Community services in higher education

When most people hear the words community service, they tend to think of privileged individuals going out and serving the less privileged . Many people in society today think that only wealthy people need to perform community service as a way to deepen their sense of social responsibility (Bojar, 1989). Society needs to realize that community service participation can be of great value to everyone, not just the wealthy. The words public and duty are often considered synonyms for the terms community and service , respectively. In other words, one could say that it is the public\u27s duty to help one another. Race, ethnic background, and socio-economic status do not affect one\u27s ability to participate in community service programs. Community service is an act of citizenship and every American is responsible for serving his or her community in some way (Barber & Battistoni, 1993). Basically, community service participation should be viewed as one\u27s civic responsibility, not as an act of charity

Avian Use of a Bottomland Hardwood Afforestation Site in the Red River Alluvial Valley

Colby W. Sharp is a Graduate Associate in the School of Biological Sciences at Louisiana Tech University. Heidi L. Adams and William B. Patterson are Assistant Professors in the School of Biological Sciences at Louisiana Tech University

Prevalence of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer in India: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Purpose There is considerable variation in prevalence rates of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) reported by various studies from India. We performed a systematic review and literature-based meta-analysis of these studies. Methods We searched databases of Medline, Scopus, EMBASE, and Web of Science for studies that reported on the prevalence of TNBC in India that were published between January 1, 1999, and December 31, 2015. We extracted relevant information from each study by using a standardized form. We pooled study-specific estimates by using random-effects meta-analysis to provide summary estimates. We explored sources of heterogeneity by using subgroup analyses and metaregression. Results Data were obtained from 17 studies that involved 7,237 patients with breast cancer. Overall combined prevalence of TNBC was 31% (95% CI, 27% to 35%). There was substantial heterogeneity across the studies (I2 of 91% [95% CI, 88% to 94%]; P \u3c .001) that was not explained by available study level characteristics, including study location, definition of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 or estrogen receptor, mean age of participants, proportion of patients with premenopausal cancer, grade 3 disease, or tumor size \u3e 5 cm. Overall combined prevalence of hormone receptor–positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–positive breast cancer was 48% (95% CI, 42% to 54%) and 27% (95% CI, 24% to 31%), respectively. There was no evidence of publication bias. Conclusion Prevalence of TNBC in India is considerably higher compared with that seen in Western populations. As many as as one in three women with breast cancer could have triple-negative disease. This finding has significant clinical relevance as it may contribute to poor outcomes in patients with breast cancer in India. Additional research is needed to understand the determinants of TNBC in India

A National Strategy for the Conservation of Native Freshwater Mollusks

In 1998, a strategy document outlining the most pressing issues facing the conservation of freshwater mussels was published (NNMCC 1998). Beginning in 2011, the Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society began updating that strategy, including broadening the scope to include freshwater snails. Although both strategy documents contained 10 issues that were deemed priorities for mollusk conservation, the identity of these issues has changed. For example, some issues (e.g., controlling dreissenid mussels, technology to propagate and reintroduce mussels, techniques to translocate adult mussels) were identified in the 1998 strategy, but are less prominent in the revised strategy, due to changing priorities and progress that has been made on these issues. In contrast, some issues (e.g., biology, ecology, habitat, funding) remain prominent concerns facing mollusk conservation in both strategies. In addition, the revised strategy contains a few issues (e.g., newly emerging stressors, education and training of the next generation of resource managers) that were not explicitly present in the 1998 strategy. The revised strategy states that to effectively conserve freshwater mollusks, we need to (1) increase knowledge of their distribution and taxonomy at multiple scales; (2) address the impacts of past, ongoing, and newly emerging stressors; (3) understand and conserve the quantity and quality of suitable habitat; (4) understand their ecology at the individual, population, and community levels; (5) restore abundant and diverse populations until they are self-sustaining; (6) identify the ecosystem services provided by mollusks and their habitats; (7) strengthen advocacy for mollusks and their habitats; (8) educate and train the conservation community and future generations of resource managers and researchers; (9) seek long-term funding to support conservation efforts; and (10) coordinate development of an updated and revised strategy every 15 years. Collectively addressing these issues should strengthen conservation efforts for North American freshwater mollusks

Going Multimodal: Programmatic, Curricular, and Classroom Change

AS THE STUDENTS NOTE IN this epigraph, we do not live in a monomodal world. Rather, we experience the world and communicate through multiple modalities. To confine students to learning in only one mode, typically the textual mode in first-year writing courses, indeed limits, students\u27 understanding and creative potential-a point that has reemerged in considerations of education and the teaching of writing..

#35 - Enamel isotopes reveal late Pleistocene ecosystem dynamics in southeastern North America

The end of the late Pleistocene (~10,000 years ago) witnessed the extinction of over seventy percent of North America’s megafaunal genera. Although this pattern has been extensively investigated, its causal mechanisms remain elusive. Much of this difficulty is related to the spatial and temporal discontinuity of sites dating to the period leading up to the extinctions. Due to its removal from glacial conditions, southeastern North America provides a unique window into ecosystem dynamics just prior to human arrival in the region. In this study, we present new stable carbon and oxygen isotope data from Mammuthus columbiand Bison latifronsteeth collected from a well-dated Last Glacial Maximum (~20,000 rcybp) locality called Clark Quarry in coastal Georgia, USA. We compare these data to those from similarly aged (middle and late Rancholabrean) localities from Florida and demonstrate the presence of a vegetation gradient with elevated levels of C3vegetation at higher latitudes. We hypothesize that this pattern may have contributed to previously described migratory patterns of mastodon (Mammut) populations in southeastern North America. Serially-sampled δ13C and δ18O values suggest that Clark Quarry Mammuthus and Bison changed their diet seasonally with the incorporation of elevated quantities of C4vegetation during warmer periods. Our data indicate more exaggerated seasonal dietary variability in these taxa at Clark Quarry relative to those collected from the interglacial locality of Waccasassa River in Florida, providing additional evidence for the significant influence of glacial dynamics in structuring North American ecosystems

A differential role for the posterior cerebellum in the adaptive control of convergence eye movements

Introduction The vergence oculomotor system possesses two robust adaptive mechanisms; a fast “dynamic” and a slow “tonic” system that are both vital for single, clear and comfortable binocular vision. The neural substrates underlying these vergence adaptive mechanisms in humans is unclear. Methods We investigated the role of the posterior cerebellum in convergence adaptation using inhibitory continuous theta-burst repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (cTBS) within a double-blind, sham controlled design while eye movements were recorded at 250hz via infrared oculography. Results In a preliminary experiment we validated our stimulation protocols by reproducing results from previous work on saccadic adaptation during the classic double-step adaptive shortening paradigm. Following this, across a series of three separate experiments we observed a clear dissociation in the effect of cTBS on convergence adaptation. Dynamic adaptation was substantially reduced while tonic adaptation was unaffected. Baseline dynamic fusional vergence response were also unaffected by stimulation. Conclusions These results indicate a differential role for the posterior cerebellum in the adaptive control of convergence eye movements and provide initial evidence that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation is a viable tool to investigate the neurophysiology of vergence control. The results are discussed in the context of the current models of implicit motor adaptation of vergence and their application to clinical populations and technology design in virtual and augmented head mounted display architectures. Significance statement The cerebellum plays a critical role in the adaptive control of motor systems. Vergence eye movements shift our gaze in depth allowing us to see in 3D and exhibit two distinct adaptive mechanisms that are engaged under a range of conditions including reading, wearing head-mounted displays and using a new spectacle prescription. It is unclear what role the cerebellum plays in these adaptive mechanisms. To answer this, we temporarily disrupted the function of the posterior cerebellum using non-invasive brain stimulation and report impairment of only one adaptive mechanism, providing evidence for neural compartmentalization. The results have implications for vergence control models and applications to comfort and experience studies in head-mounted displays and the rehabilitation of clinical populations exhibiting vergence dysfunctions.National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada || Canadian Foundation of Innovators || American Academy of Optometry Foundation || Canadian Institutes for Health Research

Miscarriage and stillbirth following maternal Zika virus infection in nonhuman primates.

Zika virus (ZIKV) infection is associated with congenital defects and pregnancy loss. Here, we found that 26% of nonhuman primates infected with Asian/American ZIKV in early gestation experienced fetal demise later in pregnancy despite showing few clinical signs of infection. Pregnancy loss due to asymptomatic ZIKV infection may therefore be a common but under-recognized adverse outcome related to maternal ZIKV infection