Racial Disparity in Marijuana Policing in New Orleans

In national research, self-reported marijuana use is similar across races, but in New Orleans, black people are disproportionately arrested for marijuana offenses, including simple possession. While some states have legalized marijuana in recent years, the consequences for marijuana possession in Louisiana remain severe—under state law, repeated convictions for simple possession are punishable by multi-year prison sentences. This report illuminates through quantitative analysis the persistent racial disparities in marijuana policing from 2010 to 2015, and discusses the impacts of statutory and policy reforms the city has implemented to date. Through these findings, the report aims to guide state and local policymakers toward further improvements to lessen the harm even seemingly minor police encounters inflict on black communities, and inspire other jurisdictions to examine their own practices

Analysis of ISER 2008-2009 Survey Data

In September 2008, the superintendent of the Anchorage School District and the mayor of Anchorage sent a letter to the governor of Alaska, reporting what they thought might be an influx of students into Anchorage from rural communities. Enrollment in the school district was higher than expected, and it coincided with the largest-ever Alaska Permanent Fund dividend and with a one-time payment of $1,200 the state made per person, to help offset high energy costs. Researchers at the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) at UAA have a longstanding interest in migration patterns in Alaska and the Arctic, and they saw the increased enrollment in Anchorage schools as a potential opportunity to better understand: • If rural Alaskans are moving to Anchorage • Where they are coming from • Why they are moving So with the cooperation of the Anchorage School District, ISER conducted a survey of the parents or guardians of students who had enrolled in Anchorage in the 2007-2008 or 2008-2009 school years and who had transferred in from other Alaska school districts. Besides finding out where students were coming from—and why—another purpose of the study was to provide the Anchorage School District and the Municipality of Anchorage with information about what they could do to help students and families who are new to the city. To our knowledge, this may be the first survey ever conducted to find out why people move to Anchorage from other areas of Alaska.University of Alaska Foundation. BP-Conoco Phillips Charter AgreementExecutive Summary / Introduction / Methods / Where are Alaskan's Moving From? / Organization of Survey Findings / Migration Patterns / Who is Moving? / Challenges and Transitions / Conclusions and Recommendations / References / Appendix A. Survey For

Alaska Coastal Community Youth and the Future

The Alaska Sea Grant College Program. Project No. R/72-02.Executive Summary / Introduction / Background to the Research / Methods / Findings / Discussion and Policy Recommendations / Products from the Research / References Cited / Appendix A. Focus Group Protocol (High School) / Appendix B. Focus Group Protocol (12-20 year olds) / Appendix C. Focus Group Questionnaire / Appendix D. Occupational Rating Worksheet / Appendix E. Consent/Assent For

Components of Delivered Fuel Prices in Alaska

This is a systematic analysis of components of delivered fuel prices in Alaska. Data for the analysis include limited publicly available Alaska fuel prices (fall 2007 prices), as well as information the authors gathered from extensive interviews with fuel retailers and transporters, communities, and agencies. We identify the individual components of delivered fuel costs—including world price of crude oil, refining costs, transportation costs, storage and distribution costs, taxes and financing costs—and investigate how these factors influence the final retail prices of home heating fuel and gasoline. Transportation, storage, and distribution costs appear to be the most variable factors driving the large retail fuel price differentials among Alaska communities. Therefore, we investigate how factors such as seasonal icing, the number of fuel transfers enroute to specific communities, local storage and delivery infrastructure, marine and river characteristics, and distance from refineries or fuel hubs influence fuel prices. We did an in-depth analysis of how those factors influence prices in ten case study communities around the state—Allakaket/Alatna, Angoon, Bethel, Chitina, False Pass, Fort Yukon, Lime Village, Mountain Village, Unalakleet, and Yakutat. Together, the quantitative data and information on Alaska fuel logistics provide a comprehensive analysis of Alaska’s fuel prices.Alaska Energy AuthorityIntroduction / Crude oil prices / Refining / Fuel Product Transportation / Alaska Oil Taxes and Royalties / Subsidies and Assistance Programs / Comparative Case Study Results / Summary and Policy Implications / References / Appendix. Community Case Study Summarie

Alaska Community Fuel Use

The goal of this project was to estimate the amount of fuel used for space heating and electricity production by communities in Alaska. No comprehensive Alaska fuel use data exist at the community level. Community fuel consumption by type of fuel and end use is needed to estimate the potential economic benefits from demand- and supply-side investments in fuel use reduction projects. These investments include weatherization and housing stock improvements; improved lighting, appliance and space heating efficiencies; waste heat capture; electric interties, and alternative energy supply options such as wind and hydroelectric generation. Ultimately the Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) and others can use this information to rank and select a suite of projects that provide the largest gains in fuel reductions at the lowest long-term costs and the highest returns on investment over the life of the projects. Study communities consisted of Power Cost Equalization (PCE) eligible communities. Communities in the North Slope Borough were excluded because fuel subsidies offered by the borough result in different patterns of energy use by households.Alaska Energy Authorit

Study of the Components of Delivered Fuel Costs in Alaska: January 2009 Update

This is an update of our previous report titled “Components of Delivered Fuel Prices in Alaska.”1 We provide more recent data on actual fuel prices in ten rural communities that we first examined in fall 2007. Rural communities across Alaska face extremely high fuel prices. People in these remote, cold places need large quantities of fuel for heat, electricity, and transportation. The estimated household cost for energy use in remote rural Alaska has increased significantly since 2000—increasing from approximately 16% of total household income to 47% in 2008 for the lowest income households. It is a higher portion of income for all income levels in remote rural Alaska as compared to Anchorage.2 In addition to the high price of fuel in rural Alaska, villages and communities have high unemployment rates, limited local economic bases, and local governments that are struggling to provide basic services to residents and businesses.3 A 2008 report done by the Alaska Division of Community Advocacy stated that the price of gasoline in 100 Alaska communities ranged from $2.75 (Fairbanks) to$9.00 (Arctic Village) per gallon with a mean of $5.80.4 In many areas of Alaska, transporting bulk fuel by air, barge, truck or a combination of these methods increases the price of fuel, most of which must be purchased prior to “freeze up” in cold winter months in order to allow time for delivery to remote villages. High remote rural fuel prices appear to be the result of a number of factors. These include high transportation costs to remote locations, limited and costly storage, small market size, and the financing costs associated with holding large inventories. The main purpose of this research is to identify the components of the cost of delivered fuel across rural Alaska. By understanding these cost components, it may be possible to identify opportunities to address them and reduce the overall cost of fuel

Foot Volume Change during Long Distance Running in Healthy Adults

Background and purpose: Healthy adults frequently engage in running as a means of cardiovascular exercise. Larger running shoes are often chosen based on common beliefs that feet swell during running, yet many continue to encounter foot injuries, such as blisters, as a result of this activity. Previous research has analyzed the changes in foot volume during short bouts of activity. However, there has been limited research on the effect of long distance running on foot volume, which is where many of these injuries are seen. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of long distance running, defined as 10 kilometers (10K), on foot volume in healthy adults. Subjects: Twenty-eight healthy subjects (18 females and 10 males) participated in the study. Methods: Upon arrival, participation information (gender, running status) and baseline foot measurements (shoe size, foot volume) were obtained. After a 5 minute warm up, participants completed the 10K run at a self selected speed. Immediately following the completion of the run, comparison measurements were once again taken. Results: No difference was found between pre and post volumetric measurements (p=0.897). There was a significant interaction in pre and post volumes between individuals classified as runners and non-runners (p=0.014) but simple main effects were inconclusive. A significant difference in the pre-run (p=0.006) and post-run (0.001) volumes of the two groups was observed, but there was no significant change in the foot volume of the runners (p=0.100) or the non-runners (p=0.065). No relationship existed between the difference in shoe to measured foot size and the foot volume change (p=0.436). There was no significance between gender and volume change (p=0.868). A statistically significant relationship was found to occur between outside temperature and foot volume change (r=0.419). Discussion: Running a 10K did not result in a significant change in foot volume, even when subjects were divided by running status or gender. Since previous research has seen a trend towards foot volume increasing following short runs and decreasing following a marathon, a 10K run may be an equilibrium point between when a foot initially swells and when it shrinks smaller than its initial volume due to extraneous variables associated with a longer run (i.e. dehydration). Change in foot volume was related to the outside temperature, which may also be related to increased dehydration during runs in hotter temperatures. Conclusion: This study found temperature as the only variable affecting foot volume following a 10 K run, with higher temperatures resulting in a greater change in foot volume. Due to the existence of several design flaws, the results should be interpreted with caution. Future studies should control for more of the confounding variables, by completing the run indoors and increasing the number of participants in order to improve overall power

Measurement Of Cystatin C Functional Activity In The Cerebrospinal Fluid Of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis And Control Subjects

Background: Cystatin C is a constitutively expressed and abundant cysteine protease inhibitor within the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Recent studies have reported a significant reduction in cystatin C concentration in the CSF of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and several other neurodegenerative diseases, relative to healthy controls. Cystatin C can exhibit both neuroprotective and neurotoxic properties, suggesting that altered CSF cystatin C concentrations could potentially impact the pathogenesis or progression of these disorders. However, it is unclear if alterations in cystatin C concentration result in physiologically relevant differences in its functional activity within the CSF. Measurements of the cysteine protease inhibitory activity of cystatin C within the CSF have not been reported, and the relationship between CSF cystatin C concentration and activity levels in different disease contexts has not been investigated.Methods: We used a papain inhibition assay to evaluate the total cystatin C activity in CSF samples from 23 ALS patients, 23 healthy controls, and 23 neurological disease controls. Cystatin C concentrations in these samples were previously measured by ELISA. Correlations between cystatin C concentration and activity were assessed with nonparametric statistics. Activity ratios were compared among diagnostic groups using both one-way ANOVA and repeated measures statistics.Results: Total cystatin C activity was found to be directly proportional to its protein concentration in all subjects, and cystatin C activity was not altered in ALS patients. In addition, our data suggest that cystatin C is the predominant cysteine protease inhibitor in human CSF.Conclusions: Our data demonstrate the successful measurement of the functional activity of cystatin C in the CSF, and show that total cystatin C activity can be inferred from its total protein concentration. Our results also suggest that cystatin C is the major cysteine protease inhibitor in human CSF and altered CSF cystatin C concentration may play a role in the pathobiology of ALS and other neurological diseases. © 2013 Wilson et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

UNF STARS 2023 Poster Presentation: “Fostering Student Motivation in Urban Title I Elementary Schools: Integrated STEM for Equitable Learning Experiences”

This poster was presented at UNF STARS 2023 to share our research based on data from Project InTERSECT teachers’ classroom videos (and teacher reflections), focusing on showcasing equitable integrated STEM instructional practices. As the instructional process is undergirded by a myriad of psychological processes, a focus on integrated STEM instructional practices can provide better understanding about the facilitation of students’ learning experiences. Our research examines teachers’ integrated STEM instructional practices for fostering student motivation for learning in urban, Title I elementary schools through need supportive teaching and culturally responsive pedagogy frameworks. The observations of teachers’ integrated STEM classroom instruction yielded three key themes: provisions of guidelines and various materials, tactfully posing thought-provoking questions and statements, and encouraging collaborative problem-solving between students. Our research enhances the understanding of motivational processes in urban schools with implications for educators to positively contribute to elementary students’ motivation.https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/stem_research/1002/thumbnail.jp