The volume and source of cyberabuse influences victim blame and perceptions of attractiveness

Cyberabuse is an escalating problem in society, as opportunities for abuse to occur in online public domains increase. Such acts are often defined by the frequency of abuse, and in many cases multiple individuals play a part in the abuse. Although consequences of such acts are often severe, there is typically little public sympathy/support for victims. To better understand perceptions of victims of abusive online acts, we manipulated the Volume (low, high) and Source (same-source, multi-source) of abusive posts in artificially-manipulated Facebook timelines of four fictitious ‘victims’. One hundred and sixty-four participants [United Kingdom-based; aged 18–59] rated ‘victims’ on measures of direct victim blame (DVB) and perceived social-, physical- and task-attractiveness. Results revealed significant Volume × Source interactions on DVB and social-attractiveness ratings. Few abusive posts authored by a single source yielded higher DVB and lower social-attractiveness ratings. Strong correlations between attractiveness and DVB were observed. We propose that our results could be due to an observer desensitization effect, or that participants interpreted the posts as indicative of friendly ‘teasing’ or ‘banter’ within an established social relationship, helping to explain why victims of online abuse often receive little sympathy or support

Characterising novel mitotic microtubule associated proteins in the early Drosophila embryo

Cell division is a fundamental biological process driven by the formation of a microtubule (MT) based mitotic spindle, ensuring the accurate segregation of chromosomes. MT length, nucleation and dynamics are all determined by microtubule associated proteins (MAPs). Following on from previous work carried out by the Hughes et al., (2008) this investigation has applied quantitative comparative proteomics to cycling and mitotic Drosophila embryo extracts prepared via MT cosedimentation assay, in order to compare their MAP complements as they progress though the cell cycle or whilst fixed at the metaphase-anaphase transition. We have demonstrated that many MAPs known for their roles in cell division increase their association with MTs during mitosis, and in addition our approach has identified a number of protein classes not previously characterised as a MAP, binding to MTs during mitosis. One of these protein classes was the Replication Factor C complex (RFC). The RFC complex is most well-known for its role as the sliding clamp loader in DNA replication, however it is now presenting as MAPs with a potential mitotic function. By combining techniques from biochemistry, fluorescence microscopy and further proteomic analysis we have been able to begin to investigate the localisation and functions of this complex during mitosis. Thus far we have been able to biochemically show that the RFC complex is a true MT binding protein and that all three alternative RFC complexes, as well as the archetypal complex, are present in mitotic embryo extracts following immunoprecipitation of RFC3. We have also shown via fluorescence imaging that the RFC complex presents a weak localisation to the mitotic spindle. Application of these techniques has also led to further investigation into the known MAPs, Asp and DTACC, for which we have identified novel protein interactors and investigated localisation during the process of Drosophila embryonic spindle self-assembly

Assessing the Impact of Student Learning Style Preferences

Students express a wide range of preferences for learning environments. We are trying to measure the manifestation of learning styles in various learning environments. In particular, we are interested in performance in an environment that disagrees with the expressed learning style preference, paying close attention to social (group vs. individual) and auditory (those who prefer to learn by listening) environments. These are particularly relevant to activity-based curricula which typically emphasize group-work and de-emphasize lectures. Our methods include multiple-choice assessments, individual student interviews, and a study in which we attempt to isolate the learning environment

Discitis Following Microdiskectomy: A Preliminary Report on the Role of Pre-Operative Prophylactic Antibiotics

Study Design: 83 consecutive microdiskectomies were performed and evaluated to discern the efficacy of pre-operative prophylactic antibiotics ( cefazolin and vancomycin). Objective: The objective of this preliminary report was to evaluate the amount, time of administration, effectiveness, and need of prophylactic antibiotics using our surgical results. Summary of Background Data: Previous studies have yielded conflicting results regarding the role of antibiotics in prevention and treatment of discitis , and in their ability to penetrate the intervertebral disc. Methods: 1gm of cefazolin was intravenously administered to 76 patients, 30 minutes prior to incision; 500mg of vancomycin was likewise administered to the remaining 7 patients who were allergic to cepbalosporins. No post-operative antibiotic was administered. Results: Of the 83 consecutive surgeries, no patient developed iatrogenic disci tis. The average length of follow-up was 6 months (range 1 - 23 months). Conclusions: Our results suggest that the use of cephalosporins (and glycopeptides) seems to prevent discitis when intravenously administered 30 minutes prior to surgery; that being the case, there appears to be no advantage in additional post-operative dosing. However, in light of conflicting reports and the preliminary nature of this study, conceivably there is another explanation. Perhaps there is in fact no correlation between pre-operative antibiotics and post-operative discitis

Dairy grazing: heifer development

Original authors: Tony R. Rickard and Stacey A. Hamilton (University of Missouri). Revised 2022 Scott Poock and Stacey Hamilton.stats082022upload"Dairy heifers are the foundation of any dairy enterprise and directly affect future profitability. Because replacement heifers represent a negative cash flow, this aspect of the dairy operation is often neglected. Unfortunately, this neglect often costs producers large amounts of money. The goals of a heifer program should be to achieve the proper size and weight for the particular breed being raised and to calve by 22 to 24 months of age. Missouri data indicate an average age at first calving of 27 to 28 months. The lost net income per heifer is estimated to be at least $1.50 per day for each day over 24 months of age until freshening."--Page 1.Stacey A. Hamilton (Dairy Specialist, Animal Science Department), Scott E. Poock (State Dairy Extension Veterinarian

Mary H. Gibbon: teamwork of the heart.

Mary Maly Hopkinson Gibbon was born on September 25, 1903, to an affluent New England family who encouraged her to embrace her intelligence and to follow that by which she was intrigued. In doing this, Maly pursued work in scientific research, where she ultimately met her first husband, Dr. John ‘‘Jack’’ H. Gibbon. Jack and Maly were partners in every sense of the word. Their collaboration, both within and beyond the walls of the research laboratory, made it possible for the Gibbon dream of the heart–lung machine to be realized

Robert Edward Gross (1905-1988): ligation of a patent ductus arteriosus and the birth of a specialty.

The early 20th century saw an explosion in surgical expertise. Specialties dedicated to delicate organs such as the heart and vulnerable populations, like children, were in their infancy. Dr. William E. Ladd, the father of pediatric surgery, founded the first dedicated department of pediatric surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital in 1910. At the time, attempts at cardiac surgery almost universally ended in death of the patient. The first successful surgical treatment of the cardiac valves would not occur for another 15 years, and the great vessels would remain out of reach for decades more. Dr. Robert E. Gross, the shy and humble heir to the greats of this epoch, would push these embryonic fields into the modern era and train a generation of surgeons to face countless new challenges (Fig. 1)

Group vs Individual: Impact of TOUCH and TILT Cross-Device Interactions on Mixed-Focus Collaboration

Cross-device environments (XDEs) have been devel-oped to support a multitude of collaborative activities. Yet, little is known about how different cross-device in-teraction techniques impact group collaboration; in-cluding their impact on independent and joint work that often occur during group work. In this work, we explore the impact of two XDE data browsing tech-niques: TOUCH and TILT. Through a mixed-methods study of a collaborative sensemaking task, we show that TOUCH and TILT have distinct impacts on how groups accomplish, and shift between, independent and joint work. Finally, we reflect on these findings and how they can more generally inform the design of XDEs.NSER