Finding the Silver Lining: How Positive Psychology Can Help You Use Critical Feedback to Flourish

We all need feedback to grow professionally and improve our skills. Our cognitive biases and limited perspective mean it is imperative that we draw on others to help us see what we cannot, and point us to new strategies to achieve our goals. But, even if you agree with that sentiment, you might find it emotionally wrenching to hear that your work falls short or could be improved: many of us avoid or reject beneficial, but critical, feedback. And, sometimes negative feedback is inexpertly delivered, making it even harder to hear. Positive psychology aims to help people flourish; while it’s sometimes hard to remember this, critical feedback is usually intended to promote flourishing, too. This capstone describes a model for thinking about how to flourish from feedback. It provides tools which can be used to make us more receptive to feedback and influence our feedback environment; these same tools can be used to prepare for, engage in, and process feedback conversations. Finally, the model offers guidance for selecting the right tools to help everyone reap the benefits that can come from hearing the wisdom that others can share with us

An Examination of the Requirements and Preparation Required forTubists Desiring a Career in the Military, with Emphasis on Premier Band Auditions

The purpose of this research was to explore the differences between the various military bands in the United States with respect to tuba players. Fourteen military tuba players were interviewed. Based on their responses, each branch’s similarities and differences are presented. The research then focuses specifically on the audition process for premier band tuba players. These positions are highly coveted; yet they are not ideal for everyone. A survey was sent to all of the current and a number of prior service premier band tuba players asking them to list important band excerpts for tubists to know for military band auditions. Ten excerpts from that lists are then presented along with suggestions for their proper preparation and performance

From Eminence to Preeminence: Developing Resilience and Well-being for Penn Law Students

Lawyers are known to suffer from an increased risk of substance abuse and mental health issues. There is evidence that symptoms of these issues may arise years earlier in law school where students often suffer from psychological distress, anxiety, and alienation. The Penn Law Center on Professionalism (COP) seeks to help students at the University of Pennsylvania Law School better navigate law school and their transition into the workforce by increasing their resilience, confidence, and engagement. Informed by current psychological literature, we have proposed four positive interventions to help Penn Law students reinterpret and manage stress, more objectively assess their current situation, and bolster their intrinsic motivation. We recommend a brief social-belonging letter writing intervention, a mindfulness and mindset workshop, a workshop exploring explanatory styles and resilience, and a poster campaign aimed at addressing imposter syndrome. We suggest measuring results through mixed qualitative and quantitative metrics. We believe that developing these skills will enable students to flourish both in law school and in their future careers

The ‘microflora hypothesis’ of allergic diseases

Increasingly, epidemiologic and clinical data support the hypothesis that perturbations in the gastrointestinal (GI) microbiota because of antibiotic use and dietary differences in ‘industrialized’ countries have disrupted the normal microbiota-mediated mechanisms of immunological tolerance in the mucosa, leading to an increase in the incidence of allergic airway disease. The data supporting this ‘microflora hypothesis’ includes correlations between allergic airway disease and (1) antibiotic use early in life, (2) altered fecal microbiota and (3) dietary changes over the past two decades. Our laboratory has recently demonstrated that mice can develop allergic airway responses to allergens if their endogenous microbiota is altered at the time of first allergen exposure. These experimental and clinical observations are consistent with other studies demonstrating that the endogenous microbiota plays a significant role in shaping the development of the immune system. Data are beginning to accumulate that a ‘balanced’ microbiota plays a positive role in maintaining mucosal immunologic tolerance long after post-natal development. Other studies have demonstrated that even small volumes delivered to the nasopharynx largely end up in the GI tract, suggesting that airway tolerance and oral tolerance may operate simultaneously. The mechanism of microbiota modulation of host immunity is not known; however, host and microbial oxylipins are one potential set of immunomodulatory molecules that may control mucosal tolerance. The cumulative data are beginning to support the notion that probiotic and prebiotic strategies be considered for patients coming off of antibiotic therapy.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/73451/1/j.1365-2222.2005.02379.x.pd

Expert consensus document: The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on the definition and scope of prebiotics

In December 2016, a panel of experts in microbiology, nutrition and clinical research was convened by the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics to review the definition and scope of prebiotics. Consistent with the original embodiment of prebiotics, but aware of the latest scientific and clinical developments, the panel updated the definition of a prebiotic: a substrate that is selectively utilized by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit. This definition expands the concept of prebiotics to possibly include non-carbohydrate substances, applications to body sites other than the gastrointestinal tract, and diverse categories other than food. The requirement for selective microbiota-mediated mechanisms was retained. Beneficial health effects must be documented for a substance to be considered a prebiotic. The consensus definition applies also to prebiotics for use by animals, in which microbiota-focused strategies to maintain health and prevent disease is as relevant as for humans. Ultimately, the goal of this Consensus Statement is to engender appropriate use of the term ‘prebiotic’ by relevant stakeholders so that consistency and clarity can be achieved in research reports, product marketing and regulatory oversight of the category. To this end, we have reviewed several aspects of prebiotic science including its development, health benefits and legislation