CIVIC CAPACITY AND SCHOOL/COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS IN A FRAGMENTED SUBURBAN SETTING: THE CASE OF 24:1

ABSTRACT: This paper uses the “civic capacity” framework to analyze an emerging school–community reform initiative, called 24:1, focused on an inner‐ring suburban school district. Contrary to the existing literature on civic capacity, we argue that institutions strongly influence civic capacity building. A fragmented public sector and weak institutions of civil society, especially when combined with racial divisions and poverty, restrict the ability of local actors to collaborate among themselves and partner with outside institutions. Despite these daunting challenges, 24:1, led by a local nonprofit with a long history in the area and a school district with dynamic new leadership, has mobilized a diverse coalition of stakeholders and built consensus around a comprehensive plan for revitalization. But stronger indigenous institutions, as well as greater support from the business community, will be needed to sustain the initiative.     

SYSTEMS EDUCATION AT THE FIELDING INSTITUTE

This is an exposition of the post-graduate program evolving at the Fielding Institute to train professionals in social praxis—ting system theory and methods into programs that effect social change. We illustrate herein how the practice of intervention in social systems calls upon systems praxis, and we argue that the practitioners must have, in addition to a background in the social sciences, a pragmatic access to theories of personal, social and institutional change. The foundation of an education for systems praxis requires intermingling theoretical ideas with skills that can affect the social system. We propose three essential elements for the education of system practitioners: (1) the process of decision-making. (2) processes of inquiry suitable to living systems at personal and at societal levels, and (3) system thinking. Finally, we describe how the whole process requires self-reflection and personal maturity to maintain authentic human engagement     

THE DETERMINATION OF THE TENDERNESS ATTRIBUTE OF HOT BONING AND DELAY CHILLING OF MATURE COW CARCASSES

Recent research has suggested the potential for upgrading some muscles from the mature cow carcass to be used as steak and roasts. With the application of modern processing techniques, beef from mature cow carcasses shows a potential to be utilized as salable retail roast and steak. The advantages of such processing techniques could minimize labor and energy usage. This study was undertaken to compare tenderness of mature cow steak and roast which were “hot” or “cold” boned. Six mature cow carcasses were utilized in this study. One side of each carcass was randomly assigned to be delay chilled at 16°C for 4 h before fabrication into muscle and muscle systems. The remaining side was assigned the conventional treatment with muscle excision after a 48 h chilling period at 1°C. Meat tenderness was objectively evaluated by the use of the Warner-Bratzler Shear. Subjective evaluation of meat tenderness was by a trained taste panel. Muscles utilized in this investigation were the longissimus (LD), psoas major (PM), and quadriceps femoris (QF). Shear force values were generally small with less than .98 kg of shear force between treatments. Taste panelists were unable to distinguish between treatment, supporting the findings indicated by the mechanical measure.     

Minimal C-testable tests for block-CLA adders

This paper examines the testing of Carry Look-Ahead (CLA) adders and blockCLA adders with inter-block carry-ripple. By analysing the testing and fault-effect propagation of each stage of the adder, the paper derives minimal test sets for simple CLAs. The generality of these allows them to be assembled to produce minimal ‘C-testable’ test sets for block-CLA adders. The special cases of unequal block sizes and of no carry-in are also covered. The paper also examines the differing test requirements of the two different forms of CLA adders, the exclusive-OR form and the inclusive-OR form.     

The Role of Acquisitions in Reshaping Business Capabilities in the International Telecommunications Industry

This paper focuses on the relationships between observed processesof post-acquisition activities within four cross-border horizontalacquisitions that occurred in the telecommunications equipmentmanufacturing sector between 1988 and 1992. We discuss the desirabilityof such acquisitions from a corporate and social welfare standpoint.We report a detailed survey of the context, post-acquisitionactivities and outcomes of the four acquisitions. The acquisitioncontext includes industry characteristics, target characteristics,target strengths and acquisition motives. Post-acquisition activitiesinclude several dimensions of business restructuring, resourceredeployment and creation of integration mechanisms. Acquisitionoutcomes include impact on business capabilities, financialperformance and judgments of overall success. We conclude thatthe results provide stronger support for strategic reconfigurationand productive efficiency explanations for horizontal acquisitionsthan they do for market power, target mismanagement or resourceappropriation explanations.     

Femtosecond laser cutting of human corneas for the subbasal nerve plexus evaluation

Assessment of various morphological parameters of the corneal subbasal nerve plexus is a valuable method of documenting the structural and presumably functional integrity of the corneal innervation in health and disease. The aim of this work is to establish a rapid, reliable and reproducible method for visualization of the human corneal SBP using femtosecond laser cut corneal tissue sections. Trephined healthy corneal buttons were fixed and processed using TissueSurgeon—a femtosecond laser based microtome, to obtain thick tissue sections of the corneal epithelium and anterior stroma cut parallel to the ocular surface within approximately 15 min. A near infrared femtosecond laser was focused on to the cornea approximately 70–90 μm from the anterior surface to induce material separation using TissueSurgeon. The obtained corneal sections were stained following standard immunohistochemical procedures with anti‐neuronal β‐III tubulin antibody for visualization of the corneal nerves. Sections that contained the epithelium and approximately 20–30 μm of anterior stroma yielded excellent visualisation of the SBP with minimal optical interference from underlying stromal nerves. In conclusion, the results of this study have demonstrated that femtosecond laser cutting of the human cornea offers greater speed, ease and reliability than standard tissue preparation methods for obtaining high quality thick sections of the anterior cornea cut parallel to the ocular surface.     

THE INFLUENCE OF HOT-BONING AND DELAY CHILLING ON TENDERNESS OF MATURE COW CARCASSES HUNG BY THE OBTURATOR FORAMEN

Carcasses of six mature cows (4 years plus) were investigated to evaluate the effect of hot boning with delay chilling on various muscles. Both sides of the carcasses were suspended by the obturator foramen before the muscle systems were fabricated. One side of each carcass was assigned at random to be delay chilled with hot-boning (experimental treatment). This experimental side was held for 4 hours postmortem at 16°C before various muscle systems were excised and stored at 1 °C for an additional 44 h. The conventionally processed side was held at 1 °C for 48 h before fabrication into muscle systems. Meat tenderness was objectively estimated by the use of the Warner-Bratzler Shear (WB). Subjective evaluation of meat tenderness was by a trained panel. The muscles studied were the longissimus (LD), quadriceps femoris (QF), and psoas major (PM). Shear force values were statistically different (P < 0.01) for the LD and QF and (P < 0.001) for the PM muscles. The taste panel detected variations in tenderness between the two treatments and found steaks from conventional chill muscles to be significantly (P < 0.001) preferred over the delay chilled steaks. Preference and hedonic scale scores all supported findings indicated by WB that delay chill processing for 4 h postmortem with hot-boning did not provide beef of greater tenderness than conventional chill when both sides were suspended through the obturator foramen.     

CLOSING AND OPENING SCHOOLS: THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTERISTICS AND THE LOCATION OF NEW EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES IN A LARGE URBAN DISTRICT

ABSTRACT: New charter schools can potentially provide disenfranchised students with enhanced academic opportunities while simultaneously serving as neighborhood anchors that reinforce neighborhood socioeconomic growth. However, for both of these arguments to be true, charter schools would have to replace low‐performing public schools in currently disadvantaged, but revitalizing, neighborhoods. Using data from the Chicago Public Schools, the Common Core, and the Census, we examine the neighborhood and school‐level factors that account for where elementary schools closed and opened in Chicago during the late 1990s and 2000s. We find that schools in disadvantaged neighborhoods were more likely to close, but only because these were also underperforming and under‐enrolled schools. After controlling for educational demand, new schools were more likely to open in neighborhoods that showed signs of socioeconomic revitalization and declining proportions of white residents.     

Fatigue crack growth of filled rubber under constant and variable amplitude loading conditions

Service conditions experienced by rubber components often involve cyclic loads which are more complex than a constant amplitude loading history. Consequently, a model is needed for relating the results of constant amplitude characterization of fatigue behaviour to the effects of variable amplitude loading signals. The issue is explored here via fatigue crack growth experiments on pure shear specimens conducted in order to evaluate the applicability of a linear crack growth model equivalent to Miner's linear damage rule. This model equates the crack growth rate for a variable amplitude signal to the sum of the constant amplitude crack growth rates associated with each individual cycle. The variable amplitude signals were selected to show the effects of R-ratio (ratio of minimum to maximum energy release rate), load level, load sequence, and dwell periods on crack growth rates. In order to distinguish the effects of strain crystallization on crack growth behaviour, two filled rubber compounds were included: one that strain crystallizes, natural rubber, and one that does not, styrene-butadiene rubber. The linear crack growth model was found to be applicable in most cases, but a dwell effect was observed that is not accounted for by the model.