Transforming teaching assistant roles into co-creators of instruction

This case study explores the implementation of a collaborative initiative that transformed the traditional role of teaching assistants (TAs) into student-faculty partners in two psychology courses. The objective of the collaboration was to leverage the insights and contributions of undergraduate students as co-creators of instruction for students’ engagement and meaningful learning experience. The case study highlights the processes, impacts, and challenges of these partnerships, revealing opportunities for student partners to develop pedagogical and assessment literacy, enhance communication and leadership skills, and gain insights into student behaviors and preferences. Pedagogical and curricular gains were observed, including the incorporation of student insights into instructional activities and improved teaching materials. However, challenges related to power dynamics and student perceptions of privilege were also identified. The findings emphasize the importance of careful navigation and the creation of meaningful opportunities for student engagement in higher education

Efficient Implementation of Super-optimal Pairings on Curves with Small Prime Fields at the 192-bit Security Level

For many pairing-based cryptographic protocols such as Direct Anonymous Attestation (DAA) schemes, the arithmetic on the first pairing subgroup $\mathbb{G}_1$ is more fundamental. Such operations heavily depend on the sizes of prime fields. At the 192-bit security level, Gasnier and Guillevic presented a curve named GG22D7-457 with CM-discriminant $D = 7$ and embedding degree $k = 22$. Compared to other well-known pairing-friendly curves at the same security level, the curve GG22D7-457 has smaller prime field size and $\rho$-value, which benefits from the fast operations on $\mathbb{G}_1$. However, the pairing computation on GG22D7-457 is not efficient. In this paper, we investigate to derive a higher performance for the pairing computation on GG22D7-457. We first propose novel formulas of the super-optimal pairing on this curve by utilizing a $2$-isogeny as GLV-endomorphism. Besides, this tool can be generalized to more generic families of pairing-friendly curves with $n$-isogenies as endomorphisms. In our paper, we provide the explicit formulas for the super-optimal pairings exploiting $2, 3$-isogenies. Finally, we make a concrete computational cost analysis and implement the pairing computations on curve GG22D7-457 using our approaches. In terms of Miller function evaluation, employing the techniques in this paper obtain a saving of $24.44\%$ in $\mathbb{F}_p$-multiplications compared to the optimal ate pairing. As for the running time, the experimental results illustrate that the Miller loop on GG22D7-457 by utilizing our methods is $26.0\%$ faster than the state-of-the-art. Additionally, the performance of the super-optimal pairing on GG22D7-457 is competitive compared to the well-known pairing-friendly curves at the 192-bit security level. These results show that GG22D7-457 becomes an attractive candidate for the pairing-based protocols. Furthermore, our techniques have the potential to enhance the applications of super-optimal pairings on more pairing-friendly curves

Association between oxidative balance score and serum uric acid and hyperuricemia: a population-based study from the NHANES (2011–2018)

BackgroundOxidative Balance Score (OBS) is a novel indicator of the overall antioxidant/oxidant balance, providing a comprehensive reflection of the body’s overall oxidative stress status, with higher OBS suggesting more substantial antioxidant exposures. We aimed to investigate the possible relationship between OBS with serum uric acid (SUA) and hyperuricemia.MethodsData utilized in this study were sourced from the 2011–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Participants under 18 years old, those with ≤16 complete data out of 20 OBS components, incomplete serum uric acid data, and missing covariates were excluded from the analysis. OBS was computed by evaluating 16 nutrients and 4 lifestyle factors, encompassing 5 pro-oxidants and 15 antioxidants, guided by a priori knowledge of their relationship with oxidative stress.ResultsA total of 1,5096 individuals were included in our analysis with 49.7% being male, and an average age of 49.05 ± 17.56 years. The mean OBS was 19.76 ± 7.17. Hyperuricemia was present in 19.28% of participants. Due to the right-skewed distribution of the OBS, a natural log transformation was applied to address this issue, and Quartiles of lnOBS 1, 2, 3, and 4 were 1.10–2.56 (N=3526), 2.64–2.94 (N=3748), 3.00–3.22 (N=4026), and 3.26–3.61 (N=3796), respectively. Multivariable logistic regression showed that higher lnOBS quantiles were correlated with lower serum uric acid levels. Compared with the lowest lnOBS quantile, participants in the highest lnOBS quantile had a significant serum uric acid decrease of 16.94 μmol/L for each unit increase in lnOBS (β=-16.94, 95% CI: -20.44, -13.45). Similar negative associations were observed in the second-highest (β=-8.07, 95% CI: -11.45, -4.69) and third-highest (β=-11.69, 95% CI: -15.05, -8.34) lnOBS quantiles. The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for hyperuricemia in Quartiles 1, 2, 3, and 4 were 1.00, 0.84 (95% CI: 0.75, 0.95), 0.78 (95% CI: 0.69, 0.88), and 0.62 (95% CI: 0.55, 0.71), respectively. Compared to Quartile 1, participants in Quartile 4 had a 38% lower prevalence of hyperuricemia. Subgroup analysis and interaction test showed that there was a significant dependence of sex between OBS and serum uric acid (p for interaction <0.05), but not hyperuricemia (p for interaction >0.05). Subgroup analysis stratified by age, BMI, hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia showed there is no significant dependence on these negative correlations (all p for interaction >0.05).ConclusionsThe serum uric acid levels and prevalence of hyperuricemia in US adults exhibited a negative association with OBS. By exploring this connection, our research aims to gain a better understanding of how oxidative balance affects the prevalence of hyperuricemia. This could provide valuable insights for developing preventive strategies and interventions for hyperuricemia. Additional large-scale prospective studies are required to explore the role of OBS in hyperuricemia further

Biextensions in pairing-based cryptography

Bilinear pairings constitute a cornerstone of public-key cryptography, where advancements in Tate pairings and their efficient variants have emerged as a critical research domain within cryptographic science. Currently, the computation of pairings can be effectively implemented through three distinct algorithmic approaches: Miller’s algorithm, the elliptic net algorithm (as developed by Stange), and cubical-based algorithms (as proposed by Damien Robert). Biextensions are the geometric object underlying the arithmetic of pairings, and all three approaches can be seen as a different way to represent biextension elements. In this paper, we revisit the biextension geometric point of view for pairing computation and investigate in more detail the cubical representation for pairing-based cryptography. Utilizing the twisting isomorphism, we derive explicit formulas and algorithmic frameworks for the ate pairing and optimal ate pairing computations. Additionally, we present detailed formulas and introduce an optimized shared cubical ladder algorithm for super-optimal ate pairings. Through concrete computational analyses, we compare the performance of our cubical-based methods with the Miller\u27s algorithm on various well-known families of pairing-friendly elliptic curves. Our results demonstrate that the cubical-based algorithm outperforms the Miller\u27s algorithm by bits in certain specific situations, establishing its potential as an alternative for pairing computation

Association between sarcopenia and osteoporosis: the cross-sectional study from NHANES 1999–2020 and a bi-directions Mendelian randomization study

BackgroundOsteoporosis (OP) and sarcopenia are prevalent musculoskeletal conditions among the elderly. Nevertheless, the causal relationship between sarcopenia and OP remains a subject of controversy and uncertainty. In this study, we employed cross-sectional analysis and Mendelian randomization (MR) to investigate the intricate relationship between sarcopenia and OP.MethodsThe cross-sectional study utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning 1999-2020, which involved in 116,876 participants. It assessed the correlation between sarcopenia, osteoporosis (OP), and bone mineral density (BMD) using Chi-square tests, T-tests, and a multiple logistic regression model. Additionally, we conducted Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the causal effects of sarcopenia-related characteristics (ALM) on OP. We employed IVW, sensitivity analysis, heterogeneity testing, and other methods for MR. The ALM data was sourced from the UK Biobank (n=450,243), while the aggregated data on OP was obtained from GWAS statistics (n=53,236).ResultsIn this cross-sectional analysis, we observed that in the multivariate logistic regression model, without adjusting for any variables, OP emerged as a risk factor for sarcopenia [OR 95% CI = 1.90 (1.13-3.18), P = 0.02]. Following adjustments for gender, age, BMI, and biochemical variables, OP retained its status as a risk factor for sarcopenia [OR 95% CI = 3.54 (1.91-6.54), P < 0.001]. Moreover, after accounting for all variables, OP emerged as an independent risk factor for sarcopenia [OR 95% CI = 4.57 (1.47-14.22), P = 0.01].In the MR analysis, we uncovered that femoral neck BMD (FN BMD), lumbar spine BMD (LS BMD), and forearm bone mineral density (FA BMD) exerted a direct causal influence on ALM [FA BMD: OR 95% CI = 1.028 (1.008, 1.049), p = 0.006; FN BMD: OR (95% CI) = 1.131 (1.092, 1.170), p = 3.18E-12; LS BMD: OR (95% CI) = 1.080 (1.062, 1.098), p = 2.86E-19].ConclusionOur study has revealed a positive correlation between OP and the prevalence of sarcopenia. It suggests a potentially robust causal relationship between OP and sarcopenia. Notably, OP appears to be associated with a higher likelihood of losing ALM, and a significant loss of ALM may contribute to a decline in LS BMD

Different linkages in the long and short regions of the genomes of duck enteritis virus Clone-03 and VAC Strains

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Duck enteritis virus (DEV) is an unassigned member in the family <it>Herpesviridae</it>. To demonstrate further the evolutionary position of DEV in the family <it>Herpesviridae</it>, we have described a 42,897-bp fragment. We demonstrated novel genomic organization at one end of the long (L) region and in the entire short (S) region in the Clone-03 strain of DEV.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A 42,897-bp fragment located downstream of the <it>LOFR11 </it>gene was amplified from the Clone-03 strain of DEV by using 'targeted gene walking PCR'. Twenty-two open reading frames (ORFs) were predicted and determined in the following order: 5'<it>-LORF11-RLORF1</it>-<it>ORF1</it>-<it>ICP4</it>-<it>S1-S2-US1-US10-SORF3-US2-MDV091.5-like-US3-US4-US5-US6-US7-US8-ORFx-US1-S2-S1-ICP4 </it>-3'. This was different from that of the published VAC strain, both in the linkage of the L region and S region, and in the length of the US10 and US7 proteins. The <it>MDV091.5-like </it>gene, <it>ORFx </it>gene, <it>S1 </it>gene and <it>S2 </it>gene were first observed in the DEV genome. The lengths of DEV US10 and US7 were determined to be 311 and 371 amino acids, respectively, in the Clone-03 strain of DEV, and these were different from those of other strains. The comparison of genomic organization in the fragment studied herein with those of other herpesviruses showed that DEV possesses some unique characteristics, such as the duplicated US1 at each end of the US region, and the US5, which showed no homology with those of other herpesviruses. In addition, the results of phylogenetic analysis of ORFs in the represented fragment indicated that DEV is closest to its counterparts VZV (<it>Varicellovirus</it>) and other avian herpesviruses.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The molecular characteristics of the 42,897-bp fragment of Clone-03 have been found to be different from those of the VAC strain. The phylogenetic analysis of genes in this region showed that DEV should be a separate member of the subfamily <it>Alphaherpesvirinae</it>.</p

A Spatiotemporal Trajectory Data Index Based on the Hilbert Curve Code

Abstract Massive trajectory data have been accumulated with the rapid development of global positioning technology and the popularisation of intelligent mobile terminal. However, the generation of massive data does not necessarily lead to the increase in effective data. An index method meeting the efficient management requirements of spatiotemporal trajectory data needs to be designed for the efficient spatiotemporal analysis and calculation of data. This paper proposes a spatiotemporal index method based on the Hilbert curve code to solve this problem. Firstly, the method constructs a multi-scale spatiotemporal grid model covering the whole world by dividing the three-dimensional space composed of time, latitude and longitude. Secondly, the grid cell codes are designed based on the Hilbert curve for hierarchical organisation of the trajectory data. Finally, the corresponding query process based on the code index is proposed in accordance with the different spatiotemporal query requirements of trajectory data. The comparison experiments show that the proposed method is more efficient than the existing spatiotemporal index method and can effectively support the management of massive multi-scale trajectory data.</jats:p