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Hallinger in his "Critical Reflections," which is research on the most influential content within EAQ, 1965–2020 (55 years), fails to attend to the racism and sexism embedded within his research choices. Because he fails to critically examine or problematize his research choices, he privileges the White males and their biases who dominated EAQ, UCEA, and AERA Division A for nearly two-thirds of his time period. In response, I point out the specific research choices he made that ensure the continued privileging of those older White male scholars and suggest how he could have done his research in a more equitable way. However, Hallinger is only a small fraction of a larger racism and sexism problem. The K12 school system continues to fail miserably at equity and excellence, and since we have been training many of the school leaders, we too (including me) are complicit in Hallinger's failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive diagnostic models provide a framework for classifying individuals into latent proficiency classes, also known as attribute profiles. Recent research has examined the implementation of a Pólya‐gamma data augmentation strategy binary response model using logistic item response functions within a Bayesian Gibbs sampling procedure. In this paper, we propose a sequential exploratory diagnostic model for ordinal response data using a logit‐link parameterization at the category level and extend the Pólya‐gamma data augmentation strategy to ordinal response processes. A Gibbs sampling procedure is presented for efficient Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) estimation methods. We provide results from a Monte Carlo study for model performance and present an application of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A thermal barrier coating system with Al2O3 + Sm2SrAl2O7 composite top coat was developed on an Inconel 718 superalloy substrate by using an atmospheric plasma spray technique, and the coated samples are treated with an Nd:YAG fiber laser to improve the surface properties. The as‐coated and laser‐treated samples were subjected to high temperature isothermal oxidation test at 1100°C for 150 h duration. The surface of the oxidized samples showed the presence of dissociated SmAlO3, SrAl2O4, and Sm2O3. Thermally grown oxides (TGO) are found at the bond coat top coat interface of the samples. The oxidation kinetics is examined by monitoring weight gain at regular intervals. The electrochemical impedance behavior, oxidation mechanism, and TGO formation in the developed composite coatings are discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population dynamics are influenced by environmental variability and understanding the abundance and persistence of individuals and populations is a fundamental goal of population ecology. Thus, estimating demographic parameters to identify the factors important for population variability is required to understand temporal and spatial dynamics. The stream‐living diurnal frog Hylodes heyeri is endemic to the Atlantic Forest of Brazil in the states of Paraná, São Paulo and Santa Catarina. Here we use capture‐mark‐recapture methods to estimate survival rates and population size of this Brazilian Torrent Frog in Pico do Marumbi State Park, Paraná. We used CJS models for an open population to estimate apparent survival, capturability and population size in two streams. The number of captures during each session was positively correlated with the minimum weekly temperature. Despite that correlation, the most parsimonious model of survival and capturability was the constant model for both parameters, resulting in a monthly survival rate of 0.38 (95% CI = 0.30–0.46). Thus, only the abundance of the frog differed in the two streams (79 vs. 36), with the population size estimate of 187 individuals. Reproduction is seasonal in the Brazilian Torrent Frog and so the low monthly survival rate suggests that animals move over time rather than die, because 38% month−1 survival should result in <1% of the population remaining after 5 months. Thus, researchers must recognize that populations are labile and individuals often move or are washed downstream during heavy rainfall, generating apparently rapid local turnover that is unlikely to reflect true mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This project tested software capabilities and operational implications related to interoffice collaboration during NWS severe weather warning operations within a proposed paradigm, Forecasting A Continuum of Environmental Threats (FACETs). Current NWS policy of each forecast office issuing warnings for an exclusive area of responsibility may result in inconsistent messaging. In contrast, the FACETs paradigm, with object-based, moving probabilistic and deterministic hazard information, could provide seamless information across NWS County Warning Areas (CWAs). An experiment was conducted that allowed NWS forecasters to test new software that incorporates FACETs-based hazard information and potential concepts of operation to improve messaging consistency between adjacent WFOs. Experiment scenarios consisted of a variety of storm and office border interactions, fictional events requiring nowcasts, and directives that mimicked differing inter-WFO warning philosophies. Surveys and semi-structured interviews were conducted to gauge forecasters' confidence and workload levels, and to discuss potential solutions for interoffice collaboration and software issues. We found that forecasters were able to adapt quickly to the new software and concepts and were comfortable with collaborating with their neighboring WFO in warning operations. Although forecasters felt the software's collaboration tools enabled them to communicate in a timely manner, adding this collaboration increased their workload when compared to their workload during current warning operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lower limb venous disease can cause significant pain, loss of mobility, and can be detrimental to an individual's quality of life. Manifestations of venous disease often pose a substantially negative impact on patients and place a high demand on finite healthcare resources. Whilst this problem is internationally recognised, most research and discourse has predominantly focussed on treatment of leg ulceration and prevention of recurrence. Prevention of lower limb venous disease progression to the first ulceration has received far less attention. Overall, the care of this condition appears to rest in the domain of medicine and nursing yet podiatry, a profession with responsibility for the lower limb and foot, is conspicuous by its absence from the literature. Methods: An ethnographic approach was used to gather data from 26 participants through observation, semi-structured interviews, and a focus group interview. Qualitative analysis was conducted using the framework approach. Results: The findings revealed an identity crisis within the podiatry profession. Evidence emerged of ritual and routine practices that did not include lower limb venous disease. External control over practice limited the professional autonomy of podiatrists determining their own activities. Inter-professional relationships with nursing, and perceptions of boundaries that venous disease was a nursing role were also found to be limiting factors. Conclusions: This research revealed that podiatry does not occupy a substantive role in contributing to the early identification and prevention of lower limb venous disease. Policy, education, research and practice changes are all required to enhance the contribution of podiatry to reduce the burden of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 70-year-old retired male plumber was admitted with reduced consciousness following a recent onset of confusion and headache. He developed encephalopathy, seizures and myoclonus. He died despite treatment 10 weeks later. This article reports the clinicopathological conference presented at the Edinburgh Clinical Neurology Course 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maintaining the value of qualitative research requires constant self-critique. Thus, qualitative researchers must always be attentive to critiques of the current conceptions and practices of qualitative research. One problem, I suggest, is our lack of attention to ontology. A second problem I raise is an epistemological/methodological issue. Therefore, I problematize three aspects of qualitative research, that is, the standard qualitative research model that came out of the 1980s to early 1990s, the focus on the individual as the font of “truth,” and coding and thematizing, all of which arises within the systemic White supremacy racism of Modernity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This activist research story describes the use of research by an urban multi-racial, multi-SES, citywide grassroots coalition in Indianapolis. This coalition was formed when a small group of local education activists, Black ministers, and community folks met in 2015 to resist the neoliberal takeover of the Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS), a coalition which came to be named the IPS Community Coalition. For this activist story, we present a brief review of neoliberalism in general and in education, the emergence of neoliberalism in education in Indianapolis, and a brief history of the IPS Community Coalition. Next, we describe how the research presented here originated from this coalition, how it was conducted by a local university professor who was one of those who started the Coalition and who was working with doctoral students doing a research project, and what the methodology was. We then discuss how social media was used as the main local venue for publicizing the research results, how the use of social media changed the ways we understand research and the ways we present research results, and how social media was used for research dissemination. Next, we analyzed quantitative data on race and SES demographics of students and teachers, years teaching experience, math and English Language Arts academic measures by race and SES, discipline rates by race and SES, expenditures, and staff/student ratios, all publicly available through the Indiana Department of Education. Examples of how the results were presented on social media are included. Finally, we discuss the implications of this research for research theory and methodology, for activist use of research and research methodologies, and for the use of social media for local activist research dissemination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Perioperative medication errors are recognized as a source of patient morbidity and mortality. Medication management systems with built-in scanning and label-printing functions that integrate with medication-dispensing cabinets have the potential to decrease medication administration errors by improving compliance with medication labeling. Whether these management systems will also improve periodic automatic replacement (PAR) inventory control and be accepted by users is unknown. We hypothesized that implementation of the Codonics Safe Label System®, an automated labeling system (ALS), would increase compliance with labeling guidelines and improve PAR inventory control by decreasing medication discrepancies while maintaining user acceptability in the OR. Methods: We audited a cohort of anesthesia workstations and electronic anesthesia records for 2 months to compare dispensed and administered medications and establish a discrepancy baseline. We also observed a convenience sample of syringes to evaluate labeling compliance. Post-implementation of the ALS, we repeated the audit. Finally, an anonymous survey was distributed electronically to providers to assess user acceptability. Results: Pre-implementation the average daily medication discrepancy rate was 9.7%, decreasing to 6.1% post-implementation (χ21 = 43.9; P <.0001). Pre-implementation 330 of 696 syringes (47.4%) were either missing a label or labeling elements. After implementation, 100% of all syringes received a label with the complete required labeling information (P <.0001). All respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the system was easy to use, accurate, met their needs, printed labels quickly, improved safety and efficiency, and was recommendable. Conclusion: The ALS significantly increased the rate of best-practice-compliant medication labeling while reducing medication inventory discrepancies. The system was highly accepted by providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We measured bird diversity over an 800 m range in altitude to test the factors that influence changes in diversity, in the Atlantic Forest in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. We counted forest birds in nine 100 m transects comprising three-point counts, the center of each separated by 200 m. A total of 108 species were found, and diversity was distributed among sampling points and altitude formed a trough-shaped relationship of number of species by area, altitude, and, most strongly, slope. In Principal Coordinate Analysis we found that grouping points by similarity formed three distinct units that were united by altitude: the lowest at near sea level, 100–400 m, and 500–800 m. Thus, we demonstrate that, in the Atlantic Forest, turnover of species with altitude occurs, but unlike higher, often steeper, tropical gradients in Andean forests, where vegetation more clearly changes with elevation, species turnover is more likely to be associated with variables other than changes in vegetation, and which are often not included in studies of the elevation gradient in species richness. The mid-domain effect did not explain altitudinal gradient in diversity, while a quadratic relationship with altitude did, suggesting that reduced abundance and diversity are associated with steeper slopes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During spring 2016 the Probabilistic Hazard Information (PHI) prototype experiment was run in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Hazardous Weather Testbed (HWT) as part of the Forecasting a Continuum of Environmental Threats (FACETS) program. Nine National Weather Service forecasters were trained to use the web-based PHI prototype tool to produce dynamic PHI for severe weather threats. Archived and real-time weather scenarios were used to test this new paradigm of issuing probabilistic information, rather than deterministic information. The forecasters’ mental workload was evaluated after each scenario using the NASA-Task Load Index (TLX) questionnaire. This study summarizes the analysis results of mental workload experienced by forecasters while using the PHI prototype. Six sub dimensions of mental workload: mental demand, physical demand, temporal demand, performance, effort, and frustration were analyzed to derive top contributing factors to workload. Average mental workload was 46.6 (out of 100, standard deviation: 19, range 70.8). Top contributing factors to workload included using automated guidance, PHI object quantity, multiple displays, and formulating probabilities in the new paradigm. Automated guidance provided support to forecasters in maintaining situational awareness and managing increased quantities of threats. The results of this study provided understanding of forecasters’ mental workload and task strategies and developed insights to improve usability of the PHI prototype tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men globally. A few studies that have been done in Uganda on survival of patients with prostate cancer indicate that, the overall survival of patients with prostate cancer in Uganda is poor. The aim of this study was to determine the 3-year overall survival rate of a cohort of patients with prostate cancer residing in Kyadondo County who were diagnosed from 2012 to 2014. The secondary objective was to correlate the overall survival with the clinicopathological prognostic factors. Materials and Methods. This was a retrospective cohort study which involved 136 patients who were diagnosed histologically with prostate cancer at the department of pathology between 2012 and 2014. The cases were registered at the Kampala cancer registry and followed up to 31st December 2017. Data analysis was done using STATA version 12.0. The Kaplan-Meir curves were used for analysis of the 3-year overall survival rate. Hazard ratio (HR) and Log-rank test at 95% confidence interval under Cox-regression model were used to evaluate the effect of the covariates on the 3-year overall survival rate. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results. More than half of the cases, 55.9% (n = 76) had Gleason score >8. Most of the patients, 67.7% (n = 92) had advanced disease at diagnosis. The 3-year overall survival rate was 67.6% with median survival of 36.5 months and range of 0–65 months. Clinical stage of the patients (HR = 1.65, p = 0.039), Gleason score (HR = 1.88, p = 0.008), and lymphovascular invasion (HR = 0.37, p = 0.002) were the independent predictors of the 3-year overall survival rate in this study. Conclusion. The 3-year overall survival of prostate cancer patients in Uganda is poor. Most of the patients with are diagnosed with advanced clinical stages (stage III and IV). The Gleason score, clinical stage and lymphovascular invasion can powerfully predict independently the overall survival of patients with prostate cancer. This implies that the Gleason score, clinical stage and lymphovascular invasion may be used to predict the overall survival of patients with prostate cancer even prior prostatectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is commonly found in adults. CRC in the pediatric population is extremely rare. Usually, CRC is diagnosed in children at advanced stage due to a low clinical index of suspicion. Mucinous type of CRC and its signet ring variant are the most common histological types which carry very poor clinical outcomes. This paper reports a 17-year-old male who presented with mild pallor and a 3-month history of abdominal pain accompanied with a mass on the left lower quadrant, and it was then confirmed histologically to be mucinous CRC of signet ring variant. This paper will help to raise awareness among the physicians and pediatricians in including CRC in the preliminary workouts for the purpose of shortening the delay for diagnosis which in turn would compromise the prognosis of the patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Like most mental hospitals across India, National Institute of Mental health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru has long-stay patients who are in the hospital ward for many years because they do not have a family or a place to go back to. The first Aadhaar card of the country was issued on 29th September 2010.[[6]] Most long-stay patients were admitted to the hospital before the Aadhaar era began. Owing to logistic difficulties in transporting long-stay patients to the Aadhaar enrolment center, UIDAI authorities kindly consented to enroll these patients at the hospital premises itself. [Extracted from the article]

Context: Out-of-pocket expenditure on health in India is high. Many people including persons with disability (PwD) face catastrophic health expenditure. Health insurance is a promising strategy to overcome this burden. Swavlamban was the first health insurance for PwD which also covered mental illness. We conducted regular camps at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) for enrollment in the scheme. In this study, we present the features of the scheme and the sociodemographic profile of beneficiaries enrolled. Aims: To describe the experience of conducting enrollment camps for the Swavlamban Health Insurance scheme at NIMHANS and the sociodemographic profile of beneficiaries enrolled. Settings and Design: The study comprised all PwD and their family members enrolled in the Swavlamban through the camps conducted at NIMHANS from May 2016 to April 2017. Results: A total of 1248 persons were enrolled, of which 643 were PwD. The beneficiaries (PwD) were predominantly male (69%), with a mean age of 31 years, from Bengaluru (84%), and majority had disability due to mental retardation (43%). Although camps were conducted in mental hospital and publicized among mental health professionals, only 135 persons disabled with mental illness (21% of PwD beneficiaries) were enrolled. Conclusions: Mental health professionals need to take the lead in coordinating with various stakeholders so that the PwD can avail health insurance and other welfare benefits. There is a need to lobby and advocate for making these schemes easily accessible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Retinoblastoma (RB) is one of the most common cancers occurring in young children in sub-Saharan Africa. The incidence rate reported in the literature is 9,000 new cases per year, which corresponds to 1 in 15,000 births. This study aimed at analyzing the clinicopathological findings in children with RB in Uganda. Purpose. The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze the clinicopathological findings in the patients with RB. Design. This was a cross-sectional analytical study involving 234 eyeball surgical specimens from 214 patients with RB diagnosed between January 2006 and December 2015. Results. The mean age of the patients was 27.8 months (SD = 21.413, range: 1–132 months). More than half of the cases, 50.9%, presented with leucokoria. Invasion of choroid, sclera, anterior chamber, and optic nerve was found in 26.5% (n = 58), 51.2% (n = 88), 26.2% (n = 45), and 29.2% (n = 49), respectively. Twenty-six percent (n = 56) of the cases with intraocular tumour were at stage I and all patients with metastasis 4.7% (n = 11) had stage IV. The correlation between postlaminar optic nerve invasion and massive choroidal invasion was statistically significant (P=0.002). Also, there was a statistical significance difference between metastasis and postlaminar invasion (P=0.004). Conclusion. The majority of children with RB in Uganda present clinically with leucokoria, and their parents or guardians seek medical intervention at a later stage. Moreover, there was a noticeably significant lag period for the patients to begin treatment after the diagnosis was done. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most prevalent malignancy among adult men with marked variation in mortality rate across regions globally. Uganda has the highest incidence of prostate cancer in East Africa. This study explored the spectrum of clinical and histopathological profile of patients diagnosed with PCa in Uganda between 2012 and 2014 at the Department of pathology, Makerere College of Health Sciences (MakCHS). Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study aimed at providing an update of the spectrum of clinical and histopathological profile of patients with PC in Uganda. The study involved 211 cases diagnosed at the department of pathology between 2012 and 2014. After obtaining ethical clearance to carry out the study from the school of biomedical science; laboratory requisition forms collected, were used to extract the biodata information and also selection of the cases. Having selected the cases by using non-probability approach, tissue blocks were retrieved from the archive of the laboratory, sectioned and stained with haemtoxylin and eosin stains and cover-slipped before being examined by the investigator. Data generated were entered in the data collection form and analysis for frequency and descriptive statistics was done using SPSS version 16.0. Results: The study involved 211 patients with prostate cancer. The median age at diagnosis was 70 years and most of them, 82.9% had total PSA? greater than 4.0ng/ml. Incomplete voiding of urine was the most common clinical feature which accounted for 43.6% and more than half, 61.2% of the patients had advanced disease. Almost half of the patients (44.6%) had Gleason score ≥8 and 47.9% of all the cases were in high risk group. Conclusions: Majority of patients with PCa in Uganda have raised pre-treatment total PSA and most of them are diagnosed with advanced disease. They also have high parameters of biologically aggressive prostate cancer such as Gleason score, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion and positive surgical margins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which compare the influence of demographic, clinical, and environmental factors and interventions during initial hospitalization on rehospitalization within 30 days of discharge of children with bronchiolitis. It mentions that the study identifies passive smoke exposure as a major risk factor for readmission. It mentions that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends clinicians should ask about tobacco smoke and counsel caregivers to quit.

R has always provided an application programming interface (API) for extensions. Based on the C language, it uses a number of macros and other low-level constructs to exchange data structures between the R process and any dynamically loaded component modules authors added to it. With the introduction of the Rcpp package, and its later refinements, this process has become considerably easier yet also more robust. By now, Rcpp has become the most popular extension mechanism for R. This article introduces Rcpp, and illustrates with several examples how the Rcpp Attributes mechanism in particular eases the transition of objects between R and C++ code. Supplementary materials for this article are available online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This report outlines a case in which cranial gunshot trauma was suspected, but a large portion of the cranium was not recovered from the scene, so the precise nature and etiology of the fractures could not be determined with certainty. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) is widely accepted as a reliable method for detecting gunshot residue (GSR) on the hands of shooters and on fleshed remains, and experimental research has shown that the technique is applicable to skeletal remains. Therefore, SEM-EDS was utilized to analyze several cranial fragments and a control fragment from a thoracic vertebra for gunshot residue. The technique enables the examination of particle morphology and elemental composition of the inorganic compound. Barium, antimony, and lead were detected on four of the five cranial fragments, confirming the presence of gunshot residue. The fifth fragment had barium and lead, but no antimony. No trace elements were detected on the control fragment from the thoracic vertebra. SEM analysis of the bone surface revealed the presence of characteristic GSR spherical deposits on three of the fragments. The combined presence of signature trace elements and spherical surface deposits on the cranial fragments are consistent with the presence of gunshot residue. The cause of death was certified as disruptive head trauma, and given the circumstances of the case the manner of death was certified as homicide. The SEM-EDS analysis confirmed and supported the pathologist's and anthropologist's assessment of the circumstances surrounding the death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, most white people seem to think that Trump and his values are some cruel, insane, accidental distortion of US society. In counterpoint to this view, I argue that he is not. Instead, Trump is mainly the ‘liberal’ or ‘conservative’ mask torn off of who we white people have been and what we have allowed in our name. This country was built on a foundation of the genocide of about 80% of the Indigenous People and the theft of their land. We followed this with Black slavery, which provided money and power in both the North and the South to make the US a powerful nation worldwide. Furthermore, though we fought a civil war over slavery, within 20 years, power in the South was returned to the slave masters, and Jim Crow was born, which continued the psycho-social-cultural and economic exploitation of blacks and which we followed with the New Jim Crow. We also stole the land of the Indigenous People of the Southwest by conducting an imperial war and breaking treaties. Today, before Trump, we have had state sanctioned (police) murder without consequences of people of color, persistent xenophobia toward varying groups across our history, the rape and murder of women though there is very little of the reverse, a capitalism that is dependent on poverty and wages people cannot survive on, widespread climate denial, extensive hunger and homelessness, among other deleterious conditions. However, that the white wealthy power elite led us down this path is not an excuse. We went along. For the crumbs they offered, we chose them over our true sisters and brothers. We whites are simply not who we say to ourselves we are. Our history and our sociology do not support our self-view. To have any chance, then, to move forward toward a more humane, equitable, inclusive, caring future, we must recognize and take responsibility for who we really are today and who we really have been. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

LiNi 0.4 Co 0.2 Mn 0.4 O 2 material synthesized at different temperatures by using LiNO 3 -LiCl and LiNO 3 -KNO 3 molten salt as a reaction medium. The phase purity of the samples obtained by powder X-ray diffraction measurement which suggests layered α-NaFeO 2 type is obtained at 800–900 °C using LiNO 3 -LiCl flux and at 750–850 °C using LiNO 3 -KNO 3 flux. The surface morphology change with flux media at different temperature are obtained by scanning electron microscopy analysis. The galvanostatic cycling results show that the high stable reversible discharge capacity of 155 (±3) mAh g −1 obtained for treated compound at 900 °C for 1 h (using LiNO 3 -LiCl) with coloumbic efficiency of 99%. The reversible discharge capacity of 140 and 130 (±3) mAh g −1 obtained for treated compound at 750 and 850 °C, respectively (using LiNO 3 -KNO 3 ). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational equity dominates discussions of US schooling. However, what ‘educational equity’ means is much contested in the scholarly literature and in public discourses. We follow the lead of scholars of color who have problematized the definition of educational equity. They have shown that the dominant, taken-for-granted definitions of equity which disguises the accumulation of societal and educational exclusions of and prejudices toward historically marginalized students, their families, and their communities. In response to this critique, we offer a new definitional framework for ‘educational equity’ that is community-based and, in our specific case, urban community-based. And, then, we will apply this new equity framework to three examples or ‘exemplars’ of education reform to explicate how they do and do not illustrate our framework. We will finish with a brief discussion, recommendations for future scholarship, and some concluding remarks. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We studied nesting in marked pairs of Star-throated Antwrens (Rhopias gularis) over 3 years to examine whether breeding traits in subtropical Brazil are more similar to temperate patterns of breeding than is typical of the patterns observed within the mostly tropical Thamnophilidae. This Antwren is socially monogamous and permanently territorial, as are all Thamnophilidae, and has a long incubation period (18 days) and shorter nestling period (13 days). Its breeding season is relatively short (<4 months) and nesting success high (36%) compared with those traits of tropical antbirds. Daily nest- survival rate (DSR) during incubation was fairly low and declined throughout the breeding season, whereas DSR was greater and constant during the nestling period. Thus, early nests were more successful and, after hatching, nestlings had a very high probability of fledging (up to 90%). Only males built nests, which can be reused, apparently reducing reproductive demand on females. Pairs did not re-nest in the same season after a successful nesting attempt. Average fecundity was 1.0 ± 0.3 fledglings female−1year−1, similar to that of tropical thamnophilids. We argue that the timing of breeding and reproductive effort are adjusted to reduce breeding costs in a subtropical climate, resulting in a unique combination of life-history traits for a bird of tropical origin. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We studied nesting in marked pairs of Star-throated Antwrens (Rhopias gularis) over 3 years to examine whether breeding traits in subtropical Brazil are more similar to temperate patterns of breeding than is typical of the patterns observed within the mostly tropical Thamnophilidae. This Antwren is socially monogamous and permanently territorial, as are all Thamnophilidae, and has a long incubation period (18 days) and shorter nestling period (13 days). Its breeding season is relatively short (<4 months) and nesting success high (36%) compared with those traits of tropical antbirds. Daily nestsurvival rate (DSR) during incubation was fairly low and declined throughout the breeding season, whereasDSRwas greater and constant during the nestling period. Thus, early nests were more successful and, after hatching, nestlings had a very high probability of fledging (up to 90%). Only males built nests, which can be reused, apparently reducing reproductive demand on females. Pairs did not re-nest in the same season after a successful nesting attempt. Average fecundity was 1.0±0.3 fledglings female-1 year-1, similar to that of tropical thamnophilids. We argue that the timing of breeding and reproductive effort are adjusted to reduce breeding costs in a subtropical climate, resulting in a unique combination of life-history traits for a bird of tropical origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, I use in-depth interview data with black and white heterosexual men to explore shifts in the role of homophobia in the social construction of heterosexual masculinities. A continuum is introduced to map a range of interactional practices through which these men enact heterosexual masculinities. Heterosexual men who, on one end of the continuum, construct their heterosexual masculinities through homophobic practices establish strong boundaries of social distance from gays. The other end documents heterosexual men's anti-homophobias, moving from men who establish weak boundaries to those who blur them. These heterosexual men's anti-homophobic stances trade on the prestige of being tolerant of gays, with black men's anti-homophobias drawing on their experiences with racism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizing a qualitative case-study design, this study explored how a mid-sized urban high school professional learning community was used as a reform effort to increase student achievement in mathematics on standards-based assessments. From a year-long interaction with the math professional learning community, which consisted of 3 school leaders and 6 teachers, principal leadership emerged as most significant in the professional learning community process for increasing teacher and student learning. Through detailed observations of professional learning community meetings and teachers' classrooms, this research was able to trace changes in teacher practices that resulted from the professional learning community meetings. Results indicate that school leaders may have to take responsibility for providing instructional processes and practices that are characterized by structure, pressure, and support to ensure that teacher learning and change in teacher practice that leads to improved student learning occur within professional learning communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two university researchers who have considerable practitioner and research experience in urban schools conducted an interventionist action research project in collaboration with the professional staff of a diverse urban elementary school. The goal was to collaborate with the administration, faculty and staff in an average urban elementary school to improve the academic success of all students and all student groups regardless of the race, ethnicity and family income of the students and their families. While analyses of the school's state accountability data indicated that there was some improvement in the academic success of the school's diverse students, particularly among the lowest scoring student group, problems that arose in this process led the researchers to identify four themes of resistance to school change. These were 'externals are the cause of low achievement and achievement gaps', 'accountability systems are destructive to my teaching', 'suggesting change is critique' and 'we are not leaders'. Following a description of the themes, implications and recommendations are briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we report for the first time a one-step electrochemical deposition of gold−Prussian blue (PB) nanocomposite films. The catalytic activity of gold nuclei toward the decomposition of ferricyanide to free ferric ions and controlled generation of gold nanoparticles from HAuCl4solutions during potential cycling are exploited to form these nanocomposites. Concomitant electrochemical formation of both PB and gold phases leads to a “perfect blend”, in which each phase controls the growth of the other. The mechanism of formation and the features that distinguish this approach from others are highlighted. The nanocomposite films were characterized using voltammetry and UV−vis spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Interestingly, reversibility of the redox conversions of PB is enhanced by the presence of Au nanoparticles, as indicated by the reduced Epvalue in cyclic voltammetry and low charge-transfer resistance in acimpedance spectroscopy. The nanocomposite (Au−PB)nanoshows dramatically high catalytic activity toward electroreduction of hydrogen peroxide relative to that of PB on polycrystalline gold electrodes. Nanomolar detection of hydrogen peroxide is found to be feasible using these films at low cathodic potentials, which might be exploited to develop a new type of enzymeless biosensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines independent cinema's depictions of homosexuality from 1990 to 2000. Using mainstream Hollywood films of the 1990s as the context for their development, I show significant differences in how homosexuality is represented outside mainstream films. Specifically, I divide independent films into two types: gay and lesbian standpoint films, and queer cinema. Gay standpoint films are distinguished by their narrative focus on a gay and lesbian subculture, whereas queer cinema generally depicts representations of a character's sexuality asdecentered. I suggest that if we understand gay and lesbian standpoint films as a response to mainstream Hollywood ones that exclude subcultural depictions, then queer cinema can be seen as a challenge to both gay and lesbian standpoint films, and mainstream Hollywood films that center and normalize homosexual identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new type of hybrid gel electrolyte matrix based on tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and poly(ethylene glycol) (Mw 200, PEG200) was developed for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The quasi-solid-state DSSC containing the hybrid gel electrolyte rendered an open-circuit voltage of 0.74 V, a short-circuit photocurrent density of 9.2 mA cm−2 and a fill factor of 0.61 at 100 mW cm−2, and consequently an overall solar energy conversion efficiency of 4.1%. TiO2 films and gels were characterized by FE-SEM and FT-IR, and the assembled DSSCs by photocurrent density–voltage and incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of large-scale poultry production operations on water quality and human health are largely unknown. Poultry litter is frequently applied as fertilizer to agricultural lands adjacent to large poultry farms. Run-off from the land introduces a variety of stressors into the surface waters including nutrients, antimicrobials and pathogenic bacteria. The Delaware, Maryland and Virginia (Delmarva) Peninsula has the highest concentration of broiler chickens per farm acre in the United States and provides an ideal location for studying the effects of stressors from poultry farms. We investigated potential effects by characterizing shifts in the structure of aquatic bacterial communities. DNA was isolated from microorganisms in water samples from streams and rivers at varying distances from, or having different frequencies of, litter applications. Fingerprints of 165 rDNA amplicons from bacteria in water samples collected during late summer 2001 to late spring 2002 were produced by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). A statistical analysis of multiple fingerprints from each sampling location demonstrated that each site harboured a bacterial community significantly different from the communities at other sites. Similarly, the bacterial communities from each sampling time differed significantly from communities at other sampling times. Most importantly, a competitive, library-based analysis showed time of sampling (month) had a greater effect on community structure than did location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on issues related to social justice in schooling with reference to the 2006 Politics of Education Association (PEA) Yearbook. The yearbook incorporates radical topics for studying politics of education. The authors of various chapters of the yearbook belong to different influential universities and are expected to play an important role in the PEA's future and educational leadership. The issue of social justice has been at the center of democracy since times immemorial. Oppression, injustice and inequity still continue in some form or another. Requirement for self-critique is an important imperative of social justice. This introspection is considered to be the hardest part of a commitment to social justice. Research and teaching should be conducted and published as a social justice commitment. Efforts should be made to make universities, communities and the nation more just and equitable. The struggle for social justice is the basis of forming an equitable democracy.

Abstract: A steady-state, three-dimensional model of a complete polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), including both the anode and cathode, is formulated and solved using a finite volume computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code, Fuel3D, developed at Loughborough University. The model is first validated against data obtained from the literature on a global basis. It is further validated on a local basis using experimental data obtained from a segmented cell. Excellent agreement is obtained. The validated model is then used to study the effect of electro-osmotic drag and diffusion of water across the membrane. Overall transport of water across the membrane is seen to take place from the anode to the cathode side. Finally, the model has been used to carry out some parametric studies, such as variation of electrode thickness, shoulder width, degree of permeability and oxidant concentration, to provide a clearer understanding on how changes in parameters affect the cell performance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The concept of equity traps evolved from a qualitative study that revealed the conscious and unconscious thinking patterns and behaviors that trap teachers, administrators, and others, preventing them from creating schools that are equitable, particularly for students of color Although the results of this original study exposed these equity traps, merely exposing the traps is not sufficient. Hence, the purpose of this article is to offer a useful, pragmatic construct to professors in educational administration departments to help them prepare their principal candidates to be able not only to identify these equity traps but also to understand them and be able to implement strategies to avoid or eliminate these traps. Therefore, the authors clearly define the four equity traps--the deficit view, racial erasure, employment and avoidance of the gaze, and paralogic beliefs and behaviors--and offer practical, successful strategies to avoid or free educators from these traps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Looks into the issue of democracy in the U.S. educational sector. Issue of the involvement of corporations in schools; Discovery of the fact that contemporary capitalism has undermined the principles of democracy; Persistency of the patterns of racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, and ableism.

Persistent achievement gaps by race and class in U.S. public schools are educationally and ethically deplorable and, thus, need to be eliminated. Based on their research on schools and districts that have narrowed these gaps, the authors have developed a simplified reconceptualization of equity auditing, a concept with a respected history in civil rights, in curriculum auditing, and in some state accountability systems. This reconceptualized equity auditing is a leadership tool that can be used to uncover, understand, and change inequities that are internal to schools and districts in three areas-teacher quality, educational programs, and student achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzes foreign sales corporations and the European Communities' four billion-dollar retaliation. Role of the World Trade Organization in dispute resolution process; Definition of subsidy; Difference between taxation systems.

Comments on the effect of accountability policy characteristics on educational equity in Texas. Discussion on the issue of disagreement on shared contested construction; Views on accountability and educational equity; Evidence of increasing educational equity in public schools.

This paper advocates working carefully through a tactical, practical engagement with accountability policies for the purpose of increasing educational equity and social justice for children of colour and children from low-income families. It discusses the pervasiveness of systemic racism and its effects in US schools, and explores the complexity surrounding issues of accountability and the possible disruption of this racism. Also described is the possibility of a convergence of interests between supporters of accountability and advocates for social justice. Finally, evidence is presented, from state and school district levels in Texas, that increased educational equity can be leveraged through the careful use of some accountability measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the school accountability policy for education in Texas. Arguments by the critics of standardized tests; Debates on accountability and educational equity; Practices that increased achievement and improved equity for minority children.

Presents information on a study which examined deficit thinking in public school district leadership in Texas. Description of the theoretical framework; Methodology; Results and discussion.

The idea that anyone can speak or write plain talk is poked, pondered, pushed, prodded, satirized, and problematized. Furthermore, the article argues that calls for plain talk are elitist, but not in an individual, conscious-choice sense. Instead, the article contends that such calls are social circulations that spiral through elite discourse networks that then get (unconsciously) spoken through the voices of those who inhabit these elite networks. Compelling these calls is the enactment of the same-other binary within which the same plays out the only story it knows, its superiority to and dominance of the other, and its anxious attempted erasure of the other, for the purpose of maintaining its positional perch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]