Digital Commons Network^™

The Monetary Value Of Virtual Goods: An Exploratory Study In Mmorpgs, Qiu-Hong Wang, Viktor Mayer-Schonberger

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

This study investigates the monetary value of time spent in virtual worlds in the context of 24 most popular MMORPGs Building on classic economic theory, we approach this issue through a combination of theoretical modeling, experiment, and cross-sectional time series data analysis. Our findings suggest that intensive social networking and flatter social hierarchy structures are associated with lower monetary value of time spent in-game. Further, two opposite network effects on the monetary value of in-game time spent were observed. One is the positive network effect from the active user base, the other is the negative network effect from the intensity …

Realist Painting And Its Relationship To My Creative Practice, Xuning Wang

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis examines the realist art movement from its origins in France in the 1840s to its development in China in the 20th century and its impact on the author as an artist. The thesis reviews the development of realism in France, and traces its impact on Chinese conceptions of realism in the 20th century. The contemporary debates surrounding realism in China are examined and contextualised within the recent history of realism in China. Finally the thesis looks at the impact of realism on the author’s creative practice and a case is argued for the development of realist ideas in …

School Aged Children: Visual Perception And Reversal Recognition Of Letters And Numbers Separately And In Context, Janet E. Richmond

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Visual discrimination, spatial orientation, and recognition of letters and numbers in context are important issues in helping young students achieve good literacy and numeracy standards. Thus, measures of Visual Discrimination of Upper Case Letters (VDUCL), Visual Discrimination of Lower Case Letters (VDLCL), and Visual Discrimination of Numbers (VDN) as well as Spatial Orientation of Letter and Number Pairs (SOLNP), Form Constancy of Letters and Numbers (FCLNP), Letter and Number Sequencing (LNS), Figure Ground of Letters in Words FGLW) and Figure Ground Numbers in Calculations (FGNC) must be linear and uni-dimensional so that student weaknesses can be identified objectively. The Simple …

Living Fifo: The Experiences And Psychosocial Wellbeing Of Western Australian Fly-In/Fly-Out Employees And Partners, Anne M. Sibbel

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Using a concurrent multi-methods design employing both quantitative and qualitative methodologies this study investigated the psychosocial wellbeing Western Australian fly-in/fly-out (FIFO) mining employees and their partners. The quantitative phase of the study assessed the psychological wellbeing, relationship satisfaction and perceptions of family function of 90 FIFO mining employees and 32 partners of FIFO employees using the General Health Questionnaire 12, the Dyadic Adjustment Scale and the Family Assessment Device. Analyses revealed that both FIFO employees and their partners are within the norms for healthy functioning on the scales and sub-scales of the measures of psychological wellbeing, relationship satisfaction and perceptions …

Trophic Implications Of Light Reductions For Amphibolis Griffithii Seagrass Fauna, Adam Gartner

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The ongoing threat of seagrass loss from reduced light availability, coupled with our lack of knowledge of associated trophic responses has motivated this characterization of the flow-on effects of light reductions to Amphibolis griffithii seagrass fauna. Recently, field manipulations of varying light reductions, induced disturbances in a A. griffithii seagrass meadow that have been shown to effect potential food resources and the structural complexity of seagrass habitats for macroinvertebrates. This offered the opportunity to assess the flow-on effects to seagrass for fauna, a topic that has seldom been examined. This study investigated the effects of different light reduction intensity (high: …

Analysis Avoidance Techniques Of Malicious Software, Murray Brand

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Anti Virus (AV) software generally employs signature matching and heuristics to detect the presence of malicious software (malware). The generation of signatures and determination of heuristics is dependent upon an AV analyst having successfully determined the nature of the malware, not only for recognition purposes, but also for the determination of infected files and startup mechanisms that need to be removed as part of the disinfection process. If a specimen of malware has not been previously extensively analyzed, it is unlikely to be detected by AV software. In addition, malware is becoming increasingly profit driven and more likely to incorporate …

Industrial Heat Stress : Using Ice Slurry Ingestion As A Practical Approach To Reducing Heat Strain In Workers, Joseph E. Maté

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Personnel working in industry can encounter hot and humid conditions where uncompensable heat loads are experienced; an inability to dissipate stored heat increases the risk of developing a heat illness. In order to minimise the incidence of heat illnesses, several heat stress reduction interventions have been developed which aim to allow for safe repeated bouts of exposure to high thermal heat loads. These vary from modification of the working environment, wearing of personal protective equipment designed to cool, heat stress indices and/or hydration regimens. Despite these interventions, personnel still experience heat stress related illnesses. Consequently, the overall aim of the …

Infusing Critical Thinking Into An Employability Skills Program: The Effectiveness Of An Immersion Approach, Sophie Kennedy

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The demands of the knowledge economy have placed renewed emphasis on graduate employability and the development of higher-order thinking skills. Preparing graduates for the workplace requires new instructional approaches to develop a matrix of interrelated skills. This study investigates an immersion approach to developing employability skills with emphasis on the infusion of critical thinking skills in an undergraduate business degree.

The research is situated within the pragmatic paradigm and comprises a mixed methods approach. Analyses of project instructions, student reflections and test scores are presented in an explanatory case study in three parts: the infusion of critical thinking skills in …

Management Accounting And Organizational Change : Impact Of Alignment Of Management Accounting System, Structure And Strategy On Performance, Tuan Tuan Mat

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The business environment in Malaysia has changed rapidly over recent decades, and
continues to change. Globalization has brought new technology and made the
business environment in Malaysia open to greater competition. Central Government
economic policy relating to ‘knowledge economy (k-economy)’ and vision 2020
have also opened the market up for competition and certainly increased
technological development. These changes have impacted greatly on the business
environment in Malaysia, especially on manufacturing industry, which has been
identified as the most active and important contributor to the Malaysian economy.
Literature has identified that changes in both external and internal organizational
factors have influenced …

The (Un)Written Heart In Brecht’S Baal And Journeys Of The God Of Happiness : Heart Matters In The Development Of A Playwright And His Ideas On Acting, Ralf G. Rauker

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In the 1918 and 1919 versions of his play Baal, Brecht had used
autobiographical material about a heart problem that he suffered from and
had recorded in his diaries since 1913. When he revised the 1919 version
and the play was first published in 1922, it seemed that this very personal
connection had disappeared. An observable shift in his work began to take
place, which led to his adopting an apparently unambiguous rationalist take
on theatre. However, his extremely critical, sometimes polemical position on
the intertwined subject of heart and emotions raises questions about the
motivations for the move towards …

Breaking Bad News: Effect Of Physician Communication On Analog Patients' Response, Emily Porensky

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Breaking bad news is a difficult, yet unavoidable part of healthcare for physicians and patients alike. Although expert opinion suggests that certain strategies for breaking bad news may be better than others, there is little methodologically rigorous research to support current guidelines. This study used an experimental paradigm to test two communication strategies, forecasting bad news and framing prognostic information, when giving people a life-limiting diagnosis of colon cancer. Videotapes depicted a physician disclosing a diagnosis of cancer and discussing prognosis. Participants: N = 128) were asked to imagine they were going to see a doctor for physical symptoms they …

Minding The Gap: Rethinking The Perceived Disjuncture Between Rurality And Homosexuality, Jessica Harris

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

No abstract provided.

The Design And Implementation Of An Extensible Brain-Computer Interface, Scott Burns

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

An implantable brain computer interface: BCI) includes tissue interface hardware, signal conditioning circuitry, analog-to-digital conversion: ADC) circuitry and some sort of computing hardware to discriminate desired waveforms from noise. Within an experimental paradigm the tissue interface and ADC hardware will rarely change. Recent literature suggests it is often the specific implementation of waveform discrimination that can limit the usefulness and lifespan of a particular BCI design. If the discrimination techniques are implemented in on-board software, experimenters gain a level of flexibility not currently available in published designs. To this end, I have developed a firmware library to acquire data sampled …

Are Gender Stereotypes Bad For Women? Rethinking Antidiscrimination Law And Work-Family Conflict, Julie C. Suk

Articles

The conflict between work and family responsibilities remains a significant barrier to women's equality in the American workplace. As many commentators have noted with envy, the United States stands apart from most European countries in its failure to give women a legal right to paid maternity leave.

This Article argues that the United States's potential for reconciling the work-family conflict is undermined by the predominance of antidiscrimination law. The unique trajectory of U.S. antidiscrimination law, designed to combat paternalism and gender stereotypes, has pushed family and medical leave into a single legal regime. But today, due to the costs and …

Sports And Entertainment Agents And Agent-Attorneys: Discourses And Conventions Concerning Crossing Jurisdictional And Professional Borders, David S. Caudill

Faculty Publications

Questions regarding the ethical obligations, pitfalls, and dilemmas facing attorneys who become sports or entertainment agents are not new. However, despite a substantial discourse on the topic, the sense persists that being both a lawyer and an agent is problematic. The applicable laws, including ethical regulations, seem to be clear, but are subject not only to law‟s usual jurisdictional variations and interpretive instability, but also to the mediation of conventions or tacit understandings that pervade the sports and entertainment industries.

Just Like Me: Gay Men & Gay Space, Jeffrey Pounds

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

The thesis is an ethnographic study that examines how gay men use a gay bar to located and structure identity and social interaction.

Regulation Of Peripheral Nerve Regeneration By The Mtor Pathway, Namiko Abe

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

While neurons in the central nervous system: CNS) have limited capacity for regrowth after damage, neurons in the peripheral nervous system: PNS) have a robust ability to regenerate their axons following injury. Successful regeneration depends upon both extrinsic cues in the environment and the activation of intrinsic mechanisms to promote regrowth. A number of inhibitory molecules in the CNS environment that prevent axonal regrowth have been identified, but less is known regarding the signaling mechanisms that regulate regenerative ability in PNS neurons. Here, we explored multiple components of injury signaling in the PNS, including the retrograde transport of local axonal …

Role Of The Ajuba Lim Proteins In Epithelial Growth Regulation, Meghna Das Thakur

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

The mammalian Ajuba LIM proteins: Ajuba, LIMD1, WTIP) are cytosolic adapter proteins recruited to nascent epithelial adherens junctions, where they are thought to contribute to junctional assembly and/or stability. They also shuttle into the nucleus acting as corepressors of the Snail family of transcriptional repressors, thereby contributing to epithelial mesenchymal transition. As such they have the potential to communicate cell adhesive events with nuclear responses to remodel epithelia. Determining their role(s) in vivo, however, has been challenging due to shared interacting proteins, overlapping tissue expression and functional redundancy in cells. Thus, we turned to the Drosophila model system where a …

Nmr Search For Mobile, Aluminum-Bearing Species During Reactions Of Sodium Alanate, Timothy Ivancic

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

NaAlH_{4 has become the archetypal complex: ionic-covalent) hydrogen storage solid, since the discovery in 1997 that titanium and some other metals catalyze the reaction in both directions. Given that spatially separated NaH and Al under excess H2 pressure can form NaAlH4, we have hypothesized a mobile Al- or Na- bearing intermediate species in the reaction scheme. 27Al in situ NMR has been used to discover such a new species during dehydriding of NaAlH4. Importantly, the new species can also be formed under excess H2 pressure without net evolution of Al and H2 …}

A Study Of Published Journal Articles On Brain-Based Learning From 1985 To 2009, Janece Shaffer

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Educators are required to implement scientifically-based research interventions in their classrooms, but teachers and administrators may not be aware of the current laws and requirements of NCLB legislation. NCLB (2001) requires that educators implement research-based interventions. Brain-based learning programs have been implemented in classrooms throughout the country, even though the research base for such programs may be inadequate. This study presents the results of educational database searches for empirical studies involving brain-based or brain-compatible learning published in educational journals between 1985 and 2009. A total of 77 articles on brain-based learning were published during this time period but only 5 …

Structural Health Monitoring With Piezoelectric Wafer Active Sensors—Predictive Modeling And Simulation, Victor Giurgiutiu

Faculty Publications

This paper starts a review of the state of the art in structural health monitoring with piezoelectric wafer active sensors and follows with highlighting the limitations of the current approaches which are predominantly experimental. Subsequently, the paper examines the needs for developing a predictive modeling methodology that would allow to perform extensive parameter studies to determine the sensing method’s sensitivity to damage and insensitivity to confounding factors such as environmental changes, vibrations, and structural manufacturing variability. The thesis is made that such a predictive methodology should be multi-scale and multi-domain, thus encompassing the modeling of structure, sensors, electronics, and power …

Structural Health Monitoring With Piezoelectric Wafer Active Sensors--Predictive Modeling And Simulation, Victor Giurgiutiu

Faculty Publications

This paper starts a review of the state of the art in structural health monitoring with piezoelectric wafer active sensors and follows with highlighting the limitations of the current approaches which are predominantly experimental. Subsequently, the paper examines the needs for developing a predictive modeling methodology that would allow to perform extensive parameter studies to determine the sensing method’s sensitivity to damage and insensitivity to confounding factors such as environmental changes, vibrations, and structural manufacturing variability. The thesis is made that such a predictive methodology should be multi-scale and multi-domain, thus encompassing the modeling of structure, sensors, electronics, and power …

Emergency Department Physical Therapist Service: A Pilot Study Examining Physician Perceptions, Michele T. Lebec, Steven Cernohous, Lisa Tenbarge, Colleen Gest, Kristen Severson, Sharon Howard

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Though physical therapist consultation has been described as a means of enhancing care in the Emergency Department (ED), such services are rare and often poorly understood. This pilot study utilizes qualitative methodology for the purpose of describing how one group of emergency physicians experienced with physical therapist consultation in the ED perceive these services and the challenges associated with their provision. Transcripts of interviews with 11 emergency physicians were analyzed for recurrent themes. Findings indicated that these physicians found ED physical therapist services to be of value for themselves, their patients, and the department as a whole and described specific …

Day Therapy Programs For Adolescents With Mental Health Problems: A Systematic Review, Yamini Deenadayalan, Saravana Kumar, Zuzana Machotka, Luke Perraton

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Day therapy programs are one of many interventions available for adolescents with mental health issues. Day therapy programs utilise a multi-disciplinary community-based approach to the treatment of mental health issues and allow adolescents to remain under the care of their family. To date, no review has specifically investigated the effectiveness of day therapy programs for adolescents. This review aims to investigate both the effectiveness of day therapy programs for adolescents with mental health problems and highlight the key components underpinning these programs. A systematic review of peer- reviewed literature was undertaken, using recognised processes. Eight studies were included in this …

Factors Identified By Physiotherapists That Influence The Retention Of Regional Clinicians: A Qualitative Investigation, Elli Miles, Robyn Adams, Sophie Anaf, Lorraine Sheppard

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Objective: To identify factors influencing the retention of physiotherapists in one regional setting. Design: A qualitative framework using semi-structured interviews was used to collect data. Data were evaluated using thematic analysis. Setting: A regional city located on the coastline of Queensland, Australia, more than six hours drive from the capital city, Brisbane. Participants: Practicing physiotherapists employed by Queensland Health, the main public health employer. Main Outcome Measures: Retention themes identified from the interview transcripts. Results: The advantages of remaining employed in the regional city were centred on personal issues. Forty-four responses described personal advantages while 33 described professional advantages. The …

Affirmative Action Plan 2010, Office Of Equal Opportunity, Ethics, & Access

Affirmative Action Plans

Illinois State University Affirmative Action Plan

Virtue, Practical Guidance, And Practices, Carrie Vodehnal

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

No abstract provided.

Textural Functions In Schoenberg's Second Chamber Symphony, Zachary Colonius

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

No abstract provided.

[Introduction To] Stakeholders, Robert A. Phillips, R. Edward Freeman

Bookshelf

This landmark book takes a retrospective look at the most important and influential works in the study of stakeholders since Freeman’s 1984 publication, Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach. 2009 marked the 25th anniversary of this watershed in organizational scholarship, so now is an excellent time for Phillips and Freeman to revisit this topical and exciting subject.

From the tremendous upsurge in the literature, the editors have carefully selected ground-breaking works on topics including corporate governance, stakeholder-agency theory, management models, ethical theory and stakeholder orientation. This invaluable volume will shape the thinking of scholars and academics for the next 25 years.

Now That's Promising: A Social Influence Model Of Innovation Evaluation, Peter Boumgarden

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Identifying and investing in innovative initiatives is a fundamental challenge for individuals in the contemporary organization. And yet, while we know a good deal about the psychology of innovation evaluation, we know decidedly less about how such processes are influenced by the formal and informal structures within which individuals in this setting operate. To address these limitations, I first draw from work on the psychology of idea evaluation to identify and develop a heuristic of evaluation relevant to the evaluation of innovation--that of an initiative's promise. I then suggest that such promise evaluations will be simultaneously influenced by the formal …