Two Years Into The Journey: AACSB Assessment Of Learning In A Principles Of Marketing Course

Using a Principles of Marketing course, the authors demonstrate how compliance with AACSB standards and assessment of learning has been undertaken at Robert Morris University over a two-year period. Learning goals and objectives are tied to a specific assessment instrument to provide an illustration of how broad conceptual ideas are translated into classroom-level implementation. Numerous issues related to this two-year process are discussed

A Case Series Of Todays Vertical Integration

In todays business environment outsourcing attracts considerable attention. The general rationale is that anything that is not a core competency of the firm is a candidate for outsourcing. The touted benefits are generally considered to be substantial cost savings, better productivity and more strategic use of scarce resources within the firm. In contrast, vertical integration has to some degree come to be viewed somewhat negatively the argument being that no single firm in todays competitive environment can possibly or should manage an extended enterprise. But as this series of case studies show, some firms are flourishing by going against prevailing logic and vertically integrating their supply chains

Confirming the impact of HIV/AIDS epidemics on household vulnerability in Asia: the case of Cambodia.

OBJECTIVES: This study explores the effects of HIV and AIDS on household economics and the social wellbeing of children in HIV-affected families in Cambodia. METHODS: A purposive sample of parents living with HIV and their children was selected from networks of people living with HIV. 'Nearest-neighbour' households served as the comparison group. Interviews were conducted with the parent and at least one child or adolescent in each household between October 2003 and January 2004. The urban/rural sample included 1000 households, 1000 adults, and 1443 children aged 6-17 years, inclusive, and was drawn from Phnom Penh, Battambang and Takeo provinces. RESULTS: Despite similar overall expenditures, HIV-affected households incurred proportionately larger expenditures on medical care and funerals. Income among case households was lower than comparison households. HIV-affected households were more likely to sell off assets, borrow from family members, take out loans, and ration medical care and food for children. Children in HIV-affected households reported eating fewer meals in a day, increased frequency of hunger, and increased household and employment responsibilities compared with comparison children. School enrollment rates were similar between pairs of households. CONCLUSION: The results add to growing evidence that HIV and AIDS contribute to increased vulnerability to poverty and increased burdens on families and children. This study corroborates findings from previous studies in Asia, while providing country-specific information to stakeholders in Cambodia. At this stage in the epidemic, policy makers should focus on implementing and evaluating mitigation interventions

Analysis and Assessment of the Reimbursement Rates and Mechanisms for Kentucky’s Publicly Funded Ferries

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) reimburses publicly operated ferries, including when they cease operations due to severe weather or unforeseen events. Reimbursement procedures are not codified in law and are largely based on historical practice. To determine how the Cabinet should handle reimbursement, funding, oversight of ferry services moving forward, the Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) reviewed practices adopted by 10 other states and conducted a detailed analysis of Kentucky’s current approach. Of the states KTC examined, only Tennessee reimburses ferry operations for closures (at 50 percent of the normal hourly rate for a period up to 48 hours). Half of the states KTC examined make state funding available for ferry operations, others either devolve oversight to the local level or provide no funding assistance. In Kentucky, operating standards for ferry services are not consistent and no uniform method has been devised to calculate reimbursement rates. In light of these findings, KYTC should create detailed auditing guidelines to improve the consistency of ferry service financial statements; pursue funding sources it has not previously taken advantage of, and generate long-term forecasts of the state’s ferry operations. Lastly, the Cabinet should ask the General Assembly to revisit and modify several statutes pertaining to ferries which contain outdated language that has little relevance to the modern transportation system

Fundamentals for Student Success in the Middle Grades

Determining how to provide the best education possible for young adolescents begins with the answers to three essential questions: Who are young adolescents? What do we know about them, their abilities, interests and strengths? Based on what we know about young adolescents, what should schools do to provide a quality education for each and every student? And finally, is there evidence that these recommended practices improve student achievement? How do we know programs and practices designed specifically with young adolescents in mind make a difference? To answer these questions, we will first outline some of the developmental characteristics of young adolescents and look at the implications for teaching and learning. We will then look at national recommendations for schools based on what we know about young adolescents. Finally, we will consider some of the research that supports these recommendations

Paradoxical emboli from calf and pelvic veins in cryptogenic stroke.

PURPOSE: The increased prevalence of patent foramen ovale in patients with cryptogenic strokes suggests the occurrence of paradoxical embolism. The identification of deep venous thromboses (DVTs) in this population would strengthen this hypothesis. The purpose of this study was to image the subdiaphragmatic venous system in a cohort of patients with cryptogenic strokes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 37 patients with cryptogenic brain ischemia and interatrial communication, duplex studies of calf, popliteal, and femoral veins, and magnetic resonance imaging venograms of the pelvis veins were performed. RESULTS: In 10 patients, DVTs were diagnosed that were considered to be the cause of cryptogenic brain ischemia on probable (n = 6) or possible (n = 4) bases. In these patients, the median time from stroke to DVT was 3.25 days. In 5 of these 10 patients, DVTs did not involve popliteal and femoral veins, areas thought most important to pulmonary embolism, but instead were isolated to calf or pelvic veins. Although none of these 10 patients had abnormal blood hypercoagulation tests, 8 of the 10 did have clinical conditions suggesting predisposition to developing DVTs, such as concomitant neoplasms or pulmonary embolism. CONCLUSIONS: Increased evidence for paradoxical embolism may emerge when diagnostic strategies use multiple imaging methods and evaluate a broad extent of the subdiaphragmatic veins

An Unidentified Filarial Species and its Impact on Fitness in Wild Populations of the Black-Footed Ferret (\u3ci\u3eMustela nigripes\u3c/i\u3e)

Disease can threaten the restoration of endangered species directly by substantially decreasing host survival or indirectly via incremental decreases in survival and reproduction. During a biomedical survey of reintroduced populations of the highly endangered black-footed ferret from 2002 to 2005, microfilariae discovered in the blood were putatively identified as Dirofilaria immitis, and widespread screening was initiated using a commercially available antigen-based ELISA test. A subset of animals (n = 16) was screened for D. immitis using a highly sensitive PCR-based assay. Microfilariae were also molecularly and morphologically characterized. Of 198 animals at six reintroduction sites, 12% had positive results using the ELISA test. No antigen-positive animals which were screened via PCR (n = 11) had positive PCR results, and all antigen-positive animals (n=24) were asymptomatic. No significant differences were found in body mass of antigen-positive (male: 1223±82 g [mean±SD], female: 726±75 g) vs. antigen-negative (male: 1,198±119 g, female: 710±53 g) individuals (P=0.4). Antigen prevalence was lower in juveniles (3%) than adults (12%; P=0.03), and higher in in situ, captive-reared individuals (33%) than wild-born individuals (10%; P=0.005). Morphologic, analysis of microfilariae revealed they were neither D. immitis nor any other previously characterized North American species. PCR amplification of the 5S spacer region of rDNA revealed that the filarial sequence shared only 76% identity with D. immitis. This previously unidentified filarial sequence was present in all antigen positive animals (11 of 11 tested). It appears that black-footed ferrets were infected with a previously undescribed species of filaria whose antigen cross-reacted with the ELISA assay, although further analysis is needed to make a conclusive statement. Nonetheless, this previously undescribed filaria does not appear to threaten recovery for this highly endangered mammal

HIV transcription is induced in dying cells

Using HeLa cells stably transfected with an HIV-LTR-CAT construct, we demonstrated a peak in CAT induction that occurs in viable (but not necessarily cell-division-competent) cells 24 h following exposure to some cell-killing agents. {gamma} rays were the only cell-killing agent which did not induce HIV transcription; this can be attributed to the fact that {gamma}-ray-induced apoptotic death requires functional p53, which is not present in HeLa cells. For all other agents, HIV-LTR induction was dose-dependent and correlated with the amount of cell killing that occurred in the culture. Doses which caused over 99% cell killing induced HIV-LTR transcription maximally, demonstrating that cells that will go on to die by 14 days are the cells expressing HIV-LTR-CAT