External load may increase an individual's risk of non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury during single-legged jump-landing (SLJL). This study evaluated the effects of jump direction and external load on hip and knee joint motion and time to stabilization (TTS) during SLJL. Seventeen active males (n = 8) and females (22.2 ± 3.0 y, 1.75 ± 0.08 m, 73.4 ± 12.0 kg) participated in this randomized, crossover designed study. Single-legged jump-landings performed in two conditions, including without external load (BW) and with a torso-worn weight vest equal to 10% of the participant's body weight (BW+10%), from backward, forward, medial, and lateral SLJL directions. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA did not identify any significant interactions (P > .01, η2 less then .001 - .037), but some main effects for condition with small effect sizes were identified (P less then .01, η2 .009 - .039). Several main effects for SLJL direction were identified with larger effect sizes (P less then .01, η2 .010 - .574). This suggests SLJL direction may challenge different components of SLJL biomechanics, and that recreationally active, college-aged individuals may possess effective compensatory mechanisms that can mitigate the effect of BW+10%.Older adults show an increased risk of falling as they age, but dance interventions of various genres have been shown to improve postural stability in this population. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a ten-week beginning ballet intervention on postural stability for older adults. Eleven participants enrolled in the Dance Group (DG; 73.3 ± 10.6 years) while six enrolled in the Control Group (CG; 69.5 ± 11.9 years) via convenience sample. Following the intervention, no significant differences were seen within the DG from pre-to post-testing or when comparing delta values (post minus pre) between groups in the center of pressure area, displacement, or speed (p > 0.05). While no differences were seen with this intervention, the ballet barre was used for approximately half of each dance class; future ballet interventions for older adults may benefit from training without a barre to enhance potential effects on postural stability.A hallmark of the research experience is encountering difficulty and working through those challenges to achieve success. https://www.selleckchem.com/ALK.html This ability is essential to being a successful scientist, but replicating such challenges in a teaching setting can be difficult. The Genomics Education Partnership (GEP) is a consortium of faculty who engage their students in a genomics Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE). Students participate in genome annotation, generating gene models using multiple lines of experimental evidence. Our observations suggested that the students' learning experience is continuous and recursive, frequently beginning with frustration but eventually leading to success as they come up with defendable gene models. In order to explore our "formative frustration" hypothesis, we gathered data from faculty via a survey, and from students via both a general survey and a set of student focus groups. Upon analyzing these data, we found that all three datasets mentioned frustration and struggle, as well as learning and better understanding of the scientific process. Bioinformatics projects are particularly well suited to the process of iteration and refinement because iterations can be performed quickly and are inexpensive in both time and money. Based on these findings, we suggest that a dynamic of "formative frustration" is an important aspect for a successful CURE. ©2020 Author(s). Published by the American Society for Microbiology.The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between learning strategies (LS) and problem solving (PS) in microbiology. Microbiology problems utilized for the study were from educational software known as "Interactive Multimedia Exercises" (IMMEX). Problem-solving performances measured included the ability to solve, scores obtained and elapsed time. It was hypothesized that there would be a good correlation between students' LS and PS. Since many factors besides learning strategies predict performance, alpha was set at 0.10. Participants (N = 65) solved two sets of microbiology problems "Microquest" (Mq), which focuses on microbial cellular processes and mode of action of antibiotics, and "Creeping crud" (Cc), which focuses on the cause, origin, and transmission of diseases. Participants also responded to the adapted Motivated Strategy Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) using a five-point Likert scale. Scores for LS were determined by averaging the item responses of participants. Regression analysis was used to determine significance, with Grade Point Average (GPA) as a control. Of the 65 participants 48 (73.8%) successfully solved Mq while 52 (80%) solved Cc. Metacognitive self-regulated strategy was significantly (p less then 0.10) related to ability to solve Cc. Peer learning strategy showed a significant (p less then 0.10) relationship with Cc scores. Time spent solving Cc was significantly more than time spent on Mq (p less then 0.001). These findings emphasize the fact that metacognition and peer learning are positive predictors for problem solving and could potentially improve learning outcomes in microbiology. The implications for curriculum development are discussed. ©2020 Author(s). Published by the American Society for Microbiology.Written communication is a key research skill, yet the current model of pre- and postdoctoral training in the biomedical sciences lacks consistent formal training in this area, leading to crises of confidence when tackling research writing. A 15-hour non-credit workshop, "Secrets of Successful Scientific Writing," was developed in collaboration with an experienced instructor of scientific writing. The workshop consisted of six 2.5-hour sessions and was offered six times; a total of 126 trainees attended over these six offerings. Topics included strategies to engage the audience, principles of psychological linguistics to maximize sentence effectiveness, conventions of biomedical journal writing, technical writing and the history of scientific publishing, and two sessions on grant writing. Student confidence in and familiarity with targeted writing skills were assessed by self-evaluation questions administered immediately before and after each session. The workshop was determined to be effective at improving the confidence of participants regarding specific writing skills in the biomedical sciences, with all but two of the measures showing that the workshop had a large effect size.