Campus Site Research Articles

Preface

Pursuing the successful previous seminar, it is our great honour to hold the 13th International Physics Seminar 2024 (IPS 2024). IPS is an annual meeting hosted by the Physics and Physics Education Department, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Jakarta (UNJ), supported by the Physical Society of Indonesia (PSI) Jakarta and Banten. The IPS 2024 was conducted on June 1, 2024, in Latief Hendradiningrat Hall at campus site of UNJ, Jakarta, Indonesia. The theme of the seminar is “Physics for Sustainable Future”. This seminar aims to bring together academics, scientists, students, and practitioners to share and discuss theoretical and practical knowledge of problems, new physics trends, and applications. We invited scientists, scholars, engineers, and students from universities worldwide and industry to present ongoing research activities and to support fostering research relations between the university and industry. This seminar provides an opportunity for delegates to discuss and share their experience of new applications directly, to build business or research relationships, and to find global partners for future collaboration. The scope of the conference covers a wide array of topics within the field of physics, including: 1. Material Physics 2. Instrumentation and Computational Physics 3. Medical Physics and Biophysics 4. Earth Science and Astronomy 5. Theory, Nuclear, and Particle Physics 6. Energy and Environmental Physics 7. Physics Education All submitted papers have been initially checked to meet the criteria before submitting to the system. All papers were carefully reviewed to ensure the quality for publication before being accepted. We acknowledge all authors who submitted their papers to IPS 2024. Finally, we express our gratitude to the organizing committee for ensuring the quality of the seminar and to the reviewers for investing the time to ensure the quality of the paper. We acknowledged the academic and financial support from Dean of Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences and Head of Institute for Research and Community Services of Universitas Negeri Jakarta. This seminar has also been supported by the Naraya Hotel, Nutrifood, Walcoo, Mandiri Bank, Attin, and 101 Urban Hotel. We are looking forward to welcoming you in our future International Physics Seminar (IPS). Riser Fahdiran Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Indonesia Chairman of International Physics Seminar 2024 (IPS 2024) List of Editors and Organizing Committees are available in this Pdf.

Just “Culture”? A qualitative study on stressors impacting surgical clerkship student learning and well-being

PurposeTransition into the surgery clerkship is stressful and challenging for third-year medical students. We conducted this study to explore medical students’ learning stressors during the surgery clerkship which may diminish their learning and well-being. Findings will help to identify targets for future educational well-being interventions to enhance students’ preparedness to enter surgery clerkship.MethodsWe conducted semi-structured interviews with medical students who had completed their surgery clerkship in 2022 at a university-based hospital system using convenience sampling. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and de-identified. Investigators iteratively coded and analyzed transcripts using a framework method for emerging themes until reaching data saturation.ResultsWe performed 17 interviews with medical students rotating on main campus and community sites from 2 consecutive clerkship cohorts. Each interview was approximately 30 min. Three dominant themes emerged regarding stressors that negatively influenced medical student learning and well-being: 1) expectation mismatch (e.g., student felt incompetent at driving a laparoscope and believed this was a skill she was expected to have), 2) exclusion from the team (e.g., perceiving that their questions are burdensome to the team, and 3) logistical challenges (e.g., where and when to arrive on the first day of clerkship or how to navigate the complexities of the operating room schedule).ConclusionOur study suggests three predominant stressor themes that may jeopardize medical student surgery clerkship learning and well-being. Interventions during clerkship orientation are recommended to establish expectations, clarify logistical confusion, and build a welcoming and supportive surgical culture to facilitate student integration within the medical team.

Air monitoring of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in Bursa Türkiye: Levels, temporal trends and risk assessment

Monitoring concentration levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is required to evaluate the effectiveness of international regulations to minimize the emissions of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) into the environment. In this manner, we evaluated the spatial and temporal variations of 22 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) using polyurethane foam passive air samplers at ten stations in Bursa in 2017 and 2018. The highest concentration value for Σ22OCPs was detected in Ağaköy (775 pg/m3) and Demirtaş (678 pg/m3) sampling sites, while the lowest value was observed in Uludağ University Campus (UUC, 284 pg/m3) site. HCB, γ-HCH, Endo I, and Mirex were the most frequently detected OCPs, which shows their persistence. Diagnostic ratios of β−/(α + γ)-HCH have pointed to historical and possible illegal OCP usage in the study area. The seasonality of air concentrations (with spring and summer concentrations higher than winter and autumn concentrations) was well exhibited by α-HCH, β-HCH, ɣ-HCH, HCB, Endo I, and Mirex but not aldrin, dieldrin, and α-chlordane (CC). Levels of OCPs detected in ambient air in the current study were relatively similar to or lower than those reported in previous studies conducted in Türkiye. Back trajectory analysis was applied to identify the possible sources of OCPs detected in the sampling regions. The Clausius-Clapeyron approach was used to investigate the temperature dependence of OCP gas-phase atmospheric concentrations. The data showed that long-range atmospheric transport affects ambient air OCP concentrations in the study area.

Use of Social Media and Websites by students of Pharmacy

Background: Social media sites are widespread among both young and older adults for purpose of networking, sharing, and marketing. They are a way for individuals to connect with others and share similar interests and values. The purpose of our study was to evaluate social media use among pharmacy students at distance campus sites to determine student preferences for ways in which social media can be used within the pharmacy curriculum. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the professional use of social media, databases, and applications by pharmacy college students. Methods: A survey questionnaire was used to collect data from pharmacy college students by using Google forms. Findings: The survey was collected from 200 responses (108 male & 92 female) from pharmacy college students. Conclusion: According to the survey in this study, the pharmacy students are knowing social media, pharmacy websites, pharmacy apps, and databases. Pharmacy college student needs to expand the use of social media for professional development most preferably to obtain information regarding continuing education opportunities through these pharmacy websites, pharmacy apps, and database.

Community agency launches new phase of comprehensive mental health site

A community mental health provider in the Pacific Northwest has launched the second phase of an ambitious three‐stage initiative to integrate multiple levels of care into one campus site. A combination of public, private and philanthropic sources is covering the Compass Health project's $68.5 million price tag.

The Significance of a “MGUS” Tumor Board

Our large academic medical center consists of both a main campus and several regional sites that all offer hematology/oncology services where monoclonal gammopathy cases are referred for consultation. We receive well over 100 requests annually to see cases with abnormal monoclonal proteins. The challenge was how to triage these requests, with the goal of improving patient access to main campus myeloma experts while improving patient care and timely management. We decided to schedule cases initially referred for monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) with our advanced practice providers (APPs) both in the region and at main campus. Due to the concern for varying experience managing MGUS, differences in diagnostic practice and limited guidance we developed a novel concept to have a tumor board to review MGUS cases that were initially seen by our APPs. The “MGUS” tumor board is ran by three of our main campus myeloma focused hematologists and our myeloma dedicated APRN-PhD. We meet twice a month to review cases. Over the past 2 years we reviewed 147 cases providing recommendations for further work up. Of these, 41 cases (28%) were found to have a clinically significant monoclonal protein necessitating referral to a physician at main campus. The breakdown of these cases are detailed below in T able 1. Sixteen patients (11%) were started on treatment, the other 25 (17%) remained on observation. Another aspect of the tumor board is to provide education regarding clinically significant scenarios that involve monoclonal proteins. This tumor board offers CME credit for both APPs and physicians. By developing a team of knowledgeable APPs we have shifted 72% of monoclonal gammopathy referrals to remain under the care of APPs which improved access to main campus myeloma physician experts. This allowed the myeloma team at main campus to see more second opinions, open more clinical trials and expand our cell-therapy options for patients. Our referral base has grown and we have hired more APPs in the region and two additional myeloma physicians at main campus since starting the “MGUS” tumor board. Overall, we were successful in transitioning “MGUS” referrals to our APPs, but there were higher than expected percent of patients with clinically significant monoclonal proteins. Our data shows that it is essential for there to be some standardization for reviewing and working up “MGUS” referrals. This is especially important at large centers with multiple regional locations. We recommend a tumor board style review as it allows for discussion and education of “MGUS” referrals which prove to be far more complex in many cases.

SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF FOSSIL FUEL CO2 IN MEGACITY DELHI DETERMINED USING RADIOCARBON MEASUREMENTS IN PEEPAL (FICUS RELIGIOSA) TREE LEAVES

ABSTRACTThe quantification of fossil-fuel derived carbon dioxide (CO2ff) emissions is critical for regional carbon budgets. Radiocarbon (14C) is an effective tool to estimate the contribution of CO2ff to the total atmospheric CO2. In the present study, we have determined the spatial distribution of fossil fuel derived CO2 across Delhi using 14C measurements in Peepal tree leaves from April 2016 to March 2017 at city scale. Our analysis results show that the Δ14C values vary between –67.78‰ to 5.61‰ and corresponding CO2ff values are varying from 1.63 ppm to 33.34 ppm. CO2ff values from campus sites vary between 6.99 ppm to 16.38 ppm with an average value of 10.22 ± 3.20 ppm, while CO2ff values vary from 2.41 ppm to 33.34 ppm with an average value of 13.32 ± 9.40 ppm for sites located in the parks. Further, we observed the higher contributions of fossil fuels in the CO2 from northwest Delhi, central Delhi, and some parts of east and southwest Delhi. In the absence of real-time CO2 monitoring, the results of this study provide a potential method for analyzing the contribution of CO2ff values over the urban landscape to total CO2 over the study region.

The Impact of Updated ACGME Program Requirements for Radiation Oncology Residencies

Background In 2022, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) made several changes to the common program requirements for radiation oncology, which may be difficult for some residency programs to meet in their current state. Now, programs are expected to have 1.5 clinical physician faculty members per resident. Plus, the sponsoring institution must sponsor at least one medical oncology program and sponsor or have affiliations with ACGME-accredited surgical oncology and pathology programs. We sought to investigate if radiation oncology programs would presently be able to meet these requirements. Methods We compiled a list of accredited radiation oncology residency programs from the ACGME website. We visited the webpage of each program to count the number of radiation oncology physician residents and clinical physician faculty to calculate the corresponding ratio. We included clinical faculty from main campus and select satellite sites and affiliate sites, if residents definitely or probably rotated there. We also searched the websites of each sponsoring institution for sponsored pathology, medical oncology, and surgical oncology programs. Results We identified 90 ACGME-accredited radiation oncology residency programs. At least 9 programs appear to currently have a ratio of clinical physician faculty to residents of less than 1.5:1, ranging from 0.85 to 1.38. Additionally, 1 sponsoring institution does not have its own hematology and medical oncology or medical oncology program, 61 do not have a surgical oncology fellowship, and 5 do not have a pathology residency; however, this does not include affiliated programs. Discussion Approximately 10% of radiation oncology residency programs seem to have an insufficient number of clinical faculty to accommodate their residents, per new ACGME requirements. Furthermore, almost 70% of sponsoring institutions do not sponsor a medical oncology, pathology, or surgical oncology program, though this does not include potentially affiliated programs. A primary limitation of our study is that we collected information from publicly available information, which may be inaccurate. Nevertheless, based on our findings, it is likely that the new requirements may impose challenges on several programs, and failing to achieve them can risk program accreditation. In 2022, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) made several changes to the common program requirements for radiation oncology, which may be difficult for some residency programs to meet in their current state. Now, programs are expected to have 1.5 clinical physician faculty members per resident. Plus, the sponsoring institution must sponsor at least one medical oncology program and sponsor or have affiliations with ACGME-accredited surgical oncology and pathology programs. We sought to investigate if radiation oncology programs would presently be able to meet these requirements. We compiled a list of accredited radiation oncology residency programs from the ACGME website. We visited the webpage of each program to count the number of radiation oncology physician residents and clinical physician faculty to calculate the corresponding ratio. We included clinical faculty from main campus and select satellite sites and affiliate sites, if residents definitely or probably rotated there. We also searched the websites of each sponsoring institution for sponsored pathology, medical oncology, and surgical oncology programs. We identified 90 ACGME-accredited radiation oncology residency programs. At least 9 programs appear to currently have a ratio of clinical physician faculty to residents of less than 1.5:1, ranging from 0.85 to 1.38. Additionally, 1 sponsoring institution does not have its own hematology and medical oncology or medical oncology program, 61 do not have a surgical oncology fellowship, and 5 do not have a pathology residency; however, this does not include affiliated programs. Approximately 10% of radiation oncology residency programs seem to have an insufficient number of clinical faculty to accommodate their residents, per new ACGME requirements. Furthermore, almost 70% of sponsoring institutions do not sponsor a medical oncology, pathology, or surgical oncology program, though this does not include potentially affiliated programs. A primary limitation of our study is that we collected information from publicly available information, which may be inaccurate. Nevertheless, based on our findings, it is likely that the new requirements may impose challenges on several programs, and failing to achieve them can risk program accreditation.

Co-incidence of BA.1 and BA.2 at the start of Singapore's Omicron wave revealed by Community and University Campus wastewater surveillance

Wastewater surveillance (WWS) has been globally recognised to be a useful tool in quantifying SARS-CoV-2 RNA at the community and residential levels without biases associated with case-reporting. The emergence of variants of concern (VOCs) have given rise to an unprecedented number of infections even though populations are increasingly vaccinated. This is because VOCs have been reported to possess higher transmissibility and can evade host immune responses. The B.1.1.529 lineage (Omicron) has severely disrupted global plans to return to normalcy. In this study, we developed an allele-specific (AS) RT-qPCR assay which simultaneously targets the stretch of deletions and mutations in the spike protein from position 24–27 for quantitative detection of Omicron BA.2. Together with previous assays that detect mutations associated with Omicron BA.1 (deletion at position 69 and 70) and all Omicron (mutation at position 493 and 498), we report the validation and time series of these assays from September 2021 to May 2022 using influent samples from two wastewater treatment plants and across four University campus sites in Singapore. Viral RNA concentrations at the treatment plants corroborate with locally reported clinical cases, AS RT-qPCR assays revealed co-incidence of Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 on 12 January 2022, almost two months after initial BA.1 detection in South Africa and Botswana. BA.2 became the dominant variant by the end of January 2022 and completely displaced BA.1 by mid-March 2022. University campus sites were similarly positive for BA.1 and/or BA.2 in the same week as first detection at the treatment plants, where BA.2 became rapidly established as the dominant lineage within three weeks. These results corroborate clinical incidence of the Omicron lineages in Singapore and indicate minimal silent circulation prior to January 2022. The subsequent simultaneous spread of both variant lineages followed strategic relaxation of safe management measures upon meeting nationwide vaccination goals.

Distribution Characteristics and Health Effects of Bioaerosols in Spring over Xi'an City

A large amount of fluffy caktins appears in spring in Xi'an that may cause air pollution and lead to health risks such as asthma. In this study, bioaerosol, PM2.5, and fluffy catkins were collected from different sample points (traffic site and campus site) in Xi'an in spring. The variations in bioaerosol, fluffy catkins, and the bacterial community structure were investigated using culture-dependent and high-throughput sequencing methods. The results showed that the concentration of culturable bacteria was significantly higher (P=0.027) at the traffic site. The concentration of culturable bacteria at the traffic site was 2.7 times that of fungi, whereas the concentration of culturable fungi at the campus site was 1.4 times higher than that of bacteria. The peak concentrations of culturable bacteria and fungi appeared at 08:00 a.m. The size distribution of culturable bacteria showed a bimodal pattern, whereas that of culturable fungi showed a unimodal distribution. Soil and vegetation were the main sources of atmospheric microorganisms (85.9%), and Proteobacteria was the most abundant phylum in both fluffy catkins and PM2.5, accounting for 91.3% (traffic site) and 99.1% (campus site) of the fluffy catkins. Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria, and Deinococcus-Thermus were the dominant phyla in PM2.5. Some genera were opportunistic pathogen bacteria in the fluffy catkins, such as Enterobacter and Pseudomonas, which can lead to infection and diarrhea risks. These results could provide fundamental data on potential health risks of spring-borne bioaerosols.

Combined application of electrical resistivity tomography and multi-channel analysis of surface waves methods in the tunnel detection: A case study from Kocaeli University Campus Site, Turkey

In this study, two-dimensional electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and one-dimensional multi-channel surface waves analysis (MASW) methods conducted on the surface were used to examine the location of a creek drainage tunnel constructed for the campus road and its relationship with the surrounding geological units in the Kocaeli University campus site results are presented. As it is known, geophysical studies conducted from the surface are generally applied in terms of feasibility and to determine the geological problems in the route of tunnels before the tunnel construction. Geophysical studies revealing the tunnel and associated underground characteristics in a completed tunnel are very limited. Therefore, this study aims to describe the general character of the tunnel and its surroundings in the subsurface, with measurements made by using surface geophysical methods (ERT and MASW) over the tunnel. In the ERT studies, four different arrays were examined to resolve this problem. These are, respectively; Wenner-alpha, −beta, −gamma and Schlumberger. On the tunnel problem here, a possible model similar to the geological structure dominated by the marl layers in the region was synthetically designed with these arrays. In this study, the effectiveness of all these arrays against the problem was tested. Then, by evaluating the data collected from the field, the appropriate array testing was examined for the real problem. In the context of these studies, the results of the MASW studies conducted between 24 and 46 m of the ERT line were compared with the ERT data to reveal the geological phenomena in the tunnel and its vicinity. The resistivity values (ρ) in the 2D electrical resistivity models obtained from ERT have values of ρ > 80 Ωm in the tunnel section and ρ < 55 Ωm in the materials surrounding the tunnel. The medium-high resistivity values characterize the earthfill layer. In MASW studies, it was revealed that shear wave velocity (Vs) values in the tunnel were lower (<250 m/s) and higher (250 and 500 m/s) in the materials surrounding the tunnel. Deep below the tunnel and in the northeastern part of the field, the ground has relatively higher shear wave velocities (Vs > 400 m/s). Because of the comparison of ERT and MASW results, it was revealed that both methods showed good agreement in terms of tunnel depth and size. While the different sequences used in the ERT study generally provided successful results in identifying the tunnel, different model results were revealed in the surrounding earthfill, weathered and intact marl layers. The MASW results, on the other hand, gave more successful results than expected in determining the location of the tunnel. Because of the comparison of both methods, it has been shown that the use of the ERT and MASW methods together can provide more effective results in examining the location of buried tunnels and their relationship with the surrounding geological units.

Leading Change: Perceptions of Current Radiation Oncology Residents and Attending Physicians about the State of the Didactic Curriculum

<h3>Purpose/Objective(s)</h3> Leading successful change efforts first requires assessment of the "before change" environment and culture. At our institution, the Radiation Oncology (RO) residents follow a longitudinal didactic learning program consisting of weekly one-hour lectures, case conferences, and journal clubs organized by disease site specialty. The resident didactic education series format has not changed since its inception over ten years ago. We evaluated the perceptions of current residents and faculty about the effectiveness of the curriculum in its present form. <h3>Materials/Methods</h3> Two parallel surveys were designed using a survey platform, one each for residents and attendings, to assess current attitudes regarding the effectiveness and need for change in the RO residency curriculum, specifically the traditional didactic lectures, the journal club sessions, and the case conferences. Online surveys were individually distributed in person or via video conference and took 5-10 minutes to complete. Attending faculty who practiced at the main campus or regional site and participated in the teaching program were eligible, with the senior author on this project excused. No identifiers were used to preserve anonymity of the respondents given the nature of this single institution cohort. Following completion of the survey, respondents were informally interviewed by the first author about the curriculum's strengths and weaknesses. <h3>Results</h3> Online surveys were individually distributed to 100% of residents (N=10) and 100% of eligible attendings (N=24). Compared to 46% of attendings, 80% of RO residents believe the current curriculum should be changed. Twenty percent of residents believe the traditional didactic lectures are effective in preparing them to manage patients in the clinic, compared to 74% of attendings. Similarly, 10% of residents feel that the journal club sessions are effective vs. 42% of attendings. Finally, 40% of residents believe the case conferences are effective vs. 67% of attendings. Overall, residents were less satisfied and more oriented towards change than faculty members. <h3>Conclusion</h3> Our results suggest that the perceptions of RO residents about the current didactic curriculum do not align with those of attending physicians. Main changes would be to increase the interactive nature of the course material, incorporate more ways to increase faculty engagement, and consider self-assessment questions to promote retention. The discrepancies between residents and faculty highlight the need of a dedicated change management effort to mitigate this gap. Pending approval from the residency program leadership, we will follow Kotter's "Eight steps to transforming your organization" to ensure the highest potential for faculty to transition to a new curriculum.

The wet scavenging of air pollutants through artificial precipitation enhancement: A case study in the Yangtze River Delta

In this study, the impact of artificial precipitation enhancement operation on the wet scavenging of air pollutants is investigated based on an aircraft precipitation enhancement operation in the Yangtze River Delta region of China on 1 November 2020. Multiple measurement data are used, including the regional meteorological and environmental data and the comprehensive field observation data at the Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology (NUIST) campus site. The results show that the affected areas of this operation cover part of Anhui and Jiangsu provinces. The precipitation ratio between the target and contrast areas is always greater than 1, indicating the effectiveness of the seeding operation of silver iodide for precipitation enhancement. The regional analysis of air pollutants suggests that the enhanced precipitation can prevent the increase of air pollutants, especially for the particulate matter. The impact of enhanced precipitation on regional trace gases is complex because they are easily affected by the primary emissions. More data analysis at NUIST indicates that two cloud layers appear before the precipitation and merge into one thick cloud layer during the precipitation likely due to the impact of catalysis operation on the upper cloud. After the precipitation, the number concentration of aerosols with a diameter lower than 300 nm reduces significantly, the mass concentration of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm decreases by about 39%, and the mass concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide also decrease in different degrees. These results indicate that it is effective to reduce air pollutants by artificial precipitation enhancement. More studies are needed in the future.

Research on the Spatiotemporal Characteristics and Concentration Prediction Model of PM2.5 during Winter in Jiangbei New District, Nanjing, China

Accurate prediction of PM2.5 concentration is one of the key tasks of air pollution assessment, early warning, and treatment. In this paper, four monitoring sites were arranged in Jiangbei New District of Nanjing City, China. The environmental parameters such as PM2.5/PM10 concentration, temperature, and humidity were monitored from January to February 2020. A gated recurrent unit (GRU) network based on the PM2.5 concentration prediction model was established to predict PM2.5 concentration. The mean relative error (MRE), root mean square error (RMSE), and Pearson correlation coefficient were selected as the evaluation criteria for the accuracy of the GRU model. The data set was divided into a training set, a test set and a validation set at a ratio of 7:2:1, and the GRU model was used to predict the hourly value of PM2.5 concentration in the next week. The prediction results show that the Pearson correlation coefficients between the predicted values and the monitored values of the four monitoring sites have reached more than 0.9, reflecting a strong correlation. The relative average errors are around 10%. The GRU model prediction of NJAU (Nanjing Agricultural University)-Pukou Campus Site is the most accurate, and the correlation coefficient, MRE, and RMSE are 0.970, 7.85%, and 9.6049, respectively, reflecting the good prediction performance of the model. Therefore, this research supports the prediction of air quality in different cities and regions, so people can take protective measures in advance and reduce the damage caused by air pollution to human bodies.

Revealing Impacts of Trees on Modeling Microclimate Behavior in Spaces between Buildings through Simulation Monitoring

Urban trees have been recognized as having different impacts on the microclimate and thermal comfort. Therefore, this study conducted on-site measurement and simulation to explore and clarify how trees impact the microclimate, thermal comfort, and façade temperature. A campus site was selected as the test field and two models—one with and one without trees—were built with the ENVI-met. Meanwhile, one microclimate station and four sensors were installed to simulate and validate the microclimate. Twelve blocks with different tree conditions were also selected to further investigate the specific impacts of trees. The results showed that, firstly, the transpiration and sheltering effect of trees that dominates on sunny days can decrease air temperature and the predicted mean vote. Secondly, trees’ effects on airflow, including on the wind channel and blocking effect, are dominant on cloudy days. Trees inside the group often exhibit the wind-blocking effect, while trees with a downwind determinant at the windward group edge usually exhibit the wind channel effect. Thirdly, high canopy coverage enhances trees’ sheltering effect on solar radiation. The study also provides design recommendations for campus building and trees that account for how trees help improve the microclimate, enhance comfort, and reduce energy consumption.

Geotechnical Assessment of Soil at the Campus Site of College of Science, University of Diyala

In this study, some physical and mechanical properties of soil samples collected from the campus site of College of Science, University of Diyalahave been evaluated. All laboratory tests were performed according to the standards of American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). The test results showed that the range of soil water content wwas (13.89%-16.34%) with an average of 15.44%. The specific gravity range was (2.58-2.77) with an average of 2.66. The range of Liquid Limit LL was (26.20-35.20%) with an average of 32.22%.The range of Plastic Limit PL was (18.63-23.24%) with average of 21.06%. The range of Plasticity Index was (7.57-12.42) with an average of 11.61. Based on USCS classifications, the soil can be considered as fine-grained soil type CL (CL is inorganic clay soil of low to medium plasticity). Liquidity Index LI values were ranged from 0.002 to 0.560 while Consistency Index CI ranged from 0.271 to 0.998 indicating a plastic state. The average optimum water OWC content and maximum dry density MDD calculated from Standard Proctor Compaction test were 10.36% and 1.79g/cm3, respectively. Shear test results revealed that the cohesion strength range was (5-10 Kg/m2) with an average of 7.8 Kg/m2, and the angle of internal friction range was (25-30o) with an average of 29.4o. The measured values of angle of internal friction are within the range of CL soil. However, the cohesion strength is relatively low as cohesion of clay soil is affected by different factors such water content and clay content. The compression index derived from consolidation test was ranged from 0.03 to 0.25, and the calculated values of void ratio (0.94-1.04) and porosity (0.48-0.51) are within the range of clay soils. Physical and mechanical properties presented in the current study are useful for future engineering works scheduled at the campus site of College of Science,University of Diyala.

Using the EPAs to Evaluate the Clinical Experience of Medical Students.

Although there are standardized assessments of medical students throughout medical school, the clinical experience of each student may vary widely. Currently, medical schools do not have a systematic method to ensure that students perform clinical skills during clinical clerkships. Our study used the Entrustable Professional Activities for Entering Residency (EPAs) framework to assess the ways in which medical students meaningfully participate in patient care at various clinical sites in each required clerkship and over time. Over the 2020-2021 academic year, 170 third-year medical students were asked to report the number of times they performed EPA-1 (gather history and perform physical examination), EPA-5 (document clinical encounter), and EPA-6 (provide oral presentation of clinical encounter) at the end of each required clinical rotation (emergency medicine, internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics, neurology, psychiatry) at a single medical school. We used descriptive statistics and t tests to compare frequency of these EPAs by campus type, site type, clerkship, and time. One thousand, two hundred sixty-one surveys met inclusion criteria. Students performed EPA-5 more often at an academic medical center, and EPA-1 more frequently in the outpatient setting. Students performed EPA-1 and EPA-6 most often during emergency medicine and EPA-5 most often during internal medicine. Performance of all three EPAs increased over time. This reporting system produced a robust data set that allowed for EPA performance comparisons by campus, site type, clerkship, and time. EPA performance varied by rotation, site type, clerkship, and time.

The Rising Veto Power of the Checkbook

This study drew on different streams in the literature to theorize a power shift in favor of parents in the post Covid-19 era. We investigated the impact of parents’ campus site visits on university enrollment decisions by empirically testing a model that draws on concepts from service marketing and sociology and links university enrollment to parents’ evaluative and intentional constructs. Data were obtained from 339 parents of final-year high school students immediately after their campus site visits and analyzed using structural equation modelling. The results indicate that antecedents of parent university satisfaction include human encounters, university reputation, and physical setting. Satisfaction was found to drive intention to advocate to children and brand preference. These two outcomes affected enrollment. The results offer important theoretical contributions to the field of higher education marketing and present managerial implications for university administrators in their quest to augment student recruitment processes.

Agricultural Safety and Health Curriculum: Preparing the Next Generation of Rural Nurses

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of including/expanding agricultural health and safety curriculum in a prelicensure baccalaureate of nursing program on the nursing students’ knowledge of agricultural health and safety. A convenience sample of baccalaureate nursing students in their first year of nursing school on two different campuses of a Midwestern college of nursing. Agricultural health and safety content was introduced with pre- and post-surveys completed after delivery of the agricultural health and safety education unit. Independent T-test (p < .05) performed on pre (n = 135) and post surveys (n = 109). There were no significant differences between baseline data on the two campus sites or between genders. There were statistically significant differences between baseline and post levels of knowledge, with an increase in perceived knowledge. Students “raised on a farm” or “that worked on a farm” and students “not raised on a farm” or “didn’t work on a farm” had significantly different knowledge levels at baseline, and all groups had a statistically significant change in knowledge, but no significant posttest difference between groups. Incorporation of agricultural health and safety into a Bachelor of Science Nursing program can lead to significant knowledge increase and better prepare student nurses to provide care to patients with agricultural-related injuries and health concerns.

Validation of soil type interpretation and determination from CPT and DMT tests

This paper consists of three parts. The first part presents the methodology of in situ tests using a CPT probe and methods of soil type determination that are based on them. The second part lays out the methodology of field tests with Marchetti’s dilatometer (DMT) and methods of soil type determination on their basis. In the third part, the process of validation of CPT and DMT tests with borehole test methods is carried out based on the analysis of in situ investigations in the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW) Campus sites compared to the results obtained from laboratory tests. Validation of the CPT method using Marr’s nomogram was successful. The DMT method using Marchetti’s nomogram chart should be also considered as satisfactory.