Re-Educating a Generation of Teachers: A Conference Report

The Feminist Press national conference Toward Nonsexist Schools: Re-educating a Generation of Teachers took place November 21, 22 and 23, 1974 on the campus of SUNY /College at Old Westbury. The program of this working conference was intended to provide specific methods and materials for public school teachers and administrators who are organizing in-service courses on sex-role stereo typing. More than 25 different workshops and panels presented new research on socialization, history and literature, and models for organizing and administering a women\u27s studies in-service program

Physicochemical Characteristics and Trace Metal Levels of Locally Dug Wells in Tunga Area of Minna, Nigeria

Physicochemical characteristics and trace metal levels of water from locally dug wells in Tunga area of Minna were studied using titrimetric and instrumental methods. Trace metal levels in all the studied wellsranged between 0.40-1.50, 0.32-0.95, 0.12-0.50, 0.03-0.21, 0.01-0.04 and 0.01-0.02mg/L for Cu, Fe, Zn, Cr Pb and Cd respectively. The physic-chemical parameters like temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity and total dissolved solids gave average values of 27.9oC, 3.89mg/l, 22.62mg/l, and 15.8mg/l respectively. The average concentrations of chlorides, total hardens magnesium and calcium ions analysed were 34.58mg/l, 147.63mg/l, 7.99mg/l and 114.90mg/l respectively. Results from this study showed that the industrial and human activities in this study area pose no majorhealth hazard to their well water, and are therefore fit for their domestic activities. Notwithstanding, regular monitoring of trace metal levels in these wells which act as major sources of water for their domestic activities needto be carried out by regulatory bodies due to the increasing human population in this area

Thermodynamic framework to assess low abundance DNA mutation detection by hybridization

The knowledge of genomic DNA variations in patient samples has a high and increasing value for human diagnostics in its broadest sense. Although many methods and sensors to detect or quantify these variations are available or under development, the number of underlying physico-chemical detection principles is limited. One of these principles is the hybridization of sample target DNA versus nucleic acid probes. We introduce a novel thermodynamics approach and develop a framework to exploit the specific detection capabilities of nucleic acid hybridization, using generic principles applicable to any platform. As a case study, we detect point mutations in the KRAS oncogene on a microarray platform. For the given platform and hybridization conditions, we demonstrate the multiplex detection capability of hybridization and assess the detection limit using thermodynamic considerations; DNA containing point mutations in a background of wild type sequences can be identified down to at least 1% relative concentration. In order to show the clinical relevance, the detection capabilities are confirmed on challenging formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded clinical tumor samples. This enzyme-free detection framework contains the accuracy and efficiency to screen for hundreds of mutations in a single run with many potential applications in molecular diagnostics and the field of personalised medicine

Task-Invariance and Reliability of Anticipatory Postural Adjustments in Healthy Young Adults

Background Anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) occur in the trunk during tasks such as rapid limb movement and are impaired in individuals with musculoskeletal and neurological dysfunction. To understand APA impairment, it is important to first determine if APAs can be measured reliably and which characteristics of APAs are task-invariant. Research question What is the test-retest reliability of latency, amplitude and muscle activation patterns (synergies) of trunk APAs during arm-raise and leg-raise tasks, and to what extent are these APA characteristics invariant across tasks at the individual and group levels? Methods 15 young adults (mean age: 23.7 (±3.2) years) performed six trials of a rapid arm raise task in standing and a leg raise task in supine on two occasions. Latency, amplitude and coactivation of APAs in the erector spinae and external/internal oblique musculature were measured, and APA synergies were identified with principle components analysis. Test-retest reliability across the two sessions was calculated with intraclass correlation coefficients. Task-invariance was assessed at the individual level with correlation and at the group level with tests of equivalence. Results Most variables demonstrated acceptable test-retest reliability. Synergies and many features of APA activation varied across tasks, although at the individual level, motor performance time and amplitude of lumbar erector spinae activation were significantly correlated across tasks. Average pre-motor reaction time, external oblique latency, contralateral oblique amplitude and internal oblique coactivation were equivalent across tasks. Significance Characteristics of trunk muscle APAs quantified during a single task may not be representative of an anticipatory postural control strategy that generalizes across tasks. Therefore, APAs must be assessed during multiple tasks with varying biomechanical demands to adequately investigate mechanisms contributing to movement dysfunction. The reliability analysis in this study facilitates interpretation of group differences or changes in APA behavior in response to intervention for the selected tasks

Why Maintain Light Chain Isotypes? The Influence of Heavy Chain Isotype and Complementary Determining Region Lengths upon Light Chain Isotype in Xenopus laevis

Different immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy chain (H) isotypes have distinct functions, but so far it is unclear if Ig light (L) chains follow the same pattern. It is usually assumed that form follows function; but if this is true, then why have different IgL isotypes with no known functional differences? In this study we investigate IgH and IgL isotype preferential binding and complementary determining region (CDR) lengths to try to address this question using the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis, as a model. Amphibians exhibit IgH isotype class switch at a single IgH locus and have an additional, more divergent, IgL isotype (σ) plus the two found in mammals (λ and κ). We used quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis of IgH isotype of B cells sorted by surface IgL isotype expression to find evidence of preferential use of IgL isotype by IgH isotype. We found a relative skewing in the Igκ cells for IgY, in the Igλ cells for IgX, the Igσ cells for IgM, and corroborated published immunoprecipitations showing that IgY and Igσ do not pair with gene expression data of the IgL isotype sorted cells. Our data also suggests that the exaggerated CDR1 of IgHV families III and VII and the long CDR2 of Igσ may cramp IgH CDR3, making the IgHV III/VII-Igσ pairing less common. While these data do not resolve the conundrum of multiple IgL isotype maintenance in vertebrates, they do show that in a tetrapod with several IgH and several IgL isotype options, IgL isotype use is not random

Immediate Surgical Repositioning Following Intrusive Luxation: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

This report presents a case of severe intrusive luxation of mature maxillary lateral incisor in a 10-year-old boy. The intruded tooth was immediately repositioned (surgical extrusion) and splinted within 2 h following injury. Tetracycline therapy was initiated at the time of repositioning and maintained for 10 days. Pulp removal and calcium hydroxide treatment of the root canal was carried out after repositioning. Splint was removed 1 month later. Definitive root canal treatment with gutta percha was accomplished at the second month recall. Clinical and radiographic examination 28 months after the surgical extrusion revealed satisfactory apical and periodontal healing

Circulating C3 is Necessary and Sufficient for Induction of Autoantibody-Mediated Arthritis in a Mouse Model

Objective. For the inflammation characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis, the relative contribution of mediators produced locally in the synovium versus those circulating systemically is unknown. Complement factor C3 is made in rheumatoid synovium and has been proposed to be a crucial driver of inflammation. The aim of this study was to test, in a mouse model of rheumatoid arthritis, whether C3 synthesized within the synovium is important in promoting inflammation. Methods. Radiation bone marrow chimeras between normal and C3−/− mice were constructed in order to generate animals that expressed or lacked expression of C3 only in hematopoietic cells. Parabiotic mice were made by surgically linking C3−/− mice to irradiated wild-type mice to obtain animals having C3 only in the circulation. Arthritis was induced by injection of serum from arthritic K/BxN mice.Results In bone marrow chimeras, synthesis of C3 by radioresistant cells was necessary and sufficient to confer susceptibility to serum-transferred arthritis. Parabionts having C3 only in the circulation remained sensitive to arthritis induction, and the cartilage of these arthritic mice contained deposits of C3. Conclusion. In a mouse model in which the alternative pathway of complement activation is critical to the induction of arthritis by autoantibodies, circulating C3 was necessary and sufficient for arthritis induction.Stem Cell and Regenerative Biolog

Rapid and discriminatory diagnosis of scrapie and BSE in retro-pharyngeal lymph nodes of sheep

BACKGROUND: Diagnosis based on prion detection in lymph nodes of sheep and goats can improve active surveillance for scrapie and, if it were circulating, for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). With sizes that allow repetitive testing and a location that is easily accessible at slaughter, retropharyngeal lymph nodes (RLN) are considered suitable organs for testing. Western blotting (WB) of brain homogenates is, in principle, a technique well suited to both detect and discriminate between scrapie and BSE. In this report, WB is developed for rapid diagnosis in RLN and to study biochemical characteristics of PrP(res). RESULTS: Optimal PrP(res )detection in RLN by WB was achieved by proper tissue processing, antibody choice and inclusion of a step for PrP(res)concentration. The analyses were performed on three different sheep sources. Firstly, in a study with preclinical scrapie cases, WB of RLN from infected sheep of VRQ/VRQ genotype – VRQ represents, respectively, polymorphic PrP amino acids 136, 154, and 171 – allowed a diagnosis 14 mo earlier compared to WB of brain stem. Secondly, samples collected from sheep with confirmed scrapie in the course of passive and active surveillance programmes in the period 2002–2003 yielded positive results depending on genotype: all sheep with genotypes ARH/VRQ, VRQ/VRQ, and ARQ/VRQ scored positive for PrP(res), but ARQ/ARQ and ARR/VRQ were not all positive. Thirdly, in an experimental BSE study, detection of PrP(res )in all 11 ARQ/ARQ sheep, including 7 preclinical cases, was possible. In all instances, WB and IHC were almost as sensitive. Moreover, BSE infection could be discriminated from scrapie infection by faster electrophoretic migration of the PrP(res )bands. Using dual antibody staining with selected monoclonal antibodies like 12B2 and L42, these differences in migration could be employed for an unequivocal differentiation between BSE and scrapie. With respect to glycosylation of PrP(res), BSE cases exhibited a greater diglycosylated fraction than scrapie cases. Furthermore, a slight time dependent increase of diglycosylated PrP(res )was noted between individual sheep, which was remarkable in that it occurred in both scrapie and BSE study. CONCLUSION: The present data indicate that, used in conjunction with testing in brain, WB of RLN can be a sensitive tool for improving surveillance of scrapie and BSE, allowing early detection of BSE and scrapie and thereby ensuring safer sheep and goat products

Effects of a Tailored Follow-Up Intervention on Health Behaviors, Beliefs, and Attitudes

Background: The high rates of relapse that tend to occur after short-term behavioral interventions indicate the need for maintenance programs that promote long-term adherence to new behavior patterns. Computer-tailored health messages that are mailed to participants or given in brief telephone calls offer an innovative and time-efficient alternative to ongoing face-to-face contact with healthcare providers. Methods: Following a 1-year behavior change program, 22 North Carolina health departments were randomly assigned to a follow-up intervention or control condition. Data were collected from 1999 to 2001 by telephone-administered surveys at preintervention and postintervention for 511 low-income, midlife adult women enrolled in the Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation (WISEWOMAN) program at local North Carolina health departments. During the year after the behavior change program, intervention participants were mailed six sets of computer-tailored health messages and received two computer-tailored telephone counseling sessions. Main outcomes of dietary and physical activity behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes were measured. Results: Intervention participants were more likely to move forward into more advanced stages of physical activity change (p = 0.02); control participants were more likely to increase their level of dietary social support at follow-up (p = 0.05). Both groups maintained low levels of reported saturated fat and cholesterol intake at follow-up. No changes were seen in physical activity in either group. Conclusions: Mailed computer-tailored health messages and telephone counseling calls favorably modified forward physical activity stage movement but did not appreciably affect any other psychosocial or behavioral outcomes