An Investigation of Student Retention Practices and Development of a Proposed School Retention Policy for the Beecher City, Illinois School District

The purposes of the study were to investigate student retention policies and practices in selected elementary schools in the Beecher City, Illinois, area and to develop a proposed school retention policy for the Beecher City School District where the author was employed as an emementary school principal. The issue of student retention has been debated across the country for decades. The review of literature and research found mixed evidence concerning the effectiveness of student retention. Since retention is an age-old practice, an historical review of literature was included to inform the reader of progression of the practice of retention in schools. After investigating the respondents\u27 retention practices, the author developed a policy on retention for the Beecher City School District. Information on student retention practices and policies was collected through the development of a survey document that was sent to 42 elementary principals in the Beecher City, Illinois, area. Thirty-four principals returned the questionnaire for an 81% response rate. Schools whose principals answered the survey had a combined enrollment of 10,380. Results showed that a very low number of students were retained in the schools whose principals responded to the survey. A larger number of boys were retained than girls, and a large number of schools retained no students. Results also showed that a high number of students receiving free lunch were retained. Less than one-half of the surveyed schools had developed a policy on retention. With a remarkably low number of students retained, most retentions were the result of a philosophy or guidelines. Fewer than 50% of the schools surveyed had a formal policy. Schools without a formal policy followed essentially the same procedures as those with a formal policy. Approximately one-third of the principals thought that retention led to later academic success. Only 18% of the principals surveyed believed that the teacher should make the final decision on retention. The review of literature for the study revealed that most educators disagree with the practice of retention. Results of this study indicated slightly more than half of the principals favored retention, however 36% of the principals responding to the survey indicated that they believed that little academic progress was achieved by retaining a student. Finally, as a result of information received from the completed questionnaires, a retention policy for Beecher City Unit School District #20 was developed by the author. The policy was presented to the Beecher City Unit 20 Curriculum and Policy Committee for adoption

Measurement of the vortex-core radius by scanning tunneling microscopy

Using a scanning tunneling microscope operated in a spectroscopic mode we imaged flux-line lattices in niobium diselenide at various external magnetic fields. From the evaluation of a large number of tunneling-current profiles taken across the individual vortices we deduced the dependence of the vortex-code radius on the applied magnetic field. It was found that the core radius shows a pronounced decrease with increasing field, even for H/Hc2<<1. This behavior is qualitatively well characterized by self-consistent solutions of the Usadel equations

Exploring the contextual factors and decision-making process of risky sexual behavior among homeless adults in Louisville, Kentucky.

Homelessness is a complex public health issue; individuals who experience homelessness are said to engage in risky sexual behaviors at an increased rate and experience a higher prevalence of sexually transmitted infection (STI). While the sexual behaviors of homeless adolescents are commonly studied, little is known about the sexual behaviors of the growing population of older adults, or how they make decisions to engage in sex. Three aims guided this research: 1) to describe the sexual behaviors and sexual decision-making process of homeless older adults, 2) to examine how homeless older adults evaluate the outcomes associated with engaging in risky sexual behaviors, and 3) to identify the predictors of sexual behaviors in which homeless older adults engage. This study used a qualitative approach, which included five key informant interviews with providers of homeless services and twenty interviews with the target population. A purposive sampling method was employed by utilizing an indirect facilitation approach, relying on a partnership with local service providers to identify and refer individuals who they believed met the eligibility criteria. Results of the study reflect that while homelessness presents barriers to healthy relationships, older adults experiencing homelessness engage in sex for personal benefits, including the ability to meet their basic needs through transactional opportunities and the need for interpersonal connection. As noted in other studies on homelessness, living in shelters and on the streets presents inherent risks to physical and emotional safety, with increased risk of vulnerability and victimization. Homeless individuals identify STIs/HIV and physical harm as results of sexual encounters, and although these risks can be mitigated, they do not motivate individuals to apply discretion and safer sex practices. In fact, participants expressed confidence in their ability to use safer sex practices and noted the accessibility of condoms, yet did not perceive themselves to be at risk at the time of the sexual encounter. One primary barrier to implementing safer sex practices while experiencing homelessness is the use of substances. The population experiences negative interpersonal relationships, with reports of social disconnection and unfavorable influences of substances on relationships

Over de behandeling van angst : doen we de goede dingen en doen we de goede dingen goed?

Angststoornissen behoren met een lifetimeprevalentie van bijna 20% tot de meest voorkomende en beperkende psychische stoornissen. Ze zijn vaak chronisch van aard en (daardoor) geassocieerd met ernstige beperkingen in zowel interpersoonlijk als beroepsmatig functioneren. De comorbiditeit hebben van angststoornissen met andere psychische klachten is hoog, vooral met andere angststoornissen en stemmingsstoornissen, maar ook met misbruik of afhankelijkheid van alcohol en drugs. Gelukkig bestaan er effectieve behandelingen die bij de meeste patiënten tot klachtafname leiden. Zo is duidelijk geworden uit vele effectstudies naar op exposure gebaseerde interventies voor angststoornissen, waarbij patiënten blootgesteld worden aan beangstigende situaties, gedachten of lichamelijke sensaties met als doel disfunctionele verwachtingen over het optreden van negatieve gebeurtenissen te ontkrachten. Exposuretherapie wordt dan ook beschouwd als de psychologische behandeling van eerste voorkeur, zowel in internationale als in nationale multidisciplinaire richtlijnen voor de behandeling van angststoornissen. Maar ook medicamenteuze behandeling, of combinatiebehandelingen, zijn werkzaam in de behandeling van angstklachten. Goed nieuws dus. Angststoornissen zijn goed behandelbaar. Toch worden bewezen effectieve behandelingen nog te vaak niet aan patiënten aangeboden. Maar ook als dat wel het geval is, worden ze nog te vaak niet op een goede manier aangeboden. Maar zelfs als de goede dingen goed gedaan worden, wordt niet elke patiënt met een angststoornis beter. Door patiënten vaker de behandeling van voorkeur aan te bieden en in te zetten op het adequaat uitvoeren van interventies kan winst geboekt worden bij de behandeling van angst. Maar ook door het integreren van moderne technieken als behandeling via apps, internet en beeldbellen in-, of het toevoegen van interventies gericht op het vergroten van het welbevinden en het verbeteren van het functioneren aan bestaande werkzame behandelingen voor angststoornissen.Mijn oratie gaat over de behandeling van angst- en dwangstoornissen. Het terrein waar ik me de laatste 10 jaar het meest op gericht heb. We weten al heel veel over de behandeling van angst. Maar de boodschap van mijn verhaal is dat er nog genoeg winst te boeken is. Een aantal manieren waarop dat volgens mij kan, wil ik graag met u doornemen

Molecular Targets of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) within the Zebrafish Ovary: Insights into TCDD-induced Endocrine Disruption and Reproductive Toxicity

TCDD is a reproductive toxicant and endocrine disruptor, yet the mechanisms by which it causes these reproductive alterations are not fully understood. In order to provide additional insight into the molecular mechanisms that underlie TCDD\u27s reproductive toxicity, we assessed TCDD-induced transcriptional changes in the ovary as they relate to previously described impacts on serum estradiol concentrations and altered follicular development in zebrafish. In silico computational approaches were used to correlate candidate regulatory motifs with observed changes in gene expression. Our data suggest that TCDD inhibits follicle maturation via attenuated gonadotropin responsiveness and/or depressed estradiol biosynthesis, and that interference of estrogen-regulated signal transduction may also contribute to TCDD\u27s impacts on follicular development. TCDD may also alter ovarian function by disrupting various signaling pathways such as glucose and lipid metabolism, and regulation of transcription. Furthermore, events downstream from initial TCDD molecular-targets likely contribute to ovarian toxicity following chronic exposure to TCDD. Data presented here provide further insight into the mechanisms by which TCDD disrupts follicular development and reproduction in fish, and can be used to formulate new hypotheses regarding previously documented ovarian toxicity

Street-level bureaucrats and new modes of governance – how conflicting roles affect the implementation of the Swiss ordinance on veterinary medicinal products

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.Lipsky’s seminal concept of street-level bureaucrats (SLB) focuses on their role as public servants. However, in the course of new modes of governance, private actors have gained an additional role as implementation agents. We explore the logic of private SLBs during the implementation of the Swiss Ordinance on Veterinary Medicinal Products (OVMP) where veterinarians are simultaneously implementing agents, policy addressees, and professionals with economic interests. We argue that, because of contradictory reference systems, it is problematic for the output performance if an actor is simultaneously the target group of a policy and its implementing agen

Biochemical Underpinnings of Immune Cell Metabolic Phenotypes

The metabolism of immune cells affects their function and influences host immunity. This review explores how immune cell metabolic phenotypes reflect biochemical dependencies and highlights evidence that both the metabolic state of immune cells and nutrient availability can alter immune responses. The central importance of oxygen, energetics, and redox homeostasis in immune cell metabolism, and how these factors are reflected in different metabolic phenotypes, is also discussed. Linking immune cell metabolic phenotype to effector functions is important to understand how altering metabolism can impact the way in which immune cells meet their metabolic demands and affect the immune response in various disease contexts.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant R01CA168653)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant R01CA201276

Associations between Depressive Symptoms, Rumination, Overgeneral Autobiographical Memory and Interpretation Bias within a Clinically Depressed Sample

__Abstract__ There is ample research demonstrating that biases in cognitive processes, such as a negative interpretation bias, rumination, and overgeneral autobiographical memory, are potential vulnerability factors for depression. However, a key limitation is that most studies conducted so far have studied cognitive biases in depression in isolation. Therefore our goal was to explore whether or not interpretation bias, overgeneral autobiographical memory, and rumination are present and interrelated in depressive outpatients. In this explorative study we examined the relationship between negative interpretation bias, rumination, overgeneral autobiographical memory, and severity of depression in clinically depressed outpatients. According to our expectations a negative interpretation bias and rumination were associated with severity of depression. Moreover, overgeneral autobiographical memory was not associated with severity of depression, but seemed to be associated with diagnosis of depression. A negative interpretation bias, overgeneral autobiographical memory, and rumination were not significantly related with each other in this study. This finding suggests they are not strongly related and might be largely distinct vulnerability factors for depression. The study presents an important yet preliminary finding which warrants further replication with a larger sample size

Emerging concepts: linking hypoxic signaling and cancer metabolism

The Joint Keystone Symposia on Cancer and Metabolism and Advances in Hypoxic Signaling: From Bench to Bedside were held in Banff, Alberta, Canada from 12 to 17 February 2012. Drs. Reuben Shaw and David Sabatini organized the Cancer and Metabolism section, and Drs. Volker Haase, Cormac Taylor, Johanna Myllyharju and Paul Schumacker organized the Advances in Hypoxic Signaling section. Accumulating data illustrate that both hypoxia and rewired metabolism influence cancer biology. Indeed, these phenomena are tightly coupled, and a joint meeting was held to foster interdisciplinary interactions and enhance our understanding of these two processes in neoplastic disease. In this report, we highlight the major themes of the conference paying particular attention to areas of intersection between hypoxia and metabolism in cancer. One opening keynote address was delivered by Craig Thompson (Memorial Sloan-Kettering, USA), in which he provided a comprehensive perspective on the current thinking around how altered metabolism supports cancer cell growth and survival, and discussed areas likely to be important for future discovery. In particular, Thompson highlighted the essential roles of glucose and glutamine in cell growth, how glucose- and glutamine-consuming processes are rewired in cancer and how this rewiring facilitates anabolic metabolism. These topics were at the core of many of the metabolism presentations that described in detail how some metabolic alterations contribute to the properties of transformed cells. The other keynote address was delivered by Peter Ratcliffe (University of Oxford, UK), in which he provided a historical perspective on the progress of how signaling events sense oxygen. Mammals have evolved multiple acute and long-term adaptive responses to low oxygen levels (hypoxia). This response prevents a disparity in ATP utilization and produc- tion that would otherwise result in a bioenergetic collapse when oxygen level is low. Multiple effectors have been proposed to mediate the response to hypoxia including prolyl hydroxylases, AMPK, NADPH oxidases and the mitochondrial complex III. Currently, however, the precise mechanism by which oxygen is sensed in various physiological contexts remains unknown. Indeed, this was an active point of debate, with Peter Ratcliffe favoring the prolyl hydroxylase PHD2 as the primary cellular oxygen sensor.Burrough’s Wellcome FundDamon Runyon Cancer Research FoundationLustgarten FoundationSmith family and the Stern famil