Parliamentary Libraries, Institutes and Offices: The Sources of Parliamentary Information

World Bank Institute Working Paper Series on Contemporary Issues in Parliamentary, Washington D

An evolved cognitive bias for social norms

Social norms are a widely used concept for explaining human behavior, but there are few studies exploring how we cognitively utilize them. We incorporate here an evolutionary approach to studying social norms, predicting that if norms have been critical to biological fitness, then individuals should have adaptive mechanisms to conform to, and avoid violating, norms. A cognitive bias toward norms is one specific means by which individuals could achieve this. To test this, we assessed whether individuals have greater recall for normative information than for nonnormative information. Three experiments were performed in which participants read a text and were then tested on their recall of behavioral content. The data suggest that individuals have superior recall for normative social information and that performance is not related to rated importance. We discuss how such a cognitive bias may ontogenetically develop and identify possible hypotheses that distinguish between alternative explanatory accounts for social norms

Miniature Optical Wide-Angle-Lens Startracker (Mini-OWLS)

This paper provides a brief overview of the design considerations and the current status of the Miniature Optical Wide-Angle Lens Startracker Program. Mini-OWLS offers a revolutionary alternative to the conventional startracker. It is a small, lightweight, low cost, high performance startracker that can be used in a variety of applications including calibration and alignment of Inertial Measurement Units (IMU's) Mini-OWLS makes use of a strap down design incorporating Holographic Optical Elements (HOES) in place of conventional optics. HOES can be multiplexed so that the same aperture can be used for multiple separate optical paths looking in several directions simultaneously without startracker rotation. Additionally, separate Schmidt corrector plates are not required to compensate for spherical aberration. The optical assembly, or what would normally be considered as the telescope, is less than 20 cc in volume, weighs less than 55 grams, and contains the equivalent of three individual telescopes. Each one has a 4 deg Field of View (FOV) with a field of regard of 48 square degrees. Mini-OWLS has a bandwidth of approximately 300 nm in or near the visible wavelength. The projected resolution of the startracker is 5 to 10 arcseconds, depending on the centroiding algorithm used. The Mini-OWLS program was initiated last year and represents a miniaturized version of a similar design for aeronautical applications. The contract is managed by Wright Laboratory, Air Force Systems Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, with funding from the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization through Eglin AFB. The initial phase of the program is to build and test a development unit. The second phase is to integrate the startracker with the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Micromechanical Inertial Guidance System (MIGS) and the Signal Processing Packaging Design (SPPD) being developed by Texas Instruments. The preliminary design review was conducted in November 1991. Three-axes prototype telescope assemblies have been built and design evaluation tests initiated

Co-educational adult homemaking in Wisconsin city vocational schools

August 1940.Includes bibliographical references (pages 89-91).To view the abstract, please see the full text of the document

Ectoparasites of Geomys Bursarius Illinoensis

This study was conducted to determine what ectoparasitic organisms are found on the pairie pocket gophers, Geomys burasrius, occurring in an isolated population in northeastern Illinois. The study area was a five hectare grassland community composed predominately of sandy soil, located in northeastern Iriquois Co., two miles north and three miles east of Beaverville, IL. A total of 19 pocket gophers were captured from October 2 to November 17, 1983. Blood was collected and smears were made in the field. Hosts were examined for ectoparasites in the laboratory. Six hundred and nine ectoparasitic organisms were isolated representing a mean of 32.1 parasites per host. Mites were the most abundant ectoparasite, accounting for 41.4% of the total removal. Two genera were isolated. Haemolaelaps spp. were most numerous occurring on 17 hosts, while the genus Hirstionyssus spp. was less numerous, occurring on 4 hosts. An average of 13.3 mites was found per host. Lice were also numerous, representing 40.7% of the ectoparasite recovery. Geomydoecus illinoensis was the only species collected. It was isolated from 15 to 19 host animals. An average of 13.1 lice per host was found throughout. A less abundant ectoparasite was the flea Foxella ignota, accounting for only 5.7% of the total. It was found on 16 host animals, supporting an average of 5.7 per individual. No ticks were found. Examination of the blood smears and other blood samples yielded no evidence of microfilarial or protozoan parasites. Parasite distribution varied with sex of the host. Males supported more parasites than the females. Furthermore, lice were associated most often with the males, while mites were most often found on female host. In general, most ectoparasites were concentrated around the head and neck of the host. Other researchers have demonstrated much larger parasitic yields in similar hosts than was found in this study. Variables such as climate, host species, season, and recovery technique can account for this difference. It was also observed that generally one species of ectoparasite was found per host

Residential Satisfaction in the Informal Neighborhoods of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Residential satisfaction is a very important factor in determining the quality of life, housing improvement proposals, and adequate housing policies. This paper reports on the findings of a study in four informal neighborhoods or "ger districts” of Ulaanbaatar, the Mongolian capital. Mongolia has been facing an onslaught of rural migration to the urban areas because of two reasons. First, rural nomads have lost their livestock due to recent harsh climate conditions, and second because of the transition from communism to a democratic market economy, based on the exploitation of Mongolia's rich mineral resources. In the cities, migrants have invaded land and erected rural nomadic "ger” (felt tents or yurts). The traditional ger (as they are called in the Mongolian language) are sustainable structures well adapted for a nomadic society. However, when they are located in high-density, unplanned shantytowns, they create many issues. The country's capital, Ulaanbaatar, is the coldest capital in the world; ger' household use coal for heating which causes dense air pollution, especially in the winter. These informal urban areas lack sanitation, adequate vehicular access and other services. Eventually residents build small permanent houses, but they still lack for basic services. This paper presents the findings of more than one hundred household surveys related to housing conditions in three informal ger districts of Ulaanbaatar. The surveys were held in the summer of 2011. This paper discusses some of the characteristics of the settlements as well as the residential satisfaction of its inhabitants

An Investigation of the Relationships Among Market Power, Industry Concentration and Industry Share

In a previous study the authors investigated the relationship of market power to advertising investments, R&D investments and industry concentration. The findings revealed that although there was a positive correlation between market power and both advertising and R&D investments, there was a negative correlation to industry concentration. The current study investigates the relationships between market power, industry concentration and industry share. Market power indicates the ability of a firm to have higher gross margins in a firm macro measure. Traditional market power measures at the micro level indicate the ability to increase the difference between price and marginal cost. This is represented at the firm level by gross profit margin. The study used regressions between gross margin and industry concentration and industry share. The results indicate that firms in more fragmented markets have greater market power than those in concentrated markets and those with higher shares have less market power. Anecdotal evidence from sellers in B2B markets indicates that in fragmented markets may have little knowledge of the street price. The implications of the study may imply that customers in more fragmented markets do not have a good basis of price comparison among competitors. Therefore sellers in fragmented markets may have greater market power

Explaining Risk to Clients: An Advisory Perspective

To illustrate how advisors explain risk to clients, we map our view of current advisory practice, with particular emphasis on risk management, to our view of the current mosaic of planning paradigms. We then apply that information to identify questions for further discussion and research. We conclude there has been an evolution in advisory practice from a focus on product, to policy, and now increasingly to process, with communication about risk remaining central throughout

Lumbar extraforaminal decompression: A technical note and retrospective study looking at potential complications as an outpatient procedure

BACKGROUND: Lumbar disc herniation and stenosis that results in compression of a nerve root lateral to the foramen is defined as extraforaminal. In recent years the recognition of such pathology has increased with technology and greater awareness. Various approaches and techniques have been developed for extraforaminal decompression in the lumbar region. The purpose of this study was two fold: 1) Determine the safety of treating patients operatively via a paramedian muscle splitting approach on an outpatient basis, and 2) Highlight the technical aspects of the approach to the extraforaminal region. METHODS: One hundred consecutive extraforaminal decompressions were performed from 1992 to 2007 by a single surgeon. A retrospective review was performed consisting of chart reviews. Summary statistics and the Pierson Chi-square test were used to analyze the data. The primary outcome measure was the need for hospital admission or readmission following surgical decompression. RESULTS: Seven of 100 patients (7%) were required to remain in the hospital for twenty-three hour observation due to Medicare requirements. Five (5%) of the patients originally scheduled for an outpatient procedure were converted to inpatient status due to postoperative pain. All were released within 2 days (average 1.25 days). Only one (1%) patient was readmitted for urinary retention that resolved without incident. There was no significant difference (P = 0.137) in complication rate between our control and those that underwent extraforaminal decompression. CONCLUSIONS: Extraforaminal lumbar decompression as an outpatient procedure can be done safely without the need for hospital admission

A History of Woodland Dynamics in the Owyhee’s: Encroachment, Stand Closure, Understory Dynamics, and Tree Biomass

Piñon and juniper woodlands in the cold desert of the Intermountain West occupy over 44.6 million acres (Miller and Tausch 2001). These woodlands are commonly associated with sagebrush communities forming a mosaic of shrub-steppe and woodland across the region. Numerous studies have documented the recent expansion (since the late 1800’s) of these woodlands that has resulted in the replacement of shrub-steppe communities. Recent debate has challenged the degree of expansion in terms of percent of new areas occupied by trees and the increase in total population of piñon and juniper since the late 1800’s. Various interest groups have become concerned over the limited scientific evidence documenting the expansion of these conifers at a broad scale (in other words, landscapes or across entire woodlands) in the Intermountain Region. The fear of many groups is historic woodlands that occupied landscapes prior to Eurasian settlement in the late 1800’s are being burned, cut, and chained in the name of restoration