Additional Siphonaptera Records From Small Mammals in the Central Upper Peninsula of Michigan

Fleas were collected from mammals during the period 1990-1992 in two upper peninsula counties. Identified specimens were compared to existing distribution records for both parasite and host. Only those records which are newly documented for county, upper peninsula or Michigan are listed. We report one previously unknown flea species and five new host records for Michigan. One host record is new for the upper peninsula. In addition, seven new host/parasite combinations are recorded for two central upper peninsula counties

Siphonaptera Records and Host Associations From the Central and Eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan

Fleas were collected from birds and mammals over a five year period in four upper peninsula counties. Identified specimens were compared to published records of distribution for the parasite species and its host species, and only those records which are new county distributions for host or parasite are listed. Four new host records for Michigan, four new flea distribution records for the upper peninsula, and 26 new county records are listed

Party Finance in a Presidential Election Year

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68091/2/10.1177_000271624825900109.pd

Exploring the impacts of improved financial inclusion on the lives of disadvantaged people

This thesis examines the consequences of gaining access to financial products and services and of becoming more capable of using these (i.e. financial inclusion). In particular, the study aims to investigate the key processes which promote financial inclusion and the wider consequences of becoming financially included for the individual concerned. This work is based on qualitative interviews with 41 users of third-sector organisation which play a significant role in the government’s financial inclusion strategy. All agencies were involved in the promotion of financial inclusion, either through the provision of financial services, advice, or education. Respondents were drawn from seven out of 19 agencies which were initially interviewed in order to explore the field. The research also aimed to capture the longer term benefits of using financial inclusion initiatives and becoming financially included. This was achieved through the accomplishment of follow-up interviews with a sub-sample of 24 interviewees approximately one year after the first interview. The discussions with service users explored the experience of disadvantaged individuals in terms of financial exclusion prior to coming into contact with one of the participating agencies and how their life circumstances had changed following contact in an in-depth manner. The first four chapters of the thesis provide the theoretical, empirical and political background for an understanding of the concept of exclusion from financial services, its consequences and what can be done to tackle the problem. Chapter 5 sets out in detail how the research was conducted and the data analysed. The following two chapters, then, look at the impact of financial inclusion policies on the lives of disadvantaged people through the discussions with service users. The concluding section of the study reviews the main findings in light of the research questions. It suggests the significance of financial inclusion in social inclusion processes, but also the limitations of the extent to which financial inclusion can radically change the life circumstances of individuals. This highlights the need for policy makers to tackle both direct barriers of financial exclusion as well as its underlying causes such as low income.ESR

POLITICAL COMMITTEE EXPENDITURES AND THE HATCH ACT

Democratic governments are rightly concerned about how money is used to influence elections. The oft-quoted proverb, He who pays the piper calls the tune, contains a large grain of truth. In many countries comprehensive statutory regulation of campaign expenditures may be found; but it is unlikely that any other country can match the variety of experiments which have been indulged in by-the national Congress and the forty-eight state legislatures in the United States

Accounting for warping and differential drying shrinkage mechanisms in the design of jointed plain concrete payments

When a concrete slab experiences differential volume change due to temperature, moisture, and shrinkage gradients, it deforms. The stresses induced by these differential volume changes can reduce the pavement’s fatigue life. Differential volume change is quantified by the equivalent temperature difference required to deform a comparable flat slab to the same shape as the actual slab. This thesis presents models to predict the equivalent temperature difference due to moisture warping and differential drying shrinkage. Moisture warping occurs because a portion of drying shrinkage is reversible, while differential drying shrinkage is due to the irreversible portion of drying shrinkage. The amount of reversible shrinkage was investigated for concretes made with different types of aggregate, including lightweight and recycled. Another source of differential volume change is built-in curl, which is caused by temperature gradients at the time of paving. This thesis also presents a comparison of methods used to quantify built-in curl