Innovation at Work: Artists, Entrepreneurs and Jobseekers in the Makerspace

We all know that makerspaces are great for keeping teens busy after school, but what happens when you create one exclusively for adults? Saint Paul Public Library did just that in March of 2016 with the renovation of George Latimer Central Library. This resulted in a makerspace housed in a new department devoted to services and resources for jobseekers, entrepreneurs and creative professionals. Since then local residents have worked on projects of all types, from laser-engraved costumes and packaging to 3D printed camera parts. Learn how Saint Paul’s experience serving adults has differed from youth orientated maker programs and hear our recommendations for others joining the field

Critical analysis of multiparity in adolescent pregnancy / Análise crítica da multiparidade na gravidez adolescente

To demonstrate the obstetric profile of teenage pregnancy and maternity parity in the metropolitan region of Curitiba, in southern Brazil, from 2009 to 2014, in order to provide information for interventions in preventing non-planned pregnancy in this population.Data regarding maternal age, gestational age, newborn weight, obstetric complications and type of delivery were collected in 4668 patients aged between 15 and 19 years, and those aged 20 to 24, with previous teenage pregnancy. An Excel table was created to store the information, later analysed. Most patients were primigravid (71%), with 22% in the second pregnancy. Multiparity was present in 29% of pregnant women. The mean age at first pregnancy was 17.3 years (standard deviation of 1.30). The main route of delivery was vaginal, in 80%. Episiotomy was performed in 70% of these deliveries. Cesarean deliveries occurred mainly due to induction failure (19.8%), cephalopelvic disproportion (14.4%) and fetal distress (11.1%). Mean gestational age was 39.1 weeks (standard deviation 1.5). Low birth weight occurred in 7% of newborns, and 4% were preterm. Most of the patients analysed were primiparous aged 17.3 years. Multiparity in adolescence proved to be a frequent phenomenon in the region studied, with a prevalence of 30%, occurring at an average age of 18.6 years old. A quarter of 20-year-old patients’ population had more than two pregnancies. The presence of episiotomy was high, performed in 70% of vaginal deliveries, a value above the recommended by WHO.

The development of a model of culturally responsive science and mathematics teaching

This qualitative theoretical study was conducted in response to the current need for an inclusive and comprehensive model to guide the preparation and assessment of teacher candidates for culturally responsive teaching. The process of developing a model of culturally responsive teaching involved three steps: a comprehensive review of the literature; a synthesis of the literature into thematic categories to capture the dispositions and behaviors of culturally responsive teaching; and the piloting of these thematic categories with teacher candidates to validate the usefulness of the categories and to generate specific exemplars of behavior to represent each category. The model of culturally responsive teaching contains five thematic categories: (1) content integration, (2) facilitating knowledge construction, (3) prejudice reduction, (4) social justice, and (5) academic development. The current model is a promising tool for comprehensively defining culturally responsive teaching in the context of teacher education as well as to guide curriculum and assessment changes aimed to increase candidates’ culturally responsive knowledge and skills in science and mathematics teaching

Seasonal Effects on the Arrival and Colonization of Blow Flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) on Carrion in New Jersey

Blow flies (Order: Diptera, Family: Calliphoridae) are a valuable forensic tool. Female blow flies will lay eggs (colonize) on remains often within minutes of death and entomological methods are based on their behavior and development to extrapolate postmortem intervals (PMI). External factors, such as temperature and weather patterns can influence timing of this behavior. This study seeks to gain a better understanding of the environmental factors that impact this behavior across two seasons. In this study, arrival and colonization behavior was investigated on rat carcasses from sunrise to sunset in a semi-rural region of New Jersey (n=64). Video recording software was used to document blow fly activity, blow fly eggs were reared to determine species identification and temperature was recorded using a data logger. Data was analyzed with respect to time, temperature and accumulated degree hour (ADH). This study showed that there was a significant difference in species composition and the pre-colonization interval (pre-CI) between two seasons; There was higher species diversity and shorter pre-CI during the summer trials. The difference in arrival and colonization was not significant with respect to the ADH of the resource, demonstrating consistency in blow fly activity based upon the state of decomposition. The results of this study support the need to better understand blow fly recruitment and colonization behavior during the pre-CI to increase their reliability as forensic indicators of PMI

Inhibition of larval growth and adult fecundity in Asian long-horned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) exposed to azadirachtins under quarantine laboratory conditions

BACKGROUND: The Asian long-horned beetle [ALB; Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky)] is an invasive, wood-boringinsect posing significant economic and ecological threats to the deciduous forests of North America. An efficacious andenvironmentally acceptable chemical control technique is a requirement of a comprehensive, integrated response strategy.RESULTS: Results of this study demonstrate statistically significant, concentration-dependent effects of azadirachtins, a familyof natural compounds derived f rom the neem tree, on both ALB larval and adult life stages. Growth inhibitory effects on ALBlarvae were greatest on early life stages. Significant effects on adults included inhibition of female feeding, oviposition effortand fecundity for adults exposed to azadirachtins via maturation feeding on systemically loaded twigs.CONCLUSION: These quarantine laboratory experiments verify multi-mechanistic, deleterious effects on both larval and adultlife stages of ALB, an exotic, invasive insect pest of critical importance in North America. Field efficacy studies are requiredto further understand dose acquisition by larval and adult ALB life stages following systemic injections to host trees undersemi-operational use scenarios. Such studies could also be used to test postulates regarding optimal deployment strategiesto meet objectives such as slowing the spread of this pest and protection of high-value deciduous forest resources

A Distance-delivered Teacher Education Program for Rural Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Teacher Candidates

This article describes a collaborative, distance-delivered, teacher preparation program for rural, culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) teacher candidates. Multiple institutions partnered with one university in order to diversify the teaching force in the region and meet the needs of CLD students living there. In describing the program’s design and implementation phases, a focus on cultural responsiveness to the candidates’ needs, their rural settings, and high populations of Latino/a students in the rural areas in which they were trained is presented. Assessment of each implementation phase guided program practice for the participants’ training as effective teachers. Relevant discussion indicates that even with responses to the pre-service teachers’ academic, social, and financial needs, issues of communication and barriers imposed by distances emerged. Additionally, while collaborative bonds among the partner institutions facilitated the candidates’ training as effective teachers, the building of multi-institutional partnerships concurrently with the implementation phases caused participants and implementers stress

Evaluación cinética y molecular de levaduras fructofílicas aisladas del mezcal tamaulipeco

Au Mexique l’état de Tamaulipas est susceptible de devenir l'un des plus grands producteurs de mezcal. Contrairement à d’autres boissons alcoolisées, la mycoflore responsable de la fermentation alcoolique du mezcal n'a pas été pleinement identifiée ou caractérisée métaboliquement. Il est d'un grand intérêt industriel de savoir si les levures indigènes impliquées dans la fermentation de moûts d’agave ont une forte nature fructophilique qui serait induite par la composition naturelle riche en fructose du moût. De plus, la caractérisation cinétique des levures et au niveau moléculaire des transporteurs impliqués dans la consommation de fructose par cette flore est pertinente étant donné que des études sur l'utilisation des hexoses par Saccharomyces cerevisiae n’ont pas montré que les transporteurs de glucose et de fructose étaient différents. Dans ce travail, la population levurienne étudiée était de 17 isolats, à partir de 103 initialement isolés de la mezcaleria "El Palmar" Emilio Lozoya, situé à San Carlos (Tamaulipas, Mexique) au niveau de différentes étapes. Seules les levures de l’espèce Saccharomyces cerevisiae ont été retenues et étudiées. En particulier de polymorphismes des 2 gènes des transporteurs principaux de sucres associes au fructose consume HXT1 et HXT3, a été évalué en comparaison à une souche de référence. Les résultats obtenus dans cette étude suggèrent la nécessité d'une analyse approfondie afin de préciser les liens entre la fructophilie et l'expression et / ou la structure des gènes des transporteurs de sucres lors de la fermentation alcoolique. ABSTRACT : The Mexican state of Tamaulipas has the potential to become one of the main producers of mezcal. But contrary to what is known about other alcoholic beverages, the mycoflora involved in this alcoholic fermentation has not been completely identified nor characterised from the metabolic point of view. There is an increasing industrial interest on knowing if the native yeasts associated to agave must fermentations possess a fructophilic behaviour, favoured by the natural high fructose composition of the agave musts. Moreover, the kinetic characterisation of these yeasts and the molecular analysis carried out on the hexose transporters genes reported to be involved in the glucose and fructose consumption is pertinent, and several studies on Saccharomyces cerevisiae have demonstrated a differential preference for each hexose. In this study, a set of 17 yeast isolates were chosen from an original collection of 103 yeast isolated at the mezcalería El Palmar Emilio Lozoya, which is located at San Carlos (Tamaulipas, Mexico) from different stages of the fermentation. Only those belonging to S. cerevisiae specie were studied, mainly concerning the polymorphisms found on their two main hexose transporter genes associated to a preferential consumption of fructose, HXT1 and HXT3, and results compared to a control strain. The results obtained showed that there is no a direct link between the fructophilic phenotype and/or the structure of these genes and that more studies are needed to establish such relationship

Exploring the Efficacy of the Helen B. Landgarten Art Therapy Clinic’s Transition to Telehealth During COVID-19

This research qualitatively explores the impacts of the Helen B. Landgarten Art therapy Clinic’s transition to art therapy telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this research was to explore the efficacy of interventions and the clinical themes that emerged as a result of telehealth art therapy services delivered to marginalized communities through the Helen B. Landgarten Art Therapy Clinic. Data that was collected includes anonymous surveys from administrators, teachers, and caregivers of those receiving services and facilitators of services, semi-structured interviews with administrators, teachers, and caregivers of those receiving services, as well as a focus group with facilitators of services. Through the analysis of data several findings suggest that art therapy telehealth can provide a safe space for engagement in mental health and be more accessible to marginalized communities. These findings potentially open new doors for further inquiry into art therapy telehealth

Usability and Psychosocial Impact of Decision Support to Increase Sexual Health Education in American Indian and Alaska Native Communities

Despite sexual and reproductive health disparities, few evidence-based sexual health education programs exist for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth, with even fewer tools available to assist AI/AN communities in adopting, implementing, and maintaining such programs. iCHAMPSS (Choosing And Maintaining effective Programs for Sex education in Schools) is a theory- and web-based decision-support-system designed to address dissemination barriers and increase the reach and fidelity of evidence-based programs (EBPs), specifically sexual health education programs. To investigate the potential of iCHAMPSS in AI/AN communities, we pilot-tested iCHAMPSS with adult stakeholders (N = 36) from agencies across the country that serve AI/AN communities. Stakeholders were recruited to review selected iCHAMPSS tools over two weeks in spring 2016. Pre- and post-surveys were administered to assess usability constructs, short-term psychosocial outcomes, and perceived feasibility. Data were analyzed using descriptive and non-parametric statistics. iCHAMPSS was perceived as acceptable, easy to use, credible, appealing, more helpful than current resources, and impactful of EBP adoption, implementation, and maintenance. Conversely, using iCHAMPSS significantly increased participants’ perceived barriers to adopting an EBP (p = 0.01). Overall, AI/AN stakeholders responded positively to iCHAMPSS, indicating the potential for adaptation to support the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based sexual health education in AI/AN communities

The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine by Adults and Children in the South

A community of students, at different ranks, and two faculty members engaged in the development of a research project aimed at studying the consumption of complementary and/or alternative medicine (CAM) in the South. A well-established store in the community was identified for the study because of its focus on natural products and well-being. The students and faculty developed a CAM survey and the store owners provided feedback and gave approval to conduct the study on their patrons. The survey explored CAM use among adults and children in comparison to CAM uses in other regions of the country. Challenges and lessons learned from the engaged project are discussed, along with the findings that included family remedies and folklore recipes used in the South for varying ailments and symptoms