Arts Educators Advocating for the Arts in Idaho

The purpose of this M.A. Art Education project is to provide Idaho’s arts educators with both a comprehensive arts education advocacy handbook and access to a professionally designed arts education advocacy marketing campaign. Global, national, and local arts advocacy research serve as a foundation for this project. This project has three major components: an arts advocacy handbook, materials for an Idaho-specific arts advocacy marketing campaign, and a social media page. The handbook, “Informed. Active. Connected. Arts Educators Advocating For The Arts in Idaho,” aims to better prepare Idaho’s arts educators to be effective, knowledgeable, and informed advocates for the arts with a consistent marketing message and theme. Major objectives for this project include: accessibility of the handbook and its materials, ease of use, consistent design, and shareability of information. A key component in addressing these intentions is how the handbook will be distributed and accessed. In an effort to maximize viral use and distribution of the arts advocacy handbook, a Facebook Fan Page has been created and serves as a hub for this project. The Facebook Fan Page, “Idaho Arts Advocacy,” will provide Idaho’s arts advocates with an open platform to communicate and connect. The handbook designed as a result of this project consists of the following information and materials: Introduction: Why An Arts Advocacy Handbook?, Who Is This Handbook For?, How Do You Use This Handbook?, Recent Research In Arts Education, Marketing And Advocacy Defined State of Education in Idaho State of Arts Education in Idaho: Arts Educators vs. Parent Volunteers, Idaho Arts Education Resources, Additional Idaho Resources and Facts, Arts Education Recommendations from NAEA Marketing Plan: Explanation of Design, Posters, Flyers, E-blast, Small Images, Facebook, Additional Ideas, Graphic Design Tips, Marketing Tips Closing: Idaho’s Arts Educators Are Advocates, Resource

Informed. Active. Connected. Arts Educators Advocating For The Arts in Idaho

PROJECT OVERVIEW: Create a professional marketing handbook for arts educators in Idaho to use as a tool to allow them to more effectively advocate for arts education in Idaho. For the first time, in 1994, the Goals 2000: Education America Act identified the arts as part of the core curriculum in federal policy. Eighteen years later, available research shows that arts education contributes to critical thinking, creativity, social engagement, cultural awareness, and student achievement. However, despite this “convincing research and strong public support, the arts remain on the margin of education, often the last to be added and the first to be dropped in times of strained budget and shifting priorities” (“Critical Evidence,” 2006, p. 17). The great state of Idaho is a prime example of this discrepancy. According to A Report on the Status of Arts Education In Idaho (2010), arts education in Idaho reflects the national situation, continues to struggle for recognition at the district level, and the infrastructure to support arts education in Idaho is lacking (“A Report,” 2010, p. 2). To confirm this, the same article reports Idaho’s elementary school art specialist-to-student ratio for visual arts at 1 to 2,335. It is time for change–it is time for change in Idaho. This advocacy resource handbook has been created specifically for arts educators in Idaho to provide materials and information needed to be effective advocates for the arts. The interests and long-term goals for this project in arts advocacy are in how we, arts educators, communicate the value of the arts here in Idaho. How do we promote the arts? How do we get people–– government officials, school board members, parents, communities, and students––to care about the arts? The very act of advocating requires knowledge, consistent information, and purpose. This handbook will provide Idaho’s arts educators with a comprehensive arts advocacy campaign that maintains the quality and thoughtfulness that the arts deserve

Integrating transcriptomics, metabolomics, and GWAS helps reveal molecular mechanisms for metabolite levels and disease risk

Transcriptomics data have been integrated with genome-wide association studies (GWASs) to help understand disease/trait molecular mechanisms. The utility of metabolomics, integrated with transcriptomics and disease GWASs, to understand molecular mechanisms for metabolite levels or diseases has not been thoroughly evaluated. We performed probabilistic transcriptome-wide association and locus-level colocalization analyses to integrate transcriptomics results for 49 tissues in 706 individuals from the GTEx project, metabolomics results for 1,391 plasma metabolites in 6,136 Finnish men from the METSIM study, and GWAS results for 2,861 disease traits in 260,405 Finnish individuals from the FinnGen study. We found that genetic variants that regulate metabolite levels were more likely to influence gene expression and disease risk compared to the ones that do not. Integrating transcriptomics with metabolomics results prioritized 397 genes for 521 metabolites, including 496 previously identified gene-metabolite pairs with strong functional connections and suggested 33.3% of such gene-metabolite pairs shared the same causal variants with genetic associations of gene expression. Integrating transcriptomics and metabolomics individually with FinnGen GWAS results identified 1,597 genes for 790 disease traits. Integrating transcriptomics and metabolomics jointly with FinnGen GWAS results helped pinpoint metabolic pathways from genes to diseases. We identified putative causal effects of UGT1A1/UGT1A4 expression on gallbladder disorders through regulating plasma (E,E)-bilirubin levels, of SLC22A5 expression on nasal polyps and plasma carnitine levels through distinct pathways, and of LIPC expression on age-related macular degeneration through glycerophospholipid metabolic pathways. Our study highlights the power of integrating multiple sets of molecular traits and GWAS results to deepen understanding of disease pathophysiology.Peer reviewe

31st Annual Meeting and Associated Programs of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC 2016) : part two

Background The immunological escape of tumors represents one of the main ob- stacles to the treatment of malignancies. The blockade of PD-1 or CTLA-4 receptors represented a milestone in the history of immunotherapy. However, immune checkpoint inhibitors seem to be effective in specific cohorts of patients. It has been proposed that their efficacy relies on the presence of an immunological response. Thus, we hypothesized that disruption of the PD-L1/PD-1 axis would synergize with our oncolytic vaccine platform PeptiCRAd. Methods We used murine B16OVA in vivo tumor models and flow cytometry analysis to investigate the immunological background. Results First, we found that high-burden B16OVA tumors were refractory to combination immunotherapy. However, with a more aggressive schedule, tumors with a lower burden were more susceptible to the combination of PeptiCRAd and PD-L1 blockade. The therapy signifi- cantly increased the median survival of mice (Fig. 7). Interestingly, the reduced growth of contralaterally injected B16F10 cells sug- gested the presence of a long lasting immunological memory also against non-targeted antigens. Concerning the functional state of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), we found that all the immune therapies would enhance the percentage of activated (PD-1pos TIM- 3neg) T lymphocytes and reduce the amount of exhausted (PD-1pos TIM-3pos) cells compared to placebo. As expected, we found that PeptiCRAd monotherapy could increase the number of antigen spe- cific CD8+ T cells compared to other treatments. However, only the combination with PD-L1 blockade could significantly increase the ra- tio between activated and exhausted pentamer positive cells (p= 0.0058), suggesting that by disrupting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis we could decrease the amount of dysfunctional antigen specific T cells. We ob- served that the anatomical location deeply influenced the state of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes. In fact, TIM-3 expression was in- creased by 2 fold on TILs compared to splenic and lymphoid T cells. In the CD8+ compartment, the expression of PD-1 on the surface seemed to be restricted to the tumor micro-environment, while CD4 + T cells had a high expression of PD-1 also in lymphoid organs. Interestingly, we found that the levels of PD-1 were significantly higher on CD8+ T cells than on CD4+ T cells into the tumor micro- environment (p < 0.0001). Conclusions In conclusion, we demonstrated that the efficacy of immune check- point inhibitors might be strongly enhanced by their combination with cancer vaccines. PeptiCRAd was able to increase the number of antigen-specific T cells and PD-L1 blockade prevented their exhaus- tion, resulting in long-lasting immunological memory and increased median survival

All-terrain vehicle crashes and associated injuries in North Queensland: findings from the Rural and Remote Road Safety Study

Objective: To define characteristics of all-terrain vehicle (ATV) crashes occurring in north Queensland from March 2004 till June 2007 with the exploration of associated risk factors. Design: Descriptive analysis of ATV crash data collected by the Rural and Remote Road Safety Study. Setting: Rural and remote north Queensland. Participants: Forty-two ATV drivers and passengers aged 16 years or over hospitalised at Atherton, Cairns, Mount Isa or Townsville for at least 24 hours as a result of a vehicle crash. Main outcome measures: Demographics of participants, reason for travel, nature of crash, injuries sustained and risk factors associated with ATV crash. Results: The majority of casualties were men aged 16–64. Forty-one per cent of accidents occurred while performing agricultural tasks. Furthermore, 39% of casualties had less than one year’s experience riding ATVs. Over half the casualties were not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. Common injuries were head and neck and upper limb injuries. Rollovers tended to occur while performing agricultural tasks and most commonly resulted in multiple injuries. Conclusions: Considerable trauma results from ATV crashes in rural and remote north Queensland. These crashes are not included in most general vehicle crash data sets, as they are usually limited to events occurring on public roads. Minimal legislation and regulation currently applies to ATV use in agricultural, recreational and commercial settings. Legislation on safer design of ATVs and mandatory courses for riders is an essential part of addressing the burden of ATV crashes on rural and remote communities

Risk factors for fatal crashes in rural Australia

This paper presents findings from the rural and remote road safety study, conducted in Queensland, Australia, from March 2004 till June 2007, and compares fatal crashes and non-fatal but serious crashes in respect of their environmental, vehicle and operator factors. During the study period there were 613 non-fatal crashes resulting in 684 hospitalised casualties and 119 fatal crashes resulting in 130 fatalities. Additional information from police sources was available on 103 fatal and 309 non-fatal serious crashes. Over three quarters of both fatal and hospitalised casualties were male and the median age in both groups was 34 years. Fatal crashes were more likely to involve speed, alcohol and violations of road rules and fatal crash victims were 2 and a 1/2 times more likely to be unrestrained inside the vehicle than non-fatal casualties, consistent with current international evidence. After controlling for human factors, vehicle and road conditions made a minimal contribution to the seriousness of the crash outcome. Targeted interventions to prevent fatalities on rural and remote roads should focus on reducing speed and drink driving and promoting seatbelt wearing

Managing colorectal cancer: the general practitioner's roles

Colorectal cancer (CRC) contributes significantly to the morbidity and mortality of Australians. The introduction of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Project (NBCSP) has focused attention on the role of the general practitioner (GP) in screening for CRC. However, the role of the GP post-diagnosis has not been well-documented in Australia. This study aimed to identify and compare the roles of GPs in CRC management in Australia. Fifteen GPs practising in urban, rural and remote north Queensland were interviewed to explore self-reported roles in CRC management. All GPs reported having a role in diagnosis, referral, follow-up and palliative care. Treatment was provided by remote GPs only. GPs also reported acting as an advocate for their patient, providing post-operative care and co-ordinating care. Their care was influenced by the geographical location of their practice and also their relationship with the specialist. GPs with the strongest relationships with the specialist felt most confident in providing care for their patients and were able to ensure rapid referrals. The role of the GP in CRC management is substantial regardless of location. Improvements in the relationships between GPs and specialists could lead to better communication and greater shared care opportunities

Colorectal cancer management - the role of the GP

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) contributes significantly to the morbidity and mortality of Australians. The introduction of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program has focussed attention on the role of the general practitioner in CRC screening. However, their increasing role across the management spectrum of CRC remains poorly researched.\ud \ud Objective: This article examines the published literature on the existing and potential roles of the GP in the detection and management of CRC. Evidence about the existing and potential role of the GP was found through a literature search on Medline, PubMed, epidemiological evidence and recent guidelines.\ud \ud Discussion: The role of the GP in CRC management varies. Some GPs play many roles such as advocate, facilitator, supporter, educator and counsellor. The role of the GP is influenced by GP-specialist communication, practice location, and patient and GP factors. There is a potential to increase this role, especially in providing psychosocial support and counselling for both the patient and their family

Patients' experiences of colorectal cancer and oncology services in North Queensland

Colorectal cancer (CRC) accounts for 15% of cancer incidence and mortality in Australia. Incidence rates have been rising for two decades. Little is known about the experiences, attitudes and perceptions of people with CRC who live in non-metropolitan areas. The aim of this study was to investigate participants' experiences with and attitudes to CRC. This Cancer Council of Queensland-funded project collected data in three phases - focus groups, individual interviews, postal survey - from patients treated for CRC in north Queensland. Qualitative and quantitative approaches were used to analyse the data. Participants had very little knowledge of CRC signs and symptoms pre-diagnosis, which sometimes led to delays in diagnosis. The speed of diagnosis was dependent on several practitioner-related factors. Treatment-related issues included coming to grips with the diagnosis and preparedness for treatment and side-effects. Personal beliefs and attitudes influenced treatment and follow-up decisions. Rural participants encountered travel-related difficulties, particularly during treatment as outpatients. There was a strong belief in the need for more public education about CRC in general, warning signs and symptoms, and familial risk factors. Good understanding of people's knowledge of CRC, their attitudes towards screening, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up, will enable health and cancer services provide focused and relevant support to people with CRC, their families and carers. This is especially important in non-metropolitan areas where the full range of specialist services is not locally available