Efficacy of Online Training for Improving Camp Staff Competency

Preparing competent staff is a critical issue within the camp community. This quasi-experimental study examined the effectiveness of an online course for improving staff competency in camp healthcare practices among college-aged camp staff and a comparison group (N = 55). We hypothesized that working in camp would increase competency test scores due to opportunities for staff to experientially apply knowledge learned online. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to analyse the cross-level effects of a between-individuals factor (assignment to experimental or comparison group) and within-individual effects of time (pre-test, post-test #1, and post-test #2) on online course test scores. At post-test #2, the difference in average test scores between groups was ~30 points, with the treatment group scoring lower on average than the comparison group. Factors that may have influenced these findings are explored, including fatigue and the limited durability of online learning. Recommendations for research and practice are discussed

R-h-erythropoietin counteracts the inhibition of in vitro erythropoiesis by tumour necrosis factor alpha in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Anaemia of chronic disease (ACD) is a common extra-articular manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) plays an important role in the development of ACD. The objective of the present study was to assess inhibition of in vitro colony-forming unit erythrocyte (CFUe) and blast-forming unit erythrocyte (BFUe) growth by TNFα and to examine whether this suppression could be counteracted by adding increasing concentrations of recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) (r-h-EPO) to bone marrow cultures of RA patients with ACD and without anaemia (controls). Bone marrow cells of RA patients with ACD and control patients were cultured. The cultures were incubated with increasing concentrations of r-h-EPO (0.25; 0.5; 1; 2 U/ml), each in combination with increasing quantities of TFNα (0; 50; 100; 200; 400 U/ml). CFUe and BFUe were assessed after 7 and 14 days, respectively. Dose-dependent inhibition of BFUe and CFUc by increasing concentrations of TNFα was observed in ACD and controls. Regarding CFUe (ACD patients) incubated with 0.25 U/ml EPO, 50 U/ml TNFα caused 28% suppression compared to cultures without TNFα. Increasing the concentration of r-h-EPO from 0.25 U/ml to 2 U/ml completely restored the number of CFUe. A similar pattern was observed in BFUe growth in both groups. These data demonstrated the suppressive effects of TNFα on erythropoiesis in vitro and that the suppresed erythropoiesis could be partly corrected by the addition of excess r-h-EPO to the cultures. No significant differences were observed between ACD and control RA patients. This in vitro model may help explain the clinical response to r-h-EPO therapy as documented in RA patients with ACD

Blended Learning in Health Education: Three Case Studies

Blended learning in which online education is combined with face-to-face education is especially useful for (future) health care professionals who need to keep up-to-date. Blended learning can make learning more efficient, for instance by removing barriers of time and distance. In the past distance-based learning activities have often been associated with traditional delivery-based methods, individual learning and limited contact. The central question in this paper is: can blended learning be active and collaborative? Three cases of blended, active and collaborative learning are presented. In case 1 a virtual classroom is used to realize online problem-based learning (PBL). In case 2 PBL cases are presented in Second Life, a 3D immersive virtual world. In case 3 discussion forums, blogs and wikis were used. In all cases face-to-face meetings were also organized. Evaluation results of the three cases clearly show that active, collaborative learning at a distance is possible. Blended learning enables the use of novel instructional methods and student-centred education. The three cases employ different educational methods, thus illustrating diverse possibilities and a variety of learning activities in blended learning. Interaction and communication rules, the role of the teacher, careful selection of collaboration tools and technical preparation should be considered when designing and implementing blended learning

ϕ\phi meson production in dd++Au collisions at sNN=200\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=200 GeV

The PHENIX experiment has measured $\phi$ meson production in $d$$+$Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=200$ GeV using the dimuon and dielectron decay channels. The $\phi$ meson is measured in the forward (backward) $d$-going (Au-going) direction, $1.2<y<2.2$ ($-2.2<y<-1.2$) in the transverse-momentum ($p_T$) range from 1--7 GeV/$c$, and at midrapidity $|y|<0.35$ in the $p_T$ range below 7 GeV/$c$. The $\phi$ meson invariant yields and nuclear-modification factors as a function of $p_T$, rapidity, and centrality are reported. An enhancement of $\phi$ meson production is observed in the Au-going direction, while suppression is seen in the $d$-going direction, and no modification is observed at midrapidity relative to the yield in $p$$+$$p$ collisions scaled by the number of binary collisions. Similar behavior was previously observed for inclusive charged hadrons and open heavy flavor indicating similar cold-nuclear-matter effects.Comment: 484 authors, 16 pages, 12 figures, 6 tables. v1 is the version accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. C. Data tables for the points plotted in the figures are given in the paper itsel

Systematic study of charged-pion and kaon femtoscopy in Au++Au collisions at sNN\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=200 GeV

We present a systematic study of charged pion and kaon interferometry in Au$+$Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}$=200 GeV. The kaon mean source radii are found to be larger than pion radii in the outward and longitudinal directions for the same transverse mass; this difference increases for more central collisions. The azimuthal-angle dependence of the radii was measured with respect to the second-order event plane and similar oscillations of the source radii were found for pions and kaons. Hydrodynamic models qualitatively describe the similar oscillations of the mean source radii for pions and kaons, but they do not fully describe the transverse-mass dependence of the oscillations.Comment: 499 authors, 27 pages, 13 figures, and 11 tables. v2 is the version accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. C. Plain text data tables for the points plotted in figures for this and previous PHENIX publications are (or will be) publicly available at http://www.phenix.bnl.gov/papers.htm

Measurement of higher cumulants of net-charge multiplicity distributions in Au++Au collisions at sNN=7.7−200\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=7.7-200 GeV

We report the measurement of cumulants ($C_n, n=1\ldots4$) of the net-charge distributions measured within pseudorapidity ($|\eta|<0.35$) in Au$+$Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=7.7-200$ GeV with the PHENIX experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The ratios of cumulants (e.g. $C_1/C_2$, $C_3/C_1$) of the net-charge distributions, which can be related to volume independent susceptibility ratios, are studied as a function of centrality and energy. These quantities are important to understand the quantum-chromodynamics phase diagram and possible existence of a critical end point. The measured values are very well described by expectation from negative binomial distributions. We do not observe any nonmonotonic behavior in the ratios of the cumulants as a function of collision energy. The measured values of $C_1/C_2 = \mu/\sigma^2$ and $C_3/C_1 = S\sigma^3/\mu$ can be directly compared to lattice quantum-chromodynamics calculations and thus allow extraction of both the chemical freeze-out temperature and the baryon chemical potential at each center-of-mass energy.Comment: 512 authors, 8 pages, 4 figures, 1 table. v2 is version accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. C as a Rapid Communication. Plain text data tables for the points plotted in figures for this and previous PHENIX publications are (or will be) publicly available at http://www.phenix.bnl.gov/papers.htm

Inclusive cross section and double helicity asymmetry for pi^0 production in p+p collisions at sqrt(s) = 62.4 GeV

The PHENIX experiment presents results from the RHIC 2006 run with polarized proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 62.4 GeV for inclusive pi^0 production at mid-rapidity. Unpolarized cross section results are measured for transverse momenta p_T = 0.5 to 7 GeV/c. Next-to-leading order perturbative quantum chromodynamics calculations are compared with the data, and while the calculations are consistent with the measurements, next-to-leading logarithmic corrections improve the agreement. Double helicity asymmetries A_LL are presented for p_T = 1 to 4 GeV/c and probe the higher range of Bjorken_x of the gluon (x_g) with better statistical precision than our previous measurements at sqrt(s)=200 GeV. These measurements are sensitive to the gluon polarization in the proton for 0.06 < x_g < 0.4.Comment: 387 authors from 63 institutions, 10 pages, 6 figures, 1 table. Submitted to Physical Review D. Plain text data tables for the points plotted in figures for this and previous PHENIX publications are (or will be) publicly available at http://www.phenix.bnl.gov/papers.htm