Balanced assessment of growth disorders using clinical, endocrinological, and genetic approaches

Determining the pathogenesis of pediatric growth disorders is often challenging. In many cases, no pathogenesis is identified, and a designation of idiopathic short stature is used. The investigation of short stature requires a combination of clinical, endocrinological, and genetic evaluation. The techniques used are described, with equal importance being given to each of the 3 approaches. Clinical skills are essential to elicit an accurate history, family pedigree, and symptoms of body system dysfunction. Endocrine assessment requires hormonal determination for the diagnosis of hormone deficiency and initiation of successful replacement therapy. Genetic analysis has added a new dimension to the investigation of short stature and now uses next-generation sequencing with a candidate gene approach to confirm probable recognizable monogenic disorders and exome sequencing for complex phenotypes of unknown origin. Using the 3 approaches of clinical, endocrine, and genetic probes with equal status in the hierarchy of investigational variables provides the clinician with the highest chance of identifying the correct causative pathogenetic mechanism in a child presenting with short stature of unknown origin.

Social Ethic or Spiritual Ethos? Non-Orthodox Christian and Coptic Orthodox Perspectives

This article modestly anticipates the still-unfolding reception of the laudable document For the Life of the World: Toward a Social Ethos of the Orthodox Church by two broadly-envisioned communities—those of non-Orthodox Christians and Coptic Orthodox Christians. There is much to be commended by the former, especially regarding the document's balanced assessment amidst complicated issues uncharted in the Orthodox world. This balance is possible through the effective coalescence of a theocentric worldview, a comfort with mystery, and a loosely-defined Orthodox anthropology. Regarding the latter community, the document serves as a pioneering and bold example that does not neglect social relevance at the behest of theological commitments. At the same time, Coptic Orthodox Christians, in their insistence on the centrality of desert spirituality, are likely to question the document's sometimes tepid allusions to spiritual transformation, since the principal means out of which come social change, right action and good conscience for Orthodox Christians is through a life entrenched in Godward ascetic spirituality.

The Physiological Control of Eating: Signals, Neurons, and Networks

During the past 30 years, investigating the physiology of eating behaviors has generated a truly vast literature. This is fueled in part by a dramatic increase in obesity and its comorbidities that has coincided with an ever increasing sophistication of genetically based manipulations. These techniques have produced results with a remarkable level of cell-specificity-particularly at the cell signaling level-and have played a lead role in advancing the field. However, putting these findings into a brain-wide context that connects physiological signals and neurons to behavior and somatic physiology requires a thorough consideration of neuronal connections; a field that has also seen an extraordinary technological revolution. Our goal is to present a comprehensive and balanced assessment of how physiological signals associated with energy homeostasis interact at many brain levels to control eating behaviors. A major theme is that these signals engage sets of interacting neural networks throughout the brain, that are defined by specific neural connections. We begin by discussing some fundamental concepts-including ones that still engender vigorous debate-that provide the necessary frameworks for understanding how the brain controls meal initiation and termination. These include: key word definitions, ATP availability as the pivotal regulated variable in energy homeostasis, neuropeptide signaling, homeostatic and hedonic eating, and meal structure. Within this context, we discuss network models of how key regions in the endbrain (or telencephalon), hypothalamus, hindbrain, medulla, vagus nerve, and spinal cord work together with the gastrointestinal tract to enable the complex motor events that permit animals to eat in diverse situations.

Is it Easy to be Prime Minister of Australia?

The article attempts to trace the main milestones of the political path of Scott Morrison – the current Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia – and give a balanced assessment of this statesman.

TEACHERS’ READINESS IN INSERTING THE 21ST CENTURY SKILLS FOR TEACHING ENGLISH AT PRIMARY SCHOOLS

The development of 21st century affects all sectors including the education field. The importance for preparing students with knowledge and skills affects the learning process in this era. Life skills and balanced assessment are the demands in 21st century era. These demands need to be prepared by the teachers since primary education. Therefore, it is important to analyze primary English teachers’ readiness in inserting 21st century skills in terms of lesson planning, teaching and learning process and assessing students’ learning as the important aspect on learning process. This study used embedded mixed method using qualitative description and supported with descriptive quantitative analysis. The subjects of the research were 11 primary English teachers in Denpasar. A questionnaire was used to measure the readiness of the teachers in inserting the skills in the aspects of learning process. The data obtained were calculated and classified into its level of teachers’ readiness. It was found that the teachers perceived themselves as ready in inserting the 21st century skills. This is indicated by 1) their positive responses toward the knowledge about the 21st century skills, 2) they were confident in perceiving their implementation toward 21st century skills, and 3) they were ready in inserting 21st century skills in terms of lesson planning, teaching and learning process and assessing their students’ learning activities. It is expected that the teachers sustain their readiness in inserting the 21st century skills in teaching English for their students at schools.

The Historical Significance and Contemporary Relevance of Conservative Liberalism and Ordo-Liberalism: A Hollow Promise?

This chapter attempts to assess the significance of conservative liberalism and Ordo-liberalism in the larger context of liberalism by examining five questions. Why have they been marginalized? How have their ideas fared in Germany, the epicentre of Ordo-liberalism? What is the position of conservative liberalism and Ordo-liberalism in the intellectual history of political economy? What are their prospects in a new transformational crisis of liberalism? Are they likely to prove no more than a ghostly shadow in liberal political economy? Or can they act as a source of liberal rejuvenation? Finally, do conservative liberalism and Ordo-liberalism offer no more than a hollow promise of disciplining capitalism and democracy? Do the gaps in their thinking—their focusing illusion—disable them as a source of intellectual insight and as a relevant influence on debate, institutions, and policies? Or do they contribute to the overall strength and resilience of liberalism by complementing the contributions of social liberalism and laissez-faire liberalism? The chapter examines conservative liberalism and Ordo-liberalism using the insights from the Austrian School, the new Chicago School, and libertarian thought; from Karl Polanyi and Michel Foucault; from critics of authoritarian liberalism and of the long shadow of Carl Schmitt; and from writers on the moral economy, including John Rawls and Amartya Sen. It concludes by offering a balanced assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of this liberal tradition and its place in wider liberalism.

Subduction-Driven Volatile Recycling: A Global Mass Balance

Volatile elements (water, carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, halogens, and noble gases) played an essential role in the secular evolution of the solid Earth and emergence of life. Here we provide an overview of Earth's volatile inventories and describe the mechanisms by which volatiles are conveyed between Earth's surface and mantle reservoirs, via subduction and volcanism. Using literature data, we compute volatile concentration and flux estimates for Earth's major volatile reservoirs and provide an internally balanced assessment of modern global volatile recycling. Using a nitrogen isotope box model, we show that recycling of N (and possibly C and S) likely began before 2 Ga and that ingassing fluxes have remained roughly constant since this time. In contrast, our model indicates recycling of H2O (and most likely noble gases) was less efficient in the past. This suggests a decoupling of major volatile species during subduction through time, which we attribute to the evolving thermal regime of subduction zones and the different stabilities of the carrier phases hosting each volatile. ▪ This review provides an overview of Earth's volatile inventory and the mechanisms by which volatiles are transferred between Earth reservoirs via subduction. ▪ The review frames the current thinking regarding how Earth acquired its original volatile inventory and subsequently evolved through subduction processes and volcanism. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Volume 49 is May 28, 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.