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Retired Colonel Miri Eisin is the Director of the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) at Reichman University in Herzliya, Israel. Miri has a deep background in the intelligence, security, and diplomacy worlds, and is a frequent commentator on these issues in world media. During her 20 years in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), she served in a variety of positions, including the intelligence officer of a regional border brigade, the intel officer of the Israeli airborne division, and the assistant to the Director of Military Intelligence. As a full colonel, she served as the Deputy Head of the Combat Intelligence Corps. In all her positions, she was the first woman to serve in such a capacity. After retiring from the military, Eisin served as the Israeli government spokesperson during the Second Lebanon War in 2006, and as international press secretary to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert., CTC: Tell us a little bit about the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism's mission and how your service in the Israeli military and government prepared you to lead this organization. Eisin: [...]

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March 1, 2024 RELATED March 27, 2024 Latest federal budget includes $20 billion rescission for IRS March 23, 2024 Enforcement, voluntary programs yield over $1 billion from ERC claims March [...]

America's best athletes are set to compete at the Summer Olympics in Paris. To win a medal, each one needs a supportive coach, someone with the experience and wisdom to [...]

Gulf War hero General Norman Schwarzkopf argued that in addition to competence, effective leaders must also have character. (1) Appropriately, character is one of three competencies of the US Army's [...]

We thank our colleague for both his distinguished Army career and his thoughtful and comprehensive review of our manuscript. Also, we are grateful for Parameters providing us the space and [...]

•Resident-Applicant Buddy Programs (RABP) pair applicants and residents.•RABPs decrease applicants’ stress/apprehension during the interview process.•RABPs provide an approachable source of information and illuminate program culture.•For the majority of applicants, the RABP increased applicants’ desire to match.•Residents enjoyed participation in program and would participate again.

Background:Malignant bowel obstruction (MBO) due to peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) is associated with poor outcomes. Optimal management for palliation remains unclear. This study aims to characterize nonoperative, procedural, and operative management strategies for MBO and evaluate its association with mortality and cost.Materials and Methods:ICD-10 coding identified patient admissions from the 2018 to 2019 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) for MBO with PC from gastrointestinal or ovarian primary cancers. Management was categorized as nonoperative, procedural, or surgical. Multivariate analysis was used to associate treatment with mortality and cost.Results:356,316 patient admissions were identified, with a mean age of 63 years. Gender, race, and insurance status were similar among groups. Length of stay (LOS) was longest in the surgical group (surgical: 17 days; procedural: 14 days; nonoperative: 7 days; P= .001). In comparison to nonoperative, procedural and surgical patients had statistically higher hospital charges, post-discharge medical needs, palliative care consults, and admission to rehab centers. Mortality was 7% in nonoperative, 9% in procedural, and 8% in surgical (P= .007) groups. In adjusted analyses, older age, palliative care consult, and non-Medicare payer status were associated with higher mortality. Compared to nonoperative, procedural and surgical groups resulted in increased costs (procedural: $17K more; surgical: $30K more).Conclusions:Admissions for procedural and surgical treatment of MBO are associated with increased LOS, hospital costs, and discharge needs. Optimal management remains challenging. Clinicians must examine all options prior to recommending palliative interventions given a trend towards higher resource utilization and mortality.

The article discusses the work of Australian artist Ben Quilty, known for his paintings that explore themes of violence, mythology, and cultural identity. Quilty reflects on his upcoming exhibition with fellow artist Betty Muffler, discussing the challenges of creating art in a world filled with turmoil and injustice. Through his paintings, Quilty addresses issues such as climate change and social inequality, using art as a medium to express his anger and advocate for change. The article highlights Quilty's commitment to his practice and his belief in the power of art to provoke thought and inspire action. [Extracted from the article]

Printed millimeter-wave (mmW) electronics have been of high interest in the field of communications for some time now due to the potential ability to fabricate mmW systems that utilize 3-D heterogeneous integration (3DHI) to improve performance beyond traditional systems. In this article, a method for fabricating transferable mmW structures via aerosol-jet printing (AJP) is presented. A polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) stamp-assisted liftoff procedure is developed to separate the printed part from a rigid printing support surface and apply it to an adhesive target surface. Several microstrip (MS) line structures are demonstrated to characterize the effect of stamp transfer on the RF performance of the printed circuits. The effects of printed vias on RF probe pads and shifts in the resonant frequencies of a Beatty standard line after transfer are considered and characterized using S-parameter measurements.

The article highlights the winners of Gourmet Traveller's Annual Restaurant Awards, showcasing the best in Australian dining. The Agrarian Kitchen Restaurant in Tasmania is named Restaurant of the Year for its commitment to a fundamental and holistic relationship with food and drink. Chef Pasi Petänen of Cafe Paci in Sydney is named Chef of the Year for his innovative and approachable cooking style. King Clarence in Sydney is recognized as the Best New Restaurant for its inventive and irreverent menu. Lake House in Victoria receives the Readers' Choice Icon Award for its consistent excellence and commitment to customer enjoyment. The text also highlights several other establishments in the Australian hospitality industry, including Toddy Shop, Joy Restaurant, South West Wine Shop, Chauncy, and Parwana Afghan Kitchen, praising them for their unique qualities and contributions to their communities. [Extracted from the article]

An empirical analysis of 1,745 former US Army battalion commanders and the 36,032 lieutenants who served under their command provides statistical evidence for what many researchers have believed, anecdotally, for [...]

This article from Australian Gourmet Traveller features a collection of memorable and delicious bites discovered by the panel of Restaurant Awards judges. The article highlights standout dishes from various restaurants across Australia, including an ox tongue doughnut from Soul Dining in Sydney, a three-meat bánh mì from Le Vietnam in Perth, and a fish taco from La Popular Taqueria in Adelaide. Each dish is described in detail, showcasing the unique flavors and culinary creativity found in these establishments. [Extracted from the article]

This document provides concise summaries of various restaurants and dining establishments in different regions of Australia. It highlights the unique features and offerings of each establishment, such as Kafeneion in Melbourne for its chic Greek diner that defies stereotypes, King Clarence in Sydney for its creative and reference-laden menu, and LVN Restaurant in Adelaide Hills for its emphasis on native Australian ingredients. [Extracted from the article]

Compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) is an established tool to track the in situtransformation of organic chemicals at contaminated sites. In this work, we evaluated the potential of multi-element CSIA to assess biodegradation of 2,3-dichloroaniline (2,3-DCA), which is a major industrial feedstock. Using controlled laboratory experiments, we determined, for the first time, negligible carbon (<0.5‰) and hydrogen (<10‰) isotope fractionation and a significant inverse nitrogen isotope fractionation (>10‰) during aerobic 2,3-DCA biodegradation by a mixed enrichment culture. The tentative identification of a glutamate conjugate of 2,3-DCA as a reaction intermediate indicates that the initial multistep enzymatic reaction may be rate-limiting. The formation of the glutamate adduct would increase the bond energy at the N atom, thus likely explaining the observed inverse N isotope fractionation. The corresponding nitrogen enrichment factor was +6.8 ± 0.6‰. This value was applied to investigate the in situ2,3-DCA biodegradation at a contaminated site where the carbon and nitrogen isotope signatures from field samples suggested similar aerobic processes by native microorganisms. Under the assumption of the applicability of the Rayleigh model in a pilot wetland treating contaminated groundwater, the extent of biodegradation was estimated to be up to 80–90%. This study proposes multi-element CSIA as a novel application to study 2,3-DCA fate in groundwater and surface water and provides insights into biodegradation pathways.

This journal, which provides abstracts of its articles primarily in Spanish and a couple in English, contains studies (estudios) and notes (notas), as well as relevant book reviews (recensiones). Studies in this issue (No. 4, 2003) are: "Estrategias de Ensenanza para la Educacion Civica y Ciudadana en el Siglo XXI" (Teaching Strategies for Civic and Citizenship Education in the 21st Century) (Murray Print), which contends that a challenge for European civic educators will be to employ active, engaging teaching strategies which involve their students; "Del Relativismo Cultural al Etnocentrismo (y Vuelta)" (Of Cultural Relativism and Ethnocentrism) (Francisco Altarejos Masota and Antonio A. Moya Garcia-Montoto), which argues that ethnocentrism can actually be a consequence of a radical cultural relativism; "La Fuerza Desculturizadora de la Globalizacion" (The 'Deculturizing' Force of Globalization) (Alejandro Llano), which contends that globalization demands a profound evaluation of the foundations of international relations not only regarding economic aspects but also relating to the fields of culture and education; "Formacion del Profesorado en Pedagogia Intercultural: Contenidos Actitudinales" (Formation of Professors in Intercultural Pedagogy) (Rafaela Garcia Lopez), which states that teachers need to maintain a welcoming environment for multicultural students and receive institutional and social support; "Desarrollo Local, Educacion e Identidad Cultural" (Local Development, Education and Cultural Identity) (Gabriela Orduna Allegrini), which finds that education can play a crucial role in promoting the value of a cultural identity that is compatible with fostering equitable local development; and "La Educacion entre la Multiculturalidad y la Interculturalidad" (Education between Multiculturalism and Interculturalism) (Aurora Bernal), which states that multicultural education and intercultural education respond to different theories about notions such as human nature, the individual, sociability, and identity. Notes in this issue are: "La Interculturalidad y la Dignidad de la Persona. Mas Alla del Modelo Critico" (Interculturalism and the Dignity of the Person. Beyond the Critical Model.) (Andres Jimenez Abad), which notes that student diversity is a potential source of enrichment and examines different views of cultural models;"Dimensions of Intercultural Education in the Twenty-First Century" (Ruth Breeze), which states that the multicultural society is already a fact, and the challenge is to find ways of promoting intercultural education in practice; "La Familia como Escenario para Transgredir el Racismo" (The Family as the Scenario for Getting Past Racism) (Enric Prats Gil), which describes the family in the present plural and democratic context and proposes several suggestions about the family as the place for learning and management of values; "La Etica de la Atencion al Otro como Condicion para el Dialogo Intercultural y la Calidad de Vida" (The Ethics of the Attention of the Other as a Condition for Intercultural Dialogue and the Quality of Life) (Miguel Angel Rodriguez Rodriguez), which analyzes the causes of migratory movements and then deals with caring ethics as a condition for an effective quality of life for people; "Claves para el Estudio Historico de la Gestacion de una Europa Intercultural" (Keys to an Historic Study of the Gestation of an Intercultural Europe) (Javier Vergara), which analyzes multiculturalism and interculturalism within the context of the process of the development of Europe; and "Tacit Knowing, Moral Development and Pluralism: Thoughts on Mentoring, Judgment and Reform" (Stefania Jha), which states that the epistemology of tacit knowing in the ethics of mentoring is meant to be grounding for intelligent action. (BT)

This scholarly journal deals with the study of education. Articles in this second issue are: "La Vertebracion Academica de la Formacion Inicial del Profesorado" (The Academic Backbone of the Initial Formation of Teachers) (Jose M. Esteve); "Deficiencia Visual en el Nino" (Visual Deficiency in the Young Child) (Feli Peralta; Juan Narbona); "The Anti-Civic Effects of Popular Culture on American Teenagers" (Andres Lewis; Jennifer Butler; Melanie Winklosky; Sandra Stotsky); "Education for Social Works as a Self-Regulating Profession" (Robert Constable); "El Ascesor Personal como Taller de Escritura" (Personal Counseling as Writing Workshop) (Jaime Nubiola); "Centro Educativo Organizacion o Communidada?" (Educational Center Organization or Community?) (David Isaacs); "Diversos Sentidos de la Palabra 'Dolor'" (Diverse Meanings of the Word "Pain") (Javier Aranguren); "Marco Historico de la Educacion Especial" (History of Special Education) (Javier Vergara); and "Educacion Superior Integrada" (Integrated Higher Education) (Francisco Ponz). "Notes" in this issue are: "La Pedagogia Hospitalaria frente a un Nino con Pronostico Fatal. Reflexiones en torno a la Necesidad de una Formacion Profesional Especifica" (Hospital Pedagogy faced with a Young Child with a Fatal Prognosis. Reflections about the Necessity of a Specific Professional Formation) (Olga Lizasoain; Christian Lieutenant); "Dimension Educativa de un Director de Recursos Humanos: El Desarrollo en la Empresa, 'Piedra de Toque,' dentro del Marco de Politicas de Gestion y Retencion de RR.HH." (Educational Dimension of a Director of Human Resources) (Rosa Lacunza); "Consideraciones Pedagogicas sobre las Habilidades Sociales en el Curriculo de Enfermeria" (Pedagogical Considerations regarding the Social Skills in a Nursing Curriculum) (Carmen Urpi Guernica); "La Relacion Profesor-Estudiante en el Asesoramiento Academico Personal" (The Teacher-Student Relationship in Personal Academic Counseling) (Jose Luis Gonzalez-Simancas); "Eterna 'Crisis' Universitaria: A Proposito de dos Libros Recientes" (The Eternal University 'Crisis': About Some Recent Books) (Javier Laspalas); and "El Sustrato Pedagogico en las Politicas de Recursos Humanos: El Caso de Agilent Technologies" (The Pedagogical Substratum in the Politics of Human Resources: The Case of Agilent Technologies) (Estibaliz Ortiz). Also contains 14 book reviews. (BT)

This journal, which provides abstracts of its articles mostly in Spanish and a few in English, contains studies (estudios) and notes (notas) about educational issues, as well as relevant book reviews (recensiones). Studies in this issue (No. 3, 2002) are: "Unprotected Time of Early Adolescence and Intergenerational Relations: A New Educational Issue" [written in English] (Pierpaolo Donati), which discusses social problems connected to the time in which young people (10-15 years) are unprotected by the socializing agencies in everyday life; "Cultura y Contracultura Educativas" [Educational Culture and Counterculture] (Tomas Melendo), which focuses on the impact of culture and counterculture on the day-to-day tasks of the education enterprise; "Conciliacion entre Fe y Cultura en la Escuela" [Conciliation between Faith and Culture in School] (Irene Maria Briones Martinez), which addresses the conflict that arose in one Italian public school when one group of persons invoked the principle of freedom of conscience to justify their refusal to participate in religious services held in school; "Una Sociedad Anestesiada: La Educacion como Alternativa para Salir de la Anestesia" [An Anesthetized Society: Education as an Alternative to Get Out of Anesthesia] (Alfredo Rodriguez Sedano; Juan Carlos Aguilera), which proposes a concept of domain that offers great advantages in facing the challenges that come with globalization; "Anai, una Forma de Publicacion en la Web" [A Better Way for Web Development] (Jesus Redrado; Luis Echarri; Concepcion Naval), which presents the strategy adopted by the University of Navarra for the creation of its Web content, the objective of which is to promote a decentralized system of Web content development; and "Some Contributions of Philosophy to Education" [written in English] (Israel Scheffler), which considers some general questions pertaining to philosophical activity in and of itself. Notes in this issue are: "Repensar la Ensenanza Universitaria desde las Tecnologias de la Informacion y la Comunicacion: Algunas Experiencias de Universidades de los Estados Unidos" [Rethinking University Teaching since Information and Communication Technologies: Some Experiences of American Universities], which describes some experiences in universities in the United States with information and communication technologies; "La Relacion Familia-Escuela" [Family-School Relationship] (Francisco Altarejos), which presents a model of home-school collaboration; "Centro Educativo y Formacion para el Voluntariado: Coordinacion Posible." [Education Center and Formation for Volunteerism: Possible Coordination] (Arantzazu Martinez-Odria), which discusses volunteerism as a new phenomenon in civil society, and the implementation of service learning education; and "Posibilidades Didacticas de las Tecnologias de la Informacion y la Comunicacion (TIC) en la Docencia Presencial" [Didactic Possibilities of Information/Communication Technologies in the Current Faculty] (Charo Reparaz; Luis Echarri; Concepcion Naval). (BT)

This journal, which deals with topics in educational research, includes articles written in Spanish (translated here) such as the following: "Management of the Competence of Professional Action (CAP)]" (Benito Echeverria Samanes); "Concepts and Beliefs of Andalusian Secondary School Teachers on Mathematics Assessments" (Francisco Gil Cuadra, Luis Rico Romero, and Antonio Fernando Cano); "Dimensionality of a Scale to Measure the Attitude toward the Environment for Secondary School Students" (Pedro Alvarez Suarez, Emilia Inmaculada De la Fuente Solana, and Juan Garcia Garcia); "Evaluation of the Needs of Youths with Hearing Difficulties during the Transition into the Working Environment" (Mario de Miguel Diaz and Marisa Pereira Gonzalez); "The Productivity of Studies on the Evaluation of Spanish Educational Programs (1975-2000)" (Jorge Exposito Lopez and Antonio Fernandez Cano); "Study and Characterization of Classroom Discourse: The Application of Multiple Correspondence and Other Analyses" (Ma Angeles Rebollo Catalan); "Pedagogic Training and Professional Education of University Lecturers" (Ma Cruz Sanchez Gomez and Ana Garcia-Valcarcel Munoz-Repiso); "The 'Success-For-All Program': Description and Results of a Program of Pedagogic Intervention with At-Risk Children" (Miguel A. Santo Rego and Robert E. Slavin); and "Impact of a Program for the Development of Psycholinguistic Skills on Learning How to Read and Write." (AS)

This journal issue introduces key points in education from a humanistic and interdisciplinary perspective. Articles are in Spanish (one article is in English) and each one contains a brief abstract in English. Research studies included are: "Globalizacion, Desarrollo y Pobreza (Reflexiones desde la Libertad)" (Juan Jose Toribio); "La Educacion (Moral y Civica) en una Sociedad Globalizada" (Concepcion Naval); "Educar en la Globalizacion. El Programa del Progreso Material" (Jose Antonio Garcia-Duran); "Globalizacion: Nuevas Practicas Educativas" (Charo Reparaz Abaitua, Jose Ignacio Mir Montes, and Fernando Garcia Fernandez); and "La Globalizacion: Germen de la Sociedad Solidaria" (Alfredo Rodriguez Sedano and Francisco Altarejos). Articles in the "Notas" section include: "Hay un Nuevo Management?" (Carlos Cavalle); "The Human Face of Globalization: Implications in Education" (Maria Riza Bondal); "Voluntariado: 2001, Proyecto Global de Accion" (Aurora Bernal Martinez de Soria); "Una Estrategia Eficaz para Fomentar la Cooperacion" (Sonia Lara Ros); "Sobre la Globalizacion" (Jose Perez Adan); and "La Etica del Mundo en que Vivimos" (Joan Fontrodona). The issue concludes with 12 book reviews and a list of 15 recently published works. (BT)

Articles in this volume focus on the following: student counseling and other factors determining course choices of university students; a focus on unspecific diagnoses of students with learning disabilities; self-evaluations aimed at improving the quality of schools; relationship of academic goals and the use of different learning and study strategies; transitions during the first year of university studies (survey of the reasons to change or withdraw); age and cultural values as determinants for an intercultural curriculum; self-esteem evaluations in a sample of students in public and private elementary schools; professional development of counselors in secondary schools: an analysis of the professional requirements and an outlook; university education and the building of social networks as a professional outreach strategy; a model of casual relationships between goal orientation and cognitive and self-regulatory learning strategies. Education and the information society; and education and research in a cognitive society; assessment and counseling perspectives. Round table discussions and symposia topics include the following: quality and evaluation of higher education; current controversies in educational assessments; quality of teaching and learning in universities; gifted programs in the 21st century; research in the framework of a work-welfare program for young adults with low qualifications; the counseling situation at three Galician universities; emerging models in gender systems and relations and new social realities and implementation policies; quality of assessment at different educational levels; research on university education; and evaluation and innovation at universities; student counseling and other factors determining course choices of university students; a focus on unspecific diagnoses of students with learning disabilities; self-evaluations aimed at improving the quality of schools; relationship of academic goals and the use of different learning and study strategies; transitions during the first year of university studies (survey of the reasons to change or withdraw); age and cultural values as determinants for an intercultural curriculum; self-esteem evaluations in a sample of students in public and private elementary schools; professional development of counselors in secondary schools: an analysis of the professional requirements and an outlook; university education and the building of social networks as a professional outreach strategy; a model of casual relationships between goal orientation and cognitive and self-regulatory learning strategies. Education and the information society; and education and research in a cognitive society; assessment and counseling perspectives. Round table discussions and symposia topics include the following: quality and evaluation of higher education; current controversies in educational assessments; quality of teaching and learning in universities; gifted programs in the 21st century; research in the framework of a work-welfare program for young adults with low qualifications; the counseling situation at three Galician universities; emerging models in gender systems and relations and new social realities and implementation policies; quality of assessment at different educational levels; research on university education; and evaluation and innovation at universities. (AS)

Articles in this volume, written in Spanish, focus on the following: intellectual style and academic performance; an explanatory integrated model of academic goals, learning strategies, and academic performance; a comparative situational study of drug addiction; early childhood depression and academic performance: a comparative study of patients and controls; longitudinal study on elementary school students' interest in the curriculum and the relation with other variables, from grades 3 through 5; analysis of sexist stereotypes in a sample of educational sciences students; in-service teacher training and its effect in the classroom; qualitative methodology in determining the extent to which visualization is used in solving mathematical problems; steps taken by teachers to build knowledge during the teaching-learning process in the classroom; evaluation procedures and instruments in secondary education; changes in European education from a Scandinavian perspective; diversity and multiculturalism; individuals and groups dealing with methodological changes in the field of research in social sciences; research on guidance counseling at universities; linear hierarchical models and their application in educational research; multicultural education; Internet and educational research; cognition, emotion, and behavior; a proposal for the assessment and psycho-pedagogic intervention; and alternative teaching methods in the classroom and the school community. (AS)

Articles in this volume focus on the following: specialized research; methodological challenges; establishment of a categorization system for sociometric analysis and its application in the multicultural classroom; a case study of factors to prevent school failure in children at risk; the KeyMatch-R scale (study of a curriculum-related diagnostic instrument); a study of the external validity of the Sternberg Triarchic Abilities Test (STAT); predictors for the outcome of doctoral studies and differences between hard sciences and technology studies and social and humanitarian studies; accordance and errors (type I and II) in primary logopedical diagnostics; a methodological approach to evaluating nonuniversitarian educational expenditures of communities; a case study of the autonomous community of the Murcia region of Spain; an analysis of covariant structures in the study of the teaching quality of university professors; and a comparison of statistical methods for evaluating the differential item functioning. (AS)

These three journals of contemporary cultural, historical, and social interest contain activities designed to enhance the awareness of students of Spanish as a foreign language regarding the entire panorama of daily life in Spain. Number 21 focuses on the role of modern Spanish women; their career status; female authors; and the changing place of women in Spanish society. Number 22 discusses humor in Spanish literature; the cultural context of humor; comic errors in speech and writing; and humor in daily life. Number 23 focuses on the Spanish cinema as a powerful communication tool; cinema as a cultural documentary; cinema as a language learning tool; cinema as an educator with extraordinary modern relevance; and cinema as an artistic and cultural vehicle.(CK)

These two magazines, written entirely in Spanish, are designed for classroom use in the elementary grades. Number 10, focuses on ecology, discussing such topics as the greenhouse effect, endangered species, protecting the natural environment, tree planting, earthworms, natural waste, books on environmental subjects, saving the earth, and ecological equilibrium. Number 11, titled "Adventure," discusses such literary works as "Treasure Island,""Don Quixote,""Origin of the Night,""The Island of Blue Mountains,""The Land of the Fathers,""The Incredible Journey of Desi," and "The Misadventures of Juana Calamidad." Both issues include numerous activities. (CK)

This document consists of three issues of a newsletter published during 1996 and 1997. Issues contain current events articles in Spanish and classroom language learning activities based on those articles. The articles are brief; topics include: the Beatles; the route of Don Quixote; pets; the climate, architecture, history and food of Castile and La Mancha, and the author, Jose Luis Sampedro; the politics and makeup of the European Union; an exposition of Francisco de Goya's art; Hollywood notables; Cordoba's climate, history, festivities, food, and architecture; Spanish-Arabic architecture; the behavior of young people in Spain and Great Britain; football in the United States; the activities of firemen in Spain designed to keep the country's water clean; the cloning of Dolly, a sheep; the future of radio; the history of comic strips; an electronic dictionary for the blind; 130 poems written by an adolescent; food recipes; the climate, locale, history, art, feasts and patron saint of Avila; spring festivals; and the author, Manuel Vazquez Montalban. (CK)

This document consists of the eight issues of the series "Revista Investigacion Educativa" published during the 4-year period 1992-1995. This review of educational investigation seeks to promote the exchange of information about empirical research in education. It is published semiannually, and includes reports of both quantitative and qualitative research as well as articles on research methodology. Studies at all levels of education, from early childhood education to graduate study, are included. All articles are in Spanish, but English abstracts of each article are provided. The eight issues included in this group, dating from 1992 through 1995, contain articles on a wide range of topics, including bilingual education, mathematics instruction, curriculum design and development, teaching skills and qualifications, reflective teaching, science instruction, the purposes and uses of research, cooperative research, articulation, external and internal program evaluation, educational reform, social aspects of education, diagnostic evaluation, mainstreaming, classroom teaching techniques, special education, educational psychology, qualitative research methods, various methods of statistical analysis, and research design. A number of articles refer specifically to the Spanish educational system. (MSE)

Each of the two issues of this Catalan-language journal offers book reviews and articles on general topics in education. Issues contain Spanish-, English- and French-language abstracts of included articles with keyword references. Number 13 (1st. semester 1995) examines environmental and multicultural education; number 14 (2nd. semester 1995) addresses ethnography and pedagogical reform. Articles in number 13 examine educational environment in the educational system, international cooperation in environmental education, and tourism. The section on multiculturalism addresses intercultural education, with a concentration on efforts in Catalonia. Additional articles discuss elementary education immersion programs, phonetics, politics, and educational reform. Articles in number 14 discuss ethnography and educational research, ethical compromise in ethnographic research, analysis of data in ethnographic research, preparation of the ethnographic report, and teacher training for ethnographic research. A bibliography of ethnographic research in education is included. Educational reform articles address presentation, educational renewal from a cultural and social perspective, and Catalonia-specific educational reforms. Additional articles examine the theory and practice of university teaching, the nature of modern reason, the importance of the learning climate in relation to achievement, and a gloss on Josep de Letamendi's 1868 "Social Education." (Contains chapter references.) (NAV)

This document consists of two issues (1995) of a Spanish-Embassy publication to aid teachers of the Spanish language in elementary and middle schools, with classroom activities and lesson plans. Each issue is illustrated with photographs, maps, and drawings, and each concentrates on a particular topic. Issue number 8 concerns art; issue number 9 concerns folklore tales and legends. These issues include articles to read and activities such as drawing, playing, investigating, and thinking, to do. The back cover of each issue contains information on scholarships and courses for teachers of Spanish. (NAV)

This document consists of the four issues of a newsletter published during 1994. Issues contain current events articles in Spanish and classroom language learning activities based on those articles. The articles are brief, most reproduced from other publications. Topics include celebrity news, the arts, Spanish culture and geography, sports, and Spanish literature and authors. The activities include games, vocabulary and grammatical exercises, and comprehension activities. Answer keys are included. (MSE)

This document consists of the first 16 issues of a serial providing learning activities for intermediate and advanced students of Spanish. Each issue is organized around a separate theme, with the first 9 issues devoted to celebration of the fifth centenary of the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus: (1) "Cultural Contact"; (2) "Expeditions"; (3) "The Age of Discoveries"; (4) "The Hispanic Presence in the United States"; (5) "Expo '92"; (6) "The Olympics"; (7) "Spanish in the United States"; (8) "Spanish in the World"; (9) "Such was 1992 [in Spain]"; (10) "Spain and the European Community"; (11) "Europe: Sports and Arts"; (12) "Europe: Leisure and Tradition"; (13) "Customs"; (14) "Spanish Food"; (15) World Soccer Championship: USA 94"; and (16) "Music of Spain." Each issue contains activity units beginning with information on the student level for which it is intended, the objectives of the activity, the skills targeted, and information on how to carry out the activity. (KM)

Protein-based biologics constitute a rapidly expanding category of therapeutic agents with high target specificity. Their clinical use has dramatically increased in recent years, but administration is largely via injection. Drug delivery across the oral mucosa is a promising alternative to injections, in order to avoid the gastrointestinal tract and first-pass metabolism. Current drug delivery formulations include liquid sprays, mucoadhesive tablets and films, which lack dose control in the presence of salivary flow. To address this, electrospun membranes that adhere tightly to the oral mucosa and release drugs locally have been developed. Here, we investigated the suitability of these mucoadhesive membranes for peptide or protein release. Bradykinin (0.1%) or insulin (1, 3, and 5%) were incorporated by electrospinning from ethanol/water mixtures. Immersion of membranes in buffer resulted in the rapid release of bradykinin, with a maximal release of 70 ± 12% reached after 1 h. In contrast, insulin was liberated more slowly, with 88 ± 11, 69.0 ± 5.4, and 63.9 ± 9.0% cumulative release of the total encapsulated dose after 8 h for membranes containing 1, 3, and 5% w/w insulin, respectively. Membrane–eluted bradykinin retained pharmacological activity by inducing rapid intracellular calcium release upon binding to its cell surface receptor on oral fibroblasts, when examined by flow cytometry. To quantify further, time-lapse confocal microscopy revealed that membrane–eluted bradykinin caused a 1.58 ± 0.16 fold-change in intracellular calcium fluorescence after 10 s compared to bradykinin solution (2.13 ± 0.21), relative to placebo. In conclusion, these data show that electrospun membranes may be highly effective vehicles for site-specific administration of biotherapeutic proteins or peptides directly to the oral mucosa for either local or systemic drug delivery applications.

The underexploited biomass of red seaweed Solieria chordalis(C.Agardh) J.Agardh 1842 represents a potential source for biotechnological development. Extracts obtained from S. chordalisby enzyme-assisted extraction using Protamex® and Neutrase® were evaluated as potential biostimulants of plant growth. Additionally, this alga, as well as post-extraction residues, were examined as biosorbents of metal ions. The biostimulant properties of different concentrations of algal extracts (20, 40, 60, 80, 100%) were tested in vitro on radish seeds. Chlorophyll content, plant weight, and height were measured for each experimental group. For all tested concentrations, the plants demonstrated higher chlorophyll content and were higher and heavier than the control group, showing that enzyme extracts could be used as efficient biostimulants. The biosorption properties of seaweed and post-extraction residues were tested on Cr(III) ions for different experimental conditions—pH, initial metal ion concentration, and biosorbent dosage. The maximum biosorption capacity of S. chordaliswas 48.1 mg/g, for the post-extraction residue obtained with Protamex®, 47.6 mg/g, and Neutrase®, 50.5 mg/g. The binding of Cr(III) ions to the surface of biosorbents was confirmed by FT-IR analysis. Good biosorption properties of tested materials can be used in the production of novel components of fertilizers or biosorbents for wastewater treatment. In this paper, it was shown that waste biomass of S. chordaliscan be turned into valuable bio-products using environmental-friendly technologies.

In solid tumor oncology, circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is poised to transform care through accurate assessment of minimal residual disease (MRD) and therapeutic response monitoring. To overcome the sparsity of ctDNA fragments in low tumor fraction (TF) settings and increase MRD sensitivity, we previously leveraged genome-wide mutational integration through plasma whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Here we now introduce MRD-EDGE, a machine-learning-guided WGS ctDNA single-nucleotide variant (SNV) and copy-number variant (CNV) detection platform designed to increase signal enrichment. MRD-EDGESNVuses deep learning and a ctDNA-specific feature space to increase SNV signal-to-noise enrichment in WGS by ~300× compared to previous WGS error suppression. MRD-EDGECNValso reduces the degree of aneuploidy needed for ultrasensitive CNV detection through WGS from 1 Gb to 200 Mb, vastly expanding its applicability within solid tumors. We harness the improved performance to identify MRD following surgery in multiple cancer types, track changes in TF in response to neoadjuvant immunotherapy in lung cancer and demonstrate ctDNA shedding in precancerous colorectal adenomas. Finally, the radical signal-to-noise enrichment in MRD-EDGESNVenables plasma-only (non-tumor-informed) disease monitoring in advanced melanoma and lung cancer, yielding clinically informative TF monitoring for patients on immune-checkpoint inhibition.

Purpose: Autistic individuals are at increased risk of trauma exposure and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Diagnostic overshadowing, however, often results in PTSD symptoms being mislabelled as autistic traits. This study aims to develop professional consensus on the identification and assessment of co-occurring PTSD in autistic adults. Design/methodology/approach: An online modified Delphi design was used to gather professionals’ perspectives on key aspects of the identification and assessment of PTSD in autistic adults. Data were gathered qualitatively in Round 1 and then synthesised using content analysis into a list of statements that were rated in Round 2. Statements reaching 60–79% consensus and additional suggestions were sent out for rating in Round 3. Consensus for the final statement list was set at 80% agreement. Findings: Overall, 108 statements reached consensus. These form the basis of professional-informed recommendations to facilitate the identification and assessment of PTSD symptoms in autistic adults. Practical implications: The final Delphi statements provide a framework to assist with the assessment and recognition of traumatic stress reactions in autistic adults presenting to mental health, diagnostic or social services. Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to explore the presentation and identification of PTSD in autistic adults (with and without intellectual disability), using a bottom-up approach informed by professional consensus.

The Internationalists: How A Radical Plan to Outlaw War Remade the World. By Oona A. Hathaway and Scott J. Shapiro. New York, New York: Simon and Schuster, 2017. Pp. xxii, [...]

In the knowledge economy, skilled employees are the assets that drive organizational success. Thus companies must learn from them—why they stay, why they leave, and how the organization needs to change. A thoughtful exit interview—whether it be a face-to-face conversation, a questionnaire, a survey, or a combination—can catalyze leaders’ listening skills, reveal what does or doesn’t work inside the organization, highlight hidden challenges and opportunities, and generate essential competitive intelligence. It can promote engagement and enhance retention by signaling to employees that their views matter. And it can turn departing employees into corporate ambassadors for years to come. Unfortunately, too few leaders pay attention to this tool; their programs fail to either improve retention or produce useful information. The authors believe this is owing to poor data quality and a lack of consensus on best practices. They suggest six overall goals for a strategic exit interview process and describe tactics and techniques to make it successful. Among their recommendations: Have interviews conducted by second- or third-line managers. Make exit interviews mandatory for at least some employees. And because standard interviews enable you to spot trends, but unstructured ones elicit unexpected insights, consider combining the two approaches in semistructured interviews. INSET: Different Results for Different Kinds of Companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INVESTMENT [right arrow] Cost: $30,000 | Time: Countless Hours My grandparents enjoyed their little 1972 Airstream Argosy until their health forced them to park it in 1995. The 22-foot travel [...]