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Efficacy of a metacognitive writing-to-learn exercise in improving student understanding and performance in an engineering Statics courseOur current work is an extension of the preliminary results of a NSF-funded study thatinvestigates the use of metacognitive writing-to-learn prompts in an engineering Statics course toimprove student understanding and performance. Our methodology was determined by acomprehensive study of literature investigating the use of writing in the science classroom(Beall, 1998; Case & Gunstone, 2003; Case & Marshall, 2004; Driskill, et al., 1998; Hanson &Williams, 2008; Hübner et al., 2006; Jamison, 2000: Nokes et al., 2011).In the second year of the study (2013-2014), we developed a writing prompt that we are findingto be more successful than our previous iterations, both in efficacy for the students and ease ofimplementation for the professor. Specifically, after students solve selected engineeringproblems, they answer short-answer questions to describe any confusion they had about theconcepts or computations required to solve the problem. The professor then demonstrates theproblem solution in class as students correct their own work. Following this, students are askedto revisit and reexamine their conceptual and computational errors via writing in the classroom.We believe that students will gain a more lasting and deeper understanding of the staticsconcepts under examination if students are given an opportunity to reflect in writing on thereason for their mistakes after instructor feedback. Finally, the instructor provides additionalfeedback indicating whether students’ understanding of the reason for their error(s) was accurate.The inclusion of a revision-based writing step is consistent with current research showing thisapproach to be effective in improving student performance (Hübner, et al., 2006; Ionas, et al.,2012; Kagestan & Engelbrecht 2006; Porter & Masingla 2000). The revision step allows studentsto clarify their new understanding of the problem under consideration and also to reassess thereasons for their initial confusion. In this way, it closes the loop for them metacognitively. Ourpreliminary data from this approach, presented at the ASEE 2014 meeting, suggestedimprovement in student performance as seen in their final exam scores, but the sample wassmall, and the effect did not reach signficance. We are therefore implementing the samemethodology during the Fall 2014 semester with a cohort of approximately 60 students in twosections of Statics, taught by the same professor as the previous semester, for a more robust testof the efficacy of the intervention. To rule out the possibility of cohort differences, we are alsocollecting GPA/SAT and prerequisite grades in math and physics for past and current Staticsstudents.For the ASEE 2015 conference, we plan to present the most recent findings of this study. BySpring 2015, we will have a clearer picture of the efficacy of our intervention. If appropriate, wewill then be ready to discuss ways that this writing intervention might be utilized effectively inother engineering education contexts. If we find that the intervention is not effective, we willpresent changes that we plan to implement to improve learning in Statics. ReferencesBeall, H. (1998). Expanding the scope of writing in chemical education. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 7(3), 259-270.Case, J. & Gunstone, R. F. (2003). Approaches to learning in a second year chemical engineering course. International Journal of Science Education, 25(7), 801-819.Case, J. & Marshall, D. (2004). Between deep and surface: procedural approaches to learning in engineering education contexts. Studies in Higher Education, 29(5), 605-615.Driskill, L, Lewis, K., Stearns, J., & Volz, T. (1998). Students’ reasoning and rhetorical knowledge in first-year chemistry. Language and Learning Across the Disciplines, 2(3), 3-24.Hanson, J. H. & Williams, J. M. (2008). Using writing assessments to improve students’ self assessment and communication in an Engineering statics course. Journal of Engineering Education. 97(4), 515-529.Hübner, S., Nückles, M., & Renki, A. (2006). Prompting cognitive and metacognitive processing in writing-to-learn enhances learning outcomes. In R. Sun (Ed.), Proceedings of the 28th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society (pp. 357-362). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.Ionas, I., Cernusca, D., & Collier, H. L. (2012). Prior knowledge influence on self-explanation effectiveness when solving problems: An exploratory study in science learning. International Journal Of Teaching And Learning In Higher Education, 24(3), 349-358.Jamison, R. (2000). Learning the language of mathematics. Learning and Language Across the Disciplines, 4(1), 45-54.Kagesten, O., & Engelbrecht, J. (2006). Supplementary explanations in undergraduate mathematics assessment: A forced formative writing activity. European Journal of Engineering Education, 31(6), 705-715.Nokes, T.J., Hausmann, R. G. M., VanLehn, K., Gershman, S. (2011). Testing the instructional fit hypothesis: The case for self-explanation prompts. Instructional Science 39: 645-666.Porter, M. & Masingla, J. O. (2000). Examining the effects of writing on conceptual and procedural knowledge in calculus. Educational Studies in Mathematics. 42, 165-177.

The use of metacognitive writing-to-learn prompts in an engineering statics class to improve student understanding and performanceRecent studies on the use of writing-to-learn assignments in math, science and engineeringcourses have yielded little success in identifying the kinds of writing that lead to greater studentperformance and metacognitive understanding (Kagestan & Engelbrecht 2006; Moore 2012;Porter & Masingla 2000; Yancey 2012). This paper discusses our experience designing andimplementing a study integrating metacognitive writing-to-learn prompts into an undergraduateengineering statics course. We asked students to respond to a writing prompt for one problem on10 homework assignments per semester. Through student surveys, we assessed the effect ofresponding to these prompts on student understanding of statics concepts. We also assessedwhether the inclusion of the writing prompt improved student performance on exams.The initial iteration of the writing prompt required that students describe each step of theirsolution to a homework problem and assess whether their answer seemed reasonable. Weintended for the writing protocol to prompt students to consider the purpose of each step of thecalculation and thus prevent them from resorting to a “plug-and-chug” approach to solving theproblem. The assessment of the reasonableness of their answer was designed to encouragestudents to think about the problem in a real-world context, strengthening their understanding ofthe concepts and providing an approach for recognizing errors. Students indicated that theyfound the exercise useful in improving their understanding of statics concepts. However, we haddifficulty with compliance with the step-writing portion of the prompt. Further, the writingresponses were challenging to grade effectively and consistently. The intervention resulted inonly small trends in improved test performance.After considerable re-assessment, discussion and continued research, we streamlined the writingassignment. In the latest iteration, we ask students to reflect on any confusion they have abouthow to solve the homework problem and then revise this reflection after receiving instructorinput. Specifically, we have students assess the reasonableness of their numerical answer to eachproblem and then answer a series of questions to describe any confusion they had about theconcepts or computations required to solve the problem. The problem solution is thendemonstrated in class as students correct their own work. Following this demonstration, studentsare asked to re-examine and revise their conceptual and computational errors in writing. Finally,the instructor provides feedback when grading the homework as to whether students’understanding of the source of any errors is accurate. If the inclusion of a revision step in thiscontext functions as it does in other related fields (Kagestan & Engelbrecht 2006; Porter &Masingla 2000; Pugalee 1997; Miller 1996), then we predict that directing students to reflect onthe cause of their misunderstandings about the problem will lead them to have a betterunderstanding of the concept under review.In this paper, we will discuss pedagogical and practical reasons for our redesign of the writingintervention and will describe preliminary findings of student compliance and success using themodified writing prompts. ReferencesKagesten, O., & Engelbrecht, J. (2006). Supplementary explanations in undergraduate mathematics assessment: A forced formative writing activity. European Journal of Engineering Education, 31(6), 705-715.Moore, J. (2012) Mapping the questions. Composition Forum 26 Retrieved from http://compositionforum.com/issue/26/map-questions-transfer-research.phpMiller, L.D. (1992) Teacher benefits from using impromptu writing prompts in algebra classes. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 23, 329-340.Porter, M. & Masingla, J. O. (2000). Examining the effects of writing on conceptual and procedural knowledge in calculus. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 42, 165-177.Pugalee, D. (1997) Connecting writing to the mathematics curriculum. Mathematics Teacher, 90, 308-310.Yancey, K. (2012) Prior knowledge and its role in transfer. Composition Forum 26 Retrieved from http://compositionforum.com/issue/26/prior-knowledge-transfer.php

The present project examines representations of emergent capitalism in Shakespeare's drama. I argue that the profound restructuring of social relations of production brought about by the emergence of a world capitalist market made itself felt in key areas of social life and thought during this time. I contend that Shakespeare's plays bear the epistemological and semiotic marks of this profound social and economic reconfiguration, and that these indices may be read by attending to the ways in which conceptions of kingship, gender, loyalty and religion are represented in the plays under examination. I examine four key plays of Shakespeare's corpus: Henry VI, I, Hamlet, Merchant of Venice and Henry V. My reading of the Merchant of Venice examines the cultural anxieties around the rising merchant class in Shakespeare's England. I argue that this class was plagued by its cultural and historical association with Jewishness, especially the increasing numbers of merchants who engaged in “usury” or the lending of money at interest. The Merchant of Venice is an attempt to recuperate the merchant-class—represented in the play by Antonio—from the specter of Jewishness and Jewish usury that haunted its identity. My reading of Hamlet considers its representation of monarchy as the latter is figured in the characters of Old Hamlet and Claudius. I read the play against the backdrop of the ascension of James I to the throne and the struggles over market control that characterized the early part of his reign. In my consideration of Henry VI, I, I examine the way in which anxieties about economic speculation were frequently displaced onto anxieties about gender, particularly as the latter are figured in the central character of this drama, Joan de Pucelle. Finally, my reading of Henry V looks at the way in which the play represents the commodification of relationships of fealty, particularly those between the character of Henry V and his subjects.

Ageing is a major risk factor for many neurological pathologies, but its mechanisms remain unclear. Unlike other tissues, the parenchyma of the central nervous system (CNS) lacks lymphatic vasculature and waste products are removed partly through a paravascular route. (Re)discovery and characterization of meningeal lymphatic vessels has prompted an assessment of their role in waste clearance from the CNS. Here we show that meningeal lymphatic vessels drain macromolecules from the CNS (cerebrospinal and interstitial fluids) into the cervical lymph nodes in mice. Impairment of meningeal lymphatic function slows paravascular influx of macromolecules into the brain and efflux of macromolecules from the interstitial fluid, and induces cognitive impairment in mice. Treatment of aged mice with vascular endothelial growth factor C enhances meningeal lymphatic drainage of macromolecules from the cerebrospinal fluid, improving brain perfusion and learning and memory performance. Disruption of meningeal lymphatic vessels in transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease promotes amyloid-β deposition in the meninges, which resembles human meningeal pathology, and aggravates parenchymal amyloid-β accumulation. Meningeal lymphatic dysfunction may be an aggravating factor in Alzheimer’s disease pathology and in age-associated cognitive decline. Thus, augmentation of meningeal lymphatic function might be a promising therapeutic target for preventing or delaying age-associated neurological diseases. Meningeal lymphatic dysfunction promotes amyloid-β deposition in the meninges and worsens brain amyloid-β pathology, acting as an aggravating factor in Alzheimer’s disease and in age-associated cognitive decline; improving meningeal lymphatic function could help to prevent or delay age-associated neurological diseases.

Objectives. To characterize COVID-19 vaccine uptake and hesitancy among US nurses. Methods. We surveyed nurses in 3 national cohorts during spring 2021. Participants who indicated that they did not plan to receive or were unsure whether they planned to receive the vaccine were considered vaccine hesitant. Results. Among 32 426 female current and former nurses, 93% had been or planned to be vaccinated. After adjustment for age, race/ethnicity, and occupational variables, vaccine hesitancy was associated with lower education, living in the South, and working in a group care or home health setting. Those who experienced COVID-19 deaths and those reporting personal or household vulnerability to COVID-19 were less likely to be hesitant. Having contracted COVID-19 doubled the risk of vaccine hesitancy (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.85, 2.53). Reasons for hesitancy that were common among nurses who did not plan to receive the vaccine were religion/ethics, belief that the vaccine was ineffective, and lack of concern about COVID-19; those who were unsure often cited concerns regarding side effects or medical reasons or reported that they had had COVID-19. Conclusions. Vaccine hesitancy was unusual and stemmed from specific concerns. Public Health Implications. Targeted messaging and outreach might reduce vaccine hesitancy. (Am J Public Health. 2022;112(11):1620–1629. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.307050 )

Diffuse midline gliomas (DMGs) bearing driver mutations of histone 3 lysine 27 (H3K27M) are incurable brain tumors with unique epigenomes. Here, we generated a syngeneic H3K27M mouse model to study the amino acid metabolic dependencies of these tumors. H3K27M mutant cells were highly dependent on methionine. Interrogating the methionine cycle dependency through a short-interfering RNA screen identified the enzyme methionine adenosyltransferase 2A (MAT2A) as a critical vulnerability in these tumors. This vulnerability was not mediated through the canonical mechanism of MTAP deletion; instead, DMG cells have lower levels of MAT2A protein, which is mediated by negative feedback induced by the metabolite decarboxylated S-adenosyl methionine. Depletion of residual MAT2A induces global depletion of H3K36me3, a chromatin mark of transcriptional elongation perturbing oncogenic and developmental transcriptional programs. Moreover, methionine-restricted diets extended survival in multiple models of DMG in vivo. Collectively, our results suggest that MAT2A presents an exploitable therapeutic vulnerability in H3K27M gliomas.

Abstract Background This study measured serial plasma human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1–specific antibody (Ab) levels in children who initiated antiretroviral therapy (ART) prior to 2 years of age, and evaluated their relationship to peripheral blood HIV-1 RNA and DNA levels. Methods We studied 46 HIV-1–infected children, stratified by age at ART initiation (<3 mo, early therapy [ET]; >3 mo–2 years, late therapy [LT]) and by virologic response (R) or non-response (NR), before and up to 4 years following ART. We studied 20 HIV-1–uninfected children born to HIV-1–infected mothers (seroreverters [SR]) as controls. Plasma immunoglobulin G (IgG) Ab levels directed against HIV-1 envelope (gp160, gp41), gag (capsid, p24; matrix, p17), reverse transcriptase (p66/51), and integrase (p31) were serially measured using quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. HIV-1 Ab rates of decline were estimated over the first 15 months of the study. Results The HIV-1 Ab rates of decline in the ET-R group were similar to those in the SR group for all Ab specificities, except for p17 (P = .01). Ab decline rates in the LT-R group and the NR group were significantly slower than in the SR group for all tested Ab specificities. After 1 year of age, Ab levels to p31 and p17 were significantly associated with HIV-1 RNA levels (P < .001); Ab levels to gp160 (P < .001) and gp41 (P < .001) were significantly associated with cell-associated HIV-1 DNA levels. Conclusions Quantitative HIV-1–specific Ab levels may be useful for screening children on ART for viral suppression or for residual, cell-associated HIV-1 DNA levels. Clinical Trials Registration NCT00000872. Quantitative human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1–specific antibody levels are associated with plasma HIV-1 RNA and cell-associated HIV-1 DNA levels in children on antiretroviral therapy and may be useful for identifying children with viral suppression and low residual HIV-1 DNA levels.

Disclosure: C.E. Horn: None. J.M. Dias: None. G. Skurnik: None. A. Roche: None. J.J. Stuart: None. E. Tsigas: None. J.W. Rich-Edwards: None. E.W. Seely: None. Title Participant Experiences of a Web-based Lifestyle Intervention for Postpartum Women with Recent Preeclampsia. Introduction Patients with a history of preeclampsia have increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) postpartum compared to their normotensive counterparts. The postpartum period following a preeclamptic pregnancy is a unique window of opportunity to implement lifestyle changes targeted at reducing future maternal CVD. Mobile, web-based health interventions can be leveraged to overcome many challenges of the postpartum period in this high-risk population. Here, we describe key findings of qualitative interviews conducted to gather feedback regarding a web-based lifestyle intervention to reduce cardiovascular risk in women with recent preeclampsia. Study Design A qualitative study was conducted with 21 women from the Heart Health for Moms (HH4M) study, a prospective, 9-month randomized controlled trial conducted nationwide to test the effectiveness of an online intervention to improve lifestyle for 151 women with recent preeclampsia (Clinical Trail Registration #NCT02147626). Within two months of completing HH4M, women were invited to participate in structured, phone-based interviews regarding their experiences in the study. Interviews were conducted until saturation was reached (n=21). Two investigators independently analyzed and coded interview transcripts for repeated concepts and themes. Results Four prominent themes emerged including: 1) the motivation for participating in research; 2) inadequate continuity of care postpartum and physician education regarding future risks; 3) importance of social support; and 4) the motivation provided by accountability. Overall, women chose to participate in the study to learn about preeclampsia risk and help themselves and others affected by preeclampsia. Many women were unaware of the link between preeclampsia and CVD prior to study participation and attributed this to inadequate clinical provider education or counseling as well as gaps in continuity of care from the pregnancy to the postpartum period. Participants reported positive impacts on their social support networks, including increased confidence to build community, the involvement of family and friends in healthy lifestyle behaviors, and a sense of connection to other participants. Women emphasized that interactions with the lifestyle coach made them feel accountable which was an important motivator. Conclusion HH4M provided accountability, motivation, and social support for women with recent preeclampsia to adopt healthy lifestyle habits in the postpartum period. Study participant feedback may inform the creation and dissemination of web or app-based interventions to educate, support, and empower women with recent preeclampsia. Presentation Date: Saturday, June 17, 2023