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Aligning Tobacco Free Living Agendas in a Community Health Improvement Plan: A Case Study on Democratic Participation and Economic Interests in U.S. Health Policy Development
Full text linkThis paper addresses the gap in studies which use democratic policy making frameworks to analyze health policy development in Community Health Improvement Plans (CHIPs). The study describes and analyzes three streams of the tobacco free living policy cycle in a Community Health Improvement Plan implemented in a Mid-Western Region of the United States from 2016 to 2020. The roles of public health interest, economic interests, and democratic participatory rights in Tobacco free health policy making are assessed. The policy making process is assessed within an integrated framework of analysis that weaves pluralist, power elite, critical democratic theories, and participatory governance paradigms into Kingdon’s (2003), streams framework which includes problems, policy, and political streams. The results of the analysis are as follows:1. There was a deficit in democratic participation, and a preeminence of state institutions and economic interest in tobacco free living policy development to the disadvantage of public health interests; 2. Both the policy making process and policy outcomes are anticipated and explained by the governance-driven democratization paradigm and elite dominance theories 3. Democracy driven governance paradigm, democratic theories, and critical theories, illuminate the shortcomings of the policy making process and design. These frameworks also provide a pathway for improving the policy practice components of Community Health Improvement Plans. Specific recommendations are provided for future designs and implementations of policy development components of Community Health Improvement plans
Self-Driven Personality and Work Satisfaction: A New Perspective Exploring The Health Sector in Uganda
Full text linkWe evaluate the mediating role of flow experience on the relationship between self-driven personality and happiness at the workplace. Data was obtained using a mixed-method design. Quantitative data were collected using cross-sectional design among professional nurses in Uganda’s public hospitals, 429 participants responded to a self-evaluation questionnaire. The results indicate that flow experience partially mediates the relationship between self-driven personality and happiness at the workplace. Results of mediated-SEM analyses generally support the hypotheses. The results suggest that flow experience can foster the relationship between self-driven personality and happiness at the workplace. The core elements of flow experience (i.e. challenge skill balance, concentration on the task and perceived control) appear to be key to bringing happiness in the feelings of participating professional nurses and maximizing the chances of generating lasting effects. This study takes flow experience as a new perspective used to explore health sector in Uganda, estimates measurements and tests its role between self-driven personality and happiness at the workplace. Study adopts a cross-sectional approach; data are captured in the short term. Demonstrating that improving happiness at the workplace, HR managers should pay much attention to not only Self-driven personality but also cultivate flow experience
Qualified Immunity: The Court\u27s Brain Child & License to Kill
Full text linkQualified immunity, a defense created by the imagination of the Supreme Court, prevents citizens of their right to hold law enforcement officers liable when they clearly violate a citizens constitutionally protected right. Throughout this paper, I will describe the historical context of Supreme Court decisions regarding qualified immunity, clarifying the errs in logic that perpetuate a system of racial violence, while using the doctrine of stare decisis to justify the overturning of the decisions that created the defense of qualified immunity
The Effects Of Demographic And School Related Factors On Academic Distinctions Of Secondary Schools
Full text linkThe purpose of this correlational study is to determine the nature of the relationship between school and demographic factors and student achievement using data from the individual schools reported by an independent school district in North Texas. Answers to the following questions were sought: Do the teacher demographic factors (years of experience, gender, ethnicity, degree held) have a significant impact on the student achievement on the English I and II STAAR exam? Do the school-related factors (size of school, attendance, average class size) have a significant impact on student achievement on the English I and II STAAR exam? In this study a comprehensive analysis was conducted using Binary Logic Regression to examine the relationship between various teacher and school-related factors and student performance on the English I and English II STAAR tests. The research focused on understanding how teacher gender, years of experience, racial demographics, and level of education, along with school-related factors like class size, school size, and attendance, influence student achievement. Results indicated that most of these factors, including teacher gender, ethnicity, education level, class size, and school size, did not exhibit a statistically significant relationship with student performance on the STAAR tests, as evidenced by high p-values and low R^2 values
Trend Analysis Of Selected Special Education Transition Factors On The Post-School Outcomes Of Former High School Students With Individual Education Plans For School Years 2017 - 2020
Full text linkTransitioning away from high school to postsecondary life can be a complicated process for any young person. This process can be made more difficult for students with disabilities if options are not put in place before they leave high school. This is where the transition process becomes an important development to help guide students with Individual Education Programs (IEPs) into postsecondary opportunities once they exit high school. The purpose(s) of this study was to examine selected post-school transition factors of former students with disabilities who had an IEP in high school. Additionally, this study aimed to provide descriptive data on the select variables which include post-school job training, postsecondary education, and post-school employment. Lastly, this study provided insight into outcomes of students with IEPs as well as provide implications for practices for students, educators, employers, agencies, and other stakeholders in the transition process. The data for this study utilized archival records of the Texas Education Agency State Performance Plan Indicator 14: Student-Centered Transitions Network Survey (2018-2020). This study showed the trends of the three years under investigation have not produced measurable gains allowing more students to successfully engage in post-school outcomes once they’ve exited high school. The researcher positively learned that essential resources are needed for effective school-based transition planning and post-school outcomes for students with disabilities. The examination of the trends in this study supported the researcher’s conclusion that more work is needed to ensure students with IEPs have the proper transition planning that takes account of their strengths and weaknesses, their wishes for post-school life in the areas of postsecondary education, employment, job training, and to become productive members of society and the community
From Gentrification, Systematic Racism, Policy Entrepreneurs to the Myth of Expertise in Academia and Community Health Improvement
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Black Girls Deserve To Be Girls: A Comparison Of School-Based Social And Emotional Practices On The Impact Of Discipline Rates Of African American Middle School Girls
Full text linkHistorically, Black women have been known as the backbone of education in their communities; however, Black Girls today still face significant barriers to educational achievement. Stereotypes placed on Black Girls at school have led to disproportionate reprimands and disciplinary infractions. The negative perspectives of those in authority create barriers to success for Black Girls in schools. This study sought to identify the effect of social and emotional learning on the impact of discipline rates of African-American middle school girls. A sequential exploratory mixed methods design was used in which the researcher analyzed the effect of social and emotional learning practices on Black Girls\u27 discipline experiences using both quantitative and qualitative analysis sequentially. Qualitative data was engaged first to establish the girls’ voices and opinions of their schools\u27 support for their social and emotional well-being. The second objective was to determine any differences in discipline rates for middle school Black Girls on a campus that employs social and emotional learning practices. Results indicated that the girls feel that their social and emotional needs are being fostered on both campuses, while there are noticeable differences in structure from one campus to the other. On the campus that uses social and emotional learning practices, it was evident that the personnel on the campus are making a concerted effort to support the social and emotional needs of the Black Girls. On the campus that does not utilize social and emotional learning practices, efforts to support the social and emotional needs of the girls are being made independently and not due to specific training or resources from the campus or the district. This shows up in the suspension data, where the girls on this campus are more likely to be subjected to in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension, and DAEP referrals than those at the campus that does use social and emotional learning practices
Haloperidol Paradoxical Behavior Induced Cell Proliferation Through Pkb/Akt And Abolished By Mir-Let-7c
Full text linkHaloperidol is a typical antipsychotic drug; it is widely used for people with various psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and dementia. Despite its effectiveness in controlling delusions, hallucinations, agitation, and other disruptive behavioral symptoms in these psychiatric conditions, it has adverse side effects such as extrapyramidal manifestation and endocrinologic and metabolic changes. Initial evidence shows that haloperidol has antitumor properties in several cancer types by inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis. However, other reports indicate that haloperidol promotes cell proliferation in other cells, raising concerns about its association with an increased risk of cancer which suggests haloperidol has a paradoxical behavior in different cell types. Most haloperidol studies focused on cancer cells, not normal cells. However, a study showed that haloperidol protects lung endothelial cells from injury and another study proved that haloperidol stimulated the cellular transformation of human endometrial epithelial cells (HECCs) into human endometrial carcinoma cells (HECCs). Nevertheless, the role of haloperidol on the immortalized non-tumorigenic epithelial cell line, human bronchial epithelium BEAS-2B, remains unknown. Also, the paradoxical effect of haloperidol in cancer and non-cancer cells and on Protein Kinase B protein kinase B (PKB/AKT) and its downstream regulatory proteins is puzzling. PKB/AKT promotes cell proliferation, survival, and metabolism, including tumorigenesis, by phosphorylating its downstream target proteins. Additionally, studies have proven that Several miRNAs were observed to be differentially expressed by antipsychotic drug treatment. However, limited studies directly investigate microRNAs\u27 role in the haloperidol paradoxical effect. Therefore, it is essential to study the effects of haloperidol on PKB/AKT and its downstream regulatory proteins and explore the role of microRNAs targeting PKB/Akt messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) in regulating haloperidol\u27s paradoxical behavior, focusing on miRNA, hsa-Let-7c, known for its roles as a cycle regulator, tumor suppressor, as well as its involvement in regulating neuronal differentiation, neural subtype specification, and synapse formation in humans. This research proposes two aims to address these complexities. Aim 1: this study focuses on understanding haloperidol’s paradoxical (i.e., contradictory) behavior relative to cell proliferation in non-cancerous cellular environments. The hypothesis is that haloperidol promotes cell proliferation and survival, increasing cell cycle progression gene expression in BEAS-2B cells. Aim 2: this study deciphers whether microRNAs (miRNAs) prevent haloperidol’s paradoxical behavior that induces cell proliferation through the PKB/AKT signaling pathway in BEAS-2B cells since the miRNAs are suitable biomarkers and can be utilized for determining the paradoxical behavior of PBK/AKT in different cellular environments. The hypothesis is that overexpression of miRNA (i.e., hsa-let-7c DNA construct, which targets PKB/AKT mRNA) would reduce PKB/AKT-induced expression by haloperidol in BEAS-2B cells, reducing cell proliferation and promoting apoptosis. To achieve the study aims and fulfill the study hypotheses, BEAS-2B cells were treated with 3.5 µM of haloperidol for 24 and 48 hours, and they were treated with 3.5 µM of haloperidol and transfected with hsa-let-7c- GFP-DNA construct for 24 and 48 hours. Also, untreated control experiments were included. After each interval, the cells were examined under an inverted microscope; protein and RNA were isolated; cDNA was synthesized; semi-qPCR and Western blot were performed. Li-COR Odyssey® Fc imager (LI-COR Biosciences, Lincoln, NE) using Image Studio Lite Version 5.2 (LI-COR Biosciences, Lincoln, NE) was used for visualization and quantification. Haloperidol increases BEAS-2B cell proliferation without hsa-let-7c expression, suggesting it promotes cell cycle progression. Conversely, overexpression of miRNA, hsa-let-7c, inhibits haloperidol-induced cell proliferation and PBK/AKT, including the downstream genes regulated by PBK/AKT. Conclusion: haloperidol-induced PBK/AKT expression to promote BEAS-2B cell proliferation and survival. However, overexpression of hsa-let-7c inhibits haloperidol-induced PBK/AKT and its downstream target genes. This study validates the proliferating paradoxical effect of haloperidol. It demonstrates that miRNA, hsa-let-7c, regulates PBK/AKT mRNA, reducing its protein expression in BEAS-2B cells and suggesting hsa-let-7c is a suitable biomarker for solving haloperidol paradoxical behaviors involving cell proliferation, survival, and apoptosis
The Predictability Of Selected Academic, Demographic, And Job-Related Factors On The Job Satisfaction Of Faculty Members Employed At A Historically Black University
Full text linkThe purpose of this study was to examine the predictability of selected academic, demographic, and job-related factors on the job satisfaction of faculty members employed at a Historically Black University. Specifically, this study was concerned with the relationship between academic (tenure status, academic discipline, and professional development), demographic (gender, ethnicity, and years of experience), and job-related interaction with faculty interaction with faculty and staff and interaction with students) factors and the overall job satisfaction among faculty members. A predictive correlational research design was employed in the present study. One hundred two (102) faculty members employed at an Urban Historically Black University were selected to participate in the study. Two instruments entitled the “Job Satisfaction Survey” and the “Demographic Profile Sheet” were used by the researcher to collect the data. There were three hypotheses tested in this study. All three hypotheses were tested for the relationship and predictive power of selected academic, demographic, and job-related factors associated with job satisfaction among faculty members employed at a Historically Black University. Hypotheses one and three were found to be significant. Relative to hypothesis one, the academic factors of tenure status, academic discipline, and professional development were found to be statistically related to total job satisfaction. The variable academic discipline was found to be an independent predictor of total job satisfaction among faculty members. Further, regarding hypothesis three, the job-related factors of interaction with faculty and other faculty, interaction with faculty and staff, and faculty interaction with students were found to be statistically related to total job satisfaction. The variable interaction with students was found to be an independent predictor of the total job satisfaction among faculty members. The study implied that the significant influence of academic factors on the total job satisfaction among faculty members recommends that administrators on higher education campuses who specifically work with the faculty should be aware of the relationship between academic-related factors and job satisfaction