Oregon AgrAbility: Supporting advancement and sustainability through program development

AgrAbility is a program for farmers and ranchers who have experienced injury or illness to continue their lifestyles of agriculture production. Since 2008, representatives from Oregon State University (OSU), Pacific University (Pacific), Goodwill Industries International, Inc. (Goodwill), Access Technologies, Inc. (ATI) and Oregon State Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (OVRS) have met regularly to develop and implement the Oregon AgrAbility project. The Oregon AgrAbility Project continues to be an ongoing innovative practice project for third year students at Pacific. Most recently in 2011, Stefanie Fendrick, Brandon Johnson, and Jill Peacock became involved with the project. Brandon, Jill and Stefanie focused on several areas: USDA grant proposal submission, co-hosting a national AgrAbility workshop, conducting agricultural worksite assessments, creating marketing tools, and continued networking strategies through conference attendance. This document consists of the Innovative Practice Project Presentation, USDA grant proposal, work-site assessment write-up(s), WOTA proposal, public relations document, agricultural worksite assessment flyer, and the 2011 Oregon AgrAbility Project National Workshop advertisement

Virial Masses of Black Holes from Single Epoch Spectra of AGN

We describe the general problem of estimating black hole masses of AGN by calculating the conditional probability distribution of M_BH given some set of observables. Special attention is given to the case where one uses the AGN continuum luminosity and emission line widths to estimate M_BH, and we outline how to set up the conditional probability distribution of M_BH given the observed luminosity, line width, and redshift. We show how to combine the broad line estimates of M_BH with information from an intrinsic correlation between M_BH and L, and from the intrinsic distribution of M_BH, in a manner that improves the estimates of M_BH. Simulation was used to assess how the distribution of M_BH inferred from the broad line mass estimates differs from the intrinsic distribution, and we find that this can lead to an inferred distribution that is too broad. We use these results and a sample of 25 sources that have recent reverberation mapping estimates of AGN black hole masses to investigate the effectiveness of using the C IV emission line to estimate M_BH and to indirectly probe the C IV region size--luminosity (R--L) relationship. We estimated M_BH from both C IV and H-Beta for a sample of 100 sources, including new spectra of 29 quasars. We find that the two emission lines give consistent estimates if one assumes R \propto L^{1/2}_{UV} for both lines.Comment: 38 pages, 6 figures, accepted by Ap

OncoLog, Volume 61, Number 09, September 2016

Transport Oncophysics Could Guide Pancreatic Cancer Treatment: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas respond poorly to standard treatments. Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center are applying the principles of physics to characterize the tumors, and these analyses could lead to individualized therapy. Nivolumab Shows Potential in Treating Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Anal Canal: Currently, there are no standard therapy options for patients with treatment-refractory metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal (SCCA), but early results of a multi-institutional clinical trial (No. NCI9673) led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center show that the immunotherapy drug nivolumab may be effective against the disease. Lymphedema Screening Initiative for Breast Cancer Survivors Offers Early Diagnosis, Treatment: Lymphedema can be a debilitating side effect of breast cancer treatment. To diagnose and treat the condition early, when it may be reversible, a program at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center identifies and screens patients at high risk for lymphedema. HOUSE CALL: Health and Fitness Apps- Software tools can help you achieve wellness. USEFULRESOURCES: HPV-Associated Cancers Coursehttps://openworks.mdanderson.org/oncolog/1270/thumbnail.jp

The medial entorhinal cortex is necessary for temporal organization of hippocampal neuronal activity.

The superficial layers of the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) are a major input to the hippocampus. The high proportion of spatially modulated cells, including grid cells and border cells, in these layers suggests that MEC inputs are critical for the representation of space in the hippocampus. However, selective manipulations of the MEC do not completely abolish hippocampal spatial firing. To determine whether other hippocampal firing characteristics depend more critically on MEC inputs, we recorded from hippocampal CA1 cells in rats with MEC lesions. Theta phase precession was substantially disrupted, even during periods of stable spatial firing. Our findings indicate that MEC inputs to the hippocampus are required for the temporal organization of hippocampal firing patterns and suggest that cognitive functions that depend on precise neuronal sequences in the hippocampal theta cycle are particularly dependent on the MEC

H19/miR-675 non-coding RNA expression differentiates among cancers of the human endometrium.

H19 is a maternally expressed non-coding RNA located at chromosome 11p15.5 near the reciprocally imprinted insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) gene. Though the function of H19 is unknown, it is transcribed during embryonic development after which transcription is absent in all but a few tissues including cardiac muscle, breast, ovary, uterus, and placenta. Linking H19, miR-675 and RB1 expression with serous tumors of the endometrium suggests that RB1 suppression may be a differentiating event in serous tumorigenesis

Assessing Student Progress and Performance across the Curriculum

Evaluation of student learning is of paramount importance to the educational community and allows reflection on program successes and weaknesses; however, best practices are hotly debated. This project designed and implemented an assessment system in which an identical, mixed-format assessment was given to all levels of students in the Georgia Gwinnett College biology program at the start of the semester for academic years 2014-15, 2015-16 and Fall of 2016. The assessment contained multiple choice and free-response questions, and evaluated lab reports from core courses in the biology program. This system allows for longitudinal assessment of students, provides quick results for timely action, and can allow analysis of interesting demographic questions. We found student achievement on program goals was lower than previously assessed and student performance on multiple choice questions was higher than free-response questions. There was a modest, but temporary, gain in performance on the ability to effectively communicate science. Additionally, males outperformed their female counterparts and Hispanics underperformed their non-Hispanic peers

TCR hypervariable regions expressed by T cells that respond to effective tumor vaccines

A major goal of immunotherapy for cancer is the activation of T cell responses against tumor-associated antigens (TAAs). One important strategy for improving antitumor immunity is vaccination with peptide variants of TAAs. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the expansion of T cells that respond to the native tumor antigen is an important step in developing effective peptide-variant vaccines. Using an immunogenic mouse colon cancer model, we compare the binding properties and the TCR genes expressed by T cells elicited by peptide variants that elicit variable antitumor immunity directly ex vivo. The steady-state affinity of the natural tumor antigen for the T cells responding to effective peptide vaccines was higher relative to ineffective peptides, consistent with their improved function. Ex vivo analysis showed that T cells responding to the effective peptides expressed a CDR3β motif, which was also shared by T cells responding to the natural antigen and not those responding to the less effective peptide vaccines. Importantly, these data demonstrate that peptide vaccines can expand T cells that naturally respond to tumor antigens, resulting in more effective antitumor immunity. Future immunotherapies may require similar stringent analysis of the responding T cells to select optimal peptides as vaccine candidates. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00262-012-1217-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Evolution of the X-ray Emission of Radio-Quiet Quasars

We report new Chandra observations of seven optically faint, z \sim 4 radio-quiet quasars. We have combined these new observations with previous Chandra observations of radio-quiet quasars to create a sample of 174 sources. These sources have 0.1 < z < 4.7, and 10^{44} ergs s^{-1} < nu L_{nu} (2500 \AA) < 10^{48} ergs s^{-1}. The X-ray detection fraction is 90%. We find that the X-ray loudness of radio-quiet quasars decreases with UV luminosity and increases with redshift. The model that is best supported by the data has a linear dependence of optical-to-X-ray ratio, alpha_{ox}, on cosmic time, and a quadratic dependence of alpha_{ox} on log L_{UV}, where alpha_{ox} becomes X-ray quiet more rapidly at higher log L_{UV}. We find no significant evidence for a relationship between the X-ray photon index, Gamma_X, and the UV luminosity, and we find marginally significant evidence that the X-ray continuum flattens with increasing z (2 sigma). The Gamma_X-z anti-correlation may be the result of X-ray spectral curvature, redshifting of a Compton reflection component into the observed Chandra band, and/or redshifting of a soft excess out of the observed Chandra band. Using the results for Gamma_X, we show that the alpha_{ox}-z relationship is unlikely to be a spurious result caused by redshifting of the observable X-ray spectral region. A correlation between alpha_{ox} and z implies evolution of the accretion process. We present a qualitative comparison of these new results with models for accretion disk emission.Comment: Accepted by ApJ, 48 pages, 10 figures, 5 table