Digital Commons Network^™

Railway/Highway At-Grade Crossing Surface Management: An Overview, Brett R. Malloy, Jerry G. Rose

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This report draws on data from around the United States to describe the features of a successful railway/highway at-grade crossing management program; it emphasizes the highway/trackbed structures and crossing surfaces. Developing a structurally adequate crossing system is imperative, as this will produce a smooth surface and a stable highway/trackbed that prolongs crossings’ lifespans while keeping maintenance costs low and minimizing the number of disruptions encountered by highway and railway traffic. An overview of the guidance issued by several transportation agencies and organizations to facilitate the design and construction of railway/highway at-grade crossings is included here. Equally important to developing a …

Racial Impact Statements: Considering The Consequences Of Racial Disproportionalities In The Criminal Justice System, Jessica Erickson

Washington Law Review

The American criminal justice system is currently suffering from a dramatic increase in mass incarceration and staggering rates of racial disproportionalities and disparities. Many facially neutral laws, policies, and practices within the criminal justice system have disproportionate impacts on minorities. Racial impact statements provide one potential method of addressing such disproportionalities. These proactive tools measure the projected impacts that new criminal justice laws and policies may have upon minorities, and provide this information to legislators before they decide whether to enact the law. Four states currently conduct racial impact statements, and other states are considering adopting their own versions. The …

Infra[Re]Structure, Sara Minsley

Architecture Thesis Prep

This project contends that through the mediation and expression of systems, energies and flows the pedestrian can reclaim the experience of the street.Crucial to this is an understanding of what is on the street and how objects and people are situated on the streets currently. Through exploiting these issues New York City the pedestrian is offered a more engaged experience of moving through the city.

Terrorism Prosecutions And The Problem Of Constitutional "Cross-Ruffing", Stephen I. Vladeck

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Recreational Risk Assessment Using Geospatial Analyses On Beaver Lake, Arkansas, Laura Ahrens

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Accidents and deaths occur regularly on lakes and waterways due to natural phenomena as well as human error and recreation. People use lakes and waterways as sources of recreation, but do not always act responsibly on the water. During summer 2013 and winter 2014, over 100 surveys were administered in Beaver Lake, Arkansas to local and federal agencies regarding their knowledge and perception on accident locations and causes. These surveys were conducted in English and approved by the university after being tested on peers. The surveys included demographic data sex, income, education, as well as Likert-scaled responses. Research was also …

Examining The Effects Of Nebraska's Good Time Laws - Research Brief, Benjamin M. Steiner, Calli M. Cain

Reports

The purpose of this research brief is to summarize the findings of a study of Nebraska’s good time laws conducted by Dr. Benjamin Steiner and Calli Cain for the Nebraska Center for Justice Research at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. An electronic copy of the full report can be accessed through the link at the end of this brief. This brief lists each of the three specific research questions, the primary findings for each question, and the major conclusion from each set of findings. Please refer to the full report for the executive summary, full findings, and methodological details of the …

Examining The Effects Of Nebraska's Good Time Laws: Final Report, Benjamin M. Steiner, Calli Cain

Reports

Sentencing credit laws provide opportunities for inmates to gain a reduction in their prison sentence, and such laws have at least four intended goals: 1) reducing prison populations; 2) promoting prosocial behavior during imprisonment by offering inmates incentive for good behavior and/or deterring them from engaging in antisocial behavior; 3) reducing recidivism by providing offenders incentive for good behavior and participation in rehabilitative programming; and, 4) lowering correctional costs (Lawrence & Lyons, 2011; Weisburd & Chayet, 1989). The state of Nebraska currently has a sentencing credit law that automatically awards good time credits to inmates. The study described in this …

Examining The Effects Of Nebraska's Good Time Laws: Research Brief, Benjamin Steiner, Calli Cain

Reports

The purpose of this research brief is to summarize the findings of a study of Nebraska’s good time laws conducted by Dr. Benjamin Steiner and Calli Cain for the Nebraska Center for Justice Research at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. An electronic copy of the full report can be accessed through the link at the end of this brief. This brief lists each of the three specific research questions, the primary findings for each question, and the major conclusion from each set of findings. Please refer to the full report for the executive summary, full findings, and methodological details of the …

Trends In Young Adult Male Incarceration Admissions In Nebraska, 2000-2013: Final Report, Jonathan R. Brauer, Nebraska Center For Justice Research, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Reports

No abstract provided.

Workplace Discrimination As A Public Health Issue: The Necessity Of Title Vii Protections For Volunteers, Elizabeth R. Langton

Fordham Law Review

What constitutes an employee is a recurring issue in U.S. employment law, especially with respect to volunteers.  Under Title VII, an employee is defined as “an individual employed by an employer.”  The U.S. Supreme Court has found that this definition is circular and explains nothing.  Given the vague statutory definition of “employee,” circuit courts are split over the correct test to determine employee status for the purposes of Title VII.

Workplace discrimination is especially toxic because the majority of the adult population spends its waking hours at work.  Thus far, courts have been focused on the individual nature of workplace …

A Rational Theory Of Mitigation And Aggravation In Sentencing: Why Less Is More When It Comes To Punishing Criminals, Mirko Bagaric

Buffalo Law Review

No abstract provided.

One Step At A Time: Duquesne University’S Fifth Biennial Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory, Abigail Ellert, Philip Mcconnell, Nathan Ribar, Collin Whitsett, Stanley J. Kabala Ph.D., John F. Stolz Ph.D.

Duquesne University Greenhouse Gas Inventories

This report, assembled by graduate students Philip McConnell, Collin Whitsett, Nathan Ribar, and Abigail Ellert of the Center for Environmental Research and Education (CERE), under the direction of Dr. John Stolz, presents the results of an inventory of Duquesne University’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in fiscal year 2014. This period begins July 1, 2013 and ends June 30, 2014. As the fifth biennial report CERE has issued, its findings are compared with those derived from fiscal years 2012, 2010, 2008, and 2006 data and assesses trends in Duquesne’s GHG emissions. Additionally, this report discusses options for reducing Duquesne’s carbon footprint …

Co-Creating Value: Student Contributions To Smart Cities, Chetan S. Sankar, Barry A. Cumbie

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Bedside Reporting, Melanie Krentz

Theses and Dissertations

Some might say that the complexity of health care as we know it exceeds the capacity of \ .). the human mind. As a result, the process of communication within health care organizations is equally as complex and to a large degree, challenging. Specifically, the patent handoff is particularly problematic and may be defined as " the process of transferring care and accountability for a patient from one health care professional to another'' (Jukkala, James, Autrey, Azuero, & Miltner, 2012, p.240). The aim of this paper is to introduce the notion of bedside reporting after identifying the importance and ongoing …

Applying Social Return On Investment Analysis To A Large Central Florida County Public School District, David F. Lewis

Dissertations

All social organizations are faced with basic questions pertaining to the value they add to their community and how effectively and efficiently they do so. These questions are increasingly being directed to public schools and school districts as well relative to the various programming they offer and the results they achieve. By completing all aspects of a Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis with fidelity, I have established a statistically reliable baseline SROI ratio based on a comparison of inputs (revenues) to outputs (outcomes). This baseline ratio serves as the foundation for subsequent change initiatives that will lead to district-wide …

National Capacities And Residual Contamination | Liberia, Gichd

Global CWD Repository

This case study forms part of a broader GICHD study on national capacities and residual contamination and is based on both desk-top research and findings from a GICHD mission to Liberia in March 2014. The purpose of the report is to document Liberia’s experience of developing national clearance capacities to address residual contamination, and to identify and present good practices and lessons learnt.

Development And Application Of Tools For Avalanche Forecasting, Avalanche Detection, And Snowpack Characterization, Scott Christopher Havens

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Avalanche formation is a complex interaction between the snowpack, weather, and terrain. However, detailed observations typically can only be made at a single point and must be extrapolated over the slope or regional scale. This study aims to provide avalanche forecasters with tools to evaluate the snowpack, avalanche hazard, and avalanche occurrence when manual observations are not feasible.

Avalanches that occur within the new storm snow are a prevalent problem for the avalanche forecasters with the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) along Highway 21. We have implemented a real time SNOw Slope Stability (SNOSS) model that provides an index to the …

Evaluation Of Current Empirical Methods For Predicting Lateral Spread-Induced Ground Deformations For Large Magnitude Earthquakes Using Maule Chile 2010 Case Histories, Ginger Emily Tryon

Theses and Dissertations

Improving seismic hazard analysis is an important part of building safer structures and protecting lives. Since large magnitude earthquakes are rarer than other earthquakes, it is harder to model seismic hazards such as lateral spread displacements for these events. Engineers are often required to extrapolate current lateral spreading models when designing utilities, bridges, and piers to withstand the ground displacements caused by earthquakes with magnitudes larger than 8.0. This study uses three case histories from the Maule Chile 2010 earthquake (Mw =8.8) to develop recommendations on which models are most accurate for large earthquake events and how to improve the …

From The Reference Desk: Reviews Of Reference Titles, Tom Gilson

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

Miranda V. Arizona (1966): Its Impact On Interrogations, Melissa Beechy

Master of Science in Criminal Justice Theses & (Pre-2016) Policy Research Projects

The purpose of this study is to explain the importance of the Miranda warnings on law enforcement conducting interrogations and the impact they have made on the criminal justice system. Interrogations conducted by law enforcement are a valuable tool to obtain confessions to crimes. The Miranda warnings were established to protect individuals suspected of committing a crime by safeguarding and cautioning them to remain silent and have an attorney present if requested during custodial interrogation. An extensive literature review on United States Supreme Court decisions involving the Miranda warnings, the “Reid Technique” on interrogations, and law journal articles related to …

Sex Offender Law And The Geography Of Victimization, Amanda Y. Agan, J. J. Prescott

Articles

Sex offender laws that target recidivism (e.g., community notification and residency restriction regimes) are premised—at least in part—on the idea that sex offender proximity and victimization risk are positively correlated. We examine this relationship by combining past and current address information of registered sex offenders (RSOs) with crime data from Baltimore County, Maryland, to study how crime rates vary across neighborhoods with different concentrations of resident RSOs. Contrary to the assumptions of policymakers and the public, we find that, all else equal, reported sex offense victimization risk is generally (although not uniformly) lower in neighborhoods where more RSOs live. To …

Fate Control And Human Rights: The Policies And Practices Of Local Governance In America's Arctic, Mara Kimmel

ISER Articles

The loss of territoriality over lands conveyed under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act had adverse impacts for Alaskan tribal governance. Despite policy frameworks that emphasize the value of local governance at an international, regional, and statewide level, Alaskan tribes face unique obstacles to exercising their authority, with consequences for both human development and human rights. This Article examines how territoriality was lost and analyzes the four major effects of this loss on tribal governance. It then describes two distinct but complimentary strategies to rebuilding tribal governance authority that rely on both territorial and non-territorial authority.

Resource Revenues And Fiscal Sustainability: Lessons Of The Alaska Disconnect, Gunnar Knapp

ISER Articles

In 1968, the Prudhoe Bay oil field was discovered on Alaska’s North Slope – the largest oil field ever discovered in North America. That discovery led to an economic and fiscal transformation of the young state of Alaska. A 1969 sale of Prudhoe Bay leases brought the state $900 million in one day ($4.9 billion in 2014 dollars) – six times the state’s budget that year of $115 million (Ragsdale, 2008). After the completion of the Trans-Alaska pipeline, oil began flowing from the North Slope – bringing the state very large annual oil revenues. Cumulatively, between 1978 and 2014 the …

Virginia Accomplishments Since The 2008 Climate Action Plan Release, Center For Coastal Resources Management, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science, Governor's Climate Change And Resiliency Update Commission

2014, Adaptive Planning for Flooding and Coastal Change in Virginia: Next Steps for the Commonwealth

No abstract provided.

Refraction Microtremor Analysis Of Areas Surrounding California State University San Bernardino, Malcolm D. Thomas

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The San Andreas Fault stretches for over 800 miles through California. Along the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains, areas in close proximity to the San Andreas Fault Zone may be subject to site amplification of ground motion caused by seismic activity via wave propagation through the subsurface. These seismic hazards are being addressed via the Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Faulting Zone Act and the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP). Shear wave velocity of the subsurface has served as a proxy for ground motion amplification and is therefore a useful parameter to help analyze and reduce seismic hazards. Low shear wave …

Hipaa: Caught In The Cross Fire, Stephanie E. Pearl

Duke Law Journal

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is nearly synonymous with patient privacy. In contrast, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), a provision of the Gun Control Act of 1968, demands the disclosure of information about individuals, including mental-health information, that may prohibit their purchase of firearms.

These two statutes raise the following question: what if NICS requires or recommends the reporting of information protected by HIPAA? In the wake of recent gun violence by mentally disabled individuals, governmental and nongovernmental organizations have questioned whether HIPAA's privacy provisions have stultified national gun-control measures by prohibiting the reporting …

Orange Is Forever The New Black: The Right To Bear Arms Quashed For Montana Felons In Van Der Hule V. Holder, Paige Griffith

Montana Law Review Online

The State of Montana automatically restores felons’ gun rights once they complete their underlying sentences, so long as the crimes for which they were sentenced did not involve a dangerous weapon. However, in Van der hule v. Holder, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals stripped those gun rights under federal statute.

University Honors Program News, Georgia Southern University

Honors College: News & Publications (2008-2020)

• Fall 2014 Honors Research Symposium

Classifying And Cataloging Cyber-Security Incidents Within Cyber-Physical Systems, William B. Miller

Theses and Dissertations

In the past, there were perceived delineations between the cyber world and the physical world. We are becoming increasingly aware of the overlap between these two worlds, and the overlap itself is increasing. The overlap between these two worlds is known as cyber-physical systems. There have been several incidents involving cyber-physical systems and the number of these incidents is increasing dramatically. In the past there has been no effort to identify methods for describing these incidents in the unique context of cyber-physical systems. This research provides a taxonomy for classifying these incidents that focuses on cross domain, impact oriented analysis. …

The Use And Abuse Of Labor's Capital, David H. Webber

Faculty Scholarship

The recent financial crisis has jeopardized the retirement savings of twenty-seven million Americans who depend on public pension funds, leading to cuts in benefits, increased employee contributions, job losses, and the rollback of legal rights like collective bargaining. This Article examines ways in which public pension funds invest against the economic interests of their own participants and beneficiaries, and the legal implications of these investments. In particular, the Article focuses on the use of public pensions to fund privatization of public employee jobs. Under the ascendant — and flawed — interpretation of the fiduciary duty of loyalty, public pension trustees …