Book review: “I’m sorry for what I have done”: the language of courtroom apologies by M. Catherine Gruber

This book examines 52 apologetic allocutions produced during federal sentencing hearings, and analyses how words and phrases can influence judges and juries to be more lenient with sentencing. M. Catherine Gruber uses transcripts which include paralinguistic features such as hesitations and crying in order to analyse these interesting speech acts. Sarah Morley strongly recommends this fascinating book to readers in sociolinguistics and law

The design and evaluation of non-visual information systems for blind users

This research was motivated by the sudden increase of hypermedia information (such as that found on CD-ROMs and on the World Wide Web), which was not initially accessible to blind people, although offered significant advantages over traditional braille and audiotape information. Existing non-visual information systems for blind people had very different designs and functionality, but none of them provided what was required according to user requirements studies: an easy-to-use non-visual interface to hypermedia material with a range of input devices for blind students. Furthermore, there was no single suitable design and evaluation methodology which could be used for the development of non-visual information systems. The aims of this research were therefore: (1) to develop a generic, iterative design and evaluation methodology consisting of a number of techniques suitable for formative evaluation of non-visual interfaces; (2) to explore non-visual interaction possibilities for a multimodal hypermedia browser for blind students based on user requirements; and (3) to apply the evaluation methodology to non-visual information systems at different stages of their development. The methodology developed and recommended consists of a range of complementary design and evaluation techniques, and successfully allowed the systematic development of prototype non-visual interfaces for blind users by identifying usability problems and developing solutions. Three prototype interfaces are described: the design and evaluation of two versions of a hypermedia browser; and an evaluation of a digital talking book. Recommendations made from the evaluations for an effective non-visual interface include the provision of a consistent multimodal interface, non-speech sounds for information and feedback, a range of simple and consistent commands for reading, navigation, orientation and output control, and support features. This research will inform developers of similar systems for blind users, and in addition, the methodology and design ideas are considered sufficiently generic, but also sufficiently detailed, that the findings could be applied successfully to the development of non-visual interfaces of any type

Initial Development of a Medical Information Literacy Questionnaire

Originating from the field of library science, information literacy (IL) is defined as a broad set of skills and abilities necessary to locate, evaluate and use information ethically and legally. This important skill set is incorporated into general competency requirements for postgraduate residency programs, however no standardized instrument currently exists to measure resident physician IL knowledge and skills. This study addresses that gap by developing and pilot testing an instrument aimed at measuring information literacy competence in resident physicians. The author constructed a questionnaire of sixty-nine multiple-choice items to assess skills covering five IL domains. Utilizing the Content Validity Ratio (CVR) methodology, validity evidence of the test content was evaluated by a panel of twenty physicians and five health sciences librarians. A draft instrument was administered to a convenience sample of resident physicians at the University of New Mexico. Psychometric properties of the test scores were evaluated using item analyses. Data from the item analyses was used to guide the item retention process. Each item was reviewed for corrected item-total correlation value to gauge level of item discrimination and P-values for item difficulty. Cronbachs alpha-if-item-deleted, CVR scores established by the validity panel, and the test blueprint were also considered. Based on the analyses, 32 items (46%) were eliminated from the original pool of 69 items resulting in a revised instrument containing 37 items. This study adds to the knowledge base of information literacy and graduate medical education assessment and continues the effort toward creating effective measurement tools in library science and physician education.\u2

Takeover Litigation: the US does it more than the UK, but why and does it matter?

This thesis begins by describing the regulatory regimes of takeovers in the UK and US, and maps the litigation landscapes of both jurisdictions. In order to first map or describe the litigation landscapes, data was collected to reveal the extent of the UK’s propensity to litigate during takeovers. Although data ascertaining takeover litigation levels existed in the US no current study had yet established the levels in the UK. It is revealed that in the US 87 percent of takeovers are subject to litigation, whilst in the UK the figure is less than one percent. Current literature has not yet attempted to explain exactly why the US and UK differ so widely, considering their very similar market systems. The focus of this thesis is then to explain this difference and debunk some of the more obvious presumed explanations (i.e. “the US is just more aggressively litigious”) and identify some lesser known reasons. As the main instigators of US litigation are target shareholders alleging their directors have breached a fiduciary duty a number of explanations inevitably arise from this particular scenario. A simplistic uni-causal explanation is therefore rejected and instead this thesis offers four candidates for explaining the disparity. These are, firstly, that US shareholders benefit from more extensive “causes of action.” The second explanation encompasses the different “forms of action” that are available to shareholders in the UK and US to pursue these causes of action; in the US the class action is the favoured form whereas in the UK shareholders are limited to the derivative claim. The third explanation concerns the role played by the existence of the Code, and its administration by the Panel. It is argued that these UK institutions do much to suppress takeover litigation in general. The fourth and final explanation is the rather amorphous concept of “litigation culture.” Finally, the impacts of the diverging propensities to litigate on factors such as cost and speed on the takeover process are then evaluated

Information Survival Skills: Librarians in Medical Education. Poster presentation at: WGEA 2009 Annual Conf.; 2009 April 18; Santa Fe, NM.

Context: The crisis in scholarly communication and the increased emphasis on evidence-based practice highlight the need for information literate health care professionals. Health sciences librarians play a critical role in raising student awareness of issues related to the evaluation, use, and communication of medical information by healthcare providers. To address this challenge, library faculty members created a medical school elective in 2006 covering these important issues. To date, this course has been taught three semesters. Objectives: Overall course objectives were to: Understand the changing nature of scholarly communication and online publishing; Identify resources and strategies for searching current best evidence; Apply methods for presenting and managing information. Key Message: By using a soup to nuts\u27 approach, 2nd and 3rd year medical students were given the opportunity to become familiar with and understand all facets of the information cycle. The syllabus included sessions on the publication process, the rising cost of medical information leading to alternative publishing models, literature searching, resource management, and presentation. The authors were interested in introducing concepts and strengthening skills that students will use in their future careers as researchers and evidence based practitioners. Conclusion: This course elective provided practical application of evidence-based concepts and skills for students working on research projects or for students in the clerkship phase. Feedback from student participants reiterates the value of providing this type of information and has given us greater insight into optimal placement of topics in the broader school of medicine curriculum.\u27https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/hslic-posters-presentations/1067/thumbnail.jp

Do young people in Australian educational systems receive adequate support to feel empowered in engaging with Sustainable Development Goals?

With the anticipated rise of over double the Paris Agreement’s 2°C goal, climate change is likely to jeopardize the pros- perity of future generations. Thus, it has become increasingly apparent that young demographics must be integrated into the process required to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) owing to their disproportionately threatened futures over that of adult demographics. A major barrier to children engaging with SDG progress is evident in Australian educational policies, which fail to provide adequate opportunities for young people. Moreover, a lack of individual autonomy in young people can lead to feelings of disempowerment regarding sustainability. Hence, at the present moment, young people in Australian educational institutions are deprived of adequate support systems that could help them feel empowered by contributing to sustainability progress. Research methods undertaken for this paper include literature review, interviews with Australian students and teachers, research into successful international frameworks for youth programs, policy review, and analysis of Australian educational frameworks. Opportunities for empowerment through education and intergenerational support are vital for children to be integrated into the work of SDGs. This fails to transpire within Australian educational institutions. Although there exist various independent organisations which promote tools for youth empowerment throughout Australia, the lack of wider systematic support results in insufficient accessibility for teachers and students alike. Whilst young people possess the capacity to play a role in politically securitising climate change and the achievement of SDGs, supportive systems are required through structural changes, including policy, to initiate progress

mTOR inhibition and levels of the DNA repair protein MGMT in T98G glioblastoma cells

Background: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common and most aggressive type of primary adult brain tumour, responds poorly to conventional treatment. Temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy remains the most commonly used treatment, despite a large proportion of tumours displaying TMZ resistance. 60% of GBM tumours have unmethylated MGMT promoter regions, resulting in an overexpression of the DNA repair protein O6 -methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT), which is responsible for tumour resistance to TMZ chemotherapy. Tumours also often exhibit hyperactive PI3-kinase/mTOR signalling, which enables them to resynthesise proteins quickly. Since MGMT is a suicide protein that is degraded upon binding to and repairing TMZ-induced O6-methylguanine adducts, it has been hypothesized that inhibition of translation via the mTOR signalling pathway could generate a tumour-specific reduction in MGMT protein and increase TMZ sensitivity. Methods: MGMT was monitored at the post-transcriptional, translational and protein levels, to determine what effect mTOR inhibition was having on MGMT protein expression in vitro. Results: We show that inhibiting mTOR signalling is indeed associated with acute inhibition of protein synthesis. Western blots show that despite this, relative to loading control proteins, steady state levels of MGMT protein increased and MGMT mRNA was retained in heavy polysomes. Whilst TMZ treatment resulted in maintained MGMT protein levels, concomitant treatment of T98G cells with TMZ and KU0063794 resulted in increased MGMT protein levels without changes in total mRNA levels. Conclusions: These in vitro data suggest that, counterintuitively, mTOR inhibition may not be a useful adjunct to TMZ therapy and that more investigation is needed before applying mTOR inhibitors in a clinical setting

Obliquity Constraints on an Extrasolar Planetary-Mass Companion

We place the first constraints on the obliquity of a planetary-mass companion outside of the solar system. Our target is the directly imaged system 2MASS J01225093–2439505 (2M0122), which consists of a 120 Myr 0.4 M⊙ star hosting a 12–27 M_J companion at 50 au. We constrain all three of the system's angular-momentum vectors: how the companion spin axis, the stellar spin axis, and the orbit normal are inclined relative to our line of sight. To accomplish this, we measure projected rotation rates (v sin i) for both the star and the companion using new near-infrared high-resolution spectra with NIRSPEC at Keck Observatory. We combine these with a new stellar photometric rotation period from TESS and a published companion rotation period from Hubble Space Telescope to obtain spin-axis inclinations for both objects. We also fitted multiple epochs of astrometry, including a new observation with NIRC2/Keck, to measure 2M0122b's orbital inclination. The three line-of-sight inclinations place limits on the true de-projected companion obliquity and stellar obliquity. We find that while the stellar obliquity marginally prefers alignment, the companion obliquity tentatively favors misalignment. We evaluate possible origin scenarios. While collisions, secular spin–orbit resonances, and Kozai–Lidov oscillations are unlikely, formation by gravitational instability in a gravito-turbulent disk—the scenario favored for brown dwarf companions to stars—appears promising