The Core Competencies - Research and Information Literacy at UCLA

The Core Competencies for Research and Information Literacy at UCLA provides a foundation for teaching and evaluating research skills and information literacy. Recognizing that there are varying needs across disciplines and experience levels, this document is intended as a starting point that can be adapted for specific contexts. This document provides:* a concise summary of the core competencies and their relationship to the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy;* a toolkit of learning outcomes, activities, and assessment techniques for each core competency;* and an example assessment rubric. Authors and Contributors This document was created by the UCLA Library Teaching & Learning Functional Team, 2018-2019Project leads: Doug Worsham, Diane Mizrachi, Monica HaganContributors: Joy Doan, Nisha Mody, Renee Romero, Robert Gore, Elizabeth Cheney, Margarita Nafpaktitis, Julia Glassman, Reed Buck, and all UCLA Library staff that provided feedback throughout the process

Functional imaging and circulating biomarkers of response to regorafenib in treatment-refractory metastatic colorectal cancer patients in a prospective phase II study

open32Regorafenib demonstrated efficacy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Lack of predictive biomarkers, potential toxicities and cost-effectiveness concerns highlight the unmet need for better patient selection.openKhan, Khurum; Rata, Mihaela; Cunningham, David; Koh, Dow-Mu; Tunariu, Nina; Hahne, Jens C; Vlachogiannis, George; Hedayat, Somaieh; Marchetti, Silvia; Lampis, Andrea; Damavandi, Mahnaz Darvish; Lote, Hazel; Rana, Isma; Williams, Anja; Eccles, Suzanne A; Fontana, Elisa; Collins, David; Eltahir, Zakaria; Rao, Sheela; Watkins, David; Starling, Naureen; Thomas, Jan; Kalaitzaki, Eleftheria; Fotiadis, Nicos; Begum, Ruwaida; Bali, Maria; Rugge, Massimo; Temple, Eleanor; Fassan, Matteo; Chau, Ian; Braconi, Chiara; Valeri, NicolaKhan, Khurum; Rata, Mihaela; Cunningham, David; Koh, Dow-Mu; Tunariu, Nina; Hahne, Jens C; Vlachogiannis, George; Hedayat, Somaieh; Marchetti, Silvia; Lampis, Andrea; Damavandi, Mahnaz Darvish; Lote, Hazel; Rana, Isma; Williams, Anja; Eccles, Suzanne A; Fontana, Elisa; Collins, David; Eltahir, Zakaria; Rao, Sheela; Watkins, David; Starling, Naureen; Thomas, Jan; Kalaitzaki, Eleftheria; Fotiadis, Nicos; Begum, Ruwaida; Bali, Maria; Rugge, Massimo; Temple, Eleanor; Fassan, Matteo; Chau, Ian; Braconi, Chiara; Valeri, Nicol

Functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to assess cognitive function in infants in rural Africa

Cortical mapping of cognitive function during infancy is poorly understood in low-income countries due to the lack of transportable neuroimaging methods. We have successfully piloted functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) as a neuroimaging tool in rural Gambia. Four-to-eight month old infants watched videos of Gambian adults perform social movements, while haemodynamic responses were recorded using fNIRS. We found distinct regions of the posterior superior temporal and inferior frontal cortex that evidenced either visual-social activation or vocally selective activation (vocal > non-vocal). The patterns of selective cortical activation in Gambian infants replicated those observed within similar aged infants in the UK. These are the first reported data on the measurement of localized functional brain activity in young infants in Africa and demonstrate the potential that fNIRS offers for field-based neuroimaging research of cognitive function in resource-poor rural communities

Functional Biodiversity

Modern conventional agriculture is characterized by monocultures. These are less productive in terms of biomass than natural plant communities, which are usually complex mixtures of species and varieties, and they also require more inputs. A central question for organic agriculture is therefore how far we can move from monocultural to polycultural systems in order to benefit from this biodiversity without loss of yield. Rotations are one way of increasing biodiversity, but other components of the EFRC research programme are relevant: breeding programmes for wheat and kale aimed at producing crop populations rather than pure lines; variety and species mixtures, especially for cereals; intercropping legumes with a vegetable rotation (companion cropping) or cereals (bi-cropping), in order to bring the fertility-building and cropping phases of the rotation into the same part of the sequence; a biodiversity project looking at the farmed and non-farmed areas of organic and conventional farms; N, P and K budgeting as a means of designing rotations and intercropping systems; semiochemicals: the natural signalling processes between crops, pests and predators. The best illustration of functional biodiversity is perhaps in the agroforestry demonstration plots, where trees, cropping and livestock are combined

Functional Compost

The aim of the research program Functional Compost is to develop and test compost, which have been enriched with chitin, for plant growth promoting properties and to recognise specific mechanisms. Two types of compost were included in the program: source separated biodegradable municipal solid waste compost (DM = 62 %) and garden and park waste compost (DM = 66 %). Chitin was added in trace amounts during the maturity phase, combined with two levels of trace amounts immediately before adding the compost to the growth medium. The research program includes several parallel experiments. In experiment I, compost (20 vol. %) was added to soil (no plants) and incubated at 15 C for 5 month, under regular determination of microbial respiration and gross and net N mineralization. There was a significant increase in respiration due to chitin enrichment, which could not be explained by the amount of C derived from the chitin, which therefore suggest a priming effect. The N analyses are still being processed in the laboratory, but data are expected to be available at the conference. In experiment II, compost was mixed with sand, put into pots in a climate chamber, and spring barley seeds infected with Fusarium culmorum were sown in the pots. After 3 weeks of growth, the health of the plants was determined, and the chitinase activity in the sand was measured. The health of the plants and the chitinase activity was significantly higher in the treatments receiving municipal waste compared to the treatments receiving garden waste compost. However, there was no clear effect of the chitin enrichment. Additionally, the microbial community structure of the two types of compost, with and without early chitin, was determined by Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE). There was a clear separation between compost types, and with or without early chitin amendment. Experiment III is a regular growth experiment, and is running right now. Compost has been incorporated into soil, put into pots in the greenhouse, and spring barley is grown for 2 month before determination for wet and dry weight and N uptake. Data from experiment III is expected to be available at the conference

Functional capacity and actual daily activity do not contribute to patient satisfaction after total knee arthroplasty

Abstract Background: After total knee arthroplasty (TKA) only 75-89% of patients are satisfied. Because patient satisfaction is a prime goal of all orthopaedic procedures, optimization of patient satisfaction is of major importance. Factors related to patient satisfaction after TKA have been explored, but no studies have included two potentially relevant factors, i.e. the functional capacity of daily activities and actual daily activity. This present prospective study examines whether functional capacity and actual daily activity (in addition to an extensive set of potential factors) contribute to patient satisfaction six months after TKA. Methods: A total of 44 patients were extensively examined preoperatively and six months post surgery. Functional capacity was measured with three capacity tests, focusing on walking, stair climbing, and chair rising. Actual daily activity was measured in the patient's home situation by means of a 48-hour measurement with an Activity Monitor. To establish which factors were related to patient satisfaction six months post surgery, logistic regression analyses were used to calculate odds ratios. Results: Preoperative and postoperative functional capacity and actual daily activity had no relation with patient satisfaction. Preoperatively, only self-reported mental functioning was positively related to patient satisfaction. Postoperatively, based on multivariate analysis, only fulfilled expectations regarding pain and experienced pain six months post surgery were related to patient satisfaction. Conclusions: Functional capacity and actual daily activity do not contribute to patient satisfaction after TKA. Patients with a better preoperative self-reported mental functioning, and patients who experienced less pain and had fulfilled expectations regarding pain postoperatively, were more often satisfied

Functional Regression

Functional data analysis (FDA) involves the analysis of data whose ideal units of observation are functions defined on some continuous domain, and the observed data consist of a sample of functions taken from some population, sampled on a discrete grid. Ramsay and Silverman's 1997 textbook sparked the development of this field, which has accelerated in the past 10 years to become one of the fastest growing areas of statistics, fueled by the growing number of applications yielding this type of data. One unique characteristic of FDA is the need to combine information both across and within functions, which Ramsay and Silverman called replication and regularization, respectively. This article will focus on functional regression, the area of FDA that has received the most attention in applications and methodological development. First will be an introduction to basis functions, key building blocks for regularization in functional regression methods, followed by an overview of functional regression methods, split into three types: [1] functional predictor regression (scalar-on-function), [2] functional response regression (function-on-scalar) and [3] function-on-function regression. For each, the role of replication and regularization will be discussed and the methodological development described in a roughly chronological manner, at times deviating from the historical timeline to group together similar methods. The primary focus is on modeling and methodology, highlighting the modeling structures that have been developed and the various regularization approaches employed. At the end is a brief discussion describing potential areas of future development in this field

Functional Skills Support Programme: Developing functional skills in history

This booklet is part of "... a series of 11 booklets which helps schools to implement functional skills across the curriculum. The booklets illustrate how functional skills can be applied and developed in different subjects and contexts, supporting achievement at Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4. Each booklet contains an introduction to functional skills for subject teachers, three practical planning examples with links to related websites and resources, a process for planning and a list of additional resources to support the teaching and learning of functional skills." - The National Strategies website

Functional Skills Support Programme: Developing functional skills in citizenship

This booklet is part of "... a series of 11 booklets which helps schools to implement functional skills across the curriculum. The booklets illustrate how functional skills can be applied and developed in different subjects and contexts, supporting achievement at Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4. Each booklet contains an introduction to functional skills for subject teachers, three practical planning examples with links to related websites and resources, a process for planning and a list of additional resources to support the teaching and learning of functional skills." - The National Strategies website