Developing Positive Attitudes Toward Interprofessional Collaboration Among Students in the Health Care Professions

This study examined whether attitudes toward interprofessional collaboration (Physician-Nurse, Physician-Social Worker, Nurse-Social Worker) held by medical, social work, and nursing students changed after completing an interprofessional curriculum consisting of (a) Interprofessional Education Development Session and (b) the Senior Aging and Geriatrics Educator mentoring program. The 15-item original and two modified versions of the Jefferson School of Attitudes Toward Physician-Nurse Collaboration (JSAPNC) were administered as pretest/posttest. Of the 186 participants who completed the pretest, 156 (84%) completed the posttest. Results showed that the medical students (n = 52) reported the most positive change in attitude toward all three pairs of interprofessional collaboration. Social work students (n = 55) reported the least positive attitudes toward Physician-Social Worker collaboration and nursing students (n = 49) reported the least positive attitudes toward Physician-Nurse collaboration. It is recommended to evaluate the interprofessional curriculum and other factors, such as the possible influence of the facilitator in group discussions, and that future studies include a rigorous design that monitors content of each educational session to ensure integrity across groups. Postgraduate follow-up measures could be used to enhance positive attitudes toward interprofessional collaboration.     

Students Connecting with the Elderly: Validation as a Tool

In this article we respond to the call to action that is the crisis among seniors called The Silver Tsunami! We describe the education of students through the use of Feil's Validation Therapy. There are growing concerns among social service providers regarding the rapid increase of the elderly population and the lack of adequate staff to provide care for our seniors. If we as educators, agency administrators, or committed family members ignore this call to action, the cycle of the employee “revolving door” will continue with inadequately trained and emotionally disconnected personnel working with aging persons. Frontline workers are the backbone of any agency. They are the ones who interact with seniors and their loved ones and collaborate with other medical and community professionals. We, as their teachers, must enhance their knowledge and skills so they many continue to provide service to the second most vulnerable population.     

In-situ production of ozone and ultraviolet light using a barrier discharge reactor for wastewater treatment

A dielectric barrier discharge （DBD） reactor consisting of water-filled dielectric tube electrodes was used for the treatment ofwastewater. The inner dielectric tube, which acted as the discharging electrode, was filled with an aqueous electrolyte solution. The outer dielectric tube, which served as the other electrode, was in contact with the wastewater, which was grounded. The present reactor system was energy-efficient for the production of ozone, not only because the perfect contact between the aqueous electrode and the dielectric surface minimized the loss of the electrical energy, but also because the DBD reactor was cooled by the wastewater. In addition, the ultraviolet （UV） light produced in the DBD reactor was able to assist in the wastewater treatment since the quartz tube used as the dielectric material was UV-transparent. The performance of the present DBD system was evaluated using a synthetic wastewater formed from distilled water and an azo dye, amaranth. The experimental parameters were the concentration of the electrolyte in the aqueous electrode, the discharge power, the initial pH of the wastewater and the concentration of hydrogen peroxide added to the wastewater. The wastewater treatment system was found to be effective for achieving decomposition of the dye.     

A technology gap interpretation of growth paths in Asia and Latin America

This paper presents a North-South technology gap model which combines the Schumpeterian approach to technical and structural change with the Keynesian perspective on effective demand and the Balance-of-Payments (BOP) constraint as drivers of growth. Three are the contributions of the paper. First, it develops a model in which the technology gap, relative productivity and relative wages co-evolve and may generate different paths of convergence or divergence between South and North depending on the parameters of the model. Second, the parameters of the model are associated with different types of policies, which allows for discussing how these policies may change the growth path. Finally, the model is used to discuss the contrasting experiences of Asia and Latin America since 1970. Convergence in Asia and divergence in Latin America have been extensively debated topics in the literature on comparative economic development, which highlights the crucial role of industrial policy. It is argued that the results of the technology gap model are consistent with the findings of this literature and helps understand the forces behind convergence and divergence.     

Governing online platforms: From contested to cooperative responsibility

Online platforms, from Facebook to Twitter, and from Coursera to Uber, have become deeply involved in a wide range of public activities, including journalism, civic engagement, education, and transport. As such, they have started to play a vital role in the realization of important public values and policy objectives associated with these activities. Based on insights from theories about risk sharing and the problem of many hands, this article develops a conceptual framework for the governance of the public role of platforms, and elaborates on the concept of cooperative responsibility for the realization of critical public policy objectives in Europe. It argues that the realization of public values in platform-based public activities cannot be adequately achieved by allocating responsibility to one central actor (as is currently common practice), but should be the result of dynamic interaction between platforms, users, and public institutions.     

Seasonal changes in physical activity during school recess and lunchtime among Australian children

This study examined how children’s physical activity levels during recess and lunchtime and the contribution of recess and lunchtime to daily physical activity differed across seasons. Three hundred and twenty-six children aged 8–11 years from Australia participated. Physical activity was measured every 15-seconds using hip-mounted ActiGraph accelerometers for 7 consecutive days during the winter (n = 246), spring (n = 211), summer (n = 161) and autumn terms (n = 139). Data were collected 2012–2013. Time spent in light- (LPA) moderate- (MPA), vigorous- (VPA), and moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) during recess and lunchtime were calculated. Longitudinal data were analysed using multilevel analyses and adjusted for potential confounders. The results showed that compared to winter, children engaged in significantly less MVPA and VPA in spring and summer during lunchtime (p < 0.05). No significant changes were observed during recess. The contribution of lunchtime to VPA and MVPA significantly decreased in spring and summer compared to winter (p < 0.05). Children’s lunchtime physical activity levels decreased between winter and spring and summer, with greater declines observed in VPA. Strategies to increase physical activity levels in every season are needed during lunchtime, with a greater emphasis on warmer months.     

Using a Replica of Leeuwenhoek's Microscope to Teach the History of Science and to Motivate Students to Discover the Vision and the Contributions of the First Microscopists

The history of science should be incorporated into science teaching as a means of improving learning and also to increase the students'' understanding about the nature of science. In biology education, the history of microscopy deserves a special place. The discovery of this instrument not only opened a new and fantastic microworld but also led to the development of one unifying principle of biological sciences (i.e., cell theory). The microscopes of Leeuwenhoek and Hooke opened windows into the microworld of living organisms. In the present work, the knowledge of these themes was analyzed in a group of students beginning an undergraduate biology course. Our data suggest that the history of microscopy is poorly treated at the secondary school level. We propose a didactic activity using a replica of Leeuwenhoek''s microscope made with Plexiglas and a lens obtained from a key chain laser pointer or from a broken CD drive. The proposed activity motivated students to learn about microscopy and helped them to appreciate scientific knowledge from a historical perspective.     

Gender differences in an introductory programming course: New teaching approach,students’ learning outcomes,and perceptions

This study reports on gender differences in an introductory programming (IP) course that uses a new teaching and learning approach based on the ADRI (Approach, Deployment, Result, Improvement) model. The teaching materials of the IP course were redesigned based on the new approach. The grades of the final exam were compared to determine the impact of the new teaching and learning approach on genders. A survey was conducted to collect students’ feedback. The responses of the survey were compared for each question among genders and T-test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to analyse the data. The results show that female students performed better in the high achiever category and male students performed better in the medium and low achiever categories in the final exam. The survey responses indicated that male students were more satisfied than female students with the new teaching and learning approach. The four stages of the ADRI approach support students’ cognitive gains and engagement. The students’ retention was higher which supports students’ affective engagement in the IP course. Overall, both the female and male students appreciate the ADRI approach in the IP course.