“I Never Thought I Could Accomplish Something Like This”: The Success and Struggle of Teaching College Courses in Jail

In this article, we discuss the challenges and potential benefits of teaching in the “revolving-door” of the criminal justice system: county jails. Massachusetts jails hold pre-trial offenders as well as those serving sentences of up to 2.5 years. Over four semesters, we have learned that flexibility and creativity are necessary to navigate the challenges this heterogeneous population presents, not the least of which is a class in constant flux. In spite of many challenges of teaching in a jail, the classes we teach give students a recovered or newfound belief in their own self-worth and ability, opportunities for intellectual engagement, and encouragement to pursue a positive future. In addition, many of the incarcerated students are local and, when released, are likely to return to these same communities; the potential for successful partnership with nearby colleges to assist with reentry should not be overlooked

Approaches to lead generation for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis targets

Previously held under moratorium from 1st December 2016 until 1st December 2021Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a common and devastating lung disease. There is currently no cure for IPF, and the limited pharmaceutical agents available to patients do not improve lung function, and only give moderate improvements in quality of life. Consequently, IPF is a major cause of morbidity and mortality around the world, and an area of large unmet medical need. The exact aetiology of IPF is poorly defined, however, there is evidence in the literature that this disease is mediated by the ATX-LPA pathway (Scheme 1 [see thesis for details]). AM095 and PF-8380 are compounds known to modulate the ATX-LPA pathway, by inhibition of the LPA receptor or the ATX enzyme, respectively. Using these literature templates, AM095 and PF-8380, as starting points, a hit-to-lead approach was implemented towards identifying new compounds as a treatment for IPF. Accordingly, a rational drug design approach was pursued with the aim of creating novel, simple molecules derived from these two progenitor compounds, whilst strategically retaining key pharmacophoric elements of AM095 and PF-8380 hypothesised to be crucial for activity. Following the design and synthesis of these novel entities, a range of biological assays were performed. The assays assessed the pharmacological potential of the compounds to disrupt the ATX-LPA signalling pathway. With regard to the hit-to-lead trajectory utilising AM095, a cross-screening approach was undertaken through simultaneously screening at both validated targets, LPA1 and ATX. Using a scaffold hopping approach, a more minimalistic chemotype was identified with improved physicochemical properties. In the PF-8380 derived series, a structure-based drug design approach was undertaken to fully understand binding interactions involved in ATX inhibition. Using biostructural and structure activity relationship data, the binding interactions required for ATX inhibition were defined for this chemotype. An iterative drug design cycle was employed which led to the identification of novel high quality ATX inhibitors. With suitable further biological evaluation the analogues identified in this work could be of utility as new treatment units for the intractable disease, IPF.Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a common and devastating lung disease. There is currently no cure for IPF, and the limited pharmaceutical agents available to patients do not improve lung function, and only give moderate improvements in quality of life. Consequently, IPF is a major cause of morbidity and mortality around the world, and an area of large unmet medical need. The exact aetiology of IPF is poorly defined, however, there is evidence in the literature that this disease is mediated by the ATX-LPA pathway (Scheme 1 [see thesis for details]). AM095 and PF-8380 are compounds known to modulate the ATX-LPA pathway, by inhibition of the LPA receptor or the ATX enzyme, respectively. Using these literature templates, AM095 and PF-8380, as starting points, a hit-to-lead approach was implemented towards identifying new compounds as a treatment for IPF. Accordingly, a rational drug design approach was pursued with the aim of creating novel, simple molecules derived from these two progenitor compounds, whilst strategically retaining key pharmacophoric elements of AM095 and PF-8380 hypothesised to be crucial for activity. Following the design and synthesis of these novel entities, a range of biological assays were performed. The assays assessed the pharmacological potential of the compounds to disrupt the ATX-LPA signalling pathway. With regard to the hit-to-lead trajectory utilising AM095, a cross-screening approach was undertaken through simultaneously screening at both validated targets, LPA1 and ATX. Using a scaffold hopping approach, a more minimalistic chemotype was identified with improved physicochemical properties. In the PF-8380 derived series, a structure-based drug design approach was undertaken to fully understand binding interactions involved in ATX inhibition. Using biostructural and structure activity relationship data, the binding interactions required for ATX inhibition were defined for this chemotype. An iterative drug design cycle was employed which led to the identification of novel high quality ATX inhibitors. With suitable further biological evaluation the analogues identified in this work could be of utility as new treatment units for the intractable disease, IPF

A netnographic sensibility: developing the netnographic/social listening boundaries

Netnography is constantly evolving as technologies and access to online data develop. Our paper outlines how large data sets of social media can be analysed through bridging the divide between the small, rich and contextually nuanced data that is the hallmark of netnography and the scope and scale of data made possible through social media listening conventions. We define this approach as netnographic sensibility and with the use of a short case study discuss the process through which social media data could be gathered, triangulated and analysed. We orientate the paper around two interrelated questions: investigating how netnographic insights can be extended using social media monitoring tools, and asking how this can be used to add richness and depth to understanding mass consumer realities. Our contribution complements the widely established methodological approach of netnography as we argue that netnography has the capacity and capability to embrace technological advances within the domain of social listening to add value for academic researchers

“I Never Thought I Could Accomplish Something Like This”: The Success and Struggle of Teaching College Courses in Jail

In this article, we discuss the challenges and potential benefits of teaching in the “revolving-door” of the criminal justice system: county jails. Massachusetts jails hold pre-trial offenders as well as those serving sentences of up to 2.5 years. Over four semesters, we have learned that flexibility and creativity are necessary to navigate the challenges this heterogeneous population presents, not the least of which is a class in constant flux. In spite of many challenges of teaching in a jail, the classes we teach give students a recovered or newfound belief in their own self-worth and ability, opportunities for intellectual engagement, and encouragement to pursue a positive future. In addition, many of the incarcerated students are local and, when released, are likely to return to these same communities; the potential for successful partnership with nearby colleges to assist with reentry should not be overlooked

The effect of curing and zirconium content on the wettability and structure of a silicate hybrid sol-gel material

Functional hybrid sol-gel coatings have been developed for numerous applications with a wide range of wettabilities. This study proposes to investigate the relationship between the structure and the wetting properties of a zirconium modified silicate hybrid sol-gel coating. The structures of the coatings were altered by varying the content of zirconium, and the curing process, while keeping the sol-gel preparation conditions identical. The structure of the materials was characterized by FTIR, 29Si NMR and SEM. The thermal properties and the wettability are identified by DSC and contact angle measurements, respectively. By corroborating the structural and wettability analyses, it is shown that the transition metal minimizes the thermally-assisted condensation of the silicate network and enables to stabilize the wetting properties at higher hydrophilic values. This article highlights that the wettability of hybrid sol-gel coatings can be controlled by both the curing process and transition metal content

Correlation between the structure and the anticorrosion barrier properties of hybrid sol–gel coatings: application to the protection of AA2024-T3 alloys

Hybrid sol–gel materials have been extensively studied as viable alternatives to toxic chromate (VI)-based coatings for the corrosion protection of AA2024-T3 in the aerospace industry, due to the wide range of available chemistries they offer and the tremendous development potential of innovative functional coatings. However, so far, little work has been performed in identifying the effect of the employed chemistries on the structure and anticorrosion properties of the coatings. This work proposes to contribute to a better understanding of the relationship existing between the structure, morphology and anticorrosion properties of hybrid sol–gel coatings deposited on AA2024- T3 aluminium surfaces, the most widely used alloy in the aerospace industry. The sol–gels are prepared employing two hybrid precursors; an organosilane, 3-trimethoxysilylpropylmethacrylate, and a zirconium complex prepared from the chelation of zirconium n-propoxide, and methacrylic acid. The structure of the hybrid sol–gel formulation is modified by altering the concentration of the transition metal complex. The structure and morphology of the coatings are characterised by dynamic light scattering, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, silicon nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy, atomic-force microscopy and the anticorrosion barrier properties characterised by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and neutral salt-spray. It is found that the transition metal concentration affected the morphology and structure, as well as the anticorrosion performances of the hybrid sol–gel coatings. A direct correlation between the morphology of the coatings and their final anticorrosion barrier properties is demonstrated, and the optimum material amongst this series is determined to be comprised of a concentration of between 20 and 30% of transition metal