Marine Metallic Mineral Resources of the Pacific Basin

In the 1970s and 1980s, the ocean became a focus of attention for mineral producers and consumers. This paper surveys that trend with particular emphasis on several specific metals and types of resource deposit. In particular, the known and speculative details of manganese nodules, cobalt-rich manganese crusts, and polymetallie massive sulfides are discussed and analyzed in an economic context.Environmental Economics and Policy, International Development, International Relations/Trade, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

The impact of speech -language pathologist service delivery models for concept imagery formation instruction on second grade students\u27 language achievement outcomes

Implementing effective strategies to meet the learning needs of an increasingly diverse student population, while balancing the demands of increasing caseloads, has become a challenge for Speech-Language Pathologists. The Visualizing & Verbalizing Program was implemented in this study as a way to incorporate concept imaging techniques. During the 2007-2008 school year, second grade students participated: 18 in the coteaching service delivery model, and 16 in the consultative. Classroom teachers and the Speech-Language Pathologists were trained and collaborated in the intervention and the service delivery models. Student achievement was measured with the Listening Comprehension Test-2 and the Twelve Structure Word Visualizing and Verbalizing Instruction checklist, and was analyzed using two-way analyses of variance for time (pretest-posttest) and delivery model. Overall findings indicate that the Visualizing and Verbalizing Program was effective in increasing students\u27 concept imaging and listening comprehension, and the type of service delivery utilized did not affect growth of language achievement. With strong intervention techniques and effective collaborative service delivery models put into place, students reap the rewards

Integrated Regulatory and Metabolic Networks of the Marine Diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum Predict the Response to Rising CO2 Levels.

Diatoms are eukaryotic microalgae that are responsible for up to 40% of the ocean's primary productivity. How diatoms respond to environmental perturbations such as elevated carbon concentrations in the atmosphere is currently poorly understood. We developed a transcriptional regulatory network based on various transcriptome sequencing expression libraries for different environmental responses to gain insight into the marine diatom's metabolic and regulatory interactions and provide a comprehensive framework of responses to increasing atmospheric carbon levels. This transcriptional regulatory network was integrated with a recently published genome-scale metabolic model of Phaeodactylum tricornutum to explore the connectivity of the regulatory network and shared metabolites. The integrated regulatory and metabolic model revealed highly connected modules within carbon and nitrogen metabolism. P. tricornutum's response to rising carbon levels was analyzed by using the recent genome-scale metabolic model with cross comparison to experimental manipulations of carbon dioxide. IMPORTANCE Using a systems biology approach, we studied the response of the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum to changing atmospheric carbon concentrations on an ocean-wide scale. By integrating an available genome-scale metabolic model and a newly developed transcriptional regulatory network inferred from transcriptome sequencing expression data, we demonstrate that carbon metabolism and nitrogen metabolism are strongly connected and the genes involved are coregulated in this model diatom. These tight regulatory constraints could play a major role during the adaptation of P. tricornutum to increasing carbon levels. The transcriptional regulatory network developed can be further used to study the effects of different environmental perturbations on P. tricornutum's metabolism

Pupils with social, emotional and mental health special needs: Perceptions of how restrictive physical interventions impact their relationships with teaching staff

Positive teacher-child relationships (TCRs) are vital for pupil well-being and are especially important for at-risk children. This qualitative study investigated the impact of restrictive physical interventions (RPIs) on TCRs in focus groups comprising ten boys aged 9-11 years attending two special schools in England. We examined the immediate and post incident impact of RPIs on the TCRs of two groups: students who have experienced RPIs and those who have witnessed RPIs. A range of consequences for student well-being, educational support and the TCR were identified. The implications of current study findings for the prevention and implementation of RPIs are discussed

Can Resource-Use Traits Predict Native vs. Exotic Plant Success in Carbon Amended Soils?

Productivity in desert ecosystems is primarily limited by water followed by nitrogen availability. In the deserts of southern California, nitrogen additions have increased invasive annual plant abundance. Similar findings from other ecosystems have led to a general acceptance that invasive plants, especially annual grasses, are nitrophilous. Consequently, reductions of soil nitrogen via carbon amendments have been conducted by many researchers in a variety of ecosystems in order to disproportionately lower invasive species abundance, but with mixed success. Recent studies suggest that resource-use traits may predict the efficacy of such resource manipulations; however, this theory remains largely untested. We report findings from a carbon amendment experiment that utilized two levels of sucrose additions that were aimed at achieving soil carbon to nitrogen ratios of 50:1 and 100:1 in labile sources. Carbon amendments were applied once each year, for three years, corresponding with the first large precipitation event of each wet season. Plant functional traits measured on the three invasive and 11 native herbaceous species that were most common at the study site showed that exotic and native species did not differ in traits associated with nitrogen use. In fact, plant abundance measures such as density, cover, and biomass showed that carbon amendments were capable of decreasing both native and invasive species. We found that early-germinating species were the most impacted by decreased soil nitrogen resulting from amendments. Because invasive annuals typically germinate earlier and exhibit a rapid phenology compared to most natives, these species are expected to be more competitive than native annuals yet more susceptible to early-season carbon amendments. However, desert annual communities can exhibit high interannual variability in species composition and abundance. Therefore, the relative abundance of native and invasive species at the time of application is critical to the success of carbon amendments at our study site. For land management purposes, carbon amendments remain relatively impractical and may only be useful at small scales or in conjunction with other invasive species removal techniques

To What Extent Does Punishment Insensitivity Explain the Relationship Between Callous-unemotional Traits and Academic Performance in Secondary School Students?

BACKGROUND: Callous‐unemotional (CU) traits are related to low achievement but not to deficits in verbal ability, commonly regarded as a major risk factor for poor academic outcomes in antisocial youth. This suggests that CU traits may have utility in explaining heterogeneous risk pathways for poor school performance in antisocial children. Reduced sensitivity to teacher discipline has been suggested as a potential explanation for the association between CU traits and low achievement, given its importance in facilitating engagement in learning. This study is the first to examine punishment insensitivity as a potential mechanism explaining the relationship between CU traits and poor achievement. AIM: The current study investigated the indirect pathway from CU traits via the predictor of punishment insensitivity to English, Maths, and Science grades. SAMPLE: A total of 437 English secondary school students aged 11 to 14 years (49% girls). METHODS: We conducted a mediation analysis within a structural equation modelling framework. CU traits and punishment insensitivity were assessed using child report questionnaires and academic grades were obtained from school records. RESULTS: CU traits were indirectly associated with low academic grades in Maths and Science, but not English, via punishment insensitivity, controlling for child age, gender, single parent household status, free school meals eligibility, externalizing problems, and classroom effects. CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicated that reduced sensitivity to discipline forms a pathway linking CU traits to poor performance in Maths and Science. Teachers may therefore need additional support to implement discipline effectively with children high in CU traits in order to prevent poor academic outcomes

Ew gross! Recognition of Expressions of Disgust by Children With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

There is evidence suggesting that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in adults may be associated with an impaired ability to recognise the facial expression of disgust (Sprengelmeyer et al., 1997a; Woody, Corcoran, & Tolin, in press). It has been suggested that this impairment begins in childhood when the recognition of emotional expressions is being learnt (see Spengelmeyer et al., 1997a). This study compared the recognition of facial affect in children aged around 11 years with a diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD; n = 11), other anxiety disorders (n = 20), and nonclinical children (n = 19), adapting the methodology of Sprengelmeyer et al. Disgust was most commonly misclassified as anger by children in all three groups. However, children with OCD did not show any evidence of a recognition deficit for disgust in comparison to either control group. Unexpectedly, however, children with OCD recognised expressions of surprise more accurately than nonclinical children. Recognition of disgust or any other emotion was not related to child self-reported anxiety symptoms. Given the observed differences in some studies with adults, future research may benefit by examining older adolescents and young adults to determine when these effects may first be notice

Feasibility of Focused Cardiac Ultrasound in Pre-participation Screening

Objective: Current American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines for pre-participation athletic screening recommend a 12-point history and exam to minimize the risk of sudden cardiac death. We tested the hypothesis that focused cardiac ultrasound (FCU) performed and simultaneously interpreted by a cardiologist using a handheld ultrasound device would be a feasible addition. Methods: We performed pre-participation screening according to AHA recommendations on high school athletes in a multi-purpose room at their school. In addition to the standard 12-point assessment, a cardiologist simultaneously performed and interpreted a FCU on each athlete using a handheld ultrasound. Results: The mean age of the athletes was 16.6 ± 3.4 years; 68% were male. No evidence of left ventricular hypertrophy, cardiomyopathy, bicuspid aortic valve, or aortopathy was identified. Coronary ostia could not be visualized. Echocardiography added 1.35 ± 0.51 minutes to the standard exam. Conclusion: This feasibility study suggests that the addition of handheld echocardiography with real-time interpretation performed by a cardiologist to a standard AHA pre-participation screening adds less than two minutes of time to the assessment. While the study is not as comprehensive as an office based echocardiogram, it can provide valuable information which may be useful in ruling out some of the most common causes of sudden cardiac death in the young athlete or in selecting those who would benefit from further testing