Stigma in youth with Tourette's syndrome: a systematic review and synthesis

Tourette's syndrome (TS) is a childhood onset neurodevelopmental disorder, characterised by tics. To our knowledge, no systematic reviews exist which focus on examining the body of literature on stigma in association with children and adolescents with TS. The aim of the article is to provide a review of the existing research on (1) social stigma in relation to children and adolescents with TS, (2) self-stigma and (3) courtesy stigma in family members of youth with TS. Three electronic databases were searched: PsycINFO, PubMed and Web of Science. Seventeen empirical studies met the inclusion criteria. In relation to social stigma in rating their own beliefs and behavioural intentions, youth who did not have TS showed an unfavourable attitude towards individuals with TS in comparison to typically developing peers. Meanwhile, in their own narratives about their lives, young people with TS themselves described some form of devaluation from others as a response to their disorder. Self-degrading comments were denoted in a number of studies in which the children pointed out stereotypical views that they had adopted about themselves. Finally, as regards courtesy stigma, parents expressed guilt in relation to their children's condition and social alienation as a result of the disorder. Surprisingly, however, there is not one study that focuses primarily on stigma in relation to TS and further studies that examine the subject from the perspective of both the 'stigmatiser' and the recipient of stigma are warranted

Case Study of HP to Learn About IP

Undergraduate thesis completed for Seattle Pacific University\u27s University Scholars program. This project focuses on patent law as an intersection of engineering and law. Beyond studying the philosophies used to justify the granting of patents, the project attempts to quantify the value of patents as measured by company assignees versus the general public. A case study of patents involved in litigation between Hewlett Packard, Inc. and Repeat-O-Type Stencil Manufacturing Corporation is examined, with visuals generated by a Matlab program that made up a large component of this project

Using the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure to examine implicit beauty-bias in the context of employability evaluations

The current research aimed to examine the presence of attractiveness bias in ratings of employability by undergraduate university students using an implicit measure (the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure; IRAP) and a number of explicit measures (Interpersonal Judgement Scale, Byrne, 1971; Measures of Interpersonal Attraction, McCroskey & McCain, 1974; and Likert scales). A number of explicit (self-report questionnaires etc.) have shown that attractiveness can be an influencing factor in important human social interactions. Limitations related to self-report measures, however, have been well documented, thus, the use of implicit measures such as the IRAP may extend research findings in this field. In study 1, participants (N=24) were presented with an IRAP consisting of images of individuals of high and low attractiveness alongside the explicit measures and a behavioural task (a Curriculum Vitae choice task between unattractive and attractive individuals). Results revealed statistically significantly higher scores on employability measures for attractive images than for unattractive images, and a significant pro-beauty bias on implicit measures. There was no effect of gender on IRAP D-scores, and a multiple regression revealed no predictive power of the IRAP D-scores for the CV choice of participants. The procedure for Study 2 (N=52) was identical to study 1 with the exception of images of high and medium attractiveness used in the IRAP and explicit measures. Results from study 2 indicated similar results to study 1: there was statistically significantly higher scores on employability measures for high attractive images than for medium attractive images, and a statistically significant pro-beauty bias on implicit measures. However, the implicit measures also indicated that there was a statistically significant anti-unattractive bias present also. Again, there was no effect of gender on IRAP D-scores and no predictive power of the IRAP D-scores for participants’ CV choice. Study 3 (N=28) aimed to investigate the ‘beauty is beasty’ effect found for female applicants applying for executive jobs, using the same implicit measure as studies 1 and 2 and explicit measures taken from Heilman and Saruwatari (1979). Results from study 3 indicated statistically significantly higher ratings for male images in executive jobs and female images in nonexecutive jobs on explicit measures. On implicit measures, however, the IRAP indicated that there were statistically significant biases towards both male and female images in executive jobs. Again, there was no effect of gender on D-scores. Findings are discussed in relation to previous research and implications for the use of implicit measurement to measure attractiveness bias in the domain of employability

Relationship Between Eighth Grade Social Science Students, Teacher Diversity and Academic Success

Dynamics between student teacher ethnicity and the practices of culturally plural curricula seeks to improve student performance and strives to minimize the achievement gap. This quantitative study explored whether there was a significant difference in the North Carolina Final Exam history-social science test performance between (a) African American and Hispanic students taught by a teacher from a different ethnic makeup and (b) African American and Hispanic students taught by a teacher from a similar ethnic makeup in 8th grade of social science classes. Student\u27s performance is a key factor in evaluating the credibility of a school which is crucial to all stakeholders. The theoretical framework for this study centered around Tillmans\u27 theory of culturally sensitive education which focused on variations of academic achievement based on student\u27s engagements with teachers who share their cultural background or teachers who teach curricula that reflects their own cultures. Data were collected from a purposeful sampling of depersonalized archival records of 2,000 8th grade African American and Hispanic students who took the North Carolina Final Exam for Social Sciences. Data were analyzed using causal-comparative approach and focused on the fixed factor of race with 3 covariates and teacher race as the dependent variable. Results indicated that there was a significant difference in the students performance depending on the ethnicity of their teacher. Students with a teacher of their ethnic background, performed better compared to having a teacher from a different ethnic background. This study contributes to social change through the understanding of how teacher diversity and the need for relational teaching can promote greater academic achievement within their classrooms

Tenofovir Induced Nephrotoxicity: A Mechanistic Study

Tenofovir (TFV) is a reverse transcriptase inhibitor that is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat HIV and chronic Hepatitis B. It has a long half-life, allowing for once a day dosing and is effective in treatment of both naive and experienced patients. It is administered orally as tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and is deesterified in plasma to the active drug TFV. However, renal impairment is associated with its use; TFV can induce decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and free calcitriol, renal failure, and Fanconi Syndrome. The exact mechanism of toxicity currently remains unknown, largely due to limited experimental models. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanisms of cytotoxicity and oxidative damage observed in HK-2 cells following treatment with TFV and to determine if managing oxidative damage mitigates toxicity. TFV is the active form of TDF and was used for all studies. HK-2 cells were grown to confluency for 48 h and then exposed to 0- 28.8 µM TFV for 24, 48, or 72 h. The vehicle used for all studies was phosphate buffered saline (PBS). TFV induces a loss of cell viability compared to the control within 24 h as shown by an MTT assay, Trypan Blue Exclusion cell counts, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage. Oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage were assessed in whole cell lysate and different cell fractions using OxyBlot and western blot for 4-hydroxynonenol (4-HNE), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), caspase 3, 8, and 9, MnSOD, ATP Synthase, and cytochrome c and showed an increase in protein carbonylation and loss of mitochondrial membrane integrity following 72 h exposure to 28.8 µM TFV. TFV induces apoptosis at 72 h exposure as shown by western blot analysis of cytochrome c leakage and activation of caspase 3 and 9. Studies conducted using Seahorse XFp technology determined that TFV alters mitochondrial function. Studies were conducted using a 1 h pretreatment with antioxidants resveratrol, N-acetyl-L-cysteine, or ascorbic acid, and results showed protection of cell viability following 24 h exposure to 3 and 14.5 μM TFV. These studies suggest that mitochondrial damage and oxidative stress occur in HK-2 cells treated with TFV and that controlling oxidative damage may help prevent toxicity from developing. Additional knowledge of subcellular events associated with tenofovir nephrotoxicity can be used to develop clinical methods to mitigate toxicity

Survivor, It’s Not for Everyone: Perceptions of the Cancer Survivor Label by Individuals Diagnosed with Cancer as Emerging Adults

Seventy-thousand adolescents and young adults are diagnosed with cancer in the United States every year. The term cancer survivor is broadly used as a descriptor in mainstream society, and academic and oncology literature to reference individuals who have been diagnosed with cancer. It was originally used to provide a message of hope, not a label. This study provides an overview of the evolution of the term survivor and explores the often-overlooked perspectives of those who fall into this demographic, many of whom do not accept this identifier. Reasons for rejecting the survivor identity are shared with the intention of highlighting the importance of listening to emerging adults and to contribute to the discourse surrounding cancer survivor

A Primary Care Workload Production Model for Estimating Relative Value Unit Output

Health care costs have grown to unsustainable levels nationally and within the Department of Defense. Military health care costs have historically been difficult to isolate, causing budget cuts to be the vehicle for cost control. Maximum efficiency, therefore, is the goal in order to show improvement. With the Air Force’s new preventive health plan, they aim to drive a long-term posture for cost reduction through prevention. This research effort aimed to develop a tool to assist in future efforts to understand and improve efficiency in workload output, and whether a relationship exists between patient workload demand and the per-encounter variables collected at the Wright-Patterson AFB Medical Center Primary Care Clinic. This study examined primary care production data from the Military Health System Management Analysis and Reporting Tool from fiscal years 2009 and 2010, measuring patient workload in Relative Value Units (RVU) per encounter. The model produced shows a predictive adjusted R² of 82%, indicating the variable appointment type shows an explanatory capability of the differences in RVU output per encounter and is a demand-based estimating tool for RVU throughput. When applied, the results could lead to a better understanding of efficiency of workload production

Alcohol and social connectedness for new residential university students: implications for alcohol harm reduction

Starting university is a significant life-event, commonly involving detachment from existing social networks and emotional stresses that increase risk of drop-out. The developmental need to form new peer relationships is prominent during this period and is correlated with successful adaptation. This study investigated the role of alcohol in the process of transition and peer group development for new students. Thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews is presented, conducted within a broader instrumental case study of campus approaches to alcohol policy and management. Twenty-three first-year students participated in interviews lasting between 45–60 minutes. Verbatim transcription was followed by within- and cross-case analysis. Drawing on social connectedness theory, we illustrate how pre-arrival concern over new peer relationships was subsequently reduced by drinking together. This reinforced participant perceptions of alcohol as beneficial for hastening development of social connections, in turn reducing anxiety and supporting successful transition. For non-/low-drinkers in the study, social connectedness without alcohol use was reported as more challenging. Alcohol was perceived as a readily-available, effective tool for hastening social connectedness, increasing student resistance to alcohol education messages provided at the start of term. Implications for addressing alcohol-related harms in students are discussed

Contrasting staff and student views on alcohol education provision in a UK university

Alcohol education and awareness aims to teach individuals the risks of excess consumption. It is common in UK universities, despite limited evidence of success with student cohorts. This research explored the development and delivery of such alcohol activities at one UK university. In-depth, one-to-one interviews were carried out with non-academic staff and with first-year students. These aimed to understand the development of alcohol awareness messages and staff involvement in delivery, as well as exploring student responses to key alcohol educational activities. Results indicate that alcohol is a normalized aspect of UK student identity and is accepted as such by students and staff. Despite this, there is a widely-held view that the university has a responsibility to provide alcohol education and awareness, which forms the basis of current practice on campus. This reflects perception of education interventions as non-coercive and acceptable within the staff-student relationship, with limited support for more interventionist approaches with a group engaging in a legal behavior with strong cultural associations. However, staff approval of education as appropriate for this audience is contradicted by students, who reject these same approaches as reminiscent of school, instead favoring self-directed learning or peer-led programs