Developing Socially Responsible Leadership and Social Perspective-Taking in Fraternities and Sororities: Findings From a National Study

Using data from the 2009 Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership, this study examines socially responsible leadership and social perspective-taking capacities disaggregated by council membership. Results show small but significant differences in developing these capacities. Implications for fraternity and sorority life professionals are discussed

Le rôle de la multimodalité dans les séquences d’étayage lors d'interactions par visioconférence entre apprenants universitaires et personnes âgées : une étude pilote

International audienceLa notion de l’étayage désigne l’ensemble des processus d’un partenaire expert qui a pour effet de permettre à un apprenant de réaliser une performance qu’il n’aurait pas pu réussir sans cette aide (Bruner, 1983). Hudelot et Vasseur (1997) s’approprient cette définition en soulignant que l’étayage n’est pas un processus unidirectionnel et que l’apprenant peut également orienter l’étayage qu’il reçoit.La présente étude pilote propose d’analyser, à travers un dispositif de télécollaboration entre un apprenant d’anglais langue seconde et un locuteur natif en situation de contact par visioconférence, comment des participants combinent des modes sémiotiques lors des séquences d’étayage. Nous explorons comment une modalité sémiotique (geste, clavardage, image, audio) peut venir en complément d’une autre. L’étude s’inspire des travaux de Cappellini (2013) qui a réalisé une des premières études sur l’étayage et la multimodalité. Elle s’inscrit dans la continuité des travaux portant sur la multimodalité dans les situations d’apprentissage par visioconférence (Codreanu & Combe Celik, 2013; Develotte, Guichon et Vincent, 2010; Guichon & Cohen, 2014; Hampel & Stickler, 2012). Le rôle de la multimodalité sera examiné dans trois types de séquences d’étayage : (1) des séquences potentiellement acquisitionnelles lexicales ou syntaxiques où pendant son tour de parole l’apprenant est confronté à un manque de lexique ou à une incertitude concernant la morphosyntaxe, (2) des séquences d’évaluation normative durant lesquelles le participant natif procède à une correction d’un tour de parole de l’apprenant, et (3) des séquences conversationnelles explicatives, où l’apprenant ne comprend pas un élément dans le tour de parole du locuteur natif et le signale à l’usager expert. Le contexte de cette étude est le projet de télécollaboration DISCUSS (Dynamic Interactions between Senior Citizens and University Students through Skype) qui met en contact des étudiants d'anglais et des personnes âgées par le biais de Skype. L’objectif principal de ce dispositif est de permettre aux apprenants d’avoir des interactions authentiques avec des natifs et ainsi de s'entraîner à la compréhension et production orales en continu. Une valeur ajoutée de ce projet est la création de liens entre générations.La première instanciation du projet DISCUSS s’est déroulé entre octobre et décembre 2014 entre quatre étudiants en deuxième année d’une université française dans un cours d’anglais de niveau C1 pour non-spécialistes et cinq personnes âgées (dont un couple qui participait ensemble) qui dépendaient du Council on Aging de Walpole, Massachusetts, Etats-Unis. Les partenaires organisaient eux-mêmes leurs séances en dehors du cours mais les étudiants avait eu la consigne de parler au moins une fois par semaine avec leur partenaire. Puisqu’il n'y avait pas de tâche prédéfinie pour cet échange, chaque binôme devait en établir une ensemble. Certains ont décidé de construire une histoire orale alors que d’autres ont penché pour des comparaisons culturelles ou même l’enseignement, par exemple l’apprentissage de l’origami. Trois ensembles de données ont été recueillis autour du projet de télécollaboration. Le premier ensemble est constitué de captures d’écran dynamiques des séances réalisées par les apprenants avec le logiciel EVAER (Evaer Technology, 2009). Le deuxième est composé de rapports réflexifs afin de recueillir les perspectives des apprenants sur leurs interactions. Le troisième consiste à des entretiens post-formation avec des participants. Pour la présente étude pilote, l’échantillon concerne deux binômes (Jane 90 ans et Maria 20 ans ; Peggy 72 ans et Pilar 19 ans). Leurs captures d’écran ont fait l’objet d’une transcription orthographique de l’audio à l’aide du logiciel ELAN (Sloetjes & Wittenburg, 2008). Nous avons appliqué aux transcriptions une première couche d'annotations pour identifier les séquences d’étayage présentes dans les interactions et leurs types. Une deuxième couche d’annotations axée sur les interactions dans des modalités autre que l’audio (gestes, clavardage, regard, sourire, proximité de l’écran) a ensuite été insérée afin d’identifier les ressources multimodales employées. La dernière phase consistait en une analyse qualitative (Huberman & Miles, 1991) en fonction de différentes dimensions de la multimodalité.Cette étude pilote démontrera quelques stratégies multimodales utilisées par les participants, à savoir les natifs et les apprenants, lors des séquences d’étayage. Nous reviendrons également dans la présentation sur l’aspect pilote de l’étude et pourquoi il a été judicieux de tester la faisabilité des méthodes de recherche proposées avec un petit échantillon. Cette phase pilote nous permettra d’améliorer le protocole de recherche et de vérifier les procédures de collecte de données avant de procéder à une étude à plus grande échelle qui portera sur le rôle de la multimodalité dans la co-construction de routines d’étayage entre partenaires. Références :Bruner, J. (1983). Le développement de l’enfant. Savoir faire, savoir dire, Paris, PUF.Cappellini, M. (2013). Co-construction des routines d’étayage dans un tandem franco-chinois par visioconference. In Dejean-Thuicuir, C., Mangenot, F., Nissen, E. & Soubrié, T. (2013, coord). Actes du colloque EPAL 2013 (Echanger pour apprendre en ligne). Université Grenoble Alpes, 6-8 juin 2013.Codreanu, T. & Combe Celik, C. (2013). Effects of webcams on multimodal interactive learning, ReCALL, 25 (1). pp.30-47.Develotte, C., Guichon, N., & Vincent, C. (2010). The use of the webcam for teaching a foreign language in a desktop videoconferencing environment. ReCALL, 22(3). pp.293-312.Evaer Technology (2009). EVAER [logiciel] http://www.evaer.com/. Guichon, N. & Cohen, C. (2014). The Impact Of The Webcam On An Online L2 Interaction. Canadian Modern Language Review. vol. 70, n°3, pp. 331–354.Hampel, R. & Stickler, U. (2012). The use of videoconferencing to support multimodal interaction in an online language classroom, ReCALL, 24(2). pp.116-137.Huberman, M. & Miles, M. B. (1991). Analyse des données qualitatives : recueil de nouvelles méthodes. Bruxelles : De Boeck Université.Hudelot, C. & Vasseur, M.T. (1997). « Peut-on se passer de la notion d’étayage pour rendre compte de l’élaboration langagière en L1 et en L2 ?», Calap, n°15, p.109-135.Sloetjes, H. & Wittenburg, P. (2008). Annotation by category – ELAN and ISO DCR. In Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC 2008)

The TRENDS High-Contrast Imaging Survey. VI. Discovery of a Mass, Age, and Metallicity Benchmark Brown Dwarf

The mass and age of substellar objects are degenerate parameters leaving the evolutionary state of brown dwarfs ambiguous without additional information. Theoretical models are normally used to help distinguish between old, massive brown dwarfs and young, low mass brown dwarfs but these models have yet to be properly calibrated. We have carried out an infrared high-contrast imaging program with the goal of detecting substellar objects as companions to nearby stars to help break degeneracies in inferred physical properties such as mass, age, and composition. Rather than using imaging observations alone, our targets are pre-selected based on the existence of dynamical accelerations informed from years of stellar radial velocity (RV) measurements. In this paper, we present the discovery of a rare benchmark brown dwarf orbiting the nearby ($d=18.69\pm0.19$ pc), solar-type (G9V) star HD 4747 ([Fe/H]=$-0.22\pm0.04$) with a projected separation of only $\rho=11.3\pm0.2$ AU ($\theta \approx$ 0.6"). Precise Doppler measurements taken over 18 years reveal the companion's orbit and allow us to place strong constraints on its mass using dynamics ($m \sin(i) = 55.3\pm1.9M_J$). Relative photometry ($\Delta K_s=9.05\pm0.14$, $M_{K_s}=13.00\pm0.14$, $K_s - L' = 1.34\pm0.46$) indicates that HD 4747 B is most-likely a late-type L-dwarf and, if near the L/T transition, an intriguing source for studying cloud physics, variability, and polarization. We estimate a model-dependent mass of $m=72^{+3}_{-13}M_J$ for an age of $3.3^{+2.3}_{-1.9}$ Gyr based on gyrochronology. Combining astrometric measurements with RV data, we calculate the companion dynamical mass ($m=60.2\pm3.3M_J$) and orbit ($e=0.740\pm0.002$) directly. As a new mass, age, and metallicity benchmark, HD 4747 B will serve as a laboratory for precision astrophysics to test theoretical models that describe the emergent radiation of brown dwarfs.Comment: Accepted to Ap

Multiple domains in Siz SUMO ligases contribute to substrate selectivity.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae contains two Siz/PIAS SUMO E3 ligases, Siz1 and Siz2/Nfi1, and one other known ligase, Mms21. Although ubiquitin ligases are highly substrate-specific, the degree to which SUMO ligases target distinct sets of substrates is unknown. Here we show that although Siz1 and Siz2 each have unique substrates in vivo, sumoylation of many substrates can be stimulated by either protein. Furthermore, in the absence of both Siz proteins, many of the same substrates are still sumoylated at low levels. Some of this residual sumoylation depends on MMS21. Siz1 targets its unique substrates through at least two distinct domains. Sumoylation of PCNA (proliferating cell nuclear antigen) and the splicing factor Prp45 requires part of the N-terminal region of Siz1, the ;PINIT\u27 domain, whereas sumoylation of the bud neck-associated septin proteins Cdc3, Cdc11 and Shs1/Sep7 requires the C-terminal domain of Siz1, which is also sufficient for cell cycle-dependent localization of Siz1 to the bud neck. Remarkably, the non-sumoylated septins Cdc10 and Cdc12 also undergo Siz1-dependent sumoylation if they are fused to the short PsiKXE SUMO attachment-site sequence. Collectively, these results suggest that local concentration of the E3, rather than a single direct interaction with the substrate polypeptide, is the major factor in substrate selectivity by Siz proteins

Therapeutic Trem2 Activation Ameliorates Amyloid-Beta Deposition and Improves Cognition in the 5XFAD Model of Amyloid Deposition

BACKGROUND: Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cell-2 (TREM2) is a lipid and lipoprotein binding receptor expressed by cells of myeloid origin. Homozygous TREM2 mutations cause early onset progressive presenile dementia while heterozygous, point mutations triple the risk of Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD). Although human genetic findings support the notion that loss of TREM2 function exacerbates neurodegeneration, it is not clear whether activation of TREM2 in a disease state would result in therapeutic benefits. To determine the viability of TREM2 activation as a therapeutic strategy, we sought to characterize an agonistic Trem2 antibody (AL002a) and test its efficacy and mechanism of action in an aggressive mouse model of amyloid deposition. METHODS: To determine whether agonism of Trem2 results in therapeutic benefits, we designed both intracranial and systemic administration studies. 5XFAD mice in the intracranial administration study were assigned to one of two injection groups: AL002a, a Trem2-agonizing antibody, or MOPC, an isotype-matched control antibody. Mice were then subject to a single bilateral intracranial injection into the frontal cortex and hippocampus and euthanized 72 h later. The tissue from the left hemisphere was histologically examined for amyloid-beta and microglia activation, whereas the tissue from the right hemisphere was used for biochemical analyses. Similarly, mice in the systemic administration study were randomized to one of the aforementioned injection groups and the assigned antibody was administered intraperitoneally once a week for 14 weeks. Mice underwent behavioral assessment between the 12- and 14-week timepoints and were euthanized 24 h after their final injection. The tissue from the left hemisphere was used for histological analyses whereas the tissue from the right hemisphere was used for biochemical analyses. RESULTS: Here, we show that chronic activation of Trem2, in the 5XFAD mouse model of amyloid deposition, leads to reversal of the amyloid-associated gene expression signature, recruitment of microglia to plaques, decreased amyloid deposition, and improvement in spatial learning and novel object recognition memory. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that Trem2 activators may be effective for the treatment of AD and possibly other neurodegenerative disorders

A Genome-Wide Screen Identifies Genes That Affect Somatic Homolog Pairing in Drosophila

In Drosophila and other Dipterans, homologous chromosomes are in close contact in virtually all nuclei, a phenomenon known as somatic homolog pairing. Although homolog pairing has been recognized for over a century, relatively little is known about its regulation. We performed a genome-wide RNAi-based screen that monitored the X-specific localization of the male-specific lethal (MSL) complex, and we identified 59 candidate genes whose knockdown via RNAi causes a change in the pattern of MSL staining that is consistent with a disruption of X-chromosomal homolog pairing. Using DNA fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), we confirmed that knockdown of 17 of these genes has a dramatic effect on pairing of the 359 bp repeat at the base of the X. Furthermore, dsRNAs targeting Pr-set7, which encodes an H4K20 methyltransferase, cause a modest disruption in somatic homolog pairing. Consistent with our results in cultured cells, a classical mutation in one of the strongest candidate genes, pebble (pbl), causes a decrease in somatic homolog pairing in developing embryos. Interestingly, many of the genes identified by our screen have known roles in diverse cell-cycle events, suggesting an important link between somatic homolog pairing and the choreography of chromosomes during the cell cycle

The TRENDS High-contrast Imaging Survey. VIII. Compendium of Benchmark Objects

The physical properties of faint stellar and substellar objects often rely on indirect, model-dependent estimates. For example, the masses of brown dwarfs are usually inferred using evolutionary models, which are age dependent and have yet to be properly calibrated. With the goal of identifying new benchmark objects to test low-mass stellar and substellar models, we have carried out a comprehensive adaptive optics survey as part of the TaRgetting bENchmark-objects with the Doppler Spectroscopy high-contrast imaging program. Using legacy radial velocity measurements from the High Resolution Echelle Spectrometer at Keck, we have identified several dozen stars that show long-term Doppler accelerations. We present follow-up high-contrast observations from the campaign and report the discovery of 31 comoving companions, as well as 11 strong candidate companions, to solar-type stars with well-determined parallax and metallicity values. Benchmark objects of this nature lend themselves to orbit determinations, dynamical mass estimates, and independent compositional assessment. This compendium of benchmark objects will serve as a convenient test group to substantiate theoretical evolutionary and atmospheric models near the hydrogen fusing limit

The TRENDS High-contrast Imaging Survey. VIII. Compendium of Benchmark Objects

The physical properties of faint stellar and substellar objects often rely on indirect, model-dependent estimates. For example, the masses of brown dwarfs are usually inferred using evolutionary models, which are age dependent and have yet to be properly calibrated. With the goal of identifying new benchmark objects to test low-mass stellar and substellar models, we have carried out a comprehensive adaptive optics survey as part of the TaRgetting bENchmark-objects with the Doppler Spectroscopy high-contrast imaging program. Using legacy radial velocity measurements from the High Resolution Echelle Spectrometer at Keck, we have identified several dozen stars that show long-term Doppler accelerations. We present follow-up high-contrast observations from the campaign and report the discovery of 31 comoving companions, as well as 11 strong candidate companions, to solar-type stars with well-determined parallax and metallicity values. Benchmark objects of this nature lend themselves to orbit determinations, dynamical mass estimates, and independent compositional assessment. This compendium of benchmark objects will serve as a convenient test group to substantiate theoretical evolutionary and atmospheric models near the hydrogen fusing limit

Creating research-ready partnerships: The initial development of seven implementation laboratories to advance cancer control

BACKGROUND: In 2019-2020, with National Cancer Institute funding, seven implementation laboratory (I-Lab) partnerships between scientists and stakeholders in \u27real-world\u27 settings working to implement evidence-based interventions were developed within the Implementation Science Centers in Cancer Control (ISC3) consortium. This paper describes and compares approaches to the initial development of seven I-Labs in order to gain an understanding of the development of research partnerships representing various implementation science designs. METHODS: In April-June 2021, members of the ISC3 Implementation Laboratories workgroup interviewed research teams involved in I-Lab development in each center. This cross-sectional study used semi-structured interviews and case-study-based methods to collect and analyze data about I-Lab designs and activities. Interview notes were analyzed to identify a set of comparable domains across sites. These domains served as the framework for seven case descriptions summarizing design decisions and partnership elements across sites. RESULTS: Domains identified from interviews as comparable across sites included engagement of community and clinical I-Lab members in research activities, data sources, engagement methods, dissemination strategies, and health equity. The I-Labs use a variety of research partnership designs to support engagement including participatory research, community-engaged research, and learning health systems of embedded research. Regarding data, I-Labs in which members use common electronic health records (EHRs) leverage these both as a data source and a digital implementation strategy. I-Labs without a shared EHR among partners also leverage other sources for research or surveillance, most commonly qualitative data, surveys, and public health data systems. All seven I-Labs use advisory boards or partnership meetings to engage with members; six use stakeholder interviews and regular communications. Most (70%) tools or methods used to engage I-Lab members such as advisory groups, coalitions, or regular communications, were pre-existing. Think tanks, which two I-Labs developed, represented novel engagement approaches. To disseminate research results, all centers developed web-based products, and most (n = 6) use publications, learning collaboratives, and community forums. Important variations emerged in approaches to health equity, ranging from partnering with members serving historically marginalized populations to the development of novel methods. CONCLUSIONS: The development of the ISC3 implementation laboratories, which represented a variety of research partnership designs, offers the opportunity to advance understanding of how researchers developed and built partnerships to effectively engage stakeholders throughout the cancer control research lifecycle. In future years, we will be able to share lessons learned for the development and sustainment of implementation laboratories