ScholarWorks@UNO

Managing and Securing Business Networks in the Smartphone Era

Sathiadev Mahesh et al. — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 07:33:31 PDT

This paper discusses the impact of user owned mobile computing devices (smartphones, tablets, and future devices like Google Glass) on management and security of the corporate network. Personally owned portable computing devices are widely used at work and create a porous network perimeter for the enterprise network. The paper reviews corporate policies posted on websites along with research papers and corporate whitepapers to develop a comprehensive user owned mobile computing device policy. This is a rapidly evolving topic that has not been researched in the business academic literature. We survey trade journals and corporate websites for information regarding this policy and make recommendations that can be applied by business managers.

The First Minute Book of the Supreme Court of the State of Louisiana 1813 to May, 1818: An Annotated Edition

Sybil Ann Boudreaux — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 11:18:52 PDT

The Supreme Court of the State of Louisiana, established by the first state constitution (1812) as the only appellate court in the judicial system, commenced its work on March 1, 1813. The Court's jurisdiction was limited to civil cases. It also had control over admissions to the bar and the rules for the administration of its own business. Created in the wake of the conflict between proponents of Louisiana's traditional civil law system and the promulgators of the federal government's territorial policy of common law imposition, the Supreme Court reinforced the ultimately accepted continuance of civil law within the limitations of the United States Constitution and Statutes.

The First Minute Book of the Supreme Court is a small, yet significant, part of the documentation of the Court's past. It is a segment of the extensive Louisiana Supreme Court records housed in the Department of Archives and Manuscripts of the Earl K. Long Library at the University of New Orleans. Dating from March, 1813 to May, 1818, the 340-page manuscript details the business of the Court's sessions at New Orleans, the seat of the eastern appellate district. Daily entries include the judges present, the cases before the Court, the disposition of cases, Court rules, and admissions to the bar.

The purpose of this edition is to provide a readable, accessible, and comprehensible document for use by the scholarly and research community. With the addition of missing docket numbers which serve as access points to Supreme Court case records and the annotation of persons, cases, and legal terms, the manuscript becomes an important guide for further investigation. The rendition of the text conforms to modern practices of historical editing recommended in the Harvard Guide to American History. No attempt was made to produce a facsimile of the original.

"Two Thousand Hours" and Other Essays

Bradley P. Guillory — Wed, 29 May 2013 13:25:02 PDT

The nonfiction collection of essays is about childhood and nostalgia, and how all the experiences as a kid make them into whom they will be.

Homage to Cazzie Russell

Richard Goodman — Wed, 29 May 2013 09:14:25 PDT

Numerical Analysis of Non-Fickian Diffusion with a General Source

Ganesh Tiwari — Tue, 28 May 2013 12:51:05 PDT

The inadequacy of Fick’s law to incorporate causality can be overcome by replacing it with the Green–Naghdi type II (GNII) flux relation. Combining the GNII assumption and conservation of mass leads to [see document for equation] where r (x, t) is the density function, S(p) is a source term and c_¥is a positive constant which carries (SI) units of m/sec. A general source term given by [see document for equation] is proposed. Here, the constants y and p_s are the rate coefficient and saturation density respectively. The travelling wave solutions and numerical analysis of four special cases of equation (2), namely: Pearl-Verhulst Growth law, Zel’dovich Law, Newmann Law and Stefan- Boltzmann Law are investigated. For both analysis, results are compared with the available literature and extended for other cases. The numerical analysis is carried out by imposing well-studied Initial Boundary Value Problem and implementing a built-in method in the software package Mathematica 9. For Pearl-Verhulst source type, the results are compared to those found in literature [1]. Confirming the validity of built-in method for Pearl-Verhulst law, the generic built-in method is extended to study the transient signal response for similar initial boundary value problems when the source terms are Zel’dovich law, Newmann law and Stefan-Boltzmann law.

NGOs and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Case Study of Haiti

Anna Marie Walter Pineda — Tue, 28 May 2013 12:51:04 PDT

This thesis examines the roles played by Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) in addressing the broad issue of poverty and development by focusing on the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region. A new and intricate interplay of the profit, public, and non-profit sectors has arisen as the importance of NGOs has grown throughout the Global South. NGOs, now at the heart of economic development in LAC, are actors in what has been called a global civil society and have demonstrated an immense breadth of specified knowledge and adaptability. The main objective of the paper is to explore whether, and to what extent, NGOs can strengthen the capacity of states to effectively and fairly govern, and promote sustainable development. What can NGOs do to improve states in Latin America and the Caribbean? NGOs are placed within the progressive spectrum of development, while uncovering the need for a balanced approach to the complex topic of development. Consequently, NGOs carrying out capacity building objectives can be seen to support the involvement of local actors and communities while serving as interlocutors between the state and civil society. Haiti is used as a case study because it provides a unique and extreme example of the role that NGOs can play in promoting the public sector.

Anything Else

Lauren Walter — Tue, 28 May 2013 12:51:02 PDT

My honors senior thesis, a creative project entitled Anything Else, is a collection of fourteen poems that reflects on trauma, loss, interpersonal relationships, and nature. Many of the poems are dramatic monologues, allowing me to portray a range of extreme voices, including a survivor of the bombing of Hiroshima, a U.S. veteran of the Iraq War, and murderer Perry Smith. Although I consider myself a free verse writer, preferring to work without regular meter or rhyme, one of the poems is written in iambic pentameter. In addition, I took material from the Yahoo! Answers website and composed it as a found poem, adding to the diversity of the manuscript. A number of questions are explored across the variety of speakers, themes, and forms of poems included here, often coming back to the question of whether or not there is anything else.

Real Time Algorithmic Musical Variation Using Style

Johnathan Pagnutti — Tue, 28 May 2013 12:21:15 PDT

My honors thesis aims to develop a program that could assist with music composition, or even write interesting music on its own. The starting point is a melody and chord progression composed by a musician, which is the same amount of information that a Jazz performer might get with a lead sheet. Then the computer is tasked with writing a harmony to the melody. The harmony is not only based on the melody and chords, but also on what the program user might want to hear. The program can be provided, in real time, with some descriptors of what a user might want to hear next-such as the words "bright" and "happy", and the resultant music will be a little upbeat and in a major key.

The program accomplishes this through use of a hidden Markov model, which is a collection of probabilities for selecting which composition rules to use. Composition rules will affect how the harmony is voiced (from block chords to syncopation to arpeggios), the tempo of the theme, the key of the theme, or some other quality of the music. Each word the user inputs changes the probabilities that the next rules will use.

Obvious applications for this program are primarily in the entertainment industry. Video games and other electronic entertainment are prime candidates for this system, allowing for unique and fitting music to be generated based on some of the events occurring in the game.

Investigation of Perforated Ducted Propellers to use with a UAV

Krishna Regmi — Tue, 28 May 2013 12:21:13 PDT

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is any flying vehicle which is not controlled by actual human pilots sitting in the cockpit but is installed with proper avionics that can either fly autonomously or by using the commands from its base. Some rotorcraft UAVs use a ducted propeller for two main reasons- safety and to increase the thrust produced by the propellers. While ducted rotors can increase the thrust produced, it also adds weight to the UAV. It was therefore hypothesized that by removing part of the duct materials (i.e. adding perforations in the duct) would benefit from both decreased duct weight and increased thrust. However, it is not clear how much trade-off would be between these two factors. Hence, the objective of this study is to explore the relationship between the change of thrust and addition of different numbers or sizes of perforations. Cases with and without duct, and duct with perforations were simulated using a commercial computational fluid dynamic (CFD) software Ansys/Fluent. The physics of the rotating propeller was modeled by a simplified disc with a pressure jump across an infinitesimal volume. Three different RPM speeds of the propellers were simulated by varying the strength of the pressure jump. The results show that the thrust decreases as the duct is added. As perforations are added, the result shows that with more perforations (i.e. more open area on the duct wall), the thrust increases accordingly until the thrust reaches a maximum value without the duct. The result is in contrast to a published experimental data stating that installation of duct can increase thrust. It is speculated that the current duct with a flat wall has caused such difference from the experimental data. Further study is recommended to continue more detailed computational simulation using a duct with cambered airfoil configuration to reduce the aerodynamic losses.

Testosterone Reactivity to Skydiving

Swornim M. Shrestha — Tue, 28 May 2013 12:21:11 PDT

The purpose of this study is to examine if testosterone shows reactivity to skydiving and to examine whether the testosterone level and reactivity was associated with sex and sensation seeking trait of the participants. Testosterone is an important steroid hormone which has several biological and socio-behavioral effects on people and is also present in disproportionate amounts in males and females; thus, it is important to explore how this hormone acts in different sex. Furthermore, exploring the relationship between sensation-seeking and testosterone could provide insight into the relation between psychological factor and hormonal response in humans. Forty-four people were recruited to participate in the study. The sample comprised of 73% males (N=32) and 27% females (N=12) with a mean age of 24 years (SD = 4.6) and an age range of 18 to 49. The participants volunteered to jump out of an airplane and give saliva samples at different time points during that day and during another day (basal levels). This study found that testosterone shows reactivity in response to skydiving, where the peak levels in males were higher than in females. It also found that people who scored higher in experience-seeking scores had higher testosterone level at jump than people who scored lower. Furthermore, it also revealed that people who scored higher in intension-seeking scores showed more reactivity in terms of testosterone i.e. the rise was steeper in these people. In summary, we see that psychological factors and sex predicted reactivity and peak level of testosterone after skydiving.

Lavanda: Connecting Film with the Five Senses

Josue A. Martinez — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:06:38 PDT

In this paper, I will cover the process of connecting my honors thesis film, Lavanda, with the five senses. I will mainly focus on how the sense of smell can be represented in film along with visual and aural elements. Also, I will present the challenges that arouse while trying to represent taste and touch. Ultimately, I will evaluate the representation of each sense in Lavanda and how a film has the potential to encourage the use of other senses besides seeing and hearing while watching a film.

Kindle: Changing the Publishing Industry

Toan Ngo — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:06:37 PDT

Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN), headquartered in Seattle, Washington, is the world’s largest online retailer (Jopson, 1). The company’s website launched in the United States in 1994 by Jeffrey Bezos as an online bookstore, later diversified to offer a broad line of products in multiple warehouses across the US. With successful expansion, Amazon.com is now available worldwide in Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, Brazil and China (SECdatabase, 50). The company directly sells or acts as a third – party to deliver the products to customers. As of the first quarter in 2011, Amazon has approximately 137 million active customers worldwide (Szkutak, 1).

In 2007, CEO Jeff Bezos lead Amazon in a new direction by introducing the eReaderKindle, offering a new platform for digital books and other e-print media. The Kindle allows users to read, shop for, download and browse eBooks, newspaper, magazines, blogs and websites using Wi-Fi. The 3G Kindle uses Sprint’s 3G cellular services to allow immediate customer purchase and download from the Amazon Kindle store, with no connectivity charges. The base model e-ink Kindle features a 6” screen, while the Kindle DX has a 10” screen and the newly introduced Kindle Fire has 7” multi-touch colored screen. The Kindle is designed for people who favor a small, compact electronic device to carry in their pockets or bags.

The purpose of this paper is to detail the development, technology, opportunities as well as challenges associated with Amazon Kindle in relate to the publishing industry. The paper also discusses whether the 6” eReader device will change reading habits and its impact on hardcopy publishing businesses worldwide.

Painting the City Red: A Close Look at the Homicide Trends of New Orleans

Tatiana Obioha — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:06:36 PDT

New Orleans has had a consistently high homicide rate for around twenty years, but limited research has committed to discovering a successful solution to the pre- and post-Katrina crime problem. Prior research has been conducted to analyze whether the Southern “culture of violence,” poverty, income inequality, unemployment, gun ownership and legislation, gangs, and residential segregation affect homicide, but no study applies these factors to New Orleans. Using a case study analysis that applies these variables studied in prior research to New Orleans and information acquired from the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Uniform Crime Reports, correlations are made between homicide in New Orleans and poverty, income inequality, and residential segregation. Implications show that homicide is affected by multiple factors. All of these factors should be analyzed when homicide is the focus of the research because homicide is not a result of one or two variables.

Magical Process

Patrice Loar — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:51:52 PDT

The use of supernatural beings in four of Shakespeare’s plays – A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and The Tempest – is examined in order to show the change in Shakespeare’s thinking about magic, and how the mortal and supernatural can co-exist. The shift from properly controlled benevolent female power, to out-of-control malevolent female power, to the eradication of female power and triumph of the male magus is examined; the ideal co-existence of the human and supernatural worlds is assessed.

The Effects of Sugar on Mental Health in Marijuana Smokers

Megan N. Long — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:51:50 PDT

This research study examined the effects of high levels of sugar intake on mental health in marijuana smokers. Because the literature demonstrates a similarity between refined sugar and other commonly addictive drugs, those who ingest a higher percentage of dietary sugar will score more poorly on the DASS21, meaning that with higher levels of sugar ingestion, a greater deficit in mental health functioning will be measurable. Of 16 participants, nine were female and seven were male, and the participants ranged from a normal weight to obese. The results did support the hypothesis of sugar dependence. This has implications for future studies on the impact of sugar on mental health. The results to this study may provide insight into potential for greater understanding of eating disorders associated with sugar dependence, thereby potentially leading to the development of more effective treatment options.

Church Reunification: Pope Urban II’s Papal Policy Towards the Christian East and Its Demise

Michael Anthony Lovell — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:51:47 PDT

The relations between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church have long been studied over the years in academia. Much focus has been placed upon the Fourth Crusade as the final act that brought the schism of 1054 into full development between the two churches. However, it was during the First Crusade that the Roman Catholic Church made its first concrete efforts to repair relations with the Eastern Orthodox Church. Yet such efforts were eventually twisted to suit the purposes of some of the crusading lords, and thus becoming arguably the largest blow to church reunification because it lead to the permanent formation of an anti-Greek attitude in Latin Europe.

Care Packages

Lee Garcia — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:58:18 PDT

In this paper, I will describe and analyze the process of creating my thesis film, titled Care Packages. I will recount the production from start to finish, focusing on each specific phase of production – this includes any act associated with the writing, planning, shooting, and editing of the film. I will then reflect on my work in self-analysis to decide the success of my film.

A Study of Heavy Minerals Found in a Unique Carbonate Assemblage from the Mt. Mica Pegmatite, Oxford County, Maine

Christopher M. Johnson — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:58:16 PDT

This thesis focuses on heavy mineral species found in a unique carbonate assemblage in the Mt. Mica pegmatite in order to determine the conditions of their formation and their mineral paragenesis as well as to gain insight on the origin of this very unusual carbonate-rich unit.

The Effects of Chistianization on Identity among the Indigenous Communities of Kongo and Lower Canada

Jessica Dauterive — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:04:02 PDT

Historians have written extensively about the process of Christianization within the Kongo nation, as well as among the Native Americans of Lower Canada. Scholars agree that this process was disparate across the Atlantic World. This paper explores the process within each region through the analysis of two dominant missionary accounts representing each region during the late seventeenth century. These missionary accounts are joined with the stories of Dona Beatriz Kimpa Vita and Catherine Tegahkouita, two notable indigenous Christians from each region. A comparative analysis of Kongo and Lower Canada reveals that the process of Christianization is highly dependent upon the social and political location of its indigenous converts. This paper argues that the experience of Christianization among indigenous people was neither homogenous across nations nor within them.

Iron Citrate Toxicity Causes aco1Δ-induced mtDNA Loss in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Muhammad Ali Farooq — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:04:00 PDT

Aconitase is an enzyme of the Krebs cycle that catalyzes the isomerization of citrate to isocitrate. In addition to its enzymatic activity, Aco1 has been reported to bind to mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and mediate its maintenance in the budding yeast S. cerevisiae. In the absence of Aco1, cells rapidly lose mtDNA and become “petite” mutants. The purpose of this study is to uncover the mechanism behind mtDNA loss due to an aco1 deletion mutation. We found that an aco1 mutation activates the mitochondria-to-nucleus retrograde (RTG) signaling pathway, resulting in increased expression of citrate synthases (CIT) through the activation of two transcription factors Rtg1 and Rtg3. Increased activity of CIT leads to increased iron accumulation in cells, which is known to raise reactive oxygen species (ROS). By deleting RTG1, RTG3, genes encoding citrate synthases, orMRS3 and MRS4, encoding two irontransporters in the mitochondrial inner membranes, mtDNA loss can be prevented in aco1 deletion mutant cells. We further show that the loss of SOD1, encoding the cytoplasmic isoform of superoxide dismutase, but not SOD2, encoding the mitochondrial isoform of superoxide dismutase, prevents mtDNA loss in aco1 mutant cells. Altogether, our data suggest that mtDNA loss in aco1 mutant cells is caused by the activation of the RTG pathway and subsequent iron accumulation and toxicity in the mitochondria.