Social Services and Newcomer Families in NYS: Bridging Cultural Differences

This report outlines some of the cultural practices and values of the major newcomer communities represented in New York State. It also describes reasons that some issues tend to arise in newcomer families and ways that social service agencies can take preventative action before issues in families lead to dramatic consequences

Listening to the Voices of Teacher Candidates to Design Content Area Literacy Courses

While teacher candidates take courses which prepare them to deliver content in secondary content area classrooms, they often lack the knowledge necessary to help their future students learn discipline-specific information through the use of literacy strategies. In many cases, content area teacher candidates do not view themselves as literacy educators, believing instead that English teachers or elementary level educators are responsible for developing the reading and writing skills of students. However, development as teachers of literacy is possible. Through a content area literacy course taken as part of a teacher preparation program, secondary content area teacher candidates reported changes in their perceptions of and willingness to use literacy strategies to improve the learning outcomes of their students. Through pre-course and post-course surveys, teacher candidates reported an expanded understanding of the importance of literacy in the development of content knowledge

Shake-induced order in nanosphere systems

Self-assembled patterns obtained from a drying nanosphere suspension are investigated by computer simulations and simple experiments. Motivated by the earlier experimental results of Sasaki and Hane and Schope, we confirm that more ordered triangular lattice structures can be obtained whenever a moderate intensity random shaking is applied on the drying system. Computer simulations are realized on an improved version of a recently elaborated Burridge-Knopoff-type model. Experiments are made following the setup of Sasaki and Hane, using ultrasonic radiation as source for controlled shaking.Comment: 7 pages, 10 figure

Menstrual fluctuation in the symptoms of panic anxiety

Ten women with DSM-III-defined panic attacks (five with and five without agoraphobia) had symptom severity rated daily, weekly, and retrospectively through one full menstrual cycle. Substantial fluctuations in retrospective ratings of severity were observed, with the premenstrual week being rated as most severe. Daily and weekly ratings showed much smaller fluctuations in the predicted direction. Possible reasons for this outcome are considered.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/27149/1/0000143.pd

Pituitary blastoma: a pathognomonic feature of germ-line DICER1 mutations.

Individuals harboring germ-line DICER1 mutations are predisposed to a rare cancer syndrome, the DICER1 Syndrome or pleuropulmonary blastoma-familial tumor and dysplasia syndrome [online Mendelian inheritance in man (OMIM) #601200]. In addition, specific somatic mutations in the DICER1 RNase III catalytic domain have been identified in several DICER1-associated tumor types. Pituitary blastoma (PitB) was identified as a distinct entity in 2008, and is a very rare, potentially lethal early childhood tumor of the pituitary gland. Since the discovery by our team of an inherited mutation in DICER1 in a child with PitB in 2011, we have identified 12 additional PitB cases. We aimed to determine the contribution of germ-line and somatic DICER1 mutations to PitB. We hypothesized that PitB is a pathognomonic feature of a germ-line DICER1 mutation and that each PitB will harbor a second somatic mutation in DICER1. Lymphocyte or saliva DNA samples ascertained from ten infants with PitB were screened and nine were found to harbor a heterozygous germ-line DICER1 mutation. We identified additional DICER1 mutations in nine of ten tested PitB tumor samples, eight of which were confirmed to be somatic in origin. Seven of these mutations occurred within the RNase IIIb catalytic domain, a domain essential to the generation of 5p miRNAs from the 5' arm of miRNA-precursors. Germ-line DICER1 mutations are a major contributor to PitB. Second somatic DICER1 "hits" occurring within the RNase IIIb domain also appear to be critical in PitB pathogenesis

Erlotinib Therapy For Recurrent Respiratory Paillomatosis And Extralaryngeal Spread In Pediatrics

Background: Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) can be a potentially life-threatening condition and a treatment challenge. Local therapies are associated with significant scarring and detrimental effects on voice and respiratory status. EGFR inhibitors have been reported to be an effective adjunctive therapy in patients with RRP. Objective: To report our institutional experience with Erlotinib in two pediatric patients with severe RRP. Method: Retrospective chart review of 2 pediatric patients with severe RRP. Results: Patient 1 is a 19y/o female who was referred to us at the age of 11. Patient was diagnosed with respiratory papillomatosis at birth. Since age 1.5yrs, she had been undergoing micro-laryngoscopy, bronchoscopy with laser or surgical excision of the lesions, on a 1-2 monthly basis. On examination she had no skin lesions. Her voice was only a whisper. No difficulty breathing or stridor. She was pre-pubertal. Endoscopic exam 3 weeks prior to starting therapy showed severely scarred larynx, no obvious laryngeal disease, diffuse subglottic and tracheal papillomatosis with extension into the left main bronchus. Biopsy of the lesion showed squamous papilloma, EGFR positive. Patient 2 is 14y/o who was referred to us at age 12. Patient was diagnosed at 5 months with respiratory papillomatosis of the larynx undergoing micro-laryngoscopy, bronchoscopy with laser or surgical excision of the lesions, on a 1-2 monthly basis. He developed respiratory distress post laryngoscopy and found to have 3 pulmonary lesions confirmed as papillomatosis post thoracotomy with wedge resections. Both patients were started on an EGFR inhibitor, Erlotinib at a dose of 85mg/m2 daily and DIM (diindolylmethane) 150mg twice daily. The skin care regimen included regular moisturizers and sunscreen; topical steroids and antibiotics as needed. Therapy was well tolerated except for grade 1 skin rash in both patients and grade 1 diarrhea as well, in Patient 1. For patient 1, within a month of therapy there was significant decrease in the lesions and by 6mo complete resolution of papillomatosis. She had 15mo of therapy. She is in remission 6 years off therapy. For patient 2, there has been decrease in lesions and the interval between laryngoscopy since start of therapy. CTs of chest confirm no recurrence of pulmonary lesions since starting Erlotinib. Conclusion: Erlotinib demonstrates efficacy in respiratory papillomatosis in children and may be considered as adjunct therapy with surgical excision in this disease. DIM is an aromatase inhibitor that potentiates the effect of Erlotinib

Eutectic mixture of lidocaine and prilocaine versus 1% lidocaine injection for lumbar punctures in pediatric oncology patients.

BACKGROUND: The role of local analgesics for lumbar punctures (LPs) in pediatric oncology patients has not been specifically studied. AIM: To compare the efficacy of eutectic mixture of local anesthetics (EMLA) cream to 1% lidocaine injection for LPs. METHOD: This was a retrospective observational study of all patients receiving either EMLA cream (EMLA group) or 1% lidocaine subcutaneous injection (lidocaine group) in addition to fentanyl and propofol for LPs over 18 months. Demographics, vital parameters, procedural and recovery times, propofol and fentanyl doses, and adverse events were studied. RESULTS: Two hundred ninety LPs in 49 children were studied: 148 in the EMLA group and 142 in the lidocaine group. There was no difference in demographics or preprocedural parameters between the two groups. LPs in the EMLA group were completed in a shorter time (7.5 minutes [CI 7.0-8.1] vs 9.4 minutes [CI 8.9-9.9]) with a faster recovery time (38.7 minutes [CI 36.9-40.9] vs 43.9 minutes. [CI 41.9-45.9]) as compared with the lidocaine group (P \u3c 0.001). The EMLA group required less maintenance doses (0.54 mg/kg [CI 0.47-0.62] vs 1.14 mg/kg [CI 1.06-1.21]) and total doses (2.58 mg/kg [CI 2.42-2.75] vs 3.12 mg/kg [CI 2.95-3.29]) of propofol as compared with the lidocaine group (P \u3c 0.0001). Adverse events in the EMLA group were less (19% vs 41%) as compared with the lidocaine group (P \u3c 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The addition of EMLA cream for procedural sedation for LPs in pediatric oncology patients significantly improves pain management in comparison with 1% lidocaine injection