Social Agglomeration Forces and the City

The presence of “agglomeration forces” in production markets is widely accepted and has been recently quantified in the economics literature. Social scientists have done little theoretical work, however, and even less quantitative work, on how the logic of agglomeration might also apply to social groups and the gains that people derive from their social interactions. This paper attempts to bridge this gap by modeling and measuring the benefits in terms of social prestige that arose from the spatial concentration of socialites in Manhattan in the 1920s. I formulate a model of location-based social status determination that illustrates why these benefits might make spatial concentration desirable for members of the social elite. To test the model, I draw on the 1920 and 1924 volumes of the New York Social Register, federal income tax data for New York City residents in the 1920s, and United States Federal Census records to compile a novel dataset containing demographic information, club affiliations, occupations, incomes and addresses of over 700 socially prominent men living in Manhattan in the early 1920s. Treating club memberships as a proxy for social prominence, I exploit an instrumental variable approach, using expected changes in family size as an instrument for neighborhood choice, to measure the relationship between an individual’s residence relative to others in the group and his social status. My results suggest that there are strong, statistically significant benefits in terms of social status that come with living in closer proximity to others in one’s social group; in the context of my 1924 Manhattan data, a move of just a few blocks from 12 West 44th Street to 421 Park Avenue would, on average and all else equal, result in a 54.3% increase in club memberships for the mean individual in my dataset

A Believer and a Skeptic Agree in a Postmodern World

Through distinct personal narratives we will compare our religious discoveries from childhood to the present day. We will explain spirituality as a pivotal part of our self-realization throughout college and our initial inspiration to search for our respective higher beings. We attempt to explain our drastically different religious and spiritual backgrounds while also presenting parallels that allow us to find a common understanding of faith

A guide to research with care homes

Purpose - A growing older population with complex care needs, including dementia, are living in care homes. It is important to support researchers in conducting ethical and appropriate work in this complex research environment. The purpose of this paper is to discuss key issues in care homes research including examples of best practice. The intention is to inform researchers across disciplines, leading to more sensitive and meaningful care home research practice. Design/methodology/approach - Experienced care homes researchers were invited to provide methodological insights and details not already reported in their publications. These have been analysed, creating key themes and linked to project publications. Findings - The need for reflexivity was a key finding. In particular, researchers need to: appreciate that the work is complex; see participants as potential research partners; and consider how cognitive and physical frailty of residents, staffing pressures and the unique environments of care homes might impact upon their research. Other challenges include recruitment and consenting people who lack mental capacity. Research limitations/implications - As the care homes research landscape continues to develop and grow, there still remains limited reflection and discussion of methodological issues with a need for a "safe space" for researchers to discuss challenges. Originality/value - This review is an updated methodological guide for care homes researchers, also highlighting current gaps in the mechanisms for continuing to share best research practice

Recent Decisions

Comments on recent decisions by Joseph P. Summers, William J. Luff, Jr., Thomas Kavadas, Jr., Joseph A. Marino, James J. Harrington, Cornelius J. Collins, George P. McAndrews, Richard M. Bies, George A. Pelletier, Jr., Thomas M. Clusserath, and Rocco L. Puntureri

CD1d expression demarcates CDX4+ hemogenic mesoderm with definitive hematopoietic potential

To achieve efficient, reproducible differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) towards specific hematopoietic cell-types, a comprehensive understanding of the necessary cell signaling and developmental trajectories involved is required. Previous studies have identified the mesodermal progenitors of extra-embryonic-like and intra-embryonic-like hemogenic endothelium (HE), via stage-specific WNT and ACTIVIN/NODAL, with GYPA/GYPB (CD235a/b) expression serving as a positive selection marker for mesoderm harboring exclusively extra-embryonic-like hemogenic potential. However, a positive mesodermal cell-surface marker with exclusively intra-embryonic-like hemogenic potential has not been identified. Recently, we reported that early mesodermal expression of CDX4 critically regulates definitive HE specification, suggesting that CDX4 may act in a cell-autonomous manner during hematopoietic development. To identify CDX4+ mesoderm, we performed single cell (sc)RNAseq on hPSC-derived mesodermal cultures, revealing CDX

Integrated optical Mach-Zehnder interferometer as simazine immunoprobe

Immunoassay has become a versatile tool in several fields of analytical chemistry. We describe the characterization and the application of different integrated optical channel waveguide Mach-Zehnder interferometers (MZIs) as label-free immunoprobes. The performance of the classical MZI is compared with that of a modified structure which incorporates a 3x3 coupler. Characterization of the devices demonstrates a dramatic improvement gained by using the 3x3 coupler. Two main advantages are achieved by the modified device. First, the possibility of referencing the output signal allows the elimination of signal fluctuations due to coupling and light-source instabilities. An increase of the signal-to-noise ratio by a factor of up to 10 is achieved. Secondly, the phase shift between the three outputs allows unambiguous detection with optimum sensitivity. For the detection of the herbicide simazine, the functional properties of the transducer surface are optimized by an appropriate chemical modification. Using this improved device, a simazine immunoassay has been carried out with a test midpoint of 0.3 ppb and a detection limit of approximately 0.1 ppb. The excellent performance, established manufacturing techniques and the potential for simplification and parallelization make the device attractive for further development

Experiences of health care transition voiced by young adults with type 1 diabetes: a qualitative study

Objective: This qualitative study aimed to explore the experience of transition from pediatric to adult diabetes care reported by posttransition emerging adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D), with a focus on preparation for the actual transfer in care. Methods: Twenty-six T1D emerging adults (mean age 26.2±2.5 years) receiving adult diabetes care at a single center participated in five focus groups stratified by two levels of current glycemic control. A multidisciplinary team coded transcripts and conducted thematic analysis. Results: Four key themes on the process of transfer to adult care emerged from a thematic analysis: 1) nonpurposeful transition (patients reported a lack of transition preparation by pediatric providers for the transfer to adult diabetes care); 2) vulnerability in the college years (patients conveyed periods of loss to follow-up during college and described health risks and diabetes management challenges specific to the college years that were inadequately addressed by pediatric or adult providers); 3) unexpected differences between pediatric and adult health care systems (patients were surprised by the different feel of adult diabetes care, especially with regards to an increased focus on diabetes complications); and 4) patients’ wish list for improving the transition process (patients recommended enhanced pediatric transition counseling, implementation of adult clinic orientation programs, and peer support for transitioning patients). Conclusion: Our findings identify modifiable deficiencies in the T1D transition process and underscore the importance of a planned transition with enhanced preparation by pediatric clinics as well as developmentally tailored patient orientation in the adult clinic setting