An ESOL Curricular Model: Infuse ESOL Standards in Teacher Education

Florida approved teacher preparation programs provide coursework in English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) based on a mandate that began for graduates in 2004; however, there are few studies on the effects of an ESOL integrated model. The data show that an ESOL-infused program effectively prepares teacher candidates in demonstrating ESOL standards. The data were applied to a Likert scale and the results revealed that the program ranked between the ranges of average and exceeds expectations. The results will foster further research on a larger scale on ways to effectively prepare teacher candidates to work with English learners (ELs)

Two coastal upwelling domains in the northern California Current system

A pair of hydrographic sections, one north and one south of Cape Blanco at 42.9N, was sampled in five summers (1998–2000 and 2002–2003). The NH line at 44.6N lies about 130 km south of the Columbia River, and spans a relatively wide shelf off Newport, Oregon. The CR line at 41.9N off Crescent City, California, lies 300 km farther south and spans a narrower shelf. Summer winds are predominantly southward in both locations but the southward winds are stronger on the CR line. Sampling included CTD/rosette casts (to measure temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, nutrients, chlorophyll), zooplankton net tows and continuous operation of an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler. We summarize and compare July-August observations from the two locations. We find significant summer-season differences in the coastal upwelling domains north and south of Cape Blanco. Compared to the domain off Newport, the domain off Crescent City has a more saline, cooler, denser and thicker surface mixed layer, a wider coastal zone inshore of the upwelling front and jet, higher nutrient concentrations in the photic zone and higher phytoplankton biomass. The southward coastal jet lies near the coast (about 20–30 km offshore, over the shelf) on the NH line, but far from shore (about 120 km) on the CR line; a weak secondary jet lies near the shelf-break (35 km from shore) off Crescent City. Phytoplankton tend to be light-limited on the CR line and nutrient-limited on the NH line. Copepod biomass is high (15 mg C m−3) inshore of the mid-shelf on both NH and CR lines, and is also high in the core of the coastal jet off Crescent City. The CR line shows evidence of deep chlorophyll pockets that have been subducted from the surface layer. We attribute these significant differences to stronger mean southward wind stress over the southern domain, to strong small-scale wind stress curl in the lee of Cape Blanco, and to the reduced influence of the Columbia River discharge in this region

Why Wait Until Our Community Gets Cancer?: Exploring CRC Screening Barriers and Facilitators in the Spanish-Speaking Community in North Carolina

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of death among Hispanics in the United States. Despite the benefits of CRC screening, many Hispanics are not being screened. Using a combined methodology of focus groups and discrete choice experiment (DCE) surveys, the objectives for this research were as follows: (1) to improve understanding of preferences regarding potential CRC screening program characteristics, and (2) to improve understanding of the barriers and facilitators around CRC screening with the Hispanic, immigrant community in North Carolina. Four gender-stratified focus groups were conducted and DCE surveys were administered to 38 Spanish-speaking individuals across four counties in North Carolina. In-depth content analysis was used to examine the focus group data; descriptive analyses and mean attribute importance scores for cost of screening and follow-up care, travel time, and test options were calculated from DCE data. Data analyses showed that this population has a strong interest in CRC screening but experience barrier such as lack of access to resources, cost uncertainty, and stigma. Some of these barriers are unique to their cultural experiences in the United States, such as an expressed lack of tailored CRC information. Based on the DCE, cost variables were more important than testing options or travel time. This study suggests that Hispanics may have a general awareness of and interest in CRC screening, but multiple barriers prevent them from getting screened. Special attention should be given to designing culturally and linguistically appropriate programs to improve access to healthcare resources, insurance, and associated costs among Hispanics

Field test to evaluate colostrum quality in alpaca

Las concentraciones de inmunoglobulinas (Igs) calostrales en la mayoría de especies productivas determinan los niveles de Igs en sus crías, y las fallas en la transferencia pasiva ocasionan susceptibilidades a infecciones en el recién nacido. El presente estudio evaluó dos pruebas de campo (grado de viscosidad visual y uso de refractómetro) para determinar la calidad del calostro de la alpaca en 77 muestras. Asimismo, se determinó la concentración de Igs mediante una prueba de inmunodifusión radial en 26 muestras de calostro y en 77 muestras de suero sanguíneo de crías obtenidas entre las 36 a 48 horas del nacimiento. Las muestras de calostro se analizaron visualmente para determinar grados de viscosidad (1 a 5), y con el refractómetro de azúcar Brix para determinar sólidos totales. El 60% de las muestras calostrales presentó grados de 2-5 de viscosidad y lecturas promedio de 37.3% por el refractómetro de Brix, encontrándose una correlación altamente significativa entre viscosidad y lecturas por el refractómetro Brix (p<0.0001; r2 = 0.69). El IgG sérico en crías fue de 2679 ± 603 mg/dL y de IgG calostral fue de 28 337 ± 5593 mg/dL, encontrándose un solo animal con fallas de transferencia pasiva (valores séricos: 750 mg/dL). Las concentraciones de IgG calostrales tienen una correlación significativa con las lecturas del refractómetro (p<0.0007), no así con las concentraciones de IgG séricas de las crías (p=0.15). Similarmente, la correlación entre las lecturas de refractometría Brix y los valores séricos de IgG de crías fue baja (p=0.338). La alta correlación entre la escala del % Brix y las IgG calostrales muestran que el refractómetro de azúcar mide correctamente los niveles de IgG, por lo que sería un buen indicador de la calidad del calostro en condiciones de campo. Sin embargo, la baja correlación entre la escala de Brix y las IgG séricas de crías limita el valor de la utilización del refractómetro para predecir el estatus de transferencia pasiva en los neonatos.In the majority of livestock species, the concentration of maternal immunoglobulin (Ig) in colostrum determines the Ig level in their offspring, and the failure of passive transfer of maternal immunoglobulins results in their susceptibility to disease. This study evaluates two methods (visual assessment and Brix refratometry) for determining alpaca colostrum quality in the field. Evaluations of 26 fresh colostrum samples from 77 alpaca mothers were compared with the results obtained by radial immunodiffusion assay for 77 blood serum samples from 36-48 hours old offspring, and 26 colostrum samples. The colostrum was collected from the dams immediately postpartum and pre-suckling and blood was taken from the crias by jugular venipuncture. Grades of calostral viscosity were assessed visually, with 60% at 2-5, and total calostral solids measured by Brix sugar refractometry averaged 37.3%. The radial immunodiffusion test yielded newborn IgG serum levels of 2679 ± 603.4 mg/dL and colostral IgG levels of 28337± 5593 mg/dL, and only one animal registered failure of immune transfer with serum levels of 750 mg/dL. Results obtained by visual assessment of the colostrum coincide with those obtained by refractometry (p=0.0007), but differ from the serum IgG concentrations in the newborn animals (p=0.15), as do the Brix refractometry readings (p=0.338). Due to the lack of low IgG levels in the colostrum samples, it was impossible to determine if a relationship exists between observed viscosity and colostral IgG concentration. Nonetheless, the positive correlation (p<0.001) between viscosity and Brix refractometry readings point to the need for further research

Accessing Justice II: A Model for Providing Counsel to New York Immigrants in Removal Proceedings

The New York Immigrant Representation Study (“NYIR Study”) is a two-year project of the Study Group on Immigrant Representation to analyze and ameliorate the immigrant representation crisis—the acute shortage of qualified attorneys willing and able to represent indigent immigrants facing deportation. The crisis has reached epic proportions in New York and shows no signs of abating. In its year-one report (issued in the fall of 2011), the NYIR Study analyzed the empirical evidence regarding the nature and scope of the immigrant representation crisis. In that report, we documented how many New Yorkers—27 percent of those not detained and 60 percent of those who were detained—face deportation, and the prospect of permanent exile from families, homes and livelihoods, without any legal representation whatsoever. These unrepresented individuals are often held in detention and include many lawful permanent residents (green card holders), asylees and refugees, victims of domestic violence, and other classes of vulnerable immigrants with deep ties to New York. The study confirmed that the impact of having counsel cannot be overstated: people facing deportation in New York immigration courts with a lawyer are 500 percent as likely to win their cases as those without representation. While, at one end, nondetained immigrants with lawyers have successful outcomes 74 percent of the time, those on the other end, without counsel and who were detained, prevailed a mere 3 percent of the time. In its second year, the NYIR Study convened a panel of experts to use the data from the year-one report to develop ambitious, yet realistic, near- to medium-term ways to mitigate the worst aspects of the immigrant representation crisis here in New York. The year-two analysis and proposals are set forth in detail here, in the NYIR Study Report: Part II. A comprehensive solution to the nationwide immigrant representation crisis will require federal action. However, such federal action does not appear on the horizon. Meanwhile, the costs of needless deportations are felt most acutely in places like New York, with vibrant and vital immigrant communities. In addition to the injustice of seeing New Yorkers deported simply because they lack access to counsel, the impact of these deportations on the shattered New York families left behind is devastating. Moreover, the local community then bears the cost of these deportations in very tangible ways: when splintered families lose wage-earning members, they become dependent on a variety of City and State safety net programs to survive; the foster care system must step in when deportations cause the breakdown of families; and support networks to families and children must accommodate the myriad difficulties that result when federal policies are enforced without regard for local concerns. Put simply, the City and State of New York bear a heavy cost as a result of the immigrant representation crisis

Dyspnea Review for the Palliative Care Professional: Treatment Goals and Therapeutic Options

Although dyspnea is frequently encountered in the palliative care setting, its optimal management remains uncertain. Clinical approaches begin with accurate assessment, as delineated in part one of this two-part series. Comprehensive dyspnea assessment, which encompasses the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual aspects of this complex symptom, guide the clinician in choosing therapeutic approaches herein presented as part two. Global management of dyspnea is appropriate both as complementary to disease-targeted treatments that target the underlying etiology, and as the sole focus when the symptom has become intractable, disease is maximally treated, and goals of care shift to comfort and quality of life. In this setting, current evidence supports the use of oral or parenteral opioids as the mainstay of dyspnea management, and of inhaled furosemide and anxiolytics as adjuncts. Nonpharmacologic interventions such as acupuncture and pulmonary rehabilitation have potential effectiveness, although further research is needed, and use of a simple fan warrants consideration given its potential benefit and minimal burden and cost

Exploring supply management status, internal collaboration and operating performance

An important internal link in the supply chain is between supply managers and their internal customers. These individuals must collaborate to determine purchase specifications, develop sourcing strategies, ensure supplier performance, and maintain effective supplier relationships. Using power and social networking as the theoretical lenses, we develop and test a conceptual model examining the supply management function’s status, supply manager’s networking behavior, collaboration with the internal customer, and operating performance (lower cost, better quality, faster delivery, and consistent delivery). We also examine the mediating effect of collaboration and networking behavior on the positive effect of status and operating performance. Data gathered in an online survey of supply management professionals are examined using path analysis. Results show that without including the mediators, supply management status is directly related to all four operating performance measures. It is also positively related to collaboration with the internal customer and networking behavior. Contrary to expectations, the supply manager’s networking behavior is not related to collaboration with the internal customer. Collaboration is positively related to all four operating performance measures. However, the supply manager’s networking behavior is only related to one operating performance measure, better quality. Mediation analysis shows that supply management status has a direct effect on faster delivery performance beyond what is explained by collaboration and the supply manager’s networking behavior. The findings suggest that organizations should look for ways to elevate the status of the supply management function to improve internal collaboration and operating performance.Keywords: status, operating performance, supply management, networking, collaboration, internal custome

Dyspnea Review for the Palliative Care Professional: Assessment, Burdens, and Etiologies

Dyspnea is a common symptom experienced by many patients with chronic, life-threatening, and/or life-limiting illnesses. Although it can be defined and measured in several ways, dyspnea is best described directly by patients through regular assessment, as its burdens exert a strong influence on the patient's experience throughout the trajectory of serious illness. Its significance is amplified due to its impact on family and caregivers

Microbiological, pathological and microelement analyses in vicuñas affected with "dandruff"

Se describen 75 estudios histopatológicos en biopsias de piel (33 afectados y 42 no afectados con “caspa”), 85 análisis microbiológicos en raspados de piel (44 afectados y 41 no afectados) y 70 determinaciones séricas de zinc, selenio, cobre y molibdeno (41 afectados y 29 no afectados) de tres poblaciones de vicuñas silvestres capturadas en “Chakus” en el 2009 en las comunidades campesinas de Huaytará, Ayaví, Santa Rosa de Tambo y en una población captiva multicomunal, en Huancavelica. Los animales afectados no tenían alteraciones clínicas, pero los vellones a la postesquila presentaron escamas blanquecinas dispersas o acumuladas y fuertemente adheridas, usualmente, al dorso lateral y algunas veces por todo el vellón. Todas las muestras de piel, con mayor severidad en las afectadas, mostraron moderada hiperqueratosis ortoqueratótica laminar asociada con dermatosis inespecífica, moderada-severa dilatación de folículos pilosos y moderada-severa atrofia de vaina interna de la raíz folicular pero con ausencia de agentes patógenos e inflamación. El 63.3% (28/44) de raspados de pieles afectadas y el 41.5% (17/ 41) de las no afectadas contenían especies saprofíticas de Ulocladium spp., Penicillum spp., Hialofomicetos, Geotrichum candidum y Aspergilus flavus. Los niveles sanguíneos, en las 70 muestras (afectados y no afectados) presentaron 10 veces la concentración esperada para selenio, principalmente en vicuñas captivas en el área multicomunal (afectados 3.23 ± 1.31 μg/mL y no afectados 3.56 ± 2.27 μg/mL), posiblemente debido al sobrepastoreo de los pastizales con presencia de especies seleníferas de Astragalus spp. (“garbanzo” o “garbancillo”). Todos los animales mostraron deficiencia de cobre y los animales afectados de Huaytará y todos los de Santa Rosa de Tambo presentaron deficiencia de zinc.In recent years important economic losses have resulted from what is described as “dandruff” in vicuña fiber. With the goal of analyzing the possible cause/s was conducted an histopathological analysis of 75 skin biopsies (33 affected/42 unaffected), microbiological analysis of 85 skin/fiber scrapings (44 affected/41 unaffected), and microelement analysis (zinc, selenium, copper, molybdenum) of 70 serum samples (41 affected/ 29 unaffected), collected from three wild populations in the communities of Huaytará, Ayaví and Santa Rosa de Tambo, Huancavelica, Peru, as well as from the captive herd held jointly by these communities. The affected vicuñas were clinically normal and the presence of “dandruff” was generally detected after shearing. In these fleeces, white scales scattered or accumulated and firmly adhered to the fibers were found, especially on the flanks and backs of the animals, but also widely dispersed throughout the fleece. Histopathological analysis of the skin biopsies revealed that both affected and unaffected animals had moderate to severe dermatosis (hyperkeratosis – orthokeratosis), with moderate to severe atrophy of the inner root sheath of the follicle, but without evidence of inflammation. Microbiological analysis determined the presence of fungus species in 63.3% (28/44) of the affected and 41.5% (17/41) of unaffected animals, including Ulocladium spp., Penicillum spp., Hialofomicetos, Geotrichum candidum and Aspergilus flavus. Microelement analysis revealed 10 fold selenium concentration as compared to normal values, especially in the captive population (affected: 3.23 ± 1.31 μg/ mL; unaffected: 3.56 ± 2.27 μg/mL) possibly due to overgrazing of pastures with presence of Astragalus spp., a common seleniferous plant in the region. All animals showed cooper deficiency. Also, all animals from Santa Rosa de Tambo and affected animals from Huaytará were zinc deficient