Digital Commons Network^™

Can The Icc Consider Quesztions On Jus Ad Bellum In A War Crimes Trial?, Thomas S. Harris

Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law

War has forever been considered the utmost necessary evil. Nevertheless, international law has for some time sought to limit the right to wage war (jus ad bellum), as well as the means and methods employed amid war (jus in bello). Although these two branches of law now share humanitarian purposes the prevention of war and its effects -- they have generally been kept separate throughout history. However, confronted with widespread violations of jus in bello, resulting in appalling humanitarian disasters, some have suggested amending their relationship. This was notably sought at the Nuremberg Trials, where prosecutors failed to contend that …

Effects Of Stream Degradation On Ecosystem Function Are Mediated By Local Microbial And Macroinvertebrate Leaf Litter Processing, Carla Rothenbuecher

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Riparian areas are fundamental to aquatic ecosystems by regulating temperature and light regimes, and providing allochthonous subsidies critical to the survival of aquatic and terrestrial species. On a global scale, increased rates of anthropogenic disturbance from agricultural activities and urbanization have caused the degradation of aquatic habitats. As a result, billions of dollars have been spent on stream restoration projects to protect aquatic resources; however, fundamental ecosystem processes like litter decomposition are rarely addressed. We conducted a litterbag experiment in a degraded high desert stream proposed for large-scale restoration to test the effects of reach location, canopy cover, and temperature …

Evaluating The Impact Of Natural And Agricultural Ecosystems On Soil Properties In Western Kentucky., Cody Masterson

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The importance and capabilities of soil are often overlooked. It has an exceedingly complex ecosystem that is still not fully understood, but looking into soil properties can provide a clearer picture of what goes on below the surface. Understanding the influence of land covers and soil management allow for better understanding of how the soil ecosystem works which in return provides insight into how to create a more sustainable form of agriculture. Different ecosystems greatly impact soil properties. Soil physical properties are considered sensitive indicators of perturbation due to soil management practices and land covers. The four ecosystems that were …

Locus Of Control, Academic Achievement, And Discipline Referrals, Rachel Hill

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to determine the relationship among locus of control, academic functioning, and discipline problems in a sample of public high school seniors in the mid-West. Participants completed Rotter’s locus of control measure; their state-wide test scores and discipline records were obtained from archives. Contrary to expectations, there were no statistically significant associations between locus of control and discipline, although there was a statistically significant negative correlation between test scores and discipline referrals. The implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

The Effects Of Mortality Salience And Team Identification On Sports Fans' Willingness To Consider Anonymous Acts Of Aggression, Sagan L. Ladd

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The current study sought to understand if mortality salience and identification with the University of Kentucky men’s varsity basketball team (UK) would interact in such a way as to influence participants’ willingness to engage in anonymous acts of aggression toward fans, coaches and players of rival sport teams. A research question was also evaluated which asked if mortality salience might be a potential mediator between participants’ identification and their likelihood to engage in anonymous acts of aggression. Results indicated that mortality salience was not a significant predictor and there was no significant interaction between identification and mortality salience. As a …

Synthesis And Properties Of Bisimidazolium And Poly(Ethylene Glycol)-Containing Michael Addition Polyester Networks, Joshua Allan Dippie

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs) have been examined in recent years for applications in various technologies, including solid-state lithium ion batteries and gas separation membranes. In this work, a series of bisimidazolium-containing, Michael addition donors were synthesized and used to produce a series of covalently crosslinked PIL polyester networks containing bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide as the counteranion. Within the series, the length of alkyl spacer between the two imidazolium cations and the diacrylate to acetoacetate monomer ratio were varied in an attempt to correlate structural variations with the thermal, mechanical, and conductive properties of the PILs. Keeping the diacrylate to acetoacetate ratio constant, increasing the …

Mobile Computing, Internet Of Things, And Big Data For Urban Informatics, Anirban Mondal, Praveen Rao, Sanjay Kumar Madria

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Urban informatics is emerging as a new discipline for cities and governments to improve the lives of citizens using information technology. In this advanced seminar, we introduce the key challenges and opportunities in urban informatics, discuss topics in mobile computing, Internet of Things (IoT) and big data analytics, to advance the state-of-the-art in urban informatics and provide interesting use cases. This seminar is designed for academicians, researchers, city administrators/planners, application developers, and research students with background in mobile computing and database systems.

Estimating Freeway Travel Times Using The General Motors Model, Shu Yang, Yaojan Wu, Zhaozheng Yin, Yiheng Feng

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Travel time is a key transportation performance measure because of its diverse applications. Various modeling approaches to estimating freeway travel time have been well developed due to widespread installation of intelligent transportation system sensors. However, estimating accurate travel time using existing freeway travel time models is still challenging under congested conditions. Therefore, this study aimed to develop an innovative freeway travel time estimation model based on the General Motors (GM) car-following model. Since the GM model is usually used in a microsimulation environment, the concepts of virtual leading and virtual following vehicles are proposed to allow the GM model to …

Imsa 2016 Profile, Office Of College And Academic Counseling

IMSA Profile

The internationally recognized Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy® (IMSA) develops creative, ethical leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. As a teaching and learning laboratory created by the State of Illinois, IMSA enrolls academically talented Illinois students (grades 10-12) in its advanced, residential college preparatory program, and it serves thousands of educators and students in Illinois and beyond through innovative instructional programs that foster imagination and inquiry. 99.5% of graduating seniors matriculate to colleges and universities. IMSA also advances education through research, groundbreaking ventures and strategic partnerships.

Impact Of Dynamic Graphics On Mental Rotation Of 3d Objects With Undergraduate Students Of Varying Levels Of Spatial Ability, Gabriel Jonathan Grant

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of dynamic graphics on mental rotation of 3D objects with undergraduate students of varying levels of spatial ability. Used in this study was a 3 X 3 factorial, true experimental design with an immediate and delayed posttest. A sample of 272 undergraduate students from a Midwestern university participated in this study. The participants in the study had their spatial ability measured by a prior knowledge stratifying pretest and then were randomly assigned to one of three instructional strategies. The experimental groups received instruction with interactive 3D (I3D) animation or instruction …

The Languages Of Other People: The Experiences Of Tutors, Administrators, And Students In A South African Multilingual Writing Center, Nicole Bailey

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This ethnography, conducted at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, conveys the experiences of tutors, students, and administrators in a multilingual writing lab. As the number of both multilingual and international students in American universities increases, more writing centers in the United States have begun to explore the idea of multilingual tutoring. This study offers implications for establishing American multilingual writing centers based on data that emerged from observations and interviews conducted at Stellenbosch. Several themes emerged from the data that have important implications for American centers. First, there must be a clear understanding of what defines a multilingual writing center. …

Requirements For Sports Medicine Professionals In Central And South America, Marissa Yorgey

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Context: The globalization of athletic training and therapy has emerged in recent years. In general, athletic health care is somewhat standardized in North America, specifically the United States, Canada, and in parts of Europe, while other nations/regions are slow to formalize such a position/profession in their countries. While sports medicine is not a new concept around the world, information about sports medicine professionals (SMP) is not easily identifiable. Objective: To identify formalized disciplines and expectations among sports medicine professionals in Central and South America. Design: Qualitative analysis. Setting: Document review. Participants: The study targeted 23 countries in Central and South …

Response To Intervention At The Secondary Level: Beliefs, Perceived Skills, And Practices Of High School Teachers, Shawn Ann Huisinga

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this multiple case study was to describe the extent to which Response to Intervention (RtI) was being implemented in a high school. This study described the roles, practices, and preparation of two English teachers and four math teachers implementing RtI in a small high school. In addition to describing the roles, practices, and preparation of teachers delivering RtI services, the study also examined the factors affecting RtI implementation. The methodologies for this study included interviews, observations, scales, and surveys. Analysis of data indicated that teachers roles and practices varied depending upon their content area expertise. Factors affecting …

Parents’ Experiences Of Music Therapy In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (Nicu), Naoko Mizutani

Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to deepen my understanding of parental experiences having an infant in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Three parents of premature infants in the NICU at a large urban medical center participated in an individual music therapy session and post-session interview that was conducted right after the session. Data was collected through video recordings of music therapy sessions and post-session interviews. In order to appropriately reflect the music therapy process, I employed, for my analyses of the music therapy sessions, Forinash and Gonzalez's (1989) method, which was adapted from the original method proposed …

High School Seniors' Knowledge About College And The Acquisition Of College-Readiness Skills, Karen Franklin Mcsherry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of college readiness, which affects persistence in college, is a problem for many students at a high school in New Jersey. Only 1 in 5 students in this school persist from first to second year in New Jersey public colleges and universities, and as many as 50% do not graduate in 4 years. This problem is important to study because low persistence may engender personal failure, familial debt, social stigma, and wasted public funds. Guided by Bandura's social learning theory, this qualitative case study addressed the lack of college readiness by exploring what high school students know about going …

Does Racism Exist In The Hiring And Promotion Of K-12 School Administrators?, Phillip Smith

GSE Faculty Publications

There is an absence of any extensive examination of the ways in which agency, White conferred dominance, and racial stratification perpetuate inequalities in access to educational leadership positions by Black Americans. Through an integrative review, and analysis of national data sets, this paper explores the extent to which differing levels of racism - individual, institutional or cultural, exist in the hiring and promotion of K-12 school administrators. Utilizing a critical race theory (CRT) epistemological approach, as well as a historicizing of knowledge analytical approach, the paper illustrates that despite significant gains through the Civil Rights movement, African Americans continue to …

Perspectives On The Use Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Related Mobile Apps: Results From A Survey Of Students And Professionals, Benjamin G. Pierce, Michael P. Twohig, Michael E. Levin

Psychology Faculty Publications

Although mobile apps have proliferated as self-help or adjunctive therapy supports, scant research has explored their implementation among mental health practitioners. Little is known about uses and perceptions of mental health apps among applied practitioners, nor are agreed-upon criteria for evaluating and choosing apps available. The present survey study examined the uses and perceptions of mental health apps among 356 professionals and students familiar with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), as indicated by being a member of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science. The survey found that practitioners are interested in using ACT-related apps, but that use of and familiarity …

Web-Based Self-Help For Preventing Mental Health Problems In Universities: Comparing Acceptance And Commitment Training To Mental Health Education, Michael E. Levin, Steven C. Hayes, Jacqueline Pistorello, John R. Seeley

Psychology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Osgoode Syllabus Of Courses And Seminars: 2016 - 2017, Office Of Student Services

Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Java Computer Animation For Effective Learning Of The Cholesky Algorithm With Transportation Engineering Applications, Ivan Makohon, Duc T. Nguyen, Mecit Cetin

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

In this paper, the well-known Cholesky Algorithm (for solving simultaneous linear equations, or SLE) is re-visited, with the ultimate goal of developing a simple, user-friendly, attractive, and useful Java Visualization and Animation Graphical User Inter-face (GUI) software as an additional teaching tool for students to learn the Cholesky factorization in a step-by-step fashion with computer voice and animation. A demo video of the Cholesky Decomposition (or factorization) animation and result can be viewed online from the website: http://www.lions.odu.edu/~imako001/cholesky/demo/index.html. The software tool developed from this work can be used for both students and their instructors not only to master this technical …

Effects Of Temperature, Irradiance And Pco2 On The Growth And Nitrogen Utilization Of Prorocentrum Donghaiense, Zhangxi Hu, Margaret R. Mulholland, Ning Xu, Shunshan Duan

OES Faculty Publications

Environmental factors such as temp erature, irradiance, and nitrogen (N) supply affect the growth of Prorocentrum donghaiense, but the interactive effects of these physical factors and the effects of atmospheric CO₂ (pCO₂) on growth and N uptake have not been examined. We compared growth kinetics of P. donghaiense grown on 4 different N substrates (nitrate [NO₃ -], ammonium [NH₄ +], urea, and glutamic acid [glu]) with respect to temperature, irradiance, and pCO₂. Temperature (15 to 30°C) had a positive effect on growth (max. growth rates: 0.17 to 0.65 d …

The Effects Of Control Threat On Women's Acceptance Of Benevolent Sexism And Traditional Gender Roles, Zheng Li

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

System Justification Theory (SJT; Jost & Banaji, 1994) predicts that people tend to accept and endorse the current socioeconomic and political arrangement when they feel threatened. Based on SJT, women should support traditional gender roles and benevolent sexism when they feel threatened because these system-justifying beliefs can mitigate anxiety and distress elicited by existential threats. In the current study, female participants’ responses to a control threat were measured by an author-generated scale on attitudes toward traditional gender roles for women and Benevolent Sexism Scale (Glick & Fiske, 1996). In a community sample (but not in a student sample), participants whose …

2015-2016 Georgia Southern University Women's Basketball Statistics, Georgia Southern University

Women's Basketball Records

• 2015-16 Women's Basketball Cumulative Statistics - Georgia Southern University Athletics

Semi-Automatic Identification Of Synonyms In Structured Knowledge Representations, Thomas C. Taylor

Theses

Synonym support is an important aspect of querying knowledge bases, but current approaches to generating such support is difficult and error-prone. Automating the process of identifying synonyms in structured knowledge representations is therefore an important pursuit. This thesis presents an ensemble approach that incorporates several methods and knowledge sources heretofore used individually. A case study shows that the approach performs better than individual methods, and that it may be used to reduce efforts to identify synonyms.

Philosophizing About God And Nature : Connections And Divisions In The Writings Of Isaac Newton, Joshua Riddle

Theses

For several decades, scholars have argued about the relationship between Isaac Newton’s works in science (or natural philosophy), “chymistry,” religion, and theology. Of particular interest has been how his natural philosophy and religion/theology related to each other. Some scholars claim a significant connection between them, even claiming they are part of a “seamless unity” in Newton’s thinking. Other, more skeptical, scholars call for a localized approach to his writings. By entering into this debate and analyzing many of Newton’s manuscripts, I argue that Newton held onto significant disciplinary distinctions in his writings, but also was willing to make small connections …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Nano/Micro-Sized Cathodes For Li-Ion Batteries, Piyush D. Jibhakate

Theses

Li-ion batteries have emerged as a leading energy storage technology for several applications including portable electronics devices and electric vehicles. Rigorous efforts are made to develop these batteries with higher energy density, higher power density, and better cycling stability while reducing cost and environmental impact. To better understand how electrode morphology and process parameters contribute to the electrode performance, spinel LiMn2O4 (LMO) cathode material was prepared using sol-gel synthesis method. Simultaneously, nanostructured LMO electrodes were prepared using the template-assisted sol-gel method, which involves soaking of polycarbonate template membranes in the precursor solution followed by drying, to remove the solvent. The …

The Theory Of Planned Behavior As Applied To Helmet Use In Equestrians, Kelly L. Arnold

Theses

The theory of planned behavior is a model wherein beliefs give rise to intention which results in action. We tested it by separating equestrians into helmet users and non-users then presented framed health messages manipulated in a 2 (Helmet: Present, Absent) x 2 (Valence: Positive, Negative) x 2 (Icon: Circle, Rosette) between subjects design. We measured equestrians' intent to use a helmet after viewing a short horse-accident video and found that helmet non-users were most responsive to positively framed messages focusing on helmet use instead of non-use. Reasons for helmet non-use in equestrians as well as information on head injuries …

Heat Deposition During Turbulence Distorted Laser Irradiation, William Vaden Dent Iii

Theses

Realistically modeled heat deposition by a laser source under a variety of turbulent conditions generated from the classic Kolmogorov model is presented. Predicted heat deposition data is created from solutions to the differential heat flow equation and for representative example turbulence distorted waveforms.

Social Justice And Human Rights In Education Policy Discourse: Assessing Nelson Mandela's Legacy, Abrehet Gebremedhin, Devin Joshi

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Twenty years after South Africa's democratisation, Nelson Mandela's passing has prompted scholars to examine his legacy in various domains. Here we take a look at his legacy in education discourse. Tracing Mandela's thoughts and pronouncements on education we find two major emphases: a view of education as a practical means to economic development, and education as a means to social justice, human rights, and democracy. Assessing the legacy of these twin emphases, we conducted qualitative and quantitative content analysis of turning point documents in education policy and annual reports from the respective South African ministries of education over the last …

The Pursuit Of Information Sharing: Expressing Task Conflicts As Debates Vs. Disagreements Increases Perceived Receptivity To Dissenting Opinions In Groups, Ming-Hong Tsai, Corinne Bendersky

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Group members often over-weigh shared information and under-value unique information during discussions to the detriment of decision quality. Fortunately, perceiving other group members as receptive to dissenting opinions may enhance information sharing. We distinguish between two ways of expressing opinion-differences about tasks-debates and disagreements-that we predict are perceived by others as conveying varying degrees of receptivity to dissenting opinions. In four studies with mixed methods and a causal chain design, we manipulate and measure group members' (the "senders") expressions of debates and disagreements, others' (the "receivers") perceptions of the senders' receptivity to dissenting opinions, and receivers' information sharing intentions and …