Leisure Activity Implementation and Mental Well-being of Children and Adolescents with Prader-Willi Syndrome and Children with Trauma

Background: Children and adolescents with trauma or Prader-Willi Syndrome lack leisure-based activities within programming supporting development. Sustaining engagement in leisure-based activities enhances mental health. Implementation of leisure activities will consistently enhance the personal growth and psychological well-being of both populations. Methods: Latham’s facility will implement leisure activities with self-report measures. Scales include the (WHO-5) Well-being Scale, The Zones of Regulation Scale, and four qualitative follow-up questions. Aim: The intention of the implementation of leisure-based activities within Latham Centers is to provide improvements in mental well-being. The need for leisure activities is increasingly evident for children and adolescents with trauma or Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) especially following the mental health implications of the COVID-19 pandemic. The implementation of leisure activities will foster engagement, facilitate learning experiences, promote personal growth, and work to enhance psychological well-being. Design: The facilitator will use the mixed methods approach to incorporate both qualitative and quantitative data. Method: The facilitator will collect all data outcomes and evaluate them through the following scales including the World Health Organization (WHO-5) Well-being Scale and The Zones of Regulation scale. The quantitative data will be collected by a series of follow-up questions following the leisure activity sessions. Limitations: The potential barriers to the implementation of leisure activities within Latham’s facility includes programming within a set timeframe and limited activity selection due to the safety protocols of the COVID-19 pandemic. Impact: Increased mental well-being of both populations suggests promising future results and can have implications for other residential or non-residential facilities housing similar populations. This project can assist future occupational therapy practitioners in maximizing health, well-being, and quality of life for children and adolescents with PWS, trauma, or similar diagnoses to support their overall human development and function

Alien Registration- Attisano, Vito (Rumford, Oxford County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/13473/thumbnail.jp

Alien Registration- Attisano, Carmella (Rumford, Oxford County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/13472/thumbnail.jp

How children learn non-obvious conceptual information from caregivers innaturalistic settings

A long-standing question in cognitive development asks how young children learn non-obvious conceptual information(i.e., information that is not directly perceptible). For artifacts, this non-obvious information includes the categories itemsfall into (Rhodes, Gelman & Karuza, 2014), and their functions (Matan & Carey, 2001). We investigated how childrenlearn non-obvious information about novel artifacts from their caregivers during naturalistic interactions in a living his-tory museum. Forty caregiver-child dyads (Ages: R=4;22-8;0,Mage=5.98 years) visited two exhibits for 8 minutes each(i.e., a heritage store and house). Using a series of GEEs and correlational analyses, we found caregivers used differentpedagogical techniques to teach their children about different artifact properties. Namely, they used causal (rs=.49,p¡.001)and procedural information (rs=.60,p¡.001) to describe an artifacts function, but used questions (rs=.79,p¡.001) and com-parisons (rs=.64,p¡.001) to discuss an artifacts identity. These patterns are compatible with the broader literature on howchildren learn non-obvious information best (Gelman, 2009)

Life-history variation and evolved response to food stress in Oncopeltus fasciatus (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae)

Every organism needs to survive and successfully reproduce in the face of changing environmental conditions in which variation in resource availability can seriously limit performance. Organisms can respond to the variation in quality or availability of food resources with behavioural and physiological accommodations going from the baseline physiological response to environmental stressors to complex life-history strategies like migration and diapause. In insects, one avenue to cope with the resources’ variation is to plastically tune the reproductive system to the environmental conditions in order to shift resources away from reproduction during unfavourable periods but maximize it when resources are abundant. I studied the role of reproductive physiology in both males and females in mediating a response to challenging conditions determined by a lack of food resources or the presence of qualitatively different diets using the milkweed bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus, as model species. I studied the role of oosorption, a plastic physiological response through which resources can be recovered and redirected to body maintenance and survival, in shaping behavioural strategies to cope with challenging environments. I also studied the effects of diet quality on male’s sexual behaviour and how these modulate the trade-offs between reproduction and survival. I then investigated how the effects of diet quality, sexual maturation and rearing conditions influence the occurrence of reproductive diapause in both males and females. I found that females exposed to different diets plastically adapt their schedule of reproduction depending on diet quality: this also influences the occurrence of oosorption in the ovary mediating the amount of resources that are directed to reproduction or survival. Diet quality influences males’ sexual behaviour so that even after a long-term adaptation on an alternative artificial diet, they invest more in reproduction at the expenses of survival when fed on an ancestral high quality diet; this is achieved with a shift in the trade-off between reproduction and survival. The occurrence of reproductive diapause in both males and females is a function of several factors: the quality of food resources ultimately modulates sexual maturation in adult individuals determining the occurrence of diapause or reproduction. Finally, oosorption may be involved in the evolution of alternative condition-dependent strategies as an adaptive physiological mechanism to cope with stressful environments; thus females from different populations may be able either to migrate in favourable areas where they can exploit abundant food resources or remain residents and perform high levels of oosorption to cope with the seasonal shortage of food.ES

Investigating Children’s Naturalistic Explorations in a Living History Museum

Researchers have taken the approach of examining children’s learning in more naturalistic settings such as museums, science centers, and zoos (e.g., Sobel & Jipson, 2015), as in-lab experiments do not resemble the situations that children most often find themselves learning in. This work has primarily focused on how children acquire science concepts from highly structured indoor exhibits, and lacks ecological validity to everyday life. A living history village, on the other hand, offers a middle ground between children’s everyday lives and other informal learning environments, as the context of the space is more similar to a child’s life. This dissertation explores the learning opportunities in a living history village at the Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum (WRM), and whether the content of parents and children’s conversations in these spaces resembles what one might expect given previous in-lab findings. Chapter Two examines 4- to 8-year-old children’s (N= 40, Mage=5.98 years) spontaneous interactions with parents and museum staff while exploring artifacts. The nature of discussions about artifacts evolved with child age, as the proportion of children’s talk related to simple identification of artifacts decreases with age. Parents and staff provided unique learning opportunities by discussing different aspects of artifacts at different rates, and used a variety of strategies to teach their children about different artifact properties. Children also responded to different pedagogical strategies differently; they were most engaged and produced more information in response to critical thinking questions. Using the same dataset as Chapter Two, Chapter Three examines whether there are opportunities for informal science learning for 4- to 8-year-old children in unexpected places, such as a living history village. I specifically examined the nature of science talk children were exposed to (i.e., biology, physics, or engineering; guided by the Ontario and Michigan Science Curriculums) and how these topics were discussed. Children of all ages are drawn to discussing biology, whereas children discuss more science concepts related to engineering and physics with age. Parents and staff provide different science learning opportunities for children and discuss these science concepts differently. Chapter Four explores whether it was possible to intervene on children’s (N=61; 4-to 8-years-old) exploration and learning to direct their attention to a specific feature of an artifact, namely the causal mechanisms of its operation. Prior to entering the exhibit, children were randomly assigned to receive a “component” prompt that focused their attention on the machine’s internal mechanisms or a “history” prompt as a control. Children generally discussed most aspects of the machine, including the whole machine, its parts, and to a lesser extent, its mechanisms. In the test phase, older children recalled more information than younger children about all aspects of the machine, and appeared more knowledgeable to adult coders. Children who received the component prompt were rated as more knowledgeable about the machine in the test phase, suggesting that this prompt influenced what they learned. Taken together, the results suggest that children are engaging in the living history exhibit in a meaningful way, although they require the support of both parents and staff to fully take advantage of the learning opportunities present. It also provides evidence that the laboratory findings regarding children’s artifact, science, and causal knowledge are evident in their spontaneous conversations. These findings are also a concrete step towards quantifying the educational value of visitor experiences at the WRM

SMAD proteins directly suppress PAX2 transcription downstream of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) signalling in renal cell carcinoma

Canonical TGF-β1 signalling promotes tumor progression by facilitating invasion and metastasis, whereby release of TGF-β1, by (for example) infiltrating immune cells, induces epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). PAX2, a member of the Paired box family of transcriptional regulators, is normally expressed during embryonic development, including in the kidney, where it promotes mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET). PAX2 expression is silenced in many normal adult tissues. However, in contrast, PAX2 is expressed in several cancer types, including kidney, prostate, breast, and ovarian cancer. While multiple studies have implicated TGF-β superfamily members in modulating expression of Pax genes during embryonic development, few have investigated direct regulation of Pax gene expression by TGF-β1. Here we have investigated direct regulation of PAX2 expression by TGF-β1 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CC-RCC) cell lines. Treatment of PAX2-expressing 786-O and A498 CC-RCC cell lines with TGF-β1 resulted in inhibition of endogenous PAX2 mRNA and protein expression, as well as expression from transiently transfected PAX2 promoter constructs; this inhibition was abolished in the presence of expression of the inhibitory SMAD, SMAD7. Using ChIP-PCR we showed TGF-β1 treatment induced SMAD3 protein phosphorylation in 786-O cells, and direct SMAD3 binding to the human PAX2 promoter, which was inhibited by SMAD7 over-expression. Overall, these data suggest that canonical TGF-β signalling suppresses PAX2 transcription in CC-RCC cells due to the direct binding of SMAD proteins to the PAX2 promoter. These studies improve our understanding of tumor progression and epithelial to mesenchyme transition (EMT) in CC-RCC and in other PAX2-expressing cancer types

A oceanografia química e os processos oceanográficos presentes na plataforma continental das regiões de Santa Marta (SC) e Albardão (RS)

Dissertação(mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Oceanografia Física, Química e Geológica, Instituto de Oceanografia, 2007.A costa sul do Brasil, constituída pelas áreas costeiras e oceânicas do Rio Grande do Sul e Santa Catarina, é conhecida como uma das regiões de maior potencial pesqueiro de todo o litoral brasileiro. Isto se deve, sobretudo, a presença de várias massas de água que interagem formando um sistema complexo, dinâmico e altamente produtivo. Além dos intensos processos de mistura, essas regiões apresentam frentes termohalinas e ação de ventos. O presente trabalho apresenta um diagnóstico comparativo, de enfoque químico, entre a plataforma das regiões de Santa Marta (SC) e Albardão (RS). Para tanto, são utilizados parâmetros hidroquímicos, amostrados em 33 estações oceanográficas importantes para a avaliação da produção biológica, e também a interpretação dos processos oceanográficos. Ao efetuar a comparação entre as referidas regiões de plataforma, durante o inverno de 2005, observou-se claramente maiores concentrações de nutrientes dissolvidos na região do Albardão, devido a menor influência da Água Tropical, apresentando-se submetida a processos oceanográficos mais intensos resultantes da proximidade à Convergência Subtropical, da intrusão da Água Subtropical de Plataforma (através do paleocanal), da formação da Frente Subtropical de Plataforma, frentes frias e do volume de descarga continental substancial proveniente do Rio do Prata, Lagoa dos Patos e do transporte subterrâneo que potencializam a dinâmica entre as massas de água, elevando a produtividade da região.The southern Brazilian Coast comprises of the coastal and oceanic areas of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina and is a region with the highest fishing potential along the Brazilian coast. This is due to the presence of several water masses that interact form a complex, dynamic and highly productive system. Mixing is also provided by thermohaline fronts, upwelling and wind. The present work presents a diagnosis, using hydrochemical data, between Santa Marta Shelf (SC) and Albardão (RS) (33 oceanographic stations) to determine biological production and other oceanographical processes. During the 2005 winter there were higher nutrients concentrations in Albardão zone, due to less influence of Tropical Water. There is high productivity in the region due to mixing of water masses by proximity to Subtropical Convergence, intrusion of the Subtropical Water on to the Shelf (through the paleochannel), formation of Subtropical Shelf Front, groundwater transport, cold fronts discharge from Prata River, Patos Lagoon