Flexible Facilitation: Coaching and Modelling to Support Inclusive Education

The practices of education, such as separate and resource placements, pull-out services, scripted intervention programmes, an emphasis on diagnoses, and behaviorist discipline practices, are not conducive to the goals of inclusive education. This study demonstrates how one instructional coach worked to disrupt traditional special education practices and guide special educators towards the use of more effective research-based instructional strategies and collaborative practices to promote inclusion. Using Robert Stake’s intrinsic case study methodology, we explored the perceived roles of coaching and modelling to promote inclusion through the lens of one coach who modelled methods for the special education teachers in multiple general education classrooms. The following themes emerged from the multiphase analysis of data collected throughout the coaching project: coaching as flexible facilitation, coaching as recognition of existing good practice, coaching pedagogical decision-making, coaching instructional reflectivity, and coaching collaborative partnerships. Coaching and modelling for special educators are recommended for promoting inclusive education as they embrace the complexity of changing classroom practice and can enhance collaborative instructional practice

Delivering Instruction During the Pandemic: Insights for Special Education Administrators and Teacher Preparation Programs

This study examined considerations for delivering online instruction and related services to students with disabilities. The purpose of the study was to uncover teachers’ reflections about their experiences with online learning for students with disabilities as a response to COVID-19. We used an online open-ended survey to collect reflections from practicing teachers, who were graduates of a special education program at a university in Florida. Our findings highlighted challenges and unanticipated benefits of online service delivery. We discussed how administrators should streamline instructional-delivery platforms and procedures for teachers, students, and families. We recommended ensuring that Individualized Education Planning (IEP) teams consider priorities for future pandemics and natural disasters

Reduction in blood pressure following acute dietary nitrate ingestion is correlated with increased red blood cell S-nitrosothiol concentrations.

This is the final version. Available from Elsevier via the DOI in this record. Data availability: Data will be made available on request.Dietary nitrate (NO3-) supplementation can enhance nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability and lower blood pressure (BP) in humans. The nitrite concentration ([NO2-]) in the plasma is the most commonly used biomarker of increased NO availability. However, it is unknown to what extent changes in other NO congeners, such as S-nitrosothiols (RSNOs), and in other blood components, such as red blood cells (RBC), also contribute to the BP lowering effects of dietary NO3-. We investigated the correlations between changes in NO biomarkers in different blood compartments and changes in BP variables following acute NO3- ingestion. Resting BP was measured and blood samples were collected at baseline, and at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 24 h following acute beetroot juice (∼12.8 mmol NO3-, ∼11 mg NO3-/kg) ingestion in 20 healthy volunteers. Spearman rank correlation coefficients were determined between the peak individual increases in NO biomarkers (NO3-, NO2-, RSNOs) in plasma, RBC and whole blood, and corresponding decreases in resting BP variables. No significant correlation was observed between increased plasma [NO2-] and reduced BP, but increased RBC [NO2-] was correlated with decreased systolic BP (rs = -0.50, P = 0.03). Notably, increased RBC [RSNOs] was significantly correlated with decreases in systolic (rs = -0.68, P = 0.001), diastolic (rs = -0.59, P = 0.008) and mean arterial pressure (rs = -0.64, P = 0.003). Fisher's z transformation indicated no difference in the strength of the correlations between increases in RBC [NO2-] or [RSNOs] and decreased systolic blood pressure. In conclusion, increased RBC [RSNOs] may be an important mediator of the reduction in resting BP observed following dietary NO3- supplementation.University of ExeterChina Scholarship Counci

Detection of Blood Nitric Oxide Congeners and Nitrated Proteins in Human Health and Anaemia

Ingested inorganic nitrate (NO3⁻) has multiple physiological effects in the human body, including vasodilation, lowering blood pressure, inhibiting platelet aggregation and improving skeletal muscle function. Ingested NO3⁻ enters the enterosalivary circulation, resulting in increased NO3⁻ and nitrite (NO2⁻) concentrations in plasma. NO3⁻ metabolism also involves S nitrosothiol (RSNO) formation, and it has been suggested that this is dependent on the presence of an intracellular iron pool. 3 Nitrotyrosine (Tyr-NO2) is formed by the action of nitrating species on Tyr residues of proteins, and haemoglobin (Hb) is susceptible to nitration. Protein Tyr-NO2 formation has been implicated in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The main aim of this thesis was to investigate whether reactive nitrogen species (RNS), i.e. S nitrosothiol concentrations ([RSNO]), [NO2⁻] and [NO3⁻], in the blood compartments (whole blood, plasma, red blood cells) of healthy volunteers and in the plasma of anaemic patients, were increased after ingestion of NO3⁻-rich beetroot juice (BR). The above RNS were measured by ozone-based chemiluminescence. A new protocol for collecting and treating the RBCs and whole blood samples was developed to improve the sensitivity of RSNO measurements in healthy volunteers. The effect of ingested BR on the levels of nitrated Hb, in red blood cells (RBCs) of healthy volunteers and plasma of anaemic patients, was determined by semi-quantitative western blotting. To assess whether the levels of nitrated Hb were increased in the RBCs of AD patients compared to non-dementia (ND) control volunteers, the levels of nitrated Hb were also determined by western blotting. All data are reported as medians with the interquartile ranges unless otherwise indicated. BR ingestion elevated the median RBC [RSNO] in healthy subjects (n = 5) almost five-fold to 110 (93–125) nM, whilst the median plasma [RSNO] in healthy subjects (n = 14) increased almost ten-fold to 104 (58–151) nM compared to before administration of NO3⁻ rich beetroot juice at baseline (BL-BR) and/or PL (Mann-Whitney test, p<0.01). The median [NO2⁻] and [NO3⁻] in plasma, whole blood and RBCs of healthy volunteers (n = 7) were increased after ingesting BR compared to BL-BR and PL (p<0.05, BR vs. BL-BR or PL in all three biofluids). The median levels of nitrated Hb in RBCs from healthy volunteers, did not show a statistically significant difference between BR ingestion and PL. The median plasma [RSNO] in anaemic patients (n = 12) was significantly increased to 118 (53-205) nM after ingesting BR juice compared to BL BR and PL, which were 12 (8-15) nM and 13 (10-18) nM, respectively (p<0.01). RBC samples were not available from the anaemia patient cohort but, as assessed by western blotting, BR ingestion did not cause a significant change in the median plasma nitrated Hb level (intensity of the anti-Tyr-NO2 staining of the Hb band, normalised to the intensity of the anti-Hb staining of the Hb band) compared to PL in anaemic patients. The median level of nitrated Hb was significantly increased in the RBCs of AD patients, to a value of 19.5 (16.2 – 20.9) arbitrary units (intensity of the anti-Tyr-NO2 staining of the Hb band, normalised to the intensity of the anti-Hb staining of the Hb band), compared to RBCs from non-dementia (ND) volunteers which had a median value of 14.2 (13.5 – 14.4) arbitrary units (p<0.05). In conclusion, BR ingestion caused an increased RBC/plasma [RSNO] in healthy volunteers, as well as an increased plasma [RSNO] in anaemic patients. Median [NO2⁻] and [NO3⁻] values were also increased in the plasma, whole blood and RBCs of healthy volunteers. Not only NO2⁻, but also RSNO, may be involved in the metabolism of dietary NO3⁻, suggesting a potential role of RSNO in mediating the physiological effects of oral NO3⁻ ingestion in both healthy individuals and anaemic patients. The levels of nitrated Hb were increased in the RBCs of AD patients compared with ND controls. Nitrated Hb may play a role in AD pathogenesis and may constitute a novel blood marker of long-term exposure to nitrative/oxidative stress

Evaluation of cytotoxic activity of Syringodium isoetifolium against human breast cancer cell line - an in silico and in vitro study

Seagrass is a natural, renewable, and much unexplored marine resource, which are capable, and reliable sources in the field of pharmaceuticals and drug discovery. The seagrass, Syringodium isoetifolium is our target plant for the study, which was collected from the Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu. The current study is focused to evaluate the cytotoxic, cell cycle arrest, and apoptotic induction activities of the hydroalcoholic extract of S. isoetifolium against the human breast cancer (MCF-7) cell line. The cytotoxic evaluation revealed that the extract inhibited MCF-7 proliferation with IC50 value of 230.32 μg/ml. Evaluation of MCF-7 cell cycles demonstrated that the extract arrested the cell cycle in the S phase and continued to the G2/M phase at half of the IC50 value. The extract induced apoptotic of MCF-7 cells about 30.61% which was nearly the same with aripiprazole as a positive control (52.35%). Nootkatone significantly binds to the target proteins – HSP 90 and HER2 kinase with the least binding energy was predicted as the most active anticancer compounds by a molecular docking study. In light of the findings, it can be said that the hydroalcoholic extract of S. isoetifolium has the potential to be a therapeutic agent for breast malignancies by acting as an anticancer component. It can be used as an anticancer agent on its own and/or as a scaffold for analog synthesis to develop novel anticancer agents with improved therapeutic efficacy

Investigation of structural properties and antibacterial activity of AgO nanoparticle extract from Solanum nigrum/Mentha leaf extracts by green synthesis method

Solanum nigrum and Mentha leaf extracts were used as reducing and stabilizing reagents in the green synthesis of silver oxide nanoparticles (AgO NPs), and their antibacterial efficacy was subsequently evaluated. The structure and morphology of AgO NPs were evaluated using X-ray diffraction and filed emission scanning electron microscope. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy images were used to analyze the characteristics of certain particles with clearly discernible atomic structures. The functional group and elemental composition of AgO NPs were investigated using fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy was used to determine the energy band gap (E g) of the sample. The dielectric constant of both samples was found to be inversely proportional to frequency, whereas the dielectric loss was found to be directly proportional to temperature but directly proportional to frequency. This suggests that the space charge has an effect on the mechanism of charge transfer as well as polarizability. AC conductivity rises and is inversely proportional to temperature increases. AgO NPs had a size range of around 56 nm and were mostly spherical. The antibacterial potential of the synthesized AgO NPs using both extracts was compared by the well-diffusion method. AgO NPs at 50–100 µg·mL−1 concentration significantly inhibited the bacterial growth of Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumonia

Chia seeds ameliorate cardiac disease risk factors via alleviating oxidative stress and inflammation in rats fed high-fat diet

Abstract Obesity upsurges the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, primarily heart failure and coronary heart disease. Chia seeds have a high concentration of dietary fiber and increased concentrations of anti-inflammatoryand antioxidant compounds. They are used for weight loss plus enhancing blood glucose and lipid profile. The current perspective was commenced to examine the protective influence of chia seeds ingestion on cardiovascular disease risk factors in high-fat diet-fed rats. Forty male albino rats (with an initial body weight of 180–200 g) were used in this study. Rats were randomly and equally divided into 4 groups: Group I was the control group and group II was a control group with chia seeds supplementation. Group III was a high-fat diet group (HFD) that received HFD for 10 weeks and group IV was fed on HFD plus chia seeds for 10 weeks. In all groups Echocardiographic measurements were performed, initial and final BMI, serum glucose, AC/TC ratio, lipid profile, insulin (with a computed HOMA-IR), creatinine phosphokinase-muscle/brain (CPK-MB), CRP, and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and MAP were estimated. Whole heart weight (WHW) was calculated, and then WHW/body weight (BW) ratio was estimated. Eventually, a histopathological picture of cardiac tissues was performed to assess the changes in the structure of the heart under Haematoxylin and Eosin and Crossmon’s trichrome stain. Ingestion of a high diet for 10 weeks induced a clear elevation in BMI, AC/ TC, insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia, CRP, CPK-MB, and cTnI in all HFD groups. Moreover, there was a significant increase in MAP, left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVEDD), and left ventricular end systolic diameter (LVESD). Furthermore, histological cardiac examination showed structural alteration of the normal structure of the heart tissue with an increase in collagen deposition. Also, the Bcl-2 expression in the heart muscle was significantly lower, but Bax expression was significantly higher. Chia seeds ingestion combined with HFD noticeably ameliorated the previously-recorded biochemical biomarkers, hemodynamic and echocardiography measures, and histopathological changes. Outcomes of this report reveal that obesity is a hazard factor for cardiovascular disease and chia seeds could be a good candidate for cardiovascular system protection