Texas A&M International University: Research Information Online (RIO)
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From Lurkers to Listeners: Introducing the Concept of Online Listening into Political Communication Studies
Get PDFPalabras clave: ciudad, espacio urbano, ofertas culturales, consumo cultural, multicultural
Real earnings management or “just business”
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this study is to refine what is characterized as real earnings management. Research on real earnings management (REM) has expressed concerns that firms deviating from normal business practices may endure a negative impact on future performance. Not all studies have, however, found a negative impact of REM on future performance. As a consequence, a new stream of research is emerging that examines whether actions that would mechanically be identified as REM are truly earnings management or are simply efficient business activities. The authors further this stream of inquiry by identifying factors, i.e. restructurings and expectations of future sales growth, that can be useful in making a distinction between earnings management and “just business”. Design/methodology/approach: To measure REM, the authors rely on two of the proxies of Roychowdhury (2006), abnormal discretionary expenses and abnormal production costs, and regress interactions of these with measures of restructurings and expectations of future sales growth, on future performance. Findings: The authors find that when they control for restructurings, reductions in discretionary expenses that would ordinarily be indicative of REM are instead associated with improved future return-on-assets and security returns. They further find that when they control for future sales growth, overproduction is also associated with improved return on sales as it is with future increases in cost of goods sold. Originality/value: Together, the results may explain the contradictory results presented in prior research with respect to the impact of REM on future performance – that is, some of what has been identified as REM in prior studies may, in fact, be “just business”
‘Any friend of yours is a friend of mine’: investigating the utilization of an interpreter in an investigative interview
No full textPremised on a body of literature suggesting target-interviewer rapport is a critical component of successful interviews, we explored the effect of two interpreter-related variables–the physical placement of the interpreter in the room, and the nature of the relationship between the interpreter and the target–on target-interviewer rapport. A total of 125 bilingual (Spanish/English) participants viewed a mock crime video and were then interviewed, via an interpreter (or not). Interpreters either built rapport with the participant immediately prior to the interview or did not, and were either seated beside the interviewer or behind the target, commensurate with recommendations from training manuals. When the interpreter and target engaged in a short rapport-building session prior to an investigative interview, the target rated their interaction with the interviewer less negatively compared to when rapport building did not occur. Furthermore, when the interpreter sat behind the target, the target viewed the interaction more negatively than when the interpreter sat beside the interviewer (triangular configuration). These findings suggest ways in which interpreters can be utilized more effectively, especially in terms of seating configuration, rapport development between a target and interpreter, and importantly, the potential for that target-interpreter rapport to transfer to the target-interviewer relationship
The effect of the presence and seating position of an interpreter on eliciting information and cues to deceit
No full textThe present experiment examined how the seating position of an interpreter during investigative interviews affects information elicitation and cues to deceit. A total of 60 native English speakers were interviewed in English and 200 non-native English speakers were interviewed in English (a non-native language) or through an interpreter who either sat next to the interviewer, behind the interviewee or interpreted via the telephone. Interviewees either lied or told the truth about a mock security meeting they watched. Interviewees who spoke in their native language provided more detail than interviewees who spoke in their native language through an interpreter or in a non-native language (English) without an interpreter. The latter groups did not differ. Additionally, the amount of detail differentiated truth tellers from liars in all conditions and interviewees found the presence of an interpreter to be a largely positive experience. The interpreter’s seating position had no effect on the findings
Acculturation and fear of crime among Hispanics
No full textFear of crime has attracted significant attention in academic research. One area that has largely been overlooked concerns fear of crime correlates among Hispanics, the largest ethnic minority group in the United States. Their unique cultural background as immigrants make them different from Non-Hispanic Whites and African Americans, and they all go through the acculturation process to some degree. However, the influence of acculturation has seldom been incorporated into the analysis. The current study attempts to use the acculturation thesis to examine two different types of fear among Hispanic residents in Houston, Texas. The findings suggest that acculturation is a significant predictor of crime-specific fear at home, but not of fear of crime in the neighborhood
Los adioses (1954) de Juan Carlos Onetti: procedimientos para alcanzar la sugerencia y el énfasis en el significado como nouvelle
No full textBased on a presentation of the production of nouvelles in Hispanic America and its current study, in which the permanent academic and critical interest in Juan Carlos Onetti\u27s Los adioses (1954) stands, this article raises and discusses the procedures used by the author to achieve a narrative that by its nature of nouvelle refuses the explicit in exchange for the suggestion. Among such procedures are the character of the narrator, the ellipsis, and a language of conjecture and doubt. With all of those procedures Onetti builds an open and multiple text in which his major emphasis during the writing process lies in the development of the meaning of the text, instead of just narrating the story, as proposed by Henry James in various prefaces to his nouvelles
Responses of inflammatory cytokines following moderate intensity walking exercise in overweight or obese individuals
No full textThis study investigated the effects of a 4-week moderate intensity walk-ing exercise on the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and adiponectin in overweight or obese individu-als. Twenty-seven (13 men and 14 women) physically inactive, over-weight or obese (body mass index \u3e 25.0 kg/m2) individuals participated in the study. Each participant was randomly assigned to either exercise (EX; n=15) or control (CON; n=12) group. The EX group performed mod-erate intensity walking exercise on a treadmill for 60 min at 70% of max-imal heart rate for 4 weeks (3 days/wk). Overnight fasting blood samples were collected before and after the study period (Pre and Post) to ana-lyze the levels of pro-/anti-inflammatory cytokines such as CRP, TNF-α, and adiponectin. CRP and adiponectin as well as body weight and body composition were not significantly altered following the 4-week exer-cise intervention. However, there was a significant group×time interac-tion for TNF-α. The post hoc test revealed that the level of TNF-α signifi-cantly decreased only in EX (EX: mean±standard deviation, Pre 55.18±6.57 pg/mL, Post 50.31±6.22, P=0.018 vs. CON: Pre 55.5±5.88, Post 58.19±6.48, P=0.25). EX Post was also significantly lower as com-pared to CON Post (P=0.0074). Although there was no change in body weight or fat mass, the 4-week aerobic exercise training was long enough to decrease the level of TNF-α, indicating physical activity may improve level of inflammation independently from the change in fat mass. The current study also confirmed previous research suggesting that longer period of exercise training accompanied by weight loss may be required to induce significant changes in CRP and adiponectin
Long-term english language learners\u27 educational experiences in the context of high-stakes accountability
No full textBackground/Context: A large number of emergent bilinguals, also known as English language learners (ELLs), in secondary schools have experienced academic difficulties, grade repetition, inappropriate referrals to special education, and dropout. They are the most in danger of academic failure and in need of highly qualified instruction that meets their needs; however, they have received little attention from schools. To better understand secondary emergent bilinguals\u27 academic challenges, it would be necessary to examine their learning experiences throughout schooling, including language support programs and services provided, instructional practices and academic support implemented, and assessments administered to make their educational decisions. In particular, as the high-stakes accountability system has played a critical role during their course of schooling, it would be essential to examine how the accountability system has interacted with these underachieving emergent bilinguals. Purpose/Focus of Study: This manuscript draws from a larger qualitative study (Kim, 2013) that investigated long-term ELLs\u27 history of schooling and their perceptions of language and academic learning experiences. The purpose of this analysis is to more closely examine the nature of language support received during participants\u27 K-12 schooling and their program placements in the context of their performance on state-mandated language and academic achievement tests. Experiences of participants who were retained and referred to and/or placed in special education serve to illustrate schools\u27 responses to these underachieving emergent bilinguals. Setting/participant: This research study took place at a high school in central Texas. Eleven secondary emergent bilinguals who met the purpose of this research project participated in the study. The essential attributes of participants for inclusion were English language learners who (a) met the state eligibility criteria for classification as limited English proficiency, (b) had attended public schools in the United States for seven years or more, and (c) had at least a year of high school experience. Research Design: A qualitative research design based on a constructivist, Naturalistic Inquiry (NI) paradigm was utilized to understand the reality of participants\u27 school challenges. This NI approach is appropriate to analyze concepts and themes derived from the exploratory cases of this population. Data Collection and Analysis: Data sources were individual, semi-structured, and in-depth interviews and a variety of school documents that included each student\u27s cumulative folder, Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC) documents, and academic assessment records. As the constant comparative method of data analysis was a core function of this research process, data analysis occurred concurrently with data collection. Triangulation among students\u27 recollections of their program placements, archival data, and informant (i.e., district bilingual and ESL professionals) interviews was used to ensure that the findings accurately reflected the actual phenomenon. Member checks, reflexive journaling, and peer debriefing were also utilized to ensure the trustworthiness of the study. Findings: Participants in this study experienced multiple layers of limited opportunity to learn as they moved through the educational process. They began their schooling with inadequate bilingual education services in elementary grades, and many of them were retained and/or referred to special education, mainly due to their unsatisfactory scores on state-mandated assessments. Subsequently, participating ELLs all moved up to middle school where they received little English language support; their continued low scores on high-stakes assessments led to placement in remedial programs or intervention courses for state mandated tests. During their high school years, this pattern continued with the addition of End-Of-Course designated courses, remedial courses for preparing for state mandated tests, and credit recovery progrTgh state assessments should not be exclusively used to measure student learning, they were solely used to participating ELLs\u27 high-stakes instructional and placement decisions (e.g., retention, placement in remedial programs), which appeared to negatively affect participants\u27 educational trajectory by increasing the gaps in their opportunities to learn. Conclusions/Recommendations: The participating ELLs\u27 experience of schooling fostered academic gaps due to their limited opportunities to learn, and they had been inadvertently excluded from the formal curriculum because schools in the district did not have adequate programs and services to address these learners\u27 linguistic and academic needs. Informed by social capital framework research and theory, findings suggest that participants\u27 gaps in learning continued to grow with each subsequent year of schooling, exacerbated by their limited access to appropriate language services and educational support, thereby rendering them struggling, low-achieving, long-term ELLs. Despite their academic challenges, participating ELLs remained eager to succeed in school, which raises a critical question regarding how well the educational system is prepared to provide these emergent bilinguals with high quality, rigorous programs that are responsive to their linguistic and academic needs
Using an Eye Tracking Device to Assess Vulnerabilities to Burglary
No full textThis research examines the extent to which visual cues influence a person’s decision to burglarize. Participants in this study (n = 65) viewed ten houses through an eye tracking device and were asked whether or not they thought each house was vulnerable to burglary. The eye tracking device recorded where a person looked and for how long they looked (in milliseconds). Our findings showed that windows and doors were two of the most important visual stimuli. Results from our follow-up questionnaire revealed that stimuli such as fencing, beware of pet signs, cars in driveways, and alarm systems are also considered. There are a number of implications for future research and policy
The information age combat model: A vision for a discrete event simulation approach
No full textNetwork centric operations (NCO) has been dubbed the most significant revolution in military affairs (RMA) in the past 200 years. The promise of NCO is based on the notion that information sharing and connectivity is fundamental to the effectiveness of a combat force. This is due to the ability of a properly networked force to self-synchronise itself as it engages enemy forces. The information age combat model (IACM) is a popular representation of NCO. Previous research at modelling the IACM has so far focused solely at using agent-based modelling. That work produced significant contributions to the IACM literature. However, it has proven to be computationally expensive. IACM simulations must be sustainable as research into IACM evolves and more NCO complexities are introduced. This research will propose a discrete-event simulation (DES) approach to model the IACM. The paper will present the basis upon which DES was selected for this purpose and will illustrate how the DES approach can provide significant improvements in terms of the time and computational power needed to run IACM simulations