Extra Activity Research Articles

AACN competency-based essentials revisit: Evidence-based validation of entrustable professional activities in Asia

AimThis study intended to validate the competency-based approach through an entrustable professional activity in the nursing undergraduate education arena in Taiwan. BackgroundEntrustable professional activity is a recommended strategy to enhance nursing competencies and skills. It has been widely applied to nursing education in Western countries, especially graduate programs. However, its effects in eastern countries and undergraduate programs remain unclear. DesignA quasi-experimental comparison design was used. MethodThe study is conducted at the Department of Nursing at a university in southern Taiwan. A total of 72 Two-Year Nursing Program students participated in the study. After implementing the designated entrustable professional activity in the Wound Care Nursing course, outcomes were measured using the Competency Inventory of Nursing Students, Learning Satisfaction and Objective Structured Clinical Examinations. These outcomes were then compared with post-test results at the end of the semester. About 90 % of students completed the study with the test group (n=31) receiving extra activity and the comparison group (n=34) receiving usual teaching. Data were analyzed through chi-square, paired t and Student’s t-test. ResultsThe test group demonstrated significantly higher scores in perceived competency and clinical examinations than the comparison group. However, both groups experienced an increase in learning satisfaction without reaching a significant difference. ConclusionResults of the study indicate that competency-based pedagogy, e.g., using entrustable professional activities, should be integrated into nursing curricula to meet the new American Association of Colleges of Nursing standards with compelling evidence.

Understanding the Structural and Catalytic Properties of Al(IV)-2 Acidic Sites of ZSM-5.

It is crucial to identify the structures of active sites to understand how catalysts function and to use that understanding to develop better catalytic materials. ZSM-5 zeolites with dominant Al(IV)-2 sites have been developed in this work. 1H-27Al 2D HMQC and 2D 1H TQ(DQ)-SQ NMR experiments have been performed to investigate the structural properties of this acidic site. The Al(IV)-2 sites have Brønsted and Lewis acid characteristics. The catalytic performance of Al(IV)-2 sites has been tested by n-dodecane cracking reactions. The catalytic results show that the Brønsted acidic strength of the Al(IV)-2 sites is comparable to that of the Al(IV)-1 sites, but the Al(IV)-2 sites' Lewis acid characteristics provide extra catalytic activity. We have gained valuable insights into the characteristics of Al(IV)-2 acid sites within these materials.

Enhancing the efficacy of nano-curcumin on cancer cells through mixture design optimization of three emulsifiers

Curcumin, a vital bioactive compound found naturally, has diverse biological applications. However, a major limitation of curcumin is its low bioavailability caused by its limited solubility in water. Hence, it is possible to overcome this problem through preparing oil in water nanodispersion of curcumin that emulsifier can play key role to produce nanodispersion. In the present study, the effect of three emulsifiers of Tween 80, Arabic Gum and Polyethylene glycol on preparing nanodispersions with desirable properties was investigated using subcritical water method and a mixture design. Zeta-potential and particle size of the achieved nanodispersions were taken into account as outcome factors. The optimum values for emulsifiers of Tween 80, Arabic Gum and Polyethylene glycol were obtained as 0.588 g, 0.639 g and 0.273 g, respectively, using the suggested model, so that obtained nanodispersion had minimum particle size (101.89 nm) and maximum zeta-potential (−24.99 mV). In fact, 102.5 nm and − 24.7 mV were obtained from experimental data at these values of emulsifiers. In addition, maximum loading potential (0.199 g/L), efficiency (99.5%), and minimum total curcumin loss (0.5%) were acquired at these optimum values. The results also show that the nanodispersion had a powerful antioxidant activity (65.27%) with extra antibacterial activity in facing with both E. coli and S. aureus strains. Moreover, curcumin nanodispersion was significantly taken up by HT-29 cells and resulted in the production of oxidative stress in the cells, leading to a decrease in the growth of cancer cells.

Cortical dynamics in visual areas induced by the first use of multifocal contact lenses in presbyopes

A common non-spectacle strategy to correct presbyopia is to provide simultaneous images with multifocal optical designs. Understanding the neuroadaptation mechanisms behind multifocal devices usage would have important clinical implications, such as predicting whether patients will be able to tolerate multifocal optics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the brain correlates during the initial wear of multifocal contact lenses (CLs) using high-density visual evoked potential (VEP) measures. Fifteen presbyopes (mean age 51.8 ± 2.6 years) who had previously not used multifocal CLs were enrolled. VEP measures were achieved while participants looked at arrays of 0.5 logMAR Sloan letters in three different optical conditions arranged with CLs: monofocal condition with the optical power appropriate for the distance viewing; multifocal correction with medium addition; and multifocal correction with low addition. An ANOVA for repeated measures showed that the amplitude of the C1 and N1 components significantly dropped with both multifocal low and medium addition CL conditions compared to monofocal CLs. The P1 and P2 components showed opposite behavior with an increase in amplitudes for multifocal compared to monofocal conditions. VEP data indicated that multifocal presbyopia corrections produce a loss of feedforward activity in the primary visual cortex that is compensated by extra feedback activity in extrastriate areas only, in both early and late visual processing.

Neural correlates of semantic-driven syntactic parsing in sentence comprehension

For sentence comprehension, information carried by semantic relations between constituents must be combined with other information to decode the constituent structure of a sentence, due to atypical and noisy situations of language use. Neural correlates of decoding sentence structure by semantic information have remained largely unexplored. In this functional MRI study, we examine the neural basis of semantic-driven syntactic parsing during sentence reading and compare it with that of other types of syntactic parsing driven by word order and case marking. Chinese transitive sentences of various structures were investigated, differing in word order, case making, and agent-patient semantic relations (i.e., same vs. different in animacy). For the non-canonical unmarked sentences without usable case marking, a semantic-driven effect triggered by agent-patient ambiguity was found in the left inferior frontal gyrus opercularis (IFGoper) and left inferior parietal lobule, with the activity not being modulated by naturalness factors of the sentences. The comparison between each type of non-canonical sentences with canonical sentences revealed that the non-canonicity effect engaged the left posterior frontal and temporal regions, in line with previous studies. No extra neural activity was found responsive to case marking within the non-canonical sentences. A word order effect across all types of sentences was also found in the left IFGoper, suggesting a common neural substrate between different types of parsing. The semantic-driven effect was also observed for the non-canonical marked sentences but not for the canonical sentences, suggesting that semantic information is used in decoding sentence structure in addition to case marking. The current findings illustrate the neural correlates of syntactic parsing with semantics, and provide neural evidence of how semantics facilitates syntax together with other information.

Pengembangan Metode Improve Musik Mendukung Peningkatan Kemampuan Kreatif dan Kecerdasan Musik

The art of music is part of student sub-subjects at primary and secondary education levels, and is an extra school curriculum activity with the hope of increasing interest that supports multiple intelligences (music) and student creativity. The music practice process has several learning method approaches, one of which is the improve method which is seen as able to support increasing students' intelligence and creativity. So the aim of this research is to test the effect of music improvement training methods on students' creativity and intelligence. Real experimental research was carried out using a pretest-post test design model involving a control group. Data was collected through checklists (assessment sheets) from three music instructors to measure musical creativity and intelligence. The results of the hypothesis testing analysis through the paired sample t test showed that there was a positive and significant influence of the improvement method on musical intelligence, both in the experimental group and the control group; there was a positive and significant influence of the music improvement method on students' creativity in the experimental group, whereas in the control group there was no evidence of an increase in creativity; and there is a significant difference in musical intelligence and increased creativity between the experimental group, namely students who practice music using improved methods, and the control group, namely students who practice using non-improved methods.

Marías. Entre la adoración y el estigma

Marías. Entre la adoración y el estigma originated in the seminar “Between adoration and stigma: mothers, virgins, and prostitutes.” This event was an extra activity of the course “Analysis and interpretation of the image,” taught in the Art History and History Bachelors at the Universitat de València. In addition, the writers of this book are members of the research roup “Apes. Estudis de Cultura Visual de la Universitat de València,” which included this seminar as a part of their Educational Innovation Project (2019-2020).

Wikipedia as an academic service-learning tool in science and technology: higher education case from Siberia.

Wikipedia, the open crowdsourced encyclopedia that anyone can edit, ranks among the top ten most-visited websites globally. Its integration into university curriculum as an innovative educational tool is a slowly growing trend; however, many higher education institutions have yet to fully grasp its potential. In response, a specific optional module for Wikipedia editing, designed for the selected undergraduate science courses at the School of Advanced Studies, Russia, was implemented as an optional extra credit service-learning activity, a teaching methodology combining meaningful service to the community with curriculum-based learning. Students who chose to participate and those who preferred not to participate in the activity were invited to participate in a research project to explore their perspectives and experiences. In total, five sessions of focus group discussions were conducted with participants (12 females and 2 males) in one set and non-participants (5 females and 4 males) in another to identify students' perspectives on themes such as their interest in science, reasons for their choices, and their expectations before the activity while post-experience focus group discussions were used to identify the perspectives of participant students on themes, encompassing contribution of the service-learning activity, acquisition of new skills, and the development of prosocial behaviors. Students' opinions on integrating social responsibility topics into the curriculum were also explored. The results extracted from these focus group discussions, analyzed through consensual coding, revealed factors promoting student participation, like interest in the subject, novelty of the activity, and grade improvement opportunities, as well as factors deterring participation, such as concerns about academic benefits, workload, and time constraints. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that Wikipedia editing serves as a novel teaching methodology, promoting student learning and development in digital literacy and information literacy, which are among the twenty-first-century skills. Interestingly, at the same time, not all students could address the value of contributing to open, crowdsourced knowledge for public service or interpret this activity as an academic service-learning. These suggest that Wikipedia editing is an innovative teaching approach, fostering students' learning and development while also indicating its potential to enhance students' understanding of responsible citizenship and public service in the digital age.

School-based physical activity in relation to active travel – a cluster randomized controlled trial among adolescents enrolled in the school in motion study in Norway

BackgroundActive travel and school settings are considered ideal for promoting physical activity. However, previous research suggests limited effect of school-based interventions on overall physical activity levels among adolescents. The relationship between physical activity in different domains remains inconclusive. In this study, we examined the effects of adding two weekly hours of school-based physical activity on active travel rates.MethodWe analyzed data from 1370 pupils in the 9th-grade participating in the cluster RCT; the School In Motion (ScIM) project. Intervention schools (n = 19) implemented 120 min of class-scheduled physical activity and physical education, in addition to the normal 2 hours of weekly physical education in the control schools (n = 9), for 9 months. Active travel was defined as pupils who reported walking or cycling to school, while motorized travel was defined as pupils who commuted by bus or car, during the spring/summer half of the year (April–September), or autumn/winter (October–February). The participants were categorized based on their travel mode from pretest to posttest as; maintained active or motorized travel (“No change”), changing to active travel (motorized-active), or changing to motorized travel (active-motorized). Multilevel logistic regression was used to analyze the intervention effect on travel mode.ResultsDuring the intervention period, most participants maintained their travel habits. In total, 91% of pupils maintained their travel mode to school. Only 6% of pupils switched to motorized travel and 3% switched to active travel, with small variations according to season and trip direction. The intervention did not seem to influence the likelihood of changing travel mode. The odds ratios for changing travel habits in spring/summer season were from active to motorized travel 1.19 [95%CI: 0.53–2.15] and changing from motorized to active travel 1.18 [0.30–2.62], compared to the “No change” group. These findings were consistent to and from school, and for the autumn/winter season.ConclusionThe extra school-based physical activity does not seem to affect rates of active travel among adolescents in the ScIM project.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov ID nr: NCT03817047. Registered 01/25/2019′ retrospectively registered’.

Therapeutic Apheresis in Rural and Regional Settings: A Single-Centre 5-Year Experience

Introduction Therapeutic apheresis (TA) is an important treatment modality used in the emergency management of many life-threatening diseases. However, there is limited local accessibility in many rural and regional areas necessitating long-distance transfer to large regional centers or metropolitan hospitals. This is expensive; isolates patients from their families; and may result in treatment delays. TA using renal replacement therapy machines may be an alternative. However, this is expensive, time-consuming for this indication and less effective. We outline our experience and outcomes of TA in a regional hospital over 5 years. Methods Single-center retrospective review of TA performed between 2017-2022. Patient demographics, indications and complications of TA are reported. Results Orange Hospital is a 220-bed teaching hospital and referral center in Western New South Wales (NSW) Local Health District, Australia, a geographically large rural and remote health district which provides health care for approximately 250-300,000 patients. There is on site specialty physicians representing nephrology, hematology, gastroenterology, neurology, pulmonology, medical and radiation oncology, palliative care, geriatrics, infectious diseases, and intensive care. A well-staffed and equipped blood-bank is on-site with a large outpatient hemodialysis unit. Anecdotal evidence demonstrated a need for a local TA service. It was estimated, based on historical data concerning known local patients and transfers to metropolitan areas, that the expected annual workload would be approximately 100 procedures with annual new patient numbers of 5-10. The unit began operation on 17/02/2017, and in the period until 1/1/2022, 760 procedures in 36 patients have been performed (table 1). The median age of patients was 56 years (48-78), and most were female. There were only five major adverse events in three patients giving a major complication rate of 0.65%: one patient developed endocarditis due to a line infection; another patient developed a line infection; one patient developed hypotension required intensive care and a central line associated thrombosis. All patients recovered from their complications. Discussion We present our experience establishing a TA service in a regional hospital and our operational experience over five years. The estimated service need has been at least 50% over that initially expected. Despite the extra activity, the service has been financially self-sufficient with significant savings in non-clinical costs, mainly in patient transfer. There is a great deal of interest currently in rural health care provision where significant illness poses great challenges to service delivery, patients, and their families. Transfer of patients for treatment has significant psych-social and economic morbidity. The distances involved often make it difficult for families to visit their loved ones and provide support, while staying at accommodation near metropolitan hospitals can be very expensive. Coupled with difficulty in obtaining beds in metropolitan centers, treatment locally is a very attractive option. The authors believe strongly that many treatments currently viewed as “metropolitan only” can be delivered safely and more efficiently locally, and that the main barriers to increasingly complex care in rural services are: a lack of awareness of the level of care that can be delivered in a rural setting; and a metropolitan centric mindset that is largely driven by traditional models of care, poor resourcing of rural health care, and inertia. Our experience is that with very modest resourcing, adequately trained staff, and good business models and care pathways TA can be safely and sustainably provided in a rural setting. To our knowledge, Orange Hospital has the only TA unit in rural NSW and probably Australia. Local availability of the service has greatly improved accessibility for patients. Conclusions Rural and regional areas are suitable locations for therapeutic apheresis provided they are adequately resourced. Availability of this service enables management of a variety of life-threatening conditions locally. This helps to reduce social and economic costs and allows timely delivery of care. Our experience demonstrates that a clinically and economically viable service in the rural setting can be provided with excellent safety outcomes.

Sustainable Food Packaging with Chitosan Biofilm Reinforced with Nanocellulose and Essential Oils

Active packaging with biobased polymers aim to extend the shelf life of food and to improve the environmental sustainability of the food industry. This new concept was tested with samples of fresh poultry meat wrapped with chitosan reinforced with 2.5% of commercial nanocellulose (NC) incorporating 1% of essential oils (EO) from Aloysia citrodora (ACEO) and Cymbopogon citratus (CCEO). The performance of the bionanocomposites containing EOs was assessed and compared with unwrapped meat samples and samples wrapped with chitosan/NC, during a 13 day period of refrigerated storage for several physicochemical parameters related to food deterioration and microbial growth. Wrapping the meat with the chitosan/NC polymer helped to increase the shelf life of the meat. The incorporation of EOs added extra activity to the biocomposites, further delaying the meat deterioration process, by halting the lipid oxidation and the Enterobactereaceae growth until the 9th day. The composition of both EOs was similar, with the main components contributing to the increased activity of the biopolymers being geranial and neral. The performance of ACEO surpassed that of CCEO, namely on the Enterobactereaceae growth. This trend may be associated with ACEO’s higher phenolic content and the higher antioxidant activity of the compounds released by the ACEO biopolymers.

Daily physical activity in children enrolled in extracurricular activity

This study aimed to verify and compare the physical activity practices of children enrolled and non-enrolled on different days of week in a specific program offered at school. Seventy-eight children comprised two groups: children with extra physical activity (EPA; n=39; 15 females and 24 males; age: 9.2±0.8 years) and those with no involvement in extra physical activity (NPA; n=39; 21 females and 18 males; age: 9.0±0.4 years). To infer caloric expenditure, number of steps per day, and total distance traveled, children were monitored with pedometers during three nonconsecutive days: a day with a physical education class at school, a normal activity weekday, and a weekend day. Children enrolled in extra activities at school presented higher levels of caloric expenditure (EPA=132±61, NPA=61±25), performed more steps per day (EPA=7742±2473, NPA=5245±2306) and traveled longer distances (EPA=4201±1318, NPA=2799±1269), with boys (calories=154.1±91.6; steps=9763±3804; traveled distance=5114±2205) more active than girls (calories=94.4±46.7; steps=6691±2394; traveled distance=3726±1387). In the extracurricular physical activity day, children expended more calories (155.8±88.3), performed mores steps (10133±3724) and traveled longer distance (5442±2118) than in the physical education day (calories=127.2±79.3; steps=8409±3283; traveled distance=4478±1864) and in the weekend (calories=96.8±58.8; steps=6493±2687; traveled distance=3500±1466). Extracurricular physical activity at school leads to an increase of physical activity of boys and girls, even on days when the extracurricular activity is not offered.

Apiculture for Sustainable Land Use and Enhanced Community Livelihoods in Dryland Ecosystems: The Case of Makueni in Kenya

The scarcity of water in drylands is a major cause of crop failure, food insecurity, and consequent human ill-being. Relying on tilling and crop farming is therefore a risky investment and a direct threat to sustainable livelihoods. This calls for a shift in land use to practices that exert less pressure on land and water. Though apiculture is such a land-use practice, its adoption in the context of changing climate and increasing ecosystem vulnerability is still low. In pursuit of this dimension, the objectives of this research were: (i) to determine the extent to which apiculture is practised, (ii) to assess the challenges facing apiculture, and (iii) to assess measures required to scale-up apiculture among resource-poor farmers using Kathonzweni as a case study. Primary data was collected using a questionnaire survey that targeted 379 farmers. Additional data was obtained from secondary sources. Results showed that the majority of respondents (34.2%) relied on crop and animal production as their main sources of income, while 25.8% engaged in apiculture as an extra livelihood activity. Only 6.7% viewed apiculture as a source of food. As such, tilling the land rather than purchasing food using income from other sources remains the mindset in food security planning. Individual farmers harvested an average of 83.53 kg of honey/year and sold on average 60.67 kg/year. The income generated was an average of Kenyan Shillings 15,166.67 (USD 150) per year. Prolonged dry seasons, lack of community sensitisation, high cost of beehives, poor apiculture husbandry practices and difficulties in individually negotiating for better prices for their honey were the main limiting factors undermining this land use. Farmers were however aware of the huge market potential of hive products and the ecological suitability of the area for apiculture. Correlation analysis of quantities harvested, sold and income generated nationally revealed the existence of a very strong and significant positive relationship (r = 0.92; p=0.000). Therefore, investing in apiculture can alleviate household income limitations and the perennial food insecurity challenge in drylands while maintaining natural land cover and hence environmental resilience. Therefore, public-private synergistic partnerships based on a win-win business model are needed for increased adoption of apiculture in the context of changing climate.

The effects of biochar on soil extra and intracellular enzymes activity

The effects of biochar on soil extra and intracellular enzymes activity

Biochemical responses of the Dreissena polymorpha from municipal pond to caffeine, microplastics, and heating in single and combined exposures

Background. Pharmaceuticals have become the aquatic pollutants of growing concern. Caffeine is one of the most widely distributed in the surface waters among them. However, the environmentally relevant models of its effect, which include combined exposures with probable confounding factors, are unknown. Microplastics are a suspected vector that influences caffeine bioavailability. The temperature dependence of response, considering the increase of temperature in surface waters, can also be anticipated. The aim of this study was to analyze the input of caffeine, microplastics and elevated temperature into their combined effect on the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha (Pallas, 1771). Materials and Methods. Molluscs were exposed to caffeine (Caf, 20.0 μg·L−1), microplastics (MP, 1 mg·L−1, 2 μm in size), or elevated temperature (T, 25 °C) in the single and combined (Mix- and MixT-) exposures for 14 days. The concentrations of metallothioneins, metallothioneins-bound zinc, total Zn and Cu concentration in the tissue, total glutathione level, antioxidant (superoxide dismutase) and metabolic (citrate synthase) enzymes activities, acid phosphatase activity as the lysosomal functionality marker were determined. Results and Discussion. The decrease in Zn/Cu concentrations ratio in the soft tissues shared the common response in all exposures, reflecting the metal imbalance as the most sensitive marker. The MP-group was distinguished by the decrease in the levels of total Zn and extra lysosomal acid phosphatase activity, proving injury of Zn transportation and Zn-related enzyme activities. All other exposures (T-, Mix-, MixT-) caused citrate synthase and superoxide dismutase activation. Caf-related groups demonstrated the elevation of the levels of phosphatase lysosomal membrane-linked latency, metallothionein total protein and its apo-form. However, glutathione level was stable in all exposures. Conclusion. These data revealed the adverse effect of MP and shared beneficial effects in the exposures that involved caffeine, which can be explained by the antioxidant activity of this substance. Exposure to elevated temperature partially alleviated the effect of caffeine in the mixture. Thus, the results indicate the importance of multi-stress exposures modeling, which allows the evaluation of environmentally realistic responces of an organism to xenobiotics.

A High-Quality Genome-Scale Model for Rhodococcus opacus Metabolism.

Rhodococcus opacus is a bacterium that has a high tolerance to aromatic compounds and can produce significant amounts of triacylglycerol (TAG). Here, we present iGR1773, the first genome-scale model (GSM) of R. opacus PD630 metabolism based on its genomic sequence and associated data. The model includes 1773 genes, 3025 reactions, and 1956 metabolites, was developed in a reproducible manner using CarveMe, and was evaluated through Metabolic Model tests (MEMOTE). We combine the model with two Constraint-Based Reconstruction and Analysis (COBRA) methods that use transcriptomics data to predict growth rates and fluxes: E-Flux2 and SPOT (Simplified Pearson Correlation with Transcriptomic data). Growth rates are best predicted by E-Flux2. Flux profiles are more accurately predicted by E-Flux2 than flux balance analysis (FBA) and parsimonious FBA (pFBA), when compared to 44 central carbon fluxes measured by 13C-Metabolic Flux Analysis (13C-MFA). Under glucose-fed conditions, E-Flux2 presents an R2 value of 0.54, while predictions based on pFBA had an inferior R2 of 0.28. We attribute this improved performance to the extra activity information provided by the transcriptomics data. For phenol-fed metabolism, in which the substrate first enters the TCA cycle, E-Flux2's flux predictions display a high R2 of 0.96 while pFBA showed an R2 of 0.93. We also show that glucose metabolism and phenol metabolism function with similar relative ATP maintenance costs. These findings demonstrate that iGR1773 can help the metabolic engineering community predict aromatic substrate utilization patterns and perform computational strain design.

A Study on Refractive Error in Patients of Chennai City in India during Covid 19 Pandemic Period

Objectives: To compare the results of techniques Decision Tree, Discriminant, KNN, SVM applied to pre Covid-19 data collected in 2018 and data collected during Covid-19 pandemic period (2020) patients in Chennai city. Methods: The variables in the data are Refractive Error in both left and right eye, Age, Gender, Educational Status, Employment Status, Nature of Job, Working Hours, Working with Computer, Watching TV, Sleeping Hours, Type of Food, Extra Activity, Light in Residence, Light in Work Place, Family Members Wearing Specs, Parents Wearing Specs, Other Disease and Other eye disease. Findings: In this study, 22 classification algorithms were applied to the data, and accuracy results as well as comparisons in two distinct sample sizes were obtained. Although adhering to the strict lockdown regulations helps to prevent the spread of COVID-19, it also negatively affects the visual health of those who are confined to their homes and have limited access to outdoor activities, leading to an excessive confidence on digital screens for studies or leisure. Novelty: Due to public health restrictions, the present Covid 19 pandemic has altered people’s social lives all around the world. As a result, kids have spent more time in front of computer and television monitor screens, which is bad for their eyes. Refractive error affects a significant number of patients in Chennai. Across all kinds of refractive defects, myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia constitute the most prevalent. Keywords: Covid19; Refractive error; KNN; SVM; Decision Tree; Discriminant

Four lessons learned: Employees' perceptions of fundraising via reward‐based crowdfunding

AbstractAn innovative way to support cultural institutions is through reward‐based crowdfunding, an online funding mechanism for a specific project, which offers donors a reward for their donation. We explored employees' perceptions of crowdfunding and focused on the question: “How do employees of cultural institutions running a crowdfunding campaign perceive the use of crowdfunding to collect funds?” To answer this question, we focus on interpretive research using semi‐structured interviews (n = 15) among Dutch cultural institutions' employees responsible for running the crowdfunding. We used earlier findings on psychological ownership to structure the interviews. Psychological ownership is the feeling that the project has become an employee's extension, and previous research linked it to success on the work floor. Our findings claim four lessons. First, crowdfunding is a full‐time job and not an extra activity. Second, crowdfunding differs from traditional fundraising: it contains specific content‐related tasks they do not perform as fundraisers. Third, crowdfunding asks for teamwork. While autonomy is valued, one employee should not be responsible for the campaign. Fourth, crowdfunding does not come naturally to all cultural institutions. This research provides a basis for further specification of crowdfunding and its implementation in the cultural sector.

A Recreational Swimming Intervention during the Whole School Year Improves Fitness and Cardiometabolic Risk in Children and Adolescents with Overweight and Obesity

The benefits of swimming as a treatment for overweight children are undefined. We investigated the effects of recreational swimming on cardiometabolic risk in children/adolescents with normal and excess weight. Participants (n = 49, 26 girls, 10.3 ± 1.8 y) were grouped as 'eutrophic swimming' (EU-Swim, n = 14); 'excess weight swimming' (EW-Swim, n = 20) with an 'obese swimming' subgroup (OB-Swim, n = 10); and 'excess weight sedentary' (EW-Sed, n = 15) with an 'obese sedentary' subgroup (OB-Sed, n = 11). Swimming (50 min, twice/week, moderate-vigorous intensity) was an extra activity during the school year (6 + 3 months with a 3-month school break). Nutritional status, blood pressure (BP), physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, biochemical variables, autonomic modulation, endothelial function, abdominal fat, and carotid thickness were assessed at baseline, 6, and 12 months. Greater improvements (p < 0.05) occurred in EW-Swim vs. EW-Sed in body mass index (z-BMI, -16%, d+ 0.52), waist-to-height ratio (W/H, -8%, d+ 0.59-0.79), physical activity (37-53%, d+ 1.8-2.2), cardiorespiratory fitness (30-40%, d+ 0.94-1.41), systolic BP (SBP, -6-8%, d+ 0.88-1.17), diastolic BP (DBP, -9-10%, d+ 0.70-0.85), leptin (-14-18%, d+ 0.29-0.41), forearm blood flow (FBF, 26-41%, d+ 0.53-0.64), subcutaneous fat (SAT, -6%, d+ 0.18), and intra-abdominal fat (VAT, -16%, d+ 0.63). OB-Swim showed improvements vs. OB-Sed in TNFα (-17%, d+ 1.15) and adiponectin (22%, d+ 0.40). Swimming improved fitness and cardiometabolic risk in children/adolescents with overweight/obesity. (TCTR20220216001).

대학생의 요약문 쓰기 교육 연구

Objectives This study proposes summary writing education standardized in this subject in connection with S University's liberal arts compulsory &lt;Critical Reading and Writing&gt; class, and analyzes students' summary cases to examine qualitative performance. In particular, since summary writing is operated in connection with the writing clinic, an extra academic activity, the results of summary writing education using it will also be examined. Methods To this end, the researcher conducted a qualitative study using a summary of students who took Critical Reading and Writing from the first semester of 2020 to the second semester of 2021. First, the summary submitted by a total of 230 students in 10 classes over four semesters was first reviewed, and eight of them were selected for case analysis. In addition, learners' perception of summary writing education were reviewed based on the results of a survey of participants in the writing clinic. Results As a result of the study, through text-based summary writing education, students' summarization and transcription skills were greatly improved every semester, and reconstruction ability to structure overview and content was also cultivated. And as a result of the survey, students' satisfaction with summary writing education was high, and students' perceptions were also very positive. Conclusions Through this, it was found that the summary writing education in connection with the writing clinic, a comparison program, greatly contributes to cultivating the summary ability of college students. This study is meaningful in that it sought learner-centered writing education through one-on-one mentoring by linking summary writing education required in university education with extra academic activities.