Digital Commons Network^™

Slaying The Dragon: An Analysis On How To Dismantle Terrorist Organizations, Caroline Kelly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Terrorism has become a rising threat to international peace and security all over the world. It is not a new problem to the world scene, but increasingly crucial to the United States. While al-Qaeda is the most current threat to many countries in the world and may seem impossible to put down, terrorist organizations have been defeated throughout history. Understanding the major causes of other group's demise may teach us useful skills in how to defeat the current problems. The most useful policies that have been effective in defeating terrorism have been policing, politicization, and military actions in corporation with …

Ecology Of Neotropical Arboreal Snakes And Behavior Of New World Mollusk-Eating Snakes, Julie M. Ray

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The Neotropics is a biologically diverse region that provides man opportunities for ecological and behavioral studies. I utilized the speciose ophidian fauna of central Panama to explore the general ecology of arboreal snakes, the defensive behaviors of the snake community, and the diet of mollusk-eating snakes. I studied arboreal species to understand interspecilic relationships in several morphometric characters and to examine preferences in habitat. There were significant morphometric differences in relative length of jaw, mass, tail length, and size at midbody. The arboreal realm was partitioned among species by distance to ground, distance to water, and diameter of the perch. …

Wireless Personal Area Network-Based Assistance For The Visually Impaired, Kurt Matthew Peters

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

In this dissertation, a system allowing a visually impaired person to interact with his environment is developed using modern, low-power wireless communications techniques. With recent advances in wireless sensor networks, open-source operating systems, and embedded processing technology, low-cost devices have become practically feasible as a personal notification system for impaired people. Additionally, text-to-speech capabilities can now be employed without special application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), allowing low-cost, general-purpose processors to fill a niche that once required expensive semiconductors.

The system takes advantage of 802.15.4 and media access control (MAC) protocols offered by the open source operating system TinyOS. Important characteristics …

International Common Law: The Soft Law Of International Tribunals, Andrew T. Guzman, Timothy L. Meyer

Chicago Journal of International Law

This Article proceeds in four parts, including this introduction. Section II defines what we mean by soft law and lays out a theory explaining why states would choose to delegate to international tribunals the ability to make soft law. Section III explores the theory in the context of the UN Human Rights Committee. The Committee, whose jurisdiction is controlled by an Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ("ICCPR"), lacks the power to issue binding rulings interpreting states' obligations under the ICCPR. Its rulings interpreting the binding obligations contained in the ICCPR are thus a form …

Lorentz Violation And Alpha-Decay, Brett David Altschul

Faculty Publications

Relating the effective Lorentz violation coefficients for composite particles to the coefficients for their constituent fields is a challenging problem. We calculate the Lorentz violation coefficients relevant to the dynamics of an α particle in terms of proton and neutron coefficients. The α-particle coefficients would lead to anisotropies in the α decays of nuclei, and because the decay process involves quantum tunneling, the effects of any Lorentz violations could be exponentially enhanced.

Applying Mechanistic Understanding Of Optical Absorption And Scattering Phenomena To Enhance The Spectroscopic Analyses Of Pharmaceutical Materials, Zhenqi Shi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The dissertation uses spatially-resolved spectroscopy to separate absorption and scattering behaviors when NIR light interacts with pharmaceutical materials. The separated absorption and scattering were utilized to enhance mechanistic understanding of NIR diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and improve practical spectroscopic analysis in pharmaceutical applications.

Near-Infrared (NIR) chemical imaging based spatially-resolved spectroscopy was used to measure radially-diffused reflectance on pharmaceutical materials. A Monte Carlo simulation based partial least square (PLS) model was constructed to determine the absorption and reduced scattering coefficients in pharmaceutical samples from the measured radially-diffused reflectance.

The separated absorption and reduced scattering coefficients were combined with Monte Carlo simulation to …

What Is The Relationship Between Quality Of Life And Coping Strategies Of Adults With Celiac Disease Adhering To A Gluten Free Diet?, Melissa Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Until recently, celiac disease was thought to be rare in the United States. However over the past ten years, the reported prevalence has increased from 1 in 4600 persons to 1 in 133 persons. The latest estimate makes the prevalence comparable to the prevalence in Europe, where the disease is considered to be common.

Celiac disease is a chronic illness occurring in genetically susceptible persons resulting in inflammatory changes in the upper small bowel as a consequence of intolerance to the gliadin in ingested wheat, rye, and barley. Fortunately, celiac disease can be effectively managed by strict adherence to a …

A No Free Lunch Result For Optimization And Its Implications, Marisa Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The No Free Lunch (NFL) theorems for optimization tell us that when averaged over all possible optimization problems the performance of any two optimization algorithms is statistically identical. This seems to imply that there are no "general-purpose" optimization algorithms. That is, the NFL theorems show that, mathematically, any superior performance of an optimization algorithm on one set of problems is offset by inferior performance of that algorithm on the set of all other problems. In this thesis we consider the seemingly negative implications of the NFL theorems. We first extend a previous NFL theorem to get a new NFL result. …

An Examination Of The Factors Underlying The Motivation And Learning Strategies Of Generation 1.5 Korean American Students, Rosa Cho Stoffa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Comprehensive research into student learning has established that the effective use of learning strategies will enable students to take responsibility for their own learning, enhance their motivation in the learning process, and improve their academic success (Sternberg & Grigorenko, 2001). However, little research has investigated the learning strategies used by immigrant students and how these strategies relate to academic excellence. While survey instruments currently exist for assessing these constructs in the general population, the construct validity of theses scales has yet to be examined within immigrant populations.

The subjects who participated in this study were randomly selected from the Korean …

Design And Synthesis Of Benzimidazoles As Cdk5 Inhibitors And Progress Toward The Total Synthesis Of Tubulysin D, Shuyan Yi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes the design and synthesis of 1,4,6-trisubstituted benzimidazoles as CDK5 inhibitors and the progress toward the total synthesis of tubulysin D.

Tubulysin is a natural product with potential anti-cancer activity. The two gamma-amino acids in the Tuv and Tup fragments of tubulysin were synthesized. Evans' oxazolidinone chemistry was employed for the stereoselective synthesis of Cbz-beta-homovaline in Tuv fragment. A crystal structure of the Tup fragment was obtained.

Cyclin dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) is one of the kinases that can hyperphosphorylate tau. Selective inhibition of the CDK5/p25 complex may be a useful component for Alzheimer's disease therapy. Benzimidazole based …

A Phenomenological-Hermeneutic Analysis Of Experimental Infant Research, James L. Yu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project challenges the dualistic conceptions in infant research literature by reexamining a collection of infant research records from a phenomenological, non-dualistic perspective. Grounded in the recent convergences between phenomenology and cognitive sciences, this project utilizes a combined phenomenological-hermeneutic method. This model of analysis is applied to three major areas in infant research: physical knowledge, memory-based learning, and social behaviors. The primary pool of data is drawn from written research records from both primary and secondary sources. To reinterpret empirical findings the analysis includes a systematic reexamination of the ontological presuppositions of infant researchers/scholars, and a reflective, experience-near approach. The …

[Introduction To] Leadership And The Liberal Arts: Achieving The Promise Of A Liberal Education, J. Thomas Wren, Ronald E. Riggio, Michael A. Genovese

Bookshelf

A collection of essays by presidents of prominent liberal arts colleges and leading intellectuals who reflect on the meaning of educating individuals for leadership and how it can be accomplished in ways consistent with the missions of liberal arts institutions. Edited by faculty from the Jepson School for Leadership Studies at the University of Richmond, the Jepson Studies in Leadership series will reflect the school's broad-based, liberal arts approach to the study of leadership. The Jepson School has faculty representatives from the disciplines of English literature, history, philosophy, political science, psychology, public administration, religious studies, and organizational leadership. No other …

Depression Among The Oneida: Case Studies Of The Interface Between Modern And Traditional, Mark R. Powless

Dissertations (1934 -)

Depression, defined by a EuroAmerican biomedical diagnostic criterion, using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition, Text Revision is prevalent among First Nations peoples. However, some studies suggest that the term depression may hold little heuristic value outside of its EuroAmerican conceptualization. This study utilized qualitative methods to understand how depressive symptoms are conceptualized and experienced by traditional Oneida people. A vignette was presented and in-depth interviews of seven traditional healers, culture and Oneida language experts were conducted to: (1) gain a basic understanding of traditional views of mental health, (2) acquire multiple conceptualizations of someone who presents …

"Ordinary Talents And Extraordinary Perseverance": The Life Of Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, David Bruce

Dissertations (1934 -)

Born into a gentry family with roots in the Society of Friends, the evangelical social conscience of Thomas Fowell Buxton (1786-1845) was developed as he operated a brewery in Spitalfields, perhaps London's poorest parish. He was instrumental in raising funds for poor relief and establishing soup and bread kitchens there during the winter of 1816-1817. His interest and research on penal discipline brought him national prominence and led to a parliamentary seat which he held for nearly two decades. Buxton's association with noted activist William Wilberforce (1759-1833) led to his own involvement in the anti-slavery movement, a cause he fiercely …

An Exploration Of The Impact Of An Online Mba Course On Intercultural Sensitivity Development, Suzanne Scaffidi Warell

Dissertations (1934 -)

While research on online MBA courses is growing rapidly, teaching specific skills using online delivery formats is a relatively new stream of research in graduate business education. In this study, adult learning methods such as experiential activities, discussion, teamwork, and action learning were used in a seven-week online MBA course to explore in what ways intercultural sensitivity could be developed. A two-trial, pretest-posttest research mixed methods design was implemented in the summers of 2004 and 2005 at a Midwestern Jesuit university.

Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered and analyzed from thirty-eight participants (N=38). First, quantitative analysis of pretest-posttest scores from …

Efficacy Of Dual Enrollment In Rural Southwest Virginia, Karen Glass Carter

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The intent of this dissertation was to determine if enrollment into a career and technical education dual enrollment program encouraged students to continue their education into postsecondary education and if workplace readiness skills were increased. This study completed a factorial analysis of student demographic and factorial data as associated with the enrollment of career and technical education dual enrollment in rural, southwest Virginia. Specifically, the study explored secondary students (N = 221) currently enrolled during the academic school year 2008-2009 within a Virginia approved career and technical education dual enrollment course. These students attended one of four career and …

Here Tunggë Made Here Slayn: Dangerous Speech Acts In Four Exempla From Robert Mannyng Of Brunne’S Handlyng Synne, Emily Russell

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

In this project, I consider four exempla from Robert Mannyng of Brunne’s Handlyng Synne: “The Tale of the Bloody Child,” “The Tale of the Sacrilegious Carolers of Colbek,” “The Tale of the Midwife Who Christened the Child Wrongly,” and “St. Gregory’s Tale of the Nun Who Spoke Naughty Words.” I read these exempla through the theoretical texts of Georges Bataille, Jacques Derrida, Julia Kristeva, and Mary Douglas, as well as others, and conclude that speech acts, whether deviant or sanctioned, make identity at any level (de)constructable. I hope to show that while this is particularly noticeable against the historical …

Problem Definition And Hypothesis Generation By Recent Family Nurse Practitioner Graduates, Kerry Risco

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Little is known about the effect of problem definition on hypothesis-generation accuracy in recent family nurse practitioner (FNP) graduates. The hypotheticodeductive-reasoning model served as the theoretical framework for the study. An alternating-treatment single-subject experimental design was used to examine the effects of problem definition on 8 recent FNP graduates' ability to generate hypotheses to diagnose patient problems. Diagnostic-reasoning software provided web-delivered simulated-patient scenarios that described patient problems that were either ill defined or well defined. The independent variable was problem definition (ill-defined versus well-defined problems). The dependent variables were accuracy of the final diagnosis, the total number of diagnostic hypotheses …

The Relationship Between Spirituality And Authentic Leadership Behaviors Of Public School Superintendents, Allen M. Sell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As leaders try to affect change and success in organizations the need to consider spirituality in leadership is clear. The increased need for strong leaders in public schools to meet increased accountability to the tax payer has led to extensive research into the variables that contribute to excellent leadership. This assertion may be especially interesting when considering the role of spirituality in public school leadership. This study proposed to identify a relationship between self perceived spirituality and both self and subordinate perceived authentic leadership behaviors in public school leaders.

Thirty superintendents in Western and Central Pennsylvania were given the Spiritual-Well-Being …

Examining The Association Between Depressive Symptoms And Performance On Executive Function Measures In Children, Hillary A. Mangis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A variety of cognitive deficits have been linked to depression. In particular, data exists to suggest that persons with depression are subject to poorer executive function compared to normal controls. Establishing the connection between depression and impaired executive function is particularly important in childhood as a child's daily functioning, including social interactions and academic performance, may be impacted. The purpose of this study was to explore if children with significant symptoms of depression displayed deficits on tasks designed to measure the executive functions of attentional control, information processing and cognitive flexibility (Anderson, 2002) compared to a clinical control group. A …

Substantive Representation Of Women And Its Consequences: The Passage Of A Gender-Based-Violence Law In Rwanda, Joan Marshall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

How can the increased political participation of traditionally excluded groups, particularly women, impact policymaking on issues that affect those groups? Using the passage of legislation on gender-based violence (GBV) in Rwanda as a case study, this thesis examines how increased women's "descriptive representation" can lead to "substantive representation" in the context of a political and social environment supportive of women's political inclusion. In addition to the increased political presence of women in parliament as a result of the gender-quota laws, the support of an executive government committed to the political inclusion of women and expansion of women's rights and an …

Israel's Invasion Of Gaza In International Law, George Bisharat, Timothy Crawley, Sar Elturk, Carey James, Rose Mishaan, Akila Radhakrishnan, Anna Sanders

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

"An Insect View Of Its Plain": Nature And Insects In Thoreau, Dickinson, And Muir, Rosemary S. Mctier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The simultaneous emergence of ecocriticism and cultural entomology has created a critical need for a discussion of the appearance and function of insects as they appear in literature. While nineteenth-century nature writing is frequently examined by ecocritics, very few have chosen to explore how critical writers such as Henry David Thoreau, Emily Dickinson, and John Muir incorporate insects into their work. This study explores three interrelated issues connected to encounters with and explorations of the microscopic and unacknowledged position of insects in nature: first, how insects factor into their growing knowledge about nature and ecology; second, how nature serves as …

Students’ Expectations And Attitudes Towards Nonnative-English-Speaking Teachers In Esl And Efl Settings: Teachers’ And Students’ Own Perspectives, Lindsei Pereira Da Silva

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The number of nonnative-English-speaking English teachers (non-NESTs) has been increasing tremendously both in EFL and in ESL settings and so has the number of language learners who are taught by these professionals. As a result, the interest among researchers in the field in investigating the characteristics of this group of language professionals as well as the challenges that they have been facing in the world of second/foreign language teaching has increased.

I Promise I Won't Say 'Herstory': New Conversations Among Feminists, Jannelle Ruswick, Alycia Sellie

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Total Spanish: The Politics Of A Pan-Hispanic Grammar, José Del Valle

Publications and Research

This article presents an analysis of the 2010 grammar of Spanish jointly published by Spain´s language academy and the Association of Academies of the Spanish Language. It places this grammatical project in the context of Spain´s geopolitical interests in Latin America.

Derrida's Daughter: A Dialogue Postmortem On Love., Heather D. Zias

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As the illegitimate daughter of one of the twentieth century’s most intriguing philosophers, at least to literary folk affiliated with universities of some repute, the author’s life has been suspended in the interstices of celebrity and ignominy, erudition and erethism, Stanford University Press and Sinclair Community College, and so much so, that her life seemed to be nothing but this conjunction, that is—and. Unwilling to cite her famous father (who, though absent, was nevertheless present to her mind as a wish or a hope) so that she might make her own name, the author moved about incognito in literary circles …

Participation In Governance From A Comparative Perspective: Citizen Involvement In Telecommunications And Electricity In The United Kingdom, France And Sweden, Dorit Rubinstein Reiss

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Not The City Of God: The Multiplicity Of Wrongs And Rules, Geoffrey C. Hazard Jr.

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Houseplants: Proper Care And Management Of Pest Problems, Janet J. Knodel, Kasia Kinzer, Ron Smith

PP Series – Plant Pathology

No abstract provided.