Predictors of Success in Entry-level Master\u27s Degree Programs in Athletic Training

ABSTRACT Athletic training educational program directors use a variety of admission criteria to select qualified applicants who they anticipate will succeed academically and professionally. No standard sets of admission criteria exist for identifying a student’s ability to succeed in an entry-level master’s degree athletic training program or on the Board of Certification (BOC) examination. The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate the relationship between entry-level master’s degree athletic training student demographic and academic factors and first- attempt passing rate on the BOC examination. The research questions examined the relationship between age, gender, admission grade point average (GPA), final GPA, and BOC exam success. Data (N = 73) from 3 Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE)-accredited entry-level master’s athletic training education programs were used in this study. The results of the Pearson correlation indicated a positive relationship between admission GPA and final GPA and a positive relationship between final GPA and passing the BOC examination on the first attempt. With an increased demand for athletic training professionals (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012) and a new focus on the program outcomes by the accrediting association (CAATE, 2013), the results of this study will assist athletic training educators in selecting and preparing students who have the greatest potential to succeed

Hinge Moments of Sealed-Internal-Balance Arrangements for Control Surfaces I : Theoretical Investigation

The results of a theoretical analysis of the hinge-moment characteristics of various sealed-internal-balance arrangements for control surfaces are presented. The analysis considered overhands sealed to various types of wing structure by flexible seals spanning gaps of various widths or sealed to the wing structure by a flexible system of linked plates. Leakage was not considered; the seal was assumed to extend the full spanwise length of the control surface. The effect of the developed width of the flexible seal and of the geometry of the structure to which the seal was anchored was investigated, as well as the effect of the gap width that is sealed. The results of the investigation indicated that the most nearly linear control-surface hinge-moment characteristics can probably be obtained from a flexible seal over a narrow gap (about 0.1 of the overhang chord), which is so installed that the motion of the seal is restricted to a region behind the point of attachment of the seal to the wing structure. Control-surface hinge moments that tend to be high at large deflections and low or overbalanced at small deflections will result if a very narrow seal is used

Historical Roundtable: ‘Stories We Tell’ in Broadcast News

The study and teaching of the history of broadcast news is a relatively recent enterprise — particularly with respect to the attention given to television news — which often parallels the lives of the academics who study and teach the subject. As a result, some of the research focused on broadcast news has been based upon the observations of individuals and events observed firsthand on occasion by those doing the reporting and the research. This close proximity to history has offered unique opportunities to stimulate interest, offer additional clarity or alternatively debunk some of the historic narratives from the field, including the many “moments” one might most readily recall with genuine concerns about authenticity and accuracy. The members of this panel of four media historians have experiences totaling well over a century in the field and offer considerable perspective on the stories they regularly report to their students and their colleagues

The Signature Center Initiative for the Cure of Glioblastoma

poster abstractGlioblastoma multiforme (GBM, World Health Organization/WHO grade IV) is the most common form of brain cancer in the central nervous system. Although conventional treatment-surgery, radiation, and temozolomide-is somewhat effective in adults, overall survival is still < 15 months. In pediatric patients, morbidity due to GBM is the highest among all pediatric cancers. In the context of brain cancers, new and existing therapeutics typically fail due to heterogeneity of genetic mutations within tumors, and because biologically effective doses of drug cannot be delivered to the primary site and invasive perimeter of the tumor due to the blood brain barrier. The Signature Center Initiative to Cure GBM is a funding mechanism that supports a research portal to foster investigations of the Brain Tumor Working Group for development of effective treatments for the eradication of GBM. The overall mission of the Signature Center Initiative is to: 1. Interrogate the molecular mechanisms of GBM biology and develop interventions that result in improved duration and quality of life for our patients. 2. Stimulate consistent and productive exchange of ideas between clinicians and basic scientists while employing bench-to-bedside and bedside-to-bench strategies to generate and prioritize scientific questions. 3. Provide infrastructure and mentorship needed to successfully compete for external funding. 4. Engage the community through patient advocacy to positively impact brain cancer patient outcomes and enhance philanthropic initiatives. The Brain Tumor Working Group brings together scientists committed to engaging in a team-based approach to study GBM biology. Infrastructure required to advance in vivo humanized intracranial tumor models, drug delivery, target validation, and development of new therapeutic strategies are in place. Additionally a patient sample pipeline to obtain, analyze, and distribute primary patient GBM specimens from the operating room to the research laboratory has been established. In year one of funding, over $70,000 in pilot project funding derived from the Signature Center Initiative and private donations has been distributed to the membership. The Brain Tumor Working Group meets in both small and large group formats to strategize experimental design and grant submissions. A network of basic scientists and clinicians has been developed that provides an effective forum for addressing clinically relevant questions related to GBM. A team-based approach, scientific expertise, and continued development of infrastructure provide our membership with a critical foundation to obtain new knowledge related to understanding how GBM cells evade therapy. In the future, this information can be applied to development of effective treatments that will cure GBM

An Encouragement of Television News History Research: A Roundtable Discussion.

The article focuses on the speech by four scholars including Mary E. Beadle, Madeleine Liseblad and Mike Conway, delivered at the 2016 American Journalism Historians Association annual conference held in Saint Petersburg, Florida, on television news history research. Beadle discusses the lack of material in local television history research. Liseblad discusses the challenges and opportunities of television history research in Europe while Conway discusses access to historic broadcasts

Applying decision making theory to clinical judgements in violence risk assessment

A considerable proportion of research in the field of violence risk assessment has focused on the accuracy of clinical judgements of offender dangerousness. This has largely been determined through research which compares the accuracy of clinical predictions of offender dangerousness or future violence to mathematical predictions. What has been less researched is the influence of decision making heuristics and biases on clinical judgements of violence risk assessment. The current paper discusses decision making heuristics and biases and applies the theory to clinical judgements in a violence risk assessment context. Based on the current review, it is suggested that in order to improve the effectiveness clinical judgements in violence risk assessment, a greater level of empirical research specifically examining the effects of the heuristics and biases in this context must be conducted, with the possibility of incorporating debiasing training into clinical practice

Clinical judgement in violence risk assessment

The present article discusses the three main approaches to violence risk assessment, clinical judgement, actuarial assessment, and structured clinical judgement, informing the reader of the comparative benefits and short-comings of these methods of violence risk assessment. In particular, the present article highlights the controversy within the literature surrounding clinical judgement in comparison to actuarial assessments of violence risk, and proposes that the statistically significant ‘improvements’ of violence prediction when using actuarial scales in comparison to clinical predictions of dangerousness do not necessarily measure the skill of the clinician adequately. Specifically, an assessment of ‘dangerousness’ does not equal a prediction of violent recidivism. It is argued that clinicians are not predictive forecasters of risk, as in actuarial scales, but are, rather, trained to manage risk. In addition, suggestions for future research directions in the field of improving violence risk assessments are made