Using professional certification criteria to assess occupational safety curricula in degree programs investigating accreditation

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate a novel assessment method developed to determine if the curriculum from two separate safety degree programs provided sufficient opportunity for students to obtain the knowledge required for professional practice in occupational safety. The method relies on the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) examination blueprints. In the graduate program case study, over 88% of the BCSP criteria were met through an explicit means and up to 64% through assignments or better. Aggregating criteria into respective subject areas showed that the curriculum covered anywhere from 58% to 100% of the items within each BCSP topic. In the undergraduate case study, over 96% of the BCSP criteria through an explicit means, and 82.8% of knowledge items were assessed in assignments, exams or better. Aggregating criteria into respective subject areas showed that the curriculum covered anywhere from 75% to 100% of the items within each BCSP topic. Once briefed on the results, all faculty/instructors agreed that the approach helped identify strengths and weaknesses in their current curriculum. Most importantly, presentation of results acted as a catalyst for curricular discussions amongst the faculty that resulted in improvement priorities and a better understanding of student learning potential in course assignments.DOI: 10.18870/hlrc.v3i2.11

Using professional certification criteria to assess occupational safety curricula in degree programs investigating accreditation

This paper demonstrates a novel assessment method developed to determine if the curriculum from two separate safety degree programs provided sufficient opportunity for students to obtain the knowledge required for professional practice in occupational safety. The method relies on the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) examination blueprints. In the graduate program case study, over 88% of the BCSP criteria were met through an explicit means and up to 64% through assignments or better. Aggregating criteria into respective subject areas showed that the curriculum covered anywhere from 58% to 100% of the items within each BCSP topic. In the undergraduate case study, over 96% of the BCSP criteria through an explicit means, and 82.8% of knowledge items were assessed in assignments, exams or better. Aggregating criteria into respective subject areas showed that the curriculum covered anywhere from 75% to 100% of the items within each BCSP topic. Once briefed on the results, all faculty/instructors agreed that the approach helped identify strengths and weaknesses in their current curriculum. Most importantly, presentation of results acted as a catalyst for curricular discussions amongst the faculty that resulted in improvement priorities and a better understanding of student learning potential in course assignments.SIN FINANCIACIÓNNo data 201

Simulating Glass Cockpit Displays in a General Aviation Flight Environment

Development of a research platform that replicates the basic flight functions of a light, general aviation aircraft is described. This involved retrofitting an actual aircraft cockpit with computer displays to emulate an aircraft environment. The hardware and software used in this research platform are described, as well as issues and problems regarding implementation and use in research

Flood risk and climate change: global and regional perspectives

A holistic perspective on changing rainfall-driven flood risk is provided for the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Economic losses from floods have greatly increased, principally driven by the expanding exposure of assets at risk. It has not been possible to attribute rain-generated peak streamflow trends to anthropogenic climate change over the past several decades. Projected increases in the frequency and intensity of heavy rainfall, based on climate models, should contribute to increases in precipitation-generated local flooding (e.g. flash flooding and urban flooding). This article assesses the literature included in the IPCC SREX report and new literature published since, and includes an assessment of changes in flood risk in seven of the regions considered in the recent IPCC SREX report—Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Europe, North America, Oceania and Polar regions. Also considering newer publications, this article is consistent with the recent IPCC SREX assessment finding that the impacts of climate change on flood characteristics are highly sensitive to the detailed nature of those changes and that presently we have only low confidence1 in numerical projections of changes in flood magnitude or frequency resulting from climate change

Masked bolus gluten challenge low in FODMAPs implicates nausea and vomiting as key symptoms associated with immune activation in treated coeliac disease

Background In patients with coeliac disease, FODMAPs in gluten-containing foods, and participant anticipation of a harmful ('nocebo') effect, may contribute to acute symptoms after gluten challenge. Aim To establish acute gluten-specific symptoms linked to immune activation in coeliac disease Methods We included 36 coeliac disease patients on a gluten-free diet receiving placebo in the RESET CeD trial. Double-blind, bolus vital wheat gluten (similar to 6-g gluten protein) and sham challenges low in FODMAPs were consumed 2 weeks apart. Assessments included daily Coeliac Disease Patient Reported Outcome (CeD PRO) symptom scores (0-10), adverse events and serum interleukin-2 (baseline and 4 hours). Results Median CeD PRO score for nausea increased most (sham: 0 vs gluten: 5.5; P < .001). Apart from tiredness (1 vs 4, P = .005) and headache (0 vs 2, P = .002), changes in other symptoms were small or absent. Only nausea increased significantly in occurrence with gluten (11% vs 69%, P < .001). Without nausea, only tiredness and flatulence were common after gluten. Nausea (6% vs 61%, P < .001; median onset: 1:34 hours) and vomiting (0% vs 44%, P < .001; 1:51 hours) were the only adverse events more common with gluten than sham. Interleukin-2 was always below the level of quantitation (0.5 pg/mL) at baseline, and after sham. Interleukin-2 was elevated after gluten in 97% of patients (median fold-change: 20), and correlated with severity of nausea (r(s) = .49, P = .0025) and occurrence of vomiting (P = .0005). Conclusions Nausea and vomiting are relatively specific indicators of acute gluten ingestion, and correlate with immune activation. IBS-like symptoms without nausea are unlikely to indicate recent gluten exposure