68 research outputs found
Participation in Undergraduate Research at Minority-Serving Institutions
This research used a national dataset to examine factors associated with participation for underrepresented minority (URM) students, benefits of participation at minority-serving institutions, and examples of programs that work to decrease barriers for URM participation in UR. Findings showed that Latino and first-generation students participated in UR less than White peers, but students at Minority Serving Institutions who participated in research with a faculty member reported using more learning strategies, increased collaboration, and having more experience with quantitative reasoning than students not participating in an UR experience
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Development of a Rooftop Collaborative Experimental Space through Experiential Learning Projects
The Solar, Water, Energy, and Thermal Laboratory
(SWEAT Lab) is a rooftop experimental space at the
University of Texas at Austin built by graduate and
undergraduate students in the Cockrell School of
Engineering. The project was funded by the Texas State
Energy Conservation Office and the University’s Green
Fee Grant, a competitive grant program funded by UT
Austin tuition fees to support sustainability-related projects
and initiatives on campus. The SWEAT Lab is an on-going
experiential learning facility that enables engineering
education by deploying energy and water-related projects.
To date, the lab contains a full weather station tracking
weather data, a rainwater harvesting system and rooftop
garden.
This project presented many opportunities for students to
learn first hand about unique engineering challenges. The
lab is located on the roof of the 10 story Engineering
Teaching Center (ETC) building, so students had to design
and build systems with constraints such as weight
limitations and wind resistance. Students also gained
experience working with building facilities and
management for structural additions, power, and internet
connection for instruments.
With the Bird’s eye view of UT Austin campus, this unique
laboratory offers a new perspective and dimension to
applied student research projects at UT Austin.Cockrell School of Engineerin
Development and Piloting of a Novel Evaluation Tool for Childhood Obesity Prevention Programs
Childhood obesity remains chronic and high in the U.S., driven by factors including poor dietary habits and lack of physical activity. Interventions that address multiple causal factors may be the most appropriate strategy to address rising childhood obesity rates. The Cooperative Extension Service offers programs across the country to address causal factors of childhood obesity, but few coordinated or concerted efforts have been made to determine overlap, reduce duplication, or identify best practices in programming. To fill this gap, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture Multistate Project W3005 Extension Workgroup sought to develop a novel tool to compare programs with components related to childhood obesity prevention. This manuscript details the iterative process used to develop the Childhood Obesity Prevention Program in Extension Rubric (COPPER), provides findings from the pilot process, and reveals the broad application and potential of this tool within Extension and nutrition education. The newly developed COPPER tool is multi-functional and may be beneficial in program development, implementation, adoption, and/or adaptation of programs in new settings. This tool will be useful for Extension, public health, and other community organizations focused on issues central to childhood obesity targeting children, parents, and/or caregivers
Impact of daily octenidine skin washing versus nonwashing on antiseptic tolerance of coagulase-negative staphylococci in two neonatal intensive care units with different skin cleansing practices
Background: There is wide variation in practices regarding routine bathing/washing of babies in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Evidence is lacking as to the benefit of routine antiseptic washes for reducing infection. We aimed to compare the antiseptic tolerance of Coagulase Negative Staphylococci (CoNS) within two UK NICUs with very different approaches to skin washing. Methods: We compared antiseptic susceptibility of CoNS isolated from skin swabs of neonates admitted to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) NICU in December 2017–March 2018 with those isolated in the Bradford Royal Infirmary (BRI) NICU in January–March 2020. The NNUH does not practise routine whole-body washing whereas BRI practises daily whole-body washing from post-menstrual age 27 weeks using Octenisan wash lotion (0.3% octenidine; 1 minute contact time before washing off with sterile water). A total of 78 CoNS isolates from BRI and 863 from the NNUH were tested for susceptibility against the antiseptics octenidine (OCT) and chlorhexidine (CHX). Results: Isolates from the BRI with practice of routine washing did not show increased antiseptic tolerance to OCT or CHX. Isolates from the NNUH which does not practise routine whole-body washing and rarely uses octenidine, were comparatively less susceptible to both CHX and OCT antiseptics. Conclusions: Daily whole-body skin washing with OCT does not appear to select for CoNS isolates that are antiseptic tolerant towards OCT and CHX. There remains considerable uncertainty about the impact of different antiseptic regimes on neonatal skin microbiota, the benefit of routine washing, and the development of antiseptic tolerance in the NICU
Chlorhexidine gluconate usage is associated with antiseptic tolerance in staphylococci from the neonatal intensive care unit
Background: Intravascular catheters are essential for care in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) but predispose infants to catheter-associated infections including late-onset sepsis, commonly caused by CoNS. Antiseptics are applied to prevent infection with chlorhexidine (CHG) and octenidine (OCT) the most common agents used. Objectives: To investigate the association between antiseptic use and bacterial susceptibility. Methods: CoNS isolates were collected from two NICUs with differing antiseptic regimens: Norwich, UK (using CHG) and Lubeck, Germany (using OCT). CoNS were isolated from different body sites of babies upon admission, and weekly thereafter. Antiseptic susceptibility testing was performed, and a selection underwent genome sequencing. Results: A total of 1274 isolates were collected. UK isolates (n = 863) were significantly less susceptible than German isolates (n = 411) to both CHG (mean MIC: 20.1 mg/L versus 8.9 mg/L) and OCT (mean MIC: 2.3 mg/L versus 1.6 mg/L). UK isolates taken on admission were more susceptible to CHG than subsequent isolates. No cross-resistance between the agents was seen. Genome sequencing of 122 CoNS showed the most common species to be Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus haemolyticus and phylogenetic analysis suggested antiseptic tolerance evolved multiple times in independent lineages. There was no evidence of dominant antiseptic tolerant clones and carriage of genes previously implicated in antimicrobial susceptibility (qac, smr, norA/B), did not correlate with CHG or OCT susceptibility. Conclusions: Long-term CHG use may select for CHG and OCT tolerance in CoNS. This highlights the different potential for separate antiseptic regimens to select for resistance development. This could be an important factor in developing future infection control policies
Exoplanet phase curves: observations and theory
Phase curves are the best technique to probe the three dimensional structure
of exoplanets' atmospheres. In this chapter we first review current exoplanets
phase curve observations and the particular challenges they face. We then
describe the different physical mechanisms shaping the atmospheric phase curves
of highly irradiated tidally locked exoplanets. Finally, we discuss the
potential for future missions to further advance our understanding of these new
worlds.Comment: Fig.5 has been updated. Table 1 and corresponding figures have been
updated with new values for WASP-103b and WASP-18b. Contains a table
sumarizing phase curve observation
RNA sequencing reveals MMP2 and TGFB1 downregulation in LRRK2 G2019S Parkinson's iPSC-derived astrocytes
Non-neuronal cell types such as astrocytes can contribute to Parkinson's disease (PD) pathology. The G2019S
mutation in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) is one of the most common known causes of familial PD. To
characterize its effect on astrocytes, we developed a protocol to produce midbrain-patterned astrocytes from
human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from PD LRRK2 G2019S patients and healthy controls.
RNA sequencing analysis revealed the downregulation of genes involved in the extracellular matrix in PD cases.
In particular, transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFB1), which has been shown to inhibit microglial inflammatory
response in a rat model of PD, and matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP2), which has been shown to
degrade α-synuclein aggregates, were found to be down-regulated in LRRK2 G2019S astrocytes. Our findings
suggest that midbrain astrocytes carrying the LRRK2 G2019S mutation may have reduced neuroprotective capacity
and may contribute to the development of PD pathology
Characterisation of neonatal Staphylococcus capitis NRCS-A isolates compared with non NRCS-A Staphylococcus capitis from neonates and adults
Staphylococcus capitis is a frequent cause of late-onset sepsis in neonates admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU). One clone of S. capitis, NRCS-A has been isolated from NICUs globally although the reasons for the global success of this clone are not well understood. We analysed a collection of S. capitis colonising babies admitted to two NICUs, one in the UK and one in Germany as well as corresponding pathological clinical isolates. Genome analysis identified a population structure of three groups; non-NRCS-A isolates, NRCS-A isolates, and a group of ‘proto NRCS-A’ – isolates closely related to NRCS-A but not associated with neonatal infection. All bloodstream isolates belonged to the NRCS-A group and were indistinguishable from strains carried on the skin or in the gut. NRCS-A isolates showed increased tolerance to chlorhexidine and antibiotics relative to the other S. capitis as well as enhanced ability to grow at higher pH values. Analysis of the pangenome of 138 isolates identified characteristic nsr and tarJ genes in both the NRCS-A and proto groups. A CRISPR-cas system was only seen in NRCS-A isolates which also showed enrichment of genes for metal acquisition and transport. We found evidence for transmission of S. capitis NRCS-A within NICU, with related isolates shared between babies and multiple acquisitions by some babies. Our data show NRCS-A strains commonly colonise uninfected babies in NICU representing a potential reservoir for potential infection. This work provides more evidence that adaptation to survive in the gut and on skin facilitates spread of NRCS-A, and that metal acquisition and tolerance may be important to the biology of NRCS-A. Understanding how NRCS-A survives in NICUs can help develop infection control procedures against this clone
Description and pilot results from a novel method for evaluating return of incidental findings from next-generation sequencing technologies
To develop, operationalize, and pilot test a transparent, reproducible, and evidence informed method to qualify when to report incidental findings from next generation sequencing technologies
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