Search

BACKGROUND: A better understanding of treatment progression and recovery in pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) infectious disease is crucial. This study analyzed longitudinal serum samples from pulmonary TB patients undergoing interventional treatment to identify surrogate markers for TB-related outcomes. METHODS: Serum that was collected at baseline and 8, 17, 26, and 52 weeks from 30 TB patients experiencing durable cure were evaluated and compared using a sensitive LC-MS/MS proteomic platform for the detection and quantification of differential host protein signatures relative to timepoint. The global proteome signature was analyzed for statistical differences across the time course and between disease severity and treatment groups. RESULTS: A total of 676 proteins showed differential expression in the serum over these timepoints relative to baseline. Comparisons to understand serum protein dynamics at 8 weeks, treatment endpoints at 17 and 26 weeks, and post-treatment at 52 weeks were performed. The largest protein abundance changes were observed at 8 weeks as the initial effects of antibiotic treatment strongly impacted inflammatory and immune modulated responses. However, the largest number of proteome changes was observed at the end of treatment time points 17 and 26 weeks respectively. Post-treatment 52-week results showed an abatement of differential proteome signatures from end of treatment, though interestingly those proteins uniquely significant at post-treatment were almost exclusively downregulated. Patients were additionally stratified based upon disease severity and compared across all timepoints, identifying 461 discriminating proteome signatures. These proteome signatures collapsed into discrete expression profiles with distinct pathways across immune activation and signaling, hemostasis, and metabolism annotations. Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) and Integrin signaling maintained a severity signature through 52 weeks, implying an intrinsic disease severity signature well into the post-treatment timeframe. CONCLUSION: Previous proteome studies have primarily focused on the 8-week timepoint in relation to culture conversion status. While this study confirms previous observations, it also highlights some differences. The inclusion of additional end of treatment and post-treatment time points offers a more comprehensive assessment of treatment progression within the serum proteome. Examining the expression dynamics at these later time periods will help in the investigation of relapse patients and has provided indicative markers of response and recovery.

Background: Research impact is at least partly generated through collaborative interactions, yet the associations between knowledge production and impact are far more complex than relatively simple linear models generally describe. Aims and objectives: In this case study, we focus on a community-university partnership and try to answer the question, 'What are the conditions that facilitate or hinder successful collaborative interactions aimed towards solving a shared challenge between partners from different organisations?' Methods: A set of four co-creation sessions with diverse stakeholders was organised with the aim of tackling the nuisance caused by youth in a specific deprived neighbourhood in Belgium. The sessions were video-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed following a Grounded Theory (GT) approach to develop theoretical understandings of the process of knowledge production and research impact. Findings: Roles and mandates of individual stakeholder representatives determine (and hinder) their access to (confidential) information, but also their visibility and accessibility towards youth as end users. Achieving positive outcomes through collaboration was perceived by stakeholders as slowly evolving towards small successes, and was facilitated by being able to accept failure, working in a climate of trust, developing a shared identity, managing expectations, informally sharing information, and being able to connect with youth. Discussion and conclusions: We reflect on the importance of overcoming organisational asymmetries in collaborative interactions through installing feedback loops, and through the particular roles of boundary organisations, boundary objects, and practical tools that can help steer iterative collaborative interactions towards positive impact.

The introductory communication course has a history of producing meaningful scholarship that shapes teaching and learning at institutions of higher education around the world. The scope of this research is broad and, as such, calls for a meta-synthesis of trends in and avenues for future research. This project examines published work from the past decade--2010 through 2019--in key outlets that regularly publish introductory course-focused research ("The Basic Communication Course Annual," "Communication Education," "Communication Teacher," "The Journal of Communication Pedagogy"). This analysis of 98 articles revealed that publications tend to focus on three primary areas: (1) students and instructors; (2) the structure of the course; and (3) assessment--while calling for future research to "replicate" past studies. Based on this meta-synthesis, we propose directions for future scholarship that will continue to impact teaching and learning practices beyond replication.

Feedback is an essential part of the teaching/learning processes. This statement is especially true in the introductory communication course where students receive feedback throughout the presentational speaking process. This paper explores how students define useful feedback based on 1,600 qualitative questionnaires that asked students about their perceptions of feedback. A thematic analysis of a randomly selected subset of 163 responses uncovered two themes: (1) feedback content characteristics (e.g., specific, constructive, praiseworthy, and purposive) and (2) process of instructor-provided feedback (e.g., iterative, timely). Based on these findings, a set of best practices for providing feedback is offered as a means to improve teaching/learning in the introductory communication course.

As institutions of higher education continue to offer online instruction, educators and administrators of presentational speaking courses must adapt their classes for various modes of online delivery. One primary consideration for adapting a presentational speaking course to online delivery is how students will experience communication apprehension and/or public speaking anxiety in online communication contexts. The instructional communication field is rife with research about students' experiences with speech anxiety and communication apprehension. However, little work has explored how students' experiences may differ when the primary mode of course communication and course presentations is mediated through either synchronous or asynchronous modes of online communication. If these anxieties in face-to-face settings can deter students' academic and professional goals (Richmond et al., "Communication apprehension, avoidance, and effectiveness" [6th ed., Pearson, 2013]), researchers should investigate students' experiences in online courses. The current study begins to fill this gap. We analyze qualitative responses (N = 178) to an open-ended survey distributed to undergraduates in presentational speaking courses. Thematic analysis revealed the uniqueness of online communication apprehension and its similarities to face-to-face communication apprehension. Implications for administrators and instructors of presentational speaking courses are offered.

The results of this study argue that communication, and specifically oral communication education, is critical to students' future personal and professional success. Similar to three earlier studies, thematic analysis of 2,155 articles, identified in academic and popular press publications extending from 2016 to 2020, provides support for the centrality of the communication discipline's content and pedagogy. These results reinforce the importance of communication to promoting health communication; growing individually and in relation to others; enriching the educational enterprise; enhancing organizational processes; being a responsible community member locally, nationally, internationally, and globally; and addressing crises, safety, risk, security, and science communication. Subthemes are identified in each of these six thematic categories, and the results are compared with those of the three earlier iterations of this study and in light of major shifts in the sociopolitical and cultural environment in the U.S. and the globe since the last iteration.

Rubrics are a commonly used tool to evaluate student work in the introductory communication course. Although rubrics may appear objective, they are continually interpreted by both instructors and students, often reflecting traditional classroom power dynamics. In order to understand how rubrics constrain as well as expand opportunities for the enactment of critical communication pedagogy, we conducted an interpretive analysis of the presentational speaking rubrics used in the introductory communication course at 20 institutions in the United States. In doing so, we identified three levels of rubric context: high, low, and shared. These contexts inform important theoretical and pedagogical implications for the introductory course, as they highlight existing power dynamics, instructor grading practices, and student agency.

Those in the field of social work education are continuously looking for methods to enhance the production of competent, effective MSWs. One approach is to provide enhanced training programs to select groups of students. Historically, research on these programs has been limited other than for Title IV-E programs. The current study assesses a Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program project. A mixed methods approach was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the project. Quantitative survey data assessed participants' knowledge, skills, attitudes, and practices related to key project competencies. The qualitative data gathered explored participants' lived experiences of the project. Results reflect increased understanding and self-reported proficiency in regard to project competencies. Additionally, the qualitative themes indicate project benefits as well as areas for improvement. This study adds to the research literature regarding the effectiveness of enhanced training programs for increasing the knowledge and skills of MSWs.

Incorporating civic engagement in the undergraduate curriculum has become a goal in higher education generally and the communication discipline specifically. Given this emerging priority, we offer a framework that integrates civic engagement in the communication classroom and meets students and instructors needs, experience, and goals. Drawing on a case study of a large multi-section course, we detail three levels of civic engagement integration: micro, meso, and macro. This multileveled approach to civic engagement provides varied opportunities for students and instructors alike to learn how communication concepts can be applied in order to address social issues and advocate for change.

Higher education has been commodified as neoliberal ideology is reflected in and perpetuated through social discourses, such as memorable messages. These discourses socialize young adults to college and shape their understanding about the purpose of higher education. Through in-depth interviews with 20 first-year college students, we found that the memorable messages students received from their family, peers, and high school teachers reinforce the dominant neoliberal, job-centered understanding of college's purpose. In turn, we suggest critical communication pedagogy as a form of resistance instructors and institutions can use to promote a more expansive view of higher education and teaching/learning.

The aim of this study was to identify and compare risk factors of substance use between heterosexual and LGB adults. Using data from the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), Chi-square, t-test, and standard multiple regressions were employed to analyze the data. The findings showed that LGB participants had significantly higher experiences with substances and initiated substance use earlier than heterosexual participants. Some risk factors were related to experiences with substance use for both groups (i.e. depression, emotional distress, age of first alcohol and marijuana use), but these factors accounted for more of the variance for LGB participants. Additionally, overall health was uniquely associated with experiences with substance use for LGB participants. These results have important implications for the design of culturally appropriate substance use prevention and intervention services for LGB individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Undergraduate students often view and define terms differently than faculty and scholars. Differences in the operationalization of terms can lead to miscommunication and misunderstanding, especially within university classrooms. The present study used the theoretical framework of sensemaking to understand how undergraduate students perceived and defined inclusion in university classrooms. Through the facilitation of eight focus groups (N = 50), we identified four elements that contribute to inclusion/exclusion: "Respect," "Safety," "Unfettered Expression," and "Context Appropriate." Theoretically, these findings show a lack of concreteness in students' definition of these terms, which can lead to ambiguity and ambivalence when defining the boundaries of inclusive/exclusive spaces. The lack of specificity dilutes the power of these words and phrases, and its ability to meet its intended purpose (e.g., disruption of oppressive systems). Pedagogically, for instructors to become intentional practitioners of inclusion, we argue that instructors must have an operationalized definition of inclusion grounded in social justice frameworks, share this definition and its rationale with students, engage in instructor reflexivity, and develop proactive strategies to combat challenges to inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The basic course is under increased pressure to complete assessments that report student achievement and learning outcomes, and the results often have funding implications (Liefner, 2003; U.S. Department of Education, 2006). Many of these assessments rely primarily on quantitative forms of data collection and analysis (Morreale, Backlund, Hay & Moore, 2011). However, these reports are only a partial portrayal of the student experience since quantitatively focused assessments tend to neglect student voices and emotion. This paper highlights the benefits of incorporating a qualitative perspective into basic course assessment work, specifically an assessment of the help provided by a communication lab (com lab). Through individual and collective observations, as well as an analysis of 99 open-ended prompts from 165 standard post-visit student surveys, we found a tension that was created when the lab's need for efficiency and effectiveness did not align with the students' need for a supportive learning environment. Two overarching themes -- interactional and organizational constraints -- emerged that illuminated the tension that would otherwise have been overlooked in a traditional quantitative assessment of the com lab. These findings provide clear avenues for improvement that can enhance learning outcomes and impact available funding, while also legitimizing the need to incorporate a mixed-methodological approach to traditional assessment work in the basic course.

This study explored the formal and informal resources students enrolled in a basic communication course use to gather information and receive feedback about their course experience, including presentations and work in the class. To do so, an online survey was completed by 393 students at three universities. The data were analyzed thematically using an iterative process facilitated through NVivo coding software. This process not only allowed for a descriptive summary of the students' responses and the creation of a typology of resources, but also revealed four emergent themes related to student-provided explanations for differing uses and descriptions of sources of information/feedback: (1) being readily available, (2) providing personalized feedback, (3) being credible and authoritative, and (4) providing examples. Taken together, these findings inform practical implications about information literacy, availability of vetted examples, and family/friend involvement, all of which are important for basic course administrators and instructors to consider in order to support student success and learning in the basic communication course classroom.

Basic Course Directors (BCDs) are typically expected to assess course learning outcomes, but few formal guidelines and resources exist for new BCDs. As one part of a larger, multi-methodological assessment tool development project, this manuscript maps existing quantitative measures onto the six essential competencies and associated learning outcomes established by the Social Science Research Council Panel on Public Speaking. This manuscript compiles dozens of measurement resources, aligned by outcome, and also identifies areas where future assessment measures development is needed. Although there are many measures available for evaluating outcomes related to creating messages, critically analyzing messages, and demonstrating self-efficacy, there are measurement gaps for outcomes related to communication ethics, embracing difference, and influencing public discourse.

Why choose the Integrated Curriculum Model (ICM) in an effort to "raise the bar" for all students? Results of an intervention targeting kindergarten through grade five students in Title I schools using the ICM to change teacher perceptions of student abilities are reported. We describe the ICM as a component of school-wide intervention and connect to research on teacher beliefs about student abilities and instructional practices. This study includes explication of the ICM and other components in a Javits-funded intervention to change teacher perceptions and beliefs about talent in low-income learners. Teachers observed more high potential in students after 2 years' intervention. Teacher engagement with professional learning correlated with change in beliefs and practices. Teacher beliefs changed when they saw and understood high-level curricula and instruction through examples grounded in the ICM and linked to the psychology of learning.

Objective: This paper uses a qualitative approach to explore the factors that influence diet and physical activity choices of 11-13-year-olds with a particular focus on the impact of the school environment. Design: Qualitative focus groups. Setting: Three purposively sampled secondary schools in Devon, UK. Method: A total of 53 students, aged 11-13, took part in six focus groups. Thematic, framework analysis was used to analyse the data. Result: Four overarching themes emerged: (1) health now and in the future; (2) the role of others; (3) provision, temptation and addiction; and (4) boundaries, strategies and support. Participants demonstrated good knowledge of what constitutes a healthy lifestyle and its importance for future health, although it was not necessarily seen as a priority at this stage of life. Key influences on their choices were their peers and family, although participants also identified that the school environment influences the food choices they make while there. Conclusion: In this study, 11-13-year-olds identified that schools could do more to support them to make healthier food choices. However, future research needs to understand the constraints schools face in terms of food provision in order to highlight possible opportunities for intervention.

Learning outcomes assessments are an important aspect of course administration. However, these efforts tend to prioritize the perspective of instructors/administrators. This study seeks to understand how students perceive their learning gains after taking the introductory communication course. In qualitatively analyzing a sample of more than 2,500 student self-assessments, we found that students crafted narratives of success that focused on verbal and nonverbal improvements, provided accounts of growth in confidence, and demonstrated mastery of course principles. These findings incorporated student perceptions of learning and closed the assessment loop by highlighting learning outcomes that need to be better emphasized in the introductory course.

Courses: Research Methods, Qualitative Research Methods, Ethnography. Objectives: The aims of this class exercise are: (1) To define an autoethnographic approach to communication research; (2) To understand autoethnography as both a research process and product; (3) To emphasize the varied forms of autoethnographic research and writing; (4) To demonstrate the flexibility of autoethnography; (4) To draft an autoethnographic vignette that incorporates the self and theory/concepts.; and (5) To illuminate the value of autoethnography research.

The development of new biological and chemical instruments for research and diagnostic applications is often slowed by the cost, specialization, and custom nature of these instruments. New instruments are built from components that are drawn from a host of different disciplines and not designed to integrate together, and once built, an instrument typically performs a limited number of tasks and cannot be easily adapted for new applications. Consequently, the process of inventing new instruments is very inefficient, especially for researchers or clinicians in resource-limited settings. To improve this situation, we propose that a family of standardized multidisciplinary components is needed, a set of "building blocks" that perform a wide array of different tasks and are designed to integrate together. Using these components, scientists, engineers, and clinicians would be able to build custom instruments for their own unique needs quickly and easily. In this work we present the foundation of this set of components, a system we call Multifluidic Evolutionary Components (MECs). "Multifluidic" conveys the wide range of fluid volumes MECs operate upon (from nanoliters to milliliters and beyond); "multi" also reflects the multiple disciplines supported by the system (not only fluidics but also electronics, optics, and mechanics). "Evolutionary" refers to the design principles that enable the library of MEC parts to easily grow and adapt to new applications. Each MEC "building block" performs a fundamental function that is commonly found in biological or chemical instruments, functions like valving, pumping, mixing, controlling, and sensing. Each MEC also has a unique symbol linked to a physical definition, which enables instruments to be designed rapidly and efficiently using schematics. As a proof-of-concept, we use MECs to build a variety of instruments, including a fluidic routing and mixing system capable of manipulating fluid volumes over five orders of magnitude, an acid-base titration instrument suitable for use in schools, and a bioreactor suitable for maintaining and analyzing cell cultures in research and diagnostic applications. These are the first of many instruments that can be built by researchers, clinicians, and students using the MEC system.

Courses: Basic communication course. Objectives: Using the Ally, Advocate, Activist framework in a basic communication course will help students apply course concepts to their lives and communities. This framework helps students practice civic engagement while mastering the skills that are typically tested for assessment purposes in the basic communication course. [A combined list of references and suggested readings is provided.]