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2008

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Empirical Bayes And Hierarchical Bayes Estimation Of Skew Normal Populations, Naveen K. Bansal, Mehdi Maadooliat, Xiaowei Wang Jan 2008

Empirical Bayes And Hierarchical Bayes Estimation Of Skew Normal Populations, Naveen K. Bansal, Mehdi Maadooliat, Xiaowei Wang

Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science Faculty Research and Publications

We develop empirical and hierarchical Bayesian methodologies for the skew normal populations through the EM algorithm and the Gibbs sampler. A general concept of skewness to the normal distribution is considered throughout. Motivations are given for considering the skew normal population in applications, and an example is presented to demonstrate why the skew normal distribution is more applicable than the normal distribution for certain applications.


Pathos: Pervasive At Home Sleep Monitoring, Ian Obermiller, Sheikh Iqbal Ahamed Jan 2008

Pathos: Pervasive At Home Sleep Monitoring, Ian Obermiller, Sheikh Iqbal Ahamed

Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science Faculty Research and Publications

Sleeping disorders affect a large percentage of the population, and many of them go undiagnosed each year because the method of diagnosis is to stay overnight at a sleep center. Because pervasive technologies have become so prevalent and affordable, sleep monitoring is no longer confined to a permanent installation, and can therefore be brought directly into the user home. We present a unique solution to the problem of home sleep monitoring that has the possibility to take the place of and expand on the data from a sleep center. PATHOS focuses not only on analyzing patterns during the night, but …


Characterization Of Digraphs With Equal Domination Graphs And Underlying Graphs, Kim A. S. Factor, Larry J. Langley Jan 2008

Characterization Of Digraphs With Equal Domination Graphs And Underlying Graphs, Kim A. S. Factor, Larry J. Langley

Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science Faculty Research and Publications

A domination graph of a digraph D , dom(D)dom(D), is created using the vertex set of D and edge {u,v}∈E[dom(D)]{u,v}∈E[dom(D)] whenever (u,z)∈A(D)(u,z)∈A(D) or (v,z)∈A(D)(v,z)∈A(D) for every other vertex z∈V(D)z∈V(D). The underlying graph of a digraph DD, UG(D)UG(D), is the graph for which D is a biorientation. We completely characterize digraphs whose underlying graphs are identical to their domination graphs, UG(D)=dom(D)UG(D)=dom(D). The maximum and minimum number of single arcs in these digraphs, and their characteristics, is given.


Case Comment - People V. Nelson: A Tale Of Two Statistics, David H. Kaye Jan 2008

Case Comment - People V. Nelson: A Tale Of Two Statistics, David H. Kaye

Faculty Scholarship

In recent years, defendants who were identified as a result of a search through a database of DNA profiles have argued that the probability that a randomly selected person would match a crime-scene stain overstates the probative value of the match. The statistical literature is divided, with most statisticians who have written on the subject rejecting this claim. In People v. Nelson, the Supreme Court of California held that when the random-match probability is so small as to make it exceedingly unlikely that any unrelated individual has the incriminating DNA profile, this statistic is admissible in a database-search case. …


Securing Online Transactions: Crime Prevention Is The Key, Michael Ena Jan 2008

Securing Online Transactions: Crime Prevention Is The Key, Michael Ena

Fordham Urban Law Journal

This Comment illustrates how government regulation, criminal justice, private legal actions, and market forces contribute to the security of online transactions. Further, it argues that government regulation aimed at the prevention of cybercrime should be the primary focus of the efforts to improve online security. Ultimately, the Comment argues that as more businesses more online, securing online transactions becomes more critical to protect against fraud, to cut off source of illegal income for organized crime and terrorists, and to ensure the future growth of the national economy.


No Scrutiny Whatsoever: Deconstitutionalization Of Poverty Law, Dual Rules Of Law, & Dialogic Default, Julie Nice Jan 2008

No Scrutiny Whatsoever: Deconstitutionalization Of Poverty Law, Dual Rules Of Law, & Dialogic Default, Julie Nice

Fordham Urban Law Journal

No abstract provided.


The Lethal Injection Debate: Law And Science, Deborah W. Denno Jan 2008

The Lethal Injection Debate: Law And Science, Deborah W. Denno

Fordham Urban Law Journal

No abstract provided.


Peer-Reviewed Studies Identifying Problems In The Design And Implementation Of Lethal Injection For Execution, Teresa A. Zimmers, Leonidas G. Koniaris Jan 2008

Peer-Reviewed Studies Identifying Problems In The Design And Implementation Of Lethal Injection For Execution, Teresa A. Zimmers, Leonidas G. Koniaris

Fordham Urban Law Journal

No abstract provided.


The Pharmacokinetics And Pharmacodynamics Of Thiopental As Used In Lethal Injection, Mark Dershwitz, Thomas K. Henthorn Jan 2008

The Pharmacokinetics And Pharmacodynamics Of Thiopental As Used In Lethal Injection, Mark Dershwitz, Thomas K. Henthorn

Fordham Urban Law Journal

No abstract provided.


The Hollow Truth Of Ockham's Razor, Jeffrey C. Goodman Jan 2008

The Hollow Truth Of Ockham's Razor, Jeffrey C. Goodman

Faculty Scholarship

When considering what sorts of entities we ought to believe in and what sorts of principles should guide those beliefs, a lot of attention gets paid to Ockham’s Razor.  The Razor can be formulated in a number of different ways, but it is often given as the following slogan: ‘Do not multiply entities beyond necessity.’ Alex Oliver has remarked that this “Ockhamite prohibition against an overly generous ontology…seems to boil down to the rather banal exhortation not to believe in the existence of anything unless one has a reason to so believe.”  I am not concerned with whether or not …


Predicting Student Performance In Web -Based Distanceeducation Courses Based On Survey Instruments Measuring Individual Traits And Technical Skills, Michael Clyde Hall Jan 2008

Predicting Student Performance In Web -Based Distanceeducation Courses Based On Survey Instruments Measuring Individual Traits And Technical Skills, Michael Clyde Hall

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Two common web-based surveys, "Is Online Learning Right for Me?" and "What Technical Skills Do I Need?", were combined into a single survey instrument and given to 228 on-campus and 83 distanceEducation students. The students were enrolled in four different classes (business, computer information services, criminal justice, and early childhood development) on three different regional campuses of a mid-western community college. Multiple regression equations were developed with the survey scores and the type of class to determine the extent to which the survey scores predicted final semester grade percentages. Although distanceEducation students scored significantly higher on the survey instruments than …


The Effectiveness Of The Ninth Grade Social Studies Curriculum To Instill In Students The Required Attitudes Of The State Of Kuwait, Ammar A. Alajmi Jan 2008

The Effectiveness Of The Ninth Grade Social Studies Curriculum To Instill In Students The Required Attitudes Of The State Of Kuwait, Ammar A. Alajmi

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the social studies curriculum in achieving its goals in terms of its ability to instill in students the required attitudes imposed by the State of Kuwait. A sample of 300 10 th graders was randomly selected from 12 random high schools in the State of Kuwait. A survey was established by the researcher based on the curriculum goals to measure student attitudes and was tested to determine its validity and reliability. The study sought the answer to four questions. The first question was devoted to articulating student attitudes …


Development And Validation Of A Dynamic Model Of The Maglev Transportation System At Old Dominion University, Ajinkya Deodhar, Sebastian Bawab, Aravind Hanasoge Jan 2008

Development And Validation Of A Dynamic Model Of The Maglev Transportation System At Old Dominion University, Ajinkya Deodhar, Sebastian Bawab, Aravind Hanasoge

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

A dynamic model of the vehicle/guideway coupled with a controller is developed for the maglev demonstration system currently being developed at ODU, using the MAthematical DYnamic MOdeling software - MADYMO. The fundamental characteristics of the vehicle and guideway are obtained from detailed finite element analyses using MSC-NASTRAN. As a result, the vehicle is modeled in MADYMO as a 21- degree-of-freedom spring-mass-damper system. A three span concrete guideway is modeled using 3D solid Hex8 elements. The air gap is modeled as a penetration of the magnets into the guideway. Decentralized colocated PD controllers are used for controlling the penetration of each …


New Questions' About Women's Access To The Legal Professions, Mary Jane Mossman Jan 2008

New Questions' About Women's Access To The Legal Professions, Mary Jane Mossman

Articles & Book Chapters

No abstract provided.


Role Of Affective Associations In The Planning And Habit Systems Of Decision-Making Related To Addiction, Marc T. Kiviniemi, Rick A. Bevins Jan 2008

Role Of Affective Associations In The Planning And Habit Systems Of Decision-Making Related To Addiction, Marc T. Kiviniemi, Rick A. Bevins

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The model proposed by Redish et al. considers vulnerabilities within decision systems based on expectancy-value assumptions. Further understanding of processes leading to addiction can be gained by considering other inputs to decision-making, particularly affective associations with behaviors. This consideration suggests additional decision-making vulnerabilities that might explain addictive behaviors.


A Longitudinal Examination Of The Bidirectional Links Between Academic Achievement And Parent-Adolescent Conflict, Aryn M. Dotterer, Lesa Hoffman, Ann C, Crouter, Susan M. Mchale Jan 2008

A Longitudinal Examination Of The Bidirectional Links Between Academic Achievement And Parent-Adolescent Conflict, Aryn M. Dotterer, Lesa Hoffman, Ann C, Crouter, Susan M. Mchale

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

We examined reciprocal associations between parent-adolescent conflict and academic achievement over a 2-year period. Participants were mothers, fathers, and adolescents from predominantly White, working and middle class families (N = 168). After accounting for previous academic achievement, parent-adolescent conflict predicted relative declines in academic achievement 2 years later. After controlling for relationship quality at Time 1, lower math grades predicted relative increases in parent-adolescent conflict 2 years later among families with less education.


Getting Ready: Promoting School Readiness Through A Relationship-Based Partnership Model, Susan M. Sheridan, Christine Marvin, Lisa Knoche, Carolyn P. Edwards Jan 2008

Getting Ready: Promoting School Readiness Through A Relationship-Based Partnership Model, Susan M. Sheridan, Christine Marvin, Lisa Knoche, Carolyn P. Edwards

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

School readiness is determined by the life experiences of young children between birth and enrollment in formal education programs. Early intervention and education programs designed to promote school readiness often focus on skills a child fails to demonstrate that are believed to be of importance to social and academic success. The Getting Ready model of early childhood intervention (Sheridan, Edwards, & Knoche, 2003) recognizes the transactional nature of young children’s development and the important role parents play in pre-school readiness and school-age success. In the Getting Ready model, collaborative partnerships between parents and professionals are encouraged to promote parent’s competence …


Individuals With Disabilities Education Act - The Ninth Circuit Determines That Only A Material Failure To Implement An Individualized Education Program Violates The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, The, Elexis Reed Jan 2008

Individuals With Disabilities Education Act - The Ninth Circuit Determines That Only A Material Failure To Implement An Individualized Education Program Violates The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, The, Elexis Reed

SMU Law Review

No abstract provided.


No Free Lunch: How Settlement Can Reduce The Legal System's Ability To Induce Efficient Behavior, Ezra Freidman, Abraham L. Wickelgren Jan 2008

No Free Lunch: How Settlement Can Reduce The Legal System's Ability To Induce Efficient Behavior, Ezra Freidman, Abraham L. Wickelgren

SMU Law Review

No abstract provided.


Fantasy Sports - Has Recent Anti-Gambling Legislation Dropped The Ball By Providing A Statutory Carve-Out For The Fantasy Sports Industry, Anthony Vecchione Jan 2008

Fantasy Sports - Has Recent Anti-Gambling Legislation Dropped The Ball By Providing A Statutory Carve-Out For The Fantasy Sports Industry, Anthony Vecchione

SMU Law Review

No abstract provided.


Can Laser Speckle Flowmetry Be Made A Quantitative Tool?, Donald D. Duncan, Sean J. Kirkpatrick Jan 2008

Can Laser Speckle Flowmetry Be Made A Quantitative Tool?, Donald D. Duncan, Sean J. Kirkpatrick

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The ultimate objective of laser speckle flowmetry (and a host of specific implementations such as laser speckle contrast analysis, LASCA or LSCA; laser speckle spatial contrast analysis, LSSCA; laser speckle temporal contrast analysis, LSTCA; etc.) is to infer flow velocity from the observed speckle contrast. Despite numerous demonstrations over the past 25 years of such a qualitative relationship, no convincing quantitative relationship has been proven. One reason is a persistent mathematical error that has been propagated by a host of workers; another is a misconception about the proper autocorrelation function for ordered flow. Still another hindrance has been uncertainty in …


Monte Carlo Modeling Of Spatial Coherence: Free-Space Diffraction, Donald D. Duncan, David G. Fischer, Scott A. Prahl Jan 2008

Monte Carlo Modeling Of Spatial Coherence: Free-Space Diffraction, Donald D. Duncan, David G. Fischer, Scott A. Prahl

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

We present a Monte Carlo method for propagating partially coherent fields through complex deterministic optical systems. A Gaussian copula is used to synthesize a random source with an arbitrary spatial coherence function. Physical optics and Monte Carlo predictions of the first- and second-order statistics of the field are shown for coherent and partially coherent sources for free-space propagation, imaging using a binary Fresnel zone plate, and propagation through a limiting aperture. Excellent agreement between the physical optics and Monte Carlo predictions is demonstrated in all cases. Convergence criteria are presented for judging the quality of the Monte Carlo predictions.


Help Me, I Need To Know, Roger D. Applegate Jan 2008

Help Me, I Need To Know, Roger D. Applegate

Human–Wildlife Interactions

I work in an urban area. Well, my job really is not in urban wildlife management, but my job office is in an urban area. Because part of my work involves being a wildlife disease specialist, many calls from the public get transferred to me.


Carnivores, Urban Landscapes, And Longitudinal Studies: A Case History Of Black Bears, Jon P. Beckmann, Cael W. Lackey Jan 2008

Carnivores, Urban Landscapes, And Longitudinal Studies: A Case History Of Black Bears, Jon P. Beckmann, Cael W. Lackey

Human–Wildlife Interactions

As urban landscapes expand across the globe, it becomes imperative to understand how these landscapes affect large carnivore populations. We examined the effects of human-altered landscapes on age-specific fecundity and life history parameters for female black bears (Ursus americanus) in urban and wildland regions in the northern Sierra Nevada Mountains of Nevada, including the Lake Tahoe Basin. We followed 12 marked female bears in an urban environment and 10 females in wildland habitats from 1997–2006. Our results show that female bears in urban areas have higher age-specific fecundity rates than did wildland female bears. Despite this difference, female …


Relationship Between Raccoon Abundance And Crop Damage, James C. Beasley, Olin E. Rhodes Jr. Jan 2008

Relationship Between Raccoon Abundance And Crop Damage, James C. Beasley, Olin E. Rhodes Jr.

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Wildlife damage to crops is a widespread concern among agricultural producers and wildlife professionals. In the United States, raccoon (Procyon lotor) damage to field corn (Zea maize) has become a serious concern, as raccoon depredation to corn has increased significantly in recent years. However, little information is available to suggest the underlying factors responsible for recent increases in raccoon depredation on agricultural crops because there is a limited understanding of the ecological factors influencing wildlife damage to crops at local scales. During 2004, we initiated a study to elucidate the ecological factors influencing depredation to field …


Evaluation Of An Oral Vaccination Program To Control Raccoon Rabies In A Suburbanized Landscape, Jason R. Boulanger, Laura L. Bigler, Paul D. Curtis, Donald H. Lein, Arthur J. Lembo Jr. Jan 2008

Evaluation Of An Oral Vaccination Program To Control Raccoon Rabies In A Suburbanized Landscape, Jason R. Boulanger, Laura L. Bigler, Paul D. Curtis, Donald H. Lein, Arthur J. Lembo Jr.

Human–Wildlife Interactions

We evaluated the efficacy of an oral rabies vaccination (ORV) program conducted in Erie County, New York, from July through September, 2002–2005. Ingress of the raccoon (Procyon lotor) rabies variant first occurred along the southern border of Erie County, New York, during 1992 and began to spread northward at a velocity of 31 km/year. Fixed-wing aircraft dropped ORV baits in rural landscapes; helicopters, hand baiting, and bait stations distributed baits in suburban landscapes (&#;x bait densities ranged 59–118 baits/km2). Our study objectives were to quantify rabies case densities, evaluate efficacy of intervention efforts, and determine biological, …


Mammalian Hazards At Small Airports In Indiana: Impact Of Perimeter Fencing, Travis L. Devault, Jacob E. Kubel, David J. Glista, Olin E. Rhodes Jr. Jan 2008

Mammalian Hazards At Small Airports In Indiana: Impact Of Perimeter Fencing, Travis L. Devault, Jacob E. Kubel, David J. Glista, Olin E. Rhodes Jr.

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Fences are used at many airports and small airfields to exclude wildlife from entering critical areas. However, not all fences exclude hazardous mammals reliably, and effective fences can be too expensive for small airports to purchase and maintain. In this study, we evaluated fencing at 10 small airports in Indiana and documented the presence and relative abundance of wildlife within airport boundaries using remote cameras and spotlight surveys. Only 4 airports were completely fenced, and four were Odocoileus virginianus) or coyotes (Canis latrans) at nine of the airports with remote cameras and during spotlight surveys. There were fewer …


Why Are So Many People Attacked By Predators?, Michael R. Conover Jan 2008

Why Are So Many People Attacked By Predators?, Michael R. Conover

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Predator attacks on humans have proliferated during the last few decades. This is especially true for attacks by large species of predators, including black bears, grizzly bears, polar bears, cougars, wolves, alligators, and sharks (Conover 2002). What is causing so many different predators to sink their teeth into people these days?


Resolving Conflicts Between Humans And The Threatened Louisiana Black Bear, Walter Cotton Jan 2008

Resolving Conflicts Between Humans And The Threatened Louisiana Black Bear, Walter Cotton

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The Louisiana black bear (Ursus americanus luteolus) is one of 16 subspecies of American black bear. At the time of English settlement, this subspecies was abundant throughout Louisiana, the southern two-thirds of Mississippi, eastern Texas, and extreme southern Arkansas. By the 1950s, Louisiana black bears had been extirpated from most of their original range due to habitat destruction and fragmentation and over-harvest by hunters (Leigh and Chamberlain 2008). It is believed that only about 100 black bears remained; existing in isolated, extremely rural areas of eastern Louisiana. Bears became so scarce during the 1960s that the Louisiana Department …


Population And Spatial Dynamics Of Resident Canada Geese In Southeastern Nebraska, Scott R. Groepper, P. Joseph Gabig, Mark P. Vrtiska, Jason M. Gilsdorf, Scott E. Hygnstrom, Larkin A. Powell Jan 2008

Population And Spatial Dynamics Of Resident Canada Geese In Southeastern Nebraska, Scott R. Groepper, P. Joseph Gabig, Mark P. Vrtiska, Jason M. Gilsdorf, Scott E. Hygnstrom, Larkin A. Powell

Human–Wildlife Interactions

In response to increasing populations, damage complaints, and a desire to understand population and spatial dynamics, we studied population size, survival rates, home ranges, movements, and site fidelity of female resident Canada geese (Branta canadensis) at 18 study sites within 23 km of Lincoln, Nebraska, during 1991–1994. Based on mean flock size (&#;x = 93) and number of collared geese in flocks (x&#; = 13), the estimated population of resident Canada geese was nearly 4,000. Estimated monthly survival for female Canada geese was 0.94, mean home range was 25 km2, and mean maximum distance moved between …