The ‘good mother’ discourse in ‘success stories’ of Australian weight loss centres: a critical discourses analysis

The ‘good mother’ discourse is concerned with the sociocultural construction of motherhood and is visible in many social contexts, such as the workplace, sport, family, and in particular, health-related contexts such as weight loss. This paper explores the ‘good mother’ discourse within constructs of weight created in and through engagement in Australian weight loss centres. Of the 108 success stories collected, Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) was applied to eighty-six (n = 86) success stories across three Australian weight loss centres (Weight Watchers, Lite n’ Easy, and Michelle Bridges’ 12 Week Body Transformation). These success stories were published on each of their weight loss centres’ websites and were accessed on Thursday 20 August 2015 for the purpose of analysis. Findings show that there was a dynamic and complex relationship between women losing weight and wanting to maintain the ‘good mother’ status. Mothers felt a strong need to justify losing weight, through benefits for their family rather than for themselves, and were ‘allowed’ (and therefore given ‘permission’) to join and participate in the weight loss centres. The process supporting the development of becoming a ‘better’ mother. Insight into these processes helps us to examine the role weight loss centres play in constructing ideals surrounding gender, motherhood, the body, and in particular for the discursive messages that shape understandings of ‘success’ and being a ‘good mother’

Destination Harford County: Visualizing Tourism and Points of Interest in Harford County, Maryland

Final project for URSP688L: Planning Technologies (Fall 2018). University of Maryland, College Park.This report details work conducted by urban studies and planning graduate students in the Planning Technologies course at the University of Maryland for Visit Harford, the destination marketing organization for Harford County. Using geographic information system (GIS) software to create visualizations of tourism points of interest, the team prepared maps for public dissemination in support of Visit Harford’s efforts to better promote its tourism sites. In response to Visit Harford’s request for a map that could be integrated into their mobile app, the team compiled contact information, descriptions, and social media rating data for points of interest, and created two interactive public-facing story maps using ESRI ArcGIS Online. The first product is a shortlist that gives comprehensive overview of destinations and activities in select categories on Visit Harford’s website and rack card marketing materials. The second product was created in response to Visit Harford’s request that we help them encourage tourists to explore destinations farther from the Interstate 95 (I-95) Corridor, a public-facing story map that provides a sample daylong itinerary incorporating destination information from the shortlist. Our analysis of available social media rating information for the destinations demonstrated that while there is little correlation between distance from I-95 and low ratings, analysis of drive-time from I-95 to destinations would be useful. The report concludes with some recommendations ways to use and incorporate the story maps and shortlist data into existing and soon-to-be created resources to expand tourist knowledge of the destinations.Harford Count

A Pilot Study of Cultural-Based Service-Learning: What Did Undergraduate Students Learn from Elementary School Teachers in an Urban Public School District?

This article describes what undergraduate students learned from school teachers involved in a cultural based service-learning program. Forty-four undergraduate students enrolled in an educational psychology course at a private, metropolitan University were paired with 30 teachers and provided tutoring and mentoring activities to the children in their classrooms over the course of the semester at the West or East School located in Chester, Pennsylvania. The results from a preliminary survey indicate that undergraduate students increase their civic action attitudes, problem-solving skills, multigroup and ethnic identity, community self-efficacy, and academic and community engagement from the beginning to the end of the term. Undergraduate students acquired confidence in their communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills. Undergraduate students also developed their ethnic identity and made connections to the academic community and beyond to the broader University community. The results further indicate that the service context influences students’ critical thinking and social responsibility. Undergraduate students assigned to the West School had higher post service ratings of their application skills and community responsibility compared to those assigned to the East School. Teachers’ reports confirm that undergraduate students demonstrate cultural competence and community engagement in their service activities at both the West and East School

POWER, ENDURANCE, AND BODY COMPOSITION CHANGES OVER A COLLEGIATE CAREER IN NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN SOCCER ATHLETES

The purpose of this study was to determine longitudinal changes in fitness and body composition throughout athletes\u27 4-year collegiate soccer careers. Performance testing occurred before preseason during freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior year in 17 female Division I soccer players. Body composition was assessed through air-displacement plethysmography to determine percent body fat (%BF), fat-free mass (FFM), and body mass (BM). Maximal countermovement vertical jump height was assessed through contact mat using arm swing (CMJAS) and hands-on-hips (CMJHOH) methods to calculate power (CMJwatts/HOHwatts). Aerobic capacity (V̇o2max) and ventilatory threshold (VT) were assessed by indirect calorimetry during a maximal graded exercise test on a treadmill. Linear mixed models were used to assess changes across academic years (p \u3c 0.05). No changes occurred in %BF, BM, V̇o2max, VT, CMJAS, or CMJwatts. A time main effect was seen for FFM (p = 0.01) with increases from freshman to senior (p = 0.02). Time main effects were observed for CMJHOH (p \u3c 0.001) and CMJHOHwatts (p \u3c 0.001) with increases from freshman to junior (CMJHOH,p = 0.001; CMJHOHwatts, p = 0.02) and senior (CMJHOH, p \u3c 0.001; CMJHOHwatts, p = 0.003) as well as sophomore to senior (CMJHOH, p \u3c 0.001; CMJHOHwatts, p = 0.02). Countermovement vertical jump with hands on hips also increased from sophomore to junior (p = 0.005). The lower FFM and power capabilities as freshmen compared with upperclassman indicate a potential limited readiness. Coaches and training staff should account for these developmental differences when entering the preseason. Adequate conditioning programs before starting a collegiate program may help build a fitness foundation and prepare freshmen athletes to compete at the same level as their upperclassmen counterparts

Reducing prescribing errors through creatinine clearance alert redesign

Background Literature has shown that computerized creatinine clearance alerts reduce errors during prescribing, and applying human factors principles may further reduce errors. Our objective was to apply human factors principles to creatinine clearance alert design and assess whether the redesigned alerts increase usability and reduce prescribing errors compared with the original alerts. Methods Twenty Veterans Affairs (VA) outpatient providers (14 physicians, 2 nurse practitioners, and 4 clinical pharmacists) completed 2 usability sessions in a counterbalanced study to evaluate original and redesigned alerts. Each session consisted of fictional patient scenarios with 3 medications that warranted prescribing changes because of renal impairment, each associated with creatinine clearance alerts. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected to assess alert usability and the occurrence of prescribing errors. Results There were 43% fewer prescribing errors with the redesigned alerts compared with the original alerts (P = .001). Compared with the original alerts, redesigned alerts significantly reduced prescribing errors for allopurinol and ibuprofen (85% vs 40% and 65% vs 25%, P = .012 and P = .008, respectively), but not for spironolactone (85% vs 65%). Nine providers (45%) voiced confusion about why the alert was appearing when they encountered the original alert design. When laboratory links were presented on the redesigned alert, laboratory information was accessed 3.5 times more frequently. Conclusions Although prescribing errors were high with both alert designs, the redesigned alerts significantly improved prescribing outcomes. This investigation provides some of the first evidence on how alerts may be designed to support safer prescribing for patients with renal impairment

The investigation of the impact of physical education on social and emotional learning and executive function in high school students

High school physical education (PE) class offerings are on the decline, despite research that shows PE can contribute to overall academic success. Several factors contribute to academic success, particularly executive function, which is an umbrella term for the different cognitive and mental skills crucial for learning, and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) which are skills people acquire and can use in school and later in life. The purpose of this study was to examine the perspectives of PE on SEL and the impact of executive function in high school students. A mixed methods approach was used to collect executive function data and student interviews on a 9th grade PE class. An interpretive qualitative research approach guided the focus groups regarding SEL self-competencies in high school students for a unique student perspective of SEL. Executive function was assessed through the completion of a mobile flanker task that students took on school iPads at three time points in the school semester. A repeated measures ANOVA was used with SPSS statistical software to determine significance. Post hoc analysis with paired samples t-tests were done for significant values. Findings revealed students were able to give specific examples of SEL competencies they were introduced to during PE class as described through the focus groups that they were unable to do before. Executive function results uncovered that congruent reaction time (RT) trials yielded significant results. An assumption can be made that those students did improve in their general cognitive processing of information but not inhibitory control. Study findings can potentially be used to help reduce the marginalization of high school PE by demonstrating that PE with an emphasis on SEL can provide a more equitable and inclusive learning environment (James, 2011)

Virus-Free CRISPR CAR T cells induce solid tumor regression

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has shown promising efficacy in treating hematologic malignancies and has led to the FDA-approval of three CAR T cell products. However, there has been little success in treating solid tumors, as clinical trials to date have yielded little to no responses and no improvement in survival. Current methods of CAR T cell production typically involve the use of viral vectors which can give rise to complications such as insertional mutagenesis, leading to gene silencing or oncogene activation. In addition, GMP-grade viral vector manufacturing can be expensive with lengthy wait times for new batches. Here we have developed a virus-free strategy in primary T cells that has eliminated the use of viral vectors through the use of CRISPR-Cas9 to precisely edit the chimeric antigen receptor into the TRAC gene1. Our method of virus free production begins through the generation of a double stranded DNA (dsDNA) template produced by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This template is then combined with a SpCas9-single guide RNA to create a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex. Isolated human primary T cells from adult healthy donors are then nucleofected with the RNP and dsDNA template on day 2 of ex vivo expansion. Flow cytometry is then utilized to immunophenotype the cell product and analyze the percent of efficiency of CAR gene transfer. Within the cell product, the editing efficiencies are \u3e95% TCR knockout and 35% CAR+. Transcriptional profiling indicates that the virus-free CART cells have a favorable memory-like phenotype. In addition to our in vitro work, in vivo mice studies with anti-GD2 CART products demonstrate regression of GD2+ solid tumors upon virus-free CART treatment, showing similar potency and survival to viral-produced CAR T cells. The production of virus-free CAR T cells has high potential to enable the rapid and flexible manufacturing of highly defined and highly potent CAR T cell products for the treatment of solid tumors. 1 Mueller, K. et al. CRISPR-mediated insertion of a chimeric antigen receptor produces nonviral T cell products capable of inducing solid tumor regression. bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.08.06.455489 (2021)

Virus-Free CRISPR CAR T cells induce solid tumor regression

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has shown promising efficacy in treating hematologic malignancies and has led to the FDA-approval of three CAR T cell products. However, there has been little success in treating solid tumors, as clinical trials to date have yielded little to no responses and no improvement in survival. Current methods of CAR T cell production typically involve the use of viral vectors which can give rise to complications such as insertional mutagenesis, leading to gene silencing or oncogene activation. In addition, GMP-grade viral vector manufacturing can be expensive with lengthy wait times for new batches. Here we have developed a virus-free strategy in primary T cells that has eliminated the use of viral vectors through the use of CRISPR-Cas9 to precisely edit the chimeric antigen receptor into the TRAC gene1. Our method of virus free production begins through the generation of a double stranded DNA (dsDNA) template produced by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This template is then combined with a SpCas9-single guide RNA to create a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex. Isolated human primary T cells from adult healthy donors are then nucleofected with the RNP and dsDNA template on day 2 of ex vivo expansion. Flow cytometry is then utilized to immunophenotype the cell product and analyze the percent of efficiency of CAR gene transfer. Within the cell product, the editing efficiencies are \u3e95% TCR knockout and 35% CAR+. Transcriptional profiling indicates that the virus-free CART cells have a favorable memory-like phenotype. In addition to our in vitro work, in vivo mice studies with anti-GD2 CART products demonstrate regression of GD2+ solid tumors upon virus-free CART treatment, showing similar potency and survival to viral-produced CAR T cells. The production of virus-free CAR T cells has high potential to enable the rapid and flexible manufacturing of highly defined and highly potent CAR T cell products for the treatment of solid tumors. 1 Mueller, K. et al. CRISPR-mediated insertion of a chimeric antigen receptor produces nonviral T cell products capable of inducing solid tumor regression. bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.08.06.455489 (2021)