Cone Monotonicity: Structure Theorem, Properties, and Comparisons to Other Notions of Monotonicity

In search of a meaningful 2-dimensional analog to mono- tonicity, we introduce two new definitions and give examples of and dis- cuss the relationship between these definitions and others that we found in the literature. Note: After we published the article in Abstract and Applied Analysis and after we searched multiple times for previous work, we discovered that Clarke at al. had introduced the definition of cone monotonicity and given a characterization. See the addendum at the end of this paper for full reference information

Charles Stuart and the transatlantic antislavery connection

The nineteenth century antislavery campaign was significant not only because of the importance of the mission, but because it represented one of the first social movements to operate on an international scale. The abolitionists, reinforced with Enlightenment ideals such as the brotherhood of man, liberty, and equality, which dominated the political thought of the day, were concerned with people beyond their borders. They found an outlet for their beliefs in the antislavery movement. Lending support to the humanitarian beliefs of the abolitionists was the argument of Evangelical Christianity, which professed unequivocally that slavery was a sin. These views were shared by both British and American abolitionists.Any study of the antislavery movement is a study of the individuals involved in the movement. This dissertation argues that among the more influential individuals in the transatlantic antislavery movement of the nineteenth century is a man named Charles Stuart. While he has remained a little known figure, his contributions to the cause of abolition are significant and noteworthy. As a retired military officer in the British Army, with a pension that enabled him to devote all his efforts to the cause of abolition, Stuart worked tirelessly, traveling frequently between Britain and the United States, bringing antislavery information to the attention of abolitionists on either side of the Atlantic. As a prolific writer of antislavery pamphlets and articles, as well as a iv relentless lecturer and campaigner, Charles Stuart played a key role in turning the tide of public opinion away from the Colonization movement, which had been gaining momentum and which threatened to undermine legitimate antislavery efforts. Perhaps the most significant contribution made by Charles Stuart to the cause of abolition, however, is seen in his influence on a young Theodore Weld. Through the influence of Charles Stuart, Weld was converted to the cause of abolition and would choose to make abolition his life's vocation. Theodore Weld, largely through his relationship with Charles Stuart, would become one of the most influential American abolitionists.This dissertation demonstrates how a better understanding of Charles Stuart, through his unmovable convictions, charismatic personality, exemplary piety, and unique style, helps capture the essence of the nineteenth century antislavery movement

ALCOHOL-INDUCED IMPAIRMENT OF SIMULATED DRIVING PERFORMANCE AND BEHAVIORAL IMPULSIVITY IN DUI OFFENDERS

Licensed drivers arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol have increased rates of vehicle crashes, moving violations, traffic tickets, and contribute to an estimated 120 million occurrences of impaired driving per year (Evans, 2004; Jewett et al., 2015). Survey research on DUI offenders indicates traits of impulsivity (e.g., sensation seeking). Together, these pieces of evidence suggest that DUI offenders display patterns of impulsive action and risk-taking while driving. However, to-date DUI offenders are rarely studied in a laboratory setting, and not much is known about how they respond to a dose of alcohol. The present study examined the degree to which DUI offenders display an increased sensitivity to the acute impairing effects of alcohol on mechanisms of behavioral impulsivity, skill and risk-based driving simulations, and subjective evaluations of driving fitness and perceived intoxication following alcohol consumption. A sample of 20 DUI offenders were compared to a demographically-matched sample of 20 control drivers. All participants attended two dose sessions in which they received either a 0.65 g/kg dose of alcohol or a placebo dose, counterbalanced, on separate days. Results indicated that alcohol affected all of the behavioral outcome measures. More specifically, alcohol increased impulsive choice responses and decreased response inhibition on the behavioral impulsivity tasks. Alcohol also increased risky driving behaviors and decreased driving-related skills. Furthermore, alcohol generally decreased participants’ self-reported willingness and ability to drive a motor vehicle, and increased levels of intoxication and BAC estimations relative to placebo. With regard to group differences, DUI offenders showed an increased sensitivity to the disrupting effects of alcohol on impulsive choices, such that DUI offenders showed a significantly greater preference for impulsive choices under alcohol relative to placebo than controls. Taken together, these findings provide some of the first pieces of evidence that compared to controls, DUI offenders display an increased tendency for impulsive decisions under alcohol, which likely contributes to risky decisions to drive after drinking, despite clear evidence for their behavioral impairment. These findings could have important implications for understanding the mechanisms underlying maladaptive behaviors in this high-risk population, and sheds light on possible targets for intervention to reduce DUI recidivism

ACUTE EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ON SIMULATED DRIVING PERFORMANCE AND SELF-PERCEPTIONS OF IMPAIRMENT IN DUI OFFENDERS

Licensed drivers arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol have increased rates of vehicle crashes, moving violations, and traffic tickets (Evans, 2004). To date, no research has examined specific self-regulatory mechanisms of the DUI driver under a dose of alcohol that might underlie risky driving behavior. The present study examined the degree to which DUI drivers display an increased sensitivity to the acute impairing effects of alcohol on driving performance and overestimate their driving fitness following alcohol consumption. Adult drivers with a history of DUI and a demographically-matched group of control drivers without a DUI were tested following a 0.65 g/kg dose of alcohol and a placebo. Results indicated that while alcohol impaired several measures of simulated driving performance, there were no differences between DUI offenders and controls on any of these measures. Compared with controls, intoxicated DUI drivers self-reported greater ability and willingness to drive as BAC declined despite no differences in levels of self-reported intoxication or BAC estimation. These findings provide evidence that DUI drivers might perceive themselves as more fit to drive after drinking despite clear evidence for their behavioral impairment. These findings could have important implications in the decisions to drink and drive

Laboratory Analysis of Risky Driving at 0.05% and 0.08% Blood Alcohol Concentration

Background—The public health costs associated with alcohol-related traffic crashes are a continuing problem for society. One harm reduction strategy has been to employ per se limits for blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) at which drivers can legally operate motor vehicles. This limit is currently 0.08% in all 50 US states. Recently, the National Transportation Safety Board proposed lowering the legal limit to 0.05 % (NTSB, 2013). While research has well-validated the ability of alcohol to impair driving performance and heighten crash-risk at these BACs, relatively little is known about the degree to which alcohol might increase drivers’ risk-taking. Methods—Risk-taking was examined in 20 healthy adults who were each tested in a driving simulator following placebo and two doses of alcohol calculated to yield peak BACs of 0.08% and 0.05%, the respective current and proposed BAC limits. The drive test emphasized risk-taking by placing participants in a multiple-lane, high-traffic environment. The primary measure was how close drivers maneuvered relative to other vehicles on the road (i.e., time-to-collision, TTC). Results—Alcohol increased risk-taking by decreasing drivers’ TTC at the 0.08% target BAC relative to placebo. Moreover, risk-taking at the 0.05% target was less than risk-taking at 0.08% target BAC. Conclusions—These findings provide evidence that reducing the legal BAC limit in the USA to 0.05% would decrease risk-taking among drivers. A clearer understanding of the dose-response relationship between various aspects of driving behaviors, such as drivers’ accepted level of risk while driving, is an important step to improving traffic safety