A Concept Paper for a VCU Social Sciences Initiative

This project proposes the development of a Social Sciences Initiative at the undergraduate and graduate levels that will provide educational, research and service opportunities for faculty and students. These opportunities are envisioned as interdisciplinary, with a focus on community issues and priorities, and with the potential to create new links among existing educational/research units within the University. The development of a Social Sciences Initiative provides a direct link to the Mission of VCU through several of the Mission’s intents: “activities that increase knowledge and understanding of the world and inspire and enrich teaching” The Social Sciences Initiative will expand current activities and promote innovative teaching in an interdisciplinary manner. “diverse educational programs” The Social Sciences Initiative increases the diversity of educational program offerings. “development of innovative approaches to meet the changing needs of our society” The Social Sciences Initiative will directly address the changing societal needs through support of interdisciplinary education, research, and service. Further, this initiative is consistent with the VCU Vision in that it will “advance a climate of scholarly inquiry…serve as a model of diversity in higher education…addressing urban issues in the nation and the world…build upon its substantial foundations in the…applied social sciences.” (VCU Strategic Plan for the Future of Virginia Commonwealth University, Phase II, 1998)

Phase 1 study of sirolimus in combination with oral cyclophosphamide and topotecan in children and young adults with relapsed and refractory solid tumors.

PurposeTo determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), toxicities, and pharmacodynamics effects of sirolimus combined with oral metronomic topotecan and cyclophosphamide in a pediatric population.Materials and methodsPatients who were 1 to 30 years of age with relapsed/refractory solid tumors (including CNS) were eligible. Patients received daily oral sirolimus and cyclophosphamide (25-50 mg/m2/dose) on days 1-21 and oral topotecan (0.8 mg/m2/dose) on days 1-14 in 28-day cycles. Sirolimus steady-state plasma trough concentrations of 3-7.9 ng/mL and 8-12.0 ng/mL were evaluated, with dose escalation based on a 3+3 phase 1 design. Biomarkers of angiogenesis were also evaluated.ResultsTwenty-one patients were treated (median age 18 years; range 9-30). Dose-limiting toxicities included myelosuppression, ALT elevation, stomatitis, and hypertriglyceridemia. The MTD was sirolimus with trough goal of 8-12.0 ng/mL; cyclophosphamide 25 mg/m2/dose; and topotecan 0.8 mg/m2/dose. No objective responses were observed. Four patients had prolonged stable disease > 4 cycles (range 4-12). Correlative biomarker analyses demonstrated reductions in thrombospondin-1 (p=0.043) and soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 plasma concentrations at 21 days compared to baseline.ConclusionsThe combination of oral sirolimus, topotecan, and cyclophosphamide was well tolerated and biomarker studies demonstrated modulation of angiogenic pathways with this regimen

Mothers’ perspectives: daily life when your child has sensory differences

A child’s sensory processing and sensory integration (SP-SI) differences can be a barrier to participation in daily life for both child and mother. Supporting mothers is advocated for, but little is known about the everyday experiences of these mothers. To gain an understanding of daily life for mothers and their children with SP-SI differences. Qualitative semi-structured interviews with six mothers were analyzed through thematic analysis. Theme 1 described the impact of child SP-SI on daily life, including challenges in occupations across environments, adaptations required, and the lack of knowledge and understanding from social and professional networks. Theme 2 identified what helps: empowering mothers through relationships based on listening, gaining knowledge, and understanding, and adapting the activity and the environment. Mothers report that their child’s SP-SI differences impact daily occupations and social relationships. In addition, supportive relationships, adapting activities, and adapting the environment, support participation

Coaching Parents of Children with Sensory Integration Difficulties: A Scoping Review

Aim. To review current evidence regarding the effectiveness of occupational therapy coaching interventions for parents of children with sensory integration difficulties, delivered to individuals or groups of parents. Method. A historical scoping review was completed of empirical research records to summarize what is known and how this information can guide future research. The process was guided by PRISMA guidelines. Inclusion criteria were English language and peer-reviewed empirical studies of parent coaching intervention for children with sensory processing or sensory integration difficulties. Five databases were searched. Papers were critically reviewed using McMaster’s guidelines. Results. Four studies met the search criteria. Three studies took a direct coaching approach with individual parents or families. The fourth study took a mixed educational/coaching approach with groups of parents and teachers. Conclusion. There is some evidence to conclude that occupational therapists can deliver individual parent-focused coaching interventions which impact positively on individual child goals, parental stress, and sense of competence. Group intervention can lead to caregivers’ improved perceived and actual knowledge of sensory integration, as well as a sense of self-efficacy in dealing with sensory-related child behaviors. Current evidence is limited. Suggestions for future research are offered

1989: Abilene Christian College Bible Lectures - Full Text

CHRIST AND CULTURE: The Problem of Secularism Being the Abilene Christian University Annual Bible Lectures 1989 Published by ACU PRESS 1634 Campus Court Abilene, Texas 7960

Home indoor air quality and cognitive function over one year for people working remotely during COVID

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic triggered an increase in remote work-from-home for office workers. Given that many homes now function as offices despite not being designed to support office work, it is critical to research the impact of indoor air quality (IAQ) in homes on the cognitive performance of people working from home. In this study, we followed 206 office workers across the U.S. over one year under remote or hybrid-remote settings during 2021&ndash;2022. Participants placed two real-time, consumer-grade indoor environmental monitors in their home workstation area and bedroom. Using a custom smartphone application geofenced to their residential address, participants responded to surveys and periodic cognitive function tests, including the Stroop color&ndash;word interference test, Arithmetic two-digit addition/subtraction test, and Compound Remote Associates Task (cRAT). Exposures assessed included carbon dioxide (CO2) and thermal conditions (indoor heat index: a combination of temperature and relative humidity) averaged over 30 min prior to each cognitive test. In adjusted longitudinal mixed models (n &le; 126), we found that indoor thermal conditions at home were associated with cognitive function outcomes non-linearly (p &lt; 0.05), with poorer cognitive performance on the Stroop test and poorer creative problem-solving on the cRAT when conditions were either too warm or too cool. Most indoor CO2 levels were &lt;640 ppm, but there was still a slight association between higher CO2 and poorer cognitive performance on Stroop (p = 0.09). Our findings highlight the need to enhance home indoor environmental quality for optimal cognitive function during remote work, with benefits for both employees and employers.</p

Earthquake swarms driven by aseismic creep in the Salton Trough, California

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2007. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research 112 (2007): B04405, doi:10.1029/2006JB004596.In late August 2005, a swarm of more than a thousand earthquakes between magnitudes 1 and 5.1 occurred at the Obsidian Buttes, near the southern San Andreas Fault. This swarm provides the best opportunity to date to assess the mechanisms driving seismic swarms along transform plate boundaries. The recorded seismicity can only explain 20% of the geodetically observed deformation, implying that shallow, aseismic fault slip was the primary process driving the Obsidian Buttes swarm. Models of earthquake triggering by aseismic creep can explain both the time history of seismic activity associated with the 2005 swarm and the ∼1 km/h migration velocity exhibited by this and several other Salton Trough earthquake swarms. A combination of earthquake triggering models and denser geodetic data should enable significant improvements in time-dependent forecasts of seismic hazard in the key days to hours before significant earthquakes in the Salton Trough.This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under grant 0548785. R.B.L. was supported by a WHOI postdoctoral research fellowship

The effect of breaking sitting time with physical activity breaks on cognitive performance in young people with cerebral palsy : an exposure response cross-over feasibility design

Objectives. To assess the feasibility of methods and estimate the potential effect of interrupting sedentary behaviour, with intermittent or continuous physical activity breaks, on cognitive performance in young people with Cerebral Palsy. Methods. A randomised three-arm exposure response cross-over design with process evaluation. Participants were recruited throughout the Thames Valley, UK between 01/11/2018 to 31/03/2020. The three 2 h activity exposure visits included: (i) sitting only (controls), (ii) sitting plus 20 min of moderate-to-vigorous activity burst, or (iii) 4×5 min of moderate-to-vigorous activity bursts, during a 2.5 h sedentary session. Measures of feasibility were sought. Cognitive performance outcomes (using the Eriksen Flanker task and Forward and Backward Digit Span) were delivered before and after the 2 h testing period. Results. 36 participants were randomised (age 13.2±2.7, Gross-Motor Functional Classification System 1–3). Study retention was 83 % across all three interventions and overall missing data for measures was 4 %. A small intervention effect was found in reaction time in the 4×5 min physical activity exposure session compared to the sedentary control condition (0.42; 95 % CI 0.40 to 0.79). There were two research-related minor adverse effects, an allergic reaction to the FreeStyle Libre and feeling faint and vomiting after consumption of glucose solution. Both events were resolved and participants continued with the study. Conclusions. The study design and intervention implementing short bursts of physical activity was feasible and indicated a potential effect on reaction time as a measure of cognitive performance in young people with cerebral palsy

Hormonal milieu at time of B cell activation controls duration of autoantibody response

A strong gender bias is seen in many autoimmune diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). To investigate the basis for the female preponderance in SLE, we have been studying BALB/c mice in which B cells express the R4A heavy chain of an anti-DNA antibody in association with an endogenous light chain repertoire (R4Atg mice). In unmanipulated mice, approximately 5% of B cells express the R4A transgene. R4Atg mice do not spontaneously develop elevated serum titers of anti-DNA antibodies. Administration of either estradiol (E2) or prolactin (Pr) results in escape from tolerance of autoreactive B cells, expressed as an increase in transgene-expressing B cells and elevated serum titers of anti-DNA antibodies. We previously demonstrated that autoreactive B cells maturing in an estrogenic milieu develop as marginal zone (MZ) B cells; when these same B cells mature in the presence of increased prolactin, they develop as follicular (Fo) B cells. To determine the long term consequence of this differential maturation of DNA-reactive B cells, we treated R4Atg BALB/c mice with E2 or Pr for 6 weeks until serum titers of anti-DNA antibody were high, at which time hormonal exposure was discontinued. In E2-treated mice, the anti-DNA titers remained high even 3 months after discontinuation of hormone exposure. Nascent B cells underwent normal tolerance induction, but existing autoreactive MZ B cells persisted and continued to secrete autoantibody. In contrast, Pr caused only a short-term increase in anti-DNA antibody titers. By 3 months after cessation of hormone treatment, serum anti-DNA antibody titers and B cell subsets were indistinguishable from those in placebo (P) treated mice. These findings suggest that autoantibody responses are sustained for variable lengths of time depending on the B cell subset producing the autoantibodies. This observation may be relevant to understanding the heterogeneous presentation of patients with SLE and to the design of therapies targeting specific B-cell populations in autoimmune disease. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved