Indexation as a response to inflation : an examination

Inflation (Finance)

The Use and Value of Data Warehousing in Higher Education

Industry is experiencing a dramatic increase in the use of data warehousing techniques, but higher education has been slow to follow suit. This paper illustrates some common uses of data warehousing in industry, provides higher education analogues and suggests the potential value of data warehousing techniques to colleges and universities

Ammonia oxidation is not required for growth of Group 1.1c soil Thaumarchaeota

© FEMS 2015. FUNDING EBW is funded by Centre for Genome Enabled Biology and Medicine, University of Aberdeen.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Choosing to Serve? An Exploration of Student Self-Selection of Service Learning Projects

This study explores student selection of service learning projects in lieu of traditional library research projects. One hundred fifty-four strategic management students completed surveys exploring their tolerance of ambiguity, time pressure, attitudes toward civic participation, self-efficacy toward service, political conservatism, and the role business school’s should play in civic education. The study examined their responses to survey questions in light of their project selection. The study identified factors important for faculty in designing and developing service learning projects as well as key areas for future research

Development And Validation Of Two Versions Of The Student Prior Attitude Scale (SPA)

It is not uncommon for students to have preconceptions of a class before it begins. These preconceptions may come from information about a class, often through word of mouth, or knowledge that the class requires skills inconsistent with the student’s skill set. These preconceptions of a class may have a positive or negative effect on how a student initially feels about the class, and may, in fact, have an effect on end-of-term student evaluations. Since student evaluations are often used for personnel decisions, it is vital that these evaluations be reliable and valid. This study reports on the development and validation of a scale, the Student Prior Attitude (SPA) scale, to measure the degree to which students are engaged/disengaged, interested/uninterested, or excited/unexcited to be taking a class before the class even begins. Both an 11-item and a 4-item scale are investigated for reliability and validity. Possible uses of the scales are discussed and descriptive data from the sample are reported for both scales. Implications for future research are discussed

How OBGYNs can assist in the prenatal care and delivery of western lowland gorillas

Prenatal care and perinatal planning are paramount for successful delivery outcomes in human pregnancies and has been shown to be equally as important with non-human primates. The authors describe two pregnancies and deliveries of a 12-year-old primigravid western lowland gorilla, Macy. Macy’s first pregnancy resulted in a stillbirth and was complicated by breech positioning, while her second pregnancy resulted in a viable infant. This case report outlines the prenatal care Macy received in her pregnancies and highlights the importance of ultrasound for dating and fetal evaluation. The authors discuss options for breech positioning and considerations for cesarean section. This article showcases how obstetricians and veterinarians can implement human obstetrical recommendations with non-human primates to improve delivery outcomes. 

The management of tree genetic resources and the livelihoods of rural communities in the tropics: non-timber forest products, smallholder agroforestry practices and tree commodity crops

Products and services provided by trees in forests and farmland support the needs and promote the wellbeing of hundreds of millions of people in the tropics. Value depends on managing both the diversity of tree species present in landscapes and the genetic variation within these species. The benefits from trees and their genetic resources are, however, often not well quantified because trade is frequently outside formal markets, there is a multiplicity of species and ways in which trees are used and managed, and genetic diversity within species is frequently not given proper consideration. We review here what is known about the value of trees to rural communities through considering three production categories: non-timber products harvested from trees in natural and managed forests and woodlands; the various products and services obtained from a wide range of trees planted and/or retained in smallholders’ agroforestry systems; and the commercial products harvested from cultivated tree commodity crops. Where possible, we focus on the role of intra-specific genetic variation in providing support to livelihoods, and for each of the three production categories we also consider wider conservation and sustainability issues, including the linkages between categories in terms of management. Challenges to ‘conventional wisdom’ on tree resource use, value and management – such as in the posited links between commercialisation, cultivation and conservation – are highlighted, and constraints and opportunities to maintain and enhance value are described

Maternal and Paternal Risk Factors for Cryptorchidism and Hypospadias: A Case–Control Study in Newborn Boys

Little is known on environmental risk factors for cryptorchidism and hypospadias, which are among the most frequent congenital abnormalities. The aim of our study was to identify risk factors for cryptorchidism and hypospadias, with a focus on potential endocrine disruptors in parental diet and occupation. In a case–control study nested within a cohort of 8,698 male births, we compared 78 cryptorchidism cases and 56 hypospadias cases with 313 controls. The participation rate was 85% for cases and 68% for controls. Through interviews, information was collected on pregnancy aspects and personal characteristics, lifestyle, occupation, and dietary phytoestrogen intake of both parents. Occupational exposure to potential endocrine disruptors was classified based on self-reported exposure and ratings of occupational hygienists based on job descriptions. Our findings indicate that paternal pesticide exposure was associated with cryptorchidism [odds ratio (OR) = 3.8; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.1–13.4]. Smoking of the father was associated with hypospadias (OR = 3.8; 95% CI, 1.8–8.2). Maternal occupational, dietary, and lifestyle exposures were not associated with either abnormality. Both abnormalities were associated with suboptimal maternal health, a lower maternal education, and a Turkish origin of the parents. Being small for gestational age was a risk factor for hypospadias, and preterm birth was a risk factor for cryptorchidism. Because paternal pesticide exposure was significantly associated with cryptorchidism and paternal smoking was associated with hypospadias in male offspring, paternal exposure should be included in further studies on cryptorchidism and hypospadias risk factors