Reclaiming the Classics for a Diverse and Global World Through OER

In the 2019–20 academic year, I redesigned a course on the classics to make both the texts and the context in which they were taught more accessible for and relevant to the predominantly female students of Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame. The course was re-centered on the dialogue between the ever-evolving and diverse cultures within Greece and the Roman empire and surrounding regions such as Egypt, Ethiopia, and Persia; issues caused by slavery and economic inequality; conceptions of gender roles and sexuality, race and ethnicity, and migration and citizenship; the troubling appropriation of classical motifs and texts by fascist groups in the twentieth century and some alt-right groups and sexual predators in the twenty-first century; and on recent initiatives meant to demonstrate the diversity of both Greek and Roman cultures through documentary, artistic, and archaeological evidence (particularly in the digital humanities and in museums and libraries). I also wanted to make the course close to zero cost for students and to shift to digital texts which lent themselves to interactivity and social scholarship. Our librarian, Catherine Pellegrino, obtained multi-user e-books for modern reinterpretations of classical works still in copyright. A LibreTexts grant enabled the co-authors of this article—the course instructor (and lead author) and two paid student researchers—and a team of summer-employed student collaborators to edit, footnote, and create critical introductions and student activities for various key texts for the course. Many of these texts are now hosted on the LibreTexts OER platform. Beta versions of enriched OER texts and activities were user tested in a synchronous hybrid virtual/physical classroom of twenty-five students, who were taking the course (HUST 292) in the fall semester of 2020.

Identification of a Mimicry of the Protein that Potentially Isolates the Mutated p53 Material and Prevents Further Protein Accumulation

The team first screened a set of protein mimics originally designed to target Alzheimer's disease and type 2 diabetes. The results identify a mimicry of the protein that potentially isolates the mutated p53 material and prevents further protein accumulation. The researchers then showed that segregation of mutated p53 grains by protein mimicking restored the suppressive function of the p53 tumor, leading to the death of a wide range of cancer cells. Importantly, protein mimicry therapy effectively reduces tumors that contain mutated p53 while showing no significant toxins for healthy tissue, resulting in significantly longer survival. "As the prevalence of cancer increases worldwide, there is an urgent need for new cancer therapies to complement or replace existing therapies," said the study's lead author. Here we show the first successful use of a small molecule amyloid inhibitor as an anticancer agent. We believe that this will have a far-reaching impact, as it effectively bridges the gap between amyloid disease and cancer and is the basis for passing on information approaches in the design of new and robust cancer mutation therapies for the p53 mutation. Keywords: Cancer; Cells; Tissues; Tumors; Prevention; Prognosis; Diagnosis; Imaging; Screening, Treatment; Management

‘Pinholes in my arms’: The vicious cycle of vascular access

Background: Vascular access devices (VADs) are essential for delivery of intravenous therapies. There are notable gaps in the literature regarding a focus on patient experience and meaning-making related to living with a VAD, specifically a central venous access device (CVAD). Aims: To explore how patients make sense of living with a CVAD. Methods: This study followed an interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach. Purposive sampling was used to identify 11 cancer patients who had a CVAD in situ. One-to-one semi-structured interviews were performed. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed and analysed by the lead author. Findings: Four superordinate themes were identified: the self under attack; being rescued/being robbed; protection of others/protection of self; bewilderment and dismay at lack of staff competence. Conclusion: Having a CVAD affects the psychological, social, and personal self and impacts on self-esteem and self-image. Despite this, CVADs are accepted by patients and are eventually ‘embodied’ by them.

Conversations on Citizenship, Critical Hope, and Climate Change: An Interview with Bronwyn Hayward

Bronwyn Hayward is a professor of political science at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. Bronwyn’s scholarship focuses on the intersections of youth, sustainability, and climate change. She is director of the University of Canterbury Hei Puāwaitanga Sustainable Citizenship and Civic Imagination research group and co-principal investigator for the University of Surrey’s Centre for Understanding Sustainable Prosperity (CUSP). She is lead author on two reports for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Her most recent publication is Children, Citizenship, and Environment #SchoolStrikeEdition. In this interview, Bronwyn and Sara discuss the complexities of educating for uncertain futures, specifically around climate change. We explore Bronwyn’s work with the IPCC, the Children and Youth Sustainable Lifestyles in Cities (CYCLES) project, and her foundational scholarship on ecological citizenship. This interview took place via Zoom in September 2020, in Ōtautahi Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand.

A Review of: Theory of Dislocations, Third Edition, Peter M. Anderson, John P. Hirth and Jens Lothe, Cambridge University Press, 2017

For nearly 60 years the book “Theory of Dislocations” by John P. Hirth and Jens Lothe has been the authoritative reference on the theory of dislocations. The reputation of the book was that it was not for the feint of heart. Rather it was widely considered to be the authoritative reference to be consulted only after the reader had started with more elementary books on dislocations like “Introduction to Dislocations” by Derek Hull and David J. Bacon or “Elementary Dislocation Theory” by Johannes and Julia R. Weertman. More recently the book by Wei Cai and William D. Nix, “Imperfections in Crystalline Solids” has provided an intermediate introduction to dislocations as a bridge between the more elementary books just cited and the book by Hirth and Lothe, which was written for experienced researchers. Now, with the Third Edition of “Theory of Dislocations,” with Peter M. Anderson as the lead author, the classic book by Hirth and Lothe has been made much more assessible to a wider audience of students and researchers. Without sacrificing any of the rigor found in the first two editions of “Theory of Dislocations,” the Third Edition provides a much more tutorial approach to understanding and appreciating the theory of dislocations.

Working With Coauthors

This chapter reviews issues involved in collaborative writing. A coauthor job description is provided, emphasizing that a coauthor’s role is to provide whatever feedback and thoughts that occur to them as they review drafts. Coauthors also can support the lead author by being available to answer questions or problem-solve issues that occur as the first author is writing the draft. Authors are advised to progress their work as far as they can before sharing the manuscript with coauthors. The chapter also addresses some of the challenges involved in working with coauthors, such as delays, coauthors who refuse to approve manuscripts for submission unless their demands are met, and coauthors who manipulate and coerce other authors. Mentor–mentee collaborations and teams where a graduate student is leading a collaboration with several senior scholars are also addressed.

Targeting the Prion-Like Aggregation of Mutant p53 to Combat Cancer

The team first screened a set of protein mimics originally designed to target Alzheimer's disease and type 2 diabetes. The results identify a mimicry of the protein that potentially isolates the mutated p53 material and prevents further protein accumulation. The researchers then showed that segregation of mutated p53 grains by protein mimicking restored the suppressive function of the p53 tumor, leading to the death of a wide range of cancer cells. Importantly, protein mimicry therapy effectively reduces tumors that contain mutated p53 while showing no significant toxins for healthy tissue, resulting in significantly longer survival. "As the prevalence of cancer increases worldwide, there is an urgent need for new cancer therapies to complement or replace existing therapies," said the study's lead author. Here we show the first successful use of a small molecule amyloid inhibitor as an anticancer agent. We believe that this will have a far-reaching impact, as it effectively bridges the gap between amyloid disease and cancer and is the basis for passing on information approaches in the design of new and robust cancer mutation therapies for the p53 mutation. Keywords: Cancer; Cells; Tissues, Tumors; Prevention, Prognosis; Diagnosis; Imaging; Screening; Treatment; Management

A New Recipe for Friction-Reducer Suppliers: Polymer Plus Frac Water, Minus the Cost

The argument for making friction reducer on site is simple: only one truck is required to deliver dry polymer vs. three loads required for the same amount of liquid additive. For Downhole Chemical Solutions (DCS), reducing the number of trips and the amount of chemicals needed to create a stable liquid by mixing it as needed on site reduces the average cost of a gallon of friction reducer by around 30%, said Mark Van Domelen, vice president of technology for DCS. “The business is very cutthroat and competitive on the pricing of polyacrylamide. We can reduce the cost further on friction reducer,” using dry polymer, he said. Polyacrylamide is generally described as the key component in friction reducers. Suppliers also add some ingredients to create a stable liquid and others that are supposed to improve performance. When DCS delivers dry polymer to a well pad to mix it on-site, the only other ingredient is water provided by the customer. It has been a winning strategy change for the private company; it has grown rapidly, even during last year’s slump. DCS increased the number of mixing units from one to 16, and dry polymer sales have grown from 10% to 90%, Van Domelen said. One of the company’s customers is John Blevins, the chief operating officer for Houston-based Hibernia Resources III and an early adopter who was a lead author of a paper on making friction reducer on site while fracturing (SPE 204176). Blevin, who uses the words “friction reducer” and “polymer” interchangeably, is the rare C-level executive who likes to manage operations from a frac van at a company that normally completes one pad at a time. The polymer is polyacrylamide. When Blevin works with DCS on a well, he purchases it directly from one of the few chemical companies that will produce the polymer based on his specifications. The price on the DCS invoice will be a price per pound that covers the cost of the polymer and the service. At Hibernia, a small private-equity and employee-owned company, there is a powerful incentive to pay close attention to the details. “When we spend a nickel, that nickel is divided among us at some point in time. If we are efficiently frugal, we are going to be better off in the long run,” Blevins said. The paper, which was presented at the Unconventional Resources Technology Conference (URTeC), included a chart showing stage-by-stage costs, with the average cost for dry stages ranging from 27% to 31% lower than similar stages that were fractured using liquids. The simplicity of the mix is a plus for Blevins whose company is especially focused on how chemicals are likely to react downhole. “We did a 6-month study before we pumped anything in the ground to make sure we had the right combination” of fracturing additives, he said. “We do study nearly every well and every landing zone to ensure the chemicals used are compatible.”

Offa’s Dyke: A Continuing Journey of Discovery

New observations concerning the Mercian/Welsh frontier, principally on Offa’s Dyke (but also on Wat’s Dyke and in the Vale of Clwyd), were made each winter between 2016/17 and 2019/20 by the lead author with, at one time or another, each of the collaborators in this article. The prime focus here is upon Offa’s Dyke in west Gloucestershire and in Flintshire, in both of which areas fieldwork is adding incrementally to our stock of knowledge about the extent and nature of the monument. However, observations elsewhere on its course, such as in west-central Herefordshire, at Hem (Montgomeryshire), and near Trefonen (Shropshire) are also noted in brief descriptive sections. The identification of ‘new’ lengths of Offa’s Dyke in Tutshill (near Chepstow) and between Lower Redbrook and Lower Lydbrook south-east of Monmouth indicates that the linear earthwork was built as a near-continuous or continuous monument in these southerly areas. Meanwhile, the discovery of lengths of linear earthwork in Flintshire that could have formed part of a continuous course reaching the sea near Gronant east of Prestatyn has also raised important questions about the relationship of Wat’s Dyke to Offa’s Dyke.