Behavioral and Emotional Problems Among Jamaican and African American Children, Ages 6 to 11: Teacher Reports Versus Direct Observations

Several studies have demonstrated the importance of comparing different informants' (i.e., teachers, parents, observers) reports of children's behavior. A study comparing Jamaican and U.S. teacher reports on children ages 6 to II revealed that Jamaican teachers reported higher problem scores in their pupils than U.S. teachers. Do Jamaican children really have more problems than U.S. children, or do teachers in these two countries have different tolerance levels for certain problems? This study addressed this question by comparing observers' and teachers' reports on Jamaican and African American children. We obtained teachers' reports and conducted structured direct observations on the same group of children. Considerable disparity emerged between observers' and teachers' ratings of Jamaican versus African American pupils.The findings suggest that ethnic similarities between Jamaican pupils and their teachers and the lack of similarities between African American pupils and their teachers may affect the teachers' threshold for perceiving the problems that their pupils present.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/67798/2/10.1177_106342669900700406.pd

Laboratory Manual for Fundamentals of Microbiology

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Inherited Retinal Dystrophy in Southeastern United States: Characterization of South Carolina Patients and Comparative Literature Review

Inherited retinal dystrophies (IRDs) are a group of rare diseases involving more than 340 genes and a variety of clinical phenotypes that lead to significant visual impairment. The aim of this study is to evaluate the rates and genetic characteristics of IRDs in the southeastern region of the United States (US). A retrospective chart review was performed on 325 patients with a clinical diagnosis of retinal dystrophy. Data including presenting symptoms, visual acuity, retinal exam findings, imaging findings, and genetic test results were compiled and compared to national and international IRD cohorts. The known ethnic groups included White (64%), African American or Black (30%), Hispanic (3%), and Asian (2%). The most prevalent dystrophies identified clinically were non-syndromic retinitis pigmentosa (29.8%), Stargardt disease (8.3%), Usher syndrome (8.3%), cone-rod dystrophy (8.0%), cone dystrophy (4.9%), and Leber congenital amaurosis (4.3%). Of the 101 patients (31.1%) with genetic testing, 54 (53.5%) had causative genetic variants identified. The most common pathogenic genetic variants were USH2A (n = 11), ABCA4 (n = 8), CLN3 (n = 7), and CEP290 (n = 3). Our study provides initial information characterizing IRDs within the diverse population of the southeastern US, which differs from national and international genetic and diagnostic trends with a relatively high proportion of retinitis pigmentosa in our African American or Black population and a relatively high frequency of USH2A pathogenic variants

Demonstration of Ubiquitin Thiolester Formation of UBE2Q2 (UBCi), a Novel Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzyme with Implantation Site-Specific Expression 1

We recently identified a differentially expressed gene in implantation stage rabbit endometrium encoding a new member of the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme family designated UBE2Q2 (also known as UBCi). Its unusually high molecular mass, novel N-terminus extension, and highly selective pattern of mRNA expression suggest a specific function in implantation. This study analyzes its relationship to the E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme superfamily, investigates its enzymatic activity, and examines its localization in implantation site endometrium. Construction of a dendrogram indicated that UBE2Q2 is homologous to the UBC2 family of enzymes, and isoforms are present in a broad range of species. In vitro enzymatic assays of ubiquitin thiolester formation demonstrated that UBE2Q2 is a functional ubiquitinconjugating enzyme. The K for transfer of ubiquitin thioleste