BRCA1 Zinc RING Finger Domain Disruption Alters Caspase Response in Ovarian Surface Epithelial Cells

BACKGROUND: The frequently occurring 185delAG mutation occurs in the amino-terminal zinc RING domain of the breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility gene, BRCA1. We sought to determine differential cell viability and apoptotic response of human ovarian surface epithelial cells with and without the 185delAG mutation. RESULTS: BRCA1wt and BRCA1+ cells were treated with staurosporine. Cell proliferation assays showed BRCA1wt cells grew to a greater extent compared to BRCA1+ cells. Trypan blue exclusion assays confirmed this observation. Western immunoblot analysis revealed that caspase 3 levels were higher after staurosporine treatment in BRCA1+ cells than in wild type cells, while full length DNA Fragmentation Factor 45 levels were lower in BRCA1+ cells. While there was no significant difference in levels of excision repair cross complementing protein1 (ERCC1) with BRCA1 status, BRCA1+ cells demonstrated cleavage of polyribose ADP polymerase (PARP) before wild type cells. CONCLUSIONS: Disruption of the BRCA1 RING domain caused altered cell viability and caspase-dependent apoptotic response after chemotoxic stress

Capacity development through digital informal learning experiences: An exploration of the entrepreneurial competency development of self-employed Canadian mothers using a learning ecologies framework

Many Canadian women pursue self-employment during motherhood to create flexible working conditions. Although there is ample literature on the motherhood penalty and female entrepreneurship, little research exists on the development of entrepreneurial competencies through digital informal learning and how this impacts capacity development. An ethnographic approach guided the design of a mixed-methods research study, which focused on the digital learning experiences of 47 Canadian entrepreneurs who are mothers. A learning ecologies framework was applied to address the multidimensionality of individual learning experiences and the overall learning culture of the sample. The findings showed that the demands of motherhood influenced the learning culture of participants: learning was primarily informal and occurred in digital contexts, affording flexible learning experiences based on self-identified needs.Muchas mujeres canadienses buscan trabajo por cuenta propia durante su maternidad para tener condiciones de trabajo flexibles. Aunque existe una amplia literatura sobre la penalización por maternidad y el emprendimiento femenino, hay poca investigación sobre el desarrollo de competencias empresariales a través del aprendizaje informal digital y cómo esto afecta al desarrollo de capacidades. Un enfoque etnográfico guio el diseño de un estudio de investigación de métodos mixtos centrado en las experiencias de aprendizaje digital de 47 emprendedoras canadienses que son madres. Se aplicó un marco teórico de ecologías de aprendizaje para abordar la multidimensionalidad de las experiencias de aprendizaje individuales y la cultura de aprendizaje global de la muestra. Los resultados demostraron que las necesidades propias de la maternidad influyen en la cultura de aprendizaje de las participantes: el aprendizaje fue principalmente informal y tuvo lugar en contextos digitales, lo que permitió experiencias de aprendizaje flexibles basadas en necesidades autoidentificadas.Moltes dones canadenques busquen feina per compte propi durant la maternitat per tenir condicions laborals flexibles. Tot i que hi ha una àmplia literatura sobre la penalització per maternitat i l'emprenedoria femenina, hi ha poques recerques sobre el desenvolupament de competències empresarials mitjançant l'aprenentatge informal digital i com això afecta el desenvolupament de capacitats. Un enfocament etnogràfic va guiar el disseny d'un estudi de recerca de mètodes mixtos centrat en les experiències d'aprenentatge digital de 47 empresàries canadenques que són mares. Es va aplicar un marc teòric d'ecologies d'aprenentatge per abordar la multidimensionalitat de les experiències d'aprenentatge individuals i la cultura d'aprenentatge global de la mostra. Els resultats van demostrar que les necessitats pròpies de la maternitat influeixen en la cultura d'aprenentatge de les participants: l'aprenentatge va ser sobretot informal i va tenir lloc en contextos digitals, cosa que va permetre experiències d'aprenentatge flexibles basades en necessitats autoidentificades.E-learnin

Women and Worship Ministry: Contemporary Opportunities and Challenges

As a female, I am going to be going into a field of work that seems to be struggling with the transition between the traditional views of men only on church staff to allowing women on church\u27s staff. I know that as I enter the world looking for a job in a church, I may face multiple obstacles that make it difficult for me as a female to find one. I was hoping that this research/study will assist me in my future job applications, and help others when looking for a job as well. I approached dealing with this problem by looking both at the background of the church from Scripture, history, and today\u27s church conversation as well as looking into statistics that had been recorded by various organizations and my own survey findings. With this research and statistical information, I hoped to see the progression of the acceptance of women in church leadership as well as how today\u27s church was responding to women in ministry. Through the history research, I found that the church went through both positive and negative reactions to women in church leadership positions. During the survey observation, excitingly, I found that most churches reacted positively to a woman in ministry, and in my survey, those who were wanting to apply for the positions that they had opened. Overall, I found that historically some churches have not been interested in hiring women in their church, whether it is because of their interpretation of Scripture or personal preference. However, today the majority of the churches surveyed view their worship leader as a staff position. This excitingly shows that they have fewer issues with hiring a woman to fill this position

Section 1115 Waivers: Innovation Through Experimentation, or Stagnation Through Routine?

The Medicaid program operates as a federal-state partnership, in which the states agree to meet certain federally mandated requirements in exchange for federal matching funds for program expenditures. These federal matching funds can be anywhere from 50–90% of health care expenses incurred through state Medicaid programs. As such, states have a substantial interest in continuing this partnership and ensuring that their state plans comply with federal requirements. There is a way, though, in which states can gain more freedom in building their individual state plans. Through section 1115 waivers, states can ask the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) to waive certain federal requirements, thereby allowing a state to implement an “experimental, pilot, or demonstration project” as its Medicaid program. Demonstration projects are intended to benefit health care by allowing states to try innovative ideas. These projects also benefit states and state Medicaid beneficiaries by allowing states to try different approaches to Medicaid that are better tailored to local needs. However, since their inception in the 1960s, section 1115 waivers have been abused. For example, the federal government has used these waivers to push political agendas on states, and states have used the waivers to cut corners purely in the interest of saving money. Many scholars have spoken to these issues and proposed novel solutions. This Comment specifically looks to one aspect of potential abuse: the duration of the operation of demonstration projects. In 2017, CMS promulgated guidance that allowed for extensions of “routine, successful, non-complex” demonstration projects for up to ten years. However, section 1315, the governing statute of section 1115 waivers, only allows for extensions of up to three or five years. In fact, the statute explicitly limits waiver extensions to three or five years in two separate provisions, reinforcing Congress’s intention. Therefore, Congress did not leave a gap for CMS to fill in regard to this precise issue and CMS’s 2017 guidance is an impermissible construction of the statute. Additionally, the language “routine, successful, [and] non-complex” is in tension with the requirement that section 1115 waivers apply to “experimental, pilot, or demonstration project[s].” Experimental, pilot, and demonstration describe projects that have experimental value in that the projects test or trial experimental procedures. Routine, successful, and non-complex describe projects that no longer have experimental value because these projects have already been evaluated and determined to be successful with well-established procedures. In 2022, CMS removed the 2017 guidance and replaced it with 2015 guidance that only allows for waiver extensions up to the statutory limits of three or five years. But before replacing the 2017 guidance, CMS approved waiver extensions ranging from seven to ten years in nine states. A tenth state received an extension of ten years and nearly four months. All but one of those excessive extensions still stand today, unchanged. The original purpose of section 1115 waivers was to create meaningful innovations and improve outcomes for Medicaid beneficiaries. This Comment contends that ten-year extension periods obstruct this purpose. Long project durations like this hinder and delay innovation by allowing stagnant projects to continue to operate for extended periods of time under CMS’s radar. More regular reviews conducted at intervals of five years or fewer provide more opportunities for external review and data examination so CMS and states can make any necessary adjustments. Additionally, ten-year extension periods block stakeholders from participating in the decision-making process for an inordinate amount of time. Stakeholders have shown that they value the opportunity to participate in public notice and comment periods regarding section 1115 waivers and that they do not want to wait ten years to do so. Finally, ten-year extensions effectively solidify the negotiations and agreements made between two administrations—one state and one federal—for an unreasonable amount of time. The effect of this is that future administrations and future voters will be bound by a contract negotiated by individuals who may no longer be in office. Future voters, and the agendas they vote for, should be protected by limiting demonstration project extensions to three or five years. This Comment argues that, going forward, CMS should refrain from granting extensions in excess of the statutory three- or five-year limits. Further, while CMS has replaced the 2017 guidance, the agency must rescind or amend those extensions approved for periods in excess of five years under it. By revising the extensions to the statutorily prescribed operating periods, CMS would not only improve the functionality of the demonstration projects, but it would also address the invalidity of the 2017 guidance, thereby deterring administrations from reimplementing the ten-year extensions. Taking action by rescinding or amending these extensions is a critical step in ensuring that section 1115 waivers are able to fulfill their potential to create meaningful innovation and improved outcomes for Medicaid beneficiaries

Curriculum-embedded Reading Tests As Predictors Of Success On Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test In Reading

With the passing of the No Child Left Behind legislation (2001), individual states have been required to administer standardized tests to measure students’ academic achievement in several academic areas, including reading comprehension. Many schools are using curriculum embedded reading comprehension tests to assess students’ progress in achieving grade level expectations before the administration of state standardized test. This study used de-identified student data on curriculum embedded reading comprehension tests and the state standardized reading test, FCAT 2.0 to assess the correlation between a specific curriculum-based measure and the FCAT 2.0. The researcher used Pearson and Spearman Correlation to assess the predictive relationship of the curriculum-embedded reading tests and FCAT 2.0 reading. Strong correlations were found between the two assessments which educators may find useful when planning and differentiating reading comprehension instruction throughout the school year

Evolving definitions in digital learning: a national framework for categorizing commonly used terms

"This report builds upon several years of research conducted by the Canadian Digital Learning Research Association (CDLRA). Our team first put forth a proposed set of definitions related to digital learning in the 2018 National Report (available at www.cdlra-acrfl.ca/publications). Since that time, we have continued to investigate how institutions are defining terms such as online learning, distance learning, remote learning, and hybrid learning through qualitative interviews with senior administrators and consultations with provincial and national organizations and working groups. The 2021 National Survey of Online and Digital Learning asked institutions to provide their institutional definitions (if they had one) for these terms and their responses have informed this report."--(CDLRA

Curriculum-embedded Reading Tests As Predictors Of Success On Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test In Reading

With the passing of the No Child Left Behind legislation (2001), individual states have been required to administer standardized tests to measure students’ academic achievement in several academic areas, including reading comprehension. Many schools are using curriculum embedded reading comprehension tests to assess students’ progress in achieving grade level expectations before the administration of state standardized test. This study used de-identified student data on curriculum embedded reading comprehension tests and the state standardized reading test, FCAT 2.0 to assess the correlation between a specific curriculum-based measure and the FCAT 2.0. The researcher used Pearson and Spearman Correlation to assess the predictive relationship of the curriculum-embedded reading tests and FCAT 2.0 reading. Strong correlations were found between the two assessments which educators may find useful when planning and differentiating reading comprehension instruction throughout the school yea

Implementing Trauma-Informed Spaces in Education — An Audit Tool

The presentation will highlight the findings and recommendations from the “Developing a Trauma-Informed Practice Framework” (SRCA) 2021-2022 Growth Grant and “Cultivating Trauma-Informed Spaces in Education Promising Practices Manual” which was launched in 2023. The focus of the presentation will be on the newly developed Trauma-Informed Education Audit Tool designed for post-secondary education organizations