Equity in Learning Opportunities for Middle School Students: Connecting Communities and Transportation Through GIS

Geographic information systems (GIS) is part of an in-demand career skillset that can lead to safer streets in California communities. This project included a three-session bootcamp that introduced middle school students to transportation via GIS and gathered assessments on their awareness of transportation as a career pathway. The project built upon CSUTC TRANSPORTS’ Year 4 project, “K–12 Special Investigation Project: Mapping E-Commerce Locally and Beyond.” The bootcamp for this project was coordinated in partnership with Rio Hondo College, which provided the instructor and connection to the students at the Mountain View Unified School District in El Monte, CA. The bootcamp focused on developing safer communities and transportation systems as a context for the students to become familiar with GIS. The student feedback reported on student awareness of transportation and GIS prior to the bootcamp and how the curricular tools and activities impacted that awareness. Gathered data and feedback will inform the development of future middle school GIS curricula, an area that is underdeveloped

Intermittent search strategies

This review examines intermittent target search strategies, which combine phases of slow motion, allowing the searcher to detect the target, and phases of fast motion during which targets cannot be detected. We first show that intermittent search strategies are actually widely observed at various scales. At the macroscopic scale, this is for example the case of animals looking for food ; at the microscopic scale, intermittent transport patterns are involved in reaction pathway of DNA binding proteins as well as in intracellular transport. Second, we introduce generic stochastic models, which show that intermittent strategies are efficient strategies, which enable to minimize the search time. This suggests that the intrinsic efficiency of intermittent search strategies could justify their frequent observation in nature. Last, beyond these modeling aspects, we propose that intermittent strategies could be used also in a broader context to design and accelerate search processes.Comment: 72 pages, review articl

Effects of an active warm-up on variation in bench press and back squat (upper and lower body measures).

The present study investigated the magnitude of diurnal variation in back squat and bench press using the MuscleLab linear encoder over three different loads and assessed the benefit of an active warm-up to establish whether diurnal variation could be negated. Ten resistance-trained males underwent (mean ± SD: age 21.0 ± 1.3 years, height 1.77 ± 0.06 m, and body mass 82.8 ± 14.9 kg) three sessions. These included control morning (M, 07:30 h) and evening (E, 17:30 h) sessions (5-min standardized warm-up at 150 W, on a cycle ergometer), and one further session consisting of an extended active warm-up morning trial (ME, 07:30 h) until rectal temperature (Trec) reached previously recorded resting evening levels (at 150 W, on a cycle ergometer). All sessions included handgrip, followed by a defined program of bench press (at 20, 40, and 60 kg) and back squat (at 30, 50, and 70 kg) exercises. A linear encoder was attached to an Olympic bar used for the exercises and average force (AF), peak velocity (PV), and time to peak velocity (tPV) were measured (MuscleLab software; MuscleLab Technology, Langesund, Norway) during the concentric phase of the movements. Values for Trec were higher in the E session compared to values in the M session (Δ0.53 °C, P  0.05) to increase from M to E levels. Therefore, MuscleLab linear encoder could detect meaningful differences between the morning and evening for all variables. However, the diurnal variation in bench press and back squat (measures of lower and upper body force and power output) is not explained by time-of-day oscillations in Trec

From planetesimals to terrestrial planets: N-body simulations including the effects of nebular gas and giant planets

We present results from a suite of N-body simulations that follow the accretion history of the terrestrial planets using a new parallel treecode that we have developed. We initially place 2000 equal size planetesimals between 0.5--4.0 AU and the collisional growth is followed until the completion of planetary accretion (> 100 Myr). All the important effect of gas in laminar disks are taken into account: the aerodynamic gas drag, the disk-planet interaction including Type I migration, and the global disk potential which causes inward migration of secular resonances as the gas dissipates. We vary the initial total mass and spatial distribution of the planetesimals, the time scale of dissipation of nebular gas, and orbits of Jupiter and Saturn. We end up with one to five planets in the terrestrial region. In order to maintain sufficient mass in this region in the presence of Type I migration, the time scale of gas dissipation needs to be 1-2 Myr. The final configurations and collisional histories strongly depend on the orbital eccentricity of Jupiter. If today's eccentricity of Jupiter is used, then most of bodies in the asteroidal region are swept up within the terrestrial region owing to the inward migration of the secular resonance, and giant impacts between protoplanets occur most commonly around 10 Myr. If the orbital eccentricity of Jupiter is close to zero, as suggested in the Nice model, the effect of the secular resonance is negligible and a large amount of mass stays for a long period of time in the asteroidal region. With a circular orbit for Jupiter, giant impacts usually occur around 100 Myr, consistent with the accretion time scale indicated from isotope records. However, we inevitably have an Earth size planet at around 2 AU in this case. It is very difficult to obtain spatially concentrated terrestrial planets together with very late giant impacts.Comment: 51 pages, 19 figures, 2 tables, published in Icaru

The indirect relationship between sleep and cognition in the PREVENT Cohort: Identifying targets for intervention

Introduction As the global population ages, the economic, societal, and personal burdens associated with worsening cognition and dementia onset are growing. It is therefore becoming ever more critical to understand the factors associated with cognitive decline. One such factor is sleep. Adequate sleep has been shown to maintain cognitive function and protect against the onset of chronic disease, whereas sleep deprivation has been linked to cognitive impairment and the onset of depression and dementia. Objectives Here, we aim to identify and explore mechanistic links between several sleep parameters, depressive symptoms and cognition in a cohort of middle-aged adults. Methods We investigated data from the PREVENT dementia programme via structural equation modelling to illustrate links between predictor variables, moderator variables, and two cognitive constructs (i.e., Executive Function and Memory). Results Our model demonstrated that sleep quality, and total hours of sleep were related to participants’ depressive symptoms, and that, participant apathy was related to higher scores on the Epworth Sleepiness and Lausanne NoSAS Scales. Subsequently, depressive symptoms, but not sleep or apathy ratings, were associated with Executive Function. Conclusions We provide evidence for an indirect relationship between sleep and cognition mediated by depressive symptoms in a middle-aged population. Our results provide a base from which cognition, dementia onset, and potential points of intervention, may be better understood

The missing link: self-assessment and continuing professional development

The purpose of this paper is to review current understanding of the role of self-assessment in continuing education, particularly in the health professions, and to examine how this knowledge can assist in more effective continuing education. The ongoing debate over compulsory continuing professional development (CPD) has seen a variety of approaches proposed. CPD programmes are expected to foster self-assessing and self-directed practitioners, but the common structure is reported to be largely ineffectual in modifying behaviour. If dentistry is to maintain the rights and privileges of a self-regulating profession, then it must ensure that the development and judgement of ongoing competence is meaningful. Improving practitioners’ knowledge of the how and why of effective self-assessment should improve participation in, and outcomes of, CPD. An oft-repeated observation is that the least competent are the most confident. If this is the case, then the idea that dentists should be able, or entitled, to choose the path of their continuing professional development must be open to question. We propose that development of the ability of practitioners to self-assess their ongoing requirements for CPD is essential if all stakeholders are to get the maximum return for effort.C. Redwood, T. Winning, G. Townsen

TUNEL – an efficient prognosis predictor of salivary malignancies

Biological markers are necessary for predicting prognosis of salivary malignancies and better understanding the pathogenesis of salivary cancer. We analysed terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated biotinylated deoxyuridine-triphosphate (dUTP)-biotin nick-end labelling (TUNEL), p53 and Ki67 expression in 66 patients with malignant salivary tumours by immonohistochemistry, and correlated the data with survival, disease-free survival, tumour grade, stage, and local and distant metastasis. TUNEL efficiently predicted poor prognosis in salivary malignancies. The 5-year (5Y) survival probability dropped significantly with the level of TUNEL staining (from 83% in negatively stained tumours to 57 and 24% in TUNEL positively stained levels 1 and 2, respectively), (P=0.042). Extensive Ki67 staining (in addition to TUNEL) reduced the 5Y-survival rate even further and addition of positively stained p53 dropped the 5Y-survival rate to 0. The correlation rates between TUNEL and Ki67 was 58% (P=0.0001), and between TUNEL and p53 it was 50% (P=0.035). Concurrently, TUNEL correlated with metastasis, extracapsular spread, grade and stage. The correlation between TUNEL, p53 and Ki67 staining and survival probabilities, and the pathological grade, stage and metastasis spread of salivary malignancies makes this a highly effective tool in patient follow-up and prognosis

Transcriptional regulatory control of mammalian nephron progenitors revealed by multi-factor cistromic analysis and genetic studies

Nephron progenitor number determines nephron endowment; a reduced nephron count is linked to the onset of kidney disease. Several transcriptional regulators including Six2, Wt1, Osr1, Sall1, Eya1, Pax2, and Hox11 paralogues are required for specification and/or maintenance of nephron progenitors. However, little is known about the regulatory intersection of these players. Here, we have mapped nephron progenitor-specific transcriptional networks of Six2, Hoxd11, Osr1, and Wt1. We identified 373 multi-factor associated ‘regulatory hotspots’ around genes closely associated with progenitor programs. To examine their functional significance, we deleted ‘hotspot’ enhancer elements for Six2 and Wnt4. Removal of the distal enhancer for Six2 leads to a ~40% reduction in Six2 expression. When combined with a Six2 null allele, progeny display a premature depletion of nephron progenitors. Loss of the Wnt4 enhancer led to a significant reduction of Wnt4 expression in renal vesicles and a mildly hypoplastic kidney, a phenotype also enhanced in combination with a Wnt4 null mutation. To explore the regulatory landscape that supports proper target gene expression, we performed CTCF ChIP-seq to identify insulator-boundary regions. One such putative boundary lies between the Six2 and Six3 loci. Evidence for the functional significance of this boundary was obtained by deep sequencing of the radiation-induced Brachyrrhine (Br) mutant allele. We identified an inversion of the Six2/Six3 locus around the CTCF-bound boundary, removing Six2 from its distal enhancer regulation, but placed next to Six3 enhancer elements which support ectopic Six2 expression in the lens where Six3 is normally expressed. Six3 is now predicted to fall under control of the Six2 distal enhancer. Consistent with this view, we observed ectopic Six3 in nephron progenitors. 4C-seq supports the model for Six2 distal enhancer interactions in wild-type and Br/+ mouse kidneys. Together, these data expand our view of the regulatory genome and regulatory landscape underpinning mammalian nephrogenesis

Opportunities for organoids as new models of aging.

The biology of aging is challenging to study, particularly in humans. As a result, model organisms are used to approximate the physiological context of aging in humans. However, the best model organisms remain expensive and time-consuming to use. More importantly, they may not reflect directly on the process of aging in people. Human cell culture provides an alternative, but many functional signs of aging occur at the level of tissues rather than cells and are therefore not readily apparent in traditional cell culture models. Organoids have the potential to effectively balance between the strengths and weaknesses of traditional models of aging. They have sufficient complexity to capture relevant signs of aging at the molecular, cellular, and tissue levels, while presenting an experimentally tractable alternative to animal studies. Organoid systems have been developed to model many human tissues and diseases. Here we provide a perspective on the potential for organoids to serve as models for aging and describe how current organoid techniques could be applied to aging research