For Kosher On Beef Steers And Heifers, Nathan Scott Hayes

Animal Sciences

The objective of this study was to determine if there is a difference in pre-harvest stress and carcass characteristics between kosher and not-qualified-as kosher cattle. Cattle that had a shorter time from gate to exsanguination and a lower vocalization score were more likely to qualify for kosher. Kosher carcasses had a larger REA, a higher WBSF value, tended to have a heavier HCW. At each individual day, kosher steaks had lower L*, a*, and b* values. These data suggest that body composition and stress level may play a factor in the likelihood of a beef animal to qualify for kosher, …

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The Effects Of Extending Trust And Distrust To The Outgroup In Northern Ireland: Intergroup Emotions And Anticipated Intergroup Relations, Jared B. Kenworthy, Elissa Myers, Lauren E. Coursey, Jason R. Popan, Miles Hewstone Jan 2013

The Effects Of Extending Trust And Distrust To The Outgroup In Northern Ireland: Intergroup Emotions And Anticipated Intergroup Relations, Jared B. Kenworthy, Elissa Myers, Lauren E. Coursey, Jason R. Popan, Miles Hewstone

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Two studies examined perceptions of risk, threat, and emotions experienced once a community leader has made the decision to extend trust or distrust to the outgroup, in the context of Northern Ireland. Study 1 examined the impact of three factors — the extension of trust or distrust, a social climate of threat or reduced threat, and high/low group identification — on perceived risk and group-level emotion. Study 2 examined the impact of these factors on expected negative intergroup relations and symbolic and realistic outcomes. Results from both studies demonstrated that: (1) evaluation of a community leader’s extension of trust or …

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Alzheimer's Remediation Center: Architecture For Research Innovation And Treatment, Amanda Mauch Jan 2013

Alzheimer's Remediation Center: Architecture For Research Innovation And Treatment, Amanda Mauch

Architecture Theses

“Alzheimer’s Remediation Center: Architecture for Research Innovation and Treatment” addresses the question, “How can perceived spaces within a structure affect memory retention?” The Typology from which to examine this inquiry is best explored through design of an Alzheimer’s Research and Assisted Living Facility. The research will be guided by the assertion that Architecture can become an environment which triggers mental changes in its occupants, a tool which advances treatment and research of Alzheimer’s disease. The project justifies itself by the following: Making up a significant amount of the world’s population, the “baby boom generation” is coming of an age where …

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Engineering The Digital Workplace: The Architecture Of Changing Social Interaction, Eric Lagergren Jan 2013

Engineering The Digital Workplace: The Architecture Of Changing Social Interaction, Eric Lagergren

Architecture Theses

“Engineering the Digital Workplace” explores how meaningful design can inform, and be informed by, social interaction in an increasingly connected and less private society. The thesis proposes to create a model for how productivity can be sustainable in a culture where electronic interconnectedness threatens tangible interaction. This problem is best explored through the architectural creation of the headquarters for a firm designing first generation 3-dimensional holographic communication software on a site in the developed downtown of Sioux Falls, SD.

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Longevtiy: Urban Retirement Living, Sara Kolpack Jan 2013

Longevtiy: Urban Retirement Living, Sara Kolpack

Architecture Theses

This thesis, Longevity, studies the ability to create a place to dwell that improves the quality, longevity, and ability to heal those that inhabit its walls all the while residing within and urban setting. The typology is a senior retirement facility. It is through design that architecture can adequately accommodate residents, and urge them to continue their independence while offering needed amenities when necessary. With growing numbers of elderly looking for a place to reside, while still possessing the independence in which they strive for, a multi-use retirement complex design is a desired solution.

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Growing & Aging- A New Way Of Connecting Generations, Sara Lillegaard Jan 2013

Growing & Aging- A New Way Of Connecting Generations, Sara Lillegaard

Architecture Theses

“Growing and Aging: a new way of connecting generations,” is an exploration of a new architectural typology that tries to fill in the generation gap existing between young people and our aging society. When looking at the increase in the number of seniors the U.S. and the world has been facing, questions start to rise as to how to provide quality care for the so called aging society. Studies have shown that socialization is still very important as we grow older, and a sense of connection and belonging is essential to a better quality of life. Another group that would …

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Predictors Of Drug Court Success In A Small City Drug Court, Melinda Sue Fangman Jan 2013

Predictors Of Drug Court Success In A Small City Drug Court, Melinda Sue Fangman

Criminal Justice and Political Science

This study examines the factors related to completion outcomes of the East Central Judicial District Drug Court (ECJDDC). The ECJDDC has a 71% graduation rate which far exceeds the national average of approximately 40-45%. The dataset included information on 250 participants who entered the drug court from 2003-2011. Factors included in the analysis include those related to living situation, family situation, socioeconomic status, veteran status, current offense, and prior criminal history in addition to sex, race, and age. Logistic regression determined that the strongest predictors of graduation relate to education, income, employment, and living situation. Policy implications, practice, and future …

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The Veracity Of Self-Reported Criminal Records Among Ndsu Students, Kelsey Anne Keimig Jan 2013

The Veracity Of Self-Reported Criminal Records Among Ndsu Students, Kelsey Anne Keimig

Criminal Justice and Political Science

Campus safety and security are important concerns for colleges and universities. One way security is addressed is through utilization of self-report questions about criminal backgrounds during the admissions process. The current study evaluates this admissions policy by using a systematic random sample of 1,400 students to compare self-reported criminal backgrounds with criminal records listed in four online databases. Results indicate that two individuals within the sample failed to report their criminal backgrounds which included simple assault, burglary, theft, possession of controlled substance, and drug paraphernalia. While the failed reporting rate appears low, caution should be taken interpreting the results. A …

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Balancing Motherhood Experiences And Academic Science: What Makes Some Women Persist In Their Professions?, Nurjahan Perveen Jan 2013

Balancing Motherhood Experiences And Academic Science: What Makes Some Women Persist In Their Professions?, Nurjahan Perveen

English

Women both enter and leave science fields in numbers disproportionate to men (Long, Valian). Although many researchers have studied the reasons women leave the workplace in general, and STEM professions specifically, particularly after motherhood (Mason, Williams), there has been little work completed on why women stay in academic science once they become mothers. This paper employs two methods of interpreting published essays written by mothers who are also successful academic scientists. This research spotlights women who both wish to pursue motherhood and opted to stay in successful careers in academic science, despite what is the well-documented discrimination mothers face in …

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Effects Of Gradual And Rapid Variable-Interval Schedule Thinning On Concurrent Schedule Performance In Pigeons, Stephanie L. Kincaid Jan 2013

Effects Of Gradual And Rapid Variable-Interval Schedule Thinning On Concurrent Schedule Performance In Pigeons, Stephanie L. Kincaid

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Schedule thinning procedures are usually implemented with the goal of maintaining behavior despite decreasing reinforcement. The effectiveness of these procedures appears to depend largely at the rate at which reinforcement is decreased, with thinning procedures that decrease reinforcement too rapidly resulting in response elimination. Despite the importance of schedule thinning rate in determining the efficacy of these procedures, different rates of thinning are seldom compared directly in terms of their effects on the elimination of the response. The present study examined the effects of different rates of thinning on response elimination in the context of alternative reinforcement. Pigeons responded on …

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Brief Assessment Of Distress And Pain, Laura L. Quentin Jan 2013

Brief Assessment Of Distress And Pain, Laura L. Quentin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Pain has been conceptualized as a mixture of physical and psychological factors that are indicative of actual or potential damage to one's physical being. The experience of pain is a complex interaction of somatic, behavioral, affective, and cognitive components. Of particular interest is the growing body of literature regarding the roles that negative psychological states such as anxiety, fear, and depression have in the contribution of poorer outcomes for individuals suffering from painful conditions. Specifically, these psychological concerns can exacerbate the overall experience of pain and lead to higher rates of dysfunction and disability. Given the importance of these variables, …

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Moving To The Other Side Of The Desk: Learning Experiences Of Preservice Teachers As They Transition To Becoming Professional Teachers, Sheri Lynn Okland Jan 2013

Moving To The Other Side Of The Desk: Learning Experiences Of Preservice Teachers As They Transition To Becoming Professional Teachers, Sheri Lynn Okland

Education

This study sought to understand learning through the lifeworlds of preservice teachers who are in the last semester of their elementary education program at a Midwest University. The research was an explorative study into preservice teachers' understanding of how they learn, how they define learning, and how their own experiences as students will transfer, as they become professional educators. This study addressed the overarching question: What does it mean to learn and think about learning through the lens of 21st century senior standing elementary education preservice teachers as they transition to the other side of the desk? This study employed …

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Understanding The Use Of Social Constructivst Moodle Activities Within The North Dakota University System, Randall John Wald Jan 2013

Understanding The Use Of Social Constructivst Moodle Activities Within The North Dakota University System, Randall John Wald

Education

Online learning is becoming an increasingly important aspect of higher education. Concerns about the effectiveness of online courses have prompted education administrators to look at how different learning theories can best be used to increase student learning. Learning Management Systems (LMS) have become one of the dominant technologies for delivering online education, and the North Dakota University System (NDUS) uses one of the most popular of these LMSs, Moodle. NDUS Moodle is designed and utilizes activities that are based on a learning theory called social constructivism. This research studies the usage of these activities, perceived instructor effectiveness, and the use …

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The Use Of Non-Cognitive Constructs To Predict Success Of First-Year Students In A College Of Business, Staci Lyn Pauer Jan 2013

The Use Of Non-Cognitive Constructs To Predict Success Of First-Year Students In A College Of Business, Staci Lyn Pauer

Education

This study examined the relationship between academic hardiness, emotional and social competencies, academic success (as measured by grade point average), and persistence, in a sample of 178 first-year College of Business students at North Dakota State University. Students were administered the Emotional and Social Competency Inventory - University Edition (ESCI-U) and the Revised Academic Hardiness Scale (RAHS) within the context of their first year experience course as part of an on-going assurance of learning project at the College. Additional data was collected at the end of the semester relating to the students cumulative GPA as well as persistence data (did …

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Women In Transition: Implications For Career Counseling, Amanda Jo Weston Jan 2013

Women In Transition: Implications For Career Counseling, Amanda Jo Weston

Education

This thesis paper begins with an in-depth literature review that analyzes the career counseling process with two specific populations: women who are transitioning from welfare-reliance to self-sufficiency, and women who are transitioning out of relationships that are characterized by intimate partner violence (IPV). The analysis includes a historical look at theories that have influenced the creation of models and best practices used in the career counseling field today, and highlights popular and effective techniques that can be used in community-based and private practices. The paper highlights the importance that laws, legislations, children, resources and support systems have on a woman's …

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Supporting Transitions Of Homeless Youth: Evaluating Residential Program Frameworks, Structure And Educational Collaborations, Christopher Lowell Johnson Jan 2013

Supporting Transitions Of Homeless Youth: Evaluating Residential Program Frameworks, Structure And Educational Collaborations, Christopher Lowell Johnson

Education

With varying definitions and reports of appropriate transitions to independent living situations, it is difficult to decipher which residential models and approaches have the greatest impact on homeless youth. This project was guided by six research questions that focused on the residential structure and programming frameworks of programs serving runaway and homeless youth. Invited to participate in the study were 299 organizations operating 519 residential programs across the United States. Electronic surveys were sent to identified organizations and were followed by paper surveys. The researcher eventually received 71 completed surveys that were categorized as runaway minor and homeless youth programs. …

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Crowning The May Queen In Freshwater Place: Housing Reformers And The Uses Of Urban Nature, 1850-1914, Christine E. Regier Jan 2013

Crowning The May Queen In Freshwater Place: Housing Reformers And The Uses Of Urban Nature, 1850-1914, Christine E. Regier

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Ideas about nature change over time, yet the term is often used as though its meaning were universal. This study of the uses of nature in working-class housing reform in Victorian and early twentieth-century London deconstructs concepts of nature to reveal the social and cultural norms on which these concepts rely. The first efforts to provide sanitary housing to replace the London slums began in the 1840s. Model dwellings companies built housing blocks designed to give the poor access to three natural resources important in sanitation: clean water, fresh air and sunlight. They operated on a model of commercial philanthropy, …

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Adaptation Of Temporal Control To Unpredictable Mid-Session Changes In A Rapid-Acquisition Multiple Peak-Interval Procedure, Nathaniel Rice Jan 2013

Adaptation Of Temporal Control To Unpredictable Mid-Session Changes In A Rapid-Acquisition Multiple Peak-Interval Procedure, Nathaniel Rice

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The temporal arrangement of events is important in laboratory and real-world settings. Many real-world scenarios are highly dynamic and not reflected by the steady-state nature of experiments often conducted in laboratory settings. To address the dynamic nature of the environment, four pigeons responded on a rapid-acquisition multiple peak-interval schedule. Peak-interval trials, extinction trials that are extended and deliver no reinforcement, were interspersed with fixed-interval trials in a two-component multiple schedule. The interval for each component changed mid-session every session. There were two conditions: an Unsignaled condition where the intervals were changed mid-session without any accompanying stimulus change and a Signaled …

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Parental Monitoring And Adolescent Information Management: Associations With Cyber Risks, Elizabeth A. Yale Jan 2013

Parental Monitoring And Adolescent Information Management: Associations With Cyber Risks, Elizabeth A. Yale

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The present study examined associations among internet and cellular phone specific parental monitoring strategies (rules, solicitation and indirect strategies), adolescent internet/phone information management strategies (disclosure and secrecy), and youth experience with internet risks (cyberbullying/victimization and risky internet behaviors). The sample included 155 adolescents (12-18 years, Mage = 14.38) and their parents (141 mothers, 51 fathers). Youth reported how often they disclosed or kept secret their internet and phone activities and their experience with internet risks. Parents reported how often they engaged in internet/phone specific monitoring strategies. Adolescents' time spent utilizing cell phones, but not time spent on general internet use …

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The Influence Of Memory Enhancement Techniques On Source Monitoring, Ria M. Travers Jan 2013

The Influence Of Memory Enhancement Techniques On Source Monitoring, Ria M. Travers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

An important aspect of accurate eyewitness testimony is not only being able to recall the details of an event, but being able to trace that memory back to its source or origin (Johnson, Hashtroudi, & Lindsay, 1993). The current study examined the use of two memory enhancement interventions to improve the accuracy of source memory, or the correct attribution of a memory to its origin, and free recall. The first intervention, motivational instructions, informed participants that they are capable of recalling an event if they try their best. The second intervention, focused meditation, used a breathing exercise to focus individuals' …

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The Modernist Sublime: Parenthood And The Intersubjective Sublime Subject In Faulkner, Forster, Lawrence, And Woolf, Erin K. Johns Speese Jan 2013

The Modernist Sublime: Parenthood And The Intersubjective Sublime Subject In Faulkner, Forster, Lawrence, And Woolf, Erin K. Johns Speese

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This project explores how the modern novel restructures traditional conceptions of the Romantic sublime through complex depictions of parenthood. Using related strategies of representation, William Faulkner, E.M. Forster, D.H. Lawrence, and Virginia Woolf rewrite the traditional sublime as an intersubjective experience, dependent upon the recognition of social objectification and an ethics of reciprocal sympathy between mothers and fathers. Ultimately, The Modernist Sublime contributes to modernist scholarship by exploring the dynamics of modernist representations of parenthood and by focusing attention on how modernist authors reconsider the function of the sublime in the modern world.;Juxtaposing traditional aesthetics and Slavoj Žižek's concept of …

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Investigating The Effect Of Humor Communication Skills Training On Pro-Social And Anti-Social Humor Styles, Cognitive Learning, Self-Efficacy, Motivation, And Humor Use, Lori E. Vela Jan 2013

Investigating The Effect Of Humor Communication Skills Training On Pro-Social And Anti-Social Humor Styles, Cognitive Learning, Self-Efficacy, Motivation, And Humor Use, Lori E. Vela

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Humor is an important aspect of interpersonal interactions as it is linked to the development and maintenance of relationships (Merolla, 2006). The purpose of this dissertation was to test the effect of a humor communication skills training program on the ability to minimize anti-social humor (i.e., aggressive, self-defeating) and enhance pro-social humor (i.e., affiliative, self-enhancing) in interpersonal interactions. Working from the framework of Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1986, 2001), the effect of the humor skills training on self-efficacy, motivation, positive and negative humor use, and cognitive learning were also examined. Data were collected at baseline, post-training, and at a two …

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Novel Techniques For Automated Dental Identification, Nourdin Al-Sherif Jan 2013

Novel Techniques For Automated Dental Identification, Nourdin Al-Sherif

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Automated dental identification is one of the best candidates for postmortem identification. With the large number of victims encountered in mass disasters, automating the process of postmortem identification is receiving an increased attention. This dissertation introduces new approaches for different stages of Automated Dental Identification system: These stages include segmentations, classification, labeling, and matching:;We modified the seam carving technique to adapt the problem of segmenting dental image records into individual teeth. We propose a two-stage teeth segmentation approach for segmenting the dental images. In the first stage, the teeth images are preprocessed by a two-step thresholding technique, which starts with …

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Effectiveness Of A Theory Based Comprehensive Sexual Education Program At A Baltimore City High School, Darlene Hinds Jan 2013

Effectiveness Of A Theory Based Comprehensive Sexual Education Program At A Baltimore City High School, Darlene Hinds

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background Sexual activity among adolescents can have lifelong consequences including teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey (YRBSS), reported 13.8% of high school students grades 9-12 admitted to having intercourse with four or more people and 34.2% report being sexually active (CDC, 2010b). Baltimore City has disproportionately high rates related to teen pregnancy, chlamydia and gonorrhea when compared to national statistics. In 2006, the rate of teen births among girls ages 15-19 in Baltimore City was 66.4 per 1,000, compared to Maryland's teen birth rate of 34.4 per 1,000 (Maryland Department of Health and Mental …

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