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Anti-Drag Laws and Free Speech: The First Amendment Case for Protecting Drag
No full textIn 2023, there were six federal court cases involving anti-drag laws or government denials of permission to hold drag shows on public property. All but one of these cases concluded that drag shows constituted expressive conduct protected by the First Amendment. Four of the cases involved challenges to recently enacted anti-drag laws, and in each of those cases, the courts found the laws to violate the First Amendment on multiple grounds, including not being narrowly tailored to achieve their purpose, as well as being vague and overbroad. However, one court, ruling on a denial of permission to hold a drag show, concluded that drag shows were not protected by the First Amendment. This Article considers these court decisions on state anti-drag laws and the reasons the laws were found to be unconstitutional. It also considers court arguments for and against providing protection to drag shows as expressive conduct under the First Amendment, concluding that drag shows do qualify for First Amendment protection
Olaudah Equiano and the Anti-Ethnography of Blackness
No full textThis essay considers the abolitionist narrative, The Life of Olaudah Equiano, through the anthropological lens of ethnography. Equiano’s account, though not without controversy, contributes to the evolution of an African cultural consciousness that would span across multiple continents. In that sense, while this autobiography seems to follow the literary pattern of its contemporary slave narratives, it is also countercultural and qualifies as “anti-ethnography”. The review presented here focuses on two sections of Equiano’s work: (1) the Afrocentric account of Ibo culture and (2) the cultural commentary regarding enslavement in the Americas. For each section, Equiano’s deviation from the traditional slave narrative is highlighted and analyzed
Fecal Microbiota, Live-jslm (RBL; REBYOTA®) for Prevention of Recurrent Clostridioides difficile Infection: What Gastroenterology Nurses Need to Know.
No full textLive biotherapeutic products (LBPs) such as fecal microbiota, live-jslm (RBL) are becoming more frequently administered in gastroentintestinal (GI) care settings. As a result, GI nurses must be knowledgeable about and skilled in their administration of LBPs. RBL is a single-dose, rectally-administered, microbiota-based LBP suspension indicated for prevention of recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (rCDI). RBL contains a diverse set of micro-organisms, including Bacteroides spp., and is believed to restore a healthy gut microbiota to mitigate dysbiosis associated with rCDI. Patients do not require fasting, bowel preparation, or anesthesia prior to RBL administration. Administration takes approximately 5Â minutes and can be given by any health care professional (e.g., nurses) in any care setting. Nurses also play an important role in educating patients and caregivers about these products and the disease. Collectively, improved familiarity with LBPs and their proper use among nurses can contribute to successful prevention of rCDI in their patients
Scaffolding Criticality: Iterations of Theory in Principal Preparation
No full textTheory can be of immense value in practice and to practitioners, but is sometimes perceived as esoteric and inaccessible, or divorced from “real-world†knowledge and skills needed to enact school leadership. Policy and scholarship also call for the development of school leaders capable of thinking in ways informed by a range of theories that help leaders consider issues from various perspectives. Developing principals capable of leading for the moment and in ways that improve PK–12 systems requires us to communicate about theory in a way that positions it as a window into and lens for practice and to make theory approachable for students. In this paper, drawing on scholarship and on our roles as principal preparation faculty and as former school principals, we outline a framework for thinking about and with theory in principal preparation and for embedding theory in learning in explicit ways. Together, the iterations of theory we discuss scaffold the ability of leaders to use theory to frame critical analyses, problem-solve, broaden awareness of educational and societal issues, and constructively critique K–12 education
The role of community health workers in re-entry of people with HIV and substance use disorder released from jail: a mixed methods evaluation of a pilot study
No full textBackground: Incarcerated individuals face high rates of mental illness, substance use disorders and communicable diseases including HIV, with increased health complications and mortality in the early post-release period. Multiple re-entry interventions linking justice-involved individuals to community resources via peer navigation have emerged, though limited data exist on the mechanics and personal impact of these approaches. This paper quantifies and evaluates a pilot study of a combined Community Health Worker (CHW)-re-entry intervention for individuals released from jail who use substances and have HIV to inform future large-scale applications. Methods: A mixed-methods analysis of a CHW-re-entry intervention utilized in a pilot randomized controlled trial involving people with HIV who have a history of substance (stimulant, opioid or alcohol) use in Dallas, TX was conducted using an explanatory sequential design. Quantitative assessments of the intervention measured interaction types, time spent, and topics discussed and explored associations between the �dose� of intervention and patient outcomes. Qualitative analyses of CHW field notes and end-of-study participant interviews were triangulated with quantitative findings to elucidate the intervention�s impact. Results: Of the 17/31 participants assigned to the intervention, 16 interacted with the CHW on at least one occasion, and 6 successfully completed a visit with the re-entry organization. Most CHW interactions occurred by phone (66%) or in person (28%). Frequently discussed topics included substance use, housing, and physical health. On average, participants spent 7.65 h (range 0-37.18, SD?=?9.33) engaged with the intervention over 6 months. Intervention dose was associated with improved HIV control, decreased stimulant use, higher rates of recidivism, and improved clinical appointment show rate. Qualitative analyses revealed key intervention components, paralleling benefits of study participation alone: outreach, nonjudgmental approach, motivation and accountability. Conclusions: A CHW-re-entry intervention, while resource-intensive, shows preliminary promise in improving HIV and some substance use outcomes. Frequent telephone and in-person contact, with an empathetic yet goal-oriented approach, fostered participant support and motivation to address HIV and substance use. Participants reported that engagement in research provided accountability and a sense of purpose. Future studies should focus on optimizing implementation of CHW-based interventions to enhance impact on vulnerable populations
Patchwork Freedoms: Law, Slavery, and Race beyond Cuba’s Plantations, by Adriana Chira
No full textThe book is much more than a local history. It is thoroughly situated and connected to broader Caribbean and hemispheric developments and offers a novel, more complete understanding of key questions in Cuban history. For all these reasons and more, Patchwork Freedoms should be required reading for students of slavery not just in Cuba, or the Spanish Empire more broadly, but across the Atlantic World
Internal benevolent colonialism in 20th century Texas higher education: A historic narrative between two Texas Disciples of Christ institution
No full textQualitative research offers valuable insights into the complex dynamics of lived experiences and social phenomena, often revealing nuanced histories overlooked by traditional quantitative approaches. This study utilizes historical narrative and discourse analysis to explore the previously understudied relationship between Texas Christian University (TCU) and Jarvis Christian University (JCU), situated within the broader context of 20th-century higher education in Texas. Despite significant contributions from the Jarvis family to both institutions, the historical connections between TCU and JCU remain largely unexamined in the existing literature. Drawing on archival data, this research aims to fill this gap, challenging the current understanding of these institutions' intertwined histories and their role in shaping race relations, education, and colonialism within the region. By examining this relationship through the lenses of race, power, and institutional history, the study seeks to address the absence of this critical narrative in Texas's educational history. Moreover, the research employs the concept of "Internal Benevolent Colonialism" as a framework to understand how the institutionalized power dynamics between these universities reflect a paternalistic form of control that stifles autonomy and reinforces societal inequities. This study’s findings will contribute to both historical scholarship and contemporary debates about race, education, and colonialism in higher education, urging a reexamination of institutional power structures and their legacy in shaping the present
HIV Risk and Interest in Preexposure Prophylaxis in Justice-Involved Persons
No full textPreexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is underused in persons who use drugs and justice-involved persons. In an ongoing randomized controlled trial in 4 US locations comparing patient navigation versus mobile health unit on time to initiation of HIV medication or PrEP for justice-involved persons who use stimulants or opioids and who are at risk for or living with HIV, we assessed HIV risk factors, perceived HIV risk, and interest in PrEP. Participants without HIV (n = 195) were 77% men, 65% White, 23% Black, and 26% Hispanic; 73% reported a recent history of condomless sex, mainly with partners of unknown HIV status. Of 34% (67/195) reporting injection drug use, 43% reported sharing equipment. Despite risk factors, many persons reported their risk for acquiring HIV as low (47%) or no (43%) risk, although 51/93 (55%) with PrEP indications reported interest in PrEP. Justice-involved persons who use drugs underestimated their HIV risk and might benefit from increased PrEP education efforts
(Re)riteing the Land: Sogorea Te’ Land Trust, Amah Mutsun Land Trust, and Indigenous Resurgence in California
No full textLand and land access is returning to Indigenous peoples across the world. This article theorizes ways that two California tribal organizations, Sogorea Te’ Land Trust and Amah Mutsun Land Trust, are revitalizing cultural practices through renewed access to land. Defying narratives of “extinction†as nonrecognized California tribes, the work of these organizations is not simply about cultural or political resurgence, however, but also about the creative restoration of sacred practices that situate the communities in a robust web of relations, both seen and unseen. Building on Cutcha Risling Baldy’s theory of “(re)riteing,†this article examines how ceremony is a central part of land-based resurgence for these organizations. The author shows that returning to land after multiple waves of colonization and dispossession means “(re)riteing†the land through ceremonies, songs, and prayers. These practices root tribal members in ancestral ways of relating to their territory. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, this paper argues that this “(re)riteing†is a vital example of what Laura Harjo describes as “Indigenous futurity praxis.†Taken together, Sogorea Te’ Land Trust and Amah Mutsun Land Trust suggest that Indigenous land-based resurgence is both political and cultural, epistemological and cosmological, part of global movements toward dynamic Indigenous futures
Installation of an Indole on the BRCA1 Disordered Domain Using Triazine Chemistry
No full textThe functionalization of protein sidechains with highly water-soluble chlorotriazines (or derivatives thereof) using nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions has been commonly employed to install various functional groups, including poly(ethylene glycol) tags or fluorogenic labels. Here, a poorly soluble dichlorotriazine with an appended indole is shown to react with a construct containing the disordered domain of BRCA1. Subsequently, this construct can undergo proteolytic cleavage to remove the SUMO-tag: the N-terminal poly(His) tag is still effective for purification. Steady-state fluorescence, circular dichroism spectroscopy, and isothermal titration calorimetry with the binding partner of BRCA1, PALB2, are used to characterize the indole-labeled BRCA1. Neither the reaction conditions nor the indole-tag appreciably alter the structure of the BRCA1. Mass spectrometry confirms that the target is modified once, although the location of modification cannot be determined by tandem mass spectrometry with collision-induced dissociation due to disadvantageous fragmentation patterns