Criminal Law: Drug Courier Profiles, United States V. Mendenhall

The recent United States Supreme Court decision in United States v. Mendenhall\u27 is notable not for what the Court did decide, but for what the Court could not decide

Neutron Star Mergers Are the Dominant Source of the r-process in the Early Evolution of Dwarf Galaxies

There are many candidate sites of the r-process: core-collapse supernovae (including rare magnetorotational core-collapse supernovae), neutron star mergers, and neutron star/black hole mergers. The chemical enrichment of galaxies---specifically dwarf galaxies---helps distinguish between these sources based on the continual build-up of r-process elements. This technique can distinguish between the r-process candidate sites by the clearest observational difference---how quickly these events occur after the stars are created. The existence of several nearby dwarf galaxies allows us to measure robust chemical abundances for galaxies with different star formation histories. Dwarf galaxies are especially useful because simple chemical evolution models can be used to determine the sources of r-process material. We have measured the r-process element barium with Keck/DEIMOS medium-resolution spectroscopy. We present the largest sample of barium abundances (almost 250 stars) in dwarf galaxies ever assembled. We measure [Ba/Fe] as a function of [Fe/H] in this sample and compare with existing [alpha/Fe] measurements. We have found that a large contribution of barium needs to occur at more delayed timescales than core-collapse supernovae in order to explain our observed abundances, namely the significantly more positive trend of the r-process component of [Ba/Fe] vs. [Fe/H] seen for [Fe/H] <~ -1.6 when compared to the [Mg/Fe] vs. [Fe/H] trend. We conclude that neutron star mergers are the most likely source of r-process enrichment in dwarf galaxies at early times.Comment: Accepted to ApJ on 2018 October 2

Water from the Moon

During the scalding, dry summer of 1988, it would appear 23-year-old Dennis Dearbome is at a crossroads. More accurately, he is not on a road of any kind. The only child of affluent parents in suburban Minneapolis, Dennis finds his carefree existence at home unceremoniously ended when, after a string of lost jobs on his part, his parents decide to evict him from their house. At the same time, his father, an influential bank president, lands him a position as an illustrator for a small greeting card company. Dennjs can handle the technical demands of the job because of a natural ability (in which he had never taken much interest) with the pencil and the brush. He feels disconnected, however, from his artistically pretentious coworkers and no closer to a direction for his life than he was before. Slowly, things begins to change when, at an estate sale searching for used furniture, he comes across an old drawing of a woman that touches him in a way be can\u27t explain. The drawing is inscribed only with the signature of the artist, J. Grawer, and a cryptic phrase, Water From the Moon., Growing up in Chicago during the Great Depression, John Grawer turns to art as a refuge from the harsh realities of his life, particularly after his father abandons the family when John is only 12. John is forced to go to work at a young age to help support the family, but through a stroke of Iuck he later winds up in a job as an artist for a department store advertising department. His newfound happiness is short-lived with the United States\u27 entry into World Warn, and in 1943 he enlists in the Marines in order to force his younger brother, who wants to enlist himself, to stay home with their mother. In 1944, John is wounded in a freak accident before his platoon is to land on the beach at Saipan, of the Japanese-held Mariana Islands, and while recovering in a military hospital, John discovers that his entire platoon was wiped out during the fighting. Wracked with guilt because he was not there to fight with them, John does not return home immediately after the war, instead volunteering for duty in occupied Japan, and when he does return,, he decides to follow a job lead to Minnesota, leaving his family, his art and his old life behind. Some time after the move, he meets a charming and beautiful young woman, Catherine Dempsey, and quickly falls in love with her, particularly with her way of embracing life in a manner he had never been able to do. He senses, however that something is not quite right with her, and she eventually reveals that she has terminal cancer. In her final weeks, he draws a portrait of her and titles it Water From the Moon, from a Japanese saying that means Something you can never have. He never finds the courage to tell her he loves her, and he never finds out if she loves him or if he was simply a diversion from her illness. After her death, the drawing is returned to him, and be retires it to a box in his closet. While taking the drawing out of its old frame, Dennis discovers a note Catherine had written to John and had intended for him to find. A short while after, Dennis discovers John is in a nursing home, suffering from serious health complications after a stroke. Dennis struggles about what to do with the note, which he feels contains information John would want, even more than 40 years later. Finally, Dennis brings the portrait and the note to John, whose memory has been ravaged by the stroke. After a frustrating exchange, in which it appears John does not remember anything, John breaks down and admits ownership of the drawing. Over the next several months, John\u27s health continues to deteriorate, but he has taken some comfort at Catherine\u27s note, which, after years of disappointment and unfulfilled potential, provides him with a single shining light that makes his life seem worthwhile. In his last months, he begins drawing again with Dennis, who eventually realizes that he, like John, is an artist

Branding the President: An Investigation into the Manipulative Tactics Embedded Within a Candidate’s Brand Identity

The growth of marketing within a political environment has altered the way in which political candidates address potential voters. Shifting focus from policy centred to image centric, candidates now utilise branding as a key component in their campaign strategy. However, concern arises surrounding the emotionally manipulative aspect of the branding concept. When combined with rhetoric features, the candidate can consciously manipulate the feelings of the audience to induce a desired response. This strategic manipulation of language has the potential to shape a candidate’s brand identity, using it as a device to conceal manipulative behaviours. This study focuses on the 2016 U.S presidential election, assessing the speeches of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton and examined the extent to which manipulative tactics were embedded within the politicians’ brand identity. A multi-tiered investigative procedure was created to examine the link between the brand identity and the rhetorical features, metaphor and mythology. A mixed-method research approach was followed, assessing six speech transcripts through a two-level content analysis. The results identified clear disparities between Trump’s and Clinton’s brand distinctiveness, highlighting the strength of Trump’s brand identity. The study further revealed an overwhelming presence of rhetorical techniques embedded within both candidates’ brand identity. However, the degree to which these were implemented differed between the opponents

The Matrix of African American Sacred Music in the 21st Century

This essay explores the praying grounds and contested terrains of African American sacred music in the twenty-first century. After presenting a womanist interdisciplinary methodology for experiencing and analyzing African American sacred music, the essay then (1) provides a socio-historical overview of the various types of music in the canopy of Black sacred music (2) examines selected music from several genres (3) analyzes some theological and ethical doctrines grounded in and emerging from particular musical selections and (4) offers reflections on some critical issues that are contested and need to inform music used in worship given emerging issues in African American sacred contexts, particularly as we live in a twenty-first century global community

The Effect of Load Deception on Kinetic Variables during the Second Pull from Blocks of the Power Clean

Strength & conditioning practitioners often seek novel and applied methods to enhance athletic performance. The purpose of this current research was to examine whether ‘not knowing the load ‘during a mid-thigh pull (MTP) performance led to enhanced performance characteristics across a randomised selection of loads (75%-95% 1RM). Fifteen male collegiate athletes (age 21.8 ± 2.3, height 171.8 ± 7.5 cm, mass 89.3kg ± 9.8kg, MTP 1RM 135.5kg ± 18kg) were selected for the pre 1RM MTP and the 5 post randomised unknown lifts between 75%-95% of individual 1RM. The research demonstrated that unknown loads at 75% 1RM lead to significant changes in average power (AP) (known1062±251 W, unknown1213 ± 289W; p ≤ 0.05; effect size (ES) = 0.56 small). Unknown loads at 75% 1RM lead to significant changes in average velocity (AV) (known: 0.49±0.1, unknown: 0.66 ± 0.10m/s; p ≤ 0.00; ES = 1.66 large). There was also a significant change in peak velocity (PV) at 75% 1RM (known: 0.74±0.16, unknown: 0.95 ± 0.26m/s; p ≤ 0.05; ES = 0.99 moderate). Unknown loads at 80% 1RM lead to significant changes in AV (known: 0.47±0.10 unknown: 0.60 ± 0.10m/s; p ≤ 0.01; ES = 1.36 large). There was no significant difference in AP, AV, peak power (PP) and PV variables across 85, 90, 95% 1RM (p ≥ 0.05; ES = trivial to small). It appears that these findings especially at unknown loads between 75% and 80% 1RM could be beneficial in enhancing velocity-based performance variables. Therefore, the applications of unknown loads are of meaningful practical use to enhance performance variables during weightlifting pulling derivatives. Therefore, weightlifting pulling derivatives are potentially a useful training modality to improve desirable ballistic actions in particular triple extension

Why are the Disability Rolls Skyrocketing? The Contribution of Population Characteristics, Economic Conditions, and Program Generosity

This chapter, which addresses three categories of explanation—the characteristics of individuals insured by the Disability Insurance (DI) program, the state of the economy, and the generosity of program benefits—argues that the growth in DI rolls is likely to continue and perhaps accelerate going forward. The data indicate that the recessions of 1991 and 2001 can explain 24 percent of the growth in DI receipt among men and 12 percent of the growth among women. Changes in health during the past two decades have slowed rather than added to the growth of the DI rolls. DI awards for certain conditions were much more affected by the liberalized medical eligibility criteria than others. The aging of the Baby Boom population will result in significant increases in DI receipt during the next fifteen years. The incentive to apply for DI will increase with the rising value of health insurance through Medicare

Gamma-ray bursts and X-ray melting of material as a potential source of chondrules and planets

The intense radiation from a gamma-ray burst (GRB) is shown to be capable of melting stony material at distances up to 300 light years which subsequently cool to form chondrules. These conditions were created in the laboratory for the first time when millimeter sized pellets were placed in a vacuum chamber in the white synchrotron beam at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF). The pellets were rapidly heated in the X-ray and gamma-ray furnace to above 1400 C melted and cooled. This process heats from the inside unlike normal furnaces. The melted spherical samples were examined with a range of techniques and found to have microstructural properties similar to the chondrules that come from meteorites. This experiment demonstrates that GRBs can melt precursor material to form chondrules that may subsequently influence the formation of planets. This work extends the field of laboratory astrophysics to include high power synchrotron sources.Comment: 8 pages, 10 figures. Proceedings of the 5th INTEGRAL Workshop, Munich 16-20 February 2004. High resolution figures available at http://bermuda.ucd.ie/%7Esmcbreen/papers/duggan_01.pd