Breathing Life into Information Literacy Skills: Results of a Faculty-Librarian Collaboration

When an education professor and a reference librarian sought to improve the quality of undergraduate student research, their partnership led to a new focus on assessing the research process in addition to the product. In this study, we reflect on our collaborative experience introducing information literacy as the foundation for undergraduate teacher education research. We examine the outcomes of this collaboration, focusing on the assessment of the process. Using a mixed methods approach, we found that direct instruction supporting effective research strategies positively impacted student projects. Our data also suggest that undergraduate students benefit from not only sound research strategies, but also organization strategies

Assessing the Research Process Improves the Product: Results of a Faculty-­Librarian Collaboration

When an education professor and a reference librarian sought to improve the quality of undergraduate student research, their partnership led to a new focus on assessing the research process in addition to the product. In this study, we reflect on our collaborative experience introducing information literacy as the foundation for undergraduate teacher education research. We examine the outcomes of this collaboration, focusing on the assessment of the process. Using a mixed methods approach, we found that direct instruction supporting effective research strategies positively impacted student projects. Our data also suggest that undergraduate students benefit from not only sound research strategies, but also organization strategies

Streamlined Enrollment and Default Investment: Innovations in Alaska\u27s College Savings Plan

As college savings plans have gained in popularity and matured over the years, states have developed a number of innovations to facilitate access to and participation in 529s. This paper examines innovations in streamlined enrollment, pre-selected investment, and default investment in Alaska’s college savings plan. These 529 innovations—intended to facilitate greater participation, especially amongst low- and middle-income families—could play a more important role in other states to encourage savings for postsecondary education

Site-Specific Effects of Swimming on Bone Density in Female Collegiate Swimmers

International Journal of Exercise Science 13(1): 249-259, 2020. While swimming provides numerous cardiovascular and overall health benefits, past research suggests it provides no constructive benefits to bone strength and density at dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measured hip and lumbar spine sites when compared to sedentary individuals. However, little research has focused on skeletal sites stressed by muscle forces during swimming such as the humerus, hip, and radius. The purpose of this study was to investigatesite-specific bone strength adaptations among female collegiate swimmers compared to sedentary controls. Bone geometry and strength were assessed by DXA and peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) in ten female collegiate swimmers and ten sedentary controls (\u3c150 minutes/week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity) ages 18-23 years. There were no significant differences between groups in the DXA-derived outcomes. Among pQCT-measured sites, the control group had a 14.8% greater bone cortical area and 6.1% greater cortical volumetric density compared to swimmers (both p\u3c0.05) at the proximal tibia (66%) site. Hip structural analysis was also performed to observe the strength and loading power at the narrowest part of the proximal femur, but no significant differences were found between groups. With no significant bone density or strength differences between groups at the humerus, radius, or distal tibia sites, this research suggests that swimming may not have osteogenic benefits, even at site-specific locations commonly stressed during the sport. For overall health, these results suggest that swimming should be supplemented with weight-bearing and resistance exercises to preserve bone strength and prevent deterioration of bone as one ages

Interagency Science and Research: Final Project Report

The major accomplishment of this project was the development of the SNAP Science and Research Strategy: an 11-chapter document designed to integrate and coordinate scientific research programs in Southern Nevada and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of these programs. The Strategy is intended to inform and guide SNAP agencies in identifying and articulating highest priority science and research needs, sharing resources and funds from other sources, and eliminating redundancy between research programs within their focus areas. The major focus areas of the Strategy are Fire, Invasive Species, Watersheds and Landscapes, Biodiversity, Cultural Resources, Historic Content, Recreation, Land Use, and Education. The Strategy was approved by the SNAP Board in March 2009

Lacking clarity or strategic ambiguity?:Comment on "Competing Frames in Global Health Governance: An Analysis of Stakeholder Influence on the Political Declaration on Non-Communicable Diseases"

This commentary engages with Suzuki and colleagues’ analysis about the ambiguity of multi-stakeholder discourses in the United Nations (UN) Political Declaration of the 3rd High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (HLM-NCDs), suggesting that blurring between public and private sector in this declaration reflects broader debates about multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSPs) and public-private partnerships (PPPs) in health governance. We argue that the ambiguity between the roles and responsibilities of public and private actors involved may downplay the role (and regulation) of conflicts of interest (COI) between unhealthy commodity industries and public health. We argue that this ambiguity is not simply an artefact of the Political Declaration process, but a feature of multi-stakeholderism, which assumes that commercial actors´ interests can be aligned with the public interest. To safeguard global health governance, we recommend further empirical and conceptual research on COI and how it can be managed

Lacking clarity or strategic ambiguity? Comment on “Competing frames in global health governance: An analysis of stakeholder influence on the political declaration on non-communicable diseases”

This commentary engages with Suzuki and colleagues’ analysis about the ambiguity of multi-stakeholder discourses in the United Nations (UN) Political Declaration of the 3rd High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (HLM-NCDs), suggesting that blurring between public and private sector in this declaration reflects broader debates about multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSPs) and public-private partnerships (PPPs) in health governance. We argue that the ambiguity between the roles and responsibilities of public and private actors involved may downplay the role (and regulation) of conflicts of interest (COI) between unhealthy commodity industries and public health. We argue that this ambiguity is not simply an artefact of the Political Declaration process, but a feature of multi-stakeholderism, which assumes that commercial actors´ interests can be aligned with the public interest. To safeguard global health governance, we recommend further empirical and conceptual research on COI and how it can be managed

Facilitators and Barriers to Prescribing PreExposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for the Prevention of HIV

Background: What is PrEP and who gets it? PrEP is the use of medication by individuals to prevent HIV contraction, approved in 2012 after demonstrating safety and efficacy in the iPrEx study and Partners PrEP2 trials. HIV infection risk is 92% lower in patients using PrEP. Truvada®, a combination of tenofovir and emtricitabine taken orally daily, is the only approved PrEP regimen and is intended to compliment other prevention strategies such as condoms. HIV negative-individuals at risk for exposure to HIV have been identified as men who have sex with men (MSM), IV drug users, heterosexuals who have unprotected sex with partners of unknown HIV status, and those in serodiscordant relationships. Barriers to PrEP Implementation PrEP is effective when patients adhere; however, both the medical community and some high-risk populations have been slow to adopt it as an HIV prevention strategy. Surveys have shown clinicians perceived barriers to PrEP such as adverse side effects, viral drug resistance, increased high-risk behavior, cost, and training. HIV in Vermont New diagnoses of HIV among Vermont residents has remained relatively stable over the last twenty years. Vermont CARES, a non-profit, offers free and anonymous HIV tests and in-person risk-reduction counseling. Clients are increasingly asking about PrEP as a prevention strategy, but the response from the medical community is difficult to ascertain.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/comphp_gallery/1235/thumbnail.jp

Decline of vasopressin immunoreactivity and messenger RNA levels in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis following castration

Vasopressinergic (VP) neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) of the rat are regulated by gonadal steroids. Gonadectomy causes the projections of the BNST to lose their VP immunoreactivity gradually over a period lasting more than 2 months. Here we have compared the rate of decline of VP mRNA and VP immunoreactivity in the BNST of adult male rats following castration. In experiment 1, the peak number of VP-immunoreactive cells and the level of VP gene expression were compared in sham-operated controls and at 1, 3, or 8 weeks postcastration. The number of VP-immunoreactive cells was not decreased at 1 week postcastration but was significantly reduced (p \u3c 0.0001) at 3 and 8 weeks postcastration. VP gene expression declined more rapidly, and both the total number of labeled cells (p \u3c 0.0001) and the average number of grains per cell (p \u3c 0.01) were significantly reduced by 1 week postcastration. No VP-expressing cells were detectable at 3 or 8 weeks. The difference in the rate of decline in the number of cells labeled by the two techniques following castration did not appear to be due to colchicine pretreatment. In experiment 2, VP mRNA in the BNST was compared in sham-operated controls or at 1, 3, or 7 d postcastration. A significant decrease (p \u3c 0.01) in the average number of grains per cell was detectable by just 1 d following castration, and the number of labeled cells was significantly reduced (p \u3c 0.001) by 3 d postcastration. These results indicate that the capacity of BNST cells to synthesize VP responds more dynamically to changes in gonadal steroid levels than do levels of VP immunoreactivity. This difference may reflect the delay between VP gene expression and the processing of VP precursor molecules. Alternatively, gonadal steroids may modulate the release of VP from cells in the BNST