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MCTR3 Mitigates Cigarette Smoke-Induced Pulmonary Inflammation and Damage
No full textSmoking is deleterious to our lungs and can precipitate in a multitude of diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD is primarily caused by smoking cigarettes and is a major public health issue. Current therapies only treat symptoms without halting or reversing disease progression, thus highlighting a large unmet need to develop new therapies. We address this gap by investigating maresin conjugate in tissue regeneration 3 (MCTR3) which is a newly discovered specialized pro-resoling mediator (SPM) that has the novel property of promoting tissue repair and regeneration in addition to being anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving. For the first time, we investigated MCTR3 in different models of cigarette smoke exposure in vitro and in vivo. MCTR3 dampened IL-8 responses in both M0 and M1 Thp-1 monocyte derived macrophages treated with cigarette smoke extract. MCTR3 also decreased IL-8 production in submerged small airway epithelial cells (SAECs) stimulated with IL-1β. We provide a detailed methodology on how to differentiate SAECs at the air-liquid interface, and demonstrate that MCTR3 dampened IL-8 production, protected against the loss of cilia and improved barrier function by decreasing apoptosis and increasing cell proliferation when given as a pre-treatment before cigarette smoke exposure. In the post-treatment regimen, MCTR3 also decreased IL-8 and restored the loss of cilia in differentiated SAECs. The acute 3-day cigarette smoke exposure model in vivo showed that MCTR3 decreased CXCL1 and showed trends in dampening leukocyte recruitment. In combination, these studies indicate that MCTR3 is capable of mitigating cigarette smoke-induced lung inflammation and damage
The Dance of Human Affairs: Public Administration Leaders’ Perceptions of Candor’s Impact on a Sense of Belonging
Get PDFThis dissertation examines public administration leaders’ perceptions within the executive branch of the state government studied to determine if the components of radical candor, care personally and challenge directly, are associated with the sense of belonging in a public administration setting. Questions from surveys conducted by the state government studied were used to create the variables analyzed in this study. To the researcher’s knowledge, this is the first study to apply components from the Radical Candor® Framework to determine a relationship with sense of belonging in a public administration setting.
The significance of these components was tested through a quantitative, non-experimental design using secondary pooled data captured by the state government executive branch surveyed. The sample population for this study consisted of eight department cabinet level public administrator teams in the executive branch of a state government (e.g., Department Director, Department Deputy Director, Department Legislative Liaison, and Division Director) from 2022 to 2024 – a total of 1,386 respondents. The dependent variable was sense of belonging. An ordinal logistic regression was performed to test for significance and both independent variables were found to be significant at p \u3c 0.05: care personally (p \u3c .001, odds-ratio 1.689) and challenge directly (p = .001, odds-ratio 1.129). These findings suggest that the executive branch of the state government examined should prioritize supporting a feedback culture of radical candor. Further, these findings reaffirm the value of radical candor as an influencing factor on the sense of belonging in a public administration setting
Characterization of Nanoplastic-Induced Exacerbation of Asthmatic Pathophysiology in a Murine In Vivo Model
Get PDFAs global plastic production increases, so does the environmental and biological presence of nanoplastics (NPs), raising growing concerns about their potential impact on human health. These particles have been detected in various organs, including the lungs, yet their role in respiratory inflammation remains largely unexplored. Emerging evidence suggests that NP exposure may influence immune responses in the lungs, particularly in individuals with preexisting conditions such as asthma. However, the specific ways in which these particles interact with allergen driven inflammation are still unclear.
In this study, a murine model of allergic airway inflammation was used to investigate how surface modified polystyrene nanoplastics may influence lung immune responses. The hypothesis is that exposure to NPs, particularly in this case those with amine modified surface chemistries and positive surface charge, will exacerbate asthmatic symptoms in mice. A combination of cytokine profiling, BALF analysis, and histological examination was used to assess markers of inflammation and tissue remodeling. Through this approach, the effects of allergen exposure, NP exposure, and their interactions were evaluated to have exacerbated the asthmatic response of sensitized mice. With NP exposure leading to elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines, increased eosinophil recruitment and worsened lung mechanics. These results have helped us to better understand how environmental plastics may affect the progression or severity of asthma like conditions
Periodic Trends in the Electronic and Magnetic Structure of Superatomic 3d Transition Metal Chalcogenide Clusters
Get PDFWe have systematically investigated the electronic structure of octahedral transition metal chalcogenide clusters, TM6S8(CO)6, in which the transition metal atoms are from the 3d series in order to identify if periodic properties emerge. We were motivated by the identification of closed electronic shells with electron counts of 96, 100 and 114 in similar clusters from the 4d and 5d transition metal series. Further motivation was the finding of a dual-shell closing in the Fe6S8(CN)65- cluster. This cluster is stabilized with a large spin magnetic moment due to the filling of different shells in both the spin up and spin down channels. Normally, 3d transition metal atoms have local spin magnetic moments that are not quenched, so the formation of closed electronic shells with large HOMO-LUMO gap energies does not occur. Clusters with closed electronic shells exhibit enhanced chemical and energetic stability, and clusters with nearby closed electronic shells may behave as superatoms in which their properties are determined by the energy gained by closing that electronic shell. To identify if periodic properties are emerging we have calculated the ground state electronic structure of the TM6S8(CO)6 clusters starting from V2Cr4S8(CO)6 and ending with Ni6S8(CO)6 using density functional theory. The valence count was controlled by successively exchanging each transition metal atom with the next higher atomic number transition metal. In total, the 27 clusters with valence electron counts ranging from 94 to 120 were studied. The HOMO-LUMO gap, atomization energy, ligand binding energy, ionization energy, and electron affinity were calculated to identify which electron counts correspond to magic numbers. The electron counts of 96, 100, 107, and 114 were identified to behave as having magic numbers, with closed electronic shells at 96, 100, and 114, and a dual electronic shell closure at 107 corresponding to a high spin state of 7 μB. Further, the periodic behavior of the clusters with electron counts near 107 behave in a similar way as Hund’s rules with the systematic filling of the spin down shell as the electron count goes from 107 to 114
Validating Search Strategies for Healthy People 2030’s Leading Health Indicators: An Update on the PH/HA Caucus’s Structured Evidence Queries Project
Get PDFThe Public Health/Health Administration (PH/HA) Caucus’s work in developing Structured Evidence Queries (SEQs) for Healthy People 2030’s leading health indicators, an initiative from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) aimed at improving the nation’s health in measurable ways highlights their search validation strategy and plans for outreach and assessment as the project nears completion. The SEQs, developed for PubMed, are designed to measure progress toward specified health outcomes while addressing health disparities and promoting health equity. The team collaboratively developed and peer-reviewed these SEQs, refining criteria and creating a validation strategy using resources from HHS. Plans for outreach and assessment are underway, with promotion targeting policymakers, researchers, and librarians. By combining traditional public health frameworks with peer-reviewed search strategies, this initiative emphasizes equitable access to reliable, high-quality information to advance national health priorities and support evidence-based decision-making
A Note for Helen.
Get PDFThe editorial team of the Journal of Prison Education Research is mourning the loss of our beloved editor, Dr. Helen Farley, who passed away in July. We are publishing a note to remember her legacy and thank her for her commitment to the journal. She will be forever loved
The British Photographic Industry and the Roles of Women 1840-1920: A Survey
Get PDFThis essay surveys the role of women within the British photographic industry to 1920 and attempts to quantify the numbers involved, their roles and how they were perceived by contemporary commentators. In common with so much of nineteenth century arts and sciences women are rarely present having been excluded by legal constraints on wealth and property, from the membership of professional bodies, and by being ignored by the contemporary press, this essay provides substantive numbers emphasising their significance
“It Has Made Me Stronger”: The Strengths of Trans and Nonbinary Teachers
Get PDFThis study draws from two data sets collected from interviews with trans and nonbinary (TGNB) teachers. It highlights the strengths related to gender identity and gender history that the teachers bring to schools and classrooms, as identified by the teachers and the researchers. Strengths identified included multiple ways of supporting LGBTQ+ students (especially TGNB students), connecting with all students, greater self-awareness, and seeing beyond “boxes.” The study adapts Pennell’s (2016a, 2016b) queer cultural capital, introducing and exploring TGNB cultural capital
S20, E09: SCOTUS Eras: Marshall Court, part 1 (Aired 10/17/2024)
Get PDFAughie and Nia explore the contributions and impact of the Marshall Court. In part one, they discuss Chief Justice John Marshall\u27s personal history and the formalizing of the U.S. Supreme Court rules under his leadership.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/civil_discourse/1289/thumbnail.jp