"A Quantitative Analysis of Board of Certification Examination Outcomes for Athletic Training Programs

The ability to produce competent athletic trainers for the workforce, particularly in the secondary school setting, is a growing concern. Athletic training program administrators seek to create programs that graduate competent athletic training students who can pass the Board of Certification (BOC) credentialing examination. The Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) mandates that programs meet a three-year aggregate BOC program pass rate outcome of 70% for first-time test takers. The purpose of this study was to examine whether clinical education and faculty demographic characteristic variables selected from an extensive literature review impacted BOC undergraduate and graduate program three-year aggregate pass rates. The sample for the study consisted of 136 undergraduate and 38 graduate athletic training program directors from across the United States who responded to an 18-item survey that was validated by an expert panel. Pearson correlations found no correlation between the undergraduate three-year aggregate BOC program pass rate and any of the variables used in this study. For graduate programs, a negative correlation was found between the three-year aggregate BOC program pass rate and both the number of required minimum clinical hours per week as well as the number of dual-appointed faculty associated with the program. Using multiple regression with backward selection, the current study determined that the BOC three-year aggregate pass rate for graduate programs could be predicted using the number of required maximum clinical hours per week and the number of dual-appointed faculty associated with the program. In addition, the use of upsampled logistic regression found that compliance with the mandated 70% three-year aggregate BOC pass rate could be predicted for undergraduate programs using the average clinical preceptor-to-student ratio, the average number of years of faculty clinical experience, the average number of years faculty teaching experience, and the number of full-time faculty associated with the program. Last, a series of factorial ANOVAs found no interactions between the selected variables for undergraduate and graduate programs. In addition, there were no significant main effects for any of the selected variables across undergraduate and graduate athletic training programs. Keyword 1: Athletic Training Education Keyword 2: BOC outcomes Keyword 3: Clinical education Keyword 4: Faculty demographic characteristicsChapter I: INTRODUCTION 1 -- Statement of the Problem 4 -- Purpose of the Study 5 -- Research Questions 6 -- Research Methodology 9 -- Significance of the Study 11 -- Theoretical Framework 12 -- Gagné’s Instructional Theory 12 -- Constructivism Learning Theory 13 -- Limitations of the Study 15 -- Definition of Terms 16 -- Organization of the Study 19 -- Chapter II: LITERATURE REVIEW 20 -- Historical Perspective of Athletic Training 20 -- Credentialing Examination Background 26 -- Athletic Training Credentialing Examination 26 -- Other Allied Health Credentialing Examinations 28 -- Allied Health Credentialing Examination Research 30 -- Clinical Education 31 -- Clinical Education in Athletic Training 32 -- Clinical Education in Other Allied Health Education Programs 37 -- Clinical education hours 38 -- Time engaged in clinical education 39 -- Preceptor-to-student ratio 41 -- Clinical capstone experience 44 -- Faculty 46 -- Faculty in Athletic Training Programs 46 -- Faculty in Other Allied Health Education Programs 53 -- Faculty degree level 53 -- Faculty teaching and clinical experience 56 -- Number of faculty 58 -- Summary 58 -- Chapter III: METHODOLOGY 60 -- Research Design 60 -- Participants 61 -- Instrumentation 62 -- BOC Examination Structure 62 -- BOC Examination Validity 63 -- BOC Examination Reliability 64 -- Survey 66 -- Survey Validity 66 -- Survey Reliability 67 -- Data Collection 69 -- Data Analysis 71 -- Statistical Considerations and Assumptions 71 -- Research Question 1 73 -- Research Question 2 74 -- Research Question 3 75 -- Summary 75 -- Chapter IV: RESULTS 78 -- Demographic Characteristics 81 -- Descriptive Statistics and Correlations 81 -- Statistical Considerations and Assumptions 87 -- Descriptive Statistics and Correlations after Data Transformation 90 -- Research Question 1 97 -- Undergraduate Athletic Training Program Data 97 -- Graduate Athletic Training Program Data 101 -- Research Question 2 107 -- Statistical Considerations and Assumptions 114 -- Research Question 3 115 -- Undergraduate Athletic Training Program Data 116 -- Graduate Athletic Training Program Data 120 -- Summary 124 -- Chapter V: SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION 128 -- Related Literature 129 -- Clinical Education 129 -- Faculty 131 -- Methodology 132 -- Participants 133 -- Instrumentation 133 -- Data Collection and Analysis 134 -- Summary of Findings 134 -- Research Question 1 135 -- Research Question 2 136 -- Research Question 3 137 -- Discussion of Findings 138 -- Research Question 1 138 -- Research Question 2 141 -- Research Question 3 146 -- Limitations of the Study 147 -- Recommendations for Future Research 149 -- Conclusions 151 -- REFERENCES 153 -- APPENDIX A: Institutional Review Board Approval Form 169 -- APPENDIX B: Expert Panel Review Cover Letter and Survey 171 -- APPENDIX C: Letter to Undergraduate and Graduate Program Directors 176 -- APPENDIX D: Undergraduate and Graduate Program Director Survey 179.Brockmeier, Lantry L.Archibald, JamesBockenko, MichealEd.D.Education In Leadershi

Continuing the Conversation on Collegiality

Are you interested in measuring and incentivizing collegiality? Do you have concerns with using collegiality for faculty development, merit, or tenure? Bring your experiences and perspectives to the table as three department chairs and their college dean (a lawyer) facilitate a healthy discussion on the measurement tools, legal landscape, and business case for collegiality

Interleukin-21 Is Critically Required in Autoimmune and Allogeneic Responses to Islet Tissue in Murine Models

OBJECTIVE-Type 1 diabetes is an incurable chronic autoimmune disease. Although transplantation of pancreatic islets may serve as a surrogate source of insulin, recipients are subjected to a life of immunosuppression. Interleukin (IL)-21 is necessary for type 1 diabetes in NOD mice. We examined the efficacy of an IL-21-targeted therapy on prevention of diabetes in NOD mice, in combination with syngeneic islet transplantation. In addition, we assessed the role of IL-21 responsiveness in islet allograft rejection in mouse animal models. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS-NOD mice were treated with IL-21R/Fc, an IL-21-neutralizing chimeric protein. This procedure was combined with syngeneic islet transplantation to treat diabetic NOD mice. Survival of allogeneic islet grafts in IL-21R-deficient mice was also assessed. RESULTS-Evidence is provided that IL-21 is continually required by the autoimmune infiltrate, such that insulitis was reduced and reversed and diabetes inhibited by neutralization of IL-21 at a late preclinical stage. Recovery from autoimmune diabetes was achieved by combining neutralization of IL-21 with islet transplantation. Furthermore, IL-21-responsiveness by CD8+ T-cells was sufficient to mediate islet allograft rejection. CONCLUSIONS-Neutralization of IL-21 in NOD mice can inhibit diabetes, and when paired with islet transplantation, this therapeutic approach restored normoglycemia. The influence of IL-21 on a graft-mounted immune response was robust, since the absence of IL-21 signaling prevented islet allograft rejection. These findings suggest that therapeutic manipulation of IL-21 may serve as a suitable treatment for patients with type 1 diabetes. Diabetes 60:867-875, 20111151sciescopu

“Same But Different”: The Role and Perceptions of the Simulation Clinical Educator

Simulated learning programs are an important component of allied health education. Although the role of simulation clinical educators has been highlighted as critical for student learning within simulation, their perceptions of their role have not yet been investigated. This study aimed to explore the experiences of simulation clinical educators. Participants were ten simulation clinical educators who had supported speech-language pathology students’ learning during a 5-day simulation program focussed on speech-language pathology practice with adult clients in acute hospital and rehabilitation settings. Educators participated in individual semi-structured interviews exploring their role and their perceptions of the simulation-based learning program. Data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Three inter-related themes emerged from participants’ views. The major theme of Unique teaching and learning environment incorporated five subthemes: focus on teaching; safe learning environment; authenticity and engagement; structure and intensity of learning, and; feedback opportunities. Two additional themes were identified: Clinical educator role same but different, and Simulation bridges the gap between theory and practice. This study offers new insights into simulation clinical educators’ perceptions of their role when supporting students within simulation and highlight the importance of harnessing the unique benefits of simulation as a teaching pedagogy to maximize its impacts on student learning and justify its costs

Nuclear factor κB-inducing kinase activation as a mechanism of pancreatic β cell failure in obesity

The nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) pathway is a master regulator of inflammatory processes and is implicated in insulin resistance and pancreatic β cell dysfunction in the metabolic syndrome. Whereas canonical NF-κB signaling is well studied, there is little information on the divergent noncanonical NF-κB pathway in the context of pancreatic islet dysfunction. Here, we demonstrate that pharmacological activation of the noncanonical NF-κB-inducing kinase (NIK) disrupts glucose homeostasis in zebrafish in vivo. We identify NIK as a critical negative regulator of β cell function, as pharmacological NIK activation results in impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in mouse and human islets. NIK levels are elevated in pancreatic islets isolated from diet-induced obese (DIO) mice, which exhibit increased processing of noncanonical NF-κB components p100 to p52, and accumulation of RelB. TNF and receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL), two ligands associated with diabetes, induce NIK in islets. Mice with constitutive β cell-intrinsic NIK activation present impaired insulin secretion with DIO. NIK activation triggers the noncanonical NF-κB transcriptional network to induce genes identified in human type 2 diabetes genome-wide association studies linked to β cell failure. These studies reveal that NIK contributes a central mechanism for β cell failure in diet-induced obesity

The behavioural phenotype of SATB2-associated syndrome: A within-group and cross-syndrome analysis

Background: SATB2-associated syndrome (SAS) is a multisystem neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by intellectual disability, speech delay and craniofacial anomalies. Although the clinical presentation of SAS is well-delineated, behaviours associated with SAS are less well-defined. Given the varied social profile reported in SAS of a ‘jovial’ predisposition and autistic behaviours, there may be phenotypic overlap with both Angelman syndrome (AS) and non-syndromal autism. This study aimed to describe behaviours in SAS in relation to chronological age and level of ability, and contrast aspects of the behavioural phenotype with AS and non-syndromal autism. Methods: Informant-report questionnaire measures of behaviour, emotion and autism characteristics were completed for 81 individuals with SAS (aged 1-36 years; 43 male). Within-group associations were analysed, and categorical data were compared between pre-school (1-5 years), school-age (6-15 years) and adolescent and adult SAS sub-groups (16 years and over). Cross-syndrome subscale and item-level analyses were conducted for 63 individuals with SAS (aged 1-27 years; 31 male), who were matched according to age and level of ability to 63 individuals with AS (aged 2-25 years; 32 male) and 63 individuals with non-syndromal autism (aged 3-26 years; 53 male). Results: In SAS higher rates of overactivity were moderately associated with lower self-help ability, and higher general anxiety scores were reported for males compared to females. Cross-syndrome subscale analyses uncovered several significant differences (p < .01); with comparatively low rates of: stereotyped behaviour, overactivity, insistence on sameness and positive affect, and comparatively greater interest and pleasure and compulsive behaviour in individuals with SAS. Item-level analyses revealed a distinct profile of repetitive and autistic behaviours

Intravital FRAP imaging using an E-cadherin-GFP mouse reveals disease- and drug-dependent dynamic regulation of cell-cell junctions in live tissue

E-cadherin-mediated cell-cell junctions play a prominent role in maintaining the epithelial architecture. The disruption or deregulation of these adhesions in cancer can lead to the collapse of tumor epithelia that precedes invasion and subsequent metastasis. Here we generated an E-cadherin-GFP mouse that enables intravital photobleaching and quantification of E-cadherin mobility in live tissue without affecting normal biology. We demonstrate the broad applications of this mouse by examining E-cadherin regulation in multiple tissues, including mammary, brain, liver, and kidney tissue, while specifically monitoring E-cadherin mobility during disease progression in the pancreas. We assess E-cadherin stability in native pancreatic tissue upon genetic manipulation involving Kras and p53 or in response to anti-invasive drug treatment and gain insights into the dynamic remodeling of E-cadherin during in situ cancer progression. FRAP in the E-cadherin-GFP mouse, therefore, promises to be a valuable tool to fundamentally expand our understanding of E-cadherin-mediated events in native microenvironments

Herschel/HIFI observations of spectrally resolved methylidyne signatures toward the high-mass star-forming core NGC6334I

In contrast to extensively studied dense star-forming cores, little is known about diffuse gas surrounding star-forming regions. We study molecular gas in the high-mass star-forming region NGC6334I, which contains diffuse, quiescent components that are inconspicuous in widely used molecular tracers such as CO. We present Herschel/HIFI observations of CH toward NGC6334I observed as part of the CHESS key program. HIFI resolves the hyperfine components of its J=3/2-1/2 transition, observed in both emission and absorption. The CH emission appears close to the systemic velocity of NGC6334I, while its measured linewidth of 3 km/s is smaller than previously observed in dense gas tracers such as NH3 and SiO. The CH abundance in the hot core is 7 10^-11, two to three orders of magnitude lower than in diffuse clouds. While other studies find distinct outflows in, e.g., CO and H2O toward NGC6334I, we do not detect outflow signatures in CH. To explain the absorption signatures, at least two absorbing components are needed at -3.0 and +6.5 km/s with N(CH)=7 10^13 and 3 10^13 cm^-2. Two additional absorbing clouds are found at +8.0 and 0.0 km/s, both with N(CH)=2 10^13 cm^-2. Turbulent linewidths for the four absorption components vary between 1.5 and 5.0 km/s in FWHM. We constrain physical properties of our CH clouds by matching our CH absorbers with other absorption signatures. In the hot core, molecules such as H2O and CO trace gas that is heated and dynamically influenced by outflow activity, whereas CH traces more quiescent material. The four CH absorbers have column densities and turbulent properties consistent with diffuse clouds: two are located near NGC6334, and two are unrelated foreground clouds. Local density and dynamical effects influence the chemical composition of physical components of NGC6334, causing some components to be seen in CH but not in other tracers, and vice versa.Comment: Accepted by A&A Letters; 5 pages, 1 figure; v2: minor textual and typographical change

Heat Adaptation in Military Personnel : Mitigating Risk, Maximizing Performance

© Copyright © 2019 Parsons, Stacey and Woods. The study of heat adaptation in military personnel offers generalizable insights into a variety of sporting, recreational and occupational populations. Conversely, certain characteristics of military employment have few parallels in civilian life, such as the imperative to achieve mission objectives during deployed operations, the opportunity to undergo training and selection for elite units or the requirement to fulfill essential duties under prolonged thermal stress. In such settings, achieving peak individual performance can be critical to organizational success. Short-notice deployment to a hot operational or training environment, exposure to high intensity exercise and undertaking ceremonial duties during extreme weather may challenge the ability to protect personnel from excessive thermal strain, especially where heat adaptation is incomplete. Graded and progressive acclimatization can reduce morbidity substantially and impact on mortality rates, yet individual variation in adaptation has the potential to undermine empirical approaches. Incapacity under heat stress can present the military with medical, occupational and logistic challenges requiring dynamic risk stratification during initial and subsequent heat stress. Using data from large studies of military personnel observing traditional and more contemporary acclimatization practices, this review article (1) characterizes the physical challenges that military training and deployed operations present (2) considers how heat adaptation has been used to augment military performance under thermal stress and (3) identifies potential solutions to optimize the risk-performance paradigm, including those with broader relevance to other populations exposed to heat stress

Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial

Background Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy