OUTLOOK FOR U.S. TOBACCO

Demand and Price Analysis,

Creative Destruction, Economic Insecurity, Stress and Epidemic Obesity

The percentage of Americans who are obese has doubled since 1980. Most attempts to explain this "obesity epidemic" have been found inadequate, including the "Big Two" (the increased availability of inexpensive food and the decline of physical exertion). This article explores the possibility that the obesity epidemic is substantially due to growing insecurity, stress, and a sense of powerlessness in modern society where high-sugar and high-fat foods are increasingly omnipresent. Those suffering these conditions may suffer less control over other domains of their lives. Insecurity and stress have been found to increase the desire for high-fat and high sugar foods. After exploring the evidence of a link between stress and obesity, the increasing pace of capitalism's creative destruction and its generation of greater insecurity and stress are addressed. The article ends with reflections on how epidemic obesity is symptomatic of a social mistake –- the seeking of maximum efficiency and economic growth even in societies where the fundamental problem of material security has been solved.Social gradient obesity, endogenous preferences, cortisol, inequality, thrifty genes, rational choice model

Cultural diversity\u27s impact on firm performance: The moderating influence of diversity initiatives and socialization tactics

The primary purpose of this dissertation is to test the hypothesized relationships between cultural diversity and firm performance. Specifically, this dissertation examines whether or not socialization tactics and diversity initiatives moderate the relationship between diversity and firm performance. This dissertation uses ROA, ROE, and employee productivity in order to capture an accurate picture of firm performance. My second purpose is to test competing hypotheses that are based on different theories. Theories relating to diversity suggest that there may be both positive and negative effects of a heterogeneous workforce. Therefore, it is necessary to isolate those instances in which diversity can be a competitive advantage. This dissertation uses competing hypotheses to test these theories. All of the hypotheses were tested using hierarchical regression analysis. According to Cohen and Cohen (1983: 120) “it is one of the most useful tools for extracting information from a data set.” Hierarchical regression analysis allows for the testing of hypothesized contingency relationships. In addition, this technique is considered to be a conservative method for testing interaction effects because the interaction terms are tested after the other independent variables are entered into the equation. Therefore, significant changes in adjusted R2 provide support for the hypotheses (Delery & Doty, 1996). This study offers several contributions to the diversity management literature. In particular, empirical support is provided for the relationship between diversity and firm performance. By testing competing hypotheses, limited support was found for the social identity theory framework in diversity research. Limited support was also found for the contingency theory framework combined with the resource based view of the firm. In other words, left alone, racioethnic diversity can have a negative impact on performance. However, if managed properly, the negative impact can be lessened and a positive impact can be achieved

The Story of Things

Capehart, Lucy, M.F.A., Spring 2011 Fine Art The Story of Things Chairperson: Professor Matthew Hamon The Story of Things examines the power of objects to hold narrative and inspire the emotional responses of longing, loss and desire. There is a tendency among humans to gather and save objects that hold personal significance. The most banal object is cherished perhaps kept in a box to be admired on occasion. An earring can symbolize the lost love of a boyfriend, a ticket to a basketball game can mark the day after a father’s funeral or a fingernail brush is a stand in for pre-teen humiliation. The German scholar and scientist Goethe said, “everything is a symbol everything points to another thing.” My thesis work concerns the object as confirmation of identity and personal history. Along with its quality of exactitude photography can be murky and mysterious. A photograph can be simultaneously a visual record and a poetic representation of the fragility of life. This is especially apparent in the cyanotype and photogram. Both techniques involve placing objects on a sensitized surface that is then exposed to light where an image is formed. The personal objects in my photographs are traces of lives lived. The photographs then become traces of traces

The Differential Effects of Either X-Irradiation or Thermal Stress on the Two Major Cell Types of the Blastocyst Stage Murine Embryo.

The first objective of this investigation was to determine if either X-irradiation or thermal stress exerted differential effects on the two major cell types of the blastocyst stage murine embryo. Results of this study indicate that X-irradiation dosages of 0 rads, 500 rads, 600 rads, 700 rads, 800 rads, 900 rads or 1000 rads had no effect on the ability of treated embryos to either hatch or develop into trophoblastic outgrowths (P $\u3c$.05). In contrast, X-irradiation treatment over the levels tested did have a detrimental effect on the ability of embryos to develop into trophblastic outgrowths possessing an ICM region (P $\u3e$.05). X-irradiation over the levels tested had no effect on the mean two-dimensional outgrowth surface areas ($\mu$m\sp2) (P $\u3e$.05). However, X-irradiation was found to have a detrimental effect on both the mean ICM surface area ($\mu$m\sp2) (P $\u3c$.01) and the mean ICM area/outgrowth area ratio (P $\u3c$.01). It was also found that subjecting blastocysts to a thermal insult of 43\sp\circC for an interval of 0 min, 30 min, 45 min, 60 min or 75 min had detrimental effects on hatching rates (P $\u3c$.001). However, thermal stress had no effect on either percentage of embryos forming outgrowths or percent of outgrowths with ICMs (P $\u3e$.05). Additionally, it was found thermal stress over the levels tested had no adverse influence on the mean two-dimensional outgrowth surface areas ($\mu$m\sp2) (P $\u3e$.05). In contrast, thermal stress was found to have detrimental effects on both the mean ICM surface area ($\mu$m\sp2) and the mean ICM area/outgrowth area ratio (P $\u3c$.05). The second objective of this investigation was to determine the feasibility of producing nonchimeric offspring as a result of microsurgical injection of murine ICMs into the blastocoele of mouse embryos which had been previously subjected to either thermal stress or X-irradiation. Pretreatment of ICM recipient blastocyts with an X-irradiation dose resulted in the birth of only chimeric offspring. However, of these offspring, all exhibited 80-100% overt chimerism towards the donor ICM strain. Pretreatment of recipient embryos with a thermal insult resulted in no births

Effects of supplemental hydration on physiology and behavior of Northern Pacific rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus oreganus)

Hydration is a critical element for many physiological processes in vertebrates, such as protein production, innate immunity, and behavioral processes such as daily activity and thermoregulation. Few studies have directly assessed the effect of hydration on these animals in nature. While it seems intuitive that drought is stressful to animals, studies examining drought are typically observational and fail to assess how the hydration state of these animals influences their physiology and behavior. We tested for an effect of hydration on several physiological and behavioral parameters in Northern Pacific rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus oreganus) by experimentally manipulating hydration levels in the field. Two treatment groups were created: one of these received supplemental hydration twice a month from May to September (hydrated) while the other did not (control). Pregnant females were brought to the lab before parturition to collect data on litter characteristics. We radio-tracked snakes to examine any effects on movement, measured SVL and mass of each snake throughout the study for assessment of body condition, and collected blood samples for stress hormone physiology. Finally, we used intra-coelomic temperature data loggers to track body temperature data for each individual snake every two hours. Our results suggest that supplemental water and thus hydration has a significant effect on reproduction as all four hydrated females gave birth to a litter, while no control females gave birth. We saw no effect on movement parameters; however, males had larger home ranges and moved a larger total distance than females, regardless of hydration status. Interestingly, body condition was significantly higher in hydrated snakes, suggesting that hydrated individuals were acquiring more food than control snakes. We saw no effect on stress hormone physiology. There was no influence of hydration on any behavioral parameters such as time spent above or below ground, or time spent in a particular body position. Finally, there was a significant interaction of treatment group and sex on seasonal body temperature. Hydrated females had higher mean body temperatures than all other treatment group and sex combinations. However, all hydrated females were also pregnant, which confounds this result. Similar results were seen when body temperature was analyzed by time of day. Females overall had higher body temperature than males. These results suggest that hydration may have a profound influence on reproduction and has the potential to affect body condition and thermoregulation. The lack of an effect on movement and stress physiology should not be overlooked, however. This study is the first to experimentally manipulate hydration in free-ranging rattlesnakes and one of the few to manipulate hydration in vertebrates. More studies are needed to support a pivotal role of hydration in physiology and behavior of reptiles and we encourage the use of experimental field manipulations to answer these questions

Marshall University Music Department Presents a Senior Recital, Dale Capehart, Baritone, Eric France, Trumpet

https://mds.marshall.edu/music_perf/1115/thumbnail.jp