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The Effect of Answer Change on CAT Score Estimation
No full textRecently, some high-stake CAT exams revised the design to allow students to change answers. Simulation studies are conducted to evaluate the impacts of answer change on item selection and final theta score estimation. Three factors are conditioned when simulating the response data of answer change in CAT administration: answer change location, answer change pattern, and test length. The findings show a significant impact on the students’ score estimate when the answer change happens at the beginning of the test. The results will shed light on the answer change policy and their implications in the CAT administration
The Impact of Eggs on Inflammatory and Immune Profiles in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
No full textPolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine disorder affecting approximately 5-15% of women of reproductive age. Characterized by symptoms such as hyperandrogenism, ovulatory dysfunction, and insulin resistance, PCOS is also linked with significant health complications including metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, and type 2 diabetes. Recent studies highlight the critical role of immune dysfunction and chronic inflammation in exacerbating PCOS pathology, suggesting that managing these immune responses could alleviate the broader health impacts of the disorder.
Nutritional interventions, particularly those targeting immune and inflammatory pathways, have emerged as promising strategies for managing PCOS. Among various dietary components, the intake of whole eggs appears beneficial due to their rich content of essential fatty acids, high-quality protein, and micronutrients like vitamin D and selenium, which are known to modulate immune function and inflammation. Research indicates that eggs can influence lipid profiles and inflammatory markers, thereby potentially mitigating some of the metabolic and reproductive complications associated with PCOS.
This scientific literature review discusses the interplay between inflammation, immune activity, and PCOS, focusing on how dietary intake of eggs could influence these interactions. While current studies provide foundational insights, there is a need for further research to unravel the mechanisms by which eggs could affect PCOS-specific health outcomes. Such investigations are crucial for developing targeted nutritional guidelines that could form part of a holistic strategy for managing PCOS, reducing its health burden, and improving the quality of life for affected women
Storying Research: A Conversation With Hal Abeles
No full textIn this interview, Hal Abeles describes the conceptual and methodological origins and evolution of his published scholarship. With a focus on his work in gender studies in music education, evaluation of music studio teaching in higher education, and assessment of community arts and orchestra programs, he traces his scholarly passions and achievements over the course of his fifty-year career
Paralog switching facilitates diadromy: Ontogenetic, microevolutionary and macroevolutionary evidence
No full textEuryhalinity is present in diverse aquatic taxa and requires flexible osmoregulation to field the challenges posed by differing salinities. Na+, K+-ATPase (NKA) is a ubiquitous ion pump in the gills of fishes and, for some species, paralogs of the catalytic -subunit (NKA 1a and NKA 1b) exhibit reciprocal expression between fresh- and seawater, termed paralog-switching. We investigated the expression and evolution of NKA paralogs in Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus), a euryhaline and migratory fish. Comparisons between landlocked and diadromous life history forms and migrant and pre-migrant ontogenetic stages were used to study shifts in NKA paralog expression related to freshwater or seawater specialization. We exposed juvenile diadromous and landlocked alewives to freshwater (0 ppt) and seawater (30 ppt) for 2, 5, and 15 days. Additionally, we sampled migrant and pre-migrant alewives from the natal freshwater environment or after 24 hours in seawater. Diadromous Alewife exhibited salinity- dependent paralog switching, and the freshwater-specialized landlocked life history form showed greater upregulation of NKA 1b in seawater. Migrant Alewife showed a loss of freshwater readiness traded for seawater specialization through greater reliance (via upregulation) on NKA 1a in freshwater. Molecular phylogenies show Alewife NKA paralogs originated independently of paralogs in salmonids and other members of Euteleosteomorpha. This study demonstrated that NKA paralog switching is tied to halohabitat profile and that duplications of the ancestral NKA gene provided the substrate for multiple, independent molecular solutions for supporting a diadromous life history
Database and Machine Learning Model for Classifying Autism Spectrum Disorder from Smartphone Based Electroretinography
No full textAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that negatively affects a patient’s cognitive and communication aptitude and, therefore, can severely impact that patient’s quality of life. Because of this, early diagnosis is paramount. In recent studies, electroretinography (ERG), which is a measure of the retina’s electrical response to a brief flash of light into the eye, has shown promise in detecting ASD. Access to these scans can provide early diagnosis, improving well-being. Current ERG devices are very expensive due to their on board processing capabilities. This paper aims to create an ERG device using a smartphone as the main computing component as well as the stimulus flash source. Along with an inexpensive custom PCB with electrode connections and 3D printed body, this device improves accessibility to this tool through reducing cost. As for the software, a mobile application was developed to provide stimulus flash and read the signal from the external circuit. In addition, this application houses an Amazon Web Services (AWS) based database. This database allows for easily accessible data from each reading for research purposes. In addition, a binary classification Support Vector Machines (SVM) machine learning algorithm was developed to provide instant ASD diagnostic capabilities. Results: The device shows promise for capturing ERG signals with relative consistency. In addition, the database allows for a streamlined data storing process. Lastly, the SVM algorithm was found to have 66.2% accuracy
Program Analysis of C for Conversion to Memory-Safe Rust
No full textC is a memory-unsafe language, which can cause software security issues. Rust is a more recent high-performance language that has memory-safe features, which motivates developers to move software to Rust. However, given the large existing C codebase, this is a tedious task, and current approaches result in memory-unsafe blocks of code remaining unsafe after conversion. We seek to use program analysis techniques to create software that identifies blocks of C code that could be safely converted to memory-safe Rust, despite using seemingly memory- unsafe access patterns. We performed manual translation of functions within the libGeoIP C library to Rust, ensuring functionality when calling Rust code within the C library. As a result of our work, we identified several patterns that is present in code that is simple to translate, which can be easily identified using static analysis. We then implemented an LLVM pass to identify these patterns, and ran it on libGeoIP to evaluate its robustness
Engineering Ceramic Ductility into Aluminum Oxide
No full textThis project explores the enhancement of ductility in Aluminum Oxide (Al₂O₃) ceramics through microstructural engineering. The goal is to combine the hardness and stability of Al₂O₃ with enhanced ductility for diverse industrial applications. Inspired by the naturally occurring Itacolumite rock, known for its complex microstructure, this research aims to replicate similar microstructural features in engineering ceramics. By doping Al₂O₃ with Titanium Dioxide (TiO₂), Boron Nitride (BN), and a pore former, while employing innovative sintering techniques, we hypothesize that these modifications will lead to a measurable increase in ductility. Despite early challenges in achieving homogeneity in sintering, promising results were observed with the addition of Al₂O₃ nanowires, which are expected to influence ductility through their interlocking, chainmail-like microstructure
Understanding the Influence of Bone Marrow Endothelial Cells on Primary Human Megakaryocytic-Erythroid Progenitor Cell Fate
No full textThe human bone marrow is a complex microenvironment comprised of hematopoietic, stromal, and bone marrow endothelial cells (BMECs). This study builds on previous findings to explore the regulatory role of BMECs in influencing the expansion and lineage choice of megakaryocytic-erythroid progenitors (MEPs). Understanding these interactions has the potential to advance transfusion medicine and improve treatments for conditions like thrombocytopenia and anemia. Due to complications with isolating human BMEC, we transitioned to a murine model. Murine BMECs were isolated and magnetic cell separation was employed to enrich for endothelial cells (ECs), which were then cultured over a 20-day period using standard techniques. We tested the functional consequences on primary MEP fate using flow cytometry and co-cultured colony-forming unit (CFU) assays. Microscopy confirmed BMEC morphology and flow cytometry confirmed the successful isolation of murine BMECs by detecting specific endothelial cell markers. The CFU assay plates have been completed but remain to be scanned; results are still pending. Despite the challenges faced, this study provides unique and valuable insights into BMEC-MEP interactions. Future research will aim to address technical difficulties encountered and analyze the CFU data once the imaging resources are restored. The findings contribute to ongoing BMEC transplantation research and the development of in vitro systems for improving blood product generation in transfusion medicine
Fostering Music Teacher Identity Development through Mentoring Dialogues
No full textIn a prior investigation I focused on the cooperating teacher’s perspective during mentoring dialogues, reflecting on their role as a mentor (Munroe, 2021). Other researchers have focused on what the student teacher learns from the conversation, but not specifically on teacher identity development (Fernandez & Erbilgin, 2009; Tsui et al., 2001). In this study I recorded mentoring dialogues between three pairs of student teachers and cooperating teachers. Using stimulated recall interviews (Ericsson & Simon, 1999), I asked the student teachers to reflect on their perceptions of the cooperating teacher’s mentoring role and their teacher identity. I determined cooperating teachers’ mentoring roles using the Mentoring Roles in Dialogues (MERID) Model (Hennissen et al., 2008) and analyzed the data using Beijaard and Meijer’s (2017) concepts related to teacher identity development: sense-making, agency, and ownership. Findings indicated that cooperating teachers have a great influence on identity development through formal dialogues. Student teachers reflected on feelings of success, identity tensions, and struggles throughout their student teaching experience