Responding to Hate: How National and Local Incidents Sparked Action at the UNLV University Libraries

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe how an academic library at one of the most diverse universities in the country responded to the 2016 election through the newly formed Inclusion and Equity Committee and through student outreach. Design/methodology/approach: This paper details the context of the 2016 election and the role of social justice in librarianship. It offers ideas for how library diversity committees can address professional development, recruitment and retention efforts and cultural humility. It highlights student outreach efforts to support marginalized students, educate communities and promote student activism. Finally, it offers considerations and suggestions for librarians who want to engage in this work. Findings: This paper shows that incorporating social justice, diversity, equity and inclusion requires individuals taking action. If institutions want to focus on any of these issues, they need to formally include them in their mission, vision and values as well as in department goals and individual job descriptions. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas University Libraries fully supports this work, but most of the labor is done by a small number of people. Unsustainable practices can cause employee burnout and turnover resulting in less internal and external efforts to support diversity. Originality/value: Most of the previous literature focuses either on internal activities, such as professional development and committees, or on student-focused activities, such as outreach events, displays and instruction. This paper is one comprehensive review of both kinds of activities

Investigating Axonal Biology Using Microfluidic Devices

During nervous system development, various diffusing biomolecules play a critical role in neurite outgrowth and guidance, resulting in the formation of a complex circuitry. However, the precise mechanism by which these molecules are spatio-temporally delivered to the growing tip of the neurites is unclear. Overall, the results suggest to the utility of this device for studying neurobiology, tissue engineering and cell migration.https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/u_poster_2012/1012/thumbnail.jp

Range Expansion of \u3cem\u3eSigmodon hispidus\u3c/em\u3e (Hispid Cotton Rat) Into Reclaimed Coal Surface-Mines in Southeastern Kentucky

Sigmodon hispidus (Hispid Cotton Rat) is the most wide-spread species of Sigmodon in North America. In recent years, this species has expanded northward and westward in the western part of its range due to changes in habitat and climate. Evidence suggests northward expansion is also occurring in Kentucky. Since the 1980s, extensive coal mining via surface mining and mountain-top removal has transformed more than 2300 km2 of hardwood forests on the Cumberland Plateau of eastern Kentucky. Mining has transformed the landscape, once characterized by forests with deep valleys, steep slopes, and narrow, winding ridgetops into reclaimed sites with a relatively flat landscape dominated by grasses and forbs suitable for run-making rodents. Hispid Cotton Rat is thus poised to expand into the reclaimed mines of eastern Kentucky. We report the first record of Hispid Cotton Rat from a reclaimed-mine site and predict this species will expand its range north and east through this new habitat

Economic Feasibility of Ethanol Production from Sweet Sorghum Juice in Texas

The economic feasibility of producing ethanol from sweet sorghum juice is projected using Monte Carlo simulation models to estimate the price ethanol plants will likely have to pay for sweet sorghum and the uncertain returns for ethanol plants. Ethanol plants in high yielding regions will likely generate returns on assets of 11%-12% and in low yield areas the returns on assets will be less than 10%.Sweet Sorghum, Ethanol, Monte Carlo Simulation, Agribusiness, Agricultural Finance, Crop Production/Industries, Farm Management, Risk and Uncertainty, D20 G10 D81 C15,

Delirium markers in older fallers: a case-control study

Background: When a hospitalized older patient falls or develops delirium, there are significant consequences for the patient and the health care system. Assessments of inattention and altered consciousness, markers for delirium, were analyzed to determine if they were also associated with falls. Methods: This retrospective case-control study from a regional tertiary Veterans Affairs referral center identified falls and delirium risk factors from quality databases from 2010 to 2012. Older fallers with complete delirium risk assessments prior to falling were identified. As a control, non-fallers were matched at a 3:1 ratio. Admission risk factors that were compared in fallers and non-fallers included altered consciousness, cognitive performance, attention, sensory deficits, and dehydration. Odds ratio (OR) was reported (95% confidence interval [CI]). Results: After identifying 67 fallers, the control population (n=201) was matched on age (74.4±9.8 years) and ward (83.6% medical; 16.4% intensive care unit). Inattention as assessed by the Months of the Year Backward test was more common in fallers (67.2% versus 50.8%, OR=2.0; 95% CI: 1.1–3.7). Fallers tended to have altered consciousness prior to falling (28.4% versus 12.4%, OR=2.8; 95% CI: 1.3–5.8). Conclusion: In this case-control study, alterations in consciousness and inattention, assessed prior to falling, were more common in patients who fell. Brief assessments of consciousness and attention should be considered for inclusion in fall prediction

The Risks of Social Media: Asking and Answering the Hard Questions for Attorneys

Nearly every organization uses social media in some capacity, planned or unplanned, successful or not. Links between organizations and their employees and customers, regardless of whether intentional or not, are immediate, widespread, and present opportunity and risk bundled in a potent package. Social media sites are set up to elicit rapid-fire responses and emotional reactions and to disseminate those quickly and permanently to a world-wide audience. However, they do not exist without a variety of risks, including “fake news” and echo chambers as well as general technical challenges to doing it “right.” Adding to the challenges that this high-risk environment presents, organizations have the dual burden of both first-instance (their own profiles, advertising efforts, and direct customer interaction) and second-instance (employees, customers, and third-party postings) issues in a rapidly developing space without a lot of history, case law, or direct analogs

Predator-Free New Zealand 2050: Techniques for Improving Ground-based Control and Monitoring of the Brushtail Possum

The brushtail possum, a marsupial native to Australia, was widely introduced in New Zealand (NZ) to develop a fur industry. Before the settlement of humans in NZ, there were no terrestrial mammals; therefore, the local species evolved without mammalian predators. This resulted in native species populations declining at alarming rates and many possibly facing extinction on the NZ mainland, especially large-bodied endemic birds. In response to this problem, private investors (supported by the NZ government) developed an initiative to eradicate key mammal predators (possums, rats, and stoats) on the NZ mainland by 2050 (PFNZ2050). As a result, control efforts have significantly expanded over the past decade, and there are now 17 PFNZ2050 landscape projects covering 757,000 ha. Research has looked at combining audio, visual and social lures to improve control efforts for possums. Early results indicate that a combination of lures increases both encounter and interaction rates around control devices. In particular, the combination of audio and visual lures was consistently the top performer in both captive and small-scale field trials. Large-scale field trials are currently underway to confirm these initial results, investigating the effectiveness of combination lures paired with multi-kill AT220 possum traps. Additionally, the lures are being assessed at different times of the year and with varying possum densities. With the drive to PFNZ2050, pest mammal monitoring has markedly increased as researchers attempt to evaluate competing management control strategies. Traditionally, this has relied on single-use plastic monitoring devices such as chewcards and tracking tunnels. An investigation of pest-animal interaction with chewcards indicates that approximately 12% of plastic deployed ends up as microplastic pollution. Another NZ government initiative seeks to ban all single-use plastics, and research is currently investigating the efficacy of non-plastic (biodegradable) alternatives. This research also includes a cost-effectiveness analysis and the reliability of identifying animal bite marks on both plastic and non-plastic chewcards

Outdoor Time is Not Associated with Metabolically Healthy Overweight and Obesity Phenotype in Canadian Children Aged 6-14 Years

International Journal of Exercise Science 13(2): 383-394, 2020. A large proportion of children living with obesity have favorable cardiometabolic profiles despite their adiposity levels, who are referred to as metabolically healthy overweight or obese (MHO). However, the contribution of active outdoor time to the MHO phenotype is unknown. The purposeof this study was to investigate the association between outdoor time and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) with the MHO phenotype. A cross-sectional analysis of overweight/obese children aged 6-14 (n= 386) from the Canadian Health Measures Survey was performed. Outdoor time was self-reported using five questions in relation to the school schedule to produce a computed score ranging from 0-25. MVPA was measured using accelerometers. The MHO phenotype was defined based on the absence of cardiometabolic risk factors: triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and glucose (MHO: 0 cardiometabolic risk factors). The proportion of children living with obesity with the MHO phenotype was 58.5%. No significant differences were observed between MHO and non-MHO according to outdoor time or MVPA (p \u3e 0.05). Logistic regressions indicated that outdoor time was not significantly associated with the MHO phenotype (OR: 0.99, 95% CI = 0.92-1.06; p = 0.694), while MVPA was significantly associated with the MHO phenotype (OR: 1.41, 95% CI = 1.01-1.98; p = 0.047) after adjusting for confounders.We conclude that outdoor time is not associated with the MHO phenotype, even though Canadian children living with obesity are more likely to be MHO with greater amounts of MVPA, regardless of whether these activities are completed outdoors or not

Modular morals:Mapping the organization of the moral brain

Is morality the product of multiple domain-specific psychological mechanisms, or one domain-general mechanism? Previous research suggests that morality consists of a range of solutions to the problems of cooperation recurrent in human social life. This theory of ‘morality as cooperation’ suggests that there are (at least) seven specific moral domains: family values, group loyalty, reciprocity, heroism, deference, fairness and property rights. However, it is unclear how these types of morality are implemented at the neuroanatomical level. The possibilities are that morality is (1) the product of multiple distinct domain-specific adaptations for cooperation, (2) the product of a single domain-general adaptation which learns a range of moral rules, or (3) the product of some combination of domain-specific and domain-general adaptations. To distinguish between these possibilities, we first conducted an anatomical likelihood estimation meta-analysis of previous studies investigating the relationship between these seven moral domains and neuroanatomy. This meta-analysis provided evidence for a combination of specific and general adaptations. Next, we investigated the relationship between the seven types of morality – as measured by the Morality as Cooperation Questionnaire (Relevance) – and grey matter volume in a large neuroimaging (n = 607) sample. No associations between moral values and grey matter volume survived whole-brain exploratory testing. We conclude that whatever combination of mechanisms are responsible for morality, either they are not neuroanatomically localised, or else their localisation is not manifested in grey matter volume. Future research should employ phylogenetically informed a priori predictions, as well as alternative measures of morality and of brain function

Personal Power and Agency When Dealing with Interactive Voice Response Systems and Alternative Modalities

In summer 2015, we conducted an exploratory study of how people in the U.S. use and respond to robot-like systems in order to achieve their needs through mediated customer service interfaces. To understand this process, we carried out three focus groups sessions along with 50 in-depth interviews. Strikingly we found that people perceive (correctly or not) that interactive voice response customer service technology is set up to deter them from pursuing further contact. And yet, for the most part, people were unwilling to simply give up on the goals that motivated their initial contact. Consequently, they had to innovate ways to communicate with the automated systems that essentially serve as gatekeepers to their desired ends. These results have implications for communication theory and system design, especially since these systems will be increasingly presented to consumers as social media affordances evolve