Identification of white efflorescence on wooden African objects

This article describes the investigation of white efflorescence on eight wooden African objects from Malawi and Zambia and the treatment of the objects to remove the deposits. The source of the efflorescence on these objects was determined to be the heartwood from which they were carved. Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, the crystalline efflorescence was found to consist of homopterocarpin and pterocarpin, two isoflavonoid compounds found in woods and shrubs belonging to the genus Pterocarpus, and African Baphida nitida. The crystal growth appeared to be heaviest on areas of the objects that were more deeply carved as well as on those objects without a surface finish. The storage conditions of the collection were studied and found to have likely accelerated the rate and extent of the natural movement of the pterocarpan compounds from the interior of the heartwood to the outer surfaces.     

Food Choice Is Multifaceted,Contextual, Dynamic,Multilevel, Integrated,and Diverse

Eating is broadly conceptualized as food choice. Food choice is a complex activity with many dimensions. Food choice is multifaceted as it involves whether, where, when, how long, how, why, with whom, for whom, and under what conditions eating occurs. Food choice is contextual as it is situated within specific conditions and settings involving both individuals and institutions. Food choice is dynamic as it unfolds and is embedded in eating episodes over lifetimes within historical eras. Food choice is multilevel as physical, biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors operate simultaneously and interact. Food choice is integrated as people coordinate many considerations to construct specific eating activities. Food choice is diverse in its broad scope of distinct and unique eating activities. Food choice can be examined using both multi‐perspective and multi‐purpose approaches, and it may not be possible to integrate different perspectives into a unified approach to understanding and changing food choice.     

Reading: A Pastime of the Past?

It is somewhat of a truism to say that reading is not what it used to be. ‘Texts’for reading now include many other media than simply print on pages and this fact has occasioned some concern among those who fear that reading television or computer-based texts may reduce or impoverish children's overall reading experience. Chris Robertson and her students have been investigating these issues through interviews with children and have found that reading and technology are not actually in conflict but can be mutually supportive. This article suggests that teachers need to think more creatively about how to use alternative texts in developing children's reading.     

Examination for Bias in Principal Ratings of Teachers' Preparation

The Department of Education is moving to change accountability for teacher preparation institutions to include surveys of the graduates and their supervising principal following paid employment. This study describes one of a number of quantitative studies that examine the validity and usefulness of such follow-up surveys. Using multiple years of data, the authors examined the effect of teacher socioeconomic status and ethnicity on principals' evaluation of the teachers' preparation. The results indicated that there was no difference in ratings based on graduates' parent education, family income, or ethnicity. Post hoc evaluation showed that Latino teachers were rated better prepared to work with diversity in the classroom and to teach English learners. Bias does not appear to be part of principal evaluation. However, because principals are prone to rating teachers on a binary, satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis, follow-up surveys may not be the most useful tool for assessing some nuances of teacher preparation.