Visiting Scholar Program Research Articles

'Pamoja Tunaweza': A Collaborative Program Model for Global Health Training & Education.

The past two decades have seen unprecedented student demand for global health education through experiential and engaged learning within institutions of higher education in the United States. This demand created a need for innovative institutional partnerships. Since 2007, faculty from Cornell University's Global Health Program and Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College (KCMUCo) have worked together to design, implement, and evaluate an innovative experiential learning program in global health and development policy. Since its inception, 176 Cornell undergraduates and 188 KCMUCo medical students have successfully engaged in the policy case study collaborative program and course, leading to the development of 75 policy case studies. This long-term partnership between Cornell and KCMUCo has led to an innovative cross-cultural teaching model, funding support, professional presentations for students and faculty, a visiting scholars program at Cornell, and new avenues for research and collaboration. Fifteen years of sustained partnership has required the navigation of several unique and complex challenges, providing the opportunity to reimagine and strengthen this program and partnership. The objective of this article is to share a powerful program model for global health training and education, and discuss the challenges, successes, and lessons learned through this continued collaboration.

MP07-18 IDENTIFICATION OF THE MAJOR NADPH OXIDASE SUBTYPE IN THE MICTURITION CENTRE – PATHOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS

You have accessJournal of UrologyCME1 May 2022MP07-18 IDENTIFICATION OF THE MAJOR NADPH OXIDASE SUBTYPE IN THE MICTURITION CENTRE – PATHOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS Qin Wu, Ayse Gurpinar, Patrizia Camelliti, Maxwell Roberts, Michael Ruggieri, and Changhao Wu Qin WuQin Wu More articles by this author , Ayse GurpinarAyse Gurpinar More articles by this author , Patrizia CamellitiPatrizia Camelliti More articles by this author , Maxwell RobertsMaxwell Roberts More articles by this author , Michael RuggieriMichael Ruggieri More articles by this author , and Changhao WuChanghao Wu More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000002529.18AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Oxidative inflammatory damage to the brain may lead to dysfunction of peripheral organs including bladder disorders. However, the source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in specific brain regions that regulate the function of peripheral systems is poorly understood. Of all ROS-generating enzymes, the NADPH oxidase (Nox) family produces ROS as its sole function and offers an advantage over other enzymes as a drug targetable molecule to selectively control excessive ROS. Our pilot study demonstrated such system in the bladder. This study tested the hypothesis that the major Nox subtype, Nox 2 is expressed in the micturition regulatory regions - Pontine micturition centre (PMC) and periaqueductal gray (PAG), and such system is able to produce substantial superoxide. METHODS: Male adult C57BL/6J mice (2-5 months) were used. PAG, PMC were dissected according to a mouse stereotaxic atlas. Cardiac and bladder tissues were isolated under microscopic guidance. Western blot determined Nox 2 expression using Nox 2 primary antibody and Infra-red dye-conjugated secondary antibodies. Lucigenin enhanced chemiluminescence quantified real-time superoxide production in live tissues, verified by the superoxide scavenger Tiron. Paired and non-paired t-test tested the difference in two group means and ANOVA with pairwise comparisons tested multiple means. RESULTS: Western blot experiments demonstrated the presence of Nox 2 in PAG and PMC tissues, with a density comparable to that of positive control (n=6). There was a significant level of NADPH dependent superoxide production in both brain tissues (RLU/mg, PMC: 127±17; PAG102±13, N=11, higher than that from cardiac tissue (32±3, P<0.01); similar to that from bladder smooth muscle (91±19, p>0.05) and lower than that in bladder mucosa (262±55, p<0.01). The time course analysis shows that the rise of superoxide production in these two brain tissues was more sustained than in bladder mucosa and smooth muscle (Half peak duration PD50, minutes: PMC, 101±2; PAG, 99±2; bladder mucosa, 48±3, p<0.01; smooth muscle, 67±9, p<0.01). The superoxide generation from these brain tissues was significantly suppressed by the Nox inhibitor diphenyleneiodonium (DPI). CONCLUSIONS: These data provide the first evidence for the presence of Nox 2 in brain micturition centres and its high capacity to produce superoxide. The study has also identified the sustained nature of the superoxide rise from this ROS-generating pathway. The predominance of this system and its characteristics revealed by this study provide mechanistic basis for the pathology of aging and inflammation associated neurogenic bladder disorders. Source of Funding: BBSRC (BB/P004695/1)NIA (NIA1R01AG049321-01A1)QW: Jiangsu Overseas Visiting Scholar Program for University Prominent Young and Middle-aged Teachers and Presidents © 2022 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 207Issue Supplement 5May 2022Page: e122 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2022 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Qin Wu More articles by this author Ayse Gurpinar More articles by this author Patrizia Camelliti More articles by this author Maxwell Roberts More articles by this author Michael Ruggieri More articles by this author Changhao Wu More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF DownloadLoading ...

499 Visiting Scholars in Times of Pandemic

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: The Virtual CTSA Visiting Scholars Program allows KL2 scholars to serve as visiting professors at host CTSA consortium institutions. This program facilitates connections with faculty outside scholars home institutions, as well as fostering collaboration among different CTSA hubs. Stanford aimed to incorporate participants into its KL2 program. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Stanford is one of 57 host institutions for the Virtual CTSA Visiting Scholars Program. The program includes a virtual meeting between each participant and a chosen faculty at the host institution. Program participants also give a virtual Grand Rounds lecture, open to the entire CTSA consortium. As well as encouraging Spectrum KL2 Scholars to participate in the virtual exchange, the Spectrum KL2 program incorporated the visiting scholars into weekly activities over the course of 3 months. Visiting scholars were invited to participate virtually in KL2 educational sessions, which provide career development training and mentoring. As meetings transitioned to in-person, KL2 scholars were allowed to attend virtually when needed. Hybrid in-person sessions were also conducive to participation by visiting scholars. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Stanfords Spectrum KL2 program was virtual (Zoom) for academic year 2020-2021 and included 1:1 mentoring sessions, weekly career development seminars, and 1:1 peer virtual lunches to integrate the 9 junior faculty scholars. Visiting scholars joined the weekly Zoom meetings when their schedules allowed. KL2 faculty mentored visiting scholars for 3 months, exchanging ideas and forming collaborations. Each visiting participant was paired with a KL2 Scholar, who provided 1:1 peer mentorship. In addition, visiting scholars presented a work-in-progress seminar, to obtain feedback before the more formal Grand Rounds lecture. For academic year 2021-2022, Spectrum KL2 meetings include virtual and hybrid in-person sessions, allowing visiting scholars to join by Zoom during the 3-month virtual exchange program. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: What set Stanfords Virtual CTSA Visiting Scholars Program apart was faculty engagement and mentorship provided to visiting participants. By incorporating visiting scholars virtually into the ongoing KL2 education program, participants could engage fully with mentors and scholars, even surpassing opportunities of pre-pandemic on-site visits.

The Virtual CTSA Visiting Scholar Program to Support Early-Stage Clinical and Translational Researchers: Implementation and Outcomes.

In addition to restrictions on conducting research, COVID-19-related travel bans and scientific meeting cancellations have negatively affected scholars in the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Mentored Career Development Award (KL2) program. In response, a national virtual visiting scholar program was developed to provide opportunity for KL2 scholars to be virtual visiting professors at another CTSA hub, meet faculty and scholars, and expand networks and build collaborations. This article describes the design and short-term outcomes of the virtual CTSA Visiting Scholar Program. In 2020, a working group designed core program elements and developed an application and selection process. Anonymized surveys were sent to scholars post visit and to scholars and program directors 6 months post visit to evaluate their experience and solicit suggestions for improvements. Between November 2020 and May 2021, 56 KL2 scholars and 27 hubs participated. Forty-five (80.4%) participating scholars responded to the initial survey. Nearly all scholars (44, 97.7%) agreed their experience was valuable. All respondents indicated they would recommend the program to other KL2 scholars. For the 6-month survey, the response rate was 87.5% (49/56). Within 6 months of their visit, 36 (73.5%) respondents had contacted at least one person at the host hub and for 17 (34.7%) respondents, new collaborations with the host hub ensued. Twenty-five of 27 (92.6%) host hubs responded to the survey. Most (21, 84.0%) agreed that hearing visiting scholar talks was valuable to their own scholars and 23 (92%) indicated likelihood of their hub participating in future round of the program. The virtual Visiting Scholar Program provided KL2 scholars an opportunity to virtually visit another CTSA hub, present their research, and meet with faculty and other scholars to expand their networks. Although geared to KL2 scholars, this model is potentially generalizable to other nationally coordinated career development programs.

Assessing the Impact of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA) Visiting Scholar Program.

The primary objective of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA)-Children's Orthopaedics in Underserved Regions (COUR) Visiting Scholar Program is to engage emerging leaders from low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) in POSNA educational offerings. This study aims to outline the educational and leadership activities pursued by the alumni of the POSNA-COUR Visiting Scholars Program. We hypothesized that there may be a discrepancy between visiting scholar interest level and actual participation in key follow-up educational and leadership activities. A 32-question online survey developed by the POSNA-COUR committee was electronically delivered to the POSNA-COUR visiting scholarship recipients from 2007 to 2019. The survey inquired about scholars' educational background, clinical practice, and academic interests. Respondents also reported educational, research, and leadership activities that occurred following program participation. Fifty-seven percent (44/77) of the previous scholars participated in the survey. Sixty-eight percent reported that >75% of their practice was comprised of pediatric patients. The COUR scholarship afforded 15 scholars the opportunity to attend their first educational conference in North America. The majority (86%) of respondents consulted POSNA members on care-related issues, 52% organized a POSNA member's visit to their country, and 13% have become members of POSNA. Scholars shared their knowledge with colleagues through lectures (73%), demonstration of surgical skills (63%), mentorship (59%), hosting local courses (43%), and research (14%). There was a significant discrepancy between interest and actual participation in research (98% vs. 16%, P<0.0001), hosting a regional course (98% vs. 43%, P<0.0001), and becoming a member of POSNA (96% vs. 13%, P<0.0001). The POSNA-COUR Visiting Scholar Program is effective at providing beneficial educational opportunities to orthopaedic surgeons from LMICs. There is, however, a significant discrepancy between reported scholar interest and actual engagement in leadership endeavors including: research, organization of regional courses, and POSNA membership. The impact of the POSNA-COUR visiting scholar program can be enhanced through collaboration with scholarship alumni in these key areas. Level IV-case series.

Visiting Scholars Program to enhance career development among early-career KL2 investigators in Clinical and Translational Science: Implications from a quality improvement assessment.

CTSI Career Development Award (KL2) programs provide junior faculty with protected time and multidisciplinary, mentored research training in clinical and translational science research. The KL2 Visiting Scholars Program was developed to promote collaborative cross-CTSA training, leverage academic strengths at host CTSAs, and support the career development of participating scholars through experiential training and the development of new partnerships. This manuscript provides a detailed programmatic description and reports outcomes from post-visit and outcomes surveys. Since 2016, 12 scholars have completed the program, with 6 scheduled to complete it in 2021. Post-visit surveys (n = 12) indicate all scholars reported the program valuable to career development, 11 reported benefit for research development, and 11 expansion of collaborative networks. Outcomes surveys (n = 11) revealed subsequent scholar interaction with host institution faculty for 10 scholars, 2 collaborative grant submissions (1 funded), 2 planned grant submissions, 1 published collaborative manuscript, and 3 planned manuscript/abstract submissions. The Visiting Scholars Program is a cost- and time-efficient program that leverages the academic strengths of CTSAs. The program enhanced KL2 scholar training by expanding their professional portfolio, promoting research development, and expanding collaborative networks. Resources to support the program are shared in this report to expedite the development of similar programs at regional and national levels.

Polarization resolved analysis of phonon transport in a multi-terminal system**Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51376094) and Jiangsu Overseas Visiting Scholar Program for University Prominent Young & Middle-aged Teachers and Presidents, China.

The atomistic Green’s function method is improved to compute the polarization resolved phonon transport in a multi-terminal system. Based on the recent developments in literature, the algorithm is simplified. The complex phonon band structure of a semi-infinite periodic terminal is obtained by the generalized eigenvalue equation. Then both the surface Green’s function and phonon group velocity in the terminal are determined from the wave modes propagating away from the scattering region along the terminal. With these key ingredients, the individual phonon mode transmittance between the terminals can be calculated. The feasibility and validity of the method are demonstrated by the chain example compared with the wave packet method, and an example of graphene nanojunction with three terminals.

Berkeley Law Visiting Scholars Program Workshop Presentation- Inequitable Subordination (Presentation Slides)

PowerPoint Presentation accompanying Berkeley Law Visiting Scholars Program Workshop on September 20, 2019. The presentation was entitled Inequitable Subordination: Distressing Distressed Claims Purchasers by Propagating Subordination Benefit Elimination Theory, and focused on the intersection of equitable subordination and the modern bankruptcy claims market.

Pursuing Ethics by Building Bridges beyond the Northern Paradigm

This essay narrates and explores the work of Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church (CTEWC) in developing a network that connects roughly 1500 Catholic ethicists around the world. It highlights the impact that CTEWC has had in encouraging Christian ethics to become more inclusive, active, and mindful in advancing a network that builds bridges beyond the northern paradigm. In this narrative, we see how CTEWC planned and realized three major international conferences in Padua, Trento, and Sarajevo and six regional conferences in Manila, Nairobi, Berlin, Krakow, Bangalore, and Bogota. Together with its monthly newsletter, CTEWC has also sponsored a visiting scholars program in Bangalore, Manila, and Nairobi, a PhD scholarship program for eight women in Africa, and an international book series with eight volumes and over 200 contributors. Throughout, we respond to the challenge of pluralism by answering the call to dialogue from and beyond local culture. As it enters its second generation with new leadership, CTEWC pursues critical and emerging issues in theological ethics by engaging in cross-cultural, interdisciplinary conversations shaped by shared visions of hope, but always mindful that we must engage the Global South and go beyond the northern paradigm where most contemporary theological ethics occur.

Theoretical analysis of cross-plane lattice thermal conduction in graphite**Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51376094) and Jiangsu Overseas Visiting Scholar Program for University Prominent Young & Middle-aged Teachers and Presidents.

A theoretical analysis of the cross-plane lattice thermal conduction in graphite is performed by using first-principles calculations and in the single-mode relaxation time approximation. The out-of-plane phonon acoustic mode ZA and optical mode have almost 80% and 20% of contributions to cross-plane heat transfer, respectively. However, these two branches have a small part of total specific heat above 300 K. Phonons in the central 16% of Brillouin zone contribute 80% of cross-plane transport. If the group velocity angle with respect to the graphite layer normal is less than 30°, then the contribution is 50% at 300 K. The ZA phonons with long cross-plane mean free path are focused in the cross-plane direction, and the largest mean free path is on the order of several micrometers at room temperature. The average value of cross-plane mean free path at 300 K is 112 nm for ZA phonons with group velocity angle with respect to the layer normal being less than 15°. The average value is dropped to 15 nm when phonons of all branches in the whole Brillouin zone are taken into account, which happens because most phonons have small or even no contributions.

Mechanical Stimulation Promotes the Proliferation and the Cartilage Phenotype of Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Chondrocytes Co-Cultured &lt;i&gt;in vitro&lt;/i&gt;

Mesenchymal stem cells and chondrocytes are an important source of the cells for cartilage tissue engineering. Therefore, the culture and expansion methods of these cells need to be improved to overcome the aging of chondrocytes and induced chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. The aim of this study was to expand the cells for cartilage tissue engineering by combining the advantages of growing cells in co-culture and under a mechanically-stimulated environment. Rabbit chondrocytes and co-cultured cells (bone mesenchymal stem cells and chondrocytes) were subjected to cyclic sinusoidal dynamic tensile mechanical stimulationusing the FX-4000 tension system. Chondrocyte proliferation was assayed by flow cytometry and CFSE labeling. The cell cartilage phenotype was determined by detecting GAG, collagen II and TGFβ1 protein expression by ELISA and the Col2α1, TGF-β1 and Sox9 mRNA expression by RT-PCR. The results show that the co-culture improved both the proliferation ability of chondrocytes and the cartilage phenotype of co-cultured cells. A proper cyclic sinusoidal dynamic tensile mechanical stimulation improved the proliferation ability and cartilage phenotype of chondrocytes and co-cultured cells. These results suggest that the coculture of mesenchymal stem cells with chondrocytes and proper mechanical stimulation may be an appropriate way to rapidly expand the cells that have an improved cartilage phenotype for cartilage tissue engineering. Funding Statement: This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (11802209), the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province China (ZR2017PA011), the Medical and Health Technology Development Project of Shandong Province China (2016WS0669) and the Visiting Scholar Program of Weifang Medical University. Declaration of Interests: The authors have no proprietary interest in any of the materials discussed in this article. Ethics Approval Statement: The experimental protocols were approved by the Animal Care and Protection Committee of Weifang Medical University. We confirm that all experiments were performed in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations.

IGF2-derived miR-483-3p contributes to macrosomia through regulating trophoblast proliferation by targeting RB1CC1

What is the role of insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2)-derived miR-483-3p in macrosomia? IGF2-derived intronic miR-483-3p is overexpressed in macrosomia placentas, and miR-483-3p prompts HTR-8/SVneo extravillous trophoblast cell line proliferation through down-regulation of its target RB1 inducible coiled-coil 1 (RB1CC1). Macrosomia is a common pregnancy-associated disease and causes a number of adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes. The development of macrosomia is reportedly attributable to over proliferation of the placental cells. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in the development of fetal and placenta by regulating their target genes. Here, we investigated the role of IGF2-derived intronic miR-483-3p in macrosomia. The expression of IGF2, miR-483-3p and its target gene in placental tissues from 30 pregnant women who had macrosomia was compared to those of 30 gestation-matched healthy pregnant controls. For in vitro studies, the human first trimester extravillous trophoblast cell line, HTR-8/SVneo cell was used. Placenta tissues were collected from pregnant women who had macrosomia without diabetes or other complications (n = 30) and healthy pregnant controls (n = 30). HTR-8/SVneo cells were transfected with specific miRNA mimics or inhibitors. MiRNA and mRNA isolated from placenta tissues or cells were measured by quantitative real-time PCR. Protein was measured by western blot. Cell proliferation was assayed using a colorimetric proliferation assay method. Cell cycle and apoptosis were analyzed by flow cytometry. The putative targets of miR-483-3p were predicted using the TargetScan, miRanda, miRDB and DIANA algorithms. Dual luciferase reporter assay was used to measure the relationship of miR-483-3p and RB1CC1. IGF2-derived miR-483-3p was overexpressed in macrosomia placentas. miR-483-3p promoted proliferation in HTR-8/SVneo cells and had a positive relationship with its host gene IGF2. Subsequently, RB1CC1 was confirmed as a direct target of miR-483-3p, which may be an important mediator of cell growth regulation for miR-483-3p. N/A. The level of IGF2 and its intronic miR-483-3p in the serum of these participants was not investigated. Further studies are required to understand the mechanisms underlying the cause of the increase of IGF2 and miR-483-3p in macrosomia. These findings give a new insight into the role of intronic miRNA and its host gene in the development of macrosomia. Furthermore, it may offer a new target for prognostic and therapeutic intervention for macrosomia. This work was supported by awards from National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 81401213, 81673217, 81703260), Jiangsu Provincial Medical Youth Talent (No. QNRC2016110), Jiangsu Overseas Visiting Scholar Program for University Prominent Young & Middle-aged Teachers and Presidents, the Priority Academic Program for the Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (Public Health and Preventive Medicine), the Education Department of Jiangsu Province (No. 16KJB330010), the Science and Technology Department of Jiangsu Province (No. BK20160227), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation funded project (No. 2016M601892). The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Cross-cultural Experiences during a Visiting Scholar Program: “…A Start[ing] not a Finishing Point”

Cross-cultural Experiences during a Visiting Scholar Program: “…A Start[ing] not a Finishing Point”

Addressing the Global Disparities in the Delivery of Pediatric Orthopaedic Services: Opportunities for COUR and POSNA.

The burden of musculoskeletal conditions, especially injuries, is increasing in low-income and middle-income countries. Road traffic injuries have become epidemic. There are multiple barriers to accessing surgical services at both the individual (utilization) and the health system (availability) levels, and deficiencies in education and training of health providers. Specialty societies such as the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA) have an opportunity to play an important role through teaching and training. The POSNA Children's Orthopedics in Underserved Regions (COUR) committee has supported the Visiting Scholars Program, which invites surgeons from the developing world to attend a scientific meeting and facilitates the scholar's visit to North American pediatric orthopaedic centers. POSNA members have held global educational courses that support an educational exchange between lecturers and attendees. The COUR web site allows for submission of trip reports that document successes and obstacles experienced by members performing overseas clinical care and teaching. The web site also provides educational resources relevant to providing care in these environments. POSNA collaborates with other societies, such as the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons, to provide education in disaster management. In addition to increasing member involvement, specialty societies have the opportunity for continued data collection from overseas care, application of US registry data to disease processes in the developing world, and further collaboration with one another.

Reframing the Periphery: Narrative Authority and Self-Reflexivity in Mathieu Kassovitz’s La Haine 1I gratefully acknowledge the support of Barbara Hanna, Juliana de Nooy, the UQ Arts article development scheme and the Nottingham-Trent University visiting scholars program in the preparation of this article.

This article takes a narratological approach in examining how Mathieu Kassovitz’s La Haine (1995) establishes itself as an authoritative voice in framing the banlieue. It argues that framing is essential in establishing the film’s narrative authority, the idea that it is recounted from a position of experience. To do so, the film juggles two contradictory narrative impulses: a sense of critical distance which propels the film to its finale; and an emphasis on what Ross Chambers would call loiterliness, as the film tracks the wanderings of its trio of protagonists. By concentrating on three key storytelling sequences—the opening and closing voiceovers, as well as a story told by an elderly Jewish man which will be read self-reflexively—it will be argued that the key means through which the film adopts an insider’s perspective is through its affinity with Hubert, a character often overlooked in writing on the film.

Perfluorinated Ionomers for Alkaline Membrane Fuel Cells

Perfluorinated ionomers have significant advantages over hydrocarbon-based ionomers due to the higher oxygen permeability, hydrophobicity, less catalyst poisoning, ideal three-phase interface and ability to create a porous electrode structure. There have been a few attempts to prepare perfluorinated polymers for the use of alkaline applications mostly in the late 1980s; however, none have been stable and all rapidly hydrolyzed under high pH conditions.2 We have synthesized stable hydroxide conducting perfluorinated ionomers through resonance structure formation upon functionalization of perfluorinated polymer.3 The synthesis of phenyl pentamethyl guanidinium functionalized perfluorinated ionomer was accomplished with a three-step procedure, i) attachment of a 4-fluoroaniline spacer to carboxylic acid Nafion precursor ii) functionalization of tetramethyl gunanidinium4 and iii) methylation with dimethyl sulfate. The alkaline membrane fuel cells (AMFCs) using the perfluorinated copolymer in the catalyst layers exhibited the peak power density of 577 mW/cm2, which was more than 2x greater than a state-of-the-art polyaromatic polymer electrolyte5 (335 mW/cm2). The performance decay rate of the perfluorinated polymer cell was 225 mV/dec/h at 80°C, comparable to the state-of-the-art polyaromatic alkaline polymer cell (183 mV/dec/h at 60°C).The interfacial dynamics of the perfluorinated ionomers using Pt disk microelectrodes indicate that the perfluorinated ionomers have two major benefits over the conventional hydrocarbon-based alkaline ionomers: i) cation desorption capability at an intermediate electrode potential range, ca. 0.2 to 0.6 V and ii) much faster oxygen permeability.6 The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) of the platinum microelectrodes between liquid and polymer electrolytes are compared using 0.1 M guanidinium aqueous solution and the guanidinium functionalized perfluorinated ionomer. The ORR behavior of platinum micro-electrodes with the guanidinium solution exhibited an “electrostatic-defying” adsorption which limited the access of O2reactants into the Pt surface while the ORR behavior of platinum with guanidinium functionalized ionomer did not show the cation adsorption probably due to the conformation change of the cation by the polymer-cation linkage. Due to the absence of guanidinium adsorption at high potential, the ORR activity of platinum at the ionomer interface substantially improved. Acknowledgment U.S. Department of Energy Fuel Cell Technologies Program (Technology Development Manager: Dr. Nancy Garland) funded this research. We thank the Korea Institute of Energy Research for supporting the Visiting Scholar Program. References Golling, F. E.; Schuster, T.; Geidel, C.; Mamen, L.; Vollmer, D.; Mullen, K.; Klapper, M. ACS Symposium Series, Vol. 1106, Chapter 8, pp 111-126, 2012.Matsui, K.; Tobita, E.; Sugimoto, K.; Kondo, K.; Seita, T.; Akimoto A.; J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 1986, 32, 4137-4143.Kim, D.S.; Fujimoto, C.Y.; Hibbs, M.R.; Labouriau, A.; Choe, Y.-K.; Kim, Y.S. Macromolecules 2013, 46, 7826-7833.Kim, D.S.; Labouriau, A.; Guiver, M.D.; Kim, Y. S. Chem. Mater. 2011, 23, 3795-3797.Fujimoto, C.; Kim, D. S.; Hibbs, M. Wrobleski, D.; Kim, Y. S. J. Memb. Sci. 2012, 423, 438-449Yim, S.D.; Chlistunoff, J.; Chung, H.; Choe, Y.-K.; Yang, T.-H.; Kim, Y.S. Manuscript in preparation (2014).

Visiting Scholars and BlastOff! Flow from BECUR (29.3)

The University of Arizona UAN Chapter engages middle school, high school, and undergraduate students through research‐oriented outreach. Our fifth annual BECUR Conference held in February 2014 featured posters and talks by undergraduate and high school students with Professor Roy Parker as the keynote speaker. Building upon the success of BECUR, our chapter is organizing two more outreach activities: the Visiting Scholars program and BlastOff! summer camp. Visiting Scholars sends undergraduates into high school classrooms to present research, provide information on opportunities in science, and share their college experiences. The program is now a formal department course. BlastOff! is a five‐day biology‐oriented summer camp that recruits middle school students from underrepresented populations in the sciences. Campers are exposed to “wet lab” techniques, scientific theories, and hands‐on projects, while field trips and presentations by guest speakers complement lab activities.

Hydrogen Oxidation and Oxygen Reduction Reaction at the Platinum-Alkaline Ionomer Interfaces

Over the past years, several highly conductive and stable anion exchange polymer electrolytes have been prepared for the use of membranes or ionomeric binders in alkaline membrane fuel cells (AMFCs).1 The electrochemical behaviors of ionomeric binder at the catalyst-electrolyte interface are of particular interest since this plays a major role in AMFC performance and durability.In this study, hydrogen oxidation/evolution reaction (HOR/HER), oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), polymer chain relaxation and cation stability of polymer electrolytes are investigated using polycrystalline platinum microelectrodes. Two radically different anion exchange ionomers (i.e. benzyl trimethyl ammonium functionalized polyphenylene2 and phenyl pentamethyl guanidinium functionalized perfluorinated ionomers3, Fig.1) were prepared for the comparative study.The HOR/HER kinetics at the ammonium functionalized ionomer-Pt interface gradually decreased with time, while the reaction kinetics at the guanidinium functionalized ionomer-Pt interface was stable. Microelectrode experiments using trimethyl ammonium, tetramethyl guanidinium and sodium hydroxide indicated that the time-dependent behavior of the ammonium functionalized ionomer attributed that carbonate/bicarbonate adsorption on platinum surface due to the greater CO2 affinity of benzyl ammonium cation4. As a result, the HOR/HER kinetics of the ammonium functionalized ionomer were substantially lower than those of the guanidinium functionalized ionomer after ~ 50 h equilibrium under 40°C, 100% RH conditions.The ORR kinetics at the ammonium functionalized ionomer-Pt interface was much resistant to the carbonate/bicarbonate adsorption and only slightly deteriorated kinetics was observed. The ORR kinetics at the guanidinium functionalized ionomer-Pt interface, on the other hand, slightly increased over time. Furthermore, notable increase of oxygen permeability of the Pt electrode with guanidinium functionalized ionomer was observed. Microelectrode experiments using perfluorinated sulfonic acid and sulfonated polyaromatic ionomers disclosed that the change of ORR kinetics and oxygen permeability were related to the long range order ionomer relaxation behavior.Cation stability of these ionomers was also investigated during potential cycling from 0.2 – 1.0 V. The cation stability of benzyl trimethyl ammonium functionalized ionomer was less than that of phenyl pentamethyl guanidinium functionalized ionomer. Density functional theory calculations on stability of model cations indicates that the barrier energy of nucleophilic substitution (SN2) of benzyl ammonium is 22.3 kcal/mol which is slightly lower than the SN2 barrier energy of central carbon of guanidinium (i.e 23.8 kcal/mol).AcknowledgmentsWe thank Drs. Dae-Sik Kim (LANL), Cy Fujimoto (SNL), and Michael Hibbs (SNL) for preparing the polymer electrolytes. U.S. Department of Energy Fuel Cell Technologies Program (Technology Development Manager: Dr. Nancy Garland) funded this research. We thank the Korea Institute of Energy Research for supporting Visiting Scholar Program.

A qualitative evaluation of a visiting scholar program between Brazil and Canada

Background: International experiences provide a rich, transformative learning opportunity and are fundamental to the internationalization of universities that is occuring globally. To date there has been limited research to evaluate the experiences of, and benefits to, faculty members who participate in an international experience. In the current paper, we report findings from the evaluation of a Visiting Scholar Program (VSP) between the University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing (EERP-USP), Brazil and the Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta (UA), Canada. The VSP was initiated in 2004, with a generous donation from a private donor, as one component of a broader partnership between the two university schools of nursing. Methods: The evaluation of the VSP program was carried out between January and June 2011 using a qualitative approach. An interpretative descriptive design was used for the study and in-depth interviews were used to collect the data. At the UA, 17 individuals affiliated with the Brazil project participated in an interview and two provided email feedback. At EERP-USP, 12 former scholars, one graduate student, two staff members responsible for the International Cooperation Office, and a former Dean participated in the evaluation. Results: Several key themes emerged during the analysis of the interviews. The program was highly successful from the perspective of both scholars and supervisors alike. The commitment to internationalization at each site, the well- established partnership between EERP-USP and UA, and the financial resources available all contributed to the provision of a supportive, enabling environment for the scholars to develop their own research capacity and for both scholars and supervisors to build new research networks. Participants commented on the importance of personal relationships and convergent research interests between scholars and the supervisors. Several challenges related to language, length of the program, and at times, inadequate pre-planning between the scholar and supervisor were identified by participants. Conclusion: Overall the leadership team at each site and the scholars and supervisors believed that the VSP was successful. Despite several challenges, supervisors and scholars alike benefited from ongoing relationships and were appreciative of the opportunities for professional growth and research development that participation in the VSP program provided. Recommendations for future similar programs include: commitment to internationalization; a well-established partnership between the two sites; sufficient financial resources; language training; a 12 month program if possible; good fit between scholar and supervisor; and pre-planning.

Visiting Scholars BlastOff! to BECUR

The University of Arizona UAN Chapter has organized three outreach activities. The Visiting Scholars Program sends undergraduates into high school science classrooms to present research and provide information on opportunities in science. Presenters also serve as mentors by discussing a “well‐rounded” college experience. Furthermore, teachers support the program and are interested in future interactions. Our BlastOff! Summer Camp is a five‐day program that recruits middle school students from underrepresented populations in the sciences. Campers are exposed to “wet lab” techniques, scientific theories, and hands‐on projects; field trips and guest speakers complement lab activities. In the spring, we invite undergraduates and high school students to present their research at our Biology, Engineering, Chemistry Undergraduate Research (BECUR) Conference. For the poster competition, we offer cash prizes and travel awards to the ASBMB meeting. High school students gain experience at this university‐level conference interacting with UA students and faculty. We select two undergraduates to give seminars and invite a Keynote Speaker from the field of biochemistry or molecular biology.