An Unfinished Canvas: Allocating Funding and Instructional Time for Elementary Arts Education

An Unfinished Canvas found that California's elementary schools face unique challenges inproviding all students with sequential, standards-based arts education. In particular, elementary principals identified inadequate funding and insufficient instructional time as significant barriers to the provision of arts education. For this study, we sought to further understand the impact of funding and time on elementary arts education. To do so, we examined the allocation of funding and instructional time in 10 schools across five states (Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, and California)

An Unfinished Canvas: Arts Education in California: Taking Stock of Policies and Practices

Provides an overview of K-12 arts education, including course offerings; availability of teachers, facilities, and materials; standards alignment, assessment, and accountability practices; and equal access. Discusses barriers and recommendations

Implementing Classroom Observation Rubrics: How are NGEI sites identifying and using classroom observation rubrics to prepare effective teachers?

The New Generation of Educators Initiative (NGEI), funded by the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, seeks to strengthen the current teacher preparation system in California so that new teachers enter the workforce prepared to implement Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The Foundation has developed a theory of action to guide reform that focuses on five Key Transformation Elements: partnership, prioritized skills, practice-based clinical preparation, formative feedback on prioritized skills, and data-driven continuous improvement.WestEd and SRI International are conducting a formative evaluation to track NGEI implementation and outcomes at the 11 NGEI grantees (i.e., TPPs and their district partners) that received comprehensive grants in Phase 2. One of the core NGEI requirements is that each partnership (campus and district) identify prioritized skills and a classroom observation rubric to measure candidate progress towards those skills. This is because high-quality rubrics can play a central role in preparing effective teachers and supporting ongoing improvement of preparation programsAs the theory of action shows, classroom observation rubrics (hereafter "rubrics") can operate at the center of individual and organizational learning.In addition to generating valuable data, rubrics can play a more foundational role in NGEI partnerships. When campus-district partners collaboratively select or develop rubrics, the rubrics articulate a consensus view of effective teaching. Rubrics are then a powerful tool for communicating that vision of effective teaching to a range of stakeholders -- professors, district administrators, university supervisors, cooperating teachers, and candidates. When used consistently they can break down gaps candidates might otherwise perceive between the theory taught in courses and the practice learned in clinical settings; they can also smooth the transition from preservice preparation into induction. The range of powerful uses for rubrics, however, adds to the complexity of selecting and using them. This Innovation Highlight is devoted to surfacing some of those complexities and then sharing some of the ways NGEI partnerships started working with rubrics during the 2016-17 school year

4.11 Non-Apis (Bombus terrestris) versus honeybee (Apis mellifera) acute oral and contact sensitivity – Preliminary results of ECPA company data evaluation

A preliminary data evaluation was conducted by ECPA companies to compare the sensitivity of bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) with the sensitivity of honeybees (Apis mellifera). For the evaluation about 70 data sets were available for contact exposure and about 50 data sets for oral exposure. The data sets comprised insecticides, fungicides, herbicides in about equal numbers plus a few other substances. The preliminary ECPA company data evaluation of LD 50 values indicates lower or similar contact sensitivity of bumblebees vs. honeybees. Similarly, lower or similar oral sensitivity of bumblebees vs. honeybees was determined with one exception for an insecticide that indicated higher acute oral bumblebee sensitivity compared to honeybees. For this insecticide, higher tier data indicates no negative impact on bumblebees at the maximum intended use rate. Overall, the ECPA company data evaluation indicates that bumblebees are not more sensitive than honeybees based on acute toxicity assessment.A preliminary data evaluation was conducted by ECPA companies to compare the sensitivity of bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) with the sensitivity of honeybees (Apis mellifera). For the evaluation about 70 data sets were available for contact exposure and about 50 data sets for oral exposure. The data sets comprised insecticides, fungicides, herbicides in about equal numbers plus a few other substances. The preliminary ECPA company data evaluation of LD 50 values indicates lower or similar contact sensitivity of bumblebees vs. honeybees. Similarly, lower or similar oral sensitivity of bumblebees vs. honeybees was determined with one exception for an insecticide that indicated higher acute oral bumblebee sensitivity compared to honeybees. For this insecticide, higher tier data indicates no negative impact on bumblebees at the maximum intended use rate. Overall, the ECPA company data evaluation indicates that bumblebees are not more sensitive than honeybees based on acute toxicity assessment

The labels and models used to describe problematic substance use impact discrete elements of stigma: A Registered Report

Objectives: Problematic substance use is one of the most stigmatised health conditions leading research to examine how the labels and models used to describe it influence public stigma. Two recent studies examine whether beliefs in a disease model of addiction influence public stigma but result in equivocal findings – in line with the mixed-blessings model, Kelly et al. (2021) found that whilst the label ‘chronically relapsing brain disease’ reduced blame attribution, it decreased prognostic optimism and increased perceived danger and need for continued care; however, Rundle et al. (2021) conclude absence of evidence. This study isolates the different factors used in these two studies to assess whether health condition (drug use vs. health concern), aetiological label (brain disease vs. problem), and attributional judgement (low vs. high treatment stability) influence public stigma towards problematic substance use. Methods: 1613 participants were assigned randomly to one of eight vignette conditions that manipulated these factors. They completed self-report measures of discrete and general public stigma and an indirect measure of discrimination. Results: Greater social distance, danger, and public stigma but lower blame were ascribed to drug use relative to a health concern. Greater (genetic) blame was reported when drug use was labelled as a ‘chronically relapsing brain disease’ relative to a ‘problem’. Findings for attributional judgement were either inconclusive or statistically equivalent. Discussion: The labels used to describe problematic substance use appear to impact discrete elements of stigma. We suggest that addiction is a functional attribution, which may explain the mixed literature on the impact of aetiological labels on stigma to date

The immunogenicity and safety of a reduced PRP-content DTPw-HBV/Hib vaccine when administered according to the accelerated EPI schedule

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Combination vaccines improve coverage, compliance and effectively introduce new antigens to mass vaccination programmes. This was a phase III, observer-blind, randomized study of GSK Biologicals diphtheria-tetanus-whole cell pertussis vaccine combined with hepatitis B and <it>Haemophilus influenzae </it>type b vaccines, containing a reduced amount of polyribosyl-ribitol-phosphate (PRP) and a DTPw component manufactured at a different site (DTPw-HBV/Hib_2.5[Kft]). The primary aim of this study was to demonstrate that DTPw-HBV/Hib_2.5[Kft] was not inferior to the licensed DTPw-HBV/Hib (<it>Tritanrix</it>(tm)-HepB/<it>Hiberix</it>(tm)) vaccine or the DTPw-HBV/Hib_2.5vaccine, also containing a reduced amount of PRP, with respect to the immune response to the PRP antigen, when administered to healthy infants, according to the Expanded Programme for Immunization (EPI) schedule at 6, 10 and 14 weeks of age.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>299 healthy infants were randomised to receive either DTPw-HBV/Hib_2.5[Kft] DTPw-HBV/Hib_2.5or DTPw-HBV/Hib according to the 6-10-14 week EPI schedule. Blood samples were analysed prior to the first dose of study vaccine and one month after the third vaccine dose for the analysis of immune responses. Solicited local and general symptoms such as pain, redness and swelling at the injection site and drowsiness and fever, unsolicited symptoms (defined as any additional adverse event) and serious adverse events (SAEs) were recorded up to 20 weeks of age.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>One month after the third vaccine dose, 100% of subjects receiving DTPw-HBV/Hib_2.5[Kft] or DTPw-HBV/Hib and 98.8% of subjects receiving DTPw-HBV/Hib_2.5vaccine had seroprotective levels of anti-PRP antibodies (defined as anti-PRP antibody concentration ≥0.15 μg/ml). Seroprotective antibody concentrations were attained in over 98.9% of subjects for diphtheria, tetanus and hepatitis B. The vaccine response rate to pertussis antigen was at least 97.8% in each group. Overall, the DTPw-HBV/Hib_2.5[Kft] vaccine was well tolerated in healthy infants; no SAEs were reported in any group.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The DTPw-HBV/Hib_2.5[Kft] vaccine was immunogenic and well-tolerated when administered according to the EPI schedule to Indian infants.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p><url>http://www.clinicaltrials.gov</url> NCT00473668</p

Primary and booster vaccination in Latin American children with a DTPw-HBV/Hib combination: a randomized controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Diphtheria-tetanus-whole-cell pertussis (DTPw)-based combination vaccines are an attractive option to rapidly achieve high coverage and protection against other important pathogens, such as hepatitis B virus (HBV) and <it>Haemophilus influenzae </it>type B (Hib). To ensure adequate antigen supply, GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals has introduced a new DTPw antigen source and developed a new DTPw-HBV/Hib combination vaccine containing a reduced amount of Hib polyribosylribitol phosphate (PRP). This study was undertaken to compare the immunogenicity and reactogenicity of this new DTPw-HBV/Hib vaccine with a licensed DTPw-HBV/Hib vaccine (<it>Tritanrix</it>™-HBV/Hib).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This was a randomized, partially-blind, multicenter study in three countries in Latin America (Argentina, Chile and Nicaragua). Healthy children received either the new DTPw-HBV/Hib vaccine (1 of 3 lots; n = 439; double-blind) or Tritanrix™-HBV/Hib (n = 146; single-blind) co-administered with oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) at 2, 4 and 6 months, with a booster dose at 18-24 months.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>One month after the end of the 3-dose primary vaccination course, the new DTPw-HBV/Hib vaccine was non-inferior to Tritanrix™-HBV/Hib in terms of seroprotection/vaccine response rates for all component antigens; ≥97.3% and ≥93.9% of subjects in the two groups, respectively, had seroprotective levels of antibodies against diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B and Hib and a vaccine response to the pertussis component. Persistence of antibodies against all vaccine antigens was comparable between groups, with marked increases in all antibody concentrations after booster administration in both groups. Both vaccines were generally well-tolerated as primary and booster doses.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Results confirm the suitability of this new DTPw-HBV/Hib vaccine comprising antigens from a new source and a reduced PRP content for inclusion into routine childhood vaccination programs.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p><url>http://www.clinicaltrials.gov</url> NCT00332566</p

Different subcellular localisations of TRIM22 suggest species-specific function

The B30.2/SPRY domain is present in many proteins, including various members of the tripartite motif (TRIM) protein family such as TRIM5α, which mediates innate intracellular resistance to retroviruses in several primate species. This resistance is dependent on the integrity of the B30.2 domain that evolves rapidly in primates and exhibits species-specific anti-viral activity. TRIM22 is another positively selected TRIM gene. Particularly, the B30.2 domain shows rapid evolution in the primate lineage and recently published data indicate an anti-viral function of TRIM22. We show here that human and rhesus TRIM22 localise to different subcellular compartments and that this difference can be assigned to the positively selected B30.2 domain. Moreover, we could demonstrate that amino acid changes in two variable loops (VL1 and VL3) are responsible for the different subcellular localisations

Sparse, decorrelated odor coding in the mushroom body enhances learned odor discrimination

Sparse coding may be a general strategy of neural systems for augmenting memory capacity. In Drosophila melanogaster, sparse odor coding by the Kenyon cells of the mushroom body is thought to generate a large number of precisely addressable locations for the storage of odor-specific memories. However, it remains untested how sparse coding relates to behavioral performance. Here we demonstrate that sparseness is controlled by a negative feedback circuit between Kenyon cells and the GABAergic anterior paired lateral (APL) neuron. Systematic activation and blockade of each leg of this feedback circuit showed that Kenyon cells activated APL and APL inhibited Kenyon cells. Disrupting the Kenyon cell–APL feedback loop decreased the sparseness of Kenyon cell odor responses, increased inter-odor correlations and prevented flies from learning to discriminate similar, but not dissimilar, odors. These results suggest that feedback inhibition suppresses Kenyon cell activity to maintain sparse, decorrelated odor coding and thus the odor specificity of memories