Implementation of a Virtual Journal Club in a Clinical Nursing Setting

Healthcare practice is increasingly focused on delivering care that is based on published research evidence. Staff development nurses can institute journal clubs to teach nursing staff critical appraisal of research articles and ways to translate research findings into clinical practice. Unfortunately, attending meetings regularly is often a challenge for nurses, and relatively few have the knowledge and expertise to adequately critique research articles. One way to bridge the limitations of accessibility and limited research expertise of journal club members is to establish a virtual journal club. This article describes one hospital\u27s experience with developing a virtual journal club

Remarks on the Future of the Health Sciences

I suppose the most highly visible problem in the field of health science and health care delivery in our nation today is the shortage of physicians, particularly in the inner cities and in the rural areas of our country. At least this is the problem I hear the most about and it is with some pleasure that I turn my attention to another group in the health professions. I am told that there is a shortage of veterinarians and that this deficit will continue to grow

7. The 1970s

From View from the Dean’s Office by Robert McKersie. “I had been on the job just a week when Keith Kennedy, vice provost, called and said we needed to make a trip to Albany to meet the chancellor of SUNY, Ernest Boyer. This was late August 1971. After a few pleasantries, it became clear that this was not just the courtesy call of a new dean reporting in to the top leader of the state university. Chancellor Boyer went right to the point: a new Labor College was going to open on the premises of Local 3 IBEW’s training facility on Lexington Avenue in Manhattan, and the ILR School had to be there as a partner. It was not clear what unit of SUNY would take over the Labor College, but it was clear that given its broad mandate for labor education, the ILR School was going to play a key role.” Includes: View from the Dean’s Office; From Eric Himself; Another Perspective; Labor College Graduation: VanArsdale’s Dream Fulfilled; The View of a Visiting Faculty Member; Another Perspective; and The Student’s View

Establishing Effective Global Virtual Student Teams

Research problem: In the educational arena, virtual teams made up of students who are located in more than one country are becoming increasingly commonplace. However, studies of the technological, social, and organizational factors that contribute to the success of these global virtual student teams (GVSTs) have yet to be systematically identified and discussed. In this paper, we seek to address this gap in our knowledge, drawing on several years of experience with GVSTs and addressing the following research question: How can university instructors establish effective GVST projects? Situating the case: The cases that we explore in this paper involve GVSTs with team members located variously in Hong Kong (all four cases), the USA (two cases), the UK (one case), and Singapore (one case). Students are a mix of undergraduate and graduate. How the case was studied: Our pedagogical purpose for running the GVST projects was to expose students to international communication and negotiation practices. The case designs involved situations where the student team members had to work collaboratively on a variety of tasks. We collected observational data and survey data, and required the team members to submit individual reflective reports about their learning experiences. About the case: We examine cultural differences among teams. We also note how issues of time and space vary across these teams, and consider how sufficient trust may be developed between team members to ensure productive work. Conclusion: From the four cases, we elicit 10 pertinent operational factors that should be of value to educators planning GVST projects

Viscoelastic properties of seed cotton and their effect on module shape and density

Modules for cotton storage and transport should be constructed with a shape that will resist collecting water to maintain the quality of seed cotton during storage. Meeting this specification requires knowledge of the relationship between the applied compressive force, deformation, and time for seed cotton. Several factors were tested to determine their effects on the height and density of seed cotton during compression, creep loading, and recovery. Models were used to describe these processes. These results were used to develop an algorithm capable of providing information on module shape to the module builder operator. The initial loading density did not affect the compressed density, but a slight effect was observed in the recovered density, due to the weight of the seed cotton. Picker harvested cotton was compressed to a greater density than stripper harvested cotton, but expanded more during recovery, resulting in similar final densities. Multiple compressions increased the density, but this increase was not physically significant after the third compression. Higher moisture content increased the density seed cotton could be compressed to slightly. Viscoelastic behavior was observed; however, the effect on density was small. Both the compression and creep curves were described using mathematical models. A compression model using an asymptotic true strain measure yielded high R2 values; however, some aspect of this process remained unexplained and the equation was limited in its predictive ability. Creep behavior was described using a modified Burgers model. This model was more accurate than the creep model, although a definite trend existed in the creep model residuals. A feedback algorithm was developed based on the observation that the compressed density was primarily dependent on the mass of seed cotton and not the initial density. By measuring the compressed depth of cotton in a module and the hydraulic pressure of the tramper foot cylinder, the resulting shape of the module can be predicted. Improved loading of the module builder is necessary to produce a desirably shaped module. More seed cotton needs to be placed in the center of the module, resulting in a surface that slopes down towards the outer edges

Development of Systems to Improve Cotton Module Shape

Properly constructed modules will prevent reduced lint value and increased ginning costs when significant rainfall occurs. Additionally, cotton producers often have difficulty finding adequate labor during harvest. These issues were addressed by developing a graphical operator feedback system, a biomass package measurement system, a powered tramper, and an autonomous module forming system. A system that provided feedback on the module shape by recording the position of the tramper and carriage was used to direct the operator to move cotton to appropriate locations. The system correctly predicted the height of 67% of data points. Use of the feedback system resulted in a 55% reduction in water collection area of the modules. The module builder operators indicated that the system was useful. The module builder feedback system is a simple, useful, and inexpensive tool that can have a rapid payback for producers. A powered tramper, with an auger to move cotton to the center of the module, was developed to replace the conventional tramper. The powered tramper operated automatically without affecting the operating speed or pressure of the tramper cylinder. During testing, the powered tramper was observed moving cotton to the center and crowned modules were produced. A biomass package measurement system was developed to record the height at multiple points on the top surface of modules. The system was found to produce repeatable measurements with an error of 5 cm. Data collected with this system did not indicate a difference in module shape when using the powered tramper; however, during these tests the powered tramper was turned off prematurely due to an improperly sized valve on the module builder. An automated module building system capable of both moving and tramping cotton was developed. This system utilized the feedback system sensors and photoelectric sensors to determine the location of cotton in the builder. A wireless display allowed the boll buggy operator to control the automatic system. The automatic system constructed modules with 64% less water collection area in an average time of 37.4 min. Cotton producers indicated that the system was easy to use and of significant value in reducing labor requirements

Vertical distribution of microbial and meiofaunal populations in sediments of a natural coastal hydrocarbon seep

We studied the vertical distribution of microbes and meiofauna in natural hydrocarbon seep sediments to determine if there was a relationship between profiles of benthic trophic structure and the unique biogeochemical conditions present at the seep. Three stations in the Santa Barbara Channel represented a gradient of natural petroleum seepage, from very active, to moderate, to none. Seasonal differences were examined by sampling in the three major oceanographic seasons, upwelling (April), mixed (July), and Davidson (December). Densities of microbes and meiofauna were highest in July, and decreased in winter. All population sizes decreased with increasing depth in the sediment. Harpacticoids and Chl a were practically restricted to the surface sediments. Harpacticoids and Chl a were more dense (number per unit volume or strata of sediment) and abundant (number per unit area of sediment or sum of the strata) at the comparison site than at the seep sites. Density and abundance of nematodes, bacteria cell counts, and bacterial biomass were greater at the station with the most active seepage rates. Bacterial biovolumes appeared constant among sediment depths and stations, but cell biovolumes were larger in July. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that organic enrichment via petroleum utilization is responsible for increased abundances of bacteria and nematodes at the seep. There were strong correlations between densities of harpacticoids and microalgae, and densities of nematodes and bacteria. These links indicate that seeping petroleum might have an enhanced effect on the detrital (bacterial based) food web, but a toxic effect on the grazing (microalgal based) food web

Wood Wind Quintet: Robert Snyder, Flute; Earl Boyd, Clarinet; Joseph Martin, Oboe; Robert Weidner, Bassoon; Burton Hardin, Horn; March 3, 1975

Hayden AuditoriumMonday EveningMarch 3, 19758:00 p.m

Temporal variability and the relationship between benthic meiofaunal and microbial populations of a natural coastal petroleum seep

Previous studies of the Isla Vista petroleum seep in the Santa Barbara Channel found much higher abundances of macrofauna and concentrations of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in sediments near petroleum seepage compared to those from nonseep areas. To further assess the possible effect of petroleum on organisms at the base of benthic food webs, population abundances of meiobenthos and their suspected microbial food (bacteria and diatoms) were measured biweekly for one year at three stations with differing petroleum exposure. Determinations of suspended particulate matter and the abundance and gut contents of juvenile fishes were also made at seep and nonseep stations. Nematodes and bacteria had higher abundances in areas of active petroleum seepage than in areas of moderate seepage (within 20 m) or no seepage (1.4 km away). Bacterial productivity (based on the frequency of dividing cells) was 340% greater in sediments from areas of active seepage compared to those from a nonseep station. Sediments within the seep, but away from active seepage, had rates of bacterial productivity 15 times greater than a nonseep comparison site. Densities of harpacticoid copepods and their probable principal food, diatoms, were not affected by petroleum seepage. Suspended organic matter caught in settling traps was not different between seep and nonseep stations. In addition, there was no evidence that predation pressure by juvenile fish on meiofauna was different between stations. The higher bacterial biomass and productivity in areas of petroleum seepage are consistent with the hypothesis that petroleum carbon is available for assimilation by sediment bacteria. The enhanced level of microbial carbon associated with the petroleum seep is available for consumption by benthic invertebrates and could explain the higher abundances of macrofauna and meiofauna found there