Digital Commons Network^™

Virtual Communities Of Practice: A 21st Century Method For Learning, Programming, And Developing Professionally, Patricia M. Sobrero, Carla Gale Craycraft

Journal of Extension

Cooperative Extension can build on use of virtual Communities of Practice (CoP) to enhance educational programs and professional development. This article examines the way virtual CoPs can support the Extension mission and build on our heritage of integrity and innovation. Literature about virtual CoPs reports on successful implementation of these communities by the volunteer sector, eXtension, and by formal education to support professional development and content and program development. Cooperative Extension may benefit from the study of virtual communities of practice and their applications across the national system.

Youth Program Risk Management: A Case Study Of The 4-H Petpals Program, Lucinda Miller, Ryan J. Schmiesing

Journal of Extension

Risk management has been an especially important topic in the 4-H youth development program over the past 15 years. Traditional programs face challenges as risks are identified and new programs are under increased scrutiny to ensure that youth and volunteers are in a safe environment. 4-H PetPALS serves as an example of a program designed and implemented with risk management strategies incorporated throughout the process. In this article we describe the risks associated with this type of program and the management strategies that must be considered and implemented in order to ensure that a positive learning environment is achieved.

Expanding The Latino Market Niche: Developing Capacity And Meeting Critical Needs, Andrew Behnke

Journal of Extension

As Extension competes to secure a place in serving Latino populations across the nation, it is critical to assess its overall capacity to serve Spanish-speaking clients. Extension must also evaluate how well current educational programming is meeting the needs of this population. This article describes a statewide assessment of 97 North Carolina counties via online surveys and 12 Spanish-language focus groups. Survey respondents noted the need for bilingual staff in their county offices, and specific types of Spanish-language materials. Focus groups with Spanish-speaking clients, demonstrated the need for hands-on training, collaboration, marketing, and improved delivery of critical information.

Ranch Management Practices Of Beef Quality Assurance (Bqa) And Non-Bqa Certified Producers In Montana, Lisa Duffey, John Paterson, Marc King, Kelsey Rolfe

Journal of Extension

The beef cattle industry continues to provide a safe, quality, and consistent product to consumers while addressing animal health and food safety issues. The study reported here sought to determine Beef Quality Assurance educational needs for record keeping, health management, marketing strategies, and perceptions of industry issues to inform and prepare Montana beef producers for changes. BQA and non-BQA certified producers had varying management strategies for animal identification, record keeping, and vaccination programs, while implant programs and marketing strategies were similar. The results of the survey will be used to determine the BQA educational needs of Montana cattle producers.

Program Review--Intentional Harmony: Managing Work And Life, Leah Y. Hughes, Robert J. Fetsch

Journal of Extension

Intentional Harmony: Balancing Work and Life, a program developed by the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension, is designed to address the effects of work stress on the employee, partnerships, parenting, friend and family relationships, and personal health. The program is comprehensive, concise, and research-based. There is some empirical evidence of the effectiveness of the parenting unit. Additional research with random assignment of participants to experimental and control groups is recommended. An evaluation instrument is provided.

Assessing The Validity Of Statistical Inferences In Public Health Research: An Evidence-Based, ‘Best-Practices’ Approach, Karl E. Peace, Anthony V. Parrillo, Charles J. Hardy

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Like many fields, public health has embraced the process of evidence-based practice to inform practice decisions and to guide policy development. Evidence-based practice is typically dependent upon generalizations made on the bases of the existing body of knowledge – assimilations of the research literature on a particular topic. The potential utility of scientific evidence for guiding policy and practice decisions is grounded in the validity of the research investigations upon which such decisions are made. However, the validity of inferences made from the extant public health research literature requires more than ascertaining the validity of the statistical methods alone; for …

Quantitative Data Analysis Of Multiple Factors Associated With Low Birth Weight In Bibb County, Georgia, Haley D. Jackson, Yudan Wei, Fan Chen

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Objective: This study aims to identify and evaluate significant risk factors associated with low birth weight in Bibb County, Georgia.

Methods: Data used in this study was obtained from the Georgia Department of Human Resources’ Vital Records Offices. The sample consists of 2,346 white and black or African American women giving birth in Bibb County, Georgia in 2005. Logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors associated with low birthweight in Bibb County, Georgia. The multiple factors analyzed as independent variables included maternal race, maternal education, maternal age group, socioeconomic status, marital status, maternal tobacco use during pregnancy, maternal …

Social, Economic And Health Costs Of Unintended Teen Pregnancy: The Circle Of Care Intervention Program In Troup County, Georgia, Andrea M. Brace, Michael Hall, Barry P. Hunt

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Unintended teenage pregnancy in the United States is a public health concern with ramifications that include a variety of social, economic and health costs. It has been estimated that adolescents giving birth before the age of 18 cost the United States at least $9.1 billion dollars annually (NCPTUP, 2008). Latest available national data indicate a slight increase in rates of unintended teen pregnancy after a 15 year period of steady decline. The unintended teen pregnancy rate in Troup County, Georgia in 2006 was 51.9/1,000 which was higher than the national average of 41.9/1,000(Kids Count, 2008). The purpose of this study …

Illinois State Alumni Magazine, Fall 2008, Illinois State University, University Marketing And Communications

State: The Magazine of Illinois State University (1999-present)

Illinois State University alumni magazine

Newsletter Fall 2008, Hispanic Studies, Illinois Wesleyan University

Newsletters

No abstract provided.

A Deadly Dream, Rachel Hatch

Illinois Wesleyan University Magazine, 2002-2017

In his new book, History Professor Gordon Horwitz examines how the Nazi plan to remake a Polish city led to the deaths of 200,000 of its Jewish residents.

Grown Accustomed To This Place, Rachel Hatch

Illinois Wesleyan University Magazine, 2002-2017

Although she had many adventures in the west African country of Senegal, some of the moments that Shannon O’Rourke ’07 enjoyed most were the quiet ones.

Behind The Scenes, Rachel Hatch

Illinois Wesleyan University Magazine, 2002-2017

Student interns get up-close view of politics while working alongside political superstars.

October 2008, Volume 4, Number 3, Winthrop University Archives And Special Collections

Retrospect: News from the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections at Winthrop University

No abstract provided.

Rrh Library Newsletter, October 2008, Libraries At Rochester Regional Health

Rochester Regional Health authored publications and proceedings

Newsletter sections include: Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD); RefWorks Classes

From The Chair, Lela P. Love

Articles

No abstract provided.

Answering The Cdc's Call For Universal Hiv Testing: Assesing The Impact On A Tertiary Care Referral Center Via A Blinded Seroprevalence Study, Margaret Hoffman-Terry Md, Facp, K Nadeem Ahmed Md, Joseph L. Yozviak Do, Facp, Sherrine Eid Mph, Timothy J. Friel Md, Kimberly A. Pacella, Luther Rhodes Iii Md

Department of Medicine

No abstract provided.

Elevated Toll-Like Receptor 4 Expression And Signaling In Muscle From Insulin-Resistant Subjects, Sara M. Reyna, Sangeeta Ghosh, Puntip Tantiwong, C S. Reddy Meka, Phyllis Eagan, Christopher P. Jenkinson, Eugenio Cersosimo, Ralph A. Defronzo, Dawn K. Coletta, Apiradee Sriwijitkamol

School of Medicine Publications

OBJECTIVE— Tall-like receptor (TLR)4 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of free fatty acid (FFA)-induced insulin resistance by activating inflammatory pathways, including inhibitor of κB (IκB)/nuclear factor κB (NFκB). However, it is not known whether insulin-resistant subjects have abnormal TLR4 signaling. We examined whether insulin-resistant subjects have abnormal TLR4 expression and TLR4-driven (IκB/NFκB) signaling in skeletal muscle.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS— TLR4 gene expression and protein content were measured in muscle biopsies in 7 lean, 8 obese, and 14 type 2 diabetic subjects. A primary human myotube culture system was used to examine whether FFAs stimulate IκB/NFκB via TLR4 and …

Personality Characteristics Of Counseling Students At A Midwest Evangelical Seminary As Correlates Of Success, Satisfaction, And Self-Perceived Effectiveness, Keith Edward Marlett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

his study examined the question of how well personality traits as assessed by the MMPI-2 (clinical and L, F, K validity scales) and the NEO PI-R (domain scales) predict useful post-graduation markers of success in Master's level counselor education students. The subjects were 74 graduates of a seminary counselor education program in the Midwest. Participants completed the MMPI-2 (first 370 questions) and the NEO PI-R prior to admission and a post-graduation self-report questionnaire. Significant correlation between several personality traits and post-graduation markers of success emerged, but after Bonferroni adjustment, did not retain statistical significance and are therefore noted as trends …

Toward A More Perfect Union: The Unitimely Decline Of Federalism And The Rise Of The Homogeneous Political Culture, Jason A. Crook

University of Dayton Law Review

The principle of federalism and the national government's evolving relationship with the states has created many challenging moments over the course of American history. As the 21st century begins to unfold, however, the decline of this political balance has the potential to generate even greater challenges with far-reaching implications. From the closing battle of the Revolutionary War to the Gun-Free School Zones Act, this article charts the evolution of this intricate national relationship with a view toward better understanding of the rise of the homogenous political culture and the ways such a phenomenon might be reversed.

The Servicemembers Civil "____" Act: Giving The Act The "Relief" It Deserves, Lanourra L. Phillips

University of Dayton Law Review

No abstract provided.

Fantasy Crime: The Role Of Criminal Law In Virtual Worlds, Susan W. Brenner

School of Law Faculty Publications

This article analyzes activity in virtual worlds that would constitute crime if they were committed in the real world. It reviews the evolution of virtual worlds like Second Life and notes research which indicates that more and more of our lives will move into this realm. The article then analyzes the criminalization of virtual conduct that inflicts “harm” in the real world and virtual conduct that only inflicts “harm” in the virtual world. It explains that the first category qualifies as cybercrime and can be prosecuted under existing law. Finally, it analyzes the necessity and propriety of criminalizing the second …

Using Timed-Release Cryptography To Mitigate Preservation Risk Of Embargo Periods, Rabia Haq

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

This research defines Time-Locked Embargo, a framework designed to mitigate the Preservation Risk Interval: the preservation risk associated with embargoed scholarly material. Due to temporary access restrictions, embargoed data cannot be distributed freely and thus preserved via data refreshing during the embargo time interval. A solution to mitigate the risk of data loss has been developed by suggesting a data dissemination framework that allows data refreshing of encrypted instances of embargoed content in an open, unrestricted scholarly community. This framework has been developed by exploiting implementations of existing technologies to"time-lock" data using Timed-Release Cryptology (TRC) so that it can be …

Geo-Rectification Of Aerial Images For Detecting Changes In Terrain, Diana Vincent

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

With increasing terrorist attacks around the world, detection of hidden bombs like IEDs (Improvised Explosive devices) has become very important. The main aim of this thesis is to develop an automatic change detection system to detect changes in terrain. It is mainly used in military applications for protection of military convoys. In order to detect the presence of IED's, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is flown over a proposed convoy route to develop a baseline scene. Prior to the launch of the convoy the UA V is flown again over the same route to detect any significant scene changes that …

A Systematic Study On Structural And Optical Properties In Conjugated Polymer Photovoltaic Devices, Sri Sabarinadh Sunkavalli

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Conjugated polymer/fullerene based solar cells represent an exciting alternative to inorganic ones because of their low production costs, flexibility and low weight. At present, commercialization of organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells is limited due to their relatively low efficiency in comparison to silicon ones. In order to understand the operation of OPV cells and to increase their efficiency, more information about the structure of the absorber layer is needed. In particular, the connection between structure and properties of the absorber layer is of great importance. Performance of bulk heterojunction organic solar cells based on poly (3-hexylthiophene) as donor and a soluble …

Student Profile, Fall Semester 2008, University Of Northern Iowa

Institutional Effectiveness & Planning Documents

Contents:

--- Preface
--- Profile Summary
--- Section I: Total Student Enrollment for Fall Semester 2008
--- Section II: New Students Entering UNI Fall Semester 2008
--- Section III: Miscellaneous

Using Trusted Computing Technology To Facilitate Security Enforcement In Wireless Sensor Networks, Yanjiang Yang, Robert H. Deng, Feng Bao, Jianying Zhou

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Security enforcement in wireless sensor networks is by no means an easy task, due to the inherent resource-constrained nature of sensor nodes. To facilitate security enforcement, we propose to incorporate more powerful high-end Security Enforcement Facilitators (SEFs) into wireless sensor networks. In particular, the SEFs are equipped with TCG-compliant Trusted Platform Modules (TPMs) to protect cryptographic secrets, perform authenticated booting and attest their platform state to a remote base station.As such, the SEFs act as online trusted third parties toeffectively monitor the states of sensor nodes, help in keymanagement, simplify secure routing, and facilitate accesscontrol.

The Use Of Litigation Screenings In Mass Torts: A Formula For Fraud?, Lester Brickman

Articles

The article critically examines the pervasive abuse of litigation screenings in mass tort cases, revealing a system driven by financial exploitation where medical evaluations are manipulated to generate lawsuits. These screenings, often designed to produce false positives, undermine the integrity of the legal system by creating a flood of specious claims. The analysis highlights how lawyers, doctors, and screening companies exploit legal loopholes and financial incentives, leading to billions of dollars in settlements and eroding public trust in the civil justice system.

Strategies For Facilitating Athletic Training Clinical Instruction, Pradeep R. Vanguri, Jeff Konim

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Athletic training education programs ensure the training of clinical instructors through annual workshops designed to familiarize them with athletic training clinical standards and guidelines. An opportunity exists for these workshops to enhance education related to instructional strategies and development. Unfortunately, many clinical instructors lack sufficient time to attend workshops and classes. This research integrates on-line discussion boards as a supplemental tool with in-class workshop sessions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the interaction of clinical instructors through on-line discussion boards. Methods: This research component, in conjunction with a larger project incorporating an in-class clinical instructor workshop, utilized …

Minimally Invasive Papillary Carcinoma Of The Extrahepatic Bile Ducts, Samia Fatima, Zubair Ahmad, Asim Qureshi, Khurram Minhas, Inam Pal

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Invasive papillary carcinomas of the Extrahepatic Bile Ducts (EBD) are uncommon (4-5%). The course is less aggressive than conventional adenocarcinomas of the extrahepatic bile ducts. Non-invasive and minimally invasive papillary carcinomas are even rarer, behave as in-situ carcinomas and are associated with excellent long-term prognosis. A variety of lesions of the EBD that show papillary architecture should be distinguished from papillary carcinoma. Here, we report a case of papillary carcinoma of the common bile duct showing minimal invasion. Separation of invasive from non-invasive or minimally invasive papillary carcinoma is critical in estimating the patient outcome.