Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons^™

So Many Hospitals, So Little Information: How Hospital Value Based Purchasing Is A Game Of Chance, Andrew I. Friedson, William C. Horrace, Allison F. Marier

Center for Policy Research

As part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, participating Medicare hospitals have part of their Medicare reimbursements withheld and then redistributed based on quality performance. The Hospital Value Based Purchasing reimbursement plan relies partly on ordinal rankings of hospitals to determine how money is distributed. We analyze the quality metric distributions used for payment and show that there is not enough information to reliably differentiate hospitals from one another near the payment cutoffs; and conclude that a large part of the payment formula is driven by sampling variability rather than true quality information. Alternative reimbursement plans are developed.

Using An Equilibrium Displacement Model To Simulate The Impact Of An Environmental Meat Tax On Grain And Livestock Markets, Regan Gilmore

UCARE: Research Products

Research Question

What are the potential effects of imposing a hypothetical environmental tax on meat consumption, including beef, pork, and poultry, on the livestock and grain markets in the United States from farm to fork?

Faculty advisor: Azzeddine Azzam

This was the first half of my research project; the second half (with the results) is shown on the following poster: "Simulating the Impact of a CO2-equivalent Meat Tax on Grain and Livestock Markets" @ https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ucareresearch/151/

The Road To Gentrification

DePaul Magazine

Recent development in Logan Square have certainly bettered the general quality of life. But to others, including residents and housing market experts, such as the Geoff Smith, executive director of the Institute for Housing Studies (IHS) at DePaul, and Winifred Curran, gentrification expert and associate professor in the Department of Geography and the sustainable urban development master’s program, the influx of young, mostly white professionals is a warning sign of gentrification. It’s happening around the country—areas of disrepair are renewed and rebuilt, and people of higher socioeconomic status move in, driving up housing prices and rent rates and, perhaps unintentionally, …

Student Attitudes Toward The Transgender Community Following Restroom Reassignment, Kelly L. Duggins

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

The problem of this study was to investigate the effect recent changes to gender specific restrooms had on students’ attitudes toward the transgender community at a public research university in the southeastern United States. To determine if further education and/or inclusion actions should be implemented by university communities, an invitation to complete an electronic survey was sent by email to students at Old Dominion University’s main campus in Norfolk, VA. Participants responded to seventeen statements, each designed to collect data relating to one of the four research objectives of this study. The findings of this study may be used to …

Rebuilding Security And Peace For Women: Exploring Women’S Security Challenges And Activism For Security And Peace Building In Northeast India, Rubi Devi

Dissertations

Women have been affected by violence and conflicts ever since the wars were first waged on earth. Woman as a grieving mother or widow is a common portrayal of war and conflict. However, the common portrayal of women as passive victims does not recount the whole story of women’s experience in conflict/post conflict scenario. Women face countless security challenges in the form of physical, psychological abuses, economic burden and most importantly sexual violence- rape, murder, molestation, kidnapping and sex trafficking. The gendered nature of conflict, thus, increases women’s security challenges and places them at a critical juncture of experiencing and …

How The City Of Indianapolis Came To Have African American Policemen And Firemen 80 Years Before The Modern Civil Rights Movement., Leon E. Bates

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores a series of events that occurred in the spring of 1876. The relationship between the Indianapolis city government, the Marion County Courts, the Indianapolis Police Department, and the African American community came together to usher in changes never before envisioned. The Indianapolis Police Department (IPD) was formed in 1855, then disbanded 12 months later in a political dispute. From 1857-to-1876, the IPD was all white. These changes took place as the Reconstruction era was coming to a close. The first Ku Klux Klan was at its apex, terrorizing black communities, and Jim Crow was coming into its …

Structure, Spending, And Democracy : A Study Of Municipal Governments., Neal Mcintyre Turpin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The debate over the effect of government structure is one of the most examined aspects of administration. At the municipal level, much of this work has focused on the structural reforms of the Progressive era. Three of these reforms –city managers, at-large elections, and non-partisan elections –were meant to make cities more professional and efficient. Three more –initiatives, referenda, and recalls –were meant to make cities more democratic. A large segment of this literature has studied what effects these structures have on local government spending, and results have been mixed. This dissertation seeks to examine what effects structural reform elements …

Policy Analysis: A Rich Array Of Country And Comparative Insights, Joselyn Muhleisen, Ishani Mukherjee

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The International Library of Policy Analysis (ILPA) series, edited by Iris Geva-May and Michael Howlett, is a collection of books assessing the state of the discipline of policy analysis in eight countries. The books address the academic development of policy analysis, its practical applications, the diverse range of actors involved, and pertinent academic instruction. Alhough the state of policy analysis - and, importantly, the state of policy analysis scholarship - varies considerably in the countries studied, the series is able to sythesise existing knowledge through empirical research and institutional analyses of the governmental and non-governmental organisations that provide policy advice …

2016 August, Office Of Communications & Marketing, Morehead State University.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for August of 2016.

Exploring The Links Between Legislator’S Education And State Spending, Megan Thiele, Kristen Shorette, Catherine Bolzendahl

Faculty Publications, Sociology

In the current political climate of education financing, public institutions are often the targets of budget cuts. This erosion of the financial backing occurs alongside an expansion of higher education. This research investigates one component of this political realm. Based on research suggesting that policy-makers’ personal characteristics (e.g. gender, race, religious status) affect policy outcomes, this work investigates the extent to which legislators’ educational backgrounds matter for public higher education spending (Washington 2008). Do states with a larger percentage of legislators with a public higher education degree spend more on public higher education than do other legislatures, all other things …

Teachers And The Development Of Student Noncognitive Skills, Albert Cheng

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Scholars of education policy are increasingly aware of the independent role that noncognitive skills (e.g., self-regulation, Social skills, and other personality or character traits) play in long- and short-run student well-being. However, little is known about how these skills are effectively developed. One theory is that noncognitive skills are developed through role modeling by teachers. A student, by virtue of observing and sharing a Social connection with his or her schoolteachers, begins to emulate noncognitive skills that they exhibit. In this dissertation, I test this theory. I focus specifically on noncognitive skills related to conscientiousness and measure them using new …

Utilizing Egocentric Video And Sensors To Conduct Naturalistic Bicycling Studies, Feng Liu, Miguel A. Figliozzi

TREC Final Reports

Existing data collection methods are mostly designed for videos captured by stationary cameras and are not designed to follow cyclists along a route or to integrate other sensor data. The goals of this research are: a) to develop a platform to collect naturalistic video bicycling data, b) to develop a methodology to integrate video data with other sensors that measure cyclists’ position and comfort levels, and c) to apply the platform and data collection methodology to a real-world route. This research effort has successfully integrated video and sensor data to describe cyclists’ comfort levels along a route. It was found …

Emergency Management Training For Transportation Agencies, Frances Edwards, Daniel Goodrich, James Griffith

Mineta Transportation Institute

State transportation agencies have a variety of responsibilities related to emergency management. Field personnel manage events--from day-to-day emergencies to disasters--using the Incident Command System (ICS) as their organizational basis. At the headquarters level, the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) coordinates the use of resources across the department and its districts, with other state departments and agencies, and through the federal Emergency Support Function 1. District-level EOCs coordinate with the department. In extreme events, the transportation department may only be able to deliver limited essential services in austere conditions, so a continuity of operations/ continuity of government plan (COOP/COG) is essential. This …

Experimental Modeling Of Nox And Pm Generation From Combustion Of Various Biodiesel Blends For Urban Transport Buses, Ashok Kumar, Dong-Shik Kim, Hamid Omidvarborna, Manideep Yarlagadda, Sudheer Kumar Kuppili, Nader Sawtarie

Mineta Transportation Institute

Biodiesel has diverse sources of feedstock and the amount and composition of its emissions vary significantly depending on combustion conditions. Results of laboratory and field tests reveal that nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions from biodiesel are influenced more by combustion conditions than emissions from regular diesel. Therefore, NOx and PM emissions documented through experiments and modeling studies are the primary focus of this investigation. In addition, a comprehensive analysis of the feedstock-related combustion characteristics and pollutants are investigated. Research findings verify that the oxygen contents, the degree of unsaturation, and the size of the fatty acids in …

Benefit-Cost Analysis For Transportation Planning And Public Policy: Towards Multimodal Demand Modeling, Matthew Holian, Ralph Mclaughlin

Mineta Transportation Institute

This report examines existing methods of benefit-cost analysis (BCA) in two areas, transportation policy and transportation planning, and suggests ways of modifying these methods to account for travel within a multimodal system. Although the planning and policy contexts differ substantially, this report shows how important multimodal impacts can be incorporated into both by using basic econometric techniques and even simpler rule-of-thumb methods. Case studies in transportation planning focus on the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), but benchmark California’s competencies by exploring methods used by other states and local governments. The report concludes with a list and discussion of recommendations for …

Improving Pathways To Transit For Persons With Disabilities, Stephanie Dipetrillo, Andrea Lubin, Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, Carla Salehian, Stephen Gibson, Kristen William, Theodore Trent Green

Mineta Transportation Institute

Persons with disabilities can achieve a greater degree of freedom when they have full access to a variety of transit modes, but this can only be achieved when the pathways to transit – the infrastructure and conditions in the built environment – allow full access to transit stops, stations, and vehicles. Since passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, many transit agencies and governmental jurisdictions have made significant progress in this area. Policy initiatives, incremental enhancements, modifications, and other measures undertaken by transit agencies and their partners have significantly improved access to transit for persons with disabilities, …

Profit Based Simulation Model For The Rail Transportation Industry, Mark Patrick Doran

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Schedules often conflict in the rail transportation industry. Operations managers assign resources and make scheduling decisions with no visibility of the revenue, cost, and profitability characteristics of the route they are manipulating. Transit speed decisions focus on ensuring trains safely reach their destination on time with little regard given to the actual service needs of the customer. Although all customers want on-time deliveries, few actually pay a premium to garner this level of preferential treatment. Operating in this type of environment results in decisions that severely erode profits.

In this dissertation, a simulation model referred to as the Rail Profit …

Singapore In Motion: Insights On Public Transport Service Level Through Farecard And Mobile Data Analytics, Hasan Poonawala, Vinay Kolar, Sebastien Blandin, Laura Wynter, Sambit Sahu

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Given the changing dynamics of mobility patterns and rapid growth of cities, transport agencies seek to respond more rapidly to needs of the public with the goal of offering an effective and competitive public transport system. A more data-centric approach for transport planning is part of the evolution of this process. In particular, the vast penetration of mobile phones provides an opportunity to monitor and derive insights on transport usage. Real time and historical analyses of such data can give a detailed understanding of mobility patterns of people and also suggest improvements to current transit systems. On its own, however, …

Clark County Department Of Family Services, Parenting Project, Julie Owens, Natalie Grajeda, Stephanie Thelen, David L. Olivieri, Fredric Jackson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Clark County Parenting Project offers a series of free programs to help parents become more effective in raising their children. This program evaluation focuses on Teen Triple P, one of the six programs offered by Clark County, evaluating the effectiveness of the program to the community. The Parenting Project partnered with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, School of Public Policy and Leadership to be a participant in a program evaluation. The evaluation will serve as a tool to determine the overall effectiveness in meeting program goals and objectives as well as determining strengths and weaknesses in program implementation.

Research Brief: "The Effect Of Combat Service And Military Rank On Entrepreneurial Careers: The Case Of Israeli Mba Graduates", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This study examines the association between entrepreneurship and military service in a combat unit, and leadership positions for Israeli veterans enrolled in a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program. In practice, veterans venturing into entrepreneurship should consider applying the many social skills they attained during their military service. In addition, career advisors should discuss with servicemembers and veterans how their social skills can be applied outside the military. In policy, many of the policy implications can be applied to American veterans, and TAP might offer programs and tools that teach servicemembers interviewing skills, such as maximizing social media platforms. …

Paper 3: Workforce Readiness Alignment: The Relationship Between Job Preferences, Retention, And Earnings, Rosalinda Maury, Brice M. Stone, Deborah A. Bradbard, Nicholas Armstrong, J. Michael Haynie

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This paper focuses on testing propositions related to workforce readiness by examining the relationship between job preferences, military conferred skills, and a variety of outcome measures including retention, income, and perceptions about transition.

The People's College? An Examination Of Who Governs Community Colleges At The Local Level, Katheryn Christine Brekken

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Community colleges are playing an increasingly important role in national and local postsecondary education and economic development policy arenas. These two-year institutions educate 46 percent of American undergraduates, including the majority of African American, Hispanic and Native American undergraduate students. However, community colleges are failing to graduate students, particularly students of color (AACC, 2012). Given the national demand for graduates, policymakers are struggling to help more under-represented groups succeed and complete their college degrees. Therefore, an examination of who is governing community colleges and making important policy decisions to address student success is critical. While there are a variety of …

Building An Evaluation Framework For The Smith Center’S Education & Outreach Department, Melissa Jacobowitz, Chris Helda, Stephanie Hernandez, Rico Casillas

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Smith Center, Clark County’s premier performing arts center, offers professional development opportunities through their Education and Outreach Department to teach local educators how to incorporate arts integration strategies into their classrooms. Research has shown that arts education, particularly in the form of arts integration, can bolster student achievement, increase student engagement and motivation, develop critical and creative thinking patterns, and boost social competences, such as collaboration and self-confidence. Given the great possibility of improving student achievement via arts integration and the poor educational outcomes that the Clark County School District has been struggling with for years, The Smith Center’s …

A​ Program Evaluation Of Outside Las Vegas’ Ymca Education Program, Robin Mendoza, Kevin Schmidt, Arcelia Barajas, Branson Chun

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Today, more than ever, society needs high-quality environmental education programs that succeed in moving values and changing behaviors in the direction of sustainability and conservation. The most common definition of outdoor education comes from "education in, about, and for the outdoors" (Donaldson and Donaldson, 1958, p. 63). They described outdoor learning as taking place “in” the outdoors and the subject matter being “about” nature or the outdoors. There are a variety of studies about “outdoor learning” with a large variation of topics, activities, settings and channels of delivery. The research discussed in this paper will vary slightly to demonstrate the …

Mobile Technologies: Uxo Lao's Easy Sketch Map, Hayashi Ontoku Akihito

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Established in 1996, the Lao National Unexploded Ordnance Programme (UXO Lao) promotes risk education and clears land for agriculture, community purposes (e.g., schools, hospitals, temples and water supplies) and other development activities. UXO Lao is working in the nine most impacted Lao provinces nationwide. Although recent changes occurred to UXO Lao’s survey procedure, the program continues mapping out contaminated areas throughout the country.

Implementing International Obligations To Clear Mines, Stuart Maslen

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Each State Party to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) that knows or suspects it has areas under its jurisdiction or control that contain anti-personnel (AP) mines has a clear deadline to locate and destroy those mines. According to Article 5(1), upon becoming party to the APMBC, a State must complete clearance within ten years, unless the deadline is pushed back in an agreement from the other States Parties at an annual meeting or five-yearly review conference.

The Journal Of Conventional Weapons Destruction Issue 20.2 (2016), Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Mobile Technologies in CWD

South and Central Asia

Field Notes

Research and Development

Integrated Cooperation On Explosive Hazards Program In Central Asia, Luka Buhin

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Office in Tajikistan (OiT) facilitates regional cooperation and coordination in the field of mine action in Central Asia, predominantly focusing on but not limited to inter-military cooperation. This approach falls under the OSCE concept of comprehensive and cooperative security. One of the best examples of this cooperation is the OSCE extra-budgetary project, the Integrated Cooperation on Explosive Hazards Programme (ICExH), which has been running since mid-2013. The project received financial support from the governments of Austria and the Netherlands in the past, while the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in …

Afghanistan’S National Mine Action Strategic Plan (2016–2021), Mohammad Akbar Oriakhil

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Afghanistan suffers from severe landmine and explosive remnants of war (ERW) contamination, mostly as a result of the Soviet-Afghan War (1979–1989), internal conflict lasting from 1992 to 1996, and the United States-led coalition intervention in late 2001.

Mobile Data Collection: Interoperability Through New Architecture, Elizabeth Vinek, Sulaiman Mukahhal, Olivier Cottray

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Information management (IM) requires close collaboration between all parties in a mine action program and cannot be carried out in isolation. Effective IM involves tools as well as organizational processes that clearly define how different parties interact and function with IM. Without adequately defining processes through National Mine Action Standards (NMAS) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), even the most advanced and fit-for-purpose IM tools will lack the foundation to be effective.