Service Learning: HOPE Begins With You

There were some unexpected results of the service learning project for the Department of Mass Communication’s Advertising Cases and Campaigns class (MCM 308). What began as an advertising campaign for a nonprofit resulted in a student-organized food drive, a logo for a new campus organization and a new appreciation of service learning

Zero-G Workstation Design

Zero-g workstations were designed throughout manned spaceflight, based on different criteria and requirements for different programs. The history of design of these workstations is presented along with a thorough evaluation of selected Skylab workstations (the best zero-g experience available on the subject). The results were applied to on-going and future programs, with special emphasis on the correlation of neutral body posture in zero-g to workstation design. Where selected samples of shuttle orbiter workstations are shown as currently designed and compared to experience gained during prior programs in terms of man machine interface design, the evaluations were done in a generic sense to show the methods of applying evaluative techniques

Real Estate Returns and Inflation: An Added Variable Approach

This study analyses the inflation hedging effectiveness of residential real estate over the 1969-94 period. The results indicate that residential real estate is a significant hedge against both expected and unexpected inflation. These results indicate that since financial assets are not good inflation hedges in periods of high unexpected inflation, including real estate in a portfolio should decrease the variance of the portfolio returns. These results were made possible by the use of the Added Variable Regression Method (AVRM), a measure which has yet to be employed in this context. There are nine variables included in the AVRM framework which are also found to have significant explanatory power relative to residential real estate returns.

Cluster evolution as a probe of primordial density fluctuations

Although COBE's detection of large angle microwave background anisotropies fixes the amplitude of density fluctuations on length scales k exp -1 approximately = (300-6000) h(exp -1)Mpc, what is crucial for the level of large scale clustering is the amplitude of density fluctuations on scales (5-50) h(exp -1)Mpc. The level of dynamical clustering is usually parameterized by the size of the mass fluctuations in 8 h exp -1 Mpc spheres, sigma sub 8. For the cold dark matter model, COBE gives sigma sub 8 approximately = 1, while models with extra large scale power give sigma sub 8 approximately = 1/2. The most massive clusters of galaxies (greater than or approximately = 10 exp 15 solar mass) form from rare 'peak patches' found in the initial mass density distribution. Their abundance as a function of redshift is a sensitive probe of the wave number band k(exp -1) approx. (3-8) h(exp -1)Mpc, hence of sigma sub 8, and so cluster evolution can discriminate among models allowed by the COBE results. We use our Hierarchical Peaks Method, which accurately reproduces the results of P3M N-body simulations, to calculate the evolution of cluster x-ray flux counts, luminosity, and temperature functions as a function of sigma sub 8 for CDM models and those with more large scale power. We find that the EMSS and Edge et al. cluster samples support sigma sub 8 in the range from approx. 0.6-0.9, and that models with more large scale power (and hence flatter fluctuation spectra in the cluster regime) fit the x-ray bright end better

Primeval galaxies in the sub-mm and mm

Although the results of COBE's FIRAS experiment 1 constrain the deviation in energy from the CMB blackbody in the 500-5000 micron range to be delta E/E, sub cmb less than 0.005, primeval galaxies can still lead to a brilliant sub-mm sky of non-Gaussian sources that are detectable at 10 inch resolution from planned arrays such as SCUBA on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope and, quite plausibly, at sub-arcsecond resolution in planned mm and sub-mm interferometers. Here, we apply our hierarchical peaks method to a CDM model to construct sub-mm and mm maps of bursting PG's appropriate for these instruments with minimum contours chosen to correspond to realistic observational parameters for them and which pass the FIRAS limits

The effect of an internet option and single-sided printing format to increase the response rate to a population-based study : a randomized controlled trial

Acknowledgements We would like to thank the Institute of Applied Health Sciences (IAHS) at the University of Aberdeen for funding the PhD studentship of EF. Furthermore, we would like to thank everyone who was involved in the study, including Professor Sir Lewis Ritchie (Director of Public Health, NHS Grampian), John Lemon (University of Aberdeen), Dr. Fiona Garton (University of Aberdeen) and the Aberdeen Service User Group. Lastly, we would like to acknowledge all data entry clerks (Maxx Livingstone, Rory Macfarlane, Georgia Mannion-Krase and Hazel Reilly) and participants of the study.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Parting the Chevron Sea: An Argument for Chevron\u27s Greater Applicability to Cabinet than Independent Agencies

This Note argues that cabinet agencies are better suited to receive Chevron deference than independent agencies because voters should desire such policy decisions to be made by those closest to electoral accountability, rather than unelected Article III judges with life-tenure. In other words, the judiciary should accept the countermajoritarian difficulty as fundamentally true and review cabinet agency decisions in light of Chevron deference. Part I examines the revolutionary decision of Chevron and its aftermath. Central to Part I is an inquiry into whether Chevron should be applied on a case-by-case or across-the-board basis, and whether Chevron has usurped the judiciary’s power to “say what the law is,” as cemented by the cornerstone constitutional law case of Marbury v. Madison. This Note contends that Chevron deference should be applied across-the-board, and that Chevron and Marbury are not at odds, but rather compatible precedents for the courts. Part II defines what constitutes “cabinet” agencies in the scope of this discussion. Defining what constitutes a cabinet agency, in practice, is a difficult distinction. Part III turns to Chevron’s greater applicability (or inapplicability, as advanced by several critics) to cabinet agencies than independent agencies. Fundamental to Part III is both a theoretical and practical justification for why cabinet agencies are better suited for Chevron deference

The influence of job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and employee engagement on intent to leave among public school teachers in south Louisiana

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and employee engagement on the intent to leave of public school teachers in South Louisiana. The teachers were described on those psychological measures as well as the demographic characteristics of age, gender, marital status, education level, years’ experience in education, years’ experience in their current school system and years until eligible for retirement. In order to collect the necessary data, the following instruments were utilized: the Job Descriptive Index/Job In General, the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire, the Utrecht Work and Well Being Survey, three-point Intent to Leave instrument, and a demographic survey. A total of 244 useable responses to these instruments were completed by participating teachers. Findings revealed that the largest group of teachers were of the Generation X age category. The majority of the teachers surveyed were female, married and had earned a Bachelor of Science degree, and the largest group had over 20 years’ experience in education. There were few significant relationships between the psychological variables and the demographic variables. Findings also indicated that the teachers were generally satisfied with their overall jobs. Negative correlations were found between scores for each of the three psychological measures of Job in General, Organizational Commitment, and Employee Engagement; and Intent to Leave. A model was found that explained 45.2% of the variance in intent to leave among public school teachers in South Louisiana from selected psychological and demographic measures. Based on these findings, the researcher concluded that the teachers were found to be satisfied with their jobs, particularly their co-workers and the work itself; committed to their xiii organization, engaged, and to possess very little intent to leave. The teachers were found to be dissatisfied with their pay and with their opportunities for promotion

Residential Real Estate Prices: A Room with a View

This article is the winner of the Real Estate Broker / Agency manuscript prize (sponsored by the Center for the Study of Real Estate Brokerage/ Agency at Cleveland State University) presented at the 2001 American Real Estate Society Annual Meeting. This study examines the effect that a view of Lake Erie has on the value of a home. Unlike previous studies, the current investigation is able to successfully control for view. That is, because of the unique building codes of lakefront homes in this sample, homes analyzed either do or do not have a view. Moreover, transaction-based home prices are used which is an improvement over previous studies that rely on appraisal-based data. The results indicate that square footage and lot size also significantly affect a home’s value. More importantly, having this very desirable view adds $256,544.72 (an 89.9% premium) to the value of the home.