Making Knowledge, Making Power: The Impact of Restorative Discipline Practices in Three New York City Schools

The rise of standardized testing and zero­tolerance discipline measures in the United States over the last decade has resulted in public schools that prioritize order and obedience over deep learning and interpersonal relationships. While detrimental across the board, these austere measures have done particular harm to low­income students of color in cities, many of whom have been pushed out of schools and into the criminal justice system for minor misbehaviors­­ a phenomenon scholars and activists have termed the “school­to­prison pipeline.” However, resistance to the criminalization of vulnerable students has blossomed in New York City in recent years. One of the primary ways educators and advocates have engaged in this resistance is through discipline practices based in restorative justice, rather than punitive, or retributive justice. This movement for restorative justice in schools is counteracting the effects of the school­to­prison pipeline, in addition to cultivating democratic and caring school communities. In this thesis I describe and analyze interviews with nine educators in three different NYC public schools in order to illuminate how restorative justice actually works in schools that practice it , and how it constitutes a powerful challenge to the zero­ tolerance logic that has permeated the way we think about safety and learning

Heat bounds and the blowtorch theorem

We study driven systems with possible population inversion and we give optimal bounds on the relative occupations in terms of released heat. A precise meaning to Landauer's blowtorch theorem (1975) is obtained stating that nonequilibrium occupations are essentially modified by kinetic effects. Towards very low temperatures we apply a Freidlin-Wentzel type analysis for continuous time Markov jump processes. It leads to a definition of dominant states in terms of both heat and escape rates.Comment: 11 pages; v2: minor changes, 1 reference adde

Soil Moisture Content and General Plant Growth Conditions of Eroded Soil as Infliences by Contour Furrowing

A research program of water conservation and of soil rebuilding and maintenance has been initiated in southern Iowa as a phase of the Cooperative Hillculture project of the Iowa Agricultural Experiment station and the Soil Conservation Service. Existing and newly established vegetative covers are being evaluated as interplanting materials between the rows of larger, chiefly woody, and plants of economic value which are grown in furrows on the exact contour under varying degrees of cultivation

Lovey Dove

There are many love words new; Are there any that will do for you? What expression could I take In my confession that I want to make? CHORUS Lovey Dove, cuddle up, Dovey dove, huddle up near me, Honey Lamb, I’m for you, ‘deed I am, Honeydew Dearie! You’re my precious, precious, you’re just love complete; I adore you, for you’re so sweetie, sweet. Tootsie Dear, rest up near, Wootsie Dear, nest up near, Kiss me! If I go, If I should whisper low, say you would miss me! From my heels to head I’ll tell you, I am dead in love. Ev’ry day, more and more, I adore Lovey Dove! Dove! Loving sweethearts always look For sweet phrases in Dan Cupid’s book. Though these love words are not new, These love words, Dearie, all apply to you

Effect of Malondialdehyde-Acetaldehyde-Protein Adducts on the Protein Kinase C-Dependent Secretion of Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator in Hepatic Stellate Cells

Previous studies from our laboratory have shown that malondialdehyde-acetaldehyde-protein adducts (MAA adducts) are formed in hepatocytes of ethanol-fed rats and directly influence the hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) to induce their secretion of chemokines and to up-regulate their expression of adhesion molecules. Since protein kinase C (PKC) is known to play a major role in many diverse intracellular signal transduction processes, we investigated whether MAA adducts influence the function of HSCs via a PKC-dependent pathway. HSCs in culture were exposed to MAA adducts, and PKC activity was determined. We observed a time- and concentration-dependent activation of PKC when cultures were exposed to BSA-MAA as compared with unmodified BSA. Using PKC isoform-specific inhibitors, we also showed that BSA-MAA induces the activation of a specific isoform of PKC, PKC-a, in HSCs. No activation of PKC was observed when HSCs were exposed to other aldehyde adducts such as BSA-acetaldehyde or BSA-malondialdehyde, indicating that the effects of MAA adducts on HSCs were somewhat specific. We further examined whether the observed increase in PKC activation induced by MAA adducts in HSCs, in turn, causes a functional effect. We observed that BSA-MAA induces the increased secretion of urokinase-type plasminogen activator, a key component of the plasmin-generating system, and that PKC activation is necessary for this enhanced urokinase-type plasminogen activator secretion. These results indicate that MAA adducts via a PKC-mediated pathway may regulate plasmin-mediated matrix degradation in the liver, thereby contributing to the progression of hepatic fibrosis

“It Hurts a Latina When They Tell Us Anything About Our Children”: Implications of Mexican-Origin Mothers' Maternal Identities, Aspirations, and Attitudes About Cultural Transmission for Childhood Obesity Prevention

Background: This qualitative study explored values, attitudes, and beliefs held by Mexican-origin mothers of preschool-aged children to enhance understanding of cultural influences on behaviors associated with childhood obesity risk. Methods: During face-to-face interviews, 39 Mexican-origin mothers of preschool-aged children discussed their hopes for their children, their image of the perfect mother, Mexican and American foods, why they taught their children about these foods, and their opinions about television (TV) viewing language. Results: Participants wanted their children to become successful, ?good? people, which necessitated doing well in school. Mothers also wanted their children to know them, which required understanding the mothers' Mexican backgrounds. Mothers wanted their children to maintain Mexican values and identities. Some mothers viewed American culture as harmful. Many participants prepared their child for going to Mexico by exposing them to Mexican culture and foods. Some mothers fed their children American foods to prepare them for school. Perceptions of American foods generally reflected stereotypical unhealthy foods. TV helped teach children Spanish and English. Being a good mother was core to participants' identities; thus, hearing about child overweight made some mothers feel like failures. Conclusions: Health promotion programs may be more salient to mothers if they: underscore how a healthy weight can help children in school; teach mothers to prepare healthy American foods that their children will encounter in kindergarten; assist mothers in teaching their children about Mexico; and present information about childhood obesity in ways that reinforce what mothers are doing well, enhance mothers' self-efficacy, and allay feelings of failure.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/140339/1/chi.2015.0011.pd

A Feasibility Study for An Integrated Approach to Fall Prevention in Community Care: Stay Up and Active in Orange County

Introduction: Falls amongst persons over 60 present significant risks for serious injury or debility. Falls place burdens on Emergency Medical Services (EMS), hospitals, and the adults themselves. Recognizing a need to provide interventions to minimize risk, Orange County Emergency Services (OCES), the Orange County Department on Aging (OCDoA), and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) partnered to create the Stay Up and Active Program (SUAA). Methods: A streamlined workflow algorithm between the OCES and OCDoA was created and employed to provide falls risk assessment and necessary services. Qualitative techniques were used to assess the need for such a program and its potential impact. A subset of individuals were interviewed three months after the intervention to assess the impact of the intervention on their fall risk. Results: In the first seven months, 478 instances of individuals who called OCES screened positive for falls risk. Of the 478 positive screenings, 55 individuals were identified as having received more than one positive fall screen due to multiple calls. The maximum number of positive screenings by one individual was 14. More women (61.3%) than men screened positive for fall risk. Individuals 88 years of age (6.9%) represented the mode of the individuals with positive screens. Nineteen (4.0%) people who called OCES and received the intervention completed a three month follow up survey. Of the nineteen, 86% (n=16) reported no recurrent fall.Conclusion: The number of individuals who screened positive supports the need for early identification and intervention through EMS. This program identified several challenges connecting older adults with services already available to keep them independent which provided insight to all stakeholders regarding factors that inhibit the program’s success. The program evaluation should continue to provide suggestions for improvement and ensure sustainability

Facet-Enhanced Dielectric Sensitivity in Plasmonic Metal Oxide Nanocubes

The resonant frequency of plasmonic nanoparticles depends on the refractive index of the local environment, a property which is directly useful for sensing applications and is indicative of potential utility for other applications based on near-field enhancement of light intensity. While the morphology dependence of dielectric sensitivity has been well studied in noble metal nanoparticles, less investigated is the sensitivity of degenerately doped metal oxide nanocrystals, whose plasmon resonances lie in the near- to mid- infrared. Here, we report the dielectric sensitivity of fluorine and tin co-doped indium oxide nanocubes, its dependence on their sharp faceting that gives rise to multiple plasmonic modes, and on their tin-dopant concentration. We find that the plasmon mode associated with the nanocube corners is the most sensitive and that raising dopant concentration increases dielectric sensitivity. Comparing to finite element simulations that assume a spatially uniform free electron distribution in the nanocubes, we show that the plasmon modes associated with the edges and the faces of the nanocubes are less sensitive than expected, and that their reduced dielectric sensitivity can be rationalized by the presence of band bending and a resulting surface depletion layer. Interestingly, simulations suggest that Fermi level pinning occurs predominantly on the cube faces, reshaping the free electron volume so that the depletion layer effectively insulates the faces and edges from the surrounding environment, while the corner mode remains sensitive.This work was primarily supported by the National Science Foundation (CHE-1905263), with additional support from the Welch Foundation (F-1848), an NSF graduate research program fellowship to S. S.-Z. (DGE-2137420), and with partial support through the Center for Dynamics and Control of Materials: an NSF Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (NSF MRSEC) under Cooperative Agreement DMR-1720595.Center for Dynamics and Control of Material

Perception versus reality: A National Cohort Analysis of the surgery-first approach for resectable pancreatic cancer

INTRODUCTION: Although surgical resection is necessary, it is not sufficient for long-term survival in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We sought to evaluate survival after up-front surgery (UFS) in anatomically resectable PDAC in the context of three critical factors: (A) margin status; (B) CA19-9; and (C) receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy. METHODS: The National Cancer Data Base (2010-2015) was reviewed for clinically resectable (stage 0/I/II) PDAC patients. Surgical margins, pre-operative CA19-9, and receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy were evaluated. Patient overall survival was stratified based on these factors and their respective combinations. Outcomes after UFS were compared to equivalently staged patients after neoadjuvant chemotherapy on an intention-to-treat (ITT) basis. RESULTS: Twelve thousand and eighty-nine patients were included (n = 9197 UFS, n = 2892 ITT neoadjuvant). In the UFS cohort, only 20.4% had all three factors (median OS = 31.2 months). Nearly 1/3rd (32.7%) of UFS patients had none or only one factor with concomitant worst survival (median OS = 14.7 months). Survival after UFS decreased with each failing factor (two factors: 23 months, one factor: 15.5 months, no factors: 7.9 months) and this persisted after adjustment. Overall survival was superior in the ITT-neoadjuvant cohort (27.9 vs. 22 months) to UFS. CONCLUSION: Despite the perceived benefit of UFS, only 1-in-5 UFS patients actually realize maximal survival when known factors highly associated with outcomes are assessed. Patients are proportionally more likely to do worst, rather than best after UFS treatment. Similarly staged patients undergoing ITT-neoadjuvant therapy achieve survival superior to the majority of UFS patients. Patients and providers should be aware of the false perception of \u27optimal\u27 survival benefit with UFS in anatomically resectable PDAC

Basic Subsistence Needs and Overall Health Among Human Immunodeficiency Virus-infected Homeless and Unstably Housed Women

Some gender differences in the progression of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection have been attributed to delayed treatment among women and the social context of poverty. Recent economic difficulties have led to multiple service cuts, highlighting the need to identify factors with the most influence on health in order to prioritize scarce resources. The aim of this study was to empirically rank factors that longitudinally impact the health status of HIV-infected homeless and unstably housed women. Study participants were recruited between 2002 and 2008 from community-based venues in San Francisco, California, and followed over time; marginal structural models and targeted variable importance were used to rank factors by their influence. In adjusted analysis, the factor with the strongest effect on overall mental health was unmet subsistence needs (i.e., food, hygiene, and shelter needs), followed by poor adherence to antiretroviral therapy, not having a close friend, and the use of crack cocaine. Factors with the strongest effects on physical health and gynecologic symptoms followed similar patterns. Within this population, an inability to meet basic subsistence needs has at least as much of an effect on overall health as adherence to antiretroviral therapy, suggesting that advances in HIV medicine will not fully benefit indigent women until their subsistence needs are met