Campus Mental Health: Implications for Instructors Supporting Students

The recent escalation in student suicides due to mental health problems has encouraged higher education institutions to not only modify their overall support structures, but to also (re)define the role of faculty and staff. Despite the increased attention given to student mental health in Canadian higher education institutions, little is known and understood about how instructors view their role as supporters or promoters of student mental health. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of college instructors in supporting students with mental health problems or illnesses. Participants were 42 instructors between the ages of 25 to 64 from Molize College in Toronto, Ontario. Qualitative ethnography was employed to gather data from participants, specifically through a survey questionnaire and interviews. A constructivist framework was adopted to analyze and understand the values, perceptions, meanings, and practices post-secondary instructors carry around notions of student mental health and intervention. Findings revealed that instructors were generally aware of student mental health concerns in post-secondary institutions, but that greater awareness was still warranted, namely in the areas of instructor mental health and location of support services. Findings also demonstrated that most instructors evaluated their knowledge and confidence in relation to student mental health as poor, which was often credited to limited relevant professional development and training. Additionally, data indicated that instructors carried skepticism towards the role of some student support services departments, as well as towards their own role when supporting the mental health and well-being of students. On a final note, findings revealed that instructors commonly employed four practices to support the mental health and well-being of students: conversation, referral, accommodations, and curricular inclusion and instruction. Future studies are encouraged to acknowledge the narratives of instructors through ethnographic inquiry, to allow for greater insights into their awareness, knowledge/confidence, responsibilities, and practices when it comes to supporting the mental health and well-being of students in higher education settings. Incorporating the instructor may not be a panacea for the shortcomings of current mental health policies and practices in higher education settings, but it can certainly represent a colossal step in that direction. KEYWORDS: student mental health, higher education, instructor

Assessment of genetic parameters of degradability in maize grains due to indentation scores

Maize (Zea mays L.) cultivars with dent grains present higher starch and dry matter ruminal degradability than those with flint grains. This study aimed to assess genetic parameters of degradability in maize grains of different textures and to verify whether there is an association between grain indentation score and ruminal dry matter (RDM) degradability. The evaluated progenies were obtained from the cross between the varieties Cristal (flint) and Cunha (dent), previously selected for grain hardness. Progenies were evaluated for an indentation score using a visual grading scale ranging from 1 (flint) to 5 (dent). To assess the RDM degradability, 5 g were cut into halves, weighed (five grams), stored in bags made of 100% "failet" cloth and incubated for 24 h in the rumen of three ruminally cannulated cows. There was genetic variability for RDM degradability and heritability was 46%, indicating the possibility of success using a selection. There was no association between indentation score and RDM degradability percentage; thus, visual evaluation not always reflects grain hardness per se since it indicates the pericarp aspect but not the endosperm constitution.Cultivares de milho (Zea mays L.) com grãos do tipo dentado possuem maior porcentagem de amido e degradabilidade ruminal da matéria seca do que os com grãos do tipo duro. Estimaram-se parâmetros genéticos da degradabilidade de grãos de milho com diferentes texturas e verificou-se se ocorre associação entre o escore de identação dos grãos visualmente avaliados e a degradabilidade in situ da matéria seca (DISMS). Foram avaliadas progênies oriundas do cruzamento entre a variedade Cristal, de grãos duros, e a variedade Cunha de grãos dentados, previamente selecionadas para a dureza dos grãos. As progênies foram avaliadas com relação ao escore de identação por meio de uma escala visual de notas variando de 1 (duro) a 5 (mole). Para a avaliação da DISMS os grãos foram cortados ao meio, pesados 5 g colocados em saquinhos de tecido "failet" e incubados no rúmen, por 24 h, em três vacas portadoras de cânula ruminal. Há variabilidade genética para a DISMS, com herdabilidade de 46%, indicando ser possível o sucesso com a seleção. Não há associação entre o escore de identação e a porcentagem de DISMS. Assim, a avaliação visual nem sempre reflete a dureza per se dos grãos, pois o que se vê é o aspecto do pericarpo e não a constituição do endosperma

Effect of friction and clearance on kinematics and contact mechanics of dual mobility hip implant.

The dual mobility hip implant has been introduced recently and increasingly used in total hip replacement to maintain the stability and reduce the risk of post-surgery dislocation. However, the kinematics and contact mechanisms of dual mobility hip implants have not been investigated in detail in the literature. Therefore, finite element method was adopted in this study to investigate dynamics and contact mechanics of a typical metal-on-polymer dual mobility hip implant under different friction coefficient ratios between the inner and the outer articulations and clearances/interferences between the ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene liner and the metal back shell. A critical ratio of friction coefficients between the two pairs of contact interfaces was found to mainly determine the rotating surfaces. Furthermore, an initial clearance between the liner and the back shell facilitated the rotation of the liner while an initial interference prevented such a motion at the outer articulating interface. In addition, the contact area and the sliding distance at the outer articulating surface were markedly greater than those at the inner cup-head interface, potentially leading to extensive wear at the outer surface of the liner