Noblehaus: Who Do They Think They Are?

A question-and-answer column with Noblehaus

Centering Racial Justice in Sex Education: Strategies for Engaging Professionals and Young People

This practice paper—Centering Racial Justice in Sex Education: Strategies for Engaging Professionals and Young People—serves as a guide to providing racially just practices for those working in the field of sex education. We understand that much like any other work discussing diversity and inclusion practices, this isn't about presenting a list of things that will allow organizations to simply check a box or provide a one-size-fits-all approach. Described throughout these pages is the pursuit of racial justice and equity that requires multi-layered efforts that address the needs of both youth of color and the communities in which they live.This practice paper describes—The need for racial justice and equity in the K–12 sex education space;Methodology of the research conducted with key informants;Content of racially just sex education;Qualities of a racially just sex educator;Administrative and management practices that support sex educators of color; and,Measurement and evaluation practices to enhance sex education for youth of color

LEADing together: Partnerships for a Healthier DeKalb

Background: In 2014, the DeKalb County Board of Health (DCBOH) received a three-year Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) grant to work with community partners to address health disparities among African Americans in DeKalb County. The project, called Local Efforts toward Addressing Disparities in DeKalb (LEAD DeKalb), relies on a network of partnerships to implement community-based interventions that promote healthy eating and physical activity among African Americans throughout low-income parts of DeKalb County. Methods: The evaluation team developed an online survey to assess LEAD DeKalb staff and partner satisfaction with the partnerships created and the work completed through LEAD DeKalb thus far (n=20, response rate of 71.4%). The 20-question survey was adapted primarily from two sources: the Wilder Collaboration Factors Inventory and the Program Sustainability Assessment Tool. Data analysis was limited to basic descriptive information such as frequencies, percentages, and averages, with comparisons made between DCBOH staff and partners. Results: Partners reported that their organization benefits from being involved in the partnership and attributed a variety of factors to the success of the partnership, including: bringing together diverse stakeholders; exchanging information/knowledge; sharing resources; and developing a shared mission and goals. Identifying new partners and developing a sustainability plan that includes funding, community support, and strong partnerships were identified as areas for improvement. Relevant qualitative findings from key informant interviews were also presented. Conclusions: Two main themes emerged from the data: (1) the network of partnerships is valuable and strong, but may benefit from new partners, and (2) resources (especially funding) are critical for implementing and sustaining the work of the partnership. Taken together, these findings suggest that partnerships are best conceptualized as ongoing processes rather than tasks to complete; and expanding social networks and learning communities allows partners to leverage social, human, and financial capital well beyond the grant period

Offenders' perceptions of the choices they had and the choices they made

"African Americans are overrepresented among arrests, defendants, and convictions despite no significant differences in self-reports of criminal offending between African Americans and Whites. This research examines the differences in family and educational experiences among fifteen men who live in North Carolina. Retrospective interviews were conducted face-to-face with adult men who attended N.C. public schools and had been previously apprehended for a criminal law violation. Patterns of socialization and class- and race-based differences are analyzed. Results indicate no substantial differences in school experiences between African Americans and Whites in the sample. However, findings suggest race is salient for criminal justice outcomes."--Abstract from author supplied metadata

Modeled Microgravity Disrupts Collagen I/Integrin Signaling During Osteoblastic Differentiation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Spaceflight leads to reduced bone mineral density in weight bearing bones that is primarily attributed to a reduction in bone formation. We have previously demonstrated severely reduced osteoblastogenesis of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) following seven days culture in modeled microgravity. One potential mechanism for reduced osteoblastic differentiation is disruption of type I collagen-integrin interactions and reduced integrin signaling. Integrins are heterodimeric transmembrane receptors that bind extracellular matrix proteins and produce signals essential for proper cellular function, survival, and differentiation. Therefore, we investigated the effects of modeled microgravity on integrin expression and function in hMSC. We demonstrate that seven days of culture in modeled microgravity leads to reduced expression of the extracellular matrix protein, type I collagen (Col I). Conversely, modeled microgravity consistently increases Col I-specific alpha2 and beta1 integrin protein expression. Despite this increase in integrin sub-unit expression, autophosphorylation of adhesion-dependent kinases, focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 (PYK2), is significantly reduced. Activation of Akt is unaffected by the reduction in FAK activation. However, reduced downstream signaling via the Ras-MAPK pathway is evidenced by a reduction in Ras and ERK activation. Taken together, our findings indicate that modeled microgravity decreases integrin/MAPK signaling, which likely contributes to the observed reduction in osteoblastogenesis

Spatial Analysis of West Nile Virus: Predictive Risk Modeling of a Vector-borne Infectious Disease in Illinois by Means of NASA Earth Observation Systems

West Nile Virus is a mosquito-borne virus of the family Flaviviridae. It infects birds and various mammals, including humans, and can cause encephalitis that may prove fatal, notably among vulnerable populations. Since its identification in New York City in 1999, WNV has become established in a broad range of ecological settings throughout North America, infecting more than 25,300 people and killing 1133 as of 2008 (CDC,2009). WNV is transmitted by mosquitoes that feed on infected birds. As a result, the degree of human infection depends on local ecology and human exposure. This study hypothesizes that remote sensing and GIS can be used to analyze environmental determinants of WNV transmission, such as climate, elevation, land cover, and vegetation densities, to map areas of WNV risk for surveillance and intervention

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trauma Informed Care Training for Mental Health Nurses

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events that happened to a person at a young age, and when untreated they have a higher risk of developing a mental illness. ACEs are associated with social problems, illnesses, and physiological issues. ACEs are related to increased health risks and an increase in high-risk behaviors. Despite increase evidence relating ACEs to physical and mental issues, nurses lack training in ACEs and trauma-informed care (TIC). The overall goal of this project was to increase knowledge of ACEs and TIC in mental health nurses when caring for mentally ill patients. Pre-test and Post-test surveys were sent out to 26 healthcare professionals over a four-week period. A quantitative analysis was conducted of the pre-test and post-test survey. The mean was used to measure the central tendency in both questionnaires, using a t-test. After training and education, the results show that mental health nurses did gain knowledge, awareness, and confidence in identifying ACEs and trauma. The results lastly show that overall, the training was effective and there was a need for additional information

P-CRESOL BIOGENESIS DURING BIOREMEDIATION AIMED AT STIMULATING CHLORINATED SOLVENT DEHALOGENATION

The broad goal of the research described in this thesis was to better understand the potential for biologically mediated production of p-cresol in groundwater at a Superfund site located in south Louisiana. Previous literature reports that microorganisms known to carry out the transformation from L-tyrosine to p-cresol occur in diverse environments. In the research described in this thesis, studies were conducted utilizing groundwater from the Superfund site during the course of enhanced in situ bioremediation practices aimed at stimulating reductive dehalogenation of chlorinated solvent contamination. Microbial communities established with groundwater sampled from the Superfund site were observed to biogenically produce p-cresol when provided with either L-tyrosine or 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid. When provided with 350 mg/L 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, cultures established in liquid media consistently accumulated p-cresol concentrations with approximately stoichiometric conversion from 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid in under 30 days. Experiments performed with a wide range (0-2000 mg/L) of starting 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid concentrations supplied to the enrichment cultures revealed a high correlation between p-cresol accumulation and 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid consumption during a 45-day incubation period. When provided with 350 mg/L L-tyrosine (as opposed to 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid), enrichment cultures established in liquid media accumulated p-cresol, however, the degree of transformation varied widely, ranging from less than 1% to approximately 100% stoichiometric conversion from L-tyrosine. Subsequent studies revealed that a portion of the tyrosine was converted into phenol and in some cases, a portion of the L-tyrosine remained untransformed. In order to distinguish between the unresolved m- and p-cresol isomers determined during routine laboratory analysis, GC/MS mass spectra and HPLC analyses were conducted to verify the compound identity. Results from these studies indicated with a high degree of confidence that p-cresol was the isomer present and m-cresol was not observed (/L) in any groundwater or enrichment culture tested. Collectively, results presented in this thesis indicate that indigenous groundwater microbial communities are capable of producing p-cresol when supplied with L-tyrosine or 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid. Further research is necessary to elucidate the metabolic pathways involved in p-cresol production in site groundwater as well as the microorganisms responsible