A pilot study on the impact of teaching assistant led CS1 study sessions using Peer Instruction

James Madison University’s Computer Science program strives to be a student-centered learning environment with a focus on creating a community for undergraduate success. National data reveals computer science has the lowest student retention rate compared to other STEM majors. The National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT) has compiled a list of ways to retain students in Computer Science. In particular, NCWIT calls for collaboration indicate that “a sense of belonging, or a feeling of fit, is important for supporting student interest and persistence.” One aspect of creating community is the department’s longstanding commitment to provide undergraduate teaching assistants (TAs). Traditionally, TAs provide one-on-one help in the classroom and also hold supplementary lab hours in the evenings to answer questions. As part of this honors project, we have developed a new program called “The Fourth Hour” to increase student retention. Led by TAs using Peer Instruction (PI), these weekly study sessions provide a structured review of introductory topics. The aim of this research is to discover if weekly study sessions promote an environment in which students feel an increased sense of belonging and improved course material retention. In the Fall 2019 semester, JMU offered ten sections of CS149, the introductory programming course, also known as “CS1” in the literature. Each section had approximately 30 students enrolled. Four TAs were chosen to lead one study session each week using the same lesson materials. Three attitudinal surveys were administered over the duration of the semester to collect data on student demographics, self-efficacy, and sense of belonging. Pre- and post assessment results were recorded to test student course material retention. Study session attendance was also collected to discern if there was a correlation with student demographics, self-efficacy, sense of belonging, and/or course material retention. Anomalies in the data and inconsistent attendance rates limited the statistical significance of our results. However, our qualitative analysis suggests that the study sessions had a positive impact on students. As a result, the CS department is planning to continue offering the Fourth Hour program

Small-molecule antibiotic drug development:need and challenges

The need for new antibiotics is urgent. Antimicrobial resistance is rising, although currently many more people die from drug-sensitive bacterial infections. The continued evolution of drug resistance is inevitable, fuelled by pathogen population size and exposure to antibiotics. Additionally, opportunistic pathogens will always pose a threat to vulnerable patients whose immune systems cannot efficiently fight them, even if they are sensitive to available antibiotics according to clinical microbiology tests. These problems are intertwined and will worsen as human populations age, increase in density, and experience disruptions such as war, extreme weather events, or declines in standard of living. The development of appropriate drugs to treat all the world’s bacterial infections should be a priority and future success will likely require combinations of multiple approaches. However, the highest burden of bacterial infection is in Low- and Middle-Income Countries where limited medical infrastructure is a major challenge. For effectively managing infections in these contexts, small-molecule-based treatments offer significant advantages. Unfortunately, support for ongoing small-molecule antibiotic discovery has recently suffered from significant challenges related to both the scientific difficulties in treating bacterial infections and to market barriers. Nevertheless, small-molecule antibiotics remain essential and irreplaceable tools for fighting infections, and efforts to develop novel and improved versions deserve ongoing investment. Here, we first describe the global historical context of antibiotic treatment, then highlight some of the challenges surrounding small-molecule development and potential solutions. Many of these challenges are likely to be common to all modalities of antibacterial treatment and should be addressed directly

Project IICE: Inspiring Interdisciplinary Collaboration Experiences

Project IICE was a multi-disciplinary learning experience designed for students at Southern New Hampshire University. Students worked together in teams to communicate scientific data that was initially collected by an Introductory Botany class. Students in this course measured trees and recorded variables, including tree height, diameter, species, and canopy cover. They shared the data with students in freshman Statistics courses, who analyzed mathematically for trends. Finally, students in Graphic Design used the data to create visual representations and icons. Students collaborated in groups that were randomly assigned across all of the courses to include members of each discipline. During the process, each student was required to help others in the group understand the meaning of the data, through the collection, analysis, and design phases. In the final group poster presentations, students explained the meaning and value of each part. The emphasis was on their ability to communicate the significance of each part of the process, which helped them appreciate how the discipline they were working in contributed to the overall success of the project. The real-world data provided a context for students to experience working in cross-discipline teams, and sharpened communication skills

Fallout from U.S. atmospheric nuclear tests in New Mexico and Nevada (1945-1962)

One hundred and one atmospheric nuclear weapon tests were conducted between 1945 and 1962 in the United States, resulting in widespread dispersion of radioactive fallout, and leading to environmental contamination and population exposures. Accurate assessment of the extent of fallout from nuclear weapon tests has been challenging in the United States and elsewhere, due to limited monitoring and data accessibility. Here we address this deficit by combining U.S. government data, high-resolution reanalyzed historical weather fields, and atmospheric transport modeling to reconstruct radionuclide deposition across the contiguous United States, with 10-kilometer spatial and one-hour temporal resolution for five days following detonation, from all 94 atmospheric tests detonated in New Mexico and Nevada with fission yields sufficient to generate mushroom clouds. Our analysis also includes deposition estimates for 10 days following the detonation of Trinity, the first ever nuclear weapon test, on July 16, 1945. We identify locations where radionuclide deposition significantly exceeded levels in areas covered by the U.S. Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA). These findings include deposition in all 48 contiguous U.S. states. They provide an opportunity for re-evaluating the public health and environmental implications from atmospheric nuclear testing. Finally, our findings also speak to debates about marking the beginning of the Anthropocene with nuclear weapons fallout. Our deposition estimates indicate that direct fallout from Trinity, a plutonium device, reached Crawford Lake in Canada, the proposed "golden spike" site marking the beginning of the Anthropocene epoch, starting on July 20, 1945.Comment: 19 pages, 4 figures, 1 supplementary table, 3 supplementary figure

Abnormal glycosylation in Joubert syndrome type 10.

BACKGROUND: The discovery of disease pathogenesis requires systematic agnostic screening of multiple homeostatic processes that may become deregulated. We illustrate this principle in the evaluation and diagnosis of a 5-year-old boy with Joubert syndrome type 10 (JBTS10). He carried the OFD1 mutation p.Gln886Lysfs*2 (NM_003611.2: c.2656del) and manifested features of Joubert syndrome. METHODS: We integrated exome sequencing, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry analyses of plasma and cultured dermal fibroblasts glycomes, and full clinical evaluation of the proband. Analyses of cilia formation and lectin staining were performed by immunofluorescence. Measurement of cellular nucleotide sugar levels was performed with high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection. Statistical analyses utilized the Student\u27s and Fisher\u27s exact t tests. RESULTS: Glycome analyses of plasma and cultured dermal fibroblasts identified abnormal N- and O-linked glycosylation profiles. These findings replicated in two unrelated males with OFD1 mutations. Cultured fibroblasts from affected individuals had a defect in ciliogenesis. The proband\u27s fibroblasts also had an abnormally elevated nuclear sialylation signature and increased total cellular levels of CMP-sialic acid. Ciliogenesis and each glycosylation anomaly were rescued by expression of wild-type OFD1. CONCLUSIONS: The rescue of ciliogenesis and glycosylation upon reintroduction of WT OFD1 suggests that both contribute to the pathogenesis of JBTS10

Shear wave velocities in the Pampean flat-slab region from Rayleigh wave tomography: Implications for slab and upper mantle hydration

The Pampean flat-slab region, located in central Argentina and Chile between 29° and 34°S, is considered a modern analog for Laramide flat-slab subduction within western North America. Regionally, flat-slab subduction is characterized by the Nazca slab descending to ∼100 km depth, flattening out for ∼300 km laterally before resuming a more “normal” angle of subduction. Flat-slab subduction correlates spatially with the track of the Juan Fernandez Ridge, and is associated with the inboard migration of deformation and the cessation of volcanism within the region. To better understand flat-slab subduction we combine ambient-noise tomography and earthquake-generated surface wave measurements to calculate a regional 3D shear velocity model for the region. Shear wave velocity variations largely relate to changes in lithology within the crust, with basins and bedrock exposures clearly defined as low- and high-velocity regions, respectively. We argue that subduction-related hydration plays a significant role in controlling shear wave velocities within the upper mantle. In the southern part of the study area, where normal-angle subduction is occurring, the slab is visible as a high-velocity body with a low-velocity mantle wedge above it, extending eastward from the active arc. Where flat-slab subduction is occurring, slab velocities increase to the east while velocities in the overlying lithosphere decrease, consistent with the slab dewatering and gradually hydrating the overlying mantle. The hydration of the slab may be contributing to the excess buoyancy of the subducting oceanic lithosphere, helping to drive flat-slab subduction

The effect of matrix metalloproteinase 2 and matrix metalloproteinase 2/9 deletion in experimental post-thrombotic vein wall remodeling

BackgroundVein wall fibrotic injury following deep venous thrombosis (VT) is associated with elevated matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Whether and by what mechanism MMP2 contributes to vein wall remodeling after VT is unknown.MethodsStasis VT was produced by ligation of the inferior vena cava and tissue was harvested at 2, 8, and 21 days in MMP2 -/- and genetic wild type (WT) mice. Tissue analysis by immunohistochemistry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, real-time polymerase chain reaction, and zymography was performed.ResultsThrombus resolution was less at 8 days in MMP2 -/- compared with WT, evidenced by a 51% increase in VT size (P < .01), and threefold fewer von Willebrand's factor positive channels (P < .05). In MMP2 -/- mice, the main phenotypic fibrotic differences occurred at 8 days post-VT, with significantly less vein wall collagen content (P = .013), fourfold lower procollagen III gene expression (P < .01), but no difference in procollagen I compared with WT. Decreased inflammation in MMP2 -/- vein walls was suggested by ∼ threefold reduced TNFα and IL-1β at 2 days and 8 days post-VT (P < .05). A fourfold increase in vein wall monocytes (P = .03) with threefold decreased apoptosis (P < .05), but no difference in cellular proliferation at 8 days was found in MMP2 -/- compared with WT. As increased compensatory MMP9 activity was observed in the MMP2 -/-mice, MMP2/9 double null mice had thrombus induced with VT harvest at 8 days. Consistently, twofold larger VT, a threefold decrease in vein wall collagen, and a threefold increase in monocytes were found (all P < .05). Similar findings were observed in MMP9 -/- mice administered an exogenous MMP2 inhibitor.ConclusionsIn stasis VT, deletion of MMP2 was associated with less midterm vein wall fibrosis and inflammation, despite an increase in monocytes. Consideration that VT resolution was impaired with MMP2 (and MMP2/9) deletion suggests direct inhibition will likely also require anticoagulant therapy.Clinical RelevancePost-thrombotic syndrome has no direct therapies and causes significant morbidity. Anticoagulation limits thrombosis but does not clinically impact directly the vein wall response to injury as well as has bleeding risks. In this experimental study, we show that matrix metalloproteinase 2 genetic deletion lessens fibrotic injury and inflammation at the midterm timepoint, yet is also important for thrombus resolution. Future therapies that positively impact vein wall remodeling will need to account for how the thrombus responds as well

Prospectus, April 20, 2005

https://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_2005/1010/thumbnail.jp