Asian Americans respond less favorably to excitement (vs. calm)-focused physicians compared to European Americans

OBJECTIVES: Despite being considered a model minority, Asian Americans report worse health care encounters than do European Americans. This may be due to affective mismatches between Asian American patients and their European American physicians. We predicted that because Asian Americans value excitement (vs. calm) less than European Americans, they will respond less favorably to excitement-focused (vs. calm) physicians. METHOD: In Study 1, 198 European American, Chinese American, and Hong Kong Chinese community adults read a medical scenario and indicated their preference for an excitement-focused versus calm-focused physician. In Study 2, 81 European American and Asian American community college students listened to recommendations made by an excitement-focused or calm-focused physician in a video, and later attempted to recall the recommendations. In Study 3, 101 European American and Asian American middle-aged and older adults had multiple online encounters with an excitement-focused or calm-focused physician and then evaluated their physicians\u27 trustworthiness, competence, and knowledge. RESULTS: As predicted, Hong Kong Chinese preferred excitement-focused physicians less than European Americans, with Chinese Americans falling in the middle (Study 1). Similarly, Asian Americans remembered health information delivered by an excitement-focused physician less well than did European Americans (Study 2). Finally, Asian Americans evaluated an excitement-focused physician less positively than did European Americans (Study 3). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that while physicians who promote and emphasize excitement states may be effective with European Americans, they may be less so with Asian Americans and other ethnic minorities who value different affective states

The restraint chair: A qualitative study of nurses\u27 experience with the restraint chair versus four point restraint

Restraint and seclusion continues to be a challenging topic in psychiatric nursing care. While there is a movement toward reduction and elimination of restraint, emergency situations still arise that require intervention for the safety of patients and staff. In addition to traditional methods of restraint (physical holds, four-point restraint, seclusion), the restraint chair has been introduced at some hospitals as an alternative to four-point restraint. The restraint chair allows the patient to be upright in a seated position during the restraint process. Little research on the restraint chair currently exists. The purpose of this study was to examine the nurses\u27 experience with the restraint chair compared to four-point restraint. Results indicate nurses feel the restraint chair is easier to use, more humane, less traumatic, comforting, and enhances the therapeutic relationship compared to four-point restraint. Based on the reports of nurses in this study and prior quantitative work on the restraint chair (Castillo, Coyne, Chan, Hall, & Vilke, 2011; Visaggio et al., 2018), the restraint chair appears to be a safe and effective alternative to traditional four-point restraint. More research verifying these results at other hospitals in the United States and abroad is warranted

Increasing employability in Science graduates through longitudinal course design

Employability for our graduates, especially in science disciplines, is typically lower that of other, more vocational areas such as computing or engineering. One of the reasons is a lack of opportunities for work experience during the program of study, but also a lack of employability skills and preparedness for work. In Science degrees, these aspects are often neglected in curriculum design in favour for more discipline-specific content. We have recently designed a degree-spanning curriculum, that embeds employability skills into every year of all our three-year undergraduate Bachelors degrees in Science. Students are encouraged to think and prepare for future employment from day one onwards and build throughout their degree a competitive employability portfolio. In year 1, students start to think about employability skills, start building a resume and are exposed to some professional skills. In year 2, these skills are further refined, with a focus on communication and professionalism. Finally, in year 3, the skills are applied in either a simulated work environment or a placement in industry. Initial analysis of the design had shown a significant increase in preparedness for work in third-year students

The challenges encountered with developing a valid and reliable urinary continence assessment form

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a concise continence assessment form that can be completed by patients.A prospective, descriptive, multi-site study was conducted at three major teaching hospitals over a 6 month period utilising a repeated measure design. The study was conducted over two stages: Stage Oneconsisted of developing the face validity and user friendliness of the instrument; Stage Two consisted of establishing the test-retest reliability of the instrument.This paper discusses the process and results of the instrument development project. It highlights the clinical and statistical difficulties experienced in the development of the continence assessment form.<br /

Beyond a catalogue of differences: A theoretical frame and good practice guidelines for researching sex/gender in human health

Extensive medical, public health, and social science research have focused on cataloguing male–female differences in human health. Unfortunately, much of this research unscientifically and unquestionably attributes these differences to biological causes – as exemplified in the Institute of Medicine’s conclusion that “every cell has a sex.” In this manuscript we theorize the entanglement of sex and gender in human health research and articulate good practice guidelines for assessing the role of biological processes – along with social and biosocial processes – in the production of non-reproductive health differences between and among men and women. There are two basic tenets underlying this project. The first is that sex itself is not a biological mechanism and the second is that “sex” and “gender” are entangled, and analyses should proceed by assuming that measures of sex are not pristine, but include effects of gender. Building from these tenets – and using cardiovascular disease as a consistent example – we articulate a process that scientists and researchers can use to seriously and systematically assess the role of biology and social environment in the production of health among men and women. We hope that this intervention will be one further step toward understanding the complexity and nuance of health outcomes, and that this increased knowledge can be used to improve human health

Cryptic Diversity and Conservation of Gopher Frogs across the Southeastern United States

Identifying cryptic biodiversity is fundamental to evolutionary biology and to conservation efforts. This study investigated range-wide genetic diversity of Gopher Frogs, Lithobates capito, across the southeastern United States coastal plain to determine implications for taxonomy and conservation. We collected data for two mtDNA regions in 21 populations to identify genetic structure across the geographic distribution of the species. Based on population genetic, phylogenetic, and genealogical analyses, we recovered three reciprocally monophyletic mtDNA lineages corresponding to mainland coastal plain populations and two lineages within peninsular Florida. Breakpoints for these lineages did not occur in previously identified hotspots of amphibian phylogeographic breaks and did not follow currently recognized subspecies designations. We recommend these lineages be recognized as separate distinct population segments and be considered separately by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Additionally, we propose an evolutionary hotspot for amphibians that deserves further attentio

Characteristics of a cognitive tool that helps students learn diagnostic problem solving

Three related studies replicated and extended previous work (J.A. Danielson et al. (2003),Educational Technology Research and Development, 51(3), 63–81) involving the Diagnostic Pathfinder (dP) (previously Problem List Generator [PLG]), a cognitive tool for learning diagnostic problem solving. In studies 1 and 2, groups of 126 and 113 veterinary students, respectively, used the dP to complete case-based homework; groups of 120 and 199, respectively, used an alternative method. Students in the dP groups scored significantly higher (p = .000 and .003, respectively) on final exams than those in control groups. In the third study, 552 veterinary students responding to a questionnaire indicated that the dP’s gating and data synthesis activities aided learning. The dP’s feedback and requirement of completeness appear to aid learning most

Engaging students and improving learning outcomes with inquiry based biology practical classes

By providing tertiary students with practical laboratory experiences that are academically stimulating, students are more likely to engage meaningfully with the task and subsequently achieve a higher assessment grade. The importance of basing practical experiences on realistic inquiry is recognised throughout the literature and is more consistent with constructivist approaches to learning than traditional content driven practical activities (Cunningham, McNear, Pearlman and Kearn 2006; Myers and Burgess 2003; Zion and Sadeh 2007); tertiary educators were initially slow to change their methodologies (Sundberg, Armstrong, Dini and Wischusen 2000) but an increasing number are incorporating inquiry based approaches (Sundberg, Armstrong and Wischusen 2005) with good results and support from national science and education organizations (FitsPatrick 2004; Myers and Burgess 2003). We incorporated an engaging inquiry driven laboratory exercise for first year biology students and compared the average grades achieved from the resulting report with the grades achieved by the same students in less engaging ‘recipe book’ exercises. Student grades for combined practical assignments in which outcomes were predetermined, and the visualisation component focussed on static subjects, had a combined mean final grade of 74.01% (±15.48SD). In contrast, the average grade for the inquiry based exercise was 82.0% (±12.9SD). Surveys indicated that students not only enjoyed the new exercise format more than other practical exercises offered, but could see the value of it to their learning. We believe these results were achieved because students could not complete the new exercise if they did not engage with the task both academically and visually. These kinds of practical opportunities encourage a constructivist learning environment, which enable students to learn and gain insight into difficult concepts, in ways not possible from traditional lectures experienced in a tertiary setting. Many students expressed their interest and enthusiasm in this practical exercise, with 20% of students surveyed volunteering that it was ‘the best practical of the whole semester’

The Ursinus Weekly, January 9, 1950

Pi Gamma Mu approves Ursinus\u27 charter request • Five gain entrance into thespian frat at secret gathering • Neill to rule pagent; Letson, court chosen • YW prexy accepts place on committee of national Y group • Rosies admit seven at after-dinner tea • Ruby staff posts roster for photos of activities groups • Speaker to discuss field in insurance • Local audience lauds Harrop, Basile concert • Cub and Key plans journal to record members\u27 deeds • Dance and sports comprise pre-exam weekend events • School maintains system of scholarships and loans • Clara Hamm gains college board post on style magazine • Practice term ends for large \u2749 crop of future teachers • Tail of the Weekly tale • Heated court battle ends in 60-57 win for cadets • Cubs lose to P.M.C. in close 31-30 tilt • Fords trim bears 67-53 in second league game • Sports slate dispels biennial gloomy air of pre-exam days • Coach Waldo trains second tank squad since arriving here • Jayvees top Fords by one point edge • Bruin grapplers trounce Mules in opening matchhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1581/thumbnail.jp