Digital Commons Network^™

The Case For Microbicides: A Global Priority, Kathy Attawell

HIV and AIDS

The HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to spread, undermining development, reversing health gains, and exacerbating poverty. It will be some time before a vaccine is available and accessible, thus there is an urgent need to identify additional prevention options, in particular a method that women control, which could save millions of lives. This report from the Population Council and International Family Health presents the case for microbicides—products used vaginally to prevent infection from HIV and other STIs in women and their sexual partners—and discusses recent progress and developments, outstanding challenges, and the action required to ensure that products will be made available …

Spatial Distribution Of Global Runoff And Its Storage In River Channels, Balazs M. Fekete

Doctoral Dissertations

The present dissertation attempts to improve our current understanding of some of the key elements of the surface runoff and its horizontal transfers in rivers. The dissertation presents an intensive analysis of the uncertainties in water balance calculations and the impact of uncertainties in the input data and the formulation of the water balance calculations on the runoff estimate. A simple technique is presented to combine observed river discharge and simulated runoff to derive accurate estimates of the spatially distributed runoff. Such composite runoff estimates are valuable for numerous earth science and water resource studies.

The dissertation also discusses the …

Making Connections: Compartmentalization In Pre -Calculus Students' Understanding Of Functions, Hope H. Gerson

Doctoral Dissertations

Students develop knowledge constructs that they build into concepts through their experiences. Students demonstrate compartmentalization when they understand a construct or concept within one representation, but not another, or when they do not connect mathematically related ideas. For instance, a student may understand f(x) to mean plug x into the function within a symbolic representation, but the same student may understand f(x) to mean f times x within a tabular representation. A student with these understandings has a compartmentalized understanding of function notation.

A two-month study was conducted with a class of pre-calculus students enrolled in a parochial high school. …

The Level Of Teacher Involvement In The Vermont Mathematics Portfolio Assessment Process And Instructional Practices In Grade 4 Classrooms, Carol Anne Fritz

Doctoral Dissertations

The comprehensive assessment system in Vermont includes student mathematics portfolios that are submitted to the state Department of Education for scoring. A student portfolio should include 5--7 pieces of best work selected by the student that can be scored. This alternative assessment process has been in place for ten years, but limited information has been available from classroom teachers about the instructional practices they use when teaching mathematics, or whether or not those practices have been influenced by the portfolio process.

The study was developed to answer questions about the instructional practices used by teachers. Teachers' responses were compared to …

Non-Adiabatic Features In Magnetotail Fast Flows: Orbit Tracing And Data Comparisons, Bryan Michael Boll

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate velocity space distribution functions in space plasmas. Orbit tracing methods are used to generate self-consistent models of several different magnetic and electric field configurations. Fast flows in the magnetotail are selected to be modeled using a relatively thin current sheet compared with quiet times. Four different electric fields are imposed, varying in characteristic thickness and magnitude. Using these four particle based models we were able to generate velocity distribution functions that show clear evidence of non-adiabatic features that depend on the electric field characteristic width. Several years of Geotail Comprehensive Plasma Instrumentation …

Relational Learning For A Sustainable Future: An Eco -Spiritual Model, Mary Elizabeth Westfall

Doctoral Dissertations

We are facing unprecedented environmental challenges as we enter the new millennium as human choices and practices have repeatedly led to environmental degradation. Increasingly there are individuals and groups seeking to address this environmental crisis and move toward more sustainable patterns of living. But in order to make alternative choices it will be essential to draw upon the wealth and variety of human capabilities.

For nearly 350 years Western culture has looked to reason and rationality to provide truth and direction. The affective side of being human, feelings, intuition, love, care, wonder, mystery and hope have largely been devalued. In …

Reflexivity, Elementary Operators And Cohomology, Jiankui Li

Doctoral Dissertations

Let H be a separable complex Hilbert space and let B(H) be the set of all bounded operators on H. In this dissertation, we show that if S is a n-dimensional subspace of B( H), then S is [ 2n ]-reflexive, where [t] denotes the largest integer that is less than or equal to t.

We obtain some lattice-theoretic conditions on a subspace lattice L which imply alg L , is strongly rank decomposable. Let S be either a reflexive subspace or a bimodule of a reflexive algebra. We find some conditions such that T has a rank one summand …

Detection Of Giardia Lamblia And Cryptosporidium Parvum In The Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica) Harvested From The Great Bay Estuary, Kim Marie Stowell

Doctoral Dissertations

The Great Bay Estuarine system is being impacted by point source and nonpoint source pollution that affect shellfish quality. Many outbreaks of human gastroenteritis are potentially caused by the consumption of raw or undercooked oysters in which the protozoan pathogens, Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium parvum are present. The development of a rapid and sensitive technique to detect infectious protozoa in oysters is a necessity.

Immunofluorescence has been employed as a technique for the detection of these organisms in drinking water. Cross reactivity with algae and the production of false positive results limits the usefulness of this technique in environmental studies. …

Physics Experiences And Calculus: How Students Use Physics To Construct Meaningful Conceptualizations Of Calculus Concepts In An Interdisciplinary Calculus /Physics Course, Karen Ann Marrongelle

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the manner by which students enrolled in an integrated Calculus/Physics course use their understanding of physics to inform their conceptualizations of calculus concepts. This study utilized a multiple case study design with analysis by and across cases. The cases represent eight first year students in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of New Hampshire who enrolled in an integrated calculus/physics program. Data was gathered in a three-part process: (1) Semi-structured task-based interviews, (2) Participant-observation in the calculus/physics course, and (3) Obtaining copies of students' in-class notes, in-class activities, …

Numerical Simulation Of Acoustic Waves In A Rectangular Chamber, Normah Mohd. Ghazali

Doctoral Dissertations

Numerical simulation of acoustic waves in a closed two-dimensional rectangular chamber is considered. The waves are generated by a membrane or piston boundary condition on one wall. The simulations are performed through many acoustic cycles. A stack of heat exchanger plates are sometimes included. The study is motivated by thermoacoustic refrigeration, a phenomena which uses soundwaves in a chamber to achieve a cooling effect.

The present study treats the flow numerically. The governing equations are the viscous compressible Navier-Stokes system, assuming a perfect gas. The numerical method employs a finite difference spatial discretization and semi-implicit time-marching procedure. Verification is accomplished …

Joseph Mccarthy, The Law Student, Jeffrey S. Kinsler

Marquette Law Review

No abstract provided.

Reliability And Validity Of Angular Joint Velocity Using Peak Motus 2000 Motion Analysis And Kin-Com Isokinetic Dynamometer, Mark Wagner

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background and Purpose: Use of motion analysis systems for the study of human motion in research settings and clinical settings is becoming more prevalent. In a traditional sense, motion analysis systems are used for gait analysis; most recently, they are being utilized to analyze spinal motion, foot motion, and components of motion during sporting activities. Questions about the accuracy of computerized motion analysis systems and the precision and reliability of the digitizing process remains. The purpose of this study is to determine the validity of the Peak Motus 2000 motion analysis system in calculating dynamic velocities and range of motion. …

Web Based Agent For Promotion Of Mercantile - Company Management, Hean Giap Tan

Student Works (2000-2009)

This is an e-commerce project that suitable for medium-scaled company. It allows companies to register as retailer and sell their product online. Customer can choose and compare products' price from different retailer in this system and pay for their products online using credit cards. Before developing this system, surveys on several development tools are carried on. After the literature surveys, appropriate software tools are chosen. Besides, some existing Malaysia e-commerce website also investigated and their weaknesses are identified. Strength of foreign e-commerce is reviewed, hopes that it will help in developing the system. Furthermore, correct methodology of the project is …

Mapping The Land : Spatial, Social And Sacred Relationships Of Australian Indigenous People To Land, Marianne Best

Theses : Honours

The people who claimed the great southern continent came from Britain, which was experiencing the industrial revolution, the Enlightenment, a new sense of nationalism and a drive to colonise. Australia was regarded as an uninhabited land. Colonisation brought with it a European form of ownership of land and a way of mapping the landscape on paper with finite borders for administrative purposes. Meanwhile Indigenous people had lived on the Australian continent for over 55 000 years. These lndigenous Australians had a way of life, which was completely different from the Western colonisers. They were very successful hunter-gatherers with complex beliefs …

To Explore Agent Technology In E-Commerce Mighty House Agent, Thirumalai Phiyadharshini

Student Works (2000-2009)

Agent technology is becoming more popular among system designers who want their system to be more personalized, continuously running and semi-autonomous. These properties make agents useful for a wide variety of information and process management tasks. It should come as no surprise that these same qualities are particularly useful for the information-rich and process-rich environment of electronic commerce. As such agent technology in electronic commerce (e-commerce) would be essential to improve on-line shopping which is becoming more and more popular these days. It is in these roles that agent system designers have the challenge to accurately identify and the opportunity …

Linear Empirical Bayes Estimation Of Survival Probabilities With Partial Data, Mostafa Mashayekhi

Journal of Actuarial Practice (1993–2006)

In this paper we consider linear empirical Bayes estimation of survival probabilities with partial data from right-censored and possibly left-truncated observations. Such data are produced by studies in which the exact times of death are not recorded and the length of time that each subject may be under observation cannot exceed one unit of time. We obtain asymptotically optimal linear empirical Bayes estimators, with respect to the squared error loss function, under the assumption that the probability of death under observation in a unit time interval is proportional to the length of observation. This assumption is sometimes implied by Balducci's …

Controlling The Solvency Interaction Among A Group Of Insurance Companies, Alexandros Zimbidis, Steven Haberman

Journal of Actuarial Practice (1993–2006)

Pooling of risks is an efficient risk management technique used by large employee benefit schemes of multinational companies to self-insure their retirement and other benefit obligations. This technique forms a basis for formulating a general control theoretic model for the interaction between insurance companies within a pooling network. The objective of these insurance companies is to avoid insolvency yet maintain stable premium and surplus processes. A general control system of equations that is used as a model for the interaction of m insurance companies within the network is first analyzed. An analytic solution is provided. Questions concerning the stability and …

Clarity In Teaching In Higher Education: Dimensions And Classroom Strategies, Nira Hativa

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This essay presents research knowledge regarding the main dimensions of effective teaching in higher education, concentrating on clarity in teaching and its components—classroom behaviors and strategies that promote clear teaching. On this basis, I suggest arranging all dimensions and classroom strategies of effective teaching within a logical structure of interconnected teaching behaviors whose contribution to student learning is based on theory and research. The model organizes all dimensions and strategies of effective teaching in three hierarchical levels and is illustrated by successively breaking down clarity in teaching into intermediate dimensions and classroom behaviors and strategies. The model may help faculty …

Preparing Today's Faculty For Tomorrow's Students: One College's Faculty Development Solution, Patrick Nellis, Helen Clarke, Jacalyn Dimartino, David K. Hosman

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Valencia Community College in Orlando, Florida, has created a faculty development program underwritten for the past five years by a US Department of Education Title III Strengthening Institutions Grant. Our program rose from a deliberate desire to build active, collaborative faculty teams that would, in turn, build active, collaborative classrooms; our results demonstrate that faculty development programs based on observable and measurable outcomes can positively affect student academic performance and persistence. This essay details this faculty development project.

The Role Of A Teaching Center In Curricular Reform, Constance Ewing Cook

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Instructional consultants can play a crucial role in curricular reform. They gather evaluation and assessment data about the current curriculum so that faculty decisions about improvements are based on empirical evidence. They organize and facilitate meetings and retreats at which faculty make curricular decisions, and they provide pedagogical expertise and resources to help with course design and enhancement. They also provide ongoing data for formative evaluation of the new curriculum. Examples from the University of Michigan’s Center for Research on Learning and Teaching illustrate instructional consultants’ contributions to the curricular reform process.

2001 Acropolis, Whittier College

Acropolis (Yearbook)

2001 Acropolis yearbook for Whittier College.

Exponential Bonus-Malus Systems Integrating A Priori Risk Classification, Llufs Bermudez, Michel Denuit, Jan Dhaene

Journal of Actuarial Practice (1993–2006)

This paper examines an integrated ratemaking scheme including a priori risk classification and a posteriori experience rating. In order to avoid the high penalties implied by the quadratic loss function, the symmetry between the overcharges and the undercharges is broken by introducing parametric loss functions of exponential type.

Premium Earning Patterns For Multi-Year Policies With Aggregate Deductibles, Thomas Struppeck

Journal of Actuarial Practice (1993–2006)

MUlti-year policies with large aggregate deductibles or multiple triggers raise some interesting issues about the correct amount of unearned premium reserve that a company should carry. Examples in this paper illustrate some of the difficulties that arise when trying to establish such reserves. The basic approach taken here is that the pure premium portion of the unearned premium reserve should always be adequate to cover the remaining risk. This approach, however, can lead to some unusual and controversial earning patterns; there are even situations where a negative premium is earned. In addition, the earning pattern for a particular loss scenario …

The Neglected History Of The Prior Restraint Doctrine: Rediscovering The Link Between The First Amendment And The Separation Of Powers, Michael I. Meyerson

All Faculty Scholarship

The prior restraint doctrine, once so fundamental to Constitutional Jurisprudence, has lost much of its effectiveness over the years. Nevertheless, prior restraint doctrine is crucial to preserving the line between protected and unprotected speech. One of the fundamental problems that contribute to the current ineffectiveness of prior restraint doctrine is that there exists no comprehensive definition of "prior restraint". This article chronicles the historical roots of prior restraint in order to arrive at a generally accepted legal definition. Through the course of this historical journey, the article yields a heretofore unexplored aspect of prior restraint doctrine, namely that prior restraint …

Connection, September/October 2001, Eastern Michigan University

Alumni News: Eastern Magazine

No abstract provided.

Csusb Viewbook (2001-2002), California State University, San Bernardino

CSUSB Viewbooks

No abstract provided.

Family Aeronautical Science: Improving Math, Science, And Technology Skills Among Nebraska Native American Children, Henry R. Lehrer, Ed Zendajas, Brent D. Bowen

Pilot Program: School Identification and Mobilization

The involvement of the NASA Nebraska Space Grant (NNSG) with the Native American community began over 4 years ago. Primary participants have included faculty and researchers from the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO); administration, faculty, and staff of 4 Nebraska reservations schools and 2 tribal colleges, and close to 1,000 Native American youngsters. Over these past years, numerous activities and projects have been undertaken; all have been exceedingly successful. Included among these programs and initiatives are educational, motivational, and infrastructure-building activities.

Nase Ne Space Grant / Epscor Native American Outreach: Tracing A Successful Nasa / Tribal Partnership, Hank R. Lehrer, Ed Zendajas

National Aeronautics and Space Administratin (NASA) and Space Grant (SG)

The involvement of the NASA Nebraska Space Grant (NNSG) with the Native American community began over 4 years ago. Primary participants have included faculty and researchers from the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO); administration, faculty, and staff of 4 Nebraska reservations schools and 2 tribal colleges, and close to 1,000 Native American youngsters. Over these past years, numerous activities and projects have been undertaken; all have been exceedingly successful. Included among these programs and initiatives are educational, motivational, and infrastructure-building activities.

Bridgewater Magazine, Volume 11, Number 2, Winter 2001, Bridgewater State College

Bridgewater Magazine

Features cover research opportunities for BSC faculty and students. Also College News, Alumni Profiles, Alumni Updates, and Class Notes.

Enumeration Of Equicolourable Trees, Nicholas Pippenger

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

A tree, being a connected acyclic graph, can be bicolored in two ways, which differ from each other by exchange of the colors. We shall say that a tree is equicolorable if these bicolorings assign the two colors to equal numbers of vertices. Labelled equicolored trees have been enumerated several times in the literature, and from this result it is easy to enumerate labelled equicolorable trees. The result is that the probability that a randomly chosen n-vertex labelled tree is equicolorable is asymptotically just twice the probability that its vertices would be equicolored if they were assigned colors by …