Basin Wildrye (\u3cem\u3eLeymus cinereus\u3c/em\u3e) Pooled Tetraploid Accessions for U.S. Intermountain West Rangeland Reclamation

Basin wildrye (Leymus cinereus [Scribn. & Merr.] Á. Löve) is an important perennial, hardy, long-lived, cool season C3 native grass of rangeland plant communities throughout much of western United States and Canada. All classes of livestock and wildlife, including large and small birds and mammals, utilise the grass year round for food and protection due to its 2-3 m tall, stiff stature which provides standing winter cover. Though occurring in precipitation areas of 150-500 mm and elevations of 600 to 3,000 m, it is usually found in deep, well-drained soils of high water holding capacity along drainage areas. Seedling vigour is only fair, and stands may take 2 to 5 years to fully establish. While tolerant of low to moderate levels (\u3c 10 mmhos/cm3) of saline and sodic soils and short-term winter or spring flooding, it does not tolerate extended periods of inundation (Ogle et al. 2012). It also does not tolerate heavy grazing or haying in the spring and summer due to its high growing point and minimal regrowth capability, and misuse has caused diminished population density through much of its original range (Anonymous, Utah Farmer-Stockman 1983). In response to losses of basin wildrye, due to wildfires and invasive species as well as historical overgrazing, it is desired to bolster the populations of basin wildrye in the Great Basin and other parts of the U.S. Intermountain area. However, the only seed supplies with reasonable commercial availability have been sourced from sites distant to this geographic area and establishment and survival has been inconsistent. These include the varieties Magnar, an octoploid (2n=56) originally collected in south-eastern British Columbia (released 1979) and Trailhead, a tetraploid (2n=28) originally collected in south-central Montana (re-leased 1991). Washoe germplasm (2002; tetraploid) was released for use on harsh mining sites in Montana, and the variety Continental (2009) an octoploid developed from the hybridisation of Magnar and Trailhead (Ogle et al. 2012)

THE ANALYSIS OF OVER-DISPERSED COUNT DATA FROM A SINGLE FACTOR STUDY

Methods for analyzing over-dispersed count data in a one-way layout were compared using a Monte Carlo study. Several variance stabilizing transformations were examined as alternatives to analyzing the raw data using a general linear model. Additionally, generalized linear models were fit using a log link. For the generalized linear model, three approaches to account for over-dispersion were investigated: (1) a negative binomial distribution with known k, (2) a Poisson distribution with Pearson\u27s X2 as an estimate of the scale parameter, and (3) a Poisson distribution with over-dispersion estimated using the deviance. The analysis of the raw data and log transformed data controlled the size of the tests better than the generalized linear models in the region of the sample space studied

Results of an Environmental Scan to Determine the Level of Uncorrected Refractive Error in First Nations Elementary School Children in Ontario

A survey was developed and used to determine the level and quality of vision care services available to First Nations elementary school children across Ontario, and to indirectly determine the level of uncorrected refractive error in First Nations children. Overall, the total survey results showed that 1 child in 4 wore glasses. The results from the survey indicated that remote communities that had a visiting optometrist were more likely to have fewer cases of uncorrected refractive error than non-remote communities. The results suggest that in-community comprehensive eye exams delivered on a regular basis by visiting optometrists would be the most effective way of improving the vision and eye health status of First Nations children

Constrained and Unconstrained Maximum Likelihood Estimation of a Variance Components Model of Cross- Sections Pooled Over Time

The authors report on simulations on the quality of parameter estimates of regression coefficients with lagged variables. Results showed that the quality of estimates varied with the amount of serial error correlation and with the relative strength of effects of lagged variables. Estimates of the coefficient of an exogenous variable should be very similar by maximum likelihood estimates and modified generalized least squares. If they are not close to identical, an investigator should suspect misspecification of the model

Interaction of NF-κB and NFAT with the Interferon-γ Promoter

Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) is a pleiotropic lymphokine whose production is restricted to activated T cells and NK cells. Along with other cytokines, IFN-gamma gene expression is inhibited by the immunosuppressant cyclosporin A. We have previously identified an intronic enhancer region (C3) of the IFN-gamma gene that binds the NF-kappaB protein c-Rel and that shows partial DNA sequence homology with the cyclosporin A-sensitive NFAT binding site and the 3'-half of the NF-kappaB consensus site. Sequence analysis of the IFN-gamma promoter revealed the presence of two additional C3-related elements (C3-1P and C3-3P). In addition, an NF-kappaB site (IFN-gamma kappaB) was identified within the promoter region. Based on this observation, we have analyzed the potential role of NF-kappaB and NFAT family members in regulating IFN-gamma transcription. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay analysis demonstrated that after T cell activation, the p50 and p65 NF-kappaB subunits bind specifically to the newly identified IFN-gamma kappaB and C3-related sites. In addition, we identified the NFAT proteins as a component of the inducible complexes that bind to the C3-3P site. Site-directed mutagenesis and transfection studies demonstrate that calcineurin-inducible transcriptional factors enhance the transcriptional activity of the IFN-gamma promoter through the cyclosporin-sensitive C3-3P site, whereas NF-kappaB proteins functionally interact with the C3-related sites. In addition, when located downstream to the beta-galactosidase gene driven by the IFN-gamma promoter, the intronic C3 site worked in concert with both the IFN-gamma kappaB and the C3-3P site to enhance gene transcription. These results demonstrate that the coordinate activities of NFAT and NF-kappaB proteins are involved in the molecular mechanisms controlling IFN-gamma gene transcription

Monitoring of Tumor Promotion and Progression in a Mouse Model of Inflammation-Induced Colon Cancer with Magnetic Resonance Colonography

AbstractEarly detection of precancerous tissue has significantly improved survival of most cancers including colorectal cancer (CRC). Animal models designed to study the early stages of cancer are valuable for identifying molecular events and response indicators that correlate with the onset of disease. The goal of this work was to investigate magnetic resonance (MR) colonography in a mouse model of CRC on a clinical MR imager. Mice treated with azoxymethane and dextran sulfate sodium were imaged by serial MR colonography (MRC) from initiation to euthanasia. Magnetic resonance colonography was obtained with both T1- and T2-weighted images after administration of a Fluorinert enema to remove residual luminal signal and intravenous contrast to enhance the colon wall. Individual tumor volumes were calculated and validated ex vivo. The Fluorinert enema provided a clear differentiation of the lumen of the colon from the mucosal lining. Inflammation was detected 3 days after dextran sulfate sodium exposure and subsided during the next week. Tumors as small as 1.2 mm3 were detected and as early as 29 days after initiation. Individual tumor growths were followed over time, and tumor volumes were measured by MR imaging correlated with volumes measured ex vivo. The use of a Fluorinert enema during MRC in mice is critical for differentiating mural processes from intraluminal debris. Magnetic resonance colonography with Fluorinert enema and intravenous contrast enhancement will be useful in the study of the initial stages of colon cancer and will reduce the number of animals needed for preclinical trials of prevention or intervention

“The First Day He Kicked Shoes at Me, the Last Day He Brought Me a Picture of Himself”: Investigating the Practicum Experiences of Pre-service Teachers

The purpose of this study was to describe the ways in which the experiences gained during practica influence the developing self-efficacy of Canadian pre-service teachers for teaching in inclusive classrooms. Questionnaires were issued to participants in teacher education programs at 11 universities across Canada, and the data were subjected to content analysis. Several themes that emerged from the participant responses were found to be influential in pre-service teachers’ feelings of efficacy, with behaviour management having the greatest influence, regardless of whether participants felt successful or challenged. Academic outcomes, relationships with students, and other school adults as resources were also identified as themes influencing pre-service teachers’ feelings of success and challenge in practica. The data revealed attitudes and beliefs about inclusion and the impact these may have on teacher efficacy. Several elements can positively influence teacher efficacy including the ability to identify and utilize instructional and personnel resources, the ability to form supportive professional relationships with other school adults, and the ability to recognize achievement as it pertains to the individual rather than prescribed norms. As beliefs about self-efficacy are informed by enactive mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, physiological factors, and verbal persuasion, teacher preparation programs can foster teacher efficacy by encouraging the development of positive attitudes and equipping teachers with the skills they need

Reflecting on loss in Papua New Guinea

This article takes up the conundrum of conducting anthropological fieldwork with people who claim that they have 'lost their culture,' as is the case with Suau people in the Massim region of Papua New Guinea. But rather than claiming culture loss as a process of dispossession, Suau claim it as a consequence of their own attempts to engage with colonial interests. Suau appear to have responded to missionization and their close proximity to the colonial-era capital by jettisoning many of the practices characteristic of Massim societies, now identified as 'kastom.' The rejection of kastom in order to facilitate their relations with Europeans during colonialism, followed by the mourning for kastom after independence, both invite consideration of a kind of reflexivity that requires action based on the presumed perspective of another

Résultats d’une analyse du milieu visant à déterminer le niveau d’erreur de réfraction non corrigée chez les enfants des écoles primaires des Premières nations de l’Ontario

Un sondage a été élaboré et utilisé pour déterminer le niveau et la qualité des services de soins de la vue offerts aux enfants des écoles primaires des Premières nations de l’Ontario et déterminer indirectement le niveau d’erreurs de réfraction non corrigées chez les enfants des Premières nations. Dans l’ensemble, les résultats du sondage ont révélé que 1 enfant sur 4 portait des lunettes. Les résultats du sondage indiquent que les collectivités éloignées qui reçoivent la visite d’un optométriste sont plus susceptibles d’avoir moins de cas d’erreurs de réfraction non corrigées que les collectivités non éloignées. Les résultats portent à croire que les examens oculaires complets effectués par des optométristes en visite dans la collectivité seraient le moyen le plus efficace d’améliorer la vision et l’état de sante oculaire des enfants des Premières nations