Digital Commons Network^™

Random Effects, Fixed Effects And Hausman’S Test For The Generalized Mixed Regressive Spatial Autoregressive Panel, Badi Baltagi, Long Liu

Center for Policy Research

This paper suggests random and fixed effects spatial two-stage least squares estimators for the generalized mixed regressive spatial autoregressive panel data model. This extends the generalized spatial panel model of Baltagi, Egger and Pfaffermayr (2013) by the inclusion of a spatial lag dependent variable. The estimation method utilizes the Generalized Moments method suggested by Kapoor, Kelejian, and Prucha (2007) for a spatial autoregressive panel data model. We derive the asymptotic distributions of these estimators and suggest a Hausman test a la Mutl and Pfaffermayr (2011) based on the difference between these estimators. Monte Carlo experiments are performed to investigate the …

Fresh Bytes - Connected Hydroponics For Small-Scale Growing, Jack Bowen

Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies

Many users are now transitioning to small-scale hydroponics and aquaponics at home. There can be a barrier to entry with these systems as there is a delicate balance of chemicals, pH, etc. that must be maintained. There are sensors for these various components but they are either aimed at commercial production or are un-automated. Fresh Bytes is a microcomputer with sensors to detect all of these unseen components in a hydroponic system. A prototype of this microcomputer is produced along with CAD plans for more professional versions of it. The sensors are verified and future development is contemplated.

Compositing Brought To Life, Anika Morris

Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies

No abstract provided.

Developing A Tool For Site-Specific Gene Inactivation In Chlamydia, Cayla Marie Johnson

Theses

Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen that infects both humans and domestically important animals. Research in the field has until more recently been hindered by a lack of genetic tools. We have modified Sigma's TargeTron^TM Gene Knockout System, which utilizes a mobile group II intron for site-specific insertion and gene inactivation, for use in C. trachomatis. As proof of principle, we used the system to inactivate incA, creating mutant strains DFCT3 and DFCT4 (independent clones both carrying incA::GII[bla]). IncA is a chlamydial inclusion membrane protein involved in homotypic fusion of inclusions when cells are infected with more …

Sensitivity Of Hazus-Mh Flood Loss Estimates To Selection Of Building Parameters: Two Illinois Case Studies, Samir Shrestha

Theses

In this study, Hazus-MH (v 2.1 SP 2) flood-loss estimation tools were assessed for their sensitivity to an array of different building and model parameters. The purpose of this study is to help guide users of the Hazus-MH flood-loss modeling tool in the selection of most appropriate model parameters. Six model parameters (square footage of the building, building age, construction types, foundation types, first floor heights, and the number of stories in the building) were assessed for their impacts on flood losses using the Hazus-MH user defined and aggregate flood-loss models. Building stock databases for these analyses were developed using …

Resource Revenues And Fiscal Sustainability: Lessons Of The Alaska Disconnect, Gunnar Knapp

ISER Articles

In 1968, the Prudhoe Bay oil field was discovered on Alaska’s North Slope – the largest oil field ever discovered in North America. That discovery led to an economic and fiscal transformation of the young state of Alaska. A 1969 sale of Prudhoe Bay leases brought the state $900 million in one day ($4.9 billion in 2014 dollars) – six times the state’s budget that year of $115 million (Ragsdale, 2008). After the completion of the Trans-Alaska pipeline, oil began flowing from the North Slope – bringing the state very large annual oil revenues. Cumulatively, between 1978 and 2014 the …

A Cross-National Comparison Of Voter Turnout In 15 Sub-Saharan African States, Scot Schraufnagel, Peter Gowen

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

The political fortunes of Sub-Saharan Africa changed dramatically in the past twenty-five years. Since the late 1980s, many countries have held regular multi-party elections. A cross-national examination of voter participation rates, a common starting point for work on democratization, is now possible. This paper represents a first look at the determinants of voter turnout in 15 African states that have witnessed some stability in national elections since 1988. Controlling for several standard explanations of voter turnout, a model is developed to test a colonial legacy thesis, which seeks to understand the influence the former colonizing power has had on contemporary …

Role Of Carbonaceous Materials In Polymer Matrix Composites For Friction Applications, Preston Lapping

Theses

The purpose of this research was to study the friction performance characteristics of a Copper, Antimony, and sulfide free environmentally automotive friction material using different allotropes of graphite as a replacement. Model brake friction materials were created and tested on a full scale brake dynamometer using the Society of Automotive Engineers J2430 test and Brake Effectiveness Evaluation Procedure. The dynamometer testing revealed the graphite replacement to have higher average effectiveness values when compared to the baseline friction material currently in production. The model samples generally had higher wear rates but some were comparable to the baseline and would be acceptable …

Foia Vs. Ferpa/Scalia Vs. Posner, Kristin Knotts

Southern Illinois University Law Journal

Two different Illinois newspapers have sued the University of Illinois-Springfield (UIS) and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) for the release of documents pursuant to Illinois’ Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).  These cases present somewhat new, interesting, and developing problems in the law, including, but not limited to:  the public’s right to information, student privacy rights, and whether a federal law like the Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) can override any state’s FOIA.  If the universities are forced to violate FERPA, or if the newspapers appeal a negative decision and file for certiorari, their cases could end …

Contents May Have Shifted: Disentangling The Best Evidence Rule From The Rule Against Hearsay, Colin Miller

Washington and Lee Law Review Online

The rule against hearsay covers a statement offered to prove the truth of the matter asserted but does not cover a statement offered for another purpose. Meanwhile, the Best Evidence Rule states that a party seeking to prove the content of a writing, recording, or photograph must produce the original or account for its nonproduction. Does this mean that the Rule is inapplicable when a party seeks to prove something other than the truth of the matter asserted in a writing, recording or photograph? Most courts have answered this question in the affirmative. This essay argues these courts are wrong.

Ages And Magnetic Structures Of The South China Sea Constrained By Deep Tow Magnetic Surveys And Iodp Expedition 349, Chun Feng Li, Xing Xu, Jian Lin, Zhen Sun, Jian Zhu, Yongjian Yao, Xixi Zhao, Qingsong Liu, Denise K. Kulhanek, Jian Wang, Taoran Song, Junfeng Zhao, Ning Qiu, Yongxian Guan, Zhiyuan Zhou, Trevor Williams, Rui Bao, Anne Briais, Elizabeth A. Brown, Yifeng Chen, Peter D. Clift, Frederick S. Colwell, Kelsie A. Dadd, Weiwei Ding, Iván Hernández Almeida, Xiao Long Huang, Sangmin Hyun, Tao Jiang, Anthony A.P. Koppers, Qianyu Li, Chuanlian Liu, Zhifei Liu, Renata H. Nagai

Faculty Publications

© 2014. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved. Combined analyses of deep tow magnetic anomalies and International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 349 cores show that initial seafloor spreading started around 33 Ma in the northeastern South China Sea (SCS), but varied slightly by 1-2 Myr along the northern continent-ocean boundary (COB). A southward ridge jump of ∼20 km occurred around 23.6 Ma in the East Subbasin; this timing also slightly varied along the ridge and was coeval to the onset of seafloor spreading in the Southwest Subbasin, which propagated for about 400 km southwestward from ∼23.6 to ∼21.5 Ma. The …

An Entropy Approach To Bose-Einstein Condensation, Francesco De Vecchi, Stefania Ugolini

Communications on Stochastic Analysis

No abstract provided.

Subsampling Reduces Sorting Effort For Waterfowl Foods In Salt-Marsh Core Samples, Mark C. Livolsi, Kevin M. Ringelman, Christopher K. Williams

Faculty Publications

Waterfowl researchers often use soil core samples to estimate food availability in foraging habitats, and these estimates are needed for bioenergetic models of carrying capacity. However, core sampling is frequently a time-and resource-intensive process, and some researchers have suggested that subsampling may be a valuable way to reduce processing time. We evaluated whether 10% and 25% by mass subsampling are appropriate techniques for reducing core-sorting effort while maintaining precision for samples taken in six separate habitat types along the Delaware bayshore. We found no significant difference between biomass found in 100% sorted cores and estimated biomass obtained by 10% and …

Step Selection Techniques Uncover The Environmental Predictors Of Space Use Patterns In Flocks Of Amazonian Birds, Jonathan R. Potts, Karl Mokross, Philip C. Stouffer, Mark A. Lewis

Faculty Publications

Understanding the behavioral decisions behind animal movement and space use patterns is a key challenge for behavioral ecology. Tools to quantify these patterns from movement and animal-habitat interactions are vital for transforming ecology into a predictive science. This is particularly important in environments undergoing rapid anthropogenic changes, such as the Amazon rainforest, where animals face novel landscapes. Insectivorous bird flocks are key elements of avian biodiversity in the Amazonian ecosystem. Therefore, disentangling and quantifying the drivers behind their movement and space use patterns is of great importance for Amazonian conservation. We use a step selection function (SSF) approach to uncover …

“Hot Hand” In The National Basketball Association Point Spread Betting Market: A 34-Year Analysis, Benjamin Waggoner, Daniel Wines, Brian P. Soebbing, Chad S. Seifried, Jean Michael Martinez

Faculty Publications

Several articles have looked at factors that affect the adjustments of point spreads, based on hot hands or streaks, for smaller durations of time. This study examines these effects for 34 regular seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Estimating a Seemingly Unrelated Regression model using all 34 seasons, all streaks significantly impacted point spreads and difference in actual points. When estimating each season individually, differences emerged particularly examining winning and losing streaks of six games or more. The results indicate both the presence of momentum effects and the gambler’s fallacy.

Sustainability Of A Comprehensive School Reform Model From The Perspectives Of Three Participating Principals, Bethann S. Browning

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

School reform is a deliberate process that requires a strong commitment at all levels. The school leader plays a crucial role in establishing a vision and nurturing an environment that facilitates reform efforts. School reform efforts have witnessed a change in the role of the elementary principal from manager to instructional leader. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the role of the elementary principal in sustaining school reform, in the form of Literacy Collaborative. The study was guided by one research question: how did elementary principals sustain a comprehensive school reform effort in the form of Literacy …

A Remote Sensing Based Early Warning System For Algal Blooms In Kuwait Bay And Coastal Waters, Cameron Manche

Masters Theses

The Kuwait Bay and its coastal waters are being threatened by a perpetual hazard, the proliferation of harmful algal blooms (HABS). The frequency of HAB occurrences is a growing problem that is only reported subsequent to the onset of a HAB event. Little effort has been invested in investigating the spatial and temporal distribution of these events in Kuwait Bay and even less is known about their controlling factors. All previous studies within the Kuwait Bay have focused either on measuring nutrient availability and the biodiversity of algal species.

The overall study objective is four-fold: (1) to monitor the spatial …

Mining And Sustainable Communities: A Case Study Of The Red Dog Mine, Bob Loeffler

ISER Articles

Politicians and planners work to attract economic development because of the desire to provide jobs and income for residents, and to find tax revenue to fund government services. Their focus is usually statewide: jobs, income, and taxes for Alaskans. This article is about the impact of one remote development project on nearby, Native communities. It is about the community effects of the Red Dog Lead and Zinc Mine in northwest Alaska. 2014 was the 25th anniversary for the mine, which began operation in 1989. This case study evaluates the mine’s effects on the communities after 25 years of operation. It …

55 | Bet Dagan: Intermediate Bronze Age And Mamluk-Period Cemeteries, 2004–2005 Excavations, Eli Yannai, Yossi Nagar

IAA Reports—Monograph Series of the Israel Antiquities Authority

This volume describes the IAA excavation of two cemeteries of different periods on the coastal plain near Tel Aviv. The excavation uncovered one of the largest Intermediate Bronze Age shaft-tomb cemeteries with burial assemblages and anthropological remains known to date. The Muslim cemetery is unique in having no tombs or grave goods.

On Women And Running: A Feminist Rhetorical Investigation Into The Political And Ontological Implications Of Consciousness-Raising Via The Sharing Of Women's Running Stories, Janelle Leann Briggs

Dissertations

The goal of my dissertation is to further our understanding of the political ramifications of women's running stories by focusing on the intersections of feminist rhetoric, women in sports studies, political theory, and ontology. To this end, I examined six books written by women, about women, who participate in the sport of running. Since I am most interested in how gendered concepts teach us how to be "appropriate," and due to the fact that what is considered appropriate gendered behavior changes over time, I start from a place of understanding that "appropriateness" is necessarily both hegemonic and unstable. As a …

Paper People And Digital Memory: Recreating The Public And Private In Japan, Meghan Sarah Fidler

Dissertations

This research examines how reading and writing on digital platforms establishes public and private spheres in Tokyo, Japan. Based upon findings from a group of students at an international University, I develop new modes of thinking about people and their use of Internet capable devices by exploring the paradoxes present in contemporary literacies. Contextualizing reading and writing within the speech patterns and exchange rituals (aisatsu) which mark public spheres in Japan, writing practices are found to reflect multiple nuanced identity performances in which the varied use of the cultural principles uchi/soto (inside/outside) and ura/omote (back/front) create parallel publics. Constructed by …

Psychological And Genetic Contributions To The Development Of Social Cognition In Children, Jacqueline Marie Klaver

Dissertations

This study examined the development of social cognition in children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as well as the influence of behavioral and molecular genetics on these higher-order cognitive abilities. Specifically, it was hypothesized that children with ASD would perform more poorly on all social cognitive tasks compared with typically developing peers. In addition, it was hypothesized that typically developing children who performed better on a simpler social cognitive task at ages 3 or 4 would perform better at follow-up (i.e., one time between the ages of 6-10). Lastly, it was hypothesized that children who had at least …

Factors Determining Habitat Selection By Spring Migrating Waterfowl Along The Wabash River, Illinois, Ryan O'Shaughnessy

Dissertations

The main proponent of management of any animal species is habitat management. The ability of habitats to maintain species communities will depend on the variation in both habitat structure and composition. While spatial variation in habitat resources plays a critical role in determining the distribution of species, an equally important consideration that must be accounted for is temporal variation in the needs of the target species. Nutritional requirements, and thus the habitats used to fulfil those nutritional needs, will be different depending on if the individual is breeding, migrating, molting, enduring winter, or establishing a new range. For waterfowl, we …

The Effect Of Instruction In Alternative Solutions On American Ninth-Grade Algebra I Students' Problem Solving Performance, Erin Elizabeth Sagaskie

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the use of an Alternative-Solution Worksheet (ASW) on American ninth-grade students' problem solving performance, and to determine the extent to which instruction in alternative solutions promotes "look back" strategies. "Look back" strategies are based on Polya's (1973) problem solving steps, and they are an examination of what was done or learned previously. The ASW was designed to encourage students to utilize "look back" strategies by generating alternative solutions to the problems. This mixed-methods study was conducted with two existing groups of ninth-grade Algebra I students. An experimental group of …

"I Don't Want To Hurt Anyone's Feelings": Using Race As A Writing Prompt In First Year Writing, Dianna Shank

Dissertations

First Year Composition (FYC) is one of the most important courses for any incoming college student. This course (often designated as English 101) provides students the rhetorical tools to fully engage in critical thinking and writing on the college level. One of the most common methods of organizing FYC is to use a topic as the center of all the reading and writing prompts. The use of outside subject matter to teach FYC is a common practice that is rarely interrogated for its effectiveness. However, the Hairston debate in the early 1990s opened up a public discussion of how FYC …

Low-Power Low-Voltage Analog Circuit Techniques For Wireless Sensors, Chenglong Zhang

Dissertations

This research investigates lower-power lower-voltage analog circuit techniques suitable for wireless sensor applications. Wireless sensors have been used in a wide range of applications and will become ubiquitous with the revolution of internet of things (IoT). Due to the demand of low cost, miniature desirable size and long operating cycle, passive wireless sensors which don't require battery are more preferred. Such sensors harvest energy from energy sources in the environment such as radio frequency (RF) waves, vibration, thermal sources, etc. As a result, the obtained energy is very limited. This creates strong demand for low power, lower voltage circuits. The …

Seeing The World Through Deaf Eyes: Chile Study-Abroad Experiences Of Deaf Students, Joan Marie Naturale

Education Doctoral

Research has indicated that a global education, including study-abroad programs, is increasingly crucial in today’s world and offers intercultural, personal, academic, and career-related benefits to participants. However, there has been a paucity of academic research on best-class and study-abroad program designs for the deaf and hard-of-hearing students. The research to date has not included the experiences and perceptions of deaf students who participated in study-abroad programs. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived supports and barriers to study-abroad experiences of deaf students. Information gathered from the unique perspective of deaf study participants was used to assist in …

The Development Of Calculus In The Kerala School, Phoebe Webb

The Mathematics Enthusiast

The Kerala School of mathematics, founded by Madhava in Southern India, produced many great works in the area of trigonometry during the fifteenth through eighteenth centuries. This paper focuses on Madhava's derivation of the power series for sine and cosine, as well as a series similar to the well-known Taylor Series. The derivations use many calculus related concepts such as summation, rate of change, and interpolation, which suggests that Indian mathematicians had a solid understanding of the basics of calculus long before it was developed in Europe. Other evidence from Indian mathematics up to this point such as interest in …

December 2014 Magazine

Ergo

No abstract provided.

Lateral Resistance Of Piles Near 15 Foot Vertical Mse Abutment Walls Reinforced With Ribbed Steel Strips, Jarell Han

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACTLateral Resistance of Piles near 15 Foot Vertical MSE AbutmentWalls Reinforced with Ribbed Steel StripsJarell Jen Chou HanDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, BYUMaster of ScienceA full scale MSE wall was constructed and piles were driven at various distances behind the wall. Lateral load tests were conducted to determine the effect of pile spacing from the wall on the lateral resistance of the piles and the force resisted by the MSE reinforcement. The piles used for this study were 12.75 inch pipe piles and the reinforcements were ribbed steel strips.Load-deflection curves were developed for piles located behind the wall at …