When it’s not your job to be friendly with clients

Firms need to step in when customers harass service staff, argue Laura Good and Rae Coope

Impacto sobre a aprendizagem dos alunos: Perspectivas sobre a Comissão Nacional de Certificação de Professores

The purpose of this study is to report National Board Certified Teachers’ (NBCTs) perceived impact on student learning. The guiding research question for this study, “How do teachers perceive the influence of the National Board Certification process on student learning in their own classrooms?” was explored. A total of 496 NBCTs currently teaching in North Carolina public schools completed the survey questionnaire in which they responded to demographic questions, Likert item questions, and open-ended questions. More than 80% of the study’s participants reported the certification process had positively influenced student learning in their classrooms. Thematic analysis revealed several reoccurring themes that NBCTs reported having impact on student learning in their classrooms. These included impact on academic achievement, improved teaching, and/or an increase of effective evaluation and assessment strategies.El propósito de este estudio es informar sobre la percepción del impacto de la Comisión Nacional de Certificación Docente (por su sigla en inglés NBCTs) en el aprendizaje de los estudiantes. La pregunta de investigación que guía este estudio es "¿Cómo perciben los profesores la influencia del proceso de Certificación de la NBCTs en el aprendizaje de los estudiantes en las aulas de su país”. Un total de 496 docentes que cuentan con su NBCTs en las escuelas públicas de Carolina del Norte completó la encuesta en la que respondieron a preguntas demográficas, preguntas usando escalas Likert y preguntas abiertas. Más del ochenta por ciento de los participantes del estudio informó que el proceso de certificación ha influido positivamente en el aprendizaje de los estudiantes en sus clases. Análisis temático reveló varios temas recurrentes que los docentes NBCTs reportaron influyen en el aprendizaje de los estudiantes, incluidos rendimiento académico, mejora de la enseñanza, y/o un aumento de estrategias de evaluación y evaluación eficaces.O objetivo deste estudo é relatar sobre as percepções de impacto da Comissão Nacional de Certificação de Professores (sigla em Inglês NBCTs) nos aprendizagens dos alunos. A questão de pesquisa que orientou este estudo foi "Como é que os professores percebem a influência do processo de certificação NBCTs na aprendizagem dos alunos nas salas de aula do seu país". Um total de 496 professores têm seus NBCTs nas escolas públicas da Carolina do Norte responderam as perguntas sobre dados demográficos, perguntas usando uma escala Likert e perguntas abertas. Mais de oitenta por cento dos participantes do estudo relataram que o processo de certificação tem efeitos positivos na aprendizagem dos alunos em suas aulas. A análise temática revelou vários temas recorrentes que os professores NBCTs indicaram que influenciam a aprendizagem dos alunos, incluindo desempenho acadêmico, melhoras na educação, e/ou um aumento de estratégias de avaliação e de avaliação eficazes

Association of intestinal alkaline phosphatase with necrotizing enterocolitis among premature infants

Importance: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in preterm infants is an often-fatal gastrointestinal tract emergency. A robust NEC biomarker that is not confounded by sepsis could improve bedside management, lead to lower morbidity and mortality, and permit patient selection in randomized clinical trials of possible therapeutic approaches. Objective: To evaluate whether aberrant intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) biochemistry in infant stool is a molecular biomarker for NEC and not associated with sepsis. Design, Setting, and Participants: This multicenter diagnostic study enrolled 136 premature infants (gestational age, \u3c37 weeks) in 2 hospitals in Louisiana and 1 hospital in Missouri. Data were collected and analyzed from May 2015 to November 2018. Exposures: Infant stool samples were collected between 24 and 40 or more weeks postconceptual age. Enrolled infants underwent abdominal radiography at physician and hospital site discretion. Main Outcomes and Measures: Enzyme activity and relative abundance of IAP were measured using fluorometric detection and immunoassays, respectively. After measurements were performed, biochemical data were evaluated against clinical entries from infants\u27 hospital stay. Results: Of 136 infants, 68 (50.0%) were male infants, median (interquartile range [IQR]) birth weight was 1050 (790-1350) g, and median (IQR) gestational age was 28.4 (26.0-30.9) weeks. A total of 25 infants (18.4%) were diagnosed with severe NEC, 19 (14.0%) were suspected of having NEC, and 92 (66.9%) did not have NEC; 26 patients (19.1%) were diagnosed with late-onset sepsis, and 14 (10.3%) had other non-gastrointestinal tract infections. For severe NEC, suspected NEC, and no NEC samples, median (IQR) fecal IAP content, relative to the amount of IAP in human small intestinal lysate, was 99.0% (51.0%-187.8%) (95% CI, 54.0%-163.0%), 123.0% (31.0%-224.0%) (95% CI, 31.0%-224.0%), and 4.8% (2.4%-9.8%) (95% CI, 3.4%-5.9%), respectively. For severe NEC, suspected NEC, and no NEC samples, median (IQR) enzyme activity was 183 (56-507) μmol/min/g (95% CI, 63-478 μmol/min/g) of stool protein, 355 (172-608) μmol/min/g (95% CI, 172-608 μmol/min/g) of stool protein, and 613 (210-1465) μmol/min/g (95% CI, 386-723 μmol/min/g) of stool protein, respectively. Mean (SE) area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values for IAP content measurements were 0.97 (0.02) (95% CI, 0.93-1.00; P \u3c .001) at time of severe NEC, 0.97 (0.02) (95% CI, 0.93-1.00; P \u3c .001) at time of suspected NEC, 0.52 (0.07) (95% CI, 0.38-0.66; P = .75) at time of sepsis, and 0.58 (0.08) (95% CI, 0.42-0.75; P = .06) at time of other non-gastrointestinal tract infections. Mean (SE) area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values for IAP activity were 0.76 (0.06) (95% CI, 0.64-0.86; P \u3c .001), 0.62 (0.07) (95% CI, 0.48-0.77; P = .13), 0.52 (0.07) (95% CI, 0.39-0.67; P = .68), and 0.57 (0.08) (95% CI, 0.39-0.69; P = .66), respectively. Conclusions and Relevance: In this diagnostic study, high amounts of IAP protein in stool and low IAP enzyme activity were associated with diagnosis of NEC and may serve as useful biomarkers for NEC. Our findings indicated that IAP biochemistry was uniquely able to distinguish NEC from sepsis

Unpacking docent practice in free choice science learning settings : a qualitative study documenting the what and whys of docent interpretive practice

Museum settings including aquariums, zoos and science centers rely heavily on their volunteer docent populations to interact with and communicate science and conservation concepts to the visiting public. The interactions docents have with museum visitors are important to meeting the educational expectations of museums and improving public science literacy as a whole, yet research to date is limited around docent practice, docents' reflections on that practice nor the sources for docents to learn that practice. Thus, we have little understanding of the interpretive practice docents actually undertake whilst interacting with visitors, why they choose to enact particular strategies, and how they came to learn those practices. Using a grounded qualitative approach within a framework of mediated action and cultural historical activity theory, this case study utilized video observations of docent practice at a science center, pre and post observation interviews, and focus groups to 1) document docent practices for engaging visitors, 2) explain those practices from the docents' own perspectives, and 3) examine those practices from the point of view of how they align with teaching and learning theories and interpretive practice. Thematic analysis using constant comparative methods demonstrate four claims about docent practice: 1) docents view teaching in the museum as opportunities to spark interest with these new experiences. Practices are chosen to engage visitors in these experiences. Docents choose to highlight these experiences as they believe they are reasons to be engaged; 2) docents as teachers are perceptive about their audience. They pay attention to patterns and provide information in response to those patterns. Docents utilize a shared repertoire of practice and information in their community developed from understanding visitor patterns of interest; 3) docents care about their setting and the exhibits within it. They also care about the visitor experience as a whole, and have to be flexible when working with different types of learners. They believe that being a docent means balancing potentially conflicting roles; and 4) docents use interpretation as a pedagogy to engage visitors with science and create personally meaningful experiences. Analysis of significant interactions between docents and visitors shows that such practices are mediated through a variety of discursive and physical tools and implemented by docents as a means of engaging visitors with science and conservation. Moreover, most of these skills appear to be learned on-the-job within their communities of practice, and while specific docent actions and skills may be different across contexts, member checks with docents working in other museum settings demonstrate the resonance of the findings across contexts. The findings of the study are placed in the context of interpretation theories of communication as well as research on docents as lifelong, free-choice learners both facilitating and participating in societal STEM learning activity. Findings and methods of research from this study are valuable to the greater understanding of how docents learn and enact interpretive practice and the development of more effective professional development for docents in museum settings

SNAP-PLUS – NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE FOR WISCONSIN 1/

The new CNMP program of the NRCS requires simultaneous integration of five components: A conservation plan (RUSLE2); A nutrient management plan (NRCS 590 – P based); A record keeping program (CNMP); A manure/wastewater manager (CNMP); A feed management program (CNMP). Most of these components are prepared tediously, by hand, often independently of each other. We have linked software programs that deal with conservation planning, nutrient management, record keeping, and manure management into a single software tool called SNAP-Plus, which has a simple user interface and output forms. The outputs of this tool can then be combined into a CNMP. The SNAP-Plus software is based on a widely accepted and easy to use nutrient management tool, SNAP2000; to which we have added the new Wisconsin P Index (PI); a P and K balancer; and the soil erosio

Linking Nutrient Transport to Soil Physical Processes During Freeze/Thaw Events to Promote Wintertime Manure Management, Nutrient Use Efficiency, and Surface Water Quality.

The application of dairy manure to the landscape during winter is a longstanding practice for farms in the Midwestern United States and other temperate regions. Practical motivations behind winter spreading include affordability, availability of time, and the reduced risk of compaction from farm equipment on frozen soils. Wintertime manure applications, however, coincide with environmental conditions that are prone to runoff and accelerate nutrient losses from agricultural fields. Understanding the nutrient dynamics in response to winter-applied manure is especially important to Wisconsin, a leading state in dairy production, where up to 75% of annual runoff volumes occur on frozen and thawing soils. The high potential for winter runoff, hence nutrient transport, has prompted revisions to winter manure regulations, yet little conclusive data exist to guide these changing standards

On the Move: Employment-Related Geographic Mobility: A Review of Socio-Economic Characteristics in Williams Lake

Labour mobility presents numerous opportunities and challenges for communities in rural and small town settings. Opportunities exist in terms of filling much needed service and worker demands, while also presenting the possibility for community growth and stability by attracting new residents and businesses. However, the challenges associated with integrating migrant and transient workers into the fabric of community and maintaining consistent service and worker delivery presses the limited capacity available in rural and small town communities.The purpose of this research is to provide an integrative lens through which to view labour - community dynamics within the On the Move: Employment-Related Mobility in the Canadian Context(E-RGM) project in northern BC. The research is premised on a foundation of comparative community/regional research investigating the differences and similarities in preparation for and management of mineral resource activity in two case study communities/regions: Williams Lake, and Gibraltar mine; and Mackenzie, and the Mt. Milligan mine

Temperature and Manure Placement in a Snowpack Affect Nutrient Release from Dairy Manure During Snowmelt

Agricultural nutrient management is an issue due to N and P losses from fields and water quality degradation. Better information is needed on the risk of nutrient loss in runoff from dairy manure applied in winter. We investigated the effect of temperature on nutrient release from liquid and semisolid manure to water, and of manure quantity and placement within a snowpack on nutrient release to melting snow. Temperature did not affect manure P and NH4–N release during water extraction. Manure P release, but not NH4–N release, was significantly influenced by the water/manure solids extraction ratio. During snowmelt, manure P release was not significantly affected by manure placement in the snowpack, and the rate of P release decreased as application rate increased. Water extraction data can reliably estimate P release from manure during snowmelt; however, snowmelt water interaction with manure of greater solids content and subsequent P release appears incomplete compared with liquid manures. Manure NH4–N released during snowmelt was statistically the same regardless of application rate. For the semisolid manure, NH4–N released during snowmelt increased with the depth of snow covering it, most likely due to reduced NH3 volatilization. For the liquid manure, there was no effect of manure placement within the snowpack on NH4–N released during snowmelt. Water extraction data can also reliably estimate manure NH4–N release during snowmelt as long as NH3 volatilization is accounted for with liquid manures for all placements in a snowpack and semisolid manures applied on top of snow