Ruling Out David Miller\u27s Argument for Immigration Restrictions

The paper will describe one of David Miller’s arguments for limiting immigration by concluding that immigration is a threat to a successful democratic welfare state. There is a threat to a democratic welfare state when there is lack of trust in a heterogeneous society. Immigration contributes to heterogeneity. The paper will present flaws in Miller’s argument, which include the unacknowledged concepts of ignorance and fear that can lead to mistrust in cultural heterogeneous communities. I will then consider Miller’s response to the critiques. Lastly, I will mention some proposals for increasing trust and addressing the real issues in a multicultural society

Angularly Resolved Deep Brain Fluorescence Imaging Using a Single Optical Fiber

To further understand neural disorders as well as recognize complexities of normal brain functionality continuously drives the development and implementation of new research instruments and techniques. In neuroscience research one difficulty that these instruments face is accessing subcortical regions with minimal invasiveness. While electrode based deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been a primary technique in research it has also become an accepted alleviation method for some neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s, epilepsy, and depression in severe cases. However, there are possible side effects that may arise from the lack of cell targeting in electrical stimulation. Optogenetics, uses proteins from microbial opsins to make cell populations of interest sensitive to light exposure. These proteins allow us to use light of appropriate wavelengths to manipulate the activity of targeted neurons when successfully expressed. In optogentic practice target cells are also co-expressed with fluorescence bio-markers in order to evaluate the level of light sensitivity in the cells population of interest. Detection and imaging of these fluorescence molecules have motivated the development of new devices however, there is still a limitation on these instruments for deep brain fluorescence imaging including the limitations on invasiveness, resolution, and penetration depth. This project strives to address the need for the development of a practical and cost-efficient device to find the location of maximum light sensitivity and measure the spatial distribution of fluorescence molecules in deep brain regions. This goal is achieved by proposing a novel optoelectronic design that uses only a relatively thin (200um) penetrating and rotating side-firing fiber to scan the brain tissue and collect data sets. These data sets are processed in a computer to reconstruct images displaying the distribution of fluorescence molecules in a cylindrical volume surrounding the fiber. The main benefits of this design are the simplicity of the hardware and experimental protocols since the procedure is only minimally invasive and image development is performed by computer algorithms and image reconstruction subroutines

From Due Diligence To Discrimination: Employer Use of Social Media Vetting In The Hiring Process And Potential Liabilities

This Note analyzes the regulatory and legal issues potentially triggered by an employer’s screening and use of an applicant’s social media profile(s) in the hiring process. The Note proceeds in three parts. Part I provides background information, including a history of the rise and use of social media in the hiring process, current various state and federal legislative measures designed to protect applicants’ online privacy, and the reasoning behind such legislation. Part II discusses the potential discrimination and other labor and employment-related lawsuits to which employers may be exposed by using online information in hiring practices. It is important to mention that the Note does not focus on issues of privacy in pre-employment screening. Instead, the Note is concerned with discrimination claims in pre-employment screening; specifically, claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and some state laws prohibiting “lifestyle discrimination.” After addressing the distinct legal issues triggered by the use of social media in hiring decisions, Part III analyzes pending legislation and its inefficiencies and considers the significance of why employers should self-regulate. The Note then concludes by proposing best practices and guidelines for the development of a social media screening policy that reduces an employer’s risk of litigation surrounding pre-employment social media screening

What Have We Done? An Analysis of Student Handbooks of Public High Schools in a Suburban County in the Wake of Illinois Senate Bill 100

This study presents the findings of a content analysis of student handbooks from 23 public high schools in a suburban Illinois county. A checklist was utilized to compare discipline policy information between handbooks published in the school years prior to and following implementation of Illinois Senate Bill 100. The results included 20 of the 23 schools\u27 handbooks demonstrating an increase in their reflection of Senate Bill 100 requirements from the 2015-16 to 2016-17 school years with approximately half of the schools modifying handbook language from pre- to post-implementation years to remove zero-tolerance policies and reflect policies aligned with the Senate Bill 100 requirements for make-up work and re-engagement following student exclusion. While these initial results appear promising, much is left to be known regarding how the modifications reflected in the handbooks are applied in practice and the impact on student outcomes in order to fully understand whether the goals of Senate Bill 100 will be realized. In order to take significant steps toward combatting the negative outcomes and disproportionality associated with exclusionary discipline, a recommendation is offered for school personnel to continue to examine alignment with Senate Bill 100 while committing to collaborative actions to improve systemic practices

Multipurpose Glider-Quadcopter UAS

The goal for this design was to develop a dual stage UAS that will deliver medical supplies to people in need in remote locations. To accomplish this, a quadcopter was designed to release a glider with the payload therein. A scaled down prototype was produced for analysis purposes. A conceptual model was fully designed that is capable of effectively taking off vertically, accelerating to a desired velocity, releasing the glider, and returning back to the initial takeoff location. The glider was designed to be fully controllable in order to accurately reach the desired location. System aerodynamics and quadcopter propulsion were thoroughly studied throughout the design process in order to optimize range. Computational fluid dynamics, finite element analysis, and extensive hand calculations were completed on both component geometries and propulsion systems in order to verify final system effectiveness. It was determined that the range requirement of 10 miles for the entire system could be accomplished with a maximum velocity of 128 mph