In Vivo validation of a bioinformatics based tool to identify reduced replication capacity in HIV-1.

Although antiretroviral drug resistance is common in treated HIV infected individuals, it is not a consistent indicator of HIV morbidity and mortality. To the contrary, HIV resistance-associated mutations may lead to changes in viral fitness that are beneficial to infected individuals. Using a bioinformatics-based model to assess the effects of numerous drug resistance mutations, we determined that the D30N mutation in HIV-1 protease had the largest decrease in replication capacity among known protease resistance mutations. To test this in silico result in an in vivo environment, we constructed several drug-resistant mutant HIV-1 strains and compared their relative fitness utilizing the SCID-hu mouse model. We found HIV-1 containing the D30N mutation had a significant defect in vivo, showing impaired replication kinetics and a decreased ability to deplete CD4+ thymocytes, compared to the wild-type or virus without the D30N mutation. In comparison, virus containing the M184V mutation in reverse transcriptase, which shows decreased replication capacity in vitro, did not have an effect on viral fitness in vivo. Thus, in this study we have verified an in silico bioinformatics result with a biological assessment to identify a unique mutation in HIV-1 that has a significant fitness defect in vivo

Investigation of the Prevalence of Learning Disabilities Within the Home-School Population of Southwest Michigan

Problem. The special education needs of home-school children have rarely been studied. This research utilizes the homeschool population of Southwest Michigan to investigate the incidence of learning disabilities (LD) within this group. At the same time, it is possible to investigate some of the criticisms of the learning disability field of study. Method. Two hundred ninety-eight home-school children in southwest Michigan were assessed for LD using the Michigan State Board of Education definitional criteria. Achievement was assessed by use of the Wide Range Achievement Test, third revision. Ability was measured with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, third revision. A discrepancy of 18 standard score points was used to determine possible LD. Subjects were then examined for the presence of other factors that would explain the learning problems of subjects having a severe discrepancy between ability and achievement. Results. Of the sample group, 3.7% were found to exhibit learning problems that could not be explained by other than a diagnosis of LD. A significant relationship was found between levels of teacher involvement and the presence of learning problems. Conclusions. A lower prevalence of LD is found within the home-school population when compared with Board of Education figures of public school prevalence rates. However, this difference was not statistically significant. The concept of LD is problematic from the standpoint of definition and assessment and might better be conceived as Learning Difficulty Syndrome. Learning problems appear related to teacher involvement

Rural mobilities: Connecting movement and fixity in rural places

Recent work within mobilities studies has pointed to the ways in which mobility shapes people's identities and everyday lives. Mobility is also inherently geographical in nature, not only in the sense that movements of people and objects transcend space but that the ubiquity of mobility within society raises important questions about the fixities of place. Much of the recent geographical scholarship on mobilities has focused on the city, with ‘the urban’ constructed as the archetypal space of hyper-mobility. Less attention has been given to mobilities in the context of rural spaces and places. In this paper, we suggest that mobility represents an equally important constituent of rural lifestyles and rural places. Our contention is that the stabilities of rurality, associated with senses of belonging, tradition and stasis, are both reliant on and undermined by rather complex forms of mobility. We draw on empirical materials from a recent community study in rural Wales to reveal the nature of these mobilities, including the diverse range of movements of people to, from and through rural places, the difficulties associated with practising everyday mobilities in rural settings, the increasing significance of virtual forms of mobility associated with the roll-out of digital technologies across rural spaces, and the complicated relationship between rural mobilities, immobilities and fixities

A Critical View of Graduate Unions

Institutions of higher education increasingly focus on their economic functions and have adopted labor force practices that resemble private businesses. One such strategy is a greater reliance on employing graduate students to perform tasks previously done by faculty. Simultaneously, graduate employees have organized labor unions and pushed for rights and benefits other organized workers have sought. This is a practice that should be of concern to human rights sociologists, lest we neglect to critically reflect on the social relations that our work is embedded within, thereby damaging our abilities to champion the oppressed. This case study examines how graduate labor organizers see their efforts as enabling what they call the corporatization of the university in unintended ways. It adds a new dimension to existing scholarship that depicts graduate labor unions as a counter-force to corporatization and businesslike practices in higher education while arguing that graduate unions are actually participants in these. With this in mind, this paper suggests reasons for human rights sociologists to still support graduate labor union efforts and suggests ways that we can do it without undermining our goal, given the unintended consequences identified by graduate labor organizers

On Graduate Unions and Corporatization

The existence of graduate labor unions is seen as evidence of the changed and changing nature of academic economies over the past two decades. To be exact they are seen as a result of academic capitalism and broad trends towards corporatization (Bousquet, 2008; Lafer, 2003; Rhoads & Rhoades, 2005; Slaughter & Rhoades, 2004) whereby institutions of higher education increasingly engage in market-like behaviors and display “the culture, practices, policies, and workforce strategies more appropriate to corporations” (Steck, 2003, p. 66). This involves adopting “corporate models, cutting costs and seeking profit-making opportunities” resulting in heavy reliance on private funding for research and expanded commercial influence over academic pursuits (Clay, 2008, p. 11) Within the context of changing academic economies and corporate universities scholars see graduate employee unions as a potential source of resistance and progressive change (Bousquet, 2008; Lafer, 2003; Rhoads & Rhoades, 2005)

Dysphagia secondary to dermatomyositis treated successfully with intravenous immunoglobulin: a case report

A 46 year old woman presented with a one month history of rash and mylagia. The history, clinical findings and blood tests all supported a diagnosis of dermatomyositis. The patient later developed dysphagia and was successfully treated with intravenous immunoglobulin. Investigations and treatment of dysphagia in the context of dermatomyositis are discussed

Planting depth and within-field soil variability impacts on corn stand establishment and yield

Seedbed conditions during corn (Zea mays L.) planting can have substantial impact on corn stand establishment and final yield. Planting management decisions are complex due to spatial variability caused by changing soil characteristics such as soil texture or landscape position. Field experiments conducted in central Missouri from 2017 to 2019 assessed the effects of varying corn planting depths on stand establishment and yield. Sites included fine- and coarse-textured alluvial soils, and summit, back, and foot slope positions of Alfisol claypan soil landscapes. On alluvial soil, deep planting (7.6 cm) often had the most uniform and timely emergence. Shallow planting (3.8 cm) had the least uniform emergence and was particularly troublesome on fine-textured soil under warm conditions. Under these conditions, grain yield for one site-year was 2.8 Mg ha–1 less when planting shallow compared with planting deep. On the claypan landscape position study, stand establishment was affected by both warm and cool growing conditions during the emergence period. During warm conditions, deep planting enhanced emergence uniformity and rate (1.1 d less to reach 90% emergence than shallow planting); the opposite was true for cool conditions (3.7 d more). Yield was not affected by planting depth at any of the site-years of the landscape position study. These results indicate that certain soil textures and landscape positions require greater attention to planting depth to achieve optimum stand establishment. Differences could be used in on-the-go planter prescriptions. These findings also demonstrate that despite early establishment differences, stands can often compensate and maintain similar yield

Behavioural activation for overweight and obese adolescents with low mood delivered in a community setting : feasibility study

Background Mood and weight problems are common in young people, yet few treatments address both conditions concurrently. Behavioural activation (BA) has shown promise as a treatment for adults with comorbid obesity and depression. This study aimed to examine the feasibility and acceptability of a manualised BA treatment targeting weight and mood problems in young people. Methods Young people with low mood and weight difficulties were identified via a school-based screening process. Following a diagnostic interview, young people with clinically significant mood problems and concurrent overweight/obesity were invited to participate. A total of 8–12 sessions of BA were delivered by a graduate therapist to eight adolescents (four male) aged 12–15 years. Weight, mood and functioning were assessed before, during and after treatment, and a semistructured qualitative interview was conducted, along with selected outcome measures at 4 months’ follow-up. Results Low attrition and positive qualitative feedback suggested the intervention was acceptable. Trends towards a reduction in reported depression symptoms and improved functioning scores were observed at follow-up, with more mixed results for change in body mass index. Of those attending the 4-month follow-up, 57% (4/7) no longer met the screening threshold for major depressive disorder. However, low screening and baseline recruitment rates would pose challenges to executing a larger trial. Conclusions BA delivered by a graduate therapist in a British community setting is an acceptable, feasible treatment for comorbid mood and weight problems in adolescence, and its effectiveness should be evaluated in an adequately powered randomised controlled trial