Mobility and Variation in Chalcolithic North Gujarat, India (Ca 3600 – 1800 Bc)

Nine relatively obscure sites in the northern plain of Gujarat, India: Loteshwar, Santhli, Datrana, Nagwada, Langhnaj, Zekhada, Ratanpura and Kanewal; demonstrate a broad range of material culture traditions present in this region throughout the fourth through second millennia BC. This diversity results from the numerous economic strategies employed by the inhabitants of this region, the most important of which is mobility. Most of the sites reviewed in this work are the remains of temporary occupations, which are usually ascribed to pastoral nomads. Although pastoralism was an important subsistence strategy, a closer examination of the material culture and features at these sites shows there was a spectrum of approaches to mobility, which were related to different economic strategies. This work will show that despite many similarities, these sites do not represent a homogenous set of pastoralist camps. Instead, they document manifold activities, reflected through the uses of material culture and space

Engaging with curriculum reform: insights from English history teachers’ willingness to support curriculum change

The curriculum has been the target of sustained reform by many governments, and accountability measures are frequently used to compel teachers to engage with the process of change. This research aimed to explore the extent to which secondary school history teachers in England willingly engaged with a series of concurrent curriculum reforms, and the factors that shaped their level of agency in the process. Data were obtained through online surveys conducted annually from 2015 to 2017, providing over 1100 individual responses. Responses to closed items were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, and qualitative responses were coded to identify key themes. Generally the teachers were reluctant to engage in the process of reform. There was some statistically significant variation between teachers in different types of school, with those in state-funded schools less welcoming of change than their counterparts in private schools. Teachers’ willingness to engage with changes was also related to their sense of subject identity. However it is evident that the role of accountability measures dominates teachers’ thinking, not just in relation to examination courses, but also what teachers choose to do in non-examined phases of the curriculum. This appears to diminish teachers’ agency when creating a curriculum

A Critique of the Undergraduate Nursing Preceptorship Model

The preceptorship model is a cornerstone of clinical undergraduate nursing education in Canadian nursing programs. Their extensive use means that nursing programs depend heavily on the availability and willingness of Registered Nurses to take on the preceptor role. However, both the health service and education industries are faced with challenges that seem to undermine the effectiveness of the preceptorship clinical model. Indeed, the unstable nature of the clinical setting as a learning environment in conjunction with faculty shortages and inadequate preparation for preceptors and supervising faculty calls us to question if the preceptorship model is able to meet student learning needs and program outcomes. In a critical analysis of preceptorship, we offer a deconstruction of the model to advance clinical nursing education discourse

Te Aka Roa o Te Oranga, the far reaching vines of wellness: The development of a framework to evaluate alcohol and drug treatment for Māori

The impact of alcohol and other drug problems for Māori is well documented. Substance use has been implicated in a range of physical and mental health problems, and a variety of negative social statistics such as high rates of imprisonment. To date there has been little systematic documentation of treatment practices, and limited operationalisation of Māori health frameworks. The evaluation of the outcomes of alcohol and other drug treatments is an area in which there is a paucity of documentation, in terms of methods and frameworks for evaluation, and actual data. Te Aka Roa O Te Oranga (TAROTO) was developed from a range of projects undertaken by the National Addiction Centre. The TARATO evaluation framework embraces a holistic perspective: developed to examine the interaction between the client, whānau, practitioner, and service/organisation. The aim of the framework is to clarify the complex relationships and interactions between stakeholders within the context of treatment. It will also help to elucidate the strengths and weaknesses of individual services. Within this framework, a range of indicators and outcomes of “successful treatment” will be explored. The current project is the first phase of a broader project that will make a significant contribution to improvements in Māori health via further developing effective treatments of alcohol and other drug related problems

An Evaluation of the Current State and Future of XBRL and Interactive Data for Investors and Analysts

In 2009, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) mandated that public companies submit portions of annual (10-K) and quarterly (10-Q) reports—in a digitized format known as eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL). The goal of this type of data was to provide more relevant, timely, and reliable “interactive” data to investors and analysts. The XBRL-formatted SEC filings information is meant to allow users to manipulate and organize the financial information according to their own purposes faster, cheaper, and more easily than current alternatives. But, how useful and usable is the resulting data? The authors—early proponents of interactive data—completed a review of the state of XBRL, with a focus on its usefulness and usability for security analysis. The study found, that investors and analysts question the reliability of the data, the simplicity and stability of the underlying taxonomy and architecture, as well as the lack of user tools that add value and are easily integrated into an investor’s or analyst’s existing work flow and tools. As a result, the researchers conclude that XBRL has promised more than it has delivered to date and is at risk of becoming obsolete for use by analysts and investors. They also offer specific recommendations to filers, regulators, and the XBRL development community that may make the formatted data more useful and useable to the very investors and analysts the SEC's XBRL mandate intended to serve

Analysis of the FBXO7 promoter reveals overlapping Pax5 and c-Myb binding sites functioning in B cells.

Fbxo7 is a key player in the differentiation and function of numerous blood cell types, and in neurons, oligodendrocytes and spermatocytes. In an effort to gain insight into the physiological and pathological settings where Fbxo7 is likely to play a key role, we sought to define the transcription factors which direct FBXO7 expression. Using sequence alignments across 28 species, we defined the human FBXO7 promoter and found that it contains two conserved regions enriched for multiple transcription factor binding sites. Many of these have roles in either neuronal or haematopoietic development. Using various FBXO7 promoter reporters, we found ELF4, Pax5 and c-Myb have functional binding sites that activate transcription. We find endogenous Pax5 is bound to the FBXO7 promoter in pre-B cells, and that the exogenous expression of Pax5 represses Fbxo7 transcription in early pro-B cells

Outdoor Smoke-Free Policies in Maine

Incontrovertible evidence of the deadly impacts from both direct tobacco use and environmental exposure to tobacco smoke has led to the institution of smoking bans, first in indoor venues and, more recently, in some outdoor area. This article reviews the science behind smoking bans as well as the history and policy implications of smoking bans with an emphasis on the experience in Maine. As examples we focus on recent outdoor smoking bans in South Portland (parks and beaches) and smoke-free campus rules at a Maine hospital (Franklin Memorial Hospital) and a part of the University of Maine system (University of Southern Maine). Our conclusions highlight the interconnections among federal, state, municipal, and public institutional efforts to limit smoking and suggest pathways by which smoke-free areas can be expanded in Maine and elsewhere

Mentoring to Grow Library Leaders

Article discussing mentoring and growing library leaders