A Follow-up Study of Technology Education Graduates of Old Dominion University 1986-1996

Through the follow-up study, data was collected toward fulfilling the following objectives: 1) to determine if graduates of Old Dominion University\u27s Technology Education Undergraduate Program were adequately prepared to assume teaching positions; 2) to determine whether the goals established in the college\u27s conceptual framework were being attained; 3) to determine if these graduates are teaching traditional vocational programs or technology education; 4) to determine what improvements can be made to the undergraduate curriculum at Old Dominion University based upon graduate\u27s feedback

In vitro prediction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon bioavailability of 14 different incidentally ingested soils in juvenile swine

Predicting mammalian bioavailability of PAH mixtures from in vitro bioaccessibility results has proven to be an elusive goal. In an attempt to improve in vitro predictions of PAH soil bioavailability we investigated how energetic input influences PAH bioaccessibility by using a high and low energetic shaking method. Co-inertia analysis (COIA), and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were also used to examine PAH-PAH interactions during ingestion. PAH bioaccessibility was determined from 14 historically contaminated soils using the fed organic estimation of the human simulation test (FOREhST) with inclusion of a silicone rod as a sorption sink and compared to bioavailability estimates from the juvenile swine model. Shaking method significantly affected PAH bioaccessibility in the FOREhST model, with PAH desorption from the high energy FOREhST almost an order of magnitude greater compared to the low energy FOREhST. PAH-PAH interactions significantly influenced PAH bioavailability and when these interactions were used in a linear model, the model predicted benzo(a)anthracene bioavailability with an slope of 1 and r2 of 0.66 and for benzo(a)pyrene bioavailability has a slope of 1 and r2 of 0.65. Lastly, to confirm the effects as determined by COIA and SEM, we spiked low levels of benzo(a)anthracene into historically contaminated soils, and observed a significant increase in benzo(a)pyrene bioaccessibility. By accounting for PAH interactions, and reducing the energetics of in vitro extractions, we were able to use bioaccessibility to predict bioavailability across 14 historically contaminated soils. Our work suggests that future work on PAH bioavailability and bioaccessibility should focus on the dynamics of how the matrix of PAHs present in the soil interact with mammalian systems. Such interactions should not only include the chemical interactions discussed here but also the interactions of PAH mixtures with mammalian uptake systems

Clean, green, and not so mean: Can business save the world?

No matter how you define it, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a hot topic. From community investing to business ethics to environmental sustainability and beyond, proponents of CSR view the business landscape through a lens that focuses less on profitability and more on the greater good. “Doing well by doing good” is the business world’s new mantra. Concepts of CSR, green business, social entrepreneurship, and peace through commerce have become a focus of research and are inspiring the next generation of businesspeople. The 2010 BRASS Program gave attendees an expert’s view of certain niches within the broader realm of ethical or socially responsible business practices

Psychometric validation of the Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale 2 in a Portuguese sample

The Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale 2 (GPIUS2) assesses individuals’ generalized problematic Internet use (PIU) cognitions, behaviors, and negative outcomes. To date, the GPIUS2 has only been validated in English, Spanish, German, and Italian language. Therefore, the aim of this study was to validate a Portuguese version of the GPIUS2 and provide a taxonomy of the potential risk of PIU among participants. A sample of 641 Portuguese-speaking Internet users was recruited online after a process of translation and back-translation of the original GPIUS2. In-depth validity and reliability analyses were conducted alongside latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify the potential risk of PIU of participants. The validity and reliability analyses revealed adequate results concerning the psychometric properties of the Portuguese GPIUS2. According to the LPA results, participants were classed as “low risk” (n = 289, 46.7%), “medium risk” (n = 256, 40.7%), and “high risk” (n = 77, 12.6%) of PIU with key differences emerging among the three classes. The present findings support the overall validity and usefulness of the Portuguese GPIUS2 and the results from the LPA may be potentially useful in informing practitioners currently working with clients struggling with PIU

"I am becoming more and more like my eldest brother!": the relationship between older siblings, adolescent gambling severity, and the attenuating role of parents in a large-scale nationally representative survey study

The present study examined the association between having older siblings who gamble and adolescent at-risk/problem gambling and how parents (i.e., parental knowledge of their whereabouts) and peers might moderate such effects. Data were drawn from the ESPAD®Italia2012 survey (European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs) comprising a nationally representative Italian sample of adolescents. The analysis was carried out on a subsample of 10,063 Italian students aged 15–19 years (average age = 17.10; 55 % girls) who had at least one older sibling and who had gambled at some point in their lives. Respondents’ problem gambling severity, older gambler sibling, gambler peers, parental knowledge, and socio-demographic characteristics were individually assessed. Multinomial logistic regression analyses including two- and three-way interactions were conducted. The odds of being an at-risk/problem gambler were higher among high school students with older siblings that gambled and those with peers who gambled. Higher parental knowledge (of who the adolescent was with and where they were in their leisure time) was associated with lower rates of at-risk/problem gambling. There was also an interaction between gamblers with older siblings and parental knowledge. The combination of having siblings who gambled and a greater level of parental knowledge was associated with lower levels of problem gambling. The present study confirmed the occurrence of social risk processes (older siblings and peers who gambled) and demonstrated that gambling among older siblings and peers represents an important contextual factor for increased at-risk/problem gambling. However, parental knowledge appears to be sufficient to counterbalance the influence of older siblings

Evidence of the association of BIN1 and PICALM with the AD risk in contrasting European populations

Recent genome-wide association studies have identified five loci (BIN1, CLU, CR1, EXOC3L2 and PICALM) as genetic determinants of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We attempted to confirm the association between these genes and the AD risk in three contrasting European populations (from Finland, Italy and Spain). Since CLU and CR1 had already been analyzed in these populations, we restricted our investigation to BIN1, EXO2CL3 and PICALM. In a total of 2,816 AD cases and 2,706 controls, we unambiguously replicated the association of rs744373 (for BIN1) and rs541458 (for PICALM) polymorphisms with the AD risk (OR=1.26, 95% CI [1.15-1.38], p=2.9x10-7, and OR=0.80, 95% CI [0.74-0.88], p=4.6x10-7, respectively). In a meta-analysis, rs597668 (EXOC3L2) was also associated with the AD risk, albeit to a lesser extent (OR=1.19, 95% CI [1.06-1.32], p=2.0x10-3). However, this signal did not appear to be independent of APOE. In conclusion, we confirmed that BIN1 and PICALM are genetic determinants of AD, whereas the potential involvement of EXOC3L2 requires further investigation

Jasmonic acid regulation of the anti-herbivory mechanism conferred by fungal endophytes in grasses

The most studied mechanism of protection against herbivores in grasses associated with Epichloë fungal endophytes has been the fungal production of alkaloids. However, the contribution of the plant immune response on the level of resistance to herbivores in symbiotic grasses has been poorly explored. We studied the relationship between the plant hormone, jasmonic acid (JA) and Epichloë fungal endophytes on herbivore defences in symbiotic grasses. We hypothesized that an exogenous application of methyl jasmonate (MeJA), an activator of the plant JA defence response, would increase the level of resistance of endophyte-symbiotic and non-symbiotic plants to a chewing insect. As Epichloë endophytes produce alkaloids, an enhancement of the JA defence would complement the resistance given by these alkaloids. Lolium multiflorum plants symbiotic and non-symbiotic with the endophyte Epichloë occultans were subjected to an exogenous application of MeJA followed by a challenge with the generalist chewing insect Spodoptera frugiperda. We measured the level of plant resistance to chewing insects, and the defences conferred by host plants and fungal endophytes. Symbiotic plants were more resistant to S. frugiperda than their non-symbiotic counterparts. However, despite the fact that the concentration of JA significantly increased in all plants exposure to MeJA, neither endophyte-symbiotic nor non-symbiotic plants showed an enhanced resistance to insects. Unexpectedly, the exposure of endophyte-symbiotic plants to MeJA led to a reduction in the concentration of loline alkaloids (i.e. N-formyllolines and N-acetylnorlolines), consequently decreasing the level of plant resistance to the herbivore. Synthesis. Our results suggest that, rather than complementing the alkaloid-based defence, the jasmonic acid hormone weakens the anti-herbivore mechanism conferred by Epichloë endophytes. The present study highlights that the interaction between the jasmonic acid hormone and the presence of leaf fungal endophytes can be of importance for the effectiveness of the anti-herbivore defences of symbiotic plants.Fil: Bastias Campos, Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura; ArgentinaFil: Martinez-Ghersa, Maria Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura; ArgentinaFil: Newman, Jonathan A.. University of Guelph; CanadáFil: Card, Stuart D.. AgResearch; Nueva ZelandaFil: Mace, Wade J.. AgResearch; Nueva ZelandaFil: Gundel, Pedro Emilio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura; Argentin

Common and rare variant association analyses in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis identify 15 risk loci with distinct genetic architectures and neuron-specific biology

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with a lifetime risk of one in 350 people and an unmet need for disease-modifying therapies. We conducted a cross-ancestry genome-wide association study (GWAS) including 29,612 patients with ALS and 122,656 controls, which identified 15 risk loci. When combined with 8,953 individuals with whole-genome sequencing (6,538 patients, 2,415 controls) and a large cortex-derived expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) dataset (MetaBrain), analyses revealed locus-specific genetic architectures in which we prioritized genes either through rare variants, short tandem repeats or regulatory effects. ALS-associated risk loci were shared with multiple traits within the neurodegenerative spectrum but with distinct enrichment patterns across brain regions and cell types. Of the environmental and lifestyle risk factors obtained from the literature, Mendelian randomization analyses indicated a causal role for high cholesterol levels. The combination of all ALS-associated signals reveals a role for perturbations in vesicle-mediated transport and autophagy and provides evidence for cell-autonomous disease initiation in glutamatergic neurons. A cross-ancestry genome-wide association meta-analysis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) including 29,612 patients with ALS and 122,656 controls identifies 15 risk loci with distinct genetic architectures and neuron-specific biology

Common and rare variant association analyses in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis identify 15 risk loci with distinct genetic architectures and neuron-specific biology

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with a lifetime risk of one in 350 people and an unmet need for disease-modifying therapies. We conducted a cross-ancestry genome-wide association study (GWAS) including 29,612 patients with ALS and 122,656 controls, which identified 15 risk loci. When combined with 8,953 individuals with whole-genome sequencing (6,538 patients, 2,415 controls) and a large cortex-derived expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) dataset (MetaBrain), analyses revealed locus-specific genetic architectures in which we prioritized genes either through rare variants, short tandem repeats or regulatory effects. ALS-associated risk loci were shared with multiple traits within the neurodegenerative spectrum but with distinct enrichment patterns across brain regions and cell types. Of the environmental and lifestyle risk factors obtained from the literature, Mendelian randomization analyses indicated a causal role for high cholesterol levels. The combination of all ALS-associated signals reveals a role for perturbations in vesicle-mediated transport and autophagy and provides evidence for cell-autonomous disease initiation in glutamatergic neurons. A cross-ancestry genome-wide association meta-analysis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) including 29,612 patients with ALS and 122,656 controls identifies 15 risk loci with distinct genetic architectures and neuron-specific biology