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RNA-binding proteins play important roles in bacterial gene regulation through interactions with both coding and non-coding RNAs. ProQ is a FinO-domain protein that binds a large set of RNAs inEscherichia coli, though the details of how ProQ binds these RNAs remain unclear. In this study, we used a combination ofin vivoandin vitrobinding assays to confirm key structural features ofE. coliProQ’s FinO domain and explore its mechanism of RNA interactions. Using a bacterial three-hybrid assay, we performed forward genetic screens to confirm the importance of the concave face of ProQ in RNA binding. Using gel shift assays, we directly probed the contributions of ten amino acids on ProQ binding to seven RNA targets. Certain residues (R58, Y70, and R80) were found to be essential for binding of all seven RNAs, while substitutions of other residues (K54 and R62) caused more moderate binding defects. Interestingly, substitutions of two amino acids (K35, R69), which are evolutionarily variable but adjacent to conserved residues, showed varied effects on the binding of different RNAs; these may arise from the differing sequence context around each RNA’s terminator hairpin. Together, this work confirms many of the essential RNA-binding residues in ProQ initially identifiedin vivoand supports a model in which residues on the conserved concave face of the FinO domain such as R58, Y70 and R80 form the main RNA-binding site ofE. coliProQ, while additional contacts contribute to the binding of certain RNAs.

The purpose of this pilot study was to determine whether positive results from a word-problem intervention implemented one-to-one contributed to similar outcomes when implemented in small groups of three to four students. Third-grade students experiencing mathematics difficulty ( N = 76) were randomly assigned to word-problem intervention ( n = 56) or business-as-usual comparison ( n = 20). Intervention occurred for 13 weeks, 3 times per week, 30 min per session. Multilevel models revealed the intervention condition significantly outperformed the BaU on a proximal word-problem outcome, corroborating results from our prior individual intervention. When comparing student performance in the individual versus small-group intervention, findings suggest students received added benefit from the individual intervention. The word-problem intervention successfully translated to a small-group setting, which holds important implications for educators working with students in supplemental, targeted, or Tier 2 mathematics intervention settings.

We conducted a randomized control trial assessing the effects of two variants of word-problem intervention with third graders (n = 304) experiencing mathematics difficulty. Students were assigned t...

The purpose of this study was to explore the paths by which word-problem intervention, with versus without embedded prealgebraic reasoning instruction, improved word-problem performance. Students with mathematics difficulty (MD; n = 304) were randomly assigned to a business-as-usual condition or 1 of 2 variants of word-problem intervention. The prealgebraic reasoning component targeted relational understanding of the equal sign as well as standard and nonstandard equation solving. Intervention occurred for 16 weeks, 3 times per week, 30 min per session. Sequential mediation models revealed main effects, in which each intervention condition significantly and substantially outperformed the business-as-usual condition, corroborating prior research on the efficacy of schema word-problem intervention. Yet despite comparable effects on word-problem outcomes between the two word-problem conditions, the process by which effects accrued differed: An indirect path via equal-sign understanding and then equation solving was significant only for the word-problem intervention condition with embedded prealgebraic reasoning instruction. Additionally, the effect of this condition on equal-sign reasoning was strong. Given the link between equal-sign reasoning for success with algebra and the importance of algebra for success with advanced mathematics, results suggest an advantage for embedding prealgebraic reasoning instruction within word-problem intervention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

BACKGROUND COVID-19 exacerbated a growing mental health crisis among youth and young adults, made worse by a lack of existing in-person options for high-acuity care. The emergence and growth of remote intensive outpatient programs (IOP) is one solution to overcoming geographic limitations to care. However, it is still unclear whether remote IOP engenders equivalent clinical outcomes among youth with public insurance (e.g., Medicaid) versus private insurance (e.g., commercial), given the disparities found in previous research of place-based treatment in both clinical and engagement outcomes. OBJECTIVE The analysis upon which the following report is based sought to establish, as part of ongoing quality improvement efforts, whether engagement and clinical outcomes among adolescents and young adults attending remote IOP treatment differed between those with public versus private insurance. Identification of disparities by payor type were used to inform programmatic decisions within the remote IOP system for which this quality improvement analysis was conducted. METHODS Pearson’s chi-square analyses and independent t-tests were used to establish that the two groups defined by insurance type were equivalent on clinical outcomes (depression, suicidal ideation, non-suicidal self-injury) at intake and to compare change in clinical outcomes. McNemar’s chi-square analysis and repeated-measures t-tests were used to assess changes in clinical outcomes between intake and discharge in the sample as a whole. A total of N=495 clients who attended the remote IOP for youth and young adults in 14 states, who participated in seven or more treatment sessions and who completed both intake and discharge surveys between July 2021 and April 2022 were included in analysis. RESULTS Overall, the youth and young adults in the remote IOP attended 90% of their scheduled group sessions (SD=16.48%) and reported significantly fewer depression symptoms at discharge (t447=12.51, P CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that remote IOP is a feasible and effective treatment solution for youth and young adults who are struggling with depression, suicidal ideation, and NSSI. Furthermore, when given access to the same accessible, high−acuity care, youth and young adults on both public and private insurance can be engaged in programming at comparable rates and achieve similar improvements in clinical outcomes. CLINICALTRIAL N/A

Noncoding RNAs regulate gene expression in every domain of life. In bacteria, small RNAs (sRNAs) regulate gene expression in response to stress and are often assisted by RNA–chaperone proteins, such as Hfq. We have recently developed a bacterial three-hybrid (B3H) assay that detects the strong binding interactions of certain E. coli sRNAs with proteins Hfq and ProQ. Despite the promise of this system, the signal-to-noise has made it challenging to detect weaker interactions. In this work, we use Hfq–sRNA interactions as a model system to optimize the B3H assay, so that weaker RNA–protein interactions can be more reliably detected. We find that the concentration of the RNA–DNA adapter is an important parameter in determining the signal in the system and have modified the plasmid expressing this component to tune its concentration to optimal levels. In addition, we have systematically perturbed the binding affinity of Hfq–RNA interactions to define, for the first time, the relationship between B3H signal and in vitro binding energetics. The new pAdapter construct presented here substantially expands the range of detectable interactions in the B3H assay, broadening its utility. This improved assay will increase the likelihood of identifying novel protein–RNA interactions with the B3H system and will facilitate exploration of the binding mechanisms of these interactions.

In mathematics, the expectation to set up and solve word problems emerges as early as kindergarten; however, many students who experience mathematics difficulty (MD) and dual-language learners often present with specific challenges in this area. To investigate why these populations experience word-problem difficulty, we examined the word, problem solving and oral explanations of third-grade dual-language learners (DLLs; n = 40) and non-DLLs ( n = 40), all of whom were identified as experiencing MD. Students solved five additive word problems and provided oral explanations of their work, which were transcribed and coded for the number of words in each explanation, type of mathematics vocabulary terms used, inclusion of correct numbers in explanations, and descriptions of addition or subtraction. We identified no significant differences in word-problem scores between DLLs and non-DLLs with MD. For both DLLs and non-DLLs, students who answered problems correctly used more words in each explanation and used more mathematics vocabulary terms within their explanations. For incorrectly answered problems, the most common mistake for both DLLs and non-DLLs involved using the incorrect operation to solve the problem.

Objective Conduct a scoping review of food and alcohol disturbance (FAD) in US college students to overview the literature within this population and identify research opportunities. Methods Studies (n = 39) were selected using systematic searches of databases and references. Search terms included: drunkorexia, "food and alcohol disturbance," and "compensatory behavior" AND alcohol AND eating. Results Issues with methodological quality were noted. Most studies used quantitative methods and cross-sectional designs with small, biased samples. Terminologies, conceptualizations, and measures varied; however, 30% of studies neglected enhanced intoxication effects. Prevalence ranged from approximately 10-55%, with greater risk for women. Alcohol use and disordered eating were primary predictors. Personality, affective, and social factors are potential correlates. Alcohol-related consequences were higher for those with FAD. Conclusions While the literature is inconsistent and unclear, FAD appears to be common among college students and associated with negative consequences. Suggestions and considerations for future research are provided.

The purpose of this study was to measure the mathematics-vocabulary performance of 3rd graders to determine if performance differences existed among English learners (ELs) and non-ELs with and with...

Word problems require students to read a language-based problem, identify necessary information to answer a prompt, and perform calculation(s) to develop a problem solution. Solving word problems proves particularly challenging for students with mathematics difficulties because skill in reading, interpretation of language, and mathematics are required for word-problem proficiency. We examined whether two versions of a word-problem intervention increased students’ understanding of three word-problem language features: naming a superordinate category, identifying irrelevant information, and providing a word-problem label. At pre- and posttest, 145 3rd-grade students solved word problems and answered questions about word-problem language. Students who participated in the word-problem interventions demonstrated improvement on identifying irrelevant information and providing word-problem labels over students in the business-as-usual condition. We did not identify group differences related to naming a superordinate category. These results suggest the importance of explicit teaching of language comprehension features within word-problem intervention. Subscribe to LDMJ

Isotretinoin therapy has been studied a great deal over the past decade, with new understanding about its use in the treatment of acne vulgaris. Optimal dosing for isotretinoin therapy has yet to be elucidated, although data supports that lower relapse rates are seen with higher cumulative doses of medication. New evidence suggests that monthly laboratory monitoring may not be needed for healthy patients on isotretinoin therapy and instead a lipid profile and liver function tests may be completed at baseline and after 2 months of therapy or when the maximum dose has been achieved. Additional testing may be warranted for severe abnormalities and comorbid medical conditions. A causative link between isotretinoin and depression has not been found, but given the high prevalence of depression in patients with acne, screening is still warranted. Current evidence suggests that it is not necessary to wait 6 months post isotretinoin to undergo scar revision and resurfacing procedures.

Non-coding RNAs regulate gene expression in every domain of life. In bacteria, small RNAs (sRNAs) regulate gene expression in response to stress and are often assisted by RNA-chaperone proteins, such as Hfq. We have recently developed a bacterial three-hybrid (B3H) assay that detects the strong binding interactions of certain E. coli sRNAs with proteins Hfq and ProQ. Despite the promise of this system, the signal-to-noise has made it challenging to detect weaker interactions. In this work, we use Hfq-sRNA interactions as a model system to optimize the B3H assay, so that weaker RNA-protein interactions can be more reliably detected. We find that the concentration of the RNA-DNA adapter is an important parameter in determining the signal in the system, and have modified the plasmid expressing this component to tune its concentration to optimal levels. In addition, we have systematically perturbed the binding affinity of Hfq-RNA interactions to define, for the first time, the relationship between B3H signal and in vitro binding energetics. The new pAdapter construct presented here substantially expands the range of detectable interactions in the B3H assay, broadening its utility. This improved assay will increase the likelihood of identifying novel protein-RNA interactions with the B3H system, and will facilitate exploration of the binding mechanisms of these interactions.

The regulation of gene expression by small RNAs inEscherichia colidepends on RNA binding proteins Hfq and ProQ, which bind mostly distinct RNA pools. To understand how ProQ discriminates between RNA substrates, we compared its binding to six different RNA molecules. Full-length ProQ bound all six RNAs similarly, while the isolated N-terminal FinO domain (NTD) of ProQ specifically recognized RNAs with Rho-independent terminators. Analysis ofmalM3’-UTR mutants showed that tight RNA binding by the ProQ NTD required a terminator hairpin of at least two base pairs preceding an 3’ oligoU tail of at least four uridine residues. Substitution of an A-rich sequence on the 5’ side of the terminator to uridines strengthened the binding of several ProQ-specific RNAs to the Hfq protein, but not to the ProQ NTD. Substitution of the motif in themalM-3’ andcspE-3’ RNAs also conferred the ability to bind Hfq inE. colicells, as measured using a three-hybrid assay. In summary, these data suggest that the ProQ NTD specifically recognizes 3’ intrinsic terminators of RNA substrates, and that the discrimination between RNA ligands byE. coliProQ and Hfq depends both on positive determinants for binding to ProQ and negative determinants against binding to Hfq.

Sigmund Freud coined the term urszene—or “primal scene”—to describe the experience of children witnessing their parents engaging in sexual activity. We examined the historical context in which the primal scene emerged, considered contemporary views of the primal scene, and conducted two empirical studies (N = 961, 1390) to investigate Freud’s proposition that children who witness the primal scene would later be prone to “attacks of falling physically in love,” which we operationalized as sociosexual orientation. In both studies, individuals who witnessed the primal scene as children had a more unrestricted sociosexual orientation than those who did not. Additionally, men had a more unrestricted sociosexual orientation than women. Altogether, these results suggest a possible link between primal scene exposure and sociosexual orientation. In contrast to psychoanalytic theories, we offer psychodynamic and normative social explanations of the primal scene phenomenon.

The FinO-domain-protein ProQ is an RNA-binding protein that has been known to play a role in osmoregulation in proteobacteria. Recently, ProQ has been shown to act as a global RNA-binding protein in Salmonella and E. coli, binding to dozens of small RNAs (sRNAs) and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) to regulate mRNA-expression levels through interactions with both 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions (UTRs). Despite excitement around ProQ as a novel global RNA-binding protein interacting with many sRNAs and mRNAs, and its potential to serve as a matchmaking RNA chaperone, significant gaps remain in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms ProQ uses to interact with RNA. In order to apply the tools of molecular genetics to this question, we have adapted a bacterial three-hybrid (B3H) assay to detect ProQ's interactions with target RNAs. Using domain truncations, site-directed mutagenesis and an unbiased forward genetic screen, we have identified a group of highly conserved residues on ProQ's NTD as the primary face for in vivo recognition of two RNAs, and propose that the NTD structure serves as an electrostatic scaffold to recognize the shape of an A-form RNA duplex.

The purpose of this study was to examine the word-problem performance and strategies utilized by 3rd-grade students experiencing mathematics difficulty (MD). We assessed the efficacy of a word-problem intervention and compared the word-problem performance of students with MD who received intervention (n = 51) to students with MD who received general education classroom word-problem instruction (n = 60). Intervention occurred for 16 weeks, 3 times per week, 30 min per session and focused on helping students understand the schemas of word problems. Results demonstrated that students with MD who received the word-problem intervention outperformed students with MD who received general education classroom word-problem instruction. We also analyzed the word-problem strategies of 30 randomly-selected students from the study to understand how students set up and solve word problems. Students who received intervention demonstrated more sophisticated word-problem strategies than students who only received general education classroom word-problem instruction. Findings suggest students with MD benefit from use of meta-cognitive strategies and explicit schema instruction to solve word problems.

The chapter presents the historical background of arts integration and special education, including operational definitions of arts integration within the framework of arts in education approaches as well as historical context and a description of the evolution of arts integration research. It reviews the research findings on arts integration and includes a summary of the status of the research to date on interventions aimed at elementary-aged students with disabilities. The chapter describes a synthesis of the decade of trends in arts integration and special education, including consideration of the tension between arts integration practice and special education research, along with recommendations for research and practice in arts integration and special education based upon authors findings. Research initiatives and justifications for arts integration have changed dramatically from exploratory-descriptive to confirmatory investigations the latter of which necessitate interdisciplinary collaboration between arts and non-arts disciplines to make predictions and test hypotheses around arts integration approaches and observed student outcomes.

Separation Management capabilities aim to provide controllers with tools and procedures to more efficiently manage air traffic in a mixed equipage environment. This paper presents the results of an integrated human performance safety assessment of Separation Management concepts planned for implementation between 2016 and 2020. The assessment utilized the Human and Organizational Safety Technique (HOST) to provide a structured method for identifying potential human error modes and estimating their contribution to the human performance risk profile. The HOST assessment resulted in multiple potential human error modes across the individual Separation Management changes. As no concept will be implemented in isolation, key interactions among error modes were assessed utilizing an integrated Human-System Interaction Model. The findings from this research provide a proactive view of potential human-system integration challenges that can be used by stakeholders to proactively develop human factors mitigation strategies that will reduce implementation time and costs associated with each concept.

Teacher language and students' on-task behavior were examined in language arts lessons with and without classroom drama in two self-contained third grade classrooms for students with learning disabilities and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Language arts lessons that integrated classroom drama were associated with significantly higher rates of teachers' assertive statements and lower rates of regulative statements. Language arts lessons using classroom drama were associated with higher rates of students' on-task behavior than conventional language arts lessons. The findings indicate that the classroom drama language arts setting influenced teachers' use of assertive and regulative discourse, and students' on-task behavior. The authors discuss the implications of arts integrated instruction for educational practice and research as well as policy.

The primary responsibility of an Airport Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) controller is to prevent collisions between aircraft and other hazards on the surface and in the immediate vicinity. The safety service provided by controllers at towers with larger operations greatly exceeds the costs of establishing those towers. As the number of operations decreases, the costs of operating the tower may begin to outweigh the benefits of staffing the tower. With a focus on visual air traffic services (VATS), this assessment aims to examine the safety benefits being provided by controllers at ATCT in Class Delta (D) airspace through safety event narratives and airport characteristics. Safety event reports describing instances where an ATCT controller provided a service that reduced the consequences of the event were collected. The reports were classified to identify latent factors, causal factors, and positive safety benefits. The adverse causal factors and positive safety benefits were then utilized to determine statistically significant risk-benefit pathways describing the safety benefits that controllers provide at airports in Class D airspace. This paper presents the static risk-benefit pathway, one of the three determined pathways for Class D ATCT.

In an effort to proactively examine NextGen concepts to identify and mitigate potential human performance risks and system-level contributing factors, the proactive Human-Organization Safety Technique (HOST) was developed. Building upon human factors and systems engineering theories, HOST combines the Human Error Safety Risks Assessment (HESRA) methodology with the Systems Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA) to provide stakeholders with a comprehensive view of potential safety risks. Through the application of HOST, human and system performance hazards and their impacts are identified. Utilizing systems engineering processes and human-system interaction models, the ramifications of those hazards are traced beyond the immediate hazard actor impact to identify other system and actor impacts. HOST provides a structured methodology for assessing and prioritizing human and system performance hazards based on severity, likelihood, and detection/recovery. The consistent structure underlying the human-system interaction models further enables the identification of key safety interaction points and integration hazards associated with multiple related concepts. The resulting prioritized identification of potential human and system performance hazards allows for mitigation strategies to be developed and targeted towards the highest priority hazards.

This study examined the influence of tableau on the expressive language skills of three students with language-based learning disabilities in inclusive urban fourth-grade English language arts (ELA) classroom settings. Data were collected on linguistic productivity, specificity, and narrative cohesion through analysis of students’ responses to oral story recall tasks following tableau lessons (n = 30), in comparison to conventional ELA lessons (n = 30). Measures of students’ linguistic productivity and specificity included mean rate of use for different words, total words, and literate language features per utterance. Narrative cohesion was measured by mean frequency of cohesive elements in students’ oral retellings. Findings showed increased linguistic productivity, specificity, and cohesion in students’ oral retellings following tableau, as compared to conventional ELA lessons. Individual student findings across tableau and conventional ELA lessons indicated that students’ unique language profiles influenced their gains in linguistic productivity, specificity, and cohesion. Implications for future research and practice are discussed. Subscribe to LDMJ

The FAA intends to considerably increase the usage of area navigation (RNAV) approach and departure procedures in order to achieve the proposed NextGen goals for improved efficiency and capacity. RNAV procedures enable aircraft to have better access and flexibility for point-to-point operations. In an effort to better understand the potential impact of increased RNAV usage, a human factors safety assessment was conducted to identify the key human factors issues present in current RNAV operations. An analysis of 100 RNAV narrative-based safety reports from the Air Traffic Safety Action Program (ATSAP) and 68 narrative-based safety reports from the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) was conducted to identify key causal factors. The analysis found several key causal factors related to RNAV procedure design, controller-pilot communication, automation systems, and track deviations. Specific human performance concerns and mitigation strategies for each causal factor were developed. These results should drive future requirements associated with the implementation of future RNAV procedures.

The National Airspace System (NAS) Enterprise Architecture (EA) describes Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) goals, operational changes, planned infrastructure changes, and guidance materials that are referenced by FAA programs throughout the acquisition process. To strengthen the presence of human factors in NAS infrastructure plans and improvements, the FAA Human Factors Research and Engineering Division executed a redesign of the Human System Integration (HSI) Roadmap. This paper will present the methods utilized to redesign the HSI Roadmap, provide an overview of sample human factors integration opportunities, and key lessons learned.

Diabetes mellitus is a frequent consequence of chronic pancreatitis (CP). Little is known about pancreatic endocrine function before the development of diabetes mellitus in CP, particularly in females, or those without calcific and/or alcoholic pancreatitis.Twenty-five nondiabetic adult patients with CP (19 female; mean [SE] age, 34.2 [2.4] years) were compared with 25 healthy controls matched for age, sex, and body mass index. Subjects underwent frequent sample intravenous glucose tolerance testing (FSIVGTT) and mixed meal tolerance testing (MMTT).Mean (SE) fasting glucose was higher in patients with CP (89.5 [2.3] mg/dL) than in controls (84.4 [1.2] mg/dL, P = 0.04). On MMTT, patients with CP had a higher area under the curve (AUC) glucose and AUC glucagon compared with controls (P ≤ 0.01). The AUC C-peptide was equivalent (P = 0.6) but stimulated C-peptide at 30 minutes was lower in patients with CP (P = 0.04). Mean insulin sensitivity index calculated from the FSIVGTT was lower in CP group, indicating reduced insulin sensitivity (P ≤ 0.01). Disposition index (insulin secretion adjusted for insulin sensitivity on FSIVGTT) was lower in patients with CP (P = 0.01).Patients with CP had higher fasting and MMTT glucose levels, without a compensatory increase in insulin secretion suggesting subtle early islet dysfunction. Our cohort had relative hyperglucagonemia and was less insulin sensitive than controls.

In an effort to modernize the National Airspace System (NAS), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has introduced the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). The introduction of new capabilities and operational improvements (OI) offers the potential for changes to the roles and responsibilities of the traffic management unit (TMU). Each change presents the opportunity to positively or adversely impact the overall safety of the NAS. This paper applies a proactive approach to identifying potential human performance hazards associated with NextGen TMU operations. The TMU performance hazards identified were primarily related to the potential for selecting inadequate airspace and airport configurations. The potential effects of these hazards will directly affect the NextGen controller and thus represent rich opportunities for researchers to mitigate potential issues in the early stages of system design.

In an effort to modernize the National Airspace System (NAS) the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has introduced the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). The introduction of new systems and procedures as described in NextGen offers the potential for significant changes to the daily activities of air traffic controllers. Along with the many proposed NextGen capabilities and improvements comes the need for new controller alerts and notifications. This research presents fourteen potential new alerts directly or indirectly proposed by literature describing NextGen midterm operations. Each new alert along with the potential positive and negative implications of providing the controller with the alert is discussed. This high-level survey of alerts should serve to inform researchers and system designers as they develop research and design requirements.

In an effort to modernize the National Airspace System, the Federal Aviation Administration has introduced the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). The introduction of new systems and procedures as described in NextGen offers the potential for significant changes to the daily activities of air traffic controllers. Each change presents the opportunity for both positive and negative effects on the overall safety of the NAS and the role of the air traffic manager. This paper presents a methodology for prospectively identifying hazards to the performance of air traffic controllers as well as a summary of the categorization of the hazards by task. Scenarios describing NextGen airport departure operations and operations with varying levels of equipage presented the most significant human performance hazards. These identified hazards represent rich opportunities for future human factors research.

The operation and safety of the National Airspace System (NAS) is reliant on a multitude of actors and systems, which includes the members of the Airline Operation Center (AOC), whose primary job is to ensure flight safety (Sheremeta & Weitzel, 2005). The FAA’s NextGen will constitute many changes within the NAS, and the effects of these changes need to be examined in respect to the AOC. However, before these changes can be examined in detail, it is necessary to have a baseline understanding of the current operations and actors of an AOC. In this study, AOC actors that are critical to the day-to-day operation of an AOC were identified and a functional allocation was performed. Using this research as a baseline, further research should be conducted to examine how those AOC actors and their functions will change with the implementation of NextGen.

This study investigated human error in non-aviation industries utilizing the Human Factors Classification and Analysis System (HFACS). The purpose of this study was to identify associations between active errors and latent conditions beyond the aviation industry using a taxonomy that systemically identifies both active errors and latent conditions at all levels of an organization. Doing so could potentially allow for the shifting of intervention target areas from active errors to latent conditions. Seven data sources representing five different non-aviation industry types were analyzed using HFACS methodology and causal category associations were identified. Among the various significant causal factor associations, violations were determined be associated with certain causal categories at the unsafe supervision tier. Additionally, crew resource management causal factors were found to be associated with both skill-based and decision errors. Associations among the HFACS causal categories yield useful information when determining targeted interventions.

Sulfations of sugars, such as heparan sulfates (HS), or tyrosines require the universal sulfate donor 3′-phospho-adenosine-5′-phosphosulfate (PAPS) to be transported from the cytosol into the Golgi. Metazoan genomes encode two putative PAPS transporters (PAPST1 and PAPST2), which have been shown in vitro to preferentially transport PAPS across membranes. We have identified the C. elegans orthologs of PAPST1 and PAPST2 and named them pst-1 and pst-2, respectively. We show that pst-1 is essential for viability in C. elegans, functions non-redundantly with pst-2, and can act non-autonomously to mediate essential functions. Additionally, pst-1 is required for specific aspects of nervous system development rather than for formation of the major neuronal ganglia or fascicles. Neuronal defects correlate with reduced complexity of HS modification patterns, as measured by direct biochemical analysis. Our results suggest that pst-1 functions in metazoans to establish the complex HS modification patterns that are required for the development of neuronal connectivity.

This study investigated human error across a variety of industry types utilizing the Human Factors Classification and Analysis System (HFACS). One of the goals of the present study was to determine any similarities or disparities across industry type in regards to HFACS causal categories. Seven data sources represented five different industry types were collected and analyzed for percentage of cases associated with a causal factor at each HFACS causal category. Skill-based errors were found to dominate the unsafe acts tier regardless of industry type. Different statistical methods for determining population differences yielded conflicting results. Significant differences were found among certain data source pairings when the traditional two-proportion z-test was applied; however, the differences were found to be non-significant when the false discovery rate method was applied.

3-(2-Formylaryl)-1-sulfinyl-(1Z,3E)-pentadien-5-al iron tricarbonyl complexes were prepared to examine the feasibility and diastereoselectivity of intramolecular pinacol couplings on such substrates. It was found that the pinacol coupling, promoted by VCl(3) x (THF)(3)/Zn, proceeded in good yield and with high diastereoselectivity (23:1 dr), provided the 2-formylaryl unit remained unsubstituted at the aryl C3 position (ortho to the formyl group). In these latter cases the pinacol coupling was diastereorandom. A 3-formyl-4-(2-formylaryl)-1-sulfinyl-(1Z,3E)-butadiene iron tricarbonyl complex also underwent diastereoselective pinacol coupling (22:1 dr). 3-(3-Formylindolyl)-1-sulfinyl-(1Z,3E)-pentadien-5-al iron tricarbonyl complexes were also prepared, though pinacol coupling of these substrates proceeded in, at best, modest yield for two of the four examples tested. All cases described herein represent the first intramolecular pinacol couplings performed on the periphery of an iron(0) diene tricarbonyl complex.

Kallmann syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by various behavioral and neuroanatomical defects. The X-linked form of this disease is caused by mutations in the KAL-1 gene, which codes for a secreted molecule that is expressed in restricted regions of the brain. Its molecular mechanism of action has thus far remained largely elusive. We show here that expression of the Caenorhabditis elegans homolog of KAL-1 in selected sensory and interneuron classes causes a highly penetrant, dosage-dependent, and cell autonomous axon-branching phenotype. In a different cellular context, heterologous C. elegans kal-1 expression causes a highly penetrant axon-misrouting phenotype. The axon-branching and -misrouting activities require different domains of the KAL-1 protein. In a genetic modifier screen we isolated several loci that either suppress or enhance the kal-1 -induced axonal defects, one of which codes for an enzyme that modifies specific residues in heparan sulfate proteoglycans, namely heparan-6 O -sulfotransferase. We hypothesize that KAL-1 binds by means of a heparan sulfate proteoglycan to its cognate receptor or other extracellular cues to induce axonal branching and axon misrouting.

The interaction of RNA molecules with proteins is a critical aspect of gene regulation across all domains of life. Here, we report the development of a bacterial three-hybrid (B3H) assay to genetically detect RNA–protein interactions. The basis for this three-hybrid assay is a transcription-based bacterial two-hybrid assay that has been used widely to detect and dissect protein–protein interactions. In the three-hybrid assay, a DNA-bound protein with a fused RNA-binding moiety (the coat protein of bacteriophage MS2 (MS2CP)) is used to recruit a hybrid RNA upstream of a test promoter. The hybrid RNA consists of a constant region that binds the tethered MS2CP and a variable region. Interaction between the variable region of the hybrid RNA and a target RNA-binding protein that is fused to a subunit of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase (RNAP) stabilizes the binding of RNAP to the test promoter, thereby activating transcription of a reporter gene. We demonstrate that this three-hybrid assay detects interaction between non-coding small RNAs (sRNAs) and the hexameric RNA chaperone Hfq from E. coli and enables the identification of Hfq mutants with sRNA-binding defects. Our findings suggest that this B3H assay will be broadly applicable for the study of RNA–protein interactions.

While health professions educators espouse the need to develop lifelong learning skills in students, little is written about such attempts. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of educational and awareness interventions designed to promote self-regulated learning processes as a means to improve lifelong learning skills. First-year students in respiratory care and radiologic imaging sciences took the Learning and Study Skills Inventory (LASSI) in fall and spring semesters. They made the decision to use or not use educational resources in an online course focused on self-regulated learning skills. All students maintained a journal and responded to prompts about changes in their study skills. Final grades, reported in percentages, from selected required courses for fall and spring semesters were recorded. There were no substantive effects of the intervention (LASSI and online resources) as measured by the LASSI and course averages. Qualitative analysis indicated that students valued the LASSI and the online resources and that they altered their study skills as they perceived the need. Suggestions for future work include continued use of the LASSI, integration of self-regulated learning strategies into courses with role-modeling by faculty, and the use of microanalytic protocols.

Dramatic language arts integration (DLA) and conventional language arts (CLA) lessons were compared for their influence on third grade students written narrative cohesion and on-task behavior in a self-contained, nonpublic elementary classroom. Participants included students (N=14) with comorbid language-based learning disabilities (LD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Results showed associations between the quality of students written language and context of use, such that students used significantly more referential and spatial cohesive discourse markers in DLA than in CLA context. Also, students had higher rates of on-task behavior in DLA as compared to the CLA context. Intervention implications for students with LD and ADHD due to language learning and behavioral factors are discussed.

Summary Translation of hepatitis C viral proteins requires an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) located in the 5′ untranslated region of the viral mRNA. The core domain of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) IRES contains a four-way helical junction that is integrated within a predicted pseudoknot. This domain is required for positioning the mRNA start codon correctly on the 40S ribosomal subunit during translation initiation. Here, we present the crystal structure of this RNA, revealing a complex double-pseudoknot fold that establishes the alignment of two helical elements on either side of the four-helix junction. The conformation of this core domain constrains the open reading frame's orientation for positioning on the 40S ribosomal subunit. This structure, representing the last major domain of HCV-like IRESs to be determined at near-atomic resolution, provides the basis for a comprehensive cryoelectron microscopy-guided model of the intact HCV IRES and its interaction with 40S ribosomal subunits.