Strategies of Political Institutions and Civil Society Actors in the Post-3/11 Era: The Case of Japan

Japan is at a crossroads of public administration and disaster management, especially in the aftermath of the catastrophic events of March 11, 2011: a major earthquake near Tōhoku, and the subsequent tsunami and nuclear reactor meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility. There have been advocates for more top-down governance to handle such crises (and the ongoing residuals of such crises), while others have touted more decentralization—that is, more governance at the local level. Nevertheless, Japan still faced myriad public policy challenges three years after the catastrophic events. This article investigates the role of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in Japan’s local governance in the aftermath of March 11, 2011, addressing broadly the theme of disaster management and, more specifically, the impact (or lack thereof) of NGOs (nonprofits) on the local governance processes in Japan in the midst of the debates regarding top-down and bottom-up approaches to disaster management

It's My Turn ... Please, After You: An Experimental Study of Cooperation and Social Conventions

We introduce a class of two-player cooperation games where each player faces a binary decision, enter or exit. These games have a unique Nash equilibrium of entry. However, entry imposes a large enough negative externality on the other player such that the unique social optimum involves the player with the higher value to entry entering and the other player exiting. When the game is repeated and players' values to entry are private, cooperation admits the form of either taking turns entering or using a cutoff strategy and entering only for high private values of entry. Even with conditions that provide opportunities for unnoticed or non-punishable 'cheating', our empirical analysis including a simple strategy inference technique reveals that the Nash-equilibrium strategy is never the modal choice. In fact, most subjects employ the socially optimal symmetric cutoff strategy. These games capture the nature of cooperation in many economic and social situations such as bidding rings in auctions, competition for market share, labor supply decisions in the face of excess supply, queuing in line and courtship.cooperation, incomplete information, random payoffs, strategy inference, experimental economics.

Which way to cooperate

Cooperation in real-world dilemmas takes many forms. We introduce a class of two-player games that permits two distinct ways to cooperate in the repeated game. One way to cooperate is to play cutoff strategies, which rely solely on a player's private value to defection. The second cooperative strategy is to take turns, which relies on publicly available information. Our initial experiments reveal that almost all cooperators adopt cutoff strategies. However, follow-up experiments in which the distribution of values to defection are made more similar show that all cooperators now take turns. Our results offer insight into what form a cooperative norm will take: for mundane tasks or where individuals otherwise have similar payoffs, taking turns is likely; for difficult tasks that differentiate individuals by skill or by preferences, cutoff cooperation will emerge.experimental economics; cooperation; incomplete information; alternating; cutoff strategies; random payoffs

Chinese-Built Dams, Africa, and Economic Growth: Is There a Role for African NGOs?

This paper will investigate the impact of Chinese-built dams in Africa, the economic and political impacts, and what roles African NGOs (nongovernmental organizations) play. As the continent of Africa continues to shed its “paper tiger” status in the postcolonial era and continues to become a potential economic powerhouse, what role will African NGOs play? The primary goal of this paper is to discern the role of African NGOs in the face economic growth, especially in the area of Chinese-built dams (a growing segment of economic growth in Africa as “engines” of industrialization)

Developing Management Recommendations for Hydrilla (Hydrilla Verticillata L.F. Royle) in the Ross Barnett Reservoir: A Community Approach

In order to develop recommendations for management of hydrilla at Ross Barnett Reservoir, Mississippi a number of techniques were utilized. Point intercept surveys were conducted within known hydrilla sites at Ross Barnett Reservoir, Mississippi in order to quantitatively assess chemical management for hydrilla control. Hydrilla tuber data were also collected during the winter and spring of 2012 and 2013. Tuber data were compared between the Ross Barnett Reservoir and Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway in order to see the effects of chemical management on hydrilla tuber bank dynamics. Water exchange data were collected using Rhodamine WT dye at Ross Barnett Reservoir, Mississippi to determine water exchange characteristics. Dye half-life varied between the eight plots, with a minimum estimated half-life of 2.0 hours and maximum estimated half-life of 30.9 hours. Herbicide evaluations showed that bispyribac-sodium, penoxsulam, and fluridone provide the best hydrilla control 12 weeks after treatment

Alexander Hamilton and the National Bank.

The purpose of this manuscript is to explain Alexander Hamilton\u27s idea that a national bank was essential for America\u27s survival. Three key ingredients, clarified through the use of letters and documents, are used to understand the importance of Hamilton\u27s objective: 1) Hamilton\u27s relationship with George Washington, discussed in chapter one; 2) James Madison\u27s and Thomas Jefferson\u27s arguments against Hamilton\u27s ideas, discussed in chapters two and three; and 3) Hamilton\u27s proposal for the bank and his opinion in favor of its constitutionality, including the idea that the necessary and proper clause expands the authority of government, discussed in chapter four. The prosperity and stability America experienced after the national bank threw open its door is proof that Hamilton\u27s initiatives were needed. While James Madison is considered the Father of the Constitution, Hamilton is most definitely it foremost interpreter

INTEGRATIVE GENOME-WIDE ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVE PRE-MRNA SPLICING REGULATION BY THE DROSOPHILA SR PROTEIN FAMILY

Alternative pre-mRNA splicing is a powerful mechanism that is exploited by higher eukaryotes to diversify their proteomes, and to differentially regulate the expression, function, and localization of mRNA and proteins. Pre-mRNA splicing is typically regulated by RNA-binding proteins that recognize cis-acting RNA elements, and either activate or repress splicing of adjacent exons in a temporal, and tissue specific, manner. Understanding how RNA-binding proteins control the splicing code is fundamental to understanding organismal development and disease. The SR proteins are a well-conserved class of RNA-binding proteins that have an essential role in the regulation of splice site selection, and have also been implicated as key regulators during other stages of RNA metabolism. The complexity of the RNA targets, and specificity of RNA binding location remains poorly understood for many members of the SR protein family. Here, we present a comprehensive study to elucidate how the SR proteins coordinate to regulate alternative pre-mRNA splicing (AS) in Drosophila. Genome-wide analysis of SR-dependent splicing by RNA-seq, reveals that SR proteins are required for the regulation of many types of alternative splicing events, and can act as positive or negative regulators of splice site choice depending on their binding location on the target RNA. In addition, a vast majority of regulated targets require multiple SR protein members for regulation. RNAi of multiple SR proteins simultaneously results in an additive change in the magnitude of splicing. This indicates that SR proteins co-regulate alternative splicing events in a combinatorial manner through binding specific locations on the target transcripts. Using single-nucleotide resolution UV cross-linking and immunoprecipitation (iCLIP), we define the specific RNA-binding maps of the entire family of SR proteins in the transcriptome of Drosophila S2 cells. We find that SR proteins bind a distinct, but functionally diverse, class of RNAs that includes mRNAs, both constitutive and alternatively spliced, as well as non-coding RNAs. Closer analysis of the bound transcripts revealed that while individual SR proteins can bind unique transcripts, multiple SR protein family members bind a majority of the target transcripts. This comprehensive analysis reveals position-dependent RNA splicing maps, in vivo consensus binding motifs, and a high level of cross- and coordinated regulation of alternative splicing by the SR protein family

As-received microstructure of a SiC/Ti-15-3 composite

A silicon carbide fiber reinforced titanium (Ti-15V-3Cr-3Sn-3Al) composite is metallographically examined. Several methods for examining composite materials are investigated and documented. Polishing techniques for this material are described. An interference layering method is developed to reveal the structure of the fiber, the reaction zone, and various phases within the matrix. Microprobe and transmission electron microscope (TEM) analyses are performed on the fiber/matrix interface. A detailed description of the fiber distribution as well as the microstructure of the fiber and matrix are presented