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Teacher Perceptions and Student Outcomes: A Study of SEL Integration in Upper Elementary
No full textThe growing demand for schools to support student mental health has increased the adoption of social-emotional learning (SEL) programs. However, inconsistent implementation and limited research on different populations have raised concerns about their overall effectiveness. This inquiry-based study explored how the CharacterStrong SEL curriculum impacted student behavior and how teachers perceived its effectiveness in a 5th and 6th grade intermediate school. Using teacher surveys, Tier 2 behavior data, and an administrator interview, the study examined the fidelity of implementation, teacher confidence, and observed behavioral changes. Findings showed high implementation fidelity and teacher confidence but mixed perceptions regarding changes in student behavior. Tier 2 data suggested modest improvements in behavioral outcomes. Limitations included a small sample size, narrow grade range, and absence of student input. Future research should investigate long-term impacts, student perspectives, and curriculum effectiveness across different grade levels to guide more inclusive and sustainable SEL practices
Desire to Improve or Enrich Curriculum – Student-Centered Learning
Full text linkThis study investigates the relationship between teacher efficacy and the implementation of student-centered learning in PreK-2 classrooms, supporting the need for teacher professional development to support effective practice. Due to growing interest in student-centered approaches, there are challenges, often due to teachers perceived self-efficacy in managing and adapting new instructional strategies. Using Bandura\u27s Teacher Efficacy Survey, this research examines the self-reported efficacy levels of 16 teachers across various grade levels PreK-2nd Grade. The results indicate a significant correlation between higher teacher efficacy and the successful use of student-centered learning techniques. Teachers with lower efficacy ratings need professional development in this area. These findings suggest that targeted professional development, designed to build teachers\u27 competence in student-centered practices, is essential for sustaining impactful educational shifts
Meta-Analysis of Proven Effective Teaching Strategies to Increase On-Task Behaviors in Preschool Students
Full text linkOn-task behavior of students, defined as time that students actively engage in learning, is one of the forefront objectives that comes to mind when teachers think of efficient teaching and classroom management. However, as simple as it may seem to achieve this objective, many classroom teachers struggle with ways to increase or maintain the amount of time students in the classroom remain on task - and, in turn, decrease the amount of off-task or problem behaviors by their students. This meta-analysis seeks to provide strategies to augment preschool students’ on-task behaviors based on a review of evidenced research studies found in current literature. Through the implementation of strategies in classroom management, instructional strategies, and social-emotional and self-regulation, teachers can tackle many areas that may allow for more on-task behaviors. Although this study found a large variety of possible strategies for teachers to implement, further research could be done to create a more encompassing list of strategies in these areas to increase on-task behaviors
B2H Interaction Assay: Exploring the Mechanism of Interaction Between Phage Island3 and Host \u3ci\u3eMycobacterium smegmatic\u3c/i\u3e
Full text linkIsland3 is a bacteriophage that infects Mycobacterium smegmatis (M. smeg). In past years, Northwestern College students have annotated Island3 \u27s genome, performed genetic screens, and performed interaction assays with it. Though extensive research has been done on this phage and its genome, there is still much that is not understood about the mechanisms through which it functions. To explore the mechanism of action for genes 35 and 36 (both known to be cytotoxic), I performed a bacterial-2-hybrid interaction assay with each of these genes, creating a plasmid containing hybrid gene with the target phage gene in place of the alpha subunit sequence of RNA polymerase through molecular cloning. An additional hybrid plasmid, containing a CI repressor and M. smeg genome fragment hybrid gene, was introduced to represent the host genome. Both plasmids contained a lacZ reporter gene as well as antibiotic resistant genes to aid in the screening out of illegitimate interaction hits. Using this method, one potential interaction between Island3 gene 35 and an M smeg host fragment has been found. Further trials are needed to verify this interaction, and repeat experiments are needed for gene
The Efficacy and Safety Profile of Adalimumab and Secukinumab in Treating Hidradenitis Suppurativa
Full text linkHidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the follicular epithelium in the axilla, groin, peritoneum, and intertriginous areas that presents with painful nodules and abscesses. Due to the poorly understood etiology of the disorder, there are various different treatment options targeting proposed mechanisms of actions which results in a lot of trial and error to find the appropriate treatment plan. Clinicians must consider the whole patient while understanding the efficacy of the medication, possible adverse reactions, and patient compliance when creating a treatment plan, especially with the use of systematic biologics. This review aims to compare two currently FDA-approved biologic options for patients with moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa, adalimumab and secukinumab
Annotation of Three Actinobacteriophages: TukTuk, Shamu, and Megatron06
Full text linkWe annotated three newly discovered bacteriophages. TukTuk and Shamu were isolated on the host Microbacterium folorium and Megatron06 on Mycobacterium smegmatis. Based on based on gene-content similarity (GCS) of 35% or higher to sequenced bacteriophages present in the Actinobacteriophage database, phagesDB, TukTuk was assigned to cluster EB, Shamu to cluster EA, and Megatron06 to Cluster H1. Here we report a summary of our annotation findings along with one in-depth analysis of an aspect of our annotation for each phage
A New Horizon on Knee Osteoarthritis: A Review of Alternative Treatment Modalities
Full text linkPurpose: The purpose of this review is to determine the effectiveness and utility of alternative knee osteoarthritis treatments in order to assess their clinical applications compared to traditional NSAID and corticosteroid injection therapy. Methods: We analyzed 23 randomized control trials, systematic reviews, and meta analyses to compare the effectiveness of hyaluronic acid (HA), plasma rich protein (PRP) injections, and mesenchymal stem (MSC) cell injections. The individuals used in this study were over 18 years old, had moderate to severe knee osteoarthritis, and had failed at least 1 form of conservative treatment. Quantitative (imaging studies and ROM testing) and qualitative results (pain and quality of life surveys) were analyzed in order to determine the effectiveness of treatment in these individuals. Results: PRP and MSC injections displayed minor improvement in knee cartilage and patient pain questionnaires, while HA was found to only provide benefit when combined with other therapies. Conclusion: Although each method is safe and has been shown to provide benefits in certain circumstances, it is still unclear how much of a benefit these alternative treatments can provide due to the inconsistencies in formulation and timelines between treatments in the studies. More research is needed to understand the efficacy of these alternative treatments.
Keywords: plasma rich protein, PRP, hyaluronic acid, HA, mesenchymal stem cell, MSC, knee osteoarthritis treatmen
H(Hydrogen)-alpha Spectral Imaging of z\u3e5 Quasars
Full text linkWe aim to measure the H-alpha line excess over the photometric continuum for distant quasi-stellar radio objects, or quasars. Supermassive black holes grow in mass through accretion of stars or gas nearby, often outshining the total stellar light of the galaxies they reside in, for quasars. On the other hand, the structure of these active galactic nuclei are hard to resolve, where we often rely on the relationship in between different light emission regions to better understand the geometry and emission mechanisms. In this work, we measure the H-alpha luminosity of 44 quasars at z\u3e5 (light coming from less than 10% the age of the universe) in order to comprehensively constrain the line-to-continuum luminosity relation for the first time at z\u3e5. We present our preliminary results on how to fit the spectral energy distribution consisting of multiple photometric fluxes along a wide range of wavelengths. We will discuss the implication of our results within the context of the formation of active galactic nuclei substructures
Energy Drink Consumption in Adolescence Linked to Long Term Health Effects
Full text linkCaffeine is a substance that is frequently ingested by individuals for a multitude of reasons, most often an energy boost. Recently, caffeine consumption has become popular among the adolescent population. We reviewed 15+ recent studies explaining the adverse effects of caffeine consumption among adolescents such as cognitive function, mental illness, and obesity. Numerous correlations were found including lower scores in several cognitive functions such as vocabulary comprehension, cognitive flexibility, and processing speeds, mental illnesses such as stress, anxiety, and depression, and the immense sugar-content in these beverages being linked to childhood obesity. It is important that healthcare professionals are aware of the implications of adolescent caffeine use and caution patients on these findings
0100 Joyce and Wilmer Vermeer Visit in ‘67: Trip to Visit Nuer in Adura
No full textGrass fire at Adura. (dev. January 1967)https://nwcommons.nwciowa.edu/schuitemanethiopia/1099/thumbnail.jp