Digital Commons Network^™

In Their Own Words? Methodological Considerations In The Analysis Of Terrorist Autobiographies, Mary Beth Altier, John Horgan, Christian Thoroughgood

Journal of Strategic Security

Despite the growth of terrorism literature in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, there remain several methodological challenges to studying certain aspects of terrorism. This is perhaps most evident in attempts to uncover the attitudes, motivations, and intentions of individuals engaged in violent extremism and how they are sometimes expressed in problematic behavior. Such challenges invariably stem from the fact that terrorists and the organizations to which they belong represent clandestine populations engaged in illegal activity. Unsurprisingly, these qualities make it difficult for the researcher to identify and locate willing subjects of study—let alone a representative sample. In this research …

Exploiting Seams And Closing Gaps: Lessons From Mumbai And Beyond, Andrea Dew

Journal of Strategic Security

This article analyzes a single event—the 2008 Mumbai attacks—in order to consider the strategic and operational lessons for dealing with other armed groups. How and why was Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) able to carry out such a sophisticated attack in the heart of Mumbai? And what lessons does Mumbai hold for strategists seeking to counter other armed groups around the world? While tactical level lessons from Mumbai have been well documented, it is important to also consider what the Mumbai attacks tell us at the strategic and operational levels. Specifically, the Mumbai attacks provide valuable insight into how armed groups use the …

Overcoming Poverty Through Digital Inclusion, Marco Figueiredo, Paola Prado, Mark Cramer

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

A growing body of research is showing how digital inclusion can help communities overcome poverty and injustice. The main challenge lies in how best to achieve this goal. The authors argue that digital inclusion must occur in two distinct stages. The first stage is digital literacy, accomplished with the Symbiotic Computer (SC)-smartphones and tablets. The second stage will be professional capacity-building, accomplished with the more traditional Personal Computer (PC).

Diversity And Dynamics Of Bacterial Communities In Early Life Stages Of The Caribbean Coral Porites Astreoides, Koty H. Sharp, Dan Distel, Valerie J. Paul

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

In this study, we examine microbial communities of early developmental stages of the coral Porites astreoides by sequence analysis of cloned 16S rRNA genes, terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (TRFLP), and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) imaging. Bacteria are associated with the ectoderm layer in newly released planula larvae, in 4-day-old planulae, and on the newly forming mesenteries surrounding developing septa in juvenile polyps after settlement. Roseobacter clade-associated (RCA) bacteria and Marinobacter sp. are consistently detected in specimens of P. astreoides spanning three early developmental stages, two locations in the Caribbean and 3 years of collection. Multi-response permutation procedures analysis …

Opportunities For Public Aquariums To Increase The Sustainability Of The Aquatic Animal Trade, Michael F. Tlusty, Andrew L. Rhyne, Les Kaufman, Michael Hutchins, Gordon Mcgregor Reid, Chris Andrews, Paul Boyle, Jay Hemdal, Frazer Mcgilvray, Scott Dowd

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

The global aquatic pet trade encompasses a wide diversity of freshwater and marine organisms. While relying on a continual supply of healthy, vibrant aquatic animals, few sustainability initiatives exist within this sector. Public aquariums overlap this industry by acquiring many of the same species through the same sources. End users are also similar, as many aquarium visitors are home aquarists. Here we posit that this overlap with the pet trade gives aquariums significant opportunity to increase the sustainability of the trade in aquarium fishes and invertebrates. Improving the sustainability ethos and practices of the aquatic pet trade can carry a …

Shedding Light On The Larval Genus Eretmocaris: Morphological Larval Features Of Two Closely Related Trans-Isthmian Lysmata Species (Decapoda: Caridea: Hippolytidae) Described On The Basis Of Laboratory Cultured Material, Cátia Bartilotti, Ricardo Calado, Andrew L. Rhyne, Antonina Dos Santos

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Complete larval series are known for only three of the 39 valid species worldwide in the genus Lysmata. The present work deals with the larval development of two closely related trans-isthmian species of Lysmata, L. galapagensis (eastern Pacific Ocean), and L. moorei (southwestern Atlantic Ocean), using laboratory cultured material. The morphological features of the first four zoeal stages of both species, the fifth to seventh stages of L. galapagensis, and the last stage of L. moorei are described and compared with the larval descriptions currently available for the genus. Larvae of both species hatch with a …

The Accidental Supermom: Superheroines And Maternal Performativity, 1963–1980, Laura Mattoon D'Amore

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Antiamoebic Properties Of The Actinomycete Metabolites Echinomycin A And Tirandamycin A, Avelina Espinosa, Aaron M. Socha, Erica Ryke, David C. Rowley

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Entamoeba histolytica infects 50 million people per year, causing 100,000 deaths worldwide. The primary treatment for amoebiasis is metronidazole. However, increased pathogen resistance combined with the drug’s toxic side effects encourages a search for alternative therapeutic agents. Secondary metabolites from marine bacteria are a promising resource for antiprotozoan drug discovery. In this study, extracts from a collection of marine-derived actinomycetes were screened for antiamoebic properties, and the activities of antibiotics echinomycin A and tirandamycin A are shown. Both antibiotics inhibited the in vitro growth of a E. histolytica laboratory strain (HM-1:IMSS) and a clinical isolate (Colombia, Col) …

Discrimination, Crypticity, And Incipient Taxa In Entamoeba, Avelina Espinosa, Guillermo Paz-Y-Miño-C

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Persistent difficulties in resolving clear lineages in diverging populations of prokaryotes or unicellular eukaryotes (protistan polyphyletic groups) are challenging the classical species concept. Although multiple integrated approaches would render holistic taxonomies, most phylogenetic studies are still based on single-gene or morphological traits. Such methodologies conceal natural lineages, which are considered “cryptic.” The concept of species is considered artificial and inadequate to define natural populations. Social organisms display differential behaviors toward kin than to nonrelated individuals. In “social” microbes, kin discrimination has been used to help resolve crypticity. Aggregative behavior could be explored in a nonsocial protist to define phylogenetic varieties …

Effect Of Two-Way Communication On Parental Involvement And Third-Grade Achievement In Mathematics, Diana Elysee

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which implementing a collaborative effort using 2-way communication increased parent involvement, impacted parental roles, and helped students improve their performance in mathematics. This parental-involvement intervention was implemented in response to low parental involvement at the school site and low mathematics achievement of students.

Eighteen parents of 3rd-grade students were invited to participate in the study, and only 5 participated. Data were collected from individual interviews with parents to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. Focus groups were conducted with parents using a protocol to collect data about the parents’ …

Program Evaluation Of A Dropout-Prevention Academy, Kendra W. Harvin Green

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation study evaluated a dropout-prevention program in a South Carolina school district. The dropout problem was identified by school and district administrators and discussed at county board meetings among community members, faculty, and parents of children attending school in the district. A dropout-prevention program was implemented 3 years prior but, had never been evaluated.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Dropout-Prevention Academy program. The study determined how the program design matched effective dropout-prevention programs described in the literature; stakeholders’ (e.g., teachers, administrators, and parents) perceptions of the program; and any changes that occurred in student …

Aproximación A Una Descripción Del Perfil Del Profesor De Cursos Virtual-Presencial En Una Universidad Mexicana Según Las Percepciones Del Propio Maestro Y Estudiantes, Elizabeth Del Hierro Parra

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Esta disertación doctoral se diseñó con el propósito de describir en una primera aproximación el perfil del profesor que imparte curso virtual-presencial (V-P) a partir de la opinión del estudiante y del mismo profesor de las asignaturas en esa modalidad de una universidad mexicana. Se parte del precedente del área de educación a distancia de la universidad en estudio, que cuenta con hallazgos de dificultades que enfrenta el estudiante de los cursos en la modalidad V-P y que están relacionadas directamente a los conocimientos, habilidades y actitudes del profesor. Esta situación forma parte de las características del perfil del profesor …

Training And Evaluating Teachers To Implement Best Practices In Community-Based Instruction, Faustina A. Quist

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation study was designed to train and evaluate teachers to implement best practices of community-based instruction (CBI) in a special-education school. The researcher employed quantitative and qualitative measures to assess the extent to which the participants implemented the knowledge and skills acquired during the training.

The researcher implemented training on best practices for CBI, based on andragogical learning theory. Phase 1 involved 10 weekly sessions with 3 different teams from middle school, high school, and upper school. Phase 2 focused on the application and demonstration and involved 2 classroom and community observations and feedback for each teacher.

The …

Wavelet Based Contrast Limited Histogram Equalization For Contrast Enhancement Of Digital Mammography, Ashish Vighnahar Avachat

Masters Theses

"Mammography has been the most efficient tool for screening of microcalcification and cancer tissues; however, the raw images produced by mammography systems are usually of poor contrast. In order to use these raw images for early diagnosis; their contrast, sharpness and noise need to be enhanced. Among these important enhancement parameters contrast enhancement is critical. A novel algorithm is introduced which blends wavelet transforms with Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization (CLAHE) for contrast enhancement. In this algorithm, the input image is decomposed to its low frequency and high frequency components in wavelet domain. Decomposed coefficients from different bands are then …

Spiking Neural Networks Encoding And Decoding Algorithms For Time Series Estimation And System Identification, Sinchan Roychowdhury

Masters Theses

"Artificial Neural networks (ANNs) have increasingly been applied to different system identification, pattern recognition and function approximation problems. The predominantly used neural network architectures are the feedforward and feedback networks. Multilayer perceptrons and radial basis function networks are among the most commonly used feed-forward architecture neural networks and the Elman and Jordan networks are the most widely used recurrent neural networks. These networks are also called as second generation ANNs.

This thesis focuses on the third generation ANNs which are biologically inspired and operate on the same principles as the living neurons. These are also known as biologically inspired artificial …

Modeling And Synthesis Of Pvdf-Based Dielectrics For Energy Storage Applications, Xuhui Lu

Doctoral Dissertations

"The purpose of this research was to develop dielectric films for high energy density capacitor applications. Also desired was to develop a deeper understanding of dielectric breakdown and electric energy storage related phenomena through simulation, theoretical analysis, and experimental investigation.

An analytical model incorporating Weibull dielectric strength statistics was developed to establish quantitative relationships between material properties and device performance of self-healing capacitors. The model is useful for designing high voltage capacitors and developing dielectric materials where the effects of electric field-dependent permittivity need to be considered.

In the experimental work, solution-cast poly(vinylidene difluoride) (PVDF) homopolymer PVDF films with high …

Sapphire Fiber Numerical Aperture Measurement And Sensor Fabrication, Xia Fang

Masters Theses

"A sapphire fiber is made of single crystal aluminum oxide with hexagonal crystal structure. It is attractive for high temperature application for its chemical resistance and high melting point of 2053⁰C. It is good for infrared transmission with a small attenuation of 0.13dB per meter at the wavelength of 2.94µm, and it can also deliver very high optical energy. However, a typical sapphire fiber has a rough surface and a nonperfect crystalline structure. Also, a sapphire fiber cannot be grown in a core-clad structure. The un-cladded waveguide imposes a number of undesirable characteristics on sensing applications, e.g., unpredictable light loss …

Effects Of Four Commercially Available Fxa Proteins On The Fluorogenic Anti-Fxa Assay When Monitoring Unfractionated Heparin, Vanessa Castro-Lopez, Brian Murray, Leanne F. Harris, James S. O'Donnell, Anthony J. Killard

Articles

Four commercially available Factor Xa (FXa) reagents were evaluated in a fluorogenic anti-FXa assay. The four reagents - of which three were of human origin and the fourth was bovine - were compared in terms of the resulting assay dynamic ranges, lag times, CV and R2 values, sum of squares as well as their sensitivity to unfractionated heparin (UFH) within the therapeutic range of 0-1.2 U mL-1. Based on a balance of performance characteristics, an optimum reagent was selected which had the best combination of all parameters. The best performing serine endopeptidase in the fluorogenic anti-FXa assay was found to …

Synthesis Of Nickel Nanoparticles By Gamma-Radiation And Femtosecond Laser Ablation, Vivek Murlidhar Rao

Masters Theses

"Nickel nanoparticles were synthesized by gamma-radiation and femtosecond laser ablation. Aqueous precursors were prepared by uniformly dispersing nickel chloride in a 2:1 ratio of water and isopropanol. Stabilizers employed were Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS) and Poly Vinyl Pyrrolidone (PVP). Gamma-ray radiolysis of aqueous nickel precursors was investigated as a reducing agent for nickel cations to form atomic seeds for nucleation on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). 30-60kGy was the dosage used in increments of 10kGy, at a rate of 10kGy/hr. Isopropanol was added to consume the excess of oxidizing species produced by irradiation and form stable secondary radicals. The influence of …

Cooperative Power Control Approaches Towards Fair Radio Resource Allocation For Wireless Network, Liuju Wu

Masters Theses

"Performance optimization in wireless networks is a complex problem due to variability and dynamics in network topology and density, traffic patterns, mutual interference, channel uncertainties, etc. Opportunistic or selfish approaches may result in unbalanced allocation of channel capacity where particular links are overshadowed. This degrades overall network fairness and hinders a multi-hop communication by creating bottlenecks. A desired approach should allocate channel capacity proportionally to traffic priority in a cooperative manner. This work consists of two chapters that address the fairness share problem in wireless ad hoc, peer-to-peer networks and resource allocation within Cognitive Radio network. In the first paper, …

The Impact Of Macular Pigment Augmentation On Visual Performance Using Different Carotenoid Formulations., James Loughman, J M. Nolan, Alan Howard, E Connolly, K Meagher, S Beatty

Articles

To investigate changes in macular pigment optical
density (MPOD) and visual performance following supplementation
with different macular carotenoid formulations.

College Of Education Annual Report And Findings, Fiscal Year 2011, College Of Education, Illinois State University

Annual Report and Findings

No abstract provided.

A Vague Law In A Smartphone World: Limiting The Scope Of Unauthorized Access Under The Computer Fraud And Abuse Act, Andrew Hernacki

American University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Outfoxing Alaska Hunters: How Arbitrary And Capricious Review Of Changing Regulatory Interpretations Can More Efficiently Police Agency Discretion, Brian J. Shearer

American University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Good Will Of Community Users In An Academic Library, Wanda Dole, J.B. Hill

Faculty Scholarship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report the second phase of a study on the impact of one North American academic library extending library privileges gratis to community users.

Design/methodology/approach – The paper reports the results of a web-based survey of community users at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR), Arkansas, USA. The survey was conducted to obtain information on demographics and community users’ perception of the value of library privileges.

Findings – Community users often have some connection to the university and tend to be satisfied with and value the privileges. Receiving the privileges …

Lower Court Constitutionalism: Circuit Court Discretion In A Complex Adaptive System, Doni Gewirtzman

American University Law Review

While federal circuit courts play an essential role in defining what the Constitution means, one would never know it from looking at most constitutional scholarship. The bulk of constitutional theory sees judge-made constitutional law through a distorted lens, one that focuses solely on the Supreme Court with virtually no attention paid to other parts of the judicial hierarchy. On the rare occasions where circuit courts appear on the radar screen, they are treated either as megaphones for communicating the Supreme Court’s directives or as tools for implementing the theorist’s own interpretive agenda. Both approaches would homogenize the way circuit courts …

The Second-Class Action: How Courts Thwart Wage Rights By Misapplying Class Action Rules, Scott A. Moss, Nantiya Ruan

American University Law Review

Courts apply to wage rights cases an aggressive scrutiny that not only disadvantages low-wage workers, but is fundamentally incorrect on the law. Rule 23 class actions automatically cover all potential members if the court grants plaintiffs’ class certification motion. But for certain employment rights cases—mainly wage claims but also age discrimination and gender equal pay claims—29 U.S.C. § 216(b) allows not class actions but “collective actions” covering just those opting in affirmatively. Yet courts in collective actions assume a gatekeeper role just as they do in Rule 23 class actions, disallowing many actions by requiring a certification motion proving strict …

Using Automatic Speech Recognition Technology With Elicited Oral Response Testing, Troy L. Cox, Randall S. Davies

Faculty Publications

This study examined the use of automatic speech recognition (ASR) scored elicited oral response (EOR) tests to assess the speaking ability of English language learners. It also examined the relationship between ASR-scored EOR and other language proficiency measures and the ability of the ASR to rate speakers without bias to gender or native language. To that end, 179 subjects were given an ASR-scored EOR test with 60 items, followed by an oral proficiency interview (OPI) type assessment and a battery of other language tests. Findings suggest that ASR-scored EOR results could be used alone to predict speaking ability in specific …

Red Note New Music Festival Program, 2012, School Of Music

Red Note New Music Festival

The RED NOTE New Music Festival at Illinois State University is a week-long event which features outstanding performances of contemporary concert music.

Impacts Of A Parenting Newsletter On Fathers Of Kindergarten Children, Sean E. Brotherson, Erin Kramer Holmes, Christopher J. Bouwhuis

Faculty Publications

This study is the first assessment of the perceived effectiveness of a parenting newsletter written specifically for fathers or father figures. The Father Times newsletter was distributed weekly for six weeks to all families of kindergarten children at a local school. Once hundred seventy-seven fathers responded to a self-report questionnaire regarding usage of the parenting newsletter, perceptions of the newsletter as a resource, and impacts of fathers' attitudes, knowledge, behaviors, and father–child relationship quality. Two-thirds of fathers in the sample reported changing at least "somewhat" in all nine outcomes explored. Neither father age nor number of children in the home …