The Great Recession: A Meta-Analysis Informed by Conflict Theory

This study was directed at understanding the sociology of the economic conflict better known as the Great Recession as interpreted through the lens of theoretical perspectives consistent with conflict resolution and elucidated the role traditionally important social variables, such as gender, power and identity, played in pioneering the fertile breeding grounds from which the 2007-2009 global financial crisis would eventually emerge. In progressing through the meta-ethnographic approach to qualitative meta-analysis developed by Noblit and Hare (1988), qualitative analysis software was implemented to elicit the formal procurement of prospective thematic concepts grounded in the findings of nominated original studies so to facilitate the systematic conceptual development of key themes and subthemes that would most likely constitute something fresh to an already robust body of knowledge. Ultimately, through an interpretive thematic analysis informed by collaborative components analogous with conflict resolution theory like a theory of structural violence, the genealogy of power and impression management, the study will illustrate the high degree of interrelatedness between dimensions of economic conflict, significant social dynamics, and principles of conflict resolution. Rarely viewed from an empirical social or cultural rooted perspective that extends beyond the confined fundamentals afforded by traditional economics or finance, the findings of this study thus encourages an open interdisciplinary dialogue with positivistic oriented disciplines which frequently omit sociological considerations from their theoretical and analytic approaches to resolving today’s societal conflicts

Expression of the plasma prekallikrein gene: utilization of multiple transcription start sites and alternative promoter regions

The plasma prekallikrein gene is expressed in many different human tissues at distinctly different levels and therefore tissue-specific control of the gene transcription is likely. In this study we demonstrate that transcription of the plasma prekallikrein gene can be initiated at multiple sites, for which at least four different promoters are utilized. A comparison of the genomic and mRNA sequences of mouse plasma prekallikrein revealed that the sequence segment that was formerly regarded as the first exon of the mouse plasma prekallikrein gene consists of three exons, with the first exon localized 14.2 kbp upstream of the translation start. For the rat and human plasma prekallikrein genes, in silico analysis suggested an analogous exon-intron organization. Determination of the transcription start sites showed that in both mouse and human, the proximal and distal regions could be utilized for transcription initiation; however, the proximal region is preferred. A deletion mutation analysis of the proximal promoter region using a 1.7-kbp segment revealed a strong activating region immediately upstream of the known mRNA, followed by both a modest repressor and an enhancer region

Can femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy predict the potential of small molecules as perspective donors for organic photovoltaics?

The utility of a perspective donor or acceptor molecule for photoelectric applications is difficult to predict a priori. This hinders productive synthetic exploration and necessitates lengthy device optimization procedures for reasonable estimation of said molecule's applicability. Using femtosecond broadband transient absorption spectroscopy, supported by time-dependent density functional theory computations and steady-state-absorption and emission spectroscopies, we have characterized a family of perspective optoelectronic compounds, in an effort to predict their relative performance in organic photovoltaic devices from information accrued from excited-state dynamics and photophysical properties. A series of tetraphenylazadipyrromethene (ADP) complexes chelated with three different metal centers was investigated. We have determined that the chelating metal has little effect on the ground state properties of this family. However their excited state dynamics are strongly modulated by the metal. Specifically, the zinc-chelated ADP complex remains in the excited state tenfold longer than the cobalt or nickel complexes. We assert that this is key photophysical property that should make the zinc complex outperform the other two complexes in photovoltaic applications. This hypothesis is supported by preliminary power conversion efficiency results in devices

Smart Interfaces for Granular Synthesis of Sound by Fractal Organization

This article describes software for granular synthesis of sound. The software features a graphical interface that enables easy creation and modification of sound clouds by deterministic fractal organization. Output sound clouds exist in multidimensional parameter–time space, and are constructed as a micropolyphony of statements of a single input melody or group of notes. The approach described here is an effective alternative to statistical methods, creating sounds with vitality and interest over a range of time scales. Standard techniques are used for the creation of individual grains. Innovation is demonstrated in the particular approach to fractal organization of the sound cloud and in the design of a smart interface to effect easy control of cloud morphology. The interface provides for intuitive control and reorganization of large amounts of data

Cardiology providers’ recommendations for treatments and use of patient decision aids for multivessel coronary artery disease

Background: Rates of recommending percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) vary across clinicians. Whether clinicians agree on preferred treatment options for multivessel coronary artery disease patients has not been well studied. Methods and results: We distributed a survey to 104 clinicians from the Northern New England Cardiovascular Study Group through email and at a regional meeting with 88 (84.6%) responses. The survey described three clinical vignettes of multivessel coronary artery disease patients. For each patient vignette participants selected appropriate treatment options and whether they would use a patient decision aid. The likelihood of choosing PCI only or PCI/CABG over CABG only was modeled using a multinomial regression. Across all vignettes, participants selected CABG only as an appropriate treatment option 24.2% of the time, PCI only 25.4% of the time, and both CABG or PCI as appropriate treatment options 50.4% of the time. Surgeons were less likely to choose PCI over CABG (RR 0.14, 95% CI 0.03, 0.59) or both treatments over CABG only (RR 0.10, 95% CI 0.03, 0.34) relative to cardiologists. Overall, 65% of participants responded they would use a patient decision aid with each vignette. Conclusions: There is a lack of consensus on the appropriate treatment options across cardiologists and surgeons for patients with multivessel coronary artery disease. Treatment choice is influenced by both patient characteristics and clinician specialty

Analysis of binding sites on complement factor I using artificial N-linked glycosylation.

Factor I (FI) is a serine protease that inhibits all complement pathways by degrading activated complement components C3b and C4b. FI functions only in the presence of several cofactors such as factor H, C4b-binding protein, complement receptor 1 and membrane cofactor protein. FI is composed of two chains linked by a disulphide bridge; the light chain comprises only the serine protease (SP) domain, while the heavy chain contains FI membrane attack complex domain (FIMAC), CD5 domain, low-density lipoprotein receptor 1 (LDLr1) and LDLr2 domains. To better understand how FI inhibits complement, we used homology-based 3D models of FI domains in an attempt to identify potential protein-protein interaction sites. Specific amino acids were then mutated to yield 20 recombinant mutants of FI carrying additional surface exposed N-glycosylation sites that were expected to sterically hinder interactions. The Michaelis constant (Km) of all FI mutants toward a small substrate was not increased. We found that many mutations in the FIMAC and SP domains nearly abolished ability of FI to degrade C4b and C3b in the fluid phase and on the surface, irrespectively of the cofactor used. In the other hand only few alterations in the CD5 and LDLr1/2 domains impaired this activity. In conclusion, all analyzed cofactors form similar trimolecular complexes with FI and C3b/C4b, and the accessibility of FIMAC and SP domains is crucial for the function of FI

Estimation of interdomain flexibility of N-terminus of factor H using residual dipolar couplings

Characterization of segmental flexibility is needed to understand the biological mechanisms of the very large category of functionally diverse proteins, exemplified by the regulators of complement activation, that consist of numerous compact modules or domains linked by short, potentially flexible, sequences of amino acid residues. The use of NMR-derived residual dipolar couplings (RDCs), in magnetically aligned media, to evaluate interdomain motion is established but only for two-domain proteins. We focused on the three N-terminal domains (called CCPs or SCRs) of the important complement regulator, human factor H (i.e. FH1-3). These domains cooperate to facilitate cleavage of the key complement activation-specific protein fragment, C3b, forming iC3b that no longer participates in the complement cascade. We refined a three-dimensional solution structure of recombinant FH1-3 based on nuclear Overhauser effects and RDCs. We then employed a rudimentary series of RDC datasets, collected in media containing magnetically aligned bicelles (disk-like particles formed from phospholipids) under three different conditions, to estimate interdomain motions. This circumvents a requirement of previous approaches for technically difficult collection of five independent RDC datasets. More than 80% of conformers of this predominantly extended three-domain molecule exhibit flexions of < 40 °. Such segmental flexibility (together with the local dynamics of the hypervariable loop within domain 3), could facilitate recognition of C3b via initial anchoring and eventual reorganization of modules to the conformation captured in the previously solved crystal structure of a C3b:FH1-4 complex