369 research outputs found
The Role of Faculty in Durable Skills Development in Higher Education
Although Emsi and other market researchers have found that employers desire durable skills (formerly known as “soft skills”) in new hires, there have been few studies dedicated to identifying how faculty perceptions of skill development differ in degree and by area, and how that might impact how such skills are embedded in classroom instruction. This study proposes to investigate the perceptions of faculty from different academic backgrounds and how their disciplines and experiences may contribute to their perceived role in curricular, cocurricular or extracurricular offerings that support durable skill development. Results from the study demonstrate the differing perspectives and expectations of faculty with regards to developing durable skills. Faculty primarily pointed to experiences outside of the classroom to develop and reinforce these skills, including internships, volunteering, student life—athletics and student clubs. Educating faculty on their role in developing skills, as students see those primarily in the classroom, will support career readiness in general
Y Fuse? Sex Chromosome Fusions in Fishes and Reptiles
Chromosomal fusion plays a recurring role in the evolution of adaptations and reproductive isolation among species, yet little is known of the evolutionary drivers of chromosomal fusions. Because sex chromosomes (X and Y in male heterogametic systems, Z and W in female heterogametic systems) differ in their selective, mutational, and demographic environments, those differences provide a unique opportunity to dissect the evolutionary forces that drive chromosomal fusions. We estimate the rate at which fusions between sex chromosomes and autosomes become established across the phylogenies of both fishes and squamate reptiles. Both the incidence among extant species and the establishment rate of Y-autosome fusions is much higher than for X-autosome, Z-autosome, or W-autosome fusions. Using population genetic models, we show that this pattern cannot be reconciled with many standard explanations for the spread of fusions. In particular, direct selection acting on fusions or sexually antagonistic selection cannot, on their own, account for the predominance of Y-autosome fusions. The most plausible explanation for the observed data seems to be (a) that fusions are slightly deleterious, and (b) that the mutation rate is male-biased or the reproductive sex ratio is female-biased. We identify other combinations of evolutionary forces that might in principle account for the data although they appear less likely. Our results shed light on the processes that drive structural changes throughout the genome
The Role of Modality in Developing Durable Skills: Challenges and Experiences of Diverse Student Populations
The efficacy and benefits of various modalities for teaching and learning have been fiercely debated since the pandemic. In general, disciplines that are content-laden and could be taught primarily through passive learning strategies (reading and lecturing) fared better with the transition to distance and online learning. There was great skepticism about the ability to have the same engagement and learning outcomes met in asynchronous design for more applied and interactive disciplines, especially when considering the development of durable skills. Although market researchers have found that employers desire durable skills (formerly “soft skills”), few studies have been dedicated to identifying where, when, and how course modality plays a role in fostering such skill sets. This study proposes to investigate how modality contributes to or inhibits the development of durable skills and identify strategies for addressing challenges that different student populations face given their manner of course participation and attendance while in college. Results from the study indicate that commuters, first-generation, online, and graduate students, given the manner of their engagement with co-curricular and extracurricular activities, are at a disadvantage, requiring new strategies for skills development
Interaction between a galactic disk and a live dark halo with an anisotropic velocity distribution
We have extended previous analytical studies of the interaction of dark halos
with galactic disks by introducing for the halo particles anisotropic
distribution functions in phase space. For this purpose we have employed the
shearing sheet model of a patch of a galactic disk embedded in a homogeneous
halo. We find that velocity anisotropy increases considerably the maximum
growth factor of perturbations in the disk.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure, accepted by Astronomy & Astrophysic
Analysis of salivary transcripts and antigens of the sand fly Phlebotomus arabicus
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Sand fly saliva plays an important role in blood feeding and <it>Leishmania </it>transmission as it was shown to increase parasite virulence. On the other hand, immunity to salivary components impedes the establishment of infection. Therefore, it is most desirable to gain a deeper insight into the composition of saliva in sand fly species which serve as vectors of various forms of leishmaniases. In the present work, we focused on <it>Phlebotomus (Adlerius) arabicus</it>, which was recently shown to transmit <it>Leishmania tropica</it>, the causative agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Israel.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A cDNA library from salivary glands of <it>P. arabicus </it>females was constructed and transcripts were sequenced and analyzed. The most abundant protein families identified were SP15-like proteins, ParSP25-like proteins, D7-related proteins, yellow-related proteins, PpSP32-like proteins, antigen 5-related proteins, and 34 kDa-like proteins. Sequences coding for apyrases, hyaluronidase and other putative secreted enzymes were also represented, including endonuclease, phospholipase, pyrophosphatase, amylase and trehalase. Mass spectrometry analysis confirmed the presence of 20 proteins predicted to be secreted in the salivary proteome. Humoral response of mice bitten by <it>P. arabicus </it>to salivary antigens was assessed and many salivary proteins were determined to be antigenic.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This transcriptomic analysis of <it>P. arabicus </it>salivary glands is the first description of salivary proteins of a sand fly in the subgenus <it>Adlerius</it>. Proteomic analysis of <it>P. arabicus </it>salivary glands produced the most comprehensive account in a single sand fly species to date. Detailed information and phylogenetic relationships of the salivary proteins are provided, expanding the knowledge base of molecules that are likely important factors of sand fly-host and sand fly-<it>Leishmania </it>interactions. Enzymatic and immunological investigations further demonstrate the value of functional transcriptomics in advancing biological and epidemiological research that can impact leishmaniasis.</p
Exploring the sialome of the tick Ixodes scapularis
To attempt description of the set of mRNA and protein (sialome) expressed in the salivary glands of the tick Ixodes scapularis, we randomly sequenced 735 clones of a full-length salivary gland cDNA library of this arthropod and performed Edman degradation of protein bands from salivary gland homogenates (SGH) and saliva separated by SDS-PAGE. The sequences were grouped into 410 clusters, of which 383 are not associated with known I. scapularis sequences. 15- and 17-protein bands from PAGE yielded amino-terminal information on the saliva and salivary gland gels, respectively. We attributed 19 of these sequences to translation products of the cDNA library. Full-length sequences were obtained for 87 clones. Among these protein sequences are several protease inhibitors of distinct classes, metalloproteases, novel proteins with histamine-binding domains, and several peptide families of unknown function displaying different conserved cysteine residues, many of which contain single Kunitz domains. This work provides information into the diversity of messages expressed in the salivary glands of I. scapularis, describes novel sequences that may be responsible for known biological activites, indicates further biological activities that may be present in I. scapularis saliva and identifies novel vaccine targets that may be used in Lyme disease prevention
Tree of Sex: A database of sexual systems
The vast majority of eukaryotic organisms reproduce sexually, yet the nature of the sexual system and the mechanism of sex determination often vary remarkably, even among closely related species. Some species of animals and plants change sex across their lifespan, some contain hermaphrodites as well as males and females, some determine sex with highly differentiated chromosomes, while others determine sex according to their environment. Testing evolutionary hypotheses regarding the causes and consequences of this diversity requires interspecific data placed in a phylogenetic context. Such comparative studies have been hampered by the lack of accessible data listing sexual systems and sex determination mechanisms across the eukaryotic tree of life. Here, we describe a database developed to facilitate access to sexual system and sex chromosome information, with data on sexual systems from 11,038 plant, 705 fish, 173 amphibian, 593 non-avian reptilian, 195 avian, 479 mammalian, and 11,556 invertebrate species
Pulse calibration and non-adiabatic control of solid-state artificial atoms
Transitions in an artificial atom, driven non-adiabatically through an
energy-level avoided crossing, can be controlled by carefully engineering the
driving protocol. We have driven a superconducting persistent-current qubit
with a large-amplitude, radio-frequency field. By applying a bi-harmonic
waveform generated by a digital source, we demonstrate a mapping between the
amplitude and phase of the harmonics produced at the source and those received
by the device. This allows us to image the actual waveform at the device. This
information is used to engineer a desired time dependence, as confirmed by
detailed comparison with simulation.Comment: 4.1 pages, 3 figure
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