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Congregational Conversations: Exploring White Baptist Narratives on Racism During the Civil Rights Era
No full textSubmitted to the Department of History of the University of Kansas in partial fulfillment of the requirements for departmental honorsWhen the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) was founded in 1845, it was established on pro-slavery beliefs, the echoes of these ideals carrying well into the 20th century by promoting conservative racial ideals, therefore putting the SBC at odds with the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s. This thesis observes the intricate power dynamics within SBC churches during the Civil Rights Movement, focusing on their responses to issues of racism both inside and outside the church. It also investigates how these churches addressed racism in publications, discussions, and behind closed doors, shedding light on the complex interplay between the SBC’s leadership, pastors and their congregants. By analyzing primary sources such as church publications and archival materials, this thesis aims to unravel the nuanced strategies employed by SBC affiliated churches in navigating the turbulent racial landscape of the era
Comparative Transcriptomic Profiling of Drug-Metabolizing Enzymes and Drug Transporters in the Rabbit Ocular Sub-tissues
No full textThis poster was presented at American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) PharmSci 360 on 10/21/2024.The increasing prevalence of diabetes and aging population has led to a growing market demand for ophthalmic pharmaceutical drugs. However, the development of ophthalmic drugs is hampered by the poor understanding of drug metabolizing enzymes (DMEs) and drug transporters (DTs) in the ocular sub-tissues. DMEs play important roles in the bioactivation of prodrugs and the detoxication of drugs, while DTs can facilitate or limit drug exposure to the site of action1. Rabbit is the most commonly used animal model to study ocular diseases and develop ophthalmic drugs. However, rabbit ocular DMEs and DTs have not been systematically characterized for their expression in ocular sub-tissues or compared to other major organs of drug disposition, e.g., liver and duodenum. This knowledge gap hinders precise extrapolation of ocular pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data from rabbits to humans. As such, the goal of this study was to determine the localization and relative gene expression levels of DMEs and DTs in various rabbit ocular sub- tissues, including cornea, iris-ciliary body (ICB), vitreous humor (VH), and retina/choroid complex (RC), and to compare them to the rabbit liver and duodenum using RNA-seq.
Our study demonstrates the distinct expression patterns of DMEs and DTs in ocular sub-tissues compared to the liver and duodenum, highlighting the eye's unique capacity for drug metabolism and transport. While hepatic P450s show little to no expression in the eye, certain P450s involved in sterol and vitamin A metabolism are present. Hydrolytic enzymes, such as CES1, EPHX, and various peptidases, are abundantly expressed, along with several oxidative and reductive enzymes, indicating the eye has a high capacity for phase I drug metabolism. Among phase II DMEs: GSTs are highly abundant, while SULT1A1 and SULT4A1 are expressed at moderate levels. In contract, UGTs are expressed at low level in the eye. Efflux transporters, including most of the ABC family and MATE1, show high expression in ocular tissues, especially in the RC and ICB, reflecting the protective role in limiting the absorption of foreign molecules into the eye. Finally, several influx transporters, such as OATPs, OAT1, OCTN2, and BOCTs, also exhibit appreciable levels of expression in the eye, further highlighting the eye’s ability to regulate drug absorption and distribution. This comprehensive expression profile provides valuable insights into ocular drug disposition, which are expected to aid in the optimization of drug delivery strategies for ophthalmic therapies, improve interspecies extrapolation between rabbits and humans, and expedite the development of ophthalmic drugs
“Permanently unstable”? A culture-centered approach to jinn possession stigmas and management strategies among Nigerian Muslims
No full textThese are the slides from a presentation given at the 67th African Studies Association (ASA)Annual Meeting on 12/12/2024.In many Muslim communities, jinn possession is recognized as one of the non-biomedical conditions that can disrupt one’s physical and mental health. Many individuals possessed by jinn—supernatural being invisible to the human eye—often exhibit symptoms such as extreme anger, intermittent psychosis, incurable illnesses, infertility, among others which expose them to different forms of stigmatization. They may be labeled as mentally ill, mad, crazy or psychotic, and in some cases, perceived as contagious, leading to social isolation. In this study, the articulation of the stigmas experienced by Nigerian Muslims due to jinn possession and how those stigmas impacted their social relationships are examined. Thereafter, Meisenbach's (2010) stigma management communication (SMC) theory was utilized to highlight the management strategies they adopted to cope with the stigmas. Findings show that participants experienced self, public, enacted interpersonal and family-induced stigmas. These stigmas resulted in adverse outcomes such as social isolation, social distancing, and loss of spousal relationships, shame, neglect, suicidal ideation and hopelessness. To navigate these challenges, participants challenged and evaded the stigma narratives, concealed or selectively disclosed their jinn possession experiences, sought social support from the Muslim community, and found solace through prayer and faith in divine predestination. This study advances theoretical understanding by extending the SMC theory to the context of spiritual non-biomedical condition, and contributes to epistemological discussions on culturally grounded approaches to health and illness
Evidence-Based Technology Tools to Support Diverse Learners, Educators, and Service Providers Across Instructional Settings
No full textTechnology can improve learning outcomes for students with and without disabilities and enhance instructional activities implemented by educators and service providers across diverse settings. The Stepping-Up Technology Implementation funding has been established by the Office of Special Education Programs in the U.S. Department of Education. The aim of this funding is to promote the development, demonstration, and integration of the evidence-based technology tools and approaches into K-12 classrooms and early childhood settings. It also supports educators, service providers, and early childhood providers in improving learning out-comes. All Stepping-Up technologies are designed, implemented, refined, and tested through the iterative research and development cycles based on data from children, students, and youth with and without disabilities as well as educators, service providers, and families. This article presents an overview of 28 readily available technology-based interventions organized into five categories: Literacy; Math, Science, and Coding; Transitions and Career Readiness; Behavior and Social Skills; Professional Development and Coaching. In addition, 10 actionable suggestions for seamless implementation of technology tools and approaches are provided
Development of Hooked Reinforcing Bars in Beam-Column Joints
No full textThese are the slides from a presentation given at the Philadelphia, PA, ACI Concrete Convention on November 3, 2024.Hooked reinforcing bars are used in beam-column joints to anchor and reinforcing steel. This study examines No. 11 hooked reinforcing bars in beam-column joints. Four specimens, each with three No. 11 hooked bars with an embedment of 12 or 14 in. and with concrete compressive strengths ranging from 5150 to 9460 psi, were tested. The test results were compared with ACI 318-14 and ACI 318-25 provisions and a descriptive equation developed by Banaeipour et al. for hooked bars, based on experimental data from a comprehensive study on the anchorage of hooked bars conducted at the University of Kansas. The ratios of bar stress at failure to predicted stress were 0.80 - 0.95 for ACI 318-14, 0.92 - 1.09 for ACI 318-25, and 0.98 to 1.29 for Banaeipour’s descriptive equation
Peripheral Subempires: The Cinematic Representation of Economic Crises in Argentina, Greece, and South Korea (1990-2020)
No full textPeripheral Subempires: The Cinematic Representation of Economic Crises in Argentina, Greece, and South Korea (1990-2020) addresses Argentine, Greek, and South Korean films in relation to the recent economic crises that the three countries experienced between 1997 and 2010. The primary goal is to answer the following questions: 1) How do filmmakers, conscious of the positionality of their societies as subcolonies and subempires, challenge development narratives that underplay inequality at the national level, and 2) what are the implications for their works, which are considered peripheral films in the field of transnational cinema? As readers and residents of each society, the directors have visualized the increasing discrepancy between existing social contracts and changing realities. In the films, human bodies reenact or resist national development narratives, which tend to emphasize center-periphery relations affected by the current flow of global capital, favoring specific gender roles.
I use key concepts of translation studies to analyze films from Argentina, Greece, and South Korea based on the current scholarship on the cinematic waves from the three countries. In dialogue with discussions on world literature and decolonial readings, I interpret these films in connection to late-nineteenth and early-twentieth-century novellas. To illustrate this connection, I draw on studies that call attention to the imperial rivalries and the construction of civil society before WWI.
Chapter 1 focuses on underrepresented women’s narratives set in peripheral cities. I argue that these markedly gendered and heterogeneous spaces have been instrumental in shaping their respective countries’ national identities but have been culturally neglected due to the cities’ subaltern positionality within national industries. In these films, byproducts of national industries and changes in those industries shape the residents’ everyday experience within urban spaces and future paths. Chapter 2 concerns social class precarity and national narratives and focuses on the cinematic representation of demographic changes in each country’s capital city. I compare male characters in three films produced between 2000 and 2009 with three national literary figures from Argentina, Greece, and Korea (under Japanese rule) produced around the Great Depression of 1930. This comparison invites a renewed allegorical reading that includes a history of financial crises, which I view as a crucial factor in shaping post-war and post-colonial national identities since the 1970s. Chapter 3 is a critique on the current mediascape in relation to colonial legacies. I assess the three focal points —colonialism, authoritarianism, and financial crisis— observed in critically acclaimed films such as Zama (Martel, 2017), Dogtooth (Lanthimos, 2009), and Parasite (Bong, 2019). Chapter 4 examines three Argentine directors in their early careers, whose projects show transatlantic and transpacific entanglements and collaborations in the current film industry.
Based on the analysis and assessment from the four chapters, I conclude that films from Argentina, Greece, and South Korea that artistically broach the subimperial and subcolonial nature of the respective societies can be compared to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries’ novellas. Taken as a whole, my dissertation contributes to the humanities on two interrelated fronts: it historicizes the gendered and racialized aspects of human migration within and across states caused by globalization and illuminates the film industries’ role as capital-intensive and transnational media workplaces of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries
Emerging Trends and Translational Challenges in Drug and Vaccine Delivery
No full textDrug and vaccine delivery have received considerable attention in recent years. Many rationally designed innovative approaches are being explored to address the challenges related to safety, efficacy, patient compliance, and cost-effective means for existing and new therapeutics. The extensive assessment of drug delivery involves pre-formulation and physicochemical characterization, mechanistic biochemical pathways at the molecular level, pharmacological and toxicological evaluations, and detailed preclinical investigations. Recent advancements have evolved to address the limitations that emerged with the evolution of novel therapeutic modalities from simple small molecules to more complex macromolecules, including nucleic acids, peptides, proteins, antibodies, and conjugates [1]. There’s immense interest in exploring the in vitro and in vivo behavior of drugs and vaccines to overcome biological barriers to reach target sites, and in expeditious translation from the lab to a manufacturing scale [2]. This Special Issue on “Emerging Trends and Translational Challenges in Drug and Vaccine Delivery” is the collection of those efforts by several researchers to address the unmet need of advanced drug and vaccine delivery systems. The studies published in this Special Issue are summarized below and are valuable for the readers of Pharmaceutics and the scientific community working in the field of drug and vaccine delivery.
The first paper in this collection by Alkholief et al. demonstrated the use of dexamethasone-sodium-phosphate (DEX)-chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) coated with hyaluronic acid (HA) as a controlled release ocular delivery vehicle for the treatment of endotoxin-induced-uveitis (EIU) in a rabbit model [3]. The CSNPs were stable at 25 °C for 3 months and in vitro studies showed a similar DEX release in a range of 74–77% for uncoated and HA-coated nanoparticles. Drug-loaded CSNPs were safe for ocular applications and showed a noTable 10-fold increase in transcorneal flux and permeability of DEX in the case of HA-CSNPs vs. DEX-aqueous solution (DEX-AqS). The findings suggest improved delivery properties and promising anti-inflammatory effects of DEX-CSNPs in EIU rabbits with ocular bioavailability, with the half-life and ocular MRT0-inf of DEX being significantly higher than DEX-AqS.
Another study focused on extracellular nanovesicles (EVs) that have great potential as drug delivery systems for precision therapy but are limited due to technical challenges to purify and characterize the EVs. To address this issue, Nguyen et al. developed a 3D inner filter-based technique for the simple extraction of apoplastic fluid from blueberries, enabling EV purification [4]. The high drug loading capability and properties to modulate the release of proinflammatory cytokine IL-8 and total glutathione have enabled blueberry-derived EVs (BENVs) to be a promising edible multifunctional nano-bio-platform for future immunomodulatory therapies.
Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent infectious diseases but suffers from fading immunity requiring frequent boosters to maintain the immune response. In a novel approach, Kooji et al. demonstrated the effectiveness of a single injection with sustained-release microspheres as an alternative to the conventional multiple injection (prime-boost) immunization schedule of bovine serum albumin in terms of eliciting the same levels of IgG antibody response in mice [5]. The microspheres were designed based on two novel biodegradable multi-block copolymers with an opportunity to tailor the release profile in a range of 4 to 9 weeks by varying the polymer ratios.
Adjuvants are ingredients used in many vaccines to elicit a stronger immune response. In a recent study, Liang et al. demonstrated the use of formulated phospholipid 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC), a component of oil-in-water vaccine adjuvant emulsion (known as a stable emulsion or SE), as non-canonical agonists for murine and human TLR4 [6]. The effects of DMPC on human cells were proven but were less pronounced than the composition of emulsion oil and were dependent on the saturation, size, and headgroup of the phospholipid.
The next article is focused on drug loaded-microneedles, which are minimally invasive systems capable of painless delivery and offer dose-sparing benefits with a potential to replace hypodermal needles and oral routes of delivery. In this study, Faizi et al. developed a deferasirox-nanosuspension (DFS-NS) loaded with dissolving microneedles (DMN) for intradermal delivery for effective treatment of iron overload [7]. DFS-NSs were formulated by the wet media milling procedure using PVA and showed a 3-fold higher dissolution rate vs. pure DFS. The skin deposition studies showed significantly higher drug deposition from DFS-NSs loaded with polymeric dissolving microneedles (NS-DMN) as compared to DFS-NS transdermal patches without needles (DFS-NS-TP) or pure DFS-DMNs. Hence, the authors showed that loading DFS-NSs into novel DMN devices can be effectively used for transdermal delivery of sparingly soluble drugs, i.e., DFS in aqueous systems.
In another study, Peng et al. demonstrated the development of amphotericin B (AMB)- and levofloxacin (LVX)-loaded chitosan films for potential use in antimicrobial wound dressings [8]. An HPLC method developed by the authors measured 100% and 60% release of LVX and AMB, respectively, from the chitosan film after a week. An ex vivo deposition study showed that 20.96 ± 13.54 and 0.35 ± 0.04 of LVX and AMB, respectively, were deposited in porcine skin 24 h after application. Further, the films were able to inhibit the growth of Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus, demonstrating their antimicrobial applications.
Wang et al. in their recent review discussed the translational challenges and prospective solutions for implementing biomimetic delivery systems (BDSs) for therapeutic delivery [9]. BDSs are based on complex designs of biological structures and have emerged as a powerful tool for drug and vaccine delivery. This review provides recent advances in the development of BDSs, discusses the challenges faced in the translation of BDs from research to clinical applications, and presents emerging solutions, emphasized by real-world case studies.
Luo et al. provide insights into the development of organs-on-chips (OCs) and their impact on precision medicine and advanced system simulation [10]. OCs are devices with micro-physiological systems containing small tissues grown inside microfluidic chips with controlled cell microenvironments to study the pathophysiology and effect of drugs on the human body. OCs represent a faster, economical, and precise approach to study drug safety, efficacy, disease modelling and treatments with a potential to complement/replace traditional preclinical cell cultures, animal studies, and even human clinical trials.
Ingle and Fang in their recent review present an overview of the stability and delivery challenges of commercial nucleic acid (NA)-based therapeutics, including DNA, RNA, oligonucleotides, siRNA, miRNA, mRNA, small activating RNA, and gene therapies [11]. The review highlights NA-based therapeutics approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) with a focus on the current progress in improving the stability, delivery, cost, and regulatory acceptance of these therapeutics.
There is significant interest in developing approaches to overcome the blood–brain barrier (BBB) for treatment of central nervous system (CNS) diseases. Meyer et al. in their recent review described novel developments to enable the treatment of CNS diseases with targeted drug delivery [12]. The review focuses on unfolding the full potential of novel therapeutic entities, i.e., gene therapy and degradomers, using innovative delivery systems for possible application in the treatment of CNS diseases.
In conclusion, this Special Issue converses through the translation of therapeutic delivery from discovery to large-scale production for pharmaceutical and biotechnology applications. The discussed strategies, including the use of polymeric nanoparticles, extracellular nanovesicles, sustained release microspheres, microneedles, polymeric biofilms, biomimetic delivery systems, new adjuvants, and organ-on-chips, possess great potential in addressing the limitations of drug and vaccine delivery. The editors express their gratitude for the interest and cooperation of the contributors and believe this Special Issue of Pharmaceutics would be an interesting addition to the scientific community engaged in drug delivery research
Predictors of Device-Related Thrombus After Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion: TED-F2 Score
No full textA grant from the One-University Open Access Fund at the University of Kansas was used to defray the author's publication fees in this Open Access journal. The Open Access Fund, administered by librarians from the KU, KU Law, and KUMC libraries, is made possible by contributions from the offices of KU Provost, KU Vice Chancellor for Research & Graduate Studies, and KUMC Vice Chancellor for Research. For more information about the Open Access Fund, please see http://library.kumc.edu/authors-fund.xml.Background
Left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion (LAAO) is performed to prevent LAA thrombus in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The risk of device-related thrombus (DRT) on the atrial side of the LAAO device is approximately 4%. Identifying patients at high risk of DRT would enable closer surveillance and more-aggressive anticoagulation to prevent post-LAAO DRT-related stroke.
Methods
From the LAAO registry at The University of Kansas Medical Center, we identified patients who developed DRT. We chose 3 unmatched controls per DRT case from LAAO recipients without DRT. Predictor variables were obtained from transesophageal echocardiogram reports and/or images, transthoracic echocardiogram reports, and chart review. Implant depth was measured from the limbus of the left atrial ridge to the centre of the atrial aspect of the LAAO device, on a 45° transesophageal echocardiogram view.
Results
We identified 26 patients with DRT (aged 77.7 ± 9.7 years; 34.6% female) and selected 78 unmatched controls without DRT. Univariate predictors of DRT, comprising a novel TED-F2 score, included history of venous Thromboembolism (23.1% vs 5.1%, P = 0.01), an LAA Emptying velocity ≤ 20 cm/s (45.8% vs 18.9%, P = 0.01), an implant Depth > 2 cm (34.6% vs 12.8%, P = 0.02), and presence of AF rhythm at time of device implantation (50.0 % vs 11.5%, P = 0.0001). A TED-F2 score of ≥ 3 was very strongly associated with DRT—odds ratio 12.5 (95% confidence interval, 3.8-41.1, P < 0.0001).
Conclusions
We propose a novel risk score to predict development of DRT after LAAO, comprising history of venous Thromboembolism, LAA Emptying velocity ≤ 20 cm/s, implant Depth > 2 cm (1 point each), and an AF rhythm at implantation (2 points). A TED-F2 risk score of ≥ 3 identified patients who are at greatly elevated risk of developing DRT
Comparison of vertical jump and sprint performances between 3 × 3 and 5 × 5 elite professional male basketball players
No full textGiven its fast-growing popularity and unique on-court competitive demands, 3 × 3 basketball has captured a considerable amount of attention over recent years. However, unlike research focused on studying 5 × 5 basketball players, there is a lack of scientific literature focused on examining countermovement vertical jump (CMJ) and sprint performance characteristics of 3 × 3 athletes. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to compare force-time metrics during both eccentric and concentric phases of the CMJ and acceleration and deceleration capabilities between 3 × 3 and 5 × 5 top-tier professional male basketball athletes. Ten 3 × 3 and eleven 5 × 5 professional basketball players volunteered to participate in the present study. Upon completion of a standardized warm-up, each athlete performed three maximum-effort CMJs, followed by two 10 m sprints. A uni-axial force plate system sampling at 1,000 Hz was used to analyze CMJ force-time metrics and a radar gun sampling at 47 Hz was used to derive sprint acceleration-deceleration measures. Independent t-tests and Hedge's g were used to examine between-group statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) and effect size magnitudes. The findings of the present study reveal that 3 × 3 and 5 × 5 professional male basketball players tend to display similar neuromuscular performance characteristics as no significant differences were observed in any force-time metric during both eccentric and concentric phases of the CMJ (g = 0.061–0.468). Yet, prominent differences were found in multiple measures of sprint performance, with large effect size magnitudes (g = 1.221–1.881). Specifically, 5 × 5 basketball players displayed greater average and maximal deceleration and faster time-to-stop than their 3 × 3 counterparts. Overall, these findings provide reference values that sports practitioners can use when assessing athletes' CMJ and sprint performance capabilities as well as when developing sport-specific training regimens to mimic on-court competitive demands
Synthesis and Characterization of Modified Nanodiamonds for Use as a Potential Vaccine Adjuvant Delivery Platform for a Candidate Ricin Toxin Vaccine (Dataset)
No full textThis dataset accompanies the article, Synthesis and Characterization of Modified Nanodiamonds for Use as a Potential Vaccine Adjuvant Delivery Platform for a Candidate Ricin Toxin Vaccine, currently in press.Adjuvants are a necessary excipient in most vaccine formulations to promote efficient antigen uptake and sampling by professional antigen presenting cells (APCs) in local tissues and regional lymph nodes. Nanoparticles have the unique capacity to serve as both antigen carriers and adjuvants by virtue of their size, shape, and modifiable surface properties. Nanodiamonds represent a novel type of diamond-based nanoparticle because they have easily modified surface chemistry and high binding capacity for surface display of protein antigens. Nanodiamonds are also non-toxic but still capable of stimulating a limited inflammatory response. In this study, we modified nanodiamonds with different surface chemistries and investigated in a murine model their ability to act as an adjuvant delivery platform for a ricin subunit vaccine, RiVax. The nanodiamonds were compared to RiVax adjuvanted with aluminum salts, liposomes, and gold nanoparticles. Vaccine efficacy was assessed based on an immunity to lethal challenge model. Our studies found that although the nanodiamonds could be coated with RiVax, the resulting formulation did not improve the protective capabilities of RiVax in a murine model. However, modified nanodiamonds were also investigated and characterized and may be investigated in the future as an improvement over their unmodified counterparts