Empire\u27s Law (The Earl A. Snyder Lecture in International Law)

On March 7, 2002, Professor Marks delivered the sixth annual Snyder Lecture at the Indiana University School of Law-Bloomington

An Analysis of the Elements of the Professional Learning Communities Institute and Its Relationship to the Sources of Collective Efficacy

Educating students to meet high accountability standards and even more importantly preparing students to be competitive in a complex and demanding world requires schools to become high functioning organizations. This mixed-method study examined the relationship between professional learning communities and the collective efficacy in 10 elementary schools that participated in the Professional Learning Communities Institute (PLCI) in a large suburban school district outside Washington, DC. The implementation of the PLCI allowed the researcher to analyze these relationships in schools receiving structured and deliberate professional development in becoming professional learning communities as well as the effect this experience had on the beliefs of the group about their ability to make a difference for their students. The researcher analyzed survey and interview data through the lens of the characteristics of professional learning communities as outlined by Hord (1997) and the sources of efficacy as defined by Bandura (1997). The findings from this study revealed a significant relationship between the five dimensions of professional learning communities and collective efficacy. The characteristics of professional learning communities of shared leadership, shared vision, collective learning, supportive conditions, and shared personal practice work in a school organization to strengthen the collective efficacy of staff. The professional development that the schools received in becoming professional learning communities promoted collective efficacy. Although the 10 schools demonstrated strong collective efficacy, in general, there were some differences between schools. This study found that some variables influenced the perceived collective efficacy in the schools surveyed. There was a moderate inverse significant relationship between poverty level and collective efficacy. Low-poverty schools had higher collective efficacy than high-poverty schools. The length of time that teachers were in their current school was mildly related to the collective efficacy in that school. There was a negative mild relationship between the teachers' number of years of experience and the poverty level of the school

The involvement of alpha1-adrenoceptors in the intermediolateral cell column of the spinal cord in regulating sympathetic activity

Catecholamines are known to influence sympathetic function through regulation of the activity of sympathetic preganglionic neurones at the spinal level. Neuropharmacological, neurophysiological and autoradiographic techniques have been used to study the possible involvement of α1-adrenoceptors in the intermediolateral cell column of the spinal cord in regulating the activity of sympathetic preganglionic neurones in the intact animal. The location of α1-adrenoceptor ligand binding sites in the cat spinal cord was investigated autoradiographically using [3H]prazosin. High levels of [3H]prazosin binding sites were found in the intermediolateral cell column. Non-specific binding was very low, indicating that the binding was to α1-adrenoceptors. In anaesthetised rats extracellular recordings were made from antidromically identified sympathetic preganglionic neurones and effects of iontophoretic applications of α1-adrenoceptor agonists in the vicinity of these neurones studied. Iontophoresis of phenylephrine and methoxamine (both highly selective α1-adrenoceplor agonists) caused increases in the firing rate of the majority of neurones studied. SPNs were also analyzed for respiratory- and ECG-related activity, and the axonal conduction velocities of the neurones were calculated to determine whether there was relationship between the physiological characteristics of a neurone and its response to α1-adrenoceptor agonists. The results indicated that the effect of α1-adrenoceptor agonists on an SPN is not related to its physiological characteristics. Recordings were made from the inferior cardiac nerve of anaesthetised cats to determine whether sympathetic preganglionic neurones innervating this nerve are excited by α1-adrenoceptor agonists microinjected into the intermediolateral cell column. Microinjection of 100 nl of phenylephrine caused increases in inferior cardiac nerve activity, an effect which could be antagonised by microinjection of the α1-adrenoceptor antagonist alfuzosin. This antagonism appeared selective for phenylephrine since alfuzosin did not block the excitatory effects of microinjections of glutamate and 5-HT. It is concluded that α1-adrenoceptors in the intermediolateral cell column may be involved in mediating excitatory input onto sympathetic preganglionic neurones in the intact animal. The possible roles and supraspinal sources of this input are discussed

A single, complete touch: Population health, the health contact center, and the patient experience

As healthcare organizations turn to population health in order to more effectively manage the health and well-being of their patients, many need to ensure that these new strategies include a directive to improve the patient experience. Fortunately, healthcare systems can turn to an existing entity within its ranks, the health contact center, in order to execute a successful strategy and ensure that the individual patient never feels lost amongst the population crowd. Fran Horner from Singola Consulting and Susan Marks from Amati Health explore the ways in which population health and the health contact center work collaboratively to keep patient populations well cared for, healthy, and ultimately improve the patient experience for every individual