Building an Institutional Repository in Hard Times

This poster presents an overview of an exploratory research initiative to examine and assess the viability of developing an institutional repository system at a teaching-oriented four-year university with minimal monetary commitment. A need has been identified for an institutional repository and necessary steps have been taken to implement it. Several departments worked together to create a prototype Institutional Repository using DSpace, an open source repository software. This repository represents a unique endeavor, in that it has been instituted at a non-research based university and has chosen to involve students in the planning, design, implementation, and documentation stages of the project. In addition, the university\u27s Library Science students will also be involved in creating and maintaining collections. This poster focuses on the steps taken to set up and the plans to maintain a quality Institutional Repository at Valdosta State University without placing a large demand on the institution\u27s resources

Facilitating a positive transition:A case study exploring the factors that support social, emotional and mental wellbeing from primary to secondary school

The transition from primary school to secondary school can be a difficult time for young people, yet little is known about what schools do to support the social, emotional and mental wellbeing (SEMWB) of their pupils during this period. The purpose of this research is to explore the ways in which an urban Scottish secondary school and two of its local feeder primary schools attempt to support their pupils’ SEMWB as they make this transition. A case study design was adopted to create a rich and situated account of teachers’ experiences and perceptions about transition approaches through semi structured interviews. Participants were teachers in the secondary school, a large primary school serving a relatively affluent area and a smaller primary school in a more diverse, less affluent area. Thematic analysis of the data, led to the identification of three inter-connected themes underpinning the ability of schools to support their pupils’ transition effectively: positive relationships, positive communities and positive environments. This suggests that teachers adopt a broadly socio-ecological perspective, viewing transition as a multi-faceted process, in which not only individual pupil characteristics but also social, cultural and relational factors are important. However, within this broad framework, teachers’ precise understanding of SEMWB varied within and across contexts, suggesting the importance of leadership and of a shared understanding, both within each school and across a cluster of schools. Teachers should also be supported to evaluate their initiatives and the impact these have on transition.</p

Distribution of giardia duodenalis assemblages A and B among children living in a remote Indigenous Community of the Northern Territory, Australia

Giardiasis is a communicable gastrointestinal disease caused by Giardia duodenalis and two genetic assemblages, A and B, cause human infection. In remote Indigenous communities of Australia, giardiasis is highly prevalent among children but disease transmission is poorly understood. This study investigated the prevalence of Giardia and genetic subtypes contributing to human disease in a remote Indigenous community, in the Northern Territory of Australia. Eighty-seven faecal samples were collected from 74 children (&lt;15 years) over an 18 month period, and the distribution of positive cases relative to participant age and gender were examined. Screening by microscopy and 18S rRNA PCR amplification showed 66.7% (58/87) of faecal samples were positive for Giardia. Both males and females were equally affected and high detection rates were obtained for participants aged 0&ndash;&lt;5 years and 5&ndash;&lt;10 years (66.0 and 60.0% respectively). For 58.6% of the positive samples, Giardia was only detected by 18S rRNA PCR. Approximately 75% of cases were assemblage B, and subassemblage analyses using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism of the glutamate dehydrogenase gene demonstrated that a variety of genetic variants were present. The high proportion of positive cases that were not detectable by microscopy, and dominance of assemblage B cases highlights the need for further research in this community, to assess the contribution of Giardia to chronic gastrointestinal disease among children, and to understand conditions conductive to assemblage B transmission

Student engagement and voice in higher education: students’ perceptions

There has been intense debate about student engagement and student voice in institutions of higher education in the past decade or so. Most of the discussion has been theoretical or based on a cause-and-effect research design. With the aim of gathering student perspectives on student voice and its related mechanisms, this study collected the voice of 13 students, the majority of whom were international students, from one UK university. Participants include undergraduate (n=1), postgraduate taught (n=7), and PhD (n=5) students who voluntarily agreed to have an online interview with the researcher, a PhD intern of the Student Voice team. Findings indicate that participants have an overall positive and supportive view of student voice mechanisms at this institution, although some understandings are not adequate or accurate. Participants’ attitudes towards some commonly used communication channels indicate that they prioritise an interactive and dynamic tool to initiate dialogue with the university. Suggestions are put forward for managerial strategies for a sustainable and inclusive student voice mechanism.

Sex &amp; Gender: An archaeological analysis of rock art of the northwest Kimberley

The study of rock art throughout the world has recently taken a retrospective view of the theoretical approaches traditionally adopted in its analysis and reporting. This has been triggered principally by feminist arguments that much of the ethnographical and anthropological scholarship was largely male centric. Reviewing existing data generated by both male and female researchers revealed that a Eurocentric and androcentric reporting was endemic and this stimulated new approaches. The cry was for 'women to be placed back in the picture' and the pendulum swing was impressive. Feminist advocates had their day with 'gender' taking front of stage. This was a healthy reaction to its absence and has resulted in analysis of feminist issues been absorbed into recent mainstream archaeological research. However, it is now time for a more considered approach to be taken where the male, female and other are considered and are given equivalent attention

Soothing signals: transplacental transmission of resistance to asthma and allergy

The progressive rise in the prevalence of allergic diseases since the 1970s is widely attributed to diminished exposure to microbial stimuli, resulting in dysregulated immune functions during early life. Most studies investigating the mechanism behind this phenomenon have focused on postnatal microbial exposure. But emerging evidence suggests that such programming may also occur in the developing fetus as a result of microbial stimulation of the pregnant mother

Using DTAGs to understand sound use, behavior, and vessel and associated noise effects in Southern Resident killer whales

Prey availability and disturbance from vessels and noise are identified threats to the recovery of endangered Southern Resident killer whales. Vessels and noise can mask echolocation signals used to capture fish prey and/or disrupt foraging behavior with implications for energy acquisition. In the U.S., vessel regulations have been implemented since 2011 to protect killer whales from vessel disturbance, particularly given the extent of whale-watching activities in the Salish Sea. We utilized suction cup-attached digital acoustic recording tags (DTAGs), consisting of hydrophones and movement sensors, to measure received noise levels, understanding killer whale use of sound, and determine effects of vessels and noise on subsurface behavior. During the 29 tag deployments on individually identified killer whales, we collected detailed geo-referenced vessel data concurrently as conditions allowed, along with opportunistic observations of predation to validate feeding. Received noise levels (dB re 1microPa) were significantly different across years but not consistently lower after the implementation of vessel regulations. Of the vessel factors considered, both vessel count and speed, but not distance, explained differences in noise levels, which may reflect changes in whale-watching vessel practices after regulations implementation. Additionally, the analysis of data from these animal-borne tags allow us to better understand subsurface foraging behavior involving the use of sound, to quantify foraging rates at an individual level, and to understand detailed vessel and noise effects. The results, along with those of other related studies, inform conservation and management measures that aim to promote Southern Resident recovery

Quantitative PCR-based genome size estimation of the astigmatid mites Sarcoptes scabiei, Psoroptes ovis and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus

Background: The lack of genomic data available for mites limits our understanding of their biology. Evolving high-throughput sequencing technologies promise to deliver rapid advances in this area, however, estimates of genome size are initially required to ensure sufficient coverage. Methods. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to estimate the genome sizes of the burrowing ectoparasitic mite Sarcoptes scabiei, the non-burrowing ectoparasitic mite Psoroptes ovis, and the free-living house dust mite Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus. Additionally, the chromosome number of S. scabiei was determined by chromosomal spreads of embryonic cells derived from single eggs. Results: S. scabiei cells were shown to contain 17 or 18 small (< 2 M) chromosomes, suggesting an XO sex-determination mechanism. The average estimated genome sizes of S. scabiei and P. ovis were 96 ( 7) Mb and 86 ( 2) Mb respectively, among the smallest arthropod genomes reported to date. The D. pteronyssinus genome was estimated to be larger than its parasitic counterparts, at 151 Mb in female mites and 218 Mb in male mites. Conclusions: This data provides a starting point for understanding the genetic organisation and evolution of these astigmatid mites, informing future sequencing projects. A comparitive genomic approach including these three closely related mites is likely to reveal key insights on mite biology, parasitic adaptations and immune evasion