Factors Influencing Leadership Efficacy for Traditional-Aged Sophomore Male College Students

College student retention remains a prevalent topic in higher education as demographics change and the need to manage enrollment increases. Evidence suggests that women are outperforming men in college environments, and there are enrollment pipeline leaks in the sophomore year when many sophomores experience a slump in satisfaction and performance. This study examined experiential and environmental factors that predict leadership efficacy in traditional-aged sophomore male college students using data from the 2015 Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership. Descriptive statistics revealed percentages of sophomore male participation in a number of MSL-identified campus experiences, clubs and organizations, and leadership development activities. Sophomore males tended to be more involved in sports-related and outdoor adventure activities, but less engaged with community service related activities than sophomore females. Leadership efficacy scores were compared between those sophomore males who were involved in particular activities and those who were not. Sophomore males who performed community service, addressed concerns within the community, or worked with others to make the community a better place showed greater differences in leadership efficacy, with large Cohen’s d effect sizes ranging from .89 to .91. There were also similar large effect sizes ranging between .85 to 1.01 for those sophomore males who engaged in a variety of leadership development activities and those who did not. Leadership efficacy mean scores were also calculated for class and gender subgroups for comparison, and a two-way ANOVA was used to determine if there were any differences. While statistically significant differences were found between the groups, the effect sizes were small, and there did not appear to be evidence supporting the sophomore slump within the sophomore male sample. Finally, leadership efficacy correlated moderately (r=.57) with consciousness of self, providing some evidence for how provoking a sense of altruism can be a productive pathway for bolstering confidence in leadership. This study adds to the literature on gender differences in higher education and the sophomore slump. The research provides clues to ways in which student affairs educators can design experiences and environments that can enhance leadership efficacy for sophomore males. This study also highlights the importance of institutional commitment to supporting leadership development activities as a tool for retention

Characterizing the degradation of alginate hydrogel for use in multilumen scaffolds for spinal cord repair

Alginate was studied as a degradable nerve guidance scaffold material in vitro and in vivo. In vitro degradation rates were determined using rheology to measure the change in shear modulus vs time. The shear modulus decreased from 155 kPa to 5 kPa within 2 days; however, alginate samples maintained their superficial geometry for over 28 days. The degradation behavior was supported by materials characterization data showing alginate consisted of high internal surface area (400 m2/g), which likely facilitated the release of cross‐linking cations resulting in the rapid decrease in shear modulus. To assess the degradation rate in vivo, multilumen scaffolds were fabricated using a fiber templating technique. The scaffolds were implanted in a 2‐mm‐long T3 full transection rodent spinal cord lesion model for 14 days. Although there was some evidence of axon guidance, in general, alginate scaffolds degraded before axons could grow over the 2‐mm‐long lesion. Enabling alginate‐based scaffolds for nerve repair will likely require approaches to slow its degradation. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 104A: 611–619, 2016.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/137597/1/jbma35600.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/137597/2/jbma35600_am.pd

Collection of relevant results obtained with the Skylab images by the Institute for Space Research, INPE

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

Data on the Effect of Sex on the Size, Cellular Content, and Neuronal Density of the Developing Brain in Mice Exposed to Isoflurane and Carbon Monoxid

The data presented here detail the changes in size, cellular content, and neuronal density of the developing brain over time with respect to sex in C57Bl/6 mice following neonatal exposure to isoflurane, carbon monoxide, or their combination. Specifically, brain weight- and brain volume-to-body weight ratios are presented, representative immunoblots of whole brain cell-specific protein content are depicted, and quantification of the number of neurons in the primary somatosensory cortex and CA3 region of the hippocampus are shown. Three discrete postnatal time points are represented: P7 (prior to exposure), P14 (one-week post exposure), and P42-56 (5–7 weeks post exposure). Major findings from the data presented here are reported in the manuscript “Carbon Monoxide Incompletely Prevents Isoflurane-induced Defects in Murine Neurodevelopment (Wang et al., in press) [1]

Análise de áreas com diferentes classes de declividade através de imagens TM/LANDSAT

The analysis of areas with different slope classes (A = 0-3%, B = 3-8%, C = 8-16% and D = 16-30%) is made with the purpose of verifying the TM/LANDSAT images potentiality in agricultural planning. Due to the absence of tridimensional viewing, the work is based on quantitative relations between drainage indices (river frequency and drainage density) determined on the images, and the relief expression (average slope) extracted from planialtimetric topographic charts (1: 50,000 scale). Aerial photographs on a 1:35,000 escale are utilized for comparisons. The main conclusion is that the utilization of TM/LANDSAT images in mapping slope classes through drainage network is feasible, though the characteristics of the analysed region caused an easier differentiation between areas of the A and B classes and those of the C and D classes.É feita a análise de áreas com diferentes classes de declividade (A = 0-3%, B = 3-8%, C = 8-16% e D = 16-30%) sscom a fina1idade de se verificar a potencialidade de imagens TM/LANDSAT, na escala 1:100.000, para planejamento agrícola. Devido à ausência de visão tridimensional, o trabalho baseia-se nas relações quantitativas entre índices dedrenagem (freqüência de rios e densidade de drenagem) determinados a partir das imagens, e expressão do relevo (declividade média) extraída de cartas planialtimétricas, na escala 1:50.000. Fotografias aéreas na escala 1:35.000 são utilizadas para fins comparativos. Conclui-se que o uso dessas imagens para mapear classes de declividade através do padrão de drenagem é viável, embora as características regionais o tenham limitado para diferenciar mais facilmente áreas com declividades A e B de áreas com declividades C e D

Role of the α1 blocker doxazosin in alcoholism: a proof-of-concept randomized controlled trial

Evidence suggests that the norepinephrine system represents an important treatment target for alcohol dependence (AD) and the α1-blocker prazosin may reduce alcohol drinking in rodents and alcoholic patients. The α1-blocker doxazosin demonstrates a more favorable pharmacokinetic profile than prazosin, but has never been studied for AD. A double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial was conducted in AD individuals seeking outpatient treatment. Doxazosin or matched placebo was titrated to 16 mg/day (or maximum tolerable dose). Drinks per week (DPW) and heavy drinking days (HDD) per week were the primary outcomes. Family history density of alcoholism (FHDA), severity of AD and gender were a priori moderators. Forty-one AD individuals were randomized, 30 (doxazosin = 15) completed the treatment phase and 28 (doxazosin = 14) also completed the follow-up. There were no significant differences between groups on DPW and HDD per week. With FHDA as a moderator, there were significant FHDA × medication interactions for both DPW (pcorrected = 0.001, d = 1.18) and HDD (pcorrected = 0.00009, d = 1.30). Post hoc analyses revealed that doxazosin significantly reduced alcohol drinking in AD patients with high FHDA and by contrast increased drinking in those with low FHDA. Doxazosin may be effective selectively in AD patients with high FHDA. This study provides preliminary evidence for personalized medicine using α1-blockade to treat AD. However, confirmatory studies are required

Electroconductive PEDOT nanoparticle integrated scaffolds for spinal cord tissue repair

Background: Hostile environment around the lesion site following spinal cord injury (SCI) prevents the re-establishment of neuronal tracks, thus significantly limiting the regenerative capability. Electroconductive scaffolds are emerging as a promising option for SCI repair, though currently available conductive polymers such as polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) present poor biofunctionality and biocompatibility, thus limiting their effective use in SCI tissue engineering (TE) treatment strategies. Methods: PEDOT NPs were synthesized via chemical oxidation polymerization in miniemulsion. The conductive PEDOT NPs were incorporated with gelatin and hyaluronic acid (HA) to create gel:HA:PEDOT-NPs scaffolds. Morphological analysis of both PEDOT NPs and scaffolds was conducted via SEM. Further characterisation included dielectric constant and permittivity variances mapped against morphological changes after crosslinking, Young’s modulus, FTIR, DLS, swelling studies, rheology, in-vitro, and in-vivo biocompatibility studies were also conducted. Results: Incorporation of PEDOT NPs increased the conductivity of scaffolds to 8.3 × 10–4 ± 8.1 × 10–5 S/cm. The compressive modulus of the scaffold was tailored to match the native spinal cord at 1.2 ± 0.2 MPa, along with controlled porosity. Rheological studies of the hydrogel showed excellent 3D shear-thinning printing capabilities and shape fidelity post-printing. In-vitro studies showed the scaffolds are cytocompatible and an in-vivo assessment in a rat SCI lesion model shows glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) upregulation not directly in contact with the lesion/implantation site, with diminished astrocyte reactivity. Decreased levels of macrophage and microglia reactivity at the implant site is also observed. This positively influences the re-establishment of signals and initiation of healing mechanisms. Observation of axon migration towards the scaffold can be attributed to immunomodulatory properties of HA in the scaffold caused by a controlled inflammatory response. HA limits astrocyte activation through its CD44 receptors and therefore limits scar formation. This allows for a superior axonal migration and growth towards the targeted implantation site through the provision of a stimulating microenvironment for regeneration. Conclusions: Based on these results, the incorporation of PEDOT NPs into Gel:HA biomaterial scaffolds enhances not only the conductive capabilities of the material, but also the provision of a healing environment around lesions in SCI. Hence, gel:HA:PEDOT-NPs scaffolds are a promising TE option for stimulating regeneration for SCI.The authors would like to thank the funding provided by the Irish Research Council through the Irish Research Council Enterprise Partnership Scheme with Johnson and Johnson (EPSPG/2020/78), as well as the Irish Fulbright Commission

Peripheral nerve growth within a hydrogel microchannel scaffold supported by a kink‐resistant conduit

Nerve repair in several mm‐long nerve gaps often requires an interventional technology. Microchannel scaffolds have proven effective for bridging nerve gaps and guiding axons in the peripheral nervous system (PNS). Nonetheless, fabricating microchannel scaffolds at this length scale remains a challenge and/or is time consuming and cumbersome. In this work, a simple computer‐aided microdrilling technique was used to fabricate 10 mm‐long agarose scaffolds consisting of 300 µm‐microchannels and 85 µm‐thick walls in less than an hour. The agarose scaffolds alone, however, did not exhibit adequate stiffness and integrity to withstand the mechanical stresses during implantation and suturing. To provide mechanical support and enable suturing, poly caprolactone (PCL) conduits were fabricated and agarose scaffolds were placed inside. A modified salt‐leaching technique was developed to introduce interconnected porosity in PCL conduits to allow for tuning of the mechanical properties such as elastic modulus and strain to failure. It was shown that the PCL conduits were effective in stabilizing the agarose scaffolds in 10 mm‐long sciatic nerve gaps of rats for at least 8 weeks. Robust axon ingress and Schwann cell penetration were observed within the microchannel scaffolds without using growth factors. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 3392–3399, 2017.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/139110/1/jbma36186_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/139110/2/jbma36186.pd

Opposing function of MYBBP1A in proliferation and migration of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells

BACKGROUND: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most prevalent and lethal cancers worldwide and mortality mostly results from loco-regional recurrence and metastasis. Despite its significance, our knowledge on molecular, cellular and environmental mechanisms that drive disease pathogenesis remains largely elusive, and there are limited therapeutic options, with only negligible clinical benefit. METHODS: We applied global gene expression profiling with samples derived from a recently established mouse model for oral cancer recurrence and identified a list of genes with differential expression between primary and recurrent tumors. RESULTS: One differentially expressed gene codes for Myb-binding protein 1a (MYBBP1A), which is known as a transcriptional co-regulator that physically interacts with nuclear transcription factors, such as NFκB and p53. We confirmed significantly reduced MYBBP1A protein levels on tissue sections of recurrent mouse tumors compared to primary tumors by immunohistochemistry, and found aberrant MYBBP1A protein levels also in tumor samples of HNSCC patients. Interestingly, silencing of MYBBP1A expression in murine SCC7 and in human HNSCC cell lines elicited increased migration but decreased cell growth. CONCLUSION: We provide experimental evidence that MYBBP1A is an important molecular switch in the regulation of tumor cell proliferation versus migration in HNSCC and it will be a major challenge for the future to proof the concept whether regulation MYBBP1A expression and/or function could serve as a novel option for anti-cancer therapy

On the reporting and review requirements of ISO 14044

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