Teacher isolation and the inclusion of students with autism spectrum disorder: Bridging the divide

Both researchers and clinicians have observed an apparent increase in the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in current and upcoming student populations (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2016; CDC, 2018). In response to these findings, the Australian Federal Government and Queensland Government have policies in place to support students in inclusive general education settings for children with ASD. The purpose of this study was to develop a more sophisticated understanding of expectations of teacher capacity to implement the inclusive practices required in Queensland educational policy, and the actual capacity of teaching staff to support their students with ASD in one school with a Special Education Program (SEP) attached. The epistemological stance adopted for this study is constructionism with the theoretical perspective interpretivism, and embedded within this perspective is symbolic interactionism. Consistent with these perspectives, case study methodology has been used where data collection, adopted to investigate the case, included document analysis, survey and semi-structured individual interviews. During the exploration phase, data were obtained from the document analysis of pre-service courses offered to teachers and teacher-aides in Queensland, Australia and an online survey of 24 participants, consisting of both teachers and teacher-aides. During the inspection phase, data were obtained from individual, semi-structured interviews with 16 of the 24 participants, comprising 12 teachers and 4 teacher-aides. This research supports previous research findings which outline a need for more ASD-specific pre-service and in-service training for teachers, however, these findings have been extended through the use of a Symbolic Interactionist lens, where five theoretical propositions have been advanced. Drawing on these theoretical propositions, the D.I.S.I Dilemma Model has been promoted as a reflection of the school environment. The findings have clear implications for departments of education and pre-service training institutions for both teachers and teacher-aides

Organizational Correlates of Negative Workplace Behavior: A Field Study

This was a field study conducted in the entertainment industry in eastern Tennessee designed to investigate the relationship of perceived supervisor support and perceived pay equity with negative workplace behavior. Participants consisted of 171 employees of an entertainment company who completed a questionnaire with four scales, including one developed in this study. Results showed a significant, inverse correlation of perceived supervisor support and negative workplace behavior (r = -0.45, p\u3c .01) and a significant correlation of pay inequity and negative workplace behavior (r = 0.33, p\u3c.01) that demonstrated the negative consequences of perceived inequity or maltreatment. The correlations of perceived supervisor support and organization citizenship behavior (r = 0.48, p\u3c.01), and pay equity and organization citizenship behavior (r = 0.23, p\u3c.01) suggested that perceived pay equity or supervisor support led to behaviors that helped the organization. No relationship was found between the type of negative workplace behavior people engaged in and perceived pay equity, however, perceived supervisor support was inversely correlated with “withdrawal” (r = -0.31, p\u3c.01). Perceived supervisor support had a very strong relationship with the LBDQ-XII factor “consideration”. Previous research has suggested people engage in negative workplace behaviors because they see inequities in their compensation or treatment at work, and this behavior was an attempt to restore equity. Future research should consider whether specific organizational factors predict discrete types of negative workplace behavior, what the impact of senior leader decision-making is on workplace behavior, whether one or many factors precipitate workplace behavior and whether organizational citizenship behavior and negative workplace behaviors are opposing or independent constructs

Leukocyte Counts During Digestion in Bottle-Fed Infants

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Not a General Regulatory Power: A Comment on Reference re Assisted Human Reproduction Act

Reference re Assisted Human Reproduction Act is the Supreme Court of Canada’s most important ruling on the criminal law power in more than a decade. It demonstrates that the Court has become uncomfortable with the federal government’s use of section 91(27) of the Constitution Act, 1867 as Parliament’s general regulatory power. The paper begins with a review of the Assisted Human Reproduction Act, with particular reference to those aspects of the statute at issue in the Reference. Next, the three opinions delivered in the Reference are analyzed and their doctrinal significance identified. Finally, consideration is given to the implications for future federalism cases of the principles flowing from the Reference and how in its wake the regulation of health generally and of assisted reproduction technologies particularly should proceed. The author argues that the federalism principles emerging from the Reference are to be welcomed as they will assist in ensuring that the criminal law power does not become the source of wide-ranging civic regulation

Not a General Regulatory Power: A Comment on Reference re Assisted Human Reproduction Act

Reference re Assisted Human Reproduction Act is the Supreme Court of Canada’s most important ruling on the criminal law power in more than a decade. It demonstrates that the Court has become uncomfortable with the federal government’s use of section 91(27) of the Constitution Act, 1867 as Parliament’s general regulatory power. The paper begins with a review of the Assisted Human Reproduction Act, with particular reference to those aspects of the statute at issue in the Reference. Next, the three opinions delivered in the Reference are analyzed and their doctrinal significance identified. Finally, consideration is given to the implications for future federalism cases of the principles flowing from the Reference and how in its wake the regulation of health generally and of assisted reproduction technologies particularly should proceed. The author argues that the federalism principles emerging from the Reference are to be welcomed as they will assist in ensuring that the criminal law power does not become the source of wide-ranging civic regulation

Crystal structure of the ϵ subunit of the proton-translocating ATP synthase from Escherichia coli

AbstractBackground: Proton-translocating ATP synthases convert the energy generated from photosynthesis or respiration into ATP. These enzymes, termed F0F1-ATPases, are structurally highly conserved. In Escherichia coli, F0F1-ATPase consists of a membrane portion, F0, made up of three different polypeptides (a, b and c) and an F1 portion comprising five different polypeptides in the stoichiometry α3β3γδϵ. The minor subunits γ, δ and ϵ are required for the coupling of proton translocation with ATP synthesis; the ϵ subunit is in close contact with the α, β , γ and c subunits. The structure of the ϵ subunit provides clues to its essential role in this complex enzyme.Results: The structure of the E. coli F0F1-ATPase ϵ subunit has been solved at 2.3 Å resolution by multiple isomorphous replacement. The structure, comprising residues 2–136 of the polypeptide chain and 14 water molecules, refined to an R value of 0.214 (Rfree = 0.288). The molecule has a novel fold with two domains. The N-terminal domain is a β sandwich with two five-stranded sheets. The C-terminal domain is formed from two α helices arranged in an antiparallel coiled-coil. A series of alanine residues from each helix form the central contacting residues in the helical domain and can be described as an ‘alanine zipper’. There is an extensive hydrophobic contact region between the two domains providing a stable interface. The individual domains of the crystal structure closely resemble the structures determined in solution by NMR spectroscopy.Conclusions: Sequence alignments of a number of ϵ subunits from diverse sources suggest that the C-terminal domain, which is absent in some species, is not essential for function. In the crystal the N-terminal domains of two ϵ subunits make a close hydrophobic interaction across a crystallographic twofold axis. This region has previously been proposed as the contact surface between the ϵ and γ subunits in the complete F1-ATPase complex. In the crystal structure, we observe what is apparently a stable interface between the two domains of the ϵ subunit, consistent with the fact that the crystal and solution structures are quite similar despite close crystal packing. This suggests that a gross conformational change in the ϵ subunit, to transmit the effect of proton translocation to the catalytic domain, is unlikely, but cannot be ruled out

How to study basement membrane stiffness as a biophysical trigger in prostate cancer and other age-related pathologies or metabolic diseases

Here we describe a protocol that can be used to study the biophysical microenvironment related to increased thickness and stiffness of the basement membrane (BM) during age-related pathologies and metabolic disorders (e.g. cancer, diabetes, microvascular disease, retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy). The premise of the model is non-enzymatic crosslinking of reconstituted BM (rBM) matrix by treatment with glycolaldehyde (GLA) to promote advanced glycation endproduct (AGE) generation via the Maillard reaction. Examples of laboratory techniques that can be used to confirm AGE generation, non-enzymatic crosslinking and increased stiffness in GLA treated rBM are outlined. These include preparation of native rBM (treated with phosphate-buffered saline, PBS) and stiff rBM (treated with GLA) for determination of: its AGE content by photometric analysis and immunofluorescent microscopy, its non-enzymatic crosslinking by ((sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis)) (SDS PAGE) as well as confocal microscopy, and its increased stiffness using rheometry. The procedure described here can be used to increase the rigidity (elastic moduli, E) of rBM up to 3.2-fold, consistent with measurements made in healthy versus diseased human prostate tissue. To recreate the biophysical microenvironment associated with the aging and diseased prostate gland three prostate cell types were introduced on to native rBM and stiff rBM: RWPE-1, prostate epithelial cells (PECs) derived from a normal prostate gland; BPH-1, PECs derived from a prostate gland affected by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH); and PC3, metastatic cells derived from a secondary bone tumor originating from prostate cancer. Multiple parameters can be measured, including the size, shape and invasive characteristics of the 3D glandular acini formed by RWPE-1 and BPH-1 on native versus stiff rBM, and average cell length, migratory velocity and persistence of cell movement of 3D spheroids formed by PC3 cells under the same conditions. Cell signaling pathways and the subcellular localization of proteins can also be assessed

We name the 26 Australian frogs at greatest risk of extinction by 2040 — and how to save them

Australia is home to more than 240 frog species, most of which occur nowhere else. Unfortunately, some frogs are beyond help, with four Australian species officially listed as extinct. This includes two remarkable species of gastric-brooding frog. To reproduce, gastric-brooding frogs swallowed their fertilised eggs, and later regurgitated tiny baby frogs. Their reproduction was unique in the animal kingdom, and now they are gone. Our new study published today, identified the 26 Australian frogs at greatest risk, the likelihood of their extinctions by 2040 and the steps needed to save them

Fiscal devolution and the accountability gap: budget scrutiny following tax devolution to Scotland

Financing regional government involves trade-offs between own-source taxes and grants. Improved accountability has been an argument behind calls for greater tax devolution, but this argument relies upon effective scrutiny mechanisms existing or being developed. This paper explores such issues through the lens of recent tax devolution to Scotland. Drawing on insights from senior stakeholders, we assess how scrutiny has changed in the aftermath of new powers. We conclude that, despite some improvements, progress has been limited. We develop an analytical framework to understand why, drawing out lessons for improving accountability with fiscal decentralization

Implications of Hours Worked for Inequality and Poverty : Interim Report

The amount of time that people spend in paid work has a major influence on both individual earnings and household incomes. As such, differences in hours worked across different groups of worker or types of household can have a major influence on income inequality and poverty. Weekly hours worked by men decreased in the period until 2010 but have remained unchanged since then. In contrast, female hours worked have increased slowly throughout the period. These changes over time reflect trends in real household income, and changing social norms around gender and work