Duquesne University

About: Duquesne University is a education organization based out in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Health care. The organization has 3615 authors who have published 7169 publications receiving 180066 citations. The organization is also known as: Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit.

Creating transnational solidarity: the use of narrative in the u.s.-central america peace movement *

Abstract: As social problems become increasingly global, activists are working across state boundaries and forming transnational social movements. However, there is little information that illuminates how groups are able to overcome ethnic, class, ideological and cultural differences that could be obstacles to collaboration. Through an analysis of the story of Salvadoran martyr Archbishop Romero, I demonstrate how this narrative fostered solidarity between the progressive Central American church and U.S. Christians. By symbolically mirroring the social ontology of Christianity and melodramatically presenting the Salvadoran conflict with moral clarity, Romero's life story facilitated the construction of a transnational collective identity and provided a model of action. The moral credibility of the narrators, and the context in which Romero's story was told, influenced many Christians' decision to prioritize this religious identity over their national allegiance.

IL-4/STAT6 signaling facilitates innate hematoma resolution and neurological recovery after hemorrhagic stroke in mice.

Abstract: Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a devastating form of stroke affecting millions of people worldwide. Parenchymal hematoma triggers a series of reactions leading to primary and secondary brain injuries and permanent neurological deficits. Microglia and macrophages carry out hematoma clearance, thereby facilitating functional recovery after ICH. Here, we elucidate a pivotal role for the interleukin (IL)-4)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) axis in promoting long-term recovery in both blood- and collagenase-injection mouse models of ICH, through modulation of microglia/macrophage functions. In both ICH models, STAT6 was activated in microglia/macrophages (i.e., enhanced expression of phospho-STAT6 in Iba1+ cells). Intranasal delivery of IL-4 nanoparticles after ICH hastened STAT6 activation and facilitated hematoma resolution. IL-4 treatment improved long-term functional recovery in young and aged male and young female mice. In contrast, STAT6 knockout (KO) mice exhibited worse outcomes than WT mice in both ICH models and were less responsive to IL-4 treatment. The construction of bone marrow chimera mice demonstrated that STAT6 KO in either the CNS or periphery exacerbated ICH outcomes. STAT6 KO impaired the capacity of phagocytes to engulf red blood cells in the ICH brain and in primary cultures. Transcriptional analyses identified lower level of IL-1 receptor-like 1 (ST2) expression in microglia/macrophages of STAT6 KO mice after ICH. ST2 KO diminished the beneficial effects of IL-4 after ICH. Collectively, these data confirm the importance of IL-4/STAT6/ST2 signaling in hematoma resolution and functional recovery after ICH. Intranasal IL-4 treatment warrants further investigation as a clinically feasible therapy for ICH.

Remote Ischemic Preconditioning-Mediated Neuroprotection against Stroke is Associated with Significant Alterations in Peripheral Immune Responses.

Abstract: Summary Aims Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) of a limb is a clinically feasible strategy to protect against ischemia–reperfusion injury after stroke. However, the mechanism underlying RIPC remains elusive. Methods We generated a rat model of noninvasive RIPC by four repeated cycles of brief blood flow constriction (5 min) in the hindlimbs using a tourniquet. Blood was collected 1 h after preconditioning and 3 days after brain reperfusion. The impact of RIPC on immune cell and cytokine profiles prior to and after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was assessed. Results Remote ischemic preconditioning protects against focal ischemia and preserves neurological functions 3 days after stroke. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated that RIPC ameliorates the post-MCAO reduction of CD3+CD8+ T cells and abolishes the reduction of CD3+/CD161a+ NKT cells in the blood. In addition, RIPC robustly elevates the percentage of B cells in peripheral blood, thereby reversing the reduction in the B-cell population after stroke. RIPC also markedly elevates the percentage of CD43+/CD172a+ noninflammatory resident monocytes, without any impact on the percentage of CD43−/CD172a+ inflammatory monocytes. Finally, RIPC induces IL-6 expression and enhances the elevation of TNF-α after stroke. Conclusion Our results reveal dramatic immune changes during RIPC-afforded neuroprotection against cerebral ischemia.

Meta-Analysis of the English Version of the Beck Depression Inventory–Second Edition

Abstract: This meta-analysis reviewed 144 studies from 1996 to 2013 using the Beck Depression Inventory–Second Edition. Internal consistency was .89 and test–retest reliability .75. Convergent comparisons we...

A Controlled-corpus Experiment in Authorship Identification by Cross-entropy

Abstract: This paper describes an authorship, and more generally document classification, experiment on a preexisting Dutch corpus of university writings. By measuring linguistic distances using a cross-entropy technique, a technique sensitive not only to the distributions of language features, but also to their relative interse- quencing, classification judgments can be made with great sensitivity, significance, confidence, and accuracy. In particular, despite the designed diculty of the Dutch corpus used, the technique was still able to reliably detect not only authorship, but also subtle features of register, topic, and even the educational attainments of the author. We present evidence suggesting that this technique outperforms more well-known techniques such as function word principal components analysis or linear discriminant analysis, as well as suggest ways in which performance can be improved.