A Comparison of Two Intervention Strategies on the Academic Performance of Student-Athletes

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the Model Student Tutor Program (MSTP) when compared with the traditional study table on the academic performance of football players at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse as measured by grades acquired in selected courses. The subjects for this study consisted of eighty-one football players from a Division Ill program, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, in the fall semester of 1989. Participants registered in Biology 100 were randomly assigned to one of three groups: one group receiving peer tutoring, one group assigned to the traditional study table, and a control group. Participants registered in 100 level English and history were randomly assigned to one of three groups: one group receiving peer tutoring, one group assigned to the traditional study table, and a control group. Neither of the control groups received the academic intervention. ACT (composite, English, and science) scores were tested for pre-disposing differences. Three hypotheses were developed. The first hypothesis stated that there will be no significant difference in the grades of football players based on the type of intervention for literature-based courses. The second hypothesis stated that there will be no significant difference in the grades of football players, based on the type of intervention for science-based courses. The third hypothesis stated that there will be no significant difference in the grades of football players based on the type of intervention used across course content. Based on the results of an ANOVA, the first hypothesis was rejected while the second and third hypotheses were retained. There was a significant difference between the study table and control group for literature courses. Neither peer tutoring nor study table was significantly effective in improving the performance of football players in science-based classes. It could not be shown that study table or peer tutoring would be more effective if one had to choose between interventions regardless of course content

Long-term Observations in Acoustics - the Ocean Acoustic Observatory Federation

The Ocean Acoustic Observatory Federation (OAOF) includes several laboratories and universities: the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics (IGPP) and the Marine Physical Laboratory (MPL) at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Pacific Meteorological and Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) of NOAA, the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), and the Applied Physics Laboratory at the University of Washington (UW/APL)

Modeling key pathological features of frontotemporal dementia with C9ORF72 repeat expansion in iPSC-derived human neurons

The recently identified GGGGCC repeat expansion in the noncoding region of C9ORF72 is the most common pathogenic mutation in patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We generated a human neuronal model and investigated the pathological phenotypes of human neurons containing GGGGCC repeat expansions. Skin biopsies were obtained from two subjects who had \u3e 1,000 GGGGCC repeats in C9ORF72 and their respective fibroblasts were used to generate multiple induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines. After extensive characterization, two iPSC lines from each subject were selected, differentiated into postmitotic neurons, and compared with control neurons to identify disease-relevant phenotypes. Expanded GGGGCC repeats exhibit instability during reprogramming and neuronal differentiation of iPSCs. RNA foci containing GGGGCC repeats were present in some iPSCs, iPSC-derived human neurons and primary fibroblasts. The percentage of cells with foci and the number of foci per cell appeared to be determined not simply by repeat length but also by other factors. These RNA foci do not seem to sequester several major RNA-binding proteins. Moreover, repeat-associated non-ATG (RAN) translation products were detected in human neurons with GGGGCC repeat expansions and these neurons showed significantly elevated p62 levels and increased sensitivity to cellular stress induced by autophagy inhibitors. Our findings demonstrate that key neuropathological features of FTD/ALS with GGGGCC repeat expansions can be recapitulated in iPSC-derived human neurons and also suggest that compromised autophagy function may represent a novel underlying pathogenic mechanism

Development of Grazing Incidence Multilayer Mirrors for Hard X-ray Focusing Telescopes

We are developing depth-graded, multilayer-coated mirrors for astrophysical hard X-ray focusing telescopes. In this paper, we discuss the primary technical challenges associated with the multilayer coatings, and report on progress to date. We have sputtered constant cl-spacing and depth-graded W / Si multilayers onto 0.3- 0.5 mm thick DURAN glass (AF45 and D263) and 0.4 mm thick epoxy replicated aluminum foils (ERAFs) , both of which are potential mirror substrates. We have characterized the interfacial roughness, uniformity, and stress of the coatings. The average interfacial roughness of each multilayer was measured from specular reflectivity scans (Bi = Br) using Cu K0 X-rays. The thin film stress was calculated from the change in curvature induced by the coating on flat glass substrates. Thickness and roughness uniformity were measured by taking specular reflectivity scans of a multilayer deposited on the inside surface of a quarter cylinder section. We found that interfacial roughness (a) in the multilayers was typically between 3.5 and 4.0 A on DESAG glass, and between 4.5 and 5.0 A on the ERAFs. Also, we found that coatings deposited on glass that has been thermally formed into a cylindrical shape performed as well as flat glass. The film stress, calculated from Stoney's equation, for a 200 layer graded multilayer was approximately 200 MPa. Our uniformity measurements show that with no baffles to alter the deposition profile on a curved optic, the layer thickness differs by "'203 between the center and the edge of the optic. Interfacial roughness, however, remained constant, around 3.6 A, throughout the curved piece, even as the layer spacing dropped off

Heat Safety in the Workplace:Modified Delphi Consensus to Establish Strategies and Resources to Protect U.S Workers

The purpose of this consensus document was to develop feasible, evidence‐based occupational heat safety recommendations to protect the US workers that experience heat stress. Heat safety recommendations were created to protect worker health and to avoid productivity losses associated with occupational heat stress. Recommendations were tailored to be utilized by safety managers, industrial hygienists, and the employers who bear responsibility for implementing heat safety plans. An interdisciplinary roundtable comprised of 51 experts was assembled to create a narrative review summarizing current data and gaps in knowledge within eight heat safety topics: (a) heat hygiene, (b) hydration, (c) heat acclimatization, (d) environmental monitoring, (e) physiological monitoring, (f) body cooling, (g) textiles and personal protective gear, and (h) emergency action plan implementation. The consensus‐based recommendations for each topic were created using the Delphi method and evaluated based on scientific evidence, feasibility, and clarity. The current document presents 40 occupational heat safety recommendations across all eight topics. Establishing these recommendations will help organizations and employers create effective heat safety plans for their workplaces, address factors that limit the implementation of heat safety best‐practices and protect worker health and productivity

Age-related increases in parathyroid hormone may be antecedent to both osteoporosis and dementia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Numerous studies have reported that age-induced increased parathyroid hormone plasma levels are associated with cognitive decline and dementia. Little is known about the correlation that may exist between neurological processing speed, cognition and bone density in cases of hyperparathyroidism. Thus, we decided to determine if parathyroid hormone levels correlate to processing speed and/or bone density.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The recruited subjects that met the inclusion criteria (n = 92, age-matched, age 18-90 years, mean = 58.85, SD = 15.47) were evaluated for plasma parathyroid hormone levels and these levels were statistically correlated with event-related P300 potentials. Groups were compared for age, bone density and P300 latency. One-tailed tests were used to ascertain the statistical significance of the correlations. The study groups were categorized and analyzed for differences of parathyroid hormone levels: parathyroid hormone levels <30 (n = 30, mean = 22.7 ± 5.6 SD) and PTH levels >30 (n = 62, mean = 62.4 ± 28.3 SD, p ≤ 02).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Patients with parathyroid hormone levels <30 showed statistically significantly less P300 latency (P300 = 332.7 ± 4.8 SE) relative to those with parathyroid hormone levels >30, which demonstrated greater P300 latency (P300 = 345.7 ± 3.6 SE, p = .02). Participants with parathyroid hormone values <30 (n = 26) were found to have statistically significantly higher bone density (M = -1.25 ± .31 SE) than those with parathyroid hormone values >30 (n = 48, M = -1.85 ± .19 SE, p = .04).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our findings of a statistically lower bone density and prolonged P300 in patients with high parathyroid hormone levels may suggest that increased parathyroid hormone levels coupled with prolonged P300 latency may become putative biological markers of both dementia and osteoporosis and warrant intensive investigation.</p