The art of coaching: Addressing mobile technology integration in a complex hospital school environment

This qualitative study examined the effects of a coaching program as part of a professional development effort to support integration of mobile technologies in a hospital school setting. The professional development consisted of two components: (a) the researchers introduced pedagogical models for incorporating mobile technology in education and (b) a technological expert (the iCoach) provided one-on-one and small-group personalized coaching. After studying the contextual challenges and teachers’ needs over a period of 12 months, an effective coaching model emerged. This was a personalized model geared to each teacher and tailored to the unique features of this hospital context. An integral part of the model was a reflection strategy, which encouraged teachers to question their teaching with the purposeful use of technology. Data collection involved teachers’ reflections, iCoach reflections, and semi-structured interviews. Many themes emerged from the data analysis; the two main ones were the uniqueness of the setting and the multiplicity of demands on the teachers and the iCoach. The study developed a set of guidelines to help teachers use technology in an integrated pedagogical way

The Home Mortgage Disclosure Act And Subprime Lending

This research paper focuses on the analysis of subprime lending activities in specific geographic area in the light of reporting requirements of the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA). This cross sectional study has focused on the detailed analysis of mortgage data for the selected Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) from a socio-economic perspective. The objective of this research is to assess the impact of predatory lending in selected geographic regions. Another dimension of the research focuses on the role of mortgage lending from a securitization point of view. The study reveals that private securitization (PSEC) mortgages grew dramatically not only by the number of loans but also significantly by the dollar amount due to subprime lending activities during the period of study. The growth in PSEC loans affected mortgage lending in several ways, such as, increasing subprime lending, boosting home prices, and undermining mortgage industry regulations. Additionally, Government-Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) loan originations also increased the number of subprime loans because of relaxed reporting requirements which contributed to increased delinquencies and foreclosures for conforming loans. The study further reveals that HMDA reporting requirements allowed the mortgage industry to conceal the loans that had spreads above the prime rate of up to 3.5 points for Fixed Rate Mortgage or 5 points for Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM). The study of mortgage lending programs, products, and regulatory laws have also been examined to assess the impact of predatory lending on homeownership

No relationship between intelligence and facial attractiveness in a large, genetically informative sample

Theories in both evolutionary and social psychology suggest that a positive correlation should exist between facial attractiveness and general intelligence, and several empirical observations appear to corroborate this expectation. Using highly reliable measures of facial attractiveness and IQ in a large sample of identical and fraternal twins and their siblings, we found no evidence for a phenotypic correlation between these traits. Likewise, neither the genetic nor the environmental latent factor correlations were statistically significant. We supplemented our analyses of new data with a simple meta-analysis that found evidence of publication bias among past studies of the relationship between facial attractiveness and intelligence. In view of these results, we suggest that previously published reports may have overestimated the strength of the relationship and that the theoretical bases for the predicted attractiveness–intelligence correlation may need to be reconsidered

Dolphins at the British Museum: Zoomorphic Calusa Sinkers

The subject of everyday or “mundane” artistic expression in Native American material culture does not always take into account the idea that aesthetic design can have explicit practical as well as decorative function. This article explores this idea through objects from the Floridian archaeological collections at the British Museum

Pharmacological levels of withaferin A (Withania somnifera) trigger clinically relevant anticancer effects specific to triple negative breast cancer cells

Withaferin A (WA) isolated from Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) has recently become an attractive phytochemical under investigation in various preclinical studies for treatment of different cancer types. In the present study, a comparative pathway-based transcriptome analysis was applied in epithelial-like MCF-7 and triple negative mesenchymal MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells exposed to different concentrations of WA which can be detected systemically in in vivo experiments. Whereas WA treatment demonstrated attenuation of multiple cancer hallmarks, the withanolide analogue Withanone (WN) did not exert any of the described effects at comparable concentrations. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed that WA targets specific cancer processes related to cell death, cell cycle and proliferation, which could be functionally validated by flow cytometry and real-time cell proliferation assays. WA also strongly decreased MDA-MB-231 invasion as determined by single-cell collagen invasion assay. This was further supported by decreased gene expression of extracellular matrix-degrading proteases (uPA, PLAT, ADAM8), cell adhesion molecules (integrins, laminins), pro-inflammatory mediators of the metastasis-promoting tumor microenvironment (TNFSF12, IL6, ANGPTL2, CSF1R) and concomitant increased expression of the validated breast cancer metastasis suppressor gene (BRMS1). In line with the transcriptional changes, nanomolar concentrations of WA significantly decreased protein levels and corresponding activity of uPA in MDA-MB-231 cell supernatant, further supporting its anti-metastatic properties. Finally, hierarchical clustering analysis of 84 chromatin writer-reader-eraser enzymes revealed that WA treatment of invasive mesenchymal MDA-MB-231 cells reprogrammed their transcription levels more similarly towards the pattern observed in non-invasive MCF-7 cells. In conclusion, taking into account that sub-cytotoxic concentrations of WA target multiple metastatic effectors in therapy-resistant triple negative breast cancer, WA-based therapeutic strategies targeting the uPA pathway hold promise for further (pre)clinical development to defeat aggressive metastatic breast cancer

M1 and M2 macrophages derived from THP-1 cells differentially modulate the response of cancer cells to etoposide

BACKGROUND: Tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) are present in high density in solid tumors. TAMs share many characteristics with alternatively activated macrophages, also called M2. They have been shown to favor tumor development and a role in chemoresistance has also been suggested. Here, we investigated the effects of M2 in comparison to M1 macrophages on cancer cell sensitivity to etoposide. METHODS: We set up a model of macrophage polarization, starting from THP-1 monocytes differentiated into macrophages using PMA (Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate). Once differentiated (M0 macrophages), they were incubated with IL-4 and IL-13 in order to obtain M2 polarized macrophages or with IFN-gamma and LPS for classical macrophage activation (M1). To mimic the communication between cancer cells and TAMs, M0, M1 or M2 macrophages and HepG2 or A549 cancer cells were co-cultured during respectively 16 (HepG2) or 24 (A549) hours, before etoposide exposure for 24 (HepG2) or 16 (A549) hours. After the incubation, the impact of etoposide on macrophage polarization was studied and cancer cell apoptosis was assessed by western-blot for cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved PARP-1 protein, caspase activity assay and FACS analysis of Annexin V and PI staining. RESULTS: mRNA and protein expression of M1 and M2 markers confirmed the polarization of THP-1-derived macrophages, which provide a new, easy and well-characterized model of polarized human macrophages. Etoposide-induced cancer cell apoptosis was markedly reduced in the presence of THP-1 M2 macrophages, while apoptosis was increased in cells co-cultured with M1 macrophages. On the other hand, etoposide did not influence M1 or M2 polarization. CONCLUSIONS: These results evidence for the first time a clear protective effect of M2 on the contrary to M1 macrophages on etoposide-induced cancer cell apoptosis

Hospitalized adolescents’ use of mobile technologies for learning, communication, and well-being

Hospitalized adolescents experience significant needs beyond medical treatment. They require emotional support for anxiety and stress, educational support for learning, and social support to reduce isolation. This qualitative study explored the use of mobile technologies to connect students to their schools, classmates, and families in an effort to reduce their isolation and disrupted schooling experiences. We conducted in-depth interviews with 18 hospitalized adolescents aged 12 to 18, 29 teachers, and four parents about the affordances of mobile technologies. We found that mobile technology use in a hospital school was critical to engage adolescents in learning and keep them up-to-date with schoolwork. Mobile technologies should be available and accessible in hospital for adolescent patients for the purpose of meeting their learning, communication, and well-being needs. In particular, mobile technology should be used as a therapeutic tool to overcome hospitalized adolescents’ social isolation and improve their well-being