Current and Best Practices for Recruiting Qualified Rehabilitation Counselors

The purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of the Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD) in Rehabilitation Services Administration’s Region IV, along with their current recruitment practices. Written surveys and follow up phone interviews were used to gather data from the 19 Rehabilitation Counselor Education programs and the 12 Federal/State Vocational Rehabilitation programs in Region IV. Additionally, suggestions were obtained from key stakeholders regarding future recruitment activities. Currently there are 891 positions not filled with qualified Rehabilitation Counselors. In addition, a majority of graduates from the Rehabilitation Counselor Education programs are not seeking employment from the Federal/State VR programs (51%). The anticipated retirement and turnover rate for VR Counselors in the next three years is projected to be three times larger than the number of students graduating from RCE programs. Consequently there is a need for an aggressive recruitment campaign. RCE Coordinators and VR Directors agreed that some needed recruitment strategies included: recruitment and development of recruitment videos and development of a regional spokesperson, and development of a regional spokesperson, and development of a web based marketing program, paid internships for VR agencies, and marketing strategies for high schools and universities

The Pinnacle of Undergraduate Education: How Do Capstone Courses Support the Development of Purpose and Integrity?

As early as the eighteenth century students have been expected to complete the undergraduate education with a capstone course. Students spend on average, four years discovering, learning, analyzing, studying, and developing into well-educated graduates. As educators, we design curriculum to impact students\u27 academic development in subject matter, provide connection through disciplines, and ideally deliver significant undergraduate experience to our understanding of student development and retention has become a foremost focus for educators. The purpose of this study was to determine whether capstone courses support the development of purpose (Chickering & Reisser, 1993, pp. 209-234) and integrity (Chickering & Reisser, 1993, pp. 235-264) through curriculum development and pedagogy. This study provided the opportunity to look at reflection and service as teaching tools.;The mixed method study incorporated methodological triangulation involving the use of document review and review of survey data. West Virginia University faculty members were asked to identify specific goals and outcomes of their capstone course thru an online survey. Additionally, each faculty member was asked to submit a syllabus for their course. The learning outcomes and activities were further analyzed. Results from the study show that although some skills from both purpose and integrity are being supported in these courses, there is a need to enhance the proficiency of specific activities and pedagogies in the classroom to more fully promote both purpose and integrity. Additionally, the results supported the argument that civic engagement and reflection play major roles in student learning and in turn the development of purpose and integrity.;The outcomes of this study will assist in the development of curriculum across disciplines. Understanding the impact of specific pedagogies on the development of purpose and integrity will allow faculty to take a closer look at the specific needs of their students. Also, the awareness of the use of specific learning outcomes will well thought out course activities assist with the effectiveness of meeting department, college and university strategic goals

The Occupational Therapy Practitioner Experience and Practice Related to Upper Limb Loss or Difference and Prosthetics

Despite occupational therapy’s critical role on the rehabilitation team for individuals with upper limb loss or difference (ULL/D) and prosthetics, this population is not extensively covered in many occupational therapy (OT) program curricula. As such, many clinicians work with patients with ULL/D with little expertise or confidence for this complex population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the OT practitioner experience and practice related to ULL/D and prosthetics in their education and practice. Utilizing snowball sampling, 150 OT practitioners completed a 24-question survey, which assessed OT practitioners’ experience with ULL/D, the prosthetic education in their OT program, and their confidence in working with this population. Participants reported they had limited education on this population and would have liked to have more education in school, specifically in the form of active learning opportunities such as hands-on experience with prosthetic devices, observations with clinicians, and discussions with individuals with ULL/D. Recommendations for OT programs include additional active learning opportunities including patient educators and prosthetic simulators, observation opportunities for students interested in working with this population, and continuing education opportunities for OT practitioners after graduation

Direct Detection and Sequencing of Damaged DNA Bases

Products of various forms of DNA damage have been implicated in a variety of important biological processes, such as aging, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. Therefore, there exists great interest to develop methods for interrogating damaged DNA in the context of sequencing. Here, we demonstrate that single-molecule, real-time (SMRT®) DNA sequencing can directly detect damaged DNA bases in the DNA template - as a by-product of the sequencing method - through an analysis of the DNA polymerase kinetics that are altered by the presence of a modified base. We demonstrate the sequencing of several DNA templates containing products of DNA damage, including 8-oxoguanine, 8-oxoadenine, O6-methylguanine, 1-methyladenine, O4-methylthymine, 5-hydroxycytosine, 5-hydroxyuracil, 5-hydroxymethyluracil, or thymine dimers, and show that these base modifications can be readily detected with single-modification resolution and DNA strand specificity. We characterize the distinct kinetic signatures generated by these DNA base modifications

Dendritic cell-bound IgE functions to restrain allergic inflammation at mucosal sites

Antigen-mediated crosslinking of Immunoglobulin E (IgE) bound to mast cells/basophils via FcεRI, the high affinity IgE Fc-receptor, is a well-known trigger of allergy. In humans, but not mice, dendritic cells (DCs) also express FcεRI that is constitutively occupied with IgE. In contrast to mast cells/basophils, the consequences of IgE/FcεRI signals for DC function remain poorly understood. We show that humanized mice that express FcεRI on DCs carry IgE like non-allergic humans and do not develop spontaneous allergies. Antigen-specific IgE/FcεRI crosslinking fails to induce maturation or production of inflammatory mediators in human DCs and FcεRI-humanized DCs. Furthermore, conferring expression of FcεRI to DCs decreases the severity of food allergy and asthma in disease-relevant models suggesting anti-inflammatory IgE/FcεRI signals. Consistent with the improved clinical parameters in vivo, antigen-specific IgE/FcεRI crosslinking on papain or LPS-stimulated DCs inhibits the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Migration assays confirm that the IgE-dependent decrease in cytokine production results in diminished recruitment of mast cell progenitors; providing a mechanistic explanation for the reduced mast cell-dependent allergic phenotype observed in FcεRI-humanized mice. Our study demonstrates a novel immune regulatory function of IgE and proposes that DC-intrinsic IgE signals serve as a feedback mechanism to restrain allergic tissue inflammation

Modelling regional land change scenarios to assess land abandonment and reforestation dynamics in the Pyrenees (France)

International audienceOver the last decades and centuries, European mountain landscapes have experienced substantial transformations. Natural and anthropogenic LULC changes (land use and land cover changes), especially agro-pastoral activities, have directed influenced the spatial organization and composition of European mountain landscapes. For the past 60 years, natural reforestation has been occurring due to a decline in both agricultural production activities and rural population. Stakeholders, to better anticipate future changes, need spatially and temporally explicit models to identiy areas at risk of land change and possible abandonment. This paper presents an integrated approach combining forecasting scenarios and a LULC changes simulation model to assess where LULC changes may occur in the Pyrenees Mountains, based on historical LULC trands and a range of future socio-economic drivers. The proposed methodology considers local specificities of Pyrenan valleys, sub-regional climate and topographical properties, and regional economic policies. Results indicate that some regions are projected to face strong abandonment, regardless of scenario conditions. Overall, high rates of change are associated with administrative regions where land productivity is highly dependent on socio-economic drivers and climatic and environmental conditions limit intensive (agricultural and/or pastoral) production and profitability. The combination of the results for the four scenarios allows assessements of where encroachment (e.g. colonization by shrublands) and reforestation are the most probable. This assessment intends to provide insight into the potential future development of the Pyrenees to help identify areas that are the most sensitive to change and to guide decision makers to help their management decisions

Ecto-5′-Nucleotidase: A Candidate Virulence Factor in Streptococcus sanguinis Experimental Endocarditis

Streptococcus sanguinis is the most common cause of infective endocarditis (IE). Since the molecular basis of virulence of this oral commensal bacterium remains unclear, we searched the genome of S. sanguinis for previously unidentified virulence factors. We identified a cell surface ecto-5′-nucleotidase (Nt5e), as a candidate virulence factor. By colorimetric phosphate assay, we showed that S. sanguinis Nt5e can hydrolyze extracellular adenosine triphosphate to generate adenosine. Moreover, a nt5e deletion mutant showed significantly shorter lag time (P<0.05) to onset of platelet aggregation than the wild-type strain, without affecting platelet-bacterial adhesion in vitro (P = 0.98). In the absence of nt5e, S. sanguinis caused IE (4 d) in a rabbit model with significantly decreased mass of vegetations (P<0.01) and recovered bacterial loads (log10CFU, P = 0.01), suggesting that Nt5e contributes to the virulence of S. sanguinis in vivo. As a virulence factor, Nt5e may function by (i) hydrolyzing ATP, a pro-inflammatory molecule, and generating adenosine, an immunosuppressive molecule to inhibit phagocytic monocytes/macrophages associated with valvular vegetations. (ii) Nt5e-mediated inhibition of platelet aggregation could also delay presentation of platelet microbicidal proteins to infecting bacteria on heart valves. Both plausible Nt5e-dependent mechanisms would promote survival of infecting S. sanguinis. In conclusion, we now show for the first time that streptococcal Nt5e modulates S. sanguinis-induced platelet aggregation and may contribute to the virulence of streptococci in experimental IE

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals &lt;1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Control within a virtual environment is correlated to functional outcomes when using a physical prosthesis

Abstract Background Advances such as targeted muscle reinnervation and pattern recognition control may provide improved control of upper limb myoelectric prostheses, but evaluating user function remains challenging. Virtual environments are cost-effective and immersive tools that are increasingly used to provide practice and evaluate prosthesis control, but the relationship between virtual and physical outcomes—i.e., whether practice in a virtual environment translates to improved physical performance—is not understood. Methods Nine people with transhumeral amputations who previously had targeted muscle reinnervation surgery were fitted with a myoelectric prosthesis comprising a commercially available elbow, wrist, terminal device, and pattern recognition control system. Virtual and physical outcome measures were obtained before and after a 6-week home trial of the prosthesis. Results After the home trial, subjects showed statistically significant improvements (p < 0.05) in offline classification error, the virtual Target Achievement Control test, and the physical Southampton Hand Assessment Procedure and Box and Blocks Test. A trend toward improvement was also observed in the physical Clothespin Relocation task and Jebsen-Taylor test; however, these changes were not statistically significant. The median completion time in the virtual test correlated strongly and significantly with the Southampton Hand Assessment Procedure (p = 0.05, R = − 0.86), Box and Blocks Test (p = 0.007, R = − 0.82), Jebsen-Taylor Test (p = 0.003, R = 0.87), and the Assessment of Capacity for Myoelectric Control (p = 0.005,R = − 0.85). The classification error performance only had a significant correlation with the Clothespin Relocation Test (p = 0.018, R = .76). Conclusions In-home practice with a pattern recognition-controlled prosthesis improves functional control, as measured by both virtual and physical outcome measures. However, virtual measures need to be validated and standardized to ensure reliability in a clinical or research setting. Trial registration This is a registered clinical trial: NCT03097978