Give and take: Integrating the skills of critique into doctoral nursing curricula

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/89499/1/21453_ftp.pd

Sources of Sex Information Used by Young British Women Who Have Sex with Women (WSW) and Women Who Have Sex Exclusively with Men (WSEM): Evidence from the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles

There is little consideration about the provision of information about sex to women who have sex with women (WSW). This study drew on data from the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyle, a nationally representative survey of people in Great Britain. Logistic regression was undertaken to examine firstly the relationships between WSW and women who have sex exclusively with men (WSEM) and their main source of information about sex, and secondly between WSW/WSEM and unmet need for information about sex. Each source was included as the binary outcome indicating yes this was the main source, or no this was not the main source of information about sex. The results found that WSW had significantly lower odds of reporting lessons at schools as their main source of information, and significantly higher odds of reporting sources defined as ‘other’ (predominantly first girlfriend/boyfriend or sexual partner) as their main source of information. Reported levels of unmet need for information was also higher amongst young WSW compared with WSEM. This study provides new insights into the sex educational needs of young women and highlights the need for sex education in schools in Great Britain to include information on a full-range of sexual practices, including same-sex sexual relationships

A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experiences of Parents Choosing Remote Learning for Their High School Students During the COVID-10 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on the educational system at the end of the 2019-20 school year and into the 2020-21 school year. Lockdowns of schools meant a shift to emergency remote learning. So as the 2020-21 school year began, parents had to make choices about the best educational experience for their student(s). Parents in the research study’s district had the option of continuing with remote learning or sending students back into the physical classroom. This phenomenological study investigated the lived experiences of parents with multiple students at the high school level choosing the remote learning option. The findings show the struggles and the successes of the parents that had children learning in a virtual setting. The recommendations for educational leaders and parents include removing remote learning barriers, monitoring student mental health concerns, and using remote learning to create flexibility for future student learners

Nano-scale superhydrophobicity: suppression of protein adsorption and promotion of flow-induced detachment

Wall adsorption is a common problem in microfluidic devices, particularly when proteins are used. Here we show how superhydrophobic surfaces can be used to reduce protein adsorption and to promote desorption. Hydrophobic surfaces, both smooth and having high surface roughness of varying length scales (to generate superhydrophobicity), were incubated in protein solution. The samples were then exposed to flow shear in a device designed to simulate a microfluidic environment. Results show that a similar amount of protein adsorbed onto smooth and nanometer-scale rough surfaces, although a greater amount was found to adsorb onto superhydrophobic surfaces with micrometer scale roughness. Exposure to flow shear removed a considerably larger proportion of adsorbed protein from the superhydrophobic surfaces than from the smooth ones, with almost all of the protein being removed from some nanoscale surfaces. This type of surface may therefore be useful in environments, such as microfluidics, where protein sticking is a problem and fluid flow is present. Possible mechanisms that explain the behaviour are discussed, including decreased contact between protein and surface and greater shear stress due to interfacial slip between the superhydrophobic surface and the liquid

Inductively Heated Shape Memory Polymer for the Magnetic Actuation of Medical Devices

Submitted to IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng.Presently there is interest in making medical devices such as expandable stents and intravascular microactuators from shape memory polymer (SMP). One of the key challenges in realizing SMP medical devices is the implementation of a safe and effective method of thermally actuating various device geometries in vivo. A novel scheme of actuation by Curie-thermoregulated inductive heating is presented. Prototype medical devices made from SMP loaded with Nickel Zinc ferrite ferromagnetic particles were actuated in air by applying an alternating magnetic field to induce heating. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis was performed on both the particle-loaded and neat SMP materials to assess the impact of the ferrite particles on the mechanical properties of the samples. Calorimetry was used to quantify the rate of heat generation as a function of particle size and volumetric loading of ferrite particles in the SMP. These tests demonstrated the feasibility of SMP actuation by inductive heating. Rapid and uniform heating was achieved in complex device geometries and particle loading up to 10% volume content did not interfere with the shape recovery of the SMP.Lawrence Livermore National Lab

Nanotechnology in Science and Art

The burgeoning field of nanotechnology opens windows between science and art. Exploration of this interplay encourages interaction between scientists, artists and educators alike. The image below serves as an example of the fertile ground for exchange. The substrate that this image captures is made of silicon, the material from which computer chips are made. A thin ({approx}1 nm thick) chemical coating was applied homogeneously to the silicon. Specific regions of the coating, 600 nm wide (approximately 150 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair), were then locally removed from the silicon via photocatalytic nanolithography (PCNL(Bearinger, Hiddessen et al. 2005)). PCNL engages light, such as from a light emitting diode or an ultraviolet source, to activate molecules that are attached to a transparent mask above the silicon substrate. These molecules can be compounds similar to chlorophyll, the photoactive material that aids plants in photosynthesis, or may be semiconductor materials, such as TiO{sub 2}. Once these molecules are activated, chemical reactions result in local destruction of the coating on the silicon. Thus, only regions of the coated silicon in close contact with mask are affected. A non-fouling polymer hydrogel ({approx}10 nm thick) was then grafted to the retained coating. Hydrogels are superabsorbent and are therefore used on the bulk scale in common items including contact lenses and diapers. They also find utility in topical drug delivery and tissue engineering applications. Because the hydrogel is so absorbent, exposing the silicon chip with patterned hydrogel to water vapor from one's breath reveals the pattern that the lithography dictates(Lopez, Biebuyck et al. 1993). The myriad of colors seen in the image are due to optical interference. The thickness of the swollen layer determines the colors that are visible. While the field of view immediately following hydration appears like a big drop of oil shining in the sun, the oil drop appearance breaks up into many small domains as the water vapor evaporates. The base silicon does not retain the water in the same way that the way the hydrogel does, due to differences in surface tension. Thus, the pattern stands out from the background. In addition to bringing together nanotechnology, polymer chemistry, materials science and optics, this image suggests imposing order to an otherwise chaotic world. This is a repeated theme in nature across multiple orders of magnitude. The interface of this order and chaos is amorphous, and render a Klimt-like vision of reflected light. As this image is just a still in time, it also reminds us that all things and states are transient and that the materials of the earth, just as we individuals, are constantly evolving

Science & Technology Review January/February 2010

This month's issue has the following articles: (1) Innovative Materials Rise to the Radiation Challenge - Commentary by Bruce Warner; (2) The Hunt for Better Radiation Detection - New materials will help radiation detectors pick up weak signals and accurately identify illicit radioactive sources; (3) Time-Critical Technology Identifies Deadly Bloodborne Pathogens - A portable device can simultaneously distinguish up to five bloodborne pathogens in just minutes; (4) Defending Computer Networks against Attack - A Laboratory effort takes a new approach to detecting increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks; and (5) Imaging Cargo's Inner Secrets - Livermore-University of California collaborators are modeling a new radiographic technique for identifying nuclear materials concealed inside cargo containers

Understanding resilience of female adolescents towards teenage pregnancy: a cross-sectional survey in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Abstract Background In Tanzania, teenage pregnancy rates are still high despite the efforts being made to reduce them. Not enough is known about how adolescents experience and cope with sexuality and teenage pregnancy. Over the past few decades, most studies have focused on vulnerability and risk among youth. The concept of ‘reproductive resilience’ is a new way of looking at teenage pregnancy. It shifts the perspective from a deficit-based to a strength-based approach. The study presented here aimed to identify factors that could contribute to strengthening the reproductive resilience of girls in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Methods Using a cross-sectional cluster sampling approach, 750 female adolescents aged 15–19 years were interviewed about how they mobilize resources to avoid or deal with teenage pregnancy. The main focus of the study was to examine how social capital (relations with significant others), economic capital (command over economic resources), cultural capital (personal dispositions and habits), and symbolic capital (recognition and prestige) contribute to the development of adolescent competencies for avoiding or dealing with teenage pregnancy and childbirth. Results A cumulative competence scale was developed to assess reproductive resilience. The cumulative score was computed based on 10 competence indicators that refer to the re- and pro-active mobilization of resources. About half of the women who had never been pregnant fell into the category, ‘high competence’ (50.9%), meaning they could get the information and support needed to avoid pregnancies. Among pregnant women and young mothers, most were categorized as ‘high competence’ (70.5%) and stated that they know how to avoid or deal with health problems that might affect them or their babies, and could get the information and support required to do so. Cultural capital, in particular, contributed to the competence of never-pregnant girls [OR = 1.80, 95% CI = 1.06 to 3.07, p = 0.029], pregnant adolescents and young mothers [OR = 3.33, 95% CI = 1.15 to 9.60, p = 0.026]. Conclusions The reproductive resilience framework provides new insights into the reproductive health realities of adolescent girls from a strength-based perspective. While acknowledging that teenage pregnancy has serious negative implications for many female adolescents, the findings presented here highlight the importance of considering girls’ capacities to prevent or deal with teenage pregnancy

Self-reported recent testing and diagnosis for sexually transmitted infections among regular ecstasy users in Australia, 2011–2012

Background: Previous studies suggest that people who consume alcohol and drugs are at increased risk of sexually transmitted infections (STI). We examined the prevalence and predictors of self-reported STI testing and diagnosis among self-reported regular ecstasy users (REU). Methods: Nine hundred and fifty-five REUs from the 2011 and 2012 Ecstasy and Related Drugs Reporting System were included in the analysis. Bivariate and multivariate Poisson regression were used to identify predictors of recent STI testing, and logistic regression was used to identify predictors of recent STI diagnosis. Results: Forty-four per cent of REUs reported having a recent STI test, and 5% reported a recent diagnosis. Of the 421 REUs who reported a recent test, 10% reported a recent STI diagnosis. In multivariate analysis, REUs were more likely to report a recent STI test if they were female versus male [risk ratio (RR) = 1.56; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.36-1.80], aged 25–29 years versus 16–19 years (RR = 1.34; 95% CI = 1.05-1.72), or reported ≥2 casual sex partners versus no casual partners (RR = 1.48; 95% CI = 1.01–2.14). REUs reporting cannabis use in the past six months were 0.78 times less likely to report a recent STI test (95% CI = 0.66-0.94).There were no significant predictors associated with STI diagnosis. Conclusion: Encouragingly, REUs who reported having multiple casual partners in the past six months were more likely to report a recent test. However, younger REUs aged 16–19 years were least likely to test, suggesting health promotion needs to be directed to this age group. Further research is required to explain the lower testing among cannabis users