Collaboration in Campus-Wide Internationalization Initiatives: A Case Study of the BEYOND Initiative at Ferris State University

The purpose of this study is to explore how the collaboration of stakeholders across a college campus influences the success of a campus-wide internationalization initiative. A case study analysis was conducted to provide insight into collaboration efforts in a campus-wide internationalization initiative. Faculty and staff who have been involved with the BEYOND Initiative at Ferris State University (FSU) were surveyed to gauge their perspectives on the level of collaborative development within the initiative. Kezar’s (2005) model of collaboration development and Knight’s (2008) definitions of internationalization and internationalization “at home” provide a framework for this study. The findings were analyzed on the basis of collaboration as the foundation of internationalization, using Kezar’s (2005) three stages of collaboration development: building commitment to collaboration, commitment to collaboration, and sustaining collaboration. This study determined that the BEYOND Initiative at FSU has fulfilled partial elements of each of the three stages of collaboration development. The initiative has not moved past the first stage, building commitment to collaboration, since not all of the elements within the first stage have been fully satisfied. Therefore, the internationalization efforts of the initiative have not yet been entirely successful. Suggestions for reaching sustainability in collaboration, leading to success in internationalization efforts of the initiative, are provided, as well as recommendations for further research. This study produced a valuable case for other institutions that desire to assess collaboration in internationalization efforts

Trade-offs between multiple ecosystem services in UK and US salt marshes

Salt marshes supply vital ecosystem services (ES), providing material goods and recreation space, regulating natural hazards, and supporting diverse wildlife. However, increases in the utilisation of one ES can lead to reductions or ‘trade-offs’ in others. Because salt marshes are commonly used for grazing livestock, it is important to understand how this grazing impacts the saltmarsh ecosystem, and the consequences for ES supply. This thesis (i) uses a global meta-analysis to investigate the effects of livestock grazing on saltmarsh properties, and finds multiple significant changes to soil, vegetation and fauna properties. The meta-analysis reveals that the response of soil carbon is context dependent – there is no effect in Europe but a reduction in the Americas. (ii) Extensive surveys of soil carbon in grazed and ungrazed US marshes, controlling for key covariates, confirm that grazing trades-off against carbon storage in US marshes. These observational surveys, together with 18-month experimental exclusion of horses from a salt marsh in Georgia, show that grazing also disrupts the plant community in US marshes, but has little effect on resident invertebrates. (iii) Focussing on bees in salt marshes, a three-year study in south Wales, UK shows that grazing trades-off against bee habitat by reducing the flower cover of two key food plants, and that increases in plant diversity with grazing do not compensate for this negative effect. (iv) Spatial analyses of seven saltmarsh ES supplied by an estuary complex in south Wales show that marshes are not achieving their potential as a bee habitat here, due to the predominance of grazing. These analyses also show that the provision of ES by salt marshes is spatially heterogeneous, dependent on management, size and location. As a whole, this thesis adds to the understanding of grazer impacts and ES trade-offs, and supplies crucial data to support evidence-based management of salt marshes

Unique and Overlapping Actions of Type I and III IFNs in Influenza A Virus Infection and Implications for Therapy

Influenza A virus (IAV) poses a significant public health burden. Severe disease is characterised by infected lung airway epithelial cells (AECs), inflammation and tissue damage. However, disease severity differs between individuals and this cannot be entirely explained by inter-individual differences in pre-existing immunity or comorbidities. Host-specific, genetically determined factors must contribute to susceptibility. Type I interferon (IFNαβ) is known to have antiviral function in vitro, but its role in restricting IAV infection in vivo is controversial. We demonstrate that responsiveness to IFNαβ signalling is a host-specific determinant with protective or pathogenic potential which determines the severity of IAV-induced disease. IAV infected 129, CBA/J and DBA mouse strains showed dramatically increased mortality and lung damage, yet higher levels of pulmonary IFNαβ, compared to C57BL/6 or BALB/C mice. Ablation of IFNαβR signalling in 129 mice markedly reduced mortality, levels of proinflammatory cytokines, inflammatory cell recruitment and AEC apoptosis. Susceptibility to IAV-induced disease is influenced by the number of functional alleles for the IFNαβR subunit, IFNAR1, within the genome. IFNAR1+/-(129) mice were less susceptible than wild type 129s yet more so than IFNαβR-/-(129) mice. Conversely, triplication of a section of murine chromosome 16 that includes IFNAR1 in C57BL/6 mice enhanced IFNα response to IAV infection and downstream immunopathology. Finally, IFNα therapy of infected B6. A2G-Mxl mice reduced IAV titers, yet increased secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, innate cell recruitment and AEC apoptosis in the lung, due to the potent immunostimulatory capability to IFNα. In contrast, treatment with IFNλ, whose receptor is largely restricted to AECs, promoted IAV control without exacerbating IAV-induced inflammation. Thus, by manipulating the IFNαβ signal in various ways, we demonstrate that excessive IFNαβ in IAV infection can increase AEC death and enhance proinflammatory responses that ultimately increase disease severity. Our findings have important implications for prediction and treatment of severe influenza

Manual-assisted cognitive therapy for self-harm in personality disorder and substance misuse: a feasibility trial

<b>Aims and method</b> To assess the feasibility of conducting a larger, definitive randomised controlled trial of manual-assisted cognitive therapy (MACT), a brief focused therapy to address self-harm and promote engagement in services. We established recruitment, randomisation and assessment of outcome within a sample of these complex patients admitted to a general hospital following self-harm. We assessed symptoms of depressed mood, anxiety and suicidality at baseline and at 3 months’ follow-up.<p></p> <b>Results</b> Twenty patients were randomised to the trial following an index episode of self-harm, and those allocated to MACT demonstrated improvement in anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation.<p></p> <b>Clinical implications</b> It is feasible to recruit a sample of these complex patients to a randomised controlled trial of MACT following an index episode of self-harm. There is preliminary support that MACT could be an acceptable and effective intervention in patients with personality disorder and substance misuse

Editorial

No AbstractPeer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/56178/1/7_ftp.pd

Human spinal cord in vitro differentiation pace is initially maintained in heterologous embryonic environments

Species-specific differentiation pace in vitro indicates that some aspects of neural differentiation are governed by cell intrinsic properties. Here we describe a novel in vitro human neural-rosette assay that recapitulates dorsal spinal cord differentiation but proceeds more rapidly than in the human embryo, suggesting that it lacks endogenous signalling dynamics. To test whether in vitro conditions represent an intrinsic differentiation pace, human iPSC-derived neural rosettes were challenged by grafting into the faster differentiating chicken embryonic neural tube iso-chronically, or hetero-chronically into older embryos. In both contexts in vitro differentiation pace was initially unchanged, while long-term analysis revealed iso-chronic slowed and hetero-chronic conditions promoted human neural differentiation. Moreover, hetero-chronic conditions did not alter the human neural differentiation programme, which progressed to neurogenesis, while the host embryo advanced into gliogenesis. This study demonstrates that intrinsic properties limit human differentiation pace, and that timely extrinsic signals are required for progression through an intrinsic human neural differentiation programme

Were Children Left Behind? Essays on the Impact of No Child Left Behind on State Policy and School Closure

Since 2002, the rules and regulations of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act have dictated state and local education policy, influenced state and local reform efforts, and led to significant investments in building the capacity of state and local education agencies to meet its mandates. Using a nationally comprehensive data set on school- and student subgroup-level NCLB outcomes, these three studies are the first national studies exploring the ways in which state officials’ interpretations of NCLB policy led to significant cross-state variation in school and subgroup outcomes across the country. I also investigate the extent to which NCLB accountability pressures and incentive structures led state and local officials to use school closure as a remedy for schools’ persistence poor performance. I conduct the latter analysis for all U.S. public schools and separately for a subset of U.S. public schools, all U.S. charters schools, in order to account for the idiosyncrasies of charter school governance and oversight. I find that significant cross-state variation in the share of schools identified as “failing” according to NCLB rules can largely be explained by variation in states’ NCLB implementation decisions, and that schools determined to have “failed” according to NCLB rules are more likely to close than schools that never “failed.” For all public schools and for charter schools only, a school determined to have “failed” according to NCLB rules is significantly more likely to close than a school determined to have never “failed.” Combined, these studies provide insight into the ways in which states’ NCLB implementation decisions had significant and lasting impact on school outcomes and state and local reforms

Professional soccer practitioners’ perceptions of using performance analysis technology to monitor technical and tactical player characteristics within an academy environment: A category 1 club case study

This study aimed to identify professional soccer practitioners’ perceptions of the application of performance analysis technology within a single academy club. Secondary aims were to understand the importance that practitioners place on monitoring technical and tactical player characteristics, current practices, and barriers to implementing wearable technology. Utilising a mixed method design, forty-four professional soccer academy practitioners (Age= 32 ± 5.8; Years of experience= 8.5 ± 6.2) completed an online survey intended to examine present trends, professional practices, and perceptions regarding the monitoring of technical and tactical metrics. Frequency and percentages of responses for individual items were calculated. Subsequently, eleven participants who were directly involved with the monitoring of players were recruited to participate in a semi-structured interview. Interview data was transcribed and analysed using a combination of deductive and inductive approaches to identify key themes. The main findings across both phases of the study were that (1) technical and tactical metrics are monitored more frequently in matches (Technical: 89%; tactical: 91%) than training (Technical: 80%; Tactical 64%), predominantly due to time constraints and staffing numbers. Accordingly, practitioners believe that it would be beneficial to have an automated way of tracking technical (79%) and tactical (71%) metrics and would consider using a foot-mounted IMU to do so (technical (68%) and tactical (57%)). (2) Monitoring technical and tactical metrics is beneficial to assist with player development and to enrich feedback provision (3) Key stake holders, coaches and players should be informed of the relevance and rationale for monitoring. (4) For successful implementation and continued uptake, the information delivered needs to be both meaningful and easy to understand. Findings suggest that although participants appreciate the need to collect technical and tactical metrics, they are keen to ensure that wearable-derived data does not replace experiential and contextual knowledge. Accordingly, practitioners need to work closely with coaches to determine the contexts in which metrics may or may not prove useful. However, as the sample comprised of participants from a single academy, further studies including more practitioners are warranted. Likewise, future research could also extend to include academy soccer players perceptions too