Think First: Examining Impulsivity among University Students

Researchers have noted the impact of various factors on academic success among university students but have yet to investigate how these factors influence academic engagement. Academic engagement is an important area, as it is associated with academic achievement, and is a concern in many post-secondary settings (Alrashidi et al., 2016). The focus of the present dissertation is the intersection of impulsivity, procrastination, and substance use with academic engagement. The first study examines the association between impulsivity and academic engagement, and considers the impacts of conscientiousness, neuroticism, self-efficacy, and life stress. The second study examines the association between procrastination and academic engagement, while testing the moderator roles of impulsivity, self-efficacy, and motivation. The third study examines whether the motivation to use alcohol and marijuana are associated with academic engagement, while considering impulsivity and stress as moderators. Results suggest that self-efficacy and conscientiousness impacts the association between impulsivity and academic engagement. Greater academic engagement also results in greater academic achievement regardless of impulsivity level. Intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy account for the relationship between passive procrastination and academic engagement. Overall, greater enhancement and expansion motive are associated with greater academic engagement, particularly among less impulsive individuals. The present studies identify areas that can be fostered to improve academic engagement, with implications for educators discussed

Tympanic membrane perforation treated with Adelmidrol and Trans-traumatic acid: Two case reports

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Signaling by K63-linked polyubiquitin in autophagy-related vesicular trafficking

2019 Fall.Includes bibliographical references.In eukaryotic cells, endocytosis and autophagy represent fundamental pathways that contribute to cell homeostasis. Intersection of the endocytic and autophagosomal trafficking routes has been previously recognized, as both systems share specific compartments contributing to cargo degradation via the lysosome, and both use an identical subset effectors involved in vesicular trafficking and membrane fusion. By helping to target proteins to the lysosome, ubiquitin (Ub) also acts as a common factor in both pathways. The relative contributions of endocytic and autophagy pathways to degradation of ubiquitinated cargo are mostly unknown. A critical unanswered question is how ubiquitinated cargo is targeted to a particular degradative pathway. Ub can be conjugated to other proteins as a single Ub or chains of multiple Ub (polyUb). Many types of polyUb, distinguished by different Ub–Ub linkages, are present in cells, where they are thought to be recognized by decoders (i.e., receptors or adaptors) to signal various biological processes. K63-polyUb has been implicated in endocytosis of cell surface receptors, budding of viral proteins, and autophagy of damaged organelles and invading pathogens. However, the extent and details of the relationship between K63-polyUb and lysosomal targeting via either endocytosis or autophagy are poorly understood. These deficiencies are due in part to the lack of tools to study Ub-dependent signaling. We have previously developed a genetically-encoded specific K63-polyUb sensor, "Vx3," to facilitate identification, localization, and functional characterization of signaling by K63-polyUb in vivo [Sims et al., Nat. Methods (2012)]. When Vx3 is expressed in cells, it localizes to cytoplasmic foci that colocalize with the autophagic transmembrane protein ATG9A, the autophagic cargo receptor p62 (SQSTM1), which preferentially bind K63-polyUb, and late endosomal/lysosomal markers. Proteins identified by mass spectrometry and likely modified by K63-polyUb appear to be transmembrane proteins known to recycle between endosomes and plasma membrane, such as transferrin receptor (TfR) and major histocompatibility complex I (MHC-I). Here, we show that K63-polyUb modifies endocytic transmembrane proteins to signal their delivery to the lysosomes. Fluorescence and electron microscopy data revealed that Vx3 accumulates K63-polyUb-decorated vesicles into cytoplasmic foci at an intermediate stage of the transmembrane protein degradation pathway; these foci include components of both endocytic and autophagy membranes. We observed that K63-polyUb-decorated vesicles co-clustering with ATG9A are found juxtaposed to endolysosomes, consistent with the idea of fusion block imposed by Vx3. By using a system to inducibly disable Vx3 inhibition, we tracked delivery of K63-polyubiquitinated cargo to the highly acidic and degradative lysosomal compartments. We also report that ESCRT dysfunction leads to accumulation Vx3 foci, indicating an augmentation of K63-polyubiquinated cargo destined to lysosomal degradation via the multivesicular late endosomes. Despite the established role for endocytosis in cargo sorting and recycling, there is evidence that autophagy may also play a role in regulating these events. By using Vx3 to inhibit autophagy-related membrane trafficking, our study also reveal a functional crosstalk between the Ub-dependent sorting of endocytic cargo into multivesicular late endosomes and the retromer-mediated retrieval of transmembrane proteins from maturing endosomes

Are Normally-Distributed Dark Triad Traits Associated with Trait Mindfulness in University Students?

The Dark Triad, which encompasses psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism, has been associated with difficulties with identifying and describing emotions, labelled alexithymia. Narcissism, however, has been associated with greater emotional intelligence, which includes the ability to regulate and utilize one’s emotions in problem solving. Research has yet to examine the association of the Dark Triad and mindfulness, with mindfulness referring to awareness of one’s thoughts and emotions in the present moment. The current study investigated the association between the Dark Triad traits and trait mindfulness, while examining the role of alexithymia and emotional intelligence in this association (N=246). Using linear regression models, higher scores of psychopathy were not found to be a predictor of mindfulness. However, higher scores of Machiavellianism were associated with lower levels of mindfulness, and higher scores of narcissism were associated with higher levels of mindfulness, with alexithymia mediating these associations. These findings indicate the potential benefit of emotion regulation skills training via mindfulness based therapy techniques to improve emotion identification and empathy among these individuals

Health Care Transition Program for Adolescents with Spina Bifida

The purpose of this evidence-based project was to evaluate the feasibility of implementing an NP facilitated formal transition program for adolescents with Spina Bifida. There is an increased awareness of the need for health care transition for youth with special health care needs (YSHCN) due to the 2009-2010 Maternal Child Health Branch National Survey findings that only 40% of YSHCN receive adequate support for transition that meets the core outcome measures. Recent studies have investigated transition in youth with chronic disease specific conditions such as diabetes, cystic fibrosis, and congenital heart defects, and provide valuable insight into possible strategies for transition management. However, there is limited translation of the evidence to transition programs specific to adolescents with Spina bifida (SB) that are focused on transition readiness or knowledge related to self-care management. Adolescents with SB face many challenges due to their medical complexities and potential development of secondary health conditions as young adults. Adolescents with Spina bifida often have difficulty with knowledge acquisition, attention, organization, and problem solving, all factors that are necessary to facilitate successful healthcare transition. An NP transition program was successfully implemented into a multidisciplinary SB clinic. The results of this transition program support a structured needs assessment and specific educational interventions with this unique population. The SB healthcare transition project can serve as a model for future programs with youth that have complex medical conditions

UNA NUOVA SALA POLIFUNZIONALE PER PISA: LA EX CHIESA DI S. MARCO IN PORTA CALCESANA. RECUPERO EDILIZIO E PROGETTO ARCHITETTONICO - STRUTTURALE

La tesi di laurea consiste nella nuova ridefinizione della ex chiesa di San Marco in Porta Calcesana a Pisa. L'intervento consiste nel recupero edilizio dell'intera struttura storica dell'ex complesso religioso con la sua rifunzionalizzazione tramite una nuova struttura interna, indipendente dall'involucro storico esistente, di cui si è sviluppato sia il progetto architettonico che strutturale. L'intero complesso verrà adibito a nuova sala polifunzionale per la città; è stata inoltre condotta una analisi energetica degli ambienti interni per il confort della futura utenza e salvaguardia delle opere d'arte