Bringing Organizations Back In: Perspectives on Service-Learning, Community Partnership and Democratic Thinking in a Voter Engagement Project

The potential of service-learning to foster democratic thinking is often unrealized. The absence of political learning in service-learning has been a subject of particular concern. Drawing on student reflections, pre- and post-test surveys and the perspectives of two faculty members and a community organizer, this article examines the ways in which a year-long, interdisciplinary voter engagement service-learning partnership between a community-based organization and a public university promoted democratic thinking and democratic action. The project helped students understand issues of inequality situated in voting rights, race and class; strengthened relationships between the community and university; and contributed to voter participation. Students came to see organizations, activism and public policy as important antidotes to political inequality. We argue that partnerships with advocacy groups to support political change constitute an important aspect of educating for democracy; these collaborative endeavors challenge views of politics that negate the importance of government, political participation and collective action.Keywords: democratic thinking, voting, organizational partnerships, inequalit

Health Behavior: Evolution of Two Paradigms

Public health nursing is a synthesis of professional nursing and public health science. To assist people effectively to determine and enhance their health capabilities, it is essential that public health nurses have a sound understanding of the behaviors that improve or jeopardize health. This concern arises from the profession's increased emphasis on health behavior and from nursing's stated goal of health promotion. To examine the topic from the perspectives of public health and professional nursing, we examine several issues related to the concept and its definition. We hope that the discussion will stimulate analysis both to clarify the concept and to contribute to the development of public health nursing science.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/73194/1/j.1525-1446.1986.tb00474.x.pd

HathiTrust and Local Digital Stewardship: A Case Study in How Massive Digital Libraries Affect Local Digital Resources Decisions

This article reviews the influence that massive digital libraries like the HathiTrust Digital Library can have on local, smaller institutions’ digitization, preservation, and curation programs. The history of HathiTrust’s digital preservation efforts as a Trusted Repository is reviewed. A case study is presented showing how one academic library made difficult digital stewardship decisions in a modern world of globally federated preservation initiatives. The authors introduce the concept of deselection as part of the digital curation process and discuss how digital collection administrators can refine their local digital preservation efforts to better reflect the realities of constrained human and financial resources

X-ray and Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect Measurements of the Gas Mass Fraction in Galaxy Clusters

We present gas mass fractions of 38 massive galaxy clusters spanning redshifts from 0.14 to 0.89, derived from Chandra X-ray data and OVRO/BIMA interferometric Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect measurements. We use three models for the gas distribution: (1) an isothermal beta-model fit jointly to the X-ray data at radii beyond 100 kpc and to all of the SZE data,(2) a non-isothermal double beta-model fit jointly to all of the X-ray and SZE data, and (3) an isothermal beta-model fit only to the SZE spatial data. We show that the simple isothermal model well characterizes the intracluster medium (ICM) outside of the cluster core in clusters with a wide range of morphological properties. The X-ray and SZE determinations of mean gas mass fractions for the 100 kpc-cut isothermal beta-model are fgas(X-ray)=0.110 +0.003-0.003 +0.006-0.018 and fgas(SZE)=0.116 +0.005-0.005 +0.009-0.026, where uncertainties are statistical followed by systematic at 68% confidence. For the non-isothermal double beta-model, fgas(X-ray)=0.119 +0.003-0.003 +0.007-0.014 and fgas(SZE)=0.121 +0.005-0.005 +0.009-0.016. For the SZE-only model, fgas(SZE)=0.120 +0.009-0.009 +0.009-0.027. Our results indicate that the ratio of the gas mass fraction within r2500 to the cosmic baryon fraction is 0.68 +0.10-0.16 where the range includes statistical and systematic uncertainties. By assuming that cluster gas mass fractions are independent of redshift, we find that the results are in agreement with standard LambdaCDM cosmology and are inconsistent with a flat matter dominated universe.Comment: ApJ, submitted. 47 pages, 5 figures, 8 table

Prevention and Treatment of Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN) with Non-Pharmacological Interventions: Clinical Recommendations from a Systematic Scoping Review and an Expert Consensus Process

Background: Most individuals affected by cancer who are treated with certain chemotherapies suffer of CIPN. Therefore, there is a high patient and provider interest in complementary non-pharmacological therapies, but its evidence base has not yet been clearly pointed out in the context of CIPN. Methods: The results of a scoping review overviewing the published clinical evidence on the application of complementary therapies for improving the complex CIPN symptomatology are synthesized with the recommendations of an expert consensus process aiming to draw attention to supportive strategies for CIPN. The scoping review, registered at PROSPERO 2020 (CRD 42020165851), followed the PRISMA-ScR and JBI guidelines. Relevant studies published in Pubmed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PEDro, Cochrane CENTRAL, and CINAHL between 2000 and 2021 were included. CASP was used to evaluate the methodologic quality of the studies. Results: Seventy-five studies with mixed study quality met the inclusion criteria. Manipulative therapies (including massage, reflexology, therapeutic touch), rhythmical embrocations, movement and mind–body therapies, acupuncture/acupressure, and TENS/Scrambler therapy were the most frequently analyzed in research and may be effective treatment options for CIPN. The expert panel approved 17 supportive interventions, most of them were phytotherapeutic interventions including external applications and cryotherapy, hydrotherapy, and tactile stimulation. More than two-thirds of the consented interventions were rated with moderate to high perceived clinical effectiveness in therapeutic use. Conclusions: The evidence of both the review and the expert panel supports a variety of complementary procedures regarding the supportive treatment of CIPN; however, the application on patients should be individually weighed in each case. Based on this meta-synthesis, interprofessional healthcare teams may open up a dialogue with patients interested in non-pharmacological treatment options to tailor complementary counselling and treatments to their needs

Acetate Promotes T Cell Effector Function during Glucose Restriction.

Competition for nutrients like glucose can metabolically restrict T cells and contribute to their hyporesponsiveness during cancer. Metabolic adaptation to the surrounding microenvironment is therefore key for maintaining appropriate cell function. For instance, cancer cells use acetate as a substrate alternative to glucose to fuel metabolism and growth. Here, we show that acetate rescues effector function in glucose-restricted CD8+ T cells. Mechanistically, acetate promotes histone acetylation and chromatin accessibility and enhances IFN-γ gene transcription and cytokine production in an acetyl-CoA synthetase (ACSS)-dependent manner. Ex vivo acetate treatment increases IFN-γ production by exhausted T cells, whereas reducing ACSS expression in T cells impairs IFN-γ production by tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and tumor clearance. Thus, hyporesponsive T cells can be epigenetically remodeled and reactivated by acetate, suggesting that pathways regulating the use of substrates alternative to glucose could be therapeutically targeted to promote T cell function during cancer

Sodium magnetic resonance imaging of chemotherapeutic response in a rat glioma

This study investigates the comparative changes in the sodium MRI signal and proton diffusion following treatment using a 9L rat glioma model to develop markers of earliest response to cancer therapy. Sodium MRI and proton diffusion mapping were performed on untreated ( n = 5) and chemotherapy 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea-treated rats ( n = 5). Animals were scanned serially at 2- to 3-day intervals for up to 30 days following therapy. The time course of Na concentration in a tumor showed a dramatic increase in the treated brain tumor compared to the untreated tumor, which correlates in time with an increase in tumor water diffusion. The largest posttreatment increase in sodium signal occurred 7–9 days following treatment and correlated to the period of the greatest chemotherapy-induced cellular necrosis based on diffusion and histopathology. Both Na MRI and proton ADC mapping revealed early changes in tumor sodium content and cellularity. This study demonstrates the possibility of Na MRI to function as a biomarker for monitoring early tumor treatment and validates the use of monitoring changes in diffusion MRI values for assessing tumor cellularity. Magn Reson Med 53:85–92, 2005. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/34931/1/20332_ftp.pd

Evolution of host plant use and diversification in a species complex of parasitic weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea) represent one of the most diverse groups of organisms on Earth; interactions with their host plants have been recognized to play a central role in their remarkable diversity, yet the exact mechanisms and factors still remain poorly understood. Using phylogenetic comparative analyses, here we investigate the evolution of host use and its possible role in diversification processes of Rhinusa and Gymnetron, two closely related groups of weevils that feed and develop inside plant tissues of hosts within the families Scrophulariaceae and Plantaginaceae. We found strong evidence for phylogenetic conservatism of host use at the plant family level, most likely due to substantial differences in the chemical composition of hosts, reducing the probability of shifts between host families. In contrast, the use of different plant organs represents a more labile ecological trait and ecological niche expansion that allows a finer partitioning of resources. Rhinusa and Gymnetron weevils initially specialized on plants within Scrophulariaceae and then shifted to the closely related Plantaginaceae; likewise, a gall inducing behavior evolved from non-galler weevils, possibly in response to resource competition, as galls facilitate larval development by providing enhanced nutrition and a favorable microhabitat. Results from trait-dependent diversification analyses suggest that both use of hosts within Plantaginaceae and parasitism on fruits and seed capsules are associated with enhanced diversification of Rhinusa and Gymnetron via low extinction rates. Our study provides quantitative evidence and insights on the ecological factors that can promote diversification in phytophagous insects that feed and develop inside plant tissues

Prevention and treatment of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) with non-pharmacological interventions : clinical recommendations from a systematic scoping review and an expert consensus process

Background: Most individuals affected by cancer who are treated with certain chemotherapies suffer of CIPN. Therefore, there is a high patient and provider interest in complementary non-pharmacological therapies, but its evidence base has not yet been clearly pointed out in the context of CIPN. Methods: The results of a scoping review overviewing the published clinical evidence on the application of complementary therapies for improving the complex CIPN symptomatology are synthesized with the recommendations of an expert consensus process aiming to draw attention to supportive strategies for CIPN. The scoping review, registered at PROSPERO 2020 (CRD 42020165851), followed the PRISMA-ScR and JBI guidelines. Relevant studies published in Pubmed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PEDro, Cochrane CENTRAL, and CINAHL between 2000 and 2021 were included. CASP was used to evaluate the methodologic quality of the studies. Results: Seventy-five studies with mixed study quality met the inclusion criteria. Manipulative therapies (including massage, reflexology, therapeutic touch), rhythmical embrocations, movement and mind-body therapies, acupuncture/acupressure, and TENS/Scrambler therapy were the most frequently analyzed in research and may be effective treatment options for CIPN. The expert panel approved 17 supportive interventions, most of them were phytotherapeutic interventions including external applications and cryotherapy, hydrotherapy, and tactile stimulation. More than two-thirds of the consented interventions were rated with moderate to high perceived clinical effectiveness in therapeutic use. Conclusions: The evidence of both the review and the expert panel supports a variety of complementary procedures regarding the supportive treatment of CIPN; however, the application on patients should be individually weighed in each case. Based on this meta-synthesis, interprofessional healthcare teams may open up a dialogue with patients interested in non-pharmacological treatment options to tailor complementary counselling and treatments to their needs