A New Pathway for the Preparation of Highly Qualified Teachers: The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)

This article reports on the development and initial implementation of a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree, an accelerated graduate program that encourages and scaffolds individuals with existing disciplinary expertise in entering the teaching profession. First, the context for developing the program is outlined. Next, the unique structure of the 15-month program, which consists of three blocks, is described. Expectations about students are then shared, quality control features of the program are highlighted, and the lessons we learned about program development and implementation are detailed. Finally, thoughts about the future of this program and others of its type are shared based upon our experience

Bentho-Pelagic Divergence of Cichlid Feeding Architecture Was Prodigious and Consistent during Multiple Adaptive Radiations within African Rift-Lakes

<b>Background</b> How particular changes in functional morphology can repeatedly promote ecological diversification is an active area of evolutionary investigation. The African rift-lake cichlids offer a calibrated time series of the most dramatic adaptive radiations of vertebrate trophic morphology yet described, and the replicate nature of these events provides a unique opportunity to test whether common changes in functional morphology have repeatedly facilitated their ecological success.<p></p> <b>Methodology/Principal Findings</b> Specimens from 87 genera of cichlid fishes endemic to Lakes Tanganyka, Malawi and Victoria were dissected in order to examine the functional morphology of cichlid feeding. We quantified shape using geometric morphometrics and compared patterns of morphological diversity using a series of analytical tests. The primary axes of divergence were conserved among all three radiations, and the most prevalent changes involved the size of the preorbital region of the skull. Even the fishes from the youngest of these lakes (Victoria), which exhibit the lowest amount of skull shape disparity, have undergone extensive preorbital evolution relative to other craniofacial traits. Such changes have large effects on feeding biomechanics, and can promote expansion into a wide array of niches along a bentho-pelagic ecomorphological axis.<p></p> <b>Conclusions/Significance</b> Here we show that specific changes in trophic anatomy have evolved repeatedly in the African rift lakes, and our results suggest that simple morphological alterations that have large ecological consequences are likely to constitute critical components of adaptive radiations in functional morphology. Such shifts may precede more complex shape changes as lineages diversify into unoccupied niches. The data presented here, combined with observations of other fish lineages, suggest that the preorbital region represents an evolutionary module that can respond quickly to natural selection when fishes colonize new lakes. Characterizing the changes in cichlid trophic morphology that have contributed to their extraordinary adaptive radiations has broad evolutionary implications, and such studies are necessary for directing future investigations into the proximate mechanisms that have shaped these spectacular phenomena

Time-series hyperpolarized xenon-129 MRI of lobar lung ventilation of COPD in comparison to V/Q-SPECT/CT and CT

Purpose To derive lobar ventilation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) using a rapid time-series hyperpolarized xenon-129 (HPX) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique and compare this to ventilation/perfusion singlephoton emission computed tomography (V/Q-SPECT), correlating the results with high-resolution computed tomography (CT) and pulmonary function tests (PFTs).Materials and methods Twelve COPD subjects (GOLD stages I–IV) participated in this study and underwent HPX-MRI, V/QSPECT/CT, high-resolution CT, and PFTs. HPX-MRI was performed using a novel time-series spiral k-space sampling approach. Relative percentage ventilations were calculated for individual lobe for comparison to the relative SPECT lobar ventilation and perfusion. The absolute HPX-MRI percentage ventilation in each lobe was compared to the absolute CT percentage emphysema score calculated using a signal threshold method. Pearson’s correlation and linear regression tests were performed to compare each imaging modality.Results Strong correlations were found between the relative lobar percentage ventilation with HPX-MRI and percentage ventilation SPECT (r = 0.644; p Conclusion Lobar ventilation with HPX-MRI showed a strong correlation with lobar ventilation and perfusion measurements derived from SPECT/CT, and is better than the emphysema score obtained with high-resolution CT.</div

Sex-differences in oral anticoagulation therapy in patients hospitalized with atrial fibrillation:a nationwide cohort study

Background Important disparities in the treatment and outcomes of women and men with atrial fibrillation (AF) are well recognized. Whether introduction of direct oral anticoagulants has reduced disparities in treatment is uncertain. Methods and Results All patients who had an incident hospitalization from 2010 to 2019 with nonvalvular AF in Scotland were included in the present cohort study. Community drug dispensing data were used to determine prescribed oral anticoagulation therapy and comorbidity status. Logistic regression modeling was used to evaluate patient factors associated with treatment with vitamin K antagonists and direct oral anticoagulants. A total of 172 989 patients (48% women [82 833 of 172 989]) had an incident hospitalization with nonvalvular AF in Scotland between 2010 and 2019. By 2019, factor Xa inhibitors accounted for 83.6% of all oral anticoagulants prescribed, while treatment with vitamin K antagonists and direct thrombin inhibitors declined to 15.9% and 0.6%, respectively. Women were less likely to be prescribed any oral anticoagulation therapy compared with men (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.68 [95% CI, 0.67–0.70]). This disparity was mainly attributed to vitamin K antagonists (aOR, 0.68 [95% CI, 0.66–0.70]), while there was less disparity in the use of factor Xa inhibitors between women and men (aOR, 0.92 [95% CI, 0.90–0.95]). Conclusions Women with nonvalvular AF were significantly less likely to be prescribed vitamin K antagonists compared with men. Most patients admitted to the hospital in Scotland with incident nonvalvular AF are now treated with factor Xa inhibitors and this is associated with fewer treatment disparities between women and men

Time-series hyperpolarized xenon-129 MRI of lobar lung ventilation of COPD in comparison to V/Q-SPECT/CT and CT

PurposeTo derive lobar ventilation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) using a rapid time-series hyperpolarized xenon-129 (HPX) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique and compare this to ventilation/perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (V/Q-SPECT), correlating the results with high-resolution computed tomography (CT) and pulmonary function tests (PFTs).Materials and methodsTwelve COPD subjects (GOLD stages I–IV) participated in this study and underwent HPX-MRI, V/Q-SPECT/CT, high-resolution CT, and PFTs. HPX-MRI was performed using a novel time-series spiral k-space sampling approach. Relative percentage ventilations were calculated for individual lobe for comparison to the relative SPECT lobar ventilation and perfusion. The absolute HPX-MRI percentage ventilation in each lobe was compared to the absolute CT percentage emphysema score calculated using a signal threshold method. Pearson’s correlation and linear regression tests were performed to compare each imaging modality.ResultsStrong correlations were found between the relative lobar percentage ventilation with HPX-MRI and percentage ventilation SPECT (r = 0.644; p < 0.001) and percentage perfusion SPECT (r = 0.767; p < 0.001). The absolute CT percentage emphysema and HPX percentage ventilation correlation was also statistically significant (r = 0.695, p < 0.001). The whole lung HPX percentage ventilation correlated with the PFT measurements (FEV1 with r = − 0.886, p < 0.001*, and FEV1/FVC with r = − 0.861, p < 0.001*) better than the whole lung CT percentage emphysema score (FEV1 with r = − 0.635, p = 0.027; and FEV1/FVC with r = − 0.652, p = 0.021).ConclusionLobar ventilation with HPX-MRI showed a strong correlation with lobar ventilation and perfusion measurements derived from SPECT/CT, and is better than the emphysema score obtained with high-resolution CT

Search for gravitational waves associated with the InterPlanetary Network short gamma ray bursts

We outline the scientific motivation behind a search for gravitational waves associated with short gamma ray bursts detected by the InterPlanetary Network (IPN) during LIGO's fifth science run and Virgo's first science run. The IPN localisation of short gamma ray bursts is limited to extended error boxes of different shapes and sizes and a search on these error boxes poses a series of challenges for data analysis. We will discuss these challenges and outline the methods to optimise the search over these error boxes.Comment: Methods paper; Proceedings for Eduardo Amaldi 9 Conference on Gravitational Waves, July 2011, Cardiff, U

Influenza, Winter Olympiad, 2002

Prospective surveillance for influenza was performed during the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. Oseltamivir was administered to patients with influenzalike illness and confirmed influenza, while their close contacts were given oseltamivir prophylactically. Influenza A/B was diagnosed in 36 of 188 patients, including 13 athletes. Prompt management limited the spread of this outbreak

Integrating Omic Technologies into Aquatic Ecological Risk Assessment and Environmental Monitoring: Hurdles, Achievements, and Future Outlook

Background: In this commentary we present the findings from an international consortium on fish toxicogenomics sponsored by the U.K. Natural Environment Research Council (Fish Toxicogenomics—Moving into Regulation and Monitoring, held 21–23 April 2008 at the Pacific Environmental Science Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada). Objectives: The consortium from government agencies, academia, and industry addressed three topics: progress in ecotoxicogenomics, regulatory perspectives on roadblocks for practical implementation of toxicogenomics into risk assessment, and dealing with variability in data sets. Discussion: Participants noted that examples of successful application of omic technologies have been identified, but critical studies are needed to relate molecular changes to ecological adverse outcome. Participants made recommendations for the management of technical and biological variation. They also stressed the need for enhanced interdisciplinary training and communication as well as considerable investment into the generation and curation of appropriate reference omic data. Conclusions: The participants concluded that, although there are hurdles to pass on the road to regulatory acceptance, omics technologies are already useful for elucidating modes of action of toxicants and can contribute to the risk assessment process as part of a weight-of-evidence approach