SANDBOX CONTRACTING: AN EVALUATION OF GAMIFIED VS. TRADITIONAL CONTRACTING TRAINING METHODS AT THE USAF ENLISTED CONTRACTING TECHNICAL SCHOOL

This thesis involved an evaluation of gamified versus current (traditional) training methods employed by the instructors and faculty at the Air Force’s 344th Training Squadron (344 TRS) at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, and by the professors at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, California. For our project, we designed and developed a first-person shooter (FPS) video game, titled Sandbox Contracting, that teaches the player basic contracting skills. Over the course of six weeks, we utilized this FPS video game to conduct an experiment in which a control group received the current (traditional) training methods employed by 344 TRS and NPS and a treatment group received the gamified version of the training. We assessed each student’s learning as well as their reaction to the assigned learning modality (traditional versus gaming) using post-training evaluation surveys. Traditional training methods outperformed gamified methods in most cases, but not all. We found that game design and mechanics impacted the student’s reactions and ultimately, the success of using gamified methods for learning. Additionally, the results demonstrated a genuine interest in using games for learning among the Air Force contracting students, given the right game design and mechanics. Lastly, we offer suggestions for areas in which further research should be conducted in the gamified versus traditional training arena.Outstanding ThesisCaptain, United States Air ForceCaptain, United States Air ForceCaptain, United States Air ForceApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited

Seasonal Dynamics of Mesodinium rubrum in Chesapeake Bay

The photosynthetic ciliate Mesodinium rubrum is a common member of coastal phytoplankton communities that is well adapted to low-light, turbid ecosystems. It supports the growth of, or competes with, harmful dinoflagellate species for cryptophyte prey, as well as being a trophic link to copepods and larval fish. We have compiled data from various sources (n = 1063), on the abundance and distribution of M. rubrum in Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Because M. rubrum relies on obtaining organelles from cryptophyte algae to maintain rapid growth, we also enumerated cryptophyte algae in the portion of these samples that we collected (n =386). Mesodinium rubrum occurred in oligohaline to polyhaline regions of Chesapeake Bay and throughout the year. Blooms (\u3e100 cells mL-1) primarily occurred during spring, followed by autumn. When compared across all seasons, M. rubrum abundance was positively correlated to temperature and cryptophytes, and negatively correlated with salinity. However, more focused analyses revealed that M. rubrum abundance during spring was associated with surface layer warming and decreased salinity, while early autumn assemblages were associated with surface cooling. These results imply that there are distinct seasonal niches for M. rubrum blooms. Blooms were more common in tributaries than in the main stem Bay and tended to be restricted to salinities under 10 PSU. Despite the rarity of red water events, M. rubrum is a ubiquitous mixotroph in Chesapeake Bay and at times likely exerts a strong influence on cryptophyte algal abundance and hence planktonic food web structure

Gamification in Defense Acquisition Training and Education

Excerpt from the Proceedings of the Nineteenth Annual Acquisition Research SymposiumLeveraging research conducted as part of an Acquisition Research Program sponsored thesis, this paper expands upon an essay written by our research team (submitted to USNI), in which we argue that gamified learning (building games to promote learning of traditional material) presents a unique opportunity for enhancing education and training within the defense workforce. We provide an in-depth explanation of what gamification is and why it might be particularly useful for enhancing learning in non-traditional defense contexts, using defense acquisition as a test case. We present initial evidence from our empirical research to highlight the opportunities and challenges for advancing military education into the present age through gamified learning methods. Finally, we outline future directions for research in gamification for defense applications, bringing attention to the need for collaboration across the defense-focused entities exploring the potential for gaming in future defense education and training.Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Achieving provider engagement: providers' perceptions of implementing and delivering integrated care

The literature on integrated care is limited with respect to practical learning and experience. Although some attention has been paid to organizational processes and structures, not enough is paid to people, relationships, and the importance of these in bringing about integration. Little is known, for example, about provider engagement in the organizational change process, how to obtain and maintain it, and how it is demonstrated in the delivery of integrated care. Based on qualitative data from the evaluation of a large-scale integrated care initiative in London, United Kingdom, we explored the role of provider engagement in effective integration of services. Using thematic analysis, we identified an evolving engagement narrative with three distinct phases: enthusiasm, antipathy, and ambivalence, and argue that health care managers need to be aware of the impact of professional engagement to succeed in advancing the integrated care agenda

The Remarkably Featureless High Resolution X-ray Spectrum of Mrk 478

An observation of Mrk 478 using the Chandra Low Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer is presented. The source exhibited 30-40% flux variations on timescales of order 10000 s together with a slow decline in the spectral softness over the full 80 ks observation. The 0.15--3.0 keV spectrum is well fitted by a single power law with photon index of Gamma = 2.91 +/- 0.03. Combined with high energy data from BeppoSAX, the spectrum from 0.15 to 10 keV is well fit as the sum of two power laws with Gamma = 3.03 +/- 0.04, which dominates below 2 keV and 1.4 +/- 0.2, which dominates above 2 keV (quoting 90% confidence uncertainties). No significant emission or absorption features are detected in the high resolution spectrum, supporting our previous findings using the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer but contradicting the claims of emission lines by Hwang & Bowyer (1997). There is no evidence of a warm absorber, as found in the high resolution spectra of many Sy 1 galaxies including others classified as narrow line Sy 1 galaxies such as Mrk 478. We suggest that the X-ray continuum may result from Comptonization of disk thermal emission in a hot corona through a range of optical depths.Comment: 21 pages, 7 figures; accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journa

Classical Region of a Trapped Bose Gas

The classical region of a Bose gas consists of all single-particle modes that have a high average occupation and are well-described by a classical field. Highly-occupied modes only occur in massive Bose gases at ultra-cold temperatures, in contrast to the photon case where there are highly-occupied modes at all temperatures. For the Bose gas the number of these modes is dependent on the temperature, the total number of particles and their interaction strength. In this paper we characterize the classical region of a harmonically trapped Bose gas over a wide parameter regime. We use a Hartree-Fock approach to account for the effects of interactions, which we observe to significantly change the classical region as compared to the idealized case. We compare our results to full classical field calculations and show that the Hartree-Fock approach provides a qualitatively accurate description of classical region for the interacting gas.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures; updated to include new results with interaction

Observations on acoustic emissions from a line contact compressed into the plastic region

Some observations from acoustic emissions recorded during a yield test of a bearing raceway compressed into plasticity using a rolling element are presented. The general objective of the study is to establish whether there is enough evidence of the onset of sub-surface plasticity in the acoustic emissions signature. It is discussed here how acoustic emissions monitoring during compression could indicate the onset of subsurface plasticity as a precursor to damage propagation to the surface. Some comparisons are drawn between the acoustic emissions activity levels and time-frequency response during elastic deformation and at yield loads

Characterization of an electron conduit between bacteria and the extracellular environment

A number of species of Gram-negative bacteria can use insoluble minerals of Fe(III) and Mn(IV) as extracellular respiratory electron acceptors. In some species of Shewanella, deca-heme electron transfer proteins lie at the extracellular face of the outer membrane (OM), where they can interact with insoluble substrates. To reduce extracellular substrates, these redox proteins must be charged by the inner membrane/periplasmic electron transfer system. Here, we present a spectro-potentiometric characterization of a trans-OM icosa-heme complex, MtrCAB, and demonstrate its capacity to move electrons across a lipid bilayer after incorporation into proteoliposomes. We also show that a stable MtrAB subcomplex can assemble in the absence of MtrC; an MtrBC subcomplex is not assembled in the absence of MtrA; and MtrA is only associated to the membrane in cells when MtrB is present. We propose a model for the modular organization of the MtrCAB complex in which MtrC is an extracellular element that mediates electron transfer to extracellular substrates and MtrB is a trans-OM spanning ß-barrel protein that serves as a sheath, within which MtrA and MtrC exchange electrons. We have identified the MtrAB module in a range of bacterial phyla, suggesting that it is widely used in electron exchange with the extracellular environment

Investigation of risk factors for introduction of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus onto table egg farms in the United States, 2022: a case–control study

Introduction: The 2022–2023 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 outbreak in the United States (U.S.) is the most geographically extensive and costly animal health event in U.S. history. In 2022 alone, over 57 million commercial and backyard poultry in 47 U.S. states were affected. Over 75% of affected poultry were part of the commercial table egg production sector. Methods: We conducted a case–control study to identify potential risk factors for introduction of HPAI virus onto commercial table egg operations. Univariate and multivariable analyses were conducted to compare farm characteristics, management, and biosecurity factors on case and control farms. Results: Factors associated with increased risk of infection included being in an existing control zone, sightings of wild waterfowl, mowing or bush hogging vegetation less than 4 times a month, having an off-site method of daily mortality disposal (off-site composting or burial, rendering, or landfill), and wild bird access to feed/feed ingredients at least some of the time. Protective factors included a high level of vehicle washing for trucks and trailers entering the farm (a composite variable that included having a permanent wash station), having designated personnel assigned to specific barns, having a farm entrance gate, and requiring a change of clothing for workers entering poultry barns. Discussion: Study results improve our understanding of risk factors for HPAI infection and control measures for preventing HPAI on commercial U.S. table egg farms

Biogeochemical Mechanisms Controlling Reduced Radionuclide Particle Properties and Stability

Uranium and Technetium are the major risk-driving contaminants at Hanford and other DOE sites. These radionuclides have been shown to be reduced by dissimilatory metal reducing bacteria (DMRB) under anoxic conditions. Laboratory studies have demonstrated that reduction results in the formation of poorly soluble hydrous oxides, UO2(s) and TcO2n?H2O(s), that are believed to limit mobility in the environment. The mechanisms of microbial reduction of U and Tc have been the focus of considerable research in the Environmental Remediation Sciences Program (ERSP). In spite of equal or greater importance in terms of controlling the environmental fate of the contaminants relatively little is known regarding the precipitation mechanism(s), reactivity, persistence, and transport of biogenic UO2(s) and TcO2(s)