CALLED TO TEACH: A MIXED METHODS EXPLORATION OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE ADJUNCT FACULTY’S TEACHING SELF-EFFICACY

Adjunct faculty teach over 50% of courses in U.S. higher education but little is known about them as educators. Strong evidence has been found in the K-12 literature demonstrating the link between teachers’ beliefs, instructional practices, and subsequent student outcomes. Teaching self-efficacy, beliefs in one’s capabilities to perform specific tasks in a particular context, is an important contributor to motivation and performance (Tschannen-Moran et al., 1998). This research advances teaching and learning literature in higher education and provides insight into an understudied population of educators by exploring adjunct faculty’s teaching self-efficacy and factors that influence those beliefs. In this mixed methods study, an explanatory sequential design was used to explore teaching-self efficacy among adjunct faculty at a Mid-Atlantic community college. Adjunct faculty were surveyed using the College Teaching Self-Efficacy Scale (Prieto Navarro, 2006). Data were selected from the surveys for further explanation in subsequent interviews. Quantitative and qualitative data were merged to form an overall interpretation of teaching self-efficacy and factors that influenced those beliefs. Teaching self-efficacy was highest in creating a positive learning environment, followed by overall teaching self-efficacy, and then instructional skills. Assessing student learning was rated lowest. Adjunct faculty with fewer than five years teaching experience had lower self-efficacy scores than those teaching for six or more years. Mastery experiences and feedback from students and full-time faculty mentors emerged as the most influential sources of teaching self-efficacy. Student evaluations and attending Convocation were positively correlated with scores in overall teaching self-efficacy, instructional skills, and creating a positive learning environment. Adjunct faculty identified working to accommodate the needs of a diverse range of learners as the most significant challenge to teaching self-efficacy followed by challenges related to working conditions including inadequate pay and job insecurity. Key recommendations for promoting adjunct faculty’s teaching self-efficacy beliefs include increasing opportunities for interaction with departmental colleagues to share best practices and teaching resources, and offering trainings at flexible times and in creative formats on instructional skills, assessment practices, and learning theories. Improving onboarding processes, recognizing different needs of adjunct faculty based on experience, and reassessing pay and employment structures are also needed

The post-common-envelope, binary central star of the planetary nebula Hen 2-11

We present a detailed photometric study of the central star system of the planetary nebula Hen 2-11, selected for study because of its low-ionisation filaments and bipolar morphology - traits which have been strongly linked with central star binarity. Photometric monitoring with NTT-EFOSC2 reveals a highly irradiated, double-eclipsing, post-common-envelope system with a period of 0.609 d. Modelling of the lightcurve indicates that the nebular progenitor is extremely hot, while the secondary in the system is probably a K-type main sequence star. The chemical composition of the nebula is analysed, showing Hen 2-11 to be a medium-excitation non-Type I nebula. A simple photoionisation model is constructed determining abundance ratios of C/O and N/O which would be consistent with the common-envelope cutting short the AGB evolution of the nebular progenitor. The detection of a post-common-envelope binary system at the heart of Hen 2-11 further strengthens the link between binary progeny and the formation of axisymmetric planetary nebulae with patterns of low-ionisation filaments, clearly demonstrating their use as morphological indicators of central star binarity.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A. 9 pages, 5 figures, 4 table

The Ubiquitous 'c': from the Stefan-Boltzmann Law to Quantum Information

I discuss various aspects of the role of the conformal anomaly number c in 2- and 1+1-dimensional critical behaviour: its appearance as the analogue of Stefan's constant, its fundamental role in conformal field theory, in the classification of 2d universality classes, and as a measure of quantum entanglement, among other topics.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures. Boltzmann Medal Lecture, Statphys24, Cairns 2010. v3: minor revision

Adaptability and psychological flexibility: Overlapping constructs?

Adaptability is purported to be a key mental resource and refers to an individual's cognitive, behavioral, and emotional regulation (or adjustment) in situations of change, novelty, and uncertainty. Psychological flexibility refers to a person's capacity to allow experience and acceptance of negative thoughts and feelings with mindful awareness guided by a commitment to goal-driven action according to their self-chosen values. It is important to disentangle these cognate constructs—adaptability and psychological flexibility—so that the unique variance attributable to each can be estimated, and interventions and resources can be directed with greater precision. The current study explored the potential overlap between adaptability and psychological flexibility by conducting an online cross-sectional survey (n = 205), with measures of adaptability, psychological flexibility, wellbeing, and psychological distress. A confirmatory factor analysis suggested considerable overlap, but sufficient discrimination between the two constructs. Structural equation modelling showed that adaptability was related to psychological wellbeing, but not related to psychological distress after accounting for the effects of psychological flexibility

A Case Study: Examining Biological Sex Differences in a 14-Week Neck Strength Protocol for Optimal Neuromuscular Indicators to Reduce the Incidence of Traumatic Brain Injury

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology Volume 4: Issue 1, Article 9, 2023. The primary aim of this research was to analyze potential biological sex differences to determine if a variation in dynamic and isometric neck strength existed following a 14-week novel neck strengthening protocol. College-aged healthy participants who did not have a previous history of head or neck trauma were recruited for this study. A pre- and post-assessment was conducted to gather initial isometric and dynamic neck strength values. The neck strengthening intervention utilized a novel dynamic neck strength device for 14-weeks. 14-week neck strength protocol used in this study did increase dynamic and isometric neck strength in participants. After analysis, the authors discovered an increased gain in dynamic neck strength in males over females. According to the pre- and post-assessment data, males gained an extra 8.821 lbs/rev of clockwise strength and 8.135 lbs/rev of counterclockwise strength over females. The change over time (COT) values revealed males gained an extra 3.69 lb./rev of rate of force development (RFD) in the clockwise direction and 3.92 lb./rev of rate of force development in the counterclockwise direction. There was no statistical difference in isometric strength gain in males versus females; however, both groups improved. Dynamic and isometric neck strength increased for all participants after the 14-week neck strength protocol. Males exhibited a greater increase in dynamic neck strength. Extra gain in male dynamic neck strength may be due to differences between male and female dynamic neck musculature size, abundance of type II muscle fiber type, or rate of adaptation

A Chlamydia trachomatis strain with a chemically generated amino acid substitution (P370L) in the cthtrA gene shows reduced elementary body production Microbial genetics, genomics and proteomics

© 2015 Marsh et al. Background: Chlamydia (C.) trachomatis is the most prevalent bacterial sexually transmitted infection worldwide and the leading cause of preventable blindness. Genetic approaches to investigate C. trachomatis have been only recently developed due to the organism's intracellular developmental cycle. HtrA is a critical stress response serine protease and chaperone for many bacteria and in C. trachomatis has been previously shown to be important for heat stress and the replicative phase of development using a chemical inhibitor of the CtHtrA activity. In this study, chemically-induced SNVs in the cthtrA gene that resulted in amino acid substitutions (A240V, G475E, and P370L) were identified and characterized. Methods: SNVs were initially biochemically characterized in vitro using recombinant protein techniques to confirm a functional impact on proteolysis. The C. trachomatis strains containing the SNVs with marked reductions in proteolysis were investigated in cell culture to identify phenotypes that could be linked to CtHtrA function. Results: The strain harboring the SNV with the most marked impact on proteolysis (cthtrA P370L) was detected to have a significant reduction in the production of infectious elementary bodies. Conclusions: This provides genetic evidence that CtHtrA is critical for the C. trachomatis developmental cycle

Oligoarthritis durch Tropheryma whipplei: "Of bugs and joints"

Zusammenfassung: Der Morbus Whipple ist eine seltene, ohne antibiotische Therapie schwer verlaufende, chronische Infektionserkrankung durch Tropheryma whipplei, ein ubiquitär vorkommendes, grampositives Bakterium. Der Erreger kann in den betroffenen Geweben und Körperflüssigkeiten durch histologischen Nachweis PAS-positiver Makrophagen, elektronenmikroskopisch und in der Polymerasekettenreaktion (PCR) nachgewiesen werden. Arthralgien und Arthritiden sind ein häufiges Primärsymptom dieser Multisystemerkrankung. Im Verlauf treten häufig Gewichtsverlust, Diarrhö und Abdominalschmerzen auf. In 10-40% der Krankheitsfälle bestehen zusätzlich neurologische Symptome. Wir berichten über einen 67-jährigen Patienten mit jahrzehntelanger Oligoarthritis, bei dem der Erreger mittels PCR ausschließlich in der Synovialflüssigkeit nachgewiesen werden konnte. Dieser Fall illustriert, dass der charakteristische Befund PAS-positiver Makrophagen und selbst die erregerspezifische PCR im Dünndarmgewebe negativ sein kann, sodass der Erregernachweis aus dem jeweils symptomatischen Organsystem angestrebt werden sollte. Die mehrmonatige bis mehrjährige Behandlung erfolgt möglichst mit liquorgängigen Antibiotika, typischerweise mit Ceftriaxon, gefolgt von Cotrimoxazol. Vor Abschluss der Therapie ist der Nachweis der Erregerfreiheit im Darm, Liquor bzw. im betroffenen Organ anzustrebe

739 observed NEAs and new 2-4m survey statistics within the EURONEAR network

We report follow-up observations of 477 program Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) using nine telescopes of the EURONEAR network having apertures between 0.3 and 4.2 m. Adding these NEAs to our previous results we now count 739 program NEAs followed-up by the EURONEAR network since 2006. The targets were selected using EURONEAR planning tools focusing on high priority objects. Analyzing the resulting orbital improvements suggests astrometric follow-up is most important days to weeks after discovery, with recovery at a new opposition also valuable. Additionally we observed 40 survey fields spanning three nights covering 11 sq. degrees near opposition, using the Wide Field Camera on the 2.5m Isaac Newton Telescope (INT), resulting in 104 discovered main belt asteroids (MBAs) and another 626 unknown one-night objects. These fields, plus program NEA fields from the INT and from the wide field MOSAIC II camera on the Blanco 4m telescope, generated around 12,000 observations of 2,000 minor planets (mostly MBAs) observed in 34 square degrees. We identify Near Earth Object (NEO) candidates among the unknown (single night) objects using three selection criteria. Testing these criteria on the (known) program NEAs shows the best selection methods are our epsilon-miu model which checks solar elongation and sky motion and the MPC's NEO rating tool. Our new data show that on average 0.5 NEO candidates per square degree should be observable in a 2m-class survey (in agreement with past results), while an average of 2.7 NEO candidates per square degree should be observable in a 4m-class survey (although our Blanco statistics were affected by clouds). At opposition just over 100 MBAs (1.6 unknown to every 1 known) per square degree are detectable to R=22 in a 2m survey based on the INT data, while our two best ecliptic Blanco fields away from opposition lead to 135 MBAs (2 unknown to every 1 known) to R=23.Comment: Published in Planetary and Space Sciences (Sep 2013

Impact of unstable housing on all-cause mortality among persons who inject drugs

BACKGROUND: Illicit drug injecting is a well-established risk factor for morbidity and mortality. However, a limited number of prospective studies have examined the independent effect of unstable housing on mortality among persons who inject drugs (PWIDs). In this study we sought to identify if a relationship exists between unstable housing and all-cause mortality among PWIDs living in Vancouver, Canada. METHODS: PWIDs participating in two prospective cohort studies in Vancouver, Canada were followed between May 1996 and December 2012. Cohort data were linked to the provincial vital statistics database to ascertain mortality rates and causes of death. We used multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression to determine factors associated with all-cause mortality and to investigate the independent relationship between unstable housing and time to all-cause mortality. RESULTS: During the study period, 2453 individuals were followed for a median of 69 months (Inter-quartile range [IQR]: 34 – 113). In total, there were 515 (21.0%) deaths for an incidence density of 3.1 (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 2.8 – 3.4) deaths per 100 person years. In multivariate analyses, after adjusting for potential confounders including HIV infection and drug use patterns, unstable housing remained independently associated with all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.08 – 1.56). CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that unstable housing is an important risk factor for mortality independent of known risk factors including HIV infection and patterns of drug use. This study highlights the urgent need to provide supportive housing interventions to address elevated levels of preventable mortality among this population