Talking Texts with Teachers: A Narrative Inquiry into the Experiences of Secondary English Language Arts Teachers and Their Text Selection Practices

Title from PDF of title page, viewed June 14, 2018Dissertation advisor: Candace SchleinVitaIncludes bibliographical references (pages 334-367)Thesis (Ph.D.)--School of Education and Department of English Language and Literature. University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2018The texts that teachers choose to read in the secondary English language arts classroom have been an important part of the curriculum development process for teachers of this subject. Teachers have always been interested in what texts are taught in secondary classrooms and at what grade levels. In a phrase: for many secondary English teachers, the text shapes the course. Recently a shift has occurred regarding English language arts curriculum and text selection. For decades ELA curriculum has been dedicated to the canon of literature, which includes works written mostly by white males of European descent. While the exact titles in the canon have changed somewhat over time, even going so far as to include multicultural texts, the ELA classroom has been slow to change its views on which texts are worth reading. Additionally, the adoption of and implementation of the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSS) demand that teachers look more critically at the texts they select for their classrooms. However, the rigor the CCSS demand is often at odds with current best practices regarding text selection, which support a more student-centered approach. Thus, it is of utmost significance to gain insight as to how teachers go about selecting texts for their classrooms, especially within the context of the increased rigor of the CCSS. It is also important to describe both positive and challenging experiences that teachers have had with text selection as a way to perhaps better understand what teachers choose to read and why. The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to shed light on the experiences of high school English teachers and their interactions with text selection. Teachers’ stories of experience regarding their text selection practices might help to inform educational stakeholders about curriculum reform, pedagogical traditions in ELA classes, and beliefs about best practices in reading and writing instruction.Introduction to the study -- Theoretical framework -- review of literature -- Methodology -- Data analysis: common narrative themes -- Shedding light on experimental narratives through the three-dimensional narrative inquiry framework -- Conclusion -- Appendix A. Consent form -- Appendix B. School district research director letter of permission -- Appendix C. Interview one protocol -- Appendix D. Interview two protocol -- Appendix E. Interview three protocol -- Appendix F. Observation matri

Quality of Life After Bariatric Surgery—A Comparative Study of Laparoscopic Banding vs. Bypass

 : Laparoscopic gastric banding and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass are widely used for the treatment of morbid obesity. The impact of these two procedures on health-related quality of life has not been analyzed in comparative studies. Methods: A matched-pair analysis of a prospectively collected database was performed. Fifty-two consecutive patients with laparoscopic gastric bypass were randomly matched to fifty-two patients with laparoscopic gastric banding according to age, BMI, and gender. Quality of life was assessed using two standardized questionnaires (SF 36 and Moorehead-Ardelt II). Results: Mean preoperative BMI was 45.7kg/m2 for the bypass patients and 45.3kg/m2 for the banding patients. Mean BMI after 3years follow-up of was 30.4kg/m2 and 33.1kg/m2 (p = 0.036). In the SF 36 questionnaire, gastric bypass patients yielded a mean total score of 613 versus 607 points in the gastric banding group (p = 0.543), which is comparable to the normal population in Europe. In the Moorhead-Ardelt II questionnaire, the gastric bypass patients scored a mean total of 1.35 points and the gastric banding patients 1.28 points (p = 0.747). Of the patients, 97% with a gastric bypass and 83% with a gastric banding were satisfied with the result of the operation (p = 0.145). Conclusion: The patients after laparoscopic gastric bypass and laparoscopic gastric banding have a high level of satisfaction 3years after the operation and have similar quality of life scores compared to the normal population. Quality of life indexes were not different between the two procedures and were independent of weight loss in successfully operated patient

Quality of life after bariatric surgery - a comparative study of laparoscopic banding vs. bypass

: Laparoscopic gastric banding and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass are widely used for the treatment of morbid obesity. The impact of these two procedures on health-related quality of life has not been analyzed in comparative studies. METHODS: A matched-pair analysis of a prospectively collected database was performed. Fifty-two consecutive patients with laparoscopic gastric bypass were randomly matched to fifty-two patients with laparoscopic gastric banding according to age, BMI, and gender. Quality of life was assessed using two standardized questionnaires (SF 36 and Moorehead-Ardelt II). RESULTS: Mean preoperative BMI was 45.7 kg/m(2) for the bypass patients and 45.3 kg/m(2) for the banding patients. Mean BMI after 3 years follow-up of was 30.4 kg/m(2) and 33.1 kg/m(2) (p = 0.036). In the SF 36 questionnaire, gastric bypass patients yielded a mean total score of 613 versus 607 points in the gastric banding group (p = 0.543), which is comparable to the normal population in Europe. In the Moorhead-Ardelt II questionnaire, the gastric bypass patients scored a mean total of 1.35 points and the gastric banding patients 1.28 points (p = 0.747). Of the patients, 97% with a gastric bypass and 83% with a gastric banding were satisfied with the result of the operation (p = 0.145). CONCLUSION: The patients after laparoscopic gastric bypass and laparoscopic gastric banding have a high level of satisfaction 3 years after the operation and have similar quality of life scores compared to the normal population. Quality of life indexes were not different between the two procedures and were independent of weight loss in successfully operated patients

Loss of neurogenesis in <i>Hydra</i> leads to compensatory regulation of neurogenic and neurotransmission genes in epithelial cells

Hydra continuously differentiates a sophisticated nervous system made of mechanosensory cells (nematocytes) and sensory–motor and ganglionic neurons from interstitial stem cells. However, this dynamic adult neurogenesis is dispensable for morphogenesis. Indeed animals depleted of their interstitial stem cells and interstitial progenitors lose their active behaviours but maintain their developmental fitness, and regenerate and bud when force-fed. To characterize the impact of the loss of neurogenesis in Hydra, we first performed transcriptomic profiling at five positions along the body axis. We found neurogenic genes predominantly expressed along the central body column, which contains stem cells and progenitors, and neurotransmission genes predominantly expressed at the extremities, where the nervous system is dense. Next, we performed transcriptomics on animals depleted of their interstitial cells by hydroxyurea, colchicine or heat-shock treatment. By crossing these results with cell-type-specific transcriptomics, we identified epithelial genes up-regulated upon loss of neurogenesis: transcription factors (Dlx, Dlx1, DMBX1/Manacle, Ets1, Gli3, KLF11, LMX1A, ZNF436, Shox1), epitheliopeptides (Arminins, PW peptide), neurosignalling components (CAMK1D, DDCl2, Inx1), ligand-ion channel receptors (CHRNA1, NaC7), G-Protein Coupled Receptors and FMRFRL. Hence epitheliomuscular cells seemingly enhance their sensing ability when neurogenesis is compromised. This unsuspected plasticity might reflect the extended multifunctionality of epithelial-like cells in early eumetazoan evolution

Injury-induced immune responses in Hydra

The impact of injury-induced immune responses on animal regenerative processes is highly variable, positive or negative depending on the context. This likely reflects the complexity of the innate immune system that behaves as a sentinel in the transition from injury to regeneration. Early-branching invertebrates with high regenerative potential as Hydra provide a unique framework to dissect how injury-induced immune responses impact regeneration. A series of early cellular events likely require an efficient immune response after amputation, as antimicrobial defence, epithelial cell stretching for wound closure, migration of interstitial progenitors towards the wound, cell death, phagocytosis of cell debris, or reconstruction of the extracellular matrix. The analysis of the injury-induced transcriptomic modulations of 2636 genes annotated as immune genes in Hydra identified 43 genes showing an immediate/early pulse regulation in all regenerative contexts examined. These regulations point to an enhanced cytoprotection via ROS signaling (Nrf, C/EBP, p62/SQSMT1-l2), TNFR and TLR signaling (TNFR16-like, TRAF2l, TRAF5l, jun, fos-related, SIK2, ATF1/CREB, LRRC28, LRRC40, LRRK2), proteasomal activity (p62/SQSMT1-l1, Ced6/Gulf, NEDD8-conjugating enzyme Ubc12), stress proteins (CRYAB1, CRYAB2, HSP16.2, DnaJB9, HSP90a1), all potentially regulating NF-κB activity. Other genes encoding immune-annotated proteins such as NPYR4, GTPases, Swap70, the antiproliferative BTG1, enzymes involved in lipid metabolism (5-lipoxygenase, ACSF4), secreted clotting factors, secreted peptidases are also pulse regulated upon bisection. By contrast, metalloproteinase and antimicrobial peptide genes largely follow a context-dependent regulation, whereas the protease inhibitor α2macroglobulin exhibits a sustained up regulation. Hence a complex immune response to injury is linked to wound healing and regeneration in Hydra

Non-developmental dimensions of adult regeneration in Hydra

An essential dimension of 3D regeneration in adult animals is developmental, with the formation of organizers from somatic tissues. These organizers produce signals that recruit surrounding cells and drive the restoration of the missing structures (organs, appendages, body parts). However, even in animals with a high regenerative potential, this developmental potential is not sufficient to achieve regeneration as homeostatic conditions at the time of injury need to be "pro-regenerative". In Hydra, we identified four distinct homeostatic properties that provide a pro-regenerative framework and we discuss here how these non-developmental properties impact regeneration. First, both the epithelial and the interstitial-derived cells are highly plastic along the animal body, a plasticity that offers several routes to achieve regeneration. Second, the abundant stocks of continuously self-renewing adult stem cells form a constitutive pro-blastema in the central body column, readily activated upon bisection. Third, the autophagy machinery in epithelial cells guarantees a high level of fitness and adaptation to detrimental environmental conditions, as evidenced by the loss of regeneration in animals where autophagy is dysfunctional. Fourth, the extracellular matrix, named mesoglea in Hydra, provides a dynamically-patterned environment where the molecular and mechanical signals induced by injury get translated into a regenerative process. We claim that these homeostatic pro-regenerative features contribute to define the high regenerative potential of adult Hydra

Glucocorticoid receptor gene haplotype structure and steroid therapy outcome in IBD patients

AIM: To study whether the glucocorticoid receptor (GR/NR3C1) gene haplotypes influence the steroid therapy outcome in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

Generic and context-dependent gene modulations during <i>Hydra</i> whole body regeneration

The cnidarian Hydra is a classical model of whole-body regeneration. Historically, Hydra apical regeneration has received more attention than its basal counterpart, most studies considering these two regenerative processes independently. We present here a transcriptome-wide comparative analysis of apical and basal regeneration after decapitation and mid-gastric bisection, augmented with a characterization of positional and cell-type expression patterns in non-regenerating animals. The profiles of 25'637 Hydra transcripts are available on HydrATLAS (https://hydratlas.unige.ch), a web interface allowing a convenient access to each transcript profile. These data indicate that generic impulse-type modulations occur during the first four hours post-amputation, consistent with a similar integration of injury-related cues on both sides of the amputation plane. Initial divergences in gene regulations are observed in regenerating tips between four and eight hours post-amputation, followed by a dramatic transcriptomic reprogramming between eight and 16 hours when regulations become sustained. As expected, central components of apical patterning, Wnt3 and HyBra1, are among the earliest genes up-regulated during apical regeneration. During early basal regeneration, a BMP signaling ligand (BMP5-8c) and a potential BMP inhibitor (NBL1) are up-regulated, suggesting that BMP signaling is involved in the basal organizer, as supported by higher levels of phosphorylated Smad in the basal region and by the LiCl-induced extension of NBL1 expression. By contrast, upon ectopic activation of Wnt/b-catenin signaling, NBL1 is no longer expressed, basal differentiation is not maintained and basal regeneration is abolished. A tight cross-talk between Wnt/b-catenin apically and BMP signaling basally appears necessary for maintaining and regenerating Hydra anatomy

The impact of PPARγ genetic variants on IBD susceptibility and IBD disease course

PPARγ is a nuclear receptor that regulates numerous pathways including cytokine expression and immune responses and plays an important role in controlling colon inflammation. We aimed at determining the occurring PPARγ SNPs, at predicting the haplotypes, and at determining the frequency outcome in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients in comparison with healthy controls. We determined genetic variants in the coding exons and flanking intronic sequences of the NR1C3 gene in 284 IBD patients and 194 controls and predicted NR1C3 haplotypes via bioinformatic analysis. We investigated whether certain NR1C3 variants are associated with susceptibility to IBD or its disease course. None of the detected 22 NR1C3 variants were associated with IBD. Two variants with allelic frequencies over 1% were included in haplotype/diplotype analyses. None of the NR3C1 haplotypes showed association with IBD development or disease course. We conclude that NR1C3 haplotypes are not related to IBD susceptibility or IBD disease activity