Construction Minerals in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area: A Land Management Analysis

The patchwork of government influences that shape the protection and management of construction mineral resources--sand, gravel, and crushed stone--includes statutes, regulations, guidance documents, and court decisions at the federal, state, and local level. Across the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area, both these influences and the experiences that the counties have had in managing construction mineral resources range widely. The principal objective in this study is to discuss the mechanisms that counties use to manage such resources; the level and source of concern that local residents have with respect to construction mineral extraction operations; officials' perceptions about trends in the supply and demand for mineral resources; and the level of interest in protecting mineral resources for future exploitation. The study rests principally on a review of federal, state, and local planning documents, two detailed case studies of counties active in construction mineral management, and structured telephone interviews of thirty-six local planning officials and state and federal agency staff.

Papers of Walter Houston Cole, President, Jacksonville State University, 1942-1971: Finding Aid

This finding aid was created in 2005 when some of the correspondence, receipts, etc. of Dr. Houston Cole, former president of Jacksonville State Teachers College, was organized. More materials related to Dr. Cole have since been discovered, and the collection documentation and finding aid is undergoing update. The tangible archival materials this finding aid references are located in the Library\u27s 10th floor Alabama Gallery Special Collections

Overcoming Barriers of PLCs at the High School Level: A Case Study of the First-Year Implementation of the PLC+ Framework

This study was prompted by a desire to understand the perceptions of teachers on the characteristics of effective professional learning communities (PLCs) at the high school level. Data were collected via survey and focus group interviews to answer questions regarding barriers high school PLCs face as well as what effective PLCs look like at the high school level. The survey population included 122 high school teachers currently involved in PLCs in one school district in the upstate of South Carolina. Survey questions were on a Likert scale that assessed three areas regarding the effectiveness of PLCs: critical elements, human resources, and structural conditions. Follow-up focus group interviews further investigated teacher perceptions on defining effective PLCs, contributions PLCs have on student achievement, and barriers to effective PLCs. The study was grounded in Knowles and Holton’s (2005) and Drago-Severson’s (2021) adult learning theories. Key findings in the study are in line with the current body of research on adult learning theories and the characteristics of effective PLCs (Drago-Severson, 2021; DuFour et al., 2016; Knowles & Holton, 2005). In order for PLCs to be effective, teachers shared the importance of proper structural conditions such as: accountability, time, and an agenda. They shared the desire to work collaboratively using data to drive instructional practices and work toward a common goal. They want to have a voice and a choice in what they do within the PLC. The findings of this study may contribute to empirical research on the effectiveness of PLCs as well as how to overcome specific barriers that exist at the high school level

Sexual Dimorphism in Periapical Inflammation and Bone Loss from MAP Kinase Phosphatase-1 Deficient Mice

Introduction: Mitogen Activating Protein (MAPK) kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) has been shown to be a key negative regulator of the MAP kinase pathways of the innate immune system. The impact of MKP-1 in an endodontic model has yet to be studied. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the role of MKP-1 in a bacterial-driven model of pathological endodontic bone loss. Methods: Pulps were exposed in both lower 1st molars of 10-week old Dusp-1+1+IMKP-1 +1+ and Dusp-1-1-IMKP-1-1- mice and left open to the oral environment for either 3 or 8 weeks. At sacrifice, mandibles were harvested and scanned by microcomputed tomography (microCT) to determine periapical bone loss. Histopathological scoring was then performed on the samples to determine the amount of inflammatory infiltrate within the periapical microenvironment. Results: Significant bone loss and inflammatory infiltrate were found in all experimental groups when compared to control. No statistical difference was found between Dusp-1+1+IMKP-1 +1+ and Dusp-1-1-IMKP-1-1- at either time point with respect to bone loss or inflammatory infiltrate. At 8 weeks, male DUSP-1-1-/MKP-1-1- mice were found to have Significantly more bone loss and inflammatory infiltrate when compared to female Dusp-1-1-IMKP-1-1- mice. There was also a significant correlation between an increase in bone loss and increase in inflammatory infiltrate. Conclusions: A sexual dimorphism exists in the periapical inflammatory process, where male Dusp-1-1-IMKP-1-1- mice have more inflammation than female Dusp-1-1-IMKP-1-1- mice. The increase in inflammatory infiltrate correlates to more bone loss in the male mice

An Analysis OF Zero Tolerance Weapon Policies Related To The School-To-Prison Pipeline Phenomenon

Pennsylvania schools adopted zero tolerance weapon policies to comply with the federal Gun-Free Schools Act (1994). Weapon definitions in school policies are broader than federal or Pennsylvania statutory definitions, and disproportionately affect racial minority students (Joint State Government Commission, 2016) and low income students and precipitate the school-to-prison pipeline (Giroux, 2003). Twelve Allegheny County school districts’ weapon definitions and high schools were studied utilizing a socio-ecological model to examine external socio-economic status and internal weapon policy (Capp et al., 2017). The purpose of the study was to determine if weapon definitions and memorandum of understanding (MOU) creation and implementation is influenced by socio-economic status and race. Schools’ economic disadvantage was used to designate six as working class and six as affluent. Findings were first, all schools had a weapon policy broader than the Pennsylvania statute. Second, Office for Safe Schools (OSS) Historical Comparison Report Data demonstrated that the working class schools had over four times the arrests as affluent schools while law enforcement was called only twice as many times; working class schools had over four times the referrals to alternate education for disruptive youth, two times the out-of-school suspensions, and five times the expulsions as the affluent schools. Third, no schools were updating policies based on court decisions and interpretation of weapon policies. Fourth, while each district was required to have an MOU with local law enforcement and provide explanations to OSS for substantive differences, one district had none, and two districts provided no explanation for differences. Fifth, applying the OSS analyzes to 12 Dauphin County schools revealed similar results, law enforcement was called to the affluent schools almost one-third more, while twice as many students were arrested in the working class schools. The socio-ecological implications are that low income and racial minority students were affected by expansive district weapons policies more than their counterparts in affluent districts and all districts need increased oversight. The number of racial minority students entering the criminal justice system from schools implies that criminal justice reform must be accompanied by educational reform and zero tolerance policies expose schools to claims of educational malpractice

Policy Analysis of Wisconsin\u27s Domestic Violence Mandatory Arrest Law

This exploratory paper is an attempt to examine the factors that led to the criminalization of domestic violence. Beginning with an overview of the history of reform movements to end family violence, the report then reviews the factors that influenced the enactment of mandatory arrest policies in Wisconsin, as well as across the United States. The last sections critically examine existing research on the deterrent effects of arrest. Research suggests that arrest may have some deterrent effects on different offender subgroups, however, may be a relatively weak sanction and deterrent effects may be short term. The greatest point of intervention appears to be in the implementation of the law. Unintended consequences of mandatory arrest policies are identified and alternative approaches are discussed. Existing gaps in the literature are identified and suggestions for future research are provided. Finally, the report addresses the implications of domestic violence has on social work practice

A Descriptive Study of PreK-3 Alignment in South Carolina: Implications for Primary School Education

PreK-3 alignment is a continuum of experiences that begins in preschool when a child is three-years-old and extends through third grade. Many early childhood educators, researchers, and policy makers believe the implementation of PreK-3 alignment has the potential to make a significant difference in schools across America. It is considered by some experts to be the most promising solution to the problems facing education today. This study was designed to determine the levels of implementation of PreK-3 alignment in South Carolina’s primary schools, which practices impact student achievement, and the levels of student achievement in these schools. Primary schools were selected for this study because of their unique structure, emphasis on early childhood education, and concentration of grades related to PreK-3 alignment. This study was structured as a qualitative descriptive study. A questionnaire was utilized to collect data from the principals of primary schools in South Carolina. Through the principals’ responses, I documented that three of the six components of PreK-3 alignment are implemented more consistently than others. Those components include the following: 1) Transitions, 2) Alignment of Standards, Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessments, and 3) Instructional Approaches and Classroom Learning Environments. Primary school principals indicated full-day preschool and kindergarten programs, communication with parents, and reading interventions have the greatest impact on student achievement. I discovered the levels of student achievement varied in these primary schools as accountability ratings ranged from A to F

Energy Savings Through Multi-Level Security Clients

In a multi-desktop environment, where users are required to access separate desktops to use different systems due to security requirements, the redundant desktop computers present a gross inefficiency in relation to power consumption even if each individual system is thoroughly examined and overhauled for energy efficiency. Several organizations require the use of separate networks and computer systems to perform different functions or access different data. The separation of networks is often the consequence of the need for security between the information and data on each individual system. The military is an excellent example of this situation. The need to separate classified, secret, and top-secret information has resulted in the need for access to several separate networks. This case study will measure the power savings through consolidating multiple desktop computers into one multi-level security client

An Analysis OF Zero Tolerance Weapon Policies Related To The School-To-Prison Pipeline Phenomenon

Pennsylvania schools adopted zero tolerance weapon policies to comply with the federal Gun-Free Schools Act (1994). Weapon definitions in school policies are broader than federal or Pennsylvania statutory definitions, and disproportionately affect racial minority students (Joint State Government Commission, 2016) and low income students and precipitate the school-to-prison pipeline (Giroux, 2003). Twelve Allegheny County school districts’ weapon definitions and high schools were studied utilizing a socio-ecological model to examine external socio-economic status and internal weapon policy (Capp et al., 2017). The purpose of the study was to determine if weapon definitions and memorandum of understanding (MOU) creation and implementation is influenced by socio-economic status and race. Schools’ economic disadvantage was used to designate six as working class and six as affluent. Findings were first, all schools had a weapon policy broader than the Pennsylvania statute. Second, Office for Safe Schools (OSS) Historical Comparison Report Data demonstrated that the working class schools had over four times the arrests as affluent schools while law enforcement was called only twice as many times; working class schools had over four times the referrals to alternate education for disruptive youth, two times the out-of-school suspensions, and five times the expulsions as the affluent schools. Third, no schools were updating policies based on court decisions and interpretation of weapon policies. Fourth, while each district was required to have an MOU with local law enforcement and provide explanations to OSS for substantive differences, one district had none, and two districts provided no explanation for differences. Fifth, applying the OSS analyzes to 12 Dauphin County schools revealed similar results, law enforcement was called to the affluent schools almost one-third more, while twice as many students were arrested in the working class schools. The socio-ecological implications are that low income and racial minority students were affected by expansive district weapons policies more than their counterparts in affluent districts and all districts need increased oversight. The number of racial minority students entering the criminal justice system from schools implies that criminal justice reform must be accompanied by educational reform and zero tolerance policies expose schools to claims of educational malpractice

Ride, record, repeat: tracking of cycling data as communication on three levels and how each meet a corresponding basic psychological need

2017 Fall.Includes bibliographical references.Self-tracking of health related data has grown more popular in the last decade. It is helpful to view this behavior as communication on three levels: communicating with the device, communicating with the self, and communicating with others. One theory of motivation, Self-determination Theory claims that motivation is internalized and therefore more effective to the degree to which the basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness are met. In this qualitative study, 18 cyclists (9 male and 9 females) were interviewed regarding their own self-tracking of their rides on training apps like Strava and Training Peaks. The cyclists in this thesis provided some correlation between uploading their data to a device and the satisfaction of the need for autonomy. When viewing and responding to data visualizations of their rides, they were able to meet the need for competence. And they found that by using the social aspects of the apps they could satisfy their need for relatedness