Improving Writing Quality of Capstone Reports

Abstract-Contributions: The main contribution is to share a series of practical methods that improve the writing quality of capstone reports. Background: The ability to write well is critical to the success of an engineering technology graduate. However, the evidence points to the fact that industries are disappointed with the quality of writing skills graduates demonstrate. Intended Outcomes: A faculty review of capstone reports showed little improvement in writing quality from the first course to the second in a two-semester capstone sequence. Therefore, the instructors explored what actions were needed to improve the writing quality of the capstone reports. Application Design: Several changes in the capstone courses were developed and implemented. The changes included 1) using instructional technology as a scaffolding to help frame the writing required for the course and 2) engaging students in iterative writing with feedback. Findings: The assessment data showed a significant improvement, at the 5% level. The iterative process of writing and rewriting the report, coupled with frequent meetings with faculty mentors, proved to be a powerful combination for improving the writing prowess of the students

A Pilot Study Assessing the Effects of Goal Management Training on Cognitive Functions among Individuals with Major Depressive Disorder and the Effect of Post-Traumatic Symptoms on Response to Intervention

Recent meta-analyses highlight alterations in cognitive functioning among individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD), with performance deficits observed across multiple cognitive domains including executive functioning, memory, and attention. Moreover, impaired concentration is a formal diagnostic criterion for a major depressive episode. Notably, cognitive impairment is reported frequently in MDD and is associated with poor treatment response. Despite this knowledge, research examining the effectiveness of top-down, adjunctive treatments for cognitive dysfunction in MDD remains in its infancy. The primary aim of the present study was to perform a pilot investigation of the implementation of a standardized cognitive remediation program, Goal Management Training (GMT), among individuals with a primary diagnosis of MDD. A secondary aim was to explore how comorbid symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among those MDD patients exposed to trauma may affect treatment response. A final sample of thirty individuals were randomized to either participate in the nine-week GMT program (active group; n = 16) or to complete a nine-week waiting period (waitlist control; n = 14). One participant was excluded from the GMT group analysis following study completion due to meeting an exclusion criteria. In total, 60% of the individuals allocated to the GMT program were trauma exposed (n = 9). Groups were assessed at baseline, post-treatment, and at three-month follow-up. The assessment comprised neuropsychological tasks assessing a variety of cognitive domains, subjective measures of functioning and symptom severity, as well as a clinical interview to establish a primary diagnosis of MDD. Significant gains in processing speed, attention/concentration, and response inhibition were observed for the participants in the GMT condition relative to participants in the waitlist control condition. Individuals in the GMT condition also reported improvements in subjective cognitive functioning from baseline to post-treatment. Heightened PTSD symptom severity was associated with reduced response to treatment with respect to the domain of processing speed. The results of this pilot investigation highlight not only the potential utility of GMT as an augmentative treatment in MDD, but also highlight the contribution of comorbid symptoms of PTSD to diminished treatment response among trauma-exposed individuals with MDD. The study is limited primarily by its small pilot sample and the absence of a program evaluation component to gauge participant opinions and feedback of the treatment protocol

Public safety personnel feedback from a remote trial of Goal Management Training for post-traumatic stress during Covid-19

Purpose: This paper explores participants’ perspectives on the acceptability, utility, and perceived therapeutic effects of a virtual group cognitive remediation program, Goal Management Training (GMT)™, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The advantages and drawbacks of these groups are considered as part of an online research study protocol exploring cognitive remediation among first responders (police, firefighters, paramedics, emergency dispatchers, corrections and parole officers, and nurses) who have been impacted by trauma. Methods: We qualitatively examined the results of an anonymous participant feedback survey collected from 20 first responders who took part in the first round of our online therapy groups. A thematic analysis approach was taken to highlight key themes and recommendations. Results: Survey results indicated that participants found our online protocol effective in terms of group facilitation, the utility of online platforms, and perceived therapeutic effects. Further, some participants preferred participating online versus attending in-person groups. Conclusion: This early data suggests that providing virtual options for research and treatment among trauma-impacted public safety personnel may increase accessibility and overall participation among this population

Early and Prolonged Antiretroviral Therapy Is Associated with an HIV-1-Specific T-Cell Profile Comparable to That of Long-Term Non-Progressors

Background: Intervention with antiretroviral treatment (ART) and control of viral replication at the time of HIV-1 seroconversion may curtail cumulative immunological damage. We have therefore hypothesized that ART maintenance over a very prolonged period in HIV-1 seroconverters could induce an immuno-virological status similar to that of HIV-1 long-term non-progressors (LTNPs).Methodology/Principal Findings: We have investigated a cohort of 20 HIV-1 seroconverters on long-term ART (LTTS) and compared it to one of 15 LTNPs. Residual viral replication and reservoirs in peripheral blood, as measured by cell-associated HIV-1 RNA and DNA, respectively, were demonstrated to be similarly low in both cohorts. These two virologically matched cohorts were then comprehensively analysed by polychromatic flow cytometry for HIV-1-specific CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cell functional profile in terms of cytokine production and cytotoxic capacity using IFN-gamma, IL-2, TNF-alpha production and perforin expression, respectively. Comparable levels of highly polyfunctional HIV-1-specific CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cells were found in LTTS and LTNPs, with low perforin expression on HIV-1-specific CD8+ T-cells, consistent with a polyfunctional/non-cytotoxic profile in a context of low viral burden.Conclusions: Our results indicate that prolonged ART initiated at the time of HIV-1 seroconversion is associated with immuno-virological features which resemble those of LTNPs, strengthening the recent emphasis on the positive impact of early treatment initiation and paving the way for further interventions to promote virological control after treatment interruption

Recovery, rehabilitation and follow-up services following critical illness: an updated UK national cross-sectional survey and progress report

Objective: To comprehensively update and survey the current provision of recovery, rehabilitation and follow-up services for adult critical care patients across the UK. Design: Cross-sectional, self-administered, predominantly closed-question, electronic, online survey. Setting: Institutions providing adult critical care services identified from national databases. Participants: Multiprofessional critical care clinicians delivering services at each site. Results: Responses from 176 UK hospital sites were included (176/242, 72.7%). Inpatient recovery and follow-up services were present at 127/176 (72.2%) sites, adopting multiple formats of delivery and primarily delivered by nurses (n=115/127, 90.6%). Outpatient services ran at 130 sites (73.9%), predominantly as outpatient clinics. Most services (n=108/130, 83.1%) were co-delivered by two or more healthcare professionals, typically nurse/intensive care unit (ICU) physician (n=29/130, 22.3%) or nurse/ICU physician/physiotherapist (n=19/130, 14.6%) teams. Clinical psychology was most frequently lacking from inpatient or outpatient services. Lack of funding was consistently the primary barrier to service provision, with other barriers including logistical and service prioritisation factors indicating that infrastructure and profile for services remain inadequate. Posthospital discharge physical rehabilitation programmes were relatively few (n=31/176, 17.6%), but peer support services were available in nearly half of responding institutions (n=85/176, 48.3%). The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in either increasing, decreasing or reformatting service provision. Future plans for long-term service transformation focus on expansion of current, and establishment of new, outpatient services. Conclusion: Overall, these data demonstrate a proliferation of recovery, follow-up and rehabilitation services for critically ill adults in the past decade across the UK, although service gaps remain suggesting further work is required for guideline implementation. Findings can be used to enhance survivorship for critically ill adults, inform policymakers and commissioners, and provide comparative data and experiential insights for clinicians designing models of care in international healthcare jurisdictions

Documents from the Sophia Smith collection and college archives, Smith College Margaret Sanger papers. Series 2, Documents from the Sophia Smith Collection and college archives, Smith College

Research collections in women's studies Bib 296927

Woman and the New Race

This book is signed by Margaret Sanger, advocate for contraception and one of the founders of organizations that became Planned Parenthood. Sanger worked as a nurse and saw the effect of unwanted pregnancy on women. She threw her energy behind contraceptive education, coining the term birth control, distributing literature, and opening clinics. Sanger was also a firm believer in eugenics and advocated for birth control as a method of achieving this aim. This controversial book reflects her ideal that contraception could be used to eliminate undesirable hereditary traits, thus, in her mind, improving the human race. This view continues to impact her legacy today. She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 31 times. View in Library Cataloghttps://scholarship.law.wm.edu/womenhistorylaw/1023/thumbnail.jp

Margaret Sanger papers. Series 3, Collected documents series

Consists of Sanger documents collected from archives in an international search ... includes Sanger documents of the Library of Congress which were not previously microfilmed by the Library of Congress as well as a small amount of material from the Smith College Collection which was refilmed due to poor image quality or which was added to the collection after microfilming [the first series]. Bib 327202