Value-Added Modeling: The Challenge of Measuring Educational Outcomes

Provides an overview of value-added modeling, a method of measuring the effectiveness of teachers and schools by tracking student test scores at the beginning and end of the year. Outlines its history, merits, uses for teacher education, and challenges

Grading the General Chemistry Laboratory: A Constructivist Approach.

Constructivist theories of learning posit that instructors cannot transfer their knowledge to students; students must actively construct their own understanding. The Inter-Chem-Net project uses technology and instrumentation to provide an individualized experience within the large general laboratory course, effectively establishing a constructivist methodology. A grading rubric was developed to communicate course expectations and provide an easy and reliable method of evaluating student work in the general chemistry laboratory. The grading rubric separates the learning outcomes into a checklist of skills associated with each particular grade. This checklist provides detailed feedback for individualized choices of experiments, a key component of the Inter-Chem- Net model. Questionnaires were used to evaluate the impact of the grading rubric on the students and teaching assistants. The results were compared to student evaluation data from the previous year\u27s passlfail grading system. Results suggest the rubric helps students navigate course expectations and provides a consistent grading scheme across multiple sections of the course

Murder at the St. Regis

Fiction by Barbara Stewart Zic

The Simple Life

Fiction by Barbara Stewart Zic

Eating and stress at work: The need for public health promotion intervention and an opportunity for food product development?

YesGiven the large proportion of time spent at work, it is surprising that relatively little research has been devoted to understanding food selection in the work place. A growing literature suggests that stress, particularly occupation-related stress, negatively impacts upon food choice and may contribute to population ill health. The consensus is that work stress induces consumption of foods that are high in sugar, fat and salt which are likely to contribute to overweight and have long-term detriment to health. The interaction between stress and eating appears to vary by sex and type of work undertaken. This paper argues an imperative for further longitudinal and intervention research to understand interactions between food choice and stress in the work context with a view to the design of dietary health promotion and the development of nourishing food products targeted at those experiencing stress and which could be made accessible in the work place

Response speed, recall and learning with nonsense-syllable compound stimuli.

PsychologyDoctor of Philosophy (PhD

Case Report: COVID-19 Pneumothorax

Background: As cases of Covid-19 continue to rise, more population subtypes become at risk. Although rare in past years, COVID-19 is becoming more prevalent in children. Last counts obtained show that there are 8,992 cases per 100,000 in children, state hospitalizations rates ranging from 1.7%- 4.0% of their total cumulated hospitalizations with 0.1%-1.9% of all their pediatric COVID-19 cases resulting in hospitalization. As these cases rise, we are still unsure of the immediate or long-term effects in children, and continual observation and documentation of all clinical courses is of the utmost importance. Here, we present an interesting case of a young adolescent male with autism, which has shown to have a connection with abnormal lung architecture, who was diagnosed with COVID-19, followed by pneumothorax, complicated by bullae formation, and producing a vastly complex case not previously reported in the literature. Case Presentations: A 13-year-old autistic male presented hypoxemic and tachypneic to the children’s hospital. History of present illness showed a 4-day history of cough and increasing dyspnea, requiring oxygen at 4 liters/minute at the hospital to maintain appropriate saturations. He subsequently tested positive for COVID-19, requiring treatment with Remdesivir, ceftriaxone, albuterol, and 3% hypertonic saline during his 8-day hospital stay. 15 days after discharge, the child presented back to the children’s hospital with persistent coughing and sharp left inferior-lateral chest pain, with chest x-ray’s displaying multifocal pneumonia and a small left-sided pneumothorax which was treated conservatively. The pain however was not alleviated, and additional imaging with CT showed several bullae, with the largest measuring 7cm x 6cm. This largest bulla was compressing the left diaphragm. Persistent coughing eventually led to the patient experiencing a tension pneumothorax, sending him to the PICU for chest tube placement, which removed over 200mL of air. Follow up Xray showed resolution of the pneumothorax, however the left diaphragm was elevated, and fluoroscopy demonstrated a paralyzed, non-functioning diaphragm. The patient was treated and able to be discharged 8 days later. Discussion & Conclusions: This case displays the drastic effects that can be caused by COVID-19 in the pediatric population. Although children have not been shown to display the same symptoms clinically as adults, we aim to show the urgency and importance of information collection and implementation of standards of care in this population. This case addresses two main issues: the importance of thorough analysis of patients with a comprehensive history, physical, and imaging, as shown here the paralyzed diaphragm and bullae could have potentially been missed leading to further drastic outcomes. Additionally, understanding the compounding effects that genetics may play in the clinical course of children who acquire COVID-19. Anatomic defects connected with autism could have been exacerbated with the COVID-19 diagnosis and played a large part in the formation of this patient’s pneumothorax, bullae, and diaphragm paralysis

From Dream to Reality: Conducting a Thorough Physical Exam With a Cell Phone

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a surge in the utilization of telemedicine as physicians and patients attempt to protect themselves. The art of medicine is rooted in the ability to gather subjective and objective data from patients to make accurate diagnoses and recommendations. We must rely on creativity and innovation to gather this information in the new setting of telehealth in a manner with high consistency and reliability to maintain high-quality patient care. Case Presentation: After gathering a thorough history, we work with the patient’s guardian to systematically view the patient head to toe, perform cardiopulmonary auscultation, and assess exercise tolerance through a functional examination. This method of physical examination allows for teaching to be easily integrated as both attending physician and student are viewing and listening to the same thing at the same time. Just as importantly, this method of examination strengthens the doctor-patient relationship by creating a working partnership with parent and child to gather the information needed for a successful and reliable physical examination. The lack of training physicians have in performing a virtual physical examination is a concern. There is often a perceived barrier to what can be examined virtually, creating a potential disservice to the patient. Here, we present how mobile communication devices (i.e. cellular phones) can act as the sole peripheral device necessary to conduct a thorough history and physical examination as most of these devices now come equipped with a high-quality camera, microphone, and bright light allowing for a general head-to-toe visualization of the patient and auscultation. Conclusion: Technology will continually advance and become more accessible, but what is currently widely available for both the patient and clinician is the mobile communication device. Optimization of the use of technology that is currently available needs to be prioritized. We must also take advantage of the great opportunity we have been presented with to create unique partnerships between physician, guardian, and child that make them a part of their healthcare. These unique working relationships and the opportunity for improved medical teaching are drivers for high-quality healthcare

Eclampsia

1. That the reasons 'why the incidence of eclampsia is higher in South India, than it is in Western countries are probably:- (a) the higher percentage of young primiparae. (b) the greater number of factors, which may precipitate an attack in border line cases of albuminuria.2. That the influence of climate, social conditions and caste is of some importance:— Climate, in that it is enervating and encourages sedentary habits; Social conditions, because of the superstitions and traditions, which consider as an essential part of the confinement, the presence of the untrained barber-woman as midwife-in-chief; Caste, because of the individual caste regulations, which control such conditions as diet, early marriage and its consummation, purdah and education of women.3. That the hope for the future of the young mothers of Southern India lies in the provision of an increased number of accessible ante-natal centres, with well trained health visitors and corporation nurses attached, who may be expected to supersede eventually the untrained Barber, woman class of midwife

Snapshot of RSV

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is known to cause bronchiolitis and other upper respiratory infections (URIs) in children. However, given the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdowns, circulation of other respiratory viruses was uncharacteristically low. Restrictions are quickly falling and with increased interaction there has been an uncharacteristic jump in cases. Purpose: To summarize the pathogenesis of RSV and the mechanisms the virus uses to evade immune responses. Additional discussion of the increased rates of RSV hospitalizations as well as the role of vaccinations in controlling infection