Exploring the Perspectives and Experiences of Physicians in WV who Prescribe Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) to Patients with Opioid use Disorder (OUD)

This qualitative study explores the lived experiences of six physicians in West Virginia who treat patients with opioid use disorder using Buprenorphine, often referred to as medication-assisted treatment (MAT). MAT is an empirically-supported method of treating people who suffer from the physiological symptoms of opioid addiction and its associated psychological, social, and behavioral components to ease withdrawal. West Virginia ranks first in the nation for opioid overdose deaths, with an estimated 60,000 people needing treatment for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and approximately 280 physicians certified to provide MAT. Semi-structured individual interviews lasting one hour were the primary source of information for understanding the experiences of prescribing physicians in the state. Analysis of content from the interviews occurred using four conceptual frameworks i.e., phenomenology, applied research, pragmatism, and strengths perspective to identify major themes. The major themes identified in this study may be useful to medical school and social work program administrators and curriculum committee members tasked with developing content and experiential learning opportunities for students that reflect day to day realities of medical and behavioral health professionals who treat patients with OUD. Examples of specific implications for pedagogy and curriculum involve training medical students in the person-in-environment framework using a biopsychosocial assessment model to prepare physicians to inquire about and incorporate contextual factors that affect patients’ recovery into treatment regimen and training social work students to function as behavioral health consultants to physicians and members of the care team, as well as social reform and cultural change leaders

What is Mathematics? An Exploration of Teachers\u27 Philosophies of Mathematics during a Time of Curriculum Reform

Current reform in mathematics teaching and learning is rooted in a changing vision of school mathematics, one that includes constructivist learning, student-centered pedagogy, and the use of worthwhile tasks (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 1989, 1991, 2000). This changing vision not only challenges teachers’ beliefs about mathematics instruction but their philosophies of mathematics as well (Dossey, 1992). This study investigates the processes that four teachers’ go through as they implement a new task-based mathematics curriculum while exploring their personal philosophies of mathematics. The participants were part of a graduate-level course that examined, through the writings of Davis and Hersh (1981), Lakatos (1976), Polya (1945/1973), and others, a humanist/fallibilist philosophy of mathematics. These participants shared, through reflective writings and interviews, their struggles to, first, define mathematics and its purpose in society and in schools, and second, to reconcile their views of mathematics with their instructional practices. The study took place as the participants, two classroom teachers and two instructional coaches, engaged in the initial implementation of a reform mathematics curriculum, a reform based in social constructivist learning theories. Using narrative analysis, this study focuses on the unique mathematical stories of four experienced educators. Each of the participants initially expressed a traditional, a priori view of mathematics, seeing mathematics as right/wrong, black/white, a subject outside of human construction. The participants’ expressed views of mathematics changed as they attempted to align their personal philosophies of mathematics with their (changing) classroom practices. They shared their personal struggles to redefine themselves as mathematics teachers through a process of experimentation, reflection, and adaptation. This process was echoed in their changing philosophies of mathematics. These participants came to see mathematics as fluid and a human construct; they also came to see their philosophies of mathematics as fluid and ever-changing, a process more than a product

Mining the Francisella tularensis proteome for vaccine candidates

2012 Summer.Includes bibliographical references.Based on methodologies developed for the identification of T cell antigen of other intracellular bacterial pathogens, a proteomic approach was applied for the elucidation of T cell antigens of Francisella tularensis (Covert, 2001). Specifically, subcellular components (membrane and soluble) of F. tularensis LVS were resolved by size using preparative SDS-PAGE and fractions collected using a whole gel elution technique. A total of 16 soluble and 19 membrane-sized fractions were produced, each of which were assessed for antigen reactivity based on the ability to elicit IFN-γ; from splenocytes of F. tularensis LVS-infected mice. Of these 35 preparative SDS-PAGE fractions, seven yielded a dominant T cell response. These seven fractions were further investigated using tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) to identify individual proteins in each immunodominant fraction. A total of 40 and 31 proteins were identified with greater than 95% confidence from the immunodominant membrane and soluble fractions, respectively. Further, MS/MS analysis of different protein quantities (2.5 μg to 10 μg) allowed for identification of the most abundant proteins in each fraction, thus focusing the number of possible proteins to nine proteins of interest. These data provide the basis for production of recombinant proteins and further immunological evaluations to select suitable candidates for inclusion in a subunit vaccine against tularemia

Exploring Philosophy During a Time of Reform in Mathematics Education

Current reforms in mathematics education, including the implementation of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, are rooted in a changing vision of school mathematics, one that includes constructivist learning, student-centered pedagogy, and the use of worthwhile tasks. This changing vision challenges not only teachers’ beliefs about mathematics instruction but their philosophies of mathematics as well. This study investigates the processes that four teachers go through as they implement a new task-based mathematics curriculum while exploring their personal philosophies of mathematics. The participants were part of a graduate-level course that examined, through the writings of various modern philosophers of mathematics and mathematicians, a humanist/fallibilist philosophy of mathematics. Using narrative analysis, the study focuses on the unique mathematical stories of four experienced educators. Each of the participants initially expressed a traditional view of mathematics, seeing mathematics as right/wrong, a subject outside of human construction. The participants’ expressed views of mathematics change as they attempted to align their personal philosophies of mathematics with their (changing) classroom practices. They share their struggles to redefine themselves as mathematics teachers through a process of experimentation, reflection, and adaptation

“Just as Bad as Prisons”: The Challenge of Dismantling the School-to-Prison Pipeline Through Teacher and Community Education

Drawing upon the authors’ experiences working in schools as teachers, teacher educators, researchers, and community members, this study utilizes a Critical Race Theory of education in examining the school-to-prison pipeline for black male students. In doing so, the authors highlight the particular role educators play in the school-to-prison pipeline, focusing particularly on how dispositions toward black males influence educator practices. Recommendations and future directions are provided on how education preparation programs can play a critical role in the transformation of black male schooling