CSU Ventures

OBJECTIVE: To determine the benefit of cetylated fatty acids (CFA) on knee range of motion and function in patients with osteoarthritis (OA). METHODS: Sixty-four patients with chronic knee OA were evaluated at baseline and at 30 and 68 days after consuming either placebo (vegetable oil; n = 31) or CFA (Celadrin; n = 33). Evaluations included physician assessment, knee range of motion with goniometry, and the Lequesne Algofunctional Index (LAI). RESULTS: After 68 days, patients treated with CFA exhibited significant (p < 0.001) increase in knee flexion (10.1 degrees) compared to patients given placebo (1.1 degrees). Neither group reported improvement in knee extension. Patient responses to the LAI indicated a significant (p < 0.001) shift towards functional improvement for the CFA group (-5.4 points) after 68 days compared to a modest improvement in the placebo group (-2.1 points). CONCLUSION: Compared to placebo, CFA provides an improvement in knee range of motion and overall function in patients with OA of the knee. CFA may be an alternative to the use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs for the treatment of OA.

Civic learning is an essential element of service learning, but one that is often underdeveloped in practice. This article surveys various conceptualizations of civic learning that are in use in higher education around the world, discusses approaches to designing service learning courses to generate civic learning outcomes, and proposes two methods for assessing student attainment of them. The intent is to build instructors’ capacities to cultivate the knowledge, skills, dispositions, and behaviors that lie at the very heart of civic learning and of public life in the ever-more complex and interconnected 21st century.

BACKGROUND: Opioids are standard treatment for postoperative pain. In this study, we compared the safety and efficacy of intranasal (i.n.) morphine to i.v. and oral morphine and placebo. METHODS: Two-hundred-twenty-five patients with moderate-to-severe pain after third molar extraction were randomized to receive a single dose of i.n. morphine 7.5 mg or 15 mg, i.v. morphine 7.5 mg, oral morphine 60 mg or placebo. Pain intensity was assessed using visual analog and categorical scales, and pain relief using a categorical scale. Outcomes included total pain relief, pain intensity difference, summed pain intensity difference, time to analgesic onset, time to requesting rescue medication, and patients' global evaluation of their treatment. Safety assessments included adverse event recording and nasal examinations. RESULTS: Across the various efficacy outcomes, both i.n. morphine doses were statistically similar to the positive comparators (i.v. and oral morphine), and all four morphine treatments were statistically superior to placebo. Overall, i.n. morphine 15 mg presented an efficacy profile similar to i.v. morphine 7.5 mg; both treatments demonstrated rapid onset of efficacy, generally persistent throughout the 6-h assessment period. The lower dose of i.n. morphine, 7.5 mg, was statistically similar to the other active treatments at 2 h and 6 h and similar to placebo at 4 h. Study medications were generally well tolerated, with no withdrawals due to adverse events or other safety concerns, and no serious adverse events reported. The most frequently reported adverse events were typical systemic opioid effects. CONCLUSIONS: I.n. morphine offers a noninvasive alternative to i.v. morphine for postoperative analgesia.

Conducted in a nursing curriculum, this study explores the potential role of integrating critical reflection and case studies within professional practice degree programs. Forty-six students read a book-length case study, participated in a professional development event related to the book, questioned the book’s author in face-to-face interaction, and used the DEAL (Describe, Examine, Articulate Learning) Model for Critical Reflection (Ash &amp; Clayton, 2009a; Ash &amp; Clayton, 2009b). Feedback using the DEAL Model Critical Thinking Table was given to students after the first critical reflection essay, and students used that feedback to deepen their thinking in the second critical reflection essay. Analysis of the critical thinking scores on the first and second essays confirmed increases in the quality of student reasoning. Reflections also provided evidence of improved understanding of palliative care and student ownership of their own learning. Results suggested the value of enhancing the applied learning pedagogy of case studies through critical reflection.

Inquiry and practice related to community–campus partnerships are ever evolving, with significant current momentum toward democratic engagement. To inform the ongoing development of associated practitioner scholarship, we examine the development of a tool for assessing the quality of community–campus relationships, the Transformational Relationship Evaluation Scale (TRES), as a microcosm of some underlying dynamics in previous and current work. After an overview of its conceptual foundations, we present TRES, review examples of its uses across multiple contexts, and share lessons learned from critical reflection on those uses along with associated implications for the future development of such tools. Subsequent discussion focuses on shifts toward conceptualizing both partnerships themselves and processes of inquiring into them in terms of systems and co-creation. Seeking to support readers in operationalizing democratic engagement in their inquiry and practice, we share conceptual frameworks, tangible tools, guiding questions for research, and reflective critique on our experience as practitioner-scholars of partnerships. La investigación y la práctica relacionadas con las alianzas comunidad-campus están en constante evolución, con un notable impulso actual hacia el compromiso democrático. Con el objetivo de fundamentar el estado en que se encuentran las becas para profesionales asociados, hemos examinado el desarrollo de una herramienta llamada TRES (Escala de Evaluación de Relaciones Transformacionales, según siglas en inglés), que evalúa la calidad de las alianzas comunidad-campus como un microcosmos de algunas de las dinámicas subyacentes en investigaciones anteriores y actuales. Después de una descripción general de sus fundamentos conceptuales, hicimos la presentación de TRES, revisando ejemplos de sus usos en múltiples contextos y compartiendo experiencias aprendidas en la reflexión crítica acerca de dichos usos, además de analizar las implicaciones asociadas en el desarrollo futuro de este tipo de herramientas. La discusión posterior se centra en los cambios a efectuarse en aras de una conceptualización de estas alianzas y de los procesos de investigación que se establecen entre ellas, en términos de sistemas y de creación compartida. Hemos intercambiado marcos conceptuales, herramientas tangibles, preguntas de orientación para la investigación y críticas reflexivas acerca de nuestra propia experiencia como profesionales académicos en estas alianzas, con el fin de ayudar a los lectores a poner en funcionamiento el compromiso democrático, tanto en la investigación como en la práctica.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate single- and repeated-dose pharmacokinetics (PK) and dose proportionality of hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD)-diclofenac compared with Voltarol after intravenous (IV) and intramuscular (IM) administration. DESIGN: Study 1: Single-dose randomized four-way crossover study. Study 2: Multiple-dose randomized three-way crossover study. SETTING: Clinical research center. SUBJECTS: Healthy adult volunteers. INTERVENTION: Study 1: Subjects received HPβCD-diclofenac and Voltarol, IV and IM, with a 5-day washout between treatment periods. Study 2: Subjects received two doses of IV HPβCD-diclofenac and oral Cataflam once every 6 hours for four doses with a 48-hour washout period between treatment periods. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Study 1: IV HPβCD-diclofenac had a higher peak plasma concentration (Cmax ) and earlier time to reach maximum plasma concentration (Tmax ), but equivalent plasma exposure (area under the curve from time zero to t [AUC0-t ]) to IV Voltarol. The geometric mean ratio of HPβCD-diclofenac (IV) to Voltarol (IV) for AUC0-t was 106.27%. The geometric mean ratio of HPβCD-diclofenac (IM) to Voltarol (IM) for AUC0-t was 110.91%. The geometric mean ratio of HPβCD-diclofenac (IV) to HPβCD-diclofenac (IM) for AUC0-t was 101.25%. The geometric mean ratio of HPβCD-diclofenac (IM) to Voltarol (IV) for AUC0-t was 104.96%. Study 2: Cmax for diclofenac was 2904 and 6031 ng/ml after the first IV dose of 18.75 and 37.5 mg HPβCD-diclofenac, respectively, and was 3090 and 5617 ng/ml after the fourth dose, indicating no accumulation. Plasma exposures to 18.75 mg (866 ng·hour/ml) and 37.5 mg (1843 ng·hour/ml) IV HPβCD-diclofenac bracketed that of oral Cataflam 50 mg (1473 ng·hour/ml). CONCLUSIONS: Study 1: Bioavailability in terms of AUC after IV administration was equivalent for HPβCD-diclofenac compared with Voltarol and after IM administration of HPβCD-diclofenac and Voltarol. Bioavailability in terms of AUC after IM administration of HPβCD-diclofenac was equivalent to IV administration of HPβCD-diclofenac and IV administration of Voltarol. Study 2: HPβCD-diclofenac showed dose proportionality after single- and multiple-dose administration and no accumulation of HPβCD-diclofenac. HPβCD-diclofenac was safe and well tolerated following IV and IM administration.

Based on extrapolation of similar clinical outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis to the originator infliximab (IFX) in randomized clinical trials, the first biosimilar antibody CT-P13 was approved for the treatment of psoriasis. To evaluate the safety, efficacy, and drug survival of CT-P13 for psoriasis in real-world clinical practice, prospective post-marketing surveillance was conducted in 165 Japanese psoriasis patients. During a 1-year follow-up period, adverse drug reactions (ADRs) occurred in 29 patients (17.6%). Infusion reaction was the most frequent ADR (6.7%), and mild pneumonia was reported as the only case of infection. Serious ADRs were reported in two patients (1.2%): acute cholecystitis and interstitial pneumonia. The interstitial pneumonia developed after a single infusion of CT-P13 and the patient died of respiratory failure. In naive patients to biologic therapy (n = 44), the Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) decreased rapidly after the start of CT-P13 treatment, and response rate achieving an absolute PASI score <1 was 55% at 30 weeks. The response rate was high (78%) in patients with psoriatic arthritis, and 40% and 20% in those in plaque psoriasis and pustular psoriasis, respectively. Of patients switched from IFX to CT-P13 mainly for nonmedical reasons (n = 105), 57% had already reached PASI <1 by pretreatment with IFX and CT-P13 maintained this status. The incidence of ADRs in this patient group was low and the drug survival rate was as high as 74%, even at 1 year, which was significantly higher than that in the naïve patient group (47%). Patients switched from other biologics for medical reasons (n = 16) responded similarly to biologic-naïve patients, but drug survival was lower (24%). In conclusion, CT-P13 showed excellent effectiveness as a first-line therapy, no clinical difficulties in switching from IFX, and usefulness in patients who failed other biologics. CT-P13 could be a cost-effective alternative to IFX for the treatment of psoriasis.

Morbidity, hospitalizations, and costs for the treatment of individuals with end-stage renal disease are simply not improving at a rate that is acceptable to many physicians and dialysis providers in the United States. Various conferences and papers have suggested what processes need to become part of the dialysis prescription to accelerate change. Controlling cardiovascular disease is a part of that change, and controlling extra-cellular volume (ECV) is necessary to accomplish this. Three dialysis providers joined in a quality initiative to objectively assess the ultrafiltration process and measure "normalized" ECV, with the outcome objective to decrease ECV-related hospitalizations. The results show a decrease in ECV-related hospitalizations by 50%. The model of dialysis prescription needs to now change to Kt/V + objective ECV control.

This paper describes the development of vision-aided navigation (i.e., pose estimation) for a wearable augmented reality system operating in natural outdoor environments. This system combines a novel pose estimation capability, a helmet-mounted see-through display, and a wearable processing unit to accurately overlay geo-registered graphics on the user's view of reality. Accurate pose estimation is achieved through integration of inertial, magnetic, GPS, terrain elevation data, and computervision inputs. Specifically, a helmet-mounted forward-looking camera and custom computer vision algorithms are used to provide measurements of absolute orientation (i.e., orientation of the helmet with respect to the Earth). These orientation measurements, which leverage mountainous terrain horizon geometry and/or known landmarks, enable the system to achieve significant improvements in accuracy compared to GPS/INS solutions of similar size, weight, and power, and to operate robustly in the presence of magnetic disturbances. Recent field testing activities, across a variety of environments where these vision-based signals of opportunity are available, indicate that high accuracy (less than 10 mrad) in graphics geo-registration can be achieved. This paper presents the pose estimation process, the methods behind the generation of vision-based measurements, and representative experimental results.

Despite the rapid growth in the adoption of online learning, there is a dearth of detailed information on effective business models, business strategies and effective practices on which to build sustainable online education programs. A survey instrument was developed as an initial attempt to define business models and business strategies for online learning. The survey results yielded some interesting data about which online learning financial models seem to have more or less “control” of which business functions. The sample was a convenience one and as such will require further filtering of data. It is also clear that more needs to be done to define business strategies and models and thus provide guidance to this growing segment of higher education.

Engaging students as actors in rather than audience of their education. This is both the primary feature of experiential education as John Dewey envisioned it and its underlying link to education for democracy: the flourishing of democracy requires citizens who ar empowered actors, and such citizens cannot be produced through educational processes that deny participation and power to students. In this article we share and examine examples of experiential learning practices that try to walk the talk of democratic purposes and discuss associated challenges and design principles. Our goals are to encourage and empower the community of experiential educators to understand, enact, inquire into, and continue developing the full potential of our work as it contributes to educating for democracy.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: CT-P13, an infliximab (IFX) biosimilar, was approved for treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. However, no comparison with the originator IFX in this indication has been conducted in Japan where endemic levels of tuberculosis and hepatitis virus infection are not low. We evaluated the safety and efficacy in real-world data of CT-P13 and compared with originator IFX data in Japan. METHODS: In a prospective post-marketing surveillance (PMS) study, patients who received CT-P13 in a 28-month period from January 2015 were followed up for 2 years. By conducting Japanese administrative database search (DBS) for the same period of PMS, data of the originator IFX including treatment persistence, tuberculosis incidence, and liver injury were analyzed retrospectively and compared with the corresponding PMS data of CT-P13. RESULTS: CT-P13 persistence in PMS (n = 640) and IFX persistence in DBS (n = 4113) were almost similar between patients who switched from the originator and patients who continued on the originator, and also between the biologics-naïve patient groups. There were no differences in the incidences of tuberculosis and hepatic injury (Tuberculosis: 2 patients [0.31%] with CT-P13, 10 patients [0.24%] with the originator, P = 0.75; Hepatic injury: 18.5% with CT-P13, 15.4% with the originator, P = 0.22). Most of the patients with hepatic injury continued treatment in PMS and DBS at similar rates (80.8% vs 83.6%, P = 0.65). CONCLUSION: The results of long-term PMS of CT-P13 compared with external reference data from an administrative database suggested that the biosimilar and its originator were comparably useful in real-world clinical practice.

Abstract The combination of ET Ventures' ET #1 and granular activated carbon consistently and effectively removed hydrocarbons from Tensleep formation produced water in a 24-hour test at Teapot Dome oil field. Specific findings are that ET #1:–Reduced Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (EPA Method 418.1) to non-detectable levels.–Reduced Oil and Grease (EPA Method 413.2) to non-detectable levels.–Reduced soluble hydrocarbons: Benzene, Ethylbenzene Toluene, and Xylene (BTEX-EPA method 8020) to barely detectable levels. BTEX was below detectable limits after the combination of ET #1 and granular activated carbon. Introduction This report describes the results of a test conducted at the Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center (RMOTC) of a product manufactured and marketed by ET Ventures, L.L.C. This product, ET #1, is designed to adsorb hydrocarbons from wastewater. The test conducted at RMOTC was intended to document the ability of ET #1 to:–Adsorb a relatively large quantity of hydrocarbons from oilfield produced waters carrying a free oil sheen.–Tolerate the wide variations in hydrocarbon concentrations typical of oilfield operations.–Adsorb soluble hydrocarbons in the BTEX family under these same circumstances. A 24-hour test was designed in which produced water from the Tensleep formation was flowed through a three-stage treatment system composed of two stages containing ET #1 and a final polishing stage containing granular activated carbon (GAC). Product Description ET #1 is a product generally referred to as a polymer modified bentonite or an organoclay. This group of materials is manufactured by binding an amine polymer onto bentonite clay and drying it in a granular form. The polymer binds to the bentonite's ionic surfaces and converts the clay from a hydratable form to an oil-wet, hydrocarbon adsorbent material. Other clays are also used for the manufacture of organoclay, depending on the application and location of mineral deposits. Organoclay is commonly used in the upstream sector of the petroleum industry for removing hydrocarbons from refinery process water, but it has seen little use in petroleum production. Many other industries also use it, including shipping and dockside servicing, carwashes, and others dealing with an oily wastewater stream. Organoclays have also been tested for treating ground and surface water for other organic chemicals such as PCBs and pesticides. Present and Future Constraints on Oilfield Produced Water. Oilfield produced water is an important source of surface water in the arid western U.S. The discharge of produced water is permitted under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), which may be administered by the U.S. E.P.A. or by a state program. In addition, other state and federal programs come into play to generally prohibit the presence of a free oil sheen or staining of the shoreline of surface impoundments. Netting may also be required over surface impoundments in order to protect migratory birds from hydrocarbon contamination. P. 137^

BACKGROUND: When the US Department of Health and Human Services instituted a State of Public Health Emergency (PHE) during the COVID-19 pandemic, many telehealth flexibilities were fast-tracked to allow state Medicaid agencies to reimburse new specialty services, sites of care, and mediums such as FaceTime to communicate with patients.. This resulted in expanded access to care for financially vulnerable Medicaid patients, as evidenced by an uptick in telehealth use. Research has mostly focused on telehealth reimbursement for limited use cases such as rural primary care, without broader consideration for how telehealth can be appropriately mainstreamed and maintained. OBJECTIVE: This study sought to (1) evaluate the continuation of flexible telehealth reimbursement broadly, beyond the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) analyze the clinical effectiveness of the new telehealth services; and (3) offer code-by-code reimbursement guidance to state Medicaid leaders. METHODS: We surveyed 10 state Medicaid medical directors (MMDs) who are responsible for the scientific and clinical appropriateness of Medicaid policies in their respective states. Participants were asked to complete an internet-based survey with a list of medical billing codes, grouped by service type, and asked if they believed they should be reimbursed by Medicaid on a permanent basis. Additional questions covered more detailed recommendations, such as reimbursing video with audio versus audio-only, guardrails for certain specialty services, and motivations behind responses. RESULTS: The MMDs felt that the majority of services should be reimbursed via some modality of telehealth after the PHE, with the most support for video combined with audio compared to audio-only. There were exceptions on both ends of the spectrum, where services such as pulmonary diagnostics were not recommended to be reimbursed in any form and services such as psychotherapy for mental health had the most support for audio-only. The vast majority of MMDs were supportive of reimbursement for remote monitoring services, but some preferred to have some reimbursement guardrails. We found that 90% (n=9) of MMDs were supportive of reimbursement for telehealth interprofessional services, while half (n=5) of the respondents felt that there should be continued guardrails for reimbursement. Motivations for continuing reimbursement flexibility were largely attributed to improving access to care, improving outcomes, and improving equity among the Medicaid patient population. CONCLUSIONS: There is a strong clinical endorsement to continue the telehealth flexibility enabled by the PHE, primarily for video combined with audio telehealth, with caution against audio-only telehealth in situations where hands-on intervention is necessary for diagnosis or treatment. There is also support for reimbursing remote monitoring services and telehealth interprofessional services, albeit with guardrails. These results are primarily from a perspective of improving access, outcomes, and equity; other state-specific factors such as fiscal impact and technical implementation may need to be taken into account when considering reimbursement decisions on telehealth.

BACKGROUND: Standards of early childhood development (ECD) are needed to determine whether children living in different contexts are developmentally on track. The Early Childhood Development Index 2030 (ECDI2030) is a population-level measure intended to be used in household surveys to collect globally comparable data on one of the indicators chosen to monitor progress toward target 4.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals: The proportion of children aged 24-59 months who are developmentally on track in health, learning and psychosocial well-being. METHODS: To define performance cut-scores for the ECDI2030 we followed a criterion-referenced standard setting exercise using the modified Angoff method. The exercise gauged the expectations from 15 global experts in ECD and was informed by representative population data collected in Mexico and the State of Palestine. The final calibrated age-specific performance cut-scores were applied to these data to estimate the proportion of children developmentally on track, disaggregated by background characteristics, including the child's sex and attendance to early childhood education. RESULTS: Through a process of standard setting, we generated robust performance standards for the ECDI2030 by establishing five age-specific cut-scores to identify children as developmentally on track. CONCLUSIONS: This paper demonstrated how the standard setting methodology, typically applied to measures in the health and education fields, could be applied to a measure of child development. By creating robust criterion-referenced standards, we have been able to ensure that the cut-scores related to age for the ECDI2030 are based on performance standards set by global experts in the ECD field for defining on and off track development.

Mitochondrial replication is arrested during early cleavage stages, leaving the embryo dependent on maternally derived mitochondria for oxidative phosphorylation. Numbers of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) are used as indicators of functional mitochondria; however, direct comparisons for mtDNA and oxygen consumption rate (OCR) have not been performed for horses. The objectives of this study were to compare equine oocyte mtDNA copy numbers with a measure of mitochondrial function (OCR) and to determine whether maternal age of the oocyte donor impacts OCR of early-stage embryos. We hypothesised that (1) OCR in oocytes is not directly associated with mitochondrial numbers and (2) aerobic metabolism (OCR) is lower in early embryos from old than from young mares. Mares ages 6-13 years (Young, n = 7) and = 20 years (Old, n = 8) were used as oocyte donors. Oocytes were collected from dominant follicles (=35 mm) during oestrus and at 16 ± 2 h after induction of follicular maturation. Recovered oocytes were incubated in tissue culture medium 199 with 10% fetal calf serum, 25 mg mL−1 of gentamicin, and 0.2 mM pyruvate for 26 ± 2 h. Metaphase II oocytes (Young, n = 14; Old, n = 15) were fertilized by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) using frozen-thawed sperm from one stallion. Presumptive zygotes were cultured in global medium (LifeGlobal Group). Other oocytes and early embryos were used for OCR. A microchamber containing an electrochemical sensor was used to measure OCR from individual oocytes (Young, n = 9; Old, n = 14) and early embryos (Young, n = 8; Old, n = 10). After analyses, oocytes were snap frozen, and mtDNA was later quantified by qPCR. Metabolic assays of embryos that cleaved were performed at Day 2 after ICSI. After the assay, embryos were placed back to culture until blastocyst formation at Day 7 or 8. Two-tailed Student's t-tests were used for OCR and mtDNA comparisons, and Fisher's exact tests were used to compare development rates. We found that OCR was higher (P = 0.007) for oocytes from Young (mean ± s.e.m.: 1.8 ± 0.2) than from Old (1.3 ± 0.1 fmol s−1). However, mtDNA numbers were not different (P = 0.3) for Young (5.6 ± 0.4 × 105) and Old (6.2 ± 0.4 × 105). Cleavage rates were similar (P = 0.6) between Young (11 out of 14, 79%) and Old (13 of 15, 87%). Day 2 embryos from Young had higher basal OCR compared with Old (3.8 ± 0.1 and 3.2 ± 0.2 fmol s−1, respectively; P = 0.05). Blastocyst rates per cleaved oocytes were similar for Young (5 of 11, 45%) and Old (4 of 13, 31%; P = 0.7). Lower OCR was observed in oocytes and early embryos from Old, which indicates that mitochondrial metabolic function is reduced for mitochondria originating in the oocytes of Old compared with Young. Use of mtDNA was not indicative of mitochondrial metabolic function. Although sample numbers were limited, cleavage and blastocyst development were not significantly different between Young and Old. Further developmental competence was not determined, although the compromised metabolic capacity of oocytes and embryos from old mares could ultimately contribute to lower fertility outcomes.

The method of collecting the needed data is based on point-sampling techniques. A system of point samples is placed on the ground to give a representative sample of the area, and

Abstract The North West Shelf (NWS) of Australia is a prolific hydrocarbon province hosting significant volumes of hydrocarbons, primarily derived from Jurassic and Cretaceous targets. A new regional, integrated geoscience study has been undertaken to develop insights into the paleogeography and petroleum systems of Late Permian to Triassic successions, which have been underexplored historically in favor of Jurassic to Cretaceous targets. Within the NWS study area, graben and half-graben depocenters developed in response to intracratonic rifting that preceded later fragmentation and northward rifting of small continental blocks. This, coupled with contemporaneous cycles of rising sea levels, brought about the development of large embayments and shallow, epeiric seas between the Australian continental landmass and outlying continental fragments in the early stages of divergence. Key elements of the study results discussed herein include the study methodology, the paleogeographic and gross depositional environment mapping, and the reservoir and source kitchen modeling. The study results highlight the presence of depocenters that developed within oblique rift zones due to regional Permo-Triassic strike-slip tectonics that bear compelling similarities to modern-day analogues. These intracratonic rift zones are well-known and prominent tectonic features resulting from mantle upwelling and weakening of overlying lithospheric crust, initiating the development of divergent intraplate depocenters. The comprehensive analysis of these depocenters from a paleogeographic and petroleum system perspective provides a basin evaluation tool for Triassic prospectivity.

Much has been written in recent years on the subject of mentoring and many universities, organizations, and individuals have rushed to embrace the concept without thinking through what it means for the university, organization, mentor, and, most importantly, the mentee. This article is an examination of the various factors involved in the mentoring process. Knowledge gained, collaboration, situational learning, and social networking are discussed as key components of the mentoring process. As information was collected for this article, some of these comments were derived from extensive experience over several decades and more recently, comments from a recent professional business person who has just acquired a doctorate. For the seasoned academic professor, it was a time to reflect on the major issues of mentoring and to organize the discussion for this most important aspect of education, particularly focused on higher education. In the latter case, the purpose of gaining the terminal degree was to enter into academe, start a new career, and bring a wealth of business acumen and experience to the classroom for the ultimate benefit of students.

Protecting the security of examination questions is an important task for high-stakes examining boards/agencies and university programs. To maintain the security of questions, examining boards and university programs use a combination of prevention, detection, and enforcement strategies. A common prevention strategy is to establish a number of controls on access to questions; however, restricting access can motivate examinees to try harder to reconstruct questions that may appear on future versions of the test. Moreover, access to study materials by some groups and not others can present a challenge to the fairness of examinations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the empirical stability of test characteristics. Specifically, the primary research objective was to investigate the empirical stability of the items and test forms of a written examination before and after a specific policy decision was implemented. As a response to both of these concerns, this article describes a study that evaluated how psychometric (i.e., statistical) properties of test forms and individual questions might be affected by publicly releasing a larger number of questions from an item question pool. A series of analyses were conducted, including item drift to evaluate stability of the characteristics. The results suggest that empirical characteristics of the test forms and individual questions have remained relatively stable since the release policy was implemented. Specifically, statistical properties of the test forms have continued to perform similarly to test forms that were constructed prior to the release. Although the results of this study were promising, the context of this specific testing program may have offered additional protections such as a limited number of administrations that others may not. Therefore, testing/examining agencies and university programs may want to consider this strategy with appropriate caution.