Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD) is a major inflammatory complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Such transplantations are lifesaving in treating certain conditions, such as acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphocytic leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, aplastic anemia, and thalassemia. However, the subsequent presentation of GVHD can pose a lethal threat, placing the patient’s life at risk, once again. The inflammatory response of the graft’s adaptive immunity towards the host’s native cells in GVHD is said to trigger a cytokine storm. Despite its widespread use both colloquially and in the medical field, criteria for “cytokine storms” do not exist. For this reason, a meta-analysis is being conducted that examines various cytokine levels of several different disease conditions, including acute respiratory distress syndrome, chimeric antigen receptor T cells, Crohn’s disease, SARS CoV-2, rheumatoid arthritis, sepsis, and graft versus host disease. The purpose of this study is to analyze a subset of data within this larger meta-analysis, specifically interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in GVHD. Herein, I discuss the role of IL-6 in the pathogenesis of GVHD, examine the levels of IL-6 in varying stages of GVHD, and propose future directions for using IL-6 inhibition as a treatment for GVHD.

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This study was conducted to first evaluate the effects caregivers’ fidelity of the Cool Versus Not Cool (CNC) intervention using remote behavioral skills training (BST) and second, to evaluate subsequent treatment effects when caregivers implement intervention with their child with ASD. The components of behavioral skills training used were instruction, modeling, role-playing, and feedback. Past research has not evaluated the effects of the CNC intervention on children with ASD’s social skills when implemented by their caregivers. Thus, this research was needed to evaluate the effectiveness of remote based BST and the effectiveness of caregiver-implemented CNC intervention. Results suggested that remote-based BST is a useful training strategy to train caregivers and to support caregiver-implemented CNC to improve children with ASD’s social skills. During follow up and generalization conditions across dyads, caregiver and child skills maintained. During generalization, caregiver skills maintained when teaching new social skills for Caregiver 1 and Caregiver 2, but not entirely for Caregiver 3. / Applied Behavioral Analysis

The phenomenal experience of our visual perception, what it is like to be in that state, is something that we might take for granted. However, looking closer at the neural correlates of visual processing in relation to phenomenal experience we recognize that it is a complex issue. Whether our subjective experience of our visual representation of the world is attached to cognitive functions, like working memory and attention, or whether some sort of richness overflows such functions, is an ongoing debate within cognitive neuroscience. Advocates for overflow argue that phenomenal experience is the result of activity in posterior occipito-temporo-parietal areas and is independent of attention, while those within the non-overflow position mean that for phenomenal awareness to arise activity in higher-level areas like the prefrontal lobe is needed. Finding evidence for unattended visual phenomenal consciousness without access consciousness would support the overflow position since it could indicate phenomenal experience as independent of attention. In addition to this debate, researchers need to keep in mind what methods are being used to measure phenomenal experience, since several biases potentially follow studies using introspective measures. Through this systematic review, a search string provided empirical studies based on fMRI that investigated unconscious and conscious visual processing. The results of this review show little or weak evidence for unattended visual phenomenal consciousness and do not seem to overflow cognitive functions.

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Speech anxiety is an issue that persists and presents itself innumerably in schools, especially affecting students who learning English either as their second language or as a foreign language. Speaking anxiety may stem from different sources and affect each individual student differently. The research question that is key to this research is “How can teachers support students who are struggling with speech anxiety?”The research for this thesis has been done through the use a qualitative interview with two secondary school teachers in Lund. The interview was structured after a semi-structured style to allow for guided questions and openness of any unexpected questions and answers during the interview process.The results of this research is that that tackling speaking anxiety in the classroom is no easy feat, although, from the literature and interview content it has been made clear that for a teacher to be successful in supporting their students, being prepared for possible difficulties, composed for sudden changes to lesson plans, and ready to adapt assignments where speaking is involved in order to allow students to be most comfortable and given their utmost honest performance while speaking in front of others.

By focusing on the contradiction between stability and change, this thesis researched what factors impact intrapreneurship and how innovative organizations promote intrapreneurial activities. The aim is to gain an understanding of how innovative organizations foster intrapreneurship. The thesis is of a qualitative research design with an abductive approach. Data is collected in the form of nine semi-structured interviews with managers from different roles and industries. The interviewed managers were selected on the basis of two predetermined requirements. First, they represented companies identified as innovative and intrapreneurial by their respective organizational and financial structures, with business strategies focused on innovation. Second, the interviewees were identified as managers actively involved in managing strategic initiatives and intrapreneurial activities. The empirical findings confirmed that the relationship between large organizations and intrapreneurship is a difficult balancing act. This thesis provides findings that the corporate climate, organizational support, rewards and risk as well as intrapreneurial characteristics all impact intrapreneurial efforts. Ultimately, there is a need for organizations to balance organizational and intrapreneurial characteristics in order to foster innovation and solve the intrapreneurial dilemma. Consequently, the findings contribute valuable insight to the scattered field of intrapreneurship.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is an important form of therapy for hematological genetic disorders and malignancies, particularly hematological cancers. However, common usage of this procedure is obstructed by graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), in which transplanted donor T cells wage an attack on recipient antigens, causing severe tissue damage and mortality. GvHD prognosis remains poor, and current treatment methods continue to be insufficient, especially for patients with more advanced and severe GvHD. T cells have been identified as the fundamental force behind GvHD, and their cellular metabolism is deemed vital to their fate and function, especially in pathogenic environments. A hallmark of T cell metabolism in GvHD microenvironments is aerobic glycolysis, which maximizes biomass accumulation and supports growth and proliferation. Lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) is an essential enzyme that sustains this pathway and may be a potential therapeutic target. Using murine and in-vitro GvHD models, this study investigates the ameliorative impacts of LDHA inhibition on the fate and function of T cells following HSCT. The results reveal that LDHA depletion leads to an immunosuppressive donor T cell characterization that minimizes recipient harm induced by GvHD. Future studies should focus on investigating LDHA inhibition in in-vivo models to introduce a paradigm shift in the development of clinically relevant therapeutics.

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