Digital Commons Network^™

Public Administration Reform In Kosovo: Strengthening The Role And Capacities Of Kosovo Institute Of Public Administration : [Presentation Given November 17, 2010.], Pleurat Sejdiu

Theses

This capstone project is addressing the challenges of Public Administration Reform (PAR) in Kosovo with focus on strengthening the role and capacities of the Kosovo Institute of Public Administration (KIPA), the KIPA is a critical institution for ensuring a successful implementation of the Strategy of Public Administration Reform. During research, it was noticed that countries aspiring to join the European Union have undergone serious reforms in their public administration, in search for good governance, and improvement of administrative efficiency, also the promotion of the devotion of public sector staff to democratic values, ethics and respect of the rule of law. …

Contamination Events And Linkages In World Rice Markets, Mana-Anya Iemsam-Arng

Theses

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF Mana-anya Iemsam-arng, for the Master's degree in Agribusiness Economics, presented on November 9, 2010, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: Contamination Events and Linkages in World Rice Markets MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Dwight Sanders In August of 2006, genetically modified LibertyLink rice contaminated the supply of non-GMO rice in the United States, causing damage to the U.S. rice production sector's credibility in their export market. The damage to the United States' credibility included doubt as to whether or not they had the ability to separate GMO and non-GMO rice strains during planting and/or production. This …

Atmospheric Compensation Over Case Ii Waters: Simultaneous Aerosol And Water Constituent Retrieval, Donald Taylor

Theses

In many algorithms designed to retrieve water constituent concentrations, an assumption of negligible water-leaving radiance is made in the near infrared (NIR) wavelengths (750-950 [nm]). This allows fairly accurate atmospheric correction to be applied to the oceanic imagery. Given this assumption, it is possible to derive model estimates of aerosol type and density and compensate for its effects in other regions of the spectrum. Unfortunately this assumption is only valid in areas of very low total suspended sediment (TSS) concentrations, such as open ocean waters. Increased TSS load causes significant back-scattering within the water, increasing the water leaving signal in …

Relative Abundance, Population Structure, And Habitat Utilization Of The Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys Temminckii) And Eastern Snapping Turtle (Chelydra Serpentina) In Southeastern Missouri, Timothy Charles Lescher

Theses

GENERAL ABSTRACT---Alligator Snapping Turtles have not been surveyed extensively in Missouri since 1993-94. Six sites that were sampled in the early nineties were re-sampled in 2009 at the same locations where previous researchers trapped. Significantly fewer significantly fewer Alligator Snapping Turtles were captured per trapnight at all six sites. The population structure of the Alligator Snapping Turtles had a significantly different distribution in 2009 compared to 1993-94. The population structure had shifted toward smaller individuals, and fewer adult males and adult females were captured in 2009 compared to 1993-94. The 1993-94 structure was normally distributed while the 2009 structure exhibited …

Where You Know Gerry The Most, Matthew Jacobs Bell

Theses

Abstract An abstract of the thesis of Matthew Bell for the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Thesis defense date: 16 November 2010. Title: Where You Know Gerry the Most. Five stories of modern day Missourians trying to make sense of their circumstances, searching to make meaningful connections in a harsh and uncertain world. Some of the experiences of these characters--the failure of a marriage, the disappearance of a friend, the self-sabotage of an addict--lead to different kinds of despair and isolation, but there are also more hopeful, more tender moments: a lonely young woman discovering companionship in a …

Differences In Personality Factors And College Major Choice, Jennifer Smith

Theses

The transition from secondary education to post-secondary education is stressful for all students. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA 2004) only mandates transition plans for students receiving special education services. Career assessments and transition services should encourage career exploration which requires students to have knowledge about oneself and the world of work. When career assessments provide students with this information, they may be more informed on what major to choose. The purpose of this study was to look at group differences among college majors and their personality factors as measured by the Sixteen Personality Questionnaire, 5th Edition (16PF-5). …

Digital Dog Shelter Application, Taryn Bzdick

Theses

Pet overpopulation has been a major issue for a long time. Hundreds of thousands of dogs are in shelters all over the country who desperately need homes. When looking up these dogs on shelter web sites it is common to find a small blurb and a low quality photograph in a poorly designed environment about a dog in need of a home. Most of the time these postings are not informative enough to help the potential owner make an educated decision in choosing the right dog for them. Dogs in these shelters would have significantly higher chances of being adopted …

Exploring Taoism Philosophy: A Visual Interactive Interpretation, Yang Dan

Theses

Thesis URL: http://www.yangdan.info/thesis Exploring Taoism Philosophy: A Visual Interactive Interpretation is an interactive graphic design project which introduces the Taoism philosophy to college students, it's also a personal graphic interpretation of Taoism. This project is a flash website that runs on any computer that has access to the Internet. My goal for this project is to explore the history, principles, and rules of Taoism philosophy, its applications in modern society and to interpret Taoism through creative interactive graphic solutions based on personal understanding. My targeted audience is college students from 18 to 25 who have interests in Taoism, philosophy, or …

Interactive Stem Cells: Education Through Game Design, Sarah Hudson

Theses

In my thesis I developed an interactive website intended to educate the non-scientific or lay public about stem cells. Most people have heard about stem cells but few truly understand them. It would be beneficial to those wishing to engage in the current stem cell debate to be more thoroughly educated. Currently, the information available is all geared towards scientists or from a biased source. I used a series of Flash games to convey the important information in an engaging way. The site is intuitive enough that even users unfamiliar with the Internet and basic high-school science knowledge will be …

Feasibility Study Of A Novel Method For Real-Time Aerodynamic Coefficient Estimation, Phillip Gurbacki

Theses

In this work, a feasibility study of a novel technique for the real-time identification of uncertain nonlinear aircraft aerodynamic coefficients has been conducted. The major objective of this paper is to investigate the feasability of a system for parameter identification in a real-time flight environment. This system should be able to calculate aerodynamic coefficients and derivative information using typical pilot inputs while ensuring robust, stable, and rapid convergence. The parameter estimator investigated is based upon the nonlinear sliding mode control schema; one of the main advantages of the sliding mode estimator is the ability to guarantee a stable and robust …

Slow & Steady, Christin Boggs

Theses

Slow & Steady explores the contemporary movement away from mass-produced food and towards creative alternatives that offer vitality and potency to participants and their surroundings. Within the Greater Rochester Region, individuals have rejected convenience food to responsibly grow, prepare and share sustenance in cooperative groups. The photographs in this thesis depict scenes from community gardens, community supported agriculture (CSA) farms, farmers markets, and other organizations associated with local food production. Here exists a community of resourceful people, coming together in pursuit of good food. Slow & Steady points to one of the ways in which art can effect social change …

Framework For Optimizing Intelligence Collection Requirements, Khiem Tong

Theses

In the military, typical mission execution goes through cycles of intelligence collection and action planning phases. For complex operations where many parameters affect the outcomes of the mission, several steps may be taken for intelligence collection before the optimal Course of Action is actually carried out. Human analytics suggests the steps of: (1) anticipating plausible futures, (2) determining information requirements, and (3) optimize the choice of feasible and cost-effective intelligence requirements. This work formalizes this process by developing a decision support tool to determine information requirements needed to differentiate critical plausible futures, and formulating a mixed integer programming problem to …

Facilitating Rapid Response With A Relational Indicator Database Schema And Client Agents, Jason Batchelor

Theses

The threat encompassing the critical computing infrastructure nations depend upon has shifted. A new dynamic of adversaries leveraging a playbook of highly sophisticated, organized, and well funded cyber attacks has emerged. These adversaries penetrate networks using exploits, tools, and techniques that are not detected by traditional client and network security software. Compromised networks stand to lose irreparable amounts of sensitive information and trade secrets if confidentiality is lost. The threat has shifted, but detection and response mechanisms have largely remained the same. They have maintained the same largely ineffective result these advanced adversaries count on.

To counter this, the development …

Personality Assessment As An Indicator Of Success Post High School, Angela Bermudez

Theses

According to a recent article published in the New York Times, although the United

States is successful in enrolling students in colleges and universities, only half graduate with bachelor's degrees. Among wealthy countries, Italy is the only country with a larger dropout rate (Leonhardt, 2009). The results from the 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire (16 PF) previously given to undergraduate students from a technical institute in Western New York were analyzed to determine whether there were significant differences between students who were academically dismissed and then admitted into a college restoration program and students who were successfully passing. Perhaps by having …

The Internal Expression Of The Phenomenon Of Human Aspiration, Eunsuh Choi

Theses

My thesis investigates the phenomenon of human aspiration in life and was conceived from the new perspective I have about myself and my pursuits in a foreign country. Originally from Korea, I relocated to the United States and during this time asked myself many questions to determine my goal. When I was young, adults would ask me about my future even though I was not yet old enough to think logically about such questions. "What do you want to be?" they would ask. "What is next?" These are common questions in my country. I assume there are many different reasons …

Evaluating Libertarian Paternalism, Michelle Elizabeth Catalano

Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate a form of soft paternalism put forth by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein known as libertarian paternalism. On their view, criteria are provided for distinguishing between justified and unjustified libertarian paternalism policy proposals. The central philosophical issue surrounding libertarian paternalism is determining when limitations on autonomy for the sake of beneficence are justified. However, the criteria given by Thaler and Sunstein are inadequate because they do not effectively overcome problematic case examples. I contend that an additional autonomy-based condition should be added to their criteria. Specifically, autonomy may trump beneficence in favor …

New Findings For Contemporary Marketing To Black Men: A Content Analysis Of Alcoholic Beverage Ad Appeals From Ebony And Gq Magazines, Joshua Jedidiah Myers

Theses

The present study uses content analysis to investigate differences in alcoholic beverage advertisement appeals, from Ebony and Gentlemen's Quarterly magazines, aimed at Black men in contrast to the mainstream male demographic. The present study reports that there are no significant statistical differences between ad appeals aimed at Black men and the mainstream male demographic. Consequently, it is suggested that cultural unawareness has displaced racial and ethnic stereotyping in contemporary marketing to Black men. Future research should concern appeals Black media make to their own markets to expose the biases of Black consumer groups who misrepresent the issue of race in …

In Search Of Local News, Tina Marsh

Theses

A 60-item mail survey of registered voters in two Rochester, N.Y.-area communities (n=185) assessed differences between information- and entertainment-seeking tendencies of those who use online and/or print media for local news. The research concluded that respondents with high information-seeking scores are not only using print media but also online media. In addition, online-only users showed a significant tendency for entertainment-seeking but not information-seeking. The study occurred amid the print newspapers' fight to survive by launching or upgrading online counterparts. This research also discusses the implications of the findings for public discourse, a role traditionally played by local print newspapers.

The Ireland Of James Anthony Froude: A Nineteenth Century Drama, Janet Murphy

Theses

Using primary material in a manner unprecedented at the time, James Anthony Froude was an English historian of the Victorian era whose histories encompassed Ireland. Among his works relating to Ireland was a ten-book study of the eighteenth century that extended from the penal era to the Union of 1800. While such scholars as W. E. H. Lecky objectified their histories by accumulating data, Froude supplemented his with anecdote, maintaining that the perfect history was told in the words and deeds of those who acted it out.

His methodology was not determinately structured: he laboured with vast quantities of primary …

A Haptic Control System For Functional Electrical Stimulation Of Paraplegic Legs, Mark R. Shaker

Theses

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is a means by which paraplegic men and women can use their natural legs for walking. In FES the impaired muscles are stimulated with electricity in a proper cycle to cause the legs to move in a walking pattern. It can be greatly beneficial for paraplegics however, current systems are not widely used because they are difficult to control in a useful manner.

The system proposed here uses a haptic interface, one that utilizes the sense of touch, attached to a user’s index and middle fingers. The haptic device allows the wearer to feel with the …

Motor Data Scaling By Respiration Frequencies In Rest, Amit Madhukar Kamble

Theses

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) is widely used as a tool to see activations in the different brain regions. Motor data acquired from fMRI scan is accompanied with signal due to hemodynamic changes taking place during the scan. This hemodynamic signal is dominated by parameter alteration in the large vessels of brain. Scaling of task induced BOLD signal with hypercapnic or breathold data is one of the effective methods to minimize the signal due to large vessels. Patient discomfort and compliance has been a major issue with these methods hence in this study we used respiration frequencies in rest data …

Emergency Department Crowding And Provider Workload, Kathryn Coles

Theses

This observational field study attempted to quantify the objective task load imposed on emergency department (ED) providers, determine the degree of subjective workload they experience, and to correlate these data with ED operational metrics, mainly ED crowding metrics. Participants were a convenience sample of 10 emergency care providers; the 3 female and 7 male participants represented a variety of provider levels (6 physicians, 3 physician assistants, and 1 nurse practitioner). Forty-two hours of data were collected. ED variables were obtained from the hospital's existing information system each hour and included the Emergency Severity Index (ESI), number of people in the …

Waste Management Action Plan For The Municipality Of Prishtina : [Presentation Given August 23, 2010], Ibrahim Krasniqi

Theses

Not provided.

Comparative Thermodynamic And Enbironmental Performance Of A Unique Cogeneration Power Plant Using Operational Data, Whitney Domigan

Theses

The John B. Rich Memorial Power Station, located in the United States, is an 88.4 MW cogeneration power plant that has a unique relationship with its surrounding environment. The power station makes use of a plentiful and local byproduct of coal mining, called culm, as a feedstock. Culm is a low energy combination of anthracite coal, ash, and rock left over from the inefficient removal of rock from usable coal in the peak days of coal mining. For decades, culm deposits have leached pollution into groundwater and inhibited normal plant growth. By using culm, the power station removes a significant …

Exploring Student Perceptions Of The English 101 Portfolio System At Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Stephen Eric Johnson

Theses

The benefits of using a portfolio system in a writing classroom, according to studies of in-class use starting over a decade ago include the following: allowing students to reflect upon their prior work, to revise their papers so as to demonstrate their improvements over the course of a semester, and also to organize their papers to create a sense of their writing ability. Since there has been little research conducted into the student experience as it relates to the use of portfolio systems, this document seeks to analyze that student experience, at least in the context of Southern Illinois University …

Variables Affecting Hand Sanitizer Use In Public Facilities, Amy Katherine Loukus

Theses

The following research was conducted to contribute to the greater understanding of the impact that most often utilized methods of public awareness and education have on behaviors relative to sickness and disease for the general public in terms of action toward prevention behaviors within a healthcare setting. The psycho educational approach is often considered an effective means to promote behavior change as it relates to preventative behavior, and in the clinical therapeutic setting has shown some relevance as an effective procedure. Unfortunately, no research as of yet speaks to the comparative effectiveness this approach may have over other approaches often …

Identification Of Disease Resistance Networks In Maize Involved In Resistance To Aspergillus Flavus And To Aflatoxin Accumulation, Aparna Natarajan

Theses

Aspergillus flavusis a filamentous fungusthat causes an ear and kernel rot in maize (Zea mays L.). It produces a toxic secondary metabolite, aflatoxin, on the colonized maize kernels. Aflatoxin is a carcinogen to humans and animals. The toxin is also an immunosuppressant and causes aspergillosis in immune compromised individuals. Therefore, the presence of aflatoxin in food is strictly regulated by governmental agencies. Contaminated food leads to severe loss in profit and in marketable yield. There has been extensive research to investigate resistance of maize toA. flavus. Certain lines of maize exhibit increased resistance to A. flavus and aflatoxin accumulation compared …

The Life Effectiveness Of Wilderness Adventure Leaders, Cory Maria Dack

Theses

The Life Effectiveness of Wilderness Adventure Leaders Cory Maria Dack Southern Illinois University Carbondale Introduction The call of the wild has long been accepted as a true phenomenon by mankind. Throughout history countless scores of women and men have written novels, poems, and symphonies in-spired by the ubiquitous reach of nature. As Sigurd Olson once wrote, "Wilderness to the people... is a spiritual necessity, an antidote to the high pressure of modern life, a means of regaining serenity and equilibrium" (Olson & Backes, 2001, p. 61). Eventually, musings on the powerful effects of nature branched out from the realm of …

The Effects Of A Community-Based Lifestyle, Cassidy Maria Scoggins

Theses

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF Cassidy Scoggins, for the Masters of Science degree in Food and Nutrition, presented on November 19, 2009, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: THE EFFECTS OF A COMMUNITY-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION ON SNACKING PATTERNS, SCREEN TIME PATTERNS, AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVELS AMONG ADOLESCENTS WHO ARE AT-RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Sharon Peterson Previous research has shown that overweight and obesity in adolescents is one of the leading risk factors for developing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). There are several risk factors for obesity that are modifiable in adolescents. Of these, snacking patterns, …

Prevalence And Timing Of Enamel Hypoplasias In The Vagnari Skeletal Sample (1st - 4th Centuries A.D.), Chrystal Lea Nause

Theses

This thesis investigates infant and childhood health in the Roman period (1st to 4th centuries A.D.) cemetery at Vagnari using data on the prevalence and timing of linear enamel hypoplasias (LEH‘s). These results are examined in the context of historical and archaeological evidence for childhood health in ancient Rome. Analysis of the prevalence of LEH‘s in 48 individuals reveals a low frequency (64.6 %) of enamel hypoplasias in comparison with other Roman period skeletal samples, suggesting that political–economic or geographical variables may have contributed to the generally healthy conditions for subadults at Vagnari. Intrasite analysis indicates no significant difference between …