6501 research outputs found
Sort by
Black Boys OM: a case study of the impacts of community and culture on wellness practices
Get PDFBlack men continue to face health disparities due to systemic oppression. Research indicates that mind-body-spirit practices (MBSPs) can effectively improve mental and physical health, thereby reducing health disparities among Black men. However, MBSPs are often White-female-dominated practices, thus putting Black male practitioners at continued risks of under-representation and marginalization in MBSP spaces. The culturally specific nature of MBSP spaces may then be an important factor in MBSPs’ influence on Black men’s health. Therefore, we aimed to explore how culturally specific MBSP spaces impact Black male practitioners’ MBSPs. We collaborated with Black Boys OM (BBO), a global community of Black male mind-body practitioners, and utilized a case study-mixed methods approach to examine how BBO impacts Black male practitioners’ MBSPs. We conducted individual interviews (median length = 41 minutes) with the participants, 17 Black male yoga instructors from BBO, to learn about their experiences with BBO and other MBSP spaces. We utilized a hybrid qualitative approach that combined elements of codebook and reflexive thematic analysis to analyze our transcripts. We generated four categories of meanings to describe how the participants viewed BBO’s impact on their MBSPs. These categories included: 1) Black male mind-body practitioners’ needs, 2) the nature of mainstream MBSP spaces, 3) benefits of BBO, 4) requests for BBO. Finally, we discuss our findings and their implications for Black men’s health
The Imitation Game: Drug Reaction Presenting as Autoimmunity Presenting as Syphilis
Get PDFIntroduction: Syphilis screening, a common medical test in the US, is recommended annually in sexually active women younger than 25, annually for women older than 25, and annually for men(1). Standard tests include rapid reagin tests and Venereal Disease Research Laboratory tests, which react to membrane antigens of Treponema pallidum(2). Case reports of patients with autoimmune conditions have been described (3) but rarely considered in clinical practice. Additionally, patients may be underdiagnosed with autoimmune conditions with clinically relevant antibodies (4). Here, we describe one such case where a patient received delay in care prior to referral to our service. Case Presentation: A 52-year-old woman presented with chief complaint of lower extremity biopsy-proven leukocytoclastic vasculitis with joint pain, swelling, and new ulcers; with syphilis titer of 1:8 on RPR but denies sexual activity or use of antimicrobials within the last year. Current diagnoses include obsessive-compulsive disorder and antiphospholipid syndrome. Her medication history included a short, subtherapeutic dose of 100mg of minocycline; and prednisone, naproxen, famotidine, ibuprofen, olmesartan, amlodipine, hydrochlorothiazide, prednisone, pentoxifylline, fluvoxamine maleate, and albuterol. Physical exam demonstrated a lace-like rash and narrowing on upper and lower extremities with ulceration and substantial edema. Subsequently, she also demonstrated a substantial amount of oral candidiasis. Upon further testing, her eosinophil count was 0, CRP 3 mg/L, HIV negative, syphilis antibodies negative, and RPR remained positive. Her symptoms improved after discontinuation of fluvoxamine and prednisone initiation. Conclusion: Antiphospholipid syndrome, lymphocytoclastic vasculitis, and fluvoxamine may have contributed to this patient’s false positive RPR for syphilis, as well as a delay in treatment for her vasculitis of several months due to pursuit of syphilis workup and treatment. The prevalence of antiphospholipid syndrome has been estimated at 1/2000(4) and should be considered in the workup of patients presenting with high RPR titer and no clear exposure history
Wellen’s Syndrome: An Infamous Example of Occlusive Myocardial Infarction (OMI)
Get PDFWellen’s syndrome is a condition with characteristic ECG changes that can be highly specific for acute myocardial infarction involving the left anterior descending (LAD) artery. Acute myocardial infarctions are one of the leading causes of death in the developed world. Its estimated annual prevalence is nearly 3 million worldwide, with more than 1 million in the United States [1]. The importance of timely diagnosis cannot be understated. Here we describe a case of myocardial infarction secondary to LAD occlusion which presented with the atypical ECG pattern known as Wellen’s syndrome
THE ACADEMIC DISPOSITION AND SENSE OF BELONGING OF FOOD INSECURE STUDENTS IN SELECT NEW JERSEY PUBLIC 4-YEAR INSTITUTIONS: A CASE STUDY
No full textImproving college degree completion is a focus of higher education administrators across the United States. There are many barriers to student success (Astin & Oseguera, 2005; Tinto, 1993) and food insecurity is one of these barriers impacting academic performance, persistence, and degree completion (Hege et al., 2021; Maroto et al., 2015; Payne-Sturges et al., 2018; Silva et al., 2017; Woerden et al., 2019). Food insecurity impacts 13.5 million households in the United States (Coleman-Jensen et al., 2022). This concurrent mixed method embedded multiple-case study explored the academic disposition and sense of belonging of racially diverse food insecure students enrolled in two New Jersey public four-year institutions. Through the theoretical lens of Museus’s (2014) Culturally Engaging Campus Environments (CECE) Model of Student Success, the relationship of food security status and the culturally responsive indicators of the CECE Model, sense of belonging, academic dispositions, and academic performance were examined. Results revealed that food insecure students reported lower levels of academic disposition, less of a sense of belonging, and performed worse academically than their food secure peers. This study highlights the need to heighten awareness, improve access, and expand holistic support to empower food insecure students and foster academic success
Investigating the Antibacterial and Immunomodulatory Effects of Resolvin D2 on Monocytes and Macrophages
Get PDFIn the late phase of sepsis, immunosuppression occurs, where the host is unable to clear the pre-existing infection and is susceptible to secondary infections. It is believed that the ideal treatments for sepsis should attenuate immunosuppression so that the host can get back to homeostasis. Specialized Pro-resolving Mediators (SPMs) are endogenously- produced fatty acids that resolve infectious inflammation without being immunosuppressive. We hypothesize that an SPM – Resolvin D2 (RvD2) – can augment exhausted macrophage function during the immunosuppressive phase of sepsis. We developed a two-hit model to establish macrophage exhaustion in vitro, and found that RvD2 increased NF-κB activity, TNF-α release, and bacterial clearance in exhausted macrophages compared to controls. Toll-like receptor-2 (TLR2) inhibition abolished RvD2-mediated changes in exhausted macrophages. In a mouse sepsis model, splenic macrophage response to exogenous LPS was reduced compared to controls and was restored by in vivo administration of RvD2. However, if RvD2 was added to monocytes before differentiation to macrophages, RvD2 reduced LPS responses and increased bacterial clearance. The results showed that RvD2 can attenuate macrophage suppression in vitro and in vivo and that this effect was macrophage-specific
A Case of Cervical Chordoma
Get PDFA 48 year old male presented with neck pain and left arm pain that worsened with movement alongside left arm weakness, numbness, and tingling. The differential diagnosis for a patient with symptoms of a neck mass includes benign tumors like neurofibromas, malignant tumors like chordomas, and non-neoplastic conditions like cervical spondylitis. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study of the cervical spine with and without contrast identified a T1 hypointense, T2 hyperintense, heterogeneously enhancing prevertebral mass with parapharyngeal extension. A direct laryngoscopy with biopsy was performed and revealed a paraspinal tumor. The patient’s diagnosis of cervical chordoma was confirmed upon detection of Brachyury, a gene that encodes a transcription factor which promotes epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) in chordoma pathogenesis. Chordomas are slow-growing tumors located within the body’s midline and they are associated with poorer outcomes because of neurovascular encasement at time of presentation. Chordomas are rare, with an incidence of 1 in 1,000,000. Approximately 6% of chordomas are located in the cervical spine. They are typically treated with surgery followed by radiation therapy. The patient underwent anterior resection for the prevertebral mass in the C2-C6 section of the cervical spinal cord. Surgery achieved subtotal resection and involved removal of the spinous processes of C3-C5 and reconstruction of the cervical spine with implants. The patient will be starting proton beam radiotherapy for his adjuvant treatment. Although rare, it is important to keep chordomas in the differential diagnosis when evaluating a patient with a neck mass
COMBINATORIAL STUDIES OF NOBLE METAL CATALYSTS FOR CARBON UTILIZATION
No full textElectrocatalysts demonstrate significant promise for sustainable processes like carbon capture and generating recycled carbon fuels which are needed to achieve net zero carbon emissions. However, the commercialization of these processes is limited by several factors, one of which is the high cost of catalysts. The discovery and development of cheaper alternatives has been difficult due to constraints in experimental methodologies, scalability limitations, and a lack of understanding of reaction mechanisms. Within this dissertation is the development of a novel scanning electrochemical system and its implementation for high-throughput data generation from combinatorially sputtered material libraries. Combinatorial Pd-Au alloys were investigated for the electrosynthesis of DMC from the oxidation of methanol and CO. With DFT and bilayer experiments it is shown that the alloy formation is a crucial component of catalytic activity modulation for the synthesis of DMC at the Pd-Au interface. Combinatorial material libraries of Pt-Pd-Au-Ir alloys were investigated for OER with the scanning electrochemical system and 0.1 M H2SO4. Machine learning models and differential Tafel plot analysis was implemented to identify relationships between the chemical composition and the overpotential. It is shown that only 30 % Ir is needed to maintain performance, which significantly reduces the cost of the catalyst
Factors of Preparedness for Flooding in Shoreline Communities: A Case Study of Ocean Gate
Get PDFFactors are often described as one that actively contributes to the production of a result. With communities more at risk of severe flooding due to factors such as climate change in the near future, it is vital to community preparedness and their resilience that we understand those factors that make a community resilient or vulnerable. This study seeks to identify the salient factors that contribute to community and individual preparedness for flooding events. The study examines the shoreline community Ocean Gate in New Jersey to identify common factors that either facilitate or do not facilitate preparedness. This study found that there was no evidence to support that the factors of age, sex, gender, and prior experiences had any statistically significant impact on individuals\u27 preparedness in Ocean Gate. Although this may be attributed due to community togetherness and a similar demographic population
Investigating the Feasibility and Mechanisms of Cold Spray Deposition of Polymer-Based Powders on Fiber-Reinforced Composite Substrates
No full textFiber-reinforced composites have become important structural components in industries such as aerospace and energy due to their high mechanical strength and relatively light structural weight. However, during operation, these materials can be prone to impact damage and disintegration. Effective protection via metalization and repair of composites would, therefore, reduce the cost and time for replacement parts. Polymer-based cold spray, while a relatively new technique, can be utilized to metalize and possibly repair composite materials subjected to impact-induced damage. In this work, studies involving polymers and composite cold spray were performed to enable the process of safeguarding, enhancing, or repairing various composite substrates. Numerical simulations are particularly conducted to illustrate the underlying mechanisms that govern polymer cold spray deposition on composites and how the deposition morphology can vary due to the geometric nonuniformity of the reinforcement phase in a composite substrate. Further simulation studies involving core-shell composite particles (metallic cores with a polymeric shell) were also conducted to achieve coating enhancements to safeguard the composite substrates through the deposition of a metal-rich surface coat and attempt to enhance thermal and electrical conductivity. Complementary experimental studies helped verify the results obtained from simulations and used as guidelines by which polymer cold spray can be used as a repair method for fiber composites
BLACK WOMEN SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER EDUCATION PROFESSORS’ CURRICULUM DECOLONIZATION EXPERIENCES AT PWIS: A NARRATIVE INQUIRY STUDY
No full textSocial studies education at predominantly White institutions in the United States centered Whiteness and Eurocentric knowledge production. In response, Black women teacher education professors employed decolonization strategies to illuminate marginalized voices. This narrative inquiry study explored Black women social studies education professors’ curriculum decolonization experiences at PWIs to understand the unique and vital place Black women teacher education professors held in decolonizing the social studies teacher education curriculum, approaches employed during the process, and ways in which they coped with decolonial resistance. Participant interviews, artifacts, and field texts were collected and analyzed to understand Black women faculty’s decolonization experiences and their meaning. Black women faculty shared experiences that relegated them to carry the brunt of responsibility for decolonization, employing strategies that exposed racial inequities and decentered Whiteness within the curriculum. Results suggested that Black women faculty greatly influenced adequate preparation of a majority White teacher workforce in an education climate that was increasingly hostile to “othered” perspectives