The Invisible University Is COVID-19 Positive.

Within the ivory tower of academia, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic stands to disproportionately impact the invisible workforce of postdoctoral researchers (postdocs). Faced with university closures, hiring freezes, and a general lack of support and benefits, an entire generation of postdocs and their knowledge and skills may be lost to academia without intervention.

Perception of personalized medicine, pharmacogenomics, and genetic testing among undergraduates in Hong Kong.

BACKGROUND: The global development and advancement of genomic medicine in the recent decade has accelerated the implementation of personalized medicine (PM) and pharmacogenomics (PGx) into clinical practice, while catalyzing the emergence of genetic testing (GT) with relevant ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI). RESULTS: The perception of university undergraduates with regards to PM and PGx was investigated, and 80% of undergraduates valued PM as a promising healthcare model with 66% indicating awareness of personal genome testing companies. When asked about the curriculum design towards PM and PGx, compared to undergraduates in non-medically related curriculum, those studying in medically related curriculum had an adjusted 7.2 odds of perceiving that their curriculum was well-designed for learning PGx (95% CI 3.6-14.6) and a 3.7 odds of perceiving that PGx was important in their study (95% CI 2.0-6.8). Despite this, only 16% of medically related curriculum undergraduates would consider embarking on future education on PM. When asked about their perceptions on GT, 60% rated their genetic knowledge as "School Biology" level or below while 76% would consider undergoing a genetic test. As for ELSI, 75% of undergraduates perceived that they were aware of ethical issues of GT in general, particularly on "Patient Privacy" (80%) and "Data Confidentiality" (68%). Undergraduates were also asked about their perceived reaction upon receiving an unfavorable result from GT, and over half of the participants perceived that they would feel "helpless or pessimistic" (56%), "inadequate or different" (59%), and "disadvantaged at job seeking" (59%), while older undergraduates had an adjusted 2.0 odds of holding the latter opinion (95% CI 1.1-3.5), compared to younger undergraduates. CONCLUSION: Hong Kong undergraduates showed a high awareness of PM but insufficient genetic knowledge and low interest in pursuing a career towards PM. They were generally aware of ethical issues of GT and especially concerned about patient privacy and data confidentiality. There was a predominance of pessimistic views towards unfavorable testing results. This study calls for the attention to evaluate education and talent development on genomics, and update existing legal frameworks on genetic testing in Hong Kong.

Delineating Developmental Periods in Adulthood Suggests Age-Related Shifts in the Correlates of Alcohol Use and Problems.

BACKGROUND: Developmental context is related to the propensity to engage in alcohol use, the rate at which alcohol use changes, and the relevance of different risk factors to alcohol use disorder (AUD). Therefore, studies of change should consider developmental nuances, but change is often modeled to follow a uniform pattern, even across distinct developmental periods. METHODS: This study implemented a novel analytic approach to delineate developmental periods of alcohol behavior (n = 478, ages 18 to 35). This approach was further leveraged to examine age-related shifts in the association of impulsivity risk factors (lack of planning, general sensation seeking, alcohol enhancement expectancies) with alcohol behavior (alcohol quantity*frequency, heavy drinking, AUD). RESULTS: A sequence of exploratory and confirmatory latent growth models (LGMs) suggested modeling separate linear change factors for alcohol behavior during the primary college (ages 18 to 21) and postcollege years (21 to 35). Bivariate LGMs estimated correlations for alcohol behavior changes with lack of planning, sensation seeking, and enhancement expectancies during these periods. The rate at which heavy drinking changed during the college years was positively correlated with general sensation seeking and lack of planning during this period (rs = 0.61 to 0.63). These correlations were significantly weaker during the postcollege years (rs = 0.29 to 0.34). Notably, the rate of change in alcohol behavior was strongly correlated with enhancement expectancies during the college (r = 0.45 to 0.70) and postcollege years (r = 0.45 to 0.61). CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the importance of sensation seeking and lack of planning with regard to adult alcohol use, particularly in a college environment. There was also a strong link between the rates of change in alcohol behavior and enhancement expectancies across all waves. This study supports the utility of exploratory LGMs for delineating developmental periods of alcohol behavior, which are characterized by different processes.

Is the COVID-19 Pandemic a High-Risk Period for College Student Alcohol Use? A Comparison of Three Spring Semesters.

BACKGROUND: There has been widespread concern that the COVID-19 pandemic may be a high-risk time for alcohol use among heavy drinking populations such as college students. Initial efforts to evaluate changes in college drinking have not yet accounted for typical drinking patterns within a semester. METHODS: To fill this gap, we evaluated how college student drinking patterns changed with the onset of restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic during spring 2020 relative to spring 2018 and 2019. Participants were 1,365 college students aged 19 and older, including 895 students who reported past-month alcohol use. Daily drinking data were extracted from an online Timeline Followback survey. RESULTS: Negative binomial hurdle models revealed that, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020, college student drinkers did not increase their drinking frequency as was typical in late spring semester, and the number of drinks per occasion declined substantially (28% reduction), greater than the change observed from early to late spring 2018 (3% reduction) or spring 2019 (8% increase). This reduction in drinking quantity in spring 2020 was larger for college student drinkers who moved residences because of the pandemic (49% reduction) than students who did not move (21% reduction). Perceptions in pandemic-related changes in drinking also revealed that 83.5% of college student drinkers self-reported that their drinking stayed the same or decreased. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that, on average, college students drank less-not more-during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and highlight the importance of living situation in college student drinking behavior. More research is needed to assess alcohol use in other universities, as this information could be utilized in norms-based interventions to further reduce drinking in students who remain at risk.

Changes in Alcohol Use and Drinking Context due to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multimethod Study of College Student Drinkers.

BACKGROUND: In spring 2020, U.S. universities closed campuses to limit the transmission of COVID-19, resulting in an abrupt change in residence, reductions in social interaction, and in many cases, movement away from a heavy drinking culture. The present mixed-methods study explores COVID-19-related changes in college student drinking. We characterize concomitant changes in social and location drinking contexts and describe reasons attributed to changes in drinking. METHODS: We conducted two studies of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on drinking behavior, drinking context, and reasons for both increases and decreases in consumption among college students. Study 1 (qualitative) included 18 heavy-drinking college students (Mage  = 20.2; 56% female) who completed semi-structured interviews. Study 2 (quantitative) included 312 current and former college students who reported use of alcohol and cannabis (Mage  = 21.3; 62% female) and who completed an online survey. RESULTS: In both studies, COVID-19-related increases in drinking frequency were accompanied by decreases in quantity, heavy drinking, and drunkenness. Yet, in Study 2, although heavier drinkers reduced their drinking, among non-heavy drinkers several indices of consumption increased or remained stable . Both studies also provided evidence of reductions in social drinking with friends and roommates and at parties and increased drinking with family. Participants confirmed that their drinking decreased due to reduced social opportunities and/or settings, limited access to alcohol, and reasons related to health and self-discipline. Increases were attributed to greater opportunity (more time) and boredom and to a lesser extent, lower perceived risk of harm and to cope with distress. CONCLUSION: This study documents COVID-19-related changes in drinking among college student drinkers that were attributable to changes in context, particularly a shift away from heavy drinking with peers to lighter drinking with family. Given the continued threat of COVID-19, it is imperative for researchers, administrators, and parents to understand these trends as they may have lasting effects on college student drinking behaviors.

Cognitive Prerequisites for Generative Learning: Why Some Learning Strategies Are More Effective Than Others.

This study examined age-related differences in the effectiveness of two generative learning strategies (GLSs). Twenty-five children aged 9-11 and 25 university students aged 17-29 performed a facts learning task in which they had to generate either a prediction or an example before seeing the correct result. We found a significant Age × Learning Strategy interaction, with children remembering more facts after generating predictions rather than examples, whereas both strategies were similarly effective in adults. Pupillary data indicated that predictions stimulated surprise, whereas the effectiveness of example-based learning correlated with children's analogical reasoning abilities. These findings suggest that there are different cognitive prerequisites for different GLSs, which results in varying degrees of strategy effectiveness by age.

Three Mediating Pathways of Anxiety and Security in the Relationship between Coping Style and Disordered Eating Behaviors among Chinese Female College Students.

Background: According to previous studies, eating disorders and disordered eating behaviors are associated with coping style, anxiety, and sense of security. However, the specific mechanism between them has not been elucidated. The purpose of this study was to explore whether anxiety and sense of security play mediating roles in coping style and disordered eating behaviors among Chinese female college students. Method: Six hundred and ninety-one female college students (mean age = 19.36; SD = 1.06) completed the Simple Coping Style Questionnaire, the Eating Disorder Inventory, the Security Questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and a brief demographic survey. The percentage bootstrap method of deviation correction was conducted to determine the mediating effect of anxiety and sense of security on coping style and disordered eating behaviors. Results: Coping style had direct and indirect effects on disordered eating behaviors. Anxiety and sense of security were not only independent mediators in the relationship between coping style and disordered eating behaviors but also chain mediators. Conclusions: The results of the current study provide preliminary evidence that preventive interventions targeting anxiety and sense of security may be feasible for young women who develop disordered eating behaviors due to stress in their lives.

Does person-group fit matter? A further examination of hope and belongingness in academic enhancement groups.

Efforts have been made to support the academic success and address the retention of low academically performing college students; however, little is known about how these interventions are effective. This study builds upon recent findings that the hope and belongingness of college students in a group-based academic enhancement intervention were important factors in their academic success. Applying person-environment fit theory, this study assessed changes in an individual's hope and belongingness, changes in the group's hope and belongingness, and the interaction between changes in both an individual's hope and belongingness and the group's hope and belongingness (i.e., person-group fit) on the academic outcomes of 145 college students participating in 11 academic enhancement seminars. Results indicated that changes in a student's hope and belongingness were positively associated with changes in their academic self-efficacy, but not their academic performance, as measured by grade point average (GPA). However, the changes in the group's hope and belongingness moderated the relationship between students' changes in hope and belongingness and their academic performance, such that these relationships were stronger when the student fit with their group in regard to their perceived changes in hope and belongingness (i.e., high individual-high group change). This study provides further support for the importance of instilling hope and a sense of belongingness in students within academic enhancement groups, and the complex influence of group-level processes within these interventions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Dynamic changes in generalized anxiety and depression during counseling.

Comorbidity of generalized anxiety and depression is common in clinical populations. Understanding how change in generalized anxiety and depression are related during counseling may help improve treatment. College student data (N = 51,922) from university and college counseling centers across the United States were used to examine relationships between change in generalized anxiety and depression across 12 counseling sessions using bivariate dual change score models. Results suggested greater improvement in depression was related to greater improvement in generalized anxiety across sessions, but greater improvement in generalized anxiety was related to less improvement in depression across sessions. This same pattern of results generalized to individuals who attended counseling with concerns in anxiety only, depression only, and both anxiety and depression. Although there were general improvements in generalized anxiety and depression across counseling sessions, greater improvement in depression at earlier sessions appeared to be a leading indicator of greater improvement in generalized anxiety at later sessions. Implications and future directions are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Prevalence of Computer Vision Syndrome and Associated Factors among Instructors in Ethiopian Universities: A Web-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: In this globalized and high-tech era, the computer has become an integral part of daily life. A constant use of computer for 3 hours and more per day can cause computer vision syndrome (CVS), which is one of the leading occupational hazards of the 21st century. The visual difficulties are the most common health problems associated with excessive computer use. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of CVS among instructors working in Ethiopian universities. METHODS: A web-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 422 university instructors in Ethiopia from February 02 to March 24, 2021. A structured and self-administered questionnaire prepared by Google Forms was shared among instructors through their e-mail addresses, Facebook, and Telegram accounts. Data cleanup and cross-checking were done before analysis using SPSS version 23. A multivariable logistic regression was applied to identify factors associated with CVS using p value <0.05 and 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: Of the total 416 participants, about 293 (70.4%) were reported to have CVS (95% CI: 65.9-74.5%), of which 54.6% were aged 24-33 years. Blurred vision, pain in and around the eye, and eye redness were the main symptoms reported. Working in third-established universities (AOR = 8.44, 95% CI: 5.47-21.45), being female (AOR = 2.69, 95% CI: 1.28-5.64), being 44 years old and above (AOR = 2.73, 95% CI: 1.31-5.70), frequently working on the computer (AOR = 5.51, 95% CI: 2.05-14.81), and sitting in bent back position (AOR = 8.10, 95% CI: 2.42-23.45) were the factors associated with computer vision syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, nearly seven-tenths of instructors in Ethiopian universities reported having symptoms of computer vision syndrome. Working in third-generation universities, being female, age, frequently working on the computer, and sitting in bent back position were statistically significant predictors in computer vision syndrome. Therefore, optimizing exposure time, addressing ergonomic hazards associated with computer usage through on-the-job and off-the-job training, and making the safety guidelines accessible for all university instructors would be critical to address the problem.

An outbreak of xenophobia: Perceived discrimination and anxiety in Chinese American college students before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, reports of xenophobic and racist incidents directed at Chinese Americans have escalated. The present study adds further understanding to potential psychosocial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic by comparing self-reported questionnaire data from two groups of Chinese students attending a public university in western United States: the group who participated in the study before the outbreak of COVID-19 (Pre-COVID, N = 134), and the group who participated at the beginning (during-COVID, N = 64). The aim of the study was to: (a) compare mean differences in perceived discrimination and anxiety between the two groups, (b) test whether COVID-19 moderated the link between perceived discrimination and anxiety, and (c) examine whether media exposure portraying Chinese individuals negatively mediated relations between COVID-19 and discrimination. Results showed that the During-COVID group reported higher perceived discrimination and anxiety than the Pre-COVID group. The link between perceived discrimination and anxiety was stronger for the During-COVID group. Mediation analyses suggested that negative Chinese media exposure partly accounted for the group difference in perceived discrimination. Results suggest that future studies on the psychosocial implications of the COVID-19 pandemic should consider the role of discrimination in understanding the mental health of Chinese American college students.

How organic chemistry became one of UCLA's most popular classes.

Organic chemistry has a bad reputation, despite having a tremendous impact on our everyday lives. It has remained a notorious "weed-out" class for decades-striking fear in the hearts of students-and has long been viewed as a gatekeeper course for those interested in pursuing a career in medicine or other health-related professions. This personal account examines the underlying teaching philosophies that transformed organic chemistry into one of the most popular classes on the UCLA campus. Special emphasis is placed on ways to increase engagement and help students feel connected. Educational initiatives, including organic chemistry music videos and various online resources created in partnerships with students, will be discussed. It is hoped that this account will stimulate ideas that transcend scientific disciplines all for the benefit of student education.

Longitudinal Associations Between Perceptions of Peer Group Drinking Norms and Students' Alcohol Use Frequency Within College Sport Teams.

BACKGROUND: Students' alcohol use behaviors are shaped by the attitudes and behaviors of others, especially the peers within students' proximal social groups. Explaining the association between perceived drinking norms and alcohol use, researchers propose contradicting pathways that focus on conformity (i.e., social norms predict alcohol use) and projection (i.e., alcohol use predicts perceived norms). The current study examined the extent to which conformity and projection processes were evident in the association between college student alcohol use and the perceived alcohol use norms for students' club sport teams. METHODS: The sample comprised 1,054 college students (61% female) nested in 35 intact same-sex club sport teams. On 3 separate occasions during a single school year (3-month lag), participants reported drinking frequency and perceptions of descriptive and injunctive group drinking norms. We employed random intercepts cross-lagged panel modeling to estimate prospective within-person associations separately from stable trait-like between-person associations. RESULTS: Descriptive and injunctive group drinking norms were both positively related to students' alcohol use frequency at the between-person level. Individuals nevertheless demonstrated variability at the within-person level. Results revealed a strong contemporaneous association between descriptive norms and alcohol use frequency within each timepoint, but no prospective associations. Models including perceptions of injunctive drinking norms demonstrated similar contemporaneous associations with alcohol use frequency, but also identified significant prospective associations signifying conformity. CONCLUSIONS: Findings align with previous research reporting a strong and positive association between student's self-reported alcohol use and subjective peer alcohol use norms. After disentangling within- and between-person effects to probe for conformity and projection processes, the current findings are somewhat contrary to previous research that has reported reciprocal relationships between social norms and alcohol use behavior. Further investigation of the potential conformity and projection mechanisms of social norms is critical to advance norm-based strategies to reduce harm.

A Test of the Theory of Planned Behavior in the Prediction of Alcohol-Induced Blackout Intention and Frequency.

BACKGROUND: This study examined the theory of planned behavior (TPB) as an explanatory model for alcohol-induced blackouts among college students. Blackouts are periods of time wherein individuals continue to function and engage in their social environment but do not remember it as a result of consuming large quantities of alcohol. Social cognitive factors posited within TPB, such as perceived norms and personal attitudes toward alcohol consumption, are reliable predictors of alcohol use and related problems. However, research to date has not examined these theoretical antecedents as predictors of alcohol-induced blackout. METHODS: College students with a history of blackout (N = 384) completed a baseline survey, and a subsample (N = 120) completed a 1-month follow-up survey. Negative binomial mediation models were used to evaluate intentions to blackout as a mediator of the norms, attitudes, and self-efficacy to avoid blackout-blackout frequency association at baseline and 1-month follow-up. RESULTS: Norms, attitudes, and self-efficacy to avoid blackout all significantly predicted blackout intentions at baseline, which in turn predicted more frequent blackouts both at baseline and at 1-month follow-up. Notably, blackout attitudes demonstrated both direct and indirect associations with blackout frequency. CONCLUSIONS: Prospective analyses provided partial support for the TPB, with only attitudes and intentions demonstrating prospective associations with actual blackout frequency. Given the particularly strong association between blackout attitudes and frequency of blackouts, attitudes may represent an important and novel target for prevention and intervention efforts.

Descriptive Norms but not Harm Reduction Strategies as a Mediator of Personalized Boosters After a Computerized College Drinking Intervention.

BACKGROUND: Computer-delivered programs to reduce college drinking have strong appeal but are sometimes less efficacious than their in-person counterparts. Boosters may be an ideal way to strengthen and extend the effects of computerized interventions while maintaining low cost and easy dissemination. However, little is known about how they work. Consequently, the current study aimed to explore descriptive perceived drinking norms and use of protective behavioral strategies (PBS) as potential mediators of booster effects. We also examined norms and PBS as mediators of the main intervention. The present study was a follow-up analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial (Alcohol Clin Exp Res 42, 2018, 1735) testing the efficacy of emailed boosters containing personalized feedback after a computerized alcohol intervention. METHODS: Participants were 537 (67.4% women) emerging adult college drinkers (M age = 19.65, SD = 1.67). They were randomly assigned to one of 3 conditions: general health education, alcohol intervention only, or alcohol intervention plus booster email. Participants completed assessments at baseline and follow-ups through 9 months. RESULTS: Descriptive norms were a mediator of booster efficacy where receiving the booster yielded stronger reductions in alcohol use through reduced concurrent norms; however, fully longitudinal models did not reach significance. There was also an indirect effect for the intervention where those who received the intervention experienced an increase in drinking through increased concurrent norms. However, a stronger direct effect was found where those who received the intervention experienced a stronger decrease in drinking after controlling for norms. There was no support for PBS as a mediator of booster or intervention efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: The present study was the first, to our knowledge, to demonstrate a potential mechanism of change in booster interventions. A simple, succinct reminder via email led to reductions in perceptions of how much peers drink, and this led to reductions in alcohol consumption. Our findings support the promise of utilizing brief and easily implemented targeted messaging to enhance the potency of computerized interventions for college drinkers.

Drinking, Social Abstaining, and Refusing Invitations: Demographic Differences Persist Across College.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol use and misuse are prevalent on many college campuses. The current study examined participation in college environments where alcohol is present and being consumed. We documented students' alcohol consumption, social abstaining (i.e., attending an alcohol-present event, but not drinking), and refusing invitations to drinking events. We tested for differences by parental education, immigrant status, race-ethnicity, and gender. We charted longitudinal change across college. METHODS: First-year students attending a large public US university (n = 681, 18% first-generation college student, 16% first-generation immigrant, 73% racial-ethnic minority group member, 51% women) were recruited and followed longitudinally for 7 semesters. Each semester, students completed up to 14 daily surveys; responses were aggregated to the semester level (n = 4,267). RESULTS: Multilevel logistic regression models demonstrated that first-generation college students were less likely to drink and refuse invitations to drinking events than students with a college-educated parent (Adjusted Odds Ratios [AORs]: 0.66, 0.72, respectively). Similarly, first-generation immigrants were less likely to drink, socially abstain, and refuse invitations (AORs: 0.58 to 0.73). Compared with White students, Black and Asian American students were less likely to drink (AORs: 0.55, 0.53) and refuse invitations to drinking events (AORs: 0.68, 0.66). The proportion of days spent drinking increased across college, and refusing invitations was the most common at the start and end of college. CONCLUSIONS: First-generation college students, first-generation immigrant students, and Black and Asian students participated less in prodrinking environments during college. These findings indicate that on drinking and nondrinking days, students' participation in alcohol-present situations differed by background. Furthermore, our results indicate that the students who are most likely to refuse invitations to drinking events are the same students who drink most frequently.

What might the future bring? COVID-19 planning considerations for faculty and universities.

This paper applies a scenario planning approach, to outline some current uncertainties related to COVID-19 and what they might mean for plausible futures for which we should prepare, and to identify factors that we as individual faculty members and university institutions should be considering now, when planning for the future under COVID-19. Although the contextual focus of this paper is Canada, the content is likely applicable to other places where the COVID-19 epidemic curve is in its initial rising stage, and where universities are predominantly publicly funded institutions.