The Relationship between Primary Grade Teachers\u27 Theoretical Orientation to Reading and Endorsement of Developmentally Appropriate Practice

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between primary grade teachers\u27 theoretical orientation to reading and their endorsement of developmentally appropriate practices, as well as to determine the relationship between certain demographic variables and theoretical orientation to reading. The study consisted of a survey sent through inter-school mail to 156 randomly selected kindergarten through third grade teachers in Millard, Nebraska, Public Schools. The survey included the DeFord Theoretical Orientation to Reading Profile and the Smith Primary Teacher Questionnaire, as well as questions about the respondent\u27s age, teaching experience, grade level taught, and educational background. The relationships among the variables were assessed using correlational analysis and a one-way analysis of variance with a posteriori multiple comparisons. Results indicated that there is a correlation between primary grade teachers\u27 theoretical orientation to reading and their endorsement of developmentally appropriate practices. There were also correlations between theoretical orientation to reading and some of the demographic variables, especially grade level taught and educational background in reading and early childhood education

Small-scale extracts for the study of nucleotide excision repair and non-homologous end joining

The repair of DNA by nucleotide excision repair (NER) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) is essential for maintenance of genomic integrity and cell viability. Examination of NHEJ and NER in vitro using cell-free extracts has led to a deeper understanding of the biochemical mechanisms that underlie these processes. Current methods for production of whole-cell extracts (WCEs) to investigate NER and NHEJ start with one or more liters of culture containing 1–5 × 109 cells. Here, we describe a small-scale method for production of WCE that can be used to study NER. We also describe a rapid, small-scale method for the preparation of WCE that can be used in the study of NHEJ. These methods require less time, 20- to 1000-fold fewer cells than large-scale extracts, facilitate examination of numerous samples and are ideal for such applications as the study of host–virus interactions and analysis of mutant cell lines

Ferrichrome: Surprising stability of a cyclic peptide-FeIII complex revealed by mass spectrometry

Ferrichrome, a fungal siderophore that is also utilized by some bacterial species, was studied with liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry (LSIMS) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionixation (MALDI) mass spectrometry. A strong ionic signal corresponding to a FeIII complex was observed with LSIMS in the positive ion mode. Switching the polarity of the mass spectrometer did not necessarily result in reduction of ferric ion, although certain conditions led to appearance of a FeII complex signal as well. The results of the structural studies of the metal ion-cyclic peptide complex with collisionally induced dissociation allowed unambiguous identification of the chelation sites. The action of the siderophore on FeIII was studied by in vitro chelation of ferric ion (from ferric citrate) by the iron-free ferrichrome. Effective chelation of ferric ion was compared to actions of the iron-free ferrichrome on other metal ions. Unlike LSIMS, desorption with MALDI did not form selectively molecular ions of intact ferrichrome: the spectra contained abundant peaks corresponding to the cyclic peptide itself and its nonspecific association with alkali metal ions

Alcohol and cannabis use among adolescents in Flemish secondary school in Brussels: effects of type of education

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Research regarding socio-economic differences in alcohol and drug use in adolescence yields mixed results. This study hypothesizes that (1) when using education type as a proxy of one's social status, clear differences will exist between students from different types of education, regardless of students' familial socio-economic background; (2) and that the effects of education type differ according to their cultural background.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data from the Brussels youth monitor were used, a school survey administered among 1,488 adolescents from the 3rd to 6th year of Flemish secondary education. Data were analyzed using multilevel logistic regression models.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Controlling for their familial background, the results show that native students in lower educational tracks use alcohol and cannabis more often than students in upper educational tracks. Such a relationship was not found for students from another ethnic background.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Results from this study indicate that research into health risks should take into account both adolescents' familial background and individual social position as different components of youngsters' socio-economic background.</p

Telling the collective story? Moroccan-Dutch young adults’ negotiation of a collective identity through storytelling

Researchers taking a social constructionist perspective on identity agree that identities are constructed and negotiated in interaction. However, empirical studies in this field are often based on interviewer–interviewee interaction or focus on interactions with members of a socially dominant out-group. How identities are negotiated in interaction with in-group members remains understudied. In this article we use a narrative approach to study identity negotiation among Moroccan-Dutch young adults, who constitute both an ethnic and a religious (Muslim) minority in the Netherlands. Our analysis focuses on the topics that appear in focus group participants’ stories and on participants’ responses to each other’s stories. We find that Moroccan-Dutch young adults collectively narrate their experiences in Dutch society in terms of discrimination and injustice. Firmly grounded in media discourse and popular wisdom, a collective narrative of a disadvantaged minority identity emerges. However, we also find that this identity is not uncontested. We use the concept of second stories to explain how participants negotiate their collective identity by alternating stories in which the collective experience of deprivation is reaffirmed with stories in which challenging or new evaluations of the collective experience are offered. In particular, participants narrate their personal experiences to challenge recurring evaluations of discrimination and injustice. A new collective narrative emerges from this work of joint storytelling

Constructing literacy: A biographical study of Joel\u27s preschool literacy development

Early literacy development has been the subject of considerable research, both qualitative and quantitative, from many theoretical perspectives. This study looked at language and literacy development from the social constructionist and critical theory perspectives. The purpose of this biographical study was to describe and interpret one preschooler\u27s transactions with oral and written language from his birth through his fifth birthday. Data in the form of artifacts and observational anecdotes were collected by the researcher, the subject\u27s mother, on an on-going, constant basis over the length of the study. The subject\u27s preschool teacher, day care providers, and father were also interviewed for their perceptions of his literacy-related behaviors and attitudes. The narrative was written as an interpretive biography, describing, and interpreting the young child\u27s literacy use and learning and identifying epiphanies, or significant moments in his development. Five such epiphanies were identified. They relate to the purposefulness, playfulness, and social nature of his literacy development. Other epiphanies recognized the facts that literacy, for this child, was empowering and also fundamental to his individuality

Expression of the adenovirus E4 34k oncoprotein inhibits repair of double strand breaks in the cellular genome of a 293-based inducible cell line

The human adenovirus E4 ORF 6 34 kDa oncoprotein (E4 34k), in concert with the 55 kDa product of E1b, prevents concatenation of viral genomes in infected cells, inhibits the repair of double strand breaks (DSBs) in the viral genome, and inhibits V(D)J recombination in a plasmid transfection assay. These activities are consistent with a general inhibition by the E4 34k and E1b 55k proteins of DSB repair by non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) on extrachromosomal substrates. To determine whether inhibition of NHEJ extends to repair of DSBs in the cell chromosome, we have examined the effects of E4 34k on repair of chromosomal DSBs induced by ionizing radiation in a cell line in which E4 34k expression and biological activity is inducible and E1b 55k is produced constitutively. We demonstrate that in this cell line, induction of E4 34k inhibits chromosomal DSB repair. Recently, it has been shown that in infected cells, E4 34k and the adenovirus E1b 55k proteins cooperate to destabilize Mre11 and Rad50, components of mammalian NHEJ systems. Consistent with this, induction of expression of E4 34k in the inducible cell line also reduces the steady state level of Mre11 protein

Een vader is meer dan 100 meesters: Versterken van vaderschap in Amsterdam

De rol van vaders in het gezin krijgt steeds meer aandacht van praktijk en beleid. De inbreng van vaders in de opvoeding van kinderen is, net als die van moeders, uiterst belangrijk. Niet alleen als kostwinner of begeleider naar de voetbalclub, maar omdat zij een belangrijke eigen invloed hebben op de ontwikkeling van kinderen. In het leven van alledag is een actieve inbreng van vaders echter niet vanzelfsprekend, hebben moeders een groter aandeel in de zorg en opvoeding. In deze publicatie staat de vraag centraal: Hoe kan de emancipatie van mannen, in het bijzonder hun rol als vader, in diverse groepen in Amsterdam worden versterkt door lokaal beleid? Onderzoekers en studenten hebben beschikbare informatie geïnventariseerd, sleutelpersonen en vaders van diverse etnische achtergronden geïnterviewd. De resultaten zijn beschreven in dit rapport