A Central Support System Can Facilitate Implementation and Sustainability of a Classroom-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) in Genomics

In their 2012 report, the President\u27s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology advocated replacing standard science laboratory courses with discovery-based research courses -a challenging proposition that presents practical and pedagogical difficulties. In this paper, we describe our collective experiences working with the Genomics Education Partnership, a nationwide faculty consortium that aims to provide undergraduates with a research experience in genomics through a scheduled course (a classroom-based undergraduate research experience, or CURE). We examine the common barriers encountered in implementing a CURE, program elements of most value to faculty, ways in which a shared core support system can help, and the incentives for and rewards of establishing a CURE on our diverse campuses. While some of the barriers and rewards are specific to a research project utilizing a genomics approach, other lessons learned should be broadly applicable. We find that a central system that supports a shared investigation can mitigate some shortfalls in campus infrastructure (such as time for new curriculum development, availability of IT services) and provides collegial support for change. Our findings should be useful for designing similar supportive programs to facilitate change in the way we teach science for undergraduates

Frequency Domain Functional Near-Infrared Spectrometer (fNIRS) for Crew State Monitoring

A frequency domain functional near-infrared spectrometer (fNIRS) and accompanying software have been developed by the NASA Glenn Research Center as part of the Airspace Operations and Safety Program (AOSP) Technologies for Airplane State Awareness (TASA)SE211 Crew State Monitoring (CSM) Project. The goal of CSM was to develop a suite of instruments to measure the cognitive state of operators while performing operational activities. The fNIRS was one of the instruments intended for the CSM, developed to measure changes in oxygen levels in the brain noninvasively

ABERRANT TESTA SHAPE encodes a KANADI family member, linking polarity determination to separation and growth of Arabidopsis ovule integuments

The Arabidopsis aberrant testa shape (ats) mutant produces a single integument instead of the two integuments seen in wild-type ovules. Cellular anatomy and patterns of marker gene expression indicate that the single integument results from congenital fusion of the two integuments of the wild type. Isolation of the ATS locus showed it to encode a member of the KANADI (KAN) family of putative transcription factors, previously referred to as KAN4. ATS was expressed at the border between the two integuments at the time of their initiation, with expression later confined to the abaxial layer of the inner integument. In an inner no outer (ino) mutant background, where an outer integument does not form, the ats mutation led to amorphous inner integument growth. The kan1 kan2 double mutant exhibits a similar amorphous growth of the outer integument without affecting inner integument growth. We hypothesize that ATS and KAN1/KAN2 play similar roles in the specification of polarity in the inner and outer integuments, respectively, that parallel the known roles of KAN proteins in promoting abaxial identity during leaf development. INO and other members of the YABBY gene family have been hypothesized to have similar parallel roles in outer integument and leaf development. Together, these two hypotheses lead us to propose a model for normal integument growth that also explains the described mutant phenotypes

Scheduling models and primary health care quality: a multilevel and cross-sectional study

OBJETIVO: Avaliar se o modelo de agendamento influencia a percepção do usuário sobre a qualidade dos serviços da atenção primária à saúde. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal de base populacional que mediu a qualidade dos serviços pelo instrumento Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCATool-Brasil), aplicado aos usuários adultos (n = 409) de 11 centros de saúde em Florianópolis, SC. A análise multinível foi utilizada para verificar a relação entre o escore de qualidade geral da atenção primária à saúde e o modelo de agendamento. As variáveis independentes (idade, cor da pele, modelo de agendamento, população por equipe de saúde da família, proporção de pobreza como proxy de renda, número de equipes de saúde da família, presença de áreas de interesse social, número de consultas médicas em um ano por equipe de saúde da família, número de pessoas atendidas em um ano por equipe de saúde) com p < 0,20 foram selecionadas para o modelo multinível, que foi ajustado com agregados de informações dos usuários e dos centros de saúde. RESULTADOS: O centro de saúde que utilizava acesso avançado apresentou o escore geral 7,04, enquanto os que utilizavam carve-out semanal tiveram escore 6,26, carve-out quinzenal escore 5,87 e tradicional escore 6,29. CONCLUSÕES: O modelo de agendamento acesso avançado teve um efeito positivo na qualidade da atenção primária à saúde, na percepção dos usuários.OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether the scheduling model influences the perception of the user about the quality of primary health care centers. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional and population-based study that measured the quality of centers by the Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCATool-Brazil), applied to adult users (n = 409) from 11 health centers in Florianópolis, state of Santa Catarina. Multilevel analysis was used to verify the relationship between the score of general quality of the primary health care and the scheduling model. The independent variables (age, skin color, scheduling model, panel size by primary health team, poverty ratio as income proxy, number of health teams, presence of economically interest areas, number of medical appointments in one year per primary health team, number of people treated in one year per health team), with p < 0.20 were selected for the multilevel model, which was adjusted with aggregates of information from users and health centers. RESULTS: The health center that used advanced access had a general score of 7.04, while those using a weekly carve-out had a score of 6.26; the carve-out every 15 days, score of 5.87; and the traditional carve-out, score of 6.29. CONCLUSIONS: The scheduling model of advanced access had a positive effect on the quality of primary health care, in the perception of users

Biological impacts of Ce nanoparticles with different surface coatings as revealed by RNA-Seq in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

In order to better understand the risks of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs), it is necessary to determine their fate and biological effects under realistic exposure scenarios (e.g. low ENP concentrations). RNA-Seq was deployed to characterize the relative biological impacts of three small Ce ENPs (i.e. nominal size < 20 nm, 70 μg L−1 Ce), with different coating properties (i.e. uncoated, citrate or poly-acrylic acid coated), towards a unicellular freshwater microalga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. After 2 h exposition at pH 7.0, distinct differences in tran- scriptomic effects were observed when comparing ionic Ce and Ce ENPs. Notably, Ce ENPs specifically modu- lated mRNA levels of genes related to the ubiquitin-proteasome system and to flagella structure. Compared to control conditions, transcriptomic effects induced by the citrate coated Ce ENPs were rather limited, as only 23 genes were differentially expressed by this treatment (Log2FC > |1.0|, padj < 0.001); compared to uncoated Ce ENPs (688); polyacrylic coated Ce ENPs (315) or a similar concentration of ionic Ce (138). Somewhat surpris- ingly, similar changes in the algal transcriptomes were observed for treatments with poly-acrylic acid coated Ce ENPs (mainly Ce(III), little dissolution) and uncoated Ce ENPs (mainly Ce(IV) atoms, largely agglomerated) (Log2FC > |1.0|, padj < 0.001). For the moderate exposure concentrations examined here, toxicity appeared to be minimal for both ionic Ce and Ce ENPs. Nonetheless, an important number of genes could not be assigned to a biological pathway. The study gives important insights with respect to the role of particle surface coatings on biological effects, the mechanisms of interaction of Ce ENP with a green alga, in addition to identifying several useful transcriptomic biomarkers of Ce ENP exposure

The Ursinus Weekly, November 19, 1970

Dr. Pettit inaugurated as Ursinus President • Students, Board deliberate U.C. changes, Union plans • Ad Hoc Committee sets parameters • Ursinus\u27 single mailbox relocated at college administration building • Editorial: Campus unrest report • Focus: Alan Novak • The $100,000 night • Faculty portrait: Miss Blanche Schultz • Letters to the editor: Anti-open dorms; Zopo zapped • Hoopmen meet Fords in December debut • U.C. passing attack nets 35-14 final grid victoryhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1133/thumbnail.jp

The Ursinus Weekly, November 5, 1970

Committees consider Committee Committee • Shapp elected Governor • Mag Men pave way for future concerts • Chancellorship inauguration • Statement to S.F.A.R.C. • Forum program presents Joan Kerr dance troupe • Editorial: Marketable revolution • Focus: Nancy Hunt • In the spotlight: Cleon Pennypacker • Letters to the editor: Open letter; Answer to Baker • Faculty portrait: Donald J. Hunter • Institutions and change • JV stars boost Hoopmen hopes as practice begins • Geneva topples Bears; Grid record now 1-5https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1131/thumbnail.jp

The Ursinus Weekly, October 8, 1970

Pettit inauguration scheduled; Appointments still undetermined • Ursinus institutes security measures to protect students • Obituaries: Dr. Paul R. Wagner; Nora Shuler Helfferich • Ashley Montagu appears in first Forum program • Editorial: Generation politics • Focus: Art Severance • Dr. Donald L. Helfferich: A zest for life • Kilt-klad\u27s komment • Diplomat aerials trip Bears in season debut • C C streak to nine; Albert sets record • Bears register second defeathttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1128/thumbnail.jp

The Ursinus Weekly, October 8, 1970

Pettit inauguration scheduled; Appointments still undetermined • Ursinus institutes security measures to protect students • Obituaries: Dr. Paul R. Wagner; Nora Shuler Helfferich • Ashley Montagu appears in first Forum program • Editorial: Generation politics • Focus: Art Severance • Dr. Donald L. Helfferich: A zest for life • Kilt-klad\u27s komment • Diplomat aerials trip Bears in season debut • C C streak to nine; Albert sets record • Bears register second defeathttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1128/thumbnail.jp