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“The Estrada Protocol”: A Mindfulness Approach to Rehabilitation
No full textAlthough there are numerous resources that effectively address the physical aspects of elbow injuries in baseball players, limited research explores athletes’ mental recovery. This fourteen-week Capstone Experience at Border Therapy Services in El Paso, Texas, focused on creating and implementing “The Estrada Protocol,” a mindfulness rehabilitation plan aimed at supporting both the physical and psychological needs of baseball players recovering from elbow injuries. Working closely with site supervisor and subject matter expert Mark Scott and his staff, the researcher led meetings, educational sessions, and athlete interviews, while administering pre- and post-readiness assessments. Initial results yielded limited familiarity with the protocol, however, post-test findings demonstrated improved knowledge and confidence, allowing staff to implement the protocol effectively. “The Estrada Protocol” addresses the importance of acknowledging mental health during rehabilitation for career-altering injuries.https://scholarworks.utep.edu/otcapstones/1004/thumbnail.jp
Walk the Line: I Keep a Close Watch on These Feet of Mine QI Project to Increase the Frequency of Diabetic Foot Exams
No full textThe prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus Type II (DMII) is a significant global health concern, affecting approximately 451 million individuals worldwide, with projections indicating an increase to 693 million by 2045. As the eighth leading cause of global disease burden, DMII is associated with serious complications, including diabetes-related foot disease (DFD), which is the leading cause of disability among diabetic patients. An 8-day clinical practice log conducted at a primary care clinic in the Southwest United States revealed that a significant number of diabetic patients had not undergone a diabetic foot exam in the past year.
Objective: This quality improvement (QI) project aimed to increase the frequency of diabetic foot exams performed within the clinic\u27s diabetic patient population.
Method: The project involved conducting a standardized diabetic foot exam and assigning a risk stratification score to each patient screened. This Quality Improvement (QI) project was based on an 8-day practice assessment log performed at a privately owned, for-profit primary care organization that operates five clinics in a border town in the Southwestern United States. The company employs six providers, including two physicians and four nurse practitioners, who rotate among all the clinics on a weekly basis. Each clinic is situated in different geographical area within the city, each presenting its own unique demographics and barriers. The model used was Rosswurm and Larabee’s Model for Evidence Based Practice change, a model that facilitates a shift from traditional and intuition-driven practice to implement evidence-based changes into practice. Additionally, QI project employed a hybrid of the Toyota Production System (TPS- Lean Model) and Six Sigma to decrease variance and increase standardization.
Results: The project resulted in more providers conducting DMII foot exams and accurately assigning risk stratification scores. Before the intervention, only about 3% (~35 of 1200) of DMII patients were properly screened, after the intervention, 9% (115 of 1269) of all DMII patients received the appropriate screening and risk stratification score assignment.
Conclusion: Engagement from staff and administration facilitated the identification of patients with DMII, enabling providers to be alerted of DMII diagnoses and associated risk stratification scores (both initial and follow-up), thereby ensuring the consistent conduct of DMII foot exams
Threading the Needle: Teaching Critical Reading and Writing in the Age of AI
No full textAll instructors--but particularly instructors who must teach students specific disciplinary ways of reading and writing--face a difficult position with AI. Students will need to use AI in collegiate and professional writing, but using AI for assignments can hinder critical thinking skills crucial to analyzing and correcting AI output. This presentation demonstrates three practices from our developmental English classrooms: a critical reading and writing summary assignment, AI-resistant rubrics, and an exercise to help students evaluate AI-generated suggestions on how to review their work. These activities are designed to help students develop crucial AI-literacy skills to help them succeed in an increasingly AI-integrated world
Interview No. 1796
No full textThe interview took place on November 20, 2025, at the home of María del Carmen González Gómez in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. María del Carmen, 68 years of age, is the older sister of Patricia González Gómez and shared profound memories of her sister\u27s childhood, personality, and artistic career. This early exposure to different cultures, customs, and artistic expressions decisively shaped Patricia\u27s creative vision. From a young age, she displayed exceptional intelligence and a natural talent for drawing and painting, especially in charcoal, black-andwhite, oil, and drawing hands and faces. Her reserved yet generous nature, patience, loyalty, and discipline were reflected in each of her works, where light, shadow, and emotional expression were central elements. In her adolescence and youth, she also excelled in sports, while always maintaining a strong inclination towards visual arts. In her adult life, Patricia developed a vast artistic repertoire, which she executed with a level of detail, elegance, and feeling that moved those who observed them. Her art was a direct extension of her way of seeing life: pure, sensitive, observant, profound, and capable of transforming any object into something beautiful. Through her work, she sought to honor her father\u27s memory and imbue the family tradition with meaning. For her family, Patricia was an unappreciated genius : an exceptional artist whose opportunities did not always align with her talent, but whose creativity, ingenuity, and generosity left an indelible mark. As a sister, she taught María del Carmen patience, respect, creative courage, and the conviction that everyone is capable of creating beauty
A Bland–Altman Comparison of the Lead Care® System and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry for Detecting Low-Level Lead in Child Whole Blood Samples
No full textChronic childhood lead exposure, yielding blood lead levels consistently below 10 μg/dL, remains a major public health concern. Low neurotoxic effect thresholds have not yet been established. Progress requires accurate, efficient, and cost-effective methods for testing large numbers of children. The LeadCare® System (LCS) may provide one ready option. The comparability of this system to the “gold standard” method of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for the purpose of detecting blood lead levels below 10 μg/dL has not yet been examined. Paired blood samples from 177 children ages 5.2–12.8 years were tested with LCS and ICP-MS. Triplicate repeat tests confirmed that LCS and ICP-MS had comparable repeatability. As compared with ICP-MS, LCS had a negative bias of 0.457 μg/dL with an average variability of 1.0 μg/dL. The reproducibility and precision of the LCS is appropriate for the evaluation and monitoring of blood lead levels of individual children in a clinical setting. Recent research however has suggested that increments as small as 0.5 μg/dL may distinguish those at risk of low-level lead-induced neurotoxicity. Thus, we also conclude that the LCS is not useful for research applications attempting to identify neurotoxic effect thresholds for chronic lowest level lead exposure in children. For these types of research applications, a convenient and low-cost device is needed for the precise detection of child blood lead levels below 10 μg/dL
Electrochemistry behind PFAS: Mechanistic and analytical approach for sensing and degradation strategies
No full textUnderstanding the fundamental electrochemistry of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is key to developing effective water remediation and sensing strategies. This work explores the thermodynamics and kinetics of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) electroreduction, focusing on C-F bond cleavage. These insights were applied to design a highly sensitive electrochemical sensor for detecting trace levels of PFOA in water. This dissertation focuses on the electrochemical investigation of the reduction reaction of PFOA in aqueous and organic media employing different electrode materials. This exploration allows to understand the defluorination reaction of PFAS to further propose potential strategies for water treatment and PFOA electrosensing. Through electrochemical, spectroscopical and computational techniques, insights into the mechanism are obtained, covering the kinetics, thermodynamics, adsorption, and reorganization effects. In addition, the use of nanomaterials enabled us to design a highly sensitive electrochemical sensor with the potential usability in real water samples. Besides, a new decoration based on molecular electrografted layers (MELS) by attaching tetrafluoro-1,4-benzene moieties on GCE. This system also achieved ppt-level sensitivity and selectivity for PFOA and PFOS across various water matrices, with high stability and tunable molecular recognition. Overall, this dissertation provides a dual contribution: elucidating PFAS electrochemical degradation pathways and delivering practical sensing platforms for environmental monitoring. Future work will focus on full analytical validation and broader application in complex water systems, as well as the exploration of rational designed materials for water treatment
Testing A Benign Multi-Modal Bilingual Intervention To Increase Self-Efficacy, Intentions, And Willingness To Administer A COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test In A Predominately Hispanic Sample
No full textIntroduction. Testing is one of the most effective methods for reducing the spread of COVID-19. COVID-19 antigen tests can detect proteins from the COVID-19 virus called antigens and produce results within minutes, making them suitable for at-home use. Several factors have been identified as barriers to self-administering a COVID-19 antigen test, including the language of the testing instructions, the cost of testing, and access to tests. Interventions to reduce barriers to self-administering COVID-19 rapid tests are warranted to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The purpose of the present study is to test the impact of a benign multi-modal bilingual intervention on self-efficacy, intentions, and willingness to administer a COVID-19 antigen rapid test in a predominantly Hispanic sample. Methods. A benign multi-modal (written, audio, video) bilingual intervention was created and evaluated. Participants (N=150) were randomly assigned to receive the standard iHealth® instructions that typically accompany the COVID-19 rapid test or the translated instructions available in English and Spanish, as well as audio-visual video instructions. The primary outcome measure was self-efficacy, intentions, and willingness to administer a COVID-19 rapid antigen test. Results. Results indicated that individuals who received the bilingual instructions along with the audio-visual video had an increase in intentions and willingness to test for COVID-19. Self-efficacy to administer the COVID-19 test was improved, but not statistically significant. Conclusion. Overall, the result of this study indicates that bilingual written and audio-visual video instructions are beneficial and have a positive impact on improving self-efficacy, willingness, and intentions to administer a COVID-19 test
On The Non-Reductive Analogical Language Of Chemistry: Visualizing Chemistry As An Aesthetic Practice
No full textIn this thesis, I will consider in detail the analogical language of chemistry by identifying metaphysical assumptions and interpretations embedded in the thinking and communication of chemistry. I will explain the epistemological function and meaning of chemical symbolism and how its artistic design presents a unique opportunity to reflect about the philosophical aesthetic connections between chemistry and the humanities. I will thus consider the creative aspects of chemistry and suggest that the merging between art and science yields practical wisdom. My goal is to argue in favor of the idea of complementarity which suggests that scientific models best develop from interdisciplinary modes of thinking. My argument relies on the contributions of Roald Hoffmann, Eric Scerri, and Frank Wilczek who have all discussed similar themes in the past
Learning English on the Border: Identities, Investment, and Imagined Futures in El Paso, Texas
No full textThis qualitative study explores how adult English language learners living along the U.S.-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas experience language learning, identity formation, and social positioning within a bilingual community. Drawing on Norton\u27s (1995, 2013) theoretical frameworks of identity, investment, and imagined communities, the research investigates three central questions: (1) How does the relationship between English learners and the social world of a bilingual community on the U.S.-Mexico border impact their ideas about their possibilities for the future? (2) How does the use of English construct worlds that are different from those constructed in their first languages, and do learners wish to become part of these new worlds? (3) What are the diverse conditions under which learners speak, read, or write in English, and how might they be influenced by power relations? Data were collected from six Spanish-speaking participants, through life history interviews, a focus group, and participant-generated photographs. Findings reveal that learning English on the U.S.-Mexico border presents both opportunities and constraints. While participants frequently experienced disruptions to their linguistic autonomy, such as being spoken to in Spanish when they attempted to practice English, they also used English to construct empowered identities. The participants negotiated greater agency in professional, academic, and social domains, and their imagined futures where they are respected, professionally engaged, and socially integrated. These dynamics illustrate how English served not only as a tool of communication but also as a resource for identity transformation and resistance to marginalization.
Keywords: identity, investment, agency, English language learners, U.S.-Mexico border, bilingualism, power relation