Digital Commons Network^™

In-Ground Optical Fibre Bragg Grating Pressure Switch For Security Applications, Gary Allwood, Graham Wild, Steven Hinckley

Research outputs 2012

In this study, a fibre Bragg grating (FBG) was embedded beneath three common flooring materials acting as a pressure switch for in-ground intrusion detection. This is achieved using an intensiometric detection system, where a laser diode and FBG were optically mismatched so that there was a static dc offset from the transmitted and reflected optical power signals. As pressure was applied, in the form of a footstep, a strain induced wavelength shift occurred that could then be detected by converting the wavelength shift into an intensity change. The change in intensity caused a significant change in the DC offset which …

A Technical Guide To Effective And Accessible Web Surveys, Gregory Baatard

Research outputs 2012

The Internet is becoming an increasingly prominent medium for the administration of surveys. Although individual findings vary, the majority of the literature agrees that the appropriateness and response rates of web surveys is expected to rise in the future as we enter a generation of "digital natives" and mail-based communication becomes increasingly antiquated. Just about every aspect and tenet of traditional survey methodology has received attention in academic literature, positioning it as one of the most mature data collection techniques and a mainstay in all areas of research. While much of this accumulated knowledge is applicable and relevant to web …

Cca3101/4101 Environmental Humanities: The History Of A Unit Through An Ecopedagogical Lens, John Ryan

Research outputs 2012

In 2011 the author taught, for the first time, the well-established unit CCA3101/4101 Environmental Humanities in the School of Communications and Arts at ECU (Edith Cowan University) in Western Australia. The unit has a 20-year history through associate professor Rod Giblett and parallels the development of the environmental humanities as a field in Australia, advanced since the 1990s by environmental scholars Deborah Bird Rose, Val Plumwood, Libby Robin, and Rod Giblett. The interdisciplinary field represents growing scholarly interest in the ecological aspects of humanities disciplinesincluding literature, visual arts, theology, philosophy, and cultural studies—and the development of humanities-based approaches for addressing …

Humanity's Bioregional Places: Linking Space, Aesthetics, And The Ethics Of Reinhabitation, John Ryan

Research outputs 2012

Originally theorized as a radical environmental movement, bioregionalism connects humanity to the specificities of a place. To establish greater cohesion between environments and cultures, bioregionalism endeavors to integrate societal activities and the nuances of natural spaces known as bioregions. The criticism of bioregionalism, however, pertains to the shortcomings of circumscribing culture within ecological boundaries. In light of its criticism, bioregionalism can strengthen its theoretical basis and its potential for cultural change by engaging critically with space, aesthetics, and ethics. This engagement first involves the recognition of bioregionalism as an ethical possibility based on the fundamental spatial unit of the watershed. …

Process Philosophy And The Text-Image Interface: A Study Of Three Western Australian Botanical Illustrators, John Ryan

Research outputs 2012

Botanical illustration combines scientific knowledge and artistic technique. However, whereas illustrated botanical images record static visual qualities, such as form and color, written botanical narratives supply crucial sensory, ecological, historical, and cultural contexts that complement visual representation. Understanding the text-image interface—where images and words intersect—contributes to humanities-based analyses of botanical illustration and illustrators. More specifically, a process philosophy perspective reveals the extent to which botanical representations engage the temporality, cyclicality, and contextuality of the living plants being illustrated. This article takes up these themes through a comparative theoretical study of three female Western Australian botanical illustrators, Georgiana Leake (1812–1869), Emily …

Theory, Figures Of Merit, And Design Recipe Of The Plasmonic Structure Composed Of A Nano-Slit Aperture Surrounded By Surface Corrugations, Guangyuan Li, Feng Xiao, Kun Li, Kamal Alameh, Anshi Xu

Research outputs 2012

We theoretically investigate a widely-used plasmonic structure composed of a nano-slit aperture surrounded by surface corrugations. A systematical semi-analytical theory in form of two nested coupled-mode models is developed to provide intuitive physical pictures. Based on the theory, figures of merit (FoMs) of the structures designed for normal and for oblique incidence/beaming are defined for the first time to incorporate the interlinks among key structural parameters, making global optimization simple and efficient. Both the theory and the FoMs are quantitatively validated with exhaustive calculations and shown to be highly accurate on performance prediction and structural optimization. With the theory and …

Unidirectionally Optical Coupling From Free Space Into Silicon Waveguide With Wide Flat-Top Angular Efficiency, K Li, G Li, Feng Xiao, Fan Lu, Zhonghua Wang, A Xu

Research outputs 2012

A grating coupling scheme from free-space light into silicon waveguide with a remarkable property of wide flat-top angular efficiency is proposed and theoretically investigated. The coupling structure is composed of two cascaded gratings with a proper distance between their peak angular efficiencies. A quantitative semi-analytical theory based on coupled-mode models is developed for performance prediction and validated with the fully vectorial aperiodic Fourier modal method (a-FMM). With the theory, wide flat-top angular response is achieved and the conditions are pointed out. Proof-of-principle demonstrations show that the -1 dB angular widtha figure of merit to evaluate the flat-top performanceis broadened to …

Gaas Based Long-Wavelength Microring Resonator Optical Switches Utilising Bias Assisted Carrier-Injection Induced Refractive Index Change, S Ravindran, A Datta, Kamal Alameh, Yong Tak Lee

Research outputs 2012

We propose and analyse a GaAs-based optical switch having a ring resonator configuration which can switch optical telecommunication signals over the 1300 nm and 1500 nm bands, using bias assisted carrier injection as the switching mechanism. The switching is achieved through variation in the refractive index of the ring resonator produced by changing the injected carrier density through the application of bias voltage. Detail analysis of the switching characteristics reveals that the amount of switching depends on the refractive index change, which indeed is a strong function of injected carrier density and applied bias voltage. An isolation of 25 dB …

Sirtuin-1 Mediates The Obesity Induced Risk Of Common Degenerative Diseases: Alzheimer's Disease, Coronary Artery Disease And Type 2 Diabetes, Ian Martins, Andrea Wilson, Wei Ling Lim, Simon Laws, Stephanie Fuller, Ralph Martins

Research outputs 2012

Obesity, especially at mid-life, is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis, insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome, which in turn contrib- ute to coronary artery disease (CAD), Type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The rise in overweight and obesity in all societies is prompting intense research into the causes and effects of the condition. Obesity disrupts many body systems including glucose and lipid me- tabolism, circadian rhythms and liver function. It also causes or increases inflammation and oxi- dative stress. Within cells, the endoplasmic re- ticulum (ER) appears to be particularly suscep- tible to such metabolic disruption. Sirtuin 1 …

Performance Of Termite-Hill Routing Algorithm On Sink Mobility In Wireless Sensor Networks, Adamu M Zungeru, Li-Minn Ang, Kah Phooi Seng

Research outputs 2012

High efficient and energy-aware routing is an important issue for the design of resource constrained environments like Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). Many protocols have been developed for WSN that try to overcome the constraints that characterized this type of networks. Termite based routing protocols can add a significant contribution to assist in the maximization of the network lifetime without performance degradation. But this is only possible by means of an adaptable and balanced algorithm that takes into account the main constraints of WSN. This paper presents a biological inspired self-organized routing protocol for WSN which is based on termite colony …

Volume 37, No. 1

The Weldon Times

A student-run newspaper published at the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University.

Editor in Chief: Max Rothschild

Layout Editor: Kate Rothschild

Editors: Suzanne Kittle, Phil Moreria

Aku Newsletter : Winter 2012, Volume 13, Issue 1, Aga Khan University

The Aga Khan University Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Intervention Procedures To Encourage Verbal Language In Children With Autism, Katie M. Blankenship

Research Papers

No abstract provided.

A Suggested Methodology For The Application Of Parent Training In Teaching Verbal Behavior To Children With Autism, Amanda L. Moretto

Research Papers

One diagnostic criterion of an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a dysfunction of or lack of communication. Many individuals with autism struggle to communicate effectively and require extensive training to use verbal behavior. Parent training has been shown to be successful in teaching a variety of skills to children with autism; this paper compiles various aspects of parent training and teaching verbal behavior to children with autism in order to form a methodology of teaching parents to help their children communicate effectively.

Why Gender Matters: A Partial Test Of Travis Hirschi's Element Of Attachment, Danielle Ashley Rios Ms.

Research Papers

Recent studies have demonstrated the important role gender plays in determining the likelihood of involvement in delinquent behavior. Earlier theories of delinquency, including Hirschi’s theory of social control have ignored the importance of gender by ignoring females all together. Using data derived from Wave 1 of the National Youth Survey, the purpose of this study is to conduct a partial test of Hirschi’s Social Control theory to determine whether the theory can properly explain not only delinquency in boys, but also delinquency among girls.

Prescriptive Jurisdiction, Adjudicative Jurisdiction, And The Ministerial Exemption, Howard M. Wasserman

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Unf Journal Winter 2012, University Of North Florida

UNF Journal

A university periodical for alumni and friends of the University of North Florida.

Coming Out And Being Out In The Executive Suite: The Experiences Of Senior Gay And Lesbian Leaders, Eric Lutzo

Student Scholarship

Research on experiences of gays and lesbians in the executive suite is almost nonexistent. We conducted\, to our knowledge\, the first empirical study specifically focused on gay and lesbian senior executives who came out in their organizations at late career stages. Phenomenological interviews with 25 executives revealed prioritization of professional vs. personal identity both before and after coming out\, emphasized the recursive nature of coming out in the executive suite and showed positive organizational outcomes of personal intentional change when gay and lesbian executives leverage their status to promote policy and culture reforms.,Doctorate of Management Programs

The Elusive "Marketplace" In Post-Bilski Jurisprudence, Andrew Chin

Campbell Law Review

The Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in Bilski v. Kappos appears to have provided inadequate guidance to the courts and the Patent Office regarding the scope of the abstract-ideas exclusion from patentable subject matter. Federal Circuit Chief Judge Randall R. Rader, however, appears to have found in that decision a clear vindication of his own view that the machine-or-transformation test is incorrectly grounded in “the age of iron and steel at a time of subatomic particles and terabytes,” and thus fails, for example, to accommodate advances in “software [that] transform[] our lives without physical anchors.” Chief Judge Rader has subsequently authored …

Traditional And Nontraditional Dean's Multi Level Multi Dimensional Complexity Leadership, Nicholas Spezza

Student Scholarship

The higher education leadership literature has little to say about nontraditional candidates (executives who have never held a full time faculty post) and their ability to perform in senior leadership roles in higher education administration. We conducted a qualitative research design to capture the lived experiences of participants in higher education administration. We interviewed 21 deans in higher educational institutions. Our findings show that deans operate within what we label as a Multi Level Multi Dimensional System (MLMDS). We view this MLMDS through the lens and disciplines emerging from Complexity Leadership Theory (CLT). We also find the higher education environment …

Model Practice Building: Case Examples, Center For Public Health Systems Science, Stephanie Andersen, Rachel Barth, Laura Brossart

Center for Public Health Systems Science

This case study from the Missouri Foundation for Health Healthy and Active Communities Initiative (H&AC) provides examples of Model Practice Building strategies. Five MPB grantees were identified as Model Practices and are included as case examples in this report. The Model Practices and lessons learned were used by MFH to guide future funding decisions.

Millennial Integration: Challenges Millennials Face In The Workplace And What They Can Do About Them, Chip Espinoza

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

There is a monumental changing of the guard that is currently taking place in organizations due to demographic metabolism. One of the largest birth cohorts or generations in history (Baby Boomer) is beginning to retire while their predecessor (Builder) is almost completely out of the workforce. Gen X is hitting stride and on the cusp of inheriting the proverbial organizational mantle. The three aforementioned age cohorts have learned to play in the organizational sandbox together. However, a new age cohort (Millennial, a.k.a. Gen Y), equal or greater in size to the Baby Boomer cohort started entering the playground approximately ten …

Wglt Program Guide, January-February, 2012, Illinois State University

WGLT Program Guides

This guide details programming for WGLT, a public radio station owned by Illinois State University.

Old Europe, New Europe, Eastern Europe: Reflections On A Minor Character In Fassbinder’S Ali, Fear Eats The Soul, Anca Parvulescu

Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies Faculty Research

In today's Europe, the term Eurosceptic often accompanies accusations of retrograde nationalism, irrational feelings, even fanaticism. When applied to Europe, skepticism, one of the critic's formative traits, acquires a bad reputation, as if it can only be an annihilating, rather than constructive, form of doubt. And yet skepticism is a much-needed critical affect, particularly when it comes to Europe. If we need to be skeptical of anything, it is Europe. Today one hears claims about Europe having become postnational, postracial, even post-Europe. How else can the literary and cultural critic welcome such claims other than with a healthy dose of …

Speaking Truth To Firepower: How The First Amendment Destabilizes The Second, Gregory P. Magarian

Scholarship@WashULaw

When the Supreme Court in District of Columbia v. Heller declared that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms, it set atop the federal judicial agenda the critical task of elaborating the new right’s scope, limits, and content. Following Heller, commentators routinely draw upon the First Amendment’s protections for expressive freedom to support their proposals for Second Amendment doctrine. In this article, Professor Magarian advocates a very different role for the First Amendment in explicating the Second, and he contends that our best understanding of First Amendment theory and doctrine severely diminishes the Second Amendment’s …

Building 21st Century Business Skills In High School Business Classrooms Using Digital Games And Simulations, Stacy Marcus

Graduate Research Papers

Digital games and simulations are often seen as fun activities to reward students but their potential is much greater. This literature review examined how integrating digital games and simulations into secondary business curriculum can help students build the skills needed for the 21st century workplace in an environment that is conducive to how they learn best. The effects of digital games and simulations on student motivation are also examined as well as how to assess student learning while using these tools. The information found came from peer-reviewed journals, books, and studies from the Web. Digital games and simulations have proven …

A Framing Analysis: The Nba's "One-And-Done"Rule, Daniel Ryan Beaulieu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In 2006, the NBA introduced the "one-and-done" rule that restricted high school graduates to enter directly into the NBA draft following high school. In turn, a high school prospect would essentially now have the option of playing professionally elsewhere (most likely overseas), enter the NBA's Developmental League, or play NCAA basketball. The rule has proved to be quite controversial, as it has had a great effect on both NBA and NCAA basketball, as well as the players. Various media outlets have been quite vocal not only about the rule itself, but the perceived effects it has had on both collegiate …

Aberrant Sialylation Alters Cardiac Electrical Signaling, Andrew Ednie

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the heart, electrical signaling is responsible for its rhythmicity and is necessary to initiate muscle contraction. The net electrical activity in a cardiac myocyte during a contraction cycle is observed as the action potential (AP), which describes a change in membrane potential as a function of time. In ventricular cardiac myocytes, voltage-gated sodium channels (Nav) and voltage-gated potassium channels (Kv) play antagonistic roles in shaping the AP with the former initiating membrane depolarization and the latter repolarizing it. Functional changes in the primary cardiac Nav isoform, Nav 1.5, or any one of the many Kv isoforms expressed in the …

Enhancing Training Outcomes In The Context Of E-Learning: The Impact Of Objective Learner Control, Training Content Complexity, Cognitive Load, Learning Goal Orientation, And Metacognitive Strategies, Benjamin P. Granger

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Learner-controlled e-learning has become a preferred medium for the delivery of organizational training. While e-learning offers organizations and trainees many advantages, it also comes with several potential disadvantages. The aim of this study was to explore the relative efficacy of learner- and program-controlled e-learning for content that differs in its complexity. This study also explored cognitive load as a differential mediator of the interaction between learner control and training content complexity for predicting cognitive and behavioral learning outcomes. Finally, learning goal orientation was explored as a motivational individual difference that helps learners cope with complex, learner-controlled e-learning environments. Results suggest …

Unlocking The Black Box Of Policymaking: A Discursive View Of The Florida Commission On Mental Health And Substance Abuse, Ardis Hanson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Discourse creates the world of policy. Discourse plays a key role within policy formation; political discourse is made visible within particular discursive (spoken and written) practices. Hence, mental health policy is the endpoint of a discursive process and that it is, in itself, an institutional process. The shared understanding necessary to formulate policy is crucial to persons who are responsible for policy decisions and recommendations. Since the public perception is that public policy problems are too complicated for ordinary people to deal with, the policy problem is reframed into manageable "bits." It is how these "bits" are framed, named, and …