CONSERVED FUNCTIONAL DOMAINS OF THE RNA-POLYMERASE-III GENERAL TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR BRF

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, two components of the RNA polymerase III (Pol III) general transcription factor TFIIIB are the TATA-binding protein (TBP) and the B-related factor (BRF), so called because its amino-terminal half is homologous to the Pol II transcription factor IIB (TFIIB). We have cloned BRF genes from the yeasts Kluyveromyces lactis and Candida albicans, Despite the large evolutionary distance between these species and S. cerevisiae, the BRF proteins are conserved highly. Although the homology is most pronounced in the amino-terminal half, conserved regions also exist in the carboxy-terminal half that is unique to BRF. By assaying for interactions between BRF and other Pol III transcription factors, we show that it is able to bind to the 135-kD subunit of TFIIIC and also to TBP. Surprisingly, in addition to binding the TFIIB-homologous amino-terminal portion of BRF, TBP also interacts strongly with the carboxy-terminal half. Deleting two conserved regions in the BRF carboxy-terminal region abrogates this interaction. furthermore, TBP mutations that selectively inhibit Pol III transcription in vivo impair interactions between TBP and the BRF carboxy-terminal domain. Finally, we demonstrate that BRF but not TFIIB binds the Pol III subunit C34 and we define a region of C34 necessary for this interaction. These observations provide insights into the roles performed by BRF in Pol III transcription complex assembly

Understanding the impact of strategic team formation in early programming education

This evidence based research looks at the impact of a team-based instruction on learning to program in a first year engineering course designed under the Bauhaus studio model. Each team is formulated with a “more knowledgeable other” [1], or for this paper the “ringer” based on selfreported prior learning. The ringer is intended to support the team through early programming challenges. In addition to the professor and teaching assistants, having a peer mentor can yield higher satisfaction and confidence in learners [2]. Our analysis evaluates learning outcomes as student progress through the term, comparing performance based on the performance and prior knowledge reported by the ringer. The major research questions investigate the role of the ringer in the success of the team, as well looking to see if teams that include a low performing student have any common characteristics. Findings include data from 2013, 2014, and 2015 with trends apparent in each of the years across major topics. This study shows that the formulation of teams around a carefully selected more knowledgeable other can improve the learning of the entire team. In general, ringer score correlates to an increase in the rest of the team’s average. The ringer score only supports learning to a certain degree where if the gap in score is too larger compared to the rest of the team, lower performing members can suffer. In general the formation of teams using prior programming experience seems to do no harm and even possibly improve learning outcomes, and the data may also suggest additional improvements on the use of teams

A Learning Trajectory for Developing Computational Thinking and Programming

A learning trajectory for developing computational thinking and programming This research study identifies the relationship between students’ prior experiences with programming and their development of computational thinking and programming during their first year engineering experience. Many first year programs teach students basic programming constructs using languages like MATLAB or LABView. The reason for this is because the disciplinary schools expect students to transform the constitutive properties that model a system’s behavior into a computer model they can use to analyze a system’s performance. Some undergraduate engineering students are entering college with strong computational backgrounds, while others are not. Peer learning has been used to accommodate the variance is skills between students; however, more needs to be known about the opportunities and issues with helping students develop these skills. This study is the first in a series to better identify students’ transition into developing and reasoning with analytical tools. The initial conjecture is that well balanced teams of novice and expert programmers can have a positive effect on the novice programmer’s development. Further the learning progression across two programming languages is critical to developing a student’s ability to generalize across various computational tools. Self-report background survey, students’ performance on academic assessments and an end of semester exit survey are being analyzed to identify a pattern in the development of novice programmers’ ability to design algorithms and implement them in code. This paper will be of interest to instructors with the objective of developing computational thinking and programming in classrooms with a large variance in students’ backgrounds with programming

An Operationalized Model for Defining Computational Thinking

The Computational Thinking (CT) conceptual framework is entering its second decade of research yet still lacks a cohesive definition by which the field can coalesce. The lack of clear definition makes assessment tool challenging to formulate, pedagogical efforts difficult to compare, and research difficult to synthesize. This paper looks to operationalize differing definitions of CT enhancing the ability to teach then assess the presence of CT. Expanding upon CT definitions, industry practices and processes, and educational theory, we link existing concepts and propose a new element to model an active definition of CT as a theoretical framework to guide future research. Our model updates existing CT definition by formally including Modeling, introducing Socio-Technical processes, separating Information Gathering from Data Collection and adding emphasis to Testing as a vital CT concept. We feel these elements and interconnections make CT is easier to describe and measure

Frequency and characteristics of disease flares in ankylosing spondylitis

Objective. To examine the characteristics and frequency of disease flares in a cohort of people with AS

Intervention, recruitment and evaluation challenges in the Bangladeshi community: Experience from a peer lead educational course

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The incidence of Type 2 diabetes is increasing worldwide and diabetes is four times more common among ethnic minority groups than among the general Caucasian population. This study reflects on the specific issues of engaging people and evaluating interventions through written questionnaires within older ethnic minority groups.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The original protocol set out to evaluate an adapted version of the X-PERT^®patient program <url>http://www.xpert-diabetes.org.uk/</url> using questionnaires and interviews.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Questionnaires, even verbally completed, were unsuccessful and difficult to administer as participants found the questionnaire structure and design difficult to follow and did not perceive any benefit to completing the questionnaires. The benefits of attending the course were also poorly understood by participants and in many cases people participated in coming to the course as a favour to the researcher. Engaging participants required word of mouth and the involvement of active members of the community.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Peer led courses and their evaluation in older ethnic minority communities needs a very different approach for that in younger Caucasian patients. A structured approached to evaluation (favoured by western educational system) is inappropriate. Engaging participants is difficult and the employment of local well known people is essential.</p