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Background: Pediatric blood and marrow transplant (PBMT) patients experience significant symptom distress, and the use of mobile health (mHealth) technologies may enhance symptom management by providing patient-generated health data to foster personalized health strategies. Objectives: The aim of this study was to present a study protocol to explore feasibility, acceptability, and usability of integrating mHealth technologies to collect and monitor symptom data for PBMT patients. Methods: An exploratory mixed-methods design is employed for 20 PBMT patients to monitor symptoms using real-time data from two mHealth devices: (a) a self-developed mHealth application and (b) a wearable tracking device. Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System surveys for fatigue, pain, and sleep disturbance are obtained monthly. Interviews are conducted to obtain further feasibility and usability data. Results: The study began in October 2017; data collection should be completed in 2018. Feasibility and usability results to monitor and record symptom-related data daily via mobile devices will be reported. Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System surveys and interviews will further explore patients' symptoms and experiences with the mobile devices. Discussion: This study will be among the first to explore the feasibility, acceptability, and usability of integrating multiple mHealth technologies to obtain patient-generated symptom data for the PBMT population. Results will enhance our understanding of how these data present, interact, and cluster together throughout the posttransplant period for these children and lead to symptom management strategies. Results will focus on a high-risk population that potentially stands to benefit from the use of mobile technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

State wildlife conservation programs provide a strong foundation for biodiversity conservation in the United States, building on state wildlife action plans. However, states may miss the species that are at the most risk at rangewide scales, and threats such as novel diseases and climate change increasingly act at regional and national levels. Regional collaborations among states and their partners have had impressive successes, and several federal programs now incorporate state priorities. However, regional collaborations are uneven across the country, and no national counterpart exists to support efforts at that scale. A national conservation-support program could fill this gap and could work across the conservation community to identify large-scale conservation needs and support efforts to meet them. By providing important information-sharing and capacity-building services, such a program would advance collaborative conservation among the states and their partners, thus increasing both the effectiveness and the efficiency of conservation in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compares the administrative appeals of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service projects. Role of the administrative process in challenging a wide range of forest projects; Percentage of appeals that the agency denied; Issue of how the Forest Service designates and defines activities within a project.

AIM The purpose of this project was to connect nursing students from schools of nursing in China and the United States for colearning using virtual simulations. BACKGROUND With technology and international partnerships, nursing programs can offer global education without students traveling to other countries. METHOD Virtual simulations were produced by each school for the project. Students completed them in two synchronous 1.5-hour virtual sessions, one month apart. At the end of each session, students completed the Simulation Effectiveness Tool-Modified and the Nurses Clinical Reasoning Scale. RESULTS Scores on the Simulation Effectiveness Tool-Modified ranged from 75.0 percent to 100 percent on Simulation 1 (video vignettes focused on prioritization) and 88.9 percent to 100 percent on Simulation 2 (computer-based obstetrics case). Most students strongly agreed or agreed that the simulation improved their clinical reasoning skills. CONCLUSION Virtual simulations allowed students to learn together and develop an awareness of differences in nursing practices across countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]