Music in electronic markets: an empirical study

Music plays an important, and sometimes overlooked part in the transformation of communication and distribution channels. With a global market volume exceeding US$40 billion, music is not only one of the primary entertainment goods in its own right. Since music is easily personalized and transmitted, it also permeates many other services across cultural borders, anticipating social and economic trends. This article presents one of the first detailed empirical studies on the impact of internet technologies on a specific industry. Drawing on more than 100 interviews conducted between 1996 and 2000 with multinational and independent music companies in 10 markets, strategies of the major players, current business models, future scenarios and regulatory responses to the online distribution of music files are identified and evaluated. The data suggest that changes in the music industry will indeed be far-reaching, but disintermediation is not the likely outcome

DIY Media: Movement Perspectives on Critical Moments, produced by Mark Read. A DVD Series from Deep Dish TV (1988-2010)

This is part one of a two-part review of the DVD Series DIY Media: Movement Perspectives on Critical Moments, produced by Mark Read. This part of the review covers the following parts of the video series: Expression = Life – ACT UP, Video, and the AIDS Crisis; Many Yeses, One No – Confronting Corporate Globalization; and Resistencia Y Solidaridad – El Salvador, Colombia, and the U.S. Solidarity Movement. Both the technical quality of the series and its content are reviewed. The second part of this review, covering other parts of the series, was written by another reviewer and is not included here

Insight into the Carboxyl Transferase Domain Mechanism of Pyruvate Carboxylase from \u3cem\u3eRhizobium etli\u3c/em\u3e

The effects of mutations in the active site of the carboxyl transferase domain of Rhizobium etli pyruvate carboxylase have been determined for the forward reaction to form oxaloacetate, the reverse reaction to form MgATP, the oxamate-induced decarboxylation of oxaloacetate, the phosphorylation of MgADP by carbamoyl phosphate, and the bicarbonate-dependent ATPase reaction. Additional studies with these mutants examined the effect of pyruvate and oxamate on the reactions of the biotin carboxylase domain. From these mutagenic studies, putative roles for catalytically relevant active site residues were assigned and a more accurate description of the mechanism of the carboxyl transferase domain is presented. The T882A mutant showed no catalytic activity for reactions involving the carboxyl transferase domain but surprisingly showed 7- and 3.5-fold increases in activity, as compared to that of the wild-type enzyme, for the ADP phosphorylation and bicarbonate-dependent ATPase reactions, respectively. Furthermore, the partial inhibition of the T882A-catalyzed BC domain reactions by oxamate and pyruvate further supports the critical role of Thr882 in the proton transfer between biotin and pyruvate in the carboxyl transferase domain. The catalytic mechanism appears to involve the decarboxylation of carboxybiotin and removal of a proton from Thr882 by the resulting biotin enolate with either a concerted or subsequent transfer of a proton from pyruvate to Thr882. The resulting enolpyruvate then reacts with CO2 to form oxaloacetate and complete the reaction

Engineering

This chapter describes a standards-based framework of information literacy instruction (ILI) for undergraduate engineering students. It begins by identifying characteristics of information literacy that are most relevant to the engineering curriculum, framed by a review of the ACRL’s Information Literacy Standards for Science and Engineering/Technology. Recommendations for delivering ILI to undergraduate engineering students are given, drawing from a pilot program for integrating information literacy into the Mechanical Engineering Technology (MET) program at the University of Maine. Finally, assessment strategies for ILI curricula are provided, based on examples from the MET pilot. Throughout the chapter, core engineering information resources are identified, and a list of suggested resources is included

Making the transition to curriculum integration: a curriculum design in middle level schools

The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate middle level teachers\u27 transitional process as they move from an interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary curricular format to curriculum integration. This study was designed to identify key stakeholders in this transitional process and determine the role each played, and to identify and investigate the key steps and obstacles along the way. The primary participants in this study were identified as teachers in the process of transitioning to a curriculum integration model. They and two other teachers on their five-teacher team, five students, three parents and the school principal were interviewed. Teacher interviews were most extensive, delving into their philosophical beliefs about teaching and learning, as well as details of their practice. Students and parents shared their thoughts and feelings about student involvement in planning curriculum and the school\u27s principal elaborated on the role of leadership in curriculum change. Other qualitative data gathering techniques used in this study included on-site visits and analysis of curriculum-related documents, including curriculum unit guidelines, assessment tools and lists generated in student brainstorming sessions. A cross-case analysis was used to group answers to the same question looking for similar or different responses. Five themes emerged related to the philosophical beliefs and guiding principles of the two primary teachers in this study: a) commitment to trusting student/teacher relationships, student involvement in curriculum planning, and democratic process in the classroom are cornerstones to enacting curriculum integration, b) this curriculum requires teachers to think in an integrative manner, c) integrative thinking and child-centered teaching can be learned, d) to bring about significant curriculum change, leadership is necessary at multiple levels, and e) team configuration can facilitate or complicate curriculum integration. The findings of this study also reveal a number of benefits to curriculum integration, including: the motivational value that results from the ownership students feel when they are involved in curriculum planning, the constructive nature of learning which is enhanced by emphasizing connections across the curriculum, the need for students to become responsible and accountable for their own learning ,and the effectiveness of cooperative learning and peer teaching

Axial load transfer in large scale physical model drilled shaft foundations

Drilled shaft foundations are a widely implemented type of deep foundation used to support heavy loads from superstructures such as buildings and bridges. Uncertainties exist in the axial load transfer behavior of drilled shafts subject to loading and unloading cycles. A better understanding of the changes in soil reload stiffness can lead to a better understanding of the load deformation response. A study was undertaken using a 16-inch diameter by 28-inch tall physical model drilled shaft foundation. A total of nine static load tests were performed in a five-foot diameter by five-foot deep calibration chamber where soil conditions could be controlled. Soils tested were a loose clean sand, dense clean sand and compacted silty sand. A bladder system was used to apply vertical effective stress to the soil to simulate depths of embedment up to 70 feet below the ground surface. Based on test results, a relationship between the reload stiffness and displacement was developed. The relationship indicates that the reload soil stiffness is initially large before decreasing to a constant value as displacement increases depending on soil configuration. Results from three different soil configurations were normalized based on the constant behavior observed at large displacements. A relationship between the normalized reload stiffness versus displacement was created. This relationship can be used to predict the reload stiffness for model drilled shaft foundations in coarse grained soils.by Martin Leonard WallaceIncludes bibliographical reference