Institutionalized Discrimination in the Legal System: A Socio-Historical Approach

Despite many of the social, political, and economic changes of the 1960s, discrimination is still prevalent in the United States. Increasingly, evidence of discrimination can be seen in our nation\u27s courts, institutions of higher education, in public policy decisions, and every social, political and economic institution. The question of how this can be in these days of ethnic and cultural diversity has aroused considerable interest among social scientists, as well as among the general public. One area that has been the target of considerable research is the criminal justice system. Wilbanks[1] has suggested that it is a myth that the criminal justice system is racist and discriminates against blacks and other minorities. This paper argues to the contrary. It is suggested that Wilbanks has inappropriately applied a microlevel analysis to a macrolevel phenomenon. Examining the historical-structural nature of the legal systems points to great disparities in the status quo of US jurisprudence

Longitudinal distribution of cosmic rays in the heliosphere

The longitudinal distribution of cosmic ray intensity was examined during the years 1974-1976 when the persistent high speed solar wind stream structures produced a well ordered inner heliosphere. Solar wind velocity is mapped back to the Sun and compared with cosmic ray intensity which is represented relative to the solar rotation average. Low solar wind velocity is observed to be a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for the occurrence of higher cosmic ray intensities at 1 AU. These relative enhancements cover a restricted range of heliographic longitudes and persist for several solar rotations. The observed solar wind and cosmic ray intensity relationships are consistent with a simple model suggested here in which cosmic ray modulation is very weak in the inner heliosphere, sunward of the first shock crossing on each field line and more intense in the outer heliosphere

Competing magnetic interactions in CeNi9-xCoxGe4

CeNi9Ge4 exhibits outstanding heavy fermion features with remarkable non-Fermi- liquid behavior which is mainly driven by single-ion effects. The substitution of Ni by Cu causes a reduction of both, the RKKY coupling and Kondo interaction, coming along with a dramatic change of the crystal field (CF) splitting. Thereby a quasi-quartet ground state observed in CeNi9Ge4 reduces to a two-fold degenerate one in CeNi8CuGe4. This leads to a modiffcation of the effective spin degeneracy of the Kondo lattice ground state and to the appearance of antiferromagnetic (AFM) order. To obtain a better understanding of consequences resulting from a reduction of the effective spin degeneracy, we stepwise replaced Ni by Co. Thereby an increase of the Kondo and RKKY interactions through the reduction of the effective d-electron count is expected. Accordingly, a paramagnetic Fermi liquid ground state should arise. Our experimental studies, however, reveal AFM order already for small Co concentrations, which becomes even more pronounced with increasing Co content x. Thereby the modiffcation of the effective spin degeneracy seems to play a crucial role in this system

The search for the cause of the low albedo of the moon

Experimentation concerning lunar weathering and its effect on the albedo of the surface cover consisted of: (1) determination of the surface chemical composition of lunar soil and ground-up rock samples by Auger electron spectroscopy, (2) measurement of the optical albedo of these samples, and (3) proton or alpha-particle irradiation of terrestrial rock chips and rock powders and of ground-up lunar rock samples in order to determine the optical and surface chemical effect of simulated solar wind

The Surface Chemical Composition of Lunar Samples and Its Significance for Optical Properties

The surface iron, titanium, calcium, and silicon concentration in numerous lunar soil and rock samples was determined by Auger electron spectroscopy. All soil samples show a large increase in the iron to oxygen ratio compared with samples of pulverized rock or with results of the bulk chemical analysis. A solar wind simulation experiment using 2 keV energy alpha -particles showed that an ion dose corresponding to approximately 30,000 years of solar wind increased the iron concentration on the surface of the pulverized Apollo 14 rock sample 14310 to the concentration measured in the Apollo 14 soil sample 14163, and the albedo of the pulverized rock decreased from 0.36 to 0.07. The low albedo of the lunar soil is related to the iron + titanium concentration on its surface. A solar wind sputter reduction mechanism is discussed as a possible cause for both the surface chemical and optical properties of the soil

Ambulation protocols leading to decreased postoperative complications and hospital stay

Background: In the postoperative course, patients are routinely encouraged to ambulate as frequently as possible. Typically in the hospital this can become burdensome to the staff and often becomes low priority. Patients are also not aware of the frequency and quality of the ambulation that is sufficient in the postoperative period. At present, patients on the surgical floor who are completely independent and without any devices (eg. Oxygen, nasogastric tubes, chest tubes) are freely able to ambulate at will although there is no reliable way to track this progress. Other patients with devices are limited to waiting for nursing or ancillary staff to assist them with securing the devices that they require in the postoperative period. Ambulation has been positively associated with decreased postoperative complications ranging from bowel function to deep venous thrombosis to pneumonia.https://jdc.jefferson.edu/patientsafetyposters/1065/thumbnail.jp

Metallic behavior in Si/SiGe 2D electron systems

We calculate the temperature, density, and parallel magnetic field dependence of low temperature electronic resistivity in 2D high-mobility Si/SiGe quantum structures, assuming the conductivity limiting mechanism to be carrier scattering by screened random charged Coulombic impurity centers. We obtain comprehensive agreement with existing experimental transport data, compellingly establishing that the observed 2D metallic behavior in low-density Si/SiGe systems arises from the peculiar nature of 2D screening of long-range impurity disorder. In particular, our theory correctly predicts the experimentally observed metallic temperature dependence of 2D resistivity in the fully spin-polarized system

Redliking: When Redlining Goes Online

Airbnb’s structure, design, and algorithm create a website architecture that allows user discrimination to prevent minority hosts from realizing the same economic benefits from short-term rental platforms as White hosts, a phenomenon this Article refers to as “redliking.” For hosts with an unused home, a spare room, or an extra couch, Airbnb provides an opportunity to create new income streams and increase wealth. Airbnb encourages prospective guests to view host photographs, names, and personal information when considering potential accommodations, thereby inviting bias, both implicit and overt, to permeate transactions. This bias has financial consequences. Empirical research on host earning rates found that White hosts earn significantly more than minorities, even when controlling for location, size, and amenities. Airbnb’s algorithm augments the effects and propensity of individual user bias, creating a system wherein allegedly race-neutral variables serve as proxies for discrimination. Contemporary redliking perpetuates historic inequality related to housing wealth. In the early twentieth century, redlining maps were used to justify withholding investments from Black communities. Today, redliking continues the practice of directing wealth to White communities, reinforces systemic real property barriers by depriving minority hosts of important revenue streams, and exacerbates the racial wealth gap. This Article examines the liability of Airbnb and similar websites for discrimination experienced by minority short-term rental hosts. The ability of the Fair Housing Act and Civil Rights Act, laws originally enacted to abolish housing discrimination and protect minority consumers, to combat redliking is complicated by the fact that sites such as Airbnb serve multiple purposes; while guests use the platform to identify and book lodging, hosts use the site to advertise available accommodations. Looking to judicial interpretation of platform liability in the context of online speech, this Article proposes two approaches—a general-function test and a fragmented-function test—to determine website liability for discrimination against short-term rental hosts. Noting the limitations of the existing antidiscrimination legal framework, this Article argues that eradicating redliking requires incorporating lessons on platform design from behavioral economics as well as eliminating opportunities for website algorithms to amplify and operationalize user discrimination