Digital Commons Network^™

Locavore Exploring The Sustainable Table: A Restaurant In Tobacco Row, Kathryn Mia Oliver

Theses and Dissertations

Locavore is a restaurant centered around the principles of sustainable agriculture: foodthat is organically, humanely, and sustainably raised from farms and cooperatives nofurther than 150 miles from Richmond - thus the "local" in Locavore. Like all restaurants,certain programmatic requirements were standard such as providing places to store,prepare, and eat the food, and restrooms. Yet the design of the space also helps answerthe following questions: How does sustainable differ from organic? Is local necessarily better than foreign? How does a restaurant embody community?

Self-Appraisals, Perfectionism, And Academics In College Undergraduates, David Edward Canter

Theses and Dissertations

The influences on perfectionism and procrastination of race, gender, cognitive-affective and academic self-appraisals, and academic performance expectations were studied. The sample consisted of 155 Introductory Psychology students (57 African Americans, 41 Asian Americans, and 57 European Americans; 51.6% women) with a mean age of 19.4 years (SD = 3.6). Data were collected during the final week of the Fall 2007 semester. Consistent with previous research indicating that men are more likely to procrastinate than women, men were over-represented in this sample. Self-esteem, measured with the Rosenberg (1965) Self-Esteem Scale, was conceptualized as having two components: self-liking and self-competence (Tafarodi & …

Green Beans - The Neighborhood Co-Op, Cooking, And Nutritional Living Center, Amee Ricketts

Theses and Dissertations

Taking the time to learn how to eat healthfully and prepare nutritious meals has become a problem in today's modern living. 66 percent of American adults are overweight and 19 percent of American children are overweight1. Constrained by the demands of work, raising families, and other daily commitments leaves little time for taking care of one's nutritional needs in a simple, healthy, and efficient manner. This thesis strives to achieve a well designed neighborhood center that warmly invites customers to learn about the importance of nutrition and the effects our food choices have on our overall health, how to shop …

Exploring The Experience Of Benefit Finding In Parents Of Children With Cancer: A Grounded Theory Study, Carol E. Zogran

Theses and Dissertations

The diagnosis of cancer in a child is one of the most significant stressors a parent can experience, and research in the area of stress-related effects of illness on parents has emerged in many areas. The majority of studies have focused on the potential or actual negative impact on parents during and after treatment of their child's illness. However, studies that initially set out to explore the difficulties associated with coping with childhood cancer found that parents often reported positive aspects about the experience. There is now increasing interest and support for the study of "positive-health" factors that contribute to …

A Science & Mathematics Magnet School At Maymont, Sarah Shamus Nakfoor

Theses and Dissertations

I am interested in the idea that schools should be designed to offer individualized learning."A Science & Mathematics Magnet School at Maymont" explores a type of school that is becoming more familiar and accessible. By allowing students who have an interest in excelling in school and preparing for their future careers to come together and meet one another and experience aneducation that might not otherwise be available can be beneficial in many ways. In most cases, because of the funding required for such specialized schools, class sizes are reduced to meet budgets and the schools are opened to the community …

Weee And Rohs: Are They Spurring Innovation Among Small And Medium Sized Electronics Businesses In The U.S.?, Frances L. Cabrera

Theses

Eight small businesses in the electronics industry from Rochester, NY were studied in order to determine whether the European Union’s directives, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directives (RoHS) are spurring innovation in the US. Innovation was defined as any change in the design and manufacturing of the products, in the internal organizational structure and management of the business, or in the market strategies pursued by the small businesses that created a benefit beyond RoHS and WEEE compliance. Because WEEE and RoHS are based upon extended producer responsibility principles, this innovation would complement the findings …

An Overview Of Packaging Sustainability Topics, Alexandros Astropekakis

Theses

This thesis presents the global challenges behind the need of sustainable development. It links packaging to this need and describes the way packaging can positively contribute to this process. It presents industry examples of "green packaging" that claim to or may actually contribute to sustainable development. It monitors the understanding of packaging professionals for what is called "packaging sustainability" through a custom made on-line survey. Finally it presents a comparison of environmental impacts for different polymer materials used for the production of rigid containers (HDPE, PP, PET, PVC and PLA) through an analysis of Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) data for …

Comparative Practices & Perspectives: Gender, Development And Empowerment In Uttarakhand, India And Northern Virginia, Sara Duke

Theses and Dissertations

The following thesis is a qualitative comparative case study which investigated the values, practices, perspectives, and strategies of Indian and American community organizers (practitioners and volunteers of non-profits and non-governmental organizations) who use microfinance, including savings schemes, as an instrument within the social intermediation process of developing disadvantaged women's capacities for self-sufficiency/empowerment. The focused inquiry was conducted through similarly structured in-depth interviews of directors, staff members and volunteers/community-based organizers of a women's business center in Northern Virginia, a large U.S. metropolitan area, and a women's federation in the rural Himalayas of Uttarakhand, India. Interview questions focused on savings, social intermediation, …

How Cultural Factors Hastened The Population Decline Of The Powhatan Indians, Julia Ruth Beckley

Theses and Dissertations

I did not create an abstract for this thesis.

The Effects Of Atomoxetine On Cognitive Performace And Neuroplasticity After Traumatic Brain Injury, Wendy Reid

Theses and Dissertations

Catecholaminergic neurotransmission is regionally altered following injury, and drugs aimed at these systems offer promising avenues for post-TBI pharmacotherapies. Atomoxetine is a selective norepinephrine transporter (NET) inhibitor currently indicated for treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The studies in this dissertation were designed to test the efficacy of atomoxetine for treating cognitive deficits following experimental TBI and the potential mechanism for any beneficial effect. The first part of the study focused on behavioral recovery following atomoxetine treatment. Several important questions of dose, therapeutic window, and duration of treatment were addressed in these studies. Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to lateral fluid-percussion …

Camk-Ii Promotes Beta-Catenin-Dependent Transcription By Binding Flightless-I, Jamie Mcleod

Theses and Dissertations

Transient intracellular elevations of Ca2+ are common signaling mechanisms used to allosterically regulate proteins. One potential target of Ca2+ is Ca2+/calmodulin dependent protein kinase type II (CaMK-II). CaMK-II is a multi-functional protein kinase known to influence cellular pathways such as cell motility and cell cycle progression. Within the cell cycle, CaMK-II promotes the expression of the regulator protein cyclin D1, which is necessary for cell cycle progression. To further understand CaMK-II’s role in cyclin D1 expression, the binding partners of cytosolic CaMK-II were studied using mass spectrometry. Several proteins were identified including β actin, β tubulins, tropomodulin- 3 and Flightless-I. …

Treatment Outcomes And Retention In Medicaid And Non-Medicaid Orthodontic Patients, Ashkan Ghaffari

Theses and Dissertations

Medicaid orthodontic patients have been shown to miss more appointments and break more appliances than self-pay patients, indicating a greater tendency toward non-compliance. Lack of compliance during the post-treatment phase can be detrimental to retention. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a difference in PAR score changes between Medicaid and non-Medicaid patients during and after orthodontic treatment. PAR scores were determined using study models of 43 Medicaid and 39 non-Medicaid patients before and at the end of active treatment, and 24 Medicaid and 42 non-Medicaid patients at the end of treatment and at an average …

The Honest Broker? Canada's Role In Haitian Development, Michele Zebich-Knos

Faculty Articles

Since the early 1990s Canada has played a key role in Haiti’s development process. The article explores whether Canada’s foreign policy is becoming more reliant on military-assisted solutions, including peacekeeping, as a way to solve Haiti’s internal problems and achieve good governance. The article also examines the Canadian concepts called “Responsibility to Protect, React and Rebuild” which are linked to humanitarian intervention, and their implication for Haitian sovereignty. The conclusion cautions against an overly ambitious Canadian development policy for Haiti which has little chance of success.

Tax Fairness And The Tax Mix, David G. Duff

All Faculty Publications

Since a society’s tax system is one of its most basic and essential social institutions, the justice or fairness of this tax system is an important subject for social and political theory, as well as for practical politics. In order to assess the fairness of any particular tax or the tax system as a whole, however, it is essential to consider the purpose of the tax and the tax system in general. While the most obvious purpose of most taxes is to raise revenue to finance public expenditures, taxes are also employed to regulate social and economic behaviour and to …

Governmental Liability For Recreational Uses Of Public Land: Bronsen V. Dawes County, 273 Neb. 320, 722 N.W.2d 17 (2006), Sean D. White

Nebraska Law Review

In 2006, Bronsen v. Dawes County stripped away the protection which the government had enjoyed under the RLA by overruling twenty-five years of judicial precedent. This complete reversal of liability is what caused sledding hills, skate parks, and other recreational facilities across the State to begin shutting down. Fearing increased liability and insurance premiums, many political subdivisions closed down various publicly owned recreation sites. Subsequently, a firestorm of debate ensued which inevitably led to new legislation re-granting the government partial immunity. Part II of this Note focuses on the development of the judicial interpretation of the government's role in the …

As Space Law Comes To Nebraska, Space Comes Down To Earth, Frans Von Der Dunk

Nebraska Law Review

It is a great honor and an equally great pleasure for me to stand here today and address you by way of an inaugural lecture, embedded in this conference on formalism and informalism in space law that we are currently hosting at the University of Nebraska College of Law.

An inaugural lecture then is perceived essentially as a public lecture where a newly-appointed professor sets out, for everyone to hear, his or her general ideas on, and programmatic approach to, the field that he or she is going to tackle in teaching and research-in my case, all in the context …

"No Set Of Circumstances" V. "Large Fraction Of Cases": Debate Resolved--Gonzales V. Carhart, 127 S. Ct. 1610 (2007), Joshua C. Howard

Nebraska Law Review

When Gonzales v. Carhart ("Carhart I") was announced, reactions were anything but soft-spoken or ambivalent. Despite the outcry it inspired, the decision's effect on actual abortions performed will be minimal. In Carhart II, the Supreme Court reversed the holdings of the Eighth and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeals and upheld the Partial Birth Abortion Act of 2003. The Act bars women from obtaining a partial-birth abortion, a procedure which accounts for only .17% of all abortions, or approximately 2,232 annually, in the United States. Further, the Act is unlikely to actually preclude these abortions-rather it will merely …

Panarchy, Adaptive Management And Governance: Policy Options For Building Resilience, Ahjond S. Garmestani, Craig R. Allen, Heriberto Cabezas

Nebraska Law Review

Environmental law plays a key role in shaping policy for sustainability. In particular, the types of legal instruments, institutions, and the response of law to the inherent variability in socio-ecological systems are critical. Environmental protection has typically involved a command-and-control approach that is implemented in response to specific environmental problems. Often the response is reactive and applied to crisis situations. Ruhl contends that command-and-control approaches to environmental problems have been very successful at dealing with air and water pollution, because the regulations were able to address the "low-hanging fruit" (e.g., point-source pollution, waste disposal) problems which are relatively easy to …

Application Of The Interactional Model Of Cultural Diversity To Identify Diversity Climate Factors Associated With Organizational Effectiveness In Accredited U.S. Physical Therapist Education Programs, Elizabeth Francis Giles

Health Services Research Dissertations

Accredited U.S. physical therapist education programs are responsible for the preparation of its graduates to provide culturally sensitive care to meet the physical therapy needs of an increasingly diverse population. While the importance of workforce diversity has been articulated, the effect of diversity climate on organizational effectiveness within accredited U.S. physical therapist education programs has not been described. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Interactional Model of Cultural Diversity (IMCD, Cox, 1993) as a theoretical framework to identify diversity climate factors associated with organizational effectiveness in accredited U.S. physical therapist education programs. A descriptive, …

Corporate Social Responsibility Of Multinational Enterprises And The International Business Law Curriculum, Constance Z. Wagner

All Faculty Scholarship

The author argues for expanded coverage of corporate social responsibility in the U.S. law school curriculum. Corporate social responsibility is of increasing importance for businesses, particularly for those companies that conduct multinational operations. Current national legal and regulatory regimes fail to adequately address the social and environmental issues that arise in business operations. As a result, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations and businesses have begun to promulgate voluntary codes ofconduct. These codes touch on such subjects as core labor standards, environmental protection, bribery offoreign government officials in international business and human rights. Examples include the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development …

The Truth Is Out There: Revamping Federal Antidiscrimination Enforcement For The Twenty-First Century, Marcia L. Mccormick

All Faculty Scholarship

Employment discrimination laws in the United States have not created full equality in the workplace, although that was their goal. Real change requires greater accountability for those who make employment decisions and greater transparency to bolster that accountability. To provide that transparency and accountability, we need greater federal involvement in enforcement and a mechanism to publicize the state of the nation's workplaces. To accomplish this, I propose taking private sector employment discrimination disputes away from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission entirely, and starting with a new agency. The current model, with the EEOC writing compliance guidelines, encouraging mediation, and acting …

Review Of Jonathan Baron, Against Bioethics, Chad Flanders

All Faculty Scholarship

This is a short review of a recent book by Jonathan Baron, entitled "Against Bioethics."

Irregular Panels, Samuel P. Jordan

All Faculty Scholarship

This article explores a common but essentially unexplored feature of appellate decision-making: decisions by irregular panels. Decisions in the federal courts of appeals are usually reached by panels of three statutorily authorized judges. But appellate panels are often irregular in practice, either because an authorized judge becomes unavailable or because an unauthorized judge is assigned as a panel member. The traditional approach, supported by both statute and case law, has been to accept the former while rejecting the latter. When considered functionally, however, decisions by quorum are at least as problematic as those by panels with unauthorized members. The absence …

Family (Encyclopedia Entry), Roberta L. Coles

Social and Cultural Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Noise Attenuation And Communication Enhancement Characteristics Of The Uscg Boat Crew Communication System, Jeffrey S. Clark

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The US Coast Guard is prototyping a new small boat communication system which consists of the MSA Sordin Supreme Pro headset in combination with a wireless communications system. The MSA Sordin headset receives wireless communications input independently from an amplitude-sensitive sound transmission feature which amplifies ambient noise in certain frequency ranges. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which the communication system improves speech intelligibility in noise and to measure the noise reducing capabilities of the headset with the amplification feature activated and with it turned off. Overall noise reduction was calculated based on four different …

Feasibility And Optimum Design Study Of A Low Speed Wind Turbine Rotor System For Underground Communication Power, John E. Harman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A need has been recognized to have battery charging capabilities in underground mines, independent of outside AC power sources. In the event of emergency, the radios located throughout underground mines stay charged for periods insufficient to ensure the safety of trapped mineworkers. Air is always being distributed to supply oxygen and to dilute explosive gases throughout all sections of the mine. An idea to charge the batteries using the energy stored in the moving air was recently proposed. The feasibility of using a small wind turbine to charge the batteries in this airlflow will be addressed by this thesis. If …

Production Of Docosahexaenoic Acid By Crypthecodinium Cohnii Using Continuous-Mode Process, Deniz Inan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid found in cold-water fish, has positive health benefits. While the suggested amount of 220 mg/day for adults may be attained by consuming fish, this may increase exposure to environmental pollutants. The heterotrophic marine alga Crypthecodinium cohnii is an important source of DHA because C. cohnii can accumulate lipid greater than 20% of their biomass with a large fraction of DHA (30-50%). Commercially, DHA production by C. cohnii is conducted in large bioreactors (∼100 m3 capacity) using a batch-mode process. The purpose of this study was to investigate lipid and DHA production by C. …

Automatic Control And Fault Diagnosis Of Mems Lateral Comb Resonators, Afshin Izadian

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Recent advancements in microfabrication of Micro Electro Mechanical Systems have made MEMS an important part of many applications such as safety and sensor/control devices. Miniature structure of MEMS makes them very sensitive to the environmental and operating conditions. In addition, fault in the device might change the parameters and result in unwanted behavioral variations. Therefore, imperfect device structure, fault and operating point dependencies suggest for active control of MEMS.;This research is focused on two main areas of control and fault diagnosis of MEMS devices. In the control part, the application of adaptive controllers is introduced for trajectory control of the …

Comparing Virulence Of Cryphonectria Parasitica Isolates Recovered From Portions Of Cultures Or Cankers Established Before Versus Those After Hypovirus Innoculations, William E. Jones

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Variable recovery of hypovirulent (HV) and virulent (V) isolates from repeatedly sampled, identical chestnut blight cankers, caused by Cryphonectria parasitica, prompted this study to monitor more closely the isolate recovery over time to determine hypovirulent or virulent status. To meet the objective, laboratory and field experiments were conducted between 1998 and 2000 to recover isolates from cultures and cankers challenged with HV inoculum. Cultural studies demonstrated (1) hypovirus transfer readily occurred to actively growing colony margins, and (2) that established, virulent mycelium one-to-six weeks-old at time was unable to acquire hypovirus. Results from field studies demonstrated a significant difference in …

Effects Of Aging And Gender On Vasoreactivity Of Coronary Arterioles, Amanda Jo Leblanc

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of the first study was to determine how age and ovarian hormones affect flow-induced vasodilation in the coronary microcirculation. Coronary arterioles were isolated from young, middle-aged, and old control, ovariectomized (OVX) and ovariectomized + estrogen replaced (OVE) female Fischer-344 rats to assess vasodilation to increases in flow. L-NAME, a nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, was used to assess NO contribution to flow-induced dilation (FID). FID of coronary arterioles was impaired with advancing age. Ovariectomy reduced FID in young females only; however, estrogen-replacement restored or improved FID in all age groups. FID was reduced after pretreatment with L-NAME in …