Digital Commons Network^™

Ecological Landscapes : Connecting Neighborhood To City And City To Region, Michael C. Houck, Jim M. Labbe

Institute of Metropolitan Studies Publications

While many factors are unique to communities on both sides of the Columbia River, our local and regional landscapes unite us and provide a shared sense of place. Bald eagles from the headwaters of the Tualatin basin are just as likely to forage in the Vancouver Lake lowlands as on Sauvie Island. Proximity to the Columbia Gorge, coast, high desert, and the Cascades adds to the region’s mystique and quality of life. But it’s the more proximate landscapes, those within our immediate radius of reach, that we treasure most. What matters most to the region’s residents are their streetscapes, neighborhood …

Microclimates In The Portland-Vancouver Regional Economy, Sheila A. Martin

Institute of Metropolitan Studies Publications

Portland-Vancouver operates as a regional market for labor, housing, entertainment, and a broad range of goods and services. The 2006 Regional Business Plan was developed with the understanding that each part of our region is linked economically and that the economic performance of each community depends on the success of its neighbors. Nevertheless, the region is not economically homogeneous. Each community demonstrates specific industry concentrations. These concentrations are driven by factors that encourage similar or linked businesses to locate near one another. And population demographics vary, affecting each sub-region's economic performance as our workforce travels throughout the region to find …

City Of Longview Cultural Assessment: Employee Survey Report, Masami Nishishiba, Jun Suzuki, Pachida Lo

Center for Public Service Publications and Reports

This report summarizes the result of the cultural assessment employee survey administered in April 2007 to all City of Longview employees. Responses were obtained from 235 people (response rate 67%).

The survey results include the following key findings:

* Average scores indicate that employees generally support diversity and understand the importance of diversity in the workplace.

* On average, employees rated departmental support and understanding toward diversity lower than their personal support.

* Average scores on the level of comfort discussing diversity-related issues was somewhat lower than other scores. Some people expressed that they do not feel comfortable speaking up …

Valuing New Jersey's Natural Capital: An Assessment Of The Economic Value Of The State's Natural Resources, Robert Costanza

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

This report is divided into three main parts. Part I presents essential background information, summarizes the detailed findings of Parts II and III and their limitations, and explores in a preliminary way the policy implications of the natural capital project and the future research needs in this area. Part II focuses on ecosystem services and Part III deals with ecosystem goods.

Middle Columbia River Aquatic Nuisance Species Survey, Robyn Draheim, Mark D. Sytsma, Rich Miller, Jeffery Cordell

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

Aquatic nonindigenous species (ANS) in the middle Columbia and lower Snake rivers were surveyed during the summer of 2006. The project area included eight reservoirs and the free-flowing, Hanford Reach on the Columbia River. We also conducted a literature review to create a complete list of ANS for the study area.

Women's Heart Health, Comments From Service Providers In Kent County, Community Research Institute-Johnson Center

Research, Reports, and Publications

No abstract provided.

2007 Grand Rapids Juvenile Offense Index Report: Neighborhood Profile Supplement, Community Research Institute-Johnson Center

Research, Reports, and Publications

No abstract provided.

Women's Heart Health Directory, 2007, Community Research Institute-Johnson Center

Research, Reports, and Publications

No abstract provided.

Fifth Circuit Survey: Taxation, Michael Hatfield

Articles

During the survey period, the Fifth Circuit decided nine federal tax cases. Four of the nine cases were appealed from district courts. The remaining five were appealed from the Tax Court. Three of the Tax Court's five decisions (60%) were affirmed, and three of the four district court decisions (75%) were affirmed. Thus, the Fifth Circuit affirmed most of the lower court decisions (66%). Interestingly, only three of the decisions (33%) favored the taxpayer—EC Term of Years Trust v. United States; Garber Industries, Inc. v. Commissioner; and Estate of Baird v. Commissioner—even though the Fifth Circuit …

Global Health And Human Rights Imperative, Patricia C. Kuszler

Articles

Open any magazine, click on a television news channel, or surf the net and you are likely to find global health highlighted as one of the foremost challenges of new millennium. First, this article will consider the meaning and measures of global health and detail the path to improved health and development prescribed by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Second, it will trace the development of international human rights law as it relates to health. Third, it demonstrate how human rights and health, long traversing parallel routes, are in fact converging in the 21st Century quest for global health–a …

A Primer On The Nonproliferation Regime For Maritime Security Operations Forces, Craig Allen

Articles

This article seeks to provide the reader with an overview of the weapons of mass destruction (WMD) nonproliferation regime relevant to marine security operations and to alert the reader to shortfalls in that regime that might frustrate at-sea efforts to interdict WMD shipments. It begins with a general description of the international approach to combating proliferation of WMD and then examines the individual regimes for nuclear weapons, chemical weapons (CW), biological-toxin weapons (BTW) and WMD delivery systems, such as missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles. It next traces the development of several resolutions by the United Nations Security Council that target …

Command Of The Commons Boasts: An Invitation To Lawfare?, Craig H. Allen

Articles

The first panel in this, the 2006 Naval War College, International Law Department conference on "Global Legal Challenges: Command of the Commons, Strategic Communications, and Natural Disasters," has been asked to offer a US perspective on current assertions regarding the US command of the commons. It is my privilege to moderate the discussion by a distinguished panel that includes Vice Admiral Lowell E. ("Jake") Jacoby, US Navy (retired) the immediate past director of the Defense Intelligence Agency; Vice Admiral John G. Morgan, Jr., US Navy, deputy chief of naval operations for plans and strategy (N3/N5); and Rear Admiral Joseph L. …

The Limits Of Intelligence In Maritime Counterproliferation Operations, Craig Allen

Articles

This article begins with an examination of the intelligence needs of those engaged in maritime counterproliferation efforts. It then turns to risk-management decision making under conditions of uncertainty, focusing on decisions at the operational level and exploring the question of whether decision strategies in the WMD context should seek to minimize false-negative or false-positive errors. It concludes that even vastly improved maritime intelligence will not obviate the need for national and operational commanders to make decisions under conditions of uncertainty and that such decisions should be made on the basis of established risk-assessment and management principles. At the same time, …

Public Interest Research, Collaboration, And The Promise Of Wikis, Tom Cobb

Articles

One of my central goals in teaching law is to help students find ways to apply their emerging analytical powers and professional skills to promote the public interest.A related goal is to create an engaging learning experience in which students see each other—and other members of the legal community—as key resources in their education.

To help accomplish these goals, I have been formally and informally collaborating with clinics—the traditional home of public interest law and collaborative learning in most law schools— to find ways to infuse my legal writing classes with clinical methods and values. This article describes a class …

Feral Swine Action Plan For Oregon, Mark Sytsma, Arick Christopher Rouhe

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

Feral swine are defined as free roaming animals of the genus Sus that are not being held under domestic management or confinement. Swine have spread from Europe and Russia to habitats around the world via human introduction. Currently, feral swine populations are established on every continent except Antarctica. Unlike other large mammal invaders, swine have a high reproductive capacity and are omnivorous, which allows for a quick assimilation into most habitats. Once a breeding population is established in an area, the population can quickly increase and negatively impact the ecosystem. A successful invasion of feral swine is difficult, and sometimes …

Oregon Spartina Response Plan, Mary Pfauth, Mark Sytsma, Dennis Isaacson

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

Four introduced, invasive species of Spartina (cordgrass) have been present in estuarine areas of the U.S. west coast for over a century. These Spartina species are ecological engineers- they cause severe alternations in the hydrology and food webs of invaded estuaries that are detrimental to native wildlife and commercial and recreational uses. Oregon has been relatively free of these weeds, with only two known infestations. One infestation was eradicated by Oregon Department of Agriculture and the other is currently under eradication by The Nature Conservancy.

Be Careful What You Ask For: Educacion Para Todas/Os, The Perils And The Power, Jessica Solyom, Jeremiah Chin, Kristi Ryujin

Articles

Demonstrations supporting human and civil rights, while often romanticized as a phenomenon of the past, are becoming more pervasive today, reflecting the continued forms of discrimination and oppression undocumented workers, individuals, and families experience. In the past few years, Utah residents have been engaged in their own battle to determine the level of support the state is willing to extend students of color interested in attending institutions of higher education. On the "frontstage" many of the state's universities echo a rhetoric of support for diversity. Some even go as far as to outline their commitment to diversity as part of …

Biological Status Of Leatherside Chub: A Framework For Conservation Of Western Freshwater Fishes, Mark C. Belk, Jerald B. Johnson

Faculty Publications

Outside of anadromous salmonids and a few endangered species, biology of native freshwater fishes of western North America is poorly known. What do we need to know to effectively manage native species and avoid decline and extinction? A recent analysis of the role of science in the Pacific salmon controversy outlines a clear framework for biological evaluation and management of native species. This framework has three components: (1) determine status of populations based on genetic and ecological variation, (2) identify and quantify threats to populations, and (3) determine actions to alleviate threats and promote conservation of populations. We use our …

Two Essays On Lead-Lag Patterns Between Trading Volume And Stock Return In China Stock Markets, Xiaotian Zhu

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

This dissertation systematically investigate the lead-lag relations between the trading volume and stock return patterns in China A share and B share markets through two streams of behavioral postulations. In the first part, we summarize all the potential lead-lag patterns between trading volume and stock returns and link them to the corresponding behavioral explanations. In particular, Lee and Swaminathan's (2000) Momentum Life Cycle theory best explains the strong negative relations between lagged trading volume and subsequent return in China A share market. The strong positive relations between lagged market return and subsequent trading volume found in both China's B share …

Modeling And Efficient Estimation Of Intra-Family Correlations, Roy Sabo

Mathematics & Statistics Theses & Dissertations

Familial data occur when observations are taken on multiple members of the same family. Due to relationships between these members, both genetic and by cohabitation, their response variables will likely exhibit some form of dependence. Most of the existing literature models this dependence with an equicorrelated structure. This structure is appropriate when the dependencies between family members are similar, such as in genetic studies, but not in cases where we expect the dependencies to differ, such as behavioral comparisons across different age groups. In this dissertation we first discuss an alternative structure based upon first-order autoregressive correlation. Specifically we create …

Aeronautical Telemetry Using Multiple-Antenna Transmitters, Michael A. Jensen, Michael D. Rice, Adam L. Anderson

Faculty Publications

The placement of multiple antennas on an air vehicle is one possible practice for overcoming signal obstruction created by vehicle maneuvering during air-to-ground transmission. Unfortunately, for vehicle attitudes where more than one of these antennas has a clear path to the receiving station, this practice also leads to self-interference nulls, resulting in dramatic degradation in the average signal integrity. This paper discusses application of unitary space-time codes such as the Alamouti transmit diversity scheme and unitary differential space-time codes to overcome the self-interference effect observed in such systems. The mathematical foundations of these techniques within the context of this application …

Solving Ramanujan's Differential Equations For Eisenstein Series Via A First Order Riccati Equation, James M. Hill, Bruce C. Berndt, Timothy Huber

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

In this paper we prove that Ramanujan's differential equations for the Eisenstein series P, Q, and R are invariant under a simple one-parameter stretching group of transformations. Using this, we show that the three differential equations may be reduced to a first order Riccati differential equation, the solution of which may be represented in terms of hypergeometric functions. The resulting formulas allow for the derivation of parametric representations of P, Q, and R, analogous to representations in Ramanujan's second notebook. In contrast, in the classical approach, one first needs to derive the fundamental formula connecting theta functions with elliptic integrals. …

Standards-Based Mathematics Curriculum And Hispanic Middle School Students’ Attitudes And Classroom Experiences, James A. Telese

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

Sixth-grade, Mexican American, middle school students completed a survey which gauged attitudes toward mathematics and the frequency of traditional and nontraditional classroom activities, following the implementation of a standardsbased curriculum. Analysis of variance procedures were conducted using Gender, Ethnicity, and School as main factors. The results indicated that on average students held favorable attitudes toward mathematics, and they experienced primarily nontraditional classroom activities. There was a significant gain in achievement scores as measured by the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test. The implications are that a standards-based curriculum promotes favorable attitudes in middle school mathematics students and encourages teachers …

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease And Fundoplication In Infants And Children, Shawn D. St Peter, G W. Holcomb Iii

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) can be one of the most distressing conditions developing at different ages in infants and children. The disease itself is a complex process along with ongoing dynamic anatomic and physiologic changes occurring during normal development. Therefore among referring physicians, considerations regarding the role of surgery for GERD in children varies widely depending on individual experiences in managing these patients. These varied opinions result in discrepancies in the operative experience with fundoplication among pediatric surgeons. It is unclear how much of the current opinions stem from published evidence, particularly with regard to the safety and efficacy of …

The Latino Caregiver Experience Among Dementia And Non-Dementia Caregivers : Can Community Based Care Management Improve Caregiver Health?, Catherine Oliveros

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Purpose: This study provides an analysis of the Latino caregiving community in Southeast Texas and the role community based care management plays in influencing caregiver physical and emotional well-being. Design and Methods: A non-random sample of 63 Latino caregivers was interviewed by phone. Caregiver physical and emotional well-being was studied through burden, depression, perceived health status, and resourcefulness. Regression, correlation, and comparison analysis was performed with key variables. Results: Acculturation was positively correlated with care management use. In comparing dementia and non-dementia caregivers both groups had similar levels of depression and burden, however, the dementia group had significantly lower levels …

Cultural Competence And Instructional Design: Exploration Research Into The Delivery Of Online Instruction Cross, P. Clint Rogers, Charles R. Graham, Clifford T. Mayes

Faculty Publications

The amount of resources being poured by Western universities, companies, and governments into creating educational content to be exported (via the Internet) to other cultures is astounding. Those assigned to accomplish this task are left with the great challenge of meeting the needs of learners who come from cultures that are foreign to them, and who often have very different abilities and expectations than originally assumed. This study explores the cultural competence in the lived experience of 12 professionals who have been involved with such efforts. Often they have had to question their assumptions, recognizing flaws in their own thinking …

Benefits And Challenges Of Using Live Modeling To Help Preservice Teachers Transfer Technology Integration Principles, Richard E. West, Charles R. Graham

Faculty Publications

One method underutilized in training teachers to use technology is to use live modeling sessions. This study qualitatively investigates how the use of modeling sessions impacted students. In this study we found that modeling was perceived by most students to be effective at teaching technology skills and ideas for integrating technology as teachers. However, we identified several breakdowns in the ability of students to transfer their understanding of technology integration to their own situations. We explain this difficulty of transfer of learning and describe five situations when these breakdowns were likely to occur. Implications include the benefits of using live …

Effect Of The Consumption Of Farm Animals On The Diet And Hemoglobin Levels Of School Age Children In The Rural Communities Of Topo, Imbabura, Gualabi, Calpaqui, And Compania Of The Imbabura Province, Alexandra Echeverría

Theses and Dissertations

This research addressed malnutrition in the villages of Topo, Imbabura, Gualabí, Calpaquí and Compañía in the city Otavalo, which is in the Province of Imbaura, Ecuador. The research determined the effects of consumption of small-animals on the diet and hemoglobin levels in school aged boys and girls. This study involved 311 indigenous children between 6 and 12 years of age. Following parental authorization, blood tests and fecal samples were taken from each child to analyze hemoglobin and parasites. Additional information gathered from this study group included a socio-economic survey, frequency of food consumption, 24 hour inventory, animal production, and basic …

The U.S. Treasury Buyback Auctions: The Cost Of Retiring Illiquid Bonds, Bing Han, Francis A. Longstaff, Craig B. Merrill

Faculty Publications

We study an important recent series of buyback auctions conducted by the U.S. Treasury in retiring $67.5 billion of its illiquid off-the-run debt. The Treasury was successful in buying back large amounts of illiquid debt while suffering only a small market-impact cost. The Treasury included the most-illiquid bonds more frequently in the auctions, but tended to buy back the least-illiquid of these bonds. Although the Treasury had the option to cherry pick from among the bonds offered, we find that the Treasury was actually penalized for being spread too thinly in the buybacks.

Investing Your Lump Sum At Retirement, David F. Babbel, Craig B. Merrill

Faculty Publications

Imagine sitting down on the day of your retirement to plan your financial future. You know what your annual expenses have been and you want to maintain your current standard of living. So, you consult a recent mortality table and find that if you’ve made it to your 65th birthday, you can expect to live to 85 years old. You perform a little calculation and find that, together with your Social Security monthly payments, you have just enough savings to maintain your current standard of living and spend all of your savings and future expected earnings by the time you …