Showing papers by "Southern Illinois University Carbondale published in 2010"
TL;DR: The current knowledge on the phytotoxicity and interactions of ENPs with plants at seedling and cellular levels is reviewed and the information gap is discussed and some immediate research needs to further the knowledge on this topic are discussed.
956 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors conclude that efforts to manage the liquidity crisis by banks led to a decline in credit supply, and that off-balance-sheet liquidity risk materialized on the balance sheet and constrained new credit origination.
Abstract: Liquidity dried up during the financial crisis of 2007-2009. Banks that relied more heavily on core deposit and equity capital financing – stable sources of financing – continued to lend relative to other banks. Banks that held more illiquid assets on their balance sheets, in contrast, increased asset liquidity and reduced lending. Off-balance-sheet liquidity risk materialized on the balance sheet and constrained new credit origination as increased take down demand displaced lending capacity. We conclude that efforts to manage the liquidity crisis by banks led to a decline in credit supply.
855 citations
TL;DR: This work addresses 4 challenges for scientists who collect and use video records to conduct research in and on complex learning environments, and investigates how to encourage broad video sharing and reuse while adequately protecting the rights of research participants who are recorded.
Abstract: Focusing on expanding technical capabilities and new collaborative possibilities, we address 4 challenges for scientists who collect and use video records to conduct research in and on complex learning environments: (a) Selection: How can researchers be systematic in deciding which elements of a complex environment or extensive video corpus to select for study? (b) Analysis: What analytical frameworks and practices are appropriate for given research problems? (c) Technology: What technologies are available and what new tools must be developed to support collecting, archiving, analyzing, reporting, and collaboratively sharing video? and (d) Ethics: How can research protocols encourage broad video sharing and reuse while adequately protecting the rights of research participants who are recorded?
826 citations
TL;DR: This paper provides a comprehensive review of state-of-the-art methods and their applications in the field of water resources planning and management.
Abstract: During the last two decades, the water resources planning and management profession has seen a dramatic increase in the development and application of various types of evolutionary algorithms (EAs). This observation is especially true for application of genetic algorithms, arguably the most popular of the several types of EAs. Generally speaking, EAs repeatedly prove to be flexible and powerful tools in solving an array of complex water resources problems. This paper provides a comprehensive review of state-of-the-art methods and their applications in the field of water resources planning and management. A primary goal in this ASCE Task Committee effort is to identify in an organized fashion some of the seminal contributions of EAs in the areas of water distribution systems, urban drainage and sewer systems, water supply and wastewater treatment, hydrologic and fluvial modeling, groundwater systems, and parameter identification. The paper also identifies major challenges and opportunities for the future, ...
565 citations
TL;DR: Evidence is considered that deafferentation of tonotopically organized central auditory structures leads to increased neuron spontaneous firing rates and neural synchrony in the hearing loss region, which covers the frequency spectrum of tinnitus sounds.
Abstract: Tinnitus is a phantom sound (ringing of the ears) that affects quality of life for millions around the world and is associated in most cases with hearing impairment. This symposium will consider evidence that deafferentation of tonotopically organized central auditory structures leads to increased neuron spontaneous firing rates and neural synchrony in the hearing loss region. This region covers the frequency spectrum of tinnitus sounds, which are optimally suppressed following exposure to band-limited noise covering the same frequencies. Cross-modal compensations in subcortical structures may contribute to tinnitus and its modulation by jaw-clenching and eye movements. Yet many older individuals with impaired hearing do not have tinnitus, possibly because age-related changes in inhibitory circuits are better preserved. A brain network involving limbic and other nonauditory regions is active in tinnitus and may be driven when spectrotemporal information conveyed by the damaged ear does not match that predicted by central auditory processing.
527 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors developed and tested a model of online C2C communications in developing desirable online brand community outcomes and found that positive information shared by community members has a stronger moderating influence on purchase behavior than negative information.
Abstract: Increasingly, consumers use the internet as a vehicle for pre-purchase information gathering While technical specifications and potentially biased selling points can be gleaned from corporate web sites, online brand communities are becoming essential conduits for the customer-to-customer (C2C) sharing of product information and experiences This study develops and tests a model of online C2C communications in developing desirable online brand community outcomes Two studies were used to test the model In Study 1, a netnography technique was employed and conversations between brand community members were coded and combined with survey data to test the research model In Study 2 an experiment was conducted to further test the sequence of events in our base model Our findings show that online brand communities are effective tools for influencing sales, regardless of whether these communities reside on company-owned or independently-owned websites In addition, we demonstrate interesting asymmetrical effects, whereby the positive information shared by community members has a stronger moderating influence on purchase behavior than negative information Further, we find that online brand communities are effective customer retention tools for retaining both experienced and novice customers These findings highlight the need for all firms to carefully consider their online community strategies
475 citations
TL;DR: A scalable and facile technique for noncovalent functionalization of graphene with 1-pyrenecarboxylic acid that exfoliates single-, few-, and multilayered graphene flakes into stable aqueous dispersions is presented.
Abstract: We present a scalable and facile technique for noncovalent functionalization of graphene with 1-pyrenecarboxylic acid that exfoliates single-, few-, and multilayered graphene flakes into stable aqueous dispersions. The exfoliation mechanism is established using stringent control experiments and detailed characterization steps. Using the exfoliated graphene, we demonstrate highly sensitive and selective conductometric sensors (whose resistance rapidly changes >10 000% in saturated ethanol vapor), and ultracapacitors with extremely high specific capacitance (∼120 F/g), power density (∼105 kW/kg), and energy density (∼9.2 Wh/kg).
470 citations
TL;DR: In this article, Thompson et al. examined eight specific types of student-faculty interactions as predictors of academic self-concept and three types of academic motivation, as well as academic achievement in a sample of college students.
Abstract: Student–faculty interactions can be crucial in developing students’ academic self-concept and enhancing their motivation and achievement. Colleges and universities that actively foster close and frequent contact between their students and faculty members are more likely to reap a host of benefits from such initiatives. Faculty members taking an interest in their students’ academic progress could potentially make significant contributions in increasing their intellectual and professional development (Anaya & Cole, 2001; Chickering, 1969; Chickering & Reisser, 1993; Cokley, 2000; Terenzini & Pascarella, 1980). There is evidence that students successful in knowing even one faculty member closely are likely to feel more satisfied with their college life and aspire to go further in their careers (Rosenthal et al., 2000). Although most interactions with faculty tend to occur within the formal classroom setting, students who experience informal interactions tend to be more motivated, engaged, and actively involved in the learning process (Thompson, 2001; Woodside, Wong, & Weist, 1999). Informal interaction between students and faculty has been identified as a primary agent of college culture, and has an important influence on the attitudes, interests, and values of college students (Chickering & Reisser, 1993; Lambert, Terinzini, & Lattuca, 2007; Pascarella, 1980b; Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991, 2005; Thompson, 2001). However, although previous research has established that student–faculty interactions are important, we still need to identify which aspects of student–faculty interactions are helpful and how these could significantly influence students to stay in college, increase their desire to work hard, stimulate them to enjoy learning, and encourage them to strive toward high achievement standards (Bean, 1985). The current study addresses this gap in the literature by examining eight specific types of student–faculty interactions as predictors of academic self-concept and three types of academic motivation, as well as academic achievement in a sample of college students from a medium-sized, public university located in the Midwestern United States.
430 citations
TL;DR: This revision of the VCSS is focused on clarifying ambiguities, updating terminology, and simplifying application to better address the issues of patients at the lower end of the venous disease spectrum.
378 citations
TL;DR: An extensive reanalysis of a within-study comparison that contrasts a randomized experiment and a quasi-experiment is reported on to provide strong clues about preferred strategies for identifying the covariates most likely to reduce bias when planning a study and when the true selection process is not known.
Abstract: The assumption of strongly ignorable treatment assignment is required for eliminating selection bias in observational studies. To meet this assumption, researchers often rely on a strategy of selecting covariates that they think will control for selection bias. Theory indicates that the most important covariates are those highly correlated with both the real selection process and the potential outcomes. However, when planning a study, it is rarely possible to identify such covariates with certainty. In this article, we report on an extensive reanalysis of a within-study comparison that contrasts a randomized experiment and a quasi-experiment. Various covariate sets were used to adjust for initial group differences in the quasi-experiment that was characterized by self-selection into treatment. The adjusted effect sizes were then compared with the experimental ones to identify which individual covariates, and which conceptually grouped sets of covariates, were responsible for the high degree of bias reduction achieved in the adjusted quasi-experiment. Such results provide strong clues about preferred strategies for identifying the covariates most likely to reduce bias when planning a study and when the true selection process is not known.
371 citations
TL;DR: The authors examined the impact of digital politics by looking specifically at blog readers and presented a portrait of a new type of political advocate, which they called "blog readers" and "blog advocates".
Abstract: Recently, research revolving around blogs has flourished. Usually, academics illus- trate what blogs are, motivations to blog, and, only to some extent, their role in politics. Along these lines, we examine the impact of digital politics by looking specifically at blog readers. Although blog readers might be considered at the forefront of a new technological revolution, and people have specu- lated about their participatory habits both online and off, little research has specifically looked at this growing proportion of the population. This article models factors that predict traditional and online forms of participation, presenting a portrait of a new type of political advocate.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a conceptual model of entrepreneurial opportunity production from a constructivist perspective, which assumes that opportunity production proceeds through several stages, including conceptualization of an opportunity idea by an entrepreneur, objectification of that idea, and enactment of the opportunity into a new venture.
Abstract: This article presents a conceptual model of entrepreneurial opportunity production from a constructivist perspective. The model assumes that opportunity production proceeds through several stages, including conceptualization of an opportunity idea by an entrepreneur, objectification of that idea, and enactment of the opportunity into a new venture. However, not all opportunity ideas survive this full process. Between the conceptualization stage and the objectification stage, some ideas are abandoned due to inadequate objectification. Also, between the objectification stage and the enactment stage, some objectified opportunities are abandoned due to insufficient resource support. We identify variables that influence the likelihood that opportunity ideas will be objectified and other variables that influence the likelihood that objectified opportunities will be enacted, and these variables are incorporated into empirically testable propositions. In the discussion section, we describe several boundary conditions for our theory, contrast the theory with objectivist (discovery) theory, and derive implications for future research. Copyright © 2010 Strategic Management Society.
TL;DR: Overall, the criteria evaluated are highly reliable, especially in goats and only slightly less so in sheep, and there are no biases introduced by variable reliability of postcranial criteria that distort taxon-specific harvest profiles based on long-bones.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the global stability, the periodic character and the boundedness nature of solutions of the equation in the title for all admissible nonnegative values of the parameters and the initial conditions.
Abstract: We investigate the global stability, the periodic character and the boundedness nature of solutions of the equation in the title for all admissible nonnegative values of the parameters and the initial conditions. We show that the solutions exhibit a trichotomy character depending on how the parameter γ compares to the sum of the parameters δ and A.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors developed a theoretical model to investigate the complex role of motivation in engaging employee participation in service innovation implementation and test it with field data from a real-world context.
Abstract: Companies today face the challenge not only of designing innovative customer-focused service strategies to compete and grow but also of translating such strategies into results through successful execution. Experience and research demonstrate the difficulty of such an execution, but little research in marketing has focused on strategy implementation, particularly at the employee level. Prior research has suggested that frontline employee participation is critical to successful innovation implementation, especially in service contexts. We develop a theoretical model to investigate the complex role of motivation in engaging employee participation in service innovation implementation and test it with field data from a real-world context. The study contributes to motivation research in marketing by adapting and extending a hierarchical conceptualization from psychology that incorporates three levels of motivation: global, contextual, and situational. We also investigate the antecedents managers can control to increase employee motivation to participate in implementation efforts and subsequently to improve participation behaviors that are critical to the successful implementation of a customer service innovation.
TL;DR: This paper investigated the role of soil texture in the recovery of soil microbial community structure and changes in microbial stress, as indexed by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles, using two chronosequences of grasslands restored from 0 to 19 years on silty clay loam and loamy fine sand soils in Nebraska, USA.
Abstract: Many biotic and abiotic factors influence recovery of soil communities following prolonged disturbance. We investigated the role of soil texture in the recovery of soil microbial community structure and changes in microbial stress, as indexed by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles, using two chronosequences of grasslands restored from 0 to 19 years on silty clay loam and loamy fine sand soils in Nebraska, USA. All restorations were formerly cultivated fields seeded to native warm-season grasses through the USDA’s Conservation Reserve Program. Increases in many PLFA concentrations occurred across the silty clay loam chronosequence including total PLFA biomass, richness, fungi, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, and actinomycetes. Ratios of saturated:monounsaturated and iso:anteiso PLFAs decreased across the silty clay loam chronosequence indicating reduction in nutrient stress of the microbial community as grassland established. Multivariate analysis of entire PLFA profiles across the silty clay loam chronosequence showed recovery of microbial community structure on the trajectory toward native prairie. Conversely, no microbial groups exhibited a directional change across the loamy fine sand chronosequence. Changes in soil structure were also only observed across the silty clay loam chronosequence. Aggregate mean weighted diameter (MWD) exhibited an exponential rise to maximum resulting from an exponential rise to maximum in the proportion of large macroaggregates (>2000 μm) and exponential decay in microaggregates ( 53 μm) and the silt and clay fraction (<53 μm). Across both chronosequences, MWD was highly correlated with total PLFA biomass and the biomass of many microbial groups. Strong correlations between many PLFA groups and the MWD of aggregates underscore the interdependence between the recovery of soil microbial communities and soil structure that may explain more variation than time for some soils (i.e., loamy fine sand). This study demonstrates that soil microbial responses to grassland restoration are modulated by soil texture with implications for estimating the true capacity of restoration efforts to rehabilitate ecosystem functions.
TL;DR: In this article, the role of the friction coefficient, μ, on the jamming properties of disordered, particle packings is studied using computer simulations, where compressed, soft-sphere packings are brought towards the jamging transition by decreasing the packing fraction.
Abstract: The role of the friction coefficient, μ, on the jamming properties of disordered, particle packings is studied using computer simulations Compressed, soft-sphere packings are brought towards the jamming transition—the point where a packing loses mechanical stability—by decreasing the packing fraction The values of the packing fraction at the jamming transition, ϕμc, gradually decrease from the random close packing point for zero friction, to a value coincident with random loose packing as the friction coefficient is increased over several orders of magnitude This is accompanied by a decrease in the coordination number at the jamming transition, zμc, which varies from approximately six to four with increasing friction Universal power law scaling is observed in the pressure and coordination number as a function of distance from the generalised, friction-dependent jamming point Various power laws are also reported between the ϕμc, zμc, and μ Dependence on preparation history of the packings is also investigated
TL;DR: It is reported that the nuclear bile acid receptor farnesoid X receptor (FXR) inhibits microRNA-34a (miR-34A) in the liver, which results in a positive regulation of SIRT1 levels, which may be useful for treating diseases of aging and cancer.
TL;DR: These data demonstrate for the first time that miRNAs could be used to target DNA repair genes and thus sensitize tumors to radiation and provide a new way for improving tumor radiotherapy.
Abstract: Background
Radiotherapy kills tumor-cells by inducing DNA double strand breaks (DSBs). However, the efficient repair of tumors frequently prevents successful treatment. Therefore, identifying new practical sensitizers is an essential step towards successful radiotherapy. In this study, we tested the new hypothesis: identifying the miRNAs to target DNA DSB repair genes could be a new way for sensitizing tumors to ionizing radiation.
Principal Findings
Here, we chose two genes: DNA-PKcs (an essential factor for non-homologous end-joining repair) and ATM (an important checkpoint regulator for promoting homologous recombination repair) as the targets to search their regulating miRNAs. By combining the database search and the bench work, we picked out miR-101. We identified that miR-101 could efficiently target DNA-PKcs and ATM via binding to the 3′- UTR of DNA-PKcs or ATM mRNA. Up-regulating miR-101 efficiently reduced the protein levels of DNA-PKcs and ATM in these tumor cells and most importantly, sensitized the tumor cells to radiation in vitro and in vivo.
Conclusions
These data demonstrate for the first time that miRNAs could be used to target DNA repair genes and thus sensitize tumors to radiation. These results provide a new way for improving tumor radiotherapy.
TL;DR: In this article, a simple and cost effective way for synthesis of metallic nanoparticles using natural precursor clove extract was reported, where the reduction time is quite small (few minutes instead of hours as compared to other natural precursors).
Abstract: We report a simple and cost effective way for synthesis of metallic nanoparticles (Au and Ag) using natural precursor clove. Au and Ag nanoparticles have been synthesized by reducing the aqueous solution of AuCl4 and AgNO3 with clove extract. One interesting aspect here is that reduction time is quite small (few minutes instead of hours as compared to other natural precursors). We synthesized gold and silver nanoparticles of different shape and size by varying the ratio of AuCl4 and AgNO3 with respect to clove extract, where the dominant component is eugenol. The evolution of Au and Ag nanoparticles from the reduction of different ratios of AuCl4 and AgNO3 with optimised concentration of the clove extract has been evaluated through monitoring of surface plasmon behaviour as a function of time. The reduction of AuCl4 and AgNO3 by eugenol is because of the inductive effect of methoxy and allyl groups which are present at ortho and para positions of proton releasing –OH group as two electrons are released from one molecule of eugenol. This is followed by the formation of resonating structure of the anionic form of eugenol. The presence of methoxy and allyl groups has been confirmed by FTIR. To the best of our knowledge, use of clove as reducing agent, the consequent very short time (minutes instead of hours and without any scavenger) and the elucidation of mechanism of reduction based on FTIR analysis has not been attempted earlier.
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TL;DR: The authors make the case for anthropological reflection on the intersection of food and the senses, and argue for the productivity of a concept of "gustemology" in opening up new realms of ethnographic and theoretical inquiry.
Abstract: This review makes the case for anthropological reflection on the intersection of food and the senses. Given that a focus on food and the senses allows us to explore some of the most basic boundaries of inside and outside, private and public, individual and collective, this topic offers an excellent window onto that elusive notion of everyday life that anthropologists wish to understand theoretically and examine ethnographically. At the same time, food is a key component of ritual, which has typically been understood as heightening or stimulating sensory experience to instill social or cosmological values. Food and the senses overlap in notions of taste as distinction and in an increasing recognition of the culturally cultivated phenomenon of synesthesia. Furthermore, in making food and the senses central to understanding wider social issues, this review argues for the productivity of a concept of “gustemology” in opening up new realms of ethnographic and theoretical inquiry.
TL;DR: Examination of relation between perceived racial discrimination and substance use in 2 studies based on the prototype-willingness model found discrimination was associated with more drug willingness, and that relation was mediated by anger and moderated by supportive parenting.
Abstract: The relation between perceived racial discrimination and substance use was examined in two studies that were based on the prototype – willingness model (Gibbons, Gerrard & Lane, 2003). Study 1, using structural equation modeling, revealed prospective relations between discrimination and use five years later in a panel of African American adolescents (M age 10.5 at T1) and their parents. For both groups, the relation was mediated by anger/hostility. For the adolescents, it was also mediated by behavioral willingness, and it was moderated by supportive parenting. Study 2 was a lab experiment in which a subset of the Study 1 adolescents (M age = 18.5) was asked to imagine a discriminatory experience, and then their affect and drug willingness were assessed. As in the survey study, discrimination was associated with more drug willingness and that relation was again mediated by anger and moderated by supportive parenting. Implications of the results for research and interventions involving reactions to racial discrimination are discussed.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the performance of trend-following trading strategies in commodity futures markets using a monthly dataset spanning 48 years and 28 markets, and found that all parameterizations of the dual moving average crossover and channel strategies that they implement yield positive mean excess returns net of transactions costs in at least 22 of the 28 markets.
Abstract: This paper examines the performance of trend-following trading strategies in commodity futures markets using a monthly dataset spanning 48 years and 28 markets. We find that all parameterizations of the dual moving average crossover and channel strategies that we implement yield positive mean excess returns net of transactions costs in at least 22 of the 28 markets. When we pool our results across markets, we show that all of the trading rules earn hugely significant positive returns that prevail over most subperiods of the data as well. These results are robust with respect to the set of commodities the trading rules are implemented with, distributional assumptions, data-mining adjustments and transactions costs, and help resolve divergent evidence in the extant literature regarding the performance of momentum and pure trend-following strategies that is otherwise difficult to explain.
TL;DR: Urban runoff, municipal wastewater treatment plants and agricultural drains in California's Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta were sampled to understand their importance as contributors of pyrethroid insecticides to surface waters.
Abstract: While studies have documented the presence of pyrethroid insecticides at acutely toxic concentrations in sediments, little quantitative data on sources exist. Urban runoff, municipal wastewater treatment plants and agricultural drains in California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta were sampled to understand their importance as contributors of these pesticides to surface waters. Nearly all residential runoff samples were toxic to the amphipod, Hyalella azteca, and contained pyrethroids at concentrations exceeding acutely toxic thresholds, in many cases by 10-fold. Toxicity identification evaluation data were consistent with pyrethroids, particularly bifenthrin and cyfluthrin, as the cause of toxicity. Pyrethroids passed through secondary treatment systems at municipal wastewater treatment facilities and were commonly found in the final effluent, usually near H. azteca 96-h EC50 thresholds. Agricultural discharges in the study area only occasionally contained pyrethroids and were also occasional sources...
TL;DR: In this paper, a detailed investigation of such nanoscale phase structures and their structure−catalytic activity correlation for gold−platinum nanoparticles prepared with controllable sizes and compositions is presented.
Abstract: The design of active and robust bimetallic nanoparticle catalysts requires the control of the nanoscale alloying and phase-segregation structures and the correlation between the nanoscale phase structures and the catalytic properties. Here we describe new findings of a detailed investigation of such nanoscale phase structures and their structure−catalytic activity correlation for gold−platinum nanoparticles prepared with controllable sizes and compositions. The nanoscale alloying and phase-segregation were probed as a function of composition, size, and thermal treatment conditions using X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, electrochemical characterization, and density functional theory modeling. The results have provided the experimental evidence in support of the theoretically simulated dependence of alloying and phase segregation on particle size and temperature. More importantly, new insights have been gained into the control of the nano...
TL;DR: A revised classification of Santalales, an angiosperm order that contains 18 families, 160 genera, and over 2200 species, brings together all currently available information that contributes to the understanding of relationships among these plants.
Abstract: We present here a revised classification of Santalales, an angiosperm order that contains 18 families, 160 genera, and over 2200 species. Both nonparasitic and parasitic flowering plants occur in the traditionally circumscribed family Olacaceae whereas all other families are composed entirely of parasites. The five evolutionary radiations of aerial parasitism produced mistletoes that constitute most of the generic and specific diversity seen in the order. This classification, although based primarily upon results from molecular phylogenetic investigations, brings together all currently available information that contributes to our understanding of relationships among these plants. Monophyletic groups (clades) obtained from molecular analyses were named using a Linnaean ranked system. Four new families are named that formerly resided in Santalaceae s.l.: Amphorogynaceae, Cervantesiaceae, Comandraceae, and Nanodeaceae. A new tribal and subtribal classification for Loran- thaceae is presented where nine new subtribe names are proposed.
TL;DR: The approach, namely, MDAPRA strives to provide a mutual exclusion mechanism in repositioning the nodes to restore connectivity and localize the scope of the recovery and minimize the overhead imposed on the nodes.
Abstract: Mobility has been introduced to sensor networks through the deployment of movable nodes. In movable wireless networks, network connectivity among the nodes is a crucial factor in order to relay data to the sink node, exchange data for collaboration, and perform data aggregation. However, such connectivity can be lost due to a failure of one or more nodes. Even a single node failure may partition the network, and thus, eventually reduce the quality and efficiency of the network operation. To handle this connectivity problem, we present PADRA to detect possible partitions, and then, restore the network connectivity through controlled relocation of movable nodes. The idea is to identify whether or not the failure of a node will cause partitioning in advance in a distributed manner. If a partitioning is to occur, PADRA designates a failure handler to initiate the connectivity restoration process. The overall goal in this process is to localize the scope of the recovery and minimize the overhead imposed on the nodes. We further extend PADRA to handle multiple node failures. The approach, namely, MDAPRA strives to provide a mutual exclusion mechanism in repositioning the nodes to restore connectivity. The effectiveness of the proposed approaches is validated through simulation experiments.
TL;DR: This article used a multilevel analysis that combines aspects of state context with individual survey responses in 144 gubernatorial elections and found that citizens of states with greater income inequality are less likely to vote and that income inequality increases income bias in the electorate, lending empirical support to Schattschneider's argument.
Abstract: Nearly a half-century ago, E.E. Schattschneider wrote that the high abstention and large differences between the rates of electoral participation of richer and poorer citizens found in the United States were caused by high levels of economic inequality. Despite increasing inequality and stagnant or declining voting rates since then, Schattschneider’s hypothesis remains largely untested. This article takes advantage of the variation in inequality across states and over time to remedy this oversight. Using a multilevel analysis that combines aspects of state context with individual survey responses in 144 gubernatorial elections, it finds that citizens of states with greater income inequality are less likely to vote and that income inequality increases income bias in the electorate, lending empirical support to Schattschneider’s argument.
TL;DR: This paper examined racial differences in support for same-sex marriage, and test whether the emerging black-white gap is a function of religiosity and found that religious factors play a crucial role in racial differences, and how secular factors have varying effects on attitudes for whites and African Americans.
Abstract: Objective. We examine racial differences in support for same-sex marriage, and test whether the emerging black-white gap is a function of religiosity. We explore how religious factors play a crucial role in racial differences, and how secular factors have varying effects on attitudes for whites and African Americans.
Methods. Using data from the General Social Surveys, we estimate ordinal logistic regression models and stacked structural equation models.
Results. We show that the racial divide is a function of African Americans' ties to sectarian Protestant religious denominations and high rates of church attendance. We also show racial differences in the influence of education and political values on opposition to same sex marriage.
Conclusions. Religious factors are a source of racial differences in support for same-sex marriage, and secular influences play less of a role in structuring African Americans' beliefs about same-sex marriage.
TL;DR: Compared with other oil feedstocks for biodiesel production, lipid accumulated by C. curvatus grown on glycerol has high concentration of monounsaturated fatty acid, which makes it an excellent source for biod diesel use.