Digital Commons Network^™

Religion / State: Where The Separation Lies, Vincent Samar

Vincent Samar

The article traces the history of the establishment clause including various court tests that have been used to interpret it, discusses various contemporary justifications for the clause, and culls from those justifications why the “accommodationist” approach sometimes used by the Court must be rejected.

I then introduce the ethical Doctrine of Double Effect to reconsider other tests the Court has applied (total separation, endorsement, neutrality and coercion), ultimately to justify a new neutrality test that provides a clearer understanding of the principles behind non-establishment. I show how the new neutrality test could be used in resolving future cases, for example, …

A Rasch Model Analysis Of Technology Usage In Minnesota Hospitals, John Olson, James Belohlav, Lori Cook

John Olson

No abstract provided.

Meteor-Radar Observed Mesospheric Semi-Annual Oscillation (Sao) And Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (Qbo) Over Maui, Hawaii, Tao Li, Alan Liu, Xian Lu, Zhenhua Li, Steven Franke, Gary Swenson, Xiankang Dou

Zhenhua Li

No abstract provided.

The Road To Doha Through Seoul: The Diplomatic And Legal Implications Of The Pre-Cop 18 Ministerial Meeting, Jae-Hyup Lee, John Leitner, Minjung Chung

Jae-Hyup Lee

International climate change negotiations reached a critical crossroads in 2012. Facing the conclusion of the Kyoto Protocol and with no successor regime yet negotiated, nations have been compelled to re-engage in substantive and far-ranging discussions. The nation of Korea has distinguished itself in this process, in particular by hosting the final ministerial meeting prior to this year’s Conference of the Parties in Doha, Qatar. The Korean government’s willingness to lead has also been evidenced by Korea’s founding of the Global Green Growth Institute, a leading international organization in the area of environmentally responsible economic development, and its successful bid to …

The Normative Underpinnings Of Taxation, Sagit Leviner Dr.

Sagit Leviner Dr.

Questions about the appropriate rules and mechanisms of taxation are, first and foremost, questions concerning the nature of society. What can be taxed, what cannot, for what purpose, when, and how, are all matters that go to the heart of society and, in particular, concern society’s underlying beliefs and values vis-à-vis the meaning and attainment of justice. This Article explores the role of normative values and theory in tax policymaking. It suggests that a candid elaboration of normative perspectives, and how they shed light on taxation, could lead to a better understanding of society as well as a better tax …

Resurrecting Gods, Ahissa Branson

sbranson@oglethorpe.edu

No abstract provided.

Computing Immutable Regions For Subspace Top-K Queries, Kyriakos Mouratidis, Hwee Hwa Pang

Kyriakos MOURATIDIS

Given a high-dimensional dataset, a top-k query can be used to shortlist the k tuples that best match the user’s preferences. Typically, these preferences regard a subset of the available dimensions (i.e., attributes) whose relative significance is expressed by user-specified weights. Along with the query result, we propose to compute for each involved dimension the maximal deviation to the corresponding weight for which the query result remains valid. The derived weight ranges, called immutable regions, are useful for performing sensitivity analysis, for finetuning the query weights, etc. In this paper, we focus on top-k queries with linear preference functions over …

When Would This Bug Get Reported?, Ferdian Thung, David Lo, Lingxiao Jiang, Lucia Lucia, Foyzur Rahman, Premkumar Devanbu

David LO

Millions of people, including those in the software engineering communities have turned to microblogging services, such as Twitter, as a means to quickly disseminate information. A number of past studies by Treude et al., Storey, and Yuan et al. have shown that a wealth of interesting information is stored in these microblogs. However, microblogs also contain a large amount of noisy content that are less relevant to software developers in engineering software systems. In this work, we perform a preliminary study to investigate the feasibility of automatic classification of microblogs into two categories: relevant and irrelevant to engineering software systems. …

An Empirical Study Of Bugs In Machine Learning Systems, Ferdian Thung, Shaowei Wang, David Lo, Lingxiao Jiang

David LO

Many machine learning systems that include various data mining, information retrieval, and natural language processing code and libraries have being used in real world applications. Search engines, internet advertising systems, product recommendation systems are sample users of these algorithm intensive code and libraries. Machine learning code and toolkits have also been used in many recent studies on software mining and analytics that aim to automate various software engineering tasks. With the increasing number of important applications of machine learning systems, the reliability of such systems is also becoming increasingly important. A necessary step for ensuring reliability of such systems is …

International Terrorism And Television Channels:Operation And Regulation Of Tv News Channel During Coverage Of Terrorism, Ratnesh Dwivedi Mr

Ratnesh Dwivedi

The concept of globalization or internationalization of certain wars, which were result of terrorist activities worldwide , as well as the high attention of terrorism coverage broadcast worldwide might open up better opportunities to journalists – particularly to those who work in democratic countries like U.S.A and India – to improve their coverage. The context is the key: the context of the operation methodology, follow of guidelines of regulatory bodies,and of the journalistic culture and of the global environment. It is very important how media presents consequences of terrorist acts, how information is transmitted to public. Television and press have …

Nbr2 Errata And Comments, Joseph Hilbe

Joseph M Hilbe

Errata and Comments for Negative Binomial Regression, 2nd edition

23andme Inc.: Patent Law And Lifestyle Genetics, Matthew Rimmer

Matthew Rimmer

The venture, 23andMe Inc., raises a host of issues in respect of patent law, policy, and practice in respect of lifestyle genetics and personalised medicine. The company observes: ‘We recognize that the availability of personal genetic information raises important issues at the nexus of ethics, law, and public policy’. 23andMe Inc. has tested the boundaries of patent law, with its patent applications, which cut across information technology, medicine, and biotechnology. The company’s research raises fundamental issues about patentability, especially in light of the litigation in Bilski v. Kappos, Mayo Collaborative Services v. Prometheus Laboratories Inc. and Association for Molecular Pathology …

Virtual Teams And E-Entrepreneurship, Nader Ale Ebrahim

Nader Ale Ebrahim

The advent of the virtual teams has facilitated the emergence and formation of new companies within the Net Economy which called e-Entrepreneurship. The terms of e-Entrepreneurship and virtual teams still are new in the scholarly papers. Therefore, this introductory presentation focuses on different aspects of virtual teams and e-entrepreneurship.

Στοίχημα Η Διαφύλαξη Των Εργασιακών Σχέσεων, Nicos Trimikliniotis

Nicos Trimikliniotis

Η σημερινή κατάσταση στην εργασία και απασχόληση με τα πρωτοφανή για τα Κυπριακά δεδομένα ποσοστά ανεργίας είναι εξαιρετικά δύσκολη. Παρά τις σημαντικές μεταρρυθμίσεις, π.χ. ο νόμος για τη διασφάλιση του δικαιώματος συνδικαλιστικής οργάνωσης και για εκσυγχρονισμό των εργασιακών σχέσεων κ.ά. το σύστημα εργασιακών σχέσεων σήμερα αντιμετωπίζει τις μεγαλύτερες προκλήσεις μετά το 1974. Το σύστημα συλλογικών διαπραγματεύσεων και συλλογικών συμβάσεων, η συνδικαλιστική προστασία και διεκδίκηση έχουν δημιουργήσει ένα επιτυχημένο πλαίσιο. Τα βασικά χαρακτηριστικά του είναι το υψηλό επίπεδο συνδικαλιστικής πυκνότητας, οι συλλογικές διαπραγματεύσεις και συμβάσεις και η Αυτόματη τιμαριθμική αναπροσαρμογή (ΑΤΑ) που αποτελούν αποτελεσματικά μέσα αποφυγής ανούσιων εργασιακών συγκρούσεων διασφαλίζοντας τουλάχιστον …

Medellín, Fernando Carrión Mena Arq.

Fernando Carrión Mena

Medellín es la segunda ciudad de Colombia con 2 400 000 habitantes en el año 2012, después de Bogotá que se acerca a los 8 millones. Es relativamente moderna, porque apenas desde fines del siglo XIX empieza a desarrollarse hasta alcanzar la dimensión que tiene en la actualidad; sin embargo, esta evolución no ha sido lineal: han existido momentos complejos y de auge. Una ciudad que a fines de los ochenta y principios de los noventa fue considerada la más violenta del mundo, a la que todos la esquivaban para no pasar por ahí. Fue cuna del cartel de Medellín …

Aboriginal People Defend The Environment, Richard Philp

Richard B. Philp

Aboriginal peoples in Canada are in the forefront in the battle to protect the environment from unregulated depredations of petroleum and mining interests. Omnibus Bill C-38 exempted oil pipelines from the terms of the Environmental Protection Act, prompting protests from First Nations people through whose reserves it would pass. Omnibus Bill C-45 removes thousands of lakes and rivers from protection of the Navigable Lakes and Waters Protection Act and permits the government sale of native lands without consultation. In response, the Idle No More movement took root and widespread protests have resulted. The persistent lack of consultation between the government …

South Sudan-Sudan Relations In The Light Of Current Conflicts And Border Disputes, Anne Hamilton

Anne Hamilton

The 2012 South Sudan–Sudan border war was an armed conflict between the states of Sudan and the South Sudan in 2012 over oil-rich regions between the South Sudan's Unity and the Sudan's. South Kordofan The oil rich region Heglig is well under the control of the Republic of Sudan. Certain areas involved, notably Abyei, are claimed by both sides as part of their sovereign territory. In September 2012, a series of eight agreements were made, resolving most aspects of the conflict. Background South Sudan's independence was preceded by two civil wars, from 1955-1972 and from 1983- 2005 in which 2.5 …

Medicine In The Americas, Kristine A. Petre Mls, Cm, Ahip

Kristine A Petre, MLS, CM, AHIP

Medicine in the Americas is a freely available, searchable collection of historical medical Americana. The collection is part of the Digital Collections repository at the National Library of Medicine’s online digital archives. This review discusses the contents, searching functions, and additional features available in the collection.

Deep Sea Mining. A New Frontier For International Environmental Law, Antonino Troianiello

antonino troianiello

Abstract — This paper intends to explore the main issues of the recent Deep Sea mining rush, which indeed raises huge strategic, geopolitical and environmental concerns. It notes that most of these concerns are significantly linked to the obvious insufficiency of international regulation regarding seabed exploitation. It concludes by stressing the need to implement as soon as possible a global regulation dimension under the Economic Exclusive Zone’s regime.

Hambrunas Socialistas, Guillermo Arosemena

Guillermo Arosemena

No abstract provided.

Molecular Analysis Of The In Situ Growth Rate Of Subsurface Geobacter Species, Dawn E. Holmes, Ludovic Giloteaux, Melissa Barlett, Milind A. Chavan, Jessica A. Smith, Kenneth H. Williams, Michael Wilkins, Philip Long, Derek Lovley

Derek Lovley

Molecular tools that can provide an estimate of the in situ growth rate of Geobacter species could improve understanding of dissimilatory metal reduction in a diversity of environments. Whole genome microarray analyses of the subsurface isolate, Geobacter uraniireducens, grown under a variety of conditions identified a number of genes that are differentially expressed at different specific growth rates. Expression of two genes encoding ribosomal proteins, rpsC and rplL, were further evaluated with quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) in cells with doubling times ranging from 6.56 h to 89.28 h. Transcript abundance of rpsC correlated best (r2= 0.90) with specific growth …

A Bayesian Model For Pooling Gene Expression Studies That Incorporates Co-Regulation Information, Erin M. Conlon, Bradley L. L. Postier, Barbara A. Methé, Kelly P. Nevin, Derek R. Lovley

Erin M. Conlon

Current Bayesian microarray models that pool multiple studies assume gene expression is independent of other genes. However, in prokaryotic organisms, genes are arranged in units that are co-regulated (called operons). Here, we introduce a new Bayesian model for pooling gene expression studies that incorporates operon information into the model. Our Bayesian model borrows information from other genes within the same operon to improve estimation of gene expression. The model produces the gene-specific posterior probability of differential expression, which is the basis for inference. We found in simulations and in biological studies that incorporating co-regulation information improves upon the independence model. …

National Longitudinal Survey Of Public Health Systems: Comparative Report Of 2012 Results, Glen Mays

Glen Mays

The third wave of the National Longitudinal Survey of Public Health Systems was fielded in 2012 in a nationally-representative cohort of local communities. The survey measures the availability of 20 recommended public health activities in the community, the range of organizations that participate in performing each activity, and the perceived effectiveness of each activity. Prior waves of the survey were fielded in 1998 and 2006. Local health officials report data for this survey and receive a customized report of results that compare data for their community with national norms and with "peer groups" of similar communities. This document provides an …

“The Role Of Switching Costs In The Markets For Pc Operating Systems, Online Search, Internet Access And Mobile Service: Implications For Australian Competition And Consumer Protection Policy”, Robert G. Harris

Robert G Harris

This paper addresses the role of switching costs in computing, communications and information technologies. Switching costs (and closely related network effects) play an increasingly important role in competitive analysis and competition policy. This paper considers the interplay of switching costs and the emergence of the digital, online economy, and examines the implications of switching costs for competition and competition policies in Australia.

The Final Cut: End-Of-Life Empowerment Through Autobiographical Video Documentary, Broderick Fox

Broderick Fox

No abstract provided.

Piscine Myocarditis Virus (Pmcv) In Wild Atlantic Salmon Salmo Salar, Torstein Tengs Dr.

Dr. Torstein Tengs

Cardiomyopathy syndrome (CMS) is a severe cardiac disease of sea-farmed Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L., but CMS-like lesions have also been found in wild Atlantic salmon. In 2010 a double-stranded RNA virus of the Totiviridae family, provisionally named piscine myocarditis virus (PMCV), was described as the causative agent of CMS. In the present paper we report the first detection of PMCV in wild Atlantic salmon. The study is based on screening of 797 wild Atlantic salmon by real-time RT-PCR. The samples were collected from 35 different rivers along the coast of Norway, and all individuals included in the study were …

Correct Spectral Conversion Between Surface‐Enhanced Raman And Plasmon Resonance Scattering From Nanoparticle Dimers For Single‐Molecule Detection, Kyuwan Lee

Kyuwan Lee

Simultaneous measurement of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) in nanoparticle dimers presents outstanding opportunities in molecular identification and in the elucidation of physical properties, such as the size, distance, and deformation of target species. SERS–LSPR instrumentation exists and has been used under limited conditions, but the extraction of SERS and LSPR readouts from a single measurement is still a challenge. Herein, the extraction of LSPR spectra from SERS signals is reported and a tool for measuring the interparticle distance from Raman enhancement data by the standardization of the SERS signal is proposed. The SERS nanoruler …

Localizing Climate Change Action, Marianne Dellinger

Myanna Dellinger

Localizing Climate Change Action - abstract

Myanna Dellinger

Waiting for national- or supranational-level actors to take substantively effective action against climate change is like waiting for Godot: unlikely to happen, at least at a substantively early enough point in time. The December 2012 negotiations under the UNFCCC umbrella yet again demonstrated the failure of action at the international level. This article adds new value to existing scholarship by conducting original research into select climate initiatives at the subnational, substate level in order to find out whether it is worth pursuing climate change action at this level instead. The article posits …

Sex Ratio In Mumbai, Professor Vibhuti Patel

Professor Vibhuti Patel

Gender equity has been a prominent aspect of equity concerns in public policy. The gender dimension has led to widespread advocacy and focused attention on equity in other than economic areas, such as education, health, decision-making, violence against women and political participation. The human development approach offers a capability-based approach to gender equity in development that is a departure from traditions focused on income and growth. Gender concerns have given the approach the power and flexibility to encompass aspects of inequality that would otherwise go unremarked. Its sensitivity to gender in turn has made it sensitive to a range of …

Oil Exploitation As A Factor Of Violent Conflict Between Sudan And South Sudan, Anne Hamilton

Anne Hamilton

Sudan was in a state of civil war for most of the years following independence in 1956, apart from a temporary respite between 1972 and 1983. After hostilities resumed, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) captured Leer from the government in March 1986, and the town became a stronghold of the rebel commander Riek Machar, who had been born there. In August 1991 Riek Machar broke away from John Garang's mainstream branch of the SPLM/A. Machar's breakaway faction was called the SPLM/A-Nasir faction from 1991 to 1993, and then the South Sudan Independence Army (SSIA) from 1994 to 1997. In …