Immigration Policy Demanders: The Influence of U.S. Interests Groups and the American Electorate on Major Political Party Platforms

This Independent Study seeks to understand how political parties create their platforms. Specifically, this study examines how, when, and why political parties cater to the interests of interest groups and the electorate regarding immigration policy. Three qualitative case studies are examined: 1984, 2004, and 2016 party platforms and the corresponding policy preferences of interest groups and the electorate. Bawn et. al’s theory on political parties forms the theoretical framework of this study, which claims that parties are likely to cater to interest groups when political salience is low and parties are likely to cater to the electorate when political salience is high. Ultimately, I find that Bawn et. al’s theory applies well to my case studies. This study provides insight into how parties are motivated to change, especially within the context of immigration

Torturing terrorists for national security imperatives: Mediated violence on 24

This study analyzed mediated violent content as seen on the FOX television program 24. The study covered a seven year period, or six seasons, of 24 , with a sample set of 43 episodes and 445 individual acts ofviolence. Three research questions guided this study. The first research question sought to determine if a relation exists between heroic characters inflicting torturous violence and justifying the act with a national security imperative. The second research question examined the prevailing mode of violence and the use of nonlethal and lethal weapons. The third research question examined the portrayed efficiency of violence on24. Findings suggest that while torture is rarely the intent and rarely justified with a national security imperative, 24 is nonetheless very violent, generally portraying violence as physical, involving the use of lethal weapons, intentionally gratuitous, and most often efficient

Atmospheric design concepts for cross-beam experiments Final report

Application of cross beam remote sensing technique to atmospheric research problem

The Impact on Maine's Budget of Allowing Same-Sex Couples to Marry

This analysis estimates the impact of allowing same-sex couples to marry on Maine's state budget. We estimate that allowing same-sex couples to marry will result in a net gain of approximately $7.9 million each year for the State. This net impact will be the result of savings in expenditures on state means-tested public benefits programs and an increase in revenue from state sales and income taxes and marriage license fees. Throughout this report, we estimate the economic impact of weddings conservatively. In other words, we choose assumptions that are cautious from the State's perspective in that they tend to produce lower revenues and higher expenditures given the range of possibilities. Even so, we find that the effect of allowing same-sex couples to marry in Maine is an annual positive fiscal impact of approximately$7.9 million

Subunit assembly modulates the activities of the Type III restriction–modification enzyme PstII in vitro

We demonstrate that, like other Type III restriction endonuclease, PstII does not turnover such that a DNA substrate is only fully cleaved at a Res(2)Mod(2)-to-site ratio of ∼1:1. However, unlike other Type III enzymes, the cleavage rate profiles varied with protein concentration: using 5 nM DNA and 25 nM PstII, approximately half of the DNA was cut at a fast rate while the remainder was cut 24 times more slowly; in comparison, with 100 nM PstII cleavage occurs at a single fast rate. The inclusion of the methyl donor S-adenosyl methionine does not alter the rates with 100 nM PstII but with 25 nM PstII the reaction stopped after completion of the initial fast cleavage phase owing to methylation. Concentration-dependent rates were also observed in methylation assays: at 100 nM PstII, a single slow rate was measured while at lower PstII concentrations both fast and slow rates were measured. We propose a model in which the intact Res(2)Mod(2) complex favoured at high PstII concentrations is a fast endonuclease/slow methyltransferase while the various subassemblies which coexist at lower concentrations are fast methyltransferases. A potential role for disassembly in control of restriction activity in vivo is discussed

TLR4 and Insulin Resistance

Chronic inflammation is a key feature of insulin resistance and obesity. Toll-Like Receptor 4 (TLR4), involved in modulating innate immunity, is an important mediator of insulin resistance and its comorbidities. TLR4 contributes to the development of insulin resistance and inflammation through its activation by elevated exogenous ligands (e.g., dietary fatty acids and enteric lipopolysaccharide) and endogenous ligands (e.g., free fatty acids) which are elevated in obese states. TLR4, expressed in insulin target tissues, activates proinflammatory kinases JNK, IKK, and p38 that impair insulin signal transduction directly through inhibitory phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate (IRS) on serine residues. TLR4 activation also leads to increased transcription of pro-inflammatory genes, resulting in elevation of cytokine, chemokine, reactive oxygen species, and eicosanoid levels that promote further insulin-desensitization within the target cell itself and in other cells via paracrine and systemic effects. Increased understanding of cell type-specific TLR4-mediated effects on insulin action present the opportunity and challenge of developing related therapeutic approaches for improving insulin sensitivity while preserving innate immunity

Gentrification and the Economic and Housing Crises of the 2000’s: A Critical Analysis of Government-Sponsored Enterprises and Predatory Lenders

2013 dissertation for MBA in International Business. Selected by academic staff as a good example of a masters level dissertation. This study focuses on gentrification and the possible correlations with the economic and housing crises as well as the economic activity and mortgage market structure of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The theories in this thesis are quantitative, and at times qualitative, and relate to financial, cultural, and organizational theories in the real estate market. The research methodology is both positivist primary and secondary in nature, and the two are used in union in order to attain a higher level of knowledge of the topic, and show correlations with the aforementioned factors and gentrification. The following sections, data analysis, conclusion and recommendation use the collection of research in order to formulate a focused and unbiased argument that shows a correlation of various factors to gentrification. Finally, further research on the influences of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and their policies is recommended for future managers and academics interested in gentrification