University Of Arizona Research Articles

9 Connecting memory and functional brain networks in older adults: a resting state fMRI study

Objective:Nonpathological aging has been linked to decline in both verbal and visuospatial memory abilities in older adults. Disruptions in resting-state functional connectivity within well-characterized, higherorder cognitive brain networks have also been coupled with poorer memory functioning in healthy older adults and in older adults with dementia. However, there is a paucity of research on the association between higherorder functional connectivity and verbal and visuospatial memory performance in the older adult population. The current study examines the association between resting-state functional connectivity within the cingulo-opercular network (CON), frontoparietal control network (FPCN), and default mode network (DMN) and verbal and visuospatial learning and memory in a large sample of healthy older adults. We hypothesized that greater within-network CON and FPCN functional connectivity would be associated with better immediate verbal and visuospatial memory recall. Additionally, we predicted that within-network DMN functional connectivity would be associated with improvements in delayed verbal and visuospatial memory recall. This study helps to glean insight into whether within-network CON, FPCN, or DMN functional connectivity is associated with verbal and visuospatial memory abilities in later life.Participants and Methods:330 healthy older adults between 65 and 89 years old (mean age = 71.6 ± 5.2) were recruited at the University of Florida (n = 222) and the University of Arizona (n = 108). Participants underwent resting-state fMRI and completed verbal memory (Hopkins Verbal Learning Test - Revised [HVLT-R]) and visuospatial memory (Brief Visuospatial Memory Test - Revised [BVMT-R]) measures. Immediate (total) and delayed recall scores on the HVLT-R and BVMT-R were calculated using each test manual’s scoring criteria. Learning ratios on the HVLT-R and BVMT-R were quantified by dividing the number of stimuli (verbal or visuospatial) learned between the first and third trials by the number of stimuli not recalled after the first learning trial. CONN Toolbox was used to extract average within-network connectivity values for CON, FPCN, and DMN. Hierarchical regressions were conducted, controlling for sex, race, ethnicity, years of education, number of invalid scans, and scanner site.Results:Greater CON connectivity was significantly associated with better HVLT-R immediate (total) recall (ß = 0.16, p = 0.01), HVLT-R learning ratio (ß = 0.16, p = 0.01), BVMT-R immediate (total) recall (ß = 0.14, p = 0.02), and BVMT-R delayed recall performance (ß = 0.15, p = 0.01). Greater FPCN connectivity was associated with better BVMT-R learning ratio (ß = 0.13, p = 0.04). HVLT-R delayed recall performance was not associated with connectivity in any network, and DMN connectivity was not significantly related to any measure.Conclusions:Connectivity within CON demonstrated a robust relationship with different components of memory function as well across verbal and visuospatial domains. In contrast, FPCN only evidenced a relationship with visuospatial learning, and DMN was not significantly associated with memory measures. These data suggest that CON may be a valuable target in longitudinal studies of age-related memory changes, but also a possible target in future non-invasive interventions to attenuate memory decline in older adults.

The efficacy of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) tests for detecting microbial contamination in rooftop-harvested rainwater

As climate change strains the world’s freshwater resources, access to safe and clean water becomes limited. The use of alternative water sources, such as rooftop-harvested rainwater, has become one mechanism to address freshwater scarcity in the American Southwest, particularly when it comes to home gardening. The University of Arizona’s Project Harvest, in partnership with the Sonora Environmental Research Institute, Inc., is a multi-year, co-created citizen science project aimed at increasing current understanding of harvested rainwater quality. Citizens in four Arizona, USA, communities (Hayden/Winkelman, Globe/Miami, Dewey-Humboldt, and Tucson) submitted harvested rainwater samples over 3 years. The harvested rainwater samples were then analyzed using IDEXX Colilert® for total coliforms and E. coli and using Hach PathoScreen™ test for sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). This study design allows for the validation of a low-cost, at-home alternative methodology for testing rainwater for bacteria that may indicate fecal contamination. In total, 226 samples were tested using both methodologies, revealing a positive correlation (r=0.245; p<0.002) between total coliform MPN and SRB MPN, but no discernable correlation between E. coli MPN and SRB MPN. This work indicates a potential value of SRB testing for harvested rainwater if cost, laboratory access, and fecal contamination are of concern.

53 2-Back Performance Does Not Differ Between Cognitive Training Groups in Older Adults Without Dementia

Objective:Cognitive training is a non-pharmacological intervention aimed at improving cognitive function across a single or multiple domains. Although the underlying mechanisms of cognitive training and transfer effects are not well-characterized, cognitive training has been thought to facilitate neural plasticity to enhance cognitive performance. Indeed, the Scaffolding Theory of Aging and Cognition (STAC) proposes that cognitive training may enhance the ability to engage in compensatory scaffolding to meet task demands and maintain cognitive performance. We therefore evaluated the effects of cognitive training on working memory performance in older adults without dementia. This study will help begin to elucidate non-pharmacological intervention effects on compensatory scaffolding in older adults.Participants and Methods:48 participants were recruited for a Phase III randomized clinical trial (Augmenting Cognitive Training in Older Adults [ACT]; NIH R01AG054077) conducted at the University of Florida and University of Arizona. Participants across sites were randomly assigned to complete cognitive training (n=25) or an education training control condition (n=23). Cognitive training and the education training control condition were each completed during 60 sessions over 12 weeks for 40 hours total. The education training control condition involved viewing educational videos produced by the National Geographic Channel. Cognitive training was completed using the Posit Science Brain HQ training program, which included 8 cognitive training paradigms targeting attention/processing speed and working memory. All participants also completed demographic questionnaires, cognitive testing, and an fMRI 2-back task at baseline and at 12-weeks following cognitive training.Results:Repeated measures analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), adjusted for training adherence, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) condition, age, sex, years of education, and Wechsler Test of Adult Reading (WTAR) raw score, revealed a significant 2-back by training group interaction (F[1,40]=6.201, p=.017, η2=.134). Examination of simple main effects revealed baseline differences in 2-back performance (F[1,40]=.568, p=.455, η2=.014). After controlling for baseline performance, training group differences in 2-back performance was no longer statistically significant (F[1,40]=1.382, p=.247, η2=.034).Conclusions:After adjusting for baseline performance differences, there were no significant training group differences in 2-back performance, suggesting that the randomization was not sufficient to ensure adequate distribution of participants across groups. Results may indicate that cognitive training alone is not sufficient for significant improvement in working memory performance on a near transfer task. Additional improvement may occur with the next phase of this clinical trial, such that tDCS augments the effects of cognitive training and results in enhanced compensatory scaffolding even within this high performing cohort. Limitations of the study include a highly educated sample with higher literacy levels and the small sample size was not powered for transfer effects analysis. Future analyses will include evaluation of the combined intervention effects of a cognitive training and tDCS on nback performance in a larger sample of older adults without dementia.

Preface

The 2nd International Conference on Computing Innovation and Applied Physics (CONF-CIAP 2023) is a leading conference. It aims at building an international platform for the communication and academic exchange among participants from various fields related to mathematics, physics, and computing innovation. Here, researchers are welcomed and encouraged to share their research progress and inspirations. It is a great opportunity to promote academic communication and collaboration worldwide.Mathematics have been attached with great importance as a basis of various subjects. Applied mathematics are widely used to tackle problems in areas including engineering, physics, medicine, business, and so on. This conference also focuses on theoretical physics and applied physics, as well as computing innovation. It is hoped that inter-disciplinary studies could promote development in relevant fields and seek solutions to the problems that can hardly be solved in the past.This volume contains the papers presented at the 2nd International Conference on Computing Innovation and Applied Physics (CONF-CIAP 2023), held during March 25-31, 2023. CONF-CIAP 2023 invited professor Marwan Omar from Illinois Institute of Technology, professor Michael Harre from The University of Sydney, professor Achintya Haldar from University of Arizona, and other professors to provide 9 keynote speeches on related topics of mathematics, physics, and computer science. This conference provided the participants good opportunities to exchange ideas and build networks, and it will lead to the further collaborations between both universities and other societies.Four workshops have been held at Purdue University, Illinois Institute of Technology, University of Strathclyde, and China Agricultural University before the conference. And an online session was held on the conference date, which is also effective and convenient for academic exchange and communication. Everyone interested in related fields are welcomed to join the online session on our YouTube channel and to give comments and raise questions to the speeches and presentations.We would like to thank the Program Committee members and external reviewers for their hard work in reviewing and selecting papers. Hopefully, all participants and other interested readers can benefit scientifically from the proceedings and find it rewarding in the process.Dr. Roman BauerGeneral Chair of Conference CommitteeList of Committee Members are available in this Pdf.

The Coquí Call

T. M. Spooner is the author of the novels The Salvation of La Purísima and Notes from Exile. Among others, his short fiction can be found in The Almagre Review and Flying Island Journal as the recipient of the 2022 Short Fiction prize. His essays have appeared in Studies in American Naturalism and Hispanic Journal. Spooner earned an M.A. in English Literature from Northern Arizona University.

An Online CURE Taught at a Community College During the Pandemic Shows Mixed Results for Development of Research Self-Efficacy and In-class Relationships

The Bee the CURE is a novel course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) that engages introductory biology students in DNA barcoding (DNA extraction, amplification, and bioinformatics) in partnership with the Tucson Bee Collaborative and the University of Arizona. The first iteration of this CURE taught at Pima Community College (PCC) occurred during the Fall 2020 semester in which the course was taught online and students focused on bioinformatics. Due to the online format, students were unable to participate directly in the wet-lab components (extraction and amplification) of the course. These were approximated with videos of the instructor performing the tasks. A qualitative case study of this semester built from student interviews found that students were able to form positive relationships with instructors and peer mentors but that the online format of the class posed some challenges to relationship formation. Students reported developing self-efficacy in bioinformatics skills while online lab participation disrupted student’s gaining “hands-on experiences” and seldom led to development of science self-efficacy in wet lab skills. Our findings from a study of a synchronous online CURE allowed us to characterize a context in which online learning posed a challenge and perhaps even a threat to research self-efficacy, especially regarding skill development and self-efficacy in “hands-on” areas, such as wet-bench research skills. Yet optimistically, our study highlights the potential of online community college learning environments to provide mastery experiences in online science contexts (e.g., bioinformatics) and opportunities for relationship building.

Assessing the Impact of Gas Flaring and Carbon Dioxide Emissions on Precipitation Patterns in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria Using Geospatial Analysis

This research utilizes geospatial methodologies to investigate the influence of gas flaring and carbon dioxide emissions on precipitation patterns within the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The study relies on average mean precipitation data sourced from CHRS at the University of Arizona and carbon dioxide emissions data from NASA’s AIRS in Giovanni, spanning from July 2002 to November 2011. To carry out the analysis, ArcGIS 5.0 and SPSS 25, employing Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW), were employed to assess CO2 emissions and rainfall for both November and July during the period from 2002 to 2011. Over the course of this study, it was observed that CO2 emission exhibited an upward trend, increasing from 327.5226 parts per million (ppm) in July 2002 to 390.0077 ppm in November 2011. Simultaneously, the rainfall demonstrated an increase, rising from 56.66 millimeters to 390.78 millimeters for both July and November from 2002 to 2011. Noteworthy findings emerged from the correlation analysis conducted. Specifically, from July 2000 to 2011, there was a weak positive correlation (0.3858) observed between CO2 emissions and minimum rainfall, while a strong negative correlation (–0.7998) was identified for maximum rainfall values. In November, both minimum and maximum CO2 emissions displayed strong negative correlations with rainfall, with coefficients of –0.8255 and –0.7415, respectively. These findings hold significant implications for comprehending the environmental dynamics within the Niger Delta. Policymakers and stakeholders can leverage this knowledge to formulate targeted strategies aimed at mitigating CO2 emissions and addressing potential climate change-induced alterations in rainfall patterns.

New director for NIAAA intramural division: David Lovinger, Ph.D.

Last week the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) announced that David Lovinger, Ph.D. has been selected as the scientific director for the Division of Intramural clinical and biological research. Lovinger obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona and his Ph.D. in psychology from Northwestern University. He conducted postdoctoral research at NIAAA before joining the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in 1991. In 2001, Lovinger was recruited back to NIAAA and became Chief of the Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience. He has served as Acting Scientific Director of NIAAA since 2022. Lovinger's research focuses on the neurobiological bases of behavior, how alcohol affects the connections between neurons, and the neural mechanisms involved in alcohol use and alcohol use disorder. In his role as Scientific Director, Lovinger will provide scientific, programmatic, and administrative leadership for the Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research. He will also be responsible for promoting an inclusive environment that values diverse perspectives, encouraging collaboration, facilitating mentoring and training, and conducting innovative research. “I am honored to be chosen for this position,” Dr. Lovinger said. “I look forward to working with the members of this great institute to build the future of intramural research.” Intramural refers to research that takes place on NIAAA campus under the auspices of NIAAA employees, as opposed to extramural research which is conducted by outside scientists).

Developing Training for Rural Library Workers to Build Inclusive Archives

Nearly four in ten public libraries in the US are located in rural communities and serve more than 30 million Americans, and one-third of public library buildings serve populations of 2,500 people or fewer (Swan, Grimes, &amp; Owens, 2013 https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/publications/documents/ brief201305.pdf ). Yet, training for practitioners across LIS and best practices often do not scale to these smaller memory institutions. This project advocates for a reorientation of curricula that centers community memory and recognizes small and rural libraries. Co-PI’s Bateman and Mattock observed these challenges during partnerships with rural public libraries in Iowa: untouched boxes of photographs, cabinets brimming with yellowing newspapers, whole basements of genealogical documents and burial records in storage. Stewarding these untouched collections are overworked library directors, rightly more concerned with immediate patron needs such as computer access. Being the only memory institutions within large radii, rural libraries become presumed repositories for community memory records, donated by well-meaning citizens cleaning out the family attic or by the local organizations producing such documents. Describing this phenomenon to librarians doesn’t take many words; to them, it’s self-evident. “I know exactly the problem you’re talking about,” a rural librarian from Vermont responded to us. But getting to the root of the problem is harder, and finding solutions is harder still.&#x0D; The IMLS-sponsored project “Activating Archives in Remote Communities” evolved in response to the challenges that we have observed. Over the past year, the project has convened a diverse group of community-engaged practitioners with the aim of understanding how MLIS programs can respond to the needs of these rural archival spaces through curricular interventions and open educational resources that can help prepare rural public librarians to engage with archival materials and become aware of the cultural pluralities that constitute the vast service areas of small libraries. Representing practitioners from across the United States, “Activating Archives” includes the perspectives of the LIS professionals who are tasked with preserving community memory as collaborators in the development of a curriculum that serves their needs and increases their capacity. Together we aim to provide an adaptable model for community memory and engagement that is directly applicable to the most remote communities.&#x0D; The “Activating Archives” advisory panel includes community-based and rural practitioners from across the United States: Joshua Burford, Director of Outreach and Lead Archivist for the Invisible Histories Project; Jerald Crook, Founder and Executive Director of Alabama’s Higher Ground Society; Jessica Ieremia, director of Alaska’s Sitka Public Library; Doris Malkmus, archivist and oral historian; Allie Parrsmith, director of the Iowa’s West Liberty Public Library; Verónica Reyes-Escudero, University of Arizona ‘s Katherine B. Willcock Head of Special Collections; Monique Tyndall an independent expert with experience in tribal archives and cultural affairs; and, Jessamyn West, librarian and community technologist in rural Vermont. The panel addressed many of the known challenges in small and rural collections, the lack of resources (time, funding, staff), and the reliance on volunteers. The group also stressed the necessity of collaboration, the politics of building and navigating partnerships, the challenges to building trust across heterogeneous communities, and the ethics of reparative archival work. As we concluded our conversations, the panel offered their perspectives on pedagogical interventions within LIS curricula and provided insight into how open educational resources can support training within MLIS programs and support the work of practitioners already in place in rural institutions. &#x0D; During this session, project PIs, MLIS student collaborators, and community-engaged archivist Aiden Bettine will present the initial findings from the advisory panel and invite the session attendees to add their perspectives to the already rich conversation, further informing the resulting training modules and educational resources produced by the grant. The presenters will ask the audience to work together to share their perspectives and invite feedback from our initial findings, further informing the project deliverables that include training modules and open education resources to support LIS training at all levels. &#x0D; Overall, this project aims to strengthen rural-community resilience, belonging, and well-being by encouraging collaborations that will help communities maintain their own cultural heritage sustainably. Our research reflects memory practices that de-center white, Western archival methods and instead reflect the numerous and mixed methods by which diverse community constituencies self-represent. The project has recruited an advisory panel that represents region-specific and culturally situated memory practices. We also hope that our research and curriculum will be used widely to help include non-dominant populations in library engagement as well as to include their voices in community histories. Finally, we view small and rural libraries as underrepresented organizations in LIS training and literature that nevertheless serve millions of diverse US patrons. Our focus on small and rural libraries includes particular attention to the populations who are likewise discounted in LIS discourse, such as rural Black library users.

Technical note: Studying lithium metaborate fluxes and extraction protocols with a new, fully automated in situ cosmogenic 14C processing system at PRIME Lab

Abstract. Extraction procedures for in situ cosmogenic 14C (in situ 14C) from quartz require quantitative isotopic yields while maintaining scrupulous isolation from atmospheric and organic 14C. These time- and labor-intensive procedures are ripe for automation; unfortunately, our original automated in situ 14C extraction and purification systems, reconfigured and retrofitted from our original systems at the University of Arizona, proved less reliable than hoped. We therefore installed a fully automated stainless-steel system (except for specific borosilicate glass or fused-silica components) incorporating more reliable valves and improved actuator designs, along with a more robust liquid nitrogen distribution system. As with earlier versions, the new system uses a degassed lithium metaborate (LiBO2) flux to dissolve the quartz sample in an ultra-high-purity oxygen atmosphere, after a lower-temperature combustion step to remove atmospheric and organic 14C. We compared single-use high-purity Al2O3 against reusable 90 %Pt / 10 %Rh (Pt/Rh) sample combustion boats. The Pt/Rh boats heat more evenly than the Al2O3, reducing procedural blank levels and variability for a given LiBO2 flux. This lower blank variability also allowed us to trace progressively increasing blanks to specific batches of fluxes from our original manufacturer. Switching to a new manufacturer returned our blanks to consistently low levels on the order of (3.4 ± 0.9) × 104 14C atoms. We also analyzed the CRONUS-A intercomparison material to investigate sensitivity of extracted 14C concentrations to the temperature and duration of the combustion and extraction steps. Results indicate that 1 h combustion steps at either 500 or 600 ∘C yield results consistent with the consensus value of Jull et al. (2015), while 2 h at 600 ∘C results in loss of ca. 9 % of the high-temperature 14C inventory. Results for 3 h extractions at temperatures ranging from 1050 to 1120 ∘C and 4.5 h at 1000 ∘C yielded similar results that agreed with the nominal value and published results from most laboratories. On the other hand, an extraction for 3 h at 1000 ∘C was judged to be incomplete due to a significantly lower measured concentration. Based on these results, our preferred technique is now combustion for 1 h at 500 ∘C followed by a 3 h extraction at 1050 ∘C. Initial analyses of the CoQtz-N intercomparison material at our lab yielded concentrations ca. 60 % lower than those of CRONUS-A, but more analyses of this material from this and other labs are clearly needed to establish a consensus value.

Enhancing a Real-Time Flash Flood Predictive Accuracy Approach for the Development of Early Warning Systems: Hydrological Ensemble Hindcasts and Parameterizations

This study marks a significant step toward the future development of river discharges forecasted in real time for flash flood early warning system (EWS) disaster prevention frameworks in the Chugoku region of Japan, and presumably worldwide. To reduce the disaster impacts with EWSs, accurate integrated hydrometeorological real-time models for predicting extreme river water levels and discharges are needed, but they are not satisfactorily accurate due to large uncertainties. This study evaluates two calibration methods with 7 and 5 parameters using the hydrological Cell Distributed Runoff Model version 3.1.1 (CDRM), calibrated by the University of Arizona’s Shuffled Complex Evolution optimization method (SCE-UA). We hypothesize that the proposed ensemble hydrological parameter calibration approach can forecast similar future events in real time. This approach was applied to seven major rivers in the region to obtain hindcasts of the river discharges during the Heavy Rainfall Event of July 2018 (HRE18). This study introduces a new historical extreme rainfall event classification selection methodology that enables ensemble-averaged validation results of all river discharges. The reproducibility metrics obtained for all rivers cumulatively are extremely high, with Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency values of 0.98. This shows that the proposed approach enables accurate predictions of the river discharges for the HRE18 and, similarly, real-time forecasts for future extreme rainfall-induced events in the Japanese region. Although our methodology can be directly reapplied only in regions where observed rainfall data are readily available, we suggest that our approach can analogously be applied worldwide, which indicates a broad scientific contribution and multidisciplinary applications.

Magellan/M2FS and MMT/Hectochelle Spectroscopy of Dwarf Galaxies and Faint Star Clusters within the Galactic Halo* * This paper presents data gathered with the Magellan Telescopes at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile, and the MMT Observatory, a joint facility of the Smithsonian Institution, and the University of Arizona.

We present spectroscopic data for 16,369 stellar targets within and/or toward 38 dwarf spheroidal galaxies and faint star clusters within the Milky Way halo environment. All spectra come from observations with the multiobject, fiber-fed echelle spectrographs M2FS at the Magellan/Clay telescope or Hectochelle at the MMT, reaching a typical limiting magnitude G ≲ 21. Data products include processed spectra from all observations and catalogs listing estimates—derived from template model fitting—of line-of-sight velocity (median uncertainty 1.4 km s−1) effective temperature (255 K), (base-10 logarithm of) surface gravity (0.59 dex in cgs units), [Fe/H] (0.4 dex) and [Mg/Fe] (0.27 dex) abundance ratios. The sample contains multiepoch measurements for 3720 sources, with up to 15 epochs per source, enabling studies of intrinsic spectroscopic variability. The sample contains 6087 likely red giant stars (based on surface gravity), and 4492 likely members (based on line-of-sight velocity and Gaia-measured proper motion) of the target systems. The number of member stars per individual target system ranges from a few, for the faintest systems, to ∼850 for the most luminous. For most systems, our new samples extend over wider fields than have previously been observed; of the likely members in our samples, 820 lie beyond 2 times the projected half-light radius of their host system, and 42 lie beyond 5 R half.

Abundance Analysis of Stars at Large Radius in the Sextans Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy* *This paper includes data gathered at the 6.5 m Magellan Telescopes located at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile. Other observations reported here were obtained at the MMT Observatory, a joint facility of the Smithsonian Institution and the University of Arizona. This paper is also based on archival observations

We present the stellar parameters and chemical abundances of 30 elements for five stars located at large radii (3.5–10.7 times the half-light radius) in the Sextans dwarf spheroidal galaxy. We selected these stars using proper motions, radial velocities, and metallicities, and we confirm them as metal-poor members of Sextans with −3.34 ≤ [Fe/H] ≤ −2.64 using high-resolution optical spectra collected with the Magellan Inamori Kyocera Echelle spectrograph. Four of the five stars exhibit normal abundances of C (−0.34 ≤ [C/Fe] ≤ + 0.36), mild enhancement of the α elements Mg, Si, Ca, and Ti ([α/Fe] = +0.12 ± 0.03), and unremarkable abundances of Na, Al, K, Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, and Zn. We identify three chemical signatures previously unknown among stars in Sextans. One star exhibits large overabundances ([X/Fe] > +1.2) of C, N, O, Na, Mg, Si, and K, and large deficiencies of heavy elements ([Sr/Fe] = −2.37 ± 0.25, [Ba/Fe] = −1.45 ± 0.20, [Eu/Fe] < + 0.05), establishing it as a member of the class of carbon-enhanced metal-poor stars with no enhancement of neutron-capture elements. Three stars exhibit moderate enhancements of Eu (+0.17 ≤ [Eu/Fe] ≤ + 0.70), and the abundance ratios among 12 neutron-capture elements are indicative of r-process nucleosynthesis. Another star is highly enhanced in Sr relative to heavier elements ([Sr/Ba] = +1.21 ± 0.25). These chemical signatures can all be attributed to massive, low-metallicity stars or their end states. Our results, the first for stars at large radius in Sextans, demonstrate that these stars were formed in chemically inhomogeneous regions, such as those found in ultra-faint dwarf galaxies.

Comparison of pharmacy student performance in a self-care therapeutics course conducted as a flipped classroom on-campus and remotely

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic required the University of Arizona R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy’s Self-Care Therapeutics course to be taught as a synchronous, live online course. The course has traditionally utilized a flipped-classroom to increase student engagement and improve learning performance. The goal of this study is to compare student performance in a flipped-classroom self-care therapeutics course taught to students attending class on-campus versus online via web-conferencing.MethodsThis study assessed examination performance of 118 students that took the class on-campus in 2019 and 125 students that took the class online in 2020. Course design was similar between the two cohorts, with each completing assigned pre-reading, an associated short multiple-choice quiz, in-class small group discussions and in-class large group faculty-led debrief. Both cohorts took pre-class quizzes and three examinations to assess their knowledge. Exam, quiz, overall class performance, and student experience was compared for the 2019 on-campus attending cohort and the 2020 online attending cohort.ResultsNo statistical differences were seen in the overall exam performance, the final course score, and the student experience between cohorts. Statistical differences (p = 0.02) were found between cohorts for the overall quiz performance, with the on-campus attending cohort performing slightly better than the online attending cohort (mean score of 88% compared to 84.4%).ConclusionExamination performance was similar for students taking a flipped-classroom course online and on-campus. Further research using data from multiple courses or from the same cohort, randomized, is needed to improve the internal and external validity of these findings.

Designing formative assessments to improve anatomy exam performance.

Formative assessments are primarily used as a tool to gauge learning throughout an anatomy course. They have also been demonstrated to improve student mastery and exam performance, although the precise nature of this relationship is poorly understood. In this study, it is hypothesized that formative assessment questions targeting higher cognitive levels, integrating topics from multiple lessons, and including visuospatial elements will increase student exam performance. Formative and summative questions provided to students during the Clinical Anatomy block at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix between 2015 and 2018 were assessed for cognitive level, integration of targeted learning objectives, and presence or absence of visuospatial elements. These variables were entered into a hierarchical linear model along with demographic variables for each cohort to assess the relationships between these variables and cohort performance on exam questions. The best predictor of exam performance was the inclusion of constituent learning objectives within the formative assessment. Additionally, students performed better on exam questions with visuospatial elements when the targeted learning objectives were also associated with visuospatial elements on the formative assessment. Surprisingly, the cognitive level of formative questions and the integration of learning objectives within them were not correlated with student exam performance. This study demonstrates the importance of including a broad range of topics in formative assessments and highlights a potential benefit of adopting consistent question formats for formative assessments and exams.

Breaking down barriers between brand and enrolment marketing

There exists an ongoing debate within the higher education marketing and communications disciplines on the merits of having a centralised versus decentralised structure. At the University of Arizona, the institution's two largest marketing teams chose collaboration as a third path — embracing and combining the audience and content expertise of the decentralised model with the brand consistency and breadth of centralisation. This collaboration has effectively broken down the barriers between enrolment and brand marketing and thereby enhanced the effectiveness of each unit's individual marketing efforts, making the whole greater than the sum of the parts. This paper will reveal how the teams came together on media strategy, brand strategy and creative execution to achieve significant application and enrolment growth.

Hydrology education at Chinese universities: a comparative case study between Hohai University and the University of Arizona

Hydrology education for hydrological professionals is an important field due to the complex and multifaceted water issues that hydrologists face. Currently, hydrology education at Chinese universities is mainly focused on hydrological engineering, which leads to inadequate scientific and professional training from the perspective of an interdisciplinary educational framework. In this context, the knowledge and skills of future hydrologists cannot be systematically prepared. In this study, we explore the challenges and constraints that hinder the advancement of hydrology education at Chinese universities by conducting an inductive analysis in which we compare the hydrology education that occurs in China with that of the United States. The result suggests that a lack of adequate financial support is the main constraint and that it leads to inevitable problems such as a high student-teacher ratio, insufficiently qualified educators, and poor teaching materials and equipment. To address this issue, financial support for this program should be increased. In addition, collaborative programs based on online learning can effectively resolve the inadequacy of teaching resources. Assessing the hydrological education system in American universities carries a certain significance for Chinese universities in creating a reasonable interdisciplinary hydrological educational system by emulating traditional engineering hydrological education.

Hybrid Learning: Russian and International Practice

The paper delivers the results of the study analyzing the established advanced practices of combining distance and face-to-face forms of learning in higher education. The key criterion for hybrid learning is the ratio of synchronous and asynchronous online formats in the learning process, and its essential basis - the learner's agency. The praximetric analysis of the sources and cases of foreign and Russian universities resulted in peculiarities of hybrid learning models. In-depth interviews with representatives of 14 universities allowed us to specify organizational and didactic features of the hybrid learning as well as its advantages and its limitations. The geography of respondents from foreign universities (Harvard Business School, Stockholm School of Economics, University of Arizona) and leading Russian universities (St. Petersburg State University, ITMO University, Higher School of Economics, Tomsk State University, Moscow City University, Ural Federal University, Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, University of Tyumen) makes the study representative. Based on the comprehensive analysis of the interviewees' answers, the authors consider the hybrid format not as a universal solution for higher education, but as an opportunity to solve specific educational goals, individualize learning and attract new target groups. The study focuses on the flexible hybrid format (HyFlex), which gives students the choice of attending the class on campus (face-to-face), participation of classes via videoconferencing, or studying the course completely asynchronously, i.e., from class recordings and other materials.

Testing the Efficacy of a Scalable Telephone-Delivered Guided Imagery Tobacco Cessation Treatment: Protocol for a Randomized Clinical Trial.

Tobacco use continues to be a leading preventable cause of death and disease in the United States, accounting for >480,000 deaths each year. Although treatments for tobacco use are effective for many, there is substantial variability in outcomes, and these approaches are not effective for all individuals seeking to quit smoking cigarettes. New, effective therapeutic approaches are needed to meet the preferences of people who want to stop smoking. Guided imagery (GI) is a mind-body technique that involves the guided visualization of specific mental images, which is enhanced with other sensory modalities and emotions. Preliminary evidence provides initial support for the use of GI as a treatment for cigarette smoking. Meta-analyses have shown that standard treatment for cigarette smoking delivered over the telephone via quitlines is effective. A telephone-based intervention that uses GI might provide another effective treatment option and increase the reach and effectiveness of quitlines. This study aims to test the efficacy of Be Smoke Free, a telephone-delivered GI treatment for smoking cessation. This multisite randomized clinical trial (RCT) will compare a novel telephone-delivered GI tobacco cessation treatment with a standard evidence-based behavioral treatment. The study will be conducted over 5 years. In phase 1, we refined protocols and procedures for the New York State and West Virginia sites for use in the RCT. During phase 2, we will conduct an RCT with 1200 participants: 600 (50%) recruited via quitlines and 600 (50%) recruited via population-based methods. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the GI condition or the behavioral condition; both treatments will be delivered by trained study coaches located at the University of Arizona. Assessments will be conducted at baseline and 3 and 6 months after enrollment by University of Arizona research staff. The primary outcome will be self-reported 30-day point prevalence abstinence 6 months after enrollment. Secondary outcomes include biochemically verified 7-day point prevalence abstinence 6 months after enrollment. Recruitment in West Virginia and New York began in October 2022. As of March 31, 2023, a total of 242 participants had been enrolled. Follow-up assessments began in November 2022. As of March 31, 2023, of the 118 eligible participants, 97 (82.2%) had completed the 3-month assessment, and 93% (26/28) of eligible participants had completed the 6-month assessment. Biochemical verification and qualitative interviews began in April 2023. Recruitment will continue through 2025 and follow-up assessments through 2026. Primary results are expected to be published in 2027. The Be Smoke Free study is a first-of-its-kind RCT that incorporates GI into telephone-based tobacco cessation treatment. If successful, Be Smoke Free will have substantial benefits for the long-term health of people who use tobacco across the United States. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05277831; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05277831. PRR1-10.2196/48898.

Embodied experiences of (in)security and crime perceptions among undergraduate women students in Tucson, Arizona

Drawing from trauma-informed interviews with women undergraduate students, this article examines the ripple effects of sexual violence on student (in)security and mobility. Campus sexual violence is exceedingly common, with 1 in 5 women experiencing sexual assault during college. Young women and women of color also experience the highest rates of sexual harassment and fear of sexual violence. Yet, it is still not well understood how such experiences collectively impact women students’ notions of security, spatial mobility, and independence. Focusing on a small, diverse set of women undergraduate students at the University of Arizona in the Southwest U.S., I analyze how perceptions of sexual violence impact behavior and safety strategies. I describe the variety of prevention and safety methods women undergraduates utilize and how they shoulder the burden of safety and care in lieu of university action. Findings suggest that participants often built their spatial behavior around avoiding ‘danger spots’ or places they feared, regardless of whether those were places they had ever experienced harassment or violence. Some students of color also found themselves at the crossroads of experiencing sexual harassment and racial microaggressions and expressed an emotional drain of straddling multiple cultural worlds. Findings further complicate notions that women’s fear of public space is ‘irrational’. This article builds on and extends work in geographies of fear to demonstrate how women students’ safety behavior in the U.S. is informed by harassment, perceived crime, and secondary trauma.