Piedmont Virginia Community College

This research paper presents a comparative analysis of social and economic dynamics, focusing on the Varna and Ashrama systems in ancient India and Adam Smith’s theory of the division of labor. Delving into the principles of the ancient Indian systems, namely Varna and Ashrama, the study examines their influence on social structures, labor allocation, and economic roles. Simultaneously, it explores Adam Smith’s influential theory on the division of labor during the Enlightenment era, emphasizing its conceptualization and implications for economic development. By comparing these distinct frameworks, the research seeks to unveil commonalities, disparities, and the enduring impact of these historical systems on societal organization, economic efficiency, and individual contributions. Employing a multidisciplinary approach, the paper contributes to a nuanced understanding of the historical roots of economic philosophies and their implications for social and economic dynamics.

ABSTRACT With the implementation of welfare reform, welfare clients were faced with a ticking clock before they lost their cash assistance. During this time, welfare caseworkers worked closely with clients to help prepare them for the future and to gain self-sufficiency. The relationship between welfare caseworkers and welfare clients was instrumental in helping ensure success. With newfound forms of discretionary funds, caseworkers had the ability to individualize plans for clients which ultimately brought the notion of discretion into the equation. This article draws upon in-depth interviews with welfare clients to better understand the significance of the relationship between caseworker and client.

This study assesses the impacts of the Science program at Piedmont Virginia Community College and its flagship capstone research experience, Supervised Study, through psychosocial perceptions associated with persistence in science and through a comparative analysis of subsequent science bachelor’s degree attainment. Supervised Study involves authentic, independent projects, a research methods course and learning community, and one-on-one faculty mentoring. The Persistence in the Sciences survey was used as a repeated-measures instrument in four semesters of Supervised Study. Positive trends were observed for self-efficacy, science identity, community values, and networking, while responses related to project ownership were mixed (n = 13). To contextualize these observations, transfer and bachelor’s degree completion rates were analyzed. Students who earn an associate’s degree in Science (n = 113 between 2012 and 2019) complete bachelor’s degrees at high rates (66.4%). Moreover, they are two to four times more likely to major in physical and natural sciences than their science-oriented peers, who take many of the same courses, with the exception of Supervised Study. Notably, these comparison rates remain consistent between different demographic groups. These findings further describe a model for research at the community college level that supports persistence in undergraduate science for a broad group of students.

As part of the Reproducibility Project: Cancer Biology, we published Registered Reports that described how we intended to replicate selected experiments from 29 high-impact preclinical cancer biology papers published between 2010 and 2012. Replication experiments were completed and Replication Studies reporting the results were submitted for 18 papers, of which 17 were accepted and published by eLife with the rejected paper posted as a preprint. Here, we report the status and outcomes obtained for the remaining 11 papers. Four papers initiated experimental work but were stopped without any experimental outcomes. Two papers resulted in incomplete outcomes due to unanticipated challenges when conducting the experiments. For the remaining five papers only some of the experiments were completed with the other experiments incomplete due to mundane technical or unanticipated methodological challenges. The experiments from these papers, along with the other experiments attempted as part of the Reproducibility Project: Cancer Biology, provides evidence about the challenges of repeating preclinical cancer biology experiments and the replicability of the completed experiments.

The N-hydroxysulphonamide Piloty’s acid, PhSO2NHOH, was first reported in the scientific literature over a century ago. N-hydroxysulphonamides have recently attracted considerable attention, due to their propensity to spontaneously decompose to cleanly release nitroxyl (HNO) upon deprotonation of the parent molecule. Like its well-established cousin nitric oxide (NO), HNO is a biological signaling molecule with a rich redox chemistry. Furthermore therapeutics that generate HNO in vivo show considerable promise in treating cardiovascular disease including congestive heart failure, through mechanisms unique to HNO. HNO reacts primarily with metal centres and thiols (protein thiol residues and small molecular weight thiols) in biological systems.The cobalt-containing vitamin B12 macrocycle is a cofactor for numerous enzymes in humans and bacteria. Detailed mechanistic studies on the reactions of Piloty’s acid with all three oxidation states of vitamin B12 – Co(I), Co(II) and Co(III) – will be presented, and reveal a complex and rich coordination chemistry for this simple triatomic molecule.

A schematic circular map of the world appears in numerous medieval Islamic manuscripts. Oriented with south at the top and surrounded by a band of the world ocean, it shows the three continents of ...