An Analysis of the Lincoln-Osbretsky Motor Development Scale with an Emphasis on the Reduction of Total Test Items

The Lincoln-Oseretsky Motor Development Scale is designed to test the motor ability of children between the ages of six and fourteen. It is an individually administered scale consisting of thirty-six motor skill items such as finger dexterity, eye-hand coordination and gross activity of the hands, arms, legs and trunk. Both unilateral and bilateral motor tasks are involved in the scale. Because of this fact, fifty-three test items involve right and left limb performances. The time for administering all the items is usually less than one hour. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not the number of test items could be significantly reduced so that a reliable assessment or the motor ability of an individual can be made in a much shorter period of time

James Ralph Scales : a case study of sixteen years of university leadership

The purpose of this research was to identify factors in the leadership of James Ralph Scales during his presidency at Wake Forest University, 1967-1983. The identification of these factors was made through a historical and biographical case study. A second purpose was to compare Scales' leadership factors with those of five selected leadership frameworks. The case study analysis identified Scales' leadership factors as (1) constancy of "fit" between his style, values, and personal history and the style, values, and history of the institution; (2) an unmistakable commitment to the faculty as central to academic excellence; (3) a persistent articulation of the core values of an intellectual community; (4) a tolerance for situations requiring the management of ambiguity; (5) a spirit of magnanimity; (6) an active promotion of a climate of "possibility" through debate and personal initiative; (7) a sense of humor and an attractive physical presence; (8) a habit of person centered communication; and (9) a willingness to take risks because of a trust in the institution's resources

Methods matter: Different biodiversity survey methodologies identify contrasting biodiversity patterns in a human modified rainforest — A case study with amphibians

Understanding how well tropical forest biodiversity can recover following habitat change is often difficult due to conflicting assessments arising from different studies. One often overlooked potentially confounding factor that may influence assessments of biodiversity response to habitat change, is the possibility that different survey methodologies, targeting the same indicator taxon, may identify different patterns and so lead to different conclusions. Here we investigated whether two different but commonly used survey methodologies used to assess amphibian communities, pitfall trapping and nocturnal transects, indicate the same or different responses of amphibian biodiversity to historic human induced habitat change. We did so in a regenerating rainforest study site located in one of the world's most biodiverse and important conservation areas: the Manu Biosphere Reserve. We show that the two survey methodologies tested identified contrasting biodiversity patterns in a human modified rainforest. Nocturnal transect surveys indicated biodiversity differences between forest with different human disturbance histories, whereas pitfall trap surveys suggested no differences between forest disturbance types, except for community composition. This pattern was true for species richness, diversity, overall abundance and community evenness and structure. For some fine scale metrics, such as species specific responses and abundances of family groups, both methods detected differences between disturbance types. However, the direction of differences was inconsistent between methods. We highlight that for assessments of rainforest recovery following disturbance, survey methods do matter and that different biodiversity survey methods can identify contrasting patterns in response to different types of historic disturbance. Our results contribute to a growing body of evidence that arboreal species might be more sensitive indicators than terrestrial communities. © 2016 Elsevier Lt

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

PANC Study (Pancreatitis: A National Cohort Study): national cohort study examining the first 30 days from presentation of acute pancreatitis in the UK

Abstract Background Acute pancreatitis is a common, yet complex, emergency surgical presentation. Multiple guidelines exist and management can vary significantly. The aim of this first UK, multicentre, prospective cohort study was to assess the variation in management of acute pancreatitis to guide resource planning and optimize treatment. Methods All patients aged greater than or equal to 18 years presenting with acute pancreatitis, as per the Atlanta criteria, from March to April 2021 were eligible for inclusion and followed up for 30 days. Anonymized data were uploaded to a secure electronic database in line with local governance approvals. Results A total of 113 hospitals contributed data on 2580 patients, with an equal sex distribution and a mean age of 57 years. The aetiology was gallstones in 50.6 per cent, with idiopathic the next most common (22.4 per cent). In addition to the 7.6 per cent with a diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis, 20.1 per cent of patients had a previous episode of acute pancreatitis. One in 20 patients were classed as having severe pancreatitis, as per the Atlanta criteria. The overall mortality rate was 2.3 per cent at 30 days, but rose to one in three in the severe group. Predictors of death included male sex, increased age, and frailty; previous acute pancreatitis and gallstones as aetiologies were protective. Smoking status and body mass index did not affect death. Conclusion Most patients presenting with acute pancreatitis have a mild, self-limiting disease. Rates of patients with idiopathic pancreatitis are high. Recurrent attacks of pancreatitis are common, but are likely to have reduced risk of death on subsequent admissions. </jats:sec

I am not crazy I am just not you : the real meaning of the sixteen personality types/ Pearman

xv, 188 p.; 30 c

Exploring futures with quantitative models

When a group of scientists discusses models, they can expect some shared understanding of what this term means. When the general public hears the word models, it conjures up a range of images, from fashion icons to miniature trains, but rarely the kind of internally consistent formalised reasoning meant by scientists. In this chapter we show that models and modelling are more familiar and less arcane than people think. All humans use models, consciously or unconsciously, because models are the guidebooks that help us navigate the world we live in. However, as the modern world has become more interconnected and complex, the intuitive models that have served us for millennia are increasingly guidebooks to the past, and of declining value. Here we argue that in a modern world that is so much a product of advances in science, the most reliable guides are models based on scientific principles. We also emphasise the importance of broad participation in the modelling process and discuss ways of achieving this at national scale