Effects of Professional Development and Virtual Teacher Coaching with Videoconferencing on the Increase of Teacher Given Opportunities to Respond and the On-Task Behavior of Students with Emotional/Behavior Disorders

Coaching has been identified as a critical support for persistent use of newly adopted practices and skills (Joyce & Showers, 1982). A systematic review of the literature was conducted to examine the literature base on supervisory coaching, an approach in which an outside expert or supervisor gives specific, positive, and corrective coaching when needed and is offered to the teacher after the completion of the observed lesson in an effort to move the recipient toward a desired level of performance (Joyce & Showers, 1981; 1982; Maeda, 2001; Simonsen, Myers, & DeLuca, 2010). Sixteen quasi-experimental and single-subject studies were identified and reviewed using quality indicators specific to quasi-experimental (Gersten et al., 2005) and single subject (Horner et al., 2005) research. Only six of the sixteen studies met all quality indicators. Mixed results were found across the studies, with six reporting improved teacher results and four reporting improved student behaviors. The subsequent study explored an alternative means to offering supervisory coaching to teachers: professional development and virtual teacher coaching with videoconferencing. A single-case multiple baseline design was used to investigate the effect the intervention had on the frequency with which teachers offer Opportunities to Respond (OTR) and on the on-task behavior of middle school students with emotional/ behavior disorders (E/BD). OTR is a teacher behavior that petitions a student response (Haydon et al., 2010). After baseline data was collected, virtual coaching sessions were implemented to increase OTR after every other observed session. Results indicated there was a functional relation between virtual teacher coaching with videoconferencing and teacher rates of OTR. However, no functional relation was observed between teachers given OTR and student on-task behavior. Implications for virtual teacher coaching, OTR, and future research are discussed

Fenugreek Counters the Effects of High Fat Diet on Gut Microbiota in Mice: Links to Metabolic Benefit

© 2020, The Author(s). Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) is an annual herbaceous plant and a staple of traditional health remedies for metabolic conditions including high cholesterol and diabetes. While the mechanisms of the beneficial actions of fenugreek remain unknown, a role for intestinal microbiota in metabolic homeostasis is likely. To determine if fenugreek utilizes intestinal bacteria to offset the adverse effects of high fat diets, C57BL/6J mice were fed control/low fat (CD) or high fat (HFD) diets each supplemented with or without 2% (w/w) fenugreek for 16 weeks. The effects of fenugreek and HFD on gut microbiota were comprehensively mapped and then statistically assessed in relation to effects on metrics of body weight, hyperlipidemia, and glucose tolerance. 16S metagenomic analyses revealed robust and significant effects of fenugreek on gut microbiota, with alterations in both alpha and beta diversity as well as taxonomic redistribution under both CD and HFD conditions. As previously reported, fenugreek attenuated HFD-induced hyperlipidemia and stabilized glucose tolerance without affecting body weight. Finally, fenugreek specifically reversed the dysbiotic effects of HFD on numerous taxa in a manner tightly correlated with overall metabolic function. Collectively, these data reinforce the essential link between gut microbiota and metabolic syndrome and suggest that the preservation of healthy populations of gut microbiota participates in the beneficial properties of fenugreek in the context of modern Western-style diets

Lead Exposure Inhibits Fracture Healing and Is Associated with Increased Chondrogenesis, Delay in Cartilage Mineralization, and a Decrease in Osteoprogenitor Frequency

Lead exposure continues to be a significant public health problem. In addition to acute toxicity, Pb has an extremely long half-life in bone. Individuals with past exposure develop increased blood Pb levels during periods of high bone turnover or resorption. Pb is known to affect osteoblasts, osteoclasts, and chondrocytes and has been associated with osteoporosis. However, its effects on skeletal repair have not been studied. We exposed C57/B6 mice to various concentrations of Pb acetate in their drinking water to achieve environmentally relevant blood Pb levels, measured by atomic absorption. After exposure for 6 weeks, each mouse underwent closed tibia fracture. Radiographs were followed and histologic analysis was performed at 7, 14, and 21 days. In mice exposed to low Pb concentrations, fracture healing was characterized by a delay in bridging cartilage formation, decreased collagen type II and type X expression at 7 days, a 5-fold increase in cartilage formation at day 14 associated with delayed maturation and calcification, and a persistence of cartilage at day 21. Fibrous nonunions at 21 days were prevalent in mice receiving very high Pb exposures. Pb significantly inhibited ex vivo bone nodule formation but had no effect on osteoclasts isolated from Pb-exposed animals. No significant effects on osteoclast number or activity were observed. We conclude that Pb delays fracture healing at environmentally relevant doses and induces fibrous nonunions at higher doses by inhibiting the progression of endochondral ossification

Assessment of chemical species of lead accumulated in tidemarks of human articular cartilage by X-ray absorption near-edge structure analysis

Lead is a toxic trace element that shows a highly specific accumulation in the transition zone between calcified and non-calcified articular cartilage, the so-called ‘tidemark’. Excellent agreement has been found between XANES spectra of synthetic Pb-doped carbonated hydroxyapatite and spectra obtained in the tidemark region and trabecular bone of normal human samples, confirming that in both tissues Pb is incorporated into the hydroxyapatite crystal structure of bone. During this study the µ-XANES set-up at the SUL-X beamline at ANKA was tested and has proven to be well suited for speciation of lead in human mineralized tissue samples

Lead exposure and periodontitis in US adults

Lead is known to have significant effects on bone metabolism and the immune system. This study tested the hypothesis that lead exposure affects periodontitis in adults. Material and Methods:  This study used the data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III, 1988–94). It analyzed data from 2500 men and 2399 women, 20–56 yr old, who received complete periodontal examination. Periodontitis was defined as the presence of > 20% of mesial sites with ≥ 4 mm of attachment loss. Lead exposure was grouped into three categories:  7 μg/dL. Covariates were cotinine levels, poverty ratio, race/ethnicity, education, bone mineral density, diabetes, calcium intake, dental visit, and menopause (for women). All analyses were performed separately for men and women and considering the effect design. Univariate, bivariate, and stratified analysis was followed by multivariable analysis by estimating prevalence ratios through poisson regression. Results:  After adjustment for confounders, the prevalence ratios, comparing those with a lead blood level of > 7 μg/dL to those with a lead blood level of < 3 μg/dL was 1.70 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02, 2.85) for men and 3.80 (95% CI: 1.66, 8.73) for women. Conclusion:  The lead blood level was positively and statistically associated with periodontitis for both men and women. Considering the public health importance of periodontitis and lead exposure, further studies are necessary to confirm this association.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/65253/1/j.1600-0765.2006.00913.x.pd

Remodeling of cortical bone allografts mediated by adherent rAAV-RANKL and VEGF gene therapy

Structural allograft healing is limited because of a lack of vascularization and remodeling. To study this we developed a mouse model that recapitulates the clinical aspects of live autograft and processed allograft healing. Gene expression analyses showed that there is a substantial decrease in the genes encoding RANKL and VEGF during allograft healing. Loss-of-function studies showed that both factors are required for autograft healing. To determine whether addition of these signals could stimulate allograft vascularization and remodeling, we developed a new approach in which rAAV can be freeze-dried onto the cortical surface without losing infectivity. We show that combination rAAV-RANKL- and rAAV-VEGF-coated allografts show marked remodeling and vascularization, which leads to a new bone collar around the graft. In conclusion, we find that RANKL and VEGF are necessary and sufficient for efficient autograft remodeling and can be transferred using rAAV to revitalize structural allografts

Whole blood lead levels are associated with radiographic and symptomatic knee osteoarthritis: a cross-sectional analysis in the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project

Abstract Introduction Lead (Pb) is known to affect bone, and recent evidence suggests that it has effects on cartilage as well. As osteoarthritis (OA) is a highly prevalent disease affecting bone and cartilage, we undertook the present analysis to determine whether whole blood Pb levels are associated with radiographic and symptomatic OA (rOA and sxOA, respectively) of the knee. Methods The analysis was conducted using cross-sectional data from the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project, a rural, population-based study, including whole blood Pb levels, bilateral posteroanterior weight-bearing knee radiography and knee symptom data. rOA assessment included joint-based presence (Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) grade 2 or higher) and severity (none, K-L grade 0 or 1; mild, K-L grade 2; moderate or severe, K-L grade 3 or 4), as well as person-based laterality (unilateral or bilateral). SxOA was deemed present (joint-based) in a knee on the basis of K-L grade 2 or higher with symptoms, with symptoms rated based on severity (0, rOA without symptoms; 1, rOA with mild symptoms; 2, rOA with moderate or severe symptoms) and in person-based analyses was either unilateral or bilateral. Generalized logit or proportional odds regression models were used to examine associations between the knee OA status variables and natural log-transformed blood Pb (ln Pb), continuously and in quartiles, controlling for age, race, sex, body mass index (BMI), smoking and alcohol drinking. Results Those individuals with whole blood Pb data (N = 1,669) had a mean (±SD) age of 65.4 (±11.0) years and a mean BMI of 31.2 (±7.1) kg/m2, including 66.6% women and 35.4% African-Americans, with a median blood Pb level of 1.8 μg/dl (range, 0.3 to 42.0 μg/dl). In joint-based analyses, for every 1-U increase in ln Pb, the odds of prevalent knee rOA were 20% higher (aOR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.44), while the odds of more severe rOA were 26% higher (aOR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.05 to 1.50, under proportional odds). In person-based analyses, the odds of bilateral rOA were 32% higher for each 1-U increase in ln Pb (aOR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.70). Similarly for knee sxOA, for each 1-U increase in ln Pb, the odds of having sxOA were 16% higher, the odds of having more severe symptoms were 17% higher and the odds of having bilateral knee symptoms were 25% higher. Similar findings were obtained with regard to ln Pb in quartiles. Conclusions Increases in the prevalence and severity measures for both radiographically and symptomatically confirmed knee OA (although statistically significant only for rOA) were observed with increasing levels of blood Pb, suggesting that Pb may be a potentially modifiable environmental risk factor for OA

Gender and Social Consumption

This article examines the relationship between the subordination of women, and the implications of this for female access to, and use of the facilities in public houses and hotels. More research is needed to identify the barriers to female consumption in hotels; the strategies women evolve to overcome these, and the hotel strategies necessary to accommodate female customers

The constructions of global administrative law

Defence date: 21 January 2013Examining Board: Professor Neil Walker, University of Edinburgh (Supervisor) Professor Nehal Bhuta, EUI Professor Susan Marks, London School of Economics Professor Gianluigi Palombella, University of Parma.PDF of thesis uploaded from the Library digital archive of EUI PhD thesesThis thesis is devoted to exploring the emerging area of research known as global administrative law as a particular lens from within which to analyse key transformations in the domain of regulatory governance, including the rise of forms of public law about governing in settings now external to the state. In the first section, the thesis attempts to background the idea of global administrative law in broader controversies surrounding the possible role and function of law in an age of global governance. Viewed in this light, it considers the 'procedural' solution offered by the project's participants in response to the challenges of unaccountable and non-inclusive forms of governance. The thesis argues that-far from offering to its audiences a set of theory-neutral descriptors and procedural solutions-the very idea of global administrative law invokes competing understandings over the legitimate methods, aims and purposes of the project, and, in a broader sense, law itself. In light of the fluidity of the normative languages of global administrative law , the thesis proceeds, in a second section, to draw out specific justifications of the project. This prepares the ground for an assessment of the possible limitations of these different conceptions, set against the most troubling aspects of current arrangements and realities. Adopting a critical theory lens, this thesis considers the broader failures and disappointments of contemporary legal thought, and the constraints it places on our ability to construct a broader, and better, vision for law and society. The thesis concludes by suggesting that we might seize this moment to reimagine a different vision. It proposes a mission for legal scholarship that concerns itself with empowering a diverse transnational politics subjecting to public criticism the distributive consequences of global authority and targeting, for reform, the structural causes of the unjust and inhumane