Digital Commons Network^™

Does Insider Trading Pay? An Analysis Of Trading And Tipping Activities In Insider Trading Litigation, Aneta Spaic, Claire Nolasco, Lily Chi-Fang Tsai, Michael S. Vaughn

Criminology and Criminal Justice Faculty Publications (Archived)

Purpose

This paper analyzes trading and tipping activities in insider trading litigation decided by federal courts from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2014.

Design/methodology/approach

Legal documents from the US Securities and Exchange Commission, LexisNexis and Westlaw databases were coded to determine profile, patterns of trading and settlement outcomes.

Findings

Results of statistical analysis indicate that a defendant in both civil and criminal cases is more likely to trade on the information when he/she receives a direct, financial benefit from breaching his/her duty of confidentiality. The defendant tipper is also more likely to pass on the information to a close …

Organizational Citizenship And Teacher Evaluation: Using The T-Tess To Promote Ocb And Improve Student Outcomes, Elisabeth M. Krimbill, Donald E. Goess, Patricia V. Escobedo

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications (Archived)

This paper argues that a path to increased OCB levels in schools may be forged via the use of the current professional teacher evaluation instrument utilized in the Texas public school system, the Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System, more commonly referred to as T-TESS (Texas Education Agency, 2016). We theorize that the use of the T-TESS to outline a process of formal instruction of the characteristics and implementation of OCB in schools for educators may result in a climate conducive to improved student outcomes. Specifically, Domains 1 (Planning), 3 (Learning Environment), and 4 (Professional Practices and Responsibilities) (Texas Education …

Publishing Public History: Publishing Options For Small Organizations, Angela Ann Beaton

History, Philosophy, and Religious Studies

Publishing books and catalogs has long been the domain of large museums and historical societies that have an equally large budget. While large organizations can commit vast amounts of time and resources to publishing, many small organizations cannot. Before recent technological advances, small museums and local history organizations were unable to participate in the publishing of books and catalogs easily. However, today, there are several viable options for these organizations to begin publishing. This research aims to highlight the ways that small organizations in the Upper Midwest have been utilizing technological advances and strategic partnerships to publish. Using these tools …

Environmental Forensic Characterization Of Former Rail Yard Soils Located Adjacent To The Statue Of Liberty In The New York/New Jersey Harbor, Diane Hagmann, Michael A. Kruge, Matthew Chi-Hymn Cheung, Maria Mastalerz, José Luis Gallego, Jay Prakash Singh, Jennifer Krumins, Xiaona N. Li, Nina M. Goodey

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Identifying inorganic and organic soil contaminants in urban brownfields can give insights into the adverse effects of industrial activities on soil function, ecological health, and environmental quality. Liberty State Park in Jersey City (N.J., USA) once supported a major rail yard that had dock facilities for both cargo and passenger service; a portion remains closed to the public, and a forest developed and spread in this area. The objectives of this study were to: 1) characterize the organic and inorganic compounds in Liberty State Park soils and compare the findings to an uncontaminated reference site (Hutcheson Memorial Forest); and 2) …

Measuring Incremental Sb743 Progress: Accounting For Project Contributions Towards Reducing Vmt Under California's Senate Bill 743, Christopher E. Ferrell

Mineta Transportation Institute

On September 27, 2013, California’s governor signed Senate Bill (SB) 743 into law, in part mandating the transition from a level-of-service-based (LOS) measure of transportation environmental impacts to a vehicle-miles-traveled-based (VMT) one in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Several California jurisdictions, including San Jose, Pasadena, and San Francisco, have moved quickly to comply with SB 743, so it is no surprise that several of these early-adopter cities have been working hard to develop powerful VMT estimation methods and tools using the most recent research available.

This perspective uses the experiences of an early-adopter city, San Jose, to …

Managing Cyber Risks & Business Exposure In The Surface Transportation Ecosystem, Jacques R. Francoeur

Mineta Transportation Institute

This report focuses on Surface Transportation (ST), both fixed and route-based, and the growing threats to their information technology (IT) infrastructures. As an industry, ST seeks to optimize the movement of people and goods, while ensuring safety and resiliency and minimizing environmental impact. Cyber threats are a powerful medium for those with the political, social, and economic motivations and wherewithal to disrupt and destroy existing ST systems. The ultimate objective is to develop a new paradigm to define, describe, design, and deploy the most effective protection, at the lowest cost, in the shortest time within the limits of available resources. …

Hpv Immunization: Reducing Missed Opportunities Through Enhanced Provider Knowledge And Communication Strategies, Carly Joy Hanson

Nursing

The purpose of the project was to increase healthcare professionals’ knowledge regarding HPV, the vaccine, and communication strategies to improve vaccine acceptance. In addition, the purpose was to increase healthcare professionals’ level of comfort in using the communication strategies discussed. The project was also designed to reduce HPV vaccination rates of missed opportunities and increase overall HPV vaccination coverage. The rates of HPV vaccination coverage are significantly lower than other adolescent vaccines. There has been minimal research on the impact of an educational intervention in rural areas. A literature review was performed prior to project design and implementation, which revealed …

Development And Implementation Of An Evidence-Based Buprenorphine-Naloxone Medication Assisted Treatment Program In A Primary Care Setting, Jordan Coplin

Nursing

Opioid abuse is one of the most significant drug-related public health threats in the United States (U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, 2016). Approximately 115 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose in the United States (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). Coupled with counseling, medication assisted treatment (MAT) can successfully treat opioid use disorder and sustain recovery by providing a more individualized approach to therapy (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2016). The purpose of this project was to assist a primary care clinic (PCC) in Fargo, ND with the development, implementation, and evaluation of a buprenorphine-naloxone MAT …

Population Structure Of Uromyces Appendiculatus In North Dakota, Cecilia Monclova-Santana

Plant Pathology

North Dakota is the lead producing state of common bean in the USA, accounting for 43% of national production. Bean rust is caused by the autoecious, macrocyclic fungus Uromyces appendiculatus (Pers.:Pers.). All pathogen spores stages have been observed in North Dakota, but it is unclear how frequently sexual reproduction occurs. Traditionally, genetic resistance is the preferred management method. Sixty-seven percent of the 119 U. appendiculatus single pustule isolates collected in 2015 and 2016 were classified phenotypically as race 20-3. Virulence phenotypes of race 20-3 isolates ranged from hypersensitive to small pustules (0.2-0.3mm) on Early Gallatin, PC-50, Mexico 235, and Mexico …

Investigation Of Nutrients As Treatments Of Bacterial Biofilms, Meredith Lynn Schroeder

Microbiological Sciences

Using nutrients bacteria utilize to grow as treatments of bacterial biofilms have been investigated. This dissertation examines the problem of the prevention and treatment of biofilms by: (i) testing the effect of the nutrient β-phenylethylamine (PEA) on growth, ATP content of biofilm, and biofilm biomass, (ii) testing the effect of ethyl acetoacetate (EAA) and other small molecules on growth, ATP content of biofilm, and biofilm biomass, and (iii) investigating three applications of PEA and EAA. PEA could be used as both, prevention and treatment for bacterial biofilms. We observed a reduction of growth, ATP content of biofilm, and biofilm biomass …

Evaluation Of Corn Distiller’S Dried Grains With Solubles As A Functional Material To Replace Synthetic Resin In Wood Particleboards, Joshua Dong Xiong Liaw

Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics

Corn distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) is mostly marketed as a livestock feed due to its high protein content of 30%. Recently, the proteins in DDGS have shown potential to act as binding agents along with melamine-urea-formaldehyde resin. However, it is unknown if DDGS can be chemically functionalized as a natural binder to replace synthetic resin in particleboard. In this study, several formulations were tested using various concentrations of acetic acid and sodium hydroxide treatments with combinations of temperature, DDGS concentrations, particle sizes, and wax. FTIR results indicated that DDGS proteins were decoupled through acid or alkali treatments, and …

High School Students’ Perceptions Of Cybersecurity: An Explanatory Case Study, Kodey S. Crandall, Cherie Noteboom, Omar F. El-Gayar, Kalee Crandall

Research & Publications

No abstract provided.

Wearable Devices For Health And Wellbeing: Design Insights From Twitter, Omar F. El-Gayar, Tareq Nasralah, Ahmed Elnoshokaty

Research & Publications

Wearable devices are increasingly recognized for their potential to improve health and wellbeing. However, challenges remain for wide-scale adoption and use. This paper explores perception and reactions towards wearable devices with a particular emphasis on factors that influence the adoption and use to improve health and well-being and which can also inform their design as components of a behavioral change system. We use social media analytics to analyze and categorize tweets related to major manufacturers of consumer wearable devices from June 1, 2017 – May 31, 2018. We used extant literature on the design of persuasive systems to inform the …

Heterogeneity In Phenotypic Response Of Foodborne Pathogens To Control Measures, Sahar Malekmohammadi

Microbiological Sciences

Foodborne pathogens are estimated to cause 48 million foodborne illnesses through consumption of contaminated food annually. Designing efficient control measures is vital to reducing foodborne illnesses. The modern trend toward preserving foods is using combinations of stresses (hurdle model). However, bacterial adaptation to one stress has the potential to increase resistance to subsequent stress, which is known as cross-protection. Due to recent outbreaks, contamination of ready-to-eat (RTE) foods by L. monocytogenes is a major food safety concern. L. monocytogenes nisin resistance increases when first exposed to NaCl and other stresses, such as low pH. In addition to environmental stressors, specific …

Mmpi-2 Personality Disorder Spectra Scales, Abby L. Mulay, Mark H. Waugh, Michael T. M. Finn, Jenna E. Gilmore, Marisa L. Whitley, Nicole M. Cain, Robert M. Gordon, Christopher J. Hopwood, Alvin Jones, David S. Nichols, Gina M. P. Rossi, David L. Streiner

Archives of Assessment Psychology

We describe updated and revised MMPI-2 scales for personality disorder (PD) using Loevinger’s (1957) integrated construct validation (CV) approach to guide scale development. Dimensionalized PD “Spectra” scales were constructed out of the item pool of all previous MMPI-2 PD scales using content validity, item-analytic, and external criterion comparisons. Relationships between MMPI-2 PD Spectra scales and known marker variables and other self-report PD scales were studied in multiple, international data sets. We also examined the scale properties when scored from the MMPI-2-RF. PD Spectra scale items were cross-walked with the DSM-5 Alternative Model of Personality Disorder (AMPD) pathological personality traits, permitting …

Triumph Of The Nomothetic: Personality Assessment And Forensic Psychology, Marvin W. Acklin

Archives of Assessment Psychology

This study locates personality assessment within the discipline of forensic psychology, examining the forensic relevance of major paradigms of personality assessment -- psychodynamic, interpersonal, personological, multivariate, empirical, and neuroscience -- with a focus on the clinical and forensic assessment of psychopathy. A credible personality paradigm must produce testable hypotheses, have associated assessment measures, and have a supporting empirical research literature (Wiggins, 1973). In the first survey, a systematic literature of the PsycINFO database revealed that all of the major personality assessment paradigms satisfy criteria for scientific credibility with the exception of the personological. In the second survey, the status of …

Examining Recommendations In A Sample Of Community Custody Evaluation Reports, Marvin W. Acklin, Sierra M. Acklin

Archives of Assessment Psychology

Concern about bias in forensic decision-making has emerged as a major interest in the past decade. An evidence-based approach to forensic psychology, including child custody evaluations, requires empirical monitoring of decision-making processes. This study examined a sample of community custody evaluation reports (N = 91) to examine prevalence and type of recommendations and evidence of preferences in recommendations proffered to the family court. Findings are discussed in light of changing social and legal trends in child custody.

Venezuelans’ Report On The Mmpi-2 Rc Scales When Simulating A Pain Scenario, Berenice Saez, Luis E. Aguerrevere, Robert J. Polewan, Roselia Juan, Rebecca Recio Swift, Timothy J. Swift

Archives of Assessment Psychology

When experiencing a painful injury, some Latino subcultures (e.g., Puerto Ricans) tend to report more psychological distress than other Latinos and Caucasians. The purpose of this paper was to determine if Venezuelans, like Puerto Ricans, report higher levels of psychological discomfort when pretending to be in pain, when compared to Latinos and Caucasians living in the U.S. In this study, participants were asked to complete the MMPI-2 Restructured Clinical (RC) Scales in standard fashion and while pretending they have been in continuous pain for six months. Venezuelans scored significantly higher on RC1 and significantly lower on RC4 than the other …

Understanding The Rorschach Egocentricity Index With Incarcerated Women, Jason M. Smith, Carl B. Gacono, Ted B. Cunliffe

Archives of Assessment Psychology

The Rorschach Comprehensive System Egocentricity Index (EGOI) and its component variables have been useful in understanding antisocial and psychopathic individuals (Gacono & Meloy, 1994; Gacono, Meloy, & Heaven, 1990). In this study, the EGOI, Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) scales, and the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) were used with a sample of incarcerated women. The EGOI, Fr + rF, and pairs were examined in relation to PCL-R Items 1 (Glibness/Superficial Charm) and 2 (Grandiose Sense of Self-Worth), PCL-R Factor 1, PCL-R facet 1, and the PAI MAN-G and ANT-E scales. The EGOI and reflections were significantly correlated with PCL-R Item 1 and …

A Comparison Of Mmpi-2-Rf Scores Between White And African American College Students, Yelena Gonzalez, Elizabeth A. Smith, Jennifer E. Keane, Audra L. Biermann, Kaitlin M. Keister, Courtney N. Wiesepape, P. Kevin Bolinskey

Archives of Assessment Psychology

Sixty-plus years of research have demonstrated an inconsistent pattern of differences between African American and White respondents on the earlier forms of the MMPI (i.e., MMPI and MMPI-2). Relatively little research has examined the possibility of racial and/or ethnic differences in scores on the newer MMPI-2-RF. The present study compared MMPI-2-RF scores of college students, both by gender and combined, by self-reported race. Results revealed significant differences in scores on some scales of the MMPI-2-RF, along with differences in the distributions of clinically elevated scores. The majority of scales, however, did not evidence any significant pattern of racial/ethnic differences. Of …

Passive Coping Strategies During Repeated Social Defeat Are Associated With Long-Lasting Changes In Sleep In Rats, Laura A. Grafe, Lauren O’Mara, Anna Branch, Jane Dobkin, Sandra Luz, Abigail Vigderman, Aakash Shingala, Leszek Kubin, Richard Ross, Seema Bhatnagar

Psychology Faculty Research and Scholarship

Exposure to severe stress has immediate and prolonged neuropsychiatric consequences and increases the risk of developing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Importantly, PTSD develops in only a subset of individuals after exposure to a traumatic event, with the understanding of this selective vulnerability being very limited. Individuals who go on to develop PTSD after a traumatic experience typically demonstrate sleep disturbances including persistent insomnia and recurrent trauma-related nightmares. We previously established a repeated social defeat paradigm in which rats segregate into either passively or actively coping subpopulations, and we found that this distinction correlates with measures of vulnerability or resilience to …

Advancing Student Interview Skills: Incorporating Virtual Interview Technology Into The Basic Communication Course, Kasey Hudak, Alexandria Kile, Eileen Grodziak, Elizabeth Keptner

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

This study examined the differences between student's self-reported communication interview skills before and after they received interview instructions and experienced virtual simulation interviews in a basic communication course. Incorporating interview instruction and utilizing mock interviewing software, InterviewStream, into several basic communication courses, this study found a significant difference between students' pre-instruction and post-instruction interview self-assessment scores. A Student Assessment of Learning Gains (SALG) revealed that students reported more confidence in their interviewing skills, were more likely to seek help from career services, and pay more attention to non-verbal communication during the interview (dress, posture, and eye contact) after participating in …

Publicly Charged: A Critical Examination Of Immigration Public Benefit Restrictions, Cori Alonso-Yoder

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

Since the early days of the Trump Administration, reports of the President’s controversial and dramatic immigration policies have dominated the news. Yet, despite the intensity of this coverage, an immigration policy with far broader implications for millions of immigrants and their U.S.citizen family members has dodged the same media glare. By expanding the definition of who constitutes a “public charge” under immigration law, the Administration has begun a process to restrict legal immigration and chill the use of welfare benefits around the country. The doctrine of public charge exclusion developed from colonial times and has reemerged in Trump Administration policies …

Administrative States: Beyond Presidential Administration, Jessica Bulman-Pozen

Faculty Scholarship

Presidential administration is more entrenched and expansive than ever. Most significant policymaking comes from agency action rather than legislation. Courts endorse “the presence of Presidential power” in agency decisionmaking. Scholars give up on external checks and balances and take presidential direction as a starting point. Yet presidential administration is also quite fragile. Even as the Court embraces presidential control, it has been limiting the administrative domain over which the President presides. And when Presidents drive agency action in a polarized age, their policies are not only immediately contested but also readily reversed by their successors.

States complicate each piece of …

Cultural Concepts As Powerful Theoretical Tools: Chinese Teachers’ Perceptions Of Their Relationship With Students In A Cross-Cultural Context, Jinghe Han, Yu Han

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Teachers’ cultural backgrounds can result in challenges in establishing positive teacher-student relationships in cross-cultural settings. The context for this study is based on the everyday practice of teachers and students in the classrooms of diverse Australian schools, where issues of cross-cultural teacher-student relationships have been raised. This study involved a group of Chinese-background Mandarin teachers who had one year of volunteer teaching experiences in Australian schools. Data were collected from focus group discussions at the point of the completion of their twelve-month teaching practice, in order to access their fresh memories of their experiences. It explores their “culture” in relating …

Development Of A Remotely Activated Field Sprayer And Evaluation Of Temperature And Aeration On The Longevity Of Steinernema Riobrave Entomopathogenic Nematodes For Treatment Of Cattle Fever Tick-Infested Nilgai, John A. Goolsby, Diana Cantu, Alejandro Vasquez, Alexis Racelis

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

A remotely activated field sprayer was developed for application of the entomopathogenic nematode, Steinernema riobrave (Cabanillas, Poinar, and Raulston) for eradication of the southern cattle fever tick, Rhipicephalus microplus (Canestrini) infesting free-ranging nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) in South Texas. The battery powered sprayer is activated by sonic sensors that detect movement of nilgai through fence crossings. An onboard computer operates the sprayer pump and aerator that oxygenates the solution of nematodes. Several types of aeriation, agitation, and cooling were tested to prolong the viability of the nematodes in water. Continuous aeration extended the longevity of S. riobrave to more than two …

Incidence Of The Brown Dog Tick, Rhipicephalus Sanguineus And Its Parasitoid, Ixodiphagus Hookeri On Dogs In South Texas, Alejandro Vasquez, John A. Goolsby, Ann T. Vacek, Alexis Racelis, Rupesh R. Kariyat

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

The southern cattle fever tick, Rhipicephalus microplus, is a livestock pest worldwide, including South Texas, and can vector Babesia spp.; the causal agents of bovine babesiosis. Its congener, the brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, is also common worldwide and is frequently parasitized by a wasp, Ixodiphagus hookeri. To better understand the life history and host location cues of parasitic wasps of ticks, which supports the cattle fever tick eradication program for R. microplus, we examined the incidence of R. sanguineus and its parasitoid I. hookeri. Dogs in Hidalgo County, TX were observed (n=624) from Oct 2018 to April 2019. Our …

“How Am I Going To Handle The Situation?” The Role(S) Of Reflective Practice And Critical Friend Groups In Secondary Teacher Education, James R. Carlson

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

This qualitative study was designed as a single-case study of a small, public, teacher education program in the Midwest. The author conducted a study on the perceived role of a “critical friends group” (CFG) in the development of beginning secondary teacher candidates’ understandings and practices of reflective practice. Three main types of data, including course assignments, participant interviews, and observations were collected and analyzed. Findings from three (3) focal participants reveal characteristics of reflective teaching from the reviewed literature observed within and across the cases examined here. The perceived importance of the CFG varied on a case-by-case basis, with some …

Water Pollution In Old Towns Affecting The Environment And Ecological Restoration, Zou Hang, Muhammad Aqeel Ashraf, Yung Tse Hung

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

© 2019 Technoscience Publications. All rights reserved. In order to solve the problem that the traditional activated sludge method is not effective in recovering the ecological process of water pollution in urban areas, the membrane bioreactor-based sewage treatment process was studied experimentally. Two flat-plate ultrafiltration membranes were used to form the ultrafilter tank in the experimental device sampled, and the processes of nitrate cycle and sludge cycle were adopted. Ozonation and granular activated carbon filtration were adopted to treat the micropollutants. After repeated experiments in 17 experimental cycles, the obtained experimental data were analysed, and it was found that under …

Leveraging Library Expertise In Support Of Institutional Goals: A Case Study Of An Oer Initiative At Lehman College, Stacy Katz

Publications and Research

Incentivizing faculty adoption of Open Educational Resources (OER) as a method for reducing textbook costs to increase access and affordability of higher education has been an area of development in academic libraries. This manuscript describes the experience at Lehman College, CUNY, the only four-year public college in the Bronx, NY. The OER initiative involves the creation of a new program, which includes assisting faculty with adopting and adapting OER, as well as training and discussion around issues pertinent to OER, such as finding and evaluating OER. The case study explains local conditions and provide an overview of the financial implications …