The Development of Cultural Competence Through Educational Experiences Abroad

Educational experiences abroad, such as through a college or university, have an advantage–the development of cultural competence. The experiential knowledge a person can gain, as a result of such a trip, can potentially impact their own cultural understanding and behavior. Cultural competence not only embodies gaining the knowledge of cultures and differences, but developing positive attitudes towards different cultural practices and worldviews, how to go about them, as well as being aware of and challenging one’s own stance. A simpler explanation of cultural competence can be presented as the ability, but more importantly the commitment, to understand, communicate with and effectively work alongside people of diverse backgrounds. Cultural competence, illustrated as a life skill, is vital in the workforce and desired by employers. Accordingly, it is an essential attribute when trying to meet the needs of others–customers, clients, and the like. In order to do so, a business and its members must be considerate, or learn ways to bring consideration into their performance. Accommodating, or at the minimum trying to accommodate, every individual one is working with and/or providing for demonstrates this skill of cultural competence successfully. Possessing cultural sensitivity, understanding how to communicate with different people, and being committed to improving such contact is the key to any strong partnership. In order for an occurrence to be considered intercultural, two or more cultures are involved. Hence, traveling abroad provides opportunities to develop intercultural skills. Even with obstacles, such as a language barrier, individuals and groups have reported these experiences as worthwhile, due to how much was and can be acquired. Diverse participation moves people forward in a purposeful way through real-life relations. That being the case, placement in any contrasting environment allows a chance for the growth of cultural competence

Exploring boundaries of improvisation and genre in contemporary cello practice

My research and creative portfolio explore problems that I’ve faced as a professional cellist in two domains: improvisation and cross-genre work. Cross-cultural research on improvisation has questioned the relationships amongst improvisation, composition, originality, and creative freedom. Free improvisation, which aims to free itself from the rules of idiom, can entail the constraint of too much freedom. Idiomatic improvisation, despite being “traditional,” can generate originality and freedom. Musical works that cross-genre can be seen as inauthentic, but authenticity is not always desirable, and can be influenced by creative intent. I explore these problems with practice-based research, following three lines of enquiry: 1. What is the varying significance of improvisation in different genres and performance contexts, specifically its relation to composed material, its contribution to musical originality, and the extent to which it conforms or diverges from idiomatic rules? 2. What creative constraints and possibilities are entailed by cross-genre musical performance? 3. How can this exploration of improvisatory and cross-genre work contribute to the expansion of cello repertoire and my own personal and musical development as a cellist? During my practice-based research I undertook training in Carnatic music on the cello, an instrument that is largely absent from this tradition. I also trained in live electronics, which allowed me to alter the sound of my cello and to create loops. My research resulted in three original albums: Songs for Cello and Carnatic Violin (with Jyotsna Srikanth); Strata (with Emma Jane Lloyd); and a solo piece, Lost and Found: A Cellist's Journey. These works draw on various genres (Carnatic, Polish avant-garde, electronic, and Roma and Jewish folk music), develop autoethnographic themes, and experiment with free, idiomatic, and semi-idiomatic improvisation. Throughout my research, I navigated the interplay between freedom and constraint in improvisation and cross-genre work in a journey towards greater artistic expression. My PhD aims to invigorate the possibilities of improvisation through training in traditional forms and expand the boundaries of cello performance. It also yields practical knowledge on adapting the cello to Carnatic music, cross-genre collaboration, and electronic technologies

Decreased CD127 Expression on CD4+ T-Cells and Elevated Frequencies of CD4+CD25+CD127− T-Cells in Children with Long-Lasting Type 1 Diabetes

Pathobiology of type 1 diabetes (T1D) is predominantly associated with T-cell-related actions. Homeostasis of majority of T-cells is critically dependent on signals mediated by CD127 (interleukin-7 receptor, IL-7R). In contrast, regulatory T-cells express very little CD127 and thereby may be delineated by CD4+CD25+CD127− phenotype. Here we aimed to analyze CD127 expression on CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells and enumerate CD4+CD25+CD127− T-cells in long-lasting T1D. T-cells were analyzed by flow cytometry and immunologic data were correlated with vascular, metabolic, and inflammatory parameters. We demonstrated significantly decreased CD127 levels on CD4+, but not CD8+, T cells in T1D pediatric patients. Interestingly, frequencies of CD4+CD25+CD127− T-cells were significantly enhanced in T1D children and correlated well with frequencies of CD34+CD144+ endothelial progenitor cells and CD4+CD25− T-cells. Levels of CD127 on both CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells in T1D patients were not correlated to each other or HbA1C. Interestingly, however, CD127 levels on CD4+ T-cells were significantly correlated to frequencies of CD4+CD25+CD127− T-cells, whereas CD127 levels on CD8+ T-cells were significantly correlated to concentrations of VEGF and triglycerides. Our data indicate that CD127 expression is differentially modulated on CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells in the course of T1D. Moreover, we demonstrated that, in contrast to recent-onset T1D, long-lasting T1D is associated with enhancement of T-cells with regulatory phenotype

Genetic and Epigenetic Aspects of Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis is a heterogeneous disease, in which the pathogenesis is associated with mutations in genes encoding epidermal structural proteins, barrier enzymes, and their inhibitors; the role of genes regulating innate and adaptive immune responses and environmental factors inducing the disease is also noted. Recent studies point to the key role of epigenetic changes in the development of the disease. Epigenetic modifications are mainly mediated by DNA methylation, histone acetylation, and the action of specific non-coding RNAs. It has been documented that the profile of epigenetic changes in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) differs from that observed in healthy people. This applies to the genes affecting the regulation of immune response and inflammatory processes, e.g., both affecting Th1 bias and promoting Th2 responses and the genes of innate immunity, as well as those encoding the structural proteins of the epidermis. Understanding of the epigenetic alterations is therefore pivotal to both create new molecular classifications of atopic dermatitis and to enable the development of personalized treatment strategies