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This exploratory, mixed-methods study examines first-year general chemistry students' written responses on a belonging survey. Responses were thematically analyzed to identify students’ sources of belonging, which may help instructors choose effective strategies for enhancing belonging during the transition into college. Qualitative analysis generated a codebook containing 21 codes from 6 categories: Course Attributes, Interest, Perceptions, Social, Student Attributes, and Value. The qualitative coding data were transformed into quantitative frequency data, allowing identification of the most frequent themes across all participants on each of four surveys: early- and late-semester General Chemistry 1 and 2. Additional analyses explored how belonging explanations varied based on student characteristics that might influence their experience of this large introductory STEM course at a selective, high-income, predominantly White institution. Unique sources of belonging were expected to emerge for groups marginalized in STEM (i.e., Black and Hispanic students, women) and groups who might feel discouraged by a selective institutional and course culture (i.e., students with no credit-bearing AP scores, low course grades, or high belonging uncertainty). Results indicate the importance of interest for all participants' course-level belonging. Students' career goals, perceptions of the course content, and social dynamics with peers also proved universally influential. Some patterns were especially pronounced for marginalized or discouraged groups, who were disproportionately likely to discuss social comparisons and interactions, self-evaluate, and describe the utility-value of the course. These groups were also less likely to express positive cognitive and affective engagement in the course. Implications for supporting student belonging throughout the course sequence are discussed.

Visceral organs and tissues of 89 free-living alpine marmots (Marmota marmota) shot during a population control program in Switzerland, were collected. Between emergence from hibernation in April to July, the gastrointestinal tract (stomach to colon) gained 51% of mass and the liver mass increased by 24%. At the same time, the basal metabolic rate (BMR), determined with a portable oxygen analyzer, increased by 18%. The organ masses of the digestive system (stomach, small intestine, caecum, large intestine) were all significantly correlated with BMR. Interestingly, the mass of abdominal white adipose tissue (WAT) and of the remaining carcass (mainly skin and bones) were also significantly correlated with BMR. These results indicate that the gastrointestinal tract and organs involved in digestive function are metabolically expensive. They also show that it is costly to maintain even tissues with low metabolic rate such as WAT, especially if they are large. Heart and kidneys and especially brain and lungs did not explain a large proportion of the variance in BMR. Marmots increased the uptake of fat prior to hibernation, both by selective feeding and enhanced gastrointestinal capacity. Large fat reserves enable marmots to hibernate without food intake and to reproduce in spring, but at the cost of an elevated BMR. We predict that climate changes that disturb energy accumulation in summer, increase energy expenditure in winter, or delay the emergence from hibernation in spring, such as the occurrence of storms with increasing frequency, will increase mortality in alpine marmots.

Several independent lines of evidence suggest that megakaryocytes are dysfunctional in severe COVID-19. Herein, we characterized peripheral circulating megakaryocytes in a large cohort of COVID-19 inpatients and correlated subpopulation frequencies with clinical outcomes. Using peripheral blood, we show that megakaryocytes are increased in the systemic circulation in COVID-19, and we identify and validate S100A8/A9 as a defining marker of megakaryocyte dysfunction. We further reveal a subpopulation of S100A8/A9+ megakaryocytes that contain SARS-CoV-2 protein and RNA. Using flow cytometry of peripheral blood and in vitro studies on SARS-CoV-2 infected primary human megakaryocytes, we demonstrate that megakaryocytes can transfer viral antigens to emerging platelets. Mechanistically, we show that SARS-CoV-2 containing megakaryocytes are NFκB-activated, via p65 and p52, express NFκB-mediated cytokines, IL-6 and IL-1β, and display high surface expression of TLR2 and TLR4, canonical drivers of NFκB. In a cohort of 218 COVID-19 inpatients, we correlate frequencies of megakaryocyte subpopulations with clinical outcomes and show that SARS-CoV-2 containing megakaryocytes are a strong risk factor for mortality and multi-organ injury, including respiratory failure, mechanical ventilation, acute kidney injury, thrombotic events, and ICU admission. Further, we show that SARS-CoV-2+ megakaryocytes are present in lung and brain autopsy tissues from deceased COVID-19 donors. This study offers the first evidence implicating SARS-CoV-2+ peripheral megakaryocytes in severe disease and suggests that circulating megakaryocytes warrant investigation in inflammatory disorders beyond COVID-19.

Criegee intermediates are important atmospheric oxidants, formed via the reaction of ozone with volatile alkenes emitted into the troposphere. Small Criegee intermediates (e.g., CH

SUMMARYSingle-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) presents an opportunity to deconstruct cellular networks but is limited by the loss of biological information, includingin vivocellular states and phospho-signaling. Herein, we present fixation before dissociation using a deep eutectic solvent (DES), which preserves multiple domains ofin vivobiological data, including morphology, RNA, proteins, and post-translational modifications. In scRNA-seq of viable versus DES bone marrow, dissociation induced global stress responses, immune and stromal cell activation, and loss of highly sensitive cell populations, which were prevented with DES. Further, we introduce a validated and flexible method for performing intracellular CITE-seq in DES-fixed cells. Leveraging this approach during Th17 T cell stimulation allowed the simultaneous quantification of transcriptomes and four phosphorylated proteins, leading to the identification of a hyperactivated state in p-ERK/p-FOS double positive cells, which we experimentally validated. We anticipate that DES-based fixatives will allow the accurate reconstruction ofin vivocellular networks and uncover cooperativity amongst intracellular pathways.

Toxoplasma gondii is a successful coccidian parasite able to infect all warm-blooded animals and humans, causing one of the most common zoonoses worldwide. The Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) is one of the feline potential hosts of T. gondii in Switzerland, but little is known about its epidemiological role as a definitive or intermediate host. Serum samples from 183 Eurasian lynx collected from 2002 to 2021 were tested for antibodies to T. gondii by ELISA, IFAT and in case of inconclusive results, immunoblot. Antibodies to T. gondii were found in 150 of 183 (82%) Eurasian lynx. Older age, good health status and a low-altitude habitat were found to be significant predictors for seropositivity. T. gondii oocysts were detected in 3 of 176 (1.7%) faecal samples, indicating the Eurasian lynx as a definitive host. In addition, T. gondii DNA was detected in skeletal muscle (7/88), heart muscle (2/26) and/or brain tissue (2/36) from 10 different lynx by real-time PCR. In one animal, a T. gondii-like tissue cyst was observed in heart muscle and confirmed as T. gondii by immunohistochemistry (1/20) and real-time PCR. With an adapted nested-PCR-multilocus-sequence typing (MLST) and in silico restriction-fragment-length-polymorphism analysis (RFLP) approach two different T. gondii genotypes were detected: a lineage II variant (ToxoDB #3) in three animals (two oocyst samples and one heart muscle sample) and a novel genotype exhibiting both type II and III alleles in a further animal (skeletal muscle). The present results indicate that T. gondii infection is widespread in the Swiss lynx population. The Eurasian lynx may contribute to environmental contamination with oocysts and is able to harbour the parasite in different tissues. Genotyping revealed the presence of both a common T. gondii lineage in Europe and a previously unknown genotype and thus shedding more light on the complex molecular epidemiology of T. gondii.

Developing community programming that integrates cultural context, family systems, and social connection is key to promoting well-being and acculturation among refugee families. This study explored the resettlement experiences of Somali refugee mothers as they sought to navigate their changing personal identities, childrearing approaches, and integration into a new community. The Somali Parent Program (SPP) represents a culturally specific, family-focused, 8-week program designed to address participants' questions and challenges. A phenomenological approach was used to understand how Somali mothers in the program made meaning of their experiences before, during, and after program completion. Emergent themes focused on how being a part of the program provided sources of belonging and support, highlighted the value of parent-child relationships, and emphasized the importance of visibility and voice. Culturally specific family-focused programs such as SPP may provide an effective method for addressing acculturation and integration among refugee families. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Students' social belonging in a general chemistry course has been shown to predict academic performance in that course. Additionally, students' social belonging at the beginning of a general chemistry course has been shown to differ across demographics, such as gender. This social belonging exists as both an absolute sense of belonging in the course and as an uncertainty in that belonging. Both social-belonging components are important for students' performance and retention in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. In addition to differential social belonging across demographics at the beginning of the course, social belonging can change in response to course performance. This change in social belonging may further affect performance which may further affect social belonging in a recursive spiral. In this study, we investigated the recursive effect between course-level social belonging (measured as two separate, but correlated, components: sense of belonging and belonging uncertainty) and course performance in a general chemistry 1 course delivered in a hybrid online format due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We found evidence that course-level social belonging and course performance interact with each other through a recursive mechanism during a semester of general chemistry 1. These findings highlight the importance of implementing inclusive interventions continuously throughout a general chemistry 1 course, particularly after key assessments, such as exams. © 2021 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.

Toxoplasmosis, neosporosis, and brucellosis are devastating diseases causing infectious abortion and, therefore, substantial economic losses in farm animals. Toxoplasmosis and neosporosis are caused by the intracellular protozoan parasites

The prevalence of

We conducted a cross-sectional study with cattle farms randomly selected and stratified according to population size, resulting in a sample of 780 female cattle. The cattle originated from 161 farms distributed over all Switzerland. The serum samples were tested for antibodies againstBy ELISA and immunoblot, 4.2% (33/780) of cattle sera yielded positive results. At the farm level, 16.2% (26/161) of the sampled farms had at least one seropositive animal. The return rate of the valid questionnaires was 54.0%. At the animal level, odds for farm seropositivity were 3.8 times higher when rodents had been recorded by the farmer as a problem on the farm. At the farm-level, two protective factors were identified: rearing of replacement heifers and feeding of concentrated feed.We recorded a low seroprevalence of

Previous studies have found that students' concept-building approaches, identified a priori with a cognitive psychology laboratory task, are associated with student exam performances in chemistry classes. Abstraction learners (those who extract the principles underlying related examples) performed better than exemplar learners (those who focus on memorizing the training exemplars and responses) on transfer exam questions but not retention questions, after accounting for general ability. We extended these findings to introductory biology courses in which active-learning techniques were used to try to foster deep conceptual learning. Exams were constructed to contain both transfer and retention questions. Abstraction learners demonstrated better performance than exemplar learners on the transfer questions but not on the retention questions. These results were not moderated by indices of crystallized or fluid intelligence. Our central interpretation is that students identified as abstraction learners appear to construct a deep understanding of the concepts (presumably based on abstract underpinnings), thereby enabling them to apply and generalize the concepts to scenarios and instantiations not seen during instruction (transfer questions). By contrast, other students appear to base their representations on memorized instructed examples, leading to good performance on retention questions but not transfer questions.

Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum are closely related intracellular protozoan parasites of medical and veterinary concern by causing abortions and systemic illness. Limited or ambiguous data on the prevalence of T. gondii and N. caninum in camels triggered us to conduct this study.Camels (n = 460) recently imported from Sudan and destined mainly for human consumption, were tested for specific antibodies against these protozoans using commercially available ELISAs. From the two only quarantine stations for camels from Sudan, 368 camels were sampled between November 2015 and March 2016 in Shalateen, Red Sea governorate, and 92 samples were collected between September 2018 and March 2021 from Abu Simbel, Aswan governorate.Overall, seropositive rates in camels were 25.7%, 3.9% and 0.8% for T. gondii, N. caninum and mixed infection, respectively. However, marked differences were found between the two study sites and/or the two sampling periods: For T. gondii, a higher rate of infection was recorded in the Red Sea samples (31.5%, 116/368; odds ratio 20.7, 5.0-85.6; P0.0001) than in those collected in Aswan (2.2%, 2/92). The opposite was found for N. caninum with a lower rate of infection in the Red Sea samples (0.82%, 3/368; odds ratio 23.7, 6.7-83.9; P0.0001) than in the samples from Aswan (16.3%, 15/92). Additionally, our systematic review revealed that the overall published seroprevalence of T. gondii and N. caninum was 28.6% and 14.3% in camels worldwide, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this study provides the first record of seroprevalence of both T. gondii and N. caninum in recently imported camels kept under quarantine conditions before delivery to other Egyptian cities and regions. In addition, our review provides inclusive data on the prevalence of T. gondii and N. caninum in camel globally. This knowledge provides basic data for the implementation of strategies and control measures against neosporosis and toxoplasmosis.

The nickel base alloy IN718 was manufactured by Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) using a laser spot size of 1024 μm and a laser power of 1.3 kW at a layer thickness of 160μm. The resulting porosity, microstructure and mechanical properties are presented. Very coarse and in build direction elongated grains are stacked to form a polycrystalline material with sharp single-crystal-like texture. The appearance of ∑5 grain boundaries between coincidence side lattices is recognized. Tensile testing shows highly anisotropic mechanical properties according to the revealed texture. Increasing the hatch distance reduces the severity of the texture.

Problem solving plays an essential role in all scientific disciplines, and solving problems can reveal essential concepts that underlie those disciplines. Thus, problem solving serves both as a common tool and desired outcome in many science classes. Research on teaching problem solving offers principles for instruction that are guided by learning theories. This essay describes an online, evidence-based teaching guide (https://lse.ascb.org/ evidence-based-teaching-guides/problem-solving) intended to guide instructors in the use of these principles. The guide describes the theoretical underpinnings of problem-solving research and instructional choices that can place instruction before problem solving (e.g., peer-led team learning and worked examples) or problem solving before instruction (e.g., process-oriented guided inquiry learning, contrasting cases, and productive failure). Finally, the guide describes assessment choices that help instructors consider alternative outcomes for problem-solving instruction. Each of these sections consists of key points that can be gleaned from the literature as well as summaries and links to articles that inform these points. The guide also includes an instructor checklist that offers a concise summary of key points with actionable steps to direct instructors as they develop and refine their problem-solving instruction.

We examined self-directed studying of students in an introductory (Study 1) and upper-level (Study 2) psychology course. Students reported their study behaviors for Exam 1 and 2, and wrote Exam 2 study plans. In both studies, students planned to and ultimately did use more active strategies for Exam 2 than Exam 1. However, they struggled to follow through on plans to space studying over time. In Study 1, we also found that greater use of active strategies (e.g., retrieval practice) was associated with higher exam scores when controlling for factors such as study time. Our findings highlight that students across course levels are interested in changing their study behaviors and we note implications for instructors.

Discussions about increasing diversity in economics have ignored the role that associations play in the engagement of underrepresented economists. We continue work on diversity and inclusion in the Northeastern Agriculture and Resource Economics Association (NAREA) and other associations by analyzing membership and meeting attendance to promote diversity in economics. We estimate a vector error correction model (VECM) to identify the determinants of membership and meeting attendance and use member survey data to model membership and meeting attendance behavior. We find inequalities across gender, income, and professional status. Recommendations include locating meetings in accessible cities, increasing networking opportunities, and providing more services supporting underrepresented groups.

Three crises-climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and extreme economic and social inequality-intersect and have had devastating impacts on workers' rights to health, as well as the right to decent work, an underlying determinant of health. Yet these crises may act as catalysts, as responses present opportunities for transformation. Indeed, multiple international governance institutions and nongovernmental organizations have proposed new social contracts that aim to address the multiple challenges facing workers today. These initiatives promise to transform society to make workers and their families healthier and the planet more sustainable. They join and supplement earlier efforts at transformation, such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This article critiques (1) the market-fundamentalist neoliberal social contract, which gave rise to, or exacerbated, the three crises, and (2) the 2030 agenda and recent International Labour Organization proposals, which are all built on this neoliberal platform. Finally, the article argues for a social contract that is grounded in human rights-specifically worker rights-to address these crises and ensure greater protection of the health.

Gender inequities continue to persist within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, even at the undergraduate level. This has led researchers to further examine potential factors that contribute to retention and persistence of undergraduates in STEM fields. In this study using classroom observations, we examined gender equity in individual verbal participation in large introductory physics courses, and compared our results to observations in introductory courses in other STEM disciplines. We found that in introductory physics courses, men had disproportionately higher rates of individual verbal participation than women. Observation-level analysis confirmed that three-quarters (76.2%) of the physics observations had descriptively higher than expected participation by men and almost a quarter of observations (23.8%) were statistically significant for a gender imbalance in individual verbal participation. We then sought to determine if any pedagogical strategies or student behaviors correlated with a more equitable classroom to better understand what drives gender inequity in participation, and found three classroom behaviors—an increasing amount of instructor questions, group responses from students, and student questions—correspond with a more gender equitable classroom. Student-level survey data, which mirrors the observation data, also show that self-reported levels of individual participation have small, significant correlations with both course-level belonging and inclusivity. The introductory physics results were mostly replicated in the other STEM disciplines, despite their differences in course structure. The patterns of individual participation were still disproportionately higher for men, with two-thirds of observations displaying a bias towards more men participating. Student-level survey data continued to mirror the observation data, and small, significant correlations between student self-reported participation and course-level belonging and inclusion were found. However, only the number of student questions correlated with a more equitable classroom in other STEM courses. This study extends the conversation on the relationship between active learning and equity in the classroom, demonstrating a need to move beyond mere inclusion of active pedagogies towards proactive facilitation of equitable and comfortable verbal participation by all students. Practical strategies for encouraging inclusive classroom dialogue, such as transparency, growth-mindset messaging, and multiple modes of engagement, are discussed.

Gender equality in the workplace includes equal wages, opportunities, and treatment. Although there have been improvements in all of these areas in the last several decades, one area of continuing ...

The protozoan parasite Tritrichomonas foetus may cause severe diarrhea in cats all over the world. In order to evaluate the methodology in coprological molecular diagnosis of feline tritrichomonosis, we compared previously published ("old") and newly developed ("novel") loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) (targeted to the T. foetus β-tubulin and the elf1α 1 gene, respectively) as well as an old conventional and an old and novel real-time PCR (all targeted to overlapping regions of T. foetus rDNA) assays regarding their diagnostic sensitivities and specificities. Here, the novel real-time PCR yielded the best methodical performance in that a sensitivity with a detection limit of

Students' study sessions outside class are important learning opportunities in college courses. However, we often depend on students to study effectively without explicit instruction. In this study, we described students' self-reported study habits and related those habits to their performance on exams. Notably, in these analyses, we controlled for potential confounds, such as academic preparation, self-reported class absences, and self-reported total study time. First, we found that, on average, students used approximately four active strategies to study and that they spent about half of their study time using active strategies. In addition, both the number of active strategies and the proportion of their study time using active strategies positively predicted exam performance. Second, on average, students started studying 6 days before an exam, but how early a student started studying was not related to performance on in-term (immediate) or cumulative (delayed) exams. Third, on average, students reported being distracted about 20% of their study time, and distraction while studying negatively predicted exam performance. These results add nuance to lab findings and help instructors prioritize study habits to target for change.

Interleukin (IL)-22 is central to immune defense at barrier sites. We examined the contributions of innate lymphoid cell (ILC) and T cell-derived IL-22 during Citrobacter rodentium (C.r) infection using mice that both report Il22 expression and allow lineage-specific deletion. ILC-derived IL-22 activated STAT3 in C.r-colonized surface intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) but only temporally restrained bacterial growth. T cell-derived IL-22 induced a more robust and extensive activation of STAT3 in IECs, including IECs lining colonic crypts, and T cell-specific deficiency of IL-22 led to pathogen invasion of the crypts and increased mortality. This reflected a requirement for T cell-derived IL-22 for the expression of a host-protective transcriptomic program that included AMPs, neutrophil-recruiting chemokines, and mucin-related molecules, and it restricted IFNγ-induced proinflammatory genes. Our findings demonstrate spatiotemporal differences in the production and action of IL-22 by ILCs and T cells during infection and reveal an indispensable role for IL-22-producing T cells in the protection of the intestinal crypts.

Understanding how policies can be used to induce technological change, specifically in the area of renewable energy, is crucial for reaching environmental goals. This paper examines the impact of subsidies from the California Solar Initiative (CSI) on non-residential adoption of solar panels. We find evidence that firms do respond to higher solar subsides by increasing their intensity of solar energy. A 10% increase in the subsidy amount leads to an increase in solar capacity by between 1.36% and 2.55%. In addition, although peer effects seem to play an important role in solar adoption decisions, we do not find evidence of peer effects in the intensity of adoption. Both of these findings add a unique perspective to the growing literature on solar energy. This study is also of interest to policy makers who must understand the benefits and costs associated with higher subsidies for inducing technology adoption.

Robust evidence shows that Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) improves the academic success of first-year college students in introductory Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses. Less clear is the extent to which this positive PLTL effect varies across different subgroups of the population. The current study aims to deepen our understanding of the overall PLTL effect by extensively evaluating an optional PLTL program associated with General Chemistry I at a private, research university. Using five years of exam data, this study disaggregates the PLTL effect by demographics (sex and race), academic preparation (math skills, chemistry content knowledge, and experience with college-preparatory coursework), and participation in another curricular innovation (a growth-mindset intervention). Results revealed that the positive effect of PLTL was comparable across demographic identity groups. Thus, the PLTL program benefitted all participants but did not reduce the pre-existing performance di...

Students may do well answering exam questions that are similar to examples presented in class. Yet, some of these students perform poorly on exam questions that require applying instructed concepts to a new problem whereas others fare better on such questions. Our hypothesis is that these performance differences reflect, in part, individual differences in learners’ tendencies to focus on acquiring the particular exemplars and responses associated with the training exemplars (exemplar learners) versus attempting to abstract underlying regularities reflected in particular exemplars (abstraction learners). Using a web-based learning task developed in previous laboratory research, we differentiated students on this dimension, and then tracked their final exam performances in introductory chemistry courses. Abstraction learners demonstrated advantages over exemplar learners for transfer questions but not for retention questions. The results converge on the idea that individual differences displayed in how learners acquire and represent concepts persist from laboratory concept learning to learning complex concepts in science courses.

Background Research suggests growth mindset interventions can support student achievement, particularly among students at risk of academic struggle, but it remains underspecified which at-risk populations will benefit from such interventions. Objectives This study aimed to experimentally evaluate whether highly (vs. moderately or minimally) nontraditional community college students would benefit from a growth mindset intervention and whether their performance differed at baseline and after the intervention. Method A sample of 155 students in introductory psychology at a 2-year community college was randomly assigned to complete a growth mindset or control intervention, and all participants completed an extensive background survey. Results Results showed improved exam performance among highly nontraditional students in the mindset (vs. control) condition but no benefit among other students. Highly nontraditional students showed similar pre-intervention performance to peers, but their exam scores declined more over the semester than did control peers. Conclusion Growth mindset interventions may offer a low-cost strategy for supporting nontraditional community college students at risk of a downward performance trajectory. Teaching Implications Instructors can use easily administered mindset interventions to support at-risk students’ academic performance. They may also wish to evaluate the performance-related messages they convey to students and work to create a growth-oriented classroom environment.

Infections with helminth parasites can negatively affect performance of dairy cows. Knowledge on infection intensity, spatial distributions and risk factors are key to develop targeted treatment strategies. Canada and most EU countries have conducted large investigations, but respective data for Switzerland were missing. We now performed a bulk tank milk serosurvey for Ostertagia ostertagi, Fasciola hepatica, and Dictyocaulus viviparus on a total of 1036 voluntarily participating dairy herds that were sampled at confinement periods, i.e. in winter 2014/15 or 2015/16, respectively. All samples were analyzed with commercial ELISAs for antibodies (AB) against O. ostertagi and F. hepatica, and those of the first sampling period additionally with an in-house ELISA for AB against D. viviparus. Testing for the latter parasite was not done in the second year of the study, as the sampling period might have missed infections due to the short lived nature of specific antibodies. The possible influence of geographic, climatic, and farm management variables on AB levels were assessed for each parasite using scanning cluster and multiple regression analysis. Overall seroprevalence for O. ostertagi was 95.5% (95% C.I.: 94.0-96.6), with a mean optical density ratio (ODR) of 0.83, for F. hepatica 41.3% (95% C.I.: 38.3-44.4), and for D. viviparus 2.9% (95% C.I.: 1.6-4.7). There were no significant differences between the two sampling periods. For all parasites, significant geographic clusters of higher AB levels could be established. Furthermore, AB levels against all three parasites were positively correlated with each other, indicating either cross-reactions or co-infections. For O. ostertagi, herd size and percentage of pasture in the ration were positively correlated with AB levels. For F. hepatica, altitude above sea level (a.s.l.) positively, and milk production per cow and year was negatively correlated with AB levels. This work provides baseline data for further studies performing in-depth risk factor analysis and investigating management as well as targeted treatment options to control the parasites.

Women and minorities remain underrepresented in chemistry bachelor's degree attainment in the United States, despite efforts to improve their early chemistry achievement through supplemental academic programs and active-learning approaches. We propose an additional strategy for addressing these disparities: course-based, social-psychological interventions. For example, growth-mindset interventions are designed to support students during challenging academic transitions by encouraging them to view intelligence as a flexible characteristic that can be developed through practice, rather than a fixed ability. Previous research has shown that such interventions can improve the overall performance and persistence of college students, particularly those who belong to underrepresented groups. We report a random-assignment classroom experiment, which implemented a chemistry-specific growth-mindset intervention among first-year college students enrolled in General Chemistry 1. Performance results revealed an achievement gap between underrepresented minority and white students in the control group, but no sex-based gap. Critically, after adjusting for variation in academic preparation, the mindset intervention eliminated this racial-achievement gap. Qualitative analysis of students’ written reflections from the intervention shed light on their experiences of the mindset and control treatments, deepening our understanding of mindset effects. We integrate these results with the mindset and chemical education literatures and discuss the implications for educators seeking to support underrepresented students in their own classrooms.

We analyze the efficacy of using dockage-fee discounts as an incentive for oceangoing vessel operators to comply with the Vessel Speed Reduction programs of seaports, such as those implemented at the ports in Long Beach, Los Angeles, San Diego, New York and New Jersey. On the basis of unique data from the Port of Long Beach’s program, we find that discounts are indeed effective, and that those effects vary considerably by operator type, suggesting a role for differentiated pricing strategies to better motivate compliance. We also develop a novel method for exploiting those data to estimate the value of time for vessel operators, with estimates ranging from US$268 to $759 per hour. Our findings are obtained from a discrete-choice model for panel data that estimates how the probability of compliance is influenced by potential dockage-fee savings and speed-reduction delays, and by the characteristics of operators and their vessels. That model also reveals the tradeoffs those operators make between time and money, from which we derive our value of time estimates.

This article examines SDG 8 ‘Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all’. It critically examines the goal from two perspect...

One primary goal of many science courses is for students to learn creative problem-solving skills; that is, integrating concepts, explaining concepts in a problem context, and using concepts to solve problems. However, what science instructors see is that many students, even those having excellent SAT/ACT and Advanced Placement scores, struggle in the introductory science courses. As faculty work to adopt more evidence-based teaching methods, the question arises of how to determine early on who may have difficulty in these introductory courses. Recent basic cognitive science research suggests that there are individual differences in how learners approach conceptual tasks: some learners tend toward rote concept-learning (exemplar learners), whereas other learners tend to use abstraction concept-learning. We explored the possibility that this individual difference in concept-building might have consequences for classroom learning. In the current study, using an online concept-building task, we differentiate...

As research has shown, collaborative peer learning is effective for improving student learning. Peer-led team learning (PLTL) is one well-known collaborative-group approach in which groups are facilitated by trained undergraduate peer leaders. This paper contributes to the literature on peer-leader training by examining how peer leaders for a large introductory science course translate their training into practice during their sessions. By conducting qualitative analysis on annual advice books written by emergent peer leaders, we examined the practiced advice and strategies of these peer leaders as they facilitate PLTL groups in a university-level general chemistry course. These advice books are passed on to future peer instructors, creating a community of practice between new and more experienced peer leaders. From the analysis, we discovered that peer leaders focus on developing robust student–student discussion during complex problem solving by 1) creating a community-oriented social and intellectual environment, 2) adapting their tactics and the collaborative-learning strategies to balance different personalities and promote equal participation among all students, and 3) modifying collaborative group approaches when facilitating their sessions. Also, in their correspondence across cohorts, peer leaders provided near-peer support to one another. These annual books disseminate practiced advice between peer-leader generations and are used during new peer-leader training.

Although clickers are often invoked as a simple strategy for incorporating active learning into STEM classrooms, actual clicker implementations are complex and highly varied. This chapter sheds light on the spectrum of clicker implementation styles that have been observed in STEM classrooms at our institution and elsewhere and explores the decision-making processes that underlie those styles. In service of these goals, we draw on a combination of sources, including the education research literature, a mixed-methods study conducted by our research group, and professional experience as instructors, researchers, and faculty developers. The chapter concludes with guiding principles to help STEM practitioners make informed choices about how and when to incorporate clickers into their courses.

Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) has been associated with diminished immune response in aged horses. This prospective study hypothesised that this may result in increased strongyle egg shedding in affected animals and that horses treated with pergolide would have reduced fecal egg counts (eggs per gram, EPG) compared to placebo-treated animals. Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) concentrations and EPG were tested in 48 horses. There were no significant differences in baseline EPG between horses with pre-clinical PPID and healthy controls. There was no significant difference in EPG between horses with PPID after treatment with pergolide and placebo-treated animals. Using EPG as a marker of immune function, these results did not support a proposed decrease in immune function in horses with pre-clinical PPID.

Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women and is the deadliest gynecological malignancy in the United States. The standard treatment of ovarian cancer is based on debulking surgery followed by platinum- and taxane-based chemotherapy, and has remained the same over the past three decades. Over those years, molecular targeted and combination therapies have been developed and clinically approved, however the overall survival rate has not improved significantly due to chemo-resistance. Further, the majority of patients experience recurrence of treatment-resistant tumors. The genomic diversity within a tumor and the varying cell types within its microenvironment has placed significant importance on heterogeneity and its clinical implications. Intra-tumor heterogeneity has often been blamed for treatment failure in ovarian carcinoma. Consequently, intra-tumor heterogeneity is a key factor driving drug resistance, therapeutic failure, and poor outcomes and poses a significant challenge to personalized cancer medicine. Intra-tumor heterogeneity is a hallmark of cancer where the molecular and cellular interactions within the tumor microenvironment can dictate a cancer’s fate. Molecular profiling of bulk tissue specimens using methods such as whole-transcriptome sequencing are limited in their ability to resolve fine grain molecular signatures and hinder our utility to dissect the underlying biology of individual tumors. Although informatics approaches are available that attempt to disentangle tissue heterogeneity from bulk tumor data, emerging spatial whole transcriptome sequencing technologies allow a more precise delineation of cellular and molecular substructure in a comprehensive unbiased approach. Spatial Transcriptomics (ST) enables high-throughput whole transcriptomic sequencing within a single intact tissue by using a glass slide arrayed with barcoded cDNA primers at a resolution of 100um (3-30 cells). This workflow requires no tissue dissociation keeping fragile cell types intact. Resulting data from this workflow is overlaid on the tissue, displayed as a “cluster reference map”, providing comprehensive unbiased transcriptional substructure and unique possibilities for subsequent in situ analysis. The overall goal of this study is to utilize ST to unveil the unexplored landscape of intra-tumor heterogeneity in ovarian cancer and determine its translational relevance. Here, we applied ST to profile gene expression in fresh frozen OCT embedded sections from nine high grade ovarian patients. Three serial 5-micron frozen sections were placed on proprietary 10x Genomics Spatial Transcriptomics (ST) slides and processed using manufacturer specifications. Libraries were sequenced on the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 system and data was processed using 10X Genomics analytical tools. Next, we aggregated the transcriptional profiles of serial sections from each case increasing our power to cluster similar regions and identify differentially expressed genes within these tissues. Using serial sections of solid tumors from each subject we were not only able to profile each section at 100um resolution but also spatially resolve gene expression signatures and cluster regions of tissue based on these signatures. This ST workflow reliably quantitated an average spatial distribution of 19,285 genes per section in our ovarian cancer cohort. Interestingly, within our cohort we have extreme outliers that include primary tumors that did not have any response to standard adjuvant chemotherapy, paclitaxel and carboplatin, and patients that sustained a durable response to standard adjuvant chemotherapy and diagnosed as disease free ≥3 years and then presented with recurrent disease. We identified tumor heterogeneity as unique spatially-resolved gene expression clusters across each tissue section defined by individual gene sets associated with tumorigenic molecular processes, immune cell quantity and localization. These approaches highlight the power of spatial whole-transcriptomic sequencing in solid tumor studies to help unravel the complexity of heterogeneous cancers and provide a comprehensive characterization of transcriptional substructure within a single tissue section. Citation Format: Lee D. Gibbs, Lynda Roman, Michelle Webb, Rania Bassiouni, Stephen R Williams, Neil I. Weisenfeld, Nigel F. Delaney, Yifeng Yin, Solomon Rotimi, Jennifer Chew, Meghan Frey, Jing Qian, Heather Miller, Laila Murderspach, Diane Da Silva, Troy McEachron, David W. Craig, John D. Carpten. Novel Approaches for Accessing Molecular Heterogeneity [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Conference: Thirteenth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2020 Oct 2-4. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(12 Suppl):Abstract nr IA41.

Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women and is the deadliest gynecological malignancy in the United States. The standard treatment of ovarian cancer is based on debulking surgery followed by platinum- and taxane-based chemotherapy, and has remained the same over the past three decades. Over those years, molecular targeted and combination therapies have been developed and clinically approved, however the overall survival rate has not improved significantly due to chemo-resistance. Further, the majority of patients experience recurrence of treatment-resistant tumors. The genomic diversity within a tumor and the varying cell types within its microenvironment has placed significant importance on heterogeneity and its clinical implications. Intra-tumor heterogeneity has often been blamed for treatment failure in ovarian carcinoma. Consequently, intra-tumor heterogeneity is a key factor driving drug resistance, therapeutic failure, and poor outcomes and poses a significant challenge to personalized cancer medicine. Intra-tumor heterogeneity is a hallmark of cancer where the molecular and cellular interactions within the tumor microenvironment can dictate a cancer's fate. Molecular profiling of bulk tissue specimens using methods such as whole-transcriptome sequencing are limited in their ability to resolve fine grain molecular signatures and hinder our utility to dissect the underlying biology of individual tumors. Although informatics approaches are available that attempt to disentangle tissue heterogeneity from bulk tumor data, emerging spatial whole transcriptome sequencing technologies allow a more precise delineation of cellular and molecular substructure in a comprehensive unbiased approach. Spatial Transcriptomics (ST) enables high-throughput whole transcriptomic sequencing within a single intact tissue by using a glass slide arrayed with barcoded cDNA primers at a resolution of 100um (3-30 cells). This workflow requires no tissue dissociation keeping fragile cell types intact. Resulting data from this workflow is overlaid on the tissue, displayed as a “cluster reference map”, providing comprehensive unbiased transcriptional substructure and unique possibilities for subsequent in situ analysis. The overall goal of this study is to utilize ST to unveil the unexplored landscape of intra-tumor heterogeneity in ovarian cancer and determine its translational relevance. Here, we applied ST to profile gene expression in fresh frozen OCT embedded sections from nine high grade ovarian patients. Three serial 5-micron frozen sections were placed on proprietary 10x Genomics Spatial Transcriptomics (ST) slides and processed using manufacturer specifications. Libraries were sequenced on the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 system and data was processed using 10X Genomics analytical tools. Next, we aggregated the transcriptional profiles of serial sections from each case increasing our power to cluster similar regions and identify differentially expressed genes within these tissues. Using serial sections of solid tumors from each subject we were not only able to profile each section at 100um resolution but also spatially resolve gene expression signatures and cluster regions of tissue based on these signatures. This ST workflow reliably quantitated an average spatial distribution of 19,285 genes per section in our ovarian cancer cohort. Interestingly, within our cohort we have extreme outliers that include primary tumors that did not have any response to standard adjuvant chemotherapy, paclitaxel and carboplatin, and patients that sustained a durable response to standard adjuvant chemotherapy and diagnosed as disease free ≥3 years and then presented with recurrent disease. ST revealed cellular heterogeneity across the entirety of the tumor microenvironment in an anatomically resolved manner. Bioinformatic tools and molecular pathway enrichment were used to annotate tumor, stromal, and immune tissue regions. Our analyses blindly recapitulate specific histopathological annotations spatially through unsupervised gene expression clustering. These data also revealed clear transcriptional substructure, where we identified transcriptionally diverse tumor clones that have unique gene sets associated with distinct molecular processes that relate to oncogenesis (BRCA1, P53, and PTEN Pathway). and potential targetable pathways (EGFR, HER2, PI3K/AKT/MAPK signaling pathways). Additionally, we were able to create spatial heat maps of the inflammatory microenvironment at the single gene level and for gene profiles that define specific inflammatory signals and immune cell profiles. Using this approach, we went on to conduct a refined analysis of key inflammatory genes that have been previously known to play an important role in the immune response of ovarian cancer and developed a spatially resolved inflammation score for each section from each subject. Not only did we observe statistically significant regionalized inflammation scores within each subject, we also found inter-subject differences which may give clinical insight into response to treatment. Surprisingly, this technology also enabled the ability to analyze conventional and emerging immune checkpoint gene expression while accessing the cells and regions of the tissue where they are expressed. Further, our analysis of spatial maps and immune cell quantitation within a primary and recurrent tumor from the same individual revealed dynamic longitudinal changes in inflammation scores and immune infiltration between tumors and spatially within each tumor. These approaches highlight the power of spatial whole-transcriptomic sequencing in solid tumor studies to help unravel the complexity of heterogeneous cancers and provide a comprehensive characterization of transcriptional substructure within a single tissue section. Citation Format: Lee D. Gibbs, Stephen R. Williams, Neil I. Weisenfeld, David W. Craig, Rania Bassiouni, Nigel F. Delaney, Diane Da Silva, Yifeng Yin, Solomon Rotimi, Jennifer Chew, Meghan Frey, Michelle Webb, Jing Qian, Heather Miller, Laila Murderspach, Troy McEachron, Lynda Roman, John D. Carpten. Spatial RNA-seq reveals intratumor heterogeneity and transcriptional substructure in high-grade ovarian cancers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr NG03.

Introduction: Differences in tumor heterogeneity, particularly the tumor microenvironment have not yet been explored as potential molecular features underlying cancer disparities. Molecular profiling of bulk tissue specimens using methods such as whole-transcriptome sequencing are limited in their ability to resolve fine grain molecular signatures and hinder our utility to dissect underlying biology of individual tumors. Although informatics approaches are available that attempt to disentangle tissue heterogeneity from bulk tumor data, emerging spatial whole transcriptome sequencing technologies allows a more precise delineation of cellular and molecular substructure in a comprehensive unbiased way. Here we present an investigation whole-transcriptome spatial sequencing in a diverse cohort of ovarian cancer cases. Methods: Three serial 5-micron frozen sections were placed on proprietary 10x Genomics Spatial Transcriptomics (ST) slides and processed using manufacturer specifications. Libraries were sequenced on the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 system and data was processed using the 10X Genomics analytical tools. ST data from each section was analyzed to create spatially defined cellular clusters at 100-micron resolution. Results: ST revealed cellular heterogeneity across the entirety of the tumor microenvironment in an anatomically resolved manner. Bioinformatic tools and molecular pathways to infer tumor purity were used to annotate tumor, immune, and stromal substructures. These data also revealed clear transcriptional substructure in some tumors, where different tumor regions were defined by unique gene sets associated with different molecular processes known to be related to tumorigenesis. Further, we observed clear transcriptional substructure in some tumors, where different tumor regions were enriched with molecular pathways that are associated with tumorigenesis (i.e., DNA Damage Response, and Protein Translation pathways), regions defined by immune infiltration (i.e. CD8+ T cells, T regulatory cells, Macrophages, and B cells), and molecular pathways that are associated with inflammatory signalling (i.e. complement, IL2, IL-10, and IL6 signaling pathways). Conclusion: These approaches highlight the power of spatial whole-transcriptomic approaches in solid tumor studies to help unravel the complexity of heterogeneous cancers and provide a comprehensive characterization of transcriptional substructure within a single tissue section. Citation Format: Lee D. Gibbs, Stephen R. Williams, Neil I. Weisenfeld, Rania Bassiouni, Nigel F. Delaney, Diane Da Silva, Yifeng Yin, Solomon Rotimi, Jennifer Chew, Meghan Frey, Jing Qian, Heather Miller, Laila Murderspach, Troy McEachron, David Craig, Lynda WOptional Roman, John D. Carpten. Spatial RNA-seq reveals intratumor heterogeneity and transcriptional substructure in a diverse cohort of high-grade ovarian cancers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2019 Sep 20-23; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl_2):Abstract nr A087.

This chapter examines the clash between neoliberalism and social justice at the International Labour Organization (ILO). Since its founding in 1919, employer, worker and government representatives, as “tripartite” social partners, have created and supervised a wide array of labor standards based on a shared ideology of social justice. In this context, many of its labor standards and monitoring have aimed to shield workers from market forces by, for example, regulating work time and ensuring adequate living wages. These standards fundamentally conflict with the tenets of neoliberalism as it has been increasingly embraced by many of the ILO’s employer and government representatives. The chapter examines three illustrative cases of such conflict: the 1998 initiative to establish Core Labor Standards (CLS), the ongoing conflict at the ILO over the right to strike, and the ILO full employment policy convention. The purpose is to explore whether social justice labor standards are (1) pushed aside (2) remain intact, (3) are flexible enough to accommodate neoliberal interpretations, or (4) unresolved. The results indicate persistent threats and pressures on labor standards from neoliberal labor policy logics. Yet, examination also shows surprising resilience of the ILO’s architecture and values to prevail or at least resist neoliberalism.