Renovating Science Professional Development to Meet Teachers’ Needs

In order to meet the needs of elementary in-service teachers, renovated professional learning, including the components of the Effective Science Professional Development Model is vital. Increasing teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge, engaging teachers in investigations, school-year coaching with the underlying theme of collaboration are encompassed in the four key components of the renovated model. Experiences shared in the article, the successes and challenges of implementing professional development with the focus of shifting science education to hands-on investigations in doing science, provide leaders in science education the opportunity to explore effective professional development opportunities and utilize this model in their schools to enhance the teaching and learning of science education

COLLABORATION APPLICATION PROXIMITY BASED GUEST WIRELESS ACCESS PROVISIONING

Techniques are described herein to consolidate existing technologies to allow end and guest users to rapidly self-provision wireless network access via a collaboration application. The users may obtain their own guest wireless credentials before starting to work. The process automatically learns a valid email address for the user through the collaboration application and a wireless connection. The users selects a “provision” option (e.g., button) on a video endpoint, which pushes identity information to the collaboration application to ultimately configure the user. The user obtains the credential details in the collaboration application only seconds later. Through backend configuration, content and network limits are in place based on the domain or user

Pseudomyxoma Peritonei Derived Cancers: A Novel Study on Growth and Growth Suppression Utilizing Common Colorectal Cancer Agents

Pseudomyxoma peritonei is a devastating gastrointestinal disease characterized by the production of mucinous ascites within the peritoneal cavity. Historically, this condition is discovered in the advanced state due to the lack of adequate screening tests and typically presents as an enlarged abdomen and with symptoms of gastrointestinal distress. Treatment for this disease is a combination of cytoreductive surgery and heated intraperitoneal perfusion chemotherapy, but a successful operation does not guarantee full remission of this malignancy. This study focuses on 3 untested variants of PMP cancer, and 2 mucinous colorectal adenocarcinomas that had invaded into the peritoneal cavity. Clinical presentation of the mucinous colorectal adenocarcinomas with peritoneal invasion resembles PMP cancer. Tumor biopsies were obtained through Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland. These cancers underwent 2 growth experiments to obtain both the doubling rate and to explore ex vivo whether or not each unique proliferative rate impacted chemotherapy agent sensitivities. Four common colorectal cancer chemotherapies were examined and their interactions analyzed alongside 5 cancers. LD50 was calculated for each unique interaction between the chemotherapy agent and the cancers, and this LD50 was compared to clinically relevant plasma concentrations for the agent established through literature searches. The results dictate that Mitomycin C and 5-Fluorouracil were the most effective solitary chemotherapy agents. Oxaliplatin therapy showed some sensitivity, but the required concentration to achieve a 50% reduction in ATP values lay beyond normal plasma concentration parameters. Irinotecan therapy yielded little sensitivity, showing that Irinotecan was unable to inhibit normal cellular growth even at peak tested concentrations. We decided to modestly explore multi-drug interactions after the disappointing Irinotecan results, combining 5-Fluorouracil and Irinotecan to create a more robust Irinotecan data pool. Results from the combination therapy were more promising, with each cancer showing sensitivity to the treatment. However, calculated LD50 for the Irinotecan concentrations in the multidrug therapy were in excess of clinical accepted plasma concentrations. Multi-drug therapy shows promise in the treatment of these specific cancers, and future experimentation should expand to include other common combination therapies

An Estimation of Three Sets of indicators of Financial Risk Among Multifamily Properties

A lack of information about the financial condition of multifamily properties has hindered the development of a secondary mortgage market in multifamily mortgages and federal policies to finance multifamily housing. The purpose of this paper is to improve our understanding of the financial condition of multifamily properties. The centerpiece of the analysis is the 1991 RFS [U.S. Bureau of the Census]. Three sets of indicators of financial distress are examined in this paper. The first is interest rate related risk. We find that twenty five percent of the properties with mortgages have contract interest rates at least 87 basis points above the average contract rate, which was 10 percent at the time of the survey. This places these properties at a disadvantage in the market place because their costs are above average. On the positive side, many property owners were able to refinance or otherwise renegotiate their contract interest rates during periods of interest rate decline. The second is cash flow risk as measured by the ratio of net operating income to the mortgage payment (DCR). The measured DCR has a mean of 2.9 and a median of 1.36 among properties with a mortgage. A quarter of all properties with some mortgage debt have a DCR below unity. If one assumes our measure overstates the true DCR by 20 percent, then as many as half of the properties have DCRs at or below 1.1, which suggests that a large fraction of the multifamily stock suffers from cash flow problems. The third is risk due to low equity. Investors with little or negative equity in the property are more likely to default than are investors with a substantial equity stake in the property. Such risk is measured by the loan to value ratio (LTV). The average LTV is .43 among all properties; three quarters of all properties have at least one mortgage and the average LTV among properties with some debt is 55 percent. Higher than average LTVs are associated with several other property characteristics: properties owned by partnerships (LTVs about 5 percentage points higher than the omitted category); properties that receive some type of assistance, e.g., Section 8 (LTVs from 2 to 5 percentage points higher than non-assisted properties); and properties with ARMs, balloon mortgages, or multiple mortgages (LTVs about 6 or 7 percentage points higher than others)

Comparative analysis of MCDM methods for the assessment of sustainable housing affordability

While affordability is traditionally assessed in economic terms, this paper tests a new assessment method that draws closer links with sustainability by considering economic, social and environmental criteria that impact on a household's quality of life. The paper presents an empirical application and comparison of six different multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) approaches for the purpose of assessing sustainable housing affordability.The comparative performance of the weighted product model (WPM), the weighted sum model (WSM), the revised AHP, TOPSIS and COPRAS, is investigated. The purpose of the comparative analysis is to determine how different MCDM methods compare when used for a sustainable housing affordability assessment model. 20 Evaluative criteria and 10 alternative are as in Liverpool, England, were considered. The applicability of different MCDM methods for the focused decision problem was investigated. The paper discusses the similarities in MCDM methods, evaluates their robustness and contrasts the resulting rankings

Malaysian Affordability Housing Policies Revisited

Housing has always been a significant aspiration of family expression and distinctly priciest investment by household. It plays a momentous role in the country's economy and so central to the societal well-being that is emplaced in the United Nation Universal declaration of Human rights. Yet in developed and developing world alike, cities struggle to provide decent housing for lower and middle income population. The provision of affordable housing is a major policy concern around the world with Malaysia being no exception; rising income hardly keep pace with price hike of housing unit and housing interventions has majorly concentrated on demand side leading to a non-responsive supply sector. Therefore, this paper highlights affordable housing issues pertaining Malaysia. It formulates Malaysian Map of affordability and conducts an evaluation of global housing schemes to better identify policy priorities for Malaysia. It's significant to harmonize supply and demand side factors in the housing market to ensure that housing supply fits the needs of citizens based on the location, price and target group. In case of Malaysia supply oriented initiative are of urgency in short and medium run. This must be supported by long term demand side schemes in parallel. Convergence of these two factors is essential for a balanced equilibrium and obtaining affordability

Exploring differences in stakeholders' perceptions of illegal bird trapping in Cyprus

Abstract Background Cyprus is recognised as a hotspot for illegal bird trapping in the Mediterranean basin. A consumer demand for the Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) is driving the use of non-selective trapping methods, resulting in the indiscriminate killing of millions of migratory birds. Efforts to tackle the issue have so far been characterised mostly by a top-down approach, focusing on legislation and enforcement. However, trapping levels are not decreasing and conflict between stakeholder groups is intensifying. Methods To understand why efforts to stop illegal bird trapping have not been effective, we used semi-structured interviews to interview 18 local bird trappers and nine representatives from the pertinent environmental non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the governmental agencies responsible for enforcing the legislation. Results We found distinct differences between the views of the local trapping community and the environmental NGOs, particularly on why trapping is occurring and its impact on the avifauna. This disparity has contributed to misrepresentations of both sides and a high degree of conflict, which is potentially proving counterproductive to conservation interventions. In addition, it appears that trappers are a heterogeneous group, likely driven by various motivations besides profit. Conclusion We argue that stakeholders interested in reducing illegal bird trapping need to develop anti-poaching strategies that aim at minimising the disparity in the views, and subsequently the conflict, acknowledging also that trappers are not a homogenous group, as often treated

Alien Registration- Bogdon, Peter (Andover, Oxford County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/12552/thumbnail.jp

Towards Understanding the Development of Connectedness-to-Nature, and its Role in Land Conservation Behaviour

Exploitation of natural resources for human consumption and development has led to widespread loss of habitat and biodiversity. To address this issue, policy has largely focused on protecting large parcels of public land. However, a purely public approach has proven insufficient at addressing the issue, which is exacerbated in densely populated areas such as southern Ontario. The recognition that public lands alone are unable to address land conservation issues has led to widespread acceptance that private land conservation is required to compliment existing public efforts. Given the relatively recent focus on private land conservation in most jurisdictions, fairly little is known about private landowner conservation behaviour. Traditional social-psychological models have been applied to understand general pro-environmental behaviours with mixed results. Connectedness-to-nature theory has also been applied towards understanding various pro-environmental behaviours, but has not focused on land-conservation behaviour specifically. Using a grounded theory approach, this thesis explores which factors might lead to the development of connectedness-to-nature. Further, this study explores the role that connectedness-to-nature plays in explaining land conservation behaviour. Three major interconnected categories emerged from analysis and interpretation. First, unstructured time spent in nature, and guidance from mentors may be important factors in the development of connectedness-to-nature. Second, landowners who feel connected to nature may be more inclined to see conservation as a land use priority. Finally, results suggest that landowners have strong, affective relationships with nature as it exists on their land developed over time, beginning with the initial rural lifestyle decision. Results suggest that land conservation behaviours are complex and represent specific types of pro-environmental behaviours. Connectedness-to-nature alone may be insufficient at explaining land conservation behaviours. Applying and integrating various social-psychological models that have been previously applied to general pro-environmental behaviours may further our understanding of land conservation behaviour