The marketing behind the merging of Conflict Resolution with Communities

This session is derived from the presenters Ph.D. dissertation research on examining the relationship between the high social need for conflict resolution and low social demand. Emily interviewed 30 millennials and 9 conflict resolution practitioners to evaluate language and social engagement and connection with marketing and branding of conflict resolution. The interviews painted a landscape of valleys of potential and uncharted territory of points of connection between the field and potential target markets. The research serves as an important tool for practitioners in evaluating their current practices and supporting strategic design of new practices by outlining gaps in language and understanding, reactions to imagery and colors, and provides list of outlined desires from a target market of their wants and needs of conflict resolution. The research supports a shift in thinking and branding of conflict resolution as a practice to conflict resolution as a lifestyle and outlines Unique Selling Points from a marketing analysis

Imputation under informative sampling

Imputed values in surveys are often generated under the assumption that the sampling mechanism is non-informative (or ignorable) and the study variable is missing at random (MAR). When the sampling design is informative, the assumption of MAR in the population does not necessarily imply MAR in the sample. In this case, the classical method of imputation using a model fitted to the sample data does not in general lead to unbiased estimation. To overcome this problem, we consider alternative approaches to imputation assuming MAR in the population. We compare the alternative imputation procedures through simulation and an application to estimation of mean erosion using data from the Conservation Effects Assessment Project

What Counts as Common Core Aligned? An Examination of a Reading Program\u27s Agreement with the Common Core State Standards

Passage and implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) created numerous difficulties for educational stakeholders. One such difficulty, determining the alignment of previously utilized curricula to the CCSS, forced many states, districts, and schools into purchasing “new” curricular resources marketed as “Common Core Aligned” without any available auditing process to validate the claims made by publishers. Since initial implementation of CCSS, measures for determining alignment have been developed. This study examined the alignment of a widely used reading program, Adventures Common Core (pseudonym), to the Common Core State Standards using a modified version of the Educators Evaluating the Quality of Instructional Products (EQuIP) Rubric for Lessons and Units: ELA/Literacy. The following research questions guided this study: (1) To what extent does the Adventures Common Core reading program effectively address all components of literacy as defined by the Common Core State Standards? (2) To what extent does the Adventures Common Core reading program accurately assess student literacy in alignment with the Common Core State Standards? Findings, which are significant for future research, show that even intentionally aligned curricula can fall short of addressing standards to the depth and rigor intended

Deposition of Drug-delivering Bandages via a Combined Electrostatic and Air-Driven Electrospinning Device

Electrospinning (ES) is an affordable manufacturing process to produce nanoscale, polymer fibers. During ES, a high voltage differential is required to draw out polymer fibers from a polymer solution at a charged spinneret. Fibers produced are then deposited onto an oppositely charged electrode. ES typically requires large, immovable equipment and conductive surfaces for deposition of fibers. Portability and on-demand ES of fiber mats onto non-conductive surfaces would enable use in re- mote locations with limited access to medicine

Gas-Modified Electrospinning with a Portable Device

Project Objective The objective of this work was to construct a miniaturized, portable electrospinning (ES) device for deposition on surfaces regardless of charge. We hope this device can be used by doctors in rural areas to deliver drug delivery bandages. Mathematical modeling was used to improve predictability of the completed portable ES device

Developing and Implementing an Accessible, Touch-based Web App for Inclusive Learning

With the prevalence of mobile devices and platforms used throughout the world and the increasing number of organizations with mobile versions of their web sites, it is essential that those applications and sites are accessible, usable and flexible. This project involved the inclusive development and iterative evaluation of a platform-independent, web-based learning app. Usability testing with students, faculty, and individuals with disabilities were combined with manual accessibility evaluations to ensure that a wide range of users and devices would be able to benefit from the structure of such an application. The results of this project detail the process of creating a flexible, platform-independent mobile learning app as well as some of the broader benefits that can result from accessibility and usability improvements to a mobile application. The resulting prototype has been implemented in a “live” environment at a non-profit organization that serves individuals with disabilities

The Researcher Wellbeing Project Report

The Researcher Wellbeing Project (RWP) focused on understanding the potential impacts, including secondary trauma, of researching emotionally challenging topics; and establishing what, if anything, researchers have in place to help them cope and what they would like to be in place. The overwhelming reception the RWP has received from staff has been very positive, because it addresses a topic that has been “a really invisible issue” (Participant 22) within academia until very recently. The project involved 31 semi-structured interviews with researchers who did potentially emotionally challenging research. These participants were also asked to do follow-up questionnaires; 25 completed the coping mechanisms/interventions questionnaire and 20 completed the Secondary Trauma Scale. In this report, we outline the key findings of the RWP related to: (i) impacts and (ii) coping mechanisms and recommended support/interventions. The RWP identified that academics undertaking potentially distressing research in the majority are inspired and driven by the research they do. However, it in turn has substantial impacts on the researchers, most of whom had symptoms that could be linked to secondary trauma at varying degrees. How well researchers coped with such emotionally challenging research was not just about them as individuals. It was about how well they were supported by the systems that were around them. Thus, individual researchers’ knowledge, skills and experience contributed, alongside how effective supervisors/managers were in designing projects and managing teams/individuals, as well as how much positive/supportive interactions researchers got within teams, and how much thought and investment an institution put into how researchers were looked after. Ideally, institutions that undertake and fund research on emotionally challenging topics need to put plans in place to develop a well-funded strategy focused on prevention of and provision for distress and secondary trauma linked to emotionally challenging research. For institutions that are unable to do this fully, a phased approach working towards this would be a viable option. To help organisations to do this, the report provides guidance on Bronze, Silver and Gold levels that institutions can adopt to support academics

Disrupted CXCR2 Signaling in Oligodendroglia Lineage Cells Enhances Myelin Repair in a Viral Model of Multiple Sclerosis.

CXCR2 is a chemokine receptor expressed on oligodendroglia that has been implicated in the pathogenesis of neuroinflammatory demyelinating diseases as well as enhancement of the migration, proliferation, and myelin production by oligodendroglia. Using an inducible proteolipid protein (Plp) promoter-driven Cre-loxP recombination system, we were able to assess how timed ablation of Cxcr2 in oligodendroglia affected disease following intracranial infection with the neurotropic JHM strain of mouse hepatitis virus (JHMV). Generation of Plp-Cre-ER(T)::Cxcr2flox/flox transgenic mice (termed Cxcr2-CKO mice) allows for Cxcr2 to be silenced in oligodendrocytes in adult mice following treatment with tamoxifen. Ablation of oligodendroglia Cxcr2 did not influence clinical severity in response to intracranial infection with JHMV. Infiltration of activated T cells or myeloid cells into the central nervous system (CNS) was not affected, nor was the ability to control viral infection. In addition, the severity of demyelination was similar between tamoxifen-treated mice and vehicle-treated controls. Notably, deletion of Cxcr2 resulted in increased remyelination, as assessed by g-ratio (the ratio of the inner axonal diameter to the total outer fiber diameter) calculation, compared to that in vehicle-treated control mice. Collectively, our findings argue that CXCR2 signaling in oligodendroglia is dispensable with regard to contributing to neuroinflammation, but its deletion enhances remyelination in a preclinical model of the human demyelinating disease multiple sclerosis (MS).IMPORTANCE Signaling through the chemokine receptor CXCR2 in oligodendroglia is important for developmental myelination in rodents, while chemical inhibition or nonspecific genetic deletion of CXCR2 appears to augment myelin repair in animal models of the human demyelinating disease multiple sclerosis (MS). To better understand the biology of CXCR2 signaling on oligodendroglia, we generated transgenic mice in which Cxcr2 is selectively ablated in oligodendroglia upon treatment with tamoxifen. Using a viral model of neuroinflammation and demyelination, we demonstrate that genetic silencing of CXCR2 on oligodendroglia did not affect clinical disease, neuroinflammation, or demyelination, yet there was increased remyelination. These findings support and extend previous findings suggesting that targeting CXCR2 may offer a therapeutic avenue for enhancing remyelination in patients with demyelinating diseases

Differential effects of altered patterns of movement and strain on joint cell behaviour and skeletal morphogenesis

SummaryObjectiveThere is increasing evidence that joint shape is a potent predictor of osteoarthritis (OA) risk; yet the cellular events underpinning joint morphogenesis remain unclear. We sought to develop a genetically tractable animal model to study the events controlling joint morphogenesis.DesignZebrafish larvae were subjected to periods of flaccid paralysis, rigid paralysis or hyperactivity. Immunohistochemistry and transgenic reporters were used to monitor changes to muscle and cartilage. Finite Element Models were generated to investigate the mechanical conditions of rigid paralysis. Principal component analysis was used to test variations in skeletal morphology and metrics for shape, orientation and size were applied to describe cell behaviour.ResultsWe show that flaccid and rigid paralysis and hypermobility affect cartilage element and joint shape. We describe differences between flaccid and rigid paralysis in regions showing high principal strain upon muscle contraction. We identify that altered shape and high strain occur in regions of cell differentiation and we show statistically significant changes to cell maturity occur in these regions in paralysed and hypermobile zebrafish.ConclusionWhile flaccid and rigid paralysis and hypermobility affect skeletal morphogenesis they do so in subtly different ways. We show that some cartilage regions are unaffected in conditions such as rigid paralysis where static force is applied, whereas joint morphogenesis is perturbed by both flaccid and rigid paralysis; suggesting that joints require dynamic movement for accurate morphogenesis. A better understanding of how biomechanics impacts skeletal cell behaviour will improve our understanding of how foetal mechanics shape the developing joint