A new Lyropecten (Pectinidae, Bivalvia, Mollusca) from the central California Miocene, USA

A new pectinid, Lyropecten terrysmithae n. sp., has been recognized in middle to late Miocene rock units referred to as the Monterey Formation and Santa Margarita Sandstone in the southern Salinas Valley, central California. Previously, L. terrysmithae had been identified as a flat form belonging to either L. estrellanus or L. catalinae, then more recently to Argopecten sp. The earlier assignments were based on its moderate size and a radial rib count nearly identical to these taxa. However, its hinge, flat unledged valves, looped lamellar growth lines, and hinge crura set L. terrysmithae apart from Argopecten and all species of Lyropecten. Localities where it occurs in the Salinas Valley that can be accurately dated are from the late middle to middle late Miocene “Margaritan” California provincial molluscan stage. While L. terrysmithae has been collected at other sites, those localities lack diagnostic age-specific species necessary to determine an accurate geological age and maybe older

THE RELATIONSHIP OF MENTORSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON SPECIAL EDUCATORS’ INTENT

Current literature in special education has examined professional development (PD) and mentorship separately; however, no studies have investigated the relationship between PD and mentorship on special education teachers’ intent. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which participating in PD and mentorship opportunities predicted the likelihood of Early Career Special Education Teachers\u27 (ECSETs) intent to leave the teacher workforce while examining factors related to duration and quality. Based on two conceptual models, Desimone’s (2009) best practices for professional development and Nick et al. (2012) best practices for academic mentoring, this study identified key features and characteristics that contributed to developing the SPED Mentorship and Professional Development Survey. Results indicated that the number of hours spent receiving professional development and mentorship had a significant association with ECSETs\u27 intent to leave. Further, results showed that high-quality PD had a significant association with ECSETs\u27 intent to leave. Limitations and implications for special education research, practice, and policy are discussed

Status of sonic boom methodology and understanding

In January 1988, approximately 60 representatives of industry, academia, government, and the military gathered at NASA-Langley for a 2 day workshop on the state-of-the-art of sonic boom physics, methodology, and understanding. The purpose of the workshop was to assess the sonic boom area, to determine areas where additional sonic boom research is needed, and to establish some strategies and priorities in this sonic boom research. Attendees included many internationally recognized sonic boom experts who had been very active in the Supersonic Transport (SST) and Supersonic Cruise Aircraft Research Programs of the 60's and 70's. Summaries of the assessed state-of-the-art and the research needs in theory, minimization, atmospheric effects during propagation, and human response are given

Improving linkage of hepatic toxicity and pathology endpoints with toxicogenomics

The science of toxicology is directed toward understanding the mechanisms by which environmental agents cause adverse health effects in humans. Traditional methodologies to assess toxicity have relied on observable adverse effects which have proven to be useful diagnostic indicators; however, frequently they do not provide mechanistic insight necessary to unravel the complex biological networks responsible for the development of disease. Toxicogenomics, a sub-discipline of toxicology which examines the global genomic response of organisms to a toxic insult, when applied in parallel with classical toxicological endpoints can advance the field by providing molecular markers of exposure and response, and defining disease processes. Thus, we hypothesize that molecular signatures defining disease mechanisms and early effects of exposure can be phenotypically anchored to biomarkers of oxidative stress and DNA damage. In Aim 1, a molecular signature of incipient toxicity for an acute sub-toxic dose of acetaminophen was phenotypically anchored to oxidative stress markers based on its mechanism of hepatotoxicity. The detection of early changes in a biologic process at doses and times with no apparent clinical signs of toxicity provides an improved basis to develop predictive markers of effect. In Aim 2, molecular signatures were identified that temporally modeled disease pathology and oxidative stress for a choline-deficient model of rodent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Measures of oxidative DNA damage established a temporal linkage between fibrosis and accumulation of DNA lesions, processes that may contribute to hepatocyte transformation. Moreover, comparison of rat and human HCC expression profiles, regardless of etiology, demonstrated that advanced stages of liver disease converge onto a common and indistinguishable phenotype. In Aim 3, gene expression profiling combined with measures of oxidative stress established that dietary fatty acids can have a profound yet differential effect on oxidative stress in the liver mediated by their ability to activate PPAR[alpha]. Many environmental exposures exhibit human toxicity and disease through oxidative-stress signaling pathways. Thus, dietary fatty acids can markedly influence sensitivity or resistance to disease. In summary, toxicogenomics moves the field of toxicology beyond traditional approaches by linking the critical molecular events caused by exposure to environmental factors with disease

What counts as evidence? The communication of information about older people between health and social care practitioners

This paper draws on a study to provide an evidence base for strategies and effectiveness of the transfer of information about older people between health and social care practitioners at the health and social care interface. It reports on the development of a systematic approach to the review of the related research literature and presents some key findings. It goes on to discuss some methodological issues arising from a review covering both health and social care research. By locating this study - a systematic review - within the wider debate on evidence-based practice, this paper considers the nature and scope of this form of evidence alongside other forms of evidence and their use in professional practice. It concludes with some observations regarding the relevance of the findings from this study for both practice and further research

A Snapshot on the Quality of Seven Home Visit Parenting Programs in Latin America and the Caribbean

Although there is ample support for the causal link between home visit parenting programs and child development outcomes, few studies have explored what it is that drives this relationship – to what extent home visit programs are implemented as designed in terms of the content and strategies used by home visitors. To our knowledge, comparable data on the quality and fidelity of implementation in home visit programs in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) does not exist. In light of this gap, this note presents a snapshot of home visit quality in seven countries in which home visits reach a considerable number of children. Using an observational checklisttool, we find strong rapport between visitors and families, and consistent involvement of caregivers and children in practicing activities during the visit. However, visitors rarely explain the importance of these activities in relation to child development, often times do not bring the necessary materials, and do little to encourage meaningful dialogue and feedback from caregivers nor demonstrate the desired activity or behavior. Only one third of the observed visitors emphasized language development throughout the visit. It is important to emphasize that these results are not generalizable due to the small and non-random nature of the sample of home visits observed. Nonetheless, this study serves as a pilot of the instrument and type of domains that can and should be measured in a home visit program in order to ensure implementation quality

Validation of NOAA-Interactive Multisensor Snow and Ice Mapping System (IMS) by Comparison with Ground-Based Measurements over Continental United States

In this study, daily maps of snow cover distribution and sea ice extent produced by NOAA’s interactive multisensor snow and ice mapping system (IMS) were validated using in situ snow depth data from observing stations obtained from NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) for calendar years 2006 to 2010. IMS provides daily maps of snow and sea ice extent within the Northern Hemisphere using data from combination of geostationary and polar orbiting satellites in visible, infrared and microwave spectrums. Statistical correspondence between the IMS and in situ point measurements has been evaluated assuming that ground measurements are discrete and continuously distributed over a 4 km IMS snow cover maps. Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) land and snow classification data are supplemental datasets used in the further analysis of correspondence between the IMS product and in situ measurements. The comparison of IMS maps with in situ snow observations conducted over a period of four years has demonstrated a good correspondence of the data sets. The daily rate of agreement between the products mostly ranges between 80% and 90% during the Northern Hemisphere through the winter seasons when about a quarter to one third of the territory of continental US is covered with snow. Further, better agreement was observed for stations recording higher snow depth. The uncertainties in validation of IMS snow product with stationed NCDC data were discussed

First Record of Mink Frog, Rana septentrionalis, from Insular Newfoundland

Two populations of the Mink Frog (Rana septentrionalis) were identified near Corner Brook Newfoundland during wider surveys for anurans on the west coast of the island. This brings to six the number of anuran species which are known to have been introduced to insular Newfoundland, with four known to be currently extant