Authority and Cooperation: Five Views from Writing Center Directors

For this issue of Praxis, focusing on authority and cooperation, the editors composed a survey exploring various aspects of the topic, which we sent to several directors of writing centers around the country. The survey asked directors to think about general writing center philosophy, directive versus nondirective consulting approaches, writing center dynamics, training methods, and the consultant's authority. The following article provides an overview of the responses we received. Readers can click on the names in the following paragraph to see each director's responses in full.University Writing Cente

Reviewing Biochar Research and Introducing a Possible Classification System

Biochar is the product of burning biomass, such as hardwood, rice hulls, bamboo, or even chicken litter, in a low- to no-oxygen environment. The result is a black carbon skeletal-like structure of the original biomass. Research into biochar as a soil amendment has been influenced by the study of anthropogenic dark, richly fertile soils found in the Amazon rainforest where the native forest soil is acidic and low in fertility. Biochar research for amending agricultural soils is relatively new but there are strong indications that this practice can decrease the need for additional fertilizer and water inputs. Biochar products will vary in physical and chemical properties and therefore behave differently in the soil. A classification system has yet to be adopted to identify different biochar types. Consequently, there is no data base to search for a particular biochar type for a particular soil or climate. This limits the ability to effectively organize studies or to synthesize research results and clearly communicate to the general public that the results of any one study are not applicable to all biochars. This paper reviews the importance of soil health and the limitations encountered in biochar research which highlight the need for research design protocols and a classification system. A possible classification system is presented in Chapter 4

Cell Viability and Functionality of Probiotic Bacteria in Dairy Products

Probiotic bacteria, according to the definition adopted by the World Health Organization in 2002, are live microorganisms, which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit to the host. Recent studies show that the same probiotic strain produced and/or preserved under different storage conditions, may present different responses regarding their susceptibility to the adverse conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, its capacity to adhere to the intestinal epithelium, or its immunomodulating capacity, the functionality being affected without changes in cell viability. This could imply that the control of cell viability is not always enough to guarantee the functionality (probiotic capacity) of a strain. Therefore, a new challenge arises for food technologists and microbiologists when it comes to designing and monitoring probiotic food: to be able to monitor the functionality of a probiotic microorganism throughout all the stages the strain goes through from the moment it is produced and included in the food vehicle, until the moment of consumption. Conventional methodological tools or others still to be developed must be used. The application of cell membrane functionality markers, the use of tests of resistance to intestinal barriers, the study of surface properties and the application of in vivo models come together as complementary tools to assess the actual capacity of a probiotic organism in a specific food, to exert functional effects regardless of the number of viable cells present at the moment of consumption

Educators’ Perspectives on Parent Engagement in Rural Title I Charter Schools

At a rural Title I charter school serving K-3 students in the Southeastern United States, educators have noted low levels of parent engagement. A low level of parent engagement can lead to low levels in student achievement. Educators wish to understand the benefits of parent engagement, barriers to parent engagement, benefits of parent engagement, barriers to parent engagement, and ways to increase parent engagement. The purpose of this basic qualitative study with interviews was to address the local problem by exploring rural Title I charter school educators\u27 perspectives on benefits of, barriers to, and strategies for increasing parent engagement. Epstein’s Six Types of Parental Involvement formed the conceptual framework of this study to explore perspectives of 12 educators (two administrators, eight teachers, two parent liaisons). The research questions focused on educators\u27 perspectives on benefits of parent engagement, barriers to parent engagement, and ways to increase parent engagement. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews conducted with educators at 2 rural Title I charter schools serving K-3 students. Four themes emerged from data that were coded, as follows: (a) benefits of parent engagement; (b) barriers to parent engagement; (c) strategies that increase parent engagement; and (d) parent and teacher partnerships to support all stakeholders. A Professional Development Plan was created to increase educators\u27 knowledge, skills, and understandings related to benefits of, barriers to, and strategies that increase parent engagement. The project may contribute to positive social change by leading to an increase in parent engagement in the local rural Title I charter school. Students\u27 levels of academic achievement may increase in the district as educators apply what they learned through Professional Development

Developmental expression of claudins in the mammary gland

Claudins are a large family of membrane proteins whose classic function is to regulate the permeability of tight junctions in epithelia. They are tetraspanins, with four alpha-helices crossing the membrane, two extracellular loops, a short cytoplasmic N-terminus and a longer and more variable C-terminus. The extracellular ends of the helices are known to undergo side-to-side (cis) interactions that allow the formation of claudin polymers in the plane of the membrane. The extracellular loops also engage in head-to-head (trans) interactions thought to mediate the formation of tight junctions. However, claudins are also present in intracellular structures, thought to be vesicles, with less well-characterized functions. Here, we briefly review our current understanding of claudin structure and function followed by an examination of changes in claudin mRNA and protein expression and localization through mammary gland development. Claudins-1, 3, 4, 7, and 8 are the five most prominent members of the claudin family in the mouse mammary gland, with varied abundance and intracellular localization during the different stages of post-pubertal development. Claudin-1 is clearly localized to tight junctions in mammary ducts in non-pregnant non-lactating animals. Cytoplasmic puncta that stain for claudin-7 are present throughout development. During pregnancy claudin-3 is localized both to the tight junction and basolaterally while claudin-4 is found only in sparse puncta. In the lactating mouse both claudin-3 and claudin-8 are localized at the tight junction where they may be important in forming the paracellular barrier. At involution and under challenge by lipopolysaccharide claudins -1, -3, and -4 are significantly upregulated. Claudin-3 is still colocalized with tight junction molecules but is also distributed through the cytoplasm as is claudin-4. These largely descriptive data provide the essential framework for future mechanistic studies of the function and regulation of mammary epithelial cell claudins

Innovación tecnológica para la incorporación de lactobacilos probióticos en quesos frescos de pasta hilada : estudios de funcionalidad

Un alimento funcional es aquel que ejerce un efecto benéfico en el consumidor, más allá de la nutrición básica. Esto se puede lograr mediante la adición de microorganismos probióticos. En el trabajo se elaboraron quesos de pasta hilada adicionados de los probióticos (Lactobacillus acidophilus LA5 Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG) de manera individual o conjunta. Los objetivos particulares fueron: evaluar la viabilidad de las cepas probióticas durante la elaboración y maduración de los quesos, determinar su influencia sobre parámetros químicos (composición global y pH) y sensoriales y, evaluar la funcionalidad mediante ensayos in vivo. Ambos probióticos se mantuvieron viables por encima de 108 UFC/g durante la vida útil. La composición global y el pH no se modificaron respecto al queso control y todas las muestras tuvieron buena aceptabilidad global en el análisis sensorial. En cuanto al ensayo in vivo, no se observó translocación bacteriana a hígado, garantizando la seguridad del producto y se observó un incremento significativo de las defensas (IgA secretoria) en fluido intestinal de los animales que recibieron el queso adicionado de L. acidophilus LA5. Actualmente no existen en el mercado quesos de pasta hilada adicionados de probióticos. Esto, sumado a la elevada demanda de alimentos funcionales, convierte a este alimento en un producto innovador y con perspectiva de futura implementación a escala industrialFil: Godoy, Lucas. Universidad Nacional del LitoralFil: Burns, Patricia. Universidad Nacional del Litora

Using the Lane-Change Test (LCT) to Assess Distraction: Tests of Visual-Manual and Speech-Based Operation of Navigation System Interfaces

The Lane Change Test (LCT) is an easy-to-implement, low-cost methodology for the evaluation of the distraction associated with performing invehicle tasks while driving (Mattes, 2003). In the present study, the LCT was used to assess driving performance when drivers completed navigation tasks using visual-manual or speech-based interfaces. Drivers performed two types of navigation tasks at two levels of difficulty. The results provide support for the LCT as an effective measure of distraction for both types of interface. It is recommended that the LCT procedure incorporate additional measures beyond the current mean deviation measure. Two measures are suggested: Lane Change Initiation, which reflects the aspects of driving having to do with detection and response delay as a result of distraction, and a measure of task duration to account for risk exposure

A catalog of Nearby Poor Clusters of Galaxies

A catalog of 732 optically selected, nearby poor clusters of galaxies covering the entire sky north of $\rm -3^{\circ}$ declination is presented. The poor clusters, called WBL clusters, were identified as concentrations of 3 or more galaxies with photographic magnitudes brighter than 15.7, possessing a galaxy surface overdensity of $10^{4/3}$. These criteria are consistent with those used in the identification of the original Yerkes poor clusters, and this new catalog substantially increases the sample size of such objects. These poor clusters cover the entire range of galaxy associations up to and including Abell clusters, systematically including poor and rich galaxy systems spanning over three orders of magnitude in the cluster mass function. As a result, this new catalog contains a greater diversity of richness and structures than other group catalogs, such as the Hickson or Yerkes catalogs. The information on individual galaxies includes redshifts and cross-references to other galaxy catalogs. The entries for the clusters include redshift (where available) and cross-references to other group and cluster catalogs.Comment: 27 pages, 7 figures, + one 20-page landscape table, accepted for publication in A