Blindness and Selective Mutism: One Student’s Response to Voice-Output Devices

This case study was designed to measure the response of one student with blindness and selective mutism to the intervention of voice-output devices across two years and two different teachers in two instructional settings. Before the introduction of the voice output devices, the student did not choose to communicate using spoken language or gestures while at school. As a result of this intervention, the student consistently communicated her choice of a preferred activity, responded independently to social greetings, and more consistently expressed her wants and needs. She responded “yes” and “no” to questions and made significant gains in pre-reading skills

Parent-Child Talk about Early Numeracy

The goal of the study was to examine how the type of informal number activity in which parents and their preschoolers engage and parents’ math-related beliefs relate to parent-child exploration of an advanced early number concept. Parents and their preschoolers (n = 46) engaged in a videotaped play session and parents were surveyed about their math-related beliefs. The findings indicate that the type of informal number activity that parents chose to play with their children predicted how frequently they explored an advanced early number concept with them. Additionally, some but not all parents’ math-related beliefs were related to parent-child number talk. These results suggest that identifying games that facilitate specific number concepts may be a good way for researchers to help parents and children explore more advanced early number concepts frequently. The results also highlight the need for additional research on the role of parents’ math-related beliefs in their support of their children’s early learning and school readiness

Proteome and Membrane Fatty Acid Analyses on Oligotropha carboxidovorans OM5 Grown under Chemolithoautotrophic and Heterotrophic Conditions

Oligotropha carboxidovorans OM5 T. (DSM 1227, ATCC 49405) is a chemolithoautotrophic bacterium able to utilize CO and H2 to derive energy for fixation of CO2. Thus, it is capable of growth using syngas, which is a mixture of varying amounts of CO and H2 generated by organic waste gasification. O. carboxidovorans is capable also of heterotrophic growth in standard bacteriologic media. Here we characterize how the O. carboxidovorans proteome adapts to different lifestyles of chemolithoautotrophy and heterotrophy. Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analysis of O. carboxidovorans grown with acetate or with syngas showed that the bacterium changes membrane fatty acid composition. Quantitative shotgun proteomic analysis of O. carboxidovorans grown in the presence of acetate and syngas showed production of proteins encoded on the megaplasmid for assimilating CO and H2 as well as proteins encoded on the chromosome that might have contributed to fatty acid and acetate metabolism. We found that adaptation to chemolithoautotrophic growth involved adaptations in cell envelope, oxidative homeostasis, and metabolic pathways such as glyoxylate shunt and amino acid/cofactor biosynthetic enzymes

Reduced Herbicide Antagonism of Grass Weed Control through Spray Application Technique

Dicamba and 2,4-D tolerance traits were introduced to soybean and cotton, allowing for over the top applications of these herbicides. Avoiding antagonism of glyphosate and clethodim by dicamba or 2,4-D is necessary to achieve optimum weed control. Three field studies were conducted in fallow fields with broadleaf signalgrass (Urochloa platyphylla) and Italian ryegrass (Lolium perenne ssp. multiflorum) pressure. A tractor-mounted dual boom sprayer was modified to spray one of three application methods: (1) two herbicides tanked-mixed (TMX); (2) two herbicides in separate tanks mixed in the boom line (MIL); and (3) two herbicides in separate tanks applied through separate booms simultaneously (SPB). One study compared the three application methods with sethoxydim applied with bentazon, the second compared clethodim applied with dicamba or 2,4-D, and the third compared glyphosate applied with dicamba or 2,4-D. In most cases over all three trials, there was a 7–15% increase in efficacy when using the SPB application method. Antagonism of all the herbicide combinations above was observed when applied using the TMX and MIL methods. In some cases, antagonism was avoided when using the SPB method. The separate boom application method increased efficacy, which allowed herbicides to be used more effectively, resulting in improved economic and environmental sustainability of herbicide applications

Remediation of Aqueous Phosphate Agricultural Runoff Using Slag and Al/Mg Modified Biochar

Slag and Al/Mg oxide modified Douglas fir biochar (AMOB) were compared for their phosphate adsorbing abilities for use individually or in combination for simulated agriculture run-off remediation in wetlands. Aqueous batch and column sorption experiments were performed for both low-cost materials. AMOB was prepared in bulk using a novel green method. Material analyses included XRD, elemental analysis, SEM, EDX, and BET. Biochar and slag have different phosphate removal mechanisms. In short residence times (≤2 h), adsorption phenomena dominate for both adsorbents. Surface area likely plays a role in adsorption performance; slag was measured to be 4.1 m2/g while biochar’s surface area was 364.1 m2/g. In longer residence times (>2 h), the slow leaching of metals (Ca, Al, and Mg) from slag continue to remove phosphate through the precipitation of metal phosphates. In 24 h, slag removed more free phosphate from the solution than AMOB. Preliminary fixed bed column adsorption of slag or AMOB alone and in tandem was performed adopting a scaled-up model that can be used to remediate agricultural runoff with high phosphate content. Additionally, a desorption study was performed to analyze the efficiency of material regeneration. While AMOB does not release any adsorbed phosphates, slag slowly releases 5.7% adsorbed phosphate over seven days