Daubert\u27s Significance

The authors review and note the limited reach of Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals. They also address its implications for concerned non-lawyers

Occupancy Modeling of Western Monarch Thanksgiving Counts: Negative Impacts of Incomplete Resurveys and Uneven Sampling Efforts

Western monarch butterflies (sp. Danaus plexippus) are undergoing a severe decline that rivals those occurring among insects across the globe. Despite the estimation of population abundance, growth rates, and extinction probabilities, no analyses have investigated spatiotemporal patterns of decline in the western monarch population. I performed occupancy modeling of Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count (WMTC) data. The data was constrained spatially and temporally, with sites grouped into occupancy bins by latitude and year. Occupancy probabilities (psi) were estimated for each intersection of a latitude and time bin and detection probabilities (p) were estimated for each time bin. Psi increased slightly and non-significantly from northern to southern latitude bins. However, the dataset was unable to support any models with \u3e3 latitude bins or the intersection of latitude and time bins because the dataset contained unequal sampling distributions across both space and time and a high proportion of missing observations. These constraints are likely driven by the reliance upon citizen science for WMTC data collection, and thus those constraints may be present in other citizen science datasets. Despite inconclusion regarding my original research questions, I concluded that occupancy modeling requires robust datasets that are more complete and equally distributed across the relevant parameters than the WMTC data. As species begin to decline, datasets with these characteristics may be harder to generate, suggesting that occupancy modeling may not be suitable for western monarch butterflies or other insect populations in the future

The Wheel House - An Intergenerational Space Creating Bonds Between At-Risk Teens and Seniors

MOTIVATION Two main groups in American society today are floundering: adolescent children of low income families and the elderly. Between the hours of 3:00 and 6:00 p.m., one in five children are unsupervised. Left to their own devices, many become involved in negative behaviors such as drug and alcohol abuse, sexual activity or in the worse cases, delinquency (Afterschool Alliance, 2016). It is proven that when children are alone after school, they not only miss out on valuable learning opportunities, but also their parents are affected as well by having to lose as many as eight work days annually to resolve behavioral issues. In this negative cycle, businesses experience losses of up to $300 billion a year (Afterschool Alliance, 2018). The other demographic group that is struggling is the elderly. Due to advanced medical care and better education, people are living longer (Singh, A., & Misra, N. 2009). After they retire from the work force, many find themselves with an unstructured routine. Friendships often fade. Connection with family may become less frequent, and it is difficult to form new relationships. These changes in their lives often result in feelings of isolation, loneliness, depression and even death (Singh, A., & Misra, N. (2009). A solution to these two problems is creating an intergenerational program. Intergenerational programs bring different age groups together to participate in activities and cultural exchanges. Bringing adolescents and the elderly together enriches the quality of life for each. The elderly can bond with youths through tutoring, mentoring, and sharing their life experiences, while gaining social interaction they would otherwise lack. The children can receive individual attention academically and emotionally, broaden their social skills, and benefit from their elders’ life knowledge and experience (Bethesda Health, 2014). PROBLEM For every dollar spent, three dollars are saved by increasing kids’ learning potential, improving kids’ performance at school and reducing crime and juvenile delinquency (Afterschool Alliance, 2017). However, under the current administration, funding is going to be cut nationwide by 100% in the 2019 fiscal year. (Afterschool Alliance, 2018). Therefore, it is essential to design a space that is conducive to relationship building, low maintenance and sustainable to reduce overhead and maximize funds for the participants. METHODS Methods of research will include peer reviewed literature and case studies. For example, I will study a program founded in Columbia, MD that helps disadvantaged children with at least one incarcerated parent achieve their dreams. I will also study local and regional afterschool programs. I also intend to create a survey for both adolescents and elderly to collect data on attitudes and expectations of intergenerational programming. PRELIMINARY RESULTS Intergenerational programs are beneficial to everyone in a community. By participating in such programs, both populations can help each other by understanding and accepting each other’s similarities and differences and learning from one another (Bethesda Health, 2015). They create a safer and more productive society and encourages upward mobility in economically depressed neighborhoods. For a relatively low investment, the return is tremendous. The major challenge of intergenerational programs is funding. CONCLUSION The research methods described above will support the design of an intergenerational clubhouse for the immediate community. The space will provide academic, social and values enrichment through supportive mentoring and the use of technology. And equally important, a safe place, security, comfort, trust, respect, and pride

Peacemakers: Biblical Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation as a Model Alternative to Litigation, The

The purpose of this article is to examine Biblical conflict resolution as a model or method for dispute resolution: (1) to determine its development, purpose and goals, theoretical basis, and procedure or process; (2) to evaluate Biblical conflict resolution as an alternative to the legal system; and (3) to establish the contemporary value and validity of Biblical conflict resolution

Revisitation: a trans phenomenology of the media image

How might certain moving images move us into transgender becoming? The recent proliferation of transgender images in the media of the Global North has been widely regarded as supporting transgender political and social equality. But do these images do justice to the complexity of transgender lives? Who are images of transgender identity made for, and whose interests do they serve? Instead of discussing media that produce a transgender object for public consumption, this essay’s author is interested in theorizing a trans point of media reception for the popular image. This essay illustrates how transgender subjects might fashion their own archives of becoming through encounters with media that unintentionally support transgender embodiment as a possibility in the world. Revisiting his phenomenological encounters with the film Under the Skin and the “Milk: It Does a Body Good” ad campaign, the author analyzes how certain media objects have the unexpected power to “move” the transgender subject into becoming

What’s Worse, Nuclear Waste or the United States’ Failed Policy for Its Disposal?

This comment will analyze the SNF ( spent nuclear fuel ) problem in the United States and offer recommendations for how to move forward. First, Part I will summarize the path that has led to this impasse. Part II offers recommended solutions on how the United States can develop a workable SNF solution that includes a permanent repository, consolidated intermediate storage, and reprocessing. Finally, this comment will offer its conclusion that the United States should begin the process of establishing a permanent geologic repository for SNF at a location other than Yucca Mountain, create a system of consolidated interim storage to temporarily house SNF, and establish a program to reprocess SNF

Transcriptional Regulation of Cell-type Specific Expression in the Arabidopsis Root

Characterizing transcription factor interactions with their corresponding binding sites is crucial for understanding how gene expression is regulated by DNA sequence. A more comprehensive understanding of this process could have benefits in synthetic promoter design and creation of genetically modified organisms. Herein, the promoters of genes exhibiting cell-type specific expression within a single layer of the Arabidopsis root are analyzed to identify cis-regulatory motifs implicated in cell-type specific expression. De novo motif prediction identifies multiple motif candidates overly represented in the promoter sequences of co-expressed genes specific for epidermal, cortex, and endodermal expression. Several endodermal specific putative motifs are further analyzed for positional biases and tested in planta. A priori mapping of known cis-regulatory motifs catalogued in publicly available databases is also performed. Results show that cell-types contain different statistically significant enrichment patterns of both predicted and known cis-regulatory motifs. These results will help future research in designing cell-type specific synthetic promoters