Los Angeles Valley College

Historically marginalized adolescents experience environmental stressors that contribute to psychological distress and compromised academic outcomes. Prior research highlights the role of a positive school climate and school engagement in promoting both academic achievement and psychological well-being. Building on this work, we propose school engagement may mediate relationships between stressful life events (SLEs) and campus climate on academic achievement and psychological distress. In a sample of 293 historically marginalized adolescents (81.2% Latine), path analyses showed mediation between campus climate, SLEs, and psychological distress via school engagement. Additionally, school engagement partially mediated the link between SLEs and academic achievement. Multiple regression analyses revealed school-related challenges were associated with lower school engagement, more psychological distress, and lower academic achievement. These findings highlight the critical role of school engagement in shaping both academic and psychological outcomes. Implications for equity-focused initiatives are discussed.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) poses a diagnostic challenge due to its heterogeneity. This study examines the cardiac complications of SLE comprehensively, covering pericarditis, myocarditis, pleural effusion, valvular disease, atherosclerosis, and cardiac arrhythmias. Nearly one-third of SLE-related deaths are attributed to cardiovascular diseases, necessitating a deeper understanding of cardiac pathophysiology. The impact of SLE on the cardiovascular system manifests in various ways, including recurrent and resistant pericarditis, severe myocarditis, and pleural effusion. Valvular diseases, atherosclerosis, and cardiac arrhythmias are prevalent, with immune complex deposition playing a role in atherosclerosis. Diagnostic criteria involve clinical features, laboratory findings, and autoantibodies, emphasizing the need for early diagnosis and a multidisciplinary diagnostic approach. The review explores pharmacological and non-pharmacological modalities for managing cardiac manifestations in SLE. Recommendations include NSAIDs, colchicine, and proton pump inhibitors for acute pericarditis, while selective immunosuppressive therapy is emerging for myocarditis. Valvular diseases require individualized treatment approaches, and careful corticosteroid management is crucial to avoid increased cardiovascular events. Anti-malarial therapy, particularly hydroxychloroquine, shows promise in mitigating cardiovascular risk factors. Non-pharmacological modifications, such as diet, exercise, and smoke cessation, significantly contribute to cardiovascular health in SLE patients. Adjuvant therapies involving glutathione and glutathione peroxidase focus on redox balance, offering potential interventions. This integrated approach combines diagnostic insights with diverse treatment modalities, providing a holistic strategy for managing cardiac complications in SLE. Ongoing research is essential to refine these strategies and optimize individualized treatment plans for improved patient outcomes.

Due to the rapid urbanization near existing highways, right-of-way projects are increasingly congested with underground utilities, which can significantly impact geotechnical engineering solutions and construction activities. The identification and assessment of these existing utilities is imperative to mitigate potential construction-related impacts. Numerical methods have been increasingly adopted to facilitate modeling the response of underground utilities and to evaluate the potential adverse effects associated with the construction of nearby geotechnical systems. In this study, two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) finite element models were developed to investigate an existing prestressed concrete water distribution pipeline due to the proposed construction of overlying sub-horizontal ground anchor (SHGA) and cast-in-place (CIP) retaining walls designed to support a highway lane expansion project. Numerical simulations were modeled in a staged-construction approach to identify the in situ and post-construction loading conditions of the subject pipeline, with the results summarized in terms of imposed displacements, stresses, and bending moments. This investigation indicates that the water distribution pipeline will be subject to minimal deformations and stresses due to the construction of the adjacent SHGA and CIP walls.

Inequality: A Contemporary Approach to Race, Class, and Gender offers a comprehensive introduction to the topics animating current sociological research focused on inequality. Contemporary, engaging, and research-oriented, it is the ideal text to help undergraduate students master the basic concepts in inequality research and gain a deeper understanding of the ways in which race, class, and gender interact with systems of social stratification. Following an introduction to theories and research methods used in the field, the authors apply these concepts to areas that define inequality research, including social mobility, education, gender, race, and culture. The authors include up-to-date quantitative evidence throughout. The text concludes by examining policies that have facilitated inequality and reviewing the social movements that in turn seek to reshape those structures. Though primarily focused on the United States, it includes a chapter on stratification across the globe and draws on cross-national comparisons throughout.

Inequality: A Contemporary Approach to Race, Class, and Gender offers a comprehensive introduction to the topics animating current sociological research focused on inequality. Contemporary, engaging, and research-oriented, it is the ideal text to help undergraduate students master the basic concepts in inequality research and gain a deeper understanding of the ways in which race, class, and gender interact with systems of social stratification. Following an introduction to theories and research methods used in the field, the authors apply these concepts to areas that define inequality research, including social mobility, education, gender, race, and culture. The authors include up-to-date quantitative evidence throughout. The text concludes by examining policies that have facilitated inequality and reviewing the social movements that in turn seek to reshape those structures. Though primarily focused on the United States, it includes a chapter on stratification across the globe and draws on cross-national comparisons throughout.

Inequality: A Contemporary Approach to Race, Class, and Gender offers a comprehensive introduction to the topics animating current sociological research focused on inequality. Contemporary, engaging, and research-oriented, it is the ideal text to help undergraduate students master the basic concepts in inequality research and gain a deeper understanding of the ways in which race, class, and gender interact with systems of social stratification. Following an introduction to theories and research methods used in the field, the authors apply these concepts to areas that define inequality research, including social mobility, education, gender, race, and culture. The authors include up-to-date quantitative evidence throughout. The text concludes by examining policies that have facilitated inequality and reviewing the social movements that in turn seek to reshape those structures. Though primarily focused on the United States, it includes a chapter on stratification across the globe and draws on cross-national comparisons throughout.

This article by Garber represents Jewish thoughts on death and dying that were presented at the 28th Annual Symposium on Jewish Civilization sponsored by the Philip M. and Ethel Klutznick Chair in Jewish Civilization, Creighton University, and other sponsors, and delivered at the University of Nebraska Omaha. Conference title, “`Olam Ha-Zeh v-`Olam Ha-Ba’: This World and the World to Come in Jewish Belief and Practice.” The section on “Jewish Martyrdom” is mainly influenced by thoughts expressed in Chapter 2 in Garber and Zuckerman, Double Takes: Thinking and Rethinking Issues of Modern Judaism in Ancient Contexts.

To the Editor: In the March 2021 issue of the JAH's “Textbooks and Teaching” section, Jordan E. Taylor wrote that many history essays “might lie in the graveyards of our desks for months or even years. After all, where else would they go? We are their sole audience” (p. 955). With all due respect to the authors who wrote about the problems and made suggestions regarding traditional history essays, there is a place for them to go besides desk drawers, filing cabinets, or wastebaskets. The articles dealt in a general way with history essays but gave little or no mention of the courses for which they were written. I would like to offer a suggestion regarding essays done for U.S. history classes, including courses on state and local history. Perhaps it's a needle in a haystack, or several needles, where a history professor finds a well-written history essay that would merit a larger audience than the “audience of one” of the person who read and graded it. Let's call it a research paper rather than an essay. What topics are being assigned to the students, and what is the required length of the paper? Are footnotes required?