Working within the System: The Effects of Standardized Testing on Education Outreach and Community Writing

This snapshot describes and reflects upon two case studies of community writing projects between Emerson College and Boston Public Schools. Emerson College students were asked to tutor 10th grade BPS students for the English Language Arts portion of the state standardized assessment. Through both quantitative results and qualitative reflection, this paper suggests that approaching such standardized tests as a distinct genre of writing can not only help students to gain awareness for multiple genres, but also to recognize their own writing as an empowered and meaningful political form of social action

Feminine Modesty as a Thematic and Structural Principle in Mariana de Carvajal y Saavedra’s \u3cem\u3eNavidades de Madrid y noches entretenidas\u3c/em\u3e

This study analyzes Mariana de Carvajal y Saavedra\u27s Navidades de Madrid y noches entretenidas as a work that explores issues relating to certain social attitudes of central importance to Spanish women in the seventeenth-century and that advances a specific perspective and point of view in relation to those attitudes. The book is seen as addressing the problem of the nature of feminine modesty and of its character as a virtue. The theme of modesty is analyzed in all the novellas that comprise the Navidades. My first chapter focuses on what is known of Carvajal, aspects of historical background, and the genre in which she wrote. The second chapter discusses criticism on Mariana de Carvajal to date for purposes of clarifying both the degree to which she is recognized as a seventeenth-century female author and the light in which scholars have viewed her. For example, note is taken of the critics\u27 penchant for comparing her with María de Zayas. The third chapter analyzes modesty in various perspectives in order to arrive at a better understanding of how the Navidades portrays modesty on different levels. That chapter focuses on the female characters in the work and how modesty is manifested through those characters. The fourth chapter discusses the male character types and their influence on behavior of women with regard to the issue of feminine modesty. It also names four types of modesty that are suggested by groupings of characters in the novellas. The fifth chapter discusses symbolism in relation to feminine modesty and examines both the prevalence and implicit significance of modesty in the text. The last chapter summarizes my findings and draws some general conclusions concerning Mariana de Carvajal\u27s uniqueness as a seventeenth-century Spanish female author and possibilities for future study

Senior Recital

List of performers and performances

The translational repressors Nanos and Pumilio have divergent effects on presynaptic terminal growth and postsynaptic glutamate receptor subunit composition

Pumilio (Pum) is a translational repressor that binds selectively to target mRNAs and recruits Nanos (Nos) as a corepressor. In the larval neuromuscular system, Pum represses expression of the translation factor eIF-4E and the glutamate receptor subunit GluRIIA. Here, we show that Nos, like Pum, is expressed at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) and in neuronal cell bodies. Surprisingly, however, Nos and Pum have divergent functions on both the presynaptic and postsynaptic sides of the NMJ. In nos mutant and nos RNA interference larvae, the number of NMJ boutons is increased, whereas loss of Pum reduces the bouton number. On the postsynaptic side, Nos acts in opposition to Pum in regulating the subunit composition of the glutamate receptor. NMJ active zones are associated with GluRIIA- and GluRIIB-containing receptor clusters. Loss of Nos causes downregulation of GluRIIA and increases the levels of GluRIIB. Consistent with this finding, the electrophysiological properties of NMJs lacking postsynaptic Nos suggest that they use primarily GluRIIB-containing receptors. Nos can regulate GluRIIB in the absence of GluRIIA, suggesting that the effects of Nos on GluRIIB levels are at least partially independent of synaptic competition between GluRIIA and GluRIIB. Nos is a target for Pum repression, and Pum binds selectively to the 3' untranslated regions of the nos and GluRIIA mRNAs. Our results suggest a model in which regulatory interplay among Pum, Nos, GluRIIA, and GluRIIB could cause a small change in Pum activity to be amplified into a large shift in the balance between GluRIIA and GluRIIB synapses

Physical Activity in Matriculating and Senior Medical Students

BACKGROUND: Physical Activity (PA) has been correlated to lower burnout rates and higher quality of life in medical students. This study looks to assess PA during certain phases of medical education and its correlation to burnout, quality of life and self-care. METHODS: The University of New Mexico School of Medicine (UNM SOM) Medical Student Wellness Survey is administered to all medical students at matriculation, at the end of year 1 and at the end of year 3. This survey includes information on PA, burnout, quality of life, and self-care. PA was assessed in accordance with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for both strength and aerobic components. Independent T-tests were performed to test the hypotheses that increased PA was associated with lower burnout, improved quality of life, and more self-care. RESULTS: At matriculation, 63% of students met either the strength or aerobic component of CDC PA recommendations. This is compared to 68% of students at end of year 1 and 49% of students at end of year 3. Compared to their non-compliant counterparts, 3rd year students who met CDC PA recommendations had statistically significant lower rates of burnout (4.3 vs. 5.0, P \u3c .01), higher quality of life (6.5 vs. 5.4, P \u3c .0001), and were more likely to engage in self-care activities (4.1 vs. 3.4, P \u3c .0001). CONCLUSION: Students who meet CDC recommendations during 3rd year have lower rates of burnout, higher quality of life and more frequent self-care than their less active counterparts. 3rd year medical students engage in less PA than their matriculating and 1st year counterparts. This data supports the need to longitudinally study exercise habits in medical students, identify barriers to meeting CDC PA guidelines, and design intervention to encourage physical activity

The Trypanosoma cruzi enzyme TcGPXI is a glycosomal peroxidase and can be linked to trypanothione reduction by glutathione or tryparedoxin.

Trypanosoma cruzi glutathione-dependent peroxidase I (TcGPXI) can reduce fatty acid, phospholipid, and short chain organic hydroperoxides utilizing a novel redox cycle in which enzyme activity is linked to the reduction of trypanothione, a parasite-specific thiol, by glutathione. Here we show that TcGPXI activity can also be linked to trypanothione reduction by an alternative pathway involving the thioredoxin-like protein tryparedoxin. The presence of this new pathway was first detected using dialyzed soluble fractions of parasite extract. Tryparedoxin was identified as the intermediate molecule following purification, sequence analysis, antibody studies, and reconstitution of the redox cycle in vitro. The system can be readily saturated by trypanothione, the rate-limiting step being the interaction of trypanothione with the tryparedoxin. Both tryparedoxin and TcGPXI operate by a ping-pong mechanism. Overexpression of TcGPXI in transfected parasites confers increased resistance to exogenous hydroperoxides. TcGPXI contains a carboxyl-terminal tripeptide (ARI) that could act as a targeting signal for the glycosome, a kinetoplastid-specific organelle. Using immunofluorescence, tagged fluorescent proteins, and biochemical fractionation, we have demonstrated that TcGPXI is localized to both the glycosome and the cytosol. The ability of TcGPXI to use alternative electron donors may reflect their availability at the corresponding subcellular sites

Using new and innovative technologies to assess clinical stage in early intervention youth mental health services: Evaluation study

Background: Globally there is increasing recognition that new strategies are required to reduce disability due to common mental health problems. As 75% of mental health and substance use disorders emerge during the teenage or early adulthood years, these strategies need to be readily accessible to young people. When considering how to provide such services at scale, new and innovative technologies show promise in augmenting traditional clinic-based services. Objective: The aim of this study was to test new and innovative technologies to assess clinical stage in early intervention youth mental health services using a prototypic online system known as the Mental Health eClinic (MHeC). Methods: The online assessment within the MHeC was compared directly against traditional clinician assessment within 2 Sydney-based youth-specific mental health services (headspace Camperdown and headspace Campbelltown). A total of 204 young people were recruited to the study. Eligible participants completed both face-to-face and online assessments, which were randomly allocated and counterbalanced at a 1-to-3 ratio. These assessments were (1) a traditional 45- to 60-minute headspace face-to-face assessment performed by a Youth Access Clinician and (2) an approximate 60-minute online assessment (including a self-report Web-based survey, immediate dashboard of results, and a video visit with a clinician). All assessments were completed within a 2-week timeframe from initial presentation. Results: Of the 72 participants who completed the study, 71% (51/72) were female and the mean age was 20.4 years (aged 16 to 25 years); 68% (49/72) of participants were recruited from headspace Camperdown and the remaining 32% (23/72) from headspace Campbelltown. Interrater agreement of participants’ stage, as determined after face-to-face assessment or online assessment, demonstrated fair agreement (kappa=.39, P\u3c.001) with concordance in 68% of cases (49/72). Among the discordant cases, those who were allocated to a higher stage by online raters were more likely to report a past history of mental health disorders (P=.001), previous suicide planning (P=.002), and current cannabis misuse (P=.03) compared to those allocated to a lower stage. Conclusions: The MHeC presents a new and innovative method for determining key clinical service parameters. It has the potential to be adapted to varied settings in which young people are connected with traditional clinical services and assist in providing the right care at the right tim

Senior Recital

List of performers and performances

Minimum standards of clinical practice for physiotherapists working in critical care settings in Australia and New Zealand: A modified Delphi technique

<p><b><i>Objective:</i></b> Achieving competency in critical care in entry-level physiotherapy courses across Australia and New Zealand is not essential, and accredited training for qualified physiotherapists working in critical care units is lacking. As a result, practice standards and training may vary. The objective was to establish consensus-based minimum clinical practice standards for physiotherapists working in critical care settings in Australia and New Zealand. <b><i>Design:</i></b> A modified Delphi technique, which consisted of three rounds of questionnaires, was used to obtain consensus on items. <b><i>Setting:</i></b> Australian and New Zealand critical care settings. <b><i>Participants:</i></b> A panel (<i>n</i> = 61) was invited from a pool of eligible physiotherapists throughout Australia and New Zealand (<i>n</i> = 93). Eligibility criteria were defined <i>a-priori</i> on the basis of possession of expertise and experience in the practice and teaching of critical care physiotherapy clinical skills. <b><i>Main Outcome Measure:</i></b> Questionnaires were disseminated electronically (either via email, or SurveyMonkey^®). Items were designated by participants as being ‘Essential/Unsure/Not Essential’. Consensus for inclusion was achieved when items were ranked ‘Essential’ by more than 70% of participants. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Fifty physiotherapists consented and participated in the initial Delphi round, of whom 45 (90%) completed all rounds. Consensus was reached on 199 (89%) items. The panel agreed that 132 (58%) items were ‘Essential’ items for inclusion in the final framework. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> This is the first study to develop a consensus framework of minimum standards of practice for physiotherapists working in critical care. The clinical utility of this framework now requires assessment.</p