Digital Commons Network^™

The Genesis Flood Narrative: Crucial Issues In The Current Debate, Richard M. Davidson

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Taming 10 Things I Hate About You: Shakespeare And The Teenage Film Audience, L Monique Pittman

Faculty Publications

When I first paired William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew with Gil Junger’s film adaptation 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), my students’ responses to the juxtaposed works of art revealed a number of fascinating and deeply-rooted ideological conflicts. While more than willing to dissect the gender trouble readily observable in Shakespeare’s sixteenth-century play, my students resisted steadily any serious critique of the recent film version. The varied responses of my students coupled with their almost uniform approbation of the film and censure of the play prompt questions that lead the critic to speculation on the nature of …

The Ethnic Question In Law And Development, Lan Cao

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Nietzsche’S Place In Nineteenth Century German Philosophy, Michael S. Green

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Defining Terrorism As The Peacetime Equivalent Of War Crimes: Problems And Prospects, Michael P. Scharf

Faculty Publications

This article examines the proposal to define terrorism as the peacetime equivalent of war crimes in the context of answering two questions: First, why might it be useful to define terrorism by reference to the existing laws of war? And second, what are the potential negative consequences which might counsel against such an approach?

Reforming Foreclosure: The Uniform Nonjudicial Foreclosure Act, Dale A. Whitman, Grant S. Nelson

Faculty Publications

The Uniform Nonjudicial Foreclosure Act is one of the few creative approaches to mortgage foreclosure to emerge in many decades. In this Article, the authors examine why uniformity in foreclosure law among the states in desirable and, accordingly, advocate foreclosure reform. They analyze the Act, promulgated in 2002, giving specific attention to the Act's new methods of foreclosure by negotiated sale and by appraisal. They also examine the Act's numerous special protections for residential debtors and consider the effectiveness of the Act's procedures concerning subordinate leases, titles arising from foreclosures, surpluses and deficiencies resulting from foreclosures, and fairness of foreclosure …

Hypertension Treatment And Control In Five European Countries, Canada, And The United States, Katharina Wolf-Maier, Richard S. Cooper, Holly Kramer, José R. Banegas, Simona Giampaoli, Michel R. Joffres, Neil Poulter, Paola Primatesta, Birgitta Stegmayr, Michael Thamm

Faculty Publications

Levels of hypertension treatment and control have been noted to vary between Europe and North America, although direct comparisons with similar methods have not been undertaken. In this study, we sought to estimate the relative impact of hypertension treatment strategies in Germany, Sweden, England, Spain, Italy, Canada, and the United States by using sample surveys conducted in the 1990s. Hypertension was defined as a blood pressure of 160/95 mm Hg or 140/90 mm Hg, plus persons taking antihypertensive medication. "Controlled hypertension" was defined as a blood pressure less than threshold among persons taking antihypertensive medications. Among persons 35 to 64 …

A Genome Scan Among Nigerians Linking Resting Energy Expenditure To Chromosome 16, Xiaodong Wu, Amy Luke, Richard S. Cooper, Xiaofeng Zhu, Donghui Kan, Bamidele O. Tayo, Adebowale Adeyemo

Faculty Publications

Energy requirements at rest account for 50% to 75% of total energy expenditure. Interindividual variation in resting energy expenditure (REE) has been studied for potential links to obesity and hypertension. REE is a modestly heritable trait, and yet virtually nothing is known about the genetic factors that might influence the familial patterns. The objectives of this study were to identify the genomic regions showing genetic linkage to REE variation in a Nigerian population. For linkage analysis across the genome, three hundred seventy-seven microsatellite markers were typed on DNA from 995 individuals in 153 families. A genome scan was performed using …

Population Genetic Structure Of The Prairie Skink (Eumeces Septentrionalis): Nested Clade Analysis Of Post Pleistocene Populations, Gregory S. Fuerst, Christopher C. Austin

Faculty Publications

We sequenced two regions of the mitochondrial genome, ND4 and d-loop, from 64 Eumeces septentrionales to assess intra- and interspecific population differentiation. We constructed haplotype genealogies for nine Eumeces septentrionalis septentrionalis populations in previously glaciated regions and used nested clade analysis to examine the role of vicariance and dispersal in shaping the population structure of E. s. septentrionalis in the northern part of its range following Pleistocene paleoclimatological events. In addition, we used DNA sequence data to compare populations of the northern subspecies (E. s. septentrionalis) with the southern subspecies (Eumeces septentrionalis obtusirostris) to determine whether specific level differentiation is …

Troubling Our Heads About Ichabod: "The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow," Classic American Literature, And The Sexual Politics Of Homosocial Brotherhood, David Greven

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Mothers Who Kill: Coming To Terms With Modern American Infanticide, Michelle Oberman

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Institutional Side Of Religious Liberty: A New Model Of The Establishment Clause, Patrick Garry

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

An Inequality Among Equals: Disparities In The Judicial Treatment Of Free Speech And Religious Exercise Claims, Patrick Garry

Faculty Publications

The constitutional models governing the religion clauses of the First Amendment have undergone significant transformations. These transformations have sought to bring a greater consistency and historical harmony to the Court's religious liberty decisions. The success of this endeavor can be gauged in part by comparing the judicial treatment of religion clause claims with free speech claims. However, such a comparison reveals that the former occupy a lower constitutional status than do the latter.

Public Policy Considerations Warranting Denial Of Reimbursement To Erisa Plans: It's Time To Recognize The Elephant In The Courtroom, Roger Baron

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Enchantment With Tibetan Lamas In The United States, Daniel S. Capper

Faculty Publications

This article explores the relationships of non-Tibetan American disciples with Tibetan spiritual teachers (lamas) in terms of theory, practice, and experiential meaning. Contrary to some previous studies, data for this article indicate that submission to the lama is not an end in itself, but rather ideally provides an opportunity for disciples to become lamas themselves. Many disciples may find personal empowerment, oriented around the theme of compassionate social action. Understanding that surrender to the spiritual teacher is only a means to a personally empowering goal clarifies our understanding of many Asian religious practices in the West.

Combining Learning Approaches For Incremental On-Line Parsing, Deryle W. Lonsdale, Michael B. Manookin

Faculty Publications

This paper discusses the integration of two different machine learning approaches to modeling language, NL-Soar and analogical modeling (AM). The resulting hybrid system is capable of functionality that is not possible when using only one of the systems in isolation. After a brief introduction of each system, an explanation is given of how AM is used to provide information useful to NL-Soar for two tasks. Examples are given, and related issues are outlined.

Adapt: A Cognitive Architecture For Robots, Deryle W. Lonsdale, D. Paul Benjamin, Damian M. Lyons

Faculty Publications

The goal of the ADAPT project is to create a robot that can model its environment accurately in real time, and use that model to perform tasks and interact with people using natural language.

Ignition Behavior Of Live California Chaparral Leaves, Joshua D. Engstrom, Jared K. Butler, Steven G. Smith, Larry L. Baxter, Thomas H. Fletcher, David R. Weise

Faculty Publications

Current forest fire models are largely empirical correlations based on data from beds of dead vegetation. Improvement in model capabilities is sought by developing models of the combustion of live fuels. A facility was developed to determine the combustion behavior of small samples of live fuels, consisting of a flat-flame burner on a moveable platform. Qualitative and quantitative combustion data are presented for representative samples of California chaparral: manzanita (Arctostaphylos parryana); oak (Quercus berberidifolia); ceanothus (Ceanothus crassifolius), and chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum). Times to ignition were significantly influenced by shape effects, whereas ignition temperature was more dependent on chemical composition

Modeling The Direct Solar Conversion Of Co2 To Co And O2, Thomas H. Fletcher

Faculty Publications

At high temperatures (greater than 2300 K), CO₂ is known to dissociate to CO and O. A prototype solar collector was previously demonstrated to achieve such high temperatures, achieving 4-6 mol % CO in the product stream from an inlet stream of pure CO₂. This paper describes the results of computer modeling performed to determine the flow, temperature, and reactions occurring in the prototype device. Of particular interest are the heat-transfer and reaction mechanisms involved and how much photolysis occurs in the prototype. Predictions were performed with two different computational fluid dynamic codes (Fluent and PCGC-3). The …

The Language Contact Profile, Barbara F. Freed, Dan Dewey, Norman Segalowitz, Randall Halter

Faculty Publications

Efforts to gather data of various sorts—demographics, language-learning history, contact with native speakers, use of the language in the field—as they relate to participants in SLA research studies are inherent to understanding more about language acquisition and use. Scholars frequently develop questionnaires of their own, which are rarely shared widely in the profession. Consequently, much time and effort is invested in reinventing the process of gathering the types of data that are commonly needed.

The document we present here—a questionnaire to assess second language contact for students entering and completing language study programs in various contexts of learning (academic classrooms, …

Contributions Of Family Leisure To Family Functioning Among Transracial Adoptive Families, Ramon B. Zabriskie, Patti Freeman

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine family leisure behavior among intact families with transracial adoptive children and make comparisons to a broad sample of families with only biological children. The sample consisted of 197 adoptive families. Data were analyzed from a parent, youth, and family perspective. The Family Leisure Activity Profile (FLAP) was used to determine family leisure involvement. FACES II was used to measure family functioning. Findings indicated that measures of family cohesion, family adaptability, and family functioning were higher among the adoptive family sample. Core, balance, and total family leisure involvement were also higher among the …

The Influences Of Family Leisure Patterns On Perceptions Of Family Functioning*, Ramon B. Zabriskie, Bryan P. Mccormick

Faculty Publications

This study conducted a preliminary test of a model of family leisure functioning by examining the relationship of core and balance family leisure patterns to family cohesion and adaptability. We hypothesized that core family leisure patterns address family needs for stability, facilitate the development of cohesive relationships, and are related to perceptions of family cohesion, whereas balance family leisure patterns address family needs for change, facilitate the development of adaptive skills, and are related to perceptions of family adaptability. Findings from 2 multiple regression analyses provided preliminary support for the model. Conclusions and implications are discussed.

Outdoor Education And Meaningful Learning: Finding The Attributes To Meaningful Learning Experiences In An Outdoor Education Program, Stacy Taniguchi

Faculty Publications

From 25 years of personal experiences in education and 20 years of wilderness guiding experiences, one of the researchers of this study has seen learning experiences at both ends of the spectrum. In the formal classroom, experiences are often aseptic and devoid of all but the stimuli that the teacher wants to introduce.

Employee Stock Purchase Plans, Gary V. Engelhardt, Brigitte C. Madrian

Faculty Publications

Employee stock purchase plans (ESPPs) are designed to promote employee stock ownership broadly within the firm and provide another tax-deferred vehicle for individual capital accumulation in addition to traditional pensions, 401(k)s, and stock options. We outline the individual and corporate tax treatment of ESPPs and the circumstances under which ESPPs will be preferred to cash compensation from a purely tax perspective. We then examine empirically ESPP participation using administrative data from 1997-2001 for a large health services company that employs approximately 30,000 people. The picture that emerges from the analysis of these data suggests that there is substantial non-participation in …

Plan Design And 401(K) Savings Outcomes, James J. Choi, David Laibson, Brigitte C. Madrian

Faculty Publications

We assess the impact of 401(k) plan design on four different 401(k) savings outcomes: participation in the 401(k) plan, the distribution of employee contribution rates, asset allocation, and cash distributions. We show that plan design can have an important effect on all of these savings outcomes. This suggests an important role for both employers in determining how to structure their 401(k) plans and government regulators in creating institutions that encourage or discourage particular aspects of 401(k) plan design.

Employee Investment Decisions About Company Stock, James J. Choi, David Laibson, Brigitte C. Madrian, Andrew Metrick

Faculty Publications

Recent high-profile cases have illustrated the dangers of employee investment in company stock. These debacles are unlikely to be the last ones, or even the most severe. Companies with more than 50 percent of retirement assets in company stock are common, and fractions over 80 percent continue to prevail at such large companies as Procter & Gamble, Anheuser- Busch, and Pfizer.¹

The concentration of retirement wealth in company stock is a clear violation of diversification principles. Recently, several studies have quantified the economic costs of this concentration. Muelbroek (2002) uses a Sharperatio approach and finds that the average diversification …

Health Insurance, Labor Supply, And Job Mobility: A Critical Review Of The Literature, Jonathan Gruber, Brigitte C. Madrian

Faculty Publications

This paper provides a critical review of the empirical literature on the relationship between health insurance, labor supply, and job mobility. We review over 50 papers on this topic, almost exclusively written in the last 10 years. We reach five conclusions. First, there is clear and unambiguous evidence that health insurance is a central determinant of retirement decisions. Second, there is fairly clear evidence that health insurance is not a major determinant of the labor supply and welfare exit decisions of low income mothers. Third, there is fairly compelling evidence that health insurance is an important factor in the labor …

Risky Loss Distributions And Modeling The Loss Reserve Pay-Out Tail, J. David Cummins, James B. Mcdonald, Craig B. Merrill

Faculty Publications

Although an extensive literature has developed on modeling the loss reserve runoff triangle, the estimation of severity distributions applicable to claims settled in specific cells of the runoff triangle has received little attention in the literature. This paper proposes the use of a very flexible probability density function, the generalized beta of the 2nd kind (GB2) to model severity distributions in the cells of the runoff triangle and illustrates the use of the GB2 based on a sample of nearly 500,000 products liability paid claims. The results show that the GB2 provides a significantly better fit to the severity data …

Market Reaction To The Expiration Of Ipo Lockup Provisions, James C. Brau, David A. Carter, Stephen E. Christophe, Kimberly G. Key

Faculty Publications

Initial public offering (IPO) lockup agreements prevent insider sale of shares for specified periods of time (often 180 days). This study investigates share price reactions at and around the time the lockup agreements expire. Results indicate statistically significant negative abnormal returns in the event window surrounding the expiration date. The results are consistent with informational asymmetries and decreasing incentive alignment between insiders and general shareholders. In addition, multivariate analysis identifies several variables that help explain these abnormal returns.

Do Venture Capitalists Add Value To Small Manufacturing Firms? An Empirical Analysis Of Venture And Nonventure Capital-Backed Initial Public Offerings, James C. Brau, Richard A. Brown, Jerome S. Osteryoung

Faculty Publications

We examine a set of small, venture capital (VC)-backed manufacturing firms and compare it to a control sample of nonVC-backed manufacturing firms going public between 1990 and 1996. We use the degree of underpricing, three-year sales growth, three-year cumulative stock return, and three-year survivability as measures of success. First, we test if the presence of VC backing results in significant differences in success between the two samples. Next, we test if certain VC and deal characteristics are discriminators within the VC-backed sample of firms. Despite previous literature, which argues for either inferior or superior VC post-initial public offering (IPO) performance, …