6591 research outputs found
Sort by
Healthcare Coverage and Out-of-Pocket Medical Expenses: Evidence from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and the Medical Expense Deduction
No full textThis study examines the link between health insurance and out-of-pocket medical expenses at the state level using data on the medical expense deduction obtained from the Internal Revenue Service. We exploit the fact that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act lowered the threshold for the medical expense deduction in 2017 and examine whether health insurance coverage is related to the medical expense deduction based on the assumption that the lower threshold affected states with more people with large medical expenses. This was a state-level cross-sectional study. Data on medical expense deductions are obtained from the Internal Revenue Service and combined with health insurance coverage data from the Small Area Health Insurance Estimates. The ordinary least squares are used to measure the relationship, and the best-fit lines are shown along with scatterplots to describe the finding. We find that the new law that allowed more taxpayers to take the benefit of medical expense deductions increased the share of tax returns with a medical expense deduction and the total medical expense deduction amounts in all states, but the increase was greater in states with larger uninsured populations. The finding highlights the role of employer-sponsored and private health insurance in reducing out-of-pocket medical expenses among the general population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR
Journal of Big History (Volume 5, Number 1)
Get PDFThe Journal of Big History is a publication of the International Big History Association. The mission of the International Big History Association is to promote Big History. Big History Big History seeks to understand the integrated history of the Cosmos, Earth, Life, and Humanity, using the best available empirical evidence and scholarly methods
Public School Nurse to Student Ratios: Does it Affect Absenteeism?
Get PDFThe demands for adequate nursing workloads in public schools have increased with special needs children in Arkansas. School nurses are a necessary component of student academic achievement and physical well-being. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects that nurse-to-student ratios have on absenteeism by providing a convenience sample questionnaire to Arkansas K-12 public school superintendents. The questionnaire has examined the relationship between school nurse ratios and school absentee numbers. A four-question survey was sent out to 233 Arkansas K-12 public schools using a QuestionPro survey. Superintendents were asked about their school district numbers for the 2020-2021 school year. Forty-seven (36.1%) out of 233 respondents partially completed the survey. Of the 47 respondents, 17 (7.2%) completed the survey. Seven (5.5%) provided information about their absentee rates in the 17 completed surveys. Out of the seven schools, the absentee rate was 2.9% to 51%. Data from each school district was examined for special needs children for the 2020-2021 school year and was found to have a 2%-18% rate. This study also examined the relationship of nursing ratios to school district numbers for the 2020-2021 school year. Out of the 13 schools that completed the survey, 61% of the schools did not have adequate nursing workloads at the 1:400 nursing ratio.
Implications for this study were that the schools assessed have higher absentee rates and higher needed nursing ratios for the 2020-2021 school year. The schools that were found to have higher absentee numbers were the schools that require higher nurse-to-student 1:400 ratios. A recommendation for greater sampling numbers and the need for a more in-depth study of special needs children were examined
A Descriptive Study on the Perceived Barriers to Academic Progression from LPN to RN
Get PDFThe significance of seamless academic progression has been emphasized in the nursing profession for more than a decade. A significant amount of research has been conducted on the transition from registered nurse (RN) to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) prepared nurse in order to identify potential barriers to progression: yet a significant literature gap exists for the transition from licensed practical nurse (LPN) to RN. The purpose of this quantitative descriptive study was to identify what perceived barriers practical nursing students and recent practical nursing graduates identify as potentially hindering academic progression to a registered nursing program. Data was collected anonymously using a researcher-developed survey distributed to current students and recent graduates of a practical nursing program. Twenty-nine participants completed the survey. Results indicate that, while many potential barriers to academic progression that exist for RNs transitioning to BSN may also exist for an LPN transitioning to RN, the experience necessitates further research
The Impact of Mindfulness Practices in Teachers
Get PDFMindfulness training has been identified as a promising means for cultivating social and emotional competencies and reducing stress. The purpose of the quantitative pre-post study using convenience sampling of educators in a rural K-12 in the Arkansas River Valley was to examine whether teachers’ participation in mindfulness activities were associated with changes in levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and job satisfaction. The study used the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) and measured the responses from novice (0-3 years) and experienced (4+ years) teachers. The findings revealed that there was no difference between the control and experienced groups on the DASS-21 and the JSS surveys; however, there was a significant difference among the experimental groups self-reported pre and posttests (novice and experienced). Even though this was not an original hypothesis, it was found that those who participated in mindful activities such as meditation and breathing techniques reported decreased depression, anxiety, and stress scores on the DASS-21 posttest. Moreover, the mindful activities appeared to benefit the experimental novice teachers as reported on the pre and post JSS surveys
Evidence of Abnormal Trading on COVID-19 Pfizer Vaccine Development Information
No full textThe 2019 COVID-19 pandemic led to an economic slowdown worldwide and shook the investment world. Pharmaceutical investments were influenced by the anticipation of COVID-19 vaccine developments. Our study examines the real-time impact of public announcements concerning COVID-19 vaccine developments on stock returns and volatilities for Pfizer, Moderna, and the S&P 500. Market Return and Information Event methodology were used to analyze stock activities immediately before important public COVID-19 vaccine development announcements related to Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. This methodology was employed for vaccine news announcements between 2 January 2020 and 4 March 2022. Stock returns and volatility were analyzed with time-series regression analysis. Findings demonstrated that increased trade volatilities occurred immediately prior to COVID-19 vaccine development news was made public. Specifically, Pfizer stock returns were significantly higher (above the mean) immediately before positive COVID-19 vaccine development information was made public. Also, increased volume volatility was observed for Pfizer, Moderna, and the S&P 500 index stocks immediately before positive vaccine development information concerning Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were made public. These findings suggest that the vaccine information may have been leaked before being made public. If so, the findings may indicate that investors were taking advantage of insider information while trying to mitigate the appearance that they engaged in insider trading
Technical Agriculture Skills Teachers Need to Teach Courses in the Plant Systems Pathway
No full textAgricultural teacher education programs are designed to prepare competent teachers who are ready to teach students in public schools. One aspect of agricultural teacher education is ensuring teachers are ready to lead instruction in various aspects of school-based agricultural education (SBAE), such as teaching students various technical agriculture skills. As part of a larger study, we used a three-round Delphi study to identify the technical agriculture skills SBAE teachers in Illinois and Iowa need to effectively teach courses in the Plant Systems pathway within the broader Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (AFNR) Career Cluster.... (Copyright by Journal of Agricultural Education
Exploring The Effect of Online Course Design on Preservice Teachers’ Knowledge Transfer and Retention Through Learning Analytics
Get PDFThere is a vast amount of data collected on e-learning platforms that can provide insight and guidance to both learners and educators. However, this data is rarely used for evaluation and understanding the learning process. Hence, to fill this gap in the literature this study explored the effect of online course design on students’ transfer and retention of knowledge through learning analytics. The aim was to reveal study behaviours of participants over a short time while exploring their academic performance. Using a mixed method approach, this research is conducted in two different countries in a limited time. The results showed that the more times students visited the learning module and the longer these visits, the higher the students’ transfer knowledge scores in this module. Most importantly, the only variable found to be a significant predictor of students’ transfer learning outcome was the number of sessions in the module website
HOW DO SITE CHARACTERISTICS OF ARKANSAS RIVER SANDBARS AFFECT POTENTIAL PREDATORS OF INTERIOR LEAST TERN NESTING COLONIES?
Get PDFCauses of colony failure in interior least terns (Sternula antillarum antillarum) have been a prevalent topic for researchers investigating this previously endangered species. How site features of their Arkansas River sandbar habitats may factor into the frequency or types of tern predators, however, is unknown. I am interested in identifying which characteristics of sandbars may result in higher frequencies of predator encounters for colonies and which predator species are involved. I used a trio of on-foot colony, site characteristic, and trail camera surveys from the summer 2020 and 2021 nesting seasons for my investigation. This exploratory analysis used generalized additive models to identify the relationships of major avian and mammalian predator groups with eight site characteristics and interior least tern reproductive success. Analyses thus far indicate that the total count of avian predator encounters describes more variation in interior least tern reproductive success than mammalian predator encounters. Site variables like elevation and number of logs negatively correlate with avian predator encounters, indicating that separating avian predators by group (like raptors and waders, who have different hunting tactics) may aid in more precisely describing the relationships between predator encounters, site characteristics, and the reproductive success of these shorebirds. Better understanding these relationships will help inform managers on conservation actions that need to be taken to best support the ongoing recovery of this species across its range