A Comparison of 25 Years of Consumer Expenditures by Homeowners and Renters

Between 1986 and 2010, homeowners and renters dramatically changed their spending habits in response to changes in the economy, although the amount they spent on overall expenditures remained roughly the same. A comparison of spending by homeowners and renters in the major expenditure categories shows many differences, but one thing remains constant: housing is the largest expenditure for U.S. consumers. This issue of BEYOND THE NUMBERS uses data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE) to compare expenditures of homeowners with those of renters, from 1986 through 2010. The analysis of CE data helps to shed light on the effects that recent housing crises had on consumer spending, revealing many interesting shifts in spending on housing and other expenses, changes in household size and demographics, and movement among geographic areas

The Clock Paradox: Luise Lange's Discussion

In her articles on the clock paradox and the relativity of time Luise Lange (1891–1978) defends the theory of relativity against philosophical refutations, by showing that the apparent clock paradox is not a paradox, but merely conflicts with common sense and is based on a misunderstanding of the theory. The following study explores, contextualizes and analyzes Lange’s clear and sophisticated contribution to the debate on the clock paradox for the first time

Neurotransmitter profile of saccadic omnipause neurons in nucleus raphe interpositus

Saccadic omnipause neurons (OPNs) are essential for the generation of saccadic eye movements. In primates OPNs are located near the midline within the nucleus raphe interpositus (rip). In the present study we used several different neuroanatomical methods to investigate the transmitters associated with OPNs in the monkey. Immunolabeling for the calcium-binding protein parvalbumin was employed to mark OPNs in the monkey and define the homologous cell group in cat and human. The use of antibodies against GABA, glycine (GLY), glutamate (GLU), serotonin (5-HT), and tyrosine hydroxylase revealed that the somata of OPNs are GLY immunoreactive, but they are devoid of GABA and 5-HT immunostaining. In situ hybridization with the GAD67 mRNA probe confirmed the negative GABA immunostaining of OPNs. 3H-GLY was injected into a projection field of OPNs, the rostral interstitial nucleus of the medial longitudinal fascicle (riMLF)--the vertical saccadic burst neuron area. This resulted in selective retrograde labeling of the OPNs in rip, while no labeling was found in the superior colliculus, which sends an excitatory projection to the riMLF. The somata and dendrites of putative burst neurons in the riMLF were contacted by numerous GLY- immunoreactive terminals. The quantitative analysis of immunoreactive terminal-like structures contacting OPNs revealed a strong input from GLY- and GABA-positive terminals on somata and dendrites, whereas GLU- positive puncta were mainly confined to the dendrites. Very few 5-HT and catecholaminergic terminals contacted OPN somata. Our findings suggest that OPNs use GLY as a neurotransmitter, and they receive numerous contacts from GABAergic, glycinergic, and glutaminergic afferents, and significantly fewer from monoaminergic inputs.</jats:p

Competition and Risk Aversion

Citation: Reichenberger, A. (2017). Competition and Risk Aversion. Unpublished manuscript, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS.Kirmser Undergraduate Research Award - Individual Non-Freshman category, honorable mentionDr. Tim SteffensmeierDr. Greg PaulThis study tested the influence of competition and risk aversion on risk-involved investment decisions. The primary base for research lay within message framing and prospect theory. Participants took 1 of 4 different versions of a survey with only the message frame of the manipulated paragraph varying by risk (high or low) and outcome (high competition or low competition. Participants were Kansas State University affiliated students gathered by convenience sampling. Contrary with predictions, testing of the participants’ surveys revealed no significant difference in investment amounts based on the interaction of risk-framing and outcome-framing However, a significant difference in investment amounts was apparent based on risk-framing

Multimodale Verkehrslösungen als Chance für nachhaltige städtisch-ländliche Beziehungen

Nicht nur in städtischen Gebieten, sondern auch in erweiterten Stadtregionen und peri-urbanen Gemeinden ist ein deutlicher Trend zu multimodalem Mobilitätsverhalten zu beobachten. Der Trend, nur einen Verkehrsträger zu nutzen, ist hingegen rückläufig. Vielmehr wollen die Verkehrsteilnehmerinnen und Verkehrsteilnehmer das für ihren jeweiligen Zweck und ihr aktuelles Ziel am besten geeignete Verkehrsmittel oder die geeignetste Kombination von Verkehrsmitteln nutzen. Multimodale Mobilitätskonzepte machen diese Verknüpfung möglich. Dieser Trend zu einer nachhaltiger Mobilitätsentwicklung wird anhand der beiden Good-Practice Beispiele „GUSTmobil“ und „REGIOtim“ im Steirischen Zentralraum aufgezeigt. Die Realisierung dieser alternativen Mobilitätskonzepte fördert sowohl die Lebensqualität der Bewohnerinnen und Bewohner als auch die Austauschbeziehungen und Synergien zwischen den städtischen, stadtnahen und ländlichen Gebieten der Region

A Novel Autosomal Recessive GJA1 Missense Mutation Linked to Craniometaphyseal Dysplasia

Craniometaphyseal dysplasia (CMD) is a rare sclerosing skeletal disorder with progressive hyperostosis of craniofacial bones. CMD can be inherited in an autosomal dominant (AD) trait or occur after de novo mutations in the pyrophosphate transporter ANKH. Although the autosomal recessive (AR)form of CMD had been mapped to 6q21-22 the mutation has been elusive. In this study, we performed whole-exome sequencing for one subject with AR CMD and identified a novel missense mutation (c.716G>A, p.Arg239Gln) in the C-terminus of the gap junction protein alpha-1 (GJA1) coding for connexin 43 (Cx43). We confirmed this mutation in 6 individuals from 3 additional families. The homozygous mutation cosegregated only with affected family members. Connexin 43 is a major component of gap junctions in osteoblasts, osteocytes, osteoclasts and chondrocytes. Gap junctions are responsible for the diffusion of low molecular weight molecules between cells. Mutations in Cx43 cause several dominant and recessive disorders involving developmental abnormalities of bone such as dominant and recessive oculodentodigital dysplasia (ODDD; MIM #164200, 257850) and isolated syndactyly type III (MIM #186100), the characteristic digital anomaly in ODDD. However, characteristic ocular and dental features of ODDD as well as syndactyly are absent in patients with the recessive Arg239Gln Cx43 mutation. Bone remodeling mechanisms disrupted by this novel Cx43 mutation remain to be elucidated