Technology Preparedness and the Impact on a High-Quality Remote Learning Experience: Lessons From COVID-19

The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the role of remote learning in higher education. Increased investments and understanding of the transition to remote learning today will yield access to high-quality learning. Using data from an institution with a diverse student population, the purpose of this study was to explore students’ transition to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic by examining aspects within the course that contributed to perceptions of a high-quality remote learning experience. Five elements of the remote learning experience were statistically significant predictors of course quality ratings: ratings of the quality of student supports (Academic Advising, Tutoring, Internships, Financial Aid, etc.), ratings of connectedness to instructors in at least one class, the use of many learning activities by instructors, clear course organization by instructors, and clear communication used by instructors. Analysis of qualitative student interviews reinforced these findings and provided further support for the importance of reliable technology during remote learning

Estudio fractográfico del clinker por medio del microscopio electrónico de barrido (SEM). Resultados preliminares

Not availableUsando la técnica de microscopía electrónica de barrido (SEM) se observó un clinker enfriado lentamente. Las muestras observadas consistieron en zonas de fractura reciente de un clinker que se rompió para ese objeto. Se pudo detectar fácilmente las diferentes fases presentes en el clinker, así como también ciertas características básicas que requieren estudios posteriores. La extremada facilidad de preparación de las muestras y la gran rapidez de observación hacen que este método sea llamado a sustituir el de réplica para el estudio de los detalles finos del clinker

Characterization and Comparison of Ocular Surface Microbiome in Newborns

The ocular microbiome is of fundamental importance for immune eye homeostasis, and its alteration would lead to an impairment of ocular functionality. Little evidence is reported on the composition of the ocular microbiota of term infants and on the impact of antibiotic prophylaxis. Methods: A total of 20 conjunctival swabs were collected from newborns at birth and after antibiotic treatment. Samples were subjected to 16S rRNA sequencing via system MiSeq Illumina. The data were processed with the MicrobAT software and statistical analysis were performed using two-way ANOVA. Results: Antibiotic prophylaxis with gentamicin altered the composition of the microbiota. In detail, a 1.5- and 2.01-fold reduction was recorded for Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes) and Massilia timonae (M. timonae), respectively, whereas an increase in Staphylococcus spp. of 6.5 times occurred after antibiotic exposure. Conclusions: Antibiotic prophylaxis altered the ocular microbiota whose understanding could avoid adverse effects on eye health

Discovering Networks of Perturbed Biological Processes in Hepatocyte Cultures

The liver plays a vital role in glucose homeostasis, the synthesis of bile acids and the detoxification of foreign substances. Liver culture systems are widely used to test adverse effects of drugs and environmental toxicants. The two most prevalent liver culture systems are hepatocyte monolayers (HMs) and collagen sandwiches (CS). Despite their wide use, comprehensive transcriptional programs and interaction networks in these culture systems have not been systematically investigated. We integrated an existing temporal transcriptional dataset for HM and CS cultures of rat hepatocytes with a functional interaction network of rat genes. We aimed to exploit the functional interactions to identify statistically significant linkages between perturbed biological processes. To this end, we developed a novel approach to compute Contextual Biological Process Linkage Networks (CBPLNs). CBPLNs revealed numerous meaningful connections between different biological processes and gene sets, which we were successful in interpreting within the context of liver metabolism. Multiple phenomena captured by CBPLNs at the process level such as regulation, downstream effects, and feedback loops have well described counterparts at the gene and protein level. CBPLNs reveal high-level linkages between pathways and processes, making the identification of important biological trends more tractable than through interactions between individual genes and molecules alone. Our approach may provide a new route to explore, analyze, and understand cellular responses to internal and external cues within the context of the intricate networks of molecular interactions that control cellular behavior