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Get PDFWith due thanks to the Intercollegiate Biomathematics Alliance for their unending support, Spora is offering once again another highly respected platform for collaborative research in mathematics, biology, and related fields. Spora\u27s role in disseminating work especially accessible to students makes it a unique platform to expand the body of knowledge in mathematical biology. Spora welcomes submissions related to Ph.D. dissertations, master\u27s theses, and undergraduate research projects as well as original research
Spirituality, Social Work Practice, and Sustainable Development
Get PDFBased on human experience and history we know faith and culture are distinct and different. Cultural expression is a fundamental aspect of one’s identity and a human right that must be protected. Culture is a universal phenomenon, that is shaped primarily by one’s socialization. All people have a culture and may belong to a particular faith/spiritual tradition. They may also relate to others who belong to a cultural group or identify with a particular faith/spiritual tradition. To live peacefully we must strive to understand each other’s cultural, faith-based, spiritual realities as well as methods of conflict resolution and survival stories. These are challenges inherent in having awareness of faith, spirituality, cultural dimensions, and competent communication. It is imperative that we mobilize our inner spiritual wisdom and life-enhancing aspects of culture and leverage them for change. This is urgent when considering sustainability and development. The authors propose a transactional model of faith, spirituality, culture, and development and provide a context for understanding of pursuit of sustainable development. With increased awareness of the implications of a globalized world, encouraging transformation of social development, social work practice, and knowledge building of the field is critical. Case scenarios included are guided by the transactional model presented in the paper
Material, Health, and Social Vulnerability and Loneliness Among Older Adults: From the Welfare Regime Perspective
Get PDFLoneliness in later life is a significant global public health issue that negatively impacts well-being, life satisfaction, and mental health. This study investigates how material, health, and social vulnerabilities contribute to loneliness among older adults using a welfare regime framework. It examines the link between vulnerability and loneliness in the United States, Korea, Sweden, Spain, and Germany using the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) alongside its international sister studies, encompassing both Western and East Asian welfare states. Findings indicate that older adults in less generous welfare regimes experience higher levels of loneliness and material vulnerability. A multidimensional approach reveals that the most urgently vulnerable population is the multiply vulnerable group. Vulnerable groups are more likely to experience loneliness, with divergent associations emerging across countries. Cross-national variations demonstrate how institutional arrangements can either mitigate or exacerbate the relationship between vulnerability and lonelines
Popularizing Autogestión: Punk, Zapatismo, and Anarchist Ethics in Mexico City
No full textAutogestión (self-management), has been a popular articulation of radical politics since its emergence in the 1960s. This article examines how Mexico City\u27s anarcho-punk scene transformed autogestión in the 1990s from an anarcho-syndicalist principle into a unique ethical practice detached from industrial material production. It was then popularized and made more mainstream through university rock festivals. As these were Zapatista benefit concerts, autogestión became inadvertently attached to Zapatismo and detached from anarchism and punk. This history is a crucial one for understanding the political development of an entire generation of the political left in Mexico City who were young in the 1990s. This article presents materials and oral histories at the intersections of punk and Zapatismo that are broadly relevant to an understanding of Mexican social movements but are not widely known or accessible. It is essential for understanding how autogestión practice and discourse is deployed in the 21st century
Quality, Suitability, Understandability, Actionability, and Readability of Patient Education Materials: Baseline Findings from SLP Graduate Students
Get PDFThis study evaluated graduate SLP students’ ability to communicate complex health information, highlighting strengths and areas for improvement. A cross-sectional analysis of 28 first-semester graduate students enrolled in a voice disorders course examined the quality of patient education materials they created based on fictional scenarios. Quality and credibility were assessed using the DISCERN instrument, suitability with the Suitability Assessment of Materials, and understandability/actionability with the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Printable materials. Readability was analyzed using five formulas: Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Gunning Fog Index, FORCAST, New Dale-Chall, and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook. DISCERN scores ranged from 17 to 31 (M = 23.35, SD = 3.77), indicating moderate quality and credibility. Suitability scores ranged from 5 to 24 (M = 17.25, SD = 4.16), with most pamphlets rated as Adequate or Not Suitable. Only 7% of PEMs passed the understandability domain, and none passed actionability. Readability consistently exceeded the recommended 5th–6th grade level, with a median above 11th grade. Strengths included visual organization, but gaps in clarity, credibility, and readability were evident. Results underscore the need for targeted training in health literacy and plain language to enhance the accessibility and effectiveness of patient education materials
Family Structure and Parents’ Perceptions of the Importance of Youth Developmental Assets: Challenging the Deficit Orientation of Structurally Diverse Families
Get PDFCritical family scholars have highlighted that structurally diverse families (e.g. stepfamilies, single-parent families) are often unfairly viewed through a deficit-comparison lens. This includes assumptions that these families are less optimal contexts for raising children than married different-sex nuclear families or hold different parenting and family values. In the present study, we sought to challenge that assumption by having parents rate the importance of developmental assets for their adolescent children and then comparing perceived importance across family structures. To do so we used data from 354 parents (24.6% single-parent families, 16.7% stepfamilies, 58.8% two-biological/adoptive parent families). We found that the overwhelming majority of parents, regardless of family structure, rated developmental assets as important or very important for their adolescent children. Further, there were no statistically significant differences in perceived importance of the developmental assets based on parents’ family structure. Based on our results, it appears that family practitioners, schools, and youth serving organizations do not need to convince single- and step-parents that promotive developmental assets are important for their children. To increase attainment of these assets, it may be more valuable to examine organizational practices to ensure that programs are accessible and welcoming to all families
The CURE-Comm Framework: A Guide for Infusing CUREs with Science Communication
Get PDFResearchers have employed diverse instructional strategies to impart science communication (SciComm) skills, a cherished 21st-century skill into undergraduate students. We reviewed the pedagogical strategies used in developing SciComm skills in undergraduates. This review revealed that analyzing data and scientific literature, increasing exposure to multiple writing contexts, providing multiple opportunities to present findings orally, and providing feedback are used to teach SciComm skills. Many instructors who implement course-based undergraduate research experiences (CURE) report improved SciComm skills as one of the benefits of CUREs. To decipher points of intersection among CUREs and SciComm pedagogical strategies, we also reviewed the literature on pedagogical strategies used during the implementation of CUREs. It was evident that analyzing experimental data and existing literature, writing manuscripts, proposals, lab notebooks, and oral presentation of findings with constructive feedback are commonly used in the implementation SciComm and CUREs. We contend that the implementation of CUREs frequently overlooks easy opportunities to incorporate pedagogies specifically designed to enhance undergraduates’ science communication skills, thereby leading to a notable underutilization of these critical competencies. Nevertheless, a guiding framework on how to infuse SciComm into CUREs does not exist. To harness the power of CUREs to develop SciComm skills, we propose the CURE-Comm Framework
Forgive me not? Racial and Institutional Disparities in the Paycheck Protection Program Loan Forgiveness
No full textExisting research establishes that minority borrowers, particularly Black small business owners, faced significant challenges in accessing funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), especially in its early stages. We find that institutional and racial disparities persist during the PPP loan forgiveness stage. Controlling for various loan- and borrower-level characteristics, we demonstrate that relationship lenders – community banks, credit unions, and farm credit institutions – are associated with higher rates of PPP loan forgiveness. In contrast, automated lenders – fintechs and fintech banks – exhibit the lowest forgiveness rates. Black borrowers experience the poorest outcomes, except for loans issued by non-depository fintechs and lenders categorized as other , where they outperform White borrowers. Loan forgiveness rates improve, and racial disparities diminish, with increased lender concentration in specific economic sectors. Thus, specialized relationship lenders may have the highest odds of achieving the best and most equitable lending outcomes
Implementation of a Course About Divorce in Higher Education
No full textLearning about the impact of divorce on young adults and children may benefit professionals mentoring those who have experienced the turbulence of divorce. Evidence suggests that a high proportion of people in the United States are affected by divorce. Most have experienced divorce directly or indirectly within their immediate family or friends (Aberg, 2011). The preponderance of negative effects of divorce on child and adolescent development is well documented (Cano & Gracia, 2022). Adolescents and emerging adults who experienced their parents’ divorce may not experience typical developmental milestones in the same way as those from non-divorced families (Dykes & Ward, 2022).
Courses may exist at the graduate level within a specific field of study for those training to become professionals working with individuals going through divorce. Some undergraduate courses in the social sciences include a limited component covering the family dynamics of divorce. However, many professionals teaching adolescents may have knowledge of the effects of divorce or that awareness can create empathy for those experiencing this trauma. Becoming aware of the effects of divorce on an emerging adult can assist those in higher education to strengthen their knowledge of those they teach.
This project documents the implementation of a course centered on the topic of divorce. An honors course was taught in which students were exposed to several topics surrounding divorce and asked to examine their own beliefs about the topic. Students engaged in activities in which they analyzed the relation between parents’ marital status and society’s resulting view of a child. Students examined how milestones during adolescence can be affected by parents’ marital status and family structure. Students examined historical and modern patterns of relationships, marriage, and divorce. The course also included the identification of problems faced by modern marriages and the social and environmental factors that play a role in divorce culture. A summary of the students’ demographics and their reflections about the class are presented
A Board Game Approach to Climate Change Education and Advocacy
No full textClimate change is a critical global challenge that demands urgent and collective action. Despite widespread awareness, a significant gap persists between understanding the issue and taking meaningful steps toward mitigation. EcoQuest, a purposefully designed board game, addresses this gap by leveraging gamification to educate and inspire players about climate change. Through immersive gameplay, players engage with real-world scenarios, explore interconnected environmental challenges, and develop an action-oriented mindset. This research investigates EcoQuest’s effectiveness as an educational tool, analyzing its components, mechanics, and impact on players\u27 awareness and motivation. Using qualitative methods— including pre- and post-gameplay questionnaires and ethnographic observations—the study assesses changes in participants’ knowledge, engagement, and attitudes. Preliminary findings reveal that EcoQuest not only introduces essential climate change terminology and concepts but also fosters deeper understanding and empathy. Players reported heightened motivation to adopt sustainable practices and advocate for systemic change. These results underscore the potential of gamified approaches like EcoQuest to bridge the perception-action gap and catalyze broader participation in climate advocacy. This study contributes to the growing discourse on gamification in education, offering innovative pathways to address one of the most urgent issues of our time