Using professional learning communities to improve online instruction

This paper describes a process for working with online instructors to\ud improve the level of instruction and to introduce instructors to new technologies

An experimental model of a 2kw, 2500 volt power converter for ion thrustors using gate controlled switches in two phase-shifted parallel inverters summary report

Power converter for ion thrustors using electronic gate controlled switches in two phase-shifted parallel inverter

The major human AP endonuclease (Ape1) is involved in the nucleotide incision repair pathway

In nucleotide incision repair (NIR), an endonuclease nicks oxidatively damaged DNA in a DNA glycosylase-independent manner, providing the correct ends for DNA synthesis coupled to the repair of the remaining 5'-dangling modified nucleotide. This mechanistic feature is distinct from DNA glycosylase-mediated base excision repair. Here we report that Ape1, the major apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease in human cells, is the damage- specific endonuclease involved in NIR. We show that Ape1 incises DNA containing 5,6-dihydro-2'-deoxyuridine, 5,6-dihydrothymidine, 5-hydroxy-2'-deoxyuridine, alpha-2'-deoxyadenosine and alpha-thymidine adducts, generating 3'-hydroxyl and 5'-phosphate termini. The kinetic constants indicate that Ape1-catalysed NIR activity is highly efficient. The substrate specificity and protein conformation of Ape1 is modulated by MgCl2 concentrations, thus providing conditions under which NIR becomes a major activity in cell-free extracts. While the N-terminal region of Ape1 is not required for AP endonuclease function, we show that it regulates the NIR activity. The physiological relevance of the mammalian NIR pathway is discussed

Using Humor in the Classroom

The students entering colleges and universities this fall were most likely born in 1981. Some have called them the nintendo generation. They do not know what life was like before every household had personal computers, video games, VCRs, and cable television. Therefore, it is widely perceived that this generation of students has the shortest attention span. As educators we must recognize this fact and incorporate more entertainment into our classrooms. (We need to catch their attention and while we have it try and educate them, often without their realizing they are in fact learning.

Snowex 2017 Community Snow Depth Measurements: A Quality-Controlled, Georeferenced Product

Snow depth was one of the core ground measurements required to validate remotely-sensed data collected during SnowEx Year 1, which occurred in Colorado. The use of a single, common protocol was fundamental to produce a community reference dataset of high quality. Most of the nearly 100 Grand Mesa and Senator Beck Basin SnowEx ground crew participants contributed to this crucial dataset during 6-25 February 2017. Snow depths were measured along ~300 m transects, whose locations were determined according to a random-stratified approach using snowfall and tree-density gradients. Two-person teams used snowmobiles, skis, or snowshoes to travel to staked transect locations and to conduct measurements. Depths were measured with a 1-cm incremented probe every 3 meters along transects. In shallow areas of Grand Mesa, depth measurements were also collected with GPS snow-depth probes (a.k.a. MagnaProbes) at ~1-m intervals. During summer 2017, all reference stake positions were surveyed with <10 cm accuracy to improve overall snow depth location accuracy. During the campaign, 193 transects were measured over three weeks at Grand Mesa and 40 were collected over two weeks in Senator Beck Basin, representing more than 27,000 depth values. Each day of the campaign depth measurements were written in waterproof field books and photographed by National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) participants. The data were later transcribed and prepared for extensive quality assessment and control. Common issues such as protocol errors (e.g., survey in reverse direction), notebook image issues (e.g., halo in the center of digitized picture), and data-entry errors (sloppy writing and transcription errors) were identified and fixed on a point-by-point basis. In addition, we strove to produce a georeferenced product of fine quality, so we calculated and interpolated coordinates for every depth measurement based on surveyed stakes and the number of measurements made per transect. The product has been submitted to NSIDC in csv format. To educate data users, we present the study design and processing steps that have improved the quality and usability of this product. Also, we will address measurement and design uncertainties, which are different in open vs. forest areas

NASA Cold Land Processes Experiment (CLPX 2002/03): ground-based and near-surface meteorological observations

A short-term meteorological database has been developed for the Cold Land Processes Experiment (CLPX). This database includes meteorological observations from stations designed and deployed exclusively for CLPXas well as observations available from other sources located in the small regional study area (SRSA) in north-central Colorado. The measured weather parameters include air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, barometric pressure, short- and long-wave radiation, leaf wetness, snow depth, snow water content, snow and surface temperatures, volumetric soil-moisture content, soil temperature, precipitation, water vapor flux, carbon dioxide flux, and soil heat flux. The CLPX weather stations include 10 main meteorological towers, 1 tower within each of the nine intensive study areas (ISA) and one near the local scale observation site (LSOS); and 36 simplified towers, with one tower at each of the four corners of each of the nine ISAs, which measured a reduced set of parameters. An eddy covariance system within the North Park mesocell study area (MSA) collected a variety of additional parameters beyond the 10 standard CLPX tower components. Additional meteorological observations come from a variety of existing networks maintained by the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Geological Survey, Natural Resource Conservation Service, and the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research. Temporal coverage varies from station to station, but it is most concentrated during the 2002/ 03 winter season. These data are useful in local meteorological energy balance research and for model development and testing. These data can be accessed through the National Snow and Ice Data Center Web site

The Effects of a Plyometric Training Program on Jump Performance in Collegiate Figure Skaters: A Pilot Study

International Journal of Exercise Science 9(2): 175-186, 2016. Plyometric training has been implemented to increase jump height in a variety of sports, but its effects have not been researched in figure skating. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a plyometric training program on on-ice and off-ice jump performance. Six collegiate figure skaters (19.8±1.2 years; 164.7±4.9 cm; 60.3±11.6 kg) completed a six-week sport-specific plyometric training program, consisting of low to moderate intensity plyometric exercises, while eight collegiate figure skaters (21.1±3.9 years; 162.6±6.0 cm; 60.4±6.1 kg) served as the control group. Significant increases were found for vertical jump height, standing long jump distance, (F = 31.0, p \u3c 0.001), and flight time (F = 11.6, p = 0.007). No significant differences were found for self-reported jump evaluation (p = 0.101). Six weeks of plyometric training improved both on-ice and off-ice jump performance in collegiate figure skaters, while short-term skating training alone resulted in decreases. These results indicate that figure skaters could participate in off-ice plyometric training

Chemical Comparison of Two Ecotypes of Loblolly Pine (Pinus Taeda L.)

Loblolly pine from the continuous range in east Texas was compared with an apparently drought-resistant ecotype, the so-called "Lost pines" or "Bastrop pines." The Bastrop pines are found in a small area of central Texas isolated from the rest of the loblolly range, and in a region receiving considerably less rainfall. Determinations made were: holocellulose, alpha cellulose, ash, specific gravity, and percentages of earlywood and latewood. Nutrient analyses for levels of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, manganese, and copper were also performed. It was found that the earlywood of the east Texas population had significantly greater levels of holocellulose and alpha cellulose. Regression analyses were performed relating the nutrient values to the chemical components. The appearance of potassium and magnesium in these equations, for the Bastrop pines, may indicate physiological adaptation to the more xeric environment