Digital Commons Network^™

Internet Gaming Trade Commitments: The Exaggerated Fears Of U.S. Vulnerability Under Multiple Trade Agreements, Timothy B. White

Southern Illinois University Law Journal

The United States is a party to many multilateral, regional, and bilateral trade agreements.  Under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, treaties trump inconsistent state law.  Because of a recent World Trade Organization (WTO) case where Antigua challenged various U.S. state and federal gaming laws as being inconsistent with its commitments under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), many Americans fear that the commitments made under these trade agreements with respect to gambling and gambling services will threaten state regulation of gambling.  Specifically, the concern lies with regional trade agreements such as the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States …

The Development Of Tourism Areas: A Comparative Case Study Of The Factors Underpinning Tourism Development In Killarney And Clifden In Ireland, Theresa Ryan

Doctoral

This research investigates the local, place-based factors that influence tourism development, and asks why some tourism areas develop more than others. It provides important insights into the dynamics that occur at the local level, and contributes to the existing literature on destination development by investigating the influence of local tourist influentials; the presence of a social and professional milieu and the propensity for co-operation. Taking an inter-disciplinary approach, the research draws from existing tourism literature on models of tourism development, as well as literatures on entrepreneurship and industrial district theory. Underpinned by a pragmatic philosophy, it adopts a mixed-methods approach …

High Contrast Grayscale Object Tracking Embedded System Design, Scott Donald Neally

Electrical Engineering

The purpose of this project is to prove that a real-time object-tracking camera can be implemented using the Digilent NEXYS board with Xilinx Platform Studio. With great ambition I set to implement the camera with RGB color tracking of bright green objects. This would make segmentation between the object of interest and its background much easier, allowing less stringent requirements on the background color beyond the object. Because of time restraints, the actual implementation remains as 8-bit grayscale, where the object of interest is intended to be white and highly contrasted from its black background. A simple algorithm is used …

Review Of Theory And Practice With Adolescents: An Applied Approach. Fred R. Mckenzie. Reviewed By Nila Ricks., Nila Ricks

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Fred R. McKenzie, Theory and Practice with Adolescents: An Applied Approach. Chicago, IL: Lyceum, 2008. $42.95 papercover.

Nebraska School Facilities: Educational Adequacy Of Class Iii School District Structures, John M. Weidner Sr.

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In 2009, a replication of the Pool study was conducted. This study, however, focused on the school systems classified as Class III districts. Nebraska has 252 Class III districts. Compared with Class II (21), Class IV (1), and Class V(1) districts, the Class III districts offer a wide array of school settings, from urban to extremely rural, and from the third largest school system in Nebraska to a single school district occupying a county in the western sandhills.

The survey responses were sorted and analyzed by five indices: Class, Quartile of Valuation per Pupil, Population Change Category of the 2008 …

Parental Perceptions Of Body Mass Index Referrals And Overweight School-Age Children, Misty Schwartz

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

It is well documented that there is a worldwide epidemic of obesity in children. To address obesity in children, emphasis must be on factors within family, school, and community environments. Although most parents and school officials are aware of the problem of overweight children, there is little data available to guide decision making about the acceptability of school-based Body Mass Index (BMI) screening and referral programs. As states mandate BMI screening and referral, parental insight is essential to determine the efficiency and effectiveness of BMI notification.

The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the perceptions of parents …

Developmental Asset Building In At-Risk Youth: A Mixed Methods Study, Kraig James Lofquist

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this mixed methods triangulation design study was to explore how “service learning” affects “at-risk” student’s overall level of Developmental Assets. Quantitative data were obtained by using a pre and post assessment. Specifically, the Developmental Asset Profile (DAP) was used to determine if “service learning” opportunities increased the overall levels of developmental assets experienced by the atrisk student group. Additionally, qualitative data were gained by interviewing service learning participants to supplement the quantitative data collected in the Developmental Asset Profile.

Participants included 37 “at-risk” youth who were selected to participate in a service learning program. The students selected …

Musicman Communications System, Dan Strengier

Electrical Engineering

The MusicMan portable music mixer is a solution for users who enjoy listening to music and would also like to communicate to friends on a walkie-talkie system. The MusicMan provides the user the ability to simultaneously listen to an MP3 player and operate a communications device, such as a walkie-talkie.

Punching Bag Trainer, Gian Delacruz

Electrical Engineering

Martial artists, such as boxers, kick boxers, and karate practitioners, use punching bags in training all the time to work on technique, speed and power but there hasn’t really been a good way to train reaction and combination speed (a combination is a string of strikes) without the aid of a training partner. Reaction and combination speed are important in competition because a faster competitor can attack successfully before his or her opponent has the time to react. This device aims to help martial artists increase reaction and combination speed through the use of randomly flashing targets attached to a …

Protected Ir Input System, Kevin Ersoy

Electrical Engineering

The result of this project is a product that may be used to apply a digital input to a system without physically touching a device. The combination of a modulated IR signal and reflective technology produces this remote actuation. The signal emitter should produce the modulated IR light, and the receiver should continuously wait for this signal to be received. If the IR signal should encounter an obstruction causing reflection at the appropriate distance, it will be reflected directly into the receiving device. This project may be extended to include multiple duplicate systems in proximity by transmitting a modulated digital …

Passivation Of Polymer Light-Emitting Diodes, Stephen A. Fehrman

Electrical Engineering

This senior project investigates various methods of packaging polymer LEDs. The polymer LEDs fabricated in the EE 422 Polymer Electronics lab use calcium cathodes. While calcium acts as an excellent low work function electrode, it quickly oxidizes in the presence of oxygen or water. Additionally, the intrusion of water can degrade the OC1C10-PPV electroluminescent polymer and the PEDOT polymer. Therefore, in order to use these devices outside the inert atmosphere of a glove box, we must first apply a passivation layer that inhibits the deterioration of these materials.

For this project I will test two packaging methods. The first method …

Outcome And Haemato-Toxicity Of Two Chemotherapy Regimens For Childhood Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma In A Kenyan Hospital, William Macharia

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Background: Effectiveness and toxicity of childhood cancer treatments have never been evaluated in Kenya since introduction of structured care in the early seventies.

Objective:To evaluate effectiveness and toxicity of two treatment protocols for Non- Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL).

Design: Historical cohort study using medical records.

Setting: Kenyatta National Hospital, a tertiary care and medical teaching hospital.

Subjects: Children ≤ 15 years with diagnosis of non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

Main outcome measures: Primary outcomes were median survival, event free survival and toxicity.

Results: Out of 101 records, only 26 (25.7%) met inclusion criteria. Baseline characteristics were similar in the two treatment arms. …

Perceptions Of Mentoring And Induction In The State Of Arkansas, Bruce W. Bryant

College of Education Dissertations

This study examined the perceptions of novice teachers and mentors concerning the Arkansas model of mentoring. The independent variables of roles of the teachers (mentor teacher versus novice teacher) and gender (male versus female) were compared among the dependent variable for the overall score and its component parts that measured attitudes represented by scores related to activities, funding, time, and use of Pathwise®. A sample of teachers in Arkansas public schools who were employed as novice teachers (n = 160) or as mentors (n = 158) who have been involved in the process as outlined by the Arkansas Department of …

Principals Perceptions Of Factors Affecting Teacher Collaboration In Secondary Schools, Lonnie E. Myers

College of Education Dissertations

This qualitative multi-case study examined how various practicing secondary principals in the Northwest Region of Arkansas perceive teacher collaboration within secondary schools. Job-embedded opportunities for teacher collaboration have been cited as successful ways for promoting teacher learning, which in turn will promote increased student learning (Little, 1990). Researchers and theorists cite properly supported collaboration as key to lasting school improvement (DuFour & Eaker, 1998; Fullan, 1997; Little, 1990). In order for the practice of collaboration to be embedded in secondary schools, a culture must be created within a supportive environment to support the collaborative efforts. DuFour and Eaker (1998) credit …

Optimal Experience In Relationships, Activities, And Beyond: Connecting Flow With Self-Expansion, Brandy M. Dean

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Flow is a state of optimal experience characterized by complete immersion in an enjoyable activity and has been associated with positive experience in activities. Self-expansion is a state of increase in the diversity and complexity of the self and has been linked with positive experience in relationships. Despite phenomenological similarities, the connection between these two states has not been examined. The current study used a correlational design to explore the degrees of overlap between these states by comparing them in general, situation-specific, and predictive contexts. It was expected that flow and self-expansion would occur at similar frequencies, be produced by …

Stressful Life Events And Interpersonal, Religious, And Spiritual Changes, Paul Murdock

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Survivors of stressful life events and traumatic experiences often report positive psychological changes “...as a result of the struggle with highly challenging life circumstances” (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 2004, p. 1). Three often reported areas of growth include having a greater appreciation for life in general, new priorities, and an increased significance placed on interpersonal, spiritual or religious issues. Despite reports of positive changes, the literature on stress-related growth (SRG) is inconclusive as to whether SRG is an illusion or represents actual change. For example, no studies to date appear to use longitudinal data, objective indictors, or behavioral measures of change. …

Professional Psychology Training Programs: Program Interventions And Prediction Of Doctoral Student Stress And Life Satisfaction, Crista Montgomery M.S

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A growing literature on professional training and practice of psychology advocates that psychologists must be educated on risks and effects of impairment and the importance of self-care. Despite the general recognition of the importance of these issues, they have not been incorporated into training standards such as the American Psychological Association (APA) Guidelines and Principles of Accreditation (2007). In order to assess the approaches that programs currently adopt to address impairment and self-care, this study extended and updated previous research. A large sample of students (n = 591) enrolled in APA accredited doctoral training programs in professional psychology completed surveys …

Disorders Of Extreme Stress, Not Otherwise Specified, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, And Borderline Personality Disorder: A Vignette Study Exploring Clinicians' Diagnostic Perceptions, Awen Knowles

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research suggests that some individuals who suffer invasive, early childhood trauma develop significant character pathology, and may meet the criteria for both Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Trauma researchers have proposed a new diagnostic category for these individuals, called Disorders of Extreme Stress, Not Otherwise Specified (DESNOS), also known as Complex PTSD. The present study compared clinicians’ symptom ratings for two case vignettes to determine if DESNOS was a better description of the cases than PTSD, BPD, or comorbid PTSD/BPD. Additionally, potential sex bias in diagnosis was examined by manipulating the sex of the client in …

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder And Sleep Disturbances: Consideration Of Familial Influences, Gretchen Stuckert Noble

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the extent to which parenting influences problems with sleep in children referred for an evaluation of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Data was collected from parents and/or legal guardians of sixty-three 4- to 12-year old children referred for assessment at an ADHD Evaluation Clinic located at a Midwestern university. Previous literature linking sleep problems to ADHD has typically derived from community and pediatric sleep clinic samples and has largely overlooked children with sub-clinical sleep impairments and/or those whose sleep problems stem from alternate etiologies. More than 60% of parents/caregivers in the current study reported significant child sleep difficulties. …

Pollinator Deception And Plant Reproductive Success In Jack-In-The-Pulpit, Joseph L. Pettit

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I conducted a study of the deceptive pollination system of Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisama triphyllum, Araceae) in forests of west-central Indiana. I focused on (a) determining the identities and abundances of insect visitors to spathes, (b) evaluating the success of female spathes in setting fruit, (c) determining the relative importance of pollinator visitation and plant size for fruit number, and (d) investigating the function of the female spathe’s lack of an exit hole, which has been hypothesized to improve pollination success. I found that (a) Jack-in-the-pulpit receives visits from both flies and thrips. Counts of fly corpses from spathes showed the most …

Dialogue: December 2009, Staff And Writers Of Dialogue

Dialogue

Graphic Novel Side

2 Norm Zylstra- Jesus Takes a Break; 3-4 Chelsea Capobianco- Put it in your Pocket; 5 Marie Kissane- High School; 6 Shelby Meekhof- Never Compromise; 7-8 Leighanne Strugis- This is No Ordinary Apple; 9-12 Kristen McHugh(poem) and Miranda Brouwer; (i llustration)-Untitled; 13 Bjorn Sparrman- Untitled; 14 Hannah Abma- Holy Strawberries Batman!; 15-18 Alexis Royce-Minds in the Making; 19 Kevin Morales- Untitled; 20 Joel Kligenberg-Character Profile #1; 21 Tia Wierenga- From the Batman Gotham Night II Series

Regular Side

Cover Karl Sparrman-Landscape; …

Economic Investigation Of Community-Scale Versus Building Scale Net-Zero Energy, N. Fernandez, S. Katipamula, M. R. Brambley, T. A. Reddy

Publications (E)

The study presented in this report examines issues concerning whether achieving net-zero energy performance at the community scale provides economic and potentially overall efficiency advantages over strategies focused on individual buildings.

Trade-Offs Between Predation Risk And Forage Differ Between Migrant Strategies In A Migratory Ungulate, Mark Hebblewhite, Evelyn Merrill

Wildlife Biology Faculty Publications

Trade-offs between predation risk and forage fundamentally drive resource selection by animals. Among migratory ungulates, trade-offs can occur at large spatial scales through migration, which allows an "escape'' from predation, but trade-offs can also occur at finer spatial scales. Previous authors suggest that ungulates will avoid predation risk at the largest scale, although few studies have examined multi-scale trade-offs to test for the relative benefits of risk avoidance across scales. Building on previously developed spatial models of forage and wolf predation risk, we tested for trade-offs at the broad landscape scale and at a finer, within-home-range scale for migratory and …

Don't Diss Integration: A Comment On Ricklefs's Disintegrating Communities, Rob W. Booker, Ragan M. Callaway, Lohengrin A. Cavieres, Zaal Kikvidze, Christopher J. Lortie, Richard Michalet, Francisco I. Pugnaire, Alfonso Valiente-Banuet, Thomas G. Whitham

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

An Economic Development Paradox: The Impact Of Linkages And Synergies Among Local Agents In The Development Of An Emergent Bioscience Cluster And Associated Entrepreneurial Ecosystems, Francisco Montalvo

Student Scholarship

Although bioscience industrial clusters have been widely researched in the last decade, the role of knowledge creation, management, and transfer as driving forces for industrial cluster competitiveness remains unclear. A better appreciation of knowledge creation and retention as determinants of industrial cluster success, and the role of foreign direct investment may be of value to industry decision makers, policy makers, and researchers worldwide. Our research revealed a paradox regarding the intensity of foreign direct investment (FDI) by multinational companies (MNCs) and the limited development of a local entrepreneurial ecosystem in an emergent bioscience cluster. While cluster development seems a logical …

Why They Stay: The Ideal Selves Of Persistent Women Engineers, Kathleen R. Buse

Student Scholarship

Women remain dramatically underrepresented in the engineering profession – and far fewer women than men persist in the field. In the first study of women who stay (vs. stray) from corporate engineering careers, we interviewed 21 long tenured female engineers and a control group of ten women who opted out of the profession after an average decade of employment to generate a grounded theory about their personal and professional “lived lives.” Women constitute only 11% of the U.S. corporate engineering workforce and remain as engineers for shorter periods of time than men. Several studies have described why women leave engineering …

Fly With Me: Developing The Skill Of Flying Tying, Suzanne M. Ciesla

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

No abstract provided.

Using Labeled Data To Evaluate Change Detectors In A Multivariate Streaming Environment, Albert Y. Kim, Caren Marzban, Donald B. Percival, Werner Stuetzle

Statistical and Data Sciences: Faculty Publications

We consider the problem of detecting changes in a multivariate data stream. A change detector is defined by a detection algorithm and an alarm threshold. A detection algorithm maps the stream of input vectors into a univariate detection stream. The detector signals a change when the detection stream exceeds the chosen alarm threshold. We consider two aspects of the problem: (1) setting the alarm threshold and (2) measuring/comparing the performance of detection algorithms. We assume we are given a segment of the stream where changes of interest are marked. We present evidence that, without such marked training data, it might …

Manifesting Love: Developing A Bible Camp Week For Gay Young Adults, Scott A. Luikart

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This project serves to create an inclusive camp community to teach young gay adults about love and give them a sense of belonging in a religious setting. This sense will be manifested as the participants discuss four forms of love and create a personal manifesto. This project is grounded in Biblical scripture, and Lutheran tradition, but is not exclusive to the Lutheran tradition. Scripture, and literature sources were evaluated and considered in creating a structure for future implementation of a spiritually based camp. ___________________________________

An Examination Of The Organizational, Social And Psychological Climate For Individuals Infected With Or Affected By Hiv/Aids, Rashone Scott-Williams

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

An examination of the organizational, social and psychological climate for individuals infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS. Enclosed is an identification of the organizational (household), social (family, spouse, friends, church, etc.) and psychological (mental health, thoughts, feelings etc.) press/environment effecting individuals diagnosed with the virus or disease. This project examines and applies the elements of Ekvall’s 10 dimensions of a creative environment for women who are infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS; the results are reflected in a Creative Climate Survey. The participants of the survey were anonymous and voluntary. The survey was distributed throughout an entire month to a …