Teaching and Assessing Critical Thinking, Nuts and Bolts 1 TEACHING AND ASSESSING CRITICAL THINKING: THE INTERACTION OF STUDENT APPROACHES TO LEARNING AND TEACHING APPROACHES

Abstract This study explored the relationship among student approaches to learning and teaching methods on critical thinking in two business units. Key findings included differences in critical thinking scores between student approaches to learning and some evidence of an interaction between student approaches to learning and critical thinking teach method (immersion vs. infusio

Trapping x‐ray radiation damage from homolytic Se–C bond cleavage in BnSeSeBn crystals (Bn=benzyl, CH2C6H5)

Irradiation of dibenzyl diselenide BnSeSeBn with X-ray or UV-light cleaves the Se-C and the Se-Se bonds, inducing stable and metastable radical states. They are inevitably important to all natural and life sciences. Structural changes due to X-ray-induced Se-C bond-cleavage could be pin-pointed in various high-resolution X-ray diffraction experiments for the first time. Extended DFT methods were applied to characterize the solid-state structure and support the refinement of the observed residuals as contributions from the BnSeSe • radical species. The X-ray or UV-irradiated crystalline samples of BnSeSeBn were characterized by solid-state EPR. This paper provides insight that in the course of X-ray structure analysis of selenium compounds not only organo-selenide radicals like RSe • may occur, but also organo diselenide BnSeSe • radicals and organic radicals R • are generated, particularly important to know in structural biology

Spin polarization of the L-gap surface states on Au(111)

The electron spin polarization (ESP) of the L-gap surface states on Au(111) is investigated theoretically by means of first-principles electronic-structure and photoemission calculations. The surface states show a large spin-orbit induced in-plane ESP which is perpendicular to the in-plane wavevector, in close analogy to a two-dimensional electron gas with Rashba spin-orbit interaction. The surface corrugation leads to a small ESP component normal to the surface, being not reported so far. The surface-states ESP can be probed qualitatively and quantitatively by spin- and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy, provided that the initial-state ESP is retained in the photoemission process and not obscured by spin-orbit induced polarization effects. Relativistic photoemission calculations provide detailed information on what photoemission set-ups allow to conclude from the photoelectron ESP on that of the surface states.Comment: 22 pages with 8 figure

Spectroscopic determination of hole density in the ferromagnetic semiconductor Ga1−x_{1-x}Mnx_{x}As

The measurement of the hole density in the ferromagnetic semiconductor Ga$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$As is notoriously difficult using standard transport techniques due to the dominance of the anomalous Hall effect. Here, we report the first spectroscopic measurement of the hole density in four Ga$_{1-x}$Mn$_{x}$As samples ($x=0, 0.038, 0.061, 0.083$) at room temperature using Raman scattering intensity analysis of the coupled plasmon-LO-phonon mode and the unscreened LO phonon. The unscreened LO phonon frequency linearly decreases as the Mn concentration increases up to 8.3%. The hole density determined from the Raman scattering shows a monotonic increase with increasing $x$ for $x\leq0.083$, exhibiting a direct correlation to the observed $T_c$. The optical technique reported here provides an unambiguous means of determining the hole density in this important new class of ``spintronic'' semiconductor materials.Comment: two-column format 5 pages, 4 figures, to appear in Physical Review

Expanding the scope of Cu(I) Catalyzed “Click Chemistry” with abnormal NHCs: three-fold click to Tris-Triazoles

Ho NKT, Reichmann SO, Rottschäfer D, Herbst-Irmer R, Ghadwal R. Expanding the scope of Cu(I) Catalyzed “Click Chemistry” with abnormal NHCs: three-fold click to Tris-Triazoles. Catalysts. 2017;7(9): 262.Cationic copper(I) complexes [Cu(aIPrPh)(IPr)]I (3) and [Cu(aIPrPh)2]I (4) featuring an abnormal N-heterocyclic carbene (aNHC) (aIPrPh = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-2-phenyl- imidazol-4-ylidene) and/or an NHC (IPr = 1,3-Bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene) ligand(s) are reported. Treatment of Cu(aIPrPh)I (2) with IPr affords complex 3. Reaction of (IPrPh)I (1) (IPrPh = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-2-phenyl-imidazolium) with CuI in the presence of K{N(SiMe3)2} leads to the formation of 4. Complexes 3 and 4 represent rare examples of mixed aNHC-NHC and bis-aNHC metal complexes, respectively. They are characterized by elemental analysis, NMR spectroscopic, and mass spectrometric studies. The solid-state molecular structures of 3 and 4 have been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. The catalytic activity of 2, 3, and 4 has been investigated in the [3+2] cycloaddition of alkynes and organic azides, affording triazole derivatives in an almost quantitative yield. Notably, complexes 2, 3, and 4 are excellent catalysts for the three-fold cycloaddition of a tris-azide with various alkynes. This catalytic protocol offers a high yield access to tris-triazoles in a shorter reaction time and considerably reduces the experimental work-up compared to the classical synthetic method

Activity and components of the granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor pathway in hidradenitis suppurativa*

Background Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory disease, characterized by painful, purulent and destructive skin alterations in intertriginous areas. Objectives We investigated the expression and role in HS of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), the regulator of neutrophil biology, as clinical signs of a neutrophilic granulocyte-driven inflammation are distinctive in the disease. Methods Skin and blood samples obtained from different cohorts of patients with HS and control individuals were assessed by RNA sequencing, quantitative polymerase chain reaction on reverse transcribed mRNA, and/or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Mechanistic studies using keratinocytes, dermal fibroblasts, immune cell populations and skin biopsies were performed. Results G-CSF was abundant in HS skin, particularly in inflamed nodules and abscesses. Its levels even exceeded those found in other inflammatory skin diseases. Interleukin (IL)-1 and IL-17, respectively, induced G-CSF production by fibroblasts and keratinocytes. These effects were enhanced by tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and IL-36. Accordingly, fibroblasts separated from HS lesions expressed G-CSF, and IL-1 receptor antagonist reduced G-CSF levels in explanted HS skin. G-CSF blood levels positively correlated with severity of HS. Elevated lesional G-CSF receptor levels were linked to upregulation of molecules that contribute to prolonged activation of neutrophils by components of bacteria and damaged host cells [formyl peptide receptor 1 (FPR1), FPR2 and free fatty acid receptor 2 (FFAR2)], neutrophil survival [TNF receptor superfamily member 10C (TNFRSF10C/TRAIL-R3) and TNF receptor superfamily member 6B], kinases (tyrosine-protein kinase HCK and hexokinase 3), and skin destruction [MMP25 (matrix metalloproteinase 25) and ADAM8 (disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain-containing protein 8)]. G-CSF elevated the expression of FPR1, FFAR2, and TNFRSF10C/TRAIL-R3 in neutrophils and synergized with bacterial components to induce skin-destructive enzymes. Conclusions The G-CSF pathway engages both tissue and immune cells, is strongly activated in HS lesions, and offers the opportunity to target the neutrophil-driven inflammation

A Proteomic and Cellular Analysis of Uropods in the Pathogen Entamoeba histolytica

Exposure of Entamoeba histolytica to specific ligands induces cell polarization via the activation of signalling pathways and cytoskeletal elements. The process leads to formation of a protruding pseudopod at the front of the cell and a retracting uropod at the rear. In the present study, we show that the uropod forms during the exposure of trophozoites to serum isolated from humans suffering of amoebiasis. To investigate uropod assembly, we used LC-MS/MS technology to identify protein components in isolated uropod fractions. The galactose/N-acetylgalactosamine lectin, the immunodominant antigen M17 (which is specifically recognized by serum from amoeba-infected persons) and a few other cells adhesion-related molecules were primarily involved. Actin-rich cytoskeleton components, GTPases from the Rac and Rab families, filamin, α-actinin and a newly identified ezrin-moesin-radixin protein were the main factors found to potentially interact with capped receptors. A set of specific cysteine proteases and a serine protease were enriched in isolated uropod fractions. However, biological assays indicated that cysteine proteases are not involved in uropod formation in E. histolytica, a fact in contrast to the situation in human motile immune cells. The surface proteins identified here are testable biomarkers which may be either recognized by the immune system and/or released into the circulation during amoebiasis