Mediators of Inequity: Online Literate Activity in Two Eighth Grade English Language Arts Classes

This comparative case study, framed by Cultural Historical Activity Theory and sociocultural understandings of literacy, investigated students’ online literate activity in two eighth grade English Language Arts classes taught by the same teacher - one with a scripted literacy curriculum and the other without. During a year-long research project, we used ethnographic methods to explore the nature of middle school students’ literate activity in each of these classes, with particular attention to the mediators evident as students engaged in online literate activity. Specifically, this article addresses the following research question: What mediators were evident within and across each of the classes and how did these mediators influence students’ online literate activity? In addressing this question, we illustrate how particular configurations of mediators – even those operating within the context of the same school and same teacher – significantly influenced the nature of students’ online literate activity and the literate identities available to students. This study reinforces the importance of attending to the influence of offline mediators in school settings. Without such attention, students’ formal education is likely to be transferred online rather than transformed online

Helping the doubly vulnerable: A trauma and emotion regulation group for juvenile offenders

This paper explores literature published about juvenile offenders including demographics, offenses and trauma experiences. It explores the high rates of trauma within juvenile facilities and how these rates of trauma impact mental health issues seen in juvenile facilities. It focuses on the mental health of juvenile offenders and the high prevalence of mental illness, specifically Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among juvenile offenders. It provides an overview of evidenced based programs used with juveniles and juvenile offenders including Emotional Intelligence training and the Trauma Affect Regulation: Guide for Education and Therapy (TARGET) intervention. The paper provides a detailed program procedure to use with juvenile offender in the juvenile facilities that focuses on emotional education and intelligence, frustration tolerance, coping skill, decision making and consequence, and identify development. The activities in the group design are based on concepts or activities from Emotional Intelligence or Trauma Affect Regulation: Guide for Education and Therapy (TARGET) intervention but are not, to the knowledge of the author, copies of activities of either intervention

Spring 2002

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Aerobic Fitness and Intraindividual Reaction Time Variability in Middle and Old Age.

Objective: To examine whether aerobic fitness moderated age differences in within-person reaction time variability (WP RT variability) and given conceptual linkage involving the frontal cortex, whether effects were mediated by executive function. Method: Aerobic fitness (estimated VO2max) and WP RT variability were investigated in 225 healthy, community-dwelling adults aged 50-90 years (M = 63.83) across 4 cognitive domains; psychomotor performance, executive function, visual search, and recognition. Results: Significant Age × Aerobic fitness interactions were found in relation to WP variability in 3 cognitive domains: psychomotor performance (4-choice RT), executive function (Flanker and Stroop arrows), and immediate recognition. Lower aerobic fitness was associated with greater RT variability, and this effect increased with age. Additionally, some of these effects were mediated by executive function. Discussion: The findings suggest that aerobic fitness moderated the association between age and intraindividual RT variability, and that executive function selectively mediated that association. It is possible that aerobic fitness helps attenuate the neurobiological decline that contributes to cognitive deficits in old age and that WP variability is a measure that may be particularly sensitive to this effect

Construction of a Tn5 mutant library in Xanthomonas cucurbitae

The health and yield of important crop plants around the world is a significant concern when faced with food scarcity in the generations to come. The Xanthomonas bacterial genus can infect more than 400 different plant species including economically important crops such as rice and soy. In Illinois, Xanthomonas cucurbitae can infect pumpkin and winter squash and cause bacterial spot disease (Figure 1) resulting in up to 100% yield loss of pumpkin crops. The disease caused by this pathogen has become one of the most significant threats to production of pumpkins in Illinois, the U.S. and the world. There are several known virulence factors in the Xanthomonas genus that induce pathogenic response in host plants. These include the hypersensitive response and pathogenicity (hrp) gene cluster and quorum-sensing (QS) pathways. Much of the genome of X. cucurbitae, however, is unknown. We aim to identify and understand the function of novel virulence genes in the X. cucurbitae genome by generating a transposonmediated mutant library and analyzing mutants for genes involved in QS response and hrp activity by using a reporter plasmid to allow for screening of the transposon’s effects

Over-the-Counter Medication Use, Perceived Safety, and Decision-Making Behaviors in Pregnant Women

The purpose of this study was to determine which over-the-counter (OTC) medications women are using during pregnancy, and to assess patients’ perceived safety of these medications. In addition, the decision-making process utilized by pregnant women when choosing OTC drug therapy was explored, including sources of information and recommendation. The subjects included pregnant women 18 years and older. Subjects were solicited as a convenience sample by providing surveys in two urban women’s clinic waiting rooms. Of the 61 respondents, 96.3% had used an OTC medication, herbal, or vitamin during their current pregnancy. The most common products included prenatal vitamins, acetaminophen, cough drops, antacids, calcium, vitamin D, and DHA. The majority of women surveyed regarded over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and herbals as “safe, but would talk to a healthcare professional before using.” The most utilized sources of drug information during pregnancy were a physician (68.9%), midwife (55.7%), and the Internet (44.3%). There were an equal number of respondents obtaining general OTC information from apharmacist as from their family and friends (26.2%). Almost all subjects had used an over-the-counter medication during their pregnancy and the majority considered OTCs safe after first consulting a healthcare professional. Although a high percentage of subjects have obtained their information and recommendations from healthcare professionals, a very small proportion of subjects had utilized a pharmacist as a resource. Being drug experts and easily accessible members of the healthcare team, pharmacists have a responsibility to aid the obstetric population in the appropriate and safe use of over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, and herbals during pregnancy

Association Between Empathy and Burnout Among Emergency Medicine Physicians

Background: The association between physician self-reported empathy and burnout has been studied in the past with diverse findings. We aimed to determine the association between empathy and burnout among United States emergency medicine (EM) physicians using a novel combination of tools for validation. Methods: This was a prospective single-center observational study. Data were collected from EM physicians. From December 1, 2018 to January 31, 2019, we used the Jefferson scale of empathy (JSE) to assess physician empathy and the Copenhagen burnout inventory (CBI) to assess burnout. We divided EM physicians into different groups (residents in each year of training, junior/senior attendings). Empathy, burnout scores and their association were analyzed and compared among these groups. Results: A total of 33 attending physicians and 35 EM residents participated in this study. Median self-reported empathy scores were 113 (interquartile range (IQR): 105 - 117) in post-graduate year (PGY)-1, 112 (90 - 115) in PGY-2, 106 (93 - 118) in PGY-3 EM residents, 112 (105 - 116) in junior and 114 (101 - 125) in senior attending physicians. Overall burnout scores were 43 (33 - 50) in PGY-1, 51 (29 - 56) in PGY-2, 43 (42 - 53) in PGY-3 EM residents, 33 (24 - 47) in junior attending and 25 (22 - 53) in senior attending physicians separately. The Spearman correlation (ρ) was -0.11 and β-weight was -0.23 between empathy and patient-related burnout scores. Conclusion: Self-reported empathy declines over the course of EM residency training and improves after graduation. Overall high burnout occurs among EM residents and improves after graduation. Our analysis showed a weak negative correlation between self-reported empathy and patient-related burnout among EM physicians

Over-the-Counter Medication Use, Perceived Safety, and Decision-Making Behaviors in Pregnant Women

The purpose of this study was to determine which over-the-counter (OTC) medications women are using during pregnancy, and to assess patients' perceived safety of these medications. In addition, the decision-making process utilized by pregnant women when choosing OTC drug therapy was explored, including sources of information and recommendation. The subjects included pregnant women 18 years and older. Subjects were solicited as a convenience sample by providing surveys in two urban women's clinic waiting rooms. Of the 61 respondents, 96.3% had used an OTC medication, herbal, or vitamin during their current pregnancy. The most common products included prenatal vitamins, acetaminophen, cough drops, antacids, calcium, vitamin D, and DHA. The majority of women surveyed regarded over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and herbals as "safe, but would talk to a healthcare professional before using." The most utilized sources of drug information during pregnancy were a physician (68.9%), midwife (55.7%), and the Internet (44.3%). There were an equal number of respondents obtaining general OTC information from a pharmacist as from their family and friends (26.2%). Almost all subjects had used an over-the-counter medication during their pregnancy and the majority considered OTCs safe after first consulting a healthcare professional. Although a high percentage of subjects have obtained their information and recommendations from healthcare professionals, a very small proportion of subjects had utilized a pharmacist as a resource. Being drug experts and easily accessible members of the healthcare team, pharmacists have a responsibility to aid the obstetric population in the appropriate and safe use of over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, and herbals during pregnancy. Type: Student Projec

Over-the-Counter Medication Use, Perceived Safety, and Decision-Making Behaviors in Pregnant Women

The purpose of this study was to determine which over-the-counter (OTC) medications women are using during pregnancy, and to assess patients' perceived safety of these medications. In addition, the decision-making process utilized by pregnant women when choosing OTC drug therapy was explored, including sources of information and recommendation. The subjects included pregnant women 18 years and older. Subjects were solicited as a convenience sample by providing surveys in two urban women's clinic waiting rooms. Of the 61 respondents, 96.3% had used an OTC medication, herbal, or vitamin during their current pregnancy. The most common products included prenatal vitamins, acetaminophen, cough drops, antacids, calcium, vitamin D, and DHA. The majority of women surveyed regarded over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and herbals as "safe, but would talk to a healthcare professional before using." The most utilized sources of drug information during pregnancy were a physician (68.9%), midwife (55.7%), and the Internet (44.3%). There were an equal number of respondents obtaining general OTC information from a pharmacist as from their family and friends (26.2%). Almost all subjects had used an over-the-counter medication during their pregnancy and the majority considered OTCs safe after first consulting a healthcare professional. Although a high percentage of subjects have obtained their information and recommendations from healthcare professionals, a very small proportion of subjects had utilized a pharmacist as a resource. Being drug experts and easily accessible members of the healthcare team, pharmacists have a responsibility to aid the obstetric population in the appropriate and safe use of over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, and herbals during pregnancy. Type: Student Projec