Increasing International Student Integration in Ontario College Environments

This paper reviews the problem of how to increase international student engagement and integration in an Ontario College environment, with the ultimate goal of creating an environment and campus culture of mutual engagement. Research has shown that international students still do not report a high level of engagement at Ontario College campuses despite the fact most colleges have educated international students for many years. The dichotomy of international versus domestic student problematizes these issues from a myriad of perspectives. This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) proposes a multi-pronged solution involving the creation of an internationalization strategy, the development of academic and cultural engagement and identity workshops as pilot projects, the creation of a Professional Improvement Community, and the integration of embedded English as a Second Language classes into curriculum to achieve improved mutual integration among international and domestic students, faculty and administrators. The problem is viewed through an International Student Cultural Integration Framework, where adaptive and authentic leadership styles lead the change and implementation process. A Plan-do-study-act cycle (PDSA) describes the implementation process and how iterative cycles of change will move from pilot workshops to full-scale organizational implementation during the course of one academic year to long-term implementation plan over five years

Preservation of Autonomy in Pediatric Decision-Making

Pediatric patients must rely on proxy decision-makers, usually a parent or guardian, to make their health care choices for them. There are 3 main frameworks in place for such decision-making. The default is usually that the decision-maker will make the decision that they feel is in the best interest of the child. Limitations on the decision-maker are an aspect often discussed with abuse and neglect at the forefront as thresholds for when limitations and intervention are deemed necessary. Concern for the child’s future autonomy is not made a consideration. Instead, the values and beliefs of the decision-maker are used to validate the choices made for the child. It should be the responsibility of those involved in the decision-making process to preserve the future autonomy of the child. This leads to the question of whether a decision should even be made or held in reserve for the future, if possible. In situations where that is not possible, such as a life-threatening or serious health condition, the assurance of a future where the child has the ability to become autonomous should then be the first consideration

Student Programming and Identity in French Language Studies at an Ontario College

This research set out to investigate the following questions: Why do students enroll in French, and in what ways do the students position themselves to learning French? What kinds of social issues do they confront when coming back? How do such issues impact their identities? Using the frameworks developed within sociocultural second language acquisition, identity, and motivational theories, this exploratory study includes semi-structured interviews and an online survey. Some of the reasons why students come back to the college system to study French include family background, political decisions, patriotism, gainful employment, cosmopolitanism, globalization and travel and retirement. Studying languages seems to be a highly personal decision and identities are impacted in many ways including the use of power, prestige, economic gain and divergent thinking. However, a key conclusion drawn from this study is that learning French opens doors for communicative purposes and being able to speak another language expands one’s mind, according to the participants in the interviews. Additionally, knowing French in the Southwestern Ontario workplace enhances one’s ability to attain gainful employment within the public sector specifically, and within entry-level positions within the private sector generally

Improving the mathematics word-problem skills of an early middle school student

In this study, a middle school student deemed struggling with reading comprehension and fluency participated in a one-to-one individualized intervention. A reading comprehension intervention was designed for the student because of her demonstrated need in this area. Chapter One describes the student participant and relevant background information. The chapter concludes with the intervention\u27s relevancy to the Common Core Standards

Synthesis of Fused Heterocyclic Diamidines for the Treatment of Human African Trypanosomiasis and Fluorescence Studies of Selected Diamidines

A class of linear diamidines was synthesized for the evaluation as a treatment of Human African Trypanosomiasis. These fused heterocyclic compounds are thiazole[5,4-d]thiazoles and are of interest because the parent compound, 2,5-Bis(4-amidinophenyl)-thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole HCl salt, which is also called DB 1929, has exhibited a low nanomolar IC50 value against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense and has shown selectivity for binding to the human telomere G-quadruplex over that of DNA duplex. A fluoro and a methoxy derivative have been synthesized and are currently undergoing testing for activity and binding affinity. In addition, fluorescence studies of selected diamidines were done to study the effect of structural variation on fluorescence. This data is useful since it can determine what types of moieties are needed to yield a compound that will fluoresce in the higher wavelengths (500 nm and above) of the visible spectrum, which would be advantageous in determining the uptake of the drug in the trypanosome within the endemic areas of Africa with a simple microscope

ASTROCYTE-ENDOTHELIAL INTERACTIONS: IMPLICATIONS FOR HIV-ASSOCIATED NEUROCOGNITIVE DISORDER

During the course of HIV-1 disease, virus neuroinvasion occurs as an early event, within weeks following infection. Intriguingly, subsequent central nervous system (CNS) complications manifest only decades after the initial virus exposure. In the current era of combined anti-retroviral therapy (cART), while the virus replication in the periphery is brought under complete control, in the CNS owing to poor drug penetrance, there occurs development of increasing neurocognitive complications. So while the HIV-infected patients are living longer and have decreased incidence of the disease, the prevalence of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) is actually on a rise. Although CNS is commonly regarded as an immune-privileged site, emerging evidence indicates that innate immunity elicited by the CNS glial cells is a critical determinant for the establishment of protective immunity. Sustained expression of the protective immune responses manifested as increased expression of a mediator, such as platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), however, can be a double-edged sword. While PDGF has been defined as a neuroprotective immune mediator, in concert with other inflammatory mediators (elicited by HIV or its protein products), it can tip the balance from a protective to a toxic state in the CNS. Herein, we present an overview of some of the essential elements of the cerebral innate immunity in HIV neuropathogenesis including the role that platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) released from astrocytes has in exacerbating HAND. Out of the various PDGF isoforms, PDGF-BB is critical for astrocytes and hence is the focus of our study. PDGF-BB exposure to astrocytes results in astrogliosis and release of the chemokine monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), the two hallmark features of HAND. To further understand these observations and explore the role of PDGF-BB regulation in HAND, our central hypothesis is that exposure of astrocytes to HIV transactivating protein Tat results in the release of growth factors such as PDGF-BB, which could ultimately lead to enhanced astrogliosis and blood-brain barrier(BBB) disruption. The aim of this study was to explore the mechanism of PDGF-BB regulation in astrocytes as it relates to HAND pathogenesis

A Cultural Competence Guide for Occupational Therapists: Addressing Major Health Issues of the Eastern Shoshone & Northern Arapaho Tribes

The authors have created a cultural competency guide on the history, culture, and beliefs of the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes as well as an overview of current health concerns and resulting health disparities. The creation of the guide is necessary in order to provide information about these cultures to occupational therapists (OT) working with them. However, there is considerable lack of resources for discussing cultural competency regarding these tribes in relation to occupational therapy. In preparing to create the guide, an extensive literature review was conducted to determine cultural issues and health disparities of the two tribes. Secondary sources were also utilized to describe the history, spiritual practices, and traditional healing practices of these populations. This product is an informative, useful resource for OT\u27s in Wyoming. The cultural competency guide is an effective means of beginning the process of cultural competence for OTIs that provide treatment to these tribes. The intended outcome is to help OT\u27s begin the process of developing cultural competency, resulting in the ability of OT\u27s to honestly and effectively provide quality care to members of the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone nations

Editorial : Curriculum Applications in Microbiology: Bioinformatics in the Classroom

We would like to thank all of the authors who submitted to this special topic, committed to the furthering of academic creativity, excellence, and rigor in the challenging and virtual instructional world of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). To you and all of our educators globally, you are indispensable.Non peer reviewedPublisher PD