Digital Commons Network^™

Project Management Methodology Applied To A Research And Recommendations Study: Understanding Workplace Accidents Involving Equipment "Blind Spots", Blake Delaney

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

Nearly 25 percent of work vehicle-related deaths take place while the vehicle is moving in reverse. The total cost to employers in 2000 was $60 billion, with two-thirds of the accidents taking place on-the-job. Due to the high number of vehicle blind spot accidents that take place each year, it is critical to ensure current technology is being utilized to prevent future accidents. (“Guidelines for employers to reduce motor vehicle crashes,” 2006) While the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigates industrial fatalities, too little information is gathered into general categories to effectively understand the overall effectiveness of U.S. regulations, …

The Melanesian Spearhead Group And Pacific Regional Cooperation, Gordon Leua Nanau

Pacific Studies

The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) is a subregional organization in Oceania where friendly diplomatic relations, free trade, and cultural and technical exchanges are encouraged. One of its founding principles is to promote the aspirations of Melanesians under colonial servitude to political autonomy. At the same time, it is a forum by member states to drive their national interests under the auspices of subregional resolutions. Recent developments and decisions by MSG leaders provided profound insights into the affairs of the organization and its member states. In 2010, the prime ministers of Fiji and Vanuatu were at loggerheads over whom to transfer …

Vol. 39 No. 3 (2016): Pacific Studies Full Issue, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies

Pacific Studies

Pacific Studies is published two times a year by The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies, Brigham Young University Hawai‘i #1979, 55–220 Kulanui Street, Lāʻie, Hawai‘i 96762, but responsibility for opinions expressed in the articles rests with the authors alone. Subscription rate is US$40.00 yearly, payable to The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies. The Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian and Pacific Studies (formerly The Pacific Institute) is an organization funded by Brigham Young University Hawai‘i. The Center assists the University in meeting its cultural and educational goals by undertaking a program of teaching, research, and …

Maritime Advanced Geospatial Intelligence Craft For Oil Spill Response: Selected Resources And Annotations, C. Reid Nichols, Nikolaos I. Xiros, Jeanne Pavy

Project Documentation

This selection of resources highlights the utility of Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV) for use in marine spill response. Each entry is followed by a brief summary and evaluation of the source (i.e., the annotation). Most annotations will define the scope of the source, list significant cross references, and identify relevant USV capabilities. There is no attempt to provide actual hypotheses, data, or graphics, especially concerning cited articles published in refereed journals. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited. Relevance relates to the citation’s presentation of capabilities that …

The 1994 Rwandan Genocide: The Religion/Genocide Nexus, Sexual Violence, And The Future Of Genocide Studies, Kate E. Temoney

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

In recent genocides and other conflicts—for example, the Sudan, Burma, and now Iraq—sexual violence and religion have received increasing but modest systematic treatment in genocide studies. This essay contributes to the nascent scholarship on the religious and sexual dimensions of genocide by providing a model for investigating the intersections among religion, genocide, and sexual violence. I treat the Rwandan genocide as a case study using secondary and primary sources and proffer the reinforcing typologies of “othering,” justification, and authorization as an investigatory tool. I further nuance the influences of religion on forms of sexual violation by arguing that religion indirectly …

Full Issue 10.3

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

No abstract provided.

Massachusetts Community Mediation Center Grant Program: Fiscal Year 2016 Report & Evaluation, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

During Fiscal Year 2016, the Community Mediation Center Grant Program proved generally effective in supporting the delivery of mediation services for dispute resolution from community mediation centers to Massachusetts communities. As a result of a $750,000 legislative appropriation, thirteen community mediation centers were awarded operating grants that proved critical to the centers’ sustained existence and thriving. The Program’s value was demonstrated by evidence of the contribution made by the funded centers towards reducing conflict and increasing access to procedural justice for residents in every Massachusetts county. Furthermore, the commonwealth as a whole benefited economically from the Program due to an …

Coherence, Richness And Cognitive Absorption In Website Design, L. Visinescu, Fiona Fui-Hoon Nah

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Kaplan’s theory on environmental preferences can offer a holistic perspective on cognitive absorption in ecommerce website design. Drawing on Kaplan’s theory, this paper proposes that coherence and richness of a website can enhance cognitive absorption of users. The findings from our study not only support the hypotheses, but also suggest that coherence and richness can reach an optimal proportion in website design, after which they are inversely correlated.

Cryptographic Reverse Firewall Via Malleable Smooth Projective Hash Functions, Rongmao Chen, Guomin Yang, Guomin Yang, Willy Susilo, Fuchun Guo, Mingwu Zhang

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Motivated by the revelations of Edward Snowden, postSnowden cryptography has become a prominent research direction in recent years. In Eurocrypt 2015, Mironov and Stephens-Davidowitz proposed a novel concept named cryptographic reverse firewall (CRF) which can resist exfiltration of secret information from an arbitrarily compromised machine. In this work, we continue this line of research and present generic CRF constructions for several widely used cryptographic protocols based on a new notion named malleable smooth projective hash function. Our contributions can be summarized as follows. – We introduce the notion of malleable smooth projective hash function, which is an extension of the …

Design Of A Flexible Control Platform And Miniature In Vivo Robots For Laparo-Endoscopic Single-Site Surgeries, Lou P. Cubrich

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Minimally-invasive laparoscopic procedures have proven efficacy for a wide range of surgical procedures as well as benefits such as reducing scarring, infection, recovery time, and post-operative pain. While the procedures have many advantages, there are significant shortcomings such as limited instrument motion and reduced dexterity. In recent years, robotic surgical technology has overcome some of these limitations and has become an effective tool for many types of surgeries. These robotic platforms typically have an increased workspace, greater dexterity, improved ergonomics, and finer control than traditional laparoscopic methods. This thesis presents the designs of both a four degree-of-freedom (DOF) and 5-DOF …

Using Software Testing Techniques To Infer Biological Models, Mikaela Cashman

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Years of research in software testing has given us novel ways to reason about and test the behavior of complex software systems that contain hundreds of thousands of lines of code. Many of these techniques have been inspired by nature such as genetic algorithms, swarm intelligence, and ant colony optimization. However, they use a unidirectional analogy – taking from nature without giving back.

In this thesis we invert this view and ask if we can utilize techniques from testing and modeling of highly-configurable software systems to aid in the emerging field of systems biology which aims to model and predict …

How Female Online Businesses And Brands Are Using Instagram Stories, Hannah N. Vanderslice

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Theses

Instagram is one of the newest forms of social media that impacts its audience on a visual level, since the content is centered on photos and videos. Their newest feature, Instagram stories, is temporary videos and/or photos strung together to form a gallery, which has been compared to Snapchat’s version of live stories. Instagram stories offer a unique opportunity for businesses to take advantage of the temporary, 24-hour platform that shows specific frame-by-frame analytics that help create efficient and compelling content to repost permanently that helps organic search engine optimization. As a cost-effective means of advertising, early adopter large and …

Predictors Of The Use Of English Language Assistance Services By English Language Learners In Elementary Schools, Juanita Hosch-Martin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The number of English language learners (ELLs) in the American classrooms is growing at a rapid rate. The purpose of this correlational study was to determine whether there was a statistically significant relationship between the need for English language assistance services predicted using a combination of a student’s home language, student’s first language, student’s language used most, and W-APT scores for elementary school students in a southeastern state. The instrumentation for this study consisted of the Home Language Survey and W-APT scores. With the approval of the IRB and a southern state school district, the research was conducted using a …

The Factors That Contribute To The Success Of High School Students Who Study A Foreign Language Beyond Graduation Requirements: A Multiple Case Study, Tameka Allen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this multiple case study was to investigate the factors contributing to the persistence of successful foreign language learners who chose to continue studying a foreign language beyond the high school graduation requirement. The theories guiding this study are Gardner and Lambert’s 1972 Socio-Educational Model (SEM) of motivation (as cited by Gardner, 2010), Deci and Ryan’s (2002) Self Determination Theory (SDT), and Dörnyei’s (2005) L2 Motivational Self System. The participants were 14 high school students who were enrolled in a level four or Advanced Placement foreign language class. Interviews, classroom observations, and the Attitudes/Motivation Test and Battery (Gardner, …

The Lived Experiences Of Christian Missionaries Who Need To Learn A Foreign Language To Fulfill A Call To Serve In Immersed Settings: A Phenomenological Study, Stephanie Blankenship

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

he purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of Christian missionaries living immersed cross-culturally who need to learn a foreign language in order to fulfill a Christian vocational calling. The theories guiding this study were Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory and Bandura’s (1986) social cognitive theory as pertains to the social aspects and interactions of immersion in second language acquisition. This study was important in offering support and guidance in the ongoing understanding of second language acquisition, in particular to individuals who have answered the Christian call to missions (Dixon et al., 2012; Price, 2013). This study …

Blended Learning: Perspectives From First Time High School Instructors, Tammy Parlier

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this collective case study was to understand the transitional experiences of first time instructors, teaching a blended learning course at three separate high school sites. Blended learning is defined as inquiry that combines both face-to-face and online modalities (Halverson, Graham, Spring, & Drysdale, 2012). This unique merger between both traditional face-to-face instruction and innovative online learning creates transition and change experiences for instructors as they adapt their practice to satisfy the requirements of the blended learning environment (Guskey, 1986). Data collected through individual interviews, reflective journals, observations, and a culminating focus group interview examined these experiences in …

The Experiences Of University Faculty Expected To Implement Edtpa Within A Teacher Preparation Program, Lance Kilpatrick

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to examine the experiences of university faculty expected to implement a teacher performance assessment called edTPA within a teacher preparation program. This study synthesized the experiences university faculty members have when preparing and implementing the edTPA. A deep examination of 12 university faculty members who teach in teacher preparation programs in a Midwestern state where the edTPA is required for licensure offer their experience through a questionnaire, an individual interview, and a focus group interview. The data were collected, organized, and analyzed by employing transcendental phenomenological systematic data analysis procedures positioned to …

The Experiences Of University Faculty Expected To Implement Edtpa Within A Teacher Preparation Program, Lance Kilpatrick

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to examine the experiences of university faculty expected to implement a teacher performance assessment called edTPA within a teacher preparation program. This study synthesized the experiences university faculty members have when preparing and implementing the edTPA. A deep examination of 12 university faculty members who teach in teacher preparation programs in a Midwestern state where the edTPA is required for licensure offer their experience through a questionnaire, an individual interview, and a focus group interview. The data were collected, organized, and analyzed by employing transcendental phenomenological systematic data analysis procedures positioned to …

Equipping A Local Congregation For Saturation Evangelism At The Emmaus Missionary Baptist Church, Willie David Mcclung Ii

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the research project was to determine if a local church has failed to equip the congregation with the tools needed to share their faith, and saturate the local community with the Gospel message; and if so, to provide immediate training and test the results for its effectiveness at the Emmaus Missionary Baptist Church, Owings Mills, Maryland. Participants heard four consecutively evangelistic sermons, which were preached during the 10:45 a.m. worship service. In addition, after each sermon the participants attended a workshop that covered: (1) The biblical mandate, biblical definition, and meaning of evangelism; (2) The biblical method …

Indifference To Chaotic Motion May Be Related To Social Disinterest In Children With Autism, Joshua L. Haworth, Anastasia Kyvelidou, Wayne Fisher, Nicholas Stergiou

Journal Articles

Children with autism spectrum disorder tend to have little interest in the presence, actions, and motives of other persons. In addition, these children tend to present with a limited and overly redundant movement repertoire, often expressing hyperfixation and aversion to novelty. We explore whether this is related to a more fundamental lack of appreciation for various temporal dynamics, including periodic, chaotic, and aperiodic motion structures. Seven children with ASD (age, gender, and height matched with children without ASD) were asked to stand and watch the motion of a visual stimulus displayed on a large (55") video monitor. Gaze and posture …

Exploring Practices Of Novice Head Teachers In Teacher Management In Two Primary Schools In Koboko District, Uganda, Afedra Paschal

Master of Education

The purpose of this study was to explore the practices of novice head teachers in teacher management in two primary schools in Koboko district Uganda. A qualitative research approach was used focusing on case study of two schools whereby the research participants were two head teachers, two deputy head teachers and sixteen teachers. The data was collected using one-on-one face to face unstructured interview, Focus Group Discussion and document analysis. The findings indicated that novice head teachers engaged teacher management in a number of management areas. These areas included; teacher deployment, teacher development, teacher leadership, and teacher retention. However the …

Chanticleer | December 1, 2016, Jacksonville State University

Chanticleer

No abstract provided.

City Of Eureka Sea Level Rise Adaptation Planning Report, City Of Eureka

Local Reports and Publications

No abstract provided.

Legal Ethics, Patrick Emery Longan

Mercer Law Review

This Survey covers the period from June 1, 2015 to May 31, 2016.1 The Article discusses attorney discipline, ineffective assistance of counsel, legal malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty, judicial ethics, several miscellaneous cases involving legal ethics, opinions of the Formal Advisory Opinion Board, and amendments to the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct.

Real Property, Linda S. Finley

Mercer Law Review

This Article looks at notable issues regarding Georgia real property law during the survey period, including legislation enacted by the Georgia General Assembly and case law decided in Georgia courts. The Author is happy to report she no longer feels compelled to begin the Survey by discussing the dire economic conditions of the state of Georgia or, indeed, the United States as a whole. At the time of the writing of this Survey, RealtyTrac, which reports national foreclosure statistics, released its mid-year 2016 foreclosure report showing that foreclosure activity affecting Georgia real property in the month of July 2016 was …

In A Bind: The Role Of Transgender Health Care Coverage In Politics, Lucas Johnson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Antimicrobial Interventions Applied To Beef Sub-Primals For The Control Of Escherichia Coli And Their Impact On Ground Beef Quality, Kelly Ann Mccarty

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Due to their severe health implications, seven shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) serotypes were declared adulterants by USDA-FSIS in raw, non-intact beef products. Small business beef processing facilities are being asked to implement an intervention on the beef sub-primals and trim they receive for ground beef production. This study evaluates the efficacy of reducing rifampicin-resistant E. coli (E. coli^Rif) using 4.5% lactic acid (LA), 2.5% Beefxide™ (BX), and 380 ppm peroxyacetic acid (PAA) when applied by dip, spray or electrostatic spray (ESS) to the mostly fat lateral surface and mostly lean medial surface of beef shoulder …

In Memoriam: Abner J. Mikva, Newton N. Minow

University of Chicago Law Review

No abstract provided.

Hydroelectric Emergency Prevention, Christian Caroll, Max Auerbach, Kristyn Reinecke

Environmental and Sustainability Studies Undergraduate Projects

No abstract provided.

Multi-Generational Design Thinking School, Kyle Mcdowell, Payton Mills, Joseph Seder, Nichole Sloan, Hannah Fernando, Andrew Hereza

Liberal Studies Undergraduate Research

Every great story is full of interesting characters, and one of those characters is always the hero. In each and every story, that hero wants something. Our hero is the GVSU Meijer Campus in Holland, Michigan, but as it is now, that hero is weak, lonely, and not flourishing. Our hero wants to be relevant for the Holland community, but it needs to overcome underutilization to get there. However, what makes a story great is not the resolution; rather, it is the transformation of the hero. Join us in our journey as we design thinkers work to transform the identity …