Teacher Knowledge and Classroom Practice: Examining the Connection

This paper extends existing research regarding content knowledge for teaching (CKT) and role it plays in advancing student learning. Two teachers (with high and low measured CKT) are observed on the same day teaching similar content. Many studies have recently been published linking student achievement to teacher’s CKT and many U.S. schools have begun including CKT measures in teacher hiring and retention decisions. Teaching observed for this study illustrates that content can be taught effectively by teachers across the spectrum of CKT levels, but observable and significant differences in teaching leads to important questions for inservice and preservice teacher educators

Cultivation and marketing of farm products in the hinterland of Gombe, NE-Nigeria

The study investigates elements influencing agricultural development in villages of the hinterland of Gombe, Gombe State, Nigeria. It aims to discover changes in socio-economic and socio-cultural interactions that exist among household, region, nation and world market. Of special interests are rural households as well as wholesale markets where dynamic processes in the structure of agricultural enterprises and the individual reasons of innovations are recognisable. The final objective of the study is to analyse the agricultural sector in the investigated villages in time and space, by typifying rural households, there strategies of action in relation to different factors: for example, farmsize, cultivation techniques and marketing of agriculture products. The study is also interested in operational profits and costs of farms, income of households as well as expenditures, etc. Because of the fact that statistical work is still going on, it is only possible to present a small portion of the results. Namely, the change in cultivation and marketing of farm products with special emphasis on cash crops during the last 30 years

Community Foundation for South Sinai

This is a fact sheet of the community Foundation South of Sina

Cycle II.5 aircraft aero-optical turbulent boundary-layer/shear-layer measurements

The aero-optical effects associated with propagating a laser beam through aircraft turbulent boundary layers and shear layers were examined. Observed laser optical performance levels were compared with those inferred from aerodynamic measurements of unsteady densities and correlation lengths within these random flows. Optical instrumentation included a fast shearing interferometer (FSI). A 9 cm diameter collimated helium neon laser beam made a double pass through the aircraft random flow via an airfoil mirror located one meter from the fuselage. Typical aircraft turbulent boundary layer thickness measured 0.3 meters. Averaging many FSI generated modulation transfer functions (MTFs) and Fourier transforming, this average yields the expected far field intensity degradation associated with an aircraft mounted laser system. Aerodynamic instrumentation included fine wire probes to measure unsteady temperature and mass flux. A laser doppler velocimeter measured unsteady velocity within the flows. An analysis of these data yielded point measurements of unsteady density and correlation length

PEOPLE AND PLANET FIRST—time permitting

Is it just me or is there something about election time that makes politicians overly ambitious? The candidates for the 2020 presidential election are fighting to convince American voters they are the best choice. One of the most common tactics for accomplishing this is providing voters with an unattainable amount of promises for making our problems magically disappear. While these ambitions are “attention-grabbing” and somewhat successful in acquiring votes, so many of them go unaccomplished or un-addressed once the candidate enters the white house. No candidate, from any party, is immune to this infectious tendency that accompanies running a campaign. Julián Castro’s Green New Deal is displaying promising symptoms of this contagious concept. Castro’s plan can be summarized by nearly twenty bullet points aimed at addressing the injustice of our environmental crisis, framing the matter as a “civil rights issue”. While this all sounds incredibly productive and necessary, the vision of this candidate’s ability to inflict progress within the system may be a tad optimistic. Castro’s $10 trillion plan to combat global warming includes net zero carbon emissions by 2045, investment in renewable energy, taxes on carbon polluters, and an end to fossil fuels. Environmentalists are swooning, but the problem lie with the realists who suggest this plan is too ambitious for the timeline provided. Even more concern lies within the void of financial responsibility, as Castro has failed to justify how he will fund this plan. Specific costs regarding these proposals include an estimated$200 billion investment toward developing and implementing Green Infrastructure such as smart grids, water management, and electric vehicle charging stations. Additionally, Castro wants to devote $100 billion over 10 years to address conservation of water and soil resources. Half of this cost will come from the federal government and half of it from state, local, and private investment (Collins). As one of the few democratic candidates to release such a thorough and in-depth plan for addressing our environmental crisis, Castro’s Green New Deal is more than impressive. Unfortunately, the biggest flaw with this plan is the waning credibility of each goal that cannot be financially backed with specific funding strategies. For example, the$50 billion coming from federal government will need to be redistributed from some source in the budget. Will new taxes be imposed to cover this, or will other sectors have to forfeit funding to cover the Green New Deal? While there is no doubt the objectives of this plan need to be met, the lack of motivation, collaboration, and productive action taken by the U.S. government in the past does not bode well for the ambitious efforts of Castro’s plans. Not to mention, funding for environmental progress has historically met great obstacles. Politicians know better than anyone that the world runs on money. That said, the technology developed to address these issues has made remarkable progress and unbelievable advancement in the last thirty years. With predictions for insurmountable innovation and product-development in the future, it is tough to imagine a country built on empowerment unable to utilize such advancements to address global climate change. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), renewable energy will continue rapidly expanding its contribution to the energy production sector, making up 40% of global energy consumption over the next five years [2018-2023] (Renewables 2018). The question is not whether these renewable energy sources will grow and contribute, but whether humans will efficiently utilize this technology to achieve carbon neutrality. Despite reservations and cautious optimism, Castro’s plan is robust, all-encompassing, and incredibly thorough. Regardless of the timeline, these goals must be strived for and achieved in the near future to ensure a healthier planet and population. Perhaps the most effective and innovated technology that will drive this plan forward is yet to come. Given the appropriate tools and motivated political climate, Castro’s plan is attainable and necessary. The most pressing call to action that Castro must address with his plan is a financial plan and budget as specific as his goals to build credibility and assure attainable results. Without this, Castro’s promises to address environmental issues are as empty as his pockets to fund them. Challenging the citizens of this country to strive for environmental progress is an admirable and brave stance for any politician to uphold. One piece of advice for Castro—get started now! It is important that any political candidate pledging environmental action is taking preemptive measures to build the foundational framework their ambition plans need for success. Three words for Castro—time is ticking

Lysine acetyltransferase 5 in EGFR mutated non-small cell lung cancer

Histone modifications are crucial in activities such as transcriptional activation, gene silencing, and epigenetic cellular memory. In particular, lysine acetylation via lysine (K) acetyltransferases (KATs) has been implicated in cancer development. Interestingly, KAT5, also known as Tip60 (tat-interactive protein-60kDa), has been reported to possess both tumor promoting and tumor suppressing properties depending on the context of malignancy. Herein we report that KAT5 contributes to tumorigenesis in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutated lung cancer, and Kat5-knockout mice models demonstrate significantly reduced lung tumor burden. To probe the aberrant modification of KAT5, we demonstrated that KAT5 binds to and is phosphorylated by oncogenic EGFR in co-immunoprecipitation experiments. Next, to investigate whether KAT5 is involved in cell proliferation and survival, H1975 cells harboring L858R-T790M double-activating mutations were transfected with doxycycline inducible short helical RNA (shRNA) targeting KAT5 (shKAT5). Following treatment, shKAT5 cells were observed to have suppressed proliferation rates. Pharmacological inhibition using TH1834, a known KAT5 inhibitor, also suppressed proliferation rates in shKAT5 cells; in contrast BEAS2B cells, an immortalized normal human bronchial cell line, surprisingly exhibited increased viability compared to transformed human lung H1975 cells. This finding supports KAT5’s context-dependent role in in normal and abnormal cell homeostasis. To further investigate KAT5 in lung tumorigenesis in vivo, we generated EGFR-mutant conditional Kat5 knockout mice using a tetracycline-induced Cre/loxP system. Following doxycycline treatment for 10 weeks, isolated mice lungs for EGFRTL/CCSP-rtTA/Cre/Kat5F/F possessed significantly lower tumor volume compared to EGFRTL/CCSP-rtTA/Cre/Kat5wt/F and EGFRTL/CCSP-rtTA/Cre/Kat5wt/wt mice lungs. Hemotoxylin and eosin staining showed no evident hyperproliferation in lungs isolated from EGFRTL/CCSP-rtTA/Cre/Kat5F/F mice whereas lungs isolated from EGFRTL/CCSP-rtTA/Cre/Kat5wt/wt and EGFRTL/CCSP-rtTA/Cre/Kat5wt/F did, signifying that KAT5 has a potential regulatory role in cellular proliferation. RNA-Seq analysis of shKAT5 H1975 cells identified downstream targets involved in tumorigenic pathways. Subsequent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of shKAT5 cells served to validate the reported targets. Taken together, these data offer insight into a KAT5 mediated oncogenic pathway that can provide novel therapeutic approaches in treating lung cancer

On Breaking Up Time, or, Perennialism as Philosophy of History

Current and recent philosophy of history contemplates a deep change in fundamental notions of the presence of the past. This is called breaking up time. The chief value for this change is enhancing the moral reach of historical research and writing. However, the materialist view of reality that most historians hold cannot support this approach. The origin of the notion in the thought of Walter Benjamin is suggested. I propose a neo-idealist approach called perennialism, centered on recurrent moral dilemmas and choices. This suggests a view of the relations of moral thought and ontology placed in the diachronic context that historians study