Academic success among students at risk for school failure.

A sample of 1,803 minority students from low-income homes was classified into 3 groups on the basis of grades, test scores, and persistence from Grade 8 through Grade 12; the classifications were academically successful school completers ("resilient" students), school completers with poorer academic performance (nonresilient completers), and noncompleters (dropouts). Groups were compared in terms of psychological characteristics and measures of "school engagement." Large, significant differences were found among groups on engagement behaviors, even after background and psychological characteristics were controlled statistically. The findings support the hypothesis that student engagement is an important component of academic resilience. Furthermore, they provide information for designing interventions to improve the educational prognoses of students at risk. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Academic achievement and socioemotional adjustment among Chinese university students.

Examined the academic performance, majors, study habits, and socioemotional adjustment of 177 Chinese and Chinese-American university students. 94 Ss were foreign born, and 83 Ss were 2nd-, 3rd-, or 4th-generation Americans. Data were collected through official university records, questionnaires, and inventories. Ss were divided into 3 groups, depending on place of birth and length of residency in the US. Results indicate that the image of the high-achieving, well-adjusted Chinese student was tempered when criteria other than grade point average were examined. Although grades received by the 3 groups of Ss exceeded the university average, recent immigrants apparently used certain strategies to compensate for limited English proficiency by taking reduced courseloads, studying more hours, and limiting career majors. There was also evidence that the recent immigrants were less socioemotionally adjusted than were other Ss. Implications for counseling and research are discussed. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cornell Medical Index score observed among northeast Thai nursing students

Intraperitoneal administration of the mycotoxin penitrem A 30 min before a training session in passive avoidance task, impaired performance of rats subjected to a test-session 24 h after. This effect was not antagonised by pretraining administration of physostigmine or bicuculline. Administration of penitrem A 20 min before a training session or 30 min before a test-session did not impair performance. In the Morris water maze, doses of penitrem A that induces slight to moderate tremors, but not a lower dose, disrupted place learning. These results suggest that penitrem A disrupts the processes that take place at the time of acquisition, but not those just after acquisition, and does not alter the restitution of information. This effect would not be related to a decrease of cholinergic neurotransmission nor to a stimulation of GABA A receptors. Nevertheless, it could not be totally excluded that the performance impairments induced by penitrem A would be secondary to a motor disruption.     

Caring interactions among nursing students: a descriptive comparison of 2 associate degree nursing programs

The Internet has become the most dynamic and stimulating place where biomedical information can be found and retrieved since the advent of computerized databases two decades ago. Public health organisations have a responsibility to inform and the Internet offers an excellent opportunity to complete the cycle of health information systems and research, making this information more accessible both to public health and other biomedical and health-related professionals as well as to the public. This paper presents a summary of the main resources in public health available in the Internet: e-mail discussion lists, access to relevant journals, connection to registries and epidemiologic databases on morbidity and mortality, as well as access to universities, academic institutions and research centers.     

Developing an integrated self: Academic and ethnic identities among ethnically diverse college students.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the development of college students' major selection and whether and how this choice is associated with their developing ethnic identities. Ninety ethnically diverse college students were interviewed in their first, sophomore, and senior years. Mixed-method analyses revealed 5 theoretically consistent pathways of how students configured their ethnic identities and majors over time: low awareness, consciousness-raised, high awareness, integrating, and compartmentalized. These pathways were differentially related to students' ethnicities and majors, suggesting that students' identity experiences are moderated by their chosen majors. The results of this study underscore the contribution of a longitudinal, life-span, approach to identity development for understanding the diversity in identity pathways during college. The findings also have implications for practical purposes, particularly for advising, counseling, and curriculum development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Scientific dishonesty and good scientific practice

Scientific dishonesty has been the subject of much public interest in recent years. Although the problem has had a low profile in Denmark, there is no reason to believe that it is non-existent. Several preconditions known to be important prevail here as well as in other countries, such as pressure to publish and severe competition for research grants and senior academic positions. The Danish Medical Research Council (DMRC) decided to respond to this problem by preparing a report on scientific dishonesty with suggestions to the research institutions on rules for good scientific practice and procedures for investigation of suspected dishonesty. To this end, an investigatory system was suggested. The system should consist of two regional committees and one national committee. They should be headed by high court judges and experienced health sciences researchers as members. The committees will investigate cases reported to them and conclude on whether dishonesty has been established and on whether the scientific work should be retracted. Sanctions shall remain the task of the institutions. Preventive measures comprise open access to and a long storage period for scientific data.     

Designated driving among college students

Tissue factor (TF), a principal initiator of the vertebrate coagulation cascade, is expressed in organ tissues, cells and blood. TF is known to be induced in endothelial cells, monocytes and macrophages by inflammatory stimuli and in many pathologic conditions. By using the modified method for in vivo TF activity assay, we found that turpentine oil injection as an inflammatory stimulus also induced the TF activity in lung and brain tissues of rats. And the age-related increase in TF activity was observed in healthy rat brain tissue.     

Predictors of intention to study nursing among school students speaking a language other than English at home

There is currently a shortage of bilingual nurses in New South Wales. It is important to include bilingual nurses in the workforce to meet not only the cultural and social needs of people speaking a language other than English at home, but also to facilitate the achievement of appropriate health outcomes for a multicultural population. The purpose of this study was to identify demographic and social factors which explain students' intention to study nursing. Respondents were 789 year 11 or 12 students speaking Arabic, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish, Turkish or Vietnamese from twenty-five schools in South Eastern, South Western and Western Sydney. Data were collected through a self-completed questionnaire. Chi square, t-test and logistic regression analysis were used for data analysis. Logistic regression analysis concluded that perceived parental income, years of settlement in Australia and father's occupation were significant factors. Bivariate analysis also revealed that significant differences were found in the intention to study nursing between male and female students and between students with a higher and lower Tertiary Entrance Rank (TER). Parental influence also affects students' intention. However, gender and TER were found to be insignificant after adjustment for other variables in the logistic regression model.     

Transcultural nursing practice described by registered nurses and baccalaureate nursing students

Using Leininger's Theory of Culture Care Diversity and Universality as a framework, this research examined transcultural practices of nurses and students. A survey was administered to a convenience sample of registered nurses and senior baccalaureate students with 767 usable questionnaires returned. Neither group expressed confidence in their ability to care for culturally-diverse patients. Registered nurses (RNs) reported assessing cultural factors and modifying practices more frequently than did students. Respondents reported their beliefs about transcultural nursing were influenced by being with people of other cultures, their own personal values, and education. Analysis of the open-ended questions revealed two major themes. First, both nurses and students perceive an overwhelming need for transcultural nursing. Second, nurses and students respond to cultural challenges by modifying their care. Modifications are based on language and communication, pain perception and relief, religious and spiritual dimensions, gender and family roles, and other values. Results suggest that nurses and students are aware of culture, recognize that culture influences the care they provide, and modify their health teaching and nursing care based on culture. The use of a conceptual framework to help make modifications in care was not mentioned.     

Teaching alternative therapies to diploma nursing students

With increasing numbers of nurses becoming interested in complementary and alternative therapies, there is a role for introductory courses. Tinu Okubadejo and Derek Ace outline the module they teach.     

Effects of prior dishonesty on postdecision dissonance.

This was previously abstracted (see 37: 7780), but there was an error in the text. The abstract should read as follows: 145 children (aged 3-12) indicated liking for 3 toys and 3 crackers. After being exposed to a temptation to be dishonest and given a choice of 1 of the objects, they gave liking ratings of their chosen and unchosen alternatives. Postdecision dissonance reduction (increased liking for the chosen, and decreased liking for the unchosen alternative) was greatest when choice from among dissimilar objects (toy and cracker) followed dishonesty; it was least when honesty preceded choosing from among similar objects (2 toys or 2 crackers). Results were consistent with formulations by Hull, on drive summation, and Lewin, on tension spread: irrelevant tension combines with relevant tension to produce greater response to the latter. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Academic achievement in mathematics and science of students between ages 13 and 23: Are there differences among students in the top one percent of mathematical ability?

Investigated the predictive validity of the Scholastic Aptitude Test-Mathematics subtest (SAT-M) for 1,996 mathematically gifted (top 1%) 7th and 8th graders. Various academic achievement criteria were assessed over a 10-yr span. Individual differences in SAT-M scores obtained in junior high school predicted accomplishments in high school and college. Among students in the top 1% of ability, those with SAT-M scores in the top quarter, in comparison with those in the bottom quarter, achieved at much higher levels through high school, college, and graduate school. Of the 37 variables studied, 34 showed significant differences favoring the high SAT-M group which were substantial. Some gender differences emerged; these tended to be smaller than the ability group differences; they were not observed in the relationship between mathematical ability and academic achievement. The predictive validity of the SAT-M for high-ability 7th and 8th graders was supported. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Recruitment and retention of nursing students in Kuwait

Occupational and toxicological studies have demonstrated adverse health effects from exposure to toxic air contaminants. Data on outdoor levels of toxic air contaminants have not been available for most communities in the United States, making it difficult to assess the potential for adverse human health effects from general population exposures. Emissions data from stationary and mobile sources are used in an atmospheric dispersion model to estimate outdoor concentrations of 148 toxic air contaminants for each of the 60,803 census tracts in the contiguous United States for 1990. Outdoor concentrations of air toxics were compared to previously defined benchmark concentrations for cancer and noncancer health effects. Benchmark concentrations are based on standard toxicological references and represent air toxic levels above which health risks may occur. The number of benchmark concentrations exceeded by modeled concentrations ranged from 8 to 32 per census tract, with a mean of 14. Estimated concentrations of benzene, formaldehyde, and 1,3-butadiene were greater than cancer benchmark concentrations in over 90% of the census tracts. Approximately 10% of all census tracts had estimated concentrations of one or more carcinogenic HAPs greater than a 1-in-10,000 risk level. Twenty-two pollutants with chronic toxicity benchmark concentrations had modeled concentrations in excess of these benchmarks, and approximately 200 census tracts had a modeled concentration 100 times the benchmark for at least one of these pollutants. This comprehensive assessment of air toxics concentrations across the United States indicates hazardous air pollutants may pose a potential public health problem.