Digital Commons Network^™

Cracks In The Foundation: The New Internet Legislation's Hidden Threat To Privacy And Commerce, Joshua Fairfield

Articles by Maurer Faculty

Scholarship to date has focused on the legal significance of the novelty of the Internet. This scholarship does not describe or predict actual Internet legislation. Instead of asking whether the Internet is so new as to merit new law, legislators and academics should re-evaluate the role of government in orchestrating collective action and change the relative weight of enforcement, deterrence, and incentives in Internet regulations.

A perfect example of the need for this new approach is the recent CANSPAM Act of 2003, which was intended to protect personal privacy and legitimate businesses. However, the law threatens both of these interests, …

The Effects Of Goal Contingencies On The Writing Frequency Of Undergraduates Enrolled In A Learning Strategies Course., Bridget Joy Hayes Russell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examined the effect of goal contingencies on writing frequency. Sixty participants were divided into three conditions: individual goal, group goal, or control. Each week, students participated in a three-minute free-write. Those in the individual goal condition earned 10 bonus points when writing frequency goals were achieved. Those in the group goal condition earned 10 bonus points when the group writing frequency goals were achieved. The control did not receive bonus points contingent on writing frequency. Results indicated that the control and individual goal contingencies conditions wrote greater numbers of words than the group goal contingencies condition. Further, the …

Neodymium:Yag Laser Resonator Chip Design, Optical Characterization And Validation., Narasimha Rao Ayyalasomayajula

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Nd:YAG lasers are the most common solid state lasers and are found in many different optical configurations. Effective use of these lasers in remote, in-situ sensing and other applications requires compact size and efficient operation. This project targets the simplification and reduction of the size of these lasers by shaping the active media into a retro-reflecting slab and pumping it with an AlGaAs diode laser at 808nm. The Nd:YAG slab laser was reduced to a rectangular chip component of dimensions 10x12x2mm. The laser was constructed, tested and shown to successfully lase at 1064nm.The slab laser was operated in a pulsed …

Mems Parallel-Plate Electrostatic Actuator: Modeling, Simulation And Characterization., Raghuveer R. Medipalli

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are electrical and mechanical components scaled down to the micrometer scale and integrated on a common substrate. These devices can be batch fabricated and are capable of functioning individually as well as in arrays. With the growing applications of MEMS in safety critical applications, there is an absolute need for their increased reliability. In order to study and improve the reliability of MEMS as well as enable the prediction of faults, a thorough knowledge of the dynamic behavior of these microstructures is required. Prediction of the dynamic behavior of the microstructures is a challenging task and requires …

A Coalbed Methane Simulator Designed For The Independent Producers., Jalal Jalali

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study is to build a PC-Windows based model for two-phase onedimension water & gas system based on the formulation of the model developed by King and Ertekin in 1985. This model is written in Visual Basic 6.0. The advantage of this model over the King and Ertekin’s model is the ability of running the model on personal computers, graphical abilities for input and output, and solving the matrices using an internal solver instead of using a commercial solver. The advantage of this model over other existing models is its ease of to use and being inexpensive …

An Evaluation Of Statewide Truck Forecasting Methods., Andrew J. Rebovich

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research evaluates the theory and practice of current truck forecasting methodologies. The theoretical workings of several model classes are evaluated according to their accuracy, applicability, data requirements, costs, and other factors. A foundation of literature review is conducted to assess the state of the art and practice of classical forecasting methods that may be applied to truck volumes. These include facility traffic flow factoring methods (trend analysis); commodity-based origin-destination trip table factoring methods; truck trip tables within overall passenger flow models; commodity-based four-step forecasting models; and economic activity models. A survey of best practices for state DOT’s is then …

A Simulated Annealing Approach For Flexible Flowshop Scheduling To Maximize Flexibility., Alireza Shieh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research addresses the multiple stage flexible flow shop with buffer limitation in order to maximize the sum of machines free time at the end of the process within the minimum makespan (FFs (Pm1, Pm2, ..., Pms)/block/ FL max ). Various approaches were used to obtain good solutions for the problem and an analysis was preformed to evaluate the quality obtained with each approach. An exact algorithm with two separate phases was developed using mixed integer programming. In the first phase, C max is minimized, then in the second phase, the machines free time is maximized. This model had a …

A Simple Two-Dimensional Boundary Element Program For Estimating Multiple Seam Interaction., Olayemi Olumide Akinkugbe

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this thesis, the need for a fast and easy to use numerical analysis program for calculating multiple seam interactions is established. To fulfill this, a simplified twodimensional (2D) laminated overburden model was mathematically developed. Also the utility of the 2D laminated model for modeling complex multiple-seam interaction was further enhanced by its ability to calculate the pillar safety factors and multiple-seam induced subsidence and strain. The 2D laminated overburden model is then implemented into a displacementdiscontinuity program called LaM2D. The LaM2D program can be used to calculate seam convergence, vertical stress, multiple seam stress, pillar safety factors, subsidence and …

A Feasibility Study On Modeling And Prediction Of Production Behavior In Naturally Fractured Shale Reservoirs., Boyd T. Huls

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Objective of this study is to demonstrate the feasibility of predicting production characteristics in a Devonian Shale reservoir. This paper discusses the use of a multidimensional, equation of state compositional simulator to develop a prototypical anisotropic shale reservoir. The production data from a group of single well simulations is used to train an Artificial Neural Network to generate production indicators for a well location based on geopositional parameters. This study was conducted to ascertain if an Artificial Neural Network could be adapted to the random uncertainty in naturally fractured shale reservoirs and whether this approach could further the understanding …

The Impact Of A Social Skills Intervention On The Development Of Resiliency In Preschool Children., Tamala L. Lowther

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Children need to learn appropriate behavior in their early years. Educators of young children have been given the job of importing very important social competency skills, such as coping, problem solving, cooperation, and self-control skills. Interventions designed to meet the developmental level and individual needs of the children enrolled in a preschool should build factors that will lead to increased social skills and resiliency. This research involved implementing social skill prevention in a preschool classroom in a non-profit childcare center in rural West Virginia. The research examined the effectiveness of the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA), in increasing protective factors …

A Dual-Stage Approach To Dental Image Registration., Zainab Millwala

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the development of Automated Dental Identification System (ADIS), we focus on registration to align the subject dental regions of interest with respective reference regions. With the goal to achieve high performance for dental image registration, a dualstage approach is proposed which is based on the hypotheses generation-verification paradigm. The registration of the dental regions of interest is the basis for hypotheses generation. The hypotheses generated by using a fast method are verified to retrieve the candidate parameter sets to give accurate alignment of the regions. The statistical distributions of local geometric properties of image contours constitute the essential concept …

Developing Uv Photodetector And Ohmic Contact Techniques On Gallium Nitride., Lavanya Turlapati

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Group III nitride wide bandgap semiconductors have recently attracted considerable interest due to their applications for optical devices operating in the blue and ultraviolet (UV) wavelength regions. These materials were also found to be suitable for operation at high power levels, high temperatures and harsh environments. Some applications of UV photodetectors include chemical and biological analysis, flame detection, and optical communications. This project is based on designing AlGaN based quantum well UV photodetector. It has been determined that the presence of multiple quantum wells in the active region improves the device responsivity. The device performance depends on many factors that …

A Parametric Study Of In-Line Filter Holders., Glen A. Wilt

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

With modern diesel engines producing smaller and lighter particulate mass output, the performance of in-line filtering, used to determine emissions of particulate matter (PM), has become less understood. Several factors including filter characteristics, filter holder geometry, exhaust dilution, filter face temperature, and secondary dilution characteristics need to be investigated. This study investigates factors influenced by filter holder geometry. In the past, many loosely designed filter holders were applied to emissions testing. Recently, 40 CFR Part 1065 recommended a standard filter holder design to be used in all emissions tests. However, it is not known if this design is optimal. To …

Multiterminal Relay Networks: Performance Bounds, Protocol Design, And Channel Coding Strategies., Bin Zhao

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The combination of silicon scaling and energy-efficient multi-terminal packet radio technology will soon allow low power devices to be embedded virtually everywhere, enabling a wide range of revolutionary applications that will radically change the way that people and devices interact with their environments. Given current trends in the advancement of technology, to engineer useful embedded wireless networks with long lifetimes and massive scale required for many applications, new analytical tools and approaches to protocol design that reflect recent perspectives on wireless networking are necessary. The major objective of this dissertation is to characterize the fundamental performance bounds and devise an …

A Spatial-Temporal Optimization Approach To Watershed Management: Amd Treatment In The Cheat River Watershed, West Virginia., Xiaobing Zhao

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Most water management studies concentrate on the inter-temporal allocation problem or, more recently, spatial dynamics—but not both. While early spatial-temporal studies focused on the allocation of water quantity, this paper presents an approach to water quality analysis that incorporates both spatial and temporal dynamics in a watershed framework. The model developed is an explicit economic watershed optimization model built upon an underlying water quality model where pollution loads are driven by pollution sources and alternative control strategies. It reflects the spatial aspects of pollution loads and treatment and the way the system reacts over time to management options and natural …

The Influence Of Legal Language Upon Supreme Court Voting In Civil Liberties Cases., Sean Wilson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Scholars such as Jeffrey Segal and Harold Spaeth contend that U.S. Supreme Court decisions are based primarily upon the ideological beliefs of the justices. However, in this work I show that this conclusion is exaggerated. The aggregation of votes into a summary statistic (the percent liberal rating) and its use by Segal and Spaeth in a regression having only 21 cases creates misleading results. The truth is that political ideology is a fluctuating influence upon the Court. In some areas of civil liberties voting, ideology is a poor explanation of how cases are decided (e.g., core political speech). But in …

Guided Model Checking With A Bayesian Meta-Heuristic, Michael D. Jones, Peter Lamborn, Kevin Seppi

Faculty Publications

This paper presents a formal verification algorithm for finding errors in models of complex concurrent systems. The algorithm improves explicit guided model checking by applying the Empirical Bayes method to revise heuristic estimates of the distance from a given state to an error state. Guided search using the revised estimates finds errors with less search effort than the original estimates.

The Hypothetical Opinion In Grutter V. Bollinger From The Perspective Of The Road Not Taken In Brown V. Board Of Education, Kevin D. Brown

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Of Platonic Guardians, Trust, And Equality: A Comment On Hasen's Minimalist Approach To The Law Of Elections, Luis Fuentes-Rohwer

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

The Influence Attitude Has On Student Achievement In A Developmental College Algebra Course., Michael T. Wilder

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Faced with unacceptable failure rates in introductory mathematics courses, institutions of higher learning are incorporating methods of placing students into their math courses based upon the students' preexisting math knowledge or skills. West Virginia University is no exception and is currently incorporating a combination of ACT/SAT scores with an internal placement exam to properly place students in the appropriate math course. This method is not working in that failure rates continue to rise in spite of continual increases in placement requirements. Based upon anecdotal evidence by experienced faculty over a ten year period it became clear that factors other than …

A Hands-On Approach To Calculus., Mike Long

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A Hands-On Approach To Calculus was a research study designed to examine the use of hands-on inquiry centered teaching strategies in a first semester calculus class and the ramifications of the hands-on strategies. The study used an experimental class, where activities were implemented into the teaching strategies, and a control class, where traditional teaching strategies of lecture of theory and drill were used. Students' learning in the two classes was examined by comparing exam scores in the two classes and by analyzing students' journals from the experimental class. The quantitative analysis of the exam scores did not indicate any significant …

Moment Form And Joseph Schwantner's "Aftertones Of Infinity"., Michael D. Albaugh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This document represents the first comprehensive analysis of Joseph Schwantner's Aftertones of Infinity as an example of moment form. Exploring Stockhausen's description of moment form and its recent interpretations in Jonathan Kramer's discussion of moment time, this paper will investigate Schwantner's Aftertones by focusing on its eighteen moments. The analysis will define these moments by their underlying static harmonies, fixed tempos, and consistency of textures, melodies, and rhythmic materials. This paper will further demonstrate that the musical meaning of the piece would remain unchanged even if its defined moments were reordered. An alternate ordering of the moments demonstrates to the …

Educating Without Borders: The Influence Of International Cross-Cultural Experiences On Teaching With A Global Perspective In Higher Education., Nicholas A. Ciccarello

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Global issues, as well as multicultural and global education, are receiving national and international attention, not only within the educational community, but also within society at large. Global education is fast becoming the subject of a growing body of literature, and both K–12 and postsecondary schools have begun to place importance on the successful incorporation of global perspectives in education. The purpose of this study was to examine the various perceived effects of international cross-cultural experiences on the subsequent curricula and instruction of higher education faculty. This phenomenological study utilized data collection methods which included logistical data, recorded interviews, follow-up …

Internationalizing An Institution: An Emerging Model Of Effective Leadership, Infrastructure And Cultural Factors., Amelia Davis Courts

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As the United States continues to play a leadership role in the international arena, it depends on the higher education sector to prepare capable leaders who can be guiding forces in the international economic, political, and social environments of the twenty-first century (National Association of State and Land Grant Universities, 2000). This is the ultimate goal of international education. Although current literature clearly describes the benefits of internationalizing higher education, there are few studies that describe how it can be successfully implemented at the institutional level. Using a qualitative, grounded theory approach, this study examined the factors that contributed to …

The Transient Behavior Of Fluidized Bed Reactors: An Experimental Approach To Predict Erosion And Attrition Phenomena., Abdulaziz Aljodai

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The attrition of fluidized particles and the erosion of in-bed tubes (IBT) cause serious practical problems in operating fluidized bed reactors, particularly in fluidized bed combustion systems (FBC-systems). In order to provide a basic understanding and an effective control of the attrition and erosion phenomena, a novel approach has been developed in this study. The proposed approach differs in three ways from the conventional one. First, the peaks of transient particles' forces prevailing in a fluidized bed (responsible for erosion of in-bed tubes and attrition of fluidized particles) were measured, and represented by fracture critical values (FCV) of sensitive tracer …

The Quantitative Accomplishments Of Selected Aspects Of The Educational Process 1960-1990 With An Examination Of The Reading Curricula Concepts In Saudi Arabia., Mohammad Alrobaee

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to outline some detailed history about some parts of the education process in Saudi Arabia especially about the general, higher, female education with a separate part about the curriculum of reading of education and to learn and spread information about the education development that my country is experiencing. The start of this development and its evolution was very difficult, but it passed through stages up to the current stage. We will see these constant changes proven by figures, statistics, and photographs. The detailing of the specifics related to this inventory is an endeavor to …

Imsa 2004 Profile, Office Of College And Academic Counseling

IMSA Profile

Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy:

• Founded in 1985 by the Illinois General Assembly, IMSA is a public residential educational program for students talented and interested in mathematics and science. Admission is competitive.
• IMSA serves 640 students in grades 10 thru 12 in an educational laboratory setting.
• As part of the overall academic experience, IMSA requires all students to reside on campus.*
• *Excerpt from the IMSA 2004 Profile

[Introduction To] Schaum's Outline Of Programming With Java, John R. Hubbard

Bookshelf

Tough Test Questions? Missed Lectures? Not Enough Time?

Fortunately for you, there's Schaum's Outlines. More than 40 million students have trusted Schaum's to help them succeed in the classroom and on exams. Schaum's is the key to faster learning and higher grades in every subject. Each Outline presents all the essential course information in an easy-to-follow, topic-by-topic format. You also get hundreds of examples, solved problems, and practice exercises to test your skills.

This Schaum's Outline gives you

• Practice problems with full explanations that reinforce knowledge
• Coverage of the most up-to-date developments in your course field
• In-depth review of practices …

Sources And Cycling Of Carbonyl Sulfide In The Sargasso Sea, Gregory A. Cutter, Lynda S. Cutter, Katherine C. Filippino

OES Faculty Publications

The cycling of the radiatively important gas carbonyl sulfide (OCS) was studied in surface waters of the Sargasso Sea. In August 1999, surface OCS concentrations averaged 8.6 pmol L^-1, showed minor diel variations, and varied little with depth. An OCS precursor, total dissolved organic sulfur (DOS), was lowest at the surface (40 nmol L^-1) and increased with depth. The photoproduction rate of OCS from in situ incubations averaged 9.6 pmol L^-1 h^-1, whereas dark production was 7.0 pmol L^-1 h^-1. Apparent quantum yields were 10^-5-10^-7 from 313-436 …

Light Dependence Of Selenium Uptake By Phytoplankton And Implications For Predicting Selenium Incorporation Into Food Webs, Stephen B. Baines, Nicholas S. Fisher, Martina A. Doblin, Gregory A. Cutter, Lynda S. Cutter, Brian Cole

OES Faculty Publications

The potentially toxic element selenium is first concentrated from solution to a large but highly variable degree by algae and bacteria before being passed on to consumers. The large loads of abiotic and detrital suspended particles often present in rivers and estuaries may obscure spatial and temporal patterns in Se concentrations at the base of the food web. We used radiotracers to estimate uptake of both selenite (Se(IV)) and C by intact plankton communities at two sites in the Sacramento/San Joaquin River Delta. Our goals were to determine (1) whether C and Se(IV) uptake were coupled, (2) the role of …