Creating Pathways to Develop Student Professionalism - A New Direction

The 2007-2008 academic year brought a new program of student employment to our IT department called IT Fellows. This program brings together the technological skills of IT along with soft business skills to assist our student employees in becoming well-rounded individuals fully prepared for life after college. In previous years our primary area of student employment was the Help Desk in which there was a tiered system in place with opportunities for resume and interview experience, raises, and promotions. The area of training needed further development and the move to the new program provided enhanced opportunities for training at all levels of employment. First-year candidates attend a week-long Leadership Academy, followed by a full year of training in four six-week rotations of their choice, after which they interview for year-long assignments as interns. Internship opportunities are provided in all areas of the department as well as some campus departments outside of IT, and provide transcript credit for them to carry forward in their prospective careers. As they progress, some upper-class Fellows become mentors, coaches, managers, and trainers themselves. All Fellows participate in educational seminars throughout the year which address many areas of technology and professionalism. Come journey with us as we explore the new terrain of students as colleagues, and the benefits of expanding time staff as well as student employees

Rethinking school :strengthening connections to communities

D.App.Ed.PsyMy thesis considers the role of the school in area-based approaches to supporting children, young people and families and comprises three related chapters. The first chapter, the Systematic Review, includes a review of literature relevant to the area. In the second, the Bridging Document, there is a discussion about the conceptual framework which links the Systematic Review with the Empirical Research. It also explores ethical and methodological issues. The final chapter discusses findings from the Empirical Research, as well as future implications for educational psychologists’ practice. For the Systematic Review, I applied a meta-ethnographic approach to qualitative studies to explore how school leaders facilitate partnerships with the school’s local community from experiences of school leaders in both Primary and Secondary schools in the U.K. and abroad. Synthesis of findings from six studies suggested four key concepts which facilitate authentic partnerships between schools and communities: i) belonging, ii) appreciation, iii) reciprocity, and iv) motivation. The line of argument presented offers school leaders a conceptual framework through which to consider their current practices and relations with the community. The empirical research considered how community organisations understand the role of the school in respect of coordinated area-based approaches to supporting children and families. I was interested in exploring the research question ‘how do community organisations describe their relationship and experience of working with schools and other community organisations?’ and reflecting on the implications of community organisations working in collaboration with schools and other community organisations. Audio-recorded individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with five members of community organisations offering services to children, young people and families within a Ward in the North East of England. Constructionist grounded theory was used to analyse the data. Members of community organisations described general factors that supported or hindered relationships between schools and community organisations and reflected on what was successful and meaningful about area-based approaches to supporting children, young people and families which could be built upon. Factors discussed included: i) the drive, motivation and inspiration of community organisations, ii) the complexity and complications of funding, and iii) making a unique, valued and complementary contribution. My thesis concludes with a tentative model of factors to consider when developing coordinated area-based approaches to supporting children, young people and families. Implications for applied educational psychology are also considered

Narratives of Existence and the Narrative Existence: Ontological Unity in the Border Trilogy and Quantum Theory

Because the humanities and the sciences approach philosophical questions in contrasting ways, the study of literature and the study of physical science are often viewed as unrelated realms of scholarly inquiry. Science aims to provide a methodological approach for gathering knowledge about the world, while the humanities focus on criticism or analysis of cultural artifacts. However, even though the conceptual frameworks applied in scientific study and literary study are often incompatible or remarkably divergent, their methods for conceptualizing and transmitting ideas are the same, for humanity understands the world and experience of this world through narratives composed of referential metaphors. Consequently, both realms of study serve as philosophical inquiries into the nature of reality and existence by constructing narratives that illustrate a story of the world, even if their ontological descriptions or frameworks are at odds. By exploring the ways that modern physics demonstrates the world’s wholistic and self-relational behavior, this project illustrates how both fictional stories and narratives from empirical science emanate from the behavior of the world. Analyzing the narrative presented in Cormac McCarthy’s Border Trilogy and demonstrating the ways in which its story is conceptually cohesive with modern physics, this project describes how McCarthy’s fiction and quantum theory are unified in their elaboration of a constitutional mono-ontology. In this way, the complementary connections between these disparate philosophical examples exemplifies a harmonious interpretation of ontology, where the world persists as a continuously fluctuating narrative of material construction

New diagnostic SNP molecular markers for the Mytilus species complex

The development of diagnostic markers has been a long-standing interest of population geneticists as it allows clarification of taxonomic uncertainties. Historically, there has been much debate on the taxonomic status of species belonging to the Mytilus species complex (M. edulis, M. galloprovincialis and M. trossulus), and whether they are discrete species. We analysed reference pure specimens of M. edulis, M. galloprovincialis and M. trossulus, using Restriction site associated DNA (RAD) sequencing and identified over 6,000 SNP markers separating the three species unambiguously. We developed a panel of diagnostic SNP markers for the genotyping of Mytilus species complex as well as the identification of hybrids and interspecies introgression events in Mytilus species. We validated a panel of twelve diagnostic SNP markers which can be used for species genotyping. Being able to accurately identify species and hybrids within the Mytilus species complex is important for the selective mussel stock management, the exclusion of invasive species, basic physiology and bio-diversity studies

The Star-Spangled Girl

In this uproarious comedy, we are introduced to Andy and Norman, producers of a protest magazine. Sophie, an Olympic swimmer and all-American girl who just moved into the apartment next door, pays the young men a good-neighbor visit. From that moment on, Norman is hopelessly smitten. His love for Sophie becomes an obsession, and he literally drives her crazy by ignoring her rejection and constantly interfering in her life. Meanwhile, Andy is preoccupied with fending off creditors and charming the landlady to avoid being evicted for not paying the rent. The situation is eventually resolved through a series of hilarious happenings set forth with the masterly skill and inventiveness that are the hallmarks of Neil Simon.https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/theatre_productions/1011/thumbnail.jp

The Rotavirus Enterotoxin NSP4 Directly Interacts with the Caveolar Structural Protein Caveolin-1

Rotavirus nonstructural protein 4 (NSP4) is known to function as an intracellular receptor at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) critical to viral morphogenesis and is the first characterized viral enterotoxin. Exogenously added NSP4 induces diarrhea in rodent pups and stimulates secretory chloride currents across intestinal segments as measured in Ussing chambers. Circular dichroism studies further reveal that intact NSP4 and the enterotoxic peptide (NSP4114-135) that is located within the extended, C-terminal amphipathic helix preferentially interact with caveola-like model membranes. We now show colocalization of NSP4 and caveolin-1 in NSP4-transfected and rotavirus-infected mammalian cells in reticular structures surrounding the nucleus (likely ER), in the cytosol, and at the cell periphery by laser scanning confocal microscopy. A direct interaction between NSP4 residues 112 to 140 and caveolin-1 was determined by the Pro-Quest yeast two-hybrid system with full-length NSP4 and seven overlapping deletion mutants as bait, caveolin-1 as prey, and vice versa. Coimmunoprecipitation of NSP4-caveolin-1 complexes from rotavirus-infected mammalian cells demonstrated that the interaction occurs during viral infection. Finally, binding of caveolin-1 from mammalian cell lysates to Sepharose-bound, NSP4-specific synthetic peptides confirmed the yeast two-hybrid data and further delineated the binding domain to amino acids 114 to 135. We propose that the association of NSP4 and caveolin-1 contributes to NSP4 intracellular trafficking from the ER to the cell surface and speculate that exogenously added NSP4 stimulates signaling molecules located in caveola microdomains

Social ecological influences on treatment decision-making in men diagnosed with low risk, localised prostate cancer

Objective: Individuals diagnosed with low risk, localised prostate cancer (PCa) face a difficult decision between active surveillance (AS) and definitive treatment. We aimed to explore perceived influences on treatment decision-making from the patient and partner\u27s perspectives. Methods: Patients (and partners) who met AS criteria and had chosen their treatment were recruited. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted via telephone to explore experiences of diagnosis, impact on patient lifestyle, experiences with physicians, treatment preferences/choice, treatment information understanding and needs, and overall decision-making process. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Results: Twenty-four male patients (18 chose AS) and 12 female partners participated. Five themes relating to social-ecological influences on treatment choice were identified: (1) partner support and direct influence on patient treatment choice, (2) patient and partner vicarious experiences may influence treatment decisions, (3) the influence of the patient\u27s life circumstances, (4) disclosing to wider social networks: friends, family, and co-workers, and (5) the importance of a good relationship and experience with physicians. Additionally, two themes were identified relating to information patients and partners received about the treatment options during their decision-making process. Conclusions: A range of individual and social influences on treatment decision-making were reported. Physicians providing treatment recommendations should consider and discuss the patient and partner\u27s existing beliefs and treatment preferences and encourage shared decision-making. Further research on treatment decision-making of partnered and non-partnered PCa patients is required. We recommend research considers social ecological factors across the personal, interpersonal, community, and policy levels

Basin architecture controls on the chemical evolution and 4He distribution of groundwater in the Paradox Basin

© The Author(s), 2022. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Tyne, R., Barry, P., Cheng, A., Hillegonds, D., Kim, J.-H., McIntosh, J., & Ballentine, C. Basin architecture controls on the chemical evolution and 4He distribution of groundwater in the Paradox Basin. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 589, (2022):117580, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2022.117580.Fluids such as 4He, H2, CO2 and hydrocarbons accumulate within Earth's crust. Crustal reservoirs also have potential to store anthropogenic waste (e.g., CO2, spent nuclear fuel). Understanding fluid migration and how this is impacted by basin stratigraphy and evolution is key to exploiting fluid accumulations and identifying viable storage sites. Noble gases are powerful tracers of fluid migration and chemical evolution, as they are inert and only fractionate by physical processes. The distribution of 4He, in particular, is an important tool for understanding diffusion within basins and for groundwater dating. Here, we report noble gas isotope and abundance data from 36 wells across the Paradox Basin, Colorado Plateau, USA, which has abundant hydrocarbon, 4He and CO2 accumulations. Both groundwater and hydrocarbon samples were collected from 7 stratigraphic units, including within, above and below the Paradox Formation (P.Fm) evaporites. Air-corrected helium isotope ratios (0.0046 - 0.127 RA) are consistent with radiogenic overprinting of predominantly groundwater-derived noble gases. The highest radiogenic noble gas concentrations are found in formations below the P.Fm. Atmosphere-derived noble gas signatures are consistent with meteoric recharge and multi-phase interactions both above and below the P.Fm, with greater groundwater-gas interactions in the shallower formations. Vertical diffusion models, used to reconstruct observed groundwater helium concentrations, show the P.Fm evaporite layer to be effectively impermeable to helium diffusion and a regional barrier for mobile elements but, similar to other basins, a basement 4He flux is required to accumulate the 4He concentrations observed beneath the P.Fm. The verification that evaporites are regionally impermeable to diffusion, of even the most diffusive elements, is important for sub-salt helium and hydrogen exploration and storage, and a critical parameter in determining 4He-derived mean groundwater ages. This is critical to understanding the role of basin stratigraphy and deformation on fluid flow and gas accumulation.This work was supported by a Natural Environment Research Council studentship to R.L. Tyne (Grant ref. NE/L002612/1). We gratefully acknowledge the William F. Keck Foundation for support of this research, and the National Science Foundation (NSF EAR #2120733). J.C. McIntosh and C.J. Ballentine are fellows of the CIFAR Earth4D Subsurface Science and Exploration Program. The authors would like to acknowledge the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Paradox Resources, Navajo Petroleum, US Oil and Gas INC, Anson Resources, Lantz Indergard (Lisbon Valley Mining Co.), Ambria Dell'Oro and Mohammad Marza for help with sampling