Nonprofit Marketing Education in the United States: An Examination and Interpretation of the Prevalance and Nature of Curriculum

The nonprofit sector is a large, growing, and essential part of the United States economy. There is a history of inspired ideas and complex change in the nonprofit sector that marketing educators and business school administrators must understand if they are to be leaders in the continuing evolution of nonprofit marketing education. This manuscript includes a summarized historical perspective, a selective review of literature from existing nonprofit management and marketing education, a discussion of relevant contemporary issues for consideration, and mixed-method research results regarding the prevalence and nature of nonprofit marketing education. The mixed-method research strategy includes three phases; the first is quantitative, followed by two qualitative phases. The research results reveal four distinct themes that contribute new information to the practice of nonprofit marketing education: 1) undergraduate and graduate programs have similar curricula, but should be different so each is focused and delivered based on their respective experiences and outlooks while complementing business school realities; 2) the general tone of curricula elements and project work is often altruistic, and as a consequence is not effective in preparing undergraduate and graduate students to meet the marketing challenges unique to the nonprofit sector; 3) certificate programs in nonprofit marketing are few and represent a unique and untapped area of opportunity for business schools to leverage existing resources and provide a needed service for existing nonprofit employees with little or no marketing education; and 4) the lack of uniform and clear terminology related to or associated with nonprofit marketing hampers the ability of faculty members to reach educational objectives on behalf of their students. This manuscript concludes with discussion, interpretations, and recommendations to guide and further evolve curricula for nonprofit marketing education in the United States

Statistikplattform Bodensee. Verkehr

Thurgau, TWI, Bodensee, Verkehr

Exploring the Most Visible German Websites on Melanoma Immunotherapy: A Web-Based Analysis

Background: Patients diagnosed with melanoma frequently search the internet for treatment information, including novel and complex immunotherapy. However, health literacy is limited among half of the German population, and no assessment of websites on melanoma treatment has been performed so far. Objective: The aim of this study was to identify and assess the most visible websites in German language on melanoma immunotherapy. Methods: In accordance with the common Web-based information-seeking behavior of patients with cancer, the first 20 hits on Google, Yahoo, and Bing were searched for combinations of German synonyms for “melanoma” and “immunotherapy” in July 2017. Websites that met our predefined eligibility criteria were considered for assessment. Three reviewers independently assessed their quality by using the established DISCERN tool and by checking the presence of quality certification. Usability and reliability were evaluated by the LIDA tool and understandability by the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT). The Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES) was calculated to estimate the readability. The ALEXA and SISTRIX tools were used to investigate the websites’ popularity and visibility. The interrater agreement was determined by calculating Cronbach alpha. Subgroup differences were identified by t test, U test, or one-way analysis of variance. Results: Of 480 hits, 45 single websites from 30 domains were assessed. Only 2 website domains displayed a German quality certification. The average assessment scores, mean (SD), were as follows: DISCERN, 48 (7.6); LIDA (usability), 40 (2.0); LIDA (reliability), 10 (1.6); PEMAT, 69% (16%); and FRES, 17 (14), indicating mediocre quality, good usability, and understandability but low reliability and an even very low readability of the included individual websites. SISTRIX scores ranged from 0 to 6872 and ALEXA scores ranged from 17 to 192,675, indicating heterogeneity of the visibility and popularity of German website domains providing information on melanoma immunotherapy. Conclusions: Optimization of the most accessible German websites on melanoma immunotherapy is desirable. Especially, simplification of the readability of information and further adaption to reliability criteria are required to support the education of patients with melanoma and laypersons, and to enhance transparency

Are YouTube videos on cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma a useful and reliable source for patients?

A variety of new treatment options for skin cancer patients drives the need for information and education, which is increasingly met by videos and websites [1, 2]. However, distinguishing between high- and low-quality content becomes more difficult as the number of videos increases. Recently, videos addressing patients with melanoma or basal cell carcinoma (BCC) were found to be of predominantly mediocre quality and poor reliability [3, 4]. Until now, no evaluation of videos on cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) has been performed. Furthermore, no patient guideline currently exists for this entity [5–7]. Therefore, we aimed to systematically identify and evaluate videos on cSCC, the worldwide second most common type of skin cancer after BCC [8]. Our results will contribute to shared decision-making and help physicians and patients to select high-quality videos

Assessment of the Quality, Understandability, and Reliability of YouTube Videos as a Source of Information on Basal Cell Carcinoma: Web-Based Analysis

Background: Patients with skin cancer increasingly watch online videos to acquire disease-related information. Until now, no scientific evaluation of the quality of videos available for German-speaking patients with basal cell carcinoma (BCC) has been performed. Objective: In this study, we aimed to identify and evaluate videos about BCC provided on YouTube. Methods: A video search on YouTube was conducted in July 2020, using German BCC-related keywords (eg, “Basalzellkarzinom,” “Basaliom,” “weißer hautkrebs,” and “heller hautkrebs”). The first three pages (ie, 60 videos) were searched by two independent researchers for each keyword. Two authors evaluated videos that met the predefined eligibility criteria. The quality of the information of the videos was evaluated using the DISCERN tool and the Global Quality Scale (GQS). The understandability and actionability were assessed with the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Audiovisual Materials (PEMAT-A/V). The reliability was assessed with the JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) criteria score. Subgroup differences were identified using the Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: A total of 41 videos were included in the evaluation. The mean assessment scores were as follows: DISCERN, 3.3 (SD 0.80); GQS, 3.8 (SD 1.1); JAMA, 27.74% (SD 22.1%); understandability, 70.8% (SD 13.3%); and actionability, 45.9% (SD 43.7%). These values indicated that the videos were of medium to good quality and had good understandability, low actionability, and poor reliability. The quality of videos provided by health professionals was significantly higher than that of videos provided by laypersons. Conclusions: Optimization of health-related videos about BCC is desirable. In particular, adaptation to reliability criteria is necessary to support patient education and increase transparency

Diesel Exhaust Particle (DEP)-induced glucose intolerance is driven by an intestinal innate immune response and NLRP3 activation in mice

BACKGROUND We previously found that air pollution particles reaching the gastrointestinal tract elicit gut inflammation as shown by up-regulated gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and monocyte/macrophage markers. This inflammatory response was associated with beta-cell dysfunction and glucose intolerance. So far, it remains unclear whether gut inflammatory changes upon oral air pollution exposure are causally linked to the development of diabetes. Hence, our aim was to assess the role of immune cells in mediating glucose intolerance instigated by orally administered air pollutants. METHODS To assess immune-mediated mechanisms underlying air pollution-induced glucose intolerance, we administered diesel exhaust particles (DEP; NIST 1650b, 12 µg five days/week) or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) via gavage for up to 10 months to wild-type mice and mice with genetic or pharmacological depletion of innate or adaptive immune cells. We performed unbiased RNA-sequencing of intestinal macrophages to elucidate signaling pathways that could be pharmacologically targeted and applied an in vitro approach to confirm these pathways. RESULTS Oral exposure to air pollution particles induced an interferon and inflammatory signature in colon macrophages together with a decrease of CCR2$^{-}$ anti-inflammatory/resident macrophages. Depletion of macrophages, NLRP3 or IL-1β protected mice from air pollution-induced glucose intolerance. On the contrary, Rag2-/- mice lacking adaptive immune cells developed pronounced gut inflammation and glucose intolerance upon oral DEP exposure. CONCLUSION In mice, oral exposure to air pollution particles triggers an immune-mediated response in intestinal macrophages that contributes to the development of a diabetes-like phenotype. These findings point towards new pharmacologic targets in diabetes instigated by air pollution particles

Evaluation of Integrated Community Case Management in Eight Districts of Central Uganda

Objective Evidence is limited on whether Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM) improves treatment coverage of the top causes of childhood mortality (acute respiratory illnesses (ARI), diarrhoea and malaria). The coverage impact of iCCM in Central Uganda was evaluated. Methods Between July 2010 and December 2012 a pre-post quasi-experimental study in eight districts with iCCM was conducted; 3 districts without iCCM served as controls. A two-stage household cluster survey at baseline (n = 1036 and 1042) and end line (n = 3890 and 3844) was done in the intervention and comparison groups respectively. Changes in treatment coverage and timeliness were assessed using difference in differences analysis (DID). Mortality impact was modelled using the Lives Saved Tool. Findings 5,586 Village Health Team members delivered 1,907,746 treatments to children under age five. Use of oral rehydration solution (ORS) and zinc treatment of diarrhoea increased in the intervention area, while there was a decrease in the comparison area (DID = 22.9, p = 0.001). Due to national stock-outs of amoxicillin, there was a decrease in antibiotic treatment for ARI in both areas; however, the decrease was significantly greater in the comparison area (DID = 5.18; p<0.001). There was a greater increase in Artemisinin Combination Therapy treatment for fever in the intervention areas than in the comparison area but this was not significant (DID = 1.57, p = 0.105). In the intervention area, timeliness of treatments for fever and ARI increased significantly higher in the intervention area than in the comparison area (DID = 2.12, p = 0.029 and 7.95, p<0.001, respectively). An estimated 106 lives were saved in the intervention area while 611 lives were lost in the comparison area. Conclusion iCCM significantly increased treatment coverage for diarrhoea and fever, mitigated the effect of national stock outs of amoxicillin on ARI treatment, improved timeliness of treatments for fever and ARI and saved lives

Tebentafusp in Patients with Metastatic Uveal Melanoma: A Real-Life Retrospective Multicenter Study

Background: Tebentafusp has recently been approved for the treatment of metastatic uveal melanoma (mUM) after proving to have survival benefits in a first-line setting. Patients and Methods: This retrospective, multicenter study analyzed the outcomes and safety of tebentafusp therapy in 78 patients with mUM. Results: Patients treated with tebentafusp had a median PFS of 3 months (95% CI 2.7 to 3.3) and a median OS of 22 months (95% CI 10.6 to 33.4). In contrast to a published Phase 3 study, our cohort had a higher rate of patients with elevated LDH (65.4% vs. 35.7%) and included patients with prior systemic and local ablative therapies. In patients treated with tebentafusp following ICI, there was a trend for a longer median OS (28 months, 95% CI 26.9 to 29.1) compared to the inverse treatment sequence (24 months, 95% CI 13.0 to 35.0, p = 0.257). The most common treatment-related adverse events were cytokine release syndrome in 71.2% and skin toxicity in 53.8% of patients. Tumor lysis syndrome occurred in one patient. Conclusions: Data from this real-life cohort showed a median PFS/OS similar to published Phase 3 trial data. Treatment with ICI followed by tebentafusp may result in longer PFS/OS compared to the inverse treatment sequence

Lung versus gut exposure to air pollution particles differentially affect metabolic health in mice

BACKGROUND Air pollution has emerged as an unexpected risk factor for diabetes. However, the mechanism behind remains ill-defined. So far, the lung has been considered as the main target organ of air pollution. In contrast, the gut has received little scientific attention. Since air pollution particles can reach the gut after mucociliary clearance from the lungs and through contaminated food, our aim was to assess whether exposure deposition of air pollution particles in the lung or the gut drive metabolic dysfunction in mice. METHODS To study the effects of gut versus lung exposure, we exposed mice on standard diet to diesel exhaust particles (DEP; NIST 1650b), particulate matter (PM; NIST 1649b) or phosphate-buffered saline by either intratracheal instillation (30 µg 2 days/week) or gavage (12 µg 5 days/week) over at least 3 months (total dose of 60 µg/week for both administration routes, equivalent to a daily inhalation exposure in humans of 160 µg/m$^{3}$ PM$_{2.5}$) and monitored metabolic parameters and tissue changes. Additionally, we tested the impact of the exposure route in a "prestressed" condition (high-fat diet (HFD) and streptozotocin (STZ)). RESULTS Mice on standard diet exposed to particulate air pollutants by intratracheal instillation developed lung inflammation. While both lung and gut exposure resulted in increased liver lipids, glucose intolerance and impaired insulin secretion was only observed in mice exposed to particles by gavage. Gavage with DEP created an inflammatory milieu in the gut as shown by up-regulated gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and monocyte/macrophage markers. In contrast, liver and adipose inflammation markers were not increased. Beta-cell secretory capacity was impaired on a functional level, most likely induced by the inflammatory milieu in the gut, and not due to beta-cell loss. The differential metabolic effects of lung and gut exposures were confirmed in a "prestressed" HFD/STZ model. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that separate lung and gut exposures to air pollution particles lead to distinct metabolic outcomes in mice. Both exposure routes elevate liver lipids, while gut exposure to particulate air pollutants specifically impairs beta-cell secretory capacity, potentially instigated by an inflammatory milieu in the gut

Morphology, processes and geohazards of giant landslides in and around Agadir Canyon, northwest Africa - Cruise MSM32 - September 25 - October 30, 2013 - Bremen (Germany) - Cádiz (Spain)

Agadir Canyon is one of the largest submarine canyons in the World, supplying giant submarine sediment gravity flows to the Agadir Basin and the wider Moroccan Turbidite System. While the Moroccan Turbidite System is extremely well investigated, almost no data from the source region, i.e. the Agadir Canyon, are available. Understanding why some submarine landslides remain as coherent blocks of sediment throughout their passage downslope, while others mix and disintegrate almost immediately after initial failure, is a major scientific challenge, which was addressed in the Agadir Canyon source region during Cruise MSM32. We collected ~ 1500 km of seismic 2D-lines in combination with a dense net of hydroacoustic data. About 1000 km2 of sea floor were imaged during three deployments of TOBI (deep-towed sidescan sonar operated by the National Oceanography Centre Southampton). A total of 186 m of gravity cores and several giant box cores were recovered at more than 50 stations. CTD casts were collected at nine stations including one 13 hour Yo-yo CTD. The new data show that Agadir canyon is the source area of the world's largest submarine sediment flow, which occurred about 60,000 years ago. Up to 160 km3 of sediment was transported to the deep ocean in a single catastrophic event. For the first time, sediment flows of this scale have been tracked along their entire flow pathway. A major landslide area was identified south of Agadir Canyon. Landslide material enters Agadir canyon in about 2500 m water depth; the material is transported as debrite for at least another 200 km down the canyon. Initial data suggest that the last major slide from this source entered Agadir canyon at least 130,000 years ago. Living deep-water corals were recovered from a large mound field north of Agadir canyon. To our knowledge, these are the first living cold water corals recovered off the coast of Morocco (except for the Gulf of Cadiz). They represent an important link between the known cold-water coral provinces off Mauritania and in the Gulf of Cádiz