A Parent's Choice

Thesis (M.A.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2010In one rural Alaska school district, parents have a choice to place their child in an English only school or a Yup'ik immersion school. In the English only school, all subjects are taught in English. In the dual immersion school, English is introduced at third grade and progressively increases with each grade level until the sixth grade, when students exit the program. The researcher will seek to find why parents choose to place their child in the English only school or in the Yup'ik Immersion School. This inquiry is to help the researcher understand the thoughts and perceptions that are being held by parents and members in the community about each of the schools. The study will use qualitative research methodology that includes questionnaires and personal interviews to find out the thoughts and feelings that are being held by the parents. This research seeks to find the reasons why parents choose one school over the other. After reviewing the questionnaires, the researcher will select five parents from each school with various backgrounds to interview. The researcher will conduct ethnographic interviews designed to elicit more in-depth information. The interviews will be coded and emergent themes identified. Through data analysis, the researcher hopes to discover the reasons why parents are choosing each of the schools

C. elegans CEP-1/p53 and BEC-1 Are Involved in DNA Repair

p53 is a transcription factor that regulates the response to cellular stress. Mammalian p53 functions as a tumor suppressor. The C. elegans p53, cep-1, regulates DNA-damage induced germline cell death by activating the transcription of egl-1 and ced-13. We used the C. elegans model to investigate how, in the whole animal, different forms of DNA damage can induce p53-dependent versus p53-independent cell death and DNA repair. DNA damage was induced by ultraviolet type C (UVC) radiation, or 10-decarbamoyl mitomycin C (DMC, an agent known to induce mammalian p53-independent cell death). Wild-type or cep-1 loss-of-function mutant animals were assayed for germline cell death and DNA lesions. Wild-type animals displayed greater removal of UVC-lesions over time, whereas cep-1 mutant animals displayed increased UVC-lesion retention. The cep-1 mutation increased UVC-lesion retention directly correlated with a reduction of progeny viability. Consistent with DMC inducing p53-independent cell death in mammalian cells DMC induced a C. elegans p53-independent germline cell death pathway. To examine the influence of wild-type CEP-1 and DNA damage on C. elegans tumors we used glp-1(ar202gf)/Notch germline tumor mutants. UVC treatment of glp-1 mutant animals activated the CEP-1 target gene egl-1 and reduced tumor size. In cep-1(gk138);glp-1(ar202gf) animals, UVC treatment resulted in increased susceptibility to lesions and larger tumorous germlines. Interestingly, the partial knockdown of bec-1 in adults resulted in a CEP-1-dependent increase in germline cell death and an increase in DNA damage. These results strongly support cross-talk between BEC-1 and CEP-1 to protect the C. elegans genome

Predoctoral Interns\u27 Nondisclosure in Supervision

In interviews with 14 counseling center predoctoral interns regarding a significant nondisclosure in supervision, eight interns reported good supervisory relationships and six indicated that they experienced problematic supervisory relationships. Nondisclosures for the interns in good supervisory relationships related to personal reactions to clients, whereas nondisclosures for interns in problematic supervisory relationships related to global dissatisfaction with the supervisory relationship. In both groups, interns mentioned concerns about evaluation and negative feelings as typical reasons for nondisclosure. Additional reasons for nondisclosure for interns in problematic supervision were power dynamics, inhibiting demographic or cultural variables, and the supervisor\u27s theoretical orientation. Both groups described negative effects of nondisclosure on themselves and their relationships with clients. Interns in problematic supervision also reported that nondisclosures had negative effects on the supervisory relationship

A Look at Technology Use Across the Country: State Implementation of AT Practices for Infants and Toddlers

EI professionals from across the country recently participated in the Tots-n-Tech’s (TnT) Assistive Technology (AT) Program Self-Assessment. Part C Coordinators designated agency and program directors, regional coordinators, or other relevant people in their states to respond to the on-line self assessment of AT practices. The self-assessment is designed to provide a picture of how well recommended AT practices are implemented within state communities. Information from all respondents is combined to provide state-wide and regional views of how programs are doing in making AT available for infants and toddlers with disabilities or delayed development

Attachment to God as a Function of Mortality Salience and Intrinsic Religiosity

The present study examined the association between intrinsic religiosity and attachment to God following mortality salience. Participants (N = 158) consisted of Christian individuals who were asked to complete the Religious Orientation Scale (Allport & Ross, 1967) as a measure of intrinsic religiosity, a word search puzzle to prime either death-related or neutral words, and the Attachment to God Inventory (Beck & McDonald, 2004). A moderated regression found a significant interaction between MS and intrinsic religiosity on avoidant but not anxious attachment to God. Specifically, following reminders of death, low intrinsic individuals were more avoidant toward God compared to high intrinsic individuals. These findings suggest that MS is associated with bolstering religious beliefs in order to cope with existential anxieties

Surgically cured hypoglycemia secondary to pleural solitary fibrous tumour: case report and update review on the Doege-Potter syndrome

The association of paraneoplastic hypoglycemia [Doege-Potter syndrome] and finger clubbing [Pierre-Marie-Bamberg syndrome] with pleural solitary fibrous tumour is rare. We present a previously unpublished but typical example of this rare occurrence together with a detailed updated literature review of previously published cases of pleural SFT discussing the histopathology of SFT; pathophysiology of the hypoglycemia and finger clubbing; treatment and outcome of pleural SFT. The patient, a 57-year-old African male was admitted at our hospital with recurrent episodes of hypoglycemia. He was found to have digital clubbing and decreased breath sounds in the right lower chest but no other significant clinical findings. His insulin level measured during an episode of hypoglycemia was undetectable. Chest radiograph and CT-scan revealed a lobulated mass in the right chest which was diagnosed to be SFT on histology. Surgical excision of the mass resulted in cure of the hypoglycemic episodes and rapid regression of the clubbing. Less than 65 cases of pleural SFT manifesting with hypoglycemia with or without finger-clubbing have been published in the English literature. The mean diameter of these tumours manifesting with hypoglycemia is 20 cm, 54% being benign while 42% were malignant. They predominantly present in the 6th-8th decade, average age of 64 years and a slight male preponderance at 58%. Complete surgical resection remains the most important predictor of clinical outcome in terms of recurrence and metastases, while providing instant cure for the hypoglycemia and rapid resolution of the finger clubbing

Navigating Autism: Parent Experiences with Coping and Service Connection

This presentation shares findings from a qualitative study exploring the experiences of parents of youth and young adults with ASD and service providers. Themes from interviews and focus groups are discussed. The presenters explore the implications of the study for providing services to individuals with ASD in relation to research, policy and practice