Paradigms or Toolkits? Philosophical and Methodological Positions as Heuristics for Mixed Methods Research

Point/Counterpoin

A Realist Approach, Research Design and Engagement in Supporting Researchers: Joseph Maxwell in Conversation With Mechthild Kiegelmann

In conversation with Mechthild KIEGELMANN, Joseph MAXWELL talked about his academic pathway. MAXWELL mentioned biographical phases such as being lost in the field as a young scholar of anthropology, working as a researcher in medical education, teaching at Harvard or getting tenure at George Mason University where he worked for 20 years. He introduced key milestones of his work: his design model, realist approach or validity in qualitative research and generalization. MAXWELL talked about important colleagues and commented on overcome divides between quantitative and qualitative positions. Readers get a glance of his passion about philosophy. His humility and commitment to teaching shone through.Im Gespräch mit Mechthild KIEGELMANN spricht Joseph MAXWELL über seinen akademischen Werdegang. Er beschreibt biografische Meilensteine wie Verunsicherung im Forschungsfeld als junger Anthropologe, die Arbeit als Forscher im Bereich Medizindidaktik, die Lehrtätigkeit an der Harvard Universität und seine Berufung an die George Mason Universität. Dort war er 20 Jahre lang tätig. Er stellt wichtige Grundgedanken seiner Arbeit vor wie sein Designmodell, den realist approach oder die Diskussion um Validität in der qualitativen Forschung, einschließlich der Frage der Generalisierung. MAXWELL berichtet von wichtigen Kolleg*innen und kommentiert überwundene Konflikte zwischen quantitativen und qualitativen Positionen. Lesende erhalten einen Einblick in seine Leidenschaft für die Philosophie. Seine Bescheidenheit und sein Engagement für die Lehre werden deutlich

I AM U-URI Unity in Difference Mission Statement 2010

This post is the I AM U-URI Unity in Difference Mission Statement from 2010. The group became a student advisory committee for the President of the University of Rhode Island on the unique aspects of the student experience, as well as collaborate with other existing groups on issues concerning diversity at the University

Student Leadership Conference Report 2010

This is the Student Leadership Conference Attendees Report from the retreat. This is the start of the I AM U-URI Unity in Difference group on campus

Case Study of Three Rural Texas Superintendents as Equity Oriented Change Agents

For this qualitative case study (Patton, 2003), we used narrative inquiry (Erlandson, Harris, Skipper, & Allen, 1993) and sought to analyze extended interviews and field notes based on interactions with three rural superintendents working in high-needs, public PK-12 school districts in Texas. We collected data with regard to these superintendents’ perceptions of themselves as social justice/equity oriented change agents based on the Equity Oriented Change Agent or EOCA framework developed by Skrla, McKenzie, and Scheurich (2009). Our goal with this study was to glean greater insight into the work of these rural school leaders as potential equity oriented change agents. Additionally, we sought to ascertain any additional EOCA characteristics through analysis of the participants’ perceptions. The data revealed themes that aligned with the Skrla et al., (2009) framework as well as some emergent data beyond those EOCA characteristics. These themes afforded us a better understanding of the work of these three rural superintendents as equity oriented change agents and how they perceive their work

The devil is in the third year: a longitudinal study of erosion of empathy in medical school.

PURPOSE: This longitudinal study was designed to examine changes in medical students\u27 empathy during medical school and to determine when the most significant changes occur. METHOD: Four hundred fifty-six students who entered Jefferson Medical College in 2002 (n = 227) and 2004 (n = 229) completed the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy at five different times: at entry into medical school on orientation day and subsequently at the end of each academic year. Statistical analyses were performed for the entire cohort, as well as for the matched cohort (participants who identified themselves at all five test administrations) and the unmatched cohort (participants who did not identify themselves in all five test administrations). RESULTS: Statistical analyses showed that empathy scores did not change significantly during the first two years of medical school. However, a significant decline in empathy scores was observed at the end of the third year which persisted until graduation. Findings were similar for the matched cohort (n = 121) and for the rest of the sample (unmatched cohort, n = 335). Patterns of decline in empathy scores were similar for men and women and across specialties. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that a significant decline in empathy occurs during the third year of medical school. It is ironic that the erosion of empathy occurs during a time when the curriculum is shifting toward patient-care activities; this is when empathy is most essential. Implications for retaining and enhancing empathy are discussed

Dietary knowledge, attitudes and practices: a cross-sectional survey of type 2 diabetic patients in two tertiary hospitals in Jos, Nigeria

Diet is a crucial aspect of diabetes management and healthy eating is one of the main focus in preventing type 2 diabetes mellitus. Despite mounting evidence of the role of the dietary approach in the management of diabetes mellitus, studies still show low adherence to dietary recommendations. This study aimed at assessing the dietary knowledge, attitudes, and practices of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in two tertiary hospitals in Jos, Nigeria. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study among 448 type 2 diabetic patients using systematic random sampling. Quantitative data was collected using a self- administered questionnaire and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. A 95% confidence interval was used and a probability value of P≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. The study revealed that dietary knowledge of type 2 diabetic patients attending tertiary health care facilities in Jos, Nigeria was poor, their attitudes were positive, but they had poor dietary practices. A significant association was observed between marital status (P=0.022), religion (P=0.003), education level (P=0.000), employment status (P=0.000), family history (P=0.012), and dietary knowledge. This study highlights the importance of proper health education as this could possibly improve dietary knowledge, dietary practices that potentially change patient outcomes

Effect of Kisspeptin on Regulation of Growth Hormone

Kisspeptin ( KP ), a neuroendocrine regulator of reproduction, is hypothesized to be an integrator of metabolism and hormones critical to the regulation of reproduction. Lactation is associated with enhanced growth hormone (GH) responsiveness and reduced fertility. Our study was designed to determine the effects of lactation on KP-stimulated GH and luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion. Five non-lactating and five lactating dairy cows were used in the study. Experiments were conducted with lactating cows at weeks 1, 5 and 11 after parturition. The experimental treatments ( saline and KP [100 and 400 pmol / kg body weight]) were given intravenously and blood was collected and plasma was stored until later assay to determine concentrations of GH, LH, progesterone and non-esterified fatty acids. We found that neither dose of KP stimulated an increase in GH secretion. The low dose of KP increased (P \u3c0. 05) LH concentrations only in lactating cows. The higher dose of KP elicited an increase in circulating LH concentrations in both lactating and non-lactating cows. The lower dose of KP increased (P \u3c 0. 05) the area under the curve for LH only in cows during week 5 of lactation, and the area under the curve of LH following the highest dose of KP was greater (P \u3c 0. 05) in cows during week 5 of lactation than that for the other groups of cows. In summary, lactation status and stage of lactation did not change the sensitivity of the GH system to KP. However, an effect of stage of lactation on KP-stimulated LH secretion was detected in the dairy cows. Study of the KP system during lactation in dairy cows may provide critical insights into the mechanisms for lactation associated changes in the reproductive axis

Frog Skin Innate Immune Defences: Sensing and Surviving Pathogens

Amphibian skin is a mucosal surface in direct and continuous contact with a microbially diverse and laden aquatic and/or terrestrial environment. As such, frog skin is an important innate immune organ and first line of defence against pathogens in the environment. Critical to the innate immune functions of frog skin are the maintenance of physical, chemical, cellular, and microbiological barriers and the complex network of interactions that occur across all the barriers. Despite the global decline in amphibian populations, largely as a result of emerging infectious diseases, we understand little regarding the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie the innate immune function of amphibian skin and defence against pathogens. In this review, we discuss the structure, cell composition and cellular junctions that contribute to the skin physical barrier, the antimicrobial peptide arsenal that, in part, comprises the chemical barrier, the pattern recognition receptors involved in recognizing pathogens and initiating innate immune responses in the skin, and the contribution of commensal microbes on the skin to pathogen defence. We briefly discuss the influence of environmental abiotic factors (natural and anthropogenic) and pathogens on the immunocompetency of frog skin defences. Although some aspects of frog innate immunity, such as antimicrobial peptides are well-studied; other components and how they contribute to the skin innate immune barrier, are lacking. Elucidating the complex network of interactions occurring at the interface of the frog's external and internal environments will yield insight into the crucial role amphibian skin plays in host defence and the environmental factors leading to compromised barrier integrity, disease, and host mortality