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AIMING PAST PROFICIENCY: RE-DEFINING DATA LITERACY FOR TEACHERS TO RAISE ACHIEVEMENT FOR ALL.
Get PDFAchievement gaps between racial subgroups persist in many US schools, and the inequitable 100-point grading system—virtually unchanged over the last 100 years—has been identified as one contributing factor. Regional Rural School (RRS) took steps to better inform students and parents of their academic progress by transitioning to standards-based grading (SBG) in fall of 2000. RRS results have shown a decrease in the achievement gap for several subgroups, but Black students still had a noticeable achievement gap compared to their White peers. This project investigated whether increasing data literacy among teachers implementing SBG would help to reduce the Black-White achievement gap. The parallel mixed method study design utilized the Data Matters Framework and a modified Plan-Do-Study-Act continuous improvement model. The study assessed the current state of data literacy in the SBG environment and provided professional learning to increase data literacy, so teachers could focus on decreasing the achievement gap for this subgroup and assess how data literacy was supporting school-wide instructional practices. Findings from this study suggest that some teachers successfully reduced the achievement gap in three state-level assessments and had no noticeable gap in SBG data sets. Even though the school did not close the gap, there were more positive outcomes for participants who received professional learning in small group or individual settings
DIVERSITY IN THE ECU HONORS COLLEGE
No full textAn issue at East Carolina University, is the lack of minorities and disadvantaged students in the Honors college. The Honors College Socioeconomic Academic Day is an idea proposed to address the issue. The goal of this day is to have high school students from marginalized backgrounds come to the university and discuss the opportunities that would be here for them if they were to attend the university. From the research gathered thus far, there are only six percent of minority students in the Honors college. The goal of this project would be to assure high school students that they are welcomed and would have a safe and rewarding time if they were to attend. In total, this project would provide mentorship for the incoming students even after the academic day to help guide these students throughout their collegiate journey
Equine Assisted Learning to Reduce Burnout, Perceived Stress, and Promote Resilience
No full textNursing students and professionals often face high stress due to demanding academic and clinical responsibilities, which can lead to reduced resilience and increased anxiety, and burnout. These challenges persist into professional practice and can negatively affect patient care. Building resilience early is key to improving well-being and job satisfaction. This study explores the effects of a six-week Resilience Equine-Assisted Learning (REAL) program on stress, burnout, and resilience among 16 senior Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students. The non-riding sessions aimed to strengthen coping strategies and emotional regulation. Using a one-group pretest-posttest design, resilience was measured with the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. The mean score increased from 29.0 (pre-test) to 32.7 (post-test). The increase in mean scores suggests that REAL could be an effective method for enhancing resilience. Findings from this study will help shape future strategies to enhance resilience and reduce burnout and stress, contributing to a more sustainable and resilient nursing workforce
STRESS-SLEEP RELATIONSHIPS IN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA SPECTRUM DISORDERS AND THE MODERATING ROLE OF PSYCHIATRIC CORRELATES
No full textBackground: The relationship between stress and sleep has been well established, evidencing bidirectionality in that elevated stress can lead to sleep disruptions, and prolonged sleep problems can lead to a greater stress response. Stress experiences are not homogeneous and instead can present in different forms consisting of acute, chronic and/or early life exposures. Both stress and sleep can be categorized as objective (e.g., biological measures, reported count of stressors experienced) and subjective (e.g., perceived severity). While separately, stress and sleep disruptions are well studied in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD), the relationship between sleep and stress, particularly stress types (i.e., acute, chronic, early life), along with both objective and subjective data in these disorders has yet to be comprehensively examined.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between acute, chronic, and early life stress and sleep quality in patients with SSD and in healthy individuals using both objective and subjective measurement methods, and to determine whether these relationships were stronger in the SSD group. The influence of increased psychiatric symptoms (i.e., positive and negative psychotic symptoms) as a moderator of stress-sleep relationships were examined as well.
Methods: A total of 130 individuals participated in the study, which included 87 patients with SSD and 43 healthy individuals. Sleep was measured using Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and by using sleep overnight EEG recordings. Stress was measured using the Stress and Adversity Inventory (STRAIN), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), and the Allostatic Load Index. Psychiatric symptoms were measured using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). Age and sex were included covariates when examining stress-sleep relationships.
Results: Results revealed that patients with SSD displayed significantly elevated stress levels across objective and subjective measures, as well as poorer sleep quality and sleep architecture disturbances measured by sleep EEG compared to healthy individuals. While there was a positive relationship between objective and subjective acute stress and sleep quality in patients with SSD, this was not found in healthy individuals. In contrast, greater exposure to chronic objective and subjective stress was generally associated with poorer sleep quality in the healthy individuals but not in the SSD patient group. Greater exposure to both objective and subjective early life stress was generally associated with poorer sleep quality in the SSD patients. Psychiatric symptoms did not moderate any of the stress-sleep relationships. Finally, the relationship between stress and disruptions of objective sleep parameters mostly emerged in the SSD group.
Discussion: The results indicated varying patterns in stress-sleep quality relationships in patients with SSD and healthy individuals, with psychiatric symptoms not moderating these relationships. The findings highlight the importance of personalized and stress specific interventions to address sleep problems in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders
Identification of Actin Mutants with Neurodegenerative Disease-Like Phenotypes Via Mutagensis of the Actin-ATP Interface
No full textCofilin-actin rods are a well-documented stress response in neuronal cells and their persistence is frequently associated with neurodegenerative disease. However, the role of specific actin residues in promoting the formation of cofilin-actin rods and other anomalous cytoskeletal structures is largely unknown. As it is increasingly suspected that specific mutations and post-translation modifications of actin may promote neurodegenerative disease, characterizing the role of these residues in cytoskeletal dysregulation is highly relevant. In this study, we focus on the actin-ATP interface, which has been proposed as a key mediator of cofilin-actin rod formation and the propensity of actin to respond to cellular stress. Using a light and stress-gated reporter of cofilin-actin cluster formation, we determine the impact of mutants associated with Actin-ATP binding on the propensity of actin to form anomalous structures in the presence and absence of applied cellular stress. This study identifies actin mutants that promote anomalous actin inclusions in HeLa cells and characterizes the manifestation of these phenotypes in cortical neurons. Mutations to the ATP phosphate tail-binding region of actin (K18A, D154A, G158L, K213A) were found to be particularly disruptive to actin phenotypes, and in several instances promote disease-associated actin-rich structures such as cofilin-actin rods and Hirano bodies. We find that these mutant phenotypes are largely consistent between cell types and display highly unusual inclusions in cultured cortical neuron, without leading to nuclear fragmentation and apoptotic death of the transfected cells. These mutants strengthen the association of residue-specific changes in actin with large-scale phenotypic and functional changes in the cytoskeleton, further implicating them in neurodegenerative disease progression
CD25 Plasticity in Monoclonal Regulatory T Cells: Implications for Regulatory T Cell Identity and Therapeutic Applications
No full textRegulatory T cells (Tregs) play a crucial role in immune homeostasis and suppression of autoimmunity. To investigate their therapeutic potential and gain deeper insight into their function and therapeutic potential, a monoclonal Treg population was generated through single-cell cloning. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from human donors, and CD4⁺ T cells were magnetically separated from CD8⁺ T cells before being expanded in culture with IL-2 and TGF-β. A limiting dilution method was used to obtain a monoclonal population. Flow cytometry analysis confirmed that the cloned Treg line (2G4) exhibited key markers of regulatory function, including CD4, FOXP3, and CD25, with an increased expression of CD25 compared to the parental polyclonal line (Cardio-1). Interestingly, CD25 expression within the 2G4 clone showed a bimodal distribution, suggesting that CD25^high and CD25^low states represent interconvertible phenotypes rather than fixed, terminally differentiated T-cell subsets. This plasticity reflects a dynamic response to environmental cues and challenges the traditional view of CD25 as a static Treg marker. These findings support the value of monoclonal Tregs as a controlled and reproducible model for studying regulatory function and advancing cell-based therapies
Using REAL Interventions to Reduce Burnout Among Nursing Students
No full textBurnout among nurses and nursing students has become a critical issue in healthcare with far-reaching consequences for individual practitioners, patients and the healthcare system as a whole. National and state-level statistics paint a concerning picture of the prevalence and impact of this problem. At the individual level, interventions focusing on resilience training, stress management techniques and promoting work-life balance have shown promise. The costs – both individually and financially ¬– are too high to ignore, and finding effective solutions is crucial for the well-being of healthcare professionals and the quality of patient care. The intervention of this study was to pilot the Resilience Equine-Assisted Learning Intervention (REAL) Manual and conduct a non-randomized trial with a nurse led national collaboration to assess the feasibility and effects of the REAL intervention
The Shear Viscosity of the Quark-Gluon Plasma
No full textWe investigate the shear viscosity for a quark-gluon plasma under perturbative Quantum Chromodynamics (pQCD) at finite temperature with Boltzmann statistics.
We start from a previous work where the viscosity was calculated with pQCD cross sections for two-body scatterings of quarks and gluons, but make corrections and adjustments to the cross sections.
We then extend the derivation to obtain the analytical expression of shear viscosity of any quark gluon system under two-body interactions.
We also examine the analytical result in various limits and the effect of inelastic processes on the shear viscosity
Senior Illustration Show: Tales yo Astonish
No full textThis paper explores the conceptualization, development, and execution of my senior illustration exhibition, a deeply personal collection that reflects both my growth as an artist and individual. Through editorial illustration, I address topics ranging from the complexities of healthcare and political disillusionment to the emotional challenges of hair loss and childhood insecurities. Each piece utilizes bold color choices, metaphor, and exaggerated visual storytelling to create meaningful, resonant imagery. Rooted in my lifelong passion for picture-making, this body of work captures human moments with humor, vulnerability, and intention. The exhibition not only showcases my artistic voice but also represents my ability to connect with audiences through visual narratives that are both specific and universally relatable. This reflective process has solidified my identity as an illustrator and has prepared me for the professional world beyond the university setting