Catching Up to Move Forward: A Computer Science Education Landscape Report of Hawai‘i Public Schools, 2017–2020

A Computer Science Education Landscape Report of Hawai‘i Public Schools, 2017–2020This report is a computer science education landscape report and presents results of a study conducted by the Curriculum Research & Development Group in the College of Education at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa on behalf of the Hawai‘i Department of Education (HIDOE) in 2020. The purpose of the report is to examine the landscape of public school K–12 computer science education in Hawai‘i, particularly after the passing of Act 51 (HRS 302A-323). Results here are based on analysis of data from the Hawai‘i State Department of Education (HIDOE) and national data systems; data from a HIDOE survey of 492 K–12 educators and administrators; and 5 follow-up sets of interviews with educators, administrators, industry partners, and the state computer science education team. Key findings include the following: - a rapid increase of computer science activities between 2017 and 2020; - a total 33 public high schools and 11 combination schools offering computer science courses, which is 100% of high schools; - an increase of 89.6% for AP CS Principles and 28.7% for AP CS A from SY 2017–18 to SY 2018–19 exam takers; - an increase from 6.8% to 22.7% of Title I schools that offered AP CS courses from SY 2017–18 to SY 2019–20; - a need for a process of feedback and support for computer science education activities; - a high percentage of schools using programs like Code.org and Scratch; - minimal to no change in the proportion of participation by girls, Native Hawaiian students, and other underrepresented minorities in formal course enrollment; - an increase in girls’ participation in AP CS exam taking, but not in the overall proportion of CS course enrollment; - an increase in the presence of computer science opportunities in Title I schools; - a tension of time needed to implement computer science education and other initiatives; - a lack of incorporation of elements of the HĀ framework; and - a high number of ESSA highly-qualified teachers, but a low number of teachers licensed in computer science. The intent of the authors is to provide - a comparison of Hawai‘i to national computer science education trends; - a description of the current K–12 computer science opportunities in Hawai‘i public schools; - a broad report of the research results from survey, interview, and document data; and - a set of recommendations for addressing the local issues that this data uncovers. Recommendations include - maintaining continuity and sustainability of CS Initiatives; - creating additional subsidies for AP examinations; - establishing common language around computer science education; - developing pathways toward computer science college majors and careers; - creating effective supports for teachers; - rethinking traditional teaching models; and - committing to equity and access.Developed for the Hawai‘i Department of Education under MOA D20-111 CO-20089. The contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Hawai‘i Department of Education and should not be viewed as endorsed by the state government

Determination of Elastic Constants by Line-Focus V(Z) Measurements of Multiple Saw Modes

Line focus acoustic microscopy (LFAM) provides a method to determine the elastic constants of homogeneous materials and thin-film/substrate configurations, see Refs. [1–5]. The elastic constants are determined from the velocities of surface acoustic waves, which are obtained from measurement of the V(z) curve. Generally more than one elastic constant has to be determined. It is interesting to note that the procurement of sufficient data is sometimes more complicated for isotropic materials. For anisotropic solids the velocity can be measured as a function of the angle defining the propagation direction in the surface to yield a sufficiently large data set. For thin-film/substrate configurations measurements at various frequencies or for different film thickness may be carried out to obtain sufficient data. There are, however, obvious advantages to work with a single specimen and at a single frequency. This can be done by considering the contributions of more than one leaky SAW mode to the V(z) curve

Canagliflozin and renal outcomes in type 2 diabetes and nephropathy

BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of kidney failure worldwide, but few effective long-term treatments are available. In cardiovascular trials of inhibitors of sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2), exploratory results have suggested that such drugs may improve renal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS In this double-blind, randomized trial, we assigned patients with type 2 diabetes and albuminuric chronic kidney disease to receive canagliflozin, an oral SGLT2 inhibitor, at a dose of 100 mg daily or placebo. All the patients had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of 30 to <90 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 of body-surface area and albuminuria (ratio of albumin [mg] to creatinine [g], >300 to 5000) and were treated with renin–angiotensin system blockade. The primary outcome was a composite of end-stage kidney disease (dialysis, transplantation, or a sustained estimated GFR of <15 ml per minute per 1.73 m2), a doubling of the serum creatinine level, or death from renal or cardiovascular causes. Prespecified secondary outcomes were tested hierarchically. RESULTS The trial was stopped early after a planned interim analysis on the recommendation of the data and safety monitoring committee. At that time, 4401 patients had undergone randomization, with a median follow-up of 2.62 years. The relative risk of the primary outcome was 30% lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group, with event rates of 43.2 and 61.2 per 1000 patient-years, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59 to 0.82; P=0.00001). The relative risk of the renal-specific composite of end-stage kidney disease, a doubling of the creatinine level, or death from renal causes was lower by 34% (hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.81; P<0.001), and the relative risk of end-stage kidney disease was lower by 32% (hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.86; P=0.002). The canagliflozin group also had a lower risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.95; P=0.01) and hospitalization for heart failure (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.47 to 0.80; P<0.001). There were no significant differences in rates of amputation or fracture. CONCLUSIONS In patients with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, the risk of kidney failure and cardiovascular events was lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group at a median follow-up of 2.62 years

Faktory riska razvitiya i puti profilaktiki kontrastindutsirovannoy nefropatii pri provedenii koronarnoy angiografii u bol'nykh sakharnym diabetom 2 tipa

Цель. Определение маркеров риска развития КИН, а также разработка эффективных мер профилактики почечной дисфункции при проведении контрастных процедур у больных СД 2. Материалы и методы. Для оценки частоты КИН и определения факторов риска ее развития при проведении КАГ был проведен ретроспективный анализ данных 151 пациента с СД 2 и 50 пациентов без диабета, подвергшихся данной процедуре в период между 2000 и 2007 годами. Резульататы. Частота КИН во всей популяции госпитализированных больных составила 34,3%. КИН значительно чаще развивалась в группе больных СД 2 по сравнению с пациентами без СД. Полученные данные подтверждают роль СД как фактора риска развития КИН. При сравнении пациентов с СД 2 с КИН и без КИН не было выявлено значимых отличий в возрасте, СКФ, исходном уровне креатинина, протеинурии, гемоглобина крови. Заключение. Контрастиндуцированная нефропатия после проведения коронарографии чаще развивается у лиц с СД 2, чем у лиц того же возраста без СД при сопоставимом исходном уровне почечной функции, дозе контрастного препарата и сходном режиме гидратации. Факторами риска развития контрастиндуцированной нефропатии у больных СД 2 являются: анемия, высокая доза контрастного препарата, сердечная недостаточность III?IV класса по NYHA, прием диуретиков в перипроцедурный период, множественное поражение коронарных сосудов, необходимость проведения серьезных интервенционных вмешательств

Ablation of Glutaredoxin-1 Modulates House Dust Mite-Induced Allergic Airways Disease in Mice

Protein S-glutathionylation (PSSG) is an oxidant-induced post-translational modification of protein cysteines that impacts structure and function. The oxidoreductase glutaredoxin-1 (Glrx1) under physiological conditions catalyzes deglutathionylation and restores the protein thiol group. The involvement of Glrx1/PSSG in allergic inflammation induced by asthma-relevant allergens remains unknown. In the present study, we examined the impact of genetic ablation of Glrx1 in the pathogenesis of house dust mite (HDM)-induced allergic airways disease in mice. Wild-type (WT) or Glrx1(−/−) mice were instilled intranasally with HDM on 5 consecutive days for 3 weeks. As expected, overall PSSG was increased in Glrx1(−/−) HDM mice as compared with WT animals. Total cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were similarly increased in HDM-treated WT and Glrx1(−/−) mice. However, in response to HDM, mice lacking Glrx1 demonstrated significantly more neutrophils and macrophages but fewer eosinophils as compared with HDM-exposed WT mice. mRNA expression of the Th2-associated cytokines IL-13 and IL-6, as well as mucin-5AC (Muc5ac), was significantly attenuated in Glrx1(−/−) HDM-treated mice. Conversely, mRNA expression of IFN-γ and IL-17A was increased in Glrx1(−/−) HDM mice compared with WT littermates. Restimulation of single-cell suspensions isolated from lungs or spleens with HDM resulted in enhanced IL-17A and decreased IL-5 production in cells derived from inflamed Glrx1(−/−) mice compared with WT animals. Finally, HDM-induced tissue damping and elastance were significantly attenuated in Glrx1(−/−) mice compared with WT littermates. These results demonstrate that the Glrx1–PSSG axis plays a pivotal role in HDM-induced allergic airways disease in association with enhanced type 2 inflammation and restriction of IFN-γ and IL-17A

IL-1/inhibitory kappa B kinase epsilon-induced glycolysis augment epithelial effector function and promote allergic airways disease

BACKGROUND: Emerging studies suggest that enhanced glycolysis accompanies inflammatory responses. Virtually nothing is known about the relevance of glycolysis in patients with allergic asthma. OBJECTIVES: We sought to determine whether glycolysis is altered in patients with allergic asthma and to address its importance in the pathogenesis of allergic asthma. METHODS: We examined alterations in glycolysis in sputum samples from asthmatic patients and primary human nasal cells and used murine models of allergic asthma, as well as primary mouse tracheal epithelial cells, to evaluate the relevance of glycolysis. RESULTS: In a murine model of allergic asthma, glycolysis was induced in the lungs in an IL-1-dependent manner. Furthermore, administration of IL-1beta into the airways stimulated lactate production and expression of glycolytic enzymes, with notable expression of lactate dehydrogenase A occurring in the airway epithelium. Indeed, exposure of mouse tracheal epithelial cells to IL-1beta or IL-1alpha resulted in increased glycolytic flux, glucose use, expression of glycolysis genes, and lactate production. Enhanced glycolysis was required for IL-1beta- or IL-1alpha-mediated proinflammatory responses and the stimulatory effects of IL-1beta on house dust mite (HDM)-induced release of thymic stromal lymphopoietin and GM-CSF from tracheal epithelial cells. Inhibitor of kappaB kinase epsilon was downstream of HDM or IL-1beta and required for HDM-induced glycolysis and pathogenesis of allergic airways disease. Small interfering RNA ablation of lactate dehydrogenase A attenuated HDM-induced increases in lactate levels and attenuated HDM-induced disease. Primary nasal epithelial cells from asthmatic patients intrinsically produced more lactate compared with cells from healthy subjects. Lactate content was significantly higher in sputum supernatants from asthmatic patients, notably those with greater than 61% neutrophils. A positive correlation was observed between sputum lactate and IL-1beta levels, and lactate content correlated negatively with lung function. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, these findings demonstrate that IL-1beta/inhibitory kappaB kinase epsilon signaling plays an important role in HDM-induced glycolysis and pathogenesis of allergic airways disease