Digital Commons Network^™

The Innovative Medium Defense: A Doctrine To Promote The Multiple Goals Of Copyright In The Wake Of Advancing Digital Technologies, Kevin M. Lemley

Penn State Law Review (2003 - Present)

No abstract provided.

Toward Ontology Generation From Tables, Deryle W. Lonsdale, Yuri A. Tijerino, David W. Embley, Yihong Ding, George Nagy

Faculty Publications

At the heart of today’s information-explosion problems are issues involving semantics, mutual understanding, concept matching, and interoperability. Ontologies and the Semantic Web are offered as a potential solution, but creating ontologies for real-world knowledge is nontrivial. If we could automate the process, we could significantly improve our chances of making the Semantic Web a reality. While understanding natural language is difficult, tables and other structured information make it easier to interpret new items and relations. In this paper we introduce an approach to generating ontologies based on table analysis. We thus call our approach TANGO (Table ANalysis for Generating Ontologies). …

3d P- And Converted Shear Wave Characteristics Of The Morrow Production Trend In The Buffalo Valley Field, Chaves-Eddy County, New Mexico, Sandeep Pyakurel

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Regional and local subsurface log and 3D seismic interpretations were undertaken in the vicinity of the Buffalo Valley field in southeastern New Mexico. Oil production in the field is trapped in early Pennsylvanian basal Morrow Formation Harris Channel. Regional interpretation shows that the field is located on the Northwestern Shelf along the rim of the Delaware basin. Structure and isopach maps reveal that high production is associated with a structural low that actively developed during deposition of the reservoir interval. The Harris Channel scoured into the upper Mississippian Barnett shale. Areas of thin Barnett Shale coincide with production and define …

Bringing Down The Mountains: The Impact Of Mountaintop Removal Surface Coal Mining On Southern West Virginia Communities, 1970--2004, Shirley L. Stewart Burns

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

While surface mining began in West Virginia during WWI, the practice did not expand until WWII. Used to fuel the war effort, surface mining would become the industry-preferred means of mining coal and gained a permanent place in West Virginia's coal mining industry. Mountaintop removal surface coal mining began on Fayette County, West Virginia's, Bullpush Mountain in 1970. An extreme version of strip mining, during mountaintop removal the tops of mountains are removed via blasting in order to reveal the coal seams below. The last thirty-four years has seen an escalation in this mining method from forty-four permits covering 9,800 …

Essays On Excise Taxation: Cross -Border Effects, Quality Substitution, And Tax Earmarking, Todd M. Nesbit

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation is a collection of essays examining the secondary effects of excise taxation. The first chapter discusses the history of the excise tax in the United States and provides an introduction to some of the major areas of research examining the excise tax. In addition, this chapter outlines the research agenda for the dissertation. Chapter 2 considers the effects of cross-border sales and tourism on state tax revenues from wine and liquor taxation in the state of West Virginia. The empirical results of this chapter suggest that the revenue impact of cross-border shopping and tourism is economically significant relative …

U.S.-Australia Alliance Relations: An Australian View, Paul Dibb

Strategic Forums

Australia is America’s oldest friend and ally in the Asia-Pacific region. The two countries fought alongside each other in World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the 1991 Gulf War, and most recently in Afghanistan and Iraq. The closeness of the two nations today is without precedent in the history of the relationship. Australia is now America’s second closest ally in the world, after the United Kingdom.

Participatory Gis For Growth Management In The Cheat Lake Planning District Of Monongalia County, West Virginia, Timothy L. Hawthorne

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Participatory Geographic Information Systems (PGIS) can be an effective methodology for collecting public input in local land use planning and smart growth management. PGIS-based approaches provide residents with an opportunity to discuss and map their priority land use issues and to identify land use hotspots in a way that is not typically possible in a general public meeting. This thesis research explores how community qualitative information about land use can be incorporated into a PGIS for the Cheat Lake Planning District of Monongalia County, West Virginia. The research presented in this thesis demonstrates how qualitative information strengthens land use planning …

Northeast Ohio Manufacturing Analysis: A Working Paper In Support Of Global Northeast Ohio Manufacturing Roadmap Initiative, Ziona Austrian, Iryna Lendel

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

This report presents the results of a study of manufacturing activities in Northeast Ohio (NEO). The report’s purpose is to provide an understanding of recent trends in regional manufacturing industries in the context of longer-term trends and the national economy.

Alternative Methods For Identifying Groups Of Neighborhoods To Support The Development Of Alliances In Omaha, Nebraska, Heather L. Bloom

Student Work

Omaha by Design’s (OBD) initiative, Neighborhood Omaha, identifies groups of neighborhoods as planning units. Objective methods can be used to identify alternative groupings of neighborhoods into alliances for sub-area planning. For alliances to be successful, neighborhoods need to be drawn together based on similar characteristics, specifically neighborhood demographics. This study asserts that neighborhood, business and miscellaneous associations can be analyzed using two-step cluster analysis to determine demographic, problem and identity similarity. An analysis of the neighborhoods east of 72nd Street, as identified by the City of Omaha Planning Department, resulted in the creation 11 multi-neighborhood alliances.

Simultaneous Determination Of Dissolved Organic Carbon And Total Dissolved Nitrogen On A Coupled High-Temperature Combustion Total Organic Carbon-Nitrogen Chemiluminescence Detection (Htc Toc-Ncd) System, X Pan, R Sanders, Ad Tappin, Pj Worsfold, Ep Achterberg

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The marine biogeochemistries of carbon and nitrogen have come under increased scrutiny because of their close involvement in climate change and coastal eutrophication. Recent studies have shown that the high-temperature combustion (HTC) technique is suitable for routine analyses of dissolved organic matter due to its good oxidation efficiency, high sensitivity, and precision. In our laboratory, a coupled HTC TOC-NCD system with a sample changer was used for the automated and simultaneous determination of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) in seawater samples. TOC control software was used for TOC instrument control, DOC data acquisition, and data analysis. …

Gradient And Recurrence Analyses Of Four Marine Zones In The Glenshaw Formation (Upper Pennsylvanian, Appalachian Basin), Joseph G. Lebold

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Upper Pennsylvanian Glenshaw Formation contains a series of marine zones that were deposited on the detrital slope of the Appalachian highlands during the last major transgressions from the Midcontinent Sea in the Paleozoic of eastern North America. These marine zones contain distinctive fossil assemblages characterized as biofacies that inhabited a variety of shallow marine environments.;The first chapter of this paper focuses on the Ames marine zone sampled along a northwest-southeast transect across the Appalachian Basin. The Ames marine zone was deposited during the most extensive marine transgression of the Pennsylvanian in this region. Gradient analysis of the proportional abundance …

Trout Movement And Habitat Use In The Upper Shavers Fork Of The Cheat River, West Virginia, Jeff Lee Hansbarger

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

I quantified brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and brown trout (Salmo trutta) movement and habitat use in a central Appalachian watershed, the upper Shavers Fork of the Cheat River over three seasons (spring/summer 2000-01, fall 2000) with telemetry. The objectives of my study were to: (1) quantify trout habitat use among seasons, and between the mainstem and Rocky Run (a major tributary), (2) quantify the effect of temperature extremes on habitat use by brook trout, (3) quantify trout movement among seasons and between the mainstem and Rocky Run, and (4) relate movement to variations in stream flow, water temperature, and access …

Geologic And Geomorphic Controls Of Alluvial Island Location In Cheat River, West Virginia, Mitzy L. Schaney

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cheat River of north central West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania is a stable moderately sinuous mountain river with numerous anabranching reaches that include 81 alluvial islands. Relatively stable features, Cheat River alluvial islands are characterized by woody vegetation or human habitation, an elevation equal to or greater than the surrounding floodplain, and a perennially exposed emergent surface surrounded by active channels. Valley geometry, lithology, and tributary input are the main geologic and geomorphic controls selected to assess island location in Cheat River. Islands are more numerous in wide valleys with extensive floodplains; these valleys occur in lithologic segments dominated by …

Controls, Characterization And Small Scale Chemical Variations Of A Karst System: A Geochemical Assessment Of Tuscarora Creek Watershed, West Virginia, Rachel V. Grand

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Tuscarora Creek watershed is located in the Appalachian Great Valley in Berkeley County, West Virginia. Thirteen springs and seven creek locations were sampled to evaluate spatial and temporal variability in major ion geochemistry. The controlling chemical signature was carbonate dissolution; distinctions could not be made between carbonate units and little evidence was seen for the recharge from adjacent clastic rocks. The springs in the upper watershed had greater temporal variability that may be due to enhanced transmissivity associated with a creek-parallel thrust fault. Discharge data indicate the creek is supplied directly from ground water (>50%) as well as from …

Climate Records From The Faroe-Shetland Channel Using Lophelia Pertusa (Linnaeus, 1758), Mj Risk, J Hall-Spencer, B Williams

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Re-Presenting The Religious: Nation, Community And Identity In Museums, Lily Kong

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This paper examines the roles that museums play as 'unofficially sacred' places, underscoring or challenging the religious life of a people and 'nation'. It focuses on three key questions: (1) Do sub-national and transnational religious formations pose a challenge to or present opportunities for nation-building strategies, and what part do museums play in this struggle? (2) In what ways do re-presentations of religion in museums contest or reinforce religious community and identity? and (3) What challenges do museum displays pose to the understanding of religious meanings? This paper explores these three key questions about the intersection of religion with politics …

Religious Schools: For Spirit, (F)Or Nation, Lily Kong

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

In this paper I draw attention to the study of 'unofficially sacred' sites in geographies of religion, which provide significant insights into the construction of religious identity and community, and the intersections of sacred and secular. I show that such sites deserve as much attention as places of worship (the more conventional focus in the geographical study of religion) in our understanding of the place of religion in contemporary urban society. In particular, using the case of Islamic religious schools in Singapore, I examine how Muslim identities and community are negotiated within multicultural and multireligious contexts, and particularly within one …

The Impact Of Trade Liberalization On Growth, Unemployment, And Poverty In Bangladesh, Maha Z. Mirza

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Trade liberalization has been one of the major policy components of the governments of the developing countries in the recent decades. Bangladesh as many other developing nations, has adopted different measures of trade reform policies as an element of International Monetary Fund's (IMF) Structural Adjustment Program (SAP), as well as to be an integral part of the world wide trend of globalization. Such policy measures include the reduction/rationalization of tariff rate, simplification of import and export trade procedures, relaxation of restrictive trade policies, and reform of financial and monetary policies. Even though, the trade reform measures were anticipated to increase …

Organizational Evolution: Applying Genetic Principles To The Management Of Extension Systems, John A. Winder

Journal of Extension

Insight into organizational management can be gained by looking at natural systems. Ideas in Extension organizations are analogous to the genetic makeup of populations of organisms. Genetic makeup determines the chemistry, size and behavior of these populations. Similarly, ideas in organizations determine the future size, activities and effectiveness. This article first examines the principles of population genetics and how these principles drive genetic change. This concept is then extended to Extension to demonstrate how ideas appear to follow similar laws. Finally, this concept is used to derive suggestions for improving effectiveness of organizations.

What Is Forestry: A Multi-State, Web-Based Forestry Education Program, Robert Wheeler, Marcella Szymanski

Journal of Extension

The What Is Forestry: Connecting Communities project promotes forestry education and connects students to a greater appreciation of local and national forests and their cultural connections with communities. Through integrating activities including science, photography, arts, music, math, and Internet computer technology, students were challenged to observe and explain the forests in which they live and communicate this understanding to students in a sister school in another state. The analysis of the pre- and post-evaluations indicated that there were significant changes in student opinions about forestry.

Geogdl: A Web-Based Approach To Geography Examination, Ee Peng Lim, Dion Hoe-Lian Goh, Yin-Leng Theng

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The traditional educational approach with students as passive recipients has been the subject of criticism. A constructivist learner-centered approach towards education has been argued to produce greater internalization and application of knowledge compared to the traditional teacher-centered, transmission-oriented approach. Nevertheless, contemporary instructional design models argue for the use and integration of both approaches especially in complex learning tasks. This paper describes GeogDL, a Web-based application developed above a digital library of geographical resources for Singapore students preparing to take a national examination in geography. GeogDL is unique in that it not only provides an environment for active learning, it also …

Mortality Trend Due To Ischemic Heart Diseases In The City Of Curitiba – Brazil, From 1980 To 1998, Edevar Daniel, Helio Germiniani, Eleusis Ronconi Nazareno, Simone Viana Braga, Anderson M. Winkler, Claudio L. Pereira Da Cunha

School of Medicine Publications

Objective: To assess mortality trends due to ischemic heart diseases, per sex, and acute myocardial infarction, per sex and age range, from 1980 to 1998, in the city of Curitiba.

Methods: Data of death due to ischemic heart disease and acute myocardial infarction from Sistema de Informação sobre Mortalidade do Ministério da Saúde (Information System on Mortality of Ministry of Health), per sex, age range and domicile location in Curitiba were used. Population data were obtained from Fundação Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics Foundation). Mortality rates were adjusted per age through direct method, …

'Outside Agitators:' The Role Of Foreign Islamists In The Chechen Fight For Independence, Robert Kent Pinkerton Jr.

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

The goal of this thesis is to identify the role of foreign Islamist charities and terrorist groups in the current conflict in Chechnya. The issue of foreign Islamism in Chechnya is introduced through a general history of the region, including the role of religion in both traditional Chechen culture and in the present war. The evolution of Chechen war from a secular to a religious conflict is first examined by looking into the perspectives of various Muslim groups on the Chechen war and other similar conflicts and, conversely, the perspectives of many Chechens on the outsiders who purport to aid …

Product Development Knowledge-Processing System, Jiefei Qiu

Theses

This thesis develops a methodology that integrates Quality Function Deployment (QFD), Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) and Design Structure Matrix (DSM) to address the problem of analyzing, interpreting, and transforming the knowledge data flow during the product development process.

A product development process is the sequence of steps an enterprise takes to conceive, design, and commercialize a product. The general process includes: Planning, Concept Development, System-Level Design, Detail Design, Testing and Refinement, and Production Ramp-Up. One way to think about the development process is as a knowledge-processing system.

Prior to this study, there are few articles integrating TRIZ and …

Street Trees In The Urban Forest Canopy: Portland, Oregon, Joseph Poracsky, David Banis

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Attempts to identify the contribution of street trees to the overall urban forest of a city have been rare and lack consensus on how to measure that contribution – percentage of trees, percentage of canopy cover, or percentage of leaf area. The actual numeric values presented in the literature also vary over a broad range and often are based on estimates, extrapolations from aggregated data, or simply stated with no empirical data referenced. This study was undertaken to evaluate the contribution of street trees to canopy in Portland, Oregon. The study involved both visual and digital analysis of multi-band aerial …

Archaeology, Relics, And Book Of Mormon Belief, John E. Clark

Journal of Book of Mormon Studies

Archaeology has much to offer as a scientific means of gathering independent evidence of the Book of Mormon’s authenticity. But one must look in the right place. A cautionary tale is the failed Cluff expedition of 1900, which, assuming a “hemispheric model” of Book of Mormon geography, traveled from Provo as far as Colombia looking for the city Zarahemla. Yet in 1842 the Times and Seasons (under Joseph Smith’s editorship) had printed excerpts from a popular book on Mesoamerican archaeology that demonstrated a surprisingly high level of civilization, implying that Nephite lands did not extend into South America, thus supporting …

Lehi's Vision Of The Tree Of Life: Understanding The Dream As Visionary Literature, Charles Swift

Journal of Book of Mormon Studies

One of the more striking and significant passages in the Book of Mormon is Lehi’s vision of the tree of life. It is often studied in terms of its content alone, with clarifying details illuminated by Nephi’s similar vision. However, exploring this vision against the backdrop of ancient visionary literature can lead to greater appreciation of its literary richness while affording insights into its interpretation. Many narrative components of Lehi’s vision match the characteristic elements of visionary literature identified by biblical scholar Leland Ryken, including otherness, reversal of ordinary reality, transcendental realms, kaleidoscopic structure, and symbolism. The relationship between symbolic …

Estimated Ultraviolet Radiation Doses In Wetlands In Six National Parks, Stephen A. Diamond, Peter C. Trenham, Michael J. Adams, Blake R. Hossack, Roland A. Knapp, Stacey L. Stark, David Bradford, P. Stephen Corn, Ken Czarnowski, Paul D. Brooks, Dan Fagre, Bob Breen, Naomi E. Detenbeck, Kathy Tonnessen

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B, 280–320-nm wavelengths) doses were estimated for 1024 wetlands in six national parks: Acadia (Acadia), Glacier (Glacier), Great Smoky Mountains (Smoky), Olympic (Olympic), Rocky Mountain (Rocky), and Sequoia/ Kings Canyon (Sequoia). Estimates were made using ground-based UV-B data (Brewer spectrophotometers), solar radiation models, GIS tools, field characterization of vegetative features, and quantification of DOC concentration and spectral absorbance. UV-B dose estimates were made for the summer solstice, at a depth of 1 cm in each wetland. The mean dose across all wetlands and parks was 19.3 W-h m^-2 (range of 3.4–32.1 W-h m^-2). The mean …

Journal Of Book Of Mormon Studies Volume 14 Issue 2, Neal A. Maxwell Institute For Religious Scholarship

Journal of Book of Mormon Studies

The Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture is a peer-reviewed journal dedicated to promoting understanding of the history, meaning, and significance of the scriptures and other sacred texts revealed through the Prophet Joseph Smith.

What’S In A Word? Can “Marriage” Mean Something It Never Meant Before?, Deanna M. Stathis

ExpressO

In the article I explore the clash of the two disciplines—lexicography and law—when courts and legislatures invoke lexicography to address and solve legal issues that are driven by societal concerns. I address, specifically, the marriage debate. I describe the process of dictionary making and some of the basic tenets of lexicography, and the historical role of lexicography in law. I point out what I perceive as misunderstandings, in judicial opinions and scholarly articles, on the subject of lexicography. I discuss how words gain new meanings (and how they do not) and how, when, and by whom their definitions are changed. …