Digital Commons Network^™

Questions To Ask Before You Join A Club, Laura N. Beny, Paul S. Bird, Franci J. Blassberg, Michael P. Harrell

Articles

Despite the recent flurry of large transactions in which a consortium of private equity firms have teamed up to make joint bids and acquisitions, “club deals” themselves are not breaking news. In fact, they have been a staple of small- and middle-sized private equity M&A transactions for years. Recently, however, there has been a growing trend toward large club deals with enterprise values over $1 billion.1 Due to their size, complexity and, often, international dimension, these transactions have generated considerable attention in the business press and have prompted much discussion among private equity professionals and the limited partners whose money …

A New Model For The Assessment Of Nonpoint Source Pollution Using Gis And Virtual Intelligence., Seyed Razi Gaskari

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Today, nonpoint source (NPS) pollution remains as the leading cause of water quality problems in the United States (USEPA, 1996). The most common NPS pollutants are sediment (i.e. total suspended solids, TSS) and nutrients (i.e. total nitrogen, TN). These wash into water bodies from agricultural land, construction sites, and other areas of disturbance. To develop the virtual non-point source assessment system (VNPSAS) model, monitoring gauges were selected for data extraction from West Virginia and also the western part of Virginia. A geographic information system (GIS) was used as a productive environment for data extraction and spatial analysis. The information for …

What's In A Label?, James C. Hathaway

Articles

One of the most striking features of the international refugee regime as it has evolved over the last quarter century is the proliferation of labels. Rather than simply assessing the circumstances of applicants against the Convention refugee definition, the governments of most developed states have instead invented a seemingly endless list of alternative statuses - "B" status, humanitarian admission, temporary protected status, special leave to remain, Duldung, and the like. Persons assigned one of these labels have generally been protected against refoulement in line with Article 33 of the Refugee Convention. But in a variety of other ways, they have …

Beyond The Walls: A Research Study Of Eighth-Grade Students Mentored In A Hospital Setting., Aileen Grattan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research study was designed to evaluate twelve eighth-grade students participating in the fourth year of a mentoring program to determine what effect the mentoring experience would have on the students' sense of a scientific community, their understanding of scientific knowledge and process skills and attitudes toward science. The mentoring program was developed through a partnership established between the researcher, an eighth-grade science teacher at a junior high school, and an administrator of a local hospital, to provide educational opportunities for students mentored by medical professionals. The research design included qualitative and quantitative methods of analysis. The qualitative instruments were …

Social Anxiety And Peer Experiences In Middle Childhood: The Importance Of Group Acceptance And Close Dyadic Friendships., Laurie A. Greco

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Interrelations among social anxiety, peer status, and friendship variables were investigated in an elementary school-aged sample (N = 490). Sociometric procedures, child-report, and teacher-report measures were administered on a single occasion during the fall semester. Relative to other sociometric groups, peer-rejected children reported higher levels of social anxiety and depression and were perceived by teachers as exhibiting more externalizing and internalizing difficulties and less socially skilled behavior and academic competence. Peer status and friendship variables were related to child-, peer-, and teacher-reported internalizing symptoms and externalizing behaviors. Regarding the identity of children's best friends, results varied by informant source, with …

The Role Of Retrochiasmatic Neurons In Seasonal Breeding In The Ewe., Steven L. Hardy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A seasonal change in GnRH secretion is well documented in sheep. An alteration in the estradiol (E2) negative feedback mechanism is thought to promote ovarian quiescence via GnRH inhibition during spring and summer months in response to changes in day length. It is evident that the hypothalamus becomes hypersensitive to E2 during this time, but the mechanism driving the shift is not completely understood. However, it is clear that A15 dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the retrochiasmatic area (RCh) play a key role in these seasonal changes. These neurons mediated E2 negative feedback in anestrus, but do not respond to E2 …

Prediction Of Treatment Dropouts From Outpatient Substance Abuse Rehabilitation: A Discriminant Analysis., Phyllis J. Harner-Neer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Significant research literature supports the need for programs better designed to meet the needs of adolescent substance treatment. There is little research, however, that addresses the identification of characteristics of those adolescents who do not complete treatment. Consequently, this study seeks to identify those characteristics of adolescents by segueing off of another study that proved successful in identifying characteristics among inpatient adult male substance abusers. This study looks at the archival data of 38 adolescents who attended outpatient substance abuse treatment at an experientially-based, substance abuse program designed for adolescents. Methodological processes included the use of demographic variables collected through …

Insuring Against Terrorism -- And Crime, Saul Levmore, Kyle D. Logue

Articles

The attacks of September 11th produced staggering losses of life and property. They also brought forth substantial private-insurance payouts, as well as federal relief for the City of New York and for the families of individuals who perished on that day. The losses suffered during and after the attacks, and the structure of the relief effort, have raised questions about the availability of insurance against terrorism, the role of government in providing for, subsidizing, or ensuring the presence of such insurance, as well as the interaction between relief and the incentives for taking precautions against similar losses in the future. …

A Tolerance Initiative Versus Multicultural Education: Portraits Of Teachers In Action., Raphael Chesare Heaggans

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Shadypine Middle School has recently implemented what they called a Teaching-for-Tolerance initiative designed to help all students become tolerant of cultural perspectives. This initiative involved teachers adding multicultural education to current curricula to show students groups of people who were discriminated and prejudiced against and their reaction to the discrimination and prejudice. Since teachers are using multicultural education as a base for this initiative, this study investigates how the tolerance initiative illustrates or exemplifies levels of multicultural education as described by Sonia Nieto. This study also investigates what the reactions of the parents and students are. This qualitative study employed …

Experimental Support For The Use Of Story Telling To Guide Behavior: The Effects Of Story Telling On Multiple And Mixed Fixed Ratio (Fr) /Differential Reinforcement Of Low Rate (Drl) Schedule Responding., Michelle Heffner

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Story telling is universal, and the significance of stories may lie in their ability to guide behavior. An informal analysis of story telling suggests that stories provide a model of behavior, establish motivation, and stimulate the development of self-generated rules. In psychotherapy, stories illustrate points, suggest solutions, improve client insight, increase motivation, and establish rapport (Barker, 1996; Zeig, 1980). Despite the popular use of stories across theoretical orientations and treatment approaches, it is not clear if stories facilitate behavior change. Observational and correlational data suggest that stories may guide behavior, but there is no experimental support for these findings. The …

Legal Transitions, Rational Expectations, And Legal Progress, Kyle D. Logue

Articles

In the literature on legal transitions, the term "transition policy" is generally understood to mean a rule or norm that influences policymakers' decisions concerning the extent to which legal change should be accompanied by transition relief, whether in the form of grandfathering or phase-ins or direct compensation. Legal change within this literature is defined broadly, and somewhat counter-intuitively, to include any resolution of the uncertainty regarding what the law will be in the future or how the law will be applied to future circumstances. Thus, a legal change would obviously include an unexpected repeal of a tax provision, such as …

Surface Mines As Landscape Features: Contrasting Microclimate And Forest Composition Among Open, Edge And Interior., Sheila A. Kazar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Surface mining disturbs thousands of hectares of forest every year in the Appalachian region resulting in the creation of forest edges. In this study, variability in air temperature and moisture, soil temperature and moisture, photosynthetically active radiation and wind velocity are quantified for open, edge and interior environments of reclaimed surface mines in north central West Virginia. Tree species composition, soil pH and compaction were also examined. Mean daily air and soil temperature, wind velocity and photosynthetically active radiation are lower, and soil and air moisture higher inside the forest than in the open or at the edge. Soil temperature, …

Se Battre Our Ses Droits Écritures, Litiges Et Discrimination Raciale En Louisiane (1888-1899), Rebecca J. Scott

Articles

Title in English: Fighting for public rights: writing, lawsuits and racial segregation in Louisiana (1888-1889).

This article explores the links between the fight against compulsory racial segregation and the day–to–day operation of the law in nineteenth century Louisiana. Using the figure of Louis A. Martinet, one of the organizers of the test case that yielded the U.S. Supreme Court decision Plessy v. Ferguson, the essay argues that Martinet’s role as notary reflects the central importance to the community of color of questions of public standing and written records. The article also identifies the concepts of "public rights" and "public liberties" …

Making Instructional Decisions: What Teacher Specialists Decide About And Do For Middle School Students With Reading Difficulty., Frances Laurel Boyd

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Concern about the efficacy of American education programs in reading is noted. Amid conflicting reports of what is wrong with American schools, steps must be taken which allow for growth among reading educators, especially those who work with older students who have not yet achieved grade appropriate reading skills. However, those who provide support programs need a body of information which allows them to address real needs that teachers have. The voice of teachers is under represented in program planning, yet could provide information crucial to the development of the most beneficial training and support programs. This study investigated the …

Fictions Of Nature: Ecology, Science, And Culture In Twentieth-Century British Literature., Neal Bukeavich

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation examines twentieth-century British fiction concerned with humankind's interactions with the nonhuman world. I analyze a range of literary works, including H. G. Wells's The Food of the Gods (1903), D. H. Lawrence's The Rainbow (1915), Women in Love (1920), and Lady Chatterley's Lover (1928), John Brunner's Stand on Zanzibar (1968), Graham Swift's Waterland (1983), and J. G. Ballard's Rushing to Paradise (1994). This body of literature remains largely unexamined for its treatments of ecological issues and belongs to a national history deeply implicated in local and global environmental change. Moreover, my consideration of this literary tradition marks a …

Highways Of The Mind: The Haunting Of The Superhighway From The World's Fair To The World Wide Web., Helen J. Burgess

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation investigates the way in which the rhetorical construction of the highway has been haunted, first by narratives of promise and progress and then of decay and death. Highways are figured as technological wonders marking the advent of a better future in the 1939 World's Fair and the advertising campaigns of the 1950s, and then as wired-up networks of death in science fictional accounts from the 60s to the 90s. At stake in this project is the very status of metaphor in the analysis of technology. The highway is a compelling 20th-century metaphor that reveals anxieties we have about …

A Comparison Of Community Members' Preferences To Viewing Two Different Approaches To Therapy., Sherry Lynn Cain

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The perceptions of community members on a traditional Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) counseling approach and a multi-sensory REBT counseling approach were examined in this study. A total of 98 individuals, who were the staff and parents recruited from a community Headstart program, participated in the study. Simulated counseling sessions of the two approaches were presented to the community members through eleven minute videotapes. After watching the counseling sessions, individuals rated the sessions with the Counseling Style Preference Form and the Credibility/Expectancy Questionnaire. They also were asked to write comments about each of the counseling sessions. Paired sample T-tests yielded …

Quid Est Littera? The Materiality Of The Letter And The Presence Of The Past From Alcuin Of York To The "Electronic Beowulf"., Edward J. Christie

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation traces the history of the discursive construction of the alphabetic letter in English. Perceived by Anglo-Saxon literati as the “atomic” unit of text, and the “custodian of history,” individual letters were imbued with essential existence that ranked them, like numbers and physical atoms, as fundamental units of matter. In later technological remediations of Anglo-Saxon texts, like the Early Modern production of AElfric's “Easter Sermon” using specially made Anglo-Saxon typefaces, or the digital facsimile of the Beowulf manuscript similar transhistorical properties are imputed to the letter. In the first case, the form of Anglo-Saxon letters becomes the locus of …

Inmate Litigation, Margo Schlanger

Articles

In 1995, prison and jail inmates brought about 40,000 new lawsuits in federal court nearly a fifth of the federal civil docket. Court records evidence a success rate for inmate plaintiffs under fifteen percent. These statistics highlight two qualities long associated with the inmate docket: its volume and the low rate of plaintiffs' success. Then, in 1996, Congress enacted the Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA), which dramatically altered the litigation landscape, restricting inmates' access to federal court in a variety of ways. This Article examines inmate litigation before and after the PLRA. Looking first at the litigation process itself, it …

A Comparison Of Demineralization Between Self-Etching Primer And Conventional Sealant: An In Vitro Study., Nihar D. Tanna

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this in vitro study is to compare the resistance to demineralization between a self etching primer (SEP) and a conventional sealant. 120 tooth samples were assigned to 3 groups: SEP, Sealant, or a Control group with no treatment. After 48 or 72 hours of acidic challenge with ten Cateís solution, 200 µm sections were evaluated for the incidence of lesion, lesion depth, area and total fluorescence using confocal microscopy. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA. Incidence of lesion was 100% in the SEP and Control group and 50% in the Sealant group. Lesion depth (149.9 µm), area …

Technological Evaluation Of Mineral Sequestration Of Carbon Dioxide By Carbonation., Xinchao Wei

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Increase in CO2 emissions has led to development of various mitigation technologies for avoiding CO2 building up in the atmosphere. One of CO2 sequestration technologies is mineral sequestration, a way of permanent storage of CO2 in solid minerals. This technology attracts the attention of many investigators to study and develop various carbonation approaches. The chemistry and thermodynamic studies show that mineral carbonation reactions with silicate minerals are spontaneous and exothermic. A variety of measures are needed to enhance the carbonation kinetics. The main minerals used for mineral sequestration are serpentine and olivine, which exist in vast quantities worldwide. Implementation of …

Affective Factors In Second Language Acquisition: A Critical Review Of The Literature., Laura M. Yokochi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Learning a second language is fundamentally different from child language development as well as from the study of other academic disciplines. One reason may be that the study of a second language involves the emotions and the identity in a way other subjects do not. Schumann (1998) argues that emotion filters all learning and cognition. If this is true then the study of affective factors in second language learning is important. What research has been done in this area and what does it show? The purpose of this paper is to conduct a critical review of empirical studies on the …

The Comparative Effects Of Four-Week Core Stabilization And Balance-Training Programs On Semidynamic And Dynamic Balance., Anthony, B. Piegaro Jr.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to determine the comparative effects of four-week core stabilization and balance-training programs on semidynamic and dynamic balance. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of four groups using stratified randomization for gender and activity. These groups included a control group and three experimental groups. Subjects in the three experimental groups performed their training program two days per week for four-weeks. The Biodex Stability System Test (semidynamic balance) and Star Excursion Balance Test (dynamic balance) were used for pre-test and post-test. There were no significant differences for the Biodex Stability System Test. There were significant main …

A Study Of Classic Films And Their Portrayal Of The Mentally Ill., Allison Marie Plants

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The media have an enormous influence on the way the public views mental illness. Their frequent and often flawed portrayals of the mentally ill cause negative feelings to develop. Media framing plays a powerful role in the portrayal of the mentally ill. The way the media portray the mentally ill directly affects how they are viewed in real life.

Consumer Preferences For Genetically Modified Fish And Seafood: An Econometric Approach., Brian S. Bennett

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Genetic modification (GM) is a rapidly growing technology that can improve productivity and profitability for producers; however consumer acceptance of this technology is not fully understood, particularly as it relates to fish and seafood. The purpose of this study is to evaluate consumer perceptions of GM foods in general, and fresh fish and seafood in particular. A phone survey of a random sample of US households was conducted. A qualitative choice (Logit) model was used for estimation. LIMDEP was the computer package used to analyze the data. The marginal effects were also estimated. Results show that older, higher income, non …

Using The Internet To Collect Data On Psychological Symptoms: An Investigation Of Psychometric Properties., Beverly Lynn Fortson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The reliability and validity of internet-based questionnaires was assessed in a large sample of undergraduates (n = 411) by comparing data collected via the internet with data collected in a more traditional format, that is with paper and pencil questionnaires. Ninety percent of participants reported using the internet on a daily basis, with 22% of those participants meeting criteria for internet abuse. Number of traumatic events experienced by participants, rates of depression, and rates of PTSD were similar to rates found in other studies with college students. Statistical analyses demonstrated that the psychometric properties of internet-based questionnaires are similar to …

Modeling Direct Farm Marketing In West Virginia: A Spatial, Policy, And Profitability Analysis., Jesse Ernest Gandee

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This analysis uses economic modeling techniques to analyze direct farm marketing sales, profits, and public policy in West Virginia. To investigate factors that affect county direct farm marketing, the impact of consumer demographic, land, and spatial variables upon county direct farm marketing sales is tested. The results reveal that income, education, land characteristics, and adjacent metropolitan areas influence direct farm marketing sales. An Input-Output (I-O) model is used to analyze a direct farm marketing public policy in the Mountain State. The results from the model portray a disproportionate amount of West Virginia food production contributing to marketing services and a …

The Evolving Process Of The Technical Direction Of West Virginia University's Division Of Theatre And Dance's Production Of Strindberg's "The Ghost Sonata"., Joshua John Frachiseur

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This document is a written record of the process used in the technical direction of West Virginia University’s production of August Strindberg’s The Ghost Sonata. The role of technical director was assigned as partial fulfillment of the requirements of a Master of Fine Arts thesis in theatrical design, specifically theatrical production. This document includes a description of the process used, which is supported with visual documents of plans, schedules, photographs, and other various paperwork that was used to complete this project.

An Advanced Data Acquisition System And Noise Analysis On The Aluminum Reduction Process., Congxia Dai

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Aluminum reduction process is a nonlinear, time varying electro-chemical process, during which alumina is electrolyzed to produce molten aluminum. Al2O3 A main concern of the aluminum reduction process is the ‘Current Efficiency’-an indicator of the productivity of aluminum reduction cells. How to achieve higher current efficiency with lower energy consumption has always been a central objective of aluminum reduction process control in aluminum reduction industry. Noise is generally considered hostile to cell Current Efficiency. Therefore noise control is an important issue in commercial cell automatic control system. A key contribution of this research is the examination of the effects …

Cooperative Learning Versus Direct Instruction: Which Type Of Instruction Produces Greater Understanding Of Fractions With Fourth Graders?, Amy J. Shupe

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to determine which method of instruction, cooperative learning or direct instruction, would produce greater understanding of fractions with fourth graders. A pretest was administered to determine prior knowledge of fractions. Two thematic units were designed, one consisting of lessons using cooperative learning strategies with the other unit consisting of lessons using direct instruction methods. Each unit was presented to separate classes of fourth grade students. Upon completion of the units, a posttest was administered. The results showed a noticeable difference in the improvement of the test scores between the two groups. Students taught with …