Increasing Autism Awareness in Inner-City Churches: A Brief Report

Autism diagnosis rates trail significantly in the African American community. This pre-test post-test pilot study evaluated an African American inner-city church health ambassadors (HAs) autism spectrum disorder (ASD) awareness training session. The participants included 12 HAs who attended the 1 hour training session organized by the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. Results of surveys showed higher mean scores post training for (1) HA attitudes about the potential for children to improve with applied behavior analysis therapy; (2) HA self-efficacy for having information about ASD screening materials; (3) strategies HAs could use to help parents/caregivers of children with developmental delays and challenging behaviors; (4) HA confidence in referrals for children with signs of ASD; (5) HA knowledge of measures to take to maximize a child\u27s chance of receiving an ASD evaluation; and (6) HA comfort for talking to parents about children with challenging behaviors. Several of these effects were maintained 3 months later. Findings underscore the usefulness of the intervention for increasing the dissemination of knowledge about ASD and the opportunity to positively affect ASD screening, early intervention, and policy standards applicable to this vulnerable population

Production of Specific Fragments of {varphi}X174 Replicative Form DNA by a Restriction Enzyme from Haemophilus parainfluenzae, Endonuclease HP

A restriction endonuclease from Haemophilus parainfluenzae degrades {varphi}X174 replicative form DNA into eight specific fragments, ranging from 1,700 to 150 base pairs and terminated specifically by deoxycytidylic acid

Measurement Of Anhedonia In The Chick Anxiety-Depression Model

Anhedonia, the loss of pleasure in previously pleasurable activities, is one of the cardinal features of depression. To further validate the chick anxiety-depression model, the current study aimed at quantifying anhedonia as well its reversal with pharmaceuticals. The first goal was to identify a measure to quantify the display of anhedonia in chicks following exposure to an isolation stressor, the chick anxiety-depression model. All experiments involved a baseline and test measurement either after removal from the home cage (No Test) or exposure to the isolation apparatus with conspecifics and mirrors (Social) or individually (Isolated). Experiment 1 used a straight maze with start and goal latency serving as the dependent measures. Isolated chicks expressed delays in start latency compared to No Test chicks, which is interpreted as anhedonia-like behavior. Experiment 2 used a modified sucrose preference task to assess sucrose preference and the number of drinking events for water and sucrose. Consistent with the rodent literature, results shodecreased sucrose preference in Isolated chicks compared to No Test chicks. Experiment 3 involved measurement of behavior in a dust bath apparatus. Contrary to predictions, limited behavior was observed in the apparatus. The second goal of the present study was to be able to reverse the display of anhedonia-like behavior, as measured in the straight alley maze, with pharmaceutical manipulation. Experiment 4 involved administration of vehicle, 10 or 15 mg/kg Imipramine prior to exposure to the isolation apparatus folloby testing in the straight alley maze. Both 10 and 15 mg/kg Imipramine were shown to alleviate the onset of behavioral despair in the isolation test. The 15 mg/kg Imipramine dose also alleviated the display of anhedonia in the straight alley maze. Experiment 5 involved the administration of vehicle, 5 or 10 mg/kg Ketamine prior to exposure to the isolation apparatus folloby testing in the straight alley maze. Neither 5 nor 10 mg/kg Ketamine were able to alleviate the onset of behavioral despair or anhedonia as assessed in the straight alley maze

Moving through fear: A conversation with Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Prior to its release in August 2010, Susan Campbell Bartoletti\u27s newest book, They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group (2010), received an incredibly positive response in the form of starred reviews from School Library Journal, Booklist, Publisher\u27s Weekly, Horn Book, and Kirkus Reviews. Through her impeccable research and ability to weave a compelling story out of the place where darkness and light smack up against each other (Bartoletti & Zusak, 2008), she has made it possible for children and young adults to access and understand the horror of the Third Reich in Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler\u27s Shadow (2005), famine in Black Potatoes: The Story of the Great Irish Famine (2001), and child labor in Kids on Strike! (1999) and Growing Up in Coal Country (1996). Richie Partington (2010), in his Richie\u27s Pick review of They Called Themselves the K.K.K., writes It is, of course, through reading a book like this -- and understanding the Why? -- that we gain the insight necessary to help stop the flames of hatred and fear from spreading in whatever direction they next travel. We had the occasion to talk with Susan shortly after she turned in the manuscript for They Called Themselves the K.K.K., and she graced us with her delightful sense of humor and answered questions about her writing process and body of work -- a perfect fit with this issue\u27s theme: literature that promotes healing, compassion, and activism. You can find out more about Susan at her website, http://www.scbartoletti.com

Of Wondrous Places and “Benevolent Neglect”: An Interview with Pam Munoz Ryan

With her recent book, Paint the Wind (2007), hitting the shelves this fall, author Pam Munoz Ryan delivers a welcome addition to the 25 plus books she has written for young people, including her award-winning novels Esperanza Rising (2000) and Riding Freedom (1998) and picture books Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride (1999) and When Marian Sang (2002). With sense of place as the focus, this article presents an interview with Ryan about her thoughts on the place of imagination in her writing and in the lives of the readers she writes for; the place of history and research in her writing; the place of culture and identity in her life and in the lives of her characters; and a place for her books in the classroom and in the world of children\u27s literature

A Mother, a Teacher, Nancy Drew, and a U.N. Interpreter: The Aspirations of Deborah Wiles

In an interview, Deborah Wiles, a children\u27s book author and National Book Award finalist, discusses the new trilogy of novels she is writing based on the 1960s. Other topics discussed include balancing humor with seriousness, making connections between seemingly disconnected themes, striving to help young people make difficult choices, and honoring family in her stories

How Students with IEP\u27s and their Teachers are Faring in Maine Schools during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The goal of study was to better understand how instruction to students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) was delivered during remote learning this past spring and during the fall semester of the 2020-21 school year, and how these vulnerable students have been impacted

Telehealth Support Services for Students in Maine Schools Before and After the COVID Pandemic

The study also sought to learn what works well with telehealth delivery of therapy services for students with Individualized Education Plans IEPs and the drawbacks to using school-based telehealth services, from participants’ perspectives

Implications of American Copyright Law for Policies and Practices Regarding the Digitization of Manuscript Collections

With the advent of widely available Internet access and improved digital scanning capabilities, many cultural institutions have begun putting digital copies of their archival holdings online for increased access by scholars and the public. Advances in technology have not been matched by advances in copyright law, which does not address digital issues and remains difficult to interpret for modern technologies. This study investigates how repositories determine the copyright status of manuscript materials, and how they use that information when digitizing collections. Using an Internet survey administered to members of the Society of American Archivists, this study explores the relationship between United States copyright law and the policies and practices of American archival repositories regarding the digitization of manuscript materials