Engineering and Engineering Education as Spiritual Vocations

Spirituality and engineering (education) are often kept in separate compartments in our lives. They may slip out occasionally for conversations during ethics classes or service learning projects, but speaking -- and living -- our spiritual/religious values as engineers and engineering educators/researchers is still uneasy territory for many. The spirit of free inquiry and reflection that permeates the liberal arts urges us to integrate our spirituality into the human and natural worlds we inhabit. How do we bring such thinking into the technical realms?In this session, we will describe our personal journeys toward engineering education and how we actively and reflectively integrate our core values and spiritual/religious beliefs and practices into unexpected aspects of our work as engineers, engineering educators, and engineering education researchers. Each facilitator comes from a different faith tradition and technical background. Mel is an open source software hacker rediscovering feminist Catholicism. Julia is a Quaker-Buddhist with a degree in Chemical engineering who worked as a energy consultant for two years. And Cole is a Christian with a degree in industrial engineering who spent over ten years as a minister

Pax7 is requisite for maintenance of a subpopulation of superior collicular neurons and shows a diverging expression pattern to Pax3 during superior collicular development

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Pax7 </it>encodes a transcription factor well-established as an important determinant of mesencephalic identity and superior collicular development. <it>Pax7 </it>mutant mice, however, present with no obvious morphological impairments to the superior colliculus. This finding is paradoxical and has been attributed to functional redundancy afforded by its paralogue <it>Pax3</it>. Here we utilise <it>Pax7 </it>mutant mice to investigate the precise role of this important developmental regulator during superior collicular development and neuronal specification/differentiation. We also assess its spatiotemporal relationship with <it>Pax3 </it>during embryonic development.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Analysis of the superior colliculus of <it>Pax7 </it>mutant and wildtype mice at a variety of developmental timepoints revealed that whilst correct initial specification is maintained, a subpopulation of dorsal mesencephalic neurons is lost at early postnatal stages. Moreover, a comparative analysis of embryonic <it>Pax3 </it>and <it>Pax7 </it>expression profiles indicate that <it>Pax3 </it>expression overlaps extensively with that of <it>Pax7 </it>initially, but their expression domains increasingly diverge as development progresses, coinciding spatiotemporally with neuronal differentiation and maturation of the tissue. Furthermore, <it>Pax3 </it>expression is perturbed within the CNS of embryonic <it>Pax7 </it>mutant mice.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In summary, these results demonstrate that during superior collicular development, <it>Pax7 </it>is required to maintain a subpopulation of dorsal, mesencephalic neurons and partially regulates, spatiotemporally, <it>Pax3 </it>expression within the CNS. The differential nature of <it>Pax7 </it>and <it>Pax3 </it>with respect to neuronal differentiation may have implications for future stem cell therapies aimed at exploiting their developmental capabilities.</p

Factors that contribute to balance and mobility impairments in individuals with Huntington\u27s disease

Mobility and balance problems are common and often debilitating features of Huntington\u27s disease (HD). In this exploratory study we aimed to investigate the influence of disease severity, severity of motor deficits, lower limb muscle strength, cognition, executive function, lean muscle mass and reactivity on mobility and balance.Twenty-two individuals with HD were recruited from the North Metropolitan Area Mental Health Service, Perth, Australia. Pertinent demographic, genetic and disease progression information was recorded prior to testing. Balance was assessed using dynamic and static balance tasks. Mobility was assessed using self-paced and fast-paced mobility measures. Cognitive and executive measures were used to assess verbal learning and memory, information processing speed, attention, response inhibition and cognitive flexibility. Lower limb muscle strength was evaluated by maximal isokinetic and isometric voluntary contractions. Lean tissue mass was quantified using Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Reactivity was measured using Moyart equipment.Univariate and multivariate linear regression statistical models were used to examine the influence of these measures on mobility and balance. Univariate analyses showed that disease severity as well as measures of information processing speed, attention, cognitive flexibility, response inhibition and lower limb strength, were strongly related with mobility and balance. Additionally multivariate analyses showed that disease severity, cognitive flexibility and knee flexion strength together were better able to explain mobility and balance performance than any single measure (50-85%).In conclusion, our preliminary results suggest that as well as disease severity, cognitive and executive impairment and reduced lower limb strength contribute significantly to mobility and balance problems

Factors that contribute to balance and mobility impairments in individuals with Huntington's disease

AbstractMobility and balance problems are common and often debilitating features of Huntington's disease (HD). In this exploratory study we aimed to investigate the influence of disease severity, severity of motor deficits, lower limb muscle strength, cognition, executive function, lean muscle mass and reactivity on mobility and balance.Twenty-two individuals with HD were recruited from the North Metropolitan Area Mental Health Service, Perth, Australia. Pertinent demographic, genetic and disease progression information was recorded prior to testing. Balance was assessed using dynamic and static balance tasks. Mobility was assessed using self-paced and fast-paced mobility measures. Cognitive and executive measures were used to assess verbal learning and memory, information processing speed, attention, response inhibition and cognitive flexibility. Lower limb muscle strength was evaluated by maximal isokinetic and isometric voluntary contractions. Lean tissue mass was quantified using Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Reactivity was measured using Moyart equipment.Univariate and multivariate linear regression statistical models were used to examine the influence of these measures on mobility and balance. Univariate analyses showed that disease severity as well as measures of information processing speed, attention, cognitive flexibility, response inhibition and lower limb strength, were strongly related with mobility and balance. Additionally multivariate analyses showed that disease severity, cognitive flexibility and knee flexion strength together were better able to explain mobility and balance performance than any single measure (50–85%).In conclusion, our preliminary results suggest that as well as disease severity, cognitive and executive impairment and reduced lower limb strength contribute significantly to mobility and balance problems

The effect of multidisciplinary rehabilitation on brain structure and cognition in Huntington\u27s disease: An exploratory study

Background: There is a wealth of evidence detailing gray matter degeneration and loss of cognitive function over time in individuals with Huntington\u27s disease (HD). Efforts to attenuate disease-related brain and cognitive changes have been unsuccessful to date. Multidisciplinary rehabilitation, comprising motor and cognitive intervention, has been shown to positively impact on functional capacity, depression, quality of life and some aspects of cognition in individuals with HD. This exploratory study aimed to evaluate, for the first time, whether multidisciplinary rehabilitation can slow further deterioration of disease-related brain changes and related cognitive deficits in individuals with manifest HD. Methods: Fifteen participants who manifest HD undertook a multidisciplinary rehabilitation intervention spanning 9 months. The intervention consisted of once-weekly supervised clinical exercise, thrice-weekly self-directed home based exercise and fortnightly occupational therapy. Participants were assessed using MR imaging and validated cognitive measures at baseline and after 9 months. Results: Participants displayed significantly increased gray matter volume in the right caudate and bilaterally in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex after 9 months of multidisciplinary rehabilitation. Volumetric increases in gray matter were accompanied by significant improvements in verbal learning and memory (Hopkins Verbal Learning-Test). A significant association was found between gray matter volume increases in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and performance on verbal learning and memory. Conclusions: This study provides preliminary evidence that multidisciplinary rehabilitation positively impacts on gray matter changes and cognitive functions relating to verbal learning and memory in individuals with manifest HD. Larger controlled trials are required to confirm these preliminary findings

Perturbation with Intrabodies Reveals That Calpain Cleavage Is Required for Degradation of Huntingtin Exon 1

Background: Proteolytic processing of mutant huntingtin (mHtt), the protein that causes Huntington's disease (HD), is critical for mHtt toxicity and disease progression. mHtt contains several caspase and calpain cleavage sites that generate N-terminal fragments that are more toxic than full-length mHtt. Further processing is then required for the degradation of these fragments, which in turn, reduces toxicity. This unknown, secondary degradative process represents a promising therapeutic target for HD. Methodology/Principal Findings: We have used intrabodies, intracellularly expressed antibody fragments, to gain insight into the mechanism of mutant huntingtin exon 1 (mHDx-1) clearance. Happ1, an intrabody recognizing the proline-rich region of mHDx-1, reduces the level of soluble mHDx-1 by increasing clearance. While proteasome and macroautophagy inhibitors reduce turnover of mHDx-1, Happ1 is still able to reduce mHDx-1 under these conditions, indicating Happ1-accelerated mHDx-1 clearance does not rely on these processes. In contrast, a calpain inhibitor or an inhibitor of lysosomal pH block Happ1-mediated acceleration of mHDx-1 clearance. These results suggest that mHDx-1 is cleaved by calpain, likely followed by lysosomal degradation and this process regulates the turnover rate of mHDx-1. Sequence analysis identifies amino acid (AA) 15 as a potential calpain cleavage site. Calpain cleavage of recombinant mHDx-1 in vitro yields fragments of sizes corresponding to this prediction. Moreover, when the site is blocked by binding of another intrabody, V_L12.3, turnover of soluble mHDx-1 in living cells is blocked. Conclusions/Significance: These results indicate that calpain-mediated removal of the 15 N-terminal AAs is required for the degradation of mHDx-1, a finding that may have therapeutic implications

Priority species to support the functional integrity of coral reefs

Ecosystem-based management on coral reefs has historically focussed on biodiversity conservation through the establishment of marine reserves, but it is increasingly recognised that a subset of species can be key to the maintenance of ecosystem processes and functioning. Specific provisions for these key taxa are essential to biodiversity conservation and resilience-based adaptive management. While a wealth of literature addresses ecosystem functioning on coral reefs, available information covers only a subset of specific taxa, ecological processes and environmental stressors. What is lacking is a comparative assessment across the diverse range of coral reef species to synthesise available knowledge to inform science and management. Here we employed expert elicitation coupled with a literature review to generate the first comprehensive assessment of 70 taxonomically diverse and functionally distinct coral reef species from microbes to top predators to summarise reef functioning. Although our synthesis is largely through the lens of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, a particularly data-rich system, it is relevant to coral reefs in general. We use this assessment to evaluate which taxa drive processes that maintain a healthy reef and whether management of these taxa is considered a priority (i.e. are they vulnerable?) or is feasible (i.e. can they be managed?). Scientific certainty was scored to weight our recommendations, particularly when certainty was low. We use five case studies to highlight critical gaps in knowledge that limit our understanding of ecosystem functioning. To inform the development of novel management strategies and research objectives, we identify taxa that support positive interactions and enhance ecosystem performance, including those where these roles are currently underappreciated. We conclude that current initiatives effectively capture many priority taxa but that there is significant room to increase opportunities for underappreciated taxa in both science and management to maximally safeguard coral reef functioning

Embodying compassion: A virtual reality paradigm for overcoming excessive self-criticism

Virtual reality has been successfully used to study and treat psychological disorders such as phobias and posttraumatic stress disorder but has rarely been applied to clinically-relevant emotions other than fear and anxiety. Self-criticism is a ubiquitous feature of psychopathology and can be treated by increasing levels of self-compassion. We exploited the known effects of identification with a virtual body to arrange for healthy female volunteers high in self-criticism to experience self-compassion from an embodied first-person perspective within immersive virtual reality. Whereas observation and practice of compassionate responses reduced self-criticism, the additional experience of embodiment also increased self-compassion and feelings of being safe. The results suggest potential new uses for immersive virtual reality in a range of clinical conditions.N/

Chapter 5 Priority Species to Support the Functional Integrity of Coral Reefs

Ecosystem-based management on coral reefs has historically focused on biodiversity conservation through the establishment of marine reserves, but it is increasingly recognised that a subset of species can be key to the maintenance of ecosystem processes and functioning. Specific provisions for these key taxa are essential to biodiversity conservation and resilience-based adaptive management. While a wealth of literature addresses ecosystem functioning on coral reefs, available information covers only a subset of specific taxa, ecological processes and environmental stressors. What is lacking is a comparative assessment across the diverse range of coral reef species to synthesise available knowledge to inform science and management. Here we employed expert elicitation coupled with a literature review to generate the first comprehensive assessment of 70 taxonomically diverse and functionally distinct coral reef species from microbes to top predators to summarise reef functioning. Although our synthesis is largely through the lens of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, a particularly data-rich system, it is relevant to coral reefs in general. We use this assessment to evaluate which taxa drive processes that maintain a healthy reef, and whether or not management of these taxa is considered a priority (i.e. are they vulnerable?) or is feasible (i.e. can they be managed?). Scientific certainty was scored to weight our recommendations, particularly when certainty was low. We use five case studies to highlight critical gaps in knowledge that limit our understanding of ecosystem functioning. To inform the development of novel management strategies and research objectives, we identify taxa that support positive interactions and enhance ecosystem performance, including those where these roles are currently underappreciated. We conclude that current initiatives effectively capture many priority taxa, but that there is significant room to increase opportunities for underappreciated taxa in both science and management to maximally safeguard coral reef functioning