REASONING ON EVOLUTION OF CULTURE AND STRUCTURE

The purpose of this paper is to work toward developing evolutionary reasoning in the social sciences. Along with that, we argue to overcome the artificial divide of natural and social science for the sake of understanding behaviour. We make the case for an evolutionary and culturally sensitive view on long-surviving institutions and its base - individual behaviour. By taking into consideration the unsatisfying answers in the debate on structure and agency, we emphasize the importance of resonance for evolution and stability. We use case studies to make the point for an evolutionary understanding of institutions and to reflect on institutional path dependency.economic growth, sustainable growth, development, sustainability

Reflexive self-organization and path dependency in institutionalization processes

The purpose of this paper is to work toward developing evolutionary reasoning in the social sciences. Along with that, we argue to overcome the artificial divide of natural and social science for the sake of understanding behaviour. We make the case for an evolutionary and culturally sensitive view on longsurviving institutions and its base - individual behaviour. By taking into consideration the unsatisfying answers in the debate on structure and agency, we emphasize the importance of resonance for evolution and stability. We use case studies to make the point for an evolutionary understanding of institutions and to reflect on institutional path dependency.Institutionalizion, behavioural and institutional path dependancy, reflexive self-organization, historic institutionalism, methodological individualism

Gender and Prosecutorial Decision Making: An Examination of Representative Bureaucracy Theory

Prosecutors are powerful actors in the American criminal justice system, yet relatively little is known about their decision making compared to other legal agents. They decide to bring charges against defendants and are granted substantial influence over plea negotiations, thus affecting the trajectory of case outcomes. While an emerging body of scholarship examines what factors influence prosecutorial discretion, there are few studies that examine how their identities influence case outcomes. Once a traditionally, white, male-dominated field, prosecution is becoming more diverse. Research suggests representation affects organizational output. This theory, known as representative bureaucracy, suggests that more diverse organizations have more democratic output. In prosecutors’ offices, this may entail policies that reduce unwarranted disparities stemming from arrests or advocating for vulnerable victims. To assess the effects of representative bureaucracy theory on criminal case processing, the current study analyzes the relationship between prosecutor gender and charge reductions, prosecutorial dismissals, plea dispositions, and custodial sentences. Based on tenets of representative bureaucracy theory, it is possible female prosecutors’ cases will result in fewer unwarranted disparities for defendants. Mixed effects logistic regression models are used to (1) show the effects of variation in prosecutors assigned to cases on the four outcomes and (2) show the effects of variation in prosecutors assigned to cases on the four outcomes while controlling for a variety of defendant and legal factors. Explained variation due to prosecutors is high in charge reductions, but considerably lower in others. Results also do not show a significant influence of prosecutor gender on the four case outcomes except for a few differences. These results are discussed in the context of organizational socialization in prosecutors. Prosecutors’ individual identities may not be as influential for decision making. Office culture may lead prosecutors to align their decision making to fit the norms and practices of their organization

Compound Specific Carbon and Hydrogen Stable Isotope Ratios of Coalbed Gases in Southeastern Illinois Basin

Presented at the American Association of Petroleum Geologists International Conference and Exhibition, November 5-8, 2006, Perth, West Australia.Coalbed gases and waters from exploratory and production gas wells in the southeastern Illinois Basin were sampled to geochemically assess the origin of coalbed gases, with emphasis on Springfield and Seelyville coal members that are commercially targeted for coalbed methane production. On-line analyses of hydrocarbon gases (methane to butanes: C1, C2, C3, n-C4, i-C4) and CO2 yielded chemical concentrations, Delta-D, and Delta 13C values. The low thermal maturity of Indiana coals (vitrinite reflectance Ro ~ 0.6%) is in agreement with an overwhelmingly biogenic isotopic signature of coalbed gas that has greater than or equal to 96% methane generated via bacterial CO2-reduction. In contrast, thermogenic coalbed gas was generated by the stratigraphically equivalent coalbeds in western Kentucky’s Rough Creek Graben zone where higher maturities of up to Ro ~ 0.8% are reached due to tectonic and hydrothermal activity. No secondary biogenic methane was observed in Kentucky coalbed gases, probably due to greater burial depths and limited recharge of meteoric water. The two differently sourced types of coalbed gases are compositionally and isotopically distinct. Microbial biodegradation of thermogenic C2+ hydrocarbon gases in Indiana coalbeds preferentially targets C3 and introduces isotope fractionation whereby remaining C3 is enriched in heavy hydrogen and carbon isotopes.Supported by U.S. Department of Energy, Basic Energy Research Grant DEFG02-00ER1503

Compound Specific Carbon and Hydrogen Stable Isotope Ratios of Coalbed Gases in Southeastern Illinois Basin

Presented at the American Association of Petroleum Geologists International Conference and Exhibition, November 5-8, 2006, Perth, West Australia.Coalbed gases and waters from exploratory and production gas wells in the southeastern Illinois Basin were sampled to geochemically assess the origin of coalbed gases, with emphasis on Springfield and Seelyville coal members that are commercially targeted for coalbed methane production. On-line analyses of hydrocarbon gases (methane to butanes: C1, C2, C3, n-C4, i-C4) and CO2 yielded chemical concentrations, Delta-D, and Delta 13C values. The low thermal maturity of Indiana coals (vitrinite reflectance Ro ~ 0.6%) is in agreement with an overwhelmingly biogenic isotopic signature of coalbed gas that has greater than or equal to 96% methane generated via bacterial CO2-reduction. In contrast, thermogenic coalbed gas was generated by the stratigraphically equivalent coalbeds in western Kentucky’s Rough Creek Graben zone where higher maturities of up to Ro ~ 0.8% are reached due to tectonic and hydrothermal activity. No secondary biogenic methane was observed in Kentucky coalbed gases, probably due to greater burial depths and limited recharge of meteoric water. The two differently sourced types of coalbed gases are compositionally and isotopically distinct. Microbial biodegradation of thermogenic C2+ hydrocarbon gases in Indiana coalbeds preferentially targets C3 and introduces isotope fractionation whereby remaining C3 is enriched in heavy hydrogen and carbon isotopes

Contact Metamorphism of Bituminous Coal by Intruding Dike in the Illinois Basin Causes Short-Range Thermal Alteration

This poster will be presented at the joint meeting of the Canadian Society for Coal Science and Organic Petrology, The Society for Organic Petrology, and the International Committee for Coal and Organic Petrology at the University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, on August 19-25, 2007.Changes in high-volatile bituminous coal (Pennsylvanian) near contacts with volcanic intrusions in Illinois were investigated with respect to coal chemistry, carbon and hydrogen stable isotope ratios, and pore structure. Vitrinite reflectance (Ro) increases from ~0.6% to ~5% within 4.7 m from the dike. Elemental chemistry of the coal shows distinct reduction in hydrogen and nitrogen content approaching the intrusions. No trend was noticed for total sulfur content, but decreases in sulfate and organic sulfur contents towards the dikes indicate thermal sulfur reduction (TSR). Carbon isotopic values did not show significant changes, whereas hydrogen isotopic values showed a distinct trend of becoming more negative toward the dikes. Contact metamorphism has a dramatic effect on coal porosity. The mesopore volume decreases 3 3 from 0.01 cm /g in the unaffected coal to 0.004 cm /g at a distance 3 of 4.5 m away from the contact, then hovers around 0.004 cm /g closer to the contact. In contrast, the micropore volume shows a 3 progressive decrease from 0.04 cm /g in unaffected coal to almost 3 0.01 cm /g at the contact. Strongly decreasing mesopore and micropore volumes in the altered zone, together with frequent cleat and fracture-filling by calcite, indicate deteriorating conditions for both coalbed gas sorption and gas transmissibility

Effects of post activation potentiation on electromechanical delay

Electromechanical delay (EMD) presumably depends upon both contractile and tensile factors. It has recently been used as an indirect measure of muscle tendon stiffness to study adaptations to stretching and training. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether contractile properties induced by a 6 s maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) could affect EMD without altering passive muscle tendon stiffness or stiffness index. Plantar flexor twitches were evoked via electrical stimulation of the tibial nerve in eight highly trained male sprinters before and after a 6 s MVIC in passive isometric or passively shortening or lengthening muscles. For each twitch, EMD, twitch contractile properties and SOLM-Wave were measured. Passive muscle tendon stiffness was measured from the slope of the relation between torque and ankle angle during controlled passive dorsal flexion and stiffness index by curve-fitting the torque angle data using a second-order polynomial function. EMD did not differ between isometric, lengthening or shortening movements. EMD was reduced by up to 11.56 ± 5.64% immediately after the MVIC and stayed depressed for up to 60 s after conditioning. Peak twitch torque and rate of torque development were potentiated by up to 119.41 ± 37.15% and 116.06 ± 37.39%, respectively. Rising time was reduced by up to 14.46 ± 7.22%. No significant changes occurred in passive muscle tendon stiffness or stiffness index. Using a conditioning MVIC, it was shown that there was an acute enhancement of contractile muscle properties as well as a significant reduction in EMD with no corresponding changes in stiffness. Therefore, caution should be taken when using and interpreting EMD as a proxy for muscle tendon stiffness.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio