Subsistence Theory in the U.S. Context: A Cross-Sectional Labor Supply Estimate

Subsistence theory predicts the distress sale of labor at very low wages, such that the income effect dominates not only at high wages (as is relatively established) but also below a ‘subsistence wage’. This theory has been developed and tested in the context of mainly agricultural economies, but more recent theoretical work has suggested its applicability in industrialized economies, where it has not yet been tested. Some previous studies of labor supply in the context of the United States have experimented with flexible functional forms, noting that the canonical model makes no a priori predictions as to its shape. However, little attention is given to the slope changes themselves, which are of prime importance in subsistence theory. This paper uses a unique method of pinpointing endogenous slope changes in the estimated labor supply response, finding the ‘subsistence wage’ to be $6.60/hr ($8.39 in 2008 dollars) using 2000 Census data. This is not only inherently interesting but also important for minimum wage policy, because setting the minimum wage up to this level would not increase unemployment

Inner Darkness: Images of the unconscious in Virgil\u27s Aeneid

Dark, dire images pervade the Aeneid, and the epic poem\u27s final lines are decidedly unsettling. Through his images and symbols, Virgil depicts a conflict within Aeneas, and he seems to deliberately resolve it in a way that leaves his reader disquieted. Aeneas\u27 conflict, like Achilles\u27 inner struggle in the Iliad, is as a semi-divine hero, born of a goddess and a mortal man, torn between his mortal and divine sides, and it can been seen as the human conflict between body and spirit. In resolving this heroic, and indeed human, conflict, Virgil shows his hero darkly acquiescing to his divine side in the Aeneid\u27s abrupt ending, whereas Homer chose to depict Achilles reconciling his divine and mortal nature, albeit with a sense of melancholy, in the closing books of the Iliad

Advocacy-Related Occupations Among People with Disabilities: Assessing Program Outcomes of an Advocacy Workshop

An emerging area of occupational therapy (OT) practice includes program development for persons with disabilities (PWD). These programs are designed to train PWD how to identify issues and advocate for inclusion and accessibility (Umeda et al., 2017). Among the available literature on community-based advocacy programs, results show positive social outcomes including increased self-advocacy knowledge and related behaviors (i.e. Kramer, 2015; Mishna et al., 2011). Regarding the present study, an advocacy training program titled “Community Organizing Advocacy Skills Training” (COAST) was developed using the Midwest Academy Training Manual for the Advocate. The purpose of this study was to pilot a tool developed to measure participants’ perceptions of confidence related to self-advocacy skills to inform program development for the COAST workshop. Results of data analysis were inconclusive due to a small sample size

Using Carrying Capacity as a Baseline for Building Sustainability Assessment

This thesis critically reviews existing building environmental assessment methods and provides a computational model that can help address some of their shortcomings. Since building environmental assessment methods are having a huge impact on the way buildings are valued, it is increasingly important that the methods appropriately assess building sustainability. Many critics of the assessment methods argue that the methods should evolve toward an “absolute” assessment of sustainability. That is, rather than assessing a building relative to a typical building, the assessment should be made to whatever is deemed sustainable. One possible form of absolute assessment is using the indicator of sustainability known as carrying capacity. After discussing the opportunities presented with a carrying-capacity-based assessment of buildings, this thesis proposes a computational model that provides such an assessment. There are four main components to the presented computational model. The first is the amount of carbon (C) stored on the building site in its native state. This native-site carbon storage is defined as the baseline carbon-storage value, and thus represents the carrying capacity of the building project. The second is land use change, which accounts for the removal or addition of vegetation and other carbon storing elements to the project site. The third and fourth carbon emissions sources in the model are building construction and operation. A building is considered sustainable in the model if by the end of its expected lifetime the total amount of carbon emissions are completely offset. Building designers and their clients can use this model to more comprehensively account for carbon emissions and identify options for reducing and offsetting them. To promote greater adoption, the model has been developed into an online resource, named Green Footstep (www.greenfootstep.org). To demonstrate the usefulness of the model, this thesis presents a case study of an institutional building in Lake Placid, Florida. The case study shows that the design team used the model to better understand what it means to have a “low carbon” goal. The model showed them that over one hundred years, the building project must reduce and offset carbon emissions at a rate of 16 tonnes C per year

NA

Currently, there exists no Joint doctrine to help commanders plan and coordinate the complex tasks of urban operations. Proposed Joint doctrine, JP3- 06 DRAFT, attempts to alleviate this shortfall by providing commanders a framework and list of required operational capabilities to work with in the complex urban environment and states, "The complexity of urban terrain and the presence of noncombatants may combine to erode the effectiveness of current operational capabilities.". The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the relevance of the proposed Joint doctrine's required operational capabilities (ROC): Command, Control and Communications (C3); Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR); Fires; Maneuver; and Force Protection. The thesis attempts to determine if these are the key requirements for planning and executing successful urban operations. Successful combat operations are defined by doctrine as the fighting force maintaining a combat effective strength of seventy percent and the capability of conducting follow on missions. This thesis will analyze four case studies to determine the most critical elements for successfully planning and executing urban operations. It will then compare those elements against the proposed Joint doctrine's required operational capabilities in order to determine the relevance of the ROC's.http://archive.org/details/requiredoperatio1094532939NANAU.S. Army (USA) authorApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited