Oral Contraceptives and Periodontal Diseases: Rethinking the Association Based Upon Analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Data

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/141450/1/jper1374.pd

Early, transient depletion of plasmacytoid dendritic cells ameliorates autoimmunity in a lupus model

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) have long been implicated in the pathogenesis of lupus. However, this conclusion has been largely based on a correlative link between the copious production of IFN-α/β by pDCs and the IFN-α/β “signature” often seen in human lupus patients. The specific contribution of pDCs to disease in vivo has not been investigated in detail. For this reason, we generated a strain of BXSB lupus-prone mice in which pDCs can be selectively depleted in vivo. Early, transient ablation of pDCs before disease initiation resulted in reduced splenomegaly and lymphadenopathy, impaired expansion and activation of T and B cells, reduced antibodies against nuclear autoantigens and improved kidney pathology. Amelioration of pathology coincided with decreased transcription of IFN-α/β–induced genes in tissues. PDC depletion had an immediate impact on the activation of immune cells, and importantly, the beneficial effects on pathology were sustained even though pDCs later recovered, indicating an early pDC contribution to disease. Together, our findings demonstrate a critical function for pDCs during the IFN-α/β–dependent initiation of autoimmune lupus and point to pDCs as an attractive therapeutic target for the treatment of SLE

Assessing the impact of faculty advising and mentoring in a project-based learning environment on student learning outcomes, persistence in engineering and post-graduation plans

In 2000, we introduced an undergraduate engineering curricular option to serve as an alternative to the traditional two-semester senior capstone experience, and intended to better meet the needs of students and industry. Initially funded through NSF, this program offers teams of students from varied disciplines the opportunity to work for several years in a business-like setting solving real-world problems supplied by industry. This program has converted the traditional classroom into a multi-year, interdisciplinary, experiential learning environment, and the role of instructor from one who imparts knowledge to that of mentor, guiding students as they discover and apply knowledge. The program is now self-sustaining and successfully attracts and retains STEM-discipline students, making them more marketable to employers upon graduation. Under NSF\u27s IEECI program, we undertook a study to determine whether participation in such a project-based learning environment, together with the redefined role of faculty mentors, are positively correlated to student education outcomes. One measurement tool used to capture student perceptions was a modified form of the Academic Pathways of People Learning Engineering Survey (APPLES), to look at contributors to students\u27 persistence in engineering. In this paper, we will share the results of the APPLES survey component of our study as related to the faculty mentor role and project-based team learning environments. © 2011 IEEE

Observational Assessments

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