Texas State Technical College Waco

In Brief Escalating costs, increasing demands, and implementing medical technology have prompted the creations of national healthcare quality assurances and standards. By considering the use of quality assurance in other fields (banking, tourism, and education), healthcare experts can design their own quality programs. The increasing debate of healthcare standards is discussed, as patient satisfaction is emphasized. The patient is the center of healthcare's quality agenda. Biomedical companies incorporate quality management programs directed to satisfying the needs of the patient without neglecting the needs of their employees. Meeting the needs of the patient and creating healthcare standards are imperative to achieve high quality. Escalating costs, increasing demands, and implementing medical technology has prompted the creations of national health care quality assurances and standards. By considering the use of quality assurance in other fields (banking, tourism, and education), health care experts can design its own quality programs. The increasing debate of health care standards is discussed, as patient satisfaction is emphasized. The patient is the center of the health care's quality agenda. Biomedical companies incorporate quality management programs directed to satisfying the needs of the patient without neglecting the needs of their employees. Meeting the needs of the patient and creating health care standards are imperative to achieve high quality.

According to social identity theory, people are more likely to demand and collectively work for social change if they can imagine a different set of social relations – “cognitive alternatives to the status quo”. In prior work, access to environmental cognitive alternatives (ECA; i.e., access to ideas about how the relationship between humans and the rest of nature could be more sustainable) correlated with environmental activist intentions and observed activist behaviour. In three preregistered experiments ( N = 3096), we expand this work to validate a manipulation of environmental cognitive alternatives and examine the causal effects of environmental cognitive alternatives on identification with and willingness to engage in environmental activism. Participants either imagined and wrote about a sustainable world or were in a control condition. In Study 1 and 2, the manipulation significantly increased scores on the Environmental Cognitive Alternatives Scale, and analyses supported the construct validity of the manipulation. The ECA manipulation increased identification with environmental activists (Study 1, 2, & 3) and willingness to engage in environmental activism (Study 1 & 3). In Study 3 we also tested the effects of the manipulation on opposition to new fossil fuel infrastructure and found that the ECA manipulation increased opposition. Further, the effect of the ECA manipulation on willingness to engage in environmental activism and on opposition to fossil fuel expansion projects was mediated by identification with environmental activists. These findings provide evidence that we developed a valid manipulation, and that environmental cognitive alternatives can generate support for pro-environmental social change. • We created and validated a manipulation of environmental cognitive alternatives. • The manipulation consisted of imagining and writing about a sustainable world. • The manipulation increased environmental activist identity and activist willingness. • The manipulation increased opposition to new fossil fuel projects. • Activist identity mediated the effects on activist willingness and project opposition.

The Early College High School (ECHS) initiative was developed through collaboration with state, federal, and private entities to create high schools that develop a college-bound/college-ready culture. Linked with postsecondary partnerships and targeting those underrepresented in postsecondary education, ECHS curricula allows opportunities for the average student to earn up to two years college credit while in high school at no cost to the student. ECHS students choose to forego a traditional high school setting and, instead, follow curricula plans designed to prepare students to be successful in postsecondary education programs of study and, ultimately, in the workforce. While attending ECHS, secondary school students complete dual-credit coursework aligned with career paths and postsecondary degree plans. A study of the motivations and aspirations of ECHS students was conducted utilizing student interviews and focus groups discussions at five Texas ECHS campuses. From this research, an educational culture emerged specific to these unique high school environments. This article highlights the ECHS cultural elements identified, and a number of the reasons why students studied prefer this setting over that of a more traditional high school.

ABSTRACT The effects of oven temperature (93, 121, 149, or 163°C) and state (thawed or frozen) on 64 loin roasts from 8 pigs were studied. Frozen roasts required 1.3 times longer to cook, were more juicy and acceptable, and contained more moisture than thawed roasts. Roasting at 121°C produced the least losses and no difference in meat palatability from the higher oven temperatures. The 93°C oven temperature produced the least juicy but the most tender muscle with the longest cooking times and highest losses. Animals were the largest source of variance in 14 of the 19 cooking and palatability traits studied.

The concept of density is central to the study of science. Because of its importance, density is one of many physical properties that are studied in first-year chemistry and physical science courses. Determining the density of a solid or liquid is a routine laboratory activity in these classes, and is easily adapted to inquiry-based methods. In this activity students are to decide whether an assigned bowling ball will float or sink in water. They must make their predictions based on a mathematical determination, as they are not permitted to place the bowling ball in water until it is time to test their hypotheses. Students gain practice in various measurement techniques as well as calculations involving significant digits, unit conversions, and geometry formulae. Testing materials for this activity are available at no cost from local bowling alleys, and the measurement devices necessary are commonly found at home. Using household equipment permits students to extend their experimentation beyond the classroom to other solid objects. Since most students are familiar with the sport of bowling, and the results of this activity are surprising, this gives them a new perspective on a real-world experience. Disposal issues are not a concern since all the materials can be continually reused.

In Brief A Chief Technology Officer oversees both the Clinical or Biomedical Engineering and Information Technology departments in a hospital. He or she is charged with the integration of all systems for a more efficient hospital. The introduction of this leader will bring efficiency and power to the hospital, simultaneously increasing both customer and employee satisfaction. A Chief Technology Officer oversees both the Clinical or Biomedical Engineering and Information Technology departments in a hospital. He or she is charged with the integration of all systems for a more efficient hospital. The introduction of this leader will bring efficiency and power to the hospital, simultaneously increasing both customer and employee satisfaction. If you lack a Chief Tachnology Officer in your facility, there is substantial room for improvement. If you plan to survive the next decade, you should start accepting applications now.

Research on the effectiveness of clinical mock boards for future oral health professionals is conflicting and limited. Despite this, U.S. dental hygiene programs rely on clinical mock board experiences as essential components for preparing students for their clinical board examinations. Differences in programs' mock board characteristics may relate to board exam outcomes. The validity and reliability of mock boards can be questioned when deviations from exam criteria and procedures are made and grading mechanisms are not consistent. The aim of this study was to determine which mock board characteristics were critical in preparing students by exploring the relationships between programs' dental hygiene, local anesthesia, and restorative mock boards and their 2013-14 candidates' performance on the corresponding three Western Regional Examining Board (WREB) licensure exams. Of the 23 U.S. dental hygiene education programs in four states invited to participate, 15 agreed to do so, and 13 consented to have WREB provide their programs' test result data. The mock board coordinators provided data on characteristics of their programs' mock boards with an online questionnaire distributed in 2014. Scores calculated from the responses were compared to performance of the programs' candidates on the corresponding WREB exam. Of the 45 questionnaires (on three exams each x 15 programs), 33 were completed (73.3%). Significant relationships were found between candidates' WREB exam results and the mock boards' intensity scores, remediation, multiple experiences, and examiner calibration scores. The results of this study provide fundamental information about mock board characteristics that may assist educators in facilitating experiences to more effectively prepare students for these high-stakes exams.

(1971). Biomedical Equipment Technicians—The Need and a Solution. Hospital Topics: Vol. 49, No. 2, pp. 29-33.

According to social identity theory, people are more likely to demand and collectivelywork for social change if they can imagine a different set of social relations – “cognitivealternatives to the status quo”. In prior work, access to environmental cognitive alternatives(ECA; i.e., access to ideas about how the relationship between humans and the rest of naturecould be more sustainable) correlated with environmental activist intentions and observedactivist behaviour. In three preregistered experiments (N = 3096), we expand this work tovalidate a manipulation of environmental cognitive alternatives and examine the causal effects ofenvironmental cognitive alternatives on identification with and willingness to engage inenvironmental activism. Participants either imagined and wrote about a sustainable world orwere in a control condition. In Study 1 and 2, the manipulation significantly increased scores onthe Environmental Cognitive Alternatives Scale, and analyses supported the construct validity ofthe manipulation. The ECA manipulation increased identification with environmental activists(Study 1, 2, & 3) and willingness to engage in environmental activism (Study 1 & 3). In Study 3we also tested the effects of the manipulation on opposition to new fossil fuel infrastructure andfound that the ECA manipulation increased opposition. Further, the effect of the ECAmanipulation on willingness to engage in environmental activism and on opposition to fossil fuelexpansion projects was mediated by identification with environmental activists. These findingsprovide evidence that we developed a valid manipulation, and that environmental cognitivealternatives can generate support for pro-environmental social change.

According to social identity theory, people are more likely to demand and collectivelywork for social change if they can imagine a different set of social relations – “cognitivealternatives to the status quo”. In prior work, access to environmental cognitive alternatives(ECA; i.e., access to ideas about how the relationship between humans and the rest of naturecould be more sustainable) correlated with environmental activist intentions and observedactivist behaviour. In three preregistered experiments (N = 3096), we expand this work tovalidate a manipulation of environmental cognitive alternatives and examine the causal effects ofenvironmental cognitive alternatives on identification with and willingness to engage inenvironmental activism. Participants either imagined and wrote about a sustainable world orwere in a control condition. In Study 1 and 2, the manipulation significantly increased scores onthe Environmental Cognitive Alternatives Scale, and analyses supported the construct validity ofthe manipulation. The ECA manipulation increased identification with environmental activists(Study 1, 2, & 3) and willingness to engage in environmental activism (Study 1 & 3). In Study 3we also tested the effects of the manipulation on opposition to new fossil fuel infrastructure andfound that the ECA manipulation increased opposition. Further, the effect of the ECAmanipulation on willingness to engage in environmental activism and on opposition to fossil fuelexpansion projects was mediated by identification with environmental activists. These findingsprovide evidence that we developed a valid manipulation, and that environmental cognitivealternatives can generate support for pro-environmental social change.

Abstract Healthcare Technology Management: Changing the name of the field to improve awarenessMany engineering technology programs throughout the country train graduates who areresponsible for managing the selection, maintenance, and safe use of medical equipment.Employed in every hospital in the country, these highly trained technicians fall under widelyvarying job titles. In addition, academic program titles vary tremendously. The lack of acohesive and unifying discipline name undermines the academic exchange of ideas, challengesconnections to potential employers, and may hinder student recruitment.Industry representatives and educators gathered for a two-day retreat in April, 2011, to explorethe future of this branch of engineering technology that supports medical equipment involved inpatient care. The main goal of the meeting was to identify a discipline name that could be easilyunderstood by the public, in contrast to the current widely-varying titles including biomedicalengineering technology, biomedical equipment technology, clinical engineering, andbioengineering technology (used by ABET). The group determined that a unifying name for thediscipline should be healthcare technology management. This title does not reflect the possiblejob-level names that may be identified or adapted in the future.The new discipline name is accurate, can be understood by healthcare workers, and facilitatesfuture expansion and long-term growth of responsibilities. The name choice offers educators aframework for the establishment of a more cohesive curriculum across institutions, improvedsupport from academic administration, and a well-defined career path for our graduates. Thechange also presents challenges as educators evaluate degree program names currently in use,investigate the perceptions of local industrial and clinical connections, and assess theinstitutional impact of this nomenclature shift.Industry and clinical employers clamor for high-quality college graduates with degrees in thearea of healthcare management technology. The unifying name selection promotes a nationaldiscussion of this branch of engineering technology. In this paper, the authors will share theirexperiences with the naming process, the challenges facing this engineering technologydiscipline, and the future opportunities for the educational programs associated with the field.

This paper represents a follow up and or an extension of a previously released paper as presented in a recent regional ASSE conference.It will highlight specific instructional approaches, both in lecture and lab which are currently being implemented in a new manufacturing processes course being taught to mechanical engineering students at Texas Tech University.Current engineering graduates are highly knowledgeable within their specific academic disciplines regarding the application of finite element analysis and parametric solid modeling software in pursuit of prototyping and simulating theoretical product designs.However, it would appear that many engineering students are not receiving adequate exposure to the actual fundamental hands-on manufacturing processes, concepts and practices, thus resulting in the continuation of a knowledge gap between entry level engineering graduates and the production, fabrication and manufacturing processes being practiced by their industry employers.This gap ultimately leads to a greater learning curve for the newly hired engineers and a longer time span before their company can begin to see economic benefits from their productivity.By incorporating a more practiced based course related to actual manufacturing processes and applications, engineering students will recognize a direct link between their course work and the on-the-job tasks being performed within the engineering and manufacturing work environment.These processes will also enhance the student's abilities to truly participate in the current "design for manufacturability" (DFM) processes that are currently in practice in today's competitive global marketplace.

The Urgency of Now is one in a series of books sponsored by the Association of Community College Trustees and Rowman & Littlefield Publishers that is intended to highlight the factors and environment shaping the landscape of America's community colleges. Each of the book's five chapters focuses on a different issue facing colleges today, and though written by separate authors, common themes emerge that emphasize the special role of 2-year colleges.The first chapter makes the case for the title of the book, urging fundamental institutional changes for community colleges to remain relevant and effective. Wood argues that it is time for 2-year colleges to transform from their traditional missions of access and affordability that are faculty-focused into student-centered communities with greater emphasis on quality learning experiences. If a student clearly understands the link between their program learning outcomes and their educational goals, their odds of success improve and, the author asserts, completion rates at community colleges will increase.The appeal for change in Chapter 1 is followed by chapters focused on particular issues: accreditation, competency-based education, outcomes assessment, and faculty engagement. Each chapter links back to the central argument and includes examples or specific strategies that the authors believe will strengthen innovation at community colleges. The epilogue further addresses some of the impacts that these transformational changes will make on auxiliary, financial, and support services across the institution.The chapters that are focused on competency-based education and institutional assessment offer well-grounded, applicable strategies for their respective topics with meaningful case studies in each chapter to support institutional implementation. Similarly, Kolb's essay on faculty engagement presents a sensible and realistic plan to address instructional personnel, navigating the balance between shared governance among institutional leadership. Most appropriately, it places the responsibility of institutional change on both administration and faculty.The highlight of the book is Lynn Priddy's address on accreditation; in it, she builds upon the book's theme of the need for 2-year colleges to improve the quality of student learning. Priddy shows support and respect for the current accreditation frameworks and recommends substantial, yet manageable, changes to the process. The chapter contrasts the prevailing view of accreditation as compliance against a new proposal of accreditation as validation, linked more closely to the evaluation of instructional and institutional quality. This section is somewhat of a departure from the rest of the book because some of its proposals are beyond the authority of boards or administrators; however, it is nonetheless timely, meaningful, and substantive. The recommended changes also serve as an effective response to critics of regional accreditation, thereby addressing proponents of increased federal intervention. Priddy's proposals keep accreditation relevant as a peer review function and increase its value to community colleges as a means of quality control.Like other books by multiple authors on diverse higher education topics, The Urgency of Now does not exclusively address one group. Therefore, the book is best viewed as a resource for multiple stakeholders, with each chapter best suited to a specific group. Although the book addresses its limited topics well, it does not offer much to the institution already deeply engaged in the work it describes. There is room left for future volumes to cover emerging topics like alternative scheduling, dual credit, or developmental education. …

1Mr. Holder, guest editor, is the assistant program director of the Biomedical Equipment Technology at Texas State Technical College, Waco, TX.

Students are to decide whether or not an assigned bowling ball will float or sink in water. They must make their prediction based on a mathematical determination, as they are not permitted to place the bowling ball in water until it is time to test their hypotheses.

Students are to decide whether or not an assigned bowling ball will float or sink in water. They must make their prediction based on a mathematical determination, as they are not permitted to place the bowling ball in water until it is time to test their hypotheses.

In Brief With all of the news about possible (probable) bioterrorism events and the necessity to prepare for them, it is easy to overlook the involvement and definite responsibilities of the biomedical equipment technician (BMET) in planning for such an event. In many hospital disaster drills, the BMET dutifully reports to a designated area to await assignment to a transport or triage role. However, what about before the event?