Administrator Support for Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders in Inclusive School Environments: A Literature Review

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (SEBD) are among the most marginalized group of students in today’s schools (U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, 2016). Marginalization stems in part from the fact that the majority of school administrators are not well prepared to address the needs of SEBD related to their challenging behavior. Purpose of the Study: The purpose of the study was to identify evidence based practices that school administrators need to know and be able to do to support SEBD in inclusive school environments. Research Methodology: A literature search was conducted through comprehensive electronic databases including ERIC and Education Source. Search terms included “emotional and behavioral disability” and/or “challenging behavior” and “inclusion”. Search criteria were set to include only peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2008 and 2018. The original search yielded over 100 articles. Following the searches, the titles and abstracts of the articles were reviewed for the following criteria: administration and inclusion of students with EBD. As a result, the final search and review, yielded a total of 9 articles. Research conclusions: The presenters share the findings from the literature review and provide recommendations for implementing evidence-based practices that positively support SEBD in inclusive school environments. These practices include effective collaboration with all those involved with students’ education, providing professional development opportunities for teachers in high leverage practices for inclusive schools, and administrator support for the effective implementation of those practices

Promising Payment Reform: Risk-Sharing With Accountable Care Organizations

Describes the implementation of shared payer-provider risk payment models at eight private accountable care organizations. Analyzes challenges for providers, purchasers, and payers, including securing the infrastructure for successful risk management

Effect of Continuous Infusion of Relaxin on Progesterone, Oxytocin, and Relaxin Blood Concentrations and Time of Parturition in Beef Heifers

These studies were designed to determine whether continuous intravenous infusion of increasing dosages of porcine relaxin during late pregnancy in beef heifers would influence circulating blood concentrations of relaxin, progesterone, and oxytocin, and time of onset of parturition. Beef heifers were bred by artificial insemination and, on Day 277, fitted with indwelling jugular cannulas for hormone infusion and blood sampling from Day 277 to 286. Intravenous infusion of purified porcine relaxin (pRLX, 3000 U mg-1) was started in heifers (n = 8) at increasing dosages (200 U h-1 on Days 277 and 278, 300 U h-1 on Days 279 and 280, 500 U h-1 on Day 281, 600 U h-1 on Day 282, and 700 U h-1 on Days 283 to 286). Phosphate buffer saline (PBS, 10 ml h-1) was infused during these same times to control (n = 6) animals. Relaxin treatment steadily increased the circulating plasma concentration of immunoreactive relaxin to more than 120 ng ml-1 compared with less than 0.5 ng ml-1 in PBStreated controls. Relaxin infusion in increasing dosages over the treatment time was associated with a significant decrease (P \u3c 0.01) in plasma progesterone concentration compared with the PBS controls. Plasma levels of oxytocin at 4- hour intervals remained similar (P \u3e 0.05) during the pretreatment period and throughout continuous infusion of pRLX and PBS. Although continuous intravenous infusion of relaxin resulted in a decrease in circulating blood levels of progesterone, it did not significantly reduce the interval between the beginning of pRLX treatment and parturition compared with the PBS-infused control heifers. These results indicate that continuous intravenous infusion of high levels of porcine relaxin resulted in a decrease in progesterone secretion in late pregnant beef heifers

Building Resilience in Social-Ecological Food Systems in Vermont

There is an expanding interest in Local Food Systems (LFSs) in Vermont, along with a growing effort to create adaptive governance to facilitate action. In this case study, we investigate how adaptive governance of LFS can provide ideas and act as a catalyst for creating resilience in other social-ecological systems (SESs). By participating in meetings and interviewing stakeholders inside and outside the Vermont LFS network, we found that consumers were highly motivated to participate by supporting environmental issues, the local economy, and interactive communities, as well as building social relationships. Farmers experienced better income and increased respect in the local community. All participants found adequate “safe space” to share new ideas and explore partnerships. Their identities and values were also place-specific, reflecting the working landscape of Vermont. Adaptive governance was built on equal partnerships, where problems were discussed and responsibilities were shared among many stakeholders across geographic areas and multiple sectors. Some skepticism was expressed towards mainstreaming local food production and sales. Challenges remain to more fully include farmers, for-profit players, and low-income consumers in the network. This might limit the resilience and sustainability of the LFS. Because SESs are held together by common culture and identities, the risk of non-adaptive social patterns exemplifies one key challenge for future adaptive management towards resilient and sustainable outcomes. There is a critical need for developing relevant theory and conducting further research on LFSs and their potential roles in local SESs

MIGRATION PANORAMA | The Western Balkans migratory route: perspectives and persisting challenge. EPC Report December 2016 (2nd Edition)

In the past few years, the EU’s capacities have been stretched thin as it grappled with multiple challenges, leaving the Western Balkans and the EU membership aspirations of the countries in the region somewhat marginalised. But the Western Balkans suddenly returned to the top of the EU’s agenda last year as an unprecedented number of refugees crossed the Aegean Sea from Turkey to Greece and transited through the region to reach Central Europe. Given their geographic location and the fragility of the EU’s cooperation with Turkey, countries along the Western Balkans route have in fact become crucial partners for the effective management of migratory flows towards the EU. This second edition of the EPC’s Migration Panorama includes five articles offering diverse perspectives on the Western Balkans route, the region’s role in managing the influx, and how EU-Western Balkans cooperation on this issue might affect further progress on enlargement. Milica Mancic and Kristine Anderson of the International Rescue Committee highlight humanitarian considerations and the effect of EU policies on governance in the region; Vladimir Petronijević from Grupa 484, a Serbian NGO, focuses on the situation in Serbia – a key transit country at the heart of the Western Balkan route; Raphaela Engel of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Defence explains Austria’s special role in managing irregular migration flows in the region, stressing the importance of close cooperation with Balkan states; MEP Tanja Fajon’s contribution examines the impact of events on EU-Western Balkan relations and potential implications for EU enlargement; finally, the EPC’s Matteo Bonomi provides a comprehensive analysis of the political dynamics resulting from the refugee influx, in particular regarding EU enlargement

The Efficient Team-Driven Quality Scholarship Model: A Process Evaluation of Collaborative Research

The Efficient Team-Driven Quality Scholarship (ETQS) Model is a research and writing system, providing strategies for librarians and other faculty to complete scholarly research within a set time frame. ETQS includes a team-driven, collaborative approach, predetermined timelines, built-in quality controls, and concurrent research processes. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of the ETQS Model to overcome common research obstacles and promote research success factors. Using the process evaluation method, the authors use the research and writing of this article to assess the ETQS Model. Team member reflections of the process are analyzed and ETQS strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) are evaluated and ameliorated. ETQS, in this case study, is effective in fostering scholarly productivity, promoting success factors, and overcoming obstacles. Utilization of this model could strengthen other collaborative research efforts

Evaporative cooling of trapped fermionic atoms

We propose an efficient mechanism for the evaporative cooling of trapped fermions directly into quantum degeneracy. Our idea is based on an electric field induced elastic interaction between trapped atoms in spin symmetric states. We discuss some novel general features of fermionic evaporative cooling and present numerical studies demonstrating the feasibility for the cooling of alkali metal fermionic species $^6$Li, $^{40}$K, and $^{82,84,86}$Rb. We also discuss the sympathetic cooling of fermionic hyperfine spin mixtures, including the effects of anisotropic interactions.Comment: to be publishe