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Objective: To understand how student perceptions of physical health and generalized concern about infection influenced engagement in COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Participants: 418 full-time undergraduate and graduate students attending a public university in South Carolina, USA. Methods: A self-administered survey was distributed during the 2020-2021 academic year. The health belief model, structural equation modeling, and regression methods were used to evaluate associations between students' perceived physical health and the use of CDC-recommended mitigation strategies. Results: Our findings suggest that an individual's perception of their own physical health impacted engagement in preventive behaviors by influencing concerns about disease severity (p = 0.01) and susceptibility (p = 0.03). However, perceived physical health was not associated with perceived benefits (p = 0.21), barriers (p = 0.57), or self-efficacy (p = 0.62) of mitigation strategies. Conclusions: Intrapersonal factors may play a strong role in the way a student undertakes disease control and prevention.
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Common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) have previously demonstrated exposure to phthalate esters. Phthalates and phthalate esters are commonly added to consumer goods to enhance desirable properties. As the amount of plastic marine debris increases, these chemicals can easily leach from these products into the surrounding environment. To evaluate demographic variability in exposure, eight phthalate metabolites were quantified in urine samples collected from free-ranging bottlenose dolphins sampled in Sarasota Bay, FL, USA (2010-2019; n = 51). Approximately 75% of individual dolphins had detectable concentrations of at least one phthalate metabolite. The most frequently detected metabolites were mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP; n = 28; GM = 4.57 ng/mL; 95% CI = 2.37-8.80; KM mean = 7.95; s.d. = 15.88) and monoethyl phthalate (MEP; GM = 4.51 ng/mL; 95% CI = 2.77-7.34; ROS mean = 2.24; s.d. = 5.58). Urinary concentrations of MEHP and MEP were not significantly different between sex (MEHP p = 0.09; MEP p = 0.22) or age class (i.e., calf/juvenile vs. adult; MEHP p = 0.67; MEP p = 0.13). Additionally, there were no significant group differences in the likelihood of MEHP or MEP detection for any demographic as determined by a Peto-Peto test. Frequency of detection was similar for both metabolites between males and females (MEHP p = 0.10; MEP p = 0.40) as well as between juveniles and adults (MEHP p = 0.50; MEP: p = 0.60). These findings suggest ubiquitous exposure risk for both sexes and age classes, warranting further investigation into potential sources and health implications.
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This article describes a method of instruction designed to stimulate many different cognitive styles in an RN critical care course. The class met on Friday evenings after many of the participants had just completed their workweek. Developing a stimulating classroom experience was imperative to counter the effects of fatigue felt by many of the nurses. A combination of technology and traditional teaching methods was used to facilitate as many different cognitive styles as possible in a single class period. The PowerPoint computer program was used to provide vivid visual representation of the class content as it was presented through a combination of lecture, concept mapping, and case study.
