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Capacity strengthening activities – be that in the form of courses, workshops, seminars – have become embedded in research projects as a requirement for funding and as a means for researchers to demonstrate positive societal impacts. We apply qualitative research techniques including interviews, questionnaires and observations to scrutinise and document an international capacity strengthening course aimed at informing and supporting environmental management practice and policy in the Philippines. We appraise power gradients and dynamics between course instructors and participants from different cultures and geographical locations in the design and delivery of this course. We identify five key factors that course instructors should consider as part of their pedagogy: (i) active learning, (ii) knowledge scaffolding and consolidation, and (iii) situated learning, as well as being attuned to (iv) the language dynamics and (v) expertise and networking within the room when teaching the course. Practical efforts to address these issues require that instructors work with participants to co-produce knowledge, rather than assuming epistemic authority and imposing knowledge. This entails reflexive and adaptable practices before, during and after the course. It is recommended that such practices should be central to projects that include capacity strengthening activities, whether delivered locally or internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Program surveys of over 2,000 novice teachers and 1,000 of their reflective coaches are analyzed to explore the impact of induction, generally, and coaching, specifically, on two program outcomes. Using Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling, we find that certain induction structures, aspects of coaching activities, and teacher-coach match characteristics can have an impact on professional learning and teacher pedagogical success. Findings have implications for induction program design and the impact teacher coaching can have in professional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This mixed methods study explores a comprehensive survey administered in one induction program of over 2000 novice teachers and 1000 of their coaches. Quantitative analyses through Structural Equation Modeling indicate the mediating impact that coaches have on various design features of induction, which then have an impact on novice teacher learning and pedagogy. Qualitative analyses of comments reveal respondent satisfaction with programmatic structures in influencing their induction experiences while reiterating the importance of coaching. Findings have two main implications: 1) the impact of quality coaching for novice teacher professional growth, in conjunction with the importance of matching novice teachers and their coaches appropriately, and 2) the significance of curriculum, technology, and customer service in having an impact on the overall novice teacher and coach experience throughout induction. These findings have implications for the work of coaching and design features of induction programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The extension of oil and gas exploration in High Arctic offshore locations will likely require floating drilling capability in the presence of high-concentration sea ice (pack ice) at the beginning and end of the open water season. The detection and drift forecasting of potentially unmanageable ice features (PUIF) will be key components of an ice management system designed to manage risk while drilling during pack ice intrusions. In September 2015 during the Oden Arctic Technology Research Cruise 2015 (OATRC 2015), an ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company (EMURC) free drift tactical ice forecast model designed to forecast the drift of individual ice floes in low concentration ice conditions was applied in near real-time to high concentration pack ice with predominant thicknesses of medium first-year ice in the Arctic Ocean. The description and application of the proposed ice drift forecast model is presented in this paper. In addition, forecast results are compared to drift data collected during OATRC 2015. It is shown that the free drift forecasting tool produces reasonably accurate and useful forecasts in the high concentration ice observed. Highlights • The EMURC free drift tactical ice forecast model was applied in near real-time to a pack ice environment. • The EMURC tactical ice forecast model produced accurate ice drift forecasts in high concentration pack ice. • The additional post-cruise model tuning increased the forecast accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract The threat of antibiotic resistant bacterial infections continues to underscore the need for new treatment options. Historically, small molecule metabolites from microbes have provided a rich source of antibiotic compounds, and as a result, significant effort has been invested in engineering the responsible biosynthetic pathways to generate novel analogs with attractive pharmacological properties. Unfortunately, biosynthetic stringency has limited the capacity of non-ribosomal peptide synthetases and polyketide synthases from producing substantially different analogs in large numbers. Another class of natural products, the ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs), have rapidly expanded in recent years with many natively displaying potent antibiotic activity. RiPP biosynthetic pathways are modular and intrinsically tolerant to alternative substrates. Several prominent RiPPs with antibiotic activity will be covered in this review with a focus on their biosynthetic plasticity. While only a few RiPP enzymes have been thoroughly investigated mechanistically, this knowledge has already been harnessed to generate new-to-nature compounds. Through the use of synthetic biology approaches, on-going efforts in RiPP engineering hold great promise in unlocking the potential of this natural product class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Trust is a key component of successful schools. Although scholars widely agree that trust is multifaceted, there is less agreement about the number and nature of these factors. In the October 2016 issue of Educational Administration Quarterly, C. M. Adams and Miskell argued that their Teacher Trust of District Administration Scale provided evidence that trust is a single factor that cannot be unpacked, and that our three-factor theory of trust, which asserts that trust involves the discernment of benevolence, competence, and integrity, is invalid. We find multiple conceptual and methodological flaws in their reasoning. Method/Approach: We analyze data provided by C. M. Adams and Miskell that were used in their original 2016 article. The data set includes responses from 606 teachers in 72 schools to the 10 survey questions that comprise the Teacher Trust of District Administration Scale. We reproduce and critique the results of four models presented, and corrected, by C. M. Adams and Miskell, and present an alternative second-order model of trust with three first-order factors representing benevolence, competence, and integrity. Findings and Implications: Consistent with theory, we find that trust is more appropriately modeled as a multifactor construct. A multifactor model of trust is not merely an advance in measurement, it has important, actionable implications for research and practice. Measuring trust as a second-order factor, with first-order factors benevolence, competence, and integrity, positions us to make more nuanced judgements about trust, more easily diagnose problems, and prescribe interventions needed to develop, maintain, or repair trust in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated outcomes of a therapeutic gardening project in a community mental health center. The authors worked with 20 adults with severe mental illnesses, to plan, build, and care for raised-bed gardens. Targets for recovery-oriented outcomes related to personal responsibility, emotional and physical well-being, and socialization, were established in advance. Achievement of outcomes was measured using quantitative and qualitative methodology. Results indicated that the program supported recovery. Participants demonstrated significant improvement in mood and markedly higher levels of involvement and spontaneity, when engaged in gardening. Positive changes in diet and social interaction were also reported. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

I185 --> 390.1 --> Radical S‐adenosylmethionine‐dependent (rSAM) enzymes comprise one of the largest and most functionally diverse protein superfamilies known. InterPro 87.0 (Nov‐2021) classifies >0.7M sequences in the UniProt database as containing a rSAM domain with the overwhelming majority having unknown and unpredictable functions. To accelerate the discovery of new enzymatic reactions, we have created an open‐access web resource, RadicalSAM.org, that applies modern genomic enzymology approaches to analyze the rSAM superfamily. This resource updates and considerably expands upon the archival Structure‐Function Linkage Database. RadicalSAM.org includes pre‐computed sequence similarity networks, domain architecture analysis, sequence logos, length histograms, multiple sequence alignments, hidden Markov models, genomic neighborhood diagrams, and taxonomical information for any desired grouping of rSAM proteins. Also included are relevant links to journal articles, UniProt, KEGG, Swiss‐Prot, PDB, and other external resources. This talk will briefly highlight examples of how we are leveraging insights provided by RadicalSAM.org, with our specific interests pertaining to the ribosomally synthesized and post‐translationally modified peptides (RiPPs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article integrates geological, biological, ethnographic, and archaeological lines of evidence to reconstruct fishing patterns between approximately 4100 and 500 BC in the northern Gulf of California. In addition to shell collecting along the coast, several species of fish were captured, mainly endemic sciaenids of the upper gulf. Our study focuses on the northern Sonoran coast where recent archaeological studies have discovered scores of otoliths (fish ear bones) in archaeological contexts. We report the species composition (chano, corvina, totoaba) and relative size of the prehistoric catch and discuss the modern biology of these species known to inhabit this area. Our evidence suggests that this area offered an important resource for Archaic hunters and gatherers who were drawn here to exploit fish at certain times of the year. Following sea level stabilization around 6,000 years ago, particular geomorphic settings provided opportunities to easily harvest large quantities of fish by spearing, netting, or hand catching them. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Natural product discovery is currently undergoing a transformation from a phenotype-driven field to a genotype-driven one. The increasing availability of genome sequences, coupled with improved techniques for identifying biosynthetic gene clusters, has revealed that secondary metabolomes are strikingly vaster than previously thought. New approaches to correlate biosynthetic gene clusters with the compounds they produce have facilitated the production and isolation of a rapidly growing collection of what we refer to as 'reverse-discovered' natural products, in analogy to reverse genetics. In this review, we present an extensive list of reverse-discovered natural products and discuss seven important lessons for natural product discovery by genome-guided methods: structure prediction, accurate annotation, continued study of model organisms, avoiding genome-size bias, genetic manipulation, heterologous expression, and potential engineering of natural product analogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates the efficacy of current satellite observing systems to detect methane point sources from typical oil and gas production (O&G) facilities using a novel very high-resolution methane concentration dataset generated using a microscale model. Transport and dispersion of typical methane emissions from seven well pads were simulated and the column enhancements for pseudo satellite pixel sizes of 3, 1, and 0.05 km were examined every second of the 2-h simulations (7200 realizations). The detectability of plumes increased with a pixel resolution, but two orders of magnitude change in emission rates at the surface results only in about 0.4%, 1.6%, and 47.8% enhancement in the pseudo-satellite retrieved methane column at 3, 1, and 0.05 km, respectively. Average methane emission rates estimated by employing the integrated mass enhancement (IME) method to column enhancements at 0.05 km showed an underestimation of the mean emissions by 0.2–6.4%. We show that IME derived satellite-based inversions of methane emissions work well for large persistent emission sources (e.g., super emitters), however, the method is ill-suited to resolve short-term emission fluctuations (< 20 min) in typical well site emissions due to the limitations in satellite detection limits, precision, overpass timing, and pixel resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current strategies for generating peptides and proteins bearing amide carbonyl derivatives rely on solid-phase peptide synthesis for amide functionalization. Although such strategies have been successfully implemented, technical limitations restrict both the length and sequence of the synthetic fragments. Herein we report the repurposing of a thiazole/oxazole-modified microcin (TOMM) cyclodehydratase to site-specifically install amide backbone labels onto diverse peptide substrates, a method we refer to as azoline-mediated peptide backbone labeling (AMPL). This convenient chemoenzymatic strategy can generate both thioamides and amides with isotopically labeled oxygen atoms. Moreover, we demonstrate the first leader peptide-independent activity of a TOMM synthetase, circumventing the requirement that sequences of interest be fused to a leader peptide for modification. Through bioinformatics-guided site-directed mutagenesis, we also convert a strictly dehydrogenase-dependent TOMM azole synthetase into an azoline synthetase. This vastly expands the spectrum of substrates modifiable by AMPL by allowing any in vitro reconstituted TOMM synthetase to be employed. To demonstrate the utility of AMPL for mechanistic enzymology studies, an 18O-labeled substrate was generated to provide direct evidence that cyclodehydrations in TOMMs occur through the phosphorylation of the carbonyl oxygen preceding the cyclized residue. Furthermore, we demonstrate that AMPL is a useful tool for establishing the location of azolines both on in vitro modified peptides and azoline-containing natural products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five recent radiocarbon assays on wood charcoal within archaeological sites from the Puerto Peñasco area, Sonora. Mexico indicate use of the marine resources of the northern Gulf of California area during the Middle Archaic through the Late Archaic periods, ca. 3800 B.C.-A J). WO. The archaeological shell middens of the region are generally thought of as remains associated with Ceramic period Hohokam marine shell collecting forays with there being little consideration given to the likelihood of an Archaic period component being present. The importance of these age estimates is that they are derived from carbonized botanical remains rather than shell. Because of considerable variability in the carbon reservoir effect, age estimates derived from marine shell from the northern Gulf of California have limited reliability. The seasonality of collection is also considered through a preliminary study of stable oxygen isotope ratios in two shell samples. The results suggests that these shellfish were collected in the late fall, winter, and perhaps very early spring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the role of educator William Lowe Boyd in the formation of education policy dialogue in the U.S. In Boyd's notes, he believes that the concepts used to depict and debate American education policy had sharply changed since 1950 such as from the control of educator professionals to civic political domination of school governance. The book "Shaping Education Policy: Power and Process" has been written to analyze and interpret Boyd's notes in shaping public education policy.

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses the commemoration of the life and scholarly career of William Lowe Bory, particularly in the field of study around the politics of education.

Abstract: Intramembrane proteases are responsible for a number of regulated proteolysis events occurring within or near the plasma and intracellular membranes. Members of one large and diverse family of putative intramembrane metalloproteases are widely distributed in all domains of life, including the type II CAAX prenyl proteases and their prokaryotic homologs with putative bacteriocin-related functions. We used sensitive sequence similarity searches to expand this large CPBP (CAAX proteases and bacteriocin-processing enzymes) family to include more than 5800 members and infer its homologous relationships to several other protein families, including the PrsW proteases, the DUF2324 (DUF, domain of unknown function) family and the γ-secretase subunit APH-1 proteins. They share four predicted core transmembrane segments and possess similar yet distinct sets of sequence motifs. Remote similarity between APH-1 and membrane proteases sheds light on APH-1''s evolutionary origin and raises the possibility that APH-1 may possess proteolytic activity in the current or ancestral form of γ-secretase. Research Highlights: ► The CPBP intramembrane proteases are widely distributed in all domains of life. ► CPBP, PrsW, DUF2324 and γ-secretase subunit APH-1 are distantly related. ► APH-1 may possess proteolytic activity in the extant or ancestral form of γ-secretase. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: Alternative routes to teacher certification, such as California's Intern Program, have increasingly gained support in the past decade. A significant and growing percentage of all new teachers, close to 30% in California, now enter classrooms through alternative paths and are considered highly qualified under No Child Left Behind. This research examines program designs and market strategies resulting from the subsidies provided to public and private intern programs in California. Research Design: This research is a conceptual analysis of qualitative data from 11 case studies. Findings: Intern programs are created by combining financial subsidies and regulations. An economic theory of subsidized and regulated service provision explains variations in program design and implementation. California's policy framework produces four distinct intern program designs that depend on program operators' response to two questions: (a) whether priority goes to serving school districts seeking teachers or to candidates seeking preferred training opportunities and (b) whether programs build on traditional teacher training or seek to substantially alter the nature of credential training. Case data indicate that answering these questions depends on whether public or private teaching colleges and universities, local school districts and county offices of education, or elite research universities are operating the programs. Conclusions: Four distinct training program designs have emerged from the intersection of California regulations and subsidies with the priorities, capacities, and interests of training providers. This study provides guidance regarding what can be expected to happen when service providers adapt state goals, regulations, and subsidies to local conditions to develop training programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative degradation of pinacyanol chloride (PNC) dye by H2O2, as catalyzed by the 1 FeIII-TAML activator (TAML = tetraamidomacrocyclic ligand), occurs rapidly in water, goes to completion, and exhibits noticeably complex kinetics at pH 11. The reaction achieves a carbon mineralization of 51%. The detected products are acetate, formate, oxalate, maleate, 2-nitrobenzoate, nitrite, and nitrate. The catalytic reaction is a first-order process in 1 and the reaction rate has a Michaelis dependence in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The reaction rate increases sharply with increasing PNC concentration, reaches a maximal value, and then declines as the PNC concentration is further increased. The initial rate (v) versus [PNC] profile has been quantified in terms of the equation: v = (c1[PNC] + c2[PNC]2)/(c3 + c4[PNC] + [PNC]2) which accounts for the maximum and further rate decline. Kinetic analysis at a more acidic pH (9 vs. 11) revealed that there is no initial rate increase and only the hyperbolic retardation by PNC is observed, in accord with the rate law v = (b1 + b2[PNC])/(b3 + [PNC]). The kinetic data has been rationalized using the adopted mechanism of catalysis by FeIII-TAML activators, which involves the reaction between 1 and H2O2 to form reactive, oxidized TAML (kI, k-I) followed by its reaction with the dye (kII). The minimalistic addition to the scheme to account for the PNC case is the assumption that 1 may rapidly and reversibly associate with PNC (K), and the associated complex reacts also with H2O2 (kID, k-ID) to form also the oxidized TAML. Spectral evidence for this association is presented. The optimization of PNC structure by density functional theory rules out coordination of PNC to 1 via the formation of a Fe-N bond. The kinetic data indicate that the rate constant kII exceeds 1 × 105 (mol L-1)-1 s-1 at pH 11 and 25°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines a half century of housing and school segregation data in two large California school districts. Based on a review of both the methods and the substantive data available tracking the relationship between school and housing integration, the study reported here shows that very substantial school-level integration in these two districts was followed by equally substantial housing desegregation. The study relies on Theil's H as the most appropriate measure of social segregation because this measure can be used to study the integration of multiple groups and can be decomposed to document where the most severe isolation of particular subgroups is occurring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes secretes a highly cytolytic toxin known as streptolysin S (SLS). SLS is a key virulence determinant and responsible for the β-hemolytic phenotype of these bacteria. Despite over a century of research, the chemical structure of SLS remains unknown. Recent experiments have revealed that SLS is generated from an inactive precursor peptide that undergoes extensive post-translational modification to an active form. In this work, we address outstanding questions regarding the SLS biosynthetic process, elucidating the features of substrate recognition and sites of posttranslational modification to the SLS precursor peptide. Further, we exploit these findings to guide the design of artificial cytolytic toxins that are recognized by the SLS biosynthetic enzymes and others that are intrinsically cytolytic. This new structural information has ramifications for future antimicrobial therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grid point pooling is a commonly used method to account for hurricane track variability in extreme value analysis. This paper presents a simplified mathematical interpretation of grid point pooling. Through logical arguments and numerical experiments, some general guidelines are then developed for a selection of grid points to include in the statistical pool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exceptionally high peroxidase-like and catalase-like activities of iron(lll)-TAML activators of H[sub2]O[sub2] (1: Tetra-Amidato-Macrocyclic-Ligand Fe[supIII]complexes [Fe(1,2-X[sub2]C[sub6]H[sub2]-4,5-(NCOCMe[sub2]NCO)[sub2]CR[sub2])(OH[sub2])][sup-]) are reported from pH 6-12.4 and 25-45 °C. Oxidation of the cyclometalated 2-phenylpyridine organometallic complex, [Ru[supII]o-C[sub6]H[sub4]py)(phen)[sub2]]PF[sub6] (2) or "ruthenium dye", occurs via the equation [Ru[supII]] + 1/2 H[sub2]O[sub2] + H[sup+][supFe[supIII]-TAML] ➛ [Ru[supIII]] + H[sub2]O, following a simple rate law rate = k[supcat][subobs][1][H[sub2]O[sub2]], that is, the rate is independent of the concentration of 2 at all pHs and temperatures studied. The kinetics of the catalase-like activity H[sup+][supFe[supIII]-TAML] ➛ [Ru[supIII]] + H[sub2]O + 1/2 O[sub2]) obeys a similar rate law: rate = K[supcat][subobs][1][H[sub2]O[sub2]]. The rate constants, K[supcat][subobs] and are strongly and similarly pH dependent, with a maximum around pH 10. Both bell-shaped pH profiles are quantitatively accounted for in terms of a common mechanism based on the known speciation of 1 and H[sub2]O[sub2] in this pH range. Complexes 1 exist as axial diaqua species [FeL(H[sub2]O)[sub2][sup-](1[subaqua]) which are deprotonated to afford [FeL(OH)(H[sub2]O)][sup2-] (1[subOH]) at pH 9-10. The pathways 1[subaqua] + H[sub2]O[sub2] (k[sub1]), 1[subOH] + H[sub2]O[sub2] (k[sub2]), and 1[subOH] + HO[sub2][sup-] (k[sub4]) afford one or more oxidized Fe-TAML species that further rapidly oxidize the dye (peroxidase- like activity) or a second H[sub2]O[sub2] molecule (catalase-like activity). This mechanism is supported by the observations that (i) the catalase-like activity of 1 is controllably retarded by addition of reducing agents into solution and (ii) second order kinetics in H[sub2]O[sub2] has been observed when the rate of O[sub2] evolution was monitored in the presence of added reducing agents. The performances of the 1 complexes in catalyzing H[sub2]O[sub2] oxidations are shown to compare favorably with the peroxidases further establishing Fe[subIII]-TAML activators as miniaturized enzyme replicas with the potential to greatly expand the technological utility of hydrogen peroxide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteriocins represent a large family of ribosomally produced peptide antibiotics. Here we describe the discovery of a widely conserved biosynthetic gene cluster for the synthesis of thiazole and oxazole heterocycles on ribosomally produced peptides. These clusters encode a toxin precursor and all necessary proteins for toxin maturation and export. Using the toxin precursor peptide and heterocycle-forming synthetase proteins from the human pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes, we demonstrate the in vitro reconstitution of streptolysin S activity. We provide evidence that the synthetase enzymes, as predicted from our bioinformatics analysis, introduce heterocycles onto precursor peptides, thereby providing molecular insight into the chemical structure of strep- tolysin S. Furthermore, our studies reveal that the synthetase exhibits relaxed substrate specificity and modifies toxin precursors from both related and distant species. Given our findings, it is likely that the discovery of similar peptidic toxins will rapidly expand to existing and emerging genomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent observations and archival research on the archaeology of the Puerto Peñasco area at the northern end of the Gulf of California, Sonora, Mexico, have provided additional insights into the prehistory of the region. The northern Gulf of California has long been recognized as the source of raw marine shell used in the production of shell ornaments by the Hohokam of southern and central Arizona. The most obvious archaeological manifestations in the area are the shell midden sites that occur along the margins of the ocean and estuaries of the region. Based on a small sample of diagnostic flaked stone and ceramic artifacts, a Late Archaic period through Late Ceramic period (Hohokam) use of the area is evident. A small number of independently derived radiocarbon dates appear to support this conclusion. We summarize archaeological, chronometric, environmental, and geomorphic data from the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

S-nitrosation is a posttranslational, oxidative addition of NO to cysteine residues of proteins that has been proposed as a cGMP- independent signaling pathway [Hess DT, Matsumoto A, Kim SO, Marshall HE, Stamler JS (2005) Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 6:150-166]. A paradox of S-nitrosation is that only a small set of reactive cysteines are modified in vivo despite the promiscuous reactivity NO exhibits with thiols. precluding the reaction of free NO as the primary mechanism of S-nitrosation. Here we show that a specific transnitrosation reaction between procaspase-3 and thioredoxin-1 (Trx) occurs in cultured human T cells and prevents apoptosis. Trx participation in catalyzing transnitrosation reactions in cells may be general because this protein has numerous protein-protein interactions and plays a key role in cellular redox homeostasis [Powis G. Montfort WR (2001) Annu Rev Pharmaco! Toxicol 41:261- 295], nitrosothiol content in cells [Haendeler J, Hoffmann J, Tischler V. Berk BC, Zeiher AM, Dimmeler S (2002) Nat Cell Biol 4:743-749], and antiapoptotic signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A review of riluzole in MND by NICE concluded that riluzole was modestly effective. NICE however suggested that further studies were needed to gain further insights into its clinical effectiveness. As these studies have not been carried out we audited outcomes in our use of riluzole. Median survival of 148 MND patients receiving riluzole was 3.07 years (2.25 years for 327 patients not given riluzole), hazard ratio 1.66, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.32–2.12; 3.61 years in 103 limb onset patients given riluzole (2.62 years for 124 limb onset patients not given riluzole), hazard ratio 1.50, 95% CI 1.09–2.05; 2.19 years in 43 bulbar onset patients receiving riluzole (1.84 years for 103 bulbar onset patients not given riluzole), hazard ratio 1.34, 95% CI 0.89–2.07 and 3.80 years in 87 patients with a PEG given riluzole (2.21 years for 261 patients with a PEG not given riluzole), hazard ratio 1.86, 95% CI 1.44–2.39. These findings are comparable with the results of similar analyses from other groups. The uncertainties they raise emphasize the importance of adequate randomized studies being completed prior to licensing of new drugs. They further illustrate the desirability of controlled introduction of new drugs into clinical practice when RCTs have only suggested a modest level of efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Human astroviruses (HAstVs) cause gastroenteritis. Real-time, reverse-transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT2-PCR) was developed to quantitate HAstV RNA. An 88bp amplicon from the conserved 3′ genomic region was detected by binding of SYBR Green. RT2-PCR was reproducible, with a correlation coefficient of 0.998–1.00 and PCR efficiency of 94.4–100% (mean 97%). The coefficient of variation was 0.6–2.5%, dynamic range with RNA standard up to 5×108 RNA copies (RNACN) and sensitivity 5 RNACN. Of 54 blinded, archived stool samples from children hospitalized because of gastroenteritis tested by RT-PCR, 49 (91%) agreed by RT2-PCR for HAstV-positivity (Cohen κ =0.81, 95%CI 0.66–0.97). HAstV RNACN in stools ranged from 7.6×101 to 3.6×1014 copies/0.1g. Children coinfected with rotavirus had lower RNACN (mean log 4.22/standard deviation=2.26) than those without coinfection (7.57/3.06; p =.019). Children taking infant formula also had lower RNACN (5.96/2.98) than breast-fed or weaned children (8.73/2.92; p =.027). Higher RNACN tended to occur with longer duration of diarrhea for the episode (r =0.49, p =.064), but was not associated with change in age, gender, illness day, severity or breast-feeding. RT2-PCR quantitated HAstV RNA and RNACN in stool correlates with features of clinical illness. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Endothelial nitric-oxide synthase (eNOS) undergoes a complex pattern of post-translational modifications that regulate its activity. We have recently reported that eNOS is constitutively S-nitrosylated in endothelial cells and that agonists promote eNOS denitrosylation concomitant with enzyme activation (Erwin, P. A., Lin, A. J., Golan, D. E., and Michel, T. (2005),J. Biol. Chem. 280,19888–19894). In the present studies, we use mass spectrometry to confirm that the zinc-tetrathiolate cysteines of eNOS are S-nitrosylated. eNOS targeting to the plasma membrane is necessary for enzyme S-nitrosylation, and we report that translocation between cellular compartments is necessary for dynamic eNOS S-nitrosylation. We transfected cells with cDNA encoding wild-type eNOS, which is membrane-targeted, or with acylation-deficient mutant eNOS (Myr-), which is expressed solely in the cytosol. While wild-type eNOS is robustly S-nitrosylated, we found that S-nitrosylation of the Myr- eNOS mutant is nearly abolished. When we transfected cells with a fusion protein in which Myr- eNOS is ligated to the CD8-transmembrane domain (CD8-Myr-), we found that CD8-Myr- eNOS, which does not undergo dynamic subcellular translocation, is hypernitrosylated relative to wild-type eNOS. Furthermore, we found that when endothelial cells transfected with wild-type or CD8-Myr- eNOS are stimulated with eNOS agonist, only wild-type eNOS is denitrosylated; CD8-Myr- eNOS S-nitrosylation is unchanged. These findings indicate that subcellular targeting is a critical determinant of eNOS S-nitrosylation. Finally, we show that eNOS S-nitrosylation can be detected in intact arterial preparations from mouse and that eNOS S-nitrosylation is a dynamic agonist-modulated process in intact blood vessels. These studies suggest that receptor-regulated eNOS S-nitrosylation may represent an important determinant of NO-dependent signaling in the vascular wall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitric oxide (NO) signaling through the formation of cGMP is well established; however, there seems to be an increasing role for cGMP-independent NO signaling. Although key molecular details remain unanswered, S-nitrosation represents an example of cGMP-independent NO signaling. This modification has garnered recent attention as it has been shown to modulate the function of several important biochemical pathways. Although an analogy to O-phosphorylation can be drawn, little is known about protein nitrosothiol regulation in vivo. In solution, NO readily reacts with oxygen to yield a nitrosating agent, but this process alone provides no specificity for nitrosation. This lack of specificity is exemplified by the in vitro poly-S-nitrosation of caspase-3 (Casp-3, ref. 6) and the ryanodine receptor. Previous in vivo work with Casp-3 suggests that a protein-assisted process may be responsible for selective S-nitrosation of the catalytic cysteine (Cys163). We demonstrated that a single cysteine in thioredoxin (Trx) is capable of a targeted, reversible transnitrosation reaction with Cys163 of Casp-3. A greater understanding of how S-nitrosation is mediated has broad implications for cGMP-independent signaling. The example described here also suggests a new role for Trx in the regulation of apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article seeks to estimate the extent to which home schooling parents perceive themselves as social movement participants and to identify the factors contributing to such beliefs. The impact of collective action frames, feelings of efficacy, social network ties, and home schooling motivations are considered. Regression models are employed in an analysis of original survey data from an organized group of Southern California homeschoolers. Home schooling motivations are most salient in determining whether one interprets their activities as part of a larger movement. Social network tie indicators are largely unimportant in the models. The findings highlight the important role of organizational affiliation and integration. Homeschoolers without affiliations and those who are less integrated into their support organizations are not likely to feel as if they are part of a larger movement. Organizational integration—specifically attitudinal affinity—also appears to make home schooling parents become more narrowly focused upon their own children rather than the welfare of all children. Implications for future home schooling and social movement research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty-five percent of California's elementary schoolchildren attend schools operating on nontraditional, staggered, overlapping attendance calendars collectively referred to as multitrack year-round education (MT-YRE). This case study reveals substantial differences in the characteristics of students and teachers across the four attendance tracks of eight MT-YRE schools in one large California school district. Analyses of Stanford Achievement Test data, controlling for student and teacher characteristics, reveal strong association of achievement with student demographic, programmatic, and teacher segregation within these MT-YRE schools. These findings suggest that MT-YRE readily (re)segregates students within schools and thereby inhibits access to equal educational opportunity relative to traditional and nontraditional single-track school calendars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inducible isoform of nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and three zinc tetrathiolate mutants (C104A, C109A, and C104A/C109A) were expressed in Escherichia coli and purified. The mutants were found by ICP-AES and the zinc-specific PAR colorimetric assay to be zinc free, whereas the wild-type iNOS zinc content was 0.38 ± 0.01 mol of Zn/mol of iNOS dimer. The cysteine mutants (C104A and C109A) had an activity within error of wild-type iNOS (2.24 ± 0.12 μmol of NO min-1 mg-1), but the double cysteine mutant had a modestly decreased activity (1.75 ± 0.14 μmol of NO min-1 mg-1). To determine if NO could stimulate release of zinc and dimer dissociation, wild-type protein was allowed to react with an NO donor, DEA/NO, followed by buffer exchange. ICP-AES of samples treated with 10 μM DEA/NO showed a decrease in zinc content (0.23 ± 0.01 to 0.09 ± 0.01 mol of Zn/mol of iNOS dimer) with no loss of heme iron. Gel filtration of wild-type iNOS treated similarly resulted in ∼20% more monomeric iNOS compared to a DEA-treated sample. Only wild-type iNOS had decreased activity (42 ± 2%) after reaction with 50 μM DEA/NO compared to a control sample. Using the biotin switch method under the same conditions, only wild-type iNOS had increased levels of S-biotinylation. S-Biotinylation was mapped to C104 and C109 on wild-type iNOS using LysC digestion and MALDI- TOF/TOF MS. Immunoprecipitation of iNOS from the mouse macrophage cell line, RAW-264.7, and the biotin switch method were used to confirm endogenous S-nitrosation of iNOS. The data show that 5-nitrosation of the zinc tetrathiolate cysteine results in zinc release from the dimer interface and formation of inactive monomers, suggesting that this mode of inhibition might occur in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers and policy makers today are too preoccupied with school effectiveness--with finding out what works and how to replicate it. Not enough attention is given to the fact that the schools serve a variety of personal and societal purposes and that these purposes are deeply contested. This article develops a political economy framework for mapping and interpreting the competing purposes of schooling, and then applies this framework to explain 5 basic paradoxes in the national policy debates addressing class size in public elementary schools. The framework presented argues that there are 4 distinct answers to the question, "What kind of an economic good is education?" Education can be seen as a service industry, as a producer of durable goods, as a system of investment in human capital formation, or as the conduit for passing cultural legacies between generations. While business leaders and government officials are trying to secure durable educational achievement, students and their families are often concerned more with the quality of service received at their local school, with rate of return on their financial and effort investments, or with the cultural value of the legacy that participation in the schools is generating for the next generation. Because the major stakeholders in public education hold different views regarding which of these economic goods is of highest priority and which should be vouchsafed by governmental policy, policymakers are tempted to adopt inconsistent and even incoherent policies trying to placate all important constituency groups. Specific contradictions in class size reduction policies can be directly interpreted from the perspective offered herein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines Shelby Foote's claim that he is a novelist and not a historian in reference to his book "The Civil War: A Narrative." Career background on Foote; Critical analysis of the book; Impact of his art on history.

Background: Analytical errors in clinical laboratory testing are unavoidable. Recent reports have suggested the idea of “physiological profiling” which uses several results from a given patient to identify clinically unlikely results. The objective of this study was to establish rules-based criteria for identifying physiologically unlikely TSH and free T4 (fT4) results. Methods: For a 30-month period, all samples with fT4 concentrations >2 ng/dl and TSH concentrations >0.1 μIU/ml were investigated. Results: Among 7918 plasma samples for which both TSH and fT4 concentrations were measured, 18 (0.23%) had fT4 and TSH exceeding the investigated limits. Of these, two were due to heterophile antibody interference (with the TSH assay), one was proven to be due to random error, four could be explained by the patients'' conditions, three were from infants <1 week of age, and the remaining eight were unresolved, primarily due to insufficient sample, discarded samples, and inability to obtain patient histories. Conclusions: This study defined a rules-based alert system for clinically unlikely combinations of TSH and fT4 results. This pilot study demonstrates that this system is capable of detecting at least two different types of laboratory errors that would have otherwise gone undetected. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Analyzes the two-moment decision models and utility-representable preferences. Characteristics of preferences; Convexity of preferences; Correction of statement of indifference curve properties of preferences.

Provides information on a study which detected human astroviruses (HAstVs) from diarrhea episodes among children in a periurban community in Mexico City, Mexico. Information on HAstVs; Methodology; Results; Summary.

This article examines the ongoing curriculum wars in reading and mathematics education. It presents an overview of an edited book that emanated from a conference hem at Harvard University titled Curriculum Wars: Alternative Approaches to Reading and Mathematics. With the historical view in mind, the article summarizes key points of agreement and conflict in an effort to say clearly why the conflict is so difficult to resolve. In addition, these curriculum conflicts are reexamined from the perspective of the globalization of contemporary social and economic processes. The article concludes with an acknowledgment that it is unlikely that curriculum conflicts will end any time soon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the important trade and ornamental items for the prehistoric Hohokam of southern Arizona was marine shell, which was obtained from the shores along the Sea of Cortez. A reconnaissance survey near the modern town of Puerto Peñasco in Sonora, Mexico resulted in the discovery of dozens of prehistoric shell middens that are probably the result of forays by the Hohokam, Patayan, and other groups to gather shell for transport back to their homeland. These middens are described and discussed in relation to shell exploitation, subsistence, and their relationship to the Hohokam shell trade between A.C. 800 and 1200. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proposes a framework for analyzing the politics of language development research and school program implementation and its application to Proposition 227, an amendment which outlawed bilingual education in California. Basic models of language development; Language development models that emerge when the elements of linguistic theory, political commitment, and educational focus are combined; Testing of the model.

During the last decade a number of obsidian studies have been conducted on Classic-period Hohokam artifactsfrom sites in southern Arizona. The geological and cultural settings of this region make it an ideal area for the study of raw material acquisition and distribution networks. The technique of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry has been used as an inexpensive means to characterize sources and artifacts. This paper discusses the results of obsidian studies conducted on nine sites or site complexes within the Hohokam area. The dominant pattern of raw material procurement appears to be one of proximity, where the most commonly found obsidian on the site was usually obtained from the closest source. Procurement strategies indicate that obsidian procurement may have been secondary or parallel to the acquisition of other primary resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Offers a conceptual map of how knowledge is used in educational policy and politics. Knowledge influence in four educational policy arenas; Kinds of useful knowledge; Knowledge and the production process; Graphic model.

Determines the relationship between academic achievement and class size. Analysis of the report of Project STAR in Tennessee; Interpretation of the performance of the students; Impact of class size on students' achievement.

Discusses California education policy makers' control over most aspects of the state educational policy. Changes in California school finance; Factors affecting teacher work role definition; Developments in state student assessment policy; Development of curriculum materials; Funding for school construction and maintenance; School organization and governance; Political dynamics responsible for the formation and adoption of state educational policies.

Studies the nature of teaching and the organization and management of schools. Conceptualization of the primary duties of teachers and their relationships with students, subordinates and superiors; Findings on the feelings of teachers towards their achievements and relationships with students; Analysis of the central metaphors of management for the guidance and work orientation limits of school principals.

Identifies the utility of the concept, assumptive worlds of education policy makers for explaining how values are translated through policy making in the United States. Definition of assumptive worlds of policy makers; Need for the identification of assumptive worlds; Analysis of a theory on the existence of assumptive worlds in all states; Findings on assumptive worlds; Effect of assumptive worlds on policy making; Implications of assumptive worlds.

Assesses the influence and power of policy actors on education policy making in the six states by the respondents in the United States. Variations in influence and power seen among states; Generation of a list of policy groups termed as policy actors; Most influential group in education policy making; Ranking of different policy groups; Distinctive features of policy making processes in each state.

Reconceptualizes the attributes of state political culture by education policy elites in the United States. Definition of political culture (PC); Distinctive types of PC according to Daniel Elazar; Origin of PC; Facts that are explained by Elazar's classification of PC; Measurement of PC; Use of multiple discriminant analysis.

Studies development and clarification of a theoretically consistent and operationally powerful taxonomy of state policy mechanisms (SPMs) in education by the U.S. National Institute of Education. Importance of the development of policy taxonomy; Identification of SPMs; Definitions adopted for SPMs in education; Assessment of the views of policy makers; National agreement on policy approaches; Interstate differences in policy profiles.