Search

Productive tensions with traditional academic practices develop within a graduate certificate program in community engagement at Tulane University. The program offers an alternative approach to traditional graduate education practices by fostering community, epistemic justice, and care for the whole person through sustained interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary conversations and collaborations. A 2021-22 survey of current and prior program participants in the graduate certificate program documents a variety of tensions that arise when the graduate certificate program is compared to students' main experiences with graduate school at Tulane. The analysis relies on theories and concepts of epistemic injustice, decolonizing methodologies, and community engagement, which enable the interpretation of results. We find that results point to the Tulane Mellon Graduate Program in Community-Engaged Scholarship's differences in approaches compared to traditional graduate educational experiences at Tulane, offering insights into more ethical and humane possibilities for graduate education generally, as well as insights into community-engaged graduate education. These insights would be useful to graduate program directors, graduate students, community engagement advocates inside and outside academia, and administrators interested in connecting their universities to local communities through ethically informed, graduate student-led scholarly collaborations.

The Causal Roadmap outlines a systematic approach to asking and answering questions of cause and effect: define the quantity of interest, evaluate needed assumptions, conduct statistical estimation, and carefully interpret results. To protect research integrity, it is essential that the algorithm for statistical estimation and inference be prespecified prior to conducting any effectiveness analyses. However, it is often unclear which algorithm will perform optimally for the real-data application. Instead, there is a temptation to simply implement ones favorite algorithm, recycling prior code or relying on the default settings of a computing package. Here, we call for the use of simulations that realistically reflect the application, including key characteristics such as strong confounding and dependent or missing outcomes, to objectively compare candidate estimators and facilitate full specification of the statistical analysis plan. Such simulations are informed by the Causal Roadmap and conducted after data collection but prior to effect estimation. We illustrate with two worked examples. First, in an observational longitudinal study, we use outcome-blind simulations to inform nuisance parameter estimation and variance estimation for longitudinal targeted minimum loss-based estimation. Second, in a cluster randomized trial with missing outcomes, we use treatment-blind simulations to examine type-I error control in two-stage targeted minimum loss-based estimation. In both examples, realistic simulations empower us to prespecify an estimation approach that is expected to have strong finite sample performance and also yield quality-controlled computing code for the actual analysis. Together, this process helps to improve the rigor and reproducibility of our research.

Variants in seven genes (LRRK2, GBA1, PRKN, SNCA, PINK1, PARK7 and VPS35) have been formally adjudicated as causal contributors to Parkinsons disease; however, individuals with Parkinsons disease are often unaware of their genetic status since clinical testing is infrequently offered. As a result, genetic information is not incorporated into clinical care, and variant-targeted precision medicine trials struggle to enrol people with Parkinsons disease. Understanding the yield of genetic testing using an established gene panel in a large, geographically diverse North American population would help patients, clinicians, clinical researchers, laboratories and insurers better understand the importance of genetics in approaching Parkinsons disease. PD GENEration is an ongoing multi-centre, observational study (NCT04057794, NCT04994015) offering genetic testing with results disclosure and genetic counselling to those in the US (including Puerto Rico), Canada and the Dominican Republic, through local clinical sites or remotely through self-enrolment. DNA samples are analysed by next-generation sequencing including deletion/duplication analysis (Fulgent Genetics) with targeted testing of seven major Parkinsons disease-related genes. Variants classified as pathogenic/likely pathogenic/risk variants are disclosed to all tested participants by either neurologists or genetic counsellors. Demographic and clinical features are collected at baseline visits. Between September 2019 and June 2023, the study enrolled 10 510 participants across >85 centres, with 8301 having received results. Participants were: 59% male; 86% White, 2% Asian, 4% Black/African American, 9% Hispanic/Latino; mean age 67.4 ± 10.8 years. Reportable genetic variants were observed in 13% of all participants, including 18% of participants with one or more high risk factors for a genetic aetiology: early onset (

This article presents the results of a multi-site study conducted by nine graduate educators in the United States investigating how reading comprehension might be supported by social annotation. This research examines collaborative learning and group construction of knowledge that took place in six classrooms across a university semester. The findings of this study provide insight into the general reading comprehension practices of graduate students. The results also demonstrate how social annotation can operate as a pathway for understanding learning in process. We hope this study can act as a catalyst for discussion in the development of students' metacognitive practices.

Historical and modern scientific thought is dominated by the English language, colonized science, patriarchal norms, and Westernized "ways of knowing." By making materials that lie outside that narrative discoverable (e.g., non-Western science, Indigenous/Aboriginal knowledge, women in science, etc.) we can assert that science is a global endeavor by representing diverse scientists on physical library shelves or ebook "shelves." The Cataloging and Metadata Librarian and Science and Outreach Librarian at Furman University, a small liberal arts college, collaborated on a project to address discriminatory practices in the catalog records of a subset of the libraries' STEM collection. Spurred by another project to update deprecated Cutters in Library of Congress call numbers, we assessed collection content with an eye to improve future collection development and created a local method for collocating DEI materials within an Alma consortium catalog. The intended goals of the project were to update the collection, improve metadata to increase discoverability, and develop an auditing process to use for other collections.

Invasive insects threaten ecosystem stability, public health, and food security. Documenting newly invasive species and understanding how they reach into new territories, establish populations, and interact with other species remain vitally important. Here, we report on the invasion of the South American leafhopper, Curtara insularis into Africa, where it has established populations in Ghana, encroaching inland at least 350 km off the coast. Importantly, 80% of the specimens collected were intercepted between 160 and 190 m above ground. Further, the fraction of this species among all insects collected was also higher at altitude, demonstrating its propensity to engage in high-altitude windborne dispersal. Its aerial densities at altitude translate into millions of migrants/km over a year, representing massive propagule pressure. Given the predominant south-westerly winds, these sightings suggest an introduction of C. insularis into at least one of the Gulf of Guinea ports. To assess the contribution of windborne dispersal to its spread in a new territory, we examine records of C. insularis range-expansion in the USA. Reported first in 2004 from central Florida, it reached north Florida (Panhandle) by 2008–2011 and subsequently spread across the southeastern and south-central US. Its expansion fits a “diffusion-like” process with 200—300 km long “annual displacement steps”—a pattern consistent with autonomous dispersal rather than vehicular transport. Most “steps” are consistent with common wind trajectories from the nearest documented population, assuming 2—8 hours of wind-assisted flight at altitude. Curtara insularis has been intercepted at US ports and on trucks. Thus, it uses multiple dispersal modalities, yet its rapid overland spread is better explained by its massive propagule pressure linked with its high-altitude windborne dispersal. We propose that high-altitude windborne dispersal is common yet under-appreciated in invasive insect species.

Abstract Mitochondrial abnormalities underscore a variety of neurologic injuries and diseases and are well-studied in adult populations. Clinical studies identify critical roles of mitochondria in a wide range of developmental brain injuries, but models that capture mitochondrial abnormalities in systems representative of the neonatal brain environment are lacking. Here, we develop an organotypic whole-hemisphere (OWH) brain slice model of mitochondrial dysfunction in the neonatal brain. We extended the utility of complex I inhibitor rotenone (ROT), canonically used in models of adult neurodegenerative diseases, to inflict mitochondrial damage in OWH slices from term-equivalent rats. We quantified whole-slice health over 6 days of exposure for a range of doses represented in ROT literature. We identified 50 nM ROT as a suitable exposure level for OWH slices to inflict injury without compromising viability. At the selected exposure level, we confirmed exposure- and time-dependent mitochondrial responses showing differences in mitochondrial fluorescence and nuclear localization using MitoTracker imaging in live OWH slices and dysregulated mitochondrial markers via RT-qPCR screening. We leveraged the regional structures present in OWH slices to quantify cell density and cell death in the cortex and the midbrain regions, observing higher susceptibilities to damage in the midbrain as a function of exposure and culture time. We supplemented these findings with analysis of microglia and mature neurons showing time-, region-, and exposure-dependent differences in microglial responses. We demonstrated changes in tissue microstructure as a function of region, culture time, and exposure level using live-video epifluorescence microscopy of extracellularly diffusing nanoparticle probes in live OWH slices. Our results highlight severity-, time-, and region-dependent responses and establish a complimentary model system of mitochondrial abnormalities for high-throughput or live-tissue experimental needs.

The age of air is an important transport diagnostic that can be derived from trace gas measurements and compared to global chemistry climate model output. We describe a new technique to calculate the age of air, measuring transport times from the Earth's surface to any location in the atmosphere based on simultaneous in situ measurements of multiple key long-lived trace gases. The primary benefits of this new technique include (1) optimized ages of air consistent with simultaneously measured SF6 and CO2; (2) age of air from the upper troposphere through the stratosphere; (3) estimates of the second moment of age spectra that have not been well constrained from measurements; and (4) flexibility to be used with measurements across multiple instruments, platforms, and decades. We demonstrate the technique on aircraft and balloon measurements from the 1990s, the last period of extensive stratospheric in situ sampling, and several recent missions from the 2020s, and compare the results with previously published and modeled values.

Abstract Genetic testing for Parkinson’s disease (PD) is infrequently performed due to perceptions of low utility. We investigated the personal utility in PD GENEration and how results lead to enrollment in additional research studies. Participants (n = 972) underwent genetic testing, results disclosure, genetic counseling, and completed a survey examining the perceived personal utility of their results and interest in participating in additional studies. Most participants found their genetic test results useful, including satisfying curiosity (81%), feeling good about helping the medical community (80%), and having information to share with family (77%). There were no significant differences in responses based on result type. Forty-five percent of participants expressed interest in participating in research studies; whereas 16% of participants confirmed enrollment. Our results suggest that participants find personal utility in genetic testing regardless of results. Although participants may be interested in enrolling in additional research, they may need support and resources.

Abstract Background Doxorubicin (DOX) has been widely used in the treatment of breast cancer, but it is directly associated with late-onset cardiovascular disease (CVD). Whether anthropometric, food intake or other risk factors together with DOX-based chemotherapy can increase the risk of developing cardiotoxicity remains uncertain. We examined the association between anthropometric variables with doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in women with breast cancer. Methods Twenty-six women (53.7 ± 9.6 y) undergoing DOX-based chemotherapy (408.3 ± 66.7 mg/m2) participated in the study. We collected data on body composition (bioimpedance), dietary intake (24 h) and cardiac function (echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular ejection fraction, LVEF). All measurements were taken at baseline, one month of treatment completion and one-year follow-up after start of treatment. DOX-induced cardiotoxicity was defined as ≥ 10% absolute decrease in LVEF. Thus, the participants were then grouped as DOX-induced (DIC) or non-DOX-induced (non-DIC) cardiotoxicity. Data are shown as mean ± SD (standard deviation). We performed comparisons between the two groups using Student’s t-test for independent samples or Generalized Estimating Equations (groups + 3 evaluation time points) with Bonferroni post-hoc test. Lastly, the correlations were analyzed using Pearson correlation; p

While research consistently finds that increases in a school's SRO/police presence correspond with increases in the rate of school referrals of student disciplinary incidents to law enforcement agencies, direct evidence of distributional concerns across various student subgroups is scant. Drawing on data from the 2017-2018 School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS), this study explores the possibility that student racial effects might indirectly inform school law enforcement reporting activity. While results from a generalized structural equation modeling strategy (SEM) do not preclude the possibility, direct evidence of indirect student race effects on school police reports is mixed, at best.

Plasma vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) coreceptor neuropilin-1 (NRP-1) had the largest association with coronary plaque in the Randomized Trial to Prevent Vascular Events in HIV (REPRIEVE) proteomics analysis. With little known about NRP-1 in people with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH), we explored its relation to other proteins in REPRIEVE and validated our findings through a Centers for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems (CNICS) case-cohort study by assessing its relation to host factors and incident cardiovascular disease and cancer. Within REPRIEVE, NRP-1 was associated with proteins involved in angiogenesis, signal transduction, immunoregulation, and cell migration/adhesion. Within CNICS, NRP-1 was associated with key host factors, including older age and male sex. NRP-1 was associated with an increased hazard of multiple cancers but a decreased prostate cancer risk. Finally, NRP-1 was most strongly associated with mortality and type 2 myocardial infarction. These data suggest that NRP-1 is part of a clinically relevant immunoregulatory pathway related to multiple comorbidities in PWH. Clinical Trials Registration. NCT02344290.

Even before COVID-19, literacy graduate coursework was increasingly offered online, replacing the traditional campus-based courses This study investigated how graduate literacy students perceive coursework in an online learning environment. This understanding is important because (a) student perceptions regarding online learning are critical to motivation and learning; and (b) faculty designing courses need to consider student voice in course development. This survey research queried literacy master's degree candidates their perceptions prior to and after taking online classes, their confidence levels using technology, and about the technological tools that have impacted their learning. Results indicated initial perceptions of online learning changed positively after engagement in coursework, but course design influenced collaboration and engagement. Statistical significance was found in changes in initial perceptions of online learning to a more positive overall feelings toward online learning. The results of this study raise important considerations for implementing online coursework for literacy graduate students.

In Puerto Rico and each of the U.S. Virgin Islands, stationary steam engines survive on their original foundations and stand in testament to the long history of sugar production in the American territories of the Caribbean. In total, six beam engines, seven horizontal engines, one vertical engine, and a compound engine exist on the islands in various states of preservation, many amid the ruins of the plantations (haciendas) whose output they made possible. The whereabouts of an eighth horizontal engine recorded in 1976 remains unknown. Most were imported from Britain in the second half of the nineteenth century, but at least one is of American build. These machines not only provide unique examples of the adaption of steam technology to the needs of nineteenth-century sugar production but are also lasting symbols of an industry that once dominated the economy of these islands and remain deeply entwined in their history.

Abstract Background There is significant interest in isolating cells of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) for use in in vitro screening of therapeutics and analyzing cell specific roles in neurovascular pathology. Primary brain cells play an advantageous role in BBB models; however, isolation procedures often do not produce cells at high enough yields for experiments. In addition, although numerous reports provide primary cell isolation methods, the field is lacking in documentation and detail of expected morphological changes that occur throughout culturing and there are minimal troubleshooting resources. Here, we present simplified, robust, and reproducible methodology for isolating astrocytes, pericytes, and endothelial cells, and demonstrate several morphological benchmarks for each cell type throughout the process and culture timeframe. We also analyze common considerations for developing neurovascular cell isolation procedures and recommend solutions for troubleshooting. Results The presented methodology isolated astrocytes, pericytes, and endothelial cells and enabled cell attachment, maturation, and cell viability. We characterized milestones in cell maturation over 12 days in culture, a common timeline for applications of these cell types in BBB models. Phase contrast microscopy was used to show initial cell plating, attachment, and daily growth of isolated cells. Confocal microscopy images were analyzed to determine the identity of cell types and changes to cell morphology. Nuclear staining was also used to show the viability and proliferation of glial cells at four time points. Astrocyte branches became numerous and complex with increased culture time. Microglia, oligodendrocytes, and neurons were present in mixed glial cultures for 12 days, though the percentage of microglia and neurons expectedly decreased after passaging, with microglia demonstrating a less branched morphology. Conclusions Neurovascular cells can be isolated through our optimized protocols that minimize cell loss and encourage the adhesion and proliferation of isolated cells. By identifying timepoints of viable glia and neurons within an astrocyte-dominant mixed culture, these cells can be used to evaluate drug targeting, uptake studies, and response to pathological stimulus in the neurovascular unit.

Abstract Microglia, the brain’s resident macrophages, maintain brain homeostasis and respond to injury and infection. During aging they undergo functional changes, but the underlying mechanisms and their contributions to neuroprotection versus neurodegeneration are unclear. Previous studies suggested that microglia are sex dimorphic, so we compared microglial aging in mice of both sexes. RNA-sequencing of hippocampal microglia revealed more aging-associated changes in female microglia than male microglia, and more sex differences in old microglia than young microglia. Pathway analyses and subsequent validation assays revealed a stronger AKT-mTOR-HIF1α-driven shift to glycolysis among old female microglia and indicated that C3a production and detection was elevated in old microglia, especially in females. Recombinant C3a induced AKT-mTOR-HIF1α signaling and increased the glycolytic and phagocytic activity of young microglia. Single cell analyses attributed the aging-associated sex dimorphism to more abundant disease-associated microglia (DAM) in old female mice than old male mice, and evaluation of an Alzheimer’s Disease mouse model revealed that the metabolic and complement changes are also apparent in the context of neurodegenerative disease and are strongest in the neuroprotective DAM2 subset. Collectively, our data implicate autocrine C3a-C3aR signaling in metabolic reprogramming of microglia to neuroprotective DAM during aging, especially in females, and also in Alzheimer’s Disease.

BackgroundHIV infection leads to endothelial activation, promoting platelet adhesion, and accelerating atherosclerosis. Our goal was to determine whether biomarkers of endothelial activation and hemostasis/thrombosis were elevated in people with treated HIV (PWH) before myocardial infarction (MI).MethodsIn a case-control study nested within the CFAR Network of Integrated Clinical Systems (CNICS) cohort, we compared 69 adjudicated cases with type 1 MI with 138 controls matched for antiretroviral therapy regimen. We measured angiopoietin-1, angiopoietin-2 (ANG-2), intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with a thrombospondin type 1 motif, member 13 (ADAMTS13), von Willebrand factor, C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), plasminogen activation inhibitor-1, P-selectin, serum amyloid-A, soluble CD14, and apolipoprotein A1 in stored plasma. Conditional logistic regression identified associations with subsequent MI, with and without adjustment for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD) and Veterans Aging Cohort Study (VACS) scores.ResultsHigher IL-6 was associated with MI after adjustment for ASCVD score (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.51, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.05 to 2.17 per standard-deviation-scaled log 2 increment). In a separate model adjusting for VACS score, higher ANG-2 (AOR 1.49, 95% CI: 1.04 to 2.14), higher CRP (AOR 1.45, 95% CI: 1.06 to 2.00), and higher IL-6 (AOR 1.68, 95% CI: 1.17 to 2.41) were associated with MI. In a sensitivity analysis excluding PWH with viral load ≥400 copies/mL, higher IL-6 remained associated with MI after adjustment for ASCVD score and after adjustment for VACS score.ConclusionsAmong PWH, higher levels of plasma IL-6, CRP, and ANG-2 predict subsequent type 1 MI, independent of conventional risk scores. IL-6 had the most consistent associations with type 1 MI, regardless of viral load suppression.

BACKGROUND: People with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (PWH) are at higher risk of myocardial infarction (MI) than those without HIV. About half of MIs in PWH are type 2 (T2MI), resulting from mismatch between myocardial oxygen supply and demand, in contrast to type 1 MI (T1MI), which is due to primary plaque rupture or coronary thrombosis. Despite worse survival and rising incidence in the general population, evidence-based treatment recommendations for T2MI are lacking. We used polygenic risk scores (PRS) to explore genetic mechanisms of T2MI compared to T1MI in PWH. METHODS: We derived 115 PRS for MI-related traits in 9541 PWH enrolled in the Centers for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems cohort with adjudicated T1MI and T2MI. We applied multivariate logistic regression analyses to determine the association with T1MI and T2MI. Based on initial findings, we performed gene set enrichment analysis of the top variants composing PRS associated with T2MI. RESULTS: We found that T1MI was strongly associated with PRS for cardiovascular disease, lipid profiles, and metabolic traits. In contrast, PRS for alcohol dependence and cholecystitis, significantly enriched in energy metabolism pathways, were predictive of T2MI risk. The association remained after the adjustment for actual alcohol consumption. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate distinct genetic traits associated with T1MI and T2MI among PWH further highlighting their etiological differences and supporting the role of energy regulation in T2MI pathogenesis.

OBJECTIVES: People with HIV have a higher risk of myocardial infarction (MI) than the general population, with a greater proportion of type 2 MI (T2MI) due to oxygen demand-supply mismatch compared with type 1 (T1MI) resulting from atherothrombotic plaque disruption. People living with HIV report a greater prevalence of cigarette and alcohol use than do the general population. Alcohol use and smoking as risk factors for MI by type are not well studied among people living with HIV. We examined longitudinal associations between smoking and alcohol use patterns and MI by type among people living with HIV. DESIGN AND METHODS: Using longitudinal data from the Centers for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems cohort, we conducted time-updated Cox proportional hazards models to determine the impact of smoking and alcohol consumption on adjudicated T1MI and T2MI. RESULTS: Among 13 506 people living with HIV, with a median 4 years of follow-up, we observed 177 T1MI and 141 T2MI. Current smoking was associated with a 60% increase in risk of both T1MI and T2MI. In addition, every cigarette smoked per day was associated with a 4% increase in risk of T1MI, with a suggestive, but not significant, 2% increase for T2MI. Cigarette use had a greater impact on T1MI for men than for women and on T2MI for women than for men. Increasing alcohol use was associated with a lower risk of T1MI but not T2MI. Frequency of heavy episodic alcohol use was not associated with MI. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings reinforce the prioritization of smoking reduction, even without cessation, and cessation among people living with HIV for MI prevention and highlight the different impacts on MI type by gender.

The professional identity of scientists has historically been cultivated to value research over teaching, which can undermine initiatives that aim to reform science education. Course-Based Research Experiences (CRE) and the inclusive Research and Education Communities (iREC) are two successful and impactful reform efforts that integrate research and teaching. The aim of this study is to explicate the professional identity of instructors who implement a CRE within an established iREC and to explore how this identity contributes to the success of these programs. 97 CRE instructors from the Science Education Alliance (SEA) iREC participated in a 2-year, multi-stage, qualitative research project that involved weekly reflective journaling, autoethnographic description, small group evaluation and writing, and large-scale community checking. The resulting description of professional identity consisted of shared values (inclusivity, student success, community membership, ownership/agency, science, overcoming failure, and persistence), specified roles (mentor, advocate, scientist, educator, motivator, collaborator, community builder, learner, evaluator and project manager) and a stated sense of self (dedicated, resilient, pride in students, multiskilled, valued, community member, responsible and overworked). Analysis of individual reflective diary entries revealed how a professional identity underpinned and facilitated the ways in which faculty addressed challenges that arose and worked toward the success of every student. It is the self-concept of the professional identity of the instructor in the context of the CRE classroom that directed the extended commitment and effort that these instructors evidently put into their work with students, which facilitated student engagement, student persistence, and their collective scientific output. The study concludes that a professional identity of STEM faculty in the context of a CRE and iREC combines being a researcher and educator, and that this integrated identity is central for current initiatives aimed at transforming undergraduate STEM education.