Digital Commons Network^™

Women's Pacs: Their Motivations, Strategies, And Impacts., Heather Frederick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The literature on political action committees focuses on the different roles and strategies of PACs depending upon their motivation. I argue that the motivations of traditional PACs are founded in an assumption of substantive representation theory. This dissertation deals with the theoretical motivations of women's PACs—that of descriptive representation. Because women's PACs have a different underlying theoretical motivation than traditional political action committees, I hypothesize that the existing PAC literature on the strategies and organizational structures of PACs is both insufficient to explain the behavior of women's PACs, as well as exclusionary. This research seeks to identify the strategies and …

Smectics And Smectic-Like Phases: Equation Of State, Finite Size Effects And Vapor Pressure Paradox., Lianghui Gao

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this dissertation, I pursue the constant pressure ensemble approach to elucidate the statistical mechanics of smectic phases of semi-flexible manifolds. I use this approach to consider in detail sterically stabilized phases of semi-flexible polymers in two-dimensional smectic systems. For the first time, the universal constants characterizing the entropic repulsion between semi-flexible polymers are obtained. The thermodynamic limit is quickly approached within this constant pressure ensemble. Then I elucidate the classical problem of the elastic free energy of semi-infinite smectic A that fills the semi-space above an interface (a boundary smectic layer) of a given shape. I obtain an effective …

Estimating The Economic Value Of Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge: A Contingent Valuation Approach., Christopher A. Klocek

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge protects a unique ecosystem in the Mid-Atlantic region. Because public goods such as ecosystem preservation are not sold in markets the value of this type of good is not always obvious. Policy makers need guidance on how society should allocate resources to preserve wildlife habitat and wilderness recreation opportunities. The goals of this study were to measure the economic benefits associated with providing a wildlife refuge in Tucker County, West Virginia; determine how value for the refuge is affected by distance of the respondents from the refuge; and determine the types of activities and amenities …

Predicting Dynamics Of Aggregate Loafing Behavior In Glaucous-Winged Gulls (Larus Glaucescens) At A Washington Colony, Shandelle M. Henson, James L. Hayward, Christina M. Burden, Clara J. Logan, Joseph G. Galusha

Faculty Publications

Seabirds move throughout the day in changing, patchy environments as they engage in various behaviors. We studied the diurnal abundance dynamics of Glaucous-winged Gulls (Larus glaucescens) in a habitat patch dedicated to loafing in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Washington. We constructed three differential equation models as alternative hypotheses and then used model selection techniques to choose the one that most accurately described the system. We validated the model on an independent data set, made a priori model predictions, and conducted a field test of the predictions. Clear dynamic patterns emerged in the abundance of loafing gulls, even though …

Evaluating Benchmarks For Internet-Based Teaching And Learning At A Community College, Heidi L. Guthrie

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this applied dissertation was to evaluate existing benchmarks related to Internet-based teaching and learning. The study also assessed the extent to which faculty at a small community college implemented the benchmarks for Internet-based teaching and learning. In response to the need for benchmarks, accrediting bodies, like the Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions (CRAC), have established standards for the evaluation of distance education programs and institutions. These standards, however, are limited in number and scope.

This study employed a multi- method quantitative descriptive design to identify the benchmarks for Interne t-based teaching and learning. Using a benchmarking process …

Utilizing Gendered Education In Middle School Language Arts Classes, Elizabeth Tharp Jones

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

When the Indiana state-mandated test scores were released in January 2002, Switzerland County Middle School students ranked in the bottom one third of the state in language arts. The administrators and teachers looked closely at the results of the state-mandated test. The rate of retention by gender was also tracked over a 3-year period. As the standardized test scores and retention data were reviewed, it was apparent that middle school boys were less successful in language arts and reading than girls in the same class. In order to address the problem in a manageable situation, the sixth-grade data were selected. …

Development Of A Counseling Services Resource Web Site With Plans For Implementation And Evaluation, Diana L. Mccullough

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

At Irvine Valley College (IVC), student services counselors lacked proficiency in technology and a common online resource. Thus, counselors could not provide students with timely, accurate information. This project developed (a) a Counselors’ Resource Extensive Web Site (CREWS), (b) a Web site implementation plan, and (c) a Web site evaluation plan.

Five research questions addressed (a) appropriate content for the CREWS, (b) CREWS Web site design criteria, (c) training needed by counselors, (d) a CREWS implementation plan, (e) a CREWS evaluation plan. Development, research, and evaluation methodologies were used in 22 procedures. These comprised literature reviews, analysis of sister colleges’ …

Development Of A Plan For The Implementation And Evaluation Of Programs To Meet The Educational Needs Of Adults On Andros Island, Bahamas, Christina A. Rahming Nwosa

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

There exists a paucity of opportunities for adults on the Family Islands of The Bahamas to obtain higher education, as there is minimal infrastructure on these islands to support the traditional face-to-face mode of educational delivery at the tertiary level. This project was designed to develop a plan for the implementation and evaluation of programs to meet the educational needs of adults on Andros Island, Bahamas. The plan that was developed utilized 14 procedures to answer 4 research questions. The 4 research questions addressed were (a) What are the educational needs of adults on Andros Island?, (b) Currently, what is …

Residential Design Review: A Comparative Analysis Of Three Bay Area Cities, Sarah H. Kirchgessner

Master's Projects

In the past 40 years, city officials have started to look at new ways to regulate private development in order to create a sense of community, as well as to maintain and enhance the historic qualities and desirability of their cities for residents. Many cities adopted zoning ordinances in the early 1900s because officials believed that the segregation of uses would improve the quality of life.' However, regulating uses did little to ensure that the aesthetics of new development would be satisfactory to residents and city officials. Zoning ordinances alone have not been able to compel developers, architects, and residents …

Design And Operating Strategies For Bioreactors Treating Dynamically Varying Concentrations Of Gas-Phase Volatile Organic Compounds (Vocs), Congna Li

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The dynamically varying concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in most waste gas streams present a challenge in design and operation of biofilters treating such off-gases. Studies described in this dissertation were directed toward development and experimental testing of two design modifications/operating strategies that have the potential to improve biofilter performance during unsteady-state loadings. In the first design modification studied, activated carbon was incorporated into biofilter packing media and a novel periodic operating strategy, Sequencing Batch Biofilter (SBB) operation, was tested under “normal” and various “shock” loading conditions treating methyl ethyl ketone contaminated air. Results demonstrate how the operational flexibility …

Voices About Choices: The Role Of Female Networks In Affirming Life Choices In The Academy, Karrin Vasby Anderson, Sarah Bonewits Feldner, Kelly C. Mcdorman, Jennifer B. Pierce, Claire Procopio, Kristina K. Horn Sheeler, Helen Tate

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

This essay addresses the topic of women's professional development in the academy, noting the critical roles fulfilled by support networks. Research and personal narratives explore the diverse choices women make, the resistance they sometimes face, and the need to find validation for those choices. Recognizing the importance of women's achievement of tenure and publication, the authors also challenge the notion that those traditional measures of academic success are the only, or the best, way to assess women's professional development.

Media Studies And The Dialogue Of Democracy, John J. Pauly

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Structural Effects Of Carbon Monoxide Coordination To Carbon Centers. Π And Σ Bindings In Aliphatic Acyl Versus Aromatic Aroyl Cations, M. G. Davlieva, Sergey V. Lindeman, Ivan S. Neretin, Jay K. Kochi

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

The binding of carbon monoxide to carbon centers has been examined with two series of aromatic and aliphatic oxocarbonium ions that are successfully isolated as crystalline and highly reactive (hygroscopic) aroylium and acylium salts with poorly coordinating counteranions. X-Ray crystallographic analyses at −150 °C afford precise structural parameters for the characteristic linear carbonyl bond (r_CO) and the bond to the carbon centers (r_Cα). The correlations of these structural parameters evaluated for alkyl (Me, Et and i-Pr) and aryl (p-Me, 2,4,6-trimethyl, p-MeO and p-fluorophenyl) oxocarbonium ions with the corresponding carbonyl …

Thermal Properties Of Thermoplastics, Charles A. Wilkie, Michael A. Mckinney

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Far-Infrared Spectroelectrochemistry: A Study Of Linear Molybdenum/Iron/Sulfur Clusters, Michael D. Ryan, Lin Li

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

The far-infrared spectroelectrochemistry of linear M/Fe/S (M=Mo, W) complexes was investigated in methylene chloride and dichloroethane. With CsI as spectral windows, bands above 200 cm⁻¹ can be observed in methylene chloride, except for a weak methylene chloride band at 450 cm⁻¹. Substitution of dichloroethane for methylene chloride, solvents of nearly identical electrochemical properties, allows one to observe solute bands in the 450-cm⁻¹ region. The far-infrared spectroelectrochemistry of [MoFe₂S₄Cl₄]²⁻ and its tungsten analogue was investigated. The disappearance of the oxidation bands and the appearance of bands due to the reduced …

Additional Xps Studies On The Degradation Of Poly(Methyl Methacryalte) And Polystyrene Nanocomposites, Jianxin Du, Jianqi Wang, Shengpei Su, Charles A. Wilkie

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

XPS studies have been undertaken on exfoliated nanocomposites of polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate). One can clearly see that carbon is lost and that oxygen, silicon and aluminum accumulate at the surface of the degrading polymer. The concentration of aluminum at the surface is very low at the beginning of the experiment but makes a large jump at the same temperature at which carbon is lost and oxygen begins to accumulate at the surface. It appears that the ratio of silicon to aluminum changes as the polymer is lost. A brief discussion is given to explain the origin of oxygen at …

Polybutadiene Modified Clay And Its Polystyrene Nanocomposites, Shengpei Su, David D. Jiang, Charles A. Wilkie

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

Vinylbenzyl chloride was allowed to react with a low-molecular-weight oligomer of butadiene in order to give a material that could then be used to alkylate an amine to form an ammonium salt. This ammonium salt was ion-exchanged onto a clay to give a new organically modified clay, which was used to prepare polystyrene-clay nanocomposites by solution and bulk polymerization and by melt blending. The nanocomposites were characterized by using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, cone calorimetry, and the evaluation of mechanical properties. These systems show good nanodispersion and improvement in thermal and mechanical properties. J. Vinyl Addit. Technol. …

Ngo Participation In Human Rights Law And Process: Latest Developments In The Effort To Develop An International Treaty On The Rights Of People With Disabilities, Janet E. Lord

Articles

No abstract provided.

Mirror, Mirror On The Wall: Voice Accountability And Ngos In Human Rights Standard Setting, Janet E. Lord

Articles

No abstract provided.

Morphology Of Root Canal Cross-Sections Of Resected Roots Of First And Second Lower Molars, Mariusz Duda, Agata Skoczek, Bartlomiej Kowal, Agnieszka Domagala

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

Precise preparation of the root canal ostium with a view to hermetical closing with retrograde root filling is an important prognostic factor determining the success of the procedure of tooth resection. Root canals interconnected with a narrow isthmus may cause problems both in endodontic treatment and in retrograde filling. The aim of this work is the research of the transverse cross-section of root canals of first and second lower molars on the resection model. The research encompasses 100 randomly selected molar teeth: 50 first and 50 second lower molars. The tooth root apexes were cut 3 mm below the apex …

The Need For New Anti‐Smoking Advertising Strategies That Do Not Provoke Smoker Defiance, Joyce M. Wolburg

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

The misguided effort to change the smoking behavior of college students using the same anti‐smoking messages created for young teens apparently stems from the misplaced marketing belief that ads designed to prevent young teens from smoking can also effectively encourage college‐student smokers to quit. When college students were asked to respond to current anti‐smoking messages, non‐smokers championed the anti‐smoking cause while smokers responded with defiance, denial, and other counter‐productive behaviors. These studies show that persuading legal‐age young adults to quit would require new message strategies which show greater respect for the individual, greater support for the effort in quitting, and …

Review Of Presidential Speechwriting: From The New Deal To The Reagan Revolution And Beyond, Steven R. Goldzwig

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Factors Explaining The Results Of Job Search By The 2002 Fma Job Applicants--A Survey, Tarun K. Mukherjee, Joseph Farhat, Carmen Cotei

Department of Economics and Finance Working Papers, 1991-2006

We perform an online survey of candidates, who listed their resume on the 2002 FMA website, seeking finance faculty positions. The response rate is approximately 50 percent. Consistent with Bertin, Prather, and Zivney (1999), we find that the new hire market for finance professors continues to shrink and salary range continues to widen. The factors significantly affecting the success rate in the job market are: having Ph.D./DBA in Finance/Financial Economics, having dissertation defended, having worked as a GA, being a female, and being a US citizen/permanent resident. Being a female candidate or an appointment at an accredited college are associated …

Distributing Excess Cash: The Role Of Specially Designated Dividends, H. Kent Baker, Tarun K. Mukherjee, Gary E. Powell

Department of Economics and Finance Working Papers, 1991-2006

This study explores why firms distribute excess cash as specially designated dividends (SDDs) instead of using regular dividends or repurchasing shares. We survey top managers of NASDAQ, AMEX, and NYSE firms issuing at least one SDD between 1994 and 2001. The results show that firms tend to pay SDDs when they experience strong earnings and cash flows and want to increase at least temporarily the yield to shareholders. Having strong earnings and cash flows also provide an impetus for regular dividend increases, but paying regular dividends is part of a firm's standard dividend policy. The primary motives for repurchasing shares …

New Orleans Police Department Recruitment And Retention Survey, Susan Howell

Survey Research Center Publications

No abstract provided.

Market Valuation And Employee Stock Options;, Ge Zhang

Department of Economics and Finance Working Papers, 1991-2006

This paper investigates a market-valuation-based hypothesis for employee stock options (ESOs). It examines how market valuation has affected the decision to grant ESOs, the amount of options granted, and the distribution of options among executives and rankand- file employees. I find strong empirical evidence that firms with high market valuation and high probability of future overvaluation are more likely to adopt ESOs and grant more options to their employees. Furthermore, when top executives perceive that the current market valuation is high, they grant a smaller portion of options to themselves relative to rank-and-file employees. All these results are consistent with …

Gains And Losses From Tax Competition With Migration, Seppo Honkapohja, Arja Turunen-Red

Department of Economics and Finance Working Papers, 1991-2006

We consider international labor (entrepreneur) mobility in a two-country overlapping-generations model. Interactions of decreasing and increasing returns in production yield multiple equilibria that are stable under adaptive learning. Governments have an unilateral incentive to reduce income taxes at the joint optimum. We compare the Nash equilibrium in taxes under full labor mobility to the closed economy with no mobility. Despite strategic tax setting, the free mobility outcome is often better in welfare terms. Large, discrete gains in welfare may be attained because of the tax competition. Expectational barriers for discrete welfare improvements can be overcome through tax competition.

Informational Externalities Of Going Public Decisions: Evidence From Industrial Sector, Carmen Cotei, Joseph Farhat, Tarun K. Mukherjee

Department of Economics and Finance Working Papers, 1991-2006

Theoretical models predict that going public firms generate positive externalities, creating a spillover effect for other firms to go public. In this paper, we posit that venture backed IPOs convey positive informational externalities for the publicly traded rival firms in the same industry and test three related hypotheses. The hypotheses are: 1) Venture backed IPOs convey positive information about industry and this information is transferred to rival firms; 2) Intra-industry information transfer varies with rivals' characteristics; 3) IPO price revisions generate additional information that affects rivals' valuation. The results show that rivals have positive valuation effects only in response to …

The Right To Destroy, Lior Strahilevitz

Public Law and Legal Theory Working Papers

No abstract provided.

Fascism, Peter Staudenmaier

History Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.