Digital Commons Network^™

Data Center Design & Enterprise Networking, Christian Mahood

Theses

Today’s enterprise networks and data centers have become very complex and have completely integrated themselves into every facet of their represented organization. Organizations require Internet facing services and applications to be available at any part of the day or night. These organizations have realized that with centralized computing and highly available components, their technological presence with customers can be greatly enhanced. The creation of an infrastructure supporting such high availability takes numerous components and resources to function optimally. When an organization makes the decision to design a data center, they utilize resources to provide insight into what components to deploy. …

Reactive Exploration With Self-Reconfigurable Systems, Eric Fabricant

Theses

Modular self-reconfigurable robots (MSR) are robots composed of modules that translate over one another to permit reconfiguration and locomotion. This construction allows them to traverse a broader range of environments than legged or wheeled robots. MSR also posses the ability to split apart to parallelize their efforts or combine with each other to produce a larger robot capable of navigating more diverse terrain. In this paper we discuss a state-based reactive architecture for the distributed control of cooperative MSR teams in unknown environments. The MSR use local sensory data from the environment and a model of the team to select …

Taking Be Proud! Be Responsible! To The Suburbs: A Replication Study, Elaine A. Borawski, Erika S. Trapl, Kimberly Adams-Tufts, Laura L. Hayman, Merdith A. Goodwin, Loren D. Lovegreen

Ellmer School of Nursing Faculty Publications

CONTEXT: An important phase of HIV prevention research is replicating successful interventions with different groups and in different settings.

METHODS: Be Proud! Be Responsible!, a successful intervention originally targeting black urban males and carried out in nonschool settings, was presented in health classes at urban and suburban schools with diverse student bodies. A group-randomized intervention study, which included 1,357 ninth and 10th graders from 10 paired schools in a Midwestern metropolitan area, was conducted in 2000-2002. Half the schools received the intervention, and half received a general health promotion program. Students' reports of their sexual behavior and selected cognitive mediators …

Modelling And Simulation Of A Biomass Gasification-Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Combined Heat And Power Plant Using Aspen Plus, Wayne Doherty, Anthony Reynolds, David Kennedy

Conference Papers

In this paper the operation and performance of a high temperature solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack on biomass syn-gas from a demonstration biomass gasification combined heat and power (CHP) plant is investigated. The objective of this work is to develop a computer simulation model of a biomass-SOFC CHP system, flexible enough for use in industry, capable of predicting system performance under various operating conditions and using diverse fuels. The biomass gasifier is of the dual fluidised bed (DFB) type with steam as the gasifying agent and is operated at atmospheric pressure. The tubular SOFC configuration, developed by Siemens Power …

Alternative Sources Of Energy, David Kennedy

Conference Papers

Ireland relies on imports of fossil fuels for up to 83% of its energy needs and this statistic is relatively common in other European countries. Apart from the high import costs and pollutions associated with fossil fuels and the need to meet new targets in terms of CO2 emissions, energy security is essential. This paper provides an overview and outline of the different alternative energy sources available for use either at domestic or on large scale production, some of which are established and others less likely to succeed in our climate.
Some of the alternative energy sources such as wind …

Public Private Partnerships: A Licence To Print Money Or Value For Money?, Raymond Turner

Level 3

It is often considered that a Public Private Partnership (PPP) is a licence to print money for the private entity and that the state receives a price which does reflect the value of the underlying public asset.

This paper explores key concepts that underpin and define the nature of PPPs and how such partnerships have emerged and evolved as a means of project funding. The relationship between the underlying asset and the ownership of the derived benefit from the consumption of the public asset is explored to illustrate how the same asset can represent different values.

Factors That Influence The Attractiveness Of A Technical And Vocational Education And Training Centre: A Case Study Of A Technical Institute In Kenya, John Wanyonyi Simiyu

Level 3

Enrolment in any academic institution is crucial in as far as its existence and survival are concerned. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that influence the attractiveness of a technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institution in Kenya. The instruments used to collect data were questionnaires, interviews and observation schedules. Data collected was analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. This study revealed several salient findings. The institution offered a variety of programmes that attracted prospective students from across the country. The programmes were widely advertised using various modes of media to the appropriate target group. The …

Gera Conference Program [2009], Gera

Georgia Educational Research Association Conference

Conference program for 2009.

Invertebrate Colonization And Plant Architecture: The Influence Of Two Non-Native Milfoil Species, Elizabeth W. Rielly

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if the complexity and surface area of a macrophyte’s

structure has an influence on invertebrate colonization, and to determine the influence of two non-native species on invertebrate colonization. Three plant architectures were compared. Floating leaved plants were represented by the following species: Nuphar lutea, Nymphaea odorata, and Brasenia schreberi. Moderately dissected leaved plants were represented by Potamogeton natans, and highly dissected leaved plants were represented by two non-native species, Myriophyllum spicatum and Myriophyllum heterophyllum. The number of invertebrates/g dry biomass and the number of individuals/m², diversity, evenness, and richness were calculated for …

Expenditures And Information Disclosure In Two-Stage Political Contests, Roman M. Sheremeta

ESI Working Papers

This laboratory experiment studies two-stage contests between political parties. In the first stage, parties run their primaries and in the second stage the winners of the primaries compete in the general election. The resource expenditures in the first stage by the winning candidates are partially or fully carried over to the second stage. Experimental results support all major theoretical predictions: the first stage expenditures and the total expenditures increase, while the second stage expenditures decrease in the carryover rate. Consistent with the theory, the total expenditures increase in the number of candidates and the number of parties. Contrary to the …

Multi-Level Trust Game With “Insider” Communication, Roman M. Sheremeta, Jingjing Zhang

ESI Working Papers

This experiment studies the internal and external effects of communication in a multilevel trust game. In this trust game, the first player can send any part of his endowment to the second player. The amount sent gets tripled. The second player decides how much to send to the third player. The amount is again tripled, and the third player then decides the allocation among the three players. The baseline treatment with no communication shows that the first and second players send significant amounts and the third player reciprocates. When we allow communication only between the second and third players, the …

Cooperation Spillovers In Coordination Games, Timothy N. Cason, Anya Savikhin, Roman M. Sheremeta

ESI Working Papers

Motivated by problems of coordination failure observed in weak-link games, we experimentally investigate behavioral spillovers for order-statistic coordination games. Subjects play the minimum- and median-effort coordination games simultaneously and sequentially. The results show the precedent for cooperative behavior spills over from the median game to the minimum game when the games are played sequentially. Moreover, spillover occurs even when group composition changes, although the effect is not as strong. We also find that the precedent for uncooperative behavior does not spill over from the minimum game to the median game. These findings suggest guidelines for increasing cooperative behavior within organizations.

Surgical Smoke Evacuation Guidelines: Compliance Among Perioperative Nurses, Kay A. Ball

Theses and Dissertations

Smoke (plume) is produced when tissue is cut or coagulated with lasers or electrosurgery devices during surgery. Research has documented that surgical smoke creates a serious workplace hazard for over 500,000 healthcare workers. Toxic gases create an offensive odor, small particulate matter causes respiratory complications, and pathogens may be transmitted within the surgical smoke to the surgical team. Previous research notes that smoke evacuation recommendations are not being consistently followed by perioperative nurses.

The purpose of this study is to determine key indicators that are associated with compliance with smoke evacuation recommendations by perioperative nurses. The Diffusion of Innovation theory …

Gate-To-Channel Parasitic Capacitance Minimization And Source-Drain Leakage Evaluation In Germanium Pmos, Raymond T. Krom

Theses

This work studies the behavior of both gate-to-channel capacitance (CGC) and source-channel-drain/well leakage in metal-gate/high-κ/Ge PMOS technology (W = 10 μm and L = 10; 5; 1 μm) under development at IMEC. The hole drift-mobility of germanium is ~4X that of silicon, leading researchers to evaluate germanium as a possible channel material replacement for PMOS expected at the 32 nm technology node. In particular this study focuses on—but is not restricted to—(1) the presence of a parasitic gate-to-channel capacitance (CGC), the large non-ideal trap assisted conductance which contributes to it, and its function versus Ge-PMOS architecture and gate length; (2) …

Identification And Characterization Of Prevotella Intermedia 17 Toll-Like Receptor 2 Ligands, Jamie Feng-Hsia Yuan

Theses and Dissertations

Periodontal disease is one of the most prevalent human diseases affecting millions of individuals. Bacteria are the trigger of the host response that then results in initiation and progression of periodontal disease. The interactions between the host and the bacteria, although very complex and intricate, are not well understood. Species of gram-negative anaerobic bacteria implicated in the development of periodontal disease include Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella intermedia. The goal of our study was to identify P. intermedia surface proteins interacting with TLR2 receptor. Using Cy5-labeled surface proteins we identified multiple proteins using our capture assay. The interaction of three …

In Memoriam, Thomas E. Dulan, Charlene Bickford, Mary Jo Kline, Raymond W. Smock

Documentary Editing: Journal of the Association for Documentary Editing (1979–2011)

Beverly Runge--Larry I. Bland--John Y. Simon

President’S Letter 2008: Moving Forward, Michael E. Stevens

Documentary Editing: Journal of the Association for Documentary Editing (1979–2011)

This past summer, the ADE’s Planning Committee met in Madison for three days to discuss the Association’s future. The group had previously developed background papers, and while in Madison they built on that work. The conversations were stimulating, and participants’ opinions changed as the pros and cons of different ideas were weighed. In the end, the group agreed upon a strategic direction and an action plan for the Association. The plan is printed elsewhere in this issue as well as at www.documentaryhistory.org. I urge you to give it a close read and to think about ways you might want to …

One-Dimensional History, Denton L. Watson

Documentary Editing: Journal of the Association for Documentary Editing (1979–2011)

I began attending the annual ADE conference on a regular basis in 2000. Since then, I have often wondered how many of you have been aware of my distinction? The lone black in a sea of white. Not the first, of course, just the lone one. Nevertheless, I have always reveled in my distinction, even though, to be truthful, I would have welcomed some company. My distinction, I am sure, has been due to the reality that I am one of just a tiny handful of black documentary editors, which has been the result of a combination of factors. I …

An Assessment Of Burnout In Undergraduate Athletic Training Education Program Directors, Jessica M. Walter, Bonnie L. Van Lunen, Stacy E. Walker, Zahra C. Ismaeli

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Context: Athletic training education program directors (ATEPDs) often manage their time among students, program administration, and patient care.

Objective: To assess the level of burnout in ATEPDs and to determine the relationship between burnout and various demographics of ATEPDs.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Public and private colleges and universities nationwide.

Patients or Other Participants: Two hundred forty-nine ATEPDs of undergraduate athletic training education programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education.

Intervention(s): We administered the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) to all participants.

Main Outcome Measure(s): The MBI consisted of 21 items assessing 3 characteristics of burnout: emotional …

2009-00-00 Proposal For Restructuring Of Committees, Morehead State University. Staff Congress.

Staff Congress Records

Proposal for Restructuring of Committees of Staff Congress submitted in 2009.

Organ Motion And Image Guidance In Radiation Therapy, Jining Zhou

Theses and Dissertations

Organ motion and inaccurate patient positioning may compromise radiation therapy outcome. With the aid of image guidance, it is possible to allow for a more accurate organ motion and motion control study, which could lead to the reduction of irradiated healthy tissues and possible dose escalation to the target volume to achieve better treatment results. The studies on the organ motion and image guidance were divided into the following four sections. The first, the interfractional setup uncertainties from day-to-day treatment and intrafractional internal organ motion within the daily treatment from five different anatomic sites were studied with Helical TomoTherapy unit. …

The Bird, Katherine Ann Kisicki

Theses and Dissertations

I have always approached my paintings with confidence. Mark making has always been my strength, particularly in drawing, and I feel this comes through in my gestural use of the paint. I also believe I approach paintings in a trial and error manner, where experimentation has precedence over concept. To remain in the moment and focused on what I am doing at that moment is a fundamental base of both my process and, interestingly what the resulting image translates to the viewer. To know this, and to remain suspended in this moment requires a foundation of trust within my capabilities …

Spontaneous Knotting Of Agitated Strings, Anthony Klotz

Theses and Dissertations

The nature of perception and discernment through an examination of hypotheses and theories considered peculiar in their time but which had at least some popular, scientific or social support.

Media To Medium: Representations Of Violence, War & Women In Pop Culture, Althea Georgelas

Theses and Dissertations

My work is inspired by the mass Media and how it affects the world around me. I am interested in how violence, war and women are represented in popular culture and how this has trickled down into social behavior. I also wonder how much entertainment media reflects deep social ideals. I define mass media as the viral proliferation of ideas using television, cinema, video gaming and the Internet. I am concerned about the social and psychological affects of violent media and how it impacts the lives of women and girls. This is of particular interest to me because I am …

Pleistocene Reorganization Of The Southern San Andreas Fault System, A. N. Steely, Susanne U. Janecke, G. J. Axen, R. J. Dorsey

Geosciences Faculty Publications

Structural and stratigraphic analyses along the western margin of the Salton Trough show that the San Andreas fault system was reorganized in early Pleistocene time from a system dominated by two fault zones (the San Andreas fault and the West Salton detachment fault) to a network of dextral faults that include the San Andreas and at least four dextral faults to the southwest. The San Felipe fault zone, one of these dextral faults, has ~5.8 ± 2.8 km of right separation and consists of three principal faults in the Peninsular Ranges. These are the San Felipe fault in the WNW, …

Pulmonary Delivery Of Anorectic Gut Secreted Peptides For Appetite Suppression In Rats, Priya Nadkarni

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation project aimed to demonstrate that pulmonary delivery of two anorectic gut secreted peptides, peptide YY (PYY) and oxyntomodulin (OXM) enabled food intake suppression and reduced body weight gain in rats via their systemic absorption from the lung and interaction with the brain. After PYY and OXM were administered to the lungs at varying doses, food intake and body weight gain were monitored in freely feeding rats. Significant 30-35 % food intake suppression was achieved for 4-6 h following pulmonary administration of endogenously active PYY3-36 and OXM1-37 at 0.80 and 0.50 mg/kg, respectively. Moreover, when administered daily for 7 …

Workplace Discrimination And Learning Disability: The National Eeoc Ada Research Project, Joseph Conway

Theses and Dissertations

Using the Integrated Mission System of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the employment discrimination experience of Americans with Learning Disabilities (SLD) is documented for Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The study examines demographic characteristics of the charging parties and the industry of the responding employer against whom complaints are filed. It establishes the nature of the discriminatory act, specifically, pin-points the issue(s) that predicated the allegation, and shows the final outcome or resolution of these complaints. Key dimensions of workplace discrimination as experienced by individuals with LD are detected using two Tests of Proportion. The first …

A Longitudinal Examination Of How Hospital Provision Of Home Health Services Changed After The Implementation Of The Balanced Budget Act Of 1997: Does Ownership Matter?, Tiang-Hong Chou

Theses and Dissertations

By using a natural experiment approach and longitudinal national hospital data, this study sheds light on the objective functions of hospitals with different ownership forms by comparing their relative reductions in HH provision after the implementation of the BBA. The empirical findings reveal that for-profit hospitals behave differently as compared to public and private nonprofit hospitals, due to their different operational objectives. While the response of for-profit hospitals is consistent with the profit-maximizer model, both public and private nonprofit ownership types behave consistently in accordance with the model of two-good producers whose objective is to maximize market outputs for meeting …

Predictors Of Situation Awareness In Graduate Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists, Suzanne Wright

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT PREDICTORS OF SITUATION AWARENESS IN GRADUATE STUDENT REGISTERED NURSE ANESTHETISTS Suzanne M. Wright, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2009 Major Director: J. James Cotter, Ph.D. Situation awareness (SA) is defined as one’s perception of the elements of the environment, the comprehension of their meaning, and the projection of their status in the near future. Stated more simply, SA is knowing what is going on around you. The concept of SA is well known in the field of aviation which is …

Determinants Of Nursing Home Performance: Examining The Relationship Between Quality And Efficiency, Nailya Delellis

Theses and Dissertations

Determinants of nursing home performance: examining the relationship between quality and efficiency By Nailya O. DeLellis, MPH, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2010 Director: Dr. Yasar Ozcan, Professor, Department of Health Administration To assess the relationship between quality of care and efficiency of nursing homes this study used 10% random sample of non-hospital based nursing homes of size 20-360 beds and occupancy rate of 5-100% in OSCAR database 2008 (n=1430). Data Envelopment Analysis was used to calculate efficiency score and Structural …