Critical Thinking Traits of Top-Tier Experts and Implications for Computer Science Education

A documented shortage of technical leadership and top-tier performers in computer science jeopardizes the technological edge, security, and economic well-being of the nation. The 2005 President\u27s Information and Technology Advisory Committee (PITAC) Report on competitiveness in computational sciences highlights the major impact of science, technology, and innovation in keeping America competitive in the global marketplace. It stresses the fact that the supply of science, technology, and engineering experts is at the core of America\u27s technological edge, national competitiveness and security. However, recent data shows that both undergraduate and postgraduate production of computer scientists is falling. Past research on expert performance has shown that the cognitive traits of critical thinking, creativity, and problem solving possessed by top-tier performers can be identified, observed and measured. Companies have begun to realize that cognitive skills are important for high-level performance and are reevaluating the traditional academic standards they have used to predict success for their top-tier performers in computer science. Previous research in the computer science field has focused either on programming skills of its experts or has attempted to predict the academic success of students at the undergraduate level. This study, on the other hand, examines the critical-thinking skills found among experts in the computer science field in order to explore the questions, \u27What cognitive skills do outstanding performers possess that make them successful?\u27 and \u27How do currently used measures of academic performance correlate to critical-thinking skills among students?\u27 The results of this study suggest a need to examine how critical-thinking abilities are learned in the undergraduate computer science curriculum and the need to foster these abilities in order to produce the high-level, critical-thinking professionals necessary to fill the growing need for these experts. Due to the fact that current measures of academic performance do not adequately depict students\u27 cognitive abilities, assessment of these skills must be incorporated into existing curricula

Overexpression of GLUTAMINE DUMPER1 leads to hypersecretion of glutamine from Hydathodes of Arabidopsis leaves.

Secretion is a fundamental process providing plants with the means for disposal of solutes, improvement of nutrient acquisition, and attraction of other organisms. Specific secretory organs, such as nectaries, hydathodes, and trichomes, use a combination of secretory and retrieval mechanisms, which are poorly understood at present. To study the mechanisms involved, an Arabidopsis thaliana activation tagged mutant, glutamine dumper1 (gdu1), was identified that accumulates salt crystals at the hydathodes. Chemical analysis demonstrated that, in contrast with the amino acid mixture normally present in guttation droplets, the crystals mainly contain Gln. GDU1 was cloned and found to encode a novel 17-kD protein containing a single putative transmembrane span. GDU1 is expressed in the vascular tissues and in hydathodes. Gln content is specifically increased in xylem sap and leaf apoplasm, whereas the content of several amino acids is increased in leaves and phloem sap. Selective secretion of Gln by the leaves may be explained by an enhanced release of this amino acid from cells. GDU1 study may help to shed light on the secretory mechanisms for amino acids in plants

Core and Supplementary Studies to Assess the Safety of Genetically Modified (GM) Plants Used for Food and Feed

Genetically modified (GM) plants used for food and feed have an established history of safe use over more than 25 years of their commercialization. Developers and regulatory authorities have accumulated extensive experience in evaluating their safety over time. The studies required for the safety assessment of GM plants used for food and feed should now be re-defined to leverage this experience and increased scientific knowledge. This paper, a companion paper for Waters et al. also published in this issue, presents a systematic approach for the safety assessment of newly expressed proteins (NEPs) in GM plants by evaluating the two components of risk: hazard and exposure. Although the paper focuses on NEPs, the principles presented could also apply to other expression products that do not result in a NEP. A set of core studies is recommended, along with supplementary studies, if needed, to evaluate whether the GM plant poses risk. Core studies include molecular and protein characterization and hazard identification encompassing toxicity and allergenicity. In the absence of hazard, core studies are sufficient to conclude that GM plants are as safe as their conventional counterparts. Depending on the GM trait and intended use, supplementary studies should be performed to characterize hazard and exposure when a hazard is identified. Problem formulation should be used to identify hypothesis-driven supplementary studies. Acute toxicity studies, compositional assessment, and dietary exposure assessment are recommended to be hypothesis-driven supplementary studies. Further discussion on the current food and feed safety assessment landscape for GM plants and the use of problem formulation as a tool for identifying supplementary studies can be found in the companion paper [62]. doi: 10.21423/jrs-v09i1brun