Digital Commons Network^™

Book Reviews

New Mexico Historical Review

No abstract provided.

The Quaternions With An Application To Rigid Body Dynamics, Evangelos A. Coutsias, Louis Romero

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

William Rowan Hamilton invented the quaternions in 1843, in his effort to construct hypercomplex numbers, or higher dimensional generalizations of the complex numbers. Failing to construct a generalization in three dimensions (involving triplets) in such a way that division would be possible, he considered systems with four complex units and arrived at the quaternions. He realized that, just as multiplication by i is a rotation by 90o in the complex plane, each one of his complex units could also be associated with a rotation in space. Vectors were introduced by Hamilton for the first time as pure quaternions and Vector …

Advances And Applications Of Dezert-Smarandache Theory (Dsmt), Vol. 1, Florentin Smarandache, Jean Dezert

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

The Dezert-Smarandache Theory (DSmT) of plausible and paradoxical reasoning is a natural extension of the classical Dempster-Shafer Theory (DST) but includes fundamental differences with the DST. DSmT allows to formally combine any types of independent sources of information represented in term of belief functions, but is mainly focused on the fusion of uncertain, highly conflicting and imprecise quantitative or qualitative sources of evidence. DSmT is able to solve complex, static or dynamic fusion problems beyond the limits of the DST framework, especially when conflicts between sources become large and when the refinement of the frame of the problem under consideration …

Fuzzy Relational Maps And Neutrosophic Relational Maps, Florentin Smarandache, W.B. Vasantha Kandasamy

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

The aim of this book is two fold. At the outset the book gives most of the available literature about Fuzzy Relational Equations (FREs) and its properties for there is no book that solely caters to FREs and its applications. Though we have a comprehensive bibliography, we do not promise to give all the possible available literature about FRE and its applications. We have given only those papers which we could access and which interested us specially. We have taken those papers which in our opinion could be transformed for neutrosophic study. The second importance of this book is that …

Basic Neutrosophic Algebraic Structures And Their Application To Fuzzy And Neutrosophic Models, Florentin Smarandache, W.B. Vasantha Kandasamy

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

Study of neutrosophic algebraic structures is very recent. The introduction of neutrosophic theory has put forth a significant concept by giving representation to indeterminates. Uncertainty or indeterminacy happen to be one of the major factors in almost all real-world problems. When uncertainty is modeled we use fuzzy theory and when indeterminacy is involved we use neutrosophic theory. Most of the fuzzy models which deal with the analysis and study of unsupervised data make use of the directed graphs or bipartite graphs. Thus the use of graphs has become inevitable in fuzzy models. The neutrosophic models are fuzzy models that permit …

Analysis Of Social Aspects Of Migrant Labourers Living With Hiv/Aids Using Fuzzy Theory And Neutrosophic Cognitive Maps, Florentin Smarandache, W.B. Vasantha Kandasamy

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

Neutrosophic logic grew as an alternative to the existing topics and it represents a mathematical model of uncertainty, vagueness, ambiguity, imprecision, undefined-ness, unknown, incompleteness, inconsistency, redundancy and contradiction. Despite various attempts to reorient logic, there has remained an essential need for an alternative system that could infuse into itself a representation of the real world. Out of this need arose the system of neutrosophy and its connected logic, neutrosophic logic. This new logic, which allows also the concept of indeterminacy to play a role in any real-world problem, was introduced first by one of the authors Florentin Smarandache. In this …

Is Bird Nesting In The Best Interest Of Children, Michael T. Flannery

SMU Law Review

No abstract provided.

Corporations, Glenn D. West, Adam D. Nelson

SMU Law Review

No abstract provided.

Criminal Procedure: Confessions, Searches, And Seizures, Deborah C.S. Riherd, Michael E. Keasler

SMU Law Review

No abstract provided.

Environmental Law, Scott D. Deatherage, Becky Jolin, A. Kay Roska, Matthew J. Knifton, Elizabeth Webb, Brendan Lowrey

SMU Law Review

No abstract provided.

Personal Torts, Michael W. Shore, Judy Shore

SMU Law Review

No abstract provided.

Taxation, Cynthia M. Ohlenforst, Jeff W. Dorrill, J. Blake Rice, Eleanor A. Arnold

SMU Law Review

No abstract provided.

Pain And Suffering, Noneconomic Damages, And The Goals Of Tort Law, Joseph H. King Jr.

SMU Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Continuing Whimsical Search For The True Meaning Of The Term “Product” In Products Liability Litigation, Charles E. Cantú

Faculty Articles

More than a decade has elapsed since an initial attempt was made to discern the true meaning of the term product in products liability litigation. At the time, a brief history of events leading up to the adoption of Section 402A of the Restatement (Second) of Torts was outlined, and it was emphasized that what had at first seemed so simple subsequently proved to be somewhat complex.

An examination of cases involving the sales/service transaction, as well as those involving real estate, blood, electricity, component parts, water, computer software, and ideas, sometimes held that what was involved was a product. …

Secured Transactions History: The First Chattel Mortgage Acts In The Anglo-American World, George Lee Flint Jr, Marie Juliet Alfaro

Faculty Articles

The chattel mortgage acts first arose in the southern mainland English-American colony of Virginia in 1643. Other colonies followed suit over the next 100 years. The function of the earliest chattel mortgage acts was not to legalize the transaction, but to declare it void if not registered, or to provide a priority rule favoring the registered transaction. Legislatures did not pass these colonial chattel mortgage acts to legalize an otherwise fraudulent transaction because reported cases indicate that the common law upheld the nonpossessory secured transaction prior to the passage of the earliest act in the southern states.

The Northeastern States’ …

Secured Transactions History: The Impact Of Southern Staple Agriculture On The First Chattel Mortgage Acts In The Anglo-American World, George Lee Flint Jr, Marie Juliet Alfaro

Faculty Articles

The development of secured transaction law in colonial America was spurred by a litigious conflict between the recognizance and the chattel mortgage. The recognizance was the admission and recording of a debt before the court in order to secure credit. However, court hearings were infrequent in the colonies and often logistically impractical to the average farmer or merchant. The chattel mortgage was a more informal and practical solution to providing lines of credit on personal property. Without a system for recording chattel mortgages, lenders could not be sure in their investments.

In the southern colonies, the emergence of staple crops, …

Lessons From La Morenita Del Tepeyac, Ana M. Novoa

Faculty Articles

The concept that the powerful and wealthy have the absolute obligation to offer political, financial, and social liberation to those at the margins of society should have special importance to those who are lawyers and professionals of color. People spend considerable time working through, working in, and centered in the dominant, or caucasian European culture. The legal system regularly fails to see, accept, realize, or believe when truth is presented at the margins. Nonetheless, it is at the margins that true legal and personal reform take place. Even in a friendly environment, where people are encouraged to step outside the …

Sheep Hill Community Tree, Kimberly Ann Fleischman

Theses and Dissertations

An urban community is a fusion of new and old that is constantly changing. We understand better the plight of a community through raising awareness of its unique history and visual character. Linking individual and community experiences offers an opportunity for dialogue, especially as long-time residents and their new neighbors learn about their different pasts and explore their common future. Community building happens from within, when many individuals sharing common values create positive change.

Toothbrushing, Flossing, And Preventive Dental Visits By Richmond-Area Residents In Relation To Demographic And Socioeconomic Factors, Kim T. Isringhausen

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose. This study was conducted to identify factors that influence preventive dental behaviors and, from the results, target groups for intervention.Methods. Data were collected using the 1997 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) resulting in a probability sample of 399 dentate adults living in Richmond City, Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover Counties in Virginia. All analyses were performed using the statistical software program STATA. Initial hypothesis testing was performed using univariate logistic regression models. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to test the significance of independent variables while controlling for other possible predictors of behavior.Results. Females were more likely than males …

Motivations, Roles, Characteristics, And Power: Women Volunteer Leaders On Nonprofit Boards Of Directors, Bridget Elizabeth Lyons

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze the leadership experiences of woman presidents of nonprofit agencies who are perceived as successful. Recognizing that participants' descriptions of their leadership experience are both similar and different, those similarities and differences are explored and analyzed. Commitment to the organization's mission, communicating a vision into action, fostering collaboration, and an adaptable leadership approach all contributed to the success of these female board presidents. A case study design was used to obtain an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon of women leaders on nonprofit boards of directors. In-depth interviewing, observations with field notes, …

Effect Of Repeated Dosing Of Delta 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, The Major Psychoactive Ingredient Of Marijuana, On Memory In Mice, Floride Niyuhire

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug in the United States. However, marijuana and cannabinoid derivatives have potential therapeutic uses. Studies in cannabis users have yielded contradictory results with regard to long-term effects on cognitive functions. There is no prospective study assessing this issue, and such studies may raise ethical issues in humans, whereas mice have been shown to exhibit similar cannabinoid-mediated behaviors as humans. The purpose of this study was to assess the consequences of chronic administration of Δ9-THC, the major psychoactive component of marijuana, in a mouse memory model. Methods: In Experiment 1, the dose-response relationship …

The Association Between Periodontal Disease And C-Reactive Protein In Patients With A History Of Heart Attack, Robert Lee Fletcher Iii

Theses and Dissertations

The patient population consisted of a maximum of 18,570 subjects who completed the NHANES III questionnaire and examination from 1988 - 1994. The physical examination included such things as body mass index and serum samples, social and medical history. The periodontal examination recorded probing depth, attachment loss and gingival bleeding. Serum samples were analyzed for CRP levels, cholesterol levels etc. Demographic, cardiovascular and oral health variables were compared in subjects with a history of heart attack. Result showed that history of heart attack is associated with increased odds ratio for elevated CRP, diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol, male gender, non-white race and …

Physical And Chemical Properties Of A New Mineral Trioxide Aggregate Material, David Lowell Spencer

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to compare the time to final set and compressive strength of the white mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) formulation to the original grey MTA. To test compressive strength, each MTA formulation was placed into Teflon split molds for four hours at 37° Celsius (C) and 100% humidity. Compressive strength of both MTA formulations was measured at 24 hours (n=12) and 21 days (n=19) using an Instron Testing Machine. For determination of time to final set, each MTA formulation (n=6) was placed into a metal mold and maintained at 37° C and 100% humidity while setting. …

Use Of A Portland Cement Accelerator With Mineral Trioxide Aggregate, M. Scott Monts

Theses and Dissertations

The use of Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (MTA) is gaining popularity among clinicians. Despite the many ideal qualities it possesses, it is often difficult to manipulate and often requires a second appointment for placement of a restoration to allow for setting. If the time to set of MTA can be accelerated to a single appointment time frame without significantly altering its properties, then MTA may gain even wider acceptance. The purpose of this study is to identify the percentage of a Portland Cement Accelerator (PCA), that when added to MTA, will decrease the time to set of MTA towards a single …

Childhood Exposure To Interparental Conflict: Memory Biases And Intergenerational Patterns Of Conflict In Romantic Relationships, Christine A. Nelson

Theses and Dissertations

Testing a model that explains the ways in which interparental conflict shapes later intimate relationships was the goal of the present study. Participants were 94 college students at Virginia Commonwealth University, a large state university with a diverse student body. The study found that violence occurs with alarming frequency in the dating relationships of university students. Analyses also revealed an intergenerational pattern of violence in which individuals from high conflict homes were more likely to use violent conflict resolution strategies in their own adult romantic relationships. Specifically, young adults from homes characterized by high levels of verbal conflict and minor …

Narrating Friendship: The Reciprocal Relationship Between J.B. Childers And Myself, James Thomas Engelmann

Theses and Dissertations

For the past ten months I have explored the life of a deceased artist named Joseph Barley "J.B." Childers. In the graduate catalog Gregory Volk summarizes Childers as, "an alienated Korean War Veteran, who took up painting as a refuge from his troubles, and who also doesn't exist. Childers who is naturally right-handed, painted everything left-handed because of a war wound, and so Engelmann, who is left-handed, painted with his right hand, which is quite a limitation." Of course, there's more to the story than that and the writings that follow will explain many of my reasons for pursuing this …

Effects Of Emphysema And Chronic Hypoxemia On Skeletal Muscle Oxygen Supply And Demand, John D. Lowman Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Skeletal muscle dysfunction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a condition in which peripheral skeletal muscle undergoes myopathic changes which impair muscle function, limit physical performance, and can lead to significant disability. While the etiology of the dysfunction is unknown, this study was conducted to test the hypothesis that chronic hypoxemia leads to alterations in oxygen transport and muscle function. A primary objective was to validate elastase-induced emphysema in rats as an animal model of skeletal muscle dysfunction in COPD.Arterial blood gases were used to determine the severity of hypoxemia and sodium dodecyl sulfate- polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used …

Growth And Deterioration, Brooke A. Hine

Theses and Dissertations

I use porcelain clay because it allows me to focus on the subtle color shifts between white, beige, and gray. The forms I make in clay are associated with tangled roots, naked tree branches, hollow logs, and bones. I reveal this with a dense mass of curvilinear hollow forms that stack into a rhythmic linkage. They twist and turn, relying on gravity to dictate their structure within the installation. The ends of some are closed while others remain open to expose their interior. The tearing and perforations on the surface of each piece are employed to emphasize deterioration. In opposition …

The Social Network And Attachment Bases Of Loneliness, David M. Ouellette

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis tests Robert S. Weiss's 1973 theory of loneliness, which claims two types of loneliness: emotional and social. Emotional loneliness is the affective reaction to the absence of a close attachment bond. Social loneliness stems from inadequate integration into a social network. Undergraduate residents of a university dormitory completed questionnaires on loneliness, attachment, personality, and relationships with other dorm residents. Patterns of relational ties among participants were evaluated using social network analysis, specifically density, tie strength, and four forms of centrality. Results reveal that, while controlling for neuroticism, the network measure of outdegree and the two attachment dimensions accounted …

Determinants Of Prenatal Care And Supplement Use: The Case Of Honduras, Catherine E. Henze

Theses and Dissertations

Context: Literature suggests that prenatal care and prenatal supplement use improves pregnancy outcomes. However, we do not know the factors associated with prenatal care and supplement use in Honduras.Objective: To identify characteristics of Honduran women who are the least and most likely to use prenatal care and supplements.Methods: Data from a 2001 Honduras cross-sectional survey of women was used to assess their use of prenatal care and supplements. All data was weighted, resulting in a sample size of n = 5647 women who had a live birth since January 1996. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to examine factors associated …