Opulent Operetta and Marvelous Musicals

Program listing performers and works performe

Impact of tumor microenvironment on intracellular properties within a 3D system

Breast cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer death in women with one in eight women expected to develop breast cancer. Breast cancer progression causes several adverse changes in the extracellular matrix (ECM) composition and organization including an increase in stromal collagen and stiffening of the ECM. Clinical studies have recently discovered that stiff and dense breast tissue, a result of the abnormal architecture of the tumor microenvironment, correlates with breast tumor growth and increases the likelihood of tumor metastasis. However, the tumor microenvironment influence on cancer progression and intracellular behavior is not well understood due to the lack of physiologically relevant three dimensional (3D) in vitro models that are able to capture the mechanical and structural in vivo complexity and are also able to provide rigorous and quantitative understanding. The goal of this dissertation is to investigate how the mechanical components of the microenvironment influence intracellular and molecular activity to drive cancer progression in a robust and scalable 3D system. In order to address these gaps, our work studied the the impact of collagen concentration, cell type, and drug incubation time on drug response in 2D and 3D environments. To understand the role of local cellular mechanics in mediating drug response, we optimized and utilized particle-tracking microrheology to quantify the intracellular activity of single cells and spheroids embedded in 3D collagen gels. Finally, our study connected both structure and mechanics with cell signaling by investigating the relationship between the mechanical components of the ECM and the YAP/TAZ pathway. Furthermore, we integrated our 3D embedded spheroid model with tissue clearing methods to allow for complete visualization of YAP/YAZ activity throughout the dense spheroid structure. Collectively, the results showed that matrix properties interact with matrix dimensionality to influence drug response. This interaction also was found to affect intracellular activity, even in the presence of chemotherapeutic and anti-MMP drugs. We then showed how this interaction in mechanics and ECM properties affects the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of YAP/YAZ activity within a 3D spheroid. Overall, the work in this dissertation provides new insights into how the physical properties of the tumor microenvironment influence cellular form and function, as well as response to therapy of cancer cells, which may have implications on development of novel treatment strategies and patient outcome

Jessica Kim

Student recital program for Jessica Kim.https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/musicprograms/2577/thumbnail.jp

A Compendium of Core Lexicon Checklists

Core Lexicon (CoreLex) is a relatively new approach assessing lexical use in discourse. CoreLex examines the specific lexical items used to tell a story, or how typical lexical items are compared with a normative sample. This method has great potential for clinical utilization because CoreLex measures are fast, easy to administer, and correlate with microlinguistic and macrolinguistic discourse measures. The purpose of this article is to provide clinicians with a centralized resource for currently available CoreLex checklists, including information regarding development, norms, and guidelines for use

The Impact of Standards-Based Reform on Special Education: An Exploration of Westvale Elementary School

A critical, interpretivist, qualitative study, this project examines how standards-based reform impacts special education at an urban school, called Westvale Elementary School. The school was labeled a Persistently Low Achieving school under the No Child Left Behind Act and was thus required to undergo a transformation process. The demographics of the school at the time of the study were: over 95% free and reduced lunch, 40% Limited English Proficiency, and over 20% students with disabilities. The racial makeup of the school is: 50% Hispanic or Latino, 35% Black or African American, and 10% white. My methodological approach drew primarily upon 19 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with teachers, administrators, and policy makers. All participants were either associated with, working at, or overseeing Westvale Elementary School. I also conducted observations at over 15 public events relevant to the study. Interview and observation data were contextualized through an examination of public documents, such as policy statements or media reports. Findings indicate that the transformation process that Westvale was required to undertake was both a dramatic and sanction-laden one. For instance, prior to the transformation process, Westvale operated fully inclusive classrooms and afterwards the school shifted to a variety of self-contained, tracked, and pull-out programs. Thus, a key finding of this study was that standards-based reform impacted the physical inclusion of students with disabilities, even if they were accessing, at least to some degree, regular education content. Findings also showed how standards-based reform policies, including the implementation of the Common Core standards, testing, teacher and leader evaluations, and accountability systems significantly impacted special education, particularly in this failing school. Financial incentives, the media, and research all played distinct roles in disseminating standards-based reform ideology, which forced failing urban schools to adopt standards-based reform policy, even if local educators and administrators believed that the policies negatively impacted students. Unfortunately, the study also documents how special education is often an after-thought during local, district, state, and national policy-making, which resulted in policies ill-suited for the needs of students with disabilities. Finally, I illustrate how standards-based reform relies on discourse that blames teachers for the failures of urban schools, essentially removing the need to remedy the inequities existent in our educational system. I conclude this study with a series of recommendations directed to teachers, administrators, and policy-makers

Biological Field Expedition to the Ashaninka Communities of Coriteni Tarso (Rio Tambo) & Camantavishi (Rio Ene)

The expedition to the Ashaninka communities of Coriteni Tarso, Camantavishi and Shirampari in the summer of 2004 carried out a number of studies; primarily herpetological surveys but also vegetation, soil and hunting surveys. The work was carried out in little known areas where no previous systematic studies had been completed. The expedition recorded frogs and a snake not previously found in the department of Junín1. The expedition discovered at least one new species (to be registered as Cochranella parijarensis)

Food Security Status and Barriers to Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in Two Economically Deprived Communities of Oakland, California, 2013-2014.

IntroductionFood security status may moderate how people perceive barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption. This study aimed to 1) describe the association between fruit and vegetable consumption and microbarriers and mezzobarriers to consumption, and 2) test whether these associations differ by food security status.MethodsWe surveyed adults (n = 531) living in 2 economically deprived communities in Oakland, California, in 2013 and 2014. Multivariate linear regression assessed associations between microbarriers (taste, cost, busyness) and mezzobarriers (produce selection, quality, and purchase ease) and fruit and vegetable consumption, derived from a 26-item dietary screener. Interactions were tested by food security status.ResultsRespondents consumed a mean 2.4 (standard deviation, 1.5) servings of fruits and vegetables daily; 39% of the sample was food insecure. Being too busy to prepare healthy foods was associated with reduced fruit and vegetable consumption (β(busyness) = -0.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.52 to -0.28) among all respondents. Food security moderated the relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and taste, cost, and perceived ease of purchase of healthy foods. Among the food secure, disliking healthy food taste (β(taste) = -0.38; 95% CI, -0.60 to -0.15) and cost (β(cost) = -0.29; 95% CI, -0.44 to -0.15) concerns were associated with lower consumptions of fruits and vegetables. Mezzobarriers were not significantly associated with consumption in either group.ConclusionPerceived time constraints influenced fruit and vegetable consumption. Taste and cost influenced fruit and vegetable consumption among the food secure and may need to be considered when interpreting analyses that describe dietary intake and designing diet-related interventions

Gene Expression Meta-Analysis Reveals Concordance in Gene Activation, Pathway, and Cell-Type Enrichment in Dermatomyositis Target Tissues.

ObjectiveWe conducted a comprehensive gene expression meta-analysis in dermatomyositis (DM) muscle and skin tissues to identify shared disease-relevant genes and pathways across tissues.MethodsSix publicly available data sets from DM muscle and two from skin were identified. Meta-analysis was performed by first processing data sets individually then cross-study normalization and merging creating tissue-specific gene expression matrices for subsequent analysis. Complementary single-gene and network analyses using Significance Analysis of Microarrays (SAM) and Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) were conducted to identify genes significantly associated with DM. Cell-type enrichment was performed using xCell.ResultsThere were 544 differentially expressed genes (FC ≥ 1.3, q < 0.05) in muscle and 300 in skin. There were 94 shared upregulated genes across tissues enriched in type I and II interferon (IFN) signaling and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigen-processing pathways. In a network analysis, we identified eight significant gene modules in muscle and seven in skin. The most highly correlated modules were enriched in pathways consistent with the single-gene analysis. Additional pathways uncovered by WGCNA included T-cell activation and T-cell receptor signaling. In the cell-type enrichment analysis, both tissues were highly enriched in activated dendritic cells and M1 macrophages.ConclusionThere is striking similarity in gene expression across DM target tissues with enrichment of type I and II IFN pathways, MHC class I antigen-processing, T-cell activation, and antigen-presenting cells. These results suggest IFN-γ may contribute to the global IFN signature in DM, and altered auto-antigen presentation through the class I MHC pathway may be important in disease pathogenesis

GREEN MEANS GO: TRIBES RUSH TO REGULATE CANNABIS IN INDIAN COUNTRY

During the Obama administration, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a series of memos stating that the federal government would not interfere with state laws legalizing cannabis. The United States Attorney General later expressly extended this policy to Indian Country. As a result, tribes began debating potential advantages and disadvantages of participating in the cannabis market. Then, in January 2018, the DOJ rescinded the memos and publicly recommitted itself to prosecuting the possession, cultivation, and distribution of marijuana. Consequently, tribes should approach “The Green Rush” as an exercise of their sovereignty; when a tribe decides to legalize or criminalize cannabis within its territory, the tribe protects its dominion vis-à-vis both federal and state governments. This assertion of sovereignty will, in turn, encourage the federal government to decisively clarify its cannabis policy in Indian Country. Several articles exist already discussing the intersection of tribal, state, and federal law, and how the three conflict in the cannabis market. This paper introduces a missing element to the analysis: the tribal debates about whether legalizing cannabis presents economic opportunity or a grave threat to Native communities. This lens gives insight into two points. First, the federal government’s undefined policy regarding cannabis products in Indian Country created the environment for tribes to make their own decisions regarding legalization. Second, tribal debates and decisions regarding participating in the cannabis market are opportunities for tribes to exercise and protect their sovereignty against interference from both state and the federal governments. This study brings tribal perspectives on cannabis in Indian Country to the forefront