The Impact of Visual Impairment on Perceived School Climate

The current investigation examines whether visual impairment has an impact on a student’s perception of the school climate. Using a large national sample of high school students, perceptions were examined for students with vision impairment relative to students with no visual impairments. Three factors were examined: self-reported level of happiness, perception of a positive school climate, and negative school affect.  Results revealed no differences for the seeing and visually impaired students on self-reported happiness and perception of a positive school climate factors, however significant differences were found on the negative school affect factor. Additionally, gender was significantly related to the negative school affect factor

Cloning and sequence analysis of canine apoptosis-associated molecules

The aim of the study was to clone and sequence the coding sequences of a representative set of proteins, primarily from the intrinsic apoptotic pathway in dogs and to assess their conservation with human and murine orthologues. cDNA for these proteins, including Bcl-2 family members (Bcl-XL, Bcl-w, Mcl-1, Bax, Bak, Bad, Noxa), caspases (Caspase-3, Caspase-8, Caspase-9), Inhibitors of Apoptosis Proteins (XIAP, cIAP-1, cIAP-2, Survivin), their mitochondrial inhibitors (Smac/ DIABLO, Omi/HtrA2) and p53, were generated by RT-PCR with RNA extracted from two canine non-neoplastic cell lines. Eleven sequences are novel for the dog. Interspecies comparison revealed strongest similarity between the sequences of human and canine intrinsic apoptosis pathway members. Differences with potential functional impact, however, were observed in both dogs and mice. In dogs, these changes involve the putative Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein binding motif of canine Omi/HtrA2, some caspase substrate recognition motifs and some functionally relevant residues of p53. Canine XIAP yields a caspase-cleavage site reported as unique to humans. In conclusion, the generally high degree of similarity of canine apoptosis-associated proteins as compared to human counterparts is supportive of the use of dogs as a model for human diseases. Single interspecies sequence variations with potential functional relevance under physiologic and neoplastic conditions do exist, however, and will require further analysis. Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war es, eine repräsentative Gruppe von Molekülen, die hauptsächlich am intrinsischen Signalweg der Apoptose beteiligt sind, zu klonieren und sequenzieren, und mit den Homologen von Mensch und Maus zu vergleichen. Mittels RT-PCR, basierend auf RNA aus zwei kaninen nicht-neoplastischen Zelllinien, wurden cDNAs von Bcl-2 Familienmitglieder (Bcl-XL, Bcl-w, Mcl-1, Bax, Bak, Bad, Noxa), Kaspasen (Kaspase-8, -9, -3), "Inhibitors of Apoptosis" Proteinen (XIAP, cIAP-1, cIAP-2, Survivin), Smac/DIABLO, Omi/HtrA2 und p53 generiert. Elf dieser Sequenzen werden beim Hund erstmals beschrieben. Die höchste Konservierung der Nukleotid- und Proteinsequenzen wurde zwischen Hund und Mensch festgestellt. Sequenzunterschiede zum Menschen mit potentiell funktionellem Einfluss wurden bei Hund und Maus beobachtet. Darunter fallen beim Hund das mutmassliche "Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein Binding Motif" von Omi/HtrA2, einige Substraterkennungsmotive von Kaspasen, sowie einige funktionell relevante Aminosäuren von p53. Des weiteren weist das kanine XIAP eine Kaspasen-Spaltstelle auf, die bisher als einzigartig für den Menschen galt. Die generell hohe Ähnlichkeit der Apoptose-assoziierten Proteine des Hundes mit denen des Menschen befürwortet dessen Einsatz als Modelltier für humane Erkrankungen. Einzelne speziesspezifische Sequenzunterschiede mit potentieller funktioneller Relevanz unter physiologischen und neoplastischen Bedingungen bedürfen jedoch weiterer Untersuchungen

Self-Assembly of Plasmonic Nanoclusters for Optical Metafluids

I discuss experimental progress towards developing a material with an isotropic, negative index of refraction at optical frequencies. The simplest way to make such a material is to create a metafluid, or a disordered collection of subwavelength, isotropic electromagnetic resonators. Small clusters of metal particles, such as tetrahedra, serve as these constituents. What is needed are methods for manufacturing these structures with high precision and in sufficient yield that their resonances are identical. Jonathan Fan et al. [Science, 328 (5982), 1135-1138, 2010] demonstrated that colloidal self-assembly is a means of preparing electromagnetic resonators from metal nanoparticles. However, the resonances are sensitive to the separation gaps between particles. Standard synthesis routes for metal nanoparticles yield crystals or nanoshells that are inadequate for metafluids due to polydispersity, faceting, and thermal instabilities. To ensure that the separation gaps and resonances are uniform, more monodisperse spherical particles are needed. An additional challenge is the self-assembly of tetrahedral clusters in high yield from these particles. In self-assembly approaches that others have examined previously, the yield of any particular type of cluster is low. In this dissertation I present solutions to several of these problems, developed in collaboration with my research group and others. We demonstrate that slow chemical etching can transform octahedral gold crystals into ultrasmooth, monodisperse nanospheres. The particles can serve as seeds for the growth of larger octahedra which can in turn be etched. The size of the gold nanospheres can therefore be adjusted as desired. We further show that in colloidal mixtures of two sphere species that strongly bind to one another, the sphere size ratio determines the size distribution of self-assembled clusters. At a critical size ratio, tetrahedral clusters assemble in high yield. We explain the experimentally observed 90% yield with a nonequilibrium “random parking” model based on irreversible binding. Simulations based on this model reveal that 100% yield of tetrahedra is possible in principle. Finally, we combine these results and present methods for the self-assembly and purification of tetrahedral plasmonic nanoclusters, the simplest building blocks for isotropic metafluids.Physic

ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL EFFECTS IN ATHLETES: A COMPARISON OF TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AMONG ADOLESCENTS

Depression is a common post-concussion symptom. The depressive symptoms and its effects seemingly appear to be more long term, with some patients still reporting three months to nine years’ post-concussion. School apathy post head trauma can negatively influence prognosis and essentially make the condition worse. Student disruptions post head trauma will result in an inability to reason, problem-solve, set goals, self-monitor, initiate or inhibit response behavior, and effectively execute purposeful behavior. The current investigation examines the effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) among school-aged athletes (ages 13- to 18-years-old) compared to same-aged athletes who did not have a diagnosis/history of TBI. A Multivariate analysis and t-test are utilized to address the self-reported data in relation to students’ feelings, disruption, and school apathy with and without head trauma. It is expected that the results will show adverse effects in those student athletes who had reported head trauma when examining their feelings, disruptions, and school apathy when compared to those student athletes without head trauma.   Article visualizations

Sequence and partial functional analysis of canine Bcl-2 family proteins

Dogs present with spontaneous neoplasms biologically similar to human cancers. Apoptotic pathways are deregulated during cancer genesis and progression and are important for therapy. We have assessed the degree of conservation of a set of canine Bcl-2 family members with the human and murine orthologs. To this end, seven complete canine open reading frames were cloned in this family, four of which are novel for the dog, their sequences were analyzed, and their functional interactions were studied in yeasts. We found a high degree of overall and domain sequence homology between canine and human proteins. It was slightly higher than between murine and human proteins. Functional interactions between canine pro-apoptotic Bax and Bak and anti-apoptotic Bcl-xL, Bcl-w, and Mcl-1 were recapitulated in yeasts. Our data provide support for the notion that systems based on canine-derived proteins might faithfully reproduce Bcl-2 family member interactions known from other species and establish the yeast as a useful tool for functional studies with canine proteins

PERSPECTIVES OF THE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES OF STUDENTS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS

The low-incidence disability of visual impairment has led to many challenges in the field of education. The present study compared school related issues of adolescents with a visual impairment and their parents to adolescents who do not have a visual impairment and their parents. The purpose of this study was to examine the perspectives of students with a visual impairment and their parents to determine the level of satisfaction of the education the students are receiving. A sample of n = 180 parents and 10th grade students were used to answer the questions regarding various factors of education. The predicted outcome will be that overall parents are satisfied with their child’s education but will have negative feelings regarding the quality of education. It is also predicted that the students with a visual impairment will have similar feelings regarding education.  Article visualizations

The effects of hearing deficits on student self-perceptions of social belonging, difficulty at school, and self-image

A paucity of research exists that examines how well hearing-impaired students function in the primary and secondary grades when attending a general education setting. The research that does exists to suggest that issues of poor self-perception, challenges regarding a sense of belonging, and self-image may be amplified for the non-hearing student. The current investigation examines the self-reported feelings of the hearing-impaired students relative to the student with no identified hearing difficulties. Results suggest that while social belonging may be a problem for the hearing-impaired students relative to their hearing peers, no differences were found on the responses associate with self-image or trouble at school

PERSPECTIVES OF THE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES OF STUDENTS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS

The low-incidence disability of visual impairment has led to many challenges in the field of education. The present study compared school related issues of adolescents with a visual impairment and their parents to adolescents who do not have a visual impairment and their parents. The purpose of this study was to examine the perspectives of students with a visual impairment and their parents to determine the level of satisfaction of the education the students are receiving. A sample of n = 180 parents and 10th grade students were used to answer the questions regarding various factors of education. The predicted outcome will be that overall parents are satisfied with their child’s education but will have negative feelings regarding the quality of education. It is also predicted that the students with a visual impairment will have similar feelings regarding education

Adjustment and Other Factors Related to High School Aged Students Identified as Hearing Impaired

Healthy social, emotional and cognitive development of deaf children depends upon complex interactions between the many individual and environmental factors associated with deafness. Deaf children and adolescents have been reported to possess greater rates of mental health problems than hearing children and adolescents. Dysfunction in one or more systems impacts the other systems in the child’s life. Dysfunction increases the risk for maladjustment and poor mental and emotional health. Deaf youth are at greater risk for disruption in interactions between the child and their environment and therefore are also at greater risk for social and emotional problems. Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult was used to gain a better understanding of deaf student’s feelings of acceptance at school, reported positive feelings, academic grades and future plans. Twelve (12) deaf students were included in a total of 456 youth participants from across the county. No significant differences were found between the two groups.

PERCEPTIONS OF STUDENTS WITH MULTIPLE DISABILITIES AND TYPICALLY DEVELOPING PEERS

The purpose of this study was to investigate if students with multiple disabilities perceived a lower level of feeling cared about, more difficulty in school, and decreased mental health status, when compared to their typically developing peers. Data from 244 participants was extracted from the National Survey of Adolescent Health. Of this sample, 36 participants were identified as having multiple disabilities. Independent samples t-tests and multivariate analyses of variance were used to analyze data using the sample of the population. No significant results were found, indicating that there are no differences between the perceptions of students with multiple disabilities and their typically developing peers.   Article visualizations