Digital Commons Network^™

Is Early Childhood Care And Education A Good Investment For Egypt? Estimates Of Educational Impacts, Costs, And Benefits, Caroline Krafft

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This brief examines Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) in Egypt. Findings suggest that expansion of ECCE is a good investment. Providing kindergarten to all Egyptian children, and particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, could be an important step toward greater equality, efficiency, and attainment in the education system.

Eastern Michigan University Undergraduate Catalog, 2012-2013, Office Of The Registrar

Undergraduate Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Eastern Michigan University Undergraduate Catalog, 2012-2013, Office Of The Registrar

Undergraduate Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Healthcare Access And Mammography Screening In Michigan: A Multilevel Cross-Sectional Study, Tomi F. Akinyemiju, Amr S. Soliman, May Yassine, Mousumi Banerjee, Kendra Schwartz, Sofia Merajver

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Breast cancer screening rates have increased over time in the United States. However actual screening rates appear to be lower among black women compared with white women.

Purpose

To assess determinants of breast cancer screening among women in Michigan USA, focusing on individual and neighborhood socio-economic status and healthcare access.

Methods

Data from 1163 women ages 50-74 years who participated in the 2008 Michigan Special Cancer Behavioral Risk Factor Survey were analyzed. County-level SES and healthcare access were obtained from the Area Resource File. Multilevel logistic regression models were fit using SAS Proc Glimmix to account for clustering …

2012 Annual Reports And Resolutions, American Dental Association

ADA Transactions

This item is part of the Annual Reports and Resolutions subtitle of the ADA Transactions, a serial publication of the annual activities of the ADA House of Delegates (HOD)/Board of Trustees (BOT) made up of three separate subtitles: Annual Reports and Resolutions, Supplements, and Transactions. Generally, the ADA Transactions are published in multiple volumes throughout the year. Older versions include reports from all departments as subsections, while more recent versions include only those of councils, commissions, and committees.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis Of The Preschool Behavioral And Emotional Rating Scale (Prebers) With Preschool Children With Disabilities, Cynthia J. Cress, Lori Synhorst, Michael Epstein, Elizabeth Allen

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The Preschool Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale (PreBERS) is a standardized, norm-referenced instrument that assesses emotional and behavioral strengths of preschool children. This study investigated whether the PreBERS four-factor structure (i.e., emotional regulation, school readiness, social confidence, and family involvement) could be replicated with an early childhood special education (ECSE) sample of children. Teachers who participated in the study rated a total of 1,103 preschool children with disabilities. Confirmatory factor analysis determined the extent to which the ECSE data fit the original four-factor PreBERS structure identified with the national normative sample. Results indicated that the four-factor structure demonstrated an acceptable …

Effects Of A Reading Strategy With Digital Social Studies Texts For Eighth Grade Students, Melissa Doan Malani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent data indicate that only 34% of American eighth grade students are able to demonstrate grade-level proficiency with academic reading tasks (NCES, 2011). The staggering nature of statistics such as this is even more profound when considering that high level literacy skills combined with mastery of digital texts have become practical requirements for success in secondary education, post-secondary education, and virtually all vocational contexts. Despite this incongruent scenario, little research has been conducted to evaluate instructional methods and reading comprehension strategies with digital texts. To address this critical issue, the present study examined the effects of a metacognitive reading comprehension …

The Prevalence Of Pterygium In Ankara: A Hospital-Based Study, Özge Saraç, Yasi̇n Toklu, Mehmet Şahi̇n

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

The prevalence of pterygium in a hospital-based population was analyzed in Ankara, in central Turkey. Materials and methods: This was a retrospective, nonrandomized, and consecutive case study. The medical records of 6470 consecutive patients aged 40 and above who attended the general ophthalmology clinic during a 12-month period from May 2008 to May 2009 were evaluated for the presence of pterygium. Results: The overall prevalence of pterygium was found to be 3.0 % (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.9 to 3.8). It was 3.2% (95% CI: 1.9 to 4.5) and 2.8% (95% CI: 1.4 to 4.5) in men and women, respectively …

Conceptualizing Neighborhood Space: Consistency And Variation Of Associations For Neighborhood Factors And Pregnancy Health Across Multiple Neighborhood Units, Lynne C. Messer, Lisa C. Vinikoor-Imler, Barbara A. Laraia

Community Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this research was to assess the consistency of associations between neighborhood characteristics and pregnancy-related behaviors and outcomes across four nested neighborhood boundaries using race-stratified fixed-slope random-intercept multilevel logistic models. High incivilities was associated with increased smoking, inadequate weight gain and pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), while walkability was associated with decreased smoking and PIH for white women across all neighborhood definitions. For African American women, high incivilities was associated with increased smoking and inadequate gestational weight gain, while more walkable neighborhoods appeared protective against smoking and inadequate weight gain in all but the smallest neighborhoods. Associations with neighborhood attributes …

Chronic Opioid Use In Fibromyalgia Syndrome: Characteristics And Outcomes, Jacob T. Painter

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a chronic pain condition with significant societal and personal burdens of illness. Chronic opioid therapy in the treatment of chronic nonmalignant pain has increased drastically over the past decade. This is a worrisome trend in general, but specifically, given the pathophysiologic characteristics seen in fibromyalgia syndrome patients, the use of this class of medication deserves special scrutiny. Although the theoretical case against this therapy choice is strong, little empirical evidence exists. In order to supplement this literature, retrospective analysis methods are utilized to examine the association of state-, provider-, and patient level characteristics with the prevalence …

An Analysis Of Laboratory Inspections At The University Of Kentucky, Rachel Eldridge

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Recent news stories about laboratory accidents in which students were severely injured and killed have brought much-needed attention to lab safety. Creating a positive safety climate on college and university campuses is very important in reducing accidents. At the University of Kentucky, all laboratories are inspected once every year, and the results are recorded in a lab inspection database. These data include the department, building, lab classification, type of violation, room number, and the name of the PI (Principal Investigator). I want to analyze inspections to find out whether department and the lab classification are significant in looking at violations. …

Equitable Consequences? Issues Of Evidence, Equity And Ethics Arising From Outdoor Smoke-Free Policies, Ann Pederson, Wendy Rice, Phoebe M. Long, Natasha Jategaonkar, Lorraine Greaves, Steven Chasey, Natalie Hemsing, Chizimuzo T.C. Okoli, Joan L. Bottorff

Nursing Faculty Publications

From Introduction:

Kass argues that an ethical approach in public health is one that places the fewest burdens on individuals’ health without significantly reducing the potential benefits of intervening. Yet many population health regulations are highly intrusive, compromising individual liberty and imposing penalties for non-compliance. Moreover, the benefits of these regulations and the burdens they impose may not be shared equally. When developing interventions, the state has, therefore, an obligation to consider the benefits and burdens, particularly on those vulnerable to health inequities and other disparities.

The Impact Of Blood Center Consolidation In Florida From 1991-2011, James L. Decker

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Mergers and acquisitions involving various types of healthcare organizations have been well documented in recent years and a number of published studies have evaluated the pros and cons of these transactions. However, while increased consolidation activity within the blood industry has been observed nationally, there are no published studies that have empirically analyzed the impact of this activity. Due to the number of finalized transactions during the past two decades, this study focuses on blood center consolidation in Florida and explores the driving forces behind such activity. By employing a blended qualitative and quantitative approach, a better understanding of the …

Repositioning Community-Based Family Planning In Ghana: A Case Study Of Community-Based Health Planning And Services (Chps), Stephen Ntsua, Placide Tapsoba, Gloria Quansah Asare, Frank K. Nyonator

Reproductive Health

The Population Council conducted a diagnostic appraisal of delivering family planning services using the community-based health planning and services (CHPS model) in Ghana. This study’s results indicate that the CHPS program is well appreciated by rural communities where it is operational. However, the study identified several developments with implications for service delivery: increased community health officer (CHO) workloads and concomitant reductions in outreach services and home visits by community health visitors (CHVs) have weakened the CHO-CHV working relationship, leaving both cadres working in isolation. CHPS has significantly improved health indices but its contribution to increasing family planning is limited and …

Country Mapping: Nigeria, Salisu Mohammed Ishaku, Saumya Ramarao

Reproductive Health

The Population Council conducted a three-year acceptability study of the progesterone vaginal ring (PVR) in three sub-Saharan African countries. This technical report presents results from Nigeria, laying out the country’s demographics and high fertility rates; describing the family planning program and policy context; and, finally, revealing the stakeholder support thus far with a discussion on how best to proceed with introduction activities. This country mapping confirms the likelihood that the PVR would be well received in Nigeria and fill a large need in family planning. The PVR is a safe, long-acting, user-controlled product that can be easily inserted and removed …

Country Mapping: Senegal, Babacar Mane, Nafissatou Diop, Nancy Termini Lachance, Saumya Ramarao, Heather Clark

Reproductive Health

The Population Council embarked on a three-year project to explore the acceptability of the progesterone vaginal ring (PVR) among women in sub-Saharan Africa and its potential introduction. This technical report presents results from assessments undertaken to map the existing landscape of family planning programs and new contraceptive technologies in Senegal in an effort to identify national priorities and assess the level of interest in the PVR among stakeholders and to design appropriate preintroductory activities. This country mapping exercise confirms that Senegal is a promising context for the introduction of the PVR: the government is committed to repositioning family planning and …

Defining Effective Voucher Management Information Systems: A Blueprint For Information Systems To Support Scalable Reproductive Health Voucher Programs, Based On System Evaluations With Programs In Bangladesh, Cambodia, Kenya, Uganda, And Tanzania, Mahad Ibrahim, Benjamin Bellows, Jaspal S. Sandhu

Reproductive Health

This document defines the key elements of information systems to support the development of effective, scalable voucher information systems. It is based on an engagement between the Gobee Group and the Population Council to strengthen information systems of reproductive health voucher programs in five countries in 2011–12. At the time of publication of this document, the Population Council was in the midst of a multiyear evaluation of five of the biggest reproductive health programs worldwide, an effort supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. While the work supporting this report has been focused on reproductive health voucher programs—which provide …

Predictors Of Carbapenem Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria In A Consortium Of Academic Medical Center Hospitals, Mera Ababneh

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Gram-negative resistance is a growing problem worldwide. It is generally believed that rates of resistant bacteria within a hospital are a function of antibiotic use, resistant organisms brought into the hospital, infection control efforts, and underlying severity of patient illness. The relative contribution of each to a particular resistance phenotype is unclear. P. aeruginosa is responsible for many hospital acquired infections and it may become resistant to carbapenems. In addition, newer threats to the future utility of the carbapenems are carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae Purpose: To determine if there is an association between the volume and composition of antibiotic use, …

Analyzing The Effects Of Policy Options To Mitigate The Effect Of Sea Level Rise On The Public Health And Medically Fragile Population: A System Dynamics Approach, Rafael Diaz, Joshua Behr, Anna Jeng, Hua Liu, Franceso Longo

VMASC Publications

A critical question related to climate change concerns to how rising sea level will affect underserved populations and medically fragile population in coastal zones and floodplains. As sea levels rise, coastal waters will regain near-tidal areas and co-mingle with human-made pollutants, resulting from decades of industrial and commercial activity. This poses potential threat and risks to public health and the environment. It is critical that decision makers will initiate a process of parsing resources to the mitigation and management of these issues. The purpose of this research is to model the inherent dynamics of this process and understand how near-term …

Self-Revelation In An Online Health Community: Exploring Issues Around Co-Presence For Vulnerable Members, Leesa Costello, Cynthia Witney, Lelia Green, Vanessa Bradshaw

Research outputs 2012

Problem: This paper addresses the implications of working with vulnerable groups in the context of an online health community when members move from co-presence online to co-presence offline. Theoretical Approach: The case study presented in this paper challenges the expectation that self-revelations are usually more common in online environments because of the anonymity and comfort experienced there. Methodology: Taking as its example the events in a research project designed to investigate the relative features of online communities and social network sites by using a ‘netnographic’ approach, this paper examines the introduction of live chat sessions with a view to building …

Tissue Sampling Methods And Standards For Vertebrate Genomics, Pamela B. Y. Wong, Edward O. Wiley, Warren E. Johnson, Oliver A. Ryder, Stephen J. O'Brien, David Haussler, Klaus-Peter Koepfli, Marlys L. Houck, Polina L. Perelman, Gabriela Mastromonaco, Andrew C. Bentley, Byrappa Venkatesh, Ya-Ping Zhang, Robert W. Murphy, Genome 10k Project Community Of Scientists

Biology Faculty Articles

The recent rise in speed and efficiency of new sequencing technologies have facilitated high-throughput sequencing, assembly and analyses of genomes, advancing ongoing efforts to analyze genetic sequences across major vertebrate groups. Standardized procedures in acquiring high quality DNA and RNA and establishing cell lines from target species will facilitate these initiatives. We provide a legal and methodological guide according to four standards of acquiring and storing tissue for the Genome 10K Project and similar initiatives as follows: four-star (banked tissue/cell cultures, RNA from multiple types of tissue for transcriptomes, and sufficient flash-frozen tissue for 1 mg of DNA, all from …

Identifying Risk Factors For Disparities In Breast Cancer Mortality Among African-American And Hispanic Women, Nancy Tian, Pierre Goovaerts, F. Benjamin Zhan, T. Edwin Chow, Jeff Gaines Wilson

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: This study evaluated the risk factors associated with racial disparities in female breast cancer mortality for African-American and Hispanic women at the census tract level in Texas from 1995 to 2005.

Methods: Data on female breast cancer cases were obtained from the Texas Cancer Registry. Socioeconomic and demographic data were collected from Census 2000. Network distance and driving times to mammography facilities were estimated using Geographic Information System techniques. Demographic, poverty and spatial accessibility factors were constructed using principal component analysis. Logistic regression models were developed to predict the census tracts with significant racial disparities in breast cancer mortality …

Giving Birth: The Voices Of Women In Tamil Nadu, India, Cheryl A. Corbett, Lynn Clark Callister

Faculty Publications

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study is to describe the perceptions of childbearing women living in Tamil Nadu, India. This study can increase cultural understanding and foster cultural competence in nurses caring for Indian women.

Study Design and Methods: Women were invited to share their childbearing experiences. Following institutional review board approval, interviews were held with 22 women who had given birth in the previous 18 months to a viable infant. The women were grateful for the opportunity to share their perspectives with an interested nurse investigator. Data collection proceeded concurrently with data analysis. Themes were generated collaboratively …

Zoonotic And Human Parasites Of Inhabitants Of Cueva De Los Muertos Chiquitos, Rio Zape Valley, Durango, Mexico, F. Agustín Jiménez-Ruiz, Scott Lyell Gardner, Adauto Araújo, Martín Horacio Fugassa, Richard H. Brooks, Elizabeth Racz, Karl J. Reinhard

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

We present the first reconstruction of the parasitoses among the people of the Loma San Gabriel culture, as represented by 36 coprolites excavated from the Cueva de los Muertos Chiquitos in Durango, Mexico. The coprolites date to approximately 1,400-yr ago. Species identified based on eggs recovered include the trematode Echinostoma sp., the tapeworms Hymenolepis sp. and Dipylidium caninum, and the nematodes Ancylostoma duodenale, Enterobius vermicularis, and Trichuris trichiura. After rehydration and screening, 2 methods were used to recover eggs from these samples including spontaneous sedimentation and flotation. Samples were analyzed by 3 different laboratories for independent …

Momentum 2012, Bryce Linden

Momentum

A journal of undergraduate research

Exploring Health Disparities For Children In The City Of Milwaukee, Mark Edwin Anderson

All ETDs from UAB

This study investigated whether school-based oral health programs as a public policy intervention increased dental sealant applications among children from low-income families and minorities in public schools in inner city Milwaukee. By using a difference-in-differences analysis, we examined pre-post time frames, 2001-2003 and 2008-2009, to determine sealant application usage in public schools in nine inner city Milwaukee zip codes after the intervention of a public policy initiative to expand school-based oral health programs with the expressed intent of increasing placement of dental sealants in children at high risk for dental decay and disease. Results of a binary logistic regression revealed …

Vitamin D: Implications Of The Institute Of Medicine Report For Clinical Practice, Dorothy Grasso, Margaret A. Rafferty

Publications and Research

In November 2010, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D, a radical departure from previous advice given regarding these two nutrients that have been reported in respected health journals. The 14-member expert committee found clear and convincing evidence to support the association between adequate levels of vitamin D and bone health. The IOM committee did not find enough evidence to support claims that inadequate levels of vitamin D are linked to increased risks for cancer, cardiovascular disease, or diabetes. In this article, the authors discuss the controversy surrounding vitamin D and provide guidance …

Life Care Plan Implementation Among Adults With Spinal Cord Injuries, Tanya Rutherford-Owen, Irmo Marini

School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling Faculty Publications

A nationwide survey was conducted to assess life care plan implementation in a sample of 55 adults with spinal cord injuries (SCI) for those with or without a favorable settlement or verdict. Areas of inquiry included disability-related goods and services received following life care plan (LCP) development, differences in the purchasing of LCP items and services between those with and without adequate funding, and implementation differences based on demographic factors. Frequency data and chi-square analyses revealed differences in plan implementation for those who received funding to purchase some items in the life care plan when compared to those who did …

Association Between The G-Protein Β3 Subunit C825t Polymorphism With Essential Hypertension: A Meta-Analysis In Han Chinese Population, Jaipeng Lu, Q Guo, Ling Zhang, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2012

We aimed to evaluate the contribution of the G-protein β3 subunit C825T (GNB3-C825T) polymorphism to essential hypertension (EH) in Han Chinese population by performing meta-analysis. A meta-analysis was performed in 12 case–control genetic association studies including 3,020 hypertension patients and 2,790 controls from MEDLINE (PubMed) and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure platforms. The STATA 10.0 software was used in analysis. Overall, there was no significant association between the GNB3-C825T polymorphism and EH in neither additive [TT vs. CC: OR (95 % CI) = 1.11 (0.74–1.69), P = 0.61; TC vs. CC: OR (95 % CI) = 1.08 (0.89–1.31), P = …

The Collaborative Role Of Psychologists In Rural Pediatric Primary Care Settings, Kimberly M. Russo

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

In this dissertation I discuss research conducted to gain a greater understanding of the unique collaborative needs and desires of medical professionals working with pediatric patients in rural communities. Specifically, I researched the following question: Do medical professionals working in rural areas desire more in-depth collaborative relationships with mental health professionals than they currently have? I acquired information on this subject by mailing surveys to primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, and family practice doctors to learn more about their opinions regarding collaboration with mental health professionals. I collected data over a one-month period, resulting in 11 completed surveys being returned. …