De los Derechos Humanos: Reimagining Civics in Bilingual & Bicultural Settings

Dominant approaches to teaching social studies often marginalize bilingual and bicultural students. This is particularly troubling because the explicit goal of the social studies is to cultivate civic participation. Educational inequalities are thus tied to political inequalities. In light of this, this article shares a narrative case study of the author\u27s own bilingual and bicultural approach to teaching middle school civics at a dual-language American school in Mexico. Through the illustration of a comparative civics curriculum that incorporates translanguaging practices, the author argues that embracing bilingualism and biculturalism in the social studies can lead to more expansive possibilities for justice-oriented civic education

Are We “Reading the World”? A Review of Multicultural Literature on Globalization

Given its commitment to “reading” the social context, how is multicultural education accounting for the shifting context of our globalized world? A conceptual review of multicultural journals reveals limited engagement. However, a more sustained analysis could fuel re-articulations and contestations of the purpose of education in the 21st century

“The path of social justice”: A Human Rights History of Social Justice Education

Although not often recognized, social justice education in the U.S. is historically and philosophically tied to the twentieth century\u27s human rights initiatives. The efforts of human rights pioneers, such as those who authored the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, have indelibly shaped social justice efforts, including within education, in the U.S. Reframing social justice education in light of human rights gives clarity to and concretizes our work as social justice educators: It strengthens a vision of education as central to promoting rights and justice; it refocuses attention on a broader array of fundamental rights, and it explicitly contests our globalized and neoliberal context, a context heavily influencing educational reform

Improved reperfusion following alternative surgical approach for experimental stroke in mice

Background: Following ischemic stroke, recanalisation and restoration of blood flow to the affected area of the brain is critical and directly correlates with patient recovery. In vivo models of ischemic stroke show high variability in outcomes which may be due to variability in reperfusion. We previously reported that a surgical refinement in the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model of stroke, via repair of the common carotid artery (CCA), removes the reliance on the Circle of Willis for reperfusion and reduced infarct variability. Here we further assess this refined surgical approach on reperfusion characteristics following transient MCAO in mice.Methods: Mice underwent 60 min of MCAO, followed by either CCA repair or ligation at reperfusion. All mice underwent laser speckle contrast imaging at baseline, 24h and 48h post-MCAO.Results: CCA ligation reduced cerebral perfusion in the ipsilateral hemisphere compared to baseline (102.3 ± 4.57 %) at 24h (85.13 ± 16.09 %; P [less than] 0.01) and 48h (75.04 ± 12.954 %; P [less than] 0.001) post-MCAO. Repair of the CCA returned perfusion to baseline (94.152 ± 2.44 %) levels and perfusion was significantly improved compared to CCA ligation at both 24h (102.83 ± 8.41 %; P [less than] 0.05) and 48h (102.13 ± 9.34 %; P [less than] 0.001) post-MCAO. Conclusions: Our findings show CCA repair, an alternative surgical approach for MCAO, results in improved ischemic hemisphere perfusion during the acute phase

Longitudinal Multimodal fMRI to Investigate Neurovascular Changes in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Hypertension is an important risk factor for age‐related cognitive decline and neuronal pathologies. Studies have shown a correlation between hypertension, disruption in neurovascular coupling and cerebral autoregulation, and cognitive decline. However, the mechanisms behind this are unclear. To further understand this, it is advantageous to study neurovascular coupling as hypertension progresses in a rodent model. Here, we use a longitudinal functional MRI (fMRI) protocol to assess the impact of hypertension on neurovascular coupling in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Eight female SHRs were studied at 2, 4, and 6 months of age, as hypertension progressed. Under an IV infusion of propofol, animals underwent fMRI, functional MR spectroscopy, and cerebral blood flow (CBF) quantification to study changes in neurovascular coupling over time. Blood pressure significantly increased at 4 and 6 months (P < .0001). CBF significantly increased at 4 months old (P < .05), in the acute stage of hypertension. The size of the active region decreased significantly at 6 months old (P < .05). Change in glutamate signal during activation, and N‐acetyl‐aspartate (NAA) signal, remained constant. This study shows that, while cerebral autoregulation is impaired in acute hypertension, the blood oxygenation‐level‐dependent (BOLD) response remains unaltered until later stages. At this stage, the consistent NAA and glutamate signals show that neuronal death has not occurred, and that neuronal activity is not affected at this stage. This suggests that neuronal activity and viability is not lost until much later, and changes observed here in BOLD activity are due to vascular effects

Improving the Cheetah Conservation Fund\u27s Livestock Guarding Dog Program through the Dissemination of Visual Media

This project addressed problems with the dissemination of information regarding the raising and training of livestock guarding dogs for the Cheetah Conservation Fund\u27s Livestock Guarding Dog Program. Through interviews with commercial and communal farmers we were able to determine the preferred method for receiving raising and training information for livestock guardians, which led to the development of a detailed storyboard for the production of an instructional video as well as a pictorial poster to be placed in farming areas

A review of experimental models of focal cerebral ischemia focusing on the middle cerebral artery occlusion model

Cerebral ischemic stroke is a leading cause of death and disability, but current pharmacological therapies are limited in their utility and effectiveness. In vitro and in vivo models of ischemic stroke have been developed which allow us to further elucidate the pathophysiological mechanisms of injury and investigate potential drug targets. In vitro models permit mechanistic investigation of the biochemical and molecular mechanisms of injury but are reductionist and do not mimic the complexity of clinical stroke. In vivo models of ischemic stroke directly replicate the reduction in blood flow and the resulting impact on nervous tissue. The most frequently used in vivo model of ischemic stroke is the intraluminal suture middle cerebral artery occlusion (iMCAO) model, which has been fundamental in revealing various aspects of stroke pathology. However, the iMCAO model produces lesion volumes with large standard deviations even though rigid surgical and data collection protocols are followed. There is a need to refine the MCAO model to reduce variability in the standard outcome measure of lesion volume. The typical approach to produce vessel occlusion is to induce an obstruction at the origin of the middle cerebral artery and reperfusion is reliant on the Circle of Willis (CoW). However, in rodents the CoW is anatomically highly variable which could account for variations in lesion volume. Thus, we developed a refined approach whereby reliance on the CoW for reperfusion was removed. This approach improved reperfusion to the ischemic hemisphere, reduced variability in lesion volume by 30%, and reduced group sizes required to determine an effective treatment response by almost 40%. This refinement involves a methodological adaptation of the original surgical approach which we have shared with the scientific community via publication of a visualised methods article and providing hands-on training to other experimental stroke researchers

A longitudinal, multi-parametric functional MRI study to determine age-related changes in the rodent brain

As the population ages, the incidence of age-related neurological diseases and cognitive decline increases. To further understand disease-related changes in brain function it is advantageous to examine brain activity changes in healthy aging rodent models to permit mechanistic investigation. Here, we examine the suitability, in rodents, of using a novel, minimally invasive anaesthesia protocol in combination with a functional MRI protocol to assess alterations in neuronal activity due to physiological aging. 11 Wistar Han female rats were studied at 7, 9, 12, 15 and 18 months of age. Under an intravenous infusion of propofol, animals underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy (fMRS) with forepaw stimulation to quantify neurotransmitter activity, and resting cerebral blood flow (CBF) quantification using arterial spin labelling (ASL) to study changes in neurovascular coupling over time. Animals showed a significant decrease in size of the active region with age (P [less than] 0.05). fMRS results showed a significant decrease in glutamate change with stimulation (?Glu) with age (P < 0.05), and ?Glu became negative from 12 months onwards. Global CBF remained constant for the duration of the study. This study shows age related changes in the blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) response in rodents that correlate with those seen in humans. The results also suggest that a reduction in synaptic glutamate turnover with age may underlie the reduction in the BOLD response, while CBF is preserved

Characteristics and survival of patients diagnosed with cardiac sarcoidosis: A case series

BackgroundSarcoidosis is a multiorgan system granulomatous disease of unknown etiology. It is hypothesized that a combination of environmental, occupational, and/or infectious factors provoke an immunological response in genetically susceptible individuals, resulting in a diversity of manifestations throughout the body. In the United States, cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) is diagnosed in 5% of patients with systemic sarcoidosis, however, autopsy results suggest that cardiac involvement may be present in &gt; 50% of patients. CS is debilitating and significantly decreases quality of life and survival. Currently, there are no gold-standard clinical diagnostic or monitoring criteria for CS.MethodsWe identified patients with a diagnosis of sarcoidosis who were seen at the Simmons Center from 2007 to 2020 who had a positive finding of CS documented with cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) and/or endomyocardial biopsy as found in the electronic health record. Medical records were independently reviewed for interpretation and diagnostic features of CS including late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) patterns, increased signal on T2-weighted imaging, and non-caseating granulomas, respectively. Extracardiac organ involvement, cardiac manifestations, comorbid conditions, treatment history, and vital status were also abstracted.ResultsWe identified 44 unique patients with evidence of CS out of 246 CMR reports and 9 endomyocardial biopsy pathology reports. The first eligible case was diagnosed in 2007. The majority of patients (73%) had pulmonary manifestations, followed by hepatic manifestations (23%), cutaneous involvement (23%), and urolithiasis (20%). Heart failure was the most common cardiac manifestation affecting 59% of patients. Of these, 39% had a documented left ventricular ejection fraction of &lt; 50% on CMR. Fifty eight percent of patients had a conduction disease and 44% of patients had documented ventricular arrhythmias. Pharmacotherapy was usually initiated for extracardiac manifestations and 93% of patients had been prescribed prednisone. ICD implantation occurred in 43% of patients. Patients were followed up for a median of 5.4 (IQR: 2.4–8.5) years. The 10-year survival was 70%. In addition to age, cutaneous involvement was associated with an increased risk of death (age-adjusted OR 8.47, 95% CI = 1.11–64.73).ConclusionCMR is an important tool in the non-invasive diagnosis of CS. The presence of LGE on CMR in a pattern consistent with CS has been shown to be a predictor of mortality and likely contributed to a high proportion of patients undergoing ICD implantation to decrease risk of sudden cardiac death.Clinical implicationsAdditional studies are necessary to develop robust criteria for the diagnosis of CS with CMR, assess the benefit of serial imaging for disease monitoring, and evaluate the effect of immunosuppression on disease progression