Chapter Nine: What is next? Futuristic Thinking for Community Colleges

The times in which we live are marked by massive transformations; politically, socially, and scientifically, and on what feels like a daily basis. Our efforts to plan and forecast, even for periods as little as five years distant, have been predicated on the assumption that the current rate of progress will continue into impending periods. Author and inventor, Ray Kurzweil calls this the “Law of Accelerating Returns”. If we were to study a wide variety of technologies ranging from the electronic to the biological, via a multitude of gradations and measures, according to Kurzweil, we would find that our commonly held belief in a static rate of change is misguided. Change, progress, and advancement are occurring at an increasing rate

A System-Level Comparison of Cost-Efficiency and Return on Investment Related to Online Course Delivery

As the number of students enrolling in Internet-based or online instruction grows, so do questions from educational leaders, policymakers, college and university presidents, members of governing boards, and legislators regarding cost (Johnstone, 2001). This situation is not unique to the United States. Decision-makers considered the primary benefit of online distance education to be that costs could be spread over a large number of students, taking advantage of economy of scale, assuming that large numbers of students would increase revenue and lower cost-per-student and operating expenses. In addition, increased access and quality learning experiences remained important (Inglis, 1999)

The No Significant Difference Phenomenon: A Literature Review

A quick look at the “No Significant Difference Phenomenon” website might leave the casual observer to the conclusion that an overwhelming amount of data exists to support the notion that technologically-mediated instruction and/or “distance education” in nearly every form imaginable, has proven to be an effective and sometimes preferred method of educating students outside the confines of what is commonly referred to as the “traditional classroom” (Thomas Russell, 2001). From 1928 to the present, Russell has cataloged at least 355 studies, technical reports, and dissertations that have reviewed student learning outcomes in the form of satisfaction surveys, grade comparisons, standardized test scores, common embedded questions, frequency of interaction between students and faculty, and a dizzying array of other “measures” ostensibly aimed at determining if any measurable or statistically significant differences exist. At face value, it seems that comparison or outcome studies would be one of the most effective methods for determining the effectiveness of various educational technologies. Since the 1994 publication of Richard Clark’s famous statement cautioning educational researchers to “give up your enthusiasm for the belief that media attributes cause learning”, he has convinced many researchers in the field that most if not all of “No Significant Difference” studies were in some way flawed. These studies had inadvertently attributed outcomes to differences in media rather than method (Richard Clark, 1994, p. 28). Simply stated, Clark presents the idea that measurable learner outcomes, when replicated using different media, indicate that the selection of the media has little to do with learner outcomes, rather the method that the media share in delivering content is the true catalyst that leads to understanding. Further, Clark stated that, “there are no benefits to be gained from employing different media in instruction (Richard Clark, 1983, p.450). Based on Clark’s thinking, it would seem that the 355 reports contained in Russell’s “No Significant Difference Phenomenon” website have focused primarily on differences in the media rather than the methods employed via the medium

The Porphyromonas gingivalis hemagglutinins HagB and HagC are major mediators of adhesion and biofilm formation

Porphyromonas gingivalis is a bacterium associated with chronic periodontitis that possesses a family of genes encoding hemagglutinins required for heme acquisition. In this study we generated ΔhagB and ΔhagC mutants in strain W83 and demonstrate that both hagB and hagC are required for adherence to oral epithelial cells. Unexpectedly, a double ΔhagB/ΔhagC mutant had less severe adherence defects than either of the single mutants, but was found to exhibit increased expression of the gingipain-encoding genes rgpA and kgp, suggesting that a ΔhagB/ΔhagC mutant is only viable in populations of cells that exhibit increased expression of genes involved in heme acquisition. Disruption of hagB in the fimbriated strain ATCC33277 demonstrated that HagB is also required for stable attachment of fimbriated bacteria to oral epithelial cells. Mutants of hagC were also found to form defective single and multi-species biofilms that had reduced biomass relative to biofilms formed by the wild-type strain. This study highlights the hitherto unappreciated importance of these genes in oral colonization and biofilm formation

Super Tall Timber: design research for the next generation of natural structure

This research project aspires to make truly tall timber buildings a reality. Through a combination of theoretical design and physical testing this research demonstrates the viability of timber buildings at much greater heights than has previously been possible. By pushing the limits of theoretical designs into the realms of the supertall, sometimes beyond that which is feasible using current materials and construction technologies, this research also sets out the requirements for the next generation of engineered plant-based materials. The research is a collaboration between academics, practicing architects and practicing structural engineers. The approach is research through design, and design through research. Timber towers are designed well beyond exist ing heights, and analysed to understand how they stand up and which areas are most critical for further research. By bringing highly regarded architectural and structural designers together with the research capabilities of a leading university, this project creates a precedent-setting model for interdisciplinary engagement within and between the design and research communities. By coupling exemplary design in timber a university’s research capacity, the project represents a real opportunity for transform ational change in the design of tall timber buildings. Essential details and connections are determined and ‘unknowns’ with respect to material and structural performance are identified. A programme of testing to investigate these unknowns and validate the design approaches is carried out at the university. Outcomes of the test programme and new insights are fed back into the design process. The results show that tall timber towers are feasible, with substantial but surmountable questions outstanding. By providing thought provoking yet credible solutions for the design of tall timber buildings and exceeding current limits, the project can inspire the design community to think beyond the status quo and embrace the possibilities offered by timber construction.The work forms part of a research study conceived and led by Cambridge University with input from PLP Architecture and Smith and Wallwork Engineers. Funding for this research is in part provided by the EPSRC under grant EP/M01679X/1

Surface disinfection challenges for Candida auris: an in-vitro study

The emerging pathogenic multidrug-resistant yeast Candida auris is an important source of healthcare-associated infections and of growing global clinical concern. The ability of this organism to survive on surfaces and withstand environmental stressors creates a challenge for eradicating it from hospitals. A panel of C. auris clinical isolates was evaluated on different surface environments against the standard disinfectant sodium hypochlorite and high-level disinfectant peracetic acid. C. auris was shown to selectively tolerate clinically relevant concentrations of sodium hypochlorite and peracetic acid in a surface-dependent manner, which may explain its ability to successfully persist within the hospital environment

Investigating the biological properties of carbohydrate derived fulvic acid (CHD-FA) as a potential novel therapy for the management of oral biofilm infections.

Background: A number of oral diseases, including periodontitis, derive from microbial biofilms and are associated with increased antimicrobial resistance. Despite the widespread use of mouthwashes being used as adjunctive measures to control these biofilms, their prolonged use is not recommended due to various side effects. Therefore, alternative broad-spectrum antimicrobials that minimise these effects are highly sought after. Carbohydrate derived fulvic acid (CHD-FA) is an organic acid which has previously demonstrated to be microbiocidal against Candida albicans biofilms, therefore, the aims of this study were to evaluate the antibacterial activity of CHD-FA against orally derived biofilms and to investigate adjunctive biological effects.<p></p> Methods: Minimum inhibitory concentrations were evaluated for CHD-FA and chlorhexidine (CHX) against a range of oral bacteria using standardised microdilution testing for planktonic and sessile. Scanning electron microscopy was also employed to visualise changes in oral biofilms after antimicrobial treatment. Cytotoxicity of these compounds was assessed against oral epithelial cells, and the effect of CHD-FA on host inflammatory markers was assessed by measuring mRNA and protein expression.<p></p> Results: CHD-FA was highly active against all of the oral bacteria tested, including Porphyromonas gingivalis, with a sessile minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.5%. This concentration was shown to kill multi-species biofilms by approximately 90%, levels comparable to that of chlorhexidine (CHX). In a mammalian cell culture model, pretreatment of epithelial cells with buffered CHD-FA was shown to significantly down-regulate key inflammatory mediators, including interleukin-8 (IL-8), after stimulation with a multi-species biofilm.<p></p> Conclusions: Overall, CHD-FA was shown to possess broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, with a supplementary function of being able to down-regulate inflammation. These properties offer an attractive spectrum of function from a naturally derived compound, which could be used as an alternative topical treatment strategy for oral biofilm diseases. Further studies in vitro and in vivo are required to determine the precise mechanism by which CHD-FA modulates the host immune response.<p></p&gt

Efficacy of rifampicin combination therapy for the treatment of enterococcal infections assessed in vivo using a Galleria mellonella infection model.

Enterococci are a leading cause of healthcare-associated infection worldwide and display increasing levels of resistance to many of the commonly used antimicrobials, making treatment of their infections challenging. Combinations of antibiotics are occasionally employed to treat serious infections, allowing for the possibility of synergistic killing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different antibacterial combinations against enterococcal isolates using an in vitro approach and an in vivo Galleria mellonella infection model. Five Enterococcus faecalis and three Enterococcus faecium strains were screened by paired combinations of rifampicin, tigecycline, linezolid or vancomycin using the chequerboard dilution method. Antibacterial combinations that displayed synergy were selected for in vivo testing using a G. mellonella larvae infection model. Rifampicin was an effective antibacterial enhancer when used in combination with tigecycline or vancomycin, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of each individual antibiotic being reduced by between two and four doubling dilutions, generating fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) values between 0.31 and 0.5. Synergy observed with the chequerboard screening assays was subsequently observed in vivo using the G. mellonella model, with combination treatment demonstrating superior protection of larvae post-infection in comparison with antibiotic monotherapy. In particular, rifampicin in combination with tigecycline or vancomycin significantly enhanced larvae survival. Addition of rifampicin to anti-enterococcal treatment regimens warrants further investigation and may prove useful in the treatment of enterococcal infections whilst prolonging the clinically useful life of currently active antibiotics

Data Portraits and Intermediary Topics: Encouraging Exploration of Politically Diverse Profiles

In micro-blogging platforms, people connect and interact with others. However, due to cognitive biases, they tend to interact with like-minded people and read agreeable information only. Many efforts to make people connect with those who think differently have not worked well. In this paper, we hypothesize, first, that previous approaches have not worked because they have been direct -- they have tried to explicitly connect people with those having opposing views on sensitive issues. Second, that neither recommendation or presentation of information by themselves are enough to encourage behavioral change. We propose a platform that mixes a recommender algorithm and a visualization-based user interface to explore recommendations. It recommends politically diverse profiles in terms of distance of latent topics, and displays those recommendations in a visual representation of each user's personal content. We performed an "in the wild" evaluation of this platform, and found that people explored more recommendations when using a biased algorithm instead of ours. In line with our hypothesis, we also found that the mixture of our recommender algorithm and our user interface, allowed politically interested users to exhibit an unbiased exploration of the recommended profiles. Finally, our results contribute insights in two aspects: first, which individual differences are important when designing platforms aimed at behavioral change; and second, which algorithms and user interfaces should be mixed to help users avoid cognitive mechanisms that lead to biased behavior.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures. To be presented at ACM Intelligent User Interfaces 201

Rapid institutional appraisal

A week-long intensive process of staff development and induction called Rapid Institutional Appraisal (RIA) was conducted in November 2000 in the Systems Discipline, Centre for Complexity and Change (CCC), at the Open University. We report the systemic roots and characteristics of the RIA as designed from traditions of soft systems methodology and rapid rural appraisal. Our experiences arising from our own use of RIA are described and the wider implications for organizational learning in a complex organization discussed. While acknowledging limitations with this RIA event, we argue that RIA offers a potential model for staff development for adaptive use in different contexts and on varying scales. The process builds on principles of "conversation" and "multiple perspectives" as the touchstone for establishing a purposeful community of practice