Assessing and Improving Science Student #SciComm Skills

As the population becomes increasingly connected online, there is a growing need for effective science communication on social media platforms (referred to here as #SciComm). We deployed a survey to all FHSU undergraduate and graduate science students to gauge their experiences with #SciComm. Questions included what training students already receive on communicating science to non-scientists and which classes incorporate building these skills. Our survey found that most students have not received any formal training in online science communication. However, many students reported that they wanted more hands-on #SciComm training. Results were used to develop and implement a workshop for FHSU students to provide a primer on #SciComm during the Spring 2023 semester. Ultimately, we hope to encourage more classroom- and workshop-based activities to better prepare the next generation of scientists for science communication in a digital world

Using productivity and susceptibility indices to assess the vulnerability of United States fish stocks to overfishing

Assessing the vulnerability of stocks to fishing practices in U.S. federal waters was recently highlighted by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as an important factor to consider when 1) identifying stocks that should be managed and protected under a fishery management plan; 2) grouping data-poor stocks into relevant management complexes; and 3) developing precautionary harvest control rules. To assist the regional fishery management councils in determining vulnerability, NMFS elected to use a modified version of a productivity and susceptibility analysis (PSA) because it can be based on qualitative data, has a history of use in other fisheries, and is recommended by several organizations as a reasonable approach for evaluating risk. A number of productivity and susceptibility attributes for a stock are used in a PSA and from these attributes, index scores and measures of uncertainty are computed and graphically displayed. To demonstrate the utility of the resulting vulnerability evaluation, we evaluated six U.S. fisheries targeting 162 stocks that exhibited varying degrees of productivity and susceptibility, and for which data quality varied. Overall, the PSA was capable of differentiating the vulnerability of stocks along the gradient of susceptibility and productivity indices, although fixed thresholds separating low-, moderate-, and highly vulnerable species were not observed. The PSA can be used as a flexible tool that can incorporate regional-specific information on fishery and management activity

Chemical Screening by Time-Resolved X-Ray Scattering To Discover Allosteric Probes

Drug discovery relies on efficient identification of small-molecule leads and their interactions with macromolecular targets. However, understanding how chemotypes impact mechanistically important conformational states often remains secondary among high-throughput discovery methods. Here, we present a conformational discovery pipeline integrating time-resolved, high-throughput small-angle X-ray scattering (TR-HT-SAXS) and classic fragment screening applied to allosteric states of the mitochondrial import oxidoreductase apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF). By monitoring oxidized and X-ray-reduced AIF states, TR-HT-SAXS leverages structure and kinetics to generate a multidimensional screening dataset that identifies fragment chemotypes allosterically stimulating AIF dimerization. Fragment-induced dimerization rates, quantified with time-resolved SAXS similarity analysis (

Chemical screening by time-resolved X-ray scattering to discover allosteric probes

Drug discovery relies on efficient identification of small-molecule leads and their interactions with macromolecular targets. However, understanding how chemotypes impact mechanistically important conformational states often remains secondary among high-throughput discovery methods. Here, we present a conformational discovery pipeline integrating time-resolved, high-throughput small-angle X-ray scattering (TR-HT-SAXS) and classic fragment screening applied to allosteric states of the mitochondrial import oxidoreductase apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF). By monitoring oxidized and X-ray-reduced AIF states, TR-HT-SAXS leverages structure and kinetics to generate a multidimensional screening dataset that identifies fragment chemotypes allosterically stimulating AIF dimerization. Fragment-induced dimerization rates, quantified with time-resolved SAXS similarity analysis (kVR), capture structure-activity relationships (SAR) across the top-ranked 4-aminoquinoline chemotype. Crystallized AIF-aminoquinoline complexes validate TR-SAXS-guided SAR, supporting this conformational chemotype for optimization. AIF-aminoquinoline structures and mutational analysis reveal active site F482 as an underappreciated allosteric stabilizer of AIF dimerization. This conformational discovery pipeline illustrates TR-HT-SAXS as an effective technology for targeting chemical leads to important macromolecular states

The Vehicle, Fall 2000

Vol. 42, No. 1 Table of Contents I Never Even Knew the Room NumberJeremy Hartzellpage 5 Charcoal Sketches of the MoonAlex Cardonapage 6 A Street, a Cat, the Sky, my Shoes, my Feet, TonightJanet Windeguthpage 7 Mainlining AmoreShanna Hullpage 9 Forest ChoirJeremy Hartzellpage 10 Ritual Timepiece ConfigurationsStella Linkpage 11 Carpe DiemRobb Dunnpage 12 Lost in AmericaTodd Beardpage 13 NeurastheniaBen Erwinpage 14 CowardVeronica Espinosapage 15 UntitledCarrie Smiglapage 16 When I Close My EyesJeremy Hartzellpage 17 Brigstaff ButterflyShanna Hullpage 18 Mice in the MotelRobb Dunnpage 19 The EscapeShanna Hullpage 21 RunningNicholas Janquartpage 29https://thekeep.eiu.edu/vehicle/1073/thumbnail.jp

The Vehicle, Fall 2000

Vol. 42, No. 1 Table of Contents I Never Even Knew the Room NumberJeremy Hartzellpage 5 Charcoal Sketches of the MoonAlex Cardonapage 6 A Street, a Cat, the Sky, my Shoes, my Feet, TonightJanet Windeguthpage 7 Mainlining AmoreShanna Hullpage 9 Forest ChoirJeremy Hartzellpage 10 Ritual Timepiece ConfigurationsStella Linkpage 11 Carpe DiemRobb Dunnpage 12 Lost in AmericaTodd Beardpage 13 NeurastheniaBen Erwinpage 14 CowardVeronica Espinosapage 15 UntitledCarrie Smiglapage 16 When I Close My EyesJeremy Hartzellpage 17 Brigstaff ButterflyShanna Hullpage 18 Mice in the MotelRobb Dunnpage 19 The EscapeShanna Hullpage 21 RunningNicholas Janquartpage 29https://thekeep.eiu.edu/vehicle/1073/thumbnail.jp

Constraining the Radii of Neutron Stars with Terrestrial Nuclear Laboratory Data

Neutron star radii are primarily determined by the pressure of isospin asymmetric matter which is proportional to the slope of the nuclear symmetry energy. Available terrestrial laboratory data on the isospin diffusion in heavy-ion reactions at intermediate energies constrain the slope of the symmetry energy. Using this constraint, we show that the radius (radiation radius) of a 1.4 solar mass neutron star is between 11.5 (14.4) and 13.6 (16.3) km.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures; version to be published in Phys. Lett.

Next-generation sequencing identifies the natural killer cell microRNA transcriptome

Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes important for early host defense against infectious pathogens and surveillance against malignant transformation. Resting murine NK cells regulate the translation of effector molecule mRNAs (e.g., granzyme B, GzmB) through unclear molecular mechanisms. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate the translation of their mRNA targets, and are therefore candidates for mediating this control process. While the expression and importance of miRNAs in T and B lymphocytes have been established, little is known about miRNAs in NK cells. Here, we used two next-generation sequencing (NGS) platforms to define the miRNA transcriptomes of resting and cytokine-activated primary murine NK cells, with confirmation by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and microarrays. We delineate a bioinformatics analysis pipeline that identified 302 known and 21 novel mature miRNAs from sequences obtained from NK cell small RNA libraries. These miRNAs are expressed over a broad range and exhibit isomiR complexity, and a subset is differentially expressed following cytokine activation. Using these miRNA NGS data, miR-223 was identified as a mature miRNA present in resting NK cells with decreased expression following cytokine activation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that miR-223 specifically targets the 3′ untranslated region of murine GzmB in vitro, indicating that this miRNA may contribute to control of GzmB translation in resting NK cells. Thus, the sequenced NK cell miRNA transcriptome provides a valuable framework for further elucidation of miRNA expression and function in NK cell biology

Isospin Asymmetry in Nuclei and Neutron Stars

The roles of isospin asymmetry in nuclei and neutron stars are investigated using a range of potential and field-theoretical models of nucleonic matter. The parameters of these models are fixed by fitting the properties of homogeneous bulk matter and closed-shell nuclei. We discuss and unravel the causes of correlations among the neutron skin thickness in heavy nuclei, the pressure of beta-equilibrated matter at a density of 0.1 fm$^{-3}$, the derivative of the nuclear symmetry energy at the same density and the radii of moderate mass neutron stars. Constraints on the symmetry properties of nuclear matter from the binding energies of nuclei are examined. The extent to which forthcoming neutron skin measurements will further delimit the symmetry properties is investigated. The impact of symmetry energy constraints for the mass and moment of inertia contained within neutron star crusts and the threshold density for the nucleon direct Urca process, all of which are potentially measurable, is explored. We also comment on the minimum neutron star radius, assuming that only nucleonic matter exists within the star.Comment: 49 pages, 17 figures, Phys. Rep. (in press); made improvements to "RAPR" and corrected transition densitie