Preservice Elementary Classroom Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Music in the School Curriculum and Teaching Music

The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes of preservice elementary education classroom teachers toward teaching music and the importance of music in the school curriculum as they prepare to enter the field in an era of high stakes testing, state standards, and accountability. More specifically, responses to twenty-nine statements were used to determine attitudes toward the following three constructs: (a) academic and social benefits of music education, (b) inclusion of music in the curriculum, and (c) comfort in teaching and leading music in the classroom. The survey instrument was a modified version of that used by Lewis (1991); therefore the current study was a modified replication. Results were positive for all the constructs. Post hoc analyses indicated a strong relationship between prior musical experiences and the strength of positive responses

Modified medication use in dysphagia: the effect of thickener on drug bioavailability—a systematic review

Introduction Dysphagia is associated with long-term conditions including strokes, dementia, Parkinson’s disease and frailty. Dysphagia affects 30–40% of the population aged over 65 years-old. Adults with dysphagia often experience long-term conditions requiring multiple medications (often > 5) to manage these. The thickening of liquids is a common compensatory strategy in dysphagia management. Studies suggest that immersion in thickened liquids affects medicines’ solubility in vitro. Clinicians and pharmacists are unaware of the pharmacokinetic/therapeutic effects of thickened liquids on oral medicines. We conducted a systematic review of existing literature on thickeners’ effects on drug bioavailability. Methodology We performed a literature search of MEDLINE & EMBASE. Search terms included: dysphagia/thickened diet (EMBASE only)/ bioavailability or absorption of medicines or pharmacokinetics; excluded: NG feeds/animal studies. Studies included: all genders, countries, > 18 years, community and hospital settings. PRISMA guidance was followed. Results Five hundred seventy results were found, and 23 articles identified following the reference list review. Following an abstract and full-text review, 18 were included. Most articles evaluated thickeners on dissolution profiles in-vitro, with a few investigating in-vivo. Most studies were single-centre prospective studies identifying that thickeners generally affect dissolution rates of medications. Few studies assessed bioavailability or used clinical outcomes. Conclusion Dysphagia and polypharmacy are common in older adults, but little is known about the effects of altering liquid viscosity on the therapeutic effect of most medications. Further larger-scale studies are required to evaluate the therapeutic impact of thickener, on a bigger range of medications, factoring in other variables such as type of thickener, viscosity of thickener and duration of immersion

Population genomic and evolutionary modelling analyses reveal a single major QTL for ivermectin drug resistance in the pathogenic nematode, Haemonchus contortus.

BACKGROUND: Infections with helminths cause an enormous disease burden in billions of animals and plants worldwide. Large scale use of anthelmintics has driven the evolution of resistance in a number of species that infect livestock and companion animals, and there are growing concerns regarding the reduced efficacy in some human-infective helminths. Understanding the mechanisms by which resistance evolves is the focus of increasing interest; robust genetic analysis of helminths is challenging, and although many candidate genes have been proposed, the genetic basis of resistance remains poorly resolved. RESULTS: Here, we present a genome-wide analysis of two genetic crosses between ivermectin resistant and sensitive isolates of the parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus, an economically important gastrointestinal parasite of small ruminants and a model for anthelmintic research. Whole genome sequencing of parental populations, and key stages throughout the crosses, identified extensive genomic diversity that differentiates populations, but after backcrossing and selection, a single genomic quantitative trait locus (QTL) localised on chromosome V was revealed to be associated with ivermectin resistance. This QTL was common between the two geographically and genetically divergent resistant populations and did not include any leading candidate genes, suggestive of a previously uncharacterised mechanism and/or driver of resistance. Despite limited resolution due to low recombination in this region, population genetic analyses and novel evolutionary models supported strong selection at this QTL, driven by at least partial dominance of the resistant allele, and that large resistance-associated haplotype blocks were enriched in response to selection. CONCLUSIONS: We have described the genetic architecture and mode of ivermectin selection, revealing a major genomic locus associated with ivermectin resistance, the most conclusive evidence to date in any parasitic nematode. This study highlights a novel genome-wide approach to the analysis of a genetic cross in non-model organisms with extreme genetic diversity, and the importance of a high-quality reference genome in interpreting the signals of selection so identified.Wellcome, BBSR

Resilient Pedagogy: Practical Teaching Strategies to Overcome Distance, Disruption, and Distraction

Resilient Pedagogy offers a comprehensive collection on the topics and issues surrounding resilient pedagogy framed in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the social justice movements that have swept the globe. As a collection, Resilient Pedagogy is a multi-disciplinary and multi-perspective response to actions taken in different classrooms, across different institution types, and from individuals in different institutional roles with the purpose of allowing readers to explore the topics to improve their own teaching practice and support their own students through distance, disruption, and distraction

Can solvent induced surface modifications applied to screen-printed platforms enhance their electroanalytical performance?

In this paper the effect of solvent induced chemical surface enhancements upon graphitic screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) is explored. Previous literature has indicated that treating the working electrode of a SPE with the solvent N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) offers improvements within the electroanalytical response, resulting in a 57-fold increment in the electrode surface area compared to their unmodified counterparts. The protocol involves two steps: (i) the SPE is placed into DMF for a selected time, and (ii) it is cured in an oven at a selected time and temperature. Beneficial electroanalytical outputs are reported to be due to the increased surface area attributed to the binder within the bulk surface of the SPEs dissolving out during the immersion step (step i). We revisit this exciting concept and explore these solvent induced chemical surface enhancements using edge- and basal-plane like SPEs and a new bespoke SPE, utilising the solvent DMF and explore, in detail, the parameters utilised in steps (i) and (ii). The electrochemical performance following steps (i) and (ii) is evaluated using the outer-sphere redox probe hexaammineruthenium(iii) chloride/0.1 M KCl, where it is found that the largest improvement is obtained using DMF with an immersion time of 10 minutes and a curing time of 30 minutes at 100 °C. Solvent induced chemical surface enhancement upon the electrochemical performance of SPEs is also benchmarked in terms of their electroanalytical sensing of NADH (dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide reduced form) and capsaicin both of which are compared to their unmodified SPE counterparts. In both cases, it is apparent that a marginal improvement in the electroanalytical sensitivity (i.e. gradient of calibration plots) of 1.08-fold and 1.38-fold are found respectively. Returning to the original exciting concept, interestingly it was found that when a poor experimental technique was employed, only then significant increases within the working electrode area are evident. In this case, the insulating layer that defines the working electrode surface, which was not protected from the solvent (step (i)) creates cracks within the insulating layer exposing the underlying carbon connections and thus increasing the electrode area by an unknown quantity. We infer that the origin of the response reported within the literature, where an extreme increase in the electrochemical surface area (57-fold) was reported, is unlikely to be solely due to the binder dissolving but rather poor experimental control over step (i)

RANTES/CCL5 and Risk for Coronary Events: Results from the MONICA/KORA Augsburg Case-Cohort, Athero-Express and CARDIoGRAM Studies

BACKGROUND: The chemokine RANTES (regulated on activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted)/CCL5 is involved in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease in mice, whereas less is known in humans. We hypothesised that its relevance for atherosclerosis should be reflected by associations between CCL5 gene variants, RANTES serum concentrations and protein levels in atherosclerotic plaques and risk for coronary events. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We conducted a case-cohort study within the population-based MONICA/KORA Augsburg studies. Baseline RANTES serum levels were measured in 363 individuals with incident coronary events and 1,908 non-cases (mean follow-up: 10.2±4.8 years). Cox proportional hazard models adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, metabolic factors and lifestyle factors revealed no significant association between RANTES and incident coronary events (HR [95% CI] for increasing RANTES tertiles 1.0, 1.03 [0.75-1.42] and 1.11 [0.81-1.54]). None of six CCL5 single nucleotide polymorphisms and no common haplotype showed significant associations with coronary events. Also in the CARDIoGRAM study (>22,000 cases, >60,000 controls), none of these CCL5 SNPs was significantly associated with coronary artery disease. In the prospective Athero-Express biobank study, RANTES plaque levels were measured in 606 atherosclerotic lesions from patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy. RANTES content in atherosclerotic plaques was positively associated with macrophage infiltration and inversely associated with plaque calcification. However, there was no significant association between RANTES content in plaques and risk for coronary events (mean follow-up 2.8±0.8 years). CONCLUSIONS: High RANTES plaque levels were associated with an unstable plaque phenotype. However, the absence of associations between (i) RANTES serum levels, (ii) CCL5 genotypes and (iii) RANTES content in carotid plaques and either coronary artery disease or incident coronary events in our cohorts suggests that RANTES may not be a novel coronary risk biomarker. However, the potential relevance of RANTES levels in platelet-poor plasma needs to be investigated in further studies

RANTES/CCL5 and risk for coronary events: Results from the MONICA/KORA Augsburg case-cohort, Athero-express and CARDIoGRAM studies

Background: The chemokine RANTES (regulated on activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted)/CCL5 is involved in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease in mice, whereas less is known in humans. We hypothesised that its relevance for atherosclerosis should be reflected by associations between CCL5 gene variants, RANTES serum concentrations and protein levels in atherosclerotic plaques and risk for coronary events. Methods and Findings: We conducted a case-cohort study within the population-based MONICA/KORA Augsburg studies. Baseline RANTES serum levels were measured in 363 individuals with incident coronary events and 1,908 non-cases (mean follow-up: 10.2±

Abdominal aortic aneurysm is associated with a variant in low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a common cause of morbidity and mortality and has a significant heritability. We carried out a genome-wide association discovery study of 1866 patients with AAA and 5435 controls and replication of promising signals (lead SNP with a p value < 1 × 10-5) in 2871 additional cases and 32,687 controls and performed further follow-up in 1491 AAA and 11,060 controls. In the discovery study, nine loci demonstrated association with AAA (p < 1 × 10-5). In the replication sample, the lead SNP at one of these loci, rs1466535, located within intron 1 of low-density-lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) demonstrated significant association (p = 0.0042). We confirmed the association of rs1466535 and AAA in our follow-up study (p = 0.035). In a combined analysis (6228 AAA and 49182 controls), rs1466535 had a consistent effect size and direction in all sample sets (combined p = 4.52 × 10-10, odds ratio 1.15 [1.10-1.21]). No associations were seen for either rs1466535 or the 12q13.3 locus in independent association studies of coronary artery disease, blood pressure, diabetes, or hyperlipidaemia, suggesting that this locus is specific to AAA. Gene-expression studies demonstrated a trend toward increased LRP1 expression for the rs1466535 CC genotype in arterial tissues; there was a significant (p = 0.029) 1.19-fold (1.04-1.36) increase in LRP1 expression in CC homozygotes compared to TT homozygotes in aortic adventitia. Functional studies demonstrated that rs1466535 might alter a SREBP-1 binding site and influence enhancer activity at the locus. In conclusion, this study has identified a biologically plausible genetic variant associated specifically with AAA, and we suggest that this variant has a possible functional role in LRP1 expression

Genome-wide association identifies nine common variants associated with fasting proinsulin levels and provides new insights into the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: Proinsulin is a precursor of mature insulin and C-peptide. Higher circulating proinsulin levels are associated with impaired β-cell function, raised glucose levels, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Studies of the insulin processing pathway could provide new insights about T2D pathophysiology. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We have conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association tests of ∼2.5 million genotyped or imputed single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and fasting proinsulin levels in 10,701 nondiabetic adults of European ancestry, with follow-up of 23 loci in up to 16,378 individuals, using additive genetic models adjusted for age, sex, fasting insulin, and study-specific covariates. RESULTS: Nine SNPs at eight loci were associated with proinsulin levels (P < 5 × 10(-8)). Two loci (LARP6 and SGSM2) have not been previously related to metabolic traits, one (MADD) has been associated with fasting glucose, one (PCSK1) has been implicated in obesity, and four (TCF7L2, SLC30A8, VPS13C/C2CD4A/B, and ARAP1, formerly CENTD2) increase T2D risk. The proinsulin-raising allele of ARAP1 was associated with a lower fasting glucose (P = 1.7 × 10(-4)), improved β-cell function (P = 1.1 × 10(-5)), and lower risk of T2D (odds ratio 0.88; P = 7.8 × 10(-6)). Notably, PCSK1 encodes the protein prohormone convertase 1/3, the first enzyme in the insulin processing pathway. A genotype score composed of the nine proinsulin-raising alleles was not associated with coronary disease in two large case-control datasets. CONCLUSIONS: We have identified nine genetic variants associated with fasting proinsulin. Our findings illuminate the biology underlying glucose homeostasis and T2D development in humans and argue against a direct role of proinsulin in coronary artery disease pathogenesis