Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Soft Budgets And Renegotiations In Public-Private Partnerships, Eduardo Engel, Ronald Fischer, Alexander Galetovic

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are increasingly used to provide infrastructure services. Even though PPPs have the potential to increase efficiency and improve resource allocation, contract renegotiations have been pervasive. We show that existing accounting standards allow governments to renegotiate PPP contracts and elude spending limits. Our model of renegotiations leads to observable predictions: (i) in a competitive market, firms lowball their offers, expecting to break even through renegotiation, (ii) renegotiations compensate lowballing and pay for additional expenditure, (iii) governments use renegotiation to increase spending and shift the burden of payments to future administrations, and (iv) there are significant renegotiations in the …

Gaining Understanding Through Creativity: Comparison Of The Understanding By Design Model And General Creativity Concepts, Michael James Thomas Joseph Bridge

Creative Studies Graduate Student Master's Theses

Results of the analysis presented here indicated that there are clusters of connections which suggest a moderate to strong link between the facets of Creativity and the facets of Understanding. Examining the facets of Perspective, Synthesis, Empathy, Application, Self-Knowledge, and Connect demonstrate the relationship appears to be a mutually supportive symbiosis between the Creativity and Understanding facets. This symbiosis from Creativity strengthens and supports the Understanding facets, and from Understanding strengthens and supports the Creativity facets.

"That Charm Of Remoteness": A Study Of Landscape Stability In Little Compton, Rhode Island, Katharine M. Johnson

Graduate Masters Theses

Little Compton, Rhode Island has long been considered a stable, isolated and rural location relative to surrounding towns and cities. A geophysical and archaeological examination in the front yards of the Wilbor house and Brownell farm was undertaken in order to gain a better understanding about how residents of the town maintained stable, rural lifeways during the period of industrialization and urbanization that characterized the rest of the state in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The results from these examinations revealed that there was a distinct lack of features and landscaping changes in the archaeological record in the …

The Relationship Between Darkness Of Skin Tone And Mediators Of Elevated Blood Pressure, Brandy Trevino

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Numerous studies have found that blood pressure is higher in persons with darker skin tone but the reasons for this remain unclear. This study attempted to investigate this relationship in Hispanics. If such a relationship was found, then it will be addressed whether or not one or more mediators, e.g., hostility, locus of control and perceived racial discrimination mediated the relationship. No such relationship between darkness of skin tone and blood pressure was found. However, statistically significant positive relationships between perceived racial discrimination, locus of control, and hostility were revealed. Discussion of these results focused on the plausible explanation of …

Essential Spreadsheet Modeling Course For Business Students, Thin Yin Leong, Michelle L. F. Cheong

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Ask any student at the Singapore Management University (SMU) to name one of the most practical and useful courses offered by the university. The answer would inevitably include CAT. CAT stands for the "Computer as an Analysis Tool" course. Originally based on a course of the same title offered by the Wharton Business School, the focus of CAT was shifted to provide business students the essential practical skills and necessary "real-world" exposure to better use personal computers for resolving business problems. The course is basically centered on using the Excel spreadsheet to work on ambiguous ill-defined problems.

Investigation Of The Chemical And Physical Properties Of Asian Dust And Asian Pollution Transpacific Transport During The Intex-B Field Campaign, Timothy S. Logan

Theses and Dissertations

Asian dust events during INTEX-B were analyzed by using chemical and physical in situ measurements taken by instruments on board a NASA DC-8 aircraft during the INTEX-B (2006) field campaign. From this analysis, the three following scientific questions about the nature of the Asian dust events were answered: (1) How can we identify which mode dominates in the observed dust plumes, (2) How do the pollutants and Asian dust interact with eac': other to form secondary pollutants, and (3) Has the pollution measured over the remote Pacific increased over the time interval of two previous field experiments (PEM-B 1994 and …

Network Governance And Health Care Policy, M. Ernita Joaquin, Nathan Meyers

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Research

As a paradigm, network governance is trumping “public administration” or traditional models of government. Policies taking a network governance approach seem to have a greater chance of goal
/="/">attainment. Is network governance in health care policy a means of bridging the ideological divide, what with national health policy initiatives tripping on partisan hurdles? One example of network governance (as expounded by Stephen Goldsmith and William Eggers in their 2004 book) at the state level is high-risk health insurance programs (HRPs).

Almonds Along The Silk Road: The Exchange And Adaptation Of Ideas From West To East, Ken Albala

College of the Pacific Faculty Articles

The article discusses the trade routes and the use of almonds to treat ailments. According to the author, almonds were among the first plants to be domesticated around world, particularly in Asia. It also notes that almonds would be ideal for treating colds and other phlegmatic disorders, as well as for bowels. Moreover, some forms in which almonds could be consumed are also mentioned, such as soaking or blanching and roasting.

The Nasa Glenn Research Center: An Economic Impact Study Fiscal Year 2008, Iryna Lendel

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

No abstract provided.

Lsuhsc Facilities Daily Update: August 2009, Lsuhsc Property And Facilities Management

LSUHSC Facilities Daily Updates: 2009

LSUHSC Dailly Facilities Updates from August 2009. These updates describe damage and a timeline of repairs at the LSU Health Sciences Center - New Orleans campus due to Hurricane Katrina which made landfall August 29, 2005.

Lsuhsc Facilities Biweekly Update: August 2009, Lsuhsc Property And Facilities Management

LSUHSC Facilities Biweekly Updates: 2009

LSUHSC Facilities Biweekly Updates from August 14 and 28, 2009.

These updates describe damage and a timeline of repairs at the LSU Health Sciences Center - New Orleans campus due to Hurricane Katrina which made landfall August 29, 2005.

Testing An Extension Of The Job Demands-Resources Model :The Addition Of Personal Resources As Mediators To The Resources - Engagement Relationship, Marilyn Deese

All Theses

I review the construct of work engagement and discuss the Job demands-Resources (JD-R) model, a theory to describe the causes of engagement. The study investigates the inclusion of personal resources in the JD-R model. This research tests the hypothesis that personal resources (self-efficacy, optimism, and self-esteem) will mediate the relationship between organizational resources (method control and social support) and engagement. The hypotheses were tested in a longitudinal design with a sample of nurses from the Northwestern United States (N = 428). Method control significantly predicted self-esteem, and coworker support significantly predicted selfefficacy. Further, supervisor support and self-efficacy predicted dedication, and …

Child Cognitive Development As Examined Using The Family Stress Model, Aimee Hanvey

All Theses

This study used the Family Stress Model to investigate the relationship between economic distress and child cognitive development. A number of family and community processes have been theorized to mediate the relationship between income and child cognitive functioning. Warm parenting, parental stress, and punitive parenting practices were examined as possible mediators in a sample of 12,440 kindergarten children from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Kindergarten (ECLS-K). Cognitive development was evaluated by reading and mathematical standardized tests, and economic distress was measured using the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Insecurity Scale. The results of this study found support …

Hedonic Analysis Of The Willingness To Pay For Fuel Efficiency In The Australian Automobile Market, Michael Perkins

All Theses

The implicit prices of automobile attributes are estimated with a hedonic model of new automobiles sold in the 2005 Australian market. The estimated marginal value of decreased fuel consumption is found to be positively valued by drivers and car manufacturers. A comparison of explicit fuel savings estimated with Australian automobile market statistics to the implicit fuel savings estimated with the hedonic regression indicates that new automobile buyers accurately value the fuel cost savings associated with reductions in fuel consumption.

An Examination Of The Leave No Trace Visitor Education Program In Two Us National Park Service Units, Wade Vagias

All Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine overnight National Park Service (NPS) backcountry visitors' behavioral intentions to comply with promoted LNT principles as well as their opinions regarding the efficacy of various LNT education delivery strategies. Leave No Trace is the most pervasive outdoor skills and ethics training program addressing human powered recreationists in existence however, empirical investigations into the efficacy and diffusion of the program have been scant to nonexistent.
The study sample was obtained by intercepting visitors at backcountry permit issuing stations in Glacier National Park (GNP) in northwest Montana and Olympic National Park (ONP) in northwest …

The Impact Of Transition Out Of Intercollegiate Athletics, Leslie Moreland-Bishop

All Dissertations

The college years are formative in adolescents' identity development, for intercollegiate athletes, the identity is 'athlete'. The extent an athlete relates to an athletic identity may play a role in behaviors, attitudes, and ultimately the transition from athlete to non-athlete. In this study, the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale, the Exhausted Eligibility Retirement Scale, and a demographic instrument were administered to student-athletes from a mid-sized public, land-grant university who had exhausted their athletic eligibility in the 2007-2008 academic year (N=53). Results indicated that athletes with a stronger athletic identity scored higher on the exhausted eligibility transition scale, suggesting the transition to …

Communication Collaboration, Cohesion, And Decision Making: Perceived Differences Between Top Management Teams And Regular Work Teams, Elijah L. Murphy

Communication ETDs

Differences in communication collaboration, cohesion and decision making between top teams and regular teams was investigated. An analysis of 253 members of top teams and regular teams was used to determine where these differences exist. To identify differences between these two groups a one way ANOVA was conducted. Additionally, a decision making scale was designed and evaluated using a confirmatory factor analysis. Collaboration was evaluated using measures of knowledge sharing, workgroup support and employee attitude. Cohesion was evaluated using measures of sense of belonging and morale. Decision making was evaluated using measures of authority rule, majority rule, consensus, and satisficing. …

Adhd Differences On The Stanford Binet Intelligence Scale, Fifth Edition, Meridee Runge, Rodger K. Bufford, Elizabeth Hamilton, Gale Roid

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common psychiatric diagnosis in childhood that requires a level of attention or hyperactivity that falls short of the expected developmental level. Past research shows cognitive discrepancies in ADHD populations with verbal deficiencies observed primarily in tasks that require a combined auditory and verbal component. Working memory has been a long acknowledged deficit in persons with ADHD. This research examines cognitive differences among children with ADHD on working memory and other components of the Stanford Binet, 5th edition (SB5). Stanford Binet verbal and nonverbal working memory was hypothesized to be different for the ADHD sample compared …

Moving Towards Self-Reliance: Living Conditions Of Refugee Camps In Lebanon And Opportunities For Development, Dana Masad

Master's Theses

Refugee camps in Lebanon are harsh, continuously and rapidly deteriorating environments. In addition to poverty, numerous wars and the restrictions of civil rights, refugee camps that were not designed as a long-term settlement were made to accommodate their residents in addition to their descendents for a period that has lasted over 59 years. Since the establishment of the camps in 1948 the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon have fallen victim to multiple wars and as a result most camps have witnessed major destruction of homes and infrastructure, and a few were entirely destroyed. Today, the planning and development of the camps …

Twitter And Youtube: Positive Developments For Human Rights Protection?, Nicola Colbran

Human Rights & Human Welfare

A number of statements have been made regarding the benefit to human rights protection of advances in technology. However, can these advances also have a negative impact?

Focusing on instant messaging and social network services such as Twitter and YouTube, the positives are quickly apparent. They can draw immediate attention to human rights violations that may otherwise go unnoticed, allow interested parties to stay abreast of developments in the protection of human rights, and create strength and courage in numbers for action that may not be anticipated by the perpetrator. These services also enable human rights activists to tweet their …

Gatt/Wto Promotes Trade Strongly: Sample Selection And Model Specification, Xuepeng Liu

Faculty Articles

Some recent empirical studies examine the impact of the GATT/WTO on trade. This paper investigates the sample selection bias and the gravity model specification issues in the literature. First, the GATT/WTO not only makes existing trading partners trade more at the intensive margin, but also creates new trading relationships at the extensive margin. Most existing papers exclude zero trade observations and hence ignore the extensive margin. Secondly, due to the violation of some maintained assumptions, the traditional log-linear gravity regressions fail to uncover the role of the GATT/WTO even at the intensive margin. Using a large bilateral panel dataset including …

The Responsibility To Protect: Three Pillars And Four Crimes, Heraldo Muñoz

Human Rights & Human Welfare

The adoption of the concept of “Responsibility to Protect” (RtoP) by the Heads of State and Government in the September 2005 United Nations World Summit was a historic landmark which has generated great attention as a potentially powerful instrument to impede humanitarian tragedies. Yet much has been missing, or misinterpreted, in the public discussion of this emerging norm. Some fear that RtoP could be abused by powerful countries to intervene in developing nations alleging altruistic motives, while others believe that RtoP is already a rule of customary international law that should be applied unconditionally and without delay in the face …

Stop The Revolution, Michael Jackson Is Dead!, William Paul Simmons

Human Rights & Human Welfare

We won’t soon forget the rapid fire pace of “tweets” and Facebook posts direct from the streets of Tehran. The haunting images of Neda Agha Soltan shocked the consciences of hundreds of thousands around the globe as it went “viral.”

Protest, Iranian Style: A Two-Way Conversation?, Shareen Hertel

Human Rights & Human Welfare

Darrell West gets it right when he argues that despite their promise, digital technologies alone “cannot produce revolutions. To generate fundamental change, it still takes strong leadership, powerful ideas, and people willing to risk detention and imprisonment.” West is writing about Iran—and the critical role that social networking has played in fostering social protest in the wake of a disputed election in that country. He also warns that oppressive regimes may turn the very same tool of protest against those fighting for freedom, by using digital technology to track protesters. Yet West underplays the importance of social networking for cracking …

Iran: Who Is Quicker - The Hacker Or The Twitter?, Anja Mihr

Human Rights & Human Welfare

For a moment we believed that we had entered into a new era of democratic movement. Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Google—chat have given proof that regardless where people live, what background they have, what system they adhere to or what religion they practice: they want to share the injustice and violence that happens to them with the world. They seek awareness, help and support and moreover they look for an end to the unfair and violent treatment. So have thousands of people in Iran—and still they do. They use what is the most widely available, quickest and the cheapest way …

U.S. Training And Re-Training Programs In The Economic Crisis, Randall W. Eberts

Periodical Articles

No abstract provided.

Self-Actualization In The Lives Of Medieval Female Mystics: An Ethnohistorical Approach, Cherel Jane Ellsworth Olive

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation explores the cultural and psychological factors that permitted six medieval female mystics to assume positions of leadership and innovation in a world marked by extreme gender inequality. Women religious have often been charged with being neurotics, hysterics, narcissists, and nymphomaniacs whereas males with similar experiences are rarely subject to the same degree of criticism. It is argued here that the women may well have been seeking to achieve the form of self-actualization described by humanist psychologist, Abraham Maslow, as a result of the "conversion" experience analyzed by William James. Furthermore, applying modern categories of mental illness to these …

Exploring Erotic Plasticity As An Individual Difference Variable: Theory And Measurement, Lorraine Benuto

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Baumeister's theory of female erotic plasticity is supported by a significant body of data suggesting that female sexuality is more malleable and more greatly influenced by cultural and contextual factors than male sexuality. Sex differences notwithstanding, it is reasonable to theorize that erotic plasticity might also vary across individuals. Based on a thematic/conceptual organization of relevant current literature, we explored erotic plasticity as optimally encompassed by six dimensions: (1) changes in sexual attitudes over time, (2) changes in sexual behaviors over time and across context, (3) fluidity of sexual behaviors along a same-sex/opposite-sex continuum (evidence of attraction and/or sexual involvement …

On The Road Again: Photo Students Search For The "Real" Nebraska, Bruce Thorson

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Student Media

"Migrant Mother," a photograph by Dorothea Lange that showed a mother struggling to survive with her three children in a lean-to in a migrant camp, became the iconic picture that symbolized the Great Depression in the 1930s. Today, our nation's economy has fallen to a historic level not seen since that traumatic period. Financial and housing markets and automakers have crumbled; unemployment has soared. This national recession has touched every American, including those who live in Nebraska.

The objective of this project is to produce photographs, audio slideshows and video that document how this economic upheaval has affected Nebraskans. We …

Christian Faith, Nonviolence, And Ukraine's Orange Revolution: A Case Study Of The Embassy Of God Church, Svetlana Filiatreau

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.