Why Teach? Exploring the Motivations and Expectations of First-year, Alternatively Certified Agriscience Teachers

School-Based agricultural education increasingly depends upon alternatively certified (AC) teachers to teach agriculture across the United States. Understanding why these individuals become teachers is an important step to better recruit and retain educators who do not complete traditional preparation programs. The purpose of our study was to explore the backgrounds, motivations, and expectations of AC agriscience teachers joining the profession. Our study was guided by the social cognitive career theory and utilized a qualitative phenomenological approach. We interviewed seven AC agriscience teachers in Florida during their first-year teaching to explore their journey into teaching agricultural education. Six major themes were found, including background and interest in agriculture, positive teaching self-efficacy expectations, positive teaching outcome expectations, right location and right time, exciting but challenging, and more than expected. We recommend providing support programs tailored for AC agriscience teachers that are guided by the similar backgrounds, motivations, and expectations of AC teachers

Space Station Engineering Design Issues

Space Station Freedom topics addressed include: general design issues; issues related to utilization and operations; issues related to systems requirements and design; and management issues relevant to design

Blood Lead Levels and Death from All Causes, Cardiovascular Disease, and Cancer: Results from the NHANES III Mortality Study

BACKGROUND: Analyses of mortality data for participants examined in 1976–1980 in the second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES II) suggested an increased risk of mortality at blood lead levels > 20 μg/dL. Blood lead levels have decreased markedly since the late 1970s. In NHANES III, conducted during 1988–1994, few adults had levels > 20 μg/dL. OBJECTIVE: Our objective in this study was to determine the risk of mortality in relation to lower blood lead levels observed for adult participants of NHANES III. METHODS: We analyzed mortality information for 9,757 participants who had a blood lead measurement and who were ≥ 40 years of age at the baseline examination. Using blood lead levels categorized as < 5, 5 to < 10, and ≥ 10 μg/dL, we determined the relative risk of mortality from all causes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease through Cox proportional hazard regression analysis. RESULTS: Using blood lead levels < 5 μg/dL as the referent, we determined that the relative risk of mortality from all causes was 1.24 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.05–1.48] for those with blood levels of 5–9 μg/dL and 1.59 (95% CI, 1.28–1.98) for those with blood levels ≥ 10 μg/dL (p for trend < 0.001). The magnitude of risk was similar for deaths due to cardiovascular disease and cancer, and tests for trend were statistically significant (p < 0.01) for both causes of death. CONCLUSION: In a nationally representative sample of the U.S. population, blood lead levels as low as 5–9 μg/dL were associated with an increased risk of death from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer

Mid-infrared Galaxy Morphology from the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies (S^4G): The Imprint of the De Vaucouleurs Revised Hubble-Sandage Classification System at 3.6 μm

Spitzer Space Telescope Infrared Array Camera imaging provides an opportunity to study all known morphological types of galaxies in the mid-IR at a depth significantly better than ground-based near-infrared and optical images. The goal of this study is to examine the imprint of the de Vaucouleurs classification volume in the 3.6 μm band, which is the best Spitzer waveband for galactic stellar mass morphology owing to its depth and its reddening-free sensitivity mainly to older stars. For this purpose, we have prepared classification images for 207 galaxies from the Spitzer archive, most of which are formally part of the Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies (S^4G), a Spitzer post-cryogenic ("warm") mission Exploration Science Legacy Program survey of 2331 galaxies closer than 40 Mpc. For the purposes of morphology, the galaxies are interpreted as if the images are blue light, the historical waveband for classical galaxy classification studies. We find that 3.6 μm classifications are well correlated with blue-light classifications, to the point where the essential features of many galaxies look very similar in the two very different wavelength regimes. Drastic differences are found only for the most dusty galaxies. Consistent with a previous study by Eskridge et al., the main difference between blue-light and mid-IR types is an ≈1 stage interval difference for S0/a to Sbc or Sc galaxies, which tend to appear "earlier" in type at 3.6 μm due to the slightly increased prominence of the bulge, the reduced effects of extinction, and the reduced (but not completely eliminated) effect of the extreme population I stellar component. We present an atlas of all of the 207 galaxies analyzed here and bring attention to special features or galaxy types, such as nuclear rings, pseudobulges, flocculent spiral galaxies, I0 galaxies, double-stage and double-variety galaxies, and outer rings, that are particularly distinctive in the mid-IR

Beyond the Social Determinants of Learning™ A Walden University Position Paper

The Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), presented by the World Health Organization (WHO) and a cross-organizational global commission in the early 2000s, provide an understanding of health status of individuals and communities. SDOH consider societal forces and conditions such as housing, work conditions, environment, and education (Braveman & Gottlieb, 2014; WHO, 2021). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (n.d.) launched a “Healthy People 2030” initiative, addressing five key social determinants of health and offering a framework from which organizations can build strategy: 1. Healthcare access and quality 2. Education access and quality 3. Social and community context 4. Economic stability 5. Neighborhood and built environment As leaders in preparing provisioners of healthcare, Walden’s nursing and healthcare programs operate from the Social Determinants of Health & Healthcare (SDOH&H) framework (emphasizing both health and healthcare) and address the SDOH&H in every course

High-Throughput Analysis of Lung Immune Cells in a Combined Murine Model of Agriculture Dust-Triggered Airway Inflammation With Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-associated lung disease is a leading cause of mortality in RA, yet the mechanisms linking lung disease and RA remain unknown. Using an established murine model of RA-associated lung disease combining collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) with organic dust extract (ODE)-induced airway inflammation, differences among lung immune cell populations were analyzed by single cell RNA-sequencing. Additionally, four lung myeloid-derived immune cell populations including macrophages, monocytes/macrophages, monocytes, and neutrophils were isolated by fluorescence cell sorting and gene expression was determined by NanoString analysis. Unsupervised clustering revealed 14 discrete clusters among Sham, CIA, ODE, and CIA+ODE treatment groups: 3 neutrophils (inflammatory, resident/transitional, autoreactive/suppressor), 5 macrophages (airspace, differentiating/recruited, recruited, resident/interstitial, and proliferative airspace), 2 T-cells (differentiating and effector), and a single cluster each of inflammatory monocytes, dendritic cells, B-cells and natural killer cells. Inflammatory monocytes, autoreactive/suppressor neutrophils, and recruited/differentiating macrophages were predominant with arthritis induction (CIA and CIA+ODE). By specific lung cell isolation, several interferon-related and autoimmune genes were disproportionately expressed among CIA and CIA+ODE (e.g. Oasl1, Oas2, Ifit3, Gbp2, Ifi44, and Zbp1), corresponding to RA and RA-associated lung disease. Monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells were reduced, while complement genes (e.g. C1s1 and Cfb) were uniquely increased in CIA+ODE mice across cell populations. Recruited and inflammatory macrophages/monocytes and neutrophils expressing interferon-, autoimmune-, and complement-related genes might contribute towards pro-fibrotic inflammatory lung responses following airborne biohazard exposures in setting of autoimmune arthritis and could be predictive and/or targeted to reduce disease burden

The Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies (S^4G)

The Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies S^4G is an Exploration Science Legacy Program approved for the Spitzer post-cryogenic mission. It is a volume-, magnitude-, and size-limited (d < 40 Mpc, |b| > 30 degrees, m_(Bcorr) < 15.5, D25>1') survey of 2,331 galaxies using IRAC at 3.6 and 4.5 microns. Each galaxy is observed for 240 s and mapped to > 1.5 x D25. The final mosaicked images have a typical 1 sigma rms noise level of 0.0072 and 0.0093 MJy / sr at 3.6 and 4.5 microns, respectively. Our azimuthally-averaged surface brightness profile typically traces isophotes at mu_3.6 (AB) (1 sigma) ~ 27 mag arcsec^-2, equivalent to a stellar mass surface density of ~ 1 Msun pc^-2. S^4G thus provides an unprecedented data set for the study of the distribution of mass and stellar structures in the local Universe. This paper introduces the survey, the data analysis pipeline and measurements for a first set of galaxies, observed in both the cryogenic and warm mission phase of Spitzer. For every galaxy we tabulate the galaxy diameter, position angle, axial ratio, inclination at mu_3.6 (AB) = 25.5 and 26.5 mag arcsec^-2 (equivalent to ~ mu_B (AB) =27.2 and 28.2 mag arcsec^-2, respectively). These measurements will form the initial S^4G catalog of galaxy properties. We also measure the total magnitude and the azimuthally-averaged radial profiles of ellipticity, position angle, surface brightness and color. Finally, we deconstruct each galaxy using GALFIT into its main constituent stellar components: the bulge/spheroid, disk, bar, and nuclear point source, where necessary. Together these data products will provide a comprehensive and definitive catalog of stellar structures, mass and properties of galaxies in the nearby Universe.Comment: Accepted for Publication in PASP, 14 pages, 13 figure

Dropout in a longitudinal, cohort study of urologic disease in community men

BACKGROUND: Reasons for attrition in studies vary, but may be a major concern in long-term studies if those who drop out differ systematically from those who continue to participate. Factors associated with dropout were evaluated in a twelve-year community-based, prospective cohort study of urologic disease in men. METHODS: During 1989–1991, 2,115 randomly selected Caucasian men, ages 40–79 years from Olmsted County, Minnesota were enrolled and followed with questionnaires biennially; 332 men were added in follow-up. A random subset (~25%) received a urologic examination. Baseline characteristics including age, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) symptoms, comorbidities, and socioeconomic factors were compared between subjects who did and did not participate after the twelfth year of follow-up. RESULTS: Of the 2,447 men, 195 died and were excluded; 682 did not participate in 2002. Compared with men in the 40–49 year age group, men ≥ 70 years of age at baseline had a greater relative odds of dropout, 2.65 (95% CI: 1.93, 3.63). In age-adjusted analyses, relative to men without stroke, men who had suffered a stroke had a higher odds of dropout, age-adjusted OR 3.07 (95% CI: 1.49, 6.33). Presence of at least one BPH symptom was not associated with dropout, (age-adjusted OR 1.12 (95% CI: 0.93, 1.36)). CONCLUSION: These results provide assurance that dropout was not related to primary study outcomes. However, factors associated with dropout should be taken into account in analyses where they may be potential confounders

Tryptophan degradation in women with breast cancer: a pilot study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Altered tryptophan metabolism and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase activity are linked to cancer development and progression. In addition, these biological factors have been associated with the development and severity of neuropsychiatric syndromes, including major depressive disorder. However, this biological mechanism associated with both poor disease outcomes and adverse neuropsychiatric symptoms has received little attention in women with breast cancer. Therefore, a pilot study was undertaken to compare levels of tryptophan and other proteins involved in tryptophan degradation in women with breast cancer to women without cancer, and secondarily, to examine levels in women with breast caner over the course of chemotherapy.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>Blood samples were collected from women with a recent diagnosis of breast cancer (<it>n </it>= 33) before their first cycle of chemotherapy and after their last cycle of chemotherapy. The comparison group (<it>n </it>= 24) provided a blood sample prior to breast biopsy. Plasma concentrations of tryptophan, kynurenine, and tyrosine were determined. The kynurenine to tryptophan ratio (KYN/TRP) was used to estimate indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase activity. On average, the women with breast cancer had lower levels of tryptophan, elevated levels of kynurenine and tyrosine and an increased KYN/TRP ratio compared to women without breast cancer. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups in the KYN/TRP ratio (<it>p </it>= 0.036), which remained elevated in women with breast cancer throughout the treatment trajectory.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The findings of this pilot study suggest that increased tryptophan degradation may occur in women with early-stage breast cancer. Given the multifactorial consequences of increased tryptophan degradation in cancer outcomes and neuropsychiatric symptom manifestation, this biological mechanism deserves broader attention in women with breast cancer.</p