Religious experience and profoundly developmentally disabled persons

God touches our lives and moves in mysterious ways. After having worked with severely and profoundly retarded persons in both catechetical and worship settings, the writer has noted some phenomenal changes in some of these persons during catechisms and liturgical celebrations, especially Eucharistic Liturgies. Such changes were observed by several volunteer catechists and other catechists form varying programs serving profoundly develop­mentally disabled persons. These changes include apparent decreases in drooling, having seizures, and self-injurious behaviors. Also observed was a perceptible increase of head raising, eye contact, and attending behaviors. These behavioral changes were noted because of their significant differences to behaviors exhibited during other parts of the day. These changes have catechists assessing the power of catechetical or worship experiences for accomplishing these changes. The purpose of this study was to derive from the findings in behavioral psychology and philosophy some notions for these phenomena. A review of the literature was made to help answer the following questions. 1. To what can these changes (i.e. behavioral changes in profoundly developmentally disabled persons during prayer and catechetical experiences) be attributed? 2. What implications does this have for catechetical and worship times? 3. What structural and programmatic considerations must catechists take into account in meeting the spiritual needs of the profoundly develop­mentally disabled person

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The Interaction of Obesity Related Genotypes, Phenotypes, and Economics: An Experimental Economics Approach with Mice

Food intake is greatly influenced by economic factors. Consequently, neuroeconomics has been identified as a new and important area for understanding the interaction between genotypes and phenotypes related to food intake. A foundational element of economics is choice between alternatives. Changing food choices are a central element in the explanation of the increasing obesity rates in human populations. The purpose of this research is to incorporate the key element of choice into the investigation of food intake and weight-related phenotypes for mice in an operant chamber setting. Using normal mice, and mice with a mutation in the Tubby gene (Tub-Mut) which results in adult onset obesity, this research will investigate different behavioral responses among genotypes, as well as unexplored phenotype outcomes when mice are confronted with a falling price of a high fat food relative to a low fat food. Results for both genotypes indicate that as the price of the high fat food falls, consumption of that food increases, but consumption of the low fat food does not decrease in a compensatory fashion. For both genotypes, weight and body fat percentage increases with decreasing high fat food price, but ghrelin and leptin levels do not significantly change. The Tub-Mut shows a significant increase in the area under the glucose tolerance curve, suggestive of a diabetic state. These results show that accounting for choice in neuroeconomic studies is important to understanding the complex regulation of body weight and diabetes.Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

A historical examination of the tradition of experience in the teaching of literature in English education

By examining major documents for tensions regarding the teaching of literature in the field of secondary English education, this dissertation addressed the following questions: (1) What assumptions about learning and knowledge helped to shape the field? (2) To what extent does the field demonstrate consistency or change in its discourse defined-positions? and (3) How might current conversations in the field fit within a larger historical, social, and political context, thus equipping English educators to better articulate and situate their own pedagogical beliefs? Stephen Toulmin’s (1958) model of an argument served as a means of analyzing the field’s ongoing conversation about the teaching of literature, as revealed in its central documents and publications. The study examined these works, which were generally offered in response to texts from outside of the field, during three periods throughout the history of English education as a profession: the inaugural era of the field, the social reform era, and the era of accountability. Analyses, which focused on asserted claims and the data and warrants supporting them, demonstrated that the field has remained relatively consistent in its claims about the purposes and methodologies for the teaching of literature, particularly with its emphasis on experience, a concept commonly associated with the progressive movement in education. This study, which provides insight into the shared values among English education, serves as a continuation of the conversation in the field. It highlights the relevance of key works from the field and of the voices of major historical figures as well as of current participants, and it provides a historical lens for examining contemporary issues in English education. In doing so, it promotes a synonymous, rather than dichotomous, relationship between tradition and reform. Throughout history, when English educators have felt outward pressure to redefine their field, they have turned to the progressive notion of experience as their guiding tradition. Despite the connotations usually associated with traditional education, this analysis demonstrates that reform or progress—typically juxtaposed against tradition—is the tradition for the field of English education. Reference Toulmin, S. E. (1958). The uses of argument. New York: Cambridge University Press