Vendor Selection Using the RFP Process... Is it for You? -- One Library's Experience

The following article is based on a presentation at the 1998 Indiana Library Federation Annual Conference given by Virginia A. Rumph (Serials Librarian, Butler University), Lindsay Gretz (Assistant Science Librarian, Butler University) and Eve Davis (Account Services Manager, EBSCO Information Services). The presentation and this article cover what an RFP is, the elements of an RFP, the evaluation process, advantages and disadvantages, a vendor’s wish list, trends, and final thoughts

Effective area calibration of the reflection grating spectrometers of XMM-Newton. II. X-ray spectroscopy of DA white dwarfs

White dwarf spectra have been widely used as a calibration source for X-ray and EUV instruments. The in-flight effective area calibration of the reflection grating spectrometers (RGS) of XMM-Newton depend upon the availability of reliable calibration sources. We investigate how well these white dwarf spectra can be used as standard candles at the lowest X-ray energies in order to gauge the absolute effective area scale of X-ray instruments. We calculate a grid of model atmospheres for Sirius B and HZ 43A, and adjust the parameters using several constraints until the ratio of the spectra of both stars agrees with the ratio as observed by the low energy transmission grating spectrometer (LETGS) of Chandra. This ratio is independent of any errors in the effective area of the LETGS. We find that we can constrain the absolute X-ray spectrum of both stars with better than 5 % accuracy. The best-fit model for both stars is close to a pure hydrogen atmosphere, and we put tight limits to the amount of helium or the thickness of a hydrogen layer in both stars. Our upper limit to the helium abundance in Sirius B is 4 times below the previous detection based on EUVE data. We also find that our results are sensitive to the adopted cut-off in the Lyman pseudo-continuum opacity in Sirius B. We get best agreement with a long wavelength cut-off. White dwarf model atmospheres can be used to derive the effective area of X-ray spectrometers in the lowest energy band. An accuracy of 3-4 % in the absolute effective area can be achieved.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics, main journa

DCHS1 Regulated miRNA Processing and its Effects on Valve Endocardium Stabilization

Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is one of the most common forms of cardiac valve disease and affects 1 in 40 individuals worldwide. MVP can lead to arrhythmias, heart failure, and sudden cardiac death and 1 in 10 patients will require valve surgery. Surgery for MVP is now the fastest growing cardiovascular intervention in the Western world. As such, MVP carries a significant burden of morbidity and mortality. Our lab was the first to identify a cause for non-syndromic MVP using a combination of linkage analyses, as well as capture sequence of the linkage interval, to identify loss of function mutations in the cadherin gene, DCHS1. Two-hybrid screens were undertaken to further understand DCHS1 function and the RNA binding protein, LIX1L was identified as the only interacting protein. LIX1L binds and promotes miRNA processing through interactions as an RNA-binding protein and miRNAs. This leads us to the hypothesis: DCHS1-regulated miRNA processing stabilizes the valve endocardium. Expression studies have corroborated this theory as DCHS1, LIX1L, and the microprocessor proteins are expressed in endothelial cells in the mitral valve. Cell culture data shows that a loss of DCHS1 compromises processing of target miRNAs through the microprocessor leading to a significant decrease in miRNA expression. Expression studies have also shown that loss of Dchs1 reduces valve endocardial stability, which may be caused by the loss of miRNAs. These studies illustrate the importance of DCHS1 effects on valve endocardium stabilization in MVP. Uncovering how these changes lead to clinically significant pathology later in life is crucial to the characterization of MV

Guide for Dissecting the Dog, A

A Guide for Dissecting the Dog has many distinctive features designed to aid students in their study of gross anatomy. In keeping with Dr. Fletcher’s original concept, descriptive material is minimal and most illustrations and photographs are designed to facilitate the dissection. Dependence on the excellent figures and descriptions in anatomy texts such as Miller’s Anatomy of the Dog by Dr. Howard Evans or Textbook of Veterinary Anatomy by Dyce, Sack and Wensing is by design. We have included several conceptual sketches that present ideas not available elsewhere in veterinary literature. When anatomical terms are introduced, they are underlined. Dissection instructions are presented in bold blue print and brief clinical comments are presented in italicized red print. Students dissect the male and female alternately so they can view and study structures on each sex before the specimens are altered or destroyed by subsequent dissection. The nomenclature throughout is that of Nomina Anatomica Veterinaria. The entire dissection sequence presented in A Guide for Dissecting the Dog can be completed in 96 hours. This book is a work in progress and will be updated periodically. With text by Thomas F. Fletcher, Paul F. Rumph, Phillip D. Garrett and Gerald R. Bratton; drawings by Phillip D. Garrett; and photos by Elizabeth A. Lantz, Elaine S. Coleman, D. Ray Wilhite and Paul F. Rumph. Compiled by Paul F. Rumph, DVM, MS

TENNESSEE PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPALS’ LEADERSHIP BEHAVIORS AND TEACHERS’ JOB SATISFACTION

The attrition rate of teachers is alarming (Darling-Hammond, 2002; Keigher, 2010; Marvel, Lyter, Peltola, Strizek, & Morton, 2006). Factor of the attrition include teachers leaving the profession due to lack of job satisfaction or lack of administrative support (Angelle, 2002; Littrell, 1994; Schlichte, Yssel, & Merbler, 2005). Frameworked by Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory (Herzberg, Mausner, & Snyderman, 1959), this web-based, quantitative, descriptive study explored the connections between job satisfaction and perceived leadership behaviors. Participants included 302 teachers from public secondary schools in Central and East Tennessee. Instruments used were the Job Satisfaction Survey ([JSS], Spector, 1994), the Study of School Leadership School Staff Questionnaire ([SSLSSQ], Consortium for Policy Research in Education, 2005), and a researcher-created demographics questionnaire. The JSS measured overall job satisfaction and nine individual facets. The SSLSSQ measured five chosen leadership scales (organizational climate, efficacy, trust and support, professional learning community, and academic pressure). The demographics variables were gender, marital status, ethnicity, discipline area, age, school size, tenure status, and number of years under current principal. The study was web-based. Participants completed all three parts online. Analyses included descriptive statistics, ANOVAs, MANOVAs, and regression analysis. Six null hypotheses were tested and all rejected. Statistically significant differences existed between the overall satisfaction and the demographic variables of gender, marital status, tenure, and years under the current principal. Statistically significant differences existed among multiple pairings of each of the facets of the JSS and individual demographic variables. Statistically significant differences existed among multiple pairings of each of the leadership scales and individual demographic variables. A statistically significant relationship existed between overall job satisfaction and overall composite score of the leadership scales. Statistically significant relationships existed between the overall job satisfaction and several of the leadership scales. Statistically significant relationships existed among multiple pairings of facets of the JSS and leadership scales

Welding Procedure Qualification of A36 Steel Plates Using the GTAW and GMAW Processes

The purpose of this project was to qualify welding procedure specifications for the Las Positas College welding program using A36 steel in accordance with American Welding Society (AWS) D1.1, B4.0, and B2.1. Qualification was to be performed using both 1G (flat) and 3G (vertical) positions for Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) and Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) processes. Required qualification procedures included two face and two root bend tests coupled with a visual inspection for cracks within the weld region greater than ⅛” long, along with two reduced section tensile tests to ensure the tensile strength exceeded 58 ksi if the sample broke within the weld region or 55.1 ksi if the sample broke outside of the weld region. Tests were standardized by using American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. Cracks greater than 1/8” were found in the weld region of bend tested samples in each process except for the 3G GTAW, disqualifying them. The failed samples were broken open at the crack and examined using optical microscopy in conjunction with polarized light as well as stereo microscopy to determine the inclusion and porosity content of the base and weld metal. The microscopic examination revealed a high degree of porosity and a lack of fusion in a 1G GTAW root bent sample as indicated by the presence of back gouging marks found in the areas of the weld having lack of fusion. This was the result of improper back gouging procedures. Microscopic examinations of GMAW fracture surfaces showed signs of heavy oxidation and inclusion content within the weld metal as well as a lack of fusion between the weld passes. Both 3G GTAW samples passed tensile tests with tensile strengths greater than 64 ksi, and the 3G GTAW process was therefore qualified

Completion Times for Computerized Tomography Tests and Walkout Rates in the Emergency Department

AbstractThe efficiency of the emergency department (ED) is important in the provision of quality patient care, which includes avoiding long wait times for tests and treatments. EDs may be overcrowded and understaffed, leading to increased wait times for tests. One of the areas overwhelmed by increased ED cases concerns the number of requests for computerized tomography (CT) scans, which may result in patients leaving the ED before care is completed. The three research questions for this quantitative study focused on the age of patients and CT scan walkout rates, completion time and CT scan walkout rates, and the number of CT tests requested and walkout rates. The independent variable was CT scans ordered in the ED. The dependent variables were the completion times for all patients, completion times based on age, and walkout rates. After the appropriate approvals, the dataset was obtained from a large medical center. The final dataset included 54,549 scan records, which originated in the ED during 2014 through 2019. A z test of proportion and chi-square test, together with a logistical regression analysis, were conducted to determine possible associations and statistical significance that addressed the research questions. The Donabedian model provided the foundation for this study and focused on how to improve quality, structure, and processes in the ED. Results from all three research questions showed a weak but relevant relationship and indicated the potential for a deeper study into why patients leave before their ED treatment was complete. This study may promote positive social change by providing healthcare administrators with an understanding of the significance surrounding CT scans being ordered and patients leaving before having them performed

Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching: Instructional Reasoning in High-Density Black Populations

To be economically competitive, U.S. citizens must be mathematically competent (Wang et al., 2010). However, students in the United States have consistently underperformed those in other industrialized nations in mathematics (Program for International Student Assessment [PISA], 2018), which threatens the economic health of the nation (Achieve, 2013; Auguste et al., 2009; Harbour et al., 2018; Mickelson et al., 2013). Federal education reform was implemented and failed to improve the mathematics achievement of U.S. pupils (Cheong Cheng, 2020). Researchers have found links between teacher knowledge and student achievement; however, factors mediate this relationship (Hatisauri & Erbas, 2017). As a result, non-significant and inconsistent research findings are common. The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to build an understanding of the meaning elementary mathematics educators with average mathematical knowledge for teaching in high-density Black schools (EMEs) ascribe to their instructional reasoning. The EMEs participated in an interview or focus group to explore their lived experiences and understand the essence of their instructional reasoning. The EME participating in this research accredited their instructional reasoning to their schemata for teaching and learning. The EMEs held schemata for how students learned mathematics, the availability or lack of resources available to teach mathematics, their knowledge of mathematics content progressions, and their understanding of students\u27 knowledge. The EME schemata for teaching and learning must be understood to deepen the conceptualization of mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) and inform policymakers to enhance federal and state mandates and stakeholders interested in teacher development and training