Interdisciplinarity and (dis)integration in postgraduate, applied disciplinary curricula

Interdisciplinarity is widely claimed as a core feature of, and rationale for, the development of postgraduate programmes in applied disciplinary fields. While there is considerable debate about the nature of interdisciplinarity, less consideration is given to the concept of curriculum and what ‘being interdisciplinary’ implies for the selection and organisation of knowledge in a curriculum aspiring to some level of interdisciplinarity. Drawing on sociological analyses of curriculum this paper explores Bernstein’s concepts of integrated-type curricula and recontextualisation and uses these concepts to explore the complexities of attempting to use interdisciplinarity as an integrating logic in a Public Management curriculum. Findings from the analysis of documentary and interview data highlight how interdisciplinarity was difficult to develop and sustain as a curriculum integrating logic over time. Without a strong consensus about the integrating interdisciplinary idea and the knowledge that underpinned it, relationships between the relational idea and curriculum content became increasingly implicit, individually interpreted and disabling for a shared sense of purpose and progression across the degree. Development of programmes that call themselves interdisciplinary requires an understanding of curriculum as selection and organisation of knowledge from within disciplines and, in the case of applied disciplinary fields, from workplace practice

Do we play well with others? Personalities and interpersonal interactions among signed language interpreters

The aim of this study was to collect information from spoken/signed language interpreters about their own personalities and what personality traits they appreciate and do not appreciate in other professionals. By asking respondents about their feelings toward working with others, this research will take a pulse of the current morale in the field. Initially, the hypothesis was that the morale of the profession is negatively affected by the interpersonal communication conflicts interpreters experience as a result of different personality styles not meshing well. Data was collected through a questionnaire in which 127 responses were obtained from all over the United States, as well as a few respondents from two other countries. Research revealed that interpreters dislike common traits in peers, but because there is no standard approach to deal with tension between colleagues as it is a sensitive subject, the morale of the field is at a tipping point. Since there is very little research about interpersonal relationships between team members in the signed/spoken language interpreting and spoken language interpreting professions, literature was reviewed that focused on personality characteristics that make for good interpreters, interpersonal communication, and tension. The data collected from the questionnaire, as well as the literature reviewed, suggest that while there is a diverse range of personalities and preferences within the signed/spoken language interpreting field, and some of the diversity is appreciated, some is detrimental to work and esteem. Also, the results of this study suggest that interpreters may not be self-aware in regard to how we come across to others

A Hybrid Sequencing Approach Completes the Genome Sequence of Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus JW 200

Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus JW 200 has been identified as a potential sustainable biofuel producer due to its ability to readily ferment carbohydrates to ethanol. A hybrid sequencing approach, combining Oxford Nanopore and Illumina DNA sequence reads, was applied to produce a single contiguous genome sequence of 2,911,280 bp

The Gumbel hypothesis test for left censored observations using regional earthquake records as an example

Annual maximum (AM) time series are incomplete (i.e., censored) when no events are included above the assumed censoring threshold (i.e., magnitude of completeness). We introduce a distrtibutional hypothesis test for left-censored Gumbel observations based on the probability plot correlation coefficient (PPCC). Critical values of the PPCC hypothesis test statistic are computed from Monte-Carlo simulations and are a function of sample size, censoring level, and significance level. When applied to a global catalog of earthquake observations, the left-censored Gumbel PPCC tests are unable to reject the Gumbel hypothesis for 45 of 46 seismic regions. We apply four different field significance tests for combining individual tests into a collective hypothesis test. None of the field significance tests are able to reject the global hypothesis that AM earthquake magnitudes arise from a Gumbel distribution. Because the field significance levels are not conclusive, we also compute the likelihood that these field significance tests are unable to reject the Gumbel model when the samples arise from a more complex distributional alternative. A power study documents that the censored Gumbel PPCC test is unable to reject some important and viable Generalized Extreme Value (GEV) alternatives. Thus, we cannot rule out the possibility that the global AM earthquake time series could arise from a GEV distribution with a finite upper bound, also known as a reverse Weibull distribution. Our power study also indicates that the binomial and uniform field significance tests are substantially more powerful than the more commonly used Bonferonni and false discovery rate multiple comparison procedures

Clinical challenges in isolation care

OVERVIEW: In 2014, the authors published the results of a study investigating nurses\u27 use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the care of a live simulated patient requiring contact and airborne precautions. The 24 participants were video-recorded as they donned and doffed PPE. Variations in practices that had the potential to cause contamination were noted. In this article, the authors comment on those variations, analyzing each element of proper PPE protocols and examining why the behaviors are a safety concern for the nurse and a potential risk for disease transmission in the hospital or other clinical area. The authors note that making use of reflective practice for complicated care situations such as infection control may help nurses improve decision making in isolation care

Evaluating Isolation Behaviors by Nurses Using Mobile Computer Workstations at the Bedside.

This secondary analysis from a larger mixed methods study with a sequential explanatory design investigates the clinical challenges for nurses providing patient care, in an airborne and contact isolation room, while using a computer on wheels for medication administration in a simulated setting. Registered nurses, who regularly work in clinical care at the patient bedside, were recruited as study participants in the simulation and debriefing experience. A live volunteer acted as the standardized patient who needed assessment and intravenous pain medication. The simulation was video recorded in a typical hospital room to observe participating nurses conducting patient care in an airborne and contact isolation situation. Participants then reviewed their performance with study personnel in a formal, audio-recorded debriefing. Isolation behaviors were scored by an expert panel, and the debriefing sessions were analyzed. Considerable variation was found in behaviors related to using a computer on wheels while caring for a patient in isolation. Currently, no nursing care guidelines exist on the use of computers on wheels in an airborne and contact isolation room. Specific education is needed on nursing care processes for the proper disinfection of computers on wheels and the reduction of the potential for disease transmission from environmental contamination

Method for investigating nursing behaviors related to isolation care.

BACKGROUND: Although an emphasis has been placed on protecting patients by improving health care worker compliance with infection control techniques, challenges associated with patient isolation do exist. To address these issues, a more consistent mechanism to evaluate specific clinical behaviors safely is needed. METHODS: The research method described in this study used a high fidelity simulation using a live standardized patient recorded by small cameras. Immediately after the simulation experience, nurses were asked to view and comment on their performance. A demographic survey and a video recorded physical evaluation provided participant description. A questionnaire component 1 month after the simulation experience offered insight into the timing of behavior change in clinical practice. RESULTS: Errors in behaviors related to donning and doffing equipment for isolation care were noted among the nurses in the study despite knowing they were being video recorded. This simulation-based approach to clinical behavior analysis provided rich data on patient care delivery. CONCLUSION: Standard educational techniques have not led to ideal compliance, and this study demonstrated the potential for using video feedback to enhance learning and ultimately reduce behaviors, which routinely increase the likelihood of disease transmission. This educational research method could be applied to many complicated clinical skills

Retropharyngeal Abscess and Pott’s Disease Due to Tuberculosis: A Case Report

Introduction: Extrapulmonary mycobacterial infection can lead to vertebral spondylitis and osteomyelitis (Pott’s disease). Retropharyngeal abscess with concurrent spinal osteomyelitis is a rare presentation of tuberculosis in the US. Chart review on a patient was completed, and the relevant published literature was reviewed. Case Presentation: A previously healthy 34-year-old male originally from Sudan presented to an outside hospital with a 2-month history of neck pain, sore throat, odynophagia, fevers, and chills. MRI showed a retropharyngeal abscess and suspected cervical spine osteomyelitis. Acid-fast bacillus (AFB) smear was positive from a neck drain specimen, but sputum was negative. Chest imaging did not show findings consistent with pulmonary tuberculosis. He was treated with rifampin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol (RIPE) along with moxifloxacin and linezolid due to concern for possible multidrug resistant tuberculosis and transferred to our center for further care. Culture isolated Mycobacterium tuberculosis. CT neck showed vertebral tuberculous osteomyelitis (Pott’s disease) of C1-C3 with a multiloculated retropharyngeal and prevertebral abscess (Figure 1). The patient was taken to the OR for posterior spinal fusion from occiput to C4 and transoral incision and drainage of the abscess. The post-operative course was uneventful, and moxifloxacin and linezolid were discontinued when Xpert MTB/RIF test revealed rifampin susceptibility. At follow-up the patient’s symptoms had resolved. Patient consent was obtained to utilize this case for educational purposes. Conclusions: This report presents the multidisciplinary treatment of this patient requiring infection control measures and antibiotic therapy by infectious disease, posterior spine fusion by orthopedic surgery, and retropharyngeal abscess drainage by otolaryngology