Gonadotropin and kisspeptin gene expression, but not GnRH, are impaired in cFOS deficient mice.

cFOS is a pleiotropic transcription factor, which binds to the AP1 site in the promoter of target genes. In the pituitary gonadotropes, cFOS mediates induction of FSHβ and GnRH receptor genes. Herein, we analyzed reproductive function in the cFOS-deficient mice to determine its role in vivo. In the pituitary cFOS is necessary for gonadotropin subunit expression, while TSHβ is unaffected. Additionally, cFOS null animals have the same sex-steroid levels, although gametogenesis is impeded. In the brain, cFOS is not necessary for GnRH neuronal migration, axon targeting, cell number, or mRNA levels. Conversely, cFOS nulls, particularly females, have decreased Kiss1 neuron numbers and lower Kiss1 mRNA levels. Collectively, our novel findings suggest that cFOS plays a cell-specific role at multiple levels of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, affecting gonadotropes but not thyrotropes in the pituitary, and kisspeptin neurons but not GnRH neurons in the hypothalamus, thereby contributing to the overall control of reproduction

The Coordination Status of the Children\u27s Mental Health Services in Minnesota

The purpose of the present study is to describe what services children with severe emotional disturbance (SED) have received before acute care hospitalization. According to the Minnesota children\u27s Mental Health Act of 1989, children should be receiving a comprehensive set of services. This means that the children\u27s mental health system is to be integrated and coordinated with all child-serving systems at the state, local and individual levels . This study examines the following three research questions: a) Is coordination of services being provided across disciplines?, b) Are children receiving case-management services?, and c) Are children receiving services in the least restrictive setting first before moving to more restrictive environments?. Twenty (20) adolescents were interviewed on a psychiatric unit of an acute care hospital. The findings indicate that all services are being provided as described in the research questions and are in accordance with the 1989 Children\u27s Mental Health Act

A Comparative Study of the Influence of Credential Attainment on Employment Outcomes in Rural and Urban Localities

The significance of credentials has heightened considerably in recent decades with numerous federal and state policy initiatives aimed at increasing credential attainment. Various public workforce programs support these efforts, including the federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA), which provided training to job-seekers from 1998 through 2015. Scholars point to human capital theory to explain how education investments yield economic gains. Screening, signaling, and credentialist theories provide a framework for examining the ways that credentials are used in labor markets. The literature on rural labor markets suggests that conditions are very different from their urban counterparts, with significant challenges existing in terms of unemployment, educational attainment, and access to supportive services. As such, this study sought to uncover whether differences exist in the influence of credentials on employment and earnings for rural and urban job-seekers. This mixed-methods study used WIA administrative data for Virginia residents to examine the role of credential attainment in influencing the likelihood of employment and the amount of earnings, with a comparison between outcomes for rural and urban participants. Quantitative data was analyzed using binary logistic regression and ordinary least squares regression. Furthermore, qualitative data was collected through interviews with both rural and urban employers to identify any differences in their preferences for credentialed job-seekers. Findings indicated that credentials were influential in predicting employment and earnings, with gains observed for both rural and urban job-seekers. The level of such gains varied, however, based on rurality, as well as the type of credential earned. The results also suggest that credential supply influences employer demand for credentials, and both are subject to change based on economic conditions

Theodicy and Execution for Expiation in 2 Samuel 21:1-14

Problem The execution of Saul’s descendants in 2 Sam 21:1-14 has long been interpreted as resulting from David’s succession motives, and may appear to be posthumous ruler punishment, expiation on Saul’s behalf, or an error in judgment on David’s part in whom to turn to in order to know what to do in this case. In addition, the delay in justice until David’s reign for something that Saul had done is puzzling. Method Analysis of the Hebrew text, comparison between ANE and biblical homicide law, examination of the sociological structure of the ANE family, examination of the characters of Saul and David, and intertextual analysis of Scripture contribute to a clearer understanding of the roles of the characters and how justice was achieved. Conclusions Close examination of the text and its cultural background reveals that Saul’s descendants died for inheritable corporate culpability that polluted the land as a result of his mass murder that violated an oath taken in YHWH’s name. The narrative begins with a famine and ends with the phrase God “was moved by prayer for the land,” which appears to give approval to the actions that precede it. This narrative demonstrates that restoration of justice is necessary for healing of the land. By delaying the famine until the reign of David, who enjoyed a positive relationship with God himself, God facilitated the limitation of retributive justice to a few responsible individuals

The Toxic Triangle: A Qualitative Study of Destructive Leadership in Public Higher Education Institutions

Destructive leadership is prevalent in organizations today and it produces harmful outcomes to both individuals and organizations. Destructive leadership is more than destructive behaviors exhibited by those in positions of authority within an organization; destructive leadership is a cocreational process involving a destructive leader, susceptible followers, and a conducive environment, or what is commonly referred to in the literature as the toxic triangle of destructive leadership. Institutions of public higher education seem an unlikely atmosphere in which destructive leadership would manifest and there is minimal research on destructive leadership in institutions of public higher education. This qualitative research gathered information from the perspective of followers who have experienced destructive leadership in public higher education in the United States. This information was collected in personal interviews with ten participants who self-identified as having experienced destructive leadership in institutions of public higher education in the United States. The findings from this qualitative study confirmed that followers were subjected to a wide range of harmful destructive leader behaviors, followers were operating in environments conducive to destructive leadership, followers reacted to the destructive leadership by trying to minimize its negative impact on employees and the institution, and followers were mostly harmed, both personally and professionally, by destructive leadership. Additionally, the findings provide evidence to support the toxic triangle framework and to support the argument that destructive leadership is a complex, socially-constructed process involving a destructive leader, a conducive environment and susceptible followers

Alternative Service Delivery Models for Students with Learning Disabilities

More than 40 years of intervention research describes effective interventions for increasing the academic performance of students with learning disabilities. However, the performance and outcomes for students with learning disabilities remain discouraging, especially in light of the increasing cost to provide special education services. Between 60 – 70 percent of students with learning disabilities are unable to meet grade level performance standards in the basic academic areas of reading, writing and mathematics. The disconnect between research and practice suggests a need for rethinking special education service delivery. This paper reports the results of a program evaluation of a not-for-profit center specializing in working with students with learning disabilities, comparing the pre to post test gains and program costs to those typically seen in public education special education systems. A paired samples t-test examined pre to post test differences in reading, math and writing performance for a total of 104 students with learning disabilities between the ages of 6–17. Results were statistically and practically significant across all areas, and these results were obtained at costs much lower than those incurred under the current public education model. Implications for future research are discussed

Using Propensity Score Matching in Clinical Investigations: A Discussion and Illustration

Propensity score matching is a useful tool to analyze observational data in clinical investigations, but it is often executed in an overly simplistic manner, failing to use the data in the best possible way. This review discusses current best practices in propensity score matching, outlining the method's essential steps, including appropriate post-matching balance assessments and sensitivity analyses. These steps are summarized as eight key traits of a propensity matched study. Further, this review illustrates these traits through a case study examining the impact of access site in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures on bleeding complications. Through propensity score matching, we find that bleeding occurs significantly less often with radial access procedures, though many other outcomes show no significant difference by access site, a finding that mirrors the results of randomized controlled trials. Lack of attention to methodological principles can result in results that are not biologically plausible