Rapid Response to a Conjunctivitis Outbreak: The Use of Technology to Leverage Information

Abstract

When an outbreak of conjunctivitis was identified at a rural New England college early in 2002, the college health center medical staff used various information management and communication systems to alert the community to the situation. They called upon the state Department of Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help them understand and manage the outbreak. Technological systems already in place at the college allowed for rapid collection of data by means of a survey delivered over the Internet and a carriage study facilitated by a Web-based appointment and communication system. Within days, the data were collected and analyzed and an immediate response to contain the outbreak was launched.     

Rapid response to a college outbreak of meningococcal serogroup B disease: Nation's first widespread use of bivalent rLP2086 vaccine

Objective: To outline the reasoning behind use of bivalent rLP2086 in a Rhode Island college meningococcal B disease outbreak, highlighting the timeline from outbreak declaration to vaccination clinic, emphasizing that these two time points are <3 days apart. Participants: Staff, faculty, and students at College X eligible for vaccination. Methods: An outbreak response was initiated, advantages/disadvantages of available MenB vaccines were discussed, and a vaccination clinic was coordinated. Results: Bivalent rLP2086 was chosen as the vaccination intervention. We achieved a 94% coverage rate for the first dose. To date, this intervention has prevented further cases of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B disease at College X. Conclusions: The close, efficient collaboration of public health stakeholders and College X led 94% of the eligible population to be safely vaccinated with at least one dose of bivalent rLP2086. This outbreak marked the first time bivalent rLP2086 was effectively used as an intervention response.     

Occupational adaptation to computerized medical information systems

This paper explores the effects of computerized medical information systems on the occupational communities of health care professionals in hospitals. Interviews were conducted with informants from the pharmacy and nursing departments at two hospitals currently using medical information systems for communicating physicians' medication orders from the nursing station to the pharmacy. Results showed changes in tasks for both pharmacy and nursing, resulting in increased interdependence between the two departments. This interdependence was accompanied by improved communication and cooperation, providing an opportunity to encourage better working relationships between departments. The use and maintenance of the common computerized data base became a superordinate goal for the two groups, with the computer system itself as the topic of communication.     

College students' use of technology to communicate with romantic partners about sexual health issues

Objective: To examine college students' technology-assisted sexual communication perceptions and practices alongside their beliefs about the effectiveness of face-to-face (F-t-F) sexual communication. Participants: 144 college students at a private university in the Northeast, U.S., completed a survey in October 2016. Method: A cross-sectional online survey examined how college students use text messaging and private social media messaging to communicate with romantic partners about sexual health issues. Results: Students who have communicated with romantic partners via technology reported being likely to do so again in the future, to perceive the effectiveness of technology-assisted sexual communication to be comparable to F-t-F sexual communication, and to be confident in their ability to initiate sexual communication with romantic partners via F-t-F communication. Conclusions: College students may see text messaging and social media messaging as useful for sexual communication, which has important implications for college health professionals who wish to promote frequent, effective sexual communication.     

24 Hours in a Day: A Listening Update to the Time Studies

Time is an important communication variable that has been impacted by new technology and changed the way people communicate. This study of communication time use by college students provides an update to earlier studies by factoring in computer and telephone use—media that have forced a multitasking approach to communication. Undergraduate students (N = 680) at a large Eastern university reported that they spend most of their time (48%) communicating with their friends, followed by time in school, at work, and with families. Students spend 24% of their time listening, 20% speaking, 13% using the Internet, 9% writing, and 8% reading.     

Effect of communication variables,affective variables,and teacher immediacy on willingness to communicate of foreign language learners

The current study examined the willingness to communicate (WTC) of language learners who were studying English as a foreign language in a Chinese college setting. Some 234 college students participated in the study. The objective of the current study was to test the proposed relationships among communication apprehension (CA), self-perceived communication competence (SPCC), integrativeness, attitudes toward the learning situation, motivation, instrumental orientation, teacher immediacy, and second language (L2) WTC. A quantitative research method using questionnaires was employed. A path model was proposed and tested to examine the relationships among variables. The results of the study supported MacIntyre et al.'s (1998) WTC model. Four proposed relationships in the original path model were not obtained. Another four new relationships between variables were supported by the data. The significance of the current study lies in its theoretical contribution to the WTC construct and its pedagogical implication in second language teaching and learning.     

An outbreak of cryptosporidiosis among veterinary science students who work with calves

The authors describe an outbreak of cryptosporidiosis among students working with calves as part of their veterinary science technology program. After an off-campus provider identified an index case, school authorities requested cryptosporidium (crypto) as part of the stool ova and parasite examination of all students presenting to the college health center with significant gastroenteritis. Thirteen students submitted stool specimens that were examined for crypto; 7 were positive, and all were from veterinary science students. One of the calves used in the program also tested positive for crypto. All of the students were immunocompetent and recovered uneventfully. The outbreak was contained by strictly enforcing infectious-disease precautions in the calf barn. The authors recommend considering crypto as a cause of gastroenteritis, especially among farm-animal workers, and urge strict infectious disease precautions for those who attend to livestock.     

Nonverbal decoding skill and attention to nonverbal cues: A research note

A measure of differential preference for attending to three channels of nonverbal communication was developed, with which scores for differential attention to face, body, and voice tone were generated for 17 college subjects. These scores were correlated with subjects' nonverbal decoding accuracy in the same three channels as measured by a standard test of decoding nonverbal cues. Significant positive relationships between channel preference and accuracy were found for the two video channels; no relationship was found for the audio channel.This research was conducted while both authors held National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowships at Harvard University. They wish to thank Robert Rosenthal for advice, Peter L. Rogers for technical assistance and Myron Wish for valuable criticisms of an earlier draft.     

How first-generation students learn to navigate education systems: a case study of First Graduate

Students from underrepresented groups who seek to become the first in their family to attend college confront economically and racially stratified education systems. This article reports findings from an evaluation of First Graduate, an organization that offers college advising, mentoring, tutoring, and case management to first-generation students starting in seventh grade. We highlight three systems that youth say they encountered on their pathway to college: open enrollment, course taking, and college admissions. We describe how youth navigated these systems and the roles that adults played in support. Our conclusion discusses implications for how after-school programs can support first-generation students.     

“He Wanted Me to Achieve that for Our Family and I Did,Too”: Exploring First-Generation Students’ Experiences of Turning Points During the Transition to College

This study explored the ways in which family communication facilitated support and persistence for first-generation students during the transition from high school through the first year of college with a specific focus on the first-year experience, a pivotal time when first-generation students often decide whether they will leave or stay in college. Through semistructured interviews, we identified the communication events that first-generation students perceived to be turning points in their interpersonal interactions with their family members. Seventeen participants identified a total of 121 turning points that they experienced from family members spanning from the time they had their first conversation about going to college through the first year of college. Interviews revealed three suprathemes of turning points: (a) coauthoring the dream, (b) experiencing obstacles to the dream, and (c) actualizing the dream.     

Family Communication Patterns and Communicative Responses to Jealousy: The Mediating Role of Alexithymia

Using family communication patterns theory, the current study proposed a mediating structural model between family communication patterns, alexithymia, and communicative responses to jealousy. Using a college student sample, the results largely supported the predicted model in terms of both direct and indirect effects. Specifically, both family communication patterns were significantly related to alexithymia, while alexithymia was significantly related to the latent constructs of destructive, avoidant, and rival focused responses to jealousy. Indirect effects were also found between both family communication patterns and all four latent constructs of communicative responses to jealousy. Finally, the family communication patterns also interacted to predict alexithymia. Several conclusions and directions for future research are discussed.     

Sex-related communication with mothers and close friends during the transition to university

The current study examines communication about sex-related topics with close friends and mothers during the first semester of college. Students (N = 182, 50% female, mean age = 18.5) completed surveys about the frequency and quality of their sex-related communication with same-sex close friends and mothers, and sexual experience and attitudes. Sex-related communication was more frequently reported by women than men and with close friends than with mothers. Sexually active students discussed most topics more frequently than abstinent students. Communication with close friends was a stronger correlate of sexual attitudes than communication with mothers. Finally, the quality of communication with close friends was more strongly associated with sexual experience and attitudes than communication with mothers. Findings suggest the importance of understanding the role of friends in assigning meaning to sexual behaviors and beliefs.     

Wanting to Be Seen: Young People’s Experiences of Performative Making Out

People engage in sexual behavior for many reasons, some of which require an audience (e.g., arousing onlookers, making someone jealous). In this study, we investigated the prevalence, motivations, and outcomes of young people’s experiences with performative making out—making out with someone and wanting others to see. Of the 155 female and 194 male college students who completed the online questionnaire, 32% of the women and 37% of the men reported having done this, often before entering college. Significantly more women than men reported same-sex performative experiences. We used thematic analysis to identify themes in the qualitative data. Participants’ motivations included enhancing their image, causing jealousy or envy, demonstrating a relationship, sexually arousing men, and participating in fun and games. Men reported that their reputations were enhanced more often than damaged; women reported the opposite pattern. These results provide insights into the functions of sexual behavior as a means of communication and highlight gender differences consistent with problematic cultural belief systems such as “slut shaming,” victim blaming, and sexual double standards.     

Across continents or across the street: using local resources to cultivate intercultural awareness

This paper describes a project designed for college students unlikely to participate in international exchange programs but who, nonetheless, can learn much about intercultural communication through available resources in their own communities. The project involved a mentoring program between third and fourth year university students and first and second year ESL students at the same institution. The project was conducted over a 15‐week semester‐long course, and learning outcomes were documented through journal entries, written reflective statements, class discussions, oral presentations and instructor observations. A qualitative analysis of these data sources, framed through transformative learning theory, revealed outcomes leading to increased intercultural awareness. While engaging in face‐to‐face conversations, students transformed their prior knowledge about ‘others’ into a deeper understanding of themselves, their culture and their intercultural relationships.     

Protective Effects of Parent–College Student Communication During the First Semester of College

Abstract

Objective: Recent studies suggest that parents maintain influence as their adolescents transition into college. Advances in communication technology make frequent communication between parents and college students easy and affordable. This study examines the protective effect of parent–college student communication on student drinking behaviors, estimated peak blood alcohol concentration (eBAC), and serious negative consequences of drinking. Participants: Participants were 746 first-year, first-time, full-time students at a large university in the United States Methods: Participants completed a baseline and 14 daily Web-based surveys. Results: The amount of time spent communicating with parents on weekend days predicted the number of drinks consumed, heavy drinking, and peak eBAC, consistent with a protective within-person effect. No association between communication and serious negative consequences was observed. Conclusions: Encouraging parents to communicate with their college students, particularly on weekend days, could be a relatively simple, easily implemented protective process to reduce dangerous drinking behaviors.     

Perceptions of Substance Abuse on College Campuses: Proximity to the Problem,Stigma, and Health Promotion

For college students recovering from substance addiction, the path to sobriety is fraught with challenges. Many campuses offer recovery support resources, but students indicate stigma associated with recovery prevents them from using these services. This problem could be ameliorated through communication campaigns addressing misperceptions of substance abuse and recovery. The purpose of this study was to understand how students’ perceptions of addiction and recovery vary based on their experience and background. A quantitative survey was employed to examine stigma beliefs among 2 subpopulations of college students at a large Southwestern university. Findings indicate students with exposure to issues surrounding substance abuse and recovery held fewer stigmatized beliefs, emphasizing the importance of identifying and researching a target audience before developing a health promotion campaign.     

Epidemic Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Infection at a College for the Deaf

Abstract

An outbreak of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection affected up to 110 students and employees at a college for deaf students (Gallaudet). After the introduction of M. pneumoniae onto the campus in late August 1977, the disease spread slowly among the students; the last documented case occurred in mid-December. A thorough review of chart records, mail surveys, a dormitory survey, and a three-month surveillance of the student health service provided an intensive look at the epidemiology and clinical spectrum of a mild to moderately severe disease in the epidemic setting. A matched-pair analysis demonstrated a more serious clinical illness among patients with M. pneumoniae than other patients presenting with febrile respiratory illness. Appropriate antimicrobial therapy appeared to suppress a high antibody response to M. pnuemoniae. A follow-up serosurvey one year after this outbreak demonstrated diagnostic titers to M. pneumoniae in 11 of 30 patients with confirmed infection in the original epidemic.     

How to Improve on College English Writing

English writing, as a kind of requisite written communication form, has become more and more important an popular in our country with the expansion of international exchange. But English writing is usually considered the most difficult one of the four language skills (Listening, speaking, reading and writing) in college English writing. As a result, many articles about English writing errors, about how to improve writing skills spring up. From the article, it is easy to find that it points out clearly that English writing level can reflect a student's English writing level. After that we can have the most efficient way to improve on college English writing.     

Reactions to a partner-assisted emotional disclosure intervention: direct observation and self-report of patient and partner communication

Partner-assisted emotional disclosure is a couple-based intervention designed to help patients disclose cancer-related concerns to their spouses-partners. We previously found that, compared with an education/support control condition, partner-assisted emotional disclosure led to significant improvements in relationship quality and intimacy for couples in which the patient initially reported holding back from discussing cancer-related concerns (Porter et al., 2009, Cancer, 115, 4326-4338). The purpose of this study was to examine the process data from couples who participated in the disclosure sessions including (a) observational ratings of couples' communication during the sessions; (b) couples' ratings of their communication during the sessions; and (c) associations between participants' observed communication and their baseline psychological/relationship functioning. As rated by trained observers, couples' communication was in the moderate range of adaptive skills. Self-report data indicated that participants had positive perceptions of their communication. Observational and self-report ratings were weakly associated. Patients reporting lower levels of relationship quality, higher levels of holding back, and higher partner avoidance at baseline were rated by observers as more expressive during the sessions. Overall, these findings suggest that the intervention was acceptable to couples and was particularly helpful for patients who had difficulty talking with their partners on their own without skills training.     

Conserving complexity: A complex systems paradigm and framework to study public relations’ contribution to grand challenges

Sustainable development poses a grand challenge for society, addressed by organisations through their public relations activities. Grand challenges are complex by nature and call for nontrivial solutions whose effects show at the level of society. That is why studying public relations’ contribution to grand challenges requires a macro perspective that accounts for the dynamic interaction between individual, organisational, and system levels in a digital communication environment. This paper offers a new paradigm to analyse organisations’ significant and at times undue impact on grand challenges through public relations. It develops a framework inspired by complex adaptive systems thinking and adopts its ten properties for public relations: emergence, adaptivity, heterogeneous actors, nonlinear effects, feedback mechanisms, self-organisation, phase transitions, networks, scaling, and cooperation. The paper applies the framework to the example of sustainable development. It shows why research on grand challenges requires a holistic perspective and how it can help study digitally born communication phenomena. The proposed complex systems paradigm provides space for critical, social scientific, and interpretative research lines in public relations. Inquiries start from the grand challenge and study the communicative interactions between organisations and other actors from existing theory while accounting for the ten properties of complex adaptive systems. The paper outlines how future research can enrich the study of public relations and discusses its limits.