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Within the healthcare system, identification and intervention for intimate partner violence (IPV) are critical, yet often hindered by siloed operations among healthcare workers. Effective interprofessional collaboration is pivotal for timely and appropriate interventions. This article describes an interprofessional educational simulation involving nursing and social work students. Pairs engaged in risk assessment and safety planning for IPV. In the pilot run with 140 nursing and 137 social work students, post-simulation results increased confidence (t = 5.25, p = 0.001) and positive evaluation of IPV knowledge (t = 63.22, p = 0.001). Focus groups underscored team synergy, communication skills, and prior experiences as critical elements. Future projects should expand simulation scopes to address diverse situations and include additional professions interacting with survivors.

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the roles of quality managers at community colleges, their experiences balancing accountability and improvement and their insights into the future of quality assurance. Design/methodology/approach: This phenomenological, qualitative study used semi-structured interviews with eight community college quality managers to investigate their roles, experiences and perspectives. A reflexive thematic approach was used to analyze the interview data. Findings: Four themes were identified from participant responses: quality managers frame and enable program quality, quality managers drive program change, quality managers cultivate a culture of quality and quality managers seek system change. The findings illustrate the roles played by quality managers as they work to improve college education at program, institution and system-wide levels. Research limitations/implications: The decision of participants to accept the recruitment invitation might reflect particular attitudes, perspectives or experiences. Practical implications: Quality assurance has emerged as a key mechanism for ensuring postsecondary programs are current, relevant and meeting the evolving needs of students and employers. This study advances the understanding of how quality assurance processes play out at the operational level and explores the experiences of quality managers as they navigate various quality tensions. Originality/value: Quality managers play key roles in leading, evaluating and influencing quality assurance processes in postsecondary education yet they are underrepresented in the literature. The findings of this study shed new light on the aspirational and influential roles they play in advancing quality assurance.

Introduction: Learning the anatomy of the inguinal canal is challenging for medical students and residents. Current teaching via didactic lectures may not suffice for optimal learning, and visualization of the complicated 3D-structure of the inguinal canal. Hence, we investigated the efficacy of a low-fidelity model creation to improve the teaching. Materials and methods: 30 pre-clinical students were split into three groups and assigned different teaching interventions: 1) Lecture (Group L), 2) Lecture with individual model creation (Group M1), and 3) Lecture with group model creation (Group M2). Gain in knowledge were assessed through a pre- and post-intervention multiple-choice quizzes (MCQs), while perceptions of confidence/engagement/model efficacy were measured using post-intervention questionnaires. Results: For knowledge acquisition, average MCQ scores improved most for Group L (23 ± 1%), followed by M1 (19 ± 1%) and M2 (13 ± 1%). In learning the inguinal canal, perceived confidence was enhanced by modelling compared to lecture only (p 0.05). There was also no difference between M1 and M2 (p > 0.05). Conclusion: As a supplement to didactic teaching of the inguinal canal, model creation was well-received, and provided opportunities for experiential learning. However, the usefulness of modelling in learning the anatomy and pathologies of inguinal canal was insignificant. Our research design was inadequate in showing long term gain. Additionally, results from group model creation could be affected by the dynamics amongst members. Future work should aim to address these issues.

Abstract BackgroundNumerous studies have assessed the risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure and infection among health care workers during the pandemic. However, far fewer studies have investigated the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on essential workers in other sectors. Moreover, guidance for maintaining a safely operating workplace in sectors outside of health care remains limited. Workplace surveillance has been recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but few studies have examined the feasibility or effectiveness of this approach. ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of using frequent point-of-care molecular workplace surveillance as an intervention strategy to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2 at essential rural workplaces (mining sites) where physical distancing, remote work, and flexible schedules are not possible. MethodsIn this nonrandomized controlled clinical trial conducted from February 2021, to March 2022, 169 miners in New Mexico (intervention cohort) and 61 miners in Wyoming (control cohort) were enrolled. Investigators performed point-of-care rapid antigen testing on midnasal swabs (NSs) self-collected by intervention miners. Our first outcome was the intervention acceptance rate in the intervention cohort. Our second outcome was the rate of cumulative postbaseline seropositivity to SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein, which was analyzed in the intervention cohort and compared to the control cohort between baseline and 12 months. The diagnostic accuracy of detecting SARS-CoV-2 using rapid antigen testing on NSs was compared to laboratory-based reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on nasopharyngeal swabs (NPSs) in a subset of 68 samples. ResultsOur intervention had a mean acceptance rate of 96.4% (11,413/11,842). The intervention miners exhibited a lower cumulative postbaseline incident seropositivity at 12 months compared to control miners (14/97, 14% vs 17/45, 38%; P ConclusionsOur findings establish frequent point-of-care molecular workplace COVID-19 surveillance as a feasible option for keeping essential rural workplaces open and preventing SARS-CoV-2 spread. These findings extend beyond this study, providing valuable insights for designing interventions to maintain employees’ safety at other essential workplaces during an infectious disease outbreak.

Proteotoxic stress progressively leads to irreversible cardiac abnormalities. Using a mouse model of reductive stress-induced proteotoxic cardiomyopathy, we identified novel microRNA signatures, termed “ProteotoxomiRs,” which reflect stage-specific and transgene-specific responses to proteotoxic stress. Seven microRNAs were uniquely linked to the human mutant R120G-αB-Crystallin transgene, indicating their direct association with the pathogenic protein. Additionally, we uncovered two distinct microRNA profiles associated with the early (pre-onset) and late (cardiomyopathy/heart failure) stages of disease progression. Early-stage signatures primarily modulate signaling pathways essential for cardiac health, including mTOR and MAPK, while late-stage signatures reveal regulatory disruptions in calcium signaling and autophagy insufficiency, driving irreversible cardiac damage caused by reductive stress (RS) and proteotoxicity in transgenic mice. These findings reveal stage-specific miRNA biomarkers with potential diagnostic and prognostic value, offering new insights into the molecular underpinnings of proteotoxic cardiac disease. Moreover, our miRNA-mRNA interaction analysis uncovered potential targets unique to the transgene-specific, early, and late stages of the disease, including several promising druggable candidates, warranting further validation for translational applications.

Background: Cigarettes and electronic cigarettes generate many redox-active materials which could impact children's health through second-hand exposures. High-resolution metabolomics methods enable use of non-targeted mass spectrometry of plasma to test for redox consequences of second-hand exposures. Objectives: Our objectives were to test for oxidative stress metabolites and altered metabolic pathways associated with second-hand exposure to redox-active flavorants and flavorant metabolites in plasma of infants and children. Methods: Untargeted plasma metabolomics data for infants and children in a population known to include individuals with second-hand exposures to cigarettes and electronic cigarettes were analyzed for cotinine and metabolites of flavorants. A metabolome-wide association study (MWAS) was performed separately for cotinine and menthol glucuronide, derived from the redox-active flavorant, menthol. Pathway enrichment analysis was used to identify metabolic pathways, and xMWAS was used to detect metabolic communities associated with flavorant metabolites. Results: Menthol glucuronide was one of several flavorant metabolites positively correlated with cotinine. MWAS and pathway enrichment analysis revealed that some pathways associated with both menthol glucuronide and cotinine, while others only associated with menthol glucuronide, including sphingolipid, glycerophospholipid, antioxidant, N-glycan and mitochondrial energy metabolism. 4-hydroxynonenal and other oxidized lipids positively correlated with menthol glucuronide. Discussion: The results show that flavorants from second-hand electronic cigarette and cigarette exposures in infants and children are associated with changes in redox metabolism which are known to associate with human lung diseases.

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is an invaluable technique that has been used for many decades for the separation of various molecules. The reproducible collection of eluates from these systems has been significantly improved via its automation by fraction collection systems. Current commercially available fraction collectors are not easily customizable, incompatible with other platforms, and come with a large cost barrier making them inaccessible to many researchers. Here we present the efficient construction of a low-cost customizable fraction collector that can easily be paired to any HPLC system. Notably, it supports significantly larger volumes for collection than commercial alternatives. Using a hobbyist-grade three-dimensional (3D) printer (Creality Ender 3 Pro) and aluminum extrusions, the fraction collector can be built for less than $280 USD. An additional graphical user interface (GUI) enables simple programming of the collection methods, requiring no coding experience to operate the collector. The presented fraction collector can be highly customized and use collection vessels as large as 470 mL (80x), facilitating repeated collection at a preparatory scale. The use of this platform will increase the reproducibility of scalable and iterative fraction collection methods while removing the cost barrier and allowing for a high degree of customizability.

Abstract Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) include a variety of inflammatory and fibrotic pulmonary conditions. This study employs high‐resolution metabolomics (HRM) to explore plasma metabolites and pathways across ILD phenotypes, including non‐fibrotic ILD, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and non‐IPF fibrotic ILD. The study used 80 plasma samples for HRM, and involved linear trend and group‐wise analyses of metabolites altered in ILD phenotypes. We utilized limma one‐way ANOVA and mummichog algorithms to identify differences in metabolites and pathways across ILD groups. Then, we focused on metabolites within critical pathways, indicated by high pathway overlap sizes and low p‐values, for further analysis. Targeted HRM identified putrescine, hydroxyproline, prolyl‐hydroxyproline, aspartate, and glutamate with significant linear increases in more fibrotic ILD phenotypes, suggesting their role in ILD fibrogenesis. Untargeted HRM highlighted pathway alterations in lysine, vitamin D3, tyrosine, and urea cycle metabolism, all associated with pulmonary fibrosis. In addition, methylparaben level had a significantly increasing linear trend and was higher in the IPF than fibrotic and non‐ILD groups. This study highlights the importance of specific amino acids, metabolic pathways, and xenobiotics in the progression of pulmonary fibrosis.

Objective: Athletic involvement is linked to increased risk for heavy alcohol use among college students. We examined whether student-athletes from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds differ with respect to heavy drinking and related consequences. Method: Participants were 15,135 student-athlete drinkers (50.7% female) from 170 NCAA member institutions who participated in an online study. Results: Findings from our hierarchical linear models indicated that being a male student-athlete was associated with an increased likelihood of high intensity drinking (10/8 + drinks/per sitting for males/females) for White, Asian American/Pacific Islander, and Black student-athletes, but not for Hispanic student-athletes. Additionally, being a female student-athlete was associated with higher levels of negative alcohol-related consequences across all racial/ethnic groups. Finally, at similar drink quantities, compared to being a White student-athlete, being an Asian American/Pacific Islander student-athlete was associated with higher levels of alcohol-related consequences. Conclusions: Student-athlete drinkers are not homogeneous with respect to heavy drinking and related consequences.

Abstract This report identifies, for the first time, a phytochelatin compound, phytochelatin 2 [γ‐E‐C‐γ‐E‐C‐G], and related metabolites in human urine. Phytochelatins are metal‐binding peptides produced by plants. They are present in nearly all human diets, due to their ubiquity in plants. The urinary concentration of phytochelatin 2 among 143 adults was in the low micromolar range, and phytochelatin 2 and its metabolites had differential correlations with urinary selenium and toxic metals. Activities of ingested phytochelatins are largely undescribed. Observed urinary metal interactions were investigated further in cell and animal models. Selenite reacted with phytochelatin to form a phytochelatin selenotrisulfide, and the preformed selenotrisulfide showed increased selenium uptake by renal proximal tubule cells. In vivo studies further showed that oral phytochelatin increased renal selenium content and decreased lung cadmium in mice. Presence of phytochelatin in human urine combined with its function in selenium and heavy metal distribution present a new route by which diet may influence metal disposition and bioavailability.

This paper details the analytical process and presents recommendations for the enhancement of the International Librarians Networking Program (ILNP), informed by participant feedback. The work was done as part of the 2023 American Library Association’s (ALA) Emerging Leaders program. The recommendations span four critical dimensions: communication enhancement, application process revision, poster project refinement, and the establishment of an alumni group. These proposed enhancements aim to effectively address the challenges articulated by ILNP participants, elevate the program’s overall quality, and align it with the overarching objectives of the International Relations Round Table (IRRT). IRRT’s mission revolves around empowering librarians worldwide through networking and the exchange of professional knowledge, making these proposed improvements integral to realizing this mission.

There to date exists limited research on how emotion regulation shapes students' emotional experiences and academic development in higher education. The purpose of this study was to address this gap by examining how students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) degree programs (N = 174) use emotion regulation strategies related to their achievement emotions, approaches to learning, and exam performance. Data was collected across four phases pertaining to a required STEM course at the beginning of the semester, while studying for a midterm exam, and within 48 h following the exam. Results suggested that while emotion regulation while studying did not predict students' emotions more than control and value appraisals, their emotion regulation specific to the exam predicted their emotions above and beyond control and value appraisals. Findings also showed cognitive reappraisal to correspond with more positive emotions, less negative emotions, more complex approaches to learning, and better exam performance. Conversely, suppression was associated with poorer exam performance. Results additionally showed that associations between cognitive reappraisal and emotions were stronger during exams than while studying. Overall, these findings indicate that how post-secondary students choose to regulate their emotions in STEM degree programs has important implications for how they feel, learn, and perform.

Transition to adulthood is a multi-faceted, complex process that affects all areas of an adolescent’s internal and external world. Prior methodologies to assess the medical facet of this transformative time have focused on objective, quantitative analysis of transition practices to facilitate a productive transfer to an adult care provider, without considering the more nuanced context. Transition Design (TD) is an under-utilized, novel methodology that can holistically investigate transition to adulthood by generating insight into the current framework for transition both within and outside of the medical field, and by conceptualizing possible interventions for a more sustainable and equitable future -- all from the perspective of constituent groups who have expertise and a vested interest in transition. Participants within four such constituent groups (young adults, young adult caregivers, healthcare providers, and social services providers) completed a day-long workshop consisting of the six-activity sequence of TD, including 1) Mapping the Problem, 2) Mapping Constituent Relations, 3) Mapping the Evolution of the Problem, 4) Co-Creating Long-Term Future Visions, 5) Designing for the Transition, and 6) Designing Systems Interventions. TD is a promising approach for evaluating complex problems such as the transition to adulthood that thrive on the engagement of specific constituent groups. This methodology allows these groups to engage with and subsequently help solve wicked problems using their own experience.

The purpose of this study was to compare business undergraduate online/hybrid course perceptions across three different preferred classroom learning environments (CLE): online, hybrid, or face-to-face (F2F). Six different perception-based outcomes were measured: easy to use technology, peer-perceived favorability of online/hybrid courses (peer-PFoOC); instructor-perceived favorability of online/hybrid courses (instructor-PFoOC); intent to recommend online/hybrid courses; institutional commitment; and persistence towards graduation. Undergraduates who were simultaneously taking at least one online or hybrid class and F2F course, i.e., mixed course delivery format, voluntarily completed an online survey. In the fall of 2017, a complete-data sample of n = 242 respondents was obtained and in the spring of 2018 the complete-data sample was n = 237. Consistent results across both samples were found for the outcomes. Undergraduates who preferred either online or hybrid CLE had significantly higher peer-PFoOC, instructor-PFoOC, and intent to recommend online/hybrid courses than students preferring an F2F environment. There were no differences between these three CLE preference groups in perceived easy to use technology, institutional commitment or persistence. As universities increase their online and hybrid course offerings monitoring student perceived outcomes between F2F and online/hybrid course sections will continue to be important.

Since 2010, both universities in which the authors teach have integrated pc-based e-learning or mobile learning programs into several English courses. Students' online performances are evaluated and used in determining the grades for each course. The data accumulated over the years indicates both changing and unchanged e-learning habits among Japanese university students. By analyzing the accumulated data, coupled with information obtained from questionnaires, we conclude that while some e-learning habits remain unchanged, several new learning habits have emerged. The unchanged e-learning habits include: predominant use of the iPhone, which remains the most popular mobile learning tool; a deadline rush for completing e-learning tasks; a preference for engaging in e-learning in the evening and at night; e-learning diligence, i.e., frequency of participation and duration of participation, show no change. In recent years some new trends have appeared in students' e-learning: more students entering university have previous experience with e-learning, and they are less concerned about the cost of mobile phone Internet connection.

Little is known about lipid changes that occur in the setting of metabolic-dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) regression. We previously reported improvements in hepatic steatosis, de novo lipogenesis (DNL), and metabolomic profiles associated with oxidative stress, inflammation, and selected lipid metabolism in 40 adolescent boys (11–16 y) with hepatic steatosis ≥5% (98% meeting the definition of MASLD). Participants were randomized to a low-free-sugar diet (LFSD) (n = 20) or usual diet (n = 20) for 8 weeks. Here, we employed untargeted/targeted lipidomics to examine lipid adaptations associated with the LFSD and improvement of hepatic steatosis. Our LC-MS/MS analysis revealed decreased triglycerides (TGs), diacylglycerols (DGs), cholesteryl esters (ChE), lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), and phosphatidylcholine (PC) species with the diet intervention (p < 0.05). Network analysis demonstrated significantly lower levels of palmitate-enriched TG species post-intervention, mirroring the previously shown reduction in DNL in response to the LFSD. Targeted oxylipins analysis revealed a decrease in the abundance of 8-isoprostane and 14,15-DiHET and an increase in 8,9-DiHET (p < 0.05). Overall, we observed reductions in TGs, DGs, ChE, PC, and LPC species among participants in the LFSD group. These same lipids have been associated with MASLD progression; therefore, our findings may indicate normalization of key biological processes, including lipid metabolism, insulin resistance, and lipotoxicity. Additionally, our targeted oxylipins assay revealed novel changes in eicosanoids, suggesting improvements in oxidative stress. Future studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms of these findings and prospects of these lipids as biomarkers of MASLD regression.

Test anxiety is a widespread and mostly detrimental emotion in learning and achievement settings. Thus, it is a construct of high interest for researchers and its measurement is an important issue. So far, test anxiety has typically been assessed using self-report measures. However, physiological measures (e.g., heart rate or skin conductance level) have gained increasing attention in educational research, as they allow for an objective and often continuous assessment of students' physiological arousal (i.e., the physiological component of test anxiety) in real-life situations, such as a test. Although theoretically one would assume self-report measures of test anxiety and objective physiological measures would converge, empirical evidence is scarce and findings have been mixed. To achieve a more coherent picture of the relationship between these measures, this systematic review and meta-analysis investigated whether higher self-reported test anxiety is associated with expected increases in objectively measured physiological arousal. A systematic literature search yielded an initial 231 articles, and a structured selection process identified 29 eligible articles, comprising 31 studies, which met the specified inclusion criteria and provided sufficient information about the relationship under investigation. In line with theoretical models, in 21 out of the 31 included studies, there was a significant positive relationship between self-reported test anxiety and physiological arousal. The strengths of these correlations were of medium size. Moderators influencing the relation between these two measures are discussed, along with implications for the assessment of physiological data in future classroom-based research on test anxiety.

Androgen deprivation therapy is a cornerstone of treatment for advanced prostate cancer, and the development of castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is the primary cause of prostate cancer-related mortality. While CRPC typically develops through a gain in androgen receptor (AR) signaling, a subset of CRPC will lose reliance on the AR. This process involves genetic, epigenetic, and hormonal changes that promote cellular plasticity, leading to AR-indifferent disease, with neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) being the quintessential example. NEPC is enriched following treatment with second-generation anti-androgens and exhibits resistance to endocrine therapy. Loss of RB1, TP53, and PTEN expression and MYCN and AURKA amplification appear to be key drivers for NEPC differentiation. Epigenetic modifications also play an important role in the transition to a neuroendocrine phenotype. DNA methylation of specific gene promoters can regulate lineage commitment and differentiation. Histone methylation can suppress AR expression and promote neuroendocrine-specific gene expression. Emerging data suggest that EZH2 is a key regulator of this epigenetic rewiring. Several mechanisms drive AR-dependent castration resistance, notably AR splice variant expression, expression of the adrenal-permissive 3βHSD1 allele, and glucocorticoid receptor expression. Aberrant epigenetic regulation also promotes radioresistance by altering the expression of DNA repair- and cell cycle-related genes. Novel therapies are currently being developed to target these diverse genetic, epigenetic, and hormonal mechanisms promoting lineage plasticity-driven NEPC.

The school district library supervisor plays a pivotal role in supporting, advising, and providing professional development to building-level librarians; advocating for the program; providing leadership; and representing school library programs to stakeholders in the school system and the larger community. To gain a better understanding of supervisors' roles, responsibilities, demographics, and challenges, and to establish baseline data upon which further research can be built, the Lilead Project was initiated in 2011 at the University of Maryland with funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. In 2012 the project team conducted the Lilead Survey, a survey of supervisors nationwide. In this paper, the second of two reports on the results of the survey, we present findings related to the responsibilities and tasks assigned to the position, professional development needs of supervisors and staff, and the range of stakeholder groups with which supervisors work.

Human trafficking is an ongoing, global human rights crisis and one of the largest illicit industries worldwide. Although there are thousands of victims identified each year within the United States, the true extent of this problem remains unknown due to the paucity of data. Many victims seek care in the emergency department (ED) while being trafficked but are often not identified by clinicians due to lack of knowledge or misconceptions about trafficking. We present a case of an ED patient being trafficked in Appalachia as an educational stimulus and discuss several unique aspects of trafficking in rural communities, including lack of awareness, prevalence of familial trafficking, high rates of poverty and substance use, cultural differences, and a complex highway network system. The lack of data, appropriate resources, and training for healthcare professionals also poses distinct issues. We propose an approach to identify and treat victims of human trafficking in the ED, with a focus on rural EDs. This approach includes improving data collection and availability on local patterns of trafficking, improving clinician training in identification, and care of victims using trauma-informed techniques. While this case illustrates unique features of human trafficking in the Appalachian region, many of these themes are common to rural areas across the US. Our recommendations emphasize strategies to adapt evidence-based protocols, largely designed in and for urban EDs, to rural settings where clinicians may be less familiar with human trafficking.