Study behaviours in an increasingly digital world: Learning habits, top tips and 'study hacks' questionnaire survey

In response to recent changes in the higher education market, student performance and competitor activity, The Open University has developed strategic objectives around a shift to developing ‘digital by design’ modules and the development of new digital tools to improve student success rates. In order to design effective tools, this initial piece of research was designed to understand more about students’ current study behaviours. The survey was built on a framework with student success at the centre, and generated a great deal of rich, qualitative data about how current distance learning students approach their study. The data was analysed using a thematic analysis, and produced a number of interesting themes. These included a variety of digital personas; priorities when organising study sessions; note-taking methods and reasons for making notes; and boundaries. The practical applications of these findings are some embryonic concepts for new tools and digital spaces for students that encourage the development of successful study behaviours. These concepts are being developed in conjunction with a rigorous research plan

A Survey of the Learning Behaviour of Open University students

This survey forms a crucial part of research completed by the Learning Innovation team to gain a deeper understanding of the underlying study habits and learning behaviour of Open University (OU) students to inform the future development of systems, tools and platforms. This research validates the themes that emerged from the previous report, ‘Study behaviours in an increasingly digital world: Learning habits, top tips and 'study hacks' questionnaire survey’ (Ellis, Gallagher and Peasgood, 2017). Analysis carried out on the data from that survey revealed eight possible learning behaviours that underpinned the student responses. In order to validate those original findings a new survey was designed. This report explains the findings of that survey. The survey consisted of 55 behavioural and attitudinal statements aligned to the learning behaviours, some of which were based upon survey instruments from the literature. Survey statements were written to explore each of these on a five-point scale (‘Very true for me’ to ‘Not at all true for me’) in order to identify the concepts that describe the behaviours and preferences of OU students through a process of Principle Component Analysis (PCA). In addition, the survey included questions to inform the analysis and explore potential confounding factors: accessing OU content, access to the web, and technological self-efficacy. The technological self-efficacy statements were selected from the OU’s Digital Competency Framework for Level 1 students. The survey was peer reviewed and piloted, before being sent to a generalised student population. The overall response rate was 12.7% with 524 valid responses received. Seven clear learning behaviours were identified through PCA, and a cluster analysis of the data was carried out. These learning behaviours are: • Goal-setting • Time • Focus • Note-making • Digital-preferred • Help-seeking • Elaboratio

Investigation of the Aetiology of Hodgkin's Disease

Hodgkin's disease (HD) is a malignant lymphoma characterised by the presence of the Reed Sternberg (RS) cell, the proposed malignant cell of the disease, in a polymorphous cellular background. The aetiology of HD is unknown and is the subject of this thesis. The RS cells account for around 1% of the tumour mass and therefore characterisation of the RS cell has proven difficult. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been detected in and localised to the RS cells in around 40% of HD tumours. The EBV latent membrane protein 1 (LMP-1) is expressed by the RS cells in EBV- positive cases. LMP-1 has been shown to up-regulate the B-cell lymphoma-2 [bcl-2] proto-oncogene and increased Bcl-2 expression is known to protect cells from apoptosis or programmed cell death. In addition the t(14;18) translocation, which also causes increased Bcl-2 expression, had been reported previously in HD. We investigated a series of HD cases for the presence of the t(14;18) translocation utilising a PCR technique. In a proportion of cases a comparison between LMP-1 and Bcl-2 expression was made. We found few translocations present in the HD cases examined and in addition no correlation was observed between LMP-1 positivity and Bcl-2 expression. We conclude that the t(14;18) translocation is an infrequent finding in HD and is unlikely to play an aetiological role in this malignancy. An animal model for the study of HD would aid in studies such as that described above. The use of severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice for the study of human malignancies has been well documented. We attempted to engraft HD-derived tumour tissue into SCID mice in order to propagate RS cells for the subsequent investigation of viral and oncogene involvement in this disease. In addition tumour cell suspensions from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) samples were also transplanted into SCID mice. The transplantation of NHL tumour cell suspensions was a success, with a proportion of tumours in SCID mice showing identical genotype and phenotype to original biopsy material. The transplantation of HD tumour material into the SCID model was however less successful with SCID tumours showing an EBV-driven lymphoproHferative phenotype indicating that outgrowth of EBV-infected bystander cells in the tumour had occurred. At present the SCID model appears an unsuitable system for the propagation of the RS cells of HD. HD has a bimodal age incidence curve with a peak incidence in young adults; the cases within this peak particularly those of the nodular sclerosis subtype are infrequently EBV-associated. Epidemiological studies suggest that an infectious agent may be involved in the aetiology of the young adult disease. Candidate infectious agents are herpesviruses since they are widespread in nature and establish persistent infection. We devised a PCR strategy for the detection of herpesvirus sequences in DNA samples using primers based on two well- conserved regions of the herpesvirus glycoprotein B gene. The assay has sufficient sensitivity to detect herpesvirus sequences if present within the RS cells of a HD biopsy specimen. The assay also has the capability of distinguishing between different herpesviruses within a given sample. Use of a technique such as this may show that another herpesvirus is involved in the pathogenesis of the non EBV-associated cases of HD

Optimisation and validation of a PCR for Antigen Receptor Rearrangement (PARR) assay to detect clonality in canine lymphoid malignancies

PCR for antigen receptor gene rearrangements (PARR) analysis is being increasingly used to assist diagnosis of canine lymphoma. In this study, PARR was carried out on consecutive samples received as part of routine diagnostic practice from 271 patients: 195 with lymphoid malignancies, 53 with reactive conditions and 23 with other neoplasms. Initially, published primer sets were used but later minor primer modifications were introduced and primers were rationalised to give a PARR panel that provides a good compromise between sensitivity and cost. Results were compared to diagnoses made by histology or cytology, coupled with immunophenotyping by flow cytometry or immunohistochemistry where possible. After exclusion of 11 poor quality samples, 230/260 (88%) gave a clear result with 162/163 (99%) of samples classified as clonal and 56/67 (84%) classified as polyclonal giving results concordant with the cytological/histological diagnosis. Among 30 samples with equivocal results, 21 had clonal peaks in a polyclonal background and nine showed little amplification. These were from patients with a range of neoplastic and non-neoplastic conditions emphasising the need to interpret such results carefully in concert with other diagnostic tests. The combination of primer sets used in this study resulted in a robust, highly specific and sensitive assay for detecting clonality

Type III Mixed Cryoglobulinemia and Antiphospholipid Syndrome in a Patient With Partial DiGeorge Syndrome

We studied a 14 year-old boy with partial DiGeorge syndrome (DGS), status post complete repair of Tetralogy of Fallot, who developed antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and type III mixed cryoglobulinemia. He presented with recurrent fever and dyspnea upon exertion secondary to right pulmonary embolus on chest computed tomography (CT). Coagulation studies revealed homozygous methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase 677TT mutations, elevated cardiolipin IgM antibodies, and elevated β2-glycoprotein I IgM antibodies. Infectious work-up revealed only positive anti-streptolysin O (ASO) and anti-DNAse B titers. Autoimmune studies showed strongly positive anti-platelet IgM, elevated rheumatoid factor (RF), and positive cryocrit. Renal biopsy for evaluation of proteinuria and hematuria showed diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis (DPGN) with membranoproliferative features consistent with cryoglobulinemia. Immunofixation showed polyclonal bands. Our patient was treated successfully with antibiotics, prednisone, and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF). This is the first report of a patient with partial DGS presenting with APS and type III mixed cryoglobulinemia possibly due to Streptococcal infection

Asylum seeker trauma in a student-run clinic: reducing barriers to forensic medical evaluations

Introduction: The number of forcibly displaced immigrants entering the United States continues to rapidly increase. Movement from Latin America across the southern border of the United States was the third-largest migration worldwide in 2017; the U.S. now serves as home to one-fifth of the world’s migrants (Budiman, 2020; Leyva-Flores et al., 2019). Reporting on the first two years of clients receiving forensic medical evaluations (FMEs) conducted by clinicians trained at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), this descriptive study demonstrates the multiple layers and types of trauma in asylum seekers presenting to a student-run asylum clinic (SRAC) at an academic medical center.   Methods: A retrospective review of the first 102 asylum seekers presenting to a university-affiliated SRAC for forensic medical and psychological evaluations is summarized. Demographics, immigration history, medical and mental health histories, descriptions of extensive trauma and referral patterns are reported. Multivariate statistics were employed to investigate the relationship between past trauma and current mental health status.   Results: Clients reported extensive trauma histories, with an average of 4.4 different types of ill-treatment per person, including physical, psychological, and sexual violence. The current mental health burden was extensive with 86.9 percent of clients reporting symptoms of PTSD and/or depression. Clients were evaluated within a clinic structure that intentionally aligns with SAMHSA’s implementation domains of trauma-informed care using a continuous improvement model to reduce barriers to FMEs and promote longitudinal follow-up and referral access.   Discussion: This study demonstrates the profound trauma exposure reported by asylum seekers, as well as the adaptation of a SRAC to better respond to complex trauma through intentional structural and leadership decisions. The HRC experience provides a blueprint for other asylum clinics to implement systematic trauma-centered services

A Culturally Sensitive Social Support Intervention for Chinese American Breast Cancer Survivors (Joy Luck Academy): Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

© Qian Lu, Krystal Warmoth, Lingjun Chen, Christine S Wu, Qiao Chu, Yisheng Li, Matthew W Gallagher, Annette L Stanton, Marjorie Kagawa Singer, Lucy Young, Alice Loh. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/),BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most prevalent type of cancer among Asian American women. Chinese American immigrant breast cancer survivors face unique challenges because of cultural and socioecological factors. They report emotional distress and the need for social, emotional, and spiritual support. However, culturally and linguistically appropriate information for managing survivorship health care is often unavailable. OBJECTIVE: To improve the health outcomes for this underserved and understudied population, we developed, designed, and launched a randomized controlled trial to test the health benefits of a culturally sensitive social support intervention (Joy Luck Academy). In this paper, we describe the research protocol. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial will enroll Chinese-speaking, stage 0 to 3 breast cancer survivors who have completed treatment within the previous 36 months using a community-based participatory research approach. We will randomly assign 168 participants to the intervention or control group. The intervention arm will attend 7 weekly 3.5-hour peer mentor and educational sessions. The control group will receive the educational information. We will assess health outcomes at baseline, immediately after the Joy Luck Academy, and at 1- and 4-month follow-ups. The primary outcome is quality of life, as measured by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy scale. Secondary outcomes include depressive symptoms, positive affect, fatigue, and perceived stress. We will also explore how the intervention influences cortisol levels. To identify how and to whom the program is effective, we will measure social and personal resources and theorized mechanisms and perform qualitative interviews with a subsample of participants to enhance the interpretation of quantitative data. RESULTS: Recruitment began in February 2015, and data collection was completed in February 2019. We expect to complete data management by August 2021 and publish results in 2022. CONCLUSIONS: If the Joy Luck Academy is demonstrated to be effective, it may be easily disseminated as an intervention for other groups of Asian American immigrant breast cancer survivors. Furthermore, similar programs could be integrated into other diverse communities.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio