Advice seeking network structures and the learning organization

Organizational learning can be described as a transfer of individuals’ cognitive mental models to shared mental models. Employees, seeking the same colleagues for advice, are structurally equivalent, and the aim of the paper is to study if the concept can act as a conduit for organizational learning. It is argued that the mimicking of colleagues’ advice seeking structures will induce structural equivalence and transfer the accuracy of individuals’ cognitive mental models to shared mental models. Taking a dyadic level of analysis authors revisit a classical case and present novel data analyses.The empirical results indicate that the mimicking of advice seeking structures can alter cognitive accuracy. It is discussed the findings’ implications for organization learning theory and practice, addressed the study’s limitations, and suggested avenues for future research

BEEF CATTLE GRAZING PREFERENCE OF TALL FESCUE AS AFFECTED BY ENDOPHYTE

Many factors control, contribute to, stimulate and limit forage selection. It is apparent that cattle prefer certain cultivars compared to others. This study sought to test if cattle displayed preferences for certain cultivars over a two-year period in 2008 and 2009. Determining the effect of endophyte status on preference was another objective. Previous research showed rapid increase in the selection of preferred cultivars, i.e., diet learning. We attempted to replicate those results. Forty cultivars (34 tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) Darbysh.) cultivars), two festuloliums (Festuca pratensis x Lolium perenne), two meadow fescue (Lolium pratense) and one meadow brome (Bromus biebersteinii), and one orchard grass (Dactylis glomerta L.)) were used to determine preference and to investigate factors contributing to preference. From this two-year study, we observed that cattle preferred certain cultivars compared to others, e.g. KYFA9819 \u3e Latar-OG \u3e Barfest-FL and AU-Triumph \u3c 97TF1-EF \u3c Seine, the most and least preferred cultivars, respectively. During drought conditions, both novel and toxic endophyte cultivars were preferred significantly (P \u3c 0.05) to endophyte free counterparts. The cattle showed rejection of unpalatable grasses but did not clearly show learning to increase selection of desired cultivars

On the expression of hegemony in the field of educational technology - a case study of editorials in a Norwegian academic journal

This article has emerged from a project aiming at gaining an overview of actors and key figures, their perspectives and results after more than 30 years of ambitious governmental efforts to introduce computer technology in school. The main focus of the article is on what we consider to be dominant arguments, discourses and issues related to the hegemonization of meaning formation. Our line of reasoning is based primarily on a case study of the leading journal in the field of educational technology in Norway over the last fifteen years, the Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy. This is a mainstream research journal, which publishes peer-reviewed articles. However, being subject to the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research, it represents a rather interesting case for interrogating the issue of hegemony. Placing the journal’s policy at the forefront, the focus of our analysis will be on the editorials. The main findings, based on issues of the journal over the first ten years are that the editorials are in keeping with what can be regarded as the political priorities and the prevailing political discourses in the field. They contain relatively few, if any, critical perspectives and scant reference is made to the research articles and research area it claims to serve. The method used is document analysis, inspired by discourseanalytic approaches.publishedVersio

Antibody acquisition models: a new tool for serological surveillance of malaria transmission intensity

Serology has become an increasingly important tool for the surveillance of a wide range of infectious diseases. It has been particularly useful to monitor malaria transmission in elimination settings where existing metrics such as parasite prevalence and incidence of clinical cases are less sensitive. Seroconversion rates, based on antibody prevalence to Plasmodium falciparum asexual blood-stage antigens, provide estimates of transmission intensity that correlate with entomological inoculation rates but lack precision in settings where seroprevalence is still high. Here we present a new and widely applicable method, based on cross-sectional data on individual antibody levels. We evaluate its use as a sero-surveillance tool in a Tanzanian setting with declining malaria prevalence. We find that the newly developed mathematical models produce more precise estimates of transmission patterns, are robust in high transmission settings and when sample sizes are small, and provide a powerful tool for serological evaluation of malaria transmission intensity

Rettslige konsekvenser av at straffesaker henlegges etter bevisets stilling

Avhandlingen omhandler de rettslige konsekvensene for den siktede eller mistenkte som får en straffesak henlagt etter bevisets stilling mot seg. Det redegjøres for hva en henleggelse etter bevisets stilling innebærer og betyr. Videre om det kan likestilles med frifinnende dom. Avhandlingen avgrenses mot konsekvenser for noen utvalgte yrker som krever særlig skikkethet. Den reelle muligheten for den siktede eller mistenkte og endre henleggelsesbeslutningen vil også avklares. Til slutt drøftes det om bruken av henleggelser etter bevisets stilling strider med uskyldspresumsjonen.MasteroppgaveJUS399MAJUR-2MAJU

Predicting smoking among young people: Prospective associations from earlier developmental stages

Despite the wide body of research conducted on adolescent smoking, most studies have been cross-sectional, which precludes a proper identification of prospective predictors over time. Long-term longitudinal studies aimed to analyze whether distal predictors of smoking behaviors may be identified at early life stages are particularly scarce. This study was completed by collecting data from a wider longitudinal study on child development, analyses predictors of smoking at late adolescence by considering a number of family, peer, school, personality and behavioural/emotional factors measured at early adolescence. It also analyses if a number of temperamental and behavioral variables measured in childhood may be distal predictors of adolescent smoking. Self-reported and parent-reported data was collected from 192 children in 2002; 115 of them could be followed-up in 2009 and 2013. Results indicate that at early adolescence family atmosphere (closeness, support), involvement with antisocial peers, school failure, sensation seeking and externalizing problems predict changes in smoking through the following years. In childhood, externalizing problems, impulsivity/self-control, sensation seeking and limited emotional processing emerge as long-term predictors of adolescent smoking. Children with significant parent-reported externalizing problems show more unfavourable development in smoking patterns during adolescents. These results support theoretical models which underline early externalizing problems, and factors associated to them, as risk indicators for dysfunctional development through time. Results also suggest that the targeted intervention on early-onset externalizing problems might be a useful way to prevent later smoking, among other negative outcomesRelaciones prospectivas desde etapas tempranas del desarrollo. Aunque se ha desarrollado un amplio cuerpo de investigación en torno al consumo de tabaco en adolescentes, la mayor parte de los estudios han sido transversales, lo cual impide una adecuada identificación de los predictores del hábito de fumar. Son particularmente escasos los estudios a largo plazo, que examinen predictores distales en etapas tempranas de la vida. Este estudio analiza predictores del consumo de tabaco en la adolescencia tardía partiendo de factores evaluados en la adolescencia temprana y en la niñez. En 2002, se recogieron datos en 192 niños, de los cuales 115 pudieron ser evaluados también en 2009 y 2013. Los resultados indican que, en la adolescencia temprana, la atmósfera familiar (cercanía, apoyo), la implicación con iguales antisociales, el fracaso escolar, la búsqueda de sensaciones y los problemas externalizantes predicen cambios en el consumo de tabaco. En la niñez, problemas externalizantes, impulsividad/autocontrol, búsqueda de sensaciones y dificultades en el procesamiento emocional predicen a largo plazo el consumo de tabaco. Además, los niños con problemas externalizantes significativos muestran, durante la adolescencia, un desarrollo más desfavorable en su patrón de consumo. Estos resultados apoyan los modelos teóricos que subrayan la importancia de los problemas externalizantes tempranos, y de los factores asociados a ellos, como indicadores de riesgo para un desarrollo disfuncional. Los resultados también sugieren que la intervención sobre problemas de conducta tempranos puede ser una vía útil para prevenir el posterior consumo de tabaco, entre otras dificultades conductualesThis study was supported by grants from the Spanish National Plan on Drugs (2012I024 “Predictores tempranos del abuso de alcohol y otras drogas: estudio longitudinal y seguimiento de un programa de prevención indicada”) and from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitivieness (PSI2015-65766-R, MINECO/FEDER, “Patrones de desarrollo de los problemas de conducta en la niñez: Hacia una intervención preventiva en un perfil de alto riesgo”)S

Bidirectional Effects between Psychopathic Traits and Conduct Problems in Early Childhood: Examining Parenting as Potential Mediator

The association between psychopathic traits and conduct problems has been extensively analyzed, with results showing a significant predictive effect of psychopathic traits on later conduct problems. However, some recent research has evidenced some reversed effects, with early-onset conduct problems also showing a significant effect on psychopathic traits. The present study aimed to examine the longitudinal effects (i.e., autoregressive, direct, and bidirectional) between the three psychopathy dimensions (i.e., interpersonal, affective, and behavioral), and conduct problems in two data collections spanning one year (T1-T2). The potential mediation effect from inconsistent parenting and parental warmth was also analyzed. Data were collected, trough parents’ reports, in a sample of 1.833 children (48.8% girls; Mage = 4.24; SD = 0.92), participating in the ELISA study (Longitudinal Study for a Healthy Childhood). A cross-lagged path analysis with mediation effects was performed in Mplus. Results showed autoregressive, direct and bidirectional effects between psychopathic traits and conduct problems. Hence, whilst T1 conduct problems predicted all psychopathy dimensions in T2, only callous-unemotional and impulsive/need of stimulation traits measured in T1 predicted conduct problems in T2. Finally, some marginal mediation effects from inconsistent parenting and parental warmth were also observed, particularly in the relationship between interpersonal and affective psychopathic traits, and later CP through parental warmth. Current findings provide relevant implications for developmental models of psychopathic traits, as well as for predictive models and preventive strategies on early-onset conduct problemsEfectos bidireccionales entre rasgos psicopáticos y problemas de conducta en la infancia temprana: Analizando las prácticas parentales como posible mediador. La relación entre rasgos psicopáticos y problemas de conducta ha sido extensamente analizada, constándose un efecto predictivo de los rasgos psicopáticos sobre los problemas de conducta a lo largo del desarrollo. Sin embargo, investigaciones recientes mostraron que los problemas de conducta de inicio temprano también pueden jugar un papel fundamental en el desarrollo de los rasgos de tipo psicopático. El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo principal analizar los efectos longitudinales (i.e., autorregresivos, directos y recíprocos) entre las tres dimensiones de la personalidad psicopática (interpersonal, afectiva y conductual) y los problemas de conducta a largo de un 1 año de estudio (T1-T2), analizando el posible efecto mediador de las prácticas parentales inconsistentes y basadas en el afecto. Se emplearon datos de 1.833 niños/as (48.8% niñas; edad media = 4.24; DT = 0.92), proporcionados a través de informes de padres, participantes en el proyecto ELISA (Estudio Longitudinal para una Infancia Saludable). Se realizó un diseño longitudinal en panel con efectos de mediación en Mplus. Los resultados mostraron efectos autorregresivos, directos y recíprocos entre problemas de conducta y rasgos psicopáticos. Así, mientras los problemas de conducta en T1 permiten predecir cambios en las tres dimensiones de psicopatía en T2, únicamente los rasgos de dureza emocional e impulsividad/búsqueda de sensaciones en T1, predicen cambios en problemas de conducta en T2. Por último, se evidenció el posible papel mediador de las prácticas parentales, particularmente en la relación entre rasgos psicopáticos de tipo interpersonal y afectivo, y los problemas de conducta a través de las prácticas basadas en el afecto. Los resultados obtenidos permiten extraer importantes implicaciones sobre los modelos de desarrollo de la personalidad psicopática, así como para la predicción y prevención de los problemas de conducta de inicio temprano

Antipyretic, parasitologic, and immunologic effects of combining sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine with chloroquine or paracetamol for treating uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria

Sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine (SP) is increasingly used against malaria in sub-Saharan Africa because of chloroquine resistance. However, chloroquine may have a beneficial antipyretic effect. We therefore compared the combination of SP plus chloroquine, chloroquine alone, SP alone, and SP plus paracetamol in the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in 175 Tanzanian children (1-4 years old) in a randomized trial. Outcome variables were axillary temperatures every six hours, daily parasitemias, and serum levels of IgG antibodies to P. falciparum. Lower mean temperatures (6-48 hours) were achieved with SP plus chloroquine or paracetamol than with SP alone (P \u3c 0.001) or chloroquine alone (P \u3c 0.05). All three SP-treated groups showed high and similar parasite reduction (0-48 hours), whereas treatment with chloroquine alone was much less effective. Levels of IgG antibodies to P. falciparum increased significantly (P \u3c 0.001) and similarly in the four treatment groups between days 0, 2. and 3. Thus, the addition of chloroquine or paracetamol to SP improved the clinical outcome, but did not affect the parasitologic response or antibody production