A Critical Analysis of the University of Georgia\u27s Response to the United States Supreme Court Decisions in Grutter v. Bollinger and Gratz v. Bollinger

Minority enrollments at selective colleges and universities have historically been low. Affirmative action programs have been a primary driver for increasing enrollments. These programs were called into question in the Grutter and Gratz US Supreme Court cases (2003). The Court’s opinions in these cases provide direction for institutions in setting admissions policy. Using a qualitative methodology, this study examined the University of Georgia’s response to the Grutter and Gratz Supreme Court decisions. The study utilized data from interviews with UGA officials, as well as documentary evidence, to chronologically reconstruct the actions that UGA initiated following the Grutter and Gratz decisions. The study utilized a narrative analytic approach to analyze UGA rationale for its action. It assessed officials’ statements to identify dominant narratives related to the use of race in admissions at UGA. This study positioned the dominant narratives of officials’ relative to competing understandings of admissions, race and the law extracted from the scholarly literature. A metanarrative was developed to highlight commonly held assumptions in the debate around the use of race in higher education admissions. The metanarrative was found to be a useful tool for managing competing perspectives in efforts to develop viable policy approaches for admissions in the future. The study is important in at least two ways: 1) it explains sources of conflict in the affirmative action debate and 2) it suggests the usefulness of narrative policy analysis for policy making related to race, diversity, and admissions in higher education

Criminal History Enhancements Sourcebook

Criminal history scores make up one of the two most significant determinants of the punishment an offender receives in a sentencing guidelines jurisdiction. While prior convictions are taken into account by all U.S. sentencing systems, sentencing guidelines make the role of prior crimes more explicit by specifying the counting rules and by indicating the effect of prior convictions on sentence severity. Yet, once established, criminal history scoring formulas go largely unexamined. Moreover, there is great diversity across state and federal jurisdictions in the ways that an offender's criminal record is considered by courts at sentencing. This Sourcebook brings together for the first time information on criminal history enhancements in all existing U.S. sentencing guidelines systems. Building on this base, the Sourcebook examines major variations in the approaches taken by these systems, and identifies the underlying sentencing policy issues raised by such enhancements.The Sourcebook contains the following elements:A summary of criminal history enhancements in all guidelines jurisdictions;An analysis of the critical dimensions of an offender's previous convictions;A discussion of the policy options available to commissions considering amendments to their criminal history enhancements;A bibliography of key readings on the role of prior convictions at sentencing

Three-dimensional unstructured grid generation via incremental insertion and local optimization

Algorithms for the generation of 3D unstructured surface and volume grids are discussed. These algorithms are based on incremental insertion and local optimization. The present algorithms are very general and permit local grid optimization based on various measures of grid quality. This is very important; unlike the 2D Delaunay triangulation, the 3D Delaunay triangulation appears not to have a lexicographic characterization of angularity. (The Delaunay triangulation is known to minimize that maximum containment sphere, but unfortunately this is not true lexicographically). Consequently, Delaunay triangulations in three-space can result in poorly shaped tetrahedral elements. Using the present algorithms, 3D meshes can be constructed which optimize a certain angle measure, albeit locally. We also discuss the combinatorial aspects of the algorithm as well as implementational details

Glutamatergic hypothesis of schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a devastating psychiatric disorder whose pathophysiology has not been fully clarified yet. Although dopamine dysfunction in schizophrenia is unequivocal, there are many evidences suggesting the involvement of the glutamatergic system. This paper briefly describes some basic knowledge regarding the functioning of the glutamatergic receptors with emphasis on the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. Presents evidence for glutamatergic dysfunction in schizophrenia, more specifically NMDA receptor hypofunction. Finaly the paper discusses the interaction between the dopaminergic and the glutamatergic systems; in special how hyperdopaminergic state found in schizophrenia can be associated to glutamatergic dysfunctions.A esquizofrenia é um transtorno psiquiátrico devastador cuja fisiopatologia ainda está para ser esclarecida. Apesar de uma disfunção dopaminérgica estar bem estabelecida na esquizofrenia, há uma série de evidências sugerindo o envolvimento do sistema glutamatérgico na fisiopatologia do transtorno. Este artigo faz uma breve revisão de alguns aspectos básicos do funcionamento dos receptores glutamatérgicos com ênfase nos receptores N-metil-D-aspartato (NMDA). Apresenta evidências científicas sugerindo uma disfunção do sistema glutamatérgico na esquizofrenia (hipofunção de receptores NMDA). E discute as interações entre os sistemas dopaminérgico e glutamatérgico; mais especificamente como os estados hiperdopaminérgicos encontrados na esquizofrenia podem estar associados a uma alteração glutamatérgica.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Departamento de PsiquiatriaKing's College London Institute of Psychiatry Section of Neurochemical ImagingUNIFESP, Depto. de PsiquiatriaSciEL

Leveraging the Library Liaison Organizational Model to Provide and Manage an Effective Instruction Program

Delivered at the Thirty-Second National LOEX Library Instruction Conference, Ypsilanti, MI, May 2004

Commingling Effect of Gynoid and Android Fat Patterns on Cardiometabolic Dysregulation in Normal Weight American adults

AIM: To determine the independent and commingling effect of android and gynoid percent fat (measured using Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry) on cardiometabolic dysregulation in normal weight American adults. METHODS: The 2005–2006 data (n = 1802) from the United States National Health and Nutritional Examination Surveys (NHANES) were used in this study. Associations of android percent fat, gynoid percent fat and their joint occurrence with risks of cardiometabolic risk factors were estimated using prevalence odds ratios from logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Android-gynoid percent fat ratio was more highly correlated with cardiometabolic dysregulation than android percent fat, gynoid percent fat or body mass index. Commingling of android and gynoid adiposities was associated with much greater odds of cardiometabolic risk factors than either android or gynoid adiposities. Commingling of android and gynoid adiposities was associated with 1.75 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.42–2.93), 1.48 (95% CI = 1.32–1.91), 1.61 (95% CI = 1.50–1.89), 3.56 (95% CI = 2.91–4.11) and 1.86 (95% CI = 1.49–1.96) increased odds of elevated glucose, elevated blood pressure, elevated low- density lipoprotein-cholesterol, elevated triglyceride and low high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Normal weight subjects who present with both android and gynoid adiposities should be advised of the associated health risks. Both android and gynoid fat accumulations should be considered in developing public health strategies for reducing cardiometabolic disease risk in normal weight subjects

Evaluation of a novel assay for detection of the fetal marker RASSF1A: facilitating improved diagnostic reliability of noninvasive prenatal diagnosis

BackgroundAnalysis of cell free fetal (cff) DNA in maternal plasma is used routinely for non invasive prenatal diagnosis (NIPD) of fetal sex determination, fetal rhesus D status and some single gene disorders. True positive results rely on detection of the fetal target being analysed. No amplification of the target may be interpreted either as a true negative result or a false negative result due to the absence or very low levels of cffDNA. The hypermethylated RASSF1A promoter has been reported as a universal fetal marker to confirm the presence of cffDNA. Using methylation-sensitive restriction enzymes hypomethylated maternal sequences are digested leaving hypermethylated fetal sequences detectable. Complete digestion of maternal sequences is required to eliminate false positive results.MethodscfDNA was extracted from maternal plasma (n = 90) and digested with methylation-sensitive and insensitive restriction enzymes. Analysis of RASSF1A, SRY and DYS14 was performed by real-time PCR.ResultsHypermethylated RASSF1A was amplified for 79 samples (88%) indicating the presence of cffDNA. SRY real time PCR results and fetal sex at delivery were 100% accurate. Eleven samples (12%) had no detectable hypermethylated RASSF1A and 10 of these (91%) had gestational ages less than 7 weeks 2 days. Six of these samples were male at delivery, five had inconclusive results for SRY analysis and one sample had no amplifiable SRY.ConclusionUse of this assay for the detection of hypermethylated RASSF1A as a universal fetal marker has the potential to improve the diagnostic reliability of NIPD for fetal sex determination and single gene disorders

An Invitation for Engagement: Assigning and Assessing Field Notes to Promote Deeper Levels of Observation

This paper explores current practices for teaching the discipline of keeping field notes within academic natural history courses. We investigate how journal projects can be structured to promote engagement with the natural world while emphasizing the importance of recording accurate and honest observations. Particular attention is paid herein to the assignment of field notes, and to the process of assessing the results of these assignments. Our discussion includes results from an informal survey of best practices among colleagues representing numerous natural history disciplines

Melioidosis: a localized osteomyelitis in a cat

Melioidosis is a zoonotic disease as a result of infection by Burkholderia pseudomallei. It is of significant public health concern due to its ubiquitous nature with high morbidity and mortality in humans and animals. In cats, the disease is usually reported with abscess formation in lung, liver and spleen, however, isolated articular melioidosis is rare. A 1-year-old, a female Domestic Shorthair cat was presented to University Veterinary Hospital, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UVH-UPM) with swollen right elbow and non weight bearing lameness of the right forelimb. Physical examination revealed pyrexia, soft tissue swelling and pain upon palpation of the right elbow joint. Radiographs of the right forelimb revealed osteolysis at the distal third of the humerus and proximal radius and ulna, cortical thinning at the olecranon and soft tissue swelling around the elbow joint. Bacterial culture of the joint fluid revealed positive growth for Burkholderia pseudomallei. Unfortunately, the owner opted to euthanise the cat citing personal reasons. Upon necropsy, there was presence of multiple caseous nodules within the right elbow joint cavity only and none of the other limbs, lung, spleen and liver was affected. It is important for veterinarian to be aware of septic arthritis and osteomyelitis form of melioidosis