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Social interface model (SIM) explicates the important roles of family, peer, and school microsystems in intervention research. The present study used surveys to explore how Nicaraguan adolescents w...

Growing evidence supports the need to teach future healthcare practitioners the fundamentals of quality improvement (QI), but curricula rarely include opportunities to apply QI principles or develop relevant teamwork skills. We initiated a program in 2017 called QUEST to engage our learners in interprofessional health care improvement through a 7-month learning collaborative. QUEST pairs learners with mentors in clinical QI teams and provides structured content, tasks, and feedback. The model is intentionally experiential, intended to use existing expertise and opportunities in the clinical learning environment to support QI training. Three cohorts of health professions learners have completed QUEST (n = 45), resulting in 27 unique quality improvement projects and poster presentations. QI knowledge, as measured by the QIKAT-R, increased from 5.48 to 6.34 on a 9-point scale (

The production operation plays a crucial role in reducing environmental impacts in various stages of the life cycle of products, from extraction of materials to production, end use, reuse, and recy...

Soybean rust, caused by the fungal pathogen Phakopsora pachyrhizi, is an economically significant disease for soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) production throughout the world. Genes for resistance ...

Using a twin study design, we explored the extent to which affectionate communication is a heritable behavioral trait. Participants (N = 928) were 464 adult twin pairs (229 monozygotic, 235 dizygot...

A multiple goals framework examined romantic couples’ use of social control, perceived constraints to using social control, and topic avoidance regarding their health behaviors. Results showed a po...

p-Synephrine is the primary active ingredient in bitter orange (Citrus aurantium) extract and is present in other citrus species. This review summarizes all known case reports that have been published regarding adverse events associated with multi-ingredient dietary supplements containing bitter orange extract. A common characteristic of all the case studies was the assumption that if bitter orange extract is listed on the label of the product it is the most likely cause of any adverse effect, although in no case was the presence of p-synephrine determined or a direct link demonstrated. No case study reviewed the existing published literature, and all failed to note that numerous clinical studies have not demonstrated adverse effects at commonly used doses. Most studies did not indicate the composition of the product involved, and no study analyzed the product in question. In no case was a direct correlation between the event and p-synephrine made. Although p-synephrine and ephedrine have some structural similarity, the structural differences result in markedly different pharmacokinetic, physiological, and pharmacological effects, and thus the effects produced by ephedrine cannot be extrapolated to p-synephrine.

Emotional support is often conveyed to people with cancer; however, not all support messages are effective, leading some potential supporters to fear appearing incompetent when communicating suppor...

Charcoal rot, caused by the fungus Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid., is a disease of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) that causes yield loss worldwide. The purpose of this research was to dete...

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is being considered for commercial production in the southeastern USA, but very little is known about its potential and the appropriate management practices required to ...

The objective of this research is to design an approach for selecting appropriate solutions to efficiently and productively reduce environmental pollution and water, energy and raw material consumption in a recycled paper manufacturing facility, the paper mill in Latif, Iran. To reach this goal, we develop a decision-making model using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The proposed model provides a framework for cleaner production implementation specific to the paper industry. Pairwise comparisons of the results of designed questionnaires resulted in the hierarchy model being divided into five major groups: production modification; process change; preventive maintenance; renewal; and manpower resources.These five groups include 31 sub-criteria and seven alternatives. The results showed that process change yields the highest priority among the main criteria and that industrial automation and its technology level gives the highest priority among sub-criteria. Regarding the alternatives, reductio...

This article gives the demographic characteristics of the U.S. homeschooling population and the reasons that parents choose to homeschool, summarizes the findings of studies on the homeschool learn...

While numerous models to aid the design of naturally ventilated buildings have been developed and validated, few studies have demonstrated how a variety of tools have been applied to an actual project. This paper presents a case study of the design of a naturally ventilated mosque to document the application of rules of thumb, airflow network models, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models, and other design tools to inform the design of an actual project throughout the design process. Both airflow network and CFD models are validated against full-scale experiments. The airflow network model predicts experimental flow rates and temperatures with an RSME of 0.23 m3/s and 1.26 °C respectively, while the CFD model qualitatively predicts the correct velocity vectors measured with particle image velocimetry and simulates indoor air temperatures with an RSME of 1.2 °C. These and other tools are used to assess a night purge system for the thermally massive mosque that helps to reduce indoor temperatures...

Since the late 1990s the semi-diurnal tide at Churchill, on the western shore of Hudson Bay, has been decreasing in amplitude, with M(sub 2) amplitudes falling from approximately 154 cm in 1998 to 146 cm in 2012 and 142 cm in 2014. There has been a corresponding small increase in phase lag. Mean low water, decreasing throughout most of the twentieth century, has levelled off. Although the tidal changes could reflect merely a malfunctioning tide gauge, the fact that there are no other measurements in the region and the possibility that the tide is revealing important environmental changes calls for serious investigation. Satellite altimeter measurements of the tide in Hudson Bay are complicated by the seasonal ice cover; at most locations less than 40% of satellite passes return valid ocean heights and even those can be impacted by errors from sea ice. Because the combined TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1, and Jason-2 time series is more than 23 years long, it is now possible to obtain sufficient data at crossover locations near Churchill to search for tidal changes. The satellites sense no changes in M(sub 2) that are comparable to the changes seen at the Churchill gauge. The changes appear to be localized to the harbour, or to the Churchill River, or to the gauge itself.

There has been no research reported about if or how well primary grade teachers can identify information text structures in children's authentic informational texts. The ability to do so accurately and reliably is a prerequisite for teachers to be able to teach students how to recognize and use text structures to assist them in comprehending informational texts. The authors report the development of the Informational Text Structure Survey (ITS2). Prior to training, primary grade teachers demonstrated low accuracy and reliability in identifying traditional expository text structures in well-structured children's grade level–appropriate informational texts. Results after training with the ITS2 instrument showed significant improvements in the teachers’ accuracy and reliability in identifying traditional informational text structures in well-structured children's grade level–appropriate informational texts after training with the ITS2 instrument.

Soybean rust, caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi Sydow, results in significant soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) yield losses worldwide. The purpose of this research was to confirm the inheritance, gene action, and genomic location of resistance to P. pachyrhizi in soybean accession PI 587905. Two independent populations (F2-derived F3 lines and F2 plants) were inoculated with P. pachyrhizi in a greenhouse and assayed in a field, respectively, in southeastern Paraguay. Both the field F2 and the greenhouse F2-inferred segregation ratios fit the 1:2:1 ratio expected for segregation of a single gene (P > 0.05). Unlike previous studies, gene action differed according to ontogeny. Among seedlings in the greenhouse, gene action was dominant, but in the field assay among adult plants, the gene exhibited incomplete dominance. Molecular markers were used to map the resistance gene in PI 587905 to the Rpp1 locus. This information should be useful to plant breeders for developing and selecting resistant cultivars.

This article examines the association between measures of respiratory muscle function and fatigue in individuals with mild-to-moderate disability multiple sclerosis (MS).This was a cross-sectional study of 37 ambulatory volunteers with MS (28 F/9 M, 52.7 ± 10.2 years, Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS] = 3.5 ± 1.9). No patients withdrew from the study. Primary outcome variables included measures of respiratory function: maximal inspiratory (MIP) and expiratory pressures (MEP), forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEVSignificant correlations were shown between expiratory muscle strength (MEP) and the MFIS total (p 0.03, r = -0.362) and between MEP and physical fatigue scores (p 0.03, r = -0.360), as well as between MVVRespiratory muscle performance is correlated with perceived fatigue (MFIS), whereas respiratory endurance correlated to reductions in physical function and sleep quality among individuals with mild-to-moderate severity MS. Implications for Rehabilitation Multiple sclerosis (MS) results in peripheral and respiratory muscle weakness and affected individuals report fatigue as one of their most disabling symptoms. Expiratory muscle strength was correlated with self-reported physical fatigue, while respiratory muscle endurance was correlated with functional performance and sleepiness. Respiratory muscle strength was not correlated with lung spirometry testing. These findings highlight the importance of considering the effects of respiratory muscle weakness when evaluating causes of fatigue among individuals with mild-to-moderate MS.

This study explores the motivations of African American parents for choosing homeschooling for their children and the academic achievement of their Black homeschool students. Their reasons for homeschooling are similar to those of homeschool parents in general, although some use homeschooling to help their children understand Black culture and history. The average reading, language, and math test scores of these Black homeschool students are significantly higher than those of Black public school students (with effect sizes of .60 to 1.13) and equal to or higher than all public school students as a group in this exploratory, cross-sectional, and explanatory nonexperimental study.

Phomopsis seed decay (PSD) caused by Diaporthe longicolla has been documented as part of a soybean (Glycine max) fungal disease complex that affects the quality of soybean seed. Soybean-producing countries that have not yet documented the presence of PSD impose soybean seed import restrictions to protect their soybean production. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of occurrence of Diaporthe spp. in Paraguay. In 2006, 16 isolates of Diaporthe were recovered for the first time from soybean seed in San Alberto, Paraguay in the south-eastern section of the country. The 16 isolates were used to inoculate mature pods harvested from greenhouse grown PSD-susceptible soybean cultivar ‘Maverick’. Among the16 isolates, six isolates (TN 214, TN 218, TN 224, TN 226, TN 227 and TN 229) caused infection on both pods and seeds within pods. Two groups of isolates were identified based on conidial types: isolates that produced only α conidia and isolates that produced both α and β conidia. The...

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] shoot nitrogen (N) traits are important for seed production and may hold potential for improving seed yield and quality. Field experiments were established to survey shoot N traits in i) plant introductions, ii) a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population, and iii) modern cultivars. A wide range of N concentrations was observed at beginning seed fill for leaves, petioles, and stems and at maturity for stems. Significant genotypic variations in stem N traits were found in modern cultivars and the RIL population. Molecular marker analysis identified multiple loci associated with stem N concentration. Significant relationships between various tissue N traits and seed yield and quality were also observed. These results illustrate the importance of N dynamics in vegetative tissues for soybean yield and seed composition. The observed variation in N traits indicates that selecting for vegetative N traits could potentially increase yield and improve seed quality.

It is easy to forget history and that thinkers holding fundamentally different worldviews have been thoughtfully critiquing institutional mass schooling for many decades (e.g., Cole, 2010; Freire, ...

This article reviews research on homeschool learner outcomes and evaluates opposition to homeschooling. It synthesizes research on learner outcomes related to homeschooling in areas of students’ academic achievement and children's social, emotional, and psychological development and the success of adults who were home educated and finds generally positive outcomes on a variety of variables are associated with homeschooling. The author identifies four classes of negativity expressed toward home-based education by the education profession, such as the claims homeschooling is bad for the collective good and that without much state regulation significant numbers of homeschooling (home schooling) parents will harm their children. The evaluation reveals that proactive opposition to homeschooling and calls for significant state control over homeschooling do not offer any empirical research evidence that homeschooling is bad for individual children, families, neighborhoods, or the collective good. The alleged har...

In this study, we tracked elementary preservice teachers' (N = 41) perceived ability to teach reading as they moved through their teacher preparation program. After graduation, we conducted follow-up teaching observations and interviews with five of these novice teachers to explore their perceptions about their ability to teach reading. An analysis of these data revealed four distinct themes: (1) alignment of reading instruction practices with preparation program, (2) the influence of teacher education, (3) the need for more training on meeting the needs of individual students, and (4) the possibility of connecting with teacher educators once graduates obtain full-time employment. Suggestions are made to help teachers feel more competent and capable in teaching children to read and as they make the transition from preservice to full-time teaching.

This article describes a 2-year exploratory research study of alphabet knowledge instruction in 13 kindergarten classrooms in four at-risk urban schools. Based on insights for teaching from five evidence-based advantages that influence acquisition of letter names and sounds, instruction of letter names and sounds was enhanced to increase students’ exposure to and practice with letters and to provide greater instructional focus on difficult-to-learn letters through brief lessons taught through distributed cycles of review. Results of this study show that students experienced increased success in acquiring alphabet knowledge, through Enhanced Alphabet Knowledge instruction.

The authors’ purpose was to explore the effects of a supplementary, guided, silent reading intervention with 80 struggling third-grade readers who were retained at grade level as a result of poor performance on the reading portion of a criterion referenced state assessment. The students were distributed in 11 elementary schools in a large, urban school district in the state of Florida. A matched, quasi-experimental design was constructed using propensity scores for this study. Students in the guided, silent reading intervention, Reading Plus, evidenced higher, statistically significant mean scores on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test criterion assessment measure of reading at posttest. The effect size, favoring the guided, silent reading intervention group was large, 1 full standard deviation, when comparing the 2 comparison groups’ mean posttest scores. As such, the results indicate a large advantage for providing struggling third-grade readers guided silent reading fluency practice in a computer-based practice environment. No significant difference was found between the treatment and control group on the Stanford Achievement Test–10 (SAT-10) posttest scores, although posttest scores for the treatment group trended higher than the control. After conducting a power analysis, it was determined that the sample size (n = 80) was too small to provide sufficient statistical power to detect a difference in third-grade students’ SAT-10 scores.

Our objective was to map the soybean rust (SBR) resistance genes(s) in PI 567099A. A population segregating for SBR resistance was evaluated in 2008 and 2009 in Paraguay. In both seasons, F2:3 families were grown in a field naturally infested with SBR. F2:3 families were rated as resistant, segregating, or susceptible on the basis of the lesion type present, and this classification was used to infer the F2-phenotype. Molecular markers flanking five SBR-resistance genes were applied to the F2 population, and markers flanking Rpp3 were significantly associated with the observed resistance (P < 0.0001) in both years. The phenotype of 24-F1 plants evaluated in the 2008 season indicated that the resistance was recessive. This is the first report of recessive resistance at or near the Rpp3 locus. Knowledge of the location and nature of resistance in PI 567099A will allow its more efficient utilization as an SBR-resistance source in breeding programs.

The purpose of this article is to describe the vexing issues that arise as researchers try to define and assess the knowledge teachers need to teach reading and writing effectively in the primary grades. Over the past several years, the authors of this article have developed and tested an assessment system of teacher knowledge under a grant titled The Primary Grade Reading & Writing Teacher Knowledge Project. The research team developed and tested 2 subscales: a traditional multiple-choice test that measures the inert or “in the head” knowledge teachers possess about reading and writing instruction, and an accompanying classroom observation instrument that measures the enacted or “classroom teaching” knowledge teachers use to teach reading and writing to young students. This article reports on 6 conceptually and methodologically vexing issues that arose as the authors developed and tested the assessment system. Issues revolved around the specific knowledge to measure, the evidence needed by various stakeh...

This paper describes the author’s reflections on a personal and professional experience he had 35 years ago in Iran as President of Damavand College, Tehran, Iran from 1975-1978 to lead this young ...

This essay compares the views on cultural identity of selected scholars from Iran and China and from Britain and Europe. The research contained in this article is important for the comparative approach it provides for seeing cultural identity in its cultural contexts. The author has spent considerable time studying and living in both Iran and China and finds these two developing countries of interest to Western European scholars of cultural identity. This essay compares quantitative and theoretical research from both Iranian (Saied Reza Ameli) and Chinese (Guo-Ming Chen) scholars to the works of internationally recognized British (Annabelle Sreberny) and European scholars (Manuel Castells). In this era of globalization, the Iranian study views British Muslim identity as “dialectical identities” while the Chinese view as “interfusion identities.” The Briton views the concept as “multiple identities” and the European views it as “flexible identities.” A new theory of “globalized identities in a localized co...

We appreciate the LRI editors’ and authors’ solicitation of, and welcome the opportunity to comment on, “Measuring Students’ Writing Ability on a Computer-Analytic Developmental Scale: An Explorato...

The Jason-2 (OSTM) follow-on mission to Jason-I provides for the continuation of global and regional mean sea level estimates along the ground-track of the initial phase of the TOPEX/Poseidon mission. During the first several months, Jason-I and Jason-2 flew in formation separated by only 55 seconds, enabling the isolation of intermission instrument biases through direct collinear differencing of near simultaneous observations. The Jason-2 Ku-band range bias with respect to Jason-I is estimated to be -84 +/- 9 mm, based on the orbit altitudes provided on the Geophysical Data Records. Modest improved agreement is achieved with the GSFC replacement orbits, which further enables the isolation of subtle 1 cm) instrument-dependent range correction biases. Inter-mission bias estimates are confirmed with an independent assessment from comparisons to a 64-station tide-gauge network, also providing an estimate of the stability of the 17-year time series to be less than 0.1 mm/yr +/- 0.4 mm/yr. The global mean sea level derived from the multi-mission altimeter sea-surface height record from January 1993 through September 2009 is 3.3 +/- 0.4 mm/yr. Recent trends over the period from 2004 through 2008 are smaller and estimated to be 2.0 +/- 0.4 mm/yr.

This experimental study directly compared the effects of two prevalent forms of classroom writing instruction, interactive writing and writing workshop, on kindergarten students’ acquisition of early reading skills. Repeated measures data was collected at four points over 16 weeks to monitor growth of 151 kindergarten students in phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, and word reading. Results of this study showed students in both the interactive writing group and the writing workshop group demonstrated significant growth over time for each of the three outcome measures, with no statistically significant difference between groups for any of the outcome measures at any of the time points. This study provides evidence that, when consistently implemented during the first 16 weeks of kindergarten, interactive writing and writing workshop are equally effective in promoting acquisition of early reading skills.

Singh, H., Cheema, P.S., Mishra, A.K., Tewari, A.K., Rao, J.R., Ravindran, R., Ray, D. and Bansal, G.C. 2010. β-tubulin gene based PCR-RFLP method for specific detection of Babesia bigemina and Theileria annulata isolates. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 37: 233–238. For early detection of Babesia bigemina and Theileria annulata β-tubulin gene was targeted based on PCR assays. Subsequently, on the basis of sequence analysis of β-tubulin gene fragment of various isolates, a new PCR-RFLP method based on enzymes EcoRI and HindIII has been developed for species identification of B. bigemina and T. annulata isolates.

Group-based interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT-G) was provided to nine male Vietnam veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to reduce interpersonal difficulties. Standardized measures of posttraumatic stress, depression, interpersonal problems, and functioning were administered pre- and posttreatment and at 2- and 4-month follow-ups. Individual (reliable change indices) and group analyses (repeated measures ANOVAs) indicated improvements in interpersonal and global functioning (not maintained at follow-up), as well as for PTSD and depressive symptoms (maintained at follow-up). Qualitative feedback indicated reduced levels of anger and stress as well as improved relationships. IPT-G for Vietnam veterans shows promise in improving interpersonal functioning and reducing psychological distress. However, since not all improvements were maintained over time, future studies may need to explore relapse prevention strategies.

Sugarcane production has engendered environmental concerns of nutrient transfer and subsidence of organic soils. Retaining water on fields would ameliorate these environmental issues. The objective of this research was to document the growth of sugarcane subjected to various high water-table treatments. Two experiments were conducted across two years using three sugarcane cultivars grown outdoors in large pots. Key aspects were to examine the timing of when water-table treatments were imposed and the influence of intermittent flooding. Continuous flooding at all growth stages was deleterious. A continuous water table at a 15 cm depth below the soil surface resulted in no negative effect on cane yield. Intermittent flooding in cycles of 6 d flooding, followed by 15 d at either a 15 cm or 45 cm water table, did not decrease yields. These results indicated that there may be practical management options for sustaining sugarcane production at high water tables.

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of four incentive paths on third graders’ reading vocabulary and comprehension achievement and recreational and academic reading attitude. One hundred and twenty third-grade students were assigned to one of four incentive path treatment conditions. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with Fisher's least significant difference (LSD) post hoc comparisons. An effect size of .09 was calculated using a partial η2 (eta squared) statistic. Findings indicated that the four incentive path treatment conditions did not differentially impact student vocabulary, comprehension, and recreational reading. A significant difference for students’ academic reading attitudes was identified across the four incentive path treatment conditions.

As part of the National Park Service's Temporary Winter Use Plans Environmental Assessment, the University of Denver has been collecting in-use tailpipe emissions data from snowcoaches and snowmobiles in Yellowstone National Park. During the winter of 2006, using a portable emissions monitoring system, tailpipe data were collected from 10 snowcoaches and 2 four-stroke snowmobiles. These vehicles were operated over a standard route within the park, and the snowcoaches all carried identical passenger loads. These snowcoaches were newer in age with more advanced fuel management technology than those studied earlier, and average emissions were lower as a result (120, 1.7, and 11 g/mi for carbon monoxide [CO], hydrocarbons [HC], and oxides of nitrogen [NOx]). Large emissions variability was still observed despite using a standardized route and equal passenger loading. A comparison between five nearly identically equipped snowcoaches that had CO emissions ranging between 12 and 310 g/mi suggests that snow and road conditions are the most important factors behind the large emissions variability observed between modern snowcoaches: The first comprehensive emission measurements, using a portable emissions measurement system, on two snowmobiles showed that computer-controlled fuel management systems have increased fuel economy (25 mpg) and are a major reason that emissions from these winter vehicles have dropped so dramatically. Using all of the tailpipe emissions data collected to date shows that the two primary winter vehicles in Yellowstone National Park are now very similar in their per-passenger emissions.

The purpose of this study was to design, implement, and evaluate the efficacy of scaffolded silent reading (ScSR) compared with the evidence-based practice of guided repeated oral reading (GROR) with feedback on 3rd-grade students' fluency and comprehension growth. Using a mixed-model dominant-less dominant design, the authors collected both quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative results indicated no significant differences between these 2 forms of reading fluency practice on 3rd-grade students' fluency and comprehension development with the exception of 1 significant difference favoring ScSR on expression of a single passage. Qualitative results indicated that either ScSR or GROR approaches used exclusively tended toward tedium and reduced overall student enjoyment and motivation. The authors discuss how the ScSR approach represents a viable alternative or companion to GROR for promoting 3rd-grade students' reading fluency and comprehension growth.

Mapping genes in biochemical pathways allow study of the genomic organization of pathways and geneic relationships within these pathways. Additionally, molecular markers located within the boundaries of a specific gene sequence represent important marker assisted selection resources. We report map locations of two geneic markers from the purine synthesis pathway in soybean (Glycine max (L. merr.)), utilizing a 90 plant F(2) population created from the cross of "DT97-4290" x "DS97-84-1". Primers were designed based on sequences from annotated soybean complimentary DNA. A polymorphic, co-dominant, sequence-characterized amplified region marker was created for hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase (EC 2.4.2.8). Linkage analysis placed this gene on linkage group (LG) O. In addition, a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker was developed for a urate oxidase gene (EC 1.7.3.3). Linkage analysis of the SNP placed the urate oxidase gene on LG I. For both genes, amplicon sequence data confirmed the identification of the respective gene. Mapping these genes represents the first step in understanding the genomic organization of the purine biochemical pathway in soybean.

The isolation and purification of Tat protein from bacterial lysate using avidin‐biotin interaction in microfiltration membranes have been reported in the literature. To increase the efficacy of the technique, improvements in flux, Tat separation efficiency, and processing time are essential. In the current research work a pre‐filtration step was introduced to remove unwanted high molecular weight proteins and other impurities from feed prior to affinity membrane separation. Significant enhancement in flux and separation efficiency of Tat was observed. Processing time was also reduced significantly. For example, with UF pretreatment step the total Tat recovery was around four times higher (with processing time 25% lower) than that observed with the untreated feed. The quality of purified Tat was analyzed by SDS‐PAGE, Western Blot, and biotin analysis. Flux behavior in affinity separation was described by model equations.

The objective of this research was to create a soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr] genetic resource in the form of a publicly available, well-characterized mapping population specific to maturity groups (MG) used in the early soybean production system. A total of 568 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were tested for polymorphism between soybean breeding line DS97-84-1 (MG IV) and germplasm line DT97-4290 (MG IV). A 90-genotype subset of an F2 population from a cross between these lines was evaluated for genetic linkage using 162 polymorphic SSRs, plant height, pod color (L2/l2), flower color (W1/w1) and stem termination (Dt1/dt1). A 1514 cM (Kosambi) genetic map covering 65% of the soybean genome based on 157 linked SSR markers was created. Comparison with the composite soybean genetic map was used to verify map order. Loci for pod color, flower color and stem termination fell in the expected position on the map indicating this is a normally segregating mapping population. Loci for height were identified on linkage groups C2, D1a, D1b, H, L, M and O. MG IV and V soybean genotypes are critical for the early soybean production system widely used in the midsouthern US. However, only two mapping populations have been reported in Soybase for MG IV and V genotypes. Additionally, the parents used in this cross are known to differ in their response to soybean cyst nematode and charcoal rot, which constitute two major pathology threats to Midsouth soybean production. The population and map reported herein represent an important genetic resource for the early soybean production system.

The authors present results of a generalizability study of running record assessment. They conducted 2 decision studies to ascertain the number of raters and passages necessary to obtain a reliable estimate of a student's reading ability on the basis of a running record assessment. Ten teachers completed running record assessments of 10 first-grade students on 2 leveled reading passages. Findings indicate that each student assessed with running records should read a minimum of 3 passages to produce a reliable score. Using a fully crossed design in which all students were rated by each rater on all passages did not provide sizable advantages over a nested design in which students were crossed with passages and nested in raters.