The global effort to eradicate rinderpest:

millions fed, food security, Rinderpest, livestock, Cattle, Disease, Epidemic, GREP,

Arnold J. Heidenheimer: Disparate ladders. Why school and university policies differ in Germany, Japan, and Switzerland. New Brunswick/London: Transaction Publishers 1997. [Rezension]

Rezension von: Arnold J. Heidenheimer: Disparate ladders. Why school and university policies differ in Germany, Japan, and Switzerland. New Brunswick/London: Transaction Publishers 1997. 382 S

TIMSS und PISA - Chancen eines neuen Anfangs in Bildungspolitik, -planung, -verwaltung und Unterricht. Endlich ein Schock mit Folgen?

Der Tenor des Beitrags ist durch die Einschätzung bestimmt, dass mit TIMSS und PISA ein qualitativer Sprung in der international vergleichenden Schulforschung gelungen ist. Auf dieser Basis werden im einleitenden Kapitel die Chancen erörtert, aus der in diesen Projekten empirisch begründeten Kritik des deutschen Bildungssystems konsensfähige Maßnahmen zu dessen Weiterentwicklung abzuleiten. Unter diesem Aspekt wird die Kritik am Föderalismus im Bildungssystem zusammen mit einigen einschlägigen Befunden zum Bundesländervergleich in PISA thematisiert; die Entwicklung der Bildungsforschung selbst wird als wichtige Rahmenbedingung im Prozess der Umsetzung von Forschungsergebnissen in praktische Veränderungen bewertet. Im zweiten Kapitel werden die in den öffentlichen Reaktionen auf die aktuellen Schulleistungsstudien geäußerten Reformvorschläge unter der Fragestellung diskutiert, welche Veränderungen angesichts einer Vielfalt in sich komplexer Anforderungen vorrangig sein sollten. Kapitel 3 befasst sich mit Forschungsergebnissen zur Bedeutung der Schularten im gegliederten System für die Lenkung von Schülerströmen - explizit nach den Kriterien Befähigung und Vorwissen, in Deutschland aber stärker als in den meisten anderen PISA-Teilnehmerstaaten verbunden mit Statusmerkmalen der Herkunftsfamilie, die maßgeblich an der Entwicklung von Befähigung und Wissen beteiligt ist. Im abschließenden Kapitel 4 werden Resultate von PISA zur in Deutschland besonders häufigen Verzögerung von Schullaufbahnen referiert und mit Ergebnissen anderer Projekte konfrontiert, die eine weniger rigorose Bewertung nahe legen. Die zweifellos zu kritisierende Häufigkeit von Verzögerungen z.B. durch Klassenwiederholungen erscheint vor diesem Hintergrund eher als Folge des Fehlens praktikabler Alternativen zur Förderung von Schülern mit gravierenden Leistungsschwächen. (DIPF/Orig.

Gender differences in the choice of advanced and basic courses in senior high school

Die vorliegende Untersuchung stützt sich auf Erhebungen der Bundesländer über die Wahlen von Leistungs- und Grundkursen sowie auf Informationen auf einer Schülerbefragung zur Bewertung von Aspekten des Kurssystems, die im Rahmen einer internationalen Untersuchung zum mathematisch- naturwissenschaftlichen Unterricht durchgeführt wurde. Auf der Grundlage dieser Daten werden Unterschiede und Gemeinsamkeiten im Kurswahlverhalten der Geschlechter erörtert. Fokus der abschließenden Diskussion ist der Kontrast zwischen geschlechtsspezifischem Kurswahlverhalten einerseits und dem in den vergangenen Jahrzehnten zu beobachtenden Prozeß der Angleichung der formalen Bildungskarrieren beider Geschlechter andererseits. (DIPF/Orig.)The study presented is based on statistics provided by the Laender Ministries of Education regarding curricular options of senior high school students in choosing advanced and basic courses. In addition, information gained from an international survey on students\u27 opinions concerning, among other things, the quality of the advanced courses they had taken is utilized for a broader interpretation of the observed gender differences in curricular options. The concluding discussion focusses on the contrast between gender-specific curricular options and the process of an equalization of male and female formal educational careers that has been observed during the last three decades. (DIPF/Orig.

A survey of the prevalence of equid herpesvirus 2 infections

Slowly cytopathogenic viruses were isolated from the leucocytes of 17 out of 19 (89 per cent) apparently normal horses, one yearling and one of two foals under two months of age. The viruses replicated in primary rabbit kidney cells, the RK 13 rabbit kidney cell line and the VERO monkey kidney cell line but not in the BHK 21 hamster kidney cell line. Typical Cowdry Type A intranuclear inclusions were produced in culture cells and these were shown to contain DNA by acridine orange fluorescence. Electron microscopy of negatively stained preparations demonstrated characteristic herpesvirus morphology. The complement fixation reaction demonstrated an antigenic relationship between the viruses isolated and equid herpesvirus 2. Conventional serum neutralisation tests failed to demonstrate neutralising antibody in pooled normal horse serum, pooled normal rabbit serum and reference antisera to equid herpesvirus 1 and 2. Double immunodiffusion gave no reaction

Interplay of thermal and quantum spin fluctuations on the kagome lattice

We present a Raman spectroscopic investigation of the Herbertsmithite ZnCu3(OH)6Cl2, the first realization of a Heisenberg s=1/2 antiferromagnet on a perfect kagome lattice. The magnetic excitation spectrum of this compound is dominated by two components, a high temperature quasi elastic signal and a low temperature, broad maximum. The latter has a linear low energy slope and extends to high energy. We have investigated the temperature dependence and symmetry properties of both signals. Our data agree with previous calculations and point to a spin liquid ground state.Comment: 5 figure

Long term results of postoperative Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) in the treatment of Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) located in the oropharynx or oral cavity

Background: To report our long-term results with postoperative intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in patients suffering from squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral cavity or oropharynx. Methods: Seventy five patients were retrospectively analyzed. Median age was 58 years and 84 % were male. 76 % of the primaries were located in the oropharynx. Surgery resulted in negative margins (R0) in 64 % of the patients while 36 % suffered from positive margins (R1). Postoperative stages were as follows: stage1:4 %, stage2:9 %, stage3:17 %, stage4a:69 % with positive nodes in 84 %. Perineural invasion (Pn+) and extracapsular extension (ECE) were present in 7 % and 29 %, respectively. All patients received IMRT using the step-and-shoot approach with a simultaneously integrated boost (SIB) in 84 %. Concurrent systemic therapy was applied to 53 patients, mainly cisplatin weekly. Results: Median follow-up was 55 months (5–150). 13 patients showed locoregional failures (4 isolated local, 4 isolated neck, 5 combined) transferring into 5-year-LRC rates of 85 %. Number of positive lymph nodes (n > 2) and presence of ECE were significantly associated with decreased LRC in univariate analysis, but only the number of nodes remained significant in multivariate analysis. Overall treatment failures occurred in 20 patients (9 locoregional only, 7 distant only, 4 combined), transferring into 3-and 5-year-FFTF rates of 77 % and 75 %, respectively. The 3-and 5-year-OS rates were 80 % and 72 %, respectively. High clinical stage, high N stage, number of positive nodes (n > 2), ECE and Pn1 were significantly associated with worse FFTF and OS in univariate analysis, but only number of nodes remained significant for FFTF in multivariate analysis. Maximum acute toxicity was grade 3 in 64 % and grade 4 in 1 %, mainly hematological or mucositis/dysphagia. Maximum late toxicity was grade 3 in 23 % of the patients, mainly long-term tube feeding dependency. Conclusion: Postoperative IMRT achieved excellent LRC and good OS with acceptable acute and low late toxicity rates. The number of positive nodes (n > 2) was a strong prognostic factor for all endpoints in univariate and the only significant factor for LRC and FFTF in multivariate analysis. Patients with feeding tubes due to postoperative complications had an increased risk for long-term feeding tube dependency

The IMS New Researchers\u27 Survival Guide

Statistics is a wonderfully diverse profession and graduate students making career choices have many options — especially in light of the dearth of students moving into the statistical sciences today. The three main career paths at the PhD level are in academics, industry/business and government. Each of these job types offers its own mix of intellectual challenges, financial reward, pressure and security. How a new researcher selects (or is selected by) a specific occupation in the statistical sciences sometimes seems more a function of luck than of conscious decision making. This consideration was one of the first concerns addressed by the New Researchers Committee (NRC) of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics in 1988, and this guide is the product of that (and later) thinking. We believe that if students were better informed about their choices, they would be less apprehensive, pursue their goals more effectively and, ultimately, be far more likely to find positions for which they are well suited. Similarly, if doctoral students were generally more familiar with various aspects of professional life, the entire statistical community would benefit. Among the transitional facts of life with which we believe new researchers should be acquainted are: 1. mechanisms for applying for jobs, 2. expectations associated with different types of jobs, 3. techniques for initiating an active research program, and 4. methods of becoming more involved with the broader statistical community. The Survival Guide addresses these issues, but it also offers advice on a variety of other topics which new researchers may wish to consider as they prepare to leave graduate school. This guide is based on the Statistical Science article by the New Researchers Committee of IMS (1991). See Kruse (2002) on inspiration for statistics as a career path and Stasny (2001) on the big picture with respect to academic jobs. DeMets et al (1998) and Shettle and Gaddy (1998) provide job outlooks for statisticians