Facilitating Critical Thinking In An Introduction To Business Freshman Course

The current article presents an example of the development, implementation, and evaluation of a teaching intervention intended to facilitate student critical thinking through the integration of knowledge in an introductory business course.  The intervention is grounded in the scholarship of teaching and learning literature.  A discussion of the initial evaluation of the impact of the intervention on student learning is presented and directions for future research on the effectiveness of the intervention are discussed

Enhancing Creative Thinking In A Case-Based MBA Course

Improving the critical thinking ability of students is a learning outcome of many undergraduate and graduate courses.  While case-based courses encourage higher order critical thinking, students still often become rote in the application of concepts and theories to problem-solving situations.  This paper presents an example of a graduate marketing MBA course that was revised by integrating the creative problem solving process with the traditional case analysis process in order to enhance student critical thinking and problem solving skills

Exploring The Media Strategy For International Marketers With Small Budgets: A Cross-Country Consumer Perspective

This paper reports a cross-country comparative study of the media choices for the marketing of Master of Business Administration education in China and the United States from a consumer perspective. To date, limited discussion in the standardization versus adaptation debate has focused specifically on the issue of media strategy from the perspective of a specific category of international marketers, even though media planning is often the most costly and challenging part of international marketing communication. The current study is an effort to bridge this gap

Marketing In America's Large Protestant Churches

The current study assesses, from a quantitative perspective, the extent to which marketing and planning are being effectively used by large, Protestant churches to meet their goals. Even though the debate over whether religious organizations should apply business world concepts continues, the use of management and marketing practices from business in churches, particularly large churches, does occur

Minding Our Business: Longitudinal Effects Of A Service-Learning Experience On Alumni

The mission of Minding Our Business (MOB), a service-learning course started in 1997 to meet community needs, is to advance the personal and vocational development of urban youth through entrepreneurship education and mentoring. This paper evaluates the long-term impact of MOB on the personal and vocational development of the alumni mentors participating in the program from 1997 to 2005. No scholarly research has been conducted to date on the long-term effect of MOB on mentors and little research has been conducted on the effects of service-learning participation on alumni service-related attitudes and behaviors in general. Consequently, the current study extends the existing research stream on the long-term effects of service-learning participation on alumni service-related attitudes and behaviors. Furthermore, the unique nature of MOB as a mentoring program in entrepreneurship also allows the researchers to study possible long-term effects on interest in community service and interest in entrepreneurship as a vocational option

Ligand-Enhanced Abiotic Iron Oxidation and the Effects of Chemical versus Biological Iron Cycling in Anoxic Environments

This study introduces a newly isolated, genetically tractable bacterium (Pseudogulbenkiania sp. strain MAI-1) and explores the extent to which its nitrate-dependent iron-oxidation activity is directly biologically catalyzed. Specifically, we focused on the role of iron chelating ligands in promoting chemical oxidation of Fe(II) by nitrite under anoxic conditions. Strong organic ligands such as nitrilotriacetate and citrate can substantially enhance chemical oxidation of Fe(II) by nitrite at circumneutral pH. We show that strain MAI-1 exhibits unambiguous biological Fe(II) oxidation despite a significant contribution (~30–35%) from ligand-enhanced chemical oxidation. Our work with the model denitrifying strain Paracoccus denitrificans further shows that ligand-enhanced chemical oxidation of Fe(II) by microbially produced nitrite can be an important general side effect of biological denitrification. Our assessment of reaction rates derived from literature reports of anaerobic Fe(II) oxidation, both chemical and biological, highlights the potential competition and likely co-occurrence of chemical Fe(II) oxidation (mediated by microbial production of nitrite) and truly biological Fe(II) oxidation

Peer Acceptance and Friendship as Predictors of Early Adolescents’ Adjustment Across the Middle School Transition

This study examines several aspects of adolescents’ pretransition peer relationships as predictors of their adjustment to middle school. Participants were 365 students (175 boys; 99% Caucasian) involved in the Time 1 (the spring of fifth grade) and Time 2 (the fall of sixth grade) assessments. Adolescents completed measures that assessed peer acceptance, number of friends, the quality of a specific mutual friendship, loneliness, depression, self-esteem, and involvement in school. Academic achievement and absentee data were obtained from student files. Regression analyses indicated that the pretransition peer variables predicted posttransition loneliness, self-esteem, school involvement, and academic achievement. The patterns of prediction varied slightly for each adjustment variable, with the most robust relationship being between peer acceptance and achievement. Results of repeated-measures MANOVAs indicated no differential changes in adjustment across time by gender. Implications for including a peer component in programs that prepare students for the middle school transition are discussed

Peer Acceptance and Friendship as Predictors of Early Adolescents\u27 Adjustment Across the Middle School Transition

This study examines several aspects of adolescents\u27 pretransition peer relationships as predictors of their adjustment to middle school. Participants were 365 students (175 boys; 99% Caucasian) involved in the Time 1 (the spring of fifth grade) and Time 2 (the fall of sixth grade) assessments. Adolescents completed measures that assessed peer acceptance, number of friends, the quality of a specific mutual friendship, loneliness, depression, self-esteem, and involvement in school. Academic achievement and absentee data were obtained from student files. Regression analyses indicated that the pretransition peer variables predicted posttransition loneliness, self-esteem, school involvement, and academic achievement. The patterns of prediction varied slightly for each adjustment variable, with the most robust relationship being between peer acceptance and achievement. Results of repeated-measures MANOVAs indicated no differential changes in adjustment across time by gender. Implications for including a peer component in programs that prepare students for the middle school transition are discussed

Social Competence Treatment after Traumatic Brain Injury: A Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Trial of Interactive Group Treatment versus Non-Interactive Treatment

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of a replicable group treatment program for improving social competence after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Design Multicenter randomized controlled trial comparing two methods of conducting a social competency skills program, an interactive group format versus a classroom lecture. Setting Community and Veteran rehabilitation centers. Participants 179 civilian, military, and veteran adults with TBI and social competence difficulties, at least 6 months post-injury. Experimental Intervention Thirteen weekly group interactive sessions (1.5 hours) with structured and facilitated group interactions to improve social competence. Alternative (Control) Intervention Thirteen traditional classroom sessions using the same curriculum with brief supplemental individual sessions but without structured group interaction. Primary Outcome Measure Profile of Pragmatic Impairment in Communication (PPIC), an objective behavioral rating of social communication impairments following TBI. Secondary Outcomes LaTrobe Communication Questionnaire (LCQ), Goal Attainment Scale (GAS), Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist – (PCL-C), Brief Symptom Inventory 18 (BSI-18), Scale of Perceived Social Self Efficacy (PSSE). Results Social competence goals (GAS) were achieved and maintained for most participants regardless of treatment method. Significant improvements in the primary outcome (PPIC) and two of the secondary outcomes (LCQ and BSI) were seen immediately post-treatment and at 3 months post-treatment in the AT arm only, however these improvements were not significantly different between the GIST and AT arms. Similar trends were observed for PSSE and PCL-C. Conclusions Social competence skills improved for persons with TBI in both treatment conditions. The group interactive format was not found to be a superior method of treatment delivery in this study

Antimicrobial Agents: Antibacterial Agents, Anti-biofilm Agents, Antibacterial Natural Compounds, and Antibacterial Chemicals

The surge in antimicrobial resistance coupled with the decline in the antimicrobial drug pipeline calls for the discovery and development of new agents to tackle antibiotic resistance and prevent a return to a post-antibiotic era. Several factors account for resistance of microbes; some are natural and others are acquired. Natural selection, presence of efflux pumps, impermeable cell wall, biofilm formation and quorum sensing are some of the factors. Though it is difficult to outwit the pathogens, the discovery and development of compounds with pleiotropic modes or mechanisms of action different from the conventional drugs currently being used can help us tackle antimicrobial resistance. Natural products have been known to be a rich source of bioactive compounds with diverse structures and functional group chirality. Various reports indicate medicinal plants with antibacterial, anti-biofilm, efflux pump inhibition, wound healing effects or properties and others used for upper respiratory and urinary tract infections. There is an urgent need to research into natural products particularly plants for antimicrobial agents including antibacterial agents, anti-biofilm agents, antibacterial natural compounds and antibacterial chemicals. This chapter throws more light on such antimicrobials