Increasing Cultural Awareness Through a Cultural Awareness Program

Racial tension motivates strife and violence in the metropolitan Detroit, Michigan, area. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a collaborative partnership, the Cultural Awareness Consortium (CAC), in making a positive impact on the attitudes of a group of diverse high school students regarding multicultural relations. The two theoretical frameworks guiding this study were Allport’s intergroup contact theory and intercultural competence theory originating from International Education and International Studies. The research questions concerned whether attending the CAC for 4 months, the treatment, changed students’ attitudes on multicultural relations, and whether a student’s gender or ethnicity was a predictor of changes in these attitudes. A single group, pre-experimental design with data collection from two administrations of the Student Multicultural Relations Survey was used in the study. Fifty-four students completed the survey, which yielded four multicultural relations scales (dependent variables), eight single-item attitudinal variables on multicultural issues, and two demographic variables (independent variables), and inferential analysis included t tests and multiple regression. According to study results, students’ attitudes on multicultural relations had changed significantly, and students talked to and mixed with students from different cultural backgrounds more after the treatment. Educational institutions providing experiences like the CAC can make a positive impact on students’ attitudes on multicultural relations. This can lead to positive social change as students increase their acceptance of others and take those attitudes and values with them into the workforce after they graduate, serving as role models of acceptance for their peers

Modulation of food reward systems by fasting and ghrelin: human functional MRI studies

Background: To understand the pathophysiology of obesity, the role of hedonic eating needs to be considered. Neuroimaging research has suggested that activity in brain reward systems is modulated by the rewarding properties of food, nutritional state, and individual differences in eating behaviour. The interaction between these factors and the influence of gut hormones, such as the stomach-derived orexigenic hormone ghrelin, on these systems remains unclear. Methods: In the first study, 20 non-obese subjects were either fasted or ate a filling breakfast of their choice (fed). In the second study, 18 non-obese subjects were either fasted or given a fixed breakfast and received a subcutaneous saline or ghrelin injection. Subjects underwent functional MRI scanning while viewing and rating the appeal of food and object pictures and completed appetite and psychological questionnaires. Results: The first fMRI study showed that fasting increased activation to pictures of highcalorie over low-calorie foods in the ventral striatum, amygdala, anterior insula, medial and lateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Fasting also biased the appeal towards high-calorie foods. Dietary restraint positively correlated with activation in executive systems when viewing high-calorie compared to low-calorie foods, but negatively correlated with activation in affective systems. Reward drive positively correlated with activation in the ventral striatum to high-calorie foods. In the second fMRI study activation to high-calorie foods in the insula and/or OFC when fasted and fed was shown to correlate with hunger and predict subsequent food intake. Administration of ghrelin was shown to mimic fasting to increase the appeal of high-calorie, especially sweet foods, and OFC activation to high-calorie foods. Conclusion: The results suggest an interaction between homeostatic and hedonic aspects of eating behaviour, with fasting and ghrelin biasing brain reward systems towards highcalorie foods

Distribution, growth, and transport of larval fishes and implications for population dynamics

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution February 2021.The early life stages of marine fishes play a critical role in population dynamics, largely due to their high abundance, high mortality, and ease of transport in ocean currents. This dissertation demonstrates the value of combining larval data, collected in the field and the laboratory, with model simulations. In Chapter 2, analyses of field observations of ontogenetic vertical distributions of coral reef fish revealed a diversity of behaviors both between and within families. In Caribbean-wide particle-tracking simulations of representative behaviors, surface-dwelling larvae were generally transported longer distances with greater population connectivity amongst habitat patches, while the evenly-distributed vertical behavior and downward ontogenetic vertical migration were similar to one another and led to greater retention near natal sites. However, hydrodynamics and habitat vailability created some local patterns that contradicted the overall expectation. Chapter 3 presents evidence of tuna spawning inside a large no-take marine protected area, the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA). Despite variation in temperature and chlorophyll, the larval tuna distributions were similar amongst years, with skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis) and Thunnus spp. tunas observed in all three years. Backtracking simulations indicated that spawning occurred inside PIPA in all 3 study years, demonstrating that PIPA is protecting viable tuna spawning habitat. In Chapter 4, several lines of larval evidence support the classification of the Slope Sea as a major spawning ground for Atlantic bluefin tuna with conditions suitable for larval growth. The abundance of bluefin tuna larvae observed in the Slope Sea aligns with typical observations on the other two spawning grounds. Age and growth analyses of bluefin tuna larvae collected in the Slope Sea and the Gulf of Mexico in 2016 did not show a growth rate difference between regions, but did suggest that Slope Sea larvae are larger at the onset of exogenous feeding. Collected larvae were backtracked to locations north of Cape Hatteras and forward tracked to show that they would have been retained within the Slope Sea until the onset of swimming. As a whole, this thesis presents valuable contributions to the study of larval fishes and the attendant implications for marine resource management.National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (to C.M.H.), the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Ocean Life Institute (Grant 22569.01 to J. Llopiz and C.M.H.), the Adelaide and Charles Link Foundation, the Phoenix Islands Protected Area Trust, the J. Seward Johnson Endowment in support of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's Marine Policy Center, and the WHOI Academic Programs Office

Sorption of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) to High and Low Pressure Synthetic Nano-Magnetite (Fe3O4)Particles

The binding of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) to synthetic nano-magnetie particles synthesized under open vessel conditions and a microwave assisted hydrothermal synthesis techniques was investigated. Batch studies showed that the binding of both the Cr(III) and Cr(VI) bound to the nano-materials in a pH dependent manner. The Cr(III) maximized at binding at pH 4 and 100% binding. Similarly, the Cr(VI) ions showed a maximum binding of 100% at pH 4. The data from the time dependency studies showed for the most part the majority of the binding occurred within the first 5 minutes of contact with the nanomaterial and remained constant thereafter. In addition, the effects of the possible interferences were investigated which showed some effects on the binding of both Cr(III) and Cr(VI). However, the interferences never completely eliminated the chromium binding. Isotherm studies conducted at room temperature showed the microwave synthesized nanomaterials had a binding capacity of 1208 ± 43.9 mg/g and 555 ± 10.5 mg/g for Cr(VI) and Cr(III), respectively. However, the microwave assisted synthesized nanomaterials had capacities of 1705 ± 14.5 and 555± 10.5 mg/g for Cr(VI) and Cr(III), respectively. XANES studies showed the Cr(VI) was reduced to Cr(III), and the Cr(III) remained as Cr(III). In addition, the XANES studies indicated that the chromium remained coordinated in an octahedral arrangement of oxygen atoms

Creating inclusive environments in first-year engineering classes to support student retention and learning: paper

Includes bibliographical references.Paper given at the ASEE's 122nd Annual Conference & Exposition in Seattle, Washington, June 14-15, 2015.Paper ID #12401.A new NSF-funded experimental study seeks to incorporate innovative curriculum activities that cultivate inclusive engineering identities and demonstrate how the engineering profession benefits from diversity. We intend to expand first-year engineering student perceptions about who can be an engineer and what engineers do. This effort aims to create a cultural shift in engineering departments so students think beyond stereotypical perceptions of who belongs to the engineering profession (White men) toward more expansive notions about how the engineering profession needs diversity to thrive. Arguably, inclusive engineering departments will contribute to the retention and success of students who are underrepresented in engineering in terms of gender and race, but also in terms of backgrounds, talents, and interests. In this paper, we begin with an overview of scholarship regarding pedagogical practices that foster strong engineering identities and position diversity as essential for strong engineering practice. Next, we address the following research question: How do freshmen engineering students in traditional engineering courses identify with engineering and perceive diversity in engineering? To answer this question, we summarize findings from preliminary survey by tracking over time the engineering identities and perceptions about diversity in engineering of engineering freshmen during their first semester in two existing first-year courses. We conclude with theoretically-based and evidence-driven activities that will be incorporated in the same first-year engineering courses in subsequent years of this NSF grant.National Science Foundation, Grant # 1432601

Promoting inclusive engineering identities in first-year engineering courses: poster

Includes bibliographical references.Presented at the ASEE's 123rd Annual Conference & Exposition in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, June 26-28, 2016.Project goal: Change engineering culture to support robust learning in degree programs, more effective professional practice, and efforts to retain diverse students and professionals.National Science Foundation, Grant # 1432601

What is the relationship between mindset and engineering identity for first year male and female students? An exploratory longitudinal study

Includes bibliographical references.Paper given at the ASEE's 124th Annual Conference & Exposition in Columbus Ohio, USA, June 25-28, 2017.Paper ID #19498.Undergraduate students who leave engineering are most likely to do so during the first two years of coursework (Litzer & Young, 2012). During these first two years, students often encounter difficult coursework that may be not be overtly related to engineering (e.g., advanced calculus, physics; Suresh, 2006) while simultaneously developing their initial engineering identities. Students possessing a fixed mindset (e.g., intelligence based on genetics) versus a growth mindset (e.g., intelligence based on effort and hard work) are more likely to disengage when confronted with highly challenging coursework (Rattan, Savani, Chugh, & Dweck, 2015; Robins & Pals, 2002), which may be related to lower engineering identity. Implicit person theory argues that persons are more likely to persist with challenging tasks if they believe that intelligence is malleable (Robins & Pals, 2002). Additionally, it is well established that women are underrepresented in the field of engineering (Singh, Fouad, Fitzpatrick, & Chang, 2014). While a plethora of research exists to examine what factors contribute to the persistence of women in engineering, such as institutional factors and student characteristics, we focus on the relationship between mindset and engineering identity in this paper. The purpose of this study is to explore whether mindsets influence a student's engineering identity over time and to see if this relationship differs by gender.National Science Foundation, Grant # 1432601

Inclusive engineering identities: two new surveys to assess first-year students' inclusive values and behaviors

Includes bibliographical references.Paper given at the ASEE's 124th Annual Conference & Exposition in Columbus Ohio, USA, June 25-28, 2017.Paper ID #18467.The under-representation of women and people of color in engineering careers is not fully explained by their lower representation in engineering degree programs. There is also attrition from the profession after engineering degrees are earned. Currently, 20% of engineering degrees are awarded to women, and only 13% of the engineering workforce are women. Also, underrepresented minorities earn a small proportion of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees, and represent an even smaller proportion of the workforce. For example, while approximately 11% of the total workforce is Black, only 6% of the STEM workforce is Black (U.S. Department of Education, 2016). Often cited issues for leaving engineering are uncomfortable and unsupportive work climates (Singh, Fouad, Fitzpatrick, & Chang, 2014). Women who have earned bachelors degrees in engineering left engineering at much higher rates than men, and these women cite issues of poor workplace climates, bosses, or culture (Singh et al. 2014). Women who stayed in engineering cite being supported by their organizations and perceiving their work as valued (Singh et al. 2014). More recent research demonstrated this uncomfortable culture exists well before entering the workforce. Undergraduate women cite informal interactions and sexism in teams as propagating a culture that is unwelcoming to women (Seron, Silbey, Cech, & Rubineau, 2016). Most efforts to change these percentages of representation both in the workforce and in school focus exclusively on those in the minority. However, our NSF funded study seeks to change the culture of engineering to be more welcoming and supportive of women and underrepresented minorities by helping all engineers appreciate and seek out diversity In our project we have worked with several instructors to infuse first year engineering classes with activities to promote diversity and inclusion. By working towards cultural change we hope to impact both university degree programs and engineering practice. We developed intervention activities for first-year engineering courses to promote what we termed an inclusive engineering identity. Inclusive engineering identity is displayed by engineers who value diversity in engineering and promote inclusive behaviors within the profession. When we tried to measure the impact of our intervention on all engineering students, we quickly discovered there were no psychometrically sound measures to assess how engineering students valued diversity specifically in the context of engineering and how likely they were to enact inclusive behaviors. Thus, this research study details the development of two new scales to measure how students develop an inclusive engineering identity.National Science Foundation, Grant # 1432601

Exploring interannual variability in potential spawning habitat for Atlantic bluefin tuna in the Slope Sea

© The Author(s), 2021. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Rypina, I. I., Dotzel, M. M., Pratt, L. J., Hernandez, C. M., & Llopiz, J. K. Exploring interannual variability in potential spawning habitat for Atlantic bluefin tuna in the Slope Sea. Progress in Oceanography, 192, (2021): 102514, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pocean.2021.102514.The Slope Sea in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean, located between the Gulf Stream and the continental shelf of the Northeast United States, is a recently-documented possible major spawning ground for Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus). Larval surveys and a habitat modeling study have shown that suitable spawning habitat occurs in the Slope Sea, but the degree to which this habitat varies interannually is an open question. Here, we perform a decade-long (2009–2018) numerical modeling analysis, with simulated larvae released uniformly throughout the Slope Sea, to investigate the interannual variability in the water temperature and circulation criteria deemed necessary for successful spawning. We also quantify the influence of Gulf Stream meanders and overshoot events on larval retention and their effect on habitat suitability rates throughout the Slope Sea, defined as the percentage of simulated larvae released at a given location that satisfy criteria related to water temperature and retention near nursery habitat. Average environmental oceanographic conditions over the decade are most favorable in the western part of the Slope Sea, specifically in the Slope Gyre and away from the immediate vicinity of the Gulf Stream. Variability in domain- and summertime-averaged yearly spawning habitat suitability rates is up to 25% of the mean decadal-averaged values. Yearly habitat suitability correlates strongly with the Gulf Stream overshoot but does not correlate well with other oceanographic variables or indices, so an overshoot index can be used as a sole oceanographic proxy for predicting yearly bluefin spawning habitat suitability in the Slope Sea. Selective spawning can weaken the correlation between habitat suitability and Gulf Stream overshoot. Effort should be put towards collecting observational data against which we could validate our findings.This work was funded by a US National Science Foundation (NSF) grant (OCE-1558806) awarded to IIR, LJP, and JKL. MMD was supported by an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. CMH was partially supported by the Adelaide and Charles Link Foundation and the J. Seward Johnson Endowment in support of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s Marine Policy Center

Identification of therapeutic targets applicable to clinical strategies in ovarian cancer

BACKGROUND: shRNA-mediated lethality screening is a useful tool to identify essential targets in cancer biology. Ovarian cancer (OC) is extremely heterogeneous and most cases are advanced stages at diagnosis. OC has a high response rate initially, but becomes resistant to standard chemotherapy. We previously employed high throughput global shRNA sensitization screens to identify NF-kB related pathways. Here, we re-analyzed our previous shRNA screens in an unbiased manner to identify clinically applicable molecular targets. METHODS: We proceeded with siRNA lethality screening using the top 55 genes in an expanded set of 6 OC cell lines. We investigated clinical relevance of candidate targets in The Cancer Genome Atlas OC dataset. To move these findings towards the clinic, we chose four pharmacological inhibitors to recapitulate the top siRNA effects: Oxozeaenol (for MAP3K7/TAK1), BI6727 (PLK1), MK1775 (WEE1), and Lapatinib (ERBB2). Cytotoxic effects were measured by cellular viability assay, as single agents and in 2-way combinations. Co-treatments were evaluated in either sequential or simultaneous exposure to drug for short term and extended periods to simulate different treatment strategies. RESULTS: Loss-of-function shRNA screens followed by short-term siRNA validation screens identified therapeutic targets in OC cells. Candidate genes were dysregulated in a subset of TCGA OCs although the alterations of these genes showed no statistical significance to overall survival. Pharmacological inhibitors such as Oxozeaenol, BI6727, and MK1775 showed cytotoxic effects in OC cells regardless of cisplatin responsiveness, while all OC cells tested were cytostatic to Lapatinib. Co-treatment with BI6727 and MK1775 at sub-lethal concentrations was equally potent to BI6727 alone at lethal concentrations without cellular re-growth after the drugs were washed off, suggesting the co-inhibition at reduced dosages may be more efficacious than maximal single-agent cytotoxic concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: Loss-of-function screen followed by in vitro target validation using chemical inhibitors identified clinically relevant targets. This approach has the potential to systematically refine therapeutic strategies in OC. These molecular target-driven strategies may provide additional therapeutic options for women whose tumors have become refractory to standard chemotherapy. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-016-2675-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users