Digital Commons Network^™

Overcoming Global Ignorance: Developing Geographic Literacy In A World Regional Geography Course, Amy Seymour

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The most recent Roper Survey (2006), a study of geographic literacy among 18-to 24-year-olds, found that despite constant coverage of the war in Iraq since 2003, 63% of Americans surveyed could not find Iraq on a map. Similar shortcomings abound in the poll, pointing to what must be considered a "geographic illiteracy" among Americans. This national geographic illiteracy has global implications that range from the local to the global scale, including issues of politics, economics, foreign policy, environmental policy, and resource use to name just a few. How badly prepared, then, are students entering colleges and universities in terms of …

Sustainability Of Western Kentucky University: An Examination Of Campus Environmental Policies, Performance And Potential For Change, Christian Ryan-Downing

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Institutions of higher learning are in a pivotal position to address the environmental problems that global society faces now, but response to this challenge requires transformation in priorities and practices. Recognizing the impacts that universities have on the environment and the social and economic costs associated with these impacts, institutions of higher learning are changing policies and management to become more sustainable. Sustainability is defined by the World Commission on Environment and Development as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" (1987). To evaluate the environmental impacts …

Jefferson's Abomination In The Valley: A Study Of The Economic Effects Of The Embargo Of 1807 On Louisville's Frontier Economy, Williams Lewis

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This thesis examines the effects of the Embargo of 1807 on Louisville and its surrounding areas. The purpose of this study is to discover if the interior suffered to the same degree as other regions of the country as a result of Thomas Jefferson's trade restrictions. Louisville is the focus area because it is not only representative of the Ohio Valley and the interior but also because it marked the end of civilization and the beginning of the frontier. Distinctions between class, economic status, and occupation between the inhabitants of Jefferson County are also observed. This particular approach leads to …

Hydrological Parameters For New Hampshire's Estuaries, Phil Trowbridge

PREP Reports & Publications

The New Hampshire Estuaries Project (NHEP) is part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Estuary Program which is a joint local/state/federal program established under Section 320 of the Clean Water Act with the goal of protecting and enhancing nationally significant estuaries. The NHEP’s Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for New Hampshire’s estuaries was completed in 2000 and implementation is ongoing. The Management Plan outlines key issues related to management of New Hampshire’s estuaries and proposes strategies that are expected to collectively preserve and protect the state’s estuarine resources. The coastal watershed for the NHEP drains into two major estuary …

Fuzzy Efficiency Measure With Fuzzy Production Possibility Set, T. Allahviranloo, F. Hosseinzade Lotfi, M. Adabitabar Firozja

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

The existing data envelopment analysis (DEA) models for measuring the relative efficiencies of a set of decision making units (DMUs) using various inputs to produce various outputs are limited to crisp data. The notion of fuzziness has been introduced to deal with imprecise data. Fuzzy DEA models are made more powerful for applications. This paper develops the measure of efficiencies in input oriented of DMUs by envelopment form in fuzzy production possibility set (FPPS) with constant return to scale.

National Mine Action Plan For Completion - Mauritania, Government Of Mauritania

Global CWD Repository

The National Mine Action Plan developed by the Government of Mauritania, written in 2007, to achieve goals and outcomes sought by the Mine Ban Treaty and Ottawa Convention.

Bridges : Newsletter Of The Stony Brook Health Sciences Chapter Of United University Professions, Stony Brook University

Bridges Newsletter (UUP HSC Chapter)

Newsletter

A General Boosting Method And Its Application To Learning Ranking Functions For Web Search, Zhaohui Zheng, Hongyuan Zha, Tong Zhang, Olivier Chapelle, Keke Chen, Gordon Sun

Kno.e.sis Publications

We present a general boosting method extending functional gradient boosting to optimize complex loss functions that are encountered in many machine learning problems. Our approach is based on optimization of quadratic upper bounds of the loss functions which allows us to present a rigorous convergence analysis of the algorithm. More importantly, this general framework enables us to use a standard regression base learner such as decision trees for fitting any loss function. We illustrate an application of the proposed method in learning ranking functions for Web search by combining both preference data and labeled data for training. We present experimental …

Neuroanatomy Of The Subadult And Fetal Brain Of The Atlantic White-Sided Dolphin (Lagenorhynchus Acutus) From In Situ Magnetic Resonance Images, Eric W. Montie, Gerald E. Schneider, Darlene R. Ketten, Lori Marino, Katie E. Touhey, Mark E. Hahn

Veterinary Science and Medicine Collection

This article provides the first anatomically labeled, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) -based atlas of the subadult and fetal Atlantic white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus acutus) brain. It differs from previous MRI-based atlases of cetaceans in that it was created from images of fresh, postmortem brains in situ rather than extracted, formalin-fixed brains. The in situ images displayed the classic hallmarks of odontocete brains: fore-shortened orbital lobes and pronounced temporal width. Olfactory structures were absent and auditory regions (e.g., temporal lobes and inferior colliculi) were enlarged. In the subadult and fetal postmortem MRI scans, the hippocampus was identifiable, despite the relatively small size …

Systematic Reviews Of Animal Experiments Demonstrate Poor Human Clinical And Toxicological Utility, Andrew Knight

Experimentation Collection

The assumption that animal models are reasonably predictive of human outcomes provides the basis for their widespread use in toxicity testing and in biomedical research aimed at developing cures for human diseases. To investigate the validity of this assumption, the comprehensive Scopus biomedical bibliographic databases were searched for published systematic reviews of the human clinical or toxicological utility of animal experiments. In 20 reviews in which clinical utility was examined, the authors concluded that animal models were either significantly useful in contributing to the development of clinical interventions, or were substantially consistent with clinical outcomes, in only two cases, one …

Farmers' Relationship With Different Animals: The Importance Of Getting Close To The Animals. Case Studies Of French, Swedish And Dutch Cattle, Pig And Poultry Farmers, B. B. Bock, M. M. Van Huik, M. Prutzer, F. Kling Eveillard, A. Dockes

Human-Animal Relationships Collection

No abstract provided.

Is It Time To Mandate Volunteerism?, Leonard Wong Dr.

Articles & Editorials

Each month a member of the SSI faculty writes an editorial for our monthly newsletter. This is the Op-Ed for the December 2007 newsletter.

Global Vor Gain Adaptation During Near Fixation To Foveal Targets, Jason A. Williams, Bruce Bridgeman, Tadg Woods, Robert Welch

Psychology and Child Development

Long-term rotational vestibulo-ocular (VOR) adaptation occurs during systematic dysmetria between visual and vestibular afferents, adjusting eye-rotation angular velocity to re-establish retinal stability of the visual field. Due to translational motion of the eyes during head rotation, VOR gain is higher when fixating near objects. The current study measures VOR in humans before and after 6min of exposure to a foveal near-target during sinusoidal whole-body rotation at 0.45 Hz. All of six participants showed post-exposure increases in open-loop VOR gain after fixating near targets, demonstrating a mean modulation increase of open-loop VOR gain from 0.86 before adaptation to 1.2 after adaptation. …

Markov-Based Lane Positioning Using Intervehicle Communication, Thanh-Son Dao, Keith Yu Kit Leung, Christopher M. Clark, Jan Paul Huissoon

Computer Science and Software Engineering

The majority of today's navigation techniques for intelligent transportation systems use global positioning systems (GPS) that can provide position information with bounded errors. However, due to the low accuracy that is experienced with standard GPS, it is difficult to determine a vehicle's position at lane level. Using a Markov-based approach based on sharing information among a group of vehicles that are traveling within communication range, the lane positions of vehicles can be found. The algorithm's effectiveness is shown in both simulations and experiments with real data.

Life Cycle Aware Computing: Reusing Silicon Technology, John Y. Oliver, Rajeevan Amirtharajah, Venkatesh Akella, Roland Geyer, Frederic T. Chong

Electrical Engineering

Despite the high costs associated with processor manufacturing, the typical chip is used for only a fraction of its expected lifetime. Reusing processors would create a "food chain" of electronic devices that amortizes the energy required to build chips over several computing generations.

Lichens Of Pine Hill, A Peridotite Outcrop In Eastern North America, Tanner B. Harris, Fred C. Olday, Nishanta Rajakaruna

Biological Sciences

Despite a large body of work on the serpentine-substrate effect on vascular plants, little work has been undertaken to describe lichen communities growing on serpentine soils derived from peridotite and other ultramafic rocks. Most such work has been conducted in Europe and western North America. Only one study to date has examined the lichen flora of an ultramafic outcrop in eastern North America. The current paper examines the lichen flora of a peridotite outcrop from Deer Isle, Hancock County, Maine, U.S.A. The lichen flora is presented along with relevant ecological and geochemical data. Sixty-three species were found, comprising 35 genera. …

Forgiveness

Shabbat Shalom: A Journal for Jewish-Christian Reconciliation

No abstract provided.

Biological Assessment On The Operation Of Glen Canyon Dam And Proposed Experimental Flows For The Colorado River Below Glen Canyon Dam During The Years 2008-2012, U.S. Department Of The Interior, Bureau Of Reclamation, Upper Colorado Region, Salt Lake City, Utah

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

This document serves as the biological assessment for the Bureau of Reclamation's (Reclamation) re-initiation of consultation on the operation of Glen Canyon Dam and proposed experimental flows for the Colorado River below Glen Canyon Dam during the years 2008-2012. It is prepared by Reclamation as part of its compliance with the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA), 87 Stat. 884, as amended, 16 U.S.C. section 1531 et seq. This document is designed to facilitate compliance with Sections 7 and 9 of the ESA with respect to potential effects to listed species within the United States (US).

Peaks Island Star : December 2007, Vol. 27, Issue 12, Service Agencies Of The Island

Peaks Island Star, 2007

The Peaks Island Star is the newsletter of the island's service agencies and other community news.

Child Sexual Abuse, Andrea R. Perry, David K. Dilillo

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Child sexual abuse (CSA), a social problem of endemic proportions, has existed in all historical eras and societies (Conte 1994; Fergusson and Mullen 1999; Wekerle and Wolfe 1996; Wolfe 1999). Since antiquity, anecdotal records (e.g., legal, artistic, philosophical, and literary accounts) have documented activities that would today be classified as CSA (deMause 1974; Kahr 1991; Olafson, Corwin, and Summit 1993). For instance, a sizable portion of adults in ancient Greek and Roman cultures openly engaged in what is now considered pederasty or rape (deMause 1974; Kahr 1991). Although adult-child sexual encounters have occurred throughout history, perceptions of such practices have …

The Baysider : Vol. 7, Issue 7 - December 2007 / January 2008, Bayside Neighborhood Association

The Baysider

The Baysider (1999 - 2018) a community newspaper, published by the Bayside Neighborhood Association. Bayside is an inner-city Portland neighborhood flanked by Parkside, Back Cove, Downtown (a.k.a. Intown), and the East End. Feature articles focused on Bayside, though also included many city themes.

Investigating The Use Of Brainfingers In Children With Cerebral Palsy For Spatial-Motor Education, Nicholas Herman

HMC Senior Theses

Cyberlink:Brainfingers is a human computer user interface that supports hands free computer access. This is especially valuable technology for disabled individuals who lack the motor skills necessary to use a keyboard and mouse easily. Over the course of two months, four students with cerebral palsy, a motor disorder, used Brainfingers to play a variety of spatial software. The primary aims were to see if use of Brainfingers with spatial software could improve the spatial motor abilities of students with cerebral palsy, as well as to assess any apparent behavioral changes. Two of the students showed a large increase in spatial …

Chromosome Evolution In Cyperales, Eric H. Roalson, Andrew G. Mccubbin, Richard Whitkus

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

Karyotypic evolution is a prominent feature in the diversification of many plants and animals, yet the role that chromosomal changes play in the process of diversification is still debated. At the diploid level, chromosome fission and/or fusion are necessary components of chromosomal structural change associated with diversification. Yet the genomic features required for these events remain unknown. Here we present an overview of what is known about genomic structure in Cyperales, with particular focus on the current level of understanding of chromosome number and genome size and their impact in a phylogenetic context. We outline ongoing projects exploring genomic structure …

Phenotypic Plasticity May Facilitate Invasion By Aegilops Triuncialis, Andrew R. Dyer

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

One great obstacle to understanding the invasion of nonnative species into native ecosystems is the lack of information on the population biology of the invading species. In particular, morphological and physiological adaptations and potential for phenotypic plasticity will strongly influence a species’ ability to persist and spread in newly invaded ecosystems. Phenotypic plasticity can buffer populations from selection thereby allowing them to survive the establishment phase of the invasion. The annual grass Aegilops triuncialis (Poaceae, Triticeae) has become highly invasive in California (USA) and provides an opportunity to investigate the importance of phenotypic plasticity to persistence and spread in new …

Gravity-Driven Thin Liquid Films With Insoluble Surfactant: Smooth Traveling Waves, Rachel Levy, Michael Shearer, Thomas P. Witelski

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

The flow of a thin layer of fluid down an inclined plane is modified by the presence of insoluble surfactant. For any finite surfactant mass, traveling waves are constructed for a system of lubrication equations describing the evolution of the free-surface fluid height and the surfactant concentration. The one-parameter family of solutions is investigated using perturbation theory with three small parameters: the coefficient of surface tension, the surfactant diffusivity, and the coefficient of the gravity-driven diffusive spreading of the fluid. When all three parameters are zero, the nonlinear PDE system is hyperbolic/degenerateparabolic, and admits traveling wave solutions in which the …

An Integrated Social Actor And Service Oriented Architecture (Soa) Approach For Improved Electronic Health Record (Ehr) Privacy And Confidentiality In The Us National Healthcare Information Network (Nhin), Gondy Leroy, Elliot Sloane, Steven Sheetz

CGU Faculty Publications and Research

The emerging US National Healthcare Information Network (NHIN) will improve healthcare’s efficacy, efficiency, and safety. The first-generation NHIN being developed has numerous advantages and limitations. One of the most difficult aspects of today’s NHIN is ensuring privacy and confidentiality for personal health data, because family and caregivers have multiple complex legal relationships to a patient. A Social Actor framework is suggested to organize and manage these legal roles, but the Social Actor framework would be very difficult to implement in today’s NHIN. Social Actor Security Management could, however, be effectively implemented using Service Oriented Architectures (SOAs), which are rapidly becoming …

Effective Structure Theorems For Quadratic Spaces Via Height, Lenny Fukshansky

CMC Faculty Publications and Research

Lecture given at the Second International Conference on The Algebraic and Arithmetic Theory of Quadratic Forms, December 2007.

Catholic Deaf Newsletter, December 2007-January 2008

Catholic Deaf Newsletter

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in Harford, CT

Catholic Deaf Newsletter Finding Aid

Deafdigest: Deaf Sports News December 1, 2007, Barry Strassler

DeafDigest Sports 2007

No abstract provided.

A Documentation Of The Choreography Process For Chicago, Summer F. Copley

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the Caudill College of Humanities at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters of Arts by Summer F. Copley in December of 2007.