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Tracking the Trajectory of Recycled Plastic Using Technology
No full textThe demand for plastics is steadily rising, yet very little gets recycled due to its complex chemistry and cost to recycle. Plastic, being non- degradable, contributes to various forms of chemical pollution. Currently, recycling is one of the few means to mitigate plastic waste, but it requires proper disposal methods, ensuring it reaches recycling centers instead of landfills and not the environment. Despite municipalities offering recycling services to its residents, logistical hurdles often impede the plastic's journey to these centers. Apple's Airtags, utilizing Bluetooth technology, can track items over long distances using nearby iPhones to relay location information back to the AirTag owner, potentially aiding in waste management and tracking. This study aims to utilize Apple AirTags to monitor the movement of plastic waste intended for recycling in Denton County. By attaching Airtags to plastic waste, we'll track and report their trajectories. (Faculty Sponsor: Dr. John Beatty) Supported by NSF Award 1953448
The impact of mandatory substance use disorder education on peer perception of impairment in nurse anesthesia care providers
No full textPeer perceptions of substance use disorder and the considerable bias and stigma towards those suffering from or recovering from SUD were the central focus of this study. Stigma may lead to impaired providers trying to overcome SUD alone rather than seek assistance from their colleagues. A gap exists in the literature examining perceptions of impairment between nurse anesthesia care providers (NACPs) with and without SUD education, the impact of demographics, and personal and professional factors that influence those perceptions. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the presence of and the relationships between SUD education, demographics, and personal or professional factors and nurse anesthesia care providers’ attitudes toward impairment among their colleagues.
An electronic survey was sent to American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology members. Participants responded to a 55-item questionnaire, which included the Perceptions of Nurse Impairment Inventory. An independent t-test revealed that perceptions were more positive in NACPs who received SUD education (M = 62.44, SD = 7.124) than those who did not (M = 64.17, SD = 6.919).
A multiple regression analysis was conducted to predict perceptions of nurse impairment from demographic characteristics. The model explained 4.5% of the variance in perceptions of nurse impairment, F(4, 185) = 3.220, p = .014, adj. R2 = .045. None of the four variables added statistical significance to the prediction, p < .0005, although age made the largest unique contribution to the model (beta = .218).
Similarly, a multiple regression analysis was conducted to predict perceptions of nurse impairment from personal and professional factors. The model explained 5.4% of the variance in the perception of nurse impairment. Although none of these five variables added statistical significance to the prediction, F(6, 165) = 1.511, p = .178, adj. R2 = .018, years of nursing experience made the largest unique contribution (beta = .154), followed by a personal history of SUD (beta = .138).
Recommendations for future studies include a longitudinal-designed study to correlate peer perceptions of anesthesia care provider impairment with specific educational content requirements and the incidence of SUD and perception among those providers
Examining the relationship between VO2 and blood lipids in Denton firefighters
No full textThe purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between VO2 and various blood lipids in Denton firefighters and to evaluate the correlation of these indices with the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Around 200 firefighters participated in this study over five years. Participants VO2 and blood lipid profiles were evaluated. Statistical evaluation was conducted using SPSS. A Within Subjects t-test evaluated correlations between VO2, DEXA, and blood parameters including LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and total cholesterol. Results indicate that over the five-year period, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides increased significantly whereas HDL cholesterol saw a non-statistical increase. A decrease in VO2 may be associated with and play a role in the significant increases in blood lipids. There were no consistent correlation with BMI as it was found that BMI does not appear to be good indicator of risk for cardiovascular diseases in these firefighters
Social participation and quality of life for geriatric stroke survivors: A retrospective study
No full textThe purpose of this dissertation was to explore the intersection of social determinants of health and post-stroke quality of life using a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Despite evidence linking social participation to well-being, there is limited research exploring how this correlation varies across subsets of the population. The purpose of this study was to fill a gap in the literature with an investigation into the factors that influenced social participation and exploration of the moderating effect of social determinants on the relationship between social participation and quality of life.
Two objectives guided this research: first, to describe the relationship between social participation and income, race, and functional ability for older adults with stroke; second, to investigate whether socioeconomic, sociodemographic, and health-related variables moderated the relationship between social participation and quality of life for older adults with stroke. Correlational analysis was employed for the first aim, with interpretations based on pre-established criteria and significance set at p < .05. For the second aim, moderation analysis and hierarchical linear regression were used to explore relationships within the data. Frequency and variety of participation were explored using measures piloted in this study. Quality of life was measured by the Satisfaction with Life Scale.
Key findings revealed that informal social activities like spending time with family or engaging in phone calls were the most popular activities among geriatric stroke survivors. This study identified patterns in social participation related to income, sex, functional ability, and education. Additionally, functional ability emerged as a significant moderator of the relationship between social participation and quality of life in older adult stroke survivors.
Findings from this study support the idea that the HRS is a valuable tool for occupational therapy research. The Social Participation Frequency Scale and the Social Participation Variety Scale were two measures developed for this dissertation. They proved instrumental in investigating occupational participation within the HRS. The collective findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the interactions between social participation, socioeconomic factors, and quality of life among geriatric stroke survivors, with implications for occupational therapy practitioners and researchers
A Nourishing Space: Growing Client-Centered Healthcare Providers
No full textIn 2021, "A Nourishing Space" (ANS) was launched to provide health and wellness-related majors with health coaching and entrepreneurial experience. In a collaboration among Nutrition and Food Sciences, Health Studies, the Health and Wellbeing Initiative, and JNIWL, student coaches learn to provide client-centered care and build business skills. The ‘23- ’24 cohort was trained in multiple components: nutrition assessment, motivational interviewing, behavioral psychology, and private practice competencies. By using a theory-based coaching curriculum, the coaches supported client self-efficacy, motivation, and accountability in consultations. ANS expanded from 23 consultations in ‘21-’22 to over 60 consultations during the ‘23-’24 academic year, with 70% retention of clients in the fall ‘23 semester. ANS is an innovative pilot program promoting student wellbeing, while providing the ANS coaches with training in health coaching. Through this experiential learning opportunity, student coaches will be able to successfully apply their newly developed skills and entrepreneurial knowledge in future careers. (Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Michelle Kelly) Supported by TWU Jane Nelson Institute for Women’s Leadership
Coparenting through conflict: An evaluation of an intervention for high-conflict court-connected family systems
No full textOver the last decade, researchers have investigated the impact of high-conflict coparenting dynamics on children living in dual-household family systems. Subsequently, a large body of evidence has demonstrated that children exposed to ongoing interparental conflict are at an increased risk of experiencing developmental difficulties, including emotional and behavioral maladjustment, and reduced academic achievement (Amato & Anthony, 2014; Becher et al., 2019; Cummings & Davies, 2010; Smyth & Moloney, 2019). In an effort to provide empirical support for an intervention designed for high-conflict families, the purpose of this research study was to explore the experiences of parents who completed the in-person New Ways for Families® in Separation or Divorce program. The NWFF® program is designed to teach dual-household parents the skills they need to protect their children from the adverse effects of interparental conflict while at the same time preserving the parents’ and court’s resources (Eddy, 2009). An interpretive phenomenological qualitative research design was used, implementing an emergent and exploratory focus. Three main themes and twelve subthemes were identified: (1) Family Relationships (Improving the Coparenting Relationship and Improving the Parent-Child Relationship), (2) What Parents Found Helpful (Individual Meetings, Homework Assignments, Practitioner Support, Joint Parent Session, and Joint Parent-Child Sessions), and (3) Suggestions for Program Improvement (Extend Program Length, Expand Program Content, Require Participation of Both Parents and Collaboration with Other Professionals)
Rock Climbing Stretching Guide for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD)
No full textWhen participating in sports, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have a higher risk of injuring themselves. According to research, the most preventative measure to reduce injuries in sports is a warm-up such as stretching. By developing a safe, innovative, and inclusive stretching guide, United Rocks coaches and volunteers can promote safer practice and increase participation in rock climbing for individuals with IDD.United Rock
Intersectionality of Race and Gender for Token Black Women Entrepreneurs
No full textResearch has indicated that women entrepreneurs face heightened visibility and scrutiny. Kanter’s lens of visibility, polarization, and assimilation highlights the barriers and challenges women entrepreneurs must overcome to exist and thrive in traditionally male dominated spaces. However, further research is needed to address the unique and persistent challenges encountered by Black women entrepreneurs due to compounding racial and gender biases. In this study, we will investigate the intersectionality of race and gender for Black women entrepreneurs and explore the impacts of token bias when taking both race and gender into consideration. We will conduct qualitative interviews with women thriving in leadership roles to illuminate the impacts of race and gender on Black women in male-dominated fields. We will conduct 5 semi-structured interviews with Black women leaders about their experiences using an interpretive phenomenological analysis. We hypothesize that Black women entrepreneurs face amplified token bias due to both gender and race. (Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Gabrielle Smith) Supported by TWU Small Grant Program
Meditation and social predictors of tolerance
No full textThe purpose of these studies was to investigate how meditation and other social factors impact tolerance and diversity. Since there is a relationship between tolerance and diversity, the first study investigated the diversity of meditation practice and what social categories are more likely to predict frequent meditation (DV) using the Pew Religious Landscape data (n=28,025). The study combined two approaches: binary logistic regression (BLR) and descriptive statistics. The BLR revealed that people who are older, more educated, Black, Hispanic, conservative, or have lower income are all more likely to engage in weekly meditation. Nevertheless, the composition of meditators revealed that the most common weekly meditator would be a White woman (40s – 50s), without a college degree, below the median income, who is Christian, politically independent, and conservative. Additionally, descriptive statistics also revealed there are about three to twenty times more White weekly meditators than any other race, depending on the race. The second study (n=14,555) more directly investigated the relationship of meditation and social categories with tolerance, using a custom diversity tolerance scale (DTS), Pew data, and an OLS regression. The literature suggested meditation would have a substantial positive impact on tolerance, independent of social categories, and this study suspected it would not. The findings confirmed meditation was associated with small decreases in tolerance. Other variables related to political ideology/ party, religion, and demographics predicted larger changes in tolerance, with conservative being associated with the largest decrease and Buddhists associated with the largest increase. The findings suggested meditation and mindfulness could be detrimental to diversity and tolerance, made recommendations to mitigate this effect, offered alternatives to changing tolerance, and made suggestions for future research
Using OERs to Flex your Professional Development Muscle
No full textIn higher education, the implementation of OERs is often associated with textbook costs. However, this cost has varied implications for students and faculty. Students often enjoy a cost-saving benefit, while for faculty there is the cost of time. Many faculty members are not able to engage in the publishing process, which may be critical to gaining promotions within their field. OERs have been missing from this discussion and can be posited as having value within the promotion process. Therefore, advocating for the use of OERs and highlighting its role in faculty professional development should be discussed simultaneously. After all, for faculty, there are multiple benefits to the process of implementing OERs. This session will highlight the research supporting this and discuss how faculty can use OERs to flex their professional development muscles