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Students' mental health and well-being are increasingly recognized as urgent and important needs in engineering education. Mindfulness-based interventions, in which students learn and practice present-focused techniques such as meditation and deep breathing, have been demonstrated to positively affect college students' well-being. The use of such interventions for engineering students specifically, however, has not been thoroughly examined. In this work, we examine the feasibility and utility of a group-based mindfulness intervention for 48 undergraduate engineering students. Participants completed four weekly, one-hour group mindfulness sessions led by the study authors. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected before and after the intervention to assess the impact of the intervention on participants' trait mindfulness, perceived stress, intellectual curiosity and exploration, and weekly mindfulness practices. Compared to participants in a control condition, participants engaging in the group intervention demonstrated an increase in trait mindfulness and weekly mindfulness practice, and lower perceived stress. The intervention did not have a significant impact on participants' intellectual curiosity and exploration. The group mindfulness intervention was well-received, with a majority of participants attending all four sessions, rating them as helpful, and reporting that they would retain the length and frequency of the sessions. Results suggest that group-based mindfulness practices may be a feasible way to support the well-being of undergraduate engineering students. We conclude with a discussion of the applications and implications of this work for other educators.

Objective: The present study sought to examine whether beliefs about physical activity as a means of coping with stress predicted college students' exercise levels following naturally occurring stressors. Participants: One-hundred and twenty-seven undergraduate students were recruited from psychology courses at a large, urban university in the southwestern United States. Methods: Participants completed baseline measures and daily assessments for two weeks; data were analyzed using hierarchical linear modeling. Results: Beliefs about the coping properties of physical activity significantly moderated the effects of daily stress (b = 0.19, SE = 0.09, p = 0.02), and combined daily and chronic stress (b = 0.01, SE = 0.01, p < 0.01), on students' daily exercise. Conclusions: College students' beliefs about physical activity are associated with changes in their daily exercise following exposure to naturally-occurring stressors. Such beliefs may be amenable to intervention to promote adaptive coping with stress and enhanced physical activity.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a framework for designing instruction to address the wide range of learner variation in today's inclusive classrooms, can be applied effectively to broaden access, understanding, and engagement in digital and media literacy learning for ALL. UDL supports constructivist learning principles. UDL strategies and methods encourage development of expert learners though personal engagement and motivation. UDL transforms one-size-fits-all instruction into diverse, multiple, and accessible learning opportunities that embrace student variation. UDL principles and guidelines offer a unique way for educators in digital and media literacy fields to ensure that their work will benefit the widest range of learners, including those with learning challenges and disabilities.

Stress and depressive symptoms are associated with maladaptive health behavior practices such as unhealthy eating, sedentary behavior, insufficient sleep, and substance use. The relative and interactive effects of stress and depressive symptoms on health behavior practices are less well understood. The present study examined these processes in a daily diary study of 127 college students. Results from hierarchical generalized linear models indicated that depressive symptoms, and chronic and daily stress, but not acute stressful life events, were significantly associated with a composite score of daily maladaptive health behavior engagement (depressive symptoms b = .01, SE= .00, p

In this study, the authors examine attitudes of researchers toward open access (OA) scholarly journals. Using two-step cluster analysis to explore survey data from faculty, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers at large North American research institutions, two different cluster types emerge: Those with a positive attitude toward OA and a desire to reach the nonscholarly audience groups who would most benefit from OA ("pro-OA"), and those with a more negative, skeptical attitude and less interest in reaching nonscholarly readers ("non-OA"). The article explores these cluster identities in terms of position type, subject discipline, and productivity, as well as implications for policy and practice.

The value of sharing scientific research data is widely appreciated, but factors that hinder or prompt the reuse of data remain poorly understood. Using the Theory of Reasoned Action, we test the relationship between the beliefs and attitudes of scientists towards data reuse, and their self-reported data reuse behaviour. To do so, we used existing responses to selected questions from a worldwide survey of scientists developed and administered by the DataONE Usability and Assessment Working Group (thus practicing data reuse ourselves). Results show that the perceived efficacy and efficiency of data reuse are strong predictors of reuse behaviour, and that the perceived importance of data reuse corresponds to greater reuse. Expressed lack of trust in existing data and perceived norms against data reuse were not found to be major impediments for reuse contrary to our expectations. We found that reported use of models and remotely-sensed data was associated with greater reuse. The results suggest that data reuse would be encouraged and normalized by demonstration of its value. We offer some theoretical and practical suggestions that could help to legitimize investment and policies in favor of data sharing.

ObjectivePoor physical health in childhood is associated with a variety of negative health-related outcomes in adulthood. Psychosocial pathways contributing to the maintenance of physical health problems from childhood to young adulthood remain largely unexamined, despite evidence that factors such as negative mood and stress impact physical health.DesignThe current study tested the direct and indirect effects of ongoing health, chronic stress, health-related chronic stress, and depressive symptoms at age 20 on the link between health problems in childhood and young adulthood (age 21) in a longitudinal sample (n = 384).Main outcome measuresThe hypotheses were tested using a multiple mediation path analysis framework; the primary outcome measure was a composite index of health status markers in young adulthood.ResultsThe proposed model provided an adequate fit for the data, with significant total indirect effects of the four mediators and significant specific indirect effects of health-related chronic stress and depressive symptoms in maintaining health problems from childhood into young adulthood.ConclusionsHealth problems are maintained from early childhood into young adulthood in part through psychosocial mechanisms. Depressive symptoms and health-related chronic stress have significant, unique effects on the relationship between health problems in early childhood and young adulthood.

Addressing the unique needs of children of all ages and abilities, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is gaining momentum in schools and preschools around the nation and the globe. This article explores Universal Design for Learning and its promising applications to a variety of reading and language arts experiences in the Early Childhood classroom. In UDL-infused classrooms, literacy experiences become multi-sensory and meaningful for young learners, thereby increasing their motivation and ultimate reading comprehension. The four core principles of Universal Design for Learning--multiple means of representation, multiple means of engagement, multiple means of engagement, and multiple means of assessment--are integrated into a sample literacy comprehension program designed to improve young children's text connections. The applications of UDL to enhancing children's reading and comprehension connections are demonstrated through the use of grand conversations, literacy circles, oral language experiences, creative dramatics, and play in teaching reading and language arts. This article illustrates how informed teachers may enlist a plethora of multiple intelligence and cognitive theory-based literacy strategies that promote automaticity and a life-long love of reading for young children. Using stimulating and engaging text-to-text, text-to-self, and text-to-world connections, teachers and learners realize the rich implications of the four key principles of Universal Design for Learning. (Contains 1 figure and 1 footnote.)

Early Childhood Education (EDE) describes the education of young children from birth through age 8. EDE reports have concluded that traditional approaches to curriculum, such as those emphasizing drill and practice of isolated, academic skills, are not in line with current knowledge of human learning and neuropsychology. These approaches fail to produce the higher-order thinking and problem-solving abilities that students need in the 21st century. Similar limitations in assessment process and scope also exist. Often, there is a poor match between the nature of young student learning and form of assessment. In reading and writing, for example, experts find informal observations and structured performance samples more appropriate than standardized tests for measuring early childhood literacy learning. These assessments are more consistent with developmental characteristics of young children. When considering childhood learning principles (i.e. children construct knowledge; children learn through play; children's interests motivate learning; child development and learning are characterized by individual variation; etc.), assessing the achievement of young children must be a multiply varied process that addresses all students' needs and capacities. UDL is a flexible structure of curriculum development that addresses learner variability. Learner variability dictates a need for assessment variability. By implementing UDL core principles, variation in assessment methods, formats, scope/range/level, product/outcome, and instructor feedback can support more authentic and, likely, more accurate assessment results for young children. (Contains 4 figures and 3 footnotes.)

Functional genetic polymorphisms associated with Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) and serotonin (5-HTTLPR) have demonstrated associations with depression in interaction with environmental stressors. In light of evidence for biological connections between BDNF and serotonin, it is prudent to consider genetic epistasis between variants in these genes in the development of depressive symptoms. The current study examined the effects of val66met, 5-HTTLPR, and family environment quality on youth depressive symptoms in adolescence and young adulthood in a longitudinal sample oversampled for maternal depression history. A differential susceptibility model was tested, comparing the effects of family environment on depression scores across different levels of a cumulative plasticity genotype, defined as presence of both, either, or neither plasticity alleles (defined here as val66met Met and 5-HTTLPR 'S'). Cumulative plasticity genotype interacted with family environment quality to predict depression among males and females at age 15. After age 15, however, the interaction of cumulative plasticity genotype and early family environment quality was only predictive of depression among females. Results supported a differential susceptibility model at age 15, such that plasticity allele presence was associated with more or less depressive symptoms depending on valence of the family environment, and a diathesis-stress model of gene-environment interaction after age 15. These findings, although preliminary because of the small sample size, support prior results indicating interactive effects of 5-HTTLPR, val66met, and environmental stress, and suggest that family environment may have a stronger influence on genetically susceptible women than men.

This study examined the formation of trust judgments of information sources about COVID-19 and the role played by emotions in this information seeking process. Twenty-seven in-depth interviews with Americans revealed that both trust and affective responses were present in information seeking of health messages, thus discovering the applicability of Risk Information Seeking and Processing (RISP) model’s propositions during pandemics. Using qualitative methods to assess RISP variables in a new context (COVID-19), the study proposes modifications to the existing model. It also extends the sociopsychological traditions on which the RISP model was based, by finding that when evaluating information sources during pandemics, under conditions of high issue relevance, individuals’ peripheral evaluation of messages might precede systematic evaluation and might be used as a selection criteria for further elaboration. Finally, the assessments of source credibility as a peripheral cue in this study expand current theoretical understandings by including compassion as a possible new dimension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The viability of gold open access publishing models into the future will depend, in part, on the attitudes of authors toward open access (OA). In a survey of academics at four major research universities in North America, we examine academic authors' opinions and behaviors toward gold OA. The study allows us to see what academics know and perceive about open access models, their current behavior in regard to publishing in OA, and possible future behavior. In particular, we gauge current attitudes to examine the perceived likelihood of various outcomes in an all-open access publishing scenario. We also survey how much authors at these types of universities would be willing to pay for article processing charges (APCs) from different sources. Although the loudest voices may often be heard, in reality there is a wide range of attitudes and behaviors toward publishing. Understanding the range of perceptions, opinions, and behaviors among academics toward gold OA is important for academic librarians who must examine how OA serves their research communities, to prepare for an OA future, and to understand how OA impacts the library's role.

There are high rates of comorbidity between heavy drinking and depressive symptoms among college students, often resulting in severe alcohol-related consequences. No empirically supported treatment exists that concurrently addresses both of these problems in this population. Research with college students has demonstrated that brief motivational interventions (BMIs) reduce heavy drinking and alcohol-related consequences, and that cognitive behavioral therapy for depression (CBT-D) is effective in reducing depressive symptoms. Thus, a program combining BMI and CBT-D appears ideal for college students with co-occurring binge drinking and depressive symptoms. This manuscript presents the rationale and format of a BMI + CBT-D treatment protocol for this population, and provides a case example of a female college student who received the protocol and experienced improvement in depressive symptoms, a reduction in alcohol use and alcohol-related negative consequences, and an increase in readiness to change alcohol consumption. We discuss theoretical and clinical implications of these findings, and suggest directions for future research.

The Center for Applied Special Technology, Inc. (CAST), an educational research organization, introduced Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in its earliest form nearly 25 years ago. According to Orkwis and McLane (1998), UDL is a tangible means by which educators implement the special education requirements and sustain the gains that were achieved by the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (1975), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ([IDEA] 1997; 2004), and the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (2002). UDL facilitates the attainment of learning goals for individuals with wide differences in their abilities to see, hear, move, read, write, understand English, sustain attention, organize, engage, and remember. The core principles of UDL are multiple means of representation, multiple means for engagement, and multiple means for action and expression. Recently, a fourth principle--multiple means of assessment--was added by the members of the Rhode Island UDL Workgroup that includes the authors of this article. Using principles and ideas inherent to UDL, formative and summative assessment does permeate each of the other three components during educators' use of representation, engagement, and action/expression; however, feedback from Rhode Island teachers and professors during the implementation phase of UDL modules indicated that the area of assessment required greater attention. They suggested that this modification would assist in-service and preservice teachers who are charged with meeting state and local standards and accountability targets. An explanation of the UDL principles and guidelines of CAST, incorporating the Rhode Island Workgroup's modifications and numerical codes (Sherlock Center 2009), is provided in this article to assist with understanding the lesson on water filtration in the context of UDL.

The federal No Child Left Behind Act mandates the application of the principles of evidence-based practice (EBP) in U.S. education. The purpose of this study was to identify available assistive technology (AT) and educational technology (ET) literature that relates to standards and teacher competencies, and to categorize that literature in relation to Sweeney's (1999) definition of standards and Davies' (1999) EBP hierarchy. Literature was identified through subject index searching, browsing, footnote chasing, and consultation. Content analysis was conducted on 110 documents from years 1995-2009 that met inclusion criteria. The majority of literature is based upon expert opinion evidence, which is not highly rigorous. The most rigorous evidence identified came from survey and correlation descriptive studies; a complete lack of experimental evidence was noted. AT and ET are in the beginning stages of implementing EBP in the area of teacher standards and competencies. Advancing AT and ET practice through evidence is critical for moving the field forward scientifically and for ensuring accountability. (Contains 4 tables.)

There is limited understanding about informational barriers that nurses face when assessing obstetric patients and the strategies they use to obtain and elicit disclosure of potentially sensitive health information. Using framework analysis and goals-plans-actions theory, this study qualitatively explores the perspectives of nurses, nurse practitioners, and midwives on these processes and strategies. This study utilizes framework analysis to analyze in-depth interviews with 22 nurses working in the field of obstetric and intrapartum care. Two overarching themes regarding barriers to disclosure and six themes regarding strategies to address these barriers emerged. Barriers included intentional self-concealment and unintentional omission of information. Strategies to overcome these barriers include education, rapport building, strategic questioning, creating a zone of privacy, seeking out information from other sources, and postnatal debriefing sessions. This study provides greater insight into the types of barriers that may prevent pregnant people from disclosing their health information, as well as communicative strategies on how to elicit sensitive health information. Nurses' responses highlight their reliance on patients, as well as on other sources of information when encountering patient reticence. Framework analysis points to four overarching strategic implications for communicative practices in health care settings: creating mutual understanding, creating rapport, creating privacy, and creating more empowered and informed patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women who become pregnant again following miscarriage or stillbirth are in a particularly vulnerable position as they grapple with uncertainty about the current pregnancy's viability and outcomes. In this study, we examine the types of uncertainty that emerge in pregnancy after loss (PAL) and how women manage that uncertainty. Framed by the theory of communication and uncertainty management, we thematically analyzed threads (N = 636) from the online discussion board Reddit, focusing on the specific subreddit community r/PregnancyAfterLoss. Themes of physiological, emotional, and social uncertainty dominated the PAL experiences of these online community members. Uncertainty management and coping strategies included direct information seeking, bracing, mantras, and accepting uncertainty as part of the PAL experience. Theoretical contributions of this study include an initial conceptualization of emotional uncertainty in health communication. In addition, we draw parallels between uncertainty in PAL and in illness and highlight the unique features of PAL that expand our understanding of uncertainty in health. Practical implications are drawn from members' expressed needs and uncertainty management practices, and provide direction for supporting women through the PAL experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The present study sought to examine whether beliefs about physical activity as a means of coping with stress predicted college students' exercise levels following naturally occurring stressors. Participants: One-hundred and twenty-seven undergraduate students were recruited from psychology courses at a large, urban university in the southwestern United States. Methods: Participants completed baseline measures and daily assessments for two weeks; data were analyzed using hierarchical linear modeling. Results: Beliefs about the coping properties of physical activity significantly moderated the effects of daily stress (b = 0.19, SE = 0.09, p =.02), and combined daily and chronic stress (b = 0.01, SE = 0.01, p <.01), on students' daily exercise. Conclusions: College students' beliefs about physical activity are associated with changes in their daily exercise following exposure to naturally-occurring stressors. Such beliefs may be amenable to intervention to promote adaptive coping with stress and enhanced physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]