Letter to William Younger regarding SEAALL membership, April 25, 1975

A letter from Carolyn Gray to William Younger regarding application for SEAALL membership on behalf of Virginia Dickey

Mechanisms of Non-canonical NF-kappaB Regulation

NF-kappaB is activated through two signaling cascades: the classical and non-canonical pathways, which are distinguished based on the Inhibitor of kappaB Kinase (IKK) components required to activate each pathway. Whereas classical NF-kappaB requires NF-kappaB Essential Modulator (NEMO) and IKKbeta, non-canonical NF-kappaB requires IKKalpha and upstream stabilization of NF-kappaB Inducing Kinase (NIK), but not NEMO. However, we have previously shown that IKKalpha contains a functional NEMO binding domain and associates with NEMO and IKKbeta as part of the heterotrimeric IKK complex. The overarching goal of the work described in this thesis was to determine whether the interaction between NEMO and IKKalpha was required for non-canonical NF-kappaB signaling. We used a reconstitution approach in knockout cells to show that IKKalpha, independent of its association with NEMO, is sufficient to control the non-canonical NF-kappaB pathway. Thus we provide biochemical evidence to support the tenet that IKKalpha alone regulates non-canonical NF-kappaB signaling. Importantly, while pursuing these results we made the surprising finding that NEMO, and furthermore, IKKbeta, play a compulsory role in the constraint of basal non-canonical NF-kappaB activity. These studies reveal that the previous model depicting a NEMO-independent non-canonical NF-kappaB signaling cascade is incomplete. We show that an intact and catalytically competent classical IKK complex constrains basal NIK accumulation. This novel mechanism of non-canonical NF-kappaB regulation requires classical NF-kappaB transcription driven by the prototypic NF-kappaB family member p65. Thus classical NF-kappaB activity is essential to maintain the quiescent state of the non-canonical NF-kappaB signaling pathway. Upon activation, the duration of non-canonical signaling is controlled by a recently described negative feedback mechanism that promotes NIK turnover. We used a combination of translation and proteasome inhibitors to show that turnover of active NIK is proteasome-dependent. Furthermore, we utilized a Smac mimetic compound to show that degradation of active NIK does not require cellular inhibitor of apoptosis (cIAP)1/2, which distinguishes this feedback mechanism from the cIAP1/2-dependent mechanism of basal NIK turnover. Collectively, these studies advance our understanding of a recently described mechanism of non-canonical NF-kappaB down-regulation and reveal a novel interplay between classical and non-canonical NF-kappaB activity, which revises the current model of non-canonical NF-kappaB signaling

I Love You Like Hell

My full-length thesis play, I Love You Like Hell, about the romance, marriage, subsequent separation, and ultimate fate of the modernist literary figures Frederick Philip Grove and Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven, was borne of a desire to investigate, understand. and present their remarkable histories, and the motivation for their incredible actions, in dramatic form. To capture the unique qualities of these real and eccentric people, required that I use techniques closely related to visual arts. The play is a form of collage: a technique of art production, where the artwork is made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole. For as well as writing myself, and using portions of the actual writing of my subjects, the requirements of the concept of continuous action inspired the idea of turning Freytag-Loringhoven’s ready-made sculpture objects into the set and creating some of my own. Freytag-Loringhoven is consistently dubbed as a marginal figure in the New York dada scene and Duchamp is firmly planted as the inventor of ready-made art. But there is compelling evidence Freytag-Loringhoven was at the forefront of this movement, and further, that she was the artist behind the famous ready-made urinal piece called ‘Fountain’, which was voted the most influential artwork of all time

Sensing bodies:Transdisciplinary enactments of ‘thing-power’ and ‘making-with’ for educational future-making.

Dominant conceptions of education are strongly framed by narratives of ‘power-over’ materials, context, and processes, especially where digital and technological applications reduce complexities between humans, materials, and environments. The separation of knowledge, tools, and bodies in ‘disciplinary bounded’, ‘copyrighted’, and ‘patented’ spaces create a disconnect from our need for sustainable relationships, whereby the future is not given but ‘in-the-making’ (Haraway 2016). Drawing on music and science – as examples of distinct disciplines, often siloed and separated in education – this paper advances nuanced understandings of how post human conceptions of ‘thing-power’1(the power of all bodies including materials) and ‘making-with’ (whereby everything makes each other capable) contribute to the affective encounters of materialities within the classroom. By foregrounding the sensing body as a means to touch and be ‘touched’ by the world, we uniquely contribute to methodologies that illuminate the relational intensity of material sensation as part of coming to ‘know’. In doing so, we engage with the performative work of these materialities and re-define the ‘digital’ beyond the delivery of preplanned learning pathways

Northern New England Clinical and Translational Research Network Assesses the Training Needs of Investigators

INTRODUCTION The Northern New England Clinical and Translational Research (NNE-CTR) Network was created to enhance the region’s research capacity and infrastructure. The NNE-CTR provides research design consultation and technical assistance, research technologies support, professional development opportunities and mentorship, as well as funding for pilot projects. This study sought to describe the characteristics of NNE-CTR investigators and to identify their research interests, training needs, and perceived barriers to research. METHODS A registration survey and 13-item needs assessment module were developed and administered to capture data on the characteristics, background, and research-related training needs, interests and barriers among investigators in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Investigators were recruited via email, direct communication and the NNECTR website. Univariate statistics (frequency distributions and percentages) were calculated for all structured items. Bivariate frequencies were also generated to assess the relationship between training interests and level of research experience. Content analysis was performed on select open-ended items to identify common themes. RESULTS A total of 272 investigators participated. More than half of participants were women (60%), white (85%), and physicians (54%). A majority of respondents reported participating in a research project (88%) and indicated an interest in translational science research (51%), yet fewer than half reported receiving extramural funding. While lack of time and funding were identified as common barriers to research, many respondents expressed interest in receiving mentorship and/or pursuing training. A majority (54%) of participants were “very” interested in training related to study design. Participants with fewer than three years of research experience were more likely to report barriers related to lack of time to conduct research, while inadequate institutional support and challenges recruiting and identifying patients were more frequently reported by researchers with three or more years of experience. DISCUSSION The results revealed a range of research expertise and interests. Echoing findings from other similarly funded efforts, this study underscores the need to build core research skills through professional development. Yet, the study also demonstrates an opportunity to tailor training opportunities. CONCLUSIONS Ongoing efforts to match the identified needs and interests with the appropriate resources remains a key feature of the NNE-CTR

Improving Health Outcomes for Children (IHOC) First STEPS Phase I Initiative: Improving Immunizations for Children and Adolescents

This report, co-authored by Kimberley Fox and Carolyn Gray, provides a final evaluation of the initial phase of First STEPS (Strengthening Together Early Preventive Services), a learning collaborative led by Maine Quality Counts to support 24 pediatric and family practices in improving their childhood immunization rates. The evaluation found that all participating practices had higher immunization rates after participating in First STEPS. On average, overall child immunization rates increased by 5.1% at 12 months and 7.1% at 15 months, and average immunization rates across practices increased significantly from 74.2% to 81.3%. Practices also reported significant improvement in the use of recommended office practices, including staff training, recall/reminder procedures, and the use of data/registries

First STEPS Phase I Initiative: Improving Immunizations for Children and Adolescents

This evalution report, authored by research staff at the USM Muskie School, assesses the change in immunization rates in participating pediatric and family practices that serve a high volume of children insured by MaineCare (Maine\u27s Medicaid system). The authors also summarize lessons learned in implementing changes in practices and challenges in using the immunization measures at the practice-level to inform quality improvement

First STEPS Phase III Initiative: Improving Oral Health and Healthy Weight in Children Final Evaluation Report

This report summarizes evaluation findings from Phase III and assesses change in oral health and healthy weight screening rates, referrals and related office system procedures in participating practices. The report also highlights challenges encountered and lessons learned in implementing changes to office systems, in responding to state policy changes, and in collecting and tracking oral health and healthy weight measures at the practice-level to inform quality improvement

Living and Teaching Well-being: An Application Plan for a Professional Certificate in Applied Positive Education at The Shawnee Institute

Modern education is largely focused on academic achievement, yet recent research has called into question whether academic learning is enough to foster and support mental and physical health across the lifespan. Mounting interest in more well-balanced educational approaches that integrate academic learning and character education have inspired the emergence of a new field called positive education. Despite a growing demand, comprehensive training in positive education remains limited. The Shawnee Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of positive education, aims to fill this void by launching a professional certificate in applied positive education. The following paper presents a tailored application plan for implementing a professional certificate program at The Shawnee Institute which includes a situational analysis of the education sector, as well as a literature review detailing the relevance of well-being theory, experiential learning, and personal and organizational change in education settings. The plan concludes with recommendations for professional competencies, a proposal for effective program implementation and evaluation, a detailed curriculum outline, and a sample learning module

Data Integration and Storage: Managing and Using Home and Community-Based Services Data for Quality Improvement

This paper reports on data integration from a program manager’s perspective. The paper is not meant to be an exhaustive research document, nor does it single out any one correct approach. The paper is meant to facilitate communication between program units and analytic staff and serve as one reference for states as they continue to improve upon data collection techniques and use this information for ongoing quality management and improvement