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Stigmatization in the Pre-Death Interactions of Family and Friends Bereaved by a Drug-Related Death
Get PDFAs part of a larger analysis focused on family members and adult peers bereaved by a drug-related death (DRD), the present study explores how stigmatization is experienced in pre-death interactions. Respondents were asked about the decedent’s history of substance use, experiences with addiction treatment, and the events leading up to the DRD through 35 semi-structured qualitative interviews. Findings reveal several themes related to stigmatization experienced before, during, and after addiction treatment. These include experiences of difficulty accessing treatment, pains of separation and isolation involving facilities out of state, and increased hopelessness with repeated relapses following treatment. Conversely, some respondents described positive treatment experiences. In these instances, however, a fatal relapse occurring, often many years after treatment, led to intense feelings of shock. Findings also document how respondents have since used their experiences to advocate for greater access to addiction treatment
Under Siege
Get PDF[In the absence of an abstract, the opening of the editorial is presented.] There isn’t any other way to put it: libraries are being attacked by the current US presidential administration. The latest salvo is part of a broader culture war strategy to dismantle institutions supporting education, research, and knowledge sharing, all of which are core principles of the library’s mission. As we prepare this issue for publication in the spring of 2025, daily executive orders, directives, and announcements have led to unprecedented levels of uncertainty. Given the rapid deluge of attacks, the outlook could be markedly worse by the time you’re reading this in July
Artificial Intelligence and Illicit Drugs: A World of Possibilities
Get PDFLarge scale drug production and distribution organizations (DTOs) are businesses. As such they face many of the same challenges faced by legal businesses, such as the creation of new drugs, supply chain issues, and identifying new markets. The legal business world is finding creative ways to meet those challenges utilizing artificial intelligence (AI). This discussion uses a horizon scan methodology to suggest how current and anticipated applications of AI in the legal business world might be adapted by large-scale illicit drug trafficking organizations. The focus in this discussion is on its potential application for the largest organizations that control the mass production and transnational distribution of illicit drugs
Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2025
Get PDFReport of Milner Library\u27s activities and initiatives related to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access in Fiscal Year 2025. Compiled by the IDEA Committee.https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/mlp/1051/thumbnail.jp
AsiaConnect newsletter, March 24, 2025
Get PDFhttps://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/asiaconnect/1003/thumbnail.jp
The Development of a One Pot, Two Reaction Synthetic Preparation of 1,2,4-Oxadiazole, and Synthesis of Ataluren, a Novel Drug in the Fight Against Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Efforts Towards the Synthesis of a Potential Protease Inhibitor Against the Main Protease (3Clpro) of COVID-19
Get PDF1,2,4-Oxadiazoles are five-membered heterocyclic structures first synthesized by Tiemann and Krüger in 1884. Recent discoveries suggest an array of useful biological properties.In preparation of 1,2,4-oxadiazoles, the most prevalent precursors are amidoximes, which can be created via the reaction of nitriles with hydroxylamine hydrochloride and a base. The amidoximes are reacted with an activated carboxylic acid to yield an acylated intermediate. This intermediate can be exposed to a base to cyclize into the 1,2,4-oxadiazole. This thesis describes the efforts in combining these three steps into a unified one-pot synthesis.
Currently, there are a significant number of commercially available FDA approved and investigational 1,2,4-oxadiazole medicinal agents, such as ataluren for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a genetic disease that involves the weakening of muscle fibers due to a deficiency in dystrophin. Ataluren increases the production of dystrophin through a readthrough mechanism it employs on the ribosome. Subsequently, this work describes the utilization of the one-pot 1,2,4-oxadiazole studies to target the drug ataluren.
The worldwide pandemic started by the spreading of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that originated in central Asia. Although vaccines were developed to fight the disease, societal factors influenced the pursuit of small molecule therapeutic agents. Rathi and co-workers carried out computational studies on the replication event of the COVID-19 virus through exploitation of the 3CLpro protease, acquiring a structure of a high potential protease inhibitor. Finally, this work describes the synthetic pathway to the proposed molecule utilizing an asymmetric aldol addition mediated reaction to set the foundation
Analyzing Factors Influencing Employee Turnover in Tech Companies: A Predictive Modeling Approach
Get PDFEmployee turnover poses substantial challenges for technology firms, and understanding its key drivers through predictive modeling is essential for developing effective retention strategies. This study investigates factors influencing employee turnover in technology companies by implementing a predictive modeling approach on the IBM HR Analytics Employee Attrition dataset. The research aims were identifying key factors contributing to employee attrition, developing predictive models to forecast turnover risk, and analyzing interactions among significant predictors. By examining a range of features, the results highlight significant variables (Over Time, Monthly Income, Marital Status, etc.) of attrition and offer actionable insights for developing targeted employee retention strategies. Moreover, the model diagnostics suggest that the proposed GLMs fitted well and adequate according to the dataset. This project provides the value of predictive modeling in driving employee turnover decisions and optimizing attrition of tech companies
A Word is Worth a Thousand Words: Sustained Alphabetic Narratives and the Academic Success of English Language Learners at the Secondary Level
Get PDFIn recent years, English Language Learner (EL) education, more commonly referred to as English as a Second Language (ESL) or Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), has advocated for a multimodal approach to classroom instruction. At the same time, higher level English Language Arts (ELA) classes continue to use sustained alphabetic narratives without explicit references to multimodal practices (i.g., graphic novels, graphic narratives, comics, picture books, etc.). This disconnect in teacher advocacy and in educational practice has positioned EL students outside of the opportunities offered by higher level ELA coursework and the sustained alphabetic narratives that are taught in such classrooms. This project provides two curricular sets that act as examples of how educators can use sustained alphabetic narratives with ELs, alongside multimodal meaning making practices, not only to support their English language development, but also prepare them for higher level ELA analytical skills that are oftentimes not present within the scope of graphic narrative practices
Effects of Extra-Pair Paternity on Provisioning Effort in Male Northern House Wrens (Troglodytes aedon)
No full textThere are many mating strategies in nature, one of which is social monogamy, in which a male and female mate and raise young together in a pair bond. In social monogamy, it is common for animals to mate with individuals outside of the pair bond. In birds, matings outside the pair bond can result in a mixed brood containing extra-pair young. This poses an issue for males, as paternity loss to other males results in decreased fitness. In some species, males respond to paternity loss by lowering their parental care to nestlings, which is usually measured in terms of provisioning effort. However, in other species, there is no response to a loss of paternity. We tested whether the northern house wren males changed provisioning effort in an oak savannah habitat located in central Illinois. We recorded male provisioning effort with video cameras placed outside nestboxes. We took blood samples from all house wren adults and nestlings to determine paternity by comparing microsatellites. Of the 544 nestlings between the 104 nests, there were 32 extra-pair young from 19 nests, which comprised 5.9% of all nestlings across 18.3% of all nests. Male provisioning rate was not explained by paternity within a nest, contrary to our expectations, as previous experiments at our field site found that males abandoned the nest more often when exposed to an artificial paternity threat. However, females did respond to low rates of male provisioning and compensated by feeding more often. Males may have kept unchanged provisioning rates because most nests containing extra-pair paternity only had 1 extra-pair nestling, so reduction of provisioning rate mostly harms offspring sired by that male. An alternative explanation is that males were unable to detect paternity threats and thus did not have access to a reliable cue about their paternity. The relationship between paternal effort and paternity still proves enigmatic to generalize across species and populations, despite extensive efforts. This study provides an additional perspective to this discussion
The Effects of GSA Participation on Bias-Based Bullying and School-Related Outcomes for Perceived Sexual and Gender Minority Youth
Get PDFDespite growing attention to discrimination faced by sexual and gender minority groups, perceived sexual and gender minority students face intolerance and prejudice within their schools. This study addresses the complex experiences of perceived and self-identified sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY) subjected to bias-based bullying and its effect on their school experience. This study investigated the impact of bias-based bullying on school-related outcomes, such as academic self-efficacy, absenteeism, school climate, and identity disclosure, for SGMY, while also examining Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs). Participants in the study are self-identified and perceived SGMY, and heterosexual adolescents. An anonymous self-administered Qualtrics survey was utilized to collect data and ensure participant confidentiality and autonomy. Study variables encompass measures of bias-based bullying, school climate, GSA presence, and school-related outcomes. Regression, t-tests, and correlation analysis were used to assess the impact of GSAs and bias-based bullying on school-related outcomes. GSA presence was associated with higher academic self-efficacy but not absenteeism, school climate perception, or identity disclosure. GSA participation correlated with lower school climate perceptions. Bias-based bullying predicted lower school climate perceptions and academic self-efficacy but higher identity disclosure. Group comparisons confirmed significant differences in school climate perceptions, absenteeism, and identity disclosure based on bullying experiences and SGMY status