Organizing Freedom: Black Emancipation Activism in the Civil War Midwest

“Harbour provides us with a finely tuned multilayered exploration of black women’s activism in the antebellum and Civil War eras.

The Portrayal of the European Immigrant in the Historical Fiction for Children and Young Adults

This research study used a content analysis technique to assess the portrayal of the European who emigrated to the United States from Europe between the years of 1832 and 1932. Portrayals were found in 15 works of historical fiction written for children or young adults and published after 1950 in the United States. Descriptive occurrences in each book were examined for the realistic portrayal of the immigrant experience in six general areas: (1) the Americanization process, (2) the educational experience of the immigrant, (3) employment opportunities, (4) family relations, (5) conditions encountered during the emigration process, and (6) reasons for emigrating. Twenty-two hypotheses were developed relating to these six general areas: only 2 of these hypotheses were accepted and 20 rejected. In the 15 books chosen for this study, the portrayal of the European immigrant was not particularly realistic. While most of the characters in these books struggle with the same concerns that the real immigrants did in the time period, these experiences are often watered down or omitted. The makeup of the population used, the availability of books containing as main character the European who emigrated between 1832 and 1932, and the structure of the frequency checklist used in the study were some factors which affected the study\u27s findings

National Trends Reflected in Changing Ohio Swine Industry

ESO-2344 marked "ESO-2234" on title page.A long term decline in comparative importance of Ohio farm income from livestock compared to crops is part of larger regional and national changes in both the location and organization of livestock production. These developments appear to suggest continuing declines in the comparative importance of animal agriculture (compared to crops) in Ohio, Yet the Northeast census region contains 20 percent of the meat consuming (but non-producing) U.S. population, a market that states like North Carolina hasten to supply. Does this market potential justify collective efforts in Ohio to reverse long term industry trends

State 4-H Council: A Look Back on What It Meant to Serve

An ex-post facto evaluation design was implemented to Texas 4-H Council Members from 1987-2006 to seek the perceived impact of life skill development as a result of serving on council. Former Texas 4-H Council members (n = 38) noted that the life skills that were enhanced the most from serving on the council were: development of oral communication skills, ability to relate to others, working in teams, and building self-esteem. In summary, data presented in this article indicate that Texas 4-H Council is an excellent promoter of youth through various aspects of youth development

A Pilot Study on Counselor Trainees’ Social Justice Identity Development and Effective Pedagogy in a Multicultural Counseling Course

Abstract: This pilot study examined social justice identity development for first- and second-year clinical and school counseling master’s students enrolled in a one-semester multicultural and social justice counseling (MCSJC) course. Counselor educators can incorporate social justice pedagogy in their courses to better equip counselors-in-training with the knowledge and skills necessary to act (Odegard & Vereen, 2010), which can foster the development of their social justice identities (Miller et al., 2009). Students enrolled in the MCSJC course reported their social justice identity at the beginning and end of the semester to determine identity development over time. In addition, pedagogical strategies were evaluated for their impact on identity development. Significant increases in social justice identity domains were found, with group differences based on year and track in the program. This study identified pedagogical strategies, such as cultural immersion activities, small group discussion, and guest speakers, that fostered students’ social justice identity development. What is the public significance of this article? This study suggests that social justice identity can be developed during a semester long, masters-level multicultural and social justice counseling course. Counselor educators can consider effective and intentional ways to incorporate various pedagogical strategies in their curriculum to foster the growth of students’ social justice efficacy and engagement, and the present study offers empirically-based evidence of such effective pedagogy

Alterations in vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) phosphorylation: associations with asthmatic phenotype, airway inflammation and β\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e-agonist use

Background Vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) mediates focal adhesion, actin filament binding and polymerization in a variety of cells, thereby inhibiting cell movement. Phosphorylation of VASP via cAMP and cGMP dependent protein kinases releases this brake on cell motility. Thus, phosphorylation of VASP may be necessary for epithelial cell repair of damage from allergen-induced inflammation. Two hypotheses were examined: (1) injury from segmental allergen challenge increases VASP phosphorylation in airway epithelium in asthmatic but not nonasthmatic normal subjects, (2) regular in vivo β2-agonist use increases VASP phosphorylation in asthmatic epithelium, altering cell adhesion. Methods Bronchial epithelium was obtained from asthmatic and non-asthmatic normal subjects before and after segmental allergen challenge, and after regularly inhaled albuterol, in three separate protocols. VASP phosphorylation was examined in Western blots of epithelial samples. DNA was obtained for β2-adrenergic receptor haplotype determination. Results Although VASP phosphorylation increased, it was not significantly greater after allergen challenge in asthmatics or normals. However, VASP phosphorylation in epithelium of nonasthmatic normal subjects was double that observed in asthmatic subjects, both at baseline and after challenge. Regularly inhaled albuterol significantly increased VASP phosphorylation in asthmatic subjects in both unchallenged and antigen challenged lung segment epithelium. There was also a significant increase in epithelial cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage of the unchallenged lung segment after regular inhalation of albuterol but not of placebo. The haplotypes of the β2-adrenergic receptor did not appear to associate with increased or decreased phosphorylation of VASP. Conclusion Decreased VASP phosphorylation was observed in epithelial cells of asthmatics compared to nonasthmatic normals, despite response to β-agonist. The decreased phosphorylation does not appear to be associated with a particular β2-adrenergic receptor haplotype. The observed decrease in VASP phosphorylation suggests greater inhibition of actin reorganization which is necessary for altering attachment and migration required during epithelial repair

Contrast-enhanced micro-CT imaging in murine carotid arteries : a new protocol for computing wall shear stress

Background: Wall shear stress (WSS) is involved in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis. The correlation between WSS and atherosclerosis can be investigated over time using a WSS-manipulated atherosclerotic mouse model. To determine WSS in vivo, detailed 3D geometry of the vessel network is required. However, a protocol to reconstruct 3D murine vasculature using this animal model is lacking. In this project, we evaluated the adequacy of eXIA 160, a small animal contrast agent, for assessing murine vascular network on micro-CT. Also, a protocol was established for vessel geometry segmentation and WSS analysis. Methods: A tapering cast was placed around the right common carotid artery (RCCA) of ApoE(-/-) mice (n = 8). Contrast-enhanced micro-CT was performed using eXIA 160. An innovative local threshold-based segmentation procedure was implemented to reconstruct 3D geometry of the RCCA. The reconstructed RCCA was compared to the vessel geometry using a global threshold-based segmentation method. Computational fluid dynamics was applied to compute the velocity field and WSS distribution along the RCCA. Results: eXIA 160-enhanced micro-CT allowed clear visualization and assessment of the RCCA in all eight animals. No adverse biological effects were observed from the use of eXIA 160. Segmentation using local threshold values generated more accurate RCCA geometry than the global threshold-based approach. Mouse-specific velocity data and the RCCA geometry generated 3D WSS maps with high resolution, enabling quantitative analysis of WSS. In all animals, we observed low WSS upstream of the cast. Downstream of the cast, asymmetric WSS patterns were revealed with variation in size and location between animals. Conclusions: eXIA 160 provided good contrast to reconstruct 3D vessel geometry and determine WSS patterns in the RCCA of the atherosclerotic mouse model. We established a novel local threshold-based segmentation protocol for RCCA reconstruction and WSS computation. The observed differences between animals indicate the necessity to use mouse-specific data for WSS analysis. For our future work, our protocol makes it possible to study in vivo WSS longitudinally over a growing plaque

Remote Monitoring of Fish in Small Streams: A Unified Approach Using Pit Tags

Accurate assessments of fish populations are often limited by re-observation or recapture events. Since the early 1990s, passive integrated transponders (PIT tags) have been used to understand the biology of many fish species. Until recently, PIT applications in small streams have been limited to physical recapture events. To maximize recapture probability, we constructed PIT antenna arrays in small streams to remotely detect individual fish. Experiences from two different laboratories (three case studies) allowed us to develop a unified approach to applying PIT technology for enhancing data assessments. Information on equipment, its installation, tag considerations, and array construction is provided. Theoretical and practical definitions are introduced to standardize metrics for assessing detection efficiency. We demonstrate how certain conditions (stream discharge, vibration, and ambient radio frequency noise) affect the detection efficiency and suggest that by monitoring these conditions, expectations of efficiency can be modified. We emphasize the importance of consistently estimating detection efficiency for fisheries applications

Use of Electroshock for Euthanizing and Immobilizing Adult Spring Chinook Salmon in a Hatchery

This study evaluated the use of electroshock as in alternative to traditional techniques for immobilizing and euthanizing hatchery fish. We used a commercially available electroanesthesia unit at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service\u27s Carson National Fish Hatchery (Carson, Washington) to euthanize adult spring Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and to son and collect gametes of fish at maturation. During euthanization by electroshock, the response of each fish was observed, Muscular and vertebral hemorrhaging wits quantified, and electrical settings were optimized accordingly. During gamete collection, fish were either electroshocked or exposed to tricaine methanesulfortate (MS-222); hemorrhaging, egg viability. egg size and quantity, and resultant fry quality were examined for each treatment group. Electroshocked fish had a higher likelihood Of injury during gamete collection than did fish exposed to MS-222. On average, each electroshocked fish had less than two hemorrhages oil both fillets examined. The size of each hemorrhage was less than 0.10% of the fillet surface. Fecundity and egg and fry quality were not affected by either immobilization method. Electroshock was a viable and efficient means of euthanizing adult spring Chinook salmon or sorting the fish and collecting their gametes. However, equipment settings must be optimized based on site-specific (e.g., water conductivity) and species-specific (e.g., fish size and seasonal state of maturation) factors