Saint Mary's College of California

From the intergroup contact perspective, we examined the influence of American college students’ ( N = 375) contact quality and frequency with their most frequent Chinese international student (CIS) contact on their cognitive attitudes toward Chinese international students (CISs), as well as the mediating role played by relational solidarity with the contact and the moderating role of the type of outgroup contact. Results showed that contact quality with the CIS contact positively predicted perceptions of CISs as nice and kind and negatively predicted perceptions of CISs as rude and annoying, shy and socially awkward, and culturally maladjusted, independent of the moderating variable. On the contrary, contact frequency negatively predicted perceptions of CISs as nice and kind and positively predicted perceptions of CISs as rude and annoying when the outgroup contact was an acquaintance. Additionally, results showed that both contact quality and frequency positively predicted relational solidarity with the Chinese contact, which was, in turn, associated with positive and negative perceptions of CISs. Particularly, these significant indirect effects of contact quality were stronger when the CIS contact was a friend, indicating the significance and complexities of our findings.

This study uses a comprehensive sample of mergers and acquisitions to reexamine the economic motives for bank mergers. We find that banks with good growth opportunities, high profitability, and high asset utilization rates use mergers to diversify geography and business activity. Banks with low profitability and poor asset utilization rates use focusing mergers to rationalize operations. We also analyze the sources of value creation. We find that local and focusing mergers and distant and diversifying mergers both create significantly positive value. Moreover, any differences in returns between focusing and diversifying deals are driven by firm, industry, and deal characteristics.

Introduction Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is a diagnosis classifying upper extremity symptoms caused by compression of the neurogenic and vascular structures between the clavicle and first rib. It is important to promptly decompress these structures to prevent long-term deficits and poor patient outcomes. However, TOS often presents in unique ways with substantial symptom variance, making it difficult to identify, diagnose, and promptly treat. Compounding this, common diagnostic tools such as magnetic resonance imaging are not independently appropriate for a conclusive diagnosis of TOS. Patients with TOS can initially present acutely due to symptom exacerbations or emergent situations, necessitating multimodal diagnostic methods and early TOS recognition to improve patient outcomes, particularly in emergency department (ED) settings. Case Report A 22-year-old male presented with chronic symptoms of numbness and weakness in his right hand in addition to chest pain that radiated into his right elbow, along with a diminished right radial pulse. The patient also suffered from acute symptomatic exacerbations of total arm asthenia, paresthesia, and what the patient described as “an intensely cold hand” during football practice. He was eventually treated with a right first-rib resection to decompress the brachial plexus, which resulted in complete symptom resolution and recovery. Conclusion Due to the serious long-term complications associated with uncorrected brachial plexus compression and the fact that TOS patients can initially present to ED settings with acute exacerbations, it is important for emergency clinicians to be able to recognize and either treat or appropriately refer patients for treatment. The ED is equipped to enable physicians to perform a comprehensive diagnostic assessment because they often have access to the diagnostic modalities necessary for diagnosing thoracic outlet syndrome.

Purpose To provide a physical explanation for the A-constant of a new enhanced monofocal intraocular lens (IOL) by evaluating the relationship between the postoperative anterior chamber depth constant (ACD-constant) predicted by the Olsen formula, the ACD predicted by the Holladay formula and the postoperative ACD measured by anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT). Setting IRCCS Bietti Foundation, Rome, Italy Design Retrospective case series. Methods In a series of consecutive patients that underwent cataract surgery with the same enhanced monofocal IOL, the A-constant of the SRK/T formula was optimized. The postoperative distance between the corneal epithelium and the anterior surface of the IOL was measured by AS-OCT (MS-39, CSO) and compared to the ACD predicted by the Olsen formula (PhacoOptics) and the method described by Holladay to correlate the thin-lens IOL position to the thick-lens IOL position. Results Twenty-one eyes were investigated. The back-calculated optimized A-constant was 118.33. The mean measured IOL distance from the corneal epithelium was 4.24 ± 0.28 mm. Based on the A-constant value of 118.33, PhacoOptics calculated that the mean predicted ACD constant specific for this IOL was 4.28 mm, while the mean predicted ACD based on the individual preoperative biometric parameters was 4.17 ± 0.23 mm. According to the Holladay method, the IOL distance from the corneal vertex was 4.21 ± 0.36 mm. Repeated measures ANOVA disclosed that the difference among the 3 values was not significant (p = 0.3535). Conclusions The optimized A-constant correlates well with the thick-lens values calculated for the postoperative ACD.

Purpose To evaluate the repeatability of measurements obtained with a new spectral-domain optical coherence tomography-based biometer (Colombo IOL II, Moptim) and assess their agreement with those provided by the IOLMaster 700 (Zeiss). Setting I.R.C.C.S. Bietti Foundation, Rome, Italy. Design Prospective evaluation of diagnostic test. Methods Patients underwent 3 consecutive scans with the Colombo IOL II and 1 with the IOLMaster 700. Two groups were analyzed: Group A included a series of consecutive patients undergoing phacoemulsification and Group B a series of subjects with a clear lens. Axial length (AL), keratometry, keratometric astigmatism, anterior chamber depth (ACD), lens thickness (LT), corneal diameter (CD), central corneal thickness (CCT) and retinal thickness (RT) were analyzed. The within-subject standard deviation (Sw), intrasession test variability, coefficient of variation (CoV) and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were calculated for repeatability analysis. 95% limits of agreement were calculated to assess agreement with the IOLMaster 700. Results Ninety-six unoperated eyes of 96 patients were enrolled (Group A: 45 Group B: 51). The CoV was low for most parameters, as it ranged between 0.04% (AL) to 4.47% (RT) in Group A and from 0.03% (AL) to 2.23% (LT) in Group B. Keratometric astigmatism measurements were less repeatable. Good agreement with the IOLMaster 700 was found for K, LT and AL, whereas the mean ACD was higher by 0.07±0.11 mm with the Colombo IOL II (p <0.0001). Conclusion Measurements by the Colombo IOL II showed high repeatability and good agreement with those provided by the IOLMaster 700.

Introduction: For over a decade, Twitter (now known as X) provided a platform for invisible colleges of professional and academic networks to form, allowing conference attendees to share information with their wider communities of practice. With the move to virtual conferences during the COVID-19 pandemic, the authors examined how library conference-related Twitter use changed. Method: Tweet data from five major library conferences over the course of 10 years were collected, cleaned, and analyzed to look for statistically significant differences in the volume of original tweets and retweets during in-person (2011 to 2019) and online conferences (2020 and 2021). Results: Original tweets, retweets, and unique authors using library conference hashtags on Twitter decreased when conferences met virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discussion: The decrease in informal library conference communication does not correlate with conference attendance or overall Twitter use. The dramatic reduction in retweets signifies that librarians were engaging less with tweets by their colleagues during virtual conferences. Conclusion: Twitter served as a central public place for library professionals to find and engage in topical conversations, but use of Twitter shrank during the COVID-19 pandemic, diminishing the reach of professional library discourse.

The expanding field of affective neuroscience is redefining the role of emotions in cognition, reasoning, and judgment. This contradicts long‐standing assumptions about cognition that consider emotions antithetical to learning. Emotions arose early in human brain development as essential to survival by directing the embodied brain toward life‐sustaining and away from life‐threatening environments. Metaphorical language, which emerges from embodied experience, is also necessary for thinking, reasoning, and learning. The brain's right hemisphere (RH) is the primary site for understanding figurative and symbolic language. Educational environments emphasize the left hemisphere's capacity for syntactic language and direct, linear thought. Though the RH has a more comprehensive view of reality, its contributions may be ignored or dismissed because it communicates metaphorically and symbolically. Drawing on elements of affective neuroscience, embodied emotions, and hemispheric difference may provide educators with new awareness in reconstructing adult learning environments with the embodied brain in mind.

Background: Racial and socioeconomic disparities in healthcare access are well-documented. Minority and rural populations face barriers and often have limited access to healthcare services and facilities. Digital health solutions can help bridge these gaps. Previous studies examining digital health usage patterns have reported mixed findings, with some showing lower adoption among minority/underserved groups and others finding no significant differences compared to the general population. Hypothesis: Minority and rural patients would participate in the digital health intervention at similar rates as non-minority, affluent patients when provided with equal access to cardiologist and device training. Aims: To analyze the variance in usage of digital health products between underserved and general patient populations. Methods: The 5,000-patient clinic serves a population of underserved minority and affluent non-minority patients. All patients were offered cellular-enabled blood pressure cuffs and weight scales that transmitted data automatically to a physician portal as part of routine care. Patients consented to have their data used for research and were instructed to use these devices > 4 times per week for six months, with periodic reminders from clinic staff. Patient participation was tracked, and digital records were analyzed. Results: Demographic information of enrolled patients (n=18) is reported (Figure 1). There was an overall 90% retention rate throughout the six-month study period, including 90% retention from African American patients, 87.5% from indigent patients, and 100% from both rural and inner-city residents. Conclusion: With a modest sample size, this data suggested that minority and rural populations may participate in digital health and remote patient monitoring interventions at the same rate as the general population of patients. This study supports the growing potential of digital health to improve healthcare access for minority and rural communities.

All undergraduate students at Saint Mary's College of California, a small, private institution, are required to complete an engaged learning (EL) course or experience for graduation. This graduation requirement was established to provide students with the opportunity to learn in and from the community; an important value from the principles of the Liberal Arts and Catholic Lasallian traditions that inform the College's pedagogy. The social justice and community engagement center on campus called the Catholic Institute for Lasallian Social Action (CILSA), establishes EL partnerships with nonprofit organizations, school districts, campus departments, and other higher education institutions throughout California for EL courses, internships, place‐based work, and research projects. We value the expertise of our partners and view them as co‐educators in creating transformative learning experiences for nearly 600 students annually. In this article, we will share our process in sustaining community partnerships, our scaffolding engagement efforts, and best practices for collaborating with partners.

Saint Mary's College of California is a small, Catholic Lasallian, liberal arts institution located in the San Francisco Bay area. Founded in 1863, the institution currently serves approximately 2,000 enrolled students. The Catholic Institute for Lasallian Social Action (CILSA) is the social justice and community engagement center that provides institutional support for curricular and co‐curricular community engagement (CE) experiences. In the academic year 2020–2021, CILSA staff collaborated with CE faculty, alumni, staff, and community partners to develop a Theory of Change to explore the challenges, values, and strategies of engagement work and make change in our community. In this article, we will highlight our engaged learning programs, describe our process to create CILSA's Theory of Change, share the ways CILSA staff support and collaborate with each other, and showcase the Head‐Heart‐Hands framework for student reflection.