Digital Commons Network^™

Evolution Of High Tooth Replacement Rates In Sauropod Dinosaurs, Michael D. D'Emic, John A. Whitlock, Kathlyn M. Smith, Daniel C. Fisher, Jeffrey A. Wilson

Earth, Environment & Sustainability: Faculty Publications

Background: Tooth replacement rate can be calculated in extinct animals by counting incremental lines of deposition in tooth dentin. Calculating this rate in several taxa allows for the study of the evolution of tooth replacement rate. Sauropod dinosaurs, the largest terrestrial animals that ever evolved, exhibited a diversity of tooth sizes and shapes, but little is known about their tooth replacement rates.

Methodology/Principal Findings: We present tooth replacement rate, formation time, crown volume, total dentition volume, and enamel thickness for two coexisting but distantly related and morphologically disparate sauropod dinosaurs Camarasaurus and Diplodocus. Individual tooth formation time was determined …

A Model Of Management Learning For Occupational Therapists In Small Business In Australia, Jeannine Millsteed

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research sought to identify factors that contribute to occupational therapists developing management competencies when they become small business owners providing professional clinical services. This is an important for several reasons and precipitated by the Australian government’s introduction of incentives that encourage health professions to move from employment in public hospitals into the private sector, coupled with a recognition that occupational therapists receive no formal business training in their professional education, and the reported high levels of business failure in the small business sector. A review of the literature established the value of small business to the Australian economy, growth …

The Biology And Ecology Of Epinephilidae Speciea And Their Implications To Fisheries Management, Jason R. How

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis examines the biological and ecological aspects of members of the globally exploited Epinephilidae with reference to fisheries management and in particular the use of closures. The leopard coralgrouper Plectropomus leopardus is a common reef fish throughout the Indo-Pacific region and a major target of both commercial and recreational fisheries. There has been limited research on this species in the eastern Indian Ocean, where there are only two populations. An examination of the species found a number of significant biological differences to their eastern Australian con-specifics. Most noticeable was the strong size-related cue over their protogynous sex change. The …

Evaluating Residential Satisfaction With An Innovative Dual Water Supply System In Water Sensitive Urban Development, Raju S. Dhakal

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The Australian water industry is facing two major challenges: a rise in water demand due to a growing population and a decrease in rainfall availability due to a drying climate. This situation has triggered a re-evaluation of traditional water schemes and promoted consideration of alternatives for sustainable urban water management. One possibility is to replace drinking water usage in garden and outdoor irrigation with non-potable groundwater. This could save almost half of the water supplied in the residential sector, which is the biggest consumer of scheme water in most Australian cities. A major hurdle for the success of such fit-for-purpose …

Pax3 Expression, Protein Modifications And Downstream Target Gene Profiling In Melanocytes And Melanoma Cells, Danielle Bartlett

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

PAX3 is a transcription factor. It plays a major role in the development of melanocytes in the embryo. As a result of alternative splicing, the gene gives rise to eight different transcripts which encode proteins that have differing structures and are therefore likely to activate different downstream target genes. The presence of post-translational modifications has also been shown to alter the functions of the proteins.

PAX3 regulates the maintenance of undifferentiated melanoblasts and mediates pathways involved in proliferation, migration and survival. It has been shown to be expressed in melanoblasts, adult melanocytes, naevi and in most melanoma cells. This implies …

Principals' Behaviors In Government Secondary Schools In Ai-Ain City: A Descriptive Study., Firas Adnan Qatouni

Theses

This study aimed to describe the principals' behaviors in government secondary schools in Al Ain City which is in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi - the United Arab Emirates. In addition, it aimed to study the effect of the principals' gender and years of experience on their leadership behaviors. In order to do that, the principals' behaviors were categorized into five domains: behaviors in human relations, trust and decision making, instructional leadership, control, and finally conflict resolution. The study used quantitative and qualitative research methods. Data were collected through a questionnaire divided into two main sections. The first section included …

Communicating, Collaborating, And Coordinating To Revitalize New Jersey Neighborhoods, Lois W. Greco

The Foundation Review

· Since 2003, the New Jersey public and private funding community has been organizing and implementing a shared, cross-sector approach to revitalizing the state's low-income neighborhoods that incorporates residents and stakeholders, encourages private investment, leverages corporate resources, and produces measurable results.

· The approach has been shaped by the programmatic alignment of the Wells Fargo Regional Foundation's Neighborhood Grants Program and the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs' Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit program (NRTC) with technical assistance from the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey.

· The combined programs have supported initiatives in 26 neighborhoods, funded by $16 …

Executive Summaries

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Collaboration And Foundation Leadership: Challenges, Opportunities, And Impact, Jennifer Pereira

The Foundation Review

· This article describes a successful collaboration among foundation, city government, and nonprofit stakeholders that leveraged an initial investment of $60,000 to $4.5 million in public and private funding to create a sustainable Green & Healthy Homes Initiative™ for low- and moderate-income neighborhoods in Providence, R.I.

· Through a partnership with the Rhode Island Foundation, the Council on Foundations, and the Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning, the city of Providence developed a comprehensive approach to integrated health, safety, lead-hazard reduction, energy-efficiency, and weatherization interventions for low- and moderate-income families.

· The project was led by a steering committee of …

Only Connect: How An Investment In Relationships Among Social Change Leaders Is Changing Them, Their Organizations, And Their City, Stefan Lanfer, Patricia Brandes, Claire Reinelt

The Foundation Review

· After years of leading social-sector organizations in an environment where competition is more the norm than collaboration, many gifted leaders are near burnout, unable to maximize their gifts. Since 2005, the Barr Fellowship has been changing that in Boston.

· This network of leaders, created by the Barr Foundation, is based on the hypothesis that recognizing talented leaders and investing in their personal growth and connections with one another will result in individual, collective, and city transformation.

· A longtime funder of networks, Barr designed the fellowship as a “connectivity” network, where collective actions and shared agendas might emerge …

A Matter Of Leadership: Connecting A Grantmaker's Investments In Collaborative Leadership Development To Community Results, Julia D. O’Brien, Jennifer N. Littlefield, Victoria Goddard-Truitt

The Foundation Review

· Foundations are increasingly supporting cross-sector collaboratives that focus on developing collaborative leadership skills, in addition to strengthening collaborative accountability. This article tests the Theory of Aligned Contributions change model, as implemented by the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Leadership in Action Program.

· Path analysis results show that grantmakers can support cross-sector collaboratives by providing skilled implementation teams that promote public and individual accountability and build strong collaborative leadership skills. Through this support, collaboratives develop effective strategies that affect important social issues.

· This research sheds light on how grantmakers can fund and encourage a process for cross-sector community members …

When Local Solutions Aren’T Enough: A Strategic Funding Partnership To Restore A Large River System, Pam Wiley, Ken Bierly, Todd Reeve, Kendra Smith

The Foundation Review

· Freshwater ecosystems are increasingly imperiled, and funders, nongovernmental organizations, community groups, and government agencies around the world are working to restore ecological function and resiliency to these critical resources.

· What does it take to structure, support, and implement truly effective, broad-scale watershed restoration? This article will describe the unconventional funding strategies catalyzing collective impact across multiple restoration groups working in a diverse set of watersheds and share the challenges and opportunities encountered while implementing these strategies.

· In Oregon, an experimental 10-year collaboration aimed at improving the health of the Willamette River system is being led by the …

Achieving Synergy With Collaborative Problem Solving: The Value Of System Analysis, Douglas Easterling, Elizabeth Mayfield Arnold, Jessica A. Jones, Allen J. Smart

The Foundation Review

· Collaborative problem solving has a long and important tradition in philanthropy. While there are notable success stories, it is clear that large-scale impact does not occur by simply bringing various stakeholders together around a common agenda and then offering them funding for planning and implementation.

· One of the most critical ingredients is a high-leverage strategy, which in turn requires a coherent understanding of the system that surrounds the problem.

· Reclaiming Futures, a national initiative aimed at promoting juvenile-justice reform at the local level, explicitly promotes system-level problem-solving by offering a conceptual framework that each site uses to …

Front Matter

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Executive Summaries

The Foundation Review

No abstract provided.

Benchmarking Evaluation In Foundations: Do We Know What We Are Doing?, Julia Coffman, Tanya Beer, Patricia Patrizi, Elizabeth Heid Thompson

The Foundation Review

· Evaluation in philanthropy – with staff assigned to evaluation-related responsibilities – began in the 1970s and has evolved, along with philanthropy, in the four decades since. What has not changed, however, is a regular questioning of what foundations are doing on evaluation, especially since the world of philanthropy regularly shifts, and changes in evaluation resourcing and positioning tend to soon follow.

· This article presents new findings about what foundations are doing on evaluation and discusses their implications. It is based on 2012 research that benchmarks the positioning, resourcing, and function of evaluation in foundations, and follows up on …

Getting To Collective Impact: How Funders Can Contribute Over The Life Course Of The Work, Douglas Easterling

The Foundation Review

· Foundations have a long tradition of convening and funding collaborative groups with the hope that this will lead to large-scale impact.

· Although funder-driven collaboration sometimes leads to breakthrough solutions, foundations have also pushed the participating organizations into artificial, awkward, and unsustainable efforts.

· This article argues that funders should support naturally emerging networks and should tailor their support to match the network’s stage of development.

· A five-stage developmental model is introduced and illustrated through a case study of the Central Appalachian Network (CAN).

· Over CAN’s 20-year history, a succession of regional and national foundations have played …

Moving From Partnership To Collective Accountability And Sustainable Change: Applying A Systems-Change Model To Foundations’ Evolving Roles, Karen W. Linkins, Lynda E. Frost, Becky Hayes Boober, Jennifer J. Brya

The Foundation Review

· In a time of scarce resources and significant needs, funders may seek to maximize the impact of their grantmaking through collaboration. While many foundations move well from identifying a problem to building broader awareness and forging key partnerships, they typically flounder in trying to move beyond collaboration to a sense of mutual responsibility or collective accountability for the greater good, which is a precondition for sustainable systems change.

· This article discusses three complex initiatives that made sustainable changes in integrated behavioral health and primary care. Using a conceptual framework based on the Building Blocks of Systems Change model, …

Eyes Wide Open: Learning As Strategy Under Conditions Of Complexity And Uncertainty, Patricia Patrizi, Elizabeth Heid Thompson, Julia Coffman, Tanya Beer

The Foundation Review

· Foundation strategy is hampered by a failure to recognize and engage with the complexity and uncertainty surrounding foundation work. This article identifies three common “traps” that hinder foundation capacity to learn and adapt: 1) linearity and certainty bias; 2) the autopilot effect; and 3) indicator blindness.

· This article urges foundations to alter their mindset, questions, and processes to foster a more committed approach to strategy and adaptation. In essence, it argues for learning as strategy.

· This article draws on literature from systems theory, business strategy, and philanthropic practice as well as data from foundation benchmarking surveys.

Talent Philanthropy: Investing In Nonprofit People To Advance Nonprofit Performance, Rusty Morgen Stahl

The Foundation Review

· This article argues that people are the primary asset that drives performance in the social sector, but that despite their importance they are undersupported. Funders could make major strides in their own effectiveness and in the performance of their grantees by explicitly investing in grantee talent and talent-support systems. Such support could build a critical mass of diverse leadership in society and dramatically improve the ability of the social sector to advance social change.

· The first part of this article reframes the talent challenge facing the nonprofit sector, highlighting urgent issues and chronic structural flaws.

· The second …

Lessons From Patchwork Nation: A New Framework For Building Community Indicators, Stephen Borders, James Edwards, Ashley Miller

The Foundation Review

· As interest in outcomes continues to rise, community indicators have become a widely used tool to measure progress. While indicators provide a vehicle for understanding and addressing community issues from a holistic perspective, current efforts seem to suffer from both a notable absence of local-level data and end-user information overload, whereby the presentation of numerous and often disconnected indicators makes it difficult to draw meaningful conclusions from the analysis.

· We highlight the results and our experiences with a community health needs assessment conducted through an indicator project in Michigan’s Kent County. The analysis and visualization of the indicator …

Privacy And Publicly Available Personal Information, Teresa Scassa

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

This article begins with a review of the structure of PIPEDA in order to situate the exception within its statutory context. This is followed by a detailed consideration of the exception for publicly available information. The article then offers a discussion of whether the scope of this exception should be expanded, and offers an alternative.

Identifying Barriers To Weight Management For Cancer Survivors, Jennifer Brennan Rd, Cso, Ldn, Janine Gilboy Rd, Ldn, Erin Levine Rd, Cso, Ldn, Kelley Koplin

Clinical Nutrition Service

No abstract provided.

How Can Physicians’ Knowledge Be Activated To Provide Better Healthcare? Explaining Electronic Health Record Adaptation By Physicians., Cherie Noteboom, Sajda Qureshi

Research & Publications

Despite the rising costs of healthcare and falling quality of care, the integration of EHR (Electronic Health Records) in supporting collaboration to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare remains a challenge. It appears that the physicians are at the center of this bottleneck. The literature suggests that the reasons for the limited use relate to policy, financial and usability considerations, but it does not provide an understanding of reasons for physicians' limited interaction and adaptation of EHR. Following an analysis of qualitative data, collected in a case study at a hospital using interviews, this research shows how a collaborative …

Towards A Business Intelligence Maturity Model For Healthcare, Patti Brooks, Omar El-Gayar, Surendra Sarnikar

Research & Publications

Healthcare is a very complex, knowledge-driven industry. Electronic health record implementations have created massive amounts of clinical and financial data. The accumulation of data is outpacing the ability of organizations to leverage the data for improving financial and clinical efficiencies and quality of care. It is believed that careful and attentive use of business intelligence (BI) in healthcare can transform data into knowledge that can improve patient outcomes and operational efficiency. BI maturity models are a way of identifying strengths and weaknesses of the information maturity of a business. This paper presents a comprehensive review of existing BI maturity models …

An Approach For Criminal Career Analysis Using Hazard Patterns, Carl A. Janzen, Amit Deokar, Omar F. El-Gayar

Research & Publications

No abstract provided.

Aligning It Assets To Maximize Healthcare Organizational Performance, Paul Weist, Surendra Sarnikar, Omar F. El-Gayar

Research & Publications

This study examines the impact of healthcare information technology assets on organizational efficiency. Using an econometric approach with data envelopment analysis, we examine the effect of IT asset clusters on organizational efficiency as measured relative to a peer group of healthcare organizations We observe that different IT asset clusters have varying effects on organizational efficiency based on the size of the organizations. The results of this study have implications for healthcare organizations in planning their investments across various IT asset clusters.

Information Security Policy Compliance: An Empirical Study Of Ethical Ideology, Ahmad Al-Omari, Amit Deokar, Omar F. El-Gayar, Jack Walters

Research & Publications

Information security policy compliance (ISP) is one of the key concerns that face organizations today. Although technical and procedural measures help improve information security, there is an increased need to accommodate human, social and organizational factors. Despite the plethora of studies that attempt to identify the factors that motivate compliance behavior or discourage abuse and misuse behaviors, there is a lack of studies that investigate the role of ethical ideology per se in explaining compliance behavior. The purpose of this research is to investigate the role of ethics in explaining Information Security Policy (ISP) compliance. In that regard, a model …

On The Design Of It-Enabled Self-Care Systems: A Socio-Technical Perspective, Omar F. El-Gayar, Surendra Sarnikar, Abdullah Hamdi Saleh Wahbeh

Research & Publications

Advances in information technology (IT) have resulted in a proliferation of IT-based solution to support the self-care and management for healthy individuals as well as patients with chronic conditions. Despite these advances, the adoption and diffusion of these solutions into practice is limited. The objective of this paper is to enhance adoption and diffusion by providing actionable recommendations for the design of IT systems for self-care. The recommendations are grounded in socio-technical design theory and in an extensive review of self-care literature. The findings indicate that despite the diversity of disease conditions, users, technologies, and implementation environments, IT-solutions for self-care …

Formissional Worship: Curriculum Design And Delivery, Gregory B. Rosser

ATS Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to measure the cognitive, attitudinal, and behavioral changes in students concerning formissional worship as a result of a Master of Ministry class at Mount Vernon Nazarene University entitled Christian Worship. The scriptural foundation was the Shema (Deut. 6:4-5), quoted by Jesus in the Greatest Commandment (Matt. 22:37-40; Mark 12:29-31). The curricular outline was worship as invitation, revelation, participation, formation, contextualization, incarnation, and integration. The instruments used to gather data from the students were two surveys and an online threaded discussion by the students during class. The surveys framed the class as a pre- and …