Cultural Characteristics of a Nursing Education Center of Excellence: A Naturalistic Inquiry Case Study

Nursing education is at a crossroad today. Stressors in nursing programs include expanding enrollments to meet growing workforce demands for more registered nurses, demanding workloads with low average nursing faculty salaries compared to practice peers, and growing numbers of faculty retirements. The purpose of this study was to identify the cultural characteristics of a nursing education center of excellence. The primary research question was: What important factors constitute the culture of a nursing program previously determined to be a high-performing environment? Using naturalistic inquiry methods, one nursing program case study designated as National League for Nursing (NLN) Centers of Excellence in Nursing EducationTM was examined through an extended immersion experience. Following voluntary informed consent, data collection occurred over several months through prolonged immersion including six study visits, multiple observations, formal/informal interviews, and artifact/document collection and review. Data collection began with entry into the field and continued throughout the research experience. Data analysis began with the first immersion experience and continued throughout the iterative reflexive process of naturalistic inquiry case study. This process provided understanding of the factors that constitute the cultural characteristics of a nursing education center of excellence. The most significant finding of the study was the importance of creating intentional caring relationships with key stakeholders while maintaining focus upon the mission and values of the profession, student-centered nursing program, and institution. A graphic representation emerged from the three themes and 12 patterns. This study's results and representation, "The Right Fit: Harmonious Alignment", will inform deans, policy-makers, and key stakeholders about the factors that constitute the culture of a high-performing academic nursing program designated as an NLN Center of ExcellenceTM in nursing education

Maximizing Mindful Learning: Mindful Awareness Intervention Improves Elementary School Students’ Quarterly Grades

This paper discusses results from the first empirical study testing the feasibility and effectiveness of an audio-guided mindful awareness training program on quarterly grade performance in traditional US public elementary schools. Structured as a quasi-experiment, the study demonstrates that a 10-min-per-day, fully automated program significantly enhances students’ quarterly grades in reading and science, compared to a control group, without disrupting teaching operations (N = 191). The intervention utilized a series of guided mindful-based awareness and attention focusing practices as the method for students to engage with social and emotional learning (SEL) concepts, and can thus be called a “mindful-based social emotional learning” (MBSEL) program. The program is innovative because it requires neither expert trainers skilled in mindful awareness nor changes to existing curriculum; thus, it can be considered both teacher-independent and curriculum supportive. The goal of this exploratory study was to facilitate a consistent daily mindful awareness practice that generates improvements in student outcomes for resource- and time-constrained K–12 classrooms in the USA and elsewhere. The authors discuss limitations of this study and suggestions for further research on how to use mindful awareness programs to enhance academic performance both effectively and pragmatically

Disentangling the stigma of HIV/AIDS from the stigmas of drugs use, commercial sex and commercial blood donation – a factorial survey of medical students in China

BackgroundHIV/AIDS related stigma interferes with the provision of appropriate care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS. Currently, programs to address the stigma approach it as if it occurs in isolation, separate from the co-stigmas related to the various modes of disease transmission including injection drug use (IDU) and commercial sex (CS). In order to develop better programs to address HIV/AIDS related stigma, the inter-relationship (or \u27layering\u27) between HIV/AIDS stigma and the co-stigmas needs to be better understood. This paper describes an experimental study for disentangling the layering of HIV/AIDS related stigmas.MethodsThe study used a factorial survey design. 352 medical students from Guangzhou were presented with four random vignettes each describing a hypothetical male. The vignettes were identical except for the presence of a disease diagnosis (AIDS, leukaemia, or no disease) and a co-characteristic (IDU, CS, commercial blood donation (CBD), blood transfusion or no co-characteristic). After reading each vignette, participants completed a measure of social distance that assessed the level of stigmatising attitudes.ResultsBivariate and multivariable analyses revealed statistically significant levels of stigma associated with AIDS, IDU, CS and CBD. The layering of stigma was explored using a recently developed technique. Strong interactions between the stigmas of AIDS and the co-characteristics were also found. AIDS was significantly less stigmatising than IDU or CS. Critically, the stigma of AIDS in combination with either the stigmas of IDU or CS was significantly less than the stigma of IDU alone or CS alone.ConclusionThe findings pose several surprising challenges to conventional beliefs about HIV/AIDS related stigma and stigma interventions that have focused exclusively on the disease stigma. Contrary to the belief that having a co-stigma would add to the intensity of stigma attached to people with HIV/AIDS, the findings indicate the presence of an illness might have a moderating effect on the stigma of certain co-characteristics like IDU. The strong interdependence between the stigmas of HIV/AIDS and the co-stigmas of IDU and CS suggest that reducing the co-stigmas should be an integral part of HIV/AIDS stigma intervention within this context.<br /

The Greenland Telescope: Antenna Retrofit Status and Future Plans

Since the ALMA North America Prototype Antenna was awarded to the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO), SAO and the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy & Astrophysics (ASIAA) are working jointly to relocate the antenna to Greenland. This paper shows the status of the antenna retrofit and the work carried out after the recommissioning and subsequent disassembly of the antenna at the VLA has taken place. The next coming months will see the start of the antenna reassembly at Thule Air Base. These activities are expected to last until the fall of 2017 when commissioning should take place. In parallel, design, fabrication and testing of the last components are taking place in Taiwan

Secagem da madeira de louro preto (Nectandra cuspidata) em estufa de micro-ondas

Microwave drying will play an important role in the industrialization of timber in the near future, because improved dimensional stability and increased mechanical strength of wood are dependent on its drying. The objective of this study was to evaluate the drying of Louro preto wood using the microwave process and its influence on drying time, final moisture content, and formation of checks. A program originally developed for Mahogany wood was used due to the similarity between the basic density values of the two wood species. To this end, three (3) drying processes were conducted: drying S1, with initial average moisture content above the fiber saturation point (FSP), reached 13.99% of the final average moisture content after 2h 25min; whereas drying S2 and S3, with initial average moisture contents below the FSP, showed 14.00 and 14.62% of the final average moisture content after 2h 8min and 2h 2min, respectively. The drying processes were considered fast, and the difference in the initial moisture contents of the samples showed the influence of the treatments in the formation of end and surface checks. Drying S2 was more prone to present surface checks than end checks, whereas internal checks were not found in any of the drying processes performed

Investigations of the Effects of Synthetic Chemicals on the Endocrine System of Common Carp in Lake Mead, Nevada and Arizona

Lake Mead is the largest reservoir by volume in the United States and was created by the construction of the 221-meter high Hoover Dam in 1935 at Black Canyon on the lower Colorado River between Nevada and Arizona (fig. 1). Inflows of water into the lake include three rivers, Colorado, Virgin, and Muddy; as well as Las Vegas Wash, which is now perennial because of discharges from municipal wastewater treatment plants (Covay and Leiker, 1998) and urban stormwater runoff. As the population within the Las Vegas Valley began to increase in the 1940s, the treated effluent volume also has increased and in 1993 it constituted about 96 percent of the annual discharge of Las Vegas Wash (Bevans and others, 1996). The mean flow of Las Vegas Wash into Las Vegas Bay from 1992 to 1998 was about 490,000 m3/d (Preissler and others, 1999) and in 2001 increased to 606,000 m3/d (U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, 2001). The nutrient concentration in most areas of the lake is low, but wastewater discharged into Las Vegas Bay has caused an increased level of nutrients and primary productivity (aquatic plant and algal production) in this area of the lake (LaBounty and Horn, 1997). A byproduct of this increase in productivity has been the establishment of an important recreational fishery in Las Vegas Bay. However, concentrations of chlorophyll a (a measure of algal biomass) have also increased (LaBounty and Horn, 1997). In the spring of 2001, parts of Lake Mead experienced massive algal blooms. In addition to nutrient loading by wastewater, the presence of numerous synthetic chemicals in water, bottom sediments, and in fish tissue also has been reported (Bevans and others, 1996). Synthetic chemicals discharging into Las Vegas Bay and Lake Mead (fig. 1) originate from several sources that include surplus residential-irrigation water runoff, stormwater runoff, subsurface inflow, and tertiary treated sewage effluent discharging from three sewage-treatment plants. Chemicals detected in Las Vegas Wash and Bay environments include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (including DDT and DDE), and “emerging contaminants” such as fragrances/musks, flame retardants, triclosan and its breakdown products, personal care products, and pharmaceuticals (Bevans and others, 1996; Boyd and Furlong, 2002; Goodbred and others, 2007). Many of these compounds are able to interact with the endocrine system of animals and potentially cause reproductive impacts. The National Park Service (NPS) manages Lake Mead National Recreation Area (LMNRA) with about 8 million yearly visitors including 500,000 anglers drawn to its world-class recreational fishery. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) provides management for the federally designated, endangered razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus) and for more than 180 species of migratory birds that utilize LMNRA surface waters. These multiple uses of surface water in the area demonstrate their vital importance to the LMNRA as well as the need to maintain the quality of water at levels that are adequate for these uses

COMPREHENSIVE FITNESS ASSESSMENTS IN COLLEGE-AGED MALES AND FEMALES: INCIDENCE OF OVERWEIGHT, OBESITY, AND CARDIOVASCULAR RISK

Hillary D. Dickey*, Lindsey Gordon*, Kaylah Williamson, Mike Leiker & Michael J. Carper Applied Physiology Laboratory, Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation, Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, Kansas Fitness evaluations include a battery of comprehensive tests which exercise physiologists and health care providers can use to predict increased risk of developing hypertension, obesity and/or cardiovascular disease. PURPOSE: The purpose of this investigation was to determine the health-related fitness levels of college aged students (17-25 yrs) from 2010 to 2013 and to determine if either group revealed risk factors for future development of hypertension, obesity and/or cardiovascular disease. METHODS: College aged students (n=2,028; age 17 – 25yrs; males and females) participated in the investigation. Subjects performed the following tests: waist and hip measurements, body composition (Tanita Body Composition Analyzer); muscular strength (hydraulic hand dynamometer); muscular endurance (standard sit-ups and push-ups); and flexibility (sit-and-reach test). Based on data gathered, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and body mass index (BMI) were calculated. Statistical analysis of data was performed using SPSS 20. RESULTS: There was a significant difference between males and females for all measurements. Therefore, data was divided into sub-groups for further analysis based on age (17-19yrs and 20-25yrs). Males demonstrated a significant difference between 17-19yrs and 20-25yrs, respectively, in: weight (83.2±18.6 vs 85.7±19.2kg), percent body fat (14.9±8.5 vs 17.1±9.6%), WHR (0.86±0.07 vs 0.88±0.07), BMI (25.0±5.3 vs 26.3±5.8kg∙m-2), diastolic blood pressure (75.9±9.6 vs 77.9±9.7mmHg), waist measurement (33.9±4.9 vs 35.1±5.4in.), and hip measurements (39.3±4.1 vs 39.9±4.2in.). Females demonstrated a significant difference between 17-19yrs and 20-25yrs, respectively, in: weight (67.1±16.1 vs 70.1±19.4kg), percent body fat (27.4±9.2 vs 29.7±10.3%), BMI (24.4±5.7 vs 25.6±7.1kg∙m-2), push-ups (15.0±9.8 vs 13.2±9.6), waist measurement (31.6±5.4 vs 32.4±6.1in.), and hip measurements (38.3±4.9 vs 39.4±5.6in.). As well, when raw data were analyzed, we discovered that34.3% of females and 43.6% of males included in this investigation were overweight or obese. CONCLUSION: The primary findings from this investigation demonstrate that as college-age males and females age: 1) they become more predisposed to and have increased risk factors for the development of hypertension, obesity, and/or cardiovascular disease, and 2) their muscular strength and endurance, as well as flexibility remain unchanged or decrease. Based on these conclusions, the overall physical condition and health-related behaviors of this population need to be addressed to ensure a healthy existence following the collegiate years. *Authors contributed equally to the project