Regular Education Teacher\u27s Perceptions of Inclusion in Virginia

Forty regular education teachers responded to a questionnaire concerning regular education teachers·beliefs and perceptions about the benefits. attitudes, and effectiveness of inclusion. The results were analyzed by calculating percentages and means for each item of the questionnaire and by calculating mean scores for each respondent\u27s questionnaire to examine positive or negative reactions to inclusion. In addition. a t-test was computed. The results indicated that regular education teachers who responded were not strongly positive towards _the inclusion of students with disabilities into regular education classrooms. The t-test showed no significant difference between regular education teachers who have students with disabilities included in their classrooms and those teachers who do not have students with disabilities included in their classrooms 60% or more of the day

CHARACTERIZING HEALTH RISKS IN PRIVATELY-SUPPLIED DRINKING WATER DUE TO AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES IN RURAL WESTERN KENTUCKY

At least 400,000 people in Kentucky rely on private water wells or springs for drinking water. 551 households that rely on private water wells for drinking water were surveyed in 2009 about adverse health outcomes, including selected cancer incidence, adverse birth outcomes, and yearly incidence of diarrheal illness. Survey recipients were drawn from a population of well owners in the Jackson Purchase Region of Kentucky whose wells were tested for nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N), triazine pesticides, and E. coli or total coliforms, by Kentucky Geologic Survey within the previous 15 years. 214 questionnaires were returned and matched to water quality data for analysis; the effective response rate was 39%. Of 211 wells in this study with NO3-N results available, 11 (5.91%) had NO3-N concentration above the MCL of 10 mg/L. Of 189 wells in this study with triazine pesticide results available, 1 (0.53%) had concentration above the MCL of 3 μg/L; 123 (65.08%) had undetectable concentrations of triazine pesticides. NO3-N and triazine levels were not independently distributed; shallower bored well construction was predictive of higher concentrations of both contaminants, consistent with other research. E. coli contamination was detected in 14.5% of wells tested in the study population, and total coliforms were present in 59.3%. Over one-fifth (21%) of wells in the study population were contaminated with all three, total coliforms, triazine pesticides and NO3-N, above background concentrations, indicating the wells’ vulnerability to surface-level contamination that can result from well construction and agricultural land use practices. Survey respondents were asked about household incidence of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and liver, stomach and breast cancers. SIRs were calculated to compare the study population with reference populations. Wilcoxon rank sum statistics comparing the distribution of nitrate in cancer-reporting household and non-cancer reporting households suggest an association between NO3-N exposure in drinking water and cancer incidence. Analysis of NO3-N concentration in the study population did not suggest an association between higher concentrations in drinking water and adverse birth outcomes including intrauterine death, miscarriage and premature birth; no statistically significant relationship was shown. Presence of E.coli or total coliform in the water from wells in the study population, whether modeled on a continuous or present/absent scale, was a poor predictor of yearly household incidence of gastrointestinal disease

Distinct oceanic microbiomes from viruses to protists located near the Antarctic Circumpolar Current

Microbes occupy diverse ecological niches and only through recent advances in next generation sequencing technologies have the true microbial diversity been revealed. Furthermore, lack of perceivable marine barriers to genetic dispersal (i.e., mountains or islands) has allowed the speculation that organisms that can be easily transported by currents and therefore proliferate everywhere. That said, ocean currents are now commonly being recognized as barriers for microbial dispersal. Here we analyzed samples collected from a total of six stations, four located in the Indian Ocean, and two in the Southern Ocean. Amplicon sequencing was used to characterize both prokaryotic and eukaryotic plankton communities, while shotgun sequencing was used for the combined environmental DNA (eDNA), microbial eDNA (meDNA), and viral fractions. We found that Cyanobacteria dominated the prokaryotic component in the South-West Indian Ocean, while γ-Proteobacteria dominated the South-East Indian Ocean. A combination of γ- and α-Proteobacteria dominated the Southern Ocean. Alveolates dominated almost exclusively the eukaryotic component, with variation in the ratio of Protoalveolata and Dinoflagellata depending on station. However, an increase in haptophyte relative abundance was observed in the Southern Ocean. Similarly, the viral fraction was dominated by members of the order Caudovirales across all stations; however, a higher presence of nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses (mainly chloroviruses and mimiviruses) was observed in the Southern Ocean. To our knowledge, this is the first that a statistical difference in the microbiome (from viruses to protists) between the subtropical Indian and Southern Oceans. We also show that not all phylotypes can be found everywhere, and that meDNA is not a suitable resource for monitoring aquatic microbial diversity

The Effects of Rehearsal on Information Processing Efficiency of Severely/Profoundly Retarded and Normal Individuals.

Whether or not information processing differences between severely profoundly retarded (SPR) and normal individuals may be attributed to the inability of severely/profoundly retarded individuals to utilize rehearsal strategies was investigated in this study. The representative ages were chosen based on developmental trends in the utilization of processing strategies. The selected ages were 5-, 7-, 11-, and 15-year-olds for the normal group, and 7-, 11-, and 15-year-olds for the SPR group. A sample of 140 male (60 SPR and 80 normal) were randomly selected from a criteria-selected population. Subjects were randomly assigned within age by intelligence level into experimental (E) and control (C) groups of 10 individuals each. A piece of equipment was designed to measure reaction time (RT), decision time (DT), movement time (MT(,1) and MT(,2)) and response time (TRT). These measures were utilized to indicate the presence, absence, and level of sophistication of rehearsal strategies. The design for the study was age x intelligence level x treatment condition. The results were analyzed in 3 different ways. The first analysis was performed utilizing only data from the normal group. Results indicated that performance improves across ages from 5 years to 15 years. E and C group performances were significantly different at the 5-year-old age level. C group performances approximated the E group performance at the subsequent age levels. The similar performance of the E and C groups at the older age levels was explained by the spontaneous use of rehearsal strategies in the C group. These results verified that information processing strategies such as rehearsal are developmental in nature; i.e., the lack of spontaneous rehearsal by 5-year-olds produced the significantly better performance by the E group when compared to the C group. The second analysis matched SPR and normal individuals by chronological age. Since there were no 5-year-olds in the SPR group, the 5-year-old normal group individuals were omitted from this analysis. Results indicated that some developmental trends were present in the SPR group, since improvement was apparent across ages. SPR and E and C group performances across all ages illustrated that SPR E group performance was consistently superior to performance of SPR C group. The two treatment groups for SPR did not approximate one another at the older age levels which indicated that very little spontaneous use of rehearsal strategies was occurring in the C group. The third analysis regrouped the chronological age matched SPR and normal groups into Developmental Levels. This was accomplished by matching the 5-year-old normal individuals with the 7-year-old SPR individuals, 7-year-old normal individuals with 11-year-old SPR individuals, and 11-year-old normal individuals with the 15-year-old SPR individuals. Results indicated that the performance of the older SPR individuals was closer to the performance of the younger normal individuals. The general conclusions of the study suggested that information processing differences between SPR and normal individuals could be attributed to the inability of the SPR individuals to utilize rehearsal strategies

A pelagic microbiome (viruses to protists) from a small cup of seawater

The aquatic microbiome is composed of a multi-phylotype community of microbes, ranging from the numerically dominant viruses to the phylogenetically diverse unicellular phytoplankton. They influence key biogeochemical processes and form the base of marine food webs, becoming food for secondary consumers. Due to recent advances in next-generation sequencing, this previously overlooked component of our hydrosphere is starting to reveal its true diversity and biological complexity. We report here that 250 mL of seawater is sufficient to provide a comprehensive description of the microbial diversity in an oceanic environment. We found that there was a dominance of the order Caudovirales (59%), with the family Myoviridae being the most prevalent. The families Phycodnaviridae and Mimiviridae made up the remainder of pelagic double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) virome. Consistent with this analysis, the Cyanobacteria dominate (52%) the prokaryotic diversity. While the dinoflagellates and their endosymbionts, the superphylum Alveolata dominates (92%) the microbial eukaryotic diversity. A total of 834 prokaryotic, 346 eukaryotic and 254 unique virus phylotypes were recorded in this relatively small sample of water. We also provide evidence, through a metagenomic-barcoding comparative analysis, that viruses are the likely source of microbial environmental DNA (meDNA). This study opens the door to a more integrated approach to oceanographic sampling and data analysis

Turning the Tables - The Vulnerability of Nurses Treating Anorexia Nervosa Patients

In bioethics, the concept of vulnerability is applied almost exclusively to research participants and patients. We turn the tables and apply the concept to nurses caring for anorexia nervosa (AN) sufferers. In doing so, and using results from a qualitative research study undertaken in the UK, we show that AN nurses face a significant probability of incurring identifiable harms (inauthentic relationships and nonreciprocal relationships). Some recommendations on how these harms can be avoided or mitigated are given, but further research is needed

GMO Technology. Venezuelans' Consumers Perceptions: Situation in Caracas

The main benefits generated by the genetically modified organisms (GMO`s) include greater yields harvested, foods with greater content of nutrients, vaccines, resistant plants to virus or plagues and resistant plant to high levels of salts in ground. However, there is a controversial discussion regarding its acceptation and welcoming and is missing information in regard the topic especially in developing countries. The purpose of this study is to measure the level of knowledge or acceptance towards GMO’s and biotechnology by consumer from Caracas, Venezuela. The researchers will use a survey that was previously applied to consumers from USA, Japan and some other South American countries. The results of the study demonstrated that Venezuelan’ consumers are misinformed about this topic; however, they are more informed about microbial contamination and pesticides than other topics.El principal beneficio generado por los organismos genéticamente modificados (OGM) incluyen el aumento del rendimiento de las cosechas, alimentos con mayor contenido nutricional, vacunas, plantas resistentes a virus o plagas y a altos niveles de sales en los suelos. Sin embargo, existe una discusión controversial en relación a su aceptación y a la carencia de información con respecto al tema particular de los países en desarrollo. El propósito del siguiente estudio es de medir el nivel de conocimiento y aceptación de los OGM y la biotecnología por parte de los consumidores en Caracas, Venezuela. Los investigadores emplearon un sondeo aplicado previamente a consumidores de Estados Unidos, Japón y algunos países Sudamericanos. Los resultados del estudio demuestran que los consumidores Venezolanos están pobremente informados acerca de éste tema; sin embargo están mayormente informados acerca de la contaminación microbiana y pesticidas por sobre el resto de los tópicos.The main benefits generated by the genetically modified organisms (GMO`s) include greater yields harvested, foods with greater content of nutrients, vaccines, resistant plants to virus or plagues and resistant plant to high levels of salts in ground. However, there is a controversial discussion regarding its acceptation and welcoming and is missing information in regard the topic especially in developing countries. The purpose of this study is to measure the level of knowledge or acceptance towards GMO’s and biotechnology by consumer from Caracas, Venezuela. The researchers will use a survey that was previously applied to consumers from USA, Japan and some other South American countries. The results of the study demonstrated that Venezuelan’ consumers are misinformed about this topic; however, they are more informed about microbial contamination and pesticides than other topics

Altered brain energetics induces mitochondrial fission arrest in Alzheimer's Disease.

Altered brain metabolism is associated with progression of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Mitochondria respond to bioenergetic changes by continuous fission and fusion. To account for three dimensional architecture of the brain tissue and organelles, we applied 3-dimensional electron microscopy (3D EM) reconstruction to visualize mitochondrial structure in the brain tissue from patients and mouse models of AD. We identified a previously unknown mitochondrial fission arrest phenotype that results in elongated interconnected organelles, "mitochondria-on-a-string" (MOAS). Our data suggest that MOAS formation may occur at the final stages of fission process and was not associated with altered translocation of activated dynamin related protein 1 (Drp1) to mitochondria but with reduced GTPase activity. Since MOAS formation was also observed in the brain tissue of wild-type mice in response to hypoxia or during chronological aging, fission arrest may represent fundamental compensatory adaptation to bioenergetic stress providing protection against mitophagy that may preserve residual mitochondrial function. The discovery of novel mitochondrial phenotype that occurs in the brain tissue in response to energetic stress accurately detected only using 3D EM reconstruction argues for a major role of mitochondrial dynamics in regulating neuronal survival

Diffusion of Immunoglobulin G in Shed Vaginal Epithelial Cells and in Cell-Free Regions of Human Cervicovaginal Mucus

Human cervicovaginal mucus (CVM) is a viscoelastic gel containing a complex mixture of mucins, shed epithelial cells, microbes and macromolecules, such as antibodies, that together serve as the first line of defense against invading pathogens. Here, to investigate the affinity between IgG and different mucus constituents, we used Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching (FRAP) to measure the diffusion of IgG in fresh, minimally modified CVM. We found that CVM exhibits substantial spatial variations that necessitate careful selection of the regions in which to perform FRAP. In portions of CVM devoid of cells, FRAP measurements using different IgG antibodies and labeling methods consistently demonstrate that both exogenous and endogenous IgG undergo rapid diffusion, almost as fast as in saline, in good agreement with the rapid diffusion of IgG in mid-cycle endocervical mucus that is largely devoid of cells. This rapid diffusion indicates the interactions between secreted mucins and IgG must be very weak and transient. IgG also accumulated in cellular debris and shed epithelial cells that had become permeable to IgG, which may allow shed epithelial cells to serve as reservoirs of secreted IgG. Interestingly, in contrast to cell-free regions of CVM, the diffusion of cell-associated IgG was markedly slowed, suggesting greater affinity between IgG and cellular constituents. Our findings contribute to an improved understanding of the role of IgG in mucosal protection against infectious diseases, and may also provide a framework for using FRAP to study molecular interactions in mucus and other complex biological environments

Choice of molecular barcode will affect species prevalence but not bacterial community composition

The rapid advancement of next generation sequencing protocols in recent years has led to the diversification in the methods used to study microbial communities; however, how comparable the data generated from these different methods are, remains unclear. In this study we compared the taxonomic composition and seasonal dynamics of the bacterial community determined by two distinct 16s amplicon sequencing protocols: sequencing of the V6 region of the 16s rRNA gene using 454 pyrosequencing vs the V4 region of the 16s rRNA gene using the Illumina Hiseq 2500 platform. Significant differences between relative abundances at all taxonomic levels were observed; however, their seasonal dynamics between phyla were largely consistent between methods. This study highlights that care must be taken when comparing datasets generated from different methods