Teacher Awareness and Perceptions of Social Media Use and Cyberbullying in Belize

Intro: Cyberbullying and other problems related to social media are growing concerns across the world with increased access to technology at home and in schools. Several studies have suggested that although instances of cyberbullying have increased in schools, teachers and other school staff members lack awareness of and training in identifying and preventing instances of it from occurring. The current study investigates school staff member awareness and perceptions of social media use and cyberbullying across two districts in Belize. Methods: A written 47-question survey regarding social media use and awareness and perceptions of cyberbullying was given to voluntary participants across primary and secondary schools in Belize. Results: A total of 39 participants responded with 15 males and 24 female respondents. Results indicated that teachers were “neutral” to whether cyberbullying was a problem in their school and majority of participants indicated they had never encountered an instance of cyberbullying. Almost all participants had never received training regarding handing cyberbullying, but many participants indicated they thought school districts should train staff in recognizing and treating instances of cyberbullying. Discussion: The results of the current study provide preliminary information regarding social media use and cyberbullying instances in Belizean schools. Teachers are lacking understanding, recognizing, and preventing cyberbullying instances in their schools and this should be addressed further in future research

Possible Traces of Reindeer Corralling at a Hearth-Row Site from 1000–1300 CE in Northern Norway

In this paper, we aim to present a methodology for identifying reindeer corralling-herding in connection with prehistoric hearth-row sites in Northern Fennoscandia by using a multiproxy approach of geochemical and geophysical analyses. In previous studies, these sites have been associated with Sámi settlements based on their geographical distribution andarchaeological material. The approach is demonstrated in a case study from the Steintjørna site in the municipality of Sør-Varanger in the county of Finnmark, Norway. In order to identify traces of reindeer corralling, fractionation analyses of both organic and inorganic phosphates have been conducted on samples collected from areas near hearths as well as from the surrounding environment. The results show high amounts of organic to inorganic phosphate in two areas extending outward from the hearths terminating the row, which indicate reindeer corralling in small pen-like areas that otherwise lack visible remains and structures

Intensified Arctic warming under greenhouse warming by vegetation–atmosphere–sea ice interaction

Observations and modeling studies indicate that enhanced vegetation activities over high latitudes under an elevated CO2 concentration accelerate surface warming by reducing the surface albedo. In this study, we suggest that vegetation-atmosphere-sea ice interactions over high latitudes can induce an additional amplification of Arctic warming. Our hypothesis is tested by a series of coupled vegetation-climate model simulations under 2xCO(2) environments. The increased vegetation activities over high latitudes under a 2xCO(2) condition induce additional surface warming and turbulent heat fluxes to the atmosphere, which are transported to the Arctic through the atmosphere. This causes additional sea-ice melting and upper-ocean warming during the warm season. As a consequence, the Arctic and high-latitude warming is greatly amplified in the following winter and spring, which further promotes vegetation activities the following year. We conclude that the vegetation-atmosphere-sea ice interaction gives rise to additional positive feedback of the Arctic amplification.open1188sciescopu

Research Focal Areas

Executive Summary Georgia Southern University is well-positioned to serve the local region and global community by engaging in public impact research. Public impact research matches community (broadly defined) needs with University resources to help solve the most pressing societal problems. Positioning Georgia Southern University as a public impact research institution aligns well with its recently established Strategic Plan (2019-2024), which calls for building research infrastructure to support interdisciplinary collaborations, better engage within our local, regional, and global communities, and build mutually beneficial partnerships. To move the University in this direction, the Vice Provost for Research, Dr. Chris Curtis, initiated the development of university research themes, herein termed research focal areas, to stimulate interdisciplinary research with a public impact orientation. The Faculty Research Advisory Board was then established to begin identifying 3-5 focal areas based on the needs of the region and society and how readily current faculty expertise and University resources could be harnessed to meet those needs. The Faculty Research Advisory Board had representatives from each of the University’s eight academic colleges and members collected information from reports (e.g., regional economic development plans) and data from colleagues about research interests, resources such as existing research centers, equipment, business and community partnerships, and Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs). Based on the information collected, with regional/global needs as the primary driver, four focal areas were proposed with the acknowledgement that the focal areas can and will overlap. The focal areas, along with their definitions, are: Healthy Communities: To improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities. Faculty are leading basic, applied, clinical, evaluative, translational research that is nationally recognized for excellence in promoting health within underserved and rural communities. Innovation, Manufacturing, and Supply Chains: Global markets are integrated by supply chains that organize networks of resources, people, ideas, factories, materials, vehicles, and cash, that deliver value to end markets. Faculty research advances innovative science, technologies, manufacturing, and business/ managerial approaches to improve these networks. Sustainability and Energy: To protect natural environments while supporting human well-being, community health, culture, and long-term economic growth for future generations. Faculty research advances innovative science, technology, and business practices to address challenges for current and future generations’ resiliency in a changing environment. Cultural Enrichment: To foster human enrichment, cultural outreach, and global awareness in ways that enhance well-being, quality of life, personal growth, inclusive excellence, and appreciation of diverse perspectives and experiences. Faculty produce research, creative works, and scholarly activity that contribute to cultural vitality and economic development. Additional data were collected to ensure that the University’s grant history, as an indicator of current faculty research expertise, appropriately aligned with the proposed focal areas. Major funding agency initiatives also were reviewed to confirm that the proposed focal areas would be competitive for extramural funding. The next steps in this initiative are to refine the focal areas by receiving input from campus leaders, secure ways to communicate the focal areas to the broader campus community and constituents, and for the Office of Research to determine avenues for providing the necessary support for faculty collaborations to begin

Performance of an oxy-polishing step in the 100 kWth chemical looping combustion prototype

Unconverted fuel gases are normally present in the gas leaving the fuel reactor of a Chemical Looping Combustion (CLC) process. Depending on several factors, including oxygen carrier and fuel volatiles content, the unconverted gases represent 5–30% of the oxygen needed for full combustion. Further conversion of these fuel components is imperative to achieve adequate combustion and to fulfill the requirements for CO2\ua0storage. An oxy-polishing step using highly concentrated O2\ua0to fully oxidize the fuel components offers a straightforward one-step way to reach complete combustion. However, systematic and detailed investigation is lacking while it is essential for design, scale up and optimization. In this work, the oxy-polishing is studied in a post-oxidation chamber (POC) of a 100 kWth\ua0unit using different solid fuels and manganese ores in the CLC process. With various flows of air as oxidation agent, the POC performance was evaluated under stable operations in a wide range of operating conditions. An overall oxygen ratio was defined to analyze the effect of O2\ua0excess in the POC. Experimental results show that the oxidation of fuel gas from the fuel reactor can be greatly enhanced by air entering the POC, with the gas conversion being improved from 87 to 90% before the POC to as high as 99–100% after the POC. Full oxidation in POC can be accomplished with excess of O2. For the cases of incomplete oxidation, CO was normally found in higher concentrations than CH4. In a few cases close to optimum, CO and O2\ua0simultaneously have normalized concentrations below 0.5–1% with a low overall oxygen ratio of around 1.01. The POC performance was further compared to the results from a simple reactor model

Molecular profiling of male breast cancer - Lost in translation?

Breast cancer is the most common cancer form in women and it has been extensively studied on the molecular level. Male breast cancer (MBC), on the other hand, is rare and has not been thoroughly investigated in terms of transcriptional profiles or genomic aberrations. Most of our understanding of MBC has therefore been extrapolated from knowledge of female breast cancer. Although differences in addition to similarities with female breast cancer have been reported, the same prognostic and predictive markers are used to determine optimal management strategies for both men and women diagnosed with breast cancer. This review is focused on prognosis for MBC patients, prognostic and predictive factors and molecular subgrouping; comparisons are made with female breast cancer. Information was collected from relevant literature on both male and female breast cancer from the MEDLINE database between 1992 and 2014. MBC is a heterogeneous disease, and on the molecular level many differences compared to female breast cancer have recently been revealed. Two distinct subgroups of MBC, luminal M1 and luminal M2, have been identified which differ from the well-established intrinsic subtypes of breast cancer in women. These novel subgroups of breast cancer therefore appear unique to MBC. Furthermore, several studies report inferior survival for men diagnosed with breast cancer compared to women. New promising prognostic biomarkers for MBC (e.g. NAT1) deserving further attention are reviewed. Further prospective studies aimed at validating the novel subgroups and recently proposed biomarkers for MBC are warranted to provide the basis for optimal patient management in this era of personalized medicine. This article is part of a Directed Issue entitled: Rare Cancers

What Writing Processes do Teacher Candidates Use? Findings from a Think-Aloud Protocol

The objective of this study was to examine changes in teacher candidates’ writing processes and writing quality while enrolled in a writing-enriched course that was part of a college of education’s teacher education program. Participants in the study were enrolled in an introductory middle grades course that focused on pedagogical methods in general. A modified think-aloud method was used to collect data on ten teacher candidates’ writing processes as they responded to a writing prompt, once at the beginning of the semester and then again at the end. Data examined were the final product of writing, writing processes used in real-time, and teacher candidates’ reflections on writing strategies after writing was complete. Taken together, the data showed that teacher candidates’ ability to write for a particular purpose and audience and their use evidence to back up written claims improved throughout the semester. We conclude that looking at multiple points of data – the final product of writing, writing processes, and explicitly described strategies to approach writing – to examine how teacher candidates develop as writers is a fruitful endeavour and that the writing-enriched course enhanced teacher candidates’ writing abilities

Kynurenic acid in psychiatric disorders : studies on the mechanisms of action

Kynurenic acid, a metabolite of tryptophan along the kynurenine pathway, is an endogenous antagonist at NMDA- and α7* nicotinic acetylcholine- (α7*nACh) receptors. Previous studies have shown that elevated levels of endogenous kynurenic acid are associated with an increased firing of midbrain dopamine neurons as well as a reduced prepulse inhibition (PPI), a behavioral model for sensorimotor gating. Furthermore, kynurenic acid is elevated in the CSF and in the postmortem prefrontal cortex of patients with schizophrenia. The aim of this thesis was to investigate the mechanisms of action of kynurenic acid with regard to its action on midbrain dopamine firing and PPI; to analyze the interaction between the antipsychotic drug clozapine and kynurenic acid, and finally; to further study the involvement of kynurenic acid in psychiatric disorders. The excitation of ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neurons observed in rats with elevated levels of kynurenic acid were mimicked by pretreatment with 4-chlorokynurenine (4-Cl-KYN). Administration of SDZ 220-581 was also found to increase firing of VTA dopamine neurons. However, administration of methyllycaconitine (MLA) decreased firing of these neurons. These results demonstrate that the increased firing of VTA dopamine neurons following elevation of brain kynurenic acid is primarily mediated through glutamatergic rather than by cholinergic mechanisms. Administration of SDZ 220 581 or CGS 19755 was associated with a robust reduction in PPI, whereas L-701,324, 4-Cl-KYN or MLA failed to alter PPI. Kynurenine increased brain kynurenic acid levels 5-fold and tended to decrease PPI. These results suggest that neither antagonism of the glycine site of the NMDA receptor nor antagonism of the α7*nACh receptor disrupts PPI. Rather, blockade of the glutamate recognition site is necessary to reduce PPI. Clozapine increased firing of VTA dopamine neurons in control rats. Pretreatment with indomethacin was found to elevate brain kynurenic acid levels and to reverse the excitatory action of clozapine into an inhibitory response. In contrast, pretreatment with parecoxib decreased brain kynurenic acid formation and clearly potentiated the excitatory effect of clozapine. These results show that endogenous levels of brain kynurenic acid are of importance for the response of clozapine on VTA dopamine neurons and we propose that clozapine is able to interact as a partial agonist with the glycine site of the NMDA receptor. CSF kynurenic acid and kynurenine was found to be elevated in patients with schizophrenia compared to controls. Violent male suicide attempters and male suicide attempters with a diagnosis of major depression had higher CSF kynurenic acid than controls. Furthermore, CSF levels of kynurenic acid correlated with CSF MIP-1β in all subjects, with CSF eotaxin-3 in controls and tended to correlate with IL-6 in all subjects. An up-regulated kynurenine pathway may be a consequence of an activated immune system as studies have shown that immunological agents induce the first and rate-limiting enzymes in the production of kynurenic acid, thus indicating that kynurenic acid is a marker of immune-activation. Elevation of endogenous kynurenic acid may be a potential mechanism by which the immune system initiate psychiatric symptoms. This theory is supported by the close correlation between cytokines/chemokines and kynurenic acid in the CSF of suicide attempters observed in the present thesis. Altogether the present results suggest that kynurenic acid, with its unique receptor profile, may be the link between an activated immune system and the alterations in glutamatergic, cholinergic and dopaminergic neurotransmission proposed to occur in psychiatric disorders