Six-year Program Research Articles

Arts Management, Urban Regeneration, and Disaster in the New Zealand Context

ABSTRACTThis article examines responses from the New Zealand arts policy field to an earthquake which caused major damage in the CBD of one of New Zealand's major cities. While new performance spaces were caught up in the government's vision of an expensive arts precinct to be completed in the long term, a national funding body—Creative New Zealand—funds the individuals and organizations that produced the arts. A six-year program dealing with the crisis and recovery phases of the local arts scene helped keep many arts professionals practicing and also experimented with funding an innovative transitional scene.

Redesigning the Learning Assessment Tools for Community-Based Training Program in the Undergraduate Medical Education at a University in Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, the undergraduate medical education is a six-year program, which has three major curricular components, including Pre-medical, preclinical and clinical years. Upon successful completion of every year pre-clinical and clinical courses, students are required to complete community-based training program (CBTP) courses that demand a field work in the nearby community settings. The main intent of these courses is to develop general competencies of the graduates so that they become more socially accountable at the same time ensuring opportunities for lifelong learning in the community through training and services. In a general sense, the learning assessment provides an opportunity for students to improve their skills, reduce anxiety over grading, and improve relationships between learners and teachers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the existing learning assessment tools applied in the CBTP courses and improve them so that they become aligned with the expected graduate competencies specified in the undergraduate medicine curriculum in the University studied. This study used a case study design for the in-depth analysis of the learning assessment tools of CBTP courses. Guided by this, first the study comprises an analysis of the existing assessment tools being practiced in a university studied. Then, three FGDs were held with instructors, department heads, and students who participated in CBTP course implementation of the undergraduate medicine program. This was followed by a consultative workshop with relevant experts in Community-based education (CBE), to identify essential items to be included in the redesigned assessment tools. As a result of this study, the study participants identified the learning domains that were aligned to the core competencies. The corresponding guidelines for each assessment methods were developed. The tools were piloted in the field and they were found very comprehensive and feasible for use in the university studied. The findings of this study were suggested that the redesigned assessment tools can address the basic problems of the existing assessment methods, which were found, fragmented and had higher degrees of subjectivity.

Experiences and Perceptions of Pharmacy Students on Practical Skills and Education During Clinical Rotations in India

Objective. To investigate the overall experience of pharmacy students in India during their clinical rotations and their assessment of primary mentors in imparting the intended clinical skills. Methods. A prospective cross-sectional study using a self-administered survey instrument containing 34 items to obtain feedback from senior PharmD students in the latter three years of their six-year program from November 2014 to February 2015. Results. Of the 415 PharmD students invited for this survey, 261(63% response rate) completed the survey (54% males and 46% females). Of the surveyed participants, 74% were fifth- and final-year interns undertaking clinical training in private hospitals (60.9%). Interestingly, 37.9% of the students ranked their clinical training as "least satisfactory" and remarked that their clinical pharmacy services were not recognized or appreciated in their respective hospitals (42.9%). However, 20% of the students expressed that their site "definitely" provided them with the opportunity to hone clinical pharmacy skills. Only 10% of the students strongly agreed that their mentors encouraged them to use resource materials and learn on their own, met with them regularly to review their work and to provide feedback, and encouraged them to express their opinion in patient-care issues. Conclusion. Majority of PharmD students who completed the survey were "least satisfied" with their clinical training program. Mentors should take more effort to demonstrate practice-based clinical training and provide patient-centered education to PharmD students at their clinical sites.

OzDES multifibre spectroscopy for the Dark Energy Survey: 3-yr results and first data release

We present results for the first three years of OzDES, a six-year programme to obtain redshifts for objects in the Dark Energy Survey (DES) supernova fields using the 2dF fibre positioner and AAOmega spectrograph on the Anglo-Australian Telescope. OzDES is a multi-object spectroscopic survey targeting multiple types of targets at multiple epochs over a multi-year baseline, and is one of the first multi-object spectroscopic surveys to dynamically include transients into the target list soon after their discovery. At the end of three years, OzDES has spectroscopically confirmed almost 100 supernovae, and has measured redshifts for 17,000 objects, including the redshifts of 2,566 supernova hosts. We examine how our ability to measure redshifts for targets of various types depends on signal-to-noise, magnitude, and exposure time, finding that our redshift success rate increases significantly at a signal-to-noise of 2 to 3 per 1-Angstrom bin. We also find that the change in signal-to-noise with exposure time closely matches the Poisson limit for stacked exposures as long as 10 hours. We use these results to predict the redshift yield of the full OzDES survey, as well as the potential yields of future surveys on other facilities such as the 4m Multi-Object Spectroscopic Telescope (4MOST), the Subaru Prime Focus Spectrograph (PFS), and the Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer (MSE). This work marks the first OzDES data release, comprising 14,693 redshifts. OzDES is on target to obtain over a yield of approximately 5,700 supernova host-galaxy redshifts.

An analysis of free-choice electives in an undergraduate medical degree

BackgroundThe University College Dublin Elective Programme was introduced in 2005 with the intention of broadening the learning of its undergraduate students. Undergraduate medical students undertake seven free-choice electives during their six-year degree programme. They are permitted to choose electives from any school in the University. Students also have the option of selecting ‘In-Programme’ electives, which are aligned to medical themes. The purpose of this study is to analyse the electives taken by medical students with a view to better understanding the factors that influence their choices.MethodsIn this mixed methodology study, the quantitative phase consisted of a retrospective analysis of 3318 elective choices associated with 474 medical students between 2006 and 2013. Elective choices were analysed in terms of popularity, difficulty level and subject matter. The prospective qualitative phase consisted of a series of semi-structured focus groups held with current medical students. Discussions from the focus groups underwent thematic analysis with a few to exploring and clarifying the quantitative findings.ResultsThe most frequently chosen electives were In-Programme (38.6%) and Applied Language (21.6%) electives, with patterns not significantly varying from year to year. Male and female students tended to take the same type of electives. Focus group discussions revealed that the primary factor motivating choice was workload, with students preferring less demanding electives. Participants indicated that elective grading and assessment criteria had a significant impact on their choices. Participants described ways in which the elective selection process could be improved, including a desire for more structured electives and a revision of the elective selection process.ConclusionsThe retrospective data analysis revealed a high level of consistency in medical students’ elective choices from stage to stage and between different year cohorts. Qualitative investigation revealed that medical students tend to focus on grading, assessment strategies and skills development when choosing their electives. The implication that students may be reluctant to take more challenging electives despite having an interest in the subject is one that warrants consideration when designing or adapting programmes for the future. Although these findings are associated with a free-choice elective programme, similar strategies are likely to be employed for the more traditional option-based programmes that are associated with the majority of medical degrees internationally.

中・高一貫の歴史教育をめざして : 中学校世界史学習を通じて歴史教育の一貫を考える

中・高一貫の歴史教育をめざして : 中学校世界史学習を通じて歴史教育の一貫を考える

Sustained effectiveness of weekly iron-folic acid supplementation and regular deworming over 6 years in women in rural Vietnam

BackgroundWeekly iron-folic acid (IFA) supplementation and regular deworming is effective for the prevention of iron deficiency and anaemia in women of child-bearing age. Between 2006 and 2013, a program of weekly IFA and biannual deworming was implemented in Yen Bai province, Vietnam. In this study we aimed to determine the effectiveness of the program in reducing anaemia and the prevalence of hookworm infection after 72 months (six years).MethodsThis prospective cohort study followed up a cohort of 389 women of child-bearing age from baseline until six years after the introduction of the weekly IFA (one tablet containing 200 mg ferrous sulphate, 0.4mg folic acid) and deworming (one 400mg tablet of albendazole given twice yearly) program (May 2006 to 2012). In each of the six surveys (baseline and five follow-up surveys) we measured haemoglobin and ferritin, and the burden of soil transmitted helminth (STH) infections, and in the 72 month survey we also administered a questionnaire to assess adherence and possible impediments to participating in the program.ResultsTwo hundred and fifty six (65.8%) of the original 389 women enrolled in the cohort attended the final 72 month survey. Haemoglobin levels were 122 g/L [95% C.I. 120, 124] at baseline and increased to 135g/L [95% C.I. 133, 138] after 72 months. The prevalence of anaemia was 37.8% [95% C.I. 31.0, 44.7] at baseline and reduced to 14.3% [95% C.I. 9.5, 19.1]. Hookworm infection prevalence, 75.9% [95% C.I. 68.1, 83.8] at baseline, reduced to 10.2% [95% C.I. 5.4, 15.0] with no moderate or heavy intensity infections. Seventy-two percent of participants reported still taking at least 75% of the weekly supplements, and 85.0% had taken the most recent deworming treatment.DiscussionAnaemia rates fell significantly during the six-year program, and STH infections were eliminated as a public health risk. Adherence was well maintained but long-term sustainability is challenging in the absence of ongoing external support.

The Purpose and Scope of Pedagogy in Pharmaceutical Education.

The WHO and International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) introduced the concept of the "seven-star pharmacist" in which a pharmacist is described as a caregiver, communicator, decision-maker, teacher, lifelong learner, leader and manager. In six-year pharmaceutical education programs, which have been provided in schools of pharmacy since 2006, 5th year students participate in on-site practice experiences in hospitals and community pharmacies. Thus, Japanese pharmacists also began to have a role in pharmaceutical education as teachers in clinical settings. Not only pharmacists in clinical settings, but also faculty members of pharmacy schools, had not previously been familiar with evidence-based education, and therefore they often teach in the way they were taught. Since research on teaching and learning has not been well developed in Japanese pharmaceutical education, both the model core curriculum for six-year programs and the subject benchmark statement for four-year programs are based on insufficient scientific evidence. We should promote the scholarship of teaching and learning, which promotes teaching as a scholarly endeavor and a worthy subject for research. In this review, I will summarize the needs and expectations for the establishment of pedagogy in pharmaceutical education.

A Survey of Introductory Statistics Courses at University Faculties of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Japan

A survey of introductory statistics courses at Japanese medical schools was published as a report in 2014. To obtain a complete understanding of the way in which statistics is taught at the university level in Japan, it is important to extend this survey to related fields, including pharmacy, dentistry, and nursing. The current study investigates the introductory statistics courses offered by faculties of pharmaceutical sciences (six-year programs) at Japanese universities, comparing the features of these courses with those studied in the survey of medical schools. We collected relevant data from the online syllabi of statistics courses published on the websites of 71 universities. The survey items included basic course information (for example, the course names, the targeted student grades, the number of credits, and course classification), textbooks, handouts, the doctoral subject and employment status of each lecturer, and course contents. The period surveyed was July-September 2015. We found that these 71 universities offered a total of 128 statistics courses. There were 67 course names, the most common of which was "biostatistics (iryou toukeigaku)." About half of the courses were designed for first- or second-year students. Students earned fewer than two credits. There were 62 different types of textbooks. The lecturers held doctoral degrees in 18 different subjects, the most common being a doctorate in pharmacy or science. Some course content differed, reflecting the lecturers' academic specialties. The content of introductory statistics courses taught in pharmaceutical science programs also differed slightly from the equivalent content taught in medical schools.

Understanding the impact of democratic logics on participatory resource decision-making in New Zealand

ABSTRACTThis paper claims that participatory approaches to water resource management in New Zealand are highly influenced by how institutional and community actors understand and practise democracy, including indigenous Māori rights under the Treaty of Waitangi. Drawing on case study analysis from a six-year research programme in which the aim was to evaluate existing and new methods for participatory decision-making, we highlight how different but co-existing democratic beliefs and practices, referred to as democratic logics can shape relationships between governance/decision-making bodies and affected communities. One particular case is examined in detail to illustrate how the various “logics” were strengthened, extended and challenged through participatory research methodologies. Our key message is that revealing and articulating existing democratic logics for participation can help promote and facilitate new participatory approaches, as well as increase robustness and community buy-in to local government decision-making.

THE SDSS-IV EXTENDED BARYON OSCILLATION SPECTROSCOPIC SURVEY: OVERVIEW AND EARLY DATA

ABSTRACT In a six-year program started in 2014 July, the Extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS) will conduct novel cosmological observations using the BOSS spectrograph at Apache Point Observatory. These observations will be conducted simultaneously with the Time Domain Spectroscopic Survey (TDSS) designed for variability studies and the Spectroscopic Identification of eROSITA Sources (SPIDERS) program designed for studies of X-ray sources. In particular, eBOSS will measure with percent-level precision the distance-redshift relation with baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) in the clustering of matter. eBOSS will use four different tracers of the underlying matter density field to vastly expand the volume covered by BOSS and map the large-scale-structures over the relatively unconstrained redshift range 0.6 < z < 2.2. Using more than 250,000 new, spectroscopically confirmed luminous red galaxies at a median redshift z = 0.72, we project that eBOSS will yield measurements of the angular diameter distance d A (z) to an accuracy of 1.2% and measurements of H(z) to 2.1% when combined with the z > 0.6 sample of BOSS galaxies. With ∼195,000 new emission line galaxy redshifts, we expect BAO measurements of d A (z) to an accuracy of 3.1% and H(z) to 4.7% at an effective redshift of z = 0.87. A sample of more than 500,000 spectroscopically confirmed quasars will provide the first BAO distance measurements over the redshift range 0.9 < z < 2.2, with expected precision of 2.8% and 4.2% on d A (z) and H(z), respectively. Finally, with 60,000 new quasars and re-observation of 60,000 BOSS quasars, we will obtain new Lyα forest measurements at redshifts z > 2.1; these new data will enhance the precision of d A (z) and H(z) at z > 2.1 by a factor of 1.44 relative to BOSS. Furthermore, eBOSS will provide improved tests of General Relativity on cosmological scales through redshift-space distortion measurements, improved tests for non-Gaussianity in the primordial density field, and new constraints on the summed mass of all neutrino species. Here, we provide an overview of the cosmological goals, spectroscopic target sample, demonstration of spectral quality from early data, and projected cosmological constraints from eBOSS.

A six-year counseling program for remote junior high school students: A follow-up outcome study

A six-year counseling program for remote junior high school students: A follow-up outcome study

Neighborhood revitalization without the local: race, nonprofit governance, and community development

In this paper, we explore a “grassroots” neighborhood revitalization effort engendered at the national scale without regard to local geographies of race and class. Specifically, we examine the Harambee Great Neighborhood Initiative, convened by the well-known nonprofit Habitat for Humanity together with Milwaukee’s Local Initiatives Support Corporation, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Drawing from participant observation, analysis of print and digital media, volunteer surveys, and interviews with area residents and local nonprofit representatives, we demonstrate the ways in which the six-year program of planning and neighborhood development was conceived and driven by an extra-local nonprofit with significant blind spots to local and organizational politics of race and without sufficient collaboration with the Harambee community. Our analysis points to the importance of race in nonprofit governance and community revitalization efforts. Moreover, we contribute to urban geographic scholarship on nonprofit governance by examining the dynamics of privilege, inclusion, and exclusion as they relate to practices of engagement and volunteerism in nonlocal “grassroots” projects.

Disaster medicine curricula in Saudi Arabian medical schools

Background:Disaster medicine training in medical school is a key element of disaster preparedness, and several international educational authorities have called for an increase in this specific type of training. The objective of this study was to assess the current state of disaster medicine education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.Methods:All 30 medical schools in Saudi Arabia were invited to participate in the study, and a 25-item online survey was sent to those that consented.Results:The response rate was 67%. Only three of the responding 20 universities currently have disaster medicine programs, and they spend an average of three hours per year on the subject. Respondents without disaster medicine curricula indicated that a mandatory, accredited course in the final three years of the six-year program was their preferred method for implementation, and most favored a blended approach.Conclusions:The study found that there is a paucity of disaster medicine programs in Saudi Arabia. Most schools indicated a willingness to implement such training in their undergraduate programs but cited lack of an adequate number of relevant professionals as a major impediment.

Trial and evaluation of a remedial education program at Kobe Pharmaceutical University

Pharmaceutical education is suffering from the decentralization of students due to the establishment of new pharmaceutical universities, the shift to a six-year program from a four-year program in the colleges of pharmacy in 2006, and a decrease in the number of students. Combined, these have lead to academic failings, even at high-ranking universities. However, abundant knowledge and ability are necessary to pass the national examination for pharmacists. At Kobe Pharmaceutical University, a Basic Education Center for Pharmacy was instituted in 2006 for the purpose of supporting the scholastic abilities of students with various challenges, as well as for students in general. One approach at the Basic Education Center for Pharmacy, has been to offer supplementary lessons, and to provide additional opportunities for learning for the repeater. We offer supplementary lessons as an "Office Hours Class" and also use DVD-learning for remedial teaching. "Office Hours Class" is conducted in a question/answer format with a small number of students. In order to develop the DVD-learning system (pharmaceutical educational digital learning; PEDL), which promotes self-learning, our supplementary lectures and "Office Hours Class" lectures are recorded and edited on DVD media. The learning effect of using these systems, as determined by regular examination, shows that these have been helpful. As a result, we concluded that these supplementary learning programs are useful as a learning method to help students acquire necessary knowledge as potential pharmaceutical professionals, and to increase student motivation.

Workplace immersion in the final year of an undergraduate medicine course: The views of final year students and recent graduates

Background: Most medical schools require formal competence assessment of students immediately prior to graduation, but variation exists in the approach to endpoint assessments. This article reports perceptions of senior students and graduates from a school with a six-year program which has introduced final year workplace immersion placements following a barrier examination at the end of the penultimate Year 5.Methods: Final year students (22) and recent graduates (4) attended focus groups and in-depth interviews exploring their perceptions of the value of the curriculum experience during the final two years, the structure and timing of assessment, and their preparation for internship.Findings: Participants felt that the penultimate year was more pressured, and focused on passing “artificial” examinations. In contrast, the final year was more relaxed, building skills for postgraduate work and later career development. As a result, students felt well prepared for internship with some indication that the self-directed nature of the final year promoted a lifelong learning approach.Conclusion: The final year workplace immersion model was regarded positively by senior students of this medical school. This model may be a better way of preparing students to be junior doctors than a traditional final year heavy on theoretical learning and assessment.

Towards inclusive waste management: participatory video as a communication tool

This paper describes the outcomes of a participatory video (PV) project with recycling cooperatives in the metropolitan region of São Paulo, Brazil between 2008 and 2012. Through a participatory action research approach, four PVs were co-produced and a collaborative research design was developed with participants to use the videos as a communication tool for enhancing dialogue and promoting inclusive and integrated approaches to waste management with policy makers. The catadore/as (‘recyclers’) involved are all participants of the Participatory Sustainable Waste Management (PSWM) project, a six-year partnership programme between the University of Victoria, the University of São Paulo, over 30 recycling cooperatives, municipal governments and various non-governmental organisations in the metropolitan region of São Paulo. This paper explores the methodological and theoretical contributions of using PV for enhancing the representation of catadore/as and the potential for shifting power dynamics in spaces of public policy. It also points to the growing organisation (and movement) of recycling cooperatives and associations as instrumental in improving the livelihoods of recyclers and crucial to expanding models of PSWM. The key findings highlight: the importance of building strong partnerships between the government and the recyclers; the necessary expansion of environmental education programmes valuing the principles of PSWM; and the need for adequate public policies to support these initiatives. The paper also draws attention to the relationship of power and knowledge that emerged through this process and reflects on the changing nature of citizen engagement in policy processes.

Application of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Water Budget Manual to Finderne Farms Wetland Mitigation and Assessment of Project Performance

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, NY District’s wetland mitigation proposal for Finderne Farms in Bridgewater, NJ, was approved in August 2005 by the state regulatory agency. The design goal was to provide mitigation for wetlands impacted by the Green Brook Flood Control project at a ratio of 2 : 1. As part of the design process in 2001, the available historical hydrologic data was evaluated. At that time, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Water Budget Manual was not available as a tool for accessing an acceptable design hydroperiod. Construction of the Finderne mitigation site was completed in July 2006. A six-year postconstruction monitoring program has determined that certain areas at the site have not achieved the established wetland success criteria. In 2012, there was a 28% survival of planted woody vegetation and a 74% cover of invasive species within Creation Area 1, a palustrine forested wetland. With the advent of the Water Budget Manual, a reevaluation of the historical hydrologic data was performed. Based on this analysis, the hydroperiod and soil moisture conditions are not representative of sustainable wetlands. Adaptive management measures are currently being developed and evaluated to improve the hydrology, hydric soil conditions, and survival of target vegetation at the Finderne site.

Стаціальний розподіл самок кровосисних комарів у Солом’янському районі Києва

From the epidemiological viewpoint the greatest threat to human health is represented by female mosquitoes in the hematophagous stage. Contact with these bloodsucking insects occurs most frequently in their places of diurnal concentration. The main daytime habitats of mosquitoes in urban areas are recreational areas, especially near water – forests, parks, botanical gardens, cemeteries, green zones in residential areas, residential buildings and buildings with livestock, basements and cellars. In the context of global warming and extreme high summer temperatures a tendency has been observed for mosquitoes to make increasing use of residential premises and outbuildings as a daytime habitat. In the Solomianskyi district of Kiev a six-year monitoring programme of mosquitoes’ diurnal habitat distribution was conducted. It showed that the majority of female mosquitoes which attacked humans (60%) were concentrated in areas of recreation and outdoors in residential areas. Simultaneously a significant number of mosquitoes was found to use as their daytime habitat places where they were in close proximity to humans – in domestic outbuildings (sheds under various uses), basements and cellars. The lion’s share of these mosquitoes was represented by Anopheles maculipennis (25%) and Culex pipiens (7,6%). At the same time a significant number of representatives of the genera Ochlerotatus (O. cantans, O. sticticus, O. cataphylla) and Aedes (Ae. v. vexans) were also recorded using residential premises as their daytime habitat on a scale which had not been previously observed for these species of mosquito. It is possible that female mosquitoes fly into livestock buildings at twilight because they are attracted by electric light and ammonia vapors. However, these factors are almost absent in basements and cellars. It remains to be noted that mosquitoes use basements and cellars as a daytime habitat at periods of hightemperatures and low humidity in the city. To test this assumption the distribution of mosquitoes was analysed during the warm season in 2010 in Solomyanskyi district with measurement of temperature at the locations of collection. It turned out that the air temperature in the sheds was 2–4 °C lower than outside in the shade, in the basements lower by 4–11 °C, and in the cellars lower by 4–12 °C. Comparison of the temperature in the daytime habitats and number of mosquitoes found there showed a direct relation between the outdoor temperature and the number of mosquitoes in the daytime habitat on the premises. The data indicate that there is a tendency for the number of synanthropic blood-sucking mosquito species to increase owing to the occupation of domestic premises as a daytime habitat by those species of mosquitoes for which this phenomenon was not typical earlier. If global warming and the current trend to increase in summer temperatures persist, this can cause a deterioration of the epidemiological situation in the megalopolis.

Shaping the future medical workforce: take care with selection tools

Medical school selection is a first step in developing a general practice workforce. To determine the relationship between medical school selection scores and intention to pursue a career in general practice. A longitudinal cohort study of students selected in 2006 and 2007 for The University of Auckland medical programme, who completed an exit survey on career intentions. Students are ranked for selection into year 2 of a six-year programme by combining grade point average from prior university achievement (60%), interview (25%) and Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test (UMAT) scores (15%). The main outcome measure was level of interest in general practice at exit. Logistic regression assessed whether any demographic variables or admission scores predicted a 'strong' interest in general practice. None of interview scores, grade point average, age, gender, or entry pathway predicted a 'strong' interest in general practice. Only UMAT scores differentiated between those with a 'strong' interest versus those with 'some' or 'no' interest, but in an inverse fashion. The best predictor of a 'strong' interest in general practice was a low UMAT score of between 45 and 55 on all three UMAT sections (OR 3.37, p=0.020). Yet, the academic scores at entry of students with these UMAT scores were not lower than those of their classmates. Setting inappropriately high cut-points for medical school selection may exclude applicants with a propensity for general practice. These findings support the use of a wider lens through which to view medical school selection tools.