Digital Commons Network^™

The Volk Of New Jersey? State Identity, Distinctiveness, And Political Culture In The American Federal System, Ernest A. Young

Faculty Scholarship

The legal literature on federalism has long taken for granted that Americans no longer meaningfully identify with, or feel strong loyalties to, their states. This assumption has led some scholars to reject federalism altogether; others argue that federalism must be reoriented to serve national values. But the issue of identity and loyalty sweeps far more broadly, implicating debates about the political safeguards of federalism, the ability of states to check national power, and the likelihood that states will produce policy innovations or good opportunities for citizen participation in government. The ultimate question is whether American federalism lacks the cultural and …

Shallow Water Depth Inversion Based On Data Mining Models, Shu Gao

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis focuses on applying machine-learning algorithms on water depth inversion from remote sensing images, with a case study in Michigan lake area. The goal is to assess the use of the public available Landsat images on shallow water depth inversion. Firstly, ICESAT elevation data were used to determine the absolute water surface elevation. Airborne bathymetry Lidar data provide systematic measure of water bottom elevation. Subtracting water bottom elevation from water surface elevation will result in water depth. Water depth is associated with reflectance recorded as DN value in Landsat images. Water depth inversion was tested on ANN models, SVM …

Enhancing Social Science Research In The Uae: An Open Source Software Solution University Of Sharjah (Uos) Case Study, Manar Abu Talib, Muhammed Abuodeh, Adhraa Almansoori, Arwa Alnauimi

All Works

© 2015 The Manar Abu Talib, Muhammed AbuOdeh, Adhraa Almansoori and Arwa AlNauimi. Researchers, practitioners and social scientists all agree on the enormous importance of social science research in advancing human knowledge and informing public policy makers. The National Research Foundation, along with other organizations in the UAE, is leading the initiative to integrate the efforts of social research institutions in order to support the decision making process in the UAE. As indicated by a number of social researchers during the last forum held on May 29-30, 2012, at the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research, Abu Dhabi, UAE, …

Perspectives And Obstacles Of The Shareholder Activism Implementation: A Comparative Analysis Of Civil And Common Law Systems, Khurram Raja, Alex Kostyuk

All Works

© 2015, Virtus Interpress. All rights reserved. The paper outlines shareholder activism development in common law and civil law countries and identifies features of these legal systems that create preconditions and obstacles for shareholder activism. Our findings show that tendencies of shareholder activism depend on the type of the legal system, but also vary within the countries that share the same legal system. Thus, we conclude that the type of legal system is not the chief determinant of shareholder activism. A comparative analysis of shareholder activism in Germany and Ukraine (civil law countries) and the USA and the UK (common …

Reproductive Biology Of Syntopic Blackside Dace And Southern Redbelly Dace In Two Kentucky Streams, Brajaan Hayes

Online Theses and Dissertations

When a rare endemic species and an ecologically similar, but more cosmopolitan species share habitat, understanding how they interact with each other is important for conservation efforts. This is especially true if both species rely on the same spawning habitat, which could potentially lead to competitive displacement or hybridization. It is known that the federally threatened Blackside Dace and common Southern Redbelly Dace are ecologically similar species, occur syntopically in Kentucky in the upper Cumberland River basin, and utilize some of the same host species for nest sites; however, it is unclear if the two fish species are spawning site …

Effects Of Supplemental Food On The Behavior, Aggression, And Paternity Status Of Male Indigo Buntings (Passerina Cyanea), Bradley Mcleod

Online Theses and Dissertations

Breeding is an energetically costly activity for birds. If energy-limited, birds may alter their time budgets, reducing time spent in some activities and spending more time in others. To date, no experimental study has investigated the possible effect of food availability on male mate guarding behavior. Additionally, previous results from food supplementation studies are mixed. My objectives were to determine how food supplementation might influence the breeding behavior of male Indigo Buntings (Passerina cyanea). I predicted that, compared to non-supplemented males, food-supplemented males would: 1) spend less time foraging, 2) spend more time singing, 3) spend more time mate guarding, …

"Art Should Comfort The Disturbed And Disturb The Comfortable:" Examining Twenty-First Century Aesthetics Through Banksy's Socially Engaged Art, Margaret Henry

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Taking Viktor Shklovsky’s notion of defamiliarization as its starting point, this paper considers two twenty-first century aesthetic shifts resulting from the conditions of post-Fordist capitalism: the appearance of socially engaged art practices as delineated by Nato Thompson in Living as Form and the prevalence of what Sianne Ngai refers to as “minor aesthetic categories” within those practices. This project explores the political efficacy and theoretical possibilities of socially engaged art practices--practices which necessarily utilize minor aesthetic categories due to their ubiquity--through close examination of the graffiti artist Banksy’s exhibit, Better Out Than In. Graffiti is associated with the destruction of …

The Status Of The Genus Taxus In Kentucky, Robert Reed Pace

Online Theses and Dissertations

This study involved a detailed study of the genus Taxus in Kentucky. A thorough examination was conducted, including a review of the literature, examination of field and herbarium specimens from both native and non-native species, microscopic analysis of leaf ultrastructure, chemical analysis of taxane content, and the construction of GIS models to predict the occurrence of the native species. In the review and examination of morphological features, it was found that the best features for separation of the taxa were plant height, the number of the rows of stomata per abaxial leaf band, and the location of papillose cells on …

The Neoliberal Construction Of Immigration As Crisis, Melissa Jeanette Pujol

Online Theses and Dissertations

Historically, Americans have been concerned with immigration, with a particular emphasis on Mexican immigration arising toward the end of the twentieth century. The purpose of this research is to question the framing of current immigration patterns as crises and argue that they are better understood as ‘business as usual’ in the neoliberal state. This paper highlights the connection between neoliberal policies and negative public perceptions of immigrants. Neoliberal policies disenfranchise citizens and immigrants alike, yet the public’s misinterpretation of both economic and immigration issues allows society to blame immigrants for deeply structured social problems. I have outlined the neoliberal economic …

Examining The Impacts Of Valley Fills In Stream Ecosystems On Amphibian And Aquatic Insect Communities In Southeastern Kentucky, John Clayton Bourne

Online Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 1. Abstract: Biodiversity is not evenly distributed, and understanding factors that determine spatial patterns of species diversity remains a key question in ecology. Because of their relatively high abundance and complex life cycles, stream salamanders and aquatic insects are important trophic links and serve a critical role in transferring energy. Despite this importance little research has examined their community structure simultaneously in aquatic ecosystems. The primary objective of this research was to determine the structure of these communities across natural areas of southeastern Kentucky and understand what factors impact their abundances and distributions. To address this, we sampled eight …

A Comparison Of Management Strategies For The Federally Endangered Running Buffalo Clover (Trifolium Stoloniferum) On The Blue Grass Army Depot, Ky, Alexi David Dart-Padover

Online Theses and Dissertations

Running buffalo clover (Trifolium stoloniferum) is a federally endangered plant that appears to depend on habitat disturbance, although proposed management strategies such as cattle grazing, mowing, and herbicide application have never been compared in a controlled study. We evaluate the efficacy of these techniques on the Blue Grass Army Depot (BGAD) in Madison County, KY, where one of T. stoloniferum’s largest populations occurs. Fifty-nine patches of T. stoloniferum on the BGAD were treated annually between 2012 and 2014 with combinations of mowing and grass-specific herbicide. Patches of T. stoloniferum also were exposed to one of three types of cattle exposure …

Ucc Minutes, January 27, 2015, University Curriculum Council

UCC Agendas/Minutes

No abstract provided.

Spatial And Temporal Characterization Of The Physicochemical Parameters And Phytoplankton Assemblages In Dodurga Reservoir (Sinop, Turkey), Seda Hasirci Mustak, Eli̇f Tezel Ersanli

Turkish Journal of Botany

Physicochemical parameters and phytoplankton seasonal variation were investigated between August 2010 and July 2011 in Dodurga Reservoir. A total of 35 phytoplankton taxa were identified. Phytoplankton samples collected from surface samples in late winter, spring, and early and mid-summer were found to be influenced by nitrate, dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, and phosphate. However, early winter and autumn assemblages of the samples were influenced by total hardness, silica, water transparency, conductivity, organic matter, and oxidation reduction potential. The phytoplankton samples collected from different depths in early and mid-summer were found to be influenced by only temperature. Early and middle spring assemblages …

2015-2016 Graduate Catalog, Morehead State University

Morehead State Catalog Archive

2015-2016 graduate catalog for Morehead State University.

2015-2016 Undergraduate Catalog, Morehead State University

Morehead State Catalog Archive

2015-2016 undergraduate catalog for Morehead State University.

The Fair Market Value Of Public Resources, Bruce R. Huber

Journal Articles

This Article explores the problem of public resource sales with particular reference to natural resources managed by the federal government. Lands owned by the United States hold trillions of dollars' worth of natural resources. Federal agencies earn billions in annual revenue from resource sales, yet critics assert that billions more could be reaped if resources were sold for a fair price. Although federal law has increasingly required that agencies price resources at fair market value, this requirement is surprisingly difficult to interpret and even more dfficult to implement and enforce. This Article analyzes the various forces that bear on public …

Unequal Assistance Of Counsel, Peter A. Joy

Scholarship@WashULaw

There is now, and has always been, a double standard when it comes to the criminal justice system in the United States. The system is stacked against you if you are a person of color or are poor, and is doubly unjust if you are both a person of color and poor. The potential counterweight to such a system, a lawyer by one’s side, is unequal as well. In reality, the right to counsel is a right to the unequal assistance of counsel in the United States.

The unequal treatment based on the color of one’s skin is reflected by …

Regulating Sex Work: Assimilationism, Erotic Exceptionalism And The Challenge Of Intimate Labor, Adrienne D. Davis

Scholarship@WashULaw

Most commentators on sex markets focus on the debate between abolitionists and those who defend and support professional sex work. This paper, instead, looks at debates within the pro-sex work camp, uncovering some unattended tensions and contradictions. It shows that, within this camp, some stress the labor aspect, urging that sex markets perpetuate a “vulnerable population” of workers, similar to others who perform highly risky and/or exploited labor, and should be regulated accordingly. In this view, sex work would be assimilated into other labor. Others, though, take a more anti-regulatory stance. They exceptionalize this form of labor, arguing that because …

Evaluating And Prioritizing Stream Restoration In Mined Appalachian Watersheds., Eric Mitchell Miller

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The state of West Virginia requires stream mitigation to offset anthropogenic impacts to streams; consequently there is a high concentration of mitigation projects in the mountaintop mining/valley fill region. Projects are typically outside mine boundaries and sites are selected at the discretion of the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. This dissertation evaluated current in-stream, natural channel design (NCD) structures and prioritized future project locations. First, we assessed the Little Coal River, which is one of the largest physical restoration projects in the state. The Little Coal drains 994 km2 with extensive historic and contemporary coal mining. The objectives of …

Demographic Profile Of The “Farmworker Population” In The United States, Carlos Siordia, Athena Ramos

Reports: Health Promotion, Social & Behavioral Health

The health and economic well-being of farmworkers has been investigated by social scientists for many decades [1,2,3]. General research on occupational safety and farmworker justice has also been developed more recently [4]. Because Hispanics/Latinos are commonly associated with farmworker occupations, especially migrant farm work, research has paid special attention to their population [5]. For example, researchers have investigated the health of Latina farmworkers [6], injury in youth from Latino farmworker families [7], and learning ability amongst Latino farmworkers [8]. However, Latinos only make up about half of the “farmworker population” is the United States (US). The specific aim of this …

How History Matters: Polish Memory Politics And Policies Toward Russia Since 1989, Richard Tyler Underwood

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis examines how memory can affect international relations and vice versa. In order to examine how memory can affect international relations the relationship between Poland and the Russian Federation since 1989 is analyzed as well as how their pasts and the period of Soviet dominance affects this relationship. This thesis focuses on two specific modes of memory: the Katy? Forest Massacre and Soviet monuments and memorials in Poland, specifically the Polish-Russian Brothers in Arms monument. Looking at these modes of memory and specific cases through a constructivist perspective will exemplify how memory plays a role in international relations. At …

Camas, Winter 2015

Camas

The Sea Star’s Warning / Nina Finley -- Passages / AZ Andis -- Ever-moving World / Eva Saulitis -- Angel with a Horn / David James Duncan -- Things Left Behind / Ben Horan -- Interview / Diana Roffman -- Knot / Ellie Rogers -- Transit / Elizabeth O’Brien -- untitled / Jay Chervil -- H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald / Megan McInerney -- Form / Airica Parker

Truth Commissions And Collective Memory In Latin America, Mona Schwartz

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Human rights violations have an enormous effect on future generations and have the potential to divide or unite society in their wake. My research examines how a national, collective memory is formed after human rights abuse occurs, and how the work of a truth commission contributes to this process. My hypothesis is that when a truth commission is instated after an experience of human rights abuse, a nation will be better able to reconcile conflicted memories and experiences and to create a unified, collective memory of that human rights experience. More specifically, my hypothesis is that, in order to be …

The Role Of Intellectual And Academic Abilities In Detention Placement Among Dually-Diagnosed Juvenile Offenders, Melissa Mcwilliams

Psychology Theses

This study examined the moderating effects of IQ and academic skills in the relationship between dual diagnosis (i.e., co-occurring psychiatric and substance use disorders) and court-involved, non-incarcerated (CINI) juveniles’ detention placement at 12 months post court evaluation. CINI juveniles who underwent a court clinic forensic mental health evaluation (N = 249) completed a battery of assessments targeting demographic information, psychiatric symptoms, and cognitive/academic functioning (i.e., Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (KBIT-2), Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT-4)). Previous research demonstrated the predictive ability of co-occurring psychiatric and substance use disorders on CINI juveniles’ recidivism (Tolou-Shams et al., 2014). While we expected that …

Redefining Transportation Culture: A New Union Station For Los Angeles, Pawel Honc

Architecture Theses and Projects

From iconic stations like Grand Central in New York City to the small suburban commuter rail station, the architecture of transportation can have a large effect on the perception of a transportation system. Architecture can also play a large part in encouraging a changeover to more of a public transportation oriented culture. The planning of transit hubs and stations should be transitoriented so that it can reach the most amounts of people. However, a changeover to a transit-oriented society would require a city like Los Angeles to overhaul their current transportation system by adding more lines, connections, and increasing station …

Stratigraphy And Porosity Modeling Of South-Central Illinois (Usa) Chester (Upper Mississippian) Series Sandstones Using Petrel, Darren Kimple, Eric W. Peterson, David H. Malone

Faculty Publications - Geography, Geology, and the Environment

Maximizing resource extraction from mature oilfields requires enhanced and secondary recovery techniques. The success of these methods relies on knowledge and understanding of the reservoir geology and hydraulics. At the Loudon Oilfield (Illinois, USA), enhanced oil recovery is being used to extend the production life of the reservoir. The suitability and placement of additional wells for oil recovery processes required three-dimensional (3D) facies and porosity modeling of the oilfield. The purpose of this work was to assess the ability of a porosity model to predict sandstone facies. The facies model for the Loudon field was generated using data obtained from …

Three-Dimensional Geologic Model Of The Pecatonica Gas Storage Field, Winnebago County, Illinois, Nicole D. Kron, David H. Malone, Eric W. Peterson

Faculty Publications - Geography, Geology, and the Environment

This study involves the construction of a three-dimensional (3D) geologic model of Paleozoic strata that are part of an underground gas storage field in northern, Illinois, USA. The Pecatonica Anticline trends 60W and plunges gently to the southeast. It is 10 km long and 3 km wide, and verges to the NE. Six water wells and 22 gas wells were used to create the 3-D geologic model in Petrel using well tops as determined from wire-line logs. The following horizons were created for the Cambrian and Ordovician strata: the Ancell, Trempealeau, Franconia, Ironton-Galesvilles, Eau Claire Proviso A and B, Eau …

May You Walk In Beauty: The Decline Of Navajo Land And Culture, Jocelyn Catterson

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

The Navajo homeland, Dinetah, is bordered by four mountains that are sacred to the Navajo people: two in Colorado, one in New Mexico, and one in Arizona. Historically, Navajo medicine men have traveled to these mountains to renew prayers and collect medicinal herbs. Today, the mountains, which exist outside of the reservation boundaries, are used for resource extraction and various recreational pursuits. While many Navajo are fighting for the protection of these sacred lands and their traditional culture, others are disinterested. Traditional practices and beliefs are slowly disappearing within the Navajo Nation. The land-use issues associated with these sacred mountains …

Industry Career Guide: Construction, Ma. Concepcion G. Latoja, Dickson A. Lim

Angelo King Institute for Economic and Business Studies (AKI)

This paper is a career guide on the Philippine construction industry. It provides a general overview into the nature and role of construction in the context of the general macroeconomy, highlights its employment-generating capacity and manpower development prospects, and gives jobseekers and other interested parties a peek into the industry’s likely direction in terms of performance and labor market interface within the next short run cycle.

From Stumptown To Treetown: A Field Guide For Interpreting Portland’S History Though Its Heritage Trees, David-Paul B. Hedberg

History Faculty Publications and Presentations

Portland’s urban forest is rooted in the city’s history. This guide is the first of its kind to use historic literature, archival collections, and living trees as evidence to interpret Portland’s history. Trees are some of our city’s oldest living artifacts and this guide will show you some of the many ways to see and interpret both history and nature in Portland.