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When Laws And Representation Are Not Enough: Enduring Impunity And Post-Conflict Sexual Violence In Liberia And Sierra Leone, Ashley D. Kitchen

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Throughout the course of history, literature and examination on the impact of civil war has focused little on women, especially in the cases of wartime rape. While the factors which sustain wartime rape are examined with frequency, using gender as an analytical lens, the analysis regarding post-conflict sexual violence and rape is studied far less, leading to the question: what factors are correlated with the continuance of widespread acts of rape even after the cessation of official conflict? Liberia and Sierra Leone suffered high levels of both wartime rape and also post-conflict sexual violence. This comparative case study, using process …

The Changing Definition And Role Of Collections And Services In The University Research Library, James L. Mullins

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

No abstract provided.

Knowledge-Enabled Engineering Design: Toward An Integrated Model, Michael Fosmire, David Radcliffe

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Librarians and engineering faculty have long understood that design is one of the defining processes of the engineering profession. In an increasingly knowledge-driven society, students need to efficiently locate, assess and integrate relevant information into their design process so that they can develop innovation solutions to emerging complex, global grand challenges. Increasingly, engineering curricula are incorporating design as early as the first year, but a question remains as to how effectively information literacy is being integrated into these early experiences of design. For example, the Engineering Change study found there has been very little improvement to lifelong learning skills in …

The Librarian And The Designer: Working Together To Create A Showcase For Contemporary Learning, Tomalee Doan

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Many institutions of higher education are designing spaces that reflect the established correlation between learning spaces and student achievement, mastery, and retention (Hunley & Schaller, 2006). In this case study of a renovation of an 18,327 square foot business library space into a dynamic learning environment, Melinda McGee, the Interior Designer for the project, and Tomalee Doan, the Associate Professor and Head Librarian of the business library, share the experience of their successful partnership that required a creative and an in-depth collaboration with each other and with several other stakeholders not usually found in an academic setting. Their goal is …

Tied Kronecker Product Graph Models To Capture Variance In Network Populations, Sebastian Moreno, Jennifer Neville, Sergey Kirshner

Department of Computer Science Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

Investigation Of Low Gwp Refrigerant Interaction With Various Lubricant Candidates, Roger J. Beattie, Joseph A. Karnaz

International Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Conference

Refrigerants used in various air conditioning and refrigeration industries are going through changes today and continued changes into the near future. These changes are being driven by environmental and energy efficiency regulations and could result in the use of refrigerants that require the investigation of new lubricants. One such change is the use of refrigerants that carry a lower global warming potential (GWP) value then current refrigerants used in the market. Some of these refrigerants present certain challenges over current refrigerants such as changes in flammability requirements, higher pressures or stability of the refrigerant in system operation. These refrigerants and …

Non-Intrusive Fault Detection In Reciprocating Compressors, Christopher James Schantz, Steven Leeb

International Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Conference

This research presents techniques developed for non-intrusive sensing and fault detection in reciprocating compressors driven by induction motors. These procedures are “non-intrusive” because they rely only on voltage and current signals measured on the compressor power cable. The electrical sensor based method allows for easy and non-intrusive determination of many fault sensitive signals that usually require complicated, expensive, and time consuming operations to measure. The electric signals are processed and used with the inverted dynamic motor model equations and motor parameters (which are also determined non-intrusively) to recover the instantaneous angular speed of the compressor shaft, as well as the …

Comparison Of Earth-Air And Earth-Water Ground Tube Heat Exchangers For Residentialal Application, Christophe T’Joen, Liping Liu, M. De Paepe

International Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Conference

Earth-air systems are already commonly applied as a passive technique to reduce the overall energy use of buildings by reducing the required cooling or heating demand. However, they often require large surface area for their installation, and make use of large diameter tubes to reduce the pressure drop. As an alternative, waterearth systems are being considered. To explore these two options, one dimensional analytical models were derived. The impact of different design parameters, including tube length, tube diameter, fluid flow rate, etc., have been investigated. For the earth-air system, it is shown that for high Reynolds numbers, the soil resistance …

Domestic Hot Water Supply For Multiple Familiy Dwellings Using Heat Pumps, Bernhard Vetsch, Andreas Gschwend, Stefan S. Bertsch

International Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Conference

In multiple family dwellings of central Europe heat pumps are not only used for space heating but also increasingly for domestic hot water (dhw) supply. The water is often heated in a centralized or decentralized installation with a large distribution network. This leads to the combination of heat pumps with various trace heating systems to ensure both comfort and protection from legionella disease. The COP of the heat pump can be greatly affected by the choice of the heat tracing system which influences the overall efficiency (OE) of the domestic hot water supply system significantly. In this study several heat …

Efficient Coding And Statistically Optimal Weighting Of Covariance Among Acoustic Attributes In Novel Sounds, Keith Kluender R., Christian E. Stilp

Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences Faculty Publications

To the extent that sensorineural systems are efficient, redundancy should be extracted to optimize transmission of information, but perceptual evidence for this has been limited. Stilp and colleagues recently reported efficient coding of robust correlation (r =. 97) among complex acoustic attributes (attack/decay, spectral shape) in novel sounds. Discrimination of sounds orthogonal to the correlation was initially inferior but later comparable to that of sounds obeying the correlation. These effects were attenuated for less-correlated stimuli (r =. 54) for reasons that are unclear. Here, statistical properties of correlation among acoustic attributes essential for perceptual organization are investigated. Overall, simple strength …

Conceptual Changes To The Definition Of Borderline Personality Disorder Proposed For Dsm-5, Douglas B. Samuel, Joshua D. Miller, Thomas A. Widiger, Donald R. Lynam, Paul A. Pilkonis, Samuel A. Ball

Department of Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications

The DSM-5 Personality and Personality Disorders Work Group proposed the elimination of diagnostic criterion sets in favor of a prototype matching system that defines personality disorders using narrative descriptions. Although some research supports this general approach, no empirical studies have yet examined the specific definitions proposed for DSM-5. Given the wide interest in borderline personality disorder (BPD), it is crucial to determine how this methodological shift might affect the content and conceptualization of the diagnosis. Eighty-two experts on BPD provided ratings of the DSM-IV-TR or DSM-5 version of BPD in terms of 37 traits proposed for DSM-5. Analyses revealed significant …

Learning And Transfer Of Category Knowledge In An Indirect Categorization Task, Sebastien Helie, F Gregory Ashby

Department of Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications

Knowledge representations acquired during category learning experiments are ‘tuned’ to the task goal. A useful paradigm to study category representations is indirect category learning. In the present article, we propose a new indirect categorization task called the “Same” – “Different” categorization task. The same-different categorization task is a regular same-different task, but the question asked to the participants is about the stimulus category membership instead of stimulus identity. Experiment 1 explores the possibility of indirectly learning rule-based and information-integration category structures using the new paradigm. The results suggest that there is little learning about the category structures resulting from an …

2011 & 2012 Rosabeth Moss Kanter Award For Excellence In Work-Family Research Publication, Center For Families, Center For Work And Families

Center for Families Publications

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Visualized Student's Self-Set Learning Progress Goals On East Asian Chinese Student's Motivation And Self Confidence In Learning, Yu Ao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to determine if visualized goal achievement can help enhance East Asian Chinese students‟ motivation in learning and elevate their confidence in reaching their goals thus improving their performance. The goal achievement was visualized on a goal achievement progress chart that was self-created and self-managed by the East Asian Chinese students and the goal creating was under the supervision of their instructor. In this study, literature reviews on the theories, previous research studies in the perspectives of East Asian students‟ motivation in learning, goal setting on motivation, self-determination, self-efficacy, and expectancy theories are conducted to provide theoretical …

Development And Evaluation Of An Instrument To Measure Mother-Infant Togetherness After Childbirth, Carol Lawrence

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No existing measure to date captures mother-infant togetherness. A valid measure of togetherness is essential to engage in evidence-based practice, evaluate obstetric delivery models and nursing interventions, and measure the level of togetherness which promotes optimal maternal-infant outcomes. When together and in close proximity, a women and her infant have access to one another to allow for mutual caregiving or caregiving on cue. A new measure entitled the Mother-Infant Togetherness Scale (MITS) was developed based on a review of the literature and conceptual framework of Mother-Newborn Mutual Caregiving. The MITS is a 35- item instrument composed of four subscales that …

A New Semantic Similarity Join Method Using Diffusion Maps And Long String Table Attributes, Bilal Hani Hawashin

Wayne State University Dissertations

With the rapid increase of the distributed data sources, and in order to make information integration, there is a need to combine the information that refers to the same entity from different sources. However, there are no global conventions that control the format of the data, and it is impractical to impose such global conventions. Also, there could be some spelling errors in the data as it is entered manually in most of the cases. For such reasons, the need to find and join similar records instead of exact records is important in order to integrate the data. Most of …

The Impact Of Spirituality On The Self-Reported Recovery Of Adults Who Experienced Childhood Trauma, Chijioke Alphonsus Chigbo

Wayne State University Dissertations

Objective: To examine whether adults who had experienced childhood trauma, and who had a higher sense of personal meaning or spirituality, would have improved mental health and lower trauma symptoms such as depression, lower self-esteem, anxiety, dissociative disabilities, PTSD, and the like.

Method: 115 participants were randomly selected from five mental health centers in the southeast of the State of Michigan of the United States. Each participant had an experience of one or multiple childhood abuses, namely: physical abuse, sexual abuse, verbal/emotional abuse, child neglect or cumulative trauma. They had also been to treatment, and were between 18 and 60 …

An Examination Of The Impact Of Early Retirement Incentives On School District Financial Health, Michael Jon Dean

Wayne State University Dissertations

The combination of state controlled school funding in Michigan, rising employee costs and shrinking school enrollments have caused school districts to seek a variety of cost control measures. One of the measures frequently supported by both school districts and employee unions is the use of Early Retirement Incentives (ERI) to incentivize teachers to separate from the school district via a cash payment.

The purpose of this study was to analyze how offering or not-offering an ERI impacted on the financial health of a school districts in the State of Michigan. Selected school districts in Michigan were surveyed regarding any ERI's …

The Effects Of Two Group Counseling Interventions On Arab-American High School Students' Perceptions Of Their Primary Relationships (Parent, Teacher, Peer), Nuzmeya Bader Elder

Wayne State University Dissertations

This study specifically investigated the effects of two group counseling interventions on Arab-American high school students' perceptions of the strength of their primary relationships (parent, teachers, and peers). It was designed to help high school students increase their acceptance of the culture of their host society and develop a sense of comfort so they can retain some of their own culture and Arab identity without feeling they will totally lose them. One approach was Choice group theory grounded in the reality of making choices concerning thoughts and behaviors. Choice Theory is described as the idea that people have mental images …

A Higher Education Case: Millennial Experience Toward Learning Through A Virtual World Designed As An Authentic Learning Environment, Marija Franetovic

Wayne State University Dissertations

Current educational initiatives encourage the use of authentic learning environments to realistically prepare students for jobs in a constantly changing world. Many students of the Millennial generation may be social media savvy. However, what can be said about learning conditions and student readiness for active, reflective and collaborative learning and media literacy within their discipline? Virtual worlds such as Second Life (SL) represent future hybridized work environments which can support authentic learning. With their immersive and interaction affordances, virtual worlds may be designed to incorporate real-world team projects for both online and blended courses.

This qualitative single embedded case study …

Hallowed Ground: Literature And The Encounter With God In Post-Reformtion England, C. 1550 - 1704, Michael Thomas Martin

Wayne State University Dissertations

This dissertation examines the ways in which the encounter with God is figured in post-Reformation English writing between the years 1550 and 1704. The introduction contextualizes the ways in which individuals might encounter God within cultural and historical circumstances of the period: the gradual disappearance of the tradition of spiritual direction that accompanied the suppression of Catholicism in England during the period and the growing influence of more purely "scientific" modes of inquiry, especially after Descartes. Because of these changes, the ways the encounter with God could be experienced were also changing. The introduction also shows how developments in religious …

Immigrant Integration Into Host Societies: The Case Of Yemeni Immigrant Communities In Metro Detroit, Samra Abdulla Nasser

Wayne State University Dissertations

This study is intended to extend our understanding of immigrant political integration by analyzing Yemeni immigrants' attitudes toward integration into North American society, exploring the case of Yemeni-Americans, a group reputedly resistant to integration, in both Dearborn and Hamtramck, Michigan, and comparatively assessing those data with already published data on Lebanese-Americans, retrieved from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Detroit Arab American Study (DAAS). Relying on an existing theoretical framework on immigrant integration based on sociological and cognitive approaches and my own theoretical model on transnational dimensions related to political, economic, and cultural integration, I will examine a series of …

Making Mathematics Matter: Professional Development Improving Outcomes In High-Poverty Environments, Carolyn A. Siebers

Wayne State University Dissertations

This research study is a mixed – methods quantitative and qualitative study that analyzed data from an intensive, long – term professional development project named, " Project : Making Mathematics Matter. (PM³) " carried out in two low – performing, high – poverty districts. Two of the districts served as treatment districts and ALL teachers (general education, special education, ELL) who taught mathematics to students in grades 4-8 participated in a four-year PM³ mathematical intervention.

Three elements identified in the research as effective components in mathematics professional development served as foundational for this project. They were: teachers …

The Mental Model Comparison Of Expert And Novice Performance Improvement Practitioners, Sacip Toker

Wayne State University Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to reveal performance improvement practitioner expert and novice mental models and identify differences and similarities between these models. The secondary purpose was to analyze the potential relationships of the professional profile characteristics of performance improvement practitioners with their mental model of expertise derived from Pathfinder scaling algorithm. The study was stemmed from one of the critical research trends in the field of Human Performance Technology (HPT).

There are two phases of the study. In the first round of the first phase, experts, who were selected based on several criteria, were contacted to identify …

Multi-Fuel Operation Of Modern Engines; On Board Fuel Identification, Florin Mocanu

Wayne State University Dissertations

Modern engines require enhancement of electronic controls to achieve better fuel economy, higher power density and satisfactory emissions levels while operating safely.

Military vehicles should be capable to run safely and efficiently on any fuel available in the field, therefore on-board fuel identification and adaptation of engine controls to the type of fuel becomes extremely important. In these conditions, the use of an inexpensive, nonintrusive sensor is highly desirable.

The development of a technique based on the measurement of the instantaneous crankshaft speed and engine dynamics could be a convenient solution.

Several such methods have been elaborated at the Center …

Optical Investigation Of Ethanol And N-Heptane Dual-Fuel Partially Premixed Combution In S Reciprocating Engine, Radu Catalin Florea

Wayne State University Dissertations

The details of the dual-fuel combustion of n-heptane and ethanol were investigated in an optically accessible engine representative of light-duty applications. Experimental work involved the application of optical diagnostics such as high-speed imaging of combustion chemiluminescence and soot radiation, spectral measurements and laser induced fluorescence. At the same time, the experimental conditions have been replicated using numerical simulation of chemically reactive in-cylinder flow.

The numerical simulation results, which showed good agreement with the experimental data across several validation approaches, provided an improved understanding of the mechanism responsible for the control of the rate of combustion for dual-fuel operation. The comparison …

Epistemic Communities And Regional Governance: Policy Development In Municipal Finance Reform, Shanthi Karuppusamy

Wayne State University Dissertations

In recent times, the US has undergone significant changes in how regional governance is conceptualized and the focus has shifted from government to governance and from governmental consolidation to problem solving (Barnes and Foster, 2011). Policy makers' quest for interjurisdictional responses to the financial crisis and the recession has rekindled interest in the topic of regional governance. However, the economic, social and technical changes of the recent decades, which have now assimilated in US urban regions, fundamentally challenge existing dominant ways of thinking about regional governance and call for more useful analytic frameworks (Bollens, 1997; Barnes and Foster, 2011). This …

Estimating The Efficiency Of Michigan's Rural And Urban Public School Districts, Rita Ann Maranowski

Wayne State University Dissertations

This study examined student achievement in Michigan public school districts to determine if rural school districts are demonstrating greater financial efficiency by producing higher levels of student achievement than school districts in other geographic locations with similar socioeconomics. Three models were developed using multiple regression analysis of student achievement for high school graduation rates and student proficiency rates for eleventh grade students in mathematics and English language arts as reported from the Michigan Merit Examination results. These models compared student achievement by geographic location which included a selection of 10 independent variables and a sample size of 496 Michigan public …

Identifying Sm22 As A Key Player In Arterial Diseases, Jianbin Shen

Wayne State University Dissertations

Background : Expression of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) cytoskeleton markers including SM22 is down-regulated in arterial diseases including atherosclerosis where inflammation and osteochondrogenesis are present. However, the role of this downregulation in arterial pathogenesis is unknown. Hypothesis : Downregulation of SM22 may actively contribute to arterial pathogenesis. Methods : Five Sm22 knockout (Sm22^-/-) mice and their wild type littermates were subjected to carotid artery denudation, an artery injury model. Analyses were conducted on carotid arteries 2 weeks after injury. Primary VSMCs were isolated from mouse aortas and investigated individually at passage 2 to 4. Sm22 knockdown was …

Determinants Of Cns Adult Neurogenesis Are Sex, Hormones, Mouse Strain, Age, And Brain Region, Carrie Lynn Tatar

Wayne State University Dissertations

Multiple sclerosis is a sexually dimorphic (SD) disease that causes oligodendrocyte death but SD of glial cells is poorly studied. Here, we analyze SD of neural progenitors in 6-8wk and 6-8mo normal C57BL/6, SJL/J and BALB/c mice in the subventricular zone (SVZ), dorsolateral horn (DLC), corpus callosum (CC), and parenchyma. With a short 2 h BrdU pulse, no gender and strain differences are present at 6-8wk. At 6-8mo, the number of BrdU+ cells decreases 2-fold in both sexes, strains and regions indicating a common aging mechanism regulates BrdU incorporation. Strikingly, 2X more BrdU+ cells are found in all brain regions …