Lincoln University (LU) is a public state-related historically black university near Oxford, Pennsylvania. Founded as the private Ashmun Institute in 1854, it has been a public institution since 1972 and was the United States' first degree-granting HBCU. Its main campus is located on 422 acres near the town of Oxford in southern Chester County, Pennsylvania. The university has a second location in University City, Philadelphia. Lincoln University provides undergraduate and graduate coursework to approximately 2,000 students. It is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.While a majority of its students are African Americans, the university has a long history of accepting students of other races and nationalities. Women have received degrees since 1953, and made up 66% of undergraduate enrollment in 2019.
Given the metabolic effects of intra-articular (IA) corticosteroids, the goal of this project was to monitor the effects of IA betamethasone in both insulin dysregulated (ID)(n = 3) and non-ID (n = 5) horses. A cross-over design was used where eight geldings were injected with either 9 mg of betamethasone or saline into both metacarpophalangeal joints, followed by regular blood collections for adrenocorticotropin releasing hormone (ACTH), cortisol, insulin, and glucose, as well as pre- and post-administration oral sugar testing. Results were analyzed via two-way repeated measures analysis of variance (p < 0.05). Intra-articular betamethasone caused significant suppression of ACTH and cortisol in both groups through 24-48 hr, and a significant increase in glucose in the non-ID horses between 8-48 hr post-administration. As portions of this pilot study were underpowered (primarily insulin), additional work with larger numbers of both ID and non-ID horses would help to better understand these effects and allow for the analysis of insulin concentrations.
Studies have shown that people can derive summary statistics – such as the mean – from sets of similar objects for low-level (orientation, color value), mid-level (size), and high-level visual features (emotional expression) through the phenomena of ensemble perception. Recent research has identified a bias to overestimate variability in both static and dynamic arrays of lines at various orientations – referred to as the variability overestimation effect. Here, we explored whether the variability overestimation effect generalizes to other visual features, namely color value, and size and whether it generalizes to different response types. Such generalization would be consistent with the idea that this overestimation is inherent in ensemble perception processes. In the current experiments, participants saw a set of nine circles that varied in either size or color value and estimated the variability of the set. Overall, participants overestimated variability in color value and size. This overestimation was more pronounced when the set had lesser variability. The fact that the visual system overestimates variability across different features raises the possibility that this bias is encompassed within ensemble perception. The exaggerated bias when variability is low for orientation, size, and color value is consistent with a common mechanism underlying these biases. Understanding the perception of variability in ensembles has theoretical implications for ensemble perception processes and has applied implications such as how to design visualizations that require making judgments about critical but uncertain information such as the possible trajectory of the path of a hurricane.
This research synthesizes existing literature to detail the data-oriented ethical concerns specific to segmentation, targeting, and positioning (STP) in marketing. It also examines the challenges associated with these ethical concerns within the context of organizational size. A framework for defining STP-based ethical challenges by organizational size is presented to outline the interplay between organizational size, STP marketing strategies, and the ethical implications of data-driven practices. Finally, grounded in the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) and normative ethics theories, the research identifies strategies that large and small organizations can utilize to ensure ethical compliance and continued competitiveness in the broader market.
Electronic cigarettes (ECIGs) are widely used but their effects on the immune system need to be further investigated. Macrophages are white blood cells central to the immune response. Using THP-1-derived M0 macrophages, this study aims to determine the effects of ECIG liquids (E-liquids) on the polarization of M0 to the pro-inflammatory M1 macrophage subtype. THP-1 cells were cultured and differentiated to M0 macrophages using RPMI media. E-liquids ± cinnamon, menthol, strawberry and tobacco flavors were added to cell cultures at 1% (v/v) during polarization with lipopolysaccharides and interferon γ for 24 to 72 h. Morphology, viability, gene expression and cytokine production were measured using light microscopy, the LDH cytotoxicity assay, qPCR and ELISA, respectively. The results show that cells present little to no LDH activity under any treatments. In addition, cinnamon-flavored E-liquid severely affects morphology (i.e., abolishing pseudopodia formation), gene expression of all genes tested, and cytokine production. Other E-liquid flavors also affect some of these parameters, but to a lesser extent. Our data suggest that E-liquids can affect the polarization from M0 to M1, thus affecting the immune response in ECIG-exposed tissues such as the mucosa in the oral cavity and airways, ultimately mitigating the health status.
Effective flossing is essential for preventing periodontal disease. However, in a rural Appalachian community, adherence to flossing routines remains low, contributing to significant oral health disparities. The purpose of this study was to conceptualize intention of initiation and sustenance of flossing behaviors using the multi-theory model (MTM) of health behavior change. A cross-sectional survey was administered to individuals recruited from a shopping mall in rural Appalachia. The MTM constructs were measured and data were analyzed using multiple linear regression models. Of the 228 participants, 55% did not floss daily. Behavioral confidence (β = 0.571, p < 0.001) was a significant predictor for the intention of initiation of flossing among non-daily flossers, while emotional transformation (β = 0.377, p = 0.836) significantly explained sustenance among non-daily flossers. For daily flossers, changes in the physical environment (β = 0.432, p = 0.003) significantly predicted the intention of initiation of flossing, whereas emotional transformation (β = 0.344, p = 0.008) and practice for change (β = 0.594, p < 0.001) significantly predicted sustenance of flossing behavior. The MTM appears to be a robust framework for understanding and predicting flossing behaviors in rural Appalachian populations. Interventions designed to enhance behavioral confidence, physical environment changes, emotional transformation, and practice for change could improve flossing adherence. Further research should explore these constructs to develop targeted public health strategies.
