Multiple Pathways to Graduation: New Routes to High School Competition

Examines three approaches -- targeted population, district-wide, and linked learning -- to raising graduation rates, benefits, and challenges; what is required for implementation; and which approaches work well for different types of districts

Stress Tests of Capital Requirements

This paper examines the performance of the leading methods for setting capital requirements for securities firms' trading books. Tests are conducted on a large sample of UK equity market makers' books over a substantial number of periods of equity market stress from 1985 to 1995. The comprehensive and building-block approaches, favoured by US and European regulators, fail to provide effective cover. Only portfolio-based, value-at-risk type models are efficient in providing appropriate levels of capital to cover the position risk of equity trading books. This paper was presented at the Financial Institutions Center's October 1996 conference on "

Fermented beverages with health-promoting potential: Past and future perspectives

peer-reviewedFermentation is an ancient form of food preservation, which also improves the nutritional content of foods. In many regions of the world, fermented beverages have become known for their health-promoting attributes. In addition to harnessing traditional beverages for commercial use, there have recently been innovative efforts to develop non-dairy probiotic fermented beverages from a variety of substrates, including soy milk, whey, cereals and vegetable and fruit juices. On the basis of recent developments, it is anticipated that fermented beverages will continue to be a significant component within the functional food market

Sequencing-Based Analysis of the Bacterial and Fungal Composition of Kefir Grains and Milks from Multiple Sources

peer-reviewedKefir is a fermented milk-based beverage to which a number of health-promoting properties have been attributed. The microbes responsible for the fermentation of milk to produce kefir consist of a complex association of bacteria and yeasts, bound within a polysaccharide matrix, known as the kefir grain. The consistency of this microbial population, and that present in the resultant beverage, has been the subject of a number of previous, almost exclusively culture-based, studies which have indicated differences depending on geographical location and culture conditions. However, culture-based identification studies are limited by virtue of only detecting species with the ability to grow on the specific medium used and thus culture-independent, molecular-based techniques offer the potential for a more comprehensive analysis of such communities. Here we describe a detailed investigation of the microbial population, both bacterial and fungal, of kefir, using high-throughput sequencing to analyse 25 kefir milks and associated grains sourced from 8 geographically distinct regions. This is the first occasion that this technology has been employed to investigate the fungal component of these populations or to reveal the microbial composition of such an extensive number of kefir grains or milks. As a result several genera and species not previously identified in kefir were revealed. Our analysis shows that the bacterial populations in kefir are dominated by 2 phyla, the Firmicutes and the Proteobacteria. It was also established that the fungal populations of kefir were dominated by the genera Kazachstania, Kluyveromyces and Naumovozyma, but that a variable sub-dominant population also exists.The Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre is a research centre funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), through the Irish Government’s National Development Plan. The authors and their work were supported by SFI CSET grant APC CSET 2 grant 07/CE/B1368

Formalising trust as a computational concept

Trust is a judgement of unquestionable utility - as humans we use it every day of our lives. However, trust has suffered from an imperfect understanding, a plethora of definitions, and informal use in the literature and in everyday life. It is common to say "I trust you, " but what does that mean? This thesis provides a clarification of trust. We present a formalism for trust which provides us with a tool for precise discussion. The formalism is implementable: it can be embedded in an artificial agent, enabling the agent to make trust-based decisions. Its applicability in the domain of Distributed Artificial Intelligence (DAI) is raised. The thesis presents a testbed populated by simple trusting agents which substantiates the utility of the formalism. The formalism provides a step in the direction of a proper understanding and definition of human trust. A contribution of the thesis is its detailed exploration of the possibilities of future work in the area

Backcountry adventure as spiritual experience: a means-end study

Thesis (Ph.D.) - Indiana University, School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, 2007The purpose of this study was twofold. First, to establish an understanding of what is meant when someone describes a backcountry adventure as spiritual. The second purpose of this study was to better understand the relationships between the attributes, consequences, and values (ACV) of the spiritual aspects of a backcountry adventure. Interviews were conducted with 63 backcountry users in the region of Teton Pass, Wyoming. Data analysis consisted of two main stages. First, informant statements were coded for content analysis. A total of 23 content categories were generated: six attributes, nine consequences and eight values. These concepts compose the spiritual experience of backcountry adventures expressed in the data. Inter-rater reliability was calculated at 99.22%. For stage two, implication matrices were generated for the frequency of association between the ACV concepts represented in each hierarchical value map (HVM). An analysis of informant subgroups was conducted based on gender, age, years of backcountry experience, type of activity leading to spiritual experience, and level of skill associated with that activity. A total of 18 HVMs were generated for analysis, two for the overall data and one for each of the 16 subgroups examined for the purposes of identifying possible differences. These HVM were interpreted visually and numerically based on frequency and strength of ACV associations. The eight values identified represent a construct of spirituality; most frequently expressed were a transcendent experience (63%), increased awareness (46%), connection to others (43%), and a sense of fulfillment (29%). The major consequences were focus (38%), reflection (30%), tranquility (32%) and an appreciation of beauty (32%). The more prevalent attributes were the natural backcountry setting (95%) and the adventure (35%). The attribute of a social interaction (29%) was identified as important for the benefit of sharing an experience (27%) and the resulting value of improved sense of connection to others. Mental and physical exercise (35%), resulting in the benefits of enhanced sense of wellbeing (22%), were also recognized as contributing to the spiritual meaning. The backcountry provided the benefit of enjoyment (25%). Other ACV concepts and ACV associations that contribute to spiritual meaning were identified

The religion of Oliver Cromwell: with special reference to his conception of providence

Countless biographies and other works have treated Oliver Cromwell as a political figure. Some few have dealt sketchily with his personal religious life as seen in his private letters and the testimony of his contemporaries. Few have considered his impact on his times in the light of his religious experience.This study is an attempt to trace the development of Cromwellls central religious convictions, using especially his conception of Providence as a key to an understanding of his life and work