bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Managing Emotions in Teaching: Toward an Understanding of Emotion Displays and Caring as Nonprescribed Role Elements
Authors: Oplatka Izhar
Published: February 2022

Background

Much research has sought to investigate emotions and forms of emotion management among teachers worldwide, including the connection between educational change and teacher emotion; the association between the culture of teaching and teachers’ emotional experience within parent-teacher interactions; the link between teacher emotion and teacher beliefs; and the expressions and sources of a wide variety of emotions in teaching.

Purposes

Guided by a literature that explored the nonprescribed extrarole activities in noneducation sectors, the current study aimed at understanding the position of emotion management, such as caring, compassion, and emotion displays, in the teacher's role structure.

Population

A total of 50 teachers participated in this study, of which 40 women and 10 men represent the ratio of women to men teachers in the religiously nonobservant Jewish educational system, the largest one in Israel (66% of the K-12 students).

Research Design

Open-ended questions were used to gain the respondents’ subjective conceptualizations of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and emotion management in teaching. Additionally, the teachers’ subjective perceptions of the context affecting their OCBs were explored. Conclusions: Teachers’ emotion management is considered to be a discretionary, voluntary-based role element rather than a prescribed one. The teachers’ perspectives of emotion management in their role coincided with the term emotion work, which refers to situations in which employees personally choose to manage their emotions. Implications for teacher education and further research are suggested.
Racialized Space: Framing Latino and Latina Experience in Public Schools
Authors: Barajas Heidi Lasley , Ronnkvist Amy
Published: February 2022

Background

Educational research shows differences in experience, access, and outcomes across racial groups with some groups advantaged and others disadvantaged. One of the concepts used to explain racial differences, racialization, is a taken-for-granted term that is yet to be fully defined in the context of the school. We differentiate the term from racism and show how the organizational space of a school is racialized. Taking a cue from feminist research on gendered organizational space (Acker, 1989; Pierce, 1995) and research on white space (Feagin, 1996; Lipsitz, 1998), we define space as physical space and the implicit and explicit dialogue, processes, and practices that define relationships between structures and agents. Thus, space includes not only physical space but also the meanings and ideologies that mediate the relationship between social structures and agents.

Purpose of Study

We suggest that school spaces are racialized; that is, taken-for-granted notions of race mediate the relationship between the school and the actors that comprise it. Furthermore, we consider how racialization determines power in these relationships, and ultimately, how that power determines how policy is practiced in a school space.

Research Design

Our data comes from a qualitative case study focused on evaluating what factors influenced Latino college students’ success. Data was collected over a two year period through a mentor program at a large U.S. research university and includes both fieldwork and interview data.

Findings

We found that racialization occurred in school organizational spaces that invested in whiteness as a purportedly neutral category. In actuality, relationships and practices often delineated along racialized lines, distinguishing what it means to be white in such a space, and what it means not to be white in that space.

Conclusions

Conceptualizing school organizational spaces as a racialized white space allows us to examine and understand differences in the school along racial lines outside the limitations of individual prejudice or color-blind approaches—recognizing race is not the problem. The problem is being willing to recognize what we are doing, and then creating relationships that support a socially just educational organization.
Hard of Hearing in Sweden: Educating about and for Pathology
Authors: Stratton Alison
Published: February 2022

Background/Context

This article returns to and expands upon Cremin's and Garfinkel's ideas about education as work—deliberate, systematic, and sustained work—that changes one's consociates, whether planned or not. That is, education must be seen as occurring everywhere, to and by everyone, in many contexts other than in classrooms or schools.

Purpose

In particular, this article examines the ways in which people are instructed to become Hard of Hearing in Sweden. In Sweden, national and medical policies and practices have made Hard of Hearing people almost, but not quite, inevitable. This study explores how people teach each other about hearing loss, and the responses of those being taught.

Research Design

Data were collected in 1998-1999 during multi-sited anthropological field-work in Sweden and Denmark, at hearing aid examinations, hospitals, labs, schools, manufacturers’ offices, governmental institutions, research and training conferences, and universities. Research methods included participant observation, interviews, content analysis, and archival research.

Findings/Results

With the active guidance of the state and medicine, people in Sweden teach each other how to become Hard of Hearing. There are a variety of responses to these lessons, ranging from the compliant patient who goes to appointments and wears a hearing aid to patients who are not at all interested in these lessons and do not “obey their teachers” (e.g., audiologists, doctors, hearing aid manufacturers). Patients who do not conform create problems for the health care field and the Swedish state, undermining the structures of Hard of Hearing created to help people who, quite often, do not want to be helped.

Conclusion

Hard of Hearing is a social position (re)created by the interactions and interpretations of people, history, and machines, and whole segments of societies are dedicated to its maintenance. It is a transformative, supremely educational arena in which the state, medical institutions, and citizens try to make certain that (1) hearing loss is noticed and people are redefined as satisfactory Swedish Hard of Hearing persons, and (2) all this continues to change as institutions and persons notice each other and new deficiencies. By taking up the moments in the process of becoming Hard of Hearing, this case study exemplifies a broader concept of what can be considered “education.” If we are to fully understand what education is for culture theory and research, the kinds of moments and spaces in which learning takes place must include those historical processes, policies, places, and markets of everyday practice previously ignored.
Regrading the Eighth Grade: Disciplining those who Discipline in a Jesuit Middle School
Authors: Mullooly James
Published: February 2022

Background/Context

This article describes a series of events that brought matters of discipline to the forefront for all concerned at Loyola Middle School, a Catholic Jesuit middle school for disadvantaged Latino boys located in a midwestern city. A narrative of these events will be followed by a brief literature review that illustrates the preponderance of research conducted with a discipline-oriented approach to classroom activity.

Research Design

This qualitative case study was based on a yearlong ethnographic study and a content analysis of discussions that occurred during weekly faculty meetings.

Purpose

It will be argued that discipline may not actually deserve the importance it has received. Furthermore, it will be argued that the attention that has thus far focused on discipline has missed essential features of discipline's operation. Highlighting hidden processes of deliberate change involving discipline, the analysis focuses on a secondary tale that begins with actions of teachers that make student behavior horribly visible and then completely invisible.

Conclusions

The article concludes by linking this analysis to Cremin's definition of education as deliberate efforts to change one's consociates. Extending Garfinkel's classic description of degradation ceremonies, this analysis points out the danger that all participants share in such activities. When degradation ceremonies of individual students become potentially too dangerous for the survival of the school's reputation, it will be shown that deliberate efforts of “succeeding schools” can include “regrading” students.
Approaches to Teaching Thinking: Toward a Conceptual Mapping of the Field
Authors: Harpaz Yoram
Published: February 2022

The objective of this article is to suggest a conceptual map of the field of teaching thinking in order to help those who want to understand and implement it to know their way around. According to this map, the field of teaching thinking is divided into three approaches—the skills approach, the dispositions approach, and the understanding approach. Each one defines the key terms of the field—thinking, good thinking, and teaching thinking—differently. After presenting this typology and analyzing its various dimensions, the article tries to cope with two essential questions: Why three approaches, and which approach is most effective? The article concludes that the understanding approach is most effective in the school context and can incorporate the other two approaches.
Exploring Coherence as an Organizational Resource for Carrying Out Reform Initiatives
Authors: Madda Christina L. , Halverson Richard R. , Gomez Louis M.
Published: February 2022

Background/Context

School districts are responsible for helping schools improve learning for students. However, many district initiatives conflict with each other or with existing instructional practices in schools. Recent research on urban school reform points to the value of program coherence in sustaining school change. Our paper addresses an urban district's efforts to design for instructional program coherence in its schools.

Purpose

This study explores the design process of how one urban school district developed and deployed a series of reports designed to communicate the results of student achievement testing across the district. The focus of this research is to understand the district's efforts to design new programs that would fit coherently into existing initiatives in local schools. We attempt to measure and characterize coherence within the district design team as a means to discern how district leaders can assist local actors in implementation of reform initiatives and foster local program coherence within schools.

Research Design

This paper presents a qualitative case study of how a district-level nine-member design team built and implemented a reform program to make student performance data reports accessible throughout their district. We used a policy-artifact-based perspective as our methodological framework to access the “program theories” in use by the designers in making the artifact. Our methods allowed us to contrast the differences in the designers’ perspectives on the fit between the designed artifacts and the local school environments.

Conclusions

The findings from this study revealed how designers developed a stakeholder-based process that helped them come to an agreement on common goals for the design. Their perceptions of the goals, actions, and resources that would drive these initiatives appeared to be aligned, but the actions suggested for local school leaders and teachers varied among designers. This incoherence at the level of design details and artifact implementation would come to threaten the successful implementation of the reform effort at a local level. The results of this work suggest that attention towards coherence throughout the design process can aid district leaders in facilitating instructional program coherence in schools.
Lessons from a Teacher Inquiry Group about Tracking: Perceived Student Choice in Course-Taking and its Implications for Detracking Reform
Authors: Watanabe Maika
Published: February 2022

Background/Context

Given resistance to detracking and the need for strong professional development to support teachers that detracking research documents, it is interesting that little research has focused on teachers’ perspectives in the context of professional development. This study addresses this gap in the literature by closely considering the views of teachers participating in a teacher inquiry group for detracking reform.

Purpose of the Study

Six teachers at an urban public high school that historically disavowed tracking met monthly to discuss issues of ability, intelligence, and tracking in response to the challenge set forth by Oakes, Wells, Jones and Datnow (1997) to address deeply rooted notions of ability and intelligence for detracking reform. This article presents case studies of three of the six teacher participants, whose conceptions of tracking provide insight into some of the complex notions of tracking operating at the practitioner level in schools.

Research Design

Data sources for this qualitative case study primarily constituted field-notes from eleven teacher inquiry group meetings and two interviews with each of the six teacher participants.

Conclusions/Recommendations

The perspectives of teachers about tracking and detracking in the context of professional development reveal that there is disagreement in the practitioner community on how much tracking exists and what it looks like, even among teachers teaching at the same school. While teachers clearly articulated and exposed the constraints on student choice in course-taking, teachers frequently called on choice as a rationale for why tracking no longer existed. The emerging variation in these teachers’ conceptions of tracking parallels discourse over the shifts in the scope and complexity of tracking in the research community, and has important implications for the pursuit of detracking reform. Among the specific recommendations the author presents for researchers and practitioners are the following: 1) Teachers and researchers need to unpack their definitions of tracking, 2) Teachers and researchers need to give student choice in course-taking more attention, 3) Teacher inquiry groups need to examine professional community literature, and 4) Teachers need structural support for this form of professional development.
Information Literacy in the Laptop Classroom
Authors: Warschauer Mark
Published: February 2022

Background/Context

Technological and economic changes have put a high premium on developing students’ information literacy and research skills. Previous attempts to deploy educational technology toward these ends have proved disappointing because K–12 teachers have difficulty integrating shared computers into instruction. In response, numerous schools and districts have piloted one-to-one programs, in which each student has access to a laptop computer connected wirelessly to the Internet throughout the school day.

Purpose/Objective

This paper analyzes the information literacy and research practice in a purposely stratified selection of 10 one-to-one laptop K–12 schools in California and Maine.

Research Design/Data Collection and Analysis

Sources of data in this multisite case study include observations, interviews, surveys, and teacher- and student-produced materials.

Findings/Results

The study found that students in all the laptop schools learned to access information, manage it, and incorporate in into their written and multimedia products. However, the focus on evaluating information, understanding the social issues surrounding it, and analyzing it for the purpose of knowledge production varied widely across schools. Some schools succeeded in promoting scholarly approaches to working with information, whereas other schools mostly limited themselves to teaching procedural functions of computer and Internet use. Examples of these differences are given through a comparison of three diverse schools in Maine.

Conclusions/Recommendations

The study concludes that one-to-one wireless laptops offer important affordances for promoting information literacy and research skills but that socioeconomic context, visions, values, and beliefs all play a critical role in shaping how laptop programs are implemented and what benefits are thus achieved.
Media Comparison Studies: Problems and Possibilities
Authors: Warnick Bryan R. , Burbules Nicholas C.
Published: February 2022

Background/Context

Media comparison studies aim to compare the relative effectiveness of different media at promoting educational outcomes. While these types of studies remain popular, they have been under attack for more than two decades. Critics of media comparison studies claim that continued studies are unhelpful because a great number of research projects have already shown that media produce “no significant difference” in learning outcomes. They also claim that the studies that do find a difference among media are flawed because of a conflation of “media” with “method.” These claims suggest the need for conceptual clarification.

Purpose of Study

The purposes of this study are: (1) to uncover and evaluate the conceptual assumptions that are made in debates about media comparison studies, (2) to make some suggestions for how media comparison studies could be made more useful and interesting.

Research Design

The methodology used in this study is a conceptual and philosophical analysis.

Findings

The analysis produces three major findings. First, the debate so far has not examined the underlying assumptions involved in the process of making a comparison. Second, there has been a failure to appreciate how general comparative statements across media technologies must stipulate contexts of use, as well as a failure to examine the implications for the debate that flow from this requirement. Third, the concept of a “medium” has not been explored with sufficient depth, either with regard to how this concept is different from “method,” or to how this concept is itself a contestable metaphor for classroom technologies.

Recommendations

In the end, the following suggestions are offered for media comparison researchers: (1) Media researchers should realize that claims about a “significant difference” and about whether something “matters” to learning, will always be limited to particular educational goals and contexts of use — no global statements can be made about such things. (2) New media technologies can and should be compared with regard to the different educational ends they make possible rather than as mere means to an end that is already assumed. (3) Media researchers need to explore the educational importance of media that extend beyond intended aspects. Such a research program would benefit from adopting the “space” metaphor, from looking at educationally practices more holistically, and from a robust qualitative element in the comparative research.
Characteristics of Effective Alternative Teacher Certification Programs
Authors: Humphrey Daniel C. , Wechsler Marjorie E. , Hough Heather J.
Published: February 2022

Background

Alternative certification plays a central role in the production of new teachers in many states, yet little is known about the characteristics of an effective program. Given that the variation within programs is as great as the variation between programs, the common methodology of comparing programs is unable to discern the qualities of programs with positive teacher outcomes.

Focus of Study

This paper is based on an analysis of seven alternative certification programs to determine the characteristics of effective programs. It presents findings from an analysis designed to shed light on the effects of personal, program, and contextual inputs on teaching outcomes. To account for within-program variation, the analysis clusters individuals across programs based on common background characteristics, program experiences, and school contexts.

Research Design

We employed multiple data collection activities at both the program and participant levels. We conducted case studies of seven alternative certification programs, including multiple interviews with key personnel and document reviews. We surveyed program participants twice—once at the beginning of their participation in the program, and again at the end of their first year of teaching. We also observed a sample of participants teaching and interviewed them both at the beginning and end of their first year of teaching.

Findings

We found that each program, personal, or contextual element analyzed impacted various outcomes differently, and each contributed to the development of skilled, confident teachers. The element with the strongest effect on all measured outcomes, however, was school context.

Conclusions

Overall, findings suggest that an effective alternative certification program places candidates in schools with strong leadership, a collegial atmosphere, and adequate materials. Effective programs select well-educated individuals or work to strengthen subject-matter knowledge, and recognize that previous classroom experience is an asset. Effective programs provide carefully constructed and timely coursework tailored to candidates’ backgrounds and school contexts. And, effective programs provide trained mentors who have the time and resources to plan lessons with candidates, share curricula, demonstrate lessons, and provide feedback after frequent classroom observations.
To Test or Not to Test? Drug Testing Teachers: The View of the Superintendent
Authors: Demitchell Todd A. , Kossakoski Stephen , Baldasaro Tony
Published: February 2022

Purpose

School superintendents are charged with maintaining the safety and security of the schools in their district. One major recognized threat to the security and safety of students and staff is the use of illegal drugs. Superintendents are responding to the constitutionality of student drug-testing policies by implementing drug-testing programs. Are superintendents implementing drug-testing policies in response to recent court decisions that have allowed for the preemployment and the suspicionless drug testing of teachers?

Population

Superintendents nationwide were randomly selected for the study.

Research Design

A mixed methodology was used to address the following questions: (1) Have school districts adopted a mandatory drug-testing policy, either preemployment or suspicionless, for teachers? (2) Do superintendents support a mandatory drug-testing policy, either preemployment or suspicionless, for teachers? (3) Do superintendents have differentiated support for preemployment and suspicionless drug-testing policies for teachers? Legal analysis was used to map the applicable court cases and constitutional ground that forms the foundation of drug testing. Quantitative analysis was used on the 144 returned surveys. The third part of the methodology was an analysis of short-answer questions using quasi-qualitative methods.

Conclusions

This study found that superintendents believe that they have the authority, without offending the Constitution, to implement teacher preemployment and suspicionless drug-testing policies. However, in large part, they are not implementing such policies. The responding superintendents have a greater comfort level with preemployment testing than suspicionless drug testing of teachers. Most superintendents believed that the drug problem among teachers was not large enough to warrant action, but many reserved the right to revisit the implementation of such policies if the circumstances in their school district changed.
Peer Pedagogy: Student Collaboration and Reflection in a Learning-Through-Design Project
Authors: Ching Cynthia Carter , Kafai Yasmin B.
Published: February 2022

Background

Existing research suggests that one of the challenges for teachers in persisting with innovative inquiry curricula is their difficulty scaffolding students’ transitions into technology-supported and open-ended activities. The question of whether students can effectively scaffold one another's transitions has not been previously investigated, in part, we argue, because of a predominant focus in collaborative learning research on short-term tasks and perfunctory “helping” behaviors.

Purpose

This article addresses the nature and role of students’ collaborations in learning-through-design, a technology-rich science inquiry curriculum. Within this environment, we examined emergent collaborative patterns among students, the affordances of those patterns for effective learning, and students’ reflections on their interactions. We paid particular attention to how students with varying degrees of previous experience in this curricular approach collaborated with one another.

Setting

This study took place at a university-affiliated elementary school in a West Coast urban area.

Population

Two mixed-grade classes of fourth- and fifth-grade students (n = 63) and their science teacher participated in this study. Fifth-grade students in one class had extensive experiences with learning through design during the previous year.

Practice

For 10 weeks during the fall, students in both classes learned about marine biology. During this time, they also worked in teams to create marine simulations using Logo Microworlds programming and multimedia software.

Research Design/Data Collection and Analysis

Design-based research guided the creation of the curriculum and examination of its effectiveness. Ethnographic methods, grounded theory, hermeneutics, and discourse analysis were used to collect and analyze video of student collaborations and interviews. Analysis of variance was conducted using the coded results from student interviews to determine significant differences among groups.

Results

We found that experienced fifth-graders took on many socializing functions, effectively apprenticing younger students into the practices of learning-through-design. Interviews revealed that both fourth-grade and fifth-grade students were highly reflective about their respective collaborative roles and that experienced students benefited as much as, if not more so, than inexperienced students from this arrangement.

Conclusions

Given experienced students’ strategic, effective, and thoughtful ongoing collaborations with their fourth-grade counterparts, we introduce and propose the term peer pedagogy to describe these interactions. This term and our constituent results have implications for existing research and practice with collaborative learning and project-based technology-integrated curricula, as well as for theory and scholarship on children's roles within learning communities.
Chapter I: Words from Afar
Authors: Bartholomae David , Geertz Clifford
Published: February 2022

The claim to attention of an ethnographic account does not rest on its author's ability to capture primitive facts in faraway places and carry them home like a mask or a carving, but on the degree to which he is able to clarify what goes on in such places, to reduce the puzzlement—what manner of men are these?—to which unfamiliar acts emerging out of unknown backgrounds naturally give rise.
Should Computers Know What you Can Do with Them?
Authors: Nix Don
Published: February 2022

The use of computers in education can be an opportunity for children to surprise themselves and their teachers. The key is to empower the child with tools of self-expression.
Racism and the Education of Young Children
Authors: Comer James P.
Published: February 2022

In the child's development, when and how does the concept of race arise? How can primary and secondary caregivers help a child in a racist society develop a positive self-image and achieve a healthy understanding of racial and cultural diversity?
A Prospective Three-Months Naturalistic Follow-Up Study of Outcomes of Patients with Opioid Dependence Discharged on Buprenorphine or Oral Naltrexone
Authors: Singh Virendra Vikram , Dhawan Anju , Chadda Rakesh K. , Mishra Ashwani Kumar , Sarkar Siddharth
Published: February 2022

Background:

Comparative studies of the naturalistic course of patients of opioid dependence on naltrexone and buprenorphine are likely to be helpful for clinical decision-making. The article aimed to report on the three-months naturalistic outcomes of patients discharged on naltrexone or buprenorphine from the same center.

Methods:

Patients with opioid dependence who were discharged on either naltrexone ( n = 86) or buprenorphine ( n = 30) were followed up for three months for retention in treatment. The patients were also followed up telephonically, and the Maudsley Addiction Profile was applied.

Results:

The days of retention in treatment were significantly higher in the buprenorphine group (69.5 versus 48.7 days, P = 0.009). Heroin use, pharmaceutical opioid use, injection drug use, involvement in illegal activity, and percentage of contact days in conflict with friends in the last 30 days reduced over three months in both the groups, while the physical and psychological quality of life improved in both the groups. Additionally, in the naltrexone group, smoked tobacco use, cannabis use, and percentage of contact days in conflict with family within the last 30 days reduced at three months compared to baseline.

Conclusion:

With the possible limitations of choice of medication-assisted treatment for opioid dependence being determined by the patient, and prescribing related factors and sample size constraints, the study suggests that retention outcomes may vary between naltrexone and buprenorphine, though both medications may improve several patient-related parameters. However, a true head-to-head comparison of the outcomes of buprenorphine and naltrexone in a naturalistic setting may be difficult.
Guanxinping ameliorates atherosclerosis via MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway in ApoE−/− mice
Authors: Zhang Shuguang , Zhang Shaohong , Liang Xuan , Huang Yilin , Tang Lei , Liu Fang , Xu Xiaozhuo , Ye Feicheng , Liu Jianwei , Liu Jing , Yan Shihai , Han Xu
Published: February 2022

Background

Atherosclerosis (AS), one of the leading causes of deaths and disabilities, is a kind of vascular disease of lipid disorders and chronic inflammation. Guanxinping (GXP) has been administrated in the treatment of AS for nearly 20 years with satisfying clinical response. This study aimed to explore its underlying mechanisms of anti-atherosclerotic effect in AS.

Methods

Male ApoE−/− mice were randomized into five groups and fed with either standard diet (control group, CON) or high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks. HFD mice were further divided randomly and either fed continually with HFD as a model group, or atorvastatin (ATO), or low-dose GXP (LGXP), or high-dose GXP (HGXP). After 12 weeks, the body weight, serum triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) were detected. Moreover, serum inflammation cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) concentrations were measured. The structure of aortic tissues was examined by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The mRNA expression of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β were assessed by qPCR. The protein expressions of ICAM-1, VCAM-1, MCP-1, IL-6, IL-1β, p38MAPK, ERK1/2, JNK, IκB-α, and NF-κBp65 in the aorta were also detected.

Results

GXP treatment reduced serum TG, TC, and LDL-c levels in ApoE−/− mice. Moreover, GXP reduced lipid accumulation in the aorta of ApoE−/− mice, induced by HFD. Furthermore, GXP ameliorated the aorta morphological damage and reduced the serum TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β levels. GXP also attenuated the protein expression of ICAM-1, VCAM-1, MCP-1, IL-6, IL-1β, p38MAPK, ERK1/2, JNK, and NF-κBp65, whereas it increased the IκBα level in aortic tissues of ApoE−/− mice.

Conclusions

Our results show that GXP could ameliorate atherosclerosis, which is mediated by inhibition of the MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway in ApoE−/− mice. This study provides evidence that GXP might be a promising drug for the treatment of AS.
Subchronic PCP effects on DNA methylation and protein expression of NMDA receptor subunit genes in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of female rats
Authors: Loureiro Camila M , Fachim Helene A , Harte Michael K , Dalton Caroline F , Reynolds Gavin P
Published: February 2022

Background:

N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) dysfunction is implicated in schizophrenia, and NMDAR antagonists, such as phencyclidine (PCP), can induce behaviours that mimic aspects of the disorder.

Aims:

We investigated DNA methylation of Grin1, Grin2a and Grin2b promoter region and NR1 and NR2 protein expression in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus of adult female Lister-hooded rats following subchronic PCP (scPCP) administration. We also determined whether any alterations were tissue-specific.

Methods:

Rats were divided into two groups that received vehicle (0.9% saline) or 2 mg/kg PCP twice a day for 7 days (n = 10 per group). After behavioural testing (novel object recognition), to confirm a cognitive deficit, brains were dissected and NMDAR subunit DNA methylation and protein expression were analysed by pyrosequencing and ELISA. Line-1 methylation was determined as a measure of global methylation. Data were analysed using Student’s t-test and Pearson correlation.

Results:

The scPCP administration led to Grin1 and Grin2b hypermethylation and reduction in NR1 protein in both PFC and hippocampus. No significant differences were observed in Line-1 or Grin2a methylation and NR2 protein.

Conclusions:

The scPCP treatment resulted in increased DNA methylation at promoter sites of Grin1 and Grin2b NMDAR subunits in two brain areas implicated in schizophrenia, independent of any global change in DNA methylation, and are similar to our observations in a neurodevelopmental animal model of schizophrenia – social isolation rearing post-weaning. Moreover, these alterations may contribute to the changes in protein expression for NMDAR subunits demonstrating the potential importance of epigenetic mechanisms in schizophrenia.
State planning, cancer vaccine infrastructure, and the origins of the oncogene theory
Authors: Scheffler Robin W , Aviles Natalie B
Published: February 2022

In this article, we analyze the National Cancer Institute’s Virus Cancer Programs (1964–1978). The NCI’s organizational mandate established program goals that iteratively braided together both scientific research and public health outcomes. The distinctive environment of the NCI as a federal research institute made scientific programs accountable to evaluations of both experimental and administrative appropriateness. To this end, NCI scientist-administrators adopted management techniques drawn from the Cold War defense industry to direct open-ended exploratory research on virally induced cancers, aimed at developing a vaccine as a public health solution to cancer. Facing the limitations of the state of viral cancer research as simultaneously an administrative and experimental problem, the Programs launched a monumental effort to develop infrastructure for cancer virus studies through long-term planning initiatives utilizing defense-style networks of contracted academic laboratories throughout the US. The organizational mandate guiding the Programs contributed to conceptual and experimental changes that directly led to the subversion of its fundamental presupposition of viral causation in favor of the cellular oncogene theory. We thus propose a reinterpretation of the historiography of the oncogene hypothesis as a radical break from viral explanations of cancer etiology, a reinterpretation that re-centers the direct contributions this federal vaccine program made to current molecular biological explanations of cancer causation.
Evaluation of oxidative stress and biochemical biomarkers, and psychological parameters in cement plant workers
Authors: Darabi Faezeh , Keshavarzi Majid , Abdullah Media N , Dehghani Fatemeh , Khanjani Narges , yousefinejad Saeed , Khajehnasiri Farahnaz , Zamanian Zahra
Published: February 2022

The cement industry is one of the main world industries with exposure to a wide range of hazardous chemical and physical occupational agents that may increase free radicals and lead to disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate oxidative stress, biochemical markers, and psychological parameters among cement plant workers. In this cross-sectional study, 40 workers exposed to cement and 40 office employees were selected as the exposed and non-exposed groups, respectively. Exposure to cement dust, silica, and noise were, respectively, assessed using the NIOSH 0600, NIOSH 7601, and noise dosimetry methods. Oxidative stress biomarkers including malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and biochemical parameters were measured in the serum of all participants. Depression, anxiety, and stress were assessed by the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) questionnaire. The results demonstrated that the level of MDA as a marker of oxidative stress was significantly higher in the exposed group. The level of antioxidant enzymes including SOD and CAT were also significantly higher in the exposed group. The level of TAC was lower in the exposed group, but the difference was not statistically significant. The levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate transaminase (AST), and the scores of depression and stress were also significantly higher in the exposed group. According to our results, noise, cement dust, and silica exposure were associated with oxidative stress, and this may be one of the mechanisms in which they adversely affect liver function and mental health.
3D printing polycaprolactone micro-nano copper scaffolds with a high antibacterial performance for potential sewage treatment
Authors: Wang Zhilong , Han Zongpu , Liao Xiaozhu , Zhang Xiao , Liang Jiachen , Xing Zhe , Fan Zengjie
Published: February 2022

Effective application of micro-nano copper particles in elimination of the pathogenic microorganisms in the water remains a challenge. In this study, an optimum structural design was adopted in mathematical models to improve the efficiency of sewage filtration, and polycaprolactone/copper scaffold (PCs) was fabricated through a 3D printing method. The result shows that the micro-nano copper particles were physically embedded into the polycaprolactone scaffolds. In addition, the antibacterial efficiency of PCs against E. coli and S. aureus was up to 100% and the antibacterial performance could be remained in sewage filtration (copper: polycaprolactone = 1:2). The results suggest that PCs is a good candidate for application in the sewage treatment.
MBL2 gene polymorphisms and its relation to infection in Brazilian systemic lupus erythematosus patients: A 10-years follow-up study
Authors: Saldanha Carla Forgiarini , Kniphoff da Silva Gabriela , Glesse Nadine , Tavares Brenol João Carlos , Xavier Ricardo Machado , Bogo Chies José Artur , Monticielo Odirlei André
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multifactorial disease and MBL2 genetic variants, which are associated to differential peripheral MBL levels, potentially affect its etiology and increase infection risk in this population.

Objective

To evaluate the potential association of MBL2 polymorphisms of the coding and promoter gene region and haplotypes on hospitalization, number of admission and days of admission for major infection causes in Brazilian SLE patients. Methods: 325 SLE patients from a southern Brazilian outpatient SLE clinic were genotyped in 2006 for MBL2 gene polymorphisms from coding and promoter region (rs1800450, rs1800451, rs5030737, rs11003125, and rs7096206) and followed until 2016. Clinical and laboratory data from each patient were obtained and information regarding the need for hospitalization, the number of admissions and number of days admitted for infection treatment were compiled and compared with MBL2 gene polymorphisms and haplotypes. A linear regression analysis was constructed considering the variables of bivariate which demonstrated an association (p<0.05) and variables which had a theoretical basement.

Results

No difference was found in polymorphism prevalence when comparing the group that was admitted for infection treatment and the group who did not. Allele C, and haplotypes LY and HY correlated with more infection hospitalizations [wild-type homozygosis for C: 2 (IQR 1–3), heterozygosis for C: 3 (IQR 2–6) p=0.038; LY 2 (IQR 1–3) p=0.049; HY 2 (IQR 1–3) p=0.005] and haplotype HY carriers stayed fewer days in hospital for infection treatment: 18 (IQR 10–38) p=0.041. When linear regression was applied HY associated with shorter admission time for infections (−18.11 days, p=0.021) and HY (−1.52 admission, p 0.001) carriers with older age at diagnosis had less admissions for infection (HY regression model: −0.42, p=0.006; LY regression model −0.04, p=0.010; −0.04, p=0.013).

Conclusion

The presence of the HY promoter haplotype associated to fewer in hospital care for infection treatment probably due to higher MBL plasma levels. Also, HY haplotype and older age at SLE diagnosis is related to less admissions for infection. This factor should be taken into consideration, since infection is a very import cause of mortality in SLE patients being also related to aggressive immunosuppressive treatment.
Nurses’ values on medical aid in dying: A qualitative analysis
Authors: Davidson Judy E , Stokes Liz , DeWolf Bosek Marcia S , Turner Martha , Bojorquez Genesis , Lee Youn-Shin , Upvall Michele
Published: February 2022

Aim: Explore nurses’ values and perceptions regarding the practice of medical aid in dying. Background: Medical aid in dying is becoming increasing legal in the United States. The laws and American Nurses Association documents limit nursing involvement in this practice. Nurses’ values regarding this controversial topic are poorly understood. Methodology: Cross-sectional electronic survey design sent to nurse members of the American Nurses Association. Inductive thematic content analysis was applied to open-ended comments. Ethical Considerations: Approved by the institutional review board (#191046). Participants: 1213 nurses provided 3639 open-ended comments. More than 80% of participants self-identified as white 58% held a graduate degree; and half were of Christian faith. Results: Values ranged on a continuum expressed through four themes: “Honoring Patient Autonomy without Judgment,” “Honoring with Limitations,” “Not until...,” and “Adamantly against.” Some felt it was a duty to honor the patients’ wishes, set aside own beliefs, and respect patients’ choices often with a spiritual connotation. Nurses held concerns about the process, policy, potential psychological harm, legal risk, and the need to learn more about MAID. Nurse who were adamantly against MAID associated the practice with murder/suicide and against religious beliefs. Disparate values were expressed about changing the MAID legislation to allow patient support with taking MAID medications and allowing MAID via advance directive. Conclusions: Nurses desire more education on MAID. There is not one universally held position on the nurse’s role during MAID. Healthcare policy/standards need to accommodate the wide variation in nurses’ values. Implications: Nurses desire education regarding their role in MAID. Nurses are encouraged to participate in policy discussions as the practice becomes increasingly legal. Managers need to expect that nurses, patients, and families will need psychological support to participate in MAID. Careful construction of policy/standards is needed to minimize conflict, moral distress, and psychological harm amongst nurses. Further research is needed.
Examining the Impact of Revised XBRL Mandate on the Performance of Firms in India
Authors: Chakraborty Jayant Kumar , Sarkar Sudeshna
Published: February 2022

Extensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) is becoming increasingly popular in the area of financial accounting data. On 2 May 2018, it was announced that public listed companies (PLC) must document their reports in XBRL format at the three cross-country exchanges, namely, the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), National Stock Exchange (NSE) and MCX. This article examines whether such PLCs' operational performance has improved since the mandate began. The performance variables of the company are investigated. Our findings reveal that the XBRL-adopted PLC's success is mostly driven by growth (sales revenue) and size (size of assets), with the XBRL mandate having a substantial impact. The greater transparency of financial reporting information, according to our findings, may act as an external monitoring role. The government and Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) should effectively understand future trends and strengthen XBRL adoption.
Getting Start-ups Back on Feet Post COVID-19: A Case Study of a Food-tech Start-up that Reshaped Its Business Model
Authors: Varma Deepkumar , Dutta Pankaj
Published: February 2022

Small businesses and start-ups have started to open up post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdowns, but they have faced numerous challenges mainly due to changed customer preferences and the need to fine-tune business models. In this research, we study how a food-tech start-up, Conosh, reshapes its business to weather the COVID-19 pandemic and thereby try to identify important aspects that start-ups need to focus on, post COVID-19 pandemic. Interview memos are thematically analysed to identify repeated ideas, concepts or elements that become apparent. The study reveals that employees’ and customers’ safety, prudent cost management, online presence and doorstep services are key for start-ups to succeed during COVID-19. This research takes a fresh approach to identify key strategic and operational aspects that start-ups need to fine-tune in the wake of COVID-19. The case study enriches scientific research of understanding the impact of COVID-19 on organizations by offering a practical guide on how start-ups can learn and adapt by looking at how other start-ups are surviving today.
Impact of Heat Shock Proteins in Neurodegeneration: Possible Therapeutical Targets
Authors: Beretta Giangiacomo , Shala Aida Loshaj
Published: February 2022

Background:

Human neurodegenerative diseases occur as a result of various factors. Regardless of the variety in the etiology of development, many of these diseases are characterized by the accumulation of pathological, misfolded proteins; hence, such diseases are considered as proteinopathies. While plenty of research study has been conducted in order to identify the pathophysiology of these proteinopathies, there is still a lack of understanding in terms of potential therapeutic targets.

Molecular chaperones present the main workforce for cellular protection and stress response. Therefore, considering these functions, molecular chaperones present a promising target for research within the field of conformational diseases that arise from proteinopathies. Since the association between neurodegenerative disorders and their long-term consequences is well documented, the need for the development of new therapeutic strategies becomes even more critical

Key message:

In this review, we summarized the molecular function of heat shock proteins and recent progress on their role, involvement, and other mechanisms related to neurodegeneration caused by different etiological factors. Based on the relevant scientific data, we will highlight the functional classification of heat shock proteins, regulation, and their therapeutic potential for neurodegenerative disorders.