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Many people have touted education as a great equalizer because it provides students with the skills and opportunity to succeed in life based on their own merit. While this attitude has helped increase access to education around the world, the quality of that education varies. Globally, education has multiple challenges. On the micro level, educational quality remains inconsistent, and on the macro level, increasing economic inequality has potential to deleteriously affect education. This study analyzes the relationships between micro level education phenomena and these macro level economic forces to determine how economic inequality relates to education quality. This study engages the infamous educational "black box" in three different areas that capture, in aggregate, a meaningful portion of the classroom experience: opportunity to learn (OTL), teacher preparation, and student achievement. The analysis situates educational quality in the context of country-level economics by comparing students across three types of economic disparities: inequality between countries, inequality within countries, and inequality in the socio-economic status (SES) of students. Between-country inequality consists of differences in overall country income while within-country inequality concerns the distribution of income. Between-student inequality gauges the relative SES of families and their ability to provide resources conducive to education. The main hypothesis is that high SES students in more-unequal countries have relatively more access to educational resources, leading to relatively better teachers, relatively more OTL, and higher math scores. The converse would hold true for low SES students. Findings from international comparisons using the international assessments in 2003 (PISA and TIMSS) show that income inequality adversely relates to educational factors for students in all SES groups. Both high and low SES students in more-unequal countries have lower achievement scores, less prepared teachers, and less OTL. More detailed analysis at the country level does not identify any "silver bullets" for low or high income inequality countries, but does show that OTL has a greater relationship to achievement for higher SES students, while environmental factors such as community size matter for low SES students. Theses findings imply that high SES students have the foundation to take better advantage of their educational settings while low SES students must first manage their social and economic environments.

The ras Superfamily of GTPases presents the most comprehensive compilation of information available regarding aspects of the putative function of small ras-related GTPases. The book's chapters were written by the world's most prominent scientists in this field and cover such topics as the structure and properties of ras proteins, ras function, the ras superfamily in general, and the functional regulation of ras and ras-related GTPases. The book will benefit cell biologists, oncologists, neurobiologists, molecular biologists, and others interested in the topic.

This book details the evolution of General George Marshall's relationship with the atomic bomb—including the Manhattan Project and the use of atomic weapons on Japan—as it emerged as the ultimate weapon of mass destruction. The atomic bomb is not only the most powerful weapon ever used in the history of warfare: it is also the most significant in terms of its long-term impact on U.S. military power and policy, and as the reason behind the conflict that raged for four decades without actually happening—the Cold War. General George C. Marshall played an instrumental role in the development and use of the atomic bomb in World War II as well as in issues involving nuclear weapons in the post-World War II period. This book tells the story of Marshall's experience with the atomic bomb from his early skepticism of its effectiveness as a weapon, to his oversight of its development and deployment against Japan in World War II, to his recognition of the bomb as a weapon of such dire consequence that it should never be used again. Intended for a general audience as well as scholars with specific knowledge about the subject matter, this book presents a cohesive account of General Marshall's involvement with nuclear weapons and atomic power as Army chief of staff during World War II and as secretary of state and secretary of defense in the early years of the Cold War. Marshall's involvement with the use of nuclear weapons is set in the context of the Allies' efforts to force Japan to surrender and the initiation of the Cold War. Readers will gain insight into Marshall's quest for obtaining a Japanese surrender; his views on the use of the atomic bomb on Japan versus the use of conventional weapons, including fire bombing or poison gas; his interactions with Roosevelt and Truman on nuclear issues; and Marshall's diplomatic skillfulness in dealing with the issues surrounding the control and use of nuclear weapons as secretary of state and secretary of defense in the post-World War II era. These included consideration of the use of the atomic bomb during the Berlin crisis and the Korean war.

"This book is lewd, rude and superb! Frank and Stein have written the first guide to grad school from a student's point of view; and the result is an irreverent, humorous and USEFUL book of advice. These foul-mouthed sages will help you get through a master's or doctoral program more quickly, with fewer blunders and less angst. I plan to recommend this book to all the graduate students I coach and teach." -Mary McKinney, Ph.D. Clinical Psychologist and Dissertation Coach http://www.successfulacademic.com Yes, sports fans!, er, grad school fans Bad boys Fred and Karl are back with an updated version of their best selling self-help guide for grad students. This New and/or Improved Version is stocked with additional content, more lame attempts at humor, and a lower price (Karl threatened to moon the publisher unless his demands were met). Written with the attitude of a couple ill-mannered schoolboys who exhibit the insight and genius of the Ph.D.'s who wrote it, Playing the Game simplifies even the most complex aspects of grad school. Authors Frank and Stein have broken down Playing The Game into three hilarious and straightforward sections: Getting In, Getting Through, and Getting the Hell Out. In whatever stage of graduate school you find yourself, rest assured that you will never again grumble, "If only I had known! If only someone had explained this @%#! to me sooner!" Playing the Game simplifies the entire graduate school experience while imparting comically relevant stories and translating complicated graduate school jargon. This self-help guide helps grad students to comprehensively navigate their graduate school journey from application to matriculation. Unlike most of the material you'll be reading in grad school, Playing the Game is actually intelligible. www.playing-the-game.com

This issue, we have an original mystery from Mike Adamson, plus a recent tale by Neil S. Plakcy (courtesy of our Acquiring Editors). Classic mystery reprints come from Dale Clark and Edgar Wallace. Plus, of course, a solve-it-yourself puzzler by Hal Charles. I broke out the Adventure category for Vera Shamarin, by William Murray Graydon. It’s an exciting tale of escape from Russia. Not really mystery, but perhaps more suspense, I thought it belonged in its own category. See if you agree. It’s an all-classic lineup from our science fiction writers: Ted White & Marion Zimmer Bradley lead off, followed by Frank Belknap Long, Ivar Jorgenson, and Edmond Hamilton. Jack Sharkey’s short novel, “The Programmed People,” caps things off.

These 88 puzzles and their solutions offer an entertaining approach to the life and times of Presidents and First Ladies, from the Washingtons to the Trumps and everyone in between.

Nearly 200 word searches are packed with interesting tidbits about every state and the District of Columbia as well as the life and times of the Presidents and First Ladies, from George and Martha Washington to Donald and Melania Trump. Solutions included.