Digital Commons Network^™

Potassium-Incorporated Titanium Oxide Nanoparticles Modulate Human Dendritic Cell Immune Response To Mycobacterium Leprae, Sam Warren, So Yoon Lee, Jose Barragan, Piya Kositangool, Hatsuko Yoshikubo, Jorge Cervantes

HPD Articles

The two polar clinical forms of leprosy, termed tuberculoid and lepromatous, have polarized cellular immune responses with complex immunological distinctions. The predominance of DCs in tuberculoid leprosy has been reported, while the lepromatous pattern of illness is associated with weak activation of local populations of DCs. TiO2 nanoparticles have previously been shown to induce maturation of these cells, leading to an inflammatory response similar to adjuvant usage in vaccine administration. We aimed to evaluate the effect of potassium-incorporated Ti oxide nanostructures, namely KTiOxs, in the response of human monocyte-derived DCs to live M. leprae. Human monocytic cell line dual THP-1, …

Average Or Outlier? Introductory Statistics Adjunct Instructors’ Beliefs, Practices, And Experiences, Samantha Estrada Aguilera, Erica Martinez

The Qualitative Report

In recent years, the adjunct faculty phenomenon has grown steadily. This research focused on adjunct instructors teaching introductory statistics courses. The purpose of the study was to give a voice to adjunct instructors by allowing them to describe their experiences teaching statistics. We conducted a qualitative study with 15 adjunct instructors of introductory statistics through semi-structured interviews. The participants came from several fields: psychology, nursing, and business, among others. Thematic analysis was used to find themes of statistical anxiety, use of technology in the classroom, lack of curriculum flexibility, and connection to the host institution. Our findings can inform institutions …

Striving For Being In The Line Of Life: Personal Active Ageing Strategies In Iranian Seniors, Fatemeh Raeesi Dehkordi, Ahmad Ali Eslami, Fereshteh Zamani Alavijeh, Hossein Matlabi, Mehdi Nakhodaeezadeh

The Qualitative Report

Active ageing is a multidimensional, relative, and context-dependent concept with different paths and outcomes. This qualitative study aimed to explore personal active aging strategies in a specific context. Following a directed thematic analysis procedure, we conducted semi-structured individual interviews with 39 seniors (men and women) between the ages of 60-97 years selected with purposeful sampling, data collection and analysis were concurrent. We used directed content analysis to analyze the data from interviews, written narratives, and field notes. The reliability of data was fulfilled following Lincoln and Guba criteria. We stopped data collection when no new concepts were added, and data …

Home-Office During Covid-19 Pandemic In Brazil: Perceived Influences On Performance And Competency Management, Yuri Enes, Mariana Borges Nunes Vieira, Francisco Antonio Coelho Junior Dr., Delciene Pereira, Érica Rodrigues Zanon

The Qualitative Report

There has never been so much flexibility and organizational capacity to adjust to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on work. This article examines beliefs and perceptions related to new arrangements imposed by compulsory telework on skills and performance management practices, as well as identifying related advantages and disadvantages associated. This paper draws on 17 in-depth interviews using the collaborative interactive action research method. The authors study how leaders acted in multiple ways, aiming to reduce the negative effects on workers and work design and provide greater balance of actions. The perspective of multiple levels of action was adopted, considering …

“As If I Use A Filter, And It Has Become A Part Of Me”: Discriminatory Workplace Experiences Of Lesbian And Gay Employees Of India, Sucharita Maji, Tushar Singh, Meghna Hooda, Kumari Sarika

The Qualitative Report

In 2018, the Indian penal code scrapped section 377 and decriminalized consensual homosexuality. However, there exists a significant knowledge gap regarding what extent Indian workplaces have been successful in ensuring a discrimination-free environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) employees. Thus, to address this gap, the current study explored discriminatory workplace experiences encountered by Indian lesbian and gay (LG) employees. The qualitative data has been collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews and analyzed through the thematic analysis method. A hybrid of the inductive and theoretical thematic analysis revealed four themes, that is, subtle discrimination, disclosure dilemmas, dressing and appearance …

Alpl-1 Is A Target For Chimeric Antigen Receptor Therapy In Osteosarcoma., Nadia Mensali, Hakan Köksal, Sandy Joaquina, Patrik Wernhoff, Nicholas P. Casey, Paola Romecin, Carla Panisello, René Rodriguez, Lene Vimeux, Asta Juzeniene, Marit R. Myhre, Anne Fåne, Carolina Castilla Ramírez, Solrun Melkorka Maggadottir, Adil Doganay Duru, Anna-Maria Georgoudaki, Iwona Grad, Andrés Daniel Maturana, Gustav Gaudernack, Gunnar Kvalheim, Angel M. Carcaboso, Enrique De Alava, Emmanuel Donnadieu, Øyvind S. Bruland, Pablo Menendez, Else Marit Inderberg, Sébastien Wälchli

HPD Articles

Osteosarcoma (OS) remains a dismal malignancy in children and young adults, with poor outcome for metastatic and recurrent disease. Immunotherapies in OS are not as promising as in some other cancer types due to intra-tumor heterogeneity and considerable off-target expression of the potentially targetable proteins. Here we show that chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells could successfully target an isoform of alkaline phosphatase, ALPL-1, which is highly and specifically expressed in primary and metastatic OS. The target recognition element of the second-generation CAR construct is based on two antibodies, previously shown to react against OS. T cells transduced with these …

Lessons Learnt By An Experienced Clinician-Novice Researcher Throughout The Process Of Qualitative Research Interviewing, Heidi Lavis, Paulette Van Vliet, Meredith Tavener

The Qualitative Report

Within occupational therapy, the complex process of transitioning from clinician to clinician-researcher often presents challenges demanding critical contemplation. Methodological issues and ethical challenges can arise throughout the emergent transition into role duality, potentially impacting upon novice clinician-researcher development, influencing research processes and quality. As part of the Task-AT Home qualitative study, a reflexive critique of interview processes, guided by the reflection-on-action rubric and a typology of catalysts for dual-role experiences was conducted. The reflective critique identified commonalities and differences between clinical and research interviewing. Additionally, through three exemplars of experience, the critique provided insights into how clinical reasoning processes were …

Assessing Student Empowerment In Mobile-Assisted Extensive Reading In A University Setting, Misdi Misdi, Nunung Nurjannah, Suwarno Suwarno, Kardi Nurhadi, Anna Riana Suryanti Tambunan Ant

The Qualitative Report

Mobile-assisted language learning and its impact on students’ learning outcomes have been examined as one of the attractive methods in English extensive reading (ER). Yet, studies investigating mobile-assisted extensive reading on students’ empowerment are scarcely reported. Grounded in a learning empowerment scale, this research aimed to assess students’ empowerment toward the enactment of mobile-assisted extensive reading in a private university in Indonesia. This case study involved students (n=27) from the Department of English Education at the university. All participants were voluntarily recruited according to the research protocol assigned by the department. All data were garnered from closed-ended questionnaires, reflective journal …

A Grounded Theory Of Enterprising Mothers: Work-Life Balancing Of Women In Fiji, Candauda Arachchige Saliya

The Qualitative Report

Gender equality is recognized as crucial for firms’ growth. This paper attempts to investigate how and why do certain sociocultural and structural factors influence sustained gender inequality in Fiji? And then, using Grounded Theory (GT) method, it attempts to conceptualise how are Fijian working mothers striving to promote equality and diversity in the workplace, society, and family-life? By employing Grounded theory (GT) method, semi-structured interviews (32) were used to collect data from high-ranked officers in private and public sectors and, the interview transcripts were analysed using GT techniques: iterative and recursive processes of coding, categorising, theoretical sampling and constant comparison. …

[Book Review] Game: Animals, Video Games, And Humanity, Melissa Bianchi

Communication, Media, and Arts Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

Deaf Adults’ View Of Having Speech Language Therapy In Early Schooling, Ashley Greene, Diane Clark, G. Marissa Ramos, Caroline K. Koo, Megan B. Wimberly, Danielle Goyette

JADARA

Speech therapy and interactions with Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs) during early adolescence is a common experience of many Deaf individuals. The decision to attend speech therapy is typically made by their hearing parents in conjunction with medical and educational professionals who hold the view that deaf children need to fit into the hearing world (Harmon, 2013). With the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) showing that the majority of currently licensed SLPs work in school settings (ASHA, 2018) coupled with the fact that the majority of deaf children receive some speech therapy in their early schooling years, the team wanted to know …

Psychometric Properties Of The Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (Sbq-R) In American Sign Language, Jared A. Embree, Amanda M. Hinson-Enslin, Kathy Taylor, Josephine Wilson

JADARA

Limited research has focused on the risk of suicide within the deaf community, and no published studies to date report SBQ-R scores in deaf populations. The purpose of this study was to adapt the Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised into American Sign Language (SBQ-R-ASL). After the translation protocol was completed, the SBQ-R-ASL was field-tested with 340 deaf individuals in a national sample. Data analysis indicated satisfactory validity and internal consistency, and a Principal Components Analysis resulted in one factor. Field-test data revealed a mean SBQ-R-ASL score of 8.76, which is above published cutoff scores for suicide risk. These findings demonstrate a crucial …

Food Insecurity Among Deaf And Hard Of Hearing: A Scoping Review, Rylea Saunders, Laportia Jackson, Julia Vandermolen

JADARA

The authors employed a scoping review to examine peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2017 and 2020 focusing on the relationship between food insecurity among deaf and hard of hearing (DHOH) populations and language barriers using American Sign Language (ASL). Four databases yielded 257 peer-reviewed articles during the initial search. Four peer-reviewed articles were included in the review to explore the relationship between food insecurity among DHOH populations and language barriers using ASL. Multiple contributing factors create a food-insecure individual. Results indicate that income level, mental health status, and caregiver communication are all predictors of food security for DHOH. One of …

Flesh Fly Maggot-Infected Abscess In A Burn Victim Patient In The United States Without A History Of International Travel: A Case Report., Andy Aleman Espino, Erik Aleman Espino, Claudia Aleman Oliva, Gustavo Huaman, Ricardo Castrellon

HPD Articles

This case report describes an uncommon occurrence of myiasis, specifically a maggot-infected abscess, in a patient with reduced skin sensitivity resulting from severe burns. Myiasis is the infestation of live animal tissue by fly larvae, and while it is primarily associated with tropical and subtropical regions, cases acquired within the United States are rare. The presented case involves a 70-year-old male who arrived at the emergency department with an intensely painful, non-healing wound in the left elbow. Upon examination, the wound was found to be infested with numerous live maggots, and subsequent investigations revealed the larvae to be of the …

Exploring The Potential Of Nanotechnology In Pediatric Healthcare: Advances, Challenges, And Future Directions., Hossein Omidian, Kwadwo Mfoafo

HPD Articles

The utilization of nanotechnology has brought about notable advancements in the field of pediatric medicine, providing novel approaches for drug delivery, disease diagnosis, and tissue engineering. Nanotechnology involves the manipulation of materials at the nanoscale, resulting in improved drug effectiveness and decreased toxicity. Numerous nanosystems, including nanoparticles, nanocapsules, and nanotubes, have been explored for their therapeutic potential in addressing pediatric diseases such as HIV, leukemia, and neuroblastoma. Nanotechnology has also shown promise in enhancing disease diagnosis accuracy, drug availability, and overcoming the blood-brain barrier obstacle in treating medulloblastoma. It is important to acknowledge that while nanotechnology offers significant opportunities, there …

The Effect Of Doulas On Maternal And Birth Outcomes: A Scoping Review., Alexandria Sobczak, Lauren Taylor, Sydney Solomon, Jodi Ho, Scotland Kemper, Brandon Phillips, Kailey Jacobson, Courteney Castellano, Ashley Ring, Brianna Castellano, Robin J. Jacobs

HPD Articles

A source of support during birth could be the solution to negative outcomes for the mother and her baby. To improve the birthing experience and increase positive birthing outcomes, sources of support during pregnancy should be evaluated and understood. The goal of this review was to synthesize the existing literature on how doulas might improve birth outcomes. This scoping review also aimed to shed light on the positive impact emotional support during childbirth can have on the health and well-being of mother and child. PubMed and EBSCOhost were used to identify articles using the search words with Boolean operators "doulas" …

Reframing The Ontology Of Peace Studies, Anders Reagan

Peace and Conflict Studies

The academic field of peace studies suffers from a lack of ontological clarity, with peace researchers widely disagreeing on how to define “peace.” This internal incoherence has far-reaching implications for peace study’s scope, theories, and methodologies, and by extension, for peace practice in general. This article explores the possibility that at least part of this incoherence may be due to a fundamental misreading of peace study’s central object of study. Despite significant disagreement between peace researchers on a standardized definition of peace, there seems to be overwhelming consensus that "peace" – in all its varied academic conceptualizations – always relates …

Exploring The Legal Implications Of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Surgeries In The United States: A Comprehensive Analysis Of Two Decades Of Lawsuits., Joao Porto, Maria Camila Suarez Arbelaez, Mohamadhusni Zarli, Mariam Ahumada, Sanjaya Swain, Robert Marcovich, Hemendra N. Shah

HPD Articles

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: The United States (US) currently faces a medical malpractice crisis, and a survey done in 2006 informed that 63% of urologists faced an average of 2.1 medical malpractice lawsuits. Surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is performed by 95% of US urologists. Hence, we postulated that these procedures might be responsible for a substantial number of medical malpractice lawsuits. We examined claims related to BPH surgery in various US courts.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were collected from Westlaw and LexisNexis databases using the keywords "benign prostatic hyperplasia," "enlarged prostate," "surgery," and "malpractice" to search for cases from …

Journalism On Forced Migration In Latin America: Recommendations From Experts And International Journalism Guides From A Qualitative Study, Gabriel Lotero-Echeverri, Luis M. Romero-Rodríguez

The Qualitative Report

Wars, insurgent groups, dictatorships, and economic crises are the main reasons for forced migration. Displaced persons, asylum seekers, and refugees often face public stigmatization, as they are treated by the media as a social problem and, in many cases, seen as economic and social threats. This article presents the results of in-depth interviews with expert journalists and researchers from different Latin American countries on the phenomenon of forced migration and its journalistic coverage. Their recommendations are complemented by Qualitative Document Analysis (QDA) of international guides on migration journalism. The findings highlight the need for training and awareness-raising in critical skills …

Community Gatekeepers: Power, Pitfalls And Possibilities When Recruiting And Researching Black, Asian, And Minority Ethnic (Bame) Participants, Nadia K. Bashir

The Qualitative Report

Using data from a large primarily qualitative research project on how people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities experience and access health services, this methodological article focuses on the role of the community gatekeeper – a role that has significance for research teams globally when attempting to involve those facing multiple forms of exclusion. Drawing on standpoint feminist principles and using a reflexive approach, researcher positionality, situated knowledges, and the power dynamics between researchers, participants, and community gatekeepers are reflected upon. Addressing a gap in the literature by providing real-life examples of the power and influence of gatekeepers …

Balancing The Drinking Act: A Grounded Theory Of Youth Drinking, Policy And Covid-19 In Botswana, Tebogo Sebeelo

The Qualitative Report

Stakeholder and consumer participation is generally seen as a critical part of effective alcohol policy making as it has a direct impact on policy implementation. In the advent of COVID-19, the views and experiences of stakeholders and consumers were integral to how countries responded to the virus. The involvement of alcohol stakeholders and consumers raises critical questions about policy making practices. Using Grounded Theory (GT) methods amongst 20 drinkers and six alcohol stakeholders, I examined the views and experiences of stakeholders and alcohol consumers in Botswana during COVID-19. I identified two interrelated core categories of Balancing the Drinking Act and …

Methodological Challenges In Interviewing Elite Women In A Patriarchal Society, Amira Firdaus Dr., Iffat Aksar Dr., Mahmoud Danaee Dr., Jiakun Gong, Nasrullah Dharejo Mr

The Qualitative Report

The current article reflects on the challenges of selecting and accessing participants from societies where power relations are gender-based. The paper discusses the methodological difficulties of gaining research access to professionally and educationally elite women in Pakistan's patriarchal society and suggests a strategy of "referral in-group" for recruiting interview participants. Drawing on the author's purposive sampling-based research in Pakistan, this article proposes a methodological strategy to recruit an elite population to participate in research interviews on a culturally sensitive subject, namely, patriarchal control over Pakistani women's digital lives. Furthermore, coupled with purposive sampling, this article contributes to the existing literature …

Inconsistencies And Values As Signs Of Paradigmatic Change: Researchers’ Language In Research Articles On Feedback, Stefan Sellbjer

The Qualitative Report

The aim is to contribute to scientific research development in the field of feedback. More specifically, the purpose is to illustrate how researchers, even though they are devoted to the constructivist model, still use expressions with their roots in the transfer model, and to demonstrate researchers’ use of value statements in favor of the constructivist model thus distancing themselves from the transfer model. The examples are taken from research articles on feedback mainly focusing on higher education. The empirical material is analysed using concept analysis. The result is discussed in relation to theories of metaphors and folk-theories as well as …

Dextromethorphan/Quinidine For The Treatment Of Bulbar Impairment In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis., Lauren Tabor Gray, Eduardo Locatelli, Terrie Vasilopoulos, James Wymer, Emily K. Plowman

HPD Articles

OBJECTIVE: No efficacious treatments exist to improve or prolong bulbar functions of speech and swallowing in persons with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (pALS). This study evaluated the short-term impact of dextromethorphan/quinidine (DMQ) treatment on speech and swallowing function in pALS.

METHODS: This was a cohort trial conducted between August 2019 to August 2021 in pALS with a confirmed diagnosis of probable-definite ALS (El-Escorial Criteria-revisited) and bulbar impairment (ALS Functional Rating Scale score ≤ 10 and speaking rate ≤ 140 words per minute) who were DMQ naïve. Efficacy of DMQ was assessed via pre-post change in the ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised bulbar …

A Scoping Review On The Effects Of Covid-19 On Syringe Service Programs In The United States., Dylan Pietrantoni, Crystal Barroca, Sarah Lynch, Jonathan Byrne, Miranda Ortner, Roshni Kotwani, Kolin Limbrick, Paul Kaldas, Michael Moussa, Tatem Fredrickson, Jeffrey Schaefer, Robin J. Jacobs

HPD Articles

The COVID-19 pandemic has had worldwide impacts, including disrupting community services. One interrupted service was syringe service programs (SSPs), community-established initiatives that provide sterile supplies and aid in overcoming addiction in drug-using participants. In the United States (U.S.), SSPs have been key in combating the recent opioid use crisis and associated infections such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C. While some published reports on the pandemic's overall impacts on SSPs exist, certain aspects such as operational changes and repercussions on staff and participants may still be lacking. Information about the impact of interrupted SSP services due to …

Women And Children’S Victims Of Violence Case Management During Covid-19 Pandemic, Eti Sumiati, Elvy M. Manurung Dr., Indraswari - Ph. D

The Qualitative Report

Many studies have been conducted to prove the threat of violence against children and women during COVID-19. Unlike other studies, this study focuses more on government services in receiving complaints from victims of violence experienced by women and children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using case studies as a qualitative method, documentary studies and in-depth interviews have been conducted on 13 informants from various parties in Bandung Regency, West Java, Indonesia. The results showed that the use of digital technology during the pandemic sometimes hampered the follow-up process for complaints of violence by victims due to a lack of equipment and …

Unraveling The Situation Of Women In Stem Areas From The European Teacher Perspective: Insights From Females Project, Ayşin Kaplan Sayı, Nihal Yurtseven, Şirin Karadeniz, Sinem Vatanartıran

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of this study is to examine the views of teachers on the number and situation of women in STEM areas as well as ways to encourage female students to STEM areas. We carried out the study through basic qualitative research. The participants of the study included 39 teachers from Turkey, Italy, Spain, Greece, and Romania. For data collection, focus group interviews were carried out in each country. The collected data were analyzed through content analysis. The study yielded similar findings in almost all the countries showing that the number of women was not sufficient, and the participants mostly …

The Research Question In Hermeneutic Phenomenology And Grounded Theory Research, Pilar Folgueiras-Bertomeu, María Paz Sandín-Esteban

The Qualitative Report

Formulating the research question is a key but complex task in qualitative studies. The question should be framed consistently with the approach chosen; in other words, question and approach are interdependent. This article aims to contribute to the understanding of the nature of the research question; to this end, we address its meaning by presenting two qualitative approaches: applied hermeneutic phenomenology and grounded theory. Although both approaches draw from the experience of the participants in research, they are vastly different and comparing them provides an exemplar of the important decision-making required for crafting research questions epistemologically aligned with their designs. …

Enhancing Student Leadership Skills Through Project-Based Learning In The Postgraduate Research Experience, Enung Hasanah, M Ikhsan Al Ghazi, M. Ikhwan Al Badar, Fauzia Fauzia M.A.

The Qualitative Report

Project-based learning (PjBL) is one of the learning models recognized by education experts as an effective method of achieving learning objectives in developing process skills; however, few studies have examined its potential for fostering leadership skills. This study aims to investigate postgraduate teacher students' experiences with project-based learning as a means of developing students leadership skills. The research involved 24 postgraduate students and utilized a qualitative approach to data collection and analysis. The findings reveal that while some aspects of project-based learning were perceived as straightforward, other steps were deemed challenging, particularly those that involved higher order thinking skill and …

Ecomorphology Of A Predatory Deep-Sea Fish Family: Does Trophic Specialization Drive Hyperspeciation?, Ryan P. Mcgonagle, David Kerstetter, Danté Fenolio, Tracey Sutton

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Two of the main drivers of speciation among aquatic vertebrates are physical isolation (e.g., lakes and streams) and micro-niche availability (e.g., tropical reefs). In both regards, the mesopelagic domain of the open ocean, Earth’s second largest cumulative ecosystem (behind only the bathypelagic domain), would seem retardant. Ocean circulation makes isolation rare on both contemporary and geological time/space scales, and the lack of substrate precludes stable micro-niches. Paradoxically, some pelagic taxa demonstrate much higher-than-expected species richness on regional scales. A prime example is the dragonfish family Stomiidae, the most speciose family of mesopelagic fishes, owing largely to the subfamily Melanostomiinae (scaleless …