Building belonging in online WIL environments – lessons (re)learnt in the pandemic age: a collaborative enquiry

The theme of belonging in e-pedagogy gained currency in the 2000s when educational providers hastened to join the online teaching and learning boom and studies of building and maintaining a sense of community (SOC) proved central to this endeavour. Motivated by the pandemic-era necessity to convene teaching and learning online as part of a response to super-complexity as a defining feature of tertiary education in the 21st century, work-integrated learning (WIL) practitioners returned to this scholarship to consider, under pressure, modes of building SOC and belonging in online spaces. Underpinned by a broadly constructivist worldview and informed by the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, our COVID-age study considers what pedagogical strategies are viewed as affording learners this sense of belonging - or not. Using a collaborative enquiry to pool our perceptions and experiences from three WIL contexts, we ask how work-integrated learning (WIL) practitioners build belonging in online spaces and identify strategies learners perceive as valuable. Drawing on the authors’ small-scale studies of educator and learner experiences of online WIL (eWIL), our collaborative enquiry uses qualitative descriptive analysis to identify key themes in the voices of students. Advancing the scholarship, our study identifies three threads to the fabric of belonging: humanising online WIL; the importance of mentor presence; and fostering professional belonging. The study suggests that strategies impacting these three areas are at the heart of building belonging in online spaces, broadly envisaged as imagined professional communities of practice. Techniques viewed as successful are advanced as possibilities for enhancing pedagogy in online WIL communities

Comparison Between Thermal and Hyper-spectral Image Analysis: White-tailed Deer Population Monitoring in the Binghamton University Nature Preserve

The rapid overpopulation of White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) has severely harmed the Northeast region of the United States. Affected regions have seen increased environmental degradation due to overbrowsing, increased instances of deer-vehicle collisions, and an uptick in Lyme Disease contraction. The overpopulation of White-Tailed Deer (WTD) is mainly due to anthropogenic causes such as the overhunting and over regulation of the primary predators of WTD. Therefore, fully understanding the severity of the WTD overpopulation is crucial in combating the issue and making informed management decisions. The scope of our study focuses on determining the most effective image types and image processing techniques in regards to analyzing census data on mammalian wildlife populations. We will be conducting a UAV-based drone survey of WTD in the Binghamton University Nature Preserve collecting both thermal and hyperspectral data. We will then recruit approximately 100-150 untrained college students, split them into two groups, and have each group review a different drone flight. Each student will individually estimate the amount of deer in the data set they were provided. By placing the student estimates on a bell curve for each flight, we will be able to identify which image type is most effective for counting deer with an eye untrained in image analysis. The results of this experiment will allow us to create a novel methodology that will help us, as well as other scientists, utilize drone-based surveys to more accurately gather census data on WTD.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2022/1112/thumbnail.jp

A transitional disk around an intermediate mass star in the sparse population of the Orion OB1 Association

We present a detailed study of the disk around the intermediate mass star SO 411, aiming to explain the spectral energy distribution of this star. We show that this is a transitional disk truncated at $\sim$11 au, with $\sim$0.03 lunar masses of optically thin dust inside the cavity. Gas also flows through the cavity, since we find that the disk is still accreting mass onto the star, at a rate of $\sim 5x10^{-9}$ Msun/yr. Until now, SO 411 has been thought to belong to the $\sim$3 Myr old {$\sigma$} Orionis cluster. However, we analyzed the second Gaia Data Release in combination with kinematic data previously reported, and found that SO 411 can be associated with an sparse stellar population located in front of the {$\sigma$} Orionis cluster. If this is the case, then SO 411 is older and even more peculiar, since primordial disks in this stellar mass range are scarce for ages $>$5 Myr. Analysis of the silicate 10$\mu$m feature of SO 411 indicates that the observed feature arises at the edge of the outer disk, and displays a very high crystallinity ratio of $\sim$0.5, with forsterite the most abundant silicate crystal. The high forsterite abundance points to crystal formation in non-equilibrium conditions. The PAH spectrum of SO 411 is consistent with this intermediate state between the hot and luminous Herbig Ae and the less massive and cooler T Tauri stars. Analysis of the 7.7$\mu$m PAH feature indicates that small PAHs still remain in the SO 411 disk.Comment: Accepted in the Astrophysical Journal (17 pages, 9 Figures

Telehealth for the Provision of Occupational Therapy: Reflections on Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, healthcare professionals worldwide abruptly shifted from an in-person to a telehealth service delivery model. Many did so without advanced training or preparation. This cross-sectional study explored how occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) used telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic, and whether they found it to be an effective service delivery model that should be a permanent option for providing occupational therapy services. An online survey was disseminated; it included Likert scale questions, multiple option questions, and open-ended questions regarding telehealth use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the 230 respondents, 176 (77%) support telehealth as a substitute for in-person services; 179 (78%) support telehealth as a permanent option for occupational therapy service delivery. This information lends support to the uninterrupted use of telehealth by OTPs when government emergency orders in response to COVID-19 expire

Graphic Flash: A Multimedia Collaborative Digital Project

Graphic Flash, originally created by Leigh Wilson (faculty, Creative Writing) and Amy Bartell (faculty, Art) is an ongoing collaboration between the areas of Graphic Design, Creative Writing, Cinema Studies and Music at SUNY Oswego. During the 2014-2015 academic year, design students brought the project into the world of digital publishing using the Adobe Publishing Suite. This allowed designers to create rich content by integrating the written word, illustration, video, audio, motion graphics, and interaction in an app designed for future release in the Apple App Store. At the heart of the project is the collaboration between students in creative writing, illustration, multimedia, music, and cinema studies. This poster presentation will explore and document the creative and collaborative process used to develop the final app

Early Life Nutrition Modulates Muscle Stem Cell Number: Implications for Muscle Mass and Repair

Suboptimal nutrition during prenatal and early postnatal development is associated with increased risk for type 2 diabetes during adult life. A hallmark of such diabetes risk is altered body composition, including reduced lean mass and increased adiposity. Since stem cell number and activity are important determinants of muscle mass, modulation of perinatal nutrition could alter stem cell number/function, potentially mediating developmentally programmed reductions in muscle mass. Skeletal muscle precursors (SMP) were purified from muscle of mice subjected to prenatal undernutrition and/or early postnatal high-fat diet (HFD)—experimental models that are both associated with obesity and diabetes risk. SMP number was determined by flow cytometry, proliferative capacity measured in vitro, and regenerative capacity of these cells determined in vivo after muscle freeze injury. Prenatally undernutrition (UN) mice showed significantly reduced SMP frequencies [Control (C) $4.8\%\pm0.3\%$ (% live cells) vs. UN $3.2\%\pm0.4\%, P = 0.015$] at 6 weeks; proliferative capacity was unaltered. Reduced SMP in UN was associated with 32% decrease in regeneration after injury ($C 16\%\pm3\%$ of injured area vs. $UN 11\%\pm2\%; P < 0.0001$). SMP frequency was also reduced in HFD-fed mice (chow $6.4\%\pm0.6\% vs. HFD 4.7\% \pm0.4\%, P = 0.03$), and associated with $44\%$ decreased regeneration (chow $16\%\pm2.7\% vs. HFD 9\%\pm2.2\%; P < 0.0001$). Prenatal undernutrition was additive with postnatal HFD. Thus, both prenatal undernutrition and postnatal overnutrition reduce myogenic stem cell frequency and function, indicating that developmentally established differences in muscle-resident stem cell populations may provoke reductions in muscle mass and repair and contribute to diabetes risk.Stem Cell and Regenerative Biolog

Relationship Between Foveal Cone Specialization and Pit Morphology in Albinism

Purpose.Albinism is associated with disrupted foveal development, though intersubject variability is becoming appreciated. We sought to quantify this variability, and examine the relationship between foveal cone specialization and pit morphology in patients with a clinical diagnosis of albinism. Methods. We recruited 32 subjects with a clinical diagnosis of albinism. DNA was obtained from 25 subjects, and known albinism genes were analyzed for mutations. Relative inner and outer segment (IS and OS) lengthening (fovea-to-perifovea ratio) was determined from manually segmented spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) B-scans. Foveal pit morphology was quantified for eight subjects from macular SD-OCT volumes. Ten subjects underwent imaging with adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO), and cone density was measured. Results. We found mutations in 22 of 25 subjects, including five novel mutations. All subjects lacked complete excavation of inner retinal layers at the fovea, though four subjects had foveal pits with normal diameter and/or volume. Peak cone density and OS lengthening were variable and overlapped with that observed in normal controls. A fifth hyper-reflective band was observed in the outer retina on SD-OCT in the majority of the subjects with albinism. Conclusions. Foveal cone specialization and pit morphology vary greatly in albinism. Normal cone packing was observed in the absence of a foveal pit, suggesting a pit is not required for packing to occur. The degree to which retinal anatomy correlates with genotype or visual function remains unclear, and future examination of larger patient groups will provide important insight on this issue

High Streets for All

This study takes one of the most commonplace and everyday experiences of the city – the high street – and explores its social value from the perspective of Londoners. Social value is most commonly understood to be made up of economic, social and environmental aspects. Together with existing knowledge and new primary research, the study uses this evidence to set out the strategic case for advocacy, intervention and investment in London’s high streets

On the dynamics of the Zanzibar Channel

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2015. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 120 (2015): 6091–6113, doi:10.1002/2015JC010879.The Zanzibar Channel lies between the mainland of Tanzania and Zanzibar Island in the tropical western Indian Ocean, is about 100 km long, 40 km wide, and 40 m deep, and is essential to local socioeconomic activities. This paper presents a model of the seasonal and tidal dynamics of the Zanzibar Channel based on the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) and a comparison of the model and observations. The seasonal dynamics of the channel is forced by remote processes and the local wind. Remote forcing creates the East African Coastal Current, a portion of which flows through the channel northward with a seasonally varying magnitude. The local wind enhances this seasonality in the surface Ekman layer, resulting in a stronger northward flow during the southwest monsoon season and a weak northward or occasionally southward flow during the northeast monsoon season. The tidal flows converge and diverge in the center of the channel and reduce the transport in the channel. The remotely forced, wind-forced, and tidal dynamics contain 5%, 3%, and 92% of the total kinetic energy, respectively. Despite their low kinetic energy, the remotely forced and wind-forced flows are most relevant in advecting channel water to the open ocean, which occurs in 19 days at the peak of the southwest monsoon season. The channel is well mixed, except during brief periods in the two rainy seasons, and temporarily cools between December and February. The dispersion of passive tracers is presented as an example of potential model applications.National Science Foundation Grant Numbers: OISE-0827059 , OCE-0550658 , OCE-0851493 , OCE-09274722016-03-1

Cone photoreceptor structure in patients with x-linked cone dysfunction and red-green color vision deficiency

PURPOSE: Mutations in the coding sequence of the L and M opsin genes are often associated with X-linked cone dysfunction (such as Bornholm Eye Disease, BED), though the exact color vision phenotype associated with these disorders is variable. We examined individuals with L/M opsin gene mutations to clarify the link between color vision deficiency and cone dysfunction. METHODS: We recruited 17 males for imaging. The thickness and integrity of the photoreceptor layers were evaluated using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Cone density was measured using high-resolution images of the cone mosaic obtained with adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy. The L/M opsin gene array was characterized in 16 subjects, including at least one subject from each family. RESULTS: There were six subjects with the LVAVA haplotype encoded by exon 3, seven with LIAVA, two with the Cys203Arg mutation encoded by exon 4, and two with a novel insertion in exon 2. Foveal cone structure and retinal thickness was disrupted to a variable degree, even among related individuals with the same L/M array. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide a direct link between disruption of the cone mosaic and L/M opsin variants. We hypothesize that, in addition to large phenotypic differences between different L/M opsin variants, the ratio of expression of first versus downstream genes in the L/M array contributes to phenotypic diversity. While the L/M opsin mutations underlie the cone dysfunction in all of the subjects tested, the color vision defect can be caused either by the same mutation or a gene rearrangement at the same locus