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Despite frequent litigious interactions between science and religion, when it comes to the teaching of evolution, relatively little is known about public school teachers' understanding of the associated legal issues. The present study expands on Moore's (2004) survey by obtaining more information about respondents, surveying teachers from multiple states, including teachers of all grade levels, and including "I don't know" as an option on the original survey developed by Moore. The survey was completed by 208 teachers from 42 states. Findings include a detailed portrait of teachers' understanding of evolution-related laws and the time they devote to teaching evolution. Our results indicate that the majority of surveyed teachers devote >13 hours of instruction per class semester to evolution and teach evolution either as a unifying theme throughout the class or as a unit of instruction. The responses indicate that a majority of the teachers surveyed possess a sufficient understanding of legal issues but lack a sufficient understanding of the more nuanced aspects of evolution case law. The findings indicate the need for improved preservice and inservice instruction that addresses evolution case law, emphasizing the legal parameters that teachers should adhere to when teaching evolution.

Objective: This study was undertaken to evaluate the cross‐cultural application of the International Classification of Cognitive Disorders in Epilepsy (IC‐CoDE) to a cohort of Spanish‐speaking patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) living in the United States. Methods: Eighty‐four Spanish‐speaking patients with TLE completed neuropsychological measures of memory, language, executive function, visuospatial functioning, and attention/processing speed as part of the Neuropsychological Screening Battery for Hispanics. The contribution of demographic and clinical variables to cognitive performance was evaluated. A sensitivity analysis was conducted by examining the base rates of impairment across several impairment thresholds. The IC‐CoDE taxonomy was then applied, and the base rate of cognitive phenotypes for each cutoff was calculated. The distribution of phenotypes was compared to the published IC‐CoDE taxonomy data, which utilized a large, multicenter cohort of English‐speaking patients with TLE. Results: Across the different impairment cutoffs, memory was the most impaired cognitive domain, with impairments in list learning ranging from 50% to 78%. Application of the IC‐CoDE taxonomy utilizing a −1.5‐SD cutoff revealed an intact cognitive profile in 47.6% of patients, single‐domain impairment in 23.8% of patients, bidomain impairment in 14.3% of patients, and generalized impairment in 14.3% of the sample. This distribution was comparable to the phenotype distribution observed in the IC‐CoDE validation sample. Significance: We demonstrate a similar pattern and distribution of cognitive phenotypes in a Spanish‐speaking epilepsy cohort compared to an English‐speaking sample. This suggests stability in the underlying phenotypes associated with TLE and applicability of the IC‐CoDE for guiding cognitive diagnostics in epilepsy research that can be applied to culturally and linguistically diverse samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discharge injunction, which allows former debtors to be free from any efforts to collect former debt, is a primary feature of bankruptcy law in the United States. When creditors have systemically violated debtors' discharge injunctions, some debtors have attempted to challenge those creditors through a class action lawsuit in bankruptcy court. However, the pervasiveness of class-waiving arbitration clauses likely prevents those debtors from disputing discharge injunction violations outside of binding, individual arbitration. This Note first discusses areas of disagreement regarding how former debtors may enforce their discharge injunctions. Then, it examines the types of disputes that allow debtors to collectivize in bankruptcy court. Without seeking to resolve either disagreement, this Note assumes debtors may collectivize in this context and employs an "inherent conflict" test that looks to whether disputes over discharge injunction violations are arbitrable. Because the "inherent conflict" test likely leads to the conclusion that courts must enforce class-waiving arbitration clauses, this Note argues that Congress should amend the Bankruptcy Code not only to provide debtors an express right of action under § 524 and the ability to collectivize, but also to prohibit the arbitration of these claims. Doing so will give full effect to the discharge injunction and fulfill the promise to debtors that they can truly begin anew after bankruptcy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the life and career of the prominent sociologist Werner Stark (1909–1985), born and raised in Marienbad, Bohemia, and after 1918 in the multi-ethnic state of Czechoslovakia. As a prolific and wide-ranging scholar whose many works failed to find an enduring place in American sociology, Stark is a prime example of academic marginalisation. The authors analyse Stark’s major contributions from the standpoint of the sociology of knowledge. They argue that his ideas regarding human nature, the need for social discipline, and the desirability of community were rooted in a pervasive biographical marginality that found resolution in his conversion to Catholicism. In turn, these ideas reinforced the marginality from which they emerged. The reception of Stark’s work in the United States was governed by a perceived incompatibility of his outlook with the assumptions and goals of his American audience. In particular, Stark offered an explicitly value-directed sociology, one which asserted the importance of social order, individual discipline, and universal community, at a time (the 1960s and 1970s) when the field sought to maintain its credibility as an objective scientific discipline in the face of growing challenges from sociologists and non-sociologists alike. Stark’s American colleagues focused on aspects of his work that were incompatible with their own cultural and disciplinary orientations and this obscured the full range of his achievements, especially his analyses which anticipated contemporary sociological work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online learning has been growing at an exponential rate over the past decade, providing new opportunities for students seeking quality courses and programs offered through flexible formats. However, as higher education continues to expand online offerings, services must be expanded simultaneously to support all students. This article focuses on online student success and the importance of ensuring that accessibility is at the forefront of course design. Included are responses to 20 questions regarding disabilities and online student success. The article is interactive and provides readers with the opportunity to engage in simulations, to complete online assessments, and to watch/listen to demonstrations on assistive technologies. Recommended resources and strategies are provided that can be integrated into course design and faculty development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study on mode of action and effects of standardized collaborative disease management on mortality and morbidity in patients with systolic heart failure. It states that multidisciplinary disease management programs may bridge the gap between existing therapeutic options and clinical practice considering that European and U.S. surveys showed implementation of evidence-based therapies is fragmentary. The results showed that death occurred more often in usual care (UC).

Many nutrition education campaigns targeting children in the United States focus on increasing fruit and vegetable consumption, but most don't specifically promote legumes. The project described here sought to pilot the effect of an Extension nutrition education program on first grade children's willingness to try foods containing legumes. A significant difference was observed in the distribution of children who took snacks containing legumes from pre- to post- through follow-up education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This article proposes the establishment of a United States–Israel Longitudinal Database for Healthy Aging and Preclinical Dementia as a prototype model for the eventual creation of an international database. It is envisioned that such a comprehensive international database, as a shared research resource, will provide the foundation for a systems approach to solve the dual public health problems of: (1) Early detection of individuals at an elevated risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, and (2) Developing interventions to delay onset of, or prevent, chronic brain disorders later in life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Various international comparisons of breast cancer survival have shown discrepancies which may reflect the impact of ethnicity or health care. Using databases from SEER 13 and from the Manila and Rizal Cancer Registries, age adjusted five-year absolute and relative survival estimates were computed and compared between Filipino-American breast cancer patients, Philippine residents and Caucasians in the US. Determinants of survival differences were examined using Cox proportional hazards modelling. Age adjusted five-year relative survival was almost identical in Filipino-Americans (89.1%) and Caucasians (87.7%), but much lower in the Philippine residents (58.4%). Large tumor size, lymph node involvement, distant metastasis, and the large proportion of women not receiving surgery explained a substantial portion of the excess mortality in Philippine residents. The moderate excess risk of Caucasians compared to Filipino-Americans was explained by age differences. Access to, utilization and affordability of cancer care facilities are important for reducing breast cancer deaths in developing countries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this article the author discusses the social and economic complex of urban schools and outreach program, Partners in Health Sciences (PIHS) in the U.S. He is critical of the significant limitation of adequate on-site support that ensures professional development of teachers through the PIHS program. It investigates the K-12 education programs centered on the wider impact on students and teachers, structure program, and program assessment for urban learning science.

Abstract: This paper addresses the evolution of the role of science and technology as a strategic national security advantage. From World War II and the Cold War to the present and projected future, this role has changed. Advances in digitized sensors, processors, storage, communications, and display have proliferated across the globe. The network connectivity enabled by this revolution has itself revolutionized almost all aspects of global life. The technology from which national security systems are derived is increasingly drawn from the vibrant, globalized industrial base that is the foundation of commercial and economic success. The desire for secrecy and technology control that is natural to the creation of national security capabilities is now in conflict with this globalized and open commercial marketplace. Contending pressures for cooperation among nations and the need to protect against misbehavior by some of those same nations makes managing national security technologies increasingly challenging. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives: The C-Port System (Cardica, Inc, Redwood City, Calif) integrates in one tool all functions necessary to enable rapid automated distal coronary anastomoses. The goal of this prospective, nonrandomized, and multicenter study is to determine the safety and efficacy of this novel anastomotic system. Methods: Five centers enrolled 133 patients awaiting elective coronary artery bypass grafting surgery. Outcome variables were intraoperative device performance, incidence of device-related adverse events, predischarge and 6-month angiographic graft patency, and 12-month clinical outcome. Independent core laboratories performed qualitative and quantitative angiographic and computed tomographic assessments. Results: The C-Port was used to perform a vein-to-coronary anastomosis in 130 patients. Intraoperative conversion to a hand-sewn anastomosis was necessary in 11 patients because of inadequate target site preparation, inappropriate target vessel selection, or both. Inadequate blood flow related to poor runoff required conversion in 3 additional patients. Three patients died before discharge of causes unrelated to the device. At discharge, 113 patients had a C-Port implant in place, and 104 C-Port anastomoses were studied by means of angiography, resulting in 100 FitzGibbon A, 3 FitzGibbon B, and 1 FitzGibbon 0 classifications. At 6 months, one additional patient died of a device-unrelated cause, and 98 patients were evaluated by means of angiography (n = 89). Overall patency (FitzGibbon A) was 92.1%. Three C-Port anastomoses were rated FitzGibbon B, and 4 were rated FitzGibbon 0. At 12 months, 107 (98.2%) of 109 alive patients were followed up, without any reports of device-related major adverse cardiac events. Conclusions: The C-Port System allows for a rapid, reliable, and compliant distal anastomosis and yields favorable 6-month angiographic and 12-month clinical results when compared with published studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Examines the Memory Assessment Scales (MAS) performance in patients with unilateral temporal lobe epilepsy in Georgia. Purpose of MAS; Several tests conducted on patients with epilepsy; Individual patient prediction and diagnostic efficacy statistics; Implications regarding the link between Verbal Memory vs. Visual Memory asymmetries.

Assesses the efficacy of various disease hypotheses which explain the decline of the pine tree Torreya taxifolia along the Apalachiola River, Florida. Circumstantial historical evidence; Physiological response to moisture and temperature stress; Growth response to light, water and soil nutrients; Foliar pathogens as the agent of decline.

The article cites a study that aims to determine the reliability of psychiatric diagnosis in the U.S. The study is focused on determining the level of reliability of psychiatric diagnosis relative to the criteria used by individual psychiatrists. The study made use of 426 patients of Norwich State Hospital wherein during a six-month period were diagnosed by two psychiatrists, during the first week and third week of hospitalization. Results of the study indicated that a satisfactory reliability has been demonstrated in some cases of psychiatric diagnosis, however, the demonstrated reliability has no implication in terms of semantic validity or usefulness.

Investigates the learning disabilities and language function in epilepsy in Chicago, Illinois. Determination of initial cluster structure solution; Assessment on the neuropsychological and clinical predictors of identified clusters; Analysis on academic achievement.

Background & Aims: Screening colonoscopy examinations for colorectal cancer are offered in the United States and some European countries. Data on results and adverse effects of screening colonoscopy are limited. In autumn 2002, colonoscopy was introduced as part of a nationwide cancer screening program in Germany; it was offered to the general population for individuals 55 years of age or older. We collected and analyzed data from this program. Methods: We performed a prospective cross-sectional study, collecting results from 2,821,392 screening colonoscopies performed at more than 2100 practices by highly qualified endoscopists in Germany from January 2003 to December 2008. Data on participation, colorectal adenoma and cancer detection, and complications were collected using standardized documentation forms. The data generated were centrally processed and evaluated. Results: The cumulative participation rate was 17.2% of eligible women and 15.5% of eligible men 55–74 years old. The adenoma detection rate (ADR) was 19.4%, with a higher rate in men (25.8% vs 16.7% in women). Advanced adenomas were found in 6.4% of patients. Carcinomas were detected in 25,893 subjects (0.9%); most were of an early UICC stage (I, 47.3%; II, 22.3%; III, 20.7%; IV, 9.6%). The ADRs for gastroenterologists and nongastroenterologists were 25.1% and 22.3%, respectively (adjusted odds ratio, 1.18; 95% confidence interval, 1.16–1.21). The overall complication rate was 2.8/1000 colonoscopies, and the rate of serious complications was 0.58/1000 colonoscopies. Conclusions: A nationwide colonoscopy screening program that uses highly qualified endoscopists can detect a significant number of adenomas and early-stage carcinomas. The ADR for gastroenterologists was higher than for nongastroenterologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the announced support of the directors from the national laboratories of the U.S. Department of Energy to the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP), an initiative which will support advanced technologies to recycle spent nuclear fuel and promote emissions-free nuclear energy in a more proliferation-resistant manner. These directors have been collaborating on the U.S. energy initiatives for several years, believing that the GNEP has the potential to address a significant national and global need. Part of their support was extended to the partnership's technology demonstration program which is based on a five-year technology plan and currently being developed in consultation with scientists from the Department of Energy's national laboratories.

Focuses on the Super Nutrition Activity Program (SNAP) of the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service which aims to increase knowledge and application of nutrition, food safety and physical activity behaviors among children. Cause of the 1993 outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7; Scope of the SNAP curriculum; Evaluation of the impact of the SNAP program on children's nutrition, food safety and physical activity behaviors.