Students At Work: Classroom Implications Of Outside Employment

With the growing population of nontraditional students, questions have been posed as to whether or not student employment results in better academic performance.  This study measures the effects of employment experiences on university and classroom dynamics. Undergraduate business students from a large, private university constituted the sample. They were surveyed to determine the relationship between their university and work experiences. Findings suggest that work and educational efforts do not always compete. For many, it appears the same intangibles that propel individuals to excel in a job carries over into the academic arena.  Implications for Business Education are presented

Autistic traits and positive psychotic experiences modulate the association of psychopathic tendencies with theory of mind in opposite directions

Various clinical disorders, including psychopathy, and autism and schizophrenia spectrum disorders, have been linked with impairments in Theory of Mind (ToM). However, although these conditions can co-occur in the same individual, the effect of their inter-play on ToM abilities has not been investigated. Here we assessed ToM abilities in 55 healthy adults while performing a naturalistic ToM task, requiring participants to watch a short film and judge the actors' mental states. The results reveal for the first time that autistic traits and positive psychotic experiences interact with psychopathic tendencies in opposite directions to predict ToM performance-the interaction of psychopathic tendencies with autism traits was associated with a decrement in performance, whereas the interaction of psychopathic tendencies and positive psychotic experiences was associated with improved performance. These effects were specific to cognitive rather than affective ToM. These results underscore the importance of the simultaneous assessment of these dimensions within clinical settings. Future research in these clinical populations may benefit by taking into account such individual differences

Constraints to liberty of movement and attachment styles significantly account for well-being in three Palestinian samples

Background: Political violence and constraints on liberty of movement can have consequences for health and well-being but affect individuals differently. Objective: In three Palestinian samples, we sought to examine the relationship between key environmental and psychological factors and general and mental health, including the previously unexplored roles of constraints to liberty of movement and attachment orientation. Method: Participants (n=519) in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Jordan completed questionnaires on constraints to liberty of movement (4-item scale devised by the authors for the purpose of the current study), attachment insecurity (Experiences in Close Relationships Scale – Short Form, Wei et al., 2007), resource loss (Conservation of Resources Evaluation scale, Hobfoll & Lilly, 1993), experience of political violence (Experience and fear of political violence, Hobfoll et al., 2011), demographics, general health (adapted from DeSalvo et al, 2006) and mental health (PHQ4 for depression, and Ballenger et al.’s, (2001) 2 item screener for anxiety). All measures were translated from English to Arabic and back-translated into English. Results: Findings from regression and mediation analyses indicated that (i) differences in general and mental health among Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the diaspora in Jordan, can be explained by the assessed constructs; (ii) constraints to liberty of movement, attachment avoidance, and resource loss significantly accounted for poor general health; (iii) constraints to liberty of movement, attachment anxiety, and resource loss significantly explained general anxiety symptoms; and (iv) attachment anxiety, resource loss, and experience of political violence significantly explained depression symptoms. Conclusion: Findings have theory-building implications for psychological models of human flourishing and suffering, suggesting that they are incomplete without consideration of liberty as a context, as well as implications for policymakers and champions of global health initiatives, as they highlight the psychological effects of constraints to liberty of movement on health

Inducible mouse model of skeletal muscle specific deletion of the Vitamin D Receptor (VDR)

Fil: Centeno, Viviana Andrea. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Odontología. Cátedra Química Biológica A; Argentina.Fil: Sato, AY. Indiana University School of Medicine. Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology; United States.Fil: Cregor, M. Indiana University School of Medicine. Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology; United States.Fil: Akel, NS. Indiana University School of Medicine. Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology; United States.Fil: Bellido, T.. Indiana University School of Medicine. Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology; United States.Vitamin D3 has beneficial effects on skeletal muscle and can prevent falls leading to reduced bone fracture risk. Excess of glucocorticoids (GC), either endogenous as in aging or due to glucocorticoid administration as immunosuppressants, leads to muscle loss mass and increases the risk of bone fractures. Earlier findings showed that 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D3 (1,25D3) prevents GC-induced skeletal muscle atrophy in vivo, in muscle organ cultures ex vivo, and in C2C12 myoblasts/ myotubes in vitro. Based on these findings, we formulated the hypothesis that the beneficial actions of Vitamin D3 are mediated by direct hormonal effects on skeletal muscle cells. The purpose of this work was to generate mice lacking the receptor for Vitamin D (VDR) in skeletal muscle and test their response to Vitamin D3 signaling. Towards this end, we crossed transgenic mice expressing a tamoxifen-inducible Mer-Cre-Mer driven by Human skeletal muscle alfa actin promoter with mice whose Receptor for Vitamin D, VDR, was flanked with LoxP sites at the exon 3 locus of the gene. So, tamoxifen-induced specific activation of Cre, produces a new genomic structure of VDR. Males and females 3 months old mice VDRf/f;human skeletal muscle α-actin (HSA)-Cre+/- and their littermate control VDRf/f;HSA-Cre-/- mice (C) were injected with tamoxifen for 5 days (2mg/d 1x/d for 5d). In some experiments, vehicle was injected to check the effects of tamoxifen. Fifteen days after the last tamoxifen injection, at 4months old mice, animals were implanted with slow-release pellets of 2.1mg/kg/d prednisolone or placebo and were treated with 50ng/kg/d 1,25D3 or vehicle 5x/wk for 4wks. Mice were fed a regular Vitamin D3-containing diet and maintained in a 12h light/dark cycle. First, we confirmed tissue-specific VDR deletion. HSA-CRE was present in gDNA of CRE positive mice. Also, we confirmed the deletion of VDR only in induced by tamoxifen in CRE-positive mice. The excised form of the VDR is only detected in skeletal muscle (plantaris and tibialis anterior), but not in kidney, intestine, or bone, of Cre positive mice (VDR f/f;HSA-Cre +/-) treated with tamoxifen. VDR deletion induced by tamoxifen is only detected in CRE positive mice (VDR f/f;HSA-Cre +/-), but not in any tissues from control littermate mice (VDR fl/fl;HSA-Cre -/-). In conclusion this model achieves adult-onset deletion of the VDR in skeletal muscle (Cre and tamoxifen dependent) and thus it will allow its use to determine the direct effects of vitamin D3 signaling in this tissue.Fil: Centeno, Viviana Andrea. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Odontología. Cátedra Química Biológica A; Argentina.Fil: Sato, AY. Indiana University School of Medicine. Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology; United States.Fil: Cregor, M. Indiana University School of Medicine. Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology; United States.Fil: Akel, NS. Indiana University School of Medicine. Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology; United States.Fil: Bellido, T.. Indiana University School of Medicine. Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology; United States.Bioquímica y Biología Molecular (ídem 1.6.3

The influence of humic acids extracted from Chaouia soil on the behavior of transition metal ions and pesticides

      Humic acid (HA) and fulvic acid (FA) exist ubiquitously in environments and have a variety of functional groups, which allow them to complex with metal ions and pesticides. Furthermore, these interactions can not only alter the environmental behavior, but also influence the removal and transportation of those pollutants. The study of the interaction between Cu (II), VO (II) and Mn (II) with HAs provides environmental information on the oxidation states of paramagnetic metals and their mechanisms of binding to humic acids. Electron spin resonance (ESR) study demonstrates that VO (II) and Cu (II) ions are bound with oxygen ligands to HAs, while the Mn (II) complex occurs as [Mn(H2O)6]2+. Additionally, Cu (II) ions are more strongly bound than Mn (II) ions to soil HAs. The effect of the presence of HA on photolysis of Tribenuron-methyl (TRB) and Imazapyr (IMAZ) herbicides in water was studied by irradiation of different mixtures of HA/herbicide (0.5:1 and 1:1 by volume). The obtained results clearly demonstrate that HA substances exhibit a screening effect on the photochemical degradation of the two herbicides. The protective effect of HAs on the TRB and IMAZ degradation could be explained with an inclusion and/or adsorption of the herbicide molecules in the humic matrix

Knowledge, attitude and practice of Lebanese community pharmacists with regard to self-management of low back pain

Purpose: To determine the knowledge, attitude and reported practice of Lebanese community pharmacists who advise persons who present with low back pain.Methods: This was a multi-center cross-sectional study conducted in over 300 community pharmacies across Lebanon from December 2017 to May 2018. Pharmacists working at a community pharmacy were considered eligible, and those who volunteered to participate completed the questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed for self-completion by the pharmacist and included demographic questions about the respondent, questions that assessed knowledge and attitude toward low back pain, and questions about treatment to reflect and characterize the nature of practice. The primary outcome was to determine the knowledge, attitude and reported practice of the Lebanese pharmacists advising people who presented with low back pain. The secondary outcome was to assess factors that affect knowledge, attitude, and practice.Results: The response of 320 community pharmacists was analysed. The proportion of pharmacists with good knowledge about low back pain (51. 7 %) was slightly higher than those with poor knowledge (48. 3 %). Oral therapy was the most prescribed dosage form for back pain compared to local patch and cream. Among oral dosage forms, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were the most prescribed medications (42 %). Of the patients’ referral to the physician if necessary, 73.1 % of the referrals were by pharmacists.Conclusion: Community pharmacists in Lebanon demonstrate an acceptable level of knowledge of back pain, yet major gaps still exist, particularly in terms of the quality of advice. Hence, more education is needed to provide better quality of advice. Keywords: Attitude, Knowledge, Low back pain, Reported practice, Quality of advic

The effects of waterpipe tobacco smoking on health outcomes: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: A systematic review conducted in 2008 found significant associations between waterpipe tobacco smoking and lung cancer, respiratory disease, periodontal disease and low birthweight. Since then, a number of relevant studies have been published. The objective of this study was to update the systematic review on the effects of waterpipe tobacco smoking on health outcomes. METHODS: In May 2015 we electronically searched the following databases with no date restrictions: MEDLINE, EMBASE and the ISI Web of Science using a detailed search strategy with no language restrictions. We also screened the references' lists of the included studies. We included cohort, case-control and cross-sectional studies, and excluded case reports, conference abstracts, editorials and reviews. We excluded studies not conducted in humans, assessing physiological outcomes, not distinguishing waterpipe tobacco smoking from other forms of smoking or not reporting association measures. We assessed risk of bias for each included study and conducted meta-analyses for each of the outcomes of interest. RESULTS: We identified 50 eligible studies. We found that waterpipe tobacco smoking was significantly associated with: respiratory diseases [COPD; odds ratio (OR) = 3.18, 95% confidence interval CI = 1.25, 8.08; bronchitis OR = 2.37, 95% CI = 1.49, 3.77; passive waterpipe smoking and wheeze OR) = 1.97, 95% CI = 1.28, 3.04]; oral cancer OR = 4.17, 95% CI = 2.53, 6.89; lung cancer OR = 2.12, 95% CI = 1.32, 3.42; low birthweight (OR = 2.39, 95% CI = 1.32, 4.32); metabolic syndrome (OR 1.63-1.95, 95% CI = 1.25, 2.45); cardiovascular disease (OR = 1.67, 95% CI = 1.25, 2.24); and mental health (OR 1.30-2.4, 95% CI = 1.20, 2.80). Waterpipe tobacco smoking was not significantly associated with: oesophageal cancer (OR = 4.14, 95% CI = 0.93, 18.46); worse quality of life scores [standardized mean difference (SMD) = -0.16, 95% CI = -0.66, 0.34]; gastric carcinoma (OR = 2.16, 95% CI = 0.72, 6.47); bladder cancer (OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 0.99, 1.57); prostate cancer (OR = 7.00, 95% CI = 0.90, 56.90); hepatitis C infection (OR = 0.98, 95%0.80, 1.21); periodontal disease (OR = 3.00, 5.00); gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.01, 1.56); nasopharyngeal carcinoma (OR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.20, 1.23); bladder cancer (OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 0.99, 1.57); infertility (OR = 2.50, 95% CI = 1.00, 6.30); and mortality (OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 0.93, 1.43). CONCLUSIONS: There is accumulating evidence about the association of waterpipe tobacco smoking with a growing number of health outcomes

The Utility of Physiological Measures in Assessing the Empathic Skills of Incarcerated Violent Offenders.

Since lack of empathy is an important indicator of violent behaviors, researchers need consistent and valid measures. This study evaluated the practical significance of a potential physiological correlate of empathy compared to a traditional self-report questionnaire in 18 male violent offenders and 21 general population controls. Empathy skills were assessed with the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) questionnaire. Heart-Rate Variability (HRV) was assessed with an electrocardiogram. The RMSSD (Root Mean Square of the Successive beat-to-beat Differences), an HRV index implicated in social cognition, was calculated. There were no group differences in IRI scores. However, RMSSD was lower in the offender group. Positive correlations between RMSSD and IRI subscales were found for controls only. We conclude that psychometric measures of empathy do not discriminate incarcerated violent offenders, and that the incorporation of psychophysiological measures, such as HRV, could be an avenue for forensic research on empathy to establish translatable evidence-based information

Advancing a global pharmacy support workforce through a global strategic platform

The pharmacy support workforce (PSW) is the mid-level cadre of the global pharmacy profession, referring to pharmacy technicians, assistants and other cadres that assist in the delivery of pharmaceutical services in a variety of practice contexts. The PSW undertake technical tasks delegated under the supervision of a pharmacist or performed collaboratively. The PSW are not intended to replace pharmacists, but rather work side-by-side with the pharmacist to achieve a shared goal. However, extensive variation in the PSW exists globally, ranging from an educated, regulated, and highly effective workforce in some countries to unrecognized or non-existent in others. Vast differences in education requirements, specific roles, regulatory oversight, and need for pharmacist supervision, inhibit the development and advancement of a global PSW. As clinical care providers, pharmacists worldwide need for a competent support workforce. Without the confidence to delegate technical responsibilities to a well-trained and capable PSW, pharmacists will be unable to fully deliver advanced clinical roles. A clear vision for the role of the PSW in the expanding scope of pharmacy practice is needed. One organization working to unite global efforts in this area is the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP). The FIP Workforce Development Hub Pharmacy Technicians & Support Workforce Strategic Platform was established to address the pharmacy workforce shortage in low and middle-income countries. Further developments were made in 2019, with the creation of a representative global PSW advisory panel, to provide guidance towards the development of the global PSW. Provision of frameworks and strategic input to support quality in education, development of legislative frameworks, guidelines for registration and licensure, and advice on appropriate role advancement are critical to move the PSW forward. In order to produce substantial advancement of roles and recognition of the PSW and advancement of pharmacists as patient care providers, global collaborative work is needed