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Forging Pathways: How Low-Income STEM Students Navigate College on a Free Tuition Program
No full textIn light of the ever-increasing cost of tuition, colleges and universities are turning to free tuition programs to make college more affordable – especially for those students demonstrating the most financial need. Concurrently, students from low-income backgrounds continue to enroll in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) majors, navigating rigorous fields of study and anticipating highly lucrative career opportunities following graduation. This project, therefore, sought to answer the following question: How and in what ways is the college-going navigation of low-income STEM students influenced by a free tuition pathway in a selective, affluent university? Utilizing a qualitative, symbolic interactionist methodology and interview and document analysis methods, we interviewed seven, first-year STEM students who self-reported that they received a free tuition scholarship. Study findings illuminate how hidden costs accumulate in the affluent university setting, even as participants narrated their institutions and majors as welcoming and supportive. This paper can equip higher education scholars and practitioners to better understand how low-income STEM students negotiate the barriers and possibilities present on campus, toward designing free tuition programs that more fully support the low-income student experience and outcomes
A Rare and Challenging Polymicrobial Pleural Infection Involving Cupriavidus pauculus in a Patient with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Multiple Complications
No full textA 58-year-old female with a 15-year history of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and a history of treatment consisting of methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine, leflunomide, and chronic prednisolone therapy, presented with fever, productive cough, dyspnea, and left leg cellulitis. She developed septic shock complicated by tension pneumothorax requiring emergency thoracostomy and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Pleural fluid culture grew Cupriavidus pauculus, a rare environmental gram-negative bacillus, alongside Burkholderia cepacia and Candida parapsilosis, indicating polymicrobial infection which was most likely predisposed by patient\u27s immunosuppressed state from RA and prolonged steroid use. Treatment consisted of trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, meropenem, fluconazole, and cardiopulmonary support, and culminated in recovery after three weeks. This first reported C. pauculus case from Pakistan highlights diagnostic challenges in immunocompromised hosts and underscores the importance of rapid microbiological characterization and multidisciplinary care when managing sepsis caused by rare pathogens amidst complex comorbidities
Navigating Federal Work-Study: How Informational and Structural Barriers Shape First-Year Student Participation
No full textUnderstanding the complex nature of institutional and student behaviors regarding the federal work-study program (FWS) is critical to bolstering federal and institutional efforts to implement tangible policy interventions and practical improvements to the program. However, there is scant literature about the mechanisms of students’ FWS decision-making processes. To better understand the “why” of students’ decisions and behaviors around the FWS program, this study explores the determinants of imperfect FWS aid take-up among lower-income, first-year college students. Drawing upon multidisciplinary views on students’ work decisions while in college, a survey was developed and administered at a large public four-year university in the Midwest to students who were offered FWS aid (n = 514). The findings shed light on the role of program complexity and structural barriers in accessing the potential benefits of FWS. Students primarily experience cognitive overload while navigating the program and opaque employment processes. They also underscored the need for sufficient time to transition to college before considering any part-time work, including FWS. Overall, students advocate for the timely delivery of accurate information about FWS, a well-structured, guided process for FWS employment, and access to meaningful work opportunities for first-year students
Longitudinal Assessment of Moral Distress and Burnout during Pediatric Residency in a Canadian Site: Low Prevalence but Notable Risk of Attrition
Full text linkIntroduction: Although more than half of pediatric residents report burnout, the incidence of moral distress, the course of moral distress and burnout during residency, and associations between this course and personal characteristics of residents are unknown. The purpose of this work was to examine the incidence, temporal course, and associations of moral distress and burnout in pediatric residents.
Methods: In the pediatric training program of British Columbia Children’s Hospital, all residents were invited to complete the Moral Distress Scale-Revised thrice yearly, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory annually, between July 2016 and October 2018. In addition, residents reported a measure of moral distress for each rotation. Responses were tracked longitudinally using a unique identifier for each resident. We used longitudinal mixed effect modeling and generalized estimating equations to account for clustering of data.
Results: A total of 86/101 residents completed at least one sequence of the surveys. The average moral distress score was 20 (maximum possible: 336), but 10% of respondents had considered leaving residency in the past due to moral distress. Highest levels of moral distress occurred after international and intensive care rotations. Seven percent of respondents met criteria for burnout, but female residents reported higher burnout scores than males (p = 0.04).
Conclusion: Although moral distress and prevalence of burnout are low in pediatric residents at this institution, moral distress contributes to potential attrition. High-acuity rotations are associated with increased levels of moral distress
Research and Advancing DEI and representation in Medical Treatment and Healthcare Access
Full text linkMinimizing secondary spinal cord injuries with hypertonic saline.
Full text linkSpinal cord injury (SCI) disrupts white matter, causing periaxonal swelling, axonal degeneration, and impaired function. To examine vascular edema’s role, we developed a 3Dprinted dual-compartment imaging chamber to mimic and manipulate interstitial and vascular fluid dynamics in real time. We hypothesized that hypertonic saline (HTS) in the vascular chamber would osmotically shift fluid from the periaxonal space and preserve myelinated fibers after SCI. Using two-photon excitation microscopy, we imaged myelin and axons ex vivo in Thy1YFP+ transgenic mice following C5 contusive SCI and assessed three clinically relevant HTS concentrations versus normal saline for their effectiveness in mitigating periaxonal swelling and axonal spheroid formation. The most effective HTS concentration was then administered in vivo post-SCI to assess functional recovery in a T9 contusion model, where BMS subscores and motion sequencing (MoSeq) revealed that 3% HTS improved subtle locomotor recovery, supporting HTS as a potential therapy in secondary axonal degeneration
Black women under the white gaze: Resistance from enslavement to incarceration and reentry.
No full textBlack women in the United States who are currently incarcerated or have previously served time in prison have a particular need for protection as they move through the criminal “injustice” system because they frequently act as the primary caregivers for their families. Consequently, Black female convicts have historically had to create their social networks inside and outside carceral spaces as a form of resistance to white supremacist ideologies and as a site of protection. By highlighting Black women’s history of enslavement and incarceration, the different forms of resistance, and centering their narratives, we can paint a more complex picture of the communities formed within carceral spaces and ascertain how grassroots organizations outside these carceral spaces benefit and enhance these Black women\u27s ability and efforts to re-enter society successfully. My research/project seeks to contribute to this discussion using an exploratory research design and intersectional theoretical frameworks to delve into the unique history of Black women in America, the criminal injustice system, and the importance of community support re-entry networks of resistance
What happens to soil and native plant life after removal of Lonicera maackii in an urban temperate forest?
No full textIn evaluating the potential effects of nitrogen cycles and pH on plant diversity and richness after the removal of Lonicera maackii in a temperate urban forest in Louisville, Kentucky, data was collected including nitrogen, pH, canopy, stem count, and plant surveys. The cutting and treatment with chemicals to remove L. maackii were successful one year after the treatments, but legacy effects ensued about five years thereafter. Native diversity waned as monoculture proliferated in some areas, including second invasions of the invasive. It was expected that nitrogen and pH would explain the success (or lack thereof) of native plant response as well as legacy effects. Results indicate that there are non-significant levels of relevance between plant diversity, nitrogen, and pH, which may be due to deficiencies in seasonal data and biota analysis, indicating that further research is necessary to explore additional factors affecting plant diversity in the parkland
The effects of ethanol and tributyrin on Alzheimer\u27s disease pathogenesis in 3×Tg-AD mice.
No full textAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is a complex progressive neurodegenerative dementia with clinical hallmarks of amyloid-β plaques, hyper-phosphorylated tau in neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), and neurodegeneration. Chronic, excessive alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk for developing AD and other dementias. Both AD and chronic alcohol consumption are associated with dysbiosis in the gut microbiome (GM) characterized by a significant loss of beneficial butyrate-producing bacteria within the Firmicutes phylum. Previous studies demonstrate that chronic alcohol consumption accelerates AD pathogenesis in the 3×Tg-AD mouse model and that oral tributyrin (TB) supplementation in 3×Tg-AD mice reduces age-associated GM dysbiosis and AD-associated neurobehavioral deficits and neuropathology. Similarly, TB supplementation reduces EtOH-associated pathogenic changes to the GM in C57BL6 mice. Therefore, we hypothesize that chronic alcohol consumption will accelerate AD-associated GM dysbiosis and neurobehavioral deficits in 3×Tg-AD mice and TB supplementation will reduce EtOH-associated changes. To test this hypothesis, female 3×Tg-AD mice were treated with either weekend-like binge EtOH or alternating 10% and 20% EtOH in drinking water for four months. Groups of EtOH treated mice also received TB supplementation (2g/kg) twice per week throughout EtOH exposure and non-transgenic mice were used as controls. Analyses were performed on the GM, behavior and memory, biochemical endpoints associated with AD pathogenesis, and the mid-brain region with RNA-seq. Chronic weekend binge EtOH induced persistent memory deficits in female 3×Tg-AD mice along with neurodegeneration, disrupted neuronal homeostasis, and increased tau phosphorylation at Thr217 accompanied by increased activation of the tau phosphorylation enzyme GSK3β. Chronic alternating 10% and 20% EtOH in drinking water induced persistent gut barrier breakdown and peripheral endotoxemia that was reduced with TB supplementation. Additionally, TB supplementation improved grip strength in both 3×Tg-AD and NonTg mice while reducing anxiety measures in only 3×Tg-AD mice. Nevertheless, 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the GM revealed significant changes only with alternating 10% and 20% EtOH treatments, and no additional effects of TB supplementation. Together, these studies highlight the persistent neurodegenerative effects of chronic binge EtOH in genetically prone AD mice, as well as showing potential therapeutic effects of TB supplementation, improving AD-associated neurobehavioral deficits and reducing EtOH-induced peripheral endotoxemia
The voices behind the screen: Navigating the politics of work-time, identity, visibility, and tokenism in the workplace.
No full textThe COVID-19 pandemic has and continues to impact labor and work in numerous ways. As organizations began to adjust to the changes the COVID-19 pandemic brought on to how they operated, there arose a considerable amount of conflict regarding what work is and what work should be. Conflicts arose around issues of work/life balance, work-hour mismatch, health and wellbeing, self-autonomy, and individual vs. collective work, influencing how employee sees themselves, their work, and their role within the organization. This research study will focus on the culture of “work time” that is present within a public-sector organization and the various ways in which the shift to hybrid and/or remote work has influenced the organization\u27s work time culture. This study is aimed at filling the gaps that currently exist within the sociology of work literature by examining the role race plays in the myriad ways in which the culture of work time within an organization is legitimized, accepted, or contested amongst workers in public service jobs. This study is a chapter based, qualitative research study, that utilized semi-structured interviews with employees currently working within the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services to explore three themes connected to work-life balance: shifts in work hours, work-hour mismatch, and control over work. First, findings from this study showed that employees who work in public sector government jobs are keenly aware that their workload has and continues to increase and that their leadership knows it’s increasing. Next, findings from this study showed that Black employees often internalize the dominant beliefs regarding professionalism. This becomes a delicate dance whereby these employees are often working beyond their means to ensure they aren’t seen as less than, or further marginalized, within their organizations. Next, findings from this study show that Black employees are constantly being measured by both visible and invisible work standards that govern how they work. Finally, findings from this study show that employees who identify as mothers are routinely having to balance the demands of motherhood and the demands of being a professional, all the while developing strategies to ensure that they are able to provide the necessary time and commitment to both responsibilities. Overall, this research showed that the shifting demands of work are having impacts on employees far beyond what they think or understand. This research also shows that employees who work in governmental jobs care deeply about the work they do, which often leads them to place their work and the outcomes of the organization over their own well-being