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THE POTENTIAL THERAPEUTIC EFFECT OF N,N-DIMETHYLACETAMIDE (DMA) IN SEPSIS
No full textSepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. According to the CDC, at least 1.7 million adults in the US develop sepsis in a typical year. N,N-Dimethylacetamide (DMA) is a commonly used drug excipient. Previously, our lab has revealed the anti-inflammatory role of DMA both in vivo and in vitro. Therefore, we propose that 1) DMA improves animal survival from “sepsis”-like syndrome, 2) DMA alleviates systemic inflammation, and 3) DMA attenuates inflammation-induced organ damage. To study the effects of DMA on “sepsis”-like syndrome, we used a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced endotoxemia murine model. In this study, DMA eliminated mortality in acute (24 h) moderate endotoxemia and significantly improved survival from 33.3% to 77.8% in severe endotoxemia. Serum interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were significantly attenuated in DMA-treated animals with severe endotoxemia as compared to the LPS only group suggesting that DMA alleviated systemic inflammation. In long-term (96 h) moderate endotoxemia, DMA- treated animals exhibited significantly improved vital signs, including mobility, heart rate, and respiratory rate. In the liver, DMA suppressed LPS-induced expression of pro- inflammatory cytokines and acute phase proteins, enhanced expression of anti- inflammatory IL-10, attenuated inflammasome NLRP3 activation, and regulated leukocyte infiltration. To further elucidate the effect of DMA on leukocytes, namely neutrophils and macrophages, we stimulated primary neutrophil and human U937- macrophages with LPS with or without the presence of DMA. DMA suppressed release of TNFα but increased IL-6 level, suggesting that neutrophil may not be the key player in LPS-induced endotoxemia. In U937-macrophages, DMA inhibited LPS-induced release of IL-6 and TNFα. And interestingly, U937-monocytes were differentiated with and without the addition of DMA, the presence of DMA exhibited attenuated response to LPS stimulation, suggesting that DMA regulated macrophage differentiation toward a less inflammatory phenotype. In conclusion, DMA significantly reduced the animal mortality against acute endotoxemia and improved survival outcomes in long-term endotoxemia through attenuating systemic and liver inflammation, enhancing expression of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, reducing inflammation-induced organ damage, regulating leukocyte infiltration, and alleviating potential sepsis-induced coagulopathy
IMPACT OF IMPLICIT RACIAL BIAS ON STUDENTS OF AFRICAN DESCENT IN PREDOMINATELY WHITE INSTITUTIONS
Get PDFThis study investigated how implicit racial bias influences the perceptions of students of African descent in predominately White colleges (PWIs) in the United States (U.S.). The theoretical framework for the study is critical race theory (CRT). CRT challenges racial indifference by exposing how racial advances often come at the cost of promoting or feeding into White self-interests (Patton et al., 2007). This non-experimental quantitative study examined how GPA, the number of credits earned, gender, race, and campus culture impact students of African descent’s perceptions of culturally implicit racial bias. It used Asian, Hispanic, and White students as a comparison group. Implicit racial bias is a suggestive and sometimes unconscious slight leveled against minoritized groups. The study examined three academic institutions in a large metropolitan area in the northeastern U.S. The researcher created an instrument called the Implicit Racial Bias Higher Ed Questionnaire (IRBHEQ), specifically targeting and quantifying perceptions of implicit bias among students of African descent. The research employed a series of ANOVA and Regression tests. The statistically significant results indicated that the more heightened a student’s perception scores of implicit racial bias, the higher their GPA. These findings also suggest that students who identified as Other in the gender category had higher perception scores. The implications of the study were that colleges and universities should employ an asset-based approach to education and provide professional development for faculty, staff, and students
AN EXAMINATION OF THE CULTURAL COMPETENCIES AND PRACTICES OF PRESERVICE TEACHERS ENROLLED IN NONURBAN ALTERNATIVE TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAMS
Get PDFThe critical shortage of qualified teachers in hard to staff urban schools has been a persistent issue in the U.S. for decades. Teachers and researchers have pointed to the inadequacy of teacher preparation programs to prepare teacher candidates to address the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students and special education students as the catalyst of the teacher shortage in urban schools. Urban school systems, like the New York City Department of Education, have had success in filling their teacher shortages through alternative teacher certification programs. Through these programs, teacher candidates are given a preservice teacher preparation that incorporates three components: college/university coursework, mentorship, and school-based fieldwork. Theoretically frameworks, Culturally Relevant Pedagogy and Culturally Responsive Teaching, are incorporated in the objective of each component and serve as a method of preparing teacher candidates to teach culturally and linguistically diverse students. The success of NYC has generated a significant response from colleges and universities across New York State (NYS), with many adopting some version of an alternative pathway or courses for teacher certification. However, there is little to no research on whether alternative teacher certification pathways outside of NYC are designed to address the same population and needs of students as NYC alternative teacher certification programs were designed to do. This study examines the cultural competencies and practices of preservice teachers enrolled in a NYS rural and suburban college or university alternative teacher certification program. This current study seeks to understand whether the components, like in NYC, of alternative teacher certification programs in rural and suburban NYS address the culturally relevant competencies and culturally responsive practices needed to teach students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and students classified as special education
THE EFFECTS OF AN INTEGRATED CURRICULUM WITH EMBEDDED SUSTAINABILITY THEMES ON TEACHING AND LEARNING EXPERIENCES AT A PRIMARY SCHOOL
Get PDFThe purpose of this case study is to investigate the effects of an integrated curriculum with embedded sustainability themes on teaching and learning experiences at the primary school level. The researcher examined why and how the district chose to create the integrated curriculum and how the big ideas of sustainability were embedded. Through the perspectives of teachers and administrators, the researcher analyzed how incorporating sustainability themes changed the teaching and learning culture. The transdisciplinary approach moves past the traditional boundaries of a discipline allowing curriculum to address real world problems. Using a transdisciplinary approach by integrating sustainability themes into the curriculum offered students high-level thinking learning experiences. The researcher conducted a case study of the district’s integrated curriculum that incorporates sustainability at multiple schools. The participants in this study include administrators and teachers of students in kindergarten through sixth grade in a suburban school district. Virtual interviews with teachers and administrators and a virtual focus group were conducted. Documents were collected and analyzed. This study provides educators with a model of how schools can integrate sustainability themes through an integrated curriculum. It offers an in-depth description of one school district’s innovative approach
LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD: COVID-19’S IMPACT ON INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC PARTICIPATION IN NEW YORK STATE PUBLIC SCHOOLS: AN EX POST FACTO ANALYSIS OF DISTRICT DEMOGRAPHICS AND SPORT
Get PDFEach year in New York state, tens of thousands of student-athletes participate in interscholastic athletics on over 15,000 public school teams. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on interscholastic athletic participation rates in New York state public schools and their relationship to school districts’ demographics, including percentage of non-White students, percentage of economically disadvantaged students, total enrollment, and graduation rates. The sample consisted of 218 public school districts located throughout New York state, with approximately 20 participant districts from each of the 11 New York State Public High School Athletic Association’s governing sections. This study adds to the growing literature on equitable participation in interscholastic athletics. This ex post facto quantitative analysis relied on archived data from the New York State Public High School Athletic Association’s annual participation survey and the New York State Education Department’s enrollment data from the 2018–2019 and 2021–2022 school years. The data provided variables for path analysis that allowed the researcher to infer that the COVID-19 pandemic affected athletic participation across different demographics. It is important for educational leaders to consider equity and access to participation in interscholastic athletics and all of the associated benefits that attend such participation. The findings of this research provide additional quantitative data for educational leaders looking to build culturally responsive school communities that extend outside the classroom into the realm of extracurricular participation
EQUITY LENS: TEACHERS’ BELIEFS OF CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING, READING INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES, AND RTI TIER 1 PRACTICES IN A HIGH-POVERTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Get PDFTeacher self-efficacy has been shown to impact student’s achievement. This study examined teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs as it related to their ability to implement culturally responsive teaching and reading instructional practices as part of Response to Intervention Tier 1 practices in a high-poverty school district. The belief scores of 99 elementary school teachers were examined across one high-poverty school district in the northeast. The non-experimental study used a self-efficacy survey adapted from four surveys to determine teachers’ confidence in their ability to implement culturally responsive teaching, reading instructional practice, and RtI Tier 1 practices. The researcher also examined teachers’ general beliefs about challenges and resources related to teaching students of different races, ethnicities, and cultures in a high-poverty school district. The findings showed that teachers’ beliefs in their ability to implement culturally responsive teaching practices did not differ by race/ethnicity. The study also revealed that teachers’ beliefs in their ability to implement reading instructional practice differed by years of experience but not grade level. RtI Tier 1 practices belief scores showed no difference by years of experience or grade level. Implications for future practices and research are provided as a way to strengthen systems, practices, and professional development for teachers serving Black and Brown students in a high-poverty school district are discussed
ROLE OF EDARAVONE NANOSUSPENSION IN PRETERM LABOR AND BIRTH OUTCOMES
No full textAnnually, preterm birth (PTB) affects fifteen million infants, posing a significant risk of infant mortality and lifelong disability. Among various triggers, it is well-established that infection-associated oxidative stress and inflammation can induce preterm labor. There is no FDA approved medication for the prevention of PTB except tocolytics which provide marginal benefit at a later stage. Scarcity of therapeutic intervention and unmet medical need propelled us in investigating a novel drug molecule. Our current research is focused on investigating the potential of Edaravone (EDA), an FDA-approved antioxidant and anti-inflammatory medication, in delaying preterm labor and improving neonatal outcomes. Our goal is to develop and optimize a translational parenteral dosage form – an injectable nanosuspension of EDA (EDA-NS) for in vivo evaluation. EDA-NS formulation is developed through a dual centrifugation nano-milling process. During its preparation, we evaluated various stabilizers, including bovine serum albumin (BSA), lecithin, poloxamer-407, and hyaluronic acid, both individually and in combinations. Notably, formulations stabilized with hyaluronic acid and poloxamer-407 exhibited phase separation, while stable nanoformulations were prepared using BSA, either alone or in combination with lecithin. To enhance the EDA stability, we explored freeze-drying method. The final EDA-NS formulation, stabilized with 10% BSA, demonstrated a particle size of 253.2±8.9 nm. Furthermore, the release profile indicated controlled drug release, with approximately 44.7 ± 4.5% released within 24-hour period via Fickian diffusion. The formulation exhibited acceptable injectability and remained stable when stored under refrigerated and room temperature conditions for at least one month. In vitro studies on trophoblast cells or macrophages revealed that the formulation effectively reduced levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and NF-κB and increased iκBα levels, all while maintaining cell viability. These findings suggest that the formulation is efficacious as well as safe. In vivo experiments, using LPS-induced preterm labor model in timed pregnant CD1 mice, demonstrated delayed labor, improved pup weight, enhanced organ differentiation, and favorable morphological features. Collectively, our research highlights the effectiveness of subcutaneous EDA-NS in preventing LPS-induced preterm labor in vivo. Further, in vivo investigations with higher doses are warranted to optimize the dose
Latinas in the United States Facing Healthcare Access Challenges in a Mid-Size Urban Community
Get PDFThis study examines the discrepancies and underlying factors in access to healthcare resources regarding breast and cervical cancer for Latinas in a mid-sized urban midwestern community. A survey was conducted at clinics hosted by a local non-profit organization, and forty participants completed surveys for this study (n=40). Bivariate correlation analysis in SPSS determined that significant positive correlations were found between the subjects’ knowledge of the signs and symptoms of cervical cancer and their knowledge of the recommended frequency of receiving pap smears (
Global Brands Value Chains Create Competitive Advantage
Get PDFMarriott International, Inc., is an American international hospitality company that operates a broad portfolio of hotels and related lodging facilities. Founded by J. Willard Marriott in 1927, the company is based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. In May 1927, the company began as an A&W Root Beer franchise in Washington, DC. Founders J. Willard and Alice Sheets Marriott started their business by selling cool drinks in the hot, muggy Washington, DC summers.
Since then, Marriott International has established itself across 139 countries with 8,000+ properties offering around 1.5 million guest rooms. This paper will explore Marriott International’s products and services, global reach, corporate structure, value chain analysis, and more. This research highlights Marriott International as a Global Leader in the Hospitality Industry