Varied Responses as a Means to the Richness of Discourse: Reading Tough Texts through Speaking and Writing

Abstract: New scholarship advocates that students should learn deeply and well. Little information exists on exactly how to get students deeply into material so that they understand it inside and out, backward and forward and in a way that enables them to construct knowledge schemas. The authors have developed a heuristic list of communication response styles that enrich understanding of complex ideas and works and promotes students to use metacognition to reflect deeply about what they are learning

Development of a Self‐Management Theory‐Guided Discharge Intervention for Parents of Hospitalized Children

Background Parents of hospitalized children, especially parents of children with complex and chronic health conditions, report not being adequately prepared for self‐management of their child\u27s care at home after discharge. Problem No theory‐based discharge intervention exists to guide pediatric nurses\u27 preparation of parents for discharge. Purpose To develop a theory‐based conversation guide to optimize nurses\u27 preparation of parents for discharge and self‐management of their child at home following hospitalization. Methods Two frameworks and one method influenced the development of the intervention: the Individual and Family Self‐Management Theory, Tanner\u27s Model of Clinical Judgment, and the Teach‐Back method. A team of nurse scientists, nursing leaders, nurse administrators, and clinical nurses developed and field tested the electronic version of a nine‐domain conversation guide for use in acute care pediatric hospitals. Conclusions The theory‐based intervention operationalized self‐management concepts, added components of nursing clinical judgment, and integrated the Teach‐Back method. Clinical Relevance Development of a theory‐based intervention, the translation of theoretical knowledge to clinical innovation, is an important step toward testing the effectiveness of the theory in guiding clinical practice. Clinical nurses will establish the practice relevance through future use and refinement of the intervention

Wildtype epidermal growth factor receptor (Egfr) is not required for daily locomotor or masking behavior in mice

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have implicated the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) within the subparaventricular zone as being a major mediator of locomotor and masking behaviors in mice. The results were based on small cohorts of mice homozygous for the hypomorphic Egfr(wa2 )allele on a mixed, genetically uncontrolled background, and on intraventricular infusion of exogenous EGFR ligands. Subsequenlty, a larger study using the same genetically mixed background failed to replicate the original findings. Since both previous approaches were susceptible to experimental artifacts related to an uncontrolled genetic background, we analyzed the locomotor behaviors in Egfr(wa2 )mutant mice on genetically defined, congenic backgrounds. METHODS: Mice carrying the Egfr(wa2 )hypomorphic allele were bred to congenicity by backcrossing greater than ten generations onto C57BL/6J and 129S1/SvImJ genetic backgrounds. Homozygous Egfr(wa2 )mutant and wildtype littermates were evaluated for defects in locomotor and masking behaviors. RESULTS: Mice homozygous for Egfr(wa2 )showed normal daily locomotor activity and masking indistinguishable from wildtype littermates at two light intensities (200–300 lux and 400–500 lux). CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that reduced EGFR activity alone is insufficient to perturb locomotor and masking behaviors in mice. Our results also suggest that other uncontrolled genetic or environmental parameters confounded previous experiments linking EGFR activity to daily locomotor activity and provide a cautionary tale for genetically uncontrolled studies

Transcriptional and Proteomic Analysis of a Ferric Uptake Regulator (Fur) Mutant of Shewanella oneidensis: Possible Involvement of Fur in Energy Metabolism, Transcriptional Regulation, and Oxidative Stress

The iron-directed, coordinate regulation of genes depends on the fur (ferric uptake regulator) gene product, which acts as an iron-responsive, transcriptional repressor protein. To investigate the biological function of a fur homolog in the dissimilatory metal-reducing bacterium Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, a fur knockout strain (FUR1) was generated by suicide plasmid integration into this gene and characterized using phenotype assays, DNA microarrays containing 691 arrayed genes, and two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Physiological studies indicated that FUR1 was similar to the wild-type strain when they were compared for anaerobic growth and reduction of various electron acceptors. Transcription profiling, however, revealed that genes with predicted functions in electron transport, energy metabolism, transcriptional regulation, and oxidative stress protection were either repressed (ccoNQ, etrA, cytochrome b and c maturation-encoding genes, qor, yiaY, sodB, rpoH, phoB, and chvI) or induced (yggW, pdhC, prpC, aceE, fdhD, and ppc) in the fur mutant. Disruption of fur also resulted in derepression of genes (hxuC, alcC, fhuA, hemR, irgA, and ompW) putatively involved in iron uptake. This agreed with the finding that the fur mutant produced threefold-higher levels of siderophore than the wild-type strain under conditions of sufficient iron. Analysis of a subset of the FUR1 proteome (i.e., primarily soluble cytoplasmic and periplasmic proteins) indicated that 11 major protein species reproducibly showed significant (P < 0.05) differences in abundance relative to the wild type. Protein identification using mass spectrometry indicated that the expression of two of these proteins (SodB and AlcC) correlated with the microarray data. These results suggest a possible regulatory role of S. oneidensis MR-1 Fur in energy metabolism that extends the traditional model of Fur as a negative regulator of iron acquisition systems

Vigorous Physical Activity Among Tweens, VERB Summer Scorecard Program, Lexington, Kentucky, 2004-2007

Introduction: Empirical examinations of the efficacy of community-based programs to increase and sustain physical activity among youth are lacking. This study describes changes in vigorous physical activity during a 3-year period among children aged 9 to 13 years (tweens) in Lexington, Kentucky, following introduction of the VERB Summer Scorecard (VSS) intervention. Methods: A community coalition, guided by a marketing plan that addressed motivators for tweens to participate in physical activity, designed and implemented VSS. Youth used a scorecard to monitor their physical activity, which was verified by adults. There were 3,428 students surveyed in 2004; 1,976 in 2006; and 2,051 in 2007 (mean age for 2004, 2006, and 2007, 12 y). For each year, we performed Χ2 tests and computed summary statistics for age, sex, and grade. Chi-square tests and cumulative logit models were used to analyze physical activity trends among VSS participants, VSS nonparticipants, and a reference group. Results: The proportion of youth who reported frequent vigorous physical activity increased from 32% in 2004 to 42% in 2007. The proportion of VSS participants with moderate or high levels of vigorous physical activity increased by approximately 17 percentage points, more than twice the proportion of nonparticipants. Conclusion: Interventions such as VSS may empower communities to take action to encourage greater physical activity among youth

"Institutional Effort": A Reality-Based Model for Assessment of Community College Productivity

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/67334/2/10.1177_009155218701500204.pd

Antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of Staphylococcus aureus isolates recovered from humans, environmental surfaces, and companion animals in households of children with community-onset methicillin-resistant S. aureus infections

Our objective was to determine the antibiotic susceptibility profiles of Staphylococcus aureus isolates recovered from 110 households of children with community-onset methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) infections. Cultures were obtained from household members, household objects, and dogs and cats, yielding 1,633 S. aureus isolates. The S. aureus isolates were heterogeneous, although more than half were methicillin resistant. The highest proportion of MRSA was found in bathrooms. The majority of isolates were susceptible to antibiotics prescribed in outpatient settings

LIS Programs and Data Centers: Integrating Expertise

Scientific data centers have provided data services to research communities for decades and are invaluable educational partners for iSchools developing academic programs in data curation. This paper presents analyses from three years of internship placements at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and interviews with managers at prominent data centers across the country, as part of the Data Curation Education in Research Centers project. Key benefits of the internship program are identified, from the perspective of student learning and the contributions made by iSchool students to data center operations. The interviews extend the case results, providing evidence for potential data curation internship programs at data centers. The DCERC education model fosters integration of expertise across the iSchool and data center communities, enriching academic preparation with state-of-the-art practical experience in ways that are vital to the emerging data profession and its ability to meet the future demands of data-intensive research.ye

Efficacy, safety, and dose of Pafuramidine, a new oral drug for treatment of first stage sleeping sickness, in a phase 2a clinical study and phase 2b randomized clinical studies

Sleeping sickness (human African trypanosomiasis [HAT]) is caused by protozoan parasites and characterized by a chronic progressive course, which may last up to several years before death. We conducted two Phase 2 studies to determine the efficacy and safety of oral pafuramidine in African patients with first stage HAT.; The Phase 2a study was an open-label, non-controlled, proof-of-concept study where 32 patients were treated with 100 mg of pafuramidine orally twice a day (BID) for 5 days at two trypanosomiasis reference centers (Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo [DRC]) between August 2001 and November 2004. The Phase 2b study compared pafuramidine in 41 patients versus standard pentamidine therapy in 40 patients. The Phase 2b study was open-label, parallel-group, controlled, randomized, and conducted at two sites in the DRC between April 2003 and February 2007. The Phase 2b study was then amended to add an open-label sequence (Phase 2b-2), where 30 patients received pafuramidine for 10 days. The primary efficacy endpoint was parasitologic cure at 24 hours (Phase 2a) or 3 months (Phase 2b) after treatment completion. The primary safety outcome was the rate of occurrence of World Health Organization Toxicity Scale Grade 3 or higher adverse events. All subjects provided written informed consent.; Pafuramidine for the treatment of first stage HAT was comparable in efficacy to pentamidine after 10 days of dosing. The cure rates 3 months post-treatment were 79% in the 5-day pafuramidine, 100% in the 7-day pentamidine, and 93% in the 10-day pafuramidine groups. In Phase 2b, the percentage of patients with at least 1 treatment-emergent adverse event was notably higher after pentamidine treatment (93%) than pafuramidine treatment for 5 days (25%) and 10 days (57%). These results support continuation of the development program for pafuramidine into Phase 3

Enriching Education with Exemplars in Practice: Iterative Development of Data Curation Internships

Partnerships between educational programs and research centers are vital to meeting the escalating workforce demands in data curation. They offer a platform for educators to increase their knowledge of current best practices and emerging challenges in the field. Student internships can be key to the success of these partnerships, not just for the students who gain authentic experience in facilities that excel at data intensive research and data services. Such partnerships provide an effective platform for rich and mutually beneficial engagement among educators, data professionals, scientists, and students. This paper reports on results from the Data Curation Education in Research Centers (DCERC) program aimed at developing a model for data curation education featuring field experiences in exemplar research centers. A strength of the DCERC model is its emphasis on facilitating mutual exchange of information among the DCERC program mentors and students. This model has evolved as a result of iterative and gradual refinements to the program model based upon information gathered from the formative evaluation. These refinements not only resulted in improved outcomes for the program participants but also, we believe, a more sustainable model for the program that leverages the knowledge base of the research scientists and students through peer-to-peer learning, rather than a traditional expert to trainee model. This paper describes formative evaluation findings that shaped the development of the DCERC program. We conclude with a discussion of the critical features of this model for the development of similar programs, and a data curation workforce that is able to accommodate and adapt to emergent data needs in a variety of environments