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The Global Seismographic Network (GSN)—a global network of ≈150 very broadband stations—is used by researchers to study the free oscillations of the Earth (≈0.3–10 mHz) following large earthquakes. Normal-mode observations can provide information about the radial density and anisotropic velocity structure of the Earth (including near the core–mantle boundary), but only when signal-to-noise ratios at very low frequencies are sufficiently high. Most normal-mode observations in the past three decades have been made using Streckeisen STS-1 vault seismometers. However, these sensors are no longer being manufactured or serviced. Candidate replacement sensors, the Streckeisen STS-6 and the Nanometrics T-360GSN, have been recently installed in boreholes, postholes, and vaults at several GSN stations and GSN testbeds. In this study, we examine normal-mode spectra following three Mw 8 earthquakes in 2021 and from one Mw 8.2 earthquake in 2014 to evaluate the change in GSN low-frequency performance on the vertical component. From this analysis, we conclude that the number of GSN stations capable of resolving normal modes following Mw 8 earthquakes has nearly doubled since 2014. The improved observational capabilities will help better understand the radial velocity and density estimates of the Earth.

The purpose of this collaborative action research study was to determine whether practicing instructional coaching with teacher candidates (TCs) improved coaching skills of principal candidates (PCs). Findings indicated that PCs improved their coaching skills. Findings illustrated ways to improve principal preparation in an instructional supervision course and by collaborating with a teacher education program to provide field experiences to practice coaching. This study also determined that there was not a significant difference in practicing coaching with TCs through video lessons or face to face observations.

The most serious complication in the treatment of hemophilia A (HA) is the development of factor (F)VIII inhibitors or antidrug antibodies (ADA) occurring in 25-35% of patients with severe HA. The immunological mechanisms underlying the development of ADA against FVIII products have not been completely understood yet. Immunological danger signals associated with events such as infection or surgery have been suggested to play a critical role. In previous studies, we demonstrated that plasma-derived (pd)FVIII but not recombinant (r)FVIII can activate human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DC) in a danger signal-dependent manner, which subsequently mediate the proliferation of autologous CD4+ T cells. In this study, we investigated the ability of plasma components, naturally present in pdFVIII products, to mediate T-cell responses. In fact, we show that addition of plasma to rFVIII plus lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated DC induces proliferation of autologous CD4+ T cells. Interestingly, although DC pulsed with LPS plus plasma induce T-cell proliferation upon co-culture, the addition of FVIII significantly increases the number of proliferating as well as FVIII-specific CD4+ T cells. Total proliferating CD4+ T cells and FVIII-specific subsets were identified mainly as central memory T cells. Experiments using blocking antibodies and receptor antagonists revealed that the complement proteins C3a and, to a lesser extent, C5a are critically involved in these LPS-mediated T-cell responses. Collectively, our results indicate that complement proteins are potent drivers of T-cell responses to FVIII. Data presented provide a model how event-related substitution of FVIII in HA patients might contribute to inhibitor development.

AbstractThe time scales of the Paris Climate Agreement indicate urgent action is required on climate policies over the next few decades, in order to avoid the worst risks posed by climate change. On these relatively short time scales the combined effect of climate variability and change are both key drivers of extreme events, with decadal time scales also important for infrastructure planning. Hence, in order to assess climate risk on such time scales, we require climate models to be able to represent key aspects of both internally driven climate variability and the response to changing forcings. In this paper we argue that we now have the modeling capability to address these requirements—specifically with global models having horizontal resolutions considerably enhanced from those typically used in previous Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) exercises. The improved representation of weather and climate processes in such models underpins our enhanced confidence in predictions and projections, as well as providing improved forcing to regional models, which are better able to represent local-scale extremes (such as convective precipitation). We choose the global water cycle as an illustrative example because it is governed by a chain of processes for which there is growing evidence of the benefits of higher resolution. At the same time it comprises key processes involved in many of the expected future climate extremes (e.g., flooding, drought, tropical and midlatitude storms).

Here we present a new approach to diffraction imaging of amyloid fibrils, combining a free-standing graphene support and single nanofocused X-ray pulses of femtosecond duration from an X-ray free-electron laser. Due to the very low background scattering from the graphene support and mutual alignment of filaments, diffraction from tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) filaments and amyloid protofibrils is obtained to 2.7 Å and 2.4 Å resolution in single diffraction patterns, respectively. Some TMV diffraction patterns exhibit asymmetry that indicates the presence of a limited number of axial rotations in the XFEL focus. Signal-to-noise levels from individual diffraction patterns are enhanced using computational alignment and merging, giving patterns that are superior to those obtainable from synchrotron radiation sources. We anticipate that our approach will be a starting point for further investigations into unsolved structures of filaments and other weakly scattering objects.

Intra-specific aggressive interactions play a prominent role in the life of many animals. While studies have found evidence for repeatability in boldness, activity, and exploration in amphibians, we know relatively little about consistent among-individual variation in aggressiveness, despite its importance for male-male competition and territoriality. Amphibians, and Neotropical poison frogs (Dendrobatidae) in particular, are highly suitable for investigating among-individual variation in aggressiveness, as most species exhibit strong territoriality in at least one of the sexes. In the present study, we aimed to fill this gap in knowledge, by investigating within- and between-individual variation in territorial aggression in a semi-natural population of the Neotropical poison frog Allobates femoralis (Dendrobatidae) in French Guiana. We conducted repeated, standardized behavioral tests to assess if the level of territorial aggression is consistent within and different between individuals. Further, we tested a possible link between body size and level of territorial aggression. We found moderate repeatability in territorial aggressiveness, but no link to age and/or body size. In conclusion, our study represents the first documentation of repeatable aggressive behavior in a territorial context in amphibians.

This study discusses East Carolina University's (ECU) preparation program and its emphasis on the study and application of diversity throughout the internship. ECU's comprehensive internship provided candidates time to apply theory and knowledge about school leadership and diversity topics addressed on a monthly basis at internship seminars. A qualitative analysis of interns' reflections about their learning and experiences suggested that the focus on diversity was beneficial. Findings indicated learning about diversity throughout the internship opened opportunities for interns to work with students, parents and staff with a new found knowledge of diversity learned by attending lectures by scholars in various diversity topics and engaging in dialogue with principals about diversity topics. Principal preparation faculty realized the importance of selecting engaging presenters to encourage interns to embrace learning about a topic and the need for continual learning about diversity issues that affect the university's service region.

Discussion Boards are at the heart of an Asynchronous Online Learning or Distance Education Environment and can have a great impact on the learning experience. Understanding the individual factors that create a high quality discussion board experience for students and their interrelationships is critical to continuous improvement in distance education. Research which contributes to increased effectiveness of virtual Discussion Boards for both instructors and students can result in greater student involvement and success in learning new skills. This paper discusses Phase 1 and 2 of a multi phase applied research effort on improving the quality of virtual Discussion Boards. "Applied research is defined as systematic study to gain knowledge or understanding necessary to determine the means by which a recognized and specific need may be met" ("Research and development," 2010, para 4). The study was completed in two phases with additional phases to be developed as the data analysis continues to yield results. In Phase 1, a literature review was completed and qualitative data employing a focus group methodology was completed. The focus group was comprised of full time faculty from a large, proprietary, online university with significant experience in the use of Discussion Boards. The data was collected from the focus group and was analyzed to create hypotheses for additional research on the topic. Phase 2 focused on collecting data utilizing a quantitative research methodology supported by continued research of the literature on this topic. The results of the data analyzed during these phases will become the basis for additional studies on recommended best practices in discussion board participation as it applies to both the student and the instructor.

Abstract Evidence on the potential for agricultural intensification to improve nutrition has grown considerably. While small‐scale irrigation is a key factor driving agricultural intensification in sub‐Saharan Africa, its impact on nutrition has not yet been thoroughly explored. In this study, we assess the impact of adoption of small‐scale irrigation in Ethiopia and Tanzania on household and women's dietary diversity, as well as children's nutrition. We use two rounds of primary data collected from irrigators and nonirrigators in Ethiopia and Tanzania. We used a panel fixed effects econometric approach to control for observed household, women and children specific characteristics as well as observed and unobserved time‐invariant confounding factors. The results show that among Ethiopian households who reported having faced drought, women in irrigating households have higher Women's Dietary Diversity Score (WDDS) compared to women in nonirrigating households. In Tanzania, women in irrigating households have higher WDDS compared to nonirrigators and the impact of irrigation on WDDS more than doubles among households facing drought. In addition, among Tanzanian households who reported having faced a drought shock, irrigating households have higher Household Dietary Diversity Score compared to nonirrigators. Children in irrigating households in Ethiopia have weight‐for‐height z‐scores (WHZ) that are 0.87 SDs higher, on average, than WHZ of children in nonirrigating households. In Tanzania, irrigation leads to higher WHZ‐scores in children under‐five among households who reported having experienced a drought in the 5 years preceding the survey. The study shows small‐scale irrigation has a strong effect on households' economic access to food and on nutritional outcomes of women and children.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) is one of the most important food crops worldwide, and Rhizoctonia solani infection is one of the most common diseases. The objective of this study was to evaluate the antifungal activity of Vitis vinifera byproducts (VIDES) and flesh-coloured potato (FCP) extracts against Rhizoctonia sp. in potato crops. Photosynthetic traits, phenolic profiles, and antioxidant and enzymatic activities were determined. The VIDES extract showed a 151.4% improvement in stomatal conductance and a 258.5% improvement in the photosynthetic rate compared to the plants without infection. Regarding the enzymatic antioxidant activity, the best response was found in the FCP treatments with 30 min of application, with increases of 25%, 161%, and 450% in ascorbate peroxidase, catalase (CAT), and glutathione reductase (GR) activities, respectively, compared to plants without infection. For the VIDES extract, a 15 min application produced an 83% increase in CAT activity, whereas a 181% increase in GR activity compared to plants without infection was produced after a 30 min application. A similar behaviour was observed for antioxidant compounds, where FCP had a higher concentration of compounds and antioxidant activity. This finding suggests that FCP and VIDES promote the synthesis of plant-defence compounds against Rhizoctonia sp. in potato crops, in which the application time is a determining factor.

This paper proposes a new model that predicts the cell voltage dynamics and capacity degradation induced by lithium plating and stripping. The proposed model uses a single equilibrium reaction to describe the deposition and dissolution of metallic lithium, predicting the partial reversibility of the plating/stripping reaction, the characteristic voltage plateau during relaxation, and the capacity loss due to the Loss of Cyclable Lithium (LCL). The model is integrated with a Doyle–Fuller–Newman (DFN) electrochemical model, calibrated and validated with experimental data. The model has the potential to improve the accuracy of predicting the effects of lithium plating in Li-ion cells and aid in the development of Extreme Fast Charging (XFC) technology for BEVs.

Abstract Background Targeted sequencing using oncopanels requires comprehensive assessments of accuracy and detection sensitivity to ensure analytical validity. By employing reference materials characterized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration-led SEquence Quality Control project phase2 (SEQC2) effort, we perform a cross-platform multi-lab evaluation of eight Pan-Cancer panels to assess best practices for oncopanel sequencing. Results All panels demonstrate high sensitivity across targeted high-confidence coding regions and variant types for the variants previously verified to have variant allele frequency (VAF) in the 5–20% range. Sensitivity is reduced by utilizing VAF thresholds due to inherent variability in VAF measurements. Enforcing a VAF threshold for reporting has a positive impact on reducing false positive calls. Importantly, the false positive rate is found to be significantly higher outside the high-confidence coding regions, resulting in lower reproducibility. Thus, region restriction and VAF thresholds lead to low relative technical variability in estimating promising biomarkers and tumor mutational burden. Conclusion This comprehensive study provides actionable guidelines for oncopanel sequencing and clear evidence that supports a simplified approach to assess the analytical performance of oncopanels. It will facilitate the rapid implementation, validation, and quality control of oncopanels in clinical use.

Intermediate sized earthquakes (≈M4-6.5) are often measured using the teleseismic body-wave magnitude (mb). mb measurements are especially critical at the lower end of this range when teleseismic waveform modeling techniques (i.e., moment tensor analysis) are difficult. The U.S. Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) determines the location and magnitude of all M 5 and greater earthquakes worldwide within 20 min of the rupture time, and therefore accurate magnitude estimates are essential to fulfill its mission. To better understand how network geometry and noise levels affect the global response capabilities, we developed a method to spatially estimate the minimum measurable mb. To do this, we compare expected mb amplitudes at every station to the station's background noise level. We find that using NEIC's current network geometry and these idealized thresholds, NEIC can potentially estimate mb magnitudes down to M 4.5 globally. Low-latitude regions in the Southern Hemisphere present the biggest opportunity to improve monitoring capabilities. However, logistically they also present the biggest hurdles for network operators. Finally, to test the resiliency of the network we removed the 20 most important stations and found the mb threshold remains mb 4.5. However, the region where only mb 4.5 and greater can be estimated increases and is again restricted to the Southern Hemisphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding population dynamics is vital in amphibian conservation. To compare demography and movements, we conducted a capture-recapture study over three spring seasons in two populations of Salamandra salamandra in the Vienna Woods. The study sites differ in topography, vegetation, and the type of breeding waters. Population density in a beech forest traversed by a stream was more than twice as high as in an oak-hornbeam forest with temporary pools. Movement distances were on average higher at the latter site whereas home range estimates were similar for both sites. The sexes did not differ significantly in the observed movement patterns at either site. Annual apparent survival was mostly high (~0.85), but the estimate for females from the low-density site was lower (~0.60), indicating a higher rate of emigration or mortality.

Abstract Some agricultural practices, such as irrigation, have the potential to buffer seasonal dietary gaps and through increased production and consumption improve diets, particularly of the rural poor relying on subsistence farming but also for rural and urban households purchasing irrigated produce on local markets. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of seasonality and irrigation on women's diet in rural Ethiopia. Using a longitudinal study design, three rounds of surveys were conducted among women of reproductive age (15–49 years). Data on socioeconomic status, food consumption and haemoglobin concentration was collected. Energy and nutrient intakes were estimated using an interviewer‐administered multiple‐pass 24‐h recall. Women's dietary diversity score (WDDS), the proportion of women meeting the minimum dietary diversity for women (MDDW), haemoglobin concentration, the prevalence of anaemia and energy and nutrients intakes were compared between irrigators and nonirrigators and by season. Associations between MDDW/WDDS and irrigation status were assessed using fixed‐effect models, after adjusting for covariates. WDDS was low (3–4 out of 10 food groups) and exhibited high seasonal variability (p

Background The Tropical Andes is the world’s most biodiverse hotspot. This region contains >1,000 amphibian species, more than half of which are endemic. Herein we describe two new glassfrog species (Centrolenidae: Hyalinobatrachium) that we discovered within relatively unexplored and isolated localities of the Ecuadorian Andes. Methods We employed morphological, acoustic, and molecular methods to test the hypothesis that Hyalinobatrachium mashpi sp. nov and H. nouns sp. nov. are species new to science. Following standard methods, we generated mitochondrial sequences (16S) of 37 individuals in the genus Hyalinobatrachium. We inferred the phylogenetic relationships of the two new species in comparison to all other glassfrogs using Maximum Likelihood. In addition to describing the call of H. mashpi sp. nov., we performed a discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) with the advertisement call characteristics of several congeners. Results Based on an integrative taxonomy approach, we describe two new species. Morphological traits and the inferred phylogeny unambiguously place the new taxa in the genus Hyalinobatrachium. Both species are distinguished from other glassfrogs mainly by their dorsal coloration (i.e., dorsum lime green with small light yellow spots, head usually with interorbital bar) and transparent pericardium (i.e., the heart is visible through the ventral skin). The new species exhibit a high morphological similarity (i.e., cryptic) and occur within relatively close geographical proximity (closest aerial distance = 18.9 km); however, their uncorrected p distance for the mitochondrial gene 16S is 4.6–4.7%, a value that greatly exceeds the genetic distance between closely related species of centrolenid frogs. The DAPC revealed that the advertisement call of H. mashpi sp. nov. is acoustically distinct. Discussion Our findings are congruent with several previous studies that report a high degree of endemism in the Toisán mountain range, which appears to be isolated from the main Andean cordillera for some amphibian groups. We recommend that both H. mashpi sp. nov. and H. nouns sp. nov. be listed as Endangered, following IUCN criteria. These new species provide another example of cryptic diversity in the Andes—further evidence that the region fosters much more biodiversity than we have the resources to catalog. Threatened by mining and other exploitative industries, these glassfrogs and many other yet-to-be-discovered Andean species highlight the dire need for effective conservation measures—especially in northwestern Ecuador.

The incorporation of increasing core counts in modern processors used to build state-of-the-art supercomputers is driving application development towards exploitation of thread parallelism, in addition to distributed memory parallelism, with the goal of delivering efficient high-performance codes. In this work we describe the exploitation of threading and our experiences with it with respect to a real-world ocean modeling application code, MPAS-Ocean. We present detailed performance analysis and comparisons of various approaches and configurations for threading on the Cray XC series supercomputers.

In rural eastern North Carolina, the rapid growth of English Learners (ELs) unintentionally makes mainstream classrooms sheltered instruction classrooms. Sheltered instruction is content-based instruction (CBI) where ELs acquire language while learning content. In addition to ELs, this region has a high number of Standard English Learners (SELs). SELs are native English speakers whose dialects are nonstandard and whose home languages differ structurally from academic English. A yearlong professional development used sheltered instruction to focus on academic language proficiency. A local university, two principals and 14 teachers partnered and participated in this weekly professional development. Data were analyzed using Guskey's (2000) framework for evaluating professional development. Findings indicated that when sheltered instruction was implemented with fidelity, teachers' perception of the principal changed from a manager to an instructional leader, content teachers became teacher leaders, instruction focused on academic language proficiency; and there was evidence of academic growth for low achieving students.

Urease is a nickel enzyme responsible for catalyzing the conversion of urea into ammonia and carbon dioxide. Here the authors report a high resolution cryo-EM structure of urease from the bacterial pathogen Yersinia enterocolitica, providing a detailed visualization of the urease bimetal active site and a basis for drug development.

Abstract Background Circulating tumor (ct) DNA assays performed in clinical laboratories provide tumor biomarker testing support for biopharmaceutical clinical trials. Yet it is neither practical nor economically feasible for many of these clinical laboratories to internally develop their own liquid biopsy assay. Commercially available ctDNA kits are a potential solution for laboratories seeking to incorporate liquid biopsy into their test menus. However, the scarcity of characterized patient samples and cost of purchasing validation reference standards creates a barrier to entry. In the current study, we evaluated the analytical performance of the AVENIO ctDNA liquid biopsy platform (Roche Sequencing Solutions) for use in our clinical laboratory. Method Intra-laboratory performance evaluation of AVENIO ctDNA Targeted, Expanded, and Surveillance kits (Research Use Only) was performed according to College of American Pathologists (CAP) guidelines for the validation of targeted next generation sequencing assays using purchased reference standards, de-identified human plasma cell-free (cf) DNA samples, and contrived samples derived from commercially purchased normal and cancer human plasma. All samples were sequenced at read depths relevant to clinical settings using the NextSeq High Output kit (Illumina). Results At the clinically relevant read depth, Avenio ctDNA kits demonstrated 100% sensitivity in detecting single nucleotide variants (SNVs) at ≥0.5% allele frequency (AF) and 50% sensitivity in detecting SNVs at 0.1% AF using 20–40 ng sample input amount. The assay integrated seamlessly into our laboratory’s NGS workflow with input DNA mass, target allele frequency (TAF), multiplexing, and number of reads optimized to support a high-throughput assay appropriate for biopharmaceutical trials. Conclusions Our study demonstrates that AVENIO ctDNA liquid biopsy platform provides a viable alternative for efficient incorporation of liquid biopsy assays into the clinical laboratory for detecting somatic alterations as low as 0.5%. Accurate detection of variants lower than 0.5% could potentially be achieved by deeper sequencing when clinically indicated and economically feasible.

The clinical application of T cell bispecific antibodies (TCBs) is often limited by the lack of tumour-specific antigens. In this study, the authors present a strategy to increase TCB tumour-selectivity by adding an anti-CD3 moiety that can be specifically activated by tumor specific proteases in the tumor microenvironment.

The careful design of the antibody architecture is becoming more and more important, especially when the purpose is agonism. We present the design of a novel antibody format that is able to promote receptor dimerization and induce signal transduction resulting in cell proliferation. Mono-specific bivalent Y-shape IgGs made of two light chains and two heavy chains are engineered into single chain dimers of two modified heavy chains, resulting in the fixation of the two Fab fragments along the Fc dimerizing moiety. By this, an antagonist of the Her-receptor family, Trastuzumab, is re-formatted into an agonist by simply incorporating the original binding motif into a different geometrically and sterically constrained conformation. This novel format, named Contorsbody, retains antigen binding properties of the parental IgGs and can be produced by standard technologies established for recombinant IgGs. Structural analyses using molecular dynamics and electron microscopy are described to guide the initial design and to confirm the Contorsbody as a very compact molecule, respectively. Contorsbodies show increased rigidity compared to IgGs and their Fab moieties are positioned parallel and adjacent to each other. This geometry has an increased potential to trigger cell surface antigen or receptor ‘cis’-dimerization without ‘trans’-bridging of cells or mere receptor blockade.

Changing environments associated with rapid climate change can shape direct measures of fitness such as reproductive success by altering mating behavior, fecundity and offspring development. Using a polymorphic oceanic population of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), we investigated whether a 4°C increase in sea surface temperature influenced clutch siring success, reproductive output, and offspring growth among lateral plate morphs. Since low plated morphs are thought to have a selective advantage in warmer environments, we predicted that low plated males should have higher clutch siring success in +4°C environments, and that thermal plasticity of traits (e.g., egg size, offspring growth) should reflect different trait optima in different environments among plate morphs. Parentage analysis of egg clutches revealed temperature-specific clutch siring success, in that low plated males sired more clutches in +4°C environments and completely plated males sired more clutches at ambient (seasonal) temperature. Both completely and low plated females laid larger eggs when acclimated to +4°C, but only completely plated females had smaller clutches at +4°C. Offspring of low and partially plated females grew much less at +4°C compared to those of completely plated females. Taken together, our results demonstrate that ocean warming could impact reproductive success at various levels, with differential effects depending on phenotype, in this case, lateral plate morph. Some traits (clutch siring success, egg size) showed better performance for low plated fish at +4°C, whereas others (e.g., growth) did not. Higher clutch siring success of low plated males at elevated temperature might indicate a future shift in plate morph composition for polymorphic stickleback populations, with potential implications for colonization ability during range shifts under climate change.

Abstract The processes responsible for freshwater flux from the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS), ice‐shelf basal melting and iceberg calving, are generally poorly represented in current Earth System Models (ESMs). Here we document the cryosphere configuration of the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) v1.2. This includes simulating Antarctic ice‐shelf basal melting, which has been implemented through simulating the ocean circulation within static Antarctic ice‐shelf cavities, allowing for the ability to calculate ice‐shelf basal melt rates from the associated heat and freshwater fluxes. In addition, we added the capability to prescribe forcing from iceberg melt, allowing for realistic representation of the other dominant mass loss process from the AIS. In standard resolution simulations (using a noneddying ocean) under preindustrial climate forcing, we find high sensitivity of modeled ocean/ice shelf interactions to the ocean state, which can result in a transition to a high basal melt regime under the Filchner‐Ronne Ice Shelf (FRIS), presenting a significant challenge to representing the ocean/ice shelf system in a coupled ESM. We show that inclusion of a spatially dependent parameterization of eddy‐induced transport reduces biases in water mass properties on the Antarctic continental shelf. With these improvements, E3SM produces realistic ice‐shelf basal melt rates across the continent that are generally within the range inferred from observations. The accurate representation of ice‐shelf basal melting within a coupled ESM is an important step toward reducing uncertainties in projections of the Antarctic response to climate change and Antarctica's contribution to global sea‐level rise.

Irrigation, and especially farmer-led irrigation, is considered to be a promising option for enhancing agricultural productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, there is a lack of thorough understanding of the impacts of irrigation development on environment. Past discussions are mainly limited to the water depletion and hydrological regime change effect of irrigation. This paper presents a study to narrow the knowledge gap by assessing nutrient water pollution risk induced by the expansion of farmer-led irrigation in Ethiopia. Using household survey data collected from four woredas in Ethiopia where irrigated crop production currently concentrates, we first evaluate the impact of irrigation on cropping intensity and annual consumption level of fertilizers and then use the findings of the household survey data analysis to support conceptualization of a modeling framework for assessing agricultural nutrient water pollution risk from farmer-led irrigation development in Ethiopia at national scale. We project that overall farmer-led irrigation development in Ethiopia will lead to a gentle increase in national total of agricultural nutrient loadings. This result helps justify the endeavor of promoting farmer-led irrigation in Ethiopia. On the other hand, the projected nutrient flow and nutrient loading growth rate related to the farmer-led irrigation expansion are highly heterogeneous spatially, and risk of local water quality deterioration exists. There is still need to make investment to ensure the environmental sustainability of farmer-led irrigation development.

The Masters of School Administration (MSA) at East Carolina University culminates with a year-long internship that incorporates multiple assessments to evaluate administrative experiences. One of the assessments allows for faculty to determine how each student's experiences align with the North Carolina School Executive Standards (NCSES). Analysis of patterns of experiences for the internship 2009-2010 will reveal trends of the following indicators: time of the year, type of program, gender, and ethnicity. Additionally, surveys of supervising principals and MSA faculty describe the trends more in depth and also identify strategies that enhanced and/or hindered interns' experiences. (Contains 2 footnotes and 9 tables.)

Directed differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into functional insulin-producing beta-like cells holds great promise for cell replacement therapy for patients suffering from diabetes. This approach also offers the unique opportunity to study otherwise inaccessible aspects of human beta cell development and function in vitro. Here, we show that current pancreatic progenitor differentiation protocols promote precocious endocrine commitment, ultimately resulting in the generation of non-functional polyhormonal cells. Omission of commonly used BMP inhibitors during pancreatic specification prevents precocious endocrine formation while treatment with retinoic acid followed by combined EGF/KGF efficiently generates both PDX1(+) and subsequent PDX1(+)/NKX6.1(+) pancreatic progenitor populations, respectively. Precise temporal activation of endocrine differentiation in PDX1(+)/NKX6.1(+) progenitors produces glucose-responsive beta-like cells in vitro that exhibit key features of bona fide human beta cells, remain functional after short-term transplantation, and reduce blood glucose levels in diabetic mice. Thus, our simplified and scalable system accurately recapitulates key steps of human pancreas development and provides a fast and reproducible supply of functional human beta-like cells.

One of humanity's major challenges of the 21st century will be meeting future food demands on an increasingly resource constrained-planet. Global food production will have to rise by 70 percent between 2000 and 2050 to meet effective demand which poses major challenges to food production systems. Doing so without compromising environmental integrity is an even greater challenge. This study looks at the interdependencies between land and water resources, agricultural production and environmental outcomes in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), an area of growing importance in international agricultural markets. Special emphasis is given to the role of LAC's agriculture for (a) global food security and (b) environmental sustainability. We use the International Model for Policy Analysis of Agricultural Commodities and Trade (IMPACT)-a global dynamic partial equilibrium model of the agricultural sector-to run different future production scenarios, and agricultural trade regimes out to 2050, and assess changes in related environmental indicators. Results indicate that further trade liberalization is crucial for improving food security globally, but that it would also lead to more environmental pressures in some regions across Latin America. Contrasting land expansion versus more intensified agriculture shows that productivity improvements are generally superior to agricultural land expansion, from an economic and environmental point of view. Finally, our analysis shows that there are trade-offs between environmental and food security goals for all agricultural development paths.

Educating students from linguistically diverse backgrounds has historically been the domain of the ESL teacher. However, new migration patterns and changing student demographics force the mainstream teacher into a new role: the language and content teacher. In order to embrace this new role, educators must implement instructional strategies effective for ELLs as they continue teach the content of their grade level. The researchers identified this change as an opportunity to collaborate in providing professional development for principals and elementary teachers of English language learners (ELLs) and to evaluate the effectiveness of this professional development in developing instructional leaders within this new context of diverse demographics.

North Carolina is one of several states that have begun to incorporate the components of the Framework for 21st Century Learning in its focus on school leadership development and support. A principal preparation program in rural eastern North Carolina initiated and designed webfolios for submission of evidences of internship learning experiences. Implementation and evaluation results from the pilot year 2007-08 indicated full implementation by both students and faculty. This paper will describe the process, perceptions, and lessons learned from students in the initial pilot group.

Research in second language acquisition and the learning of mathematics has matured through long, albeit disconnected, histories. This study examines how theories and models of second language acquisition can be applied to the learning of mathematics and, through this, develops a novel framework defining stages in the learning of mathematics. This framework considers dimensions of language (social and academic), cognitive level (undemanding and demanding), locus of activity (student and teacher), and primary mode of communication (listening, reading, speaking, and writing) and leads to the mathematical learning stages: receiving mathematics, reading and replicating mathematics, negotiating meaning; communicating mathematics; and producing mathematics. This framework has numerous implications for the learning and assessment of mathematics.

The purpose of this paper was to explore the role and purpose of school administrators in international schools and obtain data helpful in redesigning principal preparation programs. An ethnographic case study was designed to obtain perceptions of issues related to leadership, curriculum, teachers, students, and parents in two U.S. accredited international schools located in Colombia, South America. The study provided a comprehensive picture of school administrators and their perceptions of their roles and how their former principal preparation programs affected their leadership skills. Additionally, results provide insights helpful in redesigning principal preparation programs to prepare global leaders. This ethnographic study also interjects the researcher's personal experiences as a graduate of an international school, a teacher with experiences both in U.S. and Colombia, and finally as an administrator in the U.S.

The number of English language learners (ELL) students in the US is increasing dramatically. The growth is even more evident in rural areas of the United States such as North Carolina where teachers are facing classrooms with a majority of second language learners. The authors conducted a study interviewing 24 teachers at a rural elementary school in eastern North Carolina. Teachers were interviewed regarding their perceptions of their preparedness to teach English language learners in the mainstream classrooms. Findings revealed that teacher training programs have not prepared these individuals for the student population they face today regardless of the year in which they received their teaching licenses. All teachers showed a strong desire to learn more at this time in their careers, but emphasized their lack of prior training. The study found that even though teachers lacked confidence, they were effectively educating this growing population. The authors discuss the responsibility of Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) to provide formal education in teaching students from diverse language backgrounds. (Contains 2 tables.)

Longer-range movements of anuran amphibians such as mass migrations and habitat invasion have received a lot of attention, but fine-scale spatial behavior remains largely understudied. This gap is especially striking for species that show long-term site fidelity and display their whole behavioral repertoire in a small area. Studying fine-scale movement with conventional capture-mark-recapture techniques is difficult in inconspicuous amphibians: individuals are hard to find, repeated captures might affect their behavior and the number of data points is too low to allow a detailed interpretation of individual space use and time budgeting. In this study, we overcame these limitations by equipping females of the Brilliant-Thighed Poison Frog (Allobates femoralis) with a tag allowing frequent monitoring of their location and behavior. Neotropical poison frogs are well known for their complex behavior and diverse reproductive and parental care strategies. Although the ecology and behavior of the polygamous leaf-litter frog Allobates femoralis is well studied, little is known about the fine-scale space use of the non-territorial females who do not engage in acoustic and visual displays. We tracked 17 females for 6 to 17 days using a harmonic direction finder to provide the first precise analysis of female space use in this species. Females moved on average 1 m per hour and the fastest movement, over 20 m per hour, was related to a subsequent mating event. Traveled distances and activity patterns on days of courtship and mating differed considerably from days without reproduction. Frogs moved more on days with lower temperature and more precipitation, but mating seemed to be the main trigger for female movement. We observed 21 courtships of 12 tagged females. For seven females, we observed two consecutive mating events. Estimated home ranges after 14 days varied considerably between individuals and courtship and mating associated space use made up for ∼30% of the home range. Allobates femoralis females spent large parts of their time in one to three small centers of use. Females did not adjust their time or space use to the density of males in their surroundings and did not show wide-ranging exploratory behavior. Our study demonstrates how tracking combined with detailed behavioral observations can reveal the patterns and drivers of fine-scale spatial behavior in sedentary species.

Invasive rats on oceanic islands impact a large number of native species. Control programs, and in cases complete eradication, are used to alleviate these impacts. Basic biological data on rodent biology facilitates the design of management plans, and are particularly required for programmes on tropical islands where they are lacking. Here, we test complex environmental effects and their interactions on two tropical islands (Iles Eparses) that may alter black rat demography, space use dynamics, and inform rodent management. Five years of summer and winter trapping data were analysed using spatially explicit capture-recapture to determine rat population dynamics and calculate rat range size, coupled with spool and line experiments. Variation in demography and individual rat space use is primarily driven by bottom-up effects of seasonal rainfall pulses on habitat, but is altered by island-specific contexts. In the absence of other introduced mammals, rats tend to have stable range overlap throughout the year but seasonal home range size fluctuations associated with rat density. The presence of other introduced mammals causes a more variable response in home range size, although predictable, which we hypothesise to be a behavioural adjustment to fluctuating levels of predation pressure on rats in relation to seasonal influxes of breeding seabirds. We eventually discuss relevance of data for eradication strategies.

Abstract This work documents the first version of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) new Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SMv1). We focus on the standard resolution of the fully coupled physical model designed to address DOE mission‐relevant water cycle questions. Its components include atmosphere and land (110‐km grid spacing), ocean and sea ice (60 km in the midlatitudes and 30 km at the equator and poles), and river transport (55 km) models. This base configuration will also serve as a foundation for additional configurations exploring higher horizontal resolution as well as augmented capabilities in the form of biogeochemistry and cryosphere configurations. The performance of E3SMv1 is evaluated by means of a standard set of Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Characterization of Klima simulations consisting of a long preindustrial control, historical simulations (ensembles of fully coupled and prescribed SSTs) as well as idealized CO2 forcing simulations. The model performs well overall with biases typical of other CMIP‐class models, although the simulated Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation is weaker than many CMIP‐class models. While the E3SMv1 historical ensemble captures the bulk of the observed warming between preindustrial (1850) and present day, the trajectory of the warming diverges from observations in the second half of the twentieth century with a period of delayed warming followed by an excessive warming trend. Using a two‐layer energy balance model, we attribute this divergence to the model's strong aerosol‐related effective radiative forcing (ERFari+aci = −1.65 W/m2) and high equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS = 5.3 K).

Abstract The Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) is a new coupled Earth system model sponsored by the U.S Department of Energy. Here we present E3SM global simulations using active ocean and sea ice that are driven by the Coordinated Ocean‐ice Reference Experiments II (CORE‐II) interannual atmospheric forcing data set. The E3SM ocean and sea ice components are MPAS‐Ocean and MPAS‐Seaice, which use the Model for Prediction Across Scales (MPAS) framework and run on unstructured horizontal meshes. For this study, grid cells vary from 30 to 60 km for the low‐resolution mesh and 6 to 18 km at high resolution. The vertical grid is a structured z‐star coordinate and uses 60 and 80 layers for low and high resolution, respectively. The lower‐resolution simulation was run for five CORE cycles (310 years) with little drift in sea surface temperature (SST) or heat content. The meridional heat transport (MHT) is within observational range, while the meridional overturning circulation at 26.5°N is low compared to observations. The largest temperature biases occur in the Labrador Sea and western boundary currents (WBCs), and the mixed layer is deeper than observations at northern high latitudes in the winter months. In the Antarctic, maximum mixed layer depths (MLD) compare well with observations, but the spatial MLD pattern is shifted relative to observations. Sea ice extent, volume, and concentration agree well with observations. At high resolution, the sea surface height compares well with satellite observations in mean and variability.

Abstract Background The consumption of conspecific young by adult individuals is a common phenomenon across various animal taxa. Possible adaptive benefits of such behaviour include the acquisition of nutrients, decreased competition for one’s own offspring, and/or increased mating opportunities. Clutch cannibalism has occasionally been observed in several species of Neotropical poison frogs, but the circumstances under which this behaviour occurs has rarely been investigated experimentally. Recent experiments with the poison frog Allobates femoralis have shown that males indiscriminately transport all clutches located inside their own territory to bodies of water, but become highly cannibalistic when taking over a new territory. Females are able to indirectly discriminate between their own and foreign clutches by location and take over transport duties of their own clutches only in the absence of the father. Cannibalism by A. femoralis females has not been previously observed. We thus asked if, and under which circumstances, cannibalism of unrelated clutches by female A. femoralis would occur, by manipulating the presence of the clutch’s father, the female’s own reproductive state, and the female’s familiarity with the environment. Results Females clearly cannibalize foreign clutches. Cannibalism was most pronounced when the female had not recently produced her own clutch and the father of the foreign clutch was absent. The female’s familiarity with the area had no significant influence on the likelihood of cannibalism to occur. Conclusions Our data indicate that both previous oviposition and the father’s presence reduce cannibalistic behaviour in A. femoralis females. Cannibalistic females may gain nutritional benefits or enhanced inclusive fitness by preying on other females’ offspring. The finding that the father’s presence at the clutch site/territory was sufficient to reduce cannibalism by females suggests a prominent role of male territoriality for the evolution of male parental care.

The rapid development of farmer-led irrigation is increasing agricultural productivity, incomes, employment and nutrition, but it might well not achieve its full potential. Small-scale irrigators tend to be younger, male and better-off. Women and resource-poor farmers – the majority of farmers in sub-Saharan Africa – are disadvantaged and often excluded from the numerous benefits to be gained from irrigation. Equity in access to water management technologies and practices is constrained by numerous factors, including high investment costs, absence of financial services, poor market integration, inadequate information services, and labour constraints. Lack of institutions for collective management of natural resources, such as water, further restricts access for resource-poor farmers, increasing inequity. In the absence of sustainable natural resources management approaches to agricultural intensification, this situation may become more acute as natural resources become increasingly valuable, and therefore contested. Realising the full potential of farmer-led irrigation requires contextualised policies, institutions and practices to improve equity, markets and sustainability and help ensure that sector growth is inclusive and beneficial.

The 20 minerals encompassing the pascoite family of decavanadate isopolyanion-containing [V10O28]6− minerals include a few minerals, such as rakovanite, that have been described as containing a protonated decavanadate anion. Rakovanite was originally assigned the formula Na3[H3V10O28]•15H2O and now is redefined with an ideal formula (NH4)3Na3[V10O28]•12H2O. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and particularly 51V NMR spectroscopy is an informative method used to describe the protonation state and speciation in both solid and solution states of materials in the chemical and life sciences. However, 51V NMR spectroscopy has not yet been used experimentally to distinguish the protonation state of the decavanadate ion of leaching solutions and thus contributing to the discussion regarding the controversial protonation states of decavanadate ions in gunterite, rakovanite, and nashite. In contrast, the morphology and crystal structure for apatites, vanadinite, pyromorphite, and mimetite was related to 207Pb NMR chemical shifts, assisting in describing the local environments of these minerals. NMR spectroscopy could be a useful method if used in the future for decavanadate-containing minerals. Currently, partial reduction of two Pascoite minerals (caseyite and nashite) is proposed and accordingly could now effectively be investigated using a different magnetic resonance technique, EPR spectroscopy.