Teacher performance evaluation: a nationwide status report of the procedures and models in use

This national study served to provide a status report of the teacher performance evaluation components, procedures and models in use. The mandates relating to teacher performance evaluation were collected from each of the fifty states. These data were analyzed, and nine of the fifty states were identified as mandating the teacher performance evaluation system that the school districts must use. From those states not having mandated systems, there were 700 school districts identified and surveyed. A total of 444 districts, or 63% of the sample, responded to the survey;The analysis of the collected data was designed to identify the teacher performance evaluation system components and procedures in use across the United States, the types of teacher performance evaluation procedures in use in the mandated states as contrasted to the procedures in use in the non-mandated states\u27 school districts, the teacher evaluation models, if the geographic location of the school district is related to the evaluation model in use, and if the size of the school district is related to the evaluation model in use;It was found that there is not uniformity from state to state as to which evaluation procedures are mandated. Nine states mandated the total evaluation system; the other forty-one states allowed their school districts to develop policies for evaluating teachers;Four teacher evaluation models were defined: the Common Law Model, the Goal-Focused Model, the Clinical Supervision Model, and the Integrated Model. Data collected indicated that these four models are being practiced across the United States;No obvious utilization pattern of teacher evaluation models is observed when categorized by the district\u27s geographic location or the district\u27s size. The models of evaluation do not appear to spread evenly among the geographic regions or the different sized school districts;Clearly there has been a trend in recent years not only to require that evaluation take place, but to require that specific evaluation procedures take place. There has been a change in emphasis from the traditional summative-judgmental evaluation for employment decision-making to a formative-developmental emphasis on personnel growth

Study of gender differences in VR response following cardiac surgery

Cardiac and other invasive surgical procedures cause significant anxiety and stress to patients and their family members. In this study Virtual Reality (VR) was used as a method to reduce stress, anxiety and pain in patients undergoing surgical procedures. This study compared a cohort of patients in the interval prior to and successive to the surgery, differentiating the responses achieved by males and females and comparing the effectiveness. The results are encouraging: they demonstrate the efficacy of VR treatment and the safety of the method and detection of differences in the responses based on gender

Fosmanogepix (APX001) Is Effective in the Treatment of Immunocompromised Mice Infected with Invasive Pulmonary Scedosporiosis or Disseminated Fusariosis.

There are limited treatment options for immunosuppressed patients with lethal invasive fungal infections due to Fusarium and Scedosporium Manogepix (MGX; APX001A) is a novel antifungal that targets the conserved Gwt1 enzyme required for localization of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored mannoproteins in fungi. We evaluated the in vitro activity of MGX and the efficacy of the prodrug fosmanogepix (APX001) in immunosuppressed murine models of hematogenously disseminated fusariosis and pulmonary scedosporiosis. The MGX minimum effective concentration (MEC) for Scedosporium isolates was 0.03 μg/ml and ranged from 0.015 to 0.03 μg/ml for Fusarium isolates. In the scedosporiosis model, treatment of mice with 78 mg/kg and 104 mg/kg of body weight fosmanogepix, along with 1-aminobenzotriazole (ABT) to enhance the serum half-life of MGX, significantly increased median survival time versus placebo from 7 days to 13 and 11 days, respectively. Furthermore, administration of 104 mg/kg fosmanogepix resulted in an ∼2-log10 reduction in lung, kidney, or brain conidial equivalents/gram tissue (CE). Similarly, in the fusariosis model, 78 mg/kg and 104 mg/kg fosmanogepix plus ABT enhanced median survival time from 7 days to 12 and 10 days, respectively. A 2- to 3-log10 reduction in kidney and brain CE was observed. In both models, reduction in tissue fungal burden was corroborated with histopathological data, with target organs showing reduced or no abscesses in fosmanogepix-treated mice. Survival and tissue clearance were comparable to a clinically relevant high dose of liposomal amphotericin B (10 to 15 mg/kg). Our data support the continued development of fosmanogepix as a first-in-class treatment for infections caused by these rare molds

Calcium isotope fractionation in alpine plants

In order to develop Ca isotopes as a tracer for biogeochemical Ca cycling in terrestrial environments and for Ca utilisation in plants, stable calcium isotope ratios were measured in various species of alpine plants, including woody species, grasses and herbs. Analysis of plant parts (root, stem, leaf and flower samples) provided information on Ca isotope fractionation within plants and seasonal sampling of leaves revealed temporal variation in leaf Ca isotopic composition. There was significant Ca isotope fractionation between soil and root tissue \Updelta^{44/42}\hbox{Ca}_{\rm root-soil} \approx -0.40\,\permille in all investigated species, whereas Ca isotope fractionation between roots and leaves was species dependent. Samples of leaf tissue collected throughout the growing season also highlighted species differences: Ca isotope ratios increased with leaf age in woody species but remained constant in herbs and grasses. The Ca isotope fractionation between roots and soils can be explained by a preferential binding of light Ca isotopes to root adsorption sites. The observed differences in whole plant Ca isotopic compositions both within and between species may be attributed to several potential factors including root cation exchange capacity, the presence of a woody stem, the presence of Ca oxalate, and the levels of mycorrhizal infection. Thus, the impact of plants on the Ca biogeochemical cycle in soils, and ultimately the Ca isotope signature of the weathering flux from terrestrial environments, will depend on the species present and the stage of vegetation successio

Numerical modelling of climate change impacts on freshwater lenses on the North Sea Island of Borkum using hydrological and geophysical methods

A numerical, density dependent groundwater model is set up for the North Sea Island of Borkum to estimate climate change impacts on coastal aquifers and especially the situation of barrier islands in the Wadden Sea. The database includes information from boreholes, a seismic survey, a helicopter-borne electromagnetic (HEM) survey, monitoring of the freshwater-saltwater boundary by vertical electrode chains in two boreholes, measurements of groundwater table, pumping and slug tests, as well as water samples. Based on a statistical analysis of borehole columns, seismic sections and HEM, a hydrogeological model is set up. The groundwater model is developed using the finite-element programme FEFLOW. The density dependent groundwater model is calibrated on the basis of hydraulic, hydrological and geophysical data, in particular spatial HEM and local monitoring data. Verification runs with the calibrated model show good agreement between measured and computed hydraulic heads. A good agreement is also obtained between measured and computed density or total dissolved solids data for both the entire freshwater lens on a large scale and in the area of the well fields on a small scale. For simulating future changes in this coastal groundwater system until the end of the current century, we use the climate scenario A2, specified by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and, in particular, the data for the German North Sea coast. Simulation runs show proceeding salinisation with time beneath the well fields of the two waterworks Waterdelle and Ostland. The modelling study shows that the spreading of well fields is an appropriate protection measure against excessive salinisation of the water supply until the end of the current century

Communications Biophysics

Contains a summary of research publications and reports on four research projects.National Science Foundation (Grant GP-2495)National Institutes of Health (Grant MH-04737-04)National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Grant NsG-496

Modeling saltwater intrusion scenarios for a coastal aquifer at the German North Sea

A 3d regional density-driven flow model of a heterogeneous aquifer system at the German North Sea Coast is set up within the joint project NAWAK (“Development of sustainable adaption strategies for the water supply and distribution infrastructure on condition of climatic and demographic change”). The development of the freshwater-saltwater interface is simulated for three climate and demographic scenarios. Groundwater flow simulations are performed with the finite volume code d3f++ (distributed density driven flow) that has been developed with a view to the modelling of large, complex, strongly density-influenced aquifer systems over long time periods

Carbonic Anhydrase is Required for Statoconia Homeostasis in Organ Cultures of Statocysts from Aplysia californica

A novel organ culture system has been developed to study the regulation of statoconia production in the gravity sensing organ in Aplysia californica. Statocysts were cultured in Leibovitz (LI5) medium supplemented with salts and Aplysia haemolymph for four days at 17 C. The viability of the system was evaluated by examining four parameters: statocyst morphology, the activity of the mechanosensory cilia in the statocyst, production of new statoconia during culture and change in statoconia volume after culture. There were no morphological differences in statocysts before and after culture when ciliary beating was maintained. There was a 29% increase in the number of statoconia after four days in culture. Mean statocyst, statolith and statoconia volumes were not affected by culture conditions. The presence of carbonic anhydrase in the statocysts was shown using immunohistochemistry. When statocysts were cultured in the presence of 4.0 x 10(exp -4) M acetazolamide to inhibit the enzyme activity, there was a decrease in statoconia production and statoconia volume, indicating a role for this enzyme in statoconia homeostasis, potentially, via pH regulation. These studies are the first to report a novel system for the culture of statocysts and show that carbonic anhydrase is involved in the regulation of statoconia volume and production

Galactic Collapse of Scalar Field Dark Matter

We present a scenario for galaxy formation based on the hypothesis of scalar field dark matter. We interpret galaxy formation through the collapse of a scalar field fluctuation. We find that a cosh potential for the self-interaction of the scalar field provides a reasonable scenario for galactic formation, which is in agreement with cosmological observations and phenomenological studies in galaxies.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figue