Investigating the quality of interactions and public engagement around scientific papers on Twitter

This study explores science communication on Twitter by investigating a sample of tweets referring to academic papers in five different scientific fields. The specifications of science communicators on Twitter, the characteristics of those who initiate actions (by tweeting), the extent and quality of reactions (retweeting), individual and group interactions, and the distribution of tweets across types of engagement in the process of science communication (i.e., dissemination, consultation, and evaluation) were explored. A broad array of actors is involved in the communication of science on Twitter, with individual citizens and individual researchers playing an important role. In principle, this is promising for creating direct interaction, which can be difficult through more traditional mass media. The vast majority of communication activities regarding academic papers is undigested dissemination with almost no sign of debate, contestation, or collective reflection. Another general finding of this study is that bot accounts play a major role in the science communication landscape on Twitter.     

An analysis of an integrated approach to cross-cultural trainingAnalisis de un enfoque integral al entrenamineto transculturalUne analyse d'une approche integree a l'environnement transculturel

Various approaches have been used in training people to effectively function in a foreign culture. This paper reviews six approaches that are currently being used in cross-cultural training. The approaches reviewed are: (1) the intellectual approach, (2) the area simulation approach, (3) the self-awareness approach, (4) the culture awareness approach, (5) the behavioral approach, and (6) the interaction approach. The advantages of using an “integrated” approach to cross-cultural training is discussed and research is presented which supports the effectiveness of this approach. The results offer preliminary evidence that an integrated approach to training can improve participants' attitudinal satisfaction with their stay in another culture. Finally, the paper offers suggestions for the future direction of cross-cultural training.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Minerva</Emphasis> and the Development of Science (Policy) Studies

This article analyzes the transformation of Minerva from an intellectual towards a scholarly journal by making use of bibliometric methods. The aim is to provide some empirical insights that help to understand what properties of the journal changed in the course of this transformation process. Minerva was one of the first journals that reflected on science and its role in society and science policy in particular. Analyzing the development of the journal sheds light on the emergence of science (policy) studies and on Minerva’s role as a forerunner in this field. In a first step, the methods will be described. The second section provides some empirical results of the publication output of Minerva and its relations to other journals in the field. The empirical findings are put into a broader perspective in the concluding third section.     

Learning by starch potato growers: learning in small businesses with no employees

In small businesses with no employees, learning environments have a low learning readiness. Consequently, learners need to rely on their own agency to shape their learning experiences. Results from a study of agricultural entrepreneurs indicated that the components of motivation and self-regulated learning strategies shape learner's agency and explain learning environment configuration in small businesses with no employees. Configuration of the learning environment was found to be a weak determinant of the learning performance of these learners. However, results showed that prior performance of learners in small businesses with no employees dictates how their agency operates and what learning effect is achieved; higher prior performance results in higher learning effects. We conclude that mechanisms that underlie learning in traditional learning environments work similarly in learning environments in small businesses with no employees.     

Teaching Multistep Equations with Virtual Manipulatives to Secondary Students with Learning Disabilities

Students with learning disabilities often struggle with the academic demands presented in secondary mathematics curricula. To combat these students’ struggles, researchers have studied various pedagogical practices and classroom technologies for teaching standards covered in subjects such as algebra and geometry. However, as the role of computer‐ and tablet‐based technologies in education grows, some areas of study, such as the use of virtual manipulatives, lack exploration. This study sought to assess the benefits of virtual manipulatives to teach secondary students with a learning disability in mathematics how to solve multistep algebraic equations. A multiple baseline design across three participants demonstrated a functional relation between the use of a virtual manipulative balance and teaching students to acquire, maintain, and generalize the skill of solving multistep algebraic equations. Results provide new evidence demonstrating virtual manipulatives as a beneficial age‐appropriate technology to teach higher order mathematical concepts to secondary students with a learning disability.     

Developmental trends in eating rates of normal and overweight preschool children.

Eating rates (bites per interval) and other meal behaviors (number of chews, sips, talks with a neighbor, and chews per bite) were observed for 30 normal and 30 overweight white preschool children in their school cafeterias. Children were classified according to weight (overweight or normal), age (1 1/2--2 years, 3--4 years, or 5--6 years) and sex. Analysis of variance revealed that overweight preschool children demonstrated a somewhat higher rate of distinctly fewer chews per bite. Boys showed increasing chew rates with increasing age. Talk rates also increased with age but were unrelated to sex or weight status. Sip rates were not significantly associated with age, sex, or weight status. These results support the hypothesis that overweight persons are characterized by an increased eating rate and show that it is apparent even around the time of first self-feeding.     

Relations Among the Home Language and Literacy Environment and Children’s Language Abilities: A Study of Head Start Dual Language Learners and Their Mothers

Research Findings: This study explored the relations between Spanish–English dual language learner (DLL) children’s home language and literacy experiences and their expressive vocabulary and oral comprehension abilities in Spanish and in English. Data from Spanish–English mothers of 93 preschool-age Head Start children who resided in central Pennsylvania were analyzed. Children completed the Picture Vocabulary and Oral Comprehension subtests of the Batería III Woodcock–Muñoz and the Woodcock–Johnson III Tests of Achievement. Results revealed that the language spoken by mothers and children and the frequency of mother–child reading at home influenced children’s Spanish language abilities. In addition, the frequency with which children told a story was positively related to children’s performance on English oral language measures. Practice or Policy: The findings suggest that language and literacy experiences at home have a differential impact on DLLs’ language abilities in their 2 languages. Specific components of the home environment that benefit and support DLL children’s language abilities are discussed.     

An education that pierces what the knife cannot: A student perspective

If personalized medicine is the way of the future, and the physician's approach to each patient becomes more individualized and team‐based, so must the professors' approach to the medical student experience. Mayo Medical School has an innovative curriculum designed to respect and enhance the individual interests of its students. A former educator herself, and now a medical student, the author advocates for further creative curriculum design to enhance healthy student attitude learning in medical school. In her personal testimony to the healing power of art and story, she cautions institutions that ignore integrating humanities into their curriculum that their student physicians will build self‐protective barriers without self‐reflection. She argues students must have more avenues to express their emotions during difficult transitions and ethical dilemmas. This commentary describes extracurricular student projects during anatomy, and includes an example of student reflective writing in anatomy. The author suggests that narrative medicine as an emerging discipline would be an effective educational strategy when applied to any aspect of the medical curriculum, and should be considered by more medical schools for further progress in medical education. Anat Sci Educ, 2010. © 2010 American Association of Anatomists.     

Recovery of pulmonary diffusing capacity after maximal exercise

Abstract

Pulmonary diffusing capacity (Dl_co), together with spirometric variables, arterial oxygen tension (paO₂) and cardiac output were determined before and at intervals after maximal arm cranking, treadmill running and erogmeter rowing. Independent of the type of exercise, Dl_co increased immediately post‐exercise from a median 13.6 (range 7.3–16.3) to 15.1 (9.3–19.6) mmol min^‐1 kPa^‐1 (P <0.01). However, it decreased to 11.6 (6.9–15.5) mmol min^‐1 kPa^‐1 (P <0.01) after 24 h with cardiac output and paO₂ at resting values, and Dl_co normalized after 20 h. Thoracic electrical impedance at 2.5 and 100 kHz increased slightly post‐exercise, indicating a decrease in thoracic fluid balance, and there were no echocardiographic signs of left ventricular failure at the time of the decrease in Dl_co. Also, active muscle (limb) circumference and volume, and an increase in haematocrit from 43.8 (38.0–47.0) to 47.1 (42.7–49.8) (P <0.01), had normalized at the time of the decrease in Dl_co. Vital capacity, forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 s, peak and peak mid‐expiratory flows did not change. However, total lung capacity increased from 6.8 (5.0–7.6) to 7.0 (5.1–7.8) litres (P <0.05) immediately after exercise and remained elevated at 6.9 (5.1–8.7) litres (P <0.05) when a decrease in Dl_co was noted. The results demonstrate that independent of the type of maximal exercise, an approximate 15% reduction in Dl_co takes place 2–3 h post‐exercise, which normalizes during the following day of recovery.