Full-Day Kindergarten in California: Lessons From Los Angeles

Analyzes the impact of full-day kindergarten on academic, grade retention, and English fluency outcomes through second grade by school and student characteristics, with a focus on the economically disadvantaged and English learners. Outlines implications

Surface electromagnetic waves with damping I. Isotropic Media II. Anisotropic Media

Paper 1: “Surface electromagnetic wave (SEW) dispersion curves are usually calculated using a simple equation derived from Maxwell’s equations and boundary conditions. When complex dielectric functions are used for the two media, the component of the propagation vector along the surface kx becomes infinite as the frequency ω approaches the surface polariton frequency ωs if ω is considered complex and kx real. On the other hand, if kx is considered complex and ω real, the dispersion curves bend back toward smaller kx as ω approaches ωs. We have previously demonstrated that both types of dispersion curves can be obtained from attenuated total reflection measurements of silver. We now extend this result to other materials and show that dispersion curves alone present an inadequate summary of the data --Abstract, page 1. Paper 2: “The technique of plotting the ATR reflectance as a function of both frequency and incident angle using a three dimensional plot is applied to surface electromagnetic waves (SEW) in a uniaxial material, MnF2. It is shown that dispersion curves calculated without absorption do not completely describe the ATR reflectivity. Experimental data confirming the reflectance surface features are presented. The termination of an extraordinary SEW dispersion branch is observed experimentally, and the experimental conditions for this observation are discussed. Also, additional minima in the reflectance surface not associated with SEW are found --Abstract, page 1

Response from Cooperative Extension Personnel to Citizen Requests for Information About Wildlife

With the increasing urbanization of rural areas, conflicts between homeowners and wildlife are becoming more common. County extension offices frequently receive telephone calls from individuals who are experiencing problems with wildlife. In most cases, extension staff provides assistance over the phone or by mail. However, there are no guidelines for the distribution of information nor is there training for extension personnel. Each county office collects and distributes information differently. Because there is no follow-up to inquiries, little is known about what the homeowners actually do or whether the problems were solved. With some wildlife species, there is a question of whether we should advise the homeowner to seek help from a resource professional directly, without trying control methods themselves

Telemedicine Evaluation

This paper examines the context and status of evaluation research in telemedicine, and it proposes a two-pronged strategy for addressing the critical policy and programmatic concerns in this field. It explains the evolution of evaluation research in the United States, and it describes a comprehensive typology and requirements for valid evaluation. Major impediments for definitive evaluation are discussed, together with a summary of major trends in empirical studies. Two concurrent strategies are proposed for producing definitive findings and for assessing the available empirical evidence. These consist of large-scale experimental studies and theoretical and empirical triangulation for assessing the available empirical evidence.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/63176/1/tmj.2005.11.296.pd

MAT-735: OPTIMIZING PERFORMANCE OF ZINC COATED REINFORCING STEEL IN CONCRETE STRUCTURES

Corrosion of steel reinforcing bar (rebar) is the most significant cause of concrete failure, resulting in expensive repairs and premature structure replacements across the country. This paper will discuss a new, low-cost, zinc coating process for rebar. The properties of this new coated rebar and its contribution to improvement of concrete performance will be presented together with the status of related national and international standards. The Continuous Galvanized Rebar (CGR) coating process is similar to galvanizing of sheet steel. The zinc coating is durable and resistant to abrasion that is routine during transport and construction, but is also highly ductile and can be bent without cracking to diameters of less than 4x the rebar diameter. This property ensures the bars can be coated pre-fabrication, reducing cost and speeding construction schedules. Once in the concrete, the zinc coating protects the rebar both as a barrier coating and with the well-known sacrificial properties of a galvanized coating

Strategies to Increase Employees’ Morale

Leaders who lack effective strategies to increase employee morale face an organizational decrease in productivity, sustainability, and profitability, increasing absenteeism and turnover and costing businesses millions of dollars. Grounded in Burns’s transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies used by successful organizational leaders to increase employee morale to improve productivity and profitability in their organization. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and a review of company documents. Participants comprised five leaders of a company located in Knoxville, Tennessee, who successfully used strategies to increase employee morale resulting in increased productivity and profitability. Three themes emerged through Yin’s five-step data analysis process: effective communication, employee engagement, and employee reward. A key recommendation for business leaders is to encourage open communication through emails, face-to-face meetings, phone calls, and yearly performance reviews. The implications for positive social change include the potential to increase employees’ morale and improve organizations’ productivity and profitability, leading to a decrease in unemployment and crime and enabling the organization employees to contribute time, skills, and money to the local community

Chapter 8: Executive Summary

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/63118/1/15305620252933437.pd

Barriers and facilitators of physical activity in adolescents with intellectual disabilities: An analysis informed by the COM-B model

BACKGROUND: Adolescents with intellectual disabilities are insufficiently physically active. Where interventions have been developed and delivered, these have had limited effectiveness, and often lack a theoretical underpinning. AIM: Through application of the COM‐B model, our aim is to explore the factors influencing adolescent physical activity within schools. METHODS: A qualitative methodology, using focus groups with students who have mild/moderate intellectual disabilities, their parents'/carers' and teachers'. The COM‐B model provided the lens through which the data were collected and analysed. RESULTS: We identified of a range of individual, interpersonal, and environmental factors influencing physical activity, across all six COM‐B constructs, within the context of the ‘school‐system’. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to use the COM‐B model to explore school‐based physical activity behaviour, for adolescents with intellectual disabilities. Identification of such physical activity behavioural determinants can support the development of effective and sustainable interventions

Sustaining and Realizing the Promise of Telemedicine

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/140277/1/tmj.2012.0282.pd

Review of NVP and HG and Early Pharmacotherapeutic Intervention

NVP occurs in 50–90% of pregnancies, making it a common medical condition in pregnancy. Women present differently with any combination of signs and symptoms. It is appropriate to take the pregnancy-related versus nonpregnancy-related approach when determining the cause of nausea and vomiting but other causes should be considered. The most common etiologies for NVP include the hormonal changes associated with pregnancy, the physiologic changes in the gastrointestinal tract, and a genetic predisposition. Up to 10% of women will require pharmacotherapy to treat the symptoms of NVP despite conservative measures. ACOG currently recommends that a combination of oral pyridoxine hydrochloride and doxylamine succinate be used as first-line treatment for NVP if pyridoxine monotherapy does not relieve symptoms. A review of NVP and early pharmacotherapeutic management is presented due to the fact that NVP is largely undertreated, and investigations into the safe and effective pharmacotherapies available to treat NVP are lacking