Pearl Harvesting Autism

This thesis addresses the difficulties of on-line information searching as it relates to the topic of autism. A review of existing search strategies is presented and their limitations are discussed. A new method for deriving a set of search-terms for comprehensive searching, Pearl Harvesting, was tested here to determine the necessary search terms (i.e., synonym ring) for ERIC and PsycINFO databases. Once discovered and validated, a synonym ring can be copied and pasted directly into the search box of the database, providing a simple, thorough and time saving way of conducting on-line research in the field. This easily used method is applicable for use by professionals across disciplines. Specific characteristics of the ERIC and PsycINFO databases are discussed and conclusions are presented in relation to Pearl Harvesting

Creating a Comprehensive Search Strategy for Research on Learning Disabilities Using the Pearl Harvesting Information Retrieval Framework

The migration of libraries to the digital realm has created new opportunities for information sharing; however, the abundance of available literature has made locating relevant research studies on specific learning disabilities a difficult task, one that existing search strategies have not adequately addressed. Moreover, definitions of specific learning disabilities have evolved and the nature of this field is interdisciplinary, creating a confusion of possible search terms for the topic. The present investigation used the Pearl Harvesting Information Retrieval Framework to create a comprehensive search strategy for locating research on learning disabilities. The analysis produced four groups of harvested search terms for the subtopics of general learning disabilities, reading disabilities, math disabilities, and nonverbal learning disabilities. The wide range of diverse search terms retrieved a significantly greater number of relevant citations than other search strategies

Professional collaboration in searching the evidence for an ill‐defined concept

This paper outlines the inter‐professional collaboration of the authors, a PhD student, his supervisor and an information professional, to systematically search the literature for an ill‐defined concept. The research question posed for the scoping literature review indicated that the topic, the subjective socio‐economic status and health of adults with intellectual disabilities, was rare. The need for a methodological search process was therefore identified and successfully carried out. The paper presents an analysis of the processes and the collaboration involved in developing a successful search strategy. The resulting transformative learning by the researcher of the professional practice of the information specialist illuminates their facilitating and supportive role in advancing health related research

Using a Pearl Harvested Synonym Ring for the Creation of a Digital Index on Giftedness

This thesis examined the use of a pearl harvested synonym ring in the creation of a digital index on the subject of giftedness, with the goal of better defining the available information in the field and facilitating information retrieval. The pearl harvested synonym ring was used in the retrieval of citations relating to giftedness in the ERIC database. A content analysis of these citations provided the list of topics that would form the basis of a digital index. When the topics retrieved using the pearl harvested synonym ring were compared to the indices of two textbooks on gifted education, they were found to be more comprehensive and better representative of the field. The results of this study have potential implications in the improvement of digital indexing techniques, better understanding of academic fields of study, and creating a standard procedure for scoping reviews

FROM HIS-STORY TO HER-STORY: THE EVOLUTION OF THE PSYCHO- EDUCATIONAL CONCEPT OF THE GIFTED FEMALE

The present study asked the question: Why does the psycho-educational concept of the ‘gifted female’ exist? In an effort to determine why the gifted female came to be a separate category within the field of educational psychology, the pearl harvesting information retrieval method (Sandieson, Kirkpatrick, Sandieson, & Zimmerman, 2010) was employed to gather extensive literature about gifted females. Academic literature and research about gifted females from the past 100 years was collected and analyzed in a chronological format. . : It was found that literature about the gifted female fell into five chronological phases. Phase I of gifted female literature focused on the absence of eminent women and the revelation of gifted females and gifted males possessing equal intellectual abilities. Based on the previous research of Phase I, Phase If discussed and acknowledged that gifted females were a type of ‘problem’ due to their masculine behaviours. Following Phase II, Phase III transitioned from viewing the gifted female as a problem to, instead, viewing her external surroundings as preventing her from excelling. In response to the identification of these numerous barriers, Phase IV then presented a variety of curricular and educational modifications that could be used to help gifted females become successful. Finally, Phase V, the most current phase, critiques the approaches and goals that educational psychologists have developed for gifted females

The crown pearl: a draft genome assembly of the European freshwater pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritifera (Linnaeus, 1758)

Since historical times, the inherent human fascination with pearls turned the freshwater pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritifera (Linnaeus, 1758) into a highly valuable cultural and economic resource. Although pearl harvesting in M. margaritifera is nowadays residual, other human threats have aggravated the species conservation status, especially in Europe. This mussel presents a myriad of rare biological features, e.g. high longevity coupled with low senescence and Doubly Uniparental Inheritance of mitochondrial DNA, for which the underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly known. Here, the first draft genome assembly of M. margaritifera was produced using a combination of Illumina Paired-end and Mate-pair approaches. The genome assembly was 2.4 Gb long, possessing 105,185 scaffolds and a scaffold N50 length of 288,726 bp. The ab initio gene prediction allowed the identification of 35,119 protein-coding genes. This genome represents an essential resource for studying this species' unique biological and evolutionary features and ultimately will help to develop new tools to promote its conservation.A.G.-d.-S. was funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the grants SFRH/BD/137935/2018, EF (CEECIND/00627/2017) and MLL (2020.03608.CEECIND). This research was developed under ConBiomics: the missing approach for the Conservation of freshwater Bivalves Project No. NORTE-01-0145-FEDER- 030286, co-financed by COMPETE 2020, Portugal 2020 and the European Union through the ERDF, and by FCT through national funds. Additional strategic funding was provided by FCT UIDB/04423/2020 and UIDP/04423/2020. Authors’ interaction and writing of the article was promoted and facilitated by the COST Action CA18239: CONFREMU—Conservation of freshwater mussels: a pan- European approach.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The body shop

The Body Shop is a body of work made up of reinterpreted machines and products used to pursue our ideal self. My sculptures, including Moist-Erratic, All-in-Wall, The Body Bits Variety Pack, Snares Hair-Care, and others are all available for an individual’s usage at The Body Shop. For a maker to create a handmade object in a time where so many things are mass-produced motivates me to think of something new and novel. Upon this foundation, the danger lies in narcissism: ‘I am a want to be inventor that creates new and exciting products; and also an artist by virtue of my creations.’ I absorb contemporary cultural products through the lens of a maker; it is how I ration what is important and what is fluff. In the act of making, I experience similar satisfaction to that of owning and using a new product

Reachiing for the Heavens

The Burj Khalifa, located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was crowned by the Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) as the tallest structure built by man. So striking was the achievement that the CTBUH, in their yearly awards ceremony, created a special category titled Global Icon to do justice for the achievement