There are an estimated 8 million users of smokeless tobacco products (STPs) in the United States, and yet limited data on microbial populations within these products exist. To better understand the potential microbiological risks associated with STP use, a study was conducted to provide a baseline microbiological profile of STPs. A total of 90 samples, representing 15 common STPs, were purchased in metropolitan areas in Little Rock, AR, and Washington, DC, in November 2012, March 2013, and July 2013. Bacterial populations were evaluated using culture, pyrosequencing, and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Moist-snuff products exhibited higher levels of bacteria (average of 1.05 ؋ 10 6 CFU/g STP) and diversity of bacterial populations than snus (average of 8.33 ؋ 10 1 CFU/g STP) and some chewing tobacco products (average of 2.54 ؋ 10 5 CFU/g STP). The most common species identified by culturing were Bacillus pumilus, B. licheniformis, B. safensis, and B. subtilis, followed by members of the genera Oceanobacillus, Staphylococcus, and Tetragenococcus. Pyrosequencing analyses of the 16S rRNA genes identified the genera Tetragenococcus, Carnobacterium, Lactobacillus, Geobacillus, Bacillus, and Staphylococcus as the predominant taxa. Several species identified are of possible concern due to their potential to cause opportunistic infections and reported abilities to reduce nitrates to nitrites, which may be an important step in the formation of carcinogenic tobacco-specific N=-nitrosamines. This report provides a microbiological baseline to help fill knowledge gaps associated with microbiological risks of STPs and to inform potential regulations regarding manufacture and testing of STPs. IMPORTANCEIt is estimated that there 8 million users of smokeless tobacco products (STPs) in the United States; however, there are limited data on microbial populations that exist within these products. The current study was undertaken to better understand the potential microbiological risks associated with STP use and provide a baseline microbiological profile of STPs. Several bacterial species were identified that are of possible concern due to their potential to cause opportunistic infections. In addition, some species have abilities to reduce nitrates to nitrites, which may be an important step in the formation of carcinogenic tobaccospecific N=-nitrosamines. Overall, this report provides a microbiological baseline to help fill knowledge gaps related to the microbiological risks of STPs and to inform potential regulations regarding the manufacture and testing of STPs.
This article aims to describe a case study which explores teacher and students` conceptions about gender in an EFL setting and the way they are manifested in their discourse patterns. This exploratory case study was carried out with a group of eleventh grade students and an English teacher at Liceo de la Universidad Católica high school in Bogotá Colombia. The data collected included direct observation of classroom interaction, audio and video recording of the teacher and students` interactions and interviews on the teacher’s and students` discourse. The analysis of the data revealed that in fact there are imbalances in relation to boys` and girls` participation during interaction, made manifest by verbal and nonverbal attitudes. There is also sound evidence of girls’ low self esteem in response to the lack of value and respect granted to their opinions by their male peers. Stereotypes are part of teachers’ and students’ conceptions regarding gender and thus they are maintained to a great extent. The teacher’s attitude in the classroom with respect to boys and girls also appeared to show inequality that favoured boys. The girls showed evidence of awareness of the teacher’s conscious or unconscious indifference towards them, which seemed to affect their autonomy and confidence as English language learners.
Today more than ever it is critical to guide future teachers in the direction of understanding how people participate and constitute social reality as a seedbed to create more significant language curriculums that respond to school students’ needs and empower them to act more critically in their worlds. This article discusses the way pre-service teachers started to become aware of the need to establish relationships between community resources (linguistic, social, and cultural) and their role as individuals and teachers to enact critical pedagogy. This qualitative exploration was developed with three different groups of students in an English undergraduate program in a public university. Data were gathered by means of community mapping reports (Kreztmann & Mckinght, 1993) and presentations, students’ insights into community based pedagogy in teacher education (Schecter, Solomon, & Kittmer, 2003), and pedagogical projects designed and carried out in the schools where they did the teaching practicum. The outcomes of this study brought to light how pre-service began making connections between the principles of community based pedagogy and the language curriculum in the schools. Findings demonstrate the way they encouraged their students to explore their communities from different perspectives and promoted students’ role of inquirers of themselves and their contexts.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.