Digital Commons Network^™

Of Parts And Wholes: Self-Similarity And Synecdoche In Science, Culture And Literature, Dirk Vanderbeke

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

[Editors' Introduction]

The discussion here centers on how self-similarity, or parts resembling a whole, has been a recurring aspect in the most diverse fields of human thinking from antiquity to the present. Primary examples are drawn from physics, biology, cybernetics, alchemy, philosophy, myth and, of course, language and literature. The author argues that self-similar patterns are one of the persistent ways in which the human mind structures its experience and knowledge of the world, and then examines some of the questions that arise when an almost ubiquitous concept, structure or linguistic and literary phenomenon resurfaces in a new guise in …

Paradigm Shifts And New Worldviews: Kuhn, Laudan And Discovery In Molecular Biology, Priya Venkatesan

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

[Editors' Introduction]

The author poses an alternate set of ideas concerning paradigms, normal science, research traditions and scientific revolution on the basis of the unique and inherently distinctive development of molecular biology and genetics; for, a new set of conceptual tools concerning scientific progress are required for an adequate understanding of how biological processes were elucidated under the scientific auspices of the central dogma of the genetic code. This essay concentrates on a limited study of three aspects in genetics: the study of chromosome structure, dynamics and function, reverse transcriptases, and the discovery of RNA catalysts. In attempting to analyze …

The Devil We Already Know: Medieval Representations Of A Powerless Satan In Modern American Cinema, Kelly J. Wyman

Journal of Religion & Film

The character of Satan has been explored repeatedly in American films, although neither film nor religion scholars have extensively investigated the topic. This article examines the medieval Christian roots of Satan as seen in American cinema and proposes that the most identifiable difference between the medieval Devil and the Satan shown in American films is his level of power over humanity. Hollywood's Satans echo medieval depictions of Satan in form, appearance, and ways of interacting with humans. Although less frightening, pop culture's view of Satan - even when he is treated humorously - is thus linked through movies to medieval …

Factors That Contribute To Nursing Job Satisfaction At Valley Hospital, Christopher Jones

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The United States is in the midst of a nursing shortage and it is expected to get even worse in the coming years due to several trends. These trends include the aging of the workforce where many nurses will be retiring in the next few years, the low enrollment in nursing schools, nurses leaving the profession for other fields of work and the lack of interest that many people are showing towards a career in nursing.

Strengths And Challenges In Chinese Immigrant Families, Xiaolin Xie, Yan Xia, Zhi Zhou

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

This qualitative study involved interviewing 40 Chinese Americans residing in Lincoln and Omaha, NE. and Naperville, IL, on their perceptions of family strengths and acculturative stress. Themes related to family strengths include family support leading to achieving a renewed sense of family, contextual support from friends and community, communication among family members. spiritual well-being, and balancing host and heritage cultures. Themes pertaining to acculturative stress are language barriers, loneliness, and loss of social status and identity at the early stage of immigration. New dimensions are being added to the current family strengths model Implications for health professionals are provided.

Fall 2004, John M. Pfau Library

Peacock – John M. Pfau Library Newsletter

Content:

• Message From the University Librarian by Johnnie Ann Ralph
• 'Will you stay?': Bourquin Retires from Library by Lisa Bartle
• New Look for the Library Web Page by Brent Singleton
• Database Updates by Stacy Magedanz
• Library Goings On

Book Reviews

East Texas Historical Journal

No abstract provided.

Capital Punishment And The Catholic Tradition: Contradiction, Change In Circumstance, Or Development Of Doctrine, Christopher Kaczor

Philosophy Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Social Capital And Religion: A Quantitative Analysis Of The Relationship Between Religious Participation And Social Capital, Kyshawn Smith

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to confirm the existence of a positive correlation between religious participation and social capital, and to show that such a correlation varies considerably when specific demographic variables, and denominational and organizational dynamics are accounted for. Beginning with the early theoretical works of James S. Coleman, The World Bank and Robert Putnam, research has shown the importance of studying the philosophy and science of social capital, and the significance of measuring interrelated concepts like community volunteerism, political involvement, and religious participation. However, much of this research surveys national audiences and either completely ignores or spends …

Strengthening Environmental Policy Education Through Qualitative Research: Experience With Pennsylvania's Nutrient Management Act Regulatory Review, Alyssa Dodd, Charles Abdalla

Journal of Extension

Recent research documenting Pennsylvania stakeholders' views concerning nutrient management policy illustrates the opportunity for Extension to provide timely and useful information to decision makers and other audiences. Responses from 28 personal interviews provided insight into policy challenges, program performance indicators, and future policy directions. This article describes the qualitative research methods used to document stakeholders' views, presents key findings, and summarizes the demand for and utility of the findings. Finally, the article concludes with practical advice for Extension educators looking to strengthen their public issues education programs on environmental policies.

The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, & Modernization Act Of 2003: Are We Playing The Lottery With Healthcare Reform?, Melissa Ganz

Duke Law & Technology Review

With millions of Americans unable to cope with the rising costs of prescription drugs, and many even forced to go without health insurance, the mounting pressure on Congress to enact major healthcare reform culminated in the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, & Modernization Act of 2003. This iBrief examines this legislation, and concludes that it provides elusive benefits for seniors and merely creates a windfall for the pharmaceutical and insurance industries.

Chronic Strain, Daily Work Stress, And Pain Among Workers With Rheumatoid Arthritis: Does Job Stress Make A Bad Day Worse?, Judith Fifield, Julia Mcquillan, Stephen Armeli, Howard Tennen, Susan Reisine, Glenn Affleck

Bureau of Sociological Research: Faculty Publications

The structure of the job and the daily experience of work are challenges for workers with rheumatoid arthritis. Yet little is known about how these two factors interact to put workers with chronic pain at risk for worse pain on a given day. This exploratory 20 workday diary study of 27 workers with rheumatoid arthritis used hierarchical linear modeling to examine how the structure of the job and neuroticism moderate the relationship between daily undesirable work events (daily stressors), and pain reports within a day. On days with more undesirable work events compared to days with fewer events, individuals with …

Measuring The Effects Of Feminist Legal Research: Looking Critically At "Failure" And "Success", Lisa Philipps

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

No abstract provided.

A Survey Of Gender-Related Motivation Studies: Subordinate Status, Roles, And Stereotyping , Kay Lynn Kalkowski, Susan Fritz

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

Since the days when women first began entering the work force scholars have studied perceived gender differences related to motivation in organizational settings. This paper first presents a brief overview of motivation theory and then examines the literature tracing gender related motivation-to-manage as it evolves through the 1950s and 1960s to the present. Studies have produced conflicting results with some finding that men have more motivation-to-manage then women and other studies finding the opposite. Such differences appear to be small and closely related to subordinate status and role stereotyping.

Legislative Ethics And Codes Of Conduct, Rick Stapenhurst, Riccardo Pelizzo

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The purpose of this paper is to discuss why and how ethics reforms have been enacted by many parliaments in the course of the past decade. Our argument is fairly straightforward. Politicians’ perceived irresponsiveness, various forms of misconduct and corruption scandals have eroded voters’ trust in politicians and political institutions. In order to induce a more ethical behavior among politicians as well as to rebuild public trust in political institutions, ethics regimes have been adopted by several legislatures. Such regimes have generally taken two main forms: ethics codes and conduct codes. Ethics codes tend to be fairly general documents: they …

Inside Unlv, Diane Russell, Carol C. Harter, Cate Weeks, Cayrn Key

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

Understaffed, Underfunded: The Emergence Of Social Welfare In New Mexico, 1940s–1950s, David W. Enstrom, Alvin O. Korte, Katie Mcdonough

New Mexico Historical Review

No abstract provided.

Book Reviews

New Mexico Historical Review

No abstract provided.

Full Issue, New Mexico Historical Review

New Mexico Historical Review

No abstract provided.

Reason And Context: A Dual Track Theory Of Interpretation, Larry A. Dimatteo

Penn State Law Review (2003 - Present)

No abstract provided.

Sentencing Of Adult Offenders In Cases Involving Sexual Abuse Of Children: Too Little, Too Late? A View From The Pennsylvania Bench, Debra Todd

Penn State Law Review (2003 - Present)

No abstract provided.

Other Disciplines, Methodologies, And Countries: Studying Courts And Crisis, Tracey E. George

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

How do governments and their citizens respond to fear and risk in times of crisis? Dr. Lee Epstein and Professor Christina Wells, in papers presented on the final symposium panel focus in particular on the Supreme Court's response to government encroachment on individual liberties during a national emergency. Their work is made particularly timely by three Supreme Court decisions this past term. In this essay, I begin by framing the issue very briefly. I then argue that understanding this issue requires scholars to follow Epstein and Wells by looking to other disciplines, methodologies, and countries.

Exploitation, Exploration, And Firm Performance: The Case Of Small Manufacturing Firms In Japan, Takehiko Isobe, Shige Makino, David B. Montgomery

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between technological capabilities and firm performance. We divide technological capabilities into two types – exploitation, which refers to refinement, production and execution, and exploration, which refers to searching, flexibility, and innovation. Based on a sample of 302 small and medium-sized manufacturing firms in Japan, our analysis reveals that exploitation relates more positively to operational efficiency than exploration, and conversely, exploration relates more positively to strategic performance, such as technological innovation and new product development, than exploitation. Moreover, firms with superior exploitation capabilities tend to possess superior exploration skills. Our findings …

Editor's Note, Joseph Drew

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

Mcdonald’S And Samoan Youth: A Case Study Of Globalization, Anna Schechter

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The topics of change, development and globalization are extremely pertinent to modern-day Samoa. The past ten years have lead to a vast increase in the inter-connectedness of Samoa to the world economically, socially, and culturally. This paper uses McDonald’s as a representation of the globalization occurring in Samoa in order to better understand the real impacts of these abstract terms. Samoan youth act as a medium in which to explore this topic. They are often the most attune to the impacts of globalization and perhaps even act as a catalyst for change. Thus this paper explores, specifically, the relationship between …

Love Your Enemies: Life Sciences In The Ecclesial-Based University, M. Therese Lysaught

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Jerome Gellman, Mystical Experience Of God: A Philosophical Inquiry, Kai-Man Kwan

Faith and Philosophy: Journal of the Society of Christian Philosophers

No abstract provided.

Turning The Page On Section 5: The Implication Of Multiracial Coalition Districts On Section 5 Of The Voting Rights Act, Daniel A. Zibel

Michigan Law Review

This Note analyzes the use of coalition districts in light of current section 5 and equal protection jurisprudence and argues that, in some circumstances, the Equal Protection Clause compels the use of coalition districts to achieve non retrogression under section 5. Part I examines the use of coalition districts, using the litigation in Page v. Bartels as an example. It then argues that the Supreme Court's opinion in Georgia v. Ashcroft permits jurisdictions to create viable racial coalition districts to comply with section 5. Part II argues that while Georgia v. Ashcroft permits the use of coalition districts to achieve …

An Analysis Of Entry-Level Librarian Ads Published In American Libraries, 1982-2002., Claudene Sproles, David Ratledge

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Much discussion has taken place in the literature over the difficulty finding qualified candidates to fill vacancies within libraries. Emphasis has been placed on recruitment, internships, scholarships, and other partnerships by library science schools and libraries to attract new people to the profession. Even so, applicant pools are dwindling [Simmons-Welburn and McNeil, 2004] and many institutions have been forced to rewrite job ads after initial postings to locate a qualified candidate. Factors hindering vacancy searches include:

• Graying of the profession, “Thousands of librarians will be retiring in the next ten years” [Simmons-Welburn and McNeil, 2004]
• Budget constraints/less positions [Bureau of …

Managing The Commons Through Obligation: Communality In The Sierra Juárez Of Oaxaca, Katie Moyer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As one of the most ethnically, culturally, and biologically diverse states in the Mexican Republic, Oaxaca proved to be a good location to learn about alternative forms of social organization. With 570 municipalities, Oaxaca has 23% of the municipalities in the entirety of Mexico. The vast majority of Oaxaca’s municipalities—480—are politically and socially organized through communality, a traditional form of self-government widely known as usos y costumbres (uses and customs). Within the four weeks allotted for this research project the majority of my time was spent in the Northern Sierra Juárez in the state of Oaxaca.

I first visited the …