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A Comparative Case Study on the United States Government and Military Response: 2010 Haitian Earthquake and Hurricane Maria in 2017
No full textThis study examines the responses of the United States government and military to natural disasters, with a focus on comparing their approaches to disasters occurring in foreign nations versus those in U.S. territories. The central research question explores how these responses differ based on geographic context, while sub-questions look into the influence of recent disasters on current U.S. disaster response policies. By analyzing past responses, the research aims to highlight lessons that can enhance future disaster management strategies, particularly regarding the speed and efficiency of aid delivery in domestic versus international contexts.
The research utilizes a comparative case study methodology, focusing on two significant events: the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and Hurricane Maria’s impact on Puerto Rico in 2017. These cases provide insights into U.S. disaster management practices and the role of military aid in both domestic and international settings. The study emphasizes the importance of understanding effective and ineffective responses to improve future strategies, especially in light of climate change's increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters. The expected outcomes include identifying how territorial status influences military disaster response strategies and assessing the implications of aid delivery speed and efficiency. By comparing these cases, the research seeks to highlight effective practices that can inform policymakers and enhance disaster management approaches for both U.S. territories and foreign nations
BECOMING CHEECHAKOS: DEVELOPING CAPACITY FOR IMPLEMENTING AN INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB) PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME (PYP) AT AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
No full textCheechako originally was a term used to describe a person who newly arrived in the mining districts of Alaska. Currently, cheechako is used describe newly arrived individuals to the state of Alaska. For this dissertation, I used the term to describe the new arrival of the IB PYP program to the state and how I, as the principal, was a cheechako new to the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP). This participatory action research (PAR) study aimed to understand how one elementary school understood and planned for implementation of an IB program. PAR is used as a qualitative data collection and analysis processes (Herr & Anderson, 2014; Saldaña, 2016). Specifically, this research uses iterative cycles of inquiry to increase the collective understanding of the with particular focus on the IB Learner Profile (LP) attributes. In the project and study, we utilized the Community Learning Exchange (CLE) protocols to engages the IB PYP learning community to examine elements of the IB PYP implementation.
This study underscores the importance of shared leadership among administrators, teachers, and parents in enhancing the implementation of IB PYP initiatives. Additionally, co-developing a common understanding of innovations among practitioners ensures success. These elements foster a system that promotes adaptability and continuous improvement. The research also presents potential policy changes for the school district and state, using evidence from the Harbor Bay International Elementary School learning community to inform curriculum decisions aligned with IB principles. This insight can guide the district in determining the viability of alternative and IB school models, ultimately influencing best practices that could improve outcomes across schools
Search Strategies for A Scoping Review of Validated Tools for Measuring Food Literacy: Constructs, Psychometric Properties, and Applicability Across Diverse Populations
No full textExecutive Summary: Decreasing Hospital-Acquired Pressure Injury in the Neuroscience Intermediate Unit
No full textD.N.P
Using a Black Feminist Lens to Examine Black Maternal Intention to Vaccinate their Children Against Human Papillomavirus
No full textHuman papillomavirus (HPV) is the leading sexually transmitted infection that serves as the primary causative agent for HPV-related cancers. In the United States, Black individuals have higher HPV incidence rates and lower HPV vaccination uptake compared to their racial/ethnic counterparts. This disproportionate reality has contributed to significantly higher HPV-related cancers among the Black community. Given the recommended age of HPV vaccination starts at age nine, it is imperative to understand Black maternal perspectives toward the HPV vaccine. Guided by two complementary frameworks: Health Belief Model and Black Feminist Thought this dissertation sought to examine the relationship between Black maternal HPV vaccine intention and the following potential contributors to this behavior:1) health beliefs, including perceived susceptibility, severity barriers and benefits, 2) intrapersonal cultural factors, including racial pride, present time-orientation (PTO) and future time-orientation (FTO), and 3) interpersonal factors, including religiosity, medical mistrust and gendered racial microaggressions.
A total of 146 Black maternal figures completed an online survey that assessed for vaccine intention, HPV-related knowledge/beliefs, racial pride, PTO, FTO, religiosity, medical mistrust and gendered racial microaggressions. A majority of the participants had a moderately rated intent to vaccinate their children against HPV, despite virtually all participants reporting limited knowledge about HPV related information. Additionally, future-time orientation, present-time orientation, religiosity and gendered racial microaggression stress served as moderators of significance when the relationships between health beliefs and vaccine intention. Notably, when comparing moderation effects of both PTO and FTO, moderate vigilance toward the present and low vigilance toward the future had significant moderating effects on the negative relationship between perceived barriers and vaccine intention, emphasizing the importance of temporal balance as it relates to their children’s current and future health status.
A qualitative analysis that examined the construct of Black motherhood potential cues to action that impact vaccine intention among study participants yielded several overarching themes across at total of six research questions including: 1) Unconditional Love, 2) Educational Empowerment, 3) Holistic Support, 4) Guidance, 5), Provider, 6) Developmental Appropriateness, 7) No or Limited Discussion, 8) Familial Factors, 9) Educational/Informative, 10) No Medical Mistrust, 11) Some Mistrust, 12) Complete Mistrust, 13) Religious Influence, 14) No Religious Influence, 15) Decision Making, 16) Safety Concerns, and 17) Prevention. Clinical implications of these research findings and relevance to the future are discussed
Sex Specific Differences of Estrogen Therapy in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Function
No full textFor much of its history as a therapeutic, estrogen (E2) has been studied and applied almost exclusively within the context of female physiology. However, with the growing number of individuals undergoing hormone therapy, particularly among transgender women, there is a significant and rising population of biological males receiving chronic E2 therapy. While E2 has been shown to exert cardioprotective and metabolically beneficial effects in females, it remains unclear whether these benefits translate to the male physiology, or whether sex-specific differences in hormone signaling may lead to distinct or even adverse outcomes.
To address this gap, this study was designed to systematically examine the sex-specific effects of chronic E2 therapy through three integrated approaches. First, echocardiography was used to establish baseline sex differences in cardiac structure and function and to assess how chronic E2 treatment influences these parameters in both sexes. Second, the impact of E2 on the expression and posttranslational regulation of connexin-43 (Cx43), a key gap junction protein critical to cardiac electrical conduction, was examined to explore potential mechanisms underlying sex-specific changes in cardiac physiology. Third, whole-body metabolic assessments were conducted to evaluate changes in energy expenditure, oxygen consumption (VO₂), carbon dioxide production (VCO₂), and respiratory exchange ratio (RER), alongside tissue-level analysis of cardiac energy signaling pathways, including LKB1 and AMPK.
Together, these studies aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of how chronic E2 therapy affects cardiovascular and metabolic systems in a sex-dependent manner, with implications for both basic biology and the clinical management of individuals receiving estrogen therapy outside the traditional female population. We hypothesize that when taken chronically, E2 deteriorates cardiac function in biological males by down regulating Cx43 and dysregulating posttranslational phosphorylation of Cx43. In addition, we hypothesize that chronic E2 promotes metabolic dysfunction in males by
FBF/PUF and CYB-1/Cyclin B Proteins Promote Sperm Viability by Inhibiting Apoptosis in C. elegans Germline
No full textUsing the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism, I investigated the role of FBF (Fem-3-Binding Factor) and CYB-1 (one of three B-type Cyclins) proteins in the survival of sperm cells. FBF proteins (FBF-1 and FBF-2) play a role in the maintenance of germline stem cells, while CYB-1 regulates the cell cycle. Previous research revealed in the fbf-1 fbf-2 double mutant, only sperm cells are present with no oocytes or germline stem cells. In this study, it is hypothesized that both FBFs and CYB-1 proteins are required for sperm cell maintenance by repressing apoptosis mediated by CED-4 and/or MPK-1. CED-4 is a pro-apoptotic protein that initiates apoptosis, and MPK-1 plays a role in germ cell apoptosis. To test this hypothesis, I employed two triple mutant strains – fbf-1 fbf-2; ced-4 and fbf-1 fbf-2; mpk-1. Specifically, I performed cyb-1 RNAi in these mutants from L1 stages and counted the number of sperm at 20 °C after staining dissected gonads with anti-MSP (sperm cell marker). I found that cyb-1 RNAi eliminated sperm cells in the fbf-1 fbf-2; mpk-1, but not in the fbf-1 fbf-2; ced-4 mutant germlines. These results indicate that FBFs and CYB-1 proteins protect sperm cells by inhibiting CED-4-mediated apoptosis in the C. elegans germline. Importantly, these regulators are also highly expressed in the reproductive systems of other organisms, including humans. Therefore, these findings and future work may provide insight into germ cell maintenance in humans and other organisms
Re-Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of Universal Post-Operative Admission in Tonsillectomies in Children Under the Age of Three.
No full textBackground: Adenotonsillectomy (T&A) is a common outpatient procedure for children, yet the necessity for inpatient observation in children aged 2-3 years is debated and pursued out of caution. This study evaluates complications and readmissions post-T&A in children 2-3 years at a high-volume, single-center outpatient surgical facility.
Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted identifying 410 patients aged 2-3 years who underwent T&A between October 1, 2018, and May 31, 2023. Patients were identified using CPT codes, and data on complications and unscheduled readmissions were collected. Complications were categorized and analyzed. Additionally, a literature review was performed to compare complication rates with existing studies on T&A in children.
Results: Of the 410 patients, 7.32% re-presented for care postoperatively. The most common complications were dehydration or poor oral intake (3.41%) and fever/viral/bacterial infections (3.17%). The mean time to complication presentation was 4.83 days (SD ± 3.20). Six patients (1.46%) required readmission, primarily for additional medical intervention (4 cases) and observation (2 cases). Re-presentations necessitating intervention were low (5.12%), typically requiring brief treatments such as intravenous fluids or medication adjustments.
Conclusion: This study suggests that routine inpatient observation for children aged 2-3 years post-T&A may not be necessary in the absence of other risk factors as complications requiring significant intervention are not increased in the outpatient setting for this age-group. These findings align with emerging literature, supporting outpatient management for this age group under specific conditions. Further research may solidify updated criteria for safe outpatient procedures, optimizing healthcare resource utilization and patient outcomes
Implementing a Clinical Instructor Orientation Program to Improve Instructor Self-Efficacy, Satisfaction, and Retention
No full textBACKGROUND: This study aimed to improve nursing clinical faculty’s knowledge, support, and comfort level in facilitating pre-licensure students in the clinical setting by evaluating fac-ulty’s knowledge gaps and developing educational modules to improve their expertise, satisfac-tion, and retention.
METHOD: A clinical faculty orientation was designed and implemented, and pre- and post-surveys were used to compare faculty satisfaction, efficacy, and retention. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected via the Qualtrics platform.
RESULTS: Eight successful clinical faculty members completed the modules, both pre- and post-surveys.
CONCLUSION: Through innovative assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation, academic recruitment and retention of clinical faculty can improve. This will help address clin-ical faculty shortages and increase clinical faculty quality and student and patient outcomes.D.N.P
AI AND THE DETECTION OF DECEPTIVE SPEECH AND FACIAL EXPRESSIONS IN FRAUDULENT BEHAVIOR
No full textDeception is a critical element in fraudulent activities, which often leads to psychological stress known as cognitive dissonance. This research explores the connection between deception and cognitive dissonance, examining how the mental discomfort associated with deceit presents itself in vocal irregularities. By reviewing psychological studies on cognitive dissonance and its impact on facial expressions and speech patterns, such as pitch variations, speech hesitations, and changes in vocal tone, this study aims to establish a link between deception and measurable vocal cues and expressions. It also examines the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to detect these irregularities and identify deception. By reviewing AI-driven speech analysis tools and their ability to recognize deceptive speech patterns, this research aims to assess their effectiveness in fraud detection. The findings will contribute to the development of more advanced AI-driven fraud prevention systems by demonstrating how vocal changes linked to deception can serve as reliable indicators of fraudulent behavior