34 research outputs found
Physical Activity and Cognitive-Health Content in Top-Circulating Magazines, 2006–2008
Physical activity may promote cognitive health in older adults. Popular media play an important role in preventive health communication. This study examined articles discussing associations between physical activity and cognitive health in top-circulating magazines targeting older adults. 42,753 pages of magazines published from 2006 to 2008 were reviewed; 26 articles met inclusion criteria. Explanations regarding the link between physical activity and cognitive health were provided in 57.7% of articles. These explanations were generally consistent with empirical evidence; however, few articles included empirical evidence. Physical activity recommendations were presented in 80.8% of articles; a wide range was recommended (90–300 min of physical activity per wk). Socioeconomic status and education level were not mentioned in the text. Results suggest an opportunity for greater coverage regarding the role of physical activity in promoting cognitive health in popular media. Magazine content would benefit from including more empirical evidence, culturally sensitive content, and physical activity recommendations that are consistent with U.S. guidelines
DNA Extraction Method Development for Solid Tissues
Although germline variation testing is traditionally performed using DNA obtained from blood or other liquid samples, determining somatic variation in cancer samples requires DNA extraction directly from tissues. Additionally, epigenetic markers, such as 5-methylcytosine (5mC) and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) are tissue-specific and change in selected disease states. However, several substances present in tissues are known to inhibit downstream reactions, including polymerase chain reaction PCR). For this project, we are assessing the quantity and quality of DNA obtained from extractions of various vital organs using 30 different commercially available DNA extraction kits to determine optimal kits for each tissue
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Recommendations for Effective Integration of Ethics and Responsible Conduct of Research (E/RCR) Education into Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences: A Meeting Report.
Advancement of the scientific enterprise relies on individuals conducting research in an ethical and responsible manner. Educating emergent scholars in the principles of ethics/responsible conduct of research (E/RCR) is therefore critical to ensuring such advancement. The recent impetus to include authentic research opportunities as part of the undergraduate curriculum, via course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs), has been shown to increase cognitive and noncognitive student outcomes. Because of these important benefits, CUREs are becoming more common and often constitute the first research experience for many students. However, despite the importance of E/RCR in the research process, we know of few efforts to incorporate E/RCR education into CUREs. The Ethics Network for Course-based Opportunities in Undergraduate Research (ENCOUR) was created to address this concern and promote the integration of E/RCR within CUREs in the biological sciences and related disciplines. During the inaugural ENCOUR meeting, a four-pronged approach was used to develop guidelines for the effective integration of E/RCR in CUREs. This approach included: 1) defining appropriate student learning objectives; 2) identifying relevant curriculum; 3) identifying relevant assessments; and 4) defining key aspects of professional development for CURE facilitators. Meeting outcomes, including the aforementioned E/RCR guidelines, are described herein
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Broadening Participation in Biology Education Research: Engaging Community College Students and Faculty
Nearly half of all undergraduates are enrolled at community colleges (CCs), including the majority of U.S. students who represent groups underserved in the sciences. Yet only a small minority of studies published in discipline-based education research journals address CC biology students, faculty, courses, or authors. This marked underrepresentation of CC biology education research (BER) limits the availability of evidence that could be used to increase CC student success in biology programs. To address this issue, a diverse group of stakeholders convened at the Building Capacity for Biology Education Research at Community Colleges meeting to discuss how to increase the prevalence of CC BER and foster participation of CC faculty as BER collaborators and authors. The group identified characteristics of CCs that make them excellent environments for studying biology teaching and learning, including student diversity and institutional cultures that prioritize teaching, learning, and assessment. The group also identified constraints likely to impede BER at CCs: limited time, resources, support, and incentives, as well as misalignment between doing research and CC faculty identities as teachers. The meeting culminated with proposing strategies for faculty, administrators, journal editors, scientific societies, and funding agencies to better support CC BER
A qualitative study of nursing student experiences of clinical practice
BACKGROUND: Nursing student's experiences of their clinical practice provide greater insight to develop an effective clinical teaching strategy in nursing education. The main objective of this study was to investigate student nurses' experience about their clinical practice. METHODS: Focus groups were used to obtain students' opinion and experiences about their clinical practice. 90 baccalaureate nursing students at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery) were selected randomly from two hundred students and were arranged in 9 groups of ten students. To analyze the data the method used to code and categories focus group data were adapted from approaches to qualitative data analysis. RESULTS: Four themes emerged from the focus group data. From the students' point of view," initial clinical anxiety", "theory-practice gap"," clinical supervision", professional role", were considered as important factors in clinical experience. CONCLUSION: The result of this study showed that nursing students were not satisfied with the clinical component of their education. They experienced anxiety as a result of feeling incompetent and lack of professional nursing skills and knowledge to take care of various patients in the clinical setting
A multicenter assessment of interreader reliability of LI-RADS version 2018 for MRI and CT
Background: Various limitations have impacted research evaluating reader agreement
for Liver Imaging-Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS).
Purpose: To assess reader agreement of LI-RADS in an international multi-center, multireader setting using scrollable images.
Materials and Methods: This retrospective study used de-identified clinical multiphase
CT and MRI examinations and reports with at least one untreated observation from six
institutions and three countries; only qualifying examinations were submitted.
Examination dates were October 2017 – August 2018 at the coordinating center. One
untreated observation per examination was randomly selected using observation
identifiers, and its clinically assigned features were extracted from the report. The
corresponding LI-RADS v2018 category was computed as a re-scored clinical read. Each
examination was randomly assigned to two of 43 research readers who independently
scored the observation. Agreement for an ordinal modified four-category LI-RADS scale
(LR-1/2, LR-3, LR-4, LR-5/M/tumor in vein) was computed using intra-class correlation
coefficients (ICC). Agreement was also computed for dichotomized malignancy (LR-4/LR5/LR-M/LR-tumor in vein), LR-5, and LR-M. Agreement was compared between researchversus-research reads and research-versus-clinical reads.
Results: 484 patients (mean age, 62 years ±10 [SD]; 156 women; 93 CT, 391 MRI) were
included. ICCs for ordinal LI-RADS, dichotomized malignancy, LR-5, and LR-M were 0.68
(95% CI: 0.62, 0.74), 0.63 (95% CI: 0.56, 0.71), 0.58 (95% CI: 0.50, 0.66), and 0.46 (95%
CI: 0.31, 0.61) respectively. Research-versus-research reader agreement was higher
than research-versus-clinical agreement for modified four-category LI-RADS (ICC, 0.68
vs. 0.62, P = .03) and for dichotomized malignancy (ICC, 0.63 vs. 0.53, P = .005), but not
for LR-5 (P = .14) or LR-M (P = .94).
Conclusion: There was moderate agreement for Liver Imaging-Reporting and Data
System v2018 overall. For some comparisons, research-versus-research reader
agreement was higher than research-versus-clinical reader agreement, indicating
differences between the clinical and research environments that warrant further study
Recruitment and Retention of Emergency Medical Technicians: A Qualitative Study
Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) are critical to out-of-hospital care, but maintaining staff can be difficult. The study objective was to identify factors that contribute to recruitment and retention of EMTs and paramedics. Information was drawn from three focus groups of EMT-Basic, EMT-Intermediate, and EMT-Paramedic personnel recruited from participants at an annual conference. Thoughts and feelings of EMTs and paramedics were investigated using eight questions designed to explore entry into emergency medical services, what it is like to be an EMT or paramedic, and the EMT educational process. Data were analyzed at the group level for common themes using NVivo. For a majority of respondents, emergency medical services was not a primary career path. Most respondents entered the industry as an alternate or replacement for a nursing career or as a second career following military medic service. The majority of respondents believed the job was stressful yet rewarding, and although it negatively affected their personal lives, the occupation gave them a sense of accomplishment and belonging. Respondents expressed a preference for EMT education resulting in college credit or licensure versus professional certification. Job-related stress produced by numerous factors appears to be a likely contributor to low employee retention. Recruitment and retention efforts should address study findings, incorporating key findings into educational, evaluation, and job enhancement programs