Positionality: Reflecting on the Research Process

Through this article, the author provides a reflection on the role of positionality in research, following the completion of a qualitative research project. Through the research project, the White researcher sought to explore the ways in which students of color experience a predominantly White university. Drawing on literature and findings from the research project, the author highlights potential challenges and opportunities of being cognizant of one’s positionality. These reflections illustrate the significance of positionality and serve as a reminder of its potential effects on the research process, as well as on participants and the researcher. The manuscript concludes with recommendations for researchers to carefully consider the potential influence of their positionality in any research setting

Examining the Pedagogical Practices of Business Faculty: A Qualitative Analysis to Inform Library Support

During the 2018-2019 academic year, the Murray State University Libraries conducted a study to examine the pedagogical practices of business instructors who teach undergraduates at Murray State University. The study was part of a larger suite of parallel studies of business instructors at higher education institutions in the United States and was coordinated by Ithaka S+R, a non-profit organization that provides research and strategic guidance to help libraries navigate economic and technological change. Participating institutions, including Baruch College (CUNY), Bowling Green State University, Georgia Tech, Grand Valley State University, Kansas State University, Michigan Technological University, Murray State University, North Carolina Central University, Providence College, Queens College (CUNY), Santa Clara University, University at Buffalo (SUNY), University of St. Thomas, and the University of Texas at San Antonio, engaged in local studies of business instructors teaching practices and compiled independent research results and recommendations for creating or enhancing local library services and supports. Participating institutions then contributed their findings to Ithaka S+R to create a capstone report. The capstone report provides a cumulative view of the evolving needs of business instructors and includes recommendations that libraries, universities, and business associations can use to support the changing teaching needs of business instructors

African American Student Persistence at a Predominantly White Institution

Persistence in college among African American students continues to remain low compared to persistence among White students. Often, the focus in examining this issue has been on institution-wide retention efforts, which can ignore socio-cultural elements that can influence the decisions of individual students to persist at an institution; however, persistence may rely on a combination of institutional factors and socio-cultural elements. The purpose of this article is to present findings from a research project that highlight institutional factors and socio-cultural elements that influence the persistence of African American students at a predominantly White institution. The findings from focus groups with African American students suggest that they persist despite a “cold” campus climate and ongoing experiences with racism and prejudice at Southern State University [pseudonym]

A two-tiered public-private health system: Who stays in (private) hospitals in Ireland?

Despite efforts to create a universal, single-tiered Irish health system, an unequal "two-tiered" system persists. The future blueprint for Irish health care, Sláintecare, recommends a separation of public and private hospital treatment. This study examines patterns of overall and private hospital utilisation in Ireland that could help identify some of the impacts of the proposed separation of public and private hospital treatment. Using data from EU-SILC (2016) (n = 10,131) the factors associated with inpatient hospitalisation and private inpatient hospitalisation are estimated using probit models. Unsurprisingly, those who are economically inactive are more likely to have had an inpatient stay. Furthermore, those aged over 65, with a chronic illness, with a medical/ GP visit card and private health insurance and those with only private health insurance are also more likely to have had an inpatient stay. Those with only primary education are less likely to report an inpatient stay in private hospital. Those aged over 25 and less than 65, those with a medical/ GP visit card and private health insurance and those with only private health insurance are significantly more likely to opt for a private hospital. Understanding overall and private hospital utilisation patterns is imperative for implementing universal health care and associated resource planning and fulfilling policy recommendations

A two-tiered public-private health system: Who stays in (private) hospitals in Ireland?

Despite efforts to create a universal, single-tiered Irish health system, an unequal "two-tiered" system persists. The future blueprint for Irish health care, Sláintecare, recommends a separation of public and private hospital treatment. This study examines patterns of overall and private hospital utilisation in Ireland that could help identify some of the impacts of the proposed separation of public and private hospital treatment. Using data from EU-SILC (2016) (n = 10,131) the factors associated with inpatient hospitalisation and private inpatient hospitalisation are estimated using probit models. Unsurprisingly, those who are economically inactive are more likely to have had an inpatient stay. Furthermore, those aged over 65, with a chronic illness, with a medical/ GP visit card and private health insurance and those with only private health insurance are also more likely to have had an inpatient stay. Those with only primary education are less likely to report an inpatient stay in private hospital. Those aged over 25 and less than 65, those with a medical/ GP visit card and private health insurance and those with only private health insurance are significantly more likely to opt for a private hospital. Understanding overall and private hospital utilisation patterns is imperative for implementing universal health care and associated resource planning and fulfilling policy recommendations

Mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) assemblages associated with Nidularium and Vriesea bromeliads in Serra do Mar, Atlantic Forest, Brazil

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The most substantial and best preserved area of Atlantic Forest is within the biogeographical sub-region of Serra do Mar. The topographic complexity of the region creates a diverse array of microclimates, which can affect species distribution and diversity inside the forest. Given that Atlantic Forest includes highly heterogeneous environments, a diverse and medically important Culicidae assemblage, and possible species co-occurrence, we evaluated mosquito assemblages from bromeliad phytotelmata in Serra do Mar (southeastern Brazil).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Larvae and pupae were collected monthly from <it>Nidularium </it>and <it>Vriesea </it>bromeliads between July 2008 and June 2009. Collection sites were divided into landscape categories (lowland, hillslope and hilltop) based on elevation and slope. Correlations between bromeliad mosquito assemblage and environmental variables were assessed using multivariate redundancy analysis. Differences in species diversity between bromeliads within each category of elevation were explored using the Renyi diversity index. Univariate binary logistic regression analyses were used to assess species co-occurrence. </p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 2,024 mosquitoes belonging to 22 species were collected. Landscape categories (pseudo-F value = 1.89, p = 0.04), bromeliad water volume (pseudo-F = 2.99, p = 0.03) and bromeliad fullness (Pseudo-F = 4.47, p < 0.01) influenced mosquito assemblage structure. Renyi diversity index show that lowland possesses the highest diversity indices. The presence of <it>An. homunculus </it>was associated with <it>Cx. ocellatus </it>and the presence of <it>An. cruzii </it>was associated with <it>Cx. neglectus, Cx. inimitabilis fuscatus </it>and <it>Cx. worontzowi. Anopheles cruzii </it>and <it>An. homunculus </it>were taken from the same bromeliad, however, the co-occurrence between those two species was not statistically significant.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>One of the main findings of our study was that differences in species among mosquito assemblages were influenced by landscape characteristics. The bromeliad factor that influenced mosquito abundance and assemblage structure was fullness. The findings of the current study raise important questions about the role of <it>An. homunculus </it>in the transmission of <it>Plasmodium </it>in Serra do Mar, southeastern Atlantic Forest.</p

Viral pathogen detection in U.S. game-farm mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) flags spillover risk to wild birds

The threat posed by emerging infectious diseases is a major concern for global public health, animal health and food security, and the role of birds in transmission is increasingly under scrutiny. Each year, millions of mass-reared game-farm birds are released into the wild, presenting a unique and a poorly understood risk to wild and susceptible bird populations, and to human health. In particular, the shedding of enteric pathogens through excrement into bodies of water at shared migratory stop-over sites, and breeding and wintering grounds, could facilitate multi-species long-distance pathogen dispersal and infection of high numbers of naive endemic birds annually. The Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) is the most abundant of all duck species, migratory across much of its range, and an important game species for pen-rearing and release. Major recent population declines along the US Atlantic coast has been attributed to game-farm and wild mallard interbreeding and the introduction maladaptive traits into wild populations. However, pathogen transmission and zoonosis among game-farms Mallard may also impact these populations, as well as wildlife and human health. Here, we screened 16 game-farm Mallard from Wisconsin, United States, for enteric viral pathogens using metatranscriptomic data. Four families of viral pathogens were identified – Picobirnaviridae (Genogroup I), Caliciviridae (Duck Nacovirus), Picornaviridae (Duck Aalivirus) and Sedoreoviridae (Duck Rotavirus G). To our knowledge, this is the first report of Aalivirus in the Americas, and the first report of Calicivirus outside domestic chicken and turkey flocks in the United States. Our findings highlight the risk of viral pathogen spillover from peri-domestically reared game birds to naive wild bird populations

Molecular phylogeny of the Myzorhynchella Section of Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) (Diptera: Culicidae): genetic support for recently described and resurrected species

Phylogenetic relationships among species of the Myzorhynchella Section of Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) were investigated using the nuclear ribosomal DNA second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2), the nuclear whitegene and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) regions. The recently described Anopheles pristinus and resurrected Anopheles guarani were also included in the study. Bayesian phylogenetic analyses found Anopheles parvus to be the most distantly related species within the Section, a finding that is consistent with morphology. An. pristinus and An. guarani were clearly resolved from Anopheles antunesi and Anopheles lutzii, respectively. An. lutzii collected in the same mountain range as the type locality were found within a strongly supported clade, whereas individuals from the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, tentatively identified as An. lutzii based on adult female external morphology, were distinct from An. lutzii, An. antunesi and from each other, and may therefore represent two new sympatric species. A more detailed examination of An. lutzii sensu latoalong its known geographic range is recommended to resolve these anomalous relationships.FAPESPCNP