Digital Commons Network^™

Trade Policy & Labor Standards, Michael J. Trebilcock, Robert L. Howse

Faculty Articles

Increasingly, discussion in the international policy community on the relationship between liberal trade and labor rights has focused on the issue of compliance with core universal rights, which have a close relationship to the rights contained in general international human rights instruments such as the UN Declaration and the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Competitiveness-based claims about "social dumping" have become less prominent, and the notion that the objective should be to achieve some kind of "level playing field" between developed and developing countries is now heard less frequently, even from labor rights advocates on the left of …

The City And The Poet, Kenji Yoshino

Faculty Articles

This article presents information on the struggle between the law and literature. Greek philosopher Plato's banishment of the poet is one of his most reviled ideas. Yet it is time to revisit his framework, which illuminates many of the contemporary debates about law and literature. Contemporary evictions of literature from law frame literature in negative particularizing terms. The temptation for those who defend literature will always be to respond with an ineradicability defense, which stretches the particularizing definition of literature into a generalizing one. The Platonic paradigm suggests that one should resist this move because it is both wrong and …

Regulatory Paternalism In The Market For Drugs: Lessons From Vioxx And Celebrex, Richard A. Epstein

Faculty Articles

This Article addresses two interlocking issues. Part I develops a simple model to determine which drugs should be released into the marketplace and why. Its central point is that the inherent heterogeneity in all populations cuts strongly in favor of a relaxation in the standard of pre-market approvals, as is urged in a recent paper by Malani and Hu. The regulator who works upstream of the physician and patient lacks any knowledge of individuated circumstances that should rationally influence the decision of which drug, if any, to take, and in what dosage. So long as physicians and patients have some …

Administering Crime, Rachel E. Barkow

Faculty Articles

Although agencies are the dominant force in criminal law today, existing scholarship has largely failed to analyze how these bodies perform as agencies. We know little about how the institutional design of these agencies affects their output or whether the politics of regulation are different when an agency is responsible for the regulation of criminal justice issues as opposed to traditional regulatory areas. This Article takes up that task by evaluating the agencies charged with regulating one of the most important aspects of criminal law: sentencing. Many reformers turned to agencies to regulate sentencing because they did not trust the …

Willie Morris : Toward A Literary Biography, Richard Malcolm Caldwell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Essays On Precision Agriculture Technology Adoption And Risk Management, Jean-Marc A. Gandonou

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Precision agriculture (PA) can be defined as a set of technologies that have helped propel agriculture into the computerized information-based world, and is designed to help farmers get greater control over the management of farm operations. Because of its potential to spatially reduce yield variability within the field through variable rate application of nutrients it is thought to be a production risk management instrument. Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) is another production risk management technology that is generating interest from the farming community as a result of new technological improvements that facilitate equipment maintenance and reduces water consumption.In the first article …

Beyond Gender Differences In U.S. Life Cycle Happiness, Enrico A. Macelli, Richard A. Easterlin

Economics Faculty Publication Series

We employ two decades of General Social Survey data consisting of 83 birth cohorts from 1893 to 1975 to estimate the influence of satisfaction in seven life domains (family, finances, work, health, friends, place of residence, and leisure time activity) on life-cycle happiness among men and women aged 18 to 89 years in the United States. The adult population is estimated to be happiest at age 51, and men are estimate to surpass women in happiness at age 48. Contrary to both genetic or personality (e.g., traditional gender role) and access to resources (“more is always better”) explanations of happiness, …

Why Equality? How Equality?: The Desirability Of A Focus On Income Distribution, Arthur Macewan

Economics Faculty Publication Series

Much of the discussion of economic development in low and middle income countries and of poverty reduction has either ignored the issue of income distribution or has tended to view income distribution only in terms of its impact on economic growth. In this paper I argue that such an approach is misguided. I will explain, first, why I believe that it is desirable to give a great deal of attention to income distribution in the analysis of economic development and poverty reduction. My argument includes conceptual, political and practical elements. Second, I will suggest some of the ways in which …

A Groundhog Day Economy In The Bay State, Alan Clayton-Matthews

Public Policy and Public Affairs Faculty Publication Series

The Bay State’s economic expansion peaked in December 2000, when the MassBenchmarks Current Economic Index, which is a proxy for gross state product, reached 150.2. But even before reaching that peak, warning signs were on the horizon. The MassBenchmarks Leading Economic Index, which forecasts changes in gross state product six months hence, turned negative in November 2000 and, except for one month, stayed negative for a year. The Current Index did not rise again until April 2003 and since then has risen at a stubbornly slow pace. While there have been eight successive quarters of growth in the Current Index, …

Economic Currents: The State Of The State Economy, Alan Clayton-Matthews

Public Policy and Public Affairs Faculty Publication Series

The Massachusetts economy is recovering, but at a relatively slow pace that is consistent with the state’s experience coming out of the last recession. Job creation continues to lag, and the Commonwealth faces continuing economic challenges, including strengthening the technology sector and addressing worker migration.

Sexuality And Sovereignty: The Global Limits And Possibilities Of Lawrence Symposium: Legal Rights In Historical Perspective: From The Margins To The Mainstream, Sonia K. Katyal

Faculty Scholarship

In the summer of 2003, the Supreme Court handed gay and lesbian activists a stunning victory in the decision of Lawrence v. Texas, which summarily overruled Bowers v. Hardwick. At issue was whether Texas' prohibition of same-sex sexual conduct violated the Due Process Clause of the U.S. Constitution. In a powerful, poetic, and strident opinion, Justice Kennedy, writing for a six-member majority, reversed Bowers, observing that individual decisions regarding physical intimacy between consenting adults, either of the same or opposite sex, are constitutionally protected, and thus fall outside of the reach of state intervention. Volumes can be written about the …

Governmental Resistance In International Intellectual Property Rights, Emily Honig

Honors Theses

The field of intellectual property, roughly defined as "a product of the intellect that has commercial value," is one of the growing fields of international legal debate, as the economies of the world become increasingly interconnected and the world's corporations operate overseas with increasing frequency. The literature in the field of international law and intellectual property rights (IPRs) tends to suggest that states, for political or economic reasons, have little choice but to bow to the wishes of multinational corporations (MNCs) and provide increased protection for IPRs. However, there are a number of cases that show that under certain circumstances, …

‘We’Re Just Like The Irish’: Narratives Of Assimilation, Belonging, And Citizenship Among Arab American Activists, Caroline R. Nagel, Lynn A. Staeheli

Faculty Publications

This paper examines narratives of assimilation and belonging as activists attempt to position Arab-Americans as citizens and full members of the American polity. In interviews with activists, the experience of the Irish as immigrants and citizens was often invoked as the paradigmatic example of how immigrants are incorporated as citizens—an example that activists promoted as one that Arabs would follow. By invoking the Irish experience, activists hope to remind Americans that immigration history is not one of effortless assimilation, but is rather characterized by systematic exclusion and marginalization. In so doing, they articulate narratives of assimilation and belonging that draw …

The Ecology Of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes And Their Antagonists On Golf Course Greens Turf In Southern New England, Katerina Serlemitsos Jordan

Open Access Dissertations

A two-year survey was conducted to determine the ecology of plant-parasitic nematodes and their antagonists on golf course greens turf in southern New England. Soil samples were collected from three greens each at 38 golf courses, for a total of 114 samples. Samples were collected in May, July, and September of each year. Nematodes were extracted from soil samples, identified to genus and counted. Genus diversity and seasonal fluctuation of nematode populations, both within each season and between the two sampling years, were analyzed. Additionally, data on soil physical and chemical properties, as well as management practices on each golf …

Persistent Sympathetic Activation During Chronic Antihypertensive Therapy, Qi Fu, Rong Zhang, Sarah Witkowski, Armin Arbab-Zadeh, Anand Prasad, Kazunobu Okazaki, Benjamin D. Levine

Exercise and Sport Studies: Faculty Publications

Previous studies have demonstrated that antihypertensive treatment resets baroreflex control of heart rate (HR) and increases cardiac vagal baroreflex sensitivity. However, it is uncertain whether baroreflex control of muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) also resets after treatment. We tested the hypothesis that chronic antihypertensive therapy alters baroreflex regulation of MSNA in patients with untreated moderate hypertension. Seven newly diagnosed patients with systolic blood pressure (BP) of 159 5 mm Hg (mean SE) and diastolic BP of 103 4 mm Hg were studied before and after 1 to 2 weeks ´ and 3 months (chronic) of antihypertensive treatment with losartan– hydrochlorothiazide …

Real And Illusory Value Creation By Insurance Companies, David F. Babbel, Craig B. Merrill

Faculty Publications

One of the fundamental tenets of financial economics is that insurance companies, just as other financial and non-financial firms, have a very strong incentive to maximize current shareholder value.1 This seemingly simple observation leads to a wide variety of managerial behavior.2 In this article we will review a simple decomposition of the value of an insurance company. The decomposition illuminates the motivation for a variety of strategies that can be observed in practice. These strategies run the gamut from accounting manipulation through risk transfer schemes to positive net present value (NPV) “project” selection. We will review these in some detail …

Familial Homocystinuria, F Bilwan, Na Syed, M Usman, Mohammad Khurshid

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Two cases of siblings diagnosed as cases of familial homocystinuria are reported. Both the cases have classical presentation of familial homocystinuria including history of dislocation of lens of the right eye. Brother had history of psychomotor retardation while sister had a significant history of deep vein thrombosis. Levels of plasma homocysteine were elevated and urinary homocysteine was positive in both the cases.

Vi Antigen Expression In Salmonella Enterica Serovar Typhi Clinical Isolates From Pakistan, John Wain, Deborah House, Afia Zafar, Stephen Baker, Satheesh Nair, Claire Kidgell, Zulfiqar Bhutta, Gordon Dougan, Rumina Hasan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

The accurate identification of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhi variants that fail to express the capsular polysaccharide, Vi, is an important and much discussed issue for medical microbiology. We have tested a multiplex PCR method which shows the presence or absence of the genetic locus required for Vi expression. Of 2,222 Salmonella serovar Typhi clinical isolates collected from patients' blood over a 4-year period in a region of Pakistan where typhoid is endemic, 12 tested negative for Vi expression by serological agglutination. However, only 1 of these 12 was Vi negative by the multiplex PCR method. This result was …

Detecting Malingered Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Using The Morel Emotional Numbing Test-Revised (Ment-R) And The Miller Forensic Assessment Of Symptoms Test (M-Fast), Julia M. Strunk

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

From feigning psychosis to avoid prosecution to claiming an anxiety disorder to receive disability insurance, people from all socioeconomic and educational backgrounds have been suspected of or found to be malingering (Rogers, 1997). The present study investigated the utility of two assessment measures in detecting malingered PTSD: the Morel Emotional Numbing Test-Revised (MENT-R) and Miller Forensic Assessment of Symptoms Test (M-FAST). The Detailed Assessment of Posttraumatic Stress (DAPS) was used as the criterion variable for the following groups: clinical PTSD, subclinical PTSD, honest responders, and coached malingerers. Total scores on the MENT-R distinguished among the four groups of participants. The …

Survey Of Athletic Training Clinical Education: Perceptions From The Field, Alan Nasypany Jr.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to identify: (1) Who are ACIs; (2) What are the perceptions of the clinical education process since the implementation of the 2001 Proficiencies, Standards, and Guidelines; (3) What factors are most and least facilitating to the clinical education process; and (4) What factors should be first addressed to improve the clinical education process. Online surveys were sent to 298 Program Directors and they were asked to distribute them to ACIs in their programs. Two weeks later, the survey was posted on the Athletic Training Education Listserve. Two hundred and twelve surveys were returned. The …

Predicting Treatment Completion: A Study Of The Federal Bureau Of Prisons' Residential Drug Abuse Program, Y. Tami Yanez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Substance abuse and criminal behavior are two commonly associated social concerns. It is not surprising that substance abuse treatment also has demonstrated a reduction not only substance abuse, as well as criminal behavior. The Federal Bureau of Prisons' Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP) has demonstrated wide-reaching benefits. Understanding the 33% non-completion rate of RDAP, then, is an important component of the treatment process. This study, therefore, sought to identify factors present prior to RDAP participation that may predict program completion, which may also guide efforts to reduce relapse and recidivism rates. RDAP completers were slightly more likely to have fewer …

Investigating Treatment Windows For Effective And Environmentally Sound Herbicide Applications For Controlling Tree-Of-Heaven, William E. Eck

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This paper discusses three research studies, each investigating a different treatment window for controlling tree-of-heaven using effective and environmentally sound herbicide applications. In the first study, efficacy of the herbicides triclopyr and imazapyr was tested using injection and basal bark treatment methods. In the second study, efficacy of triclopyr with different levels of imazapyr was tested using the basal bark treatment method. In the third study, weekly timing of chemical controls was investigated. Our study yielded a recommendation to treat tree-of-heaven with a low volume basal spray of Garlon 4 in a non-aromatic penetrating oil when growth is maximized in …

Pharmaceutical Performance Testing Of Commercially Available Calcium Supplements, Jianqing Liu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In our research, the quality of a number of calcium supplements was evaluated by their physical properties, disintegration and dissolution profiles. Physical tests and disintegration did show a pH sensitivity. Disintegration confirmed the good uniformity of the products. In the USP required dissolution test, most of the products did not achieve acceptable drug release in the specified time period. While formulation factors and the salt form of calcium supplements can to some extent affect their dissolution pattern, it was ultimately considered that the failure may be related to the poor solubility of the calcium salts.;Based on the results and the …

Economic And Humanistic Impact Of Medication Nonadherence In Patients With Asthma And Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Ashish V. Joshi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) significantly impact morbidity and mortality. In spite of the well-known benefits of prophylactic medication use, especially in asthma, the rate of medication nonadherence is more than 50%. In Phase I, this study examined the relationship between refill-based medication nonadherence and healthcare utilization/costs in patients with asthma, COPD, and those with both asthma and COPD from the West Virginia (WV) Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA) program. In Phase II, the study measured the relationship between refill-based and self-reported medication nonadherence, health-related quality of life (HRQL), and losses in workplace productivity, all of which were …

Revitalizing Youth Ministry: A Spiritual Strategy To Minister Effectively To The Millennial Generation, Gustavo Squarzon

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The number of young people dropping out of the Seventh-day Adventist Church has increased 50 percent in the last ten years. Fifty-seven percent of those who left indicated the primary reason was not doctrines or theological issues, but the lack of relevance of the church to their lifestyle, spiritual needs, and everyday challenges. The purpose of this dissertation was to identify the spiritual, emotional, and relational needs of a specific generation, such as the millennial; and to develop a biblical spiritual lifestyle strategy to help today’s churches to reach and effectively minister to the members of that generation.

Method …

A Survey And Analysis Of Marital And Religious Perspectives Among First-Generation Chinese Seventh-Day Adventists In North America, John Kam-Hong Lee

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Most Chinese immigrants have experienced a great cultural shock in North America, and have been influenced by Western materialism and secularism. Their marriages and families are also affected by the environment and the secular society. Since Chinese Adventists in North America are exposed to secular influences, the traditional perception of marriage is undermined.

Method

Surveys were mailed to approximately a thousand individuals in Chinese Seventh-day Adventist Churches and Companies in North America. Additional surveys were hand-delivered to Church members. There was no attempt made to select a sample from the population in a random fashion. Consequently, the findings should …

Leadership Development In Albania: Equipping Young Pastors For Apostolic Leadership, Leigh Rice

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Albania opened to Christian missions in 1992. The church is new and the pastors are young and with limited experience. Initial rapid growth has been followed by slow decline. Leadership and leadership development is in the hands of foreign missionaries with limited experience in Albania. There is a need to develop culturally-appropriate, apostolic leadership for a country with a predominately Muslim population.

Method

Library research, questionnaires, interviews, and observations were conducted to develop an understanding of the Project Director, the Albanian culture, a theology of leadership and church, and methods in leadership development. An appreciative inquiry approach was used …

A Contextual Analysis Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Norway, With Suggestions For Renewal And Growth, Kjell Aune

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Since 1979, when the membership of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Norway peaked, the membership has declined. There are underlying, complex reasons. This project seeks the underlying causes for the decline, and suggests possible solutions.

Method

The study begins by establishing a theological basis for ministry. Norwegian society is then analyzed demographically followed by an analysis of the Adventist Church in Norway, that includes a historical and organizational analysis, a review of the database material for the Adventist Church in Norway, and by four questionnaires designed for (1) Active members, (2) Pastors, (3) Former members, and (4) Young non-Adventists …

Presenting The Gospel Message In Thailand, Khamsay Phetchareun

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

There are over 62,000,000 Buddhists in Thailand. Current Christian approaches to presenting the gospel message to Buddhist people in Thailand have not yielded satisfactory results. The Seventh-day Adventist Church has had negative growth during the past ten years. In addition to approaches currently utilized by Christians there is a need to develop more effective approaches to present the gospel in Thailand.

Method

Buddhist students at Mission College were chosen as a case study. A survey of Buddhist attitudes and a cultural analysis of Thailand form the basis for this strategy. Library research, questionnaires, interviews, and observations were all used …

A Model For Reaching African American Males In Southeast Atlanta With Seventh-Day Adventism, Ralph P. Peay

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Churches in America are on average 60-70 percent female. Attracting and integrating African American males into church life is a grave challenge. This study focuses on African American males in Southeast Atlanta and seeks to design a model for addressing their sociological and spiritual needs in anticipation of their accession into church membership.

Method

The setting for this study is the Atlanta Boulevard Seventh-day Adventist Church in Southeast Atlanta. The method employed in this project is an exploratory research approach that is designed to identify the social, economic, and other needs of African American males. In order to ascertain …