Digital Commons Network^™

An Examination Of The Fraudulent Factors Associated With Corporate Fraud, Ronald Zmuda

HIM 1990-2015

Between the years 1998 and 2002, the United States suffered a time in which several large companies engaged in fraudulent behavior which eroded investor confidence in the stock market and to some extent destabilized the economy. Audits, which were conducted to assess the validity and reliability of a company's financial statements, were not detecting the material misstatements in the statements. As a result, both the US Government and the accounting profession needed to come up with a way to prevent these immense frauds from occurring in the future. As a response to these large frauds, in 2002, the US Government …

Two Conceptions Of The Mind, Benjamin J. Aguda

HIM 1990-2015

Since the cognitive revolution during the last century the mind has been conceived of as being computer-like. Like a computer, the brain was assumed to be a physical structure (hardware) upon which a computational mind (software) was built. The mind was seen as a collection of independent programs which each have their own specific tasks, or modules. These modules took sensory input "data" and transduced it into language-like representations which were used in mental computations. Recently, a new conception of the mind has developed, grounded cognition. According to this model, sensory stimulus is saved in the original format in which …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Perspectives Educational Implications In The Spanish Bilingual Programs In Primary Education In The Central Florida Region, Caitlin M. Araldi

HIM 1990-2015

The proposed goal of this research was to take the data gathered and implement it in analyzing the potential reformation of programs in need of evaluation, assessing the potential benefits of further development in the field of bilingual education in the United States as a nation. Using data collected in the Central Florida region as a microcosmic example of how existing programs function in the modern elementary educational system, the purpose of this study was to demonstrate through the conduction of interviews with local teachers and currently available research that a more suitable standard for bilingual education is both necessary …

Spatial Ability And Experts Of Needlework Crafts An Exploratory Study, Shannon Kyle Tedder Bailey

HIM 1990-2015

In the Surface Development Test, self-perceived Sewing Expertise was significant in predicting participants' test scores. For the Paper Folding Test, Knitting and Crocheting Expertise were significant, suggesting expertise may mitigate age effects.; Spatial ability has been a topic of much research and debate over the past few decades. Yet, there are gaps in the current literature. Spatial ability refers to the aptitude of an individual to mentally rotate objects, visualize spaces, and recognize patterns (Linn & Petersen, 1985). A highly spatial task that is not addressed in research literature is crafting. Crafting may refer to knitting, crocheting, sewing, and other …

State Income Tax A Double-Edged Sword, Karla Burgos

HIM 1990-2015

States are facing tough economic times as a result of the housing market bubble exploding. States have been declaring budget deficits and major program cuts, since revenues have not kept up with expenditures and rainy day funds have been practically exhausted. State tax revenues have decreased, resulting from a decline in income tax revenues, one of the major sources of revenues for a large number of states (41 in total). A majority of these states have come to depend heavily on the revenue they collect from income taxes, which can represent as much as 40% of state tax revenue. This …

Gold Nanoparticle Generation Using In Situ Reduction On A Photoresist Polymer Substrate, Christopher J. Clukay

HIM 1990-2015

This report presents evidence that in-situ reduction of metal ions bound to a cross-linked polymer surface does not always result in nanoparticle formation solely at the interface, as is commonly assumed, but also as much as 40 nm deep within the polymer matrix. Tetrachloroaurate ions were bound using a variety of multi-functional amines to cured films of SU-8 -- a cross-linkable epoxide frequently used for micro- and nanofabrication -- and then treated using one of several reducing agents. The resulting gold-nanoparticle decorated films were examined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and by plan-view and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. Reduction using sodium …

Using Gis To Determine The Influence Of Wetlands On Cayuga Iroquois Settlement Location Strategies, David J. Birnbaum

HIM 1990-2015

The archaeological record of the Iroquois supports that settlements were regularly relocated during the protohistoric period (1500-1650 A.D.). With the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) computer software, archaeologists may analyze variables potentially resulting in or influencing the movement of settlements. Through the use of spatial analysis, I argue that Cayuga Iroquois settlement locations were influenced by the environmental characteristics of their surrounding landscape. Specifically, wetlands are believed to have influenced settlement location choices in central New York state. This study examines the spatial relationships between wetland habitats and protohistoric period Cayuga Iroquois settlements where swidden maize agriculture comprised most …

An Examination Of Supplemental Educational Services Expectations And Realities In A Large Public School District, Kristin Blair

HIM 1990-2015

On January 8, 2002, President George W. Bush signed the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. This sweeping legislation brought reform to every area of public education by establishing seven performance-based provisions. Supplemental Educational Services is a core aspect of NCLB, designed to meet two of the seven goals: improving academic performance of disadvantaged students and promoting innovative programs. SES tutoring is provided free of charge to parents for students who are eligible for free or reduced lunch and that attend a Title I school that has not made Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, for three or more years. The …

The Role Of Rain In Postclassic Maya Religious Belief, Lillie U. Dao

HIM 1990-2015

The concept of religion and its practice within ancient societies across the world is a subject that has fascinated scientists for centuries. The pre-Columbian Maya codices, first-hand Postclassic hieroglyphic documents, have been examined by hundreds of anthropologists. Analysis of these books has led scientist to hypothesize that these manuscripts were vitally connected to the Maya Postclassic belief system. Understanding the central focus of a civilization's religion and how, why and under what circumstances the religion is practiced truly distinguishes them as a culture. The intent of this thesis is to examine the role of rain in Maya Postclassic religious belief. …

Yoga As A Treatment For Low Back Pain A Systematic Review Of Randomized Controlled Trials, Alison Diaz

HIM 1990-2015

Background: Low back pain is very common and has a tremendous economic impact. With the prevalence and incidence of low back pain on the rise, individuals are turning to alternative treatments. Yoga is the most widely used complementary and alternative medicine treatment for low back pain and it is not fully certain how effective this method is for resolving the symptoms. Objectives: The purpose of this manuscript is to systematically review the current literature for randomized controlled trials that assess the outcomes of yoga intervention in individuals with low back pain. Methods: An electronic database search was performed to analyze …

Attitude Change Regarding Animal Abuse In Adults The Effect Of Education And Visual Aids, Ashley Carter

HIM 1990-2015

Additionally, images of animals alone immediately increased attitudes regarding treatment of animals. This difference does not appear to increase further over time. Images of animals alone appear to aid in immediately altering individuals' sense of continuity with animals. The attitude that animals and humans share some commonalities and exist in relation to each other could assist in adoption campaigns by allowing the potential owners to place themselves with the animals they are adopting. However, over time information combined with images of humans and animals significantly increase this sense of commonality. The applications for the results depend on what type of …

Political Participation And E-Petitioning An Analysis Of The Policy-Making Impact Of The Scottish Parliament's E-Petition System, Ross D. Cotton

HIM 1990-2015

Worldwide, representative democracies have been experiencing declining levels of voter turnout, lower membership levels in political parties, and apathy towards their respective political systems and their ability to influence the political process. E-democracy, and specifically E-petitioning, have been touted as a possible solution to this problem by scholars of electoral systems. In 1999, the Scottish Parliament reconvened for the first time in nearly three hundred years, and quickly set out to change the way politics were handled in Scotland by launching the world's first online E-petition system. Analyzing the Scottish Parliament's E-petition system, and assessing the extent to which it …

Human Resources: A Key Aspect In Company Innovation, Kristin Hall

HIM 1990-2015

Innovation is a key factor for companies. It is also essential on an individual scale for employees. To ensure they are utilizing employees to the utmost efficiency, companies must implement practices to ensure the attraction and retention of top employees. Human resource practices can help to define and explain essential techniques to help employees gain satisfaction from their work, creating intrinsic motivation, and allowing them to ultimately perform more efficiently and perhaps even creatively for the company, helping to generate significant profits. The intent of this thesis is to analyze human resource practices on an empirical study of eight companies …

Exploring The Relationship Between Music Participation On Math Scores And High School Retention, Marin Halperin

HIM 1990-2015

If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music... I get most joy in life out of music.--Albert Einstein In the spirit of recent legislation, educational leaders are in search of ways to ensure a quality education for all students in America, vowing to leave no child behind. Unfortunately, most of the rhetoric surrounding quality in education fails to acknowledge the impact of the arts in standards-based reform initiatives. In fact, some school districts have discussed cutting the …

Prosecutorial Discretion And Plea Bargaining: Is There A Jury Trial Penalty?, Gina Hall

HIM 1990-2015

As the most powerful position of the courtroom workgroup, the prosecutor plays an essential role in the criminal justice system. From the defendant's initial contact with the criminal court process when the prosecutor makes the charging decision, until sentencing when the prosecutor's recommendation guides judicial discretion, prosecutors hold the power to decide a defendant's fate. Despite the parameters that govern their ability to use discretion, the prosecutor still maintains a significant amount of power to influence crucial decisions with regard to the defendant. The current study addresses the issue of prosecutorial discretion and the ability to mishandle the powers bestowed …

What Is The Importance Of Age At Menarche On Adult Height Relative To Other Known Factors?, Pamela M. Kacerosky

HIM 1990-2015

Objectives: To analyze the association between age at menarche, as a measure of sexual maturation, and adult height from ten published studies. Methods: Compared published measurements of age at menarche, adult height, and within-sample relationships observed in ten studies, for women from several societies and socioeconomic backgrounds, living in the 20th century, Results: In these studies, early maturers were taller during pre-puberty, but had shorter adult height then later maturers. Late maturers experience a longer period of pre-pubertal growth and a delayed age of peak height velocity, leading to an extended overall time of growth, until adult stature was obtained. …

Effects Of Input Modality And Expertise On Workload And Video Game Performance, Travis M. Kent

HIM 1990-2015

A recent trend in consumer and military electronics has been to allow operators the option to control the system via novel control methods. The most prevalent and available form of these methods is that of vocal control. Vocal control allows for the control of a system by speaking commands rather than manually inputting them. This has not only implications for increased productivity but also optimizing safety, and assisting the disabled population. Past research has examined the potential costs and benefits to this novel control scheme with varying results. The purpose of this study was to further examine the relationship between …

A Hedonic Analysis Of The Effect Of Expert Wine Ratings On Price And Retailer Profits, Kaitlin D. Neill

HIM 1990-2015

During the last few decades, economists have become interested in the wine industry and several of them have focused on the determinants of price. One characteristic that has been identified as an important determinant is expert wine ratings. Much of the previous research on this topic has focused on relating expert grades to the retail price of wine. Using proprietary data, this paper will test whether these grades influence retail prices as well as retailer profits and wholesale pricing. By analyzing an individual wholesale firm in South Florida and their distribution network, this paper determines the effect expert ratings have …

Approximation By Bernstein Polynomials At The Point Of Discontinuity, Jie Ling Liang

HIM 1990-2015

Chlodovsky showed that if x0 is a point of discontinuity of the first kind of the function f, then the Bernstein polynomials Bn(f, x0) converge to the average of the one-sided limits on the right and on the left of the function f at the point x0. In 2009, Telyakovskii in (5) extended the asymptotic formulas for the deviations of the Bernstein polynomials from the differentiable functions at the first-kind discontinuity points of the highest derivatives of even order and demonstrated the same result fails for the odd order case. Then in 2010, Tonkov in (6) found the right formulation …

Art Teacher Preparation Does The Path To Certification In Florida Matter?, Deanna Jean Price

HIM 1990-2015

For years now, students have been learning from two different types of teachers: Teachers who received certification from a traditional training program at a university and teachers who became certified through alternative certification routes. Does the educational preparation of an art teacher matter? Is alternative certification as effectual as traditional teacher preparation programs? Darling- Hammond (2006) says, "Evidence indicates that teachers who have had more preparation for teaching are more confident and successful with students than those who have had little or none." This thesis will examine and analyze alternative teacher certification in art education for the state of Florida, …

Diaspora Bonds: A Viable Source Of External Financing For Nigeria?, Omolara O. Duke

Bullion

The paper examines the need for external funding, arises from the inadequacy of domestic sources of funds to meet supply gaps and balance of payments (BOP) challenges and the potentials of Nigeria sourcing external financing through the issuance of Diaspora bonds. Following this introduction, Section ll reviews conceptual and empirical literature as well as country experiences on Diaspora bonds issuance. Section lll, discusses the bond market in Nigeria. ln Section lV. the prospects and challenges of issuing Diaspora bonds in Nigeria were highlighted. Section V concludes the paper.

The Effect Of Global Financial Crisis On The Nigerian Capital Market: Lessons For Monetary Policy, Sunday Ogwuche Ameh

Bullion

The paper assesses the effect of the financial crisis on the Nigerian Capital market, and lessons for monetary policy with a view to providing valuable inputs that can be used to update policy decisions in Nigerian economy as well as examining the historical perspective of the recent global financial crisis.

Introduction To The Symposium On 'Financial Risks And Economic Stability In Emerging Market Economies', Lucjan Orlowski

WCBT Faculty Publications

Developing resilience to contagion effects from global financial crises and economic recessions has been an ongoing crucial task for policymakers in emerging market economies. The recent global financial crisis of 2007-2009 has underscored the importance of pursuing disciplined macroeconomic policies and of devising sound macroprudential regulations that would strengthen the immunity of emerging markets and their institutions to various types of risks, including credit, default, sovereign, liquidity and market risks. The studies included in this symposium are not intended to provide a comprehensive overview of financial vulnerabilities in a broad spectrum of emerging markets. Rather, they share a common aim …

Criminal Law, Franklin J. Hogue, Laura D. Hogue

Mercer Law Review

We have culled through the most important criminal cases of this reporting period' and selected those that resulted in changes to criminal case law that will likely have an effect upon the way prosecutors and defense attorneys approach criminal cases in Georgia.

The Art Of Japanese Noh Theatre In Akira Kurosawa’S Throne Of Blood, Minae Yamamoto Savas

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

Maxwell's Equations, Part Iv, David W. Ball

Chemistry Faculty Publications

In this column, we continue our explanation of Maxwell’s equations, the seminal classical explanation of electricity and magnetism (and, ultimately, light). For those of you new to the series, consider finding the last few appearances of this column to get caught up. Alternately, you should be able to find past columns on our website, www.spectroscopymag.com and look for “The Baseline” link. Words of warning: for my own reasons, the figures are being numbered sequentially through this series of columns, which is why the first figure in this column is numbered 26. Also, we’re going to get a bit mathematical. Unfortunately …

Editor's Notebook, William C. Levin

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

Bridgewater Review, Vol. 30, No. 2, December 2011

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Yuck!, Charles F. Angell

Bridgewater Review

Review of:

• Sarah Wu (Mrs. Q), Fed Up with Lunch (Chronicle Books, 2011)

Optimized Built-In Self-Test Technique For Caen-Based Nanofabric Systems, Sambhav Kundaikar, Maciej Zawodniok

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

We propose a built-in self-test (BIST) technique for testing and diagnosis of molecular electronic based nano fabrics. the nano fabric architectures are reconfigurable in nature thus making it possible to utilize general methods similar to those employed for testing of FPGAs. However, a high defect rate in nano fabrics renders the traditional techniques ill-suited. Moreover, the nano blocks offer potential for using a partially damaged nano block due to inherent redundancy of the architecture. This paper presents the design and analysis of testing configurations and optimization scheme that minimizes testing time while improving the utilization of the nano fabric. the …