Digital Commons Network^™

Code Of Professional Conduct As Of December 14, 2014, American Institute Of Certified Public Accountants (Aicpa)

AICPA Professional Standards

No abstract provided.

Comparative Analysis Of Intercultural Communication Apprehension Displayed By International Students In The Us Interacting With American Students And Other Internationals, Laura Nunez Quero

Theses

This study compares the levels of intercultural communication apprehension of two groups of international students in the United States when interacting with American students and with each other. These groups are Indian students and Dominican students. Results indicate no significant difference on the levels of anxiety that both populations experience while interacting interculturally. However, in both cases, subjects with a poorer dominance of the English language, regardless of other variables such as gender and age, experience higher levels of intercultural communication apprehension (ICA).

Finite Element Formulation Of Phase Field Fracture, Alexandros N. Mathioudakis

Master's Theses

Numerically predicting crack growth is difficult due to the infinite stresses at the crack tip as well as the extreme change in material properties which will introduce numerical instabilities. This project encompasses the development of a Finite Element Code that implements the phase field physics theory developed in order to analyze crack propagation. Under this theory a new state variable is introduced which describes the phase as failed or virgin material. The phase is modeled as diffusion through the material and is driven by specified equations, and is especially useful in the prediction of high temperature creep rupture.

To test …

Use Of Thermally Grown Oxide Stress Measurements To Predict Remaining Life Of Thermal Barrier Coatings Under Realistic Turbine Engine Conditions, Nirav V. Patel

Master's Theses

Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) are important in increasing performance and extending the life of gas turbine engine hot parts. Over the course of thermal cycling and engine operation, the coatings eventually spall off exposing superalloys to extreme temperatures. In this thesis, two aspects involving thermal barrier coating life prediction were explored. The first was by making use of stress measurements in the thermally grown oxide (TGO) to predict lives of samples subjected to non-constant furnace testing. This work used data from an earlier thesis and for the first time developed specific strategies to predict remaining life in the face of …

Nitrogen Isotopes In The Measurement Of N2-Fixation And The Estimation Of Denitrification In The Global Ocean, Richard Dabundo

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Examining Predictors Of U.S. Student Intent To Study Abroad From A Communication Perspective, Jasmine R. Phillips

Open Access Dissertations

This study of American undergraduate students explored the communication factors that contribute to their decisions regarding participation in study abroad programs. The theoretical framework proposed that several communication constructs were related to intent to study abroad. Specifically, intercultural communication competence (ICC), and social influence via face-to-face and computer-mediated communication, were proposed to affect intent to study abroad. Hypotheses generated in this research were grounded in literature on the above constructs and guided by the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA; Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980). Previous literature found that intercultural attitudes such as openness to other cultures and diversity, ethnocentrism, and intercultural …

The Effect Of The Okavango River On Angola's Economic Stability And The Effect Of Its Policy On Surrounding Countries, Loren Marie Stoehr

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This study examines natural resources as a source of international conflict. Without proper management of these resources, conflict will continue to occur. An overview of natural resources and how they pertain to conflict is examined using examples from different parts of the world. Then water conflicts are focused upon and how proposals and resolutions through legal framework and guidance from outside entities can help provide better usage practices. Furthermore, the Okavango River is researched and how Angola’s use of the water effects the countries of Namibia and Botswana. In addition, future proposals to move forward and increase international water security …

December 13, 2014 (Pages 7627-7808), Pennsylvania Legislative Reference Bureau

Volume 44 (2014)

No abstract provided.

Fall Commencement Program, December 13, 2014, Coastal Carolina University

Commencement Programs

Program of Commencement Exercises at Coastal Carolina University.

Examining The Effectiveness Of Ecotourism As A Funding Source For Protected Area Management In Guyana, Jordan S. Flagel

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Protected areas in tropical rainforests serve many important ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration. These areas are often in need of donor or grant funding to operate as governments in tropical forested countries are not always able to provide adequate funds for protection. This paper focuses on the Iwokrama International Center for Rainforest Conservation and Development in the South American country of Guyana, which has had funding issues since the global economic crisis of 2008 and an accompanying shift in donor country financial priorities. Increasing the amount of sustainable ecotourism in the Iwokrama reserve was identified as a potential source for …

Why Haven't Technologies Fixed Open Source Intelligence?, Timothy Sparks

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Abstract

The Intelligence Community (IC) reached consensus after 9/11/2001 on the importance of Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) due to the changing nature of the global threat environment, the information explosion, and the changing intelligence requirements of the IC. Voluminous amounts of information, much of it with potential application for use in intelligence operations, continue to challenge IC intelligence analysts’ capabilities to harness, and effectively use in finished all-source intelligence production. Government reform commissions, senior IC officials, along with OSINT and technology advocates, have all espoused the growing importance of OSINT, and have outlined many ways in which the IC should …

Ua45/6 Commencement Program, Wku Registrar

WKU Administration Documents

Commencement program listing graduates.

Analysis Of Stakeholder Factors Influencing The Effectiveness Of Accounting Information Systems In Tanzania's Local Authorities, Henry Chalu

Business Management Review

This paper assesses the stakeholder-related factors which influence Accounting Information Systems (AIS) effectiveness in Tanzania ' s Local Authorities (LAs). Using data collected from 19 LAs in Tanzania, we tested six factors: management support, qualification of accounting staff, education of councilors, and availability of AIS consultants, external auditor specialization and councilors ' involvement in AIS matters using canonical correlation analysis (CCA). The results from CCA show that management support, external auditors ' specialization and councilors ' involvement are the most critical factors in ensuring AIS effectiveness in the country ' s local authorities. Next were the qualifications of accounting staff …

Antecedents And Consequences Of Business Trust In Retailing And Wholesaling In Tanzania, John Philemon, Lucy M. Mboma

Business Management Review

The objective of the study was to explore antecedents and consequences of trust between suppliers and retailers in Tanzania. Cases were studied in detail to understand suppliers and retailers relationships. The study shows various sources of trust in retailing and wholesaling to include: paying promptly, paying as agreed, having a guarantor (prominent business person, a politician, ward office, clergy, a known customer), group protection, growing business, long-term buyer from the same supplier, regular customer, and background (knowing parents, brother, sister, schoolmates or, college or friends. There was also an indication of trust by virtue of race or ethnicity or sharing …

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)

An Exploration Of The Experience Of In-Home Counseling Services, Greg Czyszczon

Dissertations, 2014-2019

This qualitative study explores the lived experience of in-home counseling services by using a phenomenological method. In-home counseling services are used in situations where families experience extreme emotional distress, in part owing to the problematic behavior of a child. A semi-structured interview was used to elicit parents’ experience of in-home services in a geographical area that included a large portion of Virginia. The study found that the whole of parents’ experience of in-home services was dynamically influenced by constituent parts including the parent’s experience of the child, their experience of parenting, their experience of systems of care, and their experience …

Weighing In: Therapeutic Benefits Of Online Communities For Individuals With Eating Disorders, Cheri L. Greenfield

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

The treatment of eating disorders involves a complex approach. In recent years, a number of websites have developed in an attempt to meet the needs of individuals struggling with this set of disorders. Some of these websites are nationally recognized organizations dedicated to improve treatment and provide educational resources, while other websites have been authored by individuals with eating disorders in an attempt to create a safe community of support. This project explores various components found in online communities, examines characteristics of eating disorders, and evaluates the worth of such resources, even when in perceived contrast with traditional treatment. Rather …

Profile Of The Unfolded Protein Response In C. Elegans Depleted Of The Translational Chaperone, Nac., Caylin S. Murray

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

The function of a protein is a direct consequence of its final structure, which is achieved by protein-folding processes that generate a tertiary state through the juxtaposition of locally formed secondary structures. Because all cells need functional proteins to survive, each contains robust and redundant mechanisms that regulate the folding of newly forming proteins, and the refolding of misfolded proteins that are often generated during stress. Essential to these mechanisms, chaperones are proteins that aid in protein folding of nascent and misfolding protein without being incorporated in the final structure. One chaperone complex, the nascent polypeptide-associated complex (NAC), aids in …

Polyculture Bioremediation: An Analysis Of Potential Nitrogen Assimilation And Removal By Mya Arenaria, Gracilaria Tikvahiae And Ulva Lactuca Harvests In The Corsica River, Md, Kathleen Hemeon

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

An analysis of nitrogen bioremediation in a tidal tributary of the Chesapeake Bay by the use of a hypothetical bivalve and macroalgae polyculture covering 1%, 3% and 5% of the Corsica River bottom area. This study was performed to illustrate the role ecosystem services play in managing diffuse watershed pollution, particularly nitrogen, resulting in water quality and living resource degradation. Excess concentrations of nitrogen in the Corsica River estuary lead to seasonal eutrophication and subsequent hypoxic events. Mya arenaria L. and Gracilaria tikvahiae (McLachlan, 1979) were chosen for this theoretical study due to their high assimilative capacities for nitrogen and …

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 …

Impacts Of Feedstock Bark Addition And Centrifugal Filtration On Pyrolysis Oil Properties And Storage Stability, Anandavalli Varadarajan

Theses and Dissertations

The physicochemical properties of pyrolysis oil have been shown to be dependent on feedstock composition. Accelerated aging tests were performed to understand the effects of feedstock, condensate fraction collected, and filtration on the stability of pyrolysis oil. In this study, pyrolysis oil properties critical for downstream upgrading were measured and compared for different feedstock weight ratios of pine clearwood and pine bark. Post-condensation filtration of pyrolysis oil was evaluated using both lab-scale and pilot plant-scale centrifugal filtration with several operational parameters evaluated. The pilot-plant centrifuge can be used as a three-phase separator [light liquid-heavy liquid-solids] or a two-phase clarifier [liquid-solid]. …

The Multi-Stress Aging Of 15 Kv Epr Power Cables, Linfeng Cao

Theses and Dissertations

This research is focused on the multi-stress aging phenomena and lifetime estimation of 15 kV EPR cable. In order to gain the suitable parameters for the lifetime estimation, the aging study on the EPR cable samples as well as on the cable layers’ dielectrics samples was carried out at the High Voltage Laboratory of Mississippi State University. During the multi-stress aging study of 15 kV EPR cable samples, the EPR cable samples underwent electrical stress, thermal stress, and environmental effects. The aging time for the EPR cables varied from 650 hrs to 1300 hrs. An empirical aging model describing the …

Effect Of Savings And Credit Co-Operative Societies Lending Policies And Risk-Taking Propensity On Micro And Small Enterprises Performance In Tanzania, Mbowe R. Kabung'a, Muhsin Salim Masoud

Business Management Review

This study investigated the Savings and Credit Co-operative Societies (SACCOS) lending policies, risk-taking propensity and the performance of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs), which are SACCOS loan beneficiaries in Tanzania. Questionnaires with closed-ended questions were used in a survey of 547 respondents to capture the required information. The study employed the quantitative research approach, using Analysis of Moments Structures to test the existing relationships among the variables. Findings from the study established the existence of a moderating effect of risk-taking propensity between SACCOS lending policies and MSEs ' performance. On the basis of the study findings, it is recommended that …

Private Saving Behaviour And Ricardian Equivalence Theorem: The Case Of Tanzania, Innocent Pantaleo, Innocent Karamagi

Business Management Review

The determinants of private savings in Tanzania for the period 1970-2005 are investigated, with emphasis on how the Ricardian Equivalence Theorem explains private saving behaviour in Tanzania. The relevance of this theorem was examined using two different empirical models. In Model 1, the theorem was tested using government budget deficit; in Model 2, the net revenue from the sale of bonds was used. The results varied between the two models. In Model 2, the theorem was found to hold both in the short run and long run; whereas for Model 1, it was found not to hold. Thus, based on …

The Effectiveness Of Entrepreneurial Networks In The Acquisition Of Marketing Information (Mi) Resources: Selected Small Manufacturing Firms In Tanzania, Omari Khalifa Mbura

Business Management Review

Using a sample of 210 small-sized manufacturing enterprises (SSEs) from the two largest commercial cities of Tanzania namely Dar es Salaam and Mwanza, the   article examines the roles that structure (density and size), and contents (strength of ties) of inter-firm and social (types) networks play on marketing information acquisition of the SSEs. The two most important types of networks of the inter-firm and the social networks were used in determining which of their properties contribute most to the MI acquisition. Six hypotheses were developed from the properties of density, network size and network ties of the social and inter-firm networks …

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 …

Geologic Analysis Of The Upper Jurassic Cotton Valley Formation In Jefferson County, Mississippi, James Michael Brooke

Theses and Dissertations

Though the Cotton Valley Group is productive in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, little is known about production potential of the Bossier Formation (Lower Cotton Valley Shale) in southwest Mississippi. The Bossier Formation in Jefferson County, Mississippi is an organic-poor, carbonate-rich mudrock with siliciclastic intervals. Examination of cuttings by petrographic and scanning electron microscopy revealed fractures that have been filled by calcite and poreilling pyrite. Porosity exists within and around pyrite framboids, in unfilled fractures, and within peloid grains. Organic matter is rare in Lower Cotton Valley samples suggesting it is not self-sourcing. Total Organic Carbon (TOC) values are low (0.86-1.1% …

Who Decides? A Study Of The Effects On Decision Unit Dynamics In Crisis And Crisis Transition, Janet Leigh Drake

Dissertations

Foreign policy decision-making is often an obscured process, particularly when it involves threats to national security or national interests. Despite the lack of transparency, though sometimes necessary, foreign policy decisions can have far-reaching consequences. Policymakers establish and affect relationships with other governments, and can commit state resources for cooperation or for conflict. The purpose of this study is to determine what types of decision units make foreign policy decisions and what factors influence the dynamics of the unit. I employ the decision units (DU) framework developed by Margaret Hermann to decisions made by the United States and Israel during the …

Molecular And Proteomic Analysis Of Components Involved In Abscisic Acid (Aba) Signaling Network, Jie Song

Theses and Dissertations

Abscisic acid is an important plant hormone in the responses to biotic and abiotic stresses, which also regulates various growth and developmental processes in plants. Three major components-receptors (PYRs), the PP2C type phosphatases and the SnRK2 subtype kinases form a double negative regulatory system: PYR/PYL/RCARs inhibit the activity of PP2Cs while PP2Cs inhibit that of SnRK2s in ABA signaling pathway. The results of my studies showed that ABA would directly affect the interaction between SnRK2.2 and ABI1 in absence of PYRs. Furthermore, ABA can inhibit the catalytic activity of the SnRK2.2 kinase. These findings indicated that ABA may directly interact …