The effects of sex-typed labeling in conjunction with sex-typed modeling upon preschool children's toy preference behavior

Modeling and labeling are two mechanisms which have been identified as playing an integral part in the development of children's sex-typed interests and activities. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the manner in which young children use these two sources of sex-appropriate information--modeling and labeling--to direct their subsequent preferences for sex-typed and neutral toys. Photographs of two equally attractive toys were presented to 144 three- and four-year-old children. One toy was verbally labeled as appropriate for boys and the other labeled appropriate for girls. Following the labeling procedure, the children viewed on a videotape monitor one of the labeled toys being played with by either a same-age boy or a same-age girl. After the videotape modeling sequence, the children were again shown photographs of the pair of toys and their toy preference behavior was recorded

Passage (metamorphic drawings)

My drawings are an attempt at dealing with universal themes in a highly personal way. There is grotesque imagery, garish colors, irreverence, and melodrama involved which make the work highly complex, and perhaps pretentious in certain respects. Despite the serious nature of the subject matter, the work is approached as a fantasy carnival in which I am able to evolve form, lose myself in detail, and create a totally illogical reality of my own. There is also an underlying theme of metamorphosis which pervades the work. The forms, organic for the most part, are in a constant state of activity—breaking apart, coming together, moving, twisting, all in a chaotic manner. Inner pulsations of light, when combined with the varying degrees of movement, form an illusion of the possession of life. The vibration, intense colors and contrasts, and tonal gradations are meant to heighten this effect. More specifically, I am dealing with the flow of birth, life, death, and rebirth and the constant transformation of form which takes place therein. The aging process is perceived as a disintegration of the physical as it is caught up in the flow of time

Imagining the unthinkable : a case study exploring an institutional response to the persistence of African American males

Over the past thirty-five years, the rates of retention and graduation among African American males attending colleges and universities in the U.S. have declined. Many institutions of higher education have responded to this problem by reexamining their efforts at retaining and graduating Black males. Interventions are being created across the landscape of higher education in efforts to "enhance the enrollment and successful matriculation of African American males" (Cuyjet, 2006, p. 15). A review of literature focused on Black males' perceptions of institutional support programs on predominantly White campuses inspired the present study. Before now, various studies have highlighted the current plight of African American males in higher education and their relatively low persistence to graduation; however, few studies have used a qualitative approach to consider the role of institutional support programs in shaping African American males' experiences in higher education institutions. The present study was adapted from Oliver's (2008) study, entitled "Exploring the utilization of institutional support structures by black males on a predominantly white campus." Oliver's study amplified the voices of African American males by examining the role that institutional support services play in aiding retention of African American males at a predominantly white institution. The purpose of the present study, which builds on Oliver's, is to understand Black male students' perceptions of the role that institutional support services play in Black male students' retention and matriculation. The researcher used a case study approach in seeking to answer the following research questions: 1) How do Men Built with Character participants perceive the program's impact on their collegiate experiences? 2) How does the program facilitate academic and social integration for program participants? 3) What are the key dimensions of an Institutional Support Service program aimed at the retention of Black undergraduate males? The results of this study reveal three themes per researcher question. The themes for Question One were "father figure," "agent for change," and "sense of community." Question Two themes were "awareness," "resiliency," and "growth." Question three themes were "mentorship," "inspiration," and "academic enrichment." Understanding the lived experiences of each participant relative to his involvement in Men Built with Character required more than just statistical analysis. In-depth conversations with these Black males provided deeper reflection on their actual experiences. These conversations also provided new insight into the effectiveness of the Men Built with Character program at BJP. BJP is the alias for the university discussed throughout the dissertation. Men Built with Character is the alias for the institutional support service explored throughout the dissertation

Assessment of the quality of existing patient educational tools focused on sudden cardiac arrest: a systematic evaluation by the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Thought Leadership Alliance

Background Conveying contemporary treatment options for those at risk of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is challenging. The purpose of the present research was to evaluate the quality and usability of available patient educational tools relevant to SCA and its treatment options, such as implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). We hypothesized that this review would identify gaps in areas of information for the enhancement of patient education and decision-making materials. Methods We used a formal instrument to assess specific domains of content, development, and effectiveness of 18 available SCA and ICD educational tools. The multidisciplinary review panel included two electrophysiologists, two general cardiologists, a cardiac psychologist, a health services researcher, and a patient advocate. Results Of the 18 education tools, four were rated as “good, may need revisions, but sufficient for use�, 12 were rated as “marginal, needs revision prior to use�, and two were rated as “poor, inadequate for use�. None of the tools were rated as being of “very good� or “excellent� quality. Conclusion There appear to be opportunities to improve the quality and completeness of existing educational tools for patients with SCA and ICD. While many tools have been developed, they fall below current standards for supporting informed medical decision-making

Homozygous microdeletion of exon 5 in ZNF277 in a girl with specific language impairment

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Inhibition of Dengue Virus Entry and Multiplication into Monocytes Using RNA Interference

Prevention and treatment of dengue infection remain a serious global public health priority. Extensive efforts are required toward the development of vaccines and discovery of potential therapeutic compounds against the dengue viruses. Dengue virus entry is a critical step for virus reproduction and establishes the infection. Hence, the blockade of dengue virus entry into the host cell is an interesting antiviral strategy as it represents a barrier to suppress the onset of infection. This study was achieved by using RNA interference to silence the cellular receptor, and the clathrin mediated endocytosis that enhances the entry of dengue virus in monocytes. Results showed a marked reduction of infected monocytes by flow cytometry. In addition, both intracellular and extracellular viral RNA load was shown to be reduced in treated monocytes when compared to untreated monocytes. Based on these findings, this study concludes that this therapeutic strategy of blocking the virus replication at the first stage of multiplication might serve as a hopeful drug to mitigate the dengue symptoms, and reduction the disease severity

Differential Gene Expression Changes in Children with Severe Dengue Virus Infections

Dengue virus infection is an impressively emerging disease that can be fatal in severe cases. It is not precisely clear why some patients progress to severe disease whereas most patients only suffer from a mild infection. In severe disease, a “cytokine storm” is induced, which indicates the release of a great number of inflammatory mediators (“cytokines”). Evidence suggested that a balance could be involved between protective and pathologic cytokine release patterns. We studied this concept in a cohort of Indonesian children with severe dengue disease using a gene expression profiling method

A systematic review and critical assessment of incentive strategies for discovery and development of novel antibiotics

Despite the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance, pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms are reluctant to develop novel antibiotics because of a host of market failures. This problem is complicated by public health goals that demand antibiotic conservation and equitable patient access. Thus, an innovative incentive strategy is needed to encourage sustainable investment in antibiotics. This systematic review consolidates, classifies and critically assesses a total of 47 proposed incentives. Given the large number of possible strategies, a decision framework is presented to assist with the selection of incentives. This framework focuses on addressing market failures that result in limited investment, public health priorities regarding antibiotic stewardship and patient access, and implementation constraints and operational realities. The flexible nature of this framework allows policy makers to tailor an antibiotic incentive package that suits a country’s health system structure and needs

Prolonged Antigen Presentation Is Required for Optimal CD8+ T Cell Responses against Malaria Liver Stage Parasites

Immunization with irradiated sporozoites is currently the most effective vaccination strategy against liver stages of malaria parasites, yet the mechanisms underpinning the success of this approach are unknown. Here we show that the complete development of protective CD8+ T cell responses requires prolonged antigen presentation. Using TCR transgenic cells specific for the malaria circumsporozoite protein, a leading vaccine candidate, we found that sporozoite antigen persists for over 8 weeks after immunization—a remarkable finding since irradiated sporozoites are incapable of replication and do not differentiate beyond early liver stages. Persisting antigen was detected in lymphoid organs and depends on the presence of CD11c+ cells. Prolonged antigen presentation enhanced the magnitude of the CD8+ T cell response in a number of ways. Firstly, reducing the time primed CD8+ T cells were exposed to antigen in vivo severely reduced the final size of the developing memory population. Secondly, fully developed memory cells expanded in previously immunized mice but not when transferred to naïve animals. Finally, persisting antigen was able to prime naïve cells, including recent thymic emigrants, to become functional effector cells capable of eliminating parasites in the liver. Together these data show that the optimal development of protective CD8+ T cell immunity against malaria liver stages is dependent upon the prolonged presentation of sporozoite-derived antigen