Digital Commons Network^™

Copyright's Creative Hierarchy In The Performing Arts, Michael W. Carroll

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Copyright law grants authors certain rights of creative control over their works. This Article argues that these rights of creative control are too strong when applied to the performing arts because they fail to take account of the mutual dependence between writers and performers to fully realize the work in performance. This failure is particularly problematic in cases in which the author of a source work, such as a play or a choreographic work, imposes content-based restrictions on how a third party may render the work in performance. This Article then explores how Congress might craft a statutory license to …

Three Theories Of Copyright In Ratings, James Grimmelmann

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Are ratings copyrightable? The answer depends on what ratings are. As a history of copyright in ratings shows, some courts treat them as unoriginal facts, some treat them as creative opinions, and some treat them as troubling self-fulfilling prophecies. The push and pull among these three theories explains why ratings are such a difficult boundary case for copyright, both doctrinally and theoretically. The fact-opinion tension creates a perverse incentive for raters: the less useful a rating, the more copyrightable it looks. Self-fulfilling ratings are the most troubling of all: copyright's usual balance between incentives and access becomes indeterminate when ratings …

Digital Originality, Edward Lee

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

This Article examines the doctrine of originality in U.S. copyright law and proposes a reconfigured, three-part test that can better analyze issues of first impression involving works created with new digital technologies. The proposed test, encapsulated by the concept of digital originality, provides much needed guidance to courts to address the increasing complexities of digital creations in the twenty-first century.

Patents 101: Patentable Subject Matter And Separation Of Powers, Max S. Oppenheimer

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

The definition of statutory subject matter lies at the heart of the patent system. It is the reflection of Congress's policy decision as to what types of inventions one may patent. While the congressional definition of statutory subject matter (in what is now 35 U.S.C. § 101) has remained fundamentally constant since 1790, the Supreme Court has reinterpreted and redefined statutory subject matter several times, leaving lower courts with the frustrating task of trying to develop a coherent jurisprudence against a changing landscape. This inconstancy has introduced uncertainty for inventors who are trying to make the fundamental decision of whether …

Hacking For Lulzi: Employing Expert Hackers To Combat Cyber Terrorism, Swathi Padmanabhan

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Because hacking collectives Anonymous and LulzSec have routinely breached supposedly secure computer networks--including Visa, MasterCard, and the Central Intelligence Agency--the threat of cyber terrorism has become more prominent. Many US industries and companies depend on online communication and information storage. If terrorists compromise these capabilities, they could cripple the US economy and perhaps even cause widespread fatalities. Members of Anonymous and LulzSec lack the necessary intent to be prosecuted as cyber terrorists because they hack not to cause fear, but rather to create laughter. Their method of posting all necessary instructions and information regarding intended targets on online message boards …

Publish And Flourish, Stephen K. Taylor

Faculty Publications

At primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs), teaching is usually the primary responsibility, and many PUI professors do not regularly produce publications, even if they were hired to include research as an important responsibility. Most instructors at these schools are busy enough with just teaching and other academic responsibilities. It can seem intimidating to think of doing research, writing a research proposal, then a publication, and so on. Perhaps the sum of these duties may seem like a daunting set of tasks, and a "fear factor," consciously or subconsciously, may slow or even stop the research initiative. But at PUIs, it is …

The Sexual Socialization Of Sexual Offenders: How They Learn About Sexuality And How It Influences Their Future Behaviors, Erin Nicole Ditscheit

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Every day, stories of individuals who have been sexually victimized dominate headline news. Despite the large amount of research conducted on sexual offenders, there is no known single etiology for their offense. This study investigates how sexual socialization plays a role in an offender's sexual attitudes and beliefs. Using data from a sample of 71 convicted sexual offenders from a single district in the Midwest, it was found that there is a relationship between certain media sources and negative attitudes towards women and sexuality. Additionally, by comparing the convicting offense of each of the participants and their attitudes, it was …

Lubrication And Wear At Metal/Hdpe Contacts, Aydar Akchurin

Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics

In the thesis lubrication and wear at metal/HDPE contacts was addressed. In particular this type of contact occurs in artificial joint replacements. Wear of HDPE was recognized as a major factor limiting device performance. In the thesis, fully implicit fully coupled numerical approach was developed to simulate lubrication and wear. Approach allows solving stationary and transient problems for rough surfaces in a wide range of parameters. Wear coefficients were estimated from experimental data. Wear particles formed in wear process were investigated. Particles were found to be approximately 100 nm in diameter and spherical in shape. Considering theoretical solutions, it was …

The Physico-Chemical Investigation Of Interfacial Properties In Natural Fiber/Vinyl Ester Biocomposites, Shanshan Huo

Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics

Bast fibers are one of most widely used types of cellulosic natural fibers. Flax fibers, a specific type of bast fiber, have historically been used as reinforcements in composites because they offer competitive advantages, including environmental and economic benefits, over mineral-based reinforcing materials. However, the poor interfacial properties due to the hydrophilicity of flax fibers and the hydrophobicity of most polymer matrices reduce the mechanical performance of flax thermoset composites. On the other hand, the structure of flax fiber is more complex than synthetic fibers, which causes most of traditional mechanical tests from the transverse direction to evaluate the interfacial …

A Micromechanical Procedure To Characterize The Effect Of Interface In Fibrous Composites And Brain White Matter, Ataur Rahiman Syed

Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics

A micromechanics computational algorithm for fibrous composites including fiber, matrix and interface is introduced to study the impact of interface on composite behavior. The domains are modeled by finite elements with the interface simulated by cohesive zone elements. The constitutive of the cohesive zone behavior is extracted from the experimental traction-separation relations. By implementing this model under different loading conditions, significant difference in the composite behavior is observed with different cohesive zone laws and different fiber waviness. The composite strength and stiffness for the examined cases are compared to experimental data and are in good agreement. The procedure is then …

A Survey For Industrial Uses Of Distiller's Dried Grains With Solubles (Ddgs), Joshua Louis Haugsdal

Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics

The increase in demand for corn ethanol has caused an increase in distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS), which is a byproduct of ethanol production. DDGS is a cheap byproduct and is primarily used for livestock feed filler. DDGS contains oils and proteins from corn and in this research we showed that corn oil and proteins could be extracted with ethanol. Zein protein is the main protein in DDGS and has been shown to have good adhesive properties. This protein was used as a binder in biocomposites with the DDGS after extractions and soy protein isolate (SPI). Mechanical properties and …

Fine Line Metallization Of Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells Via Collimated Aerosol Beam Direct Write, Jacob Eugene Fink

Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics

Solar energy has come to the forefront as a scalable and largely underutilized renewable energy resource. The current cost of solar electricity, namely from photovoltaics, along with other logistics factors, has prevented the widespread adaptation of the technology. A key determinant of efficiency and cost for a solar cell is the current collector grid. This work presents the Collimated Aerosol Beam Direct Write (CAB-DW) system as a non-contact printing method that can achieve current collector grid finger widths of less than 10 μm which are amenable to decreasing both resistive and optical losses. The ability to produce high aspect ratio …

Development Of Biobased Sandwich Structures For Mass Transit Application, Sethu Raaj Munusamy

Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics

Efforts to increase the biobased content in sandwich composites are being investigated to reduce the dependence on synthetically produced or mined, energy-intensive materials for numerous composite applications. Vegetable oil-based polyurethane foams are gaining recognition as good substitutes for synthetic counter parts while utilizing bast fiber to replace fiberglass is also gaining credence. In this study, soy oil-based polyurethane foam was evaluated as a core in a sandwich construction with facesheets of hybridized kenaf and E-glass fibers in a vinyl ester resin matrix to replace traditionally used plywood sheeting on steel frame for mass transit bus flooring systems. As a first …

A Study On The Processing Characteristics And Reinforcing Potential Of Natural Fiber Mats, Michael John Ehresmann

Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics

Limited information exists regarding the processing parameters and extent of reinforcing potential natural fibers have in polymer matrices. The five natural fiber mats studied were low shive flax, mid shive flax, high shive flax, hemp and kenaf. The parameters characterized were fiber size, wax content, surface contact angle, and shive content. The compressive force and unsaturated permeability was measured for each mat, and composites were constructed and tested using selected mats in a soy-based polyurethane (PU) matrix. All mats exhibited a viscoelastic behavior under compression, and an increase in shive content correlated with an increase in relaxation. The presence of …

Brucellosis Epidemiology, Virulence Factors, Control And Molecular Targets To Prevent Bacterial Infectious Diseases, Robert Mugabi

Microbiological Sciences

Brucellosis is a bacterial zoonosis that infects both professional phagocytic and nonphagocytic cells in the hosts. Brucella intracellular survival is important for its virulence. In a study to establish the seroprevalence and risk factors of brucellosis in livestock in Kazo and Buremba sub-counties of Kiruhura district, Uganda, fifty goat and 112 bovine serum samples were tested for Brucella antibodies. The prevalence of Brucella antibodies in goats and cattle was 26.0% and 38.4% respectively, while individual seroprevalence rates by livestock breeds were 10.7% (cross-breed goats), 45.5% (local goat breeds), 49.1% (cross-breed cattle), 31.0% (local cattle breeds), and 17.4% (exotic cattle breeds) …

Emerging Infectious Diseases With Limited Treatment Options: The Case Of Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever In Uganda And Shiga Toxin Producing Escheria Coli In The United States, Rahel Dubiwak Gemmeda

Microbiological Sciences

Emerging infectious diseases are diseases that newly emerge in a population or change the frequency or spatial distribution of their occurrence. Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever (EHF) and Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infections are among diseases that emerged in the 1970s. The two diseases have limited treatment options with no vaccines. This paper is based on two case studies. The first case study utilized data from the 2007/2008 EHF outbreak in Uganda and investigated the epidemiological and clinical aspects of the outbreak. The second case study was based on a study done on STEC isolates collected from beef cattle at the …

Twenty-First Century Trumpet Music Of James M. Stephenson Iii, Kyle M. Norris

Music

This study examines in detail works for trumpet by James M. Stephenson III, which include unaccompanied works, short character pieces, multi-movement works, compositions for chamber ensembles, and etudes. As a modern composer, Stephenson is important for both the quantity and quality of his works. His style is characterized by beautiful lyrical lines, skillfully crafted technical passages, extreme shifts in register, and detailed attention to dynamics, articulation and phrasing. Biographical information covering Stephenson's youth, education and career will be presented together with an examination of his compositional characteristics and influences. A selected group of works will be viewed in detail, including …

Editorial Of E-Book On Action And Language Integration, A Cangelosi

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Increasing theoretical and experimental research on action and language processing in humans and animals clearly demonstrates the strict interaction and co-dependence between language and action. This has been extensively demonstrated in neuroscientific investigations (e.g., Rizzolatti and Arbib, 1998; Cappa and Perani, 2003; Pulvermuller, 2003), psychology experiments (e.g., Glenberg and Kaschak, 2002; Pecher and Zwaan, 2005; Barsalou, 2008), evolutionary psychology (e.g., Corballis, 2002), and computational modeling (e.g., Cangelosi and Parisi, 2004; Massera et al., 2007; Cangelosi, 2010). All these studies have important implication both for the understanding of the action basis of cognition in natural and artificial cognitive systems, as well …

Speech Development: Toddlers Don't Mind Getting It Wrong, Piers Messum, Ian S. Howard

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.

Emergent Auditory Feature Tuning In A Real-Time Neuromorphic Vlsi System., Sadique Sheik, Martin Coath, Giacomo Indiveri, Susan L. Denham, Thomas Wennekers, Elisabetta Chicca

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Many sounds of ecological importance, such as communication calls, are characterized by time-varying spectra. However, most neuromorphic auditory models to date have focused on distinguishing mainly static patterns, under the assumption that dynamic patterns can be learned as sequences of static ones. In contrast, the emergence of dynamic feature sensitivity through exposure to formative stimuli has been recently modeled in a network of spiking neurons based on the thalamo-cortical architecture. The proposed network models the effect of lateral and recurrent connections between cortical layers, distance-dependent axonal transmission delays, and learning in the form of Spike Timing Dependent Plasticity (STDP), which …

Infrared Divergences In Plane Wave Backgrounds, Victor Dinu, Thomas Heinzl, Anton Ilderton

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.

Strong-Field Qed And High-Power Lasers, Thomas Heinzl

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Disconnected Contributions Using Gpus, C Alexandrou, V Drach, K Hadjiyiannakou, K Jansen, G Koutsou, A Strelchenko, A Vaquero

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

We calculate on GPUs the disconnected diagrams associated with the nucleon form factors and moments of generalized parton distributions using Nf=2+1+1 twisted mass fermions. We employ the truncated solver method (TSM) for estimating the all-to-all propagators. Due to the fact that the TSM involves many low precision stochastic estimators, the usage of GPUs is essential to perform efficiently the contractions and the inversions.

Non-Invasive Prenatal Diagnostic Test Accuracy For Fetal Sex Using Cell-Free Dna A Review And Meta-Analysis, Caroline F. Wright, Yinghui Wei, Julian Pt Higgins, Gurdeep S. Sagoo

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

AbstractBackgroundCell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA) can be detected in maternal blood during pregnancy, opening the possibility of early non-invasive prenatal diagnosis for a variety of genetic conditions. Since 1997, many studies have examined the accuracy of prenatal fetal sex determination using cffDNA, particularly for pregnancies at risk of an X-linked condition. Here we report a review and meta-analysis of the published literature to evaluate the use of cffDNA for prenatal determination (diagnosis) of fetal sex. We applied a sensitive search of multiple bibliographic databases including PubMed (MEDLINE), EMBASE, the Cochrane library and Web of Science.ResultsNinety studies, incorporating 9,965 pregnancies and 10,587 …

El Empleo De Foros Electrónicos Para El Aprendizaje En El Área De Ingeniería De Software De Una Institución De Educación Superior Del Noroeste De México, Elsa L. Padilla M.

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Esta disertación investigó la aplicación del foro electrónico como apoyo al aprendizaje en entornos de tipo virtual-presencial. El propósito fue diseñar los criterios de calidad y la metodología para planear, organizar, desarrollar, retroalimentar y evaluar el uso de foros electrónicos, en los procesos de enseñanza y aprendizaje de cursos en modalidad virtual-presencial, de la forma más apropiada para las condiciones del área de ingeniería de software una institución de educación superior del noroeste de México. Las preguntas de investigación fueron: ¿cuáles son los criterios de calidad para aplicar los foros electrónicos en los cursos en modalidad Virtual-Presencial, para apoyar los …

The Implementation Of Blogging And The Perception Of Its Impact On Student Writing, Charles R. Ford Jr.

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This qualitative study took place at a school district located in a northeastern state in the United States. The town has approximately 25,000 residents and covers approximately 8.5 square miles. The study took place at an elementary school with approximately 400 students in kindergarten through Grade 4. This study targeted the 69 students at this research site who were enrolled in the 3rd grade and divided into 4 sections. Each section utilized the same district-approved language arts literacy program.

The problem addressed in this study was that students were not receiving maximum scores on the writing-analysis portion of the New …

Exploratory Study Of Preferred Learning Styles Of Maine Family Forest Owners, Kevin D. Doran

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this exploratory study was to provide natural resource educators with an understanding of Maine family forest owners’ preferred learning styles. The problem was that despite a legislative mandate to provide information and education to Maine family forest owners, students, and adults in a manner that leads to informed decisions regarding their forests, limited research existed about instructional best practices to accomplish this mandate. A major tenet of andragogy, the art and science of teaching adults, is that content geared to the specific learning needs of an individual results in more effective education. By determining preferred learning styles …

Determining The Relationship Between Employee Morale And Management Practices Of An Organization In The Aerospace Industry, Balenda F. Fulton

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The applied dissertation was designed to measure employee morale and to examine the relationship between employee morale and employee perceptions of the effectiveness of the morale intervention and management practices. The managers of the repair facility at an organization in the aerospace industry disputed the accuracy of the results of the 2008 company survey that indicated the majority of employees had low satisfaction levels with the work environment and managers. In 2009, the managers of the repair facility implemented an employee morale-intervention program to increase employees’ satisfaction levels and ultimately improve worker morale.

A correlational design was utilized to explore …

Exploring Technology Accessibility For Visually Impaired Postsecondary Students In Ohio, William Christopher Byrd

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this applied dissertation was to research the current state of and to make recommendations for accessibility to technology for visually impaired postsecondary students in Ohio. Although the literature cites numerous advances in technology that have positively influenced the access and success of visually impaired students, gaining access to this technology has been uneven.

The problem that visually impaired students are not getting sufficient access to assistive technology to complete an academic program were addressed by surveying the disability support-services staff members about technology available to visually impaired students. Additionally, training was provided for both staff and faculty …

Developing A Standardized Articulation Model For Florida High School Career And Technical Graduates To Florida’S Community And State Colleges, Dennette Foy

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to provide Florida college educators with a standardized process for determining credit portability for Florida high school career and technical graduates to career programs of Florida’s 28 community and state colleges. This study focused on the process of local articulation development and the analysis of assessment methods employed to determine college credit for career pathways (formerly Tech Prep) within the Florida colleges and the local school districts.

This study employed a survey and document analysis. Study participants were key college administrators involved in the career pathways articulation process, including the articulation officer, student advising administrator, …