A Transdisciplinary Collaboration and Innovation Education Model and Experience

As the interconnectedness of the world grows, the need to prepare college students capable of addressing complexity likewise grows. In this context, the University of Dayton has developed and tested a transdisciplinary model for education. This model links multiple classes from different disciplines via a common theme and within a common space. It also employs an educational model premised on the following trajectory: disciplinary content development / transdisciplinary observation (empathy); transdisciplinary disruption leading to “A-Ha” observations which transform the disciplinary directions; and lastly transdisciplinary informed design and research. Central to this model is a 3,500 square foot common space used only by the classes participating in the experience. In this space classes share their reflections and content with other classes via both personal linkages and analog communications. The other classes respond to these from their disciplinary and personal perspectives. Thirteen classes, fourteen faculty, and over three-hundred students participated in a themed experience centered on the addiction crisis in Dayton, Ohio. Participants included faculty in applied creativity, engineering, health and sport science, education, theater, and religious studies. Also serving as co-teacher were community stakeholders. Assessment of the experience revealed variable student takeaways. Most prominent among these was student recognition that the experience had expanded their perspectives of the other disciplines. Most suggested that it had improved their ability to collaborate in a transdisciplinary environment and that it had significantly impacted their career aspirations. Fewer acknowledged the experience had improved their ability to create

The Year One Book: GEMnasium (A Transdisciplinary Test Lab for Social Change)

Through an experimental process that is mutually beneficial to community partners, more opportunities for undergraduate research and experiential learning are cultivated. The GEMnasium accomplished this through active efforts of teaching, researching and partnering with the core ethos of the University in mind: Learn: Teaching - Prepare servant-leaders through comprehensive academic and residential curricula and extraordinary experiential learning opportunities. Lead: Researching - Perform research that leads to deeper understanding, addresses critical issues, and supports economic growth. Serve: Partnering - Engage in mutually beneficial partnerships to strengthen our communities in Dayton and around the world. In doing so, faculty and staff prototyped a social innovation approach and curriculum through a radical new integrated student experience while developing shared scholarship of research “stacks” across the University of Dayton and inter-institutional partners for greater humanity impact. This integrated learning community was driven by cross-university “transdisciplinary faculties” that encouraged a fail fast, fail forward mindset surrounding humanity-centered growth. The participating educators and students focused on a unified grand challenge, contributing their own knowledge and expertise toward a collective effort

Development of real-time NASBA assays with molecular beacon detection to quantify mRNA coding for HHV-8 lytic and latent genes

BACKGROUND: Human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) is linked to the pathogenesis of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), and the HHV-8 DNA load in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) is associated with the clinical stage of KS. To examine the expression of HHV-8 in PBMC, four HHV-8 mRNA specific NASBA assays were developed METHODS: We have developed four quantitative nucleic acid sequence-based amplification assays (NASBA-QT) specifically to detect mRNA coding for ORF 73 (latency-associated nuclear antigen, LANA), vGCR (a membrane receptor), vBcl-2 (a viral inhibitor of apoptosis) and vIL-6 (a viral growth factor). The NASBA technique amplifies nucleic acids without thermocycling and mRNA can be amplified in a dsDNA background. A molecular beacon is used during amplification to enable real-time detection of the product. The assays were tested on PBMC samples of two AIDS-KS patients from the Amsterdam Cohort. RESULTS: For all four assays, the limit of detection (LOD) of 50 molecules and the limit of quantification (LOQ) of 100 molecules were determined using in vitro transcribed RNA. The linear dynamic range was 50 to 10(7) molecules of HHV-8 mRNA. We found HHV-8 mRNA expression in 9 out of the 10 tested samples. CONCLUSION: These real-time NASBA assays with beacon detection provide tools for further study of HHV-8 expression in patient material

Cancer risks associated with germline PALB2 pathogenic variants: An international study of 524 families

PURPOSE To estimate age-specific relative and absolute cancer risks of breast cancer and to estimate risks of ovarian, pancreatic, male breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers associated with germline PALB2 pathogenic variants (PVs) because these risks have not been extensively characterized. METHODS We analyzed data from 524 families with PALB2 PVs from 21 countries. Complex segregation analysis was used to estimate relative risks (RRs; relative to country-specific population incidences) and absolute risks of cancers. The models allowed for residual familial aggregation of breast and ovarian cancer and were adjusted for the family-specific ascertainment schemes. RESULTS We found associations between PALB2 PVs and risk of female breast cancer (RR, 7.18; 95% CI, 5.82 to 8.85; P = 6.5 × 10-76), ovarian cancer (RR, 2.91; 95% CI, 1.40 to 6.04; P = 4.1 × 10-3), pancreatic cancer (RR, 2.37; 95% CI, 1.24 to 4.50; P = 8.7 × 10-3), and male breast cancer (RR, 7.34; 95% CI, 1.28 to 42.18; P = 2.6 3 1022). There was no evidence for increased risks of prostate or colorectal cancer. The breast cancer RRs declined with age (P for trend = 2.0 × 10-3). After adjusting for family ascertainment, breast cancer risk estimates on the basis of multiple case families were similar to the estimates from families ascertained through population-based studies (P for difference = .41). On the basis of the combined data, the estimated risks to age 80 years were 53% (95% CI, 44% to 63%) for female breast cancer, 5% (95% CI, 2% to 10%) for ovarian cancer, 2%-3% (95% CI females, 1% to 4%; 95% CI males, 2% to 5%) for pancreatic cancer, and 1% (95% CI, 0.2% to 5%) for male breast cancer. CONCLUSION These results confirm PALB2 as a major breast cancer susceptibility gene and establish substantial associations between germline PALB2 PVs and ovarian, pancreatic, and male breast cancers. These findings will facilitate incorporation of PALB2 into risk prediction models and optimize the clinical cancer risk management of PALB2 PV carriers

Personalized early detection and prevention of breast cancer: ENVISION consensus statement

Abstract: The European Collaborative on Personalized Early Detection and Prevention of Breast Cancer (ENVISION) brings together several international research consortia working on different aspects of the personalized early detection and prevention of breast cancer. In a consensus conference held in 2019, the members of this network identified research areas requiring development to enable evidence-based personalized interventions that might improve the benefits and reduce the harms of existing breast cancer screening and prevention programmes. The priority areas identified were: 1) breast cancer subtype-specific risk assessment tools applicable to women of all ancestries; 2) intermediate surrogate markers of response to preventive measures; 3) novel non-surgical preventive measures to reduce the incidence of breast cancer of poor prognosis; and 4) hybrid effectiveness–implementation research combined with modelling studies to evaluate the long-term population outcomes of risk-based early detection strategies. The implementation of such programmes would require health-care systems to be open to learning and adapting, the engagement of a diverse range of stakeholders and tailoring to societal norms and values, while also addressing the ethical and legal issues. In this Consensus Statement, we discuss the current state of breast cancer risk prediction, risk-stratified prevention and early detection strategies, and their implementation. Throughout, we highlight priorities for advancing each of these areas

Di-4-pyridylmethanediol

In the title compound, C11H10N2O2, individual molecules lie across crystallographic twofold rotation axes. Neighboring molecules engage in O—H...N hydrogen bonding, forming square-grid layers parallel to the ab plane