Accuracy of the TeacherInsight Online Perceiver Tool in Determining the Effectiveness of High Rated and Low Rated Math and Science New Hire Teachers Following One Year and Three Years of Single School District Employment

The purpose of this study is to explore the accuracy of the TeacherInsight online perceiver tool (Gallup University, 2007) in determining the effectiveness of high rated (n =14) and low rated ( n =36) math and science new hire teachers summative appraisal ratings, completed graduate coursework, and retention status following one year and three years of single school district employment

Accuracy of the TeacherInsight Online Perceiver Tool in Determining the Effectiveness of High Rated and Low Rated Math and Science New Hire Teachers Following One Year and Three Years of Single School District Employment

The combined goals of recruiting and retaining effective teachers are often difficult to realize due to fluctuating student enrollments and class-size targets, teaching-load norms or requirements, and budgetary and resource constraints. While schools and districts market and recruit bright new teachers to the field, they too, struggle to maintain enticing career development standards that would retain the most effective teachers in the district (Guirano, Santibanez, & Daley, 2006). With the high turnover in schools, student achievement suffers. Teacher attrition has grown by 50% over the past fifteen years. The national teacher turnover rate has risen to 16.8%. In urban schools, it is over 20% and, in some schools and districts, the teacher dropout rate is actually higher than the student dropout rate. School districts fall into a chronic cycle of hiring and replacing teachers whereas the funding to develop effective teachers is financially strained (NCTAF, 2003). Human Resources is challenged by the startling facts of staffing highly effective teachers in hard-to-staff positions. Although states are beginning to take action to recruit and retain skilled teachers, few of those efforts are directed at finding teachers for the students who need them most (Atwell, 2007). Considerable research supports that poor and minority students are more likely to be taught by teachers less qualified as compared to teachers in more wealthy schools and fewer minority students (Carroll, Reichardt, & Guarino, 2000, Darling-Hammond & Youngs, 2002). Urban schools nationwide educate approximately 40% to 50% of the students who are not proficient in English, about 50% of minority students, and 40% of the country’s low-income students (Council of Great City Schools, 2000). The report continues to explain that compared to other districts, the urban districts are competing for quality teaching staff while serving students with lower academic achievement scores, greater dropout rates, and a larger population of special needs students to serve in the classroom. The challenge to recruit and retain quality teachers has encouraged many districts, particularly urban districts, to develop strategic recruitment efforts, hiring practices, and retention programs

Regulation of adventitia-resident progenitor cells

Far from the inert structural component that was the prevailing view for many years, the arterial adventitia is a region of active signaling that harbors Sca1+ vascular progenitor cells as well as many other cell types. We have shown that a sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling domain is restricted to the adventitial layer of artery wall beginning at embryonic day 15.5. Hedgehog (Hh)-responsive cells, colocalize with a circumferential ring of Shh protein concentrated between the media and adventitia. Furthermore, Sca1+ progenitor cells (AdvSca1 cells) reside within the Hh signaling domain and are reduced in number in Shh-/- mice. As a population, AdvSca1 cells express transcription factors thought to be required for smooth muscle cell (SMC) differentiation, including serum response factor (SRF) and myocardin family members, yet the cells do not express SMC marker proteins in vivo. However, upon removal of AdvSca1 cells from the adventitial environment, they readily differentiate to SMC-like cells in vitro. Repression of SRF-dependent transcription may be mediated by SRF co-repressors such as Klf4, Msx1, and FoxO4, all of which are expressed by AdvSca1 cells in vivo. Knockdown of Klf4 in AdvSca1 cells in vitro results in extensive down-regulation of Sca1 and defects in Sca1+ cell proliferation. In vitro and in vivo experiments have shown that AdvSca1 cells possess the potential for SMC, pericyte/mural cell, adipogenic, ostogenic, endothelial, and macrophage differentiation. Thus, AdvSca1 cells are regulated, in part, by Hh signaling and the transcription factor Klf4 and function as progenitors for multiple cell types with physiological and pathological relevance to the artery wall

Influence of Fatigue and Anticipation on Knee Kinematics and Kinetics during a Jump-cut Maneuver

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are common among athletes, particularly females. This research aims to reconcile the anticipated and unanticipated movement pattern of jumping and cutting with fatigue for both genders. The research will compare lower extremity biomechanics of a jump-cut after a sports specific fatigue protocol, intending to examine movement patterns which may predispose the subject to ACL injury. METHODS: Twenty healthy subjects were studied (24.9±3.3yrs), including 10 females. A 3D electromagnetic system measured knee kinematics and kinetics during jump-cut tasks. The jump-cut task included anticipated (A) and unanticipated (UA) trials to both directions. For the UA trials, the subject was unaware of the cutting direction until initiation of the task. The fatigue protocol consisted of jumping, sprinting, step-ups, and agility. Subjects completed the jump-cut task again in a fatigued state. A repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyze peak and mean angles, moments and ground reaction forces (GRF), with post-hoc Tukey tests for significant findings between factors (gender, pre/post-fatigue, A/UA). RESULTS: Significant main effects were found for gender and IR/ER and ADD/ABD peak and/or mean angles, and ADD/ABD moments; pre and post-fatigue and IR/ER, EXT/FLEX, and ADD/ABD peak and/or mean angles, and ADD/ABD moments; A/UA conditions and IR/ER and ADD/ABD peak and/or mean angles. Significant interactions existed for gender and A/UA for EXT moment and for pre/post-fatigue and A/UA for EXT moment, IR moment and IR/ER angles. CONCLUSION: Subjects demonstrated significant changes in knee kinematics and kinetics. Fatigue and A/UA states influenced knee movement patterns in variable ways, which may indicate an attempt to safely land and cut. Additionally, females demonstrated biomechanics that may increase their risk for ACL injury relative to males. Gender, fatigue, and A/UA conditions had an impact on one another and should be considered when designing sports training programs to reduce risky movement patterns

Distance-based training in two community health centers to address tobacco smoke exposure of children

BACKGROUND: The CEASE (Clinical Effort Against Secondhand Smoke Exposure) intervention was developed to help pediatricians routinely and effectively address the harms of family smoking behaviors. Based on paper versions of CEASE, we partnered with the American Academy of Pediatrics’ online education department and developed a completely distance-based training, including an online CME training, handouts and education materials for families, and phone and email support. METHODS: The pediatric offices of two low income health clinics with primarily Medicaid populations were selected for the study. Pre and post intervention data by survey of the parents was collected in both practices (Practice 1 n = 470; Practice 2 n = 177). The primary outcome for this study was a comparison of rates of clinician’s asking and advising parents about smoking and smoke-free home and cars. RESULTS: Exit surveys of parents revealed statistically significant increases in rates of clinicians asking about parental smoking (22% vs. 41%), smoke-free rules (25% vs. 44%), and asking about other smoking household members (26% vs. 48%). CONCLUSIONS: Through a completely distance based intervention, we were able to train pediatricians who see low income children to ask parents about smoking, smoke-free home and car rules, and whether other household members smoke. Implementing a system to routinely ask about family tobacco use and smoke-free home and car rules is a first step to effectively addressing tobacco in a pediatric office setting. By knowing which family members use tobacco, pediatricians can take the next steps to help families become completely tobacco-free. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical trials number: NCT0108717

Rhinovirus protease cleavage of nucleoporins:perspective on implications for airway remodeling

Human Rhinoviruses (RV) are a major cause of common colds and infections in early childhood and can lead to subsequent development of asthma via an as yet unknown mechanism. Asthma is a chronic inflammatory pulmonary disease characterized by significant airway remodeling. A key component of airway remodeling is the transdifferentiation of airway epithelial and fibroblast cells into cells with a more contractile phenotype. Interestingly, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), a well characterized inducer of transdifferentiation, is significantly higher in airways of asthmatics compared to non-asthmatics. RV infection induces TGF-β signaling, at the same time nucleoporins (Nups), including Nup153, are cleaved by RV proteases disrupting nucleocytoplasmic transport. As Nup153 regulates nuclear export of SMAD2, a key intermediate in the TGF-β transdifferentiation pathway, its loss of function would result in nuclear retention of SMAD2 and dysregulated TGF-β signaling. We hypothesize that RV infection leads to increased nuclear SMAD2, resulting in sustained TGF-β induced gene expression, priming the airway for subsequent development of asthma. Our hypothesis brings together disparate studies on RV, asthma and Nup153 with the aim to prompt new research into the role of RV infection in development of asthma.</p

Differences in Nonmedical Use of Prescription Stimulants Among Fraternity- and Sorority-Afiliated Students

The current study reviewed data from the 2022 College Prescription Drug Study of 4,967 undergraduate students to examine differences in lifetime and past-year misuse of prescription stimulants, academic motivations and consequences of misuse, and misperceptions of prescription stimulants. Results indicate that fraternity- and sorority-affiliated students are more likely to report misusing a prescription stimulant in their lifetime and within the past year than nonaffiliated students. Fraternity and sorority members are more influenced by academic reasons and social norms than nonaffiliated students, with gender identity further predicting level of risk. Implications for prevention programming for fraternity and sorority members are discussed

An investigation into the sample preparation procedure and analysis of cyanoacrylate adhesives using capillary electrophoresis

In this study, the trace acid profile of cyanoacrylate adhesives was studied using capillary electrophoresis. Liquid–liquid extraction was employed as the sample preparation step before separation by capillary electrophoresis. The solubility of the adhesives was investigated using various organic solvents, e.g. hexane and dichloromethane, and chloroform was determined to be the optimum solvent as it enabled the full dissolution of the adhesive. A comprehensive stability study was performed over a 3-year period and results indicate that the adhesives were stable for 2 years after which their stability and performance degraded

Don’t You Know That You’re Toxic: Normalization of Toxicity in Online Gaming

Peer ReviewedVideo game toxicity, endemic to online play, represents a pervasive and complex problem. Antisocial behaviours in online play directly harm player wellbeing, enjoyment, and retention—but research has also revealed that some players normalize toxicity as an inextricable and acceptable element of the competitive video game experience. In this work, we explore perceptions of toxicity and how they are predicted by player traits, demonstrating that participants reporting a higher tendency towards Conduct Reconstrual, Distorting Consequences, Dehumanization, and Toxic Online Disinhibition perceive online game interactions as less toxic. Through a thematic analysis on willingness to report, we also demonstrate that players abstain from reporting toxic content because they view it as acceptable, typical of games, as banter, or as not their concern. We propose that these traits and themes represent contributing factors to the cyclical normalization of toxicity. These findings further highlight the multifaceted nature of toxicity in online video games