Digital Commons Network^™

Measuring Information Quality Of Web Site: Development Of Instrument, P. Katerattanakul, Keng Siau

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Web sites have been extensively used to provide information to consumers. While practitioners and researchers have proposed different criteria for effective Web site design based on common sense, intuition, and rules-ofthumb, effective Web site design focusing on the quality of the information it provides has rarely been studied. In this research, we propose a framework and develop an instrument to measure the information quality of individual or personal Web sites. The theoretical foundation of this research is the information quality framework. The proposed framework and instrument were tested in an individual or personal Web site context.

The Spiritual Dimension Of Social Work Practice In And Through Research, Education, And Life Experience, Pauline Kay Burthwick

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years there has been an effort to reintroduce religion and spirituality as tangible constructs into social work education and practice in an effort to incorporate all aspects of the client's system (biological, psychological, social, spiritual) and to understand and appreciate the client's diversity and potential strengths and resources. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of religion and spirituality in the lives of social work practitioners as it relates to their social work practice and to the education of future social workers.

This study was composed of two parts. The first was a secondary data …

Montana Kaimin, December 1, 1999, Associated Students Of The University Of Montana

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

Lost In The Savage Garden: A Nihilistic Interpretation Of Anne Rice's "Vampire Chronicles"., Angela S. Mcmullen

Student Work

This study examines Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles in light of the nihilist tradition. Nihilism is defined in this study as the absence of meaning. Rice uses vampires to explore problems created through this philosophy that ultimately leaves a void in human existence. In a sense, this study is an exploration of the ways which humanity fails to find an adequate reason to live. Louis begins the exploration by searching for God. Unable to find supernatural answers in his animated state, he falls into spiritual decay. Lestat, however, takes an aggressive approach patterned on Fredrick Nietzsche. By killing God and giving …

Sentencing Juveniles For Murder In France And The United States: Are They Juveniles Who Commit Adult Crimes Or Adult Criminals Who Are Juveniles, Jennifer A. Zepeda

Loyola of Los Angeles International and Comparative Law Review

No abstract provided.

Factors Of Job-Related Stress As Perceived By Middle School Principals In Virginia, Teresa I. Snyder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted among middle school principals in Virginia to determine their perceptions of job-related stress factors. The entire population of middle school principals (grades 6, 7, 8) was selected to participate in the study. The Administrative Stress Index was used to assess factors that cause principals stress on the job and to measure their stress levels. A demographic data form was used to collect data on the variables of age, gender, administrative experience, assistant principal support, student enrollment, adults supervised, percentage of students receiving free or reduced lunch, location of school, type of school, experience as a middle …

Guarding The Gate To The Courthouse: How Trial Judges Are Using Their Evidentiary Screening Role To Remake Tort Causation Rules, Lucinda M. Finley

DePaul Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Road Less Well Traveled (And Seen): Contemporary Lawmaking In Products Liability, Michael D. Green

DePaul Law Review

No abstract provided.

Questioning The Counter-Majoritarian Thesis: The Case Of Torts, Richard L. Abel

DePaul Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Eighth Amendment And Solitary Confinement: The Gap In Protection From Psychological Consequences, Christine Rebman

DePaul Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Genesis Of Family, The Family Of Genesis, Jacques B. Doukhan

Shabbat Shalom: A Journal for Jewish-Christian Reconciliation

No abstract provided.

Archaeology And The Family In Ancient Israel, Randall W. Younker

Shabbat Shalom: A Journal for Jewish-Christian Reconciliation

No abstract provided.

Popular And Highbrow Literature: A Comparative View, Peter Swirski

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

In his article, "Popular and Highbrow Literature: A Comparative View," Peter Swirski discusses the role and status of popular fiction in contemporary culture. Starting with the basic question, "Who needs popular fiction?," he surveys select sociological evidence and prevailing aesthetic arguments in order to take stock of the ways in which highbrow literature and popular fiction relate to each other. He begins with statistical and socio-economic data which casts a different lights on many myths prevailing in scholarship as well as in general social and cultural discourse, such as the death of the novel, the alleged decline of the reading …

Clash Of The Titans: Regulating The Competition Between Established And Emerging Electronic Payment Systems, Jane Kaufman Winn

Articles

This article equates the providers of traditional electronic payment services with the Titans of Greek mythology, and the providers of new electronic payment technologies with the Olympians. Professor Winn concludes, however, that unlike the Titans of Greek mythology, these modern Titans appear to be winning in their battle with the upstart Olympians. This article describes the fundamental characteristics of payment systems, reviews the applicable law, and describes the new technologies that were, until quite recently, expected to displace older electronic payment systems. Professor Winn finds that consumers and merchants, by and large, are happy with the existing regulatory structure. And, …

Development Of A Method For Calculation Of Cardiac Output Using Doppler Ultrasound, Amit Diggikar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cardiac output is the amount of blood pumped by the heart in one minute. The Doppler effect can be used to measure cardiac output by measuring the peak frequency, which is directly proportional to the velocity of blood flowing in the aorta, associated with the Doppler shift signal when an ultrasound beam is incident on the aorta. Stroke volume is the product of the cross sectional area of the aorta and the integration of peak velocity over time. Stroke volume times the heart rate is the cardiac output. This project attempts to develop an algorithm that would automatically calculates the …

Effects Of Turbidity On The Foraging Abilities Of Brook Trout (Salvelinus Fontinalis) And Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus Dolomieu), John A. Sweka

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Sedimentation is the major pollutant of waters in North America. Most research on the effects of increased sedimentation has focussed on its effects on stream habitat and its ramification on the reproductive potential of fish. Although relatively large sediment loads may be necessary to alter stream habitat, only small loads are needed to raise mean stream turbidity levels. Turbidity may be an important, yet relatively unexamined factor in stream fish production. With this, I sought to determine the influence of elevated turbidity on the foraging abilities of two predatory species representing both cold and warm water stream habitas, brook trout …

Functional Diversity And Life History Traits Of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi In Disturbed Soils, Kelly Marie Fleming

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Relative effectiveness of ten species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi native to a revegetated coal strip mine site was tested on red clover against a non-mycorrhizal control and against inocula of two commercial isolates. Most (70%) of the isolated species in a native fungal community were as effective at promoting growth as commercial isolates. The net benefit of native colonizing fungi likely was positive, since the majority of the fungi colonizing two-year-old apple and grape in the field also were effective symbionts. The relationship between colonization and sporulation was compared among one Acaulospora , two Glomus, one Gigaspora, and one Scutellospora …

Explaining Age-Related Problem -Solving Differences On Concept Identification Problems As A Function Of Problem Content, Strategies, And Stereotypes, Dave Buck

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purposes of this study were to: (a) determine whether older adults would use logic-based strategies on a concept identification task when the stereotyped content of the task was changed to "experience free"; (b) determine whether older adults would use logic-based strategies when the stereotyped content was left intact after completing an "experience free" version of the concept identification task, and (c) explore relations of potential causal mechanisms of strategy use for older adults such as problem interpretation or past experience. Thirty-two older adults (M = 70.0 years) and 32 younger adults (M = 21.2) solved two versions of the …

December 1, 1999, The Daily Mississippian

Daily Mississippian (all digitized issues)

No abstract provided.

Oocyte Morphology And Estrogen Concentrations Following A Reduction In Progesterone In Beef Cattle, Robert A. Taft Jr.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Low dosages of progestogens promote persistent follicles, high systemic estrogen and low fertility. The objectives of this study were to determine effects of a reduction in progesterone on (1) morphology of oocytes and intrafollicular concentrations of estradiol. Cows on low progesterone (n = 12) received used intravaginal progesterone inserts on d 4 after estrus and prostaglandin (PG) F2alpha (25 mg, i.m.) on d 6. Control animals (n = 12) received saline on d 6. The oocyte and follicular fluid were recovered from the largest follicle on d 8 or d 10.;Serum estradiol was lower during d 4--6 but greater (P < .01) during d 7--10 in cows treated with progesterone inserts and PGF 2alpha while the largest follicle was larger in treated cows on day 10 only (14 vs. 12 mm; P < .05). Intrafollicular concentrations of estrogen were greater in treated than in control cows (990 +/- 87 vs 191 +/- 106; P < .01). Progesterone in follicular fluid (mean = 42 ng/ml) did not differ. Oocytes were observed in oocyte nuclear stage I in the control group on d 8. All other oocytes were in nuclear stage II. In addition, the degree of clumping of mitochondria, the percentage of intact cumulus cell processes and percentage of normally shaped mitochondria was greater in oocytes from d 8 control cows than in all other groups.;Changes in concentrations of estradiol and oocyte morphology typically associated with the preovulatory period had occurred within 2 d after a reduction in progesterone, even when low peripheral concentrations of progesterone were maintained. These earliest stages of oocyte maturation occurred in response to a reduction in progesterone. Similar changes in oocyte morphology were observed in control animals by d 10 of the estrous cycle, probably representing the onset of atresia.

Design And Development Of A Microwave-Enhanced Diesel Soot Oxidation System, Bret Allen Rankin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Diesel particulate matter (PM) emissions have created considerable concern because PM is a suspected carcinogen. Up to this point, improved engine and fuel system design and control schemes have made the use of diesel particulate aftertreatment systems unnecessary for most applications in the United States, but the continued decreasing trend of emissions regulations may necessitate the use of PM filters for many applications.;Many methods have been developed to generate a controlled, reliable regeneration event within PM filters, none of which have been proven to be completely successful. These methods include exhaust throttling, fuel catalysis, filter catalysis, electrical heating, and burner …

Characterization Of Particulate Matter And Hydrocarbon Emissions From In-Use Heavy-Duty Diesel Engines, Aleksandar Djordje Bugarski

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A continued increase in the use of diesel engines in heavy-duty vehicles, and the uncertainties about the effects of the emissions on human health have focused attention on risk assessments of exposure to the diesel exhaust. The characterization of diesel particulate matter (PM) and hydrocarbon (HC) emissions is the primary objective toward assessing potential health hazard. The dependence of DPM nature on engine/vehicle operating conditions, fuel type, different after treatment processes, and measurement process on the size resolved PM emissions was examined by operating the test engines and vehicles under steady-state and transient conditions. The regional deposition of DPM in …

Predicting Post-Disaster Adjustment After The Red River Flood: An Analysis Of Resource Loss And Pre-Flood Preventative Behaviors, Holly J. Hegstad

Theses and Dissertations

The Conservation of Resources theory postulates that individuals will act to obtain, retain, or protect those resources that are of value to them (Hobfall, 1989). Natural disasters often result in depletion of resources, the extent of which has been found to be a robust predictor of post-disaster adjustment (Freedy, Hobfall, & Ribbe, 1994; Freedy, Shaw, Jarrel, & Masters, 1992; Norris & Uhl, 1993; Smith & Freedy, 1994). Three-hundred-four victims (131 males, 171 females) of the 1997 flood of the Red River returned surveys assessing their levels of preparation, resource losses, and psychopathology 12 to 16 months after the flood. It …

The Assault On The Global Economy, Murray L. Weidenbaum

Murray Weidenbaum Publications

The global economy is under assault by a strange alliance of radical groups and several mainstream environmental organizations. The outfits from the far left are long-term opponents of the capitalist system, both at home and abroad, so their opposition to trade between nations is neither new nor newsworthy. It is surprising, however, that organizations like the Sierra Club and Friends of the Earth have joined this effort to oppose the modern economy. This paper attempts to respond to these views. Isolationist policies are a foolhardy, futile pursuit in today's interconnected, globalized economy.

Determination Of Vitality From A Non-Invasive Biomedical Measurement For Use In Integrated Biometric Devices, Reza Derakhshani

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Personal identification is a very important issue in today's mobile and electronically networked societies. Among the available measures, fingerprints are the oldest and most widely used. Unfortunately, it is usually possible to deceive automatic fingerprint identification systems by presenting a well-duplicated synthetic or dismembered finger. This project is one method to provide fingerprint vitality authentication in order to solve this problem. Using a sensor that is composed of an array of capacitors, this method identifies the vitality of a fingerprint by detecting a specific changing pattern over the human skin. Mapping the two-dimensional images into one-dimensional signals, two ensembles of …

Back To Nature To Beat The Blues, Shannon Leigh Kirby Lawson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate a reduction in depressive symptoms in nursing home residents by using a pet therapy intervention to increase levels of social support and social interaction within the nursing home facility.;The target population in this study consisted of two nursing home facilities in West Virginia. Approximately 21 subjects participated in the study. An intervention using pet therapy was conducted in the intervention facility in which certified therapy animals "visited" the residents once a week for four weeks. The control group received a delayed intervention of gospel singing once a week for four weeks after …

Tissue Thickness Measurement Tool For Craniofacial Reconstruction, Hari Kinan Gopal Boddupalli

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Craniofacial Reconstruction is a method of recreating the appearance of the face on the skull of a deceased individual for identification purposes. Older clay methods of reconstruction are inaccurate, time consuming and inflexible. The tremendous increase in the processing power of the computers and rapid strides in visualization can be used to perform the reconstruction, saving time and providing greater accuracy and flexibility, without the necessity for a skillful modeler.;This thesis introduces our approach to computerized 3D craniofacial reconstruction. Three phases have been identified. The first phase of the project is to generate a facial tissue thickness database. In the …

Performance Evaluation Of Exhaust Aftertreatment Devices Used For Emissions Control On Diesel Engines Employed In Underground Coal Mines, Daniel K. Carder

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study was initiated to assist the WV Diesel Equipment Commission in its promulgation of initial rules, requirements, and standards governing the operation of diesel-powered equipment in underground coal mines. Four different engines and various exhaust after treatment devices that represent current levels of in-use technology were selected for performance evaluation. Both eddy-current and water-brake dynamometers were used to load the engines according to an ISO 8-Mode test cycle. Experimental emissions data, sampled from a full-flow dilution tunnel, suggests that particulate traps can reduce the mass emission rates of particulate matter (DPM) by nearly 90%, while reductions in fuel sulfur …

Genetic Control Of Eye Development, A Case Study Focused On The Murine Mutation Belly Spot And Tail (Bst), Qing Tang

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Development of the eye is controlled by a network of genes, often conserved, that regulate the timing and location of cellular differentiation. One approach to understanding this network of genes and their interaction is to focus on mutations, spontaneous or induced, that predictably disrupt the proper function of such networks, and by examining the effect of such disruption on the function of other genes.

The Belly spot and tail (Bst) semi-dominant mutation, mapped to mouse Chromosome 16, leads to developmental defects of the eye, skeleton, and coat pigmentation. In the eye, the mutant phenotype is characterized by the presence of …

The Vertical Separation Of Powers, Victoria Nourse

Duke Law Journal

Standard understandings of the separation of powers begin with the concept of function. Professor Nourse argues that function alone cannot predict important changes in structural incentives and thus serves as a poor proxy for assessing real risks to governmental structure. To illustrate this point, the Article returns to proposals considered at the Constitutional Convention and considers difficult contemporary cases such as Morrison v. Olson, Clinton v. Jones, and the Supreme Court's more recent federalism decisions. In each instance, function appears to steer us wrong because it fails to understand separation of powers questions as ones of structural incentive and political …