Texas A&M International University: Research Information Online (RIO)
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Green cloud computing: Site selection of data centers
No full textThis chapter considers the data center site selection problem in cloud computing with extensive reviews on site selection decision models. The factors considered in the site selection include economic, environmental, and social issues. After discussing the environmental impact of data centers and its social implications, the authors present a nonlinear multiple criteria decision-making model with green computing criteria and solve the problem by using a variable neighborhood search heuristic. The proposed model and solution methodology can be applied to other site selection problems to address the environmental awareness, and the results illustrate both the robustness and attractiveness of this solution approach
Long-term English language learners’ perceptions of their language and academic learning experiences
No full textLong-term, adolescent English language learners (ELLs) experience persistent academic underachievement in spite of several years of schooling; yet, the research on this topic is scant. To increase our understanding of these students’ educational experiences, we explored perceptions of 13 long-term ELLs about their schooling in the context of their school history, including program placements, special education referral, and academic outcomes. Data from semistructured interviews and documents were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Participants viewed themselves as English-proficient, motivated learners, and described their school experience as positive but challenging. The findings revealed a gap between their postsecondary aspirations and the reality of their academic performance, which raises questions about the adequacy of educational programs and identification of ELLs with disabilities
Adjusting to new places: International student adjustment and place attachment
No full textUsing data obtained from in-depth semistructured interviews, we examined international students’ attachments to place in the local American Midwestern community where they have attended college for at least 2 years. The results of this study suggest that participants engage in a process of renegotiation of meanings attached to new places in ways that fulfill specific needs, such as a desire for social interaction, an opportunity for self-expression, and the expression of their emotional experience. The implications of the study results contribute to understanding the role of place attachments in the process of adjustment to another culture, as places seem to be evaluated and redefined so that they are experienced in congruence with the self
The Wandering Spider Guild of Webb County, Texas
Get PDFoai:rio.tamiu.edu:etds-1015Analysis of 10 years of spider collecting in Webb County, Texas has yielded 549 specimens in 21 genera and 55 species. This study was performed to establish similarities and relationships among wandering spiders of south Texas in Webb County and to identify the members of the wandering spider guild. The families included in this guild are the Clubionidae, Corinnidae, Gnaphosidae, Liocranidae, and Miturgidae. Wet pitfall traps and hand collecting were utilized in the gathering of the specimens. Spiders were identified using the most recent literature and allowed for an examination of the interactions of the members of this guild based on frequency of collection. There were 549 specimens, 55 species, and 21 genera of the 5 different families that were collected from 2003 to 2012. The spiders in these families are all part of the same spider guild, the wandering spider guild. . The families of spiders that were the most numerous in the collection were the Gnaphosidae and Corinnidae. All of the specimens, 344 males and 205 females, were collected in Webb County, South Texas and were collected in wet pit-fall traps and through hand collecting. Although all 5 families were represented in the collections, the Gnaphosidae were the most prevalent. Most of the specimens did not appear during the month of August due to it being the hottest month of the year. The frequency of the species and specimens was relatively low during the months of December and January because it is the coldest time of the year in Webb County, Texas
The death penalty: Constitutional issues, commentaries, and case briefs
No full textThe Death Penalty, Third Edition, brings together all the legal issues related to the death penalty and provides case briefs for the most important United States Supreme Court death penalty cases. No other book available brings together a discussion of the major constitutional issues surrounding the death penalty with a broad array of associated case briefs. The authors classify cases according to legal issues and provide a commentary on the various sub-topics, presenting legal materials in an easily understood form. Though the primary audiences of the book are undergraduates in criminal justice programs and practitioners in the corrections and justice systems, the book will also prove useful to anyone who has an interest in the death penalty, the criminal justice system, or the United States Constitution. Every chapter starts with commentaries regarding general case law in a sub-topic, such as aggravating and mitigating factors, followed by a chart of the cases briefed in the chapter, and then the case briefs. These case briefs acquaint the reader with Supreme Court cases by summarizing facts, issues, reasons, and holdings. The Death Penalty, Third Edition, is a succinct, trusted guide to the law of capital punishment in the United States
An assessment of public administration training and development in Africa: Lessons learned and the way forward
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Evaluating telecommunications efficiency in china with data envelopment analysis
No full textTelephone communications, mobile services, and internet traffic continue to grow in China. As more people in China become telecommunications customers, China must find effective and efficient ways to provide these services in order to compete in the global market. This research examines the efficiency of telecommunications services for 31 Chinese provinces by using data envelopment analysis (DEA) models. The results show that 81% and 71% of the Chinese provinces were operating efficiently according to the variable and constant returns to scale DEA model respectively. Additionally, super efficiency scores were computed in order to differentiate and rank the efficient Chinese provinces. © 2014 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd
Does Participating in a Music Program in High School Lead to Academic Achievement in College?
Get PDFMusic education has and continues to become a constant issue in the cultural aspect and views of the educational system. How does music play a factor in our educational system? This thesis investigates the influence of how music plays in an individual’s educational development. Research has shown that while students in high school who participated in a music program, had significant increases in how they achieved academically in school, with this, students may also have the chance of excelling in their academics while attending a college or university. In this study, I measured the academic excellence amongst several social demographic factors including those students who were involved in a musical performing arts program in high school compared to those who were not. What was learned through this research was that there is a strong significance in the male population of musicians in their college academics. Through showing the importance of music education, this research highlights the significance of music participation and evolution of social skills and academics through the action of music
Twitter’s messages during a governor election: abundance of one-way, top-down and auto-referential communications and scarcity of public dialogue
Get PDFThis paper examined how a public dialogue between citizens and politicians was developed on Twitter within an electoral campaign. This study focused on analyzing the messages that circulated on the Twitter accounts of five candidates that ran for governor in the state of Jalisco, Mexico, in 2012. Twitter is one of the most popular social media platforms in the western democracies and recently has been an important communication channel in the political field, especially in electoral periods. The questions this study investigated includes: What is happening within Twitter in electoral competitions? How are the users communicating with the politicians? What kind of public dialogue can be found in these communication processes? These questions were tackled through qualitative textual analysis of messages that circulated through the Twitter accounts of five Mexican politicians that competed in an electoral campaign. The major finding indicates that there was a scarcity of public dialogue on Twitter during Jalisco’s local campaigns. Nevertheless there was evidence of an incipient public dialogue between candidates and citizens within Twitter interactions