Inadvertent Educators: Russian Society and Educational Reform during the Reign of Nicholas I

In my senior honors thesis I explore the governmental intention behind the educational reforms of Nicholas I of Russia, as well as the way those reforms were perceived and experienced by the laity, with a particular focus on socially exclusive nature of the reforms and the application of those laws within educational institutions. Using state documents, memoirs, diaries, and contemporary fiction, I sought to establish the motivation for reform, and demonstrate how the size of the Empire and the people’s perception of the reforms ultimately made their social impact far greater than the tsar and the ministry had originally intended

BRICS in Russian Foreign Policy before and after the Onset of the Crisis in Ukraine

The focus of this dissertation is the evolution of BRICS in Russian foreign policy. It tells this overarching story through the lens of three overlapping narratives. The first is the evolution of Russian elite rhetoric about the West, and the increasing antagonism of that rhetoric, since the turn of the millennium. The second is how Russian leaders have framed the idea of the BRICS group in the narrative they created about Russian relations with the West and Russia’s role in the international system. The third is the story of BRICS itself: its development as a group in the international arena, its past achievements and future prospects, and its broader impact on global governance. The main argument is as follows: BRICS has become more important to Russia as a result of the rupture in relations with the West following the onset of the crisis in Ukraine in February 2014. Simultaneously, BRICS itself has begun to constitute an important part of a changing world order, primarily because the imbalances in global economic governance it originally sought to address remain unresolved. These two phenomena, combined with the silence of the BRICS countries in the face of Russian violations of international norms during the Ukraine crisis, are evidence of an accelerating fragmentation of the current international order. The dissertation uses rhetorical analysis as the primary methodology. Political rhetoric is an indication of what leaders would have the public understand to be true, even if it is not. When the rhetoric changes, it gives insight into a shift in how leaders wish their positions to be perceived. When that shift is precipitated by dramatic changes in a country’s internal or external environment, an adjustment in rhetoric can be indication of where policy may be headed even before those concrete changes are visible. Rhetoric, therefore, is an integral part of the policy process. In focusing on this area of policy creation, this dissertation provides a window into the role of rhetoric in the conceptualization of Russian foreign policy, and the extent to which that rhetoric becomes manifested in reality

Design, baseline characteristics, and retention of African American light smokers into a randomized trial involving biological data

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>African Americans experience significant tobacco-related health disparities despite the fact that over half of African American smokers are light smokers (use ≤10 cigarettes per day). African Americans have been under-represented in smoking cessation research, and few studies have evaluated treatment for light smokers. This paper describes the study design, measures, and baseline characteristics from <it>Kick It at Swope III </it>(KIS-III), the first treatment study of bupropion for African American light smokers.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Five hundred forty African American light smokers were randomly assigned to receive bupropion (150mg bid) (n = 270) or placebo (n = 270) for 7 weeks. All participants received written materials and health education counseling. Participants responded to survey items and provided blood samples for evaluation of phenotype and genotype of CYP2A6 and CYP2B6 enzymes involved in nicotine and bupropion metabolism. Primary outcome was cotinine-verified 7-day point prevalence smoking abstinence at Week 26 follow-up.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of 2,628 individuals screened, 540 were eligible, consented, and randomized to treatment. Participants had a mean age of 46.5 years and 66.1% were women. Participants smoked an average of 8.0 cigarettes per day, had a mean exhaled carbon monoxide of 16.4ppm (range 1-55) and a mean serum cotinine of 275.8ng/ml. The mean Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence was 3.2, and 72.2% of participants smoked within 30 minutes of waking. The average number of quit attempts in the past year was 3.7 and 24.2% reported using pharmacotherapy in their most recent quit attempt. Motivation and confidence to quit were high.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>KIS-III is the first study designed to examine both nicotine and bupropion metabolism, evaluating CYP2A6 and CYP2B6 phenotype and genotype in conjunction with psychosocial factors, in the context of treatment of African American light smokers. Of 1629 smokers screened for study participation, only 18 (1.1%) were ineligible to participate in the study because they refused blood draws, demonstrating the feasibility of recruiting and enrolling African American light smokers into a clinical treatment trial involving biological data collection and genetic analyses. Future evaluation of individual factors associated with treatment outcome will contribute to advancing tailored tobacco use treatment with the goal of enhancing treatment and reducing health disparities for African American light smokers.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>ClinicalTrials.gov: <a href="URL">NCT00666978</a></p

A Fluorescent Glycolipid-Binding Peptide Probe Traces Cholesterol Dependent Microdomain-Derived Trafficking Pathways

10.1371/journal.pone.0002933PLoS ONE38

From bridge to bulwark: the evolution of Brics in Russian grand strategy

Russia has been the driving force in pushing and shaping the narrative of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) since the group began to acquire a political identity in the mid-2000s. Russia’s motivations for promoting BRICS, however, have evolved considerably over the last decade. While Moscow’s initial goal was to use the group as a rhetorical device to strengthen Russia’s bargaining position with the West, in the wake of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, BRICS has begun to symbolize for Russia a viable alternative to continued accommodation with the Western-led international system

BRICS in Russian Foreign Policy before and after the Onset of the Crisis in Ukraine

The focus of this dissertation is the evolution of BRICS in Russian foreign policy. It tells this overarching story through the lens of three overlapping narratives. The first is the evolution of Russian elite rhetoric about the West, and the increasing antagonism of that rhetoric, since the turn of the millennium. The second is how Russian leaders have framed the idea of the BRICS group in the narrative they created about Russian relations with the West and Russia’s role in the international system. The third is the story of BRICS itself: its development as a group in the international arena, its past achievements and future prospects, and its broader impact on global governance. The main argument is as follows: BRICS has become more important to Russia as a result of the rupture in relations with the West following the onset of the crisis in Ukraine in February 2014. Simultaneously, BRICS itself has begun to constitute an important part of a changing world order, primarily because the imbalances in global economic governance it originally sought to address remain unresolved. These two phenomena, combined with the silence of the BRICS countries in the face of Russian violations of international norms during the Ukraine crisis, are evidence of an accelerating fragmentation of the current international order. The dissertation uses rhetorical analysis as the primary methodology. Political rhetoric is an indication of what leaders would have the public understand to be true, even if it is not. When the rhetoric changes, it gives insight into a shift in how leaders wish their positions to be perceived. When that shift is precipitated by dramatic changes in a country’s internal or external environment, an adjustment in rhetoric can be indication of where policy may be headed even before those concrete changes are visible. Rhetoric, therefore, is an integral part of the policy process. In focusing on this area of policy creation, this dissertation provides a window into the role of rhetoric in the conceptualization of Russian foreign policy, and the extent to which that rhetoric becomes manifested in reality

Evaluating Guided Care as an Interprofessional Model in Geriatric Education

Purpose: The purpose of this presentation is to develop strategies to incorporate and evaluate interprofessional competencies in an interdisciplinary clinical model for older adults with multiple chronic conditions. Background: The need to expand geriatric education for all health professionals has been well described. In addition, there is growing recognition of the critical need for team-based care and education in interdisciplinary models. Guided Care (GC) is an interdisciplinary model of health care that has emerged to address the complex health care needs of older adults with multiple chronic conditions. This presentation proposes strategies about how to incorporate and evaluate interprofessional competencies in the GC model. Description of Program: GC is an evidence-based, team-based model of care developed at Johns Hopkins to address the comprehensive health care needs of older adults with multiple chronic conditions who are at high-risk for health care utilization. An interprofessional team has been assembled atThomasJeffersonUniversity, including a Geriatrician, Nurse Practitioner (NP), Registered Nurse (RN), and PharmD, to implement GC into clinical practice at Jefferson Family Medicine Associates in thePhiladelphiaSeniorCenter. The team aims to embed learners from the various health professions into the clinical model and evaluate GC as an interprofessional model in geriatric education. Preliminary Findings: Work in progress Relevance to Interprofessional Education and Practice: There is a tremendous need to expand geriatric education and training in interdisciplinary teams for health professionals. GC is an evidence-based, team-based model of care that addresses the complex health care needs of older adults with multiple chronic conditions. This presentation will discuss strategies about how to incorporate and evaluate interprofessional competencies in the GC model. Recommendations for future investigation: Future research should further examine evidence-based, interdisciplinary clinical models for their effectiveness as interprofessional teaching models. Learning Objectives: 1. Develop strategies to incorporate interprofessional competencies into an interdisciplinary clinical practice model for older patients with multiple chronic conditions 2. Develop strategies to evaluate interprofessional competencies in an interdisciplinary clinical practice model for older patients with multiple chronic condition