Applying Alternative Teaching Methods to Impart a Rounded, Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) Education: Students’ Reflections on the Role of Magazines as Instructional Tools

In a constantly and rapidly changing social world, students from all disciplines ought to attain a rounded education within the tradition of a “Liberal Arts and Sciences” (LAS) context. Students outside of the natural sciences must be encouraged to appreciate the place of those sciences in their lives. Conversely, students in the natural sciences must be encouraged to envision the role of other subjects in their lives. In order to accomplish this, however, we need to go beyond basic instructional approaches by applying alternatives such as using magazines and newspapers. This paper reports students’ reflections on the use of newspapers as supplementary instructional materials to enhance learning. Data were collected from an introductory liberal arts physics course using a survey instrument. The survey had five descriptive measures: student perceptions; creativity based on activities learned; ability to link concepts learned in class to articles in the news journal; ability to impart knowledge acquired; and identifying lessons based on a case study of a selected news article from the newspaper. Student reflections indicate that magazines can effect a positive learning experience and stimulate curiosity to read. It is concluded that this approach can be used to enhance student motivation and persistence in introductory classes, particularly in schools where resources are limited. Keywords: improvisation, Liberal Arts and Science education, magazines, student reflections

Modelling within Host Parasite Dynamics of Schistosomiasis

Schistosomiasis infection is characterized by the presence of adult worms in the portal and mesenteric veins of humans as part of a complex migratory cycle initiated by cutaneous penetration of the cercariae shed by infected freshwater snails. The drug praziquantel is not always effective in the treatment against schistosomiasis at larvae stage. However, our simulations show that it is effective against mature worms and eggs. As a result, the study and understanding of immunological responses is key in understanding parasite dynamics. We therefore introduce quantitative interpretations of human immunological responses of the disease to formulate mathematical models for the within-host dynamics of schistosomiasis. We also use numerical simulations to demonstrate that it is the level of T cells that differentiates between either an effective immune response or some degree of infection. These cells are responsible for the differentiation and recruitment of eosinophils that are instrumental in clearing the parasite. From the model analysis, we conclude that control of infection is much attributed to the value of a function f, a measure of the average number of larvae penetrating a susceptible individual having hatched from an egg released by an infected individual. This agrees with evidence that there is a close association between the ecology, the distribution of infection and the disease

Using the Pathways Community HUB Care Coordination Model to Address Chronic Illnesses: A Case Study

Background/Objectives: Ohio communities are developing and expanding care coordination initiatives to integrate care for low-income pregnant women. Some of these initiatives are guided by the Pathways Community HUB model, which uses community healthworkers to address health, social, and behavioral risks for at-risk populations. This study documents the development, challenges andmanagement responses, and lessons learned from implementing a Pathways Community HUB care coordination program for anotherpopulation -- low-income adults with chronic disease risks.Methods: The study utilizes data extracted from the Care Coordination Systems (CCS) database used in Lucas County, Ohio between2015 and 2017 and interviews with program managers. Based on CCS data and insights from those interviewed, we describe the development and accomplishments of a Pathways Community HUB program for adults with chronic illnesses and identify challenges and lessons learned.Results: The Toledo/Lucas County program addressed more than half of 3,515 identified health and behavioral risks for 651 low-income adults in the program during its first two years of operation. Key challenges included building community support, establishing capacities to coordinate care, and sustaining the program over time. Establishing community networks to support program services and developing multiple funding sources are key lessons for long-term program sustainability.Conclusions: Documenting challenges and successes of existing programs and extracting lessons to guide implementation of similarpublic health efforts can potentially improve delivery of interventions. The Pathways Community HUB model has demonstrated success in addressing risks among at-risk adults. However, more comprehensive assessments of the model across different populations are warranted

Comparative Analysis of Participation of Teachers of STEM and Non-STEM Subjects in Professional Development

School administrators continuously consider teacher professional development (PD) as one of the key strategies to improving teachers’ pedagogical skills. Modern proposals for advancing education by improving student learning outcomes are centered on high quality professional development for teachers. However, teachers face a number of barriers when it comes to participation in PD. Also, students in K-12 levels taking Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and non-STEM subjects often report different learning experiences, most of which influence their decisions to enroll in STEM or non-STEM career-related programs in higher education. Understanding factors that influence the differential in teacher participation in PD is a critical step towards addressing student interest in STEM careers. Using the cross-sectional survey data from the Teaching and Learning International Survey of 2013, this study compared the participation of middle school STEM and non-STEM teachers in PD activities in the US. A bivariate analysis was used to compare STEM subject teachers versus non-STEM subject teachers’ participation in PD activities, its impact, and challenges. The findings showed that PD participation was higher among teachers of STEM subjects, but not significantly different from those for non-STEM subjects. Out-field teaching (no formal training of subject taught) accounted for 10.3% of the survey participants. Further, conflict with one’s work schedule was one of the major barriers to PD participation for teachers

Theoretical Assessment of the Transmission Dynamics of Leprosy

Published Online February 2013 (http://www.scirp.org/journal/am),Leprosy is a communicable disease which can cause hideous deformities to the afflicted and social stigmatization to them and their families. The continued high endemicity of leprosy in pockets of Sub-Saharan Africa is a source of bafflement to researchers. In this paper, we investigate non-compliant behavior by patients on treatment and possible in-adequacy of the prescribed treatments as the reason for the persistence of the disease in the region. We construct theoretical, deterministic mathematical models of the transmission dynamics of leprosy. These models are modified to en-capsulate non-compliance and inadequate treatment. The models are then analyzed to gain insight into the qualitative features of the equilibrium states, which enable us to determine the basic reproduction number. We also employ analytical and numerical techniques to investigate the impact of non-compliance and inadequate treatment on the transmission dynamics of the disease. Our results show that, as long as there is treatment, leprosy will eventually be eliminated from the region and that the disposition under investigation only serves to slow the rate at which the disease is eradicated.,National University of Science and Technology

Modelling within host parasite dynamics of schistosomiasis

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. It is also available at: http://www.hindawi.com/journals/cmmm/2010/124376/abs/,Schistosomiasis infection is characterized by the presence of adult worms in the portal and mesenteric veins of humans as part of a complex migratory cycle initiated by cutaneous penetration of the cercariae shed by infected freshwater snails. The drug praziquantel is not always effective in the treatment against schistosomiasis at larvae stage. However, our simulations show that it is effective against mature worms and eggs. As a result, the study and understanding of immunological responses is key in understanding parasite dynamics. We therefore introduce quantitative interpretations of human immunological responses of the disease to formulate mathematical models for the within-host dynamics of schistosomiasis. We also use numerical simulations to demonstrate that it is the level of T cells that differentiates between either an effective immune response or some degree of infection. These cells are responsible for the differentiation and recruitment of eosinophils that are instrumental in clearing the parasite. From the model analysis, we conclude that control of infection is much attributed to the value of a function f, a measure of the average number of larvae penetrating a susceptible individual having hatched from an egg released by an infected individual. This agrees with evidence that there is a close association between the ecology, the distribution of infection and the disease.,African Mathematics Millennium Science Initiative (AMMSI)

Assessing the Effects of Estrogen on the Dynamics of Breast Cancer

Worldwide, breast cancer has become the second most common cancer in women. The disease has currently been named the most deadly cancer in women but little is known on what causes the disease. We present the effects of estrogen as a risk factor on the dynamics of breast cancer. We develop a deterministic mathematical model showing general dynamics of breast cancer with immune response. This is a four-population model that includes tumor cells, host cells, immune cells, and estrogen. The effects of estrogen are then incorporated in the model. The results show that the presence of extra estrogen increases the risk of developing breast cancer