Digital Commons Network^™

Internet Marketing For Profit Organizations: A Framework For The Implementation Of Strategic Internet Marketing, Felix Rimbach

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

The development of the Internet has significantly changed the face of established markets and operation approaches across a tremendous spectrum of different industries. Within the competitive environment of those industries, the opportunities and risks derived from the new platform are so ubiquitous that unused opportunities quickly translate into potential risks. Those opportunities and risks demand for a structured approach how to implement a sustainable Internet marketing strategy that targets clear business objectives. Marketing and strategic management theory describes very clear structural principles towards their operational implementation. Based on those principles an extensive literature review has been conducted which confirms the …

Impaired Immune Tolerance To Porphyromonas Gingivalis Lipopolysaccharide Promotes Neutrophil Migration And Decreased Apoptosis., S Zaric, C Shelburne, R Darveau, Dj Quinn, S Weldon, Cc Taggart, Wa Coulter

Peninsula Dental School

Periodontitis, a chronic inflammatory disease of the tissues supporting the teeth, is characterized by an exaggerated host immune and inflammatory response to periopathogenic bacteria. Toll-like receptor activation, cytokine network induction, and accumulation of neutrophils at the site of inflammation are important in the host defense against infection. At the same time, induction of immune tolerance and the clearance of neutrophils from the site of infection are essential in the control of the immune response, resolution of inflammation, and prevention of tissue destruction. Using a human monocytic cell line, we demonstrate that Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which is a major etiological …

Sōma Sēma: The Influence Of “The Body Is A Tomb” In Early Christi An Debates And The New Testament, Gaye Strathearn

Faculty Publications

As we study the second half of the New Testament, it becomes evident very quickly that the early Church struggled with doctrinal drift. One of the central responsibilities of having a Church with apostles and prophets, we learn in Ephesians, is so “that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive” (Ephesians 4:14). Therefore, most of Paul’s epistles were written to combat this doctrinal drift. But what happens when the people no longer listen to …

First Report Of Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis In Bulgaria, Ilia Tsachev, Ioannis D. Kyriazis, Sofia Boutsini, Evdokia Karagouni, Eleni Dotsika

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Seroepidemiological studies on canine leishmaniasis in Bulgaria, even in areas where human leishmaniasis has been detected, are controversial. This report describes 2 clinical cases of canine visceral leishmaniasis. The disease was confirmed by microscopical, serological, and molecular methods. It is, therefore, suggested that infected dogs could constitute the reservoir for human leishmaniasis in the country.

Indiana Pavement Preservation Program, Ghim Ping (Raymond) Ong, Tommy E. Nantung, Kumares C. Sinha

JTRP Technical Reports

State highway agencies are facing immense pressure to maintain roads at acceptable levels amidst the challenging financial and economic situations. In recent years, pavement preservation has been sought as a potential alternative for managing the pavement assets, believing that it would provide a cost-effective solution in maintaining infrastructural conditions and meeting user expectations. This study explores the potential of pavement preservation concepts in managing the agency‘s pavement assets by attempting to integrate pavement preservation considerations within the network-level pavement management system. Several elements are studied in the report: (i) determining triggers for pavement preservation treatments for use in a PMS, …

An Assessment Of Delivery Risks In Transportation Projects, Velvet Fitzpatrick, Kumares C. Sinha

JTRP Technical Reports

A large number of uncertainties exist in the delivery of highway projects, and it is important to describe the extent so that budgeting and programming can be carried out in a manner that duly accounts for such uncertainties. The study investigates the sources of delivery variability (risk factors) that occur in the period between project proposed date and the letting date. Data on 366 highway projects were collected from the Indiana Department of Transportation Management Information Portal. Using statistical and econometric techniques, the data was analyzed to identify the potential risk factors and to determine the magnitude and direction of …

Automated Pavement Condition Data Collection Quality Control, Quality Assurance, And Reliability, Ghim Ping (Raymond) Ong, Samy Noureldin, Kumares C. Sinha

JTRP Technical Reports

In recent years, state highway agencies have come to understand the need for high quality pavement condition data at both the project and network levels. At the same time, agencies also realize that they have become too dependent on contractors to ensure the quality of the delivered data without any means to independently assure the quality of these delivered data. This research study therefore aims to investigate the inherent variability of the automated data collection processes and proposes guidelines for an automated data collection quality management program in Indiana. In particular, pavement roughness data (in terms of IRI) and pavement …

Performing Ethnographic Inquiry Into America's Black Youth Culture: The Impact Of Hip Hop And Rap Music On Today's Youth Society, Rose Cummings Spikes

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This is an ethnographic inquiry into America's black youth culture. It is an exploration of how the "hip hop culture" influences black youth culture. Drawing on the works of Rose (1994a, 1994b), Dimitriadis (2001), and Kitwana (2002), I explored impact of the hip hop culture in the areas of fashion, language and identity through the lens of young black males. To provide relevant theories for promoting higher academic achievement in African American males, I studied the works of Gay (2000), Ladson-Billings (2006, 2003, 2001, 1999), Weaver & Daspit (2003) and Watkins (2001). Sixth grade male students in a PreK-8 school, …

Eugenic Sterilization In 20th Century Georgia: From Progressive Utilitarianism To Individual Rights, Stephen Michael Smith

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The science of human breeding, known as eugenics, flourished in America in the first half of the 20th century. The movement's chief proponents included wealthy philanthropists, politicians, doctors, and young middle-class reformers. Sterilization for the purposes of removing defective genes from society was a critical part of the eugenics movement. Progressive reformers used eugenic doctrines combined with utilitarian political philosophy to divest individuals of the natural right to procreation. Involuntary sterilization legislation spread throughout the United States after the 1927 Buck v. Bell Supreme Court decision that gave judicial approval to involuntary sterilization, regardless of due process and equal protection …

Two New Zealand Pioneer Econometricians, Peter C.B. Phillips

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

Two distinguished New Zealanders pioneered some of the foundations of modern econometrics. Alec Aitken, one of the most famous and well-documented mental arithmeticians of all time, contributed the matrix formulation and projection geometry of linear regression, generalized least squares (GLS) estimation, algorithms for Hodrick Prescott (HP) style data smoothing (six decades before their use in economics), and statistical estimation theory leading to the Cramér Rao bound. Rex Bergstrom constructed and estimated by limited information maximum likelihood (LIML) the largest empirical structural model in the early 1950s, opened up the field of exact distribution theory, developed cyclical growth models in economic …

Pricing In Matching Markets, George J. Mailath, Andrew Postlewaite, Larry Samuelson

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

Different markets are cleared by different types of prices — a universal price for all buyers and sellers in some markets, seller-specific prices that are uniform across buyers in others, and personalized prices tailored to both the buyer and the seller in yet others. We introduce the notion of premuneration values — the values in the absence of any muneration (payments) — created by the buyer-seller match. We characterize the premuneration values under which uniform-price and personalized-price equilibria agree. In this case, we have efficient allocations, including pre-match investment decisions, without the costs of personalized pricing. We then examine the …

Integrated Circuit Implementation For A Gan Hfet Driver Circuit, Bo Wang, Jason D. Bakos, Antonello Monti

Faculty Publications

This paper presents the design and implementation of a new integrated circuit (IC) that is suitable for driving the new generation of high-frequency GaN HFETs. The circuit, based upon a resonant switching transition technique, is first briefly described and then discussed in detail, focusing on the design process practical considerations. A new level-shifter topology, used to generate the zero and negative gate-source voltages required to switch the GaN HFET, is introduced and analyzed. The experimental measurements included in this paper report the results of tests carried out on an IC designed and fabricated as part of the multiproject die in …

The Merits Of ‘Merits’ Review: A Comparative Look At The Australian Administrative Appeals Tribunal, Jeffrey Lubbers, Michael Asimow

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

This article compares several systems of administrative adjudication. In the U.S., adjudication is typically performed by the same agency that makes and enforces the rules. However, in Australia, almost all administrative adjudication is performed by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT), a non-specialized adjudicating agency, and several other specialized tribunals that are independent of the enforcing agency. These tribunals (which evolved out of concerns about separation of powers) have achieved great legitimacy. In the U.K., recent legislation (the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act) merged numerous specialized tribunals into a single first-tier tribunal with much stronger guarantees of independence than previously existed. …

Giving Applicants For Veterans' And Other Government Benefits Their Due (Process), Jeffrey Lubbers

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

No abstract provided.

A Survey Of Federal Agency Rulemakers’ Attitudes About E-Rulemaking, Jeffrey Lubbers

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

Drawing on a survey of U.S. civil servants engaged in developing regulations across a wide variety of agencies, this chapter analyzes how bureaucrats in key positions view the impact on their work of “electronic rulemaking” – that is, the creation of online opportunities for members of the public to comment on proposed administrative regulations. There is strong evidence that rulemakers appreciate the value of new technologies for public participation purposes and for internal administration and coordination functions, but less evidence that they see the utility of e-rulemaking for improving the quality of administrative rules.

Preserving A Political Bargain: The Political Economy Of The Non-Interventionist Challenge To Monopolization Enforcement, Jonathan Baker

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

The antitrust rules governing exclusionary conduct by dominant firms are among the most controversial in U.S. competition policy. During the first decade of the twenty-first century, they were debated in three arenas, involving legal policy, economic policy, and politics. In each arena, the dispute mainly arose as criticism of traditional standards by advocates of less intervention. Viewed through a political economy lens, the controversy can be understood as a potential challenge to an informal political bargain reached during the 1940s by which competition was adopted as national economic policy in preference to regulation or laissez-faire. From this perspective, and applying …

The Copyright Principles Project: Directions For Reform, Michael W. Carroll, Pamela Samuelson, Members Of The Cpp

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

No abstract provided.

Recut, Reframe, Recycle: The Shaping Of Fair Use Best Practices For Online Video, Peter Jaszi

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

This article discusses the intertwining of creative and copyright practices, as demonstrated by the emergence and evolution of standards to assess fair use in online video from 2007-2009. The development of such standards demonstrates the effectiveness of community-based standards to expand the utility of fair use and the importance of practice in affecting the interpretation of law. This process demonstrates the relationship between copyright practice and creative practice.

Strategic Vulnerability: An Analysis Of Physical Geography, Environmental, And Material Components Of Force Structure, Kyle Christensen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The selection of a military recruitment method has historically been based on material capabilities and military objectives. Recruitment strategies range from coercively conscripting soldiers to encouraging volunteer enlistments. Historically, states around the globe have used large conscripted armies to wage war when they become fully mobilized for protracted military engagements against another state. However, the occurrence of war is by its very nature a rare occurrence in the international system. This begs the question of what types of military recruitment states are using as a function of choice rather than necessity.;Existing literature on the selection of force structure is far …

The Europeanization Of French, German And British China Policies: The Case Of The Arms Embargo On China, Vivien L. Exartier

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study analyzes the impact of France, Britain and Germany on European Union sanction policy on China. The study argues that Britain, France and Germany affect the EU sanction policy on China through bottom-up and horizontal Europeanization due to their historic and strategic ties to the PRC and their predominance in the armament industry. The study specifically reviews the case of the handling of the lift of the arms embargo between 2003 and 2005, imposed on the wake of the Tiananmen Square Massacre in 1989. The methodology combines a questionnaire, addressed to defense and foreign affairs officials from the three …

The Robust Optimization Of Non-Linear Requirements Models, Gregory Gay

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Solutions to non-linear requirements engineering problems may be "brittle"; i.e. small changes may dramatically alter solution effectiveness. Hence, it is not enough to just generate solutions to requirements problems---we must also assess solution robustness. This thesis aims to address two concerns: (a) Is demonstrating robustness a time consuming task? and (b) Is it necessary that solution quality be traded off against solution robustness?;Using a Bayesian ranking heuristic, the KEYS2 algorithm fixes a small number of important variables, rapidly pushing the search into a stable, optimal plateau. By design, KEYS2 generates decision ordering diagrams (in time experimentally shown to be O(N2)). …

Sulfur Tolerant Solid Oxide Fuel Cell For Coal Syngas Application: Experimental Study On Diverse Impurity Effects And Fundamental Modeling Of Electrode Kinetics, Mingyang Gong

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

With demand over green energy economy, fuel cells have been developed as a promising energy conversion technology with higher efficiency and less emission. Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) can utilize various fuels in addition to hydrogen including coal derived sygas, and thus are favored for future power generation due to dependence on coal in electrical industry. However impurities such as sulfur and phosphorous present in coal syngas in parts per million (p.p.m.) levels can severely poison SOFC anode typically made of Ni/yttria-stabilized-zirconia (Ni-YSZ) and limit SOFC applicability in economically derivable fuels. The focus of the research is to develop strategy …

Investigation Of Egr And Fuel Property Effects On Advanced Combustion Strategies Using In-Cylinder Combustion Analyses, Jason D. Ice

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Advanced combustion has progressively become a topic of interest as government regulations have stringently reduced the allowable limits of engine-out emissions from internal combustion engines. Advanced combustion can typically be classified as homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) or premixed charge compression ignition (PCCI). In HCCI combustion, a well mixed fuel and air solution is spontaneously combusted, thus providing a homogeneous burn throughout the combustion process. By having an evenly distributed, homogeneous burn, fuel economy is not only significantly increased, but both oxides of nitrogen (NO x) and particulate matter (PM) can drastically be reduced from that of conventional combustion. HCCI …

Burden Of Care And Health -Related Quality Of Life Among Caregivers Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Rahul Khanna

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Caring for a child with autism is a challenging experience for parents, who also have to assume the role of a caregiver. Several studies have documented the occurrence of negative outcomes among caregivers of children with autism. Autism has been shown to affect every aspect of caregivers' lives, whether it is their mental health, physical health, financial health, or social health. The purpose of this study was to gather in-depth information about the impact of autism on primary caregivers. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used for this purpose. As part of the project, three studies were conducted. Data …

Introduction, John Shuford

Journal of Hate Studies

T

he Institute for Hate Studies at Gonzaga University is pleased to offer Volume 8 of the Journal of Hate Studies, the theme of which is “The Other Among Us.” It is a timely topic, no doubt, as nativism, racism, and extrem- ism boil over in America’s immigration debate. This volume considers those issues as well as a wider range of perspectives on engagement and disengagement with “the other” in our society, culture, and lives.

Imbedded in this volume’s theme are myriad questions. Who is the “other” among us, and what does it mean to be an “other” or to …

Bringing World-Class High-Speed Rail To America: Special General Session, 12th Annual Transportation And Infrastructure Summit, Mti S-09-04, Mti

Mineta Transportation Institute

The 12th Annual Transportation & Infrastructure Summit, held in Irving, Texas on August 11?14, 2009, provided more than 1,100 attendees from 30 states and 13 countries the opportunity to network and interact with elected representatives and influential transportation officials from the United States, and to learn about transportation systems on a global scale. The special session, "Bringing World-Class High-Speed Rail to America," featured representatives from three proposed regional high-speed rail projects currently planned for the United States. Majority Whip of the California State Assembly Fiona Ma shared information about California´s High-Speed Rail Initiative. Assemblywoman Ma talked about her experience on …

Supplement To Mti Study On Selective Passenger Screening In The Mass Transit Rail Environment, Mti Report 09-05, Brian M. Jenkins, Bruce Robert Butterworth, Larry N. Gertson

Mineta Transportation Institute

This supplement updates and adds to MTIs 2007 report on Selective Screening of Rail Passengers (Jenkins and Butterworth MTI 07-06: Selective Screening of Rail Passengers). The report reviews current screening programs implemented (or planned) by nine transit agencies, identifying best practices. The authors also discuss why three other transit agencies decided not to implement passenger screening at this time. The supplement reconfirms earlier conclusions that selective screening is a viable security option, but that effective screening must be based on clear policies and carefully managed to avoid perceptions of racial or ethnic profiling, and that screening must have public support. …

A Case Study Of Enterprise Historic Resources Information Management In Large Transportation Agencies, Mti Report 09-06, Eric E. Ingbar

Mineta Transportation Institute

Historic resources are in some way managed by every transportation agency in the nation. Transportation agencies manage historic and prehistoric archaeological sites, buildings, structures, objects, routes, landscapes, and districts to prevent damage to such resources and to mitigate damage when it is unavoidable. In order to track known resources, transportation agencies often keep local files in a variety of forms, rely upon external sources of information (e.g., historic preservation agencies at the state level), and depend upon staff expertise gained by years of local work. Starting in 1997, Caltrans started a series of surveys of rural rights of way in …

Implementation And Development Of Vehicle Tracking And Immobilization Technologies, Brian Michael Jenkins, Bruce Robert Butterworth, Frances Edwards

Mineta Transportation Institute

Since the mid-1980s, limited use has been made of vehicle tracking using satellite communications to mitigate the security and safety risks created by the highway transportation of certain types of hazardous materials. However, vehicle-tracking technology applied to safety and security is increasingly being researched and piloted, and it has been the subject of several government reports and legislative mandates.

At the same time, the motor carrier industry has been investing in and implementing vehicle tracking, for a number of reasons, particularly the increase in efficiency achieved through better management of both personnel (drivers) and assets (trucks or, as they are …

Applications Of Krische Allylation Towards Natural Product Synthesis., Melvin Rajaratnam

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A short asymmetric synthesis of the anti-cancer natural product Rugulactone has been attempted. The synthetic route begins with a mono-Krische allylation of 1,3-propane diol resulting in (S)-hex-5-ene-1,3-diol. Acylation followed by ring closing metathesis (RCM) led to the desired α-pyranone core. Similarly, we focused on the bis-Krische allylation, selective acylation and the RCM sequence towards total synthesis of various αpyranone natural products and their analogues. The progress toward this synthesis is described.