The Parents as Teachers Program: Its Impact on School Readiness and Later School Achievement

New research released by Dr. Edward Zigler, director emeritus of the Yale Center in Child Development and Social Policy and widely known as the "father of Head Start," explains how Parents as Teachers participation impacts children's readiness for school and performance on state performance assessments at the end of the early elementary years. The study assessed more than 7,000 Missouri children over a five-year period. The research confirms the value of Parents as Teachers participation and the direct role it plays on parenting practices that positively impact a child's learning. The most striking findings show that for poor children, high intensity participation in both Parents as Teachers and preschool appears to narrow the achievement gap at kindergarten entry and extends into third grade.A research summary is available to download. Contact the organization to learn how to access the full report

Effects of Resistance Exercise Training on Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity

In recent decades cancer survivorship has steadily increased; however, the adverse side effects associated with chemotherapy treatment can diminish a patient’s overall quality of life. One of the most effective and widely used chemotherapeutic agents is doxorubicin (DOX). Though highly effective, its use is limited by a dose-dependent cardiotoxicity. While it is known that exercise preconditioning with endurance training models provide a cardioprotective effect to DOX treatment, little focus has been placed on the effects of a resistance training (RT) model on DOX-induced cardiac dysfunction. The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of a 12-week RT model on DOX-induced cardiac dysfunction to determine if any cardioprotective effects are a result of a reduction in lipid peroxidation and to determine if any cardioprotective effects are a result of a preservation of the cardiac myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform distribution. Ten-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly selected to undergo 12 weeks of RT or remain sedentary (SED). Twenty-four hours following the completion of the exercise training or sedentary period, animals received a 12.5 mg/kg bolus intraperitoneal injection of DOX or a bolus intraperitoneal injection of 0.9% saline. Five days following injection, animals were sacrificed. Cardiac function was assessed both in vivo and ex vivo and the left ventricle tissue was used to assess lipid peroxidation, as measured by malondialdehyde (MDA) + 4-hydroxyalkenal (HAE) and percentage of β-MHC. The DOX treatment induced cardiac dysfunction when measured both in vivo and ex vivo. The RT provided a cardioprotective effect, evident by significant increases in end systolic pressure, left ventricular developed pressure, and the maximal rate of developed pressure. No significant difference existed between RT+DOX and SED+DOX in lipid peroxidation; however, RT did attenuate the α- to β-MHC shift that occurs with DOX treatment. These data suggest that 12 weeks of the RT model used provided cardioprotection against DOX-induced cardiac dysfunction and may be a result of preservation of the cardiac MHC isoform distribution

Increasing multiplication and division fluency : embedding self-regulation strategies within systematic, strategic instruction

textStudents need to develop computational proficiency with basic facts (i.e., addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) to be successful in more advanced mathematics such as instruction in fractions, decimals, ratios, and rates (Gersten et al., 2009; NCTM, 2010; NMAP, 2008). Specifically, the Curriculum Focal Points for Prekindergarten through Grade 8 Mathematics (NCTM, 2006) stresses the importance of automaticity in basic facts and the application of these skills to solving word problems. For older elementary students, it is vital that they are proficient in multiplication and related division facts in preparation for working with fractions and other algebra readiness skills. Thus, the purpose of this study was to teach multiplication and division facts using systematic, strategic instruction with and without self-regulation strategies. A single-subject, time-series design was employed to measure items correct on daily probes with nine, fourth grade students. The daily probes were designed with 15 review facts and 25 new facts to measure the ability to solve easy, review facts with automaticity and hard facts specifically taught during instruction. All instruction occurred in small groups (4 – 5 students), after school, with a trained instructor. The students received strategic, systematic instruction in hard multiplication and division facts (9s, 4/6/8s and 7s) with and without additional self-regulation components (self-correction, graphing and goal setting). Multiplication and division were taught together as a fact family, rather than apart, to increase conceptual understanding of the relation between multiplication and division. The findings showed that the students made positive growth in both operations in terms of items correct and fluency; with an increase in accuracy and decrease in time to reach phase change criteria when the intervention was embedded with self-regulation components. Findings from social validity measures from participants support the use of self-regulation as a means to increase motivation.Special Educatio

Dispersal of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria near Central Great Plains Feedlots

Antibiotic resistance is a growing concern in medical and veterinary settings. Resistance can be worsened by misuse and overuse of antibiotics. Such situations can give rise to highly resistant organisms. Ciprofloxacin, a synthetic, broad-spectrum antibiotic used to treat gram-positive and gram-negative infections in humans, has similar chemical structure to enrofloxacin, which is used to treat animals. Cross-resistance might arise because of that similarity. This research describes the dispersal and prevalence of bacteria that exhibit ciprofloxacin resistance in relation to feedlots in the central Great Plains region. Six times in 2013, six feedlots were sampled for airborne bacterial communities at, upwind of, and downwind of the feedlot. The samples were grown on exposed Mueller Hinton agar plates infused with a clinical dose of ciprofloxacin. After incubation, bacterial colonies were counted, indicating the prevalence of resistant bacteria. Other variables were measured and analyzed, including wind speed, air temperature, and relative humidity. Colony prevalence was higher on the feedlots than at any of the locations upwind and downwind of the lots. Wind speed, relative humidity, and distance from the feedlot significantly influenced the number of colonies that were detected. Some colonies from among the samples were isolated, gram-stained, tested for minimum inhibitory concentrations of ciprofloxacin, and sequenced for species identification. 21 bacterial isolates represented eight species in four genera: Enterococcus, Cellulomonas, Arthrobacter, and Microbacterium. Though species richness in this study was somewhat low, the bacterial isolates showed high levels of ciprofloxacin resistance. Because the prevalence of ciprofloxacin-resistant bacterial colonies seemed to decline sharply with increased distance from the feedlots, this study suggested that the feedlots have a relatively small effect on the dispersal of ciprofloxacin resistant bacteria on the surrounding landscape

The Effects of Different Wavelengths of Light on Tribolium castaneum

Citation: Pfannenstiel, L. (2017). The Effects of Different Wavelengths of Light on Tribolium castaneum . 1st Annual Undergraduate Research Experience in Entomology Symposium, November 16, 2016. Manhattam, KS.Insects are known to be able to see different wavelengths of lights than humans can see. Because of this, there has been a lot of research done into using light to prevent damage caused by storedproduct pests. Common pests that research has been performed on are psocids (Diaz-Montano et al., 2015) and fruit flies (Saranwong et al., 2011). One of the biggest pests of stored-products is the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum. Research on the attraction of different wavelengths of light has already been done on these beetles and published (Duehl et al., 2011), and my project mirrors that research. My hypothesis was that the shorter wavelengths of light would attract red flour beetles while the longer wavelengths of light would have no effect. My results show that, compared to a white light, the shorter wavelength light attracted more beetles. Compared to no light, there wasn’t a definite trend in wavelength of lights and attractiveness. The attractiveness of short-wavelength lights could be used to make traps for red flour beetles more effective and prevent damage to storedgrains

Student Perceptions of Textbooks: Prior Behaviors and Beliefs Can Influence Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) Adoption Impact

Many Open Educational Resource (OER) and Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) studies explore cost savings, impact on learning outcomes, and student perceptions of the materials. While OER/ZTC research reports positive student perceptions (Brandle et al., 2019), textbook research reports negative student perceptions of digital textbooks (Behnke, 2018). This study explores student buying behavior and perceptions of textbooks, finding that perceptions toward the usefulness of materials is high when access to materials is high. Given this student perception, textbook purchasing is likely related to outside factors. This study adds to the growing body of research about how OER and ZTC may influence student costs and access to course materials, finding that student attitude toward course materials needs to be considered alongside adoption

Survey of Trogoderma species (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) associated with international trade of dried distiller’s grains and solubles in the USA: Presentation

Dried distiller’s grains and solubles, DDGS, is a valuable commodity with substantial international trade. Vietnam discovered an infestation of Trogoderma inclusum, an actionable quarantine pest, in DDGS from the USA in 2012. All subsequent shipments to Vietnam were required to be fumigated. A shipment to Vietnam from the USA 2015 was then discovered with T. variabile. We surveyed the presence and activity of T. inclusum and T. variabile at locations in the USA that provide DDGSs for shipment to Vietnam. Seven facilities in four states that either produced DDGSs or that facilitated bulk shipments were studied. Pheromone traps were deployed at each location and monitored for several weeks. T. variaible was trapped at all seven sites while T. inclusum was trapped at just five of these. T. variabile were captured in nearly every trapping period and at higher numbers than T. inclusum at five locations, while two locations captured more T. inclusum than T. variabile. Spatial variation seemed to occur within each site, but there was no common pattern among facilities. Substantial numbers of beetles were caught in the outdoor sticky flight traps for most locations, except for relatively low flight trap numbers at locations 1, 4 and 6. The results show that T. variabile and T. inclusum are commonly associated with DDGSs produced in the USA, that these beetles could infest product being shipped overseas, and provide information that can be used to develop risk assessment and pest management programs for the future.Dried distiller’s grains and solubles, DDGS, is a valuable commodity with substantial international trade. Vietnam discovered an infestation of Trogoderma inclusum, an actionable quarantine pest, in DDGS from the USA in 2012. All subsequent shipments to Vietnam were required to be fumigated. A shipment to Vietnam from the USA 2015 was then discovered with T. variabile. We surveyed the presence and activity of T. inclusum and T. variabile at locations in the USA that provide DDGSs for shipment to Vietnam. Seven facilities in four states that either produced DDGSs or that facilitated bulk shipments were studied. Pheromone traps were deployed at each location and monitored for several weeks. T. variaible was trapped at all seven sites while T. inclusum was trapped at just five of these. T. variabile were captured in nearly every trapping period and at higher numbers than T. inclusum at five locations, while two locations captured more T. inclusum than T. variabile. Spatial variation seemed to occur within each site, but there was no common pattern among facilities. Substantial numbers of beetles were caught in the outdoor sticky flight traps for most locations, except for relatively low flight trap numbers at locations 1, 4 and 6. The results show that T. variabile and T. inclusum are commonly associated with DDGSs produced in the USA, that these beetles could infest product being shipped overseas, and provide information that can be used to develop risk assessment and pest management programs for the future

Die Quartärgeschichte des Donaudeltas

Der Ozeanboden ist morphologisch nicht monoton. Er hat ein kräftiges Relief, er weist viele Berge ind unzählbare Täler auf. Viele, wahrscheinlich alle, submarinen Canyons sind jung, sind Bildingen der diluvialen Eiszeit. Gleiches Alter haben die Delten der großen Ströme. Einem dieser amphibischen Bildungen, dem Donaudelta, ist die nachstehende Studie gewidmet

INTERVENING TO IMPROVE COMPLETION OF ADVANCE DIRECTIVES AND DOCUMENTATION IN A PRIMARY CARE PRACTICE: A QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

Background and Purpose: Approximately one in three adults have an advance directive. Advance care planning (ACP) and advance directives (AD) ensure concordant care that reflects patients’ wishes, which can decrease financial burden and improve quality of life by eliminating unwanted treatments and hospitalizations. Earlier primary care interventions promoting ADs may reduce the negative consequences that can result from the absence of an AD. Earlier discussions with patients about ACP, along with standardized note templates, could increase the completion of AD and documentation of ACP goals. The purpose of this pilot project was to evaluate a standardized note template intervention in a primary care setting to examine if it increased the documentation of ADs in a) patients 65 years or older and b) patients diagnosed with COPD.Methods: Utilizing the Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) model, a pilot project was developed to determine the efficacy of using standardized note templates to document ACP and AD. We created and implemented an educational program about ACP discussions and implementing the standardized note template for providers working in a rural clinic setting. Nurse Practitioners (NP) completed a pre- and post-survey about comfort with and utilization of AD charting. Chart audits were conducted on the NP documentation, providing information on provider-based discussions, such as topics of discussion and time spent addressing questions.Results: Data collected over a 12-week period indicated a substantial increase in utilization of standardized note templates, resulting in a 61% increase in AD documentation. Analysis of chart audits revealed that the most frequently addressed AD component was code status (78.8%). Standard note template utilization reached 18% of the clinic population, supporting the need for further studies on interventions to increase the documentation rates of ACP and ADs in primary care. Implications for Practice: This project identified a patient knowledge deficit on ACP and ADs, suggesting that resource packages sent to patients prior to appointments could close the gap and further increase ACP documentation rates. While there was marked improvement with a standardized note template, further simplification and re-design to optimize user-friendliness is warranted and may save time during the appointment and help reach patients being seen for acute issues. Keywords: advance care planning, aged/ageing, conversations, documentation, end of life, medical records, primary health care, quality improvementDoctor of Nursing Practic

Bioassay of Solubilized \u3ci\u3eBacillus thuringiensis\u3c/i\u3e var. \u3ci\u3eisraelensis\u3c/i\u3e Crystals by Attachment to Latex Beads

Solubilized crystals of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis were 7,000 times less toxic to Aedes aegypti larvae than intact crystals, presumably because mosquito larvae are filter feeders and selectively concentrate particles while excluding water and soluble molecules. A procedure is described whereby soluble toxins are adsorbed to 0.8- micrometer latex beads, with retention of toxicity. The latex bead assay should make it possible to analyze the structure and mode of action of the mosquito toxin