English Studies as a Site for Healing: A Conversation about Place-Based and Indigenous Pedagogies in the English Classroom

This article summarizes a roundtable discussion from the 2016 Alaska Native Studies Conference among professors and students from two English Studies courses at the University of Alaska Anchorage: History of the English Language and History of Rhetoric. Jennifer and Heather discuss how the courses are traditionally taught and how they redesigned the courses to incorporate place-based and indigenous pedagogies. Then, Tayler, Samantha, Hailey, and Arlo--students from a range of backgrounds who took one or both of the classes--describe how the courses encouraged them to develop critical perspectives, build new knowledge through undergraduate research, and experience personal and professional transformations that led to advocacy. The dialogue provides a range of pedagogical perspectives and considers English Studies as a potential site for cultural and historical healing.Ye

Critical Knowledge, Points of Confusion, and Training Recommendations for Client Referrals

The intersection of personal and professional values in relation to client referrals may cause uncertainty and confusion among counseling students. Current literature on this topic demonstrates a lack of agreement exists among student counselors about how to navigate the referral process, especially as it relates to making decisions about when to refer (Author, 2017). This content analysis examines what student counselors (N=104) perceive as critical areas of knowledge, points of confusion, and suggestions for training on ethical referrals. Emergent themes and implications for counselor education and future research are discussed

Impact of Service-Learning on Student Counselors’ Self-Reported Measures of Program Evaluation, Counselor Advocacy, and Interprofessional Education

Abstract: Academic service-learning encompasses a reciprocal relationship among university and community partners. Service-learning can familiarize student counselors with future client populations, community resources, and other service providers. Service-learning pedagogy is flexible and may be particularly useful to promote development in counselor competencies more abstractly related to day-to-day client services, including program evaluation and professional advocacy. Interprofessional education serves as a means of enhancing interprofessional collaboration and, in turn, the well-being of individuals seeking healthcare services. Service-learning may provide a vehicle to promote interprofessional education, however, researchers have not yet explored this connection. This quantitative research project evaluates pre- and post- changes of 18 participants using the Effective Practices Survey, Advocacy Competencies Self-Assessment scale to measure experiences in program evaluation, counselor advocacy, and interprofessional education. Results indicate that student counselor scores significantly increased for each of the three variables of interest, with the largest changes observed for counselor advocacy. What is the public significance of this article? Academic service-learning leverages relationships between university and community partners. Service-learning may be a particularly effective pedagogical strategy to promote applied and potentially abstract concepts. This article explores the impact of engagement in an experiential service-learning project on 18 student counselors’ learning outcomes related to program evaluation, counselor advocacy, and perceptions of interprofessional education

Blue-enriched Lighting for Older People Living in Care Homes: Effect on Activity, Actigraphic Sleep, Mood and Alertness

Objective: Environmental (little outdoor light; low indoor lighting) and age-related physiological factors (reduced light transmission through the ocular lens, reduced mobility) contribute to a light-deprived environment for older people living in care homes. Methods: This study investigates the effect of increasing indoor light levels with blue-enriched white lighting on objective (rest-activity rhythms, performance) and self-reported (mood, sleep, alertness) measures in older people. Eighty residents (69 female), aged 86 ± 8 yrs (mean ± SD), participated (MMSE 19 ± 6). Overhead fluorescent lighting was installed in communal rooms (n=20) of seven care homes. Four weeks of blue-enriched white lighting (17000 K ≅ 900 lux) were compared with four weeks of control white lighting (4000 K ≅ 200 lux), separated by three weeks wash-out. Participants completed validated mood and sleep questionnaires, psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) and wore activity and light monitors (AWL). Rest-activity rhythms were assessed by cosinor, non-parametric circadian rhythm (NPCRA) and actigraphic sleep analysis. Blue-enriched (17000 K) light increased wake time and activity during sleep decreasing actual sleep time, sleep percentage and sleep efficiency (p < 0.05) (actigraphic sleep). Compared to 4000 K lighting, blue-enriched 17000 K lighting significantly (p < 0.05) advanced the timing of participants’ rest-activity rhythm (cosinor), increased daytime and night-time activity (NPCRA), reduced subjective anxiety (HADA) and sleep quality (PSQI). There was no difference between the two light conditions in daytime alertness and performance (PVT). Conclusion: Blue-enriched lighting produced some positive (increased daytime activity, reduced anxiety) and negative (increased night-time activity, reduced sleep efficiency and quality) effects in older people

Effects of Parent Implemented Visual Schedule Routines for African American Children with ASD in Low-Income Home Settings

Low-income, minority families are underrepresented in the literature on parent training for school-aged children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although the use of visual supports, such as visual schedules, is considered to be an evidence-based practice for children with ASD in school, it is not known whether this strategy is effective for minority, low-income families when implemented by the parent in the home setting. This study used a multiple-baseline across routines design replicated across two African American child-mother dyads to examine the effects of a parent-implemented visual schedule procedure on child independent schedule use and between-activity transitions. Parent participants were trained to implement a visual schedule intervention during home routines. Although a functional relation was demonstrated across routines for one mother-child dyad, results varied across participants, highlighting the importance of treatment fidelity. Implications for future research, including the challenges involved in parent-implemented interventions in low-income settings for minority children with ASD, are addressed

Nrf2 is overexpressed in pancreatic cancer: implications for cell proliferation and therapy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Nrf2 is a key transcriptional regulator of a battery of genes that facilitate phase II/III drug metabolism and defence against oxidative stress. Nrf2 is largely regulated by Keap1, which directs Nrf2 for proteasomal degradation. The Nrf2/Keap1 system is dysregulated in lung, head and neck, and breast cancers and this affects cellular proliferation and response to therapy. Here, we have investigated the integrity of the Nrf2/Keap1 system in pancreatic cancer.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Keap1, Nrf2 and the Nrf2 target genes AKR1c1 and GCLC were detected in a panel of five pancreatic cancer cell lines. Mutation analysis of <it>NRF2 </it>exon 2 and <it>KEAP1 </it>exons 2-6 in these cell lines identified no mutations in <it>NRF2 </it>and only synonomous mutations in <it>KEAP1</it>. RNAi depletion of Nrf2 caused a decrease in the proliferation of Suit-2, MiaPaca-2 and FAMPAC cells and enhanced sensitivity to gemcitabine (Suit-2), 5-flurouracil (FAMPAC), cisplatin (Suit-2 and FAMPAC) and gamma radiation (Suit-2). The expression of Nrf2 and Keap1 was also analysed in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (n = 66 and 57, respectively) and matching normal benign epithelium (n = 21 cases). Whilst no significant correlation was seen between the expression levels of Keap1 and Nrf2 in the tumors, interestingly, Nrf2 staining was significantly greater in the cytoplasm of tumors compared to benign ducts (P < 0.001).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Expression of Nrf2 is up-regulated in pancreatic cancer cell lines and ductal adenocarcinomas. This may reflect a greater intrinsic capacity of these cells to respond to stress signals and resist chemotherapeutic interventions. Nrf2 also appears to support proliferation in certain pancreatic adenocarinomas. Therefore, strategies to pharmacologically manipulate the levels and/or activity of Nrf2 may have the potential to reduce pancreatic tumor growth, and increase sensitivity to therapeutics.</p