The Tail Wagging the Dog: An Overdue Examination of Student Teaching Evaluations

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of several factors beyond the professor’s control and their unique impact on Student Teaching Evaluations (STEs). The present research pulls together a substantial amount of data to statistically analyze several academic historical legends about just how vulnerable STEs are to the effects of: class size, course type, professor gender, and course grades. Design/methodology/approach: This research is utilizes over 30,000 individual student evaluations of 255 professors, spanning six semesters, during a three year time period to test six hypotheses. The final sample represents 1057 classes ranging in size between 10 and 190 students. Each hypothesis is statistically analyzed, with either analysis of variance or a Regression model. Findings: This study finds support for 5 out of 6 hypotheses. Specifically, these data suggest STEs are likely to be closest to “5” (using a 1-5 scale with 5 being highest) in small elective classes, and lowest in large required classes taught by females. As well we find support for the notion that higher expected course grades may lead to higher STEs. Practical implications: The practical significance of this research is important. First this research utilized a large data set spanning several years and hundreds of professors and thousands of students and rigorous statistical analysis to assert several important findings. Indeed STEs are impacted significantly by class type, class size, the gender of the professor and the expected course grade. With these findings we suggest a more comprehensive mechanism is in order for evaluation of teaching effectiveness. Social implications: This research could have great social implications if widely read across academic circles. Indeed the tail is wagging the dog; or the student is influencing teaching across America’s universities. It is time to examine teaching effectiveness through a different lens, because using teaching evaluations to determine promotion and tenure, sparse bonus allocation, and teaching awards may be short sighted. Research limitations: While this research is statistically accurate, it is limited by the notion that the data was collected from one large area. As such, care should be taken in generalizing these results to other areas that may have different demographic composition, funding etc. Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge this research is the first of its kind to statistically analyze such a large body of data and provide a useful guide to help evaluate professors utilizing what information is available

S5E10: Why is the supply chain bogged down?

Supply chain problems are occupying many people’s minds, especially with the holidays around the corner. Numerous newspaper stories and TV segments have featured images of cargo ships waiting for days or weeks to unload their goods from Asia into ports up and down the West Coast. Americans are witnessing shortages of many products they once took for granted, including lumber, various food items and computer chips, among others. Demand for goods has grown, yet producers are struggling to keep up after a slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this week’s episode of “The Maine Question,” Patti Miles, an associate professor of management science with the Maine Business School at the University of Maine, breaks down the issues surrounding supply chain woes. She discusses the bottlenecks and other problems, when they might ease and whether people will get their holiday gifts on time

Business School_Response To Request for Syllabi/Information About Pandemic-Related Courses and Activities Email

Email thread of the response from the Maine School Business to the request for syllabi/information about pandemic-related courses and activities from the Provost Office. Content was submitted by Patti Miles, Associate Professor of Management, Maine Business School, University of Maine to Niclas Erhardt, Associate Dean, Maine Business School, University of Maine. Professor Miles had incorporated the COVID-19 pandemic into assignments for her BUA 101 and BUA 601

The Value of Social Media Advertising Strategies on Tourist Behavior: A Game-Changer for Small Rural Businesses

Nature-based tourism represents a growing sector within the tourism industry, and these interests could help improve the conditions of economically disadvantaged rural communities. The new digital landscape, including Internet and social media usage, represents a critical strategic opportunity to inform, educate and reach these tourism segments. The present research examines the impact of social media advertising on nature-based tourism within rural communities. In this research, we utilize the COBRA (Consumers’ Online Brand-Related Activities) model (Muntinga et al., 2011) of consumer behavior to assess the impact social media advertising plays in generating Pre-Consumption, Consumption, Creation, Contribution, and Engagement in rural business. The results are significant, finding that incorporating digital strategies within rural firms is beneficial. According to our research, the careful placement of a social media advertisement can statistically increase engagement components by more than 50%. In theory, this can increase tourism and economic activity in these rural, economically disadvantaged areas

Christopher R. Pauley in a Senior Recital

This is the program for the senior voice recital of Christopher R. Pauley, accompanied by Patti Bryant on piano and Cynthia Miles on the French horn. The recital was held on March 20, 1990, in the Mabee Fine Arts Center Recital Hall

The Value of Social Media Advertising Strategies on Tourist Behavior: A Game-Changer for Small Rural Businesses

Nature-based tourism represents a growing sector within the tourism industry, and these interests could help improve the conditions of economically disadvantaged rural communities. The new digital landscape, including Internet and social media usage, represents a critical strategic opportunity to inform, educate and reach these tourism segments. The present research examines the impact of social media advertising on nature-based tourism within rural communities. In this research, we utilize the COBRA (Consumers’ Online Brand-Related Activities) model (Muntinga et al., 2011) of consumer behavior to assess the impact social media advertising plays in generating Pre-Consumption, Consumption, Creation, Contribution, and Engagement in rural business. The results are significant, finding that incorporating digital strategies within rural firms is beneficial. According to our research, the careful placement of a social media advertisement can statistically increase engagement components by more than 50%. In theory, this can increase tourism and economic activity in these rural, economically disadvantaged areas

Effects of Racing Surface and Turn Radius on Fatal Limb Fractures in Thoroughbred Racehorses

North American Thoroughbred racing is conducted on three types of surfaces—dirt, turf, and synthetic. The tracks are oval, and races are run counterclockwise. The loading on right and left limbs is expected to differ as a function of turn radius, banking, surface, and gait asymmetry. Hind limbs and forelimbs also have different functions related to propulsion and turning, respectively. This study uses the Equine Injury Database for race starts from 1 January 2009 through 31 December 2014, to compare injury rates across participating North American racetracks. The data are limited to catastrophic injuries in which horses died or were euthanized due to a fracture within 72 h of the start of the race. Overall injury rates were lower on turf and synthetic surfaces and the pattern of limb injuries in left vs. right and fore vs. hind limbs were different. Regardless of surface, forelimbs were more likely to fracture. Dirt surfaces showed higher rates of forelimb injuries compared to other surfaces, hind limbs were more likely to experience a fatal fracture on turf than on dirt. The left fore and right hind limbs were more likely to experience a fatal fracture but only on dirt surfaces

Decreased Insulin-Stimulated ATP Synthesis and Phosphate Transport in Muscle of Insulin-Resistant Offspring of Type 2 Diabetic Parents

BACKGROUND: Insulin resistance is the best predictor for the development of type 2 diabetes. Recent studies have shown that young, lean, insulin-resistant (IR) offspring of parents with type 2 diabetes have reduced basal rates of muscle mitochondrial phosphorylation activity associated with increased intramyocellular lipid (IMCL) content, which in turn blocks insulin signaling and insulin action in muscle. In order to further characterize mitochondrial activity in these individuals, we examined insulin-stimulated rates of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis and phosphate transport in skeletal muscle in a similar cohort of participants. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Rates of insulin-stimulated muscle mitochondrial ATP synthase flux and insulin-stimulated increases in concentrations of intramyocellular inorganic phosphate (P(i)) were assessed by (31)P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in healthy, lean, IR offspring of parents with type 2 diabetes and healthy, lean control participants with normal insulin sensitivity. IMCL content in the soleus muscle of all participants was assessed by (1)H MRS. During a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp, rates of insulin-stimulated glucose uptake were decreased by approximately 50% in the IR offspring compared to the control participants (p = 0.007 versus controls) and were associated with an approximately 2-fold increase in IMCL content (p < 0.006 versus controls). In the control participants rates of ATP synthesis increased by approximately 90% during the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp. In contrast, insulin-stimulated rates of muscle mitochondrial ATP synthesis increased by only 5% in the IR offspring (p = 0.001 versus controls) and was associated with a severe reduction of insulin-stimulated increases in the intramyocellular P(i) concentrations (IR offspring: 4.7% ± 1.9% versus controls: 19.3% ± 5.7%; p = 0.03). Insulin-induced increases in intramyocellular P(i) concentrations correlated well with insulin-stimulated increases in rates of ATP synthesis (r = 0.67; p = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate that insulin-stimulated rates of mitochondrial ATP synthesis are reduced in IR offspring of parents with type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, these IR offspring also have impaired insulin-stimulated phosphate transport in muscle, which may contribute to their defects in insulin-stimulated rates of mitochondrial ATP synthesis

Effects of beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) on exercise performance and body composition across varying levels of age, sex, and training experience: A review

The leucine metabolite beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) has been extensively used as an ergogenic aid; particularly among bodybuilders and strength/power athletes, who use it to promote exercise performance and skeletal muscle hypertrophy. While numerous studies have supported the efficacy of HMB in exercise and clinical conditions, there have been a number of conflicting results. Therefore, the first purpose of this paper will be to provide an in depth and objective analysis of HMB research. Special care is taken to present critical details of each study in an attempt to both examine the effectiveness of HMB as well as explain possible reasons for conflicting results seen in the literature. Within this analysis, moderator variables such as age, training experience, various states of muscle catabolism, and optimal dosages of HMB are discussed. The validity of dependent measurements, clustering of data, and a conflict of interest bias will also be analyzed. A second purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive discussion on possible mechanisms, which HMB may operate through. Currently, the most readily discussed mechanism has been attributed to HMB as a precursor to the rate limiting enzyme to cholesterol synthesis HMG-coenzyme A reductase. However, an increase in research has been directed towards possible proteolytic pathways HMB may operate through. Evidence from cachectic cancer studies suggests that HMB may inhibit the ubiquitin-proteasome proteolytic pathway responsible for the specific degradation of intracellular proteins. HMB may also directly stimulate protein synthesis, through an mTOR dependent mechanism. Finally, special care has been taken to provide future research implications

Hyperglycaemic conditions perturb mouse oocyte in vitro developmental competence via beta-O-linked glycosylation of Heat shock protein 90

STUDY QUESTION What is the effect of beta-O-linked glycosylation (O-GlcNAcylation) on specific proteins in the cumulus-oocyte complex (COC) under hyperglycaemic conditions? SUMMARY ANSWER Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) was identified and confirmed as being O-GlcNAcylated in mouse COCs under hyperglycaemic conditions (modelled using glucosamine), causing detrimental outcomes for embryo development. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY O-GlcNAcylation of proteins occurs as a result of increased activity of the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway, which provides substrates for cumulus matrix production during COC maturation, and also for O-GlcNAcylation. COCs matured under hyperglycaemic conditions have decreased developmental competence, mediated at least in part through the mechanism of increased O-GlcNAcylation. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This study was designed to examine the effect of hyperglycaemic conditions (using the hyperglycaemic mimetic, glucosamine) on O-GlcNAc levels in the mouse COC, and furthermore to identify potential candidate proteins which are targets of this modification, and their roles in oocyte maturation. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS COCs from 21-day-old superovulated CBA × C57BL6 F1 hybrid female mice were matured in vitro (IVM). Levels of O-GlcNAcylated proteins, HSP90 and O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT, the enzyme responsible for O-GlcNAcylation) in COCs were measured using western blot, and localization observed using immunocytochemistry. For glycosylated HSP90 levels, and to test OGT-HSP90 interaction, immunoprecipitation was performed prior to western blotting. Embryo development was assessed using in vitro fertilization and embryo culture post-maturation. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Addition of the hyperglycaemic mimetic glucosamine to IVM medium for mouse COCs increased detectable O-GlcNAcylated protein levels (by western blot and immunocytochemistry), and this effect was reversed using an OGT inhibitor (P < 0.05). HSP90 was identified as a target of O-GlcNAcylation in the COC, and inhibition of HSP90 during IVM reversed glucosamine-induced decreases in oocyte developmental competence (P < 0.05). We also demonstrated the novel finding of an association between HSP90 and OGT in COCs, suggesting a possible client–chaperone relationship. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION In vitro maturation of COCs was used so that treatment time could be limited to the 17 h of maturation prior to ovulation. Additionally, glucosamine, a hyperglycaemic mimetic, was used because it specifically activates the hexosamine pathway which provides the O-GlcNAc moieties. The results in this study should be confirmed using in vivo models of hyperglycaemia and different HSP90 inhibitors. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS This study leads to a new understanding of how diabetes influences oocyte competence and provides insight into possible therapeutic interventions based on inhibiting HSP90 to improve oocyte quality.L.A. Frank, M.L. Sutton-McDowall, H.M. Brown, D.L. Russell, R.B. Gilchrist, and J.G. Thompso