Domain general learning: Infants use social and non-social cues when learning object statistics.

Previous research has shown that infants can learn from social cues. But is a social cue more effective at directing learning than a non-social cue? This study investigated whether 9-month-old infants (N = 55) could learn a visual statistical regularity in the presence of a distracting visual sequence when attention was directed by either a social cue (a person) or a non-social cue (a rectangle). The results show that both social and non-social cues can guide infants' attention to a visual shape sequence (and away from a distracting sequence). The social cue more effectively directed attention than the non-social cue during the familiarization phase, but the social cue did not result in significantly stronger learning than the non-social cue. The findings suggest that domain general attention mechanisms allow for the comparable learning seen in both conditions

Screening of Irish Fruit and Vegetable Germplasm for Novel Anti-tumour and Pesticidal Compounds

Conference paperPhytochemicals are a rich source of novel therapeutic and insecticidal agents (McLaughlin and Chang, 1999). Considerable research effort has been directed at screening exotic and medicinal plants in the search for novel products. However, plants which have traditional food uses have been little explored. In addition the range, type and level of individual bioactive compounds can vary significantly between different species, different cultivars of the same species and different tissue types of the plant (Reilly, in press) Therefore, the objective of this study was to screen a range of fruits and vegetables which can be grown in Ireland for novel bioactive compounds for use in food production and as bio-pesticides.The author wishes to acknowledge the financial support from the Dublin Institute of Technology through an ABBEST fellowshi

Parent Anxiety Causes and Consequences: Perspectives from Camp Program Providers

Although out-of-school time experiences such as camp contribute to youth development, youth in-volvement in these developmental experiences is largely dependent on parents who determine which activities are appropriate for their children. A contributing factor to parents’ decisions to send their child to camp is the amount of risk and non-clinical anxiety that parents associate with the camp experience, yet little attention has been paid to these issues, particularly from the perspective of camp program providers. It is unclear to what extent parent anxiety is an operational and pro-grammatic concern for camp program providers. Informed by risk perception and parent involve-ment theories, this study explores (1) causes of parent anxiety from the perspective of camp pro-gram providers; (2) operational and programmatic consequences associated with the management of parent anxiety; and (3) camp program practices used to reduce parent anxiety. Data were collect-ed from a sample of 248 camp program providers who completed an online survey that included open-ended questions related to perceptions and observations of parent anxiety, as well as strate-gies used to manage parents. Content analysis was used to code the data and to construct themes. Constructed themes suggested that parent anxiety is associated with parent-child separation, limited parent camp experience, lack of parent trust, the expression of overparenting behaviors, fear of lack of safety, and insufficient preparation. Constructed themes associated with operational or program-matic changes indicated that camp program providers use a range of strategies to reduce parent anxiety, broadly summarized as communication, staffing, access, and education. Implications for practice and future directions are explored

Competition Climbing as Serious Leisure

Serious Leisure has received considerable attention in the leisure research for the past forty years. Building on recent efforts to operationalize serious leisure constructs, this study examined the relationship between serious leisure characteristics and rewards in the context of indoor competition climbing, a sport recognized as a potential serious leisure pursuit. The purposes of the study were to validate the 18-item Serious Leisure Inventory Measure (SLIM) as well as the three-factor model of serious leisure proposed by previous researchers. A national sample of 646 indoor competition climbers completed a 59-item survey. Results suggest partial validation of the 18-Item SLIM and a three factor model of serious leisure characteristics and rewards. Serious leisure characteristics significantly, positively contributed to personal and social rewards in the structural model, confirming the relationships and distinctions between these constructs. Further replication and validation of the 18-Item SLIM with different populations is recommended

Measuring Self-Reported Fidelity in Experiential Education: Exploring the Effectiveness of the Facilitator Characteristics and Program Contributions Scale

Social science researchers have called for evidenced based practices when implementing, delivering, and evaluating programs. One important component of these practices is to monitor program implementation. However, in experiential education and more broadly the social sciences this process is rarely assessed or evaluated; when it is assessed it is frequently resource intensive. As such, program providers have needed an implementation measurement approach more conducive to low-resource organizations. This paper introduces a self-report mechanism to measure facilitator characteristics that contribute to delivering a program as designed. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of 121 program facilitator responses to the Facilitator Characteristics and Program Contributions Scale (FCPC) indicated that the FCPC is a valid and reliable measure of facilitator characteristics and their pro-fidelity beliefs, and thus may be a promising alternative to other resource intensive approaches to implementation assessment

The Cooperative Extension Program Development Model: Adapting to a Changing Context

For over 100 years, Cooperative Extension in the United States has used a consistently articulated program development model including program planning, design and implementation, and evaluation that involves stakeholders in the process. This issue of the Journal of Human Sciences and Extension examines the history and evolution of the program development model for successful Extension work and adaptations to that model that have emerged due to the changing educational context. This issue provides information on how elements of the model have changed over the last 100 years; delves into contemporary issues and challenges; and provides important analysis, implications, lessons learned, and applications for current and future success of Extension programs. In this article, we provide a definition of a program, the rationale for using a program development model in Extension work, the Extension Program Development Model, other program development models used by Extension professionals, and the changing context surrounding Extension work that impacts the Program Development Model

Looking Ahead: Envisioning the Future of the Extension Program Development Model

This article synthesizes key points from this special issue of the Journal of Human Sciences and Extension and provides recommendations for and predictions about the evolution of the Extension Program Development Model. A foundational question addressed by each of the authors of this special issue and summarized in this chapter is, “If your recommendations regarding the Extension Program Development Model were followed, what would Extension look like in five years?

Substrate Profiling and Aldehyde Dismutase Activity of the Kvβ2 Subunit of the Mammalian Kv1 Potassium Channel

Voltage-dependent potassium channels (Kv) are involved in various cellular signalling processes by governing the membrane potential of excitable cells. The cytosolic face of these α subunit-containing channels is associated with β subunits that can modulate channel responses. Surprisingly, the β subunit of the mammalian Kv1 channels, Kvβ2, has a high level of sequence homology with the aldo-keto reductase (AKR) superfamily of proteins. Recent studies have shown that Kvβ2 can catalyze the reduction of aldehydes and, most significantly, that channel function is modulated when Kvβ2-bound NADPH is concomitantly oxidized. As a result, the redox chemistry of this subunit is crucial to understanding its role in K+ channel modulation. The present study has extended knowledge of the substrate profile of this subunit using a single turnover fluorimetric assay. Kvβ2 was found to catalyse the reduction of aromatic aldehyde substrates such as 2, 3 and 4-nitrobenzaldehydes, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, pyridine 2-aldehyde and benzaldehyde. The presence of an electron withdrawing group at the position para to the aldehyde in aromatic compounds facilitated reduction. Aliphatic aldehydes proved to be poor substrates. We devised a simple HPLC-based assay to identify Kvβ2 reaction products. Using this assay we showed, for the first time, that Kvβ2 can catalyze a slow aldehyde dismutation reaction using 4-nitrobenzaldehyde as substrate and have identified the products of this reaction. The ability of Kvβ2 to carry out both an aldehyde reduction and a dismutation reaction is discussed in the light of current thinking on the role of redox chemistry in channel modulation

Values and Decision-Making: Introducing the Public Servant Values Questionnaire to Recreation Administrators

Public service values and decision-making have been major sources of discourse and scholarship in the public administration discipline broadly, but have received little attention in the field of public recreation administration specifically. This paper investigates current literature on public service values and recommends the public service values approach as a tool to help recreation professionals make sense of and justify administrative decisions. The paper also demonstrates the utility of the public service values questionnaire by investigating the role public service values play in predicting choices made in a simulated recreation decision-making scenario. A sample of 1,608 individuals were asked to decide whether or not they would close a recreation center in a value-laden context. The findings suggested that the majority of individuals would not close the recreation center, given the specified criteria, and that values such as loyalty, advocacy, and rule of law influenced their decision. The authors recommend further study of the public service values approach as well as continued discussion of the role of values in public recreation administration settings