Digital Commons Network^™

Energy-Environment Policy Alignments, Todd S. Aagaarad

Washington Law Review

Energy law focuses on making energy widely available at reasonable cost, and environmental law focuses on preventing pollution. As a result of these differences in their respective orientations, the two fields often work incoherently and even in conflict. Historically, federal energy law and environmental law have attempted to manage their interrelationships by imposing negative constraints on each other: Energy policies of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) must comply with requirements set forth in environmental statutes, and the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) statutes contain energy-related requirements and exemptions. More recently, however, FERC and EPA have begun developing policies that create …

The Geotraces Intermediate Data Product 2014, The Geotraces Group, Tim M. Conway

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

The GEOTRACES Intermediate Data Product 2014 (IDP2014) is the first publicly available data product of the international GEOTRACES programme, and contains data measured and quality controlled before the end of 2013. It consists of two parts: (1) a compilation of digital data for more than 200 trace elements and isotopes (TEIs) as well as classical hydrographic parameters, and (2) the eGEOTRACES Electronic Atlas providing a strongly inter-linked on-line atlas including more than 300 section plots and 90 animated 3D scenes. The IDP2014 covers the Atlantic, Arctic, and Indian oceans, exhibiting highest data density in the Atlantic. The TEI data in …

Echoes Of Scripture In Josiah Royce's The Problem Of Christianity, Bill Elkins

Journal of Scriptural Reasoning

No abstract provided.

Review Of Steven Kepnes's The Future Of Jewish Theology, Murray J. Haar

Journal of Scriptural Reasoning

No abstract provided.

Analyzing And Assessing The Experience Of Traveling By Public Transport, Martin Schiefelbusch

Journal of Public Transportation

The experience of traveling (as an aggregate of sensory impressions in relation to social and psychological needs) has so far rarely been considered as a factor influencing travel and modal choice. This paper proposes a practical way to disaggregate the “travel experience” into its separate components and suggests a procedure to assess the “experiential qualities” of (mainly public) transport services. This assessment allows planners to compare different user groups’ expectations as well as the provider’s strategic objectives. The procedure then is discussed in relation to several recent strands of transport/mobility research that are approaching the travel experience from different points …

Documentation For Rare Bird Records, Bill Whan

Ohio Cardinal

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Student Progress To Goals: Tracking Positive Behavior Changes Among Students Identified With Special Needs Grades 1 To 3, Julia Ries

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

There has been an increase in the number of children identified and served, in school settings, and in the community at large, under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA.) Many school-based programs focus on mainstreaming students with disabilities. However, few programs exist for children between the ages of 5 and 9 who need positive behavior intervention services because they lack socially appropriate interaction skills.

The research literature revealed that students who lack appropriate social interaction skills are often placed into mainstream general class settings, where results of student improvement in social interaction skills are mixed. There is a gap …

Building Depth Of Understanding Of The Concept Of Number Sense And Algebra In Students Grades 7 And 8, Catherine Janes

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Mathematics instruction offers both challenges and rewards to students. Teachers tend to focus on transmission of knowledge. Student creativity and problem-solving skills are not typically activated with common teaching practices. When students are engaged in mathematics they are recognizing patterns, making connections on their own, coming up with creative solutions, and discussing mathematical ideas with peers and adults. The purpose of this study was to identify, employ, and evaluate strategies that engage students in these practices and assist them in developing a deep understanding of mathematics concepts such as number sense and algebra.

The review of the literature began with …

On The Local Isometric Embedding In R^3 Of Surfaces With Zero Sets Of Gaussian Curvature Forming Cusp Domains, Tsung-Yin Lin

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

We study the problem of isometrically embedding a two-dimensional Riemannian manifold into Euclidean three-space. It is shown that if the Gaussian curvature vanishes to finite order and its zero set consists of two smooth curves tangent at a point, then local sufficiently smooth isometric embeddings exist. | 64 pages

A Sharp Boundary Model For Electrocardiac Simulations, Shuai Xue

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

We present a sharp boundary electrocardiac simulation model based on the finite volume embedded boundary method for the solution of voltage dynamics in irregular domains with anisotropy and a high degree of anatomical detail. This method is second order accurate uniformly up to boundaries and is able to resolve small features without the use of fine meshes. This capability is necessary to enable the repeated simulations required for future verification and validation (V&V) and uncertainty quantification (UQ) studies of defibrillation, where fine-scale heterogeneities, such as those formed by small blood vessels play an important role and require resolution. | 85 …

Towards Application Of One- And Two-Dimensional Nanomaterials For Reinforcement Of Polymeric Nanocomposite Bone Grafts, Behzad Farrshid

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

One- and two-dimensional (1-D and 2-D) nanomaterials possess extraordinary physiochemical properties such as large surface area, excellent mechanical properties, high surface energy and good dispersivity in organic and biological solvents, therefore, they have been extensively used as reinforcing agents to improve the mechanical properties of polymeric scaffolds for bone tissue engineering applications. Carbon nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes and graphene have been used as reinforcing agents for biodegradable polymeric scaffolds and composites, however, their short- and long-term in vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo biocompatibility is an area of extensive debate. In this study, we have systematically investigated the effects of …

Non-Adiabatic Dynamics Of Gene Regulatory Network, Cong Chen

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Gene regulatory network is a mathematical model of gene expression and regulation in cell environment. The concept of network comes from network in math and computer science. In gene network each node is a gene that has different expression level and links between nodes represent direct regulation (activation or repression). Gene network is stochastic with intrinsic noise from biochemical reactions involved and extrinsic noise from environment. It is non-equilibrium with frequent matter/energy exchange and active entropy production. One crucial character of gene network is the involvement of multiple timescales: timescale of protein synthesis/degradation and timescale of regulation processes. Conventional studies …

Development And Characterization Of High-Resolution Modular Pet Imaging Systems, Michael Budassi

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Engineering in positron emission tomography contains within it a design for its application. The compact modular detector technology used in the Rat Conscious Animal PET (RatCAP) is specifically designed for awake rat imaging, but is versatile enough for its use in the construction of different preclinical systems. PET scanners based on the RatCAP system include the PET Insert for PET / MR Studies, the Whole-Body Rodent PET Scanner, the BNL PET Imaging System for Plant Science, and the Wrist PET Scanner. This dissertation concerns the development and characterization of these scanners, both specific to their particular use, and common in …

Exploring Model Error Through Post-Processing And An Ensemble Kalman Filter On Fire Weather Days, Michael Jon Erickson

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

The proliferation of coupling atmospheric ensemble data to models in other related fields requires a priori knowledge of atmospheric ensemble biases specific to the desired application. In that spirit, this dissertation focuses on elucidating atmospheric ensemble model bias and error through a variety of different methods specific to fire weather days (FWDs) over the Northeast United States (NEUS). Other than a handful of studies that use models to predict fire indices for single fire seasons (Mölders 2008, Simpson et al. 2014), an extensive exploration of model performance specific to FWDs has not been attempted. Two unique definitions for FWDs are …

Effective Communication Of Critical Radiology Results: The Implementation Of Panic Alert Mechanism, Mumtaz Malik, Sidrah Nausheen

Department of Radiology

Objective: To establish an effective channel of timely communication of life-threatening emergencies to primary physicians by radiology team.Methods: The observational study was conducted at Aga Khan Hospital for Women and Children, Kharadar, Karachi. Data was collected from the log book from July 2012 to June 2013.Amultidisciplinary "Panic Alert" protocol was formulated and implemented in the Radiology unit. All radiological examinations were screened as soon as possible and panic alerts [provisional findings] were communicated to their primary care taker/relevant nursing staff, attendants within 30 minutes from the time of completion of examination. Complete log was maintained. Data was analysed on SPSS …

Real-Time Virtual Teaching: Lessons Learned From A Case Study In A Rural School, Michael K. Barbour

Education Faculty Publications

Due to the challenges facing rural schools, many jurisdictions have resorted to the use of virtual school programs to provide curricular opportunities to their students. While the number of virtual schools that rely on synchronous instruction as a primary or significant method of delivery is quite small, there are some programs that do (and a growing number of virtual schools that use it with small groups or individuals). This case study examined the use of synchronous online instruction by one virtual school with students in a single rural school in Newfoundland and Labrador. The data from a variety of collection …

Comparison Of Text Analysis Programs For Identification Of Emotional Expression, Michelle Mcdonnell

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Studies have show that written emotional expression assists in the recovery and alleviates the pain associated with traumatic experiences, cancer diagnoses, and chronic illnesses. Written interventions have been developed to utilize this emotional coping approach. Unfortunately, evaluation of participants and patients written text is time consuming and subjective to the coder. Researchers have developed computational text analysis programs in an attempt to find an alternative to human coders for text analysis. The current study will utilize data from previous research performed by Owen et al., (2005) entitled Randomized Pilot of a Self-Guided Internet Coping Group for Women With Early Stage …

Dialectical Behavior Therapy And Adolescent Patient Treatment Dropout, Danessa Mayo

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Attrition in mental health treatment is an area of concern among the adolescent population, especially with patients engaged in deliberate self-harm. The purpose of this study was to examine the treatment attrition rate for adolescents with deliberate self-harm in an adapted dialectical behavior therapy intensive outpatient program. A total of 141 adolescents previously enrolled in the program were available for the study. Results demonstrated a 31.9% dropout rate. Graduates indicated greater improvement of overall distress from baseline to post-treatment than dropouts. Dropouts attended an average of 12 treatment sessions. Several factors were examined to identify potential predictors of patient treatment …

To A Better Understanding Of Professional Practice: Provider Decision-Making When Delivering Hiv Services, Carizma Amila Chapman

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Over the last several decades an abundance of research has been conducted on HIV/AIDS. These studies have focused on the infection, impact of the disease on the health and quality of life of people living with the infection, and on treatment effectiveness. However, limited studies are available that explore the experiences of providers delivering HIV/AIDS services. Research demonstrates that providers have an important impact on treatment, shaping not only patient retention, but also treatment adherence. The critical role HIV/AIDS providers have in shaping treatment makes understanding provider experiences a pertinent area of inquiry to understand HIV/AIDS care. In this study, …

High-Dimensional Motion Planning And Learning Under Uncertain Conditions, Nick D. Malone

Computer Science ETDs

Many existing path planning methods do not adequately account for uncertainty. Without uncertainty these existing techniques work well, but in real world environments they struggle due to inaccurate sensor models, arbitrarily moving obstacles, and uncertain action consequences. For example, picking up and storing childrens toys is a simple task for humans. Yet, for a robotic household robot the task can be daunting. The room must be modeled with sensors, which may or may not detect all the strewn toys. The robot must be able to detect and avoid the child who may be moving the very toys that the robot …

Crystallographic Education In The 21st Century, Saulius Gražulis, Amy Alexis Sarjeant, Peter Moeck, Jennifer Stone-Sundberg, Trevor J. Snyder, Werner Kaminsky, Allen G. Oliver, Charlotte L. Stern, Louise N. Dawe, Denis A. Rychkov, Evgeniy A. Losev, Elena V. Boldyreva,, Joseph M. Tanski, Joel Bernstein, Wael M. Rabeh, Katherine A. Kantardjieff

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

There are many methods that can be used to incorporate concepts of crystallography into the learning experiences of students, whether they are in elementary school, at university or part of the public at large. It is not always critical that those who teach crystallography have immediate access to diffraction equipment to be able to introduce the concepts of symmetry, packing or molecular structure in an age- and audience-appropriate manner. Crystallography can be used as a tool for teaching general chemistry concepts as well as general research techniques without ever having a student determine a crystal structure. Thus, methods for younger …

Local Fractional Variational Iteration Method For Solving Nonlinear Partial Differential Equations Within Local Fractional Operators, Hossein Jafari, Hassan K. Jassim

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

In this article, the local fractional variational iteration method is proposed to solve nonlinear partial differential equations within local fractional derivative operators. To illustrate the ability and reliability of the method, some examples are illustrated. A comparison between local fractional variational iteration method with the other numerical methods is given, revealing that the proposed method is capable of solving effectively a large number of nonlinear differential equations with high accuracy. In addition, we show that local fractional variational iteration method is able to solve a large class of nonlinear problems involving local fractional operators effectively, more easily and accurately, and …

Effect Of Vestibular Adaptation Exercises On Chronic Motion Sensitivity, Danah Alyahya

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Dizziness is one of the most common complaints reported to primary care physicians. It is often associated with vestibular dysfunction and typically impacts postural stability. Motion sickness, or motion sensitivity, is stimulated by abnormal spatial orientation and is a common symptom related to dizziness and postural instability. The main cause of the motion sensitivity is aberrant sensory input from the visual, vestibular and somatosensory systems. The aim of this study was to measure the effect of vestibular adaptation exercises on postural stability in young healthy adults with subjective awareness of chronic motion sensitivity.

Methods: Fifty healthy male and female …

Are Bay Area Cities Inclusive? Evaluating How San Francisco Bay Area Cities Can Address Environmental Justice Challenges By Strengthening Their Engagement Practices With Low-Income And Minority Communities Through The California Environmental Quality Act Process, Kenneth Antonio Rosales

Master's Projects

No abstract provided.

The Future Of Community Banks And Their Role In The Changing Economy, Alisha R. Defatta

Honors Theses

This paper is a survey of the current literature concerning community banks, the current challenges faced by community banks, and the role community banks play in the economy. Currently technological and regulatory changes are creating challenges for community banks. To combat these issues many community banks are increasing their merger and acquisition activity to avoid closing. This objective of this paper is to discuss the reasons community banks are so important to our economy and to define the hardships they are currently facing. It is also important to identify the next steps we should take to ensure the stability of …

The Role Of Entertainment Media In Perceptions Of Police Use Of Force, Kathleen Donovan, Charles Klahm Iv

Political Science Faculty/Staff Publications

Scholars have long noted the importance of the media in shaping citizens’ attitudes about crime and justice. Most studies have focused on the impact of news and particularly local TV news, yet Americans spend far more time watching entertainment media. We examine the portrayal of police misconduct in crime dramas, and how exposure to these portrayals affects perceptions of the police. We find that viewers of crime dramas are more likely to believe the police are successful at lowering crime, use force only when necessary, and that misconduct does not typically lead to false confessions. In contrast, perceptions regarding the …

The Effects Of Mindfulness On Verbal Distress Disclosure, Sara Fleming

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a mindfulness induction on participants’ verbal distress disclosure (as measured by the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count and State Disclosure Questionnaire). Participants were 86 undergraduate students enrolled in an Introduction to Psychology course and were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: a mindfulness condition or a control condition. Participants in the mindfulness condition engaged in a 15-minute mindfulness induction prior to disclosing about a stressful experience, while participants in the control condition listened to a neutrally valenced audio excerpt from a podcast about emotions before speaking about a …

Modulation Of Angiogenesis, Balamurali Krishna Ambati, Jayakrishna Ambati, Nirbhai Singh

Ophthalmology and Visual Science Faculty Patents

This invention relates to compounds, composJtwns, and methods for the treatment of traits, diseases and conditions that respond to the modulation of angiogenic growth factor bioavailability or biological activity.

The Brutal Truth About Police Brutality, Markhel D. Hargrove

Honors Theses

Police brutality is a very timely issue as a new case has seemed to pop up every couple of weeks or so; however, police brutality is not a recent phenomenon, but for some reason, it is getting a lot of media attention today. This is perhaps due to the pattern that is occurring in these instances: black victims and white cops. In order to prevent police brutality from happening, several steps must be made to improve the way that police officers act and think in certain situations. First, it is important to teach officers how to properly handle the mentally …

Graduate Internship In Agriculture Education - Central Valley High School, Jessica Lynne Cardoso

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

An in depth evaluation of the agriculture program for Central Valley High School in Ceres, CA