Despite improved technology and equipment and a steady decline of structure fires, firefighter line-of-duty deaths and injury rates have increased over the past 10 years. Independent reports indicated poor decision-making by fire ground incident commanders (FGCs) as the primary cause of deaths and injuries. FGCs are vulnerable to skill decay given the expertise needed to manage an incident and limited opportunities to remain proficient. Guided by skill decay theory, the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between skill decay among FGCs and experience, drilling and training opportunities (overlearning), years of experience, and time since initial training. A web-based survey was used to collect data from a convenience sample of 376 certified fire department officers. Findings from multiple linear regression analysis indicated that time since initial training in a fire command training program was significantly related to skill retention among FGCs (p = .008). Experience, drilling and training opportunities (overlearning), and years of experience in the fire service were not significantly related to skill retention. Findings may be used to strengthen fire service policies and reduce loss of life and property damage in the fire service and communities.

Similar to other generations, millennials are attracted to organizations whose causes align with their interests, yet millennial college students' participation in nonprofit voluntary organizations is declining in the United States. Little academic literature explores the causes for the declines in participation, particularly related to civil rights organizations on college campuses. As a result, grassroots civil rights organizations are viewed as dying. Using Howe-Straus' generational theory as a foundation, this case study was to gain the perspective of 20 millennial generation students born between 1980 and 2000 on three college campuses and three civil rights organizations in the southeastern United States. Data were collected from 20 millennial generation students in two phases. Participants completed Clary and Snyder's volunteer functions inventory prior to being interviewed with a focus on understanding the factors that motivate or serve as a disincentive for the millennial generation to volunteer in civil rights organizations on campus. Survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics; interview data were transcribed, inductively coded, and subjected to a thematic analysis procedure. Findings indicate that participants perceive that civil right organizations overlooked opportunities to engage in effective outreach and recruitment of millennial students by focusing on causes that are perceived to be of value to this population. Furthermore, organizations underutilize millennial-friendly outreach, including use of social media campaigns. The positive social change implications stemming from this study include recommendations to engage in recruitment activities that are appealing to the millennial generation in order to garner the contributions of this population of students.

This study evaluates the results of three widely used methods for preparing postcensa estimates of counties. The methods are Census Bureau’s Component Method II, the Ratio Correlation Method and the Bogue-Duncan Composite Method. Hypotheses based upon empirical generalizations from previous comparative studies are tested. Statistical tools used are Average Percent Deviation (without regard to sign) and Standard Deviation of Percent Errors. Directional bias and frequency of extreme error are also examined. Evaluations are conducted of the accuracy of the estimates for groups of counties stratified in terms of density and growth rate dimensions. With few exceptions, Ratio Correlation produces consistently better results. The ecological fallacy is illustrated in the application of national migration assumptions, to groups of constituent counties. Averaging the results of different methods does not produce appreciably greater accuracy. Other techniques may be useful in Oregon as benchmarks upon which to evaluate the reasonableness of Ratio Correlation estimates. Efforts in Oregon should be directed toward developing additional and/or more refined data series to be used in Ratio Correlation.

The present study is concerned with pre-treatment dropouts in an outpatient alcoholism treatment clinic. Previous pre-treatment dropout studies have been made in settings where there is one intake session followed by a treatment program. In the setting of the present study, however, there is an extended intake process, consisting of three (and occasionally four) group intake sessions followed by a session of staffing and then treatment. This study, therefore, differs from previous investigations, in that it considers as "pre-treatment dropouts," those clients who drop out at any point during the intake process, rather than just those clients who do not appear for treatment following an intake session. For purposes of orientation, we begin with a discussion of the problem of alcoholism and the process of intake.

ABSTRACT This thesis presents case studies of five projects that use the visual arts to effect social change in post-apartheid South Africa. Artist Proof Studio, Paper Prayers, Phumani Paper, Community Engagement at the University of Johannesburg and the AIDS Action Intervention exemplify a range of approaches to social activism through the arts that parallels the political transformation to democracy. The first case study traces the history of the community printmaking studio, Artist Proof Studio, from 1991 to 2008 in three phases: redress, reconciliation and rebuilding. Artist Proof Studio was founded in 1992 to provide visual arts training to highly creative, but previously disadvantaged individuals. The Paper Prayers for AIDS Awareness initiative was implemented as a program of the studio in 1998. Originally funded by government, the campaign reached thousands of people nationwide. Phumani Paper, a national hand papermaking programme for job creation, was founded in response to a state directive to higher education institutions to implement technology transfer and poverty alleviation initiatives. The Papermaking Research and Development Unit was established at the University of Johannesburg in 1996. The principles and approaches established through these programs are analysed in the fifth case study, the AIDS Action Intervention. This three-year intervention brings all the initiatives together in a multi-disciplinary program that applies participatory action research as well as visual arts methodologies that help catalyse meaningful social action. There are common elements running through each of the case studies that derive from the fact that each intervention was based on the democratic values of human rights and equity. Further, the methodology throughout is dialogical, consultative, and designed to facilitate participants recognizing their own voices. The idea is that practice leads to understanding and stems from a fundamental ethical principle or ideal that all human beings have the capacity to realize their potential in their own way. The central argument of these case studies is that the projects continue to survive, against significant odds, because of the power of imagination, aspiration and dreaming. I interrogate the projects’ foundational premise that participants are empowered by the creative process, which promotes a sense of pride, and generates leadership as well as income. In addition, I argue that grass-roots visual arts projects, which ordinarily go un-analysed in any systematic way, can offer a model for transforming knowledge-creation through their non-hierarchical and participatory methodologies. In sum, this thesis documents and analyses eighteen years of arts activism; it assesses the actual outcomes of the interventions against the idealistic aims on which the projects were founded, and provides a resource guide for cultural activism in South Africa. It demonstrates the dynamic possibilities that exist in the domain of development and arts education.

It has long been accepted by science education research that science inquiry in the classroom is essential to the development of a deep understanding of the nature of science and the world around us. In an effort to understand the relationship between science inquiry, science process skills, the nature of science and science and engineering fairs, this mixed methods study qualitatively explores teaching strategies of exemplary science and engineering teachers (N=6) who mentored several International Science and Engineering Fair finalists within a 10 year period (2004-2014). The quantitative portion of this research explored the relationship between science fair participation and academic achievement. Using the theoretical framework of modern expectancy-value theory, 5 themes emerged. All believed: 1) there is intrinsic value in science inquiry and science fair; 2) all included strategic engagement opportunities for students; 3) intrinsic value and motivation potentially lead to increased academic aptitude; 4) the benefits of science inquiry and science fair outweigh costs; and 5) there is a link between intrinsic value in science and engineering fair and utility value. Of the schools (N=31) identified for the quantitative study, demographic analysis (gender, ethnicity, socio-economic statics, and size of school) narrowed to 8 treatment schools with one control school indicated no statistical relationship between academic performance on a standardized state science examination and science fair participation. An ad hoc study indicated the standardized testing instrument was not an adequate measurement of the level of inquiry included in a science and engineering fair project. In conclusion, a list comprised of exemplary science and engineering fair suggestions was formulated to include descriptions of similar teaching strategies or issues among the exemplary science and engineering fair teachers with intentions of increasing science inquiry or the nature of science in the classroom through the science and engineering fair framework.

The objective of this study are: -to list and describe activities and methods used in the junior high school libraries of Texas, -to present data regarding the administration, staff, and facilites of the libraries in junior high schools of Texas, -to determine to what extent the junir high school libraries of Texas are exceeding or falling short of meeting the standards for secondary school libraries as set forth by the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, and finally, -to propose certain improvements or change to be made to conform to the Standards of the Southern Association.

Background: Biometric identification plays a crucial role in various industries such as retail, and banking. Among the different biometric traits, iris patterns have become a reliable means of identification due to their unique features. In our thesis, we focus on evaluating and comparing different machine learning algorithms for irisrecognition. The main aim is to identify the algorithm that achieves the highestperformance for iris recognition. Objectives: The main objective of the thesis is to train, test, and evaluate the best performing model using the iris image dataset among the selected algorithmsthrough a literature review. Additionally, the goal is to compare different algorithms for a biometric recognition system that relies on iris features. Methods: Our research is supported by an extensive literature review that usesa wide range of scholarly articles specifically focused on iris recognition. Experimentation is also used to determine the most accurate machine-learning algorithm interms of accuracy. Results: Our experimentation results revealed that the accuracy rates for all themodels were as follows: CNN obtained the highest accuracy at 98.7%, while SVM and the SVM combination with hamming distance achieved 86% and 80%, respectively. Based on our research findings, we conclude that including hamming distancewith SVM did not result in improved accuracy compared to other classification algorithms. Finally, CNN achieved high accuracy in comparison to different algorithmsfor iris recognition. Conclusions: To achieve our research goals, we divided the dataset into three parts: 60% for training, 20% for testing, and another 20% for validation. Different techniques were used to train the algorithm with the training dataset. The results aretested for every algorithm to determine its accuracy. Among the selected algorithms, the convolutional neural network delivered an accurate performance with an accuracy of 98.7%. By employing performance metrics, we have effectively addressed theresearch questions and identified the most accurate algorithm for the iris recognitionsystem.

The purpose was to evaluate the psychometric properties of an 8-item questionnaire instrument to support member checks in positivistic qualitative research. A sample of 1603 junior-level university nursing students (98.2% participation rate) a completed the questionnaire instrument which assessed how closely a written description of the lived experience of in-hospital training applied to their personal experience. The instrument had excellent psychometric properties, including high measurement reliability (α=0.94), strong concurrent validity (72.2%-77.4%), discriminant validity (p < 0.000001), a parametric score distribution with little kurtosis and no skew, and an average score (G score) was centered at midpoint of the scale (midpoint of 4 on a scale from 1 to 7). The experience match was at the level of “matches experience to high degree,” showing the transferability (generalizability) of the findings to the present sample. The instrument can be used to assess the credibility and transferability of findings from qualitative research, assist in finding negative cases, determine the degree of saturation and success of bracketing, and complement the constant comparative method. The instrument is recommended for general use in positivistic qualitative or naturalistic inquiry studies for any type of sample and any type of lived experience. This approach would magnify and empower the reach of the products of qualitative research.

This thesis compares the dancing of the Shakers (The United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearance) and the Mormons (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or LDS Church) during the nineteenth century, as it was influenced by their doctrinal beliefs about the human body. Specifically, it examines how the role of the physical body in achieving mortal happiness and immortal salvation was viewed by each group and how these beliefs were reflected in their dancing. It describes the different forms of dancing performed by each religious group and how dance functioned as worship and recreation for the members of each religion during the nineteenth century.Research for this study was taken from primary and secondary sources, including a large number of Shaker and Mormon journals, diaries, and autobiographies. Major doctrinal works from each religion were also consulted to compile a summary of doctrinal beliefs about the physical body for each religion.This study found that the dancing of the Shakers reflected doctrinal beliefs of the need to be freed from the corrupt human body. In contrast, the dancing of the Mormons exhibited the Latter-day Saint belief in celebrating the body. The doctrines of each religion about the role of the body in attaining mortal joy and immortal salvation were easily recognizable in the dances that the two groups performed. Although beliefs about the body cannot be considered in isolation of other motivational factors, they can be used as a means of studying how and why particular religious or cultural groups dance. This method of evaluating dance, as a function of beliefs or ideologies about the human body, is given as a possible method for studying other cultural or societal groups who dance and whose beliefs about the body may be reliably gathered.