Teaching for Better Learning: A Blended Learning Pilot Project with First-Year Geography Undergraduates

Internationally, recognition is growing that the transition between post-primary and higher education is raising a number of challenges for both students and educators. Simultaneously with growing class sizes, resources have become more constrained and there is a new set of expectations from the “net generation” (Mohanna, 2007, p. 211) The use of e-learning in medical education, Postgraduate Medical Journal, 83, p. 211). Within this transforming context, modes of instruction that cater for different paces of learning and learning styles by combining traditional and electronic media have become increasingly important. This paper discusses the transformation of an introductory human geography module at University College Dublin using a blended learning approach that extends beyond the media used to incorporate all aspects of, and inputs into, the learning process. Our experience highlights how blended learning can aid the achievement of a range of objectives in relation to student engagement and the promotion of deeper learning. However, blended learning is not a quick-fix solution to all issues relating to new university students and our analysis draws out a more complex relationship than anticipated between blended learning and student retention that will require further examination

Informal Child Care and Adolescent Psychological Well-Being: Hong Kong’s “Children of 1997” Birth Cohort

Background Informal child care (child care by untrained family members, relatives or employees in the home) in Western populations is often associated with poorer psychological well-being, which may be confounded by socioeconomic position. We examined the association of informal child care, common in non-Western settings, with adolescent psychological wellbeing, using Hong Kong’s Chinese “Children of 1997” birth cohort. Methods Multivariable linear regression was used to examine the adjusted associations of informal child care (at 0.5, 3, 5 and 11 years) with parent-reported Rutter score for child behavior at 11 years, self-reported Culture-Free Self-Esteem Inventories score at 11 years and selfreported Patient Health Questionnaire-9 depressive symptom score at 13 years. Model comparisons were used to identify the best representation of child care, in terms of a critical period of exposure to informal child care (independent variable) at a specific age, combination of exposures to informal child care at several ages or an accumulation of exposures to informal child care. Results Child care was not associated with behavioral problems. A model considering child care at 3 years best represented the association of child care with self-esteem while a model considering child care at 5 years best represented the association of child care with depressive symptoms. Informal child care at 3 years was associated with lower self-esteem (-0.70, 95% confidence interval (CI) -1.26 to -0.14). Informal child care at 5 years was associated with more depressive symptoms (0.45, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.73)

Exploring the relationships between attachment styles, emotional intelligence and patient-provider communication

Background: Patient-provider communication (PPC) influences patients’ health trajectories and general well-being, and its principles are taught and assessed during UK medical education. However, providers differ in their PPC, specifically of emotive issues. Two psychological characteristics have been proposed as potential influencers of PPC: attachment style and emotional intelligence (EI). Aim: To explore the relationships between providers’ attachment styles, EI and PPC. Procedures: Three empirical studies were conducted in one UK medical school/deanery. Study 1 investigated the influence of 1st year medical students’ (n = 200) attachment styles and EI on their PPC in an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). Study 2 replicated Study 1 with 2nd year medical students, consulting in a more ‘demanding’ OSCE (n = 296). Study 3 studied junior doctors (n = 26) consulting in General Practice with real patients (n = 173). Attachment was assessed using the Experiences in Close Relationships: Short Form questionnaire, whilst EI was assessed with the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test. PPC was assessed using OSCE checklists (Studies 1 and 2) and a patient satisfaction measure (Study 3). Consultations were videoed and coded with the Verona Coding Definition of Emotional Sequences, which quantifies patients’ expressions of emotion and associated provider responses. Analyses: Data were analysed using structural equation modelling (Studies 1 and 2) and multilevel modelling (Study 3). Results: In all studies, providers’ attachment styles and EI influenced their PPC. In Studies 1 and 2, EI mediated the influence of attachment on PPC, accounting for 7% and 14% of the variance in students’ OSCE scores respectively. In Study 3, doctors’ attachment and EI influenced the number of emotive cues received from patients; neither influenced patient satisfaction. Limited relationships were observed between providers’ attachment or EI and their responses to patients’ emotions across all studies. Conclusions/Implications: Attachment and EI independently influence PPC, but EI may mediate the negative influence of attachment. Whilst attachment is relatively stable throughout the life course, EI can be developed throughout undergraduate medical education, thus these data have potential educational implications. Further research is recommended to explore and validate these findings within the wider context of the clinical encounter

KwaZakele: the politics of transition in South Africa: an Eastern Cape case study

This thesis examines the transition to democracy in South Africa through the use of case study methodology. The nature of political participation and the form of democracy to emerge at the end of the transition process are the central subjects of inquiry. They are examined through an in-depth study of the African community of Kwazakele, a township in the Nelson Mandela metropolitan area in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The study covers the period from 1993 to 2000, and uses as a primary data source five surveys conducted among residents of Kwazakele during that period. The emphasis of the study lies on the experience of political participation of ‘ordinary people’ – in particular, the African urban working-class in South Africa who make up the core support base for the governing African National Congress. The primary findings of the thesis are as follows: * Representative democracy has been successfully consolidated in the community under study. * Levels of political participation by urban Africans in the Eastern Cape are consistently high, both in formal political institutions (primarily elections) and in institutions of civil society. * As politics has normalised at the end of the transition period, forms of direct democratic participation have declined. * Despite the structural constraints on development, there is still potential for a high level of participation by citizens in effecting change at local level. * Drawing on the experience of ordinary people in structures of direct democracy, this level of participation can result in a deeper and stronger form of democracy than exists in many established representative democracies

Mode of delivery and child and adolescent psychological well-being: Evidence from Hong Kong’s “Children of 1997” birth cohort

Mode of delivery (vaginal or cesarean section) is thought to affect gut microbiota, which in turn may affect psychological well-being. As such, mode of delivery is potentially a modifiable factor for psychological well-being. Here we examined the association of mode of delivery with child and adolescent psychological well-being. We used multivariable linear regression in a populationrepresentative Hong Kong Chinese birth cohort, “Children of 1997,” to examine the adjusted associations of mode of delivery with behavioral problems assessed from parent-reported Rutter score at ~7 (n = 6294) and ~11 years (n = 5598), self-esteem assessed from self-reported Culture-Free Self- Esteem Inventory score at ~11 years (n = 6937) and depressive symptoms assessed from self-reported Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score at ~13 years (n = 5797). Cesarean Section (CS) was associated with children born in private hospitals, boys, and firstborns, higher maternal body mass index, higher maternal age, preeclampsia, higher socioeconomic position (SEP) and maternal birth in Hong Kong. CS was unrelated to behavior, self-esteem and depressive symptoms adjusted for infant characteristics (sex, gestational age, birthweight, parity and breast feeding), maternal characteristics (mother’s age and place of birth) and SEP. In a developed non-Western setting, mode of delivery was not clearly associated with childhood or early adolescent psychological well-being

The Story Behind “London” (_Loan Dito, Loan Doon_): Exploring Teachers’ Expenditure Patterns and Debt Profile

The study aims to determine the socio-demographic and debt profile of the public-school teachers in the Schools Division of Aklan, Philippines, their reasons on acquiring debt and perceived ways to avoid debts. This study utilized descriptive correlational research design utilizing a researcher-made instrument on socio-demographic profile, pattern of expenditures, debt profile covering the type of debts, total cost of debts, reasons for having debts and perceived ways to manage debts. The data gathered were tabulated and analyzed using the IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. The take-home pay of the teachers was only more than half of their gross income. Most of the spouses of the married teachers were employed but many of them have relatively lower income. Their monthly family income was higher than the reported average family income for 2022 and their expenditures are also relatively higher than the average family expenditures in provinces for 2022. Almost one-half of the income of the teachers was used to pay their debts – both thru automatic payroll deduction and thru personal transactions. The bigger the household size, the higher the expenditure because there were more needs and there were many people consuming commodities. The higher the family income, the bigger the expenditure since lifestyle often adjusts with income. Young; married teachers; those occupying higher position and longer tenure have higher cumulative debts. Increase in family expenditure could cause increase in the number of debts as linked to the Theory of Reasoned Action and Theory of Planned Behavior. High regard for education, health, and safety triggered teachers to have debts, which can only be avoided thru better money and lifestyle management and having additional source of income

A realist synthesis of educational interventions to improve nutrition care competencies and delivery by doctors and other healthcare professionals

Objective: To determine what, how, for whom, why, and in what circumstances educational interventions improve the delivery of nutrition care by doctors and other healthcare professionals work. Design: Realist synthesis following a published protocol and reported following Realist and Meta-narrative Evidence Synthesis: Evolving Standards (RAMESES) guidelines. A multidisciplinary team searched MEDLINE, CINAHL, ERIC, EMBASE, PsyINFO, Sociological Abstracts, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Science Direct for published and unpublished (grey) literature. The team identified studies with varied designs; appraised their ability to answer the review question; identified relationships between contexts, mechanisms and outcomes (CMOs); and entered them into a spreadsheet configured for the purpose. The final synthesis identified commonalities across CMO configurations. Results: Over half of the 46 studies from which we extracted data originated from the USA. Interventions that improved the delivery of nutrition care improved skills and attitudes rather than just knowledge; provided opportunities for superiors to model nutrition care; removed barriers to nutrition care in health systems; provided participants with local, practically relevant tools and messages; and incorporated non-traditional, innovative teaching strategies. Operating in contexts where student and qualified healthcare professionals provided nutrition care in developed and developing countries, these interventions yielded health outcomes by triggering a range of mechanisms, which included feeling competent, feeling confident and comfortable, having greater self-efficacy, being less inhibited by barriers in healthcare systems and feeling that nutrition care was accepted and recognised. Conclusions: These findings show how important it is to move education for nutrition care beyond the simple acquisition of knowledge. They show how educational interventions embedded within systems of healthcare can improve patients’ health by helping health students and professionals to appreciate the importance of delivering nutrition care and feel competent to deliver it

Attachment, Mentalisation and Expressed Emotion in Carers of People with Long-Term Mental Health Difficulties

Background: Expressed emotion (EE) is a global index of familial emotional climate, which is comprised of emotional over-involvement (EOI) and critical comments (CC)/hostility. Although EE is an established predictor of negative outcomes for both people with long-term mental health difficulties and their family carers, its psychological underpinnings remain relatively poorly understood. This paper examined associations between attachment, mentalisation ability and aspects of EE. Methods: Carers of people with long-term mental health difficulties (n = 106) completed measures of adult attachment (the Experiences in Close Relationships-Short Form questionnaire), mentalisation (the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test and the Emotional Self-Efficacy Scale) and EE (the Family Questionnaire). Data were analysed using hierarchical multiple regression. Results: Attachment avoidance and facets of mentalisation were directly and uniquely positively associated with CC/hostility, with attachment avoidance and other-directed emotional self-efficacy (one facet of mentalisation) each significantly predicting CC/hostility scores after controlling for the effects of EOI and demographic variables. However, no associations were observed between EOI, attachment anxiety and mentalisation. Furthermore, no indirect effects from attachment to EE via mentalisation was found. Conclusions: Although it would be premature to propose firm clinical implications based on these findings, data indicate that it may be beneficial for clinicians to consider attachment and mentalisation in their conceptualisation of carers’ criticism and hostility. However, further research is needed to clarify the magnitude of these associations and their direction of effect before firm conclusions can be drawn

Seven-Year Distress Trajectories in Uveal Melanoma Survivors

ObjectiveSevere or persistent distress is associated with poorer quality of life in cancer survivors. Distress follows distinct trajectories within different population subgroups. Identifying characteristics and causes of trajectories can assist intervention development and targeting. In a 7-year study of uveal melanoma survivors, we aimed to characterize anxiety, depression, and fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) trajectories, and identify whether concerns about symptoms and functional problems over the first 3 years of survivorship predict memberships of high distress trajectories.MethodIn a closed cohort study, we used growth mixture modeling (GMM) to identify statistically optimal trajectories over 6-, 12-, 24-, 36-, 48-, 60-, 72-, and 84-month time point posttreatment in 475 patients. We then regressed trajectory memberships onto a 3-year series of measures of concerns about symptoms and functional problems, controlling demographic, clinical, and 6-month anxiety, depression, or FCR indicators.ResultsAnxiety, depression, and FCR were represented by two-class linear GMMs. The majority scored consistently low, but 17.5% showed consistently elevated anxiety, 10.9% consistently elevated depression, and 19.4% consistently elevated FCR. Higher anxiety trajectory membership was predicted by greater concerns about symptoms at 6 and 24 months, higher depression trajectory membership by symptoms at 24 months, and higher FCR trajectory membership by symptoms at 6 and 24 months and functional problems at 12 months.ConclusionsMuch of the burden of persistent distress in cancer patients falls on a small proportion of survivors. Concerns about symptoms and functional problems are potential risk factors for distress. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Relaxation nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (R-NMRI) of desiccation in M9787 silicone pads.

The production and aging of silicone materials remains an important issue in the weapons stockpile due to their utilization in a wide variety of components and systems within the stockpile. Changes in the physical characteristics of silicone materials due to long term desiccation has been identified as one of the major aging effects observed in silicone pad components. Here we report relaxation nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (R-NMRI) spectroscopy characterization of the silica-filled and unfilled polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and polydiphenylsiloxane (PDPS) copolymer (M9787) silicone pads within desiccating environments. These studies were directed at providing additional details about the heterogeneity of the desiccation process. Uniform NMR spin-spin relaxation time (T2) images were observed across the pad thickness indicating that the drying process is approximately uniform, and that the desiccation of the M9787 silicone pad is not a H2O diffusion limited process. In a P2O5 desiccation environment, significant reduction of T2 was observed for the silica-filled and unfilled M9787 silicone pad for desiccation up to 225 days. A very small reduction in T2 was observed for the unfilled copolymer between 225 and 487 days. The increase in relative stiffness with desiccation was found to be higher for the unfilled copolymer. These R-NMRI results are correlated to local changes in the modulus of the materia