Digital Commons Network^™

Small Countries Lead International Collaboration, Judith Kamalski

Research Trends

The global nature of many of science’s most pressing challenges demands greater international collaboration. Research Trends looks at how different countries measure up and finds that smaller nations are leading the way.

Iranian Universities Pushing Ahead, Judith Kamalski

Research Trends

Iran is steadily publishing more papers and attracting an increasing number of international citations. Is the Middle East on the brink of a scientific revival? Research Trends investigates.

Jorge Hirsch: The Man Behind The Metric, Vicky Hampton

Research Trends

Four years ago, the h-index burst onto the bibliometric scene, sparking an explosion of studies on the metric itself, its potential use in different contexts, and a host of variant metrics on the same theme. But the man who shares his initial with the index, Professor Jorge Hirsch, is a physicist, not a bibliometrician. Research Trends goes direct to the source to find out where the h-index came from.

Analyzing A Multidisciplinary Research Field, Aschwin Wijnsma

Research Trends

The analysis of multidisciplinary research can be very difficult, in large part due to the fact that scientific terminology is often shared with the traditional fields it draws together. In a multidisciplinary field, such as energy, keywords can be ambiguous. Research Trends explores a delineation based on subject categorization to measure country specialization and collaboration against impact.

Challenges In Language Services: Identifying And Responding To Patients' Needs, Marsha Regenstein, Holly Mead, Kathryn E. Muessig, Jennifer Huang

Health Policy and Management Faculty Publications

Objective: Identify characteristics of hospitalbased language services (LS), and describe practices of identifying patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) and interpreter training.

Participants: Seventy-one hospitals applied to participate in a national initiative. Applicants were non-federal, acute care hospitals with substantial LEP populations, at least 10,000 discharges, and in-person interpreters.

Methods: Descriptive statistics were generated on language, collection of language data, LEP volume and service utilization, staffing and training requirements and organizational structure. The relationship between admissions and encounters was analyzed.

Results Ninety percent of hospitals collect primary language data. Spanish is the most common language (93% of hospitals). …

Full Issue Vol. 29 No. 4

Swedish American Genealogist

No abstract provided.

Book Reviews

Swedish American Genealogist

No abstract provided.

Genealogical Queries

Swedish American Genealogist

No abstract provided.

Fall 2009, Graduate School Of Humanities & Social Sciences

CAHSS Graduate SGA Dialogues

No abstract provided.

Gender Differences In Output Quality And Quantity Under Competition And Time Constraints: Evidence From A Pilot Study, Olga Shurchkov

Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei Working Papers

Gender gaps in income and level of position in the workplace are widespread. One explanation for this inequality is that the genders perform differently under competitive conditions, as previous experimental studies have found a significant gender gap in competitive tasks that are perceived to favor men. In this paper, we use a verbal task that is perceived to favor women and find no gender difference under competition per se. We also reject the hypothesis that a .stereotype threat. explains the inability of women to improve performance under competition. We propose an alternative explanation for gender inequality: namely, that women and …

Winning Big But Feeling No Better? The Effect Of Lottery Prizes On Physical And Mental Health, Benedicte Apouey, Andrew E. Clark

Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei Working Papers

We use British panel data to explore the exogenous impact of income on a number of individual health outcomes: general health status, mental health, physical health problems, and health behaviours (drinking and smoking). Lottery winnings allow us to make causal statements regarding the effect of income on health, as the amount won is largely exogenous. These positive income shocks have no significant effect on general health, but a large positive effect on mental health. This result seems paradoxical on two levels. First, there is a well-known status gradient in health in cross-section data, and, second, general health should partly reflect …

Nuclear Versus Coal Plus Ccs: A Comparison Of Two Competitive Base-Load Climate Control Options, Massimo Tavoni, Bob Van Der Zwaan

Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei Working Papers

In this paper we analyze the relative importance and mutual behavior of two competing base-load electricity generation options that each are capable of contributing significantly to the abatement of global CO2 emissions: nuclear energy and coal-based power production complemented with CO2 capture and storage (CCS). We also investigate how, in scenarios from an integrated assessment model that simulates the economics of a climate-constrained world, the prospects for nuclear energy would change if exogenous limitations on the spread of nuclear technology were relaxed. Using the climate change economics model WITCH we find that until 2050 the resulting growth rates of nuclear …

Non-Bossy Social Classifcation, Dinko Dimitrov, Clemens Puppe

Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei Working Papers

We consider the problem of how societies should be partitioned into classes if individuals express their views about who should be put with whom in the same class. A non-bossiness condition makes the social aggregator dependent only on those cells of the individual partitions the society members classify themselves in. This information is used to construct for each profile of views an opinion graph. By means of natural sovereignty and liberalism requirements, we characterize the non-bossy aggregators generating partitions in which the social classes are refinements of the connected components in the opinion graph.

An Integrated Assessment Of Climate Change, Air Pollution, And Energy Security Policy, Bob Van Der Zwaan, Johannes Bollen, Sebastiaan Hers

Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei Working Papers

This article presents an integrated assessment of climate change, air pollution, and energy security policy. Basis of our analysis is the MERGE model, designed to study the interaction between the global economy, energy use, and the impacts of climate change. For our purposes we expanded MERGE with expressions that quantify damages incurred to regional economies as a result of air pollution and lack of energy security. One of the main findings of our cost-benefit analysis is that energy security policy alone does not decrease the use of oil: global oil consumption is only delayed by several decades and oil reserves …

On Neutral Absorption And Spectral Evolution In X-Ray Binaries, J. M. Miller, E. M. Cackett, R. C. Reis

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Research Publications

Current X-ray observatories make it possible to follow the evolution of transient and variable X-ray binaries across a broad range in luminosity and source behavior. In such studies, it can be unclear whether evolution in the low-energy portion of the spectrum should be attributed to evolution in the source, or instead to evolution in neutral photoelectric absorption. Dispersive spectrometers make it possible to address this problem. We have analyzed a small but diverse set of X-ray binaries observed with the Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer across a range in luminosity and different spectral states. The column density in individual …

Structural Change In Transition Economies: Does Foreign Aid Matter?, Mohsen Fardmanesh, Li Tan

Discussion Papers

No abstract provided.

Lmproving Education Through Brain Research, Lisa J. Ihnen

Master of Education Program Theses

Educational practices are improved because of brain research. Cognitive and behavior sciences have provided important concepts for educational practice. Within recent decades, neuroscience has also contributed to the field of brain research, thus enhancing our understanding oflearning. Three main concepts from neuroscience are explored: synaptogenesis, critical periods, and enriched environments. When the entire body of knowledge from all disciplines of brain research is viewed together, then fmdings can be applied to educational practices.

Progress Notes, Lehigh Valley Health Network

Progress Notes

No abstract provided.

Vitisnet: ‘‘Omics’’ Integration Through Grapevine Molecular Networks, Jerome Grimplet, Grant R. Cramer, Julie A. Dickerson, Kathy Mathiason, John Van Hemert, Anne Y. Fennell

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Background: Genomic data release for the grapevine has increased exponentially in the last five years. The Vitis vinifera genome has been sequenced and Vitis EST, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic tools and data sets continue to be developed. The next critical challenge is to provide biological meaning to this tremendous amount of data by annotating genes and integrating them within their biological context. We have developed and validated a system of Grapevine Molecular Networks (VitisNet).

Methodology/Principal Findings: The sequences from the Vitis vinifera (cv. Pinot Noir PN40024) genome sequencing project and ESTs from the Vitis genus have been paired and the …

Corporate Governance In China: No Quick Fix, No Fixed Solution, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

China offers a multitude of business opportunities, but international investors often find themselves stumped with a range of issues, many of which boil down to the country's distinct system of corporate governance. Here, the lines between interests and relationships are less clear-cut, and links to the government seem to serve as a proxy to accountability. This is a system that exists for a reason, said TJ Wong at SMU's Ho Bee Professorship in Chinese Economy and Business lecture series. However, foreign investors, used to international norms of transparency, are calling this into question.

Asian Maths Whizz And Talkative Females: How Stereotypes Can Actually Boost Performance, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

Nobody likes to be pigeonholed or reduced to a single stereotype. One reason could be because we believe ourselves to be products of multiple stereotypes: a combination of identities, such as "Asian", "female", "lawyer", "Gen X", "Christian", "Chinese", etc. While these labels connect us to like-individuals, they can also carry all sorts of connotations and expectations – positive, neutral and negative. For example, an Asian might be expected to outperform a non-Asian at mathematics because of stereotypes that Asians are mathematically inclined. Will such undue expectations affect the Asian's performance outcome? Research studies point to a 'Yes'.

When Foreigners Influence Domestic Change: A Case For Transnational Advocacy, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

Like it or not, socio-environmental issues extend beyond geopolitical boundaries. Southeast Asians might remember the Indonesian haze that had affected the region's air quality, for instance – an issue that was eventually addressed with the help of foreign groups; or the recovery efforts of the 2004 tsunami, which also involved many international entities. According to Yooil Bae, a political science professor at SMU, foreign groups can bring new insights and methods. But while there are benefits to knowledge-sharing and cooperation, the process can be tricky, especially when such advocacy groups clash with the state.

To Groom And Retain Talents, Asian Organisations Look To The West, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

Is there a scarcity of talents in Asia? While opportunities are abound for businesses in the region, many organisations struggle to find the "right" people to seize those opportunities. Those that do a good job of grooming and retaining their future leaders will find themselves to be in an advantageous position. But why should organisations invest in nurturing their flock when seats to the corner offices are already "reserved" for an in-group of family members, friends, scholars, social elites, etc? This is especially problematic in Asia, where many large organisations are either family-owned or state-owned.

The Impact Of Third Places On Community Quality Of Life, Leo Wayne Jeffres, Cheryl Campanella Bracken, Guowei Jian, Mary F. Casey

Communication Faculty Publications

Older cities struggling with issues of survival focus on jobs and the economy, but competition requires all cities to pay attention to the quality of life that attracts residents. Creating such an inviting environment includes “third places” that foster community and communication among people outside of home and work, yet we have little empirical evidence that speaks to the subject, or their importance for a community’s quality of life. Here we report on a national U.S. survey that asked people to identify such places in their community, producing a wide variety of “third places” that ranged from the most popular …

Phylogeography And Postglacial Dispersal Of Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus Dolomieu) Into The Great Lakes, W. Calvin Borden, Robert A. Krebs

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

Refugia and dispersal routes of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) into the Great Lakes were identified using 427 mitochondrial sequences from across their native range. Overall, smallmouth bass accessed the Great Lakes via long-distance dispersal from multiple refugia, and the distribution of genetic variation reflected the consequences of vicariant, dispersal, and paleogeological events. Proximity of lakes to glacial outlets had a greater predictive power on the resulting distribution of mitochondrial diversity relative to interbasin migration. Populations in the Eastern and Interior Highlands contained the most divergent and oldest haplotypes, reflecting their role as glacial refugia and subsequent high incidence of endemicity. …

Remodeling Of The Tight Junction During Recovery From Exposure To Hydrogen Peroxide In Kidney Epithelial Cells, Jeannette E. Gonzalez, R. J. Digeronimo, D'Ann E. Arthur, Jonathan M. King

Biology Faculty Research

Renal ischemia-reperfusion injury results in oxidative stress-induced alterations in barrier function. Activation of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway during recovery from oxidative stress may be an effector of oxidant-induced tight junction reorganization. We hypothesized that tight junction composition and barrier function would be perturbed during recovery from oxidative stress. We developed a model of short-term H₂O₂ exposure followed by recovery using Madin Darby canine kidney (MDCK II) cells. H₂O₂ perturbs barrier function without a significant cytotoxic effect except in significant doses. ERK-1/2 and p38, both enzymes of the MAP kinase pathway, were activated …

Altered Regulation Of Contraction-Induced Akt/Mtor/P70s6k Pathway Signaling In Skeletal Muscle Of The Obese Zucker Rat, Anjaiah Katta, Sunil K. Kakarla, Miaozong Wu, Satyanarayana Paturi, Murali K. Gadde, Ravi K. Arvapalli, Madhukar Babu Kolli, Kevin M. Rice, Eric R. Blough

MIIR Faculty Research

Increased muscle loading results in the phosphorylation of the 70 kDa ribosomal S6 kinase (p70S6k), and this event is strongly correlated with the degree of muscle adaptation following resistance exercise. Whether insulin resistance or the comorbidities associated with this disorder may affect the ability of skeletal muscle to activate p70S6k signaling following an exercise stimulus remains unclear. Here, we compare the contraction-induced activation of p70S6k signaling in the plantaris muscles of lean and insulin resistant obese Zucker rats following a single bout of increased contractile loading. Compared to lean animals, the basal phosphorylation of p70S6k (Thr389; 37.2% and Thr421/Ser424; 101.4%), …

The Bone Battle: The Attack On Scientific Freedom, Elizabeth Weiss

Faculty Publications, Anthropology

NAGPRA (lovely acronym) is a federal law, passed in 1989, that requires agencies receiving federal support to allow federally recognized tribes to obtain “culturally affiliated” Native American human remains and artifacts - in other words, to reclaim bones, body parts, and burial objects from museums, research organizations, and other current owners. [...] decisions will be made on the basis of religious belief, not a showing of fact.

Communicator, Dec. 2009, San Jose State University, Department Of Kinesiology

Communicator (Kinesiology)

Volume 22, Issue 2

A Bevy Of Hot Button Issues, William P. Ferris

Organization Management Journal

No abstract provided.