Positioning adolescents in literacy teaching and learning

Secondary literacy instruction often happens to adolescents rather than with them. To disrupt this trend, we collaborated with 12th-grade “literacy mentors” to reimagine literacy teaching and learning with 10th-grade mentees in a public high school classroom. We used positioning theory as an analytic tool to (a) understand how mentors positioned themselves and how we positioned them and (b) examine the literacy practices that enabled and constrained the mentor position. We found that our positioning of mentors as collaborators was taken up in different and sometimes unexpected ways as a result of the multiple positions available to them and institutional-level factors that shaped what literacy practices were and were not negotiable. We argue that future collaborations with youth must account for the rights and duties of all members of a classroom community, including how those rights and duties intersect, merge, or come into conflict within and across practices.The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This research was supported by a Faculty Research Award from the School of Education at Boston University. (Faculty Research Award from the School of Education at Boston University)Accepted manuscrip

Marooned on an Extinct Volcano: the Conservation Status of Four Endemic Land Snails (Gastropoda: Pulmonata) at Mount Kaputar, New South Wales

Volcanic activity in northern inland New South Wales between 40 and 15 million years ago was followed by general continental-scale drying and coastward contraction of mesic ecosystems between 15 and 2 million years ago. Together, these processes resulted in the creation of high-elevation climatic refuges such as Coolah Tops, Mount Kaputar and the Warrumbungle Range as western outposts of the mesic eastern highlands on the dry western slopes. These areas are important hotspots of land snail species diversity and endemism. A high-elevation and dry rainforest land snail community at Mount Kaputar, recognised as being of outstanding conservation significance, was listed as an endangered ecological community under NSW legislation in 2013. Two species from this community, the Kaputar Pink Slug Triboniophorus sp. nov. “Kaputar” and Bronze Rippled Pinwheel Snail Cralopa kaputarensis , are currently listed on the IUCN Red List , as endangered and data deficient respectively. This paper provides an updated assessment of the conservation status of the Kaputar Pink Slug, a reassessment of the Bronze Rippled Pinwheel Snail and original assessment of another two endemic Mount Kaputar species (Kaputar Carnivorous Snail Vitellidelos kaputarensis and Kaputar Keeled Snail Thersites sp. nov. “Kaputar”), concluding that all four species meet the criteria for listing as endangered on the IUCN Red List

Development And Preliminary Psychometric Evaluation of the Children\u27s Saving Inventory

This study reports on the development and initial psychometric properties of the Children\u27s Saving Inventory (CSI), a parent-rated measure designed to assess child hoarding behaviors. Subjects included 123 children and adolescents diagnosed with primary Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and their parents. Trained clinicians administered the Children\u27s Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS), items assessing Family Accommodation and the Clinical Global Impressions-Severity index. Parents completed the CSI, Child Obsessive-Compulsive Impact Scale (COIS)-Parent Version and Child Behavior Checklist. Youth completed the COIS-Child Version, Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory Child Version (OCI-CV), Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children, and Children\u27s Depression Inventory-Short Form. A four factor solution was identified; factors were named Discarding, Clutter, Acquisition, and Distress/Impairment. Internal consistency for the CSI Total and factor scores were good. One-week test-retest reliability (n = 31) from a random subsample was excellent. Known groups validity was supported vis-à-vis higher CSI scores for those endorsing hoarding on the CY-BOCS Symptom Checklist. Convergent and discriminant validity was evidenced by weak relationships with OCI-CV Checking and Contamination factors but strong relationships with the OCI-CV Hoarding factor and with hoarding obsession/compulsions on the CY-BOCS. These findings provide initial support for the reliability and validity of the CSI for the assessment of hoarding behaviors among youth with OCD. Future studies are needed to extend these findings to non-OCD samples of youth

Developmental Methylmercury Exposure Affects Swimming Behavior and Foraging Efficiency of Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) Larvae

Methylmercury (MeHg) is a pervasive and ubiquitous environmental neurotoxicant within aquatic ecosystems, known to alter behavior in fish and other vertebrates. This study sought to assess the behavioral effects of developmental MeHg exposure on larval yellow perch (Perca flavescens)--a nonmodel fish species native to the Great Lakes. Embryos were exposed to MeHg (0, 30, 100, 300, and 1000 nM) for 20 h and then reared to 25 days post fertilization (dpf) for analyses of spontaneous swimming, visual motor response (VMR), and foraging efficiency. MeHg exposures rendered total mercury (THg) body burdens of 0.02, 0.21, 0.95, 3.14, and 14.93 μg/g (wet weight). Organisms exposed to 1000 nM exhibited high mortality; thus, they were excluded from downstream behavioral analyses. All MeHg exposures tested were associated with a reduction in spontaneous swimming at 17 and 25 dpf. Exposure to 30 and 100 nM MeHg caused altered locomotor output during the VMR assay at 21 dpf, whereas exposure to 100 nM MeHg was associated with decreased foraging efficiency at 25 dpf. For the sake of comparison, the secondlowest exposure tested here rendered a THg burden that represents the permissible level of consumable fish in the United States. Moreover, this dose is reported in roughly two-thirds of consumable fish species monitored in the United States, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Although the THg body burdens reported here were higher than expected in the environment, our study is the first to analyze the effects of MeHg exposure on fundamental survival behaviors of yellow perch larvae and advances in the exploration of the ecological relevance of behavioral end points

Salivary Gland Hypofunction and/or Xerostomia Induced by Nonsurgical Cancer Therapies:ISOO/MASCC/ASCO Guideline

PURPOSE: To provide evidence-based recommendations for prevention and management of salivary gland hypofunction and xerostomia induced by nonsurgical cancer therapies. METHODS: Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer/International Society of Oral Oncology (MASCC/ISOO) and ASCO convened a multidisciplinary Expert Panel to evaluate the evidence and formulate recommendations. PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were searched for randomized controlled trials published between January 2009 and June 2020. The guideline also incorporated two previous systematic reviews conducted by MASCC/ISOO, which included studies published from 1990 through 2008. RESULTS: A total of 58 publications were identified: 46 addressed preventive interventions and 12 addressed therapeutic interventions. A majority of the evidence focused on the setting of radiation therapy for head and neck cancer. For the prevention of salivary gland hypofunction and/or xerostomia in patients with head and neck cancer, there is high-quality evidence for tissue-sparing radiation modalities. Evidence is weaker or insufficient for other interventions. For the management of salivary gland hypofunction and/or xerostomia, intermediate-quality evidence supports the use of topical mucosal lubricants, saliva substitutes, and agents that stimulate the salivary reflex. RECOMMENDATIONS: For patients who receive radiation therapy for head and neck cancer, tissue-sparing radiation modalities should be used when possible to reduce the risk of salivary gland hypofunction and xerostomia. Other risk-reducing interventions that may be offered during radiation therapy for head and neck cancer include bethanechol and acupuncture. For patients who develop salivary gland hypofunction and/or xerostomia, interventions include topical mucosal lubricants, saliva substitutes, and sugar-free lozenges or chewing gum. For patients with head and neck cancer, oral pilocarpine and oral cevimeline, acupuncture, or transcutaneous electrostimulation may be offered after radiation therapy.Additional information can be found at www.asco.org/supportive-care-guidelines

The genome of Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. salmonicida A449: insights into the evolution of a fish pathogen

Background Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. salmonicida is a Gram-negative bacterium that is the causative agent of furunculosis, a bacterial septicaemia of salmonid fish. While other species of Aeromonas are opportunistic pathogens or are found in commensal or symbiotic relationships with animal hosts, A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida causes disease in healthy fish. The genome sequence of A. salmonicida was determined to provide a better understanding of the virulence factors used by this pathogen to infect fish. Results The nucleotide sequences of the A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida A449 chromosome and two large plasmids are characterized. The chromosome is 4,702,402 bp and encodes 4388 genes, while the two large plasmids are 166,749 and 155,098 bp with 178 and 164 genes, respectively. Notable features are a large inversion in the chromosome and, in one of the large plasmids, the presence of a Tn21 composite transposon containing mercury resistance genes and an In2 integron encoding genes for resistance to streptomycin/spectinomycin, quaternary ammonia compounds, sulphonamides and chloramphenicol. A large number of genes encoding potential virulence factors were identified; however, many appear to be pseudogenes since they contain insertion sequences, frameshifts or in-frame stop codons. A total of 170 pseudogenes and 88 insertion sequences (of ten different types) are found in the A. salmonicida genome. Comparison with the A. hydrophila ATCC 7966T genome reveals multiple large inversions in the chromosome as well as an approximately 9% difference in gene content indicating instances of single gene or operon loss or gain. A limited number of the pseudogenes found in A. salmonicida A449 were investigated in other Aeromonas strains and species. While nearly all the pseudogenes tested are present in A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida strains, only about 25% were found in other A. salmonicida subspecies and none were detected in other Aeromonas species. Conclusion Relative to the A. hydrophila ATCC 7966T genome, the A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida genome has acquired multiple mobile genetic elements, undergone substantial rearrangement and developed a significant number of pseudogenes. These changes appear to be a consequence of adaptation to a specific host, salmonid fish, and provide insights into the mechanisms used by the bacterium for infection and avoidance of host defence systems.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye

Audio computer-assisted self-interviewing (ACASI) may avert socially desirable responses about infant feeding in the context of HIV

BACKGROUND: Understanding infant feeding practices in the context of HIV and factors that put mothers at risk of HIV infection is an important step towards prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV (PMTCT). Face-to-face (FTF) interviewing may not be a suitable way of ascertaining this information because respondents may report what is socially desirable. Audio computer-assisted self-interviewing (ACASI) is thought to increase privacy, reporting of sensitive issues and to eliminate socially desirable responses. We compared ACASI with FTF interviewing and explored its feasibility, usability, and acceptability in a PMTCT program in Kenya. METHODS: A graphic user interface (GUI) was developed using Macromedia Authorware(® )and questions and instructions recorded in local languages Kikuyu and Kiswahili. Eighty mothers enrolled in the PMTCT program were interviewed with each of the interviewing mode (ACASI and FTF) and responses obtained in FTF interviews and ACASI compared using McNemar's χ(2 )for paired proportions. A paired Student's t-test was used to compare means of age, marital-time and parity when measuring interview mode effect and two-sample Student's t-test to compare means for samples stratified by education level – determined during the exit interview. A Chi-Square (χ(2)test) was used to compare ability to use ACASI by education level. RESULTS: Mean ages for intended time for breastfeeding as reported by ACASI were 11 months by ACASI and 19 months by FTF interviewing (p < 0.001). Introduction of complementary foods at ≤3 months was reported more frequently by respondents in ACASI compared to FTF interviews for 7 of 13 complementary food items commonly utilized in the study area (p < 0.05). More respondents reported use of unsuitable utensils for infant feeding in ACASI than in FTF interviewing (p = 0.001). In other sensitive questions, 7% more respondents reported unstable relationships with ACASI than when interviewed FTF (p = 0.039). Regardless of education level, respondents used ACASI similarly and majority (65%) preferred it to FTF interviewing mainly due to enhanced usability and privacy. Most respondents (79%) preferred ACASI to FTF for future interviewing. CONCLUSION: ACASI seems to improve quality of information by increasing response to sensitive questions, decreasing socially desirable responses, and by preventing null responses and was suitable for collecting data in a setting where formal education is low

Accurate and sensitive quantitation of glucose and glucose phosphates derived from storage carbohydrates by mass spectrometry

The addition of phosphate groups into glycogen modulates its branching pattern and solubility which all impact its accessibility to glycogen interacting enzymes. As glycogen architecture modulates its metabolism, it is essential to accurately evaluate and quantify its phosphate content. Simultaneous direct quantitation of glucose and its phosphate esters requires an assay with high sensitivity and a robust dynamic range. Herein, we describe a highly-sensitive method for the accurate detection of both glycogen-derived glucose and glucose-phosphate esters utilizing gas-chromatography coupled mass spectrometry. Using this method, we observed higher glycogen levels in the liver compared to skeletal muscle, but skeletal muscle contained many more phosphate esters. Importantly, this method can detect femtomole levels of glucose and glucose phosphate esters within an extremely robust dynamic range with excellent accuracy and reproducibility. The method can also be easily adapted for the quantification of plant starch, amylopectin or other biopolymers

Effectiveness of social distancing measures and lockdowns for reducing transmission of COVID-19 in non-healthcare, community-based settings

Social distancing measures (SDMs) are community-level interventions that aim to reduce person-to-person contacts in the community. SDMs were a major part of the responses first to contain, then to mitigate, the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the community. Common SDMs included limiting the size of gatherings, closing schools and/or workplaces, implementing work-from-home arrangements, or more stringent restrictions such as lockdowns. This systematic review summarized the evidence for the effectiveness of nine SDMs. Almost all of the studies included were observational in nature, which meant that there were intrinsic risks of bias that could have been avoided were conditions randomly assigned to study participants. There were no instances where only one form of SDM had been in place in a particular setting during the study period, making it challenging to estimate the separate effect of each intervention. The more stringent SDMs such as stay-at-home orders, restrictions on mass gatherings and closures were estimated to be most effective at reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Most studies included in this review suggested that combinations of SDMs successfully slowed or even stopped SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the community. However, individual effects and optimal combinations of interventions, as well as the optimal timing for particular measures, require further investigation. This article is part of the theme issue 'The effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions on the COVID-19 pandemic: the evidence'