Benefits of Using Lesson Study for SoTL, Cross-Disciplinary Research, and Assessment

Lesson study is a technique that helps faculty examine student learning that encourages scholarly teaching. In lesson study, faculty identify a concept and develop a lesson plan to support student learning of the concept. The opportunity to collaborate on lesson development and to examine student learning opens up a space for faculty to exchange ideas about effective teaching. Most faculty do not have opportunities to collaborate on their teaching at this deeper level, but a lesson study project provides guidance for instructors to explore student learning in-depth. This article examines how lesson study provides opportunities for college faculty to engage in cross-disciplinary Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) projects. In addition to structuring SoTL projects, lesson study can aid faculty in the development of assessment plans to improve student learning

Dual Doping of MoP with M(Mn,Fe) and S to Achieve High Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Activity in Both Acidic and Alkaline Media

Rational design of cost‐effective, high performance and stable hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalysts in both acidic and alkaline media holds the key to the future hydrogen‐based economy. Herein, we introduce an effective approach of simultaneous non‐metal (S) and metal (Fe or Mn) doping of MoP to achieve excellent HER performance at different pH. The catalysts show remarkable overpotentials at −10 mA cm−2 of only 65 and 68 mV in 0.5 M H2SO4, and 50 and 51 mV in 1.0 M KOH, respectively, as well as much higher turnover frequencies compared to undoped MoP. Furthermore, the catalysts exhibit outstanding long‐term stability at a fixed current of −10 mA cm−2 for 40 h. The effects of both dopants, such as electronic structure modification and enhancement of the intrinsic activity, increase of the electrochemically active surface area, and formation of coordinatively unsaturated edge sites, act cooperatively to accelerate the HER at both pH media. Additionally, the presence of oxophilic Mn and Fe at the surface results in Mn or Fe oxide/hydroxide species that promote the dissociation of water molecules in alkaline electrolyte. This work introduces a facile and effective design principle that could pave the way towards engineering highly active HER catalysts for a wide pH range.Metal (Mn or Fe) and non‐metal (S) dual doped MoP catalysts were synthesiszed by reductive pyrolysis of the corresponding Mn,Mo‐ and Fe,Mo‐phosphonates precursors, in the presence of elemental S. The derived catalysts showed remarkable hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity in acidic and alkaline media. The dual doping process endowed MoP with proper hydrogen binding energy thus enhancing the HER in acidic media. In addition, Mn and Fe acted as surface oxides species in alkaline medium, which facilitated the water dissociation step. imageYousef Jameel Scholarship FundPeer Reviewe

Effect of Narrow-Band Ultraviolet B Phototherapy and Methotrexate on MicroRNA (146a) Levels in Blood of Psoriatic Patients

Background. Recently, some miRNAs have been proven to show aberrant expression in psoriasis and play a role in the pathogenesis of the disease. Objective. To find out whether NB-UVB or methotrexate treatment affects whole blood levels of human miRNA (146a) in patients with psoriasis and demonstrate its correlation with disease severity. Methods. Blood samples were obtained from healthy control and from psoriatic patients before and 12 weeks after treatment with NB-UVB, methotrexate. Quantification of human miRNA (146a) by Real Time PCR (RT-PCR). Results. Blood human miRNA (146a) levels were higher in patients with psoriasis than those in healthy controls (P=0.001); it had no significant positive relation with PASI scores in patients (r=0.2, P=0.107). Real Time PCR showed that, after 12 weeks of treatment with NB-UVB phototherapy or treatment with methotrexate, there was significantly decreased level of miR146a (P=0.001; P=0.002, resp.). Conclusion. The expression of miRNA146a is increased in whole blood samples from psoriasis patients, so we can evaluate its possibility to work as a future therapeutic objective in the treatment of psoriasis. With these markers, it is able to screen therapeutics effect or changes to a further aggressive treatment for psoriasis

Effect of COVID-19 quarantine on the sleep quality and the depressive symptom levels of university students in Jordan during the spring of 2020

Objectives: This study was designed to assess the effect of COVID-19 home quarantine and its lifestyle challenges on the sleep quality and mental health of a large sample of undergraduate University students in Jordan. It is the first study applied to the Jordanian population. The aim was to investigate how quarantine for several weeks changed the students' habits and affected their mental health. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a random representative sample of 6,157 undergraduate students (mean age 19.79 ± 1.67 years, males 28.7%) from the University of Jordan through voluntarily filling an online questionnaire. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) were used to assess sleep quality and depressive symptoms, respectively. Results: The PSQI mean score for the study participants was 8.1 ± 3.6. The sleep quality of three-quarters of the participants was negatively affected by the extended quarantine. Nearly half of the participants reported poor sleep quality. The prevalence of poor sleep quality among participants was 76% (males: 71.5% and females: 77.8%). Similarly, the prevalence of the depressive symptoms was 71% (34% for moderate and 37% for high depressive symptoms), with females showing higher prevalence than males. The overall mean CES-D score for the group with low depressive symptoms is 9.3, for the moderate group is 19.8, while it is 34.3 for the high depressive symptoms group. More than half of the students (62.5%) reported that the quarantine had a negative effect on their mental health. Finally, females, smokers, and students with decreased income levels during the extended quarantine were the common exposures that are significantly associated with a higher risk of developing sleep disturbances and depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Mass and extended quarantine succeeded in controlling the spread of the COVID-19 virus; however, it comes with a high cost of potential psychological impacts. Most of the students reported that they suffer from sleeping disorders and had a degree of depressive symptoms. Officials should provide psychological support and clear guidance to help the general public to reduce these potential effects and overcome the quarantine period with minimum negative impacts

Krein Regularization of \lambda\phi^4

We calculate the four-point function in \lambda\phi^4 theory by using Krein regularization and compare our result, which is finite, with the usual result in \lambda\phi^4 theory. The effective coupling constant (\lambda_\mu) is also calculated in this method

The effects of unsaturated fat acids on reproductive indicators of Penaeus indicus (Phase 1: preparing brood of prepared juvenile shrimp of sea and pond in the controlled conditions by using natural feed)

The shrimp farming success in the future will greatly depend upon increasing supplies of healthy and high quality seed for stocking ponds. The limited and inconsistent availability of wild shrimp postlarvae together with an urgent need of establishing selective breeding programs, increased the interest in captive broods of penaeid. Many investigations have been carried out on several shrimp species world-wide. This study have been conducted on 2 shrimp groups since September (Mehr) to July (Tir) 1999 in Bandar-e-Imam southwest Iran. The wild group (SPB) prepared from Jask area and the pond group (POB) prepared from artificial ponds upon harvesting them as marketable size have been investigated. 2 groups were exposed to natural diets consisting of squid and artemia biomass in same conditions using 12 m^3 concrete tanks. Stocking density was 2 piece/m^2 (1F:1M). Half part of the pond bottom covered by fine sand to reduce the stress where the other part has been used for feeding. Daily ration given in 3 times by satiation method. Also reproductive performance of wild gravid brooders (WLB) were recorded as a control group. 2 examined groups well grown and around 50% of the SPM and around 30% of POB females successfully ripened a produced eggs and nauplii where almost all males of both groups were matured. Data showed fecundity is highly correlated to the TL and W of the brooders by positive trend. Considering the TL, W, Fecundity and nauplii production the WLB brooders are significantly (P=0.05) higher than 2 other groups, while the SPM broods are significantly (P=0.05) higher in hatchability. Meanwhile the survival rate from nauplii to postlarvae stage was around 30% for SMP brooders. On the other hand the growth parameters (TL, W) of the marketable size of the shrimps produced from SMP brooders were significantly (P=0.05) higher than those produced from WLB group. Since the fecundity is improvable by increasing the brood size thus the data suggest the sup

Metabolically Healthy and Unhealthy Obese Phenotypes among Arabs and South Asians:Prevalence and Relationship with Cardiometabolic Indicators

Obesity is a public health crisis in Kuwait. However, not all obese individuals are metabolically unhealthy (MuHO) given the link between obesity and future cardiovascular events. We assessed the prevalence of the metabolically healthy obese (MHO) phenotype and its relationship with high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in Arab and South Asian ethnic groups in Kuwait. The national cross-sectional survey of diabetes and obesity in Kuwait adults aged 18–60 years were analysed. The harmonised definition of metabolic syndrome was used to classify metabolic health. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to model the relationship between the MHO and MuHO phenotypes and hs-CRP, ALT and HOMA-IR levels. Overall, the prevalence of MHO for body mass index (BMI)- and waist circumference (WC)-defined obesity was 30.8% and 56.0%, respectively; it was greater in women (60.4% and 61.8%, respectively) than men (39.6% and 38.2%, respectively). Prevalence rates were also lower for South Asians than for Arabs. The MHO phenotype had hs-CRP values above 3 µg/mL for each age group category. Men compared to women, and South Asians compared to Arabs had a lower relative risk for the MHO group relative to the MuHO group. This study shows there is high prevalence of MHO in Kuwait