Intensive Education Research Articles

Antibiotic use numeracy: Developing the infectious numeracy test (INT).

Inadequate numeracy is a barrier to patients' understanding of their health. No measure of numeracy related to antibiotic use is available. to develop and validate a measure of numeracy of antibiotic use, and to make this measure available in the Arabic language and context. Best practices for developing, translating and validating scales were consulted to develop an anonymous survey administered on SurveyMonkey. Ten open-ended questions for which participants provided an answer assessed basic numeracy covering fractions, percentages, proportionality, measurement, and estimation, contextualized to real life situations. A panel of five experts, and 10 cognitive debriefings provided face and content validity for the tool. Individuals ≥18 years, who had mastery of Arabic or English were included. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to characterize the psychometric properties of the items, using principal-component analysis. Convergent validity was established by comparing numeracy scores with the antibiotic knowledge scale scores. Differences in numeracy scores according to sociodemographic variables were tested using multivariate analyses of variance. Two hundred fifty-four responses were obtained, giving a response rate of 63.5%. A two-factor structure which explained 44.2% of the variance evolved: "Mathematical knowledge and problem-solving skills" and "Numeracy-related practices and experience". An acceptable reliability of Cronbach's alpha coefficient=0.713. Higher numeracy scores were significantly correlated with the scores of the antibiotic knowledge (r=0.205, p<0.01) and factor one within the tool: "side effects and resistance" (r=0.162, p=0.05). Participants with University/College education presented higher levels of numeracy-related practices and experience than those with high-school education. Likewise, participants with medical insurance presented with higher numeracy scores than those without. A valid and reliable measure of antibiotic numeracy in English and Arabic was created. The tool could identify patients with low numeracy who are candidates for targeted interventions and intensive education on appropriate antibiotic use.

The Translator of Desires: Poems by Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi

Reviewed by: The Translator of Desires: Poems by Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi Allan Graubard (bio) the translator of desires: poems Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi, trans. Michael Sells Princeton University Press https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691181349/the-translator-of-desires 368 pages; Print, $21.51 From 711 to 1492 C.E., there developed in the Iberian Peninsula the Muslim empire of Al-Andulus. There is no question that its influence on Christian-Judaic Europe was profound. Its lead in science, mathematics, and philosophy was equaled by the elegance of its architecture, the refinements it brought to diet, and the beauty of its literature in poetry, especially the poetry of love, to name a few. Near the midpoint of the empire, in 1165, perhaps its greatest poet was born: Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi. From his first several years in Murcia, a town that has survived, now in southeastern Spain (near the Mediterranean), to all the cities and countries he explored thereafter, Ibn 'Arabi aroused exceptional interest. Although his life is not known in great detail, his lyrical gifts as poet and his brilliance as Sufi mystic and philosopher certainly are. Of his family, however, [End Page 169] we do know this: they were affluent members of the khãssa, or high society of Al-Andulus. They probably belonged to the Yemenite clan of the Banñ Tayy', which immigrated to Spain during the initial years of the Arab conquest. And after six or so years in Murcia, they moved to Seville, where Ibn 'Arabi grew up. At the time, Seville offered quite a cosmopolitan mix, where piety and debauchery paralleled each other, the latter especially along the banks of the Guadalquivir where prostitution thrived and poets gathered to sing their songs and discuss their art. Ibn 'Arabi's intensive formal education in religious, literary, and philosophical matters and his gaining notice as a prodigy therein also found its counterpoint at the river. As a result, in 1180 the philosopher and jurist Averroes, among the most celebrated of his day, gives the fifteen-year-old an audience and is struck by his intellect and intuition. One year later, in 1181, Ibn 'Arabi's life suddenly changes. While at a dinner party, above the din and revelry, he hears a voice that stops him in his tracks. The voice—aural hallucination or spiritual visitation?—tells him his fate lies elsewhere. Shaken, he slips away, wandering about until he comes to a local cemetery, where he notices a ruined tomb, and steps in. The back of the tomb opens onto a cave. There, in the relative darkness and silence, he spends a period of time in contemplation. Whether it lasts four days or fourteen months (the length of time is uncertain), he undergoes an ecstatic conversion that elevates him to the highest levels of mystic attainment. Thereafter, he renounces the wealth he was born into and leads an itinerant life in various communities of Sufis, with religious scholars, and with his fellow poets. From Al-Andulus he crosses the sea to Fez, Marrakech, Tunis, Cairo, and more. Then, in 1202, on the Hajj, he finally reaches Mecca. There, he experiences visions that will inspire much of the vast literature and philosophy he produces over the next four decades. That same year, his chance meeting with a beautiful, well-educated young woman, Nizam, who, near the Ka'ba, overhears him reciting a poem he has just composed but not yet written down, is decisive. Perhaps the daughter of a renowned shaykh, perhaps someone else, Nizam's understanding of poetry and love is precise. She tells Ibn 'Arabi that he has missed the boat; love consumes emotions and perceptions. There is no confusion, no "bewilderment" in love, at least of the sort that Ibn 'Arabi was playing with as a conceit. In [End Page 170] matters of love, sincerity requires that the poet be perfectly clear, including the longing that reveals it, the intimacies it grants, and its goal. This encounter, which commentators have likened to Dante's with Beatrice, evolves into a masterwork of the lyrical art, the sixty-one love poems that comprise the current book—first published in 1214, some twelve years after their meeting. Of...

Disparities Education Strategies in the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center STEM Focused Youth Enjoy Science Program.

The Youth Enjoy Science/Scientific Enrichment and Opportunity (YES/SEO) Program at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) School of Medicine and the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center (Case CCC) in Cleveland, OH is an intensive Research, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) program targeted at engaging underrepresented minority high school students to better understand and to pursue careers in cancer research and healthcare. The program's long-range goals are to increase diversity of the cancer professional workforce to contribute to elimination of cancer health inequities. A challenging aspect of this intensive research and STEM education program is how to effectively teach about cancer health disparities and to address the importance of developing strategies for their remediation. We describe herein some innovative approaches utilized to engage students in learning about disparities and thinking about solutions. Overall, feedback from our students indicates the importance of introducing disparities education topics often and using multiple approaches, including small and large meetings as well as lecture and conversational formats. These approaches provide opportunities for frequent student engagement and concept reinforcement. Based on this experience, a series of recommendations are provided for incorporating disparities education into intensive research and STEM programs.

Paramedic Endotracheal Intubation Success Rates Before and After an Intensive Airway Management Education Session.

IntroductionAdvanced airway management by paramedics is potentially life-saving, but carries a significant risk to patient safety and can be associated with poor clinical outcome if performed incorrectly. Previously, our team had found that an intensive education intervention demonstrated an improvement in paramedic performance on a written exam and increased confidence in airway skills. This study measured intubation success and the number of attempts per patient before and after intensive paramedic airway management education intervention.MethodsA 10-hour mandatory course was taken by all advanced life support (ALS) paramedics in a provincial system (2009/04-07, n=~395). The course was done during semi-annual continuing education Emergency Health Services (EHS) in-services. These day-long courses were held in person over four months. The electronic charting database was queried for intubation attempts and successful placements 12 months before the training, during the four months of training, and 12 months post-training. The primary outcome is the difference in success rates between the before (pre-intervention) and after (post-intervention) periods. The secondary outcome is the number of attempts per patient. Stationarity of success in pre- and post-periods was tested. The model was fit tested using Maximum Likelihood regression, and variables were tested using the Wald test.ResultsA sample size of 476 intubation attempts in each of the pre- and post-periods was required to detect a 10% improvement with the pre-intervention success of 60%. A total of 1421 intubation attempts occurred; 674 pre-intervention, 604 post-intervention, and 143 during teaching. Seven attempts were excluded (success unknown). Intubation success rates improved, from 0.68 (95% CI 0.64-0.71) to 0.75 (95% CI 0.72-0.78); a difference of 0.076 (95% CI 0.03-0.12) (p = 0.001). Intubation success rates in the pre-intervention and post-intervention periods were found to be static. A significant decrease was found in the number of attempts per patient in the post-period (p = 0.005).ConclusionIntubation success increased from 68% to 75% and was maintained over the 12-month post-period. There is a potential that judgment may also have improved, based on the decreased number of attempts per patient. Limitations include missing values, paramedics’ self-reported number of attempts, and the definition of what is considered to be an attempt. In addition to previously demonstrated improvements in paramedic exam and scenario performance, this airway education intervention appears to have made a significant improvement to patient outcomes. These findings support the value of such education interventions to improve performance.

Appraising the State of Knowledge of the Valuation of Contaminated Freshwater Ecosystem of the Niger Delta

The valuation practice utilised in valuing natural resources in the Niger Delta has shown signs of the paucity of professional knowledge, thus necessitating an appraisal of the state of knowledge possessed by valuers practicing in the Niger Delta. This paper assesses the state of knowledge among Niger Delta valuers in contaminated freshwater on the applicability of the methods of valuation for assessing damaged freshwater resources. With reference to freshwater ecosystem valuation, a survey of practicing valuation firms was conducted on 102 valuation firms using census sampling, and (11) expert valuers were interviewed purposively. Findings indicate a poor knowledge of environmental valuation techniques and a constant recourse to using a predetermined compensation rate in valuing contaminated natural resources. It thus recommends the intensive training and education of practicing valuers on methods of environmental valuation and the valuation of contaminated natural resources.

A Nonrestrictive Approach to Fluoroquinolone Stewardship at Two Community Hospitals.

BackgroundFluoroquinolones are one of the most prescribed antimicrobials in the United States and have been increasingly used in inpatient and outpatient settings to treat various infectious diseases syndromes. Due to the unwanted collateral effects on antibiotic resistance, poor susceptibility rates among Gram-negative pathogens, and adverse effects, fluoroquinolones are often targeted by hospital antimicrobial stewardship programs to prevent overutilization. This study describes the association of nonrestrictive antimicrobial stewardship interventions at 2 nonacademic community hospitals on levofloxacin utilization, prescribing patterns on alternative antibiotics, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa nonsusceptibility rates to levofloxacin.MethodsNonrestrictive antimicrobial stewardship interventions included monitoring and reporting of fluoroquinolone susceptibility trends to physician groups, performing medication use evaluations of levofloxacin accompanied with prescriber detailing, daily prospective audit and feedback, implementation of beta-lactam-based institutional guidelines for empiric therapy in various infectious disease syndromes, review and adjustment of electronic medical record order sets containing fluoroquinolones, and intensive prescriber education. No preauthorization of levofloxacin was used during this study period. Antibiotic utilization data were collected for the time periods of August 2015 through January 2021. Correlation between levofloxacin and other broad-spectrum antibiotc use was investigated as well as the impact on Pseudomonas aeruginosa levofloxacin nonsusceptibility rates.ResultsBoth hospitals showed an overall downward trend in the prescribing of levofloxacin during the time period of August 2015 to January 2021. There was a significant negative correlation between monthly ceftriaxone and levofloxacin days of therapy for both hospitals (P < .0001). There was a positive correlation between levofloxacin days of therapy and P aeruginosa nonsusceptibility (P < .02 at both hospitals).ConclusionsOur results demonstrate that a nonrestrictive approach to fluoroquinolone stewardship interventions had a significant impact on reducing levofloxacin utilization, increasing ceftriaxone utilization, and improving P aeruginosa levofloxacin susceptibility.

Advancements and future directions in the teamwork, targets, technology, and tight control-the 4T study: improving clinical outcomes in newly diagnosed pediatric type 1 diabetes.

The benefits of intensive diabetes management have been established by the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial. However, challenges with optimizing glycemic management in youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) remain across pediatric clinics in the United States. This article will review our Teamwork, Targets, Technology, and Tight Control (4T) study that implements emerging diabetes technology into clinical practice with a team approach to sustain tight glycemic control from the onset of T1D and beyond to optimize clinical outcomes. During the 4T Pilot study and study 1, our team-based approach to intensive target setting, education, and remote data review has led to significant improvements in hemoglobin A1c throughout the first year of T1D diagnosis in youth, as well as family and provider satisfaction. The next steps include refinement of the current 4T study 1, developing a business case, and broader implementation of the 4T study. In study 2, we are including a more pragmatic cadence of remote data review and disseminating exercise education and activity tracking to both English- and Spanish-speaking families. The overall goal is to create and implement a translatable program that can facilitate better outcomes for pediatric clinics across the USA.

Efficacy of a Robot-Assisted Intervention in Improving Learning Performance of Elementary School Children with Specific Learning Disorders.

(1) Background: There has been significant recent interest in the potential role of social robots (SRs) in special education. Specific Learning Disorders (SpLDs) have a high prevalence in the student population, and early intervention with personalized special educational programs is crucial for optimal academic achievement. (2) Methods: We designed an intense special education intervention for children in the third and fourth years of elementary school with a diagnosis of a SpLD. Following confirmation of eligibility and informed consent, the participants were prospectively and randomly allocated to two groups: (a) the SR group, for which the intervention was delivered by the humanoid robot NAO with the assistance of a special education teacher and (b) the control group, for which the intervention was delivered by the special educator. All participants underwent pre- and post-intervention evaluation for outcome measures. (3) Results: 40 children (NAO = 19, control = 21, similar baseline characteristics) were included. Pre- and post-intervention evaluation showed comparable improvements in both groups in cognition skills (decoding, phonological awareness and reading comprehension), while between-group changes favored the NAO group only for some phonological awareness exercises. In total, no significant changes were found in any of the groups regarding the emotional/behavioral secondary outcomes. (4) Conclusion: NAO was efficient as a tutor for a human-supported intervention when compared to the gold-standard intervention for elementary school students with SpLDs.

Prevalence of Dermatophytosis Infection Among Patients Attending National Obstetric Fistula Centre Babbar-Ruga Hospital, Katsina State

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of dermatophytosis infections among patients attending National obstetrics fistula center Babbar-ruga hospital, Katsina state. A total number of 100 patients were diagnosed, (40/100) were males and 60% (60/100) were females, giving a gender ratio of 3:2 (males: females), 40% of the participants were of the age range 10-29 years and 60% of age from 14-21 years respectively. Out of 60 cases, a total of 53 dermatophytes were isolated belonging to the genera Trichophyton and Microsporum. The most frequently isolated dermatophytes were Trichophyton mentagrophyte (26.41% 14/53), followed by Microsporum audouinii (22.64% 12/53), Trichophyton rubrum (15.09% 8/53), Trichophyton schoenleinii (7.547% 4/53), Microsporum gypseum (5.660% 3/53) and the least were Microsporum canis (9.433% 5/53) and Trichophyton tonsurans (9.433% 5/53), Trichophyton verrucosum (3.77% 2/53). Although 38 cases (63.33%) had single infections with dermatophytes, mixed infections with 2-4 dermatophytes of the genera Microsporum and Trichophyton were observed in 15 cases (36.67%). 67% (10/15) of the mixed infections were with Microsporum and Trichophyton species, 20% (3/15) were with Microsporum species alone, and 13.3 %( 2/15) were with Trichophyton species alone. This study indicates an outstanding prevalence of dermatophytosis infection among patients who shared combs and scarves and who owned pets; this suggests a thriving animal-human transmission route of dermatophytes and the potentiality of the fomites. The research proposes intensive health promotion and education interventions to promote hygiene practices among patients.

Epidemiological correlates of adherence to anti-hypertensive treatment in primary health care setting of Ludhiana, Punjab

Background: There is an increasing burden of hypertension in India. The complications arising from hypertension mainly occur due to non-adherence to pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions. Adherence to pharmacotherapy for hypertension varies from 43-88%. Various socio-demographic factors influence non-adherence. This study determined adherence to treatment among hypertensives and factors associated with non-adherence.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on hypertensive patients visiting OPD of an institutional urban health centre. A predesigned semi-structured questionnaire including socio-demographic profile, treatment-seeking behavior, adherence to medications, and lifestyle risk factors (smoking, intake of alcohol, junk food, and high salt diet) was applied. Reasons for non-adherence were also explored. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26 version.Results: A total of 186 individuals: 113 females (60.8%) and 73 males (39.2%), participated in the study. The mean age of participants was 60.9±10.7 years. Adherence to anti-hypertensive treatment was witnessed in 68.3% of patients. The adherence was noticed significantly (p=0.001) more in literate than illiterate subjects. Further, the adherence was lower among smokers (25%) and alcohol consumers (43.75%) as compared to non-users (70.22% and 73.37%, respectively; p&lt;0.01). Discontinuation of medicine on feeling well, forgetfulness, and unawareness were predominant reasons for skipping medications.Conclusions: Non-adherence to the anti-hypertensives significantly adds to the disease burden. A deeper understanding of factors responsible for the non-adherence plays a pivotal role in addressing this issue and improving quality of life. Intensive health education and counseling of the patients is the need of the hour.

Community-based house improvement for malaria control in southern Malawi: Stakeholder perceptions, experiences, and acceptability.

House improvement (HI) refers to the full screening or closing of openings such as windows, doors, and eaves, as well as the installation of ceilings, to reduce mosquito-human contact indoors. HI is a viable supplementary intervention that reduces malaria transmission further than the existing strategies alone. In Malawi, HI has not been widely implemented and evaluated for malaria control. Concerns about lack of local evidence, durability in different epidemiological and cultural settings, and the cost of large-scale implementation are among the reasons the strategy is not utilised in many low-income countries. This study assessed community perceptions, experiences, and acceptability of community-led HI in Chikwawa district, southern Malawi. This was a qualitative study where separate focus group discussions were conducted with members from the general community (n = 3); health animators (n = 3); and HI committee members (n = 3). In-depth interviews were conducted with community members (n = 20), and key-informant interviews were conducted with health surveillance assistants and chiefs (n = 23). All interviews were transcribed and coded before performing a thematic content analysis to identify the main themes. Coded data were analysed using Nvivo 12 Plus software. Study participants had a thorough understanding of HI. Participants expressed satisfaction with HI, and they reported enabling factors to HI acceptability, such as the reduction in malaria cases in their villages and the safety and effectiveness of HI use. Participants also reported barriers to effective HI implementation, such as the unavailability and inaccessibility of some HI materials, as well as excessive heat and darkness in HI houses compared to non-HI houses. Participants indicated that they were willing to sustain the intervention but expressed the need for strategies to address barriers to ensure the effectiveness of HI. Our results showed the high knowledge and acceptability of HI by participants in the study area. Intensive and continued health education and community engagement on the significance of HI could help overcome the barriers and improve the acceptability and sustainability of the intervention.

Changing the model of radiography practice: Challenges of role advancement and future needs for radiographers working in the UAE

IntroductionThe radiographers' role in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is focused on image acquisition with a willingness to accept advanced practice roles after appropriate education and training. Radiographers working in the UAE are highly motivated and ambitious to achieve those internationally identified levels of professional recognition and opportunities for role advancement. This study investigates the radiographers’ perspectives, perceptions and hopes for role advancement in the UAE. MethodsA qualitative research study design using Focus Group Discussions (FGD) was used to elicit the perceptions of radiographers. Participants were radiographers working in the hospitals and clinics supervised by the Ministry of Health and Prevention. Participants were asked about the recognized tasks defined as advancement roles, needs for roles clinically, challenges and requirements to prepare radiographers to participate in extended/developed roles. The discussions were audio recorded and later transcribed by an independent research assistant. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis Results29 radiographers participated in the FGDs, and 83% (n = 24) were interested in role advancement. FGD revealed that their current practice showed some informal extended role that may promote career progression. The most significant challenges identified by participants was their knowledge level as provided by the current curriculum and the need for education and licensing body support to accommodate change. ConclusionThe study identified a need for education and licensing body support to enable change in roles by radiographers, through improving radiographer knowledge and experience for role advancement. Implications for practiceTo sustain role advancement, formal intense training and education are necessary, normally above bachelor's degree level. Furthermore, establishing standards, licensing organizations/professional bodies should be part of the transformation of the profession to enable internationally recognized models to be followed.

Evaluation of public health nurse-led health counseling programs for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases in Amagasaki City, Japan.

We evaluated whether Amagasaki health counseling programs led by public health nurses (PHNs) are contribute to improving cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and CVD mortality among adult residents. This cross-sectional study used a before-and-after comparative design. We evaluated data from health checkups and mortality before and after Amagasaki health promotion programs. Population levels of CVD risk factors body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, hemoglobin A1c, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, Triglyceride, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), uric acid, γ-glut amyl trans peptidase (γ-GTP), serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were compared between 2008 and 2012 when the intervention with the Amagasaki health counseling program started from 2008. In addition, standardized mortality ratio (SMR) of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) were compared between 2003-2007 and 2008-2012. Mean value of most CVD risk factors improved and the SMR for AMI declined, which could be attributable in part to the effort of intensive health education and counseling.

The impacts of climate change and smallholder farmers’ adaptive capacities on rice production in Chengdu, China: macro-micro analysis

Among other cultivated crops, rice is the most sensitive to climate variability over its growing season. As such, over-reliance on climate conditions for rice farming calls for a wide range of strategies critical to curtailing the adverse impact of climate change on rice production. Notwithstanding, there remain considerable gaps in our knowledge of adaptive capacities among China’s small-scale farmers who depend on climate conditions for farming. This study is broadly divided into two parts that are distinct but connected. First, we assess the effects of climate change on rice production in Chengdu (China), covering the period 2000Q1-2016Q4. We show that mean rainfall and temperature induce rice production positively in the long and short run. While temperature variability insignificantly impacts rice production in the long run, it plays a substantial role in the short run. Rainfall variability and the interaction term between temperature and precipitation are unfavourable to rice production in the long and short run. The results reveal that energy usage and fertilizer application support rice production, although the impact of energy consumption is significant in the short run. Second, we used a survey of 383 smallholder rice growers in Chengdu to examine farmers’ adaptive capacities to climate change in rice production. The results show that farmers’ adaptive capabilities significantly affect rice production. We argue that the centrepiece of improving rice production under continuous climate change is for farmers to develop a high adaptive capacity to the changing climatic conditions. This is achieved through intensive education on available adaptation strategies and their long-term implications.

Establishing a Nurse Champion Education Program for Perinatal Home Health Nurses.

Professional development is essential for the ongoing professional growth of nurses and ensures employers and patients that staff have current knowledge in the field. But what happens when there's no budget for professional development? This quality improvement project describes the use of a nurse champion intervention for a professional development program for perinatal home health nurses at a nonprofit health organization. A nurse champion mentors and advocates for nurse colleagues during a change project. In this case, the nurse champion partnered with nurse educators from the supporting hospital and instituted a program to provide regular professional development content to perinatal home health nurses. Results showed their level of confidence in providing prenatal, labor and delivery, and early pediatric education improved. Level of confidence in providing postpartum education stayed the same, and level of confidence in providing neonatal intensive care unit education decreased. The Nurse Champion Education Program was a budget-friendly solution that fostered professional nursing development. Although this intervention was applied to a specific population, all home health nurses could benefit from a nurse champion education model in their professional setting.

A Tale of Two Catechisms: Education, Generational Conflict, and Geographical Division in Nineteenth-Century American Judaism

A Tale of Two Catechisms:Education, Generational Conflict, and Geographical Division in Nineteenth-Century American Judaism Laura Yares (bio) In the second issue of his English-language newspaper The Israelite, published in July 1854, Isaac Mayer Wise offered his appraisal of the current state of American Jewish education in an editorial column acerbically titled "What Should Be Done?"1 He had been in the United States for just eight years, but with characteristic belligerence Wise showed no hesitation in decrying what he deemed the "pitiable deficiencies" of the American Jewish educational scene. He admitted that he was no admirer of the Jewish Sunday school, pioneered by Rebecca Gratz in 1838 and replicated in Jewish communities across the country. As an institution of Jewish learning, he complained, it was superficial in scope, hardly capable of offering the intense training in Hebrew language and literature that he deemed necessary for the education of American Jewish children. Such educational curricula, he argued, required instruction by educators trained in the Jewish textual canon, as Wise himself had been.2 Yet he retained his principal animus for catechisms, short question-answer primers that were popularly used in Sunday schools to teach the basics of Jewish religion through rote memorization. "It appears to us," he opined, "that catechisms were written in imitation of Christian schools, for the purpose of giving to the pupil who does not study the Bible a superficial knowledge of his creed as the author understands it." Wise's appraisal was not inaccurate. In most Jewish Sunday schools, students were drilled in catechisms rather than required to study the Torah in Hebrew. Memorizing catechetical questions and answers offered an expedient means to instill a basic understanding of Jewish religion in the [End Page 283] few hours that classes convened each week. Few mid-nineteenth-century American Jewish parents were interested in pursuing more intensive Jewish education for their children, particularly as free public schools opened across the country. Rote memorization of catechisms was the dominant pedagogy used in American Jewish Sunday schools throughout the nineteenth century. Wise may have been idealistic when it came to Jewish learning, and indeed nostalgic for his own Jewish education in Europe, but he was also pragmatic.3 Within a few years, as he carved out a leadership role within the emergent American Jewish Reform movement, Wise would not only become a supporter of the Jewish Sunday school but would also author a catechism that would become one of the most popular texts used in American Jewish schools for decades. This article explores Wise's embrace of catechisms as an educational technology and his attempts to standardize catechetical instruction to advance his platform of American Jewish unity based on moderate reform. His efforts would be thwarted by a new generation of Reform rabbis at the end of the nineteenth century who would challenge not only Wise's moderate approach to Reform Judaism but also the ideological monopoly of American Jewish thought by a self-appointed leadership class based in Cincinnati. In most historical surveys of American Jewish education, catechisms have been dismissed as overtly Christian incursions on Jewish pedagogy, representative of the assimilationist approach to Jewish education characteristic of the nineteenth-century Sunday school movement.4 This article argues that, while nineteenth-century catechisms may not offer paradigms for Jewish pedagogy, as sources of print media they transcended the classrooms of American Jewish Sunday schools and served as a conduit for ideological, geographical, and generational power struggles in American Judaism writ large. [End Page 284] CATECHISMS IN AMERICAN JEWISH EDUCATION As a genre of introductory Jewish theological writing, catechisms can be situated within a long tradition of synthesizing Judaism for popular consumption. From Maimonides's Mishneh Torah to Joseph Albo's Sefer ha-ʿiqqarim, primers and codes have offered guides to Jewish theology and outlined the demarcations between Judaism and other systems of religious thought.5 As a specific print medium within this broader tradition, however, Jewish catechisms are a particular product of modernity.6 Typically short texts presented in the form of question and answer, Jewish catechisms offered concise explanations of Jewish thought, and were believed to constitute an effective pedagogical tool to convey the essentials of...

YOUNGSTERS’ PERCEPTION OF PHYSICAL VIOLENCE TOWARDS CHILDREN IN POLAND

Introduction: The subject of this article is to examine young people’s awareness of the legal provisions in force in Poland regarding punishment for using physical violence against children. The research problem is an attempt to determine the degree of compliance, application and enforcement of legal provisions in Poland in the field of criminality of acts constituting physical violence against children. The initial thesis is based on the assumption that in Poland there is a low awareness of young people about the binding legal provisions prohibiting the physical punishment of children and about the harmfulness of all forms of physical violence. Method: The sociological method was used. They were students of secondary schools and a post-secondary school in Wrocław. The research consisted in analyzing the experience of individuals – students in order to determine how these problems are perceived by young people, how they deal with them and how they interpret the world around them and what they encounter, was the basic assumption of our research. Results: The results of the surveys indicate an urgent need for intensive social education on the harmfulness of beating children, including the elimination of seemingly harmless spanking as an educational form. The fundamental problem, in the context of the perceived consent to physical discipline of children in Poland, results from the traditionally understanding of the so-called non-statutory of educational punishment. Key practitioner messages: This text is intended to influence the further development of judicial decisions in the field of educational discipline.

A Case Control Study on Risk Factors of Obesity Among Adolescents

Background: Adolescence is the transition period from childhood to adulthood and adolescent obesity can lead to systemic complications affecting the quality of life in later stages. This study aimed to assess the risk factors of obesity among school children of adolescent age.&#x0D; Methods: This Case control study included 110 obese and 110 non-obese adolescents between 10 and 17 years of age. Children with Body Mass Index (BMI) &gt;+2 SD of WHO growth reference median for their age and sex were included as cases. Children with BMI between -2SD and +1SD were included as controls. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed with SPSS software.&#x0D; Results: The risk factors which showed a statistically significant association with adolescent obesity were less educated father and mother, being a single child in the family, adolescents from nuclear type of family, having an obese parent, increased waist hip ratio and lack of exclusive breastfeeding during infancy.&#x0D; Conclusion: Educating children and parents on the importance of preventing obesity and harmful effects of adolescent obesity is the need of the hour. This can be done through intensive health education campaigns in community and schools, and regular reinforcement on primary preventive measures.

Pre-Marital Screening: Thalassemia Trait and Iron Deficiency Anemia in Rahim Yar Khan, Pakistan

Objective: β- thalassemia Minor (BTM) and Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA) are the main causes of microcytic hypochromic anemias currently in Asian subcontinent. Healthcare facilities in Pakistan have to encounter massive number of patients with anemias every day, where we need to distinguish between (IDA) and (BTM). A number of discrimination indices have been suggested for rapid differentiation of these entities over parameters achieved from automated blood-count analyzers. Objective. To determine the prevalence of β-thalassemia and IDA amongst the unmarried youngsters of Rahim Yar Khan. Methods: A cross-sectional study performed in Sheikh Zayed Medical College/Hospital Rahim Yar Khan, Pakistan in 04 months from October 2021 to February 2022, 506 unmarried youngsters were included in the study. CBC, Serum Ferritin and Hb Electrophoresis were performed in Hematology Section, Pathology Department of SZMC Rahim Yar Khan. Results: Out of 506 subjects, the prevalence of beta thalassemia trait was found 3.3% in males followed by 2.2% in females whereas the prevalence of IDA was 1.7% in males followed by 1.3% in females. Conclusion: These results indicates that intensive education and awareness strategies are necessary to increase consumption of iron-rich dietary sources. This screening program is beneficial in prevention of high-risk marriages. Screening of spouses by pre-marital screening program is an actual way to control β-thalassemia major. Keywords: βeta-thalassemia trait (BTT), iron deficiency anemia (IDA), premarital screening.

Intensive, telemedicine-based, self-management program for rural, underserved patients with diabetes mellitus: Re-entry of retired endocrinologists into practice

Introduction Endocrinology workforce data demonstrate a substantial gap in the number of practicing endocrinologists, a phenomenon particularly affecting patients with diabetes in rural, financially challenged, underserved areas. We evaluated the concept that retired endocrinologists could re-enter practice part time and utilize telemedicine in collaboration with personnel in Federally Qualified Community Health Center clinics to conduct an intensive self-management program and provide 6-month concurrent care for patients with diabetes. Methods The program involved intensive glucose control measures and education in diabetes, nutrition, and lifestyle changes over a 6-month period. Key elements included comprehensive initial telehealth evaluations, frequent phone calls, and collaboration with certified diabetes care and education specialists, referring providers, referring-clinic staff, and the University of Virginia Telehealth Center. Results The mean A1C in the 139 patients completing the 6-month self-management program decreased from 10.3 ± 1.94% to 7.78 ± 1.51% p < 0.0001. The number of treatment modalities per patient ranged from one to five with several different regimens utilized. The majority of patients maintained the reduction in A1C levels without recidivism over a mean follow-up of 16 months after discharge. Strategies using meal replacements are being implemented to facilitate weight loss. Discussion This program resulted in improved A1C levels of patients with diabetes in rural, financially challenged, underserved areas; met recidivism goals; and provided a practical template to reduce the workforce gap of endocrinologists in those areas.