Set Up for Success: An Examination of the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program\u27s Mentoring Component

Often, individuals are set up to fail. However, effective mentoring can set individuals up to succeed. This nonexperimental cross-sectional, predictive study examines the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program\u27s mentoring component. Specific focus is placed on faculty mentor competency and its impact on McNair student intent to attain a doctoral degree and awareness of graduate school. Cohen\u27s (1993, 1995) Principles of Adult Mentoring Scale-Postsecondary Education Scale is utilized to assess McNair student perceived faculty mentor competency. Carrera\u27s (2002) measures of effectiveness for the McNair Program\u27s mentoring component are also used in this study. Sequential multiple regression is the employed method of analysis. Study results indicate faculty mentor relationship emphasis, information emphasis, and student vision competency scores are statistically significant in predicting McNair student “intent to attain a doctoral degree” (R2 = .106, F [10, 59] = 2.732, p = .008) and “awareness of graduate school” (R2 = .282, F [10, 58] = 4.359, p = .001), when controlling for GPA and parental education levels

Recombinant protein production in Escherichia coli: optimisation of improved protocols

Recombinant protein production (RPP) is a cornerstone of bioprocessing. This study presents novel analytical techniques and production protocols for RPP in E. coli, particularly regarding industrial applications. Flow cytometry (FCM) was used to monitor cell physiology and RPP during production of a fluorescent model protein, CheY::GFP. Further applications of FCM for monitoring RPP were developed: The amyloidophilic dye Congo red was used to identify inclusion bodies produced under high-stress conditions. FCM analysis of transformants on agar plates identified 3 populations of varying fluorescence intensity and the progressive transfer of cells from the high fluorescence population to one of intermediate fluorescence and low culturability. Congo red staining showed this was due to amyloid-inclusion body formation. RPP conditions that minimise physiological stress by reducing temperature and inducer concentration can increase product yields, solubility and biomass yields. The original fermentation protocol used for stress-minimised RPP proved unsuitable for industrial use. Application of stress-minimisation to an industrially-derived protocol using early or late-phase induction and glucose or glycerol as carbon source generated high biomass, total CheY::GFP and soluble CheY::GFP yields. These protocols improved biomass generation, product formation and reproducibility over the original stress-minimised and unmodified industrially-derived protocols and therefore stress-minimisation is of potential industrial use

Use of a stress-minimisation paradigm in high cell density fed-batch Escherichia coli fermentations to optimise recombinant protein production.

Abstract Production of recombinant proteins is an industrially important technique in the biopharmaceutical sector. Many recombinant proteins are problematic to generate in a soluble form in bacteria as they readily form insoluble inclusion bodies. Recombinant protein solubility can be enhanced by minimising stress imposed on bacteria through decreasing growth temperature and the rate of recombinant protein production. In this study, we determined whether these stress-minimisation techniques can be successfully applied to industrially relevant high cell density Escherichia coli fermentations generating a recombinant protein prone to forming inclusion bodies, CheY–GFP. Flow cytometry was used as a routine technique to rapidly determine bacterial productivity and physiology at the single cell level, enabling determination of culture heterogeneity. We show that stress minimisation can be applied to high cell density fermentations (up to a dry cell weight of &amp;gt;70 g L−1) using semi-defined media and glucose or glycerol as carbon sources, and using early or late induction of recombinant protein production, to produce high yields (up to 6 g L−1) of aggregation-prone recombinant protein in a soluble form. These results clearly demonstrate that stress minimisation is a viable option for the optimisation of high cell density industrial fermentations for the production of high yields of difficult-to-produce recombinant proteins, and present a workflow for the application of stress-minimisation techniques in a variety of fermentation protocols.</jats:p

Images from a Historic Building Recording at the Former Convent of Mercy Chapel, 11 Bridge Gate, Derby 2021

This collection comprises images from a historic building recording of the former Convent of Mercy altarpiece and table, and the chapel wall finishes where the altar formerly sat, at 11 Bridge Gate, Derby, undertaken in February 2021, by Archaeological Research Services Ltd, commissioned on behalf of The Institute of Our Lady of Mercy

North Yearle Steadings, Earle, Northumberland. Historic Building Recording (OASIS ID: archaeol5-383376)

In September 2019 Archaeological Research Services Ltd was commissioned to undertake a historic building recording of a complex of traditional farm buildings located to the north east of the hamlet of Earle, Northumberland. In terms of fabric evidence it can be assessed that the farm complex was developed over the course of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries which included upwards of six distinct construction phases. To conclude, the history of the buildings and their development can be summarised as follows. Phase 1 c.1800 The first stone farm buildings (on site today) are in place, the barn and hemmel range being most likely the first. Possibly a separate group of structures are also in situ at the southernmost corner utilising to the water course at this location. Phase 2 c.1866 The main stone-built farm ranges are in place around three central foldyards. Phase 3 c. 1897 A pair of back-to-back shelter sheds are added between the north and centre foldyard. Modernisation of the east range building also takes place, probably to constitute a further cow-house with rear feeding passage. Phase 5 c.1950 Construction of corrugated metal shelter sheds, one contributing a covered foldyard, the other machinery/animal shed outside the centre yard, alongside the northern range. The Dutch barn to the north also supplements the expanded farm yard areas at this time. Phase 6 c.1980 Construction of grain tower and installation of electric conveyer. The barn is given a new corrugated metal roof possibly at this time. There was a change of livestock (or alteration of how these were housed) with the cow-house doorways being fitted with narrow stable doors. The historic building recording of North Yearle Steadings provides a descriptive, drawn and photographic record of the buildings occupying the site and provides a comprehensive preservation by record of the former farm buildings prior to conversion works taking place

Site Data from a Historic Building Recording Survey at Spanish City Theatre, Whitley Bay 2021

This collection comprises images and CAD data from a historic building recording survey at the Spanish City Theatre, Whitley Bay, undertaken by Archaeological Research Services

Critical thinking, metacognition, and epistemological beliefs

The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental research was to explore the effect, should any exist, of adding metacognitive enrichment exercises to classes in which critical thinking is an implicit learning objective. Completed Schommer Epistemological Questionnaires (1994) were collected from 681 pre-test and 469 posttest students at a central Tennessee community college during the span of one semester. The problem was to find a way to enhance critical thinking skills and learning in general. This research represents the first attempt to measure short-term gains in epistemological maturity. The findings demonstrated that adding metacognitive enriching exercises increased the epistemological maturity levels of the students in all four factors measured by the instrument. In two of those factors, the increase was statistically significant. The conclusion is that more research is warranted, but the findings indicate that a focus on metacognitive enrichment can significantly increase a student's personal epistemology and, thereby, the student's critical thinking skills