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Feeling Inclusion: Becoming-with in narrative inquiry with an inclusive educator
Get PDFAs narrative researchers, our inquiry into the ordinary work of teachers as they go about enacting inclusive pedagogies presumes that “a person’s experience must be listened to on its own terms first, without the presumption of deficit or flaw” (Clandinin & Rosiek 2007 50). We simultaneously turn away from a human-centered agency opening up to the possibilities for thinking, feeling, doing, and being that are evoked when we imagine the teacher as non-sovereign, intra-acting, and becoming among bodies of schooling. We move frictionally (Springgay & Truman 2018) through these frameworks as we attempt a narration of a teacher. Departing from an exclusively narrative mode of thought we try not to focus on the meanings of events in which she is enfolded. Instead, we try to surface the multiplicity of entangled phenomena through writings that stay close to the event of analysis, such that we too, are caught in the narration
Status of aquatic turtle populations at Rowan University during the 10-year period between 2013 and 2023
Get PDFMonitoring turtle populations can help to assess population viability and estimate the effects of human impacts on populations.
The focal species of the present study are common and at lower risk of experiencing drastic declines than more susceptible species. Monitoring the population change of common species can inform how more vulnerable species may respond to human impacts.
Previous studies have shown that the proportion of female turtles in populations decreases as urbanization increases due to higher levels of risk when females leave ponds to lay eggs.
The landscape around Holly Pointe, Discovery Hall, and the Student Center has experienced significant change since the beginning of this project, potentially influencing the population structure of turtles on campus.
Proposed construction on the West Campus could potentially alter turtle populations that currently do not experience much human interaction.
Objectives:
1. Measure species richness of turtle populations on campus;
2. Comprehensively sample turtle populations with the goal of encountering all individuals;
3. Determine sex ratios of turtle populations on an annual basis to see if land use change influences this characteristic; and
4. Use information gleaned to predict how turtle populations on the West Campus may change if proposed construction plans are enacted
An exploratory metabolomic comparison of participants with fast or absent functional progression from 2CARE, a randomized, double-blind clinical trial in Huntington\u27s disease.
Get PDFHuntington\u27s disease (HD) is increasingly recognized for diverse pathology outside of the nervous system. To describe the biology of HD in relation to functional progression, we previously analyzed the plasma and CSF metabolome in a cross-sectional study of participants who had various degrees of functional impairment. Here, we carried out an exploratory study in plasma from HD individuals over a 3-year time frame to assess whether differences exist between those with fast or absent clinical progression. There were more differences in circulating metabolite levels for fast progressors compared to absent progressors (111 vs 20, nominal p \u3c 0.05). All metabolite changes in faster progressors were decreases, whereas some metabolite concentrations increased in absent progressors. Many of the metabolite levels that decreased in the fast progressors were higher at Screening compared to absent progressors but ended up lower by Year 3. Changes in faster progression suggest greater oxidative stress and inflammation (kynurenine, diacylglycerides, cysteine), disturbances in nitric oxide and urea metabolism (arginine, citrulline, ornithine, GABR), lower polyamines (putrescine and spermine), elevated glucose, and deficient AMPK signaling. Metabolomic differences between fast and absent progressors suggest the possibility of predicting functional decline in HD, and possibly delaying it with interventions to augment arginine, polyamines, and glucose regulation
Star allele search: a pharmacogenetic annotation database and user-friendly search tool of publicly available 1000 Genomes Project biospecimens.
Get PDFHere we describe a new public pharmacogenetic (PGx) annotation database of a large (n = 3,202) and diverse biospecimen collection of 1000 Genomes Project cell lines and DNAs. The database is searchable with a user friendly, web-based tool ( www.coriell.org/StarAllele/Search ). This resource leverages existing whole genome sequencing data and PharmVar annotations to characterize *alleles for each biospecimen in the collection. This new tool is designed to facilitate in vitro functional characterization of *allele haplotypes and diplotypes as well as support clinical PGx assay development, validation, and implementation
Using fMRI to Assess Effectiveness of Olanzapine Treatment for Schizophrenia
Get PDFSchizophrenia is a complex mental illness with neurobiological underpinnings and misconceptions about violence. Schizophrenia is associated with high levels of creativity and structural traits like fewer D2 receptors. Patients face reduced life expectancy due to cardiovascular diseases and cope through smoking and sedentariness. Treatment involves pharmacological antipsychotics like olanzapine and nonpharmacological approaches. Olanzapine works by antagonizing D2 receptors but has side effects like weight gain and diabetes risk. fMRI is used to study treatment mechanisms and predict response, but research on olanzapine\u27s brain network effects is limited
Soluble Antimicrobial Peptide (AMP) Screening to Rationally Design AMP-Hydrogels that Selectively Prevent Biofilm Formation
Get PDFStaphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen that lives on surfaces and skin and can cause serious infections once inside the body. While antibiotics effectively kill bacteria, there are a growing number of infections with antibiotic-resistant strains. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are part of the innate immune system and can eliminate pathogens including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, and are a promising alternative to antibiotics. Although studies have reported that AMP-functionalized hydrogels can prevent bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation, these materials generally consist of one AMP at an arbitrary concentration, and AMP dosing and the combined effects of multiple AMPs are not well understood. Here, three AMPs with different antibacterial properties were synthesized and the soluble minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of each AMP against methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) determined. Hydrogels with immobilized AMPs at their MIC (DD13RIP 27.5 µM; indolicidin 43.8 µM; P10 120 µM) were effective in preventing MRSA adhesion and biofilm formation. Checkerboard array screens identified synergy between indolicidin (3.125 µM) and P10 (12.5 µM) based on soluble fractional inhibitory concentrations (FICs) against MRSA, and hydrogels formed with these AMPs at half of their synergistic FICs (total peptide concentration, 8.5 µM) were highly efficacious in killing MRSA. Mammalian cells cultured atop these hydrogels are also highly viable, demonstrating that the AMP hydrogels developed are biocompatible and selectively eradicate bacteria based on soluble checkerboard screening data
The Effect of Medically Tailored Meal Program Length on Malnutrition Risk
Get PDFIntroduction: The Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance (MANNA) provides medically tailored meals (MTMs) to individuals in the Philadelphia area with nutritional risk and chronic illness (cancers, renal disease, heart disease, diabetes, HIV/AIDS). Registered dietitians prescribe 3 or 6 months of MTMs depending on risk severity. This study investigates the impact of MTM prescription length on malnutrition risk.
Methods: Demographic, health, and program enrollment data for clients who received ≥2 months of MTMs and completed the intake and follow-up Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST) from 2020-2022 were extracted from client records and entered in REDCap. Paired t-tests and chi-square tests were used to assess change in MST scores within the 3-month and 6-month prescription groups and the difference in change between groups.
Results: The 3-month prescription group (n=387; 41%) and 6-month prescription group (n=554; 59%) were similar in sociodemographic variables. The 6-month group had higher prevalence of cancer and malnutrition risk at intake. There was significant decrease in MST scores in both the 3-month (p\u3c.001) and 6-month (p\u3c.001) groups. A greater proportion of clients experienced a decrease in malnutrition risk in the 6-month group (51%) compared to the 3-month group (42%)(p=.019).
Conclusion: Malnutrition risk and cancer were more prevalent in the 6-month prescription group reflecting MANNA’s program criteria. While malnutrition risk dropped significantly in both 3- and 6-month groups, there was a greater reduction observed in the 6-month group, indicating that increasing the length of services may be associated with greater risk reduction
Applications of Deep Learning With Detecting Intracranial Aneurysms on CT Angiograms: A Literature Review
Get PDFINTRODUCTION
Deep learning is a method of artificial intelligence involving progressively layered neural networks to extrapolate patterns from data to provide predictions. Moreover, given the arduous nature required for examining CT scans for intracranial aneurysms, discovering ways to expedite this process is beneficial. The use of deep learning to evaluate CT angiograms for intracranial aneurysms has been sparsely studied. This literature review aims to determine the accuracy and reliability of deep learning to analyze CT angiograms in patients suspected to have intracranial aneurysms.
METHODS
A qualitative review of literature using PubMed, SCOPUS, and EMBASE was conducted. Inclusion criteria comprised articles using deep learning to analyze CT angiograms for detecting intracranial aneurysms. The search string was “deep learning”, CT angiogram”, and “intracranial aneurysm” with results limited from 2020-2024. After screening, eleven papers met the inclusion criteria.
RESULTS
Multiple studies demonstrated that deep learning models led to higher sensitivity when radiologists use them simultaneously. Additionally, deep learning has shown benefits in predicting future aneurysm growth based on pre-existing characteristics such as size and shape. Furthermore, intracranial aneurysms \u3e3 mm in diameter had the highest levels of sensitivity and accuracy, while those with diameters lowest.
CONCLUSION
Equipped with deep learning models, radiologists have a superior capability to detect intracranial aneurysms on CT angiograms. Future studies should establish methods that deep learning can have to identify intracranial aneurysms \u3c3 \u3emm, as well as minimizing biases arising during the model training period
Antimicrobial Peptide Screening for Designing Custom Bactericidal Hydrogels
Get PDFStaphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is an opportunistic pathogen that lives on surfaces and skin and can cause serious infections inside the body. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are part of the innate immune system and can eliminate pathogens, including bacteria and viruses, and are a promising alternative to antibiotics. Although studies have reported that AMP-functionalized hydrogels can prevent bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation, AMP dosing and the combined effects of multiple AMPs are not well understood. Here, three AMPs with different antibacterial properties were synthesized and the soluble minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of each AMP against methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) were determined. Hydrogels with immobilized AMPs at their MIC (DD13-RIP 27.5 µM; indolicidin 43.8 µM; P10 120 µM) were effective in preventing MRSA adhesion and biofilm formation. Checkerboard AMP screens identified synergy between indolicidin (3.1 µM) and P10 (12.5 µM) based on soluble fractional inhibitory concentration indices (FICIs) against MRSA, and hydrogels formed with these AMPs at half of their synergistic concentrations (total peptide concentration, 7.8 µM) were highly efficacious in killing MRSA. Mammalian cells cultured atop these hydrogels were highly viable, demonstrating that these AMP hydrogels are biocompatible and selectively eradicate bacteria, based on soluble checkerboard-screening data
Maternal Health Outcomes of the Least and Most Vulnerable Counties in NJ
Get PDF- Maternal health continues to be of great concern in the United States.
-The maternal mortality rate for 2021 was 32.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, an increase from both 2020 and 2021.1
-The leading causes of pregnancy-related death are mental health, hemorrhage, and cardiovascular conditions. Most are preventable.2
-New Jersey ranks 27th, with 24.1 deaths occurring within 42 days of the end of a pregnancy per 100,000 live births.3
-While rates for the entire state show a need for improvement, in comparison to northern and central regions, rates in the southern region of NJ are approximately twice the state average.4
-There are a multitude of disparities contributing maternal health outcomes that vary by county and need to be addressed.
-Creating government funding, reducing racial disparities, and promoting health initiatives are included in the Nurture NJ Maternal Health and Infant Health Strategic Plan.