Student Affairs At Rural Higher Education Institutions: The Impact Of Place On Professional Identity

The relationship between professional socialization factors of rural student affairs professionals and their level of professional identity is the central question in this study. The study explores this question using a non-experimental survey design. The study utilizes the instrument the Student Affairs Professional Identity Scale developed by Wilson, Liddell, Hirschy, and Pasquesi (2015). Participants in the study include student affairs professionals currently employed at rural institutions as designated by U.S. Census data. The study examines the relationship between socialization factors: professional influences, professional development influences, and professional engagement activities; and; professional identity constructs: community connection, values congruence and career contentment. The study found a total of five correlations between sub-constructs: professional development and career contentment; local engagement activities and values congruence; national engagement activities and values congruence; continuing education engagement activities and values congruence; and networking engagement activities and career contentment. The findings of the study can be used to inform the work and activities of professional associations and graduate prep programs in regards to rural student affairs professionals

Sca-1 positive pancreatic progenitor cells: a replacement for transplanted islets

A major challenge in the treatment of Type I diabetes is the lack of a restorative therapy to replace lost islet mass. Islet or pancreas transplant has proven effective at curing diabetes but its use is severely limited due to donor shortage. An alternative therapy would involve transplantation of a robust, easily accessible cellular population to replace damaged islets and restore insulin secretion. We have isolated a murine pancreatic progenitor cell, using stem cell antigen 1 (Sca-1), a marker of hematopoietic stem cells. These cells are capable of in vitro expansion and differentiation into pancreatic lineage, demonstrate and maintain expression of pancreatic transcription factors, and produce basal amounts of insulin. We theorize that this cell population used, in conjunction with a bioreactor-type culture system that mimics the niche of the pancreas in vivo will generate a viable cell source that has potential for use in the treatment of diabetes

Enrichment of a bipotent hepatic progenitor cell from naïve adult liver tissue

Recent interest in the liver stem cell field has led to the identification and characterization of several hepatic progenitor cell populations from fetal and adult tissues. We isolated a hepatic progenitor cell from naïve adult liver and the current studies focus on differentiation and growth

Local and General Above-Ground Biomass Functions for Pinus palustris Trees

There is an increasing interest in estimating biomass for longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.), an important tree species in the southeastern U.S. Most of the individual-tree allometric models available for the species are local, relying on stem diameter outside bark at breast height (DBH) and total tree height (HT), but seldom include stand-level variables such as stand age, basal area or stand density. Using the biomass dataset of 296 longleaf pine trees sampled in the southeastern U.S. by different forestry research institutions, we developed a set of local and general systems of tree biomass equations to predict total tree total above-stump biomass, bole biomass outside bark, live branch biomass and live foliage biomass. The local systems were based on DBH or DBH and HT, and the general systems included in addition to DBH and HT, stand-level variables such as age, basal area and stand density. This paper reports the first set of general allometric equations reported for longleaf pine trees. These systems of biomass equations provide tools to support managers in making management decisions for the species in a variety of ecological, silvicultural and economics applications. The systems can be applied to trees growing over a large geographical area and having a wide range of ages and stand characteristics

Surface-based GPR underestimates below-stump root biomass

Aims: While lateral root mass is readily detectable with ground penetrating radar (GPR), the roots beneath a tree (below-stump) and overlapping lateral roots near large trees are problematic for surface-based antennas operated in reflection mode. We sought to determine if tree size (DBH) effects GPR root detection proximal to longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill) and if corrections for could be applied to stand-level estimates of root mass. Methods: GPR (1500 MHz) was used to estimate coarse root mass proximal to 33 longleaf pine trees and compared to the amount of biomass excavated from pits proportional in area to tree basal diameter. Lateral roots were excavated to a depth of 1 m and taproots were excavated in their entirety. Results: GPR underestimated longleaf pine below-stump mass and the magnitude of the underestimation increased with tree DBH. Non-linear regressions between GPR estimated root mass/excavated root mass and tree diameter at breast height (DBH) were highly significant for both below-stump (lateral + taproot) root mass (p < 0.0001, R² 0.77) and lateral coarse root mass (p < 0.0001, R² 0.65). Conclusions: GPR underestimates root mass proximal to trees, and this needs to be accounted for to accurately estimate stand-level belowground biomass.Keywords: GPR, Longleaf pine, Root mass, Lateral root, Below-stump, Pinus palustris, taprootThis is the publisher’s final pdf. The article is copyrighted by Springer and published for the Royal Netherlands Society of Agricultural Science. It can be found at: http://link.springer.com/journal/1110

Beyond the Bayley: Neurocognitive Assessments of Development During Infancy and Toddlerhood

The use of global, standardized instruments is conventional among clinicians and researchers interested in assessing neurocognitive development. Exclusively relying on these tests for evaluating effects may underestimate or miss specific effects on early cognition. The goal of this review is to identify alternative measures for possible inclusion in future clinical trials and interventions evaluating early neurocognitive development. The domains included for consideration are attention, memory, executive function, language and socio-emotional development. Although domain-based tests are limited, as psychometric properties have not yet been well-established, this review includes tasks and paradigms that have been reliably used across various developmental psychology laboratories

A Randomized Trial Examining the Effects of Parent Engagement on Early Language and Literacy: The Getting Ready Intervention

Language and literacy skills established during early childhood are critical for later school success. Parental engagement with children has been linked to a number of adaptive characteristics in preschoolers including language and literacy development, and family-school collaboration is an important contributor to school readiness. This study reports the results of a randomized trial of a parent engagement intervention designed to facilitate school readiness among disadvantaged preschool children, with a particular focus on language and literacy development. Participants included 217 children, 211 parents, and 29 Head Start teachers in 21 schools. Statistically significant differences in favor of the treatment group were observed between treatment and control participants in the rate of change over 2 academic years on teacher reports of children’s language use (d = 1.11), reading (d = 1.25), and writing skills (d = .93). Significant intervention effects on children’s direct measures of expressive language were identified for a subgroup of cases where there were concerns about a child’s development upon entry into preschool. Additionally, other child and family moderators revealed specific variables that influenced the treatment’s effects

Range-wide experiment to investigate nutrient and soil moisture interactions in loblolly pine plantations

The future climate of the southeastern USA is predicted to be warmer, drier and more variable in rainfall, which may increase drought frequency and intensity. Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) is the most important commercial tree species in the world and is planted on ~11 million ha within its native range in the southeastern USA. A regional study was installed to evaluate effects of decreased rainfall and nutrient additions on loblolly pine plantation productivity and physiology. Four locations were established to capture the range-wide variability of soil and climate. Treatments were initiated in 2012 and consisted of a factorial combination of throughfall reduction (approximate 30% reduction) and fertilization (complete suite of nutrients). Tree and stand growth were measured at each site. Results after two growing seasons indicate a positive but variable response of fertilization on stand volume increment at all four sites and a negative effect of throughfall reduction at two sites. Data will be used to produce robust process model parameterizations useful for simulating loblolly pine growth and function under future, novel climate and management scenarios. The resulting improved models will provide support for developing management strategies to increase pine plantation productivity and carbon sequestration under a changing climate.Peer reviewedNatural Resource Ecology and Managemen