Digital Commons Network^™

The Mortgage Reform And Anti Predatory Act Of 2007: Paving A Secure Path For Minorities In The Midst Of The Subprime Debacle., Emily Jeffcott

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Abstract Forthcoming.

Vol 52 #3, Judy Zelenski

MPLA Newsletter

No abstract provided.

The Emergence Of Sex, Ursula Goodenough

Biology Faculty Research

Biological traits, the foci of natural selection, are by definition emergent from the genes, proteins, and other “nothing-buts” that constitute them. Moreover, and with the exception of recently emergent “spandrels,” each can be accorded a teleological dimension—each is “for” some purpose conducive to an organism's continuation. Sex, which is “for” the generation of recombinant genomes, may be one of the most ancient and ubiquitous traits in biology. In the course of its evolution, many additional traits, such as gender and nurture, have emerged. Patterns of sexual exchange are the basis for patterns of biological evolution and are central to the …

Research Issues And Overview Of Economic Models In Mobile-P2p Networks, Anirban Mondal, Sanjay Kumar Madria, Masaru Kitsuregawa

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

The mobile-P2P paradigm is becoming increasingly popular. Existing mobile-P2P solutions largely do not consider economic incentive models for enticing peer participation without eliminating free-riders and for effectively handling mobile resource constraints such as energy. This paper presents an executive summary of the existing solutions and an overview of some of the important issues for handling problems in mobile-P2P networks using economic models. We also present our perspectives on building 'real' mobile-P2P applications using economic models. © 2007 IEEE.

Enlightened Computing: An Architecture For Co-Allocating Network, Compute, And Other Grid Resources For High-End Applications, Lina Battestilli, Andrei Hutanut, Gigi Karmous-Edwards, Daniel S. Katz, Jon Maclarent, Joe Mambretti, John H. Moore, Seung Jong Park, Harry G. Perros, Syam Sundar, Savera Tanwir, Steven R. Thorpe, Yufeng Xin

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Many emerging high-performance applications require distributed infrastructure that is significantly more powerful and flexible than traditional Grids. Such applications require the optimization, close integration, and control of all Grid resources, including networks. The EnLIGHTened (ENL) Computing Project has designed an architectural framework that allows Grid applications to dynamically request (in-advance or on-demand) any type of Grid resource: computers, storage, instruments, and deterministic, high-bandwidth network paths, including lightpaths. Based on application requirements, the ENL middleware communicates with Grid resource managers and, when availability is verified, co-allocates all the necessary resources. ENL's Domain Network Manager controls all network resource allocations to dynamically …

I’M A Virus Harming The Earth, M. Thulasidas

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

We humans plunder the raw material from our host planet with such an abandon that is only seen in viruses.

Building Disaster-Resilient Families, Communities, And Businesses, Franklin E. Boteler

Journal of Extension

The United States is experiencing an increase in the severity of critical incidents. Extension agents play a significant role in enabling families, communities, and businesses to sustain themselves through these catastrophic events. A substantial body of scientific knowledge is available to guide Extension efforts in enhancing local sustainability. The literature indicates that our nation must adopt a strategy of continuous, sustainable hazards mitigation.

Answering The Producers' Question: Is It Feasible?, Kimberly M. Hostetler

Journal of Extension

Producers are trying to increase their profitability through new business ventures. However, before starting the business they often ask Extension professionals for help in determining if the project would be profitable. This article provides a brief overview of a five-step process for conducting a feasibility study. It then applies the process and analysis to the pork industry by examining the economic feasibility of a newly constructed, small, producer-owned pork processing facility. Results indicate that such a facility is not profitable or sustainable if hogs were purchased at the mean historic market price.

Fabrication Of Robust Superconducting Granular Aluminium/Palladium Bilayer Microbolometers With Sub-Nanosecond Response, Thomas E. Wilson

Physics Faculty Research

We provide a convenient recipe for fabricating reliable superconducting microbolometers as acoustic phonon detectors with sub-nanosecond response, using imagereversal optical lithography and dc-magnetron sputtering, and our recipe requires no chemical or plasma etching. Our approach solves the traditional problem for granular aluminium bolometers of unreliable (i.e., non-Ohmic) electrical contacts by sequentially sputtering the granular aluminium film and then a palladium capping layer. We use dc calibration data, the method of Danilchenko et al. [1], and direct nanosecond-pulsed photoexcitation to obtain the microbolometer’s characteristic current, thermal conductance, characteristic relaxation time, and heat capacity. We also demonstrate the use of the deconvolution …

Experimental Verification Of Source Temperature Modulation Via A Thermal Switch In Thermal Energy Harvesting, Robin Mccarty, D. Monaghan, Kevin P. Hallinan, Brian Sanders

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper provides a description of research seeking to experimentally verify the effectiveness of a thermal switch used in series with TE devices for waste heat recovery for constant and variable source heat input and for variable source thermal capacitance (mass). Using an experimental set-up comprised serially of a fixed heat source, a variable thermal resistance air gap serving as a thermal switch, a thermoelectric device and a heat sink, the time-averaged power output to power input ratios improved up to 15% and 30% respectively for constant and variable heat input in certain design space conditions. The experimental results, as …

Towards A New Paradigm In Justifying Copyright: An Universalistic-Transcendental Approach., Christian G. Stallberg

Fordham Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Copyright As Quasi-Public Property: Reinterpreting The Conflict Between Copyright And The First Amendment., Adrian Liu

Fordham Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Removing The Greek From Feta And Adding Korbel To Champagne: The Paradox Of Geographical Indications In International Law., Michelle Agdomar

Fordham Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Attitudes Toward And Knowledge Of Affirmative Action In Higher Education, Erika Ann Carr

Dissertations

Affirmative action has become an increasingly important topic in higher education because colleges and universities are key battlegrounds regarding how affirmative action policies are enacted. Senior-level higher education administrators have historically taken the lead in shaping affirmative action policies in higher education, and knowing their own community's standpoints on the policies could assist them in deciding how to proceed in defending affirmative action in the face of increasing opposition.

This study measures individuals' attitudes toward and knowledge of affirmative action within one university in the state of Michigan, where affirmative action was banned through a state-wide election in November 2006. …

Junior Recital: Katelin French, Soprano, Department Of Music, University Of Richmond

Music Department Concert Programs

No abstract provided.

Spatial And Temporal Analysis Of Tornado Fatalities In The United States: 1880-2005, Walker S. Ashley

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

A dataset of killer tornadoes is compiled and analyzed spatially in order to assess region-specific vulnerabilities in the United States from 1880 to 2005. Results reveal that most tornado fatalities occur in the lower–Arkansas, Tennessee, and lower–Mississippi River valleys of the southeastern United States—a region outside of traditional “tornado alley.” Analysis of variables including tornado frequency, land cover, mobile home density, population density, and nocturnal tornado probabilities demonstrates that the relative maximum of fatalities in the Deep South and minimum in the Great Plains may be due to the unique juxtaposition of both physical and social vulnerabilities. The spatial distribution …

Research Students In The Electronic Age: Impacts Of Changing Information Behavior On Information Literacy Needs, Kirsty Williamson, Vivienne Bernath, Steven Wright, Jen Sullivan

Communications in Information Literacy

Because of the rapid uptake of information and communication technology (ICT), understanding the ways in which information seeking has changed over the past decade is crucial to gaining a picture of how information literacy needs may also be changing in the electronic age. This qualitative research took an interpretivist/ constructivist approach in examining the ways in which access to electronic information-seeking affects the information literacy needs of 15 research students in an Australian university setting. An ethnographic technique, the interview, was used for the data collection. Three particular areas, related to information seeking and use, were selected: (1) information source …

From Pork To Kapores: Transformations In Religious Practice Among The Jews Of Late Imperial Kiev, Natan Meir

Judaic Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Until recently, studies of Jewish religious practices in Imperial Russia have focused on major movements such as Hasidism and mitnagdism as well as the challenges that Haskalah presented to traditional Judaism. Few scholars have scrutinized transformations in everyday religious practices such as the observance of Sabbath and other holidays, synagogue attendance, and liturgical practices. However, new political, social, and economic realities had generated subtle changes in religious practices even in earlier periods and it comes as no surprise, therefore, that religious practices among Jews during the tsarist period, especially in Kiev, were neither monolithic nor static. This article provides a …

Habitat Availability For Rio Grande Silvery Minnow (Hybognathus Amarus) Pena Blanca, Rio Grande, New Mexico, Leeanna T. Torres

Water Resources Professional Project Reports

Similar to many dams around the world, Cochiti Dam [since its construction in 1975 on the Middle Rio Grande (MRG), New Mexico] has contributed both benefits and negative impacts to those who make use of the MRG. Built primarily for flood control, the dam has resulted in significant geomorphic changes below the dam. This has caused the decline of some native organisms adapted to the river. Since 1994, the Rio Grande silvery minnow (RGSM) (Hybognathus amarus) has been federally listed as an endangered species. Habitat availability is a concern for the species, which currently occupies only about 7% of its …

Application Of A Reflective Optical Probe To Measure Solids Fractions In A Circulating Fluidized Bed, Steven M. Seachman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A novel method of extracting localized solids volume fractions from reflective multi-fiber optical probes was developed. The fiber optic probes were originally designed by Vector Scientific, Inc. to measure local solids velocities. The probe measures reflected light from a particle medium which is converted into a voltage. Development of this new method yields two valuable solid flow parameters from a single probe system. The method involves a formulated model with empirical calibrations and three physical bases. The three physical bases are the Conservation Law, Beer-Lambert's Law, and the reflected light intensity from the particle medium. A novel bed depth calibration …

User Habitation In Keystroke Dynamics Based Authentication, Qi Cheng

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Most computer systems use usernames and passwords for authentication and access control. For long, password security has been framed as a tradeoff between user experience and password security. Trading off one for the other appears to be an inevitable dilemma for single password based security applications. As a new biometric for authenticating access, keystroke dynamics offers great promises in hardening the password mechanism. Our research first investigate the keystroke dynamics based password security by conducting an incremental study on user's habituation process for keystroke dynamics analysis using two distinct types of passwords. The study shows that (1) long and complex …

Creating A Gis Database For Nursing Home Evacuation Planning In Virginia Beach, Virginia, Randall S. Dawson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The focus of this project is planning for the evacuation of the nursing homes of the city of Virginia Beach, VA in response to a hurricane risk. The population of nursing homes, hospitals and assisted living communities need special assistance when evacuating an area, requiring medications, equipment, and specialized transportation. Previous studies for Virginia Beach have provided generalizations for the population as a whole yet have provided very little data for specific communities such as nursing homes. A GIS database is created for nursing home establishments including road networks, bridges and tunnels, elevation, estimated facility population, and recently modeled storm …

Experimental Studies Of Electromagnetic Signals To Enhance Radio Imaging Method (Rim), William D. Monaghan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Safety and production of coal mining operations could be greatly affected by geologic anomalies such as faults, sandstone intrusions, dykes, fracture zones, sudden thinning and severe undulation of the coal seam. Since most of these geologic anomalies in coal seams effect the attenuation rate of electromagnetic signal that passes through them, the radio imaging method (RIM), using a signal in the kilohertz range, is capable of locating the zones of geologic anomalies in underground coal mines with the help of tomographic reconstruction programs. RIM technology is a promising geophysical tool for exploring the geologic anomalies ahead of modern longwall faces, …

Attitudes Of 4-H Club Leaders Toward Volunteer Training In West Virginia, Jennifer Post

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Volunteers are essential to the 4-H program. This study was conducted to determine why individuals volunteer for 4-H, how volunteers feel towards the training they are offered, what the training needs of 4-H volunteers were, and the methods 4-H volunteers prefer to receive training. A questionnaire was sent to 260 volunteer club leaders in 27 counties in the state of West Virginia. 4-H volunteers have multiple reasons for being a volunteer club leader including helping people and working with youth. 4-H volunteer club leaders feel that training is important in becoming a leader and that training is for everyone regardless …

Market Risk Analysis Of Coal Liquefaction, Huan Mei

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study addresses the risks associated with coal liquefaction using a market risk simulation approach. The study can be divided into four phases: (i) identify the sources of risk, (ii) examine the relationships among different sources that cause the risk, (iii) estimate the risk level based on the sources of risk using statistical and financial method and (iv) provide conclusions and recommendations for risk analysis.;Market risk is considered the most important risk for commercial scale coal liquefaction projects and is one of the biggest obstacles to commercialization. This study analyses market risk and discusses methods to lower this type of …

Selected Topics In Video Coding And Computer Vision, Congxia Dai

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Video applications ranging from multimedia communication to computer vision have been extensively studied in the past decades. However, the emergence of new applications continues to raise questions that are only partially answered by existing techniques. This thesis studies three selected topics related to video: intra prediction in block-based video coding, pedestrian detection and tracking in infrared imagery, and multi-view video alignment.;In the state-of-art video coding standard H.264/AVC, intra prediction is defined on the hierarchical quad-tree based block partitioning structure which fails to exploit the geometric constraint of edges. We propose a geometry-adaptive block partitioning structure and a new intra prediction …

Work In Progress - Designing For Economic Empowerment In Nicaragua, Susannah Howe, Donna Riley, John Farris, Paul Lane, Nola Reinhardt

Engineering: Faculty Publications

Faculty and students in several disciplines at four institutions in the United States and Nicaragua are collaborating on technology entrepreneurship education for economic empowerment in Esteli, Nicaragua. The project aims to demonstrate a new paradigm for development that is rooted in education. The effort will focus on design and delivery of new curriculum for collaborative, interdisciplinary product development. To demonstrate the curriculum, the effort will launch cross-cultural student teams to identify and develop markets, partners, and technology for entrepreneurial ventures in Nicaragua, utilizing Nicaraguan materials and skills. The envisioned long term goal is local economic empowerment and a sound, collaborative …

Uncapping The Bottle: A Look Inside The History, Industry, And Regulation Of Bottled Water In The United States, Joyce S. Ahn

Journal of Food Law & Policy

"Agu chupa! Agu chupa!" As we drove through the lush rolling hills of northwestern Rwanda, a crowd of young children appeared from the tea fields and repeatedly shouted these words to us. The taxi driver explained that the children wanted our "water bottes." Aware that visitors often drink bottled water, the children run alongside taxis with the hopes of obtaining the plastic bottles. Although Rwandan children typically carry their drinking water in tightly-woven baskets, the modern plastic bottles have become popular and prized possessions.

"Show-Me" No Rice Pharming: An Overview Of The Introduction Of And Opposition To Genetically Engineered Pharmaceutical Crops In The United States, Jillian S. Hishaw

Journal of Food Law & Policy

Farmers in California and Missouri have one thing in common- opposition to the production of genetically modified (GM) "pharma" crops.' A pharmaceutical crop, or "pharma" crop, is a plant that has been genetically altered so that it produces proteins which are used as drugs. Pharmaceutical companies can then harvest the crop and isolate the proteins, which may be used to make human or veterinary drugs. Farmers' fears include a variety of health and environmental hazards; in particular, they fear contamination of their regular crops and the associated market loss. These concerns surfaced in both states where Ventria Bioscience announced plans …

Journal Of Food Law & Policy - Fall 2007, Journal Editors

Journal of Food Law & Policy

No abstract provided.