A Professional Development Program for Science Adjunct Faculty: The Mentoring-Learning Community (MLC)

Institutions of higher education have become increasingly dependent on adjunct faculty. These faculty members are often unfamiliar with current teaching strategies emphasizing an active learning approach. To support science adjunct faculty in learning about active learning, a professional development program was designed and implemented by the authors of this study, the Mentoring-Learning Community. The Mentoring-Learning Community program design was informed by literature regarding the use of professional development programs that focused on adjunct faculty. To determine the impact of this program, participants in the Mentoring-Learning Community were observed and interviewed over one semester. Mentoring-Learning Community participants transformed through all three Transformative Learning Theory dimensions, felt more empowered to utilize active learning approaches in their classrooms, and modified some aspects of their instruction

Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) boosts dominant brain oscillations

The biological mechanisms behind the observed behavioural effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) are still unclear and have prevented further clinical applications. The widely adopted explanation is that anodal tDCS increases the excitability of stimulated areas in a polarised manner, based on early studies with animals [1] and humans [2]. However, this explanation is at odds with neuroimaging findings [[3]; [4]; [5] ; [6]]. For instance, anodal tDCS was found to increase baseline alpha power [5] (a marker of cortical inhibition), but also to increase gamma power (a marker of excitation) in response to visual stimuli [5]. Additionally, anodal tDCS was found to increase low-frequency oscillations in the underlying tissue without increasing firing rates [6]. Here we suggest a conciliatory explanation that subtle membrane depolarization, caused by weak direct currents (anodal), could make the synchronized neurons more sensitive or responsive to inputs (either excitatory or inhibitory) rather than excitable. A previous study [7] using computational modelling and in-vitro experiments demonstrated that the modulation caused by direct currents is amplified by the network dynamics. Since synchronized neuronal network activity is manifested in brain oscillations - synchronized assemblies are brought about by strong common inputs [8], we predicted that anodal tDCS would boost dominant brain rhythms rather than fast brain rhythms. We also predicted an increase in directed connectivity towards the anodal region, i.e. the area would be more receptive to input connections rather than driving other regions

Monitoring and Pay: An Experiment on Employee Performance under Endogenous Supervision

We present an experimental test of a shirking model where monitoring intensity is endogenous and effort a continuous variable. Wage level, monitoring intensity and consequently the desired enforceable effort level are jointly determined by the maximization problem of the firm. As a result, monitoring and pay should be complements. In our experiment, between and within treatment variation is qualitatively in line with the normative predictions of the model under standard assumptions. Yet, we also find evidence for reciprocal behavior. Our data analysis shows, however, that it does not pay for the employer to solely rely on the reciprocity of employees

The changing nature of risk and risk management: the challenge of borders, uncertainty and resilience

No abstract available

Biochemical and biophysical characterization of the major outer surface protein, OSP-A from North American and European isolates of Borrelia burgdorferi

Lyme borreliosis, caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, is the most common vector-borne disease in North America and Western Europe. As the major delayed immune response in humans, a better understanding of the major outer surface lipoproteins OspA and OspB are of much interest. These proteins have been shown to exhibit three distinct phylogenetic genotypes based on their DNA sequences. This paper describes the cloning of genomic DNA for each variant and amplification of PCR. DNA sequence data was used to derive computer driven phylogenetic analysis and deduced amino acid sequences. Overproduction of variant OspAs was carried out in E. coli using a T7-based expression system. Circular dichroism and fluorescence studies was carried out on the recombinant B31 PspA yielding evidence supporting a B31 protein containing 11% alpha-helix, 34% antiparallel beta-sheet, 12% parallel beta sheet

Epigenetic meta-analysis across three civilian cohorts identifies NRG1 and HGS as blood-based biomarkers for post-traumatic stress disorder

Aim: Trauma exposure is a necessary, but not deterministic, contributor to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Epigenetic factors may distinguish between trauma-exposed individuals with versus without PTSD. Materials & methods: We conducted a meta-analysis of PTSD epigenome-wide association studies in trauma-exposed cohorts drawn from civilian contexts. Whole blood-derived DNA methylation levels were analyzed in 545 study participants, drawn from the three civilian cohorts participating in the PTSD working group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium. Results: Two CpG sites significantly associated with current PTSD in NRG1 (cg23637605) and in HGS (cg19577098). Conclusion: PTSD is associated with differential methylation, measured in blood, within HGS and NRG1 across three civilian cohorts

lba62health related quality of life hrqol for pembrolizumab or placebo plus carboplatin and paclitaxel or nab paclitaxel in patients with metastatic squamous nsclc data from keynote 407

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Glucose and triglyceride excursions following a standardized meal in individuals with diabetes: ELSA-Brasil study

Objective: To assess glucose and triglyceride excursions 2 hours after the ingestion of a standardized meal and their associations with clinical characteristics and cardiovascular complications in individuals with diabetes. Research design and methods: Blood samples of 898 subjects with diabetes were collected at fasting and 2 hours after a meal containing 455 kcal, 14 g of saturated fat and 47 g of carbohydrates. Self-reported morbidity, socio-demographic characteristics and clinical measures were obtained by interview and exams performed at the baseline visit of the ELSA-Brasil cohort study. Results: Median (interquartile range, IQR) for fasting glucose was 150.5 (123–198) mg/dL and for fasting triglycerides 140 (103–199) mg/dL. The median excursion for glucose was 45 (15–76) mg/dL and for triglycerides 26 (11–45) mg/dL. In multiple linear regression, a greater glucose excursion was associated with higher glycated hemoglobin (10.7, 95% CI 9.1–12.3 mg/dL), duration of diabetes (4.5; 2.6–6.4 mg/dL, per 5 year increase), insulin use (44.4; 31.7–57.1 mg/dL), and age (6.1; 2.5–9.6 mg/dL, per 10 year increase); and with lower body mass index (−5.6; −8.4– -2.8 mg/dL, per 5 kg/m2 increase). In adjusted logistic regression models, a greater glucose excursion was marginally associated with the presence of cardiovascular comorbidities (coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction and angina) in those with obesity. Conclusions: A greater postprandial glycemic response to a small meal was positively associated with indicators of a decreased capacity for insulin secretion and negatively associated with obesity. No pattern of response was observed with a greater postprandial triglyceride excursion

Dipeptidyl Peptidase IV and Incident Diabetes: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study

Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) is not only important in β-cell function but also has proinflammatory actions. We aimed to investigate whether it could act as a link between low-grade chronic inflammation and diabetes

Angiotensin II type 1-receptor activating antibodies in renal-allograft rejection (authors reply inN Engl J Med. 2005 May 12;352(19):2027-8)

BACKGROUND: Antibodies against HLA antigens cause refractory allograft rejection with vasculopathy in some, but not all, patients. METHODS: We studied 33 kidney-transplant recipients who had refractory vascular rejection. Thirteen had donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies, whereas 20 did not Malignant hypertension was present in 16 of the patients without anti-HLA antibodies, 4 of whom had seizures. The remaining 17 patients had no malignant hypertension. We hypothesized that activating antibodies targeting the angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor might be involved. RESULTS: Activating IgG antibodies targeting the AT1 receptor were detected in serum from all 16 patients with malignant hypertension and without anti-HLA antibodies, but in no other patients. These receptor-activating antibodies are subclass IgG1 and IgG3 antibodies that bind to two different epitopes on the second extracellular loop of the AT1 receptor. Tissue factor expression was increased in renal-biopsy specimens from patients with these antibodies. In vitro stimulation of vascular cells with an AT1-receptor-activating antibody induced phosphorylation of ERK 1/2 kinase and increased the DNA binding activity of the transcription factors activator protein 1 (AP-1) and nuclear factor-κB. The AT1 antagonist losartan blocked agonistic AT1-receptor antibody-mediated effects, and passive antibody transfer induced vasculopathy and hypertension in a rat kidney-transplantation model. CONCLUSIONS: A non-HLA, AT1-receptor-mediated pathway may contribute to refractory vascular rejection, and affected patients might benefit from removal of AT 1-receptor antibodies or from pharmacologic blockade of AT 1 receptors