Sound effects: the effects of sound-producing toys on the level of social and cognitive play in 3, 4, and 5-year-olds

Master of ScienceDepartment of Family Studies and Human ServicesAnn D. MurrayThis study investigated the effects of sound-producing toys on the social and cognitive levels of play in young children. Thirty-four pairs of children were observed (N=68), ages 3, 4, and 5 years, during 15-minute play sessions. The play conditions were: 1) farm set with sound, 2) farm set with no sound, 3) doctor set with sound, and 4) doctor set with no sound. Independent variables included age, gender, and the presence or absence of sound. Dependent variables included the percentages of time that children engaged in levels of social play (solitary, parallel, and group), levels of cognitive play (functional, constructive, and dramatic), and non-play. Overall, sound was marginally associated with more time spent in play. For group play there was a marginally significant sound by gender interaction, suggesting that sound doubled female group play. There was a significant sound by age interaction suggesting that 5-year olds engaged in group play more with sound than with no sound. A significant sound by gender interaction indicated that the presence of sound increased dramatic play in both males and females, but more so in females. A sound by age interaction indicated that 5-year-olds engaged in more dramatic play with sound than without. Three-year-olds also engaged in more dramatic play when sound was present. There was a significant sound by gender interaction indicating males engaged in more functional play than girls when sound was present. There was a significant sound by age interaction, indicating that 5-year-olds engaged in less constructive play when sound was present. In conclusion, young children were more likely to engage in play when sound was present. Sound enhanced the play of 5-year-olds who engaged in more group and dramatic play, but less constructive play, with sound-producing toys. Sound also enhanced the play quality of 3-year-olds, who engaged in more dramatic play when sound was present. Furthermore, sound enhanced the play of girls who engaged in more group and dramatic play with sound, and boys, who engaged in more dramatic play with sound. Limitations of the study along with implications for future research are discussed

Pleural Fluid Mesothelin as an Adjunct to the Diagnosis of Pleural Malignant Mesothelioma

Rationale:. The diagnosis of pleural malignant mesothelioma (MM) by effusion cytology may be difficult and is currently controversial. Effusion mesothelin levels are increased in patients with MM but the clinical role of this test is uncertain. Objectives:. To determine the clinical value of measuring mesothelin levels in pleural effusion supernatant to aid diagnosis of MM. Methods and Measurements. Pleural effusion samples were collected prospectively from 1331 consecutive patients. Mesothelin levels were determined by commercial ELISA in effusions and their relationship to concurrent pathology reporting and final clinical diagnosis was determined. Results:. 2156 pleural effusion samples from 1331 individuals were analysed. The final clinical diagnosis was 183 MM, 436 non-MM malignancy, and 712 nonmalignant effusions. Effusion mesothelin had a sensitivity of 67% for MM at 95% specificity. Mesothelin was elevated in over 47% of MM cases in effusions obtained before definitive diagnosis of MM was established. In the setting of inconclusive effusion cytology, effusion mesothelin had a positive predictive value of 79% for MM and 94% for malignancy. Conclusions:. A mesothelin-positive pleural effusion, irrespective of the identification of malignant cells, indicates the likely presence of malignancy and adds weight to the clinical rationale for further investigation to establish a malignant diagnosis

Multiscale Modeling of Familial Cardiomyopathy-linked Tropomyosin Mutations

Mutations in proteins of the cardiac sarcomere can alter muscle function, leading to a hypercontractile or a hypocontractile state of the heart. These mutational insults can also lead to disease states over time, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) or dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). One such gene, TPM1, which encodes the sarcomeric regulatory protein α-tropomyosin, has been linked to cases of both familial HCM and DCM. However, it remains unclear how different mutations to the same gene can cause different pathogenic phenotypes. Without clear predictive genotype-phenotype relationships, the value of clinical genetic testing in screening and treating families is inherently limited. This work focuses on the development of two tools to improve understanding of the connection between genotype and phenotype for sarcomeric genes: 1) a computational model of the cardiac thin filament and 2) an engineered tissue model capable of expressing arbitrary mutations through use of adenoviral transduction. By pairing these tools with other complementary methodologies (molecular dynamics and in vitro motility assays [IVMA]) we seek to demonstrate that they can form the basis of accurate classification of TPM1 variants of unknown significance (VUS) into HCM or DCM phenotypes. We first designed and implemented a Markov chain-Monte Carlo model for simulating thin filament activation. We wanted to produce a detailed model that was capable of predicting both steady-state and dynamic force production while incorporating detailed mechanisms of regulation. To do this, we investigated the regulatory mechanism of the sarcomeric protein troponin I (TnI). It was long thought the inhibitory peptide domain (IP) of TnI acted as the sole actin-binding region that holds tropomyosin in the myosin-blocking position. More recently, evidence has arisen that the C-terminal mobile domain (MD) of TnI also binds actin and may also contribute to this inhibition. To properly incorporate these findings, we created both a 16-state model with TnI-IP as the sole regulatory domain and a 24-state TnI-IP+MD version. Comparison of these models showed that assumption of a second actin-binding site allows the individual domains to have a lower affinity for actin than with IP acting alone. We also tested the 24-state model’s ability to represent steady-state experimental data in the case of disruption of either the IP or MD and we were able to capture qualitative changes in several properties as seen in experimental data. Overall, our analyses support a paradigm in which two domains of TnI bind with moderate affinity to actin, working in tandem to regulation the thin filament. To begin the characterization of mutations to TPM1, molecular dynamics simulations were used to predict important structural and mechanical changes. We applied this to two mutants: the DCM-linked M8R and the HCM-linked S215L. M8R increased flexibility of the tropomyosin chain and enhanced affinity for the blocked or inactive state of tropomyosin on actin. S215L also increased flexibility of the tropomyosin chain while enhancing affinity for the closed state of tropomyosin on actin in which myosin binding sites are revealed. Applying these molecular effects to the 24-state Markov model reproduced the shifts in calcium sensitivity, maximum force, and cooperativity that were also observed in IVMA experiments. The model was then used to simulate the impact of M8R or S215L expression on twitch behavior. These dynamic simulations predicted that M8R would reduce peak force and duration of contraction in a dose-dependent manner. To evaluate this prediction, TPM1 M8R was expressed via adenovirus in engineered heart tissues and isometric twitch force was observed. The mutant tissues showed depressed contractility and twitch duration that agreed in detail with model predictions. For S215L, simulations predicted a hypercontractile twitch phenotype. Mechanical testing of genetically engineered tissues homozygous for mutant S215L TPM1 also showed an increase in peak force and slowed relaxation when compared to isogenic WT tissues. In the final study, we characterized four TPM1 VUS using a combination of molecular modeling, IVMA, and engineered tissue. First, 20 candidate VUS were analyzed computationally using molecular dynamics and energy minimization calculations to predict each variant’s effects on TPM1 structure and association with thin filament proteins. From this analysis, four variants representing a spectrum from most to least predicted pathogenicity (A102D, D258E, K233N, and A239T) were selected for further study. Predictions were tested for each variant via engineered heart tissues. Mechanical testing of the tissues revealed an HCM phenotype for A102D and D258E, but a DCM phenotype for A239T and K233N. The pathogenic phenotypes of these selected variants reveals robust progress toward our long-term goal of computational prediction of disease risk for novel TPM1 variants

Perspectives of Novice Kindergarten Through Grade 3 Teachers on the Challenges of Teaching

The problem addressed in this study is that novice early childhood educators (ECEs, Grades kindergarten through 3) underestimate the challenges of teaching. Researchers have shown that although over three million teachers are employed in public schools yearly, on average 23% and up to 50% of newly inducted teachers leave the profession within 5 years on a national level. Many novice ECEs feel unprepared and underestimate the challenges of working in a school. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore novice ECEs’ perspectives regarding the challenges of teaching. The conceptual framework for this study was informed by Katz’s developmental stages of ECEs. Data were gathered through semistructured interviews with 12 purposively sampled ECEs. The iterative coding process and thematic analysis yielded two themes: teachers indicated that success requires support from administrators, mentors, peers, and others and that they were challenged with work–life balance and mental health. Findings may provide ECEs with best practices, resources, and support for providing social change and improving educator resilience. The results of this study have the potential to lead to positive social change in the early childhood profession by providing data to inform improved professional development for novice ECEs in knowledge and skills for effective instructional practices and managing duties and responsibilities which may further educator resilience, student learning, and a cycle of positive teaching and learning experiences for both educators and students. Developing environments that address and reduce the challenges in teaching is an essential element for student and teacher success

The Constitutionality of Federal Climate Change Legislation

Over the last decade, the Canadian government has not managed to produce a comprehensive climate change statute and has failed to adequately consider the constitutional implications of doing so. The Clean Air Bill, an unsuccessful 2006 amendment to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), focused on carbon credit trading and a technology fund credit mechanism to permit certain emissions-heavy industries to mitigate their production of greenhouse gases. However, this bill would likely have infringed on provincial jurisdiction over electricity generation facilities, trumping any attempt to address greenhouse gas emissions beneath the rubric of criminal law. The present federal government’s proposed coal-fired electricity generation regulations are similarly flawed. This paper thoroughly analyzes both pieces of legislation from a constitutional standpoint, using a rich body of case law to offer policymakers invaluable guidance in properly framing legally sound emission reduction statutes

Interacting Effect of Social Media Crisis Communication and Organizational Citizenship Behavior on Employees’ Resistance to Change During the COVID-19 Crisis: Evidence From University Employees in the Philippines

This research analyzes the effect of social media crisis communication on resistance to change of university employees in the Philippines during the COVID-19 situation. The study also consider the role of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), which is hypothesized as a predictor of employees’ resistance to change, as well as a moderator that strengthens the effect of social media crisis communication on employees’ resistance to change. Survey data were collected from 522 employees from three public universities in the Philippines. The hypotheses are tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The results show that social media crisis communication and OCB are negatively related to employees’ resistance to change. Moreover, the moderating effect analysis indicated that OCB significantly intensified the negative effect of social media crisis communication on the employees’ resistance to change. This result implies that social media crisis communication can have a stronger impact on lowering employees’ resistance to change when OCB is highly expressed among employees

Quantification of the impacts of water hyacinth on riparian communities in Cameroon and assessment of an appropriate method of control : the case of the Wouri River Basin

Some plants, when transported to non-endemic areas undergo reproduction and rapid growth and will out-compete native plants and become weeds. These weeds then become troublesome giving rise to socioeconomic and environmental impacts. Water hyacinth (Eicchornia crassipes), one of such weeds is often considered the world’s worst invasive aquatic species of weed, indigenous to the Amazon Basin of South America and has spread over the years to various areas in Africa and Asia. This dissertation analyses the problem of water hyacinth infestation in the Wouri River Basin, done through the quantification of its socio-economic and environmental impacts on riparian communities. It aims at providing information to decision-makers and other stakeholders to assist them invest in projects geared towards preventing its spread thereby reducing the impacts on the riparian communities. The riparian communities are identified and data on the socioeconomic and environmental impacts of water hyacinth are collected through focus group discussions and interviews. The data are then presented and analysed. Furthermore, the various available methods of control are examined taking into account the benefits and setbacks of each method. Finally, a suitable strategy for the control of water hyacinth in the Wouri River Basin is proposed. The method shows that the total lost benefits of the communities due to water hyacinth infestations, outweigh the cost of implementing the appropriate control measures; hence justifies the need for urgent measures to be taken to manage water hyacinth in the Wouri River Basin

Osteoporosis and Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Senior capstone poster, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, SUNY PlattsburghOsteoporosis is a disease that affects 7.9 to 22.6% of women in the United States. This illness causes a loss of bone mineral density at different sites of the body. There appears to be a correlation between osteoporosis and sensorineural hearing loss, but studies have displayed conflicting results regarding this association. Furthermore, if this relationship exists, the exact physical cause of the sensorineural hearing loss is unknown. After review of the literature, although some studies denied the existence of a correlation, most research confirmed the relationship between osteoporosis and sensorineural hearing loss. Additionally, some studies have proposed demineralization of the temporal bone, damage to the cochlear nerve, and protein imbalance in the cochlea as some possible causes of sensorineural hearing loss resulting from osteoporosis. Although more research is needed to better understand this association, current literature provides a starting point from which to expand this area of research.SUNY Plattsburg

Bacterial infection elicits heat shock protein 72 release from pleural mesothelial cells

Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) has been implicated in infection-related processes and has been found in body fluids during infection. This study aimed to determine whether pleural mesothelial cells release HSP70 in response to bacterial infection in vitro and in mouse models of serosal infection. In addition, the in vitro cytokine effects of the HSP70 isoform, Hsp72, on mesothelial cells were examined. Further, Hsp72 was measured in human pleural effusions and levels compared between non-infectious and infectious patients to determine the diagnostic accuracy of pleural fluid Hsp72 compared to traditional pleural fluid parameters. We showed that mesothelial release of Hsp72 was significantly raised when cells were treated with live and heat-killed Streptococcus pneumoniae. In mice, intraperitoneal injection of S. pneumoniae stimulated a 2-fold increase in Hsp72 levels in peritoneal lavage (p,0.01). Extracellular Hsp72 did not induce or inhibit mediator release from cultured mesothelial cells. Hsp72 levels were significantly higher in effusions of infectious origin compared to non-infectious effusions (p,0.05). The data establish that pleural mesothelial cells can release Hsp72 in response to bacterial infection and levels are raised in infectious pleural effusions. The biological role of HSP70 in pleural infection warrants exploration