Trends in Special Libraries: Observations Based on Conference Content

The annual conference of the Special Libraries Association (SLA) provides an opportunity to observe trends in special libraries emerging, continuing, and fading. This column analyzes the program of the SLA 2015 conference held in Boston June 14–16, 2015, and compares it to the programs of previous SLA conferences. Prior analyses and observations of SLA conferences are discussed. Emerging trends noted at the 2015 conference include data management and analysis, print collections, laboratory safety, and prospect research. Consulting, outsourcing, strategic alignment, open access, digitization, institutional repositories, and taxonomies have maintained a prominent presence at SLA conferences over the years. The column closes by calling for more research on and analysis of the content of SLA and other conferences attended by special librarians to capture trends not yet appearing in the journal literature.     

Thinking Pluralistically: Dynamic Decision Making in Kinesiology

In this age of postmodern supercomplexity, universities face increased demands from many precincts in our society to respond to such issues as broader access, graduation rates, costs, and relevance, to name just a few. The cultivation of professional conditions that will help higher education and its kinesiology professoriate to not only to survive, but flourish, in an age of supercomplexity is a necessary adaptation for the future. No obvious single, coherent moral framework exists to use as a guide for today’s (and tomorrow’s) faculty. This article argues, then, for a pluralistic way of thinking by applying reason to the diverse moral frameworks in kinesiology in higher education. The purpose of this article is to explicate a moral positioning in kinesiology based on this pluralistic approach so that decision making can extend beyond the current boundaries of pragmatic thought, now prevalent in higher education. Specific examples of this approach and some accompanying strategies are offered.     

Effective Implementation of ePortfolios: The Development of ePortfolios to Support Online Learning

This article discusses the ePortfolio system for grades 9–12 at the Virtual Learning Academy Charter School (VLACS). ePortfolio implementation at VLACS developed from an Advisory course curriculum that supports students' journey toward becoming college, career, and citizenship ready. We provide a unique perspective for implementation in that VLACS is completely online. Drawing from experiences in brick-and-mortar schools, online instruction, and research on digital portfolio programs, we utilize online portfolios to build a virtual community and engage students in their learning. The article summarizes key components to ePortfolio implementation and highlights how ePortfolios enable VLACS students to both reflect on their experience as learners and demonstrate academic and professional competencies.     

Exploring the notion of inclusivity as facilitating students' ontological engagement for personally relevant learning

In India, inclusivity in education can be seen as an expression of commitment to social justice. It reflects a deep commitment to the goals of universalisation of education promoted by world agencies such as UNESCO. However, pitched between the aspirational goals of achieving equity and social justice on one hand, and the economic imperative of a competitive market on the other, inclusivity in education seems an ever-elusive goal. Students' voices and all the cultural and experiential resources they hold, are marginalised in school, contributing to alienating students from school learning. The study on which this article reports sought to support teachers glean insights from participation in a purposive modelling activity, set in a Vygotskian dialectic frame of reference. The activity focused on how learning from students and their communities can be harnessed to engage students ontologically in class, to enhance students' agentive role in an inclusive learning environment. It is rooted in a funds of knowledge approach. The qualitative data for this ethnographically oriented study have been gathered from multiple sources over 2 years and analysed thematically. The findings show that modelling not only helped teacher learning and development of practice, but also familiarised teachers with issues of equity and inclusivity. Notably, by making teachers aware of the differentiated needs of all the students in the process of invoking their unique contribution to learning from their cultural locations. The insights are used to discuss the challenges posed for teachers in making their new learning part of their teaching practice.     

Microfluidic electrical sorting of particles based on shape in a spiral microchannel

Shape is an intrinsic marker of cell cycle, an important factor for identifying a bioparticle, and also a useful indicator of cell state for disease diagnostics. Therefore, shape can be a specific marker in label-free particle and cell separation for various chemical and biological applications. We demonstrate in this work a continuous-flow electrical sorting of spherical and peanut-shaped particles of similar volumes in an asymmetric double-spiral microchannel. It exploits curvature-induced dielectrophoresis to focus particles to a tight stream in the first spiral without any sheath flow and subsequently displace them to shape-dependent flow paths in the second spiral without any external force. We also develop a numerical model to simulate and understand this shape-based particle sorting in spiral microchannels. The predicted particle trajectories agree qualitatively with the experimental observation.     

A Comparative Study of Clinical Utility of Spot Urine Samples with 24-h Urine Albumin Excretion for Screening of Microalbuminuria in Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Twenty-four hour urinary albumin excretion (UAE) is considered as gold standard method for albuminuria measurement, but collection of 24-h urine is inconvenient. The aim of present study was to evaluate whether albumin: creatinine ratio (ACR) and urinary albumin concentration (UAC) in different spot urine samples correlate or not with 24-h UAE for screening of microalbuminuria in type 2 diabetic patients. We collected first morning void (FMV), random urine sample (RUS) and 24-h urine, separately on consecutive days from 104 type 2 diabetic patients. ACR and UAC in each spot urine sample compared with 24-h UAE with regard to Pearson correlation coefficient. Pearson’s correlation of albumin: creatinine ratio (ACR) with 24-h UAE was (r = 0.802 and 0.623) in first morning void (FMV) and random urine sample (RUS), respectively. Pearson’s correlation coefficient of urinary albumin concentration (UAC) compared with 24-h UAE was (r = 0.943 and 0.920), in FMV and RUS, respectively, P < 0.01. Results revealed that values in first morning void (FMV) were better correlated with 24-h urinary albumin excretion (UAE), than the values in random urine sample (RUS). We conclude that the first morning void (FMV) may be able to replace 24-h urine collection, preferably urinary albumin concentration (UAC) in the initial screening of microalbuminuria in diabetic patients.     

The Evaluation of Student Fitness Levels in Exercise Science and Physical Education Teacher Education Programs

The debate on whether kinesiology students should undergo fitness testing is controversial. Some are strong proponents of fitness testing, while others are in strong opposition. As advocates for fitness testing among kinesiology majors, we aimed to assess the fitness levels of Exercise Science and Physical Education Teacher Education majors and evaluate current physical education teacher education (PETE) fitness criterion. One hundred and sixteen participants (males N = 49; females N = 67) underwent health-related fitness assessments. 37% of males and 51% of females met PETE’s fitness criteria. Both groups performed significantly better in body fat percentage and upper body strength than PETE’s acceptable (average) standards; however, most were significantly lower than target (above average) standards. Presented are fitness passing criteria for PETE majors and fitness reporting that aids in improved fitness tracking and accountability. We also highlight the need for NASPE and SHAPE America to clearly define fitness expectations for PETE majors and encourage other kinesiology faculty to consider implementing fitness testing in their programs.     

Externalizing Behavior Problems and Low Academic Achievement: Does a Causal Relation Exist?

Educational Psychology Review - Children’s low academic skills are associated with a variety of behavior problems and maladaptive outcomes throughout childhood and adulthood. Given the...     

Diabetic cardiomyopathy and reactive oxygen species (ROS) related parameters in male and female rats: A comparative study

Studies were carried out to examine and compare the effects of alloxan-diabetes on reactive oxygen species (ROS) related parameters in the heart from male and female rats. Effects of insulin treatment were also evaluated. The diabetic state severely compromised the ROS defense mechanism in the cardiac tissue and the effects were more pronounced in the female than in the male rats. There was several fold increase in the xanthine oxidase (XO) activity in general and the magnitude of increase was higher in the females; insulin treatment resulted in further increase in the XO activity. The glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) and catalase activities decreased and the reduced glutathione (GSH) content in mitochondria was completely depleted in diabetic state with significant decrease in the GSH levels in the post-mitochondrial fraction; the effect was more pronounced in the females. The superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPox) activities increased in the diabetic state to a greater extent in male rats. Insulin treatment had restorative action only on some parameters. In conclusion, our results suggest that diabetic state may further compromise the weak ROS defense systems in the heart thus initiating a lesion at the level of mitochondria which ultimately leads to cardiomyopathy and the effects are especially more pronounced in the females. Our results also pointed out that insulin treatment was ineffective in restoring ROS related parameters.     

Inventors and invention processes in Europe: Results from the PatVal-EU survey

Based on a survey of the inventors of 9017 European patented inventions, this paper provides new information about the characteristics of European inventors, the sources of their knowledge, the importance of formal and informal collaborations, the motivations to invent, and the actual use and economic value of the patents.