Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Implementing The Caspie Coursebased Research Experience At The United States Military Academy: Affective Responses And Effects On Critical Thinking, Anthony Michael Chase

Open Access Theses

The Center for Authentic Science Practices in Education (CASPiE) pioneered a course-based research experience approach to teaching chemistry laboratory courses. The method had previously been studied in a variety of institutional settings. Recently, the United States Military Academy at West Point decided to develop CASPiE-style modules for the introductory honors chemistry course. This research setting presents clean experimental-control comparisons and a group of faculty who were completely new to the method. Equipping students with authentic research experiences early in their education is important regardless of the institution. However, cadets at a military academy must make decisions relatively early (the outset …

A Dynamic Stochastic Model For Converging Inbound Air Traffic, Jun Chen

Open Access Theses

Weather accounts for the majority of congestion in the National Airspace System which highlights the importance of addressing weather uncertainty to mitigate delays, and this paper presents an effort in this direction. Firstly, a new dynamic stochastic 0-1 Integer Programming (IP) model is proposed, which models the Single Airport Ground Holding Problem (SAGHP) with respect to uncertainty in the separation between flights instead of Airport Acceptance Rate (AAR) or landing capacity. Uncertainty in separation according to different weather conditions is represented through the scenario tree by using stochastic linear programming. Considering time separation constraints instead of AAR constraints, our model …

Heavy Vehicle Rollover Propensity At Roundabouts On Highspeed Roads, Thomas M. Hall

Open Access Theses

There is a recent trend of building roundabouts on high-speed roads, often with significant heavy vehicle traffic. With the increased presence of trucks on roundabouts, the issue of rollover has become a concern. Geometric features that allow excessive speed on the approach and entry have been connected to rollover, as well as sudden changes in crossfall and radius. However, the effect on the rollover threshold of changing the roundabout's circulatory superelevation is not fully understood. The impact of aggressive driving behaviors, as displayed by high driver speed far from the roundabout, as well as errors that are manifested by the …

Application Of Bayesian Networks In Consumer Service Industry, Yuan Gao

Open Access Theses

Gao, Yuan. M.S.I.E., Purdue University. December 2014. Application of Bayesian Networks in Consumer Service Industry. Major professor: Vincent G. Duffy The purpose of the present study is to explore the application of Bayesian networks in the consumer service industry to model causal relationships within complex risk factor structures using aggregate data. An analysis of the Hawaii tourism market was conducted to find out how visitor characteristics affect their behavior and experience as consumers during the trips, and influence the tourism market outcomes represented by measurable factors. Two hypotheses were proposed regarding the use of aggregate data and the influence of …

The Effects Of Acquisition On Restaurant Firms’ Performance: Different-Sector Versus Same-Sector Acquisitions, Yongjin Lee

Open Access Theses

This study examines the postacquisition accounting performance of acquiring firms in the restaurant industry between 1992 and 2012. Specifically, this study investigates the effects of different-sector and same-sector restaurants acquisitions between full-service and limited-service restaurants on restaurant firms' performance. Additionally, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and regression model are used to examine return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE) for the accounting performance of the acquiring restaurants.

The ROA and ROE reveal that the profitability is significantly negative up to 5 years after firms are acquired. However, negative effects are strongest within the first year after acquisition and decrease …

Evaluation Of Lane Use Management Strategies, Chaitanya Paleti Siva Sai Krishna

Open Access Theses

The limited funding available for roadway capacity expansion and the growing funding gap, in conjunction with the increasing congestion, creates a critical need for innovative lane use management options. Various cost-effective lane use management strategies have been implemented in the United States and worldwide to address these challenges. However, these strategies have their own costs, operational characteristics, and additional requirements for field deployment. Hence, there is a need for systematic methodologies to evaluate lane use management strategies.

In this thesis, a systematic simulation-based methodology is proposed to evaluate lane use management strategies. It involves identifying traffic corridors that are suitable …

Capacity-Related Driver Behavior On Modern Roundabouts Built On High-Speed Roads, Shaikh Ahmad

Open Access Theses

The objective of this thesis was to investigate the factors that affect capacity-related driver behavior on modern roundabouts built on high-speed roads. The capacity of roundabouts is strongly affected by the behavior of drivers as represented by critical headway (critical gap) and follow-up headway (follow-up time). The effects of heavy vehicles (single-unit truck, bus, and semi-trailer) and area type (rural or urban) on roundabout capacity were investigated by comparing the critical headways for roundabouts located on high-speed and low-speed roads. The effects of nighttime conditions (in the presence of street lighting) were also considered. Data were collected using the Purdue …

Systems For Delivering Electric Vehicle Data Analytics, Vamshi Krishna Bolly

Open Access Theses

n the recent times, advances in scientific research related to electric vehicles led to generation of large amounts of data. This data is majorly logger data collected from various sensors in the vehicle. It is predominantly unstructured and non-relational in nature, also called Big Data. Analysis of such data needs a high performance information technology infrastructure that provides superior computational efficiency and storage capacity. It should be scalable to accommodate the growing data and ensure its security over a network. This research proposes an architecture built over Hadoop to effectively support distributed data management over a network for real-time data …

Field To Flight: A Techno-Economic Analysis Of Stover To Aviation Biofuels Supply Chain, Amanda C. Bittner

Open Access Theses

Greenhouse gas emissions have been a growing concern. The transportation sector contributes to one-third of GHG emissions in the United States from fossil fuel burning. The Renewable Fuel Standard set a requirement for 16 billion gallons (ethanol equivalent) of cellulosic biofuels to be used in the market. Aviation biofuels can help to meet both of these problems as well as improve U.S. energy security.

Investment in the biofuel industry carries a lot of risk. The biofuel industry is run by the private sector, but can be incentivized by government. Cellulosic biofuels carry even more risk than first generation biofuels, because …

Assessing Inland Hazards Associated With Hurricanes In The U.S. Atlantic Basin, Dereka Latrese Carroll

Open Access Theses

The skill of tropical-cyclone (TC) track forecasts has steadily improved over the past decades, as has the understanding of TC risk in coastal regions. However, there is still much to be learned about the TC risk in inland regions, which is complicated by the presence of coastal evacuees, and includes hazards such as inland flash flooding and tornadoes. This was exemplified by Hurricane Ivan (2004), which spawned 118 tornadoes and produced significant rainfall amounts contributing to flooding inland. Ivan was responsible for 25 deaths in the U.S. and $18.8 billion (2004 USD) in damages. As part of a larger effort …

Is Texas Measuring Up To Federal Expectations? An Examination Of The No Child Left Behind Legislation On Texas Region One Education Service Center District Schools, Maricela De Leon

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This research paper presented information on student performance results for school children in Texas Region One – Title I district schools. By using recent data on student performance from a seven year period, 2003 to 2010, between district schools in Region One, the findings of the results is reflected to answer the question on whether district schools in Texas Region One –Title I schools reflect the intended No Child Left Behind act performance indicators as identified in the 2002 legislation.

Organizational Culture And Generation Cohorts: A Comparative Analysis Between A Public And Private Organization, David A. Morgan

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The relationship between organizational culture type and generation cohort values has potential implications for how we understand a workplace environment. The examination of an organization’s culture through the prism of generation cohorts and their corresponding values is the focal point of this research question. Utilizing the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) to measure the current and preferred culture type within an organization, and identifying the generational cohorts whom measure these cultures allow empirical data to establish the relationship between these two variables. By examining these results through a public sector and a private sector organization, the claim that the two …

Examining Sustainability Attitudes And Practices Among Overthe-Road Logistics Companies Operating In Indiana, Robert Louis Crull Iii

Open Access Theses

This research study takes a look at the sustainable attitude/awareness level and practices of over-the-road logistics companies operating in Indiana. It has a descriptive study design, providing information in an area that has not been previously analyzed. As the world adopts a "greener" mindset with the purpose of reducing the carbon footprint, this study helps lead the way towards this goal. It allows for the performance of further research into the reasons certain companies focus on sustainable practices more than others. Eventually, the hope is to increase the amount of companies operating sustainably.

The research study included an in-depth literature …

Detecting Air Traffic Controller Interventions In Recorded Air Transportation System Data, Yul Kwon

Open Access Theses

In this study, I propose a systematic method of detecting aircraft deviation due to air traffic controller (ATC) intervention. The aircraft deviations associated with ATC interventions are detected using a heuristic algorithm developed from analyzing the actual positions of an aircraft to its filed flight plan when the aircraft trajectories were identified as having an encounter in a loss-of-separation incident. An actual (closed-loop) flight trajectory of the Cleveland Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZOB ARTCC) was collected from the FlightAware database. This was compared with the corresponding planned (open-loop) trajectory dataset generated by the Microsoft© Flight Simulator X (FSX). I …

Investigating Surface Performance Trade-Offs Of Unimpeded Taxiways, Tiffany T. Le

Open Access Theses

Optimizing usage of unimpeded taxiways is a near-term operational change to mitigate emission impact on aviation and increase efficiency at airports. An unimpeded taxiway is a path for an aircraft to taxi around an active runway. Unimpeded taxiways provide benefits such as increased departure throughput, increased safety, reduced surface congestion, more efficient taxi-in procedures, and thereby also yield environmental benefits. The goals of this work are to investigate the use of current taxiways, examine surface performance and fuel burn trade-offs, and to develop a decision-support model based on potential fuel savings of unimpeded taxiways. This study analyzes unimpeded taxiway use …

Relationships Between The Military Service Of Female Service Members And Marital Satisfaction Of Their Civilian Husbands, Kenona Hilaria Southwell

Open Access Theses

Research indicated that is need to assess the relationships of female service members who were found to have higher prevalence of divorce than their military and civilian counterparts. The aim of this study was to understand better civilian husbands' experiences of challenges and benefits from their active duty spouses' service and experiences of deployment, relocation, and training sessions. Further, the study assessed the influence of wives' service on couples' communication, conflict, and husbands' perceptions of marital satisfaction. This mixed-method study entailed conducting telephone interviews with 20 civilian husbands across the United States. Interviews were recorded, and transcribed verbatim.

The transcriptions …

Consumer Perceptions Of Child-Friendly Shaped Healthy Fruit And Vegetable Snacks, Selena Lauren Baker

Open Access Theses

Fruits and vegetables (FV) are widely recognized as healthful foods by the public, and most individuals are aware of dietary guidance recommendations to consume more FV. However, actual consumption of FV has been and continues to be low in the United States and many other countries, despite public health efforts to change this trend. The sub-optimal intake of FV among children and adolescents is of particular concern due to high nutrient requirements for proper growth and development during these life stages. Fruit and vegetable intake patterns in childhood have been shown to track into later life and may affect individuals' …

Evaluating Flight Delay Benefits From The Nextgen Program, Brian M. Sperduto

Open Access Theses

This research proposes a method to simulate the flight delay effects of the NextGen program against an actual flight schedule. With the advent of the NextGen program and the substantial cost associated with the program, this research studies the impact the NextGen program may have on flight delays, an area critical to air carrier operations. This research is based on historical results from the summer of 2013 flight schedule to study the impact of a simulated NextGen implementation. The research studied aircraft on a given day looking specifically at the propagation effects of a flight delay and how it would …

Cybersecurity Strategy In Developing Nations: A Jamaica Case Study, Kevin Patrick Newmeyer

Presidential Alumni Research Dissemination Award

Developing nations have been slow to develop and implement cybersecurity strategies despite a growing threat to governance and public security arising from an increased dependency on Internet-connected systems in the developing world and rising cybercrime. Using a neorealist theoretical framework that draws from Gilpin and Waltz, this qualitative case study examined how the government and private sector in Jamaica viewed the state of cybersecurity in the country, and how the country was currently developing policy to respond to cyber threats. Employing Yin's recommended analysis process of iterative and repetitive review of case materials, the documents and interviews of key public …