Orchestrating policy ideas: philanthropies and think tanks in US education policy advocacy networks

While think tanks are a global phenomenon, their role in shaping US policy offers an instructive example of think tank influence on policymaking due to the immensity of resources directed towards those ends, with education policy serving as a prime example. Focusing on a distinct set of “incentivist” education policies, this analysis describes the think tank-philanthropy linkage in US education policymaking. We offer examples of how philanthropists provide financial, empirical and political resources to advance think tanks’ policy ideas through advocacy networks; describe the multiple functions performed through advocacy networks of intermediary organisations, noting the diffusion of form and function around tasks such as knowledge production, political and media support; and we highlight the ways in which US venture philanthropists and think tanks connect around “idea orchestration” in order to advance ideas in policy processes. We suggest that, especially in the realm of incentivist policies, think tanks do not appear to produce or incubate but rather promote ideas, and actually often only a single idea. The concluding discussion considers advantages evident in idea orchestration and the implications of private control of public policymaking.     

Investigations on required core competencies for engineering graduates with reference to the Indian IT industry

Fifty-four engineers and managers working with Indian and multinational IT companies, with an average experience of 7.5 years, have responded to a survey about engineering education. Respondents have assessed the importance of 49 parameters. Twenty-three of these parameters correspond to core engineering and general professional competencies for successful professional career. A new figure of merit has been used for classification of competencies into vertical categories of pivotal, critical, obligatory, desirable, and complementary. The findings are also compared with that of Successful Practices in International Engineering Education (SPINE) study.     

Role of Vitamin D Supplementation in Hypertension

Role of Vitamin D supplementation was studied in patients with hypertension. One hundred hypertensive patients (group I) were given conventional antihypertensive drugs while another 100 patients (group II), in addition, were supplemented with Vitamin D₃ (33,000 IU, after every 2 weeks, for 3 months). Besides diastolic and systolic blood pressure, serum calcium, phosphorous, alkaline phosphatase, albumin, albumin-corrected calcium, and 24 h urinary creatinine levels were estimated in both the groups before the start of treatment and after 3 months. Vitamin D supplementation showed a more significant decrease in systolic blood pressure. This group also showed a significant increase in serum calcium as well as albumin-corrected calcium with a decrease in phosphorous. Results of the study confirm that Vitamin D supplementation has a role in reducing blood pressure in hypertensive patients and that it should be supplemented with the antihypertensive drugs. More extensive studies with a larger group, to draw a definite conclusion, are in progress.     

Regeneration of Red Cell Cholinesterase Activity Following Pralidoxime (2-PAM) Infusion in First 24 h in Organophosphate Poisoned Patients

Oximes such as pralidoxime chloride reactivate acetylcholinesterase. However their role in management of organophosphate poisoning is controversial. The study was carried out to find effectiveness of pralidoxime chloride (2-PAM) in regenerating red cell acetyl cholinesterase in first 24 h following administration of it in dose recommended by WHO. Eight patients with OPP [chlorpyriphos (3), phorate (3), dichlorvos (1) and monocrotophos (1) who fulfilled the criteria for inclusion were investigated. In addition to decontamination and atropine, all these patients were administered 30 mg/kg body wt of 2-PAM as bolus dose followed by 7.5 mg/kg body wt/h with maximum dose being 500 mg/h as continuous infusion till first 24 h. Red cell AChE activity was estimated every 15 min for first 4 h, one hourly for next 4 h and then 2 hourly till 24 h and subsequently without 2-PAM every 12 h till 7 days or discharge or death which ever earlier. In all the patients maximum increase in activity was observed in first 4 h following which rise was very slow despite continued 2-PAM infusion and reaching a steady state in 20 h in all the cases. The increase in red cell AChE activity observed in diethyl group at 24 h of 2-PAM infusion was 154% vs. 81% in dimethyl group. At 7 days the increase in activity was 215% vs. 118% respectively. However on multiple repeated ANOVA, no statistically significant difference was observed between diethyl and dimethyl groups at admission and discharge (P > 0.05). Similarly no significant difference was observed in three groups when patients were categorized according to WHO classification of organophosphates (P > 0.05). The maximum increase in red cell AChE activity occurs in first 4 h of 2-PAM administration followed by a slow increase despite 2-PAM infusion till 24 h.     

The Equation: -2 = (-8)1/3 = (-8)2/6 = [(-8)2]1/6 = 2

In an article in the July 1995 issue of Educational Studies in Mathematics, Even and Tirosh claim that the quantity (-8)^1/3 is undefined. We present arguments to show why the reasoning given by them is flawed.This revised version was published online in September 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Predicting Study Abroad Intentions Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior

The emphasis on study abroad programs is growing in the academic context as U.S. based universities seek to incorporate a global perspective in education. Using a model that has underpinnings in the theory of planned behavior (TPB), we predict students’ intention to participate in short‐term study abroad program. We use TPB to identify behavioral, normative, and control beliefs pertinent to the study abroad context. Our research model hypothesizes that intention is predicted by affordability, willingness to pay, and desire. Moreover, willingness to pay is explained by future job prospects, family expectations, and administrative support. We believe that the elements of TBP are reflective of categories of factors that have been demonstrated as important in the context of short‐term study abroad decisions, but that have not been included in previous studies applying TPB to a study abroad context. We test our research model through a survey of 254 undergraduate business students at a southern U.S. university, and find support for all our hypotheses. Results from our study aid in the understanding of students’ decision‐making process to participate in a short‐term study abroad program and have implications for education and learning in the study abroad context. We also contribute to the extant research in TPB by applying it to the context of studying abroad programs and by identifying, and finding support for, a mediated relationship between beliefs and intentions.     

An Integrated Approach of the Potential Underlying Molecular Mechanistic Paradigms of SARS-CoV-2-Mediated Coagulopathy

Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a pandemic disease which has affected more than 6.2 million people globally, with numbers mounting considerably daily. However, till date, no specific treatment modalities are available for Covid-19 and also not much information is known about this disease. Recent studies have revealed that SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with the generation of thrombosis and coagulopathy. Fundamentally, it has been believed that a diverse array of signalling pathways might be responsible for the activation of coagulation cascade during SARS-CoV-2 infection. Henceforth, a detailed understanding of these probable underlying molecular mechanistic pathways causing thrombosis in Covid-19 disease deserves an urgent exploration. Therefore, in this review, the hypothetical crosstalk between distinct signalling pathways including apoptosis, inflammation, hypoxia and angiogenesis attributable for the commencement of thrombotic events during SARS-CoV-2 infection has been addressed which might further unravel promising therapeutic targets in Covid-19 disease.     

Learner Groups in Massive Open Online Courses

The open nature of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) attracts a large number of learners with different backgrounds, skills, motivations, and goals. This has brought a need to understand such heterogeneity in populations of MOOC learners. Categorizing these learners based upon their interaction with the course can help address this need and suggest possible improvements in course design and delivery. In this article, the K-means clustering technique with careful seeding is used to obtain clusters of learners having similar interaction in the course. Learners are grouped based on their interaction with course material, video lectures, discussion forums, and assessments. In the analysis of thirteen courses, the proposed method identified learners’ classes as Uninterested, Casuals, Performers, Explorers and Achievers. Each class of learners had distinct interaction with the course and followed a certain learning approach. The learners’ classes were mapped to the standard surface, deep, and strategic learning approaches.This article also highlights the data preparation phase and its importance in data mining.