Digital Commons Network^™

Fiscal Federalism As Risk-Sharing: The Insurance Role Of Redistributive Taxation, John R. Brooks

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

In addition to funding government and redistributing income, a redistributive tax-and-transfer system, and a progressive income tax in particular, provides insurance against the risk of uncertain future income. By providing for high taxes for high incomes, and low taxes, exemptions, and transfers for low incomes, a progressive income tax lowers the volatility of potential after-tax income relative to a lump-sum tax. This insurance function is distinct from the redistributive function of the system, since it provides a direct risk-mitigation benefit to the taxpayer himself, rather than simply redistributing income from one taxpayer to another.

This article analyzes the question of …

Overrides: The Super-Study, Victoria Nourse

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Overrides should be of interest to a far larger group of scholars than statutory interpretation enthusiasts. We have, in overrides, open inter branch encounters between Congress and the Courts far more typically found in the shadows of everyday Washington politics. Interestingly, Christiansen and Eskridge posit the court-congress relationship as more triadic than dyadic given the role played by agencies. One of their more interesting conclusions is that agencie are the big winners in the override game: agencies were present in seventy percent of the override cases and the agency view prevailed with Congress and against the Supreme Court in three-quarters …

A Writing Revolution: Using Legal Writing's 'Hobble' To Solve Legal Education's Problem, Kristen Konrad Robbins-Tiscione

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The attached article responds to a 2011 article by John Lynch, published in the Journal of Legal Education, that urged legal writing faculty to return to an outmoded and ineffective writing pedagogy, the “product approach,” on the grounds that it would make teaching legal writing easier. This article builds on the work of Carol McCrehan Parker and others interested in writing across the curriculum and argues that the only way to reduce legal writing’s “hobble” and to solve legal education’s problem is to create a six-semester writing requirement. The reason law students are graduating without adequate preparation for practice is …

Regulating Sexual Harm: Strangers, Intimates, And Social Institutional Reform, Allegra M. Mcleod

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The criminal regulation of sexual harm in the United States is afflicted by deep pathology. Although sexual harm appears before the law in a variety of forms—from violent rape, to indecent exposure, to the sexual touching by an older child of a younger child—the prevailing U.S. criminal regulatory framework responds to this wide range of conduct with remarkable uniformity. All persons so convicted are labeled “sex offenders,” and most are subjected to registration, community notification, and residential restrictions, among other sanctions. These measures purport to prevent the perpetration of further criminal sexual harm by publicizing the identities and restricting the …

Ipeds Data Feedback Report, Georgia Southern University

IPEDS Feedback Reports

The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) is a system of survey components that collects data from about 7,500 institutions that provide postsecondary education across the United States. IPEDS collects institution-level data on student enrollment, graduation rates, student charges, program completions, faculty, staff, and finances.

Foundations Of Business, Steelman Library

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

Portfolio/Capstone, Saied Farisi

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

Introduction To The Bible, Cedrick D. Valrie

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

State Involvement In Limiting Textbook Choice By School Districts, Michelle Phillips

Economics Faculty Research & Creative Works

Who gets to decide what textbooks are used in America's public-school classrooms varies by state. States can let each school district decide, provide standards that must be followed and make available an incomplete listing of books meeting those standards, or allow schools to choose books only from a list provided by the state. I present a model that provides an explanation for state limits on textbook selection by school districts. I examine the roles played by decision making costs, effectiveness of voters, religious composition, power of teachers, and propensity of state governments to interfere with or to help districts in …

Earnings Management And Corporate Spinoffs, Ying Chou Lin, Kenneth Yung

Economics Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this study we examine whether firms manage earnings before pursuing corporate spinoffs. Using a sample of 226 completed spinoffs between 1985 and 2005, we find strong evidence of pre-spinoff earnings management among parent firms involved in non-focus-increasing spinoffs. We also find higher levels of earnings management among parent firms that have a higher level of information asymmetry prior to spinoff announcements. Our regression results show a significant negative relation between income-increasing earnings management and the announcement period returns for non-focus-increasing spinoffs. In addition, a significant positive relation is found between income-increasing earnings management and the announcement period returns for …

The Importance Of Positive Arts Experiences And Self-Efficacy In Pre-Service Primary Teacher Education, Geoffrey W. Lummis, Julia Morris

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

With the impending introduction of the Australian Curriculum in the arts, there is cause to reflect on primary pre-service teacher education courses, and how effectively they prepare graduates to facilitate the curriculum. Reflecting on pre-service teachers’ experiences in the arts, at both entry and graduation of their degree, may afford insight into improving arts instruction in Bachelor of Education. A two-year mixed methods study (2013-2014) was conducted with first and fourth-year Bachelor of Education primary students at a Western Australian university, to determine students’ arts experiences and their self-efficacy to teach the arts at graduation. This paper reports specifically on …

Decision Support System Data For Farmer Decision Making, Pornchai Taechatanasat, Leisa Armstrong

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The capacity of farmers and agricultural scientists to be able to make in-season decisions is dependent on accurate climate, soil and plant data. This paper will provide a review of the types of environmental and crop data that can be collected by sensors which can used for decision support systems (DSS) or be further interrogated for real time data mining and analysis. This paper also presents a review of the data requirements for agricultural decision making by firstly reviewing decision support frameworks and agricultural DSSs, data acquisition, sensors for data acquisition and examples of data incorporation for agricultural DSSs.

Advance (Fall 2014), Georgia Southern Division Of Continuing And Professional Education

Division of Continuing & Professional Education

No abstract provided.

Jiann-Ping Hsu College Of Public Health Magazine, Georgia Southern University

College of Public Health: News & Publications

• Sustainability
• Milestones

Peer Group And Friend Influences On The Social Acceptability Of Adolescent Book Reading, Margaret K. Merga

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Increasing recreational reading is a priority in a climate of growing adolescent aliteracy. Raising the social appeal of books has been identified as one potential avenue for arresting this trend. An understanding of the current social acceptability of book reading amongst contemporary adolescents is important in informing an effective approach to raise the status of book reading, as is insight into how this status impacts upon attitudes toward, and engagement in, recreational book reading. Friend and peer group attitudes may impact upon the palatability of recreational book reading, and this impact may differ for gender. Findings from the 2012 West …

Soil Seed Banks Of Fringing Salt Lake Vegetation In Arid Western Australia - Density, Composition And Implications For Postmine Restoration Using Topsoil, Eddie J. Van Etten, Brett Neasham, Sarah Dalgleish

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Although studies of seed banks in arid ecosystems are commonplace, they are lacking for the large arid zone of Western Australia. Across the six major plant communities fringing a large salt lake within this zone, topsoil (0-5 cm depth) was collected from 12 to 36 sites per community. Samples were dried, spread out on a bed of vermiculite in seedling trays and placed in a well-watered glasshouse to determine the readily germinable component of the soil seed bank. Subsamples of topsoil were treated with smoke water, hot water or flooding to help determine seed bank of species with dormancy mechanisms. …

The Use Of Unregulated Staff: Time For Regulation?, Christine M. Duffield, Di E. Twigg, Judith D. Pugh, Gemma Evans, S Dimitrelis, Michael A. Roche

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Internationally, shortages in the nursing workforce, escalating patient demands, and financial constraints within the health system have led to the growth of unlicensed nursing support workers. Recently, in relation to the largest publicly funded health system (National Health Service), it was reported that extensive substitution of registered nurses with unskilled nursing support workers resulted in inadequate patient care, increased morbidity and mortality rates, and negative nurse outcomes. We argue that it is timely to consider regulation of nursing support workers with their role and scope of practice clearly defined. Further, the addition of these workers in a complementary model of …

Identification Of Unknowns Within A Probabilistic System: The Diagnostic Value Of Attributes, D W. Goodall

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Using a data base underpinned by probability considerations in which a variety of attributes, some of which may be quantitative, are recorded for a number of “operational taxonomic units” (OTUs), a key system is described by which an unnamed specimen may quickly be identified. The concept of “diagnostic power” is introduced, by which each attribute is evaluated in terms of its potential contribution to identifying the unnamed specimen. Besides coverage of different types of attributes and the introduction of “diagnostic power”, the system has the advantages of incorporating multiple values of an attribute for each OTU and offering short-cuts to …

Dystonia Type 6 Gene Product Thap1: Identification Of A 50 Kda Dna-Binding Species In Neuronal Nuclear Fractions, Maitane Ortiz-Virumbrales, Marta Ruiz, Eugene Hone, Georgia Dolios, Rong Wang, Andrika Morant, Jessica Kottwitz, Laurie J. Ozelius, Sam Gandy, Michelle Ehrlich

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Mutations in THAP1 result in dystonia type 6, with partial penetrance and variable phenotype. The goal of this study was to examine the nature and expression pattern of the protein product(s) of the Thap1 transcription factor (DYT6 gene) in mouse neurons, and to study the regional and developmental distribution, and subcellular localization of Thap1 protein. The goal was accomplished via overexpression and knock-down of Thap1 in the HEK293T cell line and in mouse striatal primary cultures and western blotting of embryonic Thap1-null tissue. The endogenous and transduced Thap1 isoforms were characterized using three different commercially available anti-Thap1 antibodies and validated …

Biomineralization Of Carbonates In Modern Microbial Sediments And Its Implications For Co₂ Sequestration, Varun Gnanaprian Paul

Doctoral Dissertations

"Several bacterial species influence carbonate mineral precipitation by modifying pH, alkalinity, Ca²⁺ activity and by providing nucleation sites for mineralization. Two studies have been undertaken to explore microbial influence in the mineralization of carbonates. In the first study, the ability of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) to induce carbonate mineralization was investigated as a means to enhance mineral sequestration of CO₂. Sulfate-reducing bacteria enriched from hypersaline Storr's Lake, The Bahamas; Lake Estancia, New Mexico; and Great Salt Plains Lake, Oklahoma, were tested in reactors under varying CO₂ concentrations. Carbonate mineral precipitation was achieved only in reactors with Lake Estancia SRB community and …

Cerium-Based Conversion Coatings On Magnesium Alloys, Carlos E. Castaño

Doctoral Dissertations

"This research is primarily focused on gaining a better understanding of the deposition and corrosion behavior of cerium-based conversion coatings (CeCCs) on AZ31B and AZ91D Mg alloys. Deposition of homogenous and protective CeCCs was highly dependent on the surface preparation steps. The best results were obtained when Mg samples underwent grinding, acid cleaning, and alkaline cleaning processes. This reduced the number of active cathodic sites and promoted the formation of a protective Al-rich Mg oxide/hydroxide layer. Electrochemical properties of the CeCCs were also strongly correlated with morphological, microstructural, and chemical characteristics. Protective CeCCs were deposited on both AZ31 and AZ91 …

Graphite Aerogels And The Formation Mechanism Of Unusual Micron-Sized Rod And Helical Structures, Clarissa Ann Wisner

Doctoral Dissertations

"Pyrolysis at 800 ºC under argon has shown that polyimide (PI), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polydicyclopentadiene (DCPD) and polybenzoxazine (PBO) aerogels are all viable alternatives to traditional resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) aerogels as precursors to amorphous carbon aerogels. Subsequent high temperature pyrolysis at 2300 ºC of such carbon aerogels under helium has shown that amorphous carbon from PI and PBO yields the highest degree of graphitization, whereas from RF aerogels yields the lowest.

Those two types of graphite aerogels include also a high concentration of micron-size columnar and helical (screw-like) structures, whose formation is favored by macroporosity and high nitrogen retention in the 800 …

Investigation Of Fluids Flow Behavior In Nano-Scale Channels By Using Optic Imaging System, Qihua Wu

Doctoral Dissertations

"Tight gas and shale gas reservoirs are characterized to have small pores with diameters in nanometer (nm) range. The physics of fluid flow in nanopores is poorly understood. Knowing the fluid flow behavior in the nano-range channels is of major importance for stimulation design, gas production optimization and calculations of the relative permeability of gas in tight shale gas systems. In this work, a lab-on-chip approach for direct visualization of the fluid flow behavior in nano-scale channels was developed using an advanced epi-fluorescence microscopy method combined with a nano-fluidic chip. The nanofluidic chips with different dimensions were designed and fabricated. …

Preformed Particle Gel Transport Through Fractures, Hao Zhang

Doctoral Dissertations

"Polymer gel treatment is one of the most cost-effective methods to control water production in mature oil fields. The main objective of gel treatments is to reduce water or gas flow through high-permeability channels or fractures without damaging productive zones. Preformed particle gels (PPGs) have been applied for conformance control because they can overcome some potential drawbacks inherent in an in-situ gelation system.

In this study, lab experiments were performed to quantify PPG propagation through fractures and fracture-like channels by using screen models and open fracture models. The main findings in these experiments can guide the selection of best particle …

Seismic Anisotropy And Mantle Flow Beneath Africa And Arabia, Ahmed Abdalla Elsheikh

Doctoral Dissertations

"In spite of numerous studies, the mechanisms for the rifting, uplifting, and volcanism on the African plate remain enigmatic. The most popular hypotheses proposed for explaining these tectonic phenomena involve edge-driven small-scale mantle convection and the thermal or dynamic effects of one or more mantle plumes. In this study we use continental scale shear-wave splitting (SWS) measurements to provide additional constraints on the various models of rifting, uplifting, and volcanism of the Cameroon Volcanic Line (CVL) and the Arabian plate. The splitting of P-to-S converted phases at the core-mantle boundary on the receiver side (XKS including PKS, SKKS, and SKS) …

Synthesis Of Radioactive And Nonradioactive Nanostructures Through Radiolytic And Wet Chemistry, Jessika Viviana Rojas Marin

Doctoral Dissertations

"In this work the synthesis of non radioactive and radioactive nanoparticles (NPs) through radiolytic and wet chemistry was studied. Non radioactive NPs of rhenium, iridium, and rhodium were synthesized from aqueous solutions containing the metal salt precursors by gamma irradiation. The solutions were irradiated to generate reducing species that led to the nucleation and growth of the nanoparticles. Amorphous rhenium oxide nanoparticles with average sizes ranging from 10 nm to 55 nm were obtained. Metallic iridium and rhodium nanoparticles were produced in polyvinyl-pyrrolidone (PVP) having narrow particle size distributions and average particle sizes from 2 nm to 6 nm. The …

Maximum Crosstalk Estimation And Modeling Of Electromagnetic Radiation From Pcb/High-Density Connector Interfaces, Matthew Scott Halligan

Doctoral Dissertations

"This dissertation explores two topics pertinent to electromagnetic compatibility research: maximum crosstalk estimation in weakly coupled transmission lines and modeling of electromagnetic radiation resulting from printed circuit board/high-density connector interfaces. Despite an ample supply of literature devoted to the study of crosstalk, little research has been performed to formulate maximum crosstalk estimates when signal lines are electrically long. Paper one illustrates a new maximum crosstalk estimate that is based on a mathematically rigorous, integral formulation, where the transmission lines can be lossy and in an inhomogeneous media. Paper two provides a thorough comparison and analysis of the newly derived maximum …

Identifying And Overcoming The Barriers To Sustainable Construction, Cristin Szydlik

Doctoral Dissertations

"Sustainable construction has become increasingly more prevalent over the last decade. All federal and most state government buildings are mandated to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification (at the silver level at a minimum). Although sustainable construction is increasingly more common, there are still barriers to the successful completion of a sustainable project, specifically with regards to projects achieving LEED certification. There are still holes in the guidance on how to successfully achieve LEED certification. Even though government agencies have mandated LEED certification, the existing barriers are preventing buildings from achieving certification, which can delay the building …

Local Liquid Velocity Measurement Of Trickle Bed Reactor Using Digitial Industrial X-Ray Radiography, Khairul Anuar Mohd Salleh

Doctoral Dissertations

"Trickle Bed Reactors (TBRs) are fixed beds of particles in which both liquid and gas flow concurrently downward. They are widely used to produce not only fuels but also lubrication products. The measurement and the knowledge of local liquid velocities (VLL) in TBRs is less which is essential for advancing the understanding of its hydrodynamics and for validation computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Therefore, this work focused on developing a new, non-invasive, statistically reliable technique that can be used to measure local liquid velocity (V_LL) in two-dimensions (2-D). This is performed by combining Digital Industrial X-ray Radiography (DIR) and …

Plant Uptake Of Environmental Contaminants: Applications In Phytoscreening, Matthew Alan Limmer

Doctoral Dissertations

"Plants interact directly with their surroundings, extracting nutrients and water from the subsurface to support growth and development of the plant. Through the roots, plants also exude and uptake numerous chemicals. Many of the pathways can also be used by environmental contaminants to be translocated to above ground plant tissues. Such uptake of contaminants has proven useful in remediation and phytoscreening - the use of plants to delineate contaminant plumes. Sampling of trees at contaminated field sites has been used to identify areas of groundwater contaminated with a variety of chlorinated solvents. The use of plants as contaminant biosensors requires …