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In recent years, much of the emphasis for transformation of introductory STEM courses has focused on “active learning”, and while this approach has been shown to produce more equitable outcomes for students, the construct of “active learning” is somewhat ill-defined and is often used as a “catch-all” that can encompass a wide range of pedagogical techniques. Here we present an alternative approach for how to think about the transformation of STEM courses that focuses instead on what students should know and what they can do with that knowledge. This approach, known as three-dimensional learning (3DL), emerged from the National Academy’s “A Framework for K-12 Science Education”, which describes a vision for science education that centers the role of constructing productive causal accounts for phenomena. Over the past 10 years, we have collected data from introductory biology, chemistry, and physics courses to assess the impact of such a transformation on higher education courses. Here we report on an analysis of video data of class sessions that allows us to characterize these sessions as active, 3D, neither, or both 3D and active. We find that 3D classes are likely to also involve student engagement (i.e. be active), but the reverse is not necessarily true. That is, focusing on transformations involving 3DL also tends to increase student engagement, whereas focusing solely on student engagement might result in courses where students are engaged in activities that do not involve meaningful engagement with core ideas of the discipline.

The importance of improving STEM education is of perennial interest, and to this end, the education community needs ways to characterize transformation efforts. Three-dimensional learning (3DL) is one such approach to transformation, in which core ideas of the discipline, scientific practices, and crosscutting concepts are combined to support student development of disciplinary expertise. We have previously reported on an approach to the characterization of assessments, the Three-Dimensional Learning Assessment Protocol (3D-LAP), that can be used to identify whether assessments have the potential to engage students in 3DL. Here we present the development of a companion, the Three-Dimensional Learning Observation Protocol (3D-LOP), an observation protocol that can reliably distinguish between instruction that has potential for engagement with 3DL and instruction that does not. The 3D-LOP goes beyond other observation protocols, because it is intended not only to characterize the pedagogical approaches being used in the instructional environment, but also to identify whether students are being asked to engage with scientific practices, core ideas, and crosscutting concepts. We demonstrate herein that the 3D-LOP can be used reliably to code for the presence of 3DL; further, we present data that show the utility of the 3D-LOP in differentiating between instruction that has the potential to promote 3DL from instruction that does not. Our team plans to continue using this protocol to evaluate outcomes of instructional transformation projects. We also propose that the 3D-LOP can be used to support practitioners in developing curricular materials and selecting instructional strategies to promote engagement in three-dimensional instruction.

Klebsiella pneumoniae causes community- and healthcare-associated infections in children and adults. Globally in 2019, an estimated 1.27 million (95% Uncertainty Interval [UI]: 0.91–1.71) and 4.95 million (95% UI: 3.62–6.57) deaths were attributed to and associated with bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR), respectively. K. pneumoniae was the second leading pathogen in deaths attributed to AMR resistant bacteria. Furthermore, the rise of antimicrobial resistance in both community- and hospital-acquired infections is a concern for neonates and infants who are at high risk for invasive bacterial disease. There is a limited antibiotic pipeline for new antibiotics to treat multidrug resistant infections, and vaccines targeted against K. pneumoniae are considered to be of priority by the World Health Organization. Vaccination of pregnant women against K. pneumoniae could reduce the risk of invasive K.pneumoniae disease in their young offspring. In addition, vulnerable children, adolescents and adult populations at risk of K. pneumoniae disease with underlying diseases such as immunosuppression from underlying hematologic malignancy, chemotherapy, patients undergoing abdominal and/or urinary surgical procedures, or prolonged intensive care management are also potential target groups for a K. pneumoniae vaccine. A ‘Vaccine Value Profile’ (VVP) for K.pneumoniae, which contemplates vaccination of pregnant women to protect their babies from birth through to at least three months of age and other high-risk populations, provides a high-level, holistic assessment of the available information to inform the potential public health, economic and societal value of a pipeline of K. pneumoniae vaccines and other preventatives and therapeutics. This VVP was developed by a working group of subject matter experts from academia, non-profit organizations, public–private partnerships, and multi-lateral organizations, and in collaboration with stakeholders from the WHO. All contributors have extensive expertise on various elements of the K.pneumoniae VVP and collectively aimed to identify current research and knowledge gaps. The VVP was developed using only existing and publicly available information.

Abstract Heat stress hinders growth and well-being in livestock, an effect that is perhaps exacerbated by the β1 agonist ractopamine. Heat stress deficits are mediated in part by reduced feed intake, but other mechanisms involved are less understood. Our objective was to determine the direct impact of heat stress on growth and well-being in ractopamine-supplemented feedlot lambs. Commercial wethers were fed under heat stress (40 °C) for 30 d, and controls (18 °C) were pair-fed. In a 2 × 2 factorial, lambs were also given a daily gavage of 0 or 60 mg ractopamine. Growth, metabolic, cardiovascular, and stress indicators were assessed throughout the study. At necropsy, 9th to 12th rib sections (four-rib), internal organs, and feet were assessed, and sartorius muscles were collected for ex vivo glucose metabolic studies. Heat stress increased (P < 0.05) rectal temperatures and respiration rates throughout the study and reduced (P < 0.05) weight gain and feed efficiency over the first week, ultrasonic loin-eye area and loin depth near the end of the study, and four-rib weight at necropsy. Fat content of the four-rib and loin were also reduced (P < 0.05) by heat stress. Ractopamine increased (P < 0.05) loin weight and fat content and partially moderated the impact of heat stress on rectal temperature and four-rib weight. Heat stress reduced (P < 0.05) spleen weight, increased (P < 0.05) adrenal and lung weights, and was associated with hoof wall overgrowth but not organ lesions. Ractopamine did not affect any measured indicators of well-being. Heat stress reduced (P < 0.05) blood urea nitrogen and increased (P < 0.05) circulating monocytes, granulocytes, and total white blood cells as well as epinephrine, TNFα, cholesterol, and triglycerides. Cortisol and insulin were not affected. Heat stress reduced (P < 0.05) blood pressure and heart rates in all lambs and increased (P < 0.05) left ventricular wall thickness in unsupplemented but not ractopamine-supplemented lambs. No cardiac arrhythmias were observed. Muscle glucose uptake did not differ among groups, but insulin-stimulated glucose oxidation was reduced (P < 0.05) in muscle from heat-stressed lambs. These findings demonstrate that heat stress impairs growth, metabolism, and well-being even when the impact of feed intake is eliminated by pair-feeding and that systemic inflammation and hypercatecholaminemia likely contribute to these deficits. Moreover, ractopamine improved muscle growth indicators without worsening the effects of heat stress.

Mass spectrometry coupled with an in‐line electrochemical electrospray ionization source is used to capture some of the reaction intermediates formed in the [Ru(bpy)(tpy)(H2O)]2+ (bpy=2,2′‐bipyridine, tpy=2,2′:6′,2“‐terpyridine) catalyzed water oxidation reaction. By controlling the applied electrochemical potential, we identified the parent complex, as well as the first two oxidation complexes, identified as [Ru(bpy)(tpy)(OH)]2+ and [Ru(bpy)(tpy)(O)]2+. The structures of the parent and first oxidation complexes are probed directly in the mass spectrometer by using infrared predissociation spectroscopy of D2‐tagged ions. Comparisons between experimental vibrational spectra and density functional theory calculations confirmed the identity and structure of these two complexes. Moreover, the frequency of the O−H stretching mode in [Ru(bpy)(tpy)(OH)]2+ shows that this complex features a Ru–OH interaction that is more covalent than ionic. Capturing intermediates: Mass spectrometry coupled with an in‐line electrochemical electrospray ionization source was used to capture some of the reaction intermediates formed in the water oxidation reaction catalyzed by [Ru(bpy)(tpy)(H2O)]2+ (bpy=2,2′‐bipyridine, tpy=2,2′:6′,2“‐terpyridine). The [Ru(bpy)(tpy)(OH)]2+ structure was probed directly in the mass spectrometer by using infrared predissociation spectroscopy.

We speculate that beta-adrenergic agonists (β-AA) may stimulate the production of VFA to increase the efficiency of nutrient digestion and provide more energy to the animal. However, the influence of HS and β-AA supplementation together on rumen VFA production has not been investigated. Researchers also have observed that β-AA reduce the frequency and intensity of ruminal contractions (Ruckebusch et al., 1983; Brikas et al., 1989; Leek, 2001), which are important to digestion, and others have shown that β-AA increase absorption in the digestive tract (McIntyre and Thompson, 1992). These changes in ruminant digestion attributed to β-AA may lead to changes in VFA production. In addition, β-AA may influence the production of VFA directly to increase the efficiency of digestion and provide more energy to the animal. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of β1 agonists, β2 agonists, and HS on rumen VFA production using lambs as a model for cattle. Our prior work showed that heat stress, but not β-AA alone, changed the overall composition of the ruminant microbiome (Duffy et al., 2018). These changes in the microbiome are postulated to change VFA production. Therefore, we hypothesize that heat stress, β-AA, and the associated interaction decrease the total level of VFA produced.

Heat stress (HS) negatively impacts livestock performance and carcass traits while beta-adrenergic agonist (βAA) supplementation improves animal production and efficiency; both can stimulate lipolysis in adipose. The objective of this study was to understand the independent and interacting effects of HS and βAA on the subcutaneous adipose transcriptome in lambs and on visceral adipose fatty acid mobilization in steers. For study 1, 24 wethers were assigned to thermal neutral (TN THI = 65) or HS (THI = 80) conditions and supplemented without (NS) or with ractopamine hydrochloride (RH) for 30d in a 2 x 2 factorial. TN lambs were pair-fed the average intake of HS. RNA collected from subcutaneous fat at harvest was sequenced. Differential expression (DE) analyses identified 71 (Padj < 0.05) loci altered due to the interaction of environment and supplement. No DE genes were observed for the main effect of supplement, but HS reduced expression (P < 0.05) of RBM3 and increased expression (P < 0.05) of ATXN7L1. HS was predicted by pathway analyses to impair adipogenesis and fatty acid mobilization. In study 2, 24 steers were assigned to TN (THI = 65) or HS (THI = 83) and NS or zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) treatments for 21d in a 2 x 2 factorial. TN steers were pair-fed the intake of their HS cohort. Ex vivo fatty acid mobilization from visceral adipose in response to 0 or 1µM epinephrine was quantified at harvest. Fatty acid mobilization did not differ among groups when unstimulated, but epinephrine-stimulated mobilization was less (P = 0.05) in HS and greater (P < 0.01) in ZH steers. These findings indicate that heat stress-induced reduction of fatty acid mobilization from adipose may be associated with increased expression of stress-responsive genes. Moreover, the stimulatory effect of ZH on epinephrine-induced fatty acid mobilization was present after chronic treatment. Our data have yet to identify an interaction between HS and βAA supplementation that demonstrably impacts well-being.

Heat stress (HS) negatively impacts livestock performance and carcass traits while beta-adrenergic agonist (ßAA) supplementation improves animal production and efficiency; both can stimulate lipolysis in adipose. The objective of this study was to understand the independent and interacting effects of HS and ßAA on the subcutaneous adipose transcriptome in lambs and on visceral adipose fatty acid mobilization in steers. For study 1, 24 wethers were assigned to thermal neutral (TN THI = 65) or HS (THI = 80) conditions and supplemented without (NS) or with ractopamine hydrochloride (RH) for 30d in a 2 x 2 factorial. TN lambs were pair-fed the average intake of HS. RNA collected from subcutaneous fat at harvest was sequenced. Differential expression (DE) analyses identified 71 (Padj < 0.05) loci altered due to the interaction of environment and supplement. No DE genes were observed for the main effect of supplement, but HS reduced expression (P < 0.05) of RBM3 and increased expression (P < 0.05) of ATXN7L1. HS was predicted by pathway analyses to impair adipogenesis and fatty acid mobilization. In study 2, 24 steers were assigned to TN (THI = 65) or HS (THI = 83) and NS or zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) treatments for 21d in a 2 x 2 factorial. TN steers were pair-fed the intake of their HS cohort. Ex vivo fatty acid mobilization from visceral adipose in response to 0 or 1pM epinephrine was quantified at harvest. Fatty acid mobilization did not differ among groups when unstimulated, but epinephrine-stimulated mobilization was less (P = 0.05) in HS and greater (P < 0.01) in ZH steers. These findings indicate that heat stress-induced reduction of fatty acid mobilization from adipose may be associated with increased expression of stressresponsive genes. Moreover, the stimulatory effect of ZH on epinephrine-induced fatty acid mobilization was present after chronic treatment. Our data have yet to identify an interaction between HS and ßAA supplementation that demonstrably impacts well-being.