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Student retention is a critical issue for higher education institutions. This study investigates the motivation of marketing student retention in the United States. The study was conducted by exploring the underlying personal values that drive student retention through the means-end chain (MEC) laddering approach. A total of 55 usable student comments were gathered from two mid-sized (1 public, 1 private) institutions and analyzed using MEC. The findings show that marketing student retention was influenced by hedonism, power, achievement, and self-direction and, to a lesser extent, by the other-regarding value of benevolence. In addition, the hierarchical value map shows the importance of the industry category-building marketing courses to emphasize the industry and marketing environment. It must be recognized, however, that the strength of the industry category depends on how universities maintain their brand image and that image's congruency with students' personal values. Finally, the study results revealed that marketing course factors (e.g., course content and course excitement) and job security are fundamental attributes that enhance student retention.

Background:Studies in adults and children suggested that starting antiretroviral therapy (ART) soon after infection positively influences early events in HIV infection raising the possibility that remission may be achieved in some. Methods:We designed an analytic treatment interruption (ATI) trial to test the hypothesis that a sizable minority of HIV-infected neonates who initiated ART 30% which were the primary entry criteria for the ATI trial. Proportions achieving ATI eligibility criteria were similar in the 46 infants starting ART

Because the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) delineates much of the substantive and procedural dimensions of special education practice, it seems logical that IDEA should be an integral part of special education research. Yet, to what extent do special education researchers discuss IDEA? In this study, we systematically reviewed every article published in a 10-year time frame in three special education journals (N = 887). Only 23.1% of the articles had explicit implications for IDEA. Most implications were tied to the compliance of IDEA as opposed to how IDEA could be improved. The disconnect between research and law has significant implications for research, policy, and practice.

Relapse is a major challenge in treating opioid addiction, including oxycodone. During abstinence, oxycodone seeking progressively increases, a phenomenon termed incubation of oxycodone craving. We previously demonstrated a causal role of orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in this incubation. Here, we studied the interaction between glutamatergic projections from OFC and dopamine 1‐family receptor (D1R) signaling in dorsal striatum (DS) in this incubation in male rats. We first examined the causal role of D1R signalling in DS in incubated oxycodone seeking. Next, we combined fluorescence‐conjugated cholera toxin subunit B (CTb‐555, a retrograde tracer) with Fos (a neuronal activity marker) to assess whether the activation of OFC→DS projections was associated with incubated oxycodone seeking. We then used a pharmacological asymmetrical disconnection procedure to examine the role of the interaction between projections from OFC and D1R signalling in DS in incubated oxycodone seeking. We also tested the effect of unilateral pharmacological inactivation of OFC or unilateral D1R blockade of DS on incubated oxycodone seeking. Finally, we assessed whether contralateral disconnection of OFC→DS projections impacted non‐incubated oxycodone seeking on abstinence day 1. We found that D1R blockade in DS decreased incubated oxycodone seeking and OFC→DS projections were activated during incubated oxycodone seeking. Moreover, anatomical disconnection of OFC→DS projections, but not unilateral inactivation of OFC or unilateral D1R blockade in DS, decreased incubated oxycodone seeking. Lastly, contralateral disconnection of OFC→DS projections had no effect on oxycodone seeking on abstinence day 1. Together, these results demonstrated a causal role of OFC→DS projections in incubation of oxycodone craving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in the views that society holds of capital allocation suggest that sustainability reporting needs to be incorporated into the financial accounting curriculum. This paper reviews the background and history of corporate social responsibility and sustainability reporting and discusses formation of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB). The development of the SASB provides us with a framework to enhance the credibility and provide assurance for corporate social responsibility and sustainability reporting. A suggested outline for including sustainability reporting in a financial accounting course is presented.

With asynchronous scheduling and the semi-anonymous nature of online courses, engaging students can be challenging. The authors created an innovative MBA class assignment designed to teach brand management while engaging students in the topic, the class, and with each other. Students were provided with a food product from a well-established brand and were tasked with creating viral videos to promote the product while making the brand relevant today. Surveys and exams reveal the exercise increased student engagement, effort, and relevancy, motivating them to do well in the course, to participate, and interact more. Contributions, challenges, and alternative assignments are discussed.

This study looks to answer the question, "Does the current accounting educational system in the United States focus too heavily on the requirements of large (and SEC registered) companies at the expense of small companies and individuals who comprise the primary clientele of most practicing CPAs?" This investigation surveys CPAs regarding their perceptions of the focus of their accounting education. The results of the survey suggest that the current accounting curriculum does not focus enough on the accounting needs of small businesses. Suggestions for improvement in the curriculum include adding small business coverage in accounting courses, including more general business courses, requiring more hands-on practice with the material and adding internships with smaller firms.

Mercury (Hg) stored in vegetation and soils is known to be released to the atmosphere during wildfires, increasing atmospheric stores and altering terrestrial budgets. Increased erosion and transport of sediments is well-documented in burned watersheds, both immediately post-fire and as the watershed recovers; however, understanding post-fire mobilization of soil Hg within burned watersheds remains elusive. The goal of the current study is to better understand the impact of wildfire on soil-bound Hg during the immediate post-fire period as well as during recovery, in order to assess the potential for sediment-driven transport to and within surface waters in burned watersheds. Soils were collected from three southern California watersheds of similar vegetation and soil characteristics that experienced wildfire. Sampling in one of these watersheds was extended for several seasons (1.5 years) in order to investigate temporal changes in soil Hg concentrations. Laboratory analysis included bulk soil total Hg concentrations and total organic carbon of burned and unburned samples. Soils were also fractionated into a subset of grain sizes with analysis of Hg on each fraction. Low Hg concentrations were observed in surface soils immediately post-fire. Accumulation of Hg coincident with moderate vegetative recovery was observed in the burned surface soils 1 year following the fire, and mobilization was also noted during the second winter (rainy) season. Hg concentrations were highest in the fine-grained fraction of unburned soils; however, in the burned soils, the distribution of soil-bound Hg was less influenced by grain size. The accelerated accumulation of Hg observed in the burned soils, along with the elevated risk of erosion, could result in increased delivery of organic- or particulate-bound Hg to surface waters in post-fire systems.