Using Popular Media and a Collaborative Approach to Teaching Grounded Theory Research Methods

Popular movies were used in a doctoral-level qualitative research methods course as a way to help students learn about how to collect and analyze qualitative observational data in order to develop a grounded theory. The course was designed in such a way that collaboration was central to the generation of knowledge. Using media depictions had the practical advantage of enabling the group to create fieldnotes from a common set of data collected simultaneously in a short period of time. Fictional representations in popular media can provide the basis to learn about both the methods and foundational assumptions for conducting qualitative research, including the challenges of bracketing prior assumptions

Predicting wildlife reservoirs and global vulnerability to zoonotic Flaviviruses.

Flaviviruses continue to cause globally relevant epidemics and have emerged or re-emerged in regions that were previously unaffected. Factors determining emergence of flaviviruses and continuing circulation in sylvatic cycles are incompletely understood. Here we identify potential sylvatic reservoirs of flaviviruses and characterize the macro-ecological traits common to known wildlife hosts to predict the risk of sylvatic flavivirus transmission among wildlife and identify regions that could be vulnerable to outbreaks. We evaluate variability in wildlife hosts for zoonotic flaviviruses and find that flaviviruses group together in distinct clusters with similar hosts. Models incorporating ecological and climatic variables as well as life history traits shared by flaviviruses predict new host species with similar host characteristics. The combination of vector distribution data with models for flavivirus hosts allows for prediction of  global vulnerability to flaviviruses and provides potential targets for disease surveillance in animals and humans

Intellectual Property Protection using Obfuscation

In this technical report, we discuss the use of code obfuscation as means of protecting the intellectual property of software. An obfuscation is a behaviour preserving program transformation which aims to make a program harder to understand (which can mean it becomes unintelligible to automated program comprehension tools or that the result of program analyses become less useful to a human adversary). This report consists of three main parts. The first part of the report discusses some of the possible definitions of obfuscation and gives an extensive survey of some of the current obfuscation techniques. The second part considers a report written by University of Applied Sciences of Upper Austria, Hagenberg which discuss a variety of different protection techniques (including obfuscation). The last part reviews the techniques that we have seen so far. We provide an analysis of some of the reasons why current obfuscators are generally weak and why some of the better obfuscation techniques have not been implemented. Finally, we give recommendations for how better obfuscators can be created using obfuscation techniques which have not yet been implemented

Unraveling Yields Inefficient Matchings: Evidence from Post-Season College Football Bowls

Many markets have “unraveled” and experienced inefficient, early, dispersed transactions, and subsequently developed institutions to delay transaction timing. It has previously proved difficult, however, to measure and identify the resulting efficiency gains. Prior to 1992, college football teams were matched for post-season play up to several weeks before the end of the regular season. Since 1992, the market has reorganized to postpone this matching. We show that the matching of teams affects efficiency as measured by the resulting television viewership, and that the reorganization promoted more efficient matching, chiefly as a result of the increased ability of later matching to produce “championship” games.Economic

Leveraging Next-Gen Technology For Supply Chain Security

Global supply chain disruptions continue as part of both a national and global discussion. There is a need for a greater focus on supply chain security as part of this discussion as there is an increasing amount of counterfeit parts and goods within global supply chains. While counterfeit activity is an economic burden to companies and the global market, there are also legitimate concerns on consumer safety, consumer trust and company brand management. The aim for this paper is to identify the concern and extent of the counterfeit problem and identify the use of next-gen technologies to provide brand protection and combat supply chain disruptions. With a focus on the pharmaceutical industry, the fastest growing segment of counterfeit goods, this paper highlights new brand protection technologies such as the use of QR codes and the 3D printing of custom goods. More importantly, the paper will underscore the need for increased and upgraded digital security measures through the use of both blockchain and Internet of Things (IoT) technology to enhance trust and security throughout the supply chain. One of the authors is involved in the importation to the U.S. of olive oil from Italy and has adopted anticounterfeit and brand protection measures to provide B2B and B2C supply chain transparency, traceability and protection. This is important, as by some estimates, as much as 80% of the supply chain of olive oil is fraudulent and counterfeit

A systems approach to computer-based training

This paper describes the hardware and software systems approach used in the Automated Recertification Training System (ARTS), a Phase 2 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project for NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The goal of this project is to optimize recertification training of technicians who process the Space Shuttle before launch by providing computer-based training courseware. The objectives of ARTS are to implement more effective CBT applications identified through a need assessment process and to provide an ehanced courseware production system. The system's capabilities are demonstrated by using five different pilot applications to convert existing classroom courses into interactive courseware. When the system is fully implemented at NASA/KSC, trainee job performance will improve and the cost of courseware development will be lower. Commercialization of the technology developed as part of this SBIR project is planned for Phase 3. Anticipated spin-off products include custom courseware for technical skills training and courseware production software for use by corporate training organizations of aerospace and other industrial companies

The Relationship Between Employee Motivation and Evaluation Capacity in a Community-Based Education Organization

Background: Evaluation capacity building (ECB) has gained popularity among organizations due to the increased importance of accountability and organizational effectiveness. While the ECB literature has occasionally addressed the notion of motivation, it has usually been in terms of motivation to do or use evaluation (Clinton, 2014; Taylor-Ritzler et al., 2013); this study sought to ascertain whether general overall employee motivation in an organization is itself related to evaluation capacity. By better understanding this relationship, those who are involved in administering, implementing, evaluating, or researching ECB can be better equipped to understand one of the ‘mediating conditions’ or ‘antecedent conditions’ (Cousins et al., 2014) affecting an organization’s ability to do and use evaluation, and, in turn, can more efficiently and effectively craft their ECB work. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between: (a) employee motivation and individual evaluation capacity; (b) employee motivation and evaluative thinking, and (c) evaluation capacity and evaluative thinking. Setting: The study focused on the Cooperative Extension System, a non-formal community-based education organization linked to public land-grant universities throughout the United States. Specifically, this study drew participants from two state Extension systems, Virginia and Maryland. Intervention: Not applicable. Research Design: This quantitative study used a descriptive correlational design (Creswell, 2003) to uncover the relationship between the variables: motivation and evaluation capacity, motivation and evaluative thinking, and evaluation capacity and evaluative thinking. Data Collection and Analysis: To investigate the relationship between the factors of interest (motivation, evaluation capacity, and evaluative thinking), three instruments were used: the Multidimensional Work Motivation Scale (MWMS), the Evaluation Capacity Assessment Instrument (ECAI), and the Evaluative Thinking Inventory (ETI). STATA MP 13.1 quantitative software was used to analyze the collected data. Findings: Employees with lower overall motivation in doing their work have lower evaluation capacity, and employees with higher motivation which is triggered by no external means but driven by internal factors have higher evaluation capacity

Cooperative Extension’s Capacity to Address Food Insecurity by Supporting Food Recovery Organizations

Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) educators are uniquely positioned to support the food recovery organizations (FROs) which address hunger-related needs resulting from food insecurity. Based on an online survey to measure how VCE educators have engaged with FROs and their experiences, respondents who previously supported FROs did so across multiple programming areas, and those who had not indicated an interest while also experiencing barriers. Respondents also reported the need for context- and audience-specific resources particular to the spectrum of food recovery. Addressing barriers and resource needs through a transdisciplinary eXtension Food Recovery Community of Practice may support educators in doing this work

An Interdisciplinary Approach to Experiential Learning in Cyberbiosecurity and Agriculture Through Workforce Development

Cyberbiosecurity and workforce development in agriculture and the life sciences (ALS) is a growing area of need in the curriculum in higher education. Students that pursue majors related to ALS often do not include training in cyber-related concepts or expose the ‘hidden curriculum’ of seeking internships and jobs. Exposing students through workforce development training and hands-on engagement with industry professionals can provide learning opportunities to bridge the two and is an area of growth and demand as the workforce evolves. The objectives of this work were 1) to learn key concepts in cybersecurity, including data security, visualization, and analysis, to name a few, through class activities and engagement with professional partners and 2) to understand what knowledge students gained from participating in the course could transfer over for when they enter the workforce. Three themes emerged from the study where students, through direct engagement with industry partners, gained more insight about the industry applicable to their studies; they established work environment expectations for entering internships and official job placements and established ways in which the workforce development training informed their future careers