Digital Commons Network^™

Closing The Socioeconomic Achievement Gap, Mallory Mcdermott

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research study was to investigate why the achievement gap exists in order to find ways to best serve the students who fall into it. Students from low socioeconomic backgrounds are showing disparities in academic achievement in areas of grades, standardized testing scores, and dropout rates. The researcher conducted a quantitative study to determine the effectiveness of a supplemental intervention on student’s mathematical understanding. The research was conducted within a fifth grade classroom at Midland Elementary. Data was collected from a pre-test and the i-Ready diagnostic screener to determine what skills the participants needed improve in. The …

The Bulletin: Sidney Kimmel Medical College At Thomas Jefferson University, Volume 102, Issue 2, Fall 2024

The Bulletin (formerly the Jefferson Medical College Alumni Bulletin)

This issue includes:

• 7 - Dean’s Column
• 8 - Time Capsule: How Jefferson Got Its Name
• 10 - ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)
• 13 - By the Numbers: 2024 Incoming SKMC Class
• 14 - New Medical Students Destined to Be Leaders and Changemakers
• 16 - Jefferson Research Lab Making Progress in Battle Against Cancer by Adam Snook, PhD ’08
• 18 - That’s Why We’re Here: The Czarnecki Family’s Jefferson Journey
• 22 - His North Star by Gregory C. Kane, MD ’87, MACP
• 26 - Full Circle by Suresh G. Nair, MD ’84
• 28 -Ask the Right Question—Save a Life …

A Scoping Review Of Substance Use Brief Interventions In Africa, Florence Jaguga, Sarah Kiburi, Eunice Temet, Matthew Aalsma, Mary Ott, Rachel Maina, Cyprian Mostert, Lukoye Atwoli, Juddy Wachira, Gilliane Kosgei

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background: The burden of substance use in Africa is substantial. Brief interventions (BIs) are a recommended public health strategy for the prevention and early intervention for substance use problems. The objective of this scoping review was to map the literature on substance use BIs in Africa, identify gaps, and provide directions for future research.

Methods: The scoping review was guided by the Arksey O’Malley Framework and the PRISMA-Scoping review (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. A search of five bibliographic databases (PubMed, PsychINFO, Web of Science, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Professionals (CINAHL) and Cochrane Library) was conducted from inception until 1st November …

The Case For Eliminating Excessive Worry As A Requirement For Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Cross-National Investigation, Ayelet Meron Ruscio, Madeleine Rassaby, Murray Stein, Dan Stein, Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, Ali Al-Hamzawi, Jordi Alonso, Lukoye Atwoli, Guilherme Borges, Evelyn Bromet

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background: Around the world, people living in objectively difficult circumstances who experience symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) do not qualify for a diagnosis because their worry is not ‘excessive’ relative to the context. We carried out the first largescale, cross-national study to explore the implications of removing this excessiveness requirement.

Methods: Data come from the World Health Organization World Mental Health Survey Initiative. A total of 133 614 adults from 12 surveys in Low- or Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) and 16 surveys in High-Income Countries (HICs) were assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Non-excessive worriers meeting all other DSM-5 …

Accuracy Of Nine-Item Patient Health Questionnaire Against Psychiatric Diagnosis For Depression Among People With Hiv, Marcela Yotebieng, Natalia Zotova, Charlotte Bernard, Suzanne Goodrich, Ajeh Rogers Awoh, Dana Watnick, Dominique Mahambu Nsonde, Elodie Flore Tchiengang Moungang, Moussa Seydi, Lukoye Atwoli

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the performance of the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) against psychiatrist diagnosis in people with HIV (PWH).

Design: Cross-sectional analysis of data collected between January 2018 and July 2022 across five sites in Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Senegal, and the Republic of Congo. Participants were ≥18 years and receiving HIV care at the participating site. PHQ-9 was administered by study staff followed by a psychiatrist's evaluation within 3 days.

Results: Overall, 778 participants with complete data were included: 297 (38.2%) in Cameroon, 132 (17.0%) in Congo, 148 (19.0%) in Cote d’Ivoire, …

Mental Health And Quality Of Life Following Breast Cancer Diagnosis In Patients Seen At A Tertiary Care Hospital In Nairobi, Kenya: A Qualitative Study, Innocent Abayo, Noureen Karimi, Karishma Sharma, Isaiah Omedo, Sehrish Rupani, Mansoor Saleh

Haematology and Oncology, East Africa

Mental health challenges are common following cancer diagnosis, negatively impacting treatment and quality of life for breast cancer (BC) patients. This pilot study provides an understanding of the impacts of BC diagnosis and care experiences on the mental health of patients seen at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. We conducted 40 in-depth interviews, including 10 women with newly diagnosed BC, 10 women with metastatic BC, 10 family members and 10 healthcare professionals. Data were transcribed, translated into English as needed and coded using Dedoose software. Following BC diagnosis, it was reported that patients faced various physical, social, …

Classification Of Isolated Versus Multiple Birth Defects: An Automated Process For Population-Based Registries, Renata H Benjamin, Joanne M Nguyen, Margaret Drummond-Borg, Angela E Scheuerle, Peter H Langlois, Mark A Canfield, Charles J Shumate, Laura E Mitchell, A J Agopian

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Epidemiologic studies of birth defects often conduct separate analyses for cases that have isolated defects (e.g., spina bifida only) and cases that have multiple defects (e.g., spina bifida and a congenital heart defect). However, in some instances, cases with additional defects (e.g., spina bifida and clubfoot) may be more appropriately considered as isolated because the co-occurring defect (clubfoot) is believed to be developmentally related to the defect of interest. Determining which combinations should be considered isolated can be challenging and potentially resource intensive for registries. Thus, we developed automated classification procedures for differentiating between isolated versus multiple defects, while accounting …

Transgender Women With Hiv Demonstrate Unique Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Profiles, Jordan E Lake, Ana N Hyatt, Han Feng, Hongyu Miao, Anoma Somasunderam, Netanya S Utay, Kathleen E Corey

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) prevalence and severity may be higher in people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) than the general population, and vary with sex and age. We explored NAFLD characteristics by gender.

Methods: Adult transgender women (TW), cisgender women (CW), and cisgender men (CM) with HIV on antiretroviral therapy and without other known causes of liver disease underwent screening for NAFLD (2017-2020). Circulating factors associated with NAFLD were measured. Hepatic steatosis and fibrosis were assessed using transient elastography by controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) and liver stiffness measurement (LSM), respectively. Analysis of variance/Wilcoxon testing compared normally/non-normally distributed variables, …

Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium Guideline For Cyp2b6 Genotype And Methadone Therapy, Katherine M Robinson, Seenae Eum, Zeruesenay Desta, Rachel F Tyndale, Andrea Gaedigk, Richard C Crist, Cyrine E Haidar, Alan L Myers, Caroline F Samer, Andrew A Somogyi, Pablo Zubiaur, Otito F Iwuchukwu, Michelle Whirl-Carrillo, Teri E Klein, Kelly E Caudle, Roseann S Donnelly, Evan D Kharasch

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Methadone is a mu (μ) opioid receptor agonist used clinically in adults and children to manage opioid use disorder, neonatal abstinence syndrome, and acute and chronic pain. It is typically marketed as a racemic mixture of R- and S-enantiomers. R-methadone has 30-to 50-fold higher analgesic potency than S-methadone, and S-methadone has a greater adverse effect (prolongation) on the cardiac QTc interval. Methadone undergoes stereoselective metabolism. CYP2B6 is the primary enzyme responsible for catalyzing the metabolism of both enantiomers to the inactive metabolites, S- and R-2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine (S- and R-EDDP). Genetic variation in the CYP2B6 gene has been investigated in the context …

Physical Activity And Sedentary Time Among Us Adolescents Before And During Covid-19: Findings From A Large Cohort Study, Ethan T Hunt, Keith Brazendale, Augusto C F De Moraes, Raja Malkani, Natalia I Heredia, Christopher D Pfledderer, Denver M Brown, Deanna M Hoelscher, Michael W Beets, Robert G Weaver

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Evidence suggests that adolescents engage in less physical activity during the summer break. Less is known regarding physical activity during the summer months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS: Utilizing data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, the authors examined daily activity measured by Fitbit Charge 2 devices before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic during school and summer months. Linear models estimated activity during pre-COVID-19 school, pre-COVID-19 summer, COVID-19 school, and COVID-19 summer.

RESULTS: Participants (N=7,179, aged 11.96 years, 51% female, 51% White) accumulated 8,671.0 (95% CI=8,544.7; 8,797.3) steps, 32.5 (95% CI=30.8, 32.3) minutes of moderate-to-vigorous …

Phenotypic Diversity Of Type Iii Secretion System Activity In Enteropathogenic Escherichia Coli Clinical Isolates, Carmen A Contreras, Tracy H Hazen, Carmen Guadarrama, Ramón Cervantes-Rivera, Theresa J Ochoa, Pablo Vinuesa, David A Rasko, Jose L Puente

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction. Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) strains pose a significant threat as a leading cause of severe childhood diarrhoea in developing nations. EPEC pathogenicity relies on the type III secretion system (T3SS) encoded by the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE), facilitating the secretion and translocation of bacterial effector proteins.

Gap Statement. While the regulatory roles of PerC (plasmid-encoded regulator) and GrlA (global regulator of LEE-activator) in ler expression and LEE gene activation are well-documented in the EPEC prototype strain E2348/69, understanding the variability in LEE gene expression control mechanisms among clinical EPEC isolates remains an area requiring further investigation.

Aim. This …

Evaluation Of Unplanned Reattendances To The Pediatric Emergency Department: A Five-Year Study, Liying Toh, Jin Wee Lee, Siok Hoon Ang, Sashikumar Ganapathy, Janani D/O Nadarajan, Shu-Ling Chong

Research Collection School Of Economics

Background: Unplanned reattendances (UR) are an important quality indicator in the emergency department (ED). Understanding the risk factors associated with UR can aid clinicians in optimizing the allocation of time and resources, as well as targeted counselling for this specific group of patients. In this study, we aimed to compare patient characteristics between children who attended a pediatric emergency department (ED) with unplanned reattendances (UR) and those without UR. We also aimed to study the association between healthcare delivery factors such as timing of the attendance, patient load, changeover months for rotating junior doctors, presence of supervision, and rate of …

Estimating Firm-Level Production Functions With Spatial Dependence, Pao-Li Chang, Ryo Makioka, Bo Lin Ng, Zhenlin Yang

Research Collection School Of Economics

This paper proposes a three-stage efficient GMM estimation algorithm for estimating firm-level production functions given spatial dependence across firms due to supplier-customer relationships, sharing of input markets, or knowledge spillover. The procedure builds on Ackerberg, Caves and Frazer (2015) and Wooldridge (2009), but in addition, allows the productivity process to depend on the lagged output levels and lagged input usages of related firms, and spatially correlated productivity shocks across firms, where the set of related firms can differ across the three dimensions of spatial dependence. We establish the asymptotic properties of the proposed estimator, and conduct Monte Carlo simulations to …

Selves As Worlds, Worlds As Selves: A Review Of Worlds We Are (2023), Emerald F. Manlapaz

Akda: The Asian Journal of Literature, Culture, Performance

No abstract provided.

Little Island, Leah R. Nath

Student Publications

After spending two full months living on a remote island off the coast of Maine, I had a difficult time adjusting to mainland life again; the noise, the people, the lack of birds a shock to my system after getting used to such a different way of living. In this piece, I wanted to capture the feeling of becoming part of Petit Manan island, trying to learn the language of the land and the birds, and then the feeling of loss and change once I left. I hope readers can experience the feeling of falling in love with the island …

"Is There Any Possibility That They Might Have Remained Alive?": The George Barlaz Papers And The Search For Family After The Holocaust, Jacob Kahn-Samuelson

Student Publications

The paper explores the topic of American Jews searching for their families after the Holocaust. The paper uses the George Barlaz Papers, to argue that after the Holocaust Jews used Jewish organizations to search for family. Charity organizations like HIAS, Jewish newspapers like The Forward and various Landsmanshaftn were all used by George Barlaz to look for his family. From the search for family, new relationships were formed between searchers and those who were helping them find their family. George Barlaz developed a strong friendship with Moses Feinblüt who helped him search for his family and connect him with the …

“Indescribable But Never To Be Forgotten”: Challenging The Gender Roles Of Victorian Era Women And Expanding Cultural Horizons Through Travels Abroad, Camryn Counsil

Student Publications

Between the years of 1862-8, the Webb-Black family traveled the world on a Grand Tour to countries such as Italy, Austria, and France. In letters home to their aunts, half-sisters Augusta, Menah, and Julia detailed their journeys within the physical and cultural spheres of the places they visited. Later copied into a bound volume, these epistles gave voice to women’s thoughts, emotions, and conflicts when exploring the realm of the unknown. From a young age, Victorian girls were taught to suppress their opinions and merely expect a life of motherhood. However, the women of these letters pushed beyond what was …

"You Say You Want A Revolution?": Gettysburg College Students And The Turbulent 1960s, Madeleine G. Ulman

Student Publications

Influenced by external events, major social movements, and the counterculture of the 1960s, Gettysburg College students increasingly demanded more out of their college. In the years 1963 and 1964, few students at Gettysburg College were interested in disrupting the status quo or questioning the college’s role as an authority figure. However, by 1968 and 1969, a growing number of Gettysburg College students demanded more of a voice in the college’s decision making process, fought to change unfair policies, and challenged the authority of the establishment. Some students began to organize demonstrations and protests in response to injustices they observed locally …

Different Perspectives In Early Twentieth-Century Utah: A Love Story Between Lewis Gillilan And Ellen Benson, Greer E. H. Garver

Student Publications

Lewis Gillilan and Ellen Benson were young adults who lived in Utah during the first decade of the twentieth century. Between the years 1909 and 1910 they engaged in a long-distance courtship, which ended in an elopement. In that period, they wrote many letters to each other which were full of details about what shaped their relationship. Such details ranged from romantic expressions to disagreements about religious beliefs. Their letters also frequently included references to their work and education, which tell a story of a state going through both agricultural, industrial, and social development. This paper explores themes present in …

Ethel Bird: A College Woman's Life And Legacy From 1901 To 1905, Bryn A. Morris

Student Publications

This essay is a case study of the experiences of Ethel Bird, a middle-class student at Beloit College at the turn of the twentieth century. Through an analysis of the first-person accounts of her college life, as reported in hundreds of letters sent to her parents, the essay will expand upon previous explorations of gender and postsecondary education to examine specifically the middle-class experience, as well as how this experience led to the entry of women into the workforce. Furthermore, it will examine how Bird’s college experiences fit into the broader history of women’s education in the United States, especially …

Civil Litigation | Notes, Arthur S. Leonard

Other Publications

No abstract provided.

Mammography Screening Behavior Among Black Women In The United States, Muinat Oseni

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women in America. The prevalence of breast cancer is higher in White women than Black women; however, death rates are higher among Black women than White women due to late detection and treatment. This quantitative study used the multi-theory model to examine factors affecting mammography screening among Black American women. Data were collected using Qualtrics. An independent t-test was used to compare mammography screening behavior among Black women who had mammograms with those who had not. Multiple linear regression was used to predict the initiation and sustenance of mammography …

Unpacking English Language Teachers’ Perceptions And Practices Of Translanguaging: A Case Study Of Secondary Schools In China, Yuling Chen, Fan Fang, Weilei Zhang

Journal of English and Applied Linguistics

Translanguaging has gained prominence as a viable tactic to assist the language learning of L2 learners due to the increasing variety of classrooms globally. Translanguaging pedagogy has been recently studied in diverse contexts. However, most of the research on translanguaging, especially in the Chinese context, is focused on higher education. Limited attention has been paid to secondary school. Therefore, this qualitative case study aims to fill this gap by investigating how language educators employ translanguaging in their English teaching in secondary schools. Data was collected from 4 Chinese EFL teachers across 2 secondary schools through classroom observation and semi-structured interviews, …

Child-Taking, Diane Marie Amann

Scholarly Works

A ruling group at times takes certain children from their community and then tries to remake them in its image. It tries to rid the child of undesired differences, in ethnicity or nationality, religion or politics, race or ancestry, culture or class. There are too many examples: the colonialist residential schools that forced settler cultures on Indigenous children; the military juntas that kidnapped dissidents’ children; and today’s reports of abductions amid crises like that in Syria. Too often nothing is done and the children are lost. But that may be changing, as the International Criminal Court is seeking to arrest …

Comparing Likert And Slider Response Formats In Clinical Assessment, Guyin Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

This study used a within-subjects experimental design to compare various response formats in fitting confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) models. Participants responded to the 8-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) across four different response formats: the Likert-type scale, three types of slider response formats, and a number-entry response format. We conducted the comparison of different response formats based on item-level scores, factor structure and psychometric properties of the scale, mean comparisons across groups, and individuals’ sum scores. Similar results were observed across the different response formats with respect to factor structure, reliability, and validity of test scores. However, inconsistent …

Electroless Deposition And Galvanic Displacement For The Control Of Supported Nanoparticle Size And Composition, Haiying Zhou

Theses and Dissertations

Catalyst performances can be greatly affected by properties such as particle size, composition, geometry, and cleanliness of the active surface. To achieve optimal catalytic performance, appropriate synthesis methods are required to synthesize the desired structures. Supported metal particle catalysts are usually prepared by impregnation and precipitation methods in industry. Although these two methods are simple, they exhibit poor control over surface morphology, leading to a wide particle size distribution and uncontrolled distribution of different metal components. In this dissertation, three topics on controlling surface morphology are discussed.

For structure sensitive reactions, reactivity and selectivity can be strongly affected by particle …

Measurement Of Single Differential Cross Sections, Polarization Observables, And Beam-Spin Asymmetry In Charged Two-Pion Electroproduction Off The Proton, Christopher Andrew Mclauchlin

Theses and Dissertations

Emergent phenomena are described as such due to functional differences in paradigms based on observation scale, one of the most fundamental being the emergence of hadronic structure from bare quarks and gluons, as dictated by the strong interaction. Measurement of charged two-pion electroproduction off the proton with CLAS in run group E1-6 and the extraction of single differential cross sections, polarization observables, and beam-spin asymmetries was performed as a necessary step in illuminating the length scale currently dark to Quantum Chromodynamics within the structure of the proton. Understanding the scale-dependent nature of this hadronic structure is integral to understanding nature …

In Search Of Cognitive Justice: One District’S Approach To Implementing Culturally Responsive Practices, Anne Marie Mancini

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study examined district leaders' approach to integrating culturally responsive practices into classrooms in a medium-sized urban Connecticut public school system. The framework for this study was supported by two theories: transformative learning and culturally responsive pedagogy. Following a case study model of design, the project focused on the work of the Supervisor of Professional Learning and the Department Supervisor for English Language Arts (ELA) as they provided training, support, and resources to the Grade 7 team. Two research questions guided this study: (1) What successes, if any, did district leaders experience in implementing culturally responsive teaching practices …

Revolutionizing Early Detection: The Influence Of Machine Learning In Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Diagnosis, Rabia Younas, Hafiz Burhan Ul Haq, Hafsa Naveed

Sustainable Machine Intelligence Journal

Machine learning is an analysis technique of big data that uses computers and mathematical models to develop algorithms. These algorithms are applied in many situations and one of the most common uses is in developing prediction models. Machine learning is the activity of making prognosis of other data points which are related to the self using key factors from a dataset. It is designed to effectively predict the dysplasia within a given setting using machine learning algorithms on a dataset with primary focus on Barrett’s Esophagus. The study investigates the use of five classification methods: As per the classification, the …

Do Women Receive Worse Financial Advice?, Utpal Bhattacharya, Amit Kumar, Sujata Visaria, Jing Zhao

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

We arranged for trained undercover men and women to pose as potential clients and visit all 65 local financial advisory firms in Hong Kong. At financial planning firms, but not at securities firms, women were more likely than men to receive advice to buy only individual or only local securities. Female clients who signaled high confidence, high risk tolerance, or a domestic outlook were especially likely to receive this suboptimal advice. Our theoretical model explains these patterns as a result of statis-tical discrimination interacting with advisors’ incentives. Taste-based discrimination is unlikely to explain the results.