Obstructing the View: An Argument for the Use of Obstructions in Art Education Pedagogy

Through the use of obstructions we can see how a project-based curriculum can promote very different results. The obstructions that Sandy Skoglund gave the colloquium class at Ohio State were not presented as opportunities for play. Although Bickley-Green and Phillips allowed for play in their use of obstructions, the type of play described was prescriptive and limiting. Pitri’s use of play as a form of problem solving that also allows for personal expression advocated in this paper. Clearly identifying obstructions as game-like challenges for students, they can be used for growth and critical awareness

Galaxy pairs in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey - XII: The fuelling mechanism of low excitation radio-loud AGN

We investigate whether the fuelling of low excitation radio galaxies (LERGs) is linked to major galaxy interactions. Our study utilizes a sample of 10,800 spectroscopic galaxy pairs and 97 post-mergers selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey with matches to multi-wavelength datasets. The LERG fraction amongst interacting galaxies is a factor of 3.5 higher than that of a control sample matched in local galaxy density, redshift and stellar mass. However, the LERG excess in pairs does not depend on projected separation and remains elevated out to at least 500 kpc, suggesting that major mergers are not their main fuelling channel. In order to identify the primary fuelling mechanism of LERGs, we compile samples of control galaxies that are matched in various host galaxy and environmental properties. The LERG excess is reduced, but not completely removed, when halo mass or D4000 are included in the matching parameters. However, when BOTH M_halo and D4000 are matched, there is no LERG excess and the 1.4 GHz luminosities (which trace jet mechanical power) are consistent between the pairs and control. In contrast, the excess of optical and mid-IR selected AGN in galaxy pairs is unchanged when the additional matching parameters are implemented. Our results suggest that whilst major interactions may trigger optically and mid-IR selected AGN, the gas which fuels the LERGs has two secular origins: one associated with the large scale environment, such as accretion from the surrounding medium or minor mergers, plus an internal stellar mechanism, such as winds from evolved stars.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS Letters; 5 page

SCI-INDUCED MORPHINE TOLERANCE IS ASSOCIATED WITH DOPAMINE PATHWAY EXPRESSION

Opioids are commonly prescribed to relieve neuropathic pain after a spinal cord injury (SCI),4 but often fail to be effective due to an injury-induced state that mimics opioid tolerance.22 Previous studies have shown that the analgesic effects of morphine can be restored if morphine is administered in combination with a dopamine D3 receptor agonist or a dopamine D1 receptor antagonist, demonstrating that dopamine receptor activity modulates the response to opioids after SCI.5 Therefore, it was hypothesized that SCI alters levels of dopamine and expression of its receptors in the brain and spinal cord and that these changes are associated with injury-induced morphine tolerance. Baseline nociceptive (pain) thresholds were measured in 8 uninjured and 16 spinal cord injured rats before and after injection of morphine (2mg/kg) or saline (control). Rats were then randomized to have thresholds re-assessed after injection of morphine + pramipexole (PPX, D3 agonist), morphine + SCH 39166 (SCH, D1 antagonist), pramipexole, or SCH. Lumbar spinal cord and striatal brain tissue were collected from each animal and processed for metabolomics, targeted mass spectrometry (MS) and Western blot to identify, quantify and compare levels of dopamine and its metabolites and receptors across groups. Morphine alone increased sensory thresholds in all uninjured but only 33% of injured rats. Based on this data, animals were categorized as morphine responders (n=5) or nonresponders (n=10). Morphine + PPX and morphine + SCH increased sensory thresholds in all injured animals, while PPX and SCH alone had no effect. Striatal dopamine levels in injured morphine nonresponders were significantly decreased compared to uninjured animals. Dopamine levels in injured morphine responders compared to injured morphine nonresponders are currently being analyzed further. Metabolomics principal component analysis (PCA) of lumbar cord identified three clusters that corresponded to injured morphine responders, injured morphine nonresponders, and uninjured animals. Preliminary pathway analysis points to differences in phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan biosynthesis between these groups. Full pathway analysis is ongoing, but data suggests that differential dopaminergic pathway expression in the CNS following SCI is associated with morphine responsiveness. This provides early evidence that the dopamine system may provide a target for intervention in opioid resistant pain states

Galaxy pairs in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey - IX: Merger-induced AGN activity as traced by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer

Interactions between galaxies are predicted to cause gas inflows that can potentially trigger nuclear activity. Since the inflowing material can obscure the central regions of interacting galaxies, a potential limitation of previous optical studies is that obscured Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) can be missed at various stages along the merger sequence. We present the first large mid-infrared study of AGNs in mergers and galaxy pairs, in order to quantify the incidence of obscured AGNs triggered by interactions. The sample consists of galaxy pairs and post-mergers drawn from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey that are matched to detections by the Wide Field Infrared Sky Explorer (WISE). We find that the fraction of AGN in the pairs, relative to a mass-, redshift- and environment-matched control sample, increases as a function of decreasing projected separation. This enhancement is most dramatic in the post-merger sample, where we find a factor of 10-20 excess in the AGN fraction compared with the control. Although this trend is in qualitative agreement with results based on optical AGN selection, the mid-infrared selected AGN excess increases much more dramatically in the post-mergers than is seen for optical AGN. Our results suggest that energetically dominant optically obscured AGNs become more prevalent in the most advanced mergers, consistent with theoretical predictions.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures accepted to MNRAS (with minor revisions

A pilot study of the S-MAP (Solutions for Medications Adherence Problems) intervention for older adults prescribed polypharmacy in primary care: Study protocol

Background: Adhering to multiple medications as prescribed is challenging for older patients (aged ≥ 65 years) and a difficult behaviour to improve. Previous interventions designed to address this have been largely complex in nature but have shown limited effectiveness and have rarely used theory in their design. It has been recognised that theory ('a systematic way of understanding events or situations') can guide intervention development and help researchers better understand how complex adherence interventions work. This pilot study aims to test a novel community pharmacy-based intervention that has been systematically developed using the Theoretical Domains Framework (12-domain version) of behaviour change. Methods: As part of a non-randomised pilot study, pharmacists in 12 community pharmacies across Northern Ireland (n = 6) and London, England (n = 6), will be trained to deliver the intervention to older patients who are prescribed ≥ 4 regular medicines and are non-adherent (self-reported). Ten patients will be recruited per pharmacy (n = 120) and offered up to four tailored one-to-one sessions, in the pharmacy or via telephone depending on their adherence, over a 3-4-month period. Guided by an electronic application (app) on iPads, the intervention content will be tailored to each patient's underlying reasons for non-adherence and mapped to the most appropriate solutions using established behaviour change techniques. This study will assess the feasibility of collecting data on the primary outcome of medication adherence (self-report and dispensing data) and secondary outcomes (health-related quality of life and unplanned hospitalisations). An embedded process evaluation will assess training fidelity for pharmacy staff, intervention fidelity, acceptability to patients and pharmacists and the intervention's mechanism of action. Process evaluation data will include audio-recordings of training workshops, intervention sessions, feedback interviews and patient surveys. Analysis will be largely descriptive. Discussion: Using pre-defined progression criteria, the findings from this pilot study will guide the decision whether to proceed to a cluster randomised controlled trial to test the effectiveness of the S-MAP intervention in comparison to usual care in community pharmacies. The study will also explore how the intervention components may work to bring about change in older patients' adherence behaviour and guide further refinement of the intervention and study procedures. Trial registration: This study is registered at ISRCTN: https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN7383153

Can the Right Tool Unlock Green Building Investment?

Office buildings within the U.S. Commercial Real Estate (CRE) sector spend more than $32 billion annually on energy1 and contribute 18% of US carbon dioxide emissions.2 For building owners, energy costs directly impact net operating income which is a key metric for their profitability. For tenants, who are often responsible for the cost of the energy consumption, efficiency improvements are tied to their bottom line. For the environment, a meaningful reduction in CO2 emissions from commercial buildings would help move the needle in the fight against climate change. All the major stakeholders involved have something to gain from reducing energy consumption, and yet the CRE market has been slow to make large-scale changes. Building owners and management firms must weigh many factors before deciding to make an investment in energy efficiency. For example, they must estimate their potential return and the timeframe within which they will receive it. They must also consider the upfront cost and to whom the benefit will accrue as well as how the investment will be received by tenants. This process takes time and requires an understanding of the benefits and tradeoffs of available technologies and many firms in the CRE industry do not have this additional time and expertise. However, with the right decision making framework, firms in CRE industry can more efficiently explore and evaluate potential investments that will both increase their profitability and benefit the environment. For this project, we partnered with the Grand Rapids based property management firm CWD to develop a system by which property managers can more efficiently identify potential opportunities for investments in energy efficiency that will yield both a financial return and reduce CO2 emissions.Master of ScienceNatural Resources and EnvironmentUniversity of Michiganhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/136605/1/Moya_Ryan_Patton_Daniel_Opus Final Report.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/136605/2/Moya_Ryan_Patton_Daniel_Energy Savings Decision Tool .xlsxhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/136605/3/Moya_Ryan_Patton_Daniel_Tenant_Energy_Consumption_Reduction.xlsxDescription of Moya_Ryan_Patton_Daniel_Opus Final Report.pdf : Final DocumentDescription of Moya_Ryan_Patton_Daniel_Energy Savings Decision Tool .xlsx : Energy Savings Decision ToolDescription of Moya_Ryan_Patton_Daniel_Tenant_Energy_Consumption_Reduction.xlsx : Tenant Energy Consumptio

SN 2016iet: The Pulsational or Pair Instability Explosion of a Low Metallicity Massive CO Core Embedded in a Dense Hydrogen-Poor Circumstellar Medium

We present optical photometry and spectroscopy of SN 2016iet, an unprecedented Type I supernova (SN) at $z=0.0676$ with no obvious analog in the existing literature. The peculiar light curve has two roughly equal brightness peaks ($\approx -19$ mag) separated by 100 days, and a subsequent slow decline by 5 mag in 650 rest-frame days. The spectra are dominated by emission lines of calcium and oxygen, with a width of only $3400$ km s$^{-1}$, superposed on a strong blue continuum in the first year, and with a large ratio of $L_{\rm [Ca\,II]}/L_{\rm [O\,I]}\approx 4$ at late times. There is no clear evidence for hydrogen or helium associated with the SN at any phase. We model the light curves with several potential energy sources: radioactive decay, central engine, and circumstellar medium (CSM) interaction. Regardless of the model, the inferred progenitor mass near the end of its life (i.e., CO core mass) is $\gtrsim 55$ M$_\odot$ and up to $120$ M$_\odot$, placing the event in the regime of pulsational pair instability supernovae (PPISNe) or pair instability supernovae (PISNe). The models of CSM interaction provide the most consistent explanation for the light curves and spectra, and require a CSM mass of $\approx 35$ M$_\odot$ ejected in the final decade before explosion. We further find that SN 2016iet is located at an unusually large offset ($16.5$ kpc) from its low metallicity dwarf host galaxy ($Z\approx 0.1$ Z$_\odot$, $M\approx 10^{8.5}$ M$_\odot$), supporting the PPISN/PISN interpretation. In the final spectrum, we detect narrow H$\alpha$ emission at the SN location, likely due to a dim underlying galaxy host or an H II region. Despite the overall consistency of the SN and its unusual environment with PPISNe and PISNe, we find that the inferred properties of SN\,2016iet challenge existing models of such events.Comment: 26 Pages, 17 Figures, Submitted to Ap