Rafael Torres, Jr. - Does the United States Supreme Court decision in the \u3cem\u3eCitizens United v. the Federal Election Commission\u3c/em\u3e case affect the voluntary departure of United States Senators

The United States Supreme Court decision in the case of Citizens United v. the Federal Election Commission raised concerns about how unlimited independent expenditures by organizations would influence campaigns and elections. This concern has been expressed through media and politicians, but research on the subject is conflicting. One argument is that protecting unlimited contributions as free speech gives a disproportionate amount of speech to non-voting entities. The other argument is that speech does not directly influence elections and it is ultimately the voter\u27s decision on which candidate to choose. Laws that affect elections also affect departures. The connection between campaign finance and Senate departures is that a change in the law will affect election outcomes causing more Senators to voluntarily depart from Congress in anticipation of a contentious election. I am studying the 108-113th Congresses to determine if there is a difference in Senate departures before and after the decision. Voluntary departure includes retirement, resignation, and moving to another public office. The differences in departure will be determined by changes in the rate of departure and the profiles of voluntarily departing Senators. If the court\u27s decision has made elections more competitive then there should be an increase in Senate departures. The study examines the differences before and after the Citizens United ruling based on age, the number of years of service in the Senate, and the last election win margin. I will lastly discuss possible future empirical research on Congressional retirements as well as post-Senate career profiles.https://epublications.marquette.edu/mcnair_2013/1003/thumbnail.jp

Perceptions of Domestic Abuse Among Mexican American and Anglo American Women

This paper examines the role of culture in shaping perceptions, definitions, and interpretations Mexican American and Anglo American women hold of domestic abuse. Two theoretical views concerning perceptions that Mexican Americans may hold of domestic abuse are discussed. The first view suggests that Mexican American women follow a pluralist model and therefore differ significantly in their perceptions of domestic abuse from Anglo American women. The second position holds that Mexican American women are quickly becoming assimilated into the American mainstream and consequently share attitudes toward domestic abuse similar to those of Anglo American women. Interviews were conducted with women living in shelters for battered women in 1986. The findings suggest that for Mexican American women, cultural pluralism, rather than assimilation, may be the norm in understanding their perceptions of domestic abuse

Measurement-based tailoring of Anderson localization of partially coherent light

We put forward an experimental configuration to observe transverse Anderson localization of partially coherent light beams with a tunable degree of first-order coherence. The scheme makes use of entangled photons propagating in disordered waveguide arrays, and is based on the unique relationship between the degree of entanglement of a pair of photons and the coherence properties of the individual photons constituting the pair. The scheme can be readily implemented with current waveguide-on-a-chip technology, and surprisingly, the tunability of the coherence properties of the individual photons is done at the measurement stage, without resorting changes of the light source itself.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, additional correction

NATIVE AMERICAN VETERANS AND MENTAL HEALTH: CULTURE VS MODERN MEDICINE

This study aims to determine that, when it comes to mental health, are Native American veterans more inclined to utilize their cultural practices, or seek out modern Western medicine practices to attain mental wellness. The significance behind this research is to help future social workers and social service agencies better understand that perhaps when it comes to Native American veterans’ cultural practices should be taken into consideration when helping to try to attain mental wellness. The study will include interviews conducted with Native American veterans. The data will help to determine which types of practices are better suited for each interviewee. Using the various themes within each interview will help decide which methods are more common amongst the participants

Flight Control Failure Detection and Control Redistribution Using Multiple Model Adaptive Estimation with Filter Spawning

In the current research, the MMAE with Filter Spawning and Control Redistribution (MMAE/FS/CR) are used together to identify failures and apply appropriate corrections. This effort explores the performance of the MMAE/FS/CR in different regions of the flight envelope using model and gain scheduling. The MMAE/FS/CR is able to detect complete and partial actuator/surface failures, as well as complete sensor failures. Once the actuator/surface failure is identified and the effectiveness is determined in the case of partial failures, proper control is applied in order to accomplish the desired pilot command. Improvements in the algorithm are required in order to enhance the MMAE/FS/CR ability to detect failures while undergoing maneuvering flight. This investigation shows the ability of the MMAE/FS to detect failures while transitioning through the flight envelope and while performing pilot commanded maneuvers. It also improves and demonstrates the CR ability to compensate for complete or partial actuator/surface failures

President’s Column- Torres Pg 151

Hafa adai (greetings) colleagues and Court Review readers! In this column, we celebrate Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who was the first woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court after President Ronald Reagan nominated her in 1981. Often inhabiting the ideological center, O’Connor cast pivotal votes on controversial issues, was referred to in a 2001 New York Times article by Jeffrey Rosen “as the most powerful woman in America,” and was awarded the highest civilian honor in the United States, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by President Barack Obama in 2009. Sandra Day O’Connor, according to Chief Justice John Roberts, is “a towering figure in the history of the United States and indeed the world [and] is a role model not only for girls and women but for all those committed to equal justice under law.

HIV-1 Vpr Causes Synaptodendritic Damage in Neurons

HIV weakens the immune system by infecting and destroying T-cells, leaving the body vulnerable to infection and the development of AIDS. Conventional treatments for HIV, such as combined anti-rectroviral therapy (cART), fail to prevent the development of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND). Neurological dysfunction has been directly related to the invasion of HIV in the central nervous system (CNS). HIV produces neurotoxic proteins, such as the Viral Protein R (Vpr), which contribute to HAND. Astrocytes are the most abundant cells in the brain and an important HIV target. We hypothesize that astrocytes expressing Vpr will cause neuronal damage in our co-culture system. Primary astrocytes were transfected with Vpr plasmid or control (pEGFP or mock) using electroporation. Astrocytes were then co-cultured with cortical neurons. At 48 and 72 hours we collected the primary astrocytes to confirm the Vpr expression via western blot analysis. We then measured structural damage in the neurons using immunofluorescence for cytoskeletal (MAP2, f-actin) and synaptic (synaptophysin) damage. Preliminary results showed strong staining of filamentous actin and MAP2 with weak detection of synaptophysin. The positive control for neurotoxicity (2.8µM acrylamide) showed substantial damage to the cellular structure. Results for Vpr expression are pending. After confirming that the immunofluorescence assays are working with our controls, we expect to detect any synaptodendritic damage in the neurons caused by Vpr in our upcoming experiments

An Evaluation of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Practices among Agribusiness Firms

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has received much attention in the business press as a management process to enhance firm performance. This research highlights differences between groups of respondents who believe their firm's CRM program is performing at a high level, as compared to those not satisfied with the performance of their CRM initiative. Cluster analysis was used to develop a taxonomy of respondents based on their perceived CRM performance. The resulting clusters are then profiled on both demographic variables as well as a core set of activities/behaviors to better understand key differences in the CRM programs of agribusinesses.customer relationship management (CRM), marketing, strategy, information technology, cluster analysis., Agribusiness,