UAL's experience of RDM in the Arts: what worked and what didn’t

A case study about the implementation of Elements at UAL

Nurse Residency Programs, A Solution to the Nursing Shortage

The nursing shortage has become an increasing problem for the healthcare field with statistics estimating the problem is only going to worsen as the years pass. New graduate nurses compromise a small percentage of the nursing workforce, but can help lessen the burden of the shortage. Nurse residency programs have been shown to increase the retention of new graduate nurses. By implementing nurse residency programs, there can be a viable solution to decreasing the nursing shortage that is currently affecting patient outcomes and care.https://digitalcommons.misericordia.edu/research_posters2020/1041/thumbnail.jp

Lost in transition : a grade nine transition program using articulation activities and their effect on student attitudes.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a set of structured articulation activities on the transition of students from grade eight to grade nine. In addition to this study, there are two linking studies, Allen (2011) and Christian (2012). Both studies examined the implications of the intervention of the articulation activities on the academic performance and behavioral conduct (Allen) and the development of Grant County Middle School and Grant County High School organize and progress into a learning organization (Christian). All three studies used the same conceptual framework to develop and construct their individual studies and create a vision that was implemented by teachers, administrators and students. Data were collected by retrieval from three student surveys; the Susan Harter Self-Perception Profile For Adolescents, the Susan Anderson Student Group, and the Focus Group Student Surveys). This was a post treatment one time study with a treatment (implementation) group and one comparison group. The study relies on the literature review of three vital concepts: organizational learning, high reliability organizations, and effective schools. This study was a quasi mixed-method design using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Likert-type survey instruments were used to address personality profiles and the academic, procedural, and social transition from the student’s perspective of the transition from grade eight to grade nine. Data were analyzed to determine if the set of structured articulation activities influenced student attitudes about the transition process the student experienced moving to the high school. Recommendation for best practices for grade eight to grade nine are included as well as recommendations for further studies in the area of transitioning from middle to high school

The relative ages of ectomycorrhizal mushrooms and their plant hosts estimated using Bayesian relaxed molecular clock analyses

Background Ectomycorrhizae (ECM) are symbioses formed by polyphyletic assemblages of fungi (mostly Agaricomycetes) and plants (mostly Pinaceae and angiosperms in the rosid clade). Efforts to reconstruct the evolution of the ECM habit in Agaricomycetes have yielded vastly different results, ranging from scenarios with many relatively recent origins of the symbiosis and no reversals to the free-living condition; a single ancient origin of ECM and many subsequent transitions to the free-living condition; or multiple gains and losses of the association. To test the plausibility of these scenarios, we performed Bayesian relaxed molecular clock analyses including fungi, plants, and other eukaryotes, based on the principle that a symbiosis cannot evolve prior to the origin of both partners. As we were primarily interested in the relative ages of the plants and fungi, we did not attempt to calibrate the molecular clock using the very limited fossil record of Agaricomycetes. Results Topologically constrained and unconstrained analyses suggest that the root node of the Agaricomycetes is much older than either the rosids or Pinaceae. The Agaricomycetidae, a large clade containing the Agaricales and Boletales (collectively representing 70% of Agaricomycetes), is also significantly older than the rosids. The relative age of Agaricomycetidae and Pinaceae, however, is sensitive to tree topology, and the inclusion or exclusion of the gnetophyte Welwitschia mirabilis. Conclusion The ancestor of the Agaricomycetes could not have been an ECM species because it existed long before any of its potential hosts. Within more derived clades of Agaricomycetes, there have been at least eight independent origins of ECM associations involving angiosperms, and at least six to eight origins of associations with gymnosperms. The first ECM symbioses may have involved Pinaceae, which are older than rosids, but several major clades of Agaricomycetes, such as the Boletales and Russulales, are young enough to have been plesiomorphically associated with either rosids or Pinaceae, suggesting that some contemporary ECM partnerships could be of very ancient origin

Phylogenetic Relationships Among Species of Phillipsia Inferred from Molecular and Morphological Data

The internal transcribed spacers (ITS) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA have been sequenced from 29 collections of Phillipsia, mainly from the New World. The P domingensis complex, collections with a range of colors but otherwise referable to P domingensis s.l. based on spore ornamentation, were studied. Three distinctive species of Phillipsia also were included. The sequences were analysed to infer phylogenetic relationships within Phillipnsia, using parsimony. Morphological features were studied separately, and then evaluated in the context of the ITS phylogeny. Four distinct rDNA lineages, supported by ascospore ornamentation, were identified: the P. crispata the P. domingensis, the P. olivacea and the P. carnicolor lineages. SEM photographs of the ascospores are presented. Phillipsia lutea and another yellow form were nested within the P. dominagensis complex, of those with reddish hymenial colors. Color has been emphasized in taxonomy of Phillipsia, but these results suggest that individuals with strikingly different coloration may be closely related. Levels of ITS sequence divergence in the P. domingensis lineage were low. Based on these data, and morphology as studied thus far; there is no justification for recognizing segregate species within the P. domingensis complex. The Old World collections of the P. domingensis complex were nested within the New World collections, which implies that the P. domingensis lineage is geographically widespread. Phillipsia rugospora is plated in synonymy with P. olivacea and a detailed description of this taxon is given. A lectotype is designated for P. olivacea.Organismic and Evolutionary Biolog

Latverian Incursions: Dr Doom and Cold War Politics

Since it first appeared in Fantastic Four Annual #2 (1964), Doctor Doom's homeland Latveria has gone through many changes, having experienced various invasions, revolutions, obliterations and magical reconstruction. The way it has been portrayed within the Marvel comics universe has also changed, from initially appearing as a medieval land under the yoke of an evil King to its current complex status as an emergent Eastern European superpower. This paper will examine these changes as reflections of Western attitudes to Eastern European nations during the Cold War and beyond through a series of examples including Doom's revolutionary seizure of power, the Fantastic Four's recurring interventions, and Nick Fury's disastrous attempt at regime change in 'Secret War' (2005). Drawing on the work of Jason Dittmer around national superheroes and 'popular geopolitics', the paper will conclude that Doctor Doom's rule over Latveria represents a potent symbol of the nationalist 'other' in American popular culture - and perhaps offers a glimpse of future possibilities in the new world order of Trump and Putin

Toward A Tool For Measuring Transmedia Character Coherence

There are several existing models for measuring the changes actors in storyworlds go through as they move across different media and through time. However, although these are theoretically informative they do not provide a practical, replicable tool for assessing these changes. Such tools are commonplace in disciplines which examine the character traits of non-fictional actors - for example the Mini-Mental State Exam or SF-36, used to compare the mental health of respondents over time - and this paper will attempt to suggest a similar tool for measuring the transmedia character coherence of fictional actors (Folstein, et al., 1975; Jenkinson, et al., 1996). This paper takes aspects of work by Pearson and Uricchio, Klastrup and Tosca, Paolo Bertetti, Marie-Laure Ryan and Matthew Freeman and shows how the storyworld, character-specific and textual sgnifiers that they identify for transmedia characters can be combined into an eleven-point survey (Pearson & Uricchio, 1991; Klastrup & Tosca, 2004; Bertetti, 2014; Ryan, 2014; Freeman, 2016). The aspects of this survey are as follows: Storyworld Signifiers • Previous Events • Settings • Objects • Other characters Character-Specific Signifiers • Appearance • Names And Titles • Physical actions • Perceived Behaviours • Dialogue Textual Signifiers • Market Authors • Textual Authors This tool is currently being applied to a corpus of 69 texts, selected using a random stratified methodology to generate a representative sample of the Marvel comics character Doctor Doom's transmedia appearances from 1961 to 1987 inclusive. The paper will present some of the preliminary findings from this analysis, including problems found and recommendations as to how this methodology could be used for other characters and other corpora

Making Elements 'UAL-y'

Talk about the ways in which UAL attempted to make the implementation of Elements work in an Arts & Design environment

Why aren't we talking about the Beano?

The Beano is the world's longest running weekly comic and a central part of British culture, yet it is almost never discussed in British Comics Studies journals or conferences. This paper will use an analysis of journals and past conferences to show how little research and discussion there has been about one of Britain's best-loved comics, especially in comparison to other, supposedly adult, texts. It will examine some of the possible reasons why this might be, including the history of Comics Studies as a field and its ongoing quest for academic respectability. It will also discuss why The Beano - and other ignored childrens' series like The Dandy, Buster, Whizzer and Chips and many more - matters, and what we lose as a field by focusing our energies on so-called "Posh Comics" instead