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Improving Student Satisfaction And Wellbeing In An International Baccalaureate Program: An Improvement Science Study, Michael Fisher

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This research aimed to improve student satisfaction and wellbeing in an International Baccalaureate (IB) program, located in the US Virgin Islands, through the implementation of an improvement science dissertation in practice (ISDiP). The study utilized a framework of Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) over the course of a 90-day improvement cycle. A networked improvement community (NIC) met throughout the cycle to develop a shared understanding of the problem of practice and context, develop a theory of improvement, collect data related to that theory, and make adjustments based on that data.

The NIC identified four primary drivers they believed would result …

Braving The Sea Change: An Interpretative Phenomenological Study Of How Counselors-In-Training Experience Their Interpersonal And Intrapersonal Relationships, Christopher Jess Ward

Dissertations

This interpretive phenomenological analysis asked counselors-in-training (CITs) to reflect on their connections with important others and with themselves, noting any changes which took place within said relationships over the course of counselor training. Seven CITs provided rich narratives around relational shifts and personal/professional development, bringing to the surface superordinate themes of (a) Insecurity and Confusion, (b) Growing Pains, and (c) Overcoming and Resilience. Superordinate themes were further divided into the following sub-themes: Insecurity and Confusion: Professional/Personal Identity Integration, Mental Health and Responsibility, Reassurance; Growing Pains: Relationship Imbalanced and Disequilibrium, Loneliness; Overcoming and Resilience: Ruptures and Repairs, Outright Benefits, Self-Prioritization. These …

Development Of Geoscience Interest And Identity Of Female First-Generation Undergraduate Geoscience Students, Dina London

Dissertations

The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand how female first-generation undergraduate geoscience students developed their situational geoscience interests into individual interests that, in turn, supported their geoscience identity and decision to become a geoscience major. The experiences of six female first-generation undergraduate geoscience students were used to explore how geoscience interests and geoscience identities developed over time. I analyzed three artifacts representing participants’ geoscience identity, geoscience interest development timeline, and transcribed interviews to explore emerging themes relating to interest and identity development. Participants described events relating to their situational geoscience interests, individual geoscience interests, and the formation …

Animal-Assisted Interventions In Supervision: A Collective Case Study, Connie Elizabeth Couch

Dissertations

Animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) have been discussed in recent conceptual literature as having potential for positive implications when applied in supervision (Chandler, 2017; Jackson, 2020; Owenby, 2017; Stewart et al., 2015). However, there was limited empirical foundation or guidance for the integration of two distinct specializations (AAIs and supervision). The purpose of this qualitative collective case study (Stake, 2006) was to explore and understand the experiences of supervisors who have been implementing AAIs within the context of supervision. Specifically, this study addressed the following overarching research question and two sub-questions were addressed: Q1 Why are supervisors integrating AAIs into supervision? Q1a …

Impact Of Diabetes Status And Related Factors On Covid-19-Associated Hospitalization: A Nationwide Retrospective Cohort Study Of 116,370 Adults With Sars-Cov-2 Infection., Erin M. Tallon, Osagie Ebekozien, Janine Sanchez, Vincent S. Staggs, Diana Ferro, Ryan Mcdonough, Carla Demeterco-Berggren, Sarit Polsky, Patricia Gomez, Neha Patel, Priya Prahalad, Ori Odugbesan, Priyanka Mathias, Joyce M. Lee, Chelsey Smith, Chi-Ren Shyu, Mark A. Clements

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Aims: We examined diabetes status (no diabetes; type 1 diabetes [T1D]; type 2 diabetes [T2D]) and other demographic and clinical factors as correlates of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related hospitalization. Further, we evaluated predictors of COVID-19-related hospitalization in T1D and T2D.

Methods: We analyzed electronic health record data from the de-identified COVID-19 database (December 2019 through mid-September 2020; 87 US health systems). Logistic mixed models were used to examine predictors of hospitalization at index encounters associated with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Results: In 116,370 adults ( >=18 years old) with COVID-19 (93,098 no diabetes; 802 T1D; 22,470 T2D), factors that independently increased …

Characteristics Of Antifungal Utilization For Hospitalized Children In The United States., Lourdes Eguiguren, Brian R. Lee, Jason G. Newland, Matthew P. Kronman, Adam L. Hersh, Jeffrey S. Gerber, Grace M. Lee, Hayden T. Schwenk

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Objective: To characterize antifungal prescribing patterns, including the indication for antifungal use, in hospitalized children across the United States.

Design: We analyzed antifungal prescribing data from 32 hospitals that participated in the SHARPS Antibiotic Resistance, Prescribing, and Efficacy among Children (SHARPEC) study, a cross-sectional point-prevalence survey conducted between June 2016 and December 2017.

Methods: Inpatients aged < 18 years with an active systemic antifungal order were included in the analysis. We classified antifungal prescribing by indication (ie, prophylaxis, empiric, targeted), and we compared the proportion of patients in each category based on patient and antifungal characteristics.

Results: Among 34,927 surveyed patients, 2,095 (6%) received at least 1 systemic antifungal and there were 2,207 antifungal prescriptions. Most patients had an underlying oncology or bone marrow transplant diagnosis (57%) or were premature (13%). The most prescribed antifungal was fluconazole (48%) and the …

Machine Learning For Early Detection Of Pediatric Sepsis, Glory Manson-Endeboh

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sepsis is a host response to infection in both adults and children. It contributes to approximately 1.7 million cases annually with nearly 270,000 annual deaths in the United States. In the United States, the financial burden of sepsis on survivors and their families including the hospitals is over $4.8 billion, at approximately $64,280 per hospitalization. The first goal of this thesis research is to develop efficient machine learning models to predict pediatric sepsis accurately for inpatients. The second objective is to develop machine learning methods to determine how early sepsis can be detected to mitigate mortality. We examine data collected …

Preclinical Behavioral Assessments Of Mitraginyne, The Main Psychoactive Alkaloid In Kratom, Rachel Burroughs

Dissertations

Mitragyna speciosa (kratom) is a medicinal plant indigenous to Southeast Asia and Africa with a long history of use for a variety of ailments, including diarrhea, pain relief, cough suppression, and amelioration of opiate withdrawal symptoms. Despite its status as an herbal remedy, kratom is banned in some countries due to a myriad of negative health risks. Preclinical psychopharmacology studies of mitragynine (MG), the main alkaloid of kratom, indicate it has opioid-like effects at higher doses and psychostimulant-like effects at lower doses. The current study utilized three rodent behavioral paradigms to evaluate the putative psychostimulant effects of MG. The specific …

Intersectional Identities Of Race And Religion Of African American Muslims And Their Attitudes Toward Seeking Mental Health Services, Cheruba A. Dhanaraj

Dissertations

African American Muslims have overlapping and interconnected identities of race and religion that can be conceptualized by the intersectionality framework to understand the complexities of barriers they face when seeking mental health services. African American Muslims have a higher risk of mental health issues due to systemic racism, racial discrimination, racial trauma, and Islamophobic discrimination. Yet, there is a lack of scholarly research or studies that focus explicitly on African American Muslims' specific mental health needs, barriers, and attitudes related to seeking mental health treatment.

This study sought to fill the gap in knowledge about attitudes toward seeking mental health …

What We Say Matters: Exploring The Importance Of Microaggression Language For Lgbtq+ Science Major Undergraduate Students, Madison L. Fitzgerald-Russell

Dissertations

The purpose of this exploratory qualitative study is to better understand the climate for LGBTQ+ science major undergraduates in their departments through a transformative queer theory lens and intersectionality. Prior research on campus and STEM department climates have demonstrated inclusion issues continue to persist for LGBTQ+ individuals in higher education. One of these issues is discrimination in the form of microaggressions. Microaggressions against LGBTQ+ individuals have been demonstrated to cause physical, mental, and academic harm. In the literature, there is limited information on how microaggressions impact students in particular STEM fields.

LGBTQ+ science undergraduates from public colleges and universities in …

The Acculturation Process Of International Students In Cacrep Counseling Programs: A Grounded Theory Approach, Hanny Wuysang

Dissertations

International students bring diverse, multicultural perspectives to the U.S. postsecondary education system through their participation in higher education. However, in their adjustment to U.S. higher education, international students in counseling programs face barriers and challenges such as language differences, lack of support, microaggressions and discrimination, culture shock, and different perspectives on mental health treatment as compared to their home cultures. These factors can interfere with their daily personal and academic lives, yet there is often minimal support from their academic programs and host institutions. The growing number of international students in counseling programs increases the importance of understanding their acculturation …

Measuring The Economic Impact Of Recurrent Flooding On Workforce Productivity And Property, Joshua G. Behr, Wie Yusuf, George Mcleod, Sarah Stafford, Derek Loftis, Afi Anuar, Rafael Diaz

Presentations, Lectures, Posters, Reports

From the Executive Summary:

This research draws upon expertise across multiple disciplines and fields. Leveraged are natural systems data and social-behavioral data. The high-level objective is to advance our understanding of how very recent recurrent flooding has impacted residents within the City of Portsmouth, and then forecast these impacts under projections of sea level rise. While this research draws upon data for the City of Portsmouth, the findings may be generalized to the broader Hampton Roads region.

An Assessment Of Drinking Water From Zip Codes In The Greater Houston Area For Potential Heavy Metal Contamination Using Icpms, Reem Abulateef Alani

Theses (2016-Present)

The objective of this experiment is to identify and determine the concentration of heavy metals in drinking water for different resident zip codes in the greater Houston area. Heavy metals such as arsenic, antimony, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, selenium, and others can be leaked into drinking water through household plumbing and service lines, mining operations, petroleum refineries, electronics manufacturers, chemical spills, municipal waste disposals, cement plants, and natural mineral deposits. Modern society is characterized by an increasing number of activities that can contaminate drinking water. When chemicals, animal waste, and human waste are disposed of improperly, it is more likely …

Human Health Risk Assessment Of Trace Metals In Indoor Dust., Wafa Ahmad Alhazmi

Theses (2016-Present)

The risk associated with exposure to heavy metals found in indoor dust is viewed as a serious hazard to human health, and heavy metal pollution of the environment is a major concern on a global scale. Accordingly, the current study set out to assess the heavy metals concentrations in indoor dust and the hazards they bring in adults and children. 71 indoor dust samples were collected from wooden flooring and analyzed using ICP-MS apparatus. Comparing our findings to the Environmental Protection Agency's acceptable risk criteria showed that lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), Chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) had high …

Heart Of Golde, Joely Bowman

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Heart of Golde is a female coming-of-age story centered around Jyn Taryn, who lost her mother and her early memories in a tragic car accident 15 years before the story begins. She struggles with feeling at "home" anywhere in the world. When she discovers her mother's name written in an old poetry book, her curiosities lead her to the home of Edward Golde, her father. While there, she is forced to come face to face with the past she never thought she would be able to remember. Room by room, memory by memory, Jyn puts the pieces of her past …

Identifying Particulate Matter Spatial Variation In The El Paso Del Norte Region Using Land-Use Regression Modeling And Data Obtained From A Network Of Low-Cost Sensors, Leonardo Demetrio Vazquez-Raygoza

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The emergence and rise in popularity of low-cost sensors for atmospheric observation aresetting a new precedent in identifying emission hotspots and providing high-resolution spatial and temporal data. Furthermore, low-cost sensors are becoming popular among institutions and the public, allowing community scientists to become more involved in air quality monitoring. However, concerns about the accuracy and precision of low-cost sensors have been questioned. Most recent research has focused on the utility of real-time monitoring and calibration requirements for these sensors. A low-cost monitoring project has deployed sensors in the El Paso del Norte region in low and high annual average daily …

Effectiveness Of Online Instructional Videos: Intervening Medical Students' Learning Of Shared Decision-Making, Truth-Telling, Patient Emotional Disturbance Evaluations, And Emotional Processing Training, Shu-Chung Lii, Ji-Tseng Fang

Journal of Medical Education

Communication is a fundamental part of healthcare. Poor communication is a common cause of medical complaints; the common and difficult communication often involves truth-telling and shared decision-making (SDM). Medical treatment can be emotionally distressing for patients; thus, understanding how to communicate with patients and treat patient emotional problems is paramount for providing quality healthcare. This study evaluates the effectiveness of learning SDM, truth-telling, patient emotional disturbance evaluation methods, and emotional processing of staff and patients. Fifth- and sixth-year medical students from Chang Gung University were recruited and administered a research questionnaire based on the COMRADE (Combined Outcome Measure for Risk …

Perceptions On Entrustable Professional Activities (Epas) In Psychiatry Among Specialty Trainees, Mei-Feng Huang, Yi-Chun Yeh, Tai-Ling Liu, Wei-Po Chou, Peng-Wei Wang, Cheng-Sheng Chen

Journal of Medical Education

Background: Competence-based medical education (CBME) has been proposed and will lead the paradigm shift in medical education. Entrustable professional activities (EPAs) is one of the operational systems to achieve the goals of CBME. The development of scopes of professional clinical tasks is the first step for EPAs medical education. In this study, we aimed to develop a framework of EPAs specially for psychiatry specialty training and to investigate the perceptions of these EPAs among trainees. Methods: This study combined the methods of expert focus group and questionnaire survey. Experts in the focus group were attending psychiatrists at Kaohsiung Medical University …

Virtual Patients Vs Standardized Patients In Medical Education - From The Perspectives Of Clinical Teachers, Chia-Hung Chen, Feng-Cheng Liu, Zi-Xiang Xu, Fu-Hsiung Su, Tsuen-Chiuan Tsai

Journal of Medical Education

Patient encounters have been highlighted important for learning clinical skills. Virtual patients and standardized patients have been widely used as supplement models in medical education. Purpose: This study aims to first compare the effectiveness of using SPs and VPs from the perspectives of clinical teachers and secondly to suggest the smart choice based on the educational objectives. Methods: A questionnaire-assisted interview was conducted to gather feedback from teachers based on their experience with VPs and SPs in clinical teaching. The items for VP/SP comparison include: clinical reasoning, history taking, physical examination, procedural skills, communication, conceptualization, range of case varieties, authentic …

Use Of The Nursing Practice Grade As A Predictor Of Registered Nurse Examination First Attempt Pass Rate Of Baccalaureate Nursing Graduates, Shu-Ying Fu, Jen-Hung Wang, Jiin-Ling Jiang

Journal of Medical Education

Purpose: This study aimed to examine whether the nursing practice grade can serve as a predictor of pass rate for the first attempt of the Registered Nurse (RN) Examination of baccalaureate nursing graduates. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to collect data from the Nursing Practice Management System in one university. Data covered the grades of various nursing practice courses of students who graduated from 2015 to 2019. All the students had completed the required nine nursing practice courses. The outcome was pass/ fail in the first attempt of the RN examination. Results: Among a total of 260 students, most …

Establishing Core Competencies Of Taiwanese Pharmacists Using The Nominal Group Technique, Ya-Hui Chang, Shao-Chin Chiang, Chih-Wei Yang

Journal of Medical Education

Purpose: The implementation of competency-based medical education (CBME) is increasing worldwide and has been emphasized by key reports in health professional education. The objective of this study is to describe the consensus process and results that led to the Taiwanese pharmacists' core competencies framework. Methods: The initial draft of the core competencies and profession-specific sub-competencies were formulated by CBME task force members of the Taiwan Society of Health-System Pharmacists (TSHP). Expert pharmacist educators from representative teaching medical facilities across Taiwan were invited to go through a standard process of the nominal group technique (NGT) to come up with the final …

Evolution Of Journal Of Medical Education To Open Access, Ming-Been Lee

Journal of Medical Education

Modern medical education in Taiwan began in 1897. The National Taiwan University College of Medicine (NTUCM) led medical education reform by introducing a new curriculum and small class teaching in August 1992. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Taiwan medical education, the NTUCM published the Journal of Medical Education (JME) in Mandarin in 1997, hoping to share the education reform and further improve the quality of medical education in Taiwan. For more than 26 years, the JME has grown and served as the platform that supports the work of medical education researchers, medical professionals, administrators, and policymakers. Along with our …

Developing A Lifestyle Intervention Program For Overweight Or Obese Preconception, Pregnant And Postpartum Women Using Qualitative Methods, Chee Wai Ku, Shu Hui Leow, Lay See Ong, Christina Erwin, Isabella Ong, Xiang Wen Ng, Jacinth Jia Xin Tan, Fabian Yap, Jerry K. Y. Chan, See Ling Loy

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The time period before, during and after pregnancy represents a unique opportunity for interventions to cultivate sustained healthy lifestyle behaviors to improve the metabolic health of mothers and their offspring. However, the success of a lifestyle intervention is dependent on uptake and continued compliance. To identify enablers and barriers towards engagement with a lifestyle intervention, thematic analysis of 15 in-depth interviews with overweight or obese women in the preconception, pregnancy or postpartum periods was undertaken, using the integrated-Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services framework as a guide to systematically chart factors influencing adoption of a novel lifestyle intervention. …

The Impact Of Having Foreign Domestic Workers On Informal Caregivers Of Persons With Dementia: Findings From A Multi-Method Research In Singapore, Qi Yuan, Yunjue Zhang, Ellaisha Samari, Anitha Jeyagurunathan, Tee Hng Tan, Fiona Devi, Peizhi Wang, Harish Magadi, Richard Goveas, Li Ling Ng, Mythily Subramaniam

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Background: Informal caregivers of persons with dementia (PWDs) sometimes engage foreign domestic workers (FDWs) to support their caregiving journey. However, there has not been much research to establish if this is really beneficial. The current study aims to investigate whether engaging FDWs specifically for caregiving of PWDs truly moderates caregiver stress and to explore caregivers’ experiences of engaging FDWs. Methods: A multi-method study design with a quantitative and qualitative sub-study was adopted. For the quantitative sub-study, 282 informal caregivers of PWDs were recruited. Propensity score matching analysis was used. For the qualitative sub-study, 15 informal caregivers with FDWs were interviewed. …

Parents’ Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices Of Childhood Obesity In Singapore, Paulin Tay Straughan, Chengwei Xu

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The obesity pandemic is increasingly threatening Asian populations. This is especially so for children from higher-income countries, such as Singapore. Among the various driving factors of obesity, parents’ health knowledge, attitudes, and practices are underexplored. The present study uses a nationally representative sample of 1,491 responses from Singapore to investigate parental knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) about childhood obesity. Latent class analysis (LCA) on parents’ responses to the KAP survey reveals four unique parenting patterns: the limited knowledge group, the group with negative attitudes, the best practice group, and the limited practice group. Children of families in the best practice …

Ten Year Real World Experience With Ultrafiltration For The Management Of Acute Decompensated Heart Failure, Donald C. Haas, Maureen Hummel, Patricia Barrella, Waqas Ullah, Misung Yi, Robert Watson

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Background: Randomized controlled trials (RCT) of ultrafiltration (UF) have demonstrated conflicting results regarding its efficacy and safety.

Objective: We reviewed 10 years of data for adjustable UF during heart failure hospitalizations in a real world cohort.

Methods: We performed a retrospective, single center analysis of 335 consecutive patients treated with adjustable rate UF using the CHF Solutions Aquadex Flex Flo System from 2009 to 2019.

Results: Compared to previous RCTs investigating UF, our cohort was older, with worse renal impairment and more antecedent HF hospitalizations in the year preceding therapy. Mean fluid removal with UF was 14.6 l. Mean weight …

Strong Structuration Analysis Of Patterns Of Adherence To Hypertension Medication, Maureen L. Seguin, Jhaki A. Mendoza, Gideon Lasco, Lia M. Palileo-Villanueva, Benjamin Palafox, Alicia Renedo, Martin Mckee, Dina Balabanova

Development Studies Faculty Publications

Achieving blood pressure control is among the highest priorities for reducing the burden of cardiovascular diseases globally. Control is poor in the Philippines; especially in socioeconomically marginalised communities. This paper explores long-term adherence to anti-hypertensive medication in these communities; identifying 4 distinct medication adherence patterns. We draw on Strong Structuration Theory to explore motivations of action for those who are consistently adherent; consistently non-adherent; and those who became more or less adherent over time. We employ longitudinal qualitative methods comprising repeat interviews and digital diaries collected over 12 months by 34 participants. Twelve participants were consistently adherent; 9 consistently non-adherent; …

Associations Of Neighborhood Opportunity And Social Vulnerability With Trajectories Of Childhood Body Mass Index And Obesity Among Us Children, Izzuddin M. Aris, Wei Perng, Dana Dabelea, Amy M. Padula, Akram Alshawabkeh, Carmen M. Vélez-Vega, Judy L. Aschner, Carlos A. Camargo, Tamara J. Sussman, Anne L. Dunlop, Amy J. Elliott, Assiamira Ferrara, Yeyi Zhu, Christine L. M. Joseph, Anne M. Singh, Tina Hartert, Ferdinand Cacho, Margaret R. Karagas, Tiffany North-Reid, Barry M. Lester, Nichole R. Kelly, Jody M. Ganiban, Su H. Chu, Thomas G. O'Connor, Rebecca C. Fry, Gwendolyn Norman, Leonardo Trasande, Bibiana Restrepo, Peter James, Emily Oken

Public Health Sciences Articles

IMPORTANCE: Physical and social neighborhood attributes may have implications for children's growth and development patterns. The extent to which these attributes are associated with body mass index (BMI) trajectories and obesity risk from childhood to adolescence remains understudied.

OBJECTIVE: To examine associations of neighborhood-level measures of opportunity and social vulnerability with trajectories of BMI and obesity risk from birth to adolescence.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cohort study used data from 54 cohorts (20 677 children) participating in the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program from January 1, 1995, to January 1, 2022. Participant inclusion required at least …

Communication Apprehension In Romantic Relationships And Effects On Mental Health, Meg Mccoy

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This study examines how and if university students’ communication apprehension (CA) within romantic relationships affects their mental health. Inspired by Communication Accommodation Theory, this researcher conducted both a survey and in-depth interviews with undergraduate students at the University of Nebraska at Omaha to test these relationships and further explore experiences of CA in romantic relationships. The findings of this study reveal that lower levels of CA are positively correlated with a healthier mental status, including overall mental health and self-esteem. In addition, the data indicates that participants do not experience CA except when it comes to sensitive subjects. Employing accommodative …

The Effects Of A Low Fodmap Diet On People With Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Literature Review, Emily Stalder

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a very common gastrointestinal disorder around the world. There is no known etiology or cure for the disorder, which leaves researchers to develop coping mechanisms for this prevalent issue. A high percentage (10%-15%) of the general population, mostly in Western, industrialized areas, suffer from IBS. A low FODMAP diet (LFD) is something that has been gaining a following over the past 20 years, which has led to research on its ability to minimize symptoms of IBS. The purpose of this literature review is to see what current research has to offer on the LFD’s ability …