Beyond the Red Pen: Clarifying Our Role in the Response Process

Describes two research studies with high school teachers and students that examine various aspects of both students\u27 and teachers\u27 perspectives on teacher responses to student writing. Examines how well teachers put their own theory about writing instruction into practice with their response style; analyzes teacher comments and students\u27 understanding of them; and offers the teachers\u27 responses to the studies

Identification of Histone H4-Based Peptoids as Inhibitors of PRMT1

Protein Arginine Methyltransferases (PRMTs) are a family of 11 mammalian enzymes characterized by the post-translational methylation of arginine residues in the histone tail. The majority of the 11 members of the PRMT family are divided into two main types, Type I and Type II. PRMT1, the major Type I isozyme, catalyzes the formation of asymmetrically dimethylated arginine (ADMA). PRMT1 activates transcription of cancer genes. Peptoids, or poly-N-substituted glycine’s are a class of oligomers whose side chains are appended to the nitrogen atom of the peptide backbone rather than the alpha carbon. Kinetic parameters were conducted for both peptide and peptoid sequences. The Kcat/Km and IC50 values determined that peptoids show inhibition activity. The specificity and location of these interactions are currently being determined by altering the residues of a known peptoid sequence that has these interactions

Environmental Justice Tools for the 21st Century

As local environmental justice (from here on EJ) issues have become increasingly prevalent in tandem with our growing global climate crisis, the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition (MEJC) seeks to advance the use of online EJ screening tools and establish EJ policies for the state of Michigan. This research study sought to address the question, “What are the lessons that Michigan can learn regarding EJ screening tools?” There are two objectives of our research: a) to identify states that use state-specific EJ screening tools and understand how these tools are used in state-level decision-making; and b) to utilize data from our informational interviews to roadmap best practices of development and implementation to serve communities in Michigan. Following initial review of reports within their respective agencies, we conducted a series of semi-structured interviews with EJ advocates, university academics, state officials and others from the states of Washington, New York, New Jersey, Michigan, Minnesota, Maryland, and California. The data acquired from these interviews were examined using the qualitative analysis software NVIVO 12 Plus. From our analysis, we derived several themes concerning EJ screening tools that were common among states, including: a) understanding of EJ; b) current and future use of screening tools; c) limitations; d) resistance to the use of these tools; and e) metrics of success. The results of this research will inform the most efficient and inclusive processes of developing EJ screening tools in Michigan.Master of ScienceSchool for Environment and SustainabilityUniversity of Michiganhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154874/1/362_EJ_Tools_for 21st_Century.pd

Relationships Between Urinary Metals and Diabetes Traits among Mexican americans in Starr County, Texas, Usa

Hispanics/Latinos have higher rates of type 2 diabetes (T2D), and the origins of these disparities are poorly understood. Environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), including some metals and metalloids, are implicated as diabetes risk factors. Data indicate that Hispanics/Latinos may be disproportionately exposed to EDCs, yet they remain understudied with respect to environmental exposures and diabetes. The objective of this study is to determine how metal exposures contribute to T2D progression by evaluating the associations between 8 urinary metals and measures of glycemic status in 414 normoglycemic or prediabetic adults living in Starr County, Texas, a Hispanic/Latino community with high rates of diabetes and diabetes-associated mortality. We used multivariable linear regression to quantify the differences in homeostatic model assessments for pancreatic β-cell function, insulin resistance, and insulin sensitivity (HOMA-β, HOMA-IR, HOMA-S, respectively), plasma insulin, plasma glucose, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) associated with increasing urinary metal concentrations. Quantile-based g-computation was utilized to assess mixture effects. After multivariable adjustment, urinary arsenic and molybdenum were associated with lower HOMA-β, HOMA-IR, and plasma insulin levels and higher HOMA-S. Additionally, higher urinary copper levels were associated with a reduced HOMA-β. Lastly, a higher concentration of the 8 metal mixtures was associated with lower HOMA-β, HOMA-IR, and plasma insulin levels as well as higher HOMA-S. Our data indicate that arsenic, molybdenum, copper, and this metal mixture are associated with alterations in measures of glucose homeostasis among non-diabetics in Starr County. This study is one of the first to comprehensively evaluate associations of urinary metals with glycemic measures in a high-risk Mexican American population

Current Status of Nutrition Training in Graduate Medical Education From a Survey of Residency Program Directors

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/142009/1/jpen0095.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/142009/2/jpen0095-sup-0001.pd

Spontaneous Neutrophil Migration Patterns during Sepsis after Major Burns

Finely tuned to respond quickly to infections, neutrophils have amazing abilities to migrate fast and efficiently towards sites of infection and inflammation. Although neutrophils ability to migrate is perturbed in patients after major burns, no correlations have yet been demonstrated between altered migration and higher rate of infections and sepsis in these patients when compared to healthy individuals. To probe if such correlations exist, we designed microfluidic devices to quantify the neutrophil migration phenotype with high precision. Inside these devices, moving neutrophils are confined in channels smaller than the neutrophils and forced to make directional decisions at bifurcations and around posts. We employed these devices to quantify neutrophil migration across 18 independent parameters in 74 blood samples from 13 patients with major burns and 3 healthy subjects. Blinded, retrospective analysis of clinical data and neutrophil migration parameters revealed that neutrophils isolated from blood samples collected during sepsis migrate spontaneously inside the microfluidic channels. The spontaneous neutrophil migration is a unique phenotype, typical for patients with major burns during sepsis and often observed one or two days before the diagnosis of sepsis is confirmed. The spontaneous neutrophil migration phenotype is rare in patients with major burns in the absence of sepsis, and is not encountered in healthy individuals. Our findings warrant further studies of neutrophils and their utility for early diagnosing and monitoring sepsis in patients after major burns

Nationwide Acute Care Physical Therapist Practice Analysis Identifies Knowledge, Skills, and Behaviors That Reflect Acute Care Practice

Background and Purpose. Acute care physical therapists have experienced the effects of dramatic changes in health care reimbursement systems and population demographics. Acute care hospitals now serve a patient population of much older, chronically ill patients who are hospitalized for shorter periods of time in a practice environment in which physical therapy staffing resources are often inadequate. The purposes of this study were to document common experiences in the practice of acute care physical therapy and to identify differences in the perceptions of physical therapists with varying levels of experience and in various sizes of acute care facilities. Subjects and Methods. A survey questionnaire was mailed to 500 randomly selected physical therapists employed in acute care facilities. The therapists answered questions regarding the frequency of various physical therapy evaluation and treatment practices, problems encountered in delivering physical therapy services, coordination of the discharge planning process, and perceptions of staffing trends in the acute care setting. The responses of 188 physical therapists who completed the survey were compared by their experience levels and the size of the institutions in which they practiced. Results. Subjects reported that patient factors, such as medical complications and cooperation; organizational factors, such as staffing shortages and large caseloads; and health care system constraints, such as difficulty changing orders and limited time in which to work with the patient interfered with patients reaching physical therapy goals. Conclusion and Discussion. Inadequate skills for successful acute care practice and maladaptive therapist beliefs about acute care career possibilities may adversely affect physical therapist career longevity in the acute care setting

Nationwide Acute Care Physical Therapist Practice Analysis Identifies Knowledge, Skills, and Behaviors That Reflect Acute Care Practice

Background and Purpose. Acute care physical therapists have experienced the effects of dramatic changes in health care reimbursement systems and population demographics. Acute care hospitals now serve a patient population of much older, chronically ill patients who are hospitalized for shorter periods of time in a practice environment in which physical therapy staffing resources are often inadequate. The purposes of this study were to document common experiences in the practice of acute care physical therapy and to identify differences in the perceptions of physical therapists with varying levels of experience and in various sizes of acute care facilities. Subjects and Methods. A survey questionnaire was mailed to 500 randomly selected physical therapists employed in acute care facilities. The therapists answered questions regarding the frequency of various physical therapy evaluation and treatment practices, problems encountered in delivering physical therapy services, coordination of the discharge planning process, and perceptions of staffing trends in the acute care setting. The responses of 188 physical therapists who completed the survey were compared by their experience levels and the size of the institutions in which they practiced. Results. Subjects reported that patient factors, such as medical complications and cooperation; organizational factors, such as staffing shortages and large caseloads; and health care system constraints, such as difficulty changing orders and limited time in which to work with the patient interfered with patients reaching physical therapy goals. Conclusion and Discussion. Inadequate skills for successful acute care practice and maladaptive therapist beliefs about acute care career possibilities may adversely affect physical therapist career longevity in the acute care setting

A RESTful API for Accessing Microbial Community Data for MG-RAST

Many health outcomes are influenced by a person's body mass index, as well as by the trajectory of body mass index through a lifetime. Although previous research has established that body mass index related traits are influenced by genetics, the relationship between these traits and genetics has not been well characterized in people of South Asian ancestry. To begin to characterize this relationship, we analyzed the association between common genetic variation and five phenotypes related to body mass index in a population-based sample of 5,354 Bangladeshi adults. We discovered a significant association between SNV rs347313 (intron of NOS1AP) and change in body mass index in women over two years. In a linear mixed-model, the G allele was associated with an increase of 0.25 kg/m2 in body mass index over two years (p-value of 2.3·10−8). We also estimated the heritability of these phenotypes from our genotype data. We found significant estimates of heritability for all of the body mass index-related phenotypes. Our study evaluated the genetic determinants of body mass index related phenotypes for the first time in South Asians. The results suggest that these phenotypes are heritable and some of this heritability is driven by variation that differs from those previously reported. We also provide evidence that the genetic etiology of body mass index related traits may differ by ancestry, sex, and environment, and consequently that these factors should be considered when assessing the genetic determinants of the risk of body mass index-related disease

Stage 1 of the meaningful use incentive program for electronic health records: a study of readiness for change in ambulatory practice settings in one integrated delivery system

BackgroundMeaningful Use (MU) provides financial incentives for electronic health record (EHR) implementation. EHR implementation holds promise for improving healthcare delivery, but also requires substantial changes for providers and staff. Establishing readiness for these changes may be important for realizing potential EHR benefits. Our study assesses whether provider/staff perceptions about the appropriateness of MU and their departments’ ability to support MU-related changes are associated with their reported readiness for MU-related changes.MethodsWe surveyed providers and staff representing 47 ambulatory practices within an integrated delivery system. We assessed whether respondent’s role and practice-setting type (primary versus specialty care) were associated with reported readiness for MU (i.e., willingness to change practice behavior and ability to document actions for MU) and hypothesized predictors of readiness (i.e., perceived appropriateness of MU and department support for MU). We then assessed associations between reported readiness and the hypothesized predictors of readiness.ResultsIn total, 400 providers/staff responded (response rate approximately 25%). Individuals working in specialty settings were more likely to report that MU will divert attention from other patient-care priorities (12.6% vs. 4.4%, p = 0.019), as compared to those in primary-care settings. As compared to advanced-practice providers and nursing staff, physicians were less likely to have strong confidence in their department’s ability to solve MU implementation problems (28.4% vs. 47.1% vs. 42.6%, p = 0.023) and to report strong willingness to change their work practices for MU (57.9% vs. 83.3% vs. 82.0%, p < 0.001). Finally, provider/staff perceptions about whether MU aligns with departmental goals (OR = 3.99, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.13 to 7.48); MU will divert attention from other patient-care priorities (OR = 2.26, 95% CI = 1.26 to 4.06); their department will support MU-related change efforts (OR = 3.99, 95% CI = 2.13 to 7.48); and their department will be able to solve MU implementation problems (OR = 2.26, 95% CI = 1.26 to 4.06) were associated with their willingness to change practice behavior for MU.ConclusionsOrganizational leaders should gauge provider/staff perceptions about appropriateness and management support of MU-related change, as these perceptions might be related to subsequent implementation