Preservice Teachers\u27 Multicultural Attitudes, Intercultural Sensitivity, and their Multicultural Teaching Efficacy

This study examined early childhood preservice teachers’ multicultural teaching efficacy and its association with their multicultural attitudes and intercultural sensitivity. A total of 90 preservice teachers enrolled in an early childhood teacher education program in a state university in the Northeast U.S. were included in this study. The results showed that preservice teachers’ multicultural attitude and all five sub-constructs of intercultural sensitivity including overall cultural sensitivity were positively related with multicultural teaching efficacy. The results also showed that preservice teachers’ attitudes and beliefs are significant factors in early childhood preservice teachers’ multicultural teaching efficacy. This study discusses educational implications in ways of enhancing preservice teachers’ sense of multicultural teaching efficacy

Early Childhood Preservice Teachers’ Mathematics Teaching Efficacy : Effects of Passion and Teacher Efficac

This study examined mathematics teaching efficacy and its association with preservice teachers’ passion for teacher preparation and their overall teacher efficacy. In order to understand the impacts of preservice teachers’ passion for teaching and teaching efficacy on their subject-specific teaching efficacy, mathematics teaching efficacy, this study analyzed the data collected from 193 early childhood preservice teachers at a university in the Midwestern United States. Pearson’s correlation and hierarchical regression analyses were performed using SPSS 25. The results revealed that the preservice teachers were highly efficacious about their mathematics teaching, showing a positive relationship to harmonious passion and personal teacher efficacy. Harmonious passion for teacher preparation was the most significant predictors of their personal mathematics teaching efficacy. The results implied that harmonious passion had a significant influence on early childhood preservice teachers’ mathematics teaching efficacy, with low and high teacher efficacy leading to a higher mathematics teaching efficacy. This study discusses implications to enhance preservice teachers’ mathematic teaching efficacy

The Expected Value of a Random Variable: Semiotic and Lexical Ambiguities

In calculus-based statistics courses, the expected value of a random variable (EVORV) is discussed in relation to underlying mathematical notions. This study examines students’ understanding of the mathematical notions of EVORV in connection with its semiotic and lexical representations. It also assesses students’ computational competency revolving around EVORV. We collected qualitative data via surveys and interviews from eight students enrolled in a calculus-based university statistics course. The results suggest that while the students in general had the computational accuracy to correctly calculate EVORV, they struggled to understand the notion, and in particular to make sense of the term “random” in “random variable” and the symbol E() in the mathematical context. The study provides a basis for understanding potential challenges to students’ learning of EVORV and other related statistics topics and how such challenges may emerge from the semiotic and lexical ambiguities inherent in terms and symbols used in statistics

Demonstration of early functional compromise of bone marrow derived hematopoietic progenitor cells during bovine neonatal pancytopenia through in vitro culture of bone marrow biopsies

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Bovine neonatal pancytopenia (BNP) is a syndrome characterised by thrombocytopenia associated with marked bone marrow destruction in calves, widely reported since 2007 in several European countries and since 2011 in New Zealand. The disease is epidemiologically associated with the use of an inactivated bovine virus diarrhoea (BVD) vaccine and is currently considered to be caused by absorption of colostral antibody produced by some vaccinated cows (“BNP dams”). Alloantibodies capable of binding to the leukocyte surface have been detected in BNP dams and antibodies recognising bovine MHC class I and β-2-microglobulin have been detected in vaccinated cattle. In this study, calves were challenged with pooled colostrum collected from BNP dams or from non-BNP dams and their bone marrow hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) cultured <it>in vitro</it> from sternal biopsies taken at 24 hours and 6 days post-challenge.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Clonogenic assay demonstrated that CFU-GEMM (colony forming unit-granulocyte/erythroid/macrophage/megakaryocyte; pluripotential progenitor cell) colony development was compromised from HPCs harvested as early as 24 hour post-challenge. By 6 days post challenge, HPCs harvested from challenged calves failed to develop CFU-E (erythroid) colonies and the development of both CFU-GEMM and CFU-GM (granulocyte/macrophage) was markedly reduced.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study suggests that the bone marrow pathology and clinical signs associated with BNP are related to an insult which compromises the pluripotential progenitor cell within the first 24 hours of life but that this does not initially include all cell types.</p

Osteoprotegerin mediates tumor-promoting effects of Interleukin-1beta in breast cancer cells

__Background:__ It is widely recognized that inflammation promotes breast cancer invasion and metastasis. Given the complex nature of the breast tumor inflammatory microenvironment, much remains to be understood of the molecular mechanisms that govern these effects. We have previously shown that osteoprotegerin knockdown in breast cancer cells resulted in reduced invasion and metastasis. Here we present novel insight into the role of osteoprotegerin in inflammation-driven tumor progression in breast cancer by investigating the link between osteoprotegerin, macrophages and the potent pro-inflammatory cytokine Interleukin-1beta. __Methods:__ We used human breast cancer cell lines to investigate the effects of Interleukin-1beta treatment on osteoprotegerin secretion as measured by ELISA. We analyzed public datasets containing human breast cancer genome-wide mRNA expression data to reveal a significant and positive correlation between osteoprotegerin mRNA expression and the mRNA expression of Interleukin-1beta and of monocyte chemoattractant protein CC-chemokine ligand 2. Osteoprotegerin, Interleukin-1beta and CC-chemokine ligand 2 mRNA levels were also examined by qPCR on cDNA from normal and cancerous human breast tissue. We determined the effect of Interleukin-1beta-producing macrophages on osteoprotegerin expression by co-culturing breast cancer cells and differentiated THP-1 macrophages. Immunohistochemistry was performed on human breast tumor tissue microarrays to assess macrophage infiltration and osteoprotegerin expression. To demonstrate that osteoprotegerin mediated functional effects of Interleukin-1beta we performed cell invasion studies with control and OPG siRNA knockdown on Interleukin-1beta-treated breast cancer cells. __Results:__ We report that Interleukin-1beta induces osteoprotegerin secretion, independent of breast cancer subtype and basal osteoprotegerin levels. Co-culture of breast cancer cells with Interleukin-1beta-secreting macrophages resulted in a similar increase in osteoprotegerin secretion in breast cancer cells as Interleukin-1beta treatment. Macrophage infiltration correlates with osteoprotegerin secretion in human breast tumor tissue samples. We show that osteoprotegerin secretion is regulated by Interleukin-1beta in a p38- and p42/44-dependent manner. We also demonstrate that osteoprotegerin knockdown represses Interleukin-1beta expression, Interleukin-1beta-mediated breast cancer cell invasion and MMP3 expression. __Conclusions:__ These data indicate a novel role for osteoprotegerin as a mediator of inflammation- promoted breast cancer progression

305 N-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids alter expression of fibrotic and hypertrophic genes in a dog model of atrial cardiomyopathy

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may reduce vulnerability to atrial fibrillation (AF). The mechanism underlying this effect is unknown. A genome wide approach was used to identify gene expression profiles involved in a new model of vulnerability to AF, and determine whether they were altered by PUFA therapy. Thirty-six dogs were randomized into 3 groups of 12. Two groups were paced using simultaneous atrial and ventricular pacing (SAVP) at 220 bpm for 14 days to induce atrial enlargement, fibrosis and susceptibility to AF. One group was supplemented with oral PUFAs (850 mg/day) for 21 days, commencing 7 days before the start of pacing (SAVP-PUFAs); the other received no PUFAs (SAVP-No PUFAs). The final group was unpaced, unsupplemented and served as controls (CTRL). Atrial tissue from left appendages was sampled at the end of the protocol. PUFA supplementation caused a 24% increase in tissue phospholipid PUFA concentration. Gene expression was analyzed via microarray. Results were confirmed with QT-RT-PCR and histology. SAVP-No PUFAs dogs had significantly increased mRNA levels of MHCα, elevated levels of other proremodeling genes Akt, EGF, TIMP1, JAM3 and CD99, and significantly decreased levels of fibrosis inhibiting Smad6. PUFA supplementation was associated with significant down-regulation of Akt, EGF, TIMP1, MHCα, CD99 and lower JAM3 levels. PUFAs reversed the 34% increase in myocyte cross sectional area caused by pacing. PUFAs appear to attenuate, at the genetic level, adverse remodeling in response to mechanical stress