Trees of the Pacific Northwest: A web-based approach to forestry education

Tree identification is a powerful vehicle for introducing people of varying ages and backgrounds to natural resources. For some it\u27s a rewarding and delightful end in itself; for others it provides an important first step into the issues and practices of natural resource management. For most, it\u27s an empowering skill they can share with others. For many, it\u27s a black box process, filled with obscure terms, uncertain choices, and hidden characteristics

A meta-analytic review of play therapy with emphasis on outcomes measures

A meta-analysis of 100 studies of outcomes of play therapy interventions was conducted to determine overall effect of intervention. Different from the Bratton, Ray, Rhine, and Jones (2005), but more consistent with the Lin and Bratton (2015), findings, there was a significant moderate effect for play therapy interventions across all outcomes (d = .44). When 4 studies with aberrantly large effects were removed, this effect was d = .36. These moderate effects are consistent with other meta-analyses that find lower effect sizes for nonbehavioral interventions. Overall study quality was poor with no studies meeting the criteria of randomized control trials. Research on play therapy interventions also does not use diagnostic criteria as part of study inclusion, thus preventing play therapy interventions from being considered as empirically supported treatments. Meta-analytic findings differed by type of measure used, with measures of family functioning/relationships finding larger results than other types of measures. There was not strong consistency in measures used across the studies, with only a few measures being used across more than 1 or 2 studies. Of the more frequently used measures, the Measurement of Empathy in Adult Child Interaction (MEACI) resulted in much larger effects than other measures used, and should be further evaluated in terms of appropriate interpretation and use. Effect sizes also differed based on the reporting source, with teachers tending to rate lower impacts of treatment than other reporters

Natural resource education: Getting forest products workers into the flow

The forest products industry employs over 1.4 million people in the U.S.; it ranks among the top ten manufacturing employers in 46 states. Surprisingly, a recent survey of U.S. forest products workers revealed substantial ignorance and misperceptions about forests and forestry issues. Despite this, few educational programs are targeted at this audience. The Oregon Forest Resources Institute has teamed up with Oregon State University\u27s Forestry Media Center to fill this gap with Project FLOW (Forestry Learning Opportunities for Workers). Phase one of this project, completed in summer 1997, analyzed current status of forestry educational opportunities for forest workers in Oregon: existing educational activities, opportunities for new programs, and obstacles to implementing new programs. A mail-in survey, sent to human resource officers or chief executives of 590 forest products businesses in Oregon, indicated that it was important for forest workers to have reliable information about forestry topics. However, fewer than half those responding said that their company currently distributes educational materials or provides on-the-job learning opportunities. Principal obstacles cited were lack of time during the workday, lack of staff, and lack of relevant and effective educational materials. Phase two of this project will use the survey data, as well as information collected from focus groups, site visits, and telephone conversations with key stakeholders, to develop and pilot-test learning materials in various formats. We anticipate that materials developed through this project will have wide application throughout the United States-and that better-informed workers are likely to become better individual decision makers and more effective ambassadors for sound forest management

Effects of increasing the affinity of CarD for RNA polymerase on Mycobacterium tuberculosis growth, rRNA transcription, and virulence

CarD is an essential RNA polymerase (RNAP) interacting protein in Mycobacterium tuberculosis that stimulates formation of RNAP-promoter open complexes. CarD plays a complex role in M. tuberculosis growth and virulence that is not fully understood. Therefore, to gain further insight into the role of CarD in M. tuberculosis growth and virulence, we determined the effect of increasing the affinity of CarD for RNAP. Using site-directed mutagenesis guided by crystal structures of CarD bound to RNAP, we identified amino acid substitutions that increase the affinity of CarD for RNAP. Using these substitutions, we show that increasing the affinity of CarD for RNAP increases the stability of the CarD protein in M. tuberculosis. In addition, we show that increasing the affinity of CarD for RNAP increases the growth rate in M. tuberculosis without affecting 16S rRNA levels. We further show that increasing the affinity of CarD for RNAP reduces M. tuberculosis virulence in a mouse model of infection despite the improved growth rate in vitro. Our findings suggest that the CarD-RNAP interaction protects CarD from proteolytic degradation in M. tuberculosis, establish that growth rate and rRNA levels can be uncoupled in M. tuberculosis and demonstrate that the strength of the CarD-RNAP interaction has been finely tuned to optimize virulence. IMPORTANCE Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis, remains a major global health problem. In order to develop new strategies to battle this pathogen, we must gain a better understanding of the molecular processes involved in its survival and pathogenesis. We have previously identified CarD as an essential transcriptional regulator in mycobacteria. In this study, we detail the effects of increasing the affinity of CarD for RNAP on transcriptional regulation, CarD protein stability, and virulence. These studies expand our understanding of the global transcription regulator CarD, provide insight into how CarD activity is regulated, and broaden our understanding of prokaryotic transcription

Why Wait?: Early Enteral Feeding After Pediatric Gastrostomy Tube Placement

Purpose Early initiation of feedings after gastrostomy tube (GT) placement may reduce associated hospital costs, but many surgeons fear complications could result from earlier feeds. We hypothesized that, irrespective of placement method, starting feedings within the first 6 h following GT placement would not result in a greater number of post-operative complications. Methods An IRB-approved retrospective review of all GTs placed between January 2012 and December 2014 at three academic institutions was undertaken. Data was stratified by placement method and whether the patient was initiated on feeds at less than 6 h or after. Baseline demographics, operative variables, post-operative management and complications were analyzed. Descriptive statistics were used and P-values < 0.05 were considered significant. Results One thousand and forty-eight patients met inclusion criteria. GTs were inserted endoscopically (48.9%), laparoscopically (44.9%), or via an open approach (6.2%). Demographics were similar in early and late fed groups. When controlling for method of placement, those patients who were fed within the first 6 h after gastrostomy placement had shorter lengths of stay compared to those fed greater than 6 h after placement (P < 0.05). Total post-operative outcomes were equivalent between feeding groups for all methods of placement (laparoscopic (P = 0.87), PEG (P = 0.94), open (P = 0.81)). Conclusions Early initiation of feedings following GT placement was not associated with an increase in complications. Feeds initiated earlier may shorten hospital stays and decrease overall hospital costs

Engagement in Behavioral Parent Training: Review of the Literature and Implications for Practice

Engagement in behavioral parent training (BPT), including enrollment, attrition, attendance, within-session engagement, and homework completion, has long been a critical issue in the literature. Several estimates of various aspects of engagement have been suggested in the literature, but a systematic review of the available literature has never been accomplished. This review examines engagement data across 262 studies of BPT. Recruitment attrition, program attrition, attendance, and within-session engagement are examined across studies, with particular emphasis on the impact that SES, study purpose (efficacy vs. effectiveness), treatment format (individual vs. group), and age of child may have on those rates. Results of this review suggest that the significant amount of attrition occurs prior to enrollment in BPT, with at least 25 % of those identified as appropriate for BPT not enrolling in such programs. An additional 26 % begin, but drop out before completing treatment. Still the combined dropout rate of at least 51 % leaves at best half of identified parents completing treatment. While SES status had a small effect on attrition, other variables were not found to meaningfully impact engagement. Information on within-session engagement (homework and ratings of participation) was not often reported in studies. Key issues in this literature (e.g., varying definitions of engagement, limited attention to reporting key aspects of engagement) are discussed, and recommendations are made to further improve this important area of research and clinical practice

An Overview of Antithrombotics in Ischemic Stroke

The use of antithrombotic medications is an important component of ischemic stroke treatment and prevention. This article reviews the evidence for best practices for antithrombotic use in stroke with focused discussion on the specific agents used to treat and prevent stroke

Patient-reported outcomes in performance measurement

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are measures of how patients feel or what they are able to do in the context of their health status; PROs are reports, usually on questionnaires, about a patient's health conditions, health behaviors, or experiences with health care that individuals report directly, without modification of responses by clinicians or others; thus, they directly reflect the voice of the patient. PROs cover domains such as physical health, mental and emotional health, functioning, symptoms and symptom burden, and health behaviors. They are relevant for many activities: helping patients and their clinicians make informed decisions about health care, monitoring the progress of care, setting policies for coverage and reimbursement of health services, improving the quality of health care services, and tracking or reporting on the performance of health care delivery organizations. We address the major methodological issues related to choosing, administering, and using PROs for these purposes, particularly in clinical practice settings. We include a framework for best practices in selecting PROs, focusing on choosing appropriate methods and modes for administering PRO measures to accommodate patients with diverse linguistic, cultural, educational, and functional skills, understanding measures developed through both classic and modern test theory, and addressing complex issues relating to scoring and analyzing PRO data.Publishe

BB rat Gimap gene expression in sorted lymphoid T and B cells

Aims: The Gimap gene family has been shown to be integral to T cell survival and development. A frameshift mutation in Gimap5, one of seven members of the Gimap family, results in lymphopenia and is a prerequisite for spontaneous type 1 diabetes (T1D) in the BioBreeding (BB) rat. While not contributing to lymphopenia, the Gimap family members proximal to Gimap5, encompassed within the Iddm39 quantitative trait locus (QTL), have been implicated in T1D. We hypothesized that expression of the Gimap family members within the Iddm39 QTL, during thymocyte development as well as in peripheral T and B cells contribute to T1D. Main methods: Cell sorted subpopulations were analyzed by quantitative real time (qRT) PCR. Key findings: Gimap4 expression was reduced in DR.(lyp/lyp) rat double negative, double positive and CD8 single positive (SP) thymocytes while expression of Gimap8, Gimap6, and Gimap7 was reduced only in CD8 SP thymocytes. Interestingly, expression of the entire Gimap gene family was reduced in DR.(lyp/lyp) rat peripheral T cells compared to non-lymphopenic, non-diabetic DR.(+/+) rats. With the exception of Gimap6. the Gimap family genes were not expressed in B cells from spleen and mesenteric lymph node (MLN). Expression of Gimap9 was only detected in hematopoietic cells of non B cell lineage such as macrophage, dendritic or NK cells. Significance: These results suggest that lack of the Gimap5 protein in the DR.(lyp/lyp) congenic rat was associated with impaired expression of the entire family of Gimap genes and may regulate T cell homeostasis in the peripheral lymphoid organs. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved