What Do MBA, MLB, and AT&T Have in Common? A Dynamic Off-Campus Application

This Application was designed for undergraduate and graduate marketing management classes. Its premise is to ensure that students receive not only sufficient grounding in theory, but also an opportunity to apply their classroom learning in a marketing rich business environment. AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, a Major League Baseball (MLB) team, provides one forum for experiencing the marketing concepts that are taught to MBA and BA marketing students. From the branded cup holders in the stadium seats, to the corporate sponsored luxury suites, to the advertisements on the Jumbotron scoreboard, the students are inundated with branding, logos, advertising, public relations, pricing schemes and countless other examples of marketing. This off-campus Application brings marketing to life in a way that cannot be accomplished through lectures, case discussions and projects. There are several goals for this Application. The first is to anchor the key marketing concepts discussed throughout the course. The second is to apply those concepts in a real world environment. The third goal is to provide the experience for students to synthesize what they have learned into a well organized and analytical deliverable in the form of a reflection and research paper. As the marketing industry continues to evolve and reinvent itself, it is important to prepare marketing students to effectively use and understand the tactics, strategies and ideas that comprise this discipline. This Application successfully provides students with an integrative experience for their Marketing Management or Principles of Marketing classes

Antipsychotic-Related Movement Disorders: Drug-Induced Parkinsonism vs. Tardive Dyskinesia--Key Differences in Pathophysiology and Clinical Management

INTRODUCTION: Drug-induced parkinsonism (DIP) and tardive dyskinesia (TD) are stigmatizing movement disorders associated with exposure to dopamine receptor blocking agents such as antipsychotics, but they differ in their pathophysiology and clinical management. Treatment for one may worsen the other, and there are important diagnostic clues that assist in making an accurate assessment and instituting a rational treatment plan. METHODS: A literature review was executed to identify articles relating to the presentation, pathophysiology, epidemiology, and management of DIP and TD. RESULTS: DIP and TD prevalence estimates range from approximately 20 to 35% among antipsychotic users, but may be higher in select populations. DIP often presents as bradykinesia and rigidity, as well as rhythmic tremor, and the majority of cases appear within hours to weeks of initiation of therapy with an antipsychotic, or if dosage of the antipsychotic is increased. TD onset is delayed, typically appearing after at least 3 months or longer of treatment, and patients will commonly present with involuntary, abnormal facial movements such as lip smacking, puckering, chewing, or tongue protrusion. DIP often resolves with discontinuation of the causative agent, but TD may be permanent. Broadly, proposed mechanisms underlying these adverse events include decreased dopamine concentrations in the nigrostriatal pathway of the striatum and dopamine hypersensitivity, for DIP and TD, respectively. Pharmacologic treatment approaches for DIP have commonly included anticholinergic agents such as benztropine; however, anticholinergic medications can make TD worse. Switching the antipsychotic medication to one with lower propensity for DIP is an option for some patients. Amantadine, a non-anticholinergic agent used for the treatment of DIP, may be preferred in patients with comorbid DIP and TD. In TD, treatment options include the new reversible vesicular monoamine 2 transporter inhibitors, valbenazine and deutetrabenazine. CONCLUSIONS: It is important for clinicians to be able to recognize DIP and TD in patients using antipsychotics so that they can minimize the impact of these adverse events on their patients\u27 quality of life. Accurate diagnosis will drive the selection of the correct treatment. Plain language summary available for this article

Eligibility and enrollment in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)--27 states and New York City, 2007-2008.

The national Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides nutrition education, growth monitoring, breastfeeding promotion and support, and food to low-income pregnant or postpartum women, infants, and children aged <5 years. Several studies have linked WIC services with improved maternal and infant health outcomes. Most population-based studies have lacked information needed to identify eligible women who are not receiving WIC services and might be at risk for poor health outcomes. This report uses multistate, population-based 2007-2008 survey data from CDC's Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) and California's Maternal and Infant Health Assessment (MIHA) to estimate how many women were eligible but not enrolled in WIC during pregnancy and to describe their characteristics and their prevalence of markers of risk for poor maternal or infant health outcomes. Approximately 17% of all women surveyed were eligible but not enrolled in WIC during pregnancy. The proportion of women eligible for WIC and WIC participation rates varied by state. WIC participants had higher prevalences of markers of risk for poor maternal or infant health outcomes than eligible nonparticipants, but both groups had higher prevalences of risk markers than ineligible women, suggesting that many eligible women and their children might benefit from WIC services. The results of this analysis can help identify the scope of WIC outreach needed to include more eligible nonparticipants in WIC and whom to target

Exploring the Role of EBP50 in Vascular Inflammation

Inflammation is a necessary biological response to injury and infections, but chronic activation can lead to a host of diseases. This beneficial-turned-destructive process plays a fundamental role in the development of cardiovascular diseases, and the vascular response requires communication between multiple cell types such as vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) and macrophages. A PDZ-domain scaffolding protein, Ezrin-Radixin-Moesin-Binding Phosphoprotein 50 (EBP50, also known as NHERF1), is expressed at low levels in normal vessels but is upregulated following arterial wire injury and promotes neointima formation. However, the mechanisms underlying these actions are not fully understood. I hypothesized that EBP50 functions as a central mediator of macrophage activation and the response of VSMC to inflammation. EBP50 expression increased in an NF-κB-dependent manner upon LPS or TNFα treatment macrophages and VSMC. Conversely, NF-κB activation was impaired in EBP50 knockout (KO) VSMC and macrophages. Mechanistically, inflammatory stimuli induced the formation of an EBP50-PKCζ complex that promoted PKCζ membrane translocation and subsequent NF-κB signaling. Macrophage cytokine production (IL-1β, TNFα) and vascular adhesion molecule expression (ICAM-1, VCAM-1) after acute LPS or TNFα treatment were reduced in KO cells and mice compared to WT. Bridging the multicellular effects of EBP50, macrophage recruitment to lesions in the femoral artery one week after wire injury was significantly reduced in KO mice. The effect of myeloid cell-specific EBP50 on atherosclerosis was determined in Ldlr-/- mice, a well-established model of diet-induced atherosclerosis. Mice were lethally irradiated and transplanted with bone marrow from WT or KO mice and kept on a high-cholesterol diet for 12 weeks. A complete blood count and genotyping of hematopoietic cells established the successful ablation of original bone marrow and the full reconstitution of the donor marrow. No differences in weight, blood glucose, or cholesterol levels were observed between the two groups. Oil Red O staining of sections throughout the aorta revealed a 25% reduction in lesion area in KO bone marrow recipients compared to WT. Collectively, these new findings indicate that EBP50 potentiates macrophage activation and the response of VSMC to inflammation. Thus, EBP50 is a key regulator of vascular remodeling during both acute and chronic inflammatory states

Prevalence of atrial fibrillation in a regional Victoria setting, findings from the crossroads studies (2001–2003 and 2016–2018)

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in regional Victoria at two time points (2001-2003 and 2016-2018), and to assess the use of electrocardiogram rhythm strips in a rural, community-based study for AF investigation. Design: Repeated cross-sectional design involving survey of residents of randomly selected households and a clinic. Predictors of AF were assessed using Firth penalised logistic regression, as appropriate for rare events. Setting: Goulburn Valley, Victoria. Participants: Household residents aged >= 16years. Non-pregnant participants aged 18+ were eligible for the clinic. Main outcome measures: Atrial fibrillation by 12 lead electrocardiogram (earlier study) or electrocardiogram rhythm strip (AliveCor (R) device) (recent study). Results: The age standardised prevalence of AF was similar between the two studies (1.6% in the 2001-2003 study and 1.8% in the 2016-2018 study, 95% confidence interval of difference -0.010, 0.014, p = 0.375). The prevalence in participants aged >= 65years was 3.4% (1.0% new cases) in the recent study. Predictors of AF in the earlier study were male sex, older age and previous stroke, while in the recent study they were previous stroke and self-reported diabetes. AliveCor (R) traces were successfully classified by the in-built algorithm (91%) vs physician (100%). Conclusion: The prevalence of AF among community-based participants in regional Victoria was similar to predominantly metropolitan-based studies, and was unchanged over time despite increased rates of risk factors. Electrocardiogram rhythm strip investigation was successfully utilised, and particularly benefited from physician overview

Panel 2 - Unreported Shortcomings of Title IX

MODERATOR: Hello, everyone, and welcome to our second panel, Unreported Shortcomings of Title IX. I’m going to start off with a quick introduction of our moderator. Today we have Dean Lisa Taylor who is our Dean for Diversity, Inclusion and Affinity Relations at WCL. She is much beloved by students of the Journal and students of WCL in general. And I know she is going to kick off a great panel. Dean Taylor, it’s all yours

Snack, Chat and Chill: A virtual nutrition, socialization and stress reduction intervention for adults with disabilities

Objective: Create and evaluate a virtual intervention to improve dietary habits, social interaction, and stress management among persons with disabilities (PwD). Assess validity and reliability of survey instruments to measure intervention constructs. Design: Pre- and post-intervention surveys; post-intervention focus groups. Setting: Virtual sessions from home kitchens. Participants: Adults ages 18 and older with intellectual and developmental disabilities (n=27) and their caregivers (n=15). Intervention: Eight 75-minute sessions included preparing and eating a healthy snack, a nutrition game and discussion, and a guided relaxation activity. Main Outcome Measures: PwD’s knowledge, attitudes and behaviors; and caregivers’ perceptions of PwD’s attitudinal and behavioral measures were assessed. Analysis: T-tests, correlational analysis and McNemar’s tests were used with quantitative data. Thematic analysis was used with focus group data. Results: Reliability and content validity were acceptable for perceived stress, loneliness and sleep quality assessments, but not for dietary factor assessments. Caregivers were reliable proxies for assessing PwD. Post-session knowledge was demonstrated most frequently for Mindful Eating and least frequently for Portion Sizes. No significant changes in dietary habits were measured post-intervention. Conclusions and Implications: The online intervention was well-received and feasible. Valid and reliable survey instruments for dietary factors are needed for the disability population