Government Responsiveness and Targeted Spending in Bolivia: Evaluating Evo Morales\u27 Mandate to the Poor

This thesis explores factors that contribute to government responsiveness in Bolivia. It analyzes the question, under what conditions, if any, do political parties in developing democracies fulfill their mandates to the poor by increasing federal transfers? Evo Morales was elected with a sweeping mandate to change the historic exclusion of the poor and indigenous groups in Bolivia and increase spending to raise their quality of life, and his unique mandate provides a case study to answer this question. To provide background and present existing debates, theories of government responsiveness, the regional New Left political context, and the effect of the indigenous movement on Evo Morales‘ leadership were discussed. To test these theories, the core and swing voter theories and the participation and electoral theories of democratic responsiveness were analyzed. An original data set with social and financial data from Bolivian municipalities was used to run an OLS regression. The regression tests the relationship between the independent variable, vote share for Evo Morales, and the dependent variable, change in federal transfers to municipalities, to measure government responsiveness. Ultimately, the results support the participation and swing vote theories of government responsiveness. Municipalities with higher levels of participation and municipalities that did not support Evo Morales received increased average transfers. These findings present a new perspective on government responsiveness in Bolivia and apply to the broader study of government responsiveness in developing democracies

Early maturation processes in coal. Part 1: Pyrolysis mass balances and structural evolution of coalified wood from the Morwell Brown Coal seam

In this work, we develop a theoretical approach to evaluate maturation process of kerogen-like material, involving molecular dynamic reactive modeling with a reactive force field to simulate the thermal stress. The Morwell coal has been selected to study the thermal evolution of terrestrial organic matter. To achieve this, a structural model is first constructed based on models from the literature and analytical characterization of our samples by modern 1-and 2-D NMR, FTIR, and elemental analysis. Then, artificial maturation of the Morwell coal is performed at low conversions in order to obtain, quantitative and qualitative, detailed evidences of structural evolution of the kerogen upon maturation. The observed chemical changes are a defunctionalization of the carboxyl, carbonyl and methoxy functional groups coupling with an increase of cross linking in the residual mature kerogen. Gaseous and liquids hydrocarbons, essentially CH4, C4H8 and C14+ liquid hydrocarbons, are generated in low amount, merely by cleavage of the lignin side chain

The Pheasant and Hungarian Partridge As Exotic Game Birds

Before white men came to North America, there were many game birds. However, due to man’s activities much of their natural habitat has been destroyed. Therefore, some of the states established game commissions and game farms to reestablish game or to introduce new species for hunters. Ring-necked pheasants and Hungarian partridges are two successfully introduced game birds

Field and laboratory assessments of muscular power in female NAIA soccer players.

The primary purpose of the investigation was to determine the most closely related assessment between the agility t-test, countermovement vertical jump, fly-in 40-yard dash, lower limb length, and percent body fat when correlated to kicking power as measured by the Tendo FitroDyne Powerlizer. The study also aimed to form a prediction model based on all of the independent variables that could be used to predict soccer-specific kicking power. The study included 21 female soccer players (19 + 0.92 years) from Saint Gregory's University (n=11) and Oklahoma City University (n=10). The best score from the Tendo, agility t-test, countermovement vertical jump, and fly-in 40-yard dash was recorded for each participant. The percentage of body fat was determined using skinfold calipers and limb length was measured on the dominant kicking leg. A Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to identify relationships between kicking power and each of the independent variables. A backward multiple regression was administered in order to determine the independent variables that were able to best predict kicking power. The results from the Pearson's indicated that a significant relationship exists between kicking power and percent body fat (r = 0.630, p = .001) and limb length (r = 0.418, p = .047) while no significant relationships exist between kicking power and each of the field assessments of lower limb power. The backward multiple regression results indicate that limb length and percent body fat are the best predictors of kicking power. The primary investigator concluded that although the correlations between kicking power and limb length and %BF were significant, the field assessments of lower limb power were not correlated to kicking power indicating that the Tendo may not have effectively measured the instep soccer kick

Interview with Richard L. Nimz, Class of 1962

Oral history interview with Illinois State University alum Dr. Richard L. Nimz, Class of 1962. The interview was conducted by Milner Library student employee Ayushi Shukla on July 14, 2023, via Zoom videoconferencing software. Born in Watseka, Illinois, Nimz initially aimed to enter the Air Force Academy after graduating high school, but failed the physical exam due to not having 20/20 vision. He decided instead to become a teacher and enrolled in ISU, where he majored in social sciences with a minor in psychology. Nimz was involved in many student organizations while at ISU, including Student Senate, Student Union Board, Social Science Club, Presidential Advisory Board, University Men’s Board, and Entertainment Board. He felt driven to engage more in college after working extensively during high school. He lived off-campus in shared housing with nine other students due to financial constraints and worked nights as a switchboard operator. Nimz recounts university president Robert “Bob” Bone as having a significant positive influence on him as a student; the two stayed friends until Bone’s death several decades later. His favorite professors included Claude Dillinger and Warren Harden. Nimz\u27s least favorite experience was an English 101 class with a professor perceived to be biased against his department. His last year on campus he was named one of two Outstanding Students of Class of 1962. Nimz graduated from ISU in three years, then earned his master’s degree and moved to Chicago to take a job teaching Homewood-Flossmoor High School. There he married a woman who, like him, preferred a small town lifestyle and the two returned to Normal. After a year teaching at Chiddix Junior High School, he got a job at ISU as counsellor in the Dean of Men’s Office and occasional instructor in the School of Education. During the four years he worked for ISU he also earned a doctoral degree. Nimz recalls that 1968 assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy made him and his wife consider moving to Australia to escape the turmoil in the United States. Following President Bone’s retirement, Nimz left ISU to work at the newly-founded Illinois Central College, arriving while the campus was still under construction. His career at that institution spanned 27 years. Nimz concludes the interview by describing a number of photos and other mementos of his time at ISU.https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/aoh/1066/thumbnail.jp

First Grade Reading Activities

After years of scientific research, educators are agreed that in order to teach primary reading successfully, the laws of learning must be utilized. The three important laws which govern learning, are the Laws of Readiness, Effect and Exercise. As soon as a child shows a desire to read, he should be encouraged to do so and an opportunity should be provided. He should be surrounded with interesting and attractive reading material because according to the law of readiness we find that when a bond is ready to act, it will result in satisfaction; not to act will result in annoyance

Pathologisch-anatomische und immunhistologische Untersuchungen des ischämischen Schweinemyokards

2 SUMMARY Pathologically-anatomical and immunhistochemistric investigation of ischemic myocardium in the pig Background: Different degrees of histological alteration have been seen in hibernating myocardium. Hibernation is associated with structural myocardial changes, which involve both the cardiomyocytes and the cardiac interstitium. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of chronic myocardial ischemia on histological patterns to understand the underlying mechanism of hibernation. Methods: A model of ischemic injury was produced in 16 pigs (German land breed) by placement of a modified stent graft in the left anterior descending artery (LAD), which initially produced 75% stenosis, followed by a slow complete occlusion. Wall motion abnormalities were investigated by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and ultrasound images at day 7 after implantation. Metabolism and perfusion were imaged by Positron Emission Tomography (PET) at day 7 (group 1) and at day 28 (group 2). After PET images the animals were sacrificed and tissue samples were taken for histology. Results: Viability in PET is defined by a relative decrease in perfusion in an area where there is a relative increase in FDG (fluorodeoxyglucose) concentration. This is often referred to as a “mismatch” pattern. In the study nearly all pigs showed this “mismatch” in the LAD area. The following significant results could be found in the mismatched samples: the accumulation of collagen (0,12 ± 0,12 %, p < 0,05) in LAD samples compared to those taken from remote area (0,02 ± 0,02 %) and glycogen rich perinuclear zones in LAD samples (0,06 ± 0,03 %, p < 0,05). Despite the difficulties of reproducing a long-term hibernating myocardium in an animal model, one pig (No.8) demonstrated physiological alterations that can be compared to those of human beings with hibernating myocardium. After 28 days the artery of the pig was completely occluded. A mismatch was determined by PET, and wall motion abnormalities were present. Furthermore in cells which were exposed to a repetitive ischemia, a small degree of fibrosis and glycogen richness were shown. Conclusion: In contrast to various short-term hibernating myocardium models, no equivalent model exists for long-term hibernating myocardium over a time period of weeks or months yet. For this reason, the complete mechanism of chronic hibernating myocardium is still unclear. The fluent transition of the different heart failure up to the infarct as seen in the clinic reflect the dynamic process, the interindividuell differences and last but not least the reduced compensation abilities of the heart. Due to this it is difficult to find a matching in-vivo model that shows the same mechanism as humans. Therefore every small and large animal model is helpful for clarification.1 ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Hintergrund: Myokardiale Hibernation geht mit erheblichen metabolischen und morphologischen Veränderungen einher, die sowohl die Myokardiozyten als auch das Interstitium betreffen. Durch histologische und immunhistologische Untersuchungen soll ein besseres Verständnis der Stoffwechselveränderungen insbesondere des Glukosemetabolismus erzielt werden. Methode: Durch die Implantation eines vorpräparierten Stents, der die Koronararterie (LAD) einengt, wird bei 16 Schweinen (Deutsche Landrasse) modellhaft länger andauernde Minderperfusion mit Ischämie induziert. Das Implantat weist einen initialen Stenosegrad von 75 % auf und soll während des Versuchszeitraums langsam zu einem vollständigen Verschluss des Gefäßes führen. Wandbewegungsstörungen werden am Tag 7 post implantationem mittels Magnetresonanztomographie und sonographischer Untersuchung ermittelt. Nach einer Positronen-Emissions-Tomographie (PET) 7 (n = 6) bzw. 28 (n = 10) Tage post implantationem, bei der die Durchblutung (13NH3) und der Stoffwechsel (18FDG) des Myokards gemessen werden, erfolgt die Euthanasie der Tiere. Myokardiale Biopsien aus den „mismatch“-Regionen (erhöhte 18FDG-Aufnahme bei reduzierter Perfusion im PET) und den Kontrollproben aus dem rechten, dem linken Ventrikel und dem rechten Vorhof werden histologisch und immunhistochemisch untersucht. Ergebnisse: Nach der PET konnten bei nahezu allen Versuchstieren ein reduzierter Blutfluß (13NH3) und eine erhöhte glykolytische Aktivität (18FDG) im Bereich der LAD-Stenose gemessen werden. Es lag ein sogenanntes „perfusions-metabolism-mismatch“ vor. Die aus diesem Bereich der LAD entnommenen Biopsien zeigten bei den Langzeittieren (28 Tage post OP, n = 10) eine signifikante Erhöhung (p < 0,05) des Kollagengehaltes (0,12 ± 0,12 %) im Vergleich zu den Proben aus den Kontzrollregionen des Ventrikels und Vorhofs dieser Tiere (0,02 ± 0,02 %). Der Glykogengehalt in den „mismatch“-Regionen der LAD war ebenfalls signifikant (p < 0,05) erhöht (0,06 ± 0,03 %) im Vergleich zu den Kontrollbiopsien (0,005 ± 0,006 %). Trotz der Schwierigkeit ein länger andauerndes „hibernating“ Myokard im Tierversuch modellhaft zu reproduzieren, ist es in der zugrundeliegenden Studie gelungen, ein Tier (Schwein 8) zu gewinnen, dass eine Situation im Herzen entwickelte, die dem „Hibernating Myokard“ des Menschens gleich kommt. Am Ende des Versuchszeitraums war das Gefäß vollständig geschlossen, die PET-Daten zeigten ein signifikantes „Mismatch“ und geringgradige Wandbewegungsstörungen lagen vor. Parallel dazu lagen eine geringgradige Fibrose mit aktivierten Myofibroblasten und eine vermehrte Glykogenansammlung in Zellen, die vermutlich repetitiv Ischämie ausgesetzt waren, vor. Schlussfolgerung: Im Gegensatz zu einigen Modellansätzen für das „short-term hibernating myocard“ existiert für länger andauerndes Hibernating im Zeitraum von Wochen oder Monaten noch kein anerkanntes und etabliertes Tiermodell. Dies mag mit der Grund dafür sein, dass die komplexen Mechanismen, die dem klinischen Syndrom des hibernierenden Myokards zugrundeliegen, zur Zeit noch weitgehend unklar sind. Die in der Klinik zu beobachtenden fließenden Übergänge der kardialen Krankheitsbilder bis hin zum Infarkt, spiegeln den dynamischen Prozeß, den interindividuell unterschiedlichen Verlauf und nicht zuletzt das begrenzte Kompensationsvermögen des Myokards wider. Genau darin mag die Schwierigkeit bestehen ein geeignetes In-vivo-Modell zu finden, das ischämisch bedingte Veränderungen des Stoffwechsels ähnlich dem menschlichen Krankheitsbild entwickelt. Jedoch wird jedes geeignete Klein- oder Großtiermodell zur Klärung etwas beitragen

An Interesting Class of Porous Polymer-Revisiting the Structure of Mesoporous α-d-Polysaccharide Gels

The processes involved in the transformation of non-porous, native polysaccharides to their highly porous equivalents introduce significant molecular complexity and are not yet fully understood. In this paper, we propose that distinct changes in polysaccharide local short-range ordering promotes and directs the formation of meso- and micro-pores, which are investigated here using N2 sorption, FTIR, and solid-state 13CNMR. It is found that an increase in the overall double helical amylose content, and their local association structures, are responsible for formation of the porous polysaccharide gel phase. An exciting consequence of this local ordering change is elegantly revealed using a 19FNMR experiment, which identifies the stereochemistry-dependent diffusion of a fluorinated chiral probe molecule (1-phenyl-2,2,2-trifluoroethanol) from the meso- to the micro-pore region. This finding opens opportunities in the area of polysaccharide-based chiral stationary phases and asymmetric catalyst preparation

A Community-Based Participatory Research Approach to Developing the Harvest for Healthy Kids Curriculum

Background: A diet rich in fruits and vegetables is associated with reduced risk of diet-related chronic diseases. However, fewer than half of children in the United States consume the recommended amount. Objectives: This article describes the community-based participatory research (CBPR) process used to develop the Harvest for Healthy Kids curriculum. Methods: Harvest for Healthy Kids is a intervention research project designed to increase access to and intake of fruits and vegetables among preschoolers enrolled in Head Start. The curriculum is composed of eight kits, each focusing on a different fruit or vegetable. Results: The Harvest for Healthy Kids curriculum was developed through an iterative process in which Head Start teachers were highly involved. The final product reflects the teachers’ experiences using the curriculum and their suggestions for improving. Conclusions: The CBPR process used to develop the Harvest for Healthy Kids curriculum led to a product that is grounded in theory and practice