21st-century scholarship and Wikipedia

Wikipedia, the world’s fifth most-used Web site, is a good illustration of the growing credibility of online resources. In his article in Ariadne earlier this year, “Wikipedia: Reflections on Use and Academic Acceptance”, Brian Whalley described the debates around accuracy and review, in the context of geology. He concluded that ‘If Wikipedia is the first port of call, as it already seems to be, for information requirement traffic, then there is a commitment to build on Open Educational Resources (OERs) of various kinds and improve their quality.’ In a similar approach to the Geological Society event that Whalley describes, Sarah Fahmy of JISC worked with Wikimedia and the British Library on a World War One (WWI) Editathon. There is a rich discourse about the way that academics relate to Wikipedia

Rapid Cooling of Eastern Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) Using an On-Board Icing Unit to Slow the Growth of Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Oyster harvesting is a major industry along the Eastern and Gulf coasts of the United States. Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) spawn when the waters start to warm between May and October in the Gulf of Mexico. The warmer temperature creates a problem with an increase of bacteria. The two major bacteria affecting the oyster industry are Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. These bacteria are the leading causes of seafood-borne illnesses in the United States. This increase of V. vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus has led to stricter time/temperature requirements for harvesting oysters. The regulations are not plausible for smaller vessels too small to hold a refrigeration unit. Chilling the oysters to lower Vibrio levels using an on-board icing unit was proposed for further investigation. The oysters were tested for V. vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus at each stage along with tested for gaping after 7 and 14 days in refrigerated storage. This experiment was conducted in May, July, and September 2015. The results will help advance the use of triploid oysters as viable options for the oyster industry during the spawning of diploid oysters. The total Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus results were log10 transformed to compare the treated and controlled data for all three months. The data was run through a mixed procedure in SAS 9.4. The V. parahaemolyticus showed a significant difference in the sampling months (p\u3c.001) but not a difference in the treatments (p=0.4715). The differences in the Vibrio vulnificus sampling months were significant (p\u3c0.001) but not the treatments (p=0.2617). Pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus was not flourishing in this area. A difference could not be found in the months or treatment because of the low amounts of bacteria. The gaping data was significantly different between the iced and controlled oyster sacks (p\u3c.001) along with the sampling months (p=.0014). Further work is needed to improve this design and process

Artificial intron technology to generate conditional knock-out mice

Genetic engineering has been re-shaped by the invention of new tools in modern biotechnology in a way that offers precision and efficiency in modifying the genome at a single nucleotide level and/or allowing precise control of gene expression. Such gene manipulation brings about significant findings and revelations in comprehending more about embryonic development, cellular and physiological functions, and disease pathology. Current methods used to produce conditional knockouts have limitations on conditional allele placement and modification varies among genes in different organisms. Thus, a system for generating conditional alleles with fidelity remains a challenge. My goal was to examine an approach for generating conditional inactivation of targeted genes that uses a small standardized intron that should be easily introduced using CRISPR/Cas9 methodology. I tested the DECAI (DEgradation based on Cre-regulated- Artificial Intron) artificial intron technology, designed by Dr. Tilmann Burckstummer of Horizon Discovery Ltd., in Vienna Austria, in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC). Given similarities of the splicing machinery between human and mouse, I expected that the artificial intron components would successfully produce conditional alleles of mouse genes. This intron is designed with loxP sites flanking the branch point sequence, removal of which will abrogate splicing and expose translational stop sequences. This small cassette was inserted into the 5’ portion of the coding region of the Neomycin resistance gene (NeoR) and this construct was randomly integrated into mouse ES cells. To test its utility for gene inactivation, a Hygromycin resistance plasmid containing Cre- recombinase was introduced into the intron-containing mESCs. A plus/minus screen for Neomycin resistance was performed and Sanger based sequencing was done to identify whether a conditional knock-out had been generated. My results show that the NeoR gene and the artificial intron remained intact and conditional gene inactivation did not occur. However, with thorough investigation of the gene of interest and splicing requirements, this artificial intron technology has potential for practical use in various model systems

SKIP-DRAG-FALL

This paper examines work from my Unsettled Attachments series, sculptural explorations, and the participatory experiences connected to their making. The Unsettled Attachments series involves ongoing enactments. Household items are moved in public spaces and then photographed as a gesture of inquiry into spatial recognitions and various peculiarities. Through a method of practice-based research that involves performative collaboration (joint authorship) and interactive public performance, my research-creation work grapples with queerness, failure, desire, and the entanglements of participatory engagement

“Write What You Know” (Twain): How to Write a Practical Journal Article

The Journal of Solution Focused Practices (JSFP) seeks manuscript submissions written with the practitioner in mind. Unfortunately, there are few resources informing authors on how to go about this kind of writing. The authors of this article have brought together resources from various disciplines to create guidelines that are easy to follow and adhere to the submission guidelines for JSFP. We also explore ways one can make a manuscript more relevant to an international audience and include tips for writing well

Addressing the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Cultural Competency Gap in Genetic Counseling: A Curriculum Pilot Study

Previous studies have reported that 90.1% of genetic counselors know they have counseled a patient who identifies as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender (LGBT). Since unique health disparities exist within the LGBT population, studies have found significant benefit to LGBT patient care curriculum in medical training programs. Of genetic counselors surveyed in past studies, few (17%) had received LGBT specific training and most (61%) desired such training. This information suggests a need for LGBT topics to be implemented into the education of genetic counselors. This study tests this hypothesis by development, implementation and assessment of a replicable LGBT curriculum that was observed by 21 students currently enrolled in a genetic counseling training program. The curriculum was developed by review of literature regarding present LGBT issues in health care and genetic counseling, as well as methods of teaching cultural competency. The curriculum was assessed using participant completion of the adapted Sexual Orientation Counselor Competency Scale (SOCCS) pre- and post-curriculum observation. The SOCCS allowed for assessment of the change in sexual orientation competency of genetic counseling students in the areas of knowledge, attitudes and skills due to this curriculum. Additionally, a Knowledge-Based Survey specific to genetic counseling was used to further assess the benefits. The curriculum developed as a result of this study was shown to improve participants’ total sexual orientation competency, knowledge and skills on providing genetic counseling to the LGBT population. Students reported that they believed the curriculum would serve as a useful reference in their careers and were, on average, overall satisfied with the content and presentation of content. Additional findings and methods for implementation and adaptation for use in future genetic counseling trainings are presented

The Passagassawakeag Rail Trail, Belfast, Maine

Maine Geological Survey, Geologic Facts and Localities, Circular GFL-224https://digitalmaine.com/mgs_publications/1515/thumbnail.jp

MEMS 411: Dog Mobility Aid

Henry, an 8-year-old dog, suffers from an angular limb deformity. We created a mobility aid for Henry to improve his quality of life. This device functions similarly to a crutch attached to the affected arm to eliminate compressive forces on his metacarpals