A Qualitative Exploration Of Action Learning: Undergraduate Students Attitudes

This continuing research seeks to build upon our understanding of undergraduate student attitudes regarding Action Learning and specifically to qualitatively probe their perceptions of its positive and negative aspects

Action Learning: A New Teaching Tool For Undergraduate Business Education

Action Learning can be a powerful tool to build understanding of theoretical principles. Unlike classroom teaching, it can also enhance integration and synthesis of the functional disciplines by presenting students with actual, real-world problems

Attitudes Regarding Action Learning: Undergraduate Vs. Graduate Business Students

Previous research in our Action Learning Program demonstrated that although undergraduates preferred the Action Learning mode to the traditional lecture and discussion mode of instruction, they missed the familiar structure of the more traditional pedagogy. Consequently increased structure was implemented in both an undergraduate and graduate marketing course utilizing the Action Learning mode. Students’ reactions to the modified courses were assessed. Although both undergraduate and graduate approval of these courses was high, the reasons for the approval were quite different. The undergraduates placed significant emphasis on the pedagogical issues while graduate students focused on skills they obtained in the course and the fact that the course related to their career/job. These results have had significant impact on the redesign of both courses

Adapting a Physical Activity Intervention for Youth in a Rural Area: A Case Study

Background: Physical activity offers children and youth many well-documented positive effects on health. The present study adapted a community-based prevention marketing campaign (CBPM), VERBTM Summer Scorecard (VSS) to promote physical activity among minority youth in rural, southeast Georgia. The purpose of this paper is to describe the adaptation process, emphasizing methods used and lessons learned. Methods: A qualitative study design was used to identify social marketing concepts that informed program adaptation, including two focus groups with 12 children and two focus groups with 14 parents. Qualitative thematic data analysis was used to analyze formative research. The adapted program was implemented for three summers, from 2012 through 2014. A case study of program implementation and lessons learned is provided. Results: Formative research results suggested two changes to VSS that would be required for the program to work in this rural community - a focus on parent-child activities instead of a sole focus on youth and changes to the Scorecard that was used to track physical activity. Over the course of three years of implementation, several lessons were learned about university-community partnerships (e.g., the need for a balance of power), having a program champion, and program evaluation. Conclusions: Rural communities are a unique context, with barriers to health promotion efforts that serve to contribute to negative health behaviors and resistance to change. The limited capacity of rural communities to address physical activity makes these barriers difficult to overcome, even during implementation of evidence-based practices

Evolutionary interpretations of mycobacteriophage biodiversity and host-range through the analysis of codon usage bias

In an genomics course sponsored by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), undergraduate students have isolated and sequenced the genomes of more than 1,150 mycobacteriophages, creating the largest database of sequenced bacteriophages able to infect a single host, Mycobacterium smegmatis, a soil bacterium. Genomic analysis indicates that these mycobacteriophages can be grouped into 26 clusters based on genetic similarity. These clusters span a continuum of genetic diversity, with extensive genomic mosaicism among phages in different clusters. However, little is known regarding the primary hosts of these mycobacteriophages in their natural habitats, nor of their broader host ranges. As such, it is possible that the primary host of many newly isolated mycobacteriophages is not M. smegmatis, but instead a range of closely related bacterial species. However, determining mycobacteriophage host range presents difficulties associated with mycobacterial cultivability, pathogenicity and growth. Another way to gain insight into mycobacteriophage host range and ecology is through bioinformatic analysis of their genomic sequences. To this end, we examined the correlations between the codon usage biases of 199 different mycobacteriophages and those of several fully sequenced mycobacterial species in order to gain insight into the natural host range of these mycobacteriophages. We find that UPGMA clustering tends to match, but not consistently, clustering by shared nucleotide sequence identify. In addition, analysis of GC content, tRNA usage and correlations between mycobacteriophage and mycobacterial codon usage bias suggests that the preferred host of many clustered mycobacteriophages is not M. smegmatis but other, as yet unknown, members of the mycobacteria complex or closely allied bacterial species

Cybersecurity Risk Assessment Framework for Externally Exposed Energy Delivery Systems

Securing the energy delivery system (EDS) from complex, nonlinear, and evolving cyber threats requires a complex set of changing and interwoven classes of technologies, policies, relationships, and personnel. One key area in this technological milieu is assessment methodologies to compare information, gathered by a variety of means, about networked devices with publicly known possible threat information about said devices. This information is used to generate risk-based characterizations that allow for the adjudication and proper corresponding management action chains to be assigned. \color{blue}To address the current cybersecurity needs in the operational technology (OT) domain, we developed a novel relative-risk assessment framework and a software application called MEEDS that can detect exposed OT systems. This paper presents the detailed architecture of relative-risk assessment framework methodology and its integral role in the MEEDS software. The efficacy of the presented framework is demonstrated by testing with the real-world systems and vulnerabilities pertaining to the industrial control systems (ICS) in critical infrastructures

Pulse Parameter Optimization for Ultra High Dose Rate Electron Beams

Purpose: The eFLASH Mobetron delivers UHDR doses at discrete combinations of pulse width (PW), pulse repetition frequency (PRF) and number of pulses (N), which dictate unique combinations of dose and dose rates. Currently, obtaining pulse parameters for the desired dose and dose rate is a cumbersome manual process involving creating, updating and looking up values in large spreadsheets for every collimator. The purpose of this work is to present a MATLAB based pulse parameter optimizer tool to match intended dose and dose rate more precisely and efficiently. Methods: A constrained optimization problem for the dose and dose rate cost function was modelled as a mixed integer problem in MATLAB. The beam and machine data required for the software were acquired using GafChromic film and Alternating Current Current Tranformers (ACCTs), including dose per pulse for every collimator, pulse widths measured using ACCT, and air gap factors. Results: Using N, PRF, PW and air gap factors as the parameters, the software was created to optimize for dose and dose rate. By largely automating this dose calculation part, we have greatly reduced safety concerns associated with manual look up and calculation of these parameters, especially when many subjects at different doses and dose rates are to be irradiated. Conclusion: A pulse parameter optimization tool was built in MATLAB for the eFLASH Mobetron to increase efficiency in the dose, dose rate and pulse parameter prescription proces

Experimental Characterization and Simulation of Slip Transfer at Grain Boundaries and Microstructurally-Sensitive Crack Propagation

A systematic study of crack tip interaction with grain boundaries is critical for improvement of multiscale modeling of microstructurally-sensitive fatigue crack propagation and for the computationally-assisted design of more durable materials. In this study, single, bi- and large-grain multi-crystal specimens of an aluminum-copper alloy are fabricated, characterized using electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD), and deformed under tensile loading and nano-indentation. 2D image correlation (IC) in an environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) is used to measure displacements near crack tips, grain boundaries and within grain interiors. The role of grain boundaries on slip transfer is examined using nano-indentation in combination with high-resolution EBSD. The use of detailed IC and EBSD-based experiments are discussed as they relate to crystal-plasticity finite element (CPFE) model calibration and validation

Neutron star-black hole mergers in next generation gravitational-wave observatories

Observations by the current generation of gravitational-wave detectors have been pivotal in expanding our understanding of the universe. Although tens of exciting compact binary mergers have been observed, neutron star-black hole (NSBH) mergers remained elusive until they were first confidently detected in 2020. The number of NSBH detections is expected to increase with sensitivity improvements of the current detectors and the proposed construction of new observatories over the next decade. In this work, we explore the NSBH detection and measurement capabilities of these upgraded detectors and new observatories using the following metrics: network detection efficiency and detection rate as a function of redshift, distributions of the signal-to-noise ratios, the measurement accuracy of intrinsic and extrinsic parameters, the accuracy of sky position measurement, and the number of early-warning alerts that can be sent to facilitate the electromagnetic follow-up. Additionally, we evaluate the prospects of performing multi-messenger observations of NSBH systems by reporting the number of expected kilonova detections with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. We find that as many as $\mathcal{O}(10)$ kilonovae can be detected by these two telescopes every year, depending on the population of the NSBH systems and the equation of state of neutron stars.Comment: 30 pages, 15 figure

Ockham’s Razor for a Retinal Lesion and Acromegaly and Breaking the Vicious Circle

Acromegaly due to ectopic secretion of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) is rare. Treatment consists of surgical removal of the primary tumor, cytostatic therapy, “cold” or radioactive somatostatin analogue treatment, and medical therapy for acromegaly, if needed. A 53 year-old female had an ocular lesion noted on a routine optician visit, originally considered to be an ocular melanoma. She had a bronchial carcinoid successfully removed 22 years previously. She had acromegalic features with an enlarged pituitary gland on magnetic resonance imaging and, additionally, metastatic lesions in her bones, liver, and thyroid gland. Elevated GHRH levels (>250× upper limit of normal) suggested a metastatic lung neuroendocrine tumor secreting GHRH. Cold and radioactive somatostatin analogue therapy reduced both GHRH and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels, but normalization of the biochemical markers of acromegaly was only achieved after pegvisomant was introduced. Complete control of IGF-1 was achieved, and this may have hindered the growth of the metastatic lesions as well, as the patient remains well 13 years after the diagnosis of metastatic disease and 35 years after the original lung operation. A gradual rise in prolactin levels over last 4 years was noted, which is likely due to the prolonged effect of GHRH on prolactin-secreting cells. The diagnosis of this case applied the law of parsimony from the Ockham’s razor principle. We consider that breaking the vicious circle of IGF-1 feeding the metastatic tumor was key for the long-term outcome of this case