Digital Commons Network^™

Relationship Between A 700-Mb "Dry/Wind" Index And Springtime Precipitation And Streamflow Within Four Snowmelt-Dominated Basins In Northern New Mexico And Southern Colorado, Kerry M. Jones

Water Resources Professional Project Reports

Climatic anomaly relationships that could potentially improve seasonal streamflow forecasts in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico were investigated through consideration of meteorological anomalies during the snow ablation season from 1980-2006. Historical relationships between (i) humidity and wind from March-June defined by an index developed for this study, denoted DWND; (ii) springtime precipitation; (iii) departures from expected seasonal streamflow; and (iv) El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) were examined within four sub-basins in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico: Upper San Juan above Pagosa Springs, Upper Rio Chama above El Vado Reservoir, and Embudo Creek/Rio Pueblo above Dixon. Potentially important links emerged …

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 …

Addressing Potential Conflicts Of Interest Arising From The Multiple Roles Of Colorado’S Community Centered Boards, Maureen Booth Mrp, Ma, Eileen Griffin Jd

Disability & Aging

This document summarizes the information we gathered, our analysis of potential conflicts of interest, and recommendations for addressing opportunities for improvement. The information we gathered is based on document review, input from stakeholders, and a review of practices in four other states.

University Reporter - Volume 12, Number 04 - December 2007

1996-2009, University Reporter

This issue of the University Reporter includes articles about J. Keith Motley’s appointment as UMass Boston’s Eighth chancellor, the University's involvement with OpenCourseWare initiatives, a celebration of Native American heritage on campus, the Gastón Institute's analysis of community responses to recent immigration raids, and other news from UMass Boston.

And They Were There -- Reports Of Meetings -- 27th Annual Charleston Conference, Ramune K. Kubilius

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

Letters To The Editor, Katina Strauch

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

After The Surge: Next Steps In Iraq?, Judith S. Yaphe

Strategic Forums

The U.S. military “surge” initiated in mid-2007 in Baghdad and neighboring Iraqi provinces has been largely successful in military terms. It has helped to lower the level of violence suffered by Iraqis and Americans alike and, in tandem with other steps, has restored a measure of security to western Iraq and portions of Baghdad. Yet military operations alone are insufficient to restore stability and keep the country intact.

A Role Delineation Study For The Sme, Hiral A. Shah

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to perform a role delineation study to validate and prioritize the competency areas included in the body of knowledge developed by SME/AME/Shingo for their three levels of certification examinations in lean manufacturing. A modified Delphi technique was used to gather data and describe what experts in the field consider important for candidates to know and become certified in the discipline of lean manufacturing. Seventy-six Delphi panel experts were selected to serve on the Delphi panel, based on their experience, expertise, and commitment. The study incorporated a Web-based pre-Delphi study followed by three rounds of …

Panorama December 2007, Southern Adventist University

Panorama Parent Newsletter

This issue of the Panorama parent newsletter highlights student missions, provides information on counseling and tutoring services, and profiles the Psychology Club and Students in Free Enterprise.

A Study Of Intention On Continuous Use Of Online Financial Services: The Mediated Effects Of Website Trust, Shih Ming Pi, Shih Hua Lit, Tsang Yao Chen, Hui Min Chen

Business and Information Technology Faculty Research & Creative Works

The lack of trust is one of the most frequently cited reasons for customer's not returning to Internet service providers. As a new form of commercial activity, online financial services and stock trading involve more uncertainty and risk than traditional financial services. Trust is therefore a relatively influential factor of customer behavior in online financial services. The purpose of this study is to propose a framework of Intention to continuously adopt online financial services. Furthermore, the mediated effects of website trust are trusted. The main method of data collection for this study is a survey instrument designed by the author. …

A Comparison Of The Kodaly Methodology And Feierabend's Conversational Solfege, Aimee Noelle Peek

Theses and Dissertations

This paper compares and contrasts Zoltan Kodaly' s music methodology with John Feierabend's Conversational Solfege. Both systems for teaching music are founded upon similar philosophies and goals and emphasize singing in the classroom. Solfege, rhythmic syllables, and movement are incorporated in both methodologies. The order in which these solfege syllables and rhythmic meters are introduced to students differs between the two methods. The reasons behind this difference are discussed in detail. Folk music, the primary musical material utilized by both methodologies, is also examined.

All concepts in either the Kodaly method or Conversational Solfege progress through specific stages to ensure …

Rss Management: An Rss Reader To Manage Rss Feeds That Efficiently And Effectively Pulls And Filters Feeds With Minimal Bandwidth Consumption, Brian Cooper

Theses and Dissertations

In the early 2000s, RSS (Really Simple Syndication) was launched into cyber space and rapidly gained fame by existing as the underlying technology that fueled millions of web logs (blogs). Soon RSS feeds appeared for news, multimedia podcasting, and many other types of information on the Internet. RSS introduced a new way to syndicate information that allowed anyone interested to subscribe to published content and pull the information to an aggregator, (RSS reader application), at their discretion. RSS made it simple for people to keep up with online content without having to continuously check websites for new content. This new …

Table Driven Prediction For Recursive Descent Ll(K) Parsers, William M. Leiserson

Theses

Programming languages are typically described in BNF or some extension of BNF, and the process of converting these descriptions into parsers is performed by parser generators. Some of the parser generators that convert LL grammars into parsers construct them to use recursive descent that gives them context during execution. The context is provided by the execution stack as the parser descends into the grammar and this is what allows the full expressiveness of LL grammars. Table driven parsers can be generated instead but restrictions are placed on the LL grammars that can be accepted. The benefit of tables is that …

Variable Scaling For Time Series Prediction: Application To The Estsp'07 And The Nn3 Forecasting Competitions, Amaury Lendasse, Elia Liitiainen

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In This Paper, Variable Selection and Variable Scaling Are Used in Order to Select the Best Regressor for the Problem of Time Series Prediction. Direct Prediction Methodology is Used Instead of the Classic Recursive Methodology. Least Squares Support Vector Machines (LS-SVM) and K-NN Approximator Are Used in Order to Avoid Local Minimal in the Training Phase of the Model. the Global Methodology is Applied to the Estsp'07 Competition Dataset [1] and the Dataset B of the Nn3 Forecasting Competition [2]. ©2007 IEEE.

An Empirical Dependence Mesaures Based On Residual Variance Estimation, Nima Reyhani, Amaury Lendasse

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In This Paper, a Solution to Empirical Dependency Measure is Proposed. the Main Idea is to Use the Notion of Predictability as a Basis for Dependency Definition. Considering Any Nonlinear Regression Function between Two Random Variables, the Power of Regression Residuals or Noise Variance Defines the Desired Dependency Measure. the Residuals Variance Can Be Directly Computed by Estimators Without Finding the Best Fit Curve. the Paper Shows the Conditions on Which Two Random Variables Are Independent According to the Estimated Residuals Variance. the Existence of Residual Variance, or Noise Variance Estimators Make It Possible to Define Such Practical Measure for …

Mr. Johnny Bruce Turner, Jr.

African American Funeral Programs

No abstract provided.

Using Science, Engineering, And Education To Address Water Supply Challenges In The Highlands Of Guatemala, Andrew Curtis Elmore, William Fahrenholtz

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Guatemalan Highlands is a Popular Destination for Non-Government Organizations Interested in Performing Relief Projects. U.S.-Based Organizations Such as Rotary International, Engineers Without Borders, and Various Religious Organizations Travel to Guatemala to Conduct Humanitarian Activities Which May Be Effective for the Short Term, But It is Not Clear that the Efforts Have a Systematic Impact. Students and Faculty at the University of Missouri-Rolla Have Systematically Studied Water Supply Issues Including Undergraduate and Graduate Research Projects and Undergraduate Engineering Courses Such as International Capstone Design. Materials Engineers Have Been Involved in the Study of Ceramic-Based Water Treatment Devices. These Microfilters Have …

Online Cake Instructor, Jen-Chun Tseng

Theses

This thesis will be an e-learning website about making cakes. Users will learn how to make a cake in a virtual environment by following the instructions and interacting with the surroundings, instead of learning from text statements. “Simulation” will be a focus in this thesis. Users will go through the cooking process by using virtual tools and a virtual oven. The final goal of the online courses is that users should use those virtual materials and tools correctly without a cue. Still images, videos, 3D models, and animations will be used to simulate the whole process. As an e-learning material, …

Detection And Removal Of Eyeblink Artifacts From Eeg Using Wavelet Analysis And Independent Component Analysis, Jimy Pesin

Theses

Electrical signals generated by brain activity that are measured by the electroencephalogram can be distorted by electrical activity originating from eyeblinks and eye movements. This thesis proposes a new technique to identify and remove eyeblink artifacts from EEG data. An algorithm using a combination of wavelet analysis and independent component analysis (ICA) is implemented to detect the temporal location of the eyeblink artifact and eliminate it without compromising the integrity of the primary EEG data. The discrete wavelet transform is performed on 10 second epochs of data to detect the occurrence of ocular artifact. ICA is used to separate out …

Mycorrhizal Fungi In Epiphytic And Terrestrial Oerstedella Exasperata (Orchidaceae), December 2007, Nicole M. Williams

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

All orchids have a relationship with mycorrhizae during germination. Nutrient availability in soils often determines whether these relationships are maintained into adulthood. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of mycorrhizae infection in epiphytic and terrestrial Oerstedella exasperata. Since orchids that are rooted in the ground may have greater access to, or more consistent supplies of, nutrients I predicted that mycorrhizae would be found less often in terrestrial individuals. Furthermore, since plant fitness may be affected by the presence or absence of mycorrhizae or the availability of nutrients, fitness of epiphytic and terrestrial plants, with and without …

The Role Of Cyanide In Oviposition By Heliconius (Nymphalidae: Heliconiinae) On Passiflora (Passifloraceae), December 2007, Zach Sheff

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Vines of the Passifloraceae contain cyanide that deters most potential herbivores but not Heliconius spp. (Nymphalidae: Heliconiinae). Despite their ability to cope with cyanide in Passifloraceae, Heliconius spp may preferentially oviposit on leaves with lower cyanide concentrations, as young larval stages may still be subject to toxicity. Leaf samples both with and without eggs were collected from Passiflora spp. from the Monteverde Butterfly Garden and were assayed for cyanide concentration. There was no significant relationship between cyanide concentration and oviposition (mean concentration with eggs = 6.04 + 9.41 (μg/mg), mean concentration = 11.13 + 18.84 (μg/mg); t = 1.15, p …

Selection For Survival: Soil Grain Size Preference And Body Size In Wormlion (Vermilio Sp.) Larvae Affect Pit Trap Construction, December 2007, Alice Mccarthy

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Sessile predatory larvae rely on their habitats to provide biotic and abiotic factors needed for sufficient prey capture. I examined the hypothesis that for Vermilio sp. (wormlion) larvae, body size and soil grain size affect pit trap size and prey capture efficiency. At the Estación Biológica de Monteverde in Costa Rica. I measured and compared larva size versus pit trap size, put larvae in containers with half fine grain soil (< 2 mm) and half coarse grain soil (2mm to 6mm), tested for preference, and compared size of pit traps constructed in the two soil types. I also dropped ants into pits and measured time to escape and frequency of capture by the larvae. Pit trap size was positively correlated with larva size. Larvae preferred fine grain soil over coarse grain soil ( χ2 = 45.08, df = 1, P < 0.01) and constructed traps less often in coarse grain soil. I found no difference between pit trap sizes in fine and coarse grain soil, yet sample size was small and I noted the trend that ants remained trapped in fine grain soil longer than in coarse grain soil. Preference for fine grain soil indicates habitat selection of larval Vermilio sp. for areas that increase prey capture, therefore promoting the survival of the species.

Ecotourism As A Driver Of Forest Conservation On Small Farms In Costa Rica, December 2007, Sarah Owens

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Conservation of fragmented forest on private land is instrumental to long-term protection of tropical biodiversity. However, few incentives exist for small landowners to conserve. This study addresses ecotourism as an incentive for forest fragment conservation. Small farmers were interviewed to determine the extent of land in regeneration or protection and the ecotouristic activities on each property. The data suggest that a greater percentage of land is in regeneration on farms with small-scale tourism (20% + 10.1) than on farms with large-scale tourism (12% + 6.0) and no tourism (5% + 2.1; Kruskal-Wallis Test, H = 6.0673, p = 0.0481, N …

Differential Aboveground Adventitious Root Production By Senecio Cooperi (Asteraceae), December 2007, Nathan J. Ebnet

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Previous studies have suggested that aboveground adventitious roots (AARs) are produced by plants in order to extract nutrients from the epiphytes they support (Nadkarni 1981 & 1984). I asked whether Senecio cooperi, a neotropical plant which produces AARs, generates these roots for nutrient absorption, fragmentation establishment, or structural support. I conducted a survey in which I measured multiple characteristics of S. cooperi and their AARs in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Naturally fragmented stems produced more AARs than expected by chance (x2 = 12.80, df = 1, p < 0.05). No purely vertical stems contained AARs associated with the moss mats growing on them. However, vertical stems displayed basal AARs which increased in diameter as both plant height and DBH increased (R2 = 0.330, P < 0.001, N = 50, R2 = 0.402, P < 0.0001, N = 50 respectively). These findings suggest that the naturally occurring role of AARs of S. cooperi are not for nutrient absorption, but rather for structural support and fragmentation regeneration. These functions of AARs allow S. cooperi to be more successful as a pioneer species in disturbed habitats, and highlight the need to reevaluate the functionality of AARs among other plants.

Electromagnetic Simulation For Inhomogeneous Interconnect And Packaging Structures, Lijun Jiang, Barry J. Rubin, Yuan Liu, Jason D. Morsey, Alina Deustch

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The paper contains a novel mechanism for full wave electromagnetic simulation of complicated inhomogeneous structures, such as on-chip interconnects, IC packaging, antennas, and scattering objects. It uses only Equivalent Principle based EFIE instead of both EFIE and MFIE to establish the surface integral equations for practical inhomogeneous structure so that a much more simplified formulation process is needed in the EM simulation procedure. To overcome the numerical error of K operator in the formulation, a new analytical solution to the K operator for general full-wave integral equations is provided. Numerical results are demonstrated to verify the proposed algorithm. © 2007 …

Nanofabric Pla Architecture With Redundancy Enhancement, Mandar V. Joshi, Waleed K. Al-Assadi

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Fundamental electronic structures such as Diodes and FETs have been shown to be constructed using selectively doped semiconducting Carbon Nanotubes or Silicon Nanowires (CNTs, SiNWs) at nanometer scale. Memory and Logic cores have been proposed, that use the configurable junctions in 2-D crossbars of CNTs. These Memory and Logic arrays at this scale exhibit a significant amount of defects that account for poor a yield. Configuration of these devices in the presence of defects demands an overhead in terms of area and programming time. This work introduces a PLA configuration that makes use of fixed and adaptive redundancy in terms …

Self-Healing Control With Multifunctional Gate Drive Circuits For Power Converters, Xiao Peng, Ganesh K. Venayagamoorthy, Keith A. Corzine, Robert Woodley

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Many commercial and military transport systems have fault diagnostic functions implemented to help protect the device when a severe fault occurs. However, most present systems do not contain prognostics capability which would allow operators to observe an unhealthy system component in its prefault condition. in industry applications, scheduled downtime can result in considerable cost avoidance. the next technology step is self-healing system components which observe not only potential problems but can also take steps to continue operation under abnormal conditions - whether due to long-term normal wear-and-tear or sudden combat damage. in this paper, current and voltage information using the …

(Wp 2007-03) Trade Openness, Capital Mobility, And The Sacrifice Ratio, Joseph P. Daniels, David D. Vanhoose

Economics Working Papers

This paper develops and evaluates empirically the implications of a theoretical model of an open economy in which variations in both trade openness and capital mobility can influence the sacrifice ratio. Key predictions forthcoming from the model are that both forms of globalization can independently affect the capital ratio, once the influences of the level of central bank independence and the degree of wage stickiness in nations‘ economies are taken into account. Examination of cross-country data encompassing 58 disinflations for 16 countries yields evidence consistent with these essential predictions of the theoretical framework.

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 …