Digital Commons Network^™

A Dynamic, Distributed Hydrologic Model For The Blue Earth River Watershed, Minnesota With Implications Regarding Land Use And Water Quality, Michael L. Merlini

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The Blue Earth River (BER) watershed covers approximately one million acres of south-central Minnesota and northern Iowa. Modern farming practices have led to the loss of over 90 percent of the watershed's original wetlands. Corresponding changes in runoff and stream flow have led to dramatically reduced water quality in the BER's main stem following most precipitation events. The purpose of this research is to examine the relationships among precipitation, infiltration, base flow, and runoff in the Blue Earth River watershed basin.

This study developed a calibrated numerical hydrologic model for BER watershed using the distributed flow model, Vflo™. The model …

College Student Perceptions Of Mental Health Counseling At Minnesota State University, Mankato, Holly Barkeim

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The Counseling Center at Minnesota State University, Mankato offers mental health counseling services to MNSU students that are free, confidential, and conveniently located on campus. Despite the range of services, the affordability and confidentiality, as well as current marketing strategies used by the Counseling Center, services appear to be significantly underutilized by students on campus. This study examines student perceptions of on campus mental health services and barriers that may prevent students from accessing services. The goal of the project is to assist the Counseling Center in improving their marketing strategies to students identified as being underserved.

Training And Burnout Among Paraprofessionals Who Work With Children With Ebd, Daniel Boston

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project was to learn about the experiences of paraprofessionals who are working with children with emotional behavior disorders and, more specifically, their perceptions about the adequacy of training and the burnout they may experience.

Impact Evaluation On The Parents Support And Outreach Program (Psop) Olmsted County Child And Family Services, Lucy Matos

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this impact evaluation was to identify critical components that support the work done by PSOP by analyzing the effectiveness in serving all families, and to monitor the relative cost of providing these essential services to the at risk population in Olmsted County.

1. To obtain a sample of cases closed in 2011 and categorize them by type of services / determinations prior, during and after PSOP involvement.
2. To conduct a two-year follow up on PSOP impact; including a) maltreatment report by type and finding, and b) reentry for Child and Family Services by type and intensity (voluntary/involuntary).
3. To …

Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports (Pbis): Lessons Learned From The Implementation Process Of An Evidence-Based Program, Tara Mershon

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project is to assess the implementation process of PBIS in rural, consolidated school districts in southern Minnesota. The ideals of PBIS are in line with GFW Schools mission to foster lifelong learners in a caring environment. GFW schools aspire to promote positive social and emotional behavior and provide all students with a quality education to prepare them for future educational experiences. The recommendations from this project will inform the implementation of PBIS in the GFW School District, which is occurring in the 2014-2016 academic years.

Cpt Vs Pe For Ptsd? Literature Review On Efficacy Of Cpt And Pe Based On Gender, Chronicity, And Race/Ethnicity, Christelle C. Sackey

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating mental health condition that can be diagnosed on veterans who have been exposed to traumatic events. PTSD not only has negative physical symptoms, but it also compromises veterans’ chances of living a productive live. Efforts to find effective treatments for PTSD has led to the development of a few form of therapies, including Prolonged Exposure(PE) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) which have received special attention for military related PTSD. After more than 20 years of research, it has been proven that CPT and PE are the best treatments of choice for PTSD. However, …

Mental Health Services Among Children Involved In Child Welfare: Identifying Parental Views And Barriers To Accessing Services, Katrina Ohmann-Thai

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

• In the child welfare field there is an growing need for mental health support for children. This need is due to exposure to or victimization of abuse and neglect. On average only 15-25% of children identified as needing services are actually participating in some type of mental health support. This may be due to the many barriers that exist when seeking mental health support.
• This research project surveyed parents in Independent School District (ISD) 196 regarding potential mental health services offered through the School-Linked Mental Health Services grant. Information was collected through a survey of parents from two schools within …

Legalization Of Medical Marijuana In Minnesota: Implications For Rural Substance Treatment Centers, Ann Przybilla

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project was to identify the anticipated impacts of legalization of medical marijuana (cannabis) in Minnesota on rural substance abuse treatment center professionals. The goal is to utilize the implications of those impacts to guide the implementation of the recently passed legislation and to provide recommendations for future policy regarding medical marijuana in Minnesota.

Training And Burnout Among Paraprofessionals Who Work With Children With Emotional Behavioral Disorders, Jenna Robinson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

To assist the Waseca school district in addressing the training and self-care needs of paraprofessionals, keeping the overall mission in mind of empowering students to succeed in the academic environment, this project examined the training received and factors related to subsequent professional burnout among paraprofessionals in Waseca schools.

Expanding ‘Family Education’ Programs For Intensive Residential Treatment Services (Irts): A Study Of Minnesota Irts Programs, Abby Sharp

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Intensive Residential Treatment Services (IRTS) programs provide mental health treatment to adults with a Severe and Persistent Mental Illness (SPMI). The programs are required by the state of Minnesota to offer family education and support to clients and their families while the clients are receiving IRTS treatment. The purpose of this project was to assess IRTS programs across the state, and in conclusion, provide an expansive family education program at Horizon Homes, Inc. IRTS program in South Central Minnesota.

Responding To A Community Need: Mobile Crisis Program Training Manuals, Kelsey Tollefson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project was to develop a training curriculum for the South Central Mobile Crisis Program, which is a part of Horizon Homes, Inc. Continued education and training is required for all mental health professionals, mental health practitioners, and rehabilitative staff. Because of the requirements outlined in Minnesota statute 256B.0944, 256B.0624,and the Department of Human Services, all staff within this program must receive at least thirty hours of crisis-related training prior to working with clients.

Reconstruction Of Kaige-Quinta Zechariah 9,9, James W. Barker

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Some of the non-LXX quotations of the Dodekapropheton in Justin Martyr’s Dialogue with Trypho match the kaige recension exactly. On that basis, the kaige has long been presumed the source behind Justin’s quotation of Zach 9,9 in Dial.53,3. This note clarifies that in Dial. 53,3 Justin was actually conflating the Old Greek and the kaige. By removing Justin’s redactions, the reconstructed kaige Zach 9,9 is identical to Origen’s quinta.

Constantine Samuel Rafinesque, Christy L. Spurlock

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Constatine Samuel Rafinesque began his tenure at Transylvania in 1819. His career at Transylvania lasted seven years, from 1819-1826. He has become a sort of patron saint for Transylvania University.

Modulation Of Cholera Toxin Structure And Function By Host Proteins, Helen Burress

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cholera toxin (CT) moves from the cell surface to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) where the catalytic CTA1 subunit separates from the holotoxin and unfolds due to its intrinsic thermal instability. Unfolded CTA1 then moves through an ER translocon pore to reach its cytosolic target. Due to the instability of CTA1, it must be actively refolded in the cytosol to achieve the proper conformation for modification of its G protein target. The cytosolic heat shock protein Hsp90 is involved with the ER-to-cytosol translocation of CTA1, yet the mechanistic role of Hsp90 in CTA1 translocation remains unknown. Potential post-translocation roles for Hsp90 …

Report As To Proposed Pilot Project On The Electronic Monitoring Of Forensic Mental Health Patients, Elaine Gibson, Leah Hutt, Sheila Wildeman, Constance Macintosh

Reports & Public Policy Documents

This report was undertaken in response to a request from the Nova Scotia government for assistance in identifying and analyzing legal issues related to the potential establishment of a pilot project. The project would involve the use of electronic monitoring (EM) of forensic mental health patients (patients) detained at the East Coast Forensic Hospital (ECFH) who are exercising indirectly supervised and unescorted community access (community access). The purpose of our analysis is not to determine if an EM policy or its application violates any laws. Rather, the purpose is to consider whether there are factors that may support legal challenges …

A Human-Centric Approach To Data Fusion In Post-Disaster Managment: The Development Of A Fuzzy Set Theory Based Model, Mubarak Banisakher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is critical to provide an efficient and accurate information system in the post-disaster phase for individuals' in order to access and obtain the necessary resources in a timely manner; but current map based post-disaster management systems provide all emergency resource lists without filtering them which usually leads to high levels of energy consumed in calculation. Also an effective post-disaster management system (PDMS) will result in distribution of all emergency resources such as, hospital, storage and transportation much more reasonably and be more beneficial to the individuals in the post disaster period. In this Dissertation, firstly, semi-supervised learning (SSL) based …

Corrective Justice And Copyright Infringement, Patrick R. Goold

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

This Article demonstrates that one important goal of copyright infringement cases is the achievement of corrective justice. The importance of corrective justice to the copyright system is demonstrated by the law's continual reliance on a bilateral litigation model. Sadly, because scholars and lawmakers often conceive of copyright in solely economic terms, corrective justice is often overlooked and demonstrable unfairness occurs as a result. This Article discusses three areas of contemporary copyright law where the failure to consider corrective justice leads to unfair outcomes: the provision of statutory damages in civil copyright claims, the availability of attorney's fees, and mass copyright …

Fracking Secrets: The Limitations Of Trade Secret Protection In Hydraulic Fracturing, John Craven

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Hydraulic fracturing is a drilling technique used to increase resource production in which specially blended liquid mixtures are pumped into oil and gas wells under high pressure causing underground rock formations to crack and open up. Oil and gas companies have traditionally protected the composition of these proprietary liquids through state-level trade secret laws. Opponents of hydraulic fracturing have argued for federal regulation of the process and claimed that trade secret protection is simply a way for oil and gas companies to withhold the identity of the chemicals used. Oil and gas companies are at risk of losing the economic …

"What He Said." The Transformative Potential Of The Use Of Copyrighted Content In Political Campaigns--Or--How A Win For Mitt Romney Might Have Been A Victory For Free Speech, Deidre A. Keller

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

In January 2012, Mitt Romney's campaign received a cease-and-desist letter charging, among other things, that its use of news footage concerning Newt Gingrich's ethics problems in the House of Representatives constituted a violation of NBC's copyright. This is just the latest such charge and came amidst similar allegations against the Gingrich and Bachmann campaigns and in the wake of similar allegations against both the McCain and Obama campaigns in 2008. Such allegations have plagued political campaigns as far back as Reagan's in 1984. The existing literature is nearly devoid of a consideration of such uses as political speech protected by …

The Institutional Progress Clause, Jake Linford

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

There is a curious anomaly at the intersection of copyright and free speech. In cases like Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the United States Supreme Court has exhibited a profound distaste for tailoring free speech rights and restrictions based on the identity of the speaker. The Copyright Act, however, is full of such tailoring, extending special rights to some classes of copyright owners and special defenses to some classes of users. A Supreme Court serious about maintaining speaker neutrality would be appalled.

A set of compromises at the heart of the Copyright Act reflects interest-group lobbying rather than a …

Appropriation Without Representation? The Limited Role Of Indigenous Groups In Wipo's Intergovernmental Committee On Intellectual Property And Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge, And Folklore, Veronica Gordon

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

The World Intellectual Property Organization's (WIPO) Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge, and Folklore (IGC) is currently engaged in text-based negotiations to develop an international legal instrument, or set of instruments, that will effectively protect traditional knowledge, traditional cultural expressions, and genetic resources. Yet, the people who will arguably be most affected by the ultimate instrument(s)--indigenous peoples and local communities--are not able to fully participate in these negotiations. Instead, WIPO deems them "Observers." They cannot formally present proposals, amendments, or motions, and cannot vote at IGC sessions. Thus, their limited influence implicates questions of equity, sovereignty, …

Accessing Law: An Empirical Study Exploring The Influence Of Legal Research Medium, Stefan H. Krieger, Katrina F. Kuh

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

The legal profession is presently engaged in an uncontrolled experiment. Attorneys now locate and access legal authorities primarily through electronic means. Although this shift to an electronic research medium radically changes how attorneys discover and encounter law, little empirical work investigates impacts from the shift to an electronic medium.

This Article presents the results of one of the most robust empirical studies conducted to date comparing research processes using print and electronic sources. While the study presented in this Article was modest in scope, the extent and type of the differences that it reveals are notable. Some of the observed …

Proceed With Extreme Caution: Citation To Wikipedia In Light Of Contributor Demographics And Content Policies, Jodi L. Wilson

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Courts and advocates have shown an increasing willingness to cite to Wikipedia. This trend has piqued the attention of scholars, who have considered the permanency concerns raised by citations to Wikipedia and critiqued how courts and advocates have used Wikipedia. This Article adds to the growing scholarship on the Wikipedia citation trend by examining the contours of the Wikipedia contributor crowd and the principles underlying Wikipedia's content in order to better inform the evaluation of Wikipedia as a potential authoritative source. Part I provides an overview of the Wikipedia citation trend in cases and federal appellate briefs. Part II describes …

The Oecd's Flawed And Dated Approach To Computer Servers Creating Permanent Establishments, Monica Gianni

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

As the digital economy changes the way that we do business, tax laws have been challenged to adapt appropriately to this nontraditional business method. International tax rules were developed in a different technological era. To accommodate electronic commerce, existing tax rules either have to be applied to electronic-commerce transactions, or new rules have to be developed. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has taken the lead in studying and recommending appropriate international taxation rules for electronic commerce. This Article focuses on the original central tax issue that the OECD considered--jurisdiction to tax income from electronic commerce based on …

Trends In Global Nanotechnology Regulation: The Public-Private Interplay, Reut Snir

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Over the last decade, concerns regarding potential exposure to nano materials gave rise to substantial new regulation intended to ensure safe development of nanotechnology applications. This Article examines the resultant regulatory system through empirical analysis of trends and patterns in global development of nanotechnology regulatory initiatives. It argues that rather than a government-driven process, it was private actors who set the regulatory wheels in motion. This Article shows that under conditions of scientific uncertainty, governments lacking technical and scientific knowledge to support risk-based regulation often leave a regulatory void. Consequently, businesses apply self-risk-management strategies to fill the gap, leading the …

Foreigners In Us Patent Litigation: An Empirical Study Of Patent Cases Filed In Nine Us Federal District Courts In 2004, 2009, And 2012, Marketa Trimble

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

One of the greatest challenges facing patent holders is the enforcement of their rights against foreign (non-US) infringers. Jurisdictional rules can prevent patent holders from filing patent infringement suits where they have the greatest likelihood of success in enforcement, such as where the infringer is located, has its seat, or holds its assets. Instead, patent holders must file lawsuits in the country where the infringed patent was issued. But filing a patent lawsuit in a US court against a non-US infringer may be subject to various difficulties associated with the fact that US substantive patent law (particularly as regards its …

Digital Interactive Games For Assessment: A Study Of The Effectiveness Of A Digital Game As A Measure Of Students' Understanding Of Boolean Logic, Mohammad Ali Haji

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Digital games have been used mostly for entertainment but recently researchers have started to use digital games in other areas such as education and training. Researchers have shown that digital games can provide a compelling, creative, and collaborative environment for learning. However, the popularity of computers and the Internet brings this question to mind: Are the assessment methods falling behind and remaining traditional? Will the traditional methods of learning and knowledge assessment be sufficient for this new generation who are starving for new technology? This study investigates the effectiveness of using a digital interactive game as an assessments method - …

Blivits!, Charles Sutter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Blivits! is a feature-length documentary produced, written, and directed by Charles Sutter in pursuit of the Master of Fine Arts in Film & Digital Media from the University of Central Florida. This thesis examines the ethical questions of making a documentary in the digital era. In accordance with the restrictions of the program's guidelines, this film was completed a budget of less than $50,000. The film was shot over 18 days, in various locations up and down the east coast of the United States. This thesis is the record of Blivits!'s journey through development until completion of picture lock.

Financial Forest, Karen Carlson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Regular savings behavior is critical for low-income Americans to achieve financial mobility. New technology tools are being used to improve personal awareness and attention to financial goals. This thesis reviews mobile learning (mLearning) research and leading commercial personal finance smartphone apps, both of which inform the design of Financial Forest, a savings app. Participants in the 4-week Financial Forest savings study are found to have a statistically significant improved perception of the difficulty of building an emergency fund.

Gayme: The Development, Design And Testing Of An Auto-Ethnographic, Documentary Game About Quarely Wandering Urban/Suburban Spaces In Central Florida., David Moran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

GAYME is a transmedia story-telling world that I have created to conceptually explore the dynamics of queering game design through the development of varying game prototypes. The final iteration of GAYME is @deadquarewalking'. It is a documentary game and a performance art installation that documents a carless, gay/queer/quare man's journey on Halloween to get to and from one of Orlando's most well-known gay clubs - the Parliament House Resort. "The art of cruising" city streets to seek out queer/quare companionship particularly amongst gay, male culture(s) is well-documented in densely, populated cities like New York, San Francisco and London, but not …