Patient stories in life science and society courses : a versatile teaching tool

Narratives are widely used instructional tools, and a growing body of evidence supports their positive impact on learning. In the training of health professionals, the inclusion of narratives has been recognized as a powerful approach, known as narrative medicine, to foster empathy, memory, and reasoning skills. While there is substantial research on narrative-based teaching practice in medical education, little is known about how college instructors use narratives to teach undergraduate life science courses. Is it feasible to use narratives to teach science in college classroom? In which contexts do narratives become a useful teaching approach? How instructors adapt narrative approach for effective teaching? What factors influence the implementations of narrative approach? These are the guiding questions for this study. We use a qualitative methodology that combines observation of classroom activities and interviews with instructors to address research questions. Particularly, this research focused on narratives that incorporate experience from patients who are affected by genetic conditions. College-level courses that are at the intersection between life sciences and society are crucial in teaching science literacy and critical thinking to both majors and nonmajors. This study explored the practice of narratives in two college courses, Genetics and Society (BIOSC 3050) and Biotechnology in Society (BIOCHM 2112), each of which combines science with social context. The two courses differed in student population and course design. Most students in BIOSC 3050 were life-science majors in junior and senior classes, while those in BIOCHM 2112 were non-majors of multiple class standings. BIOSC 3050 is a writingintensive course, whereas BIOCHM 2112 is a moderately-paced course in which the majority of class time was devoted to student discussions. The differences in student populations and course design between the two courses provided an opportunity for a comparative study on teaching and learning with narratives. Our findings indicate that patient narratives are used as an effective and versatile teaching tool in the two surveyed courses. Notably, both instructors incorporated stories in their classroom to teach decisionmaking and to illuminate real-world connections. As a teaching tool, stories make science real, relevant, and relatable to students. Teaching students to make connections between what they learn and their own experiences is crucial to improve science literacy and social responsibility. By using stories, the instructors were able to introduce new perspectives that are different from those of students, yet allow them to use their own values to make decisions. Stories, when used in combination with thinking prompts, provide a frame to teach decision making without requiring the instructors to assume an authoritative role. Though the two courses are markedly different in student backgrounds and instructional models, there are strong parallels in their objectives. Both courses aim at helping students be able to make informed decisions based on knowledge and evidence. Stories are used to achieve this goal in several way. They provide background knowledge that are necessary to explore the topics. They supply facts and evidence that are used to support decisions. They provide realistic contexts when there is no absolute answer, and thus push students to come up with creative solutions. They help students realize and overcome their misconceptions that could lead to ill-informed decisions. These characteristics of stories, as observed in the practice of the two instructors, demonstrate that they are an effective teaching tool.Dr. Miriam Golomb, Thesis Advisor.Includes bibliographical references (pages 35-36)

Level of Determinants Impact on Buyer’s Purchasing Intention in Motor Liability Insurance: Case of Vietnam

Motor liability insurance has been included in the compulsory insurance category that each vehicle owner of every type of motor vehicle must participate in in Vietnam. However, in fact, the participation in this type of insurance is not popular and not strictly managed. This paper presents an approach to modeling and analyzing the possible determinants that may affect the intention to buy motor liability insurance for motor vehicle owners in the North of Vietnam. The target audience of this study is motorcycle owners. Based on the theories of buying intention, buying behavior and the specific characteristics of this insurance, this study has proposed a model with 4 factors influencing intention to participate in the insurance: Attitudes towards risk and insurance, subjective standards, Insurance Perceptions, and Product Accessibility. Taken together, these factors model a consumer's tendency toward insurance intentions for motorbike owners. The results show that all of the above factors have influence on the intention of motorcycle owners to participate in insurance. Keywords: Motor liability insurance, Buying intention, Purchase decision DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/13-8-11 Publication date: April 30th 202

Study on synthesis of carboxymethyl cellulose from pineapple leaf waste and its potential applications as a thickener

In this study, cellulose and hemicellulose were successfully extracted from pineapple leaf waste at yields of 58.8 and 16.1% by dried weight, respectively. Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) was synthesised from pineapple leaf cellulose by an esterification process using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and monochloroacetic acid (MCA) with isopropanol as the supporting medium. Preparation of CMC was investigated by varying three free factors, namely, NaOH concentration, MCA dose, and cellulose size. The carboxymethylation process was optimised to produce CMC with differing degrees of substitution (DS). The highest DS of CMC (0.86) was obtained with 15% (w/v) NaOH solution, 0.6 g of MCA/g cellulose, and 50 μm cellulose. The obtained CMC were characterised by FTIR spectroscopy, SEM images and XRD diffractions. Moreover, the thickening performance of obtained CMC was also determined. The influence of the CMC’s molecular weight and degree of substitution on the viscosity of 1% (w/v) aqueous solution was tested. The experimental results suggest that the viscosity of the solution increases with increasing molecular weight and degree of substitution of CMC

Spatiotemporal evolution of SARS-CoV-2 Alpha and Delta variants during large nationwide outbreak of COVID-19, Vietnam, 2021

We analyzed 1,303 SARS-CoV-2 whole-genome sequences from Vietnam, and found the Alpha and Delta variants were responsible for a large nationwide outbreak of COVID-19 in 2021. The Delta variant was confined to the AY.57 lineage and caused >1.7 million infections and >32,000 deaths. Viral transmission was strongly affected by nonpharmaceutical interventions

An Outbreak of Severe Infections with Community-Acquired MRSA Carrying the Panton-Valentine Leukocidin Following Vaccination

Background: Infections with community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) are emerging worldwide. We investigated an outbreak of severe CA-MRSA infections in children following out-patient vaccination. Methods and Findings: We carried out a field investigation after adverse events following immunization (AEFI) were reported. We reviewed the clinical data from all cases. S. aureus recovered from skin infections and from nasal and throat swabs were analyzed by pulse-field gel electrophoresis, multi locus sequence typing, PCR and microarray. In May 2006, nine children presented with AEFI, ranging from fatal toxic shock syndrome, necrotizing soft tissue infection, purulent abscesses, to fever with rash. All had received a vaccination injection in different health centres in one District of Ho Chi Minh City. Eight children had been vaccinated by the same health care worker (HCW). Deficiencies in vaccine quality, storage practices, or preparation and delivery were not found. Infection control practices were insufficient. CA-MRSA was cultured in four children and from nasal and throat swabs from the HCW. Strains from children and HCW were indistinguishable. All carried the Panton-Valentine leukocidine (PVL), the staphylococcal enterotoxin B gene, the gene complex for staphylococcal-cassette-chromosome mec type V, and were sequence type 59. Strain HCM3A is epidemiologically unrelated to a strain of ST59 prevalent in the USA, althoughthey belong to the same lineage. Conclusions. We describe an outbreak of infections with CA-MRSA in children, transmitted by an asymptomatic colonized HCW during immunization injection. Consistent adherence to injection practice guidelines is needed to prevent CA-MRSA transmission in both in- and outpatient settings

Safety and efficacy of fluoxetine on functional outcome after acute stroke (AFFINITY): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background Trials of fluoxetine for recovery after stroke report conflicting results. The Assessment oF FluoxetINe In sTroke recoverY (AFFINITY) trial aimed to show if daily oral fluoxetine for 6 months after stroke improves functional outcome in an ethnically diverse population. Methods AFFINITY was a randomised, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial done in 43 hospital stroke units in Australia (n=29), New Zealand (four), and Vietnam (ten). Eligible patients were adults (aged ≥18 years) with a clinical diagnosis of acute stroke in the previous 2–15 days, brain imaging consistent with ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke, and a persisting neurological deficit that produced a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 1 or more. Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 via a web-based system using a minimisation algorithm to once daily, oral fluoxetine 20 mg capsules or matching placebo for 6 months. Patients, carers, investigators, and outcome assessors were masked to the treatment allocation. The primary outcome was functional status, measured by the mRS, at 6 months. The primary analysis was an ordinal logistic regression of the mRS at 6 months, adjusted for minimisation variables. Primary and safety analyses were done according to the patient's treatment allocation. The trial is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12611000774921. Findings Between Jan 11, 2013, and June 30, 2019, 1280 patients were recruited in Australia (n=532), New Zealand (n=42), and Vietnam (n=706), of whom 642 were randomly assigned to fluoxetine and 638 were randomly assigned to placebo. Mean duration of trial treatment was 167 days (SD 48·1). At 6 months, mRS data were available in 624 (97%) patients in the fluoxetine group and 632 (99%) in the placebo group. The distribution of mRS categories was similar in the fluoxetine and placebo groups (adjusted common odds ratio 0·94, 95% CI 0·76–1·15; p=0·53). Compared with patients in the placebo group, patients in the fluoxetine group had more falls (20 [3%] vs seven [1%]; p=0·018), bone fractures (19 [3%] vs six [1%]; p=0·014), and epileptic seizures (ten [2%] vs two [<1%]; p=0·038) at 6 months. Interpretation Oral fluoxetine 20 mg daily for 6 months after acute stroke did not improve functional outcome and increased the risk of falls, bone fractures, and epileptic seizures. These results do not support the use of fluoxetine to improve functional outcome after stroke

Factors Affecting Students’ Satisfaction with Economics Universities’ Digital Library Services in Hanoi

The study was conducted to evaluate students’ satisfaction with the current digital library services offered by economics universities in Hanoi. Based on the findings, the study proposed recommendations to improve the falling points in the digital library services of economics universities. This study applies the SERVQUAL model to identify the relationship between SERVQUAL dimensions and library users’ satisfaction, and each dimension has a different effect on satisfaction level. The SERVQUAL scale was edited, and the research model progressed on six factors: Tangibles, Assurance, Empathy, Responsiveness, Reliability, and Perceived Ease of Use. According to the survey results, the research received 462 valid responses from economics university students in Hanoi, which are appropriate for analyzing data. It was concluded that most of the students are fairly satisfied with the digital library services, which can be seen clearly through the six dimensions above. Specifically, Reliability had the highest impact on satisfaction (22.03%), followed by Assurance (18.99%), Empathy (17.22%), Perceived Ease of Use (16.71%), Responsiveness (13.42%), and Tangibles (11.65%). The research model and study might be useful and provide insights and recommendations for other research on digital libraries or other services. Keywords: digital library services, economics universities, student satisfaction DOI: 10.7176/JEP/15-4-03 Publication date:March 31st 202

A rare case of fusiform basilar trunk aneurysm

Aneurysms in the posterior circulation and distal sites are more common among the pediatric population than among adults, with a male predominance. Symptoms of an aneurysm in the posterior circulation can include a stiff neck or severe headache due to a ruptured aneurysm, whereas an unruptured aneurysm can cause mass effects or neurological deficits. However, in children, the complete occlusion of the aneurysm while preserving the flow of the main artery can be difficult to achieve when attempting a stent-assisted coil embolization technique. A 25-month-old girl presented with left hemiparesis and was diagnosed with a basilar artery aneurysm 10 months prior, but she did not receive any specific treatment. No history of trauma and no significant familial history were recorded. Angiography showed a fusiform aneurysm on the basilar artery trunk, which was successfully occluded using stent-assisted coiling following dual antiplatelet therapy with clopidogrel and aspirin. She was discharged with the complete restoration of motor deficits