3103 research outputs found
Sort by
New Faculty Perspectives in a Jesuit Institution Amidst Unprecedented Challenges
No full textThe struggles and stressors that new faculty members face has been well documented, but during our first year at a Jesuit institution, we encountered unexpected, unprecedented challenges. Fortunately, we developed a unique sense of community as new faculty stemming from Regis University’s Manresa Experience. The Manresa Experience exposed us to Jesuit Values, provided networking opportunities with colleagues, and introduced a togetherness that would help unite us against two unforgiving viruses. The first virus plagued Regis University in Fall 2019, when a cyberattack crippled our entire network security. As new faculty members, we were unable to utilize valuable resources that would normally aid in our successful transition to a new university. Almost immediately following this cyberattack, Regis University faced the tremendous challenges surrounding the COVID-19 global pandemic, which forced us to transition our team-based learning pedagogy into an online platform within a matter of days. The Manresa Experience and Jesuit Values supported us in unexpected ways despite these extraordinary circumstances. Individually, we experienced the challenges in our own unique context. Together, we found peace amidst the turmoil and success amongst the chaos as we all relied on the Jesuit values and our support system created by the Manresa Experience
Learning with Students at the Margins: Creighton University’s Pilot Program with Jesuit Worldwide Learning 2017-2018
No full textCreighton University in cooperation with Jesuit Worldwide Learning: Higher Education at the Margins (formerly Jesuit Commons: Higher Education at the Margins) piloted a program in 2017-2018 in which 8 Creighton University undergraduates in the College of Arts & Sciences took an online course in Jesuit Worldwide Learning’s Diploma in Liberal Studies and a newly developed online course at Creighton University that framed their online experience in a global classroom with students living at the margins through readings, videos, discussions, reflections, and community service. This small-scale qualitative study seeks to understand what benefits arise for privileged students in a global classroom with students at the margins who also take an accompanying course designed to enhance this experience. Drawing upon questionnaires, an interview, and an essay, these findings are primarily descriptive in nature and reveal that students gained knowledge of and appreciation for the empowerment of (a Jesuit) education, displayed empathy with the marginalized populations, increased their self-knowledge, and also discovered a commitment to serve others
Down by the riverside: Riparian edge effects on three monkey species in a fragmented Costa Rican forest
No full textSingle Mothers Empowerment: A program for increasing income for single mothers in Rwanda
Get PDFIn Rwanda, 47% of pregnancies are unintended every year (Basinga et al., 2012). These pregnancies lead to problems such as children growing without fathers, single mothers, girls dropping out of school, stigmatisation in the community and consequently a cycle of poverty. My literature review revealed that single mothers become mothers in their teen years, while they are exercising experimental sex. In many cases, their partners are children themselves which might explain their lack of involvement in the child’s life. However, there are other cases where girls and women are raped or involved in transactional sex for survival. I conducted a literature review and talked to single mothers in Karongi district in the Western province of Rwanda, and after considering the findings of my research and my own observations and experience living in the community, I designed a project called: Single Mothers Empowerment Project (SMEP). SMEP will attempt to remove some challenges preventing women from being financially independent and contributing members of their community. Ideally, these women would be accepted and embraced in their own community, so that they didn’t have to carry such big responsibilities alone or be stripped of joys of becoming a mother. Unfortunately, change takes time, and that is the time these women or their babies do not have as while change is yet to happen, precious years of life are passing by. As a trained development practitioner, the next best thing is to equip them so that while the community is learning to accept and embrace them, and/or change some of their long held believes (like no sex talk with parents), single mothers can take proper care of themselves. This project’s goal is to equip single mothers with the necessary tools and support to care for themselves and their children. Through the provision of skills training, sex education, childcare, and advocacy within the community, the project will directly contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 1): ending poverty for all while indirectly affecting SDG 2,4 &8
Cost-Effectiveness of Operative Versus Nonoperative Management of Patients With Intra-articular Calcaneal Fractures
No full textObjective: To assess the costs, health gains, and cost-effectiveness of operative versus nonoperative treatment of calcaneal fractures over a 5-year time horizon from both US societal and payer perspectives.
Methods: The societal perspective analysis included both direct medical costs and costs for missed work, whereas the health care payer perspective analysis included only direct medical costs associated with treatment and complications. A decision tree simulation model was developed to estimate the direct medical and indirect costs (2018 US35,110 vs. 50,000 per QALY, operative fixation had an 89% probability of being cost-effective. From a health care payer perspective, operative management remained cost-effective as the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio is below the willingness-to-pay threshold of $50,000/QALY.
Conclusion: From both US societal and health care payer perspectives, operative treatment of displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures utilizing an extensile lateral approach is cost-effective at commonly accepted willingness-to-pay thresholds compared with nonoperative treatment over a 5-year time horizon. Patient variability may impact cost-effectiveness and should be explored in future research
Impact of allergies on health-related quality of life in patients with asthma
No full textObjective: To estimate the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and health utilities among asthma patients with and without comorbid allergies in a managed care population. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of patient survey responses and pharmacy claims from the Observational Study of Asthma Control and Outcomes (OSACO). Patients ≥12 years-old with persistent asthma received four identical surveys between April-2011 and December-2012. The presence of allergy was identified by a positive response to a survey question about hay fever/seasonal allergies and ≥1 diagnosis-related ICD-9-CM code(s) for allergic conditions. HRQoL instruments included generic utility (EQ-5D-3L [including VAS]), asthma-specific utility (AQL-5D) and asthma-specific health status (Mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire [MiniAQLQ]). Median regression was used for utility scores and Least Squares regression for MiniAQLQ, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and smoking. Results: Of the 2681 asthmatics who completed the first survey in the OSACO study, 971 had comorbid allergies. After adjusting for covariates, asthma patients with comorbid allergies had significantly lower MiniAQLQ scores than patients without allergies (−0.489 [95% CI −0.570, −0.409]; p \u3c 0.01), with the greatest decrement/impairment observed for the environmental stimuli domain (−0.729 [95% CI −0.844, −0.613]; p \u3c 0.01). Utility scores were also statistically significantly lower for asthma patients with comorbid allergies compared to those without allergies (EQ-5D, −0.031 [95% CI −0.047, −0.015]; AQL-5D, −0.036 [95% CI −0.042, −0.029]; p \u3c 0.01 each). Conclusions: The presence of allergies with persistent asthma is associated with a significant deleterious impact on several different measures of HRQoL
Nontraditional and Struggling: Academic and Financial Distress Among Older Student Clients
No full textFew researchers have examined the mental health needs of nontraditional student clients (age 25 and older) using a multisite counseling center sample. This study (N = 4,499) included 630 nontraditional students (age 25 and older) who sought counseling services across one state university system. Compared with traditional-age student clients, nontraditional clients were more demographically diverse, presented with different concerns and challenges, and were more likely to report financial stress. Financial stress mediated relationships between nontraditional students status and academic dysfunction
Intra-articular hyaluronic acids for osteoarthritis of the knee
No full textHyaluronic acids (HAs) are one modality in the arsenal for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Non-pharmacologic strategies, such as exercise therapy and weight loss, improve functional capacity and provide pain relief. When patients require adjunct pharmacologic therapy, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), acetaminophen, intra-articular (IA) corticosteroids, duloxetine, HA, topical capsaicin, and, when necessary, opioid medications may be used. Current guidelines recommend caution with use of many of these therapies because of safety concerns, especially in patients with comorbidities. HAs provide pain relief for patients with mild-to-moderate knee OA without adversely affecting patients with comorbidities. With 15 HA preparations available, these agents vary according to origin of derivation, molecular weight, number of injections per series, and duration of effect. This article discusses the various HA preparations
Pressure pain hypersensitivity and referred pain from muscle trigger points in elite male wheelchair basketball players
No full textBackground: Shoulder injuries are common in individuals who use wheelchairs. Objectives: This study investigated the presence of mechanical pain hypersensitivity and trigger points in the neck-shoulder muscles in elite wheelchair basketball players with/without shoulder pain and asymptomatic able-bodied elite basketball players. Methods: Eighteen male wheelchair basketball players with shoulder pain, 22 players without shoulder pain, and 20 able-bodied elite male basketball players were recruited. Pressure pain thresholds were assessed over C5-C6 zygapophyseal joint, deltoid muscle, and second metacarpal. Trigger points in the upper trapezius, supraspinatus, teres minor, infraspinatus, teres major, latissimus dorsi, subscapularis, pectoralis minor, pectoralis major and deltoid muscles were also examined. Results: Wheelchair basketball players with shoulder pain showed lower pressure pain thresholds over the C5-C6 joint and second metacarpal than elite wheelchair basketball players without pain (between-groups differences: 1.1, 95%CI 0.4, 1.8 and 1.8, 95%CI 0.8, 2.8, respectively) and able-bodied basketball players without pain (between-groups differences: 0.8, 95%CI 0.4, 1.2; 1.6, 95%CI 0.8, 2.4, respectively). The mean number of myofascial trigger points for wheelchair basketball players with unilateral shoulder pain was 4.8 ± 2.7 (2 ± 1 active, 2.9 ± 2.2 latent). Wheelchair basketball players and able-bodied basketball players without shoulder pain exhibited a similar number of latent trigger points (2.4 ± 2.0 and 2.4 ± 1.8, respectively). Wheelchair basketball players with shoulder pain exhibited higher number of active myofascial trigger points than those without pain (either with or without wheelchair), but all groups had a similar number of latent trigger points (P \u3c 0.05). Conclusions: The reported mechanical pain hypersensitivity suggests that active trigger points may play a role in the development of shoulder pain in elite male wheelchair basketball players