The Case For Explicit, Skills-Based Resilience Building Instruction

The study of resilience in young children has captured the attention of many researchers over the last twenty years. A number of research questions about resilience have focused on the definition and use of the term, conditions under which resilience is likely to develop in children, the characteristics/traits associated with resilience, and how to best teach resilience. While there have been considerable advances in the ways that we think about and teach resilience, there is still much debate about how and when to teach resilience (Ashdown & Bernard, 2012). In addition, the procedures and methods used to provide scholarly explanations to these questions have varied and are diverse. The research questions associated with this study were crafted with this debate in mind. What impact might explicit, skills-based resilience building instruction have on preschool students’ levels of resilience as indicated by both teacher and parent perceptions on a valid measure of social competence? And; How might the results be organized, given levels of significance, to inform a hierarchical approach to learning these skills-based resilience building strategies? The research questions took into account the conditions required for learning new skills (skills-based vs. standards-based), as well as, the conceptual framework’s assumption that the skills should be taught sequentially and collaboratively. The teachers and parents whose perceptions were the foundation of this study are associated with students who were enrolled in two of the four afternoon, half-day, four year-old preschool sessions in the Jones Township School District in the mid-Atlantic United States. One of these sections served as the control group in which the teacher used the typically prescribed curriculum that includes five standards addressing social-emotional development (2014 New Jersey Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards- NJPTLS) required by the district. The other section featured a prescribed series of twelve 30-minute explicit skills-based resilience building activities presented weekly by the classroom teacher over a twelve-week period. This instruction supplemented the district required instruction that took place in the control group section. This study employed quantitative methods in order to explore teacher and parent perspectives of preschool students’ levels of resilience after the use of explicit skills-based resilience building instruction (ESRBI) over a twelve-week period. Pre and post-test data secured from participants from the Social Competence Scale SCS- parent and teacher versions yielded Likert scale data for analysis in this study. The results of this study indicated that the use of ESRBI did have a statistically significant impact on the identified treatment group in the study. The results also indicated that the academic benefits associated with ESRBI were considered to be statistically significant. Finally, ordinal item analysis data to inform a sequential or hierarchical approach to ESRBI was derived from the work

Spatiotemporal dynamics of multi-vesicular release is determined by heterogeneity of release sites within central synapses

A synaptic active zone (AZ) can release multiple vesicles in response to an action potential. This multi-vesicular release (MVR) occurs at most synapses, but its spatiotemporal properties are unknown. Nanoscale-resolution detection of individual release events in hippocampal synapses revealed unprecedented heterogeneity among vesicle release sites within a single AZ, with a gradient of release probability decreasing from AZ center to periphery. Parallel to this organization, MVR events preferentially overlap with uni-vesicular release (UVR) events at sites closer to an AZ center. Pairs of fusion events comprising MVR are also not perfectly synchronized, and the earlier event tends to occur closer to AZ center. The spatial features of release sites and MVR events are similarly tightened by buffering intracellular calcium. These observations revealed a marked heterogeneity of release site properties within individual AZs, which determines the spatiotemporal features of MVR events and is controlled, in part, by non-uniform calcium elevation across the AZ

Ampliação da atuação do designer brasileiro nos últimos vinte anos: reflexão sobre os fatores chave

resumo A presente investigação procurou evidenciar os fatores que influenciaram a expansão da esfera de atuação do designer brasileiro a partir do final do século XX até os dias de hoje. Realizou-se uma breve contextualização sobre o surgimento do design no mundo, e, no Brasil, e uma análise dos fatores chave do século XXI que impulsionaram a abrangência das competências dos designers. Através de um estudo empírico, de abordagem qualitativa, foi possível completar a investigação. Ademais, as conclusões obtidas por este estudo não possuem caráter definitivo e sim uma reflexão sobre o tema.The present investigation aim to evidence the factors that influenced the expansion of the sphere of action of the Brazilian designer from the end of the 20th century to the present day. A brief contextualization was made about the emergence of design in the world, and, in Brazil, and an analysis of the key factors of the 21st century that boosted the scope of the competences of designers. Through an empirical study, with a qualitative approach, it was possible to complete the investigation. Furthermore, the conclusions obtained by this study are not definitive, but a reflection on the theme

Myosin V regulates spatial localization of different forms of neurotransmitter release in central synapses

Synaptic active zone (AZ) contains multiple specialized release sites for vesicle fusion. The utilization of release sites is regulated to determine spatiotemporal organization of the two main forms of synchronous release, uni-vesicular (UVR) and multi-vesicular (MVR). We previously found that the vesicle-associated molecular motor myosin V regulates temporal utilization of release sites by controlling vesicle anchoring at release sites in an activity-dependent manner. Here we show that acute inhibition of myosin V shifts preferential location of vesicle docking away from AZ center toward periphery, and results in a corresponding spatial shift in utilization of release sites during UVR. Similarly, inhibition of myosin V also reduces preferential utilization of central release sites during MVR, leading to more spatially distributed and temporally uniform MVR that occurs farther away from the AZ center. Using a modeling approach, we provide a conceptual framework that unites spatial and temporal functions of myosin V in vesicle release by controlling the gradient of release site release probability across the AZ, which in turn determines the spatiotemporal organization of both UVR and MVR. Thus myosin V regulates both temporal and spatial utilization of release sites during two main forms of synchronous release

El efecto del enriquecimiento ambiental sobre la variabilidad de parámetros fisiológicos y conductuales en ratones de laboratorio

El enriquecimiento ambiental constituye una forma de mejorar el bienestar de los animales de experimentación. En muchos países, el enriquecimiento del ambiente en los bioterios es una exigencia respaldada por una legislación; en Argentina esta temática está parcialmente desarrollada. El bienestar brinda a los animales en cautiverio la posibilidad de expresar la mayor parte de su comportamiento específico preservando su salud y permitiendo obtener resultados confiables cuando se los utiliza como modelos. Hay mucha bibliografía al respecto en favor del enriquecimiento en animales de experimentación,en zoológicos y granjas, pero muchos autores argumentan que enriquecer el ambiente de los animales bajo experiencia, altera las condiciones estandarizadas de alojamiento y aumenta las variables; y en consecuencia modifica los resultados de las investigaciones. En contraposición, otros autores consideran que un animal criado en un ambiente enriquecido se ve favorecido para desarrollar todas sus características comportamentales y también para no alterarse ante cambios inesperados; dando respuestas más uniformes, disminuyendo las variables experimentales y permitiendo utilizar menor número de animales. Hay pocos estudios en ratones que consideran este tema, por lo tanto el objetivo de este estudio es analizar las varianzas de los parámetros fisiológicos y del comportamiento en esta especie criados con y sin enriquecimiento ambiental respectivamente.Facultad de Ciencias Veterinaria

El ratón <i>nude (nu/nu)</i> como modelo animal de inmunodeficiencia

La especie animal más utilizada en experimentación científica en la actualidad es el ratón (Mus musculus). Esto se debe principalmente no solo a sus características reproductivas, su tamaño y la facilidad de manejo, sino también a que su genoma es totalmente conocido. Esto ultimo ha permitido el desarrollo de modelos animales que pueden reproducir características específicas o enfermedades del hombre y de los animales convirtiéndose en reactivos biológicos sobre los cuales se pueden extrapolar los resultados de las investigaciones. Actualmente la producción de modelos murinos constituye una de las temáticas de vanguardia dentro de la ciencia de los animales de laboratorio.Facultad de Ciencias Veterinaria

Inhibition of platelet aggregation by olive oil phenols via cAMP-phosphodiesterase

The aim of the present study was to confirm that olive oil phenols reduce human platelet aggregability and to verify the hypothesis that cAMP- and cGMP- phosphodiesterases (PDE) could be one of the targets of the biological effect. Four extracts from oils characterized by a high phenol content (HPE), and low phenol levels (LPE) were prepared and analyzed quali- and quantitatively by HPLC-UV and electrospray ionization–MS/MS. Human washed platelets stimulated with thrombin were used for the aggregation assay. Human platelet cAMP-PDE and recombinant PDE5A1 were used as enzyme source. Platelet aggregation and enzyme activity were assayed in the presence of HPE, LPE and individual phenols. The phenol content of HPE ranged between 250 and 500 mg/kg, whereas the LPE content was 46 mg/kg. The compounds identified were hydroxytyrosol (HT), tyrosol (TY), oleuropein aglycone (OleA) and the flavonoids quercetin (QU), luteolin (LU) and apigenin (AP). OleA was the most abundant phenol (range 23·3 to 37·7 %) and LU was the most abundant flavonoid in the extracts. Oil extracts inhibited platelet aggregation with an 50% inhibitory concentration interval of 1·23–11·2 μg/ml. The inhibitory effect of individual compounds (10 μm) including homovanillyl alcohol (HVA) followed this order: OleA>LU>HT = TY = QU = HVA, while AP was inactive. All the extracts inhibited cAMP-PDE, while no significant inhibition of PDE5A1 (50μg/ml) was observed. All the flavonoids and OleA inhibited cAMP-PDE, whereas HT, TY, HVA (100 μm) were inactive. Olive oil extracts and part of its phenolic constituents inhibit platelet aggregation; cAMP-PDE inhibition is one mechanism through which olive oil phenols inhibit platelet aggregation

From biological reagent to sentient animal: animal welfare as a paradigm shift in biomedical research and its impact on results

El uso de animales como reactivos biológicos para investigación científica se ha justificado desde los inicios de la civilización, cuando solo servían para satisfacer las necesidades del hombre. El concepto de reactivo biológico ha cambiado al cobrar relevancia el bienestar animal, una problemática específica de la relación humanoanimal referida inicialmente a los animales de producción y que ha impactado en todos los usuarios de animales. Se logró avanzar en el conocimiento de las especies, sus necesidades y en la comprensión de su comportamiento. Con esta redefinición del animal surge un nuevo objeto de estudio para la ciencia: el estado del animal en sus intentos de lidiar con su entorno y de afrontar las demandas del ambiente. Como consecuencia, se han realizado enriquecimientos del ambiente sin suficientes estudios previos llevando a la obtención de resultados erróneos. Por lo tanto, es imperativo trabajar con indicadores específicos de bienestar que permitan diagnosticar y remediar las condiciones de pobre bienestar. Los animales provistos a los investigadores deberían contar con certificaciones sobre la cepa, condiciones de crianza y, además, tipo y modalidad de enriquecimiento e indicadores de bienestar animal antes de iniciar su utilización. En el futuro, el bienestar animal no solo debe estar en la nota ética, sino que debe ser parte inexcusable de la sección metodológica de los estudios experimentales.The use of animals for scientific research has been justified since the beginnings of civilization, when they were considered as a biological reagent and only served to meet the needs of humans. This concept changed when ethical considerations towards their use as experimental beings began to have greater relevance. The birth of animal welfare has impacted the entire scientific community and all animal users, allowing a greater understanding of the needs and behavior of different species. From this redefinition of the animal as a biological reagent a new object of study arises: the relationship of the animal with its environment and its attempts to cope with the demands of the environment. Several attempts have been made to enrich the environment of experimental animals in order to improve their welfare but often in a poorly studied manner, and this has produced erroneous scientific results. Therefore, it is imperative to work with specific indicators of wellbeing that diagnose and remedy poor welfare conditions, and accurately communicate the conditions of the groups from which the statements are made. Thus, animals provided to researchers should be accompanied with certifications about strain, breeding conditions, type of enrichment and animal welfare indicators, prior to their use. In the future, animal welfare should not only be on the ethical note of experimental studies, but also be an indisputable part in the methodological section.Facultad de Ciencias Veterinaria