Digital Commons Network^™

Judicial Innovation And Sexual Harassment Doctrine In The U.S. Court Of Appeals., Laura P. Moyer, Holley Takersley

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

The determination that sexual harassment constituted “discrimination based on sex” under Title VII was first made by the lower federal courts, not Congress. Drawing from the literature on policy diffusion, this article examines the adoption of hostile work environment standards across the U.S. Courts of Appeals in the absence of controlling Supreme Court precedent. The results bolster recent findings about the influence of female judges on their male colleagues and suggest that in addition to siding with female plaintiffs, female judges also helped to shape legal rules that promoted gender equality in the workplace.

Against Employer Dumpster-Diving For Email, Michael Z. Green

Faculty Scholarship

Recent attorney client-privilege cases ojfer a modern understanding of reasonable expectations of employee privacy in the digital age. Today employees are sending an increasing number of electronic mail communications to their attorneys via employer-provided computers or other digital devices with an expectation of privacy and confidentiality. Historically, courts summarily dispensed with these matters by finding that an employer policy establishing employer ownership of any communications made through employer-provided devices eliminated any employee expectation of privacy in the communications and waived any viable privacy challenges to employer review of those communications. Nevertheless, within the last couple of years, several cases involving …

Managing Employees’ Use Of Mobile Technologies To Minimize Work-Life Balance Impacts, Suprateek Sarker, Saonee Sarker, Xiao Xiao, Manju Ahuja

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Organizations recognize that employees’ use of mobile technologies improves productivity. Yet there is concern that mobile usage can impact employees’ work-life balance (WLB). In this article, we report on the undesirable impacts on WLB and offer a framework and a set of strategies for managing WLB. We propose that there is a continuum of WLB perceptions, with some seeing work and personal life as separate domains, others viewing work as overlapping with personal life and yet others perceiving the two domains as integrated

On The Diversity Gain Region Of The Z-Interference Channels, Mohamed S. Nafea, Karim G. Seddik, Mohammed Nafie, Hesham El Gamal

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this work, we analyze the diversity gain region (DGR) of the single-antenna Rayleigh fading Z-Interference channel (ZIC). More specifically, we characterize the achievable DGR of the fixed-power split Han-Kobayashi (HK) approach under these assumptions. Our characterization comes in a closed form and demonstrates that the HK scheme with only a common message is a singular case, which achieves the best DGR among all HK schemes for certain multiplexing gains. Finally, we show that generalized time sharing, with variable rate and power assignments for the common and private messages, does not improve the achievable DGR. © 2012 IEEE.

Molecular Surveillance Of Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza Viruses In Wild Birds Across The United States: Inferences From The Hemagglutinin Gene, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Susan A. Shriner, Kaci K. Vandalen, Alan B. Franklin, Theodore D. Anderson, Sergios-Orestis Kolokotronis

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

A United States interagency avian influenza surveillance plan was initiated in 2006 for early detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIV) in wild birds. The plan included a variety of wild bird sampling strategies including the testing of fecal samples from aquatic areas throughout the United States from April 2006 through December 2007. Although HPAIV was not detected through this surveillance effort we were able to obtain 759 fecal samples that were positive for low pathogenic avian influenza virus (LPAIV). We used 136 DNA sequences obtained from these samples along with samples from a public influenza sequence database for …

Learning Visual Features For The Avatar Captcha Recognition Challenge, Mohammed Korayem, Abdallah A. Mohamed, David Crandall, Roman Yampolskiy

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Captchas are frequently used on the modern world wide web to differentiate human users from automated bots by giving tests that are easy for humans to answer but difficult or impossible for algorithms. As artificial intelligence algorithms have improved, new types of Captchas have had to be developed. Recent work has proposed a new system called Avatar Captcha, in which a user is asked to distinguish between facial images of real humans and those of avatars generated by computer graphics. This novel system has been proposed on the assumption that this Captcha is very difficult for computers to break. In …

Moving Forward With Founders: Strategies For Change In Volunteer Organizations, Paula Rgers Huff, Sue Pleskac

Journal of Extension

Founder's Syndrome can create barriers to change in Extension programs. As a result, Extension staff have experienced challenges in effecting organizational change where Founders are present. 4-H Youth Development staff in Wisconsin applied a variety of strategies to move forward with 4-H programming, despite the influence of the Founders. Staff development has focused on three strategies with regard to Founders: Staff Awareness and Understanding, Training and Support, and Teaching Tools. A comprehensive educational approach that includes multiple strategies is likely to yield the most benefit to Extension staff dealing with Founder's Syndrome in volunteer organizations.

Global 4-H Network: Laying The Groundwork For Global Extension Opportunities, Jennifer Major, Rhonda Miller

Journal of Extension

A descriptive study examining 4-H programs in Africa, Asia, and Europe was conducted to provide understanding and direction in the establishment of a Global 4-H Network. Information regarding structure, organizational support, funding, and programming areas was gathered. Programs varied greatly by country, and many partnered with other 4-H organizations around the world. Few content areas offered by the surveyed countries aligned with their major agricultural commodities, even though content areas were available in the United States 4-H Program. The Global 4-H Network has the potential to fill these holes and provide additional opportunities to global programs.

Characteristics Of Innovations: Lessons Learned From A Statewide Mandatory Implementation Of The Animal Health Network, Lori L. Moore, Theresa Pesl Murphrey, Shannon H. Degenhart, Tom A. Vestal, Shavahn Loux

Journal of Extension

The Animal Health Network is designed to connect state veterinarians with Extension partners and local feed retailers to deliver timely, relevant animal disease-related information to non-commercial livestock and poultry owners. The study reported here explored perceptions of key opinion leaders related to the characteristics of the Network as an innovation. Qualitative interviews conducted with13 stakeholders involved in the implementation of the Network revealed that the relative advantage, complexity, and compatibility of the Network were readily apparent to participants, while trialability and observability were not as pervasive. Findings can assist those attempting to diffuse a concept or idea with similar characteristics.

Serving Clientele With Disabilities: An Assessment Of Texas Fcs Agents' Needs For Implementing Inclusive Programs, Rick L. Peterson, Cheryl Grenwelge, Michael R. Benz, Dalun Zhang, J. Aaron Resch, Geraldo Mireles, Lakshmi Mahadevan

Journal of Extension

This article reports on a qualitative study to assess Texas Family Consumer Science (FCS) Extension professionals' experiences working with individuals with disabilities and their perceived skills in promoting and delivering inclusive educational programming for this audience. Study results indicate that overall Extension educators viewed inclusive programming for individuals with disabilities as favorable but also reported a number of barriers to successfully implement inclusive programs. Educators' most pressing needs included: professional development in the area of disability, inclusive educational strategies and support funds for necessary accommodations. Implications for promoting and delivering inclusive educational programming for communities are addressed.

The Search For Extension: 7 Steps To Help People Find Research-Based Information On The Internet, Paul Hill, Heidi B. Rader, Jeff Hino

Journal of Extension

For Extension's unbiased, research-based content to be found by people searching the Internet, it needs to be organized in a way conducive to the ranking criteria of a search engine. With proper web design and search engine optimization techniques, Extension's content can be found, recognized, and properly indexed by search engines and people. These techniques will improve the ranking of Extension websites on search engine result pages and drive added traffic to Extension's online content.

Using Digital Classrooms To Conduct 4-H Club Meetings, Patricia West, Nicholas E. Fuhrman, A Christian Morgan, Dennis W. Duncan

Journal of Extension

Using computer technology and digital classrooms to conduct 4-H Club meetings is an efficient way to continue delivering quality 4-H programming during times of limited resources and staff. Nineteen Junior and Senior 4-H'ers participated in seven digital classroom workshops using the Wimba Classroom application. These digital classroom sessions were designed to improve Project Achievement development and increase competition scores. Eighteen of the nineteen 4-H participants increased Project Achievement scores by approximately 11%. Seven hours of travel time and 26 hours of instruction time were saved by utilizing digital classroom technology in a 3-month period.

South Carolina's Model For Initiating Hispanic 4-H Clubs, Robert Lippert, Kellye Rembert

Journal of Extension

Over the past 5 years, through the initiative of several county Extension agents, South Carolina 4-H has established a successful model for bringing Hispanic youth into our program. We have found the most effective method is to initiate contact and establish partnerships with the principals and ESOL instructors in the local schools. Through this collaboration, we have started several Hispanic 4-H clubs throughout the State with further expansion in process.

Enhancing Both Cooperative Extension And National Environmental Education Resources, Martha C. Monroe

Journal of Extension

State Extension programs can contribute to the successful adoption of national environmental education programs by making locally relevant resources available, creating reference materials to bridge between 4-H project books and other resources, and developing companion materials that supplement national materials with local issues and resources. Such activities provide opportunities to integrate research and teaching with Extension programs and build productive relationships with agencies and organizations. Seven strategies with examples from one state are explained.

Will Extension Survive? Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service Employees' Perceptions Of Adopter Attributes Of Extension, Xianyan Xu, Kathleen D. Kelsey

Journal of Extension

eXtension was introduced in 2008 as an innovation to rekindle public interest in Extension. The founders forecasted a 75% adoption rate within 1 year. However, adoptions rates have been much lower than expected. The study reported here investigated eight perceived adopter attributes (relative advantage, compatibility, trialability, visibility, ease of use, result demonstrability, image, and voluntariness) of eXtension among Oklahoma Extension employees to identify threats to adoption. Findings indicated that Extension employees generally held negative views of all eight attributes of the innovation. Without profound changes to the innovation and process of adoption, eXtension risks failure in this state.

Social Media In Diabetes Education: A Viable Option?, Julie Cooper, Jill N. Cox, Marilyn A. Corbin

Journal of Extension

As Extension educators are encouraged to implement more cost-effective and efficient means of programming, the use of Web-based social media has become a popular option. Penn State Extension implemented a social media awareness survey among participants in its community-based diabetes education program to determine familiarity with this medium, along with rates of current and future use. Results indicated a level of comfort with email and Facebook options, while many preferred more traditional methods of communication. Future research is needed to determine if this online mode of learning may be more effective in targeting a younger Dining with Diabetes population.

Electronic Commerce Adoption In The Hardwood Industry, Kathryn G. Arano, Ben Spong

Journal of Extension

The U.S. hardwood industry must follow the lead of corporate America in adopting e-commerce to remain competitive domestically and globally. A mail survey was conducted to investigate e-commerce adoption and trends among West Virginia primary and secondary hardwood industries. About 47% of the respondents have adopted e-commerce in their business. Factors influencing e-commerce adoption include firm output, export activity, and industry type. The top three reasons for adopting e-commerce include greater exposure to potential customers, improvement of service to customers, and improvement of company's competitiveness. The three major concerns for not adopting e-commerce include profitability, information security, and cost.

Perceptions Of The Training Needs Of The Newest Members Of The Extension Family, Jacklyn A. Bruce, Jessica Anderson

Journal of Extension

The study reported here investigated the perceived importance and proficiency of leadership skills to new North Carolina Cooperative Extension agents. The researchers utilized a Web-based survey questionnaire that incorporated Leadership Skills Inventory (LSI) developed by Jones (2006). According to Moore (2003), the leadership skills are developed into six categories: human skills, emotional intelligence skills, conceptual skills, technical skills, communication skills, and industry knowledge skills. Overall, new Extension agents felt that communication and industry knowledge skills were ranked as the least important and least proficient skills.

Technical Feasibility Of Small-Scale Oilseed And On-Farm Biodiesel Production: A Vermont Case Study, Emily J. Stebbins-Wheelock, Robert Parsons, Qingbin Wang, Heather Darby, Vernon P. Grubinger

Journal of Extension

This article investigates the technical feasibility of small-scale oilseed production and on-farm processing of biodiesel and livestock feed using primary data from two Vermont farms. Results indicate that small-scale production of sunflowers, canola, and soybeans, and on-farm processing of livestock feed and biodiesel are technically feasible, but yields depend on many factors. Increased local expertise, information-sharing among the farm and Extension communities, and improved access to harvesting and processing equipment can improve productivity and efficiency. Additional experience in seed drying and expeller pressing techniques should reduce fat content in the seed meal, improve meal value, and improve oil production efficiency.

Tools For Creating Mobile Applications For Extension, Sabrina L. Drill

Journal of Extension

Considerations and tools for developing mobile applications for Extension include evaluating the topic, purpose, and audience. Different computing platforms may be used, and apps designed as modified Web pages or implicitly programmed for a particular platform. User privacy is another important consideration, especially for data collection apps. Several useful tools already exist for using mobile devices for data collection, as well as for mundane tasks like volunteer management and effort tracking.

Viticulture Education Via Blogging, Eric T. Stafne

Journal of Extension

Extension educators must become creative to increase impact at a reduced cost. A blog from the Oklahoma State University viticulture and enology program through Wordpress engaged industry members about grape growing. The most views were during March and June, important months in the season. Off-season months (October through January) resulted in fewer readers. Views were consistent throughout the workweek, but declined during the weekend. A visual complement to a blog entry, such as a photo, may encourage readers to view content. Overall, the blog expand the reach of the Oklahoma viticulture and education program at no added expense.

Increasing Response Rates To Web-Based Surveys, Martha C. Monroe, Damian C. Adams

Journal of Extension

We review a popular method for collecing data—Web-based surveys. Although Web surveys are popular, one major concern is their typically low response rates. Using the Dillman et al. (2009) approach, we designed, pre-tested, and implemented a survey on climate change with Extension professionals in the Southeast. The Dillman approach worked well, and we generated response rates as high as 79%. However, the method was not problem-free. We share several lessons learned and recommendations for increasing response rates with Web-based surveys and draw attention to the importance of personalized and repeated contact for improving survey response rates.

Piety And Profession: Simon Greenleaf And The Case Of The Stillborn Bowdoin Law School, 1850–1861, Alfred S. Konefsky

Journal Articles

In 1850, Bowdoin College turned to former Harvard professor Simon Greenleaf when it sought to establish a law school. Although the school did not materialize, Greenleaf wrote a remarkable report that reveals anxieties about the profession, competing visions of legal education, and controversies over the meaning of the science of law in antebellum New England.

Filesystems: Addressing The Last-Mile “Problem” In Services-Oriented/Cloud Computing, George K. Thiruvathukal, Joseph P. Kaylor, Konstantin Läufer

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

We have designed and implemented RestFS, a software framework that provides a uniform, configurable connector layer for mapping remote web-based resources to local filesystem-based resources, recognizing the similarity between these two types of resources. Such mappings enable programmatic access to a resource, as well as composition of two or more resources, through the local operating system’s standard filesystem application programming interface (API), script-able file-based command-line utilities, and interprocess communication (IPC) mechanisms. The framework supports automatic and manual authentication.

As part of this talk, we demonstrate a new filesystem that interfaces to the SketchFab.com service to support 3D model visualization. For …

Evidence-Based Policy For Asymptomatic Bacteriuria In The Institutionalized Elderly, Anna Rachel Olson

Doctoral Scholarly Projects & Capstones

The practice of mistaking asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) for urinary tract infections (UTI) is widespread in nursing homes and is contributing to patient overtreatment and adverse side effects such as clostridium difficile and multi-drug resistant microorganisms. The purpose of this DNP capstone project was to (a) write evidence-based policy and procedures (P&Ps) for evaluating institutionalized elders with clinical status changes when UTI was suspected, (b) utilize nursing leadership teams (NLT) in four northern Colorado nursing homes to implement evidence-based practice (EBP), and (c) evaluate implementation methods for their success in changing practice. Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, Plsek’s philosophy of adopting innovation in …

The Pragmatic Role Of Code-Switching And Simultaneous Production During Play Contexts Of Bimodal Bilingual Hearing Children Of Deaf Parents, John R. Hanson

Theses

It is difficult, if not impossible to find another code-switching condition that allows for the production of "simultaneous" language use in communication like that which is found in bimodal bilingualism. In 2002, Bauer, Hall, and Kruth conducted a study that examined code-switching in a play context for a German/English bilingual child. Emmorey, Borinstein, and Thomson in 2005 investigated bimodal bilingualism in adults. However there has not been a study like these for hearing children using ASL/English who have Deaf parents. By applying Bauer, Hall, and Kruth's study as a template for research into code-switching and adapting some of the processes …

Southern Illinois Gis Mapping For Next Generation 9-1-1, William Lee Barrett

Theses

Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG 9-1-1) will revolutionize how the public accesses emergency services and will alter the technological landscape within which existing public safety agencies operate. A lack of systematic methodologies exists for quality control of the required geospatial data layers for NG 9-1-1 systems. The primary objective of this study was to develop and systematize a highly accurate NG 9-1-1 GIS database for Counties of Southern Illinois (CSI). The project goals included mapping relevant geospatial data layers required by and based on NENA standard data formats; conducting data quality control and standardization; and providing standardized spatial datasets for NG …

How Parents Use Television To Enrich Their Children's Cultural Identity: The Case Study Of Shalom Sesame And Jewish Life, Elizabeth Michele Spezia

Theses

A small-scale ethnographic case study of young children's learning from television in southern Illinois provides understanding about the frameworks used for interpreting media use in family life. The research consisted of in-home interviews about patterns of using the media, observations, and family diaries of children's viewing behavior to examine family engagement with a prosocial television program, Shalom Sesame, depicting Jewish culture, Hebrew language, holidays, and the land of Israel. Family responses to the program are identified in terms of appeal, use, and overall fit with Jewish identity and tradition in the homes. Data analysis reveals that quality educational program features …

The Creation Of Student-Run Public Relations Firms: A Historical Look At Student-Run Firms, Hannah Hazdovac

Journalism

This study explores the history and background of student-run public relations firms on

college campuses and the benefits, if any, that students receive as a result of working

in such a firm. The public relations industry estimated at growing 18 percent between

2006 and 2016 (Todd, 2009). Even with the sudden expansion of the public relations

industry, and subsequently, public relations education, evidence suggests that recent

public relations graduates often times do meet entry-level outcome expectancies of

employers, leaving a need for a change in curriculum (Creedon, Dostal, Gael, Smith &

Walker, 1999). It is becoming increasingly more important to …

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Campaign 2012 And Beyond: Awareness And Participation For Behavioral Change, Ebony Chetto

Journalism

The following study investigates how to develop and maintain a health outreach program in order to make a behavior change in participating in the breast cancer movement. The number of women becoming affected by breast cancer is increasingly growing, and the students who developed the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Campaign saw the need to raise awareness of this disease on campus and in the community. The campaign’s focus was to create and publicize an outreach event called Rock the Tatas, a fundraising concert to support the fight against breast cancer. With scholarly research, the design of the campaign attempts …