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This qualitative study addresses the link between urban high school teachers' beliefs about their students' preparedness to achieve success in science and the teachers' reported curricular responses to those beliefs. Eight high school science teachers from schools representing a range of achievement levels were interviewed using semistructured, in-depth interview techniques. The findings suggest that teachers view science as a special subject that requires special qualities. Teachers saw their own students as largely lacking in those qualities needed for success in science and reported such modifications to the curriculum as "slowing down," deemphasizing some topics, and reducing the depth of coverage. (Contains 1 table.) more...

Amid the growth of scholarly research on environmental workplace behaviors, two limitations stand out. First, there has been scant research on the cross‐level effects of organizational‐level determinants on individual employee environmental behaviors using a methodologically appropriate multilevel analytic approach. Second, there has been an overwhelming focus on voluntary, as opposed to task‐related, employee environmentally friendly behaviors. In addressing these limitations, this field study (N = 615 U.S.‐based employees nested in 51 organizations) makes a theoretical and empirical contribution to the literature, specifically by linking the dimensions of organizational‐level environmental orientation with individual‐level employee environmental in‐role (i.e., task‐related) behaviors using multilevel analysis. The results indicate that organizational internal environmental orientation is positively related to employee recycling behavior. Managerial status exerts a moderating effect, such that the positive relationship between internal environmental orientation and energy‐saving behavior is stronger among managers than among non‐managers. Furthermore, an organization's external environmental orientation has an unequivocal positive relationship only with employee energy‐saving behavior. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Background A number of college presidents have endorsed the Amethyst Initiative, a call to consider lowering the minimum legal drinking age ( MLDA). Our objective is to forecast the effect of the Amethyst Initiative on college drinking. Methods A system model of college drinking simulates MLDA changes through (i) a decrease in heavy episodic drinking ( HED) because of the lower likelihood of students drinking in unsupervised settings where they model irresponsible drinking (misperception), and (ii) an increase in overall drinking among currently underage students because of increased social availability of alcohol (wetness). Results For the proportion of HEDs on campus, effects of large decreases in misperception of responsible drinking behavior were more than offset by modest increases in wetness. Conclusions For the effect of lowering the MLDA, it appears that increases in social availability of alcohol have a stronger impact on drinking behavior than decreases in misperceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

We review resilience to natural and anthropogenic disturbance of palm populations and communities in tropical America. Response of palms to disturbance depends on their morphological traits, their reproductive strategies and the impacts of these traits and strategies on phenology and gene flow. Human impact induces changes in genetic structure, increasing endogamy and genetic drift in fragmented populations. Forest fragmentation and harvest of palm organs are well documented whereas effects of intermediate disturbance like selective logging, hunting or fire remain poorly known. We recommend emphasis on long-term experiments and on the use of mechanistic approaches in future research to facilitate integration of available data into a theoretical ecological framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Objective: This article extends the compartmental model previously developed by Scribner et al. in the context of college drinking to a mathematical model of the consequences of lowering the legal drinking age. Method: Using data available from 32 U.S. campuses, the analyses separate underage and legal age drinking groups into an eight-compartment model with different alcohol availability (wetness) for the underage and legal age groups. The model evaluates the likelihood that underage students will incorrectly perceive normative drinking levels to be higher than they actually are (i.e., misperception) and adjust their drinking accordingly by varying the interaction between underage students in social and heavy episodic drinking compartments. Results: The results evaluate the total heavy episodic drinker population and its dependence on the difference in misperception, as well as its dependence on underage wetness, legal age wetness, and drinking age. Conclusions: Result suggest that an unrealistically extreme combination of high wetness a d low enforcement would be needed for the policies related to lowering the drinking age to be effective. (.1 Stud. Alcohol Drugs, 72, 15-23, 2011) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

This study addresses the link between urban teachers' beliefs about their students' ability to succeed in astronomy and their instructional decisions and practices in response to those beliefs. The findings suggest that teachers believe that the student characteristics that are necessary for high achievement in astronomy include specific cognitive skills, dispositions, and prior knowledge and experiences with the subject area. These teachers further view their own students as largely lacking in these characteristics and report such instructional modifications as not teaching the prescribed astronomy curriculum, deemphasizing related mathematics, reading and science process skill sets, deemphasizing advanced astronomy topics and laboratory experiences, and reducing the depth of astronomy concepts. The implications of these findings are that urban students might in fact be experiencing an astronomy curriculum that is alienating and does not promote their engagement with the subject area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

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. more...

The article focuses on the integration of the content and process skills in science and mathematics to the fifth and sixth-grade students in the U.S. An activity about popcorn and any other things in the surrounding will enhance the skills in science which include developing a plan, measurement, collecting and interpreting data, prediction, inference, communication and using number relationships. It will also develop their mathematical skills such as determining an estimate, using benchmarks, measuring, and mapping. The activity will encourage them to think of potential sources of ideas through investigations and it will help them understand that volume can be an important measurement in science. It also provides an authentic use for content and process skills in science and mathematics. more...

Human activities in the Arctic are often mentioned as recipients of climate-change impacts. In this paper we consider the more complicated but more likely possibility that human activities themselves can interact with climate or environmental change in ways that either mitigate or exacerbate the human impacts. Although human activities in the Arctic are generally assumed to be modest, our analysis suggests that those activities may have larger influences on the arctic system than previously thought. Moreover, human influences could increase substantially in the near future. First, we illustrate how past human activities in the Arctic have combined with climatic variations to alter biophysical systems upon which fisheries and livestock depend. Second, we describe how current and future human activities could precipitate or affect the timing of major transitions in the arctic system. Past and future analyses both point to ways in which human activities in the Arctic can substantially influence the trajectory of arctic system change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

This essay examines the African colonization movements that emerged in Rhode Island and Nova Scotia to demonstrate the complex ways the American Revolution affected the Black Atlantic. In particular it examines how the repatriation movement in Rhode Island reflects the ways Atlantic creoles and their syncretic cultural and political outlook shaped their vision of African colonization. The essay also explores the political and economic goals of blacks who left Nova Scotia for Sierra Leone, arguing that their idea of independence was rooted in a pre-modern view of competency that challenged the larger liberal impulse that defined the broader Anglo-American Atlantic world. Collectively, the African colonization movements in Rhode Island and Nova Scotia represent the apotheosis of the cultural and social exchange that defined the Black Atlantic in the pre-Revolutionary period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

This article describes the Cancer Atlas Viewer: free, downloadable software for the exploration of United States cancer mortality data. We demonstrate the software by exploring spatio-temporal patterns in colon cancer mortality rates for African-American and white females and males in the southeastern United States over the period 1970-1995. We compare the results of two cluster statistics: the local Moran and the localG*,through time. Overall, the two statistics reach similar conclusions for most locations. Where they disagree reveals functional differences in the kinds of local spatial variation to which the statistics are sensitive and identifies some interesting patterns in the data. There are only two persistent clusters of colon cancer mortality through time, and these are clusters of low values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The Philippines and Australia have a strong history of diplomatic and economic relations. Yet, their defense relations are still weak. Although the 1995 Defense Cooperation Agreement has provided the two countries a framework to cooperate closely on defense, the scope of their cooperation is still confined to confidence-building measures. There is a need to broaden their defense relations in the light of their mutual recognition of strategic interests in regional security, particularly in the context of the war on terrorism in Southeast Asia. Strong Philippine-Australia defense relations will expand the web of bilateral defense relations of like-minded states in the Asia Pacific to foster regional peace and stability. The Philippines and Australia have a strong potential for being defense partners in regional security by virtue of geographic proximity and cultural familiarity. But the glue that could help bond the two countries more closely is their shared regional security perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Philippine support for the American-led global campaign against terrorism has reinvigorated Philippine-American relations. The two countries are presently involved in combating terrorism in the southern Philippines through a joint military exercise called Balikatan 2002-1. Reinvigorated Philippine-American relations have implications for regional security because an American military presence is reestablished not only in the Philippines but also in Southeast Asia. When the United States withdrew its military forces from the Philippines after the termination of the Military Bases Agreement in 1991, it created a power vacuum in the region. The United States now finds it imperative to re-establish its presence in Southeast Asia because of reported al-Qaeda activities in the region. However, China is wary of the U.S. military presence, arguing that it is intended to deter not only terrorism but also China's moves in Southeast Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Presents a study of the acclimation of ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange in the Alaskan Arctic region in response to decadal climate warming. Thoughts on the effect of continued warming of the ecosystem; Methods; Impact that the warming has on such things as the changes in nutrient cycling, physiological acclimation, and population and community reorganization; Results; Conclusions. more...

The article presents information on and results of the 1990 annual National Council on Family Relations Media Competition that was hosted by the Human Development, Family Living and Community Educational Services Department, University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, Wisconsin, the week of April 9-13, 1990. The purpose of the annual competition is to evaluate quality and endorse excellence in the production of videotapes, filmstrips, and films with themes relevant to family issues, to promote the effective use of these resources, and to encourage high standards in the development of creative learning opportunities. Entries solicited were placed in one of the following 12 categories: Human Development Across the Life Span; Parenting Issues; Nontraditional Family Systems; Marital and Family Issues and Communication; Sexuality and Sex Role Development; Substance Abuse/Addiction; Human Reproduction and Family Planning, Stress, Transition, and Crisis Management; Contemporary Social Issues; Families with Special Needs; Abuse and Neglect; Teenage Sexuality. A total of 110 entries were received. Following the viewing of each entry, each judge independently completed an evaluation form on the entry. more...

During the past seven years, the number of Vietnamese Refugees in the U.S. has increased tremendously. They are coming from a poor and under developed nation to a super developed nation. Many of these refugees are suffering from both cultural shock and future shock. The Vietnamese are not the only Asiatic people who migrated to this nation. Before them, the Chinese, the Japanese and other Asian groups have ventured to the U.S. When the Chinese came to America they were faced with a variety of forms of discrimination and prejudice from the white American citizens . The Chinese struggled to adjust to American society, but they were constantly rejected by the host group because of their race and color. Vietnamese students need to be prevented from becoming victims of alienation. Social workers, teachers and parents should encourage Vietnamese students to organize their own groups to help them avoid feelings of isolation. Vietnamese students also need to be introduced to American culture by participating in more social activities at their schools, churches or other social organizations in their communities. more...

Background: Loop diuretics are a primary therapy for the symptomatic treatment of heart failure (HF), but whether torsemide improves patient symptoms and quality of life better than furosemide remains unknown. As prespecified secondary end points, the TRANSFORM-HF trial (Torsemide Comparison With Furosemide for Management of Heart Failure) compared the effect of torsemide versus furosemide on patient-reported outcomes among patients with HF. Methods: TRANSFORM-HF was an open-label, pragmatic, randomized trial of 2859 patients hospitalized for HF (regardless of ejection fraction) across 60 hospitals in the United States. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to a loop diuretic strategy of torsemide or furosemide with investigator-selected dosage. This report examined effects on prespecified secondary end points, which included Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire Clinical Summary Score (KCCQ-CSS; assessed as adjusted mean difference in change from baseline; range, 0–100 with 100 indicating best health status; clinically important difference, ≥5 points) and Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (range, 0–6; score ≥3 supporting evaluation for depression) over 12 months. Results: Baseline data were available for 2787 (97.5%) patients for KCCQ-CSS and 2624 (91.8%) patients for Patient Health Questionnaire-2. Median (interquartile range) baseline KCCQ-CSS was 42 (27–60) in the torsemide group and 40 (24–59) in the furosemide group. At 12 months, there was no significant difference between torsemide and furosemide in change from baseline in KCCQ-CSS (adjusted mean difference, 0.06 [95% CI, –2.26 to 2.37]; P =0.96) or the proportion of patients with Patient Health Questionnaire-2 score ≥3 (15.1% versus 13.2%: P =0.34). Results for KCCQ-CSS were similar at 1 month (adjusted mean difference, 1.36 [95% CI, –0.64 to 3.36]; P =0.18) and 6-month follow-up (adjusted mean difference, –0.37 [95% CI, –2.52 to 1.78]; P =0.73), and across subgroups by ejection fraction phenotype, New York Heart Association class at randomization, and loop diuretic agent before hospitalization. Irrespective of baseline KCCQ-CSS tertile, there was no significant difference between torsemide and furosemide on change in KCCQ-CSS, all-cause mortality, or all-cause hospitalization. Conclusions: Among patients discharged after hospitalization for HF, a strategy of torsemide compared with furosemide did not improve symptoms or quality of life over 12 months. The effects of torsemide and furosemide on patient-reported outcomes were similar regardless of ejection fraction, previous loop diuretic use, and baseline health status. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT03296813. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

While aggregate recycling rates in developed countries have plateaued in recent years, the contamination rate of recycling streams due to consumers incorrectly recycling items that cannot be recycled has grown rapidly. We propose that this problem may be partially due to persuasive messages, such as pro‐environmental labeling on bins, that encourage recycling, but may lack guidance on how to do so accurately. For example, a number of public garbage receptacles across the United States are labeled "Landfill" instead of "Trash," encouraging recycling by making the negative impact of garbage more salient. However, this labeling may also lead consumers to incorrectly "recycle" items that cannot be recycled (i.e., overinclusive recycling). Two field studies suggest that pro‐environmental receptacle labeling can lead to overinclusive recycling, and a controlled experiment provides preliminary process evidence involving anticipated emotion from trashing versus recycling. Research opportunities and public policy implications for pro‐environmental messaging are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...