Mentoring as it relates to persistence in associate degree nursing students

Students who are preparing to become registered nurses are more likely to attend community colleges due to the unequal distribution of financial resources to educational systems that have evolved from the impact of globalization. The purpose of this descriptive cross-sectional study was to increase the understanding of mentoring as it relates to the perceived ability to persist among nontraditional students enrolled in associate degree nursing programs at community colleges. This investigation presented a discussion of how student involvement in a mentoring relationship and the domains of mentoring differed by student background characteristics. Additionally, the domains of mentoring and student involvement in a mentoring relationship were explored with the students’ perceived ability to persist. Study participants were administered an online survey, which yielded N = 283. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed using SPSS Version 21 statistical software. The sample characteristics resembled those compiled by the National League of Nursing (2012). Males met with a mentor more frequently per grading period than females. Differences were found between males and females on the measures for psychological/emotional support and academic support. Part-time students and students who were successful in nursing courses met more frequently with a mentor than full-time students and those who failed a nursing course. A significant relationship was found between psychological/emotional support and the existence of a role model. Most often, the person whom the study participants identified as their mentor was a family member. Researchers in nursing education have the opportunity to build a consistent definition of mentoring and a conceptual framework for traditional and nontraditional students enrolled in two- and four-year institutions through the continued exploration of mentoring and how mentoring relates to the perceived ability to persist

LEGAL EDUCATION—OPEN YOUR CASEBOOKS PLEASE: IDENTIFYING OPEN ACCESS ALTERNATIVES TO LANGDELL’S LEGACY

Nonprofits, academic institutions, and educators have collaborated, at all academic levels, to create quality Open Educational Resources (OER) since that term was defined by UNESCO in 2002. These opensource educational materials are in the public domain and published under an open license, meaning that they can be freely copied, used, adapted, and re-shared with the public. They include not only textbooks but supplemental educational materials in various media formats. Their value is such that even federal and state legislatures are taking note and passing laws to incentivize the creation and use of OER in both secondary and higher education. Despite the momentum in academics toward the adoption of open textbooks and supplemental materials, legal academia has been slower to embrace open casebooks. By design, OER offers a great deal of flexibility for educators and the promise of cost savings for academic institutions and students. This paper examines the modern history of casebooks and the OER movement, as well as the various OER platforms ideally suited to create open content for law courses. The authors posit that a greater understanding of OER will give law professors and students a wider range of choice and ownership in course materials

The 6-minute walk test and other endpoints in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: longitudinal natural history observations over 48 weeks from a multicenter study.

IntroductionDuchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) subjects ≥5 years with nonsense mutations were followed for 48 weeks in a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of ataluren. Placebo arm data (N = 57) provided insight into the natural history of the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) and other endpoints.MethodsEvaluations performed every 6 weeks included the 6-minute walk distance (6MWD), timed function tests (TFTs), and quantitative strength using hand-held myometry.ResultsBaseline age (≥7 years), 6MWD, and selected TFT performance are strong predictors of decline in ambulation (Δ6MWD) and time to 10% worsening in 6MWD. A baseline 6MWD of <350 meters was associated with greater functional decline, and loss of ambulation was only seen in those with baseline 6MWD <325 meters. Only 1 of 42 (2.3%) subjects able to stand from supine lost ambulation.ConclusionFindings confirm the clinical meaningfulness of the 6MWD as the most accepted primary clinical endpoint in ambulatory DMD trials

Evolution of dopant-induced helium nanoplasmas

Two-component nanoplasmas generated by strong-field ionization of doped helium nanodroplets are studied in a pump-probe experiment using few-cycle laser pulses in combination with molecular dynamics simulations. High yields of helium ions and a pronounced, droplet size-dependent resonance structure in the pump-probe transients reveal the evolution of the dopant-induced helium nanoplasma. The pump-probe dynamics is interpreted in terms of strong inner ionization by the pump pulse and resonant heating by the probe pulse which controls the final charge states detected via the frustration of electron-ion recombination

Metabolic characteristics of human hearts preserved for 12 hours by static storage, antegrade perfusion, or retrograde coronary sinus perfusion

ObjectiveMachine perfusion of donor hearts is a promising strategy to increase the donor pool. Antegrade perfusion is effective but can lead to aortic valve incompetence and nonnutrient flow. Experience with retrograde coronary sinus perfusion of donor hearts has been limited. We tested the hypothesis that retrograde perfusion could support myocardial metabolism over an extended donor ischemic interval.MethodsHuman hearts from donors that were rejected or not offered for transplantation were preserved for 12 hours in University of Wisconsin Machine Perfusion Solution by: (1) static hypothermic storage; (2) hypothermic antegrade machine perfusion; or (3) hypothermic retrograde machine perfusion. Myocardial oxygen consumption (MVO2), and lactate accumulation were measured. Ventricular tissue was collected for proton and phosphorus 31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to evaluate the metabolic state of the myocardium. Myocardial water content was determined at the end of the experiment.ResultsStable perfusion parameters were maintained throughout the perfusion period with both perfusion techniques. Lactate/alanine ratios were lower in perfused hearts compared with static hearts (P < .001). Lactate accumulation (antegrade 2.0 ± 0.7 mM, retrograde 1.7 ± 0.1 mM) and MVO2 (antegrade 0.25 ± 0.2 mL, retrograde 0.26 ± 0.3 mL O2/min/100 g) were similar in machine-perfused groups. High-energy phosphates were better preserved in both perfused groups (P < .05). Left ventricular myocardial water content was increased in retrograde perfused hearts (80.2 ± 0.8%) compared with both antegrade perfused hearts (76.6 ± 0.8%, P = .02) and static storage hearts (76.7 ± 1%, P = .02).ConclusionsMachine perfusion by either the antegrade or the retrograde technique can support myocardial metabolism over long intervals. Machine perfusion seems promising for long-term preservation of human donor hearts

The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and its use for the identification of fireball fragmentation

We propose an application of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for rapidity distributions of individual events in ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions. The test is particularly suitable to recognise non-statistical differences between the events. Thus when applied to a narrow centrality class it could indicate differences between events which would not be expected if all events evolve according to the same scenario. In particular, as an example we assume here a possible fragmentation of the fireball into smaller pieces at the quark/hadron phase transition. Quantitative studies are performed with a Monte Carlo model capable of simulating such a distribution of hadrons. We conclude that the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test is a very powerful tool for the identification of the fragmentation process.Comment: 9 pages, 10 figure

Orchestrating Tuple-based Languages

The World Wide Web can be thought of as a global computing architecture supporting the deployment of distributed networked applications. Currently, such applications can be programmed by resorting mainly to two distinct paradigms: one devised for orchestrating distributed services, and the other designed for coordinating distributed (possibly mobile) agents. In this paper, the issue of designing a pro- gramming language aiming at reconciling orchestration and coordination is investigated. Taking as starting point the orchestration calculus Orc and the tuple-based coordination language Klaim, a new formalism is introduced combining concepts and primitives of the original calculi. To demonstrate feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed approach, a prototype implementation of the new formalism is described and it is then used to tackle a case study dealing with a simplified but realistic electronic marketplace, where a number of on-line stores allow client applications to access information about their goods and to place orders

Genetic Differences in Dorsal Hippocampus Acetylcholinesterase Activity Predict Contextual Fear Learning Across Inbred Mouse Strains.

Learning is a critical behavioral process that is influenced by many neurobiological systems. We and others have reported that acetylcholinergic signaling plays a vital role in learning capabilities, and it is especially important for contextual fear learning. Since cholinergic signaling is affected by genetic background, we examined the genetic relationship between activity levels of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), the primary enzyme involved in the acetylcholine metabolism, and learning using a panel of 20 inbred mouse strains. We measured conditioned fear behavior and AChE activity in the dorsal hippocampus, ventral hippocampus, and cerebellum. Acetylcholinesterase activity varied among inbred mouse strains in all three brain regions, and there were significant inter-strain differences in contextual and cued fear conditioning. There was an inverse correlation between fear conditioning outcomes and AChE levels in the dorsal hippocampus. In contrast, the ventral hippocampus and cerebellum AChE levels were not correlated with fear conditioning outcomes. These findings strengthen the link between acetylcholine activity in the dorsal hippocampus and learning, and they also support the premise that the dorsal hippocampus and ventral hippocampus are functionally discrete

Nutrition support in cancer patients: a brief review and suggestion for standard indications criteria

The indications of nutrition support in cancer patients have been subject to controversy. Most studies address the effects of the method in increasing the survival or the tumor response rate. Few studies have focused on the effects in improving quality of life. After a brief review, we described the results of a study, which evaluated the effects of protein-caloric supplementation on the quality of life parameters in a group of head and neck cancer patients submitted to radiotherapy. The results support the suggestion of creating standard criteria to indicate nutrition support in cancer patients. Based on our findings, nutrition support should be indicated for cancer patients considering the potential effects to improve the quality of life