Digital Commons Network^™

A Study To Determine The Effectiveness Of Automated Electronic Classrooms In The United States Navy, David W. Lorenz

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

Based on the problem statement, the research hypothesis for this study was as follows: 1. There was no difference in academic achievement for Operation Specialist's taught in an Automated Electronic Classroom as compared to Operation Specialist's taught in a traditional classroom.

A Study To Determine The Effectiveness Of Instruction In A Nursing Class At Southwest Virginia Community College Through Distance Learning Or "Live" On Site Instruction, Jennifer R. Horton

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

Questions posed by this study included: 1. Does a change in distance learning instruction to "live" instruction have a positive or negative impact on the effectiveness of instruction in relation to student development? 2. Does a change from distance learning instruction to "live" instruction provide for greater academic success? 3. Does a change from a "live" Nursing course to a distance learning course reduce attendance problems? 4. Does successful implementation, and technology used in program development, have an impact on student achievement in distance learning courses?

A Study To Determine If Participating In Technology Education Classes Improved The Mechanical Aptitude Of Students, Amos C. Peterson

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

The following hypothesis was set forth to guide this study: 1. Students taking technology education classes at Northside Middle School developed higher levels of mechanical aptitude when compared to students from the same school that took only the traditional general education classes.

Automated Identification Of The Operational Modes Of Switched Electric Circuits, J. Jatskevich, O. Wasynczuk, E. A. Walters, C. E. Lucas, Steven Pekarek, P. T. Lamm

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In the analysis of power-electronic-based energy conversion systems, it is important to identify the operational modes of the associated converters and inverters. However, as the number of switching elements increases, it becomes more difficult to analytically establish all possible modes of operation. In this paper, a modelling technique is described wherein a state-space representation of the overall system is generated automatically and updated dynamically as each new topology is encountered. Utilizing this approach, it becomes possible to identify the operational modes of converters and inverters based upon the cyclically repeated sequences of topologies that can be observed during steady-state operation. …

A Novel Fpga-Based Master/Slave Pci Interface Core, Chris Brueggen, Hardy J. Pottinger

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Current high-density, high-speed devices such as Xilinx's Virtex FPGAs are more than capable of implementing a 64-bit, 66 MHz PCI bus interface and associated application specific logic. This paper presents a novel design for an FPGA-based PCI bus interface, which is being used in the development of a medical ultrasound instrument.

International Law - New Actors And New Technologies: Center Stage For Ngos, John King Gamble, Charlotte Ku

Faculty Scholarship

Technology and the information age are changing the allocation of power and authority in the international system with non-state actors such as intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) assuming decision-making roles previously reserved primarily to states. Professor David Johnston sees the information age as "creating deep and broad disruptive breaches in our society, disruptions equal to those of the agricultural or industrial revolutions." Professors Keohane and Nye believe that the information age will alter the power structure of governments. Jessica Mathews's stimulating article in Foreign Affairs argues both that the information revolution is shaking the foundations of state authority, …

Debating The Field Civil Code 105 Years Late, Andrew P. Morriss, Scott J. Burnham, James C. Nelson

Faculty Scholarship

In 1895, Montana adopted a version of the Field Civil Code--a massive law originally drafted by New York lawyer David Dudley Field in the early 1860s. The Civil Code (and its companion Political, Penal, and Procedural Codes) were adopted without debate, without legislative scrutiny, and without Montanans having an opportunity to grasp the enormity of the changes the Codes brought to the Montana legal system. In sponsoring this debate over whether to repeal the Civil Code, the Montana Law Review is finally giving Montana the opportunity to examine the merits of the Civil Code that she was denied 105 years …

The Destructive Role Of Land Use Planning, Andrew P. Morriss, Roger E. Meiners

Faculty Scholarship

Is land use planning fundamentally different from other forms of central planning? If so, does that difference suggest that land use planning will succeed where other forms of central planning failed? We conclude that land use planning is not fundamentally different from other forms of economic central planning. Further, the working of the market economy, and the long-term success of America's economy, is intertwined in the clear and certain rights and responsibilities generated by the common law of property. The complexity of the modem world does not diminish the need for private property; indeed, it strengthens its imperative. Returning to …

Robust Test For Detecting Nonstationarity In Data From Gravitational Wave Detectors, Soumya Mohanty

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

It is difficult to choose detection thresholds for tests of nonstationarity that assume a priori a noise model if the data are statistically uncharacterized to begin with. This is a potentially serious problem when an automated analysis is required, as would be the case for the huge data sets that large interferometric gravitational wave detectors will produce. A solution is proposed in the form of a robust time-frequency test for detecting nonstationarity whose threshold for a specified false alarm rate is almost independent of the statistical nature of the ambient stationary noise. The efficiency of this test in detecting bursts …

Critical Adsorption On Defects In Ising Magnets And Binary Alloys, Andreas Hanke

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

Long-range correlations in a magnet close to its critical point or in a binary alloy close to a continuous order-disorder transition can substantially enhance the effect of local perturbations. It is demonstrated using a position-space renormalization procedure that quasi-one-dimensional defects which break the symmetry of the order parameter have pronounced effects: They cause long-range critical adsorption profiles and give rise to new universal critical exponents, which are identified and calculated using field-theoretical methods.

A Qualitative Study Of The Experience Of God By Palliative Care Patients In The Context Of Innocent Suffering, Colleen Patricia Lashmar

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This research project explores the experience of God and the discussion of God in the context of the physical, emotional, and spiritual suffering of patients who are in palliative care. It first places suffering and the experience of God in the theological language of theodicy. It also places suffering and the experience of God in the language of Grace, utilizing Karl Rahner's definition of Grace as the self-gift of God to humanity. The nature of the suffering, in the words of Gustavo Gutierrez, is "innocent." The thesis probes the question of how palliative patients, as people who suffer innocently, talk …

The Effect Of Rock Creep On The Morphology Of Steep-Sloped Sections Of The Niagara Escarpment (Ontario), John Barlow

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The thesis addresses the post-glacial development of the Niagara Cuesta between Hamilton and Collingwood. Conventional thinking on the escarpment during the Holocene suggests that the present morphology developed rapidly following deglaciation due to periglacial processes (Straw, 1966/Tovell 1992). The disruption of the preglacial drainage pattern by drift has meant the escarpment has not been subject to extensive fluvial action along its base, resulting in an extremely slow rate of retreat (Bird, 1980). The concept that the escarpment is a relict feature therefore pervades the modem literature. The apparent motion of the blocks at the face of the escarpment (Hintz, I997) …

The Growth And Distribution Of The Green Alga Cladophora At Presqu'ile Provincial Park: Implications For Management (Ontario), Dolf Craig Dejong

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The Green alga genus Caldophora is one of the most abundant kinds of algae worldwide, found in both freshwater and marine environments. It prefers nutrient-rich waters and requires a rocky substrate and water movement for growth. When water temperatures reach 22 to 26 C, the alga dies and washes into shore in large mats. Dead Cladophora produces a terrible odour, reduces property values and can alter the taste of drinking water. At Presqu’ile Provincial Park, maximum Cladophora sloughing occurred July 22 1999, the same time as peak summer park visitation begins. This results in the fouling of the Park’s beaches …

The Management Of Complex Sociobiophysical Systems: Ecosystem-Based Management And The Chesapeake Bay Program, Daniel Dennis Mccarthy

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

There are an entire class of entities for which conventional scientific understanding is necessary but not sufficient to comprehend. These entities are too complex for analysis and yet too organized for statistics. They exist in a dynamic balance between the ordered and the disordered. They are ecosystems and human institutions. They are complex systems. There is an emerging body of theory that is providing insight into the structures and dynamics that underlie such entities. Under the rubric of complex systems theory, catastrophe theory, chaos theory, hierarchy theory and the interrelated theories of self-organization have profound implications for the way understand …

Killbear Provincial Park: The Beach And Dunes, Their Use And The Implications For Management (Ontario), Kathryn Ann Parlee

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Beaches, and in particular sand dunes, are extremely fragile environments, easily altered by human activities. Intensive use of the beach/dune complex at Killbear Provincial Park near Parry Sound, Ontario may have led to the severe degradation of its dune system within Kilcoursie Bay. At present the dunes have been degraded back to an embryonic state, and as a result it is necessary to consider the development of management strategies before the system is completely destroyed. In order to develop effective management strategies however, it is necessary to understand how the natural process of the system work and the specific effects …

Examination Of The Role Of Macropores And Subsurface Drainage In The Delivery Of Nitrogen Trioxide-Nitrogen To A Small First-Order Agricultural Stream In Southern Ontario, Abraham House

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Agricultural practices may result in nitrate losses, diminished surface water quality and widespread groundwater aquifer contamination. Many works have identified preferential flow through macropores as an important feature that may increase nitrate losses. Subsurface drainage collectors may intercept preferential flow and indicate changing unsaturated/saturated processes. Antecedent conditions are important in determining runoff response. It is unclear how tile drains modify the antecedent soil moisture regime and water tables in near stream areas. Vegetated riparian buffer zones found beetween agricultural fields and watercourses may attenuate nitrate in shallow groundwater pathways. However, little work recognizes the close proximity of buffer strips and …

Identifying Areas Of Concern For Regional Cumulative Effects Assessments In And Around Northern National Parks In Canada (Yukon), Jennifer L. Lenton

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This thesis uses a literature review of protected areas selection, park management, comprehensive regional land use planning, and cumulative environmental effects and assessment to develop a methodology that identifies areas with concentrations of social and/or ecological values in and around northern national parks. The proposed methodology involves two stages. First, a database of values is developed by taking an inventory of social and ecological values through exxtensive literature reviews, interviews, and consultation with the public. This database is then used in the second step to determine areas with concentrations of social and/or ecological values, or “value hotspots”, using a series …

Spatial And Temporal Patterns Of Fluvial Suspended Sediment Yield From Eastern North America, Catherine Treena Conrad

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

A knowledge of spatial and temporal patterns of sediment yields and an understanding of the factors that determine those patterns have theoretical, environmental and socio-economic significance. To assess the change in sediment yields (in both space and time) a data base of 193 river gauging sites spanning the eastern provinces of Canada and eastern United States was compiled. The original source of the data was the United States Geological Survey data base (obtained from a Hydrosphere Data Inc. cd-rom) and Environment Canada (HYDAT) data base, which included stream discharge, sediment loads and basin areas, with record lengths of one year …

Coping With Loss: A Qualitative Study Of The Experience Of Sibling Bereavement In Young Adulthood, Purnima Sundar

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Existing literature in the area of bereavement as it pertains to young persons focuses primarily upon the death of a parent, and the age groups most studied are either children or adolescents. The goal of this thesis project, therefore, has been to develop an in-depth understanding of the experience of sibling bereavement in young adulthood, looking at factors that both helped and hindered effective coping. Specifically, in-depth interviews with 7 young women who had suffered the loss of a sister or brother while between the ages of 18 and 30 were conducted in an effort to shed light on this …

Changing Landscapes: Stories Of Five Women Farming Ecologically, Sherri Joy Van De Hoef

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Community and the natural environment have always played an important role in my life. I have had the opportunity in the past few years to explore these areas in more depth. My introduction to Community Psychology during my undergraduate degree exposed me to agricultural initiatives that emphasized community and respect for the environment. I explore these initiatives further by conducting a study (van de Hoef, 1998) of Ontario couples who live self-reliantly (that is, they grow their own food, build their own homes, live off the electricity grid, and find supports in their local communities). Subsequent to that study I …

Characterization Of Hyporheic Zone Processes Of A Northern Prairie Stream, David B. Rush

Theses and Dissertations

A hyporheic zone occurs beneath and adjacent to streams where surface water and groundwater mix. This zone is known to be a reservoir for solutes and a habitat for interstitial organisms. Hyporheic zone boundaries in the Tongue River, North Dakota, were investigated through examination of the physicochemical and biological gradients present in the stream channel and bank sediments. The effects of cattle grazing at the streamside interface of the riparian zone were also examined at two locations to determine land use impacts on the hyporheic zone.

Electrical conductivity (EC) and ammonium gradients were observed beneath the stream channel via nests …

Development Of Prejudice In Preschool Children, Heather Edwardson

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

Health Informatics Research & Evaluation Design Students Overwhelmingly Prefer Hypertutorial Web-Based Instruction In Randomized Comparison, Craig W. Johnson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Advertising And Culture: Variations On The Theme Of Individualism In Korean And American Magazine Advertising, Joyce M. Wolburg, Hoh Kim

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

Social scientists regard the U.S. and the Republic of Korea as countries with opposing cultural values. Given this contrast, the advertising of each culture is expected to differ. An examination of magazine advertising indicates that American ads strongly express the individualistic culture; however, the Korean ads not only express collectivistic ideas but individualistic ones as well. Although this phenomenon is not entirely surprising given the strength of Western influence, Korean individualistic messages are different from American individualistic messages. This suggests that expressions of individualism in ads blend with the elements of each culture to produce uniquely different messages ..

Parenting Among Hispanic And Anglo-American Mothers With Young Children, Pablo G. Cardona, Bonnie C. Nicholson, Robert A. Fox

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

The authors examined parenting practices and developmental expectations among 38 Hispanic and 38 Anglo-American mothers living in the United States. Mothers of children 3 to 5 years of age completed the Parent Behavior Checklist (R. A. Fox, 1994), a 100-item measure of parents' developmental expectations, discipline, and nurturing practices. In addition, the authors appraised the Hispanic mothers' acculturation and selected them for participation if their scores on an acculturation scale indicated (a) that their lifestyle was predominantly Hispanic and (b) that they had not been assimilated into the dominant culture. The 2 ethnic groups were also divided by socioeconomic status …

The Usm And U.S. Navy Collaborative Effort To Establish A National Center Of Excellence In Hydrographic Science, Andre Godin, Denis A. Wiesenburg, Donald G. Redalje, Kenneth Cooper, Captain Timothy J. Mcgee, Charles West

Hydrographic Science Research Center

A new partnership in Mississippi teams the operational arm of the U.S. Navy with the state academic leader in marine science, The University of Southern Mississippi (USM), to establish a nationally unique Center For Hydrographic Excellence. The Navy brings eight of the world’s most modern survey ships, a solid core of experienced field hydrographers, and the nation’s most extensive holdings of bathymetric and hydrographic data to the partnership.  USM joins the union with a new graduate degree program in Hydrographic Science established by the Department of Marine Science at the Stennis Space Center.  This new graduate degree program, formally approved …

Genetic Enhancement Technologies And The New Society, George P. Smith Ii

Scholarly Articles

So long as procreation continues to remain a central driving force in a marital relationship, and the family the very core of progressive society, efforts will be undertaken to expand the period of fecundity and combat infertility. Genetic planning and eugenic programming are more rational and humane alternatives to population regulation than death by famine and war.

Genetic enhancement technologies and the scientific research undertaken to advance them should be viewed as not only aiding (or, sometimes resolving) the tragedy of infertility in family planning, but as a tool for enhancing the health of a Nation's citizens by engineering man's …

Integrating Spiritual Perspectives With The Law School Experience: An Essay And Invitation, Lucia A. Silecchia

Scholarly Articles

Reports of burn-out, disillusionment, and stress abound in modern literature as the legal profession faces a period of rapid change and sobering self-reflection on the ways in which it should operate as an honorable and noble profession.

In a seemingly unrelated development, there is a steadily growing interest in the spirituality of modern professional life. As those in other fields have also grappled with both outward critique and inward self-reflection, the past several years have seen a renewed interest in the spiritual aspects of worldly occupations. As time goes on and interest in spirituality and professional life increases, the legal …

Constitutional Culture Of The New East-Central European Democracies, Rett R. Ludwikowski

Scholarly Articles

No abstract provided.

Recent Geographical Research On Indians And Inuit In The United States And Canada, Robert Rundstrom, Douglas Deur, Kate Berry, Richard Winchell

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

A geographical survey on Indians and Inuit in the United States and Canada..