A critical examination of the effectiveness of faculty-based student learning support

This thesis presents an investigation into the effectiveness of faculty-based student learning support and comprises three volumes. Volume 1 provides an overview of the background literature, research methodology, ethical and reliability considerations linked to two projects whose overarching theme is the support and improvement of the student experience. The overview begins with an outline of the aim of this thesis, followed by a synopsis of the literature concerning student support in higher education and the use of technology to support learners. The methodological framework is then discussed and a brief introduction to the projects is provided. The overview concludes with an exploration of the effectiveness of faculty-based student learning support and the presentation of a new blended approach to the organisation, delivery and typology of advising. This seeks to demonstrate the strength of a blended approach and thus makes a contribution to the practice, theory and method of supporting student learning. Volume 2 discusses the Advice Shop project and considers the processes, methods and ethics of this student learning support. A summary of eight interventions is presented together with details of how the project was subsequently rolled out across the University. A consideration of the organisational model and personnel involved in student advising is also offered. The volume concludes with student and staff feedback and a discussion of how the project aims have been achieved. Evidence of the research output and components of practice relating to Project 1 can be found in Volume2 Part 2. Volume 3 presents a discussion of Project 2 - the use of technology to support learners. The project presents two technology-enhanced interventions - an electronic student attendance monitoring scheme, and the development of two online learner support tools using QuestionMark Perception as the delivery software. The methods and ethical considerations used to establish and implement these interventions are present together with feedback from students and staff. The volume concludes with a discussion of how the aims of the project have been achieved. Evidence of the research output and components of practice relating to Project 2 can be found in Volume 3 Part 2

Society of Behavioral Medicine Call to Action: Include obesity/overweight management education in health professional curricula and provide coverage for behavior-based treatments of obesity/overweight most commonly provided by psychologists, dieticians, counselors, and other health care professionals and include such providers on all multidisciplinary teams treating patients who have overweight or obesity

Obesity is a serious chronic disease whose prevalence has grown to epidemic proportions over the past five decades and is a major contributor to the global burden of most common cancers, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, liver disease, and sleep apnea. Primary care clinicians, including physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants, are often the first health care professionals to identify obesity or overweight during routine long-term care and have the opportunity to intervene to prevent and treat disease. However, they often lack the training and skills needed to deliver scientifically validated, behavior-based treatments. These gaps must be addressed in order to treat the obesity epidemic. The Society of Behavioral Medicine strongly urges health professional educators and accrediting agencies to include obesity and overweight management education for primary care clinicians. Additionally, we support promoting referrals and reimbursement for psychologists, dieticians, and other health care professionals as critical members of the care team and improving reimbursement levels for behavioral obesity and overweight management treatment

Skunk River Review January 1992, vol 3

https://openspace.dmacc.edu/skunkriver/1006/thumbnail.jp

The impact of low input DNA on the reliability of DNA methylation as measured by the Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip

DNA methylation (DNAm) is commonly assayed using the Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip, but there is currently little published evidence to define the lower limits of the amount of DNA that can be used whilst preserving data quality. Such evidence is valuable for analyses utilizing precious or limited DNA sources. We used a single pooled sample of DNA in quadruplicate at three dilutions to define replicability and noise, and an independent population dataset of 328 individuals (from a community-based study including US-born non-Hispanic Black and white persons) to assess the impact of total DNA input on the quality of data generated using the Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip. We found that data are less reliable and more noisy as DNA input decreases to 40ng, with clear reductions in data quality; and that low DNA input is associated with a reduction in power to detect EWAS associations, requiring larger sample sizes. We conclude that DNA input as low as 40ng can be used with the Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip, provided quality checks and sensitivity analyses are undertaken

Bodyweight Perceptions among Texas Women: The Effects of Religion, Race/Ethnicity, and Citizenship Status

Despite previous work exploring linkages between religious participation and health, little research has looked at the role of religion in affecting bodyweight perceptions. Using the theoretical model developed by Levin et al. (Sociol Q 36(1):157–173, 1995) on the multidimensionality of religious participation, we develop several hypotheses and test them by using data from the 2004 Survey of Texas Adults. We estimate multinomial logistic regression models to determine the relative risk of women perceiving themselves as overweight. Results indicate that religious attendance lowers risk of women perceiving themselves as very overweight. Citizenship status was an important factor for Latinas, with noncitizens being less likely to see themselves as overweight. We also test interaction effects between religion and race. Religious attendance and prayer have a moderating effect among Latina non-citizens so that among these women, attendance and prayer intensify perceptions of feeling less overweight when compared to their white counterparts. Among African American women, the effect of increased church attendance leads to perceptions of being overweight. Prayer is also a correlate of overweight perceptions but only among African American women. We close with a discussion that highlights key implications from our findings, note study limitations, and several promising avenues for future research

Glamorgan - Final Evaluation Report

The final evaluation report for the 'The Evaluation of Assessment Diaries and GradeMark at the University of Glamorgan' project

A critical examination of the effectiveness of faculty-based student learning support

This thesis presents an investigation into the effectiveness of faculty-based student learning support and comprises three volumes. Volume 1 provides an overview of the background literature, research methodology, ethical and reliability considerations linked to two projects whose overarching theme is the support and improvement of the student experience. The overview begins with an outline of the aim of this thesis, followed by a synopsis of the literature concerning student support in higher education and the use of technology to support learners. The methodological framework is then discussed and a brief introduction to the projects is provided. The overview concludes with an exploration of the effectiveness of faculty-based student learning support and the presentation of a new blended approach to the organisation, delivery and typology of advising. This seeks to demonstrate the strength of a blended approach and thus makes a contribution to the practice, theory and method of supporting student learning. Volume 2 discusses the Advice Shop project and considers the processes, methods and ethics of this student learning support. A summary of eight interventions is presented together with details of how the project was subsequently rolled out across the University. A consideration of the organisational model and personnel involved in student advising is also offered. The volume concludes with student and staff feedback and a discussion of how the project aims have been achieved. Evidence of the research output and components of practice relating to Project 1 can be found in Volume2 Part 2. Volume 3 presents a discussion of Project 2 - the use of technology to support learners. The project presents two technology-enhanced interventions - an electronic student attendance monitoring scheme, and the development of two online learner support tools using QuestionMark Perception as the delivery software. The methods and ethical considerations used to establish and implement these interventions are present together with feedback from students and staff. The volume concludes with a discussion of how the aims of the project have been achieved. Evidence of the research output and components of practice relating to Project 2 can be found in Volume 3 Part 2.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Super-Resolution Imaging of Plasmodesmata Using Three-Dimensional Structured Illumination Microscopy1[W]

We used three-dimensional structured illumination microscopy (3D-SIM) to obtain subdiffraction (“super-resolution”) images of plasmodesmata (PD) expressing a green fluorescent protein-tagged viral movement protein (MP) in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). In leaf parenchyma cells, we were able to resolve individual components of PD (neck and central cavities) at twice the resolution of a confocal microscope. Within the phloem, MP-green fluorescent protein filaments extended outward from the specialized pore-PD that connect sieve elements (SEs) with their companion cells (CCs) along the tubular sieve element reticulum (SER). The SER was shown to interconnect individual pore-PD at the SE-CC interface. 3D-SIM resolved fine (less than 100 nm) endoplasmic reticulum threads running into individual pore-PD as well as strands that crossed sieve plate pores, structurally linking SEs within a file. Our data reveal that MP entering the SE from the CC may remain associated with the SER. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching experiments revealed that this MP pool is relatively immobile compared with the membrane probe 3,3’-dihexyloxacarbocyanine iodide, suggesting that MP may become sequestered by the SER once it has entered the SE. The advent of 3D-SIM offers considerable potential in the subdiffraction imaging of plant cells, bridging an important gap between confocal and electron microscopy