DORAS - increasing the visibility and impact of DCU research

This paper gives an overview of DORAS – an online open access repository of research papers from Dublin City University – and explores how repositories like DORAS are increasing the visibility, and potentially the impact, of research output from educational institutions. In this paper the main motivations for authors to deposit papers in DORAS are identified: increasing the accessibility of papers, increasing the visibility of papers on search engines and web portals, promotion of cutting-edge research, and the need to comply with research councils' policies on open access

Self reliant groups from India to Scotland: lessons from south to north

There is a move towards partnership working across the global north and south but there remain questions about how to do it most effectively. This paper reports on the findings from a project that built a partnership between women in Scotland and India in order to transfer knowledge about Indian Self Help Groups. By creating peer to peer relationships that challenged traditional roles of 'teacher' and 'learner', the project was effective in transferring learning from south to north and generating meaningful outcomes for those involved. Despite the contextual differences, the successful transfer of key components of the model, savings, and loans, has led to a sense of empowerment in the Scottish women that is comparable to their Indian counterparts. As the project continues, it will be important that the dialogue between the partners continues, so there is ongoing learning as the Scottish groups expand and develop

Locus of Control, Academic Achievement, and Discipline Referrals

This study was designed to determine the relationship among locus of control, academic functioning, and discipline problems in a sample of public high school seniors in the mid-West. Participants completed Rotter’s locus of control measure; their state-wide test scores and discipline records were obtained from archives. Contrary to expectations, there were no statistically significant associations between locus of control and discipline, although there was a statistically significant negative correlation between test scores and discipline referrals. The implications and suggestions for future research are discussed

New Distributional Record for \u3ci\u3eBalcha Indica\u3c/i\u3e (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae) in Eastern West Virginia Discovered During Emerald Ash Borer Parasitoid Recovery Surveys

Between 2010 and 2012, approximately 6,300 Spathius agrili Yang (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and 9,500 Tetrastichus planipennisi Yang (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) parasitoids were released for biological control of the invasive emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, at Cacapon State Park and the Cool Front Development in Morgan County, West Virginia. The invasive beetle was first detected there in 2009, and extensive ash mortality is currently occurring. We conducted parasitoid recovery surveys in 2013 but did not recover either of the released parasitoid species. However, we did rear Balcha indica Mani and Kaul (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae), which is native to Asia and is a documented parasitoid of A. planipennis, from bolts infested with A. planipennis. This is the first documented record of B. indica for West Virginia

Seconds Anyone: Using the Missouri SVP Law to Punish after Time Served

In 2006, amendments to the Missouri SVP Law took effect, lowering the state\u27s burden of proof and changing the status under which rehabilitated individuals were permitted to rejoin society. These seemingly minor changes had enormous consequences, causing the constitutionality of the entire Missouri SVP scheme to be called into question. In the recent case, In re Care and Treatment of Van Orden, the Missouri Supreme Court addressed these concerns and found the amended scheme constitutional. However, in doing so, Missouri\u27s highest court has effectively transformed what was once a remedial measure into a punitive sanction, under the veil of the Department of Mental Health, legitimizing indefinite restraint of personal liberty without due process of law

Investigation of host responses upon infection of distinct \u3ci\u3eToxoplasma\u3c/i\u3e strains

Toxoplasma gondii is the causative agent of Toxoplasmosis in human and animals. T. gondii isolates are highly diverse. Hundreds of genotypes have been identified, but only three clonal lineages, namely Type I, II and III are prevalent worldwide. In mouse model, T. gondii strains can be divided into three groups based on their virulence, including the virulent (LD100=1), the intermediately virulent (LD50 = 103-104) and the non virulent (LD50 \u3e 105). The clonal Type I, II and III T. gondii strains belong to these three groups, respectively. Epidemiologic studies suggest the difference of virulence in mice may relate to the severity of toxoplasmosis in human infection. Therefore, it is necessary to understand biological differences in genetically different T. gondii strains and their effect on the host responses. To date, the majority of data published on this aspect has been limited to in vitro assays. Here, we used in vivo assays to investigate host responses upon infection of distinct Toxoplasma strains. Our studies examined host response to infection of the three widespread clonal lineages of T. gondii using a mouse model. The following results were revealed: (i) increased tissue burden in mice is the indicator of virulence of T. gondii. Quantification of parasite burden in the spleen of mice showed significantly more parasites for Type I strain than that of Type II and III strains, with the latter two having comparable parasite burdens. Given that the Type II strains are more virulent than the Type III strains in mice; this result suggests that difference in host response is the result of specific parasite-host interaction, which is not simply due to the difference of parasite tissue load. (ii) gene expression in the host is strongly influenced by parasite genetic background. Transcriptional profiles of mice infected with the above three types of T. gondii strains showed that the overall gene expression patterns are similar between Type I and Type II infected mice and both stimulated stronger and more polarized change comparing to Type III strain. These results emphasize the importance of studying T. gondii pathogenesis in the host with the consideration of parasite genetic diversity. Such research could possibly aid in select appropriate regimes to treat toxoplasmosis caused by diverse T. gondii strains

Ethnocentrism in Short-Term Missions: Time Spent Abroad and Its Effect on Cultural Attitudes

This study examines the effects of time spent interacting with people of a different culture on ethnocentrism levels, within the context of intercultural short-term missions (STM). STM is defined as any international altruistic volunteerism lasting 11 months or less, and includes both spreading of Christianity and various poverty alleviation efforts. Data were collected by means of a survey measuring ethnocentrism levels, which was sent to the student body of Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida. An ANOVA was conducted to analyze a possible relationship between the time spent in intercultural interaction (determined by length of trip) and ethnocentrism levels (determined by survey responses). The relationship between the two variables was not statistically significant, and possible reasons for this are discussed. Suggestions for further research regarding ethnocentrism are presented. Information regarding the dangers of ethnocentrism and a specific application for Southeastern University and its missions program are both discussed in Appendix A. For Southeastern University readers who are unfamiliar with APA format of experimental research, it is recommended to read Chapter One (Introduction), Chapter Two (Literature Review), and Appendix A (Application)

Are anonymity-seekers just like everybody else? An analysis of contributions to Wikipedia from Tor

User-generated content sites routinely block contributions from users of privacy-enhancing proxies like Tor because of a perception that proxies are a source of vandalism, spam, and abuse. Although these blocks might be effective, collateral damage in the form of unrealized valuable contributions from anonymity seekers is invisible. One of the largest and most important user-generated content sites, Wikipedia, has attempted to block contributions from Tor users since as early as 2005. We demonstrate that these blocks have been imperfect and that thousands of attempts to edit on Wikipedia through Tor have been successful. We draw upon several data sources and analytical techniques to measure and describe the history of Tor editing on Wikipedia over time and to compare contributions from Tor users to those from other groups of Wikipedia users. Our analysis suggests that although Tor users who slip through Wikipedia's ban contribute content that is more likely to be reverted and to revert others, their contributions are otherwise similar in quality to those from other unregistered participants and to the initial contributions of registered users.Comment: To appear in the IEEE Symposium on Security & Privacy, May 202

Specialization of Integral Closure of Ideals by General Elements

In this paper, we prove a result similar to results of Itoh and Hong-Ulrich, proving that integral closure of an ideal is compatible with specialization by a general element of that ideal for ideals of height at least two in a large class of rings. Moreover, we show integral closure of sufficiently large powers of the ideal is compatible with specialization by a general element of the original ideal. In a polynomial ring over an infinite field, we give a class of squarefree monomial ideals for which the integral closure is compatible with specialization by a general linear form