Preschoolers and technology : effects of computer use on the preschool child

Computer technology was investigated to examine technology\u27s role in the education of preschool children. A comprehensive review of published literature was performed to determine the effects technology has on the social, cognitive, and emotional development of preschoolers and the guidelines for using computer technology with young children. Computer technology, implemented into preexisting educational activities and curricula, can assist in developing social and cognitive skills in preschool-age children. Computers assist in a child\u27s ability to scaffold information. Appropriate computer software encourages preschoolers to think and act independently. Software that focuses on drill-and-practice skills can be detrimental to the mental growth of young children and inhibit creativity

Computational Characterization of Carboxyphosphate

Carboxyphosphate (CP) is an important intermediate involved in reactions catalyzed by acetyl-CoA carboxylase, pyruvate carboxylase, N5-Carboxyaminoimidazole ribonucleotide synthetase, propionyl-CoA carboxylase, urea amidolyase, and carbamoyl phosphate synthetase. Despite its important role, properties for CP have never been reported due to its short estimated half-life (t1/2 70 ms). Thus, the high level ab initio methods, MP2 and CCSD(T), along with the DFT functionals: B3LYP, BB1K, M05-2X, M06-2X, and MPW1K were used to investigate the structure and energetics of CP in both vacuum and the PCM continuum solvation model of water. It was found that CP adopts a novel pseudo-cyclic structure featuring an intramolecular charge-assisted hydrogen bond (CAHB) that is reminiscent of chair cyclohexane. This structure is found to be the most stable in both vacuum and implicit solvation for both mono and dianionic charge states. Additionally, the M06-2X/aug-cc-pVTZ level of theory was shown to give consistent agreement with ab initio methods for both geometric and energetic properties. The strengths of the CAHBs observed in mono- and dianionic CP were estimated to be within the range of -17.8 to -25.4 and -15.7 to -20.9 kcal/mol, respectively. This classifies them as short-strong but not low-barrier and makes them the dominant stabilizing feature for these conformations. pKa values were computed to distinguish between different possible protonation states of CP. The predicted pKa values were found to be be -3.43±0.81, 4.04±0.35, and 8.14±1.92 for the first, second and third acid dissociations of CP, respectively, indicating it is most likely to be present as a dianion or trianion in aqueous solution but more work is required to predict its charge state in the enzymatic pocket

In the Field the Women Saved the Crop: The Women’s Land Army of World War II

The Women’s Land Army brought together rural and urban sectors of the United States in a climate of national and regional crisis. By the time the country was cast into war, the agricultural sector was already caught in a downward economic spiral that drove away laborers. With demand falling, and farms propped up only by experiments in subsidy and parity, when military and industrial jobs emerged in urban areas, farm laborers became scarce. At the same time the war created jobs for men outside of the agricultural sector, farm prices recovered and demand soared, forcing farmers to look to women for much-needed farm labor. The federal government proved a hesitant partner in the program, preferring to advance labor initiatives that did not challenge existing gendered divisions of labor endorsed by the USDA Extension and Home Demonstration programs. It was only in 1943, under extreme pressure, that Washington created the WLA that workers and farmers had demanded since 1941. Examining the Women’s Land Army of World War II allows us to discern rural, urban, and federal attitudes toward gendered labor by creating an environment that incentivized new relationships between women, farms, and profit-driven farm labor. Women, both rural and urban, proved eager to participate in farm labor programs, and farmers, aware that labor resources were limited, readily accepted the possibilities of the program and gave women the chance to prove their mettle. This mindset was couched in the reality that most farmers were already aware that at least some women were perfectly competent farm workers. Most farm women, though relegated to monikers of “farm wife” or “farm daughter” performed labor alongside husbands and fathers who received the preferential title “farmer”. The WLA did not break new ground for rural men, but it did change perceptions of women on farms. Under the auspices of patriotic enthusiasm, farm and urban women received social permission to enter the fields openly, and own their personal roles in farm production

Analysis of the uranium to organic carbon relationship in the organic-rich Ohio Shale of eastern Kentucky

Organic-rich shales have become increasingly important to unconventional petroleum reservoirs, and tools such as the gamma-ray have been used to locate them due to the radioactivity of elements such as uranium, potassium, and thorium present within shales. Complex sedimentary processes of organic-rich black shales are responsible for highly variable geochemical signals. Generally, there is a strong correlation between gamma-ray signature, as a result of radioactive uranium (U), and total organic carbon (TOC) in many Devonian black shales due to similar depositional processes of U and TOC. However, this strong correlation between U and TOC does not seem to be present within the Cleveland Shale interval based on gamma-ray data.In order to interpret ancient ocean conditions, trace metal uranium and molybdenum (Mo), and total organic carbon inventory of the Cleveland Shale and Lower Huron members of the Devonian Ohio Shale Group of eastern Kentucky were evaluated in order to determine the degree of basin restriction and paleoredox state of the Appalachian Basin at the time of deposition. The Ohio Shale Group provides a remarkable study area for this investigation along the basin margin of the Appalachian Basin, as trace metal U and Mo data give insight on the opening and closing of the basin throughout the Devonian Period. The Cleveland member of the Ohio Shale Group displays a weak to moderate correlation between TOC and trace metal U and Mo. In contrast, the two subdivisions that are defined in this study of the Lower Huron of the same stratigraphic group has a much stronger correlation between TOC and trace metal U and Mo. In fact, many sections throughout the lower and uppermost Cleveland Shale interval have greater organic carbon contents (up to 6.0 wt.%) than that of sections in the Lower Huron that have more radioactivity as a result of higher U contents. This discrepancy between U, Mo, and organic carbon accumulation along the basin margin setting is a result of trace metal availability in the water column, basin geometry, location within the basin, and a fluctuating sea level that impacted the degree of restriction and sill depth dividing the water masses surrounding the Appalachian Basin

Transcriptome Analyses of Tumor-Adjacent Somatic Tissues Reveal Genes Co-Expressed with Transposable Elements

Background: Despite the long-held assumption that transposons are normally only expressed in the germ-line, recent evidence shows that transcripts of transposable element (TE) sequences are frequently found in the somatic cells. However, the extent of variation in TE transcript levels across different tissues and different individuals are unknown, and the co-expression between TEs and host gene mRNAs have not been examined. Results: Here we report the variation in TE derived transcript levels across tissues and between individuals observed in the non-tumorous tissues collected for The Cancer Genome Atlas. We found core TE co-expression modules consisting mainly of transposons, showing correlated expression across broad classes of TEs. Despite this co-expression within tissues, there are individual TE loci that exhibit tissue-specific expression patterns, when compared across tissues. The core TE modules were negatively correlated with other gene modules that consisted of immune response genes in interferon signaling. KRAB Zinc Finger Proteins (KZFPs) were over-represented gene members of the TE modules, showing positive correlation across multiple tissues. But we did not find overlap between TE-KZFP pairs that are co-expressed and TE-KZFP pairs that are bound in published ChIP-seq studies. Conclusions: We find unexpected variation in TE derived transcripts, within and across non-tumorous tissues. We describe a broad view of the RNA state for non-tumorous tissues exhibiting higher level of TE transcripts. Tissues with higher level of TE transcripts have a broad range of TEs co-expressed, with high expression of a large number of KZFPs, and lower RNA levels of immune genes

Correction to: Transcriptome Analyses of Tumor-Adjacent Somatic Tissues Reveal Genes Co-Expressed with Transposable Elements

Following publication of the original article [1], the authors reported errors in Table 2 wherein all “KZFP” in the gene names should be changed to “ZNF”

Treatment of hemangiomas in children using a Nd:YAG laser in conjunction with ice cooling of the epidermis: techniques and results

BACKGROUND: Hemangiomas are the most common type of congenital anomaly in childhood. Although many resolve spontaneously, intervention is required when their growth could damage vital adjacent structures. Various therapeutic approaches to childhood hemangiomas with different types of laser have been described previously. The objective of this study was to determine whether the cooling of the epidermis during irradiation of hemangiomas with a Nd:YAG laser prevents thermal damage and decreases the number of sessions required to treat these lesions. METHODS: Between 1993 and 2001, 110 patients aged 3 months to 4 years, with cutaneous hemangiomas were treated with a Nd:YAG laser. The lesion was cooled with ice prior to, during, and after the irradiation. During each session the laser beam passed through the pieces of ice. The laser power was between 35–45 W with a pulse length of 2–10 seconds. RESULTS: After 6 months of follow-up, from the first session of laser treatment, total resolution was obtained in 72 (65.5%) patients. A second or third session followed in 30 out of 38 patients in which, the initial results were good, moderate, or poor. The parents of the remaining eight children refused this second session and these patients excluded from the study Complications were seen in nine (8.8%) patients. One patient had postoperative bleeding which stopped spontaneously, while atrophic scars occurred in six (5.8%) patients, and hypertrophic scars in two (1.9%) patients. CONCLUSIONS: Nd:YAG laser irradiation in conjunction with ice protection of the epidermis produces good cosmetic results for the treatment of cutaneous hemangiomas in children, and decreases the number of sessions for treatment of these lesions

Development of paediatric non-stage prognosticator guidelines for population-based cancer registries and updates to the 2014 Toronto Paediatric Cancer Stage Guidelines

Population-based cancer registries (PBCRs) generate measures of cancer incidence and survival that are essential for cancer surveillance, research, and cancer control strategies. In 2014, the Toronto Paediatric Cancer Stage Guidelines were developed to standardise how PBCRs collect data on the stage at diagnosis for childhood cancer cases. These guidelines have been implemented in multiple jurisdictions worldwide to facilitate international comparative studies of incidence and outcome. Robust stratification by risk also requires data on key non-stage prognosticators (NSPs). Key experts and stakeholders used a modified Delphi approach to establish principles guiding paediatric cancer NSP data collection. With the use of these principles, recommendations were made on which NSPs should be collected for the major malignancies in children. The 2014 Toronto Stage Guidelines were also reviewed and updated where necessary. Wide adoption of the resultant Paediatric NSP Guidelines and updated Toronto Stage Guidelines will enhance the harmonisation and use of childhood cancer data provided by PBCRs

Recommendation to Reduce Patients’ Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Medication Costs

The Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends reducing patient out-of-pocket costs (ROPC) for medications to control high blood pressure and high cholesterol when combined with additional interventions aimed at improving patient–provider interaction and patient knowledge, such as team-based care with medication counseling, and patient education