The co-regulation of the mucus associated molecules intelectin, resistin like molecule beta and beta galactoside alpha 2-3 sialyltransferase in a T helper cell type 2 reponse

Increased mucin production and goblet cell hyperplasia are common features o f parasitic and allergic disease in man and animals. A protective role for mucus has been suggested in gastro-intestinal parasitic infections in rodents. The mucus associated molecules intelectin (ITLN), resistin like molecule beta (RELMP) and beta galactoside alpha 2-3 sialyltransferase (SIAT4C) are upregulated in nematode infections known to induce a typical T helper cell type 2 (Th2) response in mice. In the present work, it was hypothesised that these three mucus-associated molecules were co-regulated by Th2 cytokines and that their upregulation was part o f a typical anti-parasite response in other species. Sheep were chosen as a model because o f the economic importance o f both respiratory and gastrointestinal tract parasitic infections in sheep.Culture o f a human colonic carcimoma cell line with either interleukin 4 (IL-4) or 1L-13 confirmed the upregulation o f ITLN and RELMP in a Th2 environment but failed to show co-regulation with SIAT4C. O f the T hl or Th2 cytokines examined only IFNy was found to have a significant effect on expression o f SIAT4C transcript. ITLN transcript and protein were demonstrated in sheep tissue and furthermore three different ITLNs (sITLN l, sITLN2, sITLN3) which had a differential tissue distribution were cloned and sequenced. SIAT4C was shown to be widely expressed in sheep tissues and the full sequence was deduced from expressed sequence tags, and confirmed. There was no evidence o f expression o f RELMP in sheep tissues examined.sITLN transcripts were shown to be upregulated in response to IL-4 in an ex vivosheep tracheal explant culture model whilst sheep (s) SIAT4C was significantly downregulated in the same model. However, despite differential regulation by IL-4 ex vivo, in a sheep model o f infection with the abomasal nematode, Teladorsagicicircumcmcta, known to induce a Th2 biased response, sITLN transcripts and protein and sSIAT4C transcript were upregulated in response to a challenge infection.Furthermore, slTLNl and sITLN2 were shown to upregulate at an earlier time point post challenge in previously infected (immune) compared to naive yearling sheep and lambs and significant upregulation o f sSIAT4C transcript was seen in previously infected challenged but not naive challenged sheep and lambs. In conclusion, whilst regulation o f sITLNs and sSIAT4C transcript expression in the mucosa may differ, these molecules may have an important role to play in the mucosal immune response to parasitic infections in sheep

Opportunity and Equity: Enrollment and Outcomes of Black and Latino Males in Boston Public Schools

Boston Public School (BPS) leaders commissioned this study to examine patterns of enrollment, access, engagement, and performance of Black and Latino males from School Year 2009 to School Year 2012. This quantitative analysis constitutes Phase I of a larger study that will ultimately include qualitative case studies examining promising practices in BPS schools in which Black and Latino males perform well

Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, Executive Functioning, and Stress: Exploring a Process Model in Adolescents

The association of trait mindfulness with emotional well-being has been found to be mediated by executive functioning. However, there is little empirical evidence on this process in adolescents. Therefore, this study tested these associations using an adolescent sample participating in a physical education yoga class. This study extended previous research by also including self-compassion and state mindfulness in addition to trait mindfulness. A prospective design employed a pilot yoga curriculum in a high school physical education class. Adolescents (N = 20) completed assessments of trait mindfulness and self-compassion at baseline, state mindfulness experienced during yoga classes over the 12 week physical education yoga class, and six indices of executive functioning and stress at the end of the 12 weeks. Path analysis was used to test the process model found by Short with the extensions of self-compassion and state mindfulness. Self-compassion directly predicted problems with activity level impulse control and indirectly predicted stress. When self-compassion did not predict specific executive functioning indicators, state mindfulness experienced in yoga predicted stress. This study contributes preliminary evidence that suggests further research into the unique effects of trait and state mindfulness as well as self-compassion on adolescent cognitive and affective outcomes. Results support the use of contemplative practices, such as yoga, in adolescent physical education as a strategy to boost emotion regulation processes

Inattentional blindness, absorption, working memory capacity, and paranormal belief

Two studies investigated the relationship between inattentional blindness, paranormal belief/experience, absorption, and working memory capacity (WMC). ‘Inattentional blindness’ (IB) refers to the failure to consciously register an unexpected visual stimulus or event when attention is diverted to a different task. Absorption is a highly focused state where individuals are unaware of stimuli outside of attentional focus and is linked with paranormal belief. It was predicted that IB individuals would have higher absorption scores and be more likely to believe in the paranormal than non-inattentionally blind (NIBs) individuals. In both studies, IBs had higher absorption and paranormal belief scores than NIBs, as predicted. In addition, Study 2 measured WMC. Although absorption predicted IB, when WMC and paranormal belief were entered into the analysis, only WMC predicted IB with IBs having lower WMC than NIBs. These data offer support for a cognitive deficit account of paranormal belief

Examining Engineering Technology Students: How They Perceive and OrderTheir Thoughts

The lack of rigorous research focused on engineering technology students leaves administrators and practitioners in this area without adequate resources to advise and guide this unique population. This absence of research can most likely be attributed to smaller student populations as compared to other related fields, receiving attention, such as engineering. A preliminary systemic review reveals that research defining whom the engineering technology students are and how they think is largely unavailable. This study is expected to further improve our understanding of engineering technology students and how they change over time. Both freshman and senior engineering technology students were asked to complete the Gregorc Style Delineator. 1 This instrument allows the investigation of how these students perceive and order their thoughts within four defined areas of abstraction and logic referred to as mediation channels. Gregorc asserts that these channels of mediation facilitate how we relate to the world via a psychological style.2 Gregorc found that humans have comparable amounts of all the abilities assessed in the instrument. However, he does state that we are naturally predisposed to using two mediation channels. This predisposition of using two mediation channels provides differentiation between one person and another. Gregorc asserts that these differences can lead to conflict and misunderstandings.1 This study found that the mediation channels which are most often seen in engineering technology varies by gender. The findings of this study show that mediation channels vary among female students and are evenly distributed over all mediation channels, while male students are most often concrete in how they perceive and prefer sequential ordering of their thoughts. This may be attributed to the lower number of female students, due to this the recommendations focus on the instrument results for the male students. Also, these results suggest that practitioners should be designing classroom experiences that focus on students who are concrete/sequential and concrete/random styles, resulting in structured, predictable, and logical presentation of materials. Overall, these students prefer iterative solutions and use of intuition

Does repetitive task training improve functional activity after stroke? A Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis.

Repetitive task training resulted in modest improvement across a range of lower limb outcome measures, but not upper limb outcome measures. Training may be sufficient to have a small impact on activities of daily living. Interventions involving elements of repetition and task training are diverse and difficult to classify: the results presented are specific to trials where both elements are clearly present in the intervention, without major confounding by other potential mechanisms of action

Comparison of cellular changes in cavalier King Charles spaniel and mixed breed dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease

Introduction: The aim of this study was to determine if there are differences in cellular changes in Cavalier King Charles spaniel (CKCS) myxomatous mitral valves compared to non-CKCS dogs. Animals: Cavalier King Charles spaniels (n = 6) and age-matched mixed breed (n = 6) with severe myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD), and normal mixed breed (n = 4) dogs. Materials and Methods: Immunohistochemistry staining and qualitative and quantitative analysis of mitral valves sections, examining for the presence of CD11c and CD45, vimentin, alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and embryonic smooth muscle myosin heavy chain (Smemb), von Willebrand factor and CD31 and Ki-67. Results: Vimentin positive cell numbers were increased in the MMVD dogs and distributed throughout the valve with greatest density close to the endothelium. There were no significant differences in cell marker expression for the two diseased groups, but cell numbers were significantly increased compared to controls for α-SMA (CKCS only) and Smemb (CKCS and mixed breed: p < 0.05). Alpha smooth muscle actin+ cells were primarily located at the valve edge, with Smemb+ cells similarly located, but also present throughout the valve stroma. A small number of cells close to the valve edge co-expressed α-SMA and Smemb. Endothelial von Willebrand factor expression was identified in all valves, with evidence of disrupted endothelium in the diseased, but was also found in diseased valve stroma. There was no staining for CD11c, CD45 or CD31 in any valve. Ki-67+ cells formed linear clusters at the leaflet tip and were sparsely distributed throughout both myxomatous valve groups. Conclusions: The cellular changes notes with advanced stage MMVD appear similar for CKCS when compared to mixed breed dogs

Engineering Technology vs. Engineering Students: Differences in Perception and Understanding

Engineering technology students either are studied under the auspices of research focused on engineering students, or are excluded from engineering research in its entirety. Even when they are included in research, our understanding of engineering technology students is either missing or obscured. The lack of available research focused on engineering technology students in particular has prompted an effort to contribute to the greater body of knowledge of engineering technology education. The lack of research, as compared to other STEM fields, presents a challenge to practitioners in engineering technology programs when making discipline-specific decisions regarding these particular students. The need to delineate and determine the differences in the engineering technology student population and that of the engineering student population has become increasingly evident to practitioners and researchers in the technology area. To explore the learning styles of the engineering and engineering technology students, the Gregorc Style Delineator was completed by students in both programs. This instrument is relatively well known and is designed to investigate how adults order their thoughts and perceive the world around them. This study is designed to understand the differences in the engineering technology and engineering student populations by examining their mediation channels and their psychological learning styles. By furthering our conceptual understanding of both populations, we will inform those involved with teaching, curriculum development, and administration of programs how to best interact with and teach these students. Engineering technology students think differently than engineering students and that should be reflected in how we teach them

Individual and sexual variation in the trophic ecology of the white shark (Carcharodon carcharias)

Individual and sexual variation are widespread across the animal kingdom, and can have significant implications for species and population ecology and conservation. Ontogenetic shifts in diet and habitat use are prevalent in species that exhibit large changes in body size from birth/hatching to maturity, and can alter an individual’s role in communities and ecosystems. The role of these phenomenon in the ecology of mobile top predators is especially important to understand, as these species are often vital for maintaining food web stability and ecosystem linkage. White sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) are highly migratory top predators, listed as Vulnerable on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List, and are reported to undergo an ontogenetic dietary shift. Despite being protected across parts of their range, they are still subject to multiple anthropogenic threats. This work incorporates tooth shape, stable isotope, and fatty acid analyses to investigate individual and sexual variation in white shark ontogenetic shift dynamics and trophic ecology. Evidence for individual and sexual variation across populations is reviewed, and the associated conservation implications discussed, highlighting important current issues and areas for future research that will benefit white shark conservation management