Growth in reading and how children spend their time outside of school

Running title: Growth in readingIncludes bibliographical references (leaves 36-38)Performed pursuant to contract no. 400-81-0030 of the National Institute of Educatio

Stable incidence rates of tuberculosis (TB) among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative South African gold miners during a decade of epidemic HIV-associated TB.

During the last decade, annual tuberculosis (TB) case-notification rates increased 4-fold, to >4000 cases/100000 person-years, in the study workforce, among whom prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was 30% in 2000. Three separate cohort studies, totalling 6454 HIV-negative participants, were combined and analyzed for time trends. Observed incidence of TB varied between 962 (1991-1994) and 1589 (1999-2000) cases/100000 person-years (P=.17, test for trend). There was, however, a progressive increase in age, and, for each period, older age was associated with increased incidence rates of TB (P<.001). Having adjusted for age differences, there was no significant association between incidence of TB and calendar period (P=.81, test for trend). Relative to 1991-1994, multivariate-adjusted incidence-rate ratios were 0.94, for 1995-1997, 0.96, for 1998-1999, and 1.05, for 1999-2000. Preventing a secondary epidemic of TB among HIV-negative individuals may be achievable with conventional means, even in settings with a high burden of HIV-associated TB

Description and Predictive Factors of individual outcomes in a refugee camp based mental health intervention (Beirut, Lebanon)

There is little evidence on the effectiveness of services for the care of people with mental disorders among refugee populations. Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) has established a mental health centre in a mixed urban-refugee population in Beirut to respond to the significant burden of mental health problems. Patients received comprehensive care through a multidisciplinary team. A cohort of people with common and severe mental disorders has been analysed between December 2008 and June 2011 to evaluate individual outcomes of treatment in terms of functionality

Colour maps for fisheries acoustic echograms

Echograms are used to visualize fisheries acoustic data, but choice of colour map has a significant effect on appearance. Quantitative echograms should use colour maps, which are colourful (have a perceived variety and intensity of colours), sequential (have monotonic lightness), and perceptually uniform (have consistency of perceived colour contrast over their range). We measure whether colour maps are colourful (⁠Mˆ(3)>0⁠), sequential (⁠rs=±1⁠), and perceptually uniform (ρ = 1) using an approximately perceptually uniform colour space (CIELAB). Whilst all the fisheries acoustic colour maps tested are colourful, none is sequential or perceptually uniform. The widely used EK500 colour map is extremely colourful (⁠Mˆ(3)=186⁠), not sequential (⁠rs=0.06⁠), and has highly uneven perceptual contrast over its range (⁠ρ=0.26⁠). Of the fisheries acoustic colour maps tested, the Large Scale Survey System default colour map is least colourful (⁠Mˆ(3)=79⁠), but comes closest to being sequential (⁠rs=−0.94⁠), and perceptually uniform (⁠ρ=0.95⁠). Modern colour maps have been specifically designed for colour contrast consistency, accessibility for viewers with red-green colour-blindness, and legibility when printed in monochrome, and may be better suited to the presentation and interpretation of quantitative fisheries acoustic echograms

The Demise of Officer Involvement in Soldiers Sport During the American Civil War

During the American Civil War a few officers in the Army of the Potomac became involved in organizing sport for soldiers. They had ulterior motives. In each instance officers intended to use sport to improve soldier morale, assuage despondency and doubt, and to overcome homesickness. Officers chose sport because they believed that sport entertainment had the capacity to create excitement, excitement that drew men\u27s minds off immediate problems and left a generalized good feeling among the men. Once officers had assigned a use value to sport, they began to consider ways to maximize sport\u27s usefulness as a morale booster. To this end officers attempted to organize sport to produce the greatest entertainment for the greatest number. Their experiment, begun in the fall of 1861, continued periodically during 1862, and reached major proportions during the winter camp at Falmouth, Virginia in 1863. Between January 1, 1863 and April 18, 1863 officers produced six major sport festivals. Each festival drew between ten and twenty thousand soldiers. After Falmouth the experiment ended abruptly

Production and Characterization of Graphene and Other 2-Dimensional Nanomaterials: An AP High School Inquiry Lab (Curriculum Exchange)

According to the National Nanotechnology Initiative, nanoscience and nanotechnology are expected to play key roles in developing solutions to some of our greatest global engineering challenges in energy, medicine, security, and scientific discovery. There is high expectation that developments in nanotechnology will lead to new job creation and become an economic driver with new direction for research and development coming from nano-enabled products. In light of the potential economic and national security implications, it is imperative that we support the development of the next generation of the high school curriculum as a way to motivate students towards pursuing education and careers in nanotechnology. Recent advances in nanomaterials processing, particularly 2-dimensional nanomaterials synthesis, present the opportunity to integrate nanotechnology curriculum into high schools in safe and relatively inexpensive manners. The multifunctional characteristics of 2-dimensional nanomaterials make them attractive for printable and flexible electronics, nanostructured thermoelectrics, photovoltaics, batteries, and biological and chemical sensors. Thus, 2-dimensional nanomaterials provide anideal context for high school students to investigate the principles of nanoscience andnanotechnology. In our work, we present an Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry Inquiry Laboratory (CIL),which is being implemented at Centennial High School in Meridian, Idaho. The CIL is aligned toNational College Board requirements for AP Chemistry courses as well as Next GenerationScience Standards. The laboratory is designed to encompass approximately five hours of time,including teacher preparation time, pre-laboratory activities, materials synthesis andcharacterization, and a field trip to a local industry partner for scanning electron microscopyanalysis of the resultant nanomaterials. Students are organized into small groups under thecontext that they are working to produce and characterize nanomaterials as part of an industryresearch team. To synthesis the 2-dimensional nanomaterials, students use cosolvent exfoliationof layered materials such as graphite, MoS2, WS2, and hBN. The students must then use opticalspectroscopy and electrical characterization techniques to determine if their material is aconductor, semiconductor, or an insulator. The students then use scanning electron microscopy to image the morphology of the 2-dimensional nanoflakes they produced, which exposes the students to advanced nanoscale characterization techniques

Comparison of behaviors regarding live poultry exposure among rural residents in Vietnam and Thailand

Introduction: Live poultry exposure and risk behaviors are more prevalent in rural communities, increasing the risk of influenza A/H5N1 infection. We examined the economic and socio-cultural influences on poultry-related practices by comparing the poultry-related practices among Vietnamese and Thai rural residents by family income and consumption preference. Methods: Stratified cluster sampling was performed to select households. Within each household, one adult was randomly selected for a face-to-face interview in five Vietnamese and five Thai rural districts. Using a standardized questionnaire to assess domestic poultry husbandry, live poultry purchase, and demographics, logistic regression enabled comparisons of behaviors related to live poultry exposure and examination of associated factors. Results: Among 994 Vietnamese and 907 Thai rural residents, live poultry exposure (prevalence of raising poultry, improper handling of sick or dead poultry, touching live poultry before buying, and slaughtering poultry at home) was more prevalent among Vietnamese than Thai respondents. After adjusting for other demographics, respondents with higher family incomes were less likely to rear backyard poultry in both Vietnam and Thailand, and with more likely to buy live poultry in Vietnam, but not in Thailand. Consumption preference for live poultry was associated with being more likely to rear backyard poultry in Vietnam and Thailand, and with being more likely to buy live poultry in Thailand, but not in Vietnam. Conclusion: The findings suggest important roles of economic imperatives and cultural preference for live poultry for consumption in supporting poultry rearing and live poultry purchase among rural residents. © 2014 Liao et al.published_or_final_versio

Chinese immigrant parents' vaccination decision making for children: A qualitative analysis

Background: While immunization coverage rates for childhood routine vaccines in Hong Kong are almost 100%, the uptake rates of optional vaccines remain suboptimal. Understanding parental decision-making for children's vaccination is important, particularly among minority groups who are most vulnerable and underserved. This study explored how a subsample of new immigrant mothers from mainland China, a rapidly-growing subpopulation in Hong Kong, made decisions on various childhood and adolescent vaccines for their offspring, and identified key influences affecting their decision making. Methods. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 23 Chinese new immigrant mothers recruited by purposive sampling. All interviews were audio-taped, transcribed and analyzed using a Grounded Theory approach. Results: Participants' conversation revealed five underlying themes which influenced parents' vaccination decision-making: (1) Institutional factors, (2) Insufficient vaccination knowledge and advice, (3) Affective impacts on motivation, (4) Vaccination barriers, and (5) Social influences. The role of social norms appeared overwhelmingly salient influencing parents' vaccination decision making. Institutional factors shaped parent's perceptions of vaccination necessity. Fear of vaccine-targeted diseases was a key motivating factor for parents adopting vaccination. Insufficient knowledge about vaccines and targeted diseases, lack of advice from health professionals and, if provided, suspicions regarding the motivations for such advice were common issues. Vaccination cost was a major barrier for many new immigrant parents. Conclusions: Social norms play a key role influencing parental vaccination decision-making. Insight gained from this study will help inform healthcare providers in vaccination communication and policymakers in future vaccination programme. © 2014 Wang et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.Link_to_subscribed_fulltex