Predictability of Hiring Mechanisms for Elementary Teachers

This study focused on hiring the best teachers to determine if the use of commercially available teacher selection mechanisms resulted in hiring teachers having a greater impact on reading achievement. There is substantial research related to the use of interviews for teacher selection (Mertz, 2010). However, limited research exists reviewing commercial interview protocols with improvement of academic achievement (District Administration, 2015). There was a significant main effect comparing reading achievement outcomes between Title 1 and Non-Title 1 building and there was a significant relationship between applicant screeners. The district has effective selection mechanisms, inclusive of the HUMANeX protocols; however, the mechanisms did not identify teachers with higher level of teacher efficacy to predict reading achievement. Teacher selection must be based on more than a single quantitative score deduced from a list of structured interview questions

The Effect of Technology on Obesity Rates

Obesity is the condition of having too much excess body fat •5th leading global cause of death •2nd most preventable death in the United States •Obesity can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, artery disease, vascular disease, heart attacks, and much more •Technology has created processed foods, less physical activity and many technological advances, making life much too convenien

A geographic information system for residential development plans: Generating physical desirability surfaces

Residential development on the urban fringe is a complex process. Developers are confronted with a diversity of considerations that has made site selection a difficult task. A possible solution may be the creation of a comprehensive information system to aid developers in their general site selection decisions. This study, then, is intended as a first step toward the development of such a system. The primary objectives of the study were four-fold: (1) to demonstrate that there is more to a landscape than meets the eye; (2) to provide developers with a unique way of looking at some of the geographic concerns that confront them; (3) to hopefully provide an aid to developers regarding their general site selection decisions; and (4) to suggest a paradigm for a comprehensive geographic information system (GIS). The study is conceptually-oriented. A GIS was created in which the distribution of selected physical attributes was employed to determine site desirability for residential development. The following considerations were included in the study: (1) the availability of paved streets; (2) the availability of utilities (sewer, water, and gas); and (3) the availability of favorable topography. Physical desirability surfaces were generated for a study area to reveal the presence of, and accessibility to, each of the desired features. The culmination of the study was the creation of a final desirability surface which revealed aggregate residential development potential from the standpoint of economic feasibility. The system created in this study represents a working part of a proposed comprehensive GIS for residential development planning. Before any real-world applications are undertaken, an expansion of the system would be required. However, this working system displays potential as a good starting point towards the creation of more advanced systems that would accommodate ever-larger and more diverse data bases

The Legacy of Leaded Gasoline in Bottom Sediment of Small Rural Reservoirs

The historical and ongoing lead (Pb) contamination caused by the 20th-century use of leaded gasoline was investigated by an analysis of bottom sediment in eight small rural reservoirs in eastern Kansas, USA. For the reservoirs that were completed before or during the period of maximum Pb emissions from vehicles (i.e., the 1940s through the early 1980s) and that had a major highway in the basin, increased Pb concentrations reflected the pattern of historical leaded gasoline use. For at least some of these reservoirs, residual Pb is still being delivered from the basins. There was no evidence of increased Pb deposition for the reservoirs completed after the period of peak Pb emissions and (or) located in relatively remote areas with little or no highway traffic. Results indicated that several factors affected the magnitude and variability of Pb concentrations in reservoir sediment including traffic volume, reservoir age, and basin size. The increased Pb concentrations at four reservoirs exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency threshold-effects level (30.2 mg kg-1) and frequently exceeded a consensus-based threshold-effects concentration (35.8 mg kg-1) for possible adverse biological effects. For two reservoirs it was estimated that it will take at least 20 to 70 yr for Pb in the newly deposited sediment to return to baseline (pre-1920s) concentrations (30 mg kg-1) following the phase out of leaded gasoline. The buried sediment with elevated Pb concentrations may pose a future environmental concern if the reservoirs are dredged, the dams are removed, or the dams fail

Combination of urinary MiR-501 and MiR-335 with current clinical diagnostic parameters as potential predictive factors of prostate biopsy outcome

Background: The detection of prostate cancer (PCa) is currently based on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) quantification as an initial screening followed by ultrasound-guided transrectal biopsy. However, the high rate of false-negative biopsies often leads to inappropriate treatment. Therefore, new molecular biomarkers, such as urine microRNAs (miRNAs), are a possible way to redefine PCa diagnostics. Patients and Methods: Urine samples of 356 patients undergoing prostate biopsy (256 cases with confirmed prostate cancer, 100 cases with negative prostate biopsy) at the Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute (Czech Republic) and additional 36 control subjects (healthy controls, benign prostatic hyperplasia – BPH) were divided into the discovery and validation cohorts and analyzed. In the discovery phase, small RNA sequencing was performed using the QIAseq miRNA Library Kit and the NextSeq 500 platform. Identified miRNA candidates were validated by the RT-qPCR method in the independent validation phase. Results: Using the small RNA sequencing method, we identified 12 urine miRNAs significantly dysregulated between PCa patients and controls. Furthermore, independent validation showed the ability of miR-501-3p and the quantitative miR-335:miR-501 ratio to distinguish between PCa patients and patients with negative prostate biopsy. The subsequent combination of the miR-335:miR-501 ratio with PSA and total prostate volume (TPV) using logistic regression exceeded the analytical accuracy of standalone parameters [area under curve (AUC)=0.75, positive predictive value (PPV)=0.85, negative predictive value (NPV)=0.51)] and discriminated patients according to biopsy outcome. Conclusion: Combination of miR-335:miR-501 ratio with PSA and total prostate volume was able to identify patients with negative prostate biopsy and could potentially streamline decision making for biopsy indication

Current Concepts of Non-Coding RNAs in the Pathogenesis of Non-Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a relatively rare malignancy of the urinary tract system. RCC is a heterogenous disease in terms of underlying histology and its associated underlying pathobiology, prognosis and treatment schedule. The most prevalent histological RCC subtype is clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), accounting for about 70-80% of all RCCs. Though the pathobiology and treatment schedule for ccRCC are well-established, non-ccRCC subtypes account for 20%-30% of RCC altogether, and their underlying molecular biology and treatment options are poorly defined. The class of non-coding RNAs-molecules that are generally not translated into proteins-are new cancer drivers and suppressors in all types of cancer. Of these, small non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) contribute to carcinogenesis by regulating posttranscriptional gene silencing. Additionally, a growing body of evidence supports the role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in cancer development and progression. Most studies on non-coding RNAs in RCC focus on clear-cell histology, and there is a relatively limited number of studies on non-ccRCC subtypes. The aim of this review is to give an overview of the current knowledge regarding the role of non-coding RNAs (including short and long non-coding RNAs) in non-ccRCC and to highlight possible implications as diagnostic, prognostic and predictive biomarkers

An Assessment of Variants in the Professional Judgement of Geomorphologically-based Channel Types.

River classification is a useful tool for researchers and managers wishing to organise, simplify and understand the forms and processes within freshwater systems. Many classifications require surveyors to classify reaches into specific channel types in a field environment. Channel types should be identifiable based on a field surveyor’s judgement of channel characteristics and landscape settings; these include channel planform, valley confinement, dominant bed material, and/or instream geomorphic features (e.g. gravel bars). Accurate classification of reaches into the correct channel type is important to ensure consistency in management strategies, and to assess the impact of engineering activities on the physical and ecological status of rivers. In this paper, we examine the variation in professional judgement of geomorphologically based channel types by scientists with different disciplinary backgrounds, and varying levels of involvement in classification systems using a photo-questionnaire. Results indicate that there can be a large level of discrepancy in typing rivers; the choice of the modal channel type for each reach varied between 25.9% and 75.1% of the respondent selections. There were also differences in the level of agreement between earth scientists (with hydrogeomorphological or geological training), ecological scientists (with freshwater biology training) and practitioners involved in river conservation and management. A high level of experience in classification systems translates to a lower number of channel types being chosen per reach. In response to these results, the use of a photographic approach to typing needs to be fully tested and users fully trained before operational use. Furthermore, we advocate that designers of geomorphic typologies should aim to have a representative and workable number of classes within a typology with an emphasis for rationalisation of classes rather than expansion of numbers