Cultural Justice [7th grade]

This unit focuses on cultural justice and how the type of justice implemented depends on the culture. The unit focuses on the 3 essential questions: What is justice? Is there truly justice for all? And is one culture\u27s system of justice better than another? Along with these three questions, the unit also focuses on the 4 types of justice: revenge, retribution, rehabilitation, and restoration. This unit begins with reading Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelson, a story about a boy, Cole, who is sent to live alone on an island instead of being sent to jail for committing a crime. This fiction novel depicts the Native American form of justice, Circle Justice, which as a restorative form of justice seeks to heal everyone involved in the crime committed. Along with this fiction novel, students will read nonfiction stories and newspaper articles about China\u27s justice system and the United States\u27 justice system. In this unit, students will compare these 3 systems of justice in attempts to answer the 3 essential questions. The unit concludes with 2 projects. The first project is a group project where the class will be divided into 3 groups. Each group will be presented with the same case and will research the 3 justice systems (Native American Circle Justice, China, and the United States). After researching each justice system, the groups will decide how each justice system would resolve the case and will decide what is the best solution. Each group will then present their work to the class. The second project is an individual project, where each student will find a current newspaper article on a legal case. Each student will then write a case study on what type of justice is being implemented and will make a prediction of the possible outcome of the case

Great Gatsby [11th grade]

This unit focuses on exploring The Great Gatsby and how the time period and culture in which the novel is written plays a vital part in the author s overall message in the novel. One of the key understandings to this unit is how good literature makes a statement on culture, but great literature is timeless and universal and provides a lens to view our own lives and society. Through an examination of the 1920s culture, the students will be able to understand Fitzgerald s message about the 1920s. They will further examine this through a group project where they will take The Great Gatsby and compare it with Fitzgerald s short stories. Since the stories were written as precursors to The Great Gatsby and as failed attempts to write The Great Gatsby, the groups will examine the differences in plot, characters, and setting along with how each uses themes and imagery to portray Fitzgerald s message about the 1920s. The groups will compare the message of each story to each other and create a poster that depicts their results. In order to show how these messages can reflect today s society, each student will choose a central theme in The Great Gatsby and show/tell how it is present in today s society. The student can choose between a variety of mediums and must include a one-page explanation of the project. Along with exploring the author s message through literature, the students will also explore the major themes in The Great Gatsby. They will explore the themes of identity and reality versus illusion. They will begin to think about these themes through the chalk talk questions (How can it be possible to not know oneself? How is one s life affected either by the process of self-discovery or by the failure to try to understand oneself? Why do some people have difficulty distinguishing between what is reality and what is illusion?) and the discussion about The Great Gatsby

Making Writing Personal [6th grade]

In this unit, students will view nonfiction and fiction as a commentary on an author’s personal life and on society, particularly the life of a migrant worker. Students will also begin to view writing as a process and as a reflection of self. Students will begin the unit by delving into the following questions: How does literature reflect a culture or time period? What can we learn from the past? To what extent can fiction reveal truth? Should a story teach you something? Why write? Why share personal experiences in writing? What makes writing worth reading? Through these questions, students will look at literature and their own writing with a critical eye. While interacting with fiction and nonfiction (Esperanza Rising, “The Circuit,” “The Harvest (Historical context),” “Communication Facts: Special Populations: Migrant Workers in the U.S.-2008 Edition,” Voices from the Fields: Children of Migrant Farmworkers Tell Their Stories, and Barefoot Heart: Stories of a Migrant Child), this unit also has an emphasis on writing and having the students as writers connect to their own stories. Students will complete a personal narrative, an argument essay/timed writing essay, and a research-based creative story. The culminating assessment for students will be, in groups, to conduct research on migrant workers and create a PowerPoint presentation or webpage detailing the information they find. This research will lead into the students’ individual projects. Using their research on migrant workers and the stories they have read, students will write an additional chapter to “The Circuit.

Exploring Media [6th grade]

In this unit, students will explore media and will focus on how media has different forms based on its purposes, how it can persuade viewers or readers using a variety of elements and tools, and how it reflects a society\u27s values. Students will begin the unit by delving into it with the following questions: What is media? Why do we use different forms of media? Newspapers? Magazine? Internet? Television? Radio? How do effective advertisements hook the consumers? How do we read media? Should we believe everything we see and hear? Does media reflect a society or does it shape how a society views itself? What can we learn from media? Through these questions, students will be forced to look at media with a critical eye and become discerning viewers and readers. Through use of media via television, internet, and magazines, students will analyze media as it is used for advertisements. They will analyze advertisements as a class, in cooperative learning groups, and by themselves. Students will also explore the types of media and the terms associated with media. The culminating assessment for students will be to create a commercial advertising candy. Each student will create a piece of candy and will write a proposal for a commercial. Then the students will present their proposals to their cooperative learning groups where the group will decide which commercial to use. Students will have a couple of days to work on their drafts of their commercials and to practice performing it. At the end of the week, students will perform their commercials for the class. As a class, students will vote on the most innovative and creative commercial. Students will finish their projects by completing a group-assessment as well as a self-assessment

What is Poetry? [6th grade]

This unit focuses on the definition of poetry, its elements, and the types of poetry. The unit explores 4 essential questions: What is poetry? What is the difference between poetry and prose? How do you read a poem? What makes a poem great? Since poetry is an abstract term for most students, students will explore how poetry is different from prose. They will come to understand that it is written with a specific structure and that each aspect of a poem has a purpose. Students will read, analyze, and write poetry. They will begin the unit by responding to the essential questions to assess prior knowledge of poetry and its elements. Students will learn to appreciate poetry by listening and interacting with various poems. They will illustrate the meanings of poems, interact with other students in cooperative learning groups to compare and contrast poems, and work on their own analysis of a poem of their choice. Students will also analyze and delve into poetry on a daily basis through response journals. They will also utilize computers and the Library as resources during this unit. The culminating assessment for students will consist of creating a poetry book. Students will write 6 poems (acrostic, haiku, cinquain, diamante, biopoem, and narrative) using the rules that apply to each type of poetry. The poems will focus on the students as individuals and the changes that have occurred in their lives throughout the year. They will type and create illustrations for each poem. Students will then decorate, put their poetry books together, and share with the class. Once this is done, students will post their poems on poetry.com (publish), and it is the student’s choice whether or not to have them rated. They will complete a self-assessment as well as peer-assessments of their poetry books

Exploring Expository through Culture

This unit focuses on exploring expository through culture by having students realize that effective expository essays contain an engaging introduction, a well-supported controlling idea (thesis statement), and thought-provoking conclusion. Students will write two process essays along with including multiple prewriting prompts and a timed writing. Through a variety of activities, students will build their confidence and skill as writers. The second enduring understanding—understanding of diverse cultures can be gained by acknowledging differences and similarities in beliefs, traditions, customs, and histories—allows students to make connections to their own lives and experiences while also learning more about their classmates and school culture. Through this unit, students will explore different cultures and gain empathy towards other cultures by researching an influential person of another culture, researching another culture, and researching their own culture. The cumulative assessment allows choice for the student to demonstrate their overall understanding of their own culture and how it relates to others through the use of different mediums. Students will present their projects to the class and reflect on what they have learned in a one-page reflection

Outcomes of limited stage primary bone diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in the rituximab era: a multicenter, retrospective study

Primary bone diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is a rare variant of extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma historically treated with induction chemotherapy followed by consolidative radiation therapy (RT). It remains unknown whether RT confers additional benefit following rituximab-based chemoimmunotherapy (CIT) induction in patients with limited stage disease. We conducted a multicenter, retrospective analysis of patients treated between 2005 and 2019 using rituximab-based CIT regimens with or without consolidative RT to discern whether consolidative RT adds benefit in patients with stage I-II disease that could be encompassed in one radiation field. A total of 112 patients were included: 78 received CIT and radiation (RT group), and 34 received CIT alone (no RT group). The overall survival at 10 years was 77.9% in the RT group and 89.0% in the no RT group (P=0.42). The relapse-free survival at 10 years was 73.5% in the RT group and 80.3% in the no RT group (P=0.88). Neither improved overall survival nor relapse-free survival was associated with the addition of consolidative RT. Subgroup analysis of patients only achieving a partial response after CIT suggests that these patients may benefit from consolidative RT

Assessment of subjective emotional valence and long-lasting impact of life events: development and psychometrics of the Stralsund Life Event List (SEL)

Abstract Background Life events (LEs) are associated with future physical and mental health. They are crucial for understanding the pathways to mental disorders as well as the interactions with biological parameters. However, deeper insight is needed into the complex interplay between the type of LE, its subjective evaluation and accompanying factors such as social support. The “Stralsund Life Event List” (SEL) was developed to facilitate this research. Methods The SEL is a standardized interview that assesses the time of occurrence and frequency of 81 LEs, their subjective emotional valence, the perceived social support during the LE experience and the impact of past LEs on present life. Data from 2265 subjects from the general population-based cohort study “Study of Health in Pomerania” (SHIP) were analysed. Based on the mean emotional valence ratings of the whole sample, LEs were categorized as “positive” or “negative”. For verification, the SEL was related to lifetime major depressive disorder (MDD; Munich Composite International Diagnostic Interview), childhood trauma (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire), resilience (Resilience Scale) and subjective health (SF-12 Health Survey). Results The report of lifetime MDD was associated with more negative emotional valence ratings of negative LEs (OR = 2.96, p  0.75). Conclusions The SEL is a valid instrument that enables the analysis of the number and frequency of LEs, their emotional valence, perceived social support and current impact on life on a global score and on an individual item level. Thus, we can recommend its use in research settings that require the assessment and analysis of the relationship between the occurrence and subjective evaluation of LEs as well as the complex balance between distressing and stabilizing life experiences

Patterns and timing of sunlight exposure and risk of basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas of the skin – a case–control study

Abstract Background Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC), comprised of basal (BCC) and squamous (SCC) cell carcinomas, is the most common cancer in Caucasians. Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure is the most important environmental risk factor for NMSC. However, the precise relationship between UVR and the risk of NMSC is complex, and the relationship may differ by skin cancer type. Methods A case–control study was conducted among Florida residents to investigate measures of patterns (intermittent vs. continuous) and timing (childhood vs. adulthood) of sunlight exposure in BCC and SCC. Participants included 218 BCC and 169 SCC cases recruited from a university dermatology clinic and 316 controls with no history of skin or other cancers. Results A history of blistering sunburn (a measure of intermittent sunlight exposure) was associated with both BCC (OR = 1.96, 95% CI = 1.27-3.03) and SCC (OR = 2.02, 95% CI = 1.22-3.33). Additionally, having a job in the sun for ≥3 months for 10 years or longer (a measure of continuous sunlight exposure) was also associated with both BCC and SCC in our study population. With the exception of younger age at first blistering sunburn, measures of younger age at sunlight exposure tended to be associated with SCC, but not BCC risk. Conclusions Results from the current study suggest that sunlight exposure is associated with both BCC and SCC risk regardless of the pattern in which the exposure was received (i.e. intermittent vs. continuous). The data also suggest that sunlight exposure at a younger age may be more important for SCC but not BCC, however additional studies are needed to further characterize sunlight exposure-response relationships in different types of NMSC.</p

In Vitro and in Vivo Analysis of the Binding of the C Terminus of the HDL Receptor Scavenger Receptor Class B, Type I (SR-BI), to the PDZ1 Domain of Its Adaptor Protein PDZK1*

The PDZ1 domain of the four PDZ domain-containing protein PDZK1 has been reported to bind the C terminus of the HDL receptor scavenger receptor class B, type I (SR-BI), and to control hepatic SR-BI expression and function. We generated wild-type (WT) and mutant murine PDZ1 domains, the mutants bearing single amino acid substitutions in their carboxylate binding loop (Lys14-Xaa4-Asn19-Tyr-Gly-Phe-Phe-Leu24), and measured their binding affinity for a 7-residue peptide corresponding to the C terminus of SR-BI (503VLQEAKL509). The Y20A and G21Y substitutions abrogated all binding activity. Surprisingly, binding affinities (Kd) of the K14A and F22A mutants were 3.2 and 4.0 μm, respectively, similar to 2.6 μm measured for the WT PDZ1. To understand these findings, we determined the high resolution structure of WT PDZ1 bound to a 5-residue sequence from the C-terminal SR-BI (505QEAKL509) using x-ray crystallography. In addition, we incorporated the K14A and Y20A substitutions into full-length PDZK1 liver-specific transgenes and expressed them in WT and PDZK1 knock-out mice. In WT mice, the transgenes did not alter endogenous hepatic SR-BI protein expression (intracellular distribution or amount) or lipoprotein metabolism (total plasma cholesterol, lipoprotein size distribution). In PDZK1 knock-out mice, as expected, the K14A mutant behaved like wild-type PDZK1 and completely corrected their hepatic SR-BI and plasma lipoprotein abnormalities. Unexpectedly, the 10–20-fold overexpressed Y20A mutant also substantially, but not completely, corrected these abnormalities. The results suggest that there may be an additional site(s) within PDZK1 that bind(s) SR-BI and mediate(s) productive SR-BI-PDZK1 interaction previously attributed exclusively to the canonical binding of the C-terminal SR-BI to PDZ1