Dioscorea Research Articles

Research Informed Design Supports Evidence-Based ICU Medicine

The most recent version of the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) Design Guidelines (Thompson et al., 2012) offers multiple citations from the literature as justification for its performance recommendations. The SCCM leadership insisted that new guidelines for design and construction of ICUs should be evidence-based, insofar as possible. There is a growing recogni- tion that the environment plays a role in clinical outcomes, and a recognition that design of the environment is subject to a research-informed methodology. Not long ago I co-authored a book with Mardelle Shepley, Design for Critical Care: Evidence-Based Approach (2010), grounded in these same principles. The book makes use of numerous citations from multiple domains in the litera- ture to support its explanations and recommendations. More than 6 years ago I wrote an editorial for the European ICU Management journal, in which I con- tended that evidence-based design was emerging as a positive contribution to the performance of critical care, and a contributor to improved outcomes (Hamil- ton, 2006). I remain convinced.The practice of medicine based on relevant evidence is increasing, along with a systematic attack on error (Sackett et al., 1996). Peter Pronovost, MD, of Johns Hopkins, lost his father to a medical error while he was in medical school, and as a doctor went on to experience the disturbing and preventable loss of a child in his ICU. Josie King unnecessarily died of dehydration in one of the world's premier academic hospitals. Pronovost openly shares these horrific exper- iences that have made him a tireless and widely recognized crusader for evidence- based improvements in critical care (Miller, 2002). It is difficult to imagine that evidence-based medicine, or making medical decisions on the basis of the best available credible research findings, would not lead to improved outcomes. This concept has been spreading since the early 1990s.Evidence-based medicine is the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of cur- rent best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients (Sackett et al., 1996, p. 71). As a board-certified healthcare architect, specialized in the design of medical environments including critical care, I have suggested that evidence-based design is an obvious analog to evidence-based medicine. Borrowing shamelessly from Sackett and his colleagues, and focusing on the analogous principles, I believe evidence-based design is the conscientious and judicious use of current best evidence, and its critical interpretation, to make sig- nificant design decisions for each unique project. These design decisions should be based on sound design hypotheses related to measurable outcomes. A decade ago I published a related description: An evidence-based designer, together with an informed client, makes decisions based on the best available information from research and project evaluations (Hamilton, 2003, p. 20). Critical deci- sions within health facility designs, based on the relevant and credible findings of research, are developed in an attempt to create environments that improve care by enhancing patient safety and by being actively therapeutic, supportive of family involvement, efficient for staff performance, and restorative for work- ers under stress. There is a clear compatibility of common themes between the design of healthcare environments based on research and the commitment to evidence-based medicine or evidence-based nursing practice in these physical settings.There is a growing body of credible research relating the environment to clini- cal outcomes. Roger Ulrich, PhD, a behavioral scientist formerly of Texas AM Craig Zimring, PhD, an environmental psychologist at the Georgia Technical Institute; and their stu- dents jointly produced a meta-analysis of the credible research (Ulrich et al., 2004), funded by The Center for Health Design and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. …

Conceptual instrumentation of washing machine for conformity to the Islamic laws of Syarak

The concept of today’s washing machine that uses control technology to clean clothing is based on clothing weight factor proportionately to the amount of water used irrespective of the nature of the contaminants. However according to Islamic law, clothing such as being contaminated with children’s urine for an example has to be cleaned using continuous flowing water especially during the initial stage of washing. With the concept of algorithm system and integrated into the washing machine, the continuous running water will be subjected during the initial wash and spin option. The light sensors used on both inlet and outlet valve will ensure the contaminated solids or liquids will be accordingly removed. Application of solenoid valve is used to control the water tank level during washing and drying period. Similar concept has been developed at Farm Unit, Department of Agriculture Science, UniSZA for removing the toxin from food tuber of Dioscorea hispida before it can consume securely. The analysis shows that using flowing new water will remove toxicity which was represent of excrement in clothing. This paper elaborates the concept of automatic washing machine operation which complies with Islamic law of syarak.

Distribution of interstitial cells of Cajal in Meriones unguiculatus and alterations in the development of incomplete intestinal obstruction.

The interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) act as pacemaker cells that are involved in gastrointestinal (GI) motility disorders, although the pathogenesis of these disorders is still unclear. The GI tract of Mongolian gerbils shares similar anatomical features with that of humans, but no investigation of ICCs has been reported in the GI tracts of this animal. In the present study, we first observed the distribution and morphological features of ICCs in the Mongolian gerbil GI tract. The ICCs were mainly distributed within the smooth muscle layers (ICC-IM), the myenteric plexus (ICC-MY), the deep muscular plexus in the small intestine (ICC-DMP) and the submucosal surface of the circular muscle layer in the colon (ICC-SM). The density of the ICC-IM gradually decreased from the stomach to the colon, whereas the density of the ICC-MY gradually increased. Second, we compared differences in the ICCs between the control and obstructed intestines, and no significant difference was observed in the number of ICCs after 7 days of obstruction. However, the numbers were reduced by approximately day 14 of obstruction. The pattern of immunoreactivity also partly differed from that of the control group, i.e., a scattered and interrupted network of ICCs was often observed. Western blotting revealed that p-Kit and SCF were significantly reduced in the dilated intestines by day 14. Our results indicate that the Mongolian gerbil may be a good animal model for studying changes in ICCs that may contribute to the pathogenesis of GI motility disorders.

THE DIET OF VARANUS GRISEUS IN THE SOUTHERN COASTAL PLAIN OF ISRAEL (REPTILIA: SAURIA)

ABSTRACT Fecal pellets were collected and analyzed microscopically during a two-year study of the desert monitor (Varanus griseus) in a sand-dune area south of Holon. V. griseus was found to be a predator-scavenger carnivore type, eating almost any animal of appropriate size. Although 92.2% of the fecal pellets contained invertebrates (mainly arthropods), the higher frequency of occurrence of the smaller species among the invertebrates is probably due to secondary predation. The main prey items included rodents (mostly gerbils, Gerbillus sp., and jirds, Meriones sp.), bird eggs (presumably chukar partridge, Alectoris chukar eggs), birds (mainly partridge chicks), skinks (Chalcides sp.), fringe-toed lizards (Acanthodactylus sp.), chameleons (Chamaeleo chamaeleon), elegant geckos (Stenodactylus sthenodactylus), tortoises (Testudo graeca) and snakes (including the venomous Vipera xanthina palaestinae). Less frequent were: hedgehogs (Hemiechinus auritus), leverets (Lepus europaeus), Sanis pygmy shrew (Suncus ...

Influence of oral glucosamine supplementation in young horses: Intra-articular lipopolysaccharide challenge

Influence of oral glucosamine supplementation in young horses: Intra-articular lipopolysaccharide challenge

Effect of early exposure to maternal docosahexaenoic acid on memory and cognition in weaned foals

Effect of early exposure to maternal docosahexaenoic acid on memory and cognition in weaned foals

IDENTIFICATION OF A BADNAVIRUS INFECTING MULBERRY

SUMMARY Electron microscope observation of leaf dips from a mulberry (Morus alba) tree from Lebanon showing leaf mottling and vein yellowing disclosed the presence of bacilliform particles ca. 150x30 nm in size, resembling those of members of the genus Badnavirus. BLAST analysis of the sequence of a DOP-PCR clone (810 bp) generated from DNA extracts from partially purified particle preparation disclosed a 67% (nucleotide) and 63% (amino acid) identity with the reverse transcriptase/RNase H gene (ORF3) of the badnavirus Cacao swollen shoot virus (CSSV). In a phylogenetic tree constructed with the amino acid sequence obtained, the putative mulberry badnavirus clustered close to CSSV and Citrus mosaic virus (CiMV) in a branch comprising also Fig badnavirus 1 (FBV-1) and Dioscorea bacilliform virus (DBALV). PCR analyses showed that the virus occurs with high infection rates in Lebanon (7 out of 13 trees examined), Turkey (2 out of 3) and Italy (29 out of 39). However, except for one, all PCR-positive trees were symptomless. Thus, since there is no clear-cut association of the virus in question with a specific disease, we propose for it the provisional name of Mulberry badnavirus 1 (MBV-1).

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Attenuates Ischemia Reperfusion Injury after Orthotopic Lung Transplantation in a Mouse Model

Purpose Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells, have been shown to possess immunomodulatory and antiinflammatory properties. We hypothesized that MSCs may attenuate ischemia reperfusion injury after lung transplantation in mice. Methods and Materials C57BL/6 lungs were stored for 18 hours in low-potassium dextran glucose solution at 4°C prior to transplantation. The left lung grafts were orthotopically transplanted into C57BL/6 mice. A frozen vial of human MSCs (isolated from healthy male, courtesy of Dr. Darwin Prockop, Texas AM 1.095 vs 1.965 mg/ml, p=0.037, cell count; 0.61x10^5 vs 1.09x10^5 cells, p=0.011). IL-1β, IL17A and TNFα levels in BALF showed a trend toward a decrease in MSCs administered mice compared with PBS administered mice (IL-1β; 26.6 vs 38.7 pg/ml, p=0.13, IL17A; 284 vs 655 pg/ml, p=0.097, TNFα; 234 vs 500 pg/ml, p=0.073). Human MSCs were found in the lung graft 6 hours after lung transplantation by immunohistochemistry against human HLA class I. Conclusions MSCs attenuated ischemia reperfusion injury, which was accompanied by a trend toward decreased levels of proinflammatory cytokines in the graft after lung transplantation in a mouse model.

Identification of Yams - A Comparative Study of the Tubers of Four Species of Dioscorea L. (Dioscoreaceae) by Microscopy and HPTLC

Identification of Yams - A Comparative Study of the Tubers of Four Species of Dioscorea L. (Dioscoreaceae) by Microscopy and HPTLC

Quantitative Determination of Steroidal Saponins from Dioscorea Species and Dietary Supplements using UHPLC-PDA-ELSD

Quantitative Determination of Steroidal Saponins from Dioscorea Species and Dietary Supplements using UHPLC-PDA-ELSD

Starch analysis reveals prehistoric plant translocations and shell tool use, Marquesas Islands, Polynesia

Starch analysis is proving particularly useful in tropical regions like the central Pacific where crop inventories are often dominated by starchy fruits and tubers and recovery of macrobotanical remains is rare. Analysis of 23 shell tools from the Marquesas Islands provides direct evidence for translocation of five traditional crop plants. Four taxa derive from the western Pacific, including Artocarpus altilis (breadfruit), Piper methysticum (kava), Colocasia esculenta (taro), and one or more species of Dioscorea (yam). The fifth taxon, the South American Ipomoea batatas (sweet potato), dates from the 14th century AD onward and constitutes the earliest record of this cultigen in the archipelago. The occurrence of sweet potato starch suggests that this crop plant may have been more important than usually is assumed, while the limited recovery of breadfruit starch, the main Marquesan food plant at western contact, requires further investigation. The starch residues also inform on tool use, demonstrating that shell tools ethnographically associated with specific crops (e.g., “breadfruit peelers”) had more generalised functions. This study is a further demonstration of the potential of starch analysis to provide important information on the history of crop introductions, on-site activities, and artefact use.

Screening and management of cardiovascular risk factors in children†

Editor–in–Chief, The Journal of Clinical Lipidology, Charles Howard Candler Professor of Internal Medicine Emeritus, Emory University School of Medicine, 1670 Clairmont Road, Atlanta, GA 30033 USA (Dr. Brown); Department of Internal Medicine, Texas AM and Pediatric Cardiology, Nemours Cardiac Center, Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE 19899 USA (Dr. Gidding)

Influence of different particle processing on hypocholesterolemic and antiatherogenic activities of yam (Dioscorea pseudojaponica) in cholesterol‐fed rabbit model

Nanoparticle processing is implicated in enhancing bioactive or nutritional compound release from raw foods. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether different particle processing might affect the lipid-lowering activity of Dioscorea pseudojaponica (DP) and to investigate whether DP could be a potential functional food for prevention of atherogenesis. Its possible molecular mechanisms were also evaluated. The results indicated that 50 mesh-size DP (50 mesh DP) particles exhibited stronger effects than nanoscale DP (nano DP) particles in terms of lowering the level of serum cholesterol as well as reducing the extent of fatty liver and aortic fatty streak. Moreover, both DP particle types, particularly 50 mesh DP, significantly activated AMPK (5'-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase) and deactivated ACC (acetyl-CoA carboxylase), as demonstrated by the increased levels of both enzymes in their phosphorylated form. Coincidently, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis showed a higher content (P < 0.01) of dioscin, a known lipid-lowering compound, in 50 mesh DP than in nano DP. These results suggest that improper processing conditions will lead to the decomposition of bioactive components in yam. They also demonstrate for the first time that the lipid-lowering mechanisms of DP may occur through the AMPK-ACC pathway.

Effects ofDioscorea Polygonoides(Jamaican Bitter Yam) Supplementation in Normocholesterolemic and Genetically Modified Hypercholesterolemic Mice Species

The Jamaican bitter yam (Dioscorea polygonoides) contains various bioactive components that may increase oxidative stress in various tissues at relatively high concentrations. The present study therefore investigated the effects of bitter yam supplementation (5%) on the integrity of the liver and kidneys. Two mice strains (inbred C57BL/6 and transgenic C57BL/6-Tg(APOA1)1Rub/J) were used in the study. Each strain was divided into two groups. One group was fed a basal diet without supplementation, and the second group was fed a basal diet supplemented with the Jamaican bitter yam. The results revealed that the transgenic mice fed diets with and without bitter yam supplementation experienced significant increases in weight, when compared with inbred mice fed similar diets. Hepatoprotective effects were observed in transgenic mice known to possess high serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Oxidative stress was induced in mice fed diets supplemented with bitter yam at a concentration of 5%. Practical Application The Jamaican bitter yam possesses potent anti-diabetic and hypocholesterolemic properties due to its high levels of sapogenin. Currently, the tuber is consumed in rural areas mostly during times of drought. No toxicology data, however, exist for consumption of this yam species. This study provides information on the possible toxicity from overconsumption and paves the way for future studies to establish an effective consumption dosage. With its potent cholesterol-lowering capabilities, the Jamaican bitter yam can be exploited in the nutraceutical industry and for the development of other value-added products for everyday consumption such as baked goods and granola bars, giving them a hypocholesterolemic twist.

Studi Etnobotani Dioscorea spp. (Dioscoreaceae) dan Kearifan Budaya Lokal Masyarakat di Sekitar Hutan Wonosadi Gunung Kidul Yogyakarta

Dioscorea spp. were cultivated as alternative food in the garden and yard on dry season, and it’s planted by peoples in the villages. The objectives of the research are to identify the species, the tuber use, and the local wisdom to support the conservation of Dioscorea around Wonosadi forest. Samples and data collection was conducted in 15 villages around Wonosadi forest. Interview survey was done on peoples who are cultivate yam species (Dioscorea spp.) in their garden. Research were emphasized to tuber characteristic, traditional uses, and local wisdom to supporting yam conservation. Data was analyzed descriptively to illustrate the kind of local usage and local wisdom of connect with Dioscorea spp. The results showed that there were found species of gembili (D. esculenta (Lour.) Burk.), uwi (D. alata L.), and gadung (D. hispida dennst.) as cultivated plants, and tomboreso (D. pentaphylla L.), gembolo (D. bulbifera L.), and jebubuk (D. numularia Lamk.) as wild species in the forest. Tuber is raw material for many kind of food based on carbohydrate content. Gadung were used as fickle food with high diversification and insecticide for rice and corn. Peoples more consume gembili and uwi than gembolo and others species as rice substitute at dry season. The local wisdom were indicated that peoples still consume gembili and uwi as rice substitute, while tuber also used as sesaji in traditional concept jajan pasar or tukon pasar, and tuber of uwi was used as diet for diabetes complaint, and row material of uwi ungu tuber was used effectively for diarrhea complaint in the villages.

Charting a Course through CORAL: Texas A&M University Libraries' Experience Implementing an Open-Source Electronic Resources Management System

In 2010, after two previous unsuccessful attempts at electronic resources management system (ERMS) implementation, Texas A&M University (TAMU) Libraries set out once again to find an ERMS that would fit its needs. After surveying the field, TAMU Libraries selected the University of Notre Dame Hesburgh Libraries–developed, open-source ERMS, CORAL (Centralized Online Resources Acquisitions and Licensing). This article documents the selection, planning, and implementation of CORAL at the Texas A&M University Libraries as well as future plans for the system.

Elinor Ostrom: “A Magnificent and Irreplaceable Treasure”

[Author Affiliation]Rick K Wilson, * Herbert S. Autrey Professor of Political Science, Department of Political Science, MS 24, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA; E-mail: rkw@rice.edu .Catherine C Eckel, [dagger] Sara & John Lindsey Professor, Department of Economics, Texas AM E-mail: ceckel@econmail.tamu.edu .[Acknowledgment]Thanks to Haley Harwell (Texas AM instead, she drew upon the many ways in which locally organized individuals solved social dilemmas to argue for a decentralized, individualized approach. For her many coauthors, she was an indefatigable force. For her many students, she was an inspiration and an endless source of information and ideas. For those who met her, Lin was infectiously exuberant, down-to-earth, and capable of finding something important to discuss with anyone she encountered. At a reception in her honor at the Southern Economic Association Meetings in 2010, she was standing in a corner by herself for a few moments until the graduate students discovered her. Suddenly, she was surrounded by students asking myriad of questions to which she was happy to reply, and, as always, she pressed the students about their own research.Lin believed in the power of institutions and built a long-lasting example of her own. In 1973, Lin and Vincent founded the Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis (affectionately known by participants as Camp Wopotopa). The Workshop brought scholars from a variety of disciplines together to work jointly on projects. Its primary goal was to bridge the world of ideas with the world of practical policy advice. The Workshop provided an intellectual center around which undergraduate and graduate students could learn the research process, faculty could elaborate new ideas, and visitors could come to share in the intellectual enterprise. Over the years, it became a large extended, intellectual family that had the breadth exhibited by Lin's work. The Workshop was central to Lin's work, and we return to it later.Lin's BackgroundLin grew up in Los Angeles, California, and received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from UCLA in political science. From the beginning, Lin was interested in studying economics, but she was strongly discouraged from doing so. Undergraduate advisors told her that women did not have the appropriate aptitude for math and rigor demanded by economics. Instead, she was encouraged to go into political science where the demands were not as high. …

Insects as Educational Tools: An Online Course Teaching the Use of Insects as Instructional Tools

Publication of the 1996 National Science Education Standards (NSES) initiated a push to transform science education by engaging K-12 students in active learning through inquiry-based teaching (National Research Council, 1996). Students need opportunities to construct knowledge by asking questions, developing hypotheses, collecting and analyzing data, and interpreting and communicating results. Inquiry teaching has been shown to improve students’ attitudes toward science, enhance their performance, and promote scientific literacy (Haury, 1993; Lindberg, 1990: Mattheis and Nakayama, 1988; Rakow, 1986). Providing both preand in-service teachers with courses and professional development programs that promote inquiry teaching are vital to teacher education (National Research Council, 2000). Although many teachers have encountered inquiry instruction, either through pre-professional education or during professional development, some still need in-service experiences, particularly K-6 teachers. The majority of elementary teachers have taken few science content courses. In a national survey, Fulp (2002) found that 42% of elementary teachers had completed four or fewer semesters of science coursework, and fewer than 30% of all elementary teachers in the survey felt well prepared to teach science. In a survey of 57 Nebraska elementary teachers participating in a statewide elementary science institute, 61% indicated they had taken three or fewer hours of science courses as undergraduates. Only 4% of teachers indicated taking six or more hours of science courses as undergraduates. Therefore, most elementary teachers feel inadequate and anxious about teaching science (Pedersen and McCurdy, 1992; Cox and Carpenter, 1991 Sutton et al., 2009). Many programs exist to improve inquiry instruction using insects as model organisms and pairing entomology content with science inquiry techniques; these include workshops, professional development, and curricula development. However, few college-level courses offer this pairing. A review of the literature and Web-based resources identified five courses integrating entomology content with inquiry teaching strategies for preand in-service teachers (Haefner, Freidrichsen, and Saul 2006; Leigh 2000; Texas AM University of Arizona (a), April 6, 2012; University of Arizona (b), April 6, 2012). Only two were offered as graduate-level courses (Leigh 2000; University of Arizona (b), 2012). None were offered online. Since 2003, the University of Nebraska at Lincoln (UNL) has offered Insects as Educational Tools (ENTO 810) as an online course through UNL’s Master of Science in Entomology program. Many K-12 educators enroll in this course, which appeals to them because it explores the use of insects as model organisms for teaching science and addressing national science standards. ENTO 810 is included in the Insect Biology for Educators Certificate program offered by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (http://tinyurl.com/ phb99r6). It is also open to informal educators, and to graduate students enrolled in the online M.S. program in Entomology. These students learn about benefits of teaching with insects in informal settings (e.g., outreach events) or professionally (e.g., training). ENTO 810 is team-taught, uniquely combining the expertise of an entomologist and a teacher educator. Together, they expand the range of topics to include comprehensive coverage of entomology content, science processes, pedagogical strategies, and curriculum development. During the course, students construct links between entomology content and Education connectioN

Competitive Balance in College Football: Additional Analysis on the Effects of Changes in Conference

Numerous studies (Perline & Stoldt, 2007; Perline, Stoldt & Vermillion, 2012: Rhoads, 2004) have indicated that changes in college athletic conference membership at the NCAA Division I FBS level result in greater levels of competitive balance in football. The purpose of this study is to determine if member churning in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and the Big East between the years of 1999 and 2011 led to a greater degree of competitive analysis. Three methods of assessing competitive balance were employed. Two—the standard deviation of winning percentages and the Hirfindahl-Hirschman Index—are commonly used in competitive balance studies. The authors included range of winning percentages as an additional method. Results indicate that competitive balance in football improved in both conferences after changes in membership. This aligns the findings of this study with previous research and supports the contention that football is the primary consideration when conferences make changes in their membership (Fort & Quirk, 1999). 1 Stoldt et al.: Competitive Balance Published by Digital Commons @ Kent State University Libraries, 2013 Stoldt, Perline & Vermillion 131 Over the next four years, 32 institutions will change conference affiliation for football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (NCAA D-1 FBS) level (“NCAA Division I...,” 2012). The last 10 years saw 30 NCAA D-I FBS schools change conference affiliation for football (NBC Sports, n.d.). The reasons for these changes in conference membership, often referred to as member churning, are myriad, ranging from political squabbles (see, for example, the case of Texas AM Wieberg & Berkowitz, 2011) to opportunities to achieve automatic qualifier status for the now soon-to-be extinct Bowl Championship Series (see, for example, the case of Boise State as described in NewsCore, 2012). Economic considerations are often a major factor in realignment decisions (Depken II, n.d.; Mitchell, 2011; Thamel, 2011; Wieberg & Berkowitz, 2011). Further, football has been identified as the key sport in realignment decisions (Fort & Quick, 1999; Thamel, 2011; Wieberg & Berkowitz, 2011). Certainly, competitive balance is a relevant consideration in discussions about the effects of member churning. It is related to revenue maximization because of its relationship to consumer demand (Depken & Wilson, n.d; Dittmore & Crow, 2010; Humphreys, 2002; Rein, Kotler & Shields 2006; Rhoads, 2004). The uncertainty of outcome hypothesis states that fan interest (e.g., ticket sales, television viewership) is higher for games between more equally matched opponents than for games featuring mismatches. There are also ethical dimensions to competitive balance in college sports, as providing a level playing field for member institutions is one of the goals of athletic conferences (Rhoads, 2004; Staurowsky & Abney, 2011). Several studies have been conducted over the last decade examining the effects of member churning on competitive balance in conferences at the NCAA D-I FBS level. Conferences studied have included the Big XII (Perline & Stoldt, 2007), Conference USA (Perline, Stoldt & Vermillion, 2012), Mountain West (Rhoads, 2004) and Western Athletic Conference (Rhoads, 2004). In each case, analysis of competitive balance in the sport of football has indicated an improvement in competitive balance after the most recent round 2 The Journal of SPORT, Vol. 2 [2013], Iss. 2, Art. 3 http://digitalcommons.kent.edu/sport/vol2/iss2/3 Competitive Balance 132 of churning (Perline & Stoldt, 2007; Perline et al, 2012; Rhoads, 2004). Given past studies, it seems appropriate to further investigate whether increased churning leads to the same results. The purpose of this study, then, is to analyze how member churning affects competitive balance in college football for conferences at the NCAA D-I FBS level. To investigate this, we compare competitive balance in two conferences, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and the Big East, before and after membership changes that occurred following the 2003 and 2004 seasons. After those seasons, the ACC grew from 9 to 12 teams, and the Big East welcomed six new members after the departure of four others. Such analysis is important as scholars and practitioners continue to ascertain the impact of member churning and related considerations in the sport that drives the process of realignment.

Book History in the Early Modern OCR Project, or, Bringing Balance to the Force

The Early Modern OCR Project (eMOP), funded by a development grant from the Andrew Mellon Foundation to Texas AM instead, they find their power source in that bibliograph- ical data. In the case of eMOP, as this essay will discuss, the relationship between the digital and the bibliographic is dialogic and reciprocal: while the project's goals, angles of approach, and ethos of interdisciplinarity are all char- acteristic of DH, it is only through an acknowledged utilization of book his- tory scholarship and methods that the project's ends will be accomplished. Book history-our corner of eMOP-represents two foundational nodes of the project. In the first place, we are identifying specific, minutely variant typefaces in order to distinguish as best we can between the myriad versions of the standard Roman typeface in early modern books.1 Secondly, we are study- ing type founders and foundries to trace the flow of fonts into and through London. Through this research we hope to realize the goal of eMOP: the auto- mation of a process by which trained optical character recognition (OCR) en- gines might more accurately the images of early modern book pages in, for example, Early English Books Online (EEBO) and Eighteenth Century Collec- tions Online (ECCO). Ultimately our work will be formalized in a database that serves as the hub of this automated OCR process: the printer and typo- graphical data will act as a traffic cop of sorts, directing the properly trained OCR engine to read the appropriate page images. In fact, a central tenet of the Early Modern OCR Project is that training OCR engines to recognize the let- terforms in specific font sets will improve the accuracy of the OCR output- the resultant text files-when these engines are called upon to scan page im- ages printed in that typeface.While this is only a cursory sketch of eMOP, it suggests that book history is central to solving the digital problem of using OCR software on early mod- ern books. Before printing became more regularized by technological ad- vances in the nineteenth century, and before English typography approached something of a standard, national identity in the early eighteenth century, the typefaces and their settings on the printed page were highly variable. For this reason one might think that the most advanced OCR engines of our day might be rather effective, as they pull from their expansive font libraries to recognize different characters. However, part of the complication is that a large number of characters found in early English printing-including the ubiquitous long s, scribal abbreviations borrowed from the Latin, and even characters derived from Anglo-Saxon, such as the thorn-are unfamiliar to non-expert readers and not present in OCR libraries. Another challenge lies in the range of type- faces used by printers, which were for most stretches of English printing im- ported from various other countries and so display characteristics adopted from these national traditions. It is still another kind of noise, however, that makes them ineffective: because the engines cannot distinguish line divi- sions-cannot focus their field of vision, in other words-they are not able to discriminate between letterforms and the various other blots that cloud page images. On more modern, higher quality images, of course, the OCR is more accurate, but those that have been preserved in mass-digitization projects- and which therefore will be central to eMOP's automated process-were lim- ited by the technologies of their historical moments. …