11. Looking Back

From Alumni Views, Robert H. Bluestein (’67), “ILR addressed the social and economic issues of the times and sought to provide students with the tools to find solutions to many of the problems confronting society in the mid-to late-sixties. This was a period easily described as volatile, evolutionary, and sometimes revolutionary. As would have been the case at any vibrant institution, the curriculum and the students at ILR reflected those times.” Includes: Alumni Views of ILR; The Creation of the Alpern Scholarship and Prize; and A Professor’s Perspective

Exploring and Incorporating Music in the Classroom

This paper is an exploration into the benefits that incorporating music into various aspects of the classroom can bring students. Music has been a part of life and culture since the first civilizations. Each generation, the traditions, and practices are passed down to the next. Over time, music and the way we teach it have transformed. The importance that society places on music has also evolved. However, the benefits that music brings have not. Research has shown that the brain reacts to music and stimulates learning. There are several developmental and psychological impacts that music can have on the mind. Bringing that knowledge to teaching and implementing music into classrooms can immensely benefit students in a myriad of ways. There are many different ways to incorporate music into classrooms, from playing background music to creating immersive experiences. Some of the different uses for music in classrooms can be as an assistive tool, a tool for memorization, or a therapeutic tool. Music can also assist students with special needs and students, who are learning another language. Music can be used to build culturally responsive classrooms and build classroom community. The multifarious ways that music can be used to benefit students are all methods that I plan to use in my future classroom

Factors related to caregivers' disclosure of the diagnosis to HIV infected children

As advanced medical treatment for HIV has increased the longevity for children are born with HIV, the subject of disclosure of the diagnosis has become an important part of social work practice. Disclosure of the diagnosis to the HIV infected child has been difficult for families, and can result in a polarization between social workers, who tend to opt for openness, and the caregivers, whose need to protect the child from the stigma of the disease often prolong disclosure. The purpose of the study is to examine certain factors that may influence what caregivers tell their children about the diagnosis. These factors include: (1) age of the child, (2) caregivers' perception of the child's illness, (3) caregiver status (biological vs. non-biological parent), and (4) sense of spirituality. A total of 52 caregivers of perinatally HIV infected children and adolescents in a hospital clinic responded to an open-ended question: "what did you tell your child about the diagnosis?" The answers were categorized into degrees of disclosure, ranging from deceptive explanations, to full disclosure. A questionnaire about reasons for the degree of disclosure was completed, along with the SIBS (Spiritual Involvement and Belief Scale), and followed by some demographic questions. The results showed that 48% of the caregivers fully disclosed to their child, and 54% gave minimal information. However, 82% of the children were told their diagnosis by adolescence. Only age and illness perception were significantly correlated with disclosure. Main reasons for full disclosure were: (1) child had the right to know and (2) caregiver's desire to establish a trusting relationship with their child. Common reasons for partial disclosure were (1) child was too young, and (2) fear the child would tell others, thus, risking ostracism. Because HIV infected children are now living into late adolescence, most caregivers find it difficult to keep the diagnosis from them, because of the risk of the teen's transmitting the virus to others. Social workers need to validate the caregivers' reasons to postpone disclosure and adopt a strength-based approach in helping them with the challenging process of telling their children the diagnosis of HIV

Significance of Vitamin Supplementation in Reducing the Severity of COVID-19

Abstract: Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), a serious pandemic due to the SARS-CoV-2 virus infection, caused significant lockdowns, healthcare shortages, and deaths worldwide. The infection leads to an uncontrolled systemic inflammatory response causing severe respiratory distress and multiple-organ failure. Quick development of several vaccines efficiently controlled the spread of COVID-19. However, the rise of various new subvariants of COVID-19 demonstrated some concerns over the efficacy of existing vaccines. Currently, better vaccines to control these variants are still under development as several new subvariants of COVID-19, such as omicron BA-4, BA-5, and BF-7 are still impacting the world. Few antiviral treatments have been shown to control COVID-19 symptoms. Further, control of COVID-19 symptoms has been explored with many natural and synthetic adjuvant compounds in hopes of treating the deadly and contagious disease. Vitamins have been shown to modulate the immune system, function as antioxidants, and reduce the inflammatory response. Recent studies have investigated the potential role of vitamins, specifically vitamins A, B, C, D, and E, in reducing the immune and inflammatory responses and severity of the complication. In this brief article, we discussed our current understanding of the role of vitamins in controlling COVID-19 symptoms and their potential use as adjuvant therapy. </jats:sec

Prevention of Doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity by a coumestan analogue, Psoralidin

Natural phenolic compound Psoralidin limits cardiotoxicity associated with Doxorubici