Teaching beginner-level computational social science: interactive open education resources with learnr and shiny apps

The article presents the use of open, inclusive pedagogical frameworks to develop a series of open education resources (OERs), specifically, interactive shiny web applications for teaching beginner-level computational social science (CSS) in undergraduate social science education. CSS is an emerging discipline that integrates data science methods with social science theories and research designs. However, undergraduate social science students could face a lack of a sense of STEM identity or belonging. Also, compared to STEM majors in natural science or engineering, average undergraduate social science students come in with limited mathematical or statistical knowledge. The OERs developed and tested in this article are designed with pedagogical frameworks that help overcome these barriers faced by students from diverse backgrounds and offer students a jump-start in learning CSS. This article presents the details of the tools, classroom implementation (in the form of a 6-week workshop series), the pedagogy frameworks applied, and the assessment methods and outcomes

Virtual Reality: Authentic and Immersive Learning in the Science Classroom

The diversity of learners within education is neither linear nor constant. Educators are challenged to be responsive and understanding when encouraging learners to construct meaning while adhering to stringent standards. The objective of this study is to integrate science standards into authentic learning experiences, created in both a traditional teaching method and virtual reality (VR) platform, for 8th grade middle school students in Lafayette, Louisiana. The authentic experiences were based on oral histories of the residents of Isle de Jean Charles, Louisiana, who have lost 98% of their ancestral homeland since 1955. These experiences were then tied to the National Science Standards (8-MS-ESS1-4, 8-MS-ESS2-2, and 8-MS-ESS3-1). The students were split into two groups and given either a PowerPoint or VR experience, both having the same content. The researchers tracked engagement, focus, interest, and how important the students thought the content was. Using an experimental approach, the researchers also gave a pre- and posttest to determine if the VR experience resulted in better academic learning than a regular, PowerPoint-based lecture. The students were also asked to comment on their experience of the PowerPoint versus the VR and describe what their experience

College Students’ Perceptions of Intimate Partner Violence: A Comparative Study of Japan, China, and the United States

An investigation of cross-cultural differences between the United States, Japan, and China in perceptions of male to female intimate partner violence, and in the extent to which gender and traditional attitudes toward women related to these perceptions. College students (n = 943) read two fictitious scenarios describing marital and dating violence. MANOVA results showed gender differences in the perceptions of violence between the three countries. Male participants had more traditional attitudes toward women and placed more blame on female victims. The magnitude of the difference between women’s and men’s scores was much smaller for Japanese students than for American and Chinese students. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses demonstrated that the effects of respondent gender were reduced when traditional attitudes toward women were taken into account. Differences in beliefs about appropriate gender roles still exist among college students in these countries and may be related to socially tolerant attitudes toward violence against women

Association of serum Nrf2 protein levels with disease activity and renal impairment in lupus nephritis

IntroductionWe aimed to investigate the relationship between nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) protein expression levels, lupus nephritis (LN) disease activity, and the degree of renal injury (based on the estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR]) in patients with LN.MethodsWe selected 40 healthy control participants and 102 patients with LN who were treated in the Second Hospital of Jilin University, China, for inclusion in this study. Patients with LN were classified into LN with high-eGFR and LN with low-eGFR groups. Nrf2 protein levels were measured in the serum and renal tissues of the participants in both groups to assess the correlation between Nrf2 protein levels and different LN disease states.ResultsThere was a significantly positive correlation between serum Nrf2 protein levels, the degree of renal injury, and systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index (SLEDAI) scores in patients with LN. Nrf2 protein levels were higher in the LN with high-eGFR group than in the healthy control and LN with low-eGFR groups. In follow-up patients in the LN high eGFR group, Nrf2 protein levels decreased significantly after remission of disease activity.ConclusionNrf2 protein expression has a dual role in patients with LN. Nrf2 protein levels not only correlate with disease activity in patients with LN, but also with the degree of kidney injury. Before implementing targeted therapy for Nrf2, evaluating both Nrf2 protein expression and the disease state in patients with LN is necessary to better identify and place each patient in an appropriate patient group

Razlozi napuštanja doma: usporedba prediktora želje za migriranjem i putovanjem u hrvatskih studenata

Previous research has relied on the assumption that people migrate from a poor to a rich country. This study instead looks at predictors of desires for migration away from a relatively well-off country in Eastern Europe. Predictors for both long-term, permanent international migration and short-term, leisure international travel are compared. A survey was administered to 323 undergraduates in Osijek, Croatia. Power motivation, career orientation, neophilia and place attachment were examined as predictors. As predicted, career orientation, place attachment, and neophilia are significant predictors for desires for long-term international migration for both men and women. Power motivation, career orientation and neophilia predicted women’s travel intentions, but only neophilia predicted men’s travel intentions. Gender differences in travel intentions are discussed. The role of economic and noneconomic factors and predictions for future migration in Croatia are examined. The data allow better understanding of the reasons why Eastern Europeans want to leave their home country. It also has implication for gender differences on reasons for traveling. Such gender differences might relate to more effective marketing strategies targeting male and female tourists from Eastern Europe.Prijašnja istraživanja oslanjala su se na pretpostavku da ljudi migriraju iz siromašne u bogatu zemlju. Predmet su ovog istraživanja, naprotiv, prediktori želje za odlaskom iz relativno bogate istočnoeuropske zemlje. Uspoređuju se prediktori dugotrajne, trajne vanjske migracije i kratkotrajnog puta u inozemstvo u slobodno vrijeme. Anketirana su 323 studenta u hrvatskom gradu Osijeku. Kao prediktori ispitani su motivacija za moći, usmjerenost na karijeru, neofilija (ljubav prema novome) i vezanost za mjesto. Kao što se i pretpostavljalo, usmjerenost na karijeru, vezanost za mjesto i neofilija značajni su prediktori želje za dugotrajnom vanjskom migracijom i u muškaraca i u žena. Motivacija za moći, usmjerenost na karijeru i neofilija objašnjavaju namjere putovanja u žena, dok je u muškaraca samo neofilija povezana s namjerama putovanja. Razmatraju se i rodne razlike u namjerama putovanja i ispituju uloga ekonomskih i neekonomskih faktora te predviđanja migracija iz Hrvatske. Podaci omogućuju da se bolje razumije zašto istočni Europljani žele otići iz domovine, što također implicira rodne razlike u razlozima putovanja. One bi se mogle povezati s učinkovitijim marketinškim strategijama namijenjenima muškim i ženskim turistima iz istočne Europe

Endothelial Restoration of Receptor Activity-Modifying Protein 2 Is Sufficient to Rescue Lethality, but Survivors Develop Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

RAMPs (receptor activity-modifying proteins) serve as oligomeric modulators for numerous G-protein-coupled receptors, yet elucidating the physiological relevance of these interactions remains complex. Ramp2 null mice are embryonic lethal, with cardiovascular developmental defects similar to those observed in mice null for canonical adrenomedullin/calcitonin receptor-like receptor signaling. We aimed to genetically rescue the Ramp2(-/-) lethality in order to further delineate the spatiotemporal requirements for RAMP2 function during development and thereby enable the elucidation of an expanded repertoire of RAMP2 functions with family B G-protein-coupled receptors in adult homeostasis. Endothelial-specific expression of Ramp2 under the VE-cadherin promoter resulted in the partial rescue of Ramp2(-/-) mice, demonstrating that endothelial expression of Ramp2 is necessary and sufficient for survival. The surviving Ramp2(-/-) Tg animals lived to adulthood and developed spontaneous hypotension and dilated cardiomyopathy, which was not observed in adult mice lacking calcitonin receptor-like receptor. Yet, the hearts of Ramp2(-/-) Tg animals displayed dysregulation of family B G-protein-coupled receptors, including parathyroid hormone and glucagon receptors, as well as their downstream signaling pathways. These data suggest a functional requirement for RAMP2 in the modulation of additional G-protein-coupled receptor pathways in vivo, which is critical for sustained cardiovascular homeostasis. The cardiovascular importance of RAMP2 extends beyond the endothelium and canonical adrenomedullin/calcitonin receptor-like receptor signaling, in which future studies could elucidate novel and pharmacologically tractable pathways for treating cardiovascular diseases

ダイガクセイ ノ シンミツ ナ カンケイ ニ オケル ボウリョク ニホン タイワン ベイコク ノ ヒカク

本研究は、日本、台湾、米国の大学生のデート暴力の特徴を報告したものである。３カ国の男女大学生に、葛藤解決方略尺度(Conflict Tactics Scale; Straus,1979)を用いて、交際相手に与えた暴力および非暴力的攻撃、交際相手から受けた暴力おやび非暴力的攻撃の回数について回答を求めた。分析は回答者の中から現在あるいは過去に交際相手のいる者あるいはいた者を対象として行い、３カ国の暴力や非暴力的攻撃の実態について検討した。非暴力的攻撃の場合には、生起頻度が50％を超えるものもあり、国や性別による差異もうかがえたが、全体の割合では３カ国を通じて女子の方が男子よりも攻撃の頻度が高く、また米国の女子学生は日本の女子学生よりも攻撃的であった。一方、暴力に関しては、激しい身体的暴力そのものの生起頻度が少なく、性別や国による差異は見られなかった。また、交際相手との暴力が相互的かどうかを検討したところ、３カ国ともに暴力や攻撃のないカップルが多かったが、暴力をふるう回答者のみに注目した場合には、カップルのどちらか一方が暴力をふるう場合よりも、相互に暴力的なカップルのほうが多かった。こうした結果について Straus (2008) の結果と比較検討し、考察を行った

Epicardial-derived adrenomedullin drives cardiac hyperplasia during embryogenesis.

BACKGROUND: Growth promoting signals from the epicardium are essential for driving myocardial proliferation during embryogenesis. In adults, these signals become reactivated following injury and promote angiogenesis and myocardial repair. Therefore, identification of such paracrine factors could lead to novel therapeutic strategies. The multi-functional peptide adrenomedullin (Adm 5 gene, AM 5 protein) is required for normal heart development. Moreover, elevated plasma AM following myocardial infarction offers beneficial cardioprotection and serves as a powerful diagnostic and prognostic indication of disease severity. RESULTS: Here, we developed a new model of Adm overexpression by stabilizing the Adm mRNA through gene-targeted replacement of the endogenous 30 untranslated region. As expected, Admhi/hi mice express three-times more AM than controls in multiple tissues, including the heart. Despite normal blood pressures, Admhi/hi mice unexpectedly showed significantly enlarged hearts due to increased cardiac hyperplasia during development. The targeting vector was designed to allow for reversion to wild-type levels by means of Cre-mediated modification. Using this approach, we demonstrate that AM derived from the epicardium, but not the myocardium or cardiac fibroblast, is responsible for driving cardiomyocyte hyperplasia. CONCLUSIONS: AM is produced by the epicardium and drives myocyte proliferation during development, thus representing a novel and clinically relevant factor potentially related to mechanisms of cardiac repair after injury

Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases and leukocyte telomere length: A Mendelian randomization study

Objective: To elucidate the potential causality of leukocyte telomere length (LTL) with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs), we conducted a Mendelian randomization (MR) study.Methods: The genetically predicted causation between LTL and IMIDs was evaluated using a two-sample MR method. We analyzed 16 major IMIDs, which included systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohn’s disease (CD), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), sicca syndrome (SS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), type 1 diabetes (T1D), primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), atopic dermatitis (AD), sarcoidosis, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, psoriasis, and childhood asthma. The random-effects inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method was performed as the main analytical approach in MR. Various sensitivity analyses, including MR-Egger, MR robust adjusted profile score (MR-RAPS), weighted median, MR pleiotropy residual sum and outlier (MR-PRESSO) methods, weighted mode, radial plot, and radial regression, were used to guarantee the robustness of the results and detect horizontal pleiotropy. Cochran’s Q value was calculated to check for heterogeneity, and the MR Steiger approach was used to test the causal direction.Results: The MR results indicated significant inverse associations of LTL with risks of psoriasis (OR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.66–0.89, and p = 3.66 × 10−4), SS (OR: 0.75, CI: 0.58–0.98, and p = 0.03), RA (OR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.68–0.88, and p = 9.85 × 10−5), hypothyroidism (OR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.78–0.91, and p = 7,08 × 10−6), hyperthyroidism (OR: 0.60, 95% CI: 0.44–0.83, and p = 1.90 × 10−3), sarcoidosis (OR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.54–0.83, and p = 2.60 × 10−4), and IPF (OR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.29–0.58, and p = 4.11 × 10−7) in the FinnGen study. We observed that longer LTL was associated with an increased risk of AS susceptibility (OR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.18–1.94, and p = 9.66 × 10−4). The results of the IVW method showed no causal relationship between TL and SLE (OR: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.62–1.38, and p = 0.69) in the FinnGen study; however, a significantly positive correlation was shown between LTL and SLE in another larger GWAS (OR: 1.87, 95% CI: 1.37–2.54, and p = 8.01 × 10−5).Conclusion: Our findings reveal that abnormal LTL has the potential to increase the risk of IMIDs. Therefore, it could be treated as a predictor and may provide new potential treatment targets for IMIDs. However, the change of LTL may not be the direct cause of IMIDs. Further studies should aim at the pathogenic mechanism or potential protective effects of LTL in IMIDs