Hemispheric Processing in Conventional Metaphor Comprehension: The Role of General Knowledge

This study explored the relation between general knowledge and the hemispheric processing of metaphoric expressions in college age students. We hypothesized that prior knowledge influences how the hemispheres process metaphors in these individuals. In this study, 97 young (college-aged) adults completed a general knowledge and vocabulary test, and were then divided into high-knowledge/high-vocabulary and low-knowledge/low-vocabulary groups. Next, participants viewed word pairs consisting of conventional metaphors, novel metaphors, word pairs with a literal meaning, and unrelated word pairs. The first word in each pair was presented centrally, and the second was presented to the right visual field-left hemisphere (rvf-LH) or the left visual field-right hemisphere (lvf-RH), and participants indicated whether each pair was a meaningful expression. Accuracy results showed an interaction between general knowledge and visual-field hemisphere. Low-knowledge participants were more accurate for metaphors presented to the rvf-LH than the lvf-RH, whereas high-knowledge participants showed no accuracy differences between the hemispheres. We also found an interaction between vocabulary and visual field-hemisphere for conventional metaphors. Specifically, low-vocabulary participants showed a left-hemisphere accuracy advantage, but high-vocabulary participants showed similar accuracy patterns in both hemispheres. These results suggest that young adult readers who have more general knowledge process conventional metaphors similarly in both hemispheres, whereas young adult readers who have less general knowledge may rely more heavily on left-hemisphere processes during conventional metaphor comprehension

A Review of Trends in the Scope of International Scholarship in Middle Level Education, 1989–2019

Middle level education as a field of study has expanded during the last thirty years to include a growing, international knowledge base. The primary purpose of this review essay is to highlight trends in the extent to which refereed scholarship in the field of middle level education has reflected international content and perspectives during the last thirty years. To accomplish this task, the authors conducted a chronological review of the major refereed publications of the Association for Middle Level Education, Adolescent Success, and the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Middle Level Education Research (MLER) SIG as well as Middle Grades Research Journal and Middle Grades Review. The authors also examined AERA conference programs between 2010 and 2019 for international content and perspectives in MLER SIG sessions. While the authors’ primary aim was to understand trends in the geographic scope of scholarship in the field, they also gleaned tentative insights about research approaches, theoretical frameworks, and editorial bias that informed a set of recommendations they offered to advance future international work in middle level education. The recommendations include (a) expanding and strengthening worldwide networks of middle grades scholars; (b) building consensus around a middle grades research agenda that has an international dimension; and (c) promoting and engaging in more international scholarship that is theory-driven; uses rigorous, appropriate comparative methodologies; and draws on perspectives from cultures and countries not well represented in the literature

An International Study of Programs That Prepare Teachers of Young Adolescents

This article highlights an upcoming multi-phase, international comparative research study on higher education institution-based programs that prepare teachers of young adolescents. The purpose of this investigation is multifaceted. The investigators aim to (a) document the programmatic and pedagogical features of higher education institution-based programs that prepare teachers of young adolescents in diverse national, regional, cultural, and institutional contexts; (b) identify and describe relationships between higher education institution-based programs that prepare teachers of young adolescents and the socio-cultural, historical, and institutional contexts in which they are embedded; (c) identify and describe patterns of philosophy, programming, and practice evident across higher education institution-based programs that prepare teachers of young adolescents; (d) assess the extent to which higher education institution-based programs that prepare teachers of young adolescents operating in diverse contexts are aligned with the AMLE’s Middle Level Teacher Preparation Standards, and (e) investigate relationships among higher education institution-based programs’ design elements, contexts, implementation processes, and outcomes that prepare teachers of young adolescents

Clinical Impact of a Novel Interprofessional Dental and Pharmacy Student Tobacco Cessation Education Program on Dental Patients

Objectives: • To compare the difference between IPE care and standard care (SC) groups regarding dental patients\u27 perceptions of knowledge gained about tobacco cessation, intentions to quit tobacco use, and quit attempts at follow-up. • To evaluate perceptions of IPE care. Background: Based on the link between tobacco use and oral health and the frequent contact between dental providers and patients, the dental clinic is an ideal setting to address tobacco use.1 • Many dentists feel unprepared providing tobacco cessation education, particularly pharmacologic treatment options.1-3 • Pharmacists promote safe and effective pharmacologic treatment options for tobacco dependence and patients’ perceptions toward pharmacist-provided tobacco cessation education have been positive.4-6 • A novel interprofessional education (IPE) program involving dental and pharmacy students may address the need for tobacco cessation education in the dental clinic setting

Trophodynamics of krill and its potential role in blue whale feeding in the Perth Canyon, south-east Indian Ocean

Migrating blue whales along the Western Australian coast exhibit feeding behaviour within the Perth Canyon, which is an area of high krill abundance, particularly for Euphausia recurva. The importance of krill in marine food webs has led to a number of trophodynamic studies investigating their fatty acid and stable isotope compositions. In the south-east Indian Ocean, the suppression of upwelling by the dominant Leeuwin Current results in relatively oligotrophic waters, particularly during autumn and winter. Oligotrophic waters tend to be dominated by small autotrophic flagellates (i. e. dinoflagellates) and cyanobacteria. We relate biochemical data obtained for E. recurva, as well as Stylocheiron carinatum and Pseudeuphausia latifrons with their potential food source, phytoplankton, and one of their potential predators, the endangered pygmy blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda) sampled in the Perth Canyon. Fatty acids of all three krill species were dominated by polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA; ~50%) largely comprised of omega-3 PUFA, which is typical for krill. The high docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) ratio reflects a dinoflagellate, rather than a diatom diet, and the high oleic acid (18: 1 9) to vaccenic acid (18: 1 7) ratio is indicative of an omnivorous diet. Stable isotope analysis positions E. recurva as a first, possibly second order consumer (5. 8 - 8. 4 15N)and phytoplankton as the likely source of carbon (-18 to -24 13C) .The fatty acid composition of krill did not match that of the surface phytoplankton sampled, which was low in PUFA and more reflective of degraded and detrital material. This suggests that krill are not feeding at the surface, and may feed closer to the deep chlorophyll maximum. The outer blubber layer sampled from the pygmy blue whale was high in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA, 58%) rather than PUFA, and did not reflect the krill fatty acid composition. However, the high DHA to EPA ratio in the blubber indicated a diet originating from dinoflagellates, as found for krill. Stratification of fatty acids across blubber layers is common for marine mammals and the outer blubber layer for some species has been found to not accurately reflect the diet of the animal

Determination of the Optimal Exchange Rate Via Control of the Domestic Interest Rate in Nigeria

An economic scenario has been considered where the government seeks to achieve a favourable balance-of-payments over a fixed planning horizon through exchange rate policy and control of the domestic interest rate. The dynamics of such an economy was considered in terms of a bounded optimal control problem where the exchange rate is the state variable and the domestic interest rate is the control variable. The idea of balance-of-payments was used as a theoretical underpinning to specify the objective function. By assuming that, changes in exchange rates were induced by two effects: the impact of the domestic interest rate on the exchange rate and the exchange rate system adopted by the government. Instances for both fixed and flexible optimal exchange rate regimes have been determined. The use of the approach has been illustrated employing data obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) statistical bulletin. (original abstract

Evaluating the Impact of an Interprofessional Practice Experience Involving Pharmacy and Dental Students on Medication Histories within an Urban Academic Dental Admissions Clinic

Primary Objective: To compare interprofessional (IP) care versus standard care on medication history clarifications in dental patients. Secondary Objectives: To assess the clinical significance of these clarifications with regards to the potential impact on dental treatment plans. To describe the interventions provided by IP care to clarify discrepancies and/or resolve medication-related problems

Mild cold effects on hunger, food intake, satiety and skin temperature in humans.

BACKGROUND: Mild cold exposure increases energy expenditure and can influence energy balance, but at the same time it does not increase appetite and energy intake. OBJECTIVE: To quantify dermal insulative cold response, we assessed thermal comfort and skin temperatures changes by infrared thermography. METHODS: We exposed healthy volunteers to either a single episode of environmental mild cold or thermoneutrality. We measured hunger sensation and actual free food intake. After a thermoneutral overnight stay, five males and five females were exposed to either 18°C (mild cold) or 24°C (thermoneutrality) for 2.5 h. Metabolic rate, vital signs, skin temperature, blood biochemistry, cold and hunger scores were measured at baseline and for every 30 min during the temperature intervention. This was followed by an ad libitum meal to obtain the actual desired energy intake after cold exposure. RESULTS: We could replicate the cold-induced increase in REE. But no differences were detected in hunger, food intake, or satiety after mild cold exposure compared with thermoneutrality. After long-term cold exposure, high cold sensation scores were reported, which were negatively correlated with thermogenesis. Skin temperature in the sternal area was tightly correlated with the increase in energy expenditure. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that short-term mild cold exposure increases energy expenditure without changes in food intake. Mild cold exposure resulted in significant thermal discomfort, which was negatively correlated with the increase in energy expenditure. Moreover, there is a great between-subject variability in cold response. These data provide further insights on cold exposure as an anti-obesity measure.The study was funded by NIHR, BRC Seed Fund, individual grants: ML and MS: Marie Curie Fellowship, CYT: Welcome Trust Fellowship, SV: MRC, BHF and BBSRC, AVP: BBSRC.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Bioscientifica via https://doi.org/ 10.1530/EC-16-000

Links between the three-dimensional movements of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) and the bio-physical environment off a coral reef

Funding: This research was supported by funding from Santos Ltd and The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS).Background Measuring coastal-pelagic prey fields at scales relevant to the movements of marine predators is challenging due to the dynamic and ephemeral nature of these environments. Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) are thought to aggregate in nearshore tropical waters due to seasonally enhanced foraging opportunities. This implies that the three-dimensional movements of these animals may be associated with bio-physical properties that enhance prey availability. To date, few studies have tested this hypothesis. Methods Here, we conducted ship-based acoustic surveys, net tows and water column profiling (salinity, temperature, chlorophyll fluorescence) to determine the volumetric density, distribution and community composition of mesozooplankton (predominantly euphausiids and copepods) and oceanographic properties of the water column in the vicinity of whale sharks that were tracked simultaneously using satellite-linked tags at Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia. Generalised linear mixed effect models were used to explore relationships between the 3-dimensional movement behaviours of tracked sharks and surrounding prey fields at a spatial scale of ~ 1 km. Results We identified prey density as a significant driver of horizontal space use, with sharks occupying areas along the reef edge where densities were highest. These areas were characterised by complex bathymetry such as reef gutters and pinnacles. Temperature and salinity profiles revealed a well-mixed water column above the height of the bathymetry (top 40 m of the water column). Regions of stronger stratification were associated with reef gutters and pinnacles that concentrated prey near the seabed, and entrained productivity at local scales (~ 1 km). We found no quantitative relationship between the depth use of sharks and vertical distributions of horizontally averaged prey density. Whale sharks repeatedly dove to depths where spatially averaged prey concentration was highest but did not extend the time spent at these depth layers. Conclusions Our work reveals previously unrecognized complexity in interactions between whale sharks and their zooplankton prey.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Lipocalin prostaglandin D synthase and PPARγ2 coordinate to regulate carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in vivo

Mice lacking Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor γ2 (PPARγ2) have unexpectedly normal glucose tolerance and mild insulin resistance. Mice lacking PPARγ2 were found to have elevated levels of Lipocalin prostaglandin D synthase (L-PGDS) expression in BAT and subcutaneous white adipose tissue (WAT). To determine if induction of L-PGDS was compensating for a lack of PPARγ2, we crossed L-PGDS KO mice to PPARγ2 KO mice to generate Double Knock Out mice (DKO). Using DKO mice we demonstrated a requirement of L-PGDS for maintenance of subcutaneous WAT (scWAT) function. In scWAT, DKO mice had reduced expression of thermogenic genes, the de novo lipogenic program and the lipases ATGL and HSL. Despite the reduction in markers of lipolysis in scWAT, DKO mice had a normal metabolic rate and elevated serum FFA levels compared to L-PGDS KO alone. Analysis of intra-abdominal white adipose tissue (epididymal WAT) showed elevated expression of mRNA and protein markers of lipolysis in DKO mice, suggesting that DKO mice may become more reliant on intra-abdominal WAT to supply lipid for oxidation. This switch in depot utilisation from subcutaneous to epididymal white adipose tissue was associated with a worsening of whole organism metabolic function, with DKO mice being glucose intolerant, and having elevated serum triglyceride levels compared to any other genotype. Overall, L-PGDS and PPARγ2 coordinate to regulate carbohydrate and lipid metabolism