Book Review: The Life And Legacy Of Mary Mcleod Bethune

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Creativity Through Technology In The English Classroom

First generation in college, low family income, and weak writing scores:  This describes the students I teach at a historically black institute, Bethune Cookman College, in Daytona Beach, FL.   These students dislike writing and hate grammar.  Yet through technology, these students can be more motivated to write.  With the use of a digital movie camera, students write and produce short films about stories they have written.  A research paper becomes more interesting when students can add PowerPoint or film a background for their presentations.  Even the digital photo camera becomes a source of interest as students make photographs of the people they are writing about for a biography assignment.   Lessons become more meaningful when a projector with computer allows students to interact or watch examples of grammar or writing skills.  So the basic grammar and composition class can be enhanced by the use of basic technology.  Beyond the basic composition on the computer which is now the standard, students can use these other aspects of technology which encourage creativity, engagement, and motivation.  Even for the professor, technology can inspire creativity.  After having students help me videotape elderly people who talked about their lives here at the college and who knew the founder Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, I spent the summer transposing these interviews and then researched and wrote a book called The Life and Legacy of Mary McLeod Bethune.  Thanks to technology, I am now an author. Thus technology inspires students and teachers alike to aspire to higher levels of writing

Liesegang patterns : Studies on the width law

The so-called "width law" for Liesegang patterns, which states that the positions x_n and widths w_n of bands verify the relation x_n \sim w_n^{\alpha} for some \alpha>0, is investigated both experimentally and theoretically. We provide experimental data exhibiting good evidence for values of \alpha close to 1. The value \alpha=1 is supported by theoretical arguments based on a generic model of reaction-diffusion.Comment: 7 pages, RevTeX, two columns, 5 figure

Derivation of the Matalon-Packter law for Liesegang patterns

Theoretical models of the Liesegang phenomena are studied and simple expressions for the spacing coefficients characterizing the patterns are derived. The emphasis is on displaying the explicit dependences on the concentrations of the inner- and the outer-electrolytes. Competing theories (ion-product supersaturation, nucleation and droplet growth, induced sol- coagulation) are treated with the aim of finding the distinguishing features of the theories. The predictions are compared with experiments and the results suggest that the induced sol-coagulation theory is the best candidate for describing the experimental observations embodied in the Matalon-Packter law.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, RevTe

Pond Snail Reproduction as Model in the Environmental Risk Assessment: Reality and Doubts

In European limnetic systems, the most relevant endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) of steroid type are the natural and synthetic hormones, phytosterols, pesticides, biocides and other chemicals produced by the plastic industry. Their presence in aquatic ecosystems represents a potentially adverse environmental and public health impact. Furthermore, this is a warning signal that the current handling of pharmaceuticals needs to be further improved. Nowadays, it has become clear that EDCs have specific disturbing effects on the neuroendocrine system of invertebrate and vertebrate aquatic animals, particularly gastropods. Among a latter, pond snail (Lymnaea stagnalis) has been used as the first aquatic non-arthropod test organism in studying the effect of EDCs because they are sensitive to various anthropogenic steroids, like progestogens. Investigating a variety of reproductive endpoints of Lymnaea, such as fecundity, oocyte production, egg mass production, the quality of egg masses, the shell size in development and after egg-laying, the time window of cell division in the offspring, the metabolite content of single-cell zygotes and egg albumen has concluded that progestogen contaminations in water are detrimental for reproduction and early stage development of Lymnaea. This chapter is an attempt to show whether Lymnaea reproduction, despite many altering reproductive endpoints, is a suitable model for environmental risk assessment or not

Dietary self-efficacy: determinant of compliance behaviours and biochemical outcomes in haemodialysis patients

Background. Despite the diversity of proposed theories, researchers are still unable to fully explain dietary compliance behaviours of dialysis patients. Dietary self-efficacy, a concept less studied in dialysis, has been linked to positive compliance outcomes in the chronic illness literature. Therefore, the aim of the present research was to determine how dietary self-efficacy is related to selected biochemical markers and self-reported behavioural outcomes in haemodialysis patients. Methods. 107 subjects participated in a cross-sectional study. Four questionnaires assessed dietary self-efficacy, compliance attitudes and behaviours, and staff-patient relationships. Laboratory outcomes were retrospectively obtained from patients' medical records and averaged for the previous 6 months. Results. Of the behavioural measures, only dietary self-efficacy was associated with laboratory outcomes. Dietary self-efficacy was also positively related to staff-patient relationships and to patients' self-reported assessment of compliance behaviours. Women had greater dietary self-efficacy than men. The number of family members living with the respondent was inversely related to dietary self-efficacy. Conclusions. Results indicated that dietary self-efficacy determined both behaviours and laboratory outcomes. Patients with greater dietary self-efficacy had lower serum potassium and weight gain, showed favourable compliance attitudes and behaviours toward prescribed regimens and fostered better relationships with staff. Based on these findings we recommend an experimental approach to clarify whether maximizing dietary self-efficacy efforts is without psychological burden to patients and whether the positive effect of increased dietary self-efficacy is maintained in long-term dialysis patient

Liesegang patterns: Effect of dissociation of the invading electrolyte

The effect of dissociation of the invading electrolyte on the formation of Liesegang bands is investigated. We find, using organic compounds with known dissociation constants, that the spacing coefficient, 1+p, that characterizes the position of the n-th band as x_n ~ (1+p)^n, decreases with increasing dissociation constant, K_d. Theoretical arguments are developed to explain these experimental findings and to calculate explicitly the K_d dependence of 1+p.Comment: RevTex, 8 pages, 3 eps figure

Workforce analysis using data mining and linear regression to understand HIV/AIDS prevalence patterns

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) depends on sufficient supply of health workforce in each country. Although country-level data support this contention, it has been difficult to evaluate health workforce supply and MDG outcomes at the country level. The purpose of the study was to examine the association between the health workforce, particularly the nursing workforce, and the achievement of the MDGs, taking into account other factors known to influence health status, such as socioeconomic indicators.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A merged data set that includes country-level MDG outcomes, workforce statistics, and general socioeconomic indicators was utilized for the present study. Data were obtained from the Global Human Resources for Health Atlas 2004, the WHO Statistical Information System (WHOSIS) 2000, UN Fund for Development and Population Assistance (UNFDPA) 2000, the International Council of Nurses "Nursing in the World", and the WHO/UNAIDS database.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The main factors in understanding HIV/AIDS prevalence rates are physician density followed by female literacy rates and nursing density in the country. Using general linear model approaches, increased physician and nurse density (number of physicians or nurses per population) was associated with lower adult HIV/AIDS prevalence rate, even when controlling for socioeconomic indicators.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Increased nurse and physician density are associated with improved health outcomes, suggesting that countries aiming to attain the MDGs related to HIV/AIDS would do well to invest in their health workforce. Implications for international and country level policy are discussed.</p