9667 research outputs found
Sort by
A Circumstantial Librarian’s Journey: Navigating Hopes, Challenges, and Opportunities During Uncertain Political Times
No full textIn 2022, I became Texas Tech University’s (TTU) first Multicultural Services Librarian, launching the Peters Family Legacy Library (PFLL) for the Black Cultural Center’s historic opening, the first such center at a Texas public university. My vision was to foster intercultural education through curated resources and specialized services like outreach & engagement programming. However, Texas Senate Bill 17 (SB 17), effective January 2024, banned diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, reshaping my role into Academic Engagement Librarian and redirecting PFLL’s mission. This presentation traces my journey as a “circumstantial librarian”—an unexpected career path—exploring hopes, challenges, and opportunities amid anti-DEI legislation
Spark Spaces: Engaging Your Library Community Through Interactive Exhibits
No full textEngaging patrons through live programming, resource promotion, and service marketing requires significant staff time and effort, valuable resources that can often be limited or unevenly applied amid daily operations. But what if your library could offer an interactive space that draws visitors in and promotes core services, upcoming events, and opportunities for patrons to slow down and engage meaningfully?
Presenters will discuss how Plano Public Library utilizes the Spark Space concept to engage library users with eye-catching displays and self-serve activities. We will share ideas for creating and scaling Spark Spaces to meet your library’s capacity and needs. Learn how Plano Public Library selects and prepares content, deploys rotating themes, and manages workloads to create visible, consistent, high-engagement learning opportunities for patrons at each library location
Ignite Readership with Relevant and Revitalized Collections
No full textLearn methods to help determine what areas of your collection need to be improved, help you find new titles that meet your needs, and identify books that you may not have in your collection. Explore tools to support your weeding and collection development decisions as well as resources to build balanced collections that engage readers of all ages
Creating the Student Lead Position: Maintaining Operational Efficiency During a Period of Transition
No full textSince early 2024 the UNT Libraries Subscription and Resource Management Unit has been experiencing a period of transition related to multiple personnel changes. During this time, the current student supervisor also became the Interim Unit Head. As Interim Unit Head most of the time went towards learning new tasks or completing typical job tasks. This limited the time available to train the new student assistant. Not having a reliable and thorough training program for the new student assistant would have severely impacted the efficiency of the unit. The senior student assistant excelled in her tasks and was eager to develop her skills further. The Interim Unit Head created the Student Lead position to promote the senior student and transfer the new student training responsibilities to her. This resulted in supporting the training needs of the new student assistant while also maintaining the unit’s operational efficiency
Effectiveness and feasibility of strategic memory advanced reasoning training in young women with stroke: A pilot study
No full textYoung women are increasingly affected by stroke. Consequently, these young women are often challenged by executive function deficits that may last for years post stroke. Executive function challenges can impact global functioning including daily living skills, social integration, psychosocial functioning, and overall occupational wellbeing. Additionally, there are limited training programs within the rehabilitation system that are designed to address executive function deficits. Limited research exists outlining the availability, feasibility and efficacy of training programs on executive function in young women with stroke. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the effectiveness and feasibility of a top down, gist-based cognitive training program called Strategic Memory Advanced Reasoning Training (SMART) in young women with stroke. The study also aimed to compare changes in executive function and daily living skills between young women with stroke and a control group. Eight women with stroke and eight age and education matched controls completed the study. Each participant underwent assessment at two time periods (one pre- and one post- SMART) as well as 10 sessions of SMART over 5 weeks. Assessment battery included measures of executive function, daily living skills, cognitive self-efficacy, community integration, and psychosocial functioning, as well as feasibility and goodness of fit of the SMART program. Participants with stroke demonstrated improvements in executive function, cognitive self-efficacy, and stress following the SMART program, but did not demonstrate statistically significant improvements as compared to the control group. The results demonstrate that SMART can help improve executive function in young women. Additionally, post SMART effects were also evident in daily life function, self-efficacy, stress, overall well-being, and occupational adaptation in young women with stroke. Feasibility was also rated highly for the SMART program, as participants in the stroke group highlighted generalizable strategies, power of group dynamics, and ability to navigate challenging situations in daily life as valuable components of the SMART program. This study serves as a foundation for larger scale studies examining the efficacy of SMART and executive function improvement in young women with stroke
The effect of walnut butter and nutrition education on plasma lipids in overweight and obese adolescents
No full textCardiovascular disease (CVD) is a primary cause of death in the United States and worldwide. Although the symptoms of CVD typically present in adulthood, CVD begins to develop in childhood and adolescents and the risk for developing CVD is increased with obesity and dyslipidemia. This study investigated the effects of walnut butter and nutrition education on blood lipid profiles in adolescents with overweight or obesity. A total of eighty adolescent participants were recruited for this four-visit study. Participants were randomized to consume 45 grams of walnut butter every day for 120 days. All participants abstained from nuts for the duration of the study and received two nutrition education sessions with a registered dietitian. Clinically significant reductions in total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were noted in the intervention group, which were not statistically significant
The impact of bacterial derived protein on glycemic control, insulin response, and amino acid stability compared to whey protein: Implications for metabolic health
No full textThe study evaluated the acute effects of bacterial protein on glucose, insulin, and amino acid (AA) levels compared to whey protein and maltodextrin. Fourteen healthy male participants consumed five treatment drinks: bacterial protein, whey, glucose, bacterial protein + glucose, and whey + glucose. Bacterial protein better stabilized blood glucose levels than whey, which caused mild hypoglycemia. However, whey moderated dextrose-induced hyperglycemia more effectively, though bacterial protein normalized insulin faster when paired with dextrose. Neither protein alone triggered a hyperinsulinemia response. Whey protein led to higher leucine levels and prolonged hyperinsulinemia, potentially posing long-term metabolic risks. While isoleucine and valine absorption rates were similar between the two proteins, whey showed a brief 20% increase in BCAAs. Both proteins maintained stable aromatic and small amino acid levels, supporting neurological health and energy metabolism. Overall, bacterial protein promotes better glucose stability, while whey’s rapid amino acid absorption may impact metabolic function
The development and effect of a text message intervention on physical activity and healthy eating behaviors in African American women who are overwight or obese
No full textAbout four out of five African American (AA) women are overweight or obese and are about 50% more likely to be obese than white women (US DHHS Office of Minority Health, 2020). Physical activity and healthy eating habits can reduce the risk of obesity and related health issues. However, AA women often lack access to culturally appropriate nutrition and physical activity interventions. This quasi-experimental, one-group, pre-and post-intervention study examined the effects of a text-messaging intervention on knowledge, motivation, and behavioral skills for physical activity and healthy eating among overweight and obese AA women and the intervention's acceptability. The Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills model guided the development of motivational text messages, focusing on building knowledge, skills, and healthy behaviors. Texts were sent twice daily, five days a week, for eight weeks. Fifty-one participants completed pre-, midpoint, and post-intervention surveys to measure knowledge, motivation, self-efficacy, and behaviors related to physical activity and healthy eating.
Results showed significant improvements in physical activity knowledge (pre: M = 4.72, post: M = 5.24, p = .009) and overall nutrition knowledge (pre: M = 45.43, post: M = 51.41, p < .001). The intervention significantly increased physical activity identified regulation (p = .002), though other aspects of motivation did not change significantly. Motivation for healthy eating improved but was not significant, and no major changes were observed in behavioral skills for physical activity. However, motivation for healthy eating significantly predicted changes in healthy eating behaviors (p = .008). Participants rated the text message intervention as highly acceptable, with solid scores for enjoyment (M = 4.12, SD = 0.89) and helpfulness (M = 4.29, SD = 0.81).
The study found increased physical activity and improved healthy eating behaviors overall, but there was no significant effect of time on physical activity or eating scores. Obese participants showed more significant increases in knowledge compared to overweight participants. In conclusion, the intervention effectively boosted knowledge and motivation but had a limited impact on behavioral skills. Participants desired more personalized and engaging messages, suggesting that future studies should focus on tailored messaging to enhance long-term behavior change
Advocacy During the 2025 89th Texas State Legislative Session
No full textThis doctoral capstone project focused on state-level advocacy through a partnership with the Texas Occupational Therapy Association (TOTA) during the 89th Texas legislative session.Texas Occupational Therapy Association (TOTA
Enhancing Accessibility and Advocacy for TWU Waterworks: A Capstone Initiative
No full textThis capstone project focuses on enhancing accessibility and participation in TWU’s Waterworks program, a water-based group exercise. Guided by the Occupational Adaptation model, the project involved a comprehensive needs assessment, stakeholder collaboration, and the development of educational materials, training resources, and policy recommendations. Through advocacy and program development, the project aimed to reduce barriers such as transportation, parking, and scheduling while promoting the physical and cognitive benefits of water aerobics. The outcomes support sustainable improvements in community-based wellness programs and contribute to the broader occupational therapy focus on health promotion and client-centered care.TWU Waterwork