Digital Commons Network^™

Gateway Magazine, The Murray State News, January 1, 2011, The Murray State News

Murray State University Collection

No abstract provided.

A Right But Wrong Place: Righting And Rewriting Citizens United, Harold Anthony Lloyd

South Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

Melendez-Diaz V. Massachusetts: Testing The Adaptation Of The Confrontation Clause To Neutral Analysts And Developing Technology, Stacy R. Huss

South Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

Domain Independent Sentiment Classification With Many Lexicons, Bruno Ohana, Brendan Tierney, Sarah Jane Delany

Conference papers

Sentiment lexicons are language resources widely used in opinion mining and important tools in unsupervised sentiment classification. We present a comparative study of sentiment classification of reviews on six different domains using sentiment lexicons from different sources. Our results highlight the tendency of a lexicon’s performance to be imbalanced towards one class, and indicate lexicon accuracy varies with the target domain. We propose an approach that combines information from different lexicons to make classification decisions and achieve more robust results that consistently improve our baseline across all domains tested. These are further refined by a domain independent score adjustment that …

Audience Feedback As An Influence On Graphic Design Problem Solving, Christopher Petrides

Theses

User-generated feedback is arguably the most efficient tool to evaluate a specific product or service. Even though it is widely used to evaluate and subsequently improve video game design, it is not commonly used for graphic design applications. The aim of this thesis is to demonstrate how user-generated feedback can be utilized to improve existing graphic design applications. Specifically, three types of feedback collection vehicles were selected for use in graphic design: personal observation, evaluation polls, and existing video game design feedback. In order to demonstrate the advantage of using user generated feedback, information collected through the feedback collection vehicles …

The Impacts Of Culture On Cross-Border Mergers And Acquisitions Post-Financial Performance In The Banking Industry Using Multi-Group Structural Equation Modeling, Tarek Kandil

Plymouth Business School Theses

This thesis is concerned with the impacts of national culture on the cross-border-mergers and acquisitions performance in the banking industry across Egypt and UK through studying the role of the human side as a mediator variable. The main conceptual framework has been developed based on the GLOBE cultural project. It perceives the national culture as a multi-dimensional construct that interacts between levels. The thesis consists of a mixed methods approach which investigated international mergers and acquisitions by banks in Egypt and the UK from 2004 to 2007. The data collection process was carried out between June 2008 and November 2009 …

The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Process In Public Higher Education Institutions And Effects On Organizational Performance: A Historical Perspective, Bill D. Bailey

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Public undergraduate higher education institutions face a number of seemingly intractable problems. Among those problems are cost, accountability and access. The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award process is designed to help organization of any type address problems of organizational performance. This process has been used by manufacturing, healthcare, and educational institutions among others. The purpose of this study was to explore performance differences between award recipients and non-recipients on measures related to these three challenges in public higher education. Two major research questions were postulated, and tested using historical data. The first questions asked if award recipients performed better than …

Graduation Success: Identifying And Overcoming Challenging Demographic Factors To Reduce High School Dropouts, Robert W. Schultz

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The importance of students completing high school with a diploma is the focus of increasing social, economic, and political attention across the United States. Posing a strong challenge to efforts to increase graduation rates are several key demographic factors. This study examines, through a case study, an Indiana high school that overcame the challenge of negative demographic factors to achieve a graduation rate above the state average for four consecutive years (2006-2009). Researching databases maintained by the Indiana Department ofEducation revealed specific demographic factors that had a strong correlation to graduation rates in Indiana. The four demographic factors with the …

A Sense Of Place: Branding The Richardson Olmsted Complex Through Architectural Motif, Lisa Mauro

Theses

(keywords: Henry Hobson Richardson, Frederick Law Olmsted, Thomas Kirkbride, Romanesque architecture, Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane, 19th century English design reformers, Richardsonian Romanesque, motif, psychology of pattern, pattern design, architectural ornament, place-branding, Buffalo, NY) Motif design and repeat patterns have been used to decorate, communicate and imbue surface with meaning across cultures and eras. It is also evident that pattern satisfies a fundamental psychological need in humans for order and beauty. Motifs are a well-suited graphic design basis from which to create an effective branding strategy with potential to communicate with a subliminal power and in a way that …

Potential Additional Revenues For Kosovo / [Presentation Given May 16, 2011], Lindita Toci

Theses

Kosovo has inherited a weak economy, and dilapidated infrastructure. The main objective of the Kosovo Government is to create preconditions for economic growth. The objective of this research is to find the potential for additional revenues, by finding possibilities to intervene on existing taxes and introducing new taxes, and in the same time to take into account the harmonization of taxes with EU and region countries. Three sources of potential extra revenues were considered such as VAT, excise tax, and introducing new tax as transfer on real estate and as transfer on vehicles.

Advancing Our Knowledge Of Adhd In Latino Children: Psychometric And Cultural Properties Of Spanish-Versions Of Parental/Family Functioning Measures, Lauren M. Haack, Alyson C. Gerdes, Brian W. Schneider, Gabriela Dieguez Hurtado

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

The lack of available Spanish versions of assessment measures contributes to insufficient research and underutilization of mental health services for Latino children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Thus, the goal of the current study was to examine the psychometric and cultural properties of several Spanish versions of parental/family functioning measures commonly used in comprehensive ADHD assessments (i.e., the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale, Alabama Parenting Questionnaire, and Confusion, Hubbub, and Order Scale). Participants included 68 Spanish-speaking, Latino parents in Southeast Wisconsin. In general, the Spanish translations of the measures demonstrated good reliability and validity. Furthermore, the psychometrically-sound measures were significantly related …

Culturally-Modified Recruitment Strategies For Latino Families In Clinical Child Research: A Critical First Step, Lauren M. Haack, Alyson C. Gerdes, Bethdalie Cruz, Brian W. Schneider

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

The goals of the current study were to develop and employ culturally-modified recruitment strategies utilizing flexibility and creativity to combat practical and cultural barriers to Latino participation in clinical child research, as well as to quantitatively examine individual and cultural factors related to the different recruitment strategies. In total, 45 Latino parents were successfully recruited and primarily included married mothers of Mexican origin with varied socioeconomic backgrounds. To address the first study goal, an initial culturally-modified recruitment strategy (i.e., postcard strategy, n = 23) was developed to combat both practical and cultural barriers; an augmented strategy (i.e., face-to-face strategy, n …

Back Matter

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

No abstract provided.

Social Capital, Solidarity, And Cohort Effect —An Analysis Of The Production Of Social Capital Among Union Miners In Harlan County, Kentucky, Feng Hao

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The coal industry exercises a pervasive influence on mining communities in Appalachia, even though it exerts enormous damages on the environment and makes limited contributions to employment and the advancement of the communities. One explanation for this paradox offered by Bell is a depletion of social capital among coalfield residents in Central Appalachia (2009). Her data suggests that the “ripping away” of the region’s strong union identity lead to a resocialization, “from a ‘we’ mentality to an ‘I’ mentality, thus demising the store of social capital” (2009:655). My research aims to interpret how social capital resources among union miners was …

Library Instruction For Freshman English: A Multi-Year Assessment Of Student Learning, Susan Gardner Archambault

Librarian Publications & Presentations

Abstract Objective – The objective of this study was twofold: 1) to assess the effectiveness of curriculum changes made from the 2009 freshman English library instruction curriculum to the 2010 curriculum at Loyola Marymount University (LMU); and 2) to evaluate the effectiveness of library instruction delivered via a “blended” combination of face-to-face and online instruction versus online instruction alone.

Methods – An experimental design compared random samples of student scores from 2009 and 2010 worksheets to determine the effects of a new curriculum on student learning. A second experiment examined the effect of delivery method on student learning by comparing …

Osgoode Syllabus Of Courses And Seminars: 2011 - 2012, Office Of Student Services

Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Generational Shift And Drug Abuse In Older Americans, John B. White, David F. Duncan, Thomas Nicholson, Dana Bradley, John Bonaguro

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Since the problem of substance abuse by older adults began to receive serious professional attention, the focus has been almost exclusively on alcohol abuse. This reality is changing as the “baby boomers” age. We examined data from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (1985) and the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2006) comparing nationwide prevalence of both legal and illicit drugs. Use of drugs by category varied over the study period; some showed little change (e.g., alcohol) while others showed marked increase (e.g., marijuana, cocaine). We found that the population of older Americans in 2006 contained greater …

The Effect Of Stress On Story Generation, Elizabeth J. Mcclung

Theses

No abstract provided.

Seductive Power : A Re-Evaluation Of Salome In Elizabeth Cary's The Tragedy Of Mariam, Raluca Markow

Theses

No abstract provided.

On The Power Of Secondary Confessions, Stacy Ann Wetmore

Theses

No abstract provided.

Revisiting Scriblerian Satire : "Martinus Scriblerus," Pope, And Swift, William K. Medlen

Theses

No abstract provided.

Not Yet Married: The Implications Of Meanings Of Marriage On Youths In Singapore, Paulin T. Straughan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Marriage is a social construct that takes on different meanings as societies develop and mature. To understand why people get married, it is important that we understand what marriage means. This paper will discuss the social transformation of marriage in Asia using Singapore as a case study. To examine two demographic trends- delayed marriage, and the increasing proportion of people who remain single - this discourse also explores the constraints imposed by contradictions between traditional norms and modern expectations. In the midst of these ideological challenges, there are important implications for the practice of marriage among younger Singaporeans. We see …

Towards A Cleaner Singapore: Sociological Study On Littering In Singapore, Paulin Tay Straughan, Narayanan Ganapathy, Daniel Goh, Everold Hosein

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Keeping Singapore clean has always been the priority of the National Environment Agency (NEA). We have made much progress over the years, but as Singapore's population grows amid changing demographics, littering remains a concern.

Evolving With The Times: The Changing Landscape Of Work Life Integration In Singapore, Paulin Tay Straughan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This year, we celebrate 10 years of our journey and look toward a new chapter in our history as we communicate the relevance and increasing importance of Work-Life strategies for developing human capital today. We consolidated research studies on Work-Life Integration to date so as to understand what has been accomplished in this field and set directions and trends for future research. We commissioned A/P Paulin Tay Straughan, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences and Deputy Head of the Department of Sociology at the National University of Singapore, to conduct this research. The study unearthed several interesting …

E Pluribus Plurum, Or, How To Fail To Back Into A State In Spite Of Really Trying, Chandran Kukathas

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

“The framework for utopia,” Robert Nozick tells us at the beginning of the fi nal section of Part iiiof Anarchy, State, and Utopia( ASU), “is equivalent to the minimal state” (p. 333). The rich andcomplex body of argumentation of Parts iand iihad produced theconclusion that the minimal, and no more than a minimal, statewas legitimate or morally justifi ed. What Part iiireveals is that theminimal state “is the one that best realizes the utopian aspirationsof untold dreamers and visionaries” (p. 333). Although this happyconvergence is surely no accident, neither, Nozick insists, is it contrived, for it is the conclusion reached …

Internal Control Weakness And Bank Loan Contracting: Evidence From Sox Section 404 Disclosures, Jeong-Bon Kim, Byron Y. Song, Liandong Zhang

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

Using a sample of borrowing firms that disclosed internal control weaknesses (ICW) under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, this study compares various features of loan contracts between firms with ICW and those without ICW. Our results show the following. First, the loan spread is higher for ICW firms than for non-ICW firms by about 28 basis points, after controlling for other known determinants of loan contract terms. Second, firms with more severe, company-level ICW pay significantly higher loan rates than those with less severe, account-level ICW. Third, lenders impose tighter nonprice terms on firms with ICW than on those …

Mate Preferences In The Us And Singapore: A Cross-Cultural Test Of The Mate Preference Priority Model, Norman P. Li, Katherine A. Valentine, Lily Patel

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Sex differences have been found in mate preferences across several decades. Especially for long-term partners, men tend to value physical attractiveness and women tend to value social status. However, the sexes both value various other traits even more highly. Such findings thus diminish the importance of the sex differences and challenge the theoretical importance that evolutionary psychologists place on physical attractiveness and social status. Using a budget allocation methodology to examine mate preferences in both the US and Singapore, we found not only the usual sex differences, but also evidence that men prioritize physical attractiveness and women prioritize social status …

Sham Marriages, Ancillary Powers, And Moral Discourse: Toh Seok Kheng V. Huang Huiqun; Adp V. Adq, Siyuan Chen

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Is marriage an institution (of public morality) or a contract (of private ordering)? In Toh Seok Kheng, the High Court concluded that it was unable to declare a “sham marriage” void just because the motives behind the marriage seemed improper. In ADP, the High Court held that since a void marriage meant there was no marriage to begin with, the “wife” was not entitled to maintenance, and there could not have been any “matrimonial assets” to be divided, unless she had a strong “moral” claim. This piece considers how the aforementioned moral-contractual dichotomy emerges in these cases.

The Unimportance Of Being "Electronic" Or Popular Misconceptions About “Internet Contracting”, Eliza Mik

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Existing e-commerce literature abounds with misconceptions regarding both technology and contract law. Long-standing legal concepts are adorned with “e-” or “cyber-” to appear more exciting. The traditional contractual regime issupplanted with new principles instead of being supplemented with technological considerations. It is one thing, to include technology in legal analyses, it is another to create separate, technology-specific categories. Separate categories justify the departure from traditional principles. Most, if not all, alleged “challenges” created by new communication scenarios fit within the existing legal framework, technological complexity and novelty of the Internet notwithstanding. Most “challenges” are also unrelated to the fact that …

Responsibility Of Schools In Dispensing Equal Justice: A Singapore Case Study, Rathna Nathan

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The gap between the needs of indigents and the state subsidised legal services or pro bono legal services exist in all societies. Traditionally, the state and the legal fraternity have assumed responsibility to bridge this gap. Law schools have traditionally and culturally confined themselves to the academic instruction of the law. This paper considers whether law schools have an equal responsibility to plug this gap. Four main issues are considered. First, law schools have a professional responsibility to instill legal professionalism in law students, which includes educating students in a pro bono culture. Second, these responsibilities can be effectively discharged …