Digital Commons Network^™

Listening To Shells And Discovering A Lost World; Epiphanic Experiences At The Museum, Catherine M.C. Closet-Crane

Proceedings from the Document Academy

This paper aims to entertain the possibilities for analysis, interpretation, and learning offered by evocative autoethnographic texts for LAM and LIS user studies. The focus in this paper is on storytelling as autoethnographic writing. To illustrate facets of a particular cultural experience and start a conversation about the transformative power of museum objects as documents, the story told in this paper recounts a series of events and experiences from the life of two visitors after their museum encounter with an engraved shell artifact from the archeological site of Spiro Mounds in Oklahoma.

The Compliance Case For Social Enterprise, Joseph W. Yockey

Michigan Business & Entrepreneurial Law Review

Social enterprises generate revenue to solve social, humanitarian, and ecological problems. Their products are not a means to the end of profits, but rather profits are a means to the end of their production. This dynamic presents many of the same corporate governance issues facing other forprofit firms, including legal compliance. The author contends, however, that traditional strategies for corporate compliance are incongruent to the social enterprise’s unique normative framework. Specifically, traditional compliance theory, with its prioritization of shareholder interests, stands at odds with the social enterprise’s mission-driven purpose. Attention to this distinction is essential for developing effective compliance and …

Enforceability Of Mandatory Arbitration Clauses For Shareholder-Corporation Disputes, Garry D. Hartlieb

Michigan Business & Entrepreneurial Law Review

Investor litigation is an increasingly vexatious field of law. Nearly every time a significant change of control or corporate ownership occurs, plaintiffs’ attorneys file standardized complaints to set in motion class action suits. Ultimately, the settlements shareholders receive fail to achieve the practical effects that parties on both sides desire. Shareholders may receive pennies on the dollar of what they allege was lost by corporate wrongdoing, and, in some cases, shareholders may not receive monetary recovery as the settlement requires only that the corporation to make changes to its governing documents. These suits distract directors and management from the core …

The Fragmented Regulation Of Investment Advice: A Call For Harmonization, Christine Lazaro, Benjamin P. Edwards

Michigan Business & Entrepreneurial Law Review

Decades of short-term thinking and regulatory fixes created the bewilderingly complex statutory and regulatory structures governing the giving of personalized investment advice to retail customers. Although deeply flawed, the current systems remain entrenched because of the difficulties inherent in making radical alterations. Importantly, the current patchwork systems do not seem to serve retail customers particularly well. Retail customers tend to make predictable and costly mistakes in allocating their assets. Some of this occurs because many investors lack basic financial literacy. A recent study released by the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on financial literacy among investors …

Ospreys (Pandion Haliaetus) In The 21st Century: Populations, Migration, Management, And Research Priorities, Richard O. Bierregaard, Alan F. Poole, Brian E. Washburn

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) are remarkable raptors. Their choice of conspicuous nest sites and surprising tolerance for nesting in nearly intimate association with humans render them an iconic piece of aquatic ecosystems in both marine and freshwater habitats across the northern hemisphere and much of Australasia (Australia to Indonesia). Wintering in Central and South America and Africa as well, they are among the few truly cosmopolitan birds of prey. Ecologically, they might be termed generalized specialists. They are, with exceptions so rare that they can safely be ignored, obligate fish eaters. From their talons to the tip of their …

Psychological Capital Intervention: A Potential Tool For Improving Organizational Commitment In Sales Organizations, Steven A. Schulz, Heather M. Schulz, Marsha Yeagley

Journal of Applied Marketing Theory

Given current challenges related to talent in sales organizations, the need for enhanced recruiting and retention of top-tier talent has never been more critical. Extant research has demonstrated the high cost of employee turnover and the importance of organizational commitment for the sales force. This report explores the potential of utilizing psychological capital (PsyCap) in sales organizations in order to gain a competitive advantage through increased organizational commitment. The authors found strong, positive relationships between PsyCap and organizational support, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. Implications for academic researchers and a proposed intervention strategy for managers seeking to improve organizational commitment …

Does Health Insurance Have Influence On Obesity?, Wenyao Zhou

All Theses

Obesity in the United States has been continuing increasing and cited as a major health issue in recent decades. Many researchers have studied its socio-economic cause, but very few studies center on the potential influence that health insurance has on obesity. In our common sense, health insurance reduces the money that we pay for health care and makes many treatments' cost affordable which we may choose to give up originally due to our financial situation. However, everything has two sides. The benefits from insurance also can lead people to change their choices and behaviors. As an insured, people may take …

Satisfaction With Work-Family Balance Among Employed Graduate Students: Why Support May Matter More Than Conflict, Brooke Allison

All Theses

Previous research suggests that work-family conflict is associated with negative attitudinal and health outcomes. However, few empirical studies have examined the ways in which employee work-family conflict may also decrease another important attitude, satisfaction with work-family balance. Drawing upon role theory and the Conservation of Resources (COR) model, the current paper examined prospective antecedents and outcomes of perceived satisfaction with work-family balance among 523 graduate student employees. Results indicated that work-family conflict mediated and moderated the demands-satisfaction relationship, and that mentor work-family support affected how work-family conflict influenced satisfaction with work-family balance. Results suggest that graduate student satisfaction with work-family …

Reviewed Work: Why We Argue (And How We Should): A Guide To Political Disagreement, By Scott Aikin And Robert Talisse, Emily Esch

Philosophy Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Proposal For A Media Effects Study: What Preschoolers And Kindergartners Retain From Animated Children's Films With Intricate Storylines, Samantha Lynne Tanner

Communication Studies

No abstract provided.

Full Issue, The Mcnair Team

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Alumni Earning Doctorates, The Mcnair Team

McNair Scholars Research Journal

No abstract provided.

2014-December-01-Etsu Physician Researches Way To Lower Cost Of Reconstructive Breast Surgery, University Marketing And Communications, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

No abstract provided.

Qmethod: A Package To Explore Human Perspectives Using Q Methodology, Aiora Zabala

The R Journal

Q is a methodology to explore the distinct subjective perspectives that exist within a group. It is used increasingly across disciplines. The methodology is semi-qualitative and the data are analysed using data reduction methods to discern the existing patterns of thought. This package is the first to perform Q analysis in R, and it provides many advantages to the existing software: namely, it is fully cross-platform, the algorithms can be transparently examined, it provides results in a clearly structured and tabulated form ready for further exploration and modelling, it produces a graphical summary of the results, and it generates a …

Farewell's Linear Increments Model For Missing Data: The Flim Package, Rune Hoff, Jon Michael Gran, Daniel Farewell

The R Journal

Missing data is common in longitudinal studies. We present a package for Farewell’s Linear Increments Model for Missing Data (the FLIM package), which can be used to fit linear models for observed increments of longitudinal processes and impute missing data. The method is valid for data with regular observation patterns. The end result is a list of fitted models and a hypothetical complete dataset corresponding to the data we might have observed had individuals not been missing. The FLIM package may also be applied to longitudinal studies for causal analysis, by considering counterfactual data as missing data- for instance to …

Flexible R Functions For Processing Accelerometer Data, With Emphasis On Nhanes 2003–2006, Dane R. Van Domelen, W. Stephen Pittard

The R Journal

Accelerometers are a valuable tool for measuring physical activity (PA) in epidemiological studies. However, considerable processing is needed to convert time-series accelerometer data into meaningful variables for statistical analysis. This article describes two recently developed R packages for processing accelerometer data. The package accelerometry contains functions for performing various data processing procedures, such as identifying periods of non-wear time and bouts of activity. The functions are flexible, computationally efficient, and compatible with uniaxial or triaxial data. The package nhanesaccel is specifically for processing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), years 2003–2006. Its primary function generates measures …

Ngspatial: A Package For Fitting The Centered Autologistic And Sparse Spatial Generalized Linear Mixed Models For Areal Data, John Hughes

The R Journal

Two important recent advances in areal modeling are the centered autologistic model and the sparse spatial generalized linear mixed model (SGLMM), both of which are reparameterizations of traditional models. The reparameterizations improve regression inference by alleviating spatial confounding, and the sparse SGLMM also greatly speeds computing by reducing the dimension of the spatial random effects. Package ngspatial (’ng’ = non-Gaussian) provides routines for fitting these new models. The package supports composite likelihood and Bayesian inference for the centered autologistic model, and Bayesian inference for the sparse SGLMM.

Bshazard: A Flexible Tool For Nonparametric Smoothing Of The Hazard Function, Paola Rebora, Agus Salim, Marie Reilly

The R Journal

The hazard function is a key component in the inferential process in survival analysis and relevant for describing the pattern of failures. However, it is rarely shown in research papers due to the difficulties in nonparametric estimation. We developed the bshazard package to facilitate the computation of a nonparametric estimate of the hazard function, with data-driven smoothing. The method accounts for left truncation, right censoring and possible covariates. B-splines are used to estimate the shape of the hazard within the generalized linear mixed models frame work. Smoothness is controlled by imposing an autoregressive structure on the baseline hazard coefficients. This …

The Role Of Ceramides In Mediating Endotoxin-Induced Mitochondrial Disruption, Melissa Ellen Hansen

Theses and Dissertations

Ceramides are sphingolipids that serve as important second messengers in an increasing number of stress-induced pathways. Ceramide has long been known to affect the mitochondria, altering both morphology and physiology. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a prevalent circulating inflammatory agent in obesity, potentially mediating some of the pathologies associated with weight gain. Given previous findings of TLR4-mediated ceramide accrual and ceramide-mediated mitochondrial disruption, we questioned whether ceramide is necessary for LPS-induced mitochondrial disruption. We found that LPS treatment increased gene transcript levels of ceramide synthesis enzymes and mitochondrial fission proteins and increased ceramide content in cultured myotubes and in mouse tissue. Mitochondrial …

Cheatgrass Die-Off Phenomena: What Are The Short And Long Term Recovery Factors Of Bromus Tectorum Stand Failure?, Joshua Alan Nicholson

Theses and Dissertations

Observations of Bromus tectorum L. (cheatgrass or downy brome) monocultures have shown that populations are susceptible to stand die-off or replacement failures. Die-offs, where the seed bank from the previous year fails to emerge, occurs in cheatgrass stands and it is unclear the trigger or cause. The fungus Fusarium has been identified in plant and seed samples from die-offs and may drive die-off activity through pathogenicity. Die-off recovery may take several years but cheatgrass populations eventually reestablish. The purpose of our study was to determine whether Fusarium is a potential player in a die-off, and understand how die-offs recover after …

Fuel Response To Mechanical Mastication Of Pinyon-Juniper Woodlands In Utah, Alan Wyatt Shakespear

Theses and Dissertations

Pinyon-juniper woodland encroachment threatens ecosystem function and diversity on sagebrush steppe. Decreased fire frequency likely favors proliferation of pinyon-juniper woodlands and subsequent decline in desirable understory species. Increased tree cover produces hazardous canopy fuel loads that contribute to severe crown fires and threaten life and property at the wildland-urban-interface. Mechanical mastication converts large canopy fuels into small woody debris, altering wildfire dynamics from a potential crown fire to a more controllable surface fire. We measured fuel loading and cover on untreated, masticated, and masticated + burned treatments on 30-m transects within 30 X 33-m subplots, representing 45 different sites throughout …

Development Of Speech Recognition Threshold And Word Recognition Materials For Native Vietnamese Speakers, Claire Hanson

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the documented need for reliable speech audiometry materials for measures such as speech recognition threshold and word recognition score, such recorded materials are not available in the Vietnamese language. The purpose of this study was to develop, digitally record, evaluate, and psychometrically equate a set of Vietnamese bisyllabic and monosyllabic word lists for use in the measurement of speech recognition and word recognition ability, respectively. To create the speech recognition threshold materials, common Vietnamese bisyllabic words were digitally recorded by male and female talkers of Vietnamese and presented for evaluation to 20 native speakers of Vietnamese with normal hearing. …

Paraeducators' Perceptions Of Their Responsibilities Based On The Utah Standards, Mary E. Buynak

Theses and Dissertations

Paraeducators are increasingly involved in the education of students with disabilities. In order for paraeducators to properly work with this population, they must have adequate and ongoing training. Research has shown that paraeducators do not receive appropriate training in order to work with students with disabilities. The purpose of this study is to investigate the self-perceived knowledge of paraeducators working in special education and their level of training need. The study examines paraeducators' work environment, responsibilities, knowledge based on the Utah Standards for Paraeducators and perceived training needs. Ninety-five special education paraeducators working in a large, suburban school district in …

A Desk Study Of The Education Policy Implications Of Using Data From Multiple Sources: Example Of Primary School Teacher Supply And Demand In Malawi, Moses Khombe

Theses and Dissertations

Malawi, as a country with very limited resources, needs to have educational policies in place to maximize effectiveness of the public education system. Policymakers depend on accurate data, but variations in data between sources leaves policymakers uncertain as they attempt to craft policies to address the growing educational crisis in Malawi. A desk study was performed to evaluate the policy implications of employing data from multiple sources using primary school teacher supply and demand in Malawi as an illustration. This study examined one national organization, Malawi's Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MoEST); three international aid and assistance organizations (IAAOs), …

Pets In The City: Managing Surplus Dogs In Syracuse, New York, Kristin A. Cutler

Theses - ALL

This thesis contributes to the growing interest in animals in geography. Specifically, it situates pets within the geographic literature and addresses the causes and consequences of pet love in the United States. Using Syracuse, New York as a case study, this thesis illuminates the critical yet understudied existence of pets in the city, paying particular attention to the historical and contemporary foundations, management, and geographies of surplus dogs. Further, it explores major shifts in Americans' attitudes toward pets over the last two centuries, details the necessity for and establishment of animal management in the city, and explains the consequences (namely, …

Effects Of Nitrate Supplementation On Cognitive And Cerebrovascular Function At Simulated High Altitude, Wesley K. Lefferts

Theses - ALL

Acute high altitude (HA) exposure compromises cognitive function thus posing a significant risk to personnel safety in a HA environment, particularly when performing tasks that requires cognitive vigilance. Normal cerebral function, and thus cognitive function, is dependent upon oxygen supply. At HA there is reduced oxygen availability results in compensatory increases in cerebrovascular blood flow which may be related to nitric oxide (NO), a primary signaling molecule that acts to increase blood flow and ensure an optimal neurovascular coupling (NVC). Upon initial ascent to HA, however, there may be reductions in NO production which may play a role in acute …

The Practice Of Neogeography In Community-Based Organizations, Patrick Oberle

Theses - ALL

Neogeography and Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) are two terms that have emerged recently to describe the practice of geography by those not formally trained in it as a discipline and spatial data provided by individuals through social media and other Web-based tools. Both neogeography and VGI can be directly linked to the growth of various online mapping websites and applications that allow for the creation of electronic maps that are interactive, adaptable, and easily shared via the Internet and Web. As recent phenomena, the practice of neogeography and VGI is not well understood, nor are the links these new fields …

The Effects Of Watershed Liming On Mercury Concentrations And Stocks In Soil Of Woods Lake, New York, Zhenni Xie

Theses - ALL

Abstract

In acid-impacted forests, lime has been applied to neutralize acidity and mitigate acidification of soil and surface waters. However, few studies have evaluated the effects of liming on watershed mercury processes and transport. I investigated the effects of liming on mercury, organic carbon, and sulfur concentrations and stocks in forest soil 19 years after the application of lime to the Woods Lake Watershed, Adirondack Park, New York, USA (42o52' N, 71o58' W). The mercury, organic carbon, and sulfur stocks were significantly greater in the forest floor of limed areas (24.5 vs. 11.1 Hg g/ha for Oe and 31.6 vs. …

Black Effugium: Meditations On Traveling, On Understanding, And On Connecting In The Tradition Of Black Writers, Calvin Walds

Theses - ALL

This thesis project is a series of meditations, thoughts, reflections, lingering and fleeting, that move between three geopolitical locations: Bijlmermeer, Amsterdam; Kasoa, Ghana; and Detroit, Michigan. These locations are principally connected by virtue of my travels and work in all three in the summer of 2013. On a deeper level, one that this thesis elucidates, these three locations represent three different, yet connected, modalities of Black movement and existence. A modality is a mode, a single aspect or condition of a larger phenomenon. I begin in the mid-20th century, in Europe, with James Baldwin, Vincent Carter, and Richard Wright with …

Blending, Mixing, And Processing: Strategies Used To Engage Students In The Classroom, Mark Aaron Polger, Karen Okamoto

LOEX Conference Proceedings 2012

Two of the biggest challenges in the provision of library instruction are memory retention and student engagement. How can students retain all of the information they receive in a “one shot” library instruction class and how do librarians engage them in a memorable way?

A Library instruction class provides a unique opportunity to not only educate students (and even teaching faculty) but promote valuable services and resources. Librarians must be creative and must use a variety of teaching strategies that will help promote critical thinking, memory retention, and student engagement. Our presentation will provide numerous teaching examples from our library …