Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Compact Lidar For Aircraft Ozone Atmospheric Measurements, Joel A. Marcia

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Researchers and the general public have expressed great concern over how human activities exacerbate pollution's deteriorating impact upon the environment. Effects such as global warming, air quality and ozone layer depletion are but a few examples that can have a dramatic effect on the quality of life worldwide.

A compact lidar system for the purpose of aircraft ozone atmospheric measurements was tested and evaluated. This system will eventually be deployed for aircraft-based, and possibly unpiloted atmospheric vehicle (UAV), ozone and aerosol measurements to improve our understanding of ozone production and transport. Each of the major subsystems was characterized and from …

Paternal Involvement As Determined By Paternal Motivational Social Support And Stress Skills And Self-Confidence And Institutional Factors, Jessica E. Ladage

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Media Exposure And Women's Fear Of Crime, Pamela C. Hooper

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between the media portrayal of women and crime on television and fear of crime among female viewers. Data from the National Opinion Survey of Crime and Justice was used. A weak relationship between media exposure and fear of crime was found. Consistent with previous research, a statistically significant gender difference was revealed. Women reported higher levels of fear overall. When television dramas were examined, women who watched these shows had a lower reported fear of crime. An unexpected inverse relationship emerged between women's age and fear of crime. This finding contradicts a majority of the …

Retaining Employees The Relationship Between Organizational Loyalty And Commitment And Employee Retention, Sara L. Baker

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

This thesis is an exploratory study which examines employee retention in relation to organizational loyalty and commitment, specifically in the field of law enforcement. Focus groups with nine police officers who are currently employed with the Norfolk Police Department provided the data for this study. Participants described various positive aspects of the job that they enjoy as well as reasons for their remaining with the department. Themes identified include working conditions, interesting work, peers and subordinates, company policy and administration, interpersonal relationships with supervisors, achievement and recognition, and professional growth and advancement.

This research addresses how loyalty and commitment are …

Intimate Partner Violence: Criminal Justice Responses To High Lethality Cases, Victoria E. Collins

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between the level of violence suffered by the victim in a domestic violence relationship and the criminal justice responses to that violence, namely arrest, prosecution and the issuance of protective orders. Data was obtained from a nonprofit domestic violence agency in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The data was collected by agency staff from victims seeking assistance. This study found that female victims of domestic violence that suffered higher levels of violence at the hands of their abuser were more likely to be issued a protective order. Female victims who suffered higher levels of violence were not …

The Norfolk Hoax: Fear, Social Violence And Ethnicity At The Norfolk Navy Yard During The Strike Of 1877, John Douglas Forrest

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines the contributing causes why the command of the Norfolk Navy Yard feared a labor uprising or riot in the surrounding community of Portsmouth, Virginia in July 1877. Racial, class and ethnic tensions heightened to the point that on the morning of July 25, 1877, unknown agents distributed pamphlets around the city, which appealed to workers at the Navy Yard. A culture of social violence was prevalent during Norfolk and Portsmouth's post-Civil War existence. The ground-level view offered by this thesis is of the intense fear that spread across the country in 1877 as a result of severe …

A Hurricane Evacuation Route System Real-Time Monitoring And Distribution Of Load, Anup Khanal

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Hurricane evacuation is one of the major steps in diminishing the devastating effects of hurricanes on lives and properties. The challenge in evacuating a large number of people in a short time is the severe congestion faced in the transportation network, leading to long delays and shortages. Standard hurricane evacuation plans focus on how to best utilize the main arteries. The research challenge is to not overload the fastest routes and to utilize all the routes efficiently. The evacuation routing system proposed in this thesis focuses on distributing the traffic load throughout the network, utilizing alternative routes not considered in …

A Bio-Optical Model For Syringodium Filiforme Canopies, Margaret A. Stoughton

OES Theses and Dissertations

Seagrasses are significant ecological and biogeochemical agents in shallow water ecosystems throughout the world. In many regions, seagrass meadows occupy a sufficient fraction of the coastal zone, and generate optical signatures that can be observed from space. Bio-optical models of light absorption and scattering by submerged plant canopies for certain species such as Thalassia testudinum and Zostera marina have successfully modeled the plane irradiance distribution and photosynthesis within the submerged canopies. Syringodium filiforme differs &om T. testudinttm and Z marina, in leaf morphology and canopy architecture. The objective of this study was to develop a radiative transfer model that …

A Strategic Planning Decision Support Methodology In Emergency Department Preparedness For Mass Casualty Events, Adrian Spencer Benson

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This study's objective is to design a strategic planning decision support methodology to improve Emergency Department (ED) preparedness for Mass Casualty Events (MCEs). This effort will enable hospital and medical strategic planners to evaluate alternatives which improve ED capacity. This comparative analysis illuminates the relative performance of alternatives involving three improvement scenarios for an ED, involving various increases in trauma bay, examination room, radiology, surgery, and recovery/observation study capacities. To illustrate this decision methodology, a Discrete Event Simulation (DES) was implemented in Arena, and used a mixture of Subject Matter Expert (SME) estimates and appropriate notional data. The design of …

An Examination Of The Combined Impact Of Exposure To Intimate Partner Violence And Child Abuse Or Neglect On Juvenile Delinquency, Tracie R. Johnson

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between children's exposure to intimate partner violence and child abuse or neglect on juvenile delinquency. Much of the research on this topic suggests that a disturbed home life can have a significant impact on delinquency among children. This study explores patterns of delinquency among a large group of children in the Seattle Washington area (n=877). Gender differences in violent and nonviolent delinquency are examined as well as the impact of witnessing intimate partner violence in the home is tested. Analyses reveal that gender, race, and exposure to intimate partner violence …

Organizational Justice Perceptions In China: Development Of The Chinese Organizational Justice Scale, Katherine M. Fodchuk

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Research analyzing fairness perceptions within organizations has gained the attention of cross-cultural theorists as the criteria used to judge fairness varies across cultures. Review of the literature indicates that researchers use translated Western measures of organizational justice on Eastern samples despite evidence of cultural variation in justice criteria. This dissertation addresses some of the gaps in the current research by developing and validating an indigenous measure of Chinese organizational justice perceptions. A preliminary qualitative study revealed numerous justice rules used by Chinese employees to determine whether a workplace decision was fair. The qualitative results were used to develop the Chinese …

Social Capital In Rural China: Its Impact On Economic Development, Grassroots Governance, And Democratic Participation, Min Xia

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Does social capital generate positive influences on economic development and democratic governance? This question has important theoretical and policy implications for the contemporary world, especially for the developing countries. The primary goals of this study are to investigate the stock of two types of social capital—bridging social capital and bonding social capital—in rural China, and furthermore to examine the impacts of these two types of social capital upon economic development, grassroots governance, and democratic participation in rural China.

In this study bridging social capital has been measured by the participation in inclusive social networks and general trust among villagers, and …

Towards The Quantitative Analysis Of The Connectivity Value Of Networked Operations, Dean Deller

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

While the nature of and the approach to command and control is evolving in order to meet the challenges of Information Age warfare, the essential functions that must be accomplished remain constant. One of those essential functions is the arrangement of the assets within a combat force. Certainly, the many different ways to arrange a given set of assets will have different impacts on the combat effectiveness of the force. Some arrangements will enable self-synchronization, while other arrangements will impede it. How then, should an Information Age combat force be organized in order to optimize its effectiveness?

The concept of …

Retention And Job Satisfaction Among Local Law Enforcement, Lisa N. Parron

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

This thesis is an exploratory study which examines the retention of police officers in the Norfolk Police Department. Focus group interviews with nine police officers provided the data for this study. Participants described aspects of their job that they enjoy and aspects of their job that could be improved. Themes identified include working conditions, supervisor relationships, interpersonal relationships, pay, responsibility, achievement and recognition, and appeal of the job.

This research was aimed at revealing what officers like and dislike about their job in order to reduce voluntary turnover and increase retention.

The findings from this study indicate that job satisfaction …

Two Essays On Earnings Quality And Corporate Decisions, Qian Sun

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

This dissertation investigates how earnings quality as an information risk may facilitate our understanding of the choice of payment method in mergers and acquisitions and the value and the level of corporate cash holdings. In a world of asymmetric information and agency problem, Poor earnings quality implies the inadequate supply of relevant and reliable information for investors to monitor and discipline the behavior of firm managers to act in shareholder and stakeholder's best interest.

This study contributes to the literature in three folds. First, I add to the literature by postulating that earnings quality has a significant impact on the …

A Qualitative Inquiry Of Conceptualized Heterosexuality And Its Influence On The Counseling Process, Breyan N. Haizlip

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

With CACREP's increasing attention to majority cultural group memberships and its influence on trainee self-awareness and the counseling relationship (see CACREP 2001/2009), heterosexually-identified counselors have little or no opportunity to increase awareness of their own sexuality, creating challenges when working with clients of various sexual identities. The purpose of this article is to present a qualitative analysis of conceptualized heterosexuality and its influences on the counseling process. A model of the process by which heterosexually-identified counselors conceptualize their heterosexual identity and its influences the counseling process is proposed. Results suggest that providing counselor trainees an opportunity to explore the relationship …

A Phenomenological Case Study Of The Multicultural Counseling Experience Of Students And Faculty In Relation To Their Perceptions Of Their Multicultural Competency And Cacrep Standards, Nial P. Quinlan

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

The shifting population demographics of the United States are an unmistakable sign that the work of professional counselors and educators will continue to see an increase in the diversity of their client populations. It can be surmised, that paralleling this population change will be a subsequent increase in the demand for multicultural sensitive education and counseling, with particular attention being given to oppressed and marginalized groups who have been traditionally underserved. The counseling profession, guided by the American Counseling Association's (ACA) Code of Ethics, has unequivocally stated that professional counselors need to be proficient at providing multicultural competent counseling services …

A Grounded Theory Of School Counselors' Conceptualizations Of Their Training Regarding Adolescent Mental Health Issues, Cynthia Theresa Walley

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

There is a paucity of research regarding master's level school counselors' conceptualizations of their training regarding recognizing and responding to adolescent mental health issues. The purpose of this study was to propose develop a theory that illuminates new school counselors' conceptualizations of their training related to gaining knowledge in recognizing and responding to adolescent mental health issues. To accomplish this, eight school counselors in the southeastern Virginia area participated in two rounds of individual interviews and a reflective writing activity. Utilizing a qualitative grounded theory design, both the interviews and the reflective writing were analyzed to extrapolate themes about their …

Reflective Visual Journaling During Art Therapy And Counseling Internships, Sarah P. Deaver

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Visual journaling is thought to promote students' critical reflection upon their previous learning, their current experiences, and their ongoing professional growth. Research supports the value of written journals as educational tools that encourage reflection, but the potential for visual journaling to facilitate reflection has not been explored through systematic inquiry until now.

This qualitative multiple case study explored four art therapy students' and four counseling students' responses to visual journaling during their internships. They maintained their journals throughout one 15-week academic semester, and were interviewed four times over the course of the study. Data consisted of transcribed interviews and photographs …

Implementation Requirements For The Notice Architecture In Vehicular Communications, Dusadee Treeumnuk

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Many studies have been focusing on Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networking (VANET) in order to increase the quality of traffic and life on the road. An important aspect in vehicular communications is maintaining the privacy and security of VANET. NOTICE is an emerging architecture promising efficient traffic notification as well as strong immunity to malicious attacks, leading to improvement of safety and reduction of traffic congestion on roadways. To enable secure traffic notification, the NOTICE system employs vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication rather than vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication like in traditional VANET. The infrastructure consists of sensor belts which are embedded in the roadway and …

When Old-Order Amish Meet New Order Science: Genetic Maladies And The Amish Dilemma, Kelley Downey

Undergraduate Research Conference

The Old World Amish, an Anabaptist Christian domination in the United States and Canada are know for their plain dress, avoidance of modern technology, and separation from the mainstream society.

A traditional agricultural religious group, the Old World Amish maintains isolation from the rest of the community. Financially well-off, they are homogeneous on education, occupation by gender, age at marriage, religion/ethnicity, and health care.

Although the Amish strongly discourage marriage between close cousins, the Lancaster Amish genealogy is described as mutational - inbreeding from multiple, remote connections rather than close consanguinity (first-cousin marriages).

Amish settlements have been identified with certain …

What Makes Stephen F. Austin State University Students Happy?, Tyler Bishop, Nicole Kurr, Jennifer Mcfarland, Brandon Rogers

Undergraduate Research Conference

When we began our research we believed most people would be happier owning a pet, attending church, or exercising. However, we determined this was not the case, instead concluded students have different things that make them happy. In addition, after reviewing our results we were surprised that holding all else constant, having a hobby, owning a pet, attending church, and exercising will increase a student’s level of happiness.

Gender,Social Facilitation, And Task Influences On Leadership Selection, Paul Harwell

Undergraduate Research Conference

The opportunities for women to be placed in leadership positions are steadily increasing. With the rise in these positions and the fact that in many cases women are competing with men for the same leadership position, it is very important to understand how gender or other variables may affect who is chosen for such roles. Past research has shown that men are chosen much more frequently than women for leadership roles (Porter, Geis, & Jennings, 1983). The current study examined how additional variables may affect or interact with the selection of leaders of different genders.

Hebl(1995) found that characteristics of …

Religion As The Cause Of Temperance And Abstinence: How The Second Great Awakening Took The Fun Out Of Nineteenth Century America, Savannah L. Williamson

Undergraduate Research Conference

Pre-Marital sex and consumption of alcohol are a continuous presence in America. While many may think this statement would describe a modern day college campus, it is actually an accurate portrayal of the 19th century in the United States. These trends continued until one reform movement resulted in a sudden decrease in pre-marital sexual activity and constant intoxication. This reform came in the shape of religion. The Second Great Awakening brought about several changes in society that altered the way Americans lived their lives. After the mid-19th century, sex and alcohol would never be the same. Ultimately, the Second Great …

Elder Abuse: A Policy Analysis, Cortni Davis

Undergraduate Research Conference

Elder abuse is a growing social problem in the United States. It takes on many forms, and is prevalent throughout various cultures. Elder Abuse Reporting Laws have been enacted throughout various states to prevent and intervene in elder abuse cases. California’s Financial Abuse Reporting Act of 2005 is one among many laws in the United States which was formed to help ensure social justice for the elderly citizens of America.

Communication Across Random Landings, Kerron Joseph, Jay Walbran

Undergraduate Research Conference

The idea to do this project began with a simple question: Suppose that people carrying communication radios parachute out of a plane, if each device has a certain range, what is the probability that once everyone lands they will be able to communicate. To study this problem I assumed that the spot where each individual lands is normally distributed.

We discuss the different ways the communication radios can work. In particular we examine the situation where all the radios have to be within a certain radius r to operate correctly and the situation where the radios work on a relay …

A Man Bites Dog Story: Picky Academic Praises Journalist

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

Well, I don’t think I’m actually quite as bad when it comes to giving reporters their due as the title I’ve selected for this post suggests, as I have recently gone on record praising a variety of journalists based in China. Still, the ones I typically say the best things about are people who have a long-term commitment to the country (though I’ve been critical of some of these, of course), while the ones I most often pick on for things like missing important aspects of a story or failing to go to the best possible specialists for quotes are …

West Bend Couple Circulate Petitions To Remove Library Books They Consider Obscene, Don Behm

West Bend Community Memorial Library (Wisconsin), 2009

No abstract provided.

"Drive-Thru" Signature At Vfw Saturday Re: Porn In Wb Library, Ginny Maziarka

West Bend Community Memorial Library (Wisconsin), 2009

No abstract provided.

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 84, No. 41, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news. Aricles:

• Brandenburg, Katie. Residents Prepare for Cigarette, Alcohol Increase
• Hale, Marianne. Proposed Federal Budget Could Increase Pell Grants
• Stewart, Colleen. Stepping Up – Alpha Kappa Alpha, Alpha Delta, Step Shows
• Hale, Marianne. Proposed One-time Bonuses Receive Mostly Negative Reception by Faculty
• Erskine, Anne. Editorial Cartoon re: Pop Art Major
• Departments Across Campus Should Strive to Stay Relevant
• Brandenburg, Katie. Legislators Ending Session Early Shows Poor Taste
• Wick, Brittany. Anyone Can Be Part of Student Government Association
• Simpson, Mandy. Code Enforcement Division to Issue New Citations – Parking
• Howerton, Christina. …