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A Place to Belong: Abolitionist Storywork Through the Experience of an Unhoused Black Girl
Get PDFBlack females experiencing homelessness face significant barriers in transitioning from secondary to postsecondary education (Government Accountability Office, 2016). Previous scholarship has often overlooked the complexities of intersectional identities and the nonmaterial aspects of being unhoused, such as social exclusion, stigma, and social legitimacy issues exacerbated by neoliberal conditions. This track employs endarkened storywork (Toliver, 2021), abolitionist pedagogy (Love, 2019), and critical race feminism (Evans-Winters & Esposito, 2010) to uplift the voice and complexity of a Black girl negotiating with her experience of being unhoused during her postsecondary educational journey. From these frameworks and through her story, we posit elements of an abolitionist storywork that illuminates central themes in the quest for liberatory efforts for unhoused students in educational settings
Empowering Nurses, Enhancing Mobility: A QI Initiative Using PLOF and CLOF to Promote Patient Ambulation
Get PDFThe objective of this Quality Improvement (QI) project was to increase patient ambulation rate and improve documentation compliance with Patient-reported Level of Function (PLOF) and Clinician-assessed Level of Function (CLOF) on cardiac units at a hospital in San Francisco. Literature highlights that early ambulation reduces hospital-acquired complications, length of stay, and functional decline, yet inconsistent mobility practices and documentation were identified as barriers within this microsystem. The aim of this project was to increase patient ambulation rates by 20% and achieve at least 80% of documentation compliance within four weeks. The interventions included the development and distribution of an educational flyer, in-service training, PLOF/CLOF reminders in daily shift huddles, and implementation of a mobility audit tool. Pre- and post-intervention surveys assessed nurse knowledge, and mobility audits measured documentation compliance and ambulation goal attainment. As a result, documentation compliance improved from 57% to 100% on unit A and from 67% to 90% on unit B. Patient mobility goal attainment rose from 71% to 74% on unit A and from 54% to 80% on unit B. Nurse knowledge survey scores also demonstrated significant improvement following training. In conclusion, structured education, clear documentation processes, and interdisciplinary collaboration successfully increased both mobility assessment compliance and early ambulation rates. The project demonstrates that practical, standardized interventions can meaningfully improve patient outcomes and practice consistency in a microsystem. Future efforts will focus on sustaining gains and expanding mobility initiatives hospital-wide
Bringing Humanity to the Bedside: Personalizing Communication in the Surgical ICU
No full textObjective: Research has shown that personalized communication in critical care settings can enhance patient and family engagement, yet tools like whiteboards are often underutilized. At one Bay Area academic quaternary care facility, baseline data revealed 0% utilization of existing whiteboards in the surgical intensive care unit (SICU). Aim: This quality improvement (QI) project aimed to design a personalized communication whiteboard that, once implemented, would achieve at least 75% utilization in patient rooms by May 2025, enhancing communication and patient experience. Methods: Input was collected from staff, patients, and family members through qualitative surveys to guide the design of this personalized whiteboard focusing on humanizing care. Results: Feedback from stakeholders was used to design a new whiteboard for the needs of the SICU. Due to budget constraints, only three boards were piloted over a two-week period. During that time, compliance was tracked based on the board’s utilization and the presence of personalized patient information. By the end, whiteboard utilization reached 60%, suggesting that there could be higher utilization during unit-wide implementation. Conclusion: Although the 75% utilization goal was not met during the pilot, the QI project improved communication and engagement, showing its potential for future success in the SICU
Enhancing Bedside Mobility Assessment Tool 2.0 (BMAT 2.0) Competence Among Registered Nurses (RNs) and Certified Nurse Assistants (CNAs) to Promote Early Mobilization and Patient Safety
No full textObjective: To ensure patient safety, promote early mobilization, and patient\u27s overall well-being, proper bedside mobility equipment is important (Gabele et al., 2023). Hospital A introduced the Bedside Mobility Assessment Tool (BMAT 2.0) to improve safety and efficiently mobilize patients. Wu et al. (2018) mentioned that prolonged immobility is linked to several health issues, such as pressure ulcers, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and pneumonia. However, only 31.4% of RNs and CNAs demonstrate competency with BMAT 2.0. Low competency in using BMAT 2.0 led to patient safety and overall health and overuse of physical therapy (PT) resources and the lift team, resulting in workflow inefficiencies and delayed care. Aims: This quality improvement (QI) project aims to increase the percentage of RNs and CNAs who effectively use BMAT 2.0 to promote early mobilization, safety, and overall health by 20%, from 31.4% to 51.4%, by April 22, 2025. The project empowers the independence of RNs and CNAs towards mobility assessment by strengthening their competency and confidence in applying BMAT 2.0. Methods: Using the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model, a two-week in-service training was conducted in March 2025 in two medical-surgical units. The in-service training included a scenario-based education focused on real-life patient mobility cases, identifying proper mobility equipment, appropriate equipment use, and locating the equipment on the units. Flyers and reminders were used to promote participation in the in-service training, and pre-and post-surveys were used to assess self-reported knowledge, familiarity, and confidence with BMAT 2.0. Results: Post-survey data showed significant improvement in competency. Extremely knowledgeable increased from 5.9% to 17.1%, and knowledgeable increased from 31.4% to 56.6%. Additionally, RNs and CNAs\u27 awareness of where to locate mobility equipment increased from 56.9% to 92.1%. Although limitations such as limited access to the survey due to QR code and time constraints, the in-service training was well received and increased the overall competency of RNs and CNAs with BMAT 2.0. Conclusions: The BMAT 2.0 in-service training successfully improved RNs\u27 and CNAs\u27 knowledge, confidence, familiarity, and independence, with BMAT 2.0. It promoted patient safety and overall health, reduced unnecessary PT and life team consults, and supported early mobilization. For sustainability and broader impact, recommendations, such as quarterly ongoing refresher in-service training and expansion to other units, are needed. The success of this quality improvement project demonstrated the value of structured education in supporting RNs and CNAs and improving patient outcomes
Effective Altruism, In-group Favoritism, and Urban and Rural Values across Cultures
Get PDFEffective altruism has become an increasingly fashionable philosophy in recent years, with ardent supporters in Silicon Valley and other echelons of power. This study investigates to what extent people in urban and rural settings in the U.S., South Africa, and India act as effective altruists by employing an experiment in which participants must decide how to divide a 1.54 or 3.07% more to their out-groups than rural areas when controlling for age and gender, indicating a lower level of parochialism, a trait stereotypically associated with rural communities. This pattern held true for every out-group tested except species, in which rural areas donated $6.51 or 20.05% more to other species than urban areas did. However, regions exhibited great heterogeneity, both within their own country and with those of other countries
Loadshedding and Nighttime Light Intensity in South Africa: Evidence from High-Frequency Satellite Data
Get PDFThis paper investigates the relationship between loadshedding and nighttime light intensity in South Africa using high-frequency satellite data from 2020 to 2024. By linking rotational blackout schedules to daily radiance measurements at the suburb level, the study examines how electricity disruptions affect visible light emissions and whether these effects vary by wealth. Results show that while load shedding has be-come increasingly severe in recent years, its impact is not felt equally. Poorer suburbs experience larger and more persistent reductions in nighttime radiance during black-outs, suggesting limited capacity to adapt. In contrast, wealthier suburbs show signs of resilience, with smaller drops in light intensity and evidence of adaptation over time. These findings point to growing disparities in energy resilience and raise broader con-cerns about inequality in infrastructure, adaptation, and political accountability. The study highlights the importance of considering wealth and spatial inequality in energy policy and offers a novel approach to measuring blackout impacts using remote sensing data
Investigating Genes Associated with Oncogenic PKA Activity in Fibrolamellar Carcinoma
Get PDFFibrolamellar Carcinoma (FLC) is a rare liver cancer, predominantly affecting younger individuals with no history of primary liver disease. As FLC comprises only \u3c 1% of all liver tumors, our understanding of its development and treatment are extremely limited. All clinical cases of FLC contain a specific DNAJB1-PRKACA fusion. The mutation produces an oncogenic form of Protein Kinase A (PKA), known as DNAJ-PKAc, with enhanced binding activity compared to wild-type PKA. Specifically, DNAJ-PKAc interacts with different substrates than wild type PKA, affecting downstream signaling pathways to promote cancer development. However, the genetic dependencies that result from oncogenic DNAJ-PKAc signaling are not known. In this paper, I will show the process of performing a genome-wide CRISPRi screen in AML12DNAJ-PKAc cells to identify genes associated with oncogenic DNAJ-PKAc signaling. I will detail the preliminary benchmarking experiments, the screening process, the preparation of genomic DNA for sequencing, and the ongoing validation of screen results. I anticipate that this project will discover genes whose knockdown inhibits oncogenic DNAJ-PKAc signaling and reduces cell growth exclusively in the presence of PKA. The identified genes could represent potential therapeutic targets for cancer drugs that inhibit FLC progression. However, additional research is necessary to characterize their interactions with DNAJ-PKAc and their specific role in FLC development
Assessing the Challenges of Captive-Bred Axolotls: Barriers and Opportunities for Axolotl Reintroduction into the Wild
No full textThe axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) is a critically endangered neotenic salamander endemic to Mexico that is on the brink of extinction because of habitat degradation, poor water quality, and ineffective policy. The purpose of this paper is to identify the current limitations of axolotl conservation in Xochimilco to help identify what is needed for successful reintroduction. A policy gap analysis, a comparative analysis of amphibian reintroduction, and a literature review of behavioral training and transitional habitats are utilized in this paper. It was found that despite the best efforts of programs like the Chinampa Refuge program, there are gaps in enforcement, community involvement, and ecological management. Other amphibian reintroduction strategies utilize behavioral training and habitat connectivity as a part of their main conservation efforts, which are not a focus in axolotl reintroduction. To address these gaps, it is recommended that there be more incentives for chinampa agriculture, more community inclusivity in conservation planning, behavioral training and screenings for axolotl reintroduction, agritourism, and the utilization of social media for axolotl conservation awareness. Improving policy is important for axolotl survival and the restoration of Xochimilco
Floating PV in Bulawayo: Evaluating evaporation mitigation, energy yields and economic viability.
Get PDFWater scarcity and energy shortages are critical challenges in Zimbabwe, particularly in the semi-arid regions reliant on reservoir-based water supply systems. Evaporation losses from water reservoirs amplified by rising global temperatures has become a concern, particularly for Zimbabwe which has a relatively low water per-capita (776 liters). Electricity blackouts extending to 12-20 hours per day further worsens the situation by failing to pump available water, calling for solutions to enhance water and energy security. This study evaluates the feasibility of integrating Floating Photovoltaics (FPV) on the Umzingwane catchment dams (Umzingwane, Upper and lower Ncema, Insiza, Mtsabezi and Inyankun) to mitigate evaporation losses and improve electricity availability.
These 6 dams have approximately 33,770 thousand m² in area coverage and a holding capacity of 309.9Mm³ of water. Bulawayo has an average evaporation rate of 5.6mm/day, translating to 63Mm³ evaporation annually. Reviewed studies indicate that FPV can reduce evaporation, with coverage levels of 50% potentially saving over 23% (2.8Mm³/yr) of annual reservoir evaporation losses, while 75% coverage can reduce evaporation by up to 44% (22.8Mm³/yr) combined on Bulawayo’s six main water supply dams.
Additionally, FPV systems can contribute to energy security by generating clean electricity, Bulawayo has a good solar irradiance between 2000-2200kWh/m²-year, offering a substantial potential for solar electricity generation, reducing and mitigating load shedding challenges. At 23% coverage these dams can produce 1.3GW, at 50% coverage 2.70GW and at 75% produces 4GW, which at covering 25% of these 6 dams will be substantial to cover Zimbabwe’s current electricity deficit of 0.8GW. Floating PV demonstrated an efficiency gain of 10-12% over ground-mounted PV due to the cooling effect of water. The capital cost of FPV installations is approximately 25% higher per watt than traditional ground-mounted systems, leading to an estimated 20% increase in the levelized cost of energy (LCOE). However, FPV provides significant land savings by utilizing water surfaces instead of competing for limited land resources, making it an ideal solution for agricultural economies like Zimbabwe.
Furthermore, the integration of FPV contributes to climate change mitigation by reducing CO₂ emissions. This results in a substantial decrease in Zimbabwe\u27s carbon footprint while enhancing the country’s renewable energy portfolio.
This study provides insights into the potential of FPV as a dual-purpose solution for water conservation and renewable energy generation in Zimbabwe. It offers recommendations for policymakers, water authorities, and energy stakeholders to facilitate the adoption of FPV technology, thereby supporting climate resilience, sustainable water and electricity management, and decarbonization efforts particularly in the Matabeleland regio
Latinidad & The Institution: Serving the Racialized Student Identity
No full textThis study observes the racialized experiences of Latino students in higher education. Revisiting the embedded Mestizaje and Blanqueamiento foundations that exist in the ethno-national identities of current Latinos in relating to their Latin American origin. The study aims to further understand the conflation of Latinidad as a racial and ethnic identity – and how this impacts the ways in which students experience racialization, develop a racial identity, and navigate the ivory tower. Furthermore, the study pays close attention to the mission of HSIs, the Cultural Wealth Model, and Servingness in how they aim to serve the racial identity development of Latine students and their racial realities. Latinidad, or Latino Identity, is approached in this study through critical race theory, racial identity development theory, and race formation theory