Introducing Faculty and Graduate Students to Systematic Reviews: Evaluation of a Stand-Alone Workshop

Objective: To discuss the development, perception, and impact of a stand-alone workshop intended to introduce faculty and graduate students to systematic review methodology. Methods: Development/revision of the workshop was examined through content analysis of lesson plans, PowerPoints, class examples and handouts. A short questionnaire was sent to participants within a few days of most workshops since 2018; all responses were analyzed to explore participant perceptions. Impact was assessed with an additional questionnaire sent in 2021 to all previous participants asking about progress and/or intentions to complete a systematic review. Results: Between 9/7/2018 and 5/27/2018, there were 29 responses to the post-workshop questionnaire. Over 75% of respondents strongly agreed that the workshop met their expectations and that what they learned would be helpful in other research and/or assignments. About 66% strongly agreed that they feel more capable of beginning a systematic review. Most frequently mentioned helpful aspects were the sample reviews provided and the Libraries’ subject guide/resources; challenges included too much information and understanding the differences between various types of reviews. There were also 24 responses to a recent questionnaire sent to all previous participants (n=221). Twenty-two respondents reported having completed or intending to complete a review; 20 having published or intending to publish a review; 7 having used or intending to use a review as part of a thesis, and 11 having used or intending to use a review as part of a dissertation. Twelve respondents also reported additional benefits of the workshop outside of completing/publishing a review. Conclusions: Positive responses to the questionnaire about workshop perceptions, the number of participants who report intentions to complete a systematic review, and the number of participants who report other benefits of the workshop suggest the workshop should continue to be offered

VENOM COMPOSITION OF LITTLE KNOWN MOUNTAIN RATTLESNAKES AND PREDATOR-PREY INTERACTIONS OF CROTALUS PRICEI PRICEI AND ITS NATURAL PREY, SCELOPORUS JARROVII

The Crotalus intermedius clade is a small group composed of four species: C. intermedius, C. transversus, C. pricei, and the recently identified C. tancitarensis (Alvarado-Díaz and Campbell, 2004; Reyes-Valesco et al. 2013). Though these species are restricted to high elevations of Sky Islands of southern Arizona and throughout México, little has been reported about their natural history and basic biology, including venom composition. Specifically, the Western Twin-spotted Rattlesnake (C. pricei pricei) is a small lizard specialist restricted to the more northern Sky Islands of México, with isolated populations in southern Arizona, where they are a protected species. Crotalus p. pricei is restricted to high elevations, dispersal between mountain tops is impossible, and few studies have investigated venom composition, the predator-prey relationship between C. p, pricei and its primary prey source, Yarrow’s Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus jarrovii), or ecological variables impacting distribution. This project aimed to characterize the venom of species within the Crotalus intermedius clade and the trophic and distributional relationships between S. jarrovii and C. p. pricei by using venom analysis techniques, lethal toxicity assays, and species distribution modeling techniques. Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), gel electrophoresis, and several enzyme assays were used to identify compounds present in crude venom. Lethal toxicity assays were used to determine venom lethality towards Hemidactylus frenatus.(House Gecko) and S. jarrovii. Resource selection probability functions (RSPF) were evaluated to determine spatiotemporal ecological requirements of both C. p. pricei and S. jarrovii. The results of this study provides insight into the venom composition of little known, mountain rattlesnakes, the coevolutionary relationship between a lizard specialist (C. p. pricei) and its natural prey (S. jarrovii), and novel information on the likely distribution of both species based on ecological requirements. This information provides a solid basis for future land management and conservation plans concerning the unique habitats and fauna of the Sky Island ranges

Russell Kirk and the Rhetoric of Order

The corpus of historically-minded man of letters and twentieth century leader among conservatives, Russell Amos Kirk, prompts one to reflect upon a realist rhetoric of order for conservative discourse in particular and public argumentation in general. In view of building a realist rhetoric of order within the present spectrum of modern to postmodern thought, this dissertation project contains two related layers of study. At one level, the author both builds and departs from the realist approach to communicative epistemology known as rhetorical perspectivism toward a theoretical framework for the study of rhetoric that is based upon Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas\u27s legacy of classical realism. At another level, in light of the significance of Russell Kirk for the question of conservatism and postmodernism, from the vantage point of realism, the author considers Kirk\u27s view on imagination, language, and life as against certain aspects of Hans Georg Gadamer\u27s philosophical hermeneutics. This comparison, next to a rhetorical theoretical study of The Roots of American Order regarding the essential constancy of human nature as such through history, points to some avenues by which Kirk\u27s imaginative standpoint provides a way of taking the imagination as formative of communicative perspectives within and across rhetorical situations. For conservative discourse and beyond, within this age of epistemological skepticism and moral relativism, Kirk\u27s corpus provides for some ethical prospects for persuasion in terms of both argument and narrative, inclusive of the natural law as a basis for rhetorical ethics. In establishing parameters for a realist rhetoric of order, the author relies upon the work of Richard M. Weaver, who contributed to both movement conservatism and rhetorical theory during the twentieth century. In particular, the author embraces Weaver\u27s connecting of genuine conservatism to philosophical realism, notwithstanding some necessary correctives toward classical realism regarding reality and ideation. Although this project in large part operates within the realm of rhetorical theory, some implications for the practice, criticism, and pedagogy of rhetoric are highlighted along the way with respect to a realist rhetoric of order

Assessing the Effectiveness of a Pre-Class Intervention in Establishing an Information Literacy Baseline

It is expected that undergraduates entering a BSN clinical program as juniors will possess basic information literacy skills. The reality is that skills vary widely, complicating efforts to provide more advanced, discipline-specific instruction. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a pre-class intervention intended to establish an information literacy baseline in newly admitted nursing students. Setting/Participants: Nursing students in the first clinical semester of a BSN program at a large, southeastern, research university. Intervention: Before attending a library instruction class, students watch a short video and complete a worksheet which they bring to class. Outcome Measures: Worksheets were evaluated to determine if students were successful in articulating a more focused topic, listing all major concepts of the focused topic, listing relevant synonyms and/or related terms, and listing relevant subject headings. Two successive cohorts (n =99 and n=76) were included in the study

Information and Interaction Needs of Distance Students: Are Academic Libraries Meeting the Challenge?

One of the trends currently affecting academic libraries is higher education’s expanding use of online instruction and a rising number of totally online degree programs. As libraries have transitioned from primarily print holdings to a growing reliance on electronic formats, access has become more convenient for all, including distance students. However, the greater availability of e-resources can create a disconnect between the materials used by students and the institution that provides those resources, as well as the librarians who serve as instructors and guides. Libraries have struggled to close the gap by reinventing themselves as a ‘third place’ which students visit for study, assistance, collaboration, and socialization but are challenged with how to establish an identity and a presence with virtual students who are unable to utilize the physical library as a ‘third place’. This paper examines recent literature to understand what practices academic libraries are implementing in order to meet the needs of distance students

When Will We Use this in Real Life?: Problem-Based Learning and Its Use in Effective Information Literacy Instruction

Chances are that at some point in your career, you have heard a student ask, “When will we use this in real life?” For most instructors, those can be hard words to hear, especially after careful thought and planning has gone into developing a library session geared toward a class assignment or project. One way to decrease questions about real world applicability is to incorporate aspects of problem-based learning in library instruction. Problem-based learning (PBL) has been defined by Berkel and Schmidt as “an approach to professional education that stresses the use of real-life problems, encourages learners to discuss them, and makes the learning opportunity constructive and meaningful.” Library involvement can consist of supporting problem-based learning in the classroom or modeling real world problems in information literacy sessions. This session will provide background on the pedagogical approach of problem-based learning in the context of academic library instruction. Special emphasis will be placed on how this approach increases student engagement. The presenters will share experiences from information literacy instruction involving problem-based learning in the disciplines of business, pharmacy, and nursing. Recommendations and considerations will be provided for those interested in incorporating PBL concepts in library instruction including issues in student transfer of IL knowledge/skills from academia to the working world

Nutzung von MPI für parallele FEM-Systeme

Der Standard des Message Passing Interfaces (MPI) stellt dem Entwickler paralleler Anwendungen ein mächtiges Werkzeug zur Verfügung, seine Softwa- re effizient und weitgehend unabhängig von Details des parallelen Systems zu entwerfen. Im Rahmen einer Projektarbeit erfolgte die Umstellung der Kommunikationsbibliothek eines bestehenden FEM-Programmes auf den MPI-Mechanismus. Die Ergebnisse werden in der hier gegebenen Beschreibung der Cubecom-Implementierung zusammengefasst. In einem zweiten Teil dieser Arbeit wird untersucht, auf welchem Wege mit der in MPI verfügbaren Funktionalität auch die Koppelrandkommunikation mit einem einheitlichen und effizienten Verfahren durchgeführt werden kann. Sowohl fuer die Basisimplementierung als auch die MPI-basierte Koppelrandkommunikation wird die Effizienz untersucht und ein Ausblick auf weitere Anwendungsmoeglichkeiten gegeben