Contributing Factors to Perspectives on Gun Regulations

With a rising amount of gun violence, issues of stricter gun regulations have been brought to the government’s attention. Location, gender, and ideology all contribute to how one perceives the individual use of firearms, and believes how much the government should intervene. This paper will explore the different variables such as the three listed above that affect one’s opinions on government intervention concerning stricter gun regulations. The results of data analysis from the ANES 2012 studies conclude that the more conservative one self identifies as, one would want either the same or less government intervention concerning stricter gun regulations. Data also shows that when males and females are compared, males will want either easier access to guns or the regulations to stay the same, while a greater percentage of females want stricter gun control then making it more difficult to buy a gun. By studying the location where one grew up, data showed that people in more rural areas believe in either looser gun regulations or for laws to stay the same. Conversely, data showed that citizens in either suburban or urban areas wanted tighter reigns on guns in general. All of these independent variables were shown to be statistically significant when more closely examined from educated hypotheses

Molecular Machines: Synthesis, Modeling, and Applications

While some of the smallest, most useful machines known to science are the biological molecules that keep living organisms alive, there is a growing advancement of the creation of artificial molecules that have the same function and are more efficient. Molecular machines were invented in 1983 when scientists in France created a machine formed of two interlinked molecular rings. In 2016, the Nobel prize in chemistry was awarded to Feringa, Stoddart, and Sauvage who finally documented molecular machines and put them into energy‐filled states in which their movements could be controlled. From this, molecular machines became known as a group of molecular components that produce quasi-mechanical movements when exposed to specific stimuli. Thus, from this invention came progress through which more advanced molecular machines were created such as those with the ability to act as a motor, propeller, or switch. The implication of these discoveries sets the stage for applications in both microchips and the human body. Molecular machines have various general applications in chemistry, and more specifically, applications such as the realization of directed motions, which can be applied within the protein kinesin, synthetic polyelectrolytes by utilization of rotaxane, and catalysts

Racial Ties to Party Identification and Ideology

Race is a prevalent variable to understanding the gap between party identification and party ideology in the United States. The polarization of party identity can be traced back to the 1964 election in which the Democratic and Republican parties took opposing positions on civil rights. Since this election, both parties have held their position on matters of race and civil rights. Party identification and political ideology are both political and racial concepts, and it is demonstrated that Americans rely on racial categorization when identifying with a political party, but do not rely on that categorization for political ideology. While some scholars argue that strongly opposing party positions on racial issues affect party identification some scholars state that it is the positions on other issues that create the noted cleavages. This paper will explore three variables that demonstrate stark differences between party identification and ideology for black American voters. The independent variables compared were party identification and ideology self-placement. The dependent variables studied were thoughts on equality, traditional family values, and how the voter feels about newer lifestyles. The results of data analysis from the ANES 2016 studies conclude that the majority of black voters think of themselves as a Democrat but identify ideologically as moderate. Data also shows that black voters want to talk about equality, think there should be more emphasis on traditional family values, and are split on if newer lifestyles are breaking down society. When analyzed, all of these independent variables were shown to be statistically significant, contributing to the notion of cleavages between party identification and political ideology

Quantitative assessment of visual microscopy as a tool for microplastic research: Recommendations for improving methods and reporting.

Microscopy is often the first step in microplastic analysis and is generally followed by spectroscopy to confirm material type. The value of microscopy lies in its ability to provide count, size, color, and morphological information to inform toxicity and source apportionment. To assess the accuracy and precision of microscopy, we conducted a method evaluation study. Twenty-two laboratories from six countries were provided three blind spiked clean water samples and asked to follow a standard operating procedure. The samples contained a known number of microplastics with different morphologies (fiber, fragment, sphere), colors (clear, white, green, blue, red, and orange), polymer types (PE, PS, PVC, and PET), and sizes (ranging from roughly 3-2000 μm), and natural materials (natural hair, fibers, and shells; 100-7000 μm) that could be mistaken for microplastics (i.e., false positives). Particle recovery was poor for the smallest size fraction (3-20 μm). Average recovery (±StDev) for all reported particles >50 μm was 94.5 ± 56.3%. After quality checks, recovery for >50 μm spiked particles was 51.3 ± 21.7%. Recovery varied based on morphology and color, with poorest recovery for fibers and the largest deviations for clear and white particles. Experience mattered; less experienced laboratories tended to report higher concentration and had a higher variance among replicates. Participants identified opportunity for increased accuracy and precision through training, improved color and morphology keys, and method alterations relevant to size fractionation. The resulting data informs future work, constraining and highlighting the value of microscopy for microplastics