Severe Heat Cramps in a High School Football Player: A Case Report

We present a case study of an adolescent football player who suffered from severe full body muscle cramping after supplementing with creatine for two months. A paucity of data exists regarding the safety of creatine supplementation and its side effects on dehydration, body fluid/electrolyte balance, and other heat illnesses

Activating Library Classrooms: Evaluating Formal Learning Spaces for Active Learning and Student Engagement

Funded by the Association of College & Research Libraries through a 2018 Academic Library Impact Research Grant, the Activating Library Classrooms: Evaluating Formal Learning Spaces for Active Learning and Student Engagement project endeavored to evaluate the design and use of formal learning spaces situated within X X University Libraries. Researchers evaluated seven library classrooms and interviewed seven faculty collaborators at six X X University campuses in order to identify areas of strength and growth for formal learning spaces. The results affirm the significance of formal learning spaces in libraries and how they can demonstrate academic libraries’ ability to partner in university curricula and student success

The Complexity of Disrupting the Struggling Reader Label: The Potential for Cross-Pollinating Disability Studies and Dynamic Models of Comprehension in Literacy Teacher Education

There have been numerous recent calls in literacy research and teacher education to disrupt the \u27struggling reader\u27 label, but a dearth of empirical studies on the topic. This qualitative analysis explores the complex issues preservice teachers (PSTs) faced as they examined young readers\u27 sense-making through a reading assessment assignment. Our research question asked: How do PSTs challenge and/or reinforce the \u27struggling reader\u27 label as they examine young readers\u27 sense-making? Using a conceptual lens that cross-pollinates dynamic models of reading comprehension with Disability Studies in Education, we look across three cases to identify ways PSTs challenged and reinforced the \u27struggling reader\u27 label as they examined intermediate-grade readers\u27 interactions with texts. Ultimately, we argue that embracing a dynamic model of comprehension--on its own--is an insufficient focus in literacy teacher education in order to disrupt harmful labeling practices in schools

Squirrels on Longwood\u27s Campus

In this project, we aim to analyze the distribution, behavior, and abundance of squirrels on Longwood\u27s campus. We hypothesize that squirrels will be most abundant where canopy cover is high, and that these campus squirrels are generally unaffected by surrounding human activity. Multiple sites on campus were observed, and a survey was used to gather data about squirrel activity and sightings from Longwood students. The results indicate that Cox, Wheeler and Stubbs have the highest frequency of squirrels, and that squirrels are most commonly observed being active. Canopy cover was found to have no correlation with abundance of squirrels. Squirrels are highly active and adaptable to various locations on Longwood\u27s campus

Collaboration Made It Happen! The Kansas Archive-It Consortium

This case study explores the formation, current membership, and future goals of the Kansas Archive-It Consortium (KAIC), one of the larger consortia contracting with the Web archiving service Archive-It. KAIC, which is composed of the state historical society and five public universities, has its foundation in a statewide culture of collaboration, and participants have agreed on an informal governance structure with a strong commitment to broadening accessible web resources for researchers. After establishing consortial consistency during its first two years, members have shared documentation with partners and are beginning to do collaborative collecting. In the future, the consortium will seek additional members and work with Archive-It to develop a consortial search tool. This web archiving collaborative has helped member institutions overcome challenges by having group discussions, sharing documentation and guidelines, and jointly serving a primary user group, Kansas residents

Improvements In Cardinal, Ordinal, And Spatial Language In Young Children

Language is an important aspect of child development. Cardinal number words such as one, two, and three emerge before ordinal number words such as first, second, and third, though both increase with age in early childhood (Colomé & Noel, 2012). Children first learn verbal lists of number words, then they are able to give those words meaning (Slusser, Ditta, & Sarnecka, 2013). The more number words children know, the greater their ordinal comprehension (Brannon & Van de Walle, 2001). When children are less familiar with ordinal labels, it can negatively impact problem solving (Miller, Marcovitch, Boseovski, & Lewowicz, 2015). Spatial language also improves from 3 to 5 years and helps with problem solving (Hund, Bianchi, Winner, & Hesson-Mcinnis, 2017; Simms & Genter, 2019). Our goal was to specify the developmental trajectory of cardinal, ordinal, and spatial language comprehension and production for 3- to 5- year old children. Children were randomly assigned to either the Tell Me or Give Me condition. In the Tell Me condition, children were asked to tell the researcher about an indicated car, testing language production; whereas, in the Give Me condition, children were asked to respond to our labels by putting the appropriate car(s) in the garage, testing language comprehension. All children completed cardinal, ordinal, and spatial trials in counterbalanced order. Cardinal trials included cardinal numeric words, such as one or three. Ordinal trials included sequential numeric words, such as first or third. Spatial trials probed locations, such as front, middle, or back. To date, 65 children have participated. Data collection has not been possible during the Covid-19 pandemic. As predicted, preliminary analyses revealed that there were significant improvements across development in cardinal, ordinal, and spatial language. Five-year-olds (M = .76, SE = .05) were significantly more accurate than were 4-year-olds (M = .59, SE = .03), who were significantly more accurate than 3-year-olds (M = .46, SE = .04). In addition, the Give Me group performed higher than the Tell Me group, suggesting comprehension may be easier than production. Children were significantly more accurate on cardinal trials (M = .87, SE = .03) than on spatial trials (M = .58, SE = .04) and on spatial trials than on ordinal trials (M = .36, SE = .04). Once completed, the results of this study may be helpful for understanding the ways in which complex language facilitates developmental success across domains.https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/urs2021psych/1000/thumbnail.jp

α-MSH inhibits induction of C/EBPβ-DNA binding activity and NOS2 gene transcription in macrophages

α-MSH inhibits induction of C/EBPβ-DNA binding activity and NOS2 gene transcription in macrophages.Backgroundα-Melanocyte–stimulating hormone (α-MSH) is an endogenous tridecapeptide that exerts anti-inflammatory actions and abrogates postischemic renal injury in rodents. α-MSH inhibits lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced gene expression of several cytokines, chemokines, and nitric oxide synthase-2 (NOS2), but the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects have not been clearly defined. To test the hypothesis that α-MSH inhibits the expression of inducible trans-activating factors involved in NOS2 regulation, we used RAW 264.7 macrophage cells to examine the effects of α-MSH on the activation of nuclear factor-кB (NF-кB) and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-β (C/EBPβ), trans-acting factors known to be involved in LPS + interferon (IFN)-γ induction of the NOS2 gene.MethodsGel shift assays were performed to identify NF-кB and C/EBP DNA binding activities in LPS + IFN-γ–treated RAW 264.7 cells in the presence and absence of α-MSH. NOS2 promoter assays were conducted to identify the effects of α-MSH on LPS + IFN-γ–mediated induction of NOS2 transcription.ResultsGel shift assays demonstrated LPS + IFN-γ induction of NF-кB and C/EBP family protein-DNA complexes in nuclei harvested from the cells. Supershift assays revealed that the C/EBP complexes were comprised of C/EBPβ, but not C/EBPα, C/EBPα, or C/EBPϵ. α-MSH (100 nmol/L) inhibited the LPS + IFN-γ–mediated induction of nuclear DNA binding activity of C/EBPβ, but not that of NF-кB (in contrast to reports in other cell types), as well as the activity of a murine NOS2 promoter-luciferase construct. In contrast, α-MSH (100 nmol/L) had no effect on the induction of NOS2 promoter-luciferase genes harboring deletion or mutation of the C/EBP box.ConclusionsThese data indicate that α-MSH inhibits the induction of C/EBPβ DNA binding activity and that this effect is a major mechanism by which α-MSH inhibits the transcription of the NOS2 gene. The inability of α-MSH to inhibit LPS + IFN-γ induction of NF-кB in murine macrophage cells, which contrasts with inhibitory effects of the neuropeptide in other cell types, suggests that cell-type–specific mechanisms are involved

Children and parent participation in child protection conferences: a study in one English local authority

The overall purpose of a child protection conference is to safeguard children. The conferences are multi-agency meetings that aim to ensure children's safety, promote children's health and development, and identify when a child is at continuing risk of significant harm. Law and policies in the United Kingdom highlight that parents and children should be involved in this process and that their wishes and feelings should be listened to and heard by professionals, yet several research studies show that this is not happening. This study also explores how much parents, children and young people understand about the purpose of child protection conferences and whether they feel actively involved in them. Twenty-three children and 26 corresponding parents were interviewed, all of whom are currently going through the child protection process and have children subject to a child protection plan. The ages of children interviewed were between eight and 18 years; all children were still living at home with at least one parent. This study concludes that children and young people's understanding of child protection conferences and their participation within them is minimal, highlighting that the methods used to engage children in this process are largely ineffective. Most parents felt unsupported throughout the child protection process and the majority did not find their social workers helpful, which could increase the likelihood of disengagement and may inhibit the cycle of change. Similar research studies conclude comparable results, yet practice within the child protection system does not seem to be developing in terms of improving service user participation

Transgender Noninclusive Healthcare and Delaying Care Because of Fear: Connections to General Health and Mental Health Among Transgender Adults

Purpose: There are many barriers to reliable healthcare for transgender people that often contribute to delaying or avoiding needed medical care. Yet, few studies have examined whether noninclusive healthcare and delaying needed medical care because of fear of discrimination are associated with poorer health among transgender adults. This study aims to address these gaps in the knowledge base. Methods: This study analyzed secondary data from a statewide survey of 417 transgender adults in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States. Independent variables included noninclusive healthcare from a primary care provider (PCP) and delay of needed medical care because of fear of discrimination. Dependent variables assessed general health and mental health. Results: Transgender individuals who delayed healthcare because of fear of discrimination had worse general health in the past month than those who did not delay or delayed care for other reasons (B = 0.26, p \u3c 0.05); they also had 3.08 greater odds of having current depression, 3.81 greater odds of a past year suicide attempt, and 2.93 greater odds of past year suicidal ideation ( p \u3c 0.001). After controlling for delayed care because of fear of discrimination, having a noninclusive PCP was not significantly associated with either general health or mental health. Conclusion: This study suggests a significant association between delaying healthcare because of fear of discrimination and worse general and mental health among transgender adults. These relationships remain significant even when controlling for provider noninclusivity, suggesting that fear of discrimination and consequent delay of care are at the forefront of health challenges for transgender adults. The lack of statistical significance for noninclusive healthcare may be related to the measurement approach used; future research is needed to develop an improved tool for measuring transgender noninclusive healthcare