Considering Care: Infant Teachers, Reflective Function and the Care Environment in Child Care Centers

The present study sought to explore infant teachers\u27 understanding of the mental states of the infants in their care in child care centers. The goal of the study was to examine whether reflective function could be assessed through semi-structured interviews with infant teachers and whether the care environment of the center was influential in supporting reflective capacity. To assess the care environment provided by the child care center, director interviews, teacher and director questionnaires and subscales of the Infant/Toddler Environmental Rating Scale, Revised (Harms, Cryer & Clifford, 2003) were used. Participants in this study were 25 infant teachers and 24 child care center directors of community-based child care programs in Orange County, Florida. Adaptation of the Parent Development Interview, Revised Short Version (Slade, Aber, Berger, Bresgi & Kaplan, 2003) for use with infant teachers in child care classrooms supplied evidence of infant teachers\u27 capacity for reflective function, although a correlation with observed caregiving practices, as measured by subscales of the Infant/Toddler Environmental Rating Scale, Revised was not found. Administrative support, training and education were not found to be correlated with higher levels of reflective capacity although staff support was. Qualitative analysis provided insight into infant teachers\u27 perspectives on relationships, conscious caregiving and developmental issues related to the first year in non-maternal care. As the first year of an infant\u27s life is an important period for the social-emotional development that forms the basis for later learning, this exploratory study provides new insight to the subtle elements that are at work influencing the quality of care provided to infants in child care centers

Collagens XII and XIV: Two collagen types both associated with bovine muscle and intramuscular lipid metabolism

In continental Europe, intramuscular fat (IMF) content in beef is low but plays a key role in determining flavor. IMF expands inside the extracellular matrix (ECM) of intramuscular connective tissue. This ECM contains among others, collagens XII and XIV, two minor collagens probably involved in muscle metabolism. So, our purpose was to determine if there was an association between the contents in collagens XII and XIV and muscle metabolism. Rectus abdominis (RA, oxidative) and Semitendinosus (ST, oxido-glycolytic) muscles were sampled from steers of two genotypes with high (Angus [Ang], n=10) or low (Limousine [Lim], n=10) intramuscular fat level. Collagens XII and XIV relative abundance was evaluated by Western blot analysis. The characteristic parameters of metabolism were previously measured. Ang muscles contained more collagen XIV than Lim muscles (p<0.001). RA muscle contained more collagen XII than ST muscle (p<0.01). Across the two breeds and muscles, collagen XII was positively correlated with A- and H-fatty acid binding protein (FABP) contents (+0.43 and +0.53, respectively, p<0.05) and activities of three oxidative enzymes (cytochrome-c oxidase: +0.41, isocitrate dehydrogenase [ICDH]: +0.40, citrate synthase [CS]: +0.32) (p<0.05) and collagen XIV was positively correlated with triacylglycerol content (+0.35, p<0.35), A- and H-FABP protein contents (+0.35 and +0.38, respectively, p<0.05) and ICDH (+0.34, p<0.05) and negatively with activities of two enzymes of glycolytic metabolism (phosphofructokinase: -0.31 and lactate dehydrogenase: -0.42, p<0.05). After removing the genotype and muscle effects, only collagen XII remained correlated with A- and H-FABP and CS activity (+0.30, +0.34 and +0.46, respectively, p<0.0505). H-FABP is expressed in various tissues but predominantly in cardiac and oxidative skeletal muscles, whereas A-FABP is exclusively expressed within adipocytes. From these results, we can conclude that collagen XII and XIV are both associated with bovine muscle fiber and intramuscular lipid metabolism, but probably by different mechanisms. As a matter of fact, collagens XII is associated with intramuscular fat differentiation (from its correlation with A-FABP content) and oxidative metabolism (from its correlation with H-FABP content and CS activities) regardless of breed and muscle, whereas type XIV collagen is associated with the same parameters plus enzymes of glycolytic metabolism that discriminate breeds

Genetic variability of muscle biological characteristics of young Limousin bulls

Genetic parameters of 4 muscle biological characteristics (protein to DNA ratio (Pro/DNA), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDH) activity and the proportion of type I myosin heavy chains (MHC I)), in the Semitendinosus and the Longissimus thoracis, were estimated simultaneously with average daily gain (ADG), 480-d final weight (FW), carcass lean and fat contents (CL% and CF% respectively) in a sample of young Limousin bulls tested in station. The data came from 144 animals, the progeny of 15 sires. Sire and residual variances and covariances were estimated u using an expectation maximization restricted maximum likelihood (EM-REML) procedure applied to a multitrait mixed model. Heritability coefficients of production traits, ADG, FW, CL% and CF%, were 0.19, 0.49, 0.39 and 0.43, respectively, while heritability coefficients of muscle characteristics, Pro/DNA, LDH, ICDH and MHC I, were 0.11, 0.26, 1.03 and 0.35 respectively, in the Semitendinosus muscle and 0.29, 0.31, 0.28 and 0.41, respectively, in the Longissimus thoracis muscle. In both muscles, the oxidative activity of the ICDH appeared to be genetically associated with the proportion of type I myosin heavy chains and opposed to the glycolytic activity of the LDH. The LDH activity was clearly associated with higher muscle-to-fat ratio, while the opposite relationship was observed between that ratio and the ICDH activity or the MHC I proportion.Les paramètres génétiques de 4 caractéristiques biologiques - le rapport protéines /ADN (Pro/DNA), les activités de la lactate déshydrogénase (LDH) et de l’isocitrate déshydrogénase (ICDH) et la proportion en chaînes lourdes de myosine lente (MHC I) - des muscles Semitendinosus et Longissimus thoracis, et ceux du gain moyen quotidien (ADG), du poids vif finaL à 480 j (FW) et des teneurs de la carcasse en muscles et en dépôts adipeux (CL% and CF% respectivement), ont été estimés simultanément à partir d’un échantillon de taurillons Limousins contrôlés en station. Le fichier comprenait 144 veaux issus de 15 pères testés sur descendance. Les variances et covariances paternelles et résiduelles ont été estimées par la méthode du maximum de vraisemblance restreinte, avec l’algorithme d’espérance-maximisation, appliquée à un modèle mixte multicaractère (EM-REML). Les coefficients d’héritabilité des variables de production, ADG, FW, CL% et CF%, s’élevaient respectivement à 0,19, 0,49, 0,39 et 0,43, tandis que les coefficients d’héritabilité des caractéristiques musculaires, Pro/DNA, LDH, ICDH et MHC I, valaient respectivement 0,11, 0,26, 1,03 et 0,35 dans le muscle Semitendinosus et 0,29, 0,31, 0,28 et 0,41 dans le muscle Longissimus thoracis. Dans les 2 muscles, l’activité oxidative de l’ICDH était génétiquement associée à la proportion de myosine lente et opposée à l’activité glycolytique du LDH. Cette activité du LDH était positivement corrélée avec le rapport muscles / dépôts adipeux, alors qu’une relation inverse était observée avec l’activité de l’ICDH et la proportion de MHC I

Entrepreneurship orientation and business discontinuance : a relationship analysis of total early-stage activities in the BRICS countries

PURPOSE FOR THE STUDY : The links between entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and business discontinuance are seldom researched. This article analyses EO and business discontinuance rates in the countries of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (SA) of which the acronym is BRICS. The study aim is to establish whether innovative management of SMEs increase business survival rates. The BRICS formed in 2009-2010 but research comparing their SME sectors are sparse. Theoretically, EO underscored by innovation, high exportintensity and new technology take-up within early-stage entrepreneurship should lower business discontinuance. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH : Data for the variables studied were extracted from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) report and the study hypothesised that innovation, high export-intensity and new technology take-up rates are negatively correlated with business discontinuance rates. The hypotheses were tested using correlation analysis. Kruskal-Wallis and post hoc tests find significant overall variances and specific country-country variances. FINDINGS : While overall total early-stage entrepreneurship (TEA) is positively correlated with business discontinuance, the TEA variables scrutinised in the study are indeed mostly negatively correlated. These findings indicate that more generic small businesses are not good for accelerated economic growth because specific qualities in SMEs increase their survival and growth. Furthermore, innovation and new technology takeup are consistently positively correlated, implying that innovation cannot do without new technology. RECOMMENDATIONS/VALUE : EO within SME management practice must be nurtured by well-crafted entrepreneurial policy and implementation. Support to SMEs, in particular with technology and digitalisation, is required to boost their innovation and competitiveness. Policy support is required to boost SMEs enter global value chains. MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS : Entrepreneurs and SME managers must increase their EO and focus on being innovative, export-driven and to employ new technology. SMEs need these inputs to grow and survive. SME management must also find ways to invest in new technology in order to increase their innovation and competitiveness.http://reference.sabinet.co.za/sa_epublication/jcmanam2022Business Managemen

Accurate Object Detection with Deformable Shape Models Learnt from Images

International audienceWe present an object class detection approach which fully integrates the complementary strengths offered by shape matchers. Like an object detector, it can learn class models directly from images, and localize novel instances in the presence of intra-class variations, clutter, and scale changes. Like a shape matcher, it finds the accurate boundaries of the objects, rather than just their bounding-boxes. This is made possible by 1) a novel technique for learning a shape model of an object class given images of example instances; 2) the combination of Hough-style voting with a non-rigid point matching algorithm to localize the model in cluttered images. As demonstrated by an extensive evaluation, our method can localize object boundaries accurately, while needing no segmented examples for training (only bounding-boxes)

The development and pilot testing of a rapid assessment tool to improve local public health system capacity in Australia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To operate effectively the public health system requires infrastructure and the capacity to act. Public health's ability to attract funding for infrastructure and capacity development would be enhanced if it was able to demonstrate what level of capacity was required to ensure a high performing system. Australia's public health activities are undertaken within a complex organizational framework that involves three levels of government and a diverse range of other organizations. The question of appropriate levels of infrastructure and capacity is critical at each level. Comparatively little is known about infrastructure and capacity at the local level.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In-depth interviews were conducted with senior managers in two Australian states with different frameworks for health administration. They were asked to reflect on the critical components of infrastructure and capacity required at the local level. The interviews were analyzed to identify the major themes. Workshops with public health experts explored this data further. The information generated was used to develop a tool, designed to be used by groups of organizations within discrete geographical locations to assess local public health capacity.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Local actors in these two different systems pointed to similar areas for inclusion for the development of an instrument to map public health capacity at the local level. The tool asks respondents to consider resources, programs and the cultural environment within their organization. It also asks about the policy environment - recognizing that the broader environment within which organizations operate impacts on their capacity to act. Pilot testing of the tool pointed to some of the challenges involved in such an exercise, particularly if the tool were to be adopted as policy.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This research indicates that it is possible to develop a tool for the systematic assessment of public health capacity at the local level. Piloting the tool revealed some concerns amongst participants, particularly about how the tool would be used. However there was also recognition that the areas covered by the tool were those considered relevant.</p

Epigenetics and developmental programming of welfare and production traits in farm animals

The concept that postnatal health and development can be influenced by events that occur in utero originated from epidemiological studies in humans supported by numerous mechanistic (including epigenetic) studies in a variety of model species. Referred to as the ‘developmental origins of health and disease’ or ‘DOHaD’ hypothesis, the primary focus of large-animal studies until quite recently had been biomedical. Attention has since turned towards traits of commercial importance in farm animals. Herein we review the evidence that prenatal risk factors, including suboptimal parental nutrition, gestational stress, exposure to environmental chemicals and advanced breeding technologies, can determine traits such as postnatal growth, feed efficiency, milk yield, carcass composition, animal welfare and reproductive potential. We consider the role of epigenetic and cytoplasmic mechanisms of inheritance, and discuss implications for livestock production and future research endeavours. We conclude that although the concept is proven for several traits, issues relating to effect size, and hence commercial importance, remain. Studies have also invariably been conducted under controlled experimental conditions, frequently assessing single risk factors, thereby limiting their translational value for livestock production. We propose concerted international research efforts that consider multiple, concurrent stressors to better represent effects of contemporary animal production systems