Navigating the New American Classroom: How Adjunct Faculty Empower Themselves to Reach Out to the New Diverse Population of Students

With widened access to higher education, and a rise in the enrollment of diverse students, it is increasingly important to understand the experiences of the adjunct faculty members who teach these students. While a number of studies have been conducted on adjunct faculty, most of them focus only on the challenges they face in higher education in general. Few studies have been conducted specifically on their experiences teaching business and management courses in a college of professional studies and/or continuing education. In this qualitative study, thirteen adjuncts with 4 to 30 years of teaching experience in two different universities were interviewed about their experiences. Results emphasized strategies they develop to teach diverse students, and strategies they use to improve their teaching and learning. The key findings were that participants (a) have a sense of empowerment that has contributed to their perception of self-efficacy and (b) are challenged due to the increase in the ethnic, culture and linguistic diversity of students, how students are matriculated into college/university and the rise of students\u27 incivility. Yet, these adjunct faculty are still able to develop effective teaching strategies to teach these students, including helping second-language students cope with coursework, using self-reflection to evaluate their own teaching effectiveness, using practical experience to show students examples and resources, drawing on their international business experience to inform their approach to cultural differences, emphasizing life-relevant knowledge rather than rote memorization and cultivating empathy for students. Further, this study identified other issues adjuncts are facing such as lack of support by the institutions that employ them. These findings have implications for adjunct faculty members, higher education administrators, and policy makers

Evaluating pharmacist input into the pharmaceutical care of patients in dispensing medical practices in remote and rural areas of Scotland.

Background. - The Highlands and the Western Isles are the two most remote and rural areas of Scotland, with many medical practices in areas where pharmacies would not be viable. Recent regulations state that that dispensing medical practices in these areas must receive pharmacist support for patients who would benefit. Objective. - This study aimed to evaluate pilot services, which centred on the provision of patient centred pharmaceutical care. Methods. A realist type evaluation was conducted by an independent research team comprising collecting quantitative data around what occurred during the consultation followed by interviews with purposive samples of staff (n = 14) and patients (n = 18). Results. - A total of 873 medicines related issues were identified in 473 patients reviewed, with the main issue being 'inappropriate dose, frequency, duration'. Just under half (39.7%) of issues were managed by the pharmacist without any medical input. Interviews indicated a high level of appreciation, although there was an increase in workload for some staff. While the need for telephone based pharmacist consultations for some patients was understood, there was a preference for face to face. All were supportive of continuing and extending the service. Conclusion. - The clinical pharmacist service was both needed and valued highly by staff and patients. In Scotland, this aligns with the Government vision and action plan, 'Prescription for Excellence', that by 2023 all patient facing pharmacists will be independent prescribers with those in remote and rural areas entitled to 'equity of access to such expertise'

Evaluation of Postsurgical Hyperalgesia and Sensitization After Open Inguinal Hernia Repair: A Useful Model for Neuropathic Pain?

Cutaneous mechanical hyperalgesia can be induced in healthy volunteers in early phase analgesic studies to model central sensitization, a key mechanism of persistent pain. However, such hyperalgesia is short-lived (a matter of hours), and is used only for assessing only single drug doses. In contrast, postsurgical peri-incisional hyperalgesia may be more persistent and hence be a more useful model for the assessment of the efficacy of new analgesics. We undertook quantitative sensory testing in 18 patients at peri-incisional and nonoperated sites before open inguinal hernia repair and up to the 24th postsurgical week. The spatial extent of punctate hyperalgesia and brush allodynia at the peri-incisional site were greatest at weeks 2 and 4, but had resolved by week 24. Heat allodynia, suggestive of local inflammation or peripheral sensitization, was not observed; instead, there were deficits in cold and heat sensory detection that persisted until week 24. The findings suggest that central sensitization contributes significantly to mechanical hyperalgesia at the peri-incisional site. The prolonged duration of hyperalgesia would be advantageous as a pain model, but there was considerable variability of mechanical hyperalgesia in the cohort; the challenges of recruitment may limit its use to small, early phase analgesic studies. PERSPECTIVE: Peri-incisional mechanical hyperalgesia persists for ≥4 weeks after open inguinal hernia repair and reflects central sensitization; this may have usefulness as a model of chronic pain to assess the potential of antineuropathic analgesics.Unrestricted educational grant from GlaxoSmithKline U

Endogenous Calcification Inhibitors in the Prevention of Vascular Calcification: A Consensus Statement From the COST Action EuroSoftCalcNet

The physicochemical deposition of calcium-phosphate in the arterial wall is prevented by calcification inhibitors. Studies in cohorts of patients with rare genetic diseases have shed light on the consequences of loss-of-function mutations for different calcification inhibitors, and genetic targeting of these pathways in mice have generated a clearer picture on the mechanisms involved. For example, generalized arterial calcification of infancy (GACI) is caused by mutations in the enzyme ecto-nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-1 (eNPP1), preventing the hydrolysis of ATP into pyrophosphate (PPi). The importance of PPi for inhibiting arterial calcification has been reinforced by the protective effects of PPi in various mouse models displaying ectopic calcifications. Besides PPi, Matrix Gla Protein (MGP) has been shown to be another potent calcification inhibitor as Keutel patients carrying a mutation in the encoding gene or Mgp-deficient mice develop spontaneous calcification of the arterial media. Whereas PPi and MGP represent locally produced calcification inhibitors, also systemic factors contribute to protection against arterial calcification. One such example is Fetuin-A, which is mainly produced in the liver and which forms calciprotein particles (CPPs), inhibiting growth of calcium-phosphate crystals in the blood and thereby preventing their soft tissue deposition. Other calcification inhibitors with potential importance for arterial calcification include osteoprotegerin, osteopontin, and klotho. The aim of the present review is to outline the latest insights into how different calcification inhibitors prevent arterial calcification both under physiological conditions and in the case of disturbed calcium-phosphate balance, and to provide a consensus statement on their potential therapeutic role for arterial calcification

A Novel Cre Recombinase Imaging System for Tracking Lymphotropic Virus Infection In Vivo

BACKGROUND:Detection, isolation, and identification of individual virus infected cells during long term infection are critical to advance our understanding of mechanisms of pathogenesis for latent/persistent viruses. However, current approaches to study these viruses in vivo have been hampered by low sensitivity and effects of cell-type on expression of viral encoded reporter genes. We have designed a novel Cre recombinase (Cre)-based murine system to overcome these problems, and thereby enable tracking and isolation of individual in vivo infected cells. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:Murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV-68) was used as a prototypic persistent model virus. A Cre expressing recombinant virus was constructed and characterised. The virus is attenuated both in lytic virus replication, producing ten-fold lower lung virus titres than wild type virus, and in the establishment of latency. However, despite this limitation, when the sEGFP7 mouse line containing a Cre-activated enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) was infected with the Cre expressing virus, sites of latent and persistent virus infection could be identified within B cells and macrophages of the lymphoid system on the basis of EGFP expression. Importantly, the use of the sEGFP7 mouse line which expresses high levels of EGFP allowed individual virus positive cells to be purified by FACSorting. Virus gene expression could be detected in these cells. Low numbers of EGFP positive cells could also be detected in the bone marrow. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:The use of this novel Cre-based virus/mouse system allowed identification of individual latently infected cells in vivo and may be useful for the study and long-term monitoring of other latent/persistent virus infections

Technology-enabled pharmaceutical care in NHS Highland: equality of access to remote populations.

Background: Equity of access to healthcare is a strategic priority in Scotland. Purpose: To evaluate the NHS Highland technology-enabled delivery of pharmaceutical care. Methods: A mixed-methods evaluation followed 3 remotely-based pharmacists who delivered patient medication reviews to 3 GP practices (A,B,C). Patients chose between a telephone or video-link consultation using 'Attend Anywhere' software at the GP Practice or other location. Patient study packs were sent by GP Practice staff or pharmacist. The questionnaire collected data on participants' views and experiences of the pharmacist consultation using Likert scales, open questions and the CARE Measure. Participants were purposively sampled for telephone interview. Ethical approval was gained. Results: 33 took part from practice C (n=23,69.7%), A (n=5,15.2%), B (n=5,15.2%). All consultations were via telephone (n=33,100%). Median age of respondents was 66 years; most were female (n=19,57.6%); and, retired (n=23,69.7%). Respondents reported the pharmacist was 'very good' or 'excellent' at 'making them feel at ease' (n=30,90.9%), 'letting them tell their ''story''' (n=28,84.8). The majority agreed that they would 'recommend consulting a pharmacist to others' (n=20,60.6%), however, also agreed that they 'would prefer to consult a GP' (n=20,60.6%). Ten interviews (A, n=3,37.5%; B, n=7,70.0%) were conducted. Conclusion: These findings highlight the patient perceived value of providing medication reviews by remotely-based pharmacist which may address issues in accessing medicines-related care from remote areas. However, Scotland's internet infrastructure remains unreliable so the new 'Attend Anywhere' software was not tested

4-{5-[(2-Bromobenzyl)sulfanyl]-1H-tetrazol-1-yl}benzoic acid

In the title compound, C15H11BrN4O2S, the tetrazole ring makes dihedral angles of 45.97 (10) and 75.41 (1)°, respectively, with the benzoyl and bromobenzene rings while the dihedral angle between the benzene rings is 73.77 (1)°. In the crystal, molecules are linked through O—H... N and C—H... O hydrogen bonds, giving infinite chains in both the [110] and [1-10] directions. These chains are further connected by C—Br...π and C—O...π interactions and also by π–π stacking between tetrazole rings [centroid–centroid distance = 3.312 (1) Å], generating a three-dimensional network