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Stereological Assessment of the Thalamus in a Rat Model of Periventricular Nodular Heterotopia
Get PDFMalformations of neocortical development such as microgyria (MG) and periventricular nodular heterotopia (PNH) have been observed in the brains of language learning impaired (LLI) humans. Rats with MG have shown rapid auditory processing (RAP) deficits similar to acoustic deficits observed in some human LLI populations. Threlkeld et al., (2009) previously reported RAP and other learning impairments in rats with PNH resulting from disruption to embryonic neuronal cell division by way of Methylazoxymethanol (MAM) treatment on embryonic day 15 (E15). The thalamus and its subnuclei may be vulnerable to neurodevelopmental disruptions. Studies of MG rats have shown changes in cell size within the auditory thalamus, medial geniculate nucleus (MGN). Similar findings have also been observed in human dyslexic brains, providing further evidence that thalamic disruption may play a major role in behavioral pathology associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. In this study, a stereological assessment was performed on 11 MAM and 5 control brains of rats from a previous behavioral study showing RAP deficits in MAM treated subjects, specifically looking for effects of treatment on nuclear volume, and estimated cell number, area, and volume within the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) and the MGN. Results showed no significant treatment effects on the MGN in any measure, although a trend was seen in nuclear volume. Significant treatment effects were seen, however, in the dLGN in all measures except for a trend found in cell area. This study further supports E15 MAM treatment in rats as a model for teratogen mediated pervasive developmental disorders. Future studies are suggested to examine the effects of E15 MAM exposure on dLGN dependent behaviors in rats and explore the relationship between pathological severity and general sensory processing deficits
Food Inequality and Social Justice
Get PDFInequality in regular access to healthy food is a complex social justice issue in the United States. The health ramifications of poor food access and the unaffordability of healthy food choices are a consequence of economic systems based on a hierarchy of race, gender, and class structures. This research explores this inequality through the medium of three organizations that are challenging this systemic violence toward marginalized peoples. City Meal Site, Big Train Farm, and The Environmental Justice League of Rhode Island serve different populations with the unified goal of getting healthy food into the hands and mouths of people through volunteer work, education, and partnerships. The applicable goal of this research is to examine how these programs are working within the communities they serve, areas where they may not be effective, and how these organizations confront a system based on exclusion
Generational Differences: A Look at Dialectic Formation in Cranston, Rhode Island
Get PDFIn most dialects, the pronunciation of the words bear and beer is different. However, dialects found in Charleston, SC and New Zealand merge the vowel sounds found in these words. In both locations, it appears that there is a sound change in progress, resulting in different pronunciations among generations. Cranston, RI may also have this merger and may be undergoing a sound change as well. To explore this possibility, acoustic recordings and analyses have been made of 18 participants from Cranston. Each participant produced different pairs of words that contained the vowels heard in beer and bear. Three different age groups (over 50, 18-26, and 8-12) have been studied to see if there is a difference in the way people of different ages pronounce these vowels. InNew Zealand it appears that the merger of these vowel sounds is new. Older adults are more likely to distinguish these vowels than younger generations. InCharleston, the opposite is true; older adults are more likely to merge these two vowel sounds than younger generations. This is indicative that the merger is reversing, going against the theory that mergers cannot be reversed (Garde’s Principle).
From the acoustic analysis, it appears that Cranstonis following the same pattern as Charleston. The participants over 50 merge these vowel sounds, the young adults either have a complete merger or merge the vowel sounds inconsistently, and children are distinguishing between these vowels. Thus, the merger peculiar to this geographic area is disappearing. A perception study has also been completed to see if the participants consider words containing the vowels in bear and beer to be the same. Results indicate that the majority of older adults (male and female) and male young adults perceive a merger of these sounds and female young adults and children (male and female) perceive a difference between these vowels
Spring 2012
Get PDFThe 9th issue of the library newsletter (spring, 2012).
Inside this Issue:
Front Page--Can Art Change the World? INSIDE OUT AT RIC by Hannah Resseger, Africana Studies
Our Staff (p.2)-- Myra Blank, Document Delivery Coordinator by Debra Thomson
In their Own Words (p.3)-- Sabrina Conroy -- Kristin Apuzzo -- Heather Socha
The E-Column: E-books by Judith Stokes (p.4)
And More on E-books by Carla Weiss (p.4)
EDUCAUSE and The Horizon Report by Debra Thomson (p.4)
In the Archives and Special Collections (p.5)-- Sunshine, Shorts and Bermuda Shorts: The Shorts Regulation of 1965 by Marlene Lopes -- Saying Goodbye to an Old Friend: Remembering Joseph R. Muratore by Marlene Lopes
Book Reviews (p.6)-- The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America\u27s Great Migration; A review by Judith Stokes-- The Greater Journey; A review by Debra Thomson
Library Events & Exhibits (p. 7)-- RIC Alumna Raina Smith Talk and Book Signing-- Library Exhibits
Putting on a New Face: Upgrades at Adams Library by Brian Baker, David Maine and Carla Weiss (p. 8
Why Parents Choose Laboratory Schools for their Children
Get PDFSince the 1960s, laboratory schools have been diminishing throughout the United States with less than 100 active today. This reduction is attributed to lack of financial support, and the fact that fewer children are choosing to attend laboratory schools. Why, then, do parents choose to enroll or withdraw their children in laboratory schools? This article focuses on this question, while presenting the strengths and weaknesses of laboratory schools. Strengths of laboratory schools include better preparation for higher education, an understanding of a college atmosphere, higher college acceptance rates, and increased performance on standardized tests. Weaknesses of laboratory schools include high tuition, adjusting to an observed classroom, high teacher turn-over rates, and homogenous environments. This study solicited the opinions of parents, whose children attended a laboratory school in the southeastern part of the United States, concerning their reasons for selecting or leaving laboratory schools. Additionally, implications for educational leaders and administrators of laboratory schools are discussed
The Anything Writing Project in First Grade
Get PDFThis article gives an overview of varying levels of engagement observed in the Grace B. Luhrs University Elementary School First Grade classroom during “Anything Writing” writing workshop. Children in first grade at Grace B. Luhrs are encouraged to use topics of their own choosing when creating their written work while at the same time following basic steps in the writing process.
The “Anything Writing” approach offers differentiated instruction opportunities for diverse learners within a community of writers. Observations by university faculty, university students and the first grade teacher are included along with student writing samples. This article is the result of our presentation given at the 2009 National Association of Laboratory Schools Annual Conference hosted by the Barbara K. Lipman Early Childhood School and Research Institute and the Campus School at the University of Memphis
Looking for Agreement Among Criteria Used to Determine Teacher Effectiveness in Two Different Evaluation Models
Get PDFMany theories, methods, and practices are utilized to evaluate teachers with the intention of determining teacher effectiveness to better inform decisions about retention, tenure, certification and performance-based pay. In the 21st century there has been a renewed emphasis on teacher evaluation in public schools, largely due to federal Race to the Top funding and the emergence of value-added models for determining teacher performance in relation to student achievement. Bearing that in mind, this study was designed to address the question: Where are the consistency and differentiation among criteria used to measure teacher effectiveness ratings when a 21st century, Race to the Top driven, standards- and teacher-effects-based model (Danielson and McGreal, 2000; Stake, 2006) is compared to a traditional, objectives-based model (Tyler, 1940), using the same population over a single school year, while also using different evaluators for each model? An answer proved to be elusive because almost no variation was discovered in the traditional model data, while no variation was discovered in the 21st century model data. A strong proportion (0.99) of selected scores in both models was discovered, but the lack of variance across all scores limits generalizability to a larger population. The proportion indicates that for the population in this study (n=80), despite the additional time needed to implement the 21st century model and its higher ordinal scaling, the 21st century model did not meet its primary goal of better recognizing effective teaching than the traditional model. Changes to the structure and/or implementation may be required for the 21st century model, so that more dispersion can be identified and reported, which will theoretically better inform decisions about retention, tenure, certification and performance-based pay
How Districts Allocate Educational Resources in Rhode Island
Get PDFConsiderable debate has taken place regarding the amount, adequacy, and effectiveness of funding public schools. At the macro level, research is mixed as to whether increased funding is associated with improved student performance. In some specific cases, such as increased funding for lower class size and early childhood education, spending on specific activities has shown to be effective.
This study examined whether spending categories are associated with academic performance. Spending allocations and student performance were examined at the school level for the school years 2004-05 through 2007-08. Spending data was obtained through the Rhode Island Department of Education In$ight financial system. Student performance on the New England Common Assessment Program was used. Two models were employed: Model 1 examined the aggregate figures for the four years of data regression with a robust estimator to examine the association of the spending categories and achievement accounting for poverty. Model 2 used multiple regression with a differencing model in an attempt to control for unobserved factors such as teacher quality.
The results of the differencing Model 2 were not conclusive. Model 1 showed that spending for direct classroom instruction was a significant predictor of student achievement. Poverty was also identified as significantly negatively associated with student performance. All other allocations were either negatively associated or not associated with student performance
Tuna Fish On Scale
No full textA fresh catch of tuna is weighed in a tuna cannery before it moves on to processing. This cannery, located in Tarrafal, is believed to be the first commercial cannery to be opened in Cape Verde.https://digitalcommons.ric.edu/baxter_gallery/1444/thumbnail.jp
Healthy, wealthy, wise? Psychosocial factors influencing the socioeconomic status-health gradient
Get PDFThe present research investigated psychosocial factors: control beliefs; social relations moderating the SES–health gradient. Participants included 3775 respondents from a national probability sample, Midlife in United States (t1: Age, M = 46.40, SD = 13.00, t2: Age, M = 55.47, SD = 12.43), who provided reports on control beliefs, social relations, and health at two assessment occasions (1994/1995 and 2002/2003). Hierarchical regression demonstrated that control beliefs, social support, and strain uniquely moderated relationships between SES and longitudinal health. The present study highlights the importance of psychosocial factors as protective mechanisms of socioeconomic disadvantages and associated long-term deleterious health outcomes