15849 research outputs found
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Sugar, We’re Going Down: Nurse’s Perceptions of Calculation Process for Patients on Insulin Drip
No full textAdvancing Spiritual Care in the Critical Care Unit: An Evidence-Based Practice Protocol for Optimizing Nurse-Delivered Spiritual Support
No full textAutomating Course Scheduling with Linear Programming and the Python PuLP Framework: First Steps
Get PDFThis article presents a pragmatic approach to automating course scheduling in an academic setting using linear programming.
We explore how linear optimization via current open-source tools can efficiently handle scheduling constraints such as instructor preferences, teaching loads, course section requirements, and specific time slots. Using Python’s PuLP library and matplotlib for visualization, we built a flexible and accessible scheduling system.
Our research prototype balances course assignments while addressing department-specific needs, demonstrating how linear programming can simplify academic scheduling and improve efficiency.
Although this is a research prototype, our results already demonstrate the ability to generate a correct course schedule that ensures all constraints are met and can easily be adapted to support on-the-ground course scheduling changes
Centering Students\u27 Voices: Social and Emotional Competencies and Culture Among Immigrant, Minoritized Youth
No full textDespite the current socio-political climate within the U.S., racially and ethnically minoritized youth are persevering through the use of Social Emotional Competencies (SEC) in their academic performances and relationships. The current study examines high school students’ definitions of Social Emotional Competencies in their own words, as well as the meaning of culture in their lives. The teens were asked open-ended questions where they defined SECs as well as described their cultural experiences. Seven general themes emerged that reflected academic, emotional, and cultural factors. These results are discussed in the context of the transformative Social Emotional Learning framework
Assessing Functional Changes in the Gut Microbiome in CTCL Patients Pre- and Post Therapy
Get PDFThe human microbiome, composed of bacteria, fungi, and viruses, is influenced by diet, health, and the environment, impacting immune response, digestion, and mental health. This study analyzed microbiome data from CTCL patients, focusing on changes after phototherapy. Using Microbiome Analyst, we identified 32 significant enzymes and 8 pathways. Notably, enzyme EC:1.1.1.370 and pathway P562 increased post-phototherapy, indicating metabolic shifts in inositol processing. These findings suggest phototherapy may modulate microbial metabolism, warranting further research
Assessing soil microbial community biomass and enzyme activity in cover crop rhizosphere soil
Get PDFCover crops improve soil health, yet their rhizosphere-level effects are understudied. This study examined microbial biomass and extracellular enzyme activity in bulk and rhizosphere soils of legumes, grasses, and a legume-grass mix. Soil samples were analyzed for microbial composition (PLFA) and enzyme activity (colorimetric bench-scale assays: β-Glucosidase, arylsulfatase, acid-phosphatase). Cover crop soils had higher microbial biomass, enzyme activity, and bacterial and fungal levels than bulk soil, suggesting dynamic plant-microbe interactions. No significant differences were found between cover crop species, likely due to early crop development. Future research should evaluate cover crops’ long-term soil health effects at later growth stages
A Voice For the Most Vulnerable: Child Victims
Get PDFThis presentation will dive into risk factors, misconceptions, and varying definitions of child maltreatment. Over the past 3 months, I have worked alongside investigators at DCFS, where I have aided in the process of investigating cases and providing services to victims and families. I hope that by the end of this presentation, people will have a deeper understanding of successful intervention methods and recognize the importance of reporting suspected abuse. Finally, I hope to inspire everyone to reflect on their current outlook on this topic and ensure that their actions and beliefs do not contribute to society\u27s tolerance of abuse
INVESTIGATING THE IMPACTS OF XBP1S OVEREXPRESSION IN OLIGODENDROCYTE PROGENTIOR CELLS IN A REMYLINATING MOUSE MODEL OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
Get PDFMultiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disorder that results in
the targeted destruction of myelinated axons within the central nervous system (CNS). Remyelination restores neuronal function
and prevents axonal degeneration, but remyelination is either incomplete or inconsistent in MS. Efforts to re-populate remyelinating oligodendrocytes will therefore advance reparative therapeutics for MS. Remyelinating oligodendrocytes develop and function in the presence of inflammatory environment in MS. It has been shown that inflammation diminishes the capacity of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) to develop into mature oligodendrocytes and remyelinate demyelinated lesions. In addition, inflammation induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is one of the driving mechanisms leading to oligodendrocyte cell death in MS and its inflammatory mouse model experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). The UPR is triggered by ER stress and orchestrated by three signaling pathways: PERK, ATF6, and IRE1. Previous results showed the activation of PERK
pathway provided protection to remyelinating oligodendrocytes and promoted remyelination; however, the contributions of the other UPR pathways, including IRE1 to oligodendrocyte response in MS remains unclear. Upon stress, activated IRE1 splices XBP1 mRNA, producing XBP1s, which enhances UPR gene expression. Recent studies suggested that Xbp1s is important for normal developmental myelination, myelin maintenance and remyelination after injury in Schwann cells. Therefore, we hypothesized that targeted activation of the IRE1/Xbp1s branch of the UPR in OPC may promote OPC differentiation and enhance myelination. This study will provide a deeper understanding of the role of IRE/XBP1s on remyelination, which may lead to new rejuvenating therapeutic strategies to MS
Observing the Abundance of Avian Families in Different Layers of Lowland Floodplain Rainforest at Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica, Peru
Get PDFThis research project aims to observe the abundance and diversity of avian families and subfamilies in the Peruvian Amazon basin at Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica at Madre de Dios, Peru by performing bird surveys, fixed-radius point counts, and placing down camera traps. Over a one-week period, we will observe species of the floodplain understory and canopy to observe niche separation and specialization. In addition, we hope to see species of conservation concern and ecological importance, such as the endemic black-faced cotinga and the pale-winged trumpeter, along with indicator species, to analyze the health of the rainforest near Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica
Using Immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry to characterize changes in specificity during antibody affinity maturation
No full textBinding affinity and binding specificity are two separate dimensions of molecular recognition. The former describes the affinity for the cognate ligand, while the latter describes the relative affinity of cognate to noncognate ligands. While the experimental determination of affinity is straightforward, it is much more difficult to measure specificity, since it requires the characterization of “off-target” binding to any of a large number of potential noncognate ligands. The goal of my research project is to use a new approach, immunoprecipitation-liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (IP-LC/MS), to characterize specificity of antibodies for their respective antigen as a function of their affinity maturation. This project may provide experimental evidence that the selection pressures during antibody affinity maturation act to increase not just affinity but also specificity for antigen, an important question in basic immunological research. Furthermore, it may help to better understand whether a subset of the mutations that occur during affinity maturation acts separately on affinity and specificity, or whether mutations more commonly affect both aspects of molecular recognition simultaneously. This knowledge might inform antibody engineering approaches that may need to optimize either for a given antibody to improve function for a given application, e.g. in antibody-based bioanalytical assays