Research Review: VETERAN AFFAIRS DISABILITY COMPENSATION: Likely the U.S.’s largest disability program, but what do we know about its impacts on service-disabled veterans?

This research review highlights the complexities of estimating the causal impacts of the Veterans Affairs Disability Compensation (VADC) program. The authors suggest that reliable estimates of the causal impact of VADC on labor market outcomes requires estimates of the causal impact of other programs available to veterans with service-connected disabilities. Currently, there is limited evidence of the causal impact of these programs, pointing to several opportunities for practice, policy, and future research

How Do Gender and Marital Status Impact High-Risk Polysubstance Use?

Drug overdose deaths in the United States increasingly include the use of multiple drugs, known as polysubstance use. These include opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine, tranquilizers, and sedatives. Polysubstance use is considered high risk because it can cause dangerous synergistic effects and result in the ingestion of higher amounts of drugs. This brief summarizes findings from a study that used data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health on U.S. adults from 2002 through 2019 to examine gender and marital status differences in high-risk polysubstance use among U.S. adults ages 18 and older. The authors find that polysubstance use is higher among men and marriage was more protective against polysubstance use for men than women

Why Money Matters: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Differences Between U.S. Public And Commercial Media Journalists And Their Work

This study, based on survey responses from 1,491 commercial and 394 public media journalists working in the United States, as well as in-depth interviews with 44 U.S. broadcasters, shows how boundaries created by each group’s interpretive community separate them from the other group because of their professional roles, norms, and routines. While U.S. public and commercial journalists do not necessarily see one another as competitors, this study examines whether they exhibit in- and out-group preferences and prejudices, which might lead them toward excluding each other’s work from in-group considerations

The Importance of National Government Participation in Local Smart Cities Planning

The arrival of the smart city paradigm represents a significant shift in urban planning, integrating technology and data analytics to enhance urban environments\u27 livability, workability, and sustainability. This thesis explores the critical role that national and local governments play in planning and executing smart city initiatives across a nation state, examining the impacts of policy in such technologically advanced urban spaces. With a multiple case study research design and the use of secondary data it seeks to understand how important national policies are in supporting and influencing the endeavors of local governments in deploying smart city solutions that cater to the unique needs of their communities. Three smart city indices are used as reference points for selecting the case study cities (Zurich, Singapore, Seoul, Philadelphia and Cape Town), which provided an opportunity to consider the extent to which national governance may or may not have influenced their positions on these and other points of reference. Using a mixed methods research design, the results indicate that the policies, strategies, frameworks and levels of engagement by national governments play a major role in determining the success or otherwise of smart city planning and implementation. Based on this, appropriate conclusions are drawn and recommendations made

Mannose: The Hands of Fate – Overexpressing a Pinus taeda hemicellulose biosynthesis gene in Populus tremula × alba leads to increased height and a modified cell wall sugar profile

Lignocellulosic biomass as an input for biofuel generation has gained popularity in recent decades due to attainable feedstock ubiquity and an anatomical propensity to fix and sequester carbon. A major challenge facing the integration of such feedstocks is the presence of recalcitrant polymers that are extant in their cell walls, namely lignin and various hemicellulose species. Many studies have illustrated methods in which cell wall modification through genetic means has produced phenotypic improvements with regard to biomaterial generation, though to this point, none have overexpressed exogenous hemicellulose genes to shift the composition of the Populus tremula × alba cell walls. If this were to be performed, a hemicellulose sugar profile more akin to cellulose would be possible, limiting pitfalls in biomaterial production due to more uniformity in cell wall biochemistry. The present study independently expresses Pinus taeda GDP-mannose pyrophosphorylase 2 (PtGMP2) and phosphomannose isomerase (PtPMI) in the Populus tremula × alba 717 INRA-B4 hybrid poplar species. Both genes are associated with glucomannan production, a hemicellulose composed of six-carbon sugars, in contrast to the dominant xylan, composed of five-carbon sugars. Several GMP2 lines experienced greater change in height relative to the wild type, and a single line experienced an increase in mannose, a constituent of glucomannan. Such beneficial phenotypes suggest this modification has potential for integration into biomaterial feedstocks.The following describes the process by which individuals with such phenotypes were achieved, beginning with an extensive analysis on the nature of the plant cell wall along with the knowledge gaps that drove the conceptualization of this project. Following an introduction, the second chapter discusses the nature of functional diversification in the plant cell wall,characterizing the numerous families with diverse members responsible for its construction. Chapter 3 then focuses on the aforementioned study, uncovering physiological responses to the overexpression of the genes of interest and nutrient stress. Prior to beginning the project described in Chapter 3, significant time was spent characterizing the nature of functional duplicates associated with the biosynthesis and maintenance of the Populus cell wall, namely members of the Korrigan and Cobra families. Chapter 4 discusses the progression and necessary shift away from this project. A conclusion is present that discusses the nature by which findings and overall intellectual merit fit with the field of plant biotechnology, along with future directions of pursuit