Search

This article theorizes the global anti-gender movement in education. This conservative movement opposes "gender ideology," which is perceived as a threat to traditional social values. Building on a systematic literature review of how the anti-gender movement shapes educational policies, politics, and practices, with a specific focus on Brazil and the US, this article presents a theoretical framework for conceptualizing: 1) the contested meanings of "gender ideology"; 2) its discursive components; 3) the characteristics and composition of anti-gender alliances; 4) the anti-gender agenda's manifestations in curriculum, pedagogy, the social relations of schooling, and education policy. We attempt to highlight the ways in which anti-gender politics often operate together with racial politics to reveal the ways in which conservative, right-wing alliances, frequently predicated on and united through anti-Blackness, white supremacy, homophobia, transphobia, and misogyny, exert influence on educational policies, politics, and practices to simultaneously maintain a white supremacist, cis-heteronormative, and patriarchal state. We conclude with a discussion of the contradictions of this agenda and resistances to these conservative attacks on equity, inclusion, diversity, and human rights.

This study explores how often students are engaged in their science classes and their affective states during these times, using an innovative methodology that records these experiences "in situ". Sampling a subset of high schools in the U.S. and Finland, we collected over 7,000 momentary responses from 344 students over the course of a week. We examine engagement within and between students in different environments identifying common social and emotional factors they may be experiencing in their science classes, suggesting the challenges that the U.S. and Finland may encounter when implementing their new science standards (i.e., "Next Generation of Science Standards" and "Finnish National Core Curriculum"). We operationalize engagement as situational when students experience high levels of challenge, skill, and interest, which we term as optimal learning moments. Specifically we analyze: (i) the components of optimal learning; (ii) the relationship of optimal learning with other subjective measures; (iii) how optimal learning moments in science classes compare to other academic classes; and (iv) the extent that optimal learning moments predict an individual's perception of importance to self and future in science classes. Using several multivariate models, results show that when students are challenged in their classes and are appropriately skilled they are more likely to feel confident, successful, and happy during specific science classes as well as in other academic classes. When students experience more times of optimal learning in their science classes they are more likely to report that they perceive science as important to them and their futures. Females, however, report being more stressed in their science classes than males.

The popularity of comics with children and teens in the United States has been extensively documented, both in terms of market sales and circulation in libraries. What is not as well chronicled are readers' experiences with comics reading in their childhood and teenage years, the insights from which might prove useful for school librarians who are interested in helping create positive and meaningful reading experiences for their students. The purpose of this study is to examine the comics reading histories of emerging adults who read comics as children or teens to understand how this format fit into their broader development as a reader. Using both survey and semi-structured interview data, the comics reading histories of 34 emerging adult participants from the Southeastern United States were analyzed. Results of this study suggest that school librarians and literacy educators need to take steps to make comics reading more accessible and considered educationally legitimate for their students and to consider the emotional development of students as readers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sixteen years of adult cattle submissions to the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System were examined and data captured from cases with anaerobic cultures of intestinal content. Analysis was performed to determine if there were statistical differences between case submission types (nonbloody intestinal content [129 cases], bloody intestinal content [134 cases], and jejunal hematoma [JH; 51 cases]) for the presence of Clostridium perfringens (314 cases), C. perfringens toxinotypes (35 cases), and C. perfringens toxins (51 cases) in the content. Across submission types, significant differences were found in the isolation of C. perfringens between different specimen types (live cow, dead cow, or tissue from a field necropsy) with field samples being the most likely to have C. perfringens detected and live animals the least likely (P = 0.001). In cases of JH, detection of C. perfringens by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was more likely when a live or dead animal was submitted (P = 0.023) or when a live animal was submitted (P = 0.019) compared with submission of field necropsy tissues. These differences were not observed when cultures were performed to detect C. perfringens in cases of JH. There were no statistical differences between submission types with regard to any other variables evaluated. Detailed histologic examination of 21 cases of JH suggested disturbance of normal vascular or lymphatic function as the underlying problem in this entity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) has become a widely established treatment for a variety of thoracic aortic pathologic diseases despite limited long-term data to support its use. We compared the long-term outcomes of TEVAR with the 3 commercially available stents grafts for thoracic aortic aneurysms to results in control subjects undergoing open surgery. Methods: Demographic, clinical radiographic parameters were collected prospectively on patients enrolled in trials assessing the Gore TAG (55), Medtronic Talent (36) and Cook TX2 (15) devices. Outcomes were compared with 45 contemporaneous open controls. Detailed clinical and radiographic information was available for analysis. Standard univariate, survival, and regression methods were used. Results: During the study period (1995-2007) 106 patients were enrolled in TEVAR trials and there were 45 open controls. TEVAR patients were older and had significantly more comorbidities including diabetes and renal failure. TEVAR patients had 2.3 ± 1.3 devices implanted. Mortality (2.6% TEVAR, 6.7% open; P = .1), paralysis/paraparesis (3.9% TEVAR, 7.1% open; P = .2), and prolonged intubation more than 24 hours (9% TEVAR, 24% open; P = .02) tended to be more common in the open controls. Overall survival at 10 years was similar between groups (log rank P = .5). Multivariate predictors of late mortality included age, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, and chronic renal failure. Use of TEVAR versus open surgery did not influence mortality (hazard ratio, 0.9 95% confidence interval, 0.4-1.6). Over 5 years of radiographic follow-up in the TEVAR group, mean aortic diameter decreased from 61 to 55 mm. Freedom from reintervention on the treated segment was 85% in TEVAR patients at 10 years. Conclusions: TEVAR is a safe and effective procedure to treat thoracic aortic aneurysms with improved perioperative and similar long-term results as open thoracic aortic repair. TEVAR-treated aneurysm diameters initially decrease and then stabilize over time. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article discusses the associated health impacts of the presence of chemical and radioactive carcinogens in cigarettes and the responses of the tobacco industry, U.S. Congress and federal regulatory agencies. It offers a history of some of those who played major roles in obtaining the information that documents alpha radiation emitted by polonium (Po) that was discovered in tobacco in 1964. Based on available evidences, the article concluded that Po may be a significant factor in the initiation of bronchial carcinomas in smokers.

The article discusses the radiation standards at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. The author states that the high-level radioactive waste in Yucca Mountain is designed to contain spent nuclear fuel and vitrified fission products. The origin of the Yucca Mountain Standards as well as an independent risk/dose analysis of radionuclides is discussed. Guidance that would enable the U.S. Department of Energy to complete the construction of the repository and operate it in accordance with the National Academy of Sciences recommendations is also offered.

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Higher Education is the property of Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article identifies the challenges in managing the Radiation Dose Reconstruction Project of the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). From the initial stages of the project, there were many technical and managerial challenges that required continuous planning, integration, and conflict resolution. The most complex challenge, according to the article, has been to complete defensible, individualized dose reconstructions that support timely compensation decisions at an acceptable production level. The lessons learned from the project are also discussed.

The article discusses various reports published within the issue, including one by James W. Neton et al on Radiation Dose Reconstruction Program of the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and another by Richard E. Toohey on scientific issues in Radiation Dose Reconstruction.

The article examines the proposed standard dose rate estimate of the Yucca mountain and the Amargosa Valley in the U.S. It is said that the proposed rule for the establishment of dose rate standard was published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It aims for the reduction of radionuclide releases from the proposed Yucca Mountain high level radio active waste repository for a time period. The proposed standard was based on the difference in the estimated dose rate from the natural background in the Amargosa Valley and the average annual background radiation for the State of Colorado. On the other hand, upon further review of the difference dose rate, residents in the Amargosa valley have the indoor radon concentrations lesser than or comparable to outdoors.

The disposition of solid materials from nuclear facilities has been a subject of public debate for several decades. The primary concern has been the potential health effects resulting from exposure to residual radioactive materials to be released for unrestricted use. These debates have intensified in the last decade as many regulated facilities are seeking viable management decisions on the disposition of the large amounts of materials potentially containing very low levels of residual radioactivity. Such facilities include the nuclear weapons complex sites managed by the U.S. Department of Energy, commercial power plants licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and other materials licensees regulated by the NRC or the Agreement States. Other facilities that generate radioactive material containing naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) or technologically enhanced NORM (TENORM) are also seeking to dispose of similar materials that may be radioactively contaminated. In contrast to the facilities operated by the DOE and the nuclear power plants licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, NORM and TENORM facilities are regulated by the individual states. Current federal laws and regulations do not specify criteria for releasing these materials that may contain residual radioactivity of either man-made or natural origin from regulatory controls. In fact, the current regulatory scheme offers no explicit provision to pennit materials being released as "non-radioactive," including those that are essentially free of contamination. The only method used to date with limited success has been case-by-case evaluation and approval. In addition, there is a poorly defined and inconsistent regulatory framework for regulating NORM and TENORM. Some years ago, the International Atomic Energy Agency introduced the concept of clearance, that is, controlling releases of any such materials within the regulatory domain. This paper aims to clarify clearance as an important disposition option for solid materials, establish the framework and basis of release, and discuss resolutions regarding the implementation of such a disposition option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental health physics is an interdisciplinary field, involving study of the release, transport, and fate of radioactive material in the environment. Further, it addresses the interaction of humans with radioactive materials within the ambient (outdoor) environment and with the environments associated with modern technology and lifestyles. It also involves both naturally occurring and artificially produced radionuclides with the former generally being by far the highest source of exposure. In fact, doses from naturally occurring radionuclides are increasingly being used as a benchmark for the establishment of dose rate limits for people. Because of the pioneering work of early environmental health physicists, models exist today that can be used to assess the potential impacts of new nuclear facilities prior to their operation. In fact, these people represent the branch of the health physics profession who conducted environmental monitoring programs and performed the associated research studies that led to the identification of the principal radionuclides of interest, the major pathways and mechanisms through which they expose people, and the doses that may result from radioactive materials in the natural and technologically enhanced environments. One of their most important contributions was the identification and quantification of many of the key parameters that serve as input to such models. Monitoring of nuclear weapons development facilities used during and after World War II was the initial stimulus for the establishment of environmental health physics programs. Thereafter, these programs were expanded both nationally and globally, as a result of the atmospheric weapons testing programs of nations such as France, the People's Republic of China, the former Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Additional stimuli were provided by the development of the commercial nuclear power industry. Current environmental programs, particularly within the U.S., focus on decontamination and decommissioning of dormant facilities from these earlier defense and commercial programs. The range of the environmental health physics aspects of these activities is the subject of this paper. Presented at the end of the paper is a summary of some of the more important lessons that have been learned. As will be noted, this is an exciting field that will present challenges to health physicists for years to come. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this report is to comment on the potential annual doses due to the intake by adults of 129I, an important radionuclide in the proposed high-level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain. An often overlooked, but significant, factor is that, in this case, the ground water, which would be the primary transport vehicle for any releases, contains relatively high concentrations of stable iodine (127I); in fact, the median concentration in the ground water in the vicinity of the proposed repository is 5.0 μg L-1. In comparison, the maximum concentration of 129I in the ground water, due to potential releases of 129I during the first 10,000 y following closure of the repository, is estimated to be ∼3.7 ∼ 10-7 Bq L-1 (∼10-5 pCi L-1). This would result in a 127I to 129I ratio in the water of almost 90 million to one. Assuming no other sources of these two isotopes were being consumed, this would place an upper bound on the annual committed thyroid dose of 1.2 × 10-5 mSv (1.2 × 10-3 mrem), less than one thousandth of the Ground Water Protection Standard of 4 mrem y-l. When the additional intake of stable and radioactive iodine in other components of the diet is considered, the overall ratio of 127I to 129I would be more than 2 billion to one. The would place an upper bound on the annual committed effective dose of ∼2.5 ∼ 10-8 mSv (∼2.5 × 10-6 mrem), less than one millionth of the Individual Protection Standard of 0.15 mSv (15 mrem). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our aim was to assess whether past discharges from a wastewater treatment plant increased metal pollutant loads in stream mobile species in a one-day baseline sampling study that included a coastal wetland. Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) of two sizes, black bullhead (Ameiurus melas), and crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) were collected from Malibu Creek, and California killifish (Fundulus parvipinnis) of three sizes, as well as arroyo chub (Gila orcutti) were sampled from Malibu Lagoon near Los Angeles, California. Species from each locality were pooled by length, homogenized, digested by microwave wet ashing, and analyzed by simultaneous inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy for 27 elements. Lagoon killifish 2.0–3.5 cm long contained levels of arsenic and lead above the levels for 95% of California fish, the EDL95. Black bullhead upstream of the discharge contained elevated levels of As, Cr and Se. Young mosquitofish <3 cm in length upstream of the discharge differed greatly in the order of abundance of their elements relative to larger mosquitofish and to other species collected. More sampling than this baseline study allowed was needed to determine if the wastewater treatment plant was a pollution source. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article explores corporate dentistry in Canada and examines its implications for professional incomes. Topics discussed include the state of dental practice and dental corporations in Australia, the incomes of U.S. dentists who own and who do not own their own practices, and the factors that have contributed to corporate dentistry's growth in the U.S. These factors include the availability of a large pool of venture capital and a growing supply of cheap professional labor.

Cites the need for an evaluation of existing middle level teacher educator programs. Creation of certification program by St. Louis, Mo.-based Maryville University; Background on creation of university's middle level program; Features of university's graduate and undergraduate program; Program respondents' assessment of the university's overall teacher education program.

The article discusses the research analysis of children's readers from schools in the U.S. regarding its achievement in mental imagery and moral teaching from 1800 to 1900. The purpose of the study is to investigate psychological variables which can be associated with the country's cultural changes. It was predicted the importance of child rearing practices from parents which lead to cultural achievement orientation, affiliation imagery and moral teaching towards the era of technological advance and population density. The result of the study revealed a steady decline of moral teaching in children's books and increase in affiliation imagery.

The purpose of this case study was to explore the current use of recombinant factor VIIa to control hemorrhage in the trauma patient. Despite aggressive blood product replacement and surgical intervention, uncontrolled bleeding and resultant coagulopathy are lethal to the trauma patient. What is the correlation between this drug and the hemorrhagic trauma patient? Quite simply—does it work? Curiosity may have killed the cat, but this case study clearly demonstrates the need for further research and satisfactory answers to questions illuminated by this case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers the author's insights on manpower in U.S. mass media, and its implications on students and management. She says that the attitudes of students toward journalism profession should put on certain program requirements which were areas of concern for journalism educator or administrator. She mentions that participatory management in mass media will face more demands for a staff voice in decision associate to coverage, programming, and operation.

Most allied health education programs require students to satisfactorily complete clinical affiliations before entering their professions. However, few guidelines are given to the clinical supervisor on managing the "problem student," the student with marked skill or personality deficiencies. The concrete procedures in this article can help reassure the supervisor that this complex situation is being handled as fairly as possible and that the student is being given reasonable opportunities to demonstrate needed capabilities. Furthermore, adherence to these procedures protects the supervisor from possible student-initiated legal action and protects the profession from unqualified practitioners.