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THE GLASS CEILING IN CHINESE HIGHER EDUCATION: THE EXPERIENCE OF FEMALE DEANS
Get PDFThis study was designed to explore the phenomenon of the glass ceiling encountered by Chinese female deans in higher education, using a systematic qualitative research approach to uncover the phenomenon\u27s nature and influencing factors. Adhering strictly to Giorgi\u27s (2009) phenomenological methodology, the study conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with 15 female deans from various regions and institutional types across China, collecting rich data on their career trajectories, multi-level challenges, and coping strategies.
Through data analysis, eight themes and three key structures were identified, revealing that the glass ceiling is a product of the complex interplay between institutional constraints, personal challenges, and cultural norms, reinforced by persistent gender biases and systemic barriers. Despite these challenges, the findings highlighted that female deans actively develop leadership resilience, adopt innovative adaptation strategies, and establish personal empowerment mechanisms to overcome professional obstacles. However, findings further emphasized that individual empowerment and adaptive strategies alone are insufficient to break the glass ceiling entirely. Achieving gender equality in Chinese higher education leadership requires broader institutional reforms and cultural shifts to foster a more inclusive and supportive environment.
This study not only filled a research gap on the glass ceiling faced by female deans in Chinese higher education context but also provided valuable theoretical and practical insights for policy formulation and institutional management. The findings offered significant implications for advancing gender equality in higher education leadership and enhancing career development opportunities for female leaders
REFINING POPULATION-LEVEL MEASURES OF EARLY CHILDHOOD VACCINATION COVERAGE USING NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION SURVEY-CHILD DATA
Get PDFBackground: From 2011-2021, the U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended 10 vaccine series by age 24 months, with guidelines for minimum vaccination age, maximum age for rotavirus vaccination, minimum dose intervals, and a catch-up schedule for delayed series initiation. National vaccination surveillance evaluates series completion based on whether children received the recommended number of doses, including a combined 7-vaccine metric (completed seven series collectively). However, this approach overlooks: 1) vaccinations given too early, too late, or too close together, 2) catch-up schedule vaccinations, and 3) completion of all 10 recommended vaccines.
Purpose: To refine national childhood vaccination coverage measures to better reflect ACIP recommendations and identify factors associated with schedule use and adherence.
Methods: I analyzed 2011-2021 publicly available National Immunization Survey-Child (NIS-Child) data for children aged 19-35 months with provider-verified vaccine records. I quantified vaccinations administered outside of ACIP’s age guidelines (Aim 1) and pneumococcal (PCV) and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) doses given late enough to trigger the ACIP catch-up schedule (Aim 2). Using logistic regression, I determined sociodemographic and provider factors influencing ACIP adherence. I calculated a combined 10-vaccine series measure encompassing all recommended vaccines and used a Cox proportional hazards model to identify factors associated with combined series completion (Aim 3).
Results: Between 2011 and 2020, 15.4% (95% CI:15.0-15.8%) of U.S. children received at least one dose too early, too late, or too soon after a prior dose. From 2016 to 2021, 2.5% (95% CI: 2.2–2.7%) and 2.3% (95% CI: 2.1–2.5%) of children initiated PCV or Hib series late enough to trigger the ACIP catch-up schedule, respectively. Only 40.2% (95% CI: 39.2–41.1%) of U.S. children completed the combined 10-vaccine series—27 percentage points below the nationally reported combined 7-vaccine series metric, with influenza being the primary contributor to reduced coverage.
Conclusion: This study highlights the impact of nuanced vaccination measures on national schedule adherence estimates and suggests refinements to measurement methods that can better identify specific areas for improvement in immunization service delivery
RNAi Mediated Knockdown of Genes Related to Human Ovarian Insufficiency and Dysgenesis in Model Organism, C. elegans
Get PDFOvarian dysgenesis (OD) and premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) are related conditions, where a lack of ovarian growth and germline stem cell division causes the loss of normal ovarian function and early depletion of ovarian follicles, which often presents as infertility and early onset menopause in women. There are numerous genes associated with broad ovarian dysgenesis and POI, including 129 different human genes. While OD and POI is common in females who possess just one X-chromosome, “pure” 46 XX gonadal dysgenesis is a rare condition resulting in OD and POI even though the individual has both X chromosomes. Just one gene, BMP15, is associated with this subsect of those impacted by POI and OD. The model organism, C. elegans has eight genes associated with the broad category of POI, but just three homologous genes for 46 XX POI and OD: dbl-1, tig-2, and unc-129.
Human BMP15 and worm tig-2 and dbl-1 belong to a large superfamily of growth factors that regulate cell growth, tissue repair, and differentiation (TGF-beta). Signaling through BMP15 in combination with BMP7 is thought to facilitate follicular development in human ovaries. Because tig-2 and dbl-1 are expressed in the muscle and neurons of C. elegans, they may also act in combination to promote development of these tissues. Using RNAi to simultaneously knockdown tig-2 and dbl-1 expression, it is hypothesized cell differentiation will be inhibited resulting in smaller bodies, and decreased muscle and neuronal development, providing new insights into combinatorial TGF-beta signaling implicated in human POI and OD
Ensuring Treatment Fidelity
Get PDFSome preschool children experience substantial difficulties saying speech sounds and being understood by others. They may receive intervention from a speech-language pathologist to help them increase their intelligibility. The intervention procedures require a high level of treatment fidelity, the implementation of detailed protocols to support consistent and effective treatment. Treatment fidelity is imperative while conducting research to maintain consistency and provide thorough procedures for future interventionists utilizing and replicating the research. The research questions are how to develop a checklist that outlines the procedures and documents accountability and credibility for treatment delivered in a group setting within a specialized clinic for preschool children ages 3-5 with a speech sound disorder and what are they key components of treatment fidelity. We collaborated with the clinical educator and graduate student clinicians who delivered the treatment to provide insight on the specific intervention procedures throughout the session. The procedural checklist reviews intervention practices of the speech clinic, training requirements, and session procedures that thoroughly described the treatment plan. The fidelity checklist provided a score of the outlined expectations of the intervention. The raw score yielded the percentage of consistent practice conducted. Using the checklist, coders observed a sample of recorded sessions to document the treatment fidelity of the procedures that were implemented. During this presentation, the treatment fidelity checklist that was developed, and the results of the scores across sessions will be presented. In addition, future strategies for improving the delivery of treatment procedures will be discussed
Eliminating Harvest of White-Tailed Deer Bucks Impacts Age Classes and Gross Score
Get PDFManagement actions revolving around white-tailed deer (Odocoieus virginianus) typically aim to increase the age of the males (i.e., “bucks”) in the population and antler size to meet social expectations. However, the efficacy of management actions in meeting objectives is sometimes uncertain due to a lack of empirical data. As part of a broad study estimating mammal community composition, 773 trail cameras were placed randomly across the ~6,000-acre Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch in western Montana from 2017-2024. From 2017-2019, this ranch allowed liberal harvest of white-tailed deer as part of the Block Management Program. Due to concerns with white-tailed deer buck size, restrictions in harvest were implemented in 2020 that reduced white-tailed deer buck harvest on the ranch to nearly 0. This setup allowed us to empirically evaluate whether these changes in white-tailed deer management resulted in the desired increase in age classes and antler size of bucks. WE classified every white-tail buck captured on trail cameras in October or November each year from 2017-2023 as either a juvenile
Family and Caregiver Reports of their Child with Autism’s Interactions with First Responders: A Pilot Study
Get PDFAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and restricted/repetitive behaviors. Current prevalence rates indicate 1 in 36 people have ASD, accounting for around 30,000 Montanans. With increasing rates of diagnoses, it is inevitable that first responders will encounter individuals with ASD. Due to differences in communication styles and reactions in high stress social situations, interactions can look different than with other members of the community. Research shows that interactions between individuals with autism and first responders are often unsatisfactory from the perspective of their parents and/or caregivers. There is a lack of training for first responders on neurodiversity resulting in discomfort, dissatisfaction, fear, and anxiety within the ASD community when the quality of care depends on first responders.
This qualitative case study is three pronged, seeking to learn about the experiences of people with autism, family/caregivers, and first responders in emergency situations. This poster focuses on the perspective of family members and caregivers of individuals with autism, highlighting the results of a pilot study conducted to determine the acceptability and feasibility of implementing the study statewide in Montana. Summaries from interviews will be presented in this poster session, along with feedback from the participants on how interview questions can be improved for use in the full study. The overarching goal of the pilot study is to ensure the research team has an effective and culturally responsive instrument for gathering qualitative data about interactions and experiences with first responders from the perspective of families and caregivers of autistic individuals, while also capturing experiences specific to Montana
Geographic Context and Spatial Analysis of Montana\u27s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons
Get PDFThis project focuses on the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) in the state of Montana, specifically in the geographic and spatial context.
In the United States, Indigenous people have long faced discrimination that exposes them to higher rates of violence and a greater likelihood of going missing (Department of Justice, 2016). This study builds upon scholarship within geography and allied social sciences to better understand the geography of missing and murdered Indigenous People in Montana. This study in particular draws on the theoretical underpinnings of ‘cultural cycles’ by linking this concept with
relationships to physical environment, culture, colonial history, and systemic violence.
The goal of this project is to identify trends in missing and murdered Indigenous persons in Montana, create visualizations to represent people who are actively missing, and identify areas of need for Montana communities
XR(extended reality) Explorations in GIS World-Building
No full textExtended reality (XR) in geospatial data visualizations presents exciting opportunities to enhance existing analysis and visualization tools. The goal is to help academics deliver immersive experiences that promote a deeper understanding of their subjects. This project is being developed using Unreal Engine and various related emerging tools and APIs. As a solo developer, I am creating environments using satellite map data and building digital assets with LiDAR scans and Gaussian Splatting, then geo-referencing them onto a virtual twin of the Earth. The next step in this research involves streaming real-time data to drive environmental simulations.
Experiencing XR first-hand can feel remarkably real, allowing participants to stand anywhere on the planet within these XR digital twins. This experience can have a profound physiological impact.
A memorable anecdote illustrates this: while playing an XR game, I found myself atop a fortress platform when I was suddenly charged at by an object from the corner of my eye. This startled me, causing me to stumble back, almost falling off the ledge. My heart rate skyrocketed, and I instinctively engaged my muscles to jump away—a very real response to a virtual scenario. This ability to create realistic experiences in virtual form can significantly enhance scientific capabilities, enabling data to be experienced rather than just viewed
The Heat Exposure Schedule on Vascular Inflammation Responses to Heat Acclimation
Get PDFUnderstanding thermoregulatory acclimation during work challenges in both females and males remains an active area of environmental physiology research. Myriad body-wide adaptive responses are frequently influenced by a milieu of circulating factors, including blood markers of vascular inflammation. How these markers respond to variations in acute and repeated challenges of exercise+heat may influence heat acclimation outcomes. PURPOSE: To quantify circulating markers of vascular inflammation following either sustained (1x 90 minutes) or intermittent (3x 30 Minutes) exercise+heat exposure protocols. METHODS: Females and males (n=30 each) were randomized to receive a week of low intensity exercise performed during one of two identically timed (90 minute) heat exposures. Gender-based groups (n=15 each) performed either sustained (90 minutes) or intermittent (3x 30 minutes, 3-hour separation) heat exposure (38°C, 60% RH) while walking on a treadmill (1.6 m·s-1, 5% grade). Blood samples drawn Pre and Post the first 30 minutes of exercise on days 1 and 7 were examined for vascular inflammation markers, including bFGF, Fit-1, ICAM, INF-y, IL-10, 1L-12p40, IL-15, IL-16, IL-17b, IL-17c, IL1Ra, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, PIGF, Tie-2, VEGF, VEGFa, VEGFc, VEGFd, and CRP. RESULTS: Pre-Post increases were present on day 1 and day 7 for 12/20 markers (bFGF, Fit-1, ICAM, IL-16, IL-17b, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, PIGF, VEGFa, VEGFc, VEGFd; CONCLUSION: Low intensity exercise results in a comparable elevation of circulating markers of vascular inflammation for sustained and intermittent heating protocols. Moreover, females – but not males - expressed an increase in several VEGF isoforms, a finding that suggests that heat acclimation differences between males and females may be linked to circulating factors associated with vascular inflammation