Digital Commons Network^™

Some Remarks On Real Estate Pricing, Crocker H. Liu, Adam D. Nowak, Patrick S. Smith

Economics Faculty Working Papers Series

This paper develops a framework for addressing the omitted variable bias that plagues most real estate research. We incorporate qualitative information from text to control for property attributes that are generally unobserved. The textual information is entered by real estate agents for every property sold on a Multiple Listing Service (MLS). The agents, who arguably have the most local market and property specific knowledge, use the unstructured text to highlight important information that is not clearly conveyed in other areas of the listing. Although the framework can be applied universally in real estate research, we demonstrate its effectiveness in the …

Learning The Ropes: General Experience, Task-Specific Experience, And The Output Of Police Officers, Gregory Deangelo, Emily Owens

Economics Faculty Working Papers Series

We estimate the role that law enforcement officer experience has on the probability of punishment, using a unique data set of tickets issued by the Idaho State Police linked to human resource records. All else equal, officers issue fewer tickets earlier in their career than later in their career. Quasi-exogenous shocks to an officer’s task-specific experience, generated by law changes, cause a temporary reduction in the frequency with which a subset of troopers “use” those laws, creating disparities in the likelihood that individual citizens are cited for law violations. The reduction in ticketing in response to a law change is …

Agent Intermediation And Racial Price Differentials, Adam D. Nowak, Patrick S. Smith

Economics Faculty Working Papers Series

In most housing transactions the home buyer and seller do not meet, in which case the buyer's race is not revealed and the seller cannot discriminate against them. Despite this fact, previous studies estimate racial price differentials based on the race of the home buyer. In this study we identify the dimensions along which differential treatment occurs in housing markets. We show that home buyers disproportionately hire real estate agents of the same race and that the race of the agent, not the home buyer, is the primary mechanism of discrimination. The results of this study have important implications for …

Foresight Benchmark Data 2015-2016, Paul J. Speaker

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Project FORESIGHT is a business-guided self-evaluation of forensic science laboratories across the globe. The participating laboratories represent local, regional, state, and national agencies. Economics, accounting, finance, and forensic faculty provide assistance, guidance, and analysis. Laboratories participating in Project FORESIGHT have developed standardized definitions for metrics to evaluate work processes, linking financial information to work tasks, and functions. Laboratory managers can then assess resource allocations, efficiencies, and value of services—the mission of Project FORESIGHT is to measure, preserve what works, and change what does not.

The benchmark data for the 2015-2016 performance period includes laboratory submissions for a variety of fiscal …

Chinese Superstition And Real Estate Prices: Transaction-Level Evidence From The Us Housing Market, Brad R. Humphreys, Adam D. Nowak, Yang Zhou

Economics Faculty Working Papers Series

We investigate the impact of Chinese superstition on prices paid by Chinese home buyers in Seattle, Washington. Chinese consider 8 lucky and 4 unlucky. Empirical results indicate Chinese buyers pay a 1-2% premium for addresses including an 8 and a 1% discount for addresses including a 4. These results are unrelated to unobserved property quality: no premium exists when Chinese sell to non-Chinese. Absent explicit identifiers for Chinese individuals, we develop a binomial name classifier using methods from the biomedical and document classification literature, allowing for falsification tests using other ethnic groups and mitigating ambiguity attributable to transliteration of Chinese …

Out Of The Outhouse: The Impact Of Place-Based Policies On Dwelling Characteristics In Appalachia, Daniel S. Grossman, Brad R. Humphreys, Jane E. Ruseski

Economics Faculty Working Papers Series

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) administers and partially funds investment projects designed to improve economic conditions in the Appalachian Region, an area of persistent poverty and reduced economic opportunity in the eastern US in and around the Appalachian mountains. Previous research on the effectiveness of ARC programs is mixed. We analyze the impact of ARC investment projects related to expanding sewerage and waste water treatment on dwelling characteristics. Results from a difference-in-differences model using a quasi experimental approach show that ARC investment projects improved access to running water, and increased sewer hook-ups and indoor bathrooms in dwellings.

Mitochondria Initiate And Regulate Sarcopenia, Stephen E. Alway, Junaith S. Mohamed, Matthew J. Myers

Clinical and Translational Science Institute

We present the hypothesis that an accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria initiates a signaling cascade leading to motor neuron and muscle fiber death and culminating in sarcopenia. Interactions between neural and muscle cells that contain dysfunctional mitochondria exacerbate sarcopenia. Preventing sarcopenia will require identifying mitochondrial sources of dysfunction that are reversible.

Psychotropic Medication Use Among Medicare Beneficiaries Following Traumatic Brain Injury, Jennifer S. Albrecht, Daniel C. Mullins, Gordon S. Smith, Vani Rao

Clinical and Translational Science Institute

Objectives—To characterize psychotropic medication use before and after traumatic brain injury (TBI) hospitalization among older adults. A secondary objective is to determine how receipt of indicated pharmacologic treatment for anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) differs following TBI. Design—Retrospective cohort Setting—United States Participants—Medicare beneficiaries age ≥65 hospitalized with TBI 2006-2010 with continuous drug coverage for 12 months before and after TBI (n=60,276). Measurements—We obtained monthly psychotropic medication use by drug class and specific drugs from Medicare Part D drug event files. International Classification of Disease, 9th Edition CM, codes were used to define anxiety (300.0x) and PTSD (309.81). Results—Average monthly …

Direct And Indirect Cost Of Managing Alzheimer's Disease And Related Dementias In The United States, Arijita Deb, James Douglas Thornton, Usha Sambamoorthi, Kim Innes

Clinical and Translational Science Institute

Introduction—Care of individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) poses special challenges. As the disease progresses, individuals with ADRD require increasing levels of medical care, caregiver support, and long-term care which can lead to substantial economic burden. Areas covered—In this expert review, we synthesized findings from studies of costs of ADRD in the United States that were published between January 2006 and February 2017, highlighted major sources of variation in costs, identified knowledge gaps and briefly outlined directions for future research and implications for policy and program planning. Expert commentary—A consistent finding of all studies comparing individuals with and …

Management Of Immediate Post- Endovascular Aortic Aneurysm Repair Type Ia Endoleaks And Late Outcomes, Ali F. Aburahma, Stephen M. Hass, Zachary T. Aburahma, Michael Yacoub, Albeir Y. Mousa, Shadi Abu-Halimah, L. Scott Dean, Patrick A. Stone

Clinical and Translational Science Institute

BACKGROUND—Post-endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) endoleaks and the need for reintervention are challenging. Additional endovascular treatment is advised for type Ia endoleaks detected on post-EVAR completion angiogram. This study analyzed management and late outcomes of these endoleaks. STUDY DESIGN—This was a retrospective review of prospectively collected data from EVAR patients during a 10-year period. All post-EVAR type Ia endoleaks on completion angiogram were identified (group A) and their early (30-day) and late outcomes were compared with outcomes of patients without endoleaks (group B). Kaplan-Meier analysis was used for survival analysis, sac expansion, late type Ia endoleak, and reintervention. RESULTS—Seventy-one of …

Talking To Parents About Adolescent Sexuality, Amie M. Ashcraft, Pamela J. Murray

Clinical and Translational Science Institute

No abstract provided.

Lavabitten, Brian L. Owsley

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Finalizing The Grand Compromise In West Virginia Workers' Compensation: Repeal Deliberate Intent, Charles R. Russell

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Algebra, Wvu Mathematics Department

M.S. Advanced and Ph.D. Entrance Exams

No abstract provided.

Stingray Technology, The Exclusionary Rule, And The Future Of Privacy: A Cautionary Tale, Shawn Marie Boyne

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Rethinking The Fourth Amendment In The Age Of Supercomputers, Artificial Intelligence, And Robots, Melanie Reid

West Virginia Law Review

In an era of diminishing privacy, the Internet of Things ("loT") has become a consensual and inadvertent tool that undermines privacy protection. The loT, really systems of networks connected to each other by the Internet or other radio-type device, creates consensual mass self-surveillance in such domains as fitness and the Fitbit, health care and heart monitors, "smart" houses and cars, and even "smart" cities. The multiple networks also have created a degree of interconnectivity that has opened up a fire hose of information for companies and governments alike, as well as making it virtually insuperable to live "off the grid" …

Groomed For Exploitation! How Applying The Statutory Definition Of Employee To Cover Division Ia College Football Players Disrupts The Student-Athlete Myth, Anne Marie Lofaso

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Professional Sporting Events And Traffic: Evidence From Us Cities, Brad R. Humphreys, Hyunwoong Pyun

Economics Faculty Working Papers Series

Sporting events concentrate people at specific locations on game day. No empirical evidence currently exists linking sporting events to local traffic conditions. We analyze urban mobility data from 25 US metropolitan areas with MLB teams over the period 1990 to 2014 to assess the relationship between local traffic and Major League Baseball (MLB) games. Instrumental variable regression results indicate MLB attendance causes increases in local vehicle-miles traveled. At the sample average attendance of 2.8 million, average daily vehicle-miles traveled increases by about 6.9% in cities with MLB teams. Traffic congestion increases by 2%, suggesting that MLB games generate congestion externalities.

Imaging Thiol Redox Status In Murine Tumors In Vivo With Rapid-Scan Electron Paramagnetic Resonance, Boris Epel, Subramanian V. Sundramoorthy, Martyna Krzykawska-Serda, Matthew C. Maggio, Mark Tseytlin, Gareth R. Eaton, Sandra S. Eaton, Gerald M. Rosen, Joseph P. Y. Kao, Howard J. Halpern

Clinical and Translational Science Institute

Thiol redox status is an important physiologic parameter that affects the success or failure of cancer treatment. Rapid scan electron paramagnetic resonance (RS EPR) is a novel technique that has shown higher signal-to-noise ratio than conventional continuous-wave EPR in in vitro studies. Here we used RS EPR to acquire rapid three-dimensional images of the thiol redox status of tumors and normal tissues in living mice. This work presents, for the first time, in vivo RS EPR images of the kinetics of the reaction of 2H,15N-substituted disulfide-linked dinitroxide (PxSSPx) spin probe with intracellular glutathione. The cleavage rate is proportional to the …

Transcriptomic Effects Of Adenosine 2a Receptor Deletion In Healthy And Endotoxemic Murine Myocardium, Kevin J. Ashton, Melissa E. Reichelt, S. Jamal Mustafa, Bunyen Teng, Catherine Ledent, Lea M. D. Delbridge, Polly A. Hofmann, R. Ray Morrison, John P. Headrick

Clinical and Translational Science Institute

Influences of adenosine 2A receptor (A2AR) activity on the cardiac transcriptome and genesis of endotoxemic myocarditis are unclear. We applied transcriptomic profiling (39 K Affymetrix arrays) to identify A2AR-sensitive molecules, revealed by receptor knockout (KO), in healthy and endotoxemic hearts. Baseline cardiac function was unaltered and only 37 A2AR-sensitive genes modified by A2AR KO (≥1.2-fold change, <5 >% FDR); the five most induced are Mtr, Ppbp, Chac1, Ctsk and Cnpy2 and the five most repressed are Hp, Yipf4, Acta1, Cidec and Map3k2. Few canonical paths were impacted, with altered Gnb1, Prkar2b, Pde3b and Map3k2 (among others) implicating modified G protein/cAMP/PKA and …

Patient Attitudes And Participation In Hand Co-Washing In An Outpatient Clinic Before And After A Prompt, Gregory A. Doyle, Jun Xiang, Hina Zaman, Holli Neiman-Hart, Michael Maroon, Elham Arghami, Hina Durani, Hari Salana, Venugopal Komakula, Dana E. King

Clinical and Translational Science Institute

Despite recent national emphasis, outpatient hand washing can be less than optimal. We tested a new approach involving both patient and physician hand washing. The study consisted of 384 questionnaires, 184 from phase 1 and 200 from phase 2. Patients stated doctors washed their hands 96.6% before examining them pre-intervention and 99.5% of the time post-intervention. Patients endorsed the importance of hand washing 98.7% of the time. “Co-washing” may offer a process to increase the practice of hand washing and decrease infection risk.

The Efficient Corruption Hypothesis And The Dynamics Between Economic Freedom, Corruption, And National Income, Joshua C. Hall, John Levendis

Economics Faculty Working Papers Series

Income, economic freedom, and corruption interact in complex ways as all three variables are arguably endogenous. We explicitly model this endogeneity using a panel VAR framework. The pVAR models we estimate are able to explicitly model this endogeneity better than the single-equation panel data models previously used in the literature. Using data on corruption and income from the World Bank and economic freedom from the Fraser Institute, we provide evidence that corruption and the absence of economic freedom have a negative effect on national income.

Emerging Strategies Of Targeting Lipoprotein Lipase For Metabolic And Cardiovascular Diseases, Werner J. Geldenhuys, Li Lin, Altaf S. Darvesh, Prabodh Sadana

Clinical and Translational Science Institute

Although statins and other pharmacological approaches have improved the management of lipid abnormalities, there exists a need for newer treatment modalities especially for the management of hypertriglyceridemia. Lipoprotein lipase (LPL), by promoting hydrolytic cleavage of the triglyceride core of lipoproteins, is a crucial node in the management of plasma lipid levels. Although LPL expression and activity modulation is observed as a pleiotropic action of some the commonly used lipid lowering drugs, the deliberate development of drugs targeting LPL has not occurred yet. In this review, we present the biology of LPL, highlight the LPL modulation property of currently used drugs …

Endoscopic Management Of Cavernous Carotid Surgical Complications: Evaluation Of A Simulated Perfusion Model, Jeremy N. Ciporen, Brandon Lucke-Wold, Gustavo Mendez, William E. Cameron, Shirley Mccartney

Clinical and Translational Science Institute

Objective—Endoscopic surgical treatment of pituitary tumors, lateral invading tumors, or aneurysms requires surgeons to operate adjacent to the cavernous sinus. During these endoscopic endonasal procedures, the carotid artery is vulnerable to surgical injury at its genu. The objective of this simulation model was to evaluate trainees regarding management of a potentially lifethreatening vascular injury. Methods—Cadaveric heads were prepared in accordance with the Oregon Health & Science University body donation program. An endoscopic endonasal approach was used, and a perfusion pump with a catheter was placed in the ipsilateral common carotid artery at its origin in the neck. Learners used a …

Structure-Activity And In Vivo Evaluation Of A Novel Lipoprotein Lipase (Lpl) Activator, Werner J. Geldenhuys, Joel Caporoso, Thomas C. Leeper, Yoon-Kwang Lee, Li Lin, Altaf S. Darvesh, Prabodh Sadana

Clinical and Translational Science Institute

Elevated triglycerides (TG) contribute towards increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is an enzyme that is responsible for the metabolism of core triglycerides of very-low density lipoproteins (VLDL) and chylomicrons in the vasculature. In this study, we explored the structure-activity relationships of our lead compound (C10d) that we have previously identified as an LPL agonist. We found that the cyclopropyl moiety of C10d is not absolutely necessary for LPL activity. Several substitutions were found to result in loss of LPL activity. The compound C10d was also tested in vivo for its lipid lowering activity. Mice were fed a …

Into The Wild: Parallel Transcriptomics Of The Tsetse-Wigglesworthia Mutualism Within Kenyan Populations, Miguel M. Munoz, Adam R. Pollio, Hunter L. White, Rita V M Rio

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Tsetse flies (Diptera: Glossinidae) have medical significance as the obligate vectors of African trypanosomes. In addition, tsetse harbor a simple gut microbiota. A predominant gut microbiota member, the Gammaproteobacterium Wigglesworthia spp., has coevolved with tsetse for a significant portion of Glossina radiation proving critical to tsetse fitness. Although multiple roles have been described for Wigglesworthia within colony flies, little research has been dedicated towards functional characterization within wild tsetse. Here, dual RNA-Seq was performed to characterize the tsetse-Wigglesworthia symbiosis within flies captured in Nguruman, Kenya. A significant correlation in Gene Ontology (GO) distribution between tsetse and Wigglesworthia was observed, with …

The Earliest Phases Of High-Mass Star Formation, As Seen In Ngc 6334 By Herschel -Hobys, J. Tigé, F. Motte, L. D. Anderson, L. Spinoglio

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Aims. To constrain models of high-mass star formation, the Herschel-HOBYS key program aims at discovering massive dense cores (MDCs) able to host the high-mass analogs of low-mass prestellar cores, which have been searched for over the past decade. We here focus on NGC 6334, one of the best-studied HOBYS molecular cloud complexes.

Far-Infrared Observations Of A Massive Cluster Forming In The Monoceros R2 Filament Hub, T. S. M. Rayner, V. Könyves, P. André, L. D. Anderson

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

We present far-infrared observations of Monoceros R2 (a giant molecular cloud at approximately 830 pc distance, containing several sites of active star formation), as observed at 70 μm, 160 μm, 250 μm, 350 μm, and 500 μm by the Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) and Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver (SPIRE) instruments on the Herschel Space Observatory as part of the Herschel imaging survey of OB young stellar objects (HOBYS) Key programme. The Herschel data are complemented by SCUBA-2 data in the submillimetre range, and WISE and Spitzer data in the mid-infrared. In addition, C18O data from the IRAM …

Herschel Observations Of The Galactic H Ii Region Rcw 79, Hong-Li Liu, Miguel Figueira, Annie Zavagno, L. D. Anderson

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Triggered star formation around H II regions could be an important process. The Galactic H II region RCW79 is a prototypical object for triggered high‐mass star formation. Aims. We aim to obtain a census of the young stellar population observed at the edges of the H II region and to determine the properties of the young sources in order to characterize the star formation processes that take place at the edges of this ionized region. Methods. We take advantage of Herschel data from the surveys HOBYS, `` Evolution of Interstellar Dust'', and Hi‐Gal to extract compact sources. We use the …

Sedigism: Structure, Excitation, And Dynamics Of The Inner Galactic Interstellar Medium, F. Schuller, T. Csengeri, J. S. Urquhart, L. D. Anderson

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The origin and life-cycle of molecular clouds are still poorly constrained, despite their importance for understanding the evolution of the interstellar medium. Many large-scale surveys of the Galactic plane have been conducted recently, allowing for rapid progress in this field. Nevertheless, a sub-arcminute resolution global view of the large-scale distribution of molecular gas, from the diffuse medium to dense clouds and clumps, and of their relationshipto the spiral structure, is still missing.