Applying Argumentation Analysis to Assess the Quality of University Oceanography Students' Scientific Writing

This article describes the methods and results of an assessment of students' scientific writing. The study was conducted in an introductory oceanography course in a large public university that used an interactive CD-ROM entitled, "Our Dynamic Planet." The CD provided students with geological data, which they used to build written arguments regarding plate tectonics. Twenty-four student papers from this course were analyzed for quality of written arguments by using both a grading rubric and an argumentation analysis model. Three implications were drawn from these initial studies. First, there is a clear need to help students understand how to use data representations as evidence for more theoretical arguments. Second, student writers need experiences receiving critiques of their own writing and analyzing others' scientific arguments. Third, the actual grading is dependent upon the socialization of the graders themselves (in this case, graduate students). Educational levels: Graduate or professional

Religion and the Cell-Only Population

Compares the religious affiliations, church attendance, and religious salience of the cell phone-only, landline, and combined cell/landline samples, and explores the extent to which the differences are due to the relative youth of the cell-only group

Trends in 18650 Lithium-Ion Battery Cell Safety for Spacecraft Applications

Highly popular due to their high energy density lithium-ion battery cells have increased in energy density approximately 2.5 times since their commercial debut in 1991. As a result, the hazard severity of a sudden inadvertent release of stored energy has greatly increased. The high energy density of lithium-ion battery cells coupled with the flammable toxic electrolytes they contain and unique failure modes can lead to a potentially catastrophic thermal runaway. This can result in spewing flames even while setting on a shelf unused. The metal oxide cathodes in lithium-ion battery cells can release their oxygen into the cells when they overheat. There is enough oxygen contained in the metal oxide cathodes to combust up to 20 percent of the electrolytes in the cells without any outside oxygen sources. These cells can therefore be viewed as miniature rocket motors capable of venting a considerable blow-torch type flame and up to 2.5 liters of hot flammable toxic gases per cell. This presents special challenges for spaceflight safety. In this paper we will examine roots causes of 18650 lithium-ion battery cell failures and how to best mitigate them at the cell and battery assembly levels. We will also look at some promising future trends that could yield both much greater stored energy and safety

Sinus Histiocytosis: An Uncommon Presentation of an Uncommon Condition

Introduction Rosai–Dorfman Disease (RDD), also known as Sinus Histiocytosis with Massive Lymphadenopathy (SHML), is a rare, benign, proliferative disorder of macrophages and monocytes that was first described by Rosai and Dorfman in 1969. The vast majority of patients present with painless bilateral cervical lymphadenopathy during childhood or young adulthood. The condition is self-limited and rarely requires medical treatment. Involvement of extranodal sites such as eyelids, eye sockets, skin and subcutaneous tissue, gastrointestinal tract, upper airways and central nervous system have been infrequently described. Mediastinal involvement is extremely rare, and there are few cases reported in the literature. Here, we present a case of a 61-year-old female with a history of mediastinal sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy

Intrusion Prevention And Detection in Small to Medium-Sized Enterprises

This paper will examine in depth the reluctance of small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to implement cybersecurity measures amidst the growing threat of cyberattacks. Small businesses encompass the vast majority of for profit and nonprofit organizations in the world. Due to the growing connectedness of the global economy through the Internet and e-business, the reluctance of SMEs to invest in security measures threatens the very existence of many organizations and their partners. The detection and defense against attacks through intrusion detection systems (IDS) and intrusion prevention systems (IPS) are two solutions that assist in detecting and deflecting potential breaches of security. An extensive look at how both IDS and IPS can provide meaningful solutions to SMEs through their visibility and control measures (including their unique characteristics, applications, and limitations) will be explored

Does azithromycin have a role in cesarean sections?

Does azithromycin have a role in cesarean sections? Yes, adding azithromycin to the usual antibiotic protocol in nonelective c-sections reduces infections. But not everyone can take advantage of it. PRACTICE CHANGER: Prescribe a one-time dose of azithromycin 500 mg intravenously, along with standard antibiotic prophylaxis, at the time of cesarean delivery to prevent postoperative infections.Authors: Gregory Castelli, PharmD, BCPS, BC-ADM; Allison Flaherty, DO; Jennie B. Jarrett, PharmD, BCPS, MMedEd UPMC St. Margaret, Pittsburgh, Pa (Drs. Castelli and Flaherty); University of Illinois at Chicago (Dr. Jarrett)

Don’t Be Such a Downer: Using Positive Psychology to Enhance the Value of Negative Feedback

Effective developmental feedback promotes a balanced and authentic view of employees\u27 current state, thereby addressing strengths and weaknesses of employees. The authors address how organizations\u27 increased emphasis on positivity can be reconciled with the delivery of negative feedback. Drawing on principles from positive psychology, the authors outline strategies managers can implement to increase the likelihood that negative feedback interventions will yield improved performance while promoting employee well-being

Sitosterolemia: Twenty Years of Discovery of the Function of \u3ci\u3eABCG5ABCG8\u3c/i\u3e

Sitosterolemia is a lipid disorder characterized by the accumulation of dietary xenosterols in plasma and tissues caused by mutations in either ABCG5 or ABCG8. ABCG5 ABCG8 encodes a pair of ABC half transporters that form a heterodimer (G5G8), which then traffics to the surface of hepatocytes and enterocytes and promotes the secretion of cholesterol and xenosterols into the bile and the intestinal lumen. We review the literature from the initial description of the disease, the discovery of its genetic basis, current therapy, and what has been learned from animal, cellular, and molecular investigations of the transporter in the twenty years since its discovery. The genomic era has revealed that there are far more carriers of loss of function mutations and likely pathogenic variants of ABCG5 ABCG8 than previously thought. The impact of these variants on G5G8 structure and activity are largely unknown. We propose a classification system for ABCG5 ABCG8 mutants based on previously published systems for diseases caused by defects in ABC transporters. This system establishes a framework for the comprehensive analysis of disease-associated variants and their impact on G5G8 structure–function

Residential proximity to major roadways and prevalent hypertension among postmenopausal women: results from the Women's Health Initiative San Diego Cohort.

BackgroundLiving near major roadways has been linked with increased risk of cardiovascular events and worse prognosis. Residential proximity to major roadways may also be associated with increased risk of hypertension, but few studies have evaluated this hypothesis.Methods and resultsWe examined the cross-sectional association between residential proximity to major roadways and prevalent hypertension among 5401 postmenopausal women enrolled into the San Diego cohort of the Women's Health Initiative. We used modified Poisson regression with robust error variance to estimate the association between prevalence of hypertension and residential distance to nearest major roadway, adjusting for participant demographics, medical history, indicators of individual and neighborhood socioeconomic status, and for local supermarket/grocery and fast food/convenience store density. The adjusted prevalence ratios for hypertension were 1.22 (95% CI: 1.07, 1.39), 1.13 (1.00, 1.27), and 1.05 (0.99, 1.12) for women living ≤100, >100 to 200, and >200 to 1000 versus >1000 m from a major roadway (P for trend=0.006). In a model treating the natural log of distance to major roadway as a continuous variable, a shift in distance from 1000 to 100 m from a major roadway was associated with a 9% (3%, 16%) higher prevalence of hypertension.ConclusionsIn this cohort of postmenopausal women, residential proximity to major roadways was positively associated with the prevalence of hypertension. If causal, these results suggest that living close to major roadways may be an important novel risk factor for hypertension