Mobilizing Alumni Constituents for Legislative Advocacy in Higher Education

Adequate funding has become a critical issue for institutions of higher education, affecting outcomes such as accessibility, affordability, and quality of education. The recent economic recession has been detrimental for state funding, resulting in budget cuts for higher education in a majority of states. Overall, state funding has not kept pace with the rising costs of education. Additionally, the issues of state governance and institutional autonomy have also become heightened. Thus, many higher education institutions are initiating advocacy programs with their external constitutions. Because alumni are integral group of an institution\u27s constituent base, and often exhibit the most passion for the institution, this group is identified as a primary focus to employ mechanisms of legislative advocacy. Thus study used a survey questionnaire as the instrument tool to collect quantitative data. 423 surveys were electronically distributed using a membership database of senior-most alumni professionals at four-year higher education institutions. From this sample, 89 surveys were completed and analyzed. The acceptable response rate of 21.5% was obtained for this sample. The survey collected information on strategies utilized for the intent of legislative advocacy. The frequency and level of perceived effectiveness were t he primary facets of the survey which were measured. The goal of this research was to provide information which would benefit administrators in their selection of methods to strengthen relationships with government officials and further promote the needs and benefits of higher education. This information is also useful for policy formation as administrators seek to augment higher education. The first research question determined the most frequently employed strategies of legislative advocacy. The most frequently employed strategy was to use the alumni association website as a tool to encourage participation or legislative advocacy. Several of the most commonly used strategies involved the alumni website and the alumni magazine, which emphasized the value of these two tools for methods of mass-communication. The second research question measured the perceived level of effectiveness for the strategies that were utilized. For this question, a Likert-type scale was used. The strategy with the highest mean score was for alumni to participate in a coordinated visit to the state capitol. Other strategies with high mean scores for perceived effectiveness included a visit to the state capitol by alumni leadership, as well as on-campus events for all alumni and alumni leadership to visit with legislators. The third research question compared the strategies utilized by institutional type. Category I represented baccalaureate/master\u27s institutions, and the most frequently used strategies from that category differed from the strategies most commonly used by Category II institutions (doctoral/research). None of the top three most employed strategies of Category I were in the top three most employed strategies of Category II. Category I represented 60.7% and Category II represented 39.3 % of the participant sample. Yet, in 22 of the 23 listed strategies, Category II yielded more yes responses than did Category I, which displays that Category II institutions are more prevalent in initiating strategies of legislative advocacy. The final research question assessed the policy implications for higher education institutions, leaders, and policy makers. Because legislative awareness was the most common characteristic of the strategies most often employed, agenda denial and problem definition should be common methods administrators undertake to propel issues to be placed upon or kept from reaching legislative agendas. This emphasizes the value of legislative advocacy to create policies that benefit higher education. Properly facilitated by institution administrators, advocacy programs can assist in policy formation

Gud ur Maskinen

Det dramatugiska verktyget Deus ex machina definieras som en extern kraft som oftast mot slutet av en berättelse löser konflikter. Deus ex machina betyder ”gud ur maskinen” eller ”guds maskineri” och härstammar från antikens grekland där teaterpjäser ofta slutade med att en gud eller gudinna hissades ner på scen, med hjälp av en kran (maskineriet i fråga), för att rädda dagen. Bruket av Deus ex machina inom skrivandet av film anses förbjudet. Då en omotiverad kraft löser huvudpersonens problem berövas huvudpersonen av möjligheten att överkomma sin motkraft och därmed växa som karaktär. Huvudpersonens förvandlingsbåge förblir ofärdig. Resultatet är att tittaren ofta känner sig förvirrad eller lurad. I kandidatarbetet undersöks ifall Deus Ex Machina kan användas för att gynna filmberättandet. Kan man använda Deus ex machina för att göra filmen bättre? I arbetet tar jag upp kända exempel på bruket av Deus ex machina i film och analyserar dem. Jag försöker även vidare specificera definitionen på Deus ex machina, genom att skilja på interna och externa variationer av verktyget, dvs. ifall den omotiverade handling sker via huvudpersonen eller på grund av yttre faktorer. Efter en definitions- och avgränsningsdel går arbetet systematisk genom ett tiotal genren och jämför filmer inom genren. Finns det mönster i bruket av Deus ex machina inom t.ex. sciencefiction eller äventyrsfilm? Är det mera tillåtet att använda Deus ex machina då man skriver komedi än då man skriver romantisk dramafilm? Kan en film bli roligare med medvetet bruk av Deus ex machina? Hur är det med filmer som baserar sig på verkliga händelser? Arbetet strävar efter en allmän förståelse av Deus ex machina och dess bruk, snarare än en fördjupad analys. Ämnet är brett och analysen förblir lika bred

Network analysis of genes regulated in renal diseases: implications for a molecular-based classification

Abstract Background Chronic renal diseases are currently classified based on morphological similarities such as whether they produce predominantly inflammatory or non-inflammatory responses. However, such classifications do not reliably predict the course of the disease and its response to therapy. In contrast, recent studies in diseases such as breast cancer suggest that a classification which includes molecular information could lead to more accurate diagnoses and prediction of treatment response. This article describes how we extracted gene expression profiles from biopsies of patients with chronic renal diseases, and used network visualizations and associated quantitative measures to rapidly analyze similarities and differences between the diseases. Results The analysis revealed three main regularities: (1) Many genes associated with a single disease, and fewer genes associated with many diseases. (2) Unexpected combinations of renal diseases that share relatively large numbers of genes. (3) Uniform concordance in the regulation of all genes in the network. Conclusion The overall results suggest the need to define a molecular-based classification of renal diseases, in addition to hypotheses for the unexpected patterns of shared genes and the uniformity in gene concordance. Furthermore, the results demonstrate the utility of network analyses to rapidly understand complex relationships between diseases and regulated genes.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/112463/1/12859_2009_Article_3354.pd

Idiopathic Palmar Fasciitis with Polyarthritis Syndrome

A 31-yr-old Korean woman was presented with 4-month history of bilateral hand swelling and stiffness. On clinical examination, she had a painful synovitis of both hands, wrists, knees and ankles. The radiologic and histological examinations confirmed it with palmar fasciitis and polyarthritis syndrome (PFPAS). PFPAS is an uncommon disorder characterized by progressive flexion contractures of both hands, inflammatory fasciitiis, fibrosis, and a generalized inflammatory arthritis. Although most reported cases of PFPAS have been associated with various malignancies, our patient have not been associated with malignancy during 24 months follow up period from her first symptom onset. Her symptoms were improved with moderate dose of corticosteroid and she is currently taking prednisone 5 mg daily without any evidence for internal malignancy. We present here in a young Korean patient with idiopathic PFPAS who was successfully treated with administration of corticosteroid

Talking to the people that really matter about their participation in pandemic clinical research: a qualitative study in four European countries

Background Pandemics of new and emerging infectious diseases are unpredictable, recurrent events that rapidly threaten global health and security. We aimed to identify public views regarding provision of information and consent to participate in primary and critical care clinical research during a future influenza-like illness pandemic. Methods Descriptive-interpretive qualitative study, using focus groups (n = 10) and semi-structured interviews (n = 16), with 80 members of the public (>18 years) in Belgium, Spain, Poland and the UK. Local qualitative researchers followed a scenario-based topic guide to collect data. Data were transcribed verbatim, translated into English and subject to framework analysis. Results Public understandings of pandemics were shaped by personal factors (illness during the previous H1N1 pandemic, experience of life-threatening illness) and social factors (historical references, media, public health information). Informants appreciated safeguards provided by ethically robust research procedures, but current enrolment procedures were seen as a barrier. They proposed simplified enrolment processes for higher risk research and consent waiver for certain types of low-risk research. Decision making about research participation was influenced by contextual, research and personal factors. Informants generally either carefully weighed up various approaches to research participation or responded instinctively. They supported the principle of using routinely collected, anonymized clinical biological samples for research without explicit consent, but regarded this as less acceptable if researchers were motivated primarily by commercial gain. Conclusions This bottom-up approach to ascertaining public views on pandemic clinical research has identified support for more proportionate research protection procedures for publically funded, low-risk studies

A phase I/II study of gemcitabine and fractionated cisplatin in an outpatient setting using a 21-day schedule in patients with advanced and metastatic bladder cancer

A randomised phase III trial of MVAC (methotrexate, vincristine, doxorubicin, cisplatin) vs gemcitabine and cisplatin (GC) (G 1000 mg m(-2) days 1, 8, and 15 plus C 70 mg m(-2) day 2, q 4 wks) indicated GC had similar efficacy and lower toxicity (JCO 2000). Significant haematologic toxicities in the GC arm occurred on day 15, necessitating dose adjustments in 37% of cycles. We conducted a phase I/II dose escalation trial using GC on a 21-day cycle, with G and C split between days 1 and 8. The objective of the study to define maximum-tolerated dose and dose-limiting toxicity (DLT), objective response rate, and overall survival. In all, 32 patients with locally advanced, relapsed, or metastatic disease received: dose level 1, G/C 1000/35; level 2, 1100/35; level 3, 1200/35; level 4, 1200/45 mg m(-2) (G and C given on days 1 and 8 every 3 wks). A total of 19 patients had glomerular filtration rate <60 ml min(-1) and 19 patients had metastatic disease. Dose-limiting toxicity was haematologic (grade 4 thrombocytopenia) at dose level 2. Of 151 cycles, at day 15, platelets were <100 in 61 cycles; neutrophils <0.5, platelets <50 in 26 cycles. Only seven cycles were deferred due to haematological toxicity; four for renal toxicity (chemotherapy instituted posthydration). Overall response rate was 65.5% on an intention-to-treat analysis (75% [21/28] for assessable patients), with four complete responses (12.5%) and 17 partial responses (53%). After the median follow-up of 17.2 months (range 13.1-32.4 months), 12 patients remain alive. The overall median survival was 16 months (range 10.1-26.6 months). G plus C every 3 weeks is active and well tolerated in an outpatient setting, even in patients receiving prior platinum-based regimens and with poor renal reserve