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An Examination of Public-School Discipline Policies and Implications for African American Students within a Texas School District
Get PDFNational data illustrates that the use of exclusionary discipline practices has resulted in disproportionality and overrepresentation in school discipline. Additionally, research also illustrates that African Americans have been overrepresented in exclusionary discipline at higher rates than their White counterparts. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a statistically significant difference in the percent of exclusionary discipline practices between African American students and White students based upon school district setting within Texas. The researcher analyzed archival data from 673 students in grades 3-12 enrolled in a Texas public school. The statistical tests used in the analysis of the research questions included Chi-Square and multinomial logistic regression analysis. The findings indicated that there was no significant relationship between student race and exclusionary disciplinary practices. Based on the results, a significant relationship was found to exist between student gender and exclusionary discipline practices. After controlling for gender, the findings revealed that there was no significant relationship between race and occurrences of exclusionary discipline practices of the school district in the study. However, in hypothesis three-part b controlling for race, there was a significant relationship between gender and occurrences of exclusionary discipline practices
An Inquiry into the Number of Traffic Tickets Issued and Implications for African Americans Motorists
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to examine the impact of race and gender disparities in police traffic stops as they relate to the number of tickets issued, number of consent searches, and number of arrests of traffic violators in the southern region of Texas, Harris County. The research will further shed light on how implicit bias affects police discretion and provide implications for police officers. This research will bring attention to the sanction disparity and examine the relationship between race and gender in motorist outcomes at the conclusion of traffic stops. The data for this research was conducted from secondary data obtained from Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) annual reporting and the Houston Police Department. The sample consisted of 21 Texas Law Enforcement Agencies in the Houston metropolis area of the state of Texas, Harris County. This included Law Enforcement Agencies from college/university police departments, Houston Police Department, Harris County Constables Offices, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, and Independent School District Police Officers. To specifically focus on implicit bias and Police discretion, an exhausted review of the literature was conducted. Further analysis examined implicit bias specified in the study as it relates to the use of discretion by police officers when contacting African American men and women in the southern region of Texas Harris County. The Standard Multiple Regression procedures including the multiple correlation procedure were used to test the aforementioned hypotheses. All hypotheses were tested at the .05 level or better. One of the most surprising findings of the current study was the significantly predictable relationship between racial variables (number of African Americans, number of Asians, number of Hispanics and other racial group violators) and the number of arrests given by officers associated with Texas Law Enforcement Agencies. The five racial variables were found to be significant linearly related to the number of tickets issued by officers of Texas Law Enforcement agencie
An Overview of the Extracurricular Polysaccaride Production of Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria
Get PDFThe study focuses on a comprehensive review of lactic acid bacteria and their production of extracellular polysaccharide substrates (EPS). Two important factors are addressed in the work; and these are 1) identification of LAB stains found in the commercially sold daily milk, 2) significant factors impacting polysaccharide production. Motivation behind these focus points is to allow further inquiries and studies on exploring these strains of bacteria for human wellness promotion. With microbial EPS production being a recent interest of study among healthcare and food industries sectors, new species of bacteria are extensively exploited for further investigation to improve human health, and other raw dairy materials. Being that LAB is the more predominant population of bacteria in dairy milk, this research focuses on this source to extract LAB species known to produce EPS. Even further, EPS production is examined under various influence such as temperature, pH, incubation time, and culture supplementation with heavy metal ion cadmium, magnesium, calcium chloride, and ethanol. Experiments conducted were in triplicate with results within acceptable standard error of measurement
Preclinical Development of a Novel Antileishmanial Agent OJT007: Bioanalytical Assay, in Vitro Studies and Pharmacokinetics
Get PDFCurrent treatments for cutaneous leishmaniasis suffer from toxic side effects, high cost, parenteral administration, and drug resistance. Thus, there is a critical need to develop oral drugs for the treatment of leishmaniasis. OJT007 is a novel class of drug with potent antiproliferative effects against Leishmania Major. The purpose of this project is to conduct preclinical drug development studies for OJT007 including bioanalytical assay development, pre-formulation studies, in vitro hepatic drug metabolism and in vivo pharmacokinetics. A sensitive, specific, and reproducible ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated. The separation was achieved on a UPLC BEH C18 column (2.1 × 50 mm, 1.7 μm) using a mobile phase consisting of 0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid in water as gradient elution at a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. The mass analysis was performed with a 4000 QTRAP® mass spectrometer using multiple-ion reaction monitoring (MRM) in the positive mode, with the transition of m/z 325 → m/z 205 for OJT007 and m/z 350 → m/z 101 for voriconazole (as internal standard). Rat plasma and urine were extracted for OJT007 by protein precipitation in acetonitrile for quantification. Plasma protein binding of OJT007 was determined using the ultrafiltration method. In vitro phase I and II hepatic metabolism of OJT007 was evaluated in rat liver microsomes using standard reaction protocols. OJT007 metabolites were identified by LC-MS/MS using Q1MI, product ion, precursor ion and neutral loss scan and by β-glucuronidase hydrolysis. The OJT007 glucuronidation rates were determined by quantifying OJT007 glucuronide using UPLC, and the kinetic parameters of OJT007 were determined by measuring the initial glucuronidation rates. . Oral bioavailability of OJT007 was evaluated using a crossover study design. Serial plasma samples were collected at predetermined time points. Total urine samples were also collected from each rat for 24 hours after each dose. The pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using Phoenix WinNonlin® 8.3 software. The intra- and inter-day precision and accuracy were within the acceptable limit of ≤20% for LLOQ and ≤15% for high, medium and low QC. The extraction recovery in rat plasma and urine samples were 95.1% and 83%, respectively. OJT007 exhibited a matrix factor in plasma and urine of 7.96% and 12.4%, respectively. The fraction of OJT007 bound to plasma protein had a mean value of 99.1%, suggesting the drug is highly bound to plasma proteins. OJT007 is glucuronidated rapidly in rat liver microsomes to form a mono-glucuronide, which was confirmed by LC-MS/MS and β-glucuronidase hydrolysis. The kinetic parameters of glucuronidation Vmax and Km were 1.125 nmol/min/mg and 10.73 μM., respectively. After intravenous administration, OJT007 displayed a bi-exponential disposition with a rapid distribution followed by a slower elimination. The mean AUC, volume of distribution, and clearance were 2.06 h.mg/L, 6.90 L/Kg and 2.30 L/hr/Kg, respectively. Following oral administration, OJT007 was rapidly absorbed with a tmax of 1.4 hours. After oral dosing the mean AUC, volume of distribution, and clearance were 0.45 h.mg/L, 78.6 L/Kg and 23.19 L/hr/Kg, respectively. Mean oral bioavailability of OJT007 in the co-solvent formulation was 10.9%. The mean percentage of OJT007 dose excreted unchanged in urine after 24 hours following intravenous and oral administration was less than 1%, suggesting OJT007 was extensively metabolized in vivo. A sensitive, specific and reproducible LC-MS/MS method was developed and validated to quantify OJT007 in rat plasma and urine. The method was successfully used for pharmacokinetic studies. This is the first time that oral bioavailability of OJT007 after oral administration in rat is determined. These results may prove valuable for further preclinical and clinical evaluation of OJT00
Naphthalene and Anthracene Degrading Potentials of Bacteria Isolated from Soil Samples with Evidence of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon(PAH) Contamination
Get PDFPolycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) from crude oil and other sources is one of the most serious environmental problems. PAH has an adverse effect on human health, water bodies and agricultural products. Removal of PAH through the physical and chemical methods are expensive and not environmentally friendly. Bioremediation, which is the use of microorganisms to degrade environmental pollutants like naphthalene and anthracene and render them less toxic, provides a cheaper and safer method. The objective of this research is to study the naphthalene and anthracene degrading potentials of bacteria isolated from soil samples with evidence of cude oil contamination. Another objective of this study is to determine the effect of pH on the biodegradation potentials of good bacterial degrader that have been identified. The soil samples were enriched in a mineral nutrient that contains Phenol as the only carbon source. The Bacteria that can grow and be isolated from the mineral nutrient are those that can degrade phenol and make use of its carbon source for growth. These isolated and identified bacteria were further inoculated into mineral nutrient that contained naphthalene and anthracene as the only source of carbon and their growth rate is determined over time. The higher the growth of a bacterium in the medium, the higher the naphthalene and anthracene degrading potential of the bacterium. This research revealed that Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus thuringiensis are good degraders of both naphthalene and anthracene. Acidic condition favored the degrading potentials of the 2 bacteria than the basic conditions. Concentration of the PAH (Naphthalene and anthracene) was found to play a significant role in the biodegradation potential of the 2 selected bacteria. The higher the concentration, the lower the degradation potentia
Characterization of the Cell Cycle Dependent Kinase Inhibitor P27KIP1 in the Stem-Like Properties of Breast Cancer Stem Cells
Get PDFBreast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among American women. Traditional therapies, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, target proliferative cells within the tumor bulk. However, these treatments do not provide long-term disease survival because they fail to eliminate a small population of long-lived tumor initiating cells known as breast cancer stem cells (CSCs). Two features of CSCs are that they slowly divide and are more resistant to conventional anti-cancer treatments due to altered cellular machinery. It is the breast CSC subpopulation that develops new tumors which have the potential to lead to recurrence. However, the mechanism underlying the dormant nature of breast CSCs that leads to resistance remains poorly defined. p27kip1 is a member of the Cip/Kip family of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (CDKI) that negatively regulate cell cycle progression. Because p27kip1 levels are highly elevated in quiescent cells and decreased as cells proliferate, we hypothesized that p27kip1 is a potential mediator of stem-like properties in breast CSCs. Using in vitro tumor sphere formation assays and Western blot analysis, we observed that p27kip1 protein levels were markedly enhanced in stem cells isolated from metastatic breast cancer cell lines compared to non-metastatic breast cancer stem cell populations. Moreover, depletion of endogenous p27kip1 using shRNA methodologies dramatically reduced the survival of breast CSCs from metastatic breast cancer cells. p27kip1 levels were unaltered at the transcriptional levels as shown by quantitative real time RT-PCR as well translational levels using expression vectors which lacked internal regulatory sequences. However, p27 protein levels are primarily controlled post-translationally by a series of phosphorylation events which either targets p27 for ubiquitin-dependent degradation or relocalizes p27 to the cytoplasm. Using cycloheximide treatment to inhibit de novo protein synthesis, Western blot analysis revealed that p27kip1 protein levels remain elevated in breast CSCs compared to non-breast CSCs. Based on these data, p27kip1 is a potential regulator of the stem-like nature breast CSCs and may serve as an attractive target in breast CSCs to generate effective therapeutic approaches to eradicate breast cancer
The Impact of Selected Variables on Persistence and Progression of First-Year Students At a Historically Black College and University.
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to examine the relationship and predictability of demographic factors, and academic factors on the persistence and progression rates among first-year, full-time, four-year degree seeking students at a Historically Black College and University. Specifically, this study focused on the predictive power of demographic factors (gender, ethnicity, and SES), and academic factors (high school GPA and the number of hours passed) on the persistence and progression rates among first-year, full-time, four-year degree seeking students attending a Historically Black College and University. A correlational research design was employed in the study. Data was provided by the Office of Institutional Assessment, Planning and Effectiveness to the researcher and downloaded into the statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 27 to analyze the data. For statistical analysis, the Binary Logistic Regression procedure was used. Analysis of results indicated that the demographic factors of gender, ethnicity, and SES were significant predictors in determining first-time college students who would persist and those who would not persist. Likewise, there was a significant predictable relationship found between the demographic factors of gender, ethnicity, SES, and the progression rates among first-year college students. Furthermore, the academic factors of high school grade point average and the number of hours passed were significant predictors in distinguishing those first-year college students who would persist and those who would not persist. Moreover, a significant predictable relationship existed between the academic factors of high school GPA, the number of hours passed and the progression rates of first-time college students, while the variable number of hours passed was an independent predictor of the progression rates among first-time college students
State TANF Spending: Does Devolution Matter?
Get PDFUsing the state-level panel data, this study examines the role of Second-Order Devolution (SOD) in state TANF spending patterns. The study uses the Within-Between RE model to examine this connection. No statistically significant effect of second-order devolution is observed. The race continues to be a strong predictor of state funding and complex effects for Black, Hispanic, and Asian clients are observed. Such effects encourage a nuanced discussion of the racialization of welfare policy beyond the dichotomous exploration of black-white differences. Implications of this evidence are discussed
Report on the Texas Legislature, 87th Session: An Urban Perspective-Executive Summary
Get PDFIn Texas, the legislature meets every two years. At the end of a regular legislative session, hundreds of passed bills will have been sent to the governor for approval. The large number of bills and the wide range of topics they cover can make it difficult to gain an understanding of all the new laws that were passed, and this session there were three special sessions as well. At the close of each legislative session the Earl Carl Institute publishes, for the benefit of its constituents, highlights from the session in a bi-annual legislative report. In this year’s publication entitled Report on the Texas Legislature, 87th Session: An Urban Perspective, the Institute attempted to cover matters that it believes to be of concern to the urban community, however, many of the highlights cover issues of particular concern to other traditionally disenfranchised communities as well. The legislation covered in these reports generally falls under such issues as Criminal Justice (Human Trafficking, Criminal Procedure, Wrongful Convictions, Domestic Violence), Elections, Juvenile Justice, Family Law, Property, Education, Healthcare, Wills, Estate and Probate, Wealth and Litigation. We are pleased to present, via The Bridge: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Legal & Social Policy, the executive summary of this year’s legislative report and report excerpts. The full report was published in September 2022 and can found at http://www.tsulaw.edu/centers/ECI/publications.html