Search

With the highly interdisciplinary nature of biochemistry, and the diverse range of students taking introductory biochemistry courses, it can be difficult to incorporate authentic applications of course content that appeal broadly to students. However, it is important to engage students' learning at the affective level. One mode to achieve this goal is by incorporating assignments that support students in identifying the relevance of course content and the skills they are learning. In this study we incorporated an assignment that placed students in the role of science communicators, where they attended a research seminar and then wrote a summary of the research, connecting it to course content. We interviewed students about their experiences with the assignment to identify the ways in which it appealed to them affectively and influenced their perceived learning. Our results indicate that both components supported students to identify the relevance of biochemistry on a personal and societal level, as well as supported students' perceived understanding of biochemistry concepts. Thus, incorporating assignments that encourage students to build their own connections with biochemistry content can be beneficial to their affective learning.

Writing is an important skill for communicating knowledge in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and an aid to developing students' communication skills, content knowledge, and disciplinary thinking. Despite the importance of writing, its incorporation into the undergraduate STEM curriculum is uneven. Research indicates that understanding faculty beliefs is important when trying to propagate evidence-based instructional practices, yet faculty beliefs about writing pedagogies are not yet broadly characterized for STEM teaching at the undergraduate level. Based on a nationwide cross-disciplinary survey at research-intensive institutions, this work aims to understand the extent to which writing is assigned in undergraduate STEM courses and the factors that influence faculty members' beliefs about, and reported use of, writing-based pedagogies. Faculty attitudes about the effectiveness of writing practices did not differ between faculty who assign and do not assign writing; rather, beliefs about the influence of social factors and contextually imposed instructional constraints informed their decisions to use or not use writing. Our findings indicate that strategies to increase the use of writing need to specifically target the factors that influence faculty decisions to assign or not assign writing. It is not faculty beliefs about effectiveness, but rather faculty beliefs about behavioral control and constraints at the departmental level that need to be targeted.

Abstract Childhood represents a period of significant growth and maturation for the brain, and is also associated with a heightened risk for mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI). There is also concern that repeated-mTBI (r-mTBI) may have a long-term impact on developmental trajectories. Using an awake closed head injury (ACHI) model, that uses rapid head acceleration to induce a mTBI, we investigated the acute effects of repeated-mTBI (r-mTBI) on neurological function and cellular proliferation in juvenile male and female Long-Evans rats. We found that r-mTBI did not lead to cumulative neurological deficits with the model. R-mTBI animals exhibited an increase in BrdU + (bromodeoxyuridine positive) cells in the dentate gyrus (DG), and that this increase was more robust in male animals. This increase was not sustained, and cell proliferation returning to normal by PID3. A greater increase in BrdU + cells was observed in the dorsal DG in both male and female r-mTBI animals at PID1. Using Ki-67 expression as an endogenous marker of cellular proliferation, a robust proliferative response following r-mTBI was observed in male animals at PID1 that persisted until PID3, and was not constrained to the DG alone. Triple labeling experiments (Iba1+, GFAP+, Brdu+) revealed that a high proportion of these proliferating cells were microglia/macrophages, indicating there was a heightened inflammatory response. Overall, these findings suggest that rapid head acceleration with the ACHI model produces an mTBI, but that the acute neurological deficits do not increase in severity with repeated administration. R-mTBI transiently increases cellular proliferation in the hippocampus, particularly in male animals, and the pattern of cell proliferation suggests that this represents a neuroinflammatory response that is focused around the mid-brain rather than peripheral cortical regions. These results add to growing literature indicating sex differences in proliferative and inflammatory responses between females and males. Targeting proliferation as a therapeutic avenue may help reduce the short term impact of r-mTBI, but there may be sex-specific considerations.

Abstract Introduction This study compared outcomes of the iStent inject trabecular micro-bypass system versus the Hydrus Microstent in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Methods Forty subjects (80 eyes) with POAG were included in this single-center, retrospective, contralateral-eye analysis. All patients underwent phacoemulsification with either iStent inject or Hydrus implantation in one eye and the other device in the contralateral eye, with ≥ 3-month follow-up. In 58 eyes (27 iStent inject, 31 Hydrus) the surgery also included ab interno canaloplasty (ABiC). Twelve-month outcomes included intraocular pressure (IOP), medications, and adverse events. Subgroup analyses were completed for iStent inject versus Hydrus, and with versus without ABiC. Results At 12 months versus baseline, mean IOP reduced from 16.8 ± 3.7 to 13.6 ± 2.9 (p = 0.003) in iStent inject eyes, and from 18.1 ± 4.5 to 14.9 ± 3.2 mmHg (p = 0.003) in Hydrus eyes (between-group IOP reduction p = 0.582). Mean number of glaucoma medications reduced from 1.23 ± 0.97 to 0.30 ± 0.76 (p

Abstract Background Large-river decision-makers are charged with maintaining diverse ecosystem services through unprecedented social-ecological transformations as climate change and other global stressors intensify. The interconnected, dendritic habitats of rivers, which often demarcate jurisdictional boundaries, generate complex management challenges. Here, we explore how the Resist–Accept–Direct (RAD) framework may enhance large-river management by promoting coordinated and deliberate responses to social-ecological trajectories of change. The RAD framework identifies the full decision space of potential management approaches, wherein managers may resist change to maintain historical conditions, accept change toward different conditions, or direct change to a specified future with novel conditions. In the Upper Mississippi River System, managers are facing social-ecological transformations from more frequent and extreme high-water events. We illustrate how RAD-informed basin-, reach-, and site-scale decisions could: (1) provide cross-spatial scale framing; (2) open the entire decision space of potential management approaches; and (3) enhance coordinated inter-jurisdictional management in response to the trajectory of the Upper Mississippi River hydrograph. Results The RAD framework helps identify plausible long-term trajectories in different reaches (or subbasins) of the river and how the associated social-ecological transformations could be managed by altering site-scale conditions. Strategic reach-scale objectives may reprioritize how, where, and when site conditions could be altered to contribute to the basin goal, given the basin’s plausible trajectories of change (e.g., by coordinating action across sites to alter habitat connectivity, diversity, and redundancy in the river mosaic). Conclusions When faced with long-term systemic transformations (e.g., > 50 years), the RAD framework helps explicitly consider whether or when the basin vision or goals may no longer be achievable, and direct options may open yet unconsidered potential for the basin. Embedding the RAD framework in hierarchical decision-making clarifies that the selection of actions in space and time should be derived from basin-wide goals and reach-scale objectives to ensure that site-scale actions contribute effectively to the larger river habitat mosaic. Embedding the RAD framework in large-river decisions can provide the necessary conduit to link flexibility and innovation at the site scale with stability at larger scales for adaptive governance of changing social-ecological systems.

Endophytes can have positive effects on plant health and growth, but endophytes of warm-season grasses are largely understudied, and inocula are rarely applied to cultivated grasses. To identify endophytes in warm-season grasses, 35 endophytic bacterial isolates were cultured from the roots, rhizomes, and shoots of bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon), energy cane (Saccharum spp.), Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense), napiergrass (Cenchrus purpureus), perennial sorghum (Sorghum bicolor × S. halepense), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), sorghum × sudangrass (Sorghum × drummondii), and peanut (outgroup). Sequencing of the 16S rRNA fragment from the endophytes revealed that the bacterial sequences were similar to Bacillus spp. (19 isolates), Burkholderia spp. (4), Pantoea spp. (4), Pseudomonas spp. (3), Enterobacter spp. (2), Kosakonia spp. (2), and Sphingomonas sp. (1). To identify diazotrophic endophytes, DNA isolated from surface-disinfected tissue from warm-season grasses was used to amplify nifH. Bacteria containing nifH were similar to 13 genera, and sequences similar to Pseudolabrys sp. were present in the greatest number of warm-season grasses. Bacteria similar to Bradyrhizobium frederickii strain CNPSo 3447 were identified frequently from the leaves and roots of sorghum × sudangrass (and peanut roots). Using similarity to known nifH fragments, six genera were identified that had not been previously identified in grasses. Thus, a large number of endophytes were found in warm-season grasses and could enhance plant growth or grass nitrogen levels by using nitrogen fixation. [Figure: see text] The author(s) have dedicated the work to the public domain under the Creative Commons CC0 “No Rights Reserved” license by waiving all of his or her rights to the work worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law, 2023.

Dominance is widely considered a pillar of rational choice and has played a major role in the history of theorizing and developing models of human decision-making. A wealth of empirical evidence reveals that humans’ violation of dominance is both substantial and systematic. But could violation of dominance be given a rational basis? Specifically, could it be understood in terms of the optimal use of limited cognitive resources? In this work, we present the first resource-rational account of stochastic dominance, the most empirically studied version of dominance. Concretely, we show that a resource-rational process model, sample-based expected utility (SbEU), provides a unified account of a broad range of empirical results on violation of stochastic dominance. We discuss the implications of our work for risky decision-making, and more broadly, human rationality.

We present a neural-network computational model of a recent experiment revealing that chimpanzees show some ability to reason probabilistically. Specifically, we show that the neural probability learner and sampler (NPLS) system can account for both success by chimpanzees and better performance by human controls. NPLS effectively combines learning probability distributions with sampling from those learned distributions to guide action choices. Because NPLS also simulates learning and use of probability distributions by human infants, this brings us closer to a unifying model of probabilistic reasoning, across various age groups and species.

Studies have found that when innovation involves recombining cultural traits, partially-connected populations produce higher levels of cultural complexity than fully-connected populations by avoiding cultural homogenization. However, population connectedness is only one of many factors that could promote cultural diversity and thus cultural complexity. Here, we examine whether people's preference for copying members of their own social group could also fill this role. Our simulations reveal that even in fully-connected populations, ingroup-biased transmission results in greater cultural complexity than unbiased transmission. Moreover, in partially-connected populations, this bias interacts with population structure to produce even higher levels of cultural complexity than population structure alone. Finally, by incorporating population turnover into our model, we shed light on the trade-off between promoting cultural diversity versus limiting cultural loss.

Human decision-making is filled with numerous paradoxes and violations of rationality principles. A particularly notable example is violation of cumulative independence (VoCI). Recently, there has been a surge of interest in theorizing and developing a resource-rational foundation for many such phenomena. Here we ask whether VoCI could be given a resource-rational basis too. To what extent could VoCI be explained in terms of the optimal use of limited cognitive resources? In this work, we look at VoCI through the lens of modern psychological theories of bounded rationality, presenting the first resource rational account of VoCI.We discuss the implications of our work for risky decision-making, and more broadly, human rationality.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and storage (CCS) is frequently identified as a potential component to achieving a decarbonized power system at least cost; however, power system models frequently lack detailed representation of CO2 transportation, injection, and storage (CTS) infrastructure. In this paper, we present a novel approach to explicitly represent CO2 storage potential and CTS infrastructure costs and constraints within a continental-scale power system capacity expansion model. In addition, we evaluate the sensitivity of the results to assumptions about the future costs and performance of CTS components and carbon capture technologies. We find that the quantity of CO2 captured within the power sector is relatively insensitive to the range of CTS costs explored, suggesting that the cost of CO2 capture retrofits is a more important driver of CCS implementation than the costs of transportation and storage. Finally, we demonstrate that storage and injection costs account for the predominant share of total costs associated with CTS investment and operation, suggesting that pipeline infrastructure costs have limited influence on the competitiveness of CCS.

Achieving women's health equity and empowerment is a global priority. In a Western context, women are often disempowered by the value society places on body size, shape or weight, which can create a barrier to health. Health promotion programs can exacerbate women's preoccupations with their bodies by focusing outcomes toward achieving an "ideal" body size. Women's health promotion activities should be empowering if the desired outcomes are to improve their health and well-being long-term. This review sought to identify key elements from health promotion programs that aimed to empower women. A search was conducted in PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL complete, and Academic Search Premiere databases. The search yielded 27 articles that collectively reported on 10 different programs. Through thematic synthesis, each article was analyzed for (1) key program features employed to empower women and (2) how such programs evaluated women's health. Seven themes resulted, of which five describe key empowering features ("active participation," "social support," "sustainable change," "holistic health perspective," "strength-based approach") and two evaluation characteristics (assessment across multiple health domains and a mixed-method design). The findings from this review can assist health promoters to design and improve initiatives that aim to empower women.

Abstract Objective We used the lateral fluid percussion injury (LFPI) model of moderate‐to‐severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) to identify early plasma biomarkers predicting injury, early post‐traumatic seizures or neuromotor functional recovery (neuroscores), considering the effect of levetiracetam, which is commonly given after severe TBI. Methods Adult male Sprague–Dawley rats underwent left parietal LFPI, received levetiracetam (200 mg/kg bolus, 200 mg/kg/day subcutaneously for 7 days [7d]) or vehicle post‐LFPI, and were continuously video‐EEG recorded (n = 14/group). Sham (craniotomy only, n = 6), and naïve controls (n = 10) were also used. Neuroscores and plasma collection were done at 2d or 7d post‐LFPI or equivalent timepoints in sham/naïve. Plasma protein biomarker levels were determined by reverse phase protein microarray and classified according to injury severity (LFPI vs. sham/control), levetiracetam treatment, early seizures, and 2d‐to‐7d neuroscore recovery, using machine learning. Results Low 2d plasma levels of Thr231‐phosphorylated tau protein (pTAU‐Thr231) and S100B combined (ROC AUC = 0.7790) predicted prior craniotomy surgery (diagnostic biomarker). Levetiracetam‐treated LFPI rats were differentiated from vehicle treated by the 2d‐HMGB1, 2d‐pTAU‐Thr231, and 2d‐UCHL1 plasma levels combined (ROC AUC = 0.9394) (pharmacodynamic biomarker). Levetiracetam prevented the seizure effects on two biomarkers that predicted early seizures only among vehicle‐treated LFPI rats: pTAU‐Thr231 (ROC AUC = 1) and UCHL1 (ROC AUC = 0.8333) (prognostic biomarker of early seizures among vehicle‐treated LFPI rats). Levetiracetam‐resistant early seizures were predicted by high 2d‐IFNγ plasma levels (ROC AUC = 0.8750) (response biomarker). 2d‐to‐7d neuroscore recovery was best predicted by higher 2d‐S100B, lower 2d‐HMGB1, and 2d‐to‐7d increase in HMGB1 or decrease in TNF (P

Migrants and refugees face elevated risks for mental health problems but have limited access to services. This study compared two strategies for training and supervising nonspecialists to deliver a scalable psychological intervention, Group Problem Management Plus (gPM+), in northern Colombia. Adult women who reported elevated psychological distress and functional impairment were randomized to receive gPM+ delivered by nonspecialists who received training and supervision by: 1) a psychologist (specialized technical support); or 2) a nonspecialist who had been trained as a trainer/supervisor (nonspecialized technical support). We examined effectiveness and implementation outcomes using a mixed-methods approach. Thirteen nonspecialists were trained as gPM+ facilitators and three were trained-as-trainers. We enrolled 128 women to participate in gPM+ across the two conditions. Intervention attendance was higher in the specialized technical support condition. The nonspecialized technical support condition demonstrated higher fidelity to gPM+ and lower cost of implementation. Other indicators of effectiveness, adoption and implementation were comparable between the two implementation strategies. These results suggest it is feasible to implement mental health interventions, like gPM+, using lower-resource, community-embedded task sharing models, while maintaining safety and fidelity. Further evidence from fully powered trials is needed to make definitive conclusions about the relative cost of these implementation strategies.