Complete genome sequence of BK polyomavirus subtype Ib-1 detected in a kidney transplant patient with BK viremia using shotgun sequencing

We report here the complete genome sequence of polyomavirus BK subtype Ib-1, isolate AR11, identified in urine from a human kidney transplant recipient with a clinical diagnosis of BK viremia. The AR11 isolate is closely related to reference strain human polyomavirus 1 isolate J2B-2 with 99% identity

Early immune development, atopy and asthma: insights from ATS 2001, May 18-23, San Francisco

There is rising evidence that the initiation of atopy and asthma may occur in early life or even during fetal life. At the American Thoracic Society meeting 2001 in San Francisco, multiple reports addressed epidemiological and immunological factors and their influence on the early immune system, as well as the development of atopy and asthma. Epidemiologic studies presented at the meeting suggest a protective effect of farming and pet exposure. Early-life exposure to endotoxin, a cell wall component of Gram-negative bacteria which can be found in high levels in the presence of pets, may have a protective effect. Investigations of the mechanism of the early immune system indicate that mononuclear cord blood cells have the ability to mount a lymphoproliferative response to mitogens and allergens. Reports suggest, however, that the validity of Th1/Th2 paradigm may need to be scrutinized in early human immune responses, particularly regarding the assumption that the neonate immune system is Th2 skewed. The prospective longitudinal follow-up of these studies is promising to give further insight into risk and protective factors in the development in atopy and asthma

Self-Regulation Writing Approach for Middle School Students with Autism

Expository writing is a complex task for middle school students with autism, requiring skills in self-regulation, executive functioning, content knowledge, and paragraph writing. A lack of these skills can lead to low writing performance and low self-efficacy towards writing. In the present study, the effectiveness of implementing components of the Self-Regulation Strategy Development (SRSD) were examined when applied to expository writing. Two middle school students with autism, who attend a private K-8 school, were individually given explicit instruction on developing positive self-statements and as well as how to plan, write and edit text-based paragraphs. Self-efficacy was measured through student surveys at baseline and post-intervention. Holistic writing quality was measured at baseline and post-intervention through a rubric. After the intervention, both students improved their holistic writing scores, specifically improving their ability to include and analyze evidence and increasing their use of topic and conclusion sentences. Additionally, both students reported an improvement in their self-efficacy towards writing. These findings add to previous research about the effectiveness of SRSD for students with autism while specifically focusing on expository writing. Future research should expand upon these results by including a larger sample size of students and how peer support can further improve the writing experience for students with autism

Educating educators in preventive education

This research is a fundamental reflection in Philosophy of Education, on the education of educators in Preventive Education from an andragogical perspective. The focus is on the agein and aner-agein as an exclusive human act of authentic agogic accompaniment and on the qualities of the authentic educator. The research describes how Preventive Education is capable of responding to education agein and aner-agein as well as remaining open to the new demands of the contemporary modern world and problems facing the young. A critical reflection on Preventive Education attempts to ascertain whether, as an educative method, it can be offered as a viable alternative to primary and secondary educators currently unaware of the essence of Preventive Education. The study concludes with a chapter that deals specifically with the education of Salesian educators taking into account the renewal brought about within the Roman Catholic Chuch and the Salesian Congregation after Vatican II. This renewal lays the foundation for the implementation of a new form of Preventive Education and the impetus that will carry it into the Third Millennium. One of the recommendations of the study includes the urgency of educating lay Salesian educators in Preventive Education.Educational StudiesD. Ed. (Philosophy of Education

GABAB receptor allosteric modulators exhibit pathway-dependent and species-selective activity.

Positive modulation of the GABAB receptor (GABABR) represents a potentially useful therapeutic approach for the treatment of nicotine addiction. The positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of GABABR GS39783 and BHF177 enhance GABA-stimulated [35S]GTP γS-binding, and have shown efficacy in a rodent nicotine self-administration procedure reflecting aspects of nicotine dependence. Interestingly, the structural related analog, NVP998, had no effect on nicotine self-administration in rats despite demonstrating similar pharmacokinetic properties. Extensive in vitro characterization of GS39783, BHF177, and NVP998 activity on GABABR-regulated signaling events, including modulation of cAMP, intracellular calcium levels, and ERK activation, revealed that these structurally related molecules display distinct pathway-specific signaling activities that correlate with the dissimilarities observed in rodent models and may be predictive of in vivo efficacy. Furthermore, these GABABR allosteric modulators exhibit species-dependent activity. Collectively, these data will be useful in guiding the development of GABABR allosteric modulators that display optimal in vivo efficacy in a preclinical model of nicotine dependence, and will identify those that have the potential to lead to novel antismoking therapies

Finding Statistics Fast - Expert Tips to Locate Data Using Government Sources

Presented at the Georgia Council of Media Organizations (COMO) in Columbus, Georgia, October 8, 2009.Government Documents Interest Group (GDIG)The U.S. government collects and distributes data on many topics of interest to you and your users. Whether you need statistics for research, business or personal use, this session will save you time by showing you how to find this data quickly. We will also discuss new and frequently overlooked government sources that provide essential statistics

Identification of an IL-4-Inducible Gene Expressed in Differentiating Lymphocytes and Male Germ Cells

Interleukin 4 (IL-4) is a cytokine that is involved in the differentiation of B and T lymphocytes. In this report, we describe the identification of a novel gene, N.52, which was cloned from the murine pre-B cell line R8205 grown in the presence of IL-4 for 48 hr. Although N.52 expression is detectable at low levels in unstimulated R8205 cells, the level of N.52 dramatically increases after only .4 hr exposure to IL-4 and remains at a high .level up to 48 hr. Although N.52 expression is low or absent in normal spleen B and T cells, its expression can be induced by the differentiation signals delivered by LPS in B cells and by Con A in T-cell hybrids. While N.52 mRNA is absent in all highly differentiated organs, it is detectable in stem cell harboring lymphoid tissues such as bone marrow, fetal liver, and thymus. Furthermore, N.52 mRNA is expressed at strikingly high levels in the testis, specifically in differentiating male germ cells. It is induced by differentiation signals triggered by the combination of cyclic AMP and retinoic acid in teratocarcinoma F9 cells. Taken together, these data suggest that N.52 is a developmentally regulated gene whose expression in cells of the immune and reproductive systems may be controlled by stimuli that induce differentiation