Promotion, Education, and Marketing of an Expanded VCU Bike Share Program

We propose to help promote, market, and provide education about an expanded bike share program at VCU. The goal of the bike share program is three-fold: 1) improve travel between campuses, 2) encourage alternate transportation to reduce traffic and parking difficulties and 3) be a green initiative on the VCU campus. The expanded bike share program will include additional bikes and bike stations, managed by an outside company. Recently, VCU’s Office of Parking and Transportation has learned that they will be receiving funds for the program, and they are looking for assistance to promote, market, and provide education about the program. We will also explore additional aspects of a bike sharing program such as encouraging the use of helmets/safety issues, using technology to track bikes, and conducting a needs assessment to determine consumer demand and preferences

BET inhibition suppresses S100A8 and S100A9 expression in acute myeloid leukemia cells and synergises with daunorubicin in causing cell death

S100A8 and S100A9 are both members of the S100 family and have been shown to play roles in myeloid differentiation, autophagy, apoptosis, and chemotherapy resistance. In this study we demonstrate that the BET-bromodomain inhibitor JQ1 causes rapid suppression of S100A8 and S100A9 mRNA and protein in a reversible manner. In addition, we show that JQ1 synergises with daunorubicin in causing AML cell death. Daunorubicin alone causes a dose- and time-dependent increase in S100A8 and S100A9 protein levels in AML cell lines which is overcome by cotreatment with JQ1. This suggests that JQ1 synergises with daunorubicin in causing apoptosis via suppression of S100A8 and S100A9 levels

Identification of the mechanical properties of tires for wheelchair simulation.

The development of high performance wheelchairs and wheelchair simulators requires dynamic models taking into account the properties of tires. In this paper the properties of two wheelchair tires are measured by means of a rotating disc testing machine and are compared with the properties of bicycle tires, which have similar dimensions and structure. Tests are carried out considering variations in speed, inflation pressure and load. The possibility of fitting experimental results with the Magic Formula, the Dugoff formula and a linear model is discussed. A dynamic model of a wheelchair is developed, which includes a linear tire model derived from experimental results. Steady turning and slalom manoeuvres are simulated. Numerical results show the effect of tire properties on the handling characteristics of the wheelchair.N/

The Roles of Racial Discrimination and Sleep in Cognitive Functioning in Diverse Youth

Cognitive functioning is an important aspect of human development that is closely related to youth academic outcomes (Caemmerer et al., 2018). Specifically, there is evidence that cognitive abilities such as memory, attention, and self-control are predictive of academic achievement in youth (Peng & Kievit, 2020). Current research suggests that chronic stress reduces cognitive functioning (Korten et al., 2014), but few studies have examined this relationship for race-related stress, specifically racial discrimination. Considering that racial discrimination is a common and reoccurring type of stress in the lives of minority youth (Hughes et al., 2016), it is possible that chronic exposure to this type of stress negatively affects cognitive functioning, eventually contributing to poor academic achievement and the well-documented achievement gap between minority and White students (William, 2011). Furthermore, research suggests that sleep duration and sleep quality play key roles in facilitating youth’s abilities to cope with discriminatory experiences (Wang & Yip, 2020), and thus may attenuate the negative effects of racial discrimination on cognitive functioning. However, no studies have examined whether sleep duration and quality moderate the relationship between racial discrimination and cognitive functioning in adolescents

Critical Race Theory: a Strategy for Framing Discussions Around Social Justice and Democratic Education

The increasing diversity of our classrooms means we must learn to work with, and across, cultural, racial and gendered differences, without falling into diversity management. This paper employs Critical Race Theory (CRT) and paradigmatic frameworks to address social crises in our classrooms—thus demonstrating how we can value (i.e., not erase) our differences and equitably share power in the classroom. Employing an CRT intersectional analysis, I will explore the social, economic, and cultural dimensions of racial (in) justice in diverse contexts (within frameworks that recognize the salience of social identities including, but not limited to, class, and race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, immigration status and ability). Examples will be provided from my own teachings of how CRT has been employed in the university classroom setting and how student’s powerful testimonies and voices connect storytelling to validate their lived experiences. The aim of this presentation is to facilitate an ongoing dialogue about the meaning of contemporary racism and how CRT storytelling education can be used as strategy for framing discussions around social justice and democracy