Exercising Towards a Cure: The Gymnasium of the Friends Asylum, 1889-1893

Created for the History & Sociology of Science (HSOC) Senior Honors Thesis, overseen by Dr. Ann Greene Advisor: Professor Aaron Wunsch How did the construction of a free-standing gymnasium reflect the changing ideas of medical treatment, and how were these changing ideas accommodated within the existing framework? Key visual elements: Historical photographs Timelinehttps://repository.upenn.edu/showcase_posters/1023/thumbnail.jp

Community College Students\u27 Deep Learning Approaches in OER Courses

Open Educational Resources (OER) have the potential to bridge the gap for community college students not only because they are more affordable or provide access but also because they have the potential to make learning more meaningful for these same students. Although issues related to access and affordability have been extensively researched, less is known about the ways in which OER use may impact community college students’ deep approaches to learning. More qualitative research around OER efficacy from the student perspective is needed. The purpose of this study was to describe the ways students use OER and how students’ OER use may impact their deep approaches to learning. This study employed qualitative research methods, collecting data from focus groups composed of community college students. The major findings indicated that students use OER to relieve some of the financial stress associated with being a community college student. Students often go outside of the class environment to find OER to help them address learning preferences, diagnose and accommodate learning disabilities, remediate weak skills areas, and learn more about topics of interest. These students benefit from and sometimes participate in Open Pedagogical practices and demonstrate deep approaches to learning when they access openly licensed and freely shared OER and use OER to collaborate, peer validate, and publish work outside the class environment. Students also benefit from strong OER design. OER are often well-sequenced, using techniques like scaffolding and chunking to move learners through material at a manageable pace for optimal learning. OER are often interactive and make use of adaptive technologies to personalize instruction and engage learners. Presenting the students’ perspective through qualitative research is a critical component to better understanding the efficacy of OER for student learning in community college. Faculty should continue to explore OER use in their courses and should widen their traditional circles of collaboration to design their courses using OER. Community college administrators should begin to explore OER as part of their strategic plans for decreasing the financial burden of attending college for students and for increasing student learning and success at their colleges

Cultural Differences in Nutrition in French and Chinese Cuisine

Questions about racial and ethnic health disparities are major issues in health psychology and medicine. A previous study on health behaviors showed that there are cross-cultural differences among college students at Southern Adventist University. The previous study examined health behavior variables such as exercise, water, nutrition, sleep, smoking, alcohol, seatbelt use, medical examination, and dental examination. As a follow-up, this study represents phase two of the previous study. In the current study, the focus was on nutrition. Even though nutrition is an important aspect of health behaviors, there has not been significant amount of cross-cultural research done on nutrition in terms of food consumption. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between cultural cuisine and nutrition. Ninety-four recipes from two cookbooks, 56 ofwhich are Chinese and 38 of which are French, were analyzed individually and each ingredient was categorized. Results showed that there are indeed cultural differences in nutrition. Results show that French cuisine use more fruits, milk, egg, sugar, soy sauce, alcohol, cheese, butter, cream, and herbs, while Chinese cooking uses more oil, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Findings from this study raise the question of whether people from different cultures have different diets and thus differing health outcomes

Developing Rubrics to Assess Complex (Generic) Skills in the Classroom: How to Distinguish Skills’ Mastery Levels?

Many schools use analytic rubrics to (formatively) assess complex, generic or transversal (21st century) skills, such as collaborating and presenting. In rubrics, performance indicators on different levels of mastering a skill (e.g., novice, practiced, advanced, talented) are described. However, the dimensions used to describe the different mastery levels vary within and across rubrics and are in many cases not consistent, concise and often trivial, thereby hampering the quality of rubrics used to learn and assess complex skills. In this study we reviewed 600 rubrics available in three international databases (Rubistar, For All Rubrics, i-rubrics) and analyzed the dimensions found within 12 strictly selected rubrics that are currently used to distinguish mastery levels and describe performance indicators for the skill \u27collaboration\u27 at secondary schools. These dimensions were subsequently defined and categorized. This resulted in 13 different dimensions, clustered in 6 categories, feasible for defining skills’ mastery levels in rubrics. The identified dimensions can specifically support both teachers and researchers to construct, review and investigate performance indicators for each mastery level of a complex skill. On a more general level, they can support analysis of the overall quality of analytic rubrics to (formatively) assess complex skills. Accessed 2,884 times on https://pareonline.net from December 11, 2017 to December 31, 2019. For downloads from January 1, 2020 forward, please click on the PlumX Metrics link to the right

Developing Rubrics to Assess Complex (Generic) Skills in the Classroom: How to Distinguish Skills’ Mastery Levels?

Many schools use analytic rubrics to (formatively) assess complex, generic or transversal (21st century) skills, such as collaborating and presenting. In rubrics, performance indicators on different levels of mastering a skill (e.g., novice, practiced, advanced, talented) are described. However, the dimensions used to describe the different mastery levels vary within and across rubrics and are in many cases not consistent, concise and often trivial, thereby hampering the quality of rubrics used to learn and assess complex skills. In this study we reviewed 600 rubrics available in three international databases (Rubistar, For All Rubrics, i-rubrics) and analyzed the dimensions found within 12 strictly selected rubrics that are currently used to distinguish mastery levels and describe performance indicators for the skill \u27collaboration\u27 at secondary schools. These dimensions were subsequently defined and categorized. This resulted in 13 different dimensions, clustered in 6 categories, feasible for defining skills’ mastery levels in rubrics. The identified dimensions can specifically support both teachers and researchers to construct, review and investigate performance indicators for each mastery level of a complex skill. On a more general level, they can support analysis of the overall quality of analytic rubrics to (formatively) assess complex skills. Accessed 2,884 times on https://pareonline.net from December 11, 2017 to December 31, 2019. For downloads from January 1, 2020 forward, please click on the PlumX Metrics link to the right

Analysis of parasite-specific T cells and cellular interactions in the spleen during <em>Plasmodium berghei</em> induced experimental cerebral malaria

Vector-transmitted parasitic infections are a global health problem. Diseases such as malaria are a major health threat and economic burden for developing countries. In Sub-Saharan Africa malaria causing Plasmodium parasites may evoke life threatening complications, which mainly affect children under the age of five years. Pathogenesis of cerebral malaria is a multifactorial complex process that involves inflammatory mediators such as effector T cells and IFN-γ. Time, origin and cellular and molecular factors involved in early immune responses priming effector T cells responsible for the pathogenesis of cerebral malaria have been less investigated. In our study we were able to determine the presence of parasite specific cytotoxic T cells in spleen and brain during Plasmodium berghei infection. This enabled us to analyse cellular interactions involved in the priming of T cells directed against the parasite. The place of essential T cell priming during Plasmodium infections was determined in splenectomised mice, in which effector responses were reduced and experimental cerebral malaria (ECM) pathology was absent. Depletion of antigen- presenting cells, involved in maintaining the organized splenic structure, abrogated T cell priming and resulted in the loss of effector responses. Without either macrophages, DCs or B cells lytic activity and IFN-γ production by parasite-specific T cells was diminished and in the absence of effector responses ECM progression was suppressed. In detail, we provide evidence that macrophages, B cells and dendritic cells, as well as CD4+ T cells together with TLR-9 and IL-12 signalling comprise complex interactions affecting T cell generation during blood stage malaria leading to neuropathology. Taken together our study suggests, that early immune responses during P. berghei infection are generated in the spleen and that distinct cells and cytokines drive gen-eration of parasite-specific T cells leading to subsequent pathology.Durch Vektoren übertragene Parasiteninfektionen stellen weltweit eine große Herausforderung dar. Krankheiten, wie z.B. Malaria bergen große gesundheitliche, aber auch ökonomische Risiken. Malaria, ausgelöst durch eine Plasmodium- Infektion, ist eine schwerwiegende Krankheit mit zum Teil lebensgefährlichen Komplikationen, die insbesondere Kinder unter fünf Jahren betreffen. Die Pathogenese von zerebraler Malaria ist ein multifaktorieller und komplexer Entzündungsprozess, bei dem Effektor T-Zellen und IFN-γ eine wichtige Rolle spielen. Obwohl T-Zellen stark in die Entwicklung zerebraler Malaria involviert sind, ist über Ursprung, zeitliche Abfolge und zelluläre und molekulare Prozesse der frühen Immunantwort, die für die Aktivierung von Effektor T-Zellen verantwortlich sind, bisher wenig bekannt. Wir konnten die Existenz von Parasiten-spezifischen zytotoxischen T-zellen in der Milz und im Gehirn während einer Plasmodium berghei ANKA Infektion in einem Mausmodell nachweisen. Das Entfernen der Milz ging mit einem reduziertem Risiko der zerebrale Malaria und einer verminderten Entzündungsreaktion einher. Dies zeigte, dass Effektor T-Zellen in der Milz generiert werden. Durch die Depletion Antigen-präsentierender Zellen, welche strukturgebend für die Milzarchitektur sind, wurde die Generierung und Aktivierung von Effektor T- Zellen verhindert und inflammatorische Reaktionen unterbunden. In Abwesenheit von Makrophagen, dendritischen Zellen, oder B-Zellen war die zytotoxische Aktivität und die INF-γ Antwort reduziert und neuropathologische Symptome blieben aus. Dies deutet darauf hin, dass komplexe Interaktionen von Makrophagen, B- Zellen, und dendritische Zellen, sowie CD4+ T Helfer Zellen zusammen mit TLR-9 und IL-12 Signalwegen, die T-Zell-Generierung in einer Plasmodium-Infektion und somit die Pathogenese von zerebraler Malaria stark beeinflussen. Zusammengefasst liefert dieses Projekt Hinweise dafür, dass die frühe Immunantwort gegen den Parasiten in der Milz hervorgerufen wird, wobei spezifisch Immunzellen und Zytokine an der Bildung von Effektor T-Zellen beteiligt sind, welche wiederum zu der Entstehung von neurologischen Schäden führen

Social Transmission of Fear in Rats: The Role of 22-kHz Ultrasonic Distress Vocalization

Background: Social alarm calls alert animals to potential danger and thereby promote group survival. Adult laboratory rats in distress emit 22-kHz ultrasonic vocalization (USV) calls, but the question of whether these USV calls directly elicit defensive behavior in conspecifics is unresolved. Methodology/Principal Findings: The present study investigated, in pair-housed male rats, whether and how the conditioned fear-induced 22-kHz USVs emitted by the ‘sender ’ animal affect the behavior of its partner, the ‘receiver ’ animal, when both are placed together in a novel chamber. The sender rats ’ conditioned fear responses evoked significant freezing (an overt evidence of fear) in receiver rats that had previously experienced an aversive event but not in naïve receiver rats. Permanent lesions and reversible inactivations of the medial geniculate nucleus (MGN) of the thalamus effectively blocked the receivers ’ freeezing response to the senders ’ conditioned fear responses, and this occurred in absence of lesions/ inactivations impeding the receiver animals ’ ability to freeze and emit 22-kHz USVs to the aversive event per se. Conclusions/Significance: These results—that prior experience of fear and intact auditory system are required for receiver rats to respond to their conspecifics ’ conditioned fear responses—indicate that the 22-kHz USV is the main factor for socia

Removal of Refractory Dissolved Organic Carbon in the Amundsen Sea, Antarctica.

The removal mechanism of refractory deep-ocean dissolved organic carbon (deep-DOC) is poorly understood. The Amundsen Sea Polynya (ASP) serves as a natural test basin for assessing the fate of deep-DOC when it is supplied with a large amount of fresh-DOC and exposed to strong solar radiation during the polynya opening in austral summer. We measured the radiocarbon content of DOC in the water column on the western Amundsen shelf. The radiocarbon content of DOC in the surface water of the ASP reflected higher primary production than in the region covered by sea ice. The radiocarbon measurements of DOC, taken two years apart in the ASP, were different, suggesting rapid cycling of DOC. The increase in DOC concentration was less than expected from the observed increase in radiocarbon content from those at the greatest depths. Based on a radiocarbon mass balance, we show that deep-DOC is consumed along with fresh-DOC in the ASP. Our observations imply that water circulation through the surface layer, where fresh-DOC is produced, may play an important role in global DOC cycling

Immigration Legislation and Issues in the 111th Congress

[Excerpt] The Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader have pledged to take up comprehensive immigration reform legislation at some point in the 111th Congress. Efforts to enact broad immigration reform in the 109th and 110th Congresses were unsuccessful. It is unclear what the components of any immigration reform proposals that the 111th Congress may consider will be. In the past, comprehensive bills have addressed border security, enforcement of immigration laws within the United States (interior enforcement), employment eligibility verification, temporary worker programs, permanent admissions and, most controversially, unauthorized aliens in the United States. The 111th Congress has considered various immigration issues and has enacted a number of targeted immigration provisions. It has passed legislation (P.L. 111-8, P.L. 111-9, P.L. 111-68) to extend the life of several immigration programs—the E-Verify electronic employment eligibility verification system, the Immigrant Investor Regional Center Program, the Conrad State J-1 Waiver Program, and the special immigrant visa for religious workers—all of which are currently authorized until October 31, 2009. With respect to these programs, the House-passed and Senate-passed versions of the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2010 (H.R. 2892), include different provisions to further extend E-Verify. The Senate-passed bill also would extend the other three programs. Among the other subjects of legislation enacted by this Congress are refugees (P.L. 111-8) and border security (P.L. 111-5, P.L. 111-32). This report discusses these and other immigration-related issues that have seen legislative action or are of significant congressional interest. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appropriations are addressed in CRS Report R40642, Homeland Security Department: FY2010 Appropriations, and, for the most part, are not covered here. This report will be updated as legislative developments occur