The construction and evaluation of a rating scale for camp personnel.

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Towards conceptual clarity: pedagogical liminality

Work-based learning (WBL) is used interchangeably with other concepts such as work-related learning (WRL) and workplace learning (WPL). Work-integrated learning (WIL) considers WBL a subset within WIL. Some scholars and practitioners argue that WBL as a mode of learning is pedagogically incompatible with WRL, WPL, and WIL. WBL and WIL practitioners work across the coexistence of many possible meanings of modes and disciplines within the Higher Educational space, something WPL and WRL does not do explicitly when applied outside of Higher Education by Human Resource Management (HRM) practitioners. This conceptual paper applies a critical, multi-perspectival, multi-theoretical and multi-methodological approach of inquiry to the concept of boundaries as it relates to WIL and WBL as a mode of learning within pedagogics. It emphasizes the unique raison d'être for WBL and WIL which is the liminality and tension as a mode of pedagogical practice, between, across, and through disciplines

Overexpression of Tobacco Osmotin Protein in Carrot (Daucus carota L.) to Enhance Drought Tolerance

Lack of water is one of the most significant issues that already threaten world agriculture as many countries are unable to meet the demand for water to grow the crops. To make matters worse, the water availability is expected to fall by half by 2050, thus severely restricting agriculture production. Genetic engineering of crops to enhance their tolerance to such unfavorable environment represents one of the few approaches that can help us address this problem. Osmotin and osmotin-like proteins are stress proteins, belonging to the plant PR-5 group of proteins, which induced in response to various types of biotic and abiotic stresses in several plant species. Carrot plants were transformed with tobacco osmotin gene that encodes a protein lacking 20 amino-acid sequence at the C terminal end under the control of CaMV 35S promoter using the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method. The gene integration and expression were confirmed by Southern and Western blot analyses and the transgenic plants were evaluated for their ability to tolerate drought stress. Under drought conditions, transformants exhibited slower rates of wilting compared to the wild-type and gained the ability to recover faster than their untransformed counterparts when the drought stress was alleviated. Under water stress, transformants showed lower levels of H2O2 accumulation, reduced lipid peroxidation and electrolyte leakage, and higher leaf water content. Taken together with some earlier reports, our results provide additional evidence for the protective ability of tobacco osmotin protein against drought stress and suggest a possible means to achieve tolerance against a serious type of abiotic stress

Evaluating the performance of government tourism facilities using ABC and EVA techniques / Case Study

This study aims to measure cost and performance under the Activity Based Costing (ABC) technique with the economic value-added financial performance measure. The proposed ABC-and-EVA is an administrative support tool for cost and capital management. The integrated ABC-and-EVA input includes resource consumption rate as in traditional ABC technology, but it also includes capital resources. It is done by examining the cost of each activity in the first stage. The company’s capital information is then converted into capital charges to discuss the changes in final product costs and potential changes in performance

EFFECT OF DIFFERENT LEVELS OF SALT AND DROUGHT STRESSES ON GENE EXPRESSION OF TWO TOLERANCE-DIFFERENT TOMATO CULTIVARS IN VITRO

A lab experiment was conducted at the Plant Tissue Culture Lab / College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences / University of Baghdad. This experiment was aimed to investigate gene expression index in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) after preparation of salt and simulated drought stresses. Two tomato cultivars were selected which claimed to exhibit different levels of tolerance toward abiotic stresses designated as salt-tolerant Yassamine (Y) and salt-sensitive GS12 (G) to assess the test. Seven day-old seedlings from both cultivars were grown in MS media supplemented with four concentrations of NaCl at 0, 50, 100 and 150 mM and four concentrations of PEG at 0, 10, 20, and 30% for 48 hours. The results were showed that Y cultivar exhibited more proline secretion and chlorophyll content when compared with G. In addition, Y cultivar showed less ion leakage and less affected by elevated abiotic stresses in term of seedling weight variation when compared to G counterparts. The SDS-PAGE gel analysis showed that Y cultivar showed more band intensity when compared with G suggested more corresponding gene expression of tolerant protein against abiotic stresses.  

A multiple timepoint pre-post evaluation of a ‘sexual respect’ dvd to improve competence in discussing sex with patients with disability

Sexual problems are common after chronic illnesses and disability, yet research indicates that this is a neglected area in healthcare services. Evaluation studies provide evidence of the effectiveness of education in enhancing professionals’ knowledge, skills, and comfort in addressing patients’ sexual concerns. However, there are limited evaluations aimed at improving ability to discuss sexuality when working with people with disabilities. The overall aim of this study was to evaluate a ‘Sexual Respect’ DVD as an intervention to improve competence in addressing ‘sexuality and disability’. A mixed methods design was used with both quantitative and qualitative components. Nursing students’ self-report ratings of knowledge, confidence, comfort and willingness (to discuss sexuality) levels were collected across four time points: baseline, pre-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up. Data were analysed using one-way repeated measures ANOVAs with post hoc comparisons. Open-ended qualitative comments relating to the barriers and facilitators to discussing sexuality were analysed using content analysis and subsequent frequency analysis. Reported barriers included lack of knowledge about sex¬uality and disability issues, the patient’s level of disability, and waiting for the patient to raise sexuality issues first. Facilitators included education/training, written information, and if the patient raised it first. Overall, the DVD intervention had a significant and positive impact on nursing students’ self-reported knowledge, confidence, comfort and willingness levels. The findings are discussed in relation to the PLISSIT model, which emphasises the importance of a proactive approach to addressing sexuality issues

Neglected diseases of neglected populations: Thinking to reshape the determinants of health in Latin America and the Caribbean

BACKGROUND: People living in poverty throughout the developing world are heavily burdened with neglected communicable diseases and often marginalized by the health sector. These diseases are currently referred to as Neglected Diseases of Neglected Populations. The neglected diseases create social and financial burdens to the individual, the family, the community, and the nation. DISCUSSION: Numerous studies of successful individual interventions to manage communicable disease determinants in various types of communities have been published, but few have applied multiple interventions in an integrated, coordinated manner. We have identified a series of successful interventions and developed three hypothetical scenarios where such interventions could be applied in an integrated, multi-disease, inter-programmatic, and/or inter-sectoral approach for prevention and control of neglected diseases in three different populations: a slum, an indigenous community, and a city with a mix of populations. SUMMARY: The objective of this paper is to identify new opportunities to address neglected diseases, improve community health and promote sustainable development in neglected populations by highlighting examples of key risk and protective factors for neglected diseases which can be managed and implemented through multi-disease-based, integrated, inter-programmatic, and/or inter-sectoral approaches. Based on a literature review, analysis and development of scenarios we visualize how multiple interventions could manage multiple disease problems and propose these as possible strategies to be tested. We seek to stimulate intra- and inter-sectoral dialogue which will help in the construction of new strategies for neglected diseases (particularly for the parasitic diseases) which could benefit the poor and marginalized based on the principle of sustainability and understanding of key determinants of health, and lead to the establishment of pilot projects and activities which can contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals