Works

2019 evaluation of the Freedom School partners in Charlotte, NC
Faculty, This report outlines the results of an evaluation of the Freedom School Partners’ Children Defense Fund Freedom Schools© program in Charlotte, NC that took place during the summer of 2019. The evaluation was a collaboration between the Center for Adolescent Literacies (CAL) and the Center for Educational Measurement and Evaluation (CEME). Both centers are located on the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s campus within the College of Education. Each Center has extensive records of collaboration with community groups as well as state and local educational agencies. The CEME staff conducted the data collection process and conducted the data analysis. The focus of this evaluation is on the experiences of the Scholars and Servant Leader Interns (SLIs) by collection data via surveys developed by both CEME and CAL.
2022 evaluation of Freedom School partners in Charlotte, North Carolina
Graduate, Freedom School Partners is a six-week, literacy-rich, summer program that has served the Charlotte area since 2004. What began as a group of 100 scholars in one site, is now more than 400 scholars and includes twelve sites (www.freedomschoolpartners.org). The purpose of this report is to present the external evaluation and findings of the six-week program in the summer of 2022. This evaluation is a joint effort between the Centers for Adolescent Literacies (CAL) and the Center for Educational Measurement and Evaluation (CEME). Both centers are housed at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and have specific roles in the external evaluation. CEME researchers conducted surveys with scholars from ten sites and attempted to collect surveys from all Servant Leader Interns (SLI) and Site Administrative Interns (SAI). The focus of these surveys is to understand the experiences of both scholars and interns. This report will describe the data collection procedures, followed by the quantitative and qualitative scholar results, the quantitative and qualitative intern results, and finally, a discussion regarding conclusions and overarching themes that emerged from the evaluation.
2022 report on the experiences of Black students at Atkins Library
This report describes the study our team conducted to better understand the needs and experiences of Black students at UNC Charlotte related to the spaces, services, and resources of Atkins Library. The research team for this study was comprised of representatives from the library’s committees for Assessment, Diversity & Inclusion, and Student Engagement. To make this assessment, we used a multi-method approach that included focus groups and Photovoice discussions, in which participants took photographs that were then discussed in group sessions. All participants in the study were students at UNC Charlotte who identify as Black and/or African American. Deliberate steps were taken to reduce the influence of the potential biases of the research team and to ensure that participants felt comfortable sharing frank feedback on potentially sensitive topics.
2023 report on the experiences of neurodivergent students at Atkins Library
This report describes the study our team conducted to better understand the needs and experiences of students at UNC Charlotte who identify as neurodivergent and/or as having a disorder related to mental health or function, specifically as they related to Atkins Library and UNC Charlotte. The re-search team for this study was comprised of representatives from the library’s committees for Assessment, Diversity & Inclusion, and Student Engagement. To make this assessment, we used a multi-method approach that included interviews and photovoice discussions, in which participants took photographs that were then discussed in group sessions. All participants in the study were students at UNC Charlotte who identify with the indicated population. Deliberate steps were taken to reduce the influence of the potential biases of the research team and to ensure that participants felt comfort-able sharing frank feedback on potentially sensitive topics. After analyzing the gathered data, the research team identified six prominent themes in the comments by participants, each of which are divided into subthemes that are explained in the full report: 1. My condition affects my library experiences most commonly by making it difficult to focus when I’m trying to use a library space to study. 2. Besides struggling to focus, my most typical negative experiences in the library are feeling overwhelmed and/or socially anxious. 3. I greatly value how the library’s variety of spaces and resources supports the many different ways I want to use the library, including as a place to relax. 4. UNC Charlotte is a much more supportive and inclusive environment for my condition than schools I’ve attended in the past. 5. COVID had a negative impact on my experiences as a student, and there are a few things I still struggle with as a result of the pandemic. 6. My first semester was the one I found the most difficult. Using our findings, the research team assembled a list of five recommendations intended to better align Atkins Library with the needs and experiences of neurodivergent students: 1. Create a sensory-friendly study room. 2. Offer noise control strategies in other study rooms. 3. Create a marketing campaign for this community. 4. Make it easier for users to find the right space on arrival. 5. Advertise online contact methods at new points-of-need.
8 reasons researchers should use the GetFTR browser extension
What is the problem we’re trying to solve? Researchers are not always able to easily make use of the resources their institution has made available to them. When presented with a plethora of links in a discovery tool, researchers may inadvertently access an earlier version of content, even when their institution has subscribed to the full-text. Earlier this year librarians were invited to test a new freely available tool - the GetFTR Browser Extension - which makes use of the GetFTR entitlements checking service. Ahead of development, GetFTR spoke to researchers who said: • It’s not always clear when using a discovery tool which link takes them to the latest version of content • They’re often unaware which version they’ve accessed • It’s often quicker to access content from illicit sites How does the GetFTR Browser Extension solve this? When installed, the researcher enters their institutions so that subscriptions can be checked when using popular discovery tools such as Google Scholar or PubMed. Where their institution subscribes, or content is open or free, GetFTR buttons are presented to researchers which take them to the latest version, with minimal effort. The GetFTR browser extension works by leveraging real-time, highly accurate subscription information from publishers to provide researchers with the most up-to-date version of an article as soon as the subscription is set up, indicating which institution has provided access. Unlike other entitlement checking services it provides checks at the article level, also covering OA articles in hybrid journals. How can librarians help? While GetFTR can assist researchers in accessing the most up-to-date scholarly content, it's important to note that it relies on the participation of publishers. Librarians can play a role in encouraging publishers to sign up to ensure comprehensive coverage, and are invited to promote the GetFTR browser extension to their researcher community.
A chromosome-level genome assembly of the highly heterozygous sea urchin Echinometra sp. EZ reveals adaptation in the regulatory regions of stress response genes
Faculty, Echinometra is the most widespread genus of sea urchin and has been the focus of a wide range of studies in ecology, speciation, and reproduction. However, available genetic data for this genus are generally limited to a few select loci. Here, we present a chromosome-level genome assembly based on 10x Genomics, PacBio, and Hi-C sequencing for Echinometra sp. EZ from the Persian/Arabian Gulf. The genome is assembled into 210 scaffolds totaling 817.8 Mb with an N50 of 39.5 Mb. From this assembly, we determined that the E. sp. EZ genome consists of 2n = 42 chromosomes. BUSCO analysis showed that 95.3% of BUSCO genes were complete. Ab initio and transcript-informed gene modeling and annotation identified 29,405 genes, including a conserved Hox cluster. E. sp. EZ can be found in high-temperature and high-salinity environments, and we therefore compared E. sp. EZ gene families and transcription factors associated with environmental stress response (defensome) with other echinoid species with similar high-quality genomic resources. While the number of defensome genes was broadly similar for all species, we identified strong signatures of positive selection in E. sp. EZ noncoding elements near genes involved in environmental response pathways as well as losses of transcription factors important for environmental response. These data provide key insights into the biology of E. sp. EZ as well as the diversification of Echinometra more widely and will serve as a useful tool for the community to explore questions in this taxonomic group and beyond.
A comparison of transgenic and wild type soybean seeds : analysis of transcriptome profiles using RNA-Seq
Background: Soybean (Glycine max) has been bred for thousands of years to produce seeds rich in protein for human and animal consumption, making them an appealing bioreactor for producing valuable recombinant proteins at high levels. However, the effects of expressing recombinant protein at high levels on bean physiology are not well understood. To address this, we investigated whether gene expression within transgenic soybean seed tissue is altered when large amounts of recombinant proteins are being produced and stored exclusively in the seeds. We used RNA-Seq to survey gene expression in three transgenic soybean lines expressing recombinant protein at levels representing up to 1.61 % of total protein in seed tissues. The three lines included: ST77, expressing human thyroglobulin protein (hTG), ST111, expressing human myelin basic protein (hMBP), and 764, expressing a mutant, nontoxic form of a staphylococcal subunit vaccine protein (mSEB). All lines selected for analysis were homozygous and contained a single copy of the transgene. Methods: Each transgenic soybean seed was screened for transgene presence and recombinant protein expression via PCR and western blotting. Whole seed mRNA was extracted and cDNA libraries constructed for Illumina sequencing. Following alignment to the soybean reference genome, differential gene expression analysis was conducted using edgeR and cufflinks. Functional analysis of differentially expressed genes was carried out using the gene ontology analysis tool AgriGO. Results: The transcriptomes of nine seeds from each transgenic line were sequenced and compared with wild type seeds. Native soybean gene expression was significantly altered in line 764 (mSEB) with more than 3000 genes being upregulated or downregulated. ST77 (hTG) and ST111 (hMBP) had significantly less differences with 52 and 307 differentially expressed genes respectively. Gene ontology enrichment analysis found that the upregulated genes in the 764 line were annotated with functions related to endopeptidase inhibitors and protein synthesis, but suppressed expression of genes annotated to the nuclear pore and to protein transport. No significant gene ontology terms were detected in ST77, and only a few genes involved in photosynthesis and thylakoid functions were downregulated in ST111. Despite these differences, transgenic plants and seeds appeared phenotypically similar to non-transgenic controls. There was no correlation between recombinant protein expression level and the quantity of differentially expressed genes detected. Conclusions: Measurable unscripted gene expression changes were detected in the seed transcriptomes of all three transgenic soybean lines analyzed, with line 764 being substantially altered. Differences detected at the transcript level may be due to T-DNA insert locations, random mutations following transformation or direct effects of the recombinant protein itself, or a combination of these. The physiological consequences of such changes remain unknown.
A comparison of web-based and paper-based course evaluations at UNC Charlotte
Faculty, Based on extant research, UNC Charlotte should consider the adoption of a university-wide, web-based course evaluation system for both formative and summative evaluations: Ratings Similarity: Web and paper results show students very favorable towards instruction at UNC Charlotte. The results show no practical difference in ratings between survey methods and that open-ended responses are generally more complete in web surveys. Availability of Results: Detailed web-based evaluation results are immediately available; this is a sharp contrast with the current system, where faculties wait for weeks or even months for results. Data Reporting: A web-based course evaluation system provides opportunities for comparison of data across colleges, departments, and disciplines, thereby contributing to strategic planning and institutional research. Response Rates: Prior studies show response rates in pilot tests of web-based course evaluations are typically lower than paper-based equivalents, but these rates rise when the web-based evaluations are centralized and fully operational with standard procedures in place. UNC Charlotte’s pilot response rates significantly exceeded those in prior studies.
A high-efficiency low-wearing hybrid voltage regulator for utility applications
Step voltage regulator (SVR) has been utilized in power distribution systems for decades as the voltage regulation device. Due to the increasing integration of distributed energy resources, the conventional SVR is severely challenged by the modern power distribution pattern with high renewable energy penetration. The induced arc from the conventional SVR tap change and more frequent tap changes due to voltage instability from the renewable energy impose constraints on the conventional SVRs lifetime. Meanwhile, the conventional SVR device cannot regulate the voltage accurately since the SVR regulates the voltage step-by-step. This article proposed a hybrid voltage regulator with high-efficiency and low contact wearing, which can achieve arcless tap change and stepless voltage regulation by using a fractionally rated back-to-back power converter. The accurate load voltage regulation is guaranteed, while the tap changer mechanism remains in the system, which helps to promote the upgrade to the existing power distribution systems. The power converter capacity in the proposed topology is only 0.31% of the distribution transformer rating to achieve a stepless voltage regulation range of 10%, significantly reducing the system cost compared with the full power electronics solutions and projects high total system efficiency. The proposed hybrid voltage regulator was simulated and experimentally validated. The experimental results demonstrate arcless tap change operation and stepless voltage regulation. Collaborative operation between the conventional mechanical tap change and the power converter operation is also demonstrated to acquire large voltage regulation with fast-acting voltage control.
A mixed-methods analysis of social-ecological feedbacks between urbanization and forest persistence
Faculty, We examined how social-ecological factors in the land-change decision-making process influenced neighboring decisions and trajectories of alternative landscape ecologies. We decomposed individual landowner decisions to conserve or develop forests in the rapidly growing Charlotte, North Carolina, U. S. region, exposing and quantifying the effects of forest quality, and social and cultural dynamics. We tested the hypothesis that the intrinsic value of forest resources, e. g., cultural attachment to land, influence woodland owners' propensity to sell. Data were collected from a sample of urban, nonindustrial private forest (U-NIPF) owners using an individualized survey design that spatially matched land-owner responses to the ecological and timber values of their forest stands. Cluster analysis (n = 126) revealed four woodland owner typologies with widely ranging views on the ecosystem, cultural, and historical values of their forests. Classification tree analysis revealed woodland owners' willingness to sell was characterized by nonlinear, interactive factors, including sense of place values regarding the retention of native vegetation, the size of forest holdings, their connectedness to nature, 'pressure' from surrounding development, and behavioral patterns, such as how often landowners visit their land. Several ecological values and economic factors were not found to figure in the decision to retain forests. Our study design is unique in that we address metropolitan forest persistence across urban-rural and population gradients using a unique individualized survey design that richly contextualizes survey responses. Understanding the interplay between policies and landowner behavior can also help resource managers to better manage and promote forest persistence. Given the region's paucity of policy tools to manage the type and amount of development, the mosaic of land cover the region currently enjoys is far from stable.
A model for integrating strategic planning and competence-based curriculum design in establishing a public health programme : the UNC Charlotte experience
Faculty, Introduction: The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, a doctoral/research-intensive university, is the largest institution of higher education in the Charlotte region. The university currently offers 18 doctoral, 62 master's and 90 baccalaureate programmes. Fall 2008 enrolment exceeded 23 300 students, including more than 4900 graduate students. The university's Department of Health Behavior and Administration was established on 1 July 2002 as part of a transformed College of Health and Human Services. Case description: In 2003, the Department initiated a series of stakeholder activities as part of its strategic planning and programmatic realignment efforts. The Department followed an empirically derived top-down/ bottom-up strategic planning process that fostered community engagement and coordination of efforts across institutional levels. This process culminated in a vision to transform the unit into a Council on Education for Public Health accredited programme in public health and, eventually, an accredited school of public health. To date, the Department has revised its Master of Science in health promotion into an Master of Science in Public Health programme, renamed itself the Department of Public Health Sciences, launched a Bachelor of Science in Public Health major, laid plans for a doctoral programme, and received accreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health as a public health programme. Furthermore, the campus has endorsed the programme's growth into a school of public health as one of its priorities. Discussion and Evaluation: It is only through this rigorous and cyclical process of determining what society needs, designing a curriculum specifically to prepare graduates to meet those needs, ensuring that those graduates meet those needs, and reassessing society's needs that we can continue to advance the profession and ensure the public's health. Community stakeholders should be active contributors to programme innovation. Lessons learnt from this process include: being connected to your community and knowing its needs, being responsive to your community, remembering that process is as important as product, and preparing for success. Conclusion: The efforts reported here can be informative to other institutions by exemplifying an integrated top-down/bottom-up process of strategic planning that ensures that a department's degree programmes meet current needs and that students graduate with the competences to address those needs.
A new obligate CXCL4-CXCL12 heterodimer for studying chemokine heterodimer activities and mechanisms
Faculty, Chemokines form a family of proteins with critical roles in many biological processes in health and disease conditions, including cardiovascular, autoimmune diseases, infections, and cancer. Many chemokines engage in heterophilic interactions to form heterodimers, leading to synergistic activity enhancement or reduction dependent on the nature of heterodimer-forming chemokines. In mixtures, different chemokine species with diverse activities coexist in dynamic equilibrium, leading to the observation of their combined response in biological assays. To overcome this problem, we produced a non-dissociating CXCL4–CXCL12 chemokine heterodimer OHD4–12 as a new tool for studying the biological activities and mechanisms of chemokine heterodimers in biological environments. Using the OHD4–12, we show that the CXCL4–CXCL12 chemokine heterodimer inhibits the CXCL12-driven migration of triple-negative MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. We also show that the CXCL4–CXCL12 chemokine heterodimer binds and activates the CXCR4 receptor.
A new strategy to infer circularity applied to four new complete frog mitogenomes
We applied a novel strategy to infer sequence circularity and complete assembly of four mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) of the frog families Bufonidae (Melanophryniscus moreirae), Dendrobatidae (Hyloxalus subpunctatus and Phyllobates terribilis), and Scaphiopodidae (Scaphiopus holbrookii). These are the first complete mitogenomes of these four genera and Scaphiopodidae. We assembled mitogenomes from short genomic sequence reads using a baiting and iterative mapping strategy followed by a new ad hoc mapping strategy developed to test for assembly circularization. To assess the quality of the inferred circularization, we used Bowtie2 alignment scores and a new per‐position sequence coverage value (which we named “connectivity”). Permutation tests with 400 iterations per specimen and 1% or 5% chance of mutation at the ends of the putative circular sequences showed that the proposed method is highly sensitive, with a single nucleotide insertion or deletion being sufficient for circularity to be rejected. False positives comprised only 2% of all observations and possessed significantly lower alignment scores. The size, gene content, and gene arrangement of each mitogenome differed among the species but matched the expectations for their clades. We argue that basic studies on circular sequences can benefit from the results and bioinformatics procedures introduced here, especially when closely related references are lacking.
A novel approach to characterize state-level food environment and predict obesity rate using social media data : correlational study
Faculty, Community obesity outcomes can reflect the food environment to which the community belongs. Recent studies have suggested that the local food environment can be measured by the degree of food accessibility, and survey data are normally used to calculate food accessibility. However, compared with survey data, social media data are organic, continuously updated, and cheaper to collect.
A novel machine learning framework for comparison of viral COVID-19–related Sina Weibo and Twitter posts : workflow development and content analysis
Background: Social media plays a critical role in health communications, especially during global health emergencies such as the current COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is a lack of a universal analytical framework to extract, quantify, and compare content features in public discourse of emerging health issues on different social media platforms across a broad sociocultural spectrum. Objective: We aimed to develop a novel and universal content feature extraction and analytical framework and contrast how content features differ with sociocultural background in discussions of the emerging COVID-19 global health crisis on major social media platforms. Methods: We sampled the 1000 most shared viral Twitter and Sina Weibo posts regarding COVID-19, developed a comprehensive coding scheme to identify 77 potential features across six major categories (eg, clinical and epidemiological, countermeasures, politics and policy, responses), quantified feature values (0 or 1, indicating whether or not the content feature is mentioned in the post) in each viral post across social media platforms, and performed subsequent comparative analyses. Machine learning dimension reduction and clustering analysis were then applied to harness the power of social media data and provide more unbiased characterization of web-based health communications. Results: There were substantially different distributions, prevalence, and associations of content features in public discourse about the COVID-19 pandemic on the two social media platforms. Weibo users were more likely to focus on the disease itself and health aspects, while Twitter users engaged more about policy, politics, and other societal issues. Conclusions: We extracted a rich set of content features from social media data to accurately characterize public discourse related to COVID-19 in different sociocultural backgrounds. In addition, this universal framework can be adopted to analyze social media discussions of other emerging health issues beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
A novel sampling method to measure socioeconomic drivers of Aedes albopictus distribution in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
Graduate, Climate change, urbanization, and globalization have facilitated the spread of Aedes mosquitoes into regions that were previously unsuitable, causing an increased threat of arbovirus transmission on a global scale. While numerous studies have addressed the urban ecology of Ae. albopictus, few have accounted for socioeconomic factors that affect their range in urban regions. Here we introduce an original sampling design for Ae. albopictus, that uses a spatial optimization process to identify urban collection sites based on both geographic parameters as well as the gradient of socioeconomic variables present in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, encompassing the city of Charlotte, a rapidly growing urban environment. We collected 3645 specimens of Ae. albopictus (87% of total samples) across 12 weeks at the 90 optimized site locations and modelled the relationships between the abundance of gravid Ae. albopictus and a variety of neighborhood socioeconomic attributes as well as land cover characteristics. Our results demonstrate that the abundance of gravid Ae. albopictus is inversely related to the socioeconomic status of the neighborhood and directly related to both landscape heterogeneity as well as proportions of particular resident races/ethnicities. We present our results alongside a description of our novel sampling scheme and its usefulness as an approach to urban vector epidemiology. Additionally, we supply recommendations for future investigations into the socioeconomic determinants of vector-borne disease risk.
A partial posterior p value test for multilevel mediation
Faculty, A variety of inferential tests are available for single and multilevel mediation but most come with notable limitations that balance tradeoffs between power and Type I error. We extend the partial posterior p value method (p3 method) to test multilevel mediation. This contemporary resampling-based composite approach is specifically suited for complex null hypotheses. We develop the p3 method and investigate its performance within the context of two-level cluster-randomized multilevel mediation studies. Similar to its performance in single-level studies, we found that the p3 method performed well relative to other mediation tests suggesting it provides a judicious balance between Type I error rate and power. While bias-corrected bootstrapping achieved the best overall performance, the p3 method serves as an alternative tool for researchers investigating multilevel mediation that is especially useful when conducting a priori power analyses. To encourage utilization, we provide R code for implementing the p3 method.
A photocatalytic facade for air pollution mitigation
Exposure of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) caused by anthropogenic sources result in health impact, environmental impact, neurological impact, and equity impact. The project's proposal is to carry out a literature review and to develop an air depolluting facade design that primarily improves the interior air quality of buildings, resulting in a healthy interior space for people. Secondarily, the air depolluting facade improves the environment due to enhanced building performance based on the design, material consideration, and technology application. The air depolluting facade provides various benefits such as a low maintenance system, a passive solution, solar control, and daylight illumination.
A psychometric assessment of a network social capital scale among sexual minority men and gender minority individuals
Background Social capital, the potential for individuals to access resources through group memberships, is linked to a constellation of health outcomes. We modified a previously evaluated Constructed Family Social Capital Scale for gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men who belong to constructed families to create a new measure of social capital within sexual minority men and gender minority individuals’ social networks. Methods Participants were recruited from a Pride festival in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 2018 to complete a cross-sectional survey. This analysis is restricted to 383 participants who identified as sexual minority men or gender minority individuals and completed nine items measuring social capital within their social networks. We conducted exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to assess factor structure. Internal consistency was measured using Cronbach’s alpha. Results Reliability was high, indicating the scale’s utility to assess Network Social Capital among sexual minority men and gender minority individuals. A single-factor solution with high factor loadings was found for the nine-item scale. Conclusions This study extended the psychometric properties of a preliminary social capital instrument modified from a prior study in a different population and context. The modified measure has implications for use among sexual minority men and gender minority individuals to measure social capital within social networks. Previous studies suggest that interventions to enhance social capital among sexual minority men and gender minority individuals may be beneficial for HIV prevention interventions. This tool may be relevant for the evaluation of social capital interventions within networks of sexual minority men and gender minority individuals.
A review and analysis of school climate measures for school counseling professionals
Faculty, Most professionals agree that shared beliefs, values, and attitudes that frame interactions and set standards for behavior are important to the success of the staff and students in America’s schools. Researchers have documented that student achievement, dropout rates, problem behavior, and teacher retention are related to school climate and few deny the need for schools to be and remain positive environments. In this article, we focused on addressing key questions facing school counseling professionals charged with measuring school climate. We review both the context and practice of documenting the quality and character of life in elementary, middle, and high schools and provide a systematic review and analysis of measures that we believe serves as a preliminary consumer’s guide for professionals engaged in important levels of decision making related to monitoring and improving what goes on in schools.
A semiparametric Cox-Aalen transformation model with censored data
Faculty, We propose a broad class of so-called Cox–Aalen transformation models that incorporate both multiplicative and additive covariate effects on the baseline hazard function within a transformation. The proposed models provide a highly flexible and versatile class of semiparametric models that include the transformation models and the Cox–Aalen model as special cases. Specifically, it extends the transformation models by allowing potentially time-dependent covariates to work additively on the baseline hazard and extends the Cox–Aalen model through a predetermined transformation function. We propose an estimating equation approach and devise an expectation-solving (ES) algorithm that involves fast and robust calculations. The resulting estimator is shown to be consistent and asymptotically normal via modern empirical process techniques. The ES algorithm yields a computationally simple method for estimating the variance of both parametric and nonparametric estimators. Finally, we demonstrate the performance of our procedures through extensive simulation studies and applications in two randomized, placebo-controlled human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention efficacy trials. The data example shows the utility of the proposed Cox–Aalen transformation models in enhancing statistical power for discovering covariate effects.
A statewide assessment of North Carolina nurse practitioner’s knowledge of and attitudes toward suicide awareness and prevention : protocol for a statewide mixed methods study
Faculty, Suicide is a major public health problem, which affects people of all ages and ethnicities. Despite being preventable, the rates of suicide have steadily climbed (more than a third) over the past 2 decades.
A subterminal growth zone at arm tip likely underlies life-long indeterminate growth in brittle stars
Faculty, Background Echinoderms are a phylum of marine invertebrates with close phylogenetic relationships to chordates. Many members of the phylum Echinodermata are capable of extensive post-traumatic regeneration and life-long indeterminate growth. Different from regeneration, the life-long elongation of the main body axis in adult echinoderms has received little attention. The anatomical location and the nature of the dividing progenitor cells contributing to adults' growth is unknown. Results We show that the proliferating cells that drive the life-long growth of adult brittle star arms are mostly localized to the subterminal (second from the tip) arm segment. Each of the major anatomical structures contains dividing progenitors. These structures include: the radial nerve, water-vascular canal, and arm coelomic wall. Some of those proliferating progenitor cells are capable of multiple rounds of cell division. Within the nervous system, the progenitor cells were identified as a subset of radial glial cells that do not express Brn1/2/4, a transcription factor with a conserved role in the neuronal fate specification. In addition to characterizing the growth zone and the nature of the precursor cells, we provide a description of the microanatomy of the four distal-most arm segments contrasting the distal with the proximal segments, which are more mature. Conclusions The growth of the adult brittle star arms occurs via proliferation of progenitor cells in the distal segments, which are most abundant in the second segment from the tip. At least some of the progenitors are capable of multiple rounds of cell division. Within the nervous system the dividing cells were identified as Brn1/2/4-negative radial glial cells.
A text messaging-enhanced intervention for African American patients with heart failure, depression, and anxiety (TXT COPE-HF) : protocol for a pilot feasibility study
African Americans have a higher incidence rate of heart failure (HF) and an earlier age of HF onset compared to those of other racial and ethnic groups. Scientific literature suggests that by 2030, African Americans will have a 30% increased prevalence rate of HF coupled with depression. In addition to depression, anxiety is a predictor of worsening functional capacity, decreased quality of life, and increased hospital readmission rates. There is no consensus on the best way to treat patients with HF, depression, and anxiety. One promising type of treatment-cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-has been shown to significantly improve patients' quality of life and treatment compliance, but CBT has not been used with SMS text messaging reminders to enhance the effect of reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety in racial and ethnic minority patients with HF.
A virtual pebble game to ensemble average graph rigidity
Faculty, Background: The body-bar Pebble Game (PG) algorithm is commonly used to calculate network rigidity properties in proteins and polymeric materials. To account for fluctuating interactions such as hydrogen bonds, an ensemble of constraint topologies are sampled, and average network properties are obtained by averaging PG characterizations. At a simpler level of sophistication, Maxwell constraint counting (MCC) provides a rigorous lower bound for the number of internal degrees of freedom (DOF) within a body-bar network, and it is commonly employed to test if a molecular structure is globally under-constrained or over-constrained. MCC is a mean field approximation (MFA) that ignores spatial fluctuations of distance constraints by replacing the actual molecular structure by an effective medium that has distance constraints globally distributed with perfect uniform density. Results: The Virtual Pebble Game (VPG) algorithm is a MFA that retains spatial inhomogeneity in the density of constraints on all length scales. Network fluctuations due to distance constraints that may be present or absent based on binary random dynamic variables are suppressed by replacing all possible constraint topology realizations with the probabilities that distance constraints are present. The VPG algorithm is isomorphic to the PG algorithm, where integers for counting pebbles placed on vertices or edges in the PG map to real numbers representing the probability to find a pebble. In the VPG, edges are assigned pebble capacities, and pebble movements become a continuous flow of probability within the network. Comparisons between the VPG and average PG results over a test set of proteins and disordered lattices demonstrate the VPG quantitatively estimates the ensemble average PG results well. Conclusions: The VPG performs about 20% faster than one PG, and it provides a pragmatic alternative to averaging PG rigidity characteristics over an ensemble of constraint topologies. The utility of the VPG falls in between the most accurate but slowest method of ensemble averaging over hundreds to thousands of independent PG runs, and the fastest but least accurate MCC.
APE2 promotes DNA damage response pathway from a single-strand break
As the most common type of DNA damage, DNA single-strand breaks (SSBs) are primarily repaired by the SSB repair mechanism. If not repaired properly or promptly, unrepaired SSBs lead to genome stability and have been implicated in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. However, it remains unknown how unrepaired SSBs are recognized by DNA damage response (DDR) pathway, largely because of the lack a feasible experimental system. Here, we demonstrate evidence showing that an ATR-dependent checkpoint signaling is activated by a defined plasmid-based site-specific SSB structure in Xenopus HSS (high-speed supernatant) system. Notably, the distinct SSB signaling requires APE2 and canonical checkpoint proteins, including ATR, ATRIP, TopBP1, Rad9, and Claspin. Importantly, the SSB-induced ATR DDR is essential for SSB repair. We and others show that APE2 interacts with PCNA via its PIP box and preferentially interacts with ssDNA via its C-terminus Zf-GRF domain, a conserved motif found in more than 100 proteins involved in DNA/RNA metabolism. Here, we identify a novel mode of APE2-PCNA interaction via APE2 Zf-GRF and PCNA C-terminus. Mechanistically, the APE2 Zf-GRF-PCNA interaction facilitates 3’-5’ SSB end resection, checkpoint protein complex assembly, and SSB-induced DDR pathway. Together, we propose that APE2 promotes ATR-Chk1 DDR pathway from a single-strand break.
Accelerated Math evaluation report
Faculty, Progress monitoring has been defined as “a practice that helps teachers use student performance data to continually evaluate the effectiveness of their teaching and make more informed instructional decisions” (Safer and Fleischman, 2005, p. 81). In academics, progress monitoring involves: (1) direct measurement of a student’s current level of performance across all critical skill areas using curriculum-based or direct performance measures; (2) determination of desired performance outcomes for each skill area to assure Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for the student; (3) establishment of aimlines that define the required pace or rate of skill acquisition necessary to achieve AYP; (4) monitoring and assessing a student’s pace or level of skill acquisition at frequent (usually weekly) intervals; and (5) accelerating instruction if achievement is greater than expected or modifying instruction if achievement is inadequate. Professionals engaged in progress monitoring use a variety of measures to track student performance and to assist in instructional decision making when data indicate a need for change (Deno, 2003; Fuchs and Fuchs, 2007; Olinghouse, Lambert, and Compton, 2006). Mastery measurement and curriculum-based assessment are approaches to progress-monitoring with longstanding support.
Accounting for residential propagule pressure improves prediction of urban plant invasion
Plant invasions substantially impact the ecosystem services provided by forests in urbanizing regions. Knowing where invasion risk is greatest helps target early detection and eradication efforts, but developing an accurate predictive model of invasive species presence and spread on the basis of habitat suitability remains a challenge due to spatial variation in propagule pressure (the number of individuals released) which is likely conflated with suitability. In addition to neighborhood propagule pressure that originates with propagules dispersing from naturalized populations within invaded habitats, we expect residential propagule pressure arising from the widespread use of exotic plants in the yards of single-family residences to be an important driver of invasions, and to notably improve the predictive accuracy of species distribution models (SDMs). To this end, we collected presence/absence data for a widespread forest invader, Ligustrum sinense (Chinese privet), from 400 stratified random plots located along an urban gradient across the Charlotte, North Carolina metropolitan area. We assessed the relative contribution of residential propagule pressure and neighborhood propagule pressure to improving the predictive performance of a probit SDM for Chinese privet that only contains environmental predictors. Our results indicate that, although the environment-only model predicted the highest geographic area to be at risk of invasion by privet, it also had the highest rate of failure to accurately predict observed privet occurrences as indicated by the omission (incorrectly predicted absence) and commission (incorrectly predicted presence) error rates. Accounting for residential propagule pressure substantially improved model performance by reducing the omission error by nearly 50%, thereby improving upon the ability of the model to predict privet invasion in suboptimal habitat. Given that this increase in detection was accompanied by a decrease in the geographic area predicted at risk, we conclude that SDMs for invasive exotic shrubs and potentially for other synanthropic generalist plants may be highly inefficient when residential propagule pressure is not accounted for. Accounting for residential propagule pressure in models of invasive plants results in a more focused and accurate prediction of the area at risk, thus enabling decision makers to feasibly prioritize regional scale monitoring and control efforts.
Acculturation, Hispanic ethnicity, and trust : verifying and explaining racial/ethnic differences in trust in health providers in North Carolina Medicaid
Faculty, Three North Carolina Medicaid surveys conducted from 2000 to 2012 reported increasing numbers of Hispanic children enrolled in Medicaid and much lower trust in providers expressed by their adult caregiver respondents compared with responses for non-Hispanic Black and White children. To verify and explain this apparent trust chasm, we used bivariate and regression analyses. The variables employed included trust (dependent variable); child’s race/ethnicity, age, and sex; satisfaction and health status scales; two utilization measures; respondent’s age, sex, and education; geographical region; and population density of county of residence. Race/ethnicity was strongly associated with trust (p less than .001), controlling for other independent variables. Access, satisfaction, and respondent’s age and education were also significant. Our results fit the Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations, which maps the role of significant variables in health-seeking behavior. After analyzing the concept of trust, we argue that lower acculturation explains lower Hispanic trust compared with non-Hispanic Blacks. We suggest policies to improve acculturation.
Achieving one-planet living through transitions in social practice : a case study of Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage
Faculty, The per capita resource consumption for inhabitants of Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage (DR) is less than ten percent of the average American in most major categories, approximating “one planet” living in a nation that contributes disproportionately to global resource consumption. This article examines DR’s extraordinary energy and resource savings through the lens of social practice theory, which focuses on the meanings, competencies, and materials that individuals combine to form everyday practices. Participant observation and interviews with DR community members reveals how this rural ecovillage achieves remarkable energy and resource savings by transitioning away from the exclusive ownership of capital goods, investing in skills that facilitate the collective management of resources, and eliminating waste by taking advantage of locally available resources. Results suggest that local governments interested in sustainability and climate mitigation should encourage systems of collective resource management rather than maintaining a traditional focus on influencing changes in individual consumption choices.
Acquired chemoresistance can lead to increased resistance of pancreatic cancer cells to oncolytic vesicular stomatitis virus
Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) is a promising oncolytic virus (OV) against different malignancies, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Our previous studies have demonstrated that VSV-based OVs are effective against the majority of tested human PDAC cell lines. However, some PDAC cell lines are resistant to VSV. PDAC is one of the deadliest types of human malignancies in part due to intrinsic or acquired chemoresistance. Here, we investigated how acquired chemoresistance impacts the efficacy of VSV-based OV therapy. Using an experimental evolution approach, we generated PDAC cell lines with increased resistance to gemcitabine and examined their responsiveness to oncolytic virotherapy. We found that gemcitabine-resistant PDAC cells become more resistant to VSV. The cross-resistance correlated with upregulated levels of a subset of interferon-stimulated genes, resembling the interferon-related DNA damage resistance signature (IRDS), often associated with resistance of cancer cells to chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Analysis of ten different PDAC cell lines showed that four PDAC cell lines most resistant to VSV were also highly resistant to gemcitabine, and they all displayed IRDS-like expression in our previous reports. Our study highlights a possible interaction between two different therapies that should be considered in the future for the development of rational treatment regimens.
Active Notch signaling is required for arm regeneration in a brittle star
Faculty, Cell signaling pathways play key roles in coordinating cellular events in development. The Notch signaling pathway is highly conserved across all multicellular animals and is known to coordinate a multitude of diverse cellular events, including proliferation, differentiation, fate specification, and cell death. Specific functions of the pathway are, however, highly context-dependent and are not well characterized in post-traumatic regeneration. Here, we use a small-molecule inhibitor of the pathway (DAPT) to demonstrate that Notch signaling is required for proper arm regeneration in the brittle star Ophioderma brevispina, a highly regenerative member of the phylum Echinodermata. We also employ a transcriptome-wide gene expression analysis (RNA-seq) to characterize the downstream genes controlled by the Notch pathway in the brittle star regeneration. We demonstrate that arm regeneration involves an extensive cross-talk between the Notch pathway and other cell signaling pathways. In the regrowing arm, Notch regulates the composition of the extracellular matrix, cell migration, proliferation, and apoptosis, as well as components of the innate immune response. We also show for the first time that Notch signaling regulates the activity of several transposable elements. Our data also suggests that one of the possible mechanisms through which Notch sustains its activity in the regenerating tissues is via suppression of Neuralized1.
Addressing media literacy in K-12 classrooms
A study of K-12 core content area teachers’ experiences teaching digital citizenship found that 80% (n=9) addressed topics of media literacy in their classrooms. The study looked at how teachers integrated media literacy topics into instruction, and how they learned about this and other topics related to digital citizenship themselves. Findings are relevant to classroom instruction and teacher professional development. Presented at the 2024 Media Literacy Matters Conference.
Adiabatic shear band formation in metallic glasses
Metallic glasses (MGs) are widely used in many applications due to their unique and attractive properties such as high strength, high elastic limit and good corrosion resistance. Experiments have shown that deformation in MGs is governed by either shear banding or cavitation process leading to a ductile or brittle material response, respectively. In this chapter, shear band formation process in metallic glasses is modeled using free volume theory in infinitesimal deformation. According to the free volume theory, local free volume concentration is considered as order parameter which can be changed by three processes, namely diffusion, annihilation and stress driven creation. Equations are set up for the evolution of free volume and stresses based on conservation of free volume, and mechanical equilibrium, respectively. Another important parameter to consider while modeling the shear bands is temperature as the temperature inside the shear band can reach up to glass transition temperature. This can be achieved by assuming shear band formation process as an adiabatic process whereby evolution equation for temperature is also included with plastic work as the heat source. Example of quasi-static deformation in thin MG strip is solved using this proposed formulation. Formation of the shear band and resulting stresses are studied through the introduction of small inhomogeneity along the thickness direction in the strip.
Ajuga turkestanica increases Notch and Wnt signaling in aged skeletal muscle
Abstract. – BACKGROUND: The declining myogenic potential of aged skeletal muscle is multifactorial. Insufficient satellite cell activity is one factor in this process. Notch andWnt signaling are involved in various biological processes including orchestrating satellite cell activity within skeletal muscle. These pathways become dysfunctional during the aging process and may contribute to the poor skeletal muscle competency. Phytoecdysteroids are natural adaptogenic compounds with demonstrated benefit on skeletal muscle. AIM: To determine the extent to which a phytoecdysteroid enriched extract from Ajuga turkestanica (ATE) affects Notch and Wnt signaling in aged skeletal muscle. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male C57BL/6 mice (20 months) were randomly assigned to Control (CT) or ATE treatment groups. Chow was supplemented with either vehicle (CT) or ATE (50 mg/kg/day) for 28 days. Following supplementation, the triceps brachii muscles were harvested and immunohistochemical analyses performed. Components of Notch or Wnt signaling were colabelled with Pax7, a quiescent satellite cell marker. RESULTS: ATE supplementation significantly increased the percent of active Notch/Pax7+ nuclei (p = 0.005), Hes1/Pax7+ nuclei (p = 0.038), active B-catenin/Pax7+ nuclei (p = 0.011), and Lef1/Pax7+ nuclei (p = 0.022), compared to CT. ATE supplementation did not change the resting satellite cell number. CONCLUSIONS: ATE supplementation in aged mice increases Notch and Wnt signaling in triceps brachii muscle. If Notch and Wnt benefit skeletal muscle, then phytoecdysteroids may provide a protective effect and maintain the integrity of aged skeletal muscle.
Alluring translations after the Spanish-American War : a case study of the Puerto-Rico Eagle
Faculty, This article presents a case study of a Spanish-language newspaper, The Puerto-Rico Eagle, published in Puerto Rico after the Spanish-American War in order to identify the various ways in which the practice of translation manifests and to what ends these translations are used. This inquiry seeks to reconcile two approaches to translation history – first, to understand the history of translation practices in this colonial context and, second, to recognise the role that translation played in this colonial time and space. Bringing together these two approaches to translation history, this article provides preliminary insights into the multi-faceted nature of translation in Hispanophone newspapers, be it an unmarked effort to influence and persuade readers, a means to establish authority and inspire confidence, or a sensational act worthy of news coverage unto itself. In doing so, the article points toward potential avenues for future inquiry into translation in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean with newspapers as a site of translation activity.
Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) as a lens of participatory learning and exposure to environmental racism in the United States
Contemporary educational models emphasize educators employ tools to increase engagement and collaborative thinking in student learning. Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) have recently been found to have great potential for language immersion and cultural education. Researchers have hypothesized that it could also be used in social justice education. This project creates a hybrid Alternative Reality Game based loosely on a smallpox epidemic and uses it as a tool to expose students to concepts surrounding environmental justice and environmental racism in the United States. Quantitative data collected in this study focuses on if participants in the ARG experience significant changes in their understanding of the prevalence and effects of environmental racism on various marginalized communities. Conceptual understandings of EJ were found to be improved though any effect on personal philosophy and willingness to incorporate findings were unclear. Future directions of data collection and possible expansion of the game universe are discussed.
Alternative grading strategies for an anti-Black institution of higher learning
Racist grading practices and policies in higher education have existed to perpetuate white supremacy and privilege while at a disservice to minority students. Minority students in higher education often face discrimination for being of a lower socioeconomic status or skin color; this is shown in academic achievement and student experiences at higher education institutions. This study examines racist grading methods and how said grading methods have negatively impacted minority college students across the United States. This study primarily analyzes sources that have documented detailed accounts of racism and racist policies and alternative grading strategies. I will focus on finding non-traditional and different grading methods in higher education, especially in STEM and Social Sciences. I will use Google Scholar and Atkins Libary at UNCC, records, journal articles, books, and essential items through this research. A solution that I came up with to end racist grading methods is contract grading; contract grading is a non-traditional method that is a form of grading which results from cooperation between an instructor and their students. Contract grading emphasizes writing policies and labor much more than final products meaning that professors or instructors make prioritizing process over product more explicit. An example of contract grading is ‘’to obtain x grade; a student must have fewer absences, a student must complete this amount of drafts on time, a student must have completed this amount of workshops on time.
American pragmatism, evolution, and ethics
This chapter provides an overview of pragmatist evolutionary ethics—specifically that of John Dewey and Jane Addams—and its intellectual context. To make things manageable, I will focus on pragmatist texts from 1890 to 1910, a period that includes Dewey’s clearest statements of the relation between ethics and evolution as well as Addams’ major works on social ethics. The beginning of the chapter will provide some necessary background, discussing earlier works to which Dewey and Addams were reacting: Spencer’s Data of Ethics and Thomas Henry Huxley’s account of the relationship between ethics and the struggle for existence. I will then analyze Dewey’s “evolutionary method” in ethics and Addams’s related account of social ethics.
An all optical approach for comprehensive in-operando analysis of radiative and nonradiative recombination processes in GaAs double heterostructures
We demonstrate an all optical approach that can surprisingly offer the possibility of yielding much more information than one would expect, pertinent to the carrier recombination dynamics via both radiative and nonradiative processes when only one dominant deep defect level is present in a semiconductor material. By applying a band-defect state coupling model that explicitly treats the inter-band radiative recombination and Shockley–Read–Hall (SRH) recombination via the deep defect states on an equal footing for any defect center occupation fraction, and analyzing photoluminescence (PL) as a function of excitation density over a wide range of the excitation density (e.g., 5–6 orders in magnitude), in conjunction with Raman measurements of the LO-phonon plasmon (LOPP) coupled mode, nearly all of the key parameters relevant to the recombination processes can be obtained. They include internal quantum efficiency (IQE), minority and majority carrier density, inter-band radiative recombination rate (Wr), minority carrier nonradiative recombination rate (Wnr), defect center occupation fraction (f), defect center density (Nt), and minority and majority carrier capture cross-sections (σt and σtM). While some of this information is thought to be obtainable optically, such as IQE and the Wr/Wnr ratio, most of the other parameters are generally considered to be attainable only through electrical techniques, such as current-voltage (I-V) characteristics and deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS). Following a procedure developed herein, this approach has been successfully applied to three GaAs double heterostructures that exhibit two distinctly different nonradiative recombination characteristics. The method greatly enhances the usefulness of the simple PL technique to an unprecedented level, facilitating comprehensive material and device characterization without the need for any device processing.