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This chapter reports on a university short-term study abroad immersion experience in Costa Rica for preservice teachers. Qualitative data from instructors' field notes and participants' photo blogs, exit interviews, and formal course evaluations were analyzed for evidence of expressions of empathy for English Learners (ELs), resolve to use effective teaching strategies with ELs, personal growth and cross-cultural awareness. Findings show that participants demonstrated empathy that was linked to personal and professional growth as a future teacher. The course's design strategically causing authentic physical and emotional struggles similar to ELs' with purposefully facilitated reflection time to address feelings and experiences was effective in achieving overall course goals.

Summary The purpose of this study was to determine whether a difference in roughage intake could affect electrolyte and water balance in horses during endurance type exercise. In each of 2 experiments, 2 treatments (a high hay or limited hay diet) were assigned in a crossover design so that each horse performed 2 exercise tests, 1 on each treatment. In experiment 1, diet was controlled only the night before the exercise test. Water intake was lower (P 0.05). Weight loss was 2.8% of body weight for both treatments. In experiment 2, horses were adapted to the diets for 7 days prior to the exercise test. Again, water intake was lower when the horses received the limited hay diet (P 0.05). Plasma chloride concentration decreased during exercise (P

The Spelling in Parts strategy can enhance children's ability to spell and decode multisyllabic words. The strategy, which can be taught in any systematic spelling program, combines phonemic awareness, the study of common orthographic patterns, visualization, and recognition of morphemic units such as roots, prefixes, and suffixes. The authors provide several classroom scenarios to illustrate this teaching and learning technique.

Scientists understand that scientific ideas are subject to change and improvement. Fourth- through eighth- graders develop this understanding about the nature of science as they gather and examine fossil evidence from the Paleozoic era, record their findings, and read and write about science for authentic purposes as scientists do. Students recognize the tentative nature of science and experience differences in interpretation of evidence. Students also learn that scientists use writing and sketching as tools of inquiry.

The objective of this study was to compare self-reported measures of diabetes care with measures derived from medical records in a well-defined population. Diabetes measures were collected through a 1997 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System telephone survey of American Indians living on or near 7 Montana reservations (N = 398) and were compared with data collected from charts of a systematic sample of American Indians with diabetes seen in 1997 at Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities. Survey respondents were more likely to report a duration of diabetes > or = 10 years (44 vs 31%), annual dilated retinal exam (75 vs 59%), and an influenza immunization in the past year (73 vs 57%) compared with estimates from the chart audit. Estimates of pneumococcal immunization (88 vs 42%), annual cholesterol screening (86 vs 69%), and overweight, based on body mass index (67 vs 50%), were significantly higher from the chart audit. No significant differences were found between the survey respondents and the chart audit data for annual foot exams (65 vs 61%), annual blood pressure checks (98 vs 93%), high cholesterol (35 vs 41%), and high blood pressure (54 vs 64%). These findings suggest that self-reported data may over and underestimate specific measures of diabetes care.

Enzymic activity and protein levels of xanthine oxidase were measured in serial samples of breast milk donated by each of 14 mothers, starting, in all but two cases, within 7 days following parturition. Enzyme activity varied widely, usually reaching peak values during the first 15 days and falling thereafter, by as much as 98%, to basal levels that were subsequently largely maintained. Corresponding changes in xanthine oxidase protein levels were not observed and, consequently, the specific activity of xanthine oxidase followed the above pattern. The capacity of human xanthine oxidase to undergo activation-deactivation cycles at the molecular level has important implications, not only for its role in breast milk, but also for its potential as a source of reactive oxygen species in other human tissues.

This article examines the influence of the No Child Left Behind Act on the decision making of rural principals and teachers about curriculum and instruction as well as the possible long-term effects on rural education. Data were gathered from 101 rural elementary school principals in Missouri and 76 rural elementary school teachers in Maine. Missouri principals were concerned about losing their autonomy and abilities to be instructional leaders. Maine teachers reported that NCLB benefited some groups of students more than others and that it has a negative effect on student motivation. There were significant changes in instructional time for some subjects and non-instructional time for recess and kindergarten nap time. The most important influence on principals’ educational vision for the future and the need for professional development was meeting AYP and raising test scores.

To identify factors associated with best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) presentation and 2-year outcome in 479 intermediate, posterior, and panuveitic eyes.Cohort study using randomized controlled trial data.Multicenter Uveitis Steroid Treatment (MUST) Trial masked BCVA measurements at baseline and at 2 years follow-up used gold-standard methods. Twenty-three clinical centers documented characteristics per protocol, which were evaluated as potential predictive factors for baseline BCVA and 2-year change in BCVA.Baseline factors significantly associated with reduced BCVA included age ≥50 vs50 years; posterior vs intermediate uveitis; uveitis duration10 vs6 years; anterior chamber (AC) flaregrade 0; cataract; macular thickening; and exudative retinal detachment. Over 2 years, eyes better than 20/50 and 20/50 or worse at baseline improved, on average, by 1 letter (P = .52) and 10 letters (P.001), respectively. Both treatment groups and all sites of uveitis improved similarly. Factors associated with improved BCVA included resolution of active AC cells, resolution of macular thickening, and cataract surgery in an initially cataractous eye. Factors associated with worsening BCVA included longer duration of uveitis (6-10 or10 vs6 years), incident AC flare, cataract at both baseline and follow-up, pseudophakia at baseline, persistence or incidence of vitreous haze, and incidence of macular thickening.Intermediate, posterior, and panuveitis have a similarly favorable prognosis with both systemic and fluocinolone acetonide implant treatment. Eyes with more prolonged/severe inflammatory damage and/or inflammatory findings initially or during follow-up have a worse visual acuity prognosis. The results indicate the value of implementing best practices in managing inflammation.

Xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR) in human mammary epithelial cells was shown to have low true specific activity, similar to that in breast milk. Enzymic activity was increased in response to inflammatory cytokines; increases of 2-2.5-fold being seen with TNF-alpha and IL-1beta and of approximately 8-fold with IFN-gamma. No significant increase was seen with IL-6. A combination of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha, or of these two cytokines plus IL-1beta, led to responses representing the sum of those obtained by using the individual cytokines. The 8-fold increase in enzymic activity, stimulated by IFN-gamma, corresponded to only a 2-3-fold increase in specific mRNA, suggesting the possibility of post-translational activation; a possibility strongly supported by the corresponding 2-3-fold rise in XOR protein, as determined by ELISA. In no case was cytokine-induced activation accompanied by changes in the oxidase-dehydrogenase ratio of XOR. These data strongly support a role for XOR in the inflammatory response of the human mammary epithelial cell, and provide further evidence of post-translational activation of a low activity form of human XOR, similar to that previously observed in vivo for the breast milk enzyme.

Basal readers dominate reading instruction in most classrooms across the country. In fact, considering the central role of basal readers in the classroom, the selection of a basal reader represents the selection of a reading curriculum in most American schools. And, because textbook companies publish what school districts and states choose to buy, textbook selection directly influences the quality of basal readers. Operating properly, textbook selection should contribute to the improvement of reading instruction. However, major weaknesses are evident in the process of basal reader selection by states and school districts: Decisions on basal reader selection are often based on peripheral or insignificant criteria; members of selection committees frequently are handicapped by lack of time, training, and direction; selection decisions often do not reflect philosophies about the teaching of reading; publishers and influential committee members often wield disproportionate power to influence decisions; and, st...