Perceived cognitive and affective growth among university students in a service learning class

"The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceived cognitive and affective growth among university students in a service learning class. In addition, the study also examined the perceived facilitators and the challenges and barriers to the service learning and mentoring process. Participants were students enrolled in ESS 519 during the spring semester of 2003. During the first class meeting for ESS 519, all students completed a demographic questionnaire which included information regarding the student's service experience (e.g. community service, other service learning experiences), their class year and contact information. Students who met the following three criteria were invited to participate in the current study. The three criteria are: (a) no prior enrollment in ESS 519, (b) less than one month of any type of service experience, and (c) low self-reported scores on the pre-course knowledge questionnaire. The pre-course knowledge questionnaire was designed by the researcher to establish a baseline of knowledge for each participant about the five main curriculum areas taught in ESS 519. The five main curriculum areas were: (a) underserved and at-risk youth, (b) developing cross-cultural competences, (c) poverty and the impact on schooling and learning, (d) resiliency among youth, and (e) goal setting. Four students in ESS 519 met the study criteria. All four participated in the study. Data were collected from the participants throughout the course of the semester. There were five data sources for this study. The five data sources were: (a) pre and post-course knowledge questionnaires, (b) mentor journal sheets, (c) in-class reflections, (d) individual interviews, and (e) a focus group interview. Each participant reported an increase in their cognitive growth in all five curriculum areas. Perceptions of cognitive were deductively analyzed based on the five main curriculum detailed above. Each participant report differing levels of affective growth based on several factors. Each participant's perceptions of their affective growth were inductively analyzed based on emerging themes from raw data. In addition, the participants were able to identify the perceived facilitators and barriers and challenges to their service learning and mentoring experience. These were also inductively analyzed based on emerging themes. The cross-case analyses results supported the perceived growth reported by the participants as a result of their service learning experience. This growth was consistent among all of the participants."--Abstract from author supplied metadata

The role of high school coaches in helping prevent adolescent sexual aggression: Part of the solution or part of the problem?

In this qualitative study, we examine whether male high school coaches could effectively serve as advocates or educators for male-focused programs to prevent sexual aggression. We conduct open-ended key informant individual and focus group interviews with high school coaches and administrators. The five themes the authors identified suggest that coaches (a) believe they have influences over athletes, (b) lack education about sexual aggression, (c) endorse rape myths, (d) minimize the problem of sexual aggression, and (e) are resistant to being engaged in sexual aggression prevention. Our results reveal that coaches may need in-depth training on sexual aggression even if they do not want to engage in prevention efforts because they may be transmitting values and beliefs that support and condone sexual aggression of their athletes

The development and initial validation of the Health and Reproductive Survey (HeRS).

Due to the diversity in profiles associated with the female reproductive cycle and their potential physiological and psychological effects, monitoring the reproductive status of exercising females is important from a practical and research perspective. Moreover, as physical activity can influence menstrual function, the effects of physical activity energy expenditure on reproductive function should also be considered. The aim of this study was to develop and establish initial face and content validity of the Health and Reproductive Survey (HeRS) for physically active females, which is a retrospective assessment of menstrual function from menarche (first menstruation) to menopause (cessation of menstruation). Face validity was evaluated qualitatively, and the initial content validity was established through a principal component analysis. The face validity process was completed by 26 females aged 19-67 years and the content validity was established through a survey sent to a convenience sample of 392 females, of which 230 females (57.9% and aged 18-49 years) completed the survey. The revisions made following the face validation improved the understanding, flow, and coherence of the survey. The principal component analysis indicated that, at a minimum, the survey measures these constructs: menstrual cessation and associated moderators, athletic participation and performance levels (as associated with menstruation change and the menstrual cycle), age and menstrual cessation, hormonal contraception ("birth control"), and menarche and associated moderators. The Health and Reproductive Survey (HeRS) is a partially validated tool that can be used by researchers to characterize the menstrual status of physically active females relative to their physical activity status

Status of tree ordinances in South Carolina

In order to support citizens’ efforts to move closer to healthy, stable, and tree-canopied surroundings, it is helpful to know which communities have ordinances and what they are regulating. A number of local governments have faced issues related to drafting and implementing tree ordinances. They know what works well and what doesn’t for their communities, and fortunately, they have been willing to share the information. This study was intended to collect this information in order to enhance awareness of current policy initiatives

Evolutionary comparisons of chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 (ChHV5) genomes from fibropapillomatosis-afflicted green (chelonia mydas), Ooive ridley (lepidochelys olivacea) and kemp’s ridley (lepidochelys kempii) sea turtles

peer-reviewedThe spreading global sea turtle fibropapillomatosis (FP) epizootic is threatening some of Earth’s ancient reptiles, adding to the plethora of threats faced by these keystone species. Understanding this neoplastic disease and its likely aetiological pathogen, chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 (ChHV5), is crucial to understand how the disease impacts sea turtle populations and species and the future trajectory of disease incidence. We generated 20 ChHV5 genomes, from three sea turtle species, to better understand the viral variant diversity and gene evolution of this oncogenic virus. We revealed previously underappreciated genetic diversity within this virus (with an average of 2035 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), 1.54% of the ChHV5 genome) and identified genes under the strongest evolutionary pressure. Furthermore, we investigated the phylogeny of ChHV5 at both genome and gene level, confirming the propensity of the virus to be interspecific, with related variants able to infect multiple sea turtle species. Finally, we revealed unexpected intra-host diversity, with up to 0.15% of the viral genome varying between ChHV5 genomes isolated from different tumours concurrently arising within the same individual. These findings offer important insights into ChHV5 biology and provide genomic resources for this oncogenic viru

Characterization of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic penaeid and rock shrimp fisheries based on observer data

In July 2007, a mandatory Federal observer program was implemented to characterize the U.S. Gulf of Mexico penaeid shrimp (Farfantepenaeus aztecus, F. duorarum, and Litopenaeus setiferus) fishery. In June 2008, the program expanded to include the South Atlantic penaeid and rock shrimp, Sicyonia spp., fisheries. Data collected from 10,206 tows during 5,197 sea days of observations were analyzed by geographical area and target species. The majority of tows (~70%) sampled were off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana. Based on total hours towed, the highest concentrated effort occurred off South Texas and southwestern Florida. Gear information, such as net characteristics, bycatch reduction devices, and turtle excluder devices were fairly consistent among areas and target species. By species categories, finfish comprised the majority (≥57%) of the catch composition in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic penaeid shrimp fisheries, while in the South Atlantic rock shrimp fishery the largest component (41%) was rock shrimp. Bycatch to shrimp ratios were lower than reported in previous studies for the Gulf of Mexico penaeid shrimp fishery. These decreased ratios may be attributed to several factors, notably decreased shrimp effort and higher shrimp catch per unit of effort (CPUE) in recent years. CPUE density surface plots for several species of interest illustrated spatial differences in distribution. Hot Spot Analyses for shrimp (penaeid and rock) and bycatch species identified areas with significant clustering of high or low CPUE values. Spatial and temporal distribution of protected species interactions were documented

Pan-Cancer Analysis of lncRNA Regulation Supports Their Targeting of Cancer Genes in Each Tumor Context

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are commonly dys-regulated in tumors, but only a handful are known toplay pathophysiological roles in cancer. We inferredlncRNAs that dysregulate cancer pathways, onco-genes, and tumor suppressors (cancer genes) bymodeling their effects on the activity of transcriptionfactors, RNA-binding proteins, and microRNAs in5,185 TCGA tumors and 1,019 ENCODE assays.Our predictions included hundreds of candidateonco- and tumor-suppressor lncRNAs (cancerlncRNAs) whose somatic alterations account for thedysregulation of dozens of cancer genes and path-ways in each of 14 tumor contexts. To demonstrateproof of concept, we showed that perturbations tar-geting OIP5-AS1 (an inferred tumor suppressor) andTUG1 and WT1-AS (inferred onco-lncRNAs) dysre-gulated cancer genes and altered proliferation ofbreast and gynecologic cancer cells. Our analysis in-dicates that, although most lncRNAs are dysregu-lated in a tumor-specific manner, some, includingOIP5-AS1, TUG1, NEAT1, MEG3, and TSIX, synergis-tically dysregulate cancer pathways in multiple tumorcontexts

Pan-cancer Alterations of the MYC Oncogene and Its Proximal Network across the Cancer Genome Atlas

Although theMYConcogene has been implicated incancer, a systematic assessment of alterations ofMYC, related transcription factors, and co-regulatoryproteins, forming the proximal MYC network (PMN),across human cancers is lacking. Using computa-tional approaches, we define genomic and proteo-mic features associated with MYC and the PMNacross the 33 cancers of The Cancer Genome Atlas.Pan-cancer, 28% of all samples had at least one ofthe MYC paralogs amplified. In contrast, the MYCantagonists MGA and MNT were the most frequentlymutated or deleted members, proposing a roleas tumor suppressors.MYCalterations were mutu-ally exclusive withPIK3CA,PTEN,APC,orBRAFalterations, suggesting that MYC is a distinct onco-genic driver. Expression analysis revealed MYC-associated pathways in tumor subtypes, such asimmune response and growth factor signaling; chro-matin, translation, and DNA replication/repair wereconserved pan-cancer. This analysis reveals insightsinto MYC biology and is a reference for biomarkersand therapeutics for cancers with alterations ofMYC or the PMN