Information literacy and Web 2.0: developing a modern media curriculum using social bookmarking and social networking tools

The term 'Web 2.0' continues to prompt widespread discussion in terms of definition, impact upon society in general and relevance to library and information professionals in Higher Education. Web 2.0 has been described by Notess (2006:40) as '...a second wave of Web techniques to create more interactive and easy-to-use Websites using new technologies (or using older technologies in a new way)'. There has been debate in recent years concerning the importance of the adoption of Web 2.0 tools by librarians within information literacy teaching programmes. Godwin (2008:8) sees them as providing a vital link to the 'Google generation', which uses search engines effortlessly in a self-directed manner, placing complete faith in what they find on the web. He argues that Web 2.0 tools '...give us a whole set of new ways to reach our users, and tools with which to teach them.' Abram (2006) claims that librarians can guarantee the future of their profession by embracing and exploiting the potential of such technologies. Furthermore, Bradley (2006) argues that an understanding of the term Web 2.0 is unimportant, compared to an acknowledgement that librarians are in a position to do more than they could in the past and being open to it. Chad (2007) meanwhile, states that unless academic librarians embrace the Google generation they will become increasingly marginalised

African-Americans at the Yale University School of Medicine:1810-1960

African Americans have had a long and interesting history at the Yale School of Medicine. Through extensive researching of primary and secondary sources this history is documented for the first time. The first African-American known to have graduated from the School was Dr. Courtlandt Van Rensselaer Creed. Because of strong abolitionist sentiment at Yale and in New Haven during the 1850s and his familys prominence in New Haven, Dr. Creed was able to matriculate into the School of Medicine in 1854. He graduated in 1857 and practiced in New Haven. He also served as a surgeon in the Civil War. Two more African-Americans graduated from the Yale School of Medicine in 1875 and 1876. These students, Dr. Bayard T. Smith and Dr. George R. Henderson, transferred to Yale from Lincoln University. In 1888 the School of Medicine became a leader in African-American medical education, graduating eight African-Americans in 12 years. Many of these people made significant contributions to medicine and their community. This lead was lost when a rise in intolerance caused Yales Schools of Medicine and Nursing to adopt an unwritten policy of racial exclusion. The policy was disclosed in 1941 when an African-American applicant applying to the School of Nursing was turned away due to her race. In the controversy that followed, the policy was rescinded and African-Americans were again allowed to attend the Medical and Nursing Schools. In 1948 Dr. Beatrix A. McCleary became the first African-American woman to graduate from the School of Medicine. African-Americans continued to graduate from the School at a rate of approximately one every other year until 1960. By using this history as a guide, it is thought that the Yale School of Medicine can better recognize the contributions made by its African-American students and take steps to regain its leadership role in African-American medical education

National innovation policy in Cyprus

This paper analyses the concept of national innovation policy (NIP) and puts forward arguments supporting the need for a NIP for small developing economies like Cyprus. A brief outline is given of the science/technology infrastructure and current innovation related policies in Cyprus while the attitudes of owners/managers of private manufacturing firms towards these policies, based on a research survey, are examined. The survey reveals an ambivalent attitude towards NIP, which is probably due to unrealistic expectations, as well as, inefficiency in design and implementation of innovation policy measures. Case research confirms these conclusions and highlights the importance of NIP for private firms despite the rhetoric of their managers against it. The formulation of a specific NIP for Cyprus is then considered, from which lessons for other developing countries are drawn

Therapeutic depletion of natural killer cells controls persistent infection

Persistent viral infections are associated with host and viral factors that impair effective antiviral immunity. Natural killer (NK) cells contribute to establishment of persistent lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infection in mice through suppression of virus-specific T cell responses during the first few days of infection, but NK cell depletion during those early time points can enable severe T cell-mediated immune pathology and death of the host. Here we show that long after their peak in cytolytic activation, NK cells continue to support viral persistence at later times of infection. Delayed depletion of NK cells, 2 to 3 weeks after infection, enhanced virus-specific T cell responses and viral control. This enhancing effect of delayed NK cell depletion on antiviral immunity, in contrast to early NK cell depletion, was not associated with increased morbidity and mortality, and mice quickly regained weight after treatment. The efficacy of the depletion depended in part upon the size of the original virus inoculum, the viral load at the time of depletion, and the presence of CD4 T cells. Each of these factors is an important contributor to the degree of CD8 T cell dysfunction during viral persistence. Thus, NK cells may continuously contribute to exhaustion of virus-specific T cells during chronic infection, possibly by depleting CD4 T cells. Targeting of NK cells could thus be considered in combination with blockade of other immunosuppressive pathways, such as the interleukin-10 (IL-10) and programmed death 1 (PD-1) pathways, as a therapy to cure chronic human infections, including those with HIV or hepatitis C virus. IMPORTANCE: Persistent virus infections are a major threat to global human health. The capacity of viruses, including HIV and hepatitis C virus, to overwhelm or subvert host immune responses contributes to a prolonged state of dampened antiviral immune functionality, which in turn facilitates viral persistence. Recent efforts have focused on therapeutics that can restore the effector functions of these functionally exhausted virus-specific T cells in order to expedite viral clearance. Here we establish that natural killer (NK) cells actively contribute to immune dysfunction and viral persistence at later stages of infection. This previously undescribed mechanism of immune suppression during chronic infection provides a vital clue for the design of novel therapeutic strategies targeting NK cell immunosuppressive activity in order to restore immune function and enhance viral control in chronically infected individuals

When Talk is Not Cheap: Substantive Penance and Expressions of Intent in Rebuilding Cooperation

Interpersonal relationships can be fragile. The mere perception of opportunistic behavior can lead to a breakdown in cooperation. Once damaged, the question then arises as to whether and how cooperation might be restored. Noncooperative game theory raises serious doubts about the possibilities, although interactional justice and impression management research have shown that verbal explanations can dampen reactions to aversive behavior. Philosophical, anthropological, and ethological research all suggest that genuine forgiveness may require something more tangible and substantive than an explanation. Thus, the current experiment investigated the effects of explanations and varying forms of substantive amends on the restoration of mutual cooperation. The results confirm that rebuilding cooperation is feasible. Apologies and simple explanations can be effective to a degree, though substantive amends have significantly more positive effects than explanations alone. In contrast to prior findings on interactional justice, acknowledgments were more effective than denials in repairing short interactions. This research demonstrates that, once breached, cooperation can be reestablished and that actions as well as explanations and apologies can augment the process in important and sometimes subtle ways

Modelling train delays with q-exponential functions

We demonstrate that the distribution of train delays on the British railway network is accurately described by q-exponential functions. We explain this by constructing an underlying superstatistical model.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure

The Stream Biome Gradient Concept: factors controlling lotic systems across broad biogeographic scales

Citation: Dodds, W. K., Gido, K., Whiles, M. R., Daniels, M. D., & Grudzinski, B. P. (2015). The Stream Biome Gradient Concept: factors controlling lotic systems across broad biogeographic scales. Freshwater Science, 34(1), 1-19. doi:10.1086/679756We propose the Stream Biome Gradient Concept as a way to predict macroscale biological patterns in streams. This concept is based on the hypothesis that many abiotic and biotic features of streams change predictably along climate (temperature and precipitation) gradients because of direct influences of climate on hydrology, geomorphology, and interactions mediated by terrestrial vegetation. The Stream Biome Gradient Concept generates testable hypotheses related to continental variation among streams worldwide and allows aquatic scientists to understand how results from one biome might apply to a less-studied biome. Some predicted factors change monotonically across the biome/climate gradients, whereas others have maxima or minima in the central portion of the gradient. For example, predictions across the gradient from drier deserts through grasslands to wetter forests include more permanent flow, less bare ground, lower erosion and sediment transport rates, decreased importance of autochthonous C inputs to food webs, and greater stream animal species richness. In contrast, effects of large ungulate grazers on streams are expected to be greater in grasslands than in forests or deserts, and fire is expected to have weaker effects in grassland streams than in desert and forest streams along biome gradients with changing precipitation and constant latitude or elevation. Understanding historic patterns among biomes can help describe the evolutionary template at relevant biogeographic scales, can be used to broaden other conceptual models of stream ecology, and could lead to better management and conservation across the broadest scales