An Exploration of Practicum Students\u27 Experiences of Meaning-Making Through Altruism

Finding meaning in one’s work as a counselor has been demonstrated as an important step in the development of altruism, an essential component of counselor effectiveness. Previous studies in counselor education-related research involving program outcomes focus on the core skills of counseling such as knowledge, skill building, self-appraisal and self-efficacy. Yet little investigation has concentrated on the internal rewards of the clinical experience, such as the meaning found in or the altruism development derived specifically from the practicum or internship. This dissertation research took a phenomenological approach to explore the meaning-making and altruism development of counselor education practicum students providing social and emotional support to adolescents identified as at-risk. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews to understand former practicum students’ conceptualization of meaning through work and thoughts related to personal altruism development. The themes illuminated through the study suggest that students found challenges in the experience, were able to collaborate toward successful outcomes, related the impact of the experience to working with at-risk adolescents, were able to describe the personal meaning derived from the practicum, and reflected on personal altruism development. Implications for counselor educators and supervisors and suggestions for future research are provided

Report on the health of Colorado's forests

The reports describes "an annual investigation of critical forest health issues, including the identification of priority areas across the state where current forest conditions demand timely action." They are intended to "expand Coloradans' knowledge of and interest in our state's forest resources.".Reports produced by the Colorado Division of Forestry in conjunction with one or more of the following: Colorado State University Publications and Printing, Colorado State Forest Service and United States Forest Service.Includes bibliographical references.January 21, 2003The 2002 Report on the Health of Colorado’s Forests reveals that many of our forested landscapes are under significant stress. Our changing human values and land management policies are partially responsible for this condition. But consecutive years of extreme drought have magnified existing vulnerabilities to insects, disease and wildfire.From widespread die-off in pinyon pine to record-setting wildfires on both the Front Range and the Western Slope, the events of the past year suggest that Colorado's forests need our attention. We demand and receive a number of benefits from our forested landscapes and watersheds. If we expect them to continue providing these services on a sustainable basis, we must identify those areas most at risk and work together to restore them to a more resilient condition

Influence of Antecedent Soil Moisture and Rainfall Rate on the Leaching of Nitrate and Phosphate from Intact Monoliths of Agricultural Soil

The export of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from agricultural catchments is a major problem worldwide. The export of these nutrients is largely driven by storm events, and the hydrologic response of catchments varies within and between storm events. Antecedent soil moisture and rainfall rates have both been shown to affect the discharge and nutrient export from agricultural catchments, but their relationship to nutrient export is not fully understood. Currently, there are no studies that examine the leaching of both nitrate and phosphate from soil pools under the combined influence of differences in soil moisture and rainfall rates. The objectives of this study were to examine the combined effect of antecedent soil moisture and rainfall rates on the hydrologic response of soil and the export of nitrate and phosphate from the soil. The approach used intact soil monoliths in two experiments to first characterize the hydrologic response of the soil, and secondly to assess how the hydrologic response of the soil affects the leaching of nitrate and phosphate from soil pools. Differences in antecedent soil moisture and rainfall rates influenced both the amount of discharge and the hydrologic flow paths in the soil. As was expected, antecedent soil moisture governed the depth of discharge, with more discharge (runoff ratios= 0.89 to 0.91) produced by wet soil and the least runoff produced by dry soil (runoff ratios= 0.08 to 0.14) although this was not affected by the rainfall rate. Instead, rainfall rates predominantly affected hydrologic flow paths in the soil, with preferential flow at the beginning of the leaching period under high intensity rainfall (especially in wet soil), and predominantly matrix flow occurring under low intensity rainfall. The rainfall intensity did not appear to affect discharge volume. The mass of both nitrate and phosphate exported was higher under low intensity rainfall, ranging from 11.2 to 60.1mg/mU+00B2 and 77 to 4980μg/mU+00B2, respectively and from 0.9 to 34.4mg/mU+00B2 and 18.4 to 732μg/mU+00B2, respectively under high intensity rainfall. Antecedent soil moisture was significantly positively correlated with the depth of discharge produced, which also had a significant positive relationship with the mass of nitrate and phosphate exported (Spearman’s ρ= 0.75 to 0.81, p= <0.001), with greater masses of both nutrients exported from wet soil than dry soil. Soil moisture had contrasting influences on the nitrate concentrations in leachate, where nitrate concentrations and soil moisture were negatively related under low intensity rainfall and positively related under high intensity rainfall. Concentrations of phosphate in leachate were more variable, with no clear relationship to soil moisture, discharge, rainfall rate or soil phosphate pools. Antecedent soil moisture and the rainfall rate have a combined influence on the concentration of nitrate in leachate and an influence on the mass of both nitrate and phosphate exported. Although different hydrologic flow paths (matrix, preferential) were observed under the variable antecedent conditions and rainfall rates, this did not appear to affect nutrient fluxes from soil. This may be related to available nutrient pools and distributions in the soil in the current study. Understanding of the influence of flow types on the export of soil nutrient pools requires further study in a lab and a comparison of the breakthrough of nitrate and phosphate from soil pools with that of a conservative tracer (chloride). Nutrient and tracer breakthrough could then be compared to the hydraulic conductivity of the soil and the progression of the wetting front to fully understand the flow paths occurring and their effect on nutrient leaching

Practice tests improve performance, increase engagement and protect from psychological distress

The increasing prevalence of high levels of distress in university student populations has led academic and support staff to investigate options to help students cope with academic stress. Our research focused on investigating the benefit of early academic interventions for content engagement and feedback. In a 1st year psychology student sample of 547 we collected data on psychological measures (motivation and distress), practice test engagement and performance on assessment tasks. Assessment data from a baseline phase (practice tests were available) were compared to assessment data from an intervention  (reward for undertaking practice tests). Our experiment also allowed an investigation of the type of benefit gained from practice tests engagement (content specific benefit vs general engagement effects). Results show that undertaking practice tests ahead of assessment quizzes is associated with significantly higher assessment performance.  Practice test uptake significantly increased when an incentive was in place resulting in much higher assessment scores for students. Students who showed high levels of distress on the DASS performed significantly lower on assessments. However, highly distressed students who undertook practice testing showed performance at the same level as non-distressed students.Marlin, S.; English, T.; Morley, L.; O'keefe-Quinn, T.; Whitfield, P. (2020). Practice tests improve performance, increase engagement and protect from psychological distress. En 6th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'20). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. (30-05-2020):811-818. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd20.2020.11151OCS81181830-05-202

Proposing a Transactional Model of eHealth Literacy: Concept Analysis

Background: Electronic health (eHealth) literacy was conceptualized in 2006 as the ability of internet users to locate, evaluate, and act upon web-based health information. Now, advances in eHealth technology have cultivated transactional opportunities for patients to access, share, and monitor health information. However, empirical evidence shows that existing models and measures of eHealth literacy have limited theoretical underpinnings that reflect the transactional capabilities of eHealth. This paper describes a conceptual model based on the Transactional Model of Communication (TMC), in which eHealth literacy is described as an intrapersonal skillset hypothesized as being dynamic; reciprocal; and shaped by social, relational, and cultural contexts. Objective: The objective of our study was to systematically examine eHealth literacy definitions, models, and measures to propose a refined conceptual and operational definition based on the TMC. Methods: Walker and Avant's concept analysis method was used to guide the systematic review of eHealth literacy definitions (n=10), rating scales (n=6), models (n=4), and peer-reviewed model applications (n=16). Subsequent cluster analyses showed salient themes across definitions. Dimensions, antecedents, and consequences reflected in models and measures were extracted and deductively analyzed based on codes consistent with the TMC. Results: Systematic review evidence revealed incongruity between operational eHealth literacy included in definitions compared with literacies included within models and measures. Theoretical underpinnings of eHealth literacy also remain dismal. Despite the transactional capabilities of eHealth, the role of "communication" in eHealth literacy remains underdeveloped and does not account for physical and cognitive processing abilities necessary for multiway transactions. Conclusions: The Transactional Model of eHealth Literacy and a corresponding definition are proposed. In this novel model, eHealth literacy comprises a hierarchical intrapersonal skillset that mediates the reciprocal effect of contextual factors (ie, user oriented and task oriented) on patient engagement in health care. More specifically, the intrapersonal skillset counteracts the negative effect of "noise" (or impediments) produced by social and relational contexts. Cutting across health and technology literacies, the intrapersonal skillset of eHealth literacy is operationalized through four literacies that correspond with discrete operative skills: (1) functional (ie, locate and understand); (2) communicative (ie, exchange); (3) critical (ie, evaluate); and (4) translational (ie, apply)

Development of an Optimized Medium, Strain and High-Throughput Culturing Methods for Methylobacterium extorquens

Methylobacterium extorquens strains are the best-studied methylotrophic model system, and their metabolism of single carbon compounds has been studied for over 50 years. Here we develop a new system for high-throughput batch culture of M. extorquens in microtiter plates by jointly optimizing the properties of the organism, the growth media and the culturing system. After removing cellulose synthase genes in M. extorquens strains AM1 and PA1 to prevent biofilm formation, we found that currently available lab automation equipment, integrated and managed by open source software, makes possible reliable estimates of the exponential growth rate. Using this system, we developed an optimized growth medium for M. extorquens using response surface methodologies. We found that media that used EDTA as a metal chelator inhibited growth and led to inconsistent culture conditions. In contrast, the new medium we developed with a PIPES buffer and metals chelated by citrate allowed for fast and more consistent growth rates. This new Methylobacterium PIPES (‘MP’) medium was also robust to large deviations in its component ingredients which avoided batch effects from experiments that used media prepared at different times. MP medium allows for faster and more consistent growth than other media used for M. extorquens.Organismic and Evolutionary Biolog

Candida species biofilms' antifungal resistance

Candida infections (candidiasis) are the most prevalent opportunistic fungal infection on humans and, as such, a major public health problem. In recent decades, candidiasis has been associated to Candida species other than Candida albicans. Moreover, biofilms have been considered the most prevalent growth form of Candida cells and a strong causative agent of the intensification of antifungal resistance. As yet, no specific resistance factor has been identified as the sole responsible for the increased recalcitrance to antifungal agents exhibited by biofilms. Instead, biofilm antifungal resistance is a complex multifactorial phenomenon, which still remains to be fully elucidated and understood. The different mechanisms, which may be responsible for the intrinsic resistance of Candida species biofilms, include the high density of cells within the biofilm, the growth and nutrient limitation, the effects of the biofilm matrix, the presence of persister cells, the antifungal resistance gene expression and the increase of sterols on the membrane of biofilm cells. Thus, this review intends to provide information on the recent advances about Candida species biofilm antifungal resistance and its implication on intensification of the candidiasis.The authors acknowledge the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal, for supporting Maria Elisa Rodrigues (SFRH/BPD/95401/2013) and Célia F. Rodrigues (SFRH/BD/93078/2013). This study was also supported by the Programa Operacional, Fatores de competitividade—COMPETE and by national funds through FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia under the scope of the projects FCT PTDC/EBB-EBI/120495/2010 and RECI/EBB-EBI/0179/2012 (FCOM-01-0124-FEDER-027462)

Observations of the martian atmosphere with the mars climate sounder

The Mars Climate Sounder (MCS) has obtained measurements of the Martian atmosphere for one Mars year. Onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), MCS continues to acquire high vertical resolution profiles of temperature, dust, condensates of CO2 and H2O, and water vapor by observing the limb of the atmosphere from the surface to 80 km in the spectral intervals 0.3 – 3 ?m and 11.5 – 45 ?m [1]. This paper describes the investigation and introduces some of the observations being studied by the MCS science team. Other presentations by the team at this workshop will describe in greater detail results of ongoing research using MCS data

The block conjugate gradient algorithm and related methods

The development of the Lanczos algorithm for finding eigenvalues of large sparse symmetric matrices was followed by that of block forms of the algorithm. In this paper, similar extensions are carried out for a relative of the Lanczos method, the conjugate gradient algorithm. The resulting block algorithms are useful for simultaneously solving multiple linear systems or for solving a single linear system in which the matrix has several separated eigenvalues or is not easily accessed on a computer. We develop a block biconjugate gradient algorithm for general matrices, and develop block conjugate gradient, minimum residual, and minimum error algorithms for symmetric semidefinite matrices. Bounds on the rate of convergence of the block conjugate gradient algorithm are presented, and issues related to computational implementation are discussed. Variants of the block conjugate gradient algorithm applicable to symmetric indefinite matrices are also developed.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/23328/1/0000268.pd