An Examination of the Relationship Between an Autism Label and Teachers\u27 Attitudes, Expectations, and Behavioral Intentions

The number of children with autism receiving instruction in the regular education (inclusion) setting has been increasing. Instructional time in inclusion classrooms may offer benefits to children with disabilities; this appears to especially be the case when teachers utilize effective strategies. Prior studies indicate that teachers\u27 attitudes towards children with disabilities are important in their willingness to use such strategies. Unfortunately, a number of findings indicate certain kinds of disabilities, as well as the use of diagnostic labels, may negatively influence teachers\u27 attitudes and behavior toward inclusion. The current study examined the impact of an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) label on the attitudes and behavioral intentions of 97 elementary and middle school teachers. Participants were exposed to a vignette of a child displaying social and behavioral difficulties. The child was described as displaying ASD, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, educable mental retardation, or no diagnosis provided. Participants completed measures of inclusion attitudes, expectations, and behavioral intentions. Inconsistent with a number of studies, diagnostic labels were not found to be related to teachers\u27 ratings. Similarly, trainings on disabilities, courses in inclusion, and familiarity with children with disabilities were found to have no relationship with teachers\u27 expectations and attitudes. Teachers with less experience and higher self-efficacy predicted more positive attitudes and higher student performance expectations. Implications for these findings are discussed

Expressions of Emancipatory Knowing in Undergraduate Nursing Service- Learning

Emancipatory nurses recognize social and political problems of injustice or inequity and participate in social and political change to improve people’s lives. The recent spotlight on relationships among health, health inequity, social determinants of health, and structural institutional barriers, has led to demands that nurse educators integrate innovative curricular and pedagogical strategies to analyze and address social justice issues in today’s healthcare system. A mixed-method, qualitative study was conducted to elicit expressions of emancipatory knowing during and after a service- learning experience. Interpretive description was used to analyze data from 15 written reflections and eight semi-structured interviews. Nine expressions of emancipatory knowing were derived from reflection and subsequent interview data. The expressions expanded what is known about emancipatory knowing in undergraduate nursing students and suggested an early emancipatory knowing domain that extends the current emancipatory knowing model. The results of this study provided insight into how emancipatory knowing was expressed in undergraduate nursing students during and after a service-learning experience. Nurse educators might utilize the expressions of emancipatory knowing reported in this study to develop curricular and service-learning clinical experiences that ensure health and social equity is an outcome of nursing education and emancipatory nursing praxis a professional competency

ROLE OF SELECTED EXTRACELLULAR FUNCTION SIGMA FACTORS IN CARBOHYDRASE GENE EXPRESSION IN SACCHAROPHAGUS DEGRADANS 2-40

This project explores the role of selected ECF sigma factors in regulating carbohydrase gene expression in Saccharophagus degradans 2-40. ECF sigma factors most likely to be involved in carbohydrase regulation were identified by scoring for the presence of high sequence similarity in cellulolytic but not in non-cellulolytic bacterial species. Cellvibrio japonicus, Teredinibacter turnerae, and Hahella chejuensis were determined to be the cellulolytic species most appropriate for evaluating transcriptional regulators for a role in carbohydrase regulation. Two sigma factors were identified in this survey. These sigma factor genes were cloned into a plasmid vector and expressed in S. degradans. Cellulase activity was detected for cell lysates of glucose-grown cultures of a strain expressing the sigma factor corresponding to gene 2407. It was concluded that sigma factor 2407 is involved in the regulation of endoglucanases in the S. degradans cellulolytic system

The Characteristics that Control the Stability of Eroding Coastal Bluffs in Maine

Bluffs of glacigenic sediment exist along 53% of the tidal shoreline of Maine. Under the current regime of rising sea level, waves, groundwater, and sub-aerial processes easily erode these materials. The hazardous nature of the bluffs is not widely recognized by the public, and new homeowners are often shocked to find out that their property is disappearing. To better educate the public, the Maine Geological Survey is mapping the stability of coastal bluffs. This report utilizes that database along with other available data to determine what controls the relative stability of bluffs. A geographic information system (GIs) was used to relate the external forcing mechanisms (bluff orientation, exposure, and nature and width of the intertidal zone) and the internal characteristics (degree of human development in the upland, and the surficial geological materials that compose the bluffs) that contribute to erosion of coastal bluffs in the Freeport, ME 7.5\u27 quadrangle

Going Viral: A Qualitative Analysis of the Anti-Vaccine Movement & Social Media

In the recent years of the rise of Web 2.0, health information has become more accessible. With this shift has come a reliance on social media to inform and educate the masses on vaccines. With the introduction of the Covid-19 vaccine, the conversation surrounding vaccines moved to the forefront of the United States’ zeitgeist from late 2021 to early 2022. In this research, I conducted a case study on the communication surrounding vaccines on social media while examining specific Facebook groups that advance the misinformation surrounding vaccines. I examined over 300 posts from four public Facebook groups in order to determine how the Covid-19 vaccines and vaccines in general were being discussed. Through qualitative content analysis, multiple strategies were revealed that illuminated how the masses on Facebook utilize social media to participate in anti-vaccination culture

Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Role Of Ethnicity And Culture In Parent Interpretation And Service Utilization

Prevalence rates for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) suggest rates continue to increase, with recent data indicating 1 in 68 children diagnosed with the disorder. Interventions may prove beneficial for both the core symptoms of the disorder and related deficits, although data indicate that effects are stronger with early intervention (e.g., prior to four years old). Unfortunately, many children are undiagnosed until they are school age. Additionally, a number of findings indicate that in comparison to Caucasian children, African American children receive an ASD diagnosis later and less often. The current study examined the role of race/ethnicity on 119 mothers\u27 knowledge about autism spectrum disorder, interpretation of symptomology consistent with ASD (e.g., labeling the child, level of concern, helpful services), attitudes towards mental health services, and trust in providers. Participants were exposed to a vignette of a child displaying typical developmental behavior, mild ASD symptomology, or moderate-to-severe ASD symptomology. Participants indicated their perception of the child\u27s behaviors either as indicative of normal development, a medical disorder, a developmental disorder, an intellectual disorder, or an emotional disorder. Participants then completed measures of ASD knowledge, help seeking attitudes, and provider stigma. In comparison to Caucasians, African Americans displayed less ASD knowledge, were less able to identify a child with ASD symptoms as having the disorder, and held more biases toward medical clinicians. Inconsistent with previous studies, racial/ethnic differences were not found for attitudes of mental health stigma and help seeking intentions. Implications of findings are discussed

The New Division of Labor in Massachusetts

In The New Division of Labor, Levy and Murnane describe a world of work re-shaped by computers where workers whose jobs can be reduced to steps based on rules are replaced, and where jobs that require judgment or negotiation are enhanced. The authors test the hypothesis of Levy and Murnane’s work with a close look at Fall River and New Bedford. These cities, with high unemployment and low rates of educational attainment, show patterns of job replacement by computers as compared with Massachusetts as a whole — a wealthy state with high rates of education, which shows a pattern of jobs enhanced by computers. Finally, the authors focus in on the recent bank mergers in southeastern Massachusetts for indications of what our future holds

The Effects of Racial Identity on African American Youths\u27 Psychosocial Adjustment: A Conceptualization of the Literature and Meta-Analytic Review

There is a general assumption of the positive effect of racial identity on the psychosocial adjustment of African-American youth. Despite this assertion, research findings for racial identity are unclear. The disparate measures of racial identity were organized into a cohesive framework with eight categories. Using this conceptual framework, a meta-analytic review was conducted on the effects the components of racial identity on African-American adolescents\u27 psychosocial adjustment. There were 58 independent samples from 34 published journal articles and 14 unpublished papers (dissertations) including a total of 14,209 youth included in the study. Results of study highlight the importance of racial pride and suggest implications for multidimensional models and qualitative research on racial identity for future research

The Influence of Supportive Parenting and Racial Socialization on Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors Among African-American Youth

The current study examined the additive and interactive effects of racial socialization on internalizing and externalizing behaviors. One hundred and thirty-six youth (mean age = 11.49, SD = 1.71) in fourth through eighth grade and parents of children these ages (n = 150) from 3 three locations of a community based family support agency reported on the youth\u27s internalizing and externalizing behaviors, parental behavior, and racial socialization experiences. Correlational analyses were conducted to determine the relationship between study variables. Consistent with hypotheses, supportive parenting was associated with fewer maladaptive outcomes. Racial pride messages showed a trend level association to outcomes. Regression analyses were conducted to determine if racial socialization messages added unique variance to outcomes above supportive parenting. Results indicated that racial socialization showed additive effects on internalizing behaviors when examined with supportive parenting. Regression analyses were also conducted to determine if increased racial socialization messages moderated the association of supportive parenting to internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Results indicated that racial pride messages interacted with supportive parenting to predict both internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Results are discussed in regards to the implications of additive and integrative models of racial socialization and supportive parenting in promoting adaptive functioning among low-income African-American youth