Showing papers by "California State University, Long Beach published in 2007"

The Relationship Between Parental Involvement and Urban Secondary School Student Academic Achievement: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract: A meta-analysis is undertaken, including 52 studies, to determine the influence of parental involvement on the educational outcomes of urban secondary school children. Statistical analyses are done...

The Privacy Paradox: Personal Information Disclosure Intentions versus Behaviors

Abstract: Impelled by the development of technologies that facilitate collection, distribution, storage, and manipulation of personal consumer information, privacy has become a “hot” topic for policy makers. Commercial interests seek to maximize and then leverage the value of consumer information, while, at the same time, consumers voice concerns that their rights and ability to control their personal information in the marketplace are being violated. However, despite the complaints, it appears that consumers freely provide personal data. This research explores what we call the “privacy paradox” or the relationship between individuals’ intentions to disclose personal information and their actual personal information disclosure behaviors.

Intravenous Ferric Gluconate Significantly Improves Response to Epoetin Alfa Versus Oral Iron or No Iron in Anemic Patients with Cancer Receiving Chemotherapy

Abstract: Purpose.Toevaluatethesafetyandefficacyofintravenous (IV) sodium ferric gluconate complex (FG), oral ferrous sulfate, or no iron to increase hemoglobin (Hb) in anemic cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and epoetin alfa. Patients and Methods. In this open-label, multicenter trial, 187 patients with chemotherapy-related anemia (Hb 100 ng/ml or transferrin saturation >15%) scheduled to receive chemotherapy and epoetin alfa (40,000 U subcutaneously weekly) were randomized to 8 weeks of 125 mg of IV FG weekly, 325 mg of oral ferrous sulfate three times daily, or no iron. The primary outcome was a change in Hb from baseline to endpoint, first whole-blood or red blood cell transfusion, or study withdrawal. Results. One hundred twenty-nine patients were

Cultural Transmission Theory and the Archaeological Record: Providing Context to Understanding Variation and Temporal Changes in Material Culture

Abstract: Cultural transmission (CT) is implicit in many explanations of culture change. Formal CT models were defined by anthropologists 30 years ago and have been a subject of active research in the social sciences in the ensuing years. Although increasing in popularity in recent years, CT has not seen extensive use in archaeological research, despite the quantitative rigor of many CT models and the ability to create testable hypotheses. Part of the reason for the slow adoption, we argue, has been the continuing focus on change in central tendency and mode in archaeology, instead of change in dispersion or variance. Yet archaeological research provides an excellent data source for exploring processes of CT. We review CT research in the anthropological sciences and outline the benefits and drawbacks of this theoretical framework for the study of material culture. We argue that CT can shed much light on our understandings of why material technology changes over time, including explanations of differential rates of change among different technologies. We further argue that transmission processes are greatly affected by the content, context, and mode of transmission and fundamentally structure variation in material culture. Including ideas from CT can provide greater context for explaining and understanding changes in the variation of artifacts over time. Finally, we outline what we feel should be the goals of CT research in archaeology in the coming years.

Reducing port-related truck emissions: The terminal gate appointment system at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach

Abstract: Growth in international trade and changing patterns of production have resulted in greatly increased volumes of freight traffic in urban areas Metropolitan areas serving as major nodes within the international trade network are particularly affected In California, state regulation was imposed on port operations in an effort to mitigate congestion and air pollution associated with increased port-related trade This paper presents an evaluation of the outcomes of California Assembly Bill (AB) 2650 at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach The legislation permitted terminals to adopt either gate appointments or off-peak operating hours as a means of reducing truck queues at gates There is no evidence of reduced queuing or transaction times, and hence that AB 2650 did not result in reduced truck emissions

Membrane Estrogen Receptor-α Interactions with Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 1a Modulate Female Sexual Receptivity in Rats

Abstract: In rats, female sexual behavior is regulated by a well defined limbic–hypothalamic circuit that integrates sensory and hormonal information. Estradiol activation of this circuit results in μ-opioid receptor (MOR) internalization in the medial preoptic nucleus, an important step for full expression of sexual receptivity. Estradiol acts through both membrane and intracellular receptors to influence neuronal activity and behavior, yet the mechanism(s) and physiological significance of estradiol-mediated membrane responses in vivo have remained elusive. Recent in vitro evidence found that stimulation of membrane-associated estrogen receptor-α (ERα) led to activation of metabotropic glutamate receptor 1a (mGluR1a). Furthermore, mGluR1a signaling was responsible for the observed downstream effects of estradiol. Here we present data that show that ERα and mGluR1a directly interact to mediate a rapid estradiol-induced activation of MOR in the medial preoptic nucleus, leading to female sexual receptivity. In addition, blockade of mGluR1a in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus resulted in a significant attenuation of estradiol-induced MOR internalization, leading to diminished female sexual behavior. These results link membrane-initiated estradiol actions to neural events modulating behavior, demonstrating the physiological importance of ERα-to-mGluR1a signaling.

Does Cooperative Learning Improve Student Learning Outcomes

Abstract: What is the effect of small-group learning on student learning outcomes in economic instruction? In spring 2002 and fall 2004, the author applied cooperative learning to one section of intermediate macroeconomics and taught another section using a traditional lecture format. He identified and then tracked measures of student learning outcomes. Using multivariate regression analysis, he found that students taught by cooperative learning achieved greater academic performance in the form of higher exam scores.

Improving password security and memorability to protect personal and organizational information

Abstract: Personal information and organizational information need to be protected, which requires that only authorized users gain access to the information. The most commonly used method for authenticating users who attempt to access such information is through the use of username-password combinations. However, this is a weak method of authentication because users tend to generate passwords that are easy to remember but also easy to crack. Proactive password checking, for which passwords must satisfy certain criteria, is one method for improving the security of user-generated passwords. The present study evaluated the time and number of attempts needed to generate unique passwords satisfying different restrictions for multiple accounts, as well as the login time and accuracy for recalling those passwords. Imposing password restrictions alone did not necessarily lead to more secure passwords. However, the use of a technique for which the first letter of each word of a sentence was used coupled with a requirement to insert a special character and digit yielded more secure passwords that were more memorable.

Panitumumab monotherapy in patients with previously treated metastatic colorectal cancer

Abstract: BACKGROUND. The safety and efficacy of the fully human antibody panitumumab was evaluated in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer refractory to available therapies. METHODS. This phase 2 open-label, multicenter study of panitumumab enrolled patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who had progressed on chemotherapy that included a fluoropyrimidine and irinotecan or oxaliplatin, or both. All patients had tumors with ≥10% 1+ epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFr) staining by immunohistochemistry. Patients were stratified into 2 strata (high or low staining intensity) and received intravenous panitumumab 2.5 mg/kg weekly 8 of every 9 weeks until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. RESULTS. In all, 148 patients received panitumumab, 105 in the high EGFr stratum, 43 in the low EGFr stratum. Overall response by central review was 9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 5%–15%) and was similar between strata. An additional 29% of patients had stable disease. Median progression-free survival was 14 weeks (95% CI, 8–16) and median overall survival was 9 months (95% CI, 6–10). Toxicities were manageable, with skin toxicity reported in 95% of patients (5% grade 3 or 4). Four patients discontinued therapy because of toxicity. No antipanitumumab antibodies were detected. One patient had an infusion reaction but was able to continue therapy. CONCLUSIONS. Panitumumab given weekly was well tolerated and had single-agent activity in previously treated patients with colorectal cancer. Dermatologic toxicity was common but rarely severe. Ongoing studies will determine panitumumab activity earlier in the course of treatment for colorectal cancer and in combination with other antineoplastic agents. Cancer 2007. © 2007 American Cancer Society.

Greening Brazil: Environmental Activism in State and Society

Abstract: Greening Brazil challenges the claim that environmentalism came to Brazil from abroad. Two political scientists, Kathryn Hochstetler and Margaret E. Keck, retell the story of environmentalism in Brazil from the inside out, analyzing the extensive efforts within the country to save its natural environment, and the interplay of those efforts with transnational environmentalism. The authors trace Brazil’s complex environmental politics as they have unfolded over time, from their mid-twentieth-century conservationist beginnings to the contemporary development of a distinctive socio-environmentalism meant to address ecological destruction and social injustice simultaneously. Hochstetler and Keck argue that explanations of Brazilian environmentalism—and environmentalism in the global South generally—must take into account the way that domestic political processes shape environmental reform efforts. The authors present a multilevel analysis encompassing institutions and individuals within the government—at national, state, and local levels—as well as the activists, interest groups, and nongovernmental organizations that operate outside formal political channels. They emphasize the importance of networks linking committed actors in the government bureaucracy with activists in civil society. Portraying a gradual process marked by periods of rapid advance, Hochstetler and Keck show how political opportunities have arisen from major political transformations such as the transition to democracy and from critical events, including the well-publicized murders of environmental activists in 1988 and 2004. Rather than view foreign governments and organizations as the instigators of environmental policy change in Brazil, the authors point to their importance at key moments as sources of leverage and support.

Modeling the 26 December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami: Case study of impact in Thailand

Abstract: [1] The devastating 26 December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami stressed the need for assessing tsunami hazard in vulnerable coastal areas. Numerical modeling is but one important tool for understanding past tsunami events and simulating future ones. Here we present a robust simulation of the event, which explains the large runups and destruction observed in coastal Thailand and identifies areas vulnerable to future tsunamis, or safer for reconstruction. To do so, we use an accurate tsunami source, which was iteratively calibrated in earlier work to explain the large-scale tsunami features, and apply it over a computational domain with a finer grid and more accurate coastal bathymetry in Thailand. Computations are performed with a well-validated numerical model based on fully nonlinear and dispersive Boussinesq equations (FUNWAVE) that adequately models the physics of tsunami propagation and runup, including dissipation caused by bottom friction and wave breaking. Simulated runups in Thailand reproduce field observations with a surprising degree of accuracy, as well as their high degree of along-coast variation: a 92% correlation is found between (58) runup observations and computations, while the model explains 85% of the observed variance; overall, the RMS error is approximately 1 m or 17% of the mean observed runup value (skill of the simulation). Because we did not use runup observations to calibrate our coseismic tsunami source, these results are robust, and thus provide a uniquely accurate synoptic prediction of tsunami impact along the Andaman coast of Thailand, including those areas where no observations were made.

Manganese and magnesium homochiral materials: decoration of honeycomb channels with homochiral chains.

Abstract: Five homochiral open-framework materials based on manganese and magnesium camphorates exhibit homochiral connectivity from one- to three-dimensions, highlighting the versatility of the synthetic system reported here. Two compounds contain a column of homochiral chains lining up the honeycomb channels of 3-D metal−oxygen frameworks, an unusual feature previously unobserved in inorganic−organic hybrids.

Comparative study of homochiral and racemic chiral metal-organic frameworks built from camphoric acid

Abstract: The study of the crystallization of homochiral or racemic chiral framework materials from enantiopure or racemic ligands is an important step for the rational design of crystalline homochiral materials. The self-assembly of extended frameworks in the presence of enantiopure or racemic ligands is regulated by the differing symmetry requirements of the ligand. By employing both enantiopure and racemic ligands as cross-linking ligands, we have prepared three homochiral and three racemic chiral compounds and their synthesis and structural and topological properties are presented here. It is shown that depending on the chemical compositions and framework topologies, the effect of the ligand handedness on the resulting crystal structure can vary greatly. The ligand handedness can have negligible effect on the crystallization, which leads to an interesting example of two pairs of isostructural achiral and homochiral structures with two types of six-connected nets. In another example reported here, the racemic ch...

Effects of motor imagery training after chronic, complete spinal cord injury

Abstract: Abnormalities in brain motor system function are present following spinal cord injury (SCI) and could reduce effectiveness of restorative interventions. Motor imagery training, which can improve motor behavior and modulate brain function, might address this concern but has not been examined in subjects with SCI. Ten subjects with SCI and complete tetra-/paraplegia plus ten healthy controls underwent assessment before and after 7 days of motor imagery training to tongue and to foot. Motor imagery training significantly improved the behavioral outcome measure, speed of movement, in non-paralyzed muscles. Training was also associated with increased fMRI activation in left putamen, an area associated with motor learning, during attempted right foot movement in both groups, despite foot movements being present in controls and absent in subjects with SCI. This fMRI change was absent in a second healthy control group serially imaged without training. In subjects with SCI, training exaggerated, rather than normalized, baseline derangement of left globus pallidus activation. The current study found that motor imagery training improves motor performance and alters brain function in subjects with complete SCI despite lack of voluntary motor control and peripheral feedback. These effects of motor imagery training on brain function have not been previously described in a neurologically impaired population, and were similar to those found in healthy controls. Motor imagery might be of value as one component of a restorative intervention.

Model-based dewarping method and apparatus

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing a captured image and, more particularly, for processing a captured image comprising a document. In one embodiment, an apparatus comprising a camera to capture documents is described. In another embodiment, a method for processing a captured image that includes a document comprises the steps of distinguishing an imaged document from its background, adjusting the captured image to reduce distortions created from use of a camera and properly orienting the document is described.

A locally conservative finite element framework for the simulation of coupled flow and reservoir geomechanics

Abstract: In this paper, we present a computational framework for the simulation of coupled flow and reservoir geomechanics. The physical model is restricted to Biot’s theory of single-phase flow and linear poroelasticity, but is sufficiently general to be extended to multiphase flow problems and inelastic behavior. The distinctive technical aspects of our approach are: (1) the space discretization of the equations. The unknown variables are the pressure, the fluid velocity, and the rock displacements. We recognize that these variables are of very different nature, and need to be discretized differently. We propose a mixed finite element space discretization, which is stable, convergent, locally mass conservative, and employs a single computational grid. To ensure stability and robustness, we perform an implicit time integration of the fluid flow equations. (2) The strategies for the solution of the coupled system. We compare different solution strategies, including the fully coupled approach, the usual (conditionally stable) iteratively coupled approach, and a less common unconditionally stable sequential scheme. We show that the latter scheme corresponds to a modified block Jacobi method, which also enjoys improved convergence properties. This computational model has been implemented in an object-oriented reservoir simulator, whose modular design allows for further extensions and enhancements. We show several representative numerical simulations that illustrate the effectiveness of the approach.