The Shadow Side of Teaching Classroom as Organization

Classroom as organization (CAO) is an approach at the extreme end of an experiential learning intensity continuum (Sleeth & Brown, 1984). While proponents suggest they would never go back to a teacher-centered classroom, CAO has not become widely adopted since its initial description by Cohen (1976). We argue this is, in part, because of shadow elements that may discourage faculty in both initial adoption and persistence in the journey from novice to master. This article reports the authors reflexive process related to the shadow elements they encountered as early adopters of the CAO methodology. The paper begins with a brief background on CAO, followed by a discussion of shadow elements that manifest at the student and faculty levels. We include our recommendations for practice

Development and Validation of the FSIQ-RMS: A New Patient-Reported Questionnaire to Assess Symptoms and Impacts of Fatigue in Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis

Objectives: A new patient-reported outcome (PRO) instrument to measure fatigue symptoms and impacts in relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) was developed in a qualitative stage, followed by psychometric validation and migration from paper to an electronic format. Methods: Adult patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) were interviewed to elicit fatigue-related symptoms and impacts. A draft questionnaire was debriefed in cognitive interviews with further RRMS patients, and revised. Content confirmation interviews were conducted with patients with progressive-relapsing multiple sclerosis (PRMS) and relapsing secondary-progressive multiple sclerosis (RSPMS). Psychometric analyses used data from adult patients with different RMS subtypes and matched non-RMS controls in a multicenter, observational study. After item reduction, the final instrument was migrated to a smartphone (eDiary) and usability was confirmed in interviews with additional adult RMS patients. Results: The qualitative stage included 37 RRMS, 5 PRMS, and 5 RSPMS patients. Saturation of concepts was reached during concept elicitation. Cognitive interviews confirmed that participants understood the instructions, items, and response options of the instrument—named FSIQ-RMS—as intended. Psychometric validation included 164 RMS and 74 control patients. Internal consistency and test–retest reliability were demonstrated. The symptoms domain discriminated along the RMS symptom-severity continuum and between patients and controls. Patients were able to attribute fatigue-related symptoms to RMS. Usability and conceptual equivalence of the eDiary were confirmed (n = 10 participants). Conclusions: With 7 symptom items and 13 impact items (in 3 impacts subdomains: physical, cognitive and emotional, and coping) after item reduction, the FSIQ-RMS is a comprehensive, valid, and reliable measure of fatigue-related symptoms and impacts in RMS patients

Harm Reduction in West Virginia: Do Needle Exchange Programs Reduce Disease and Decrease Costs?

Needle Exchange Programs (NEP)s were created to help users exchange used needles for new sterile ones and become aware of treatment and rehabilitation options. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of NEPs and their impact on reducing HIV and Hepatitis C infections in West Virginia and decreasing health care costs for the community. Based on studies conducted on the past implementation of needle exchange programs, it is suggested that there has been evidence that closing these programs can have a broad societal impact on the spread of HIV and hepatitis C and the associated costs. In addition, the community consequences of closing one extensive SNP in Charleston, West Virginia, were reported

In or Out? Perceptions of Inclusion and Exclusion Among AIS Members

People want a sense of community, a benefit that a professional association such as the Association for Information Systems (AIS) can provide to members. When attempts to create a shared experience fall short and we feel excluded, we disengage and stop further attempts to participate. In this paper, we lay a foundation for individual and association inclusion practices in the AIS. First, we describe the current state of inclusion practices in the academy and in the AIS. Then, we describe findings from a survey of AIS members that measured their perceptions about inclusion and exclusion and factors that cultivated these perceptions. In doing so, we establish a baseline against which we can measure future change. Our data yields key insights about diversity and inclusion in the AIS, and we offer recommendations for all individuals in various roles and positions in the AIS

Dynamically linking influenza virus infection kinetics, lung injury, inflammation, and disease severity

Influenza viruses cause a significant amount of morbidity and mortality. Understanding host immune control efficacy and how different factors influence lung injury and disease severity are critical. We established and validated dynamical connections between viral loads, infected cells, CD

Editorial

An editorial preface to the 'Digital Training' special issue of the Theatre, Dance and Performance Training, 10(2)

Cognitive impairment, fatigue and depression in multiple sclerosis: Is there a difference between benign and non-benign MS?

INTRODUCTION Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory and degenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS). The severity of disability in people with MS (PwMS) is generally measured with the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). A variant of MS known as 'benign MS' (BMS) has been defined as an EDSS score of 3 or lower, combined with a disease duration of 10 years or longer; however, there is disagreement in the field about whether BMS really exists. Given that the EDSS does not capture cognitive issues, communication dysfunction, fatigue, depression, or anxiety properly, its ability to accurately represent disability in all PwMS, including BMS, remains questionable. METHODS In this study, 141 persons with BMS (PwBMS) were included, consisting of 115 females (82%) and 26 males (18%) with a mean age of 50.8 (±8.68). A computerized test battery (NeuroTrax®) was used to assess cognition, covering seven cognitive domains (memory, executive function, visual-spatial processing, verbal function, attention, information processing, and motor skills). Fatigue was measured using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was used to assess symptoms of depression. Cognitive impairment was defined for this study as when someone has a score lower than 85 in at least two subdomains of the cognitive test battery. Rates of impairment were compared to 158 persons with non-benign MS (PwNBMS; with a disease duration of 10 years and longer and an EDSS score higher than 3) and 487 PwMS with a disease duration of fewer than 10 years. RESULTS Cognitive impairment was found in 38% of PwBMS and in 66% of PwNBMS (p<0.001). In PwBMS, the lowest rate of impairment was found in the verbal function domain (18%) and the highest rate of impairment in the domain of information processing (32%). Fatigue and depression were found in 78% and 55% of all PwBMS, with no difference in these rates between PwBMS and PwNBMS (p = 0.787 and p = 0.316 resp.) CONCLUSION: Cognitive impairment, fatigue and depression are common among people with an EDSS-based definition of benign MS. These aspects should be incorporated into a new and better definition of truly benign MS

Effect of wearing a face mask on hand-to-face contact by children in a simulated school environment: the Back-to-School COVID-19 Simulation Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance Wearing a face mask in school can reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission but it may also lead to increased hand-to-face contact, which in turn could increase infection risk through self-inoculation. Objective To evaluate the effect of wearing a face mask on hand-to-face contact by children while at school. Design, Setting, and Participants This prospective randomized clinical trial randomized students from junior kindergarten to grade 12 at 2 schools in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, during August 2020 in a 1:1 ratio to either a mask or control class during a 2-day school simulation. Classes were video recorded from 4 angles to accurately capture outcomes. Interventions Participants in the mask arm were instructed to bring their own mask and wear it at all times. Students assigned to control classes were not required to mask at any time (grade 4 and lower) or in the classroom where physical distancing could be maintained (grade 5 and up). Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was the number of hand-to-face contacts per student per hour on day 2 of the simulation. Secondary outcomes included hand-to-mucosa contacts and hand-to-nonmucosa contacts. A mixed Poisson regression model was used to derive rate ratios (RRs), adjusted for age and sex with a random intercept for class with bootstrapped 95% CIs. Results A total of 174 students underwent randomization and 171 students (mask group, 50.6% male; control group, 52.4% male) attended school on day 2. The rate of hand-to-face contacts did not differ significantly between the mask and the control groups (88.2 vs 88.7 events per student per hour; RR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.78-1.28; P = >.99). When compared with the control group, the rate of hand-to-mucosa contacts was significantly lower in the mask group (RR, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.07-0.21), while the rate of hand-to-nonmucosa contacts was higher (RR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.08-1.82). Conclusions and Relevance In this clinical trial of simulated school attendance, hand-to-face contacts did not differ among students required to wear face masks vs students not required to wear face masks; however, hand-to-mucosa contracts were lower in the face mask group. This suggests that mask wearing is unlikely to increase infection risk through self-inoculation. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0453125