Do Americans’ Perceptions of the Prevalence of Prejudice Impact Their Racial Policy Preferences? Investigating Meta-Stereotypes as a Potential Causal Mechanism

Racial discrimination, though more subtle than in the past, is still an enduring presence in 21st century America. Whether looking at education, health care, the workforce, housing/lending practices, or the criminal justice system, studies routinely confirm that racial prejudice and discrimination persist despite claims of a “post-racial” America. Yet, despite the perseverance of racial prejudice and discrimination, policies correcting racial injustice remain contentious, either failing to receive the requisite support to pass reforms or receiving backlash from the public. This project explores meta-stereotypes in the Black and white communities, and highlights meta-stereotypes’ potential impact when determining why some individuals support those types of policies while other individuals oppose them. Meta-stereotypes are essentially stereotypes of stereotypes; they assess how pervasive an individual believes specific stereotypes are. Using an original survey experiment, this study investigates whether meta-stereotypes act as a causal mechanism, dictating individuals’ policy preferences regarding two issue areas related, whether directly or indirectly, to discussions of racial prejudice and discrimination: affirmative action and criminal justice reforms. Additionally, by exploring individuals’ meta-stereotypes as both an abstract concept, and also as a more concrete, real-world concept, by way of hypothetical scenarios, this dissertation project aims to determine whether meta-stereotypes alone are enough to impact racial policy preferences, or whether individuals need to have those meta-stereotypes activated and/or linked to real-world scenarios, thus providing guidance to racial justice advocates trying to gain allies and overcome complacency or opposition

Geomorphology and Quaternary History of Shell Valley, Bighorn County, Wyoming

Shell Valley, from the mouth of Shell Canyon, to its junction with the Bighorn Hiver in east-central Bighorn County, Wyoming, was mapped and the fluvial landforms were described in detail. The morphologic features of this valley and its major tributaries are largely the product of structurally-controlled stream erosion and alluviation. Their disposition indicates that they have been produced by lateral planation, slope retreat, simple downcutting, and downcutting accompanied by lateral migration of the stream, all of which are still active. Correlation of the local features with some more regional features, which have been dated, indicates that much of the Erosional history of Shell Valley was confined to the Pleistocene

An Unusual Case of Stream Piracy

An unusual case of stream piracy took place in the recent past through the Franklin Bluffs on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska. The Sagavanirktok River and Hawk Creek occupied opposite positions on the sides of a ridge, with the result of a rapid lowering of the divide between them. Loss of cementation (by thaw) of the gravels in the formation separating them continued until the higher flowing Hawk Creek burst through the ice-free gravels of the ridge to join the Sagavanirktok River about one-half mile upstream from its former junction

Assigned variables associated with university sophomore housing choices

The purpose of this study was twofold: first, to examine the choice of living setting of university sophomore women in relation to their value preferences and in relation to selected settings, socioeconomic background, and circumstance factors surrounding their choices. The secondary aim of the study was to investigate how the members of the various living groups perceive the value preferences of their immediate living group in relation to their own value preferences, and whether or not these perceptions correspond to the actual preferences expressed by their immediate living group. The data for this study came from two sources, the subjects' responses to the Allport-Vernon-Lindzey Study of Values, and a personal data sheet. The Study of Values was administered twice to each subject; the first time the subjects responded in light of their own value preferences and the second time they responded as they perceived the members of their immediate living group would respond. A stratified random sample of 21 female sophomores was drawn from each of two of the three major types of living settings on the Oregon State University campus, namely, the residence halls, cooperatives and sororities. In the third setting, the co-operatives, it was necessary to use the entire population of sophomores in order to achieve an equal number from all settings. The following hypotheses were tested: I. There is no difference among the three types of living groups with regard to the degree of preference expressed concerning each of six values. II. a) Choice of living setting is independent of setting characteristics. b) Choice of living setting is independent of socioeconomic characteristics. c) Choice of living setting is independent of selected circumstance characteristics. III. There is no relationship between an individual's score on each of six values and those scores for her specific group as perceived by her. IV. Perceived group value preferences do not differ from actual group value preferences on each of six values. An heirarchical analysis of variance was used to analyze the data for hypothesis one. There was insufficient evidence to reject the hypothesis of no difference among preferences expressed by members in three settings on each of the six values, with the exception of the aesthetic value. Co-operative members expressed aesthetic value preferences differently from those expressed by the residence hall and sorority members, which were highly similar to each other. In order to test hypothesis two, the chi-square test of independence was used. The significant results obtained indicate that choice of living setting is dependent upon the setting characteristics of proximity to campus, cost, atmosphere and prestige, size of group, mothers' education, family income, and amount of self-support. The choice of a living setting was independent of the influence of a significant other. Analysis of covariance was applied to the data for the test of hypothesis three; the correlation coefficients obtained were not significant, indicating that there is no reason to suspect that individuals perceive their living group's value preferences to be similar to their own. The test results for hypothesis four, tested by an heirarchical analysis of variance, indicated that subjects in the three settings perceive the economic, religious and political value preferences of their immediate living group inaccurately. However, there was not sufficient evidence to conclude that they did not perceive aesthetic, theoretical and social value preferences of their immediate living group accurately. These findings suggest that choice of living setting is a complex phenomenon dependent upon personal characteristics, setting characteristics, and contemporaneous circumstance variables which warrant further research design more stringent than the one employed in the present study

Care Works: Come Home for Care

Essential to executing the mission and vision of an academic medical center (AMC) is attracting and retaining the highest quality employees. As demonstrated by VCU’s commitment to the Great Place Initiative, the University has recognized that employees in today’s highly competitive environment demand competitive salary and benefit packages. Research has shown that access to high quality, on-site healthcare services provides significant benefits to both employees and employers, such as increased productivity and reduced wellness costs[1]. Yet, a query of de-identified patient records indicated that only a small percentage of VCU employees (~18%) utilized the health services provided by VCU Health System in 2016. VCU’s peer-institutions, other distinguished AMCs, and industry employers have implemented a variety of programs such as concierge services, expedited appointments, on-campus clinics, and lower copays to remain competitive and responsive to their employees. In light of the depth of these programs, Team CareWorks completed a comparative review of health and wellness related employee-specific benefits to determine how VCU might enhance its benefits through initiatives such as on-site medical clinics, prioritized appointments, telehealth, and on-site pharmacies. Informed by the comparative analysis, Team CareWorks will provide recommendations that VCU can use to: capitalize on the integrated relationship with VCU Health to enrich the health and wellness of its outstanding assets (the employees); and provide enhanced benefits to employees by making VCU Health more easily accessible and more appealing as a Medical Home. [1]Berry, Leonard, Ann M. Mirabito, & William B. Baun. “What\u27s the Hard Return on Employee Wellness Programs?” (2010). Harvard Business Review, December 2010.. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=206487

Stereoselective protecting group free synthesis of d,l-gulose ethyl glycoside via multicomponent enyne cross metathesis—hetero Diels–Alder reaction

An efficient and stereoselective synthesis of d,l-gulose was described. The key step of the synthetic route is represented by a multicomponent enyne cross metathesis—hetero Diels–Alder reaction which allows the formation of the pyran ring from cheap and commercially available substrates in a single synthetic step. The synthesis of d,l-gulose was accomplished without the use of protecting groups making this approach highly desirable also in terms of atom economy

Pathological findings in the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), stone marten (Martes foina) and raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides), with special emphasis on infectious and zoonotic agents in Northern Germany

Anthropogenic landscape changes contributed to the reduction of availability of habitats to wild animals. Hence, the presence of wild terrestrial carnivores in urban and peri-urban sites has increased considerably over the years implying an increased risk of interspecies spillover of infectious diseases and the transmission of zoonoses. The present study provides a detailed characterisation of the health status of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), stone marten (Martes foina) and raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in their natural rural and periurban habitats in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany between November 2013 and January 2016 with focus on zoonoses and infectious diseases that are potentially threatening to other wildlife or domestic animal species. 79 red foxes, 17 stone martens and 10 raccoon dogs were collected from traps or hunts. In order to detect morphological changes and potential infectious diseases, necropsy and pathohistological work-up was performed. Additionally, in selected animals immunohistochemistry (influenza A virus, parvovirus, feline leukemia virus, Borna disease virus, tick-borne encephalitis, canine adenovirus, Neospora caninum, Toxoplasma gondii and Listeria monocytogenes), next-generation sequencing, polymerase chain reaction (fox circovirus) and serum-neutralisation analysis (canine distemper virus) were performed. Furthermore, all animals were screened for fox rabies virus (immunofluorescence), canine distemper virus (immunohistochemistry) and Aujeszky's disease (virus cultivation). The most important findings included encephalitis (n = 16) and pneumonia (n =20). None of the investigations revealed a specific cause for the observed morphological alterations except for one animal with an elevated serum titer of 1:160 for canine distemper. Animals displayed macroscopically and/or histopathologically detectable infections with parasites, including Taenia sp., Toxocara sp. and Alaria alata. In summary, wildlife predators carry zoonotic parasitic disease and suffer from inflammatory diseases of yet unknown etiology, possibly bearing infectious potential for other animal species and humans. This study highlights the value of monitoring terrestrial wildlife following the "One Health" notion, to estimate the incidence and the possible spread of zoonotic pathogens and to avoid animal to animal spillover as well as transmission to humans