Search

Although small in scope, this study attempted to analyze the impacts of primary sources and field trip experiences on multicultural education through first-hand narrative interviews, one year after the experience. In particular, it assessed the recollections of students who participated in a one-half-day field trip to George Washington Carver National Monument, a site devoted to a multicultural message. In an attempt to learn as much as possible related to long-term memories of multicultural content associated with the use of primary sources and field trips, the researchers utilized a qualitative approach. Past literature has supported the notion that interview techniques can be more effective than experimental methods for gaining a detailed picture of recall. Two major themes were identified relating to the long-term recollections of the students on the field trip at the George Washington Carver National Monument: (1) Recollections were influenced by occasions which incorporated action and involvement, and (2) content information was retained by all students participating in the study. The results support the usefulness of primary sources in an interactive field trip experience to promote multicultural content and tolerance. Within this study, in particular, the notion of compassionate tendencies toward George Washington Carver prompts a tremendous need for further inquiry into the long-term impacts of other field trips that attempt to convey multicultural messages.

Service learning with ecological restoration projects can positively affect participants' attitudes, behaviors, and learning, but little is known about the longevity of these effects. Furthermore, urban green spaces are an understudied, yet increasingly important, context for eco-restoration service learning. This study examined the persistence of student outcomes of eco-restoration service-learning experiences in an urban woodland. Undergraduate courses from the Departments of Biology and Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies at Indiana University partnered with the Bloomington Urban Woodlands Project (BUWP) to restore native woodland habitat and conduct public outreach. Phenomenological analysis of student interviews demonstrated that service-learning experiences improved learning outcomes and encouraged and reinforced pro-environmental attitudes up to 14 months later. Results also demonstrate the applicability of an environmental interpretation behavior change model to college-level instruction.

This study examined free time motivation and physical activity in 68 middle school children from a rural public school system (N = 24) and a private school located in the same area of the Midwest (N = 44). Results indicated that free time motivation did not explain variability in physical activity behavior during free time or while students were in school (p greater than 0.01). A school (private vs. public) x gender comparison indicated that males had higher activity levels than females during free time and while in school, F(1, 67) = 8.43, p less than 0.01, Eta2 = 0.12 and F(1, 67) = 27.59, p less than 0.01, Eta2 = 0.30. There were no differences between public versus private school participants (p greater than 0.05) on free time minutes of MVPA. Males from the study participated in 56 minutes per day while wearing activity monitors, approximating the 60 minutes recommended by health experts, t = -1.028, p greater than 0.05, n = 30. Female values were significantly below this Department of Health and Human Services recommendation at 32 minutes per day, t = -7.31, p less than 0.01, n = 38. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

The focus of the current study is to better comprehend the long-term impacts of interpretation programs at a historical site. The authors used a mixed methods research approach to uncover and explore both the immediate impacts of the experience as well as the long-term information that was retained 6 months following attendance of the short duration program. The findings support previous research in interpretation and suggest that a direct connection to the resource promotes long-term retention of tour topics. This study uses pre- and postquestionnaires, in-depth and informal interviewing, observations, and the synthesis of qualitative and quantitative data to investigate the phenomenon. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)

Using phenomenological analysis, the authors examined the long-term effects of an environmental education school field trip on fourth grade elementary students who visited Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The authors' findings suggest that one year after the experience, many students remembered what they had seen and heard and had developed a perceived proenvironmental attitude. The authors discuss the phenomenological analysis, cite interviews with students, and draw conclusions on the effect of the field trip.

In 2005 an existing undergraduate course in project management was converted from face-to-face mode to wholly online mode. Wholly online mode means that there are no face-to-face classes at all, and all teaching and learning is facilitated through an online environment. The revised project management course was designed with an underlying problem-based learning (PBL) pedagogy and used a simulated, fictitious telecommunications company, United Enterprises (UE), as a case study learning resource. The students worked in virtual teams to complete online learning activities and to solve authentic project management tasks for UE. Employees of UE were available online to provide direction and answer further questions about the tasks. The overall research study used an action research methodology in which feedback was elicited from two groups of stakeholders involved in the project management course--students and teaching staff. The feedback was used to plan, develop and implement the new Information Technology (IT) Professional Practice course. This paper reports on the findings of three anonymous student surveys that were conducted after each of the main project management topics and tasks were completed. The surveys sought feed- back in a number of areas. However, the feedback reported here relates specifically to student opinions about their experiences of working in virtual teams within the learning environment. Other aspects of the research, including student perceptions of UE and feedback from the teaching staff, are not reported here. Across the three surveys, most students indicated that they valued the opportunity to discuss various aspects of the course with peers and teaching staff online, and to interact with real-life employees of UE. Although discussion forums were the prescribed method for communication other forms of communication such as email, chat and face-to-face meetings were also used. According to the students, the best things about online group work were that it provides the flexibility of time and place; it allows communication and participation to be recorded; and is an "efficient" way of working. The worst things about online group work were that communication is more difficult and that team members leave participation and submission to the last minute. While up to 15 percent of students did not like the experience of online group work at all, overall students were generally satisfied with this style of learning and enjoyed the experience of working collaboratively within a virtual team. The research has highlighted a number of areas where improvements can be made to the student experience of working in virtual teams. These improvements will be adopted in the development and delivery of the new course as part of the action research study. (Contains 2 tables and 10 figures.)

To gain the full educational benefits of the major new investments in corporate technologies supporting online teaching and learning it is argued that a strategic, systems based approach to academic professional development (APD) is required. Such an approach requires a clear view of the key areas of potential and enduring teaching and learning benefit which can be realised from online developments, including an understanding of the changing role of the academic teacher in higher education, the identification of the desired professional capacities to educate online, and the implementation of a number of coordinated initiatives to develop these professional capacities in order to engage constructively with the learning and technology opportunities. Based on previous work, we propose a 6[superscript three] model of Academic Professional Capacities Development for effective APD of online teaching and learning. The model can help inform the actions of policy makers, executives and practitioners in ways that promote an authentic learning organisation. (Contains 3 figures.)

Cognitive apprenticeship involves modeling of a task by an expert, learner performance and reflection with coaching, internalizing, and generalizing. It is effective because knowledge is created and made meaningful by the context in which it is acquired. (SK)

G protein‐coupled receptors (GPCRs) are widely therapeutically targeted, and recent advances in allosteric modulator development at these receptors offer further potential for exploitation. Intracellular allosteric modulators (IAM) represent a class of ligands that bind to the receptor–effector interface (e.g., G protein) and inhibit agonist responses noncompetitively. This potentially offers greater selectivity between receptor subtypes compared to classical orthosteric ligands. However, while examples of IAM ligands are well described, a more general methodology for assessing compound interactions at the IAM site is lacking. Here, fluorescent labeled peptides based on the Gα peptide C terminus are developed as novel binding and activation biosensors for the GPCR‐IAM site. In TR‐FRET binding studies, unlabeled peptides derived from the Gαs subunit were first characterized for their ability to positively modulate agonist affinity at the β2‐adrenoceptor. On this basis, a tetramethylrhodamine (TMR) labeled tracer was synthesized based on the 19 amino acid Gαs peptide (TMR‐Gαs19cha18, where cha = cyclohexylalanine). Using NanoBRET technology to detect binding, TMR‐Gαs19cha18 was recruited to Gs coupled β2‐adrenoceptor and EP2 receptors in an agonist‐dependent manner, but not the Gi‐coupled CXCR2 receptor. Moreover, NanoBRET competition binding assays using TMR‐Gαs19cha18 enabled direct assessment of the affinity of unlabeled ligands for β2‐adrenoceptor IAM site. Thus, the NanoBRET platform using fluorescent‐labeled G protein peptide mimetics offers novel potential for medium‐throughput screens to identify IAMs, applicable across GPCRs coupled to a G protein class. Using the same platform, Gs peptide biosensors also represent useful tools to probe orthosteric agonist efficacy and the dynamics of receptor activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is a difficult time to be a farmer, particularly in the midwestern US, where a slow-moving farm crisis has been brewing. In recent years farmers have faced multiple socioeconomic threats such as a trade war with China, industry consolidation, and decreasing farmgate prices, as well as multiple environmental threats, including flooding and drought. We analyze farmers' assessments of these concurrent risks and their relationship to stress and farm exit, through a mail survey of 210 soy and dairy farmers in Indiana. On average, environmental threats are perceived as less of a threat to farmers than to immediate socioeconomic threats such as the trade war and, more importantly, long-run economic issues such as price decline and consolidation. We find evidence that farm exit is largely determined by farmer identity, perspectives on the trade war, and stress. The ongoing trade war with China is a key source of stress for soybean farmers and federal payments from the Market Facilitation Program are unlikely to stem farm exit. Addressing the farm exit problem and mitigating the current farm crisis necessitates greater attention to how policies, indirectly lead to farm exit through stress. • We analyze farmers' decisions to exit farming. • Farm exit is largely driven by perceived stress. • Environmental shocks pose less of a threat to farmers than economic shocks. • Market Facilitation Program payments are unlikely to stem farm exit. • The US-China trade is a key source of stress for farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

• Leaders of active and closed farm link services provide a critique of farm linking. • Monitoring medium-term outcomes is necessary for program success. Metrics provided. • However other services may be better strategies for programs with smaller budgets. • Larger institutions should create positions to assist with non-family farm transfers. • More states should replicate beginning farmer tax credit programs. The transition of farms and ranches to the next generation has generated considerable attention and concern. Over the past 30 years, public and private institutions across the U.S. have introduced policies and programs to help farms without identified family successors achieve successful transfers by connecting them with new farmers through "farm link" services. However, the effectiveness of these services is unclear and assessment is needed. This primarily qualitative study used interviews with program leaders and their responses to a questionnaire to assess the 30 active and closed farm link programs of the 12 states of the U.S. Midwest and Central Plains, resulting in a collection of best practice recommendations. Broadly, these programs target differing audiences and offer various services not limited to the function of linking farm/ranch owners with potential non-family successors. Most programs are located in NGO's (63%), with the others hosted by state departments of agriculture and land grant university extension systems. Program leaders agree that linking is needed to augment seekers' and owners' personal networks. They recommend that farm link services focus on medium-term outcomes, and provide a list of metrics. Program leaders also recommend other, complementary services to support and advance non-family transitions to new farmers, primarily: (1) state-level beginning farmer tax credits; (2) educating farm owners' advisors, such as lenders and tax preparers, about their clients' opportunities to transfer to an incoming farmer; (3) case management to facilitate transfers between unrelated parties; and (4) providing discussion spaces online and on social media to build farmer/rancher networks and relations between farm seekers and farm owners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Histiocytic Sarcoma is a rare malignant hematopoietic neoplasm that can present in extranodal sites including lymph nodes, skin, gastrointestinal tract, and the central nervous system. Only 10% of cases manifest as skin lesions and very few are reported in the head and neck. The authors report a case of histiocytic sarcoma of the eyelid in a 72-year-old male that was clinically diagnosed as a chalazion. Initial excision was not sent for routine histopathological assessment and the patient was subsequently lost to follow up. Recurrence occurred at the eyelid site and additional lesions were found on the forearms, abdomen, and right knee. Histopathological assessment of one of these other sites confirmed the diagnosis of histiocytic sarcoma. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of disseminated histiocytic sarcoma that originally presented in the ocular adnexa (eyelid). And, as the initial lesion was not sent to Pathology and therefore potentially missed, this case highlights the importance of submitting tissue, including chalazia, for pathologic evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine the positive yield (utility rate) of temporal artery biopsy (TAB) in patients with suspected giant cell arteritis (GCA). Study Design: Systematic review (CRD42017078508) and meta-regression. Materials and Methods: All articles concerning TAB for suspected GCA with English language abstracts from 1998 to 2017 were retrieved. Articles were excluded if they exclusively reported positive TAB, or only cases of known GCA. Where available, the pre-specified predictors of age, sex, vision symptoms, jaw claudication, duration of steroid treatment prior to TAB, specimen length, bilateral TAB, and use of ultrasound/MRI (imaging) were recorded for meta-regression. Results: One hundred and thirteen articles met eligibility criteria. The I2 was 92%, and with such high heterogeneity, meta-analysis is unsuitable. The median yield of TAB was 0.25 (95% confidence interval 0.21 to 0.27), with interquartile range 0.17 to 0.34. On univariate meta-regression age (coefficient 0.012, p = 0.025) was the only statistically significant patient factor associated with TAB yield. Conclusions: Systematic review revealed high heterogeneity in the yield of TAB. The median utility rate of 25% and its interquartile range provides a benchmark for decisions regarding the under/overutilization of TAB and aids in the evaluation of non-invasive alternatives for the investigation of GCA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three principal reasons for worry about the financial condition of higher education today are: inflation, public concern over government costs, and demographic changes. Those responsible for the development, use, and interpretation of financial indications have special responsibilities: acceleration of development, availability of evaluations, and better understanding of financial indicators. (MLW)

Human Resource Development (HRD) includes activities that integrate the occupational and personal development needs of those working in an organization with the mission and goals of that organization. The author offers reasons why it is important to relate adult and continuing education to HRD. (JOW)

Limited outdoor residential spaces and the cost of high-quality, sustainably grown vegetables have led families to engage in community gardening. The educational and recreational opportunities provided by community gardening make the settings an appealing location for families to learn and share leisure time together. We used a mixed-methods approach to investigate the impacts that gardening education workshops in community gardens can have on family members and their environmental behaviors. We used a case study approach to analyze the data from observations, drawings and interviews in which participants reported a variety of positive impacts from the gardening workshops including socializing, health benefits and acquired knowledge. However, there was limited evidence of pro-environmental behavior change beyond gardening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Every farming method, whether conventional or organic, has been associated with some sort of risky behaviors leading to health issues among farmers. Substantial evidence is not available in the literature to determine whether the magnitudes of health outcomes vary between conventional and organic farmers. The study investigated whether selfreported neurological and mental health symptoms differ between conventional and organic farmers living in Indiana, USA. Materials and method. A self-reported questionnaire survey collected information from 200 conventional and 157 organic farmers of Indiana on demographic characteristics, depression and neurological symptoms. Statistical analyses were conducted to observe the differences in self-reported symptoms by groups of farmers. Results. It was observed that the conventional farmers had significantly higher age-adjusted mean neurological symptom score (p<0.01) than the organic farmers. Regression models revealed positive and significant associations of conventional farming with total (β =1.34; p=0.02), sensory (β =0.83; p=0.001) and behavioural (β =0.09; p=0.03) symptoms after accounting for age, income, education and years in farming. Positive but non-significant associations were also observed in conventional farmers with cognitive and motor symptoms, and with all subscales of depression symptoms in the adjusted models. Conclusion. The findings obtained suggest the importance of a larger study to further explain the difference in mental and neurological health effects in these two categories of farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A Critical Incident Survey completed by 41 (of 100) Ohio juvenile corrections employees revealed incidents of verbal abuse, threats, and/or physical violence by juvenile inmates, suggesting a need for special preparation and inservice training for juvenile correctional personnel. (SK)

We report the case of an 11-year-old girl with a rare finding of silicone oil migration into the periorbital space surrounding an extraocular muscle, discovered during strabismus surgery for a sensory exotropia that had developed after retinal detachment repair by pars plana vitrectomy with intraocular silicone oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across the United States, farms are consolidating and fewer individuals earn their sole income from agriculture. At the same time, the number of very small farms—many of which engage in direct-to-consumer sales strategies—is on the rise. While much research has explored issues of size and scale for farms transitioning to organic certification, this study aims to elucidate the variables that predict whether farmers sell directly to consumers or through indirect methods such as food hubs, wholesalers, schools, and other institutions. Using a mailed survey to West Virginian farmers, this research attempted to better understand the similarities and differences between farms that produce specialty crops and animal products geared for local distribution via direct- and non-direct-to-consumer method of distribution. The goal of this research was to highlight variables that may affect the scaling of operations to include distribution methods beyond direct-to-consumer. To this end, a postal survey was sent to a list of West Virginia farmers focused on local distribution: specialty crop and animal producers were the focus of our list development. A total of 219 participants responded to the survey (29.2% response rate). After cleaning the dataset for the current analysis, 190 surveys were deemed useable. Regression analysis of survey data found that farmers selling through only direct-to-consumer strategies were more concerned about how their farming practices affected the environment, the production of high quality foods, and health risks associated with chemical usage; they were also more willing to try new methods than their non-direct counterparts. Additionally, higher levels of economic dependence on items such as costs of credit, loan availability, etc. was also a significant variable in predicting distribution type. Finally, our results indicate that farmers who are distributing food through non-direct means are demographically distinct from their local-only counterparts on a number of measures, including, most critically: educational attainment (−), acres farmed (+), and length of family ownership (+). Taken together, these variables point to access to land and capital as determinants of scale and marketing strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic certification provides an opportunity for crop farmers to improve their viability and reduce the environmental impacts of commodity grain production, yet farmers have only transitioned to organic certification on less than five percent of US farmland. We focus on land tenure as a barrier to wider adoption of organic certification in the Midwest state of Indiana, where 50 % of farmland is rented. Addressing the lack of research on the relationship between tenant farmers and their non-operating landowners, we show how these relationships affect the adoption of conservation practices. Presenting findings from a survey and 30 in-depth interviews with conventional, transitioning, and organic farmers in Indiana, we show significant differences in land tenure arrangements for farmers certified and transitioning to organic compared to farmers only using conventional practices. We contextualize tenant-landlord relationship dynamics across the spectrum of practice adoption, illustrating how land tenure arrangements shape conservation management decision making. Our findings illustrate the barriers and opportunities to adoption of organic certification, given the variability in landowners' interest in organic certification. While conventional tenant farmers described long-term rental relationships characterized by a sense of trust, the high level of competition for access to rented farmland exerted pressure on them to conform to perceived norms about farming practices and avoid consideration of more risky and less socially acceptable or familiar conservation practices, for fear of losing their landlord's confidence and trust. • Land tenure constrains adoption of organic certification on rented land in Midwest. • Relationship between tenant farmers and non-operating landowners affects conservation. • Dynamics of land tenure shape conservation management decision making. • Competition for rented land constrains conservation adoption. • Norms about the appearance of crops constrains conservation adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the United States, the amount of land protected by conservation easements dramatically increased between 2000 and 2010. As this mechanism for private land conservation continues to draw the attention of scientists, professionals, and policy makers, more information is needed on the landowner motivations and the variables affecting the placement of conservation easements. We surveyed landowners in the Midwest who had placed conservation easements on their properties in order to explore how nine various motive-values and exogenous variables, such as land characteristics and demographics, affected the decision to place conservation easements. The results suggested that those receiving monetary benefits from their land indicated were less likely to adopt a conservation easement without the accompanying financial incentives and did not share the same level of environmental motives as those receiving predominantly non-monetary benefits. In addition, absentee landowners appear less affected by financial incentives than those with permanent residences on or adjacent to the protected properties. Overall, our findings demonstrate the variation in motive-values of those receiving monetary vs. non-monetary benefits from their land, as well as highlight the differences in absentee vs. permanent landowners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the significant life experiences (SLE) of individuals who had placed conservation easements on private property. Specifically, this study explored how early life experiences may impact ones conservation ethic to effect decisions on land protection. The researchers utilized a sequential embedded mixed methods research design, relying on both qualitative and quantitative data in order to develop an understanding of the phenomenon. All participants for ihi~ study were individuals who had placed a conservation easement on her or his property in lndi~nia. The mixed method analysis indicates that individual and infom~al experiences in and about the outdoors had the greatest perceived impact and were significantly dift~rent than more formalized experiences among the study's participants. The discussion focuses on the impact of informal experiences in the outdoors and the impact on the sell-perceived development of conservation ethics as significant life experiences pertaining to conservation behavior and the placing of conservation easements. Implications of this exploratory study arc discussed as they pertain to practitioners and scholars alike. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]