Digital Commons Network^™

Governance And Merger Activity In Banking, Thomas J. Piskula

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

One method of evaluating the success of management decisions regarding acquisitions is to examine equity price movements as the news of the merger is made public. The price movement of the acquiring firm's equity around the announcement of the acquisition indicates if shareholders believe management has acted in their interest. In the banking industry, researchers have found that on average equity values of the acquiring bank do not display abnormal positive returns upon announcement, and often display statistically significant negative returns. Another line of research has documented that CEOs are better compensated for managing larger organizations, particularly when involved in …

Identity And Behavior: Exploring An Understanding Of “Being” And “Doing” For Catholic Priests Accused Of The Sexual Abuse Of Minors In The United States, Brenda K. Vollman

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The problem of the sexual abuse of minors by Catholic priests in the United States has been problematized as a phenomenon that is, in part, a distinction of the priesthood. Although it is known that there are sex offenders in the world who are not, nor were they ever, priests, this study sets forth to uncover whether or not the priests in the sample are, in fact, different on typical psychological risk factors than the at-large sex offender. More importantly, in the absence of notable differences on risk factor characteristics, this study explores the ways in which narrative structures are …

Mother Country: Reproductive Tourism In The Age Of Globalization, Lauren Jade Martin

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Mother Country is a multi-sited, qualitative study of the United States fertility industry. I analyze the industry in two dimensions: as a particularly American institution and nascent profession, and as a destination for "reproductive tourism." The United States fertility industry, buttressed by lax federal regulation, free market principles, and high technology resources, is organized to benefit certain classes of American citizens and foreign nationals in their quest to have children. As such, the United States has become a prime destination for people seeking assisted fertility services such as commercial surrogacy, egg donation, and sex selection, which are unavailable, inaccessible, or …

Education Policy And The Mathematics Curriculum In New York City Middle Schools, 1958 To 2002, Joseph Valley

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study investigates how mathematics education policy and curriculum in New York City changed over the period from 1958 through 2002. It looks at the events leading up to the "new math" era, the "back to basics" movement, and the Standards movement initiated by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) in 1989. Since this period is bounded by two important pieces of legislation, the National Defense Education Act (NDEA), 1958, and the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) 2001 an assessment of the arguments for and against the federal intervention in education is essential.

The research methodology used …

Call Of Duty: A Question Of Police Integrity, Albert O. Gamarra

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Policing is a profession linked to ideals of integrity and honor. In spite of this, the profession has not been immune to corruption within its ranks. Most research in policing has concentrated on police corruption rather than police integrity. Research studies have examined the issue of corruption but they have encountered a multitude of measurement issues, making the direct study of corruption difficult.

The goal of this research study was to replicate the seminal Klockars, Ivkovich, Harver & Haberfeld (2000) study examining police integrity within the United States. There has been a lack of research dedicated to the study of …

Design Of Multi Agent Based Crowd Injury Model, Emin Kugu

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A major concern of many government agencies is to predict and control the behavior of crowds in different situations. Many times such gatherings are legal, legitimate, and peaceful. But there are times when they can turn violent, run out of control, result in material damages and even casualties. It then becomes the duty of governments to bring them under control using a variety of techniques, including non-lethal and lethal weapons, if necessary.

In order to aid decision makers on the course of action in crowd control, there are modeling and simulation tools that can provide guidelines by giving programmed rules …

Integrating Education, Group Support, And Case Management For Diabetic Hispanics, Sharon A. Brown, Alexandra A. García, Mary Winter, Lita Silva, Adama Brown, Craig Hanis

School of Nursing Faculty Publications

Objectives: Culturally tailored diabetes self-management education (DSME) improves glycemic control and other health outcomes in Mexican Americans but sociocultural barriers to health improvements remain. This study explored the feasibility of adding a nurse case manager (NCM) to DSME to foster DSME attendance and increase utilization of other available health care services.

Design, setting and participants: The setting was a rural community on the Texas-Mexico border in one of the poorest counties in the United States. Using a repeated measures pretest, post-test control group design, we enrolled 165 Mexican American adults into: 1) an experimental group that received a DSME intervention …

Access To Adequate Outpatient Depression Care For Mothers In The Usa: A Nationally Representative Population-Based Study, Whitney P. Witt, Abiola O. Keller, Carrisa Gottlieb, Kristin Litzelman, John Hampton, Jonathan Maguire, Erika W. Hagen

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Maternal depression is often untreated, resulting in serious consequences for mothers and their children. Factors associated with receipt of adequate treatment for depression were examined in a population-based sample of 2,130 mothers in the USA with depression using data from the 1996–2005 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Chi-squared analyses were used to evaluate differences in sociodemographic and health characteristics by maternal depression treatment status (none, some, and adequate). Multivariate regression was used to model the odds of receiving some or adequate treatment, compared to none. Results indicated that only 34.8% of mothers in the USA with depression received adequate treatment. Mothers …

Value: A Menu Of Questions, Joseph Raz

Faculty Scholarship

The paper considers some questions arising out of reflection on Finnis's writings about value, exemplifying them by consideration of the putative value of knowledge. They include the role of harmony, and of self-evidence, in identifying or constituting values, and the ways in which values can provide reasons.

Radical Thought From Marx, Nietzsche, And Freud, Through Foucault, To The Present: Comments On Steven Lukes’S In Defense Of "False Consciousness", Bernard E. Harcourt

Faculty Scholarship

Steven Lukes offers a precise, succinct, and forceful defense of the idea of "false consciousness" in his provocative essay by that name, In Defense of "False Consciousness" People can be systematically mistaken about their own best interest, Lukes contends – or, in his words, "they can have systematically distorted beliefs about the social order and their own place in it that work systematically against their interests." It is not just that sometimes people knowingly but regretfully make compromises, nor simply that they face no alternative choices; people are at times factually mistaken about what will promote their best interest. "There …

The False Promise Of Decentralization In Eu Cohesion Policy, Fernanda Nicola

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

The European Union (EL is 'gomg local"by taking decentralization ofpower seriously in order to create greater effectiveness for European law and policy especially with respect to its economic development or cohesion policy strategies. In this vein, the Treaty of Lisbon has modified the subsidiarityprnciplen ow includig a "regionala nd local" dinension while offerng new legal and political safeguards to protect subnational actors from the reach of EU law However, in EU cohesion policy cities, regions, and Lander in the different Member States are 'lumped together' into a third-level Europe that does not differentiate among these subnational actors. In addition, despite …

Securitization And Suburbia, Heather Hughes

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

This Article explores the relationship between one typical form of real estate development finance-the securitized mezzanine loanand one controversial phenomenon-suburban sprawl. It asks foundational questions about the connection between financial transactions and real-world applications of the capital they raise. In this work, sprawl serves as an example of an environmental consequence of applications of capital raised with a common form of transaction. This Article considers the extent to which commercial finance laws release forceful incentives driven by capital markets upon land use decisions, potentially undermining the collective, morally informed determination such decisions require. It rejects the aesthetic aversion to looking …

Reducing The Cost Of Upgrading Dublin City’S Local Authority Housing Built Prior To The Introduction Of The 1991 Building Regulations, Through Lean Thinking/Lean Construction, Daniel P. O'Neill, Louis Gunnigan, Peter Clarke

Conference papers

Local authorities in the Republic of Ireland are being required to upgrade their housing stocks. Due to the current economic recession local authorities, while receiving grants from central government, are struggling financially to upgrade their housing stocks. More cost efficiency is required when undertaking works. The research examines how the cost of upgrading Dublin City’s local authority housing built prior to the introduction of the 1991 building regulations can be reduced through applying lean thinking. This paper proposes a lean model for the upgrading of local authority housing in Dublin City. The paper concludes with an outline of where monies …

Prediction Of Vo2 Peak Using Sub-Maximum Bench Step Test In Children, Robert V. Topp, Dean E. Jacks, Justin B. Moore

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

The purpose of this study was to develop a valid prediction of maximal oxygen uptake from data collected during a submaximum bench stepping test among children ages 8-12 years. Twenty seven active subjects (16 male and 11 female), weight 36.1 kg, height 144.4 cm and VO₂ 47.4 ± 7.9 ml/kg/min participated. Subjects completed a maximal oxygen consumption test with analysis of expired air and a submaximal bench stepping test. A formula to predict VO_2max was developed from height, resting heart rate and heart rate response during the submaximum bench stepping test. This formula accounted for 71% of the …

Collective Efficacy And Intimate Partner Violence: Community Context, Catherine B. Cowling

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Intimate partner violence is a very serious issue in the United States. In spite of improvements, there is still much work to be done. Policies focusing on formal controls such as arrest, orders of protection, and prosecution have questionable potential. However, collective efficacy and the examination of community context have much to offer the field of intimate partner violence. Collective efficacy, comprised of social cohesion, social capital, and informal social control, may be more effective in reducing intimate partner violence than use of traditional formal social controls alone. These community context variables may also be of great assistance in improving …

Perceived Satisfaction Of Counseling Doctoral Students With Their Dissertation Chairperson: Examining Selection Criteria And Chairperson Behaviors, Cheryl Warren Neale-Mcfall

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

The relationship between doctoral students and their chairperson has been linked to students' successful completion of their dissertation and program of study (Gardner, 2009; Lovitts, 2001). It is often the case that failure to complete the dissertation is what prevents doctoral students from completing their degree. When students do not successfully complete their degrees, attrition rates rise and programs and students feel the burden, both financially and as an investment of time. (Bair & Haworth, 2004). Studies indicate that many students fall short of completing the dissertation, or take much longer than expected, due to a lack of supervision or …

The Integrated Wrf/Urban Modeling System: Development, Evaluation, And Applications To Urban Environmental Problems, Fei Chen, Hiroyuki Kusaka, Robert Bornstein, Jason Ching, C.S.B. Grimmond, Susanne Grossman-Clarke, Thomas Loridan, Kevin W. Manning, Alberto Martilli, Shiguang Miao, David J. Sailor, Francisco P. Salamanca, Haider Taha, Mukul Tewari, Xuemei Wang, Andrzej A. Wyszogrodzki, Chaolin Zhang

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

To bridge the gaps between traditional mesoscale modeling and microscale modeling, the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), in collaboration with other agencies and research groups, has developed an integrated urban modeling system coupled to the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model as a community tool to address urban environmental issues. The core of this WRF/urban modeling system consists of: 1) three methods with different degrees of freedom to parameterize urban surface processes, ranging from a simple bulk parameterization to a sophisticated multi-layer urban canopy model with an indoor outdoor exchange sub-model that directly interacts with the atmospheric boundary layer, …

Thermal Reaction Wave Simulation Using Micro And Macro Scale Interaction Model, Andrei A. Markov, Igor A. Filimonov, Karen S. Martirosyan

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

The thermal wave, propagating in a cylindrical tube, is numerically simulated. The technique is developed in order to provide the scale capturing as well as the stable algorithm for numerical simulation of the combustion wave. Based on the model kinetics scheme, the fields of temperature, mass fractions, and particle radius are presented for the various values of similarity parameters of the problem. The highly accurate method enables to control scales interaction and justifies various flow structures. The phase composition, structure, and morphology of the condensed product as well as the rate of the oxidation and phase transition are predicted using …

Natural Resource “Conflicts” In The U.S. Southwest, William Snape

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

INTRODUCTION: Environmental laws and the ecosystems they support are under attack. Intermittently since the Reagan administration and increasingly since the 2008 economic collapse, certain politicians and their industry sponsors have inundated the media with angry rhetoric, blaming historic job losses on "overregulation."' Environmental laws are a frequent target of these politicians who often benefit from contributions supplied by the fossil fuel and mining industries. Ignoring the successes of these laws- cleaner air, cleaner water, and recovering imperiled wild species and habitat-they claim that environmental regulations are "job killers." Reflecting the success of these claims, the recent House Fiscal Year 2012 …

Same-Sex Marriage, Same-Sex Cohabitation, And Same-Sex Families Around The World: Why ‘Same’ Is So Different?, Macarena Saez

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

This paper briefly explains the situation of same sex couples in countries that have opened marriage to individuals of the same sex, offers a summary and analysis of the status of same sex unions in several countries that have not opened marriage to same sex couples, and provides a comparative analysis of the most recurrent arguments used in the processes of recognition and denial of same sex unions in the countries reviewed.

Forty years ago, same sex couples were not legally accepted in any country. In the last thirty years, however, around 20% of the world has granted some rights …

Punctuated Equilibrium: A Model For Administrative Evolution, Mark Niles

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

No abstract provided.

An Appraisal Of The Model Business Corporation Act's Appraisal Rights Provisios, Mary Siegel

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

No abstract provided.

Ethical Intersections & The Federal Tort Claims Act: An Approach For Government Attorneys, Paul F. Figley

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

This article suggests an ethical approach for government attorneys to follow when making decisions in the special context of the Federal Tort Claims Act. It reviews the history and purpose of the FTCA, the Judgment Fund, and the Westfall Act. It examines the swirl of competing interests that arise from the structure of the FTCA, the many defenses it provides, the deep pocket it grants successful claimants, the complete immunity it grants some tortfeasors, and the methods Congress chose for paying its settlements and judgments. It touches on the ethical obligations of government attorneys. It suggests that government attorneys responsible …

Weight-Related Health Behaviors And Body Mass: Associations Between Young Adults And Their Parents, Moderated By Parenting Styles, Brandi Shea Niemeier

Human Development and Family Science

The incidence of overweight conditions among children and adolescents is a growing national concern. Although current literature suggests that parental health behaviors could influence health behaviors of children, studies have not explored the actual predictive relationships of parents' and their children's weight statuses and weight-related behaviors. In addition, current studies have not tested the influence of parental authority, family communication, or demographic characteristics on the relationships. This study first examines factors that contribute to overweight conditions among children and adolescents and the associated costs. Studies of interventions that target children's and adolescents' weight-related health are then reviewed and provide evidence …

Front Matter

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

No abstract provided.

System Safety Study: Pedagogical Aviation Action Research, Chien-Tsung Lu, Stewart Schreckengast, Timothy D. Ropp, Brian Dillman

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

Action Research (AR) is a scientific methodology whereby researchers participate in a research setting for data collection and problem resolution. Aviation researchers experience first-hand challenges in process cognition, data collection, and selection of implementation strategies. The AR think-path, or the "Look-Think-Acf' loop, has been utilized in the qualitative research discipline for decades. Yet the merits of AR remain under-utilized by airport safety practitioners. The purpose of this study is to introduce AR for the development of a functional safety management system (SMS) to support airport safety education. Using documentary research, this paper reviews the process of AR and identifies a …

Freud’S Ego In The Cockpit, Kelsie M. O'Bryan

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

In the early 1900's, Sigmund Freud theorized the three parts of a person's personality: the id, the ego, and the superego. The ego controls the id's desires because they may have consequences or not be socially acceptable. A person experiences defense mechanisms to protect his or her ego. Although psychologists view defense mechanisms as a typically healthy way to deal with a problem, the aviation industry sees them as dangers to the safety of flights. Many aircraft accidents have occurred because the pilot had a strong ego, and was unconsciously defending it. Crew members must learn to recognize defense mechanisms …

Tracing The History Of The Ornithopter: Past, Present, And Future, Benjamin J. Goodheart

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

Since the earliest recorded history, humans have shared a nearly universal desire for the freedom of flight. This obsession with escaping gravity's unblinking gaze to somehow slip aloft, even for a fleeting moment, has inspired many to wax poetic about the dream of flight. Looking to nature's design, man for years attempted to replicate the flight of the bird, and even its predecessor, the pteranodon, in many a bid to break free of his earthly bonds. Though science eventually shifted its focus to balloons, and then to fixed-wing flight, as a means of sustaining flight, the freedom and effortless grace …

Graduate Resource Manual, Graduate And Professional Student Association

GPSA Documents

No abstract provided.

The Internal Revenue Code And Latino Realities: A Critical Perspective, Leo P. Martinez, Jennifer M. Martinez

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.