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Store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) is a ubiquitous cellular mechanism that cells use to activate extracellular Ca2+ entry when intracellular Ca2+ stores are depleted. In skeletal muscle, SOCE occurs within Ca2+ entry units (CEUs), intracellular junctions between stacks of SR membranes containing STIM1 and transverse tubules (TTs) containing ORAI1. Gain-of-function mutations in STIM1 and ORAI1 are linked to tubular aggregate (TA) myopathy, a disease characterized by the atypical accumulation of tubes of SR origin. Moreover, SOCE and TAs are increased in the muscles of aged male mice. Here, we assessed the longitudinal effects (from 4–6 months to 10–14 months of age) of constitutive, muscle-specific Orai1 knockout (cOrai1 KO) on skeletal muscle structure, function, and the assembly of TAs and CEUs. The results from these studies indicate that cOrai1 KO mice exhibit a shorter lifespan, reduced body weight, exercise intolerance, decreased muscle-specific force and rate of force production, and an increased number of structurally damaged mitochondria. In addition, electron microscopy analyses revealed (i) the absence of TAs with increasing age and (ii) an increased number of SR stacks without adjacent TTs (i.e., incomplete CEUs) in cOrai1 KO mice. The absence of TAs is consistent with TAs being formed as a result of excessive ORAI1-dependent Ca2+ entry.

In Trypanosoma brucei, gene expression is primarily regulated posttranscriptionally making RNA metabolism critical. T. brucei has an epitranscriptome containing modified RNA bases. Yet, the identity of the enzymes catalyzing modified RNA base addition and the functions of the enzymes and modifications remain unclear. Homology searches indicate the presence of numerous T. brucei cytosine RNA methyltransferase homologs. One such homolog, TbNop2 was studied in detail. TbNop2 contains the six highly conserved motifs found in cytosine RNA methyltransferases and is evolutionarily related to the Nop2 protein family required for rRNA modification and processing. RNAi experiments targeting TbNop2 resulted in reduced levels of TbNop2 RNA and protein, and a cessation of parasite growth. Next generation sequencing of bisulfite-treated RNA (BS-seq) detected the presence of two methylation sites in the large rRNA; yet TbNop2 RNAi did not result in a significant reduction of methylation. However, TbNop2 RNAi resulted in the retention of 28S internal transcribed spacer RNAs, indicating a role for TbNop2 in rRNA processing.

Postgraduate study can be mentally, physically and emotionally challenging. The levels of anxiety and depression in postgraduate students are much higher than those in the general population, and isolation can also be a problem, especially for students who are marginalised due to gender, race, sexuality, disability or being a first-generation and/or international student. These challenges are not new, but awareness of them has increased over the past decade, as have efforts by institutions to make students feel supported. Under the umbrella of a Doctoral Training Partnership, we developed a programme in which reflective practice is employed to help postgraduate students navigate work environments, deal with difficult supervisory or professional relationships, and improve their work-life balance. Additionally, this reflective practice is allowing the training partnership to tailor support to its students, enabling them to effectively nurture our next generation of bioscientists.

Abstract Introduction Life‐prolonging therapies (LPTs) are rapidly evolving for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer, although factors associated with real‐world uptake are not well characterized. Methods In this cohort of prostate‐cancer decedents, we analyzed factors associated with LPT access. Population‐level databases from Ontario, Canada identified patients 65 years or older with prostate cancer receiving androgen deprivation therapy and who died of prostate cancer between 2013 and 2017. Univariate and multivariable analyses assessed the association between baseline characteristics and receipt of LPT in the 2 years prior to death. Results Of 3575 patients who died of prostate cancer, 40.4% (n = 1443) received LPT, which comprised abiraterone (66.3%), docetaxel (50.3%), enzalutamide (17.2%), radium‐223 (10.0%), and/or cabazitaxel (3.5%). Use of LPT increased by year of death (2013: 22.7%, 2014: 31.8%, 2015: 41.8%, 2016: 49.1%, and 2017: 57.9%, p

Abstract Background In August 2017, Myanmar’s Armed Forces, the Tatmadaw, launched an orchestrated attack on hundreds of Rohingya-majority villages in northern Rakhine state. This study seeks to validate the consistency of previous reports of violence against the Rohingya people in the region carried out by the Tatmadaw, Border Guard Police, and Rakhine villagers in the late summer and early fall of 2017. Methods Internal validation data is from a three-armed study. Data analyzed in the external triangulation was sourced through a literature review of known, publicly available surveys and interviews. Both sets of data documented instances of violence against the Rohingya people in northern Rakhine state during the late summer and early fall of 2017. Consistency was evaluated across five indicators of violence: arson, presence of mass graves, reports of sexual violence and human injuries, as well as human fatalities, across 611 locales in northern Rakhine state. Further analysis was conducted to measure consistency of reports by locale and across locales by indicator. Results Overall, an internal validation of 94 hamlets found that 98% of these locales were consistent across at least four of the five indicators (80% + consistency). Arson and reports of human injuries were the most consistent indicators across locales (100% and 99% consistency, respectively) and sexual violence was the least consistent indicator, with 84% of participating locales exhibiting consistent reports of sexual violence between the qualitative and quantitative data. Similarly, an external validation of 57 locations found that 50 of the 57 locations (88%) were consistent across indicators. Arson was the most consistent across sources (96%), whereas source agreement across locations was the least consistent for reports of sexual violence (58%). Conclusion The government of Myanmar has denied involvement in the 2017 attacks on Rohingya communities in northern Rakhine state and purports that reports of the violence and destruction are overstated. However, consistent reporting from multiple sources on the same locales clearly underscores the veracity of the evidence documented, both by investigative groups and as recounted by Rohingya survivors of violence. It is our hope that this cataloging and comparison of available data, along with this study’s assessment of its consistency, will aid ongoing accountability efforts.

Abstract Background Documenting perpetrators of human rights violations enables effective prosecution and can help prevent future atrocities. Doing so calls for collecting reliable data using verifiable and transparent methodology. We present methods used to document crimes and identify alleged perpetrators implicated in the 2017 attacks against Rohingya civilians in Myanmar. The findings and lessons-learned have relevance to contemporary crises with widespread atrocities. Methods A mixed-methods assessment conducted from May to July 2018 included: (1) cross-sectional quantitative surveys among leaders of affected hamlets in northern Rakhine State, (2) qualitative interviews to record hamlet-level accounts, and (3) clinical evaluations of survivors of violence. Survey respondents who reported violence and destruction in each hamlet were asked to identify perpetrators of those acts, including known role or affiliation. The reported names were reviewed for clarity and divergent spellings, repeated references were aggregated, and the names and roles were analyzed and classified by location and affiliation. Results 143 individuals were implicated in atrocities committed across three Northern Rakhine townships. Each was independently identified by at least three separate survey respondents as directly committing violence or destruction in their hamlet of origin, or as witnessed while fleeing to Bangladesh. Two-thirds (69%) of identified perpetrators were reported by four or more participants and 47% by five or more. Some form of additional identifying information, was provided for 85% of names. The most common affiliations were: Myanmar army (n = 40), Border Guard Police (n = 32), Village Tract Administrators (n = 17), and extremists (n = 25). Conclusions The methodology presented here yielded a unique record of individuals purported to have directly committed acts of violence and destruction in Rakhine State in August 2017, forming the most extensive record of individuals implicated in ground-level perpetration of those crimes. This methodology can play a key role in accountability mechanisms for the Rohingya, and in other settings in which perpetrators are many and documentation of their crimes is difficult. The use of survey methods and standardized data collection amongst affected populations to comprehensively characterize crimes committed and to identify individuals implicated in those crimes can serve as a key tool in documentation and an important component of accountability.

Abstract Background Infective endocarditis (IE) caused by Streptococcus agalactiae (GBS) is increasingly reported and associated with an aggressive course and high mortality rate. Existing literature on GBS IE is limited to case series; we compared the characteristics of patients with GBS IE to patients with GBS bacteremia without IE to identify risk factors for development of IE. Methods A nested case–control study in a cohort of adult patients with GBS bacteremia over a 18-year period was conducted across seven centres in three Canadian cities. A chart review identified patients with possible or definite IE (per Modified Duke Criteria) and patients with IE were matched to those without endocarditis in a 1:3 fashion. Multivariate analyses were completed using logistic regression. Results Of 520 patients with GBS bacteremia, 28 cases of possible or definite IE were identified (5.4%). 68% (19/28) met criteria for definite IE, surgery was performed in 29% (8/28), and the overall in-hospital mortality rate was 29% (8/28). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that IE was associated with injection drug use (OR = 19.6, 95% CI = 3.39–111.11, p = 0.001), prosthetic valve (OR = 11.5, 95% CI = 1.73–76.92, p = 0.011) and lack of identified source of bacteremia (OR = 3.81, 95% CI = 1.24–11.65, p = 0.019). Conclusions GBS bacteremia, especially amongst people who inject drugs, those with prosthetic valves, and those with no apparent source of infection, should increase clinical suspicion for IE.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 was met with condemnation from the European Union and the United States as an "unprovoked and unjustified military aggression" that undermines the liberal international order. However, some international relations scholars, such as John Mearsheimer, argue that Russia had genuine security concerns with regard to Ukraine and that the invasion was a response to the threat of NATO membership for Ukraine. Both liberal and realist perspectives on the invasion rely on the assumption of rational, cost-benefit calculations by actors, but cultural factors and irreconcilable non-material interests may also be at play in shaping the actions and motivations of states. Understanding the cultural and national identity factors at play in the invasion of Ukraine is complex and difficult, but they cannot be ignored in attempting to understand and address the conflict.

Abstract Oxygen supplementation, although a cornerstone of emergency and cardiovascular medicine, often results in hyperoxia, a condition characterized by excessive tissue oxygen which results in adverse cardiac remodeling and subsequent injurious effects to physiological function. Cardiac remodeling is further influenced by various risk factors, including pre-existing conditions and sex. Thus, the purpose of this experiment was to investigate cardiac remodeling in Type I Diabetic (Akita) mice subjected to hyperoxic treatment. Overall, we demonstrated that Akita mice experience distinct challenges from wild type (WT) mice. Specifically, Akita males at both normoxia and hyperoxia showed significant decreases in body and heart weights, prolonged PR, QRS, and QTc intervals, and reduced %EF and %FS at normoxia compared to WT controls. Moreover, Akita males largely resemble female mice (both WT and Akita) with regards to the parameters studied. Finally, statistical analysis revealed hyperoxia to have the greatest influence on cardiac pathophysiology, followed by sex, and finally genotype. Taken together, our data suggest that Type I diabetic patients may have distinct cardiac pathophysiology under hyperoxia compared to uncomplicated patients, with males being at high risk. These findings can be used to enhance provision of care in ICU patients with Type I diabetes as a comorbid condition.

ABSTRACT The Genomics Education Partnership (GEP) engages students in a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE). To better understand the student attributes that support success in this CURE, we asked students about their attitudes using previously published scales that measure epistemic beliefs about work and science, interest in science, and grit. We found, in general, that the attitudes students bring with them into the classroom contribute to two outcome measures, namely, learning as assessed by a pre- and postquiz and perceived self-reported benefits. While the GEP CURE produces positive outcomes overall, the students with more positive attitudes toward science, particularly with respect to epistemic beliefs, showed greater gains. The findings indicate the importance of a student’s epistemic beliefs to achieving positive learning outcomes.

Cystic adventitial disease is an uncommon cause of lower extremity claudication resulting from accumulation of mucinous fluid in an arterial subadventitial layer, typically of the popliteal artery. A popliteal bruit and/or reduced distal pulses with knee flexion may be seen on examination. Alternatively, popliteal artery entrapment syndrome triggers claudication via an aberrant arterial pathway or muscular hypertrophy. Decreased distal pressures with plantar or dorsiflexion is a key finding. This report details the case of a middle-aged male with cystic adventitial disease whose diagnosis was complicated by concurrent features of popliteal artery entrapment syndrome. Treatment consisted of venous interposition grafting, which yielded excellent results.

Introduction Research training programs are an integral part of a well-rounded medical education. These programs help students contribute to medical knowledge, develop skills in critical evaluation and research dissemination, and they facilitate the training of our future medical researchers. Existing literature suggests barriers including lack of available time and access to projects may hinder a medical student’s research training. These barriers likely differ based on the medical school curriculum, and there exists limited data looking at these attitudes in Canadian students, students outside large academic centers or those in condensed programs. Given this, our study aims to further explore medical students' perceptions, perceived barriers of research in a three-year Canadian undergraduate medical school with regional campuses. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey of medical students (classes of 2019, 2020 and 2021) representing the main and regional campuses of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine in Ontario, Canada to explore their attitudes towards research. Descriptive statistics were used to describe participant demographics, research background and attitudes towards research. Results Overall, 70.4% of students identified as being involved in a research project at some point during their medical school tenure. Motivating factors for research participation included the goal of obtaining a residency spot (63.0%), and interest in their research topic (74.7%). Barriers to research included perceived lack of available time (31.5%), and difficulty in finding a research project (44.5%). Perceived curriculum deficiencies included lack of education in research methodology and appraisal of scientific literature (93.2% and 89.0%, respectively). Lastly, regional campuses tended conduct their research outside of their home campus (43.6% vs 3.3%, p

This article provides (a) a brief description of an ongoing research project at homeless shelters, (a) an example of an undergraduate student’s independent (and unique) contributions to the Project; and (c) the student’s reflection on civic-related and professional-related development associated with the work.

Abstract Background The Rohingya ethnic minority population in northern Rakhine state, Myanmar, have experienced some of the most protracted situations of persecution. Government-led clearance operations in August 2017 were one of many, but notably one of the most devastating, attacks on the population. The study aimed to conduct a multiphase mixed-methods assessment of the prevalence and contexts of violence and mortality across affected hamlets in northern Rakhine State during the August 2017 attacks. This publication describes qualitative accounts by Rohingya community leaders from affected hamlets, with a focus on the events and environment leading up to and surrounding the attacks. Methods Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with Rohingya community leaders representing 88 northern Rakhine state hamlets across three townships affected by the August 2017 attacks (Maungdaw, n = 34; Buthidaung, n = 42; Rathedaung, n = 12). Prior quantitative surveys conducted among representative hamlet leaders allowed for preliminary screening and identification of interview candidates: interviewees were then selected based on prior reports of 10 or more deaths among Rohingya hamlet community members, mass rape, and/or witness of mass graves in a hamlet or during displacement. Recorded interviews were transcribed, translated, and thematically coded. Results Rohingya leaders reported that community members were subjected to systematic civil oppression characterized by severe restrictions on travel, marriage, education, and legal rights, regular denial of citizenship rights, and unsubstantiated accusations of terrorist affiliations in the months prior to August 2017. During the attacks, Rohingya civilians (inclusive of women, men, children, and elderly) reportedly suffered severe, indiscriminate violence perpetrated by Myanmar security forces. Crimes against children and sexual violence were widespread. Bodies of missing civilians were discovered in mass graves and, in some cases, desecrated by armed groups. Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw), consisting of the Army, Navy, and Border Guard Police continued to pursue, assault, and obstruct civilians in flight to Bangladesh. Conclusions Qualitative findings corroborate previously published evidence of widespread and systematic violence by the Myanmar security forces against the Rohingya. The accounts describe intentional oppression of Rohingya civilians leading up to the August 2017 attacks and coordinated and targeted persecution of Rohingya by state forces spanning geographic distances, and ultimately provide supporting evidence for investigations of crimes against humanity and acts of genocide.

In March 2011, the Myanmar Government transitioned to a nominally civilian parliamentary government, resulting in dramatic increases in international investments and tenuous peace in some regions. In March 2015, Community Partners International, the Women’s Refugee Commission, and four community-based organisations (CBOs) assessed community-based sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services in eastern Myanmar amidst the changing political contexts in Myanmar and Thailand. The team conducted 12 focus group discussions among women of reproductive age (18–49 years) with children under five and interviewed 12 health workers in Kayin State, Myanmar. In Mae Sot and Chiang Mai, Thailand, the team interviewed 20 representatives of CBOs serving the border regions. Findings are presented through the socioecological lens to explore gender-based violence (GBV) specifically, to examine continued and emerging issues in the context of the political transition. Cited GBV includes ongoing sexual violence/rape by the military and in the community, trafficking, intimate partner violence, and early marriage. Despite the political transition, women continue to be at risk for military sexual violence, are caught in the burgeoning economic push–pull drivers, and experience ongoing restrictive gender norms, with limited access to SRH services. There is much fluidity, along with many connections and interactions among the contributing variables at all levels of the socioecological model; based on a multisectoral response, continued support for innovative, community-based SRH services that include medical and psychosocial care are imperative for ethnic minority women to gain more agency to freely exercise their SR rights.

A hallmark of the research experience is encountering difficulty and working through those challenges to achieve success. This ability is essential to being a successful scientist, but replicating such challenges in a teaching setting can be difficult. The Genomics Education Partnership (GEP) is a consortium of faculty who engage their students in a genomics Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE). Students participate in genome annotation, generating gene models using multiple lines of experimental evidence. Our observations suggested that the students’ learning experience is continuous and recursive, frequently beginning with frustration but eventually leading to success as they come up with defendable gene models. In order to explore our “formative frustration” hypothesis, we gathered data from faculty via a survey, and from students via both a general survey and a set of student focus groups. Upon analyzing these data, we found that all three datasets mentioned frustration and struggle, as well as learning and better understanding of the scientific process. Bioinformatics projects are particularly well suited to the process of iteration and refinement because iterations can be performed quickly and are inexpensive in both time and money. Based on these findings, we suggest that a dynamic of “formative frustration” is an important aspect for a successful CURE.

Summary: Background: In August, 2017, Myanmar security forces initiated a widespread response against the Rohingya ethnic minority in Northern Rakhine State, displacing thousands of people to Bangladesh. This attack was purportedly in response to attacks committed by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, a non-state insurgent group, on Myanmar police, Border Guard Police, and military posts, killing 12 security personnel on Aug 25, 2017. This study aimed to capture the experiences of the population from all Rohingya hamlets in the Northern Rakhine State who have been displaced to Bangladesh. Methods: A quantitative survey was done among Rohingya leaders displaced to refugee camps in Bangladesh. Community leaders from 590 Rohingya hamlets and eight urban wards provided hamlet-level data on the extent, nature, and perpetrators of the violence in Northern Rakhine State in August, 2017, and the resulting morbidity and mortality. Results: From May 28 to July 25, 2018, 462 (77%) of 604 hamlet leaders reported that the primary reason they and their community members fled was because of violence in their hamlet or in a neighbouring hamlet. 568 (94%) respondents reported that they had experienced destruction in their hamlets, including burning or destruction of fields or farms, homes, and mosques; 531 (89%) of 599 respondents reported violence in their hamlets before flight and 373 (64%) of 586 reported violence against civilians in flight. The main perpetrators of violence included but were not limited to Border Guard Police, Myanmar military, and Rakhine extremists. Of the 531 respondents who reported violence in their hamlets, 408 (77%) reported that military forces used helicopters, 372 (70%) reported military vehicles, and 113 (21%) reported tanks in these assaults on civilian communities. We estimate that 7803 Rohingya died from violent and non-violent causes associated with the August, 2017, attacks and subsequent displacement. Interpretation: In 2017, the Rohingya ethnic minority population of Northern Rakhine State were the targets of a campaign of widespread and systematic violence, including violence by state forces. Funding: An anonymous grant to Physicians for Human Rights.

Reverse transcription–quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is one of the most sensitive, economical and widely used methods for evaluating gene expression. However, the utility of this method continues to be undermined by a number of challenges including normalization using appropriate reference genes. The need to develop tailored and effective strategies is further underscored by the burgeoning field of extracellular vesicle (EV) biology. EVs contain unique signatures of small RNAs including microRNAs (miRs). In this study we develop and validate a comprehensive strategy for identifying highly stable reference genes in a therapeutically relevant cell type, cardiosphere-derived cells. Data were analysed using the four major approaches for reference gene evaluation: NormFinder, GeNorm, BestKeeper and the Delta Ct method. The weighted geometric mean of all of these methods was obtained for the final ranking. Analysis of RNA sequencing identified miR-101-3p, miR-23a-3p and a previously identified EV reference gene, miR-26a-5p. Analysis of a chip-based method (NanoString) identified miR-23a, miR-217 and miR-379 as stable candidates. RT-qPCR validation revealed that the mean of miR-23a-3p, miR-101-3p and miR-26a-5p was the most stable normalization strategy. Here, we demonstrate that a comprehensive approach of a diverse data set of conditions using multiple algorithms reliably identifies stable reference genes which will increase the utility of gene expression evaluation of therapeutically relevant EVs.

Cell junctions are scaffolds that integrate mechanical and chemical signaling. We previously showed that a desmosomal cadherin promotes keratinocyte differentiation in an adhesion-independent manner by dampening Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) activity. Here we identify a potential mechanism by which desmosomes assist the de-neddylating COP9 signalosome (CSN) in attenuating EGFR through an association between the Cops3 subunit of the CSN and desmosomal components, Desmoglein1 (Dsg1) and Desmoplakin (Dp), to promote epidermal differentiation. Silencing CSN or desmosome components shifts the balance of EGFR modifications from ubiquitination to neddylation, inhibiting EGFR dynamics in response to an acute ligand stimulus. A reciprocal relationship between loss of Dsg1 and neddylated EGFR was observed in a carcinoma model, consistent with a role in sustaining EGFR activity during tumor progression. Identification of this previously unrecognized function of the CSN in regulating EGFR neddylation has broad-reaching implications for understanding how homeostasis is achieved in regenerating epithelia.

This article argues that protection of the environment requires reconsidering basic liberal ideas relating to value and growth. It selects a central thinker in the liberal tradition, John Locke, as a starting point. The article first shows how Locke’s political writings at first glance might support a “possessive individualist” position that gives primacy to individuals and their rights to property in a way that blocks governmental action to protect the environment, much as some modern versions of liberalism and libertarianism maintain. However, there are other aspects of Locke’s writings that undermine this position. In particular, a reconsideration of his views on private property in combination with his views on the harm principle, the common good, and future generations can support the position that an individual’s right to exploit nature is indeed limited. These elements of Locke are strengthened considerably if Locke’s view of nature is updated by reconsidering nature as composed of ecosystems and as providing ecosystem goods and services. That land should continue to produce abundantly is foundational to Locke, and the failure to protect the ecosystems that provide key services supporting this abundance harms both the property of others and the viability of society: preservation of these constitute a collective good that transcends the individual good. The protection of ecosystem services also works to protect the value of individual holdings as well as the value of land still held in common. Finally, Locke’s writing supports the view that it is the role of government to act to protect the abundance of nature, even against the wishes of an individual property owner. Article first published online: 25 Feb 2017

Complaints associated with nuisance activity by Louisiana black bears (Ursus americanus luteolus) in south Louisiana have steadily increased since 2000, demanding intervention by state and federal agencies. As a federally threatened species, Louisiana black bears that are a nuisance require nonlethal management, referred to as aversive conditioning. We used rubber buckshot and dogs to test the effectiveness of management techniques used by the state of Louisiana to deter nuisance bear activity. We captured 11 bears in residential and industrial areas where nuisance bear activity was reported. We fitted bears with radiotransmitting collars and released them within 2 km of the capture site. We conditioned 5 bears using only rubber buckshot and 6 bears with rubber buckshot and dogs. Bears were monitored using telemetry to estimate movements and space use. All bears remained within 2 km of capture sites 2 weeks following release. Ten bears (91%) returned to nuisance behavior within 5 months, regardless of treatment. Mean distance from capture sites did not differ between treatments. Our results suggest that aversive conditioning techniques used in Louisiana to deter bears from nuisance activity have limited short-term effectiveness, independent of practices addressing food source.

The formation of imprinted memories during a critical period is crucial for vital behaviors, including filial attachment. Yet, little is known about the underlying molecular mechanisms. Using a combination of behavior, pharmacology, in vivo surface sensing of translation (SUnSET) and DiOlistic labeling we found that, translational control by the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF2α) bidirectionally regulates auditory but not visual imprinting and related changes in structural plasticity in chickens. Increasing phosphorylation of eIF2α (p-eIF2α) reduces translation rates and spine plasticity, and selectively impairs auditory imprinting. By contrast, inhibition of an eIF2α kinase or blocking the translational program controlled by p-eIF2α enhances auditory imprinting. Importantly, these manipulations are able to reopen the critical period. Thus, we have identified a translational control mechanism that selectively underlies auditory imprinting. Restoring translational control of eIF2α holds the promise to rejuvenate adult brain plasticity and restore learning and memory in a variety of cognitive disorders.

The Genomics Education Partnership (GEP) engages students in a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE). To better understand the student attributes that support success in this CURE, we asked students about their attitudes using previously published scales that measure epistemic beliefs about work and science, interest in science, and grit. We found, in general, that the attitudes students bring with them into the classroom contribute to two outcome measures, namely, learning as assessed by a pre- and postquiz and perceived self-reported benefits. While the GEP CURE produces positive outcomes overall, the students with more positive attitudes toward science, particularly with respect to epistemic beliefs, showed greater gains. The findings indicate the importance of a student's epistemic beliefs to achieving positive learning outcomes.