Digital Commons Network^™

Spring/Summer 2017

University of Richmond Magazine

No abstract provided.

"Through A Glass, Darkly" Technical, Policy, And Financial Actions To Avert The Coming Digital Dark Ages, Richard S. Whitt

Santa Clara High Technology Law Journal

"Through A Glass, Darkly" Technical, Policy, and Financial Actions to Avert the Coming Digital Dark Ages

Better Outcomes: Improving Accountability & Transparency In Transportation Decision-Making, Robert Zako, Rebecca Lewis

TREC Final Reports

This report aims to help policymakers and staff at all levels of government make transportation investments that serve the public better.

Amazingly, we simply don’t know how effective government spending is at achieving the outcomes the public expects and has been promised! Clearly, taxpayer dollars buy roads, bus service, airports, ferry service, and other transportation facilities and services. But it is unclear how well such investments help get people where they want to go, create jobs, improve public health, support community development, and provide other benefits. In other words, it is uncertain how cost-effectively the means (transportation investments) achieve the …

Standards Of Review In Law And Sports: How Instant Replay's Asymmetric Burdens Subvert Accuracy And Justice, Steve P. Calandrillo, Joseph Davison

Articles

A fundamental tension exists in both law and sports: on one hand, adjudicators must “get the decision right” in order to provide fairness to the parties involved, but on the other, they must issue speedy and certain rulings to avoid delaying justice. The certainty principle dictates that courts follow stare decisis in the law even if they believe that an earlier decision was wrong. However, it is often the case that there is a need to reverse earlier decisions or the law itself in order to make the correct call on appeal.

Both law and sports are constantly balancing the …

Electoral Evidence, Peter Nicolas

Articles

Each year, millions of Americans cast votes for specific candidates or on specific ballot measures. Each such vote generates potential "electoral evidence," the admissibility of which may be the subject of dispute in subsequent litigation. The evidence may take various forms, including the marked ballot itself, a voter's testimony regarding her vote, or her written or oral statements regarding her vote.

Electoral evidence is most commonly offered in litigation over the election outcome itself, with the parties seeking to determine how certain individuals voted to resolve a close election. However, its potential relevance is not limited to such proceedings. It …

Regulating Cumulative Risk, Sanne H. Knudsen

Articles

This Article proceeds in four parts. Part I describes how cumulative risk assessments tackle the real-world exposure problems that lie at the heart of public health. It shows how risk science has evolved and why policy, not science, lags behind. Part II then examines why key public health concerns cannot be answered through information disclosure or consumer choice models alone.

Having established that regulatory drivers are needed, Part III begins to examine how to move forward. It does so by looking backward and examining how TSCA and FIFRA have failed historically to provide this critical public health focus despite room …

The Other Securities Regulator: A Case Study In Regulatory Damage, Anita K. Krug

Articles

Although the Securities and Exchange Commission is the primary securities regulator in the United States, the Department of Labor also engages in securities regulation. It does so by virtue of its authority to administer the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the statute that governs the investment of retirement assets. In 2016, the DOL used its securities regulatory authority to adopt a rule that, for the first time, designates securities brokers who provide investment advice to retirement investors as fiduciaries subject to ERISA's stringent transaction prohibitions. The new rule's objective is salutary, to be sure. However this Article shows that, …

Richmond Law Magazine: Summer 2017, University Of Richmond

Richmond Law Magazine

Features:

Destination Education

Land of the Lawyers

The Case for Clemency

Improving Learning Outcomes Within A Developing Maritime Nation Lacking Practical Resources Through The Introduction Of Classroom Technology : A Case Study At A South African University Of Technology, Derek Lambert

World Maritime University Ph.D. Dissertations

This study primarily explores whether or not the use of emerging technologies can be used to counter a lack of available resources in developing countries. The research takes the form of a case study conducted over three successive semesters at a South African University of Technology maritime campus, with the subjects being the Marine Engineering students at a senior level. The study makes extensive use of concept mapping to introduce digital syllabi according to scaffold learning principles, and thereafter to implement a range of selected learning methods based on prominent learning theories to address the needs of the students, as …

Towards A Relational Conceptualization Of The Right To Personal Autonomy, Yael Braudo-Bahat

American University Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law

This Article lays the foundation for a relational conceptualization of the right to personal autonomy, where personal autonomy is perceived as a fluid and dynamic competency, which evolves and flourishes through one’s web of relationships. On its face, the more common, liberal conception of personal autonomy seems more fitting for the articulation of the right to personal autonomy, as most Western legal systems are based on liberal grounds. Indeed, several liberal legal scholars have addressed the right to personal autonomy and the state’s duty to promote it. Nonetheless, I show that the liberal conception of autonomy is limited in its …

A Higher Power Produces Greater Problems: How Religious Honor Codes And Religious Schools Exacerbate Campus Sexual Assault, Samuel T. Jay

American University Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law

No abstract provided.

Trickle-Down Bullying And The Truly Great American Response: Can Responsible Rhetoric In Judicial Advocacy And Decision-Making Help Heal The Divisiveness Of The Trump Presidency?, Maureen Johnson

American University Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Campus Climate, Perceived Stigma, Perceived Social Support, And Students’ Decisions To Disclose Their Mental-Health Problems On Campus, Erin M. Potts

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to determine the relationship between the overall campus climate with regard to mental-health problems, students’ perceptions of stigma, students’ perceived social support, and their decisions to disclose their mental-health problems on their college or university campuses. Data were collected from 223 participants between the ages of 18 and 59 years who identified as being currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program and who had engaged in disclosure and/or concealment in the 6 months prior to the study. The findings of the current study suggest that positive perceptions of campus climate are associated …

Health Habits, Coping Behaviors, And Perceived Social Support In Primary Care Physicians As A Function Of Level Of Burnout, Samantha A. Welsh

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Primary care physicians (PCPs) are vital to the healthcare of our nation and serve as a critical point of entry into the healthcare system. PCPs must successfully balance competing demands; however, balancing all of these demands can lead PCPs to experience symptoms of burnout. Physician burnout is a serious problem among physicians and can have a significant impact on the medical community. Burnout threatens not only the health of physicians, but also the healthcare received by patients. Due to the profound effects that burnout can potentially have on physicians and on the care that they deliver to their patients, it …

Coping Styles As Predictors Of Alcohol Consumption With Undergraduate College Students Perceiving Stress, Shoshana S. Twersky

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Coping was examined as a potential predictor for alcohol consumption with an undergraduate college population. Eighty-nine undergraduate students in the United States participated in the study by completing a survey between February and October 2016. A hierarchical multiple regression was used to analyze whether specific coping styles predict problematic drinking among undergraduate college students who report experiences of perceived stress. The following self-report questionnaires measured the variables: the subjective portion of the Perceived Stress Scale, Coping Strategies Inventory-Short Form (CSI-S), Cahalan’s (1969) Quantity Frequency Index, and a background demographic questionnaire developed to assess basic demographic information. Findings revealed that weekend …

The Relationship Between Self-Efficacy, Optimism, And Sensation Seeking In Predicting Self-Reported Adherence To Health Behaviors, Kristine V. Spano

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The relationship between health behaviors and three psychological variables that included optimism, self-efficacy, and sensation seeking was investigated in this study. A demographic form, the Health Adherence Behavior Inventory (HABIT), the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE), the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R), and the Brief Sensation Seeking Scale (BSSS-8) were administered to 258 participants. The data were analyzed for two separate and independent samples based on gender. Results indicated that self-efficacy predicted male health behaviors while optimism predicted female health behaviors. In addition, men scored higher than women on self-reported sensation-seeking behaviors, as predicted. Limitations of this research and directions for further …

2017 - Ancient Scripture, Future Church: The Choices We Make And The God We Serve, Abilene Christian University

Lectureship and Summit Programs

Since its founding in 1906, Summit, formerly known as Bible Lectureship, has brought spiritual renewal to participants. We pray the same for Summit 2017 as we examine the ancient yet relevant principles found in Deuteronomy. May we renew our hearts and minds to be faithful disciples of Jesus. May your time on campus refresh and encourage you in your service in God's present and future church.

Theme speakers include: Landon Saunders, Sean Palmer, James K. A. Smith, Josh Ross, Thema Bryant-Davis, Chris Seidman, and Jeanene Reese

Recombination Reactions As A Possible Mechanism Of Mass-Independent Fractionation Of Sulfur Isotopes In The Archean Atmosphere Of Earth, Dmitri Babikov

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

A hierarchy of isotopically substituted recombination reactions is formulated for production of sulfur allotropes in the anoxic atmosphere of Archean Earth. The corresponding system of kinetics equations is solved analytically to obtain concise expressions for isotopic enrichments, with focus on mass-independent isotope effects due to symmetry, ignoring smaller mass-dependent effects. Proper inclusion of atom-exchange processes is shown to be important. This model predicts significant and equal depletions driven by reaction stoichiometry for all rare isotopes: ³³S, ³⁴S, and ³⁶S. Interestingly, the ratio of capital Δ values obtained within this model for ³³S and ³⁶S is …

American Nationalism And The “Curse Of Rurality”: Urban-Rural Differences And The Notion Of National Belonging, Milos Djeric

Research Papers

Relationship between nationalism and urban or rural environment is not one that is often studied, apart from traditional historical interpretation of it being a modern, urban phenomenon, characterized by imagery and discourse of rurality. Yet it seems that, in the last several decades, not only have nationalist conflicts mostly been rooted within the countryside and nationalist agendas won on elections in them, but that there is a more fundamental connection between nationalism and rurality. While briefly addressing this issue, this paper focuses on the analysis of 2014 GSS data, exploring the relationship between the place of living and the notion …

The Effects Of Opioids On People With Disabilities, Employment And Recommendations For Rehabilitation Professionals, Samantha Mcdorman

Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Hydraulic Fracturing In The United States: A Framing Analysis, Kenneth Stephen Cardell Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

This research considers the issue of hydraulic fracturing, a controversial method of extracting natural gas from shale and coal deposits. The technology, commonly referred to as “fracking,” has only been employed on an industrial scale since the late 1990s and is increasingly becoming the focus of news coverage. In this thesis research, a representative sample of both national and regional newspaper coverage on the issue of hydraulic fracturing is analyzed, looking at several key elements of framing. This study also examines differences in issue framing between the national elite press and regional news sources, as well as based upon partisanship. …

Unf Journal Winter 2017, University Of North Florida

UNF Journal

A university periodical for alumni and friends of the University of North Florida.

Prioritising Human Development In African Intellectual Property Law, J. Janewa Oseitutu

Faculty Publications

The global intellectual property structure has been criticised for requiring developing nations to adopt intellectual property standards that are appropriate for industrialised countries. Some commentators have observed that industrialised nations, such as the United States, developed their economies by borrowing from others, but that through the use of globalised intellectual property standards, they have effectively limited other nations from doing the same. This article does not aim to revisit the question of the suitability of the existing intellectual property standards for developing countries. Nor does it seek to analyse whether, as a general proposition, intellectual property rights should be expanded …

Police Misconduct, Video Recording, And Procedural Barriers To Rights Enforcement, Howard M. Wasserman

Faculty Publications

The story of police reform and of "policing the police" has become the story of video and video evidence, and "record everything to know the truth" has become the singular mantra. Video, both police-created and citizen-created, has become the singular tool for ensuring police accountability, reforming law enforcement, and enforcing the rights of victims of police misconduct. This Article explores procedural problems surrounding the use of video recording and video evidence to counter police misconduct, hold individual officers and governments accountable, and reform departmental policies, regulations, and practices. It considers four issues: 1) the mistaken belief that video can "speak …

In The Shadow Of Gaslight: Reflections On Identity, Diversity, And The Distribution Of Power In The Academy, Cyra Akila Choudhury

Faculty Publications

This essay explores identity and diversity in the Academy through the work of feminist philosopher, Sara Ahmed. It makes two interventions. First, it sketches the use of identity politics from the 1980s and 1990s as a tool of resistance against assimilation and erasure to its current uses sometimes as a tool of discipline within minority groups. Second, it raises the problem of the cooptation of identity by institutions to maintain the status quo. In the hands of institutions and as a metric for progress, diversity can mask ongoing subordination and create doubt in the minds of minorities about whether what …

99 Problems And The Bitchin' Is One: A Pragmatist's Guide To Student-Edited Law Reviews, Joelle A. Moreno

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of A Close Reading Approach On The Comprehension Level Of English I Students At Wavers High School, Tina Marie Janus

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact a close reading approach had on the reading comprehension levels of twelve English I students. Studies in literacy theory have suggested that students’ reading comprehension levels improve with the use of reading strategies. As part of a larger body of research concerning reading instruction for secondary students, there is a need for older readers to learn comprehension strategies specific to reading content subject matter (Shanahan & Shanahan, 2015; Duke & Martin, 2015; Ness, 2007). Using a mixed-methods approach, the data collection consisted of pretest/posttest instruments, field observations, existing records, surveys, …

Trans Gender Identities And Language: Interviews With Recent College Graduates, Kelsey Moran

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

There has been an increasingly pervasive need to gain a deeper and more individualized psychological understanding of how people experience their gender identities, as well as how they navigate the complicated and nuanced language of gender. Words carry meaning and it is vital to gain an insightful understanding of the impact of words, whether supportive or discriminatory, on trans people. The present qualitative study utilized phenomenological methods to hold interviews with three trans individuals, who had recently graduated from college, about their unique experiences with gender. Thematic analysis was used to examine common themes that arose throughout the interviews. Seven …

Green Vs. White: An Examination Of Of Media Portrayals Of Radical Environmentalists And White Supremacists, Laurence Pedroni

Master's Theses

The rise of the Trump presidency has highlighted not only the white supremacist history of the U.S., but also reflects danger to the survival of the species in the form of wholesale climate change denial. These ideologies are not unique to Trump or his cabinet, instead reflecting long standing U.S. policy. This research seeks to examine how the U.S. media supports and propagates propaganda to support these hegemonic goals. Relevant literature and research seem to suggest that because radical environmental movements often challenge the hegemony of capital accumulation, they might be portrayed as more violent and a greater terrorist threat …

Construction Of Bacterial Strains Containing A Plasmid Producing An Opossum-Based Anti-Venom Peptide For Low Cost Production Of The Peptide, Angela Cifelli

Master's Theses

A cost-effective therapy for snake bites and other biological toxins could save thousands of lives each year. A low-cost therapy can be achieved using a bacterial host that expresses a peptide that prevents death when administered after exposure to these toxins. A protein expressed in opossums, lethal toxin neutralizing factor (LTNF), provides the animal’s resistance to venom and a variety of other toxins. A small peptide fragment of this protein provides the same lifesaving properties as the full protein sequence. A synthetic copy of this peptide was tested in mice exposed to rattlesnake venom and showed lifesaving potential. The peptide …