WorldWideScience

Sample records for educational delivery strategies

  1. Effective teaching strategies and methods of delivery for patient education: a systematic review and practice guideline recommendations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friedman, Audrey Jusko; Cosby, Roxanne; Boyko, Susan; Hatton-Bauer, Jane; Turnbull, Gale

    2011-03-01

    The objective of this study was to determine effective teaching strategies and methods of delivery for patient education (PE). A systematic review was conducted and reviews with or without meta-analyses, which examined teaching strategies and methods of delivery for PE, were included. Teaching strategies identified are traditional lectures, discussions, simulated games, computer technology, written material, audiovisual sources, verbal recall, demonstration, and role playing. Methods of delivery focused on how to deliver the teaching strategies. Teaching strategies that increased knowledge, decreased anxiety, and increased satisfaction included computer technology, audio and videotapes, written materials, and demonstrations. Various teaching strategies used in combination were similarly successful. Moreover, structured-, culturally appropriate- and patient-specific teachings were found to be better than ad hoc teaching or generalized teaching. Findings provide guidance for establishing provincial standards for the delivery of PE. Recommendations concerning the efficacy of the teaching strategies and delivery methods are provided.

  2. Biology Education Delivery for Attaining Health-specific Millennium ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Biology Education Delivery for Attaining Health-specific Millennium ... PROMOTING ACCESS TO AFRICAN RESEARCH ... This study investigated the strategies for ensuring effective delivery of Biology Education at the secondary school level ...

  3. Design and Development of an MPH Program for Distance Education Delivery

    OpenAIRE

    Steven R. Hawks

    2008-01-01

    The Master-s of Public Health (MPH) degree is growing in popularity among a number of higher education institutions throughout the world as a distance education graduate program. This paper offers an overview of program design and development strategies that promote successful distance delivery of MPH programs. Design and development challenges are discussed in terms of type of distance delivery, accreditation, student demand, faculty development, user needs, course conte...

  4. Redefining continuing education delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carlton, K H

    1997-01-01

    Just as technology is transforming the delivery of education, the Internet and advanced telecommunication applications are changing the "face" of CE and the connotation of "lifelong learning." As late as the mid-1980s, a discussion of computer applications in nursing CE focused on the "timely" transition to microcomputers as tools for the enhancement of managerial tasks for increased productivity. Even as recently as 1990, there seemed to be "time" for those providers who were "slower to adopt innovation" to "catch up." Now, the CE provider who does not integrate the microcomputer and advanced telecommunications as an integral component of their delivery modalities may be outsourced rapidly by an educational or commercial competitive unit that is able to utilize the communication medium, mergers and partnerships, enterprise, and individual lifestyle and learning patterns that will epitomize the CE unit of the 21st century. As with the "re-engineering" of nursing education, the "re-engineered" delivery modalities of evolving CE entity might now best be conceptualized on a continuum from the traditional mode that time and place dependent to a mode of synchronous and asynchronous data and advanced telecommunication. Delivery methods will need to be selected according to the target populations, content, and situation. The health-care educational provider may discover, as in other industries, that a combination of distance and residential offerings will be the most successful medium for the delivery of CE to the progressively more "information and technologically savvy" lifelong learner of the 21st century. In addressing the dramatic effects of the information technology era on the refocused multimedia/interactive delivery method for student education, educators amply quoted Bob Dylan's phrase of the 1960s, "The times, they are a-changing." And so, we see that the times are also changing at an astronomical rate for the health-care educational provider as well as the

  5. Brain tumor-targeted drug delivery strategies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoli Wei

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Despite the application of aggressive surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy in clinics, brain tumors are still a difficult health challenge due to their fast development and poor prognosis. Brain tumor-targeted drug delivery systems, which increase drug accumulation in the tumor region and reduce toxicity in normal brain and peripheral tissue, are a promising new approach to brain tumor treatments. Since brain tumors exhibit many distinctive characteristics relative to tumors growing in peripheral tissues, potential targets based on continuously changing vascular characteristics and the microenvironment can be utilized to facilitate effective brain tumor-targeted drug delivery. In this review, we briefly describe the physiological characteristics of brain tumors, including blood–brain/brain tumor barriers, the tumor microenvironment, and tumor stem cells. We also review targeted delivery strategies and introduce a systematic targeted drug delivery strategy to overcome the challenges.

  6. Development of strategies to reduce cesarean delivery rates in iran 2012-2014: A mixed methods study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Razieh Lotfi

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: With the change in population policy from birth control toward encouraging birth and population growth in Iran, repeated cesarean deliveries as a main reason of cesarean section are associated with more potential adverse consequences. The aim of this research was to explore effective strategies to reduce cesarean delivery rates in Iran. Methods: A mixed methodological study was designed and implemented. First, using a qualitative approach, concepts and influencing factors of increased cesarean delivery were explored. Based on the findings of this phase of the study, a questionnaire including the proposed strategies to reduce cesarean delivery was developed. Then in a quantitative phase, the questionnaire was assessed by key informants from across the country and evaluated to obtain more effective strategies to reduce cesarean delivery. Ten participants in the qualitative study included policy makers from the Ministry of Health, obstetricians, midwives and anthropologists. In the next step, 141 participants from private and public hospitals, insurance experts, Academic Associations of Midwifery, and policy makers in Maternity Health Affairs of Ministry of Health were invited to assess and provide feedback on the strategies that work to reduce cesarean deliveries. Results: Qualitative data analysis showed four concept related to increased cesarean delivery rates including; "standardization", "education", "amending regulations", and "performance supervision". Effective strategies extracted from qualitative data were rated by participants then, using ACCEPT derived from A as attainability, C as costing, C as complication, E as effectiveness, P as popularity, and T as timing table 19 strategies were detected as priorities. Conclusions: Although developing effective strategies to reduce cesarean delivery rates is complex process because of the multi-factorial nature of increased cesarean deliveries, in this study we have achieved

  7. Faculty and Administrative Strategies for the Effective Implementation of Distance Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milheim, William

    2001-01-01

    Discussion of distance education focuses on strategies for administrators and faculty to use to support the appropriate use of this educational format. Considers some of the advantages and disadvantages of distance education, financial support for the development and delivery of distance education courses, and needed faculty training. (Author/LRW)

  8. Exploring educational disparities in risk of preterm delivery

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Poulsen, Gry; Strandberg-Larsen, Katrine; Mortensen, Laust

    2015-01-01

    data. METHODS: The study included data from 12 European cohorts from Denmark, England, France, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. The cohorts included between 2434 and 99 655 pregnancies. The association between maternal education and preterm delivery (22-36 completed weeks...... characteristics. Nevertheless, there were similar educational differences in risk of preterm delivery in 8 of the 12 cohorts with slope index of inequality varying between 2.2 [95% CI 1.1, 3.3] and 4.0 [95% CI 1.4, 6.6] excess preterm deliveries per 100 singleton deliveries among the educationally most......BACKGROUND: An association between education and preterm delivery has been observed in populations across Europe, but differences in methodology limit comparability. We performed a direct cross-cohort comparison of educational disparities in preterm delivery based on individual-level birth cohort...

  9. [The development of novel tumor targeting delivery strategy].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Hui-le; Jiang, Xin-guo

    2016-02-01

    Tumor is one of the most serious threats for human being. Although many anti-tumor drugs are approved for clinical use, the treatment outcome is still modest because of the poor tumor targeting efficiency and low accumulation in tumor. Therefore, it is important to deliver anti-tumor drug into tumor efficiently, elevate drug concentration in tumor tissues and reduce the drug distribution in normal tissues. And it has been one of the most attractive directions of pharmaceutical academy and industry. Many kinds of strategies, especially various nanoparticulated drug delivery systems, have been developed to address the critical points of complex tumor microenvironment, which are partially or mostly satisfied for tumor treatment. In this paper, we carefully reviewed the novel targeting delivery strategies developed in recent years. The most powerful method is passive targeting delivery based on the enhanced permeability and retention(EPR) effect, and most commercial nanomedicines are based on the EPR effect. However, the high permeability and retention require different particle sizes, thus several kinds of size-changeable nanoparticles are developed, such as size reducible particles and assemble particles, to satisfy the controversial requirement for particle size and enhance both tumor retention and penetration. Surface charge reversible nanoparticles also shows a high efficiency because the anionic charge in blood circulation and normal organs decrease the unintended internalization. The charge can change into positive in tumor microenvironment, facilitating drug uptake by tumor cells. Additionally, tumor microenvironment responsive drug release is important to decrease drug side effect, and many strategies are developed, such as p H sensitive release and enzyme sensitive release. Except the responsive nanoparticles, shaping tumor microenvironment could attenuate the barriers in drug delivery, for example, decreasing tumor collagen intensity and normalizing tumor

  10. Novel drug delivery strategies for porphyrins and porphyrin precursors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morrow, D. I. J.; Donnelly, R. F.

    2009-06-01

    superficial lesions, such as actinic keratosis. In addition, photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT) is attracting increasing interest for the treatment of infection. However, delivery strategies for topical PDT and PACT are still based on application of rather simplistic cream and solution formulations, with little consideration given to thermodynamics, targeting or the physicochemical properties of the active agent. Purpose-designed dosage forms for topical delivery of aminolevulinic acid or its esters include creams containing penetration enhancers and/or iron chelators, pressure sensitive patches and bioadhesive patches. Such systems aim to enhance drug delivery across the stratum corneum and keratinised debris overlying neoplastic lesions and improve subsequent protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) production. The alternative to using porphyrin precursors is the use of pre-formed photosensitisers. However, owing to their relatively high molecular weights, conventional topical application is not appropriate. Innovative strategies, such as the use of needle-free injections and microneedle arrays, bypass the stratum corneum, enabling rapid and targeted delivery not only porphyrin precursors but also pre-formed photosensitisers. This presentation will review drug delivery work published to date in the fields of PDT and PACT. In addition, the benefits of employing the latest advances in pharmaceutical technology will be highlighted.

  11. Overcoming the Challenges of siRNA Delivery: Nanoparticle Strategies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shajari, Neda; Mansoori, Behzad; Davudian, Sadaf; Mohammadi, Ali; Baradaran, Behzad

    2017-01-01

    Despite therapeutics based on siRNA have an immense potential for the treatment of incurable diseases such as cancers. However, the in vivo utilization of siRNA and also the delivery of this agent to the target site is one of the most controversial challenges. The helpful assistance by nanoparticles can improve stable delivery and also enhance efficacy. More nanoparticle-based siRNA therapeutics is expected to become available in the near future. The search strategy followed the guidelines of the Centre of Reviews and Dissemination. The studies were identified from seven databases (Scopus, Web of Science, Academic Search Premiere, CINAHL, Medline Ovid, Eric and Cochrane Library). Studies was selected based on titles, abstracts and full texts. One hundred twenty nine papers were included in the review. These papers defined hurdles in RNAi delivery and also strategies to overcome these hurdles. This review discussed the existing hurdles for systemic administration of siRNA as therapeutic agents and highlights the various strategies to overcome these hurdles, including lipid-based nanoparticles and polymeric nanoparticles, and we also briefly reviewed chemical modification. Delivery of siRNA to the target site is the biggest challenge for its application in the clinic. The findings of this review confirmed by encapsulation siRNA in the nanoparticles can overcome these challenges. The rapid progress in nanotechnology has enabled the development of effective nanoparticles as the carrier for siRNA delivery. However, our data about siRNA-based therapeutics and also nanomedicine are still limited. More clinical data needs to be completely understood in the benefits and drawbacks of siRNA-based therapeutics. Prospective studies must pay attention to the in vivo safety profiles of the different delivery systems, including uninvited immune system stimulation and cytotoxicity. In essence, the development of nontoxic, biocompatible, and biodegradable delivery systems for

  12. Towards effective extension delivery approach and strategies for ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Towards effective extension delivery approach and strategies for food security poverty ... Journal Home > Vol 6, No 1 (2010) > ... groups, promotion of best practices and environment friendly initiatives among others were recommended.

  13. Drug Delivery to CNS: Challenges and Opportunities with Emphasis on Biomaterials Based Drug Delivery Strategies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khambhla, Ekta; Shah, Viral; Baviskar, Kalpesh

    2016-01-01

    The current epoch has witnessed a lifestyle impregnated with stress, which is a major cause of several neurological disorders. High morbidity and mortality rate due to neurological diseases and disorders have generated a huge social impact. Despite voluminous research, patients suffering from fatal and/or debilitating CNS diseases such as brain tumors, HIV, encephalopathy, Alzheimer's, epilepsy, Parkinson's, migraine and multiple sclerosis outnumbered those suffering from systemic cancer or heart diseases. The brain being a highly sensitive neuronal organ, has evolved with vasculature barriers, which regulates the efflux and influx of substances to CNS. Treatment of CNS diseases/disorders is challenging because of physiologic, metabolic and biochemical obstacles created by these barriers which comprise mainly of BBB and BCFB. The inability of achieving therapeutically active concentration has become the bottleneck level difficulty, hampering the therapeutic efficiency of several promising drug candidates for CNS related disorders. Parallel maturation of an effective CNS drug delivery strategy with CNS drug discovery is the need of the hour. Recently, the focus of the pharmaceutical community has aggravated in the direction of developing novel and more efficient drug delivery systems, giving the potential of more effective and safer CNS therapies. The present review outlines several hurdles in drug delivery to the CNS along with ideal physicochemical properties desired in drug substance/formulation for CNS delivery. The review also focuses on different conventional and novel strategies for drug delivery to the CNS. The article also assesses and emphasizes on possible benefits of biomaterial based formulations for drug delivery to the CNS.

  14. Engineering Design Education: Effect of Mode of Delivery

    OpenAIRE

    Kinda Khalaf; Shadi Balawi; George W. Hitt; Mohammad A.M. Siddiqi

    2013-01-01

    This work reports on the gradual transformation from traditional teaching to student-centered, pure problem-based-learning (PBL) in engineering design education. Three different PBL-based modes of delivery with various degrees of modulation or freedom were used in conjunction with the prescriptive design cycle. The aim is to study the effect of the mode of delivery (PBL at various degrees of integration) on engineering design education and design thinking skills, specifically on the developme...

  15. Formulation Strategies and Particle Engineering Technologies for Pulmonary Delivery of Biopharmaceuticals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cun, Dongmei; Wan, Feng; Yang, Mingshi

    2015-01-01

    . In this review we discussed the formulation strategies and particle engineering technologies to improve the efficiency of pulmonary delivery of biopharmaceutical, with a focus on systemic therapy of pharmaceutical proteins/peptides and local delivery of siRNA via the lung administration....

  16. Educational Strategies to Enhance Reflexivity Among Clinicians and Health Professional Students: A Scoping Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rachel Landy

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Reflexivity involves the ability to understand how one's social locations and experiences of advantage or disadvantage have shaped the way one understands the world. The capacity for reflexivity is crucial because it informs clinical decisions, which can lead to improvements in service delivery and patient outcomes. In this article, we present a scoping study that explored educational strategies designed to enhance reflexivity among clinicians and/or health profession students. We reviewed articles and grey literature that address the question: What is known about strategies for enhancing reflexivity among clinicians and students in health professional training programs? We searched multiple databases using keywords including: reflexivity, reflective, allied health professionals, pedagogy, learning, and education. The search strategy was iterative and involved three reviews. Each abstract was independently reviewed by two team members. Sixty-eight texts met the inclusion criteria. There was great diversity among the educational strategies and among health professions. Commonalities across strategies were identified related to reflective writing, experiential learning, classroom-based activities, continuing education, and online learning. We also summarize the 19 texts that evaluated educational strategies to enhance reflexivity. Further research and education is urgently needed for more equitable and socially-just health care. URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs1603140

  17. Evaluation strategies for midwifery education linked to digital media and distance delivery technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fullerton, Judith T; Ingle, Henry T

    2003-01-01

    The goal of the teaching and learning process for health professionals is the acquisition of a fundamental core of knowledge, the demonstration of critical thinking ability, and the demonstration of competency in the performance of clinical skills. Teaching and learning in distance education programs require that the administration, teachers, and students be creative in developing evaluation strategies that can be adapted to the challenges of the cyberspace on-line educational environment. Evaluation standards for distance education programs recently have been delineated by federal agencies, private organizations, and academic accreditation associations. These standards are linked to principles of sound education practice that promote program quality, high levels of student-faculty interaction, and support effective teaching and learning in the distance education context. A growing body of evidence supports the conclusion that technology-enhanced teaching is equivalent in effectiveness compared with traditional methods when student-learning outcomes are the focus of measurement. An allied body of literature offers model approaches that can be useful to educators who must also conduct the evaluation of clinical skills, provide feedback, and promote socialization to the nurse-midwifery/midwifery role for students being educated in whole or in part through instruction delivered at a distance.

  18. Development and Evaluation of a Systems Thinking Education Strategy for Baccalaureate Nursing Curriculum: A Pilot Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fura, Louise A; Wisser, Kathleen Z

    Nurse educators are charged to develop and evaluate curricula on systems thinking to prepare future nurses to provide safe nursing care. The goal of this pilot study was to design and evaluate a four-hour educational strategy that prepares future professional nurses to use systems thinking approaches in the delivery of safe patient care. This study exposed prelicensure baccalaureate nursing students to systems thinking principles, which included didactic and experiential activities. A descriptive design was used to determine the effect of an on-campus educational strategy. A paired samples t-test revealed statistical significance from pretest to posttest.

  19. Information needs, preferred educational messages and channel of delivery, and opinion on strategies to promote organ donation: a multicultural perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, L P

    2010-10-01

    This study assessed the information needs, preferred educational messages and channels of delivery, as well as opinions on strategies to promote organ donation. It aimed to provide insight into a culturally sensitive public education campaign to encourage organ donation in diverse ethnic communities in Asia, namely the Malays, Chinese and Indians. A total of 17 focus group discussions with 105 participants were conducted between September and December 2008. The participants were members of the general public aged 18 to 60 years, who were recruited through convenient sampling in the Klang Valley area of Malaysia. Across ethnic groups, there was a general concern about the mistreatment of the deceased's body in the organ procurement process. The Chinese and Indian participants wanted assurance that the body would be treated with respect and care. The Muslims wanted assurance that the handling of a Muslim's body would follow the rules and regulations of the Islamic faith. The most important information requested by the Muslim participants was whether cadaveric donation is permissible in Islam. A lack of national public education and promotion of organ donation was noted. All the three ethnic groups, especially the Malays, required community and religious leaders for support, encouragement and involvement, as sociocultural influences play a significant role in the willingness to donate organs. The pronounced ethnic differences in information needs suggest that culturally sensitive public educational messages are required. Organ donation and transplantation organisations should work closely with community and religious organisations to address the sociocultural barriers identified.

  20. Non-viral Nucleic Acid Delivery Strategies to the Central Nervous System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James-Kevin Tan

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available With an increased prevalence and understanding of central nervous system injuries and neurological disorders, nucleic acid therapies are gaining promise as a way to regenerate lost neurons or halt disease progression. While more viral vectors have been used clinically as tools for gene delivery, non-viral vectors are gaining interest due to lower safety concerns and the ability to deliver all types of nucleic acids. Nevertheless, there are still a number of barriers to nucleic acid delivery. In this focused review, we explore the in vivo challenges hindering non-viral nucleic acid delivery to the central nervous system and the strategies and vehicles used to overcome them. Advantages and disadvantages of different routes of administration including: systemic injection, cerebrospinal fluid injection, intraparenchymal injection, and peripheral administration are discussed. Non-viral vehicles and treatment strategies that have overcome delivery barriers and demonstrated in vivo gene transfer to the central nervous system are presented. These approaches can be used as guidelines in developing synthetic gene delivery vectors for central nervous system applications and will ultimately bring non-viral vectors closer to clinical application.

  1. Nonviral Delivery Systems For Cancer Gene Therapy: Strategies And Challenges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shim, Gayong; Kim, Dongyoon; Le, Quoc-Viet; Park, Gyu Thae; Kwon, Taekhyun; Oh, Yu-Kyoung

    2018-01-19

    Gene therapy has been receiving widespread attention due to its unique advantage in regulating the expression of specific target genes. In the field of cancer gene therapy, modulation of gene expression has been shown to decrease oncogenic factors in cancer cells or increase immune responses against cancer. Due to the macromolecular size and highly negative physicochemical features of plasmid DNA, efficient delivery systems are an essential ingredient for successful gene therapy. To date, a variety of nanostructures and materials have been studied as nonviral gene delivery systems. In this review, we will cover nonviral delivery strategies for cancer gene therapy, with a focus on target cancer genes and delivery materials. Moreover, we will address current challenges and perspectives for nonviral delivery-based cancer gene therapeutics. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  2. Educating the delivery of bad news in medicine: Preceptorship versus simulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacques, Andrew P; Adkins, Eric J; Knepel, Sheri; Boulger, Creagh; Miller, Jessica; Bahner, David P

    2011-07-01

    Simulation experiences have begun to replace traditional education models of teaching the skill of bad news delivery in medical education. The tiered apprenticeship model of medical education emphasizes experiential learning. Studies have described a lack of support in bad news delivery and inadequacy of training in this important clinical skill as well as poor familial comprehension and dissatisfaction on the part of physicians in training regarding the resident delivery of bad news. Many residency training programs lacked a formalized training curriculum in the delivery of bad news. Simulation teaching experiences may address these noted clinical deficits in the delivery of bad news to patients and their families. Unique experiences can be role-played with this educational technique to simulate perceived learner deficits. A variety of scenarios can be constructed within the framework of the simulation training method to address specific cultural and religious responses to bad news in the medical setting. Even potentially explosive and violent scenarios can be role-played in order to prepare physicians for these rare and difficult situations. While simulation experiences cannot supplant the model of positive, real-life clinical teaching in the delivery of bad news, simulation of clinical scenarios with scripting, self-reflection, and peer-to-peer feedback can be powerful educational tools. Simulation training can help to develop the skills needed to effectively and empathetically deliver bad news to patients and families in medical practice.

  3. Oral insulin delivery: existing barriers and current counter-strategies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gedawy, Ahmed; Martinez, Jorge; Al-Salami, Hani; Dass, Crispin R

    2018-02-01

    The chronic and progressive nature of diabetes is usually associated with micro- and macrovascular complications where failure of pancreatic β-cell function and a general condition of hyperglycaemia is created. One possible factor is failure of the patient to comply with and adhere to the prescribed insulin due to the inconvenient administration route. This review summarizes the rationale for oral insulin administration, existing barriers and some counter-strategies trialled. Oral insulin mimics the physiology of endogenous insulin secreted by pancreas. Following the intestinal absorption of oral insulin, it reaches the liver at high concentration via the portal vein. Oral insulin on the other hand has the potential to protect pancreatic β-cells from autoimmune destruction. Structural modification, targeting a particular tissue/receptor, and the use of innovative pharmaceutical formulations such as nanoparticles represent strategies introduced to improve oral insulin bioavailability. They showed promising results in overcoming the hurdles facing oral insulin delivery, although delivery is far from ideal. The use of advanced pharmaceutical technologies and further research in particulate carrier system delivery predominantly nanoparticle utilization would offer useful tools in delivering insulin via the oral route which in turn would potentially improve diabetic patient compliance to insulin and the overall management of diabetes. © 2017 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

  4. Systematic Assessment of Strategies for Lung-targeted Delivery of MicroRNA Mimics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schlosser, Kenny; Taha, Mohamad; Stewart, Duncan J.

    2018-01-01

    There is considerable interest in the use of synthetic miRNA mimics (or inhibitors) as potential therapeutic agents in pulmonary vascular disease; however, the optimal delivery method to achieve high efficiency, selective lung targeting has not been determined. Here, we sought to investigate the relative merits of different lung-targeted strategies for delivering miRNA mimics in rats. Methods: Tissue levels of a synthetic miRNA mimic, cel-miR-39-3p (0.5 nmol in 50 µL invivofectamine/PBS vehicle) were compared in male rats (n=3 rats/method) after delivery by commonly used lung-targeting strategies including intratracheal liquid instillation (IT-L), intratracheal aerosolization with (IT-AV) or without ventilator assistance (IT-A), intranasal liquid instillation (IN-L) and intranasal aerosolization (IN-A). Intravenous (IV; via jugular vein), intraperitoneal (IP) and subcutaneous (SC) delivery served as controls. Relative levels of cel-miR-39 were quantified by RT-qPCR. Results: At 2 h post delivery, IT-L showed the highest lung mimic level, which was significantly higher than levels achieved by all other methods (from ~10- to 10,000-fold, pMimic levels remained detectable in the lung 24 h after delivery, but were 10- to 100-fold lower. The intrapulmonary distribution of cel-miR-39 was comparable when delivered as either a liquid or aerosol, with evidence of mimic distribution to both the left and right lung lobes and penetration to distal regions. All lung-targeted strategies showed lung-selective mimic uptake, with mimic levels 10- to 100-fold lower in heart and 100- to 10,000-fold lower in liver, kidney and spleen. In contrast, IV, SC and IP routes showed comparable or higher mimic levels in non-pulmonary tissues. Conclusions: miRNA uptake in the lungs differed markedly by up to 4 orders of magnitude, demonstrating that the choice of delivery strategy could have a significant impact on potential therapeutic outcomes in preclinical investigations of miRNA-based drug

  5. A Study to Assess the Role of Educational Intervention in Improving the Delivery of Routine Immunization Services

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bhatia M

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Background: Immunization has been regarded as the most cost-effective intervention for child health promotion. Even after improvements, the developing countries are still struggling with low coverage rates, immunization failure, high rates of adverse events following immunization (AEFI etc. The present study was conducted to assess the role of educational intervention in improving immunization delivery services. Methodology: It was a pre-post intervention observational study carried out in immunization clinics of two tertiary care hospitals. The data from pre and post educational intervention assessment was compared and analyzed using SPSS 10.0. Results: At both clinics there was 40% and 45% increase in cleaning of the spoon used for administration of vitamin A. Post-intervention there was 40% increase in use of hub cutter at both the centres. After intervention, there was 30% and 35% increase in the delivery of four key messages by staff nurse. Conclusion: Unlike Doctors, the health staff is not motivated for regular touch with the theory part of their work field and continued knowledge up-gradation. This strategy of periodic re-orientation of the topic in the form of educational intervention may help in improving service delivery to the beneficiaries. Further research is required in this aspect.

  6. Strategies in Development and Delivery of Nanotechnology Based Cosmetic Products.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmad, Usama; Ahmad, Zeeshan; Khan, Ahmed Abdullah; Akhtar, Juber; Singh, Satya Prakash; Ahmad, Farhan Jalees

    2018-03-26

    The science of formulation involving cosmetic ingredients has always been a challenge since the release of active components greatly depends upon the carrier system involved and the selectivity of skin barrier. The principle obstacle of the skin resides in the epidermis and it's hard for many active components to cross it. The formulation related factors like size of particles, viscosity and lipophilicity of the components also play an important role in permeation of the dermal composition. Though widely used; conventional creams and gels still struggle in terms of success. This work focuses on nano based formulation strategies for successful delivery of cosmetic agents. Novel strategies like nanoemulsion, nanogels, liposomes, aquasomes, niosomes, dendrimers and fullerenes have paved way for successful delivery of dermal formulations to desire depths in the skin. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  7. Self-assembled amphiphilic core-shell nanocarriers in line with the modern strategies for brain delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elezaby, Reham S; Gad, Heba A; Metwally, Abdelkader A; Geneidi, Ahmed S; Awad, Gehanne A

    2017-09-10

    Disorders of the central nervous system (CNS) represent increasing social and economic problems all over the world which makes the effective transport of drugs to the brain a crucial need. In the last decade, many strategies were introduced to deliver drugs to the brain trying to overcome the challenge of the blood brain barrier (BBB) using both invasive and non-invasive methods. Non-invasive strategy represented in the application of nanocarriers became very common. One of the most hopeful nanoscopic carriers for brain delivery is core-shell nanocarriers or polymeric micelles (PMs). They are more advantageous than other nanocarriers. They offer small size, ease of preparation, ease of sterilization and the possibility of surface modification with various ligands. Hence, the aim of this review is to discuss modern strategies for brain delivery, micelles as a successful delivery system for the brain and how micelles could be modified to act as "magic bullets" for brain delivery. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Exploring Different Strategies for Efficient Delivery of Colorectal Cancer Therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Congcong Lin

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Colorectal cancer (CRC is the third most common cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the world. Currently available chemotherapy of CRC usually delivers the drug to both normal as well as cancerous tissues, thus leading to numerous undesirable effects. Much emphasis is being laid on the development of effective drug delivery systems for achieving selective delivery of the active moiety at the anticipated site of action with minimized unwanted side effects. Researchers have employed various techniques (dependent on pH, time, pressure and/or bacteria for targeting drugs directly to the colonic region. On the other hand, systemic drug delivery strategies to specific molecular targets (such as FGFR, EGFR, CD44, EpCAM, CA IX, PPARγ and COX-2 overexpressed by cancerous cells have also been shown to be effective. This review aims to put forth an overview of drug delivery technologies that have been, and may be developed, for the treatment of CRC.

  9. Multidisciplinary perspectives for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases: hydrogels for protein delivery and cell-based drug delivery as therapeutic strategies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giordano, Carmen; Albani, Diego; Gloria, Antonio; Tunesi, Marta; Batelli, Sara; Russo, Teresa; Forloni, Gianluigi; Ambrosio, Luigi; Cigada, Alberto

    2009-12-01

    This review presents two intriguing multidisciplinary strategies that might make the difference in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. The first proposed strategy is based on the controlled delivery of recombinant proteins known to play a key role in these neurodegenerative disorders that are released in situ by optimized polymer-based systems. The second strategy is the use of engineered cells, encapsulated and delivered in situ by suitable polymer-based systems, that act as drug reservoirs and allow the delivery of selected molecules to be used in the treatment of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. In both these scenarios, the design and development of optimized polymer-based drug delivery and cell housing systems for central nervous system applications represent a key requirement. Materials science provides suitable hydrogel-based tools to be optimized together with suitably designed recombinant proteins or drug delivering-cells that, once in situ, can provide an effective treatment for these neurodegenerative disorders. In this scenario, only interdisciplinary research that fully integrates biology, biochemistry, medicine and materials science can provide a springboard for the development of suitable therapeutic tools, not only for the treatment of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases but also, prospectively, for a wide range of severe neurodegenerative disorders.

  10. Making the Invisible Visible: A Model for Delivery Systems in Adult Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alex, Jennifer L.; Miller, Elizabeth A.; Platt, R. Eric; Rachal, John R.; Gammill, Deidra M.

    2007-01-01

    Delivery systems are not well defined in adult education. Therefore, this article reviews the multiple components that overlap to affect the adult learner and uses them to create a model for a comprehensive delivery system in adult education with these individual components as sub-systems that are interrelated and inter-locked. These components…

  11. A Prototype Educational Delivery System Using Water Quality Monitoring as a Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glazer, Richard B.

    This report describes the model educational delivery system used by Ulster County Community College in its water quality monitoring program. The educational delivery system described in the report encompasses the use of behavioral objectives as its foundation and builds upon this foundation to form a complete system whose outcomes can be measured,…

  12. Education and industry partnership: a case study of co-delivery - 16065

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mercer, Tim; Francis, Jonathan

    2009-01-01

    One of the essential elements for safe operation of a nuclear licensed site is the availability to the licensee in sufficient numbers of suitably qualified and experienced people to carry out and manage the operations and associated design work. In the last few years, there have been a number of reports to illustrate the recent and current problems of recruiting such people to work in the traditional locations for nuclear personnel in the North-West of England. Concern for the immediate future is exacerbated by a peculiar demographic of the people currently employed in positions demanding higher level skills. In response to the growing realization that there is an impending skills gap that needs to be filled, Sellafield Limited's Talent Management team (and latterly with support of the NDA) have been working with a number of education and training providers to put in place bespoke courses aimed at overcoming this shortage. In the absence of a steady stream of willing graduates from technical and management courses, the primary strategy has been to encourage life-long learning and up-skilling amongst its employees, targeting those who, for whatever reason upon leaving school, missed their opportunity to study and progress to train at a high level, but who possess that potential and have now developed a keenness to proceed with that study in later life. One Foundation Degree has been selected for development of a unique approach to higher education. The work of University of Central Lancashire and its West-Cumbrian education and training partners has featured as a case study in other media, but this paper reports on a fresh development within that work: co-delivery. Co-delivery relates to a partnership of educationalists and industrialists, with an emphasis on industrial numbers on the course development steering group. The means by which a significant proportion of the course is strongly workplace related are presented and the benefits and problems that this

  13. Strategies to improve drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Boer, Albertus G; Gaillard, Pieter J

    2007-01-01

    The blood-brain barrier (BBB), together with the blood-cerebrospinal-fluid barrier, protects and regulates the homeostasis of the brain. However, these barriers also limit the transport of small-molecule and, particularly, biopharmaceutical drugs such as proteins, genes and interference RNA to the brain, thereby limiting the treatment of many brain diseases. As a result, various drug delivery and targeting strategies are currently being developed to enhance the transport and distribution of drugs into the brain. In this review, we discuss briefly the biology and physiology of the BBB as the most important barrier for drug transport to the brain and, in more detail, the possibilities for delivering large-molecule drugs, particularly genes, by receptor-mediated nonviral drug delivery to the (human) brain. In addition, the systemic and intracellular pharmacokinetics of nonviral gene delivery, together with targeted brain imaging, are reviewed briefly.

  14. Toolbox of teaching strategies in nurse education

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Jie-hui Xu

    2016-01-01

    There are a variety of teaching strategies that instructors can use to improve student learning. It is of great importance to select appropriate teaching strategies in nurse education to make the training more appealing and more effective. In this article, ten teaching strategies will be introduced to help instructors learn how to involve the teaching strategy in the nurse education. If using these strategies well, students are more likely to memorize the information associated with the lesson. Selection of teaching strategies appropriately is of great importance for nurse educators to deliver high-quality education.

  15. An effective strategy of magnetic stem cell delivery for spinal cord injury therapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tukmachev, Dmitry; Lunov, Oleg; Zablotskii, Vitalii; Dejneka, Alexandr; Babic, Michal; Syková, Eva; Kubinová, Šárka

    2015-02-01

    Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a condition that results in significant mortality and morbidity. Treatment of SCI utilizing stem cell transplantation represents a promising therapy. However, current conventional treatments are limited by inefficient delivery strategies of cells into the injured tissue. In this study, we designed a magnetic system and used it to accumulate stem cells labelled with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) at a specific site of a SCI lesion. The loading of stem cells with engineered SPIONs that guarantees sufficient attractive magnetic forces was achieved. Further, the magnetic system allowed rapid guidance of the SPION-labelled cells precisely to the lesion location. Histological analysis of cell distribution throughout the cerebrospinal channel showed a good correlation with the calculated distribution of magnetic forces exerted onto the transplanted cells. The results suggest that focused targeting and fast delivery of stem cells can be achieved using the proposed non-invasive magnetic system. With future implementation the proposed targeting and delivery strategy bears advantages for the treatment of disease requiring fast stem cell transplantation.Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a condition that results in significant mortality and morbidity. Treatment of SCI utilizing stem cell transplantation represents a promising therapy. However, current conventional treatments are limited by inefficient delivery strategies of cells into the injured tissue. In this study, we designed a magnetic system and used it to accumulate stem cells labelled with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) at a specific site of a SCI lesion. The loading of stem cells with engineered SPIONs that guarantees sufficient attractive magnetic forces was achieved. Further, the magnetic system allowed rapid guidance of the SPION-labelled cells precisely to the lesion location. Histological analysis of cell distribution throughout the cerebrospinal

  16. E-learning strategies of higer education institutions : an exploraty study into the influence of environmental contingencies on strategic choices of higher education institutions with respect to integrating e-learning in their education delivery and support processes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boezerooy, P.

    2006-01-01

    Looking back at the main research question of this thesis ¿how do higher education institutions differ in their strategic choices with respect to integrating e- Learning into their educational delivery processes and how can these differences be explained?¿ the results of this study showed that

  17. The introduction of multi-modal education: a strategy in process ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    modal approach to delivery has been accepted that includes WebCT as a platform of delivery that complements F2F classroom instruction. At institutional level, the introduction of new technologies for delivery of education forces institutional ...

  18. Current challenges and emerging drug delivery strategies for the treatment of psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffman, Melissa B; Hill, Dane; Feldman, Steven R

    2016-10-01

    Psoriasis is a common skin disorder associated with physical, social, psychological and financial burden. Over the past two decades, advances in our understanding of pathogenesis and increased appreciation for the multifaceted burden of psoriasis has led to new treatment development and better patient outcomes. Yet, surveys demonstrate that many psoriasis patients are either undertreated or are dissatisfied with treatment. There are many barriers that need be overcome to optimize patient outcomes and satisfaction. This review covers the current challenges associated with each major psoriasis treatment strategy (topical, phototherapy, oral medications and biologics). It also reviews the challenges associated with the psychosocial aspects of the disease and how they affect treatment outcomes. Patient adherence, inconvenience, high costs, and drug toxicities are all discussed. Then, we review the emerging drug delivery strategies in topical, oral, and biologic therapy. By outlining current treatment challenges and emerging drug delivery strategies, we hope to highlight the deficits in psoriasis treatment and strategies for how to overcome them. Regardless of disease severity, clinicians should use a patient-centered approach. In all cases, we need to balance patients' psychosocial needs, treatment costs, convenience, and effectiveness with patients' preferences in order to optimize treatment outcomes.

  19. Complementary education for healthcare personnel: a strategy to increase hospital performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghanem, Mohamed

    2014-01-01

    The German healthcare system is facing ongoing radical change and development. The increasing tendency to urge hospitals and medical staff to work in a profit-oriented way constitute among other factors clear present and future challenges. Physicians and surgeons in particular increasingly complain of increasing stress attributed to measures aiming at cost reduction in hospitals. The highest priority must always be patient satisfaction and the delivery of good medical and human service. Problem description: The health care market in Germany has become an increasingly complex business with uncertain and unpredictable future events. Strategic planning has to enable hospitals to quickly and flexibly adapt strategies to changes in the environment that become essential to their success. The most important task is to develop a strategy that can be applied with success in all possible future scenarios. This is known as the core strategy. The core strategy for hospitals in Germany is complementary education of the medical staff as well as top management. Accordingly, courses, workshops or even part-time graduate or postgraduate education in business and economics are recommended for the medical staff. As far as non-medical hospital executives are concerned, there is no better way than to host them in a hospital department for a period of 6-12 months. This paves the way for understanding and accepting each others' opinion which increases hospital performance. Proper and complementary education of the medical staff as well as of non-medical top executives and managers of hospitals is recommended as the core strategy. This harmonizes both professional medical and managerial efforts with a synergy effect that allows soundly facing the increasingly challenging environment of the health care sector in general and in hospitals in particular.

  20. A biomimetic growth factor delivery strategy for enhanced regeneration of iliac crest defects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yilgor Huri, Pinar; Huri, Gazi; Yasar, Umit; Dikmen, Nurten; Ucar, Yurdanur; Hasirci, Nesrin; Hasirci, Vasif

    2013-01-01

    The importance of provision of growth factors in the engineering of tissues has long been shown to control the behavior of the cells within the construct and several approaches were applied toward this end. In nature, more than one type of growth factor is known to be effective during the healing of tissue defects and their peak concentrations are not always simultaneous. One of the most recent strategies includes the delivery of a combination of growth factors with the dose and timing to mimic the natural regeneration cascade. The sequential delivery of bone morphogenetic proteins BMP-2 and BMP-7 which are early and late appearing factors during bone regeneration, respectively, was shown in vitro to enhance osteoblastic differentiation of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells. In the present study, the aim was to study the effectiveness of this delivery strategy in a rabbit iliac crest model. 3D plotted poly(ε-caprolactone) scaffolds were loaded with BMP carrying nanoparticles to achieve: (a) single BMP-2 or BMP-7 delivery, and (b) their combined delivery in a simultaneous or (c) sequential (biomimetic) fashion. After eight weeks of implantation, computed tomography and biomechanical tests showed better mineralized matrix formation and bone-implant union strength at the defect site in the case of sequential delivery compared to single or simultaneous delivery modes. Bone mineral density (BMD) and push-out stress were: 33.65±2.25 g cm −3 and 14.5±2.28 MPa, respectively, and almost 2.5 fold higher in comparison to those without growth factors (BMD: 14.14±1.21 g cm −3 ; PS: 6.59±0.65 MPa). This study, therefore, supports those obtained in vitro and emphasizes the importance of mimicking the natural timing of bioavailability of osteogenic factors in improving the regeneration of critical-sized bone defects. (paper)

  1. Five focus strategies to organize health care delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peltokorpi, Antti; Linna, Miika; Malmström, Tomi; Torkki, Paulus; Lillrank, Paul Martin

    2016-01-01

    The focused factory is one of the concepts that decision-makers have adopted for improving health care delivery. However, disorganized definitions of focus have led to findings that cannot be utilized systematically. The purpose of this paper is to discuss strategic options to focus health care operations. First the literature on focus in health care is reviewed revealing conceptual challenges. Second, a definition of focus in terms of demand and requisite variety is defined, and the mechanisms of focus are explicated. A classification of five focus strategies that follow the original idea to reduce variety in products and markets is presented. Finally, the paper examines managerial possibilities linked to the focus strategies. The paper proposes a framework of five customer-oriented focus strategies which aim at reducing variety in different characteristics of care pathways: population; urgency and severity; illnesses and symptoms; care practices and processes; and care outcomes. Empirical research is needed to evaluate the costs and benefits of the five strategies and about system-level effects of focused units on competition and coordination. Focus is an enabling condition that needs to be exploited using specific demand and supply management practices. It is essential to understand how focus mechanisms differ between strategies, and to select focus that fits with organization's strategy and key performance indicators. Compared to previous more resource-oriented approaches, this study provides theoretically solid and practically relevant customer-oriented framework for focusing in health care.

  2. Magnetic resonance-guided regional gene delivery strategy using a tumor stroma-permeable nanocarrier for pancreatic cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang Q

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Qingbing Wang,1,2 Jianfeng Li,3 Sai An,3 Yi Chen,1 Chen Jiang,3 Xiaolin Wang1,2 1Department of Interventional Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 2Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, 3Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Ministry of Education, Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China Background: Gene therapy is a very promising technology for treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC. However, its application has been limited by the abundant stromal response in the tumor microenvironment. The aim of this study was to prepare a dendrimer-based gene-free loading vector with high permeability in the tumor stroma and explore an imaging-guided local gene delivery strategy for PDAC to promote the efficiency of targeted gene delivery.Methods: The experimental protocol was approved by the animal ethics committee of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University. Third-generation dendrigraft poly-L-lysines was selected as the nanocarrier scaffold, which was modified by cell-penetrating peptides and gadolinium (Gd chelates. DNA plasmids were loaded with these nanocarriers via electrostatic interaction. The cellular uptake and loaded gene expression were examined in MIA PaCa-2 cell lines in vitro. Permeability of the nanoparticles in the tumor stroma and transfected gene distribution in vivo were studied using a magnetic resonance imaging-guided delivery strategy in an orthotopic nude mouse model of PDAC.Results: The nanocarriers were synthesized with a dendrigraft poly-L-lysine to polyethylene glycol to DTPA ratio of 1:3.4:8.3 and a mean diameter of 110.9±7.7 nm. The luciferases were strictly expressed in the tumor, and the luminescence intensity in mice treated by Gd-DPT/plasmid luciferase (1.04×104±9.75×102 p/s/cm2/sr was significantly (P<0.05 higher than in those treated with Gd-DTPA (9.56×102±6.15×10 p/s/cm2/sr and Gd-DP (5.75×103± 7.45×102 p/s/cm2/sr

  3. Experiences of operational costs of HPV vaccine delivery strategies in Gavi-supported demonstration projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holroyd, Taylor; Nanda, Shreya; Bloem, Paul; Griffiths, Ulla K.; Sidibe, Anissa; Hutubessy, Raymond C. W.

    2017-01-01

    From 2012 to 2016, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, provided support for countries to conduct small-scale demonstration projects for the introduction of the human papillomavirus vaccine, with the aim of determining which human papillomavirus vaccine delivery strategies might be effective and sustainable upon national scale-up. This study reports on the operational costs and cost determinants of different vaccination delivery strategies within these projects across twelve countries using a standardized micro-costing tool. The World Health Organization Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control Costing Tool was used to collect costing data, which were then aggregated and analyzed to assess the costs and cost determinants of vaccination. Across the one-year demonstration projects, the average economic and financial costs per dose amounted to US$19.98 (standard deviation ±12.5) and US$8.74 (standard deviation ±5.8), respectively. The greatest activities representing the greatest share of financial costs were social mobilization at approximately 30% (range, 6–67%) and service delivery at about 25% (range, 3–46%). Districts implemented varying combinations of school-based, facility-based, or outreach delivery strategies and experienced wide variation in vaccine coverage, drop-out rates, and service delivery costs, including transportation costs and per diems. Size of target population, number of students per school, and average length of time to reach an outreach post influenced cost per dose. Although the operational costs from demonstration projects are much higher than those of other routine vaccine immunization programs, findings from our analysis suggest that HPV vaccination operational costs will decrease substantially for national introduction. Vaccination costs may be decreased further by annual vaccination, high initial investment in social mobilization, or introducing/strengthening school health programs. Our analysis shows that drivers of cost are dependent on

  4. Advanced Therapeutic Strategies for Chronic Lung Disease Using Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ji Young Yhee

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Chronic lung diseases include a variety of obstinate and fatal diseases, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, cystic fibrosis (CF, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF, and lung cancers. Pharmacotherapy is important for the treatment of chronic lung diseases, and current progress in nanoparticles offers great potential as an advanced strategy for drug delivery. Based on their biophysical properties, nanoparticles have shown improved pharmacokinetics of therapeutics and controlled drug delivery, gaining great attention. Herein, we will review the nanoparticle-based drug delivery system for the treatment of chronic lung diseases. Various types of nanoparticles will be introduced, and recent innovative efforts to utilize the nanoparticles as novel drug carriers for the effective treatment of chronic lung diseases will also be discussed.

  5. Medical Education and Health Care Delivery: A Call to Better Align Goals and Purposes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sklar, David P; Hemmer, Paul A; Durning, Steven J

    2018-03-01

    The transformation of the U.S. health care system is under way, driven by the needs of an aging population, rising health care spending, and the availability of health information. However, the speed and effectiveness of the transformation of health care delivery will depend, in large part, upon engagement of the health professions community and changes in clinicians' practice behaviors. Current efforts to influence practice behaviors emphasize changes in the health payment system with incentives to move from fee-for-service to alternative payment models.The authors describe the potential of medical education to augment payment incentives to make changes in clinical practice and the importance of aligning the purpose and goals of medical education with those of the health care delivery system. The authors discuss how curricular and assessment changes and faculty development can align medical education with the transformative trends in the health care delivery system. They also explain how the theory of situated cognition offers a shared conceptual framework that could help address the misalignment of education and clinical care. They provide examples of how quality improvement, health care innovation, population care management, and payment alignment could create bridges for joining health care delivery and medical education to meet the health care reform goals of a high-performing health care delivery system while controlling health care spending. Finally, the authors illustrate how current payment incentives such as bundled payments, value-based purchasing, and population-based payments can work synergistically with medical education to provide high-value care.

  6. Vocational technical and adult education: Status, trends and issues related to electronic delivery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rothenberg, D.

    1973-01-01

    Data are analyzed, and trends and issues are discussed to provide information useful to the systems designer who wishes to identify and assess the opportunities for large scale electronic delivery in vocational/technical and adult education. Issues connected with vocational/technical education are investigated, with emphasis on those issues in the current spotlight which are relevant to the possibilities of electronic delivery. The current role of media is examined in vocational/technical instruction.

  7. The delivery of medical services in a retail shopping mall: a strategy for growth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayden, K R

    1989-01-01

    The successful medical practice of the future will continually search for growth strategies. This writer believes the location of a primary care medical clinic in a retail shopping mall, with a full menu of primary services, is one strategy for growth. It is an effective method of health care delivery to a community.

  8. Metacognition and Successful Learning Strategies in Higher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Railean, Elena, Ed.; Alev Elçi, Ed.; Elçi, Atilla, Ed.

    2017-01-01

    Metacognition plays an important role in numerous aspects of higher educational learning strategies. When properly integrated in the educational system, schools are better equipped to build more efficient and successful learning strategies for students in higher education. "Metacognition and Successful Learning Strategies in Higher…

  9. An effective tumor-targeting strategy utilizing hypoxia-sensitive siRNA delivery system for improved anti-tumor outcome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Lin; Fan, Bo; Sun, Ping; Huang, Wei; Jin, Mingji; Wang, Qiming; Gao, Zhonggao

    2016-10-15

    Hypoxia is a feature of most solid tumors, targeting hypoxia is considered as the best validated yet not extensively exploited strategy in cancer therapy. Here, we reported a novel tumor-targeting strategy using a hypoxia-sensitive siRNA delivery system. In the study, 2-nitroimidazole (NI), a hydrophobic component that can be converted to hydrophilic 2-aminoimidazole (AI) through bioreduction under hypoxic conditions, was conjugated to the alkylated polyethyleneimine (bPEI1.8k-C6) to form amphiphilic bPEI1.8k-C6-NI polycations. bPEI1.8k-C6-NI could self-assemble into micelle-like aggregations in aqueous, which contributed to the improved stability of the bPEI1.8k-C6-NI/siRNA polyplexes, resulted in increased cellular uptake. After being transported into the hypoxic tumor cells, the selective nitro-to-amino reduction would cause structural change and elicit a relatively loose structure to facilitate the siRNA dissociation in the cytoplasm, for enhanced gene silencing efficiency ultimately. Therefore, the conflict between the extracellular stability and the intracellular siRNA release ability of the polyplexes was solved by introducing the hypoxia-responsive unit. Consequently, the survivin-targeted siRNA loaded polyplexes shown remarkable anti-tumor effect not only in hypoxic cells, but also in tumor spheroids and tumor-bearing mice, indicating that the hypoxia-sensitive siRNA delivery system had great potential for tumor-targeted therapy. Hypoxia is one of the most remarkable features of most solid tumors, and targeting hypoxia is considered as the best validated strategy in cancer therapy. However, in the past decades, there were few reports about using this strategy in the drug delivery system, especially in siRNA delivery system. Therefore, we constructed a hypoxia-sensitive siRNA delivery system utilizing a hypoxia-responsive unit, 2-nitroimidazole, by which the unavoidable conflict between improved extracellular stability and promoted intracellular si

  10. Exploring educational disparities in risk of preterm delivery: a comparative study of 12 European birth cohorts

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Poulsen, Gry; Strandberg-Larsen, Katrine; Mortensen, Laust; Barros, Henrique; Cordier, Sylvaine; Correia, Sofia; Danileviciute, Asta; van Eijsden, Manon; Fernández-Somoano, Ana; Gehring, Ulrike; Grazuleviciene, Regina; Hafkamp-de Groen, Esther; Henriksen, Tine Brink; Jensen, Morten Søndergaard; Larrañaga, Isabel; Magnus, Per; Pickett, Kate; Raat, Hein; Richiardi, Lorenzo; Rouget, Florence; Rusconi, Franca; Stoltenberg, Camilla; Uphoff, Eleonora P; Vrijkotte, Tanja G M; Wijga, Alet H; Vrijheid, Martine; Osler, Merete; Andersen, Anne-Marie Nybo

    BACKGROUND: An association between education and preterm delivery has been observed in populations across Europe, but differences in methodology limit comparability. We performed a direct cross-cohort comparison of educational disparities in preterm delivery based on individual-level birth cohort

  11. Exploring educational disparities in risk of preterm delivery: a comparative study of 12 European birth cohorts

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Poulsen, Gry; Strandberg-Larsen, Katrine; Mortensen, Laust; Barros, Henrique; Cordier, Sylvaine; Correia, Sofia; Danileviciute, Asta; van Eijsden, Manon; Fernández-Somoano, Ana; Gehring, Ulrike; Grazuleviciene, Regina; Hafkamp-de Groen, Esther; Henriksen, Tine Brink; Jensen, Morten Søndergaard; Larrañaga, Isabel; Magnus, Per; Pickett, Kate; Raat, Hein; Richiardi, Lorenzo; Rouget, Florence; Rusconi, Franca; Stoltenberg, Camilla; Uphoff, Eleonora P.; Vrijkotte, Tanja G. M.; Wijga, Alet H.; Vrijheid, Martine; Osler, Merete; Andersen, Anne-Marie Nybo

    2015-01-01

    An association between education and preterm delivery has been observed in populations across Europe, but differences in methodology limit comparability. We performed a direct cross-cohort comparison of educational disparities in preterm delivery based on individual-level birth cohort data. The

  12. [Health education, patient education and health promotion: educational methods and strategies].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sandrin, Brigitte

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to help public health actors with an interest in health promotion and health care professionals involved in therapeutic education to develop and implement an educational strategy consistent with their vision of health and health care. First, we show that the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion and the French Charter for Popular Education share common values. Second, an examination of the career and work of Paulo Freire, of Ira Shor's pedagogical model and of the person-centered approach of Carl Rogers shows how the work of educational practitioners, researchers and theorists can help health professionals to implement a truly "health-promoting" or "therapeutic" educational strategy. The paper identifies a number of problems facing health care professionals who become involved in education without reflecting on the values underlying the pedagogical models they use.

  13. Balancing Instructional Techniques and Delivery Formats in Capstone Business Strategy Courses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alstete, Jeffrey W.; Beutell, Nicholas J.

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to contend that collegiate programs should carefully plan their capstone courses in light of the educational mission, pedagogical content knowledge, instructional techniques and delivery formats. Design/methodology/approach: This is a concept paper with elements of theory building from the case of business…

  14. Online Instruction: An Alternative Delivery System for Higher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wronkovich, Michael

    2003-01-01

    In an increasingly technological society, delivery systems for professional development and higher education have greatly expanded. Video conferencing and web-based alternatives provide opportunities to extend the college campus far beyond the boundaries traditionally considered feasible. Adult learners have found the convenience of web-based…

  15. In vitro and in vivo effects of PDGF-BB delivery strategies on tendon healing: a review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O Evrova

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available To promote and support tendon healing, one viable strategy is the use or administration of growth factors at the wound/rupture site. Platelet derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB, together with other growth factors, is secreted by platelets after injury. PDGF-BB promotes mitogenesis and angiogenesis, which could accelerate tendon healing. Therefore, in vitro studies with PDGF-BB have been performed to determine its effect on tenocytes and tenoblasts. Moreover, accurate and sophisticated drug delivery devices, aiming for a sustained release of PDGF-BB, have been developed, either by using heparin-binding and fibrin-based matrices or different electrospinning techniques. In this review, the structure and composition, as well as the healing process of tendons, are described. Part A deals with in vitro studies. They focus on the multiple effects evoked by PDGF-BB on the cellular level. Moreover, they address strategies for the sustained delivery of PDGF-BB. Part B focuses on animal models used to test different delivery strategies for PDGF-BB, in the context of tendon reconstruction. These studies showed that dosage and timing of PDGF-BB application are the most important factors for deciding which delivery device should be applied for a specific tendon laceration.

  16. An annual employee education calendar as the capstone of educational assessment, planning, and delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morton, Paula G

    2005-01-01

    Staff development educators can better control their workload and provide a more comprehensive employee education program when the organization adopts a formal five-step process that culminates in the publication of an annual employee education calendar. This article describes the five steps of organization-wide learning needs assessment, resource allocation, priority setting, documentation of the educational plan, and calendar development, including elements and timelines. The annual calendar reflects involvement of staff throughout the facility in the identification, planning, and delivery of education programs. Its publication enhances staff and supervisors' awareness of learning opportunities. Its longer-range perspective assists managers and employees to better plan to meet learning needs and improves participation in staff development activities.

  17. Nanotechnological strategies for nerve growth factor delivery: Therapeutic implications in Alzheimer's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faustino, Célia; Rijo, Patrícia; Reis, Catarina Pinto

    2017-06-01

    Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder associated with amyloid-β peptide misfolding and aggregation. Neurotrophic factors, such as nerve growth factor (NGF), can prevent neuronal damage and rescue the cholinergic neurons that undergo cell death in AD, reverse deposition of extracellular amyloid plaques and improve cognitive deficits. However, NGF administration is hampered by the poor pharmacokinetic profile of the therapeutic protein and its inability to cross the blood-brain barrier, which requires specialised drug delivery systems (DDS) for efficient NGF delivery to the brain. This review covers the main therapeutic approaches that have been developed for NGF delivery targeting the brain, from polymeric implants to gene and cell-based therapies, focusing on the role of nanoparticulate systems for the sustained release of NGF in the brain as a neuroprotective and disease-modifying approach toward AD. Lipid- and polymer-based delivery systems, magnetic nanoparticles and quantum dots are specifically addressed as promising nanotechnological strategies to overcome the current limitations of NGF-based therapies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Vitamin A supplementation in Tanzania: the impact of a change in programmatic delivery strategy on coverage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shekar Meera

    2006-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Efficient delivery strategies for health interventions are essential for high and sustainable coverage. We report impact of a change in programmatic delivery strategy from routine delivery through the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI+ approach to twice-yearly mass distribution campaigns on coverage of vitamin A supplementation in Tanzania Methods We investigated disparities in age, sex, socio-economic status, nutritional status and maternal education within vitamin A coverage in children between 1 and 2 years of age from two independent household level child health surveys conducted (1 during a continuous universal targeting scheme based on routine EPI contacts for children aged 9, 15 and 21 months (1999; and (2 three years later after the introduction of twice-yearly vitamin A supplementation campaigns for children aged 6 months to 5 years, a 6-monthly universal targeting scheme (2002. A representative cluster sample of approximately 2,400 rural households was obtained from Rufiji, Morogoro Rural, Kilombero and Ulanga districts. A modular questionnaire about the health of all children under the age of five was administered to consenting heads of households and caretakers of children. Information on the use of child health interventions including vitamin A was asked. Results Coverage of vitamin A supplementation among 1–2 year old children increased from 13% [95% CI 10–18%] in 1999 to 76% [95%CI 72–81%] in 2002. In 2002 knowledge of two or more child health danger signs was negatively associated with vitamin A supplementation coverage (80% versus 70% (p = 0.04. Nevertheless, we did not find any disparities in coverage of vitamin A by district, gender, socio-economic status and DPT vaccinations. Conclusion Change in programmatic delivery of vitamin A supplementation was associated with a major improvement in coverage in Tanzania that was been sustained by repeated campaigns for at least three years. There is a

  19. Saudi National Assessment of Educational Progress (SNAEP

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdullah Saleh Al Sadaawi

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available To provide a universal basic education, Saudi Arabia initially employed a rapid quantitative educational strategy, later developing a qualitative focus to improve standards of education delivery and quality of student outcomes. Despite generous resources provided for education, however, there is no national assessment system to provide statistical evidence on students’ learning outcomes. Educators are querying the curricula and quality of delivery for Saudi education, especially following low student performances on the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS in 2003 and 2007. There is a growing demand for national assessment standards for all key subject areas to monitor students’ learning progress. This study acknowledges extant research on this important topic and offers a strategy of national assessment to guide educational reform.

  20. The influence of maternal health education on the place of delivery in conflict settings of Darfur, Sudan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adam, Izzeldin F

    2015-01-01

    Armed conflict and socio-demographic characteristics of internally displaced persons (IDPs) are very important factors that influence the provision of reproductive health (RH) in humanitarian settings. Maternal health education plays a crucial role to overcome the barriers of RH care, reduce home births conducted by traditional birth attendants (TBAs), and improve increasing births in a health facility. The objectives of this study were to (1) determine the association between the place of delivery and home visits for maternal health education and (2) describe the socio-demographic characteristics of women who gave birth during the last two years. A cross-sectional study among married women aged (15-49 years old) in IDP camps. All women were subjected to intensive maternal health education at their homes for 3 years prior to the survey. A sample of 640 women who gave birth during the last two years was randomly selected. Among all women investigated, 36.9 % (95 % CI: 33.1, 40.8) reported a home-based delivery, while 63.1 % (95 % CI: 59.2, 66.9) reported a facility-based delivery. Receiving visits for maternal health education at home was associated with an estimated 43.0 % reduction in odds of giving birth at home, compared to not receiving home visits (adjusted odds ratio [ aOR] 0.57; 95 % CI: 0.35, 0.93). The level of women's education and camp of residence were important predictors for home birth. Maternal health education at home was associated with a reduction in home-based delivery performed by TBAs in the conflict-affected setting of Darfur. Our study proposes that when facility-based delivery is made available in camp's clinics, and the targeted women educated at home to refrain from home-based delivery, they will choose to undergo facility-based delivery.

  1. Strategies for improving chemotherapeutic delivery to solid tumors mediated by vascular permeability modulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roy Chaudhuri, Tista

    An essential mode of distribution of blood-borne chemotherapeutic agents within a solid tumor is via the micro-circulation. Poor tumor perfusion, because of a lack of functional vasculature or a lack of microvessels, as well as low tumor vascular permeability, can prevent adequate deposition of even low molecular-weight agents into the tumor. The modulation of tumor vascular function and density can provides numerous strategies for improving intratumor deposition of chemotherapeutic agents. Here we investigated strategies to improve drug delivery to two tumor types that share in common poor drug delivery, but differ in the underlying cause. First, in an angiogenesis-driven brain tumor model of Glioblastoma, the vascular permeability barrier, along with poorly-functional vasculature, hinders drug delivery. A strategy of nanoparticle-based tumor 'priming' to attack the vascular permeability barrier, employing sterically stabilized liposomal doxorubicin (SSL-DXR), was investigated. Functional and histological evaluation of tumor vasculature revealed that after an initial period of depressed vascular permeability and vascular pruning 3--4 days after SSL-DXR administration, vascular permeability and perfusion were restored and then elevated after 5--7 days. As a result of tumor priming, deposition of subsequently-administered nanoparticles was enhanced, and the efficacy of temozolomide (TMZ), if administered during the window of elevated permeability, was increased. The sequenced regimen resulted in a persistent reduction of the tumor proliferative index and a 40% suppression of tumor volume, compared to animals that received both agents simultaneously. Second, in a hypovascular, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma model, disruption of tumor-stromal communication via sonic hedgehog (sHH) signaling pathway inhibition mediated an indirect vascular proliferation and a more than 2-fold increase in intratumor nanoparticle deposition. Enhanced delivery of SSL-DXR in tumors pre

  2. Waldorf School - the Strategy of Education of Mental Hygiene

    OpenAIRE

    HORÁKOVÁ, Marcela

    2013-01-01

    This thesis deals with the question, what is the strategy of mental hygiene education at the Waldorf school. The aim was to find out how mental hygiene at the Waldorf school is educated and then compare this strategy with the strategy of mental hygiene education at the school of traditional education system. Another aim of this study was to show whether the correct strategy of mental hygiene education in elementary schools has some influence on the development of the child. The research was m...

  3. Mother’s Views about Efficacy of Prenatal Educational Classes to Prepare for Normal Vaginal Delivery, Postpartum and Breastfeeding

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    ّSomayeh Bahrami

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Background and Objective: Prenatal educations focusing on physical, emotional and mental preparation for delivery, health promotion and improving lifestyle behaviors in families during the reproductive years. In this education, parents achieve data about physical, emotional and mental changes during pregnancy delivery and postpartum and overcome skills. Aim of this study was to determine Comments mothers about efficacy prenatal education classes to prepare for normal vaginal delivery, postpartum and breastfeeding in women referring to Dezful health Centers, 2015Materials and Methods: The descriptive study using quota sampling was performed. A total of 250 women consented to participant at study. A questionnaire was provided by content validity. It is reliability was confirmed by Test re-test. A questionnaire was used in 4 Part: demographics, knowledge toward mode of delivery and Comments mothers about efficacy prenatal education classes to prepare for normal vaginal delivery, postpartum and breastfeeding. Data using SPSS statistics software and analyzes were performed.Results: More women (54.2% were moderate knowledge level. The majority of patients believed that prenatal classes aided there in preparation for natural childbirth (93.6%, the postpartum period (75.6%, and preparation for lactation (100%Conclusion: The study showed that prenatal education has an important role on choosing the mode of delivery and preparing for vaginal delivery. So that approach this training and prenatal care to all pregnant women is recommended.

  4. Permeation enhancer strategies in transdermal drug delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marwah, Harneet; Garg, Tarun; Goyal, Amit K; Rath, Goutam

    2016-01-01

    Today, ∼74% of drugs are taken orally and are not found to be as effective as desired. To improve such characteristics, transdermal drug delivery was brought to existence. This delivery system is capable of transporting the drug or macromolecules painlessly through skin into the blood circulation at fixed rate. Topical administration of therapeutic agents offers many advantages over conventional oral and invasive techniques of drug delivery. Several important advantages of transdermal drug delivery are prevention from hepatic first pass metabolism, enhancement of therapeutic efficiency and maintenance of steady plasma level of the drug. Human skin surface, as a site of drug application for both local and systemic effects, is the most eligible candidate available. New controlled transdermal drug delivery systems (TDDS) technologies (electrically-based, structure-based and velocity-based) have been developed and commercialized for the transdermal delivery of troublesome drugs. This review article covers most of the new active transport technologies involved in enhancing the transdermal permeation via effective drug delivery system.

  5. Sexuality Education Delivery in Australian Regional Secondary Schools: A Qualitative Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hulme Chambers, Alana; Tomnay, Jane; Clune, Samantha; Roberts, Sarah

    2017-01-01

    Background: Factors affecting the delivery of sexuality education to school students include government policy, school leadership and teacher confidence. Objective: The aim of this paper was to understand, from the perspective of regional education, health and welfare sector professionals, what is needed to support good sexual health for secondary…

  6. Librarian instruction-delivery modality preferences for professional continuing education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lynn, Valerie A; Bose, Arpita; Boehmer, Susan J

    2010-01-01

    Attending professional continuing education (CE) is an important component of librarianship. This research study identified librarians' preferences in delivery modalities of instruction for professional CE. The study also identified influential factors associated with attending CE classes. Five instruction-delivery modalities and six influential factors were identified for inclusion in an online survey. The survey completed by members of the American Library Association (ALA), Special Libraries Association (SLA), and Medical Library Association (MLA) provided the data for analysis of librarian preferences and influential factors. The majority of respondents were MLA members, followed by ALA and SLA members. Librarians from all three library associations preferred the face-to-face instructional modality. The most influential factor associated with the decision to attend a professional CE class was cost. All five instruction-delivery modalities present useful structures for imparting professional CE. As librarians' experience with different modalities increases and as technology improves, preferences in instruction delivery may shift. But at present, face-to-face remains the most preferred modality. Based on the results of this study, cost was the most influential factor associated with attending a CE class. This may change as additional influential factors are identified and analyzed in future studies.

  7. 38 CFR 21.4505 - Check delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Check delivery. 21.4505...) VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND EDUCATION Education Loans § 21.4505 Check delivery. (a) General. Education... surviving spouse is enrolled for delivery by the educational institution. (b) Delivery and certification. (1...

  8. Creating marketing strategies for higher education institutions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lidia Białoń

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The article presents a thesis that the primary premise of creating marketing strategies for higher education institution is a three-dimensional notion of marketing. The first dimension lies in the theoretical notions of the essence of marketing, including the transactional marketing (1.0, relationship marketing (2.0 and spiritual marketing (3.0. The second dimension is formed by methods of marketing research and accurate notions of marketing, while the third are channels of marketing information. Harmonizing these three dimensions is a precondition for effective marketing. Among other conditions for effective strategies there are: aligning goals of the chosen strategy with the mission of higher education institution, correct choice of targeted segments of the market and of marketing tools. The article also gives a sample classification of marketing strategies based on these criteria, with emphasis on the fact, that every higher education institution employs its own strategy.

  9. Supervision and Quality Assurance Strategies in Education ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    unique firstlady

    that an important division of the ministry of education must be empowered and ... regarded as the instrument for development and integration, hence concerted .... involves lesson plans, delivery methods, classroom organization and control .... Supervisory climate according to Adewumi and Ajayi (2001) is the interaction ...

  10. Computer Networking Strategies for Building Collaboration among Science Educators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aust, Ronald

    The development and dissemination of science materials can be associated with technical delivery systems such as the Unified Network for Informatics in Teacher Education (UNITE). The UNITE project was designed to investigate ways for using computer networking to improve communications and collaboration among university schools of education and…

  11. STRATEGIES AND PROSPECTS OF NASAL DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEMS

    OpenAIRE

    Gannu Praveen Kumar

    2012-01-01

    The recent advancement of nasal drug delivery systems has increased enormously and is gaining significant importance. Intranasal therapy has been an accepted form of treatment in the Ayurvedic system of Indian Medicine. The non-invasive delivery of nasal drug delivery systems made to exploit for the development of successful treatment. The advantages, disadvantages, mechanism of action and application of nasal drug delivery system in local delivery, systematic delivery, nasal vaccines and CNS...

  12. Variability of Cost and Time Delivery of Educational Buildings in Nigeria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aghimien, Douglas Omoregie

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Cost and time overrun in construction projects has become a reoccurring problem in construction industries around the world especially in developing countries. This situation is unhealthy for public educational buildings which are executed with limited government funds, and are in most cases time sensitive, as they need to cater for the influx of students into the institutions. This study therefore assessed the variability of cost and time delivery of educational buildings in Nigeria, using a study of selected educational buildings within the country. A pro forma was used to gather cost and time data on selected building projects, while structured questionnaire was used to harness information on the possible measures for reducing the variability from the construction participants that were involved in the delivery of these projects. Paired sample t-test, percentage, relative importance index, and Kruskal-Walis test were adopted for data analyses. The study reveals that there is a significant difference between the initial and final cost of delivering educational buildings, as an average of 4.87% deviation, with a sig. p-value of 0.000 was experienced on all assessed projects. For time delivery, there is also a significant difference between the initial estimated time and final time of construction as a whopping 130% averaged deviation with a sig. p-value of 0.000 was discovered. To remedy these problems, the study revealed that prompt payment for executed works, predicting market price fluctuation and inculcating it into the initial estimate, and owner’s involvement at the planning and design phase are some of the possible measures to be adopted.

  13. Seventeen Years of Delivery of Open and Distance Education by ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Seventeen Years of Delivery of Open and Distance Education by The Open University of Tanzania (OUT) in East Africa and Beyond. ... This has necessitated the abandonment of the old annual confidential review forms used by most east African universities. The paper ends by highlighting the main prospects and ...

  14. Health Education Strategies for Coping with Academic Stress

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moradi Sheykhjan, Tohid

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to find out the significance of health education strategies for coping with academic stress. Comprehensive health education strategies for coping with academic stress can help students obtain the greatest benefits from education and become healthy and productive adults .One child out of four has an emotional, social,…

  15. NICU nurse educators: what evidence supports your teaching strategies?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pilcher, Jobeth

    2013-01-01

    One of our roles as nurse educators is to teach best practices related to patient care. However, have you ever stopped to think about what evidence supports your teaching strategies? Just as our patients deserve care that is based on the best available evidence, our learners also deserve education that is based on evidence.1-3 With so many advances in knowledge, technology, and even life itself, it is interesting that education has changed very little over the past 100 years. A study among 946 nurse educators documented that most teach the way they were taught.4 In addition, even after learning new strategies, educators often continue teaching in the manner they are most comfortable. However, this trend is beginning to change. Nurse educators are becoming increasingly aware of and willing to try new and innovative teaching strategies. Educators are also seeking out evidence-based teaching strategies and are becoming more involved in nursing education research.

  16. Self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems for oral insulin delivery

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Ping; Tan, Angel; Prestidge, Clive A

    2014-01-01

    This study aims at evaluating the combination of self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS) and enteric-coated capsules as a potential delivery strategy for oral delivery of insulin. The SNEDDS preconcentrates, loaded with insulin-phospholipid complex at different levels (0, 2.5 and 10% w...

  17. Assisted Vaginal Delivery

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Education & Events Advocacy For Patients About ACOG Assisted Vaginal Delivery Home For Patients Search FAQs Assisted Vaginal ... Vaginal Delivery FAQ192, February 2016 PDF Format Assisted Vaginal Delivery Labor, Delivery, and Postpartum Care What is ...

  18. Health education: concepts and strategies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, T

    1996-03-01

    Physicians have a responsibility to educate people about their health as well as to treat them. In fact, achievement of "Health for All" requires that people become educated about immunization, nutrition, family planning, and environmental sanitation. The goal of health education is to change behavior by changing attitudes. Health education encourages self-reliance and motivates people to make their own health-related decisions. In order to reach patients, physicians must bridge the social gap created by the gulf between technical priorities and what is really possible for people to achieve. The process of health education moves from the sender to the message to the channel to the receivers to the effects. Appropriate methods can be used for individual or group communication and methods can focus on information provision and/or behavior change. Participatory methods are effective in changing behavior and include group analysis of a situation, group dialogue, persuasion, and educational games. An effective strategy for individual instruction is woman-to-woman or child-to-child communication, which depends upon the identification of "key" women and children. Development of a community-based health education strategy relies on community participation and the involvement of influential members of the community. After a message has been transmitted, innovators will begin the new practice, early adopters will follow, and slow adopters will wait and watch. The innovators and early adopters can help reduce resistance to the innovation. While it is a slow process, health education can improve attitudes and behavior.

  19. The Impact of Water Shortages on Educational Delivery in Selected ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The goal of the study was to investigate the impact of water shortages on educational delivery in selected schools in Harare East District. The population included school heads, teachers and pupils all drawn from selected schools of Harare East District. The sample consisted of five school heads, fifty teachers and one ...

  20. European Strategies and Higher Education (CPP RPS 34/2012)

    OpenAIRE

    Kwiek, Marek

    2012-01-01

    This paper discusses EU-level developments in policy thinking in the area of higher education, training, and labour markets based on the analysis of a major large-scale strategy promoted by the European Commission in the 2000s: “Education and Training 2010” (ET 2010, launched in 2001, followed by a new strategy for the next decade, “Education and Training 2020”, ET 2020). The strategy shows major EU-level conceptualizations in the areas of education, training and labour market policies. The m...

  1. Non-viral gene delivery strategies for cancer therapy, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhise, Nupura S.

    Gene therapy involves the delivery of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) into cells to override or replace a malfunctioning gene for treating debilitating genetic diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. In addition to its use as a therapeutic, it can also serve as a technology to enable regenerative medicine strategies. The central challenge of the gene therapy research arena is developing a safe and effective delivery agent. Since viral vectors have critical immunogenic and tumorogenic safety issues that limit their clinical use, recent efforts have focused on developing non-viral biomaterial based delivery vectors. Cationic polymers are an attractive class of gene delivery vectors due to their structural versatility, ease of synthesis, biodegradability, ability to self-complex into nanoparticles with negatively charged DNA, capacity to carry large cargo, cellular uptake and endosomal escape capacity. In this thesis, we hypothesized that developing a biomaterial library of poly(betaamino esters) (PBAE), a newer class of cationic polymers consisting of biodegradable ester groups, would allow investigating vector design parameters and formulating effective non-viral gene delivery strategies for cancer drug delivery, tissue engineering and stem cell engineering. Consequently, a high-throughput transfection assay was developed to screen the PBAE-based nanoparticles in hard to transfect fibroblast cell lines. To gain mechanistic insights into the nanoparticle formulation process, biophysical properties of the vectors were characterized in terms of molecular weight (MW), nanoparticle size, zeta potential and plasmid per particle count. We report a novel assay developed for quantifying the plasmid per nanoparticle count and studying its implications for co-delivery of multiple genes. The MW of the polymers ranged from 10 kDa to 100 kDa, nanoparticle size was about 150 run, zeta potential was about 30 mV in sodium acetate buffer (25 mM, pH 5) and 30 to 100

  2. The health maintenance organization strategy: a corporate takeover of health services delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salmon, J W

    1975-01-01

    This paper presents a political economic framework for viewing the social organization of the delivery of health care servies and predicting a qualitatively different institutional configuration involving the health maintenance organization. The principal forces impacting American capitalism today are leading to a fundamental restructuring for increased social efficiency of the entire social welfare sector, including the health services industry. The method to achieve this restructuring involves health policy directed at raising the contribution to the social surplus from the delivery of health care services and eventual corporate domination. The health maintenance organization conceptualization is examined with suggestions as to how the HMO strategy promoted by the state leads to this corporate takeover. The mechanism and extent of the present corporate involvement are examined and implications of health services as a social control mechanism are presented.

  3. Volunteer Delivery of a Community-Based Strength Training Program: Comparison of Adopting and Nonadopting Extension Educator Perspectives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lisa T. Washburn

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Volunteer leaders are increasingly being utilized to deliver community strength training classes, but the factors affecting adoption of volunteer delivery approaches by educators or program managers have not been well explored. This study sought to identify these factors by comparing perspectives of adopting and nonadopting county Extension educators for a group strength training program delivered through county Cooperative Extension offices. Semistructured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of adopting (n=6 and nonadopting (n=13 educators. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded using thematic content analysis. Review of codes related to adoption or nonadoption of volunteer delivery approaches produced common themes. Both groups acknowledged role differences between educators and volunteers and expressed concerns about maintaining program quality. Adopters expressed greater comfort with volunteer-led program approaches and understanding of the educator-volunteer role. Nonadopters were hesitant to request program participants serve as leaders but felt participants were capable. Both groups were motivated to offer the program for dual personal and community benefit, but nonadopters expressed reliance on the program to maintain physical activity habits and for social support. Findings can inform others seeking to adapt community programs for volunteer delivery or engage volunteers in existing program delivery.

  4. Neuropathic Pain and Lung Delivery of Nanoparticulate Drugs: An Emerging Novel Therapeutic Strategy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Islam, Nazrul; Abbas, Muzaffar; Rahman, Shafiqur

    2017-01-01

    Neuropathic pain is a chronic neurological disorder affecting millions of people around the world. The currently available pharmacologic agents for the treatment of neuropathic pain have limited efficacy and are associated with dose related unwanted adverse effects. Due to the limited access of drug molecules across blood-brain barrier, a small percentage of drug that is administered systematically, reaches the central nervous system in active form. These therapeutic agents also require daily treatment regimen that is inconvenient and potentially impact patient compliance. Application of nanoparticulate drugs for enhanced delivery system has been explored extensively in the last decades. Pulmonary delivery of nanomedicines for the management of various diseases has become an emerging treatment strategy that ensures the targeted delivery of drugs both for systemic and local effects with low dose and limited adverse effects. To the best of our knowledge, there are no inhaled drug products available on market for the treatment of neuropathic pain. The advantages of delivering therapeutics into deep lungs include non-invasive drug delivery, higher bioavailability with low dose, lower systemic toxicity, and potentially greater blood-brain barrier penetration. This review discusses and highlights the important issues on the application of emerging nanoparticulate lung delivery of drugs for the effective treatment of neuropathic pain. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  5. Influence of Students’ Feedback on the Quality of Adult Higher Distance Education Service Delivery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Akpovire ODUARAN

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available The evaluation of a program’s compliance with service delivery and features necessary for the attainment of the programs educational objectives, student outcomes and continuous improvement is an important element in program accreditation and continuous improvement process. The study reported in this paper investigated the possible effects of students’ feedback on the improvement of adult higher education distance learning service quality in a South African rural-based university. The study interrogated the service provision factors that seemingly helped in improving the delivery of the program. Such information are vital for planning, good governance, policy formulation, monitoring and evaluation, and for decision-making. The study used a quantitative descriptive statistics analysis of data generated ranging from 2013-2014. It comprised of overall student satisfaction as the dependent variable and the explanatory variables were given by program management, facilitation, assessment, learner support, systems, resources, program outcomes and subject matter. Analytical results were obtained from the Mann Whitney Test. The population consisted of students enrolled in the Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE program by distance mode. The 313 respondents sampled were randomly selected from a total population of 916 students. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. The results revealed that service qualities linked to effective management, facilitation, academic support and subject matter delivery were the main qualities that the students recommended for the improvement of the program. It is therefore recommended that adult higher education programs must have a documented systematically utilized and effective process involving program service delivery constituencies like assessment, academic support and resources provided, for the periodic review of the program educational objectives to ensure that the program remains consistent

  6. Household coping strategies for delivery and related healthcare cost: findings from rural Bangladesh.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoque, Mohammad Enamul; Dasgupta, Sushil Kanta; Naznin, Eva; Al Mamun, Abdullah

    2015-10-01

    This study aims to measure the economic costs of maternal complication and to understand household coping strategies for financing maternal healthcare cost. A household survey of the 706 women with maternal complication, of whom 483 had normal delivery, was conducted to collect data at 6 weeks and 6 months post-partum. Data were collected on socio-economic information of the household, expenditure during delivery and post-partum, coping strategies adopted by households and other related information. Despite the high cost of health care associated with maternal complications, the majority of families were capable of protecting consumption on non-health items. Around one-third of households spent more than 20% of their annual household expenditure on maternal health care. Almost 50% were able to avoid catastrophic spending because of the coping strategies that they relied on. In general, households appeared resilient to short-term economic consequences of maternal health shocks, due to the availability of informal credit, donations from relatives and selling assets. While richer households fund a greater portion of the cost of maternal health care from income and savings, the poorer households with severe maternal complication resorted to borrowing from local moneylenders at high interest, which may leave them vulnerable to financial difficulties. Financial protection, especially for the poor, may benefit households against economic consequences of maternal complication. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. INTERNAL MARKETING STRATEGY IN A HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aléssio Bessa Sarquis

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Internal marketing comprises the set of strategies to enable internally compliance of the organization's marketing promises. This study examines the use of internal marketing strategies in a higher education institution in the process of implementing a new educational model. This is one case study with qualitative and exploratory approach. The data collection techniques used were interviews and document analysis, interpreted through content analysis. The results show that the most commonly used strategies are: implementation of employee training programs; development of materials / guidance handouts; creating web blog; and the application of internal research. The testimonies indicate that the internal marketing strategies contributed to the implementation of new educational model, but there is dissatisfaction among managers with the internal marketing program of the institution.

  8. Education of the handicapped child: Status, trend, and issues related to electronic delivery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rothenberg, D.

    1973-01-01

    This study is part of a broader investigation of the role of large-scale educational telecommunications systems. Thus, data are analyzed and trends and issues discussed to provide information useful to the systems designer who wishes to identify and assess the opportunities for large-scale electronic delivery of education for the handicapped.

  9. The effect of content delivery style on student performance in anatomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Lloyd J; McGowan, Heath W; McDonald, Aaron C

    2018-04-12

    The development of new technologies and ensuing pedagogical research has led many tertiary institutions to integrate and adopt online learning strategies. The authors of this study have incorporated online learning strategies into existing educational practices of a second year anatomy course, resulting in half of the course content delivered via face-to-face lectures, and half delivered online via tailored video vignettes, with accompanying worksheets and activities. The effect of the content delivery mode on student learning was analyzed by tailoring questions to content presented either face-to-face or online. Four practical tests were conducted across the semester with each consisting of four questions. Within each test, two questions were based on content delivered face-to-face, and two questions were based on content delivered online. Examination multiple choice questions were similarly divided and assessed. Findings indicate that student learning is consistent regardless of the mode of content delivery. However, student viewing habits had a significant impact on learning, with students who viewed videos multiple times achieving higher marks than those less engaged with the online content. Student comments also indicated that content delivery mode was not an influence on learning. Therefore student engagement, rather than the mode of content delivery, is a determinant of student learning and performance in human anatomy. Anat Sci Educ. © 2018 American Association of Anatomists. © 2018 American Association of Anatomists.

  10. A non-covalent peptide-based strategy for ex vivo and in vivo oligonucleotide delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crombez, Laurence; Morris, May C; Heitz, Frederic; Divita, Gilles

    2011-01-01

    The dramatic acceleration in identification of new nucleic acid-based therapeutic molecules such as short interfering RNA (siRNA) and peptide-nucleic acid (PNA) analogues has provided new perspectives for therapeutic targeting of specific genes responsible for pathological disorders. However, the poor cellular uptake of nucleic acids together with the low permeability of the cell membrane to negatively charged molecules remain major obstacles to their clinical development. Several non-viral strategies have been proposed to improve the delivery of synthetic short oligonucleotides both in cultured cells and in vivo. Cell-penetrating peptides constitute very promising tools for non-invasive cellular import of oligonucleotides and analogs. We recently described a non-covalent strategy based on short amphiphatic peptides (MPG8/PEP3) that have been successfully applied ex vivo and in vivo for the delivery of therapeutic siRNA and PNA molecules. PEP3 and MPG8 form stable nanoparticles with PNA analogues and siRNA, respectively, and promote their efficient cellular uptake, independently of the endosomal pathway, into a wide variety of cell lines, including primary and suspension lines, without any associated cytotoxicity. This chapter describes easy-to-handle protocols for the use of MPG-8 or PEP-3-nanoparticle technologies for PNA and siRNA delivery into adherent and suspension cell lines as well as in vivo into cancer mouse models.

  11. Competitive Strategy in Continuing Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baden, Clifford

    1987-01-01

    Reviews strategic variables available to those planning continuing education marketing programs. Discusses generic competitive strategies: (1) overall cost leadership, (2) differentiation, and (3) specialization. Mentions several potential problems. (CH)

  12. Free Education for Open Learning: Open educational policies, strategies & access for all

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Stracke, Christian M.

    2016-01-01

    Invited Speech at the Moscow International Education Fair 2016, Moscow, Russian Federation, by Stracke, C. M. (2016, 15 April): "Free Education for Open Learning: Open educational policies, strategies & access for all"

  13. Assessing Baccalaureate Advertising Education Outcome Utilizing Marketing Education Curriculum Development Strategies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ganahl, Dennis J.; Ganahl, Richard J., III

    The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the mission and scope of professional/baccalaureate advertising education with Marketing Education curriculum and instruction strategies to enhance advertising students' outcome. Sixty-five colleges and universities with advertising education departments, sequences, or areas of emphasis…

  14. Strategies for active learning in online continuing education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phillips, Janet M

    2005-01-01

    Online continuing education and staff development is on the rise as the benefits of access, convenience, and quality learning are continuing to take shape. Strategies to enhance learning call for learner participation that is self-directed and independent, thus changing the educator's role from expert to coach and facilitator. Good planning of active learning strategies promotes optimal learning whether the learning content is presented in a course or a just-in-time short module. Active learning strategies can be used to enhance online learning during all phases of the teaching-learning process and can accommodate a variety of learning styles. Feedback from peers, educators, and technology greatly influences learner satisfaction and must be harnessed to provide effective learning experiences. Outcomes of active learning can be assessed online and implemented conveniently and successfully from the initiation of the course or module planning to the end of the evaluation process. Online learning has become accessible and convenient and allows the educator to track learner participation. The future of online education will continue to grow, and using active learning strategies will ensure that quality learning will occur, appealing to a wide variety of learning needs.

  15. Customized Content Delivery for Graduate Management Education: Application to Business Statistics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, Owen P., Jr.; Ko, Ken

    2008-01-01

    Globalization is bringing about a radical "rethink" regarding the delivery of graduate management education. Today, many students entering a residential MBA program do not possess an undergraduate degree in business. As a result, many business schools are increasingly turning to the Internet to provide "customized" instructional content to ensure…

  16. Delivery of gentamicin from resorbable polymeric carriers as anti-infective strategy for implant-associated osteomyelitis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    ter Boo, G.A.

    2016-01-01

    This thesis describes the development of gentamicin loaded resorbable polymeric carriers as anti-infective strategy for implant-associated osteomyelitis and their in vitro and in vivo evaluation. Local delivery of antibiotics has several advantages in the case of trauma to the bone and surrounding

  17. iPhone application development strategies for efficient mobile design and delivery

    CERN Document Server

    Hahn, Jim

    2011-01-01

    iPhone application development is explained here in an accessible treatment for the generalist Library and Information Science (LIS) practitioner. Future information-seeking practices by users will take place across a diverse array of ubiquitous computing devices. iPhone applications represent one of the most compelling new platforms for which to remediate and re-engineer library service. Strategies of efficient mobile design and delivery include adapting computing best practices of data independence and adhering to web standards as articulated by the W3C. These best practices apply across the

  18. Measuring Nurse Educators' Willingness to Adopt Inclusive Teaching Strategies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levey, Janet A

    The purpose of the study was to examine the characteristics and relationships of nurse educators' teaching practices, knowledge, support, and willingness to adopt inclusive teaching strategies (WillAdITS). Adopting more inclusive teaching strategies based on universal design for instruction is an innovative way for educators to reach today's diverse student body. However, the pedagogy has not diffused into nursing education. Descriptive statistics and hierarchical multiple regression were used for analyzing data from 311 nurse educators in prelicensure and RN to BSN programs. The model explained 44.8 percent of the variance in WillAdITS. The best indicators for this pedagogy were knowledge of universal design for instruction, social system support for inclusive teaching strategies, multiple instructional formats, and years of teaching. Knowing factors influencing the adoption of inclusive teaching strategies can inform schools of nursing of areas needing further development in the preparation of novice to experienced educators to teach diverse learners.

  19. Modeling Strategies for Enhancing Educational Quality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cummings, William K.; Bain, Olga

    2017-01-01

    With the strengthening of the global economy, contemporary societies have come to view the educational achievements of their young people as a major component of national competiveness. But there are substantial variations in the strategies employed by different nations. To maximize educational achievements, some nations believe that the provision…

  20. A Culture-Based Model for Strategic Implementation of Virtual Education Delivery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burn, Janice; Thongprasert, Nalinee

    2005-01-01

    This study was designed to examine the critical success factors for implementing Virtual Education Delivery (VED) in Thailand, and to identify ways to facilitate such adoption and lead to effective outcomes. The study incorporated an analysis of three specific factors related to Thai culture: high power distance "Bhun Khun", uncertainty…

  1. Pasundan Delivery Services (PT. Wahana Bumi Raya) Business Strategy Formulation and Implementation to Create Sustain Future Competition

    OpenAIRE

    Haryanto, Iman; Wandebori, Harimukti

    2012-01-01

    Pasundan Delivery Services (PDS) is the delivery services provider using motorcycle provide solutions for visitors and Bandung citizens to effective and efficient their valuable time, run its costumer order through smartphone and social media, lucrative demand leads PDS to formulate its strategy to reach more costumers among existing competitors to win the competition in and as the leader the future. Formulation of strategic management involving small team discussion group as the management o...

  2. Joint effect of education and age at childbirth on the risk of caesarean delivery: findings from Germany 2008-2015.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castiglioni, L; Schmiedeberg, C

    2018-02-01

    This article aims at assessing the joint effect of maternal age and education on the risk of having a caesarean delivery. As high maternal education is often associated with lower caesarean-birth rates, but high-educated women tend to postpone motherhood, these effects may offset each other in traditional analyses. Secondary analysis of the data from the German Family Panel pairfam. The interview-based data refer to 1020 births between 2008 and 2015. We analyse only reports from mothers and calculate logistic regression models. The caesarean delivery rate differs strongly between education levels, and low-educated women are at higher risk of having a caesarean delivery when controlling for parity and age. A positive age gradient is found, indicating a higher risk of caesarean section for older mothers. Without controlling for age, the association of education and caesarean section risk is weaker, i.e., effects of age and education partially level each other out. A model including an interaction term between age and education confirms this result. The risk of having a caesarean delivery does not differ between levels of education when maternal age is not taken into account. Lower maternal education and higher age are both positively associated with the risk of experiencing a caesarean section in Germany. However, as higher educated women tend to have their children later, effects of education and age weigh each other out. Preventive campaigns should target women with lower education and raise women's awareness on the risks associated with late motherhood. Copyright © 2017 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. 20 CFR 669.310 - What are the basic components of an NFJP service delivery strategy?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... include: (a) A customer-centered case management approach; (b) The provision of workforce investment... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What are the basic components of an NFJP service delivery strategy? 669.310 Section 669.310 Employees' Benefits EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING...

  4. Faculty Satisfaction with Distance Education: A Comparative Analysis on Effectiveness of Undergraduate Course Delivery Modes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koenig, Robert J.

    2010-01-01

    Higher education faculty can and do teach courses delivered in a variety of ways. But, to date, little research has been done on the effectiveness of different delivery modes. This study sought to fill that void by comparing the effectiveness of three undergraduate course delivery modes: classroom, online, and video conference at a technical…

  5. Effectiveness of an Alternative Delivery System for In-Service Vocational Teacher Education. Final Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richardson, Donald L.; And Others

    The project was designed to provide vocational teacher educators in Colorado with an alternative delivery system for inservice vocational teacher education which would overcome barriers of distance (and difficult winter travel), expense, and low student density. A task force composed of staff members of the State Board for Community Colleges and…

  6. A facile nanoaggregation strategy for oral delivery of hydrophobic drugs by utilizing acid-base neutralization reactions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Huabing; Wan Jiangling; Wang Yirui; Mou Dongsheng; Liu Hongbin; Xu Huibi; Yang Xiangliang

    2008-01-01

    Nanonization strategies have been used to enhance the oral availability of numerous drugs that are poorly soluble in water. Exploring a facile nanonization strategy with highly practical potential is an attractive focus. Here, we report a novel facile nanoaggregation strategy for constructing drug nanoparticles of poorly soluble drugs with pH-dependent solubility by utilizing acid-base neutralization in aqueous solution, thus facilitating the exploration of nanonization in oral delivery for general applicability. We demonstrate that hydrophobic itraconazole dissolved in acid solution formed a growing core and aggregated into nanoparticles in the presence of stabilizers. The nanoparticles, with an average diameter of 279.3 nm and polydispersity index of 0.116, showed a higher dissolution rate when compared with the marketed formulation; the average dissolution was about 91.3%. The in vivo pharmacokinetic studies revealed that the nanoparticles had a rapid absorption and enhanced oral availability. The diet state also showed insignificant impact on the absorption of itraconazole from nanoparticles. This nanoaggregation strategy is a promising nanonization method with a facile process and avoidance of toxic organic solvents for oral delivery of poorly soluble drugs with pH-dependent solubility and reveals a highly practical potential in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries

  7. Controlled Bioactive Molecules Delivery Strategies for Tendon and Ligament Tissue Engineering using Polymeric Nanofibers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hiong Teh, Thomas Kok; Hong Goh, James Cho; Toh, Siew Lok

    2015-01-01

    The interest in polymeric nanofibers has escalated over the past decade given its promise as tissue engineering scaffolds that can mimic the nanoscale structure of the native extracellular matrix. With functionalization of the polymeric nanofibers using bioactive molecules, localized signaling moieties can be established for the attached cells, to stimulate desired biological effects and direct cellular or tissue response. The inherently high surface area per unit mass of polymeric nanofibers can enhance cell adhesion, bioactive molecules loading and release efficiencies, and mass transfer properties. In this review article, the application of polymeric nanofibers for controlled bioactive molecules delivery will be discussed, with a focus on tendon and ligament tissue engineering. Various polymeric materials of different mechanical and degradation properties will be presented along with the nanofiber fabrication techniques explored. The bioactive molecules of interest for tendon and ligament tissue engineering, including growth factors and small molecules, will also be reviewed and compared in terms of their nanofiber incorporation strategies and release profiles. This article will also highlight and compare various innovative strategies to control the release of bioactive molecules spatiotemporally and explore an emerging tissue engineering strategy involving controlled multiple bioactive molecules sequential release. Finally, the review article concludes with challenges and future trends in the innovation and development of bioactive molecules delivery using polymeric nanofibers for tendon and ligament tissue engineering.

  8. High content analysis platform for optimization of lipid mediated CRISPR-Cas9 delivery strategies in human cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steyer, Benjamin; Carlson-Stevermer, Jared; Angenent-Mari, Nicolas; Khalil, Andrew; Harkness, Ty; Saha, Krishanu

    2016-04-01

    Non-viral gene-editing of human cells using the CRISPR-Cas9 system requires optimized delivery of multiple components. Both the Cas9 endonuclease and a single guide RNA, that defines the genomic target, need to be present and co-localized within the nucleus for efficient gene-editing to occur. This work describes a new high-throughput screening platform for the optimization of CRISPR-Cas9 delivery strategies. By exploiting high content image analysis and microcontact printed plates, multi-parametric gene-editing outcome data from hundreds to thousands of isolated cell populations can be screened simultaneously. Employing this platform, we systematically screened four commercially available cationic lipid transfection materials with a range of RNAs encoding the CRISPR-Cas9 system. Analysis of Cas9 expression and editing of a fluorescent mCherry reporter transgene within human embryonic kidney cells was monitored over several days after transfection. Design of experiments analysis enabled rigorous evaluation of delivery materials and RNA concentration conditions. The results of this analysis indicated that the concentration and identity of transfection material have significantly greater effect on gene-editing than ratio or total amount of RNA. Cell subpopulation analysis on microcontact printed plates, further revealed that low cell number and high Cas9 expression, 24h after CRISPR-Cas9 delivery, were strong predictors of gene-editing outcomes. These results suggest design principles for the development of materials and transfection strategies with lipid-based materials. This platform could be applied to rapidly optimize materials for gene-editing in a variety of cell/tissue types in order to advance genomic medicine, regenerative biology and drug discovery. CRISPR-Cas9 is a new gene-editing technology for "genome surgery" that is anticipated to treat genetic diseases. This technology uses multiple components of the Cas9 system to cut out disease-causing mutations

  9. Strategies of high-performing paramedic educational programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Margolis, Gregg S; Romero, Gabriel A; Fernandez, Antonio R; Studnek, Jonathan R

    2009-01-01

    To identify the specific educational strategies used by paramedic educational programs that have attained consistently high success rates on the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) examination. NREMT data from 2003-2007 were analyzed to identify consistently high-performing paramedic educational programs. Representatives from 12 programs that have maintained a 75% first-attempt pass rate for at least four of five years and had more than 20 graduates per year were invited to participate in a focus group. Using the nominal group technique (NGT), participants were asked to answer the following question: "What are specific strategies that lead to a successful paramedic educational program?" All 12 emergency medical services (EMS) educational programs meeting the eligibility requirements participated. After completing the seven-step NGT process, 12 strategies were identified as leading to a successful paramedic educational program: 1) achieve and maintain national accreditation; 2) maintain high-level entry requirements and prerequisites; 3) provide students with a clear idea of expectations for student success; 4) establish a philosophy and foster a culture that values continuous review and improvement; 5) create your own examinations, lesson plans, presentations, and course materials using multiple current references; 6) emphasize emergency medical technician (EMT)-Basic concepts throughout the class; 7) use frequent case-based classroom scenarios; 8) expose students to as many prehospital advanced life support (ALS) patient contacts as possible, preferably where they are in charge; 9) create and administer valid examinations that have been through a review process (such as qualitative analysis); 10) provide students with frequent detailed feedback regarding their performance (such as formal examination reviews); 11) incorporate critical thinking and problem solving into all testing; and 12) deploy predictive testing with analysis prior to

  10. Impact of alternative reimbursement strategies in the new cooperative medical scheme on caesarean delivery rates: a mixed-method study in rural China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huang Kun

    2012-07-01

    CD and vaginal deliveries did not have a significant effect on controlling the rising CD rate in the study countries. Conclusion NCMS reimbursement strategies adopted in the study counties of China did not have a significant effect on the selection of CD for baby deliveries. The rapid rise of the CD rates of rural China has remained a serious issue. Other effective measures, such as health education to increase awareness of mothers' knowledge, and improving training of health staff in evidence-based delivery care, maybe could do more to promote rational baby delivery in rural China.

  11. Factors associated with institutional delivery service utilization in Ethiopia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kebede A

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Alemi Kebede,1 Kalkidan Hassen,2 Aderajew Nigussie Teklehaymanot1 1Department of Population and Family Health, 2College of Health Sciences, Jimma University, Ethiopia Background: Most obstetric complications occur unpredictably during the time of delivery, but they can be prevented with proper medical care in the health facilities. Despite the Ethiopian government’s efforts to expand health service facilities and promote health institution-based delivery service in the country, an estimated 85% of births still take place at home.Objective: The review was conducted with the aim of generating the best evidence on the determinants of institutional delivery service utilization in Ethiopia.Methods: The reviewed studies were accessed through electronic web-based search strategy from PubMed, HINARI, Mendeley reference manager, Cochrane Library for Systematic Reviews, and Google Scholar. Review Manager V5.3 software was used for meta-analysis. Mantel–Haenszel odds ratios (ORs and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs were calculated. Heterogeneity of the study was assessed using I2 test.Results: People living in urban areas (OR =13.16, CI =1.24, 3.68, with primary and above educational level of the mother and husband (OR =4.95, CI =2.3, 4. 8, and OR =4.43, CI =1.14, 3.36, respectively, who encountered problems during pregnancy (OR =2.83, CI =4.54, 7.39, and living at a distance <5 km from nearby health facility (OR =2.6, CI =3.33, 6.57 showed significant association with institutional delivery service utilization. Women’s autonomy was not significantly associated with institutional delivery service utilization.Conclusion and recommendation: Distance to health facility and problems during pregnancy were factors positively and significantly associated with institutional delivery service utilization. Promoting couples education beyond primary education regarding the danger signs of pregnancy and benefits of institutional delivery through available

  12. WTO and Lifelong Education Strategies for Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zhi-guo; Zheng, Yu

    2006-01-01

    After China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO), teachers have been confronted with many opportunities and challenges. Lifelong education strategies are problems we should take into account carefully. This article expounds the objective demands, ideas, content, measures and functions of lifelong education.

  13. the role of mass media in the delivery of adult education for national

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    in the promotion of adult education delivery for national development in our society. Medium as ... that affects the well-being of all citizens within any given ... those decisions for themselves. ..... if the commonest is given free, ability to purchase.

  14. Short-peptide-based molecular hydrogels: novel gelation strategies and applications for tissue engineering and drug delivery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Huaimin; Yang, Zhimou

    2012-08-01

    Molecular hydrogels hold big potential for tissue engineering and controlled drug delivery. Our lab focuses on short-peptide-based molecular hydrogels formed by biocompatible methods and their applications in tissue engineering (especially, 3D cell culture) and controlled drug delivery. This feature article firstly describes our recent progresses of the development of novel methods to form hydrogels, including the strategy of disulfide bond reduction and assistance with specific protein-peptide interactions. We then introduce the applications of our hydrogels in fields of controlled stem cell differentiation, cell culture, surface modifications of polyester materials by molecular self-assembly, and anti-degradation of recombinant complex proteins. A novel molecular hydrogel system of hydrophobic compounds that are only formed by hydrolysis processes was also included in this article. The hydrogels of hydrophobic compounds, especially those of hydrophobic therapeutic agents, may be developed into a carrier-free delivery system for long term delivery of therapeutic agents. With the efforts in this field, we believe that molecular hydrogels formed by short peptides and hydrophobic therapeutic agents can be practically applied for 3D cell culture and long term drug delivery in near future, respectively.

  15. Programme evaluation: Maintaining quality in higher education ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The evaluation of educational or social programmes is paramount for establishing success or impact in higher education. Evaluation questions about programme goals (e.g. better performance of first-year students) or about the quality of programme strategies (design and implementation) and effectiveness of delivery ...

  16. Why do some women still prefer traditional birth attendants and home delivery?: a qualitative study on delivery care services in West Java Province, Indonesia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Titaley, Christiana R; Hunter, Cynthia L; Dibley, Michael J; Heywood, Peter

    2010-08-11

    Trained birth attendants at delivery are important for preventing both maternal and newborn deaths. West Java is one of the provinces on Java Island, Indonesia, where many women still deliver at home and without the assistance of trained birth attendants. This study aims to explore the perspectives of community members and health workers about the use of delivery care services in six villages of West Java Province. A qualitative study using focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews was conducted in six villages of three districts in West Java Province from March to July 2009. Twenty FGDs and 165 in-depth interviews were conducted involving a total of 295 participants representing mothers, fathers, health care providers, traditional birth attendants and community leaders. The FGD and in-depth interview guidelines included reasons for using a trained or a traditional birth attendant and reasons for having a home or an institutional delivery. The use of traditional birth attendants and home delivery were preferable for some community members despite the availability of the village midwife in the village. Physical distance and financial limitations were two major constraints that prevented community members from accessing and using trained attendants and institutional deliveries. A number of respondents reported that trained delivery attendants or an institutional delivery were only aimed at women who experienced obstetric complications. The limited availability of health care providers was reported by residents in remote areas. In these settings the village midwife, who was sometimes the only health care provider, frequently travelled out of the village. The community perceived the role of both village midwives and traditional birth attendants as essential for providing maternal and health care services. A comprehensive strategy to increase the availability, accessibility, and affordability of delivery care services should be considered in these West Java

  17. Instructional Strategies to Support Creativity and Innovation in Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seechaliao, Thapanee

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of the study focused on the instructional strategies that support creation of creative and innovative education. The sample for this study consisted of 11 experts in the field of instructional strategies that support innovation of education. Among them, five were specialists in design and development of teaching and learning, three…

  18. Financial Management and Relationship Skills Education: Gauging Consumer Interest and Delivery Preferences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Futris, Ted G.; Nielsen, Robert B.; Barton, Allen W.

    2011-01-01

    The study reported here explored level of interest and preferred delivery method of Extension programming related to financial management and relationship skills education. These two subjects comprise areas of Extension that often receive less recognition but appear as pertinent issues in the lives of many individuals. Using a diverse sample of…

  19. STRATEGI PEMBERDAYAAN EKONOMI KOMUNITAS WARIA MELALUI LIFE SKILL EDUCATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rr. Indah Mustikawati

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstrak: Strategi Pemberdayaan Ekonomi Komunitas Waria Melalui Life Skill Education. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui penurunan jumlah waria yang “turun ke jalan” yang berprofesi sebagai Pekerja Seks Komersial melalui life skill education dan pengaruhnya terhadap jumlah pendapatan yang diterima waria dari sumber yang “halal”, serta penurunan kemiskinan komunitas waria di Kotamadya Yogyakarta. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode Research and Development dengan empat tahapan, yaitu studi pendahuluan pengembangan, penyusunan desain, uji coba model, dan evaluasi hasil pengembangan model life skill education. Keempat tahapan tersebut dilakukan untuk menemukan model yang sesuai untuk strategi pemberdayaan ekonomi bagi komunitas waria. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa semua waria menginginkan untuk memiliki kompetensi tambahan yang dapat digunakan untuk merintis usaha sesuai dengan peminatan mereka, dan menambah penghasilan mereka, dan sebagai bekal di hari tua.   Kata Kunci: Strategi Pemberdayaan Ekonomi, Pengentasan kemiskinan, Waria   Abstract: Economy Empowerment Strategy Trough Life skill Education as Poverty Reduction of Transgender Community. Aims of this research are to determine reduction number of transgender working as prostitute through life skill education and the impact of that reduction on their halal income, to examine poverty reduction among transgender communities in Yogyakarta. This study uses four-steps of research and development approach, namely preliminary study development, design preparation, model test, life skill education model evaluations. The results show that all of the transgender involved in this study yearn for having additional skill to set new business up to increase their income.   Keywords: economic empowerment strategy, poverty eradication, transgender

  20. Understanding Effective Delivery of Patient and Family Education in Pediatric Oncology: A Systematic Review from the Children's Oncology Group

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodgers, Cheryl C.; Laing, Catherine M.; Herring, Ruth Anne; Tena, Nancy; Leonardelli, Adrianne; Hockenberry, Marilyn; Hendricks-Ferguson, Verna

    2016-01-01

    A diagnosis of childhood cancer is a life-changing event for the entire family. Parents must not only deal with the cancer diagnosis but also acquire new knowledge and skills to safely care for their child at home. Best practices for delivery of patient/family education after a new diagnosis of childhood cancer are currently unknown. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the existing body of evidence to determine the current state of knowledge regarding the delivery of education to newly diagnosed pediatric oncology patients and families. Eighty-three articles regarding educational methods, content, influencing factors, and interventions for newly diagnosed pediatric patients with cancer or other chronic illnesses were systematically identified, summarized, and appraised according to the GRADE criteria. Based on the evidence, ten recommendations for practice were identified. These recommendations address delivery methods, content, influencing factors, and educational interventions for parents and siblings. Transferring these recommendations into practice may enhance the quality of education delivered by healthcare providers, and received by patients and families following a new diagnosis of childhood cancer. PMID:27450361

  1. Programme Evaluation: Maintaining Quality in Higher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loots, A.

    2008-01-01

    The evaluation of educational or social programmes is paramount for establishing success or impact in higher education. Evaluation questions about programme goals (e.g. better performance of first-year students) or about the quality of programme strategies (design and implementation) and effectiveness of delivery (coordinator inputs and…

  2. Impact of European Media Education Strategies on Russian Media Education Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mikhaleva, Galina V.

    2015-01-01

    The article attempts to examine the impact of European media education theories and approaches on Russian media education evolution basing on a comparative analysis of Russian and European media literacy promotion strategies in the historical context. This influence resulted in the appearance and development of socio-cultural models of media…

  3. Gaming: a creative strategy for staff education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swartzendruber, D

    1994-02-01

    Providing staff development in a stimulating, innovative manner is the challenge of all nurse educators. This article discusses gaming, a creative teaching strategy that can help meet these needs. Games designed specifically for the education of dialysis staff will be reviewed. Advantages of the various games will also be examined.

  4. Supervision and Quality Assurance Strategies in Education ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This paper examines the need for quality assurance and quality control strategies in improving the effectiveness of educational provision and teacher performance in schools. Governments all over the word in an attempt to educate and develop their citizens spend huge amount of money on teachers and schools but in most ...

  5. Strategies for Fostering Creativity Among Business Education ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The findings of the study reveal that the respondents agreed that the 20 creativity skill-items are needed by business education graduates. Furthermore, the study also show a no significant difference between the mean rating of opinion of male and female business educators on the strategies for fostering creativity among ...

  6. Characterization of particulate drug delivery systems for oral delivery of Peptide and protein drugs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christophersen, Philip Carsten; Fano, Mathias; Saaby, Lasse

    2015-01-01

    Oral drug delivery is a preferred route because of good patient compliance. However, most peptide/ protein drugs are delivered via parenteral routes because of the absorption barriers in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract such as enzymatic degradation by proteases and low permeability acrossthe...... delivery of peptide/protein drugs and to provide an overview of formulationand characterization strategies. For a better understanding of the challenges in oral delivery of peptide/protein drugs, the composition of GI fluids and the digestion processes of different kinds of excipients in the GI tract...... biological membranes. To overcome these barriers, different formulation strategies for oral delivery of biomacromolecules have been proposed, including lipid based formulations and polymer-based particulate drug delivery systems (DDS). The aim of this review is to summarize the existing knowledge about oral...

  7. Future Learning Strategy and ePortfolios in Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Dorninger

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available The rapid change of the information andknowledge Society does no stop at education:communication, teaching and learning are changing due todigital media. Therefore at Austrian schools a “FutureLearning”- strategy was started in October 2007, where newforms of learning are underlined by new media and socialsoftware. This strategy will be presented. An important partof the strategy is the introduction of electronic Portfolios forstudents. Portfolios could be powerful tools to realizeindividualisation in formal education. There are two maintypes, the process portfolio for learning, working andreflection and the application portfolio for assessmentpurposes and job application. It is now possible to collectformal and informal competences and skills-orientedknowledge for the later professional career.

  8. Realist synthesis of educational interventions to improve nutrition care competencies and delivery by doctors and other healthcare professionals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mogre, Victor; Scherpbier, Albert J J A; Stevens, Fred; Aryee, Paul; Cherry, Mary Gemma; Dornan, Tim

    2016-01-01

    Objective To determine what, how, for whom, why, and in what circumstances educational interventions improve the delivery of nutrition care by doctors and other healthcare professionals work. Design Realist synthesis following a published protocol and reported following Realist and Meta-narrative Evidence Synthesis: Evolving Standards (RAMESES) guidelines. A multidisciplinary team searched MEDLINE, CINAHL, ERIC, EMBASE, PsyINFO, Sociological Abstracts, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Science Direct for published and unpublished (grey) literature. The team identified studies with varied designs; appraised their ability to answer the review question; identified relationships between contexts, mechanisms and outcomes (CMOs); and entered them into a spreadsheet configured for the purpose. The final synthesis identified commonalities across CMO configurations. Results Over half of the 46 studies from which we extracted data originated from the USA. Interventions that improved the delivery of nutrition care improved skills and attitudes rather than just knowledge; provided opportunities for superiors to model nutrition care; removed barriers to nutrition care in health systems; provided participants with local, practically relevant tools and messages; and incorporated non-traditional, innovative teaching strategies. Operating in contexts where student and qualified healthcare professionals provided nutrition care in developed and developing countries, these interventions yielded health outcomes by triggering a range of mechanisms, which included feeling competent, feeling confident and comfortable, having greater self-efficacy, being less inhibited by barriers in healthcare systems and feeling that nutrition care was accepted and recognised. Conclusions These findings show how important it is to move education for nutrition care beyond the simple acquisition of knowledge. They show how educational interventions embedded within systems of healthcare can improve

  9. Integrated Medical-Dental Delivery Systems: Models in a Changing Environment and Their Implications for Dental Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Judith A; Snyder, John J; Gesko, David S; Helgeson, Michael J

    2017-09-01

    Models and systems of the dental care delivery system are changing. Solo practice is no longer the only alternative for graduating dentists. Over half of recent graduates are employees, and more than ever before, dentists are practicing in groups. This trend is expected to increase over the next 25 years. This article examines various models of dental care delivery, explains why it is important to practice in integrated medical-dental teams, and defines person-centered care, contrasting it with patient-centered care. Systems of care in which teams are currently practicing integrated oral health care delivery are described, along with speculation on the future of person-centered care and the team approach. Critical steps in the education of dental and other health care professionals and the development of clinical models of care in moving forward are considered. This article was written as part of the project "Advancing Dental Education in the 21 st Century."

  10. A dual-targeting strategy for enhanced drug delivery and synergistic therapy based on thermosensitive nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Mingxin; You, Chaoqun; Gao, Zhiguo; Wu, Hongshuai; Sun, Baiwang; Zhu, Xiaoli; Chen, Renjie

    2018-08-01

    The functionalized nanoparticles have been widely studied and reported as carriers of drug transport recently. Furthermore, many groups have focused more on developing novel and efficient treatment methods, such as photodynamic therapy and photothermal therapy, since both therapies have shown inspiring potential in the application of antitumor. The mentioned treatments exhibited the superiority of cooperative manner and showed the ability to compensate for the adverse effects caused by conventional monotherapy in proposed strategies. In view of the above descriptions, we formulated a thermosensitive drug delivery system, which achieved the enhanced delivery of cisplatin and two photosensitizers (ICG and Ce6) by dual-targeting traction. Drawing on the thin film hydration method, cisplatin and photosensitizers were encapsulated inside nanoparticles. Meanwhile, the targeting peptide cRGD and targeting molecule folate can be modified on the surface of nanoparticles to realize the active identification of tumor cells. The measurements of dynamic light scattering showed that the prepared nanoparticles had an ideal dispersibility and uniform particle size of 102.6 nm. On the basis of the results observed from confocal laser scanning microscope, the modified nanoparticles were more efficient endocytosed by MCF-7 cells as a contrast to SGC-7901 cells. Photothermal conversion-triggered drug release and photo-therapies produced a significant apoptosis rate of 85.9% on MCF-7 cells. The distinguished results made it believed that the formulated delivery system had conducted great efforts and innovations for the realization of concise collaboration and provided a promising strategy for the treatment of breast cancer.

  11. Recent advances in medicinal chemistry and pharmaceutical technology--strategies for drug delivery to the brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Denora, Nunzio; Trapani, Adriana; Laquintana, Valentino; Lopedota, Angela; Trapani, Giuseppe

    2009-01-01

    This paper provides a mini-review of some recent approaches for the treatment of brain pathologies examining both medicinal chemistry and pharmaceutical technology contributions. Medicinal chemistry-based strategies are essentially aimed at the chemical modification of low molecular weight drugs in order to increase their lipophilicity or the design of appropriate prodrugs, although this review will focus primarily on the use of prodrugs and not analog development. Recently, interest has been focused on the design and evaluation of prodrugs that are capable of exploiting one or more of the various endogenous transport systems at the level of the blood brain barrier (BBB). The technological strategies are essentially non-invasive methods of drug delivery to malignancies of the central nervous system (CNS) and are based on the use of nanosystems (colloidal carriers) such as liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, solid lipid nanoparticles, polymeric micelles and dendrimers. The biodistribution of these nanocarriers can be manipulated by modifying their surface physico-chemical properties or by coating them with surfactants and polyethylene-glycols (PEGs). Liposomes, surfactant coated polymeric nanoparticles, and solid lipid nanoparticles are promising systems for delivery of drugs to tumors of the CNS. This mini-review discusses issues concerning the scope and limitations of both the medicinal chemistry and technological approaches. Based on the current findings, it can be concluded that crossing of the BBB and drug delivery to CNS is extremely complex and requires a multidisciplinary approach such as a close collaboration and common efforts among researchers of several scientific areas, particularly medicinal chemists, biologists and pharmaceutical technologists.

  12. Formulation and delivery strategies of ibuprofen: challenges and opportunities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Irvine, Jake; Afrose, Afrina; Islam, Nazrul

    2018-02-01

    Ibuprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), is mostly administered orally and topically to relieve acute pain and fever. Due to its mode of action this drug may be useful in the treatment regimens of other, more chronic conditions, like cystic fibrosis. This drug is poorly soluble in aqueous media and thus the rate of dissolution from the currently available solid dosage forms is limited. This leads to poor bioavailability at high doses after oral administration, thereby increasing the risk of unwanted adverse effects. The poor solubility is a problem for developing injectable solution dosage forms. Because of its poor skin permeability, it is difficult to obtain an effective therapeutic concentration from topical preparations. This review aims to give a brief insight into the status of ibuprofen dosage forms and their limitations, particle/crystallization technologies for improving formulation strategies as well as suggesting its incorporation into the pulmonary drug delivery systems for achieving better therapeutic action at low dose.

  13. Transdermal drug delivery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prausnitz, Mark R.; Langer, Robert

    2009-01-01

    Transdermal drug delivery has made an important contribution to medical practice, but has yet to fully achieve its potential as an alternative to oral delivery and hypodermic injections. First-generation transdermal delivery systems have continued their steady increase in clinical use for delivery of small, lipophilic, low-dose drugs. Second-generation delivery systems using chemical enhancers, non-cavitational ultrasound and iontophoresis have also resulted in clinical products; the ability of iontophoresis to control delivery rates in real time provides added functionality. Third-generation delivery systems target their effects to skin’s barrier layer of stratum corneum using microneedles, thermal ablation, microdermabrasion, electroporation and cavitational ultrasound. Microneedles and thermal ablation are currently progressing through clinical trials for delivery of macromolecules and vaccines, such as insulin, parathyroid hormone and influenza vaccine. Using these novel second- and third-generation enhancement strategies, transdermal delivery is poised to significantly increase impact on medicine. PMID:18997767

  14. Corporate real estate strategies for future higher education

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ronald Beckers; Driessen Jasper

    2017-01-01

    Purpose – This paper aims to explore the alignment of Corporate Real Estate (CRE) strategies of Dutch Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS) with the developments in higher education. Methodology/approach – The paper first illustrates the key developments in higher education learning and

  15. Pricing Strategies and Models for the Provision of Digitized Texts in Higher Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hardy, Rachel; Oppenheim, Charles; Rubbert, Iris

    2002-01-01

    Describes research into charging mechanisms for the delivery of digitized texts to higher education students in the United Kingdom and discusses the need for a satisfactory pricing model. Explains the HERON (Higher Education Resources On-Demand) and PELICAN (Pricing Experiment Library Information Cooperative Network) projects and considers…

  16. Why do some women still prefer traditional birth attendants and home delivery?: a qualitative study on delivery care services in West Java Province, Indonesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Titaley Christiana R

    2010-08-01

    affordability of delivery care services should be considered in these West Java areas. Health education strategies are required to increase community awareness about the importance of health services along with the existing financing mechanisms for the poor communities. Public health strategies involving traditional birth attendants will be beneficial particularly in remote areas where their services are highly utilized.

  17. A facile construction strategy of stable lipid nanoparticles for drug delivery using a hydrogel-thickened microemulsion system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Huabing; Xiao, Ling; Du, Danrong; Mou, Dongsheng; Xu, Huibi; Yang, Xiangliang

    2010-01-01

    We report a novel facile method for preparing stable nanoparticles with inner spherical solid spheres and an outer hydrogel matrix using a hot O/W hydrogel-thickened microemulsion with spontaneous stability. The nanoparticles with average diameters of about 30.0 nm and 100.0 nm were constructed by cooling the hot hydrogel-thickened microemulsion at different temperatures, respectively. We explained the application of these nanoparticles by actualizing the cutaneous delivery of drug-loaded nanoparticles. The in vitro skin permeation studies showed that the nanoparticles could significantly reduce the penetration of model drugs through skin and resulted in their dermal uptakes in skin. The sol-gel process of TEOS was furthermore used in the template of HTM to regulate the particle size of nanoparticles. The coating of silica on the surface of nanoparticles could regulate the penetration of drug into skin from dermal delivery to transdermal delivery. This strategy provides a facile method to produce nanoparticles with long-term stability and ease of manufacture, which might have a promising application in drug delivery.

  18. Management of Educational Paradigms within the Framework of Contemporary Educational Strategies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eduard IONESCU

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Each major pedagogical orientation brings with it a set of certain potential actions, a potential that becomes reality at the level of invariably at the level of educational reality. Assuming a certain pedagogical educational paradigm is thus equivalent to the transposition into practice of a certain type of experimental research and promoting a particular way of conceiving and modeling of human nature. In a world characterized by contradicting realities, by turmoil, fast developing technologies, discussing and deciding on the most appropriate educational paradigms should be a core process in the attempt of conceiving the educational vision and objectives of tomorrow. The present paper aims at discussing the role of educational paradigms within the framework of contemporary educational strategies.

  19. Modern development strategies of the Russian education in the conditions of the information society

    OpenAIRE

    Boguslavskii Mikhail V.; Lelchitskii Igor D.

    2016-01-01

    The article presents current development strategies of the Russian education in the conditions of information society. Western-liberal and traditional-conservative strategies of modern Russian education development are substantively presented. The ways of harmonization of these strategies in the area of national education in the information age are characterized. Approaches to the implementation of historical and pedagogical expertise of modern development strategies of the Russian education ...

  20. Multi-Scale Validation of a Nanodiamond Drug Delivery System and Multi-Scale Engineering Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwalbe, Michelle Kristin

    2010-01-01

    This dissertation has two primary concerns: (i) evaluating the uncertainty and prediction capabilities of a nanodiamond drug delivery model using Bayesian calibration and bias correction, and (ii) determining conceptual difficulties of multi-scale analysis from an engineering education perspective. A Bayesian uncertainty quantification scheme…

  1. Examining leadership as a strategy to enhance health care service delivery in regional hospitals in South Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Govender, Sagaren; Gerwel Proches, Cecile N; Kader, Abdulla

    2018-01-01

    Four public hospitals in South Africa, which render both specialized and nonspecialized services to thousands of patients, were examined to determine the impact of leadership on health care service delivery. These hospitals were inundated by various problems that were impacting negatively on health care service delivery. This research study aimed to gain a comprehensive understanding of the challenges, complexities and constraints facing public health care in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and to examine leadership as a strategy to enhance healthcare service delivery with a particular focus on four regional hospitals in the KZN Province. The mixed-method research approach was utilized. Purposive sampling and stratified random sampling were employed in the research setting, and in-depth, semistructured interviews and questionnaires were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using the Nvivo computer software package for in-depth interviews and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software for the quantitative analysis. The research findings showed that the current leadership framework adopted by the health care leaders in regional hospitals in KZN is weak and is contributing to poor health care service delivery. This study, therefore, aimed to address the current challenges and weaknesses that are impacting negatively on health care service delivery in regional hospitals in the KZN Province and made recommendations for improvement.

  2. Open Learning for Smart Education: Open educational policies, strategies & access for all

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Stracke, Christian M.

    2016-01-01

    keynote on Open Learning at the International IEEE EDUCON Conference 2016: I will speak about “Open Learning for Smart Education: Open educational policies, strategies and access for all”. This year EDUCON is taking place from 10th to 13th of April 2016 in Abu Dhabi. My questions of the keynote

  3. Incubating a Space Strategy: The Role of Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-06-01

    Instruction in broad ranging subjects was given to “round out complete education as an Air Corps officer, especially where he will have close...development of space education ; and the internal connections within the military remain strong at ACSC, while the external connections, especially to...INCUBATING A SPACE STRATEGY: THE ROLE OF EDUCATION BY ELISABETH K. WHITE A THESIS PRESENTED TO THE FACULTY OF

  4. COMMUNICATION STRATEGY FOR A PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORT DEPARTMENT

    OpenAIRE

    Cristiana Pop

    2013-01-01

    Communication strategy of physical education and sports departments in an institution of higher education is, ultimately, a form of adaptation to new and changing environmental conditions (legal, political, internal organization and financial) in which they operate. Developing a communication strategy is an approach that is based on the research group aims to be influenced and on the effort to build a message, an image and emotional state to determine a change in perception, attitude and beha...

  5. Strategies for Integrating Peace Education into Social Studies ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The findings also identified co-curricular and instructional strategies for use in teaching the identified peace education concepts. It was recommended that the identified peace education concepts could be added to the Social Studies curriculum and the thematic approach should be used in restructuring the Social Studies ...

  6. Microneedles for intradermal and transdermal delivery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tuan-Mahmood, Tuan-Mazlelaa; McCrudden, Maeliosa T.C.; Torrisi, Barbara M.; McAlister, Emma; Garland, Martin J; Singh, Thakur Raghu Raj; Donnelly, Ryan F

    2014-01-01

    The formidable barrier properties of the uppermost layer of the skin, the stratum corneum impose significant limitations for successful systemic delivery of a broad range of therapeutic molecules, particularly macromolecules and genetic material. Microneedle delivery has been proposed as a strategy to breach the SC barrier function in order to facilitate effective transport of molecules across the skin. This strategy involves the use of micron sized needles fabricated from different materials and using different geometries to create transient aqueous conduits across the skin. Microneedles in isolation, or in combination with other enhancing strategies, have been shown to dramatically enhance the skin permeability of numerous therapeutic molecules including biopharmaceuticals either in vitro, ex vivo or in vivo. Progress in the areas of microneedle design, development and manufacture have proven promising in terms of the potential use of this emerging delivery method in clinical applications such as insulin delivery, transcutaneous immunisations and cutaneous gene delivery. This review article focuses on recent and potential future developments in microneedle technologies. This will include the detailing of progress made in microneedle design, an exploration of the challenges faced in this field and potential forward strategies to embrace the exploitation of microneedle methodologies, while considering the inherent safety aspects of such therapeutic tools. PMID:23680534

  7. Strategies of Raising the Quality of Higher Education and Attaining Equality of Educational Opportunities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petrovskiy, Igor V.; Agapova, Elena N.

    2016-01-01

    The aim of the research is to develop the policy and strategy recommendations to increase the quality of higher education in Russian Federation. The study examines the significance of equal educational opportunities and the influence of this factor on the educational systems of developing countries. Transformational processes in the domain of…

  8. Content, Delivery, and Effectiveness of Concussion Education for US College Coaches.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kroshus, Emily; Baugh, Christine M; Daneshvar, Daniel H

    2016-09-01

    The primary objective of this study was to examine the proportion of US college coaches who receive annual concussion education from their institution and to describe the content and delivery modalities of this education. This study also tested the hypothesis that coaches receiving concussion education from their institution will have greater knowledge about concussions independent of other individual and institutional characteristics. Cross-sectional online survey. US college sport. College coaches in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I, II, and III (n = 1818). Self-reported receipt of education from institution, sex, sport coached, division of competition. Concussion identification and management knowledge. Two-thirds of coaches reported receiving informational materials about concussion from their institution. The content of the education most frequently referred to symptoms of a concussion and information about proper management of a concussion. Coaches who received educational materials from their institution were better able to identify symptoms and had more conservative responses to concussion management scenarios. Male coaches of male contact or collision teams less frequently endorsed safe or correct response as compared with female coaches of noncontact or collision teams. Not all US college coaches receive concussion education from their institution. Male Division I coaches of male contact/collision sport are a population for whom targeted educational outreach may be particularly valuable. Education for coaches, delivered by clinicians at many institutions, is an important component of ensuring that coaches are prepared to be informed partners in supporting concussion safety.

  9. Delivery of viral vectors to tumor cells: extracellular transport, systemic distribution, and strategies for improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yong; Yuan, Fan

    2006-01-01

    It is a challenge to deliver therapeutic genes to tumor cells using viral vectors because (i) the size of these vectors are close to or larger than the space between fibers in extracellular matrix and (ii) viral proteins are potentially toxic in normal tissues. In general, gene delivery is hindered by various physiological barriers to virus transport from the site of injection to the nucleus of tumor cells and is limited by normal tissue tolerance of toxicity determined by local concentrations of transgene products and viral proteins. To illustrate the obstacles encountered in the delivery and yet limit the scope of discussion, this review focuses only on extracellular transport in solid tumors and distribution of viral vectors in normal organs after they are injected intravenously or intratumorally. This review also discusses current strategies for improving intratumoral transport and specificity of viral vectors.

  10. Strategies for academic leadership towards increasing productivity in higher education institutions; business education case

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iordache-Platis Magdalena

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Higher education institutions face a lot of challenges in the contemporary context. Labour market is s strict evaluator of the graduates’ competences and skills and thus, of the study programmes. An attractive university is a university with a large demand for studies, with many partners and projects, with a high visibility at national and international level, with a considerable research production. At present, the lack of resources characterizes the difficult situation for decision making process which is a real challenge for the academic leadership. On one hand, the competiton requires the need of continuous development and of differentiation strategy while on the other hand, insufficient financial, human, material, informational resources, including time as a specific restriction generate huge opportunities and threats for institutions. Possibilities of being efficient are to be explored. The aim of this paper is to explore possible strategies to increase productivity in higher education institutions. Main objectives of the study are the following: a. to define productivity in higher education institutions, on the basis of the academics’ perceptions, as well as of students’ perceptions; b. to provide a diagnosis of the current state of the prductivity in higher education institutions; c. to contribute to new clarifications on leadership strategies for increasing productivity in higher education institutions. Based on the literature review, the paper reveal proper answers to questions, such as: what is productivity, how is it measured, what is its impact, which are the increasing possibilities in business context. The study methodology is also based on a questionnaire dedicated to the two groups of respondents – academics and students. Their perceptions are then compared in order to reveal the common view. Main output of the research include: a. A new conceptual clarification for the productivity in higher education institutions; b. A

  11. DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES OF THE EDUCATIONAL STRATEGY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olena I. Lokshyna

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available The article is dedicated to the analysis of the evolution of the educational strategy of EU in the process of its development aimed at the economic stability and security in the region. The author distinguishes key stages of the EU strategy development in the educational area and its present-day concept underlying the importance of correspondence to the requirements of economy and society.

  12. Peptide and protein delivery using new drug delivery systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jain, Ashish; Jain, Aviral; Gulbake, Arvind; Shilpi, Satish; Hurkat, Pooja; Jain, Sanjay K

    2013-01-01

    Pharmaceutical and biotechnological research sorts protein drug delivery systems by importance based on their various therapeutic applications. The effective and potent action of the proteins/peptides makes them the drugs of choice for the treatment of numerous diseases. Major research issues in protein delivery include the stabilization of proteins in delivery devices and the design of appropriate target-specific protein carriers. Many efforts have been made for effective delivery of proteins/peptidal drugs through various routes of administrations for successful therapeutic effects. Nanoparticles made of biodegradable polymers such as poly lactic acid, polycaprolactone, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), the poly(fumaric-co-sebacic) anhydride chitosan, and modified chitosan, as well as solid lipids, have shown great potential in the delivery of proteins/peptidal drugs. Moreover, scientists also have used liposomes, PEGylated liposomes, niosomes, and aquasomes, among others, for peptidal drug delivery. They also have developed hydrogels and transdermal drug delivery systems for peptidal drug delivery. A receptor-mediated delivery system is another attractive strategy to overcome the limitation in drug absorption that enables the transcytosis of the protein across the epithelial barrier. Modification such as PEGnology is applied to various proteins and peptides of the desired protein and peptides also increases the circulating life, solubility and stability, pharmacokinetic properties, and antigenicity of protein. This review focuses on various approaches for effective protein/peptidal drug delivery, with special emphasis on insulin delivery.

  13. The Role of ICT in Open and Distance Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahman, Habibur

    2014-01-01

    Open and distance learning is getting more dependent on information and communication technology (ICT) and has been playing an important role in the delivery strategies of distance learning. With the advancement in technology in the field education has introduces variety of new techniques for educators and learners to enhance knowledge.…

  14. Educations of Vision - relational strategies in visual culture

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Illeris, Helene

    2004-01-01

    redescriptions? employs poststructuralist and feminist thinking about visual culture in an attempt to explore alternative understandings of visual education. In the final part ?Educations of vision in late modernity? socialization and self creation are proposed as two different, but supplementary, educational......The article is divided into three parts. Through examples from twentieth century Scandinavian visual arts education the first part ?Epistemological inquiries? discusses how the historical and social construction of dominant modern strategies of vision has occurred. The second part ?Experimentalist...... functions which contemporary visual education inspired by epistemological and experimentalist approaches should aim to fulfill....

  15. Management Strategies in Basic Education and Participation of Parents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Johel Furguerle-Rangel

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available In the educational process it is necessary to use management paradigms and active participation of parents. The objective was to determine the use of management strategies by the director of basic education and participation of parents in the educational process. It is a descriptive, transversal and field study, whose instrument was a questionnaire of 26 closed-questions.   The sample comprised 16 directors, 52 teachers and 62 parents. For most managers and faculty the technique of brainstorming, involvement in decision-making, continues knowledge management and radical change are crucial in the educational process of children.   But mothers and fathers believe that managerial groups do not use strategies properly except for reengineering.   The mother and fathers are mainly involved in education management but not in the learning process. It is recommended the deepening of policy management training teaching force, through continuous training provided by the government and the promotion of family participation in the teaching-learning process of children.

  16. ICT enabled education and ICT driven e-learning strategies ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This paper centres on ICT enabled education and ICT driven e-learning strategies: benefits and setbacks in Nigeria education system. It is in fact among the academic struggle to bring to the lime-light, the knowledge of ICT to scholars especially in the domain of education. The paper captured interesting discussion on the ...

  17. Examining leadership as a strategy to enhance health care service delivery in regional hospitals in South Africa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Govender, Sagaren; Gerwel Proches, Cecile N; Kader, Abdulla

    2018-01-01

    Background Four public hospitals in South Africa, which render both specialized and nonspecialized services to thousands of patients, were examined to determine the impact of leadership on health care service delivery. These hospitals were inundated by various problems that were impacting negatively on health care service delivery. Purpose This research study aimed to gain a comprehensive understanding of the challenges, complexities and constraints facing public health care in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and to examine leadership as a strategy to enhance healthcare service delivery with a particular focus on four regional hospitals in the KZN Province. Methods The mixed-method research approach was utilized. Purposive sampling and stratified random sampling were employed in the research setting, and in-depth, semistructured interviews and questionnaires were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using the Nvivo computer software package for in-depth interviews and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software for the quantitative analysis. Results The research findings showed that the current leadership framework adopted by the health care leaders in regional hospitals in KZN is weak and is contributing to poor health care service delivery. Conclusion This study, therefore, aimed to address the current challenges and weaknesses that are impacting negatively on health care service delivery in regional hospitals in the KZN Province and made recommendations for improvement. PMID:29535529

  18. Analysis of Cumulative Dose to Implanted Pacemaker According to Various IMRT Delivery Methods: Optimal Dose Delivery Versus Dose Reduction Strategy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Jeong Woo; Hong, Se Mie [Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Konkuk University Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2011-11-15

    Cancer patients with implanted cardiac pacemaker occasionally require radiotherapy. Pacemaker may be damaged or malfunction during radiotherapy due to ionizing radiation or electromagnetic interference. Although radiotherapy should be planned to keep the dose to pacemaker as low as possible not to malfunction ideally, current radiation treatment planning (RTP) system does not accurately calculate deposited dose to adjacent field border or area beyond irradiated fields. In terms of beam delivery techniques using multiple intensity modulated fields, dosimetric effect of scattered radiation in high energy photon beams is required to be detailed analyzed based on measurement data. The aim of this study is to evaluate dose discrepancies of pacemaker in a RTP system as compared to measured doses. We also designed dose reduction strategy limited value of 2 Gy for radiation treatment patients with cardiac implanted pacemaker. Total accumulated dose of 145 cGy based on in-vivo dosimetry was satisfied with the recommendation criteria to prevent malfunction of pacemaker in SS technique. However, the 2 mm lead shielder enabled the scattered doses to reduce up to 60% and 40% in the patient and the phantom, respectively. The SS technique with the lead shielding could reduce the accumulated scattered doses less than 100 cGy. Calculated and measured doses were not greatly affected by the beam delivery techniques. In-vivo and measured doses on pacemaker position showed critical dose discrepancies reaching up to 4 times as compared to planned doses in RTP. The current SS technique could deliver lower scattered doses than recommendation criteria, but use of 2 mm lead shielder contributed to reduce scattered doses by 60%. The tertiary lead shielder can be useful to prevent malfunction or electrical damage of implanted pacemakers during radiotherapy. It is required to estimate more accurate scattered doses of the patient or medical device in RTP to design proper dose reduction strategy.

  19. Analysis of Cumulative Dose to Implanted Pacemaker According to Various IMRT Delivery Methods: Optimal Dose Delivery Versus Dose Reduction Strategy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Jeong Woo; Hong, Se Mie

    2011-01-01

    Cancer patients with implanted cardiac pacemaker occasionally require radiotherapy. Pacemaker may be damaged or malfunction during radiotherapy due to ionizing radiation or electromagnetic interference. Although radiotherapy should be planned to keep the dose to pacemaker as low as possible not to malfunction ideally, current radiation treatment planning (RTP) system does not accurately calculate deposited dose to adjacent field border or area beyond irradiated fields. In terms of beam delivery techniques using multiple intensity modulated fields, dosimetric effect of scattered radiation in high energy photon beams is required to be detailed analyzed based on measurement data. The aim of this study is to evaluate dose discrepancies of pacemaker in a RTP system as compared to measured doses. We also designed dose reduction strategy limited value of 2 Gy for radiation treatment patients with cardiac implanted pacemaker. Total accumulated dose of 145 cGy based on in-vivo dosimetry was satisfied with the recommendation criteria to prevent malfunction of pacemaker in SS technique. However, the 2 mm lead shielder enabled the scattered doses to reduce up to 60% and 40% in the patient and the phantom, respectively. The SS technique with the lead shielding could reduce the accumulated scattered doses less than 100 cGy. Calculated and measured doses were not greatly affected by the beam delivery techniques. In-vivo and measured doses on pacemaker position showed critical dose discrepancies reaching up to 4 times as compared to planned doses in RTP. The current SS technique could deliver lower scattered doses than recommendation criteria, but use of 2 mm lead shielder contributed to reduce scattered doses by 60%. The tertiary lead shielder can be useful to prevent malfunction or electrical damage of implanted pacemakers during radiotherapy. It is required to estimate more accurate scattered doses of the patient or medical device in RTP to design proper dose reduction strategy.

  20. Biotechnology Education: A Multiple Instructional Strategies Approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunham, Trey; Wells, John; White, Karissa

    2002-01-01

    Provides a rationale for inclusion of biotechnology in technology education. Describes an instructional strategy that uses behaviorist, cognitive, and constructivist learning theories in two activities involving photobioreactors and bovine somatotropin (growth hormone). (Contains 39 references.) (SK)

  1. Childhood Diabesity: International Applications for Health Education and Health Policy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinzon-Perez, Helda; Kotkin-Jaszi, Suzanne; Perez, Miguel A.

    2010-01-01

    Health policy has a direct impact on health education initiatives, health care delivery, resource allocation, and quality of life. Increasing rates in the epidemics of obesity and obesity-dependent diabetes mellitus (aka diabesity) suggest that health policy changes should be included in health education and disease prevention strategies. Health…

  2. Educators' Perceptions on Bullying Prevention Strategies

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Wet, Corene

    2017-01-01

    I report on an investigation into a group of Free State educators' recognition of bullying, their reactions to incidences of bullying, and their perceptions of the effectiveness of a number of bullying prevention strategies. The research instrument was a synthesis of the Delaware Research Questionnaire and questions based on findings from previous…

  3. Medical Utilization of Kiosks in the Delivery of Patient Education: A Systematic Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roxanne Nagurka

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Background: The utilization of kiosks has previously been shown to be effective for collecting information, delivering educational modules, and providing access to health information. We discuss a review of current literature for the utilization of kiosks for the delivery of patient education. Methods: The criteria for inclusion in this literature review were: (1 study dis-cusses the utilization of kiosks for patient health education; (2 study discusses the use of touch screens for patient health information; (3 published in English. Our review includes searches via MEDLINE databases and Google Scholar for the years 1996-2014. Results: Overall, 167 articles were screened for final eligibility, and after discarding duplicates and non-eligible studies with abstract. Full-text review of 28 articles was included in the final analysis. Conclusion: The review of available literature demonstrates the effectiveness of touch screen kiosks to educate patients and to improve healthcare, both at a performance and cost advantage over other modes of patient education.

  4. Medical utilization of kiosks in the delivery of patient education: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yvonne Chan, Yu-Feng; Nagurka, Roxanne; Bentley, Suzanne; Ordonez, Edgardo; Sproule, William

    2014-01-01

    The utilization of kiosks has previously been shown to be effective for collecting information, delivering educational modules, and providing access to health information. We discuss a review of current literature for the utilization of kiosks for the delivery of patient education. The criteria for inclusion in this literature review were: (1) study discusses the utilization of kiosks for patient health education; (2) study discusses the use of touch screens for patient health information; (3) published in English. Our review includes searches via MEDLINE databases and Google Scholar for the years 1996-2014. Overall, 167 articles were screened for final eligibility, and after discarding duplicates and non-eligible studies with abstract. Full-text review of 28 articles was included in the final analysis. The review of available literature demonstrates the effectiveness of touch screen kiosks to educate patients and to improve healthcare, both at a performance and cost advantage over other modes of patient education.

  5. Benchmarking as a Global Strategy for Improving Instruction in Higher Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Karen L.

    This paper explores the concept of benchmarking in institutional research, a comparative analysis methodology designed to help colleges and universities increase their educational quality and delivery systems. The primary purpose of benchmarking is to compare an institution to its competitors in order to improve the product (in this case…

  6. Distance Synchronous Information Systems Course Delivery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peslak, Alan R.; Lewis, Griffith R.; Aebli, Fred

    2014-01-01

    Teaching computer information systems via distance education is a challenge for both student and faculty. Much research work has been performed on methods of teaching via distance education. Today we are faced with a variety of options for course delivery. Asynchronous delivery via online or lesson instruction still remains most common. But…

  7. Clinical staff perceptions of palliative care-related quality of care, service access, education and training needs and delivery confidence in an acute hospital setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frey, Rosemary; Gott, Merryn; Raphael, Deborah; O'Callaghan, Anne; Robinson, Jackie; Boyd, Michal; Laking, George; Manson, Leigh; Snow, Barry

    2014-12-01

    Central to appropriate palliative care management in hospital settings is ensuring an adequately trained workforce. In order to achieve optimum palliative care delivery, it is first necessary to create a baseline understanding of the level of palliative care education and support needs among all clinical staff (not just palliative care specialists) within the acute hospital setting. The objectives of the study were to explore clinical staff: perceptions concerning the quality of palliative care delivery and support service accessibility, previous experience and education in palliative care delivery, perceptions of their own need for formal palliative care education, confidence in palliative care delivery and the impact of formal palliative care training on perceived confidence. A purposive sample of clinical staff members (598) in a 710-bed hospital were surveyed regarding their experiences of palliative care delivery and their education needs. On average, the clinical staff rated the quality of care provided to people who die in the hospital as 'good' (x̄=4.17, SD=0.91). Respondents also reported that 19.3% of their time was spent caring for end-of-life patients. However, only 19% of the 598 respondents reported having received formal palliative care training. In contrast, 73.7% answered that they would like formal training. Perceived confidence in palliative care delivery was significantly greater for those clinical staff with formal palliative care training. Formal training in palliative care increases clinical staff perceptions of confidence, which evidence suggests impacts on the quality of palliative care provided to patients. The results of the study should be used to shape the design and delivery of palliative care education programmes within the acute hospital setting to successfully meet the needs of all clinical staff. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  8. Innovative vaccine delivery strategies in response to a cholera outbreak in the challenging context of Lake Chilwa. A rapid qualitative assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heyerdahl, Leonard W; Ngwira, Bagrey; Demolis, Rachel; Nyirenda, Gabriel; Mwesawina, Maurice; Rafael, Florentina; Cavailler, Philippe; Bernard Le Gargasson, Jean; Mengel, Martin A; Gessner, Bradford D; Guillermet, Elise

    2017-11-07

    A reactive campaign using two doses of Shanchol Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV) was implemented in 2016 in the Lake Chilwa Region (Malawi) targeting fish dependent communities. Three strategies for the second vaccine dose delivery (including delivery by a community leader and self-administration) were used to facilitate vaccine access. This assessment collected vaccine perceptions and opinions about the OCV campaign of 313 study participants, including: fishermen, fish traders, farmers, community leaders, and one health and one NGO officer. Socio-demographic surveys were conducted, In Depth Interviews and Focus Group Discussions were conducted before and during the campaign. Some fishermen perceived the traditional delivery strategy as reliable but less practical. Delivery by traditional leaders was acceptable for some participants while others worried about traditional leaders not being trained to deliver vaccines or beneficiaries taking doses on their own. A slight majority of beneficiaries considered the self-administration strategy practical while some beneficiaries worried about storing vials outside of the cold chain or losing vials. During the campaign, a majority of participants preferred receiving oral vaccines instead of injections given ease of intake and lack of pain. OCV was perceived as efficacious and safe. However, a lack of information on how sero-protection may be delayed and the degree of sero-protection led to loss of trust in vaccine potency among some participants who witnessed cholera cases among vaccinated individuals. OCV campaign implementation requires accompanying communication on protective levels, less than 100% vaccine efficacy, delays in onset of sero-protection, and out of cold chain storage. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  9. What do we do? Practices and learning strategies of medical education leaders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lieff, Susan; Albert, Mathieu

    2012-01-01

    Continuous changes in undergraduate and postgraduate medical education require faculty to assume a variety of new leadership roles. While numerous faculty development programmes have been developed, there is little evidence about the specific practices of medical education leaders or their learning strategies to help inform their design. This study aimed to explore what medical education leaders' actually do, their learning strategies and recommendations for faculty development. A total of 16 medical education leaders from a variety of contexts within the faculty of medicine of a large North American medical school participated in semi-structured interviews to explore the nature of their work and the learning strategies they employ. Using thematic analysis, interview transcripts were coded inductively and then clustered into emergent themes. Findings clustered into four key themes of practice: (1) intrapersonal (e.g., self-awareness), (2) interpersonal (e.g., fostering informal networks), (3) organizational (e.g., creating a shared vision) and (4) systemic (e.g. strategic navigation). Learning strategies employed included learning from experience and example, reflective practice, strategic mentoring or advanced training. Our findings illuminate a four-domain framework for understanding medical education leader practices and their learning preferences. While some of these findings are not unknown in the general leadership literature, our understanding of their application in medical education is unique. These practices and preferences have a potential utility for conceptualizing a coherent and relevant approach to the design of faculty development strategies for medical education leadership.

  10. Non-viral gene delivery strategies for gene therapy: a “ménage à trois” among nucleic acids, materials, and the biological environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pezzoli, Daniele; Candiani, Gabriele

    2013-01-01

    Gene delivery is the science of transferring genetic material into cells by means of a vector to alter cellular function or structure at a molecular level. In this context, a number of nucleic acid-based drugs have been proposed and experimented so far and, as they act on distinct steps along the gene transcription–translation pathway, specific delivery strategies are required to elicit the desired outcome. Cationic lipids and polymers, collectively known as non-viral delivery systems, have thus made their breakthrough in basic and medical research. Albeit they are promising alternatives to viral vectors, their therapeutic application is still rather limited as high transfection efficiencies are normally associated to adverse cytotoxic side effects. In this scenario, drawing inspiration from processes naturally occurring in vivo, major strides forward have been made in the development of more effective materials for gene delivery applications. Specifically, smart vectors sensitive to a variety of physiological stimuli such as cell enzymes, redox status, and pH are substantially changing the landscape of gene delivery by helping to overcome some of the systemic and intracellular barriers that viral vectors naturally evade. Herein, after summarizing the state-of-the-art information regarding the use of nucleic acids as drugs, we review the main bottlenecks still limiting the overall effectiveness of non-viral gene delivery systems. Finally, we provide a critical outline of emerging stimuli-responsive strategies and discuss challenges still existing on the road toward conceiving more efficient and safer multifunctional vectors.

  11. An active-learning strategies primer for achieving ability-based educational outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gleason, Brenda L; Peeters, Michael J; Resman-Targoff, Beth H; Karr, Samantha; McBane, Sarah; Kelley, Kristi; Thomas, Tyan; Denetclaw, Tina H

    2011-11-10

    Active learning is an important component of pharmacy education. By engaging students in the learning process, they are better able to apply the knowledge they gain. This paper describes evidence supporting the use of active-learning strategies in pharmacy education and also offers strategies for implementing active learning in pharmacy curricula in the classroom and during pharmacy practice experiences.

  12. Educational Games as a Teaching Tool in Pharmacy Curriculum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aburahma, Mona Hassan; Mohamed, Heba Moustafa

    2015-05-25

    The shift in the pharmacist's role from simply dispensing medications to effective delivery of pharmaceutical care interventions and drug therapy management has influenced pharmacy education.(1-3) The educational focus has shifted from basic sciences to clinical and integrated courses that require incorporating active-learning strategies to provide pharmacy graduates with higher levels of competencies and specialized skills. As opposed to passive didactic lectures, active-learning strategies address the educational content in an interactive learning environment to develop interpersonal, communication, and problem-solving skills needed by pharmacists to function effectively in their new roles.(4-6) One such strategy is using educational games. The aim of this paper is to review educational games adopted in different pharmacy schools and to aid educators in replicating the successfully implemented games and overcoming deficiencies in educational games. This review also highlights the main pitfalls within this research area.

  13. Coping by Copying? Higher Education Institutions' Student Recruitment Strategies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frolich, Nicoline; Brandt, Synnove; Hovdhaugen, Elisabeth; Aamodt, Per Olaf

    2009-01-01

    Growing national and international competition for students puts pressure on higher education institutions (HEIs) to develop marketing and student recruitment strategies; these are also driven by financial stress caused by performance-based funding mechanisms. In this paper we explore Norwegian HEIs' student recruitment strategies. What type of…

  14. Tropism-Modification Strategies for Targeted Gene Delivery Using Adenoviral Vectors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew H. Baker

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Achieving high efficiency, targeted gene delivery with adenoviral vectors is a long-standing goal in the field of clinical gene therapy. To achieve this, platform vectors must combine efficient retargeting strategies with detargeting modifications to ablate native receptor binding (i.e. CAR/integrins/heparan sulfate proteoglycans and “bridging” interactions. “Bridging” interactions refer to coagulation factor binding, namely coagulation factor X (FX, which bridges hepatocyte transduction in vivo through engagement with surface expressed heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs. These interactions can contribute to the off-target sequestration of Ad5 in the liver and its characteristic dose-limiting hepatotoxicity, thereby significantly limiting the in vivo targeting efficiency and clinical potential of Ad5-based therapeutics. To date, various approaches to retargeting adenoviruses (Ad have been described. These include genetic modification strategies to incorporate peptide ligands (within fiber knob domain, fiber shaft, penton base, pIX or hexon, pseudotyping of capsid proteins to include whole fiber substitutions or fiber knob chimeras, pseudotyping with non-human Ad species or with capsid proteins derived from other viral families, hexon hypervariable region (HVR substitutions and adapter-based conjugation/crosslinking of scFv, growth factors or monoclonal antibodies directed against surface-expressed target antigens. In order to maximize retargeting, strategies which permit detargeting from undesirable interactions between the Ad capsid and components of the circulatory system (e.g. coagulation factors, erythrocytes, pre-existing neutralizing antibodies, can be employed simultaneously. Detargeting can be achieved by genetic ablation of native receptor-binding determinants, ablation of “bridging interactions” such as those which occur between the hexon of Ad5 and coagulation factor X (FX, or alternatively, through the use of polymer

  15. Foot health education for people with rheumatoid arthritis — some patient perspectives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Graham Andrea S

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Patient education is an important component of foot health management for people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA. The content and strategies for delivery require investigation in relation to the patients’ needs. This study explores patients’ experiences of foot health education, to inform how the patients’ needs could be identified in clinical practice and inform effective education delivery. Method A focus group was used to collect data. The dialogue was recorded digitally, transcribed verbatim and analysed using a structured thematic approach. Member checking and peer review added to credibility of the data. Six themes emerged; (i content and purpose of patient education – what it should be, (ii content of patient education – what it should not be, (iii timing of information on foot health, (iv method of delivery, (v ability to engage with foot health education and (vi the patient/practitioner relationship. Conclusions This study identified aspects of patient education considered important by this group of patients in relation to content, timing and delivery, forming the basis for further research on clinical and patient focussed outcomes of patient education. Identifying health education needs and provision of supportive verbal and written information can foster an effective therapeutic relationship, supporting effective foot health education for people with RA.

  16. Prenatal care and socioeconomic status: effect on cesarean delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milcent, Carine; Zbiri, Saad

    2018-03-10

    Cesarean deliveries are widely used in many high- and middle-income countries. This overuse both increases costs and lowers quality of care and is thus a major concern in the healthcare industry. The study first examines the impact of prenatal care utilization on cesarean delivery rates. It then determines whether socioeconomic status affects the use of prenatal care and thereby influences the cesarean delivery decision. Using exclusive French delivery data over the 2008-2014 period, with multilevel logit models, and controlling for relevant patient and hospital characteristics, we show that women who do not participate in prenatal education have an increased probability of a cesarean delivery compared to those who do. The study further indicates that attendance at prenatal education varies according to socioeconomic status. Low socioeconomic women are more likely to have cesarean deliveries and less likely to participate in prenatal education. This result emphasizes the importance of focusing on pregnancy health education, particularly for low-income women, as a potential way to limit unnecessary cesarean deliveries. Future studies would ideally investigate the effect of interventions promoting such as care participation on cesarean delivery rates.

  17. IT education strategy oriented to the alignment between business and information systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marko Čičin-Šain

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available In this paper we analyze the significance of IT education strategy oriented to the alignment between in - formation systems and business systems. We establish goals and develop concepts, and present a metho - dological frame of strategic IT education. We report the results of our research and investigate the way and intensity of the impact of strategic IT education on the factors influencing the alignment and linking between information systems and business strategies. From the point of view of our research, we have focused on factors that have an influence on the alignment between information systems and business strategies, and factors affecting organisational effectiveness. Factors influencing strategic IT education have also been systematized within the categories of busine - ss/information system alignment, and organisational effectiveness. Since strategic IT education has been recognized and organized in different concepts, we have included three concepts in our questionnaires: strategic IT education for managers, organisational learning and e-learning

  18. Characterization of particulate drug delivery systems for oral delivery of Peptide and protein drugs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christophersen, Philip Carsten; Fano, Mathias; Saaby, Lasse; Yang, Mingshi; Nielsen, Hanne Mørck; Mu, Huiling

    2015-01-01

    Oral drug delivery is a preferred route because of good patient compliance. However, most peptide/ protein drugs are delivered via parenteral routes because of the absorption barriers in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract such as enzymatic degradation by proteases and low permeability acrossthe biological membranes. To overcome these barriers, different formulation strategies for oral delivery of biomacromolecules have been proposed, including lipid based formulations and polymer-based particulate drug delivery systems (DDS). The aim of this review is to summarize the existing knowledge about oral delivery of peptide/protein drugs and to provide an overview of formulationand characterization strategies. For a better understanding of the challenges in oral delivery of peptide/protein drugs, the composition of GI fluids and the digestion processes of different kinds of excipients in the GI tract are summarized. Additionally, the paper provides an overview of recent studies on characterization of solid drug carriers for peptide/protein drugs, drug distribution in particles, drug release and stability in simulated GI fluids, as well as the absorption of peptide/protein drugs in cell-based models. The use of biorelevant media when applicable can increase the knowledge about the quality of DDS for oral protein delivery. Hopefully, the knowledge provided in this review will aid the establishment of improved biorelevant models capable of forecasting the performance of particulate DDS for oral peptide/protein delivery.

  19. Technological Factors, User Characteristics and Didactic Strategies in Educational Virtual Environments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Natsis, Antonios; Vrellis, Ioannis; Papachristos, Nikiforos

    2012-01-01

    Technological factors, user characteristics and didactic strategies do not function consistently across Educational Virtual Environments. This study investigates the impact of viewing condition and didactic strategy on attention allocation, suspension of disbelief, spatial presence, and learning...... outcomes in an Educational Virtual Environment concerning ancient Greek pottery. Our results show that the viewing condition does not affect attention allocation, suspension of disbelief, and spatial presence. Learning outcomes are better in the monoscopic viewing condition. Didactic strategy has an impact...... on suspension of disbelief and learning outcomes. Domain specific interest associates with higher level of attention allocation and spatial presence, while spatial presence is not related to learning outcomes. More research is needed in order to identify the role of each one of the above factors in Educational...

  20. Foreign Scholars' Theoretical Approaches to Using Social Networks as Educational Strategies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pazyura, Natalia

    2017-01-01

    Modern trends in development of information and communication technologies change many aspects in the process of education: from the role of participants to the forms and methods of knowledge delivery. ICTs make it possible to develop students' creative potential. The emergence of online social groups was an important event in the sphere of…

  1. Exemplars and Nudges: Combining Two Strategies for Moral Education

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Engelen, Bart; Thomas, Alan; Archer, Alfred; van de Ven, Niels

    This article defends the use of narratives about morally exemplary individuals in moral education and appraises the role that ‘nudge’ strategies can play in combination with such an appeal to exemplars. It presents a general conception of the aims of moral education and explains how the proposed

  2. Strategies for Success in Financial Education. PDP 2009-3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newberger, Robin G.; Paulson, Anna L.

    2009-01-01

    The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago will host a conference, Financial Literacy, Financial Education, and the Federal Reserve: Strategies for Success, on September 11, 2009. This article reviews some of the financial education activities throughout the Federal Reserve System. The topics these initiatives cover include financial skill building,…

  3. Identifying Effective Strategies for Climate Change Education: The Coastal Areas Climate Change Education (CACCE) Partnership Audiences and Activities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryan, J. G.; Feldman, A.; Muller-Karger, F. E.; Gilbes, F.; Stone, D.; Plank, L.; Reynolds, C. J.

    2011-12-01

    Many past educational initiatives focused on global climate change have foundered on public skepticism and disbelief. Some key reasons for these past failures can be drawn directly from recognized best practices in STEM education - specifically, the necessity to help learners connect new knowledge with their own experiences and perspectives, and the need to create linkages with issues or concerns that are both important for and relevant to the audiences to be educated. The Coastal Areas Climate Change Education (CACCE) partnership has sought to follow these tenets as guiding principles in identifying critical audiences and developing new strategies for educating the public living in the low-lying coastal areas of Florida and the Caribbean on the realities, risks, and adaptation and mitigation strategies for dealing with the regional impacts of global climate change. CACCE is currently focused on three key learner audiences: a) The formal education spectrum, targeting K-12 curricula through middle school marine science courses, and student and educator audiences through coursework and participatory research strategies engaging participants in a range of climate-related investigations. b) Informal science educators and outlets, in particular aquaria and nature centers, as an avenue toward K-12 teacher professional development as well as for public education. c) Regional planning, regulatory and business professionals focused on the built environment along the coasts, many of whom require continuing education to maintain licensing and/or other professional certifications. Our current activities are focused on bringing together an effective set of educational, public- and private-sector partners to target the varied needs of these audiences in Florida and the U.S. Caribbean, and tailoring an educational plan aimed at these stakeholder audiences that starts with the regionally and topically relevant impacts of climate change, and strategies for effective adaptation and

  4. Differential use of learning strategies in first-year higher education: the impact of personality, academic motivation, and teaching strategies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donche, Vincent; De Maeyer, Sven; Coertjens, Liesje; Van Daal, Tine; Van Petegem, Peter

    2013-06-01

    Although the evidence in support of the variability of students' learning strategies has expanded in recent years, less is known about the explanatory base of these individual differences in terms of the joint influences of personal and contextual characteristics. Previous studies have often investigated how student learning is associated with either personal or contextual factors. This study takes an integrative research perspective into account and examines the joint effects of personality, academic motivation, and teaching strategies on students' learning strategies in a same educational context in first-year higher education. In this study, 1,126 undergraduate students and 90 lecturers from eight professional bachelor programmes in a university college participated. Self-report measures were used to measure students' personality, academic motivation, and learning strategies. Students' processing and regulation strategies are mapped using the Inventory of Learning Styles. Key characteristics of more content-focused versus learning-focused teaching strategies were measured. Multivariate multi-level analysis was used to take the nested data structure and interrelatedness of learning strategies into account. Different personality traits (openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism) and academic motivation (amotivation, autonomous, and controlled motivation) were found to be independently associated with student learning strategies. Besides these student characteristics, also teaching strategies were found to be directly associated with learning strategies. The study makes clear that the impact of teaching strategies on learning strategies in first-year higher education cannot be overlooked nor overinterpreted, due to the importance of students' personality and academic motivation which also partly explain why students learn the way they do. © 2013 The British Psychological Society.

  5. Reforming Upper Secondary Education in Europe. The Leonardo da Vinci Project Post-16 Strategies. Surveys of Strategies for Post-16 Education To Improve the Parity of Esteem for Initial Vocational Education in Eight European Educational Systems. Theory into Practice 92. Institute for Educational Research Publication Series B.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lasonen, Johanna, Ed.

    This book contains the following papers on the Leonardo da Vinci project: "Looking for Post-16 Education Strategies for Parity of Esteem in Europe" (Lasonen); "Improving Parity of Esteem as a Policy Goal" (Makinen, Volanen); "Alternative Strategies for Parity of Esteem between General/Academic and Vocational Education in…

  6. The Social Media MBA Your Competitive Edge in Social Media Strategy Development and Delivery

    CERN Document Server

    Holloman, Christer

    2011-01-01

    It's a fact that companies so far have only scratched the surface of what can be achieved with social media. Whatever continent, industry, company size, current degree of social media adoption or your job title, the purpose of this book is to inspire you to see how you can raise the bar further to reap new rewards. It will give you the tools to make a difference to your organisation's social media strategy development and delivery going forward. In addition it will also give you more intellectual support and confidence to discuss social media on a higher level with peers, inspire colleagues or

  7. Comparison of two lecture delivery platforms in a hybrid distance education program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ried, L Douglas; Byers, Katherine

    2009-08-28

    To compare students' preferences for and academic performance using 2 different distance education course content delivery platforms. A randomized, crossover research design was used to compare traditional video with a 4-panel platform among learners on multiple campuses within 1 college of pharmacy.(1) The outcomes were students' preferences for delivery platform and examination scores. Rasch analysis was used to assess unidimensionality and the difficulty of examination items. Hierarchical logistic and multiple regression models were used to assess students' preferences and academic performance. The logistic model predicting preference for the 4-panel or traditional platform was not significant, but African-Americans and Hispanics were more likely to prefer the 4-panel platform than Caucasian and Asian students. The delivery platform did not impact students' academic performance. Students who did well on the semester's previous 2 examinations scored higher on the questions related to schizophrenia. Students with higher Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) scores performed better on the bipolar questions than students who preferred the traditional video platform. The additional faculty time, effort, and cost invested in presenting the class material in a 4-panel platform, and the students' extra time and effort spent viewing the 4-panel platform did not produce a comparable benefit in student preference and performance.

  8. Strategies to accommodate resident work-hour restrictions: impact on surgical education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freiburg, Carter; James, Ted; Ashikaga, Takamura; Moalem, Jacob; Cherr, Greg

    2011-01-01

    The introduction of duty-hour restrictions has impacted surgical training. Several strategies were introduced by training programs in response to these restrictions. The purpose of this study was to assess the various strategies employed by residency programs to comply with work-hour restrictions with respect to the impact on the quality of surgical education. A national survey was developed and distributed to resident members of the Resident and Associate Society of the American College of Surgeons in all accredited residency programs across North America. Questions in the survey addressed 10 separate accommodation strategies used by training programs to adhere to resident work-hour restrictions. Resident respondents completed a 5-point Likert scale rating each strategy according to its impact on surgical education (detrimental, not very helpful, neutral, somewhat helpful, and very helpful). A total of 599 (9.7%) responses were received from 6186 members of the Resident Associate Society. The use of health information technology (IT), nurse practitioners, and physician assistants were most highly rated. Hiring clinical fellows, establishing nonteaching services, and shift-work scheduling were the three most poorly rated accommodations to work-hour restrictions with respect to resident education. Hospital IT and nonphysician care providers were rated by residents to optimize surgical education in the current work-hour limitation environment. We infer that strategies which lead to increased efficiency and redistribution of resident workload allow surgical trainees to spend more time on activities perceived to have higher educational value. Copyright © 2011 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. An Overview of Vaccination Strategies and Antigen Delivery Systems for Streptococcus agalactiae Vaccines in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Munang'andu, Hetron Mweemba; Paul, Joydeb; Evensen, Øystein

    2016-12-13

    Streptococcus agalactiae is an emerging infectious disease adversely affecting Nile tilapia ( Niloticus oreochromis ) production in aquaculture. Research carried out in the last decade has focused on developing protective vaccines using different strategies, although no review has been carried out to evaluate the efficacy of these strategies. The purpose of this review is to provide a synopsis of vaccination strategies and antigen delivery systems currently used for S. agalactiae vaccines in tilapia. Furthermore, as shown herein, current vaccine designs include the use of replicative antigen delivery systems, such as attenuated virulent strains, heterologous vectors and DNA vaccines, while non-replicative vaccines include the inactivated whole cell (IWC) and subunit vaccines encoding different S. agalactiae immunogenic proteins. Intraperitoneal vaccination is the most widely used immunization strategy, although immersion, spray and oral vaccines have also been tried with variable success. Vaccine efficacy is mostly evaluated by use of the intraperitoneal challenge model aimed at evaluating the relative percent survival (RPS) of vaccinated fish. The major limitation with this approach is that it lacks the ability to elucidate the mechanism of vaccine protection at portals of bacterial entry in mucosal organs and prevention of pathology in target organs. Despite this, indications are that the correlates of vaccine protection can be established based on antibody responses and antigen dose, although these parameters require optimization before they can become an integral part of routine vaccine production. Nevertheless, this review shows that different approaches can be used to produce protective vaccines against S. agalactiae in tilapia although there is a need to optimize the measures of vaccine efficacy.

  10. An Overview of Vaccination Strategies and Antigen Delivery Systems for Streptococcus agalactiae Vaccines in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Munang’andu, Hetron Mweemba; Paul, Joydeb; Evensen, Øystein

    2016-01-01

    Streptococcus agalactiae is an emerging infectious disease adversely affecting Nile tilapia (Niloticus oreochromis) production in aquaculture. Research carried out in the last decade has focused on developing protective vaccines using different strategies, although no review has been carried out to evaluate the efficacy of these strategies. The purpose of this review is to provide a synopsis of vaccination strategies and antigen delivery systems currently used for S. agalactiae vaccines in tilapia. Furthermore, as shown herein, current vaccine designs include the use of replicative antigen delivery systems, such as attenuated virulent strains, heterologous vectors and DNA vaccines, while non-replicative vaccines include the inactivated whole cell (IWC) and subunit vaccines encoding different S. agalactiae immunogenic proteins. Intraperitoneal vaccination is the most widely used immunization strategy, although immersion, spray and oral vaccines have also been tried with variable success. Vaccine efficacy is mostly evaluated by use of the intraperitoneal challenge model aimed at evaluating the relative percent survival (RPS) of vaccinated fish. The major limitation with this approach is that it lacks the ability to elucidate the mechanism of vaccine protection at portals of bacterial entry in mucosal organs and prevention of pathology in target organs. Despite this, indications are that the correlates of vaccine protection can be established based on antibody responses and antigen dose, although these parameters require optimization before they can become an integral part of routine vaccine production. Nevertheless, this review shows that different approaches can be used to produce protective vaccines against S. agalactiae in tilapia although there is a need to optimize the measures of vaccine efficacy. PMID:27983591

  11. The delivery of distance education--is it time for doctoral programs in gerontology?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heinz, Melinda; Martin, Peter; Doll, Gayle; Pearson-Scott, Jean

    2015-01-01

    The delivery of higher education in gerontology is changing; students are now able to receive an education solely online. Perhaps it is time to consider offering this option at the doctoral level. A needs assessment was conducted to assess whether a doctoral program in gerontology should be created in the Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance (GPIDEA) program. An online survey was sent to 247 students enrolled in the GPIDEA program and to students who had taken a GPIDEA course in gerontology but were not currently enrolled in the program. One hundred and twenty-three students began the survey, although only 120 students completed the survey. Findings indicated students are interested in a doctoral program in gerontology. Approximately 65% of students were interested in obtaining a PhD from a distance education program. However, an applied program focusing on community outreach and leadership was of most interest to students. Students were less interested in research-based programs or in research residency. Therefore, the development of distance education doctoral degree programs in gerontology may need to be created differently than "traditional" formats.

  12. The Strategy for Development of Educational Services and Educational Programs at the University of Warsaw

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sitnicki Maksym W.

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The successful experience of the main educational and scientific institution of Poland – the University of Warsaw in formation and implementation of own strategy of development of educational services and educational programs under conditions of Polish membership in the European Union was researched. The model of the development system of the University of Warsaw has been built, based on its eleven main elements, reflecting the main strategic directions of development, which provide the basis for development of the University in the strategic perspective. The most important directions are described, which are pivotal and development-inclusive: concept of Open University; expansion of existing and creation of new training programs of an interdisciplinary nature; selection and education of scientific and pedagogical staff; training and practice of students; postgraduate education; launching of training programs in foreign languages, internationalization of education; paid tuition; scholarship programs of the University; promotion of outstanding didactic activities through the Foundation for didactic innovation; organizing the recruitment of candidates for training; quality of education. The scientific and practical results of this research will be useful for the top-level managers engaged in the development and implementation of strategies for higher education institutions and research universities in Ukraine.

  13. The relationships among usage of motivation, learning strategies, parents' educational level and gender

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Özlem Sadi

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Current study examines the following question: What is the relationship among Turkish high school students’ motivation and learning strategies use in biology, their gender and parents’ educational level? The aim of this study is to specify the relationships among family environment variables (fathers’ and mothers’ education levels, students’ gender, time/study environmental management, cognitive learning strategies (rehearsal, elaboration, organization and critical thinking and students’ goal orientations (intrinsic and extrinsic goal orientations. The participants were 400 students in 9th and 10th grades in Anatolian high schools in Turkey. So, they were in urban high school students. The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ was applied to measure motivational orientations and self-regulated learning strategies use of students. Moreover, a Structural Equation Modeling was used to investigate the relationships among family environment variables, students’ gender, time/study environmental management, cognitive learning strategies and students’ goal orientations by using the LISREL 8.72 program. The results of the study showed that parents’ education level was related to each of the following variables: rehearsal, elaboration, organization, critical thinking, time/study environmental management, intrinsic goal orientation and extrinsic goal orientation. Gender was related to rehearsal, elaboration, organization strategies, intrinsic goal orientation and extrinsic goal orientation. The results showed that students, whose parents have high education level, were also more likely to succeed in using cognitive learning strategies (rehearsal, elaboration, organization and critical thinking and planning the necessary time for learning and making use of time well. The present study revealed that parental education levels and gender should be taken into consideration as major predictors of time/study environmental

  14. Factors affecting home delivery in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bolam, A; Manandhar, D S; Shrestha, P; Ellis, M; Malla, K; Costello, A M

    1998-06-01

    This nested case-control study compares the characteristics of mothers having home or institutional deliveries in Kathmandu, Nepal, and explores the reasons given by mothers for a home delivery. The delivery patterns of mothers were identified in a cross-sectional survey of two communities: an urban area of central Kathmandu (Kalimati) and a peri-urban area (Kirtipur and Panga) five kilometres from the city centre. 357 pregnant women were identified from a survey of 6130 households: 183 from 3663 households in Kirtipur and Panga, 174 from 2467 households in Kalimati. Methods involved a structured baseline household questionnaire and detailed follow-up of identified pregnant women with structured and semi-structured interviews in hospital and the community. The main outcome measures were social and economic household details of pregnant women; pregnancy and obstetric details; place of delivery; delivery attendant; and reasons given for home delivery. The delivery place of 334/357 (94%) of the pregnant women identified at the survey was determined. 272 (81%) had an institutional delivery and 62 (19%) delivered at home. In univariate analysis comparing home and institutional deliverers, maternal education, parity, and poverty indicators (income, size of house, ownership of house) were associated with place of delivery. After multivariate analysis, low maternal educational level (no education, OR 5.04 [95% CI 1.61-15.8], class 1-10, OR 3.36 [1.04-10.8] compared to those with higher education) and multiparity (OR 3.1 [1.63-5.74] compared to primiparity) were significant risk factors for a home delivery. Of home deliverers, only 24% used a traditional birth attendant, and over half were unplanned due to precipitate labour or lack of transport. We conclude that poor education and multiparity rather than poverty per se increase the risk of a home delivery in Kathmandu. Training TBAs in this setting would probably not be cost-effective. Community-based midwife-run delivery

  15. Ensuring 3es and Responsiveness in the Delivery of Educational Services in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Philippines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sapia Moalam Abdulrachman

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM is a public organization in the Philippines located in between the national government and the local governments. It performs unique functions quite distinct from other public organizations in the coun-try, as it performs both political and administrative functions. Using unobtrusive research design, as it relies on mostly secondary data, this paper analyzes the educational system in the region and proposes strategies in attaining administrative efficiency, economy, effectiveness and responsiveness. The paper starts with the introduction which consist of the background and statement of the problem. It is followed by a review of theoretical perspective and then by the research methodology. The fourth part portrays the findings of the study which include: DepEd ARMM resources; the management of DepEd ARMM, and the management outputs such as: net enrollment ratio, achievement rate and literacy rate. The fifth part of the paper deals with the analyses and conclusion. The paper concludes that in addition to certain structural innovation, inculcation of appropriate work ethics in accordance with the Ethi-cal Standards Act, the Anti-Corruption Law, the Civil Service Rules and Regulations as well as the Islamic Practices on Employment must be enshrined in the reform agenda. Finally, among other things that could facilitate the attainment of 3Es and R in the delivery of educational services is a strategy that requires the joint collaboration and teamwork between the civil society, non-government organizations and government organizations in the region.

  16. DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OF PARTNERSHIP OF HIGHER EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND BUSINESS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. Mazur

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available In the article the cooperation of higher education, science and business is analysed. A conflict of civilizations wave development in the confrontation of two forces: the "factory of Education" and force change is disclosed. European and Ukrainian higher education quality estimation is analysed. The effect of unsynchronization in time is educed between the necessities of business and possibilities of education and science. Reasons of bribery are exposed at higher school. The development strategy of partnership of higher education, science and business is proposed.

  17. Strategy of Media Education: Philosophical and Pedagogical Aspects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Evgeniya Mikhailovna Nikolaeva

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Modern requirements for educational activities have a binary nature. Thus, on the one hand, educational practice established in the form of a social institution is one of the most conservative areas of social space. On the other hand, comfortable adaptation of a person to the processes occurring in the modern world is impossible without taking into account the phenomena of digital nature. The article provides a philosophical and pedagogical strategy aimed at the development of critical and creative thinking skills and competent reasoning, which can act as a basis for media education. The paper shows that the community of researchers is an interactive form of lesson organization, which makes it possible to develop rationality and ethical-and-democratic behaviour and, thus, to promote information and media literacy among students. The article also presents theoretical justification of the strategy, as well as techniques and materials for its empirical assessment. These can help arrange a lesson according to the principle of research community, which will contribute to the development of both cognitive and ethical-and-social skills in students.

  18. Strategies for Implementing Human Rights Education in Nigeria ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Strategies for Implementing Human Rights Education in Nigeria. ... the social and emotional development of the child and by introducing democratic values. It helps learners to develop attitudes of solidarity across issues and nations. Human ...

  19. Student-Centered Instruction and Academic Achievement: Linking Mechanisms of Educational Inequality to Schools’ Instructional Strategy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Ida Gran; Andersen, Simon Calmar

    2017-01-01

    educational inequality. We analyze whether the impact of student-centered instructional strategies on academic achievement differs for students with different socioeconomic backgrounds. Results suggest that a student-centered instructional strategy has a negative impact on academic achievement in general......, and for students with low parental education in particular. Our findings support the argument that the instructional strategy of schools is an important mechanism in generating educational inequality through the stratification of learning opportunities.......Research in the sociology of education argues that the educational system provides different learning opportunities for students with different socioeconomic backgrounds and that this circumstance makes the educational process an important institutional context for the reproduction of educational...

  20. Overview of Faculty Development Programs for Interprofessional Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ratka, Anna; Zorek, Joseph A; Meyer, Susan M

    2017-06-01

    Objectives. To describe characteristics of faculty development programs designed to facilitate interprofessional education, and to compile recommendations for development, delivery, and assessment of such faculty development programs. Methods. MEDLINE, CINAHL, ERIC, and Web of Science databases were searched using three keywords: faculty development, interprofessional education, and health professions. Articles meeting inclusion criteria were analyzed for emergent themes, including program design, delivery, participants, resources, and assessment. Results. Seventeen articles were identified for inclusion, yielding five characteristics of a successful program: institutional support; objectives and outcomes based on interprofessional competencies; focus on consensus-building and group facilitation skills; flexibility based on institution- and participant-specific characteristics; and incorporation of an assessment strategy. Conclusion. The themes and characteristics identified in this literature overview may support development of faculty development programs for interprofessional education. An advanced evidence base for interprofessional education faculty development programs is needed.

  1. Magnetic resonance-guided regional gene delivery strategy using a tumor stroma-permeable nanocarrier for pancreatic cancer

    OpenAIRE

    Wang, Xiaolin; Wang,Qingbing; Li,Jianfeng; An,Sai; Chen,Yi; Jiang,Chen

    2015-01-01

    Qingbing Wang,1,2 Jianfeng Li,3 Sai An,3 Yi Chen,1 Chen Jiang,3 Xiaolin Wang1,2 1Department of Interventional Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 2Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, 3Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Ministry of Education, Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China Background: Gene therapy is a very promising technology for treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarci...

  2. Strategies for Ensuring Quality in the Business Education ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Strategies for Ensuring Quality in the Business Education Programme of Tertiary Institutions in ... The survey method was employed. One research question guided the study while two null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 degree of significance.

  3. "Academic Strategy: The Management Revolution in American Higher Education," by George Keller (1983) Can Strategy Work in Higher Education?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Temple, Paul

    2018-01-01

    Keller's book was one of the first works to suggest strategic approaches to the management of higher education institutions. His case study method proved popular with readers. However, the limitations of his approach to strategy grew more apparent over time, although many of his insights remain valid today.

  4. The Rural Health Care Delivery System in the Dingxian Experiment: A Case Study of Educational Transfer in Republican China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Wai-man; Lo, L. Nai-kwai

    1988-01-01

    Discusses dependency theory in comparative education studies. Examines U.S. educational transfer to China during the Republican period as it functioned through the public health delivery model of the Dingxian Experiment. Notes that resistance to dependency in this case could serve as a model for avoiding the technological misfitting of programs.…

  5. A Study on Developing Learning Strategies in Violin Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Afacan, Senol; Cilden, Seyda

    2018-01-01

    This study was conducted for the purpose of developing a valid and reliable learning strategies scale for students receiving violin education in Departments of Music at Fine Arts High Schools. The scale was applied to 391 violin students receiving education in the 11th and 12th grades in Departments of Music at Fine Arts High Schools in the…

  6. Practical strategies for nursing education program evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewallen, Lynne Porter

    2015-01-01

    Self-evaluation is required for institutions of higher learning and the nursing programs within them. The literature provides information on evaluation models and instruments, and descriptions of how specific nursing education programs are evaluated. However, there are few discussions in the nursing education literature of the practical aspects of nursing education program evaluation: how to get started, how to keep track of data, who to involve in data collection, and how to manage challenging criteria. This article discusses the importance of program evaluation in the academic setting and provides information on practical ways to organize the evaluation process and aggregate data, and strategies for gathering data from students, graduates, alumni, and employers of graduates. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Core Processes Roadmap to Deploy the Higher Education Institution's Internationalization Strategy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elena FLEACĂ

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Technological development, competition and globalisation are radically changing the landscape of higher education which maintains its crucial role in individual and societal advancement. Many higher education institutions are competing on increasing their attractiveness by providing innovative curricula, excellence in teaching and research opportunities. The paper attempts to tackle the push for stronger international presence which brings favourable conditions for internationalisation strategy at institutional level. Based on useful methods from quality management and business process reengineering, the author proposed a coherent organizational model for a higher education institution strategy, mainstreaming key areas as international mobility for students and staff, internationalization and improvement of curricula and new e-learning methods, and strategic cooperation, partnerships and capacity building with international stakeholders. The findings stress the benefits of a holistic approach in assuring the governance of internationalization strategy composed of three core processes groups - academic, research, and wider business relationships – so as to provide that process architecture is able to deliver a value added internationalised higher education offer.

  8. Advancing Inclusive Mathematics Education: Strategies and Resources for Effective IEP Practices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Paulo

    2017-01-01

    Personal experiences promoting inclusive mathematics education for my own child have mostly been met with staunch resistance on the part of educators, and a resulting breakdown in collaborative efforts during individualized education program (IEP) meetings. However, I found that utilizing certain strategies and introducing innovative mathematics…

  9. Reflection: an educational strategy to develop emotionally-competent nurse leaders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horton-Deutsch, Sara; Sherwood, Gwen

    2008-11-01

    This paper explores educational strategies for nurses that focus on reflectivity and promote the development of self-awareness, relationship and communication skills and ability to lead with presence and compassion in the midst of change. Today nurses move rapidly from carefully-controlled educational experiences to a fast-paced clinical world of increasing patient complexity amid calls for improved quality of care. Making the transition to clinical competence and leadership in practice requires a strong sense of self and emotional intelligence. Pedagogies that integrate theoretical and data-based textbook learning with experiential learning and reflection are a foundation for the development of emotionally- and intellectually-competent leaders and requires new ways of assessing learner outcomes. Reflection is a key instructional strategy for preparing transformational nurse leaders for interdisciplinary settings where they lead patient care management. The remarkable global spread of reflection in nursing education, practice and research follows an emphasis on developing self-awareness as a leadership strategy for improving individual and organizational performance. Empirical, experiential and anecdotal evidence suggests that reflection has the potential to prepare emotionally-capable nurse leaders. As educators create more reflective and nurturing learning environments, they will promote the development of emotionally-competent nurse leaders who will, in turn, inspire individual and organizational growth and positive change in society.

  10. The Strategies of Modeling in Biology Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Svoboda, Julia; Passmore, Cynthia

    2013-01-01

    Modeling, like inquiry more generally, is not a single method, but rather a complex suite of strategies. Philosophers of biology, citing the diverse aims, interests, and disciplinary cultures of biologists, argue that modeling is best understood in the context of its epistemic aims and cognitive payoffs. In the science education literature,…

  11. Influence and Challenges of the Capitation Grant on Education Delivery in Basic Schools in Ghana

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pajibo, Edison; Tamanja, Emmanuel M. J.

    2017-01-01

    In Ghana, some children do not attend school, because their parents are unable to afford levies and fees charged by schools. This led to the introduction of the Capitation Grant Scheme in 2005. This study investigates the influence of the Capitation Grant Scheme on education delivery in basic schools in Ghana, through a close study of the Ga West…

  12. The Challenges for Marketing Distance Education in Online Environment: An Intergrated Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Demiray, Ugur, Ed.; Sever, N. Serdar, Ed.

    2009-01-01

    The education system of our times has transformed greatly due to enormous developments in the IT field, ease in access to online resources by the individuals and the teachers adopting new technologies in their instructional strategies, be it for course design, development or delivery. The field of Distance and Online Education is experiencing…

  13. Strategy of Slovak Republic's government to use higher education as an investment into human capital

    OpenAIRE

    Smereková, Erika

    2016-01-01

    Bc. Erika Smereková Strategy of Slovak Republic's Government to use higher education as an investment in human capital Abstract The Master thesis on the topic "Strategy of Slovak Republic's government to use higher education as an investment in human capital" presents results to the following research question: To what extent is it a part of strategy of Slovak Republic's educational policy to use higher education as an investment in human capital? The thesis specifically focuses on the idea o...

  14. Assessment of Delirium in Intensive Care Unit Patients: Educational Strategies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Judith M; Van Aman, M Nancy; Schneiderhahn, Mary Elizabeth; Edelman, Robin; Ercole, Patrick M

    2017-05-01

    Delirium is an acute brain dysfunction associated with poor outcomes in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Critical care nurses play an important role in the prevention, detection, and management of delirium, but they must be able to accurately assess for it. The Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU) instrument is a reliable and valid method to assess for delirium, but research reveals most nurses need practice to use it proficiently. A pretest-posttest design was used to evaluate the success of a multimodal educational strategy (i.e., online learning module coupled with standardized patient simulation experience) on critical care nurses' knowledge and confidence to assess and manage delirium using the CAM-ICU. Participants (N = 34) showed a significant increase (p education. No statistical change in knowledge of delirium existed following the education. A multimodal educational strategy, which included simulation, significantly added confidence in critical care nurses' performance using the CAM-ICU. J Contin Nurs Educ. 2017;48(5):239-244. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

  15. Self-management toolkit and delivery strategy for end-of-life pain: the mixed-methods feasibility study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bennett, Michael I; Mulvey, Matthew R; Campling, Natasha; Latter, Sue; Richardson, Alison; Bekker, Hilary; Blenkinsopp, Alison; Carder, Paul; Closs, Jose; Farrin, Amanda; Flemming, Kate; Gallagher, Jean; Meads, David; Morley, Stephen; O'Dwyer, John; Wright-Hughes, Alexandra; Hartley, Suzanne

    2017-12-01

    Pain affects most people approaching the end of life and can be severe for some. Opioid analgesia is effective, but evidence is needed about how best to support patients in managing these medicines. To develop a self-management support toolkit (SMST) and delivery strategy and to test the feasibility of evaluating this intervention in a future definitive trial. Phase I - evidence synthesis and qualitative interviews with patients and carers. Phase II - qualitative semistructured focus groups and interviews with patients, carers and specialist palliative care health professionals. Phase III - multicentre mixed-methods single-arm pre-post observational feasibility study. Phase I - six patients and carers. Phase II - 15 patients, four carers and 19 professionals. Phase III - 19 patients recruited to intervention that experienced pain, living at home and were treated with strong opioid analgesia. Process evaluation interviews with 13 patients, seven carers and 11 study nurses. Self-Management of Analgesia and Related Treatments at the end of life (SMART) intervention comprising a SMST and a four-step educational delivery approach by clinical nurse specialists in palliative care over 6 weeks. Recruitment rate, treatment fidelity, treatment acceptability, patient-reported outcomes (such as scores on the Brief Pain Inventory, Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Disease Scale, Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale, EuroQol-5 Dimensions, Satisfaction with Information about Medicines Scale, and feasibility of collecting data on health-care resource use for economic evaluation). Phase I - key themes on supported self-management were identified from evidence synthesis and qualitative interviews. Phase II - the SMST was developed and refined. The delivery approach was nested within a nurse-patient consultation. Phase III - intervention was delivered to 17 (89%) patients, follow-up data at 6 weeks were available on 15 patients. Overall, the intervention was viewed as acceptable and

  16. Mucosal delivery of liposome-chitosan nanoparticles complexes

    OpenAIRE

    Carvalho, Edison Samir Mascarelhas; Grenha, Ana; Remuñán-López, Carmen; Alonso, Maria José; Seijo, Begoña

    2009-01-01

    Designing adequate drug carriers has long been a major challenge for those working in drug delivery. Since drug delivery strategies have evolved for mucosal delivery as the outstanding alternative to parenteral administration, many new drug delivery systems have been developed which evidence promising properties to address specific issues. Colloidal carriers, such as nanoparticles and liposomes, have been referred to as the most valuable approaches, but still have some limitations that can...

  17. From Molecular to Nanotechnology Strategies for Delivery of Neurotrophins: Emphasis on Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Géral, Claire; Angelova, Angelina; Lesieur, Sylviane

    2013-01-01

    Neurodegenerative diseases represent a major public health problem, but beneficial clinical treatment with neurotrophic factors has not been established yet. The therapeutic use of neurotrophins has been restrained by their instability and rapid degradation in biological medium. A variety of strategies has been proposed for the administration of these leading therapeutic candidates, which are essential for the development, survival and function of human neurons. In this review, we describe the existing approaches for delivery of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is the most abundant neurotrophin in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS). Biomimetic peptides of BDNF have emerged as a promising therapy against neurodegenerative disorders. Polymer-based carriers have provided sustained neurotrophin delivery, whereas lipid-based particles have contributed also to potentiation of the BDNF action. Nanotechnology offers new possibilities for the design of vehicles for neuroprotection and neuroregeneration. Recent developments in nanoscale carriers for encapsulation and transport of BDNF are highlighted. PMID:24300402

  18. Students’ strategies for position-taking in transnational education

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Jin Hui

    2016-01-01

    The article illuminates the positions distributed and the strategies for position-taking which students pursue in order to transform or preserve their positions in a classroom with a transnational context where students have different national and international education experiences. Furthermore...

  19. Structure and strategies in children's educational television: the roles of program type and learning strategies in children's learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Linebarger, Deborah L; Piotrowski, Jessica Taylor

    2010-01-01

    Educational TV has been consistently linked to children's learning. In this research, educational TV characteristics were identified, coded, and tested for their influence on children's program-specific comprehension and vocabulary outcomes. Study 1 details a content analysis of TV features including a program's macrostructure (i.e., narrative or expository) and learning strategies embedded in the macrostructure that support learning in print-based contexts. In Study 2, regression analyses were used to predict outcomes involving 71 second and third graders (average age=7.63 years). Strategies were categorized as organizing, rehearsing, elaborating, or affective in function. Outcomes were uniformly higher for narrative macrostructures. Strategies used in narratives predicted relatively homogenous relations across outcomes, whereas strategies in expositories predicted quite heterogeneous relations across outcomes. © 2010 The Authors. Child Development © 2010 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

  20. Characterization of the pH and Temperature in the Rabbit, Pig, and Monkey Eye: Key Parameters for the Development of Long-Acting Delivery Ocular Strategies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lorget, Florence; Parenteau, Audrey; Carrier, Michel; Lambert, Daniel; Gueorguieva, Ana; Schuetz, Chris; Bantseev, Vlad; Thackaberry, Evan

    2016-09-06

    Many long-acting delivery strategies for ocular indications rely on pH- and/or temperature-driven release of the therapeutic agent and degradation of the drug carrier. Yet, these physiological parameters are poorly characterized in ocular animal models. These strategies aim at reducing the frequency of dosing, which is of particular interest for the treatment of chronic disorders affecting the posterior segment of the eye, such as macular degeneration that warrants monthly or every other month intravitreal injections. We used anesthetized white New Zealand rabbits, Yucatan mini pigs, and cynomolgus monkeys to characterize pH and temperature in several vitreous locations and the central aqueous location. We also established post mortem pH changes in the vitreous. Our data showed regional and species differences, which need to be factored into strategies for developing biodegradable long-acting delivery systems.

  1. Simulation-based education for building clinical teams

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marshall Stuart

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Failure to work as an effective team is commonly cited as a cause of adverse events and errors in emergency medicine. Until recently, individual knowledge and skills in managing emergencies were taught, without reference to the additional skills required to work as part of a team. Team training courses are now becoming commonplace, however their strategies and modes of delivery are varied. Just as different delivery methods of traditional education can result in different levels of retention and transfer to the real world, the same is true in team training of the material in different ways in traditional forms of education may lead to different levels of retention and transfer to the real world, the same is true in team training. As team training becomes more widespread, the effectiveness of different modes of delivery including the role of simulation-based education needs to be clearly understood. This review examines the basis of team working in emergency medicine, and the components of an effective emergency medical team. Lessons from other domains with more experience in team training are discussed, as well as the variations from these settings that can be observed in medical contexts. Methods and strategies for team training are listed, and experiences in other health care settings as well as emergency medicine are assessed. Finally, best practice guidelines for the development of team training programs in emergency medicine are presented.

  2. Community-Engaged Strategies to Increase Diversity of Participants in Health Education Research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khubchandani, Jagdish; Balls-Berry, Joyce; Price, James H; Webb, Fern J

    2016-05-01

    Minorities have historically been underrepresented in health-related research. Several strategies have been recommended to increase the participation of minorities in health-related research. However, most of the recommendations and guidelines apply to research in clinical or laboratory contexts. One of the more prominent methods to enhance minority participation in health-related research that has recently come to the fore is the use of community-engaged strategies. The purpose of this article is to summarize community-engaged outreach efforts that can be translated into useable strategies for health education research teams seeking to diversify the pool of research participants. Also, we provide a succinct overview of the various components of a research endeavor that may influence minority participation in health-related research. Finally, we analyze how health education specialists and SOPHE (Society of Public Health Education) can play a leading role in helping enhance minority participation in health-related research. © 2016 Society for Public Health Education.

  3. Forest Landowner Education Interests and Delivery Preferences: A Retrospective Look at Survey Results and Actual Participation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zobrist, Kevin W.; Rozance, Mary Ann

    2015-01-01

    This article presents survey data on education interests and delivery preferences of small forest landowners in Washington and compares it to actual program participation over 6 years. The survey was conducted in late 2007 to guide development and implementation of a Extension forestry program. The survey found broad interest across many topics…

  4. Out-of-pocket expenditure on institutional delivery in India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohanty, Sanjay K; Srivastava, Akanksha

    2013-05-01

    Though promotion of institutional delivery is used as a strategy to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality, about half of the deliveries in India are conducted at home without any medical care. Among women who deliver at home, one in four cites cost as barrier to facility-based care. The relative share of deliveries in private health centres has increased over time and the associated costs are often catastrophic for poor households. Though research has identified socio-economic, demographic and geographic barriers to the utilization of maternal care, little is known on the cost differentials in delivery care in India. The objective of this paper is to understand the regional pattern and socio-economic differentials in out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditure on institutional delivery by source of provider in India. The study utilizes unit data from the District Level Household and Facility Survey (DLHS-3), conducted in India during 2007-08. Descriptive statistics, principal component analyses and a two-part model are used in the analyses. During 2004-08, the mean OOP expenditure for a delivery in a public health centre in India was US$39 compared with US$139 in a private health centre. The predicted expenditure for a caesarean delivery was six times higher than for a normal delivery. With an increase in the economic status and educational attainment of mothers, the propensity and rate of OOP expenditure increases, linking higher OOP expenditure to quality of care. The OOP expenditure in public health centres, adjusting for inflation, has declined over time, possibly due to increased spending under the National Rural Health Mission. Based on these findings, we recommend that facilities in public health centres of poorly performing states are improved and that public-private partnership models are developed to reduce the economic burden for households of maternal care in India.

  5. Mapping as a learning strategy in health professions education: a critical analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pudelko, Beatrice; Young, Meredith; Vincent-Lamarre, Philippe; Charlin, Bernard

    2012-12-01

    Mapping is a means of representing knowledge in a visual network and is becoming more commonly used as a learning strategy in medical education. The assumption driving the development and use of concept mapping is that it supports and furthers meaningful learning. The goal of this paper was to examine the effectiveness of concept mapping as a learning strategy in health professions education. The authors conducted a critical analysis of recent literature on the use of concept mapping as a learning strategy in the area of health professions education. Among the 65 studies identified, 63% were classified as empirical work, the majority (76%) of which used pre-experimental designs. Only 24% of empirical studies assessed the impact of mapping on meaningful learning. Results of the analysis do not support the hypothesis that mapping per se furthers and supports meaningful learning, memorisation or factual recall. When documented improvements in learning were found, they often occurred when mapping was used in concert with other strategies, such as collaborative learning or instructor modelling, scaffolding and feedback. Current empirical research on mapping as a learning strategy presents methodological shortcomings that limit its internal and external validity. The results of our analysis indicate that mapping strategies that make use of feedback and scaffolding have beneficial effects on learning. Accordingly, we see a need to expand the process of reflection on the characteristics of representational guidance as it is provided by mapping techniques and tools based on field of knowledge, instructional objectives, and the characteristics of learners in health professions education. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2012.

  6. Assessment and Educational Reform: Doing More than Polishing Brass on the Titanic, a Call for Discussion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jackman, Andrew

    This exploration of evaluation strategies for systemic educational reform considers whether there is a way to design an assessment and delivery system that can accomplish the goals of the total educational process. A basic question that must be addressed in systemic reform is the role of education in the socialization processes of society. Beyond…

  7. Preconception healthcare delivery at a population level: construction of public health models of preconception care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shannon, Geordan D; Alberg, Corinna; Nacul, Luis; Pashayan, Nora

    2014-08-01

    A key challenge of preconception healthcare is identifying how it can best be delivered at a population level. To review current strategies of preconception healthcare, explore methods of preconception healthcare delivery, and develop public health models which reflect different preconception healthcare pathways. Preconception care strategies, programmes and evaluations were identified through a review of Medline and Embase databases. Search terms included: preconception, pre-pregnancy, intervention, primary care, healthcare, model, delivery, program, prevention, trial, effectiveness, congenital disorders OR abnormalities, evaluation, assessment, impact. Inclusion criteria for review articles were: (1) English, (2) human subjects, (3) women of childbearing age, (4) 1980–current data, (5) all countries, (6) both high risk and universal approaches, (7) guidelines or recommendations, (8) opinion articles, (9) experimental studies. Exclusion criteria were: (1) non-human subjects, (2) non-English, (3) outside of the specified timeframe, (4) articles on male healthcare. The results of the literature review were synthesised into public health models of care: (1) primary care; (2) hospital-based and inter-conception care; (3) specific preconception care clinics; and, (4) community outreach. Fifteen evaluations of preconception care were identified. Community programmes demonstrated a significant impact on substance use, folic acid supplementation, diabetes optimization, and hyperphenylalaninemia. An ideal preconception visits entail risk screening, education, and intervention if indicated. Subsequently, four public health models were developed synthesizing preconception care delivery at a population level. Heterogeneity of risk factors, health systems and strategies of care reflect the lack of consensus about the best way to deliver preconception care. The proposed models aim to reflect differing aspects of preconception healthcare delivery.

  8. Administrative Strategies of School Management Effectiveness, Buriram Office of Primary Educational Service Area 4

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khanintipparat Prommaraj

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The objectives of this research were 1 to study the current and the expected Conditions of school management effectiveness, Buriram Office of Primary Educational Service Area 4 and 2 to construct administrative strategies of such schools. Eighty of directors, board chairpersons, teachers and parents were sampled. The instruments for data collection were 5-level rating scale questionnaires with the IOC value between 0.60–1.00 and the reliability value of 0.88 and in-depth interview forms. Quantitative data were analyzed by computer and qualitative data were inductively analyzed. The findings were as follows: 1. The current conditions school management effectiveness, Buriram Office of Primary Educational Service Area 4 was moderate while the expected conditions was high. By means of expected condition can be listed from high to low were atmosphere and environment management, administration, learning management and participation. 2. Strategies for effective management of schools under the Office of Educational Service Area 4 consists of four elementary Bachelor’s strategy is the first strategic development, management efficiency. 2 learners develop strategies to meet educational standards. Strategy 3: create an atmosphere and environment conducive to development. Strategy 4 and the joint cooperation of network.

  9. Comparison between Synchronous and Asynchronous Instructional Delivery Method of Training Programme on In-Service Physical Educators' Knowledge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Emmanouilidou, Kyriaki; Derri, Vassiliki; Antoniou, Panagiotis; Kyrgiridis, Pavlos

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to compare the influences of a training programme's instructional delivery method (synchronous and asynchronous) on Greek in-service physical educators' cognitive understanding on student assessment. Forty nine participants were randomly divided into synchronous, asynchronous, and control group. The experimental groups…

  10. Quality Assurance Strategies of Higher Education in Iraq and Kurdistan: A Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaghed, Nabeel; Dezaye, Ahmed

    2009-01-01

    This paper reports on two different strategies that have been implemented in Iraq to improve quality assurance in the higher education sector in Iraq. One strategy has been developed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Baghdad. It involved conducting a pilot study at the University of Babylon. This pilot included…

  11. Formulation of Higher Education Institutional Strategy Using Operational Research Approaches

    Science.gov (United States)

    Labib, Ashraf; Read, Martin; Gladstone-Millar, Charlotte; Tonge, Richard; Smith, David

    2014-01-01

    In this paper a framework is proposed for the formulation of a higher education institutional (HEI) strategy. This work provides a practical example, through a case study, to demonstrate how the proposed framework can be applied to the issue of formulation of HEI strategy. The proposed hybrid model is based on two operational research…

  12. Blended Learning: Deficits and Prospects in Higher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cuesta Medina, Liliana

    2018-01-01

    This article examines the nature and evolution of the term blended learning (BL), which encompasses numerous connotations, including its conception as a strategy, delivery mode, opportunity, educational shift, or pedagogical approach. Although much has been said in this field, very few studies examine the different types of blends behind their…

  13. Atopic Dermatitis: Drug Delivery Approaches in Disease Management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lalan, Manisha; Baweja, Jitendra; Misra, Ambikanandan

    2015-01-01

    In this review, we describe the very basic of atopic dermatitis (AD), the established management strategies, and the advances in drug delivery approaches for successful therapeutic outcomes. The multifactorial pathophysiology of AD has given rise to the clinician's paradigm of topical and systemic therapy and potential combinations. However, incomplete remission of skin disorders like AD is a major challenge to be overcome. Recurrence is thought to be due to genetic and immunological etiologies and shortcomings in drug delivery. This difficulty has sparked research in nanocarrier-based delivery approaches as well as molecular biology-inspired stratagems to deal with the immunological imbalance and to address insufficiencies of delivery propositions. In this review, we assess various novel drug delivery strategies in terms of their success and utility. We present a brief compilation and assessment of management modalities to sensitize the readers to therapeutic scenario in AD.

  14. Best strategies for patient education about anticoagulation with warfarin: a systematic review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Singh Sonal

    2008-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Patient education is an essential component in quality management of the anticoagulated patient. Because it is time consuming for clinicians and overwhelming for patients, education of the anticoagulated patient is often neglected. We surveyed the medical literature in order to identify the best patient education strategies. Methods Study Selection: Two reviewers independently searched the MEDLINE and Google Scholar databases (last search March 2007 using the terms "warfarin" or "anticoagulation", and "patient education". The initial search identified 206 citations, A total of 166 citations were excluded because patients were of pediatric age (4, the article was not related to patient education (48, did not contain original data or inadequate program description (141, was focused solely on patient self-testing (1, was a duplicate citation (3, the article was judged otherwise irrelevant (44, or no abstract was available (25. Data Extraction: Clinical setting, study design, group size, content source, time and personnel involved, educational strategy and domains, measures of knowledge retention. Results Data Synthesis: A total of 32 articles were ultimately used for data extraction. Thirteen articles adequately described features of the educational strategy. Five programs used a nurse or pharmacist, 4 used a physician, and 2 studies used other personnel/vehicles (lay educators (1, videotapes (1. The duration of the educational intervention ranged from 1 to 10 sessions. Patient group size most often averaged 3 to 5 patients but ranged from as low as 1 patient to as much as 11 patients. Although 12 articles offered information about education content, the wording and lack of detail in the description made it too difficult to accurately assign categories of education topics and to compare articles with one another. For the 17 articles that reported measures of patient knowledge, 5 of the 17 sites where the surveys were

  15. [Academic stress, desertion, and retention strategies for students in higher education].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suárez-Montes, Nancy; Díaz-Subieta, Luz B

    2015-04-01

    A systematic review was performed to specify the characteristics of academic stress that affect the mental health of the university population. To do this, recent publications regarding academic stress, student desertion, and retention strategies were examined. Throughout this text, we present the results of the review in terms of the definitions of academic stress, student desertion, and retention strategies. In the same way, we examine the interpretative models with regard to student desertion and approach retention strategies in higher education. We also review retention experiences of several other countries. In terms of Colombia, we present aspects related to student desertion and retention programs from the point of view of the National Ministry of Education and from the experience of some universities with consolidated programs.

  16. Feasibility of a multifaceted educational strategy for strengthening rural primary health care

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hortensia Reyes-Morales

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Objective. To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a comprehensive educational strategy designed to improve care quality in rural areas of Mexico. Materials and methods. A demonstration study was performed in 18 public rural health centers in Mexico, including an educational intervention that consists of the following steps: Development of the strat­egy; Selection and training of instructors (specialist physicians from the referral hospital and multidisciplinary field teams; Implementation of the strategy among health care teams for six priority causes of visit, through workshops, individual tutorials, and round-table case-review sessions. Feasibility and acceptability were evaluated using checklists, direct observa­tion, questionnaires and in-depth interviews with key players. Results. Despite some organizational barriers, the strategy was perceived as worthy by the participants because of the personalized tutorials and the improved integration of health teams within their usual professional practice. Conclusion. The educational strategy proved to be acceptable; its feasibil­ity for usual care conditions will depend on the improvement of organizational processes at rural facilities.

  17. Management trajectories in the type 2 diabetes Integrated Delivery System project in Taiwan: accounting for behavioral therapy, nutrition education and therapeutics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Hsing-Yi; Wahlqvist, Mark L; Liu, Wen-Ling; Lee, Meei-Shyuan; Shin, Shyi-Jang; Li, Yu-Sheng; Chang, Chih-Jen; Chang, Chwen-Tzuei; Fuh, Mao-Tsu; Yang, Hung-Jen; Tai, Tong-Yuan; Hsu, Chih-Cheng

    2014-01-01

    Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) assessment is basic to diabetes management. Little is done to describe the whole spectrum of the trajectory, its related temporal patterns of metabolic indices, and comorbidities. This was a longitudinal study. In the Diabetes Management through Integrated Delivery System project in Taiwan, enrollees had diabetes, but no major comorbidities. They were randomized into intensive or conventional education (health, diet and exercise) groups. HbA1c was classified by a groupbased trajectory model on the basis of repeated six-monthly measurements. We analyzed data from 1091 subjects who had at least two measurements on HbA1c. HbA1c exhibited three distinct ranges of low (42-53 mmol/mol), intermediate (64-75 mmol/mol) and high (97 mmol/mol), all of which persisted for 4.5 years regardless of receiving intensive education or not. Temporal changes and a time-group interaction were found for triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL-C and LDL-C. The high trajectory was associated with the major co-morbidities of retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy, stroke, hypoglycemia, and ketoacidosis. Patients in the intensive education group (62.4%), which were equally distributed in the three trajectories, had significantly lower HbA1cs (-0.14%= -1.5 mmol/mol, p=0.026). The intermediate trajectory patients with intensive education had HbA1cs higher than the low trajectory patients with conventional education (β=0.189, p=0.033). Though not significant, a similar pattern was found for DM education in the high group (β=0.223, p=0.154). Novel strategies beyond current education and pharmacotherapeutic regimens are needed to lower HbA1c at least 11 mmol/mol for the high HbA1c group to minimize comorbidities.

  18. [Learning Portfolio: A New Strategy in Health Education].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Yi-Chuan; Chen, Ching-Ju; Chang, Yu-Shan; Huang, Li-Chi

    2015-12-01

    Health education is the teaching by healthcare professionals of healthcare-related knowledge and skills to students in order that these students learn to help patients self-manage their disease and maintain health. This article introduces a new strategy in health education known as the learning portfolio and presents the theoretical basis and function of the learning portfolio and the current application of this approach in academic and health education. The learning portfolio is a learner-centric approach that collects evidence related to an individual's learning process systematically. This approach helps educators understand learner needs and conditions, while allowing the learner to observe his / her learning process in a manner that promotes self-reflection, continual inspection, and behavioral modification throughout the learning process. The results enhance the motivation of learners and strengthen their care confidence in accomplishing learning tasks.

  19. Targeting Millennials: Social Media Strategies within Higher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sessa, Whitney L.

    2015-01-01

    Using a quantitative survey method with an online questionnaire as the data collection tool, the author surveyed 189 social media managers working at American Higher Education institutions to identify forms of social media in use, along with the most popular strategies that colleges and universities use with Facebook.

  20. Second Chance Education: Barriers, Supports and Engagement Strategies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Savelsberg, Harry; Pignata, Silvia; Weckert, Pauline

    2017-01-01

    Second chance education programs are now a well-established presence in institutions seeking to provide access and equity pathways for socio-economically disadvantaged groups. This paper focusses on the strategies used to support positive engagement in second chance equity programs, drawing upon evaluation research data from four TAFE sponsored…

  1. Learning from experience: development of a cognitive task-list to assess the second stage of labour for operative delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hodges, Ryan; Simpson, Andrea; Gurau, David; Secter, Michael; Mocarski, Eva; Pittini, Richard; Snelgrove, John; Windrim, Rory; Higgins, Mary

    2015-04-01

    Ensuring the availability of operative vaginal delivery is one strategy for reducing the rising Caesarean section rate. However, current training programs appear inadequate. We sought to systematically identify the core steps in assessing women in the second stage of labour for safe operative delivery, and to produce an expert task-list to assist residents and obstetricians in deciding on the safest mode of delivery for their patients. Labour and delivery nursing staff of three large university-associated hospitals identified clinicians they considered to be skilled in operative vaginal deliveries. Obstetricians who were identified consistently were invited to participate in the study. Participants were filmed performing their normal assessment of the second stage of labour on a model. Two clinicians reviewed all videos and documented all verbal and non-verbal components of the assessment; these components were grouped into overarching themes and combined into an integrated expert task-list. The task-list was then circulated to all participants for additional comments, checked against SOGC guidelines, and redrafted, allowing production of a final expert task-list. Thirty clinicians were identified by this process and 20 agreed to participate. Themes identified were assessment of suitability, focused history, physical examination including importance of an abdominal examination, strategies to accurately assess fetal position, station, and the likelihood of success, cautionary signs to prompt reassessment in the operating room, and warning signs to abandon operative delivery for Caesarean section. Communication strategies were emphasized. Having expert clinicians teach assessment in the second stage of labour is an important step in the education of residents and junior obstetricians to improve confidence in managing the second stage of labour.

  2. Determinants of place of delivery among women in a semi-urban ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Mother's educational level, husband's occupation and age at first pregnancy were the main determinants of place of delivery. Statistically significant associations between non- formal education and home delivery, (X2 = 6.7 df = 1 P<0.05) age at first pregnancy and home delivery (X;2 =18.7 df = 1 P<0.05) were observed.

  3. Stabilization challenges and formulation strategies associated with oral biologic drug delivery systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Truong-Le, Vu; Lovalenti, Phillip M; Abdul-Fattah, Ahmad M

    2015-10-01

    Delivery of proteins to mucosal tissues of GI tract typically utilize formulations which protect against proteolysis and target the mucosal tissues. Using case studies from literature and the authors' own work, the in-process stability and solid state storage stability of biopharmaceuticals formulated in delivery systems designed for oral delivery to the GI tract will be reviewed. Among the range of delivery systems, biodegradable polymer systems for protection and controlled release of proteins have been the most studied; hence these systems will be covered in greater depth. These delivery systems include polymeric biodegradable microspheres or nanospheres that contain proteins or vaccines, which are designed to reduce the number of administrations/inoculations and the total protein dose required to achieve the desired biological effect. Specifically, this review will include a landscape survey of the systems that have been studied, the manufacturing processes involved, stability through the manufacturing process, key pharmaceutical formulation parameters that impact stability of the encased proteins, and storage stability of the encapsulated proteins in these delivery systems. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Enhancing Role-Play Activities with Pocket Camcorder Technology: Strategies for Counselor-Educators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walter, Sara Meghan; Thanasiu, Page L.

    2011-01-01

    Counselor-educators can benefit from specific guidelines and creative suggestions when implementing role-play and technology-related teaching strategies in counseling training programs. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to: (a) discuss the use of role-play and video recording in counselor education; (b) introduce counselor-educators to…

  5. ASIT--A Problem Solving Strategy for Education and Eco-Friendly Sustainable Design

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turner, Steve

    2009-01-01

    There is growing recognition of the role teaching and learning experiences in technology education can contribute to Education for Sustainable Development. It appears, however, that in the Technology Education classroom little or no change has been achieved to the practice of designing and problem solving strategies oriented towards sustainable…

  6. Strategies to reduce disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality: Patient and provider education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jain, Joses; Moroz, Leslie

    2017-08-01

    A reduction in racial disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality requires effective education of both patients and providers. Although providers seem to recognize that disparities exist, there is a widespread need for improving our understanding differences in health care and outcomes and the factors that contribute to them. There are increasingly more educational materials available for the purpose of augmenting disparities education among patients and providers. However, it is important to incorporate contemporary learning methodologies and technologies to address our current knowledge deficit. Collaborative educational models with a multi-disciplinary approach to patient education will be essential. Ultimately, the comprehensive education of providers and patients will require efforts on the part of numerous stakeholders within patient care delivery models. Further investigation will be necessary to determine how best to disseminate this information to maximize the impact of patient and provider educations with the goal of eliminating disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Telemedicine delivery of patient education in remote Ontario communities: feasibility of an Advanced Clinician Practitioner in Arthritis Care (ACPAC-led inflammatory arthritis education program

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Warmington K

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Kelly Warmington,1 Carol Flewelling,2 Carol A Kennedy,3,4 Rachel Shupak,5 Angelo Papachristos,5 Caroline Jones,5 Denise Linton,3 Dorcas E Beaton,3,4,6–8 Sydney Lineker9 1Learning Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, 2Telemedicine Program, 3Musculoskeletal Health & Outcomes Research, St. Michael’s Hospital, 4Institute for Work & Health, 5Martin Family Centre for Arthritis Care & Research, St. Michael’s Hospital, 6Graduate Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, 7Graduate Department of Rehabilitation Science, 8Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto, 9The Arthritis Society (Ontario Division, Toronto, ON, Canada Objective: Telemedicine-based approaches to health care service delivery improve access to care. It was recognized that adults with inflammatory arthritis (IA living in remote areas had limited access to patient education and could benefit from the 1-day Prescription for Education (RxEd program. The program was delivered by extended role practitioners with advanced training in arthritis care. Normally offered at one urban center, RxEd was adapted for videoconference delivery through two educator development workshops that addressed telemedicine and adult education best practices. This study explores the feasibility of and participant satisfaction with telemedicine delivery of the RxEd program in remote communities.Materials and methods: Participants included adults with IA attending the RxEd program at one of six rural sites. They completed post-course program evaluations and follow-up interviews. Educators provided post-course feedback to identify program improvements that were later implemented.Results: In total, 123 people (36 in-person and 87 remote, across 6 sites participated, attending one of three RxEd sessions. Remote participants were satisfied with the quality of the videoconference (% agree/strongly agree: could hear the presenter (92.9% and discussion

  8. A Top Down Strategy to Enhance Information Technologies into Israeli Higher Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarah Guri-Rosenblit

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available This article examines the integration of the new information technologies (IT into Israeli higher education, and most particularly its research universities through a top-down strategy, initiated by the Israeli Council for Higher Education since the end of 1999. This top-down strategy has created a systemic change that will affect the many layers of university activities rather than in a random, sporadic manner undertaken by enthusiastic individuals. This article discusses the built-in contradictions and dilemmas in the process of adapting distance teaching methods by conventional universities in Israel (as well as in other higher education systems. It examines the merits of a top-down strategy aimed to implement the IT through a macro-level, systemic approach, and analyses the differential uses of the IT in Israeli higher education institutions, relating to variables of: access-outreach; teaching-learning processes; study materials production; data and information retrieval; administrative functions; the creation of researchers' communities; inter-institutional collaboration; and associated costs. The article concludes with some suggestions for effective implementation of the IT in different types of higher education institutions in a comprehensive and systematic manner, that will take into account their academic ethos and organizational infrastructure, and cater to the unique needs and characteristics of their relevant constituencies.

  9. Strategies of business education in job creation and self reliance for ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study examined the strategies in business education and its role in achieving self reliance, job creation and empowerment for sustainable development. Lecturers in the Business Education Department of Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki formed the study population. Data was collected using a suitable structured and ...

  10. International Doctoral Students in Counselor Education: Coping Strategies in Supervision Training

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woo, Hongryun; Jang, Yoo Jin; Henfield, Malik S.

    2015-01-01

    This study explores 8 international doctoral students' perceptions of coping strategies used in supervision training in counselor education programs. Using human agency as a conceptual framework, the authors found 3 categories: (a) personal and professional self-directed strategies as personal agency, (b) support and care from mentors as proxy…

  11. Australian nursing and midwifery educators delivering evidence-based education in Tanzania: A qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gower, Shelley; van den Akker, Jose; Jones, Mark; Dantas, Jaya A R; Duggan, Ravani

    2016-05-01

    Since 2011, Western Australian nursing and midwifery educators have been providing evidence-based continuing education to Tanzanian health professionals. Despite thorough preparation before departure, differences in local resource levels and available facilities have necessitated impromptu adaptation of curriculum content and delivery methods to ensure an effective program was delivered. This study explored the personal, cultural and teaching strategies utilised by Western Australian nursing and midwifery educators in Tanzania and examined if the transferability of education packages was influenced by the educators' cultural competence. Using a qualitative exploratory approach, data was collected from 15 Western Australian nursing and midwifery educators using a demographic survey and in-depth individual semi-structured interviews. The core themes identified from the analysis were Determination to learn, Assessing needs, Communication skills and Greater understanding. These findings are described using the conceptual framework of Campinha-Bacote's The Process of Cultural Competence in the Delivery of Healthcare Services. With appropriate levels of cultural competence, international health professionals can be effective at providing ongoing professional development to colleagues in developing country contexts, which may help address difficulties with retention and motivation of staff. It is essential that prior to departure cultural competence training is provided to educators to enhance their teaching capacity and effectiveness in international settings. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Early Childhood Educators' Meta-Cognitive Knowledge of Problem-Solving Strategies and Quality of Childcare Curriculum Implementation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Yeon Ha

    2016-01-01

    This study aims to explore the impact of early childhood educators' meta-cognitive knowledge on the quality of their childcare curriculum implementation, and to gain insights regarding successful problem-solving strategies associated with early education and care. Early childhood educators' implementation of general problem-solving strategies in…

  13. Bolstering cholesteryl ester hydrolysis in liver: A hepatocyte-targeting gene delivery strategy for potential alleviation of atherosclerosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Hongliang; Lancina, Michael G; Wang, Jing; Korzun, William J; Yang, Hu; Ghosh, Shobha

    2017-06-01

    Current atherosclerosis treatment strategies primarily focus on limiting further cholesteryl esters (CE) accumulation by reducing endogenous synthesis of cholesterol in the liver. No therapy is currently available to enhance the removal of CE, a crucial step to reduce the burden of the existing disease. Given the central role of hepatic cholesteryl ester hydrolase (CEH) in the intrahepatic hydrolysis of CE and subsequent removal of the resulting free cholesterol (FC), in this work, we applied galactose-functionalized polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer generation 5 (Gal-G5) for hepatocyte-specific delivery of CEH expression vector. The data presented herein show the increased specific uptake of Gal-G5/CEH expression vector complexes (simply Gal-G5/CEH) by hepatocytes in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, the upregulated CEH expression in the hepatocytes significantly enhanced the intracellular hydrolysis of high density lipoprotein-associated CE (HDL-CE) and subsequent conversion/secretion of hydrolyzed FC as bile acids (BA). The increased CEH expression in the liver significantly increased the flux of HDL-CE to biliary as well as fecal FC and BA. Meanwhile, Gal-G5 did not induce hepatic or renal toxicity. It was also not immunotoxic. Because of these encouraging pre-clinical testing results, using this safe and highly efficient hepatocyte-specific gene delivery platform to enhance the hepatic processes involved in cholesterol elimination is a promising strategy for the alleviation of atherosclerosis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Ionic liquids in drug delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shamshina, Julia L; Barber, Patrick S; Rogers, Robin D

    2013-10-01

    To overcome potential problems with solid-state APIs, such as polymorphism, solubility and bioavailability, pure liquid salt (ionic liquid) forms of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API-ILs) are considered here as a design strategy. After a critical review of the current literature, the recent development of the API-ILs strategy is presented, with a particular focus on the liquefaction of drugs. A variety of IL tools for control over the liquid salt state of matter are discussed including choice of counterion to produce an IL from a given API; the concept of oligomeric ions that enables liquefaction of solid ILs by changing the stoichiometry or complexity of the ions; formation of 'liquid co-crystals' where hydrogen bonding is the driving force in the liquefaction of a neutral acid-base complex; combining an IL strategy with the prodrug strategy to improve the delivery of solid APIs; using ILs as delivery agents via trapping a drug in a micelle and finally ILs designed with tunable hydrophilic-lipophilic balance that matches the structural requirements needed to solubilize poorly water-soluble APIs. The authors believe that API-IL approaches may save failed lead candidates, extend the patent life of current APIs, lead to new delivery options or even new pharmaceutical action. They encourage the pharmaceutical industry to invest more research into the API-IL platform as it could lead to fast-tracked approval based on similarities to the APIs already approved.

  15. Educational renewal of physician training in Australia and New Zealand: Multiple educational innovations in a complex environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Udemans, Rebecca; Stokes, Marie-Louise; Rigby, Louise; Khanna, Priya; Christiansen, Jonathan

    2018-03-21

    The Royal Australasian College of Physicians is renewing its specialty training programs and shifting towards competency-based medical education. Our aim is to improve the quality and rigor of training and graduate outcomes, and promote high standards of physician practice to serve the health of patients, families, and communities in a changing healthcare environment. We are progressing holistic change and multiple educational innovations in a complex environment. Numerous stakeholders, a disparate training landscape and a largely volunteer supervisor workforce pose challenges in supporting effective implementation. This paper describes our progress and experience with three key components of our education renewal program: curricular renewal, a new selection process and faculty development. It offers reflections on the practical challenges, lessons learned and factors critical for success. Our experience highlights opportunities for training organizations to maximize their influence over workplace training experiences and outcomes by taking a systems approach to the design, delivery and evaluation of the components of education renewal. We found that design, development and delivery of our multiple educational innovations have benefited from co-design approaches, progressive and concurrent development, continual exploration of new strategies, and implementation as soon as viable with a commitment to iterative improvements over time.

  16. Results of implementation of a hospital-based strategy to reduce cesarean delivery among low-risk women in Canada.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shoemaker, Esther S; Bourgeault, Ivy L; Cameron, Carol; Graham, Ian D; Hutton, Eileen K

    2017-11-01

    To assess the cesarean delivery (CD) rate among low-risk pregnancies before and after implementation of a hospital-based program in Canada. A prospective before-and-after study was conducted to assess the effects of the CARE (CAesarean REduction) strategy, which was developed and implemented at Markham Stouffville Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada, in 2010 to reduce CD among low-risk women. Hospital records were reviewed to identify changes in the proportions of CD performed during 12 months (April 2009-March 2010) before implementation of the CARE strategy versus 12 months after implementation (April 2012-March 2013) at Markham Stouffville Hospital and 36 hospitals of the same level in the same province. At the intervention hospital, 30.3% (964/3181) of women underwent CD in 2009-2010, compared with 26.4% (803/3045) in 2012-2013 (difference -3.9%, PImplementation of the CARE strategy reduced rates of CD among the target population. © 2017 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.

  17. Learning problem-solving skills in a distance education physics course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rampho, G. J.; Ramorola, M. Z.

    2017-10-01

    In this paper we present the results of a study on the effectiveness of combinations of delivery modes of distance education in learning problem-solving skills in a distance education introductory physics course. A problem-solving instruction with the explicit teaching of a problem-solving strategy and worked-out examples were implemented in the course. The study used the ex post facto research design with stratified sampling to investigate the effect of the learning of a problem-solving strategy on the problem-solving performance. The number of problems attempted and the mean frequency of using a strategy in solving problems in the three course presentation modes were compared. The finding of the study indicated that combining the different course presentation modes had no statistically significant effect in the learning of problem-solving skills in the distance education course.

  18. Clarification of Safe Delivery by Iranian Experts Based on Clinical Governance: A Qualitative Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Forozun Olfati

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Objective:To clarify the principles of a safe delivery based on Clinical Governance Criteria, as recommended by the pertinent experts.Materials and methods:The current study was part of a qualitative research conducted by content analysis method in 2013 and purposive sampling, performing 24 in-depth interviews based on semi-structured questions and analyzed using thematic content analysis. The participants in this research included midwives, obstetricians, managers, and hospital doctors. The data were under continuous consideration and comparative analysis in order to achieve data saturation.Results:The main concepts derived from interpretations of the pertinent experts include: Patient & Public involvement; Risk Management; Education; Clinical efficiency; Clinical audit; Personnel & Management.Conclusion:In a safe delivery, there is a vicious cycle of causes the elimination of which is only possible through benchmarking patterns that attend to most aspects of a safe delivery.Changes to services require utilization of appropriate change management strategies.

  19. Involving a young person in the development of a digital resource in nurse education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fenton, Gaynor

    2014-01-01

    Health policies across western societies have embedded the need for service user and carer perspectives in service design and delivery of educational programmes. There is a growing recognition of the need to include the perspectives of children and young people as service users in the design and delivery of child focused educational programmes. Digital storytelling provides a strategy for student nurses to gain insight into the lived experiences of children and young people. Engaging with these stories enables students to develop an understanding of a young persons' experience of healthcare. This paper outlines a project that developed a digital learning object based upon a young person's experience of cancer and student evaluations of the digital learning object as a teaching and learning strategy. Over 80% of students rated the digital learning object as interesting and were motivated to explore its content. In addition, the evaluation highlighted that listening to the young person's experiences of her treatment regimes was informative and assisted understanding of a patients' perspective of care delivery. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Globalisation: Old and New Normative Strategies in Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coulby, David

    2012-01-01

    The recession has concealed from many commentators in the West the overwhelming economic force of the last decade, the inexorable rise of China. Commensurate with this has been the economic and political decline of Europe and especially of the European Union. The European normative strategy in education was always an unrealised ideal. But, if the…

  1. Educational Cognitive Technologies as Human Adaptation Strategies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marja Nesterova

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Modernity is characterized by profound changes in all spheres of human life caused by the global transformations on macro and micro levels of social reality. These changes allow us to speak about the present as the era of civilizational transition in the mode of uncertainty. Therefore, this situation demands qualitative transformations of human adaptive strategies and educational technologies accordingly. The dominant role in the dynamics of pedagogics and andragogy’s landscape belongs to transformative learning. The transformative learning theory is considered as the relevant approach to education of the individual, which is able to become an autonomous communicative actor of the social complexity. The article considers the cognitive technologies of social cohesion development and perspectives of their implementation in the educational dimension. In addition to implementing the principles of inclusion, equity in education, an important factor for improving social cohesion, stability and unity of society is the development of cognitive educational technologies. The key factors and foundations for the cognitive educational technologies are transversal competencies. They create the conditions for civil, public dialogue, non-violent type of communication. These “21st century skills” are extremely important for better human adaptation. One of the aspects and roots of social adaptation is social cohesion. Mutual determinations and connections between social cohesion development and transversal competences have been shown. The perspective direction of further researches is to find a methodological base for the further development of cognitive education technologies and platform for realization of innovative services for educational programs. New educational paradigm offers the concept of human adaptation as cognitive effectiveness and how to reach it through educational technologies. The article includes topics of creative thinking, teambuilding

  2. Expanding the Education Universe: A Fifty-State Strategy for Course Choice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brickman, Michael

    2014-01-01

    After twenty years of expanding school-choice options, state leaders, educators, and families have a new tool: course choice, a strategy for students to learn from unconventional providers that might range from top-tier universities or innovative community colleges to local employers, labs, or hospitals. In "Expanding the Education Universe:…

  3. Implementing Competency-Based Education: Challenges, Strategies, and a Decision-Making Framework

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dragoo, Amie; Barrows, Richard

    2016-01-01

    The number of competency-based education (CBE) degree programs has increased rapidly over the past five years, yet there is little research on CBE program development. This study utilized conceptual models of higher education change and a qualitative methodology to analyze the strategies and challenges in implementing CBE business degree programs…

  4. An Examination of LGBTQ-Inclusive Strategies Used by Practicing Music Educators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garrett, Matthew L.; Spano, Fred P.

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this research was to examine LGBTQ-inclusive strategies used by practicing music educators in the United States. Participants (N = 300) in a nonprobabilistic sample completed a survey inquiring as to their comfort using LGBTQ-inclusive strategies in a school music class, their perceptions of barriers to LGBTQ inclusion, and whether…

  5. The role of educational strategies to reverse the inverse ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    We also present a conceptual framework for developing best practice educational strategies to reverse the inverse performance spiral in academically isolated rural hospitals. Doctors felt that participation in relevant learning activities improved their competence, increased the levels of job satisfaction they experienced ...

  6. The Use of MOOCs in Transnational Higher Education for Accreditation of Prior Learning, Programme Delivery, and Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Annabi, Carrie Amani; Wilkins, Stephen

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate how, and the extent to which, massive open online courses (MOOCs) might be used in the accreditation of students' prior learning, in programme delivery at international branch campuses, and for lecturers' professional development (PD) in transnational higher education.…

  7. Adapting MCH strategies for the nineties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abel, R

    1994-01-01

    Brief overview was given for strategies in maternal and child health (MCH) in India that were used in the 1980s and adapted for the 1990s in the following areas: perinatal outcomes, empowerment of women, immunization, oral rehydration, adolescent girls, anthropometric measurement, health education, management, and coordination with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). In order to assure a healthy baby weighing 2.5 kg, monitoring of maternal health is occurring. Iron and folic acid and tetanus toxoid vaccine are provided to pregnant mothers, and fetal growth is monitored. Training of traditional birth attendants and multipurpose health workers will contribute to clean deliveries and referral of complicated pregnancies. During the 1990s, women's health in addition to maternal health has received attention. The empowerment of women to care for themselves, to learn how to mix oral rehydration packets (ORS) at home, and to receive the knowledge and skills were deemed more important than the 1980s focus on the delivery system and inputs of MCH. An excellent cold chain for delivery of vaccines has been put in place, which provides the vehicle for the 1990s to maintain high vaccine coverage. The emphasis on oral rehydration in the 1990s will be on teaching mothers about the importance of ORS treatment of diarrhea. During the 1990s, educating the adolescent girl before she becomes married and pregnant will be the focus. Greater emphasis will be placed on stunting or height for age measurements, as a measure of long term nutritional change; age weight for height for measurement of wasting; and maternal nutritional monitoring of arm circumference. Sustained health education, more media exposure to disease conditions and treatment, and social marketing in health will be better coordinated and more cost effective. Accountability for manpower, materials, and money will be in place within management. Management will focus on motivation and training, and other, newer management

  8. Beyond the Didactic Classroom: Educational Models to Encourage Active Student Involvement in Learning

    OpenAIRE

    Shreeve, Michael W.

    2008-01-01

    In a chiropractic college that utilizes a hybrid curriculum model composed of adult-based learning strategies along with traditional lecture-based course delivery, a literature search for educational delivery methods that would integrate the affective domain and the cognitive domain of learning provided some insights into the use of problem-based learning (PBL), experiential learning theory (ELT), and the emerging use of appreciative inquiry (AI) to enhance the learning experience. The purpos...

  9. Creating marketing strategies for higher education institutions

    OpenAIRE

    Lidia Białoń

    2015-01-01

    The article presents a thesis that the primary premise of creating marketing strategies for higher education institution is a three-dimensional notion of marketing. The first dimension lies in the theoretical notions of the essence of marketing, including the transactional marketing (1.0), relationship marketing (2.0) and spiritual marketing (3.0). The second dimension is formed by methods of marketing research and accurate notions of marketing, while the third are channels of marketing infor...

  10. Insoluble drug delivery strategies: review of recent advances and business prospects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalepu, Sandeep; Nekkanti, Vijaykumar

    2015-01-01

    The emerging trends in the combinatorial chemistry and drug design have led to the development of drug candidates with greater lipophilicity, high molecular weight and poor water solubility. Majority of the failures in new drug development have been attributed to poor water solubility of the drug. Issues associated with poor solubility can lead to low bioavailability resulting in suboptimal drug delivery. About 40% of drugs with market approval and nearly 90% of molecules in the discovery pipeline are poorly water-soluble. With the advent of various insoluble drug delivery technologies, the challenge to formulate poorly water soluble drugs could be achieved. Numerous drugs associated with poor solubility and low bioavailabilities have been formulated into successful drug products. Several marketed drugs were reformulated to improve efficacy, safety and patient compliance. In order to gain marketing exclusivity and patent protection for such products, revitalization of poorly soluble drugs using insoluble drug delivery technologies have been successfully adopted by many pharmaceutical companies. This review covers the recent advances in the field of insoluble drug delivery and business prospects. PMID:26579474

  11. Insoluble drug delivery strategies: review of recent advances and business prospects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sandeep Kalepu

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available The emerging trends in the combinatorial chemistry and drug design have led to the development of drug candidates with greater lipophilicity, high molecular weight and poor water solubility. Majority of the failures in new drug development have been attributed to poor water solubility of the drug. Issues associated with poor solubility can lead to low bioavailability resulting in suboptimal drug delivery. About 40% of drugs with market approval and nearly 90% of molecules in the discovery pipeline are poorly water-soluble. With the advent of various insoluble drug delivery technologies, the challenge to formulate poorly water soluble drugs could be achieved. Numerous drugs associated with poor solubility and low bioavailabilities have been formulated into successful drug products. Several marketed drugs were reformulated to improve efficacy, safety and patient compliance. In order to gain marketing exclusivity and patent protection for such products, revitalization of poorly soluble drugs using insoluble drug delivery technologies have been successfully adopted by many pharmaceutical companies. This review covers the recent advances in the field of insoluble drug delivery and business prospects.

  12. Developing education tailored to clinical roles: genetics education for haemophilia nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burke, Sarah; Barker, Colin; Marshall, Dianne

    2012-01-01

    Genetics is an important component of the clinical work of haemophilia nurses, but little was known about the genetic education needs of haemophilia nurses. To develop, deliver and evaluate genetic education for haemophilia nurses, based on clinical roles. Perceived relevance of genetics to haemophilia nursing practice was explored using electronic voting (response rate 75%, 58/77). A follow-on questionnaire to a volunteer sample of participants explored educational preferences (response rate 41%, 17/41). Results informed development of a two-hour genetics workshop session, evaluated by questionnaire (response rate 67%, 47/70). Genetic competences were considered relevant to the clinical practice of haemophilia nurses, and learning needs were identified. Preference was expressed for education focused on practical skills. During the subsequent workshop, participant confidence ratings significantly increased in the four areas addressed. Planned changes to clinical care and training were reported. Within new areas of advanced nursing practice, learning needs can be addressed by: identifying relevant clinical activities and associated learning needs; creating a strategy and resources using preferred forms of delivery; implementing the strategy; and evaluating its effect. This will enable development of education that addresses the real needs of practising nurses, grounded in their daily clinical practice. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. School-based strategies for oral health education of adolescents- a cluster randomized controlled trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haleem Abdul

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Oral health education (OHE in schools has largely been imparted by dental professionals. Considering the substantial cost of this expert-led approach, the strategies relying on teachers, peer-leaders and learners themselves have also been utilized. However the evidence for comparative effectiveness of these strategies is lacking in the dental literature. The present study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of dentist-led, teacher-led, peer-led and self-learning strategies of oral health education. Methods A two-year cluster randomized controlled trial following a parallel design was conducted. It involved five groups of adolescents aged 10-11 years at the start of the study. The trial involved process as well as four outcome evaluations. The present paper discusses the findings of the study pertaining to the baseline and final outcome evaluation, both comprising of a self-administered questionnaire, a structured interview and clinical oral examination. The data were analyzed using Generalized Estimating Equations. Results All the three educator-led strategies of OHE had statistically higher mean oral health knowledge (OHK, oral health behavior (OHB, oral hygiene status (OHS and combined knowledge, behavior and oral hygiene status (KBS scores than the self-learning and control groups (p Conclusions The dentist-led, teacher-led and peer-led strategies of oral health education are equally effective in improving the oral health knowledge and oral hygiene status of adolescents. The peer-led strategy, however, is almost as effective as the dentist-led strategy and comparatively more effective than the teacher-led and self-learning strategies in improving their oral health behavior. Trail registration SRCTN39391017

  14. From STEM to STEAM: Strategies for Enhancing Engineering & Technology Education

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    Andy M. Connor

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available This paper sets out to challenge the common pedagogies found in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education with a particular focus on engineering. The dominant engineering pedagogy remains “chalk and talk”; despite research evidence that demonstrates its ineffectiveness. Such pedagogical approaches do not embrace the possibilities provided by more student-centric approaches and more active learning. The paper argues that there is a potential confusion in engineering education around the role of active learning approaches, and that the adoption of these approaches may be limited as a result of this confusion, combined with a degree of disciplinary egocentrism. The paper presents examples of design, engineering and technology projects that demonstrate the effectiveness of adopting pedagogies and delivery methods more usually attributed to the liberal arts such as studio based learning. The paper concludes with some suggestions about how best to create a fertile environment from which inquiry based learning can emerge as well as a reflection on whether the only real limitation on cultivating such approaches is the disciplinary egocentrism of traditional engineering educators.

  15. Institutional delivery service utilization in Munisa Woreda, South East Ethiopia: a community based cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amano, Abdella; Gebeyehu, Abebaw; Birhanu, Zelalem

    2012-10-08

    Reducing maternal morbidity and mortality is a global priority which is particularly relevant to developing countries like Ethiopia. One of the key strategies for reducing maternal morbidity and mortality is increasing institutional delivery service utilization of mothers under the care of skilled birth attendants. The aim of this study was to determine the level of institutional delivery service utilization and associated factors. A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted from April 1-20, 2011, among mothers who gave birth 12 months before the study began in Munesa Woreda, Arsi Zone, Oromia Region, Southeast Ethiopia. A stratified cluster sampling was used to select a sample of 855 participants. Out of all deliveries, only 12.3% took place at health facilities. Women who were urban residents (AOR = 2.27, 95%CI: 1.17, 4.40), women of age at interview less than 20 years (AOR = 6.06, 95%CI: 1.54, 23.78), women with first pregnancy (AOR = 2.41, 95%CI: 1.17, 4.97) and, women who had ANC visit during the last pregnancy (AOR = 4.18, 95%CI: 2.54, 6.89) were more likely to deliver at health institutions. Secondary and above level of mother`s and husband`s education had also a significant effect on health institution delivery with AOR = 4.31 (95%CI: 1.62, 11.46) and AOR = 2.77 (95%CI: 1.07, 7.19) respectively. Institutional delivery service utilization was found to be low in the study area. Secondary and above level of mother`s and husband`s education, urban residence and ANC visit were amongst the main factors that had an influence on health institution delivery. Increasing the awareness of mothers and their partners about the benefits of institutional delivery services are recommended.

  16. Institutional delivery service utilization in Munisa Woreda, South East Ethiopia: a community based cross-sectional study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amano Abdella

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Reducing maternal morbidity and mortality is a global priority which is particularly relevant to developing countries like Ethiopia. One of the key strategies for reducing maternal morbidity and mortality is increasing institutional delivery service utilization of mothers under the care of skilled birth attendants. The aim of this study was to determine the level of institutional delivery service utilization and associated factors. Methods A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted from April 1–20, 2011, among mothers who gave birth 12 months before the study began in Munesa Woreda, Arsi Zone, Oromia Region, Southeast Ethiopia. A stratified cluster sampling was used to select a sample of 855 participants. Results Out of all deliveries, only 12.3% took place at health facilities. Women who were urban residents (AOR = 2.27, 95%CI: 1.17, 4.40, women of age at interview less than 20 years (AOR = 6.06, 95%CI: 1.54, 23.78, women with first pregnancy (AOR = 2.41, 95%CI: 1.17, 4.97 and, women who had ANC visit during the last pregnancy (AOR = 4.18, 95%CI: 2.54, 6.89 were more likely to deliver at health institutions. Secondary and above level of mother`s and husband`s education had also a significant effect on health institution delivery with AOR = 4.31 (95%CI: 1.62, 11.46 and AOR = 2.77 (95%CI: 1.07, 7.19 respectively. Conclusion Institutional delivery service utilization was found to be low in the study area. Secondary and above level of mother`s and husband`s education, urban residence and ANC visit were amongst the main factors that had an influence on health institution delivery. Increasing the awareness of mothers and their partners about the benefits of institutional delivery services are recommended.

  17. Aligning corporate real estate with the corporate strategies of higher education institutions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Beckers, R; van der Voordt, Theo; Dewulf, G

    2015-01-01

    Purpose
    The purpose of this paper is to explore how corporate real estate (CRE) managers of higher education institutions formulate their CRE strategies and CRE operating decisions to align CRE with the corporate strategies of these institutions.

    Design/methodology/approach
    An

  18. Aligning corporate real estate with the corporate strategies of higher education institutions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Theo van der Voordt; Geert Dewulf; Ronald Beckers

    2015-01-01

    Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how corporate real estate (CRE) managers of higher education institutions formulate their CRE strategies and CRE operating decisions to align CRE with the corporate strategies of these institutions. Design/methodology/approach – An analytical

  19. Factors Associated with South Korean Early Childhood Educators' Observed Behavior Support Strategies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Yeon Ha; Stormont, Melissa

    2012-01-01

    This study was an exploratory study of 34 South Korean early childhood educators' strategies for addressing behavior problems in natural settings. Factors related to teachers' strategy implementation were also explored. Four specific teacher behaviors were observed: precorrection, behavioral-specific praise, redirection, and reprimand/punishment.…

  20. Practical examples and discussion in junior high school biological delivery classes

    OpenAIRE

    石井, 照久; ISHII, Teruhisa

    2013-01-01

    Practical examples of the delivery class in junior high school biological education were reported. In 2006-2012, author did 13 times of delivery class in 5 junior high schools in Akita Prefecture. The contents of the delivery classes were‘‘Observation of animals in river’’, ‘‘Marine ecology’’, ‘‘Ecological problems’’ and ‘‘cells and DNA’’. In this report, these contents were discussed in regard to new course of education in Japan. Also, better delivery class in junior high school biological e...

  1. Parent Perspectives of Applying Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Strategies to Special Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burke, Meghan M; Chan, Neilson; Neece, Cameron L

    2017-06-01

    Parents of children with (versus without) intellectual and developmental disabilities report greater stress; such stress may be exacerbated by dissatisfaction with school services, poor parent-school partnerships, and the need for parent advocacy. Increasingly, mindfulness interventions have been used to reduce parent stress. However, it is unclear whether parents apply mindfulness strategies during the special education process to reduce school-related stress. To investigate whether mindfulness may reduce school-related stress, interviews were conducted with 26 parents of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities who completed a mindfulness-based stress reduction intervention. Participants were asked about their stress during meetings with the school, use of mindfulness strategies in communicating with the school, and the impact of such strategies. The majority of parent participants reported: special education meetings were stressful; they used mindfulness strategies during IEP meetings; and such strategies affected parents' perceptions of improvements in personal well-being, advocacy, family-school relationships, and access to services for their children. Implications for future research, policy, and practice are discussed.

  2. [Neurological disorders and the blood-brain barrier. Strategies and limitations for drug delivery to the brain].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Domínguez, Alazne; Álvarez, Antonia; Suárez-Merino, Blanca; Goñi-de-Cerio, Felipe

    2014-03-01

    The incidence in the central nervous system diseases has increased with a growing elderly population. Unfortunately, conventional treatments used to treat the mentioned diseases are frequently ineffective due to the presence of the blood brain barrier. To illustrate the blood-brain barrier properties that limit drug transport into the brain and the main strategies employed to treat neurologic disorders. The blood-brain barrier is mainly composed of a specialized microvascular endothelium and of glial cells. It constitutes a valuable tool to separate the central nervous system from the rest of the body. Nevertheless, it also represents an obstacle to the delivery of therapeutic drugs to the brain. To be effective, drugs must reach their target in the brain. On one hand, therapeutic agents could be designed to be able to cross the blood brain barrier. On the other hand, drug delivery systems could be employed to facilitate the therapeutic agents' entry into the central nervous system. In vivo models of neurological diseases, in addition to in vitro models of the blood brain barrier, have been widely employed for the evaluation of drugs utilized to treat central nervous system diseases.

  3. Teaching and learning strategies for pedagogical training of non-educational university students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mena, Alodio

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available The paper describes a system of teaching and learning strategies for pedagogical training of non-educational students. The modeling of teaching and learning strategies presented is the result of a research project carried out at the University of Camagüey; its results are being employed successfully. A full description of research methods, rationale, and each of the suggested strategies is provided.

  4. The Use of Humor as a Teaching Strategy in Nursing Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lukehart, Dennis E.

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this research study was to determine the use of humor as a teaching strategy among a sample of nurse educators employed by community colleges and universities in Northern and Central California nursing programs. The study also identified the types of humor used, how humor is used in the classroom, and nurse educators' perceptions of…

  5. Collaborative testing as a learning strategy in nursing education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sandahl, Sheryl S

    2010-01-01

    A primary goal of nursing education is to prepare nurses to work collaboratively as members of interprofessional health care teams on behalf of patients. Collaborative testing is a collaborative learning strategy used to foster knowledge development, critical thinking in decision making, and group processing skills. This study incorporated a quasi-experimental design with a comparison group to examine the effect of collaborative testing as a learning strategy on student learning and retention of course content as well as group process skills and student perceptions of their learning and anxiety. The setting was a baccalaureate nursing program; the sample consisted of two groups of senior students enrolled in Medical-Surgical Nursing II. Student learning, as measured by unit examination scores, was greater for students taking examinations collaboratively compared to individually. Retention of course content, as measured by final examination scores, was not greater for students taking examinations collaboratively compared to individually. Student perceptions were overwhelmingly positive, with students reporting increased learning as a result of the collaborative testing experiences. Despite the lack of data to support increased retention, collaborative testing may be a learning strategy worth implementing in nursing education. Students reported more positive interactions and collaboration with their peers, skills required by the professional nurse.

  6. Elementary Principals' Strategies for Managing the Educational Technology Refresh Process: A Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Denton, Edward A.

    2011-01-01

    Increased uses of educational technology by students and teachers in recent years have compelled elementary principals to expand educational technology resources and replace educational technology resources at the end of it's service life. The purpose of this study was to investigate strategies and practices employed by elementary principals…

  7. Multisectoral Strategies for Advancing Girls' Education: Principles and Practice. SAGE Technical Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, Howard

    This paper describes issues, experiences, and strategies used in developing successful multisectoral partnerships to advance girls' education, using Guinea and Morocco as examples. Chapter 1 introduces the issue, discussing barriers to girls' education and describing the multisectoral response to interrelated barriers. Chapter 2 defines the…

  8. Problems and Guidelines of Strategy Implementation in Basic Educational Institutions under the Supervision of KhonKaen Primary Educational Service Area Office 4

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sasiwan Tonkanya

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The research aimed to 1 study problems of strategy implementation in basic educational institutions under Khonkaen Primary Educational Service Area Office 4 ; and 2 propose the guidelines for strategy implementation in basic educational institutions under Khonkaen Primary Educational Service Area Office 4. The study was carried out in 2 phases. In phase 1, it focused on the study and analysis of the strategic implementation problems and phase 2 studied the best practice schools. The informants for the interview in phase 1 comprised 6 school administrators and teachers who were involved in strategy implementation from small-sized, medium-sized, and large-sized schools. They were selected by the use of purposive sampling technique. The population in the study of the strategic implementation problems in basic educational institutions in phase 1 consisted of 543 school administrators and teachers who were involved in strategy implementation from 181 schools under Khonkaen Primary Educational Service Area Office 4 in academic year 2014. The study samples were 217 school administrators and teachers who were involved in strategy implementation from small-sized, medium-sized, and large-sized schools under Khonkaen Primary Educational Service Area Office 4. The samples were selected by the use of stratified sampling technique. The informants of the phase 2 study were 6 school administrators and teachers who were involved in strategy implementation from small-sized, medium-sized, and large-sized best practice schools obtained from purposive sampling technique. The research instruments used for data collection consisted of 2 sets of questionnaires. The Set 1 questionnaire was the 5-point Likert scale on the levels of the problems in implementation with item discrimination at 0.60 – 1.00 and reliability of the whole questionnaire at .9359. The questionnaire contained 3 parts with 65 items. The Set 2 questionnaire comprised 2 parts with 10 items regarding

  9. Strategies for Reforming Initial Vocational Education and Training in Europe. Final Report of the Project. Leonardo da Vinci/Transnational Pilot Projects: Multiplier Effect, Strand III.3.a. Sharpening Post-16 Education Strategies by Horizontal and Vertical Networking (1997-2000).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stenstrom, Marja-Leena, Ed.; Lasonen, Johanna, Ed.

    This document contains 24 papers examining strategies for reforming initial vocational education and training (VET) in Europe. The following papers are included: "Reassessing VET Reform Strategies in a New Context: Implementation of the SPES-NET (Sharpening Post-16 Education Strategies by Horizontal and Vertical Networking) Project"…

  10. Educational strategies for diabetic people at risk for foot neuropathy: synthesis of good evidence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luciana Catunda Gomes de Menezes

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the present study was to identify the best evidence concerning health education strategies used in teaching-learning for people with diabetes mellitus who are at risk for foot neuropathy. An integrative review was conducted in the databases PubMed, LILACS, CINAHL and SCOPUS in January 2015; a total of 14 papers was analyzed in detail. The results are shown in a summary table and categories are discussed, covering various health education strategies for prevention and management with patients at risk of foot neuropathy (group; individual in face-to-face visits or via telephone; and using interactive technologies, and a synthesis of the best evidence for the effectiveness of these interventions in reducing diabetic foot complications. It was concluded that all the educational strategies are effective in promoting diabetic foot self-care. However, the group strategies showed greater effectiveness, enabling significant improvements in the knowledge, attitude, and practices of care for feet and general health of diabetic patients.

  11. Educational strategies for the prevention of diabetes, hypertension, and obesity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexandre Paulo Machado

    Full Text Available Summary Objective: The main goal of this work was to produce a review of educational strategies to prevent diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. Method: PubMed database was consulted using combined descriptors such as [Prevention], [Educational Activities], [Diabetes], [Hypertension], and [Obesity]. Data from randomized trials published between 2002 and 2014 were included in spreadsheets for analysis in duplicate by the reviewers. Results: A total of 8,908 articles were found, of which 1,539 were selected about diabetes mellitus (DM, n=369, arterial systemic hypertension (ASH, n=200, and obesity (OBES, n=970. The number of free full text articles available was 1,075 (DM = 276, ASH = 118 and OBES = 681. In most of these studies, demographic characteristics such as gender and age were randomized, and the population mainly composed by students, ethnic groups, family members, pregnant, health or education professionals, patients with chronic diseases (DM, ASH, OBES or other comorbidities. Group dynamics, physical activity practices, nutritional education, questionnaires, interviews, employment of new technologies, people training and workshops were the main intervention strategies used. Conclusion: The most efficient interventions occurred at community level, whenever the intervention was permanent or maintained for long periods, and relied on the continuous education of community health workers that had a constant interference inside the population covered. Many studies focused their actions in children and adolescents, especially on students, because they were more influenced by educational activities of prevention, and the knowledge acquired by them would spread more easily to their family and to society.

  12. MSCs: Delivery Routes and Engraftment, Cell-Targeting Strategies, and Immune Modulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas J. Kean

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs are currently being widely investigated both in the lab and in clinical trials for multiple disease states. The differentiation, trophic, and immunomodulatory characteristics of MSCs contribute to their therapeutic effects. Another often overlooked factor related to efficacy is the degree of engraftment. When reported, engraftment is generally low and transient in nature. MSC delivery methods should be tailored to the lesion being treated, which may be local or systemic, and customized to the mechanism of action of the MSCs, which can also be local or systemic. Engraftment efficiency is enhanced by using intra-arterial delivery instead of intravenous delivery, thus avoiding the “first-pass” accumulation of MSCs in the lung. Several methodologies to target MSCs to specific organs are being developed. These cell targeting methodologies focus on the modification of cell surface molecules through chemical, genetic, and coating techniques to promote selective adherence to particular organs or tissues. Future improvements in targeting and delivery methodologies to improve engraftment are expected to improve therapeutic results, extend the duration of efficacy, and reduce the effective (MSC therapeutic dose.

  13. Initiatives to Enhance Primary Care Delivery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jan L. Losby

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: Increasing demands on primary care providers have created a need for systems-level initiatives to improve primary care delivery. The purpose of this article is to describe and present outcomes for 2 such initiatives: the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians’ Residency Program Collaborative (RPC and the St Johnsbury Vermont Community Health Team (CHT. Methods: Researchers conducted case studies of the initiatives using mixed methods, including secondary analysis of program and electronic health record data, systematic document review, and interviews. Results: The RPC is a learning collaborative that teaches quality improvement and patient centeredness to primary care providers, residents, clinical support staff, and administrative staff in residency programs. Results show that participation in a higher number of live learning sessions resulted in a significant increase in patient-centered medical home recognition attainment and significant improvements in performance in diabetic process measures including eye examinations (14.3%, P = .004, eye referrals (13.82%, P = .013, foot examinations (15.73%, P = .003, smoking cessation (15.83%, P = .012, and self-management goals (25.45%, P = .001. As a community-clinical linkages model, CHT involves primary care practices, community health workers (CHWs, and community partners. Results suggest that CHT members successfully work together to coordinate comprehensive care for the individuals they serve. Further, individuals exposed to CHWs experienced increased stability in access to health insurance ( P = .001 and prescription drugs ( P = .000 and the need for health education counseling ( P = .000. Conclusion: Findings from this study indicate that these 2 system-level strategies have the promise to improve primary care delivery. Additional research can determine the extent to which these strategies can improve other health outcomes.

  14. International trends and strategies in educational development at universities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James Wisdom

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available This article considers four areas of educational development work which may become more significant in the future. The range and quality of professional development for teaching in higher education has expanded in many countries, the investment in academic frameworks of outcomes, credits and standards has yet to be exploited, the research into student learning is both productive and challenging to existing structures, and the practice of educational development is becoming more extensive – for example, practitioners are now expected to contribute to institutional strategy as much as to provide support for individual lecturers. The article notes significant changes in assumptions about the relations between students, their teachers and their courses, the need for revised approaches to assessment, and the importance of the professional development of the program leader and team to support the modernization of higher education.

  15. Human Rights Education: A Pedagogical and Didactic (Teaching Strategy Focused in a Controversial Perspective

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    Abraham Magendzo-Kolstrein

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this article, which can be envision as an essay, is to present a pedagogical-didactic strategy for human rights education focusing on the controversy. Advancements and setbacks faced by human rights education in Latin America are exposed in order to support this strategy. Therefore, it indicates that education has denied the conflict and explains the need for its inclusion under the idea of ‘controversial issue’. Additionally, the existence of conflicts in the interpretation, violation and/or respect for human rights is pointed out. The principal tensions that cross human rights are displayed. Based on the above, the need to support the existence of a human rights education focusing on the conflict and central components of its teaching strategy are described, and it ends by referring to its didactic approach and the role which should be assumed by faculty when teaching human rights including the conflict.

  16. Teaching Strategies and Gender in Higher Education Instrumental Studios

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhukov, Katie

    2012-01-01

    This study investigates instrumental music teaching strategies in higher education settings, in order to identify those employed and their frequency and context of use. An instrument- and gender-balanced sample of 24 lessons from five institutions was analysed using a researcher-designed observational instrument. The results reveal the…

  17. Strategies of Educational Planning. Proceedings of the Annual Conference on the Economics of Education (2nd, Tallahassee, Florida, July, 1968).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kraft, Richard H.P., Ed.

    Eight papers focus on strategies for educational planning. In "Policy Formulation and Policy Implementation Relationships in an Educational System," Donald Miller asserts that performance relationships can be explained in terms of an educational system and its environment. Arnold Reisman and Martin Taft present "A Systems Approach…

  18. BLENDED LEARNING STRATEGY IN TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAMS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marian F. Byrka

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The article examines the implementation of blended learning strategy in teacher training programs as an innovation in online learning. The blended learning idea comes from blending elements which use online technology with more traditional face-to-face teaching in the same course. The article analyses teacher training programs offered by Chernivtsi Regional Institute of Postgraduate Pedagogical Education. Additional data were gathered through a questionnaire administered to teachers who attended training courses. The characteristics of blended learning strategy, its benefits and limitations for teacher training are supported by a review of literature. The article closes with the comparison of curriculum components (content delivery, learner activities, materials, and required competences between traditional and blended learning teacher training programs. Having obvious benefits in teacher training programs, the implementation of blended learning strategy sets some additional requirements to a learner, as well as to course instructors and lectors.

  19. Manager's and educator's responses to the environmental challenge: the research strategy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, Henning; Ulhøi, John Parm

    1999-01-01

    an EU research project has been carried out. The basic research strategy applied was a qualitative survey based on available secondary information and collection of primary information from companies and educational institutions. The latter information included various published material as well as semi....... The background for selecting this research strategy, how it was carried out as well as a few concentrated examples will be presented in this paper.......-structured interviews in a limited number of companies and educational institutions. By combining information from published material and interviews it was possible to formulate this part of the survey as a number of case studies. At a later stage quantitative based surveys were carried out as a supplement...

  20. Strategies Used to Teach Mathematics to Special Education Students from the Teachers' Perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Desline A.

    2016-01-01

    The perspectives of special education teachers on the strategies used to teach mathematics to special education students were examined in this dissertation. Three central research questions that guided the study are: (a) What were New York special education teachers' opinions about the methods they use to teach mathematics to special education…

  1. CURBING CORRUPTION THROUGH TERTIARY EDUCATION IN INDONESIA AND JAPAN (Policy Analysis and Strategy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdurrachman Assegaf

    2018-12-01

    Full Text Available Corruption has become a global issue, whereas almost every country, whatever tough or slight it is, got to fight against it. It means that none of single country in the world is corruption free, in spite of the Government’s struggles to eradicate corruption. This study analyzes anti-corruption policies and educational strategies enforced by Indonesian and Japanese Government. Data was collected through documentation and literature review, and to some extend, cultural behavior of both countries were observed. The research findings indicate several points: firstly, Indonesia has very complex socio-cultural background if compared to Japan. However, weak economic conditions, high levels of poverty, lack of political will, cultural orderly, honest and discipline attitudes, and a weak rule of law were found predominantly in Indonesia. Those conditions could be considered as a preceding background conducive to corruption behavior. Indonesia's anti-corruption policies enforced today is Act Number 31 of 1999 on Corruption Eradication, while the anti-corruption policy in Japan consist of several interrelated law compiled in Penal Codes (PC, Japan Unfair Competition Prevention Act (JUCPA, etc. Secondly, the implementation strategy for anti-corruption education in Indonesia is preventive, detective and repressive strategies. Meanwhile, Japan applies integrated strategies and approaches in whole socio-political, economic, cultural and education dimension. It is expected that the results of this study can contribute to the prevention and eradication of corruption in Indonesia more comprehensively, not only through legal means but education, especially higher education through internalization of moral and religious values of anti-corruption in all aspects of live.

  2. Improv(ing) the Academy: Applied Improvisation as a Strategy for Educational Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rossing, Jonathan P.; Hoffmann-Longtin, Krista

    2016-01-01

    Improvisational theater training (or "improv") is a strategy employed by many business leaders and educators to cultivate creativity and collaboration amid change. Drawing on improv principles such as "Yes, And…" and "Make your scene partners look good," we explore the ways in which educational developers might apply…

  3. Teachers' Improvisation of Instructional Materials for Nigerian Home Economics Curriculum Delivery: Challenges and Strategies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olibie, Eyiuche Ifeoma; Nwabunwanne, Chinyere; Ezenwanne, Dorothy Nkem

    2013-01-01

    This study was designed to ascertain the challenges of improvising instructional materials by Home Economics teachers at the Upper Basic education level in Nigeria, and as a result identify strategies for enhancing improvisation. The study used survey research design based on two research questions. The sample was four hundred and thirty-one Home…

  4. Science of health care delivery milestones for undergraduate medical education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Havyer, Rachel D; Norby, Suzanne M; Leep Hunderfund, Andrea N; Starr, Stephanie R; Lang, Tara R; Wolanskyj, Alexandra P; Reed, Darcy A

    2017-08-25

    The changing healthcare landscape requires physicians to develop new knowledge and skills such as high-value care, systems improvement, population health, and team-based care, which together may be referred to as the Science of Health Care Delivery (SHCD). To engender public trust and confidence, educators must be able to meaningfully assess physicians' abilities in SHCD. We aimed to develop a novel set of SHCD milestones based on published Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) milestones that can be used by medical schools to assess medical students' competence in SHCD. We reviewed all ACGME milestones for 25 specialties available in September 2013. We used an iterative, qualitative process to group the ACGME milestones into SHCD content domains, from which SHCD milestones were derived. The SHCD milestones were categorized within the current ACGME core competencies and were also mapped to Association of American Medical Colleges' Entrustable Professional Activities (AAMC EPAs). Fifteen SHCD sub-competencies and corresponding milestones are provided, grouped within ACGME core competencies and mapped to multiple AAMC EPAs. This novel set of milestones, grounded within the existing ACGME competencies, defines fundamental expectations within SHCD that can be used and adapted by medical schools in the assessment of medical students in this emerging curricular area. These milestones provide a blueprint for SHCD content and assessment as ongoing revisions to milestones and curricula occur.

  5. Prospects of Cloud Computing as Safe Haven for Improving Mathematics Education in Nigeria Tertiary Institutions

    OpenAIRE

    Iji, Clement Onwu; Abah, Joshua Abah

    2016-01-01

    International audience; Historically, mathematics education has been bedeviled by the deployment of instructional strategies that seriously stunt the growth of students. Methodologies and approaches of instructional delivery in tertiary institutions have raised the need for technological augmentation for both students and mathematics educators. Cloud computing yield itself to this quest by strengthening individualized learning via unrestricted access to infrastructure, platforms, content, and...

  6. [Implementing Inter-Professional Education (IPE): Challenges and Strategies].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Chia-Lun; Hung, Chich-Hsiu

    2017-12-01

    Inter-professional practice (IPP), necessary in today's healthcare environment, should be guided and practiced through inter-professional education (IPE). Within the context of an effective IPE program, collaborative medical professionals must be cognizant of the demands of patients' integrated care, organize a collaborative inter-professional team, and achieve the objectives of patient-centered care. However, the many challenges of IPE include insufficient understanding of inter-professional care, occupational culture-related boundary issues, lack of a college education, and insufficient support from academic and medical institutions. This article suggests adopting effective strategies to promote inter-professional recognition, create a harmonious medical culture, eliminate barriers to education, and enhance support for academic and medical institutions. Inter-professional collaboration between academic and clinical institutions must provide resources and substantive professional training. Effectively implementing IPE and IPP is expected to elicit trust, respect, and efficient communication from team members.

  7. EDUCATION FOR PEACE IN COLOMBIA: STRATEGIES FOR TRANSFORMATION AND NEGOTIATED RESOLUTION OF CONFLICTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giovany Areiza-Madrid

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This work aims to answer the question how can we find, from educational institutions, non-violent and creative responses to the generation or manifestation of a conflict, and in turn, formulate strategies for peaceful resolution of conflicts and peacebuilding in Colombia? two conceptual perspectives that cross institutional educational exercise with interpersonal interactions from a relational dimension are proposed; namely, the commitment to a positive conception of the conflict and the need to define the negotiation process as a strategy of conflict resolution. This work finds that conflict is inherent to human relationships and to learn to act on them in dialogue and cooperative will be essential to building peace through education.

  8. Web site as a strategy in the education for sustainability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Doris Teresa Dávila Sanabria

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper the theoretical and methodological aspects in creating learning environments through the design and the implementation of a website to support research processes conducted in the school vegetable garden are presented. The methodological design was framed in the participatory action research with education and teaching strategies based on the use of information and communication technology (ICT, generating along with children and parents, learning environments that are constitute as tools in teaching education for sustainability.

  9. Multimodal Discourse Strategies of Factuality and Subjectivity in Educational Digital Storytelling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patricia Bou-Franch

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available As new technologies continue to emerge, students and lecturers are provided with new educational tools. One such tool, which is increasingly used in higher education, is digital storytelling, i.e. multi-media digital narratives. Despite the increasing attention that education and media scholars have paid to digital storytelling, there is scant research examining digital narratives from a discourse-analytic perspective.This paper addresses this gap in the literature and, in line with the belief that individuals make meaning through a range of semiotic devices, including, among others, language, sound, graphics and text, it aims to examine discourse strategies of factuality and subjectivity in historical-cultural digital narratives and their multimodal realisations (Kress & Van Leeuwen 2001; Patrona 2005. To carry out this study a corpus of 16 digital stories was compiled and analysed from a multidisciplinary framework which draws from studies on digital storytelling, computer-mediated communication, media studies, and multimodal discourse analysis. Results show that students/digital story tellers resort to a number of varied multimodal discursive strategies which are constitutive of their identity as capable students in an educational setting.

  10. Comparison of Two Educational Strategies in Teaching Preventive Cardiology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stroup-Benham, Christine A.; And Others

    This study assessed the impact of two educational strategies: text only versus text plus small group discussion, among two groups of third-year internal medicine clerkship students in a preventive cardiology course. The course was a required, 12-week Internal Medical clerkship at the University of Texas Medical Branch. The first group reviewed…

  11. College Students' Perspectives, Goals, and Strategies in Sport Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinelnikov, Oleg A.; Hastie, Peter A.

    2012-01-01

    We examined the perspective, goals, and strategies of students enrolled in collegiate physical education courses. Our aim was to determine the extent to which a model developed by Allen (1986) describing student-social systems in high schools would approximate those in a collegiate setting. Forty-six students from two elective volleyball classes…

  12. Perceptions and Educational Strategies of Louisiana Agricultural Education Teachers When Working with Students with Special Needs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kristin S. Stair

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available A teacher’s willingness to accept inclusion has been identified as an indicator of the quality of experience that a student with special needs will have in the classroom The purpose of this exploratory study was twofold: (1 to describe the overall perceptions of working with students with special needs and (2 to determine how teachers in Louisiana are currently working with students with special needs.  A total of 152 teachers attended the Louisiana agricultural education teacher’s summer conference with 43% completing a three part survey instrument.  Data analysis indicated that teachers are confident in their ability to work with students with special needs and they agree that they can incorporate various areas of inclusion within their programs. However, they disagreed that they have received adequate in-service opportunities related to special education.  Regarding educational strategies, teachers in this study identified all of the given inclusion strategies as being used regularly in their programs with the exception of tutoring after school.  They also identified these educational practices as being highly effective within their programs. Due to the exploratory nature of this study, additional research is recommended to further investigate the in-service and training needs of teachers in Louisiana.

  13. Promoting Hong Kong's Higher Education to Asian Markets: Market Segmentations and Strategies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheung, Alan C. K.; Yuen, Timothy W. W.; Yuen, Celeste Y. M.; Cheng, Yin Cheong

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: The main purpose of this study is threefold: to analyze the current conditions of higher education services offered in the three target markets; to conduct market segmentation analysis of these markets; and to recommend the most appropriate market entry strategies for Hong Kong's education service providers. Design/methodology/approach:…

  14. Strategies for the Cooperation of Educational Institutions and Companies in Mechanical Engineering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kettunen, Juha

    2006-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyse the strategic planning of the Centre for Mechanical Engineering, which is a joint venture of educational institutions and companies in Southwest Finland. Design/methodology/approach: The paper presents the strategies of focus and cost efficiency and how the selected strategies can be adjusted…

  15. Improving Service Delivery of the Finance and Budget Section ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    dell

    Action research was conducted in May and June 2004 aimed at improving service delivery of ... improve service delivery. (Quinby,1985). Furthermore, the intervention stage in which the development of ..... Educational leadership,. 42, 17-21.

  16. Cross-cultural medical education: conceptual approaches and frameworks for evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Betancourt, Joseph R

    2003-06-01

    Given that understanding the sociocultural dimensions underlying a patient's health values, beliefs, and behaviors is critical to a successful clinical encounter, cross-cultural curricula have been incorporated into undergraduate medical education. The goal of these curricula is to prepare students to care for patients from diverse social and cultural backgrounds, and to recognize and appropriately address racial, cultural, and gender biases in health care delivery. Despite progress in the field of cross-cultural medical education, several challenges exist. Foremost among these is the need to develop strategies to evaluate the impact of these curricular interventions. This article provides conceptual approaches for cross-cultural medical education, and describes a framework for student evaluation that focuses on strategies to assess attitudes, knowledge, and skills, and the impact of curricular interventions on health outcomes.

  17. Educational Strategies of Minority Youth and the Social Constructions of Ethnicity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Moldenhawer, Bolette

    2014-01-01

    From observations of different minority groups in the nine countries participating in the EDUMIGROM research programme, this chapter explores minority students' views on their educational options and the role they attribute to schooling in their life. She distinguishes three types of educational ...... strategies of 'mobilization', 'instrumentation' and 'opposition' to schooling, which are unevenly distributed across the different countries and the different ethnic groups observed....

  18. The development of the Older Person's Nurse Fellowship: Education concept to delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naughton, Corina; Hayes, Nicky; Zahran, Zainab; Norton, Christine; Lee, Geraldine; Fitzpatrick, Joanne M; Crawford, Mary; Tee, Stephen

    2016-09-01

    Preparing the nursing workforce to meet the challenges of an ageing population is a priority for many countries. The development of an Older Person's Nurse Fellowship (OPNF) programme for senior clinical nurses is an important innovation. This article describes the philosophical development, delivery and early evaluation of the OPNF. In 2014, Health Education England funded 24 senior clinical nurses to participate in the OPNF. The Fellowship was designed to build clinical leadership and innovation capability and develop a network of nurses to influence local and national strategy for older people's care. The Fellows selected were drawn from mental health (n=4), community/primary care (n=9) and acute care (n=11). The twelve month programme consisted of two Masters-level modules, delivered through study days and e-learning. The first cohort (n=12) commenced the course in November 2014 with a module designed to enhance clinical knowledge and skills. Evaluation data were collected from the first cohort using anonymous surveys (n=11) and focus group interviews (n=9). Descriptive statistics are presented for the quantitative data and common themes are described in the qualitative data. The overall satisfaction with the clinical module was high with a median score of 18/20 (range 17-20). Topics such as comprehensive geriatric assessment, frailty, pharmacology and cognitive assessment were regarded as highly relevant and most likely to result in a change to clinical practice. In the focus group interviews students discussed their learning experience in terms of: module specificity, peer-to-peer learning and using the OPNF as leverage for change. The OPNF is a timely innovation and a positive commitment to developing an academic pathway for senior nurses. It marks an important step in the future development of the older person's nursing workforce. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Mucosal delivery of liposome-chitosan nanoparticle complexes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carvalho, Edison L S; Grenha, Ana; Remuñán-López, Carmen; Alonso, Maria José; Seijo, Begoña

    2009-01-01

    Designing adequate drug carriers has long been a major challenge for those working in drug delivery. Since drug delivery strategies have evolved for mucosal delivery as the outstanding alternative to parenteral administration, many new drug delivery systems have been developed which evidence promising properties to address specific issues. Colloidal carriers, such as nanoparticles and liposomes, have been referred to as the most valuable approaches, but still have some limitations that can become more inconvenient as a function of the specific characteristics of administration routes. To overcome these limitations, we developed a new drug delivery system that results from the combination of chitosan nanoparticles and liposomes, in an approach of combining their advantages, while avoiding their individual limitations. These lipid/chitosan nanoparticle complexes are, thus, expected to protect the encapsulated drug from harsh environmental conditions, while concomitantly providing its controlled release. To prepare these assemblies, two different strategies have been applied: one focusing on the simple hydration of a previously formed dry lipid film with a suspension of chitosan nanoparticles, and the other relying on the lyophilization of both basic structures (nanoparticles and liposomes) with a subsequent step of hydration with water. The developed systems are able to provide a controlled release of the encapsulated model peptide, insulin, evidencing release profiles that are dependent on their lipid composition. Moreover, satisfactory in vivo results have been obtained, confirming the potential of these newly developed drug delivery systems as drug carriers through distinct mucosal routes.

  20. Teacher Perceptions and Behavioral Strategies for Students with Emotional Disturbance across Educational Environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, Chan; Weiss, Stacy L.; Cullinan, Douglas

    2012-01-01

    The present study examined problem characteristics of students with emotional disturbance in 3 educational environments, the behavior management and intervention strategies their teachers used, and what relation exists between problem characteristics and intervention strategies. Teachers completed a behavior problems rating scale and they…

  1. Spiritual Nursing Care Education An Integrated Strategy for Teaching Students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Donna M; Hand, Mikel

    The failure of nursing schools to integrate spiritual nursing care education into the curriculum has contributed to a lack in nurses' spiritual care ability. Developing, integrating, and testing a Spiritual Care Nursing Education strategy in an Associates of Science nursing program significantly increased the perceived spiritual care competence of student nurses. Utilizing a faculty team to develop learning activities to address critical spiritual care attributes offers a method to integrate spiritual nursing care content throughout the curriculum in ASN and BSN programs.

  2. E-Commerce Education in China: Driving Forces, Status, and Strategies

    OpenAIRE

    Xianfeng Zhang; Qi Li; Z. Lin

    2005-01-01

    With an explosive growth of e-businesses worldwide, e-commerce in China is booming, leading to the development of e-commerce education. This paper is intended to investigate whether the education system in China accords well with the market demand and the status of e-commerce programs in China in order to seek strategies for China to cope with the challenges of global e-commerce empowered by fast updated information technologies. First, we construct a four-layer conceptual model to describe t...

  3. The use of information and communications technologies in the delivery of interprofessional education: A review of evaluation outcome levels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Curran, Vernon; Reid, Adam; Reis, Pamela; Doucet, Shelley; Price, Sheri; Alcock, Lindsay; Fitzgerald, Shari

    2015-01-01

    Interprofessional education (IPE) in health and human services educational and clinical settings has proliferated internationally. The use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the facilitation of interprofessional learning is also growing, yet reviews of the effectiveness of ICTs in the delivery of pre- and/or post-licensure IPE have been limited. The current study's purpose was to review the evaluation outcomes of IPE initiatives delivered using ICTs. Relevant electronic databases and journals from 1996 to 2013 were searched. Studies which evaluated the effectiveness of an IPE intervention using ICTs were included and analyzed using the Barr et al. modified Kirkpatrick educational outcomes typology. Fifty-five studies were identified and a majority reported evaluation findings at the level 1 (reaction/satisfaction). Analysis revealed that learners react favorably to the use of ICTs in the delivery of IPE, and ICT-mediated IPE can lead to positive attitudinal and knowledge change. A majority of the studies reported positive evaluation outcomes at the learner satisfaction level, with the use of web-based learning modalities. The limited number of studies at other levels of the outcomes typology and deficiencies in study designs indicate the need for more rigorous evaluation of outcomes in ICT-mediated IPE.

  4. Tailored Educational Approaches for Consumer Health: A Model to Address Health Promotion in an Era of Personalized Medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohn, Wendy F; Lyman, Jason; Broshek, Donna K; Guterbock, Thomas M; Hartman, David; Kinzie, Mable; Mick, David; Pannone, Aaron; Sturz, Vanessa; Schubart, Jane; Garson, Arthur T

    2018-01-01

    To develop a model, based on market segmentation, to improve the quality and efficiency of health promotion materials and programs. Market segmentation to create segments (groups) based on a cross-sectional questionnaire measuring individual characteristics and preferences for health information. Educational and delivery recommendations developed for each group. General population of adults in Virginia. Random sample of 1201 Virginia residents. Respondents are representative of the general population with the exception of older age. Multiple factors known to impact health promotion including health status, health system utilization, health literacy, Internet use, learning styles, and preferences. Cluster analysis and discriminate analysis to create and validate segments. Common sized means to compare factors across segments. Developed educational and delivery recommendations matched to the 8 distinct segments. For example, the "health challenged and hard to reach" are older, lower literacy, and not likely to seek out health information. Their educational and delivery recommendations include a sixth-grade reading level, delivery through a provider, and using a "push" strategy. This model addresses a need to improve the efficiency and quality of health promotion efforts in an era of personalized medicine. It demonstrates that there are distinct groups with clearly defined educational and delivery recommendations. Health promotion professionals can consider Tailored Educational Approaches for Consumer Health to develop and deliver tailored materials to encourage behavior change.

  5. What would happen to education if we take education evidence seriously?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vleuten, C.P.M. van der; Driessen, E.W.

    2014-01-01

    Educational practice and educational research are not aligned with each other. Current educational practice heavily relies on information transmission or content delivery to learners. Yet evidence shows that delivery is only a minor part of learning. To illustrate the directions we might take to

  6. Environmental education strategies for decentralized schools in the Colombian educative system: the Medellin experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yunia S. Rentería

    2008-02-01

    Full Text Available Environmental education is a condition to enable an attitudinal and aptitudinal generation of change, a condition that facilitates the balance between man and his surroundings. Environmental education needs the support of almost every discipline. In order to solve environmental problems, one must count on the active participation of a wide set of people and institutions. This article examines environmental education in Colombia focusing on the case of training programs, making emphasis on a case study that took place in Medellín, capital of the department of Antioquia. Results show there is a lack of clear conceptualization about the reasons and ultimate purposes concerning why environmental education is finally accomplished. That situation has conducted to the formulation of objectives and strategies that are too general to be properly fulfilled, and the implementation of detailed, and isolated actions.Lack of coordination between institutions and groups has resulted in duplicity of functions and efforts, which in turn result in a far from rational use of scarce resources. The conclusion is that environmental education in Colombia is still inefficient and must advance to higher levels, taking into account these three main perspectives: environmental, educative and pedagogic.

  7. Clinical leadership development in postgraduate medical education and training: policy, strategy, and delivery in the UK National Health Service

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aggarwal R

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Reena Aggarwal,1,2 Tim Swanwick2 1Women's Health, Whittington Health, London, UK; 2Health Education England, North Central and East London, London, UK Abstract: Achieving high quality health care against a background of continual change, increasing demand, and shrinking financial resource is a major challenge. However, there is significant international evidence that when clinicians use their voices and values to engage with system delivery, operational efficiency and care outcomes are improved. In the UK National Health Service, the traditional divide between doctors and managers is being bridged, as clinical leadership is now foregrounded as an important organizational priority. There are 60,000 doctors in postgraduate training (junior doctors in the UK who provide the majority of front-line patient care and form an "operating core" of most health care organizations. This group of doctors is therefore seen as an important resource in initiating, championing, and delivering improvement in the quality of patient care. This paper provides a brief overview of leadership theories and constructs that have been used to develop a raft of interventions to develop leadership capability among junior doctors. We explore some of the approaches used, including competency frameworks, talent management, shared learning, clinical fellowships, and quality improvement. A new paradigm is identified as necessary to make a difference at a local level, which moves learning and leadership away from developing "leaders", to a more inclusive model of developing relationships between individuals within organizations. This shifts the emphasis from the development of a "heroic" individual leader to a more distributed model, where organizations are "leader-ful" and not just "well led" and leadership is centered on a shared vision owned by whole teams working on the frontline. Keywords: National Health Service, junior doctors, quality improvement, management, health care

  8. Lecturers' Perception of Strategies for Enhancing Business Education Research in Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okoro, James

    2013-01-01

    Business education programme seems to have been faced with inadequate qualitative research in tertiary institution in Nigeria. The study therefore, assessed the strategies for enhancing Business Education research. Two research questions and six hypotheses guided the study. A 66 item questionnaire was administered to 164 colleges of education and…

  9. Strategies to Improve Students’ Educational Achievement Motivation at Guilan University of Medical Sciences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahdokht Taheri

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: In view of the fact that motivation is linked directly to the learning process and educational achievement, this study endeavored to identify strategies to improve students’ educational achievement motivation at Guilan University of Medical Sciences. Methods: To conduct this descriptive-analytical study, 368 students from Guilan University of Medical Sciences were selected using simple random sampling from 2013-2014. All of the Guilan University of Medical Sciences’ students met the general eligibility criteria except guest students. The questionnaire included five domains of economic, socio-cultural, educational, geo-regional, and personality factors in educational achievement motivation. Through using descriptive and inferential statistics (Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests, the compiled data were analyzed at the significance level of 0.05. Results: Data analysis revealed that socio-cultural factors have the maximum score (64.14 ± 9.92 and geo-regional factors have the minimum score (19.01±3.63 on the participants’ educational achievement motivation. What is more, a significant difference was revealed between educational field and educational effective factors as well as educational level and educational effective factors (p<0.011, p<0.004, respectively. Conclusion: Given that the socio-cultural factors had the maximum score on the students’ educational achievement motivation, it is recommended that university officials take these factors into account, and attempt to plan to provide appropriate strategies to enhance their students’ motivation, specifically their educational achievement motivation.

  10. Drug delivery strategies for chemoprevention of UVB-induced skin cancer: A review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bagde, Arvind; Mondal, Arindam; Singh, Mandip

    2018-01-01

    Annually, more skin cancer cases are diagnosed than the collective incidence of the colon, lung, breast, and prostate cancer. Persistent contact with sunlight is a primary cause for all the skin malignancies. UVB radiation induces reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in the skin which eventually leads to DNA damage and mutation. Various delivery approaches for the skin cancer treatment/prevention have been evolving and are directed toward improvements in terms of delivery modes, therapeutic agents, and site-specificity of therapeutics delivery. The effective chemoprevention activity achieved is based on the efficiency of the delivery system used and the amount of the therapeutic molecule deposited in the skin. In this article, we have discussed different studies performed specifically for the chemoprevention of UVB-induced skin cancer. Ultra-flexible nanocarriers, transethosomes nanocarriers, silica nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles, nanocapsule suspensions, microemulsion, nanoemulsion, and polymeric nanoparticles which have been used so far to deliver the desired drug molecule for preventing the UVB-induced skin cancer. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. Connecting the dots: interprofessional health education and delivery system redesign at the Veterans Health Administration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gilman, Stuart C; Chokshi, Dave A; Bowen, Judith L; Rugen, Kathryn Wirtz; Cox, Malcolm

    2014-08-01

    Health systems around the United States are embracing new models of primary care using interprofessional team-based approaches in pursuit of better patient outcomes, higher levels of satisfaction among patients and providers, and improved overall value. Less often discussed are the implications of new models of care for health professions education, including education for physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other professions engaged in primary care. Described here is the interaction between care transformation and redesign of health professions education at the largest integrated delivery system in the United States: the Veterans Health Administration (VA). Challenges and lessons learned are discussed in the context of a demonstration initiative, the VA Centers of Excellence in Primary Care Education. Five sites, involving VA medical centers and their academic affiliates in Boise, Cleveland, San Francisco, Seattle, and West Haven, introduced interprofessional primary care curricula for resident physicians and nurse practitioner students beginning in 2011. Implementation struggles largely revolved around the operational logistics and cultural disruption of integrating educational redesign for medicine and nursing and facilitating the interface between educational and clinical activities. To realize new models for interprofessional teaching, faculty, staff, and trainees must understand the histories, traditions, and program requirements across professions and experiment with new approaches to achieving a common goal. Key recommendations for redesign of health professions education revolve around strengthening the union between interprofessional learning, team-based practice, and high-value care.

  12. Advanced strategies in liposomal cancer therapy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andresen, Thomas Lars; Jensen, Simon Skøde; Jørgensen, Kent

    2005-01-01

    is therefore of great importance. In the first part of this review, we present current strategies in the drug delivery field, focusing on site-specific triggered drug release from liposomes in cancerous tissue. Currently marketed drug delivery systems lack the ability to actively release the carried drug......, none of them have yet led to marketed drugs and are still far from achieving this goal. The most advanced and prospective technologies are probably the prodrug strategies where nontoxic drugs are carried and activated specifically in the malignant tissue by overexpressed enzymes. In the second part......Tumor specific drug delivery has become increasingly interesting in cancer therapy, as the use of chemotherapeutics is often limited due to severe side effects. Conventional drug delivery systems have shown low efficiency and a continuous search for more advanced drug delivery principles...

  13. Rethinking Affordable Housing Delivery: An Analytical Insight

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olanrewaju Abdullateef

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Malaysia currently has a housing shortage of 12 million units. Towards the year 2020, this would require an annual supply of a minimum of 2 million homes. With the current production rate, the deficits will remain over the next 100 years. The crisis will lead to poor standards of living, un-affordable rental price, high mortgage payment, abandonment, and dilapidation of the existing housing stock. Lack of affordable housing is already a source of concern among many Malaysians. The middle and lower income earners spend more than 30% of their income on rent or for mortgage payment. Housing rent or mortgage is a basic need like foods, education, clothing and health. The government has introduced various measures to address the housing deficit. Despite these measures, the housing supply and distribution gaps continue to grow. To better understand the issues, there is a need to examine how the procurement planning in the affordable housing delivery supply chain and market is formulated, explore how cost of affordable housing would be reduced, identify the user value systems in affordable housing, and identify the criteria in the current regulatory framework? For these purposes, this paper reviews the relevant literature to reach preliminary findings on the stated issues. Among the factors found accounting for housing shortages, the overwhelming factors were that of poor policies, strategies, practice, management, and finance. The findings are meaningful in framing an affordable housing delivery model. It could also be useful to stakeholders involved in affordable housing delivery in Malaysia and elsewhere.

  14. Chitosan-Based Nanoparticles for Mucosal Delivery of RNAi Therapeutics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Martirosyan, Alina; Olesen, Morten Jarlstad; Howard, Kenneth A.

    2014-01-01

    of the polysaccharide chitosan have been used to facilitate delivery of siRNA across mucosal surfaces following local administration. This chapter describes the mucosal barriers that need to be addressed in order to design an effective mucosal delivery strategy and the utilization of the mucoadhesive properties...... of chitosan. Focus is given to preparation methods and the preclinical application of chitosan nanoparticles for respiratory and oral delivery of siRNA....

  15. Stimuli-responsive nanomaterials for therapeutic protein delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Yue; Sun, Wujin; Gu, Zhen

    2014-11-28

    Protein therapeutics have emerged as a significant role in treatment of a broad spectrum of diseases, including cancer, metabolic disorders and autoimmune diseases. The efficacy of protein therapeutics, however, is limited by their instability, immunogenicity and short half-life. In order to overcome these barriers, tremendous efforts have recently been made in developing controlled protein delivery systems. Stimuli-triggered release is an appealing and promising approach for protein delivery and has made protein delivery with both spatiotemporal- and dosage-controlled manners possible. This review surveys recent advances in controlled protein delivery of proteins or peptides using stimuli-responsive nanomaterials. Strategies utilizing both physiological and external stimuli are introduced and discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Modulating the Tumor Microenvironment to Enhance Tumor Nanomedicine Delivery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bo Zhang

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Nanomedicines including liposomes, micelles, and nanoparticles based on the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR effect have become the mainstream for tumor treatment owing to their superiority over conventional anticancer agents. Advanced design of nanomedicine including active targeting nanomedicine, tumor-responsive nanomedicine, and optimization of physicochemical properties to enable highly effective delivery of nanomedicine to tumors has further improved their therapeutic benefits. However, these strategies still could not conquer the delivery barriers of a tumor microenvironment such as heterogeneous blood flow, dense extracellular matrix, abundant stroma cells, and high interstitial fluid pressure, which severely impaired vascular transport of nanomedicines, hindered their effective extravasation, and impeded their interstitial transport to realize uniform distribution inside tumors. Therefore, modulation of tumor microenvironment has now emerged as an important strategy to improve nanomedicine delivery to tumors. Here, we review the existing strategies and approaches for tumor microenvironment modulation to improve tumor perfusion for helping more nanomedicines to reach the tumor site, to facilitate nanomedicine extravasation for enhancing transvascular transport, and to improve interstitial transport for optimizing the distribution of nanomedicines. These strategies may provide an avenue for the development of new combination chemotherapeutic regimens and reassessment of previously suboptimal agents.

  17. Modulating the Tumor Microenvironment to Enhance Tumor Nanomedicine Delivery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Bo; Hu, Yu; Pang, Zhiqing

    2017-01-01

    Nanomedicines including liposomes, micelles, and nanoparticles based on the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect have become the mainstream for tumor treatment owing to their superiority over conventional anticancer agents. Advanced design of nanomedicine including active targeting nanomedicine, tumor-responsive nanomedicine, and optimization of physicochemical properties to enable highly effective delivery of nanomedicine to tumors has further improved their therapeutic benefits. However, these strategies still could not conquer the delivery barriers of a tumor microenvironment such as heterogeneous blood flow, dense extracellular matrix, abundant stroma cells, and high interstitial fluid pressure, which severely impaired vascular transport of nanomedicines, hindered their effective extravasation, and impeded their interstitial transport to realize uniform distribution inside tumors. Therefore, modulation of tumor microenvironment has now emerged as an important strategy to improve nanomedicine delivery to tumors. Here, we review the existing strategies and approaches for tumor microenvironment modulation to improve tumor perfusion for helping more nanomedicines to reach the tumor site, to facilitate nanomedicine extravasation for enhancing transvascular transport, and to improve interstitial transport for optimizing the distribution of nanomedicines. These strategies may provide an avenue for the development of new combination chemotherapeutic regimens and reassessment of previously suboptimal agents. PMID:29311946

  18. Recent in vivo advances in cell-penetrating peptide-assisted drug delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurrikoff, Kaido; Gestin, Maxime; Langel, Ülo

    2016-01-01

    Delivery of macromolecular drugs is an important field in medical research. However, macromolecules are usually unable to cross the cell membrane without the assistance of a delivery system. Cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) are unique tools to gain access to the cell interior and deliver a bioactive cargo into the cytosol or nucleus. In addition to macromolecular delivery, CPPs have been used to deliver smaller bioactive molecules. Therefore CPPs have become an intensive field of research for medical treatment. In this review, we highlight studies that include CPP in vivo disease models. We review different strategies and approaches that have been used, with specific attention on recent publications. The approaches that have been used include CPP-cargo covalent conjugation strategies and nanoparticle strategies. Various additional strategies have been used to achieve disease targeting, including active targeting, passive targeting, and combined active/passive strategies. As a result, delivery of various types of molecule has been achieved, including small drug molecules, proteins and nucleic acid-based macromolecules (e.g. siRNA, antisense nucleotides and plasmid DNA). Despite recent advances in the field, confusions surrounding CPP internalization mechanisms and intracellular trafficking are hindering the development of new and more efficient vectors. Nevertheless, the recent increase in the number of publications containing in vivo CPP utilization looks promising that the number of clinical trials would also increase in the near future.

  19. Classroom Behaviour Management Strategies in Response to Problematic Behaviours of Primary School Children with Special Educational Needs: Views of Special Educational Needs Coordinators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nye, Elizabeth; Gardner, Frances; Hansford, Lorraine; Edwards, Vanessa; Hayes, Rachel; Ford, Tamsin

    2016-01-01

    Children identified with special educational needs (SEN) and behavioural difficulties present extra challenges to educators and require additional supports in school. This paper presents views from special educational needs coordinators (SENCos) on various strategies used by educators to support children identified with SEN and problematic…

  20. A systematic approach to engineering ethics education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jessica; Fu, Shengli

    2012-06-01

    Engineering ethics education is a complex field characterized by dynamic topics and diverse students, which results in significant challenges for engineering ethics educators. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a systematic approach to determine what to teach and how to teach in an ethics curriculum. This is a topic that has not been adequately addressed in the engineering ethics literature. This systematic approach provides a method to: (1) develop a context-specific engineering ethics curriculum using the Delphi technique, a process-driven research method; and (2) identify appropriate delivery strategies and instructional strategies using an instructional design model. This approach considers the context-specific needs of different engineering disciplines in ethics education and leverages the collaboration of engineering professors, practicing engineers, engineering graduate students, ethics scholars, and instructional design experts. The proposed approach is most suitable for a department, a discipline/field or a professional society. The approach helps to enhance learning outcomes and to facilitate ethics education curriculum development as part of the regular engineering curriculum.

  1. An Art Museum in the Interest of Publicness: A Discussion of Educational Strategies at Tate Exchange

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christensen-Scheel, Boel

    2018-01-01

    Influenced by needs to legitimise large collections and the position as public institutions, art museums today are searching to develop rigorous public strategies in order to increase numbers of visitors and public impact. Education is part of those strategies, and the need to discuss art education in relation to publicness and criticality arises.…

  2. Students’ strategies for position-taking in transnational education

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Jin Hui

    2016-01-01

    as a field of struggle. The article discusses in depth how different student positions are led by the dispositions of having a certain nationality combined with international experiences/travel mobility. It will furthermore also discuss how the dispositions of national academic capital are related......The article illuminates the positions distributed and the strategies for position-taking which students pursue in order to transform or preserve their positions in a classroom with a transnational context where students have different national and international education experiences. Furthermore......, how their positions are related to their aspirations for the future will be elucidated. Based on interviews with Danish and Chinese students enrolled at a Sino-Danish university situated in Beijing, the article identifies four different navigation strategies for position-taking in such a classroom...

  3. Strategies for service-learning assessment in dental hygiene education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burch, Sharlee

    2013-10-01

    A large body of literature exists on the instructional pedagogy known as service-learning. Service-learning is a teaching and learning approach characterized by the dental hygiene student's practical application of academic studies and occurs within a community setting, to the benefit of both the student and community. Dental hygiene educators use service-learning to enhance student knowledge and application of oral health curriculum. This manuscript reports on the importance of service-learning assessment to the National Dental Hygiene Research Agenda as well as the future of the profession of dental hygiene and the successful strategies in service-learning evaluation available for utilization by dental hygiene educators.

  4. Maternal mortality in India: current status and strategies for reduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prakash, A; Swain, S; Seth, A

    1991-12-01

    The causes (medical, reproductive factors, health care delivery system, and socioeconomic factors) of maternal mortality in India and strategies for reducing maternal mortality are presented. Maternal mortality rates (MMR) are very high in Asia and Africa compared with Northern Europe's 4/100,000 live births. An Indian hospital study found the MMR to be 4.21/1000 live births. 50-98% of maternal deaths are caused by direct obstetric causes (hemorrhage, infection, and hypertensive disorders, ruptured uterus, hepatitis, and anemia). 50% of maternal deaths due to sepsis are related to illegal induced abortion. MMR in India has not declined significantly in the past 15 years. Age, primi and grande multiparity, unplanned pregnancy, and related illegal abortion are the reproductive causes. In 1985 WHO reported that 63-80% of maternal deaths due to direct obstetric causes and 88-98% of all maternal deaths could probably have been prevented with proper handling. In India, coordination between levels in the delivery system and fragmentation of care account for the poor quality of maternal health care. Mass illiteracy is another cause. Effective strategies for reducing the MMR are 1) to place a high priority on maternal and child health (MCH) services and integrate vertical programs (e.g., family planning) related to MCH; 2) to give attention to care during labor and delivery, which is the most critical period for complications; 3) to provide community-based delivery huts which can provide a clean and safe delivery place close to home, and maternity waiting rooms in hospitals for high risk mothers; 4) to improve the quality of MCH care at the rural community level (proper history taking, palpation, blood pressure and fetal heart screening, risk factor screening, and referral); 5) to improve quality of care at the primary health care level (emergency care and proper referral); 6) to include in the postpartum program MCH and family planning services; 7) to examine the

  5. Coding the Biodigital Child: The Biopolitics and Pedagogic Strategies of Educational Data Science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williamson, Ben

    2016-01-01

    Educational data science is an emerging transdisciplinary field formed from an amalgamation of data science and elements of biological, psychological and neuroscientific knowledge about learning, or learning science. This article conceptualises educational data science as a biopolitical strategy focused on the evaluation and management of the…

  6. Teaching Who You Are: Connecting Teachers' Civic Education Ideology to Instructional Strategies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knowles, Ryan T.

    2018-01-01

    This quantitative study uses survey data to test connections between 735 teachers' civic education ideology (CivID) and their self-reported instructional practices. Analysis demonstrates teachers' beliefs in relation to conservative, liberal, and critical civic education ideology as well as preference for instructional strategies, such as…

  7. Re-Thinking Sustainable Education Systems in Iceland: The Net-University Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rennie, Frank; Johannesdottir, Sigurbjorg

    2011-01-01

    The recent economic crisis in Iceland has raised issues of the sustainability of Icelandic higher education to new levels of importance. A key strategy in relation to this economic crisis is to consider the merger of the four public universities in Iceland and to introduce a much higher engagement with online and open delivery methods of higher…

  8. Strategies used for the promotion of critical thinking in nursing undergraduate education: A systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carvalho, Diana P S R P; Azevedo, Isabelle C; Cruz, Giovanna K P; Mafra, Gabriela A C; Rego, Anna L C; Vitor, Allyne F; Santos, Viviane E P; Cogo, Ana L P; Ferreira Júnior, Marcos A

    2017-10-01

    Identifying the strategies used to promote critical thinking (CT) during undergraduate education in nursing courses. Systematic review. Five electronic databases were searched without language, publication time or geographic filters. A systematic review of the literature. Including experimental studies that considered at least one teaching strategy to promote critical thinking of undergraduate students in Nursing courses. The search for studies occurred in three phases: title and summary review, complete text and implementation of a clinical form of selection according to predetermined criteria. All included studies were assessed for quality through a classification tool for experimental studies. Six studies were selected. The results were grouped into three key themes: an evaluation of the quality of the selected studies, characterization of the studies and the strategies used to promote critical thinking. All selected studies were in English, with significant conceptual similarity of Critical Thinking and dominance in choosing the approached theme during strategies in clinical nursing education with an emphasis on the nursing process. The most widely used teaching intervention was Problem-Based Learning. Nursing education mediated by strategies that stimulate CT is considered a positive difference in undergraduate curriculums. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. UK Higher Education Institutions' Technology-Enhanced Learning Strategies from the Perspective of Disruptive Innovation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flavin, Michael; Quintero, Valentina

    2018-01-01

    The publication of institutional strategies for learning, teaching and assessment in UK higher education is practically ubiquitous. Strategies for technology-enhanced learning are also widespread. This article examines 44 publicly available UK university strategies for technology-enhanced learning, aiming to assess the extent to which…

  10. Entrepreneurship and response strategies to challenges in engineering and design education

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Ulrik; Pineda, Andres Felipe Valderrama

    2012-01-01

    Entrepreneurship is one of the contemporary expectations to engineers and their training at engineering schools. But what is entrepreneurship? We propose three different conceptualizations of entrepreneurship in engineering and design programs. They are: (1) the technology-driven promotion response...... centered in technological development; (2) the business selection response strategy centered in business skills (which should be additional to the technical skills); and (3) the design intervention response strategy focused on a network approach to technology, business and society. These conceptualizations...... are response strategies from engineering communities, professors and institutions to perceived challenges. We argue that all engineering educators deal in one way or another with the three response strategies when approaching issues of curricular design, academicreform and the international accreditation...

  11. Assessment of the Vocabulary Learning and Strategies Used by Teacher Education Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Esperanza F. Carranza

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available One way to assess a person’s communicative competence is through his ability to express his thoughts and ideas in appropriate words and meaningful sentences. Vocabulary learning then is critical to learning a language – be it the first, second or even foreign. However, test results, daily communication and English proficiency exams show that students have difficulty in learning vocabulary. This descriptive-evaluative study assessed the vocabulary learning and the strategies used along context clues, word analysis and dictionary skills of the 100 randomly selected second-year education students of the Sorsogon State College. The study utilized survey-questionnaire, teacher- made test and unstructured interview in gathering data. The study revealed that most of the Bachelor of Elementary Education (BEED and Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSED students oftentimes used strategies in learning vocabulary such as reading books and other materials, looking for clues in sentences and use the dictionary to unlock the unfamiliar words. The students attained nearly competent vocabulary performance along context clues, word analysis and dictionary skills. The context clues and word analysis skills are significantly related to the use of learning strategies when tested at 0.05 level. The developed vocabulary module to enhance the skills of the students can be validated and utilized for instruction.

  12. INVESTIGATING THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN TEACHING STRATEGIES AND LEARNING STYLES IN HIGHER EDUCATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cristina Tulbure

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Within this paper, we are focusing on the relationships between teaching strategies, learning styles, and the students’ academic achievement in higher education. The main objective of this study is to compare three groups of pre-service teachers having different majors (i.e., Educational Sciences, Economic Sciences, and Foreign Languages in order to identify the potential differences in their academic achievement. More precisely, we attempt to highlight the categories of teaching strategies that lead to the best academic achievement for students having the same learning style, and different fields of study. A sample of 269 pre-service teachers from three faculties belonging to Transilvania University of Braşov participated in the study. The data was collected through a survey method and the one-way analysis of variance was used to determine the differences among the groups. Significant differences among the three categories of students with different majors occurred in relation with the most effective teaching strategies corresponding to each learning style category.

  13. Ethics and patient education: health literacy and cultural dilemmas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marks, Ray

    2009-07-01

    This article discusses health literacy and cultural factors that have implications for the ethical practice of health education. It specifically focuses on recent data that speaks to the challenges in carrying out patient education from the perspective of comprehension and equitable distribution of health-related information across diverse cultures and communities. It discusses strategies for reducing the negative impact of low health literacy among diverse groups and the importance of acknowledging this pervasive problem in the context of ensuring equity in the optimal delivery of health promotion messages.

  14. Educational strategies aimed at improving student nurse's medication calculation skills: a review of the research literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stolic, Snezana

    2014-09-01

    Medication administration is an important and essential nursing function with the potential for dangerous consequences if errors occur. Not only must nurses understand the use and outcomes of administering medications they must be able to calculate correct dosages. Medication administration and dosage calculation education occurs across the undergraduate program for student nurses. Research highlights inconsistencies in the approaches used by academics to enhance the student nurse's medication calculation abilities. The aim of this integrative review was to examine the literature available on effective education strategies for undergraduate student nurses on medication dosage calculations. A literature search of five health care databases: Sciencedirect, Cinahl, Pubmed, Proquest, Medline to identify journal articles between 1990 and 2012 was conducted. Research articles on medication calculation educational strategies were considered for inclusion in this review. The search yielded 266 papers of which 20 meet the inclusion criteria. A total of 5206 student nurse were included in the final review. The review revealed educational strategies fell into four types of strategies; traditional pedagogy, technology, psychomotor skills and blended learning. The results suggested student nurses showed some benefit from the different strategies; however more improvements could be made. More rigorous research into this area is needed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Crossing the Chasm – Introducing Flexible Learning into the Botswana Technical Education Programme: From Policy to Action

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alison Mead Richardson

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available This paper reports on a longitudinal, ethnomethodological case study of the development towards flexible delivery of the Botswana Technical Education Programme (BTEP, offered by Francistown College of Technical & Vocational Education (FCTVE. Data collection methods included documentary analysis, naturalistic participant observation, and semi-structured interviews. The author identifies and analyses the technical, staffing, and cultural barriers to change when introducing technology-enhanced, flexible delivery methods. The study recommends that strategies to advance flexible learning should focus on the following goals: establish flexible policy and administration systems, change how staff utilization is calculated when flexible learning methodologies are used, embed flexible delivery in individual performance development and department/college strategic plans, ensure managerial leadership, hire and support permanent specialists, identify champions and share success stories, and address issues of inflexible organisational culture. This study may be of value in developing countries where mass-based models are sought to expand access to vocational education and training.

  16. Building Bridges: Seeking Structure and Direction for Higher Education Motivated Learning Strategy Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fryer, Luke K.

    2017-01-01

    Many of our current higher education (HE) learning strategy models intersect at important points. At the same time, these theories also often demonstrate important unique perspectives on student learning within HE. Currently, research with one learning strategy model rarely leads to developments in others, as each group of researchers works in…

  17. Determinants of institutional delivery in rural Jhang, Pakistan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carton Thomas W

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background There is expert consensus that delivery at a health facility substantially reduces the risk of maternal death. By increasing the use of antenatal (ANC, postnatal care (PNC and family planning, the risk of maternal death can be further reduced. There has been little investigation of factors associated with the use of these services in Pakistan. Methods A representative household survey was conducted in rural areas of Jhang district, Pakistan, to determine the effect of demographic, economic and program factors on the utilization of maternal health services. Married women who had children ages 12 months or younger were interviewed. Data was collected from 2,018 women on socio-demographic characteristics and the utilization of health services. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the correlates of health services use. Marginal effects quantify the impact of various factors on service utilization. Results Parity and education had the largest impact on institutional delivery: women were substantially less likely to deliver at a health facility after their first birth; women with primary or higher education were much more likely to have an institutional delivery. Age, autonomy, household wealth, proximity to a health facility and exposure to mass media were also important drivers of institutional delivery. The use of family planning within a year of delivery was low, with parity, education and husband's approval being the strongest determinants of use. Conclusions The findings suggest that rural women are likely to respond to well-designed interventions that remove financial and physical barriers to accessing maternal health services and motivate women by emphasizing the benefits of these services. Interventions should specifically target women who have two or more living children, little formal education and are from the poorest households.

  18. Strategies for Educators of Bilingual Students: A Critical Review of Literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chris Sclafani

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The education of bilingual students is a rather popular topic among educators in today's schools. Frequently, articles and research focus upon a singular phenomenon or strategy in this field. This literature review is aimed at providing teachers of students of all grade levels and ages with a guide containing prevalent theories and ideas related to providing high quality instruction to students with bilingual backgrounds. Educational practices such as translanguaging and the integration of biliteracy can assist students in using their native tongues along with the dominant language of their given settings. Additionally, the usage of cooperative groups and language buddies not only creates a sense of “fitting in” for new bilinguals, but also recognizes the ideology that young learners will learn the social aspects of a new language prior to learning the more academic and formalized version of speaking. Both new and experienced teachers would benefit from training that relates to these culturally responsive teaching strategies. There are also sections within this piece that promote the usage of community and parent outreach methods that aim to improve the school experience for all involved parties. The overarching goal of this literature review is providing teachers with a variety of literature connected to relevant theory and useful strategies that could potentially assist them in better understanding bilingual students, as well as enhance their overall knowledge base of this subject matter.

  19. Effectiveness of distance learning strategies for continuing professional development (CPD) for rural allied health practitioners: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berndt, Angela; Murray, Carolyn M; Kennedy, Kate; Stanley, Mandy J; Gilbert-Hunt, Susan

    2017-07-12

    Allied health professionals working in rural areas face unique challenges, often with limited access to resources. Accessing continuing professional development is one of those challenges and is related to retention of workforce. Effectiveness of distance learning strategies for continuing professional development in rural allied healthcare workers has not been evaluated. We searched 17 databases and the grey literature up to September 2016 following the PRISMA guidelines. Any primary studies were included that focussed on allied health and distance delivery regardless of education topic or study design. Two independent reviewers extracted data and critically appraised the selected studies. The search returned 5257 results. With removal of duplicate references, we reviewed 3964 article titles and abstracts; n = 206 appeared potentially eligible and were scrutinised via full text screening; n = 14 were included. Studies were published between 1997 and 2016, were of varied methodological quality and were predominantly from Australia, USA and Canada with a focus on satisfaction of learners with the delivery method or on measures of educational outcomes. Technologies used to deliver distance education included video conference, teleconference, web based platforms and virtual reality. Early papers tended to focus more on the technology characteristics than educational outcomes. Some studies compared technology based delivery to face to face modes and found satisfaction and learning outcomes to be on par. Only three studies reported on practice change following the educational intervention and, despite a suggestion there is a link between the constructs, none measured the relationship between access to continuing professional development and workforce retention. Technology based options of delivery have a high utility, however the complex inter-relatedness of time, use, travel, location, costs, interactivity, learning outcomes and educational design suggest a need

  20. Educating patients: understanding barriers, learning styles, and teaching techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beagley, Linda

    2011-10-01

    Health care delivery and education has become a challenge for providers. Nurses and other professionals are challenged daily to assure that the patient has the necessary information to make informed decisions. Patients and their families are given a multitude of information about their health and commonly must make important decisions from these facts. Obstacles that prevent easy delivery of health care information include literacy, culture, language, and physiological barriers. It is up to the nurse to assess and evaluate the patient's learning needs and readiness to learn because everyone learns differently. This article will examine how each of these barriers impact care delivery along with teaching and learning strategies will be examined. Copyright © 2011 American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. MRI-Guided Focused Ultrasound as a New Method of Drug Delivery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Thanou

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Ultrasound-mediated drug delivery under the guidance of an imaging modality can improve drug disposition and achieve site-specific drug delivery. The term focal drug delivery has been introduced to describe the focal targeting of drugs in tissues with the help of imaging and focused ultrasound. Focal drug delivery aims to improve the therapeutic profile of drugs by improving their specificity and their permeation in defined areas. Focused-ultrasound- (FUS- mediated drug delivery has been applied with various molecules to improve their local distribution in tissues. FUS is applied with the aid of microbubbles to enhance the permeability of bioactive molecules across BBB and improve drug distribution in the brain. Recently, FUS has been utilised in combination with MRI-labelled liposomes that respond to temperature increase. This strategy aims to “activate” nanoparticles to release their cargo locally when triggered by hyperthermia induced by FUS. MRI-guided FUS drug delivery provides the opportunity to improve drug bioavailability locally and therefore improve the therapeutic profiles of drugs. This drug delivery strategy can be directly translated to clinic as MRg FUS is a promising clinically therapeutic approach. However, more basic research is required to understand the physiological mechanism of FUS-enhanced drug delivery.

  2. Collaborative testing as a learning strategy in nursing education: a review of the literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sandahl, Sheryl S

    2009-01-01

    Nurses are important members of a patient's interprofessional health care team. A primary goal of nursing education is to prepare nursing professionals who can work collaboratively with other team members for the benefit of the patient. Collaborative learning strategies provide students with opportunities to learn and practice collaboration. Collaborative testing is a collaborative learning strategy used to foster knowledge development, critical thinking in decision-making, and group processing skills. This article reviews the theoretical basis for collaborative learning and research on collaborative testing in nursing education.

  3. Safe delivery practices: experience from cross-sectional data of Bangladeshi women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kabir, M A; Goh, Kim-Leng; Khan, M M H; Al-Amin, Abul Quasem; Azam, Mohammad Nurul

    2015-03-01

    This study examines the safe delivery practices of Bangladeshi women using data on 4905 ever-married women aged 15 to 49 years from the 2007 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey. Variables that included age, region of origin, education level of respondent and spouse, residence, working status, religion, involvement in NGOs, mass media exposure, and wealth index were analyzed to find correlates of safe delivery practices. More than 80% of the deliveries took place at home, and only 18% were under safe and hygienic conditions. The likelihood of safe deliveries was significantly lower among younger and older mothers than middle-aged mothers and higher among educated mothers and those living in urban areas. Economically better-off mothers and those with greater exposure to mass media had a significantly higher incidence of safe delivery practices. A significant association with religion and safe delivery practices was revealed. Demographic, socioeconomic, cultural, and programmatic factors that are strongly associated with safe delivery practices should be considered in the formulation of reproductive health policy. © 2012 APJPH.

  4. Safe delivery care practices in western Nepal: Does women's autonomy influence the utilization of skilled care at birth?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhandari, Tulsi Ram; Kutty, V Raman; Sarma, P Sankara; Dangal, Ganesh

    2017-01-01

    Despite various efforts to increase the utilization of skilled birth attendants (SBA), nearly two-thirds of deliveries take place at home without the assistance of SBAs in Nepal. We hypothesized that the ability of women to take decisions about their own lives-women's autonomy-plays an important part in birth choices. To know this, we conducted a community-based cross-sectional study for assessing women's autonomy and utilization of safe delivery care service in Kapilvastu district of Nepal from June to October 2014. We used multivariate modeling to associate socioeconomic factors and women's autonomy with the utilization of safe delivery care services. Just over one-third of women sought institutional delivery care during the birth of their last child. Out of the total deliveries at health facilities, nearly 58% women visited health facility for self-reported emergency obstructive care. Only 6.2% home deliveries were handled by health workers and 14.7% women used the safe delivery kit for home delivery care. Higher levels of women's education had a strong positive association (odds ratio = 24.11, CI = 9.43-61.64) with institutional delivery care. Stratified analysis showed that when the husband is educated, women's education seems to work partly through their autonomy in decision making. Educational status of women emerged as one of the key predictors of the utilization of delivery care services in Kapilvastu district. Economic status of household and husband's education are other dominant predictors of the utilization of safe delivery care services. Improving the economic and educational status may be the way out for improving the proportion of institutional deliveries. Women's autonomy may be an important mediating factor in this pathway.

  5. Implementation of Brazil's "family health strategy": factors associated with community health workers', nurses', and physicians' delivery of drug use services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spector, Anya Y; Pinto, Rogério M; Rahman, Rahbel; da Fonseca, Aline

    2015-05-01

    Brazil's "family health strategy" (ESF), provides primary care, mostly to individuals in impoverished communities through teams of physicians, nurses, and community health workers (CHWs). ESF workers are called upon to offer drug use services (e.g., referrals, counseling) as drug use represents an urgent public health crisis. New federal initiatives are being implemented to build capacity in this workforce to deliver drug use services, yet little is known about whether ESF workers are providing drug use services already. Guided by social cognitive theory, this study examines factors associated with ESF workers' provision of drug use services. Cross-sectional surveys were collected from 262 ESF workers (168 CHWs, 62 nurses, and 32 physicians) in Mesquita, Rio de Janeiro State and Santa Luzia, Minas Gerais State. provision of drug-use services. capacity to engage in evidence-based practice (EBP), resource constraints, peer support, knowledge of EBP, and job title. Logistic regression was used to determine relative influence of each predictor upon the outcome. Thirty-nine percent reported providing drug use services. Younger workers, CHWs, workers with knowledge about EBP and workers that report peer support were more likely to offer drug use services. Workers that reported resource constraints and more capacity to implement EBP were less likely to offer drug use services. ESF workers require education in locating, assessing and evaluating the latest research. Mentorship from physicians and peer support through team meetings may enhance workers' delivery of drug use services, across professional disciplines. Educational initiatives aimed at ESF teams should consider these factors as potentially enhancing implementation of drug use services. Building ESF workers' capacity to collaborate across disciplines and to gain access to tools for providing assessment and treatment of drug use issues may improve uptake of new initiatives. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All

  6. E-learning in engineering education: a theoretical and empirical study of the Algerian higher education institution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benchicou, Soraya; Aichouni, Mohamed; Nehari, Driss

    2010-06-01

    Technology-mediated education or e-learning is growing globally both in scale and delivery capacity due to the large diffusion of the ubiquitous information and communication technologies (ICT) in general and the web technologies in particular. This statement has not yet been fully supported by research, especially in developing countries such as Algeria. The purpose of this paper was to identify directions for addressing the needs of academics in higher education institutions in Algeria in order to adopt the e-learning approach as a strategy to improve quality of education. The paper will report results of an empirical study that measures the readiness of the Algerian higher education institutions towards the implementation of ICT in the educational process and the attitudes of faculty members towards the application of the e-learning approach in engineering education. Three main objectives were targeted, namely: (a) to provide an initial evaluation of faculty members' attitudes and perceptions towards web-based education; (b) reporting on their perceived requirements for implementing e-learning in university courses; (c) providing an initial input for a collaborative process of developing an institutional strategy for e-learning. Statistical analysis of the survey results indicates that the Algerian higher education institution, which adopted the Licence - Master and Doctorate educational system, is facing a big challenge to take advantage of emerging technological innovations and the advent of e-learning to further develop its teaching programmes and to enhance the quality of education in engineering fields. The successful implementation of this modern approach is shown to depend largely on a set of critical success factors that would include: 1. The extent to which the institution will adopt a formal and official e-learning strategy. 2. The extent to which faculty members will adhere and adopt this strategy and develop ownership of the various measures in the

  7. Dental Hygiene Entry-Level Program Administrators' Strategies for Overcoming Challenges of Distance Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buchanan, Bette A.

    2009-01-01

    The use of distance education by entry-level dental hygiene programs is increasing. The focus of this study was to determine the number of entry-level dental hygiene program administrators with experience developing and/or maintaining dental hygiene education by distance, the challenges encountered, and the strategies used to overcome the…

  8. K-12 Education Nonprofit Employees' Perceptions of Strategies for Recruiting and Retaining Employees

    Science.gov (United States)

    Byrne, Tara Marie

    2013-01-01

    This qualitative study explored the key reasons individuals who work in K-12 education nonprofit organizations enter the field of K-12 nonprofit education and their motivations for doing so. The purpose of this study was to find new strategies for recruiting and retaining K-12 education nonprofit employees by examining the obstacles that exist to…

  9. Determinants of antenatal care, institutional delivery and postnatal ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Conclusion: Improving utilization of these three MCH indicators will require targeting women in the rural areas and those with low level of education as well as creating demand for health facility delivery. Improving ANC use by making it available and accessible will have a multiplier effect of improving facility delivery which ...

  10. Polymersome-based drug-delivery strategies for cancer therapeutics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anajafi, Tayebeh; Mallik, Sanku

    2015-01-01

    Polymersomes are stable vesicles prepared from amphiphilic polymers and are more stable compared with liposomes. Although these nanovesicles have many attractive properties for in vitro/in vivo applications, liposome-based drug delivery systems are still prevalent in the market. In order to expedite the translational potential and to provide medically valuable formulations, the polymersomes need to be biocompatible and biodegradable. In this review, recent developments for biocompatible and biodegradable polymersomes, including the design of intelligent, targeted, and stimuli-responsive vesicles are summarized.

  11. Capitated payments to primary care providers and the delivery of patient education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pearson, William S; King, Dana E; Richards, Chesley

    2013-01-01

    Patient education is a critical component of the patient-centered medical home and is a powerful and effective tool in chronic disease management. However, little is known about the effect of practice payment on rates of patient education during office encounters. For this study we took data from the 2009 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. This was a cross-sectional analysis of patient visits to primary care providers to determine whether practice payment in the form of capitated payments is associated within patient education being included more frequently during office visits compared with other payment methods. In a sample size of 9863 visits in which capitation status was available and the provider was the patient's primary care provider, the weighted percentages of visits including patient education were measured as a percentages of education (95% confidence intervals): 75% capitation, 74.0% (52.2-88.1). In an adjusted logistic model controlling for new patients (yes/no), number of chronic conditions, number of medications managed, number of previous visits within the year, and age and sex of the patients, the odds of receiving education were reported as odds ratios (95% confidence intervals): 75% capitation, 3.38 (1.23-9.30). Patients are more likely to receive education if their primary care providers receive primarily capitated payment. This association is generally important for health policymakers constructing payment strategies for patient populations who would most benefit from interventions that incorporate or depend on patient education, such as populations requiring management of chronic diseases.

  12. On the Way to the Best Strategy in Literacy Education: A Journey of Philosophical Investigations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Cheu-Jey George

    2011-01-01

    The search for the best strategy in literacy education is a lingering phenomenon. From time to time one strategy is claimed to work best, only to be critically challenged and replaced by another. There is always debate about what the best strategy is. The belief that there is supposed to be only one best strategy is not consistent with the fact…

  13. The Educational Strategies of Danish University Students from Professional and Working-Class Backgrounds

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thomsen, Jens Peter; Munk, Martin D.; Eiberg, Misja

    2013-01-01

    This paper deals with the various educational strategies, attitudes and behaviors adopted and displayed by Danish university students from professional class and working-class backgrounds. While access to universities in Denmark remains unequal, certain types of universities and fields of study h...... have wider participation among working-class students than others. At the same time a range of qualitative studies show that working-class students tend to be more risk aversive when it comes to job security and to the economic costs of studying. They tend to lack a sense of belonging...... grants and have no tuition fees, and because the social democratic welfare regime gives a central place to the notion of equality of opportunity in the education system. We ask how and to what extent Danish students’ choice of university program, their educational strategies and attitudes and behaviors...

  14. National Strategies for Implementing Postmodern Thinking for Improving Secondary Education in Public Education in the United States of America

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacobs, Karen Dupre; Kritsonis, William Allan

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to discuss strategies for secondary, public school educators to implement postmodern thinking in the United States of America. Postmodernism is a set of strategic practices that erase limits or norms to abide by placed upon people in society. Jacobs and Kritsonis say the time is now for educators to be recognizant of…

  15. original article predictors of safe delivery service utilization in arsi

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Abrham

    There is limited information on the mothers' use of skilled delivery services in the ... edited, cleaned, and entered into a computer and analyzed using SPSS for ... education and communication on safe delivery service utilization, expansion of ...

  16. Integrated systematic review on educational strategies that promote academic success and resilience in undergraduate indigenous students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milne, T; Creedy, D K; West, R

    2016-01-01

    Despite numerous recommendations by governments, researchers, and education policymakers the recruitment, retention and success of undergraduate indigenous students in higher education is not commensurate of the wider student population. There is minimal evidence of valuing indigenous worldviews and perspectives in curricula, and effectiveness of educational strategies to strengthen indigenous student success rates in completing undergraduate studies. To conduct an integrative systematic review of educational strategies to promote academic success and resilience in undergraduate indigenous students. Major databases of Scopus, ProQuest, Informit and Web of Science were searched. Inclusion criteria were peer reviewed research articles from scholarly journals that referenced indigenous, aboriginal, First Nation or Māori students in undergraduate programs in higher education. The search was limited to English language and studies conducted from 1995 to 2014. The search yielded 156 research papers which reduced to 16 papers that met the inclusion criteria. The included papers were critiqued from a standpoint theory approach that reflects feminism, cultural respect, and humanism. Much of the literature describes issues, and provides qualitative analyses of experiences, but empirical evaluations of interventions are rare. There was a gap in current research evaluating strategies to improve indigenous student success and resilience. Key strategies for indigenous student success are multi-faceted, layered support, underpinned by the principles of respect, relationships, and responsibility. Implications for nursing and midwifery education, research and health care practice are outlined. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Lebanon's 2011 ICT Education Reform Strategy and Action Plan: Curriculum Success or Abeyance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Awada, Ghada; Diab, Hassan

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of Lebanon's Education Reform Strategy and Action Plan (LERSAP) set in 2011 as a form of the educational reform the curriculum underwent through focusing on promoting and employing the information communication technology (ICT) tools. The LERSAP was launched to equip teachers…

  18. Re-Thinking Sustainable Education Systems in Iceland: The Net-University Project

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frank Rennie

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available The recent economic crisis in Iceland has raised issues of the sustainability of Icelandic higher education to new levels of importance. A key strategy in relation to this economic crisis is to consider the merger of the four public universities in Iceland and to introduce a much higher enegagement with online and open delivery methods of higher education. The Net-University Project was an EU Leonardo-funded initiative to compare approaches to open and distance education in Iceland, Sweden, and Scotland, with additional lessons from Atlantic Canada. In particular, it sought to focus on the transfer of innovation in continuing university education, with particular emphasis on the development and delivery of online higher education courses throughout rural Iceland (i.e., outside of Reykjavik. The partners concentrated on how knowledge and experience about distributed and distance learning models could be transferred between the partner countries and how such models can be integrated into the education system to better support higher education and lifelong learning. There was a particular interest in the practical use of open educational resources (OER for course design and in the sharing of these course modules among university partners. Some good practice and lessons from OER use in course creation are listed.

  19. Strategies for Controlled Delivery of Growth Factors and Cells for Bone Regeneration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vo, Tiffany N.; Kasper, F. Kurtis; Mikos, Antonios G.

    2012-01-01

    The controlled delivery of growth factors and cells within biomaterial carriers can enhance and accelerate functional bone formation. The carrier system can be designed with preprogrammed release kinetics to deliver bioactive molecules in a localized, spatiotemporal manner most similar to the natural wound healing process. The carrier can also act as an extracellular matrix-mimicking substrate for promoting osteoprogenitor cellular infiltration and proliferation for integrative tissue repair. This review discusses the role of various regenerative factors involved in bone healing and their appropriate combinations with different delivery systems for augmenting bone regeneration. The general requirements of protein, cell and gene therapy are described, with elaboration on how the selection of materials, configurations and processing affects growth factor and cell delivery and regenerative efficacy in both in vitro and in vivo applications for bone tissue engineering. PMID:22342771

  20. Workforce Education For Renewable Energy -- Lessons Learned From A National Gathering Of Educators

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weissman, Jane M. [Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Latham, NY (United States); Ferranti, Adele [New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, Albany, NY (United States); Laflin, Kirk [Partnership for Environmental Technology Education, South Portland, ME (United States)

    2007-07-01

    On November 8 -10, 2006, the first national conference on renewable energy workforce education was held at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, New York. The event was sponsored by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and organized by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) and the Partnership for Environmental Technology Education (PETE). Over 200 instructors, school administrators, and industry representatives attended this event representing 30 states and over 65 Community Colleges and Technical High Schools. The conference resulted in an enormous collection of information on the best practices and effective approaches to teaching workforce skills in the renewable energy trades and industries. This paper discusses the following educational strategies: the hybrid course delivery model; interdisciplinary instruction; linking technical high schools with the local community college; integrating a renewable energy concentration within an energy management degree program; expanding hands-on opportunities through internship programs; and an industry-sponsored certificate program. Recommendations by educators are also discussed.

  1. Relationships of cognitive and metacognitive learning strategies to mathematics achievement in four high-performing East Asian education systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Areepattamannil, Shaljan; Caleon, Imelda S

    2013-01-01

    The authors examined the relationships of cognitive (i.e., memorization and elaboration) and metacognitive learning strategies (i.e., control strategies) to mathematics achievement among 15-year-old students in 4 high-performing East Asian education systems: Shanghai-China, Hong Kong-China, Korea, and Singapore. In all 4 East Asian education systems, memorization strategies were negatively associated with mathematics achievement, whereas control strategies were positively associated with mathematics achievement. However, the association between elaboration strategies and mathematics achievement was a mixed bag. In Shanghai-China and Korea, elaboration strategies were not associated with mathematics achievement. In Hong Kong-China and Singapore, on the other hand, elaboration strategies were negatively associated with mathematics achievement. Implications of these findings are briefly discussed.

  2. Educating science editors: is there a comprehensive strategy?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gasparyan, Armen Yuri; Yessirkepov, Marlen; Gorin, Sergey V; Kitas, George D

    2014-12-01

    The article considers available options to educate science editors in the fast-transforming digital environment. There is no single course or resource that can cover their constantly changing and diversifying educational needs. The involvement in research, writing, and reviewing is important for gaining editing skills, but that is not all. Membership in editorial associations and access to updated scholarly information in the field are mandatory for maintaining editorial credentials. Learned associations offer access to a few widely-recognized periodicals. There are also formal training courses covering issues in science writing and ethical editing, but no high-level evidence data exist to promote any of these. Networking with like-minded specialists within the global and regional editorial associations seems a useful strategy to upgrade editorial skills and resolve problems with the quality control and digitization of scholarly periodicals.

  3. Inhaled Micro/Nanoparticulate Anticancer Drug Formulations: An Emerging Targeted Drug Delivery Strategy for Lung Cancers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Islam, Nazrul; Richard, Derek

    2018-05-24

    Local delivery of drug to the target organ via inhalation offers enormous benefits in the management of many diseases. Lung cancer is the most common of all cancers and it is the leading cause of death worldwide. Currently available treatment systems (intravenous or oral drug delivery) are not efficient in accumulating the delivered drug into the target tumor cells and are usually associated with various systemic and dose-related adverse effects. The pulmonary drug delivery technology would enable preferential accumulation of drug within the cancer cell and thus be superior to intravenous and oral delivery in reducing cancer cell proliferation and minimising the systemic adverse effects. Site-specific drug delivery via inhalation for the treatment of lung cancer is both feasible and efficient. The inhaled drug delivery system is non-invasive, produces high bioavailability at low dose and avoids first pass metabolism of the delivered drug. Various anticancer drugs including chemotherapeutics, proteins and genes have been investigated for inhalation in lung cancers with significant outcomes. Pulmonary delivery of drugs from dry powder inhaler (DPI) formulation is stable and has high patient compliance. Herein, we report the potential of pulmonary drug delivery from dry powder inhaler (DPI) formulations inhibiting lung cancer cell proliferation at very low dose with reduced unwanted adverse effects. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  4. Strategies for Engaging NASA Earth Scientists in K-12 Education and Public Outreach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meeson, Blanche W.; Gabrys, Robert E.

    2001-01-01

    Engagement of the Earth Science research community in formal education at the kindergarten through high school level and in various aspects of informal education and in professional development of practitioners in related fields has been and continues to be a challenge. A range of approaches is being used and new ones are constantly being tried. Fundamental to our strategies is an understanding of the priorities, skills, academic experiences, motivation, rewards and work experiences of most scientists. It is within this context that efforts to engage a scientist in education efforts are attempted. A key strategy is to limit our requests to activities where the scientist's contribution of time and expertise can have the most impact. Don't waste the scientist's time! Time is one of their most prized resources, it is extremely valuable to you, and to them, we treat their time like a treasured resource. The clearer a scientist's role, their unique contribution and the finite nature of their effort, the more likely they are to participate. It is critical that commitments made to scientists are kept. If they want and can do more, great! Don't expect or assume more will be forthcoming. Another approach that we use is to create periodic venues that, among other things, serve to identify individuals who have an interest or inclination to con , tribute to education efforts. Once identified we strive to determine their interests so that we can make the best match between their interests and the needs of the education program or efforts. In this way, we try to make the best use of their time while engaging them in efforts which will be personally rewarding, and will further the overall education objectives. In addition, we try to make it easier for scientists to participate by providing focused training, such as development of their interviewing skills, and exposure to key concepts, knowledge and skills which are well known among educators but are not common knowledge among

  5. Vernacular design based on sustainable disaster's mitigation communication and education strategy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mansoor, Alvanov Zpalanzani

    2015-04-01

    Indonesia is located between three active tectonic plates, which are prone to natural disasters such as earthquake, volcanic eruption, and also giant tidal wave-tsunami. Adequate infrastructure plays an important role in disaster mitigation, yet without good public awareness, the mitigation process won't be succeeded. The absence of awareness can lead to infrastructure mistreatment. Several reports on lack of understanding or misinterpretation of disaster mitigation especially from rural and coastal communities need to be solved, especially from communication aspects. This is an interdisciplinary study on disaster mitigation communication design and education strategy from visual communication design studies paradigm. This paper depicts research results which applying vernacular design base to elaborate sustainable mitigation communication and education strategy on various visual media and social campaigns. This paper also describes several design approaches which may becomes way to elaborate sustainable awareness and understanding on disaster mitigation among rural and coastal communities in Indonesia.

  6. Service Strategies for Higher Educational Institutions Based on Student Segmentation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghosh, Amit K.; Javalgi, Rajshekhar; Whipple, Thomas W.

    2008-01-01

    Over the last decade, higher education institutions in the U.S. have faced increased competition and expenditures coupled with declines in financial support. Furthermore, they often have been forced to cater to the needs of an increasingly diverse group of students and must design service strategies based on the unique needs of each group. This…

  7. Strategies for accelerating the SLARette process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grewal, P.

    1997-01-01

    The SLARette (Spacer Location and Repositioning) process is continuing on several CANDU reactors, where loose fitting garter springs (spacers) were used, to prevent contact between the calandria tube and the pressure tube for the target life. With time, the sag in the fuel channel is increasing and consequently increasing the potential for contact between the pressure tube and the calandria tube. Also, due to increasing sag in the pressure tubes and increasing magnitude of the fuel channel constrictions on the eddy current detection system, the Spacer Location and Repositioning activities are becoming more time consuming and difficult. For CANDU owners, during the SLARette campaigns, station outage time is the most expensive item. Therefore, it is beneficial to complete the SLARette process as early as possible and as fast as possible. New SLARette strategies can substantially accelerate the overall SLARette process and thus minimize the outage time. There are several strategies to perform the SLARette process. These strategies include: using the SLARette Mark II Delivery System; using the SLARette Advanced Delivery System; implement creative fuel handling technique; operate from both sides of the reactor using Mark II Delivery Systems; operate both sides using Advanced Delivery Systems. Each strategy offers different benefits, rate of fuel channel processing (SLARette Activity), and schedule constraints. This paper provides the details of each strategy and compare them in terms of outage time, man-rem consumption, and constraints. (author)

  8. Strategies for Promoting Autonomous Reading Motivation: A Multiple Case Study Research in Primary Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Naeghel, Jessie; Van Keer, Hilde; Vanderlinde, Ruben

    2014-01-01

    It is important to reveal strategies which foster students' reading motivation in order to break through the declining trend in reading motivation throughout children's educational careers. Consequently, the present study advances an underexposed field in reading motivation research by studying and identifying the strategies of teachers excellent…

  9. Biodegradable polymeric nanocarriers for pulmonary drug delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rytting, Erik; Nguyen, Juliane; Wang, Xiaoying; Kissel, Thomas

    2008-06-01

    Pulmonary drug delivery is attractive for both local and systemic drug delivery as a non-invasive route that provides a large surface area, thin epithelial barrier, high blood flow and the avoidance of first-pass metabolism. Nanoparticles can be designed to have several advantages for controlled and targeted drug delivery, including controlled deposition, sustained release, reduced dosing frequency, as well as an appropriate size for avoiding alveolar macrophage clearance or promoting transepithelial transport. This review focuses on the development and application of biodegradable polymers to nanocarrier-based strategies for the delivery of drugs, peptides, proteins, genes, siRNA and vaccines by the pulmonary route. The selection of natural or synthetic materials is important in designing particles or nanoparticle clusters with the desired characteristics, such as biocompatibility, size, charge, drug release and polymer degradation rate.

  10. A novel respiratory motion compensation strategy combining gated beam delivery and mean target position concept - A compromise between small safety margins and long duty cycles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guckenberger, Matthias; Kavanagh, Anthony; Webb, Steve; Brada, Michael

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate a novel respiratory motion compensation strategy combining gated beam delivery with the mean target position (MTP) concept for pulmonary stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). Materials and methods: Four motion compensation strategies were compared for 10 targets with motion amplitudes between 6 mm and 31 mm: the internal target volume concept (plan ITV ); the MTP concept where safety margins were adapted based on 4D dose accumulation (plan MTP ); gated beam delivery without margins for motion compensation (plan gated ); a novel approach combining gating and the MTP concept (plan gated and MTP ). Results: For 5/10 targets with an average motion amplitude of 9 mm, the differences in the mean lung dose (MLD) between plan gated and plan MTP were gated and MTP . Despite significantly shorter duty cycles, plan gated reduced the MLD by gated and MTP . The MLD was increased by 18% in plan MTP compared to that of plan gated and MTP . Conclusions: For pulmonary targets with motion amplitudes >10-15 mm, the combination of gating and the MTP concept allowed small safety margins with simultaneous long duty cycles.

  11. Recombinant Endolysins as Potential Therapeutics against Antibiotic-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus: Current Status of Research and Novel Delivery Strategies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haddad Kashani, Hamed; Schmelcher, Mathias; Sabzalipoor, Hamed; Seyed Hosseini, Elahe; Moniri, Rezvan

    2018-01-01

    Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most common pathogens of humans and animals, where it frequently colonizes skin and mucosal membranes. It is of major clinical importance as a nosocomial pathogen and causative agent of a wide array of diseases. Multidrug-resistant strains have become increasingly prevalent and represent a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. For this reason, novel strategies to combat multidrug-resistant pathogens are urgently needed. Bacteriophage-derived enzymes, so-called endolysins, and other peptidoglycan hydrolases with the ability to disrupt cell walls represent possible alternatives to conventional antibiotics. These lytic enzymes confer a high degree of host specificity and could potentially replace or be utilized in combination with antibiotics, with the aim to specifically treat infections caused by Gram-positive drug-resistant bacterial pathogens such as methicillin-resistant S. aureus . LysK is one of the best-characterized endolysins with activity against multiple staphylococcal species. Various approaches to further enhance the antibacterial efficacy and applicability of endolysins have been demonstrated. These approaches include the construction of recombinant endolysin derivatives and the development of novel delivery strategies for various applications, such as the production of endolysins in lactic acid bacteria and their conjugation to nanoparticles. These novel strategies are a major focus of this review. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

  12. WebQuests: a new instructional strategy for nursing education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lahaie, Ulysses

    2007-01-01

    A WebQuest is a model or framework for designing effective Web-based instructional strategies featuring inquiry-oriented activities. It is an innovative approach to learning that is enhanced by the use of evolving instructional technology. WebQuests have invigorated the primary school (grades K through 12) educational sector around the globe, yet there is sparse evidence in the literature of WebQuests at the college and university levels. WebQuests are congruent with pedagogical approaches and cognitive activities commonly used in nursing education. They are simple to construct using a step-by-step approach, and nurse educators will find many related resources on the Internet to help them get started. Included in this article are a discussion of the critical attributes and main features of WebQuests, construction tips, recommended Web sites featuring essential resources, a discussion of WebQuest-related issues identified in the literature, and some suggestions for further research.

  13. Physical Education and Female Participation: A Case Study of Teachers' Perspectives and Strategies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murphy, Brooke; Dionigi, Rylee A.; Litchfield, Chelsea

    2014-01-01

    We argue that gender issues in physical education (PE) remain in some schools, despite advances in PE research and curricula aimed at engaging females in PE. We interviewed five Australian PE teachers (1 male and 4 females) at a co-educational, regional high school about the factors affecting female participation in PE and the strategies they used…

  14. Gender as a factor in differentiating strategies of coping with stress used by physical education students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monika Guszkowska

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Background Students are exposed to numerous stressors associated with their integration into their university education, their relationships with friends, and anxiety about the future. Given that stress may be related to university students’ academic performance, understanding the coping strategies used by students may be important in facilitating a positive transition to a university setting. The aim of this study was to determine the gender-based variation of strategies for coping with stress used by students, as well as to determine the correlation between these strategies and the students’ academic achievements. Participants and procedure The study design was cross sectional and included 376 first-year undergraduate students (227 men and 149 women enrolled in the physical education and sport programme at the University of Physical Education in Warsaw. The Polish adaptation of Carver, Scheier and Weintraub’s Multidimensional Inventory for Measuring Stress Coping – COPE and the mean grade from all first-year university courses (the indicator of academic achievements were used. Results Men definitely preferred task-oriented strategies, while women preferred to look for support (instrumental and emotional and placed higher importance on the focusing on and venting of emotions. Academic achievement correlated positively with task-oriented strategies and negatively with avoidance-oriented strategies. These relationships were partly confirmed by regression analyses. Conclusions The results of the study provide support for sex differences in the most frequently applied coping strategies. The results also suggest that avoidance-oriented strategies do not facilitate academic achievement, while active coping strategies correlate with greater success in studies.

  15. The "resident's dilemma"? Values and strategies of medical residents for education interactions: a cellular automata simulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heckerling, P S; Gerber, B S; Weiner, S J

    2006-01-01

    Medical residents engage in formal and informal education interactions with fellow residents during the working day, and can choose whether to spend time and effort on such interactions. Time and effort spent on such interactions can bring learning and personal satisfaction to residents, but may also delay completion of clinical work. Using hypothetical cases, we assessed the values and strategies of internal medicine residents at one hospital for both cooperative and non-cooperative education interactions with fellow residents. We then used these data and cellular automata models of two-person games to simulate repeated interactions between residents, and to determine which strategies resulted in greatest accrued value. We conducted sensitivity analyses on several model parameters, to test the robustness of dominant strategies to model assumptions. Twenty-nine of the 57 residents (50.9%) valued cooperation more than non-cooperation no matter what the other resident did during the current interaction. Similarly, thirty-six residents (63.2%) endorsed an unconditional always-cooperate strategy no matter what the other resident had done during their previous interaction. In simulations, an always-cooperate strategy accrued more value (776.42 value units) than an aggregate of strategies containing non-cooperation components (675.0 value units, p = 0.052). Only when the probability of strategy errors reached 50%, or when values were re-ordered to match those of a Prisoner's Dilemma, did non-cooperation-based strategies accrue the most value. Cooperation-based values and strategies were most frequent among our residents, and dominated in simulations of repeated education interactions between them.

  16. A Study of Preservice Educators' Dispositions to Change Behavior Management Strategies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shook, Alison C.

    2012-01-01

    Student behavior problems contribute to poor academic achievement and poor teacher retention. This study investigated preservice teachers' dispositions to implement positive and proactive strategies for managing behavior in the general education elementary urban classroom. The author interviewed 19 preservice teachers in a large urban school…

  17. [Construction and Application of Innovative Education Technology Strategies in Nursing].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chao, Li-Fen; Huang, Hsiang-Ping; Ni, Lee-Fen; Tsai, Chia-Lan; Huang, Tsuey-Yuan

    2017-12-01

    The evolution of information and communication technologies has deeply impacted education reform, promoted the development of digital-learning models, and stimulated the development of diverse nursing education strategies in order to better fulfill needs and expand in new directions. The present paper introduces the intelligent-learning resources that are available for basic medical science education, problem-based learning, nursing scenario-based learning, objective structured clinical examinations, and other similar activities in the Department of Nursing at Chang Gung University of Science and Technology. The program is offered in two parts: specialized classroom facilities and cloud computing / mobile-learning. The latter includes high-fidelity simulation classrooms, online e-books, and virtual interactive simulation and augmented reality mobile-learning materials, which are provided through multimedia technology development, learning management systems, web-certificated examinations, and automated teaching and learning feedback mechanisms. It is expected that the teaching experiences that are shared in this article may be used as a reference for applying professional wisdom teaching models into nursing education.

  18. Between Tradition and Tourism: Educational Strategies of a Zapotec Artisan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davenport, Melanie G.

    2007-01-01

    This case study examines the teaching and learning strategies employed by a Zapotec weaver in Oaxaca, Mexico, to draw attention to the personal agency of indigenous artisans participating in the tourist economy, and to examine ways in which non-formal and informal education in skills and understandings related to art can function in the lives of…

  19. Structure, Content, Delivery, Service, and Outcomes: Quality e-Learning in higher education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Colla J. MacDonald

    2005-07-01

    Full Text Available This paper addresses the need for quality e-Learning experiences. We used the Demand-Driven Learning Model (MacDonald, Stodel, Farres, Breithaupt, and Gabriel, 2001 to evaluate an online Masters in Education course. Multiple data collection methods were used to understand the experiences of stakeholders in this case study: the learners, design team, and facilitators. We found that all five dimensions of the model (structure, content, delivery, service, and outcomes must work in concert to implement a quality e-Learning course. Key themes include evolving learner needs, the search for connection, becoming an able e-participant, valued interactions, social construction of content, integration of delivery partners, and mindful weighing of benefits and trade-offs. By sharing insights into what is needed to design and deliver an e-Learning experience, our findings add to the growing knowledge of online learning. Using this model to evaluate perceptions of quality by key stakeholders has led to insights and recommendations on the Demand Driven Learning Model itself which may be useful for researchers in this area and strengthen the model. Quality has been defined in terms of the design of the e-Learning experience, the contextualized experience of learners, and evidence of learning outcomes (Carr and Carr, 2000; Jung 2000; Salmon, 2000. Quality and design of e-Learning courses, however, are sometimes compromised in an “ . . . effort to simply get something up and running��� in response to pressing consumer demands (Dick, 1996, p. 59. Educators and researchers have voiced concern over the lack of rigorous evaluation studies of e-Learning programs (e.g., Arbaugh, 2000; Howell, Saba, Lindsay, and Williams, 2004; Lockyer, Patterson, and Harper, 1999; Robinson, 2001. McGorry (2003 adds, “although the number of courses being delivered via the Internet is increasing rapidly, our knowledge of what makes these courses effective learning experiences

  20. A REVIEW ON OSMOTIC DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM

    OpenAIRE

    Harnish Patel; Upendra Patel; Hiren Kadikar; Bhavin Bhimani; Dhiren Daslaniya; Ghanshyam Patel

    2012-01-01

    Conventional oral drug delivery systems supply an instantaneous release of drug, which cannot control the release of the drug and effective concentration at the target site. This kind of dosing pattern may result in constantly changing, unpredictable plasma concentrations. Drugs can be delivered in a controlled pattern over a long period of time by the process of osmosis. Osmotic devices are the most promising strategy based systems for controlled drug delivery. They are the most reliable con...

  1. Feasibility of dose painting using volumetric modulated arc optimization and delivery

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Korreman, Stine; Ulrich, Silke; Bowen, Stephen

    2010-01-01

    Dose painting strategies are limited by optimization algorithms in treatment planning systems and physical constraints of the beam delivery. We investigate dose conformity using the RapidArc optimizer and beam delivery technique. Furthermore, robustness of the plans with respect to positioning un...

  2. Secondary Education Attainment and Social Economic Transformation in Rural Tanzania: Observations from Livelihood Strategies of Primary and Secondary Education Graduates in Mvomero District

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lupeja, Thabita Lameck; Gubo, Qi

    2016-01-01

    This paper examines the influence of secondary education in promoting; health awareness, gender awareness and civic awareness. The study sought to assess whether the education policy which considers secondary education as the key instrument in bringing social and economic transformation has been reflected in graduates' livelihood strategies once…

  3. Educational and evaluation strategies in the training of physician specialists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaona-Flores, Verónica Alejandra; Campos-Navarro, Luz Arcelia; Arenas-Osuna, Jesús; Alcalá-Martínez, Enrique

    2017-01-01

    Teaching strategies have been defined as procedures, means or resources that teachers used to promote meaningful learning. Identify teaching strategies and evaluation used by the professor with residents in tertiary hospitals health care. This is a cross-sectional study conducted with full, associate and assistant professors of various medical specialties. A questionnaire was applied to evaluate the strategies used by professors to teach and evaluate students. We included a sample of 90 professors in 35 medical specialties. The most frequent teaching activities were: organizing students to develop presentations on specific subjects, followed by asking questions on previously reviewed subjects, In terms of the strategies employed, the most frequent "always" option was applied to case analyses. The most frequent methods used for the evaluation of theoretical knowledge were: participation in class, topic presentation and exams. Teaching activities were primarily based on the presentation of specific topics by the residents. The most commonly used educational strategies were clinical case analyses followed by problem-based learning and the use of illustrations. Evaluation of the residents' performance in theory knowledge, hinged on class participation, presentation of assigned topics and exams. Copyright: © 2017 SecretarÍa de Salud

  4. Promoting Clinical Reasoning in Undergraduate Physical Therapy Education: A Review of Strategies and Approaches

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brekke, Anders Falk

    2015-01-01

    Title: Promoting Clinical Reasoning in Undergraduate Physical Therapy Education: A Review of Strategies and Approaches Juneja H1, Brekke A F2 1,2 Physical Therapy Education, University College Zealand, Denmark Background: Clinical reasoning (CR) also referred to as “critical thinking” or “decision....... It is imperative that physical therapy educators utilize innovative pedagogical methods to facilitate learning of reasoning skills in students. Purpose: The review is an attempt to highlight and discuss selected pedagogical strategies and approaches to enhance clinical reasoning skills in undergraduate physical...... programs was shortlisted for the review. References of pertinent literature were scanned to identify further relevant citations. Results: The review provides a detailed insight into the interwoven nature of pedagogical techniques to promote clinical reasoning being used by different physical therapy...

  5. Education Strategies Through Simulation For Training In Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Treatment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Regimar Carla Machado

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Theoretical and reflective study based on scientific literature and critical analysis of authors related to teaching strategies through simulation for training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR. Current teaching methodologies CPR involve realistic simulation strategies and simulations in virtual environments, but the first method provides the best results, allowing proactivity of individuals in their teaching-learning process and bringing them the experience of a life threatening situation. It is noteworthy that health professionals need to be able to assist a victim in cardiac arrest, but even  existing effective teaching methodologies to enable them in this subject, is not fully applicable in the Brazilian context of health education.

  6. Practical guide to content delivery networks

    CERN Document Server

    Held, Gilbert

    2005-01-01

    With a practical and organized approach to learning and implementation, A Practical Guide to Content Delivery Networks presents a step-by-step process for building a highly available and highly scalable content delivery network (CDN). CDN refers to the infrastructure behind any service that provides utility or access to data to an end user. This book offers terminology, tactics, potential problems to avoid, and individual layers of design, providing clear understanding of the framework for CDNs using a structural and visual approach. The text emphasizes a best-of-breed strategy, allowing a tec

  7. Identification of recruitment and retention strategies for rehabilitation professionals in Ontario, Canada: results from expert panels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tran, Diem; Hall, Linda McGillis; Davis, Aileen; Landry, Michel D; Burnett, Dawn; Berg, Katherine; Jaglal, Susan

    2008-12-09

    Demand for rehabilitation services is expected to increase due to factors such as an aging population, workforce pressures, rise in chronic and complex multi-system disorders, advances in technology, and changes in interprofessional health service delivery models. However, health human resource (HHR) strategies for Canadian rehabilitation professionals are lagging behind other professional groups such as physicians and nurses. The objectives of this study were: 1) to identify recruitment and retention strategies of rehabilitation professionals including occupational therapists, physical therapists and speech language pathologists from the literature; and 2) to investigate both the importance and feasibility of the identified strategies using expert panels amongst HHR and education experts. A review of the literature was conducted to identify recruitment and retention strategies for rehabilitation professionals. Two expert panels, one on Recruitment and Retention and the other on Education were convened to determine the importance and feasibility of the identified strategies. A modified-delphi process was used to gain consensus and to rate the identified strategies along these two dimensions. A total of 34 strategies were identified by the Recruitment and Retention and Education expert panels as being important and feasible for the development of a HHR plan for recruitment and retention of rehabilitation professionals. Seven were categorized under the Quality of Worklife and Work Environment theme, another seven in Financial Incentives and Marketing, two in Workload and Skill Mix, thirteen in Professional Development and five in Education and Training. Based on the results from the expert panels, the three major areas of focus for HHR planning in the rehabilitation sector should include strategies addressing Quality of Worklife and Work Environment, Financial Incentives and Marketing and Professional Development.

  8. Delivery of peptide and protein drugs over the blood-brain barrier.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brasnjevic, Ivona; Steinbusch, Harry W M; Schmitz, Christoph; Martinez-Martinez, Pilar

    2009-04-01

    Peptide and protein (P/P) drugs have been identified as showing great promises for the treatment of various neurodegenerative diseases. A major challenge in this regard, however, is the delivery of P/P drugs over the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Intense research over the last 25 years has enabled a better understanding of the cellular and molecular transport mechanisms at the BBB, and several strategies for enhanced P/P drug delivery over the BBB have been developed and tested in preclinical and clinical-experimental research. Among them, technology-based approaches (comprising functionalized nanocarriers and liposomes) and pharmacological strategies (such as the use of carrier systems and chimeric peptide technology) appear to be the most promising ones. This review combines a comprehensive overview on the current understanding of the transport mechanisms at the BBB with promising selected strategies published so far that can be applied to facilitate enhanced P/P drug delivery over the BBB.

  9. Safe delivery care practices in western Nepal: Does women’s autonomy influence the utilization of skilled care at birth?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kutty, V. Raman; Sarma, P. Sankara; Dangal, Ganesh

    2017-01-01

    Despite various efforts to increase the utilization of skilled birth attendants (SBA), nearly two-thirds of deliveries take place at home without the assistance of SBAs in Nepal. We hypothesized that the ability of women to take decisions about their own lives—women’s autonomy—plays an important part in birth choices. To know this, we conducted a community-based cross-sectional study for assessing women’s autonomy and utilization of safe delivery care service in Kapilvastu district of Nepal from June to October 2014. We used multivariate modeling to associate socioeconomic factors and women’s autonomy with the utilization of safe delivery care services. Just over one-third of women sought institutional delivery care during the birth of their last child. Out of the total deliveries at health facilities, nearly 58% women visited health facility for self-reported emergency obstructive care. Only 6.2% home deliveries were handled by health workers and 14.7% women used the safe delivery kit for home delivery care. Higher levels of women’s education had a strong positive association (odds ratio = 24.11, CI = 9.43–61.64) with institutional delivery care. Stratified analysis showed that when the husband is educated, women’s education seems to work partly through their autonomy in decision making. Educational status of women emerged as one of the key predictors of the utilization of delivery care services in Kapilvastu district. Economic status of household and husband’s education are other dominant predictors of the utilization of safe delivery care services. Improving the economic and educational status may be the way out for improving the proportion of institutional deliveries. Women’s autonomy may be an important mediating factor in this pathway. PMID:28771579

  10. Teaching Strategies and Practices that Promote a Culturally Sensitive Nursing Education: A Delphi Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dewald, Robin J.

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore teaching strategies that promote a culturally sensitive nursing education and culturally sensitive nursing. The diversity of Americans has increased. Thus, the nursing student population and patient population have both become more diverse. Nursing education programs, therefore, need to know the best…

  11. Educational Leaders' Doctoral Research That Informed Strategies to Steer Their Organizations towards Cultural Alignment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taysum, Alison

    2016-01-01

    This research generates new knowledge about how 24 educational leaders in the USA and England used their doctoral research to build narrative capital to inform strategies to steer their organizations towards cultural alignment. Cultural alignment prevents forms of segregation rooted in nation-states' wider historiography of education segregation…

  12. Tutorial Continuing Education: Innovative Strategy in a Tertiary Specialized Health Unit

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Flaviana Maciel

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Hospital Pelopidas Silveira-IMIP/SES/SUS is a tertiary-unit, specialized in cardiology, neurology, neurosurgery and interventional radiology. It is the only hospital of Brazilian Public-Health-System (SUS with this profile and a 24h-acute-cardio/neurovascular facility. Challenges of Continuing-Education include a guaranteeing appropriate level of basic knowledge, b empowering clinical staff to remain up to date in current knowledge. HPS Continuing-Education Program is based on three branches: a Classroom-Tutorials (CT, b Online-Tutorials at "Pelopidas Digital" Virtual-Teaching-Platform (PD-VTP and c Daily-Practice Evaluation (DPE. This paper presents logistic details of HPS Continuing-Education Program. Training team coordinates tutorial meetings and performs continuous statistical analysis. Evaluation team visit hospital departments daily, observing in practice the incorporation of information provided, and retraining individuals in their work scenarios. Both teams perform curriculum development, meeting planning and creation of digital-training-modules. Tutorial meetings have pre/post-tests, allowing monitoring of attendance, topic significance and short-term retention. Tutorial groups are formed by 6-12 employees sharing similarities in training needs. CT is offered to 4 groups-of-interest: a nurses, b nursing assistants, c administrative staff, porters, drivers, d cleaning, laundry and security staff. Problematization and active strategies have resulted into an attractive, structured educational program customized to produce short-term results. The strategy is of interest to institutions sharing similar challenges.

  13. Strategies for Implementing Postmodern Thinking for Improving Secondary Education in Public Education in the United States of America: National Impact

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacobs, Karen Dupre; Kritsonis, William Allan

    2007-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to discuss strategies for the secondary, public school educators to implement postmodern thinking in the United States of America. Postmodernism is a set of strategic practices that erase limits or norms to abide by placed upon people in society. The time is now for educators to be recognizant of these changes.…

  14. Disability inclusion in higher education in Uganda: Status and strategies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Emong, Paul; Eron, Lawrence

    2016-01-01

    Uganda has embraced inclusive education and evidently committed itself to bringing about disability inclusion at every level of education. Both legal and non-legal frameworks have been adopted and arguably are in line with the intent of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) on education. The CRPD, in Article 24, requires states to attain a right to education for persons with disabilities without discrimination and on the basis of equal opportunities at all levels of education. Despite Uganda's robust disability legal and policy framework on education, there is evidence of exclusion and discrimination of students with disabilities in the higher education institutions. The main objective of this article is to explore the status of disability inclusion in higher education and strategies for its realisation, using evidence from Emong's study, workshop proceedings where the authors facilitated and additional individual interviews with four students with disabilities by the authors. The results show that there are discrimination and exclusion tendencies in matters related to admissions, access to lectures, assessment and examinations, access to library services, halls of residence and other disability support services. The article recommends that institutional policies and guidelines on support services for students with disabilities and special needs in higher education be developed, data on students with disabilities collected to help planning, collaboration between Disabled Peoples Organisations (DPO's) strengthened to ensure disability inclusion and the establishment of disability support centres.

  15. Introduction strategies raise key questions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Finger, W R; Keller, S

    1995-09-01

    Key issues that must be considered before a new contraceptive is introduced center on the need for a trained provider to begin or terminate the method, its side effects, duration of use, method's ability to meet users' needs and preferences, and extra training or staff requirements. Logistics and economic issues to consider are identifying a dependable way of effectively supplying commodities, planning extra services needed for the method, and cost of providing the method. Each contraceptive method presents a different side effect pattern and burdens the service delivery setting differently. The strategy developed to introduce or expand the 3-month injectable Depo-Provera (DMPA) can be used for any method. It includes a needs assessment and addresses regulatory issues, service delivery policies and procedures, information and training, evaluation, and other concerns. Viet Nam's needs assessment showed that Norplant should not be introduced until the service delivery system becomes stronger. Any needs assessment for expansion of contraceptive services should cover sexually transmitted disease/HIV issues. A World Health Organization strategy helps officials identify the best method mix for local situations. Introductory strategies must aim to improve the quality of family planning programs and expand choices. Many begin by examining existing data and conducting interviews with policymakers, users, providers, and women's health advocates. Introductory programs for Norplant focus on provider training, adequate counseling and informed consent for users, and ready access to removal. They need a well-prepared service delivery infrastructure. The first phase of the DMPA introductory strategy for the Philippines comprised a social marketing campaign and DMPA introduction at public clinics in 10 pilot areas with strong service delivery. Successful AIDS prevention programs show that people tend to use barrier methods when they are available. USAID is currently studying

  16. Development of a National Education and Training Data Standards Strategy and Implementation Plan. Cat. No. EDU 4

    Science.gov (United States)

    Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2015

    2015-01-01

    The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare developed a national data standards strategy and implementation plan to enhance the comparability, quality and coherence of information across the Australian education and training sectors, including early childhood education, school education, vocational education and training (VET) and higher…

  17. Improving health related quality of life among rural hypertensive patients through the integrative strategy of health services delivery: a quasi-experimental trial from Chongqing, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miao, Yudong; Zhang, Liang; Sparring, Vibeke; Sandeep, Sandeep; Tang, Wenxi; Sun, Xiaowei; Feng, Da; Ye, Ting

    2016-08-23

    Integrative strategy of health services delivery has been proven to be effective in economically developed countries, where the healthcare systems have enough qualified primary care providers. However rural China lacks such providers to act as gatekeeper, besides, Chinese rural hypertensive patients are usually of old age, more likely to be exposed to health risk factors and they experience a greater socio-economic burden. All these Chinese rural setting specific features make the effectiveness of integrative strategy of health services in improving health related quality of life among Chinese rural hypertensive patients uncertain. In order to assess the impact of integrative strategy of health services delivery on health related quality of life among Chinese rural hypertensive patients, a two-year quasi-experimental trial was conducted in Chongqing, China. At baseline the sample enrolled 1006 hypertensive patients into intervention group and 420 hypertensive patients into control group. Physicians from village clinics, town hospitals and county hospitals worked collaboratively to deliver multidisciplinary health services for the intervention group, while physicians in the control group provided services without cooperation. The quality of life was studied by SF-36 Scale. Blood pressures were reported by town hospitals. The Difference-in-Differences model was used to estimate the differences in SF-36 score and blood pressure of both groups to assess the impact. The study showed that at baseline there was no statistical difference in SF-36 scores between both groups. While at follow-up the intervention group scored higher in overall SF-36, Role Physical, Body Pain, Social Functioning and Role Emotional than the control group. The Difference-in-Differences result demonstrated that there were statistical differences in SF-36 total score (p = 0.011), Role Physical (p = 0.027), Social Functioning (p = 0.000), Role Emotional (p = 0.002) between both

  18. Buccal and sublingual vaccine delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kraan, Heleen; Vrieling, Hilde; Czerkinsky, Cecil; Jiskoot, Wim; Kersten, Gideon; Amorij, Jean-Pierre

    2014-09-28

    Because of their large surface area and immunological competence, mucosal tissues are attractive administration and target sites for vaccination. An important characteristic of mucosal vaccination is its ability to elicit local immune responses, which act against infection at the site of pathogen entry. However, mucosal surfaces are endowed with potent and sophisticated tolerance mechanisms to prevent the immune system from overreacting to the many environmental antigens. Hence, mucosal vaccination may suppress the immune system instead of induce a protective immune response. Therefore, mucosal adjuvants and/or special antigen delivery systems as well as appropriate dosage forms are required in order to develop potent mucosal vaccines. Whereas oral, nasal and pulmonary vaccine delivery strategies have been described extensively, the sublingual and buccal routes have received considerably less attention. In this review, the characteristics of and approaches for sublingual and buccal vaccine delivery are described and compared with other mucosal vaccine delivery sites. We discuss recent progress and highlight promising developments in the search for vaccine formulations, including adjuvants and suitable dosage forms, which are likely critical for designing a successful sublingual or buccal vaccine. Finally, we outline the challenges, hurdles to overcome and formulation issues relevant for sublingual or buccal vaccine delivery. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  19. Developing Broader Impacts Activities through Informal STEM Education Collaborations and Strategies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bell, James

    2015-03-01

    With the National Science Foundation and other funding agencies' renewed emphasis on broader impacts merit criterion in proposals, investigators and directors of education, outreach and engagement are challenged to identify, plan and implement innovative and transformative activities that engage a variety of audiences in the broader impacts of scientific research. These activities are also often required to have an evaluation plan for assessing the effectiveness of the strategies employed to achieve learning goals or other intended impacts. One approach to developing such plans is to partner with an informal science education institution, program, project or individual to create exhibits, media or programming that will convey the scientific concepts and processes involved in research and engage students and public audiences in appreciation for, and understanding of same. A growing body of evidence -based knowledge about what works for whom and under what conditions in fostering science learning and literacy in informal settings, as well as an expanding network of informal science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education professionals provide researchers, graduate students and staff resources to tap into as they consider their broader impacts directions. Web infrastructure like the informalscience.org website and others offer aggregated, vetted, and searchable examples of successful partnerships and strategies, as well as access to a community of colleagues working at the nexus of scientific research and informal education for further exploration. Through heightened awareness, stronger connectivity and a growing repository of knowledge, projects like the Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE) hope to support and disseminate the results of efforts that are enhancing the quality and visibility of broader impacts activities in whatever form they take.

  20. Mental Healthcare Delivery in London-Middlesex Ontario - The Next Frontier.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Velji, Karima; Links, Paul

    2016-01-01

    The next frontier for mental healthcare delivery will be focused on three facets of innovation, namely structure, process and outcome. The structure innovation will seek to develop new models of care delivery between the two hospitals and with the community. The process innovation will focus on embedding strategies to adopt a recovery and rehabilitation approach to care delivery. Lastly, the outcome innovation will use system wide quality improvement methods to drive breakthrough performance in mental healthcare.

  1. Effects of Bifidobacterium Breve Feeding Strategy and Delivery Modes on Experimental Allergic Rhinitis Mice.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jian-jun Ren

    Full Text Available Different delivery modes may affect the susceptibility to allergic diseases. It is still unknown whether early intervention with probiotics would counteract this effect.The effect of different delivery modes on immune status and nasal symptoms was investigated on established allergic rhinitis (AR mouse model. In addition, the immunoregulatory effects and mechanisms of different feeding manners with Bifidobacterium breve(B. breve were examined.Live lyophilized B. breve was orally administered to BALB/c mice born via vaginal delivery(VD or cesarean delivery (CD for 8 consecutive weeks, after which they were sensitized by ovalbumin(OVA to establish experimental AR. Nasal symptoms, serum immunoglobulins, cytokines, splenic percentages of CD4(+CD25(+Foxp3(+ regulatory T(Treg cells and nasal eosinophil infiltration were evaluated.Compared with VD mice, mice delivered via CD demonstrated more serious nasal symptoms, higher concentrations of OVA-specific immunoglobulin (Ig E, more nasal eosinophils and lower percentages of splenic CD4(+CD25(+Foxp3(+Treg cells after establishing experimental AR. These parameters were reversed by administering B. breves hortly after birth. However, the effect of B. breve did not differ between different delivery modes.CD aggravates the nasal symptoms of AR mice compared to VD. This is the first report that oral administration of B. breve shortly after birth can significantly alleviate the symptoms of AR mice born via both deliveries, probably via activation of the regulatory capacity of CD4(+CD25(+Foxp3(+Treg cells.

  2. Effects of Bifidobacterium Breve Feeding Strategy and Delivery Modes on Experimental Allergic Rhinitis Mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ren, Jian-jun; Yu, Zhao; Yang, Feng-Ling; Lv, Dan; Hung, Shi; Zhang, Jie; Lin, Ping; Liu, Shi-Xi; Zhang, Nan; Bachert, Claus

    2015-01-01

    Different delivery modes may affect the susceptibility to allergic diseases. It is still unknown whether early intervention with probiotics would counteract this effect. The effect of different delivery modes on immune status and nasal symptoms was investigated on established allergic rhinitis (AR) mouse model. In addition, the immunoregulatory effects and mechanisms of different feeding manners with Bifidobacterium breve(B. breve) were examined. Live lyophilized B. breve was orally administered to BALB/c mice born via vaginal delivery(VD) or cesarean delivery (CD) for 8 consecutive weeks, after which they were sensitized by ovalbumin(OVA) to establish experimental AR. Nasal symptoms, serum immunoglobulins, cytokines, splenic percentages of CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) regulatory T(Treg) cells and nasal eosinophil infiltration were evaluated. Compared with VD mice, mice delivered via CD demonstrated more serious nasal symptoms, higher concentrations of OVA-specific immunoglobulin (Ig) E, more nasal eosinophils and lower percentages of splenic CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+)Treg cells after establishing experimental AR. These parameters were reversed by administering B. breves hortly after birth. However, the effect of B. breve did not differ between different delivery modes. CD aggravates the nasal symptoms of AR mice compared to VD. This is the first report that oral administration of B. breve shortly after birth can significantly alleviate the symptoms of AR mice born via both deliveries, probably via activation of the regulatory capacity of CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+)Treg cells.

  3. Barriers and Effective Educational Strategies to Develop Extension Agents' Professional Competencies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lakai, Dona; Jayaratne, K. S. U.; Moore, Gary E.; Kistler, Mark J.

    2012-01-01

    The study reported here determined the barriers and effective educational strategies to develop Extension agents' professional competencies. This was a descriptive survey research conducted with a random sample of Extension agents. Increased workload and lack of time and funding were identified as the most constraining barriers of Extension agents…

  4. A systematic review of serious games in medical education: quality of evidence and pedagogical strategy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gorbanev, Iouri; Agudelo-Londoño, Sandra; González, Rafael A; Cortes, Ariel; Pomares, Alexandra; Delgadillo, Vivian; Yepes, Francisco J; Muñoz, Óscar

    2018-12-01

    The literature shows an optimistic landscape for the effectiveness of games in medical education. Nevertheless, games are not considered mainstream material in medical teaching. Two research questions that arise are the following: What pedagogical strategies do developers use when creating games for medical education? And what is the quality of the evidence on the effectiveness of games? A systematic review was made by a multi-disciplinary team of researchers following the Cochrane Collaboration Guidelines. We included peer-reviewed journal articles which described or assessed the use of serious games or gamified apps in medical education. We used the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI) to assess the quality of evidence in the use of games. We also evaluated the pedagogical perspectives of such articles. Even though game developers claim that games are useful pedagogical tools, the evidence on their effectiveness is moderate, as assessed by the MERSQI score. Behaviourism and cognitivism continue to be the predominant pedagogical strategies, and games are complementary devices that do not replace traditional medical teaching tools. Medical educators prefer simulations and quizzes focused on knowledge retention and skill development through repetition and do not demand the use of sophisticated games in their classrooms. Moreover, public access to medical games is limited. Our aim was to put the pedagogical strategy into dialogue with the evidence on the effectiveness of the use of medical games. This makes sense since the practical use of games depends on the quality of the evidence about their effectiveness. Moreover, recognition of said pedagogical strategy would allow game developers to design more robust games which would greatly contribute to the learning process.

  5. A systematic review of serious games in medical education: quality of evidence and pedagogical strategy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gorbanev, Iouri; Agudelo-Londoño, Sandra; González, Rafael A.; Cortes, Ariel; Pomares, Alexandra; Delgadillo, Vivian; Yepes, Francisco J.; Muñoz, Óscar

    2018-01-01

    ABSTRACT Introduction: The literature shows an optimistic landscape for the effectiveness of games in medical education. Nevertheless, games are not considered mainstream material in medical teaching. Two research questions that arise are the following: What pedagogical strategies do developers use when creating games for medical education? And what is the quality of the evidence on the effectiveness of games? Methods: A systematic review was made by a multi-disciplinary team of researchers following the Cochrane Collaboration Guidelines. We included peer-reviewed journal articles which described or assessed the use of serious games or gamified apps in medical education. We used the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI) to assess the quality of evidence in the use of games. We also evaluated the pedagogical perspectives of such articles. Results: Even though game developers claim that games are useful pedagogical tools, the evidence on their effectiveness is moderate, as assessed by the MERSQI score. Behaviourism and cognitivism continue to be the predominant pedagogical strategies, and games are complementary devices that do not replace traditional medical teaching tools. Medical educators prefer simulations and quizzes focused on knowledge retention and skill development through repetition and do not demand the use of sophisticated games in their classrooms. Moreover, public access to medical games is limited. Discussion: Our aim was to put the pedagogical strategy into dialogue with the evidence on the effectiveness of the use of medical games. This makes sense since the practical use of games depends on the quality of the evidence about their effectiveness. Moreover, recognition of said pedagogical strategy would allow game developers to design more robust games which would greatly contribute to the learning process. PMID:29457760

  6. (Non)Construction of the Teacher: An Inquiry into Ontario's Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naimi, Kevin; Cepin, Jeanette

    2015-01-01

    In this paper we perform a critical discourse analysis on the policy document Ontario's Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy (2009). We examine the three core priorities the policy outlines: improve student achievement, reduce achievement gap and increase public confidence in public education. This document is approached from the context of new…

  7. Utilisation of health services and the poor: deconstructing wealth-based differences in facility-based delivery in the Philippines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hodge, Andrew; Firth, Sonja; Bermejo, Raoul; Zeck, Willibald; Jimenez-Soto, Eliana

    2016-07-06

    Despite achieving some success, wealth-related disparities in the utilisation of maternal and child health services persist in the Philippines. The aim of this study is to decompose the principal factors driving the wealth-based utilisation gap. Using national representative data from the 2013 Philippines Demographic and Health Survey, we examine the extent overall differences in the utilisation of maternal health services can be explained by observable factors. We apply nonlinear Blinder-Oaxaca-type decomposition methods to quantify the effect of differences in measurable characteristics on the wealth-based coverage gap in facility-based delivery. The mean coverage of facility-based deliveries was respectively 41.1 % and 74.6 % for poor and non-poor households. Between 67 and 69 % of the wealth-based coverage gap was explained by differences in observed characteristics. After controlling for factors characterising the socioeconomic status of the household (i.e. the mothers' and her partners' education and occupation), the birth order of the child was the major factor contributing to the disparity. Mothers' religion and the subjective distance to the health facility were also noteworthy. This study has found moderate wealth-based disparities in the utilisation of institutional delivery in the Philippines. The results confirm the importance of recent efforts made by the Philippine government to implement equitable, pro-poor focused health programs in the most deprived geographic areas of the country. The importance of addressing the social determinants of health, particularly education, as well as developing and implementing effective strategies to encourage institutional delivery for higher order births, should be prioritised.

  8. Progress and perspectives on targeting nanoparticles for brain drug delivery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huile Gao

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Due to the ability of the blood–brain barrier (BBB to prevent the entry of drugs into the brain, it is a challenge to treat central nervous system disorders pharmacologically. The development of nanotechnology provides potential to overcome this problem. In this review, the barriers to brain-targeted drug delivery are reviewed, including the BBB, blood–brain tumor barrier (BBTB, and nose-to-brain barrier. Delivery strategies are focused on overcoming the BBB, directly targeting diseased cells in the brain, and dual-targeted delivery. The major concerns and perspectives on constructing brain-targeted delivery systems are discussed.

  9. Progress and perspectives on targeting nanoparticles for brain drug delivery

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Huile Gao

    2016-01-01

    Due to the ability of the blood–brain barrier(BBB) to prevent the entry of drugs into the brain, it is a challenge to treat central nervous system disorders pharmacologically. The development of nanotechnology provides potential to overcome this problem. In this review, the barriers to brain-targeted drug delivery are reviewed, including the BBB, blood–brain tumor barrier(BBTB), and nose-to-brain barrier. Delivery strategies are focused on overcoming the BBB, directly targeting diseased cells in the brain, and dual-targeted delivery. The major concerns and perspectives on constructing brain-targeted delivery systems are discussed.

  10. Drug delivery strategies and systems for HIV/AIDS pre-exposure prophylaxis and treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelson, Antoinette G; Zhang, Xiaoping; Ganapathi, Usha; Szekely, Zoltan; Flexner, Charles W; Owen, Andrew; Sinko, Patrick J

    2015-12-10

    The year 2016 will mark an important milestone - the 35th anniversary of the first reported cases of HIV/AIDS. Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) including Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) drug regimens is widely considered to be one of the greatest achievements in therapeutic drug research having transformed HIV infection into a chronically managed disease. Unfortunately, the lack of widespread preventive measures and the inability to eradicate HIV from infected cells highlight the significant challenges remaining today. Moving forward there are at least three high priority goals for anti-HIV drug delivery (DD) research: (1) to prevent new HIV infections from occurring, (2) to facilitate a functional cure, i.e., when HIV is present but the body controls it without drugs and (3) to eradicate established infection. Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) represents a significant step forward in preventing the establishment of chronic HIV infection. However, the ultimate success of PrEP will depend on achieving sustained antiretroviral (ARV) tissue concentrations and will require strict patient adherence to the regimen. While first generation long acting/extended release (LA/ER) DD Systems (DDS) currently in development show considerable promise, significant DD treatment and prevention challenges persist. First, there is a critical need to improve cell specificity through targeting in order to selectively achieve efficacious drug concentrations in HIV reservoir sites to control/eradicate HIV as well as mitigate systemic side effects. In addition, approaches for reducing cellular efflux and metabolism of ARV drugs to prolong effective concentrations in target cells need to be developed. Finally, given the current understanding of HIV pathogenesis, next generation anti-HIV DDS need to address selective DD to the gut mucosa and lymph nodes. The current review focuses on the DDS technologies, critical challenges, opportunities, strategies, and approaches by which novel

  11. Biomolecule delivery to engineer the cellular microenvironment for regenerative medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bishop, Corey J; Kim, Jayoung; Green, Jordan J

    2014-07-01

    To realize the potential of regenerative medicine, controlling the delivery of biomolecules in the cellular microenvironment is important as these factors control cell fate. Controlled delivery for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine often requires bioengineered materials and cells capable of spatiotemporal modulation of biomolecule release and presentation. This review discusses biomolecule delivery from the outside of the cell inwards through the delivery of soluble and insoluble biomolecules as well as from the inside of the cell outwards through gene transfer. Ex vivo and in vivo therapeutic strategies are discussed, as well as combination delivery of biomolecules, scaffolds, and cells. Various applications in regenerative medicine are highlighted including bone tissue engineering and wound healing.

  12. Classroom-based and distance learning education and training courses in end-of-life care for health and social care staff: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pulsford, David; Jackson, Georgina; O'Brien, Terri; Yates, Sue; Duxbury, Joy

    2013-03-01

    Staff from a range of health and social care professions report deficits in their knowledge and skills when providing end-of-life and palliative care, and education and training has been advocated at a range of levels. To review the literature related to classroom-based and distance learning education and training initiatives for health and social care staff in end-of-life and palliative care, in terms of their target audience, extent, modes of delivery, content and teaching and learning strategies, and to identify the most effective educational strategies for enhancing care. A systematic review of the literature evaluating classroom-based and distance learning education and training courses for health and social care staff in end-of-life and palliative care. Online databases CINAHL, MEDLINE, EMBASE and PSYCHINFO between January 2000 and July 2010. Studies were selected that discussed specific education and training initiatives and included pre-and post-test evaluation of participants' learning. 30 studies met eligibility criteria. The majority reported successful outcomes, though there were some exceptions. Level of prior experience and availability of practice reinforcement influenced learning. Participative and interactive learning strategies were predominantly used along with discussion of case scenarios. Multi-professional learning was infrequently reported and service user and carer input to curriculum development and delivery was reported in only one study. Classroom-based education and training is useful for enhancing professionals' skills and perceived preparedness for delivering end-of-life care but should be reinforced by actual practice experience.

  13. The process of end-of-life care delivery to the families of elderly patients according to the Family Health Strategy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva, Lucía; Poles, Kátia; Baliza, Michelle Freire; dos Santos Ribeiro Silva, Mariana Cristina Lobato; dos Santos, Maiara Rodrigues; Bousso, Regina Szylit

    2013-02-01

    To understand the process of end-of-life care delivery to the families of elderly patients according to a Family Health Strategy (FHS) team, to identify the meanings the team attributes to the experience and to build a theoretical model. Symbolic Interactionism and Grounded Theory were applied. Fourteen professionals working in an FHS located in a country town in the state of São Paulo were interviewed. Through comparative analysis, the core category overcoming challenges to assist the family and the elderly during the dying process was identified, and it was composed of the following sub-processes: Identifying situational problems, Planning a new care strategy, Managing the care and Evaluating the care process. the team faces difficulties to achieve better performance in attending to the biological and emotional needs of families, seeking to ensure dignity to the elderly at the end of their lives and expand access to healthcare.

  14. Premature delivery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bernardita Donoso Bernales

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Preterm delivery is the single most important cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. In Chile, preterm births have increased in the past decade, although neonatal morbidity and mortality attributable to it shows a downward trend, thanks to improvements in neonatal care of premature babies, rather than the success of obstetric preventive and therapeutic strategies. This article describes clinical entities, disease processes and conditions that constitute predisposing factors of preterm birth, as well as an outline for the prevention and clinical management of women at risk of preterm birth.

  15. Unattended Deliveries and Perinatal Outcome: A Tertiary Hospital ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Conclusion: Despite adequate health facilities and governmental financial support, lack of health education and initiative on the part of the patients might be a major contributing factor to the high level of unattended deliveries with the associated adverse outcome. Intensive health education with emphasis on the need for ...

  16. Comparing Effectiveness of Undergraduate Course Delivery: A Student Perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koenig, Robert J.

    2009-01-01

    Higher education students can and do take courses delivered in a variety of ways. But, to date, little research has been done on the effectiveness of different delivery modes. This study sought to fill that void by comparing the effectiveness of three undergraduate course delivery modes: classroom, online, and video conference at a technical…

  17. A Cross-Cultural Study on Environmental Risk Perception and Educational Strategies: Implications for Environmental Education in China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duan, Hongxia; Fortner, Rosanne

    2010-01-01

    This cross-cultural study examined college students' environmental risk perception and their preference in terms of risk communication and educational strategies in China and the United States. The results indicated that the Chinese respondents were more concerned about environmental risk, and they perceived the environmental issues to be more…

  18. National Strategy for Promotion of Russian Universities in the World Market of Education Services

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mushketova, Natalia; Bydanova, Elizaveta; Rouet, Gilles

    2018-01-01

    Purpose: The export of Russian educational services worldwide was not considered by the Russian Government as a full-fledged economic sector until recently. However, the situation has changed since the early 2000s, when in 2002, the Russian Government approved the national strategy for higher education promotion abroad and since then has been…

  19. Open Access in Higher Education--Strategies for Engaging Diverse Student Cohorts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Signor, Luisa; Moore, Catherine

    2014-01-01

    With growth in online education, students gain tertiary qualifications through a mode more suited to their demographics such as work and life balance, learning styles and geographical accessibility. Inevitably this has led to a growth in diversity within student cohorts. The case study described in this paper illustrates strategies based on…

  20. An Analysis of Business Education Recruitment Strategies over the Past 25 Years: Then and Now

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robles, Marcel

    2009-01-01

    This article provides a review, analysis, and synthesis of recruitment strategies for business education from the flourishing 1970s to today's declining enrollments and program suspensions. A historical overview, continuing challenges, and best practices for business education recruitment are discussed. (Contains 1 table.)

  1. Estrategia socioeducativa de autorregulación de la agresividad Socio-educative strategy of aggressiveness self-controlling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Odalys Ynerarity Castro

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Teaching students to self-controlling their performance is an essential task of Special Pedagogy due to its role in shaping personality, particularly self-appraising, independence, self-control and self-awareness, usually affected in students with special educative needs. This paper refers essential features characterizing aggressive behavior and lack of self-control and proposes a socio-educative strategy to allow students to achieve self-control. The reliability of the proposed socio-educative strategy was assessed by means of workshops in postgraduate activities; research methods include constructing a corresponding framework, observation, interviewing and control experiments. The improvement in self-monitoring aggressiveness proved the effectiveness of the proposal.

  2. Estrategia socioeducativa de autorregulación de la agresividad Socio-educative strategy of aggressiveness self-controlling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Odalys Ynerarity Castro

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Teaching students to self-controlling their performance is an essential task of Special Pedagogy due to its role in shaping personality, particularly self-appraising, independence, self-control and self-awareness, usually affected in students with special educative needs. This paper refers essential features characterizing aggressive behavior and lack of self-control and proposes a socio-educative strategy to allow students to achieve self-control. The reliability of the proposed socio-educative strategy was assessed by means of workshops in postgraduate activities; research methods include constructing a corresponding framework, observation, interviewing and control experiments. The improvement in self-monitoring aggressiveness proved the effectiveness of the proposal.

  3. Developing a Proposed Strategy for the Universities of Saudi Arabia to Meet Educational Changes and Challenges from the Perspective of the Teaching Staff at the Colleges of Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamed Ibrahim Alscati

    2017-02-01

    This study aimed to develop a proposed strategy at th Universities of Saudi Arabia to meet the educational changes and challenges in the light of the perspectives of the teaching staff at the colleges of education. The study sample consisted of all teaching staff members in the colleges of education in Saudi universities, which were (731. The study used survey analytical developmental method, represented by the construction of the questionnaire so as to design the proposed strategy of all stages. Statistical means, standard deviations, as well as the equation Cronbach alpha coefficient to find out the internal consistency were used. The results showed that the teaching staff’s estimations  of the manifestations of change in the Saudi community  were moderate (3.66, whereas their estimations of the challenges facing Saudi universities were high (3.72. In light of these findings, the study proposed a strategy for the Saudi universities to address the educational changes and challenges.  The mission of the strategy is centered around supporting members of the knowledge community and developing their leadership skills so as to be able to face educational changes. The vision of the strategy is to make universities the milestones for promising future.

  4. Migratory circularity between Ecuador and Spain. Educational transformation and mobility strategies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cristina Vega Solís

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The migration pattern between Ecuador and Spain has undergone changes since the start of the 2008 crisis. A slowdown in inflows to Spain and increasing Ecuadorian returnees, today add the Spanish skilled migration to this country in entering higher education as well as the exit of young Ecuadorians to acquire fourth level´s degree in Spain, or Europe in general. The context of crisis and unemployment in education in Spain and education reform policies being carried out in Ecuador is articulated in shaping this circularity between the two countries. Through a quantitative and qualitative multi-situated methodology based on a poll and in-depth interviews, this paper estimates the volume of these displacements and explores the motivations, conditions and strategies that are influencing.

  5. Conducting a Multisite Education Research Project: Strategies to Overcome the Barriers to Achieve the Benefits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beischel, Kelly P; Hart, Julie; Turkelson, Sandra L

    2016-01-01

    Multisite education research projects have many benefits as well as perceived barriers. In this article, we share our experiences with a multisite education research project and the barriers we overcame to reap the benefits. The outcome of our research resulted in increased rigor, role-modeling professional collaboration, and promotion of future multisite education studies. The strategies presented in this article will help alleviate perceived barriers and ameliorate the process of conducting multisite education research studies.

  6. STUDY ON THE MARKETING STRATEGY OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION (CASE COMPANY SAMK INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS)

    OpenAIRE

    Khanal, Ichha; khanal, Ichha

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of conducting this thesis was to study on the marketing strategy of an educational institution. The aim of this thesis was to study on current marketing strategy and suggest the case company with new and effective ideas for marketing. The theoretical part of this thesis hold three main elements with basic knowledge of marketing. Along with marketing mix, this thesis also covered segmentation as well as marketing strategy. For the time being, SWOT approach was utilized to...

  7. Strategies to overcome obstacles in the facilitation of critical thinking in nursing education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mangena, Agnes; Chabeli, Mary M

    2005-05-01

    This paper seeks to describe strategies that can be used to overcome obstacles in the facilitation of critical thinking in nursing education. A qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual design was used to conduct the research in which fourth year basic comprehensive students and nurse educators volunteered to take part in the study by signing an informed consent. The participants were purposively selected. Focus group interviews were used to collect data from both groups. Tesch's descriptive method of open coding described in (Creswell, J. 1994. Qualitative and quantitative approach. Sage, London.) was used to analyse data. (Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa, 1998. Ethical standards for nurse researchers. Denosa, Pretoria) ethical standards for research were observed to maintain the standard and quality of the research. (Lincoln, Y.S., Guba, E.G. 1985. Naturalistic inquiry. Sage, London.) framework was used to ensure trustworthiness of the study. The following obstacles were identified and recontextualised within the existing literature to be able to describe the strategies to overcome the identified obstacles to the facilitation of critical thinking of students: the educators' lack of knowledge; use of teaching and assessment methods that do not facilitate critical thinking of learners; the negative attitudes of educators and their resistance to change; inappropriate selection process and poor educational background that did not facilitate critical thinking of students; inadequate socialisation, cultural and instructional language incompetence. Findings indicated that there is a need for nurse educators to model critical thinking in all aspects of nursing education. It is recommended that there be a whole paradigm shift in nursing education from the traditional teacher-centred methods to a more learner-centred approach that will facilitate critical thinking of student nurses.

  8. The Blueprint for Change: A National Strategy to Enhance Access to Earth and Space Science Education Resources

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geary, E. E.; Barstow, D.

    2001-12-01

    Enhancing access to high quality science education resources for teachers, students, and the general public is a high priority for the earth and space science education communities. However, to significantly increase access to these resources and promote their effective use will require a coordinated effort between content developers, publishers, professional developers, policy makers, and users in both formal and informal education settings. Federal agencies, academic institutions, professional societies, informal science centers, the Digital Library for Earth System Education, and other National SMETE Digital Library Projects are anticipated to play key roles in this effort. As a first step to developing a coordinated, national strategy for developing and delivering high quality earth and space science education resources to students, teachers, and the general public, 65 science educators, scientists, teachers, administrators, policy makers, and business leaders met this June in Snowmass, Colorado to create "Earth and Space Science Education 2010: A Blueprint for Change". The Blueprint is a strategy document that will be used to guide Earth and space science education reform efforts in grades K-12 during the next decade. The Blueprint contains specific goals, recommendations, and strategies for coordinating action in the areas of: Teacher Preparation and Professional Development, Curriculum and Materials, Equity and Diversity, Assessment and Evaluation, Public Policy and Systemic Reform, Public and Informal Education, Partnerships and Collaborations, and Technology. If you develop, disseminate, or use exemplary earth and space science education resources, we invite you to review the Blueprint for Change, share it with your colleagues and local science educators, and join as we work to revolutionize earth and space science education in grades K-12.

  9. Beyond the didactic classroom: educational models to encourage active student involvement in learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shreeve, Michael W

    2008-01-01

    In a chiropractic college that utilizes a hybrid curriculum model composed of adult-based learning strategies along with traditional lecture-based course delivery, a literature search for educational delivery methods that would integrate the affective domain and the cognitive domain of learning provided some insights into the use of problem-based learning (PBL), experiential learning theory (ELT), and the emerging use of appreciative inquiry (AI) to enhance the learning experience. The purpose of this literature review is to provide a brief overview of key components of PBL, ELT, and AI in educational methodology and to discuss how these might be used within the chiropractic curriculum to supplement traditional didactic lecture courses. A growing body of literature describes the use of PBL and ELT in educational settings across many disciplines, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The use of appreciative inquiry as an instructional methodology presents a new area for exploration and study in the academic environment. Educational research in the chiropractic classroom incorporating ELT and appreciative inquiry might provide some valuable insights for future curriculum development.

  10. Protein based therapeutic delivery agents: Contemporary developments and challenges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, Liming; Yuvienco, Carlo; Montclare, Jin Kim

    2017-07-01

    As unique biopolymers, proteins can be employed for therapeutic delivery. They bear important features such as bioavailability, biocompatibility, and biodegradability with low toxicity serving as a platform for delivery of various small molecule therapeutics, gene therapies, protein biologics and cells. Depending on size and characteristic of the therapeutic, a variety of natural and engineered proteins or peptides have been developed. This, coupled to recent advances in synthetic and chemical biology, has led to the creation of tailor-made protein materials for delivery. This review highlights strategies employing proteins to facilitate the delivery of therapeutic matter, addressing the challenges for small molecule, gene, protein and cell transport. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Parental smoking and children’s anxieties: An appropriate strategy for health education?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holdsworth, Clare; Robinson, Jude

    2016-01-01

    While the prevalence of smoking has declined in the UK in recent years, class differentials in smoking behaviour have become more marked and smoking is increasingly recognised as a causal factor in inequalities in health. Health education initiatives to support both smoking cessation and to teach children about the health risks of smoking remain key initiatives in reducing health inequalities. However, teaching children about the risks of smoking and the impact of parental smoking in their health is not straightforward for children from backgrounds who are more likely to encounter smoking at home and in their local communities. These children have to reconcile the key messages taught at school and reinforced in smoking cessation campaigns with the knowledge that their parents and other family members smoke. In this paper we consider how children from smoking homes make sense of these education and health campaigns as observed by their parents, and the impact that this has on both parental smoking and relationships within the home. The paper thus seeks to challenge assumptions about the delivery of health education and the need to acknowledge family diversity. PMID:27695387

  12. Improving drug delivery strategies for lymphatic filariasis elimination in urban areas in Ghana.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nana-Kwadwo Biritwum

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The Global Program to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF advocates for the treatment of entire endemic communities, in order to achieve its elimination targets. LF is predominantly a rural disease, and achieving the required treatment coverage in these areas is much easier compared to urban areas that are more complex. In Ghana, parts of the Greater Accra Region with Accra as the capital city are also endemic for LF. Mass Drug Administration (MDA in Accra started in 2006. However, after four years of treatment, the coverage has always been far below the 65% epidemiologic coverage for interrupting transmission. As such, there was a need to identify the reasons for poor treatment coverage and design specific strategies to improve the delivery of MDA. This study therefore set out to identify the opportunities and barriers for implementing MDA in urban settings, and to develop appropriate strategies for MDA in these settings. An experimental, exploratory study was undertaken in three districts in the Greater Accra region. The study identified various types of non-rural settings, the social structures, stakeholders and resources that could be employed for MDA. Qualitative assessment such as in-depth interviews (IDIs and focus group discussions (FGDs with community leaders, community members, health providers, NGOs and other stakeholders in the community was undertaken. The study was carried out in three phases: pre-intervention, intervention and post-intervention phases, to assess the profile of the urban areas and identify reasons for poor treatment coverage using both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The outcomes from the study revealed that, knowledge, attitudes and practices of community members to MDA improved slightly from the pre-intervention phase to the post-intervention phase, in the districts where the interventions were readily implemented by health workers. Many factors such as adequate leadership, funding, planning and

  13. Religious Education for the Disenfranchised: Fusing Multicultural Strategies into Catholic High School Religion Classes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kremer, Mary

    Although multicultural education is misunderstood by many and feared by some, it has been embraced by educators throughout the world as a necessary approach to preparing the next generation for the complexities of the 21st century. A study explored the work of three Catholic secondary religion teachers, who use multicultural strategies in their…

  14. Exploring Instructional Strategies and Learning Theoretical Foundations of eHealth and mHealth Education Interventions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tamim, Suha R; Grant, Michael M

    2016-05-19

    This qualitative study aimed at exploring how health professionals use theories and models from the field of education to create ehealth and mhealth education interventions in an effort to provide insights for future research and practice on the development and implementation of health promotion initiatives. A purposeful sample of 12 participants was selected, using criterion and snowballing sampling strategies. Data were collected and analyzed from semistructured interviews, planning materials, and artifacts. The findings revealed that none of the participants used a specific learning theory or an instructional model in their interventions. However, based on participants' description, three themes emerged: (1) connections to behaviorist approaches to learning, (2) connections to cognitivist approaches to learning, and (3) connections to constructivist approaches to learning. Suggested implications for practice are (1) the design of a guidebook on the interplay of learning theories, instructional models, and health education and (2) the establishment of communities of practice. Further research can (1) investigate how learning theories and models intertwine with health behavior theories and models, (2) evaluate how the different instructional strategies presented in this study affect learning outcomes and health behavior change processes, and (3) investigate factors behind the instructional strategies choices made by health professionals. © 2016 Society for Public Health Education.

  15. TH-C-12A-02: Comparison of Two RapidArc Delivery Strategies in Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy of Stage I and II Peripheral Lung Tumors with Unflattened Beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, B; Lu, J; Chen, J; Chen, C; Lin, P; Kuang, Y

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: The full arcs strategy used in SBRT with RapidArc and unflattened (FFF) beams in large and heterogeneous peripheral non-smallcell lung cancer (NSCLC) appears to be suboptimal as it increases the disadvantageous dose to the contralateral lung, which potentially increases the toxicity to surrounding tissues. In this study, we investigated, for the first time, the dose delivery strategies using partial arcs (PA) and the fully rotational arcs with avoidance sectors (FAAS) for SBRT with FFF beams in peripheral NSCLC patients. Methods: Eighteen patients with NSCLC (stage I and II) were selected for this study. Nine patients with a GTV <= 10cc were designated as the small tumor group. The remaining nine patients with a GTV between 10 cc and 44 cc were assigned to the large tumor group. The treatment plans were generated in eighteen patients using PA and FAAS, respectively, and delivered with a Varian TrueBeam Linac. Dosimetry of the target and organs at risk (OAR), total MU, out-of-field dose, and delivery time were analyzed. Delta4 and Portal dosimetry were employed to evaluate the delivery accuracy. Results: or the small tumor group, the FAAS plans significantly achieved a better conformity index, the lower total MU and out-of-field dose, a shorter treatment time, and the reduced doses to cord, heart, and lung (p < 0.05). But the target doses were slightly higher than that delivered by PA plans. For the large tumor group, the PA plans significantly attained a better conformity index and a shorter treatment time (p < 0.05). Furthermore, all plans achieved a high pass rate, with all the gamma indices greater than 97% at the Γ 3mm, 3% threshold. Conclusion: This study suggests that FAAS strategy is more beneficial for small tumor patients undergoing lung SBRT with FFF beams. However, for large tumor patients, PA strategy is recommended. NIH/NIGMS grant U54 GM104944, Lincy Endowed Assistant Professorship

  16. Non-medical factors affecting antenatal preferences for delivery route and actual delivery mode of women in southwestern Iran.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajabi, Abdolhalim; Maharlouei, Najmeh; Rezaianzadeh, Abbas; Rajaeefard, Abdolreza; Keshavarzi, Sareh; Lankarani, Kamran B; Gholami, Ali

    2016-11-01

    Assessment of the contribution of non-medical factors to mode of delivery and birth preference in Iranian pregnant women in southwestern Iran. This cohort study used data from a structured questionnaire completed in early pregnancy and information about the subsequent delivery obtained through personal contact. Women were recruited by random sampling from antenatal clinics when scheduling visits over the course of 5 weeks from December 2012 to February 2013 and were followed-up 1 month after birth. Of the 2199 women recruited, 99.63% were eligible for the study. Of the 748 women who expressed a desire to deliver their babies by cesarean section (CS) in early pregnancy, 87% had an elective cesarean section. The logistic regression analyses showed that normative beliefs (odds ratio [OR] 1.792, 95% confidence interval (1) 1.073-2.993), control beliefs (OR: 0.272, 95% CI: 0.162-0.459), and evaluation of outcomes (OR: 0.431, 95% CI: 0.268-0.692) favored the preference for cesarean section. The desire for delivery by elective cesarean section was associated with normative beliefs (OR: 1.138; 95% CI: 1.001-1.294), control beliefs (OR: 0.804; 95% CI: 0.698-0.927), and expectations about maternity care (OR: 0.772; 95% CI: 0.683-0.873), medical influences (OR: 1.150; 95% CI: 1.023-1.291), evaluation of outcome (OR: 0.789; 95% CI: 0.696-0.894), age, preference for cesarean section (OR: 5.445; 95% CI: 3.928-7.546), spouse educational level, and number of live births. A woman's preference for delivery by cesarean section influenced their subsequent mode of delivery. Asking women in early pregnancy about their preferred mode of delivery provides the opportunity to extend their supports which might reduce the rate of elective cesarean section. This decision is affected by age, spouse educational level, number of live births, and preconceived maternal attitudes about delivery.

  17. Advancing Entrepreneurship Education. A Report of the Youth Entrepreneurship Strategy Group

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aspen Institute, 2008

    2008-01-01

    The Youth Entrepreneurship Strategy Group convened its inaugural meeting from September 26-28, 2007 at the Aspen Institute in Aspen, Colorado. A group of dynamic national leaders from the fields of education, entrepreneurship and business, public policy, media, and philanthropy met over three days to explore the promise of, and obstacles to,…

  18. Learning and coping strategies versus standard education in cardiac rehabilitation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tayyari Dehbarez, Nasrin; Lynggaard, Vibeke; May, Ole

    2015-01-01

    Background Learning and coping education strategies (LC) was implemented to enhance patient attendance in the cardiac rehabilitation programme. This study assessed the cost-utility of LC compared to standard education (standard) as part of a rehabilitation programme for patients with ischemic heart...... disease and heart failure. Methods The study was conducted alongside a randomised controlled trial with 825 patients who were allocated to LC or standard rehabilitation and followed for 5 months. The LC approach was identical to the standard approach in terms of physical training and education...... to estimate the net benefit of the LC and to illustrate cost effectiveness acceptability curves. The statistical analysis was based on means and bootstrapped standard errors. Results An additional cost of DKK 6,043 (95 % CI −5,697; 17,783) and a QALY gain of 0.005 (95 % CI −0.001; 0.012) was estimated for LC...

  19. The Effects of Computer-Assisted Feedback Strategies in Technology Education: A Comparison of Learning Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adams, Ruifang Hope; Strickland, Jane

    2012-01-01

    This study investigated the effects of computer-assisted feedback strategies that have been utilized by university students in a technology education curriculum. Specifically, the study examined the effectiveness of the computer-assisted feedback strategy "Knowledge of Response feedback" (KOR), and the "Knowledge of Correct Responses feedback"…

  20. Food intake rate and delivery strategy in aquaculture

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2008-01-01

    In aquaculture, it is important to estimate in advance how much food cultured animals would take. The rate of food consumption by cultured animals to available food amount is defined as the food intake rate (FIR) in this paper. To some extents, FIR reflects the quality of food, the health of cultured animals and the delivery efficiency. In practice, it is difficult to estimate in advance the accurate quantity of food that cultured animal needs. Usually, food is provided more than the need by animals, causing excess food that may pollute water and environment. Our experiments in past years show that FIR at 80% is recommended.

  1. The perceived influence of diversity factors on effective strategy implementation in a higher education institution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. Strydom

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Managing diversity is one of the major challenges in higher education institutions in South Africa. Additionally, effective strategy implementation is vital for an institution to be successful and sustainable. Questionnaires were distributed to the management of Walter Sisulu University, South Africa, to investigate the relationship between diversity factors and effective strategy implementation. The questionnaires interrogated the effect of the acculturation process, the degree of structural integration, the degree of informal integration, institutional bias and intergroup conflict, and how these factors influence strategy implementation. Structural equation modelling (SEM was employed as the statistical tool to confirm the hypothetical model. Results of this study revealed that there is no statistically significant relationship between diversity and strategy implementation at the institution, and imply that diversity among staff do not impact on the successful achievement of strategic objectives in the institution. The findings of the study are contrary to empirical evidence by other studies. Keywords: Education, Sociology, Political science, Psychology

  2. Oncolytic virus delivery: from nano-pharmacodynamics to enhanced oncolytic effect

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yokoda R

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Raquel Yokoda,1 Bolni M Nagalo,1 Brent Vernon,2 Rahmi Oklu,3 Hassan Albadawi,3 Thomas T DeLeon,1 Yumei Zhou,1 Jan B Egan,1 Dan G Duda,4 Mitesh J Borad1 1Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, 2Department of Biomedical Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, 3Division of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ, 4Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA Abstract: With the advancement of a growing number of oncolytic viruses (OVs to clinical development, drug delivery is becoming an important barrier to overcome for optimal therapeutic benefits. Host immunity, tumor microenvironment and abnormal vascularity contribute to inefficient vector delivery. A number of novel approaches for enhanced OV delivery are under evaluation, including use of nanoparticles, immunomodulatory agents and complex viral–particle ligands along with manipulations of the tumor microenvironment. This field of OV delivery has quickly evolved to bioengineering of complex nanoparticles that could be deposited within the tumor using minimal invasive image-guided delivery. Some of the strategies include ultrasound (US-mediated cavitation-enhanced extravasation, magnetic viral complexes delivery, image-guided infusions with focused US and targeting photodynamic virotherapy. In addition, strategies that modulate tumor microenvironment to decrease extracellular matrix deposition and increase viral propagation are being used to improve tumor penetration by OVs. Some involve modification of the viral genome to enhance their tumoral penetration potential. Here, we highlight the barriers to oncolytic viral delivery, and discuss the challenges to improving it and the perspectives of establishing new modes of active delivery to achieve enhanced oncolytic effects. Keywords: oncolytic viruses, oncolytic virotherapy, drug delivery systems, tumor

  3. Identifying Predictors of Student Satisfaction and Student Motivation in the Framework of Assuring Quality in the Delivery of Higher Education Services

    OpenAIRE

    Yulia Stukalina

    2014-01-01

    Nowadays, the quality of educational services provided by a university is a crucial aspect of the education managers’ strategy in the customer-driven education context, quality assurance in education being an essential issue to be promoted in European higher education institutions. Students’ evaluation of the educational services (that is consumer-oriented assessment) can be regarded as one of the most significant educational management tools used for stimulating quality enhancement in a univ...

  4. Synergistic effect of amino acids modified on dendrimer surface in gene delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Fei; Wang, Yitong; Wang, Hui; Shao, Naimin; Chen, Yuanyuan; Cheng, Yiyun

    2014-11-01

    Design of an efficient gene vector based on dendrimer remains a great challenge due to the presence of multiple barriers in gene delivery. Single-functionalization on dendrimer cannot overcome all the barriers. In this study, we synthesized a list of single-, dual- and triple-functionalized dendrimers with arginine, phenylalanine and histidine for gene delivery using a one-pot approach. The three amino acids play different roles in gene delivery: arginine is essential in formation of stable complexes, phenylalanine improves cellular uptake efficacy, and histidine increases pH-buffering capacity and minimizes cytotoxicity of the cationic dendrimer. A combination of these amino acids on dendrimer generates a synergistic effect in gene delivery. The dual- and triple-functionalized dendrimers show minimal cytotoxicity on the transfected NIH 3T3 cells. Using this combination strategy, we can obtain triple-functionalized dendrimers with comparable transfection efficacy to several commercial transfection reagents. Such a combination strategy should be applicable to the design of efficient and biocompatible gene vectors for gene delivery. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Vernacular design based on sustainable disaster’s mitigation communication and education strategy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mansoor, Alvanov Zpalanzani

    2015-01-01

    Indonesia is located between three active tectonic plates, which are prone to natural disasters such as earthquake, volcanic eruption, and also giant tidal wave-tsunami. Adequate infrastructure plays an important role in disaster mitigation, yet without good public awareness, the mitigation process won’t be succeeded. The absence of awareness can lead to infrastructure mistreatment. Several reports on lack of understanding or misinterpretation of disaster mitigation especially from rural and coastal communities need to be solved, especially from communication aspects. This is an interdisciplinary study on disaster mitigation communication design and education strategy from visual communication design studies paradigm. This paper depicts research results which applying vernacular design base to elaborate sustainable mitigation communication and education strategy on various visual media and social campaigns. This paper also describes several design approaches which may becomes way to elaborate sustainable awareness and understanding on disaster mitigation among rural and coastal communities in Indonesia

  6. Vernacular design based on sustainable disaster’s mitigation communication and education strategy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mansoor, Alvanov Zpalanzani, E-mail: nova.zp@gmail.com, E-mail: alvanov@fsrd.itb.ac.id [Visual Communication Design Study Program, Faculty of Art and Design, Institut Teknologi Bandung Jalan Ganesa No. 10, Bandung 40132 (Indonesia)

    2015-04-24

    Indonesia is located between three active tectonic plates, which are prone to natural disasters such as earthquake, volcanic eruption, and also giant tidal wave-tsunami. Adequate infrastructure plays an important role in disaster mitigation, yet without good public awareness, the mitigation process won’t be succeeded. The absence of awareness can lead to infrastructure mistreatment. Several reports on lack of understanding or misinterpretation of disaster mitigation especially from rural and coastal communities need to be solved, especially from communication aspects. This is an interdisciplinary study on disaster mitigation communication design and education strategy from visual communication design studies paradigm. This paper depicts research results which applying vernacular design base to elaborate sustainable mitigation communication and education strategy on various visual media and social campaigns. This paper also describes several design approaches which may becomes way to elaborate sustainable awareness and understanding on disaster mitigation among rural and coastal communities in Indonesia.

  7. Peptide and low molecular weight proteins based kidney targeted drug delivery systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Pengfei; Zhang, Hailiang; Dang, Ruili; Jiang, Pei

    2018-05-30

    Renal disease is a worldwide public health problem, and unfortunately, the therapeutic index of regular drugs is limited. Thus, it is a great need to develop effective treatment strategies. Among the reported strategies, kidney-targeted drug delivery system is a promising method to increase renal efficacy and reduce extra-renal toxicity. In recent years, working as vehicles for targeted drug delivery, low molecular weight proteins (LMWP) and peptide have received immense attention due to their many advantages, such as selective accumulation in kidney, high drug loading capability, control over routes of biodegradation, convenience in modification at the amino terminus, and good biocompatibility. In this review, we describe the current LMWP and peptide carriers for kidney targeted drug delivery systems. In addition, we discuss different linking strategies between carriers and drugs. Furthermore, we briefly outline the current status and attempt to give an outlook on the further study. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  8. Coverage, adherence and costs of intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in children employing different delivery strategies in Jasikan, Ghana.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edith Patouillard

    Full Text Available Intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in children (IPTc involves the administration of a course of anti-malarial drugs at specified time intervals to children at risk of malaria regardless of whether or not they are known to be infected. IPTc provides a high level of protection against uncomplicated and severe malaria, with monthly sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine plus amodiaquine (SP&AQ and sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine plus piperaquine being the most efficacious regimens. A key challenge is the identification of a cost-effective delivery strategy.A community randomized trial was undertaken in Jasikan district, Ghana to assess IPTc effectiveness and costs using SP&AQ delivered in three different ways. Twelve villages were randomly selected to receive IPTc from village health workers (VHWs or facility-based nurses working at health centres' outpatient departments (OPD or EPI outreach clinics. Children aged 3 to 59 months-old received one IPT course (three doses in May, June, September and October. Effectiveness was measured in terms of children covered and adherent to a course and delivery costs were calculated in financial and economic terms using an ingredient approach from the provider perspective.The economic cost per child receiving at least the first dose of all 4 courses was US$4.58 when IPTc was delivered by VHWs, US$4.93 by OPD nurses and US$ 5.65 by EPI nurses. The unit economic cost of receiving all 3 doses of all 4 courses was US$7.56 and US$8.51 when IPTc was delivered by VHWs or facility-based nurses respectively. The main cost driver for the VHW delivery was supervision, reflecting resources used for travelling to more remote communities rather than more intense supervision, and for OPD and EPI delivery, it was the opportunity cost of the time spent by nurses in dispensing IPTc.VHWs achieve higher IPTc coverage and adherence at lower costs than facility-based nurses in Jasikan district, Ghana.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00119132.

  9. Identification of recruitment and retention strategies for rehabilitation professionals in Ontario, Canada: results from expert panels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Landry Michel D

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Demand for rehabilitation services is expected to increase due to factors such as an aging population, workforce pressures, rise in chronic and complex multi-system disorders, advances in technology, and changes in interprofessional health service delivery models. However, health human resource (HHR strategies for Canadian rehabilitation professionals are lagging behind other professional groups such as physicians and nurses. The objectives of this study were: 1 to identify recruitment and retention strategies of rehabilitation professionals including occupational therapists, physical therapists and speech language pathologists from the literature; and 2 to investigate both the importance and feasibility of the identified strategies using expert panels amongst HHR and education experts. Methods A review of the literature was conducted to identify recruitment and retention strategies for rehabilitation professionals. Two expert panels, one on Recruitment and Retention and the other on Education were convened to determine the importance and feasibility of the identified strategies. A modified-delphi process was used to gain consensus and to rate the identified strategies along these two dimensions. Results A total of 34 strategies were identified by the Recruitment and Retention and Education expert panels as being important and feasible for the development of a HHR plan for recruitment and retention of rehabilitation professionals. Seven were categorized under the Quality of Worklife and Work Environment theme, another seven in Financial Incentives and Marketing, two in Workload and Skill Mix, thirteen in Professional Development and five in Education and Training. Conclusion Based on the results from the expert panels, the three major areas of focus for HHR planning in the rehabilitation sector should include strategies addressing Quality of Worklife and Work Environment, Financial Incentives and Marketing and Professional

  10. STRATEGIES FOR THE MARKETING OF HIGHER EDUCATION WITH COMPARATIVE CONTEXTUAL REFERENCES BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND TURKEY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Ayhan YILMAZ

    2007-04-01

    Full Text Available Dr. Ugur DEMIRAYAnadolu University andEditor-in-Chief of TOJDEEskisehir, TURKEYEducation is now a global product with institutions worldwide competing for students and finding ever more creative ways to satisfy student needs and preferences. With the continuing rise in the preference for flexible distance learning, educational institutions are finding that when students and faculty have significantly different cultural backgrounds and learning styles that the expectations of the learning experience can be unfulfilled. In Australia, international students have made education Australia’s third largest service export, earning $5.8 billion. This means that student populations have moved from being homogenous and captive to domestic constraints and expectations, to being multi-cultural, dispersed and subject to a plethora of constraints and expectations. Today in Turkey, education is the responsibility of government however, in recent years, the private sector has entered the market providing educational services at all levels. In particular, after the 1990s, private higher education institutions (HEIs with a commercial focus have mushroomed. In 2007, there are 25 private universities in Turkey with more than 2.000.000 students enrolled in these universities. Of these students, more than 1.000.000 are registered in distance education faculties. With such large student numbers competition between private universities for students has intensified particularly over the last 15 years. As a consequence the need to develop strategies for attracting students has become more important. Marketing strategies in Turkey have tended to concentrate on three distinct categories: strategies between governmental HEIs, private HEIs and distance education HEIs. The contribution of technologies to education processes has been immense with students and faculty each learning to adapt to an environment of continuous change and opportunities. This paper seeks to explore

  11. Supersaturating drug delivery systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Laitinen, Riikka; Löbmann, Korbinian; Grohganz, Holger

    2017-01-01

    of the bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs by increasing the driving force for drug absorption. However, ASDs often require a high weight percentage of carrier (usually a hydrophilic polymer) to ensure molecular mixing of the drug in the carrier and stabilization of the supersaturated state, often leading......Amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) are probably the most common and important supersaturating drug delivery systems for the formulation of poorly water-soluble compounds. These delivery systems are able to achieve and maintain a sustained drug supersaturation which enables improvement...... strategy for poorly-soluble drugs. While the current research on co-amorphous formulations is focused on preparation and characterization of these systems, more detailed research on their supersaturation and precipitation behavior and the effect of co-formers on nucleation and crystal growth inhibition...

  12. Research-informed strategies to address educational challenges in a digitally networked world

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Voogt, J.; Knezek, G.; Pareja Roblin, N.

    2015-01-01

    This special issue represents the scholarly work that emerged from the EDUsummIT 2013. EDUsummIT is a growing and active community of researchers, policy makers and practitioners that is committed to promote research-informed strategies to effectively integrate ICT in educational policy and

  13. Formulation design for target delivery of iron nanoparticles to TCE zones.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ziheng; Acosta, Edgar

    2013-12-01

    Nanoparticles of zero-valent iron (NZVI) are effective reducing agents for some dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) contaminants such as trichloroethylene (TCE). However, target delivery of iron nanoparticles to DNAPL zones in the aquifer remains an elusive feature for NZVI technologies. This work discusses three strategies to deliver iron nanoparticles to DNAPL zones. To this end, iron oxide nanoparticles coated with oleate (OL) ions were used as stable analogs for NZVI. The OL-coated iron oxide nanoparticles are rendered lipophilic via (a) the addition of CaCl2, (b) acidification, or (c) the addition of a cationic surfactant, benzethonium chloride (BC). Mixtures of OL and BC show promise as a target delivery strategy due to the high stability of the nanoparticles in water, and their preferential partition into TCE in batch experiments. Column tests show that while the OL-BC coated iron oxide nanoparticles remain largely mobile in TCE-free columns, a large fraction of these particles are retained in TCE-contaminated columns, confirming the effectiveness of this target delivery strategy. © 2013.

  14. Exosomes: Nanoparticulate tools for RNA interference and drug delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shahabipour, Fahimeh; Barati, Nastaran; Johnston, Thomas P; Derosa, Giuseppe; Maffioli, Pamela; Sahebkar, Amirhossein

    2017-07-01

    Exosomes are naturally occurring extracellular vesicles released by most mammalian cells in all body fluids. Exosomes are known as key mediators in cell-cell communication and facilitate the transfer of genetic and biochemical information between distant cells. Structurally, exosomes are composed of lipids, proteins, and also several types of RNAs which enable these vesicles to serve as important disease biomarkers. Moreover, exosomes have emerged as novel drug and gene delivery tools owing to their multiple advantages over conventional delivery systems. Recently, increasing attention has been focused on exosomes for the delivery of drugs, including therapeutic recombinant proteins, to various target tissues. Exosomes are also promising vehicles for the delivery of microRNAs and small interfering RNAs, which is usually hampered by rapid degradation of these RNAs, as well as inefficient tissue specificity of currently available delivery strategies. This review highlights the most recent accomplishments and trends in the use of exosomes for the delivery of drugs and therapeutic RNA molecules. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. Distance Learning Delivery Systems: Instructional Options.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steele, Ray L.

    1993-01-01

    Discusses the availability of satellite and cable programing to provide distance education opportunities in school districts. Various delivery systems are described, including telephones with speakers, personal computers, and satellite dishes; and a sidebar provides a directory of distance learning opportunities, including telecommunications…

  16. Do generic strategies impact performance in higher educational institutions? A SEM-based investigation

    OpenAIRE

    Ahlam Mohammad Alzoubi; Okechukwu Lawrence Emeagwali

    2016-01-01

    This study set out to initiate an investigation into the linkage between generic strategy and performance in higher educational institutions and the moderating effect of institution-type. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), it examined the responses of a stratified sample of academics and administrative staff (n= 333) randomly selected from eight universities in northern Cyprus. Findings suggest that while there is a weak effect of differentiation strategy on performance, a strong effec...

  17. Multifunctional quantum dots and liposome complexes in drug delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Qi; Chao, Yi-Min

    2017-09-03

    Incorporating both diagnostic and therapeutic functions into a single nanoscale system is an effective modern drug delivery strategy. Combining liposomes with semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) has great potential to achieve such dual functions, referred to in this review as a liposomal QD hybrid system (L-QD). Here we review the recent literature dealing with the design and application of L-QD for advances in bio-imaging and drug delivery. After a summary of L-QD synthesis processes and evaluation of their properties, we will focus on their multifunctional applications, ranging from in vitro cell imaging to theranostic drug delivery approaches.

  18. Multifunctional quantum dots and liposome complexes in drug delivery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Qi; Chao, Yimin

    2018-01-01

    Incorporating both diagnostic and therapeutic functions into a single nanoscale system is an effective modern drug delivery strategy. Combining liposomes with semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) has great potential to achieve such dual functions, referred to in this review as a liposomal QD hybrid system (L-QD). Here we review the recent literature dealing with the design and application of L-QD for advances in bio-imaging and drug delivery. After a summary of L-QD synthesis processes and evaluation of their properties, we will focus on their multifunctional applications, ranging from in vitro cell imaging to theranostic drug delivery approaches. PMID:28866655

  19. Functionalization of protein-based nanocages for drug delivery applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schoonen, Lise; van Hest, Jan C M

    2014-07-07

    Traditional drug delivery strategies involve drugs which are not targeted towards the desired tissue. This can lead to undesired side effects, as normal cells are affected by the drugs as well. Therefore, new systems are now being developed which combine targeting functionalities with encapsulation of drug cargo. Protein nanocages are highly promising drug delivery platforms due to their perfectly defined structures, biocompatibility, biodegradability and low toxicity. A variety of protein nanocages have been modified and functionalized for these types of applications. In this review, we aim to give an overview of different types of modifications of protein-based nanocontainers for drug delivery applications.

  20. Barriers and solutions to online learning in medical education - an integrative review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Doherty, Diane; Dromey, Marie; Lougheed, Justan; Hannigan, Ailish; Last, Jason; McGrath, Deirdre

    2018-06-07

    The aim of this study is to review the literature on known barriers and solutions that face educators when developing and implementing online learning programs for medical students and postgraduate trainees. An integrative review was conducted over a three-month period by an inter-institutional research team. The search included ScienceDirect, Scopus, BioMedical, PubMed, Medline (EBSCO & Ovid), ERIC, LISA, EBSCO, Google Scholar, ProQuest A&I, ProQuest UK & Ireland, UL Institutional Repository (IR), UCDIR and the All Aboard Report. Search terms included online learning, medical educators, development, barriers, solutions and digital literacy. The search was carried out by two reviewers. Titles and abstracts were screened independently and reviewed with inclusion/exclusion criteria. A consensus was drawn on which articles were included. Data appraisal was performed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) Qualitative Research Checklist and NHMRC Appraisal Evidence Matrix. Data extraction was completed using the Cochrane Data Extraction Form and a modified extraction tool. Of the 3101 abstracts identified from the search, ten full-text papers met the inclusion criteria. Data extraction was completed on seven papers of high methodological quality and on three lower quality papers. Findings suggest that the key barriers which affect the development and implementation of online learning in medical education include time constraints, poor technical skills, inadequate infrastructure, absence of institutional strategies and support and negative attitudes of all involved. Solutions to these include improved educator skills, incentives and reward for the time involved with development and delivery of online content, improved institutional strategies and support and positive attitude amongst all those involved in the development and delivery of online content. This review has identified barriers and solutions amongst medical educators to the implementation of

  1. Outcomes of a systematically designed strategy for the implementation of sex education in Dutch secondary schools

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wiefferink, C.H.; Poelman, J.; Linthorst, M.; Vanwesenbeeck, I.; Wijngaarden, J.C.M. van; Paulussen, T.G.W.M.

    2005-01-01

    This study examines the effects of a systematically designed innovation strategy on teachers' implementation of a sex education curriculum and its related determinants. A quasi-experimental group design was used to assess the effectiveness of the innovation strategy. Teachers filled in

  2. Implementation strategies for collaborative primary care-mental health models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Franx, Gerdien; Dixon, Lisa; Wensing, Michel; Pincus, Harold

    2013-09-01

    Extensive research exists that collaborative primary care-mental health models can improve care and outcomes for patients. These programs are currently being implemented throughout the United States and beyond. The purpose of this study is to review the literature and to generate an overview of strategies currently used to implement such models in daily practice. Six overlapping strategies to implement collaborative primary care-mental health models were described in 18 selected studies. We identified interactive educational strategies, quality improvement change processes, technological support tools, stakeholder engagement in the design and execution of implementation plans, organizational changes in terms of expanding the task of nurses and financial strategies such as additional collaboration fees and pay for performance incentives. Considering the overwhelming evidence about the effectiveness of primary care-mental health models, there is a lack of good studies focusing on their implementation strategies. In practice, these strategies are multifaceted and locally defined, as a result of intensive and required stakeholder engagement. Although many barriers still exist, the implementation of collaborative models could have a chance to succeed in the United States, where new service delivery and payment models, such as the Patient-Centered Medical Home, the Health Home and the Accountable Care Organization, are being promoted.

  3. Strategies to improve treatment coverage in community-based public health programs: A systematic review of the literature.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katrina V Deardorff

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Community-based public health campaigns, such as those used in mass deworming, vitamin A supplementation and child immunization programs, provide key healthcare interventions to targeted populations at scale. However, these programs often fall short of established coverage targets. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the impact of strategies used to increase treatment coverage in community-based public health campaigns.We systematically searched CAB Direct, Embase, and PubMed archives for studies utilizing specific interventions to increase coverage of community-based distribution of drugs, vaccines, or other public health services. We identified 5,637 articles, from which 79 full texts were evaluated according to pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Twenty-eight articles met inclusion criteria and data were abstracted regarding strategy-specific changes in coverage from these sources. Strategies used to increase coverage included community-directed treatment (n = 6, pooled percent change in coverage: +26.2%, distributor incentives (n = 2, +25.3%, distribution along kinship networks (n = 1, +24.5%, intensified information, education, and communication activities (n = 8, +21.6%, fixed-point delivery (n = 1, +21.4%, door-to-door delivery (n = 1, +14.0%, integrated service distribution (n = 9, +12.7%, conversion from school- to community-based delivery (n = 3, +11.9%, and management by a non-governmental organization (n = 1, +5.8%.Strategies that target improving community member ownership of distribution appear to have a large impact on increasing treatment coverage. However, all strategies used to increase coverage successfully did so. These results may be useful to National Ministries, programs, and implementing partners in optimizing treatment coverage in community-based public health programs.

  4. Controlled local drug delivery strategies from chitosan hydrogels for wound healing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elviri, Lisa; Bianchera, Annalisa; Bergonzi, Carlo; Bettini, Ruggero

    2017-07-01

    The main target of tissue engineering is the preparation and application of adequate materials for the design and production of scaffolds, that possess properties promoting cell adhesion, proliferation and differentiation. The use of natural polysaccharides, such as chitosan, to prepare hydrogels for wound healing and controlled drug delivery is a research topic of wide and increasing interest. Areas covered: This review presents the latest results and challenges in the preparation of chitosan and chitosan-based scaffold/hydrogel for wound healing applications. A detailed overview of their behavior in terms of controlled drug delivery, divided by drug categories, and efficacy was provided and critically discussed. Expert opinion: The need to establish and exploit the advantages of natural biomaterials in combination with active compounds is playing a pivotal role in the regenerative medicine fields. The challenges posed by the many variables affecting tissue repair and regeneration need to be standardized and adhere to recognized guidelines to improve the quality of evidence in the wound healing process. Currently, different methodologies are followed to prepare innovative scaffold formulations and structures. Innovative technologies such as 3D printing or bio-electrospray are promising to create chitosan-based scaffolds with finely controlled structures with customizable shape porosity and thickness. Chitosan scaffolds could be designed in combination with a variety of polysaccharides or active compounds with selected and reproducible spacial distribution, providing active wound dressing with highly tunable controlled drug delivery.

  5. Optimal intervention strategies for cholera outbreak by education and chlorination

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bakhtiar, Toni

    2016-01-01

    This paper discusses the control of infectious diseases in the framework of optimal control approach. A case study on cholera control was studied by considering two control strategies, namely education and chlorination. We distinct the former control into one regarding person-to-person behaviour and another one concerning person-to-environment conduct. Model are divided into two interacted populations: human population which follows an SIR model and pathogen population. Pontryagin maximum principle was applied in deriving a set of differential equations which consists of dynamical and adjoin systems as optimality conditions. Then, the fourth order Runge-Kutta method was exploited to numerically solve the equation system. An illustrative example was provided to assess the effectiveness of the control strategies toward a set of control scenarios.

  6. Strategy-Based Development of Teacher Educators' ICT Competence through a Co-operative Staff Development Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lavonen, Jari; Lattu, Matti; Juuti, Kalle; Meisalo, Veijo

    2006-01-01

    An ICT strategy and an implementation plan for teacher education were created in a co-operative process. Visions and expectations of staff members and students were registered by questionnaires and by making notes during sessions in which the strategy was created. Thereafter, an implementation document, where the staff development programme and…

  7. Cross-Cultural Delivery of e-Learning Programmes: Perspectives from Hong Kong

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew Lap-sang Wong

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available The growing popularity of e-learning may pose one of the greatest challenges currently facing traditional educational institutions. The questions often asked are how, rather than whether, to embrace this new form of instructional delivery and how to create an appropriate learning environment for the learners. Educational institutions in Hong Kong have the option of adopting programmes or learning materials developed in other parts of the world for local learners, or not. Such an approach of acquiring learning materials is not without risks in terms of the suitability of materials embedded with cultural contents ‘foreign’ to local learners, or in terms of the suitability of assumptions in the communication context. What are the issues involved in the globalization of education through e-learning? This paper explores – from a critical-dialectical perspective – the implications of globalization on educational policy through cross-border delivery of educational programmes by e-learning, with particular attention given to the threat of cultural imperialism. The paper concludes that Hong Kong seems to be coping with ‘cultural imperialism’ rather well because of its unique history of being a cross-road for East and West, and also with some recommendations to e-learning providers to mitigate the potential damage of cross-cultural delivery of e-learning.

  8. Strategies for Financing Universal Basic Education for Sustainable National Development in Nigeria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdullahi, N. J. K.; Abdulkareem, A. Y.

    2017-01-01

    This study investigated strategies of financing universal basic education for sustainable national development by school managers in North-Central Zone, Nigeria. Specifically the purpose was to determine the relationship between commercial based income and sustainable national development as well as to examine the relationship between agricultural…

  9. A Top Down Strategy To Enhance Information Technologies into Israeli Higher Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guri-Rosenblit, Sara

    2002-01-01

    The integration of information technologies (IT) into Israeli higher education through a top-down strategy has created systemic change. The use of IT in Israeli universities varies in terms of access-outreach, teaching-learning processes, study materials production, data and information retrieval, administrative functions, the creation of…

  10. Organizational strategy for the development of nurses' competences: possibilities of Continuing Education in Health

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amanda de Lemos Mello

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objective: To reflect on Continuing Education in Health as an organizational strategy for the development of nurses' competences. Methods: A theoretical-reflective study was performed, combining concepts from Continuing Education in Health, organizational strategy and professional competence, understood as key elements for the work of nurses in health services. Results: To understand how to live together, individuals need to have knowledge about others, their history and traditions. When "learning how to do", they acquire broader competence to deal with unexpected situations and to facilitate team work. With regard to "learning how to be", they are encouraged to acquire autonomy and discernment on behalf of the group. If the focus is on development rather than control, there is shared interest and an integrated and strategic model for nurses' competences to be improved. Conclusion: The development of competences in nurses is the basis for the Learning Paths as a possible operationalization of Continuing Education in Health.

  11. Delivery systems and local administration routes for therapeutic siRNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vicentini, Fabiana Testa Moura de Carvalho; Borgheti-Cardoso, Lívia Neves; Depieri, Lívia Vieira; de Macedo Mano, Danielle; Abelha, Thais Fedatto; Petrilli, Raquel; Bentley, Maria Vitória Lopes Badra

    2013-04-01

    With the increasing number of studies proposing new and optimal delivery strategies for the efficacious silencing of gene-related diseases by the local administration of siRNAs, the present review aims to provide a broad overview of the most important and latest developments of non-viral siRNA delivery systems for local administration. Moreover, the main disease targets for the local delivery of siRNA to specific tissues or organs, including the skin, the lung, the eye, the nervous system, the digestive system and the vagina, were explored.

  12. Development and Psychometric Examination of the Inclusive Teaching Strategies in Nursing Education Instrument.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levey, Janet A

    2017-08-01

    Nurse educators might be unknowingly excluding learners secondary to teaching practices. Universal design for instruction (UDI) prepares and delivers accessible content and learning environments for diverse learners; however, it is not well known in nursing education. The aim of the study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Inclusive Teaching Strategies in Nursing Education (ITSinNE) 55-item instrument. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed on a sample of 311 educators in prelicensure programs. The ITSinNE scales had good to adequate estimates of reliability. The exogenous model fit the sample and model-implied covariance matrix; however, the endogenous model was not a good fit. Further instrument development is required. Measuring factors influencing nurse educators' willingness to adopt UDI will enable intervention research to enhance professional development fostering content and environmental access for all learners.

  13. Cell based-gene delivery approaches for the treatment of spinal cord injury and neurodegenerative disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taha, Masoumeh Fakhr

    2010-03-01

    Cell based-gene delivery has provided an important therapeutic strategy for different disorders in the recent years. This strategy is based on the transplantation of genetically modified cells to express specific genes and to target the delivery of therapeutic factors, especially for the treatment of cancers and neurological, immunological, cardiovascular and heamatopoietic disorders. Although, preliminary reports are encouraging, and experimental studies indicate functionally and structurally improvements in the animal models of different disorders, universal application of this strategy for human diseases requires more evidence. There are a number of parameters that need to be evaluated, including the optimal cell source, the most effective gene/genes to be delivered, the optimal vector and method of gene delivery into the cells and the most efficient route for the delivery of genetically modified cells into the patient. Also, some obstacles have to be overcome, including the safety and usefulness of the approaches and the stability of the improvements. Here, recent studies concerning with the cell-based gene delivery for spinal cord injury and some neurodegenerative disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease are briefly reviewed, and their exciting consequences are discussed.

  14. Multiple Strategies for Multiple Audiences: SJSU's Contributions to the Geoscience Education Community

    Science.gov (United States)

    Messina, P.; Metzger, E. P.

    2007-12-01

    for middle- and high-school teachers. These curricula use jig-saw and cooperative learning strategies to enhance educators' understanding, and to build confidence in teaching geoscience ideas by modeling effective pedagogy. The Bay Area Earth Science Institute (BAESI) augments these formal education options, offering summer and weekend workshops for which teachers may earn inexpensive university credit. Established in 1990, BAESI has served more than 1500 teachers with geoscientist- and master teacher-led workshops that supply standards- based Earth science concepts and effective strategies for teaching them.

  15. How Can Medical Students Add Value? Identifying Roles, Barriers, and Strategies to Advance the Value of Undergraduate Medical Education to Patient Care and the Health System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonzalo, Jed D; Dekhtyar, Michael; Hawkins, Richard E; Wolpaw, Daniel R

    2017-09-01

    As health systems evolve, the education community is seeking to reimagine student roles that combine learning with meaningful contributions to patient care. The authors sought to identify potential stakeholders regarding the value of student work, and roles and tasks students could perform to add value to the health system, including key barriers and associated strategies to promote value-added roles in undergraduate medical education. In 2016, 32 U.S. medical schools in the American Medical Association's (AMA's) Accelerating Change in Education Consortium met for a two-day national meeting to explore value-added medical education; 121 educators, systems leaders, clinical mentors, AMA staff leadership and advisory board members, and medical students were included. A thematic qualitative analysis of workshop discussions and written responses was performed, which extracted key themes. In current clinical roles, students can enhance value by performing detailed patient histories to identify social determinants of health and care barriers, providing evidence-based medicine contributions at the point-of-care, and undertaking health system research projects. Novel value-added roles include students serving as patient navigators/health coaches, care transition facilitators, population health managers, and quality improvement team extenders. Six priority areas for advancing value-added roles are student engagement, skills, and assessments; balance of service versus learning; resources, logistics, and supervision; productivity/billing pressures; current health systems design and culture; and faculty factors. These findings provide a starting point for collaborative work to positively impact clinical care and medical education through the enhanced integration of value-added medical student roles into care delivery systems.

  16. From Delivery to Adoption of Physical Activity Guidelines: Realist Synthesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liliana Leone

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Background: Evidence-based guidelines published by health authorities for the promotion of health-enhancing physical activity (PA, continue to be implemented unsuccessfully and demonstrate a gap between evidence and policies. This review synthesizes evidence on factors influencing delivery, adoption and implementation of PA promotion guidelines within different policy sectors (e.g., health, transport, urban planning, sport, education. Methods: Published literature was initially searched using PubMed, EBSCO, Google Scholar and continued through an iterative snowball technique. The literature review spanned the period 2002–2017. The realist synthesis approach was adopted to review the content of 39 included studies. An initial programme theory with a four-step chain from evidence emersion to implementation of guidelines was tested. Results: The synthesis furthers our understanding of the link between PA guidelines delivery and the actions of professionals responsible for implementation within health services, school departments and municipalities. The main mechanisms identified for guidance implementation were scientific legitimation, enforcement, feasibility, familiarity with concepts and PA habits. Threats emerged to the successful implementation of PA guidelines at national/local jurisdictional levels. Conclusions: The way PA guidelines are developed may influence their adoption by policy-makers and professionals. Useful lessons emerged that may inform synergies between policymaking and professional practices, promoting win-win multisectoral strategies.

  17. Supramolecular "Trojan Horse" for Nuclear Delivery of Dual Anticancer Drugs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Yanbin; Shen, Haosheng; Zhan, Jie; Lin, Mingliang; Dai, Liuhan; Ren, Chunhua; Shi, Yang; Liu, Jianfeng; Gao, Jie; Yang, Zhimou

    2017-03-01

    Nuclear delivery and accumulation are very important for many anticancer drugs that interact with DNA or its associated enzymes in the nucleus. However, it is very difficult for neutrally and negatively charged anticancer drugs such as 10-hydroxycamptothecine (HCPT). Here we report a simple strategy to construct supramolecular nanomedicines for nuclear delivery of dual synergistic anticancer drugs. Our strategy utilizes the coassembly of a negatively charged HCPT-peptide amphiphile and the positively charged cisplatin. The resulting nanomaterials behave as the "Trojan Horse" that transported soldiers (anticancer drugs) across the walls of the castle (cell and nucleus membranes). Therefore, they show improved inhibition capacity to cancer cells including the drug resistant cancer cell and promote the synergistic tumor suppression property in vivo. We envision that our strategy of constructing nanomaterials by metal chelation would offer new opportunities to develop nanomedicines for combination chemotherapy.

  18. Strategies Which Foster Broad Use and Deployment of Earth and Space Science Informal and Formal Education Resources

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meeson, Blanche W.; Gabrys, Robert; Ireton, M. Frank; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    Education projects supported by federal agencies and carried out by a wide range of organizations foster learning about Earth and Space systems science in a wide array of venues. Across these agencies a range of strategies are employed to ensure that effective materials are created for these diverse venues. And that these materials are deployed broadly so that a large spectrum of the American Public, both adults and children alike, can learn and become excited by the Earth and space system science. This session will highlight some of those strategies and will cover representative examples to illustrate the effectiveness of the strategies. Invited speakers from selected formal and informal educational efforts will anchor this session. Speakers with representative examples are encouraged to submit abstracts for the session to showcase the strategies which they use.

  19. Outcomes and risk factors for unplanned delivery at home and before arrival to the hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lazić, Zlatko; Takač, Iztok

    2011-01-01

    The aim of this study was to analyze the outcomes and risk factors for unplanned delivery at home and before arrival to the hospital in Maribor region, Slovenia. We used data from medical records of all deliveries in Maribor region from the year 1997 to the year 2005. We analysed a total of 17,846 births from annual reports of the Maribor University Hospital. Among the total of 17,846 births, there were 58 (3.2‰) unplanned births at home and on the way to the hospital. The study based on the data from medical records on safety of unplanned home birth reveals that hospital delivery is approximately 7 times safer than unplanned home delivery. This conclusion is reached by comparing perinatal mortality, which was 68‰ for unplanned deliveries at home versus 8.8‰ for deliveries at hospital. The prematurity was more common in unplanned home deliveries: 13 (22%) versus 1399 (8%) for hospital deliveries. Unplanned deliveries at home and on the way to the hospital were more common in multiparous women (ratio 4:1 compared to 1:1 for hospital births). When for all hospital deliveries the pregnancies were followed, for one third of unplanned deliveries at home or on the way to the hospital the pregnancies were not monitored. Mothers who gave birth at home or on the way to the hospital were without higher education (i.e. 55.2%) and mothers who gave birth in hospital were with higher education (i.e. 87.4%). There was higher rate of perinatal morbidity for unplanned home deliveries compared to hospital deliveries. Factors that make unplanned home deliveries more common are high parity, absence or inadequacy of antenatal care, marital status and lower education. Some conditions in newborn, such as hypothermia, were clearly the result of unplanned birth at home. Additional effort to improve antenatal care and also identifying social vulnerabilities would possibly decrease the number of unplanned deliveries and improve the perinatal outcomes.

  20. An innovation in curriculum content and delivery of cancer education within undergraduate nurse training in the UK. What impact does this have on the knowledge, attitudes and confidence in delivering cancer care?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edwards, Deborah; Anstey, Sally; Kelly, Daniel; Hopkinson, Jane

    2016-04-01

    This was an evaluation of an innovation in curriculum content and delivery within undergraduate nursing education in the UK. Its purpose was to investigate the effect on knowledge, attitudes and confidence in delivering cancer care. The study design was a pre-test post-test survey design with a comparison group. Participants were two cohorts of undergraduate nursing students (n(intervention) = 84, n(comparison) = 91). The intervention cohort were exposed to a new 3.5 day programme of cancer education, coproduced with patients, carers and health professionals, which focused on cancer as a life changing long-term condition. The comparison cohort had been exposed to a 2 day programme produced by a lecturer. Following exposure to the new model for the delivery of undergraduate nurse cancer education, the intervention cohort demonstrated good overall knowledge of the impact of cancer, more positive attitudes towards cancer treatment and more confidence in their ability to deliver cancer care. Attitudes were more positive and confidence in ability to support cancer patients at all stages of the cancer journey were greater than in the comparison group. Insights gained into the cancer patient and carer perspectives were highly valued. This study has found that a new model for the delivery of cancer education focusing on survivorship and delivered in partnership with patients, carers and clinicians, may improve knowledge, attitudes and confidence in the delivery of cancer care. Further work is now needed, using a more robust experimental design, to investigate the generalisability of the results to other education programs. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.