Best Selling Books by Ryan W

In today’s deeply divided world, how can people find common ground with each other? One of the earliest goals of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was to build a modern Zion—a community where people would share one heart and one mind. That vision raises questions that are profoundly relevant in today’s divided society. Is unity of feeling and belief desirable or even possible? If so, what does it look like? Ryan Davis explores these questions by reflecting on personal stories from his life and work in the present-day Latter-day Saints faith community. The stories that Davis is interested in are ones in which relative strangers or mere acquaintances catch a glimpse of each other’s humanity. Within that liminal space—which Davis calls “Mormon Zion”—they are able to listen to each other, learn from each other, and find common ground, qualities that are sorely needed in today’s public square. Combining gifted storytelling with keen analysis, Davis illuminates people’s lived experiences within the Latter-day Saints community and offers thoughtful reflections on what it might mean to share one heart and one mind in today’s polarized world.

Disclaimer Please note that this book is an unauthorized game guide and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the original production of "Prison Architect" Are you struggling to design and manage your prison efficiently in Prison Architect 2? Do you find yourself constantly facing setbacks, unable to overcome the challenges thrown your way? Are you worried about not reaching your full potential in the game? Prison Architect 2 presents players with a myriad of challenges, from maintaining security and managing resources to keeping prisoners content and preventing riots. Understanding the intricate mechanics and optimizing your strategies can be daunting, especially for newer players. In this comprehensive guide, you can expect detailed insights into every aspect of Prison Architect 2 gameplay. From planning and constructing your prison layout to implementing effective security measures and managing inmate needs, each chapter is packed with valuable information and advanced strategies to help you excel. Discover proven tactics for maximizing efficiency in your prison operations, including tips for optimizing staff deployment, streamlining prisoner intake procedures, and mitigating potential risks. Learn how to design secure facilities, allocate resources wisely, and maintain a balance between punishment and rehabilitation to foster a stable and prosperous prison environment. Don''t let frustration hold you back from enjoying Prison Architect 2 to its fullest potential. With the strategies and insights provided in this guide, you''ll gain the confidence and skills needed to master the game and build the ultimate correctional facility. Take control of your prison, overcome every challenge, and become a true architect of justice!

A woman flees the hospital even as her infant son is breathing his last breaths. An aging construction worker comes to grips with the end of the only life he''s ever known. A deadbeat father meets his son for the first time, only to be blindsided by the boy''s birth defect. A man steals a corpse in order to give his father the burial he wanted. In Nothing but the Dead and Dying, Ryan W. Bradley takes listeners into the world of blue-collar Alaska, reflecting on all that is unique about the rough and untamed state while touching on the basic truths about what it means to be human. The twenty-plus stories in this collection are tied together by the Alaskan landscape, exploring the diverse ways in which people manage life''s difficulties. The characters are laborers in a harshly beautiful environment, something that is echoed in their relationships with friends, family, and lovers.

This paper documents the effects of last place aversion in queues and its implications for customer experiences and behaviors, as well as for operating performance. An observational analysis of customers queuing at a grocery store, and four online field studies in which participants waited in virtual queues, revealed that waiting in last place diminishes wait satisfaction while increasing the probabilities of switching and abandoning queues, with detrimental implications for service capacity. The research suggests that last place aversion can lead to maladaptive customer behaviors—switching behaviors that increase wait times and abandoning when the benefits of waiting are most pronounced. The results indicate that this behavior is partially explained by the inability to make a downward social comparison; namely, when no one is behind a queuing individual, that person is less certain that continuing to wait is worthwhile. Furthermore, this paper provides evidence that queue transparency is an effective service design lever that managers can use to reduce the deleterious effects of last place aversion in queues. When people can’t see that they’re in last place, the behavioral effects of last place aversion are nullified, and when they can see that they’re not in last place, the tendency to renege is greatly diminished. Finally, a system-level experiment, in which pairs of queues were created and analyzed, reveals that when the effects of last place aversion are addressed, overall abandonment decreases, such that with equivalent arrival and service rates, total service capacity can be increased.

In sum, this dissertation provides information useful to empirical scientists as they progress from study design through analysis, interpretation, and reporting for publication.

This thesis focuses on the current controversial issue involving traditional classroom vs. distance learning approaches to higher education classroom instruction. The most important question addressed is: "Are distance learning methods as effective as traditional approaches to instruction for achieving university level learning goals?"

Machine learning can be used to help guide and regulate adjudicator decisions, increasing the reliability and overall quality of decision making. The first chapter provides an analytic and normative overview of what I refer to as ``statistical precedent." It explains how statistical models of previous decisions can help assess and improve the reliability of an adjudication system. The subsequent chapters elaborate on and empirically illustrate two of the techniques introduced in the first chapter. Chapter two, using an original dataset of Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decisions, presents a method for estimating the amount of inter-judge disagreement. Chapter three, using an original dataset of California parole hearings, demonstrates the potential of synthetically crowdsourced decision making.

When does increased service quality competition lead to customer defection, and which customers are most likely to defect? Our empirical analysis of 82,235 customers exploits the varying competitive dynamics in 644 geographically isolated markets in which a nationwide retail bank conducted business over a five-year period. We find that customers defect at a higher rate from the incumbent following increased service quality (price) competition only when the incumbent offers high (low) quality service relative to existing competitors in a local market. We provide evidence that these results are due to a sorting effect, whereby firms trade-off service quality and price, and in turn, the incumbent attracts service (price) sensitive customers in markets where it has supplied relatively high (low) levels of service quality in the past. Furthermore, we show that it is the high quality incumbent''s most profitable customers who are the most attracted by superior quality alternatives. Our results appear to have long-run implications whereby sustaining a high level of service quality is associated with the incumbent attracting and retaining more profitable customers over time.

With the rise of mobile computing and an increasing need for ubiquitous high speed data connections, Internet-in-the-sky solutions are becoming increasingly viable. To reduce the network overhead of one-to-many transmissions, the multicast protocol has been devised. The implementation of multicast in these Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellations is a critical component to achieving an omnipresent network environment. This research examines the system performance associated with two terrestrial-based multicast mobility solutions, Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol (DVMRP) with mobile IP and On Demand Multicast Routing Protocol (ODMRP). These protocols are implemented and simulated in a six plane, 66 satellite LEO constellation. Each protocol was subjected to various workload,to include changes in the number of source nodes and the amount of traffic generated by these nodes. Results from the simulation trials show the ODMRP protocol provided greater than 99% reliability in packet deliverability, at the cost of more than S bits of overhead for every 1 bit of data for multicast groups with multiple sources. In contrast, DVMRP proved robust and scalable, with data-to-overhead ratios increasing logarithmically with membership levels. DVMRP also had less than 70 MS of average end-to-end delay, providing stable transmissions at high loading and membership levels. Due to the fact that system performance metric values varied as a function of protocol, system design objectives must be considered when choosing a protocol for implementation.

"This paper will review the literature and outline a curriculum model that emphasizes two key areas of best practices for teaching gifted and talented social studies students: multiple intelligences and critical thinking."--Leaf 13.

Base level lowering often leads to the migration of knickpoints up the fluvial network as the channel profile adjusts to the new lower boundary condition. In steep terrain, the passage of a knickpoint can oversteepen valley walls and trigger a wave of erosion up the hillslopes. As soil is stripped from hillslopes, the previously diffusive hillslopes are transformed to landslide-dominated. Soils in diffusive landscapes are well developed until erosion exposes the underlying saprolite by shortening the soil residence times. During base level adjustments, the erosion of hillslopes can leave relict patches of the original landscape juxtaposed with the newly evolving landscape. Recent incision in central Idaho has produced large channel-to-ridge relief along the Salmon River and has resulted in the propagation of large knickpoints into many of its tributaries. These knickpoints mark the boundaries between pre-uplifted terrain (relict landscapes) and freshly eroded terrain (refreshed landscapes). In this study I aimed to analyze the hillslope response to the passage of a knickpoint by comparing morphological characteristics between relict and refreshed landscapes. A transect situated on both relict and refreshed landscapes was established to measure soil properties and ridgecrest morphology. The spatial analysis used the National Elevation Datatset (NED) and high resolution Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) elevation data. Soil analysis showed 1) higher percentage of gravel in the refreshed landscape, 2) a higher percentage of carbon in the relict landscape, and 3) similar average soil depths in both landscape types (~18 cm). Spatial analysis showed the mean slope angle in the relict landscape is 18±7° and 33±7° in the refreshed landscape. Prospect Ridge has three distinct values of curvature: 0.0033±0.001 (relict), 0.0219±0.008 (refreshed), and 0.0668±0.009 (close to Salmon River). Three sets of increasing relative levels of erosion were therefore inferred from these curvature values. The erosion rate corresponding to the refreshed landscape is responsible for the formation of the large knickpoints within the site. Hillslopes downstream of the large knickpoints are subject to rapid oversteepening and complete landscape transformation from diffusive to landslide-dominated. Conversely, a less dramatic hillslope response was observed upstream of the knickpoint based on evidence of slight channel lowering, partially oversteepened valley walls, and pockets of hillslope steepening in tributary sub-basins. Reconstruction of relict hillslopes and the pre-incisional relict channel suggest that a much smaller, extinct knickpoint preceded the larger knickpoint and rapidly diffused into the headwaters.

Small satellites, particularly CubeSats, have become popular platforms for a wide variety of scientific, commercial and military remote sensing applications. Inexpensive commercial o the shelf (COTS) hardware and relatively low launch costs make these platforms candidates for deployment in large constellations that can offer unprecedented temporal and geospatial sampling of the entire planet. However, productivity for both individual and constellations of CubeSats in low earth orbit (LEO) is limited by the capabilities of the communications subsystem. Generally, these constraints stem from limited available electrical power, low-gain antennas and the general scarcity of available radio spectrum. In this thesis, we assess the ability of free space optical communication (lasercom) to address these limitations, identify key technology developments that enable its application in small satellites, and develop a functional prototype that demonstrates predicted performance. We first establish design goals for a lasercom payload archi- tecture that offers performance improvements (joules-per-bit) over radio-frequency (RF) solutions, yet is compatible with the severe size, weight and power (SWaP) constraints common to CubeSats. The key design goal is direct LEO-to-ground downlink capability with data rates exceeding 10 Mbps, an order of magnitude better than COTS radio solutions available today, within typical CubeSat SWaP constraints on the space terminal, and with similar COTS and low-complexity constraints on the ground terminal. After defining the goals for this architecture, we identify gaps in previous implementations that limit their performance: the lack of compact, power-efficient optical transmitters and the need for pointing capability on small satellites to be as much as a factor of ten better than what is commonly achieved today. One approach is to address these shortcomings using low-cost COTS components that are compatible with CubeSat budgets and development schedules. In design trade studies we identify potential solutions for the transmitter and pointing implementation gaps. Two distinct transmitter architectures, one based on a high-power laser diode and another using an optical amplifier, are considered. Analysis shows that both configurations meet system requirements, however, the optical amplifier offers better scalability to higher data rates. To address platform pointing limitations, we dene a staged control framework incorporating a COTS optical steering mechanism that is used to manage pointing errors from the coarse stage (host satellite body-pointing). A variety of ne steering solutions are considered, and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) tip-tilt mirrors are selected due to their advantage in size, weight and power. We experimentally validate the designs resulting from the trade studies for these key subsystems. We construct a prototype transmitter using a modified COTS fiber amplifier and a directly-modulated seed laser capable of producing a 200mW average power, pulse position modulated optical output. This prototype is used to confirm power consumption predictions, modulation rate scalability (10 Mbps to 100 Mbps), and peak transmit power (e.g., 24.6W for PPM-128). The transmitter optical output, along with a simple loopback receiver, is used to validate the sensitivity of the avalanche photodiode receiver used for the ground receiver in the flight experiment configuration. The MEMS fine steering mechanisms, which are not rated for space use, are characterized using a purpose-built test apparatus. Characterization experiments of the MEMS devices focused on ensuring repeatable behavior (+/-0:11 mrad, 3-[sigma]) over the expected operating temperature range on the spacecraft (0°C to 40°C). Finally, we provide an assessment of the work that remains to move from the prototype to flight model and into on-orbit operations. Space terminal packaging and integration needs, as well as host spacecraft interface requirements are detailed. We also describe the remaining ground station integration tasks and operational procedures. Having developed a pragmatic COTS-based lasercom architecture for CubeSats, and having addressed the need for a compact laser transmitter and optical ne steering mechanisms with both analysis and experimental validation, this thesis has set the stage for the practical use of lasercom techniques in resource-constrained CubeSats which can yield order-of-magnitude enhancements in communications link eciency relative to existing RF technologies currently in use.

The size-weight illusion (SWI) occurs when the smaller of equally weighted objects is judged to feel heavier than the larger object. Experiment 1 compared the SWI generated in a natural versus augmented-reality environment while grasping and lifting three differently sized cubes of equal weight. Both environments induced the SWI for all twenty participants. Lift kinematics covaried with cube size in both environments. Experiment 2 investigated the influence of incongruent visual size information on the SWI in an augmented environment. Physical cubes were paired with three graphical representations: a smaller, an equal-sized, and a larger cube. The SWI was influenced by both haptic and visual size information. Kinematics covaried with physical size throughout the experiment. Results suggest that vision significantly impacts the bimodal SWI when haptic and visual size information is not redundant. Results have implications for theories of heaviness perception, multimodal interaction, and perception and action in augmented environments.

Gamified training is a novel management control system in which companies use gamification techniques to engage and motivate employees to learn. This study empirically examines the performance consequences of gamified training by conducting a field experiment in a professional services firm. We find that the main effect of adopting the gamified training platform on performance is not statistically significant at conventional levels. However, we also find that the effect is moderated by employee engagement, such that the gamified training platform improved performance in offices with high employee engagement and worsened performance in offices with low employee engagement. In offices with high levels of employee engagement—with above-median rates of employee retention and willingness to log onto the training platform—each additional minute of average platform engagement per employee led to an additional 0.28 new clients per month. In offices with below-median rates of employee retention and willingness to log onto the training platform, each additional minute of average platform engagement per employee resulted in 0.78 fewer new clients per month. Taken together, these results suggest that gamified training, which, in part, is intended to help engage and motivate employees to learn, may only yield performance benefits among those who are already highly engaged and motivated.

In Chapter 1, protein structure calculation approaches are introduced.

Use of a genetic-based analogue of the traditional mark-recapture method (transgenerational genetic mark-recapture, tGMR) is rapidly expanding as a means to estimate total escapement of Pacific salmon. The tGMR approach is similar to the simple Lincoln-Peterson mark-recapture method. In tGMR, adults returning to fresh water to spawn are collected in the first sampling occasion and their juvenile offspring that are migrating out to sea are collected during the second sampling occasion. Recaptures are determined by the number of parent-offspring pairs identified through genetic parentage analysis of the adult and juvenile collections. Two versions of tGMR are currently in use, referred to as the ''with replacement'' and the ''without replacement'' models. For each version, parentage analysis is used to estimate model parameters. I evaluated accuracy of tGMR parameters estimated by genetic parentage analysis by conducting a series of simulations that mimicked application of the approach for estimating escapement of a small northern California coho salmon population. Accuracy was evaluated by comparing known values of the parameters taken from the simulated pedigrees to estimated values based upon parentage analysis of SNP genotypes using the software COLONY. All parentage-based parameter estimates were biased, (ranging from -0.40 to 0.23) indicating improvements in parentage analysis are needed for applications of tGMR. To further evaluate tGMR, I applied this method to coho salmon in two northern California streams resulting in total escapement estimates using the ''with replacement'' and ''without replacement'' models of 576 and 444 (Mill Creek, 2011-2012), 131 and 193 (Mill Creek, 2012-2013), and 430 and 468 (Freshwater Creek, 2012-2013). The tGMR approach shows promise for highly fecund species because the number of individuals captured during the second sampling occasion can greatly exceed the adult population size. This can possibly lead to lower variance in tGMR estimates in comparison to traditional mark-recapture estimators, but improvements in genetic parentage analysis are needed to reduce or eliminate bias from parentage analysis that results in biased estimates of total escapement using tGMR.

As Americans'' trust in government nears historic lows, frustration with government performance approaches record highs. One explanation for this trend is that citizens may be unaware of both the services provided by government and the impact of those services on their lives. In an experiment, Boston-area residents interacted with a website that visualizes both service requests submitted by the public (e.g., potholes and broken streetlamps) and efforts by the City of Boston to address them. Some participants observed a count of new, open, and recently closed service requests, while others viewed these requests visualized on an interactive map that included details and images of the work being performed. Residents who experienced this "operational transparency" in government services--seeing the work that government is doing--expressed more positive attitudes toward government and greater support for maintaining or expanding the scale of government programs. The effect of transparency on support for government programs was equivalent to a roughly 20% decline in conservatism on a political ideology scale. We further demonstrate that positive attitudes about government partially mediate the relationship between operational transparency and support for maintaining and expanding government programs. While transparency is customarily trained on elected officials as a means of ethical oversight, our research documents the benefits of increased transparency into the delivery of government services.

Over time, the delivery of services has become increasingly co-productive (customers participate materially in the production of service outcomes) and inseparable from customer view. As a result, a distinctive aspect of service operations is that they feature production processes in which the experience of production influences customer behavior. In particular, operational choices intended to maximize firm profits may backfire if they diminish customer experiences and, in the process, alter whether and how customers choose to perform their role in the firm''s operating system. In three studies, my dissertation empirically explores how two specific operational choices - 1) whether and how a firm automates service, and 2) the level of service quality a firm chooses to provide relative to its competitors - affect the experiences and behaviors of its customers, and in turn, the firm''s performance

Welcome to the world of Dominic Eden, a laidback, ruthless PSIA agent also known as Agent Pinstrike. In the first ever Eden adventure, Agent Pinstrike goes up against a powerful, corrupt, real-estate magnate called Zack Justinsin. When Ben Nelson, a friend and colleague of Eden who''s investigating Justinsin''s company, is framed for the attempted murder of Eden''s boss, General Snell, Dominic goes after Justinsin. He uncovers a plot that could destroy a large portion of New Hampshire and make Justinsin the richest and most powerful businessman in the region.

Each year approximately 8 million people die from cancer on a global scale. Treatment varies depending on the stage and type of cancer but frequently includes surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. For surgical removal of cancer, it is critical that health care professionals only remove the cancerous portion of tissue and avoid damaging healthy tissue. Imaging modalities are frequently used during surgery but are currently limited in their ability to differentiate between healthy and cancerous tissue. Image processing has the potential to allow surgeons the ability to visualize these differences. This study is aimed to develop an image processing algorithm capable of differentiating between healthy and cancerous tissues from a brain tumor. Fluorescence imaging was utilized to capture grayscale images of a mouse brain tumor samples, marked with green fluorescent protein-labeled biomarker, approximately 10 micro-meters thick. The discrete wavelet transform was then applied in conjunction with a nonlinear mapping function to process the images. Multiple levels of the discrete wavelet transform were applied to further differentiate between the healthy and cancerous tissue. A threshold was then applied and contour maps are shown for clarity. The results indicate both a clear in contrast and a successful segmentation of the tumorous region in each of the input images. This is shown through the statistical texture analysis, a comparison to previous studies, and by visual inspection.