Full Session Research Articles

Call for Papers

Other| January 01 2020 Call for Papers Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies (2020) 87 (1): 243. https://doi.org/10.5325/pennhistory.87.1.0243 Cite Icon Cite Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Permissions Search Site Citation Call for Papers. Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies 1 January 2020; 87 (1): 243. doi: https://doi.org/10.5325/pennhistory.87.1.0243 Download citation file: Zotero Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All Scholarly Publishing CollectivePenn State University PressPennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies Search Advanced Search The Pennsylvania Historical Association invites proposals for its 2020 annual meeting to be hosted at Lycoming College in Williamsport, PA., October 15-17, 2020.The conference theme will be “Suffrage, Political Rights and Equality” in honor of the 100th anniversary of the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1919 and the first female voters in 2020. The program committee welcomes proposals that address the topic of rights, equality and citizenship from the colonial era to modern times in Pennsylvania and mid-Atlantic history. In addition to sessions on traditional scholarship, the program committee encourages panels on pedagogy, public history or material culture. The committee also welcomes non-traditional session proposals including roundtables, “state of the field” sessions, and lightning rounds. Full session proposals are strongly preferred, though the committee will consider individual papers. Graduate students are encouraged to submit proposals, as are classroom teachers. The PHA also supports student research with a... You do not currently have access to this content.

Identification of differential gene expression related to epirubicin-induced cardiomyopathy in breast cancer patients.

Epirubicin is a potent chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of breast cancer. However, it may lead to cardiotoxicity and cardiomyopathy, and no reliable biomarker was available for the early prediction of epirubicin-induced cardiomyopathy. Global gene expression changes of peripheral blood cells were studied using high-throughput RNA sequencing in three pair-matched breast cancer patients (patients who developed symptomatic cardiomyopathy paired with patients who did not) before and after the full session of epirubicin-based chemotherapy. Functional analysis was conducted using gene ontology and pathway enrichment analysis. We identified 13 significantly differentially expressed genes between patients who developed symptomatic epirubicin-induced cardiomyopathy and their paired control who did not. Among them, the upregulated Bcl-associated X protein was related to "apoptosis," while the downregulated 5'-aminolevulinate synthase 2 (ALAS2) was related to both "glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism" and "porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism" in pathway enrichment analysis. ALAS2 and the metabolic pathways which were involved may play an important role in the development of epirubicin-induced cardiomyopathy. ALAS2 may be useful as an early biomarker for epirubicin-induced cardiotoxicity detection.

Participatory development of a patient-clinician communication tool to enhance healthcare transitions for young people with 22q11.2.

Individuals with the rare genetic disorder, 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2ds), face particular challenges with transition from paediatric to adult health services due to complex physical and mental health care needs, often further complicated by intellectual disability (ID). To date, the lived experience of these young people navigating this complex journey has not been well researched. The project sought to understand the lived experiences of young women with 22q11.2ds transitioning from child to adult health services and to elicit recommendations for improvement. Following ethical approval, six female participants, aged 19-35years, were recruited through the family support organisation 22q11 Ireland. Adhering to participatory action research (PAR) principles, four full day sessions using creative research methodologies were conducted over a 4-month period. Participants reported significant difficulties navigating transition between and within clinical services, and reported a lack of information transfer between healthcare services which required multiple retelling of their story. They expressed a low sense of confidence in new healthcare providers and reported ambivalence regarding their own agency and ability to manage clinical appointments without family or 'keyworker' support. Participants co-designed a patient-clinician communication tool to assist in information transfer and to capture salient features of any healthcare consultation. There is a recognised need to strengthen transition pathways. This is especially true in this at risk group, given the poorer outcomes associated with transitions in youth with ID along with the additive effect of medical and mental health and learning difficulties that often co-occur in 22q11.2ds. A patient-clinician communication tool, designed by participants, offers a pragmatic approach to optimise healthcare transitions, support continuity of healthcare and personal autonomy.

Faculty Development in Improvement Science: Building Capacity and Expanding Curricula Across an Academic Health Center.

The ability of health professions faculty to design, teach, evaluate, and improve relevant curricula is vital for teaching improvement science (IS) skills to trainees. We launched a Foundational Improvement Science Curriculum (FISC) to build faculty competence in IS teaching and scholarship, and to develop, expand, and standardize IS curricula across one institution. FISC consisted of 9 full or half-day sessions over 10 months in 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 academic years. Each session required pre-work, including readings, Institute for Healthcare Improvement Open School modules, and personal improvement projects. Sessions included brief didactics, group activities, planning, and feedback on curriculum development. An evaluation strategy was employed, including pre- and post-program self-assessment, competency mapping, evaluations of didactics and overall program, and participant satisfaction. Forty individuals from 23 academic programs voluntarily completed FISC, representing 20% of graduate medical education (GME) programs and 50% of primary GME programs in addition to undergraduate medical education (UME) and nursing programs. Median self-assessed competency scores (mid versus final score; scale 1-9, 9 high; P < .05 for all comparisons) improved over the course for all competencies for knowledge (3 versus 7), application (2 versus 7), curriculum design (2 versus 7), and scholarship (2 versus 5). Eighteen new or revised IS curricula were developed across GME, UME, and nursing programs. FISC offers a feasible model to enhance and support faculty development in IS and IS curriculum design.

Differential reinforcement‐of‐low‐rate procedures: A systematic replication with students with autism spectrum disorder

Becraft, Borrero, Davis, Mendres-Smith, and Castillo (2018) studied the effects of two different types of DRL schedules (full session and spaced responding) under 2 sets of stimulus conditions (with and without signals). Reduced rates of responding maintained under both types of DRL schedules, when signals were included. The present study represents a replication of procedures by Becraft et al. involving learners with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The results replicated those of Becraft et al. in that responding in both full-session and spaced-responding DRL schedules was low, but not eliminated. These results provide preliminary evidence to suggest that children with ASD are responsive to signals in DRL arrangements, which may set the stage for evaluation of signaled DRL arrangements for socially significant response forms.

Data Quality and Participant Engagement in Citizen Science: Comparing Two Approaches for Monitoring Pollinators in France and South Korea

Citizen science has become a mainstream approach for collecting data on biodiversity. However, not all biodiversity monitoring programs achieve the goal of collecting datasets that can be used in robust scientific inquiries. Data quality and the capacity to engage participants in the long-term are the most challenging issues. We compared two methodologies of citizen science programs dedicated to pollinators monitoring in France (Spipoll) and South Korea (K-Spipoll). These programs aimed to launch long-term monitoring at a community-level to better understand environmental effects on the composition and stability of pollinator communities. We assessed, through different metrics, how the two approaches influenced (1) data quality (assessed by “Accuracy in data collection,” “Consistency in protocol relative to volume of sessions contributed by an individual,” “Spatial representation of data,” and “Sample size”), and (2) participant engagement (assessed by “the number of connected days,” “the number of active days,” “the proportion of participant contributing a single session,” “the average number of sessions per participant,” and “the distribution of numbers of contributions per participant in each program.”). On one hand, participants in the Spipoll program abided by the standard protocol more often and provided identification for the photographed insects, leading to efficient ecological analyses. On the other hand, the K-Spipoll program provided more sessions per participant and a lower rate of single participation, with a full session demanding less effort in terms of data input, providing critical data where baseline data have otherwise been unavailable. These differences have emerged through methodology choices: For the Spipoll, the dedicated website favored the emergence of a social network that facilitated identification and increased data quality; for the K-Spipoll, the development of a cell phone application facilitated participation, and regular on-field education sessions motivated participants. We conclude by providing suggestions for the implementations of future citizen science programs to improve both data quality and participant engagement.

Sound design for auditory biofeedback and motor performance in participants with stroke: a pilot study

ABSTRACT Background: Although auditory biofeedback (ABF) has proved to be effective in stroke rehabilitation, there are a variety of means by which to present information through sound. Objectives: To examine if ABF sound design influences the motor performance of patients with stroke. Methods: A total of four people with chronic stroke participated . They were asked to track target signals by their paretic ankle dorsiflexion. Half of the participants were assigned to one of the two groups. Those in the Error ABF group heard ABF that alerted them to the error between the target and the joint angle. Those in the Full ABF group heard ABF that presented both the target and the angle separately by modulating the frequencies of two sounds. Therefore, when there was no error, no sound or two sounds with the identical frequency were heard in the Error and Full ABF sessions, respectively. The same visual BF (VBF) was always present regardless of the group. The accuracy of the task was quantified via an accuracy index (AI, ranging from −100 to 100). All participants were trained by repeating tracking, and the pre- and post-training AIs were obtained. Results: The AIs of all participants increased after training, but the increase was greater for the Error ABF group (mean increase = 8.9 and 14.9 for the Full and Error groups, respectively). Conclusions: The Full ABF was less effective than the Error ABF, probably because the VBF was present, and the information provided by the Full ABF was therefore redundant.

The impact of a small-group educational intervention for allied health professionals to enhance evidence-based practice: mixed methods evaluation

BackgroundHealthcare professionals are recommended to use evidence-based practice (EBP) principles to update and improve clinical practice. Well-designed educational initiatives, together with practice and feedback opportunities can improve individuals’ EBP knowledge, skills and attitudes.MethodsA concurrent mixed methods assessment was designed to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of four monthly workshops on allied health professionals’ knowledge, skills, self-efficacy and behaviour. In between workshops, professionals were encouraged to practice and integrate EBP learnings with colleagues in their workplace.Participants completed three pre and post intervention assessments: Evidence-based Practice Confidence Scale; adapted Fresno test; and an adapted EBP Implementation Scale. A purpose designed satisfaction questionnaire was completed immediately after the educational intervention and follow up focus groups were conducted after 3 months.Mean change in assessment data was quantitatively assessed and comments from the clinician satisfaction questionnaire and focus groups were thematically analysed and interpreted together with quantitative data using the Classification Rubric for EBP Assessment tools in Education (CREATE).ResultsSixteen allied health professionals participated in the EBP workshops and completed all baseline and post intervention assessments. Seven clinicians participated in follow up focus groups. All clinicians reported a positive reaction to the learning experience, preferring short monthly workshops to a full day session. They self-reported improvements in self-efficacy (mean change 15 p < 0.001) and implementing EBP behaviours (mean change 7, p < 0.001) from pre- to post-intervention. Although the positive change in EBP knowledge measured by the adapted Fresno test was not statistically significant (mean change 10, p = 0.21), clinicians described examples of improved knowledge and skills across all five key steps of EBP during the focus groups. A further, post hoc analysis of individual questions in the two self-reported scales indicated consistent improvement across key EBP knowledge and skills.ConclusionsA tailored small group EBP education intervention can enhance AHPs’ self-efficacy to develop answerable questions, search the literature, critically appraise, apply and evaluate research evidence. Through practicing these behaviours and sharing new learning with their peers, allied health professionals can enhance their capability and motivation to use research evidence to potentially improve clinical practice.

Personalized repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation temporarily alters default mode network in healthy subjects

High frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (HF-rTMS) delivered to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is an effective treatment option for treatment resistant depression. However, the underlying mechanisms of a full session of HF-rTMS in healthy volunteers have not yet been described. Here we investigated, with a personalized selection of DLPFC stimulation sites, the effects driven by HF-rTMS in healthy volunteers (n = 23) over the default mode network (DMN) in multiple time windows. After a complete 10 Hz rTMS (3000 pulses) session, we observe a decrease of functional connectivity between the DMN and the subgenual Anterior Cingulate Cortex (sgACC), as well as the ventral striatum (vStr). A negative correlation between the magnitude of this decrease in the right sgACC and the harm avoidance domain measure from the Temperament and Character Inventory was observed. Moreover, we identify that coupling strength of right vStr with the DMN post-stimulation was proportional to a decrease in self-reports of negative mood from the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. This shows HF-rTMS attenuates perception of negative mood in healthy recipients in agreement with the expected effects in patients. Our study, by using a personalized selection of DLPFC stimulation sites, contributes understanding the effects of a full session of rTMS approved for clinical use in depression over related brain regions in healthy volunteers.

Joining together theory and practice in the classroom for electrical engineering undergraduates: The large-scale portable laboratory

Teaching electrical engineering requires a combination of theoretical and practical lessons to acquire knowledge and develop skills. However, in general, laboratory sessions are conducted separately from theoretical lessons for practical reasons. We shall describe a proposal to bridge the gap between theoretical explanation or exercises and practical application in a laboratory: the large-scale portable laboratory. This temporary laboratory can be set up and then collected again in a conventional classroom in just a few minutes. By using safe voltages and currents it allows us to illustrate and immediately apply theoretical concepts or to discover some phenomena, which can then be explained theoretically. It is a tool to connect experimental observations and theoretical explanations during student learning. This laboratory has some physical limitations and does not replace practical sessions in an electrical engineering laboratory. A full session with this laboratory will be described and the results obtained will subsequently be presented. As a result, student involvement dramatically increases. It provided good results in learning and helped the electric laboratory sessions. Some difficulties such as preparation time and time spent during the session are also discussed.

Instrument Selection Using the OMERACT Filter 2.1: The OMERACT Methodology.

Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) Filter 2.1 revised the process used for core outcome measurement set selection to add rigor and transparency in decision making. This paper describes OMERACT's methodology for instrument selection. We presented instrument selection processes, tools, and reporting templates at OMERACT 2018, introducing the concept of "3 pillars, 4 questions, 7 measurement properties, 1 answer." Truth, discrimination, and feasibility are the 3 original OMERACT pillars. Based on these, we developed 4 signaling questions. We introduced the Summary of Measurement Properties table that summarizes the 7 measurement properties: truth (domain match, construct validity), discrimination [test-retest reliability, longitudinal construct validity (responsiveness), clinical trial discrimination, thresholds of meaning], and feasibility. These properties address a set of standards which, when met, answer the one question: Is there enough evidence to support the use of this instrument in clinical research of the benefits and harms of treatments in the population and study setting described? The OMERACT Filter 2.1 was piloted on 2 instruments by the Psoriatic Arthritis Working Group. The methodology was reviewed in a full plenary session and facilitated breakout groups. Tools to facilitate retention of the process (i.e., "The OMERACT Way") were provided. The 2 instruments were presented, and the recommendation of the working group was endorsed in the first OMERACT Filter 2.1 Instrument Selection votes. Instrument selection using OMERACT Filter 2.1 is feasible and is now being implemented.

Inclusion cleanliness in metallic alloys

The inclusion cleanliness remains an issue of great concern in liquid metal processing which has been addressed in a full session of the last Matériaux Conference held in November 2018 in Strasbourg, France. A special issue of the Metallurgical Research &amp; Technology journal gathers most of the papers of this session which are divided into two sub-sections: on the one hand the analysis and characterization techniques of the inclusions are addressed and on the other hand the modelling methods to simulate the behavior of single particle or a population of inclusions are discussed.

Which types of feedback do CBT students in training value most?

AbstractFeedback is regarded as a highly important component in improving work and learning; despite this, there is a lack of research into what feedback types and characteristics cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) students value. The aim of this current research was to identify which types of feedback are valued most by CBT students during training. Using a budgeting methodology, students were asked to ‘purchase’ feedback types they valued the most in their learning. This was achieved by using budgets of different sizes to distinguish between necessities and luxuries as part of an online study. Out of nine types of feedback provided during CBT training, the written feedback on full session video recordings of their own therapy was identified as most valuable to students’ learning. Written feedback on full session video recordings is highly valued by CBT students. This arguably justifies the workload involved for training courses in providing detailed formative feedback on therapy recordings.Key learning aims (1)To know which aspects of feedback are prioritized by CBT students during training.(2)To explore these preferences using a budgeting paradigm from broader educational literature.(3)To help supervisors and trainers know how to prioritize if time and resources are stretched.

Factors to Consider Before Prescribing Buprenorphine

Recent changes in rules regarding waivers for buprenorphine prescribing and the FDA approval of several buprenorphine formulations were among topics discussed at IPS: The Mental Health Services Con...

A Theory-based Didactic Offering Physicians a Method for Learning and Teaching Others About Human Trafficking.

Emergency clinicians are on the frontlines of identifying and caring for trafficked persons. However, most emergency providers have never received training on trafficking, and studies report a significant knowledge gap involving this important topic. Workshops often employ a "train-the-trainer" model to address clinicians' knowledge gaps involving various topics (including trafficking). By offering participants knowledge and skills needed to both understand relevant content and teach this content to future learners, this model aims at promoting widespread dissemination of essential information. However, current train-the-trainer workshops typically involve full or multiday sessions and employ multimodal instructional techniques, making them time and resource intensive for both participants and facilitators. To address these challenges, we created a 50-minute train-the-trainer workshop to teach emergency clinicians the knowledge and skills needed to recognize and care for trafficked patients while providing instructional techniques to teach learners this content in the clinical environment. Learning theory and principles informed the choice of instructional methods and were employed when designing the paper-based learning guides that functioned as this intervention's primary instructional resource. Guides contained detailed scripts used to perform role-playing exercises. These "scripted guides" were designed for participants to learn important content while simultaneously practicing techniques to teach this content to one another. They provided the scaffolding necessary to independently direct learning during the workshop (with minimal facilitator intervention), while also being carefully formatted and organized to create an accessible tool for future use during clinical teaching. The session was implemented at the 2018 Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana. Based on participants' self-assessment using a retrospective pre-post test, the workshop was successful in creating a train-the-trainer model that is brief, requiring minimal facilitator resources and offers instruction on both content knowledge and instructional methods to disseminate this knowledge to future learners.

Daily Based Quality Assurance of Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy for the Full Session of Treatment

Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) with highly complex advanced delivering technique, is widely practiced in radiation therapy and requires a quality assurance for treatment plan at least once a treatment session. In this study we collected six VMAT patients with different treatment sites. The VMAT plans and their quality assurance (QA) plans were performed on a daily basis before treatment for their full period of treatment. We tried to evaluate the accuracy of their delivering through analyses of first mechanical error of multileaf collimator (MLC) movement and second dosimetric error of beam delivery. We used a MATLAB program and portal dosimetry to estimate a maximum root mean square (RMS) error from dynalog files for mechanical analysis and a gamma index from portal dosimetry for dosimetric analysis, respectively. We introduced newly in this study a representative VMAT QA to be used to perform a routine VMAT QA. The daily variation of maximum error RMSs for all treatment sites were all below maximum 0.3503 ± 0.0002 mm for treatment plans and QA plans and they all showed the gamma pass rate of more than 98%. Mean of inter difference between treatment and QA plans stayed below 0.04 mm, showing that QA deliveries agree well with treatment deliveries. The Linac used kept a good performance within the tolerances in American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) TG142 guideline for the period of research. We suggest that the representative VMAT QA can be a good surrogate for real VMAT plan and “whole time” plan QA for a patient selected randomly at least once a year be performed to confirm the long-term stability of Linac performance.

The Greatest Gift Is Being a Woman, Above All, a Black Woman

The Greatest Gift Is Being a Woman, Above All, a Black Woman

Computerized positive mental imagery training versus cognitive control training versus treatment as usual in inpatient mental health settings: study protocol for a randomized controlled feasibility trial

BackgroundEnhancing the capacity to experience positive affect could help improve recovery across a range of areas of mental health. Experimental psychopathology research indicates that a computerized cognitive training paradigm involving generation of positive mental imagery can increase state positive affect, and more recent clinical studies have suggested that this training could be used as an adjunct treatment module to target symptoms related to positive affect deficits, specifically anhedonia. The current study investigates the feasibility of adding a positive mental imagery computerized training module to treatment for patients in inpatient mental health settings, with a focus on increasing positive affect and reducing anhedonia. The positive mental imagery training (PMIT) is added to treatment as usual (TAU) in the inpatient setting, and compared to TAU alone, or TAU plus an alternative cognitive training module not hypothesized to increase positive affect, cognitive control training (CCT).MethodsThe study is a feasibility randomized controlled trial with three parallel arms. Up to 90 patients admitted to inpatient mental health treatment clinics in Germany will be randomized to PMIT + TAU, CCT + TAU, or TAU on a 1:1:1 ratio. PMIT or CCT consist of an introductory session followed by up to 8 full training sessions over 2 weeks. All three arms (including TAU) include regular completion of mood measures over the 2-week period. Outcome measures are completed pre and post this 2-week training/monitoring period, and at 2-week follow-up. Data will be presented in the form of both raw means and standardized effect sizes, with 95% confidence intervals, for both intention-to-treat and per-protocol samples.DiscussionThe study will inform feasibility of conducting a fully powered randomized controlled trial investigating the addition of the positive mental imagery training as a treatment adjunct to inpatient treatments for mental health, including potential refinement of study procedures, inclusion/exclusion criteria, and preliminary indications of the likely range of effect sizes.Trial registrationclinicaltrials.gov, NCT02958228 (date registered: 4 November 2016)

The Efficacy and Safety of Superficial Chemical Peel in the Treatment of Plane Wart

Background and objectives: Treatment of plane warts is problematic, methods such as cryotherapy and cauterization is associated with high recurrence rate beside the risk of scar, pain and high cost. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness and safety of salicylic acid 30% superficial chemical peels in comparison with glycolic acid 70% solution in treatment of Plane wart. Methods: Sixty patients with plane wart were included in this comparative therapeutic trial. The patients have been divided randomly in two groups, group-A (30patients); have been treated by 30% salicylic acid solution while group-B (30 patients); have been treated by glycolic acid 70% solution. The full therapeutic session was six (6) and the solution was applied fortnightly. The response to the treatment was assessed every 2 weeks by counting the number of lesions. Results: After completion of the 6 sessions there was a significant decrease in the number of the warts in group A patients compared to group B, group-A; mean number of lesions before treatment was 43.9± 30.78 and after treatment was 15.6± 7.9 while in group B; mean number of lesions before treatment was 38.0 ±33.0 and after treatment, it was 17.85 ± 20.32. There was statistically a significant reduction in number of lesions in group A. Conclusions: Salicylic acid 30% solution can be more successful and safely used for the treatment of plane wart than glycolic acid 70% solution by the dermatologist. Salicylic acid 30% solution in comparison with glycolic acid 70% solution can induce more rapid response and fewer side effects.

Rating motivational interviewing fidelity from thin slices.

Monitoring fidelity to psychosocial treatments is critical to dissemination, process and outcome research, and internal validity in efficacy trials. However, the costs required to behavior code fidelity to treatments like motivational interviewing (MI) over many therapists and sessions quickly become intractable. Coding less of a session accelerates the process, but it is not clear how much of a session must be evaluated to capture the fidelity of the entire session. The present study used a "thin slice" (Ambady & Rosenthal, 1992) paradigm to explore the degree to which variously sized thin slices of MI fidelity related to fidelity ratings for a full session. We randomly selected contiguous and noncontiguous segments of MI sessions at each whole percent of sessions (i.e., a slice consisting of 1% of session utterances, another at 2%, etc.). We then computed MI fidelity scores from these segments and calculated agreement with fidelity ratings obtained from the full session. We compared thin slice agreement with full sessions against interrater agreement and found that approximately a third of a session (9 min, 26 seconds in our sample) had sufficient agreement to approach interrater levels. These results provide a reference for researchers and clinicians to make efficient and informed use of their behavior coding resources. In addition, our results add to the behavior slicing literature, indicating that small therapist behavior samples adequately describe overall session behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record