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Firm Characteristics And Financing Of Mfis In Kenya, Erasmus Shubi Kaijage, Onesmus Mutunga Nzioka

Business Management Review

This paper investigates whether firm characteristics have an influence on financing of MFIs in Kenya using a sample of 12 Microfinance firms. Primary and secondary data were collected and subjected to multiple regression and correlation analysis in order to achieve the study objectives. Firm characteristics, which are the independent variables, were measured by size, profitability, and risk, while financing of MFIs, which is the dependent variable, was measured by the Debt-Equity ratio and by the ratio of capital to total assets. Results of this study suggest that, a strong negative association between return on equity and total assets has an …

Restorative Practices Training Manual, John M. Winslade, Elizabeth Espinoza, Michelle Myers, Henry Yzaguirre

Books

This manual is designed to support the process of training school personnel in the San Bernardino City Unified School District to implement Restorative Practices into the schools in their district. What is outlined below are the following:

• The need that the introduction of restorative practices is designed to respond to
• The key ideas and assumptions that underlie restorative practices
• The training and consultation process that aims to implement these ideas in the school district
• An explanation of the specific practices that training will be offered in
• A summary of what current research data says about the value of these approaches …

Appeal No. 0856: City Of North Royalton, V. Division Of Oil & Gas Resources Management, Ohio Oil & Gas Commission

Ohio Oil & Gas Commission Decisions

Chief's Order 2013-181; Mandatory Pooling (Callas #8HD Well; Cutter Oil Company)

Identifying The Vulnerability Of Earthen Levees To Slump Slides Using Geotechnical And Geomorphological Parameters, Sona Sehat

Theses and Dissertations

The main goal of this research is to investigate vulnerability of levees to future slump slides. In the first part, polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) imagery is used as input in an automated classification system for characterizing areas on the levee having anomalies. In addition, a set of in-situ soil data is collected to provide detailed soil properties over the study area. In-situ soil properties of different classes characterized by the classifier are analyzed to determine how similarities between different areas. The second part, a database including of 34 slump slides that occurred in the lower Mississippi River levee system …

Determination Of The Weak Charge Of The Proton Through Parity Violating Asymmetry Measurements In The Elastic Ep Scattering, Adesh Subedi

Theses and Dissertations

The Qweak experiment has taken data to make a 2.5 percent measurement of parity violating elastic ep asymmetry in the four momentum transfer region of 0.0250 (GeV/c)2. This asymmetry is proportional to the weak charge of the proton, which is related to the weak mixing angle, sin2(thetaW). The final Qweak measurement will provide the most precise measurement of the weak mixing angle below the Z° pole to test the Standard Model prediction. A description of the experimental apparatus is provided in this dissertation. The experiment was carried out using a longitudinally polarized electron beam of up to 180 microampere on …

Effects Of Intercropping Switchgrass In Loblolly Pine Plantations On Bird Communities, Zachary G. Loman

Theses and Dissertations

Intercropping switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) between tree rows within young pine (Pinus spp.) plantations is a novel method to generate lignocellulosic biofuel feedstocks within intensively managed forests. Intensively managed pine supports diverse avian assemblages potentially affected by establishment and maintenance of a biomass feedstock. I sought to understand how establishing switchgrass on an operational scale affects bird communities within intercropped plantations as compared to typical intensively managed loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantations. I conducted breeding bird point counts, nest searching and monitoring, and coarse woody debris (CWD) surveys following establishment of intercropped switchgrass stands (6 replicates), traditionally-managed pine plantations, and switchgrass-only …

Assessing Code Decay By Detecting Software Architecture Violations, Ajay Bandi

Theses and Dissertations

Code decay is a gradual process that negatively impacts the quality of a software system. Developers need trusted measurement techniques to evaluate whether their systems have decayed. This dissertation aims to assess code decay by discovering software architectural violations. Our methodology uses Lightweight Sanity Check for Implemented Architectures to derive architectural constraints represented by can-use and cannot-use phrases. Our methodology also uses Lattix to discover architectural violations. We also introduce measures that indicate code decay in a software system. We conducted two case studies of proprietary systems (9 versions of System A and 14 versions of System B) to demonstrate …

Reforming The U.S. Intelligence Community: Successes, Failures And The Best Path Forward, Christopher John Sheehy

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

In the wake of the 9/11 and Iraqi WMD catastrophes, an increased spotlight was placed upon the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC). The widespread criticism of the IC, from both government and public sources, ultimately culminated in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act (IRTPA) in 2004. Today, with a wide array of transnational threats to the homeland, as well as the complex, globalized, high-tech world they thrive in, the role of intelligence remains essential to the national security apparatus.

A new shape for the intelligence reform debate is necessary, one that recognizes the unique role the IC plays in policy …

Discrimination Of Duration Differences Of Typically Developing Children And Children With Suspected Childhood Apraxia Of Speech, Susan B. Ingram

Dissertations, 2014-2019

The speech sound disorder, childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), has perplexed clinicians and researchers for many years. The perplexity has stemmed, in part, from questions about identifying characteristics that distinguish it from other childhood speech disorders. Given the reported vowel duration deficits cited in the speech production of children with sCAS, the research for this population is deficient in assessing the ability of these children to discriminate vowel duration differences. The present study represents an initial attempt to address duration discrimination in a systematized experimental design for a group of school-age TD children (n = 21) and a smaller group …

The Interaction Of Patience And Resistance To Miserly Information Processing On Life Outcomes, Tristan Kirkman

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

This study examined the relationships between three factors: patience, resistance to miserly information processing (RMIP), and life outcomes. Patience, or the ability to delay gratification in exchange for a larger reward, has been associated with having fewer negative life outcomes— those who are able to wait tend to have better lives. RMIP involves the tendency to think analytically instead of using heuristics (mental shortcuts). RMIP has had only limited study in terms of its relationship to actual life outcomes, but what has been examined so far has also suggested a positive relationship. In the present study, it was found that …

Comparison: Perception And Knowledge Of Protein Consumption In Female Athletes For Post Weight Lifting Recovery, Samantha Jane Lofton

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

A study was conducted on James Madison University’s campus to assess the knowledge, beliefs, perceptions and habits of protein consumption post resistance training in female student athletes. Sixty-two female athletes who regularly partake in resistance training filled out a recovery-cue questionnaire containing 10 statements/questions on the subject of protein consumption. The data was analyzed using IBM SPSS, Version 21.0 and Microsoft Office Excel. Eight percent of respondents stated they are aware of how much protein they should be consuming post workout, and 21% feel what they consume post workout is an adequate amount of protein for muscle recovery. Forty-six percent …

The Relationship Between Riparian Zone Width And Floristic Quality In Shenandoah County, Virginia, Jamie D. Smith

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Riparian zones harbor an above average plant biodiversity. This biodiversity is threatened by invasive species and increasing human disturbance, the latter of which includes deforestation from agriculture and urban development. In this study, I examine relationship between the width of a forested riparian zone and the vegetation growing there. By using floristic quality assessment as a measure of anthropogenic disturbance, one can determine if wider riparian zones foster exclusion of non-native species while providing higher quality habitats for native plants. A randomized block design was used with three forested riparian treatments: deforested, moderately forested (woody vegetationstream), and extensively forested (woody …

Characterization Of Vibrio Vulnificus Strains Using Phenotypic And Genotypic Assays, James Conrad

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

In this study 143 V. vulnificus isolates of clinical and environmental origin, were examined for growth on differential media, identified to species and tested for antibiotic resistance. A multiplex PCR was created and optimized, and phylogenetic analysis was conducted. The first objective was to compare phenotypic methods to identify V. vulnificus. Colony colors of confirmed V. vulnificus isolates on selective media (Vibrio vulnificus agar, thiosulfate citrate bilesalts sucrose agar, CHROMAgar Vibrio (CAV), and colistin polymyxin B cellobiose agar), mostly matched those characteristic of V. vulnificus. To test the ability of these media to select for V. vulnificus, new presumptive V. …

Offshore Wind Energy In The U.S. Mid-Atlantic Region And The Epa Clean Power Plan Proposed Rule, Kamil E. Armaiz Nolla

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

ABSTRACT

Offshore Wind Energy in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic Region and the EPA Clean Power Plan Proposed Rule

Kamil E. Armaiz Nolla

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels in the atmosphere have been experiencing a rapid rise since the start of the Industrial Era. Human activities have been recognized by the scientific community as the main contributors to CO₂ emissions by way of the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas. Scientific consensus about human-induced climate change has been recognized since 1992 by the work of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate. Since then, …

Review And Analysis Of The Project Management Process At The Engineer Research And Development Center, Mark L. Ogburn

Theses and Dissertations

Increasing economic pressure forces personnel within the construction industry to be more prudent and thorough with their decision-making processes. To this end, the possibilities of pursuing incorrect courses of actions must be minimized in order to increase the chances of a successful project culmination. The research contained herewith shall investigate the usage of a review process that if utilized properly, can reduce conflicts, oversights, cost over-runs, and other deleterious actions that can inversely affect the successful outcome of a project. Through the use of the Biddability, Constructability, Operability and Environmental (BCOE) process, construction industry personnel can ensure and effectively manage …

Multilevel Design Optimization And The Effect Of Epistemic Uncertainty, Benjamin Edward Nesbit

Theses and Dissertations

This work presents the state of the art in hierarchically decomposed multilevel optimization. This work is expanded with the inclusion of evidence theory with the multilevel framework for the quantification of epistemic uncertainty. The novel method, Evidence-Based Multilevel Design optimization, is then used to solve two analytical optimization problems. This method is also used to explore the effect of the belief structure on the final solution. A methodology is presented to reduce the costs of evidence-based optimization through manipulation of the belief structure. In addition, a transport aircraft wing is also solved with multilevel optimization without uncertainty. This complex, real …

Understanding How Age, Input Method, And Input Content Impact User Error, Angela Brooke Cannon

Theses and Dissertations

The growing number of mobile devices used today and the increasing dependency on them in the workplace makes understanding how users interact with these devices critical. This study looks to find how different generational groups commit errors on different types of devices. Participants completed tasks consisting of word and character input on two different devices, a physical keypad and touchscreen device. The number of errors and types of error, corrected and permanent were collected for each participant. It was found that participants committed more errors when using character input and physical keypad devices but also corrected more of their errors …

Model-Based Autonomic Security Management Of Networked Distributed Systems, Qian Chen

Theses and Dissertations

This research focuses on the development and validation of an autonomic security management (ASM) framework to proactively protect distributed systems (DSs) from a wide range of cyber assaults with little or no human intervention. Multi-dimensional cyber attack taxonomy was developed to characterize cyber attack methods and tactics against both a Web application (Web-app) and an industrial control system (ICS) by accounting for their impacts on a set of system, network, and security features. Based on this taxonomy, a normal region of system performance is constructed, refined, and used to predict and identify abnormal system behavior with the help of forecasting …

Sugihara Causality Analysis Of Scalp Eeg For Detection Of Early Alzheimer's Disease, Joseph C. Mcbride, Xiaopeng Zhao, Nancy B. Munro, Greg A. Jicha, Frederick A. Schmitt, Richard J. Kryscio, Charles D. Smith, Yang Jiang

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Recently, Sugihara proposed an innovative causality concept, which, in contrast to statistical predictability in Granger sense, characterizes underlying deterministic causation of the system. This work exploits Sugihara causality analysis to develop novel EEG biomarkers for discriminating normal aging from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early Alzheimer's disease (AD). The hypothesis of this work is that scalp EEG based causality measurements have different distributions for different cognitive groups and hence the causality measurements can be used to distinguish between NC, MCI, and AD participants. The current results are based on 30-channel resting EEG records from 48 age-matched participants (mean age 75.7 …

Outpatient Medication Error Improvement, Savannah M. Klinginsmith

Master's Projects and Capstones

Patient Safety Initiative -Improving Medication Administration (Outpatient Care)

SPECIFIC AIM: We aim to Improve the medication administration process and involve all staff within 6 months

In the microsystem consisting of 14 family practice and urgent care clinics, there is not a standard process based on evidence based practices for medication administration. With and estimated of 400-600 medications (immunizations included) being administered per day, without a standard of care protocol, the risk for medication errors is evident.

Objectives and changes anticipated based on implementation of the project is to engage staff in support for improving medication administration standard of care based …

Catalytic Conversion Of Biomass To Bio-Fuels, Hevagamage Rangana Thilan Wijayapala

Theses and Dissertations

The conversion of biomass to biouel has received considerable attention as a sustainable way to produce energy. As worldwide fossil fuels become depleted these efforts grow in importance. The overall strategy is to transform the parent biomass feedstock to increase C-C bonds while reducing oxygen in the final products. A catalytic approach is often used to achieve good yields of transportation grade liquid hydrocarbons from biomass. Development of novel catalyst systems to aid in the thermochemical conversion of biomass to biouel is the focus of this thesis. Gasification of biomass produces synthesis gas (CO and H2). Synthesis gas can be …

The Utility Of Immediate And Delayed Feedback Within The Math To Mastery Intervention Package In A School Setting, Marylyn Woods Miller

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to use a single subject research design to examine the effects of immediate feedback and delayed feedback within the Math to Mastery Intervention Package. The participants were 6 elementary school students who were performing approximately 1 year below grade level in math. A combined simple phase change design was used for the study. 3 of the students experienced the design in the A/B/A/C order, while the other 3 students experienced the design in a reversed order for B and C. During this study, ‘A’ represented the baseline phase and the return to baseline phase, …

The Effect Of The July 1, 2012 Federal Student Aid Changes On The Annual Student Debt Of Community College Students In Mississippi, Albert Lee Collins

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the changes to federal student aid, which were implemented on July 1, 2012, on student loan debt in Mississippi’s publicly-supported community colleges, particularly the change in the Estimated Family Contribution. The literature indicates a national epidemic of student borrowing. This research could provide Mississippi community college administrators the opportunity to observe and evaluate actual changes and to better understand the problem of student loan debt, which is escalating nationally. This study is expected to provide community college leaders a snapshot of the magnitude of the problem so that they …

The Influences Of Geologic Depositional Environments On Sand Boil Development, Tara Wildlife Lodge Area In Mississippi, Ryan Charles Strange

Theses and Dissertations

A comprehensive study of the subsurface geology in the Tara Wildlife Lodge area in Mississippi was undertaken to identify seepage pathways that lead to sand boils. After completing and reviewing drilling logs, geophysical surveys, and cone penetrometer test results, the subsurface in the Tara Wildlife area was better characterized with the creation of cross sections and imagery. Cross sections and imagery of the data helped to better understand the geologic phenomena that were occurring and causing sand boils. Results suggest that the Tara Wildlife Lodge area in the Talla Bena Quadrangle consists of point bar deposits consisting of noncohesive sands …

Protein-Protein Interaction Profile Of Viral Protein Bicp0 During Bovine Herpesvirus-1 Lytic Infection, Stephanie Elaine Ander

Theses and Dissertations

Bovine Infected Cell Protein 0 (bICP0) is an immediate-early protein encoded by Bovine Herpesvirus-1 that modulates host immune response, activates transcription for all viral promoters, and causes ubiquitin-dependent degradation of proteins. Presented herein is a bICP0 protein-protein interaction (PPI) profile, consisting of 98 cellular and 15 viral proteins, generated through co-immunoprecipitation of bICP0 and its binding partners. The PPI profile was analyzed computationally to identify potential sites of interaction with bICP0 and any cellular pathways that may be influenced by bICP0. Some interactors fall in conjunction with bICP0’s known roles during infection, and others are consistent with known associations of …

Soundscape Evaluation On Mississippi State University Campus, Yalcin Yildirim

Theses and Dissertations

The term soundscape, used for the first time at the end of 1970s, refers to the sum of the sounds that can be heard and perceived by people in a specific environment. The concept of soundscape has recently received attention in planning and design disciplines. Recent studies on soundscape have shown that the acoustic environment plays an important role for the comfort of site users. Hence, this research investigates how objective measurement of soundscape might be different from subjective perceptions of users in the Mississippi State University Campus as a public open space due to demographic and climatic variations. The …

Petroleum Releases From Underground Storage Tanks In Northwest Indiana: Successful Remediation Techniques And Implications Of Cost Effectiveness, Richard Jason Lenz

Theses and Dissertations

Prior to the passage of the 1976 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) 1.6 million bare steel Underground Storage Tanks (UST) were in use in the United States. Many of them were leaking. In Indiana approximately 13,000 UST remain but have been upgraded to meet current industry and regulatory standards. Cleaning up the petroleum releases from leaking UST has continued since it became evident that bare steel underground tanks leaked. In Northwest Indiana glacial moraine and outwash deposits from the Wisconsin Ice Age that retreated 10,000 years ago left 200 feet of glacial till above the underlying bedrock. Soil Vapor …

Picture Superiority Effect And Its Detrimental Effect In Memory Updating With Road Signs, Eumji Kang

Theses and Dissertations

Classic studies found advantages of pictures over words in memory (picture superiority effect). This paper applied the picture superiority effect to road signs to examine whether people remembered picture road signs better than word road signs. People remembered picture road signs better than word road signs, as evidenced on a recognition test. However, in real driving situations drivers do not need to remember the meaning of one road sign for a long time; rather, they need to continuously update information from sequentially encountered road signs. Therefore, Experiment 2 explored the differences in updating memory between pictures and words. Memory for …

Woodrow Wilson's Lasting Impact On The Development Of Federal Budget Practice And Theory, Tyson Michael Elbert

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the legitimacy of the academic field of public administration and the subield of public budgeting. The intellectual foundations for each, established largely by the early writings of Woodrow Wilson, are analyzed in order to better understand the ways Wilson influenced and impaired the development of theory and practice of public budgeting at the federal level of American government. The thesis is divided into three parts. The first segment addresses the theoretical frameworks and research methods used throughout. The second segment discusses the impact of Wilson on the founding, growth, and development of public budget theory and practice …

Examining The Intra-Organizational Differences Among Municipal Employees: An Empirical Investigation Of Public Safety Workers In The Municipal Workforce, Joseph J. Breen

Theses and Dissertations

Attracting, motivating, and retaining public service employees continues to challenge both state- and municipal-level managers. Beginning with Perry’s (1996) public service motivation (PSM) construct, academics and practitioners focused considerable efforts in the identification of measures and factors influencing levels of motivation with the overall intent of identifying the key components of increasing employee motivations, thereby increasing the possibility of retaining the capable employees. While this effort has focused on managerial distinctions, groupings between genders, racial backgrounds, and tenure lengths, one significant comparison has yet to be explored—the public safety worker. Identifying and examining the motivating factors of police and fire, …