Francophone Africa: Between Tradition and Modernity

STEP Category: Education AbroadMy STEP Signature Project took me to Dakar, Senegal, to study the history of colonization and how the modernity of the Western world has impacted the traditional culture of Africa. During the mornings, we attended a Wolof class and a lecture presented by an expert in the field we were studying that week while the afternoons were spent visiting historical and cultural locations and having dialogues about the importance of these locations.The Ohio State University Second-year Transformational Experience Program (STEP)Academic Major: International Busines

The Great Resignation: a content analysis of news sources\u27 portrayals of the COVID-19 labor shortage.

When workers left the labor market in large numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic, proclamations of a labor shortage emerged extensively throughout the news. In this study, I analyze the coverage of the worker shortage among three news sources with different political orientations. Several themes emerged from analyzing a total of 75 articles. The findings showed that the perspective shown in the article, the cause of the labor shortage, restaurant worker portrayal, support of solutions, and opinion of the labor shortage all differed based on the political identity of the news source. This research supports previous findings that show there is a significantly smaller number of articles written about the struggles of the working class, and more articles written about the struggles of the upper class. This information contributes new information to our knowledge of common media portrayals of social and economic issues. It is concluded that while the liberal and centrist news sources did show empathy towards the worker’s struggle in the labor shortage during COVID-19 and portrayed workers in a positive manner, liberal and centrist news sources rarely used a working-class perspective to look at social problems. Future research composing of a blind study with a larger sample and more expansive timeline is encouraged and further analysis is needed in looking at whom news sources tend to interview the most, as this may affect the portrayal of certain groups

High-Intensity Interval Training Speeds O2 Uptake Kinetics in Moderate-Intensity Exercise Transitions Initiated from Low and Elevated Metabolic Baselines

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects high-intensity interval training (HIT) on V02p kinetics during transitions from low and elevated metabolic rates, within the moderate-intensity (MOD) domain. Eight untrained males completed 12 sessions of HIT, consisting of 8-12 intervals cycling at 110% maximal O2 uptake (V02P) on a cycle ergometer. Ramp incremental, performance, and double-step constant-load tests were completed at 4 time points throughout training. HIT led to increases in V02max fP\u3c0.05) and performance (PO.Ol). Additionally, tV02P of both lower and upper MOD step transitions were reduced by -40% (LS: 24s—►15s; US: 45s—►25s) (PO.Ol). The time course of muscle deoxygenation was not changed with HIT, suggesting improved matching of microvascular O2 delivery with muscle O2 utilization. These results are the first to demonstrate speeding of both lower and upper step MOD V0 2 P kinetics following an effective HIT program, with significant simultaneous improvements in both performance and V0 2 max

The Great Resignation among Restaurant Workers: A Content Analysis of News Sources’ Portrayals of the COVID-19 Labor Shortage

When workers left the labor market in large numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic, proclamations of a labor shortage emerged extensively throughout the news. In this study, I analyze the coverage of the worker shortage among three news sources with different political orientations. Several themes emerged from analyzing a total of 75 articles. The findings showed that the perspective shown in the article, the cause of the labor shortage, restaurant worker portrayal, support of solutions, and opinion of the labor shortage all differed based on the political identity of the news source. This research supports previous findings that show there is a significantly smaller number of articles written about the struggles of the working class, and more articles written about the struggles of the upper class. This information contributes new information to our knowledge of common media portrayals of social and economic issues. It is concluded that while the liberal and centrist news sources did show empathy towards the worker’s struggle in the labor shortage during COVID-19 and portrayed them in a positive manner, they rarely used a working-class perspective to look at social problems. Future research composing of a blind study with a larger sample and more expansive timeline is encouraged and further analysis is needed in looking at whom news sources tend to interview the most, as this may affect the portrayal of certain groups

Universal, school-based interventions to promote mental and emotional wellbeing. What is being done in the UK and does it work? A systematic review

Objectives: The present review aimed to assess the quality, content and evidence of efficacy of universally delivered (to all pupils aged 5–16 years), school-based, mental health interventions designed to promote mental health/well-being and resilience, using a validated outcome measure and provided within the UK in order to inform UK schools-based well-being implementation. Design: A systematic review of published literature set within UK mainstream school settings. Data sources: Embase, CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PsychArticles, ASSIA and Psychological and Behavioural Sciences published between 2000 and April 2016. Eligibility criteria: Published in English; universal interventions that aimed to improve mental health/ emotional well-being in a mainstream school environment; school pupils were the direct recipients of the intervention; pre-post design utilised allowing comparison using a validated outcome measure. Data extraction and synthesis: 12 studies were identified including RCTs and non-controlled pre-post designs (5 primary school based, 7 secondary school based). A narrative synthesis was applied with study quality check.1 Results: Effectiveness of school-based universal interventions was found to be neutral or small with more positive effects found for poorer quality studies and those based in primary schools (pupils aged 9–12 years). Studies varied widely in their use of measures and study design. Only four studies were rated ‘excellent’ quality. Methodological issues such as small sample size, varying course fidelity and lack of randomisation reduced overall study quality. Where there were several positive outcomes, effect sizes were small, and methodological issues rendered many results to be interpreted with caution. Overall, results suggested a trend whereby higher quality studies reported less positive effects. The only study that conducted a health economic analysis suggested the intervention was not cost-effective. Conclusions: The current evidence suggests there are neutral to small effects of universal, school-based interventions in the UK that aim to promote emotional or mental well-being or the prevention of mental health difficulties. Robust, long-term methodologies need to be pursued ensuring adequate recording of fidelity, the use of validated measures sensitive to mechanisms of change, reporting of those lost to follow-up and any adverse effects. Further high-quality and large-scale research is required across the UK in order to robustly test any longterm benefits for pupils or on the wider educational or health system

Measures of Health Related quality of life in an imperfect world: a comment on Dowie

Professor Dowie has written an interesting and thought provoking paper on a long lasting debate in the literature on measuring health related quality of life. The debate between generic and condition specific measures (CSMs) has not progressed a great deal with time and he is right to question a purely psychometric approach that currently tends to focuses on effect sizes. He has also presented an interesting challenge to the compromise solution suggested by a number of psychometricians to adopt both types of measure

Low level Atrazine exposure effects on crayfish development

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The Impact of Positive Psychology on Higher Education

Research identifies the contributions of positive psychology to higher education success through an emphasis on strengths-based education. This paper examines the dynamics of higher education, defines positive psychology, discusses various approaches to student success, and evaluates the benefits of positive psychology on student engagement and institutional effectiveness. By applying strengths-based education within colleges and universities, educators can exercise positive psychology to enhance students’ growth by helping these students to thrive and flourish in their personal and professional lives