AS-890-20 Resolution on Class Attendance

That the wording in Class Attendance policy be changed as follows: It is strongly urged that instructors accept the following “excusable” reasons for allowing students to make up missed work. And, be it further RESOLVED that the following clarifying language be added to the policy as excusable reasons for making up missed class work: B. Injury, illness, death, or any extenuating circumstances of close relatives (to include but not limited to natural, adopted, and/or in-law children, parents, legal guardian, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren as well as spouse or partner). Extenuating circumstances can be defined as serious and exceptional factors outside the student\u27s control which adversely affected the student’s attendance during class time

Marshall Community Trans Clothing Closet

In the United States it is estimated that 1.4 million adults are transgender (Flores, Herman, Gates, & Brown, 2016), and West Virginia leads the country with the largest number of teens, 13-17 years of age, who identify as transgender (1.04%; Herman, Flores, Brown, Williams, & Conron, 2017). Many transgender teens are financially cut off by their families (Lambda Legal, 2017), and transgender Americans are four times more likely than the general population to report a household income of less than $10,000 (Center for American Progress, 2015). This is especially concerning because 87% of transgender individuals report having completed at least some college, and 47% have earned a college degree (Center for American Progress, 2015). On college campuses 41% of transgender students are estimated to be harassed, but only 28% report the harassment which lays the groundwork for the need for acceptance and visibility on campuses (Dugan, Kusel, & Simounet, 2012 ). A study at the University of Michigan suggested that transgender students report educational barriers on college campuses, including inadequate support for transgender students in terms of health care and counseling provided by the college (Matney, 2003). The current project seeks to place collection bins on Marshall University’s campus for clothing for transgender students. After the collection, the closet will enable an experience where those who identify as part of the LGBT community will be able to comfortably explore their gender identity in various ways in a safe place. Specifically, we will have clothes for them to try on and peers to support and talk with each other. Most of all, this experience will establish a lasting atmosphere of acceptance and a closet in the LGBT office which will always be ready for use for years to come

The genetic architecture of the human cerebral cortex

The cerebral cortex underlies our complex cognitive capabilities, yet little is known about the specific genetic loci that influence human cortical structure. To identify genetic variants that affect cortical structure, we conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of brain magnetic resonance imaging data from 51,665 individuals. We analyzed the surface area and average thickness of the whole cortex and 34 regions with known functional specializations. We identified 199 significant loci and found significant enrichment for loci influencing total surface area within regulatory elements that are active during prenatal cortical development, supporting the radial unit hypothesis. Loci that affect regional surface area cluster near genes in Wnt signaling pathways, which influence progenitor expansion and areal identity. Variation in cortical structure is genetically correlated with cognitive function, Parkinson's disease, insomnia, depression, neuroticism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

5 Money-Saving Tips For College Students

As if worrying about graduating from college isn’t enough, for some, in the back of our minds is the unsettling feeling that in a few years it will be time to pay back the debt Iowa State has so kindly gifted us with. Happy graduation. Luckily, there are a few ways to cut back on a couple thousand of those hard-earned dollars. It doesn’t seem like much in the grand scheme of things, but hey, maybe a couple thousand dollars could go towards that brand new car you’ve been dreaming of—a 2011 black Silverado 2500HD, perhaps?</p

Characterising Castrate Tolerant Prostate Cancer Cells

Prostate cancer is a prevalent disease in aging males. This thesis explores prostate cancer cells that escape current therapy and give rise to end-stage disease. Using sophisticated experimental approaches, this important cancer cell population was identified and characterised in human prostate cancer tissues.  Our discoveries will eventually lead to improved cancer treatments for men with prostate cancer

Jumble judging: Cognitive and affective outcomes of intercollegiate collaboration at a soil judging competition

Student-student interactions are influential parts of field experiences. While competitive judging events are a fun way to engage students in field-based learning, the focus on competition leads to an atmosphere that discourages collaboration between students. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cognitive and affective learning outcomes resulting from intercollegiate collaboration at a soil judging competition. Teams with students from two to three different universities were assigned and referred to as jumble judging teams. Jumble judging was held for the first time in the 2021 Region 5 Collegiate Soil Judging Contest. Learning outcomes were assessed using a pre- and post-survey, as well as group and individual reflections completed in the field. Student responses were generally positive, with 70% of students expressing agreement or strong agreement that they would like jumble judging to be included in future contests, 54% citing jumble judging as one of the best parts of the contest, and 93% identifying learning outcomes or describing an affective learning experience resulting from jumble judging. Evidence of both cognitive and affective learning were identified through student surveys and reflections. Overall, the event created a collaborative and collegial atmosphere and increased interaction between students from different universities, while maintaining the competitive nature of the event that motivates many students to get involved with judging teams.This is a manuscript of an article published as Young, Rebecca A., Judith K. Turk, Nicolas A. Jelinski, Amber D. Anderson, Kerry M. Clark, Ashlee Dere, Colby J. Moorberg, Kristopher Osterloh, and DeAnn Presley. "Jumble judging: Cognitive and affective outcomes of intercollegiate collaboration at a soil judging competition." Natural Sciences Education: e20104. doi:10.1002/nse2.20104. Posted with permission

Jumble judging: Cognitive and affective outcomes of intercollegiate collaboration at a soil judging competition

Student–student interactions are influential parts of field experiences. While competitive judging events are a fun way to engage students in field-based learning, the focus on competition leads to an atmosphere that discourages collaboration between students. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cognitive and affective learning outcomes resulting from intercollegiate collaboration at a soil judging competition. Teams with students from two to three different universities were assigned and referred to as jumble judging teams. Jumble judging was held for the first time in the 2021 Region 5 Collegiate Soil Judging Contest. Learning outcomeswere assessed using a pre- and postsurvey, as well as group and individual reflections completed in the field. Student responses were generally positive, with 70% of students expressing agreement or strong agreement that they would like jumble judging to be included in future contests, 54% citing jumble judging as one of the best parts of the contest, and 93% identifying learning outcomes or describing an affective learning experience resulting from jumble judging. Evidence of both cognitive and affective learning were identified through student surveys and reflections. Overall, the event created a collaborative and collegial atmosphere and increased interaction between students from different universities, while maintaining the competitive nature of the event that motivates many students to get involved with judging teams

Evaluating student attitudes and learning at remote collegiate soil judging events

As with many aspects of teaching, the COVID-19 pandemic forced soil judging teams to attempt new strategies towards achieving student learning outcomes. Soil judging Regions IV and V hosted remote regional contests in October 2020 in place of traditional, in-person contests typically held each fall. We conducted pre- and post-contest surveys to assess student learning outcomes, attitudes, and reflections on the remote contest experience compared to past, in-person contest experiences. We received 108 total responses from students who participated in the Region IV and Region V remote soil judging contests (>80% response rate). In self-reported learning outcomes, there were no significant gains post-contest and there were minimal differences between students in Regions IV and V. Female students, students with more soil judging experience, and students who had taken more soil science courses agreed more strongly that soil science is important, that they planned to pursue careers in soil science, and that they gained important skills from soil judging. Finally, students who previously participated in contests reported that they gained more knowledge and enjoyed in-person contests more than the remote contests held in Fall 2020. Thus, while it is possible to replicate some aspects of the soil judging experience in a remote contest, other aspects that are critical to student engagement are lost when teams are unable to gather at the contest location and examine soils in the field.This article is published as Owen, Rachel K., Amber Anderson, Ammar Bhandari, Kerry Clark, Morgan Davis, Ashlee Dere, Nic Jelinski et al. "Evaluating student attitudes and learning at remote collegiate soil judging events." Natural Sciences Education 50, no. 2 (2021): e20065. doi:10.1002/nse2.20065. Posted with permission.This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made

Identification of Metabolically Distinct Adipocyte Progenitor Cells in Human Adipose Tissues

Summary: Adipocyte progenitor cells (APCs) provide the reservoir of regenerative cells to produce new adipocytes, although their identity in humans remains elusive. Using FACS analysis, gene expression profiling, and metabolic and proteomic analyses, we identified three APC subtypes in human white adipose tissues. The APC subtypes are molecularly distinct but possess similar proliferative and adipogenic capacities. Adipocytes derived from APCs with high CD34 expression exhibit exceedingly high rates of lipid flux compared with APCs with low or no CD34 expression, while adipocytes produced from CD34− APCs display beige-like adipocyte properties and a unique endocrine profile. APCs were more abundant in gluteofemoral compared with abdominal subcutaneous and omental adipose tissues, and the distribution of APC subtypes varies between depots and in patients with type 2 diabetes. These findings provide a mechanistic explanation for the heterogeneity of human white adipose tissue and a potential basis for dysregulated adipocyte function in type 2 diabetes. : Raajendiran et al. report the identification of three adipocyte progenitor cell (APC) subtypes that reside in human adipose tissues. These APCs have distinct molecular phenotypes yet retain similar adipogenic potential. The APCs give rise to adipocytes with divergent metabolic and endocrine capacities and their distribution varies in type 2 diabetes patients. Keywords: adipose tissue, lipid metabolism, adipokine, obesity, type 2 diabetes, adipogenesis, adipocyte progenitor cell, beige adipocyte, lipolysi