The Evaluation of Enhanced Academic Instruction in After-School Programs: Findings After the First Year of Implementation

This report presents one-year implementation and impact findings on two supplemental academic instruction approaches developed for after-school settings -- one for math and one for reading. Compared with regular after-school programming, the supplemental math program had impacts on student SAT 10 test scores and the supplemental reading program did not --although the reading program had some effect on reading fluency

Intersystem Collaboration: A Statewide Initiative to Support Families

The study described in this paper utilized a qualitative case study method to assess the processes involved in inter-system collaboration in the context of one state\u27s system change initiative. The collaborative experience is described from the perspective of participating service system professionals and family members. The major themes of collaboration that emerged from the study included changes in communication across systems, changes in inter-system relationships, changes in attitudes, changes in interactions with families, and changes in the ways services are delivered. Lessons learned and practice implications of each theme are discussed

Exploring the Relationship of Modifiable Risk Factors such as Diet, Cardiovascular Exercise, and Sleep to Health Care Employees\u27 Perceived Self-Efficacy at Work

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to explore if there is a relationship between the modifiable risk factors of diet, cardiovascular exercise, and sleep, and health care employees’ perceived self-efficacy at work. I used two research methods to gather data. I invited the Midwestern Hospital perioperative employees (N = 102) to answer two questionnaire forms on health behaviors and self-efficacy regarding their current health status. In each of the modifiable risk factor categories - nutrition, cardiovascular exercise and sleep pattern – the study participants reported on average, that it was “important” (M = 3.95 - 4.47) to eat healthy at work, engage in cardiovascular exercise each week, and get quality sleep every night. One-way ANOVA reported there was no significant difference in mean age category due to health care employee self-efficacy, [F(5,96) = 1.070, p = 0.382, ns]. When comparing men’s and women’s modifiable risk factors of nutritional intake, cardiovascular exercise and sleep patterns to self-efficacy in the workplace, I found similar results in means and standard deviations. Correlational analyses results indicated a moderate correlation (rs = .587, p = .001) between nutrition and cardiovascular exercise. Cardiovascular exercise and sleep followed at rs = .405, p = .001. Self-efficacy and sleep had a weaker correlation at rs = .206, p = .001. In general, based upon the findings of this study, the risk factors of nutrition and cardiovascular exercise were most moderately linked. Health care employees expressed the strongest self-efficacy correlation with the modifiable risk factor of diet. This study lends moderate to modest support to the idea of creating interventions based on self-efficacy theory in order to positively influence healthy behavior in health care employees. vi If health care employers and organizations want to improve the health behaviors of their employees, they may need to focus more on wellness and health promotion today

Omnium Gatherum (2007)

https://digitalcommons.oberlin.edu/productions_2006-2007/1003/thumbnail.jp

The spontaneous mutation frequencies of Prochlorococcus strains are commensurate with those of other bacteria

The marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus, the smallest and most abundant oxygenic phototroph, has an extremely streamlined genome and a high rate of protein evolution. High-light adapted strains of Prochlorococcus in particular have seemingly inadequate DNA repair systems, raising the possibility that inadequate repair may lead to high mutation rates. Prochlorococcus mutation rates have been difficult to determine, in part because traditional methods involving quantifying colonies on solid selective media are not straightforward for this organism. Here we used a liquid dilution method to measure the approximate number of antibiotic-resistant mutants in liquid cultures of Prochlorococcus strains previously unexposed to antibiotic selection. Several antibiotics for which resistance in other bacteria is known to result from a single base pair change were used. The resulting frequencies of antibiotic resistance in Prochlorococcus cultures allowed us to then estimate maximum spontaneous mutation rates, which were similar to those in organisms such as E. coli (∼5.4 × 10⁻⁷ per gene per generation). Therefore, despite the lack of some DNA repair genes, it appears unlikely that the Prochlorcoccus genomes studied here are currently being shaped by unusually high mutation rates.Gordon and Betty Moore FoundationNational Science Foundation (U.S.) (Biological Oceanography Program at C-MORE)Howard Hughes Medical InstituteLord Foundatio

The Evaluation of Enhanced Academic Instruction in After-School Programs: Final Report

This report presents two-year implementation and impact findings on two supplemental academic instruction approaches developed for after-school settings -- one for math and one for reading. It addresses whether one-year impacts are different in the second year of program operations and whether students benefit from being offered two years of enhanced after-school academic instruction

Clusterin accumulates in synapses in Alzheimer’s disease and is increased in Apolipoprotein E4 carriers

One of the major challenges in developing effective therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer's disease is understanding how genetic risk factors contribute to neurodegeneration. The apolipoprotein epsilon 4 isoform ( APOE4) and variants in the Clusterin ( CLU) gene (also known as apolipoprotein J) are associated with increased risk of developing Alzheimer's. Our previous work demonstrated that APOE4 exacerbates synapse degeneration and synaptic accumulation of toxic oligomeric amyloid beta in human Alzheimer's and mouse models of disease. Here, we observe clusterin in synapses in human Alzheimer's disease brain. The percentage of synapses containing clusterin is higher in APOE4 carriers than APOE3 carriers. Furthermore, we observe oligomeric amyloid beta accumulation within synapses containing clusterin which is also higher in APOE4 carriers. These data link two genetic risk factors with synapse degeneration in Alzheimer's and support a potential role for clusterin working with APOE in causing synaptic damage. </p