Teaching critical race media literacy through Black historical narratives

On the 400th anniversary of American enslavement the New York Times (NYT) 1619 project launched an interactive digital experience including a popular podcast centering the contributions and narratives of Black Americans. This study sought to understand how HBCU students responded to learning Black music history through what we term a “pop culture podcast.” This study explored the ways in which this particular podcast could support the development of Critical Race Media Literacy (CRML) based on a media discourse at a Historically Black College/University (HBCU). This study employed survey research and focus group discussions with HBCU students in two courses. The study found that by having students recognize and challenge the dominant narratives, pop culture podcasts focused on Black narratives can be utilized to help students develop Critical Race Media Literacy. While students indicated a stronger preference for learning through podcasts, there was no difference in the amount of knowledge attained through either platform (print vs podcast). Further, Finally, the authors outline key considerations for educators interested in using podcasts to teach Black history

Community schools: effectiveness of addressing barriers to education in suburban communities

Over the years, the once thought of as stable suburban community has seen a significant increase in poverty and homelessness which has impacted students in similar ways as it has students in urban area schools and has resulted in the implementation of community school programs. According to Pew Research Center in 2020, there were 37.2 million people living in poverty, 16.2 million live in the suburbs, 15.1 million reside in urban communities – and collectively 11.6 million are minors. Community school programs have grown in popularity as an intervention in urban communities to address challenges that students have encountered which create barriers to education. Commonly identified barriers are the lack of affordable housing, transportation, behavior and mental health conditions, sense of belonging, academic enhancements, along with bullying and living in unsafe neighborhoods. These programs seek to address those barriers by promoting equity within the school through the creation of an inclusive environment – a community, which ensures that students, families, and school staff have access to resources necessary to overcome barriers and develop a healthy norm in and out of the classroom. There is limited research regarding the student outcomes of community schools in suburban communities. This qualitative study helps fill the gap by examining a suburban area community school program to identify its effectiveness in addressing student outcomes by interviewing ten program constituents. The study resulted three themes: educational resources, access to resources, and social emotional learning skills

Melanophore migration and survival during zebrafish adult pigment stripe development require the immunoglobulin superfamily adhesion molecule Igsf11.

The zebrafish adult pigment pattern has emerged as a useful model for understanding the development and evolution of adult form as well as pattern-forming mechanisms more generally. In this species, a series of horizontal melanophore stripes arises during the larval-to-adult transformation, but the genetic and cellular bases for stripe formation remain largely unknown. Here, we show that the seurat mutant phenotype, consisting of an irregular spotted pattern, arises from lesions in the gene encoding Immunoglobulin superfamily member 11 (Igsf11). We find that Igsf11 is expressed by melanophores and their precursors, and we demonstrate by cell transplantation and genetic rescue that igsf11 functions autonomously to this lineage in promoting adult stripe development. Further analyses of cell behaviors in vitro, in vivo, and in explant cultures ex vivo demonstrate that Igsf11 mediates adhesive interactions and that mutants for igsf11 exhibit defects in both the migration and survival of melanophores and their precursors. These findings identify the first in vivo requirements for igsf11 as well as the first instance of an immunoglobulin superfamily member functioning in pigment cell development and patterning. Our results provide new insights into adult pigment pattern morphogenesis and how cellular interactions mediate pattern formation

Exploring the Relationship Between COVID-19 Unit Designation and Nurse Burnout Syndrome

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted healthcare due to surges in infected patient and respiratory failure. Nursing burnout syndrome (NBS) results from occupational factors leading to mental health problems. Nurses working in intensive care units (ICUs) dedicated to caring for COVID-19infected individuals may be even more susceptible to NBS due to increased burdens of futile care delivery and high mortality rates within overstretched healthcare systems. Identifying socio-demographic, work-related, and psychological predictors of NBS may help organizations mitigate, or at least minimize, the negative psychological impact on ICU nurses working during future pandemics. Purpose/Aims: The aim of this study was to compare burnout levels in ICU nurses providing direct care to COVID infected patients with nurses caring for non-COVID infected patients. Methods: An observational descriptive study was conducted using 1) a case-controlled prospective quantitative comparative design to compare neonatal and pediatric ICU to cardiac and medical ICU survey scores measuring nurse burnout, work-related, and psychological predictors of NBS and 2) across-sectional longitudinal quantitative causal and comparative study design comparing NBS scores for nurses working in a cardiac and medical ICU captured in 2019 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic to scores captured in the same units after conversion to dedicated COVID-19 ICUs in 2020. This study will explore the relationship between three subscales(Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, and Personal Accomplishment) of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) as outcome variables and exposure to COVID-19 infected patients during 12-hour shifts worked as explanatory variables in a subset regression model. The study will also measure four subscales (Vocation, Finances, Health, and Social Relationships) associated with post-traumatic stress disorder using the Well Being Instrument(WBI) as control variables. A convenience sample of direct care registered nurses working in four ICUs in a large tertiary care hospital will be recruited to participate in the study. Female nurses working day shifts were surveyed in February and March 2019in two ICUs. In November 2020, four ICUs were used for sampling of both male and female nurses working either day or night 12-hour shifts based on designation as COVID-19 ICUs. Results: Researchers hypothesize burnout scores among nurses working in neonatal and pediatric ICUs will be less than burnout scores for nurses working in designated COVID ICUs. Additionally, investigators hypothesize nurse burnout measured in cardiac and medical ICUs in 2019 will be less than measurements obtained in 2020 after the same ICUs converted into COVID ICUs. This study will also analyze participant socio-demographic and work-related data for psychological predictors of NBS. Conclusion: NBS has been identified as a global problem facing ICU clinicians. Pinpointing associations betweenCOVID-19 infection and nurse burnout may lead to innovative strategies to mitigate burnout in those caring for the most critically ill individuals during future pandemics. Implications for practice: Further research is required to establish relationships between socio-demographic and work-related psychological predictors of NBS. Understanding relationships between these variables may guide development of strategies to build nurse resilience and decrease NBS in ICU settings impacted during pandemics.https://digitalcommons.psjhealth.org/prov_rn_conf_all/1009/thumbnail.jp

Dietitians' experiences of providing oral health promotion to clients with an eating disorder : a qualitative study

(1) Background: Eating disorders (EDs) can seriously impact oral health, leading to irreversible dental damage. Dietitians play a key role in the care of people with an ED and are well-placed to promote oral health. However, there is currently little understanding of how dietitians perceive their role in this space. This study aimed to explore the perceptions and role of dietitians in providing oral health promotion to their clients in an ED clinical setting. (2) Methods: This descriptive qualitative study used semi-structured interviews to explore the perceptions of 14 registered dietitians practicing across seven states in Australia. Participants were recruited using a combination of purposive and snowball sampling. A hybrid thematic analysis approach was undertaken to identify and describe the key themes generated from the data. (3) Results: Generally, dietitians were insightful and knowledgeable of the oral health issues that clients with an ED may be experiencing. However, dietitians’ practices across education, screening, and referrals were inconsistent. Challenges such as inadequate training, unknown referral pathways, and clear guidelines were cited as significant barriers to practice. (4) Conclusions: The results reinforce the need for education and the development of targeted strategies that address challenges to oral health promotion in dietetic practice

Measuring Alphavirus Fidelity Using Non-Infectious Virus Particles

Mutations are incorporated into the genomes of RNA viruses at an optimal frequency and altering this precise frequency has been proposed as a strategy to create live-attenuated vaccines. However, determining the effect of specific mutations that alter fidelity has been difficult because of the rapid selection of the virus population during replication. By deleting residues of the structural polyprotein PE2 cleavage site, E3∆56-59, in Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) TC-83 vaccine strain, non-infectious virus particles were used to assess the effect of single mutations on mutation frequency without the interference of selection that results from multiple replication cycles. Next-generation sequencing analysis revealed a significantly lower frequency of transversion mutations and overall mutation frequency for the fidelity mutants compared to VEEV TC-83 E3∆56-59. We demonstrate that deletion of the PE2 cleavage site halts virus infection while making the virus particles available for downstream sequencing. The conservation of the site will allow the evaluation of suspected fidelity mutants across alphaviruses of medical importance

Telemedicine Facilitates CHF Home Health Care for Those with Systolic Dysfunction

An estimated 5 million Americans have congestive heart failure (CHF) and one in five over the age of 40 will develop CHF. There are numerous examples of CHF patients living beyond the years normally expected for people with the disease, usually attributed to taking an active role in disease management. A relatively new alternative for CHF outpatient care is telemedicine and e-health. We investigated the effects of a 6-week in-home telemedicine education and monitoring program for those with systolic dysfunction on the utilization of health care resources. We also measured the effects of the unit 4.5 months after its removal (a total of 6 months post introduction of the unit into the home). Concurrently, we assessed participants' perceptions of the value of having a telemedicine unit. Participants in the telemedicine group reported weighing more times a week with less variability than did the control group. Telemedicine led to a reduction in physician and emergency department visits and those in the experimental group reported the unit facilitating self-care, though this was not significantly different from the control group (possibly due to small sample size). These findings suggest a possibility for improvement in control of CHF when telemedicine is implemented. Our review of the literature also supports the role of telemedicine in facilitating home health care and self-management for CHF patients. There are many challenges still to be addressed before this potential can be reached and further research is needed to identify opportunities in telemedicine

Oral health in residential aged care : perceptions of nurses and management staff

Aim: This study aimed to explore the perceptions of residential aged care nursing and management staff regarding oral care, to develop strategies to improve the oral health of aged care residents. Design: A qualitative approach was used. Methods: Two focus groups were conducted with nursing and management staff at two residential aged care facilities and transcripts were thematically analysed. Results: All staff had an awareness of the importance of oral health; however, they highlighted the significant challenges in the current system that affect implementation of oral health training and practice guidelines in the residential aged care facility. High staff turnover, time constraints, difficulties in accessing dental services and working together with residents, their families and external staff were barriers to providing oral health care. Staff highlighted the need for formalized clinical guidelines and processes and efficient dental referral pathways to create a more cohesive system of care

Evaluation of Smiles for Life : a caregiver focused oral health education programme

Background: People with an intellectual and/or developmental disability are at increased risk of adverse oral health outcomes and often require support from caregivers to assist in maintaining or seeking treatment for their oral health needs. However, caregivers and support workers are often family members with limited formal oral health training. Hence, the aim of this pilot study was to review the outcomes of the ‘Smiles for Life’ oral health education workshop with reference to their knowledge, attitudes, and practices of caregivers of people with an intellectual or developmental disability. Methods: A single group pre-test post-test intervention design was used to explore the preliminary effectiveness and appropriateness of the Smiles for Life oral health education workshop. Results: A total of 244 participants completed both the pre and post knowledge test. Oral health literacy scores decreased following the post test. Those with higher levels of education achieved higher post-training knowledge scores. Overall, caregivers reported satisfaction on the material presented however, it could be improved with more practical demonstrations. Conclusion: Providing an oral health education tool that caters to the diverse caregiver audience presents a unique set of challenges, despite oral health education in this professional group being vital. Future studies may benefit from reviewing the efficacy of a more tailored educational intervention