Area Of Familiarity Research Articles

Exploring Value Variations in Instructor Presence Techniques for Online Students

This study sought to define and measure online undergraduate students' perceived value of instructor presence techniques across five communication mediums per pedagogical goal (connection to course content, connection to classmates, connection to the instructor, foster interest, and facilitate immediate feedback). Students found personalized written messages from an instructor (M=4.61) as most valuable due to their ability to provide immediate feedback. Interactive phone calls (M=3.24) were the least valuable in the area of familiarity. Results indicate all instructor presence techniques had value, but some were more valuable than others.

MON-486 Polygenic Susceptibility to Papillary Thyroid Cancer in Italian Subjects

INTRODUCTION AND AIM. Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine neoplasia, with an estimated age-standardized incidence rate of 6.7 per 100000 worldwide in 2018 [1]. This rate is rapidly increasing and papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the main histotype. PTC susceptibility is the result of genetic predisposition, environmental factors and lifestyle. We studied the genetic combination that characterizes PTC affected subjects, differentiating them from healthy controls.METHODS AND RESULTS. We considered the genetic variants (SNPs) significantly associated with PTC on the PubMed database. 184 informative SNPs were selected, considering linkage disequilibrium. Then, SNPs data were extracted from the online 1000 Genomes database, comprising genome of 2504 unselected individuals collected worldwide. The combination of 184 SNPs associated with PTC was used to group individuals in different risk-clusters according to their genetic structure, calculated by Bayesian statistics, as previously performed for polycystic ovary syndrome [2]. Individuals were distributed among 7 groups worldwide, indicating different degree of genetic predisposition to PTC. We then considered genetic data from about 1200 individuals (697 PTC versus 497 healthy controls) of Central/South Italian origin registered in a GWAS, specific for PTC [3]. This first analysis was refined using the 33 SNPs reasonably most causative of genetic clustering (26 with p<0.05 at trend test in GWAS and 7 with p<0.05 in the model of recessive inheritance). At multivariate logistic regression analysis, PTC and healthy controls resulted genetically different (ODDS RATIO 188.6, 95%CI 64.35-552.8), revealing diverse predisposition to develop cancer. Afterwards, these results have been confirmed in an independent cohort of Italian subjects (234 PTC and 100 controls). Then, the genetic structure of each subject was indicated as a percentage of affinity to each risk-cluster and re-analyzed together with other risk factors: sex, body-mass index, area of origin and familiarity (quantified in a growing score as the degree of kinship increases). These data were analyzed together by principal component analysis and clustering of the two groups was even more pronounced. The most contributive factors to the diversity between PTC and healthy controls were genetics and familiarity.CONCLUSION. We demonstrated that PTC affected subjects are genetically different from healthy controls, and that the difference is identifiable in a peculiar combination of genetic variants.REFERENCES1. Bray F et al. CA: a cancer journal for clinicians. 2018; 68 (6):394-4242. Casarini and Brigante. JCEM. 2014; 99:E2412-203. Köhler et al. Genome-wide association study on differentiated thyroid cancer. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013;98:E1674-81.

Evidence-based practice: What therapists say about it?

The significance of evidence based practice (EBP) can not be overstated. However, literature on the perception of occupational therapists and physical therapists toward EBP, is scarce. The purpose of this survey study was to examine occupational and physical therapists's attitudes toward evidence based practice. A total of 47 among 261 practicing occupational and physical therapists in a health care system in the Midwest responded to the questionnaire previously developed by Rubin and Parrish, 2011. Follow up reminders were implemented to achieve a higher response rate. The results of the study showed that therapists maintained an overall positive attitude toward EBP, reported familiarity with the EBP process and an overall positive attitude toward EBP. In addition, therapists reported intend to engage in the EBP process but their current engagement was a little less than “some of the time.” However, therapists reported slightly lean unfeasible to engage in the EBP process. Barriers to engaging in EBP included time, access, and the constraints of the responders’ practice setting. Overall, the findings of this study showed that therapists hold positive perception on evidence based practice and such findings are consistent with previous research. The current study suggests practicing occupational therapists and physical therapists in general have positive perception on evidence based practice, particularly in the area of familiarity with EBP, the intend to and current engagement of EBP. Therapists, however, identified many factors that contribute to their negative perception on feasibility of the EBP in their day-to-day practice. Administrative support, decreased productivity pressure, adequate education and training are essential in ensuring and promoting EBP, a key ingredient in help achieve triple aims of health care services.

Exploring Learners’ Self-Reported Behavioral Patterns in Two Task-Readiness Conditions: A Qualitative Study

Abstract Task-planning studies have mostly been conducted using quantitative methods, not qualitative. However, the actual planning behaviors by learners could be overlooked by quantitative research which focuses mostly on planning outcomes rather than the processes. This study aims to bridge this gap by exploring learner behavioral patterns in pre-task planning as well as the under-investigated area of topic familiarity by drawing upon interview data. This consists of a comparison between the task-external and task-internal readiness constructs proposed in Bui’s (2014) task-readiness framework. Eight undergraduate students in Hong Kong completed two speaking tasks (a familiar and an unfamiliar task), followed by retrospective interviews. Though largely confirming previous (but parsimonious) research on task planning behaviors, this study discovered three major findings that had not been covered well in previous literature. First, while past studies focused on the psycholinguistic processes of task planning, these participants extensively reported its affective influences. Next, most participants reported their overall intended emphasis was on accuracy. These reports contradict general quantitative research results which suggest that task planning often leads to complexity, not accuracy. Finally, the lack of planning time as task-external readiness can be partly compensated for by topic familiarity as task-internal readiness. These issues along with their relevant implications in teaching and learning are discussed in this study.

Homeward orientation of displaced newts (Triturus cristatus, Lissotriton vulgaris) is restricted to the range of routine movements

Initial orientation of crested newts Triturus cristatus and smooth newts Lissotriton vulgaris was measured following passive displacement to arenas placed at 12 test sites 0.213–24.2 km distant from the breeding pond. Newts were transported by car without visual and olfactory outward journey information, but had full access to local orientation clues at the release site during the night and early morning before testing. Within the area of previous migratory experience, the initial directional choice of both species was significantly directed to home. Outside the area of familiarity, the initial orientation was indistinguishable from random in all but one site each at 3 and 20 km distance, respectively. We suggest that short-distance orientation was probably based on olfactory beaconing and on a learned spatial map integrating visual and olfactory information. The failure of homeward orientation following long-distance displacement indicates the absence of a spatial map which allows for extrapolation into unknown areas. The geomagnetic features of the study area include regional-scale irregularities probably impeding the derivation of reliable information from a geomagnetic map.

Journeys to Rome and Jerusalem in Old Norse-Icelandic Sagas

Many Scandinavian characters in the Old Norse-Icelandic sagas travel south to the distant cities of Rome and Jerusalem. This paper examines the literary uses sagas make of accounts of travel to Rome and to a lesser extent Jerusalem and compares their functions and significances in the saga-mindset. The context of this paper is my larger study over the last five years, which have focused on accounts of “far-travel” in saga-literature, that is, by Norse saga-characters to lands recognisably outside the area of familiarity. Of the three main destinations of southern far-travel in sagaliterature, Rome, Jerusalem and Byzantium, the latter two, being self-evidently conceptually “distant” from the north, were covered at length in a previous thesis on the subject. Rome, however, is also at least at the southern edge, if not actually beyond the border, of cultural familiarity, and this paper thus treats Rome as a destination for far-travel as the others that were analysed in the thesis, examining what characterises journeys there. Jerusalem and the Holy Land will feature in this paper to a more limited extent, as travel to Rome and Jerusalem is in saga-literature characteristically taken for the same purposes – pilgrimage and absolution – and accounts of travel to the two places exhibit some of the same characteristics. The two sites are not equal, however, and some of the conclusions of this paper will draw out the differences between Rome and Jerusalem as far-travel destinations.

Students' Perceptions of University Method Class Preparation for Teaching Across Music Disciplines

The purpose of this study was to determine if participants believed that participation in music education methods courses would provide adequate training to address concerns they had about teaching either within or outside their area of familiarity. One hundred fifty-nine music majors enrolled in music methods courses during the 2005-2006 academic year served as participants. Using a free response, open-ended questionnaire, participants were asked to assess their concerns about teaching in a musical area within and outside their familiar music expertise. The authors found that participants had thought about and could express concerns about teaching within and outside their area of familiarity, were confident their training in college music education methods courses could provide them the skills needed to be effective teachers, and believed that these courses would provide ample knowledge and experience to alleviate their concerns at this point in their careers. Implications for music education are discussed.

Initial orientation of newts (Triturus vulgaris, T. cristatus) following short– and long–distance displacements

Homeward orientation of smooth newts Triturus vulgaris and crested newts T. cristatus was measured following short– and long–distance passive displacement. Individuals were tested in arena experiments at release sites distributed symmetrically at 213–230 m distance (area of previous migratory experience) and at 2.225–3.270 km around the breeding pond. Newts were transported by car and had probably reduced access to outward journey information, but full access to local orientation clues at the release site during the night and early morning before testing. Within the area of migratory experience, the initial directional choice of both species was significantly directed to home. Outside the area of familiarity, the initial orientation was indistinguishable from random. This finding contradicts results obtained by other authors with a similar experimental design and using five distinct newt species. It remains to be tested to what degree differences among the results depend on the species used, on displacement distances, and/or on the geographic area.

Enriching the early childhood expertise of elementary school principals: Can a one‐shot college course make a difference?

A summer course was specifically designed for principals and aspiring principals to help them become more expert in principles of early childhood education. During the pilot, 10 volunteer participants completed a survey of beliefs on early childhood education before and after the course and submitted a piece of reflective writing each day. Gains in participant knowledge were most notable in the following areas: awareness of best practices in the area of kindergarten screening and familiarity with NAEYC and the accompanying research base of the field. Each participant planned a transformation project, choosing one aspect of the course to implement in the workplace. Through these projects, participants began using NAEYC materials to evaluate and mentor classroom teachers, redesign kindergarten screening programs, and overhaul approaches to parent involvement.

Variation in homeward orientation performance in the sleepy lizard ( Tiliqua rugosa ): effects of sex and reproductive period

Sleepy lizards are monogamous skinks which show high pair fidelity. This study reveals inter- and intrasexual differences in homeward orientation performance in this lizard. Male and female lizards were displaced during three phases of the spring activity period, the pre-pairing, pairing/mating, and post-pairing periods. All groups (with the exception of post-pairing males) were significantly oriented homewards, but males were significantly better oriented towards home than females during the pairing period. Furthermore, males were significantly better homeward oriented during the pre-pairing and pairing periods than in the post-pairing period. Similar results were observed for rate of movement away from the release site. In sleepy lizards, sex-based differences in homing behaviour are unlikely to be attributable to differences in the area of familiarity, or availability of orientation mechanisms. However differences in homing motivation may explain these differences. Males may miss mating if absent from the home range during the pre-pairing and pairing periods, while females may still be able to obtain a mating even when absent. Females however may be more motivated than males to return to the familiar home range during the post-pairing period to ensure efficient feeding during internal embryo development.

Translocation as a Nonlethal Alternative for Managing California Ground Squirrels

To evaluate the efficacy of translocation as a nonlethal management alternative, we determined trapability, post-release survival, site fidelity, and homing ability of experimentally translocated California ground squirrels (Spermophilus beecheyi). Trapability of squirrels was low (0.04 captures/trap-day). Most squirrels (71-79%) survived until ≥18 days after translocation; mortality was highest shortly after release, and was attributed mostly to predation. Of those squirrels that survived but did not return home, 85% established a new home range, but most settled away from the release site. Homing success decreased with translocation distance. Our data do not support the hypothesis that homing results from navigation, but they do support the hypothesis that homing results from piloting when squirrels are inside their area of familiarity, perhaps extended by visual detection of distant landmarks, and random search when outside. Translocation probably is infeasible for control of squirrels over large areas because of low trapability, but shows potential for smaller localities. Squirrels, however, must be translocated far enough (ca. 1,500 m) to prevent homing, and lack of fidelity to the release site may result in squirrels settling in undesirable locations.

Training in Forensic Microscopy

Abstract The world of forensic microscopy is complex and challenging. There is a never-ending variety of requested examinations and consequently, the analyst is often asked to work in an area of little familiarity. Adding to the challenge is the inherent problem of having no exact information as to the condition of the sample prior to the crime. The forensic microscopist is expected to have mastered proficiency in polarized light microscopy in order to identify fibers, minerals, insect parts, woods, metals, biological fluids, pollution particles, microchemical techniques, paints, pigments, pollens, drugs, explosives, diatoms, safe insulation, etc. and to compare samples of all the these plus hairs, glass, etc., etc.