Cost Benefit Analysis of Implementing Building Information Modeling (BIM) for Construction Management of the Sports Arena of University of Alaska Anchorage

Presented to the Faculty of the University of Alaska Anchorage In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCEThis research project evaluates the costs and benefits of implementing building information modeling (BIM) as a construction project management tool through the scenario analysis of the UAA Sports Arena project completed August 14, 2014. A literature review was conducted providing general information about BIM, its current status, leading software, cost, benefits, and analysis of two case studies. Cost benefit analysis was applied to account for risk and allow for the comparison of multiple scenarios that are simulated in @RISK. Based on the schedule scenario the project could have ended 11 days early, resulting in an estimated savings of 1.5% of total project cost. Based on the cost scenario the project is estimated to save 1.1% of total project cost, with a 72.8% chance of realizing a positive benefit. When the conditions specific to each scenario in this research are met, the results support a go decision with regards to the implementation of BIM.Signature Page / Title Page / Abstract / Table of Contents / List of Figures / List of Tables / List of Appendices / Introduction / Literature Review / Methodology / Scenario Analysis / Model, Analysis, Results / Conclusions and Future Work / Reference

Digital inclusion and techno-capital in Austin, Texas

Concerns about the ability of marginalized groups to use the Internet in a meaningful way have factored in discussions of the social impact of the Internet and technology policy since the 1990s. Although mainstream policy has emphasized the costs of using the Internet, such as hardware and Internet service, additional barriers to meaningful use persist. These barriers can include language, familiarity with computer systems, a lack of social support, and limited knowledge of services available online. Although these higher-level and cultural barriers have been framed in terms of skills or literacies, this study situates its results and analysis in Bourdieu’s notions of field, habitus, and multiple forms of capital, specifically extending the notion of capital to the technology field with the concept of techno-capital. By using Bourdieu’s conceptual framework, this study endeavors to situate Internet use in its broader social context, arguing that inequalities in Internet use are the product of deep inequalities in social power, which extend to access to education, government services, and information. This project explores how a richer theory of social inequality, based on Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus, field, and multiple forms of capital can be used to frame a secondary data analysis of a survey conducted by a local government. Based on data collected by the City of Austin in 2010, it first provides an overview of differences in Internet connections and use among segments of society before moving on to more complex analyses related to techno-capital. In particular, it examines the relationship between the social contexts of use and the ability to make meaningful use of the Internet, finding that techno-capital is linked with access at institutional sites such as work and school. The study then turns to comparing techno-capital between demographic groups, by users of specific technologies, and by use in social contexts. It finally uses multivariate analysis to identify which factors may be most critical in developing techno-capital. Broader social factors such as institutional use and educational attainment appear to have more power nurturing techno-capital than availability of an Internet connection, questioning dominant assumptions about digital inclusion.Radio-Television-Fil

Dating Preferences among African-American Female College Students: Attitudes about Appearance, Trust, and Interracial Relationships

In-depth interviews were conducted with African-American female college students ranging from freshmen to graduate level. Students were asked about their dating preferences for African-American men. The study investigated how physical appearance, trust, and attitudes about interracial relationships affected their dating selection. Symbolic interactionism and dramatugry were the theories used within this study. This study found evidence that supports existing literature on attitudes of distrust among African-American females toward African-American males, with lying, physical aggression, and cheating as top reasons. Distrust based on the females\u27 viewpoints began with listening to warnings from their mothers about men\u27s behavior. This study, however, found that dating preferences among females interviewed did not recognize physical appearance, such as light or dark skin preference and body-frame preference, as a significant factor for date selection. This finding is in contrast to existing literature. Attitude differences between young African-American female college students and the older African-American female college students were found. Freshmen and sophomores related more of listening to social-group attitudes on dating preferences whereas junior, senior, and graduate- level females relied on individual decision making on dating selection. Supporting the current existing literature on attitudes about interracial relationships, the majority of the women interviewed had negative attitudes toward interracial relationships

MatSeis developer's guide:version 1.0.

This guide is intended to enable researchers working with seismic data, but lacking backgrounds in computer science and programming, to develop seismic algorithms using the MATLAB-based MatSeis software. Specifically, it presents a series of step-by-step instructions to write four specific functions of increasing complexity, while simultaneously explaining the notation, syntax, and general program design of the functions being written. The ultimate goal is that that the user can use this guide as a jumping off point from which he or she can write new functions that are compatible with and expand the capabilities of the current MatSeis software that has been developed as part of the Ground-based Nuclear Explosion Monitoring Research and Engineering (GNEMRE) program at Sandia National Laboratories

High School Students\u27 Response to Writing Mentor Feedback of Mirrors, Windows, Doors Literature Circle

How do high school writers feel about feedback on their writing drafts from pre-service English teachers, when those drafts are written during a Mirrors, Windows, Doors Literature Circles unit?https://scholarworks.moreheadstate.edu/celebration_posters_2023/1026/thumbnail.jp

The Relationship between Military Combat and Cardiovascular Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

© 2019 Christopher J. Boos et al. Background and Objectives. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death among military veterans with several reports suggesting a link between combat and related traumatic injury (TI) to an increased CVD risk. The aim of this paper is to conduct a widespread systematic review and meta-analysis of the relationship between military combat ± TI to CVD and its associated risk factors. Methods. PubMed, EmbaseProQuest, Cinahl databases and Cochrane Reviews were examined for all published observational studies (any language) reporting on CVD risk and outcomes, following military combat exposure ± TI versus a comparative nonexposed control population. Two investigators independently extracted data. Data quality was rated and rated using the 20-item AXIS Critical Appraisal Tool. The risk of bias (ROB using the ROBANS 6 item tool) and strength of evidence (SOE) were also critically appraised. Results. From 4499 citations, 26 studies (14 cross sectional and 12 cohort; 78-100% male) met the inclusion criteria. The follow up period ranged from 1 to 43.6 years with a sample size ranging from 19 to 621901 participants in the combat group. Combat-related TI was associated with a significantly increased risk for CVD (RR 1.80: 95% CI 1.24-2.62; I 2 = 59 %, p = 0.002) and coronary heart disease (CHD)-related death (risk ratio 1.57: 95% CI 1.35-1.83; I 2 = 0 %, p = 0.77: p < 0.0001), although the SOE was low. Military combat (without TI) was linked to a marginal, yet significantly lower pooled risk (low SOE) of cardiovascular death in the active combat versus control population (RR 0.90: CI 0.83-0.98; I 2 = 47 %, p = 0.02). There was insufficient evidence linking combat ± TI to any other cardiovascular outcomes or risk factors. Conclusion. There is low SOE to support a link between combat-related TI and both cardiovascular and CHD-related mortality. There is insufficient evidence to support a positive association between military combat ± any other adverse cardiovascular outcomes or risk factors. Data from well conducted prospective cohort studies following combat are needed

Effect of acute and chronic pressure-threshold inspiratory muscle training on upper and lower airway function

There is evidence to suggest that inspiratory muscle training (IMT) may influence the functional properties of the muscles of the upper (UA) and lower (LA) airway. However, the nature and functional relevance of this influence is currently unclear. This thesis examined the effect of acute and chronic IMT in the context of UA and LA function. The ability of IMT to activate the UA dilator muscles, genioglossus (GG) and geniohyoid (GH), was examined using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as was the effect of chronic training on these muscles. In addition, the effect of acute and chronic IMT upon LA resistance (Rrs) and function was investigated in people with asthma using the Forced Oscillation Technique and conventional spirometry. For the UA, an acute bout of IMT at 60% maximal inspiratory mouth pressure (MIP) resulted in significant GG and GH activation (P < 0.001) as demonstrated by increases in the transverse relaxation time of muscle water (T2). Despite this, MRI was unable to detect any effect of chronic IMT upon UA function. For the LA, the usual increase in Rrs, following deep inhalation (DI) in people with asthma was attenuated with both single and multiple breaths against a pressure-threshold load equal to 50% MIP. However, six weeks IMT had no effect on baseline airway function or response to DI. In conclusion, an acute effect of pressure-threshold IMT upon UA and LA function was demonstrated. A strong rationale for a beneficial influence of chronic pressure-threshold IMT was therefore demonstrated. However, the data were insufficient to either reject, or accept the hypothesis that IMT exerts more than a transient influence upon UA and LA function, but insights are presented that support the need for further investigations.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceHarry BrarHaB International LtdGBUnited Kingdo

Fine-scale harbour seal usage for informed marine spatial planning

The work was funded through Scottish Government MSQ0174 contract CR/2014/11; CREEM, University of St Andrews; the National Capability fund from the Natural Environment Research Council to the Sea Mammal Research Unit (grant no. SMRU1001); and MASTS pooling initiative, which is funded by the Scottish Funding Council (grant reference HR09011).High-resolution species distribution maps are required for marine spatial planning, consenting, and licensing to assess interactions between anthropogenic activities and ecosystems. This approach can inform conservation measures for protected species and facilitate commercial developments needed for economic growth. A case study centred on Orkney, UK, is an area where concern for a declining harbour seal population has led to constraints being placed on tidal energy generation developments. Telemetry data from 54 animals tagged between 2003 and 2015 were combined with terrestrial counts from 2008 to 2015 to produce density estimation maps. Predictive habitat models using GAM-GEEs provided robust predictions in areas where telemetry data were absent, and were combined with density estimation maps. Harbour seal usage maps with confidence intervals were produced around Orkney and the North coast of Scotland. The selected habitat model showed that distance from haul out, proportion of sand in seabed sediment, and peak flow of tidal current were important predictors of space-use. Fine-scale usage maps can be used in consenting and licensing of anthropogenic developments to determine local abundance. When quantifying anthropogenic impacts through changes to species distributions, usage maps could be spatially explicitly linked to individual-based models to inform predicted movement and behaviour.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe