Head Start Impact Study (HSIS) bibliography

This bibliography lists resources in the Research Connections collection related to the Head Start Impact Study and is intended as a reference tool for researchers and policymakers. It is divided into sections for data sets and guides; official reports; studies using HSIS data; summaries, analyses, and commentaries; and instruments. Within each section resources are listed alphabetically by author and then by year and title

Kathy Ferguson and Donna Folds in a Joint Junior Recital

This is the program for the joint junior recital of soprano Kathy Ferguson and pianist Donna Folds. Pianist Angela Barfield accompanied Ferguson. The recital took place on April 3, 1975, in the Mabee Fine Arts Center Recital Hall

Child Care Policy Research Consortium projects (1995-2015)

The year 2015 marks the 20th anniversary of the Child Care Policy Research Consortium (CCPRC). CCPRC was created by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in 1995 to support national capacity for sound child care research, identify and respond to critical issues, and link child care research with policy and practice. Supported by the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) and the Office of Child Care (OCC) (formerly the Child Care Bureau), the Consortium includes former and current grantees and contractors funded by ACF to conduct child care policy-related research. In partnership with OPRE, the CCPRC holds an annual research meeting that builds on work, webinars, and other activities by the Consortium and its workgroups throughout the year. At the meeting, CCPRC members are joined by Child Care and Development Fund State Administrators, technical assistance partners, and Federal staff from other agencies and departments to consider emerging research findings, questions, and methods that relate to improved outcomes for children and families. In its 20-year existence, the CCPRC has included more than 170 projects. To celebrate the CCPRC's 20th anniversary for its 2015 meeting in Washington, DC, on December 2nd and 3rd, Research Connections has produced this Topic of Interest, which features all of the OPRE- or Child Care Bureau-funded child care research and policy projects in its collection

Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) bibliography

This bibliography lists resources in the Research Connections collection related to the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES), which has fielded cohorts in 1997, 2000, 2003, 2006, and 2009. It is intended as a reference tool for researchers and policymakers. It is divided into sections for data sets; official reports (data tables, methods, and findings); studies using FACES data; and instruments and documentation. Within each section resources are listed alphabetically by author and then by year and title. The FACES cohort(s) used by each resource follows its citation in brackets

Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) bibliography

This bibliography lists resources in the Research Connections collection related to the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES), which has fielded cohorts in 1997, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, and 2014. It is intended as a reference tool for researchers and policymakers. It is divided into sections for data sets; official reports (data tables, methods, and findings); studies using FACES data; and instruments and documentation. Within each section resources are listed alphabetically by author and then by year and title. The FACES cohort(s) used by each resource follows its citation in brackets

The Effect of Systematic Clinical Interventions with Cigarette Smokers on Quit Status and the Rates of Smoking-Related Primary Care Office Visits

Background: The United States Public Health Service (USPHS) Guideline for Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence includes ten key recommendations regarding the identification and the treatment of tobacco users seen in all health care settings. To our knowledge, the impact of system-wide brief interventions with cigarette smokers on smoking prevalence and health care utilization has not been examined using patient population-based data. Methods and Findings Data on clinical interventions with cigarette smokers were examined for primary care office visits of 104,639 patients at 17 Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates (HVMA) sites. An operational definition of “systems change” was developed. It included thresholds for intervention frequency and sustainability. Twelve sites met the criteria. Five did not. Decreases in self-reported smoking prevalence were 40% greater at sites that achieved systems change (13.6% vs. 9.7%, p<.01). On average, the likelihood of quitting increased by 2.6% (p<0.05, 95% CI: 0.1%–4.6%) per occurrence of brief intervention. For patients with a recent history of current smoking whose home site experienced systems change, the likelihood of an office visit for smoking-related diagnoses decreased by 4.3% on an annualized basis after systems change occurred (p<0.05, 95% CI: 0.5%–8.1%). There was no change in the likelihood of an office visit for smoking-related diagnoses following systems change among non-smokers. Conclusions: The clinical practice data from HVMA suggest that a systems approach can lead to significant reductions in smoking prevalence and the rate of office visits for smoking-related diseases. Most comprehensive tobacco intervention strategies focus on the provider or the tobacco user, but these results argue that health systems should be included as an integral component of a comprehensive tobacco intervention strategy. The HVMA results also give us an indication of the potential health impacts when meaningful use core tobacco measures are widely adopted

Agroecological Transition in Cuba: Towards a Better Way of Life

The current financial and fuel crises threaten food security in poorer nations and among the poor in wealthier countries. Sustainable food production benefits communities and their food supply and can maintain farming systems in less developed agricultural regions. Many small farmers have long practiced organic agriculture, but face pressure to adopt green revolution farming, using chemicals and commercial seed. Some are resisting this, but lack the technology to apply organic methods on a larger scale. Cuba provides an instructive example of a nation that confronted a sudden food and fuel crisis by adopting organic agricultural technologies across production systems that vary tremendously in size and social organization. The agroecological revolution in Cuba evolved in the extreme conditions following the fall of the Soviet Union. Before this, Cuban agriculture was industrial, exporting cash crops and importing most human and animal foods. Almost overnight, Cuba was without agrichemicals, animal feed or fuel and was forced to switch to alternative methods using pest biocontrol, biofertilizers and animal traction. Cities now produce quantities of organic vegetables for the large urban population. Alternative methods are now widespread and have regional support systems, involving specialized centers and a network of farmers’ associations and co-operatives. Local production systems play a notable role in building a sense of community. Despite these advances, Cuba continues to import much of its food and still faces significant challenges to food self-sufficiency

Serratia marcescens Outbreak at a Correctional Facility: Environmental Sampling, Laboratory Analyses and Genomic Characterization to Assess Sources and Persistence

Serratia marcescens is an environmental bacterium and clinical pathogen that can cause an array of infections. We describe an environmental sampling and comparative genomics approach used to investigate a multi-year outbreak of S. marcescens at a correctional facility. Whole genome sequencing analysis revealed a predominant cluster of clonally related S. marcescens from nine patient cases and items associated with illicit drug use. Closely related strains found among items associated with case-patient cells and diluted Cell Block 64 (CB64), a quaternary ammonium disinfectant, and Break Out (BO), a multipurpose cleaner, highlighted their role as environmental reservoirs for S. marcescens in this outbreak. Comparative genomic analysis suggested outbreak strains were both persistent (identical strains found over long periods and in multiple locations of the correctional facility) and diverse (strains clustered with multiple global samples from NCBI database). No correlation was found between antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes of outbreak strains; NCBI strains have more AMR genes. Principal component analysis (PCA) of virulence factors associated with persistence and infectivity indicated variation based on phylogroups, including the predominant cluster; identifiable variations among environmental versus clinical strains were not observed. Identification of multiple distinct genetic groups highlights the importance of putting epidemiological genomic studies in a proper genetic context

Beluga whales in the western Beaufort Sea : current state of knowledge on timing, distribution, habitat use and environmental drivers

ECG was supported by a National Research Council-National Academy of Sciences Postdoctoral Fellowship.The seasonal and geographic patterns in the distribution, residency, and density of two populations (Chukchi and Beaufort) of beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) were examined using data from aerial surveys, passive acoustic recordings, and satellite telemetry to better understand this arctic species in the oceanographically complex and changing western Beaufort Sea. An aerial survey data-based model of beluga density highlights the Beaufort Sea slope as important habitat for belugas, with westerly regions becoming more important as summer progresses into fall. The Barrow Canyon region always had the highest relative densities of belugas from July-October. Passive acoustic data showed that beluga whales occupied the Beaufort slope and Beaufort Sea from early April until early November and passed each hydrophone location in three broad pulses during this time. These pulses likely represent the migrations of the two beluga populations: the first pulse in spring being from Beaufort animals, the second spring pulse Chukchi belugas, with the third, fall pulse a combination of both populations. Core-use and home range analyses of satellite-tagged belugas showed similar use of habitats as the aerial survey data, but also showed that it is predominantly the Chukchi population of belugas that uses the western Beaufort, with the exception of September when both populations overlap. Finally, an examination of these beluga datasets in the context of wind-driven changes in the local currents and water masses suggests that belugas are highly capable of adapting to oceanographic changes that may drive the distribution of their prey.PostprintPeer reviewe

Virulence Genes among Enterococcus faecalis

Most Enterococcus faecalis and E. faecium are harmless to humans; however, strains harboring virulence genes, including esp, gelE, cylA, asa1, and hyl, have been associated with human infections. E. faecalis and E. faecium are present in beach waters worldwide, yet little is known about their virulence potential. Here, multiplex PCR was used to compare the distribution of virulence genes among E. faecalis and E. faecium isolated from beaches in Southern California and Puerto Rico to isolates from potential sources including humans, animals, birds, and plants. All five virulence genes were found in E. faecalis and E. faecium from beach water, mostly among E. faecalis. gelE was the most common among isolates from all source types. There was a lower incidence of asa1, esp, cylA, and hyl genes among isolates from beach water, sewage, septage, urban runoff, sea wrack, and eelgrass as compared to human isolates, indicating that virulent strains of E. faecalis and E. faecium may not be widely disseminated at beaches. A higher frequency of asa1 and esp among E. faecalis from dogs and of asa1 among birds (mostly seagull) suggests that further studies on the distribution and virulence potential of strains carrying these genes may be warranted