Digital Commons Network^™

The Search For An Effective International Regime For The Long-Term Safety And Security Of High Level Radioactive Waste: Pangea And Beyond, Vincent Cusack

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis is a study of public policy issues relating to multinational geological repositories for high-level radioactive waste disposal (HLW). Nuclear states have attempted for decades to implement effective radioactive waste policies, though with limited success. The safe disposal of HLW has proven particularly troublesome and, thus far, a solution has eluded all states. A review of radioactive waste policy in the UK, the US and Switzerland reveals some of the underlying themes behind community opposition to repository siting and the reasons for a broader global search. The failure to achieve HLW repositories at a national level has led to …

The Use Of Principles And Techniques Derived From Meditation For The Design And Creation Of Co-Participatory Musical Systems, Hannah E. Clemen

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

For this thesis, a detailed study was undertaken to determine whether techniques derived from traditional meditation systems can be applied to "co-participatory" music systems in order to enhance their accessibility, interactivity, and experiential impact, In order to adequately address this subject, a number of investigative steps have been taken. First, a workable list of definitions for what meditation actually is was made by comparing the practices and philosophies of a number of traditional meditation forms. The conclusions derived from this stage of the discussion served to create a definitive "blueprint" for meditation and served as a theoretical foundation for the …

The Education And Training Of Accounting Technicians In The Sultanate Of Oman : The Accounting Diploma Program At Sultan Qaboos University, Anthony R. Bright

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The discovery and subsequent commercial exploitation of oil in the Arabian Gulf region has brought profound and far-reaching change to the peoples of the area. What has happened has been nothing short of a transformation from desert sheikdoms into modem nation states;The Sultanate of Oman is one of those states. Although Oman is not a major oil producer in world terms, it has been able to use its oil revenues over the past three decades to finance the establishment of a modem infrastructure and to develop its social and economic systems. Notwithstanding the success of Oman's national development efforts thus …

Survivability Through Pre-Configured Protection In Optical Mesh Networks, Quoc V. Phung

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Network survivability is a very important issue, especially in optical networks that carry huge amount of traffic. Network failures which may be caused by human errors, malfunctional systems and natural disaster (eg. Earthquakes and lightening storms), have occurred quite frequently and sometimes with unpredictable consequences. Survivability is defined as the ability of the network to maintain the continuity of service against failures of network components. Pre-configuration and dynamic restoration are two schemes for network survivability. For each scheme, survivability algorithms can be applied at either Optical Channel sublayer (Och) known as link-based. Or, Optical Multiplex Section sublayer (OMS) known as …

A Comparison Of Seagrass Communities At Varying Proximity To A Low-Density Mussel-Line Aquaculture In King George Sound, Western Australia, John A. Eyres

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Increasingly mussel-line aquaculture is recognised as a potential threat to seagrass. Sites suitable for mussel-line aquaculture are often in sheltered waters containing seagrass. Despite this; few studies have examined the risk of mussel-line aquaculture to seagrass ecosystems. The objective of this study is to determine how low-density, mussel-line aquaculture might influence the underlying seagrass ecosystem.

2005 Usd Fact Book, University Of San Diego

USD Fact Books (1985- )

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Into The Use Of B-Nodes And State Models For Computer Network Technology And Education, Gurpreet Kohli

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis consists of a series of internationally published, peer reviewed, conference research papers and one journal paper. The papers evaluate and further develop two modelling methods for use in Information Technology (IT) design and for the educational and training needs of students within the area of computer and network technology. The IT age requires technical talent to fill positions such as network managers, web administrators, e-commerce consultants and network security experts as IT is changing rapidly, and this is placing considerable demands on higher educational institutions, both within Australia and internationally, to respond to these changes.

Ambiguity, Sovereignty And Identity In Ireland: Peace And Transition, James J. Friedberg

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Minimizing Corporate Liability Exposure When The Whistle Blows In The Post Sarbanes-Oxley Era, Marc I. Steinberg, Seth A. Kaufman

Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters

Over the past few years, numerous newspapers and magazines have featured stories discussing whistleblowers. From Sherron Watkins at Enron to Cynthia Cooper at Worldcom, employees who reported perceived corporate fraud have received widespread attention. With this increased public focus, Congress chose to provide statutory protection in the whistleblower corporate or securities law context through enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX).

Prior to SOX, federal and state statutes (as well as common law) existed to protect whistleblowers in specific settings. For example, the False Claims Act provides protection to individuals who report fraudulent activities committed against the federal government. …

Private Property And Tax Policy In A Libertarian World: A Critical Review, David G. Duff

All Faculty Publications

The idea that taxes involve the confiscation of private property is widely held in popular thinking and scholarly writing. This article challenges the libertarian foundations of this assumption by critically examining libertarian theories of private property and their implications for tax policy. Part II summarizes the leading libertarian theories of private property, reviewing John Locke's argument in the Second Treatise of Government and Robert Nozick's account in Anarchy, State, and Utopia. Part III examines the implications of these libertarian theories for tax policy, considering libertarian prescriptions for substantive tax measures as well as institutional arrangements that affect tax policy outcomes. …

Identification Of Oct-2 As A Mediator Of Lead Neurotoxicity, Saleh Abdulrahman Bakheet

Open Access Dissertations

Lead exposure is highly neurotoxic, particularly to the developing brain. A potential mechanism through which lead could precipitate cerebral damage is by perturbations in the regulation of genes mediated by transcription factors involved in neural development. Macroarray screening analysis was conducted in vivo in an attempt to identify novel transcription factors that are involved in the response to lead exposure in the hippocampus of developing rats. Oct-2 was identified as a novel transcription factor prominently induced by lead. Lead-induced elevation of Oct-2 was confirmed by RT-PCR analysis and the functional properties of Oct-2 were examined using EMSA. We found that …

Effectiveness Of Recipient Restriction Programs In Medicaid Managed Care Organizations, Jason Michael Beaubien

Open Access Dissertations

Recipient restriction, defined as the locking-in of Medicaid recipients who tend to doctor or pharmacy "shop" into one specific provider and/or pharmacy, has been utilized by State Medicaid agencies and Medicaid managed care organizations as a measure to not only control misutilization and overutilization of Medicaid services through the reduction of unnecessary or inappropriate services, but also to better manage and improve members' quality of care. The objectives of this research was three-fold: to document the prevalence of recipient restriction programs in State Medicaid agencies and Medicaid managed care organizations (MCO); examine the impact these programs have as a measure …

Obesity And Colorectal Cancer And The Knowledge, Attitudes, Beliefs And Behaviors Related To Colorectal Cancer Prevention Among Non-Hispanic Black Women In Rhode Island, Kathleen Mary Cullinen

Open Access Dissertations

Obesity is an established risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC). Numerous studies have linked diets low in fruits and vegetables and decreased physical activity, risk factors for obesity, with increased cancer risk. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of obesity on CRC mortality; the behavioral, socioeconomic and demographic predictors of obesity; and the knowledge attitudes, beliefs and behaviors of a Rhode Island population identified at high risk for both obesity and CRC. The first study tested a model hypothesis that a diet low in fruits and vegetables, decreased physical activity, and obesity as defined by a …

"What I Think Of As A Positive Experience, Is The Lack Of A Negative Experience": Exploring Female-To-Male Transgender And Transsexual Individuals' Interactions With Health Care Providers, Melynda Leigh Craig

Open Access Dissertations

Using qualitative interviews, previous studies have examined gender identity among transgender and transsexual people (i.e., transpeople). However, these studies did not consider the perspectives of female-to-male (FTM) transpeople or situate transpeople's experiences in the larger sociocultural context. Specifically, these studies did not address the mundane challenges faced by transpeople, including the urgent problem of health care barriers. In contrast, other studies used focus groups and questionnaires to examine transpeople's experiences with health care, but did not interpret these experiences from a psychological perspective. In response to the methodological and conceptual deficiencies of previous research, the current study had two objectives. …

Quantitative Analyses Of F+ Specific Rna Coliphages, Marek Kirs

Open Access Dissertations

Microbial contamination of coastal waters poses a significant risk to human health through recreational exposure and consumption of shellfish. Current protocols for assessing the magnitude of microbial contamination in coastal waters cannot distinguish between human and non-human sources. Therefore, there is a critical need at local, regional and national levels for a method that allows reliable discrimination of human and non-human microbial contamination (microbial source tracking). F+ specific RNA coliphages (Leviviridae) have been suggested as a indicator organism for microbial source tracking. Because subgroup II and III are predominantly associated with human, and subgroup I and IV are predominantly associated …

Applicability Of The Transtheoretical Model In Weight Management In An Adolescent Population In Taiwan, Yating Yeh

Open Access Dissertations

Westernized dietary preferences and life-styles are thought to have a significant impact on the increasing prevalence of obesity in Asian populations. The increased numbers of overweight and obese adolescents is becoming an emerging health issue in Asia. Meanwhile, previous studies have indicated that adolescents ' self-perceived weight is poorly related to the medical definition of overweight, and considerable numbers of clinically normal-weight persons are trying to or wish to control weight. Due to the considerable prevalence of desire for weight control among adolescents who are not overweight /obese, it is important for researchers to look at the issue of weight …

A Self-Report Approach To Screening Police Candidates’ Aggressive Tendencies, Frank Joseph Gallo

Open Access Dissertations

This paper introduces the concepts of labeling (detection of aggressive severity) and provocation (response to directed aggression) as meaningful dimensions for evaluating police candidates’ patterns of aggressive tendencies. The evaluation uses candidates’ judgements on instances of suspect behaviors during hypothetical arrest situations. Findings showed that candidates agreed on an ordered continua of behavior severity, alpha = 0.99. One was able to predict very well candidates’ provocation tendencies from knowing their labeling tendencies were related and vice versa, r² = 0.76. Labeling and provocation tendencies were related to other established measures of aggression (e.g., Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire, 1992). I discuss …

A Pilot Study Of Tailored Teaching On Non-Drug Enhancements For Managing Postoperative Pain, Susanne Mary Koszalka Tracy

Open Access Dissertations

The Agency for Healthcare Quality Research (AHRQ cites the under-use of non-drug methods for pain management as among the top twenty-five issues in patient safety (AHRQ, 2001) in acute care hospitals. Little is known about patients' knowledge and attitudes towards non-drug interventions, especially in adult populations 50 years and older. Education is one strategy for improving patients' knowledge, attitudes and use of non-drug enhancements to complement pharmacological pain management. The primary purpose of this pilot study was to describe the usefulness of a tailored teaching intervention on three best practice protocols for music, massage, and self-guided imagery for pain management …

The Role Of Planning In Marine Resource Management: The Effect Of Differing Legislative Mandates On The Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan, Shannon Olivia Marie Bettridge

Open Access Dissertations

Natural resource management laws mandate that Federal agencies must develop and implement plans to protect living and non-living resources. Occasionally these laws overlap in their jurisdiction of marine species, subjecting the resource in question to the requirements of more than one Federal statute. This dissertation examines the planning directives of three Federal resource laws: the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, and the Endangered Species Act of 1973, to identify procedural and substantive conflicts between their mandates. In the U.S., Atlantic large whale protection comes under the purview of the three environmental statutes …

Factors Influencing Hiring Decisions For Welfare Recipients, Jean M. Jacob

Open Access Dissertations

Changes in welfare legislation including the enactment of the Work First policy make it essential to examine the discrimination that Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients face in obtaining employment. Eighty-one employees of temporary employment agencies (58 women, 22 men, and 1 gender unidentified) participated in a study of hiring decisions for TANF recipient and African American job applicants. The study involved participants evaluating hypothetical applicants' resumes for a fast food restaurant cashier or an administrative assistant position. Hypothetical applicants were identified as a TANF or non-TANF recipient and as African American or White. The study examined the relationship …

The Relationship Between School And Independent Educational Evaluations: Issues In Identification And Eligibility For Students With Learning Disabilities, Marie A. Lynch

Open Access Dissertations

There has been a significant rise in the number of students identified with learning disabilities, and consequently determined eligible to receive special education services since 1980. Some have argued that there has been an under- and over-identification of children with learning disabilities, and that the criteria in which to judge whether a learning disability exists is particularly faulty. This investigation examined the relationship between 50 school-based and independent educational evaluations (IEEs) regarding the identification of children with learning disabilities. The reason for referral, assessment processes used, and the overall criteria employed in these evaluations were reviewed using mixed methodological approaches. …

Dissolved Oxygen Dynamics In A Shallow Stream System, Bjoern Michaelis

Open Access Dissertations

Dissolved oxygen dynamics in a shallow stream system were analyzed under dry weather conditions on the Blackstone River in the state of Massachusetts. A dissolved oxygen modeling was conducted with the enhanced stream water quality EPA model QUAL2E by Brown and Barnwell (1987). The dissolved oxygen model was successfully calibrated and validated for dynamical simulations. The accuracy of the model results was proved by graphical and statistical comparison. A procedure is provided to simulate chlorophyll a in QUAL2E with higher accuracy, based on converted photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and extinction coefficients of PAR in the water column. The significance of …

Recombinant Antimicrobials For Feed Based Delivery In Aquaculture, Tarquin Dorrington

Open Access Dissertations

Two antimicrobial peptides of marine origin, tachyplesin from the horseshoe crab (Tachyplesus tridentatus) and pleurocidin from the winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus), were evaluated for potential use in feed-based delivery in oyster aquaculture. Tachyplesin, a beta sheet structure was more effective against a range of gram-positive and gram-negative pathogens, as well as against the protozoan oyster parasite Perkinsus marinus. In addition, tachyplesin's structure made it more resistant to the effects of proteases from the oyster and the parasite. The two peptides also had different effects on the host bacteria of the oyster digestive system, with tachyplesin selectively killing more gram-negatives and …

Do High School Advisory Programs Promote Personalization? Correlates Of School Belonging, Phyllis C. Meloro

Open Access Dissertations

Personalization of our nation's high schools has been identified as an important yet often overlooked component of successful educational reform. It is a result of having lasting positive relationships with teachers leading to a feeling of connectedness to their school. Research supports the role of personalization and school belongingness through their correlation with a number of positive educational and behavioral outcomes. High sense of school belonging is associated with an increase in educational variables such as high grades and academic motivation, and a decrease in school drop out and behavior problems. This study examined the relationship between an advisory program …

Psychopathy And Compliance Correlates For Male Delinquents In A Community Program, Marshall Jackson Robinson

Open Access Dissertations

Psychopathy, the constellation of behaviors and attitudes characterized by aggressive predation, manipulation, callousness, exploitation, and which is often connected with criminality, can exact a substantial interpersonal and social toll. While the prevalence of psychopathy is extremely low among the general public, it is a significant population within the realms of criminal justice and mental health. Researchers have linked psychopathy to chronic antisocial behavior across the life span, and have established strong links between adult psychopathy and certain subpopulations of behaviorally dysfunctional youth. Within the last ten years much work has gone into conceptualizing and applying the construct of psychopathy to …

Youth In Action: A Study Of Developing Citizen Identity, Joyce L. Stevos

Open Access Dissertations

This qualitative study of an urban youth-led organization presents, from the point of view of the youth culture, how the organization contributes to the developing citizen identity of its members. The participants range in age from 13 to 21, represent a marginal, at-risk population, attend public and private schools in the metropolitan area, and run programs for their peers focusing on healthy behaviors and non-violence. The Board of Directors consists of 17 youth and 3 adults and employs an executive director and 3 other adult staff. The group raises money, to sustain programs, through fundraising and grant writing. They raised …

Gis In An Age Of Homeland Security: Accessing Public Information To Ensure A Sustainable Environment, Patricia E. Salkin

Scholarly Works

Critical to the goal of achieving sustainable development is governments' ability to maintain public information, including maps, charts, statistics, and narrative text, about a wide variety of environmental factors, indicators, resources, and threats in easily understandable formats that are readily accessible to the public. While federal and state freedom of information laws help to ensure a relatively high rate of public access to traditional information, such as environmental impact statements, studies and reports,significant environmental events and resources, and census data, the growing use and reliance on geographic information systems ("GIS") has the potential to move the public discourse to a …

Irresponsible Legislating: Reeling In The Aftermath Of Kelo, Patricia E. Salkin

Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

Native Americans In Prison: The Struggle For Religious Freedom, Stephanie Beran

Nebraska Anthropologist

Native peoples account for a disproportionate number of inmates in the current American prison population. Due to differences in the character of practice between Native and Judeo-Christian religions, it has been suggested that Native inmates face challenges that other prisoners do not because their religious needs are poorly understood. In the course of this paper I will discuss the disparities in the religious accommodation of Native inmates, explore how the religious rights of imprisoned Natives have been violated, and present arguments concerning the validity of spirituality as a means of inmate therapy and rehabilitation.

'Learning By Doing,' The Development Of A Constructivist Program: Putting Dewey Into Practice, Martha May Tevis, John Mcbride

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

For the past several years a unique graduate program that has been offered to public school teachers of mathematics and science in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas at the University of Texas – Pan American (UTPA). Some comments from graduates of this program are; “It has “changed my life, ” resulted in “bringing activities from the university classroom to public school classrooms to the home of my students.” “ ... helped me achieve a masters degree which would not have been possible for me as a mother of five— three of whom are enrolled in a university and …