5 research outputs found
How Teaching At-Risk Students Affects Faculty Engagement
No full textThe purpose of this dissertation in practice study was to describe the engagement levels and challenges of faculty teaching at-risk students to better understand support strategies that may enhance the classroom experience for students and instructors. The aim of this study was to create a set of guidelines for community colleges to foster engagement among faculty who teach at-risk students. Institutions could use the guidelines in an effort to increase retention by supporting faculty teaching at-risk students to reach their graduation goal. Phenomenological qualitative research methodologies were used in this study, which included 17 interviews with faculty that teach at-risk college students. The participants also completed the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, and scores ranged from 27 to 54. Six themes were identified: the term at-risk student needs to be expanded; teaching at-risk students is difficult; the lack of college preparedness of at-risk students is staggering; faculty expectations of at-risk students are based on their personal experiences in education; faculty need support; and empathy is critical for success in the classroom. The themes lead to four guidelines that can assist faculty in promoting increased student retention: faculty need support in a variety of ways, educator training opportunities should focus on teaching practices, and administrators should recognize faculty strengths and limitations in helping at-risk students. Open lines of communication are also needed to foster collaboration between faculty and support staff.|Keywords: At-risk students, engagement, faculty, community collegesProQuest Traditional Publishing Optio
Design, synthesis, and biological activity of Sansalvamide A derivatives
No full textIncludes bibliographical references (p. 88-94)Sansalvamide A (SanA) is a cyclic depsipeptide isolated from a marine fungus that exhibits anti-tumor activity in the NCI-60 human tumor cell line panel. Our laboratory has synthesized over 100 peptide derivatives of this molecule that have aided in the development of the structure activity relationship (SAR) for this compound. Further, our lab has concluded that the protein target of SanA peptide and its derivatives is Heat shock protein 90, a well established oncogenic target. The author contributed six compounds for the study of SAR by synthesizing SanA peptide derivatives via two approaches: solution phase and solid phase peptide chemistry. A convergent synthetic approach was employed via solution phase synthesis, where a di- and a tri- peptide were constructed to form a linear pentapeptide precursor. The linear pentapeptide was then cyclized in a head to tail manor. SanA peptides synthesized via solid phase occurred in a stepwise manor, from the C to N-terminus. The linear pentapeptide precursor was then cleaved from the resin and cyclized in solution. Finally, cyclized SanA derivatives were tested for their cytotoxicity against numerous cancer cell lines. To better understand how our compounds interact with Hsp90, the author synthesized two lead SanA derivatives that contained a biotin tag that will be used in affinity purification assays to confirm that their protein target is Hsp90. Competitive binding assays were also completed to determine if there was a correlation between cytotoxicity and binding to Hsp90. In addition, several Hsp90 client protein binding assays were completed to determine what client proteins were disrupted via binding of several SanA peptide derivatives
Design, synthesis, and mechanistic studies of Sansalvamide A derivatives as anti-cancer agents
No full textIncludes bibliographical references (p. 203-214)Sansalvamide A (SanA) is a cyclic depsipeptide that was isolated from a marine fungus and demonstrates mid-micromolar anti-cancer activity in the NCI 60-cell line panel. Our laboratory has synthesized over 100 peptide derivatives of this molecule, 5 of which were contributed by the author of this dissertation. The design and solution-phase synthesis of these derivatives is described in Chapter 2. The author was also responsible for attaching PEG-biotin and fluorescein tags to lead SanA derivatives to be used in mechanism of action studies. Chapter 3 describes the mechanism of action studies that were completed with the lead derivatives, both untagged and tagged with PEG-biotin or fluorescein. The untagged compounds are tested in cell proliferation assays against the pancreatic cancer cell line PL-45 and the colon cancer cell line HCT-116. Two of the lead compounds are tested in caspase 3 apoptosis assays and PARP fragmentation analysis. The biotin-tagged compounds are used in pull down assays and it is determined that they bind to the N-middle domain of Hsp90, a well-established oncogenic protein. Hsp90 is responsible for regulating over 200 client proteins, many of which are oncogenic and involved in cancer cell growth. We show that SanA disrupts the binding between Hsp90 and four of these client proteins (Akt, Her2, Hif-1??, and IP6K2) in pure protein binding assays. Chapter 4 investigates SanA's affect proteins that bind to Hsp90's C-domain via their tetratricopeptide repeats (TPRs). Using client protein binding assays, the author determines that the lead SanA derivative disrupts binding between Hsp90 and five TPRcontaining proteins. Finally, Chapter 5 describes the synthesis and preliminary mechanism of action studies of dimerized SanA derivatives (Di-SanA). These compounds are cyclic decapeptides with C-2 rotational symmetry. The author contributed 12 decapeptides, based on one lead derivative from the first generation, which investigated how the placement of D-amino acids around the ring would affect cytotoxicity. These derivatives were synthesized via solid-phase peptide chemistry. The author also investigated mechanism of action of this class of compounds with cell proliferation assays, pull-down assays, and a client protein binding assay
Immigrant generational status, late-life social support and mental well-being, and cognitive change in the Kaiser Healthy Aging and Diverse Life Experiences cohort
No full textTitle: Immigrant generational status, late-life social support and mental well-being, and cognitive change in the Kaiser Healthy Aging and Diverse Life Experiences cohort Presenting Author: Joya Deb Lucky Co-Authors: Chelsea Kuiper, Kazi Sabrina Haq, Shelli Vodovozov, Oanh L. Meyer, M. Maria Glymour, Paola Gilsanz, Elizabeth Rose Mayeda, Rachel A. Whitmer, Rachel L. Peterson Word count: 300/300 Background: Social support and mental well-being may differentially provide risk/protection for late-life cognition among different immigrant generations of U.S. older adults. Methods: In a longitudinal (KHANDLE) cohort, Asian and Latino participants were categorized as 1st-generation arriving age(n=73); 1st-generation arriving age≥18 (n=282); 2nd-generation (n=279); or ≥3rd-generation (n=174) immigrants. The NIH Toolbox Emotion Battery assessed emotional support, instrumental support and loneliness. The PROMIS© Depression Instrument assessed depressive symptoms. All were standardized (mean=0; SD=1) to the U.S. adult population and dichotomized at 0. Verbal episodic memory (VEM) and executive function (EF) were assessed up to 4 times (max. years=6.6) using the Spanish and English Neuropsychological Assessment Scales (SENAS). Linear mixed-effect models examined associations of social support and mental well-being with EF or VEM. Separate models tested interactions by immigrant generation. All models adjusted for age, sex, education, race/ethnicity, in-person vs. phone interview and SENAS language. Results: Participants’ mean age was 76 years (SD=6.5). 1st-generation immigrants arriving at ages(mean=-0.18, SD=1.0) and highest loneliness (mean=0.25, SD=0.93) and depression (mean=-0.04, SD=0.80). In mixed effects models, instrumental and emotional support were not associated with baseline EF (instrumental β=0.02 [95% CI=-0.04, 0.07]; emotional β=0.02 [95% CI=-0.03, 0.08]) or VEM (instrumental β=-0.02 [95% CI=-0.08, 0.05]; emotional β=0.01 [95% CI=-0.06, 0.07]). Associations of instrumental support, emotional support, depression, and loneliness with longitudinal EF and VEM approached null. First-generation immigrants with low instrumental support had lower VEM (-0.12; 95% CI=-0.29 to 0.04) and 2nd-generation saw a rise (0.18; 95% CI=-0.01 to 0.36). No significant change in ≥3rd-generation immigrants (MEM=0.004; 95% CI=-0.23, 0.24; p-value=0.05). High depression symptoms caused EF declines only in ≥3rd-generation immigrants (-0.07; 95% CI=-0.11 to -0.04; p-value=0.04). Conclusion: Low instrumental support for 1st-generation immigrants and high depressive symptoms for ≥3rd-generation immigrants may be important intervention targets to protect late-life cognition
Mental Health Surveillance Among Children -- United States, 2005-2011
No full textMental disorders among children are described as "serious deviations from expected cognitive, social, and emotional development" (US Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau. Mental health: A report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services, and National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health; 1999). These disorders are an important public health issue in the United States because of their prevalence, early onset, and impact on the child, family, and community, with an estimated total annual cost of $247 billion. A total of 13%-20% of children living in the United States experience a mental disorder in a given year, and surveillance during 1994-2011 has shown the prevalence of these conditions to be increasing. Suicide, which can result from the interaction of mental disorders and other factors, was the second leading cause of death among children aged 12-17 years in 2010. Surveillance efforts are critical for documenting the impact of mental disorders and for informing policy, prevention, and resource allocation. This report summarizes information about ongoing federal surveillance systems that can provide estimates of the prevalence of mental disorders and indicators of mental health among children living in the United States, presents estimates of childhood mental disorders and indicators from these systems during 2005-2011, explains limitations, and identifies gaps in information while presenting strategies to bridge those gaps. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (6.8%) was the most prevalent parent-reported current diagnosis among children aged 3-17 years, followed by behavioral or conduct problems (3.5%), anxiety (3.0%), depression (2.1%), autism spectrum disorders (1.1%), and Tourette syndrome (0.2% among children aged 6-17 years). An estimated 4.7% of adolescents aged 12-17 years reported an illicit drug use disorder in the past year, 4.2% had an alcohol abuse disorder in the past year, and 2.8% had cigarette dependence in the past month. The overall suicide rate for persons aged 10-19 years was 4.5 suicides per 100,000 persons in 2010. Approximately 8% of adolescents aged 12-17 years reported 6514 mentally unhealthy days in the past month. Future surveillance of mental disorders among children should include standard case definitions of mental disorders to ensure comparability and reliability of estimates across surveillance systems, better document the prevalence of mental disorders among preschool-age children, and include additional conditions such as specific anxiety disorders and bipolar disorder. Standard surveillance case definitions are needed to reliably categorize and count mental disorders among surveillance systems, which will provide a more complete picture of the prevalence of mental disorders among children. More comprehensive surveillance is needed to develop a public health approach that will both help prevent mental disorders and promote mental health among children.Ruth Perou, Rebecca H. Bitsko, Stephen J. Blumberg, Patricia Pastor, Reem M. Ghandour, Joseph C. Gfroerer, Sarra L. Hedden, Alex E. Crosby, Susanna N. Visser, Laura A. Schieve, Sharyn E. Parks, Jeffrey E. Hall, Debra Brody, Catherine M. Simile, William W. Thompson, Jon Baio, Shelli Avenevoli, Michael D. Kogan, Larke N. Huang.Corresponding author: Ruth Perou, PhD, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.Includes bibliographical references (p. 17-21)
