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School sucks! A qualitative investigation of the purpose of public education in the United States: Student, teacher, and campus administrator experiences in North Texas
No full textPublic Education in the United States is a system in crisis. Recent studies indicate that students have a predominantly negative view towards high school and as many as ⅔ of teachers are considering leaving the profession. Because the entire system of monitoring and accountability rests upon high-stakes standardized test results, schools are heavily incentivized to teach what is on the test and little else - ignoring much of what comprises the purpose of public education and marginalizing those who do the work of education every day: students, teachers, and campus administrators. This qualitative, critical case study is part of an effort to rectify this situation by amplifying the voices of these key stakeholders through short answer surveys and interviews. The grind of the intransigent system on these stakeholders is evident from statements such as this from a teacher: “I know I've been successful when I'm feeling worn down [and] burnt out.
Conclusion: Embodying Holiness and Influencing Culture—Exploring the Contexts, Challenges, and Strategies of Female Religious Influencers in Hindu Society
No full textWe have reached the end of our journey concerning the study of holy women as “religious influencers” in Hindu culture. As the editors, we conceived this volume based on our joint interests in women’s religious experiences and how, through them, women are recognized as holy (imbued with divinity), gain power and authority, and become “influencers” in Hindu society. We understood the transformative potential of religious experience to change women’s lives and raise their status. It provides the basis of their knowledge, dignity, and respect. What was unclear concerned holy women’s relationships to their influencer status. What did they think, feel, and say about their influence on others’ perceptions and behaviors in the context of being a good Hindu? Were they comfortable or uncomfortable with their status and the responsibility it entailed? Did being an influencer protect holy women from or expose them to greater scrutiny? Did they see the role of their influence as an extension of religiously sanctioned feminine roles such as motherhood? Is being a religious influencer equivalent to being a divine parent? Along parallel lines, we wanted to explore how, by being influencers, holy women experience and navigate greater visibility and representation in a patriarchal society where being a woman can be difficult, as well as their struggles and strategies for succeeding as spiritual authorities
The Effect of Play and Socioeconomic Status on Hair Cortisol in Children
No full textHair cortisol concentration can serve as a biomarker of an individual's chronic stress. High levels of cortisol in children have been found to reflect an increased risk of developing cardiometabolic disease and depressive symptoms later in life. The purpose of my study is to evaluate the effect of unstructured play and socioeconomic status on hair cortisol in 3rd through 5th-grade children. The LiiNK project is working to improve the physical and mental health of children by implementing 60 minutes of outdoor unstructured play, or recess, in schools daily. The study plan was to work with the LiiNK project to evaluate if a significant difference exists in the hair cortisol of children who receive increased unstructured play at a LiiNK intervention school versus children who receive 30 minutes of unstructured play at a control school. Additionally, my study aimed to evaluate if there is a significant difference in hair cortisol levels according to socioeconomic status in children, with a student's free or reduced lunch status serving as an indicator of socioeconomic status.
Hair samples from 100 students were included in this study and an EIA kit was used to measure the cortisol concentrations in the extracted hair samples. Due to a small sample size of participants from the intervention school, comparisons of unstructured play were unable to be determined. Analysis of socioeconomic status at the control school partially supported my hypothesis, with the hair cortisol of students on free or reduced lunch being significantly lower than students not on free or reduced lunch in the fall semester, but not the spring semester. There was a significant increase in the hair cortisol of students receiving free or reduced lunch from the fall to the spring semester
The safehouse
No full textFor what does a human being desire if not to see and be seen, to know and be known, to love and be loved? The Safehouse explores the journey of Finny Chance, a twenty-something raised by her federal agent father to see the depths of the world, and take on the curse of never been seen to the same extent. To escape her father’s murder and move on from a tragic accident, Finny finds refuge as the lead bartender of The Safehouse, just minutes away from her father’s old office in Quantico. She mesmerizes patrons on a nightly basis, until Crash, a thesis student who sees Finny for the person she is and not just the gift she has, challenges her with a project and perspective on life that is unlike any other
Firm Formalization Strategy: The Interaction of Entrepreneurs and Government Officials in the Enforcement of Regulation
No full textThis research investigates how entrepreneurs in an early-stage market economy decide their level of compliance with formal rules and finds the manner in which they interact with government officials to operate on a continuum of formality. Focusing on the nonmarket strategy approaches entrepreneurs employ to establish relationships with government officials, we build a model that shows how entrepreneurs adopt strategies aligned with their firm¿s level of formality, spanning low to high formality practices. We draw on qualitative interview data from entrepreneurs who exhibit varying levels of compliance with state-provided rules and guidelines. We inductively theorize that deciding the firms¿ level of formality involves strategic interaction approaches with government officials responsible for rule enforcement. Our findings highlight that the interaction strategies entrepreneurs use hinge on the political capital they possess, eliciting the desired response from government officials, and dissuading the officials from enforcing formal rules or imposing sanctions for informality. We offer theoretical and policy implications for future work on the nuances of firm formality and the interaction between entrepreneurs and government officials
The effects of outcome value and pretraining on the differential outcomes effect in a visual discrimination task with rats
No full textThe differential outcomes effect (DOE) occurs when learning is facilitated by the delivery of different outcomes (e.g., food vs. water) correlated with different responses. The current experiments examined the effects of reinforcer value and pretraining with different outcomes compared to mixed-outcomes (MO) groups, in which the two outcomes are uncorrelated. Rats were trained to press the left lever during one stimulus (a steady light) and right lever during another (a flashing light). Experiment 1 compared DO and MO groups when using higher-valued versus lower-valued reinforcers. The higher value DO group acquired the discrimination faster relative to its respective MO group. Experiment 2 examined pretraining with DO or MO prior to DO or MO discrimination training. There was no direct effect of pretraining, but only the group with MO pretraining demonstrated a typical DOE. Though more research is needed, higher-value rewards may facilitate learning, but only after overcoming a response bias
The reality of mental healthcare in us correctional facilities: a three-part dissertation
No full textThis three-paper dissertation examined mental health treatment within correctional facilities in the US with the goal of exploring the reality of mental health treatment in this space and advocating for equitable mental health treatment. After the Community Mental Health Act (CMHA) of 1963 pushed for deinstitutionalization, many individuals living with mental illnesses were re-institutionalized within correctional facilities. Although correctional facilities were not created to become primary mental health facilities, the need for services has increased. In this dissertation, correctional facilities include both short- and long-term facilities.
The first paper, chapter two of this dissertation, is a systematic review of therapeutic interventions being used to improve mental health of males and females incarcerated in U.S. jails and prisons. This review highlighted several interventions and programs that are being effectively implemented in correctional facilities and can be replicated in others to increase access to mental healthcare for the incarcerated individuals.
The second paper, chapter three of this dissertation, is a qualitative study that focuses on the perceptions of mental health service-providers working in a correctional facility regarding inmate mental health, provider experiences working in corrections, and provider education and training background. The major finding of this study was mental health is not a priority in the jail. Three sub-themes also emerged: staff are concerned for inmate’s health, there is a legal and systems focus, and staff are limited.
The third paper, chapter four of this dissertation, is a qualitative study that focuses on incarcerated individuals living with mental illnesses and their perceptions of current mental health services offered within the correctional facility, and explored what types of therapeutic mental health interventions incarcerated individuals would like to see and find beneficial within the jail. Participants share what services are offered, their perception of these services, and what they would like to see being offered. Overall, participants express dissatisfaction with mental health services and report limited mental health services are offered; report largely brief and negative interactions with facility staff and service-providers; and share both group and individual therapeutic interventions they would like to see added for the benefit of their mental health.
Together, these three papers highlight the gap in mental health care that exists within many correctional facilities, and possible treatment options that could be implemented to close that gap. Chapter five discusses the dissertation’s findings, similarities and differences between manuscripts, and implications for practice, correctional facilities, and policy makers. Though correctional facilities were not created to be mental health providers, they must adjust to the needs of their population and adhere to national standards for mental health services within correctional facilities. Additionally, addressing the policing of mental illness and adequate funding for community programming could potentially decrease the rates of individuals with mental illnesses who are incarcerated
Shoreline Essentials: A Beach Gear Rental Company Business Model
No full textThis thesis outlines the development of a comprehensive business model for launching a successful beach gear rental company, Shoreline Essentials, in Orange Beach, Alabama. The study employs a mixed methods approach, synthesizing insights from an extensive literature review as well as primary data collected through interviews with industry professionals. Key components examined include the startup process, legal and operational logistics, potential wholesalers, market opportunity analysis, marketing strategies, financial projections, and regulatory compliance.
The proposed business model centers around an innovative rental service providing high-quality beach chairs and umbrellas delivered directly to guests of vacation rental properties. Through exclusive partnerships with rental management companies, Shoreline Essentials can effectively acquire customers and foster brand reputation. Financial analysis projects over $770,000 in first-year revenue and a 57% profit margin, outperforming industry averages.
Marketing strategies leverage emerging trends like the direct mail revival, social media campaigns showcasing the premium experience, engaging email initiatives, and guerrilla tactics. Comprehensive regulatory adherence and conservation-minded practices have been prioritized. Overall, the business model demonstrates exceptional potential for establishing a thriving, sustainable venture that enhances the vacation experience through convenience and premium service quality
Optimizing Donor Site Pain after Skin Grafting: An Analysis of Optimal Donor Site Dressings
No full textResearch Question: Will patients who undergo a thigh split thickness skin graft (STSG) for a wound defect, who are given a 3M Tegaderm Absorbent dressing for the skin graft donor site, have better pain control and lower donor site morbidity than patients who undergo a thigh STSG, who are given an Aquacel Ag (alginate ag) with an abdominal (ABD) gauze pad dressing for the skin graft donor site?Background and Significance: STSG harvesting is a common procedure performed for patients who have an acute wound due to a traumatic injury, surgical complication, or other pathological causes. However, many patients stated suffering from moderate pain from the STSG donor site. Current literature has shown there is no establishment of a standard postoperative donor site dressing protocol. Some studies have shown when comparing the Aquacel Ag (alginate ag) with ABD pad dressing to another moist postoperative dressing for the donor site, there have been documented cases of longer wound healing times and increased risk of postoperative infection. The goal of this research effort was to evaluate the 3M Tegaderm Absorbent against the Aquacel Ag dressing efficacy in reducing donor site morbidity.Materials and Methods: A prospective, randomized, and nonblind clinical trial was performed. STSG were harvested from either the right or left thigh ¿ measuring 0.014 inches. After procuring the graft, a mixture of 0.25% Marcaine and 1% lidocaine with epinephrine was injected into the dermis of the donor site intraoperatively. Upon operating wound surgeon, the patient either received a 3M Tegaderm absorbent (Mapula) or Aquacel Ag (Chen) dressing to the donor site at the time of surgery. All patients were seen, in clinic, at standard one-week postoperation and given a patient survey to fill out describing their donor site pain and wound evaluation and documentation, and the primary surgical dressing was removed and replaced with the Aquacel Ag. Another standard two-week post-operation was scheduled in the clinic for survey administration, pain control (if necessary), wound evaluation and documentation. At six- and twelve-week postoperation visits, phone call follow up was done by trained medical personnel with IRB approved phone scripts and study participants emailed photos of donor site graft sites for proper evaluation by Dr. Mapula or Dr. Chen. With every single postoperation visit, narcotic pain medication is asked and filled, based on clinical expertise of Dr. Mapula or Dr. Chen, and documented in the excel file for type of medication, how much administered, and when the individual patient discontinued use in the acute postoperation period.Results: We anticipated the 3M Tegaderm Absorbent dressing to have better postoperative pain control, better wound healing outcomes, and shorter time for full re-epithelialization of the donor site tissue.Conclusion: Although final conclusions cannot be made at this time due to ongoing data analysis, favorable preliminary data suggest proving our original hypothesis correct regarding the 3M Tegaderm Dressing in reducing donor site morbidity. Regardless of outcome, this study is hopeful in producing a more standardized approach in STSG care and may spark additional studies to include more chronic, co-morbid patients suffering from long-term wounds
Topical Dorzolamide as Adjunctive Treatment With Intravitreal Bevacizumab in Bilateral Diabetic Macular Edema
No full textBackground: Intravitreal injection of anti -vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents is accepted as the gold standard treatment for center -involving diabetic macular edema (CI-DME). Adjunctive administration of topical dorzolamide may enhance the therapeutic effects of anti-VEGF agents. In this study, we compared the efficacy of topical dorzolamide plus intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (IVB) versus IVB alone in patients with bilateral DME. Methods: This prospective, randomized contralateral eye study was carried out in a tertiary referral ophthalmology center, Al-Zahra Eye Hospital, Zahedan, Iran, between April 2021 and April 2022. This study included 50 eyes of 25 patients with bilateral DME. All eyes received three consecutive monthly injections of IVB. For each patient, one eye was randomized to instill dorzolamide eye drops three times a day as an intervention, and the other received artificial tear drops as a placebo. Best -corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT), and intraocular pressure (IOP) were evaluated before starting treatment and then monthly for the first three months. Results: Among 25 included patients, the average age was 56.64 +/- 7.97 years, and 48% were female. BCVA did not improve significantly in any groups (P > 0.05). No significant difference was observed in terms of BCVA between the intervention and control groups (P > 0.05). The present study showed a decrease in CMT in both study groups (P < 0.05). At month 3, the decrease in mean CMT from baseline was significantly higher in eyes receiving topical dorzolamide compared to the control group (-88.92 +/- 82.90 vs. -37.64 +/- 86.16 mu M, respectively; P = 0.037). IOP decreased significantly only in eyes receiving dorzolamide (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The results of the present study indicate that adjunctive administration of topical dorzolamide has a beneficial effect on CMT reduction from baseline, but it did not have an additive effect on BCVA improvement compared to IVB monotherapy