Building an Online Community Through Research

One of the more complex things to do when becoming a new faculty is meeting the scholarship expectations of your role. A finished dissertation does not easily equate to a peer-reviewed publication later. What if we could give students the tools to embrace scholarship before graduating? This paper outlines a process for engaging online learners in research endeavors outside the course room. It also shows how this unique method can increase community and belonging among peers. The model presented here can be used for research and other community-based projects. While it is useful for faculty development, it is designed to benefit both experienced and new faculty. However, the primary purpose of this model is student development. This model is meant to give the students the skills and tools they need to become researchers on their own

Implementing a regional integrated laboratory proficiency testing scheme for peripheral health facilities in East Africa

Introduction: Regular participation in external quality assessment (EQA) is critical for maintaining laboratory performance and is required for laboratory accreditation. Proficiency testing (PT) is effective for providing EQA, but available schemes rarely address the range of tests performed by peripheral laboratories in resource-limited settings. The East African Regional External Quality Assessment Scheme (EA-REQAS) was established in 2004 to address this need. Materials and methods: Surveys were distributed biannually comprising seven different panel materials and questions addressing laboratory, clinical and public health topics. Preserved materials were prepared using standard procedures and validated by accredited laboratories to establish target values. Survey materials were shipped by courier and results returned by paper copy, email or online. Immediate feedback reports included advice for addressing errors. Composite reports addressing participants’ performance were provided to national quality assurance offices. Results: Sixteen surveys were distributed between 2008 and 2015; enrolment increased from 195 to 560 facilities. Mean response rate remained static (56-59%), but overall number of participating facilities increased. Mean performance scores increased from 51% to 68% but remained below the accepted score of 80%; individual facilities achieving 80% or more increased from 0 to 25%. Facilities participating in 10 or more surveys performed better than facilities participating in 5 or less surveys. Conclusion: PT can be applied at peripheral level in resource-limited settings and identifies poorly performing areas. PT can also be used to assess performance of equipment and test kits as part of post-market surveillance. Smaller health facilities require additional support to address deficiencies

Evolution of a predator-induced, nonlinear reaction norm

Inducible, anti-predator traits are a classic example of phenotypic plasticity. Their evolutionary dynamics depend on their genetic basis, the historical pattern of predation risk that populations have experienced and current selection gradients. When populations experience predators with contrasting hunting strategies and size preferences, theory suggests contrasting micro-evolutionary responses to selection. Daphnia pulex is an ideal species to explore the microevolutionary response of anti-predator traits because they face heterogeneous predation regimes, sometimes experiencing only invertebrate midge predators and other times experiencing vertebrate fish and invertebrate midge predators. We explored plausible patterns of adaptive evolution of a predator-induced morphological reaction norm. We combined estimates of selection gradients that characterize the various habitats that D. pulex experiences with detail on the quantitative genetic architecture of inducible morphological defences. Our data reveal a fine scale description of daphnid defensive reaction norms, and a strong covariance between the sensitivity to cues and the maximum response to cues. By analysing the response of the reaction norm to plausible, predator-specific selection gradients, we show how in the context of this covariance, micro-evolution may be more uniform than predicted from size-selective predation theory. Our results show how covariance between the sensitivity to cues and the maximum response to cues for morphological defence can shape the evolutionary trajectory of predator-induced defences in D. pulex

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three African American couples in a line.https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/cht-sheet-music/3906/thumbnail.jp

Genome-Wide Characterization of the Phosphate Starvation Response in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

Background: Inorganic phosphate is an essential nutrient required by organisms for growth. During phosphate starvation, Saccharomyces cerevisiae activates the phosphate signal transduction (PHO) pathway, leading to expression of the secreted acid phosphatase, PHO5. The fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, regulates expression of the ScPHO5 homolog (pho1+) via a non-orthologous PHO pathway involving genetically identified positive (pho7+) and negative (csk1+) regulators. The genes induced by phosphate limitation and the molecular mechanism by which pho7+ and csk1+ function are unknown. Here we use a combination of molecular biology, expression microarrays, and chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with high-throughput sequencing (ChIP-Seq) to characterize the role of pho7+ and csk1+ in the PHO response. Results: We define the set of genes that comprise the initial response to phosphate starvation in S. pombe. We identify a conserved PHO response that contains the ScPHO5 (pho1+), ScPHO84 (SPBC8E4.01c), and ScGIT1 (SPBC1271.09) orthologs. We identify members of the Pho7 regulon and characterize Pho7 binding in response to phosphate-limitation and Csk1 activity. We demonstrate that activation of pho1+ requires Pho7 binding to a UAS in the pho1+ promoter and that Csk1 repression does not regulate Pho7 enrichment. Further, we find that Pho7-dependent activation is not limited to phosphate-starvation, as additional environmental stress response pathways require pho7+ for maximal induction. Conclusions: We provide a global analysis of the transcriptional response to phosphate limitation in S. pombe. Our results elucidate the conserved core regulon induced in response to phosphate starvation in this ascomycete distantly related to S. cerevisiae and provide a better understanding of flexibility in environmental stress response networks.Chemistry and Chemical BiologyMolecular and Cellular Biolog

The role of pre-incident information and responder communication in effective management of casualties, including members of vulnerable groups, during a decontamination field exercise

During a CBRNe incident, it is essential that those affected are decontaminated as quickly as possible. Factors which may enhance the speed with which decontamination can be carried out include the provision of pre-incident information to members of the public, an effective responder communication strategy, and consideration of the needs of all those affected. In the current study, we ran a field exercise involving mass decontamination in response to a simulated chemical incident. The study aimed to understand the role of responder communication, the needs of vulnerable individuals, levels of compliance, and the impact of pre-incident information, during decontamination. Eighteen participants took part in the exercise with nine participants having vulnerabilities. Participants completed pre-exercise and post-exercise questionnaires and took part in a post-exercise focus group. Participants' and responders’ behaviour was also observed during the exercise. Results showed that participants reported issues associated with both practical aspects of responder communication (e.g., background noise) and overall responder communication strategy and stated that poor communication from responders would have led to less compliance in a real incident. Vulnerable individuals reported that their needs were not always met, with issues including poor physical and communication-related support, and a lack of consideration for functional aids. However, participants reported positive perceptions of the actions in the pre-incident information. Overall, this research suggests that effective management of a chemical incident must include an effective communication strategy (both before and during an incident) and consideration of the needs of vulnerable individuals

The role of pre-incident information and responder communication in effective management of casualties, including members of vulnerable groups, during a decontamination field exercise

During a CBRNe incident, it is essential that those affected are decontaminated as quickly as possible. Factors which may enhance the speed with which decontamination can be carried out include the provision of pre-incident information to members of the public, an effective responder communication strategy, and consideration of the needs of all those affected. In the current study, we ran a field exercise involving mass decontamination in response to a simulated chemical incident. The study aimed to understand the role of responder communication, the needs of vulnerable individuals, levels of compliance, and the impact of pre-incident information, during decontamination. Eighteen participants took part in the exercise with nine participants having vulnerabilities. Participants completed pre-exercise and post-exercise questionnaires and took part in a post-exercise focus group. Participants' and responders’ behaviour was also observed during the exercise. Results showed that participants reported issues associated with both practical aspects of responder communication (e.g., background noise) and overall responder communication strategy and stated that poor communication from responders would have led to less compliance in a real incident. Vulnerable individuals reported that their needs were not always met, with issues including poor physical and communication-related support, and a lack of consideration for functional aids. However, participants reported positive perceptions of the actions in the pre-incident information. Overall, this research suggests that effective management of a chemical incident must include an effective communication strategy (both before and during an incident) and consideration of the needs of vulnerable individuals

Vägen till europeisk toppfotboll - En studie av svenska yrkesverksamma utlandsspelares fotbollsutbildningsbakgrund

Svensk fotboll satsar mer pengar än någonsin för att få fram spelare av så hög kvalite som möjligt och arbetet med talangutveckling går längre och längre ner i åldrarna med bland annat en ny elitförberedande klass i Gothia Cup och Akademicertifiering för U17 och U19 i svenska klubbar. Men vad ger denna satsning för resultat? Denna studie försöker skapa tydlighet kring vilken fotbollsutbildning av bredd och akademi som skapar flest fotbollsspelare som lyckas ta sig till de 20 högst rankade ligorna i Europa. Därefter valdes 101 spelare med olika utbildningsbakgrund ut efter kriterier som innefattar om man har varit i en Akademi samt hur högt man spelat. Data bearbetades i Excel och SPSS och resultatet visade att Akademierna producerar fler spelare till samtliga ligor rankade 1–20 i Europa. Dock visade ett Chi-2 test att det i studiens population inte fanns någon skillnad i procentuell fördelning vad gäller spelare från Akademi och bredd. Man kan diskutera om resultatet visar att Akademierna har missat de spelarna som blivit yrkesverksamma utomlands utan att gå genom en Akademi eller om det handlar mer om talang än om utbildning för spelare att nå till toppen i Europa. Den slutsats som till sist drogs var att båda utbildningarna skapar spelare till liga 1–20 i Europa men att i vår population var spelare med Akademibakgrund överrepresenterade. Mer forskning med en mer kontrollerad och jämt fördelad population skulle vara bra för att få ett tydligare resultat om samband mellan utbildning och hur högt man kan nå som fotbollsspelare

Small UAV Research and Evolution in Long Endurance Electric Powered Vehicles

This paper describes recent research into the advancement of small, electric powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capabilities. Specifically, topics include the improvements made in battery technology, design methodologies, avionics architectures and algorithms, materials and structural concepts, propulsion system performance prediction, and others. The results of prototype vehicle designs and flight tests are discussed in the context of their usefulness in defining and validating progress in the various technology areas. Further areas of research need are also identified. These include the need for more robust operating regimes (wind, gust, etc.), and continued improvement in payload fraction vs. endurance