Student perceptions of the impact of quality matters essential standards in an animal physiology course.

As online learning becomes increasingly popular in higher education, the quality of courses that utilize this modality is becoming a focus of inquiry. Quality Matters (QM) is a leading quality assurance organization that reviews online and hybrid (partially online, partially in-person) courses for standards of pedagogy and instructional design and certifies courses that sufficiently meet these standards. In this study, we examine student perceptions of course quality in a hybrid three-credit-hour animal science course that has been certified by QM. The class met twice a week for 1.25 h with one class period online and one in person. It consisted of 11 modules, each of which included learning content, learning activities, and assessments. Upon completion, 46 of 114 students completed a survey in which they rated the course on each of the 21 QM essential standards (Fifth edition). Descriptive analysis revealed that for 19 of the 21 specific review standards, 75% to 91% of students agreed or strongly agreed that the course reflected the best practice described in the standard. For the other two standards, over half of students (72%, 63%) agreed or strongly agreed that best practices were reflected in course design. Another way to examine the data is to collapse specific review standards into eight general review categories as specified by QM; the collapsed data revealed that 75% to 88% of students agreed or strongly agreed that the course design reflected the eight general course design standards. The percentage of students disagreeing that the course reflected each best practice was 11% or lower. Cronbach analysis to examine the internal consistency of the QM questionnaire (0.96), indicated instrument reliability and stability. A principal component analysis of the data conducted to further examine features and patterns of student responses revealed four primary factors that students rated highly (learning objectives, learner interaction and engagement, accessibility and usability, and clarity) that explained 78% of the data variance. This study demonstrates that the high quality of course design and delivery in a QM-certified course is clear to students. and provides justification for the investment in high-quality online and hybrid course design. In the future, we plan to compare student perceptions of course quality in a course that has not been QM-certified with one that has, as well as the impact of those revisions on student outcomes.

Immersive Videos Improve Student Self-Efficacy in Clinical Lactation.

The current study examined the use of immersive technology as a way to improve access to high-quality interpersonal breastfeeding interactions in an undergraduate clinical lactation course. In particular, we investigated the impact of immersive consultation videos and related activities on student self-efficacy, motivational beliefs, and perceived skill level. Results indicate that usability was high, with participants rating videos, interactives, and activities positively. Students did report a significant increase in self-efficacy and their perceived ability to meet the course learning objectives; no significant changes in the level of interest or perceived skill were found. Our results demonstrate that high-quality immersive videos can be an important learning tool for teaching clinical skills when access to direct patient care is limited or absent.

A Systematic Review of Second-Line Treatments in Antiviral Resistant Strains of HSV-1, HSV-2, and VZV.

Drug-resistant variants of herpes simplex viruses (HSV) have been reported that are not effectively treated with first-line antiviral agents. The objective of this study was to evaluate available literature on the possible efficacy of second-line treatments in HSV and the use of second-line treatments in HSV strains that are resistant to first-line treatments. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a final search was conducted in six databases on November 5, 2021 for all relevant literature using terms related to antiviral resistance, herpes, and HSV. Eligible manuscripts were required to report the presence of an existing or proposed second-line treatment for HSV-1, HSV-2, or varicella zoster virus (VZV); have full-text English-language access; and potentially reduce the rate of antiviral resistance. Following screening, 137 articles were included in qualitative synthesis. Of the included studies, articles that examined the relationship between viral resistance to first-line treatments and potential second-line treatments in HSV were included. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials was used to assess risk of bias. Due to the heterogeneity of study designs, a meta-analysis of the studies was not performed. The dates in which accepted studies were published spanned from 2015-2021. In terms of sample characteristics, the majority (72.26%) of studies used Vero cells. When looking at the viruses on which the interventions were tested, the majority (84.67%) used HSV-1, with (34.31%) of these studies reporting testing on resistant HSV strains. Regarding the effectiveness of the proposed interventions, 91.97% were effective as potential managements for resistant strains of HSV. Of the papers reviewed, nectin in 2.19% of the reviews had efficacy as a second-line treatments in HSV, amenamevir in 2.19%, methanol extract in 2.19%, monoclonal antibodies in 1.46%, arbidol in 1.46%, siRNA swarms in 1.46%, Cucumis melo sulfated pectin in 1.46%, and components from Olea europeae in 1.46%. In addition to this griffithsin in 1.46% was effective, Morus alba L. in 1.46%, using nucleosides in 1.46%, botryosphaeran in 1.46%, monoterpenes in 1.46%, almond skin extracts in 1.46%, bortezomib in 1.46%, flavonoid compounds in 1.46%, andessential oils were effective in 1.46%, but not effective in 0.73%. The available literature reviewed consistently supports the existence and potentiality of second-line treatments for HSV strains that are resistant to first-line treatments. Immunocompromised patients have been noted to be the population most often affected by drug-resistant variants of HSV. Subsequently, we found that HSV infections in this patient population are challenging to manage clinically effectively. The goal of this systematic review is to provide additional information to patients on the potentiality of second-line treatment in HSV strains resistant to first-line treatments, especially those who are immunocompromised. All patients, whether they are immunocompromised or not, deserve to have their infections clinically managed in a manner supported by comprehensive research. This review provides necessary information about treatment options for patients with resistant HSV infections and their providers.

Improving Children's Mental Health with a Digital Social Skills Development Game: A Randomized Controlled Efficacy Trial of Adventures aboard the S.S. GRIN.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a computer-based game to improve social skills and mental health in children with social skills deficits would be efficacious. The program, Adventures aboard the S.S. GRIN, translates a proven in-person intervention into a nine-episode interactive online adventure game that provides opportunity for knowledge acquisition and skill practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Participants (children aged 7-11 years with social skills challenges) were randomly assigned to immediate treatment group (n = 33) or waitlist control group (n = 36). Children in the immediate treatment condition completed the game at home over the course of 9 weeks. Before playing the game and again within 1 week of game completion, children completed surveys about social literacy, social anxiety, bullying, social self-efficacy, and social satisfaction. RESULTS: Children who played Adventures improved significantly more from pretest to posttest than children who did not play the game in social literacy, social anxiety, bullying victimization, and social satisfaction. CONCLUSION: Online interactive games can be effective in improving mental health for children who struggle with social skills. For children who can access them, serious games have the potential to increase the reach of effective programs by overcoming the logistical and implementation barriers (such as cost, travel, and accessibility) that limit traditionally delivered mental health interventions.

The Feasibility and Acceptability of "Arise": An Online Substance Abuse Relapse Prevention Program.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility and acceptability of a novel online adolescent substance abuse relapse prevention tool, "Arise" (3C Institute, Cary, NC). The program uses an innovative platform including interactive instructional segments and skill-building games to help adolescents learn and practice coping skills training strategies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a pilot test with nine adolescents in substance abuse treatment (44 percent female) and a feasibility test with treatment providers (n=8; 50 percent female). Adolescents interacted with the program via a secure Web site for approximately 30 minutes for each of two instructional units. Treatment providers reviewed the same material at their own pace. All participants completed a questionnaire with items assessing usability, acceptability, understanding, and subjective experience of the program. RESULTS: Regarding feasibility, recruitment of this population within the study constraints proved challenging, but participant retention in the trial was high (no attrition). Adolescents and treatment providers completed the program with no reported problems, and overall we were able to collect data as planned. Regarding acceptability, the program received strong ratings from both adolescents and providers, who found the prototype informative, engaging, and appealing. Both groups strongly recommended continuing development. CONCLUSIONS: We were able to deliver the intervention as intended, and acceptability ratings were high, demonstrating the feasibility and acceptability of online delivery of engaging interactive interventions. This study contributes to our understanding of how interactive technologies, including games, can be used to modify behavior in substance abuse treatment and other health areas.

HSV-2 inhibits type-I interferon signaling via multiple complementary and compensatory STAT2-associated mechanisms.

Type-I interferon (IFN)-mediated responses are a crucial first line of defense against viral infections and are critical for generating both innate and adaptive immunity. Therefore, viruses have necessarily evolved mechanisms to impede the IFN response. HSV-2 was found to completely abolish type-1 IFN-mediated signaling via multiple STAT2-associated mechanisms. Although the extent and kinetics of this inactivation were indistinguishable between the various cell-lines examined, there were distinct differences in the mechanisms HSV-2 employed to subvert IFN-signaling among the cell-lines. These mechanistic differences could be segregated into two categories dependent on the phase of the HSV replicative cycle that was responsible for this inhibition: (1) early phase-inhibited cells which exhibited abrogation of IFN-signaling prior to viral DNA replication; (2) late phase-inhibited cells where early phase inhibition mechanisms were not functional, but viral functions expressed following DNA replication compensated for their ineffectiveness. In early phase-inhibited cells, HSV-2 infection targeted STAT2 protein for proteosomal degradation and prevented de novo expression of STAT2 by degrading its mRNA. In contrast, HSV-2 infected late phase-inhibited cells exhibited no apparent changes in STAT2 transcript or protein levels. However, in these cells STAT2 was not activated by phosphorylation and failed to translocate to the cell nucleus, thereby preventing transactivation of antiviral genes. In primary human fibroblasts, HSV-2 failed to fully degrade STAT2 and therefore, both early and late phase mechanisms functioned cooperatively to subvert IFN-mediated antiviral gene expression. Taken together, these results indicate the importance that HSV-2 has assigned to STAT2, investing significant genomic currency throughout its replicative lifecycle for continuous targeted destruction and inhibition of this protein.

Efficient generation and rapid isolation via stoplight recombination of Herpes simplex viruses expressing model antigenic and immunological epitopes.

Generation and isolation of recombinant herpesviruses by traditional homologous recombination methods can be a tedious, time-consuming process. Therefore, a novel stoplight recombination selection method was developed that facilitated rapid identification and purification of recombinant viruses expressing fusions of immunological epitopes with EGFP. This "traffic-light" approach provided a visual indication of the presence and purity of recombinant HSV-1 isolates by producing three identifying signals: (1) red fluorescence indicates non-recombinant viruses that should be avoided; (2) yellow fluorescence indicates cells co-infected with non-recombinant and recombinant viruses that are chosen with caution; (3) green fluorescence indicates pure recombinant isolates and to proceed with preparation of viral stocks. Adaptability of this system was demonstrated by creating three recombinant viruses that expressed model immunological epitopes. Diagnostic PCR established that the fluorescent stoplight indicators were effective at differentiating between the presence of background virus contamination and pure recombinant viruses specifying immunological epitopes. This enabled isolation of pure recombinant viral stocks that exhibited wildtype-like viral replication and cell-to-cell spread following three rounds of plaque purification. Expression of specific immunological epitopes was confirmed by western analysis, and the utility of these viruses for examining host immune responses to HSV-1 was determined by a functional T cell assay.

The Association Between Same-Sex Romantic Attractions and Relationships and Running Away Among a Nationally Representative Sample of Adolescents.

Sexual minorities are overrepresented among the runaway population, and sexual minority runaways are at greater risk for adverse health outcomes than their heterosexual peers. Our knowledge of this vulnerable population has been restricted by methodological limitations of existing studies. This study used a nationally representative sample of U.S. adolescents to explore the association between same-sex romantic attractions and relationships and run away behavior over a two year period. Results indicated that although the association between sexual orientation and running away appears to be partially attenuated by other risk factors for running away, there remains a significant positive association between same-sex romantic attractions and running away. Furthermore, youth with no romantic or sexual relationships were significantly less likely to report running away compared to youth with only opposite-sex relationships. These associations remained significant even after controlling for other risk factors.

Moderation and mediation in the relationship between mothers' or fathers' serious psychological distress and adolescent substance use: findings from a national sample.

PURPOSE: This study estimated percentages of adolescents living with a mother or father with serious psychological distress (SPD), and examined moderation and mediation of the relationships between mother or father SPD and adolescent substance use. METHODS: We analyzed data from nationally representative samples of adolescents interviewed with their mothers (n = 4734) and fathers (n = 3176) in the combined 2002 and 2003 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs). RESULTS: An estimated 4.1% of adolescents living with their father had a father with SPD during the past year, and 11.5% of adolescents living with their mother had a mother with SPD during this time period. A positive association was found between mothers' SPD and adolescent binge drinking (OR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.01-2.21), but no association was found between fathers' SPD and adolescent binge drinking. Mothers' SPD was associated with increased risk of binge drinking among adolescents aged 14-15 years (OR = 2.52, 95% CI = 1.38-4.60), and fathers' SPD was associated with lowered risk of binge drinking among black adolescents (OR = .08, 95% CI = .01-.79). A positive association was found between mothers' SPD and adolescent illicit drug use (OR = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.08-2.23), but no association was found between fathers' SPD and adolescent illicit drug use. Mothers' SPD was associated with increased risk of illicit drug use among female adolescents (OR = 2.14, 95% CI = 1.24-3.70) and among adolescents of white ethnicity (OR = 1.78, 95% CI = 1.19, 2.68). Parental involvement partially mediated the relationship between mothers' SPD and daughters' illicit drug use; mothers' SPD was associated with lower levels of parental involvement, which in turn were associated with an increased probability of daughters' illicit drug use. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, parents' SPD is associated differentially with adolescent substance use depending on the gender of parent and adolescent, adolescent age, race/ethnicity, and substance used. Parental involvement appears to be one mechanism through which mothers' SPD influences daughters' illicit drug use. Future research should further consider the interindividual effects of parents' SPD and associated parenting behaviors on adolescent risk behaviors.

Who runs? A demographic profile of runaway youth in the United States.

Prevention and treatment programs for runaways have been hindered by an inadequate population profile. Using Add Health data to determine 12-month prevalence and demographic predictors of running away, we found that over 6% of youths reported running away. Running was predicted by biological gender, age, region, urbanicity, and family structure.

Progress toward healthy people 2000 objectives among U.S. military personnel.

OBJECTIVE: Examine progress toward Healthy People 2000 objectives among active-duty military personnel and identify subgroups at risk for not meeting objectives. METHODS: Comprehensive Department of Defense surveys were completed in 1995, 1998, and 2002. Target behaviors were analyzed for achievement of objectives and demographic factors for their relationship to unmet objectives. RESULTS: The military met 7 of 15 objectives assessed in 2002. Achieved objectives, such as drug use, exercise, and safety equipment use, were generally behaviors monitored by military requirements. Unmet risk behavior and health maintenance objectives were related to military demographics, civilian trends, and societal norms. Smoking was more likely not met by enlisted (OR = 2.7, CI = 2.0-3.9), male, white, less educated, younger, single, Army, and Navy personnel. Overweight was more likely not met by male (OR = 3.4, CI = 3.0-4.0), African American, Hispanic, more educated, aged 35 or older, married, enlisted, and Navy personnel. Health maintenance goals were more likely not met by enlisted (OR = 1.5, CI: 1.1-2.2), male, nonwhite, less educated, younger, single, Navy, and Marine personnel. CONCLUSIONS: Objectives are more likely met when regulatory mechanisms encourage compliance. Future studies are needed to understand mechanisms accounting for achievement of objectives. Next steps for unmet objectives are to target interventions for high-risk groups.

Difficulties in comprehending causal relations among children with ADHD: the role of cognitive engagement.

The present study examined whether time spent in long looks (i.e., >or=15 s), an index of cognitive engagement, would account for differences between children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and comparison children in understanding causal relations. Children viewed two televised stories, once in the presence of toys and once in their absence. Dependent variables were visual attention and questions tapping factual information and causal relations. Comparison children answered significantly more causal relations questions than did the children with ADHD, but only in the toys-present condition. Four lines of evidence revealed that the difficulties children with ADHD had in answering causal relations questions in the toys-present condition could be linked specifically to this group's decreased time spent in long looks.

Effects of Headings on Text Processing Strategies.

This experiment addressed the question of how headings influence readers' memories for text content. College students read and recalled a 12-topic expository text. Half of the participants were trained to construct a mental outline of the text's topic structure as they read and then use their mental outlines to guide their recall attempts. The remaining participants did not receive such training. Half of the participants read a text containing headings before every subsection; the other half read the same text without headings. The results were that participants who received training and/or read the text with headings remembered text topics and their organization better than participants who received no training and read the text without headings. The results support the hypothesis that signals induce a change in readers' strategies for encoding and recalling text. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.

Comprehension of televised stories in boys with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and nonreferred boys.

Two studies compared comprehension of televised stories by 7- to 12-year-old boys with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and nonreferred comparison boys. Boys watched one show with toys present and one with toys absent. Visual attention was continuously recorded, and recall was tested after each show. Across studies, visual attention was high with toys absent but decreased sharply with toys present for boys with ADHD. Groups showed similar levels of cued recall of discrete units of information regardless of differences in attention. When recall tasks and television story structure required knowledge of relations among events, the reduced attention of boys with ADHD interfered with recall. Although visual attention of comparison boys also decreased to some extent with toys present, there was no such decrement in recall. Implications of the difficulties children with ADHD have in integrated story comprehension are discussed.