Mechanisms associated with activation of intracellular metabotropic glutamate receptor, mGluR5

The group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptor, mGluR5, is found on the cell surface as well as on intracellular membranes where it can mediate both overlapping and unique signaling effects. Previously we have shown that glutamate activates intracellular mGluR5 by entry through sodium-dependent transporters and/or cystine glutamate exchangers. Calibrated antibody labelling suggests that the glutamate concentration within neurons is quite high (~10 mM) raising the question as to whether intracellular mGluR5 is maximally activated at all times or whether a different ligand might be responsible for receptor activation. To address this issue, we used cellular, optical and molecular techniques to show that intracellular glutamate is largely sequestered in mitochondria; that the glutamate concentration necessary to activate intracellular mGluR5 is about ten-fold higher than what is necessary to activate cell surface mGluR5; and uncaging caged glutamate within neurons can directly activate the receptor. Thus these studies further the concept that glutamate itself serves as the ligand for intracellular mGluR5

Compatibilities of YBa2Cu3O(9-delta) type phase in quintenary systems Y-Ba-Cu-O-X (impurity)

Isothermal phase diagrams at various oxygen pressures were studied by powder diffraction and chemical analytical methods. The components, Y, Ba, Cu, and O (specifically O2, O2-, and O2 sup 2-) are treated, together with C (specifically CO2 and CO2 sup 2-), alkaline metals, Mg, alkaline earths, Sc, 3-d and 4-f elements. Effects of the substitutions at the structural sites of YBa2Cu3O(9-delta) on T sub c are discussed with respect to changes in crystallochemical characteristics of the substituted phase and to the nature of the substituents

Neonatal Nutritional Care

Premature birth is defined as a birth occurring at or before 37 weeks of gestation, but it encompasses so much more than just gestational age. The incidence of premature birth has increased by 27% since 1981 and it accounts for 12% of all live births. In addition, premature birth can have devastating effects on the infant if not handled properly. Therefore, all forms of treatment of preterm infants are important. The nutritional care given to these infants is one area of treatment that needs more attention. Little research exists to address the nutritional care, since it would be unethical to do research with such a high-risk group. The purpose of this project was to describe the nutrition-related problems associated with prematurity, and to use a series of case studies to illustrate the nutrition-related problems and their treatments in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Five premature infants were observed in the NICU atWestchesterMedicalCenter, inValhalla,NY. The case studies provided a real-life example of how nutrition plays a role in the development of premature infants. The case studies demonstrated that each infant needed his or her own nutritional and medical care plan. Observing five infants does not provide enough information to make any generalizations about the treatment of all premature infants. However, each infant must be carefully examined to ensure the best possible care is given. Taking the time to observe how infants are treated is the best way to find out what treatment options work best, and these conclusions can be applied to premature infants in the future

A Case Study of Effective Teaching Techniques for Diverse College Populations: Generation Xers and Baby Boomers

The purpose of this study was to identify teaching techniques that could be used in college classrooms for effectively teaching two different age cohorts: Baby Boomers and Generation X students. Baby Boomers are those people born between 1946 and 1964. The subsequent generation, known as Generation X, was born between 1965 and 1981. A multi-case qualitative study was designed to include interviews with faculty, focus groups with students, and classroom observations at three different community colleges in east Tennessee. Thirty-one faculty, ranging in age from 29 to 65, comprised the faculty panel. There were 48 student participants. Half of the 24 female students were Generation Xers. Of 22 male participants, 16 were Generation Xers. Classroom observations of nine different sections were conducted. These observations included traditional lecture classes, lab classes, and a couple of multimedia classrooms. Interviews with the faculty panel revealed almost diametrically opposite classroom behaviors between Baby Boomers and Generation X students. While older students are generally more motivated, focused, and come to class prepared to learn; younger students were reported to exhibit behaviors that are antithetical to these. Some younger students indicated that they preferred to work on teams with older students for these reasons. Additionally, effective teaching techniques for the two age cohorts were also discovered to be different. While both Boomers and Xers preferred real world examples to illustrate classroom theories, what was a relevant example for one generation was not always relevant for the other. Therefore, many instructors need to ascertain what is relevant in the Xers\u27 world as constituted by the media, the Internet, and popular culture. The modern classroom needs a variety of teaching techniques to cater to different types of learners. Perhaps a model whereby older students mentor professional behavior for the younger, and the younger teach older students how to use computer technologies would be a better learning environment. Additionally, a third of the instructors interviewed have found that they need to be entertaining to hold the shorter attention spans of the younger student. Some type of visual component is becoming the norm in most classrooms, but there was not always agreement on which visuals were most effective for the two age groups. Baby Boomers generally preferred the board for transparency viewing or note taking in outline form Conversely, while some young students liked these methods, a greater number preferred watching videos. However, the videos had to be engaging and usually no longer than 20 minutes to be effective. Furthermore, 43% of the younger students value individual attention from their instructors, indicating that it can often make the difference between passing and failing a course. A third of the faculty also noted the younger students\u27 hunger for attention. For instance, the eldest faculty member indicated, “So many Generation Xers are needy in terms of needing lots and lots of attention [because] a lot of my Generation X students are separated from their families.” Whatever the reasons, today\u27s college instructors have a difficult task in assimilating the many learning styles and generational differences of age cohorts present in their classrooms. Not only do they have to stay informed in their academic domains and adapt their courses to multimedia and distance learning technologies, but they have to be entertaining for younger students to make the class interesting

Is there a recording? Can I get the slides?

Students, faculty, and even librarians eagerly sign up for all kinds workshops, but how many actually attend them if attendance is not required? Due to both the popularity and effectiveness of YouTube, and the seismic shift in higher education caused by Covid, today\u27s learners prefer to digest lessons on their own time in their own way. Recorded lessons and online interactive tutorials are how today\u27s learners prefer to learn. This librarian prepares, practices, and offers live workshops on Zoom and in-person throughout the semester. Many sign up, but workshop after workshop goes unattended. This is followed by apologies from those who missed it, and requests to send the information that was presented. Meanwhile the instructional videos posted on my LibGuides get hundreds of hits and receive rave reviews. This presentation will ask librarians to consider how they themselves prefer to learn. It will ask librarians to consider how much time they devote to preparing live lessons and PowerPoint slides for workshops in relation to how many attendees show up, how many pay attention, and how many even keep their cameras on during the lesson. The takeaways include how many more students we can reach with recorded lessons and interactive tutorials, and the higher quality of a lesson that can be practiced and re-recorded versus the one chance, one shot workshop, where many things can go wrong. Librarians know that students (and often faculty) are at very different levels in most information literacy instruction classes. This makes it difficult to deliver a lesson that does not go over one learner\u27s head and bore another. Interactive online tutorials actually teach, and they can easily include assessment within the tutorial. Librarians should at least consider doing away with live workshops in lieu of recorded online learning

Spanning forest polynomials and the transcendental weight of Feynman graphs

We give combinatorial criteria for predicting the transcendental weight of Feynman integrals of certain graphs in $\phi^4$ theory. By studying spanning forest polynomials, we obtain operations on graphs which are weight-preserving, and a list of subgraphs which induce a drop in the transcendental weight.Comment: 30 page