Professional development in multicultural education: What can we learn from the Australian context?

Including data from 3006 in-service primary and secondary public-school teachers in New South Wales,we investigated the effects of professional development in multicultural education on teachers' beliefsabout the effectiveness of multicultural strategies in fostering a culturally inclusive environment, theimportance of these strategies in providing equitable opportunities for students, and the teachers’support for monocultural ideologies and practices. Our multilevel structural equation model showed thatteachers who received professional development, especially during their in-service years, had morepositive attitudes and beliefs about multicultural ideologies and practices compared to teachers who didnot undergo professional development

Effects of multicultural education on student engagement in low‑ and high‑concentration classrooms: the mediating role of student relationships

Having positive and meaningful social connections is one of the basic psychological needs of students. The satisfaction of this need is directly related to students’ engagement—a robust predictor of educational achievement. However, schools continue to be sites of interethnic tension and the educational achievement of ethnically-minoritized students still lags behind that of their ethnic majority peers. The goal of the present study was to provide a quantitative account of the current segregated learning environments in terms of multicultural curriculum and instruction, as well as their possible impact on student outcomes that can mitigate these challenges. Drawing upon Self-Determination Theory, we investigated the extent to which the use of multicultural practices can improve students’ engagement and whether this relationship is mediated by students’ peer relationships. With data from 34 upper primary school classroom teachers and their 708 students, our multigroup analysis using structural equation modeling indicated that, in classrooms with a low (compared with high) minoritized student concentration, peer relationships can mediate the positive as well as negative effects of different dimensions of multicultural education on student engagement

Practice what you preach: The moderating role of teacher attitudes on the relationship between prejudice reduction and student engagement

The current study examined the relationship between teachers' prejudice reduction practices, focusing on dialogue about issues around diversity, and their students' engagement. We additionally investigated the potential moderation of this relationship by teachers' explicit multicultural attitudes and implicit attitudes towards ethnic minorities. Our multilevel models using 35 primary school teachers and 711 students showed that for teachers who reported above-average multicultural attitudes, prejudice reduction was positively associated with student engagement. Our results suggest that these teachers might not only promote multiculturalism as an abstract ideal, but they actually “walk the talk” and hence can improve educational lives of their students

Allosteric Modulation of the HIV-1 gp120-gp41 Association Site by Adjacent gp120 Variable Region 1 (V1) N-Glycans Linked to Neutralization Sensitivity

The HIV-1 gp120-gp41 complex, which mediates viral fusion and cellular entry, undergoes rapid evolution within its external glycan shield to enable escape from neutralizing antibody (NAb). Understanding how conserved protein determinants retain functionality in the context of such evolution is important for their evaluation and exploitation as potential drug and/ or vaccine targets. In this study, we examined how the conserved gp120-gp41 association site, formed by the N- and Cterminal segments of gp120 and the disulfide-bonded region (DSR) of gp41, adapts to glycan changes that are linked to neutralization sensitivity. To this end, a DSR mutant virus (K601D) with defective gp120-association was sequentially passaged in peripheral blood mononuclear cells to select suppressor mutations. We reasoned that the locations of suppressors point to structural elements that are functionally linked to the gp120-gp41 association site. In culture 1, gp120 association and viral replication was restored by loss of the conserved glycan at Asn136 in V1 (T138N mutation) inconjunction with the L494I substitution in C5 within the association site. In culture 2, replication was restored with deletion of the N139INN sequence, which ablates the overlapping Asn141-Asn142-Ser-Ser potential N-linked glycosylation sequons inV1, in conjunction with D601N in the DSR. The 136 and 142 glycan mutations appeared to exert their suppressive effects by altering the dependence of gp120-gp41 interactions on the DSR residues, Leu593, Trp596 and Lys601. The 136 and/or 142glycan mutations increased the sensitivity of HIV-1 pseudovirions to the glycan-dependent NAbs 2G12 and PG16, and also pooled IgG obtained from HIV-1-infected individuals. Thus adjacent V1 glycans allosterically modulate the distal gp120-gp41 association site. We propose that this represents a mechanism for functional adaptation of the gp120-gp41 association site to an evolving glycan shield in a setting of NAb selection

Extensive central nervous system involvement in Merkel cell carcinoma: a case report and review of the literature

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare malignant cutaneous neoplasm that is locally invasive and frequently metastasizes to lymph nodes, liver, lungs, bone and brain. The incidence of Merkel cell carcinoma has increased in the past three decades.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 65-year-old Caucasian man presented with a sudden onset of severe headache and a three-month history of balance disturbance. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a large meningeal metastasis. The radiologic workup showed retroperitoneal and inguinal lymph node metastases. Biopsy of the inguinal lymph nodes showed metastases of Merkel cell carcinoma. Biopsy from three different suspected skin lesions revealed no Merkel cell carcinoma, and the primary site of Merkel cell carcinoma remained unknown. Leptomeningeal metastases, new axillary lymph node metastases, and intraspinal (epidural and intradural) metastases were detected within six, seven and eight months, respectively, from the start of symptoms despite treating the intracranial metastasis with gamma knife and the abdominal metastases with surgical dissection and external radiotherapy. This indicates the aggressive nature of the disease.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report in the literature of an intracranial meningeal metastasis of Merkel cell carcinoma treated with gamma knife and of intraspinal intradural metastases of Merkel cell carcinoma. Despite good initial response to radiotherapy, recurrence and occurrence of new metastases are common in Merkel cell carcinoma.</p

Hepatitis C virus genotype frequency in Isfahan province of Iran: a descriptive cross-sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hepatitis C is an infectious disease affecting the liver, caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). The hepatitis C virus is a small, enveloped, single-stranded, positive sense RNA virus with a large genetic heterogeneity. Isolates have been classified into at least eleven major genotypes, based on a nucleotide sequence divergence of 30-35%. Genotypes 1, 2 and 3 circulate around the world, while other genotypes are mainly restricted to determined geographical areas. Genotype determination of HCV is clinically valuable as it provides important information which can be used to determine the type and duration of therapy and to predict the outcome of the disease.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Plasma samples were collected from ninety seven HCV RNA positive patients admitted to two large medical laboratory centers in Isfahan province (Iran) from the years 2007 to 2009. Samples from patients were subjected to HCV genotype determination using a PCR based genotyping kit. The frequency of HCV genotypes was determined as follows: genotype 3a (61.2%), genotype 1a (29.5%), genotype 1b (5.1%), genotype 2 (2%) and mixed genotypes of 1a+3a (2%).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Genotype 3a is the most frequent followed by the genotype 1a, genotype 1b and genotype 2 in Isfahan province, Iran.</p