Re-Imagining Andragogy for Innovative and Inclusive Leadership Training for Minority Women in Higher Education

The purpose of this case study undertaken in 2021 was to explore the different ways educators in higher education might implement innovative andragogical practices for inclusive leadership training for minority women. There is need for minority women to develop abilities to make personal adjustments as well as receive support from external structures if they are to benefit from leadership training programs and to be successful leaders (Flower, 2021). The potential for innovation to shift towards a more engaged form of teaching and learning is very important in the 21st Century especially for the inclusion of minority women in leadership in higher education. Trainers of minority women for leadership must reflect on their praxis and learn how to implement innovative and responsive andragogical practices that engage and empower minority women in higher education. This case study attempted to answer a critical question: How might educators in higher education implement innovative andragogical practices for inclusive leadership training for minority women? This study was anchored on transformative leadership theory which aims at building socially just systems in a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world (Shields, 2018). Protagonists of transformative leadership theory urge educators to proactively initiate conversations and implement praxis that remove barriers that impede groups of learners, such as minority women, from thriving to their full potential. Researchers conducted online focus group discussions with eight minority women as tools to collect data for this study. More data was collected from participants’ personal stories. Focus group conversations and participants’ stories were recorded on Zoom. The data collected was analysed through the constant comparison of conversations and stories to distil common themes. Six common themes emerged as perceived game changers in the implementation of effective andragogical practices for the training of minority women for leadership in higher education. The six themes include (a) positive self-worth, (b) effective mentorship and role modelling, (c) networks of supportive partner allies, (d) female models and styles of leadership, (e) mindset change, and (f) male positive perception of women as leaders

Rehabilitation in Nursing Homes: A Cross-National Comparison of Recipients

Objective: To examine the prevalence of therapy use in nursing homes in selected countries and to describe the characteristics of nursing home residents who receive therapy. Design and sampling: The design of the study is cross-sectional, using Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessments of nursing home residents. The sample includes all nursing home residents in six US states (n=273491), in Copenhagen, Denmark (n=;3451), Reyjkavik, Iceland (n=1254), and selected locations in Italy (n=1089) and Japan (n=1255). Method: We determined who had received physical or occupational therapy treatments in the last 7 days. Demographic and clinical characteristics of recipients were compared relative to other nursing home residents within each country. Results: In the five countries, the prevalence of receiving therapy was 31% (Iceland), 30% Qapan), 23% (Denmark), 14% (Italy) and 11% (USA). Substantial proportions of the recipients were over the age of 85, were clinically stable and had been in the nursing home for longer than 90 days. Across all countries, residents with poorer activities of daily living (ADL) scores but good cognitive scores were more likely to receive therapy than other residents. Rehabilitation nursing, an adjunct to therapy, was concentrated on residents with poor ADL scores. Conclusions: Substantial numbers of long-stay residents receive therapy in nursing homes, including those over the age of 85 years and those with cognitive impairment. Hence, future rehabilitation outcome studies can involve these previously understudied patient population

Massive black holes regulated by luminous blue variable mass loss and magnetic fields

We investigate the effects of mass loss during the main-sequence (MS) and post-MS phases of massive star evolution on black hole (BH) birth masses. We compute solar metallicity Geneva stellar evolution models of an 85 $M_{\odot}$ star with mass-loss rate ($\dot{M}$) prescriptions for MS and post-MS phases and analyze under which conditions such models could lead to very massive BHs. Based on the observational constraints for $\dot{M}$ of luminous stars, we discuss two possible scenarios that could produce massive BHs at high metallicity. First, if a massive BH progenitor evolves from the observed population of massive MS stars known as WNh stars, we show that its average post-MS mass-loss rate has to be less than $1\,\times10^{-5}\,M_{\odot}$/yr. However, this is lower than the typical observed mass-loss rates of luminous blue variables (LBV). Second, a massive BH progenitor could evolve from a yet undetected population of $80-85$ $M_{\odot}$ stars with strong surface magnetic fields, which could quench mass loss during the evolution. In this case, the average mass-loss rate during the post-MS LBV phase has to be less than $5\,\times10^{-5}\,M_{\odot}$/yr to produce 70 $M_{\odot}$ BHs. We suggest that LBVs that explode as SNe have large envelopes and small cores that could be prone to explosion, possibly evolving from binary interaction (either mergers or mass gainers that do not fully mix). Conversely, LBVs that directly collapse to BHs could have evolve from massive single stars or binary-star mergers that fully mix, possessing large cores that would favor BH formation.Comment: Accepted in Ap

The Evolutionarily Conserved Longevity Determinants HCF-1 and SIR-2.1/SIRT1 Collaborate to Regulate DAF-16/FOXO

The conserved DAF-16/FOXO transcription factors and SIR-2.1/SIRT1 deacetylases are critical for diverse biological processes, particularly longevity and stress response; and complex regulation of DAF-16/FOXO by SIR-2.1/SIRT1 is central to appropriate biological outcomes. Caenorhabditis elegans Host Cell Factor 1 (HCF-1) is a longevity determinant previously shown to act as a co-repressor of DAF-16. We report here that HCF-1 represents an integral player in the regulatory loop linking SIR-2.1/SIRT1 and DAF-16/FOXO in both worms and mammals. Genetic analyses showed that hcf-1 acts downstream of sir-2.1 to influence lifespan and oxidative stress response in C. elegans. Gene expression profiling revealed a striking 80% overlap between the DAF-16 target genes responsive to hcf-1 mutation and sir-2.1 overexpression. Subsequent GO-term analyses of HCF-1 and SIR-2.1-coregulated DAF-16 targets suggested that HCF-1 and SIR-2.1 together regulate specific aspects of DAF-16-mediated transcription particularly important for aging and stress responses. Analogous to its role in regulating DAF-16/SIR-2.1 target genes in C. elegans, the mammalian HCF-1 also repressed the expression of several FOXO/SIRT1 target genes. Protein–protein association studies demonstrated that SIR-2.1/SIRT1 and HCF-1 form protein complexes in worms and mammalian cells, highlighting the conservation of their regulatory relationship. Our findings uncover a conserved interaction between the key longevity determinants SIR-2.1/SIRT1 and HCF-1, and they provide new insights into the complex regulation of FOXO proteins

Establishing a Smartphone Ambulatory ECG Service for Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department with Pre-Syncope and Palpitations

Background and Objectives: The Investigation of Palpitations in the ED (IPED) study showed that a smartphone-based event recorder increased the number of patients in whom an electrocardiogram (ECG) was captured during symptoms over five-fold to more than 55% at 90 days compared to standard care and concluded that this safe, non-invasive and easy-to-use device should be considered part of on-going care to all patients presenting acutely with unexplained palpitations or pre-syncope. This study reports the process of establishing a smartphone palpitation and pre-syncope ambulatory care Clinic (SPACC) service. Materials and Methods: A clinical standard operating procedure (SOP) was devised, and funding was secured through a business case for the purchase of 40 AliveCor devices in the first instance. The clinic was launched on 22 July 2019. Results: Between 22 July 2019 and 31 October 2019, 68 patients seen in the emergency departments (EDs) with palpitations or pre-syncope were referred to SPACC. Of those, 30 were male and 38 were female, and the mean age was 45.8 years old (SD 15.1) with a range from 18 years old to 80 years old. A total of 50 (74%) patients underwent full investigation. On the first assessment, seven (10%) patients were deemed to have non-cardiac palpitations and were not fitted with the device. All patients who underwent full investigation achieved symptomatic rhythm correlation most with sinus rhythm, ventricular ectopics, or bigeminy. A symptomatic cardiac dysrhythmia was detected in six (8.8%) patients. Three patients had supraventricular tachycardia (4%), two had atrial fibrillation (3%), and one had atrial flutter (2%). Qualitative feedback from the SPACC team suggested several areas where improvement to the clinic could be made. Conclusion: We believe a smartphone palpitation service based on ambulatory care is simple to implement and is effective at detecting cardiac dysrhythmia in ED palpitation patients

Defining and assessing spiritual health : a comparative study among 13- to 15-year-old pupils attending secular schools, Anglican schools, and private Christian schools in England and Wales

This article argues that the nation's commitment to young people involves proper concern for their physical health, their psychological health, and their spiritual health. In this context the notion of spiritual health is clarified by a critique of John Fisher's model of spiritual health. Fisher developed a relational model of spiritual health, which defines good spiritual health in terms of an individual's relationship to four domains: the personal, the communal, the environmental, and the transcendental. In the present analysis, we make comparisons between pupils educated in three types of schools: publicly funded schools without religious foundation, publicly funded schools with an Anglican foundation, and new independent Christian schools (not publicly funded). Our findings draw attention to significant differences in the levels of spiritual health experienced by pupils within these three types of schools

PL - 033 A translational model of muscle protein synthetic bioactivity in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo

Objective The aim of this research was the development and validation of a translational model for the evaluation of exercise and nutrient stimulated muscle protein synthesis (MPS). To achieve this overall aim, three primary objectives had to be realised: (i) Development of an in vitro skeletal muscle cell bioassay to measure muscle growth and MPS; (ii) Development of an ex vivo model to evaluate the humoral effect on MPS in response to nutrient feeding and exercise; (iii) Use of a stable isotope technique to evaluate MPS in response to nutrient feeding and exercise in vivo. Methods To develop a novel in vitro skeletal muscle cell bioassay to measure muscle growth and MPS, C2C12 myoblasts were proliferated and subsequently differentiated to myotubes over 8 days in DMEM (2% HS). Changes in cell behavior and adhesion properties were monitored by measuring impedance via interdigitated microelectrodes using the xCELLigence system. MPS was measured by puromycin incorporation using the SUnSET technique, intracellular signalling measured by western blot, and myotube thickness by microscopy. To demonstrate the capability to monitor nutrient regulation of muscle growth, media was conditioned with a known potent regulator of MPS (leucine) in a dose response experiment (0.20 - 2.0 mM). To establish the ability of the bioassay to measure the humoral effect of MPS in response to feeding and exercise, media was conditioned by ex vivo human serum from fasted, rested, fed (protein and isonitrogenous non-essential amino acid (NEAA) control)  and post-exercise conditions. To evaluate MPS in response to nutrient feeding and exercise in vivo, acute MPS (5 h) was assessed by measuring stable isotope deuterium oxide (D2O) incorporation into m. vastus lateralis skeletal muscle following consumption of either a Whey Protein (WP) or an isonitrogenous NEAA control combined with resistance exercise in resistance trained males. Results In vitro experiments observed a dose-response effect with a 32 % increase in cell index and a 27 % increase in cell thickness after 2 h in the presence of 2.0 mM leucine when compared with control myotubes. Ex vivo serum following ingestion of NEAA had no effect on protein signalling or MPS whereas WP fed serum significantly increased mTOR, P70S6K and 4E-BP1 phosphorylation (p<0.01, p<0.05) compared to fasted serum. Furthermore, the effect of WP fed serum on protein signalling and MPS was significantly increased (p<0.01, p<0.05) compared to NEAA fed serum.  Ex vivo human serum following resistance exercise was also increased MPS (29 %) and phosphorylation of mTOR (6 %), p70S6K (12 %) and 4EBP1 (7 %), compared with resting serum. These ex vivo/in vitro findings translated to the in vivo model as myofibrillar fractional synthetic rates (myoFSR) (Basal 0.068±0.002%h-1 vs. WP 0.084±0.006 %h-1, p=0.033) and absolute synthetic rates (ASR) (Basal 10.34±1.01 vs. WP 13.18±0.71 g.day-1, p=0.026) were increased from basal levels only when resistance exercise was combined with WP ingestion and not the NEAA control (NEAA MPS 0.072±0.004%h-1, NEAA ASR 10.23±0.80 g.day-1).  Thus, ingestion of WP in combination with resistance training augments acute MPS responses in resistance trained young men. Conclusions We have developed a translational model of muscle protein synthetic bioactivity using in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo methodologies. We have shown that we can impact MPS in vitro using ex vivo human serum to condition media, that MPS in vitro is differentially regulated by ex vivo serum containing bioactive WP compared to a non-bioactive NEAA control, and that this tranlates for resistance exercise combined with WP in humans when MyoFSR is measured using stable isotope technology.  These experiments demonstrate that ex vivo/in vitro experiments translate to the in vivo model and these methods can be used to inform both exercise and nutrient human interventions.&nbsp