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Roadblocks to Momentum: An Analysis of College Major GPA Restrictions and Stranded Students
No full textCollege retention, persistence, and completion are key indicators of a successful institution, but six-year degree completion has remained stagnant in recent years (National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 2022). Despite institutional efforts through success initiatives to keep students retained, one set of barriers to degree completion may be due to established major GPA restrictions and policies that prevent students from being able to declare their majors. Accordingly, students who are unable to declare their major but keep enrolling in courses may be in danger of becoming “stranded.” This quantitative examination of student data from one large public four-year college aims to identify the characteristics of stranded students and consider how they compare to non-stranded students. The Academic Momentum Model by Cliff Adelman (1999, 2006) provides a lens to identify academic factors that may predict stranded status.
The results of the analysis found that stranded students demonstrate indicators of academic momentum (Adelman, 2006), however, decreased levels of academic performance increased the likelihood of becoming stranded. A student’s choice of major was found to be related to the likelihood of becoming stranded, along with other academic characteristics such as summer term enrollment, second-year GPA, changing of majors, and continuous enrollment. The study confirmed that major GPA admission restrictions were associated with a lower likelihood of a positive outcome for students
Can Occupational Therapy Take a HIT? A Guide to High-Intensity Training in Stroke Rehabilitation
No full textObjective: Stroke has been considered a leading cause of functional impairment (Tsao et al., 2022). Recent evidence has supported a treatment approach that increases dosage (Scheets et al., 2021). High-intensity training (HIT) has shown promising evidence for functional recovery poststroke (Crozier et al., 2018). There have been minimal programs related to Occupational therapy (OT) and HIT have been created (Lamoureux, 2023). This doctoral capstone focused on program development of the OT-based HIT program. Theoretical frameworks included the Model of Human Occupation and Motor Learning Theory to provide a foundational structure.
Methods: A needs assessment was performed at the Saint George Regional Hospital NeuroSpecialty Rehabilitation Center. Methods included interviews, observation, and quality improvement questionnaires from clinician input. The program was evaluated for perceived feasibility and quality using a SWOT analysis.
Findings: The SWOT analysis indicated two overarching themes: patient empowerment and reluctance to change. Information acquired through feedback from these questionnaires and findings was disseminated into meaningful content. The program was redesigned based on input from the participants. No differences were seen in Likert Scale responses within the quality improvement questionnaire between participants with or without formal training with HIT.
Conclusion: Findings from this capstone project and experience suggested that the OT-based HIT program was perceived as a viable program that can contribute to the quality of the profession, clearly delineating physical therapy and OT-driven HIT regarding scope of practice. Future projects and research are needed to understand the program’s feasibility with patient care
Symphony No. 7 “Leningrad” By Dimitri Shistakovich: A Wind Band Transcription of the Final Movement with Historical Context and a Description of the Transcription Process
No full textThis document includes a wind band transcription of the final movement of Dimitri Shostakovich’s “Symphony No. 7” known as the Leningrad Symphony. It contains an overview of the composer\u27s life leading up to the creation of this work as well as a description of the historical context during which this work was composed. This document also contains a detailed description of the transcription and editing process that led to the completed work contained at the end of this document. The transcription process included examining other wind band transcriptions of Shostakovich’s music as well as other wind transcriptions of orchestral works
Occupational Therapy-Led Development of Life Skills Coaching Course on Resources for Educational Attainment to Foster Independent Living Among Youth Aging Out of Foster Care
No full textThis capstone project focused on addressing the competence of foster youth in their independent living skills, particularly, educational attainment skills. Delivered in a blended learning format, a life skills coaching course focused on educational attainment resources was proposed to address the long-term challenge of poor educational attainment among foster youth at Bamboo Sunrise, a specialized foster care agency in Henderson, NV. Participants completed brief didactic work in the form of video and PowerPoint lectures followed by the evaluation of their comprehension and skills through questionnaires and competencies. Competency evaluations simulated hands-on workshops structured weekly to promote skill mastery and application of content learned from lectures. Educating foster youth about the importance of higher education was crucial to help mitigate the risks associated with foster youth. The findings of this capstone project highlighted the importance of having available resources to foster youth. This capstone project aligned with the scope of practice of occupational therapy (OT) as education is an occupation that can provide opportunities to learn about life skills needed for independent living. Providing education and educational resources allowed foster youth to engage in the occupation of education. This project also emphasized occupational justice for this vulnerable and underserved population through the carry-over of the skills learned to their home, community, or natural environment. A blended life skills coaching format embraced the potential in helping foster youth with their educational attainment skills and needs
Passing on Opportunity: The Attitudes to the Negative Impacts of Tourism on Residents’ Willingness to Work in the Hospitality Industry
No full textWhile prior hospitality and tourism research has shown interest in the impact of tourism on destination sustainability and residents’ perceptions, it remains unclear how these changes could affect residents’ attitudes toward hospitality employment. This study explores the relationship between residents’ attitudes to the negative impact of tourism and their willingness to work in the hospitality industry under the mediation effect of residents’ emotional exhaustion and psychological well-being. Furthermore, the boundary condition of residents’ destination management perceptions was also explored between attitudes to the negative impact of tourism and the aforementioned mediators. Results obtained through an online survey showed that while the influence between residents’ attitudes to the negative impact of tourism on their willingness to work in the hospitality industry is identified, emotional exhaustion and psychological well-being were not significant mediators. Moreover, the boundary condition of residents’ destination management perceptions was not shown to be a significant moderator when exploring residents’ attitudes to the negative impact of tourism on both emotional exhaustion and psychological well-being. Only residents’ psychological well-being was shown to significantly reduce residents’ willingness to work in the hospitality industry when negatively influenced
Notes of a Nostalgic Nigerian
No full textYoung Nigerians are leaving home in droves due to economic hardship. Many have found legitimate routes to the West and are settling and thriving in their chosen fields. This mass exodus is both beneficial and unsettling. Beneficial in the sense that the migrant leaves as an act of love to support their families back home. Unsettling, because the homefront is destabilised by this separation, thereby rocking familial equilibriums. In these essays, I write about this tug and pull between the necessity of an exit from home and the homesickness that comes after. I also detail ways that I cope in America, the methods that keep me afloat in a strange place. Most of the coping mechanisms are fashion, dating apps, therapy, and of course, writing. In the essay on fashion, I write about how I wear myself as boldly as I can so as not to drown in a sea of anonymity. In the therapy piece, I discuss my origin and ways its memories keep me grounded and tethered to my true identity. Some of the essays are written in epistolary format: to strangers that I have met on my way, who leave remarkable impressions and make me see ways I negotiate my existence in the world as a migrant and also as a woman. Another letter is addressed to family members, where I relay my American experience. This is overall a work of nostalgia, an anchor cast between a new country and an older country that is truly my home
The Effects of Nicotine on Growth, Surface Marker Expression, and Osteogenic Capacity of Stem Cells from Human Exfoliated Deciduous Teeth (SHED) and Dental Pulp Stem Cells (DPSC)
No full textBackground: The gaining popularity of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) and inhaling aerosols (“vaping”) among young people have exposed them to unprecedented amounts of nicotine. Fourth generation ENDS manufacturers attract the adolescent demographic with a smooth vaping experience with enticing flavors such as “Piña Colada” or “Peppermint Blast.” Components of e-liquids in cartridges of ENDS combine protonated nicotine, also referred as nicotine salts, with flavors in a propylene glycol or vegetable glycerin solvent. Unregulated, high amounts of nicotine in ENDS products have been associated with increased levels of nicotine in the circulating blood of users with an average concentration of about 30ng/mL. Little is known on the effects of protonated nicotine on oral health, specifically on stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) and dental pulp stem cells (DPSC), and its implications on the repair and regeneration processes for the soft and hard tissues.
Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of nicotine on SHED and DPSC cell growth, surface marker expression, and osteogenic differentiation capacity.
Methods: Isolated SHED cells and DPSC cells were seeded in separate T-75 flasks with culture medium treated with 0ng/mL, 30ng/mL, and 300ng/mL of concentrated protonated nicotine. Population doublings were recorded over several passages once confluency was reached. The antigen surface marker expressions of SHED and DPSC sample populations were analyzed using flow cytometry. SHED and DPSC cell populations were cultured in osteogenic induction media, then after 7 days, collected for RNA Isolation and RT-qPCR gene expression of runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1), and bone gammacarboxyglutamate protein (BGLAP).
Results: Population doublings showed significant decrease in growth rate of both 30ng/mL and 300ng/mL nicotine treated SHED and DPSC cell populations compared to the untreated controls. Cell surface marker expression of nicotine treated SHEDs and DPSCs were consistent with the typical presentation of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). Analysis of cell populations from 0ng/mL, 30ng/mL and 300ng/mL nicotinic concentrations cultured in osteoblast inducing media using qPCR revealed no changes in RUNX2, SPP1 and BGLAP gene expression compared to undifferentiated controls.
Conclusion: Nicotine exhibits an adverse effect on the proliferation rate of SHEDs and DPSCs but shows no effect on their stem cell marker expression and osteogenic differentiation capacity
Sourcing Clays and Styles: Interaction Networks at the Elk Ridge Site, Southwestern New Mexico
No full textStudying interaction in the precontact American Southwest has been tedious as various cultures had differing socio-economic structures resulting in various models used by archaeologists. The Mimbres Mogollon, who inhabited southwestern New Mexico from AD 200-1150, were a middle-range society meaning they lacked overarching rules and regulations from a governing body. This allowed for individuals, families, and communities to form and maintain their own interaction networks at the site level and makes applying a pre-established model of interaction difficult. This research focused on the Elk Ridge site, a large Classic period (AD 850/900-1150) Mimbres pueblo, to determine local and non-local interaction networks maintained by the site residents.
Using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) and ceramic style analyses on partial and whole vessels recovered from Elk Ridge, the production and distribution of local versus non-local ceramics styles was investigated. The archaeological context of these vessels was also incorporated to distinguish between the movement of goods and relocation of people. This study shows that Elk Ridge was an active participant in a local exchange network as a ceramic production center and had networks with non-local Upland Mogollon communities. These Upland Mogollon connections developed over time allowing for non-locals to move into the site and maintain their own cultural practices and styles
Debt and Earnings From Graduate Degrees at UNLV and UNR
No full textThis fact sheet examines debt and earnings data for graduate degrees awarded by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). The original report from the HEA Group – a research and consulting firm focused on college access, value and economic mobility – includes data on debt-to-earnings ratio for various graduate degree programs at universities across the United States
Modern Tools, Ancient Skills: An Attempted Dialogue between AI, Design and Traditional Craft
No full textThis study explores the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in traditional craft practices, focusing on Guatemalan artisans. The research investigates how machine learning, specifically generative AI platforms like OpenAI’s DALL-E and Midjourney, can bridge the gap between traditional craftsmanship and contemporary design methods. Guatemalan artisans were trained to use these AI tools to generate design ideas, which were then translated into three-dimensional bronze door knockers. The study analyzes the impact of AI on the artisans\u27 workflow, creativity, and business, highlighting both the challenges and benefits. Results indicate that AI can streamline the design process and inspire new creative directions, while also raising concerns about potential over-reliance and the preservation of cultural heritage. The project underscores the importance of inclusive technological development and aims to promote a dialogue between traditional and modern design practices, contributing to the evolution of craft in a digital age