Why Campaigns for Local Transportation Initiatives Succeed or Fail: An Analysis of Four Communities and National Data, MTI Report 00-01

As funding from state and national sources has dwindled and demands for relief from traffic and congestion have grown, local governments and transportation agencies are increasingly left to develop their own sources of enhanced revenues. Frequently the bid to increase available revenues comprises a local ballot measure, enabling the citizens served by these governments and agencies to express their preferences for or against increased taxation in support of an improved transportation system. What determines the success of campaigns in support of such ballot measures? To answer this question, this report includes the use of two different approaches and data sources. 1) A statistical analysis of community-level characteristics. Data from localities across the nation, as well those within the state of California, that have conducted elections for transportation tax increase are analyzed to determine what factors seem to affect the outcome of such elections. 2) Case studies of four communities that recently conducted elections for transportation tax increases (Santa Clara and Sonoma Counties in California, and the Denver and Seattle metropolitan areas). The case studies allow for in-depth, qualitative understanding of what election strategies and other campaign elements comprise successful or unsuccessful efforts to raise local revenues. Among the most significant findings from the statistical analysis of local elections were the following: Efforts to fund transportation with taxes where the proportion of elderly is greater than 9 percent are more likely to succeed In communities where the percentage of elderly is greater than 9 percent, the analysis indicates that voters may be more willing to accept local transportation taxes. However, in communities where the percentage of elderly is less than 9 percent, transportation measures may require significantly more determined marketing to enhance the probability of passage. Efforts to increase sales taxes for transportation programs will be less successful in communities with higher sales taxes. A relatively strong and negative relationship between sales tax and support for transportation tax initiatives was identified in the national election data. This suggests that communities with relatively higher sales taxes will be hard pressed to convince citizens to support additional increases

An Analysis of Emma Diruf Seiler's Teaching Philosophy and Contribution to Voice Pedagogy

Emma Diruf Seiler (1821-1886) was a Bavarian-American voice teacher and scientist who wrote and published Altes und Neues über die Ausbildung des Gesangorganes mit besonderer Rücksicht auf die Frauenstimme (Old and New in the Art of Singing, with Special Attention to the Female Voice) in 1861 while working in Leipzig. It was translated by William Henry Furness and published in Philadelphia as The Voice in Singing in 1868. This pedagogue and her writings are largely unknown to those who study historic bel canto pedagogy. In the opening of Seiler's pamphlet, she explained her purpose for writing was "to bring into harmony things which have always been treated separately, the Science and the Art of Singing..." Aside from brief comments in a few books on vocal pedagogy, Emma Seiler is largely unknown. Neither her contribution to voice science and pedagogy, nor the impact of her integrated philosophy on teaching have been subjected to scholarly scrutiny. The purpose of this document is to explore her philosophy on teaching, her method of female vocal instruction, and her impact on voice instruction. This dissertation historicizes evidence-based pedagogy through Seiler's example

Spouse abuse by Army soldiers: sex differences and the organizational response

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health problem for U.S. families, including those with a member in the military. While female-perpetrated intimate partner violence is being increasingly recognized, much remains unknown. This study addresses these gaps through examination of five years of data (2000-2004) from the U.S. Army Central Registry, an electronic data system that contains information on family violence cases. Study aims were to: 1) describe differences by sex in spouse abuse perpetration by soldiers in the U.S. Army; 2) explore how the organizational response to spouse abuse varies by the sex of the perpetrator; and 3) examine the influence of the sex of the soldier perpetrator on spouse abuse reoffense. Males had significantly higher rates of initial spouse abuse perpetration than females in all racial/ethnic groups. Among offenders, females were more likely than male offenders to commit physical abuse, and were less likely to commit emotional abuse. Slightly more than half of females were also victims of abuse during the incident, more than double the percentage of males. Males committed emotional violence of higher severity. Sex did not predict physical violence severity. The Army's response to male and female spouse abuse perpetrators and victims is largely ungendered. However, differences were found in victim protective actions taken, namely, male offenders were more likely to be removed from the home, and the spouses of male offenders were less likely to be sheltered. These differences may be due to the greater availability of housing options for males than females on Army installations. Males and females had equivalent five year recidivist rates, and did not differ in the types and severity of recidivist incidents. Cox proportional hazard models found males had 35% greater risk than females of reoffending during the study period, controlling for other factors (p = .072). These findings suggest males should be the main target for primary prevention efforts, while both sexes need equivalent attention once the initial incident has occurred. Further research should explore the effects of the Army's intervention efforts on male and female recidivism

Education and Simulation of Best Value in an International Academic Setting: A Case Study

An innovative education and simulation of the Best Value (BV) business model was carried out in a Project Management (PM) course at an International Engineering University in Italy. The BV model has been applied in a variety of organizations and projects to minimize risk and increase performance; however, its use in education at the University level is less explored. The BV educational sessions held in the PM course revealed that BV is instructive because it educates students regarding PM concepts via an industry-applied model, and is transformational as it promotes a change in perspectives of the students and the instructors. The simulation was a course group project that utilized the BV concepts and tools, which revealed that BV is flexible because students realized their increased knowledge via the project, the project was easier to administer as compared to previous years, and it was multicultural as it was easily used in a course with individuals from numerous cultural backgrounds. The performance information of the course revealed that, compared to previous years, the project was clearer, evaluations saved time and limited subjectivity, and the students' performance increased overall. The BV business model contributed to positive transformative learning experiences

Beyond “Vessels and Vectors”: A Global Review of Registered HIV-Related Clinical Trials with Pregnant Women

BACKGROUND: Since the early 1990s, the HIV research agenda has prioritized to some degree the inclusion of pregnant women. However, concerns remain regarding the extent to which pregnant women's own health needs are addressed, representation in trials of HIV preventives or treatments for comorbidities, and equitable study of newer medications during pregnancy. METHODS: We employed a keyword search of the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform to identify interventional HIV-related trials conducted with pregnant women between January 2001 and December 2015. Retained trials were coded according to several key variables (e.g., study endpoints, trial phase, study compound) and analyzed using information provided in the database. RESULTS: In total, 63 trials studying use of a pharmacological compound during pregnancy were conducted across 35 countries and sponsored by 74 unique organizations, including pharmaceutical companies. Of trials analyzed, 86% (n = 54) listed maternal outcomes as a primary endpoint. More than 35% (n = 23) of trials assessed pharmacokinetic parameters of a study compound during pregnancy. Of 45 trials specifically studying HIV-related medication(s), just 4% (n = 2) focused on HIV preventives. One trial studied tuberculosis in HIV-infected pregnant women; 11 studied malaria. On average, medications were studied during pregnancy 4.4 years after licensure. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that trials with pregnant women are conducted across a range of countries and sponsors, and much progress has been made to better address pregnant women's own health needs in HIV research. However, our findings confirm other concerns, for example, lack of HIV preventives studied and the lag between medication licensure and study during pregnancy

Histone Modifications within the Human X Centromere Region

Human centromeres are multi-megabase regions of highly ordered arrays of alpha satellite DNA that are separated from chromosome arms by unordered alpha satellite monomers and other repetitive elements. Complexities in assembling such large repetitive regions have limited detailed studies of centromeric chromatin organization. However, a genomic map of the human X centromere has provided new opportunities to explore genomic architecture of a complex locus. We used ChIP to examine the distribution of modified histones within centromere regions of multiple X chromosomes. Methylation of H3 at lysine 4 coincided with DXZ1 higher order alpha satellite, the site of CENP-A localization. Heterochromatic histone modifications were distributed across the 400–500 kb pericentromeric regions. The large arrays of alpha satellite and gamma satellite DNA were enriched for both euchromatic and heterochromatic modifications, implying that some pericentromeric repeats have multiple chromatin characteristics. Partial truncation of the X centromere resulted in reduction in the size of the CENP-A/Cenp-A domain and increased heterochromatic modifications in the flanking pericentromere. Although the deletion removed ∼1/3 of centromeric DNA, the ratio of CENP-A to alpha satellite array size was maintained in the same proportion, suggesting that a limited, but defined linear region of the centromeric DNA is necessary for kinetochore assembly. Our results indicate that the human X centromere contains multiple types of chromatin, is organized similarly to smaller eukaryotic centromeres, and responds to structural changes by expanding or contracting domains