Navigating Learning Resources at OU Health Sciences Center

The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC) provides a comprehensive range of resources designed to support student success, encompassing both digital learning platforms and essential support services. This article explores these resources, providing a guide for students to navigate their academic journey at OUHSC.

Digital Learning Platforms

OUHSC leverages several digital platforms to facilitate learning and assessment.

Canvas

Canvas is the primary learning management system (LMS) employed by the University of Oklahoma programs. It is a robust online platform utilized by colleges and universities to manage courses and facilitate digital learning. Canvas allows students to access course materials, submit assignments, participate in discussions, and track their progress.

Qualtrics

Qualtrics is an advanced online survey tool that provides the ability to create, distribute, and analyze surveys. The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center has a HIPAA Business Associate Agreement (BAA) in place, which ensures the protection of health records and other sensitive information. In addition, Qualtrics can be used to collect FERPA-protected information in compliance with the existing FERPA policy.

Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor

Respondus LockDown Browser is a custom browser that students install. It locks down the testing environment to help prevent cheating during exams and integrates seamlessly within Canvas quizzes. Students may download Respondus LockDown browser from inside Canvas Help once they log in. It is recommended that students install Respondus LockDown Browser as soon as possible and regularly check the application for updates to ensure they have it installed before their first online quiz or exam.

Read also: Understanding PLCs

Respondus Monitor is a fully-automated proctoring solution that is used in conjunction with LockDown Browser. Students use a webcam to record themselves during an online exam.

Respondus 4.0

Respondus 4.0 is a powerful tool for creating and managing exams that can be printed to paper or published directly to Canvas. Exams can be created offline using a familiar Windows environment, or moved between different learning systems. This only works on the Windows operating system.

Top Hat

Top Hat is the University of Oklahoma's centrally supported student response system across all three campuses. Top Hat’s active learning technology helps professors engage students before, during and after class. Top Hat helps you engage students in and out of the classroom through cutting-edge polling software, low-cost interactive content, flexible homework systems, and secure test-taking solutions.

Zoom

Zoom is a communications software that combines video conferencing, online meetings, chat, and mobile collaboration. Zoom allows for HD video and high-quality audio for all meetings. It contains collaboration tools that allow multiple participants to share their screens simultaneously and co-annotate for a more interactive meeting.

Support Services

The University of Oklahoma has a myriad of services designed to help you succeed through challenges.

Read also: Learning Resources Near You

Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT)

The Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) is a non-punitive interdisciplinary team aiming to provide preventive care and early intervention for an individual (student, faculty, or staff) whose behavior is disruptive or concerning (e.g. change in hygiene, emotional outbursts, etc). All students and employees should consider it their responsibility to report concerning behaviors to the Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) for the safety and well-being of the University community.

Title IX

Title IX is a federal statute prohibiting sex discrimination. Gender cannot be a basis for a person’s exclusion from participation in, denial of benefits, or subjecting him or her to discrimination under any education program or activity, including employment. This includes admissions, financial aid, academic advising, housing, athletics, recreational services, college residential life programs, health services, counseling and psychological services, registrar’s office, classroom assignments, grading and discipline, recruiting for employment or the benefits of employment.

EthicsPoint

At OU, our commitment to cultivating a place of belonging for all strikes at the heart of everything we stand for as a community. Upholding this core value includes our promise to foster an environment of integrity, respect, and the highest ethical standards. Each member of the OU community shares the responsibility of ensuring these values are firmly upheld and concerns are promptly addressed. To that end, the University has partnered with EthicsPoint, an independent third party, to provide a simple and anonymous way for employees and students to report concerns or possible misconduct.

OU Advocates

OU Advocates is a 24/7 helpline and support service for anyone in our OU community who may experience sexual violence, relationship violence, stalking and/or sexual harassment. This is a free and confidential resource for any student, faculty, or staff member. OU Advocates will provide information about all options and discuss the best ones moving forward; while also providing empathy, compassion, and support. OU Advocates is a confidential resource, which means personally identifiable information will not be disclosed to campus or law enforcement without your consent. Meeting with an Advocate will not trigger an investigation.

University Ombudsperson

The university ombudsperson functions independently of all campus offices to ensure OU community members have an impartial, confidential space to express concerns, seek guidance and constructively resolve conflicts. The Ombuds offers a safe, confidential place to talk about campus-related conflicts, disputes, and concerns. The Ombuds is neither an advocate for visitors nor represents University management. Rather, the Ombuds is an advocate for respectful dialogue, fair practices, and mutual understanding.

Read also: Learning Civil Procedure

Student Accommodation Services (SAS)

Student Accommodation Services, or SAS, is a functional service area on the OU Health Sciences and OU-Tulsa campuses. Effective November 2024, SAS is responsible for all reasonable accommodations and temporary modifications, taking over responsibility from Norman Campus' Accessibility & Disability Resource Center (ADRC). Phone: 405-271-5557, ext.

Student Relief Fund

The Student Relief Fund is a scholarship opportunity for students who find themselves in extenuating circumstances and in need of emergency financial assistance.

2-1-1

2-1-1 is a free, 24-hour phone service that provides Oklahomans access to information about health and human services. Highly trained 2-1-1 call specialists offer compassionate engagement and can make in-depth assessments and referral plans based on eligibility requirements for each program. 2-1-1 database is the most comprehensive entity of its kind in the state, with more than 13,000 services available - that improves the quality of their families’ lives.

Additional Resources

IT Service Desk: For login problems, contact the IT Service Desk to verify your credentials. Google Chrome is recommended on both Mac and Windows platforms.
Brightspace Help: The Student Help link in the My Home navigation bar in Brightspace (click Brightspace Help, then Student Help) contains several helpful resources as well as OU IT resources.
Campus Map: Finding your way around a large campus can be challenging as a new student or visitor. Whether you're looking for a classroom or a dining option, the campus map will guide you to your destination.
Pre-Health Sciences Webinar: Students interested in one or more programs at OU Health Sciences are encouraged to register for our Pre-Health Sciences Webinar! Offered via Zoom, prospective students, families, and support systems will have the opportunity to hear from a Recruitment & Admissions team member about the many opportunities OU Health Sciences offers, in and outside of the classroom.
Virtual Tour: Embark on a virtual journey through OUHSC’s Oklahoma City Campus. Led by knowledgeable staff tour guides and student leaders, this tour provides insights into the campus facilities, classrooms, research centers, and more.

Tips for Success

Document Naming: When naming your documents before uploading to Brightspace, never use special characters in the name. Only use letters and numbers when naming papers for example: ImaSoonerProject1.docx or JohnBoomerFinalProjectV2.docx. The best way is to keep it simple!
Financial Preparedness: Financial preparedness is paramount when entering into a Health Sciences degree program.
Student Handbook: A comprehensive magazine-style publication designed to orient students at OU Health Sciences. You will find information about all the out-of-the-classroom programs and services designed to support their progress toward graduation.
Class Visibility: If you do not see your current semester classes listed in Brightspace, do not be alarmed! It takes time to get the classes added to D2L and your faculty still need to activate them.
Need to talk: Not sure which support service you need or just need someone to talk to?

Ciliogenesis: A Biological Process Underpinning Health

While seemingly unrelated to immediate learning resources, understanding fundamental biological processes like ciliogenesis can enhance a student's comprehension of health sciences. Ciliogenesis, the formation of cilia, is a critical process with implications for various human disorders.

The Role of Cilia

Cilia are dynamic microtubule (MT)-based organelles that emanate from the surface of many eukaryotic cells, ranging from the green algae Chlamydomanas reinhardtii to most quiescent, differentiated cells in the human body. As the primary cilium has been recently shown to be critical for multiple metazoan processes such as organ development, cell differentiation, and cell polarity; it is interesting to consider that while most cells have the capacity to form cilia, not all cells retain primary cilia at all times. Defects in primary cilium assembly have been associated with common genetic disorders such as human cystic kidney disease, obesity, mental retardation, blindness as well as various other developmental malformations. In general, these human disorders are classified as ciliopathies. In addition, genetic studies in mice have demonstrated that cilia are essential for the function of the hedgehog (Hh) and wnt pathways, and contribute to the organization of the body plan, as well as tumorigenesis. Conversely, most (although not all) cancer cells lack cilia. Therefore, there has been great interest in identifying factors that regulate not just ciliary assembly and disassembly, but also ciliary length, which provides the physical scaffold for a cilia-associated signaling system.

Types and Structure of Cilia

Cilia are broadly divided into two types: motile and primary; both types function as sensory organelles that register alterations in the extracellular milieu and relay information into the cell to control processes in development and tissue homeostasis. Most motile cilia are built with nine doublet microtubules surrounding a central pair of singlet microtubules (9+2). In some cell types motile cilia can appear as multi-ciliated bundles, such as in the respiratory epithelium. Dynein arms anchored to the outer axoneme of these motile cilia can cause a synchronized sliding of the axonemal microtubules to generate a coordinated beating motion in the same direction as their neighbors which serves to generate directed physical flow such as is utilized for moving mucus in the respiratory tract or cerebrospinal fluid in the central nervous system. The nodal cilium responsible for establishing left-right asymmetry within the developing embryo is a unique type of motile cilium. These cilia beat in a rotational motion and although this movement is still generated by axonemal dyneins, nodal cilia lack the central pair of microtubules and exist as a (9+0) cilia. The axoneme of a primary cilium is also composed of only nine outer sets of microtubules as the (9+0) axoneme; however, this cilium lacks the anchored dynein that is responsible for the directional movement seen in its motile cousins. The primary cilium is solitary and non-motile.

The core of the cilium consists of the microtubular axoneme, and the origin of this core structure is a modified centriole, which forms the base of the cilium. In keeping with its location, the name for this organelle once centriolar differentiation is complete is the basal body. During cell division, the centrosome serves as a microtubule-organizing center or spindle pole body. Each centrosome consists of two centrioles embedded in a peri-centriolar matrix (PCM). The older of the two centrioles is referred to as the mature or mother centriole, which carries distal and sub-distal appendages. The younger centriole is referred to as the daughter centriole, and the two centrioles can be distinguished from each other by staining for centrosomal marker proteins. Reversible post-translational modification of tubulin protein subunits helps produce functional ciliary microtubules and effects the biochemical properties of the axoneme. The various post-translational modifications including: acetylation, palmitoylation, tyrosination/detyrosination, glutamylation, and glycylation help to co-regulate ciliary stability and motility. The acetylation of microtubules is the most frequent post-translational modification associated with microtubule stabilization. However, it is believed that that this modification does not directly increase stability. It has been thought that detyrosination may stabilize the axonemal fiber by removing the tyrosine residue at the C-terminus of tubulin subunits. On the other hand, other modifications such as polyglutamylation and polyglycylation could modulate the recruitment process of proteins to the axoneme, causing indirect changes in the ciliary structure.

Ciliogenesis and the Cell Cycle

The formation of the primary cilium is inversely correlated with cell cycle progression. Typically, initiation occurs after a cell has completed mitosis and enters the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle. Cilia become shorter rapidly as cells progress from G1 to S and are practically invisible in mitosis. It has been proposed that cilia are a negative regulator of the cell cycle because the ciliary basal body competes with mitotic machinery for the use of centrioles. In particular, it is thought that cilia themselves can influence specific stages of the cell cycle, such as the G1 to S transition or the M to G1 transition. Given the indispensable and transient nature of the organelle, it is not surprising that ciliary assembly and disassembly is precisely coordinated with cell cycle progression. The mechanisms that trigger the cells to enter into the G0/G1 phase probably are intimately linked to the initiation of ciliogenesis. Cilia are not compatible with mitotic spindle formation with the exception of some unicellular organisms and in insect (namely butterfly) spermatogenesis. Thus, cilia must typically be disassembled as cells re-enter the cell cycle.

Initiation of ciliogenesis is a well-orchestrated process where Golgi-derived ciliary vesicles attach to the distal ends of the mother centriole. This can occur either by vesicle fusion with the basal body en route to the cell surface or by direct contact and fusion of the basal body to the plasma membrane. If a primary cilium is to be formed, the mother centriole must first differentiate into a basal body. This process is associated with the gain of non-centriolar structures such as the basal foot and the transition fibers needed to anchor the centriole in place and to regulate the contents of the completed cilium after a stable length has been achieved. Upon cell-cycle re-entry, the balance of cilium assembly and disassembly is shifted towards disassembly and ciliary resorption begins. Most of ciliary resorption studies have been conducted in cell culture, where cells were synchronized at G0/G1 by serum starvation and then forced to re-enter the cell cycle using serum or growth factors. At the end of resorption, the basal body is released from the plasma membrane where it once docked allowing the centrioles to once again function as microtubule organizing center (MTOC) during mitosis.

Pathways of Ciliogenesis

The formation of primary cilia can occur through two distinct pathways, the so-called extracellular and intracellular pathways, depending on the cell. As an example of the extracellular pathway, in epithelial cells of the kidney or lung, the basal body fuses with the apical surface of the plasma membrane. From this point the cilium protrudes directly into the extracellular space as it elongates. Conversely, in the intracellular pathway, which can be found in fibroblasts and neuronal precursor cells, the basal body associates with a cytoplasmic vesicle en route to the plasma membrane. The cilium begins to grow from this initial vesicle while additional vesicles supply membrane to support the growing axoneme until the vesicular structure comes in contact with and fuses with the plasma membrane. This mechanism of ciliogenesis often results in a ciliary pocket, or ciliary pit in which a portion of the mature cilium rests within a recessed area that would typically be cytoplasmic in a non-ciliated cell. Other conditions that have been shown to induce the formation of the primary cilium are starvation by growth factor depleted media and cell confluency, both classically thought to act by forcing the cell into a non-mitotic state. However, some studies have shown that the ciliation due to confluency is also partially due to changes in the actin cytoskeleton. Moreover, it has been shown that when subjected to shear stress, endothelial cells will resorb their cilia. To add further insight to this finding, Pivatal et al. recently demonstrated that cell spreading and contractile state have a strong influence on the formation of the primary cilium.

The distal appendages or transition fibers of the mature basal body have been implicated in the attachment process although the complete mechanism of attachment has yet to be elucidated. Nigg and colleagues found the centrosomal protein Cep164, a marker for distal appendages, is a major structural component for cilia formation. In addition, Pereira and colleagues demonstrated that Cep164 is an indispensable component for the docking of the vesicles at the mother centriole. Cep164 helps to promote the association of ciliary vesicles to the distal appendages by interacting with a small GTPase, Rab8a and its guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF), Rabin8. These molecules are essential for the vesicular trafficking needed to build a ciliary membrane. Large ciliary vesicles (CV) accumulate in this region and fuse to the newly formed membrane around the elongating axoneme thereby creating a sheath around the cilia. This axoneme elongating process continues until the membrane-bound axoneme reaches the cell surface and fuses with the plasma membrane, allowing the cilium to be exposed to the extra-cellular milieu. Cep164-depleted cells accelerate the cell cycle but inhibit overall proliferation. In addition to Cep164, several other transition fiber/distal appendage proteins have been identified, including Cep89 (CCDC123), Cep83 (CCDC41), SCLT1, OFD1, OFD2, and FBF1/Albatross. An elegant study from Tanos et al. has revealed an essential hierarchy of distal appendage assembly. Cep83 is required to recruit both Cep89 and SCLT1. SCLT1 is then needed to bring in Cep164 and FBF1. This group has also shown that CEP83 is required for the docking process and that its downstream binding partners, while not needed for docking per se, are required for the removal of ciliogenesis inhibitor CP110 and subsequent axoneme extension. Talpid3 is another centrosomal protein implicated in mediating the interaction between distal centriole appendages and vesicles. After distal appendage formation has been completed, these complexes interact with a post-Golgi vesicle on the mother centriole to form a ciliary vesicle. It has been reported that the small GTPase, Rab8a and its GEF, Rabin8, have an important role in ciliary vesicle formation and extension. GTP-bound Rab11 interacts with Rab8 to regulate vesicle transport from the trans-Golgi network and recycling endosomes during ciliary assembly.

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