Teachers' perceptions of students' reading abilities: An examination of the relationship between teachers' judgments and students' performance across a continuum of rating methods.

Teacher perceptions about students' academic abilities are important for several reasons (e.g., instructional decision making, special education entitlement decisions). Not surprisingly, researchers have investigated the accuracy of teachers' decisions. Although some data reveal that teachers are relatively good judges of academic performance, other findings have suggested otherwise. A likely explanation for conflicting findings is the varying assessment methods (e.g., direct vs. indirect, norm-referenced vs. peer-independent) and different data analysis procedures that have been used across studies. The purpose of this study was to investigate a continuum of teacher-perception assessment methods as they corresponded to students' oral reading fluency performance. Participants included 10 teachers and 87 first, second, and third grade students from a suburban school in the northeast. Overall results suggested that teachers were generally accurate when estimating students' performance when students had strong oral reading fluency skills, but teachers had more difficulty judging students with average to low oral reading fluency. Further, data interpretation of teachers' judgment accuracy differed somewhat depending upon the statistical method employed. Implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research related to this study are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Current and historical deposition of PBDEs, pesticides, PCBs, and PAHs to Rocky Mountain National Park

An analytical method was developed for the trace analysis of 98 semivolatile organic compounds (SOCs) in remote, high-elevation lake sediment. Sediment cores from Lone Pine Lake (west of the Continental Divide) and Mills Lake (east of the Continental Divide) in Rocky Mountain National Park, CO, were dated using 210Pb and 137Cs and analyzed for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), organochlorine pesticides, phosphorothioate pesticides, thiocarbamate pesticides, amide herbicides, triazine herbicides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using this method. SOC deposition profiles were reconstructed, and deposition half-lives and doubling times were calculated, for U.S. historic-use pesticides (HUPs) and current-use pesticides (CUPs) as well as PBDEs, PCBs, and PAHs. Sediment records indicate that the deposition of CUPs has increased in recent years, while the deposition of HUPs has decreased since U.S. restriction, but has not been eliminated. This is likely due to the revolatilization of HUPs from regional soils, atmospheric transport, and deposition. Differences in the magnitude of SOC sediment fluxes, flux profiles, time trends within those profiles, and isomeric ratios suggest that SOC deposition in high-elevation ecosystems is dependent on regional upslope wind directions and site location with respect to regional sources and topographic barriers.     

Cannabis and motor function: fMRI changes following 28 days of discontinuation.

The authors hypothesized that supplementary motor cortex (SMA) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) activation in chronic cannabis users, studied 4 to 36 hours after their last episode of use, would disappear by Day 28 of abstinence during finger-tapping tests. Eleven cannabis users and 16 comparison subjects were scanned during right (RFT) and left (LFT) finger-tapping tasks on a GE 1.5 Tesla scanner retrofitted with a whole body echo planar coil. Image analyses were conducted in SPM99 using an ROI approach to define each Brodmann area (BA). Differences in cerebral activation were examined in the left and right primary motor cortex (BA4), SMA (BA6), and ACC (BA24 and BA32 separately). The authors found diminished activation for contralateral BA6 from Day 0 to Day 28. For LFT, the authors also found: ipsilaterally diminished BA6 activation on Day 7, but not Day 0 or Day 28; ipsilaterally diminished BA32 activation on Day 0, but not Day 7 or Day 28; contralaterally diminished BA 4 activation on Day 28, but not Day 0 or Day 7; and contralaterally diminished BA32 activation on Day 0 and Day 28, but not Day 7. For RFT, the authors found ipsilaterally diminished BA32 activation on Days 0 and 7 but not on Day 28; contralaterally diminished BA32 activation on Days 0, 7, and 28; and ipsilaterally diminished BA6 activation on Days 0, 7, and 28. These results suggest that residual diminished brain activation is still observed after discontinuing cannabis use in motor cortical circuits. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Retene emission from residential solid fuels in China and evaluation of retene as a unique marker for soft wood combustion

Retene (1-methyl-7-isopropylphenanthrene) is often used as a marker for softwood combustion and for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) source apportionment. The emission factors of retene (EF(RET)s) from 11 crop residues, 27 firewood fuels, and 5 coals were measured using traditional rural Chinese stoves. Retene was measured in combustion emissions from all of the residential fuels tested and EF(RET)s varied significantly among the fuels due to the differences in fuel properties and combustion conditions. EF(RET)s for pine (0.34 ± 0.08 mg/kg) and larch (0.29 ± 0.22 mg/kg) were significantly higher than those of other wood types, including fir and cypress (0.081 ± 0.058 mg/kg). However, EF(RET)s for crop residues varied from 0.048 ± 0.008 to 0.37 ± 0.14 mg/kg and were not significantly lower than those for softwood (0.074 ± 0.026 to 0.34 ± 0.08 mg/kg). The EF(RET)s for coal were very high and ranged from 2.2 ± 1.5 (anthracite briquette) to 187 ± 113 mg/kg (raw bituminous chunk). EF(RET) was positively correlated with EFs of coemitted particulate matter (EF(PM)) and phenanthrene (EF(PHE)) for crop residue and coal, but not for wood. In addition, the ratios of EF(PHE)/EF(RET) and EF(PM)/EF(RET) for coals were much lower than those for crop residues and wood. These data suggest that retene is not a unique PAH marker for softwood combustion and that coal combustion, in particular, should be taken into account when retene is used for PAH source apportionment.     

Atmospheric outflow of anthropogenic semivolatile organic compounds from East Asia in spring 2004

To estimate the emissions of anthropogenic semivolatile organic compounds (SOCs) from East Asia and to identify unique SOC molecular markers in Asian air masses, high-volume air samples were collected on the island of Okinawa, Japan between 22 March and 2 May 2004. Contributions from different source regions (China, Japan, the Koreas, Russia, and ocean/local) were estimated by use of source region impact factors (SRIFs). Elevated concentrations of hexachlorobenzene (HCB), hexachlorcyclohexanes (HCHs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs), and particulate-phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were attributed to air masses from China. A large proportion of the variation in the current-use pesticides, gas-phase PAHs, and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations was explained by meteorology. Chlordanes showed a technical mixture profile and similar concentrations regardless of source region. alpha/gamma HCH and trans/cis chlordane ratios did not vary significantly with different source regions and had regional averages of 2.5 +/- 1.0 and 1.2 +/- 0.3, respectively. Particulate-phase PAH concentrations were significantly correlated (p value < 0.05) with other incomplete combustion byproduct concentrations, including elemental mercury (Hg0), CO, NOx, black carbon, submicrometer aerosols, and SO2. By use of measured PAH, CO, and black carbon concentrations and estimated CO and black carbon emission inventories, the emission of six carcinogenic particulate-phase PAHs was estimated to be 1518-4179 metric tons/year for Asia and 778-1728 metric tons/year for China, respectively. These results confirm that East Asian outflow contains significant emissions of carcinogenic particulate-phase PAHs.     

Responses to 9/11 reveal opportunities— and barriers—for commercial ADR

The fallout for conflict resolution professionals from the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, strikes at the core of their existence: What do they do? What do they provide? Maria R. Volpe and Staci Strobl, of New York, have been looking broadly at the question of “deliverables” since 9/11. They discuss the business ADR aspects of that research, and provide lessons the profession should have learned.     

Opaganib Protects against Radiation Toxicity: Implications for Homeland Security and Antitumor Radiotherapy

Exposure to ionizing radiation (IR) is a lingering threat from accidental or terroristic nuclear events, but is also widely used in cancer therapy. In both cases, host inflammatory responses to IR damage normal tissue causing morbidity and possibly mortality to the victim/patient. Opaganib, a first-in-class inhibitor of sphingolipid metabolism, has broad anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity. Opaganib elevates ceramide and reduces sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) in cells, conditions that increase the antitumor efficacy of radiation while concomitantly suppressing inflammatory damage to normal tissue. Therefore, opaganib may suppress toxicity from unintended IR exposure and improve patient response to chemoradiation. To test these hypotheses, we first examined the effects of opaganib on the toxicity and antitumor activity of radiation in mice exposed to total body irradiation (TBI) or IR with partial bone marrow shielding. Oral treatment with opaganib 2 h before TBI shifted the LD₇₅ from 9.5 Gy to 11.5 Gy, and provided substantial protection against gastrointestinal damage associated with suppression of radiation-induced elevations of S1P and TNFα in the small intestines. In the partially shielded model, opaganib provided dose-dependent survival advantages when administered 4 h before or 24 h after radiation exposure, and was particularly effective when given both prior to and following radiation. Relevant to cancer radiotherapy, opaganib decreased the sensitivity of IEC6 (non-transformed mouse intestinal epithelial) cells to radiation, while sensitizing PAN02 cells to in vitro radiation. Next, the in vivo effects of opaganib in combination with radiation were examined in a syngeneic tumor model consisting of C57BL/6 mice bearing xenografts of PAN02 pancreatic cancer cells and a cross-species xenograft model consisting of nude mice bearing xenografts of human FaDu cells. Mice were treated with opaganib and/or IR (plus cisplatin in the case of FaDu tumors). In both tumor models, the optimal suppression of tumor growth was attained by the combination of opaganib with IR (± cisplatin). Overall, opaganib substantially protects normal tissue from radiation damage that may occur through unintended exposure or cancer radiotherapy.     

Attachment, maternal sensitivity, and infant temperament during the first year of life.

Families were examined at 6, 9, and 12 months in an intensive longitudinal study that included Home Behavior Attachment Q-sorts, laboratory Strange Situation assessment, home observations of infant temperament behavior on 24 occasions, observations of maternal parenting sensitivity on 12 occasions, and maternal reports of infant temperament. Maternal sensitivity was modestly related to Q-sort security and unrelated to Strange Situation classification. In contrast, observed infant temperament was more strongly related to both maternal sensitivity and Q-sort security. The relation between home and laboratory assessment of attachment security, which was at the level found in prior work ( e.g., B. E. Vaughn & E. Waters, 1990 ), remained after the effects of observed and mother reported infant temperament were partialed. Our data highlight the need to consider other factors besides maternal sensitivity in the explanation of variability in the attachment status of l-year-olds. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A real-time polymerase chain reaction method for monitoring anaerobic,hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria based on a catabolic gene

We have developed a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method that can quantify hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria in sediment samples based on a catabolic gene associated with the first step of anaerobic toluene and xylene degradation. The target gene, bssA, codes for the alpha-subunit of benzylsuccinate synthase. The primer-probe set for real-time PCR was based on consensus regions of bssA from four denitrifying bacterial strains; bssA sequences for two of these strains were determined during this study. The method proved to be sensitive (detection limit ca. 5 gene copies) and had a linear range of >7 orders of magnitude. We used the method to investigate how gasohol releases from leaking underground storage tanks could affect indigenous toluene-degrading bacteria. Microcosms inoculated with aquifer sediments from four different sites were incubated anaerobically with BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes) and nitrate in the presence and absence of ethanol. Overall, population trends were consistent with observed toluene degradation activity: the microcosms with the most rapid toluene degradation also had the largest numbers of bssA copies. In the microcosms with the most rapid toluene degradation, numbers of bssA copies increased 100-to 1000-fold over the first 4 days of incubation, during which time most of the toluene had been consumed. These results were supported by slot blot analyses with unamplified DNA and by cloning and sequencing of putative bssA amplicons, which confirmed the real-time PCR method's specificity for bssA. Use of a companion real-time PCR method for estimating total eubacterial populations (based on 16S rDNA) indicated that, in some cases, ethanol disproportionately supported the growth of bacteria that did not contain bssA. The real-time PCR method for bssA could be a powerful tool for monitored natural attenuation of BTEX in fuel-contaminated groundwater. To our knowledge, this is the first reported molecular method that targets anaerobic, hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria based on a catabolic gene.