Questioning the Problematic Nature of School Culture in Elementary Teacher Education

This essay seeks to serve as both commentary and plea to elementary teacher educators and gatekeepers. It first asks us to consider that the culture of elementary teacher education, while characteristically an honorable and moral vocation, can indeed function as an oppressive and marginalizing force in the development, humanization, and growth of aspiring new teachers. Second, it entreats those who work in teacher education to foster, seek out, and support those individuals who find themselves at the diverse, intellectual, creative, and aesthetic margins of traditional elementary teacher preparation norms. To its detriment, the cultural disenfranchisement of these seemingly unconventional new teachers limits the richness of curriculum possibilities, pedagogy, and identity development towards humanization (Freire, 2000). As Danielewicz (2001) suggests and this essay endeavors to make a central thesis, “Teaching is a moral act. A teacher education program should recognize, celebrate, and honor the intentions of prospective teachers who so often feel committed to improving the lives of others, alleviating social inequalities, and eradicating discrimination” (p. 194)

Predicting College Student Gambling Frequency Using the Theory of Planned Behvior: Does the Theory Work Differently for Disordered and Non-Disordered Gamblers?

We examined whether disordered gambling moderates the prediction of gambling behavior via the theory of planned behavior (TPB; i.e., intentions, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and attitudes) among college students. A convenience sample of undergraduate students (N=377) at a large, Southeastern university who gambled in the past year completed a classroom-based survey. Approximately half of participants were male (n = 205; 54.4%), and the majority were Caucasian (n = 310; 83.8%). Gambling frequency, gambling problems and gambling-specific TPB constructs were assessed via a cross-sectional survey. A series of regression analyses were conducted to test the utility of the TPB model to predict gambling behavior (i.e., frequency) among (1) non-disordered gamblers (N=342) and (2) disordered gamblers (N=35). Moderation analyses indicated that disordered gamblers might not proceed through the thought processes that guide gambling in non-disordered gamblers. However, findings should be interpreted cautiously, as our study was limited by a small number of lifetime disordered gamblers

A TRPV2–PKA Signaling Module for Transduction of Physical Stimuli in Mast Cells

Cutaneous mast cell responses to physical (thermal, mechanical, or osmotic) stimuli underlie the pathology of physical urticarias. In vitro experiments suggest that mast cells respond directly to these stimuli, implying that a signaling mechanism couples functional responses to physical inputs in mast cells. We asked whether transient receptor potential (vanilloid) (TRPV) cation channels were present and functionally coupled to signaling pathways in mast cells, since expression of this channel subfamily confers sensitivity to thermal, osmotic, and pressure inputs. Transcripts for a range of TRPVs were detected in mast cells, and we report the expression, surface localization, and oligomerization of TRPV2 protein subunits in these cells. We describe the functional coupling of TRPV2 protein to calcium fluxes and proinflammatory degranulation events in mast cells. In addition, we describe a novel protein kinase A (PKA)–dependent signaling module, containing PKA and a putative A kinase adapter protein, Acyl CoA binding domain protein (ACBD)3, that interacts with TRPV2 in mast cells. We propose that regulated phosphorylation by PKA may be a common pathway for TRPV modulation

Female College Athletes and Osteoporosis: Strategies for Prevention and Treatment

For some female athletes, a risk exists for the development of one or more of the medical disorders that comprise the female athlete triad: the related conditions of disordered eating, amenorrhea, and osteoporosis. These disorders may lead to significant morbidity and a high rate of mortality. The female college athlete, driven to excel in her sport and pressured to fit a thin athletic image, is at risk for the development of premature osteoporosis. College counselors and advisors can be instrumental in the prevention and treatment of these problems in female col­lege athletes

Evaluation of Clinical Decision Rules for Bone Mineral Density Testing among White Women

Background. Osteoporosis is a devastating, insidious disease that causes skeletal fragility. Half of women will suffer osteoporotic fractures during their lifetimes. Many fractures occur needlessly, because of inattentiveness to assessment, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of osteoporosis. Study Purpose. Study Purpose. To evaluate the discriminatory performance of clinical decision rules to determine the need to undergo bone mineral density testing. Methods. A nationally representative sample from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey consisted of 14,060 subjects who completed surveys, physical examinations, laboratory tests, and bone mineral density exams. Multivariable linear regression tested the correlation of covariates that composed the clinical decision rules with bone mineral density. Results. Increased age and decreased weight were variables in the final regression models for each gender and race/ethnicity. Among the indices, the Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool, which is composed of age and weight, performed best for White women. Study Implications. These results have implications for the prevention, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of osteoporosis. The Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool performed best and is inexpensive and the least time consuming to implement

The generalizability of empirically derived syndromes of collateral-reported elder psychopathology across 11 societies

The purpose of this study was to test whether a syndrome model of elder psy chopathology derived from collateral ratings, such as from spouses and adult chil dren, in the United States would be generalizable in 11 other societies. Societiesrepresented South America, Asia, and Europe. The Older Adult Behavior Checklist(OABCL) was completed by collateral informants for 6141 60- to 102-year-olds. Thetested model comprised syndromes designated as Anxious/Depressed, Worries,Somatic Complaints, Functional Impairment, Memory/Cognition Problems, ThoughtProblems, and Irritable/Disinhibited. The model was tested using confirmatoryfactor analyses in each society separately. The primary model fit index showed agood fit for all societies, while the secondary model fit indices showed acceptable toa good fit for all societies. The items loaded strongly on their respective factors,with a median item loading of 0.69 across the 11 societies. By syndrome, the overallmedian item loadings ranged from 0.47 for Worries to 0.77 for Functional Impair ment. The OABCL syndrome structure was thus generalizable across the testedsocieties. The OABCL can be used for broad assessment of psychopathology forelders of diverse backgrounds in nursing services and research