A New Scale for Measuring Engineering Identity in Undergraduates

Identity, or how people choose to define themselves, is gaining traction as an explanation for who pursues and persists in engineering. A number of quantitative studies have developed scales for predicting engineering identity in undergraduate students. However, the outcome measure of identity is sometimes based on a single item. In this paper, we present the results of a new two-item scale. The scale is adapted from an existing measure of identification with an organization that was developed by Bergami and Bagozzi [1] and refined by Bartel [2]. The measure focuses on the “cognitive (i.e., self-categorization) component of identification” (p. 556), and has been found to have high convergent validity with another, rigorous measure of identification with an organization or other entity created by Mael and Ashforth [3]. This measure utilizes one primarily visual and one verbal item to assess the extent to which an individual cognitively categorizes himself or herself as an engineer. The scale was administered to 1528 engineering undergraduate students during the 2016-2017 academic year. Internal consistency of the new engineering identity scale, as measured by Cronbach’s alpha, is 0.84. This new scale is an important step toward refining quantitative measures of, and the study of, engineering identity development in undergraduate students and other populations.Cockrell School of Engineerin

CHILD ADVOCACY IN SASKATCHEWAN CHILD WELFARE CASES: ACCESS TO JUSTICE AND INDIGENOUS CHILDREN’S RIGHTS

This thesis sets out to examine the status of implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in Saskatchewan and the CRC’s impacts on Indigenous children and their access to justice within the child welfare system. Research methods included a review of case law, literature and legislation. Informed persons employed in the child welfare field were then interviewed. I argue that Canada’s inadequate implementation of the CRC has devastating impacts on Indigenous children subject to the child welfare system in Saskatchewan. The overrepresentation of Indigenous children in Saskatchewan’s child welfare cases is alarming and is the result of Canada’s colonial history. Representation for children is limited to a Euro-Canadian framework that perpetuates racism and an un-interrogated cultural bias rooted in our understanding of children’s rights as being limited to individual rights. This thesis identifies different models of legal representation adopted by lawyers and justice systems in child welfare cases and offers alternatives to the current model used in Saskatchewan. The current use of lawyers as representatives for Indigenous children raises concerns with respect to availability of counsel and potential bias when advocating for an Indigenous child. This thesis argues that provincial jurisdiction over child welfare is invalid, as Indigenous peoples never ceded child welfare, and that child welfare needs to be deliberately transitioned to Indigenous control. I conclude that rights in the CRC would be better met for Indigenous children if child welfare were deliberately placed back into the hands of Indigenous peoples. Indigenous models of child welfare have greater potential to ensure that meaningful voice for Indigenous children is met and thereby ensures that international obligations under the CRC are fulfilled

Supporting Our Struggling Students: Details of a Hybrid Mathematics Summer Bridge Program

It goes without saying that the schools in the consortium are used to dealing with gifted and talented students. However with such high-caliber students, we also have high expectations. What resources do we offer to the students who struggle at our institutions? This presentation will detail the setup and results of EXCEL2 - a summer bridge program offered at the Illinois Mathematics & Science Academy to help students who were unable to meet course expectations. The program operated through a hybrid online/in-person model - with instruction primarily given through video conferencing but coupled with an on-campus experience

Microsomal Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme Damage in Cultured Leydig Cells: Relation to Steroidogenic Desensitization a

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/73208/1/j.1749-6632.1984.tb38363.x.pd

A scoping review of the literature on the application and usefulness of the Problem Management Plus (PM+) intervention around the world

Background: Given the high rates of common mental disorders and limited resources, task-shifting psychosocial interventions are needed to provide adequate care. One such intervention developed by the World Health Organization is Problem Management Plus (PM+). Aims: This review maps the evidence regarding the extent of application and usefulness of the PM+ intervention, i.e. adaptability, feasibility, effectiveness and scalability, since it was introduced in 2016. Method: We conducted a scoping review of seven literature databases and grey literature from January 2015 to February 2024, to identify peer-reviewed and grey literature on PM+ around the world. Results: Out of 6739 potential records, 42 met the inclusion criteria. About 60% of the included studies were from low- and middle-income countries. Findings from pilot/feasibility trials demonstrated that PM+ is feasible, acceptable and safe. Results from definitive randomised controlled trials at short-term follow-up also suggested that PM+ is effective, with overall moderate-to-large effect sizes, in improving symptoms of common mental health problems. Although PM+ was more effective in reducing symptoms of common mental disorders, it was found to be costlier compared to usual care in the only study that evaluated its cost-effectiveness. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that PM+, in its individual and group formats, can be adapted and effectively delivered by trained helpers to target a wide range of common mental health concerns. More effectiveness and implementation evidence is required to understand the long-term impact of PM+, its cost-effectiveness and scalability, and moderators of treatment outcomes such as gender and delivery formats

Addressing the unresolved challenge of quantifying skiing exposure-A proof of concept using smartphone sensors

In epidemiological studies related to winter sports, especially alpine skiing, an unresolved methodological challenge is the quantification of actual on-snow activity exposure. Such information would be relevant for reporting meaningful measures of injury incidence, which refers to the number of new injuries that occur in a given population and time period. Accordingly, accurate determination of the denominator, i.e., actual "activity exposure time", is critical for injury surveillance and reporting. In this perspective article, we explore the question of whether wearable sensors in combination with mHealth applications are suitable tools to accurately quantify the periods in a ski day when the skier is physically skiing and not resting or using a mechanical means of transport. As a first proof of concept, we present exemplary data from a youth competitive alpine skier who wore his smartphone with embedded sensors on his body on several ski days during one winter season. We compared these data to self-reported estimates of ski exposure, as used in athletes' training diaries. In summary, quantifying on-snow activity exposure in alpine skiing using sensor data from smartphones is technically feasible. For example, the sensors could be used to track ski training sessions, estimate the actual time spent skiing, and even quantify the number of runs and turns made as long as the smartphone is worn. Such data could be very useful in determining actual exposure time in the context of injury surveillance and could prove valuable for effective stress management and injury prevention in athletes

Process improvements for AAV production by transient transfection of HEK293 cells

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SELF-ASSEMBLED MONOLAYERS AND METHODS FOR USING THE SAME IN BIOSENSING APPLICATIONS

Cross - linked amphiphile constructs that form self - as sembled monolayers ( SAMs ) on metal surfaces such as gold surfaces are disclosed . These new SAMs generate well packed and highly oriented monolayer films on gold sur faces . A method for using the SAMs in the fabrication of biomolecule sensors is also disclosed

Cloning and expression of a thermostable α-galactosidase from the thermophilic fungus Talaromyces emersonii in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris

The first gene (alpha-gal1) encoding an extracellular alpha-Dgalactosidase from the thermophilic fungus Talaromyces emersonii was cloned and characterized. The alpha-gal1 gene consisted of an open reading frame of 1,792 base pairs interrupted by six introns that encoded a mature protein of 452 amino acids, including a 24 amino acid secretory signal sequence. The translated protein had highest identity with other fungal alpha-galactosidases belonging to glycosyl hydrolase family 27. The alpha-gal1 gene was overexpressed as a secretory protein with an N-terminal histidine tag in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris. Recombinant alpha-Gal1 was secreted into the culture medium as a monomeric glycoprotein with a maximal yield of 10.75 mg/l and purified to homogeneity using Hisbinding nickel-agarose affinity chromatography. The purified enzyme was maximally active at 70 degrees C, pH 4.5, and lost no activity over 10 days at 50 degrees C. alpha-Gal1 followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics (Vmax of 240.3 micronM/min/mg, Km of 0.294 mM) and was inhibited competitively by galactose (Km obs of 0.57 mM, Ki of 2.77 mM). The recombinant T. emersonii alpha-galactosidase displayed broad substrate preference, being active on both oligo- and polymeric substrates, yet had strict specificity for the alpha-galactosidic linkage. Owing to its substrate preference and noteworthy stability, alpha-Gal1 is of particular interest for possible biotechnological applications involving the processing of plant materials.J.S. thanks her supervisor at the University of Jyvaskyla, Emily Knott, for permission to perform her Masters degree research while on exchange at NUT Galway, and for constructive comments on the manuscript. J.S. and A.G. both received scholarships under EU Erasmus/Socrates bilateral agreement. Funding for this research was provided in part to M.G.T. under the National Development Plan, through the Food Institutional Research Measure, administered by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Ireland

Genetic structure and diversity of a rare woodland bat, Myotis bechsteinii: comparison of continental Europe and Britain

The Bechstein’s bat (Myotis bechsteinii) is a rare sedentary bat considered to be highly reliant on the presence of ancient woodland. Understanding the genetic connectivity and population structure of such elusive mammals is important for assessing their conservation status. In this study, we report the genetic diversity and structure of M. bechsteinii across Britain and Europe. Assessments were made using 14 microsatellite markers and a 747 bp region of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. Nuclear DNA (microsatellites) showed high levels of genetic diversity and little inbreeding across the species range, though genetic diversity was slightly lower in Britain than in mainland Europe. Bayesian and spatial PCA analysis showed a clear separation between the British and European sites. Within Europe, the Italian population south of the Alps was isolated from the other sites. In Britain, there was genetic structuring between the northern and southern part of the geographical range. Despite there being little genetic divergence in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences throughout most of Europe, the mtDNA patterns in Britain confirmed this separation of northern and southern populations. Such genetic structuring within Britain—in the absence of any obvious physical barriers—suggests that other factors such as land-use may limit gene-flow