Perceived Effectiveness of Assessments Used in Online Courses in Western North Carolina Community Colleges.

The purpose of this study was to determine the most appropriate methods of assessment for online courses. Internet instructors were surveyed and asked which methods of assessment they use in the online courses that they teach and how effective they perceive those methods to be in determining if the learning objectives have been met for the course(s) that they teach online. The findings of this study indicated that there is a difference between some academic disciplines in relation to the type of assessment methods being used in online courses. There is a difference in perceived effectiveness of assessment methods among the individual instructors surveyed. The most effective means of assessment as determined by the survey results is individual projects. The least effective method of assessment as determined by the survey results is self-assessment. The study\u27s results confirmed that objective testing is not considered the most effective method of assessment; however, several instructors still use this method because of time constraints. The study\u27s results confirmed that a variety of assessment methods need to be used within each Internet course to determine the effectiveness of the course. Surprisingly, there was no difference in the assessment methods being used by those instructors who received training and those who did not. This conclusion could be because the training received by most online instructors was in Blackboard and/or technology and not assessment methods. There is a difference in the number of types of assessment being used by online instructors. The survey data indicated that there was not a difference in assessment methods being used by instructors who have taught for more than three years as compared to instructors who have taught three or fewer years. The study indicated that there is a difference in some of the types of assessments being used by instructors who teach more than one Internet course per year. Not surprisingly, instructors who have a large number of students and/or course sections resort to objective testing methods only because they do not have time to grade alternative assessment formats

Women’s experiences of gestational breast cancer and their interactions with the health care system: a scoping review

Aim: To report the evidence of women's experiences following a diagnosis of gestational breast cancer (GBC) and their interactions with the healthcare system. Design: A systematic scoping review. Data Sources: This scoping review systematically searched Medline, CINAHL, Psych INFO, EMBASE and SCOPUS, in addition to six grey literature databases in October 2021. A 2020 PRISMA flow diagram depicting the flow of information. Review Methods: Guided by six steps in Arksey and OMalley's Framework (2005). One researcher completed the literature review, and four independently screened the titles and abstracts related to the eligibility criteria. Results: Totalling 25 articles, these studies comprise 2 quantitative, 20 qualitative, 1 mixed-method and 2 other documents, a book and debate. Thematic analysis was guided by Braun and Clarke (2006) to identify an overarching theme of adjustment that underpinned women's narratives and was reinforced by four major and several minor themes. The four major themes were: psychological impact, motherhood, treatment and communication. The relationship between the themes contextualizes the enormous complexity concerning women's experiences with GBC. Conclusion: Cancer management for GBC is complex and multifaceted. At a time of conflicting emotions for women, Multidisciplinary teams are well placed to provide support, normalize the woman's experience of motherhood, demonstrate an understanding of treatment effects, and communicate in a considerate and empathetic manner with information that is timely and relevant. GBC management involves doctors, nurses, midwives and many other healthcare professionals, which can add to the impost of diagnosis. Impact: This scoping review contributes to a better understanding of women's experience of GBC. The results may inform improvements in the support and communication for these women with GBC and their families

Successful Staff Retention Strategies for Small Businesses in the Childcare Sector

Employee turnover is a significant issue for many organizations since it frequently results in more extraordinary training expenses, poor performance, and low morale, negatively affecting the bottom line. Small business owners in the childcare industry are especially concerned about employee turnover because it results in the loss of skilled workers and harms children\u27s well-being and educational experiences. Grounded in Vroom’s expectancy theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies childcare business owners use to reduce employee turnover. Participants were five business owners in the childcare sector that implemented retention techniques. Interviews with a semi-structured format and an examination of organizational documentation, such as employee performance appraisals, engagement surveys, and turnover reports, were used to collect data. Using thematic analysis, four themes were identified: (a) effective communication through employee involvement, (b) staff recognition and appreciation, (c) competitive incentives, and (d) professional development. A key recommendation for business leaders is to actively communicate, engage, and recognize their staff by giving monetary or nonmonetary incentives, benefits, and opportunities for professional development to increase employee retention. The implications for positive social change include the potential to reduce staff turnover and build an infrastructure that helps working parents, children, the community, and the economy as a whole

Michel electron reconstruction using cosmic-ray data from the MicroBooNE LArTPC

The MicroBooNE liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) has been taking data at Fermilab since 2015 collecting, in addition to neutrino beam, cosmic-ray muons. Results are presented on the reconstruction of Michel electrons produced by the decay at rest of cosmic-ray muons. Michel electrons are abundantly produced in the TPC, and given their well known energy spectrum can be used to study MicroBooNE's detector response to low-energy electrons (electrons with energies up to ∼ 50 MeV). We describe the fully-automated algorithm developed to reconstruct Michel electrons, with which a sample of ∼ 14,000 Michel electron candidates is obtained. Most of this article is dedicated to studying the impact of radiative photons produced by Michel electrons on the accuracy and resolution of their energy measurement. In this energy range, ionization and bremsstrahlung photon production contribute similarly to electron energy loss in argon, leading to a complex electron topology in the TPC. By profiling the performance of the reconstruction algorithm on simulation we show that the ability to identify and include energy deposited by radiative photons leads to a significant improvement in the energy measurement of low-energy electrons. The fractional energy resolution we measure improves from over 30% to ∼ 20% when we attempt to include radiative photons in the reconstruction. These studies are relevant to a large number of analyses which aim to study neutrinos by measuring electrons produced by ν e interactions over a broad energy range. Keywords: Michel electrons, LArTPC, MicroBooN

Side population rather than CD133+ cells distinguishes enriched tumorigenicity in hTERT-immortalized primary prostate cancer cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Subpopulations of cancer cells with the capacity of generating solid tumors have been characterized. In various cancer types, including prostate cancer cells, a side population (SP) and CD133-expressing cells have been proposed as containing a population cancer cells with stem-like ability. Therefore the aim of this work was to determine, in prostate cancer cell lines, the frequency and tumorigenic potential of SP and CD133+ cells.</p> <p>Results</p> <p><it>In vitro </it>2D colony-forming assay and sphere-forming assay, Flow cytometry analysis and magnetic cell sorting were utilized to sort CD133+, CD133- and Side population (SP) cells. Our findings indicate that CD44 and integrin α-6 are uniformly expressed in the hTERT cell lines; however, CD133 is expressed only in a small population (< 0.1%). FACS-sorted CD133+ and CD133- cells exhibited similar tumorigenicity <it>in vitro </it>and <it>in vivo</it>. Additionally, for the hTERT cells, SP rather than CD133 expression showed an 8-fold enhanced tumorigenic potential. The data suggest that SP cells, rather than those with CD133 marker, contain the rare population of CSC capable of producing prostate tumors.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Collectively, our data suggest that although CD133 is expressed only in a small population of hTERT-immortalized prostate cancer cells, it is not likely to be associated with stem cells, as CD133- and CD133+ cells exhibited similar tumorigenicity. However, SP isolated cells, appear to be enriched with tumorigenic stem-like cells capable of generating palpable tumors.</p

The role and scope of contemporary midwifery practice in Australia: A scoping review of the literature

Problem: Little is known about the breadth of midwifery scope within Australia, and few midwives work to their full scope of practice. Background: Midwives in Australia are educated and professionally accountable to work in partnership with childbearing women and their families, yet they are currently hindered from practicing within their full scope of practice by contextual influences. Aims: To perform a scoping review of the literature to map out the role and scope of contemporary midwifery practice in Australia To identify any key issues that impact upon working within the full scope of midwifery practice in the Australian context Methods: A scoping review of the literature guided by the Arksey and O’Malley’s five-stage methodological framework, and the ‘best fit’ framework synthesis using the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia’s Midwifery Standards for Practice. Findings: Key themes that emerged from the review included Partnership with women; The professional role of the midwife; and Contextual influences upon midwifery practice. Discussion: Tensions were identified between the midwifery scope of practice associated with optimal outcomes for women and babies supported by current evidence and the actual role and scope of most midwives employed in models of care in the current Australian public healthcare system. Conclusions: There is a mismatch between the operational parameters for midwifery practice in Australia and the evidence-based models of continuity of midwifery carer that are associated with optimal outcomes for childbearing women and babies and the midwives themselves

Pheromone-Dependent Destruction of the Tec1 Transcription Factor Is Required for MAP Kinase Signaling Specificity in Yeast

AbstractThe yeast MAPK pathways required for mating versus filamentous growth share multiple components yet specify distinct programs. The mating-specific MAPK, Fus3, prevents crosstalk between the two pathways by unknown mechanisms. Here we show that pheromone signaling induces Fus3-dependent degradation of Tec1, the transcription factor specific to the filamentation pathway. Degradation requires Fus3 kinase activity and a MAPK phosphorylation site in Tec1 at threonine 273. Fus3 associates with Tec1 in unstimulated cells, and active Fus3 phosphorylates Tec1 on T273 in vitro. Destruction of Tec1 requires the F box protein Dia2 (Digs-into-agar-2), and Cdc53, the Cullin of SCF (Skp1-Cdc53-F box) ubiquitin ligases. Notably, mutation of the phosphoacceptor site in Tec1, deletion of FUS3, or deletion of DIA2 results in a loss of signaling specificity such that pheromone pathway signaling erroneously activates filamentation pathway gene expression and invasive growth. Signal-induced destruction of a transcription factor for a competing pathway provides a mechanism for signaling specificity

Impact of rapeseed pomace extract on markers of oxidative stress and DNA damage in human SH‐SY5Y cells.

With increased longevity and subsequent rise in people with age-related neurodegenerative diseases, protection of neurons from oxidative stress damage has become an important field of study. For the first time, we highlight the neuroprotective properties of rapeseed pomace (RSP) extract in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. We used resazurin to determine cell metabolism, 2,7’-dichlorofluorescin diacetate (H2DCFDA) to assess the potential of RSP extracts to shield cells from reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by H2O2 using flow cytometry, HPLC to analyze for malondialdehyde (MDA) as a lipid peroxidation marker and the COMET assay to assess DNA strand breakage. Protein stress arrays were used to investigate the cellular pathways affected by RSP extract. No effect on cell metabolism in SH-SY5Y cells was observed after RSP extract treatment (up to 1.5 mg/ml). Pretreatment (24 hr) with RSP extract (1 mg/ml), before H2O2-induced stress, alleviated ROS production and DNA strand breakage by 68%, and 38%, respectively. At protein level, the RSP extract increased the levels of FABP-1, HIF-1α, SOD2, and Cytochrome c proteins. Under H2O2-induced stress, however, it helped to downregulate p38α levels, a protein kinase which is receptive to stress impulse (mitogen-activated). RSP extract shows very promising cell protective properties in relation to oxidative stress. Practical applications: Oxidative stress has been associated with numerous diseases for example cancer, diabetes, and many neurological disorders including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. Hence, there is acceptance among the scientific community of antioxidant therapy and the quest for effective, low cost and readily available sources of natural antioxidants is paramount. Rapeseed plantations are abundant around the world due to the use of rapeseed oil in cooking and as a biofuel. The resulting rapeseed pomace (by-product), specifically its extract, contains high levels of phytochemicals that protect cells against oxidative stress. Therefore, RSP extract can potentially be used/developed as functional food and nutraceuticals in the prevention of many complex neurodegenerative diseases

Ionization electron signal processing in single phase LArTPCs. Part I. Algorithm Description and quantitative evaluation with MicroBooNE simulation

We describe the concept and procedure of drifted-charge extraction developed in the MicroBooNE experiment, a single-phase liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC). This technique converts the raw digitized TPC waveform to the number of ionization electrons passing through a wire plane at a given time. A robust recovery of the number of ionization electrons from both induction and collection anode wire planes will augment the 3D reconstruction, and is particularly important for tomographic reconstruction algorithms. A number of building blocks of the overall procedure are described. The performance of the signal processing is quantitatively evaluated by comparing extracted charge with the true charge through a detailed TPC detector simulation taking into account position-dependent induced current inside a single wire region and across multiple wires. Some areas for further improvement of the performance of the charge extraction procedure are also discussed. Keywords: MicroBooNE, Signal Processing, Deconvolution, ROIUnited States. Department of Energy. High Energy Physics DivisionNational Science Foundation (U.S.)Swiss National Science FoundationScience and Technology Facilities Council (Great Britain)Royal Society (Great Britain

Regulation of cell migration and survival by focal adhesion targeting of Lasp-1

Large-scale proteomic and functional analysis of isolated pseudopodia revealed the Lim, actin, and SH3 domain protein (Lasp-1) as a novel protein necessary for cell migration, but not adhesion to, the extracellular matrix (ECM). Lasp-1 is a ubiquitously expressed actin-binding protein with a unique domain configuration containing SH3 and LIM domains, and is overexpressed in 8–12% of human breast cancers. We find that stimulation of nonmotile and quiescent cells with growth factors or ECM proteins facilitates Lasp-1 relocalization from the cell periphery to the leading edge of the pseudopodium, where it associates with nascent focal complexes and areas of actin polymerization. Interestingly, although Lasp-1 dynamics in migratory cells occur independently of c-Abl kinase activity and tyrosine phosphorylation, c-Abl activation by apoptotic agents specifically promotes phosphorylation of Lasp-1 at tyrosine 171, which is associated with the loss of Lasp-1 localization to focal adhesions and induction of cell death. Thus, Lasp-1 is a dynamic focal adhesion protein necessary for cell migration and survival in response to growth factors and ECM proteins