Creating a Task-Analysis for Teaching Emergent Literacy Skills to Students with Autism

This article provides six fundamental steps for using a task analysis to teach emergent literacy skills to young learners with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Compared to general education peers, students with ASD score lower on reading measures and often have difficulty acquiring literacy skills via the instruction methods used in typical classrooms. An effective instructional technique for many students with ASD is systematic instruction via task analysis. Task analysis may be a useful tool for teachers of students with ASD to build literacy skills by aligning instruction in missing skills to the curriculum standards. The steps to consider when using a task analysis include what emergent literacy skills will be taught, defining expected steps and correct responses, the instructional method to be used, systematic prompting techniques, piloting and updating the task analysis, and teaching and collecting data. Considerations for implementation for practice are provided

Experimentation of Electrospray Methodology with Carbon Nanotubes

The focus of the research was design, economically building, and testing of an electrospray platform which will be employed to deposit uniform coatings of carbon nanomaterials to large surfaces. Electrospray, also known as electrohydrodynamic spray or e-spray, is a liquid atomization technique that can generate fine droplets to produce coatings with a high degree of uniformity. The carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene dispersions in water are particularly attractive due to their bulk processing, ease of storage, freedom for tuning the concentration, and for their potential applications in biology and aerospace. This Electrospray platform will be used to apply CNT films, with varying quantities of graphene, that will carry a charge across non-conductive surfaces to act as a de-icing element for aircraft and spacecraft structures. This platform will be utilized for coating large area of non-conductive surfaces which will carry a charge across the structure to act as a de-icing element for aircraft and spacecraft structures

Sanidad animal y comercio internacional

La condición sanitaria de los países y la inocuidad de sus productos se han convertido en la principal limitante para el comercio internacional de productos pecuarios, en un escenario de globalización y liberación de mercados. En este contexto, los países miembros de la Organización Mundial de Comercio han suscrito el Acuerdo para la Aplicación de Medidas Sanitarias y Fitosanitarias, cuyo principal objetivo es asegurar que las condiciones de sanidad e inocuidad no representarán barreras injustificadas para el comercio de productos agropecuarios, y al mismo tiempo generar las condiciones para que el comercio de los productos mencionados, no signifique un riesgo para la salud de personas o de poblaciones animales.Dicho escenario ha generado una gran responsabilidad para los Servicios Veterinarios Oficiales. Esto deben, por una parte, garantizar que productos pecuarios de exportación no representarán peligros para los países que importarán dichos productos, y complementariamente, proteger la salud de sus poblaciones animales, exigiendo la aplicación de las medidas sanitarias correspondientes a productos pecuarios de importación. Chile y el Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero han respondido a estos desafíos, desarrollando una política que tiene como objetivo, en el corto plazo, el posicionamiento de Chile como potencia agroalimentaria.  

Seroprevalence and risk factors for Neospora caninum in small dairy farms in central Chile

Indexación: Scopus.Objetivos. Proveer información sobre la seroprevalencia y factores de riesgo asociados a la infección por Neospora caninum en bovinos en Chile central. Materiales y métodos. La población estudiada corresponde a pequeñas lecherías que son parte de un programa gubernamental de Asistencia Técnica (SAT), en la región de O´Higgins en Chile central. Muestras de suero fueron recolectadas desde vacas en lactancia y analizadas mediante un kit comercial ELISA. Además, se aplicó un cuestionario a los dueños de los animales para la identificación de factores de riesgo a través de regresión logística. Resultados. Se identificó una prevalencia a nivel de granja del 67%, mientras que dentro de las granjas positivas, esta fue en promedio de 55%. El historial de abortos (p= 0.037, OR=5.09), la fuente de alimentación de perros (p= 0.0429, OR=6), la fuente de agua de bebida de las vacas (p=0.034, OR=4.5) y el manejo de los abortos (p=0.017, OR=7.43) fueron identificados como factores de riesgo para la infección. Conclusiones. Se observa una alta seroprevalencia de N. caninum en pequeños productores lecheros pertenecientes al SAT en Chile central. Los resultados presentados resaltan la necesidad de mejorar las acciones de vigilancia de esta enfermedad y el desarrollo de medidas preventivas para evitar las pérdidas asociadas a esta enfermedad.Objective. To provide information about seroprevalence and risk factors of Neospora caninum infection in bovines of central Chile. Material and Methods. The study population are small dairy farms that are part of a Government Technical Support Service (SAT) in the O'Higgins region in central Chile. Sera samples were collected from milking cows and analyzed by a commercial ELISA kit. Additionally, a questionnaire was applied to farmers to identify risk factors through logistic regression. Results. The farm level prevalence was found to be 67%, and within farms seroprevalence 55%. Abortion history (p= 0.037, OR=5.09), dogs feed source (p= 0.0429, OR=6), cattle drinking water source (p=0.034, OR=4.5) and abortions management (p=0.017, OR=7.43) were found as significant risk factors for infection. Conclusion. There is a high N. caninum seroprevalence in small SAT's dairy farms in O'Higgins region. These results highlight the need of improving N. caninum surveillance, and the development of preventive measures to avoid losses related with this disease.http://revistas.unicordoba.edu.co/index.php/revistamvz/article/view/92

Electronic structure of liquid water from polarization-dependent two-photon absorption spectroscopy

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/journal/jcp/130/8/10.1063/1.3078336.Two-photon absorption (2PA) spectroscopy in the range from 7 to 10 eV provides new insight on the electronic structure of liquid water. Continuous 2PA spectra are obtained via the pump-probe technique, using broadband probe pulses to record the absorption at many wavelengths simultaneously. A preresonance enhancement of the absolute 2PA cross section is observed when the pump-photon energy increases from 4.6 to 6.2 eV. The absorption cross section also depends on the relative polarization of the pump and probe photons. The variation of the polarization ratio across the spectrum reveals a detailed picture of the 2PA and indicates that at least four different transitions play a role below 10 eV. Theoretical polarization ratios for the isolated molecule illustrate the value of the experimental polarization measurement in deciphering the 2PA spectrum and provide the framework for a simple simulation of the liquid spectrum. A more comprehensive model goes beyond the isolated molecule picture and connects the 2PA spectrum with previous one-photon absorption, photoelectron, and x-ray absorptionspectroscopy measurements of liquid water. Previously unresolved, overlapping transitions are assigned for the first time. Finally, the electronic character of the vertical excited states is related to the energy-dependent ionization mechanism of liquid water

TRYPANOSOMA EVANSI AND NEOSPORA CANINUM AMONG WATER BUFFALOES (BUBALUS BUBALIS) IN THE PHILIPPINES

The study determined the positivity rate of Trypanosoma evansi and Neospora caninum antibodies in water buffaloes in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for T. evansi and competitive Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (cELISA) for N. caninum antibodies . A total of 100 whole blood and 100 serum samples were collected to test for T. evansi and N. caninum , respectively. Rotat 1.2 VSG gene was target using PCR for T. evansi detection. Neospora caninum antibody detection was done from the serum samples using cELISA test kit.Results revealed that the positivity rate of T. evansi in Nueva Ecija was 11% (11/100). The positive animals identified were from the municipalities of Muñoz (4/16; 25%), Sta. Rosa (3/13; 23.08%) and Talugtug (4/16; 25%). The seropositive rate of Nueva Ecija for N. caninum. was 46% (46/100), seropositive animals were identified in Cabanatuan City, 57.14% (4/7); Science City of Muñoz, 43.14% (22/51); Sta. Rosa, 40% (4/10); Sto. Sunday, 50% (6/12); and Talugtug 50% (10/20). The seropositivity rate of N. caninum and the presence of T. evansi in Nueva Ecija may contribute to the cases of abortions in the province and further studies should be employed to confirm the association of these organisms to abortion cases on water buffaloes

Low-load resistance exercise completed to volitional failure decreases pain perception post-exercise in females and males

Exercise-induced hypoalgesia (EIH) is the acute pain reduction post-exercise. Typically, high-intensity and/or long-duration exercise is required to elicit EIH. Alternatively, low-load resistance exercise with blood flow restriction (LL+BFR) may elicit EIH. However, there is conflicting evidence regarding the necessary repetitions and volume load. This study evaluated EIH after 75 repetitions (1×30, 3×15) (BFR-75) and four sets to volitional failure (BFR-F) protocols. Twenty-six participants completed unilateral knee extensions at 30% of maximal strength using a BFR-75 and BFR-F protocol. Pain pressure threshold (PPT) of the rectus femoris was assessed before and after exercise. Repetitions completed, volume load, occlusion time, and PPT were analyzed. Participants completed more repetitions (91.4±30.5), volume load (5,204.9±2,367.0 Nm), and had a longer occlusion time (345.8±76.2 seconds) during BFR-F compared to BFR-75 (73.2±3.7 repetitions, 4,451.1±1,498.1 Nm, 300.5±52.2 seconds, respectively). Collapsed across sex, PPT increased from pre- (3.24±1.91 kgf) to post-exercise (3.76±2.27 kgf) for BFR-F but not BFR-75 (3.51±1.67 to 3.68±2.04 kgf). The results indicated that BFR-F, but not for BFR-75, elicited EIH, as assessed by an increase in PPT. Lower loads used during LL+BFR may be a clinically relevant alternative to high-intensity and/or long-duration exercise in populations that may not tolerate high-intensity or prolonged exercise to induce EIH

Clinical Trial Participation among Ethnic/Racial Minority and Majority Patients with Advanced Cancer: What Factors Most Influence Enrollment?

BACKGROUND: Studies using administrative data report that racial/ethnic minority patients enroll in clinical trials less frequently than white patients. We studied a cohort of terminally ill cancer patients to determine a) if racial/ethnic minority patients have lower rates of drug trial enrollment than white patients once socioeconomic characteristics are accounted for and b) what factors most influence drug trial enrollment among patients with advanced canceroverall. METHODS: Coping with Cancer (CwC) is a National Cancer Institute/National Institute of Mental Health (NCI/NIMH)-funded multisite, prospective, longitudinal study of patients with advanced cancer. Baseline interviews assessed drug trial enrollment as well as socioeconomic characteristics. Logistic regression models estimated associations between drug trial enrollment and baseline characteristics. Stepwise, backward, and subset model selection was applied to select the final model where characteristics significant at α=0.05 remained in the model. RESULTS: At a median of 4.4 months prior to death, 35 of 358 patients (9.8%) were enrolled in a drug trial. In unadjusted analyses, race/ethnicity, health insurance, performance status, recruitment site, cancer type, preference for life-extending care, and lack of end-of-life care planning were associated (p CONCLUSION: Patient race/ethnicity was not associated with clinical trial enrollment after adjustment for socioeconomic covariates. Patients with advanced cancer endorsing less engagement in end-of-life planning were more likely to be enrolled in a clinical trial

IL-1α Signaling Is Critical for Leukocyte Recruitment after Pulmonary Aspergillus fumigatus Challenge

Aspergillus fumigatus is a mold that causes severe pulmonary infections. Our knowledge of how A. fumigatus growth is controlled in the respiratory tract is developing, but still limited. Alveolar macrophages, lung resident macrophages, and airway epithelial cells constitute the first lines of defense against inhaled A. fumigatus conidia. Subsequently, neutrophils and inflammatory CCR2+ monocytes are recruited to the respiratory tract to prevent fungal growth. However, the mechanism of neutrophil and macrophage recruitment to the respiratory tract after A. fumigatus exposure remains an area of ongoing investigation. Here we show that A. fumigatus pulmonary challenge induces expression of the inflammasome-dependent cytokines IL-1β and IL-18 within the first 12 hours, while IL-1α expression continually increases over at least the first 48 hours. Strikingly, Il1r1-deficient mice are highly susceptible to pulmonary A. fumigatus challenge exemplified by robust fungal proliferation in the lung parenchyma. Enhanced susceptibility of Il1r1-deficient mice correlated with defects in leukocyte recruitment and anti-fungal activity. Importantly, IL-1α rather than IL-1β was crucial for optimal leukocyte recruitment. IL-1α signaling enhanced the production of CXCL1. Moreover, CCR2+ monocytes are required for optimal early IL-1α and CXCL1 expression in the lungs, as selective depletion of these cells resulted in their diminished expression, which in turn regulated the early accumulation of neutrophils in the lung after A. fumigatus challenge. Enhancement of pulmonary neutrophil recruitment and anti-fungal activity by CXCL1 treatment could limit fungal growth in the absence of IL-1α signaling. In contrast to the role of IL-1α in neutrophil recruitment, the inflammasome and IL-1β were only essential for optimal activation of anti-fungal activity of macrophages. As such, Pycard-deficient mice are mildly susceptible to A. fumigatus infection. Taken together, our data reveal central, non-redundant roles for IL-1α and IL-1β in controlling A. fumigatus infection in the murine lung

Phage-Mediated Acquisition of a Type III Secreted Effector Protein Boosts Growth of Salmonella by Nitrate Respiration

Information on how emerging pathogens can invade and persist and spread within host populations remains sparse. In the 1980s, a multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium clone lysogenized by a bacteriophage carrying the sopE virulence gene caused an epidemic among cattle and humans in Europe. Here we show that phage-mediated horizontal transfer of the sopE gene enhances the production of host-derived nitrate, an energetically highly valuable electron acceptor, in a mouse colitis model. In turn, nitrate fuels a bloom of S. Typhimurium in the gut lumen through anaerobic nitrate respiration while suppressing genes for the utilization of energetically inferior electron acceptors such as tetrathionate. Through this mechanism, horizontal transfer of sopE can enhance the fitness of S. Typhimurium, resulting in its significantly increased abundance in the feces