Changes in the Functional Distribution of Household Income in Washington: A Comparison using 1990 and 2000 PUMS Census Data

This paper examines and details the main sources of household income in Washington using the Census of Population PUMS microsample. In accord with the generally good economy in the 1990’s, the share of property type income in total household income increased from 1990 to 2000. And with welfare reform in the mid-1990’s the share of public assistance type income decreased as a share of household income. In order to better understand the relative importance of alternative sources of income to Washington households, each household was identified according to the income source which provided the largest contribution to household income. For example, a household whose largest source of income comes from salary and wages was identified as a Labor household. Similarly, households whose largest source of income was interest, dividends or net rentals were identified as Capital households. Labor and capital households are not very different in terms of mean household income. In 2000, average household income of Labor households was $65,300 while the average household income of Capital households was$96,200. However, Labor households were very different than Capital household regarding diversification of income source. Labor households depended upon wage income for 92 percent of mean household income. Capital households obtained 70 percent of their mean household income from interest, dividends and rents, but also had 11 percent of their mean income from wages and 15 percent of their mean income from social security and pensions.Sources of household income in washington, labor's share of income, capital's share of income

Lens Carrier and Waveguide Subframe for Near-eye Device

This disclosure describes a lens stack (lens module) for a near-eye device that includes a lens carrier and waveguide subframe. The lens carrier and waveguide subframe fully or partially encircles and houses the waveguide and enables precision placement of the waveguide in-coupling grating with respect to controlled datums that interface with display modules. The lens carrier is made of a high strength material and provides structural support to the waveguide. The material is opaque and helps to minimize stray light in the display system by reducing edge glow from waveguide. The lens carrier and waveguide subframe additionally provide a locating surface for the WS and ES lenses. Utilization of the lens carrier and waveguide subframe leads to better drop impact strength. Optical tooling and coating processes are simplified. Further, the design enables a larger choice of materials for both the lens carrier and the ophthalmic lenses. Additional features and functionality can be added to the lens carrier and waveguide subframe to support other smart glass features. The design also supports assembly via additional mechanical datums or fiducials to the carrier for holding/location the module during manufacturing and alignment/testin

Refinement for Signal Flow Graphs

The symmetric monoidal theory of Interacting Hopf Algebras provides a sound and complete axiomatisation for linear relations over a given field. As is the case for ordinary relations, linear relations have a natural order that coincides with inclusion. In this paper, we give a presentation for this ordering by extending the theory of Interacting Hopf Algebras with a single additional inequation. We show that the extended theory gives rise to an abelian bicategory - a concept due to Carboni and Walters - and highlight similarities with the algebra of relations. Most importantly, the ordering leads to a well-behaved notion of refinement for signal flow graphs

Multimedia Reporting: Creating Unique Content that Spans Multiple Platforms

With the continued ease of access to the internet, it has become a vital medium to distribute news and sports information. This study documents the process of starting from a relatively absent online product to developing daily web content. Trial and error of different original content ideas for online as well as experimentations with translating broadcast content into a web product are coupled with interviews from professionals to create a framework of how to go about establishing an internet presence in an age of instant news. The case is generally focused on sports media due to the nature of my most covered content but the findings can and should be applied to news as well

Manta Ray Robot

The goal of this project was to improve UAV efficiency through use of biomimetic design. This was achieved through the application of a hydraulically actuated soft robotic fin. Drawing inspiration from the manta ray, a custom actuator was developed to achieve a feasible, lifelike locomotion method. The actuator was incorporated into a prototype robot to assess the performance and ease of integration

Improving Access to Trails and Green Space: Brightwood Neighborhood, Springfield, Massachusetts

Accessibility has been an issue with the Connecticut River Walk and Bikeway (River Walk) since its completion in 2003. Our project focuses on designing better connections between this Springfield, MA rail trail and the local environmental justice communities it is meant to serve. As a team of four undergraduate design students, we have spent three months conducting a comprehensive research study on the trail. Ultimately, we will be turning over our research to the Appalachian Mountain Club which intends to use it for reference in their efforts to secure funding for improving River Walk access in the city of Springfield. As part of an undergraduate design studio class under the instruction of Professor Michael DiPasquale, our team conducted extensive research on the Connecticut River Walk and Bikeway. Looking through the lens of equity, we identified a cogent lack of access to this rail trail from the Brightwood neighborhood, to which it runs parallel. Similar environmental justice issues in Springfield have been studied by UMass students in the past, such as “Making Connections — Envisioning Springfield’s North End,” and Healthy Place-Making: Revitalizing Springfield’s Medical District, completed in graduate urban design studios in 2009 and 2019, respectively. Our work this semester builds upon these previous studies, while also delineating itself through our focus on the River Walk specifically. Our study consists of four parts: research, community engagement, design solutions, and deliverables. Much like a traditional planning project, these objectives were completed in a partially chronological fashion. Our approach consisted of overlaps between each component — as much as our research informed our engagement, what we learned from our engagement also informed our research, and so on. With the ultimate goal of providing the Appalachian Mountain Club with a wealth of information supporting the need for funding for improvements to the Connecticut River Walk and Bikeway, our team combined the results of our research, engagement, and design into this document: our deliverable for the project

The Melanocortin-4 Receptor Integrates Circadian Light Cues and Metabolism

The melanocortin system directs diverse physiological functions from coat color to body weight homoeostasis. A commonality among melanocortin-mediated processes is that many animals modulate similar processes on a circannual basis in response to longer, summer days, suggesting an underlying link between circadian biology and the melanocortin system. Despite key neuroanatomical substrates shared by both circadian and melanocortin-signaling pathways, little is known about the relationship between the two. Here we identify a link between circadian disruption and the control of glucose homeostasis mediated through the melanocortin-4 receptor (Mc4r). Mc4r-deficient mice exhibit exaggerated circadian fluctuations in baseline blood glucose and glucose tolerance. Interestingly, exposure to lighting conditions that disrupt circadian rhythms improve their glucose tolerance. This improvement occurs through an increase in glucose clearance by skeletal muscle and is food intake and body weight independent. Restoring Mc4r expression to the paraventricular nucleus prevents the improvement in glucose tolerance, supporting a role for the paraventricular nucleus in the integration of circadian light cues and metabolism. Altogether these data suggest that Mc4r signaling plays a protective role in minimizing glucose fluctuations due to circadian rhythms and environmental light cues and demonstrate a previously undiscovered connection between circadian biology and glucose metabolism mediated through the melanocortin system