Alignment of Global Outcomes for Assessment and Accreditation

Influential higher education organizations aspire to measure different sets of global student outcomes, yet widespread agreement exists. This presentation centers on how IDEA\u27s Student Ratings of Instruction Learning Objectives align with global outcomes from AAC&U\u27s Value Rubric, Lumina\u27s DQP, HLC\u27s Criteria for Accreditation, and NSSE\u27s Engagement Indicators

Recent laboratory tests of a hard x-ray solar flare polarimeter

We report on the development of a Compton scatter polarimeter for measuring the linear polarization of hard X-rays (50 - 300 keV) from solar flares. Such measurements would be useful for studying the directivity (or beaming) of the electrons that are accelerated in solar flares. We initially used a simple prototype polarimeter to successfully demonstrate the reliability of our Monte Carlo simulation code and to demonstrate our ability to generate a polarized photon source in the lab. We have recently fabricated a science model based on a modular design concept that places a self-contained polarimeter module on the front-end of a 5-inch position- sensitive PMT (PSPMT). The PSPMT is used to determine the Compton interaction location within an annular array of small plastic scintillator elements. Some of the photons that scatter within the plastic scintillator array are subsequently absorbed by a small centrally-located array of CsI(Tl) crystals that is read out by an independent multi-anode PMT. The independence of the two PMT readout schemes provides appropriate timing information for event triggering. We are currently testing this new polarimeter design in the laboratory to evaluate the performance characteristics of this design. Here we present the initial results from these laboratory tests. The modular nature of this design lends itself toward its accommodation on a balloon or spacecraft platform. A small array of such modules can provide a minimum detectable polarization (MDP) of less than 1% in the integrated 50 - 300 keV energy range for X-class solar flares

Sanitising the city: exploring hegemonic gentrification in London's Soho

This article will explore the gentrification of Soho, reflecting on ethnographic research undertaken in the area over the past fifteen months, to argue that the recent social, political, and economic changes in Soho must be understood in relation to private, marketized and globalized neoliberal capitalist forces. We argue that the changes to the area result in a heavily-weighted form of gentrification that works to actively and knowingly sanitize the city, removing 'undesirable' people and venues from the area. As such, we propose to define this process as 'hegemonic gentrification', and distinguish this from other forms of gentrification in order to understand the different processes that underpin these specific changes, and more broadly, it allows us to problematize these changes as regards to the 'right to the city', and to expand current understandings in a way that allows for a more nuanced analysis of urban gentrification and its impacts within neolibreral capitalism

For Dixie children: Teaching students what it meant to be Confederate Americans through their textbooks

Education in the 19th century relied heavily on school texts in order to teach American children the moral and civic responsibilities they must possess in order to become productive members of the American republic. After declaring secession, Confederate cultural nationalists took up the cause of educating the school children in the Confederate States of America in the moral and civic responsibilities determined important to the preservation of their new nation. Southerners had felt disenfranchised by the northern press and believed their children learning from these schoolbooks became weakened in their southern identity. Though some southerners were espousing the need for their own school presses before secession, it was not until the split between North and South was solidified that the cause for southern education began immediate. %0d%0aThis work argues that textbooks provide insight into the creation of Confederate nationalism and show how the Confederate society attempted to teach these lessons to their future generations. When writing textbooks, cultural nationalists used the models provided by their northern counterparts, but were determined to present a unique southern perspective devoid of any harmful influences from the North. While some northern lessons remained intact, Confederate textbooks preached the benevolence of slavery and the justification of this institution as instituted by God and the Bible. Confederates promoted the superiority of their cause and people and urged children to rally behind their new flag. Southern textbook authors took the North out of the American Revolution and claimed its start in the South, in attempts to relate their current struggle for independence with their forefathers. Finally, Confederates reclaimed George Washington as one of their own, a southern slave owner who remained virtuous and an inspiration to all Confederate children. These textbooks present a nationalism frozen in time. The Confederate States of America lost their country, but their attempt to create an identity remains in their textbooks and provides lessons on how education shapes students in what it means to be American

A Systematic, Reliable Approach to Play Assessment in Preschoolers

Play assessment is gaining attention as a measure of the developing skills of young children. The procedures and methods of coding child behaviours vary considerably across researchers and practitioners. Because of this, definitive statements about the use of play assessment cannot be made without further research. The present study is an attempt to report a set of standardized procedures for play assessment along with an empirically based coding scheme (PIECES). The reliability of this system of play assessment is also investigated. High inter-observer reliability was found along with moderate test–retest correlations for both the typically developing (r = 0.48) and exceptional (r = 0.58) children. Thus, this version of play assessment holds promise as an observation system for intervention and progress monitoring in early childhood. The authors stress that more research is needed in this area before play assessment can either be used in early childhood or discounted as an inappropriate tool

Adrenoleukodystrophy in the Differential Diagnosis of Boys Presenting with Primary Adrenal Insufficiency without Adrenal Antibodies

BACKGROUND: Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) is an X-linked, metabolic disorder caused by deficiency of peroxisomal ALD protein resulting in accumulation of very-long chain fatty acids (VLCFA) primarily in the adrenal cortex and central nervous system. Approximately 35-40% of boys with ALD develop cerebral ALD (CALD), which causes rapidly progressive cerebral demyelination, loss of neurologic function, and death. Approximately 70-80% of boys with ALD have impaired adrenal function prior to the onset of neurologic symptoms. CASE REPORT: We present a boy who had recurrent episodes of hypoglycaemia from age 2 years and was diagnosed with adrenal insufficiency without adrenal antibodies at age 5.5 years. RESULTS: Following initial normal VLCFA levels, subsequent VLCFA analysis demonstrated elevated C26 fatty acids consistent with peroxisomal dysfunction and suggestive of ALD, which was confirmed via molecular genetic analysis of the ABCD1 gene. Brain imaging evidence of cerebral involvement emerged at age 7, and the child underwent successful allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. At last assessment (11.5 years old), he was performing as expected for age. CONCLUSION: This case highlights the importance of pursuing a diagnosis when clinical suspicion remains, and the significance of VLCFA analysis for patients with adrenal insufficiency without adrenal antibodies in prompting an ALD diagnosis. Subsequent brain imaging surveillance can detect early, pre-symptomatic cerebral disease allowing for timely treatment and successful arrest of cerebral disease progression

Lysogeny and Use of Mycobacteriophage Pita2

The CDC has classified antibiotic resistance as the biggest health challenge of our era; every year 2 million lives are impacted and even lost due to resistant bacteria. Bacteriophages provide an alternative route to fighting infections that does not further the development of antibiotic resistance among bacterial species. A bacteriophage replicates inside a bacterial cell and then causes that cell to lyse, an event that kills the bacterial host. However, some phage can integrate their genomes into the host chromosome without causing lysis. The HHMI SEA-PHAGES program has generated a collection of bacteriophage that infect Actinobacteria species. Over 13,000 phages have been collected thus far, but fewer than 3,000 have been sequenced and genetically analyzed. The purpose of research into the lysogeny of discovered, but unsequenced, bacteriophage is to classify them by immunity range; that is, closely related bacteriophage are unable to infect the lysogenic host, while more distantly related phage are. Initially, a lysogen had to be isolated. For Pita2, a phage isolated and analyzed at Bowling Green State University, the host is Mycobacterium smegmatis. A purified lysogen of Pita2 was analyzed against bacteriophage with known DNA sequences to confirm that it is immune to infection by closely related phage. The lysogeny was then examined for its ability to identify close vs. more distantly related phage among a set unknown bacteriophage. Another virus, namely SARS-CoV2, prevented the completion of this study. However, it was possible to generate preliminary data that established the ability to use immunity as a means to classify newly isolated phage based upon the degree to which they can successfully infect the Pita2 lysogen