223 research outputs found
The Next Generation of Community College Presidents: Who They Are, How They Prepare, and How They Lead, Results from a National Study
Community college scholars and professional organizations are preparing for the expected turnover of the current generation of community college presidents and the present study examines potential community college presidents who may fill this leadership void. The researchers present information on senior, community college administrators who indicated they are interested in pursuing the community college presidency (N=436) as part of a national study including how the potential community college presidents utilize transformational leadership and if their utilization of transformational leadership differs based upon their current position and highest degree earned. The researchers conclude with recommendations on next steps to move the potential community college presidents from interested in the position to holding the position
Student Unrest: From Historic Infamy to Humane Inclusivity
Infamous responses to historic student unrest clash with contemporary student affairs educators’ desire for a humane, inclusive approach to student unrest. The authors detail two historic responses: the 1968 Tlatelolco massacre at the Universidad Autónoma de México and the 1970 Kent State University shootings.
Like today, students expressed escalating dissatisfaction with social conditions and displeasure with official responses. To not repeat unrest becoming violence, authors introduce concepts for humanely and inclusively responding to student unrest
The Reciprocal Cycle of Mentoring
The leadership development encounter we want to share has been ongoing for nearly six years. I met Matt Cooney after he returned from a study abroad experience in Mexico. I was hired as an assistant director and Matt asked me- Who are you and why should I care? A bit brazen, but forgivable. Once I told him about my experiences and why I was hired it was like at first sight. Matt and I connected instantly. Things got even more intense when I was his instructor for his internship and he had to be accountable to me online
“Come and See for Yourself”: Exploration of Mindfulness Practice by First-Year College Students
This grounded theory study aims at explaining how college freshmen develop and stay engaged with a regular mindfulness practice, and the benefits they experience. The authors investigated an intentional effort to integrate mindfulness practices in the curriculum of a First-Year Seminar and English Composition course. The results presented here support existing findings concerning the integration of mindfulness practice in higher education settings. This study also advances unique findings relative to utilizing classroom settings to introduce first-year students to the practice, as a long as the course follows a regular structure (i.e., attendance, homework assignments). The substantive theory presented describes how students developed a practice routine and made the practice relevant for their academic and personal lives. Recommendations for practice and future research are included
Understanding the long-term spatiotemporal dynamics of the Taimyr Reindeer Herd during the summer concentration period
This study was part of a larger research effort devoted to investigation of spatiotemporal patterns and dynamics of the Taimyr Reindeer Herd (TRH) migration under changing climate and environmental conditions. The research aimed to systematize and analyze available historical (archival) data on wild reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L.) migration and ecosystems change in the Taimyr Peninsula, Russia. The summer concentration patterns of the TRH as observed from 1969-2009 were investigated through the utilization of existing and innovative spatioanalytic methods and advanced GIS technologies not previously used to examine R. tarandus migration in the Russian Arctic. The project applied and tested the concepts of spatial fidelity and spatial shift as described for other R. tarandus populations, as well as mapped and identified spatiotemporal trends of summer ground selection by the TRH. An exploratory analysis of climate and ecosystem factors which influenced the spatial selection process was also conducted. Statistical and empirical results of the study generally confirmed preliminary conclusions which were largely based on field observations. Multiyear patterns within locations of summer grounds are indicative of spatial fidelity and spatial shift. The analysis contributed new findings about spatiotemporal patterns by identifying a northeast shift, not observed in the past, which significantly added to the existing knowledge base. Western concentrations are losing animals while central and eastern concentrations are developing and getting larger; however, the population of the TRH is decreasing as a whole. Distribution of summer concentration grounds formed a statistically compact, normal distribution, while simultaneously the distance between concentration grounds of consecutively observed summers is increasing. The TRH are reusing smaller percentages of their range from year to year, and summer concentrations are becoming more compact and more densely populated. Four distinct areas have been identified and as areas frequently used (i.e. more than 50% of observed summers). Summer concentration grounds are shifting to the east and to the north and rising in elevation; thereby expanding the observed range of utilized habitat. These changes may indicate adaptation to climate change and anthropogenic disturbance. Logistic regression and ecological niche modelling identified the best predictors of reindeer presence to be higher wind speed, cooler temperatures, and whether or not the areas had been previously used as summer concentration grounds. The optimal ranges of July variables for TRH ecological niche requirements have been amassed for future research and modeling techniques. Analysis of spatiotemporal patterns and identification of ecological niche requirements will allow TRH summer surveys to be more cost-effective and comprehensive. The findings may also contribute to the development of sustainable R. tarandus management strategies throughout the Artic. The methodology employed by this study may prove useful not only to R. tarandus studies, but to the development of future analysis of other migratory animals
Utilization of Change Theory to Implement an Appreciative Advising Model
It is important that student affairs professionals lead organizational changes to provide the best service to students in light of outside factors. Utilizing a theoretical model for participating in organizational change can enhance the ability for a change to meet its intended outcomes.
This article details how the Office of Multicultural Affairs at Bowling Green State University utilized John Kotter\u27s eight step change model to implement an appreciative advising model. Information on appreciative advising, the eight-step change model, and the implementation is provided
The Role of Social Perspective-Taking in Developing Students\u27 Leadership Capacities
This study examined relationships between social perspective-taking (SPT) and the individual, group, and societal domains of socially responsible leadership. SPT is a higher-order cognitive skill linked to moral development and social coordination, but never empirically connected to leadership development. Analyses determined SPT has a strong direct effect on group-level leadership values and an indirect effect on societallevel leadership values. Results offer critical new insights into directionality in the social change model
Comprehensive User Engagement Sites (CUES): Is This a Viable Option for the Opioid Epidemic in Philadelphia?
INTRODUCTION: Opioid drug abuse has become an increasing concern throughout the United States, especially within the Philadelphia region. In 2017, the number of deaths by drug overdose were four times that of deaths by homicide. In addition, a total of 935 cases of secondary conditions due to needle sharing such as HIV and HCV occurred during the past year. The opioid epidemic has caused a public health emergency and any measures that could decrease the morbidity and mortality associated with opioid abuse are vital. A current proposal to combat this issue in Philadelphia is the implementation of a Comprehensive User Engagement Site (CUES); a site intended to offer medical resources and assistance for opioid users. This study analyzed the clinical, ethical, and economic considerations associated with a potential CUES site in Philadelphia.
METHODS: A review of the literature was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, and various public data sources. Search keywords included the history and efficacy of safe injection facilities (SIFs), their implementation to Philadelphia, and other related terms. Semi-structured discussion sessions were also conducted among members of the Institute of Clinical Bioethics at Saint Joseph’s University, resident physicians at Mercy Health System, and PCOM medical students. Topics of discussion included the risks, benefits, and ethics involved in initiating a CUES in Philadelphia, with research regarding past SIFs being uses as a comparative model.
RESULTS: The impact of a CUES in Philadelphia has been estimated to avert 3-48 cases of HIV infections annually, 15-213 cases of HCV infections annually, and between 24-76 deaths. In addition, the site is estimated to reduce costs due to skin infection by 75 Million annually, as well as costs related to ambulance and hospital visits by 300,000 per averted case respectively. Ethical analysis revealed that safe injection is ethically permissible given the primary intent is to limit the user’s exposure to harm.
DISCUSSION: The implementation of a CUES in Philadelphia may be an effective tool to address opioid crisis. It would reduce healthcare costs through prevention of drug-related sequelae, offer treatment and resources for people seeking to overcome their opioid dependence, and act as an educational opportunity for future healthcare professionals by promoting student engagement with marginalized populations
Regulation of pathogenic IL-17 responses in collagen-induced arthritis: roles of endogenous interferon-gamma and IL-4
Abstract
Introduction
Interleukin (IL)-17 plays an important role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis and the mouse model collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). Interferon(IFN)-γ and IL-4 have been shown to suppress Th17 development in vitro, but their potential immunoregulatory roles in vivo are uncertain. The goals of this study were to determine the relationship between Th17 responses and disease severity in CIA and to assess regulation of IL-17 by endogenous IFN-γ and IL-4.
Methods
DBA1/LacJ mice were immunized with type II collagen in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) to induce arthritis, and treated with neutralizing antibody to IFN-γ and/or IL-4. Systemic IL-17, IFN-γ, and IL-4 were measured in serum. At the peak of disease, cytokine production was measured by ELISA of supernatants from spleen, lymph node and paw cultures. Paws were also scored for histologic severity of arthritis.
Results
Joint inflammation was associated with a higher ratio of systemic IL-17/IFN-γ. Neutralization of IFN-γ accelerated the course of CIA and was associated with increased IL-17 levels in the serum and joints. The IFN-γ/IL-4/IL-17 responses in the lymphoid organ were distinct from such responses in the joints. Neutralization of IL-4 led to increased arthritis only in the absence of IFN-γ and was associated with increased bone and cartilage damage without an increase in the levels of IL-17.
Conclusions
IL-4 and IFN-γ both play protective roles in CIA, but through different mechanisms. Our data suggests that the absolute level of IL-17 is not the only determinant of joint inflammation. Instead, the balance of Th1, Th2 and Th17 cytokines control the immune events leading to joint inflammation.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/112787/1/13075_2009_Article_2675.pd
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