Public Libraries: Is Independence Better?

Since the origin of public libraries in the United States during the nineteenth century, they have been primarily supported by public taxation, due to their intended purpose of benefiting all of society, and especially the economically disadvantaged. Public libraries are provided in much the same spirit as public education, to uphold the American value that knowledge and information should be equally available to all, without regard to individual ability to pay. The dilemma of how to pay for library services has involved considerable debate in the library community about the implementation of user fees to supplement revenue, as an alternative to taxation

Outer South East Livable Infill Project

The City of Portland, Oregon has experienced unprecedented population growth in the last decade, much of which has been accommodated through infill development. Not all infi ll development has contributed to meeting design goals, prompting the City’s Bureau of Planning to launch the Infill Design Project in 2003. The Infill Design Project aims to improve the design of multi-dwelling and rowhouse development outside the Central City. This study supports the Infill Design Project by studying the design of new, multi-family infi ll development in a section of Outer Southeast Portland, Oregon. Through public outreach, this study identifies community design preferences and analyzes whether these preferences are being met in the private realm, the public realm and contextually. The studyfurther identifies reasons for the current state of multi-family infill development and provides recommendations to improve design quality of multi-family infill. This project was conducted under the supervision of Deborah Howe, Barry Messer, and Ethan Seltzer

Behavioral Effects of Congenital Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex Malformation

Background: A detailed behavioral profile associated with focal congenital malformation of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) has not been reported previously. Here we describe a 14 year-old boy, B.W., with neurological and psychiatric sequelae stemming from focal cortical malformation of the left vmPFC. Case Presentation: B.W.'s behavior has been characterized through extensive review Patience of clinical and personal records along with behavioral and neuropsychological testing. A central feature of the behavioral profile is severe antisocial behavior. He is aggressive, manipulative, and callous; features consistent with psychopathy. Other problems include: egocentricity, impulsivity, hyperactivity, lack of empathy, lack of respect for authority, impaired moral judgment, an inability to plan ahead, and poor frustration tolerance. Conclusions: The vmPFC has a profound contribution to the development of human prosocial behavior. B.W. demonstrates how a congenital lesion to this cortical region severely disrupts this process

Lesion mapping of cognitive abilities linked to intelligence

The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) assesses a wide range of cognitive abilities and impairments. Factor analyses have documented four underlying indices that jointly comprise intelligence as assessed with the WAIS: verbal comprehension (VCI), perceptual organization (POI), working memory (WMI), and processing speed (PSI). We used nonparametric voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping in 241 patients with focal brain damage to investigate their neural underpinnings. Statistically significant lesion-deficit relationships were found in left inferior frontal cortex for VCI, in left frontal and parietal cortex for WMI, and in right parietal cortex for POI. There was no reliable single localization for PSI. Statistical power maps and cross-validation analyses quantified specificity and sensitivity of the index scores in predicting lesion locations. Our findings provide comprehensive lesion maps of intelligence factors, and make specific recommendations for interpretation and application of the WAIS to the study of intelligence in health and disease

Thinking about growth : a cognitive mapping approach to understanding small business development

School of Managemen