A New Hybrid: Students’ Extensions of Integrated Communication Content

Using Bandura’s (1977) self-efficacy theory, this study examined student perceptions of changes in efficacy and affect toward a variety of communication skills (e.g., interpersonal, writing, visual, public speaking, group collaboration) over a sequence of two hybrid basic course classes. As part of a larger assessment initiative, both quantitative and qualitative data from the first course (n = 793) and the second course (n = 273) were analyzed. Students reported greater affect and efficacy during the second course when compared to the first course. Specifically, students reported six affective changes including expanded knowledge, enhanced collaborative skills, increased openness and acceptance, heightened awareness, increased confidence, and the ability to critically examine. The students referenced observing these changes in academic and work life, but most frequently felt that these skills would impact their everyday life. The results have implications for assignment sequences, incorporating visual communication into the basic course, and requiring two basic courses to maximize affect and efficacy changes in students

Chemotherapy Induced Sensory Neuropathy Depends on Non-Linear Interactions with Cancer

For the constellation of neurological disorders known as chemotherapy induced neuropathy, mechanistic understanding, and treatment remain deficient. In project one, I leveraged a multi-scale experimental approach to provide the first evidence that chronic sensory neuropathy depends on non-linear interactions between cancer and chemotherapy. Global transcriptional profiling of dorsal root ganglia revealed amplified differential expression, notably in regulators of neuronal excitability, metabolism and inflammatory responses, all of which were unpredictable from effects observed with either chemotherapy or cancer alone. Systemic interactions between cancer and chemotherapy also determined the extent of deficits in sensory encoding in vivo and ion channel protein expression by single mechanosensory neurons, with the potassium ion channel Kv3.3 emerging as candidate mechanisms explaining sensory neuron dysfunction. The sufficiency of this novel molecular mechanism was tested in an in silico biophysical model of mechanosensory function. Finally, validated measures of sensorimotor behavior in awake behaving animals confirmed that dysfunction after chronic chemotherapy treatment is exacerbated by cancer. Notably, errors in precise fore-limb placement emerged as a novel behavioral deficit unpredicted by our previous study of chemotherapy alone. These original findings identify novel contributors to peripheral neuropathy, and emphasize the fundamental dependence of neuropathy on the systemic interaction between chemotherapy and cancer across multiple levels of biological control. In project two, I extend study to multiple classes of mechanosensory neurons that are necessary for generating the information content (population code) needed for proprioception. I first tested the hypothesis that exacerbated neuronal dysfunction is conserved across multiple classes of mechanosensory neurons. Results revealed co-suppression of specific signaling parameters across all neuronal classes. To understand the consequences of corrupt population code, I employed a long-short-term memory neural network (LSTM), a deep-learning algorithm, to test how decoding of spatiotemporal features of movement are altered after chemotherapy treatment of cancer. Results indicate that spiking activity from the population of neurons in animals with cancer, treated by chemotherapy contain significantly less information about key features of movement including, e.g. timing, magnitudes, and velocity. I then modeled the central nervous systems (CNS) capacity to compensate for this information loss. Even under optimal learning conditions, the inability to fully restore predictive power suggests that the CNS would not be able to compensate and restore full function. Our results support our proposal that lasting deficits in mobility and perception experienced by cancer survivors can originate from sensory information that is corrupted and un-interpretable by CNS neurons or networks. Collectively, I present the first evidence that chronic cancer neuropathy cannot be explained by the effects of chemotherapy alone but instead depend on non-linear interactions with cancer. This understanding is a prerequisite for designing future studies and for developing effective treatments or preventative measures.Ph.D

The Lowland Maya "Protoclassic"

The term "Protoclassic," employed regularly but inexplicitly in the literature of lowland Maya archaeology, has become increasingly nebulous and ambiguous in both meaning and usage. This paper reviews the history and use of the term and presents a formal redefinition of the Protoclassic as a ceramic stage based explicitly and exclusively on ceramic criteria. Some suggestions regarding future use of the term also are offered. The paper further addresses and resolves a number of persisting questions regarding Protoclassic orange wares, including problems concerning the actual existence of the "Aguacate ceramic group." and the relationships of Aguacate-group pottery to other emergent orange wares of the terminal Late Preclassic and initial Early Classic periods. The nature and significance of the "Holmul I Style," the "Floral Park Ceramic Sphere." and the relationships of the two to each other and the larger, redefined "protoclassic" ceramic stage also are examined. A spatial distribution for protoclassic ceramics considerably expanded over what has ever been reported previously is described, and chronometric data are presented to support a revised chronology for the protoclassic ceramic stage. Finally, ceramic data are offered that suggest a real subdivision of the protoclassic ceramic stage into an early, emergent facet originating entirely within Late Preclassic lowland traditions, and a later, fully "Classic" facet corresponding to the early Tzakol (Tzakol 1) ceramic horizon

Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study of D-Cycloserine in Chronic Stroke

Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in the USA. Up to 60% of patients do not fully recover despite intensive physical therapy treatment. N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDA-R) have been shown to play a role in synaptic plasticity when activated. D-Cycloserine promotes NMDA receptor function by binding to receptors with unoccupied glycine sites. These receptors are involved in learning and memory. We hypothesized that D-cycloserine, when combined with robotic-assisted physiotherapy (RAP), would result in greater gains compared with placebo + RAP in stroke survivors. Participants (n=14) were randomized to D-cycloserine plus RAP or placebo plus RAP. Functional, cognitive, and quality-of-life measures were used to assess recovery. There was significant improvement in grip strength of the affected hand within both groups from baseline to 3 weeks (95% confidence interval for mean change, 3.95 ± 2.96 to 4.90 ± 3.56 N for D-cycloserine and 5.72 ± 3.98 to 8.44 ± 4.90 N for control). SIS mood domain showed improvement for both groups (95% confidence interval for mean change, 72.6 ± 16.3 to 82.9 ± 10.9 for D-cycloserine and 82.9 ± 13.5 to 90.3 ± 9.9 for control). This preliminary study does not provide evidence that D-cycloserine can provide greater gains in learning compared with placebo for stroke survivors

AMS and radiometric dating of an Etruscan linen book and associated mummy

From the 13th International Radiocarbon Conference held in Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia, June 20-25, 1988.An important Etruscan linen "book," the Liber linteus Zagrabiensis, was preserved in wrappings of an Egyptian mummy. Stylistic estimates for the date of composition of the text vary. Three possible centuries were suggested, the 3rd and the 1st centuries BC and the 1st century AD. Radiometric and AMS dating of the linen book and the mummy has demonstrated multiple uses for differing aged materials. There seem to be at least two sets of linen wrappings of markedly contrasting ages, while separate fractions of the embalming unguent seemed to contain carbon of differing dates. 14C results suggest the most probable age range for the linen book is ca 360-210 cal BC, making the 3rd century BC stylistic date the most likely time of inscription.This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between Radiocarbon and the University of Arizona Libraries.The Radiocarbon archives are made available by Radiocarbon and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform February 202

Statistical analysis plan for the proactive healthcare of older people in care homes (PEACH) study

The Proactive Healthcare for Older People living in Care Homes (PEACH) study aims to evaluate whether Quality Improvement Collaboratives can be an effective way to work with local health and social care stakeholders, including representatives of the care home sector, to implement Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) in the care home setting. It will enlist the support of four Area Improvement Collaboratives from South Nottinghamshire, UK to make changes to enable CGA in care homes in their areas. The primary outcome measure is health-related quality of life (HRQoL), measured using the EuroQoL 5-domain 5-level (EQ-5D-5L) index. A cluster-randomised (where care homes represent clusters) approach will be taken. Secondary outcome measures will be Health Service Resource by service category. These will be analysed using an interrupted time series approach. The methodology is challenging and introduces the need to control for multiple sources of contamination, clustering, time effects including lag effect and measurement issues with the primary outcome variable, including the uncertain reliability of care home staff proxy responses. This paper outlines the statistical analysis plan for the study, describing how these challenges have been addressed. It acts as reference point for further publications from the PEACH study

Diverse and Complex Muscle Spindle Afferent Firing Properties Emerge from Multiscale Muscle Mechanics

Despite decades of research, we lack a mechanistic framework capable of predicting how movement-related signals are transformed into the diversity of muscle spindle afferent firing patterns observed experimentally, particularly in naturalistic behaviors. Here, a biophysical model demonstrates that well-known firing characteristics of mammalian muscle spindle Ia afferents – including movement history dependence, and nonlinear scaling with muscle stretch velocity – emerge from first principles of muscle contractile mechanics. Further, mechanical interactions of the muscle spindle with muscle-tendon dynamics reveal how motor commands to the muscle (alpha drive) versus muscle spindle (gamma drive) can cause highly variable and complex activity during active muscle contraction and muscle stretch that defy simple explanation. Depending on the neuromechanical conditions, the muscle spindle model output appears to ‘encode’ aspects of muscle force, yank, length, stiffness, velocity, and/or acceleration, providing an extendable, multiscale, biophysical framework for understanding and predicting proprioceptive sensory signals in health and disease

Cuello: resolving the chronology trough direct dating of conserved and low collagen bone by AMS

It is well known that 14C dating of fossil bone with seriously depleted protein levels, or bone that has been consolidated with preservatives, can produce erroneous results. In the tropics, warm and moist soil conditions lead to constant reworking of organic matter and add to the danger of bone contamination. Because of this, 14C dating of preservative-impregnated bone from such areas has rarely been successful. We report here a set of AMS dates on both unconsolidated animal bone and polyvinyl acetate/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA/PV-OH) impregnated human burials from the Maya site of Cuello, Belize. The steps needed to purify the samples are described, together with details on the use of qualitative infra-red (IR) spectra as a means of assessing sample purity.This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between Radiocarbon and the University of Arizona Libraries.The Radiocarbon archives are made available by Radiocarbon and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform February 202

Histone deacetylase 6 inhibition improves memory and reduces total tau levels in a mouse model of tau deposition

INTRODUCTION: Tau pathology is associated with a number of age-related neurodegenerative disorders. Few treatments have been demonstrated to diminish the impact of tau pathology in mouse models and none are yet effective in humans. Histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) is an enzyme that removes acetyl groups from cytoplasmic proteins, rather than nuclear histones. Its substrates include tubulin, heat shock protein 90 and cortactin. Tubastatin A is a selective inhibitor of HDAC6. Modification of tau pathology by specific inhibition of HDAC6 presents a potential therapeutic approach in tauopathy. METHODS: We treated rTg4510 mouse models of tau deposition and non-transgenic mice with tubastatin (25 mg/kg) or saline (0.9%) from 5 to 7 months of age. Cognitive behavior analysis, histology and biochemical analysis were applied to access the effect of tubastatin on memory, tau pathology and neurodegeneration (hippocampal volume). RESULTS: We present data showing that tubastatin restored memory function in rTg4510 mice and reversed a hyperactivity phenotype. We further found that tubastatin reduced the levels of total tau, both histologically and by western analysis. Reduction in total tau levels was positively correlated with memory improvement in these mice. However, there was no impact on phosphorylated forms of tau, either by histology or western analysis, nor was there an impact on silver positive inclusions histologically. CONCLUSION: Potential mechanisms by which HDAC6 inhibitors might benefit the rTg4510 mouse include stabilization of microtubules secondary to increased tubulin acetylation, increased degradation of tau secondary to increased acetylation of HSP90 or both. These data support the use of HDAC6 inhibitors as potential therapeutic agents against tau pathology