Effects of Mentorship on Teacher Classroom Preparedness at the Secondary Level

The purpose of this study was to see what effect a teacher mentorship program would have on teacher’s classroom preparedness at a public Middle and High school in the rural Midwest. Twelve teachers participated in the six-week study; six were mentors, the other six mentees. All teachers completed a self-evaluation at the beginning of the study. In the first week, teachers were interviewed regarding aspects of the mentorship program and how it had affected their level of preparedness for the classroom. During the study, mentees filled out time sheets recording how much time they were spending outside of the school day preparing lessons. At the end of the six weeks, teachers completed another self-evaluation and interview. The study results suggest that teacher mentorship does have a small effect on preparing new teachers. Teachers in the study expressed that the program was helpful in their development as a teacher. The results of this study bring up other possibilities of research including, investigating the impact of the mentor-mentee relationship as well as, helping school districts develop better-structured mentorship programs to support the development of skilled teachers. Keywords: mentorship, teacher, education, preparednes

The Effects of Deregulation on the Airline Industry

In recent years there has been debate over whether or not airline deregulation has accomplished the desired economic outcomes envisioned in 1977 and 1978. The debate has resulted in a cry for re-regulation by some policymakers, such as the United States Department of Transportation. The purpose of this study will attempt to clarify the debate over deregulation by addressing such issues as pricing, concentration of air carriers, and safety. By conducting a t-test it will be possible to determine if there is a statistically significant difference in pricing of pre- and post-deregulation airfares. In addition to examining the issues of pricing, concentration, and safety the study will identify how airlines have been forced to adapt to the changes in the airline industry. Delta Airlines will be used a case study. Through such an investigation I was able to see that airlines of all sizes are forced to establish a variety of offensive and defensive tactics to survive in a much more competitive business environment. The study ends with an explanation of how airlines again are forced to alter their operations as a result of the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions of echinacea and policosanol with warfarin in healthy subjects

Aims: This study investigated the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions of echinacea and policosanol with warfarin in healthy subjects. Methods: This was an open-label, randomized, three-treatment, cross-over, clinical trial in healthy male subjects (n = 12) of known CYP2C9 and VKORC1 genotype who received a single oral dose of warfarin alone or after 2 weeks of pre-treatment with each herbal medicine at recommended doses. Pharmacodynamic (INR, platelet activity) and pharmacokinetic (warfarin enantiomer concentrations) end points were evaluated. Results: The apparent clearance of (S)-warfarin (90% CI of ratio; 1.01, 1.18) was significantly higher during concomitant treatment with echinacea but this did not lead to a clinically significant change in INR (90% CI of AUC of INR; 0.91, 1.31). Policosanol did not significantly affect warfarin enantiomer pharmacokinetics or warfarin response. Neither echinacea nor policosanol had a significant effect on platelet aggregation after 2 weeks of pre-treatment with the respective herbal medicines. CONCLUSION Echinacea significantly reduced plasma concentrations of S-warfarin. However, neither echinacea nor policosanol significantly affected warfarin pharmacodynamics, platelet aggregation or baseline clotting status in healthy subjects