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Revolution Of The Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act
No full textI will be paralleling the International Brotherhood of Teamsters through the civil rights movement and the white-collar criminal activity conducted by Paul Castellano of the infamous Gambino crime family. I will show the transition from a traditional mob Criminal Enterprise in comparison to modern years where the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) can be applied to corporate, and business criminal activity like pharmaceutical companies and political figures. The (RICO) Act of 1970, was signed into law by President Richard Nixon to indict criminals for comprising criminal rackets that have been delegated or an affiliation to the crime. The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) is a United States Federal Law that in regard to extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization. The study of the (RICO) Act allows me to look at its past and present developments through Paul Castellano a Gambino crime figure who eluded a (RICO) conviction by reason of, while he was out on a three-million-dollar bond he was shot to death outside of Sparks Steak House New York City December 16, 1985, around 5:30 P.M. that evening. Paul Castellano was described as bad but not that bad in regard to past mob bosses. He was considered boss of bosses, who was a white-collar criminal capitalist who made it very hard for the F.B.I. to get him indicted because he was not your typical mafia street thug. The F.B.I. did clip the wings of the mob significantly, Because of Paul Castellanos (RICO) prosecution that he never survived to see the end of, even though the rest of the commission did get convicted. Nonetheless, allowing the (RICO) Act to expand into future indictments like the ones directed at pharmaceuticals, or political figures. One of the most important struggles in American history is the movement of Men & Women through unions to take on big corporations that employed them. This presentation also re-explores Jimmy Hoffa, the union leader of the (IBT) and the complex legacy that he entrusted to the IBT American labor movement, his demise, and American justice. Hoffa today is remembered as a union autocrat, who broke the law and worked closely with organized crime. Hoffa became the nation’s best known, and most feared, labor leader at a time when unions were booming in America. Historians agree that his ties to the mob ultimately led to his mysterious demise authorized by two of the most powerful gangsters at the time of their dispute, Carlo Gambino and Paul Castellano. This presentation will be laid out in chronological order. Geographics and demographics will be abroad regarding the stakeholders alone. Ultimately operations are centralized out of New York City. My methods approach is through credible journalists that are published in American newspapers and 1st hand revelations released by the monitoring agents of the F.B.I: This research and data convey the expansion of (RICO). My rationale for using this method is that the (RICO) Act was made to protect American society from corrupt organizations. This presentation is important as it shows the development and expansion of the (RICO) Act for the reason of past criminal racket history to transitions regarding corporate crimes. (RICO) has been very effective in the fight against organized crime as it takes a lot of evidence and lawful conduct of law enforcement to indict. To the audience, the description of (RICO) rackets and crimes can be informative, and how the white-collar criminal capitalist operated, and corporately continue to operate
Analysis of Aquatic Macroinvertebrates in South San Antonio, TX
No full textThe San Antonio River holds a significant historical and ecological value in Texas. This River has been central to the region\u27s development; supporting agriculture, urban growth, and recreation. This ecological research project focuses on developing techniques used for collecting and sorting freshwater aquatic invertebrates to study the ecological community. The procedures involved identifying, sorting, and counting the aquatic invertebrates by species classification. The aquatic invertebrate\u27s composition in the water will help determine the water quality of this specific part of the river. Bio-indicator indices, including EPT and the Biotic Index, along with alpha and beta diversity analyses, were used to gain a deeper understanding of the macroinvertebrate compositions at each site. Our study focused on 12 taxa ranging from pollution tolerant to pollution sensitive that are representative to the San Antonio River. By studying these taxa, ecologists can assess the impact of pollutants, habitat alterations, and make changes in their conservation efforts, making aquatic insects an essential tool for ecological monitoring and water quality management. This study will offer a unique perspective on the potential long-term effects of extreme weather and urbanization on the waterways and the ecosystems of South Texas
Diversity and Mitogenomics of Chloeia Species (Amphinomidae) from two Biodiversity Hotspots.
No full textThis research aims to enhance biodiversity inventories of marine fireworms in the genus Chloeia (Annelida: Amphinomidae), renowned for their vibrant colorations and defensive urticating calcareous chaetae. Chloeia species inhabit a wide range of oceanic environments, yet misidentifications and incomplete taxonomic assessments have led to unresolved questions regarding diversity and distribution. This study employs an integrative taxonomic approach, combining morphology, mitochondrial genome reconstruction, and phylogenetic analyses to resolve cases of the “cosmopolitan syndrome”, where species like Chloeia flava have been reported across multiple ocean basins, potentially due to misidentification. Furthermore, many Chloeia species remain unevaluated with modern integrative taxonomic methods. This research focuses on specimens collected from the Mozambique Channel (Madagascar) and the Sea of Bismarck (Papua New Guinea) to refine species records and improve taxonomic resolution. The outcomes will contribute to the development of mitogenomic species diagnostics workflow for Amphinomidae, enhancing taxonomic accuracy and supporting biodiversity conservation
Intellectual Humility, Political Orientation, and Discernment: A Dual-Process Model Approach
No full textThis study will examine the interactions among discernment, intellectual humility, and political orientation in misinformation susceptibility. We hypothesize that: a) Discernment will reduce misinformation susceptibility b) Intellectual humility, the recognition of one’s cognitive fallibility and openness to revising beliefs will moderate and strengthen this effect; and c) Political orientation, will positively correlate with discernment along the subscales of General Authoritarianism and Social Control. Participants will complete a two-response paradigm, with a one-response baseline condition and a two-response experimental condition, followed by instruments measuring intellectual humility and political orientation. Regression analyses will examine main and interaction effects, exploring whether intellectual humility mitigates cognitive rigidity associated with authoritarian and control-oriented ideologies. This research aims to advance understanding of metacognitive traits and ideological factors in shaping memory errors, with implications for addressing misinformation in polarized environments
Bingocize®-Improving Engagement and Quality of Care at Assisted Living Facilities
No full textBingocize® is an evidence-based practice that combines bingo with light-to-moderate-intensity range-of-motion exercises for residents of assisted living facilities and similar communities. Preliminary observations indicate that Bingocize® may enhance socialization and reduce isolation. However, additional data is necessary to confirm these effects. Facility activities directors reported several benefits of the program on residents\u27 quality of life. Specifically, 54.5% noted that the program helps with residents\u27 range of motion and reduces stiffness, improves overall health, and keeps residents mobile. They also observed that Bingocize® is beneficial for mental stimulation and helps residents stay alert. Challenges included residents\u27 initial reluctance to participate due to negative perceptions of exercise; however, incentives like snacks were effective in boosting participation. Furthermore, activities directors highlighted the need for additional interns to support the program and enhance staff enjoyment of the sessions
The Impact of Large Language Models on Graduate Students: Development, Usage, and Ethical Considerations
Get PDFThe rapid integration of Large Language Models (LLMs) into academic settings is transforming how graduate students conduct research, organize information, and refine their writing. This study explores the role of four AI tools—ChatGPT, Grammarly, Research Rabbit, and Zotero—in supporting scholarly practices while examining their implications for academic integrity, linguistic diversity, and research efficiency. Using an autoethnographic approach, this research documents personal interactions with these technologies, highlighting both their advantages and limitations. Findings suggest that while AI tools enhance productivity and accessibility, they also raise concerns about reliance, originality, and ethical usage. The study underscores the need for a balanced approach to AI adoption in higher education, advocating for critical engagement with these tools to ensure they complement, rather than replace, essential academic skills
The Effects of Conventional and Unconventional Monetary Policy Shocks on the Stock Market
No full textThis paper applies weekly data to investigate the effects of the conventional and unconventional monetary policy shocks on US stock returns, using a multivariate structural VAR model that considers transmission mechanisms in channeling the effects of these shocks into the stock market. We identify both types of policy shocks using high and low volatility in the relevant policy variables. Our empirical results suggest that the interest rate channel, not the bank lending channel, plays a major role in the process of transmission and the US stock market responds less to the conventional monetary policy than the unconventional one. We estimate that expansionary policy shocks that lower the long term interest rate by 25 basis points increase stock returns by 0.57% and 2% under the conventional and unconventional monetary policies, respectively, over five weeks
Toward Speleogenomic Pipelines: Characterizing Biodiversity from Species to Communities
No full textLow pass whole genome sequencing (LPWGS), also known as genome skimming, is both affordable and a viable alternative to traditional PCR based DNA Barcoding approaches for biodiversity inventories. From organismal samples, LPWGS enables the recovery of small genomes, such as mitochondria or plastids, as well as high copy nuclear genes commonly used in phylogenetics (e.g., 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, etc.); while for environmental samples (e.g., sediment), community analyses from microbes to eukaryotes are simultaneously possible. While PCR based approaches are standard, LPWGS facilitates access to genomic data from taxa that are otherwise difficult to amplify due to PCR bias (e.g., primer specificity). For biodiversity inventories targeting multiple taxa or phyla in difficult-to-access environments, such as subterranean estuaries, LPWGS is particularly advantageous. The study presents speleogenomic pipelines to characterize individual organisms to communities generating robust data for multi-gene species delimitation, phylogenetic reconstruction, and wholistic community characterization
WAIT, DO I KNOW YOU? DARK TRIAD TRAITS AS CORRELATES OF PROSPECTIVE PERSON MEMORY
No full textThis study examined how personality traits, alert intensity, and task complexity were associated with prospective person memory (PPM) performance under varying cognitive and emotional contexts, using the Short Dark Triad (SD3) and Big Five Inventory (BFI) to assess trait-related differences in attention and memory. Each participant was randomly assigned to one of three alert types (Missing-Neutral, Missing-In Danger, Wanted-Dangerous) and one of two task complexities (4-item or 8-item grocery list). A mixed n-back task was employed as a distractor task to prevent rehearsal and increase cognitive load during the retention interval. For this study, I hypothesized that high Machiavellianism would predict higher target hit accuracy in Wanted-Dangerous alerts only, high narcissism would predict higher hit accuracy in Missing-In Danger alerts only, and psychopathy would predict lowered hit accuracy across all alert types as well as in harder task conditions
GOING GRAY TOO EARLY? EFFECTS OF COLOR ON FACIAL IDENTIFICATION
No full textThis study investigated a possible bias in face-matching and ID-screening decision making- color incongruity (i.e., one face image presented in color and one in grayscale). Expanding on previous research, the 2x2 mixed methods experiment incorporated eye tracking measures (i.e., fixations). Participants N= 25 were randomly assigned to compare color or grayscale IDs (between groups comparison) to a 10 s color video of a person moving their head side to side. The task consisted of 2 practice and 48 face-matching trials with medium prevalence (MP, 24 match, 24 mismatch) presented as one of four pseudo-random and counterbalanced orders. Signal detection indices (discriminability (d′) and response bias (c)) calculated by participant showed no significant difference between groups. However, ANOVAs for fixation count and duration indicated a significant interaction of congruence and area of interest (AOI). These findings suggested that color IDs and face area AOIs increase fixation count and duration