A Tale of Two Sides: An analysis into which demographics the English Department attracts and why

This paper aims to provide a more in-depth focus on the English Department in college/university settings, specifically at Trinity College. Additionally, it looks at the structure of its current curriculum and whether or not it attracts students of color to the department, and why

Sympathetic And Sensory Innervation And Activation Of Inguinal And Epididymal White Adipose Tissue

Studies have suggested the possibility that there is sensory (SS) afferent signaling from white adipose tissue (WAT) to the brain, which may play an important role in communication with the brain sympathetic nervous system (SNS) outflow to WAT. Therefore, we tested whether the SNS-SS feedback loop between the subcutaneous inguinal WAT (IWAT) and the epididymal WAT (EWAT) exists. These fat pads were chosen due to 1) their divergent role in manifestation of metabolic disorders with the IWAT being beneficial and the EWAT being detrimental, as well as 2) different lipolytic response to glucoprivic 2-deoxyglucose (2DG). By using retrograde tract tracers Fast Blue (FB) and Fluorogold (FG), we found that the IWAT is more innervated than EWAT by both the SS and SNS ganglia (T13-L3). Surprisingly, we found ~12-17% of double-labeled cells in the SNS and SS ganglia innervating fat depots, implying SNS-SS crosstalk loops between the IWAT and EWAT. Increased neuronal activation by 2DG was observed in the SNS ganglia to both IWAT and EWAT but not in the SS dorsal root ganglia. In addition, 2DG induced lipolysis in both fat pads with greater lipolytic properties in the IWAT as a result of higher density of the SNS-SS fibers. Collectively, our results show neuroanatomical reality of the IWAT and EWAT SNS-SS neural crosstalk with a coordinated control of lipolytic function

Wayfair or No Fair: Revisiting Internet Sales Tax Nexus and Consequences in Texas

Since 1967, the Supreme Court has revisited the issue of nexus requirements in interstate commerce to keep up with social and technological advancements. However, these restrictive requirements have deprived states of a substantial tax basis. As technology continues to develop exponentially, this presents the need for a new standard that overturns precedent case law. Specifically, the Internet has grown and now necessitates the consideration for and e-commerce taxation collection. South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc. correctly decided that states have the power to collect taxes from qualifying out-of-state businesses without the need for a physical presence. Wayfair is moving in the right direction for the future of nexus and e-commerce tax laws. Recognition of the burden and role that implementation will play on the government, economy, businesses, consumers, and practitioners will help to create better policy decisions in future legislative decisions. This comment explores these legal principles and provides an analysis and suggestions for implementation

Perspectives from community-based doulas and mothers: Neighborhood context and pregnancy

Objectives: Limited research explores the potential pathways by which neighborhoods influence pregnancy or how community members conceptualize and interpret how neighborhood contexts and living environments influence pregnancy and birth. Study Design: We applied participatory Concept Mapping and a series of focused discussions with community-based doulas and mothers. Methods: We collaborated with a community-based doula program to investigate how mothers and community doulas perceived the neighborhood to influence reproductive health. We conducted a series of focused discussions including ‘Brainstorming’ to uncover key themes related to how neighborhood context influenced pregnancy, ‘Sorting and Rating’ of key themes in association with pregnancy and birth outcomes, and further discussion to uncover potential relationships. Data from the ‘Sorting and Rating’ activities were entered into Concept Systems software to generate concept maps of the themes and ideas discussed. Results: The women identified 79 key themes/items related to the neighborhood context that they thought were important for pregnancy and birth. Participants ranked most of the neighborhood factors as moderate or high in importance in influencing pregnancy health and birth. These 79 items were further aggregated to develop 9 clusters related to various themes such as ‘Access/Potential Barriers to Adequate Care,’ ‘The Environment and Infrastructure,’ ‘Neighborhood History, Demographics and Dynamics,’ ‘Community, Relationships, and Autonomy.’ The group further discussed how neighborhood contexts have a particularly influence on individual behaviors such as physical activity; and how key infrastructure issues such as transportation may impede or facilitate access to resources important for health. Conclusion: This study provides additional insight into how neighborhoods may influence pregnancy and birth and how multiple neighborhood factors may act synergistically to influence health. Concept mapping and community perspectives reinforce the importance of participant and community input in developing future research and interventions

Defining Immigrant Newcomers in New Destinations: Symbolic Boundaries in Williamsburg, VA

This article examines media representations of immigration in Williamsburg, Virginia, a ‘new immigrant destination’ in the USA. Through a content analysis of coverage in Williamsburg\u27s local newspaper, we explore how reporters, columnists and readers draw on nationally and internationally circulating discourses to produce public interpretations of immigration issues and construct symbolic boundaries between and among in-groups and ‘others’ in the community. ‘National boundaries drawn locally’ captures how media actors use nationally recognizable frames to interpret local issues and define the parameters of community and national belonging. ‘Localized symbolic boundaries’ take their meanings from place-based, cultural understandings, specific economic conditions and demographics in the local setting. Newspaper discussions in Williamsburg distinguish between ‘deserving’ foreign student workers (primarily from Eastern Europe and Asia) and ‘undeserving’, racialized, Latino ‘others’. Our analysis advances theories of boundary construction and holds implications for the politics of belonging more generally in other immigrant-receiving contexts

Making the Mission Visible: Altmetrics and Nontraditional Publishing

Whereas traditional book and journal publishing remain the gold standard for many post-secondary institutions, nontraditional publishing is just as prolific at the flagship university in Maine. The university has strong land and sea grant missions that drive a broad research agenda, with an emphasis on community outreach and engagement. However, the impact of researchers’ contributions outside of academe is unlikely to be accurately reflected in promotion, tenure or review processes. Thus, the authors designed a series of altmetrics workshops aimed at seeding conversations around novel ways to track the impact of researchers’ diverse scholarly and creative outputs. This paper presents a case study of the instructional approach taken at the University of Maine library to facilitate discussions of alternative impact assessments that reach beyond traditional publications

A Measure of Patient Satisfaction Amongst Individuals Experiencing Homelessness in an Inter-professional Student-Run Vision Clinic

As of 2016, 85% of the homeless population within Michigan were covered under Medicaid health insurance. Despite insurance coverage, many depend on student-run free clinics to meet their health care needs, however, few clinics are available to provide specialty-based care. The Community Homeless Interprofessional Program (CHIP) student-run free vision clinic in Detroit, Michigan works to address vision care. With great emphasis on preventative optical care, student-run vision clinics have provided satisfactory preliminary screenings to the homeless population. The purpose of this study is to determine if pre-clinical year medical students appropriately address vision care needs of the homeless population, as reported by patients through the use of a patient satisfaction survey. Medical students provided free basic ophthalmic examinations to patients. Following each eye examination, an anonymous patient exit survey regarding the encounter is administered. The survey focused on the patient-student relationship and satisfaction with the deliverance of vision care and education. Survey results showed that 82% of patients within the clinic strongly agreed that they had learned how to improve their vision and 95% strongly agreed that they were provided with useful information (n=22). Medical students were able to effectively perform fundamental ophthalmic screenings, educate patients, and refer them to nearby ophthalmic providers. The overall high outcomes of patient satisfaction indicate the current delivery of care and education to patients has had a positive impact. Incorporating patient satisfaction surveys in student-run clinics can provide useful feedback to providers affecting a clinic’s implementation and efficiency

Professional Development of Medical Students Transitioning from Preclinical to Clinical Training ​

Background: Personal and professional development (PPD) is a competency domain for graduated U.S. medical students. Current research shows that PPD is lowest at transitional periods, such as the transition from preclinical to clinical training. Methods: To assess professional development at a large, allopathic medical school, a survey with seven statements regarding professional development was formed. The statements encompassed domains of mentorship, communication skills, professionalism, team work, and innovation and asked students to rank each statement from 1-5 (1 - highly deficient, 5 - highly proficient). The online, anonymous survey was emailed to all second year medical students at Wayne State University School of Medicine (WSUSOM) (n=303) over a 2-month time period after completion of a Service Learning course that fostered professional development and taught about the social determinants of health. Results: 114 (37.6%) students responded to the survey. Overall, students reported feeling most proficient in working with people from different backgrounds (average = 3.91) and least proficient in seeking advice from advisors and mentors (3.27). On average, students felt proficient or highly proficient in all categories. Conclusion: Overall, students felt their professional skills improved after the Service Learning course, and in general felt most proficient in team-based competencies. These preliminary results indicate a need for empowering students to seek advice from mentors. Guidance is especially crucial when students are facing transition periods. There is also room for improvement in teaching students to navigate difficult conversations with empathy and courage. It is also important to continue monitoring professional development over the course of clinical rotations to prevent declines in competencies