Digital Commons Network^™

Demythologizing Abortion Reform, Robert M. Byrn

The Catholic Lawyer

No abstract provided.

Multipurpose Water Resource Planning And Management Using Nile Basin Dss In The Tana Sub Basin, Ethiopia, Habtam A. Mekonen, Melese M. Wondim, Addisu G. Dagnew, Mikiyas G. Etichie

Open Water Journal

The DSS is considered to comprise (i) a knowledge base, and (ii) modeling tools. These two elements are to have in-built internal interfaces, and the DSS as a whole, through input and output systems, is to have strong linkages with the separately developed BIS and WIS and The Authority is carrying out a study using the Nile Basin Decision Support System (NB-DSS) to providing the inputs needed for a water resources management and development plan for the Tana Sub-Basin.

Tooltip For Automated Conversion Of Data In Electronic Form, Peter Schiller

Defensive Publications Series

Disclosed herein are a system and a method for a calendar tooltip that includes the designation of significant dates for filling electronic forms with numerical information. The application visually differentiates the significant dates with a highlight app or by some other tool. The servers may process the information given by the user, and a database resolves the given date to a standard format. An assistive tooltip or annotation acts as a feedback mechanism to alert the user about the conversion. Thus, the system may perform smart interaction, and users may discern significant dates without relying on separate apps and services.

Nicaragua’S Grand Canal: A Case Study In Political And Economic Culture, Michael S. Doyle

Global Advances in Business Communication

The proposed Nicaraguan Grand Canal mega-project—whether promised land or pipe dream—serves as the basis for the following short case study in political and economic culture. It can be useful for multiple fields such as business, policy, foreign affairs, public relations, logistics, tourism, intercultural communication studies, business communications, and the emerging field of language for specific purposes. Neither a research nor a theoretical contribution per se, it is intended to serve as a theory-based pedagogical piece for developing critical thinking, problem-solving, and presentational skills, illustrative of the didactic genre, in a way that is applicable to multiple fields.

Examining The Cultural, Age And Gender Differences In Attitudes Toward Employee Engagement Surveys., Michael Coates

Global Advances in Business Communication

In order to assess levels of engagement in a global organisation, employees must communicate their views, concerns and issues, typically through an online anonymous survey. The main providers such as Towers Watson, Gallop or Effectory, often release white papers and eye catching headlines about varying degrees of employee engagement around the world (Penhale Smith N, 2015.) As an Organisational Development Consultant, increasingly involved in both administering employee surveys, including the communication that precedes their implementation, I became concerned that comparing engagement results between countries was at the very least problematic and potentially unreliable. When I hear that Indian employees are …

Cultural Intelligence Sounding The Death Knell For Stereotypes In Business Communication, Eugene A. Ohu

Global Advances in Business Communication

Globalization is creating culturally diverse teams. Managers are increasingly challenged to lead multicultural teams towards common organizational goals. It has therefore become imperative that team members be helped to quickly attain a shared understanding of messages. Much research has focused on generating awareness of different cultures and how this knowledge can be used to improve business communication.

Even with this awareness that different cultures exist, stereotypes (of race, gender, national culture) still influence how team members interpret the actions of their colleagues. Studies in social psychology have focused on how stereotypes influence perceptions about individuals or groups of people. Message …

Expanding Boundaries: Broadening Perspectives For Both Practitioner And Academic-Based Research, David A. Victor

Global Advances in Business Communication

No abstract provided.

The Ticker, December 12, 2016

The Ticker

The Ticker is the student newspaper of Baruch College. It has been published continuously since 1932, when the Baruch College campus was the School of Business and Civic Administration of the City College of New York.

Nuclear Insurance Subsidies Cost From Post-Fukushima Accounting Based On Media Sources, John Laureto, Joshua M. Pearce

Department of Materials Science and Engineering Publications

Quantification of nuclear liability insurance is difficult without arbitrary liability caps; however, post-mortem calculations can be used to calculate insurance costs. This study analyzes the Fukushima (Daiichi) nuclear power plant disaster to quantify the cost per unit electricity ($/kWh) of nuclear energy from the lifetime of the plant after accounting for the true cost of the liability needed to cover the damages from the nuclear disaster determined from news reports. These costs are then compared to the cost of electricity currently paid by Japanese consumers, and then are aggregated to determine the indirect subsidy for nuclear power providers in both …

Color-Mediated Foraging By Pollinators: A Comparative Study Of Two Passionflower Butterflies At Lantana Camara, Gyanpriya Maharaj

Dissertations

Colorful floral signaling and resulting insect foraging behaviors have only been extensively examined in hymenopteran pollinators, especially bees, in comparison to flies, beetles, and butterflies regardless of their ecological importance. Therefore, my study provides novel information by focusing on foraging behaviors of adult passionflower butterflies, Heliconius melpomene and Dryas iulia, to the color changing flowers of Lantana camara. My dissertation which is divided into four chapters, aims to explore various aspects of color mediate foraging in passionflower butterflies by combining observations in the wild with controlled field and laboratory experiments. In the first chapter I reviewed flower color development and …

Volume 52 - Issue 11 - Monday, December 12, 2016, Rose Thorn Staff

The Rose Thorn Archive

The Rose Thorn, Rose-Hulman's independent student newspaper.

Regulation Of Recreational Marijuana In Small Cities And Counties In Colorado, Katherine Nesse, Colin Victory

SPU Works

In November 2016 the number of states where recreational marijuana sales are legal increased to eight. Thousands of cities and counties are now on the front lines of regulating these new land uses. Local governments in Colorado, the first state to implement recreational marijuana legalization, are models for jurisdictions in other states. We study counties and municipalities in the eight micropolitan statistical areas in Colorado to learn how they regulate recreational marijuana businesses. We reviewed codes, ordinances, and other documents of 43 local governments and interviewed planners in a third of these jurisdictions. These places were purposefully selected and reflect …

Solution-Based Photo-Patterned Gold Film Formation On Silicon Nitride, Y. M. N. D. Y. Bandara, Buddini Iroshika Karawdeniya, Julie C. Whelan, Lucas D.S. Ginsberg, Jason R. Dwyer

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Silicon nitride fabricated by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) to be silicon-rich (SiNx), is a ubiquitous insulating thin film in the microelectronics industry, and an exceptional structural material for nanofabrication. Free-standingcompelling, particularly when used to deliver forefront molecular sensing capabilities in nanofluidic devices. We developed an accessible, gentle, and solution-based photo-directed surface metallization approach well-suited to forming patterned metal films as integral structural and functional features in thin-membrane-based SiNx devices—for use as electrodes or surface chemical functionalization platforms, for example—augmenting existing device capabilities and properties for a wide range of applications.

Ada News - 12/12/2016, American Dental Association, Publishing Division

ADA News

Established in 1970 as the official newspaper of the American Dental Association, the ADA News serves practicing dentists and others allied to the dental profession in the U.S. and internationally. It is the No. 1 source of news and information about the many benefits and services the ADA delivers to members daily as well as timely information on scientific, social, political and economic developments affecting dentistry and health care.

An Algorithm For Calculating The Inverse Jacobian Of Multirobot Systems In A Cluster Space Formulation, Christopher Jude Waight

Mechanical Engineering Master's Theses

Multirobot systems have characteristics such as high formation re-configurability that allow them to perform dynamic tasks that require real time formation control. These tasks include gradient sensing, object manipulation, and advanced field exploration. In such instances, the Cluster Space Control approach is attractive as it is both intuitive and allows for full degree of freedom control. Cluster Space Control achieves this by redefining a collection of robots as a single geometric entity called a cluster. To implement, it requires knowing the inverse Jacobian of the robotic system for use in the main control loop. Historically, the inverse Jacobian has been …

Viewing Obama’S Legacy In Higher Education., Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

For eight years as president, Barack Obama showed

an unusual interest in reforming higher education

when compared with any other U.S. president in history.

Most concerned themselves with primary and

secondary education. The only possible exception is

Abraham Lincoln, under whose administration the

land grant university system was created.

One reason for his interest in higher education may

be because Obama himself once taught at the law school

of the University of Chicago. Another may be that, in

retrospect, Obama has always been a great admirer of

Lincoln, mirroring his stances on many issues.

Usu Classroom Outfitted For Student Stress Research | College Of Engineering, Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

News Release - LOGAN, UTAH, Dec. 12, 2016 – Utah State University will soon be home to a specialized classroom designed to measure the triggers and effects of student academic stress.

Dr. Idalis Villanueva, an assistant professor of engineering education at USU, is the principal investigator and is targeting her research around engineering programs.

A Comparison Of Research Sharing Tools: The Institutional Repository Vs. Academic Social Networking Among University Of Rhode Island Faculty, Julia Lovett, Andrée Rathemacher

Technical Services Faculty Presentations

Slides from a session, "A Comparison of Research Sharing Tools: The Institutional Repository vs. Academic Social Networking Among University of Rhode Island Faculty." Part of a project briefing session titled Tools for Modern Research Practice presented at the Coalition for Networked Information Fall 2016 Membership Meeting on December 12, 2016 in Washington, District of Columbia.

"In recent years, academic social networking sites such as ResearchGate and Academia.edu have been gaining popularity as a way for scholars to share their work and make connections. For universities with Open Access policies where faculty are expected to deposit their scholarly articles in the …

Curricular Affairs Committee Minutes December 12, 2016, University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Committee Reports and Appendices

No abstract provided.

Summer Is Coming Plan For Summer Internship Over Winter Break, Ohio University College Of Arts & Sciences

All Forum Articles

No abstract provided.

Review Of The Cultivation Program Within The National Alliance For Advanced Biofuels And Bioproducts, Peter J. Lammers, Michael Huesemann, Wiebke Boeing, Daniel B. Anderson, Robert G. Arnold, Xuemei Bai, Manish Bhole, Yalini Brhanavan, Louis Brown, Jola Brown, Judith K. Brown, Stephen Chisholm, C. Meghan Downes, Scott Fulbright, Yufeng Ge, Jonathan E. Holladay, Balachandran Ketheesan, Avinash Khopkar, Ambica Koushik, Paul Laur, Babetta L. Marrone, John B. Mott, Nagamany Nirmalakhandan, Kimberly L. Ogden, Ronald L. Parsons, Juergen Polle, Randy D. Ryan, Tzachi Samocha, Richard T. Sayre, Mark Seger, Thinesh Selvaratnam, Ruixiu Sui, Alex Thomasson, Adrian Unc, Wayne Van Vorrhies, Peter Waller, Yao Yao, José A. Olivares

Publications and Research

The cultivation efforts within the National Alliance for Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts (NAABB)were developed to provide four major goals for the consortium, which included biomass production for downstream experimentation, development of new assessment tools for cultivation, development of new cultivation reactor technologies, and development of methods for robust cultivation. The NAABB consortium test beds produced over 1500 kg of biomass for downstream processing. The biomass production included a number of model production strains, but also took into production some of the more promising strains found through the prospecting efforts of the consortium. Cultivation efforts at large scale are intensive and …

Synthesis Of Optimization And Simulation For Multi-Period Supply Chain Planning With Consideration Of Risks, Liang Xu

Dissertations

Solutions to deterministic optimizing models for supply chains can be very sensitive to the formulation of the objective function and the choice of planning horizon. We illustrate how multi-period optimizing models may be counterproductive if traditional accounting of revenue and costs is performed and planning occurs with too short a planning horizon. We propose a “value added” complement to traditional financial accounting that allows planning to occur with shorter horizons than previously thought necessary. This dissertation presents a simulation model with an embedded optimizer that can help organizations develop strategies that minimize expected costs or maximize expected contributions to profit …

Daily Eastern News: December 12, 2016, Eastern Illinois University

December

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Enhanced Patient Education On Patient Satisfaction And 30-Day Readmission Rates After Cardiac Arrhythmia Ablation, Kristin A. Bott

Doctoral Dissertations

Patient satisfaction and 30-day hospital readmission rates are metrics used to assess quality of patient care. Dissatisfied patients pose a high risk of readmission (Boulding, Glickman, Manary, Schulman, Staelin, 2011) and during the vulnerable discharge period, 1 in 7 patients may experience an unavoidable readmission within 30-days post-procedure (Jencks, Williams, &Coleman,2009). Successful patient education programs have been linked to improved patient satisfaction and subsequently reduced unnecessary readmissions (Murdock& Griffin, 2013; Hansen et al., 2011). In an effort to increase satisfaction and reduce readmissions much of the healthcare community’s attention has turned to interventions that have these primary aims. Increased patient …

Application Of Neural Networks For Intelligent Video Game Character Artificial Intelligences, Simon D. Mikulcik

Honors Theses

Much of today’s gaming culture pushes for increased realism and believability. While these movements have led to much more realistic graphics, we also need to keep in mind the behavior of artificial intelligence characters also in the game. Neural Networks are complicated data structures that have shown potential to learn and interpret complex behavior. This research analyzes the application of neural network as primary controllers for video game characters’ artificial intelligence. The paper considers the existing artificial intelligence techniques, and the existing uses of neural networks. It then describes a project in which a video game was created to serve …

Gwu Business Professor Remembered For His ‘Exuberant Personality’, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Members of the Gardner-Webb University community are mourning the loss of Dr. Tom Meaders, Professor of Management Information Systems and Operations. Remembered by his colleagues for his enthusiasm and dedication to the University, Meaders passed away Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016, at his home in Cary, N.C. “Tom Meaders was a bright spot on the faculty of the Godbold School of Business,” affirmed Dr. Van Graham, Associate Dean of the Godbold School of Business.

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Agenda, December 12, 2016, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• Council on Teacher Education Annual Report
• EPC Items (December)
• Scholarship Advisory Board Annual Report
• Discussion of a portion of the Annual Review Procedures
  
  
  

Implementation Of An Object-Oriented Life Cycle Assessment Framework Using Functional Analysis And Systems Engineering Principles, Shantanu Avinash Gadre

Theses

There has been a growing awareness about the environmental impacts of producing and consuming goods and services. Among the various tools that have been developed to better understand these impacts, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is one of the most commonly used tools to estimate the environmental effects of products and services. Given that a significant percentage of a product’s impacts are defined during the design and development, it is necessary to effectively integrate LCA into these early phases of the product lifecycle. However, the lack of standardized practices, complex modelling approaches, data and time requirements, special training requirements for designers, …

A Methodology To Quantify Cumulative Damage Function (Cdf) For Integration Into An Object-Oriented Life Cycle Assessment (Lca), Devdatta Deo

Theses

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is one of the most widely used tools to determine the environmental impact of products and processes. One of the main concerns with LCA is the limited comparability of the results due to limitations in defining the functional unit. This affects goal and scope definition of the LCA studies. A result, an object-oriented framework for LCA that integrates functional analysis and systems engineering principles was developed. In this research a cumulative damage function (CDF) to quantify the life of components, subsystems and components was defined. However, the development of the methodology and underlying principles to develop …

Framing Of Skill Problems, Kirk M. Winans

Theses

More frequently since the Great Recession, various concerns about a “skills gap” have been raised by industry leaders and organizations, politicians, and some economists. The most basic definition of a “skills gap” is that the workforce does not possess the skills required by employers. The most prominent concerns have been with STEM education and “middle skills” occupations, those that require more than a high school diploma but less than a 4-year degree. However, the various causes and solutions to these issues are widespread. Much of the alarm has been stimulated by reports published by industry and trade organizations asserting specific …