Letter from the Secretary of War, to the Chairman of the Committee on Militay Affairs, upon the subject of the defects existing in the present establishment. --

13th Cong., 3d sess. House. Doc. no. 12.

Report of the Committee appointed to inquire into the Present condition and distribution of the flags, standards and colors, which have been taken by the forces of the United States from their enemies, and whether it would be expedient to make any provision in relation to them.--

Adam Seybet, Chairman.

Research in the clinical setting : a qualitative study of the value of play research in the continuing education of occupational therapists.

Occupational therapists have always recognized playas an important part of a child's life. However, until recently play has been viewed as a medium for reaching treatment goals, rather than as an activity that is valuable in and of itself. If occupational therapists think of playas the primary activity or occupation of childhood, then play should be a very important area of focus for paediatric clinicians. In order to assist children to become as independent as possible with play and to have fulfilling play experiences the occupational therapist needs to have a clear understanding of how to assess, set goals which lead towards competence in play, and promote play. Recent play literature has placed importance on play behaviours and looking at the relationship between the child and both the human and nonhuman environment. Believing that play and playfulness can and should be promoted, for children with physical disabilities, requires that therapists learn new assessment and intervention strategies. A new assessment tool, The Test of Playfulness, was developed by Bundy in 1994. It addressed play behaviours and environmental influences. The author, a co-investigator and eight occupational therapists were involved in a playfulness study using this test to compare the playfulness of children with physical disabilities with their able-bodied peers. After the study was completed the author questioned whether or not involvement in the playfulness study was enough of a change agent to bring about transformative learning in order to further the eight occupational therapists' education about play.

An exploratory study for the discovery of non-invasive hepatocellular carcinoma biomarkers among high-risk hepatitis C virus infected patients

Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is a major healthcare problem, representing the third most common cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Chronic infections with Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and/or Hepatitis C virus (HCV) are the major risk factors for the development of HCC. The incidence of HBV -associated HCC is in decline as a result of an effective HBV vaccine; however, since an equally effective HCV vaccine has not yet been developed, there are 130 million HCV infected patients worldwide who are at a high-risk for developing HCC. Because reliable parameters and/or tools for the early detection of HCC among high-risk individuals are severely lacking, HCC patients are always diagnosed at a late stage where surgical solutions or effective treatment are not possible. Using urine as a non-invasive sample source, two different approaches (proteomic-based and genomic-based approaches) were pursued with the common goal of discovering potential biomarker candidates for the early detection of HCC among high-risk chronic HCV infected patients. Urine was collected from 106 HCV infected Egyptian patients, 32 of whom had already developed HCC and 74 patients who were diagnosed as HCC-free at the time of initial sample collection. In addition to these patients, urine samples were also collected from 12 healthy control individuals. Total urinary proteins, Trans-renal nucleic acid (Tr-NA) and microRNA (miRNA) were isolated from urine using novel methodologies and silicon carbide-loaded spin columns. In the first, "proteomic-based", approach, liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to identify potential candidates from pooled urine samples. This was followed by validating relative expression levels of proteins present in urine among all the patients using quantitative real time-PCR (qRT-PCR). This approach revealed that significant over-expression of three proteins: DJ-1, Chromatin Assembly Factor-1 (CAF-1) and 11 Moemen Abdalla HCC Biomarkers Heat Shock Protein 60 (HSP60), were characteristic events among HCC-post HCV infected patients. As a single-based HCC biomarker, CAF-1 over-expression identified HCC among HCV infected patients with a specificity of 90%, sensitivity of 66% and with an overall diagnostic accuracy of 78%. Moreover, the CAF-lIHSP60 tandem identified HCC among HCV infected patients with a specificity of 92%, sensitivity of 61 % and with an overall diagnostic accuracy of 77%. In the second genomic-based approach, two different approaches were processed. The first approach was the miRNA-based approach. The expression levels of miRNAs isolated from urine were studied using the Illumina MicroRNA Expression Profiling Assay. This was followed by qRT-PCR-based validation of deregulated expression of identified miRNA candidates among all the patients. This approach shed the light on the deregulated expression of a number of miRNAs, which may have a role in either the development of HCC among HCV infected patients (i.e. miR-640, miR-765, miR-200a, miR-521 and miR-520) or may allow for a better understanding of the viral-host interaction (miR-152, miR-486, miR-219, miR452, miR-425, miR-154 and miR-31). Moreover, the deregulated expression of both miR-618 and miR-650 appeared to be a common event among HCC-post HCV infected patients. The results of the search for putative targets of these two miRNA suggested that miR-618 may be a potent oncogene, as it targets the tumor-suppressor gene Low density lipoprotein-related protein 12 (LPR12), while miR-650 may be a potent tumor-suppressor gene, as it is supposed to downregulate the TNF receptor-associated factor-4 (TRAF4) oncogene. The specificity of miR-618 and miR-650 deregulated expression patterns for the early detection of HCC among HCV infected patients was 68% and 58%, respectively, whereas the sensitivity was 64% and 72%, respectively. When the deregulated expression of both miRNAs was combined as a tandem biomarker, the specificity and the sensitivity were 75% and 58% respectively. 111 Moemen Abdalla HCC Biomarkers In the second, "Trans-renal nucleic acid-based", approach, the urinary apoptotic nucleic acid (uaNA) levels of 70ng/mL or more were found to be a good predictor of HCC among chronic HCV infected patients. The specificity and the sensitivity of this diagnostic approach were 76% and 86%, respectively, with an overall diagnostic value of 81 %. The uaNA levels positively correlated to HCC disease progression as monitored by epigenetic changes of a panel of eight tumor-suppressor genes (TSGs) using methylation-sensitive PCR. Moreover, the pairing of high uaNA levels (:::: 70 ng/mL) and CAF-1 over-expreSSIOn produced a highly specific (l 00%) multiple-based HCC biomarker with an acceptable sensitivity of 64%, and with a diagnostic accuracy of 82%. In comparison to the previous pairing, the uaNA levels (:::: 70 ng/mL) in tandem with HSP60 over-expression was less specific (89%) but highly sensitive (72%), resulting in a diagnostic accuracy of 64%. The specificities of miR-650 deregulated expression in combination with either high uaNA content or HSP 60 over-expression were 82% and 79%, respectively, whereas, the sensitivities of these combinations were 64% and 58%, respectively. The potential biomarkers identified in this study compare favorably with the diagnostic accuracy of the a-fetoprotein levels test, which has a specificity of 75%, sensitivity of 68% and an overall diagnostic accuracy of 70%. Here we present an intriguing study which shows the significance of using urine as a noninvasive sample source for the identification of promising HCC biomarkers. We have also introduced new techniques for the isolation of different urinary macromolecules, especially miRNA, from urine. Furthermore, we strongly recommend the potential biomarkers indentified in this study as focal points of any future research on HCC diagnosis. A larger testing pool will determine if their use is practical for mass population screening. This explorative study identified potential targets that merit further investigation for the development of diagnostically accurate biomarkers isolated from 1-2 mL urine samples that were acquired in a non-invasive manner.

Cell wall degrading enzymes and interaction between Trichoderma Aggressivum and Agaricus Bisporus

Agaricus bisporus is the most commonly cultivated mushroom in North America and has a great economic value. Green mould is a serious disease of A. bisporus and causes major reductions in mushroom crop production. The causative agent of green mould disease in North America was identified as Trichoderma aggressivum f. aggressivum. Variations in the disease resistance have been shown in the different commercial mushroom strains. The purpose of this study is to continue investigations of the interactions between T. aggressivum and A. bisporus during the development of green mould disease. The main focus of the research was to study the roles of cell wall degrading enzymes in green mould disease resistance and pathogenesis. First, we tried to isolate and sequence the N-acetylglucosaminidase from A. bisporus to understand the defensive mechanism of mushroom against the disease. However, the lack of genomic and proteomic information of A. bisporus limited our efforts. Next, T. aggressivum cell wall degrading enzymes that are thought to attack Agaricus and mediate the disease development were examined. The three cell wall degrading enzymes genes, encoding endochitinase (ech42), glucanase (fJ-1,3 glucanase) and protease (prb 1), were isolated and sequenced from T. aggressivum f. aggressivum. The sequence data showed significant homology with the corresponding genes from other fungi including Trichoderma species. The transcription levels of the three T. aggressivum cell wall degrading enzymes were studied during the in vitro co-cultivation with A. bisporus using R T -qPCR. The transcription levels of the three genes were significantly upregulated compared to the solitary culture levels but were upregulated to a lesser extent in co-cultivation with a resistant strain of A. bisporus than with a sensitive strain. An Agrobacterium tumefaciens transformation system was developed for T. aggressivum and was used to transform three silencing plasmids to construct three new T. aggressivum phenotypes, each with a silenced cell wall degrading enzyme. The silencing efficiency was determined by RT-qPCR during the individual in vitro cocultivation of each of the new phenotypes with A. bisporus. The results showed that the expression of the three enzymes was significantly decreased during the in vitro cocultivation when compared with the wild type. The phenotypes were co-cultivated with A. bisporus on compost with monitoring the green mould disease progression. The data indicated that prbi and ech42 genes is more important in disease progression than the p- 1,3 glucanase gene. Finally, the present study emphasises the role of the three cell wall degrading enzymes in green mould disease infection and may provide a promising tool for disease management.

Manufacturing 'authenticity' : a case study of the Niagara wine cluster

In this thesis, I use "Fabricating Authenticity," a model developed in the Production of Culture Perspective, to explore the evolving criteria for judging what constitute "real" and authentic Niagara wines, along with the naturalization of these criteria, as the Canadian Niagara wine cluster has come under increasing stress from globalization. Authenticity has been identified as a hallmark of contemporary marketing and important to cultural industries, which can use it for creating meaningful differentiation; making it a renewable resource for securing consumers, increasing market value; and for relationships with key brokers. This is important as free trade and international treaties are making traditional protective barriers, like trade tariffs and markups, obsolete and as governments increasingly allocate industry support via promotion and marketing policies that are directly linked to objectives of city and regional development, which in turn carry real implications for what gets to be judged authentic and inauthentic local culture. This research uses a mixed methods research strategy, drawing upon ethnographic observation, marketing materials, newspaper reports, and secondary data to provide insight into the processes and conflicts over efforts to fabricate authenticity, comparing the periods before and after the passage of NAFT A to the present period. The Niagara wine cluster is a good case in point because it has little natural advantage nor was there a tradition of quality table wine making to facilitate the naturalization of authenticity. Geographic industrial clusters have been found particularly competitive in the global economy and the exploratory case study contributes to our understanding of the dynamic of '1abricating authenticity," building on various theoretical propositions to attempt to derive explanations of how global processes affect strategies to create "authenticity," how these strategies affect cultural homogeneity and heterogeneity at the local level, and how the concept of "cluster" contributes to the process of managing authenticity.

Perceived parental monitoring, adolescent disclosure, and adolescent depressive symptoms : a longitudinal examination

Parental monitoring has long been stressed as an important parenting practice in reducing adolescent susceptibility to depression. An extensive review by Stattin and Kerr (2000), however, , revealed that researchers had confounded perceptions of parental monitoring (i.e., parental solicitation and control) with parental knowledge, and neglected to consider the role of adolescent willingness to disclose. In the present study, adolescents (N = 1995; 51.3% female) were surveyed at two time points (grade 10 and 11). To disentangle the role of perceived parenting, three central issues were addressed. First, the present study examined whether parental knowledge, adolescent disclosure, and parental monitoring (i.e., parental solicitation and control) in grade 10 predicted adolescent depression in grade 11. Second, the predictive value of adolescent depression in grade lOon parental knowledge, adolescent disclosure, parental solicitation and parental control in grade 11 was considered. Lastly, associations among parental knowledge, adolescent disclosure, parental solicitation and parental control were examined over time. Findings indicated that higher levels of parental knowledge were associated with subsequent lower levels of depressive symptoms, and that depressive symptoms predicted lower levels of parental knowledge over time. Both adolescent willingness to disclose and parental control predicted higher parental knowledge. These findings underscore the role of adolescent and perceived parent contributions to parental knowledge, and highlight the importance of perceived parental knowledge in predicting reduced adolescent susceptibility to depression.

Father involvement in the breastfeeding process : determining contributing aspects

The importance of father involvement in the young family is increasingly evident. This research was conducted using the theory of planned behaviour to understand important aspects contributing to father invo lvement in the breastfeeding process. Eighty mothers and 65 fathers of one-year-old children completed a questionnaire regarding father involvement (FI) in breastfeeding. Measures included attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behaviour control regarding FI and the extent to which fathers demonstrated involvement by advocating for and affIrming breastfeeding, being present during breastfeeding, providing household help, and being responsive to their partners' needs. Results suggest that mothers and fathers experience FI differently. Mothers' perceptions are motivated by intrinsic attitudinal considerations, whereas fathers' involvement is primarily motivated by the opinions of others. Interventions should focus on increasing fathers' perception of societal approval through approaches such as peer-led groups, and increasing mothers' approval through information of the value of fathers' involvement in the breastfeeding process.

Letter from the Secretary of War, to the Chairman of the Committee on Military Affairs, upon the subject of the defects existing in the present establishment

13th Cong., 3d sess. House. Doc. no. 12. October 27, 1814. Laid before the House by the Chairman of the Committee and ordered to be printed.

Gaining Insights About Water: The Value of Surveys in First Nations Communities to Inform Water Governance

Knowledge of how water is perceived, used and managed in a community is critical to the endeavour of water governance. Surveys of individuals residing in a community offer a valuable avenue to gain information about several of these aspects of water. This paper draws upon experiences in three First Nation communities to explore the values of surveys to illuminate water issues and inform water decision-making. Findings from experiences with surveys in Six Nations of the Grand River, Mississaugas of the New Credit, and Oneida First Nation of the Thames reveal rich information about how surveys can provide insights about: the connection of individuals to the land, water and their community; reasons for valuing water; perceptions of water quality and issues surrounding water-related advisories; and, degree of satisfaction with water management and governance at different scales. Community partners reflected upon the findings of the survey for their community. Dialogue was then broadened across the cases as the partners offer benefits and challenges associated with the survey. Community surveys offer an important tool in the resource managers’ toolbox to understand social perceptions of water and provide valuable insights that may assist in improving its governance.

The Informational Value of Corporate Credit Ratings

This thesis examines the quality of credit ratings issued by the three major credit rating agencies - Moody’s, Standard and Poor’s and Fitch. If credit ratings are informative, then prices of underlying credit instruments such as fixed-income securities and credit default insurance should change to reflect the new credit risk information. Using data on 246 different major fixed income securities issuers and spanning January 2000 to December 2011, we find that credit default swaps (CDS) spreads do not react to changes in credit ratings. Hence credit ratings for all three agencies are not price informative. CDS prices are mostly determined by historical CDS prices while ratings are mostly determined by historical ratings. We find that credit ratings are marginally more sensitive to CDS than CDS are sensitive to ratings.

The Essence of Feeling a Sense of Community: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Inquiry With Middle School Students and Teachers

In contemporary times, there is a compelling need to understand the nature of positive community relationships that value diverse others. This dissertation is a hermeneutic phenomenological inquiry into the essence of what it means to feel a sense of community. Specifically, I explored this phenomenon from the perspective of middle school teachers and students through the following questions: What meanings do students and teachers ascribe to feeling, experiencing, and developing a sense of community in their classes? To what extent do students’ and teachers’ ideas about feeling a sense of community include the acceptance of individual differences? Together these questions contributed to the overarching question, what is the essence of feeling a sense of community? As the data pool for the research, I used 192 essays and 218 posters from students who had been asked to write or draw about their visions of a positive classroom community where they felt a sense of community. I conducted 9 teacher interviews on the topic as well. My findings revealed one overarching ontology, Being-in-Relation, which outlined a full integration between individuality and community as a “way of being.” I also found five attributes that are present when individuals feel a sense of community: Supporting Others, Dialogue, An Ethic of Respect and Care, Safety, and Healthy Conflict. Contributions from this research include extensions to the literature about community; clarity for those who wish to establish a strong foundation of community relationships within formal and non-formal educational programs; insight that may assist educators, leaders, and policy makers within formal educational systems; and an opportunity to consider the extent to which the findings may point toward broader implications.