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Qualities of effective teachers matter because teachers are the number one school-related factor that impacts on student achievement. Although researchers in the United States have studied frameworks for evaluating teacher effectiveness, these frameworks are not focused on teachers working in international schools. Thus, they may not reflect the importance of understanding both the context of working in intercultural settings and the skills that allow teachers to flourish in international schools. Using a systematic configurative synthesis review of 23 studies, this study identifies qualities of effective teachers working in international schools through a synthesis of the study findings. We identified four key attributes that are emphasized, if not unique, in international school effective teacher research: a focus on teacher collaboration and teacher leadership; cultural awareness and responsiveness from multi-national perspectives; and host country language acquisition. Overall, we find that a focus on what makes an effective international school teacher is lacking in the extant research, particularly given the predicted enormous growth of international schools.

As K-12 educators work toward targeted, small group instruction together with college and career readiness skills, many implement collaborative learning experiences within their classrooms. Collaborative learning can help students develop deeper understandings of content while building critical life-long skills, and using a design for learning approach provides teachers with a useful framework for planning, implementing, and reflecting on student learning. Together, these approaches support one another by helping teachers engage in three practical implementation tasks: designing collaborative learning environments, overcoming barriers to collaborative practices, and designing successful learning tasks. We recommend that teachers use design for learning techniques to purposefully create collaborative learning environments and tasks that engage students while scaffolding students' learning.

This paper explores the meaning and use of inclusive curriculum design by operationally defining "inclusive curriculum" and delineating the characteristics of this curriculum design. A systematic review was conducted that incorporates both peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed sources so that scholar and practitioner perspectives of inclusive curricula are considered. From this review, the development of inclusive curricula over the past 50 years is uncovered, inclusive curriculum is defined, and related theories and curricular designs are discussed. The systematic review resulted in the emergence of three core principles and six defining characteristics of inclusive curricula. Across K-12 and higher education settings, an inclusive curriculum (a) addresses discrimination, (b) meets the needs of all students, and (b) encompasses content, pedagogy, and assessment methods. Additionally, an inclusive curriculum is welcoming, accessible, challenging, flexible, intentional, and authentic. These principles and characteristics provide a framework for inclusive curriculum that educators can use to design and implement inclusive curricula across a variety of educational settings, as well as evaluate existing curricula to make them more inclusive.

Statistics has been a content domain in the mathematics curriculum for decades. However, statistics is a distinct discipline from mathematics and there are important differences in how one should teach the two disciplines. In this article, the authors consider how these differences can inform an adaptation to the 5 Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematics Discussions framework to engage students and teachers in meaningful statistical investigations and the ensuing class discussions. In this article, the authors aim to show how the 5 Practices for orchestrating mathematical discussions can be translated to teaching statistical investigations.

As an alternative to Hunt et al.'s (1997) general guidelines for strategic planning and Chance and William's (2009) summative rubric for evaluating university strategic plans, this article proposes a new rubric, the Rubric for Formatively Assessing Strategic Plans in Higher Education. The purpose of this new rubric is to provide institutional strategic planning committees with feedback throughout the strategic planning process to help colleges and universities strengthen their strategies and strategic plans. This formative approach is especially supportive of colleges and universities who are seeking to or who are in the process of changing their vision or core strategies. Additionally, the rubric is designed to meet the diverse needs of colleges and universities, including large and small schools, private and public, and community college through graduate programs, who create a similarly wide range of strategic planning products (e.g., websites, booklets, briefs) that serve varied audiences (e.g., administrative teams, faculty and staff, students, alumni, the public) by framing strategic plans into four core components: informative inputs, strategic direction, strategic actions, and design. Finally, the rubric provides institutions with the opportunity to assess their plans holistically or analytically, thereby providing an efficient multi-use tool. By applying this rubric formatively, institutions may improve their strategic plans by gaining added insights to their strategic planning process, strategic thinking, and strategies.

Abstract Background Previous studies have suggested that macrophages are present during lens regeneration in newts, but their role in the process is yet to be elucidated. Methods Here we generated a transgenic reporter line using the newt, Pleurodeles waltl, that traces macrophages during lens regeneration. Furthermore, we assessed early changes in gene expression during lens regeneration using two newt species, Notophthalmus viridescens and Pleurodeles waltl. Finally, we used clodronate liposomes to deplete macrophages during lens regeneration in both species and tested the effect of a subsequent secondary injury after macrophage recovery. Results Macrophage depletion abrogated lens regeneration, induced the formation of scar-like tissue, led to inflammation, decreased iris pigment epithelial cell (iPEC) proliferation, and increased rates of apoptosis in the eye. Some of these phenotypes persisted throughout the last observation period of 100 days and could be attenuated by exogenous FGF2 administration. A distinct transcript profile encoding acute inflammatory effectors was established for the dorsal iris. Reinjury of the newt eye alleviated the effects of macrophage depletion, including the resolution of scar-like tissue, and re-initiated the regeneration process. Conclusions Together, our findings highlight the importance of macrophages for facilitating a pro-regenerative environment in the newt eye by regulating fibrotic responses, modulating the overall inflammatory landscape, and maintaining the proper balance of early proliferation and late apoptosis of the iPECs.

The design and analysis of experiments (DOE) has historically been an important part of an education in statistics, and with the increasing complexity of modern production processes and the advent of large-scale online experiments, it continues to be highly relevant. In this article, we provide an extensive review of the literature on DOE pedagogy, and provide five perspectives on the subject: one from each of the authors as well as a composite profile derived from a survey of DOE instructors. Our work provides a snapshot of current DOE pedagogy that showcases both the similarities and variety in how the subject is taught, as well as a look ahead at how its instruction may evolve. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.

Sandy soils are characterized by low soil moisture content and nutrient retention due to high permeability, limiting crop productivity and threatening food security in arid and semi-arid regions worldwide. Various reclamation technologies have been developed to address these challenges, but their effectiveness has not been comprehensively evaluated. This systematic review evaluated the performance of 42 sandy soil reclamation technologies reported in 144 studies from 27 countries that met specified selection criteria. Performance was evaluated based on response ratio (RR) of aboveground biomass and grain yield, as indicators of productivity, and soil moisture content and soil organic carbon (SOC), as indicators of soil health. The 42 technologies employed four main soil amendments: biochar, organic amendments, organic amendments combined with biochar, and soft rock. Overall, all technologies increased productivity and improved soil health. Biochar application was found to be the most effective technology, increasing grain yield by 51.6%, aboveground biomass by 67.4%, soil moisture content by 17.3%, and SOC by 74.2%. Soft rock application increased grain yield by 20.3%, aboveground biomass by 27.6%, soil moisture content by 54.5%, and SOC by 12.8%. Organic amendments increased grain yield by 48.7%, aboveground biomass by 45.6%, soil moisture content by 20.8%, and SOC by 36.7%. However, the combination of biochar and organic amendments showed lower improvements, with increases of 25.4%, 15.6%, 1.3%, and 25.4% for grain yield, aboveground biomass, soil moisture content, and SOC, respectively. Our conclusion is that the findings provide strong evidence that sandy soil reclamation technologies can significantly improve crop productivity and food security. Considering the variability in technologies responses across continents, there is need for further research to determine the optimal technology for specific locations, crops, and management practices.

The structure of the title compound, [RuCl2(C7H10N2)2(C2H6OS)2], has monoclinic (P21/n) symmetry. The Ru—N distances of the coordination compound are influenced by the trans chloride or dimethylsulfoxide-κS ligands. The molecular structure exhibits disorder for two of the terminal methyl groups of a dimethyl sulfoxide ligand.

Many universities have pre-departure programs that aim to prevent alcohol misuse and sexual assault among college students abroad, yet little is known about students' uptake of this preventative information. In this study, 2,245 study abroad students from 63 different institutions were asked about receiving pre-departure alcohol/drug and sexual assault prevention information. Only 38% of students reported receiving pre-departure information specific to alcohol/drug misuse abroad and only 22% reported receiving sexual assault prevention information prior to departure. Notably, students who were heavier drinkers prior to departure and those who intended to drink the most while abroad reported lower rates of information receipt. Overall, these findings suggest that either students are not receiving the preventative information that universities intend them to receive or the programming is not impactful enough to be recalled. Thus, there may be missed opportunities to better prepare students for risks specific to study abroad programs.

Background: Incisional herniae (IH) are reported in 5–>20 % of patients undergoing open celiotomy, and can be linked to closure technique. The STITCH randomized trial favors a small bite technique for midline celiotomy closure with a 1-year IH rate of 13 % over larger bites (23 %). Methods: A continuous musculofascial mass closure with absorbable looped #1 PDS suture with 2-cm bite size was used for all open celiotomies. IH frequency and associated clinicopathologic factors were retrospectively analyzed from prospective data in 336 consecutive patients undergoing visceral resections by a single surgeon. Results: The study population included 192 men and 144 women, 81 % of whom had a cancer diagnosis, who underwent hepatobiliary, pancreatic, gastroesophageal, and colorectal resections, or a combination. The majority of patients (84 %) had subcostal incisions, and 10 % received a midline incision. At a median follow-up of 19.5 months, the overall IH rate was 3.3 %. Hernia rates were 2.5 % for subcostal margin, 2.9 % for midline, and 5.5 % for other incisions (p = 0.006). Median time to hernia detection was 492 days. Factors associated with IH were increased weight, abdominal depth/girth, male sex, spleen size, visceral fat, and body height (p ≤ 0.04 for all), but not type of resection, prior operations, underlying diagnosis, weight loss, adjuvant chemotherapy or radiation, incision length or suture to incision ratio. Conclusions: The described technique leads to a low IH rate of

The structure of the title complex, [RuCl2(C6H6NO)4], exhibits point group symmetry \overline{4}. The structure exhibits disorder around a \overline{4} axis. The 4-methoxypyridine ligands have a propeller-like arrangement around the RuII atom at 52.0 (3)° from the RuN4 plane.

This article explains the assessment and conceptual framing of the Vulnerability Synthesis in the Africa chapter of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) 6th Assessment Report (AR6), situating the synthesis within emerging understandings of complex climate change risk, intersectionality and multi-dimensional vulnerability. It highlights how reducing vulnerability holds the greatest potential gains for reducing near-term climate risk in Africa. It elaborates how important dimensions of vulnerability, such as inequalities of gender, migrant status or level of income, compound with each other to affect risk. Our review of current vulnerability scholarship reveals severe limitations for climate risk management that are rooted in a lack of attention to interacting social drivers and their effects on risk, as well as an orientation toward vulnerability analyses at coarse social and spatial levels. These scales do not match well with the localised nature of vulnerability nor the impacts of climate change. There is also limited research on the intersectional differentiation of vulnerabilities, which is essential to understanding the heterogeneous nature of vulnerable groups and their agency, particularly concerning navigating or contesting unequal power relations. Reflecting on these dimensions in the Vulnerability Synthesis, we identify how research can provide a deeper understanding of the interactions among multiple drivers of vulnerability and why this matters for adaptation in Africa. Key to this understanding will be to show how responses to climate change affect important dimensions of vulnerability and with what overall risk outcomes. Doing so will advance intersectional analysis within place-based vulnerability assessments across Africa and better inform the design of interventions targeting those dimensions and scales of vulnerability that have the greatest proportional effect on risk reduction. These will contribute informed safeguards against maladaptation as well as provide concrete directions for planning for more inclusive climate-resilient development.

Abstract Background Gastric cancer is the fifth most common cancer worldwide, with an incidence of 6.72 per 100,000 people. Thirty-two percent of gastric cancer patients will live 5 years after diagnosis. Single-site metastasis is noted in 26% of patients with gastric cancer, most commonly in the liver (48%), peritoneum (32%), lung (15%), and bone (12%). Here, a case is presented in which a single skeletal muscle metastasis appeared after appropriate resection and treatment. Case presentation A 63-year-old man underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy and a multivisceral en bloc R0 resection. Final pathology showed no evidence of lymph node metastasis with 31 negative lymph nodes. Four months postoperatively, the patient was found to have a rapidly growing biopsy-proven extremity soft tissue gastric metastasis within the brachioradialis muscle. He subsequently underwent metastasectomy and immunotherapy. Conclusion This case is a rare example of an isolated extremity metastasis of gastric adenocarcinoma in the setting of an R0 resection of the primary tumor and negative nodal disease on final pathology, suggestive of hematogenous spread. We review the biology, workup, and management of gastric cancer and highlight new advancements in the treatment of this aggressive cancer.

Abstract Background Rural hospitals face unique challenges to adopting Enhanced Recovery protocols after colorectal surgical procedures. There are few examples of successful implementation in the United States, and fewer yet of prospective, outcomes-based trials. Methods This study drew data from elective bowel resection prospectively collected, retrospectively analyzed cases 2 years prior (n = 214) and 3 years after (n = 224) implementing an ERAS protocol at a small, rural health network in upstate New York. Primary outcomes were cost, length-of-stay, readmission rate, and complications. Results The implementation required changes and buy-in at multiple levels of the institution. There was a statistically significant reduction in mean length of stay (6.9 versus 5.1 days) and per-patient savings to hospital ($3000) after implementation of ERAS protocol. There was no significant change in rate of 30-day readmissions or complications. Conclusions The authors conclude that for rural-specific barriers to implementation of Enhanced Recovery protocols there are specific organizational strategies that can ultimately yield sustainable endpoints.

The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) exhibits a diverse range of plasticity across vertebrates and is a potential source of cells for the regeneration of retinal neurons. Embryonic amniotes possess a transitory ability to regenerate neural retina through the reprogramming of RPE cells in an FGF-dependent manner. Chicken RPE can regenerate neural retina at embryonic day 4 (E4), but RPE neural competence is lost by embryonic day 5 (E5). To identify mechanisms that underlie loss of regenerative competence, we performed RNA and ATAC sequencing using E4 and E5 chicken RPE, as well as at both stages following retinectomy and FGF2 treatment. We find that genes associated with neural retina fate remain FGF2-inducible in the non-regenerative E5 RPE. Coinciding with fate restriction, RPE cells stably exit the cell cycle and dampen the expression of cell cycle progression genes normally expressed during regeneration, including E2F1. E5 RPE exhibits progressive activation of gene pathways associated with mature function independently of retinectomy or FGF2 treatment, including retinal metabolism, pigmentation synthesis, and ion transport. Moreover, the E5 RPE fails to efficiently repress OTX2 expression in response to FGF2. Predicted OTX2 binding motifs undergo robust accessibility increases in E5 RPE, many of which coincide with putative regulatory elements for genes known to facilitate RPE differentiation and maturation. Together, these results uncover widespread alterations in gene regulation that culminate in the loss of RPE neural competence and implicate OTX2 as a key determinant in solidifying the RPE fate. These results yield valuable insight to the basis of RPE lineage restriction during early development and will be of importance in understanding the varying capacities for RPE-derived retinal regeneration observed among vertebrates.

Sexual violence affects millions of Americans, and approximately one out of every three women and one out of every four men have experienced sexual violence during their lifetime. While prevention efforts have focused on implementing specific programmatic approaches, there has been relatively little focus on developing comprehensive and effective approaches to reduce sexual assault prevention across an organization. This study describes the development of the Prevention Evaluation Framework, an assessment targeting organizational best practices for comprehensive sexual assault prevention across multiple domains including human resources, collaborative relationships and infrastructure, use of evidence-informed approaches, quality implementation and continuous evaluation of programs/policies. Using the structured RAND/University of California, Los Angeles appropriateness method to develop the assessment, we conducted a literature review and solicited expert feedback about what a comprehensive organizational approach to sexual assault prevention should entail. We then pilot tested the assessment with 3 United States military service academies; and continued to improve and adapt the assessment to a range of organizations with input from 6 Department of Defense headquarters organizations, and 9 universities across the country. Given the nascent state of the evidence about what makes an effective organizational approach to sexual assault prevention, the assessment reflects one way of promoting quality in this evolving field. The consistency between the experts’ ratings and the literature, and the relevance of the items across organizations suggest that the assessment provides important guidance to inform the development of comprehensive organizational approaches to sexual assault prevention and to the evaluation of ongoing efforts.

In the structure of the title solvated complex, [Pt(C8H4N2S2)2(C5H6N2)2]·C2H6OS or trans-[Pt(4-ap)2(qdt)2]·dmso (4-ap = 4-aminopyridyl, C5H6N2; qdt = quinoxaline-2,3-dithiolate, C8H4N2S2; dmso = dimethyl sulfoxide, C2H6OS) the centrosymmetric complex exhibits Pt—S distances in agreement with other PtIV—S bond lengths found in platinum(IV) dithiolene complexes. The qdt ligands have intermolecular interactions with an amine hydrogen atom on a 4-ap ligand (hydrogen bonding) and have sandwich π–π interactions with a neighboring qdt ligand.

Due to climate change and variability, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent worldwide, causing significant reductions in agricultural production and food security. The livelihoods of smallholder farmers, especially those eking out a living by farming on sandy soils, are particularly affected. We examined this issue using the case of Makueni County, a semi-arid area with sandy soils in south-eastern Kenya. Using survey data from 202 households, we examined extreme weather events affecting smallholder farmers and current management strategies used to mitigate the consequences. We then performed field experiments to assess potential gains of implementing sub-surface water retention technology (SWRT) in the region. Finally, we held group discussions with stakeholders in food value chains (FVC) to identify ways of managing climate risks to smallholder farmers. Analysis of the survey data showed that 199 of 202 farmers surveyed had experienced an extreme event associated with climate change and variability during the previous five years. Of these 199 farmers, 161 reported having changed their farming practices to adapt, especially to drought (70%) and increased temperature (22%). Common adaptation practices included early planting, reducing the area under cultivation, and water harvesting. In the field experiments, using SWRT resulted in a 50, 100, 150, and 170% increase in maize grain yield, cob numbers, cob weight, and maize stover biomass, respectively, compared with the control (without SWRT). Stakeholder group discussions along the FVC demonstrated a need for synergy among actors to mitigate climate risks caused by extreme weather events. These findings suggest that diversification of management strategies at farm level, combined with external inputs (new technologies, improved seeds, etc.) and services (credit access, learning from peers and professionals), will be instrumental in reducing future climate risks to smallholder farmers. Improving access to viable markets and fostering mutually beneficial linkages with post-harvest processors would add value to farm produce, thus further increasing income and the capacity of smallholder farmers to manage climate risks.

Wastewaters and leachates from various inland resource extraction activities contain high ionic concentrations and differ in ionic composition, which complicates the understanding and effective management of their relative risks to stream ecosystems. To this end, we conducted a stream mesocosm dose–response experiment using two dosing recipes prepared from industrial salts. One recipe was designed to generally reflect the major ion composition of deep well brines (DWB) produced from gas wells (primarily Na+, Ca2+, and Cl−) and the other, the major ion composition of mountaintop mining (MTM) leachates from coal extraction operations (using salts dissociating to Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, SO42− and HCO3−)—both sources being extensive in the Central Appalachians of the USA. The recipes were dosed at environmentally relevant nominal concentrations of total dissolved solids (TDS) spanning 100 to 2000 mg/L for 43 d under continuous flow-through conditions. The colonizing native algal periphyton and benthic invertebrates comprising the mesocosm ecology were assessed with response sensitivity distributions (RSDs) and hazard concentrations (HCs) at the taxa, community (as assemblages), and system (as primary and secondary production) levels. Single-species toxicity tests were run with the same recipes. Dosing the MTM recipe resulted in a significant loss of secondary production and invertebrate taxa assemblages that diverged from the control at all concentrations tested. Comparatively, intermediate doses of the DWB recipe had little consequence or increased secondary production (for emergence only) and had assemblages less different from the control. Only the highest dose of the DWB recipe had a negative impact on certain ecologies. The MTM recipe appeared more toxic, but overall, for both types of resource extraction wastewaters, the mesocosm responses suggested significant changes in stream ecology would not be expected for specific conductivity below 300 µS/cm, a published aquatic life benchmark suggested for the region.

This study explored the extent to which teachers integrate environmental education and local environmental knowledge into the curriculum of a secondary school in the Okavango Delta of Botswana. In doing so, the study explored the potential value of place-based education in redressing concerns brought to light in postcolonial critiques of education in southern Africa. The study found that teachers sought to integrate environmental education into the curriculum through lessons that included references to local place names and local flora and fauna, lessons addressing issues related to environmental resource management in the region, and the acknowledgment and celebration of traditional lifestyle activities in the schools. The study also found that efforts to integrate environmental education into the curriculum were limited by a lack of educational resources needed to support these endeavors as well as a lack of adequate teacher training promoting this educational goal. The results also illustrate the potential value of place-based education in redressing the legacy of southern Africa's colonial past in schools in Botswana and southern Africa.

Excessive inputs of nitrogen from anthropogenic activities in watersheds can cause detrimental effects to aquatic ecosystems, but these effects can be difficult to determine based solely on nitrogen concentrations because of their temporal variability and the need to link human activities to ecological responses. Here, we (1) tested the use of stable isotopes of nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) in benthic organic matter (BOM) as proxies for isotope ratios of filter feeding bivalves in lakes and estuaries, which can be used as indicators but are harder to sample and often spatially sparse, and (2) evaluated if stable isotope ratios in benthic organic matter could be used to assess impacts from anthropogenic land development of watersheds. The δ15N in BOM isolated from surficial sediment (δ15NBOM) was significantly correlated with δ15N in filter feeding unionid mussels (Elliptio complanata, δ15NUN) from lakes and with hard-shell clams (Mercenaria mercenaria, δ15NMM) from estuaries. In lakes, δ13CBOM was significantly correlated with δ13CUN, but δ13CBOM was not significantly correlated with δ13CMM in estuaries. Values of δ15NBOM and δ15NUN were significantly and positively correlated with increasing amounts of impervious surface, urban land cover, and human populations in watersheds surrounding lakes. In estuaries, δ15NBOM was only significantly and positively correlated with greater percent impervious surface in the watersheds. Correlations of δ13CBOM in lakes and estuaries, δ13CUN, and δ13CMM with land use and human population were mostly non-significant or weak. Overall, these results show that δ15NBOM can serve as a proxy for δ15N of filter feeding bivalves in lakes and estuaries and is useful for assessing anthropogenic impacts on aquatic systems and resources. Our study area was limited in size, but our results support further studies to test the application of this sediment stable isotope-based technique for assessing and ranking aquatic resources across broad geographical areas.