Digital Commons Network^™

Statistical Analysis Of Log Transformation Effectiveness In Air Traffic Movement Forecasting During Covid-19 In South Africa, John Lehlaka Masekoameng

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

This study evaluates the effectiveness of log transformation in enhancing multiple regression models used to forecast air traffic movements (ATMs) in South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using 60 monthly observations from October 2016 to September 2021, the analysis incorporates variables such as revenue, lockdown levels, COVID-19 metrics, exchange rates, gross domestic product, and population. Two models are compared: one using raw ATMs and another with log-transformed ATMs as the dependent variable.

While the untransformed model shows stronger explanatory power (R² = 0.904, adjusted R² = 0.891) compared to the log-transformed model (R² = 0.772, adjusted R² = 0.741), the …

Vapes In Violation: The Case For An Fdca-Based Negligence Per Se Claim Against E-Cigarette Manufacturers, Grace Hering

University of Chicago Legal Forum

The unexpected and dramatic rise in youth e-cigarette consumption in the past decade has left both private and public actors racing to catch up to a quickly evolving and potentially disastrous market. As litigation against e-cigarette manufacturers continues to develop, it is increasingly evident that one of the biggest obstacles to bringing private claims will be avoiding preemption under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA).

This Comment argues that one untested yet promising pathway for injured plaintiffs to avoid preemption is to bring FDCA-based negligence per se claims. By examining precedent involving other FDCA provisions, this Comment assesses …

Curfew And Its Constitutional Limits: Analyzing The Judicial Standard Of Review For Curfews In Times Of Emergency, Alec Greven

University of Chicago Legal Forum

Curfews imposed against an entire civilian population are extremely rare. Despite this, the amount of curfews has recently skyrocketed in the United States as government officials use this sweeping power to respond to emergencies. This Comment evaluates the constitutional rights implicated by general curfew orders, namely the right to travel and the right to speak in public forums. Then, this Comment surveys the current circuit split. Lower courts significantly diverge in their standard of review of curfew orders and apply three very different forms of review: deference, intermediate scrutiny, and strict scrutiny. This Comment argues that courts should subject general …

Climate Change Impact On Cooling Energy Demand Of Major Airports In Nigeria, Abdullah C. Salihu, Yahaya Z. Ibrahim, Rukayyat Abdulkarim, Emmanuel I. Aruya

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

Rising global temperatures due to climate change are intensifying the cooling energy demands of critical infrastructure, including airports. This study assesses the impact of climate change on the cooling energy needs of five major international airports in Nigeria (Abuja, Enugu, Kano, Lagos, and Port Harcourt) using cooling degree days (CDDs) derived from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) multi-model ensemble climate projections. Monthly and annual CDD calculated with a base temperature of 18°C were obtained from the World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal (CCKP) at a spatial resolution of 25 km × 25 km. Percentage changes in CDD were analyzed …

Compassion Or Crisis?: Distinguishing Intent Under § 1324 In Sanctuary And Trafficking Cases, Leah Cussen

University of Chicago Legal Forum

Section 1324 of Title 8 of the U.S. Code prohibits “harboring” undocumented immigrants. But for decades, courts have disagreed over what counts as harboring and what mens rea is required to prove it. These questions have only grown more urgent as immigration has been repeatedly framed as a national crisis. A lack of uniformity in the application of § 1324 has enabled expansive enforcement of the anti-harboring provision, allowing a single statute to target both humanitarian actors providing sanctuary and traffickers exploiting immigrants.

Today, a circuit split reflects two competing approaches. The Third, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Circuits use a …

When Disaster Strikes: Assessing The Takings Clause In The Context Of Government-Caused Property Destruction, Abby Berman

University of Chicago Legal Forum

In rare but dire emergencies, the government must destroy the property of innocent homeowners to prevent further harm to a community. Although the law often forgives such destruction to protect the public good, courts have inadequately resolved how to compensate innocent property owners for their losses. This Comment unpacks how doctrine has split among circuit courts regarding whether the Takings Clause requires just compensation for innocent property owners whose property has been destroyed by government action in response to an emergency. As a resolution to this circuit split, this Comment proposes that courts should adopt a multi-factor test, utilizing the …

False Claims, Real Threats: Cybersecurity Noncompliance And The False Claims Act’S Materiality Standard, Charlotte Bairey

University of Chicago Legal Forum

This Comment examines the challenges of applying the False Claims Act’s (FCA) materiality standard to cybersecurity noncompliance by federal contractors. Although the Department of Justice’s Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative seeks to hold government contractors accountable for misrepresenting their adherence to federal cybersecurity standards, courts have inconsistently applied the “holistic” framework for determining materiality established by the Supreme Court in Universal Health Services v. Escobar. Cybersecurity-related FCA claims face unique obstacles when it comes to showing materiality because noncompliance is widespread, national security interests complicate the government’s payment decisions, and government agencies may continue contracting with noncompliant entities out of necessity. This …

Killer Heat: The Disaster Fema Refuses To Own, Robert R.M. Verchick

University of Chicago Legal Forum

Extreme heat, also known as a “heatwave,” is by far the leading weather-related cause of death in the United States.1 In 2023, extreme heat took 2,300 lives—more than all the deaths attributed to hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, droughts, wildfires, winter storms, and floods combined. Harms from extreme heat, which are especially severe in disadvantaged communities, will only increase as the climate continues to break down. Despite these facts, in more than 70 years of comprehensive disaster response, no president has ever declared a “major disaster” based on extreme heat, nor has the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) ever recommended he do …

Integrating Human Factors, Technology, And Mental Health: A Mixed-Methods Framework For Aviation Maintenance Safety In The Philippines, Arthur Dela Peña

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

A complex interaction of human factors, mental health, organizational dynamics, and emerging technologies influences aviation maintenance safety in the Philippines. This study aims to develop an integrated framework to address these aspects and reduce maintenance-related errors. Using a mixed-methods approach based on Creswell’s pragmatic paradigm, the research surveyed 200 participants, including aviation maintenance technicians (AMTs), supervisors, and managers, and conducted in-depth interviews and focus groups. Quantitative analysis revealed that fatigue was a significant contributor to maintenance errors, accounting for 45% of recorded incidents and exhibiting a strong correlation with error rates (r = 0.71, p = 0.005). Incorporating human factors …

Majority Rule And Bankruptcy Resolution Of Mass-Harm Events, Sarah Paterson, Adrian Walters

University of Chicago Legal Forum

Mass-harm events invariably precipitate mass tort liabilities. Since the enactment of the Bankruptcy Code in 1978, firms have resorted to Chapter 11 to address mass tort claims in cases involving asbestos-related disease, defective products, the opioid crisis, and historic sexual abuse. Of late, the use of bankruptcy to resolve mass tort claims has been the subject of sustained criticism from inside and outside bankruptcy law’s professional and academic communities. Much of this has been provoked by the Purdue Pharma filing and the bankruptcy court’s approval of a plan of reorganization that created a liability shield for the Sackler family in …

Vaccines For Pandemics: Lessons From Covid-19 For H5n1 And Beyond, Alison Mccarthy, Michael S. Sinha

University of Chicago Legal Forum

The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges to vaccine development and distribution. Never before has a vaccine been developed so quickly and distributed so rapidly. But compared to past pandemics and public health crises—like polio or even the more recent H1N1 pandemic—the United States government’s COVID-19 vaccine strategy depended greatly on the private sector.

COVID-19 vaccines were credited with saving millions of lives worldwide, but private companies reaped these rewards, retained their patent rights, and profited from the vast and pressing need for their vaccines. Now, five years later, not every company views its vaccine work as a success. Financial hits …

Exploring The Reduction Of Runway Incursions Through Training, Vasilios (Billy) Constaintine Metallinos

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

Runway incursions are prevalent aviation safety issues that result in adverse outcomes. The focus of this qualitative case study was exploring the reduction of runway incursions through training for pilots. Applying social cognitive theory (SCT) provided this study with a theoretical underpinning. Conducting interviews and a focus group with 17 participants allowed for the collection of enough data and resulted in identifying the importance of training in preventing runway incursions. Based on the thematic analysis conducted, it was identified that evidence-based, scenario-based, and continuous training can be used to reduce runway incursions caused by pilot deviations. The results contribute to …

Elections, Courts, And Democratic Crisis: Constitutional Structure And The 2020 Election, Manoj Mate

University of Chicago Legal Forum

This Article analyzes how the U.S. constitutional order responds to democratic crisis by examining Supreme Court cases dealing with the effort to overturn the 2020 election, and the response to the January 6th Capitol attack. It analyzes the Court’s approaches to constitutional structure in key cases and how these approaches impact constitutional capacity to address democratic crises. The Article discusses how the effort to overturn the 2020 election sought to exploit key weaknesses in the U.S. constitutional framework. It then examines how the Supreme Court adjudicated cases related to the effort to overturn the 2020 election, including Moore v. Harper, …

Emergencies, Alien And Domestic, Samuel Issacharoff

University of Chicago Legal Forum

Democracies survive some emergencies, even emerging stronger after some crises despite temporary suspensions of liberty. Democracies die when faced with other emergencies. This Article explores why. It addresses the claimed need to limit rights of electoral participation in response to the rise of antidemocratic forces through the lens of militant democracy in Europe and the Insurrection Clause of Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment in the United States. When examined through the context of claimed exigency, the ability of democracies to survive or even thrive after emergencies turns heavily on whether the source of the perceived threat is foreign or …

Realizing The World Health Organization’S Constitutional Mission: Equitably And Everywhere, Sam Halabi, Lawrence Gostin

University of Chicago Legal Forum

COVID-19 revealed deeply embedded inequalities in countries’ capacity to respond to public health disasters. From 2020 to 2024, the content and scope of international health law expanded to address these deep inequities, including a new pandemic agreement and significant changes to the International Health Regulations (IHR). Recent moves by the Trump Administration leveled significant losses on this new global health law infrastructure. At the heart of this infrastructure is the World Health Organization (WHO)—the UN’s specialized agency, which for 77 years has led the world toward realizing the human right to the highest attainable standard of mental and physical health. …

Crisis And The Constitution: The Role Of Civil Liberties In Times Of National Security Threat, Michele Goodwin, Allison M. Whelan

University of Chicago Legal Forum

In this Article, we contribute to the unfolding debate around civil liberties and civil rights in times of political, cultural, and health crises. As this Article was drafted, the National Guard was deployed in Los Angeles, California and Washington, D.C. by the President of the United States. In Oregon, a federal judge issued a final order barring the Trump administration from deploying troops to Portland. These events renew questions related to federalism, states’ rights, individual civil rights, and civil liberties. As chaos unfolds, what is the rule of law and role of civil liberties in times of real or purported …

Liability For Disaster Risks, Daniel A. Farber

University of Chicago Legal Forum

A growing body of law addresses liability for harms caused by disasters. The bases for liability are diverse: common law torts, statutes covering specific risks, and takings doctrine. Litigation can involve government or private defendants, while the disaster could be anything from an oil spill to a flood. This Article maps this complex legal terrain and discusses three cross-cutting themes in disaster liability. One theme is the action/inaction distinction, which can create a perverse incentive to postpone or forego mitigation efforts. The second theme involves the interplay between legislatures and courts in designing and implementing liability rules. The final theme …

A Continuum Of Responsibility: An Examination Of The Human Right To A Healthy Environment Of Present And Future Generations, Sarah Dávila A.

University of Chicago Legal Forum

Youth-led advocacy has been at the forefront of the protection of the right to a healthy environment in the face of a triple planetary crisis: loss of biodiversity, environmental degradation, and climate change. Globally, youth have called upon international bodies to provide guidance as to how States and private actors can be held accountable for human right violations. They have demanded that States protect not merely the human rights of present generations, but those of future generations. This Article explores recent developments in international human rights law, including the recent Committee on the Rights of the Child General Comment No. …

Emergency Lending By The Federal Reserve, Richard Clarida, Kathryn Judge

University of Chicago Legal Forum

The Federal Reserve established an array of innovative emergency lending facilities during the Great Financial Crisis and expanded the scope of its emergency lending yet further in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. This Article provides a retrospective of how the Federal Reserve used its emergency lending authority across these two episodes, identifying patterns and revealing some differences. It sheds light on the conditions that enabled the Federal Reserve to establish the facilities that it did, including the roles played by Congress and Treasury in providing the equity funding that made certain facilities possible. It shows how in each episode, the …

The Disaster Management Complex: Law’S Adaptations In Times Of Climate Disaster, Michael Burger, Jeffrey Schlegelmilch, Lucia Bragg

University of Chicago Legal Forum

The Anthropocene is marked by constant climate-related disasters and defined by the urgent need to foster and implement adaptations to future climate impacts that reduce disaster risk. The intensity, frequency, and severity of extreme weather events continue to rise even as nations and corporations alike miss their emissions targets, all promising a hotter, wetter, and more extreme future. A number of federal agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), have, at times, sought to adapt their own famously fragmented responses to these changing circumstances. However, federal disaster response is conducted against a backdrop of authorizing legislation that is designed …

In-House Lawyers And The Impact Of Crisis-Driven Financial Legislation: Evidence From Sarbanes-Oxley, Dhruv Chand Aggarwa

University of Chicago Legal Forum

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) entrusted the general counsel (GC) of public companies with overseeing a new system of internal controls and reporting misconduct at their firms. I use a hand-collected dataset tracking the backgrounds of in-house lawyers to argue that SOX increased the value of “experienced” GCs who had worked at the firm for longer as of the legislation’s enactment. I find that firms with experienced GCs exhibited positive abnormal returns around key legislative dates associated with the passage of SOX. Experienced GCs also saw larger increases in compensation immediately after the passage of SOX. Experienced GCs could …

On The Role Of Intellectuals, Writers, The Duality Of Power And Culture In Edward Said's Work, Khalid Chaouch

Basamat

This article examines Edward Said’s vision of the intellectual and the tension between culture and power. It highlights his critique of domination and his call for writers and intellectuals to speak truth, defend justice, and resist ideological closure.

Internal Communication In The Service Of An Image Policy, Or How To Promote The Company's Image Internally, Samira Ammor

Basamat

No abstract provided.

Categorization And Subcategorization In Lexicography, Or The Role Of Predication, Rachid El Hadari

Basamat

The article discusses categorization and subcategorization in lexicography, emphasizing the role of predication. It examines how lexicographic choices structure meaning and grammatical information, and questions the limits of traditional dictionary models.

Knowledge, Power And Fear: Reflections On Exile, Edward Said And The 'Mainstreaming' Of Postcolonial Literary Thought, Valérie Orlando

Basamat

This article reflects on exile as a key lens in Edward Said’s thought and on the links between knowledge, power, and fear. It discusses how postcolonial literary theory became “mainstream” and examines what may be lost when critical ideas are institutionalized.

Dual Credit Enrollment And First-Year Undergraduate Experience In Texas: Insights From A Mixed Methods Study, Summer Pannell, Jennifer D. Goddard

School Leadership Review

There has been considerable expansion in the availability of dual credit coursework, however, there is still a lack of understanding regarding how effective these programs are in equipping students for success in post-secondary education (Struhl & Vargas, 2012). This study used a mixed-methods approach to explore the relationships between various components of dual credit programs and the experiences of first-time undergraduate students. The results of a hierarchical multiple regression indicated a statistically significant relationship between the modality of dual credit coursework and students’ first-year undergraduate GPAs but not between the setting of the two factors. Further, the results did not …

The Influence Of University Investment Education On Asset Allocation

Journal of Economics and Finance Education

Using survey data from students at three universities, we examine the influence of an Investments Analysis course on student perception of the ideal asset allocation for a retirement portfolio. Consistent with previous studies that examine financial education in the workplace, a critical outcome of university investment education is the apparent alleviation of a conservative bias that is typically prevalent among uninformed investors. This change results in an increasing willingness to take larger stock positions, which produces higher expected returns and larger portfolio betas. Most importantly, however, the net effect is more efficient portfolios, particularly for those students who begin with …

Math Skills And Everyday Problem Solving

Journal of Economics and Finance Education

Given the importance of mathematics to economic education, we administer a test of basic math skills to 696 students enrolled in various college economics courses in order to understand the factors influencing a student’s ability to apply basic math skills in practical settings. Students with strong elementary math skills perform significantly better in applied contexts and we find that taking more math classes in college improves a student’s ability to apply mathematics substantially. Interestingly, our results suggest that students with greater personal financial responsibility in funding their education do significantly better in understanding and applying basic math skills.

Financial Industry Certification Preparation And “Teaching To The Test”

Journal of Economics and Finance Education

This paper addresses two aspects of offering finance certification training programs at the university level. During the spring term 2006, Southern New Hampshire University offered (in conjunction with a large, diversified financial services company) a finance elective course to prepare students to sit for the FINRA Series 7 General Securities Registered Representative Examination. Firstly, the paper provides a brief background on developing a specialized academic course working in cooperation with a corporate entity. Secondly, the paper explores the academic ramifications of delivering the course in a “teaching to the test” format instead of a more typical academic course delivery.

Collusion And Stock Offerings: A Classroom Exercise For Economics And Finance Classes

Journal of Economics and Finance Education

Collusion-based lawsuits surrounding initial and seasoned offerings have been a reoccurring phenomenon. This paper offers a classroom exercise for economics and finance courses that allows students to experience the collusion phenomenon. This is achieved through simulating how underwriters and preferred clients participate in schemes of buying and selling shares of a new stock issue in order to make exorbitant profits. Students experience the consequences when excessive investor demand is not tempered with an understanding of how earning fundamentals determine security value. Most importantly, students gain insight into the ethical responsibilities of those involved in the security issuance process.