Comparison of Provisions from Colorado's Blue Ribbon Commission for Health Care Reform and Federal Health Care Reform

A new issue brief commissioned by The Colorado Trust, and authored by the two lead staff members of the Colorado's Blue Ribbon Commission on Healthcare Reform (the 208 Commission), Tracy L. Johnson, PhD, Health Policy Solutions and Sarah Schulte, MHSA, Schulte Consulting, shows that there is significant agreement between our state's recommendations and the new federal law

Acetylation by the Transcriptional Coactivator Gcn5 Plays a Novel Role in Co-Transcriptional Spliceosome Assembly

In the last several years, a number of studies have shown that spliceosome assembly and splicing catalysis can occur co-transcriptionally. However, it has been unclear which specific transcription factors play key roles in coupling splicing to transcription and the mechanisms through which they act. Here we report the discovery that Gcn5, which encodes the histone acetyltransferase (HAT) activity of the SAGA complex, has genetic interactions with the genes encoding the heterodimeric U2 snRNP proteins Msl1 and Lea1. These interactions are dependent upon the HAT activity of Gcn5, suggesting a functional relationship between Gcn5 HAT activity and Msl1/Lea1 function. To understand the relationship between Gcn5 and Msl1/Lea1, we carried out an analysis of Gcn5's role in co-transcriptional recruitment of Msl1 and Lea1 to pre-mRNA and found that Gcn5 HAT activity is required for co-transcriptional recruitment of the U2 snRNP (and subsequent snRNP) components to the branchpoint, while it is not required for U1 recruitment. Although previous studies suggest that transcription elongation can alter co-transcriptional pre-mRNA splicing, we do not observe evidence of defective transcription elongation for these genes in the absence of Gcn5, while Gcn5-dependent histone acetylation is enriched in the promoter regions. Unexpectedly, we also observe Msl1 enrichment in the promoter region for wild-type cells and cells lacking Gcn5, indicating that Msl1 recruitment during active transcription can occur independently of its association at the branchpoint region. These results demonstrate a novel role for acetylation by SAGA in co-transcriptional recruitment of the U2 snRNP and recognition of the intron branchpoint

Dopaminergic modulation of the autonomic nervous system: in vitro and in vivo evidence from the mouse

Central nervous system (CNS) function depends on both the connections between the underlying neurons and neural circuits and their activity. Neuronal activity in turn can be classified as neurotransmission and neuromodulation, where neuromodulation serves as a means to adapt neurotransmission to the different behavioral needs of the animal. Here, using the well-described monosynaptic stretch reflex (MSR) spinal circuit as a tool, we compared in the in vitro mouse spinal cord preparation the modulatory actions of DA in spinal lumbar segments that mediate somatosensory input and locomotor output with segments that additionally house the final common output of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). As the ANS contributes to the activation of the cardiac system and as a dysfunction of the DA system and the DA D3 receptor is associated with an increased prevalence of hypertension, we next addressed the potential role of DA modulation on the ANS in vivo, and in particular its role in hypertension and with age.   In the first part of this thesis, we provide evidence that DA exerts opposing modulatory effects in ANS-containing segments when compared to segments void of ANS innervation and that this switch in DA modulation in the thoracic spinal cord is reversed by gap junction blockers.  In the second part of the study, we show that aging-related increases in blood pressure and cardiac function in control wild-type (WT) animals were accompanied by bradycardia in the oldest animals. Interestingly, young D3 receptor knockout (D3KO) mice displayed blood pressure and heart rate values that were significantly increased over their age-matched WT controls but similar to those of the old WT group. Ultrasound echocardiography revealed aging-related increases in heart ventricle size in WT animals, but no similar changes in D3KO. In contrast, functional analyses revealed that ejection fraction and fractional shortening were compromised in old WT animals and similar to young D3KO mice. Subsequent histological assays demonstrated an aging-related interstitial fibrosis that peaked in old WT and that was similar to old WT in young D3KO mice.  Taken together, our data suggest that DA-mediated neuromodulatory actions of spinal cord circuits are dependent on the underlying spinal circuitry, and they suggest that a dysfunction of the D3 receptor pathway is sufficient to mimic the increased hypertension and cardiac remodeling observed in the aging heart.  M.S

Elementary preservice teachers' mathematical knowledge for teaching: using situated case studies and educative experiences to examine and improve the development of MKT in teacher education

This study examined pre-service teachers' development of mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) over their final year in a university based teacher education program. This was done through analyzing written reflections, focus group interviews, individual interviews, teaching observations, and post-observation interviews as well as through the use of a quantitative measure, the MKT test. The study design employed situated case studies, in which tiered participation resulted in extensive data for three focal pre-service teachers as well as a comparison to larger groups of their peers through interviews (n=8), focus groups (n=11), and written reflections and the MKT test (n=35). A new protocol for coding elementary pre-service teachers' mathematics lessons was developed to extend Rowland et al''s work on the Knowledge Quartet (KQ) model. The study investigated pre-service teachers' definitions of MKT, demonstrations of MKT in their teaching, and educative experiences that contributed to their development of MKT. Insights were gained into pre-service teachers' definitions of MKT, the development of which was dynamic, non-linear, individual, and shared similarities to the aggregate definition only at the end of the year. The KQ category of foundation tended to dominate the pre-service teachers' definitions of MKT, the transformation category remained vague, connection was an inconsistent category in their definition, and contingency arose late in the year and at a relatively small proportion. Insights were also gained into pre-service teachers' demonstration of MKT in their teaching of mathematics. Dimensions of MKT were most often demonstrated at a minimum level, growth on a dimension as indicated by scores that improved over time was extremely rare, scores were more variable than predicted across the four observed lessons, and the connection category was particularly challenging. This study used the theoretical lenses of cognitive views of learning and Dewey's philosophy of educative experiences. These foundations enhanced this study and led to more substantial suggestions by which to improve teacher education in order to better develop pre-service teachers' development of MKT through the methods course, initial field placements, student teaching and content-based discussion groups such that pre-service teachers' can better develop MKT via educative experiences that encourage conceptual rather than procedural teaching knowledge

Can You Borrow From an Already Borrowed From Number? Insights into Second Graders’ Knowledge of Place Value

This purpose of this study is to provide insights about end-of-the year second graders' knowledge of place value and its application in solving two- and three-digit addition and subtraction problems. Twenty-two students in two schools in the same district in rural North Carolina were interviewed using a qualitative, structured, task-based interview. The tasks addressed number combinations, use of ten as a composite unit, conservation of quantity for grouped objects, incrementing on and off the decade by tens with and without physical representations of quantities, two- and three-digit addition and subtraction problems, and understanding of algorithmic procedures. The findings of this study indicate that students' strategy selection is largely algorithm-dependent, and students appear to have stronger procedural knowledge than conceptual understanding of the standard algorithm. Students had more difficulty procedurally and conceptually with subtraction than addition. This study also found that students' highest known number combination may relate to their overall level of base-ten knowledge. Finally, the interview protocol used to assess students' place value knowledge appears to provide comprehensive data for assessing levels of knowledge

Revisiting an Integrated Health Informatics and Technology Curriculum Model

The shortage of health information technology workforce is quite significant in the health industry. The traditional education approach may not be effective enough to train college students to be an HIT workforce that requires both academic knowledge and extensive hands-on experiences in both healthcare and information technology. This paper presents an Integrated Health Informatics and Technology Curriculum Model to collapse the campus boundaries between regional Intermediate School Districts, Community Colleges, and a Four-Year health informatics and information management program to support expedited education with sufficient hands-on experiences in health informatics and technology. This model has been pilot tested by the Health Informatics and Information management Program at Western Michigan University. Early findings are very positive. More study and promotion of this curriculum model shall be continued

Evidence for strain-specific exometabolomic responses of the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi to grazing by the dinoflagellate oxyrrhis marina

© The Author(s), 2016. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Frontiers in Marine Science 3 (2016): 1, doi:10.3389/fmars.2016.00001.The coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi forms massive blooms and plays a critical role in global elemental cycles, sequestering significant amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide on geological time scales via production of calcium carbonate coccoliths and emitting dimethyl sulfoniopropionate (DMSP), which has the potential for increasing atmosph-eric albedo. Because grazing in pelagic systems is a major top-down force structuring microbial communities, the influence of grazers on E. huxleyi populations has been of interest to researchers. Roles of DMSP (and related metabolites) in interactions between E. huxleyi and protist grazers have been investigated, however, little is known about the release of other metabolites that may influence, or be influenced by, such grazing interactions. We used high-resolution mass spectrometry in an untargeted approach to survey the suite of low molecular weight compounds released by four different E. huxleyi strains in response to grazing by the dinoflagellate Oxyrrhis marina. Overall, a strikingly small number of metabolites were detected from E. huxleyi and O. marina cells, but these were distinctly informative to construct metabolic footprints. At most, E. huxleyi strains shared 25% of released metabolites. Furthermore, there appeared to be no unified metabolic response in E. huxleyi strains to grazing; rather, these responses were strain specific. Concentrations of several metabolites also positively correlated with grazer activities, including grazing, ingestion, and growth rates; however, no single metabolite responded uniformly across all strains of E. huxleyi tested. Regardless, grazing clearly transformed the constituents of dissolved organic matter produced by these marine microbes. This study addresses several technical challenges, and presents a platform to further study the influence of chemical cues in aquatic systems and demonstrates the impact of strain diversity and grazing on the complexity of dissolved organic matter in marine systems.Funding for this work was provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Grant #3301 awarded to A Vardi, BAS. Van Mooy, K Bidle, MJ, and TM. Additional funding for this work was provided by an award from the Flatley Discovery Lab to TM

Women and BIPOC in Aerospace: Where Did They Come From and How Did They Get Here?

The low number of women and black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) compared to their population, is well-documented in engineering, engineering technology, and other STEM fields. Through this and ancillary documentation there is agreement that increasing the numbers of women and other minorities in these areas will enhance productivity and the breadth of new innovation. Many efforts have been made to increase the number of women and BIPOC in STEM fields. The result of those efforts has been disappointing as they have resulted in minimal growth in engineering and virtual stagnation in other areas of STEM. The aviation and aerospace industries are facing significant difficulties in filling technical positions for people with STEM credentials. One may argue that current conditions create a slowdown in the demand for people in these positions; however, the current slowdown in aerospace provides time to further develop the pipeline to be ready for the expected resurgence of need in this area. To meet this demand, targeted efforts need to be designed and implemented to attract, educate, employ, and retain these highly skilled women and the BIPOC demographic. Since these groups are historically underrepresented in STEM, an added opportunity to bridge the population gap in fields such as those identified in the aerospace industry. This study aims to review the existing research on why women and BIPOC enter technical fields, the challenges they find, what makes them stay or leave, and what are some of the alternative pathways to increase the population of women and BIPOC in the aerospace industry