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Selected AbstractsThe Bookmark Standard-Setting Method: A Literature ReviewEDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT: ISSUES AND PRACTICE, Issue 1 2006Ana Karantonis The Bookmark method for setting standards on educational tests is currently one of the most popular standard-setting methods. However, research to support the method is scarce. In this report, we review the published and unpublished literature on this method as well as some seminal work in the area of evaluating standard-setting studies. Our review highlights both strengths and limitations of the method. Strengths include its wide acceptance and panelist confidence in the method. Limitations include a potential bias to produce lower-than-intended standards and problems in selecting the most appropriate response probability value for ordering the items presented to panelists. It is clear that more research on this method is needed to support its wide use. Several areas for future research to better understand the validity of the Bookmark method for setting standards on educational tests are presented. [source] Longitudinal data analysis in pedigree studiesGENETIC EPIDEMIOLOGY, Issue S1 2003W. James Gauderman Abstract Longitudinal family studies provide a valuable resource for investigating genetic and environmental factors that influence long-term averages and changes over time in a complex trait. This paper summarizes 13 contributions to Genetic Analysis Workshop 13, which include a wide range of methods for genetic analysis of longitudinal data in families. The methods can be grouped into two basic approaches: 1) two-step modeling, in which repeated observations are first reduced to one summary statistic per subject (e.g., a mean or slope), after which this statistic is used in a standard genetic analysis, or 2) joint modeling, in which genetic and longitudinal model parameters are estimated simultaneously in a single analysis. In applications to Framingham Heart Study data, contributors collectively reported evidence for genes that affected trait mean on chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10, 13, and 17, but most did not find genes affecting slope. Applications to simulated data suggested that even for a gene that only affected slope, use of a mean-type statistic could provide greater power than a slope-type statistic for detecting that gene. We report on the results of a small experiment that sheds some light on this apparently paradoxical finding, and indicate how one might form a more powerful test for finding a slope-affecting gene. Several areas for future research are discussed. Genet Epidemiol 25 (Suppl. 1):S18,S28, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] METHODS, TRENDS AND CONTROVERSIES IN CONTEMPORARY BENEFIT TRANSFERJOURNAL OF ECONOMIC SURVEYS, Issue 3 2010Robert J. Johnston Abstract Benefit transfer uses research results from pre-existing primary research to predict welfare estimates for other sites of policy significance for which primary valuation estimates are unavailable. Despite the sizable literature and the ubiquity of benefit transfer in policy analysis, the method remains subject to controversy. There is also a divergence between transfer practices recommended by the scholarly literature and those commonly applied within policy analysis. The size, complexity and relative disorganization of the literature may represent an obstacle to the use of updated methods by practitioners. Recognizing the importance of benefit transfer for policymaking and the breadth of associated scholarly work, this paper reviews and synthesizes the benefit transfer literature. It highlights methods, trends and controversies in contemporary research, identifies issues and challenges facing benefit transfer practitioners and summarizes research contributions. Several areas of future research on benefit transfers naturally emerge. [source] CONTRIBUTIONS TO UNDERSTANDING SEAWEEDS IN COASTAL COMMUNITIESJOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, Issue 2001Article first published online: 24 SEP 200 Dawes, C. J. Department of Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33620 The goal of my presentation is to review several studies that have enhanced our understanding of the effects of abiotic factors on coastal and estuarine seaweed populations. Accordingly, I will introduce a few key papers dealing with five major abiotic factors-i.e. salinity, temperature, desiccation, water motion, and illumination. Foremost, the salinity tolerance studies of Russell and Bolton (1975) have broad applicability to estuarine seaweeds, while the osmoregulatory studies of Bisson and Kirst (1979) are also significant. Biebl's (1972) review of his earlier studies on temperature tolerances in diverse seaweeds were pivotal. Johnston and Raven's (1986) studied the effects of desiccation on the fucoid brown alga Ascophyllum nodosum, while similar studies on the saccate brown seaweed Colpomenia peregrina were conducted by Oates (1985). Lewis (1968) conducted early synoptic evaluations of the effects of water movement on rocky shore communities, while Kitching and Ebling (1967) gave detailed assessments of seaweed populations within estuarine tidal rapids in Ireland. Basically estuarine tidal rapids represent areas of enhanced nutrients, oxygen and light availability, plus reduced sedimentation (Mathieson et al. (1983). The physiological effects of light have probably been evaluated more than any single abiotic factor and two areas of importance are cited here. The critical papers by Levring (1947) on submarine illumination and those of Ramus (1978) and Littler and Littler (1980) on algal form and light response. Several areas of future studies are also suggested, which may further enhance our understanding of seaweed adaptations. In summary, five major abiotic factors affecting coastal and estuarine seaweed populations will be discussed, their importance to seaweeds noted, and "key" findings for several significant papers summarized. [source] Mental health student nurses' perception of the role of the mental health nurseJOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC & MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 6 2004D. M. RUNGAPADIACHY phd msc bsc (hons) rmn rgn cert ed Clear role definition is essential for directing the focus of nurse education and several studies have attempted to define the role of the mental health nurse (MHN). These, however, came to the conclusion that mental health nursing was difficult to articulate. The aim of this study was to understand how, during their transition to first level registration, mental health student nurses (MHSNs) perceived the role of the MHN. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 MHSNs during the last 6 months of their transition to MHN. Transcripts were analysed using a qualitative approach based on grounded theory. Six key themes were identified, five of which were defined mental health nursing roles. The sixth theme related to non-therapeutic intervention on the part of some MHNs. Several areas of concern were identified. First, MHSNs expected to conduct more psychologically based interventions than were achievable in practice. Second, emphasis on drug administration can lead to a conflict of interest in the nurses' advocacy role with patients. Third, MHSNs sometimes observed poor role models in their placements, which could have a negative impact on the way in which future MHNs view the role of the MHN. [source] Questionnaire study of canine neutering techniques taught in UK veterinary schools and those used in practiceJOURNAL OF SMALL ANIMAL PRACTICE, Issue 9 2005M. S. Tivers Objectives: To gather information about the different techniques employed in general practice and to compare this with current undergraduate teaching. This would provide an insight into any areas of discrepancy and influences on technique in practice. Methods: A questionnaire was composed and distributed to 407 practices throughout the UK, using a commercial mailing list. Fifty further questionnaires were distributed by final-year students to their foster practices and five were sent to practices on request. A second questionnaire was composed and sent to the members of staff responsible for teaching surgical neutering techniques at each of the UK veterinary schools. Results: Completed questionnaires were received from 183 respondents. These were compared with seven questionnaires from university teachers. Only areas in which the teachers reached a consensus of opinion were directly compared. Clinical Significance: Several areas of discrepancy between current teaching and techniques in practice were identified. A study of complications compared with technique would provide further information. There is a lack of published material or an evidence base in many aspects of surgical neutering to support one technique over another. [source] The colonization of Europe by the freshwater crustacean Asellus aquaticus (Crustacea: Isopoda) proceeded from ancient refugia and was directed by habitat connectivityMOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 14 2005R. VEROVNIK Abstract Recent continental-scale phylogeographic studies have demonstrated that not all freshwater fauna colonized Europe from the classic Mediterranean peninsular refugia, and that northern or central parts of the continent were occupied before, and remained inhabited throughout the Pleistocene. The colonization history of the ubiquitous aquatic isopod crustacean Asellus aquaticus was assessed using mitochondrial COI and a variable part of nuclear 28S rDNA sequences. Phylogeographic analysis of the former suggested that dispersion proceeded possibly during late Miocene from the western part of the Pannonian basin. Several areas colonized from here have served as secondary refugia and/or origins of dispersion, well before the beginning of the Pleistocene. Postglacial large-scale range expansion was coupled with numerous separate local dispersions from different refugial areas. Connectivity of the freshwater habitat has played an important role in shaping the current distribution of genetic diversity, which was highest in large rivers. The importance of hydrographic connections for the maintenance of genetic contact was underscored by a discordant pattern of mtDNA and nuclear rDNA differentiation. Individuals from all over Europe, differing in their mtDNA to a level normally found between species or even genera (maximal within population nucleotide divergence reached 0.16 ± 0.018), shared the same 28S rRNA gene sequence. Only populations from hydrographically isolated karst water systems in the northwestern Dinaric Karst had distinct 28S sequences. Here isolation seemed to be strong enough to prevent homogenization of the rRNA gene family, whereas across the rest of Europe genetic contact was sufficient for concerted evolution to act. [source] Towards a strong virtue ethics for nursing practiceNURSING PHILOSOPHY, Issue 3 2006Alan E. Armstrong rn(g) ba(hons) ma phd Abstract, Illness creates a range of negative emotions in patients including anxiety, fear, powerlessness, and vulnerability. There is much debate on the ,therapeutic' or ,helping' nurse,patient relationship. However, despite the current agenda regarding patient-centred care, the literature concerning the development of good interpersonal responses and the view that a satisfactory nursing ethics should focus on persons and character traits rather than actions, nursing ethics is dominated by the traditional obligation, act-centred theories such as consequentialism and deontology. I critically examine these theories and the role of duty-based notions in both general ethics and nursing practice. Because of well-established flaws, I conclude that obligation-based moral theories are incomplete and inadequate for nursing practice. I examine the work of Hursthouse on virtue ethics' action guidance and the v-rules. I argue that the moral virtues and a strong (action-guiding) version of virtue ethics provide a plausible and viable alternative for nursing practice. I develop an account of a virtue-based helping relationship and a virtue-based approach to nursing. The latter is characterized by three features: (1) exercising the moral virtues such as compassion; (2) using judgement; and (3) using moral wisdom, understood to include at least moral perception, moral sensitivity, and moral imagination. Merits and problems of the virtue-based approach are examined. I relate the work of MacIntyre to nursing and I conceive nursing as a practice: nurses who exercise the virtues and seek the internal goods help to sustain the practice of nursing and thus prevent the marginalization of the virtues. The strong practice-based version of virtue ethics proposed is context-dependent, particularist, and relational. Several areas for future philosophical inquiry and empirical nursing research are suggested to develop this account yet further. [source] A Round By Any Other Name: The WTO Agenda After DohaDEVELOPMENT POLICY REVIEW, Issue 1 2002Sam Laird The WTO agenda decided at Doha in November 2001 has all the hallmarks of a new trade round, although the word ,round' has been carefully avoided. To the already mandated negotiations on agriculture and services, Doha added negotiations on industrial products and the environment as well as reviews of the operation of WTO rules in several areas. Negotiations are also to begin on the highly contentious areas of investment and competition policy. Developing countries have been reluctant to contemplate such wider commitments, arguing that much still remains to be done on implementation of the Uruguay Round, and in this they received a degree of satisfaction. In the work ahead, however, much needs to be done to take account of their needs. [source] GLP-1: physiological effects and potential therapeutic applicationsDIABETES OBESITY & METABOLISM, Issue 11 2008Kasper Aaboe Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) is a gut-derived incretin hormone with the potential to change diabetes. The physiological effects of GLP-1 are multiple, and many seem to ameliorate the different conditions defining the diverse physiopathology seen in type 2 diabetes. In animal studies, GLP-1 stimulates ,-cell proliferation and neogenesis and inhibits ,-cell apoptosis. In humans, GLP-1 stimulates insulin secretion and inhibits glucagon and gastrointestinal secretions and motility. It enhances satiety and reduces food intake and has beneficial effects on cardiovascular function and endothelial dysfunction. Enhancing incretin action for therapeutic use includes GLP-1 receptor agonists resistant to degradation (incretin mimetics) and dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP)-4 inhibitors. In clinical trials with type 2 diabetic patients on various oral antidiabetic regimes, both treatment modalities efficaciously improve glycaemic control and ,-cell function. Whereas the incretin mimetics induce weight loss, the DPP-4 inhibitors are considered weight neutral. In type 1 diabetes, treatment with GLP-1 shows promising effects. However, several areas need clinical confirmation: the durability of the weight loss, the ability to preserve functional ,-cell mass and the applicability in other than type 2 diabetes. As such, long-term studies and studies with cardiovascular end-points are needed to confirm the true benefits of these new classes of antidiabetic drugs in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. [source] Developing Measurement Theory for Classroom Assessment Purposes and UsesEDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT: ISSUES AND PRACTICE, Issue 4 2003Susan M. Brookhart In many fields of inquiry, the need for new theoretical developments is often best seen in areas of strain, and strain is apparent in several areas in which the conventions of measurement theory do not quite "fit" classroom assessment. Three areas of strain are analyzed in order to suggest how theoretical development might focus directly on information quality in the classroom assessment context. This article describes the context dependence of classroom assessment, its inextricable relationship with instruction, and its simultaneous formative and summative functions. Thus a case is made for new theoretical developments in the area of measurement in the classroom. [source] Practitioner Commentary: Moving From Theory to Practice in Family Business ResearchENTREPRENEURSHIP THEORY AND PRACTICE, Issue 6 2008Kimber L. Vought This paper examines the papers presented at the 2007 Theories of Family Enterprise Conference for their applicability to practice and presents some ideas to make family business research more appropriate to practitioners. In general, we found the papers are not immediately useful to practitioners; however, the papers of a theory conference should not necessarily be immediately useful to practitioners. We identify several areas for future research, which include the development of a concrete definition for family business, a thorough analysis of the positive and negative effects of the concept of familiness, a close look at failed family business, as well as other issues. [source] fMRI of Brain Activation in a Genetic Rat Model of Absence SeizuresEPILEPSIA, Issue 6 2004Jeffrey R. Tenney Summary: Purpose: EEG-triggered functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to identify areas of brain activation during spontaneous spike-and-wave discharges (SWDs) in an epileptic rat strain under awake conditions. Methods: Spontaneous absence seizures from 10 WAG/Rij rats were imaged by using T2*-weighted echo planar imaging at 4.7 Tesla. fMRI of the blood-oxygenation-level,dependent (BOLD) signal was triggered based on EEG recordings during imaging. Images obtained during spontaneous SWDs were compared with baseline images. Results: Significant positive BOLD signal changes were apparent in several areas of the cortex and several important nuclei of the thalamus. In addition, no negative BOLD signal was found in any brain area. Conclusions: We have shown that EEG-triggered BOLD fMRI can be used to detect cortical and thalamic activation related to the spontaneous SWDs that characterize absence seizures in awake WAG/Rij rats. These results draw an anatomic correlation between areas in which increased BOLD signal is found and those in which SWDs have been recorded. In addition, no negative BOLD signal was found to be associated with these spontaneous SWDs. We also demonstrated the technical feasibility of using EEG-triggered fMRI in a genetic rat model of absence seizure. [source] Viruses of vegetable crops in AlbaniaEPPO BULLETIN, Issue 3 2005M. Finetti-Sialer Field surveys were carried out in the main vegetable-growing areas of Western and Central Albania to evaluate the sanitary status of open-field and protected cultivations of capsicum, tomato, potato, watermelon, cucumber, courgette, aubergine, lettuce, cabbage, chicory, leek and celery. The following viruses were detected: Alfalfa mosaic alfamovirus (AMV), Cucumber mosaic cucumovirus (CMV), Potato Y potyvirus (PVY), Tomato spotted wilt tospovirus (TSWV) and Watermelon mosaic potyvirus 2 (WMV-2). The virus found most frequently was CMV and all the isolates identified were of subgroup IA. AMV was also detected in several areas and all isolates were of subgroup II, suggesting a French origin. Finally, at the time of this survey, TSWV infections appeared to be moderately relevant and absent in protected crops. This is the first documented record of AMV, CMV, PVY, TSWV and WMV-2 in Albania. No infection by Tomato yellow leaf curl begomovirus (TYLCV) or Zucchini yellow mosaic potyvirus (ZYMV) was detected during this survey. [source] Communications skills in dental education: a systematic research reviewEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DENTAL EDUCATION, Issue 2 2010J. A. Carey Abstract Communication is an essential element of the relationship between patient and dentist. Dental schools are required to ensure that undergraduates are adequately trained in communication skills yet little evidence exists to suggest what constitutes appropriate training and how competency can be assessed. This review aimed to explore the scope and quality of evidence relating to communication skills training for dental students. Eleven papers fitted the inclusion criteria. The review found extensive use amongst studies of didactic learning and clinical role-play using simulated patients. Reported assessment methods focus mainly on observer evaluation of student interactions at consultation. Patient involvement in training appears to be minimal. This review recommends that several areas of methodology be addressed in future studies, the scope of research extended to include intra-operative communication, and that the role of real patients in the development of communication skills be active rather than passive. [source] RESEARCH FOCUS ON COMPULSIVE BEHAVIOUR IN ANIMALS: Compulsive alcohol drinking in rodentsADDICTION BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2009Valentina Vengeliene ABSTRACT Upon prolonged alcohol exposure, the behaviour of an individual can gradually switch from controlled to compulsive. Our review is focused on the neurobiological mechanisms that might underlie this transition as well as the factors that are influencing it. Animal studies suggest that temporally increased alcohol consumption during post-abstinence drinking is accompanied by a loss of flexibility of the behaviour and therefore, could serve as a model for compulsive alcohol drinking. However, studies using different alcohol-preferring rat lines in the post-abstinence drinking model suggest that high alcohol consumption does not necessarily lead to the development of compulsive drinking. This indicates the significance of genetic predisposition to compulsive behaviour. Neuroimaging data show that chronic alcohol consumption affects the activity of several brain regions such as the extrapyramidal motor system and several areas of the prefrontal cortex including the orbitofrontal and anterior cingulate cortex. Similar changes in brain activity is seen in patients suffering from obsessive,compulsive disorder at baseline conditions and during provocation of obsessive thoughts and urge to perform compulsive-like rituals. This indicates that dysfunction of these regions may be responsible for the expression of compulsive components of alcohol drinking behaviour. Several brain neurotransmitter systems seem to be responsible for the switch from controlled to compulsive behaviour. In particular, hypofunctioning of monoaminergic systems and hyperfunctioning of glutamatergic systems may play a role in compulsive alcohol drinking. [source] Ultrastructural evidence for a pre- and postsynaptic localization of full-length trkB receptors in substantia gelatinosa (lamina II) of rat and mouse spinal cordEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 8 2005Chiara Salio Abstract Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) exerts its trophic effects by acting on the high-affinity specific receptor trkB. BDNF also modulates synaptic transmission in several areas of the CNS, including the spinal cord dorsal horn, where it acts as a pain modulator by yet incompletely understood mechanisms. Spinal neurons are the main source of trkB in lamina II (substantia gelatinosa). Expression of this receptor in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells has been a matter of debate, whereas a subpopulation of DRG neurons bears trkA receptors and contains BDNF. By the use of two different trkB antibodies we observed that 7.7% and 10.8% of DRG neurons co-expressed BDNF + trkB but not trkA, respectively, in rat and mouse. Ultrastructurally, full-length trkB (fl-trkB) receptors were present at somato-dendritic membranes of lamina II neurons (rat: 66.8%; mouse: 73.8%) and at axon terminals (rat: 33.2%; mouse: 26.2%). In both species, about 90% of these terminals were identified as primary afferent fibres (PAFs) considering their morphology and/or neuropeptide content. All fl-trkB-immunopositive C boutons in type Ib glomeruli were immunoreactive for BDNF and, at individual glomeruli and axo-dendritic synapses, fl-trkB receptors were located in a mutually exclusive fashion at pre- or postsynaptic membranes. Thus, only a small fraction of fl-trkB-immunoreactive dendrites were postsynaptic to BDNF-immunopositive PAFs. This is the first ultrastructural description of fl-trkB localization at synapses between first- and second-order sensory neurons in lamina II, and suggests that BDNF may be released by fl-trkB-immunopositive PAFs to modulate nociceptive input in this lamina of dorsal horn. [source] The role of the medial temporal lobe in autistic spectrum disordersEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 3 2005C. H. Salmond Abstract The neural basis of autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs) is poorly understood. Studies of mnemonic function in ASD suggest a profile of impaired episodic memory with relative preservation of semantic memory (at least in high-functioning individuals). Such a pattern is consistent with developmental hippocampal abnormality. However, imaging evidence for abnormality of the hippocampal formation in ASD is inconsistent. These inconsistencies led us to examine the memory profile of children with ASD and the relationship to structural abnormalities. A cohort of high-functioning individuals with ASD and matched controls completed a comprehensive neuropsychological memory battery and underwent magnetic resonance imaging for the purpose of voxel-based morphometric analyses. Correlations between cognitive/behavioural test scores and quantified results of brain scans were also carried out to further examine the role of the medial temporal lobe in ASD. A selective deficit in episodic memory with relative preservation of semantic memory was found. Voxel-based morphometry revealed bilateral abnormalities in several areas implicated in ASD including the hippocampal formation. A significant correlation was found between parental ratings reflecting autistic symptomatology and the measure of grey matter density in the junction area involving the amygdala, hippocampus and entorhinal cortex. The data reveal a pattern of impaired and relatively preserved mnemonic function that is consistent with a hippocampal abnormality of developmental origin. The structural imaging data highlight abnormalities in several brain regions previously implicated in ASD, including the medial temporal lobes. [source] The role of V5 (hMT+) in visually guided hand movements: an fMRI studyEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 11 2004C. Oreja-Guevara Abstract Electrophysiological studies in animals suggest that visuomotor control of forelimb and eye movements involves reciprocal connections between several areas (striate, extrastriate, parietal, motor and premotor) related to movement performance and visuospatial coding of movement direction. The extrastriate area MT [V5 (hMT+) in humans] located in the ,dorsal pathway' of the primate brain is specialized in the processing of visual motion information. The aim of our study was to investigate the functional role of V5 (hMT+) in the control of visually guided hand movements and to identify the corresponding cortex activation implicated in the visuomotor tasks using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Eight human subjects performed visually guided hand movements, either continuously tracking a horizontally moving target or performing ballistic tracking movements of a cursor to an eccentric stationary target while fixating a central fixation cross. The tracking movements were back-projected onto the screen using a cursor which was moved by an MRI-compatible joystick. Both conditions activated area V5 (hMT+), right more than left, particularly during continuous tracking. In addition, a large-scale sensorimotor circuit which included sensorimotor cortex, premotor cortex, striatum, thalamus and cerebellum as well as a number of cortical areas along the intraparietal sulcus in both hemispheres were activated. Because activity was increased in V5 (hMT+) during continuous tracking but not during ballistic tracking as compared to motion perception, it has a pivotal role during the visual control of forelimb movements as well. [source] Broadbill swordfish: status of established fisheries and lessons for developing fisheriesFISH AND FISHERIES, Issue 4 2000P. Ward Guidelines for the assessment and management of developing swordfish fisheries are derived through an examination of five swordfish fisheries. As they develop, swordfish fisheries may be inclined to local depletion around underwater features, such as seamounts and banks. Few nations have applied the precautionary approach in managing their developing swordfish fisheries. Without controls, swordfish fisheries expand geographically and fishing effort increases, often overshooting optimum levels. However, it is difficult to distinguish clear evidence of fishery collapse; modern longliners harvest widely distributed tuna and swordfish and they are able to relocate to distant areas or switch between target species in response to fluctuations in species abundance and price. Furthermore, the wide distribution of swordfish combined with year-round spawning and high growth rates amongst juveniles probably contribute to the apparent resilience of swordfish stocks to intensive harvesting. Over half the world's swordfish catch is taken as an incidental catch of longliners fishing for tuna. In several areas, such as the North Atlantic, catch quotas have sometimes caused tuna longline fishers to discard swordfish. Minimum size limits have also resulted in discarding of swordfish in tuna fisheries and in dedicated swordfish fisheries. In addition to weakening the effectiveness of those management measures, bycatch and discarding add to the complexities of managing swordfish fisheries and to uncertainties in assessing the stocks. Longliners that target swordfish often fish at high latitudes where interactions with marine wildlife, such as seabird, are generally more frequent than at low latitudes. Concern over incidental catches of marine wildlife and other species is becoming a driving force in the management of several swordfish fisheries. Fishery management organisations will need to implement management measures to protect non-target species and gather reliable data and information on the situation by placing observers on boats fishing for swordfish. [source] Exploring Daily Grading as a Form of Assessment in a College-Level Japanese Language ClassroomFOREIGN LANGUAGE ANNALS, Issue 1 2002Seonghee Choi ABSTRACT: Methods of evaluation affect learning in multiple and varied ways. The current distinction between testing and assessment invokes issues about which alternatives for evaluation are available and how they are applied in language classrooms. To explore a daily grading system as a form of assessment, this study surveyed 16 teachers and 90 students in college-level Japanese language classrooms where daily grading is practiced. The results showed that both teachers and students had positive beliefs about daily grading. It was also found that students had moderate anxiety levels when their performances were graded daily. In addition, the study revealed several areas of concern about daily grading. To use daily grading successfully as a language-learning assessment tool, appropriate and ongoing teacher training is recommended. [source] Existing in plenty: abundance, biomass and diversity of ciliates and meiofauna in small streamsFRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2008JULIA REISS Summary 1. The ciliate and metazoan meiofaunal assemblages of two contrasting lowland streams in south-east England were examined over the period of a year, using a high taxonomic resolution. Monthly samples were taken from an oligotrophic, acid stream (Lone Oak) and a circumneutral, nutrient-rich stream (Pant) between March 2003 and February 2004. 2. We assessed the relative importance of ciliates and rotifers within the small-sized benthic assemblage with respect to their abundance, biomass and species richness. In addition, we examined the influence of abiotic and biotic parameters and season on the assemblage composition at two levels of taxonomic resolution (species and groups). 3. Ciliates dominated the assemblages numerically, with maximum densities of over 900 000 and 6 000 000 ind. m,2 in Lone Oak and Pant respectively. Rotifers and nematodes dominated meiofaunal densities, although their contribution to total meiofaunal biomass (maxima of 71.9 mgC m,2 in Lone Oak and of 646.8 mgC m,2 in the Pant) was low and rotifer biomass equalled that of ciliates. 4. Although the two streams differed in terms of total abundance of ciliates and meiofauna and shared only 7% of species, the relative proportion of groups was similar. Sediment grain size distribution (the percentile representing the 0.5,1 mm fraction) was correlated with assemblage structure at the species level, revealing the tight coupling between these small organisms and their physical environment. Seasonal changes in the relative abundance of groups followed similar patterns in both streams, and were correlated with the abundance of cyclopoid copepods and temperature. 5. Information on these highly abundant but often overlooked faunal groups is essential for estimates of overall abundance, biomass, species richness and productivity in the benthos, and as such has important implications for several areas of aquatic research, e.g. for those dealing with trophic dynamics. [source] Pathogen safety of manufacturing processes for biological products: special emphasis on KOGENATE® BayerHAEMOPHILIA, Issue 2002D. C. Lee Summary., Manufacturers of human therapeutic proteins derived from biological sources continuously strive to improve the pathogen safety profiles of these products. Efforts to improve pathogen safety margins for these biological products are directed towards several areas within the manufacturing processes including: (a) sourcing and screening of raw materials (b) determining the potential for manufacturing processes to reduce pathogen titres, and (c) incorporating methods designed specifically to remove or inactivate contaminating pathogens. Methods that could potentially reduce pathogen titres are a major focus for many manufacturers. In general, these methods are grouped into two categories, pathogen clearance and pathogen inactivation. Assessments are performed on small-scale, laboratory simulations of the manufacturing process of interest that are spiked with a known amount of a selected pathogen. These studies provide estimates of the potential for a process step to remove or inactivate a particular pathogen. There are several pathogen clearance/inactivation methods that are inherent in manufacturing processes, however, some methods are intentionally incorporated into manufacturing for the sole purpose of reducing putative pathogen titres. Not only are well-known pathogens such as viruses targeted, but also suspected pathogens such as those associated with the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). The production processes for the isolation of several biological products, including recombinant KOGENATE® Bayer (Kogenate®FS), have been evaluated for the ability to reduce pathogen titres and/or have been designed to incorporate methods for reducing potential pathogen safety risks. Several processing steps with the potential to reduce pathogen titres have been identified. [source] The cost effectiveness of specialised facilities for service users with persistent challenging behavioursHEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY, Issue 6 2001Angela Hallam MSc Abstract Little systematic research relates specifically to the last people to leave a psychiatric hospital at the end of a closure programme. The long-running evaluation of the reprovision of services from Friern Hospital in North London allowed a special study to be made of such a group (67 people in all), whose range of problem behaviours made placement in community settings most difficult. The patients were relatively young, with a shorter length of stay than the remainder of the former long-stay hospital population. They were assessed three times: before leaving Friern, and one and 5 years after relocation. The social and clinical characteristics of each person were measured, and the full costs of their care calculated. The ,difficult-to-place' patients moved to four highly staffed rehabilitation facilities, where the total cost of their care was, on average, £1230 per week. There was no overall change in their psychiatric state over the 5 years after they left Friern Hospital although, in the longer-term, they gained skills in several areas of daily functioning. Most importantly, there was a fall of almost 50% in the number of challenging behaviours exhibited by the study group. At the five-year follow-up point, the cost of care had fallen, on average, by £170 per week, and 24 people had been able to move to more independent accommodation arrangements. Study participants had gained a new network of community service contacts, and used services provided by a greater variety of agencies. The indicators suggest that high expenditure on alternative care was justified retrospectively by overall long-term outcomes. An important policy lesson from the Friern Hospital reprovision study is that adequate funds should be reserved until the end of the closure programme to allow the investment of resources in provision for patients with the most severe problem behaviours. [source] Carcinomas arising in multilocular thymic cysts of the neck: a clinicopathological study of three casesHISTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 1 2004C A Moran Aims :,To report three cases of primary carcinoma of the neck arising in multilocular thymic cysts (MTC). Methods and results :,The patients were three men aged 47, 50 and 52 years who presented with a painless neck mass of several weeks' duration. The patients had no history of previous surgical procedures or of malignancy elsewhere. The tumours in all three patients were located on the right lateral side of the neck; all patients underwent complete surgical resection of the mass. Grossly, the tumours were cystic and measured between 20 and 30 mm in greatest diameter. Histologically, the tumours showed cyst walls lined by squamous epithelium. The cyst walls contained prominent germinal centres with lymphoid hyperplasia, cholesterol cleft granulomas, and scattered keratinized structures reminiscent of Hassall's corpuscles. In addition, a neoplastic cellular proliferation composed of round to oval cells arranged in sheets and originating from the lining of the cystic structures was present. The neoplastic cells showed moderate amounts of eosinophilic cytoplasm, round nuclei, and, in some areas, prominent nucleoli. Mitotic figures were easily found, and cellular pleomorphism was present in several areas. In two cases the tumours showed features of basaloid carcinoma of the thymus, while in one case the pattern was that of squamous cell carcinoma. Immunohistochemical studies for keratin showed a strong positive reaction in the tumour cells, while leucocyte common antigen strongly stained the lymphoid background. Follow-up information obtained in two patients showed them to be alive 6 months after initial diagnosis. One patient was lost to follow-up. Conclusion :,The cases described here represent an unusual variant of carcinoma arising in multilocular thymic cyst in the neck region. [source] English University Benefactors in the Middle AgesHISTORY, Issue 283 2001Alan B. Cobban The medieval universities of Oxford and Cambridge owed an enormous debt to the generosity of a plurality of benefactors of diverse social origins. Given their limited incomes, the universities could not have functioned at a successful level without the substantial material aid of benefactors. Although the English monarchy made a valuable contribution to several areas of university and collegiate life, it nevertheless appears that this monarchical beneficence was less extensive than might have been supposed. The English male nobility gave the occasional gift of property and made donations to loan-chests but before 1500 only one nobleman was a principal founder of a secular academic college. This opened the way for queens consort and female members of the greater aristocracy to emerge as significant benefactresses in both the university and collegiate spheres. Indeed, it could be argued that women from the upper echelons of society came to rank in importance as university and college benefactors with lesser ecclesiastics, knights, burgesses, merchants, current and former members of colleges and university servants. However, taking the donations of the episcopate in the round, it is probably true to say that the English bishops made the most decisive contribution [source] A multiparametric evaluation of regional brain damage in patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosisHUMAN BRAIN MAPPING, Issue 9 2009Antonia Ceccarelli Abstract The purpose of this study is to define the topographical distribution of gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) damage in patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), using a multiparametric MR-based approach. Using a 3 Tesla scanner, dual-echo, 3D fast-field echo (FFE), and diffusion tensor (DT) MRI scans were acquired from 18 PPMS patients and 17 matched healthy volunteers. An optimized voxel-based (VB) analysis was used to investigate the patterns of regional GM density changes and to quantify GM and WM diffusivity alterations of the entire brain. In PPMS patients, GM atrophy was found in the thalami and the right insula, while mean diffusivity (MD) changes involved several cortical-subcortical structures in all cerebral lobes and the cerebellum. An overlap between decreased WM fractional anisotropy (FA) and increased WM MD was found in the corpus callosum, the cingulate gyrus, the left short temporal fibers, the right short frontal fibers, the optic radiations, and the middle cerebellar peduncles. Selective MD increase, not associated with FA decrease, was found in the internal capsules, the corticospinal tracts, the superior longitudinal fasciculi, the fronto-occipital fasciculi, and the right cerebral peduncle. A discrepancy was found between regional WM diffusivity changes and focal lesions because several areas had DT MRI abnormalities but did not harbor T2-visible lesions. Our study allowed to detect tissue damage in brain areas associated with motor and cognitive functions, which are known to be impaired in PPMS patients. Combining regional measures derived from different MR modalities may be a valuable tool to improve our understanding of PPMS pathophysiology. Hum Brain Mapp 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The mirror-neuron system and handedness: A "right" world?HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING, Issue 11 2008Maria A. Rocca Abstract To assess the relationship between the mirror-neuron system (MNS), an observation-execution matching system, and handedness, we acquired functional magnetic resonance imaging from 11 right-handed (RH) and eight left-handed (LH) subjects to identify regions involved in processing action (execution and observation) of the right and left upper limbs. During the execution tasks, LH subjects had a more bilateral pattern of activation than RH. An interaction between handedness and hand observed during the observation conditions was detected in several areas of the MNS and the motor system. The within- and between-groups analyses confirmed different lateralizations of the MNS and motor system activations in RH and LH subjects during the observation tasks of the dominant and nondominant limbs. The comparison of the execution vs. observation task demonstrated that during the execution task with their dominant limbs, RH subjects activated areas of the motor system in the left hemisphere, whereas LH subjects also activated areas of the MNS. During the execution task with the nondominant limbs, both groups activated regions of the MNS and motor system. Albeit this study is based on a small sample, the patterns of MNS activations observed in RH and LH subjects support the theory that suggests that this system is involved in brain functions lateralization. In LH people, this system might contribute to their adaptation to a world essentially built for right-handers through a mechanism of mirroring and imitation. Hum Brain Mapp, 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] When infants grow up in multiperson relationship systemsINFANT MENTAL HEALTH JOURNAL, Issue 4 2007James P. Mchale Despite prompts from the field of family therapy since its inception, contemporary infant mental health theory and practice remain firmly rooted in and guided by dyadic-based models. Over the past 10 years, a groundswell of new empirical studies of triadic and family group dynamics during infancy have substantiated that which family theory has contended for decades: looking beyond mother-infant or father-infant dyads reveals a myriad of critically important socialization influences and dynamics that are missed altogether when relying on informant reports or dyad-based interactions. Such family-level dynamics emerge within months after infants are born, show coherence through time, and influence the social and emotional adjustment of children as early as the toddler and preschool years. This report summarizes key findings from the past decade of empirical family studies, highlights several areas in need of further conceptual development and empirical study by those who work with infants and their families, and outlines important implications of this body of work for all practicing infant mental health professionals. [source] A study on the lumped preconditioner and memory requirements of FETI and related primal domain decomposition methodsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 13 2008Yannis Fragakis Abstract In recent years, domain decomposition methods (DDMs) have emerged as advanced solvers in several areas of computational mechanics. In particular, during the last decade, in the area of solid and structural mechanics, they reached a considerable level of advancement and were shown to be more efficient than popular solvers, like advanced sparse direct solvers. The present contribution follows the lines of a series of recent publications on the relationship between primal and dual formulations of DDMs. In some of these papers, the effort to unify primal and dual methods led to a family of DDMs that was shown to be more efficient than the previous methods. The present paper extends this work, presenting a new family of related DDMs, thus enriching the theory of the relations between primal and dual methods, with the primal methods, which correspond to the dual DDM that uses the lumped preconditioner. The paper also compares the numerical performance of the new methods with that of the previous ones and focuses particularly on memory requirement issues related to the use of the lumped preconditioner, suggesting a particularly memory-efficient formulation. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||