"Laws of Forgiveness: Obama, Mandela, Derrida"

Excerpt from Routledge Companion to Transnational American Studies, edited by Nina Morgan, Alfred Hornung, and Takayuki Tatsum

“Locating Shirley Geok-lin Lim: An Interview by Nina Morgan”

Excerpt from Asian American Writing: The Diasporic Imagination, Vol. 1 Interviews and Essays, edited by Somdatta Manda

Beta-Lactamase Repressor BlaI Modulates Staphylococcus aureus Cathelicidin Antimicrobial Peptide Resistance and Virulence.

BlaI is a repressor of BlaZ, the beta-lactamase responsible for penicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus. Through screening a transposon library in S. aureus Newman for susceptibility to cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide, we discovered BlaI as a novel cathelicidin resistance factor. Additionally, through integrational mutagenesis in S. aureus Newman and MRSA Sanger 252 strains, we confirmed the role of BlaI in resistance to human and murine cathelidicin and showed that it contributes to virulence in human whole blood and murine infection models. We further demonstrated that BlaI could be a target for innate immune-based antimicrobial therapies; by removing BlaI through subinhibitory concentrations of 6-aminopenicillanic acid, we were able to sensitize S. aureus to LL-37 killing

Effectiveness of Internet Based Treatment Methods for Symptom Management of Vestibular Disorders: A Systematic Review

Introduction: The objective of this systematic review is to investigate the effectiveness of internet-based and blended therapy for patients with peripheral, central, or mixed vestibular dysfunction based on current research. Methods: Medline, CINAHL Complete, PubMed, and The Cochrane Library were searched from September 2022 to January 2023 using the search terms “vestibular,” “internet,” “computer,” “management,” “online,” “self-efficacy,” “vestibular disorder,” “rehabilitation,” “treatment,” “dizziness,” and “phys* ther*.”Studies were included if they used internet-based interventions for patients with diagnosed vestibular dysfunction caused by pure vestibular pathology. Three independent reviewers performed the selection process based on title, abstract, and full-text reading. In total, 8 studies were selected, three reviewers independently extracted data related to intervention technique, duration of intervention, symptoms relief, and overall outcome. The PEDro and hierarchy of evidence scales were used to assess the methodological quality of selected articles. Results: Of 8 articles, seven were randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and one was a qualitative design study. Hierarchy of evidence rating scores ranged from level 2 to level 3. Six of the articles had a level 2 score, and two articles had a level 3 score. PEDro scores ranged from 2/10 to 8/10, including three 8/10, two 7/10, two 2/10, and one 3/10 scores. Primary outcome measures reviewed in this study include the Vertigo Symptom Scale-Short Form and Dizziness Handicap Inventory. Secondary outcome measures include Dynamic Gait Index, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Visual Analogue Scale, quality of life measures, and subjective reports. Discussion: Although PEDro scores ranged from poor to good, internet vestibular rehabilitation (IVR) was shown to be an effective form of improvement in reported dizziness, anxiety related to symptoms, and dynamic postural stability. IVR did not significantly improve quality of life or severity of symptoms. Conclusion: Based on present findings, IVR can be recommended to patients as a means to reduce chronic symptoms outside of the clinic.https://digitalcommons.misericordia.edu/research_posters2023/1007/thumbnail.jp

The School Discipline Consensus Report: Strategies from the Field to Keep Students Engaged in School and Out of the Juvenile Justice System

Research and data on school discipline practices are clear: millions of students are being removed from their classrooms each year, mostly in middle and high schools, and overwhelmingly for minor misconduct. When suspended, these students are at a significantly higher risk of falling behind academically, dropping out of school and coming into contact with the juvenile justice system. A disproportionately large percentage of disciplined students are youth of color, students with disabilities, and youth who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT).There is no question that when students commit serious offenses or pose a threat to school safety they may need to be removed from the campus or arrested. Such incidents, however, are relatively rare, and school typically remains the safest place a young person can be during the day. In schools with high rates of suspension for minor offenses, however, students and teachers often feel they are not safe or supported in their learning environment. Trailblazing student and parent groups, advocacy organizations, researchers, professional associations and school districts have raised the visibility of exclusionary discipline practices across the nation. In response, individual schools, districts, and state education systems have implemented research-based approaches to address student misbehavior that hold youth accountable address victims' needs, and effectively improve both student conduct and adult responses These approaches also help keep students engaged in classrooms and out of courtrooms The federal government has also put a spotlight on these issues. As part of the Supportive School Discipline Initiative, the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice issued joint guidance in January 2014 to assist public elementary and secondary schools in meeting their obligations under federal law to administer student discipline without discriminating on the basis of race, color or national origin. The School Discipline Consensus Report builds on this foundation and breaks new ground by integrating some of the best thinking and innovative strategies from the fields of education, health law enforcement, and juvenile justice. Leaders in these diverse systems agree that local and state governments must not only help schools reduce the number of students suspended, expelled and arrested, but must also provide conditions for learning wherein all students feel safe, welcome, and supported. The central thesis of this comprehensive report is that achieving these objectives requires the combination of a positive school climate, tiered levels of behavioral interventions, and a partnership between education, police, and court officials that is dedicated to preventing youth arrests or referrals to the juvenile justice system for minor school-based offenses