State of Metropolitan America: On the Front Lines of Demographic Transformation

Examines 2000-09 demographic and economic trends and highlights five new realities: growth and outward expansion, population diversification, aging, uneven higher educational attainment, and income polarization. Analyzes national and regional challenges

On Modeling the Instructional Content in Computer Assisted Education

This paper presents a solution for conceptually modeling the instructionalcontent in computer-assisted education. The different cognitive style of learnersimposes different modalities of presenting and structuring the information (thepedagogical knowledge) to be taught. Conceptual organization of the training domainknowledge, with learning stages phasing, can constitute a better solution to the problemof adapting the instructional system interaction to users with different cognitive styleand needs

Architecture of a Computer Based Instructional System

The paper describes the architecture of a tutorial system that can be used at various engineering graduate and postgraduate courses. The tutorial is using Internet-style WWW services to provide access to the teaching information and the evaluation exercises maintained with a RDMS. The tutorial will consist of server-side applications that process and present teaching material and assessing exercises to the student using the well-known Web interface. All information in the system will be stored in a relational database. By closely sticking to the ANSI SQL specifications, the system can take advantage of a free database managing system running on Linux, the mini-SQL. The tutorial can be used to on-line deliver any courses, creating new, continuing education opportunities. Taking advantage of the modern deployment techniques, the instructional/assessing tutorial offer high degrees of accessibility

Toward Developing a Structured Approach to the Diagnosis and Resolution of Nonperforming Loans: The Case of China and India -super-1

This article addresses the issue of nonperforming loans (NPLs) from a public policy perspective. The focus is on three aspects of NPLs that we consider essential for a proper analysis: the degree of the NPL problem, the causes of NPLs and the solutions adopted to address an identified NPL issue. This research analyses the diverse definitions and measurements of an NPL. Further, it introduces the distinction between systemic and situational causes of NPLs. Arguing that different causes require different cures, this study emphasizes a mix of short-term and long-term remedial measures as judicious in dealing with the NPL problem. This framework is then applied to two case studies: China and India. The conclusion identifies future directions of research, such as the study of a threshold level beyond which NPLs may pose a barrier to a country's growth and productivity. Copyright 2007 by The Policy Studies Organization.

CONCEPTUALLY MODELING THE DOMAIN KNOWLEDGE OF AN INSTRUCTIONAL ENVIRONMENT

This paper presents a solution for conceptually modeling the training domain knowledge of computer-assisted instructional environments. A stringent requirement for an effective computer-assisted instructional environment is to elaborate a proper answer for the differentiated cognitive demands of users. The different cognitive style of learners imposes different modalities of presenting and structuring the information (the knowledge) to be taught. Conceptual organization of the training domain knowledge, with learning stages phasing, can constitute a better solution to the problem of adapting the instructional system interaction to users with different cognitive style and needs. 1. LEARNING AND INDIVIDUAL COGNITIVE STYLES Unanimously, psychologists and teachers consider that learning is a process that engages all aspects of the human personality. Whatever the learning content, from the simplest learning tasks to the most complex ones, a whole chain of psychical mechanisms is triggered, in what concerns receiving, processing, interpreting and valorizing the instructional entities. The internal psychical mechanisms involved in accomplishing various learning tasks hav

Faculty diversity, equity, and inclusion in academic dentistry: Revisiting the past and analyzing the present to create the future

AimIn 2021, NIDCR published the landmark report “Oral Health in America.” It described that while oral health-related research and care has seen amazing progress, oral health inequities and lack of oral care for large segments of the US population have not improved. This situation plus the predicted increase of the diversification of the US population requires decisive actions to ensure that future dentists will be optimally prepared to provide the best possible care for all patients. A diverse dental educator workforce plays a crucial role in obtaining this goal. The objectives of this document were threefold. Aim 1 was to analyze past and current trends in the diversity and inclusion of historically underrepresented ethnic/racial (HURE) and marginalized (HURM) dental faculty members. Aim 2 focused on reviewing best practices and challenges related to achieving dental faculty and leadership diversity and inclusion. Aim 3 was to develop recommendations for increasing the diversity and inclusion of dental faculty in the present and future.MethodsAn analysis of ethnicity/race and gender faculty data collected by the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) in 2011–2012 and 2018–2019 showed that achieving faculty diversity and inclusion has been an ongoing challenge, with limited success for faculty from HURE backgrounds. In order to create this much-needed change, best practices to increase the applicant pool, change recruitment strategies, and develop solid retention and promotion efforts were described. Research discussing the challenges to creating such changes was analyzed, and strategies for interventions were discussed.ConclusionIn conclusion, evaluations of efforts designed to create a more diverse and inclusive work force is crucial. Institutions must evaluate their diversity data, practices utilized, and the policies implemented to determine whether the desired outcomes are achieved. Only then will the future dental workforce be optimally prepared to provide the best possible care for all patients in the United States.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/174905/1/jdd13013_am.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/174905/2/jdd13013.pd

Cerebellar Abscess Secondary to Cholesteatomatous Otomastoiditis—An Old Enemy in New Times

Chronic otitis with cholesteatoma is a potentially dangerous disease that can lead to the development of intracranial abscesses. Although cerebellar abscess is half as common as cerebral abscess, it is known for its particularly difficult diagnosis, which requires the visualization of the pathological process continuity from the mastoid to the posterior fossa. In this article, we present an extremely rare case from the literature of cholesteatomatous otomastoiditis complicated with meningitis and cerebellar abscess, along with the description of technical surgical details for the plugging of the bony defect between the mastoid and posterior fossa with muscle and surgical glue. The particularity of this case lies in the late presentation to the doctor of an immunocompetent patient, through a dramatic symptomatology of life-threatening complications. We emphasize the importance of responsibly treating any episode of middle ear infection and considering the existence of underlying pathologies. In such cases, we recommend additional neuroimaging explorations, which can prevent potentially lethal complications. The treatment of such intracranial complications must be carried out promptly and requires collaboration between a neurosurgeon and an ENT surgeon

Repetitive Self-Inflicted Craniocerebral Injury in a Patient with Antisocial Personality Disorder

Self-inflicted penetrating injuries in patients with mental disorders are a rare phenomenon. The authors report the case of a prisoner who recurrently presented to the emergency department over a period of four years for self-insertion of six metal foreign bodies into the skull. Computed tomography each time revealed the presence of a metal foreign body (screw, nail, metal rod, and wire) passing through the frontal bone into the frontal lobe. In each situation, the foreign body was safely extracted with a favorable outcome. Despite the use of the latest imaging modalities, metal artifacts can limit the assessment of vascular involvement, and special attention must be given to preoperative planning. Surgical extraction of the foreign body can be safely performed when appropriate preoperative planning is carried out to consider all possible complications