Conversations between four mentor and four novice teachers were analyzed to discover how they discussed issues about the teaching and learning of content. The four cases were drawn from a larger set of conversations that were part of the data gathered in a study of two different firstyear teacher programs—an induction program and an alternative certification program. Analysis of the conversations revealed a range of ways that mentors dealt with novices' understanding of subject matter, including presenting subject matter directly, indirectly, assuming adequate subject-matter knowledge, and ignoring it. The conversations are discussed in relation to four aspects of learning to teach academic content: (a) deepening one's understanding of subject matter, (b) learning to think about academic content from the students' perspective, (c) learning to represent subject matter in appropriate and engaging ways, and (d) learning to organize students for teaching and learning academic content.

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Farmers and ranchers with amputations have distinct prosthetic needs. Their return to farming can be facilitated by creating more durable, affordable, and adaptable prosthetic components. Our results can help guide design of more comprehensive surveys for further information gathering and new devices and establish best prosthetic practises for farmers and those in other physically demanding professions.

SummaryWe have studied changes in upper airway re¯ex sensitivity following general anaesthesia using dilute ammonia vapour as a chemical stimulant in 16 patients undergoing elective laparoscopic gynaecological surgery. We measured the threshold concentration of ammonia vapour required to elicit a transient reduction of inspiratory¯ow caused by glottic closure, de®ned as a glottic stop. Measurements of upper airway re¯ex sensitivity and auditory reaction time were obtained before surgery, and at 60 and 120 min after recovery. Auditory reaction time was depressed signi®cantly at 60 min but was similar to baseline values 120 min after recovery. Upper airway re¯ex sensitivity remained signi®cantly reduced at 60 and 120 min despite the return of auditory reaction time to normal. The lack of correlation between upper airway re¯ex sensitivity and auditory reaction time suggests that central nervous system depression alone does not explain the delayed recovery in airway reactivity.

SummaryIn a study of 97anaesthetic sessions, the incidence of handlaceration secondary to opening glass ampoules was 6% and the prevalence of visible old hand laceration 26%. The wearing of gloves for procedures likely to cause contamination by human secretions ranged from 35-86%. Overall there was no statistically significant diyerence in glove wearing habits of trainees and consultants. In the presence of a visible laceration, glove wearing by trainees increased and was significantly higher than that practiced by consultants. There were at least 90 procedures performed in 97 sessions during which an anaesthetist risked contaminating a visible laceration. It appears that the occupational risk of contracting a blood-borne viral infection is still unnecessarily increased by anaesthetists not wearing protective gloves for all procedures in which contamination may occur.