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Engaging Youth with the Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility Framework: Sport Psychology Graduate Students’ Experience in a Service-Learning Course
Full text linkPurpose: Grounded in the framework of Hellison’s (2011) Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility model, this study sought to understand how graduate students learned to facilitate a youth physical activity program while participating in a service-learning course designed to promote sport for development. Methods: This study utilized a thematic narrative analysis approach. Researchers interviewed one cohort of Master’s students (n=5) studying counseling and sport psychology who participated in the service-learning course. Results: Identified themes included: (1) supervision and consultation, (2) observation, and (3) self-reflection, along with emergent sub-themes when relevant. Conclusions: This research provides insight into how future service-learning courses in the field of counseling and sport psychology can be developed to facilitate graduate student learning through a culturally conscious lens. Applications in Sport: This information can be valuable for sport psychologists, sport social workers, mental performance consultants, physical education teachers, and coach educators when considering how to promote the development of future practitioners
Positive effects of Moringa oleifera and Moringa stenopetala seed and leaf extracts against selected bacteria
Full text linkMoringa oleifera is hailed as the “miracle tree” for its impressive catalog of nutritional, medicinal, and water purification benefits. A (sub)tropical plant with a rapid growth rate (3–5 m in a single season), Moringa has proven beneficial in multiple ways in developing regions around the world. In addition to its high nutrient content and water clarifying properties, Moringa seed and leaf extracts have shown potential as natural antibacterial agents. Based on this, we anticipated that extracts from multiple species of Moringa would exhibit potentially useful antibacterial properties against a range of bacterial species. To explore this, both disk diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) culture techniques were employed to assess the inhibitory effects of seed and leaf extracts from M. oleifera and M. stenopetala against species of bacteria commonly used in research and teaching laboratories. Aqueous seed extracts from both Moringa species showed broad-spectrum activity but were especially effective at inhibiting the growth of Gram-positive bacteria, including species of Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and Bacillus. Moringa leaf extracts also exhibited antibacterial activity, with ethanolic leaf extracts showing greater efficacy than aqueous leaf extracts in disk-diffusion assays. Temporary acidification (1 h at pH 2) of Moringa seed and leaf extracts had a detrimental effect on their antibacterial activity. MIC assays using Moringa leaf extracts also showed more pronounced inhibition of Gram-positive bacteria (MIC = 12.5% v/v) versus Gram-negative species (MIC = 25% v/v). These results are of particular relevance in tropical areas where pharmaceutical drugs are scarce but Moringa is widely available and often used as a nutritional supplement. Moreover, the rising threat of multi-drug resistant pathogens lends greater importance to the study of antibacterial plant products that ultimately may find application in the clinical setting
Investigation of the Effects of Mutating Iron-Coordinating Residues in Rieske Dioxygenases
Full text linkRieske dioxygenases are multi-component enzyme systems, naturally found in many soil bacteria, that have been widely applied in the production of fine chemicals, owing to the unique and valuable oxidative dearomatization reactions they catalyze. The range of practical applications for these enzymes in this context has historically been limited, however, due to their limited substrate scope and strict selectivity. In an attempt to overcome these limitations, our research group has employed the tools of enzyme engineering to expand the substrate scope or improve the reactivity of these enzyme systems in specific contexts. Traditionally, enzyme engineering campaigns targeting metalloenzymes have avoided mutations to metal-coordinating residues, based on the assumption that these residues are essential for enzyme activity. Inspired by the success of other recent enzyme engineering reports, our research group investigated the potential to alter or improve the reactivity of Rieske dioxygenases by altering or eliminating iron coordination in the active site of these enzymes. Herein, we report the modification of all three iron-coordinating residues in the active site of toluene dioxygenase both to alternate residues capable of coordinating iron, and to a residue that would eliminate iron coordination. The enzyme variants produced in this way were tested for their activity in the cis-dihydroxylation of a small library of potential aromatic substrates. The results of these studies demonstrated that all three iron-coordinating residues, in their natural state, are essential for enzyme activity in toluene dioxygenase, as the introduction of any mutations at these sites resulted in a complete loss of cis-dihydroxylation activity
Objective Lens: Cora Wilson as a pioneer in education in rural Kentucky & beyond
Full text linkDuring the first 30 years of the 20th Century, many scholars agree that Cora Wilson Stewart was the most widely known authority of adult literacy in the world. By establishing the Moonlight Schools in Rowan County Kentucky in 1911, she rose to prominence as a well-regarded advocate for promoting literacy and adult education. Stewart frequently held viewpoints which ran counter to the mindset of educators in the 1920s and 1930s. Wilson was ahead of her time in many aspects of promoting literacy in an era largely before adult education was widely recognized
Parisa Ebrahimbabaie’s Academic Sojourn at Bethune-Cookman University: Unraveling the Complexities
Full text linkParisa Ebrahimbabaie’s academic tenure at Bethune-Cookman University (B-CU) unfolds as a captivating narrative intricately woven with challenges stemming from her international background as a woman from Iran. This exploration of her experiences at the Historical Black University (HBCU) delves into the complexities of identity, cultural adjustments, and the unique dynamics of an academic environment rich in historical significance
The Relevance of Embodied Practice to Philosophical Understanding: Meditation and Hermeneutic Distanciation
Full text linkIn this paper I argue that meditation has a direct bearing upon philosophical discourse by enabling us to distance ourselves from the basic structure of subjectivity that often limits the scope of reason. Recent neurobiological hypotheses are discussed in conjunction with the method of hermeneutic phenomenology to argue that interpretations on the level of our neurobiology underly and construct our experience of ourselves as subjects and the sense of explicit rational understanding that arises from it. This implies that prediscursive embodied practice can play a crucial role in freeing our philosophical understanding from implicit assumptions
An Analysis of the Film Bee Movie and Multispecies Theory: Exploring Multispecies Interactions of the Honeybee and Its Anthropomorphic Film Representation
No full textMultispecies theory is applicable to a multitude of formats for analysis. In this essay, the film Bee Movie is analyzed for its purpose in multispecies studies and how it can be used to understand the function of the bee outside of the film. Multispecies theory suggests a new form of viewing the world, of being attentive to those around you that might not warrant a second thought, like an annoying bee buzzing around your head. It asks us to analyze the interactions we see around us on a day-to-day basis and how the world functions around these interactions. This essay analyzes the interactions in Bee Movie and how they might translate to real-life interactions made by bees. This essay analyzes how bees interact with the hive, flowers, and various other parts of the world around them in their daily lives and how these interactions shape not only the lives of humans, but other species as well
Mental Health Education and Self-Reported Depressive Symptoms Among College Athletes
Full text linkDepression among college athletes is a subject of growing research interest. The time demands and performance-related pressures college athletes face increase the risk for possible mental health diagnoses. It is recommended college athletes receive training on mental health issues to learn about symptoms or identify early warning signs. This study investigated whether receiving or not receiving pre-sport mental health education influenced reported depressive symptoms of National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) college athletes. This quantitative, cross-sectional study included voluntary college athletes aged 18-years-old (n = 361). Most participants (n = 229, 63.7%) indicated they did not receive mental health training from their college or university prior to sport participation. A web-based instrument that consisted of a demographic questionnaire and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to identify college athletes who reported depressive symptoms. College athletes who did not receive pre-sport mental health training scored in a higher category of depression symptoms than college athletes who did receive mental health training. It is recommended college athletic programs explore the importance of mental health training sessions to prepare student-athletes to recognize and respond promptly and appropriately to mental health challenges.
Keywords: mental health literacy, college athletes, depression, NAI
Evolution of Professional Standards: Reflecting on the Past to Inform the Future
Full text linkClearly defined professional standards result in better prepared professionals who positively impact outcomes for children and families by ensuring an effective workforce. This article describes the evolution of early intervention early/childhood special education preparation standards from the on-the-job competencies of the 1960s to the historic 2020 Initial Practice-Based Professional Standards for Early Interventionists/Early Childhood Special Educators (EI/ECSE Standards), in concert with the evolution of the profession itself. Influencing factors include (a) changes in federal legislation and policy, (b) ages and characteristics of children served, (c) growing knowledge of effective practices, (d) collaboration with other disciplines, and (e) ongoing advocacy for EI/ECSE as a profession. The article concludes with a vision for using these EI/ECSE Standards to guide the future local, state, and national agenda of the profession around preservice preparation and accreditation, professional development, state and federal policy, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and standards-informed research
Special Education in Germany
Full text linkGermany’s education system is continually evolving and advancing, especially within special education. The country’s history and the laws that have been implemented significantly shape special education as we know it today, yet unresolved issues persist in this field. One notable challenge is the divide between general education and special education, leading to limited inclusion of students with disabilities in schools. This article provides information about Germany’s demographics, the history of the country and its education system, and the laws and policies that affect people with disabilities in the country. Furthermore, it describes what the current systems look like, general and special education teacher preparation, and the issues found in the special education system today