13251 research outputs found
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A Hollow Victory and Unending Problem: The Undying Anti-Russian Insurgency in Ukraine
No full textThis thesis uses quantitative and qualitative research methods to: (1) explore the base causes of insurgency in Ukraine, (2) examine the historical basis for Ukrainian insurgency, (3) provide historical examples of successful and unsuccessful insurgencies to contrast against Ukraine, and (4) provide recommendations for NATO and Ukrainian policy. Collectively, this project demonstrates that current Russian counterinsurgency tactics will not be successful without significant adjustment. This Ukrainian insurgency may also derail the possibility of peace in the region
Investigating the Fish Community of the Neosho River System
No full textBarrier presence in river systems has been documented to impact fishes. Low head dams specifically are frequently occurring barriers in riverine environments. Well supported impacts of these structures on fishes include diminished movement, reproduction, and habitat availability. Longitudinal patterns in riverine fish communities have long been researched to ascertain dynamics and display interactions. The need for research becomes more critical when factoring in impacts of barriers and detrimental invasive species. Knowledge of fish communities can inform fisheries biologists and aid in improved management practices for recreational and ecologically important species, as well as invasive species. The Neosho River-Grand Lake system in Kansas and Oklahoma is a world-renowned fishery for multiple species, the most notable of which are Paddlefish Polyodon spathula. Invasive carp presence in the system (i.e., Bighead Carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis, Grass Carp Ctenopharyngodon idella) is a direct threat to the native fish community present. Little standardized fisheries sampling has been done in the Kansas portion of this river system in the past few decades; I conducted standardized sampling to inform questions posed about the fish community. My research sought to determine the status of invasive carp present throughout the Neosho River-Grand Lake system, document the fish community of the system in Kansas, and examine for community composition distinctions by geographic region along a longitudinal gradient. Results indicated a low-density population of diploid, potentially reproducing Grass Carp present throughout Kansas, with fish exhibiting high longevity and fecundity. Bighead Carp specimens obtained from Oklahoma were long-lived and extremely fecund. The fish community dataset generated a wealth of knowledge on sportfish infiltration from reservoirs, imperiled fishes, and apparent impacts from low head dams. Information from this study will aid in future management and direct new research in the suppression of invasive carp and investigation of imperiled fishes
Experimental Determination of Zinc, Potassium and Rubidium Diffusion Coefficients in Olivine
No full textOne of NASA’s key strategies is to learn more about the early solar system and its formation. Chondrites were formed from the most primitive materials at the collapse of the solar system and over time have been classified into different categories based on their elemental abundance. These chondrites have fallen to Earth and have even formed entities such as asteroids and planetary bodies. It has been found through studies that one of these chondrites is close to the elemental abundance of the Sun. The other types of chondrites were up to two orders of magnitude less in concentration compared to the Sun’s photosphere. The question arises to why these chondrites are less in concentration. Our hypothesis is that diffusion may play a role in this difference. In order to check this hypothesis, an experiment was created using a Knudsen Effusion Cell chamber in which the atmosphere would be lowered to close to 1 x 10-8 torr which would keep the oxygen fugacity lower than that level. The temperatures for this study would be between 1300 and 1800 degrees Celsius. The material used for these experiments would be the standards of BHVO-2, a Hawaiian basalt, and a San Carlos olivine. The purpose is to show that at these temperatures the elements being analyzed, Zinc, Potassium, and Rubidium, will diffuse from the basalt into the crystal. After the experiment, it was found that the elements didn’t diffuse, but volatilized and left the system. Each of the elements lost up to ninety percent of their concentration even from the olivine crystal
Creating the Pause: A Theoretical Approach to Helping Students Achieve Creative Independence
No full textThis paper will detail how the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic revealed the need for a modification of our current educational best practices. This modification asks that teachers create an intentional Pause where students can spend time dwelling on content and making their own meaning before teachers intervene through scaffolding and front loading. It uses a combination of personal experience, review of best practices, and Covid-19 data to show that best practices did not transfer well during the pandemic. It will then provide evidence for the addition of the Pause as well as addressing anticipated counterarguments
Revisiting History: Anti-Racialist Afrofuturism in Octavia Butler\u27s Kindred
No full textPopular understanding of history is dominated by racial binaries that suggest the Black past and the white past are wholly antithetical to one another. In Kindred, Octavia Butler uncovers interconnections between Black and white Americans that complicate this understanding by having her characters travel to the antebellum period. By uncovering these interconnections, Butler is able to envision a future in which Black and white Americans are reunited through the recognition of their shared, yet vastly differing, sufferings under white supremacy. I have termed this idea anti-racialist Afrofuturism because Butler seeks to dismantle the social construct of race through her illumination of Black and white Americans’ interconnections. I begin by explaining how Butler’s representations of whiteness contrast with those of other Black writers. She differentiates herself from previous generations of Black writers by punishing white-supremacist characters who prove themselves to be irredeemable instead of generalizing about white morality. She also does not wholly align herself with Black Arts writers, her near-contemporaries, because she portrays white supremacy instead of whiteness as antagonistic to Blackness. I then discuss Butler’s depiction of anti-racialist Afrofuturism in the epilogue, in which Dana and Kevin return to 1970s America transformed by their experiences in antebellum Maryland. These characters speculate on the anti-racialist possibilities of the past that historical records fail to account for, and they seem to have a better understanding of one another, an understanding that in turn benefits their interracial marriage. This anti-racialist Afrofuturism is represented allegorically in a number of Butler’s other works, and I argue that it is a project that spans her entire career. Lastly, I discuss the continued relevance of Butler’s ideas, as shown in multiple contemporary adaptations of her work and continued popular and scholarly interest in her writings
Phenomenological Study Into the Role of Self-Efficacy in Minority Student-Athletes\u27 Sport Performance
No full textSelf-efficacy is a person’s belief in their ability to successfully complete a task, which can be derived from four sources of information (i.e., past performance, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion, and physiological states). The role of self-efficacy in sporting performance is well documented as being positively associated with enhanced performance across multiple levels of sport (e.g., Olympic, collegiate athletes). Specifically, with collegiate athletes, high levels of reported self-efficacy have resulted in higher performance accomplishments. Although self-efficacy has been researched within sports, there is a dearth of knowledge examining ethnic minority athletes’ perceptions of self-efficacy related to their athletic performance. The aim of this study was to explore the role of self-efficacy in ethnic minority (e.g., non-Caucasian) student-athletes’ athletic performance. Using a phenomenological research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six ethnic minority endurance sport student-athletes. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using qualitative data analysis software. The four main sources of self-efficacy were identified as four significant themes, along with coaching and mental toughness. Subsequent subthemes of concentration, mental skills, anxiety, flow/the zone, individual athlete vs team sport athlete, achieving success, role model, positive emotions, injury, self-negativity, mindfulness, sense of belonging, feedback and positive influence, were established. Results suggested that ethnic minority student-athletes rely on the four main sources of self-efficacy, along with their relationship with their coach and their levels of mental toughness to produce increased sporting performance. Understanding the role these factors can have in aiding sporting performance should be considered for ethnic minority student-athletes
Closeness and Conflict in the Parent-Child Relationship and Parental Self-Efficacy During Childhood
No full textThe present study examined the relationship between closeness in the parent-child relationship, conflict in the parent-child relationship, and parental self-efficacy during childhood. Quantitative data from an electronic survey on one hundred eighty-eight participants was collected. Results from a simple linear correlation indicated that parental self-efficacy during childhood and the parent-child relationship quality measures of closeness and conflict were moderately correlated. A simple regression showed that parental self-efficacy during childhood did not predict closeness nor conflict in the parent-child relationship when controlling for current parental self-efficacy. However, parental self-efficacy during childhood significantly predicted current-parental self-efficacy
BIMEE: Blockchain Based Incentive Mechanism Considering Endowment Effect
No full textCrowdsensing, a paradigm in modern data collection, harnesses the collective power of mobile users equipped with sensory devices to contribute valuable data based on task-specific criteria. The efficacy of crowdsensing relies on sustained engagement from proficient users over extended periods. Incentivizing long-term participation is crucial, and blockchain technology emerges as a promising framework, providing a decentralized and immutable ledger. However, existing blockchain-based incentive mechanisms for crowdsensing encounter challenges. Firstly, they often overlook users\u27 inherent bias towards loss aversion, a psychological phenomenon where individuals prioritize avoiding losses over acquiring equivalent rewards. Secondly, fairness issues arise, especially concerning newly participating users in auction scenarios. In response to these challenges, an innovative solution is presented — Blockchain-based Incentive Mechanism considering Endowment Effect (BIMEE). BIMEE not only leverages the security and transparency of blockchain but also integrates behavioral economic principles to enhance the efficiency of the incentive mechanism. Specifically, we introduce the Endowment Effect, emphasizing the psychological tendency of individuals to overvalue items they possess. Additionally, we incorporate Fairness Preference, addressing the equitable treatment of newly engaged users during the auction process. Our implementation of BIMEE utilizes Smart Contracts on the Ethereum blockchain. Through extensive experimentation, we demonstrate that BIMEE significantly enhances the participation rate of mobile users in sensing tasks, improves platform utility, and elevates the average utility experienced by users. This multifaceted approach not only aligns with the technical advancements in blockchain but also incorporates crucial behavioral insights to foster a more effective and user-friendly crowdsensing ecosystem
An Action Research Study Exploring Beginning Percussion Students\u27 Music Reading Abilities
No full textThis action research study explored the effects of rhythmic training, understanding of musical styles, and accompanying as a means to improve the reading and performance accuracies of my sixth-grade percussion students. I designed this study as an adapted modification of Zhukov’s (2006) exploration of how these three teaching methods enhanced college piano players\u27 music reading skills and to improve my own teaching. Participants participated in a week of beginning percussion lessons that focused on these three teaching strategies. Pre-test and post-test results were used to compare the effect of the teaching strategies. Analysis of the results focused on participants ability to read rhythms, pitches, and their fluency. While all three areas showed improvement, some areas had greater improvement than others. Overall, results show promise of success, but future research into amount of time using these teaching techniques is needed
Syncretistic Religiosity in the Mausoleums of Bangladesh: Exploring the Possibility of a Blended Religious Identity
No full textFirstly, this thesis investigates the syncretistic religious nature of Bangladeshi mausoleums, along with the historical background of the Sufi mausoleums and the flourishment of this syncretistic religiosity. The study explores the contribution of Sufis to the spread of Islam in Bengal. It discusses how the liberal attitude of mausoleum enshrined Sufis toward their followers of diverse faiths patronized syncretism. The study here hypothesizes that the religious practices of Bangladeshi mausoleums are syncretistic; they are neither exclusively Muslim nor Hindu but present a blended identity. It demonstrates how religious syncretism is an undeniable phenomenon in the mausoleums of Bangladesh and how this syncretistic phenomenon works for religious exchange in mausoleums, where people of different faiths come with similar perceptions and aspirations. In order to prove the hypothesis, ethnographic fieldwork has been conducted in three renowned mausoleums of Bangladesh: Fakir Lalon Shah Mausoleum in Kushtia, Shah Ali Baba Mausoleum in Mirpur, and Khan Jahan Ali Mausoleum in Bagerhat. Along with the field study, direct interviews have been conducted in the three aforementioned mausoleums. The field study and interlocuter accounts go with close conformity of the hypothesis. The study further explores how these mausoleums offer a ground for inter-religious harmony along with syncretistic religiosity. The purpose of this study is to appreciate the syncretistic religiosity of mausoleums and the contribution of this syncretistic religiosity in building inter-religious harmony