Introducing offlineness: theorizing (digital) literacy engagements

In this Insights essay, we propose a new concept of offlineness that builds on current language around digital practices, yet addresses an element of young people’s experience that is not adequately represented in current research or educational discourse. This work is informed by a recent cross-national arts-based research project that highlighted the limitations of the discourse ascribed to the nature of young people’s engagement with digital literacies. We propose a (re)theorization, which builds on a critical review of current conceptual research and digital commentaries. Theorizing offlineness as a continuum between online and offline practices is tantamount to a paradigm shift toward more nuanced understandings of young people’s digital practices. It offers researchers and educators a more precise way to speak to young people’s digital experiences, providing a productive tool to (re)construct learning and inquiry spaces in literacy research and education

Quality of life assessment in women with breast cancer: benefits, acceptability and utilization

In 2006, breast cancer was the third leading cause of death in American women; however, more women survive breast cancer than any other type of cancer. As the disease progresses, it is important to know how one's health-related quality of life (QOL) is affected for those who receive treatment, those who survive, and those who remain disease-free. The purpose of this study was to summarize the benefits, challenges, and barriers of QOL measurement for female breast cancer patients. A PubMed literature search was conducted using the terms "quality of life" and "breast cancer." The search was then refined with terms related to QOL assessment instruments. The research team reviewed over 100 of the 2,090 articles identified

SYSTEMIC, STAKEHOLDER DRIVEN, SUSTAINED : A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE'S IMPACT ON TEACHER & ADMINISTRATOR PERCEPTION AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

The value of professional development continues to be emphasized on educational and governmental levels. Even as this study was being conducted, the U.S. Department of Education launched a $4.35 billion dollar grant that includes improving teacher effectiveness as a core component of the grant's purpose. While the importance of the professional development of educators is clear, what is less clear is the type of professional development that transforms teaching practices and positively impacts student outcomes.   Evaluations of professional development programs are critical in identifying ways to impact teacher practice and ultimately student outcomes. Guskey (2000) provides a model for evaluating professional development that includes five stages of information collection. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a professional development initiative in one large school system in North Carolina by applying Guskey's model to examining specific elements of the initiative, surveying teacher and administrator perceptions of the initiative, and analyzing trends in student outcomes that occurred during the six year period the initiative was implemented.    A mixed methodology approach combining quantitative and qualitative methods was used. Electronic survey responses from 2,309 teachers and administrators were analyzed quantitatively using frequency distribution statistics, as well as the Fisher's exact test to analyze the relationship of responses between teachers and administrators. Additionally, trends in proficiency student outcome data as well as trends in AYP status were examined during the period the professional development initiative was implemented in the school district. For the qualitative data, open-ended survey responses from 77 principals were analyzed using frequency distribution statistics.    This study corroborated the finding from other research studies in the professional literature that indicate the difficulty of linking professional development to student outcomes. The results of this study also support the literature suggesting that specific elements must be present in order for the professional development to be translated into teaching practice. This study has many implications for school leaders as they plan professional development initiatives. Recommendations for planning, implementing, and evaluating, professional development initiatives are included.  Ed.D

Juegos serios para el tratamiento o la prevención de la depresión: una revisión sistemática

Serious games (computerised interventions which utilise gaming for serious purposes) have been shown to support improved outcomes in several health conditions. We aimed to review evidence regarding serious games for depression. We undertook electronic searches of PsycInfo, EMBASE and Medline, using terms relevant to computer games and depression. We included fulltext articles published in English in peer-reviewed literature since 2000, where the intervention was designed to treat or prevent depression and which included pre-and post-intervention measurement of depression. Nine studies relating to a total of six interventions met inclusion criteria. Most studies were small and were carried out by the developers of the programs. All were tested with young people (ages between 9 and 25 years). Most reported promising results with some positive impact on depression although one universal program had mixed results. Serious gaming interventions show promise for depression, however evidence is currently very limited.Se ha demostrado que los juegos serios (intervenciones computarizadas que utilizan juegos) mejoran los resultados en diferentes problemas de salud. Pretendemos examinar las evidencias de estos juegos para la depresión. Se realizaron búsquedas electrónicas en PsycINFO, EMBASE y Medline usando términos relacionados con juegos de ordenador y depresión. Se incluyeron artículos publicados desde el año 2000, donde se diseñó la intervención para tratar o prevenir la depresión incluyendo medidas pre- y post-intervención. Nueve estudios sobre un total de seis intervenciones cumplieron los criterios de inclusión. La mayoría de estos fueron pequeños y los llevaron a cabo los desarrolladores de los programas. Todos incluían población joven (9 - 25 años). La mayoría presentan resultados prometedores con un impacto positivo sobre la depresión aunque un programa universal tuvo resultados mixtos. Se concluye que las intervenciones basadas en juegos serios son prometedoras para la depresión, aunque la evidencia es todavía muy limitada

Intergenerational Mobility and Goal-Striving Stress Among Black Americans: The Roles of Ethnicity and Nativity Status

Goal-striving stress refers to the psychological consequences of seeking but failing to reach upward mobility and is more common among low-income and people of color. Intergenerational mobility—or improved socioeconomic standing relative to one’s parents—may be an important predictor of goal-striving stress for Blacks. We used the National Survey of American Life to investigate the association between intergenerational mobility and goal-striving stress among U.S.-born African Americans, U.S.-born Caribbean Blacks, and foreign-born Caribbean Blacks. Intergenerational mobility was associated with lower goal-striving stress and U.S.-born African Americans and Caribbean Blacks reported lower goal-striving stress than foreign-born Caribbean Blacks. Goal-striving stress was relatively high among foreign-born Blacks, regardless of level of intergenerational mobility attained. Goal-striving is an important stressor for foreign-born Caribbean Blacks, regardless of their level of educational success. Given increasing Black migration, future studies should disaggregate the Black racial category based on ethnicity and nativity.This study was supported by the National Institute on Aging (P30AG1528) and the Michael J. and Susan Angelides Public Policy Research Fund.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/150677/1/Mouzon Watkins Perry Simpson Mitchell 2019_Intergenerational Mobility and Goal-Striving Stress Among Black Americans The Roles of Ethnicity and Nativity Status.pd

Computerised cognitive behavioural therapy for gender minority adolescents: Analysis of the real-world implementation of SPARX in New Zealand

Objective: SPARX is a form of computerised cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in serious game format funded via the Ministry of Health to be freely available in New Zealand. At registration users identify themselves as male, female, transgender or another option. We aimed to establish whether adolescent transgender users of SPARX, compared to adolescent male and female users, were more likely to have high mental health needs at baseline and were more likely to complete SPARX. We also sought to determine transgender adolescents’ reductions in depressive symptoms after using SPARX. Methods: Quantitative analysis of five years of usage data from the nation-wide delivery of SPARX in New Zealand. Results: There were 9079 adolescents who completed the registration process and used SPARX, 2.3% (n=207) identified as transgender. The majority of transgender registrants (69.0%) completing a baseline Patient Health Questionnaire - modified for Adolescents (PHQ-A) were categorised as having high mental health needs, significantly more so than male and female registrants (p<0.001). Over half of SPARX registrants completed the first module of the program, with subsequently lower proportions of transgender registrants completing Module 4 (p=0.005) and Module 7 (i.e. the last module, p=0.048). Of those registrants completing a baseline and subsequent PHQ-A, both male (n=247) and female (n=630) registrants, on average, had improvements in their scores (2.68 and 3.15 respectively) whereas transgender registrants (n=14) did not (-0.43) (p=0.048). Conclusion: This is the first study describing the impact of an e-therapy on transgender young people. The analysis of data from this free self-help intervention suggests that: transgender adolescents seeking treatment for depression have particularly high mental health needs; and, an existing well tested tool may be less effective for them than it is for others. Taken together the results appear to suggest targeted efforts may be required for transgender adolescents

SERIOUS GAMES FOR THE TREATMENT OR PREVENTION OF DEPRESSION: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Abstract: Serious games (computerised interventions which utilise gaming for serious purposes) have been shown to support improved outcomes in several health conditions. We aimed to review evidence regarding serious games for depression. We undertook electronic searches of PsycInfo, EMBASE and Medline, using terms relevant to computer games and depression. We included fulltext articles published in English in peer-reviewed literature since 2000, where the intervention was designed to treat or prevent depression and which included pre-and post-intervention measurement of depression. Nine studies relating to a total of six interventions met inclusion criteria. Most studies were small and were carried out by the developers of the programs. All were tested with young people (ages between 9 and 25 years). Most reported promising results with some positive impact on depression although one universal program had mixed results. Serious gaming interventions show promise for depression, however evidence is currently very limited. Keywords: Depression; adolescents; computerised CBT; serious gaming; e-therapy. Juegos serios para el tratamiento o la prevención de la depresión: una revisión sistemática Resumen: Se ha demostrado que los juegos serios (intervenciones computarizadas que utilizan juegos) mejoran los resultados en diferentes problemas de salud. Pretendemos examinar las evidencias de estos juegos para la depresión. Se realizaron búsquedas electrónicas en PsycINFO, EMBA-SE y Medline usando términos relacionados con juegos de ordenador y depresión. Se incluyeron artículos publicados desde el año 2000, donde se diseñó la intervención para tratar o prevenir la depresión incluyendo medidas pre-y post-intervención. Nueve estudios sobre un total de seis intervenciones cumplieron los criterios de inclusión. La mayoría de estos fueron pequeños y los llevaron a cabo los desarrolladores de los programas. Todos incluían población joven (9 -25 años). La mayoría presentan resultados prometedores con un impacto positivo sobre la depresión aunque un programa universal tuvo resultados mixtos. Se concluye que las intervenciones basadas en juegos serios son prometedoras para la depresión, aunque la evidencia es todavía muy limitada

Oral flecainide acetate for elimination of ventricular arrhythmias in man

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/24476/1/0000751.pd

The complete genome sequence and comparative genome analysis of the high pathogenicity Yersinia enterocolitica strain 8081

The human enteropathogen, Yersinia enterocolitica, is a significant link in the range of Yersinia pathologies extending from mild gastroenteritis to bubonic plague. Comparison at the genomic level is a key step in our understanding of the genetic basis for this pathogenicity spectrum. Here we report the genome of Y. enterocolitica strain 8081 (serotype 0:8; biotype 1B) and extensive microarray data relating to the genetic diversity of the Y. enterocolitica species. Our analysis reveals that the genome of Y. enterocolitica strain 8081 is a patchwork of horizontally acquired genetic loci, including a plasticity zone of 199 kb containing an extraordinarily high density of virulence genes. Microarray analysis has provided insights into species-specific Y. enterocolitica gene functions and the intraspecies differences between the high, low, and nonpathogenic Y. enterocolitica biotypes. Through comparative genome sequence analysis we provide new information on the evolution of the Yersinia. We identify numerous loci that represent ancestral clusters of genes potentially important in enteric survival and pathogenesis, which have been lost or are in the process of being lost, in the other sequenced Yersinia lineages. Our analysis also highlights large metabolic operons in Y. enterocolitica that are absent in the related enteropathogen, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, indicating major differences in niche and nutrients used within the mammalian gut. These include clusters directing, the production of hydrogenases, tetrathionate respiration, cobalamin synthesis, and propanediol utilisation. Along with ancestral gene clusters, the genome of Y. enterocolitica has revealed species-specific and enteropathogen-specific loci. This has provided important insights into the pathology of this bacterium and, more broadly, into the evolution of the genus. Moreover, wider investigations looking at the patterns of gene loss and gain in the Yersinia have highlighted common themes in the genome evolution of other human enteropathogens

Preventing Depression in Final Year Secondary Students: School-Based Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND: Depression often emerges for the first time during adolescence. There is accumulating evidence that universal depression prevention programs may have the capacity to reduce the impact of depression when delivered in the school environment. OBJECTIVE: This trial investigated the effectiveness of SPARX-R, a gamified online cognitive behavior therapy intervention for the prevention of depression relative to an attention-matched control intervention delivered to students prior to facing a significant stressor-final secondary school exams. It was hypothesized that delivering a prevention intervention in advance of a stressor would reduce depressive symptoms relative to the control group. METHODS: A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted in 10 government schools in Sydney, Australia. Participants were 540 final year secondary students (mean 16.7 [SD 0.51] years), and clusters at the school level were randomly allocated to SPARX-R or the control intervention. Interventions were delivered weekly in 7 modules, each taking approximately 20 to 30 minutes to complete. The primary outcome was symptoms of depression as measured by the Major Depression Inventory. Intention-to-treat analyses were performed. RESULTS: Compared to controls, participants in the SPARX-R condition (n=242) showed significantly reduced depression symptoms relative to the control (n=298) at post-intervention (Cohen d=0.29) and 6 months post-baseline (d=0.21) but not at 18 months post-baseline (d=0.33). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first trial to demonstrate a preventive effect on depressive symptoms prior to a significant and universal stressor in adolescents. It demonstrates that an online intervention delivered in advance of a stressful experience can reduce the impact of such an event on the potential development or exacerbation of depression.This project was supported by an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) project grant 1061072 to HC. HC is supported by an NHMRC John Cade fellowship (1056964). ALC and PJB are supported by NHMRC fellowships 1013199 and 108331