Development of the CMACN Online, Asynchronous Course: An Exploration of Professional Practices for Dispersing Digital Information

The collaborative development of the CMACN (Concrete Masonry Association of California and Nevada) online course, taught as ARCE-305 at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), fulfills the Architectural Engineering department’s vision to “Empower people through the balance of theory and practice to thrive professionally.” The collaboration used a team format consisting of faculty, undergraduate, and graduate students. The development team approached the creation of this course analogous to how a small firm would approach a project. The review and compilation of theory necessary to teach the course reinforced concepts critical to masonry design and construction. The development team’s goal during Fall 2020 was to create video lectures that meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), such that the course could be taught asynchronously

INVESTIGATIONS ON NOVEL CYP26A1/B1 INHIBITOR, DX308: USING atRA RESPONSE AS A THERAPUTIC TARGET FOR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AND PARKINSON’S DISEASE

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) take a wide spectrum of pathologies and have a tendency to present themselves later in life. Neurodegenerative diseases affect 6 million Americans annually with ~1 million currently living with Parkinson’s disease (PD). One of the greatest contributors to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases is the occurrence of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) during life. All-trans-retinoic acid (atRA) is the active metabolite of Vitamin A. The retinoic acid pathway is known to be activated following TBI and is reduced in PD patients. Previous studies found a decrease in inflammation and behavioral deficits following administration of Vitamin A or atRA post TBI. Retinoic acid receptor stimulation has been found to protect dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra. Studies have shown that endogenous atRA within brain tissue supports neuronal protection, axonal growth, inflammatory modulation, and glial differentiation. Retinoic acid metabolism blocking agents (RAMBAs) are emerging as new therapeutic interventions with the goal of increasing endogenous atRA brain concentration, for the treatment of TBI and PD. Our hypothesis was that instead of directly activating retinoic acid receptors, inhibition of the metabolism of atRA produced after central nervous system injury will have a neuroprotective effect and reduce the development of neurodegenerative diseases or cognitive impairments induced by TBI. This research sourced a newly synthesized RAMBA, DX308, for the purpose of confirming its action as a CYP26A1/B1 inhibitor. The aim of this project was to determine DX308 binding mode, and to characterize the effect of DX308 on atRA signaling in vitro. Modeling DX308-CYP26A1/B1 ligand-protein interaction was performed in order to support competitive binding of DX308. Glial- and neuroblastoma cell culture experiments were the preliminary investigation into DX308 as a functional RAMBA within the central nervous system. DX308 was shown to have a binding mode similar with tazarotenic acid, and atRA. Treatment of SNB19 and SHSY5Y cells with atRA dose dependently modulated retinoid-responsive genes. DX308 potentiated the effects of a nanomolar concentration of atRA in SNB19 however, this effect was not confirmed in SHSY5Y. Follow up experiments involving SHSY5Y atRA/TPA dopaminergic differentiation displayed an altered dopamine receptor expression compared to SHSY5Y control cells

Modeling Solute Thermokinetics in LiCI-KCI Molten Salt for Nuclear Waste Separation

Recovery of actinides is an integral part of a closed nuclear fuel cycle. Pyrometallurgical nuclear fuel recycling processes have been developed in the past for recovering actinides from spent metallic and nitride fuels. The process is essentially to dissolve the spent fuel in a molten salt and then extract just the actinides for reuse in a reactor. Extraction is typically done through electrorefining, which involves electrochemical reduction of the dissolved actinides and plating onto a cathode. Knowledge of a number of basic thermokinetic properties of salts and salt-fuel mixtures is necessary for optimizing present and developing new approaches for pyrometallurgical waste processing. The properties of salt-fuel mixtures are presently being studied, but there are so many solutes and varying concentrations that direct experimental investigation is prohibitively time consuming and expensive (particularly for radioactive elements like Pu). Therefore, there is a need to reduce the number of required experiments through modeling of salt and salt-fuel mixture properties. This project will develop first-principles-based molecular modeling and simulation approaches to predict fundamental thermokinetic properties of dissolved actinides and fission products in molten salts. The focus of the proposed work is on property changes with higher concentrations (up to 5 mol%) of dissolved fuel components, where there is still very limited experimental data. The properties predicted with the modeling will be density, which is used to assess the amount of dissolved material in the salt; diffusion coefficients, which can control rates of material transport during separation; and solute activity, which determines total solubility and reduction potentials used during electrorefining. The work will focus on La, Sr, and U, which are chosen to include the important distinct categories of lanthanides, alkali earths, and actinides, respectively. Studies will be performed using LiCl-KCl salt at the eutectic composition (58 mol% LiCl, 42 mol% KCl), which is used for treating spent EBR-II fuel. The same process being used for EBRII fuel is currently being studied for widespread international implementation. The methods will focus on first-principles and first- principles derived interatomic potential based simulations, primarily using molecular dynamics. Results will be validated against existing literature and parallel ongoing experimental efforts. The simulation results will be of value for interpreting experimental results, validating analytical models, and for optimizing waste separation by potentially developing new salt configurations and operating conditions

Bed degradation of the lower Missouri River

Title from PDF of title page, viewed on June 4, 2013Thesis advisor: Jerry R. RichardsonVitaIncludes bibliographic references (pages 156-171)Thesis (M.S.)--School of Computing and Engineering. University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2013The phenomenon of bed degradation can be due to a multiplicity of causes, but ultimately reflects a change in either the sediment input or sediment transport capacity of a system. Causes for the accelerated rate of degradation of the lower Missouri River Bed, particularly in Kansas City are explored as well as potential countermeasures to arrest the incision. Main-stem rivers and their tributaries constitute a complex, interrelated system and consequently the Platte and Kansas Rivers are briefly discussed as well. Although the lower Missouri River Valley has been inhabited for over two hundred years, significant changes on the scale required to disrupt sediment transport patterns has only occurred within the last century or so. Major channelization efforts orchestrated by the federal government began around the turn of the nineteenth century. These operations coupled with a series of main-stem dams built between the 1930s and 1960s served to provide a navigation channel for commercial barge traffic as well as provide flood protection. It appears that clear water releases from upstream reservoirs and effects of the Platte River contribute little to nothing as far as degradation processes at Kansas City are concerned. Channelization works probably play a minor role, as well as land-use changes, such as deforestation and urbanization. Significant causes to the recent increase in degradation rate are major flood events and commercial dredging. The river often degrades several feet during a single flood event and although some recovery occurs, the river's bed never reaches its previous elevation. Commercial dredging has significantly increased in the Missouri River in the same time frame that degradation has accelerated, occurring in the same areas as well. A few European rivers that also experience bed degradation were evaluated along with countermeasures applied to them. Unfortunately, the use of the European rivers lent itself to methods to arrest degradation that are unreasonable for use on the Missouri River. In light of the probable causes for degradation, the most effective countermeasure is likely a change in dredging regulations. Further study is required, though, to more satisfactorily determine the cause(s) of degradation as well as possible countermeasures.Introduction -- Development and causes of degradation -- Impacts of degradation -- European rivers case studies -- Degradation countermeasures -- Conclusions and recommendation

Implementation of a disability management policy in a large healthcare employer: a quasi-experimental, mixed-method evaluation

Objective: This study describes the process and outcomes of the implementation of a strengthened disability management policy in a large Canadian healthcare employer. Key elements of the strengthened policy included an emphasis on early contact, the training of supervisors and the integration of union representatives in return-to-work (RTW) planning. Design: The study applied mixed methods, combining a process evaluation within the employer and a quasi-experimental outcome evaluation between employers for a 3-year period prior to and following policy implementation in January 2012. Participants: Staff in the implementation organisation (n=4000) and staff in a peer group of 29 large hospitals (n=1 19 000). Outcomes: Work disability episode incidence and duration. Results: Both qualitative and quantitative measures of the implementation process were predominantly positive. Over the 6-year observation period, there were 624 work disability episodes in the organisation and 8604 in the comparison group of 29 large hospitals. The annual per cent change in episode incidence in the organisation was −5.6 (95% CI −9.9 to −1.1) comparable to the annual per cent change in the comparison group: −6.2 (-7.2 to –5.3). Disability episode durations also declined in the organisation, from a mean of 19.4 days (16.5, 22.3) in the preintervention period to 10.9 days (8.7, 13.2) in the postintervention period. Reductions in disability durations were also observed in the comparison group: from a mean of 13.5 days (12.9, 14.1) in the 2009–2011 period to 10.5 days (9.9, 11.1) in the 2012–2014 period. Conclusion: The incidence of work disability episodes and the durations of work disability declined strongly in this hospital sector over the 6-year observation period. The implementation of the organisation’s RTW policy was associated with larger reductions in disability durations than observed in the comparison group

Implementation of a disability management policy in a large healthcare employer: a quasi-experimental, mixed-method evaluation

Objective: This study describes the process and outcomes of the implementation of a strengthened disability management policy in a large Canadian healthcare employer. Key elements of the strengthened policy included an emphasis on early contact, the training of supervisors and the integration of union representatives in return-to-work (RTW) planning. Design: The study applied mixed methods, combining a process evaluation within the employer and a quasi-experimental outcome evaluation between employers for a 3-year period prior to and following policy implementation in January 2012. Participants: Staff in the implementation organisation (n=4000) and staff in a peer group of 29 large hospitals (n=1 19 000). Outcomes: Work disability episode incidence and duration. Results: Both qualitative and quantitative measures of the implementation process were predominantly positive. Over the 6-year observation period, there were 624 work disability episodes in the organisation and 8604 in the comparison group of 29 large hospitals. The annual per cent change in episode incidence in the organisation was −5.6 (95% CI −9.9 to −1.1) comparable to the annual per cent change in the comparison group: −6.2 (-7.2 to –5.3). Disability episode durations also declined in the organisation, from a mean of 19.4 days (16.5, 22.3) in the preintervention period to 10.9 days (8.7, 13.2) in the postintervention period. Reductions in disability durations were also observed in the comparison group: from a mean of 13.5 days (12.9, 14.1) in the 2009–2011 period to 10.5 days (9.9, 11.1) in the 2012–2014 period. Conclusion: The incidence of work disability episodes and the durations of work disability declined strongly in this hospital sector over the 6-year observation period. The implementation of the organisation’s RTW policy was associated with larger reductions in disability durations than observed in the comparison group

Cardiac steatosis in HIV-A marker or mediator of disease?

Although people living with HIV (PLHIV) are approaching normal life expectancy, a limitation to achieving this goal is managing the higher prevalence of co-morbidities, including cardiovascular disease. Whilst ischaemic heart disease likely contributes to a large proportion of cardiac disease in the modern era of treatment, cardio-metabolic disease, including cardiac steatosis, akin to obesity-related heart disease, is also a possible mechanism of increased cardiac morbidity and mortality. HIV and other metabolic and inflammatory diseases affecting the heart, including obesity, share many cardio-metabolic abnormalities, with increased pericardial and myocardial fat content, in association with chronic systemic inflammatory changes and alterations in cardiac metabolism. Understanding the mechanisms of HIV-associated cardiac steatosis remains an important challenge, as managing the untreated metabolic and inflammatory precipitants may substantially improve cardiac outcomes for PLHIV