Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing The Impact Of The Concrete Canoe And Steel Bridge Competitions On Civil Engineering Technology Students, Valerie L. Sirianni, Kerin L. Lee, Matt D. Lefevre, James W. Lindholm, Abi Aghayere, Maureen Valentine

Articles

The new accreditation criteria (TC2K) of the Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET require an assessment of Program Intended Learning Outcomes. Some of the learning outcomes required by the “a” through “k” and the Civil criteria of TC2K include leadership skills, teamwork skills, project management skills, communication skills, and design and construction skills.

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the American Institute for Steel Construction (AISC) sponsors regional and national concrete canoe and steel bridge competitions on an annual basis. The Civil Engineering Technology (CET) students at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) have participated in these competitions for …

Rainwater Harvesting And Grey Water Recycling Systems, Liam Mccarton, Sean O'Hogain

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The benefits of water efficiency measures, rainwater harvesting and greywater reuse are principally water savings and reduced volume of consumption. Cost savings can accrue to the water supplier and water user. These benefits can be felt at a local level. Only with widespread use of such technology will reduced pressure on water resources and the supply infrastructure be realised. These technologies should be considered in the context of an overall water conservation strategy and each situation evaluated separately. A water audit should be undertaken to establish existing water usage and possible demands that can be met by using these technologies. …

Building A Home For The Laws Of The World: Part 1: Bates, Cook, And Coffey, Margaret A. Leary

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The following feature is an edited version of "Building a Foreign Law Collection at the University of Michigan Law Library, 1910-1960."© Margaret A. Leary, 2002, which originally appeared at 94 Law Library Journal 395-425 (2002), and appears here with permission of the author. The first part of the article appears here; the conclusion will appear in the next issue of Law Quadrangle Notes.

Two-Dimensional Packing In Prolate Granular Materials, Kevin Stokely, A. Diacou, Scott Franklin

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We investigate the two-dimensional packing of extremely prolate (aspect ratio L/D>10) granular materials, comparing experiments with Monte-Carlo simulations. In experimental piles of particles with aspect ratio 12 we find the average packing fraction to be 0.68 +/- 0.03. Both experimental and simulated piles contain a large number of horizontal particles, and particle alignment is quantified by an orientational order correlation function. In both simulation and experiment the correlation between particle orientation decays after a distance of two particle lengths. It is possible to identify voids in the pile with sizes ranging over two orders of magnitude. The experimental void …

Reply To "Comment On ‘Atomic Spectral Line Free-Parameter Deconvolution Procedure’”, Vladimir Milosavljevic, Goran Poparic

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We do not agree with the authors of the preceding Comment [X. Nikolic, X. Ojurovic, and X. Mijatovic, Phys. Rev. E, 67, 058401, 2003]. Our numerical procedure for the deconvolution of the theoretical asymmetric convolution integral of a Gaussian and a plasma broadened spectral line profile jA,R(λ) for spectral lines enables the determination of all broadening parameters. All broadening parameters can be determined directly from the recorded line profile of a single line, with minimal assumptions or prior knowledge. Additional experimental diagnostics are not required.

Enron At The Margin, William H. Widen

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No abstract provided.

Just Do It!: Title Ix As A Threat To University Autonomy, Richard A. Epstein

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No abstract provided.

The Persistence Of Ecological-Economic Systems: Alternate Measures And Their Properties, Amitrajeet A. Batabyal

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A number of ecologists and some economists have commented on the significance of persistence as a stability concept for jointly determined ecological-economic systems. This notwithstanding, the economics and the regional science literatures have paid scant attention to the problem of computing an ecological-economic system’s persistence. As such, this paper has two objectives. First, we derive three measures of the persistence of a jointly determined ecological-economic system whose temporal behavior is governed by the presence of thresholds. Next, we compare and contrast these three measures. Finally, we discuss their theoretical properties and their practical uses.

Water Conservation Technologies, Liam Mccarton

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Given the increasing incidence of serious flooding in Europe in recent years it might seem odd to be addressing the problem of water conservation. However, recent economic prosperity has led to an increased per capita use of water for domestic and industrial use. The traditional approach to meeting increased demand is to augment supply. However, mobilising new resources involves ever higher costs. Allied to this is the concept of sustainability, which can be defined as ‘development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’. An important consideration of …

Lorna Simpson, Review, Niamh Ann Kelly

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No abstract provided.

Glenn Murcutt, Noel Brady

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Interview with Architect Glenn Murcutt from Australia, as part of masterclass studio at DIT.

The He I 706.52 Nm Line Shape Characteristics In The Plasma Diagnostics, Vladimir Milosavljevic, Stevan Djenize

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On the basis of the precisely recorded 706.52 nm He I line shape we have obtained the basic plasma parameters i.e. electron temperature (T) and electron density (N) using our new line deconvolution procedure in the case of five various plasmas created in a linear, low–pressure, pulsed arc discharge. Plasma parameters have been also measured using independent experimental diagnostical techniques. Excellent agreement was found among the two sets of the obtained parameters. This enables our deconvolution procedure to recommendation for plasma diagnostical purposes, especially in astrophysics where direct measurements of the plasma parameters (T and …

High-Performance Architecture For Color Error Diffusion, Christopher R. Brown, Andreas Savakis

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Error diffusion is one of the most widely used algorithms for halftoning gray scale and color images. It works by distributing the thresholding error of each pixel to unprocessed neighboring pixels, while maintaining the average value of the image. Error diffusion results in inter-pixel data dependencies that prohibit a simplistic data pipelining processing approach and increase the memory requirements of the system. In this paper, we present a multiprocessing approach to overcome these difficulties, which results in a novel architecture for high performance hardware implementation of error diffusion algorithms. The proposed architecture is scalable, flexible, cost effective, and may be …

Landsat-7 Etm+ Radiometric Stability And Absolute Calibration, Brian L. Markham, John L. Barker, Julia A. Barsi, Ed Kaita, Kurtis J. Thome, Dennis L. Helder, Frank D. Palluconi, John R. Schott, Pat Scaramuzza

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Launched in April 1999, the Landsat-7 ETM+ instrument is in its fourth year of operation. The quality of the acquired calibrated imagery continues to be high, especially with respect to its three most important radiometric performance parameters: reflective band instrument stability to better than ±1%, reflective band absolute calibration to better than ±5%, and thermal band absolute calibration to better than ± 0.6 K. The ETM+ instrument has been the most stable of any of the Landsat instruments, in both the reflective and thermal channels. To date, the best on-board calibration source for the reflective bands has been the Full …

Taking Exit Row Seating Seriously, Wendy Gerwick Couture

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No abstract provided.

On-Line Spatial Processing Systems, James Carswell, Michela Bertolotto

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On-line Spatial Processing (OLSP) delivers high performance spatial systems for the modelling and monitoring of dynamic environments. It provides an ideal solution for the management of networks, land and assets, and the real-time tracking of changing spatial systems. OLSP is server-centric, as opposed to the primarily desktop-centric world of GIS. It places spatial data at the heart of the organisation's IT systems and integrates it with business and attribute data. The result is more effective use of spatial data and improved decision support and spatial intelligence throughout the organisation.

The Uneasy Case For Department Of Justice Control Of Federal Litigation, Neal Devins, Michael Herz

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No abstract provided.

Children's Understanding Of Television Advertising Intent, Margaret-Anne Lawlor, Andrea Prothero

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Over the last three decades, a substantial body of research has accumulated seeking to address how exactly advertising, and in particular, telelvision advertising, influences children. Yet, given the diversity of methodologies used and the findings presented, it has been suggested that a common consensus on how exactly advertising affects children has not been reached. This paper presents a brief overview of the literature addressing chidlren's understanding of advertising with a view to identifying the contributions to date in this area and the accompanying gaps, omissions and under-resesearched perspectives. Findings are then presented from an exploratory study of eight and nine …

Against A Federal Patients' Bill Of Rights, Edward A. Zelinsky

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The failure of the 107th Congress to pass a "Patients' Bill of Rights" (PBR) is widely considered a major disappointment, to be remedied in the 108th Congress by the adoption of such legislation. Indeed, federal PBR proposals have achieved the proverbial motherhood-and-apple-pie status; it is virtually impossible to find anyone actively opposing a federal PBR. Many members of the 108th Congress likely feel pressure to pass PBR legislation before returning to the electorate in 2004.

I advance a contrary perspective: A federal PBR is an idea whose time is past or, to be precise, is an idea whose rationales are …

Law's Non-Existent Empire, Jeanne L. Schroeder, David G. Carlson

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The article critiques Pierre Schlag's normative legal thought, arguing that while his descriptive critique of law as a fiction is accurate, his normative proposal to abolish law is contradictory and flawed. By incorporating Lacanian psychoanalysis, the authors contend that law, as part of the symbolic order, is constitutive of subjectivity and cannot be abolished. They propose that legal scholarship should instead focus on exposing law's role in shaping subjectivity rather than seeking to eliminate it. The analysis emphasizes that law, like language, is an intersubjective system sustained by collective belief, despite lacking a concrete foundation.

Retrenchment On Entrenchment, Stewart E. Sterk

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The article critiques the argument by Posner and Vermeule that legislative entrenchment—where a legislature passes laws that future legislatures cannot repeal without special procedures—is constitutionally permissible and normatively attractive. The author, Stewart E. Sterk, contends that their argument is flawed because it fails to address whether courts should enforce such entrenched laws, rendering their case legally and normatively incoherent. Sterk argues that entrenchment undermines democratic principles by allowing one legislature to bind future legislatures, potentially leading to intergenerational inequity and abuse by special interest groups. He advocates for mechanisms allowing future legislatures to adjust laws as needed, ensuring flexibility and …

Partnerships And Facilitation: Mediators Develop New Skills For Complex Cases, Lela P. Love, Joseph B. Stulberg

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No abstract provided.

Pierre The Anomalist: An Epistemology Of The Legal Closet, Peter Goodrich

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The article examines Pierre Schlag's radical critique of legal reason and the legal academy, which challenges the profession's reliance on abstract norms and universal truths. Schlag's work, often met with hostility, exposes the material and emotional underpinnings of legal discourse, particularly the fear of losing control and status tied to the academy's faith in reason. His critique is situated within broader philosophical traditions that question the limits of reason and the importance of creativity in legal thought. The article also explores how Schlag's ideas intersect with other scholars' work, such as Reginald Leamon Robinson's analysis of legal narrative and identity, …

Indian Spirituality, Eamon Maher

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No abstract provided.

The Internet And The Persistence Of Law, Justin Hughes

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Since legal commentators first confronted cyberspace, three broad stories have emerged to describe the interrelation of law and the Internet: the "no-law Internet," the "Internet as a separate jurisdiction," and Internet law as "translation" of familiar legal concepts. This Article reviews these stories, focusing on how ongoing "translation" is giving way to a growing convergence in Internet law. The Article makes the case for convergence among legal responses to cyberspace and proposes a basic taxonomy for different models of convergence. With this taxonomy, the Article examines the ways in which convergence is occurring, as well as its effects on both …

A Fire Risk Assessment Technique For Educational Establishments, Victor Hrymak, Noel O'Reilly

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It is now widely considered as good practice to include fire risk assessment techniques when developing a fire risk management system. However there is little guidance as to how to evaluate the influence of organisational culture and human behaviour on the resultant level of fire safety. Since most accidents are caused by the failure of management systems, quantified risk assessment must take into account local safety management practices, or else it will not provide reliable information”.

This study tries to address this issue by developing a new fire risk assessment technique for assessing the fire safety management system of …

Ion Contribution To The Prominent Ne I, Ar I And Kr I Spectral Lines Broadening, Vladimir Milosavljevic, Stevan Djenize

Articles

On the basis of the observed asymmetry of the measured spectral line profiles we have obtained the ion contribution to the (26 lines), (19 lines) and (20 lines) spectral line broadening due to the quasi-static ion approximation and ion-dynamical effects. The ion broadening parameters ( A) and the ion dynamic coefficients ( D) have been obtained directly by the use of our line deconvolution procedure which allows the determination of the basic physical properties that characterize the line profile and also the relevant plasma parameters. We are the first to publish experimental data, viz. D and A values …

A Sense Of The Spiritual : Spirituality In John Mcgahern's ''That They May Face The Rising Sun'', Eamon Maher

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Material reproduced by kind permission of Reality

Fair Use Across Time, Justin Hughes

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This Article proposes that, as a copyright work ages, the scope of fair use, especially as to derivative works and uses, should expand. This is because the "market" for a copyrighted work has a temporal dimension; the copyrighted work has a market of a fixed number of years. In considering the fourth element of § 107 fair use, courts have discussed two kinds of situations in which the market for a plaintiff's work can be adversely affected: (1) situations where a particular defendant's action adversely affected the plaintiffs market, and (2) situations where the defendant's action, if it became "widespread," …

Patenting Genome Research Tools And The Law., Rebecca S. Eisenberg

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Patenting genes encoding therapeutic proteins was relatively uncontroversial in the early days of biotechnology. Controversy arose in the era of high-throughput DNA sequencing, when gene patents started to look less like patents on drugs and more like patents on scientific information. Evolving scientific and business strategies for exploiting genomic information raised concerns that patents might slow subsequent research. The trend towards stricter enforcement of the utility and disclosure requirements by the patent offices should help clarify the current confusion.