Construction of an instrument to assess the service learning model: Establishing concurrent validity and internal reliability

A paper and pencil test was constructed to investigate the existence of phases as identified by the Service Learning Model (Delve, Mintz, & Stewart, 1990). Subjects with no structured exposure to service-learning activities residing in the residence halls at the University of Northern Colorado (URC) (n =70) and subjects involved in service-learning programs coordinated by the Office of Community Service at Colorado State University (CSU) (n=65) participated in the study during the spring of 1992. Research objectives provided guidelines for developing the test format and Writing clear and understandable items that reflected the affective, behavioral and cognitive ways in which students experience and understand what it is to be a responsible citizen. No significant relationship was observed between the phases of the test instrument and parallel learning modes as measured by the Learning-Styles Inventory. It was suggested that learning styles transcend the different ways to experience and understand what it is to be a responsible citizen, and therefore, do not provide an appropriate measure of concurrent validity. The internal reliability tor each phase of the test instrument was lower than desired, however, the coefficients of internal consistency showed promise ranging from r=.5266 for Phase 1 to r=.7582 for Phase 3. Post-hoc tests comparing mean phase scores between colleges and between categories of self-reported duration of involvement in helping activities were conducted to supplement a statement of validity for the test instrument. Differences tor mean phase scores between subjects at UNC and CSU were significant and in the predicted direction. Similar results were observed when mean phase scores tor subjects with eight or fewer contacts over the prior academic year were compared to subjects with nine or more contacts over the same period. However, it was unclear it these differences were influenced by involvement in service-learning activities or personal variables such as age and class status. More research needs to be conducted before the Service-Learning Model can be empirically confirmed or rejected. Recommendations identity several suggestions for further investigating the validity and reliability of the test instrument

Segmental aging underlies the development of a Parkinson phenotype in the AS/AGU rat

There is a paucity of information on the molecular biology of aging processes in the brain. We have used biomarkers of aging (SA β-Gal, p16Ink4a, Sirt5, Sirt6, and Sirt7) to demonstrate the presence of an accelerated aging phenotype across different brain regions in the AS/AGU rat, a spontaneous Parkinsonian mutant of PKCγ derived from a parental AS strain. P16INK4a expression was significantly higher in AS/AGU animals compared to age-matched AS controls (p < 0.001) and displayed segmental expression across various brain regions. The age-related expression of sirtuins similarly showed differences between strains and between brain regions. Our data clearly show segmental aging processes within the rat brain, and that these are accelerated in the AS/AGU mutant. The accelerated aging, Parkinsonian phenotype, and disruption to dopamine signalling in the basal ganglia in AS/AGU rats, suggests that this rat strain represents a useful model for studies of development and progression of Parkinson's disease in the context of biological aging and may offer unique mechanistic insights into the biology of aging

Thermal Diffusivities of Functionalized Pentacene Semiconductors

We have measured the interlayer and in-plane (needle axis) thermal diffusivities of 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl) pentacene (TIPS-Pn). The needle axis value is comparable to the phonon thermal conductivities of quasi-one dimensional organic metals with excellent pi-orbital overlap, and its value suggests that a significant fraction of heat is carried by optical phonons. Furthermore, the interlayer (c-axis) thermal diffusivity is at least an order of magnitude larger, and this unusual anisotropy implies very strong dispersion of optical modes in the interlayer direction, presumably due to interactions between the silyl-containing side groups. Similar values for both in-plane and interlayer diffusivities have been observed for several other functionalized pentacene semiconductors with related structures.Comment: 9 pages, including 4 figures; submitted to Applied Physics Letter

Biomechanical properties of bone in a mouse model of Rett syndrome

Rett syndrome (RTT) is an X-linked genetic disorder and a major cause of intellectual disability in girls. Mutations in the methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (<i>MECP2</i>) gene are the primary cause of the disorder. Despite the dominant neurological phenotypes, <i>MECP2</i> is expressed ubiquitously throughout the body and a number of peripheral phenotypes such as scoliosis, reduced bone mineral density and skeletal fractures are also common and important clinical features of the disorder. In order to explore whether MeCP2 protein deficiency results in altered structural and functional properties of bone and to test the potential reversibility of any defects, we have conducted a series of histological, imaging and biomechanical tests of bone in a functional knockout mouse model of RTT. Both hemizygous <i>Mecp2</i><sup>stop/y</sup> male mice in which <i>Mecp2</i> is silenced in all cells and female <i>Mecp2</i><sup>stop/+</sup> mice in which <i>Mecp2</i> is silenced in ~ 50% of cells as a consequence of random X-chromosome inactivation, revealed significant reductions in cortical bone stiffness, microhardness and tensile modulus. Microstructural analysis also revealed alterations in both cortical and cancellous femoral bone between wild-type and MeCP2-deficient mice. Furthermore, unsilencing of <i>Mecp2</i> in adult mice cre-mediated stop cassette deletion resulted in a restoration of biomechanical properties (stiffness, microhardness) towards wild-type levels. These results show that MeCP2-deficiency results in overt, but potentially reversible, alterations in the biomechanical integrity of bone and highlights the importance of targeting skeletal phenotypes in considering the development of pharmacological and gene-based therapies

Prototype of a new Engineering Masters project model: Working with marketing and software faculties to commercially kickstart university research

We describe a Master of Engineering (500-level) project modelled on the real-world arrangement where engineers work with marketing and software groups to prepare a product for commercialisation. A 4-member software team to develop and test embedded firmware and support applications on a mobile platform was provided through a final-year undergraduate software-engineering project course based outside the engineering school, in a separate faculty. A marketing team consisting of interns prepared logos, product names, and advertising materials, with input from a creative 200-level class. This team also considered possible exit strategies based on analysis of the market size and activity. This marketing effort was organised through the management communications group in the management school. The masters student acts as project manager and it is their remit to guide the product towards release on the crowd-sourced venture-capital site kickstarter.com. A small but original product idea is required to provide a viable vehicle for the project. Financial commitment to manufacture, even on a small scale, represents a novel outcome for a university project

The Implementation of Positive Behavioral Support in an Elementary School: Processes, Procedures, and Outcomes

This article presents the processes and outcomes of a year of School-Wide Positive Behavior Support in a North Texas elementary school serving kindergarten through grade 3 students. Included is a description of a school treatment package that incorporated components such as facilitation of the teaming process, a lottery-type system of intermittent reinforcement, mystery motivators, and recognition assemblies, all targeted at increased student compliance with school rules. Positive outcomes included: (a) a reduction in the number of office referrals; (b) reduced frequency of rules-based violations on the part of students; (c) reduced use of punitive consequences such as time-outs, written reprimands, and student conferences on the part of the faculty and administration; and (d) an increase in scores on a state-mandated academic achievement assessment administered to grade 3 students.Cet article présente les processus et les résultats découlant de la mise en application, pendant une année, d’un programme de gestion de classe et d’école pour contrer l’indiscipline et les conflits (SchoolWide Positive Behavior Support) dans une école primaire (maternelle-troisième) dans le nord du Texas. Nous décrivons le programme et ses composantes telles la facilitation du processus de formation d’équipes, un système ressemblant à un jeu de loterie et visant le renforcement intermittent, des facteurs motivants «mystères» et des rencontres de reconnaissance du mérite – le tout pour stimuler chez les élèves un comportement conforme aux règlements de l’école. Parmi les résultats positifs, notons : (a) une diminution du nombre d’élèves envoyés à la direction; (b) une diminution de la fréquence des infractions; (c) une diminution de l’emploi des punitions telles la suspension de renforcement, les réprimandes écrites et les conférences entre les élèves et le personnel enseignant et l’administration; et (d) une hausse des scores obtenus par les élèves en 3e aux évaluations d’état du rendement académique

Silylethynylated Heteroacenes and Electronic Devices Made Therewith

Novel silylethynylated heteroacenes and electronic devices made with those compounds are disclosed