This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing theresources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject andinvestigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source,and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed isfor the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator.Delaware INBRE Outreach Core Grant 5P20 RR016472 - 2007The Delaware INBRE Outreach Core has two broad objectives: 1.) to increase the scientific literacy of undergraduate and associate-level students at the INBRE partner institutions, and 2.) To develop a workforce training/retraining program for the biomedical sector utilizing, where appropriate, the research programs and network being developed through INBRE. Two organizations are responsible for program implementation under this core Delaware Technical & Community College and the University of Delawares College of Nursing. Delaware Technical & Community College: WorkshopsSeveral very successful workshops have been offered on the Stanton Campus this year including VH (Visible Human) Dissector, Particle Physics, Plant Tissue Culture, and a tour of the Medical Examiners Office. Attendees have included community college, university, high school and middle school faculty, as well as participants from the general community. Three additional events are schedule before the end of the grant cycle: a stream water study at Stroud Research Center, a Fermentation Workshop, and the final event-a showing of the film A Flight of Dodos , a movie about the evolution vs. creationism controversy, followed by a discussion with the producer.Physical Therapy Conference on Stroke Rehabilitation 2007. The PTA Department is sponsoring a conference on stroke rehabilitation this spring. The conference will be attended by physicians, physical and occupational therapists, physical/ occupational therapy assistants, and students who will hear Dr. Stephen Wolf speak about Extremity Constraint Induced Therapy Evolution (EXCITE). In addition, Dr. Larry Forrester will describe a new model for aerobic exercise in the patient, post stroke.TutoringGroup tutoring was offered several times a week in Stanton for students in Basic, General, and higher level Chemistry courses as well as in Anatomy & Physiology. In Wilmington, three student tutors provided assistance to Allied Health students in chemistry, anatomy and physiology, and physics.Student Research InternshipsEight Delaware Tech students participated in summer research in laboratories of INBRE partners DBI, University of Delaware, and AI DuPont Hospital for Children-Nemours. Students worked for 10 weeks, and presented results at a capstone undergraduate research symposium at the University of Delaware. Students have also continued to work in several participating labs through the fall and spring semesters.Faculty internshipsTwo projects have been undertaken by faculty. A ready-to-use lesson on the VH Dissector has been researched and developed in consultation with experts from the VH Dissector software provider. This lesson will be available for use by instructors and students in Anatomy & Physiology and Biology. A second project researched and GPS-mapped sites which are easily accessible for students to perform testing of water samples. Water samples will be analyzed for microbes in the Microbiology course by standard methods and in the Biotechnology course by PCR.Professional Development MeetingsINBRE funding enables Delaware Tech faculty to attend numerous workshops and conferences including NSTA, NABT, FAE, American Society for Cell Biology, Stem Cell Summit, and Healthy Water People Workshop. In formation learned during these professional development opportunities directly benefits the faculty through updated scientific knowledge and benefits the students by incorporation of this information into lecture and laboratory in various courses including Biotechnology, Chemistry, Microbiology, and Anatomy & Physiology.Chemistry and Mathematics Kimberly Gregor (Math Department Coordinator) and Valerie Bergeron (Medical Assisting Coordinator) have submitted a proposal to present a 75-minute workshop at the Lilly Conference this spring at the University of Delaware. If their proposal is accepted, they plan to share their experiences teaching a team taught pre-college level integrated elementary algebra and chemistry course. They hope to encourage other faculty to develop activities that exemplify relationships between disciplines to help students learn the content better.Whether their proposal is accepted or not, this conference will provide them with opportunities to interact with faculty from many other institutions who have discovered new ways to engage students in learning. They are looking forward to learning about new strategies that they can share with their colleagues at the Wilmington Campus.Physical Therapist Assistant Program - Brenda Grassett and Doug Huisenga will be attending the Annual Physical Therapy Conference in Boston, MA Feb. 14th Feb. 17th, 2007. This is a unique conference hosted by American Physical Therapy Association specialty sections. This event brings together more than 5,000 physical therapy professionals from around the nation. This conference will provide Brenda and Doug with the opportunity to attend workshops in the subject areas that they teach at the College so that they keep abreast on the latest in research and practice. They also will attend workshops on clinical education that is extremely helpful to Brenda who serves as the Clinical Coordinator of the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program. Most importantly, however, are the networking opportunities that they will have with PTA educators from across the country.Dental Hygiene Vivian Rizzo and a group of adjunct Dental Hygiene Program instructors will be attending a conference this May at the University of Texas Science Center at the San Antonio Department of Dental Hygiene. The conference will provide them with the technologies used in dental hygiene clinical education. They hope to become knowledgeable with any new methods that will enhance their course delivery and improve student learning outcomes. These technologies will change the traditional student learning model to a more individualized learning model. Also, the session will provide a guide in developing practical competency-based evaluation systems. Lastly, they are very excited about attending the clinic coordinators workshop to help address faculty scheduling and faculty calibration and to share concerns and solutions to some of the common student competency learning and examination challenges.Occupational Assistant Program Jan Gorecki, OTA Coordinator,will be attending a regional conference on Sensory Integration. This course will provide practical applications, along with hand-on experiences. This will be beneficial information when working with children with various diagnoses i.e. autism, ADD/ADHD, Asperger's, Retts, etc. who have sensory processing problems. Jan will be able to incorporate this information into a pediatric OTA Evaluation and Treatment Principles course that is taught in the spring semester.Alterations and RenovationsRenovation Funds RAD ISCYear 3 INBRE renovation funds at Wilmington were dedicated to construction of an Integrated Skills Classroom for the Radiologic Technology Program. This funding was significant to the entire project which incorporated other funding sources and donations for the $205,000 project to be completed by start of classes August 2007. The three-room complex includes a lab area housing the computed radiography equipment, a control room where results can be viewed on a monitor in real time, and a smart classroom equipped with technology to display the radiographic results on a large screen so all students may view them. The lab is considered energized because it contains a functioning computed radiography unit, not a mock or training substitute.This project resulted in:-Enabling students to utilize current equipment (CR) which allows them to acclimate easier to the clinical environment.-Increasing the class size from 20-30 students per year using a 2x yr. graduation model. Therefore, a program increase of 50%. -Students using state-of the art technology which improved the teaching environment to accommodate larger class size and new RAD equipment. -Continuing the partnership with CCHS and the College.On the Stanton Campus, Chemical storage cabinets were purchased for the renovated Biology/Chemistry stockroom. A chemical waste company removed excess and outdated chemicals.Equipment Equipment-Purchase of a cycle ergometer and 12 lead EKG module for the metabolic cart. The state-of-the-art cycle ergometer is operated and controlled through the computer and allows for extremely reliable and reproducible results. The 12 lead EKG module, combined with the metabolic gas analysis, allows our students to run a complete cardiorespiratory evaluation of clients, similar to what local businesses and hospitals utilize. Thus, the addition of this equipment provides our students with the opportunity to simulate the types of experiences they will have within their vocation and better prepare them for the workforce.Other advantages:' Utilization of metabolic gas analysis data to determine the clients anaerobic threshold and thus allowing for more accurate predictions about test termination.' Ability to analyze whether termination of a test is due to respiratory or cardiovascular limitation and possible disease state.' Ability to understand and analyze how lifestyle choices [i.e. smoking] can influence both the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.Stanton campus faculty are investigating and preparing quotes for several pieces of laboratory equipment including a fraction collector for the Biotechnology lab and a digital camera for the microscope in the Anatomy & Physiology lab.University of Delaware School of NursingDuring year three of the Delaware INBRE (5/1/06-4/30/07), the purpose of the Research Experience and Training Core is being realized. A process developed in years one and two, (1) to improve the scientific literacy and research experience of undergraduate students in the University of Delaware School of Nursing as a component of the overall INBRE goal of developing a pipeline of capable and competitive research personnel in Delaware, and (2), to improve the expertise of School of Nursing faculty in research and grantsmanship, has continued through year three. That process is threefold: a summer 2006 mentoring internship, a fall 2006-spring 2007 research course mentoring, and a Research Lecture Series incorporated into the research course each semester. Erlinda Wheeler, DNS, RN, coordinates the operations of these processes; Lisa Plowfield, PhD, RN (PI) supervised the processes through August 31, 2006; Veronica Rempusheski, PhD, RN (PI) supervised the processes beginning September 1, 2006.Thirteen applications were received for the summer 2006 intern program. Applicants were rated (1, low to 4, high) by grade point average (GPA), year of study as a proxy for knowledge (junior/entering senior preferred), scientific interests, and research experience. The top 6 ranked students (rated 3-4) were matched with faculty mentors and presented posters of the following projects at the INBRE Undergraduate Summer Research Symposium, August 9, 2006:Summer interns Faculty mentors Project titleDenise LaRue Judith Herrman, PhD, RN Stress through adolescent eyesTessa Bates Allen Prettyman, MSN, FNP Grandparents knowledge of grandchildrens physical activity and nutritional behaviorMichelle Criel Christine Cannon, PhD, RN Young couples confronting breast cancer: stress related to being a mom Lauren Micale Kathleen Schell, DNSc, RN A clinical comparison of forearm and upper arm oscillometric non-invasive blood pressures in critically ill adultsCatherine ElderkinBrittany Robinson Amy Johnson, PhD, RN Sun protection practices on the beaches of AustraliaDr. Johnsons project was also funded by a University of Delaware Research Foundation award; they presented their refereed research paper at the National State of the Science Congress in Nursing Research, Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science, American Academy of Nursing, Washington, DC, on October 12, 2006.Fall-spring mentoring matched generic baccalaureate nursing students enrolled in NURSING 362: Research Concepts in Health Care, a 3-credit hour course offered in their junior year, with faculty who were conducting a research study or wanted to initiate a project. During the fall, 2006 semester 70 students were enrolled in the course and were matched with five faculty mentors, with approximately 10 students for each of the seven projects, listed below. Faculty mentors Project titleMarlene Adams, PhD, APRN How benefits and barriers, BMI, and gender affect exercise behavior in college students*Christine Cannon, PhD, RN The stress of breast cancer for young couples: responses related to first year transitions and strainsAmy Johnson, PhD, RN Demographic variables in testing anxiety studyAmy Johnson, PhD, RN Reducing test anxiety with exerciseAmy Johnson, PhD, RN Research testing with clickers : Adapting the toolCarolee Polek, PhD, RN Relationship between sleep, GPA, and working hours in college students*Erlinda Wheeler, DNS, RN Comparison of risk behaviors in nursing students by class year Each of the 7 student teams, guided by their faculty mentor, prepared posters that were displayed in the School hallway; two faculty members (Julie Waterhouse, PhD, RN; Veronica Rempusheski, PhD, RN) rated the posters for their scientific content (purpose/aim, methodology, data analysis/interpretation, implications) and poster layout and design. These ratings and critiques were forwarded to the faculty mentor. Additionally, each student team gave an oral presentation to the class and was rated by course faculty (Drs. Wheeler, Hardie). Faculty-student study teams from spring, 2006 and fall, 2006 experiences submitted abstracts for poster presentations at the annual Delaware Nurses Association Research Conference, scheduled for March 16, 2007. Eight posters were selected for presentation; the two indicated by * above and the following six:Faculty mentors Project titleThomas Hardie, EdD, RN The effects of attitude on exercise behaviors among college studentsThomas Hardie, EdD, RN What motivates college students to exercise physical benefits, mental benefits or appearance?Carolee Polek, PhD, RN BMI comparison of Special Olympic school age children and youth risk behavior survey participantsKathleen Schell, DNSc, RN Comparison of brachial and ankle automatic blood pressure in supine positionErlinda Wheeler, DNS, RN Male and female alcohol consumption related to body imageErlinda Wheeler, DNS, RN The relationship of gender and type of residence on seatbelt use and alcohol consumptionFaculty evaluated the fall, 2006 mentored experience as helpful to students in learning the research process. Time commitment was more often perceived as part of faculty teaching rather than their own research development. Strategies were instituted prior to spring, 2007 semester to focus on faculty research and grantmanship within the School of Nursing and across disciplines within the College of Health Sciences as a way to increase number of faculty mentors, to decrease the number of students assigned to each mentor, and further generate multidisciplinary collaboration among students and faculty. The overall course rating by students was 4.07 (scale of 1, low to 5, high). Students said the research project groups enhanced their knowledge about research by actually doing it, and decreased their fear about research. During the spring, 2007 semester, 70 students are enrolled in the course and have been matched with 10 faculty mentors, including two young clinical faculty PhD-candidates who are being recruited for tenure track positions in the School of Nursing, and two PhD-faculty in the Department of Health, Nutrition and Exercise Science who are NIH-funded. Two to seven students have been assigned to the 10 faculty members. Strategies instituted prior to the start of the spring, 2007 semester appear to have been successful; however, final results will be evaluated at the end of the semester on May 16, 2007. The Research Lecture Series was comprised of the following three lectures during the fall, 2006 semester, to which all undergraduate students enrolled in NURSING 362 were required to attend and respond to a set of questions about the scientific quality of the study presented.Date Presenter/credentials/position Title9-27-2006 Carlton Rodney Cooper, PhD Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences, University of Delaware Cell adhesion and bone marrow endothelium: Potential therapeutic targets for prostate cancer metastasis to bone10-25-2006 Veronica Rempusheski, PhD, RN, FAAN, Jeanne K. Buxbaum Chair of Nursing Science, School of Nursing, University of Delaware Becoming a gerontologic researcher from intellectual curiosity about elders concerns to discovery of new knowledge11-29-2006 David Edwards, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Health, Nutrition, and Exercise Sciences, University of Delaware Vascular function in heart and disease Student evaluation of the lectures was mixed, with more positive feedback given to lectures about which they had a more familiar grasp of understanding, i.e., Drs. Rempusheski and Edwards. Strategies are in place to guide future lecturers in preparation of remarks that could be understood by undergraduates learning about the research process. The following three lectures are scheduled for the spring, 2007 semester:Date Presenter/credentials/position Title3-7-2007 William C. Rose, PhD Instructor, School of Nursing, University of Delaware Blood pressure and flow in arteries: physiology, pathophysiology, and mathematical models4-4-2007 Phyllis W. Sharps, PhD, RN, FAAN, Associate Professor,School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University Practicing with evidence: Translating research into practice5-9-2007 Janet Audrian-McGovern, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Bio-behavioral determinants of adolescent smoking progression There is much enthusiasm and a high degree of motivation among faculty and undergraduate students who have participated in the aforementioned activities of INBRE during year three. Year four planning is underway for (1) recruitment of a minimum of five summer undergraduate student interns for summer, 2007 and faculty mentors, and (2) fall, 2007 and spring 2008 faculty mentors for an anticipated enrollment of 70 students in the NURSING 362 each semester. A major emphasis is being placed on pre-planning and encouraging involvement of faculty who have not participated in the student-faculty research teams by supporting facultys research development, funding opportunities, mentoring and transitioning of INBRE faculty scholars into student mentoring to sustain their own beginning programs of research.
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