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Presumed Diffuse Unilateral Subacute Neuroretinitis: A Review Supported by a Unique Case
Get PDFDiffuse unilateral subacute neuroretinitis (DUSN) is a rare, sight-threatening inflammatory condition caused by a nematode. It typically affects healthy children and young adults. Various nematodes have been implicated, including those that originate from dogs and raccoons. Late stage findings include optic nerve atrophy, retinal arterial attenuation, “retinitis pigmentosa-like” retinal pigmentary changes, and central and peripheral vision loss. We present a case study of long-standing DUSN. The combination of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and visual electrophysiology testing proved invaluable in establishing a presumptive diagnosis of this rare condition
Implementation of a Program to Identify and Assess At-Risk Patients for Peripheral Arterial Disease
Get PDFLower extremity peripheral arterial disease is a condition that affects approximately 200 million people worldwide and 8 million women and men in the United States (McDermott, 2015). Although there are modifiable risk factors associated with peripheral arterial disease, it is believed to be under-diagnosed and under-treated in the general population (McDermott, 2015). The progression of asymptomatic peripheral arterial disease to symptomatic peripheral arterial disease can be reduced with the introduction of medications and therapeutic lifestyle modifications (Itoga et al., 2018). The purpose of the project was to identify and assess at-risk clinic patients with typical and atypical symptoms for lower extremity peripheral arterial disease. A quality improvement project was conducted to identify high-risk patients for peripheral arterial disease with the diagnoses of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, or tobacco smoker. These patients were screened and assessed for symptoms of peripheral arterial disease. The most common risk factor was hypertension (73.6%) followed by hyperlipidemia (42.5%), smoker (10.3%), and diabetes mellitus (6.9%). Of the 87 patients, 27.6% had more than one of the four risk factors included in the project. All of the patients were screened for typical and atypical symptomology with two patients reporting symptoms of peripheral arterial disease. Both of these patients reported both typical and atypical symptoms. Vascular compromise occurs prior to the presence of symptoms. Early identification and treatment of modifiable risk factors are an important component in the prevention of disease progression
Sexually Transmitted Infection Screening in a University Student Health Clinic
Get PDFBackground:University campus students have rates of sexually transmitted infections higher than the general population. Chlamydia and gonorrhea are the most common sexually transmitted infections. If untreated, these infections can lead to an array of complications for individuals involved.
Purpose and Objectives:This quality improvement initiative was designed to increase the number of student patients screened for sexually transmitted infections at a primary care clinic on a south Texas faith-based university campus.
Methods:Clinical tools were provided to assist in screening asymptomatic high-risk patients. A protocol for expedited partner therapy was created in accordance with clinical practice guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2018a) and Texas Department of State Health Services (2018b). Interventions included provider and clinic staff education regarding rates of sexually transmitted infections on campus, student education, techniques for a thorough sexual health history, and use of a screening tool. Promotion of clinic services and education about sexually transmitted diseases were shared via social media and via print in the form of flyers and an article in the student newspaper. Dormitory talks and education booths set up at wellness fairs and on campus provided face-to-face opportunities for student education.
Results:At completion of the project 97.7% (n = 416) of 426 patients were screened, 56.5% (n = 235) were classified as high-risk per self-reporting, and 28.1% (n = 117) were tested for sexually transmitted infections. Of the patients tested, 12.0% (n = 14) were positive for either chlamydia or gonorrhea. The social media component generated a 25.4% (n = 84) increase in followers on Twitter and a 100% (n = 132) increase in followers across Instagram and Snapchat
Effect of Resistant Starch on the Glycemic Effect of a Meal
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to determine if supplementation of a high glycemic load breakfast with resistant starch attenuates the glycemic response in young healthy adults. Twenty-one subjects, 23.8 + 3.3 yrs, reported for two days of data collection, having fasted 8-12h. On day 1(control), fasting BG was measured using glucometers, then subjects consumed 2 slices white bread and 250mL apple juice within 15min, the repeated BG measurement at 15, 30, 60, 90, and 120min after baseline. Day 2, the protocol was repeated, except that 10g of resistant starch supplement was added to the apple juice. There was no significant difference in fasting BG between the data collection days. There was no significant difference in the spike in BG (difference between peak and baseline) between the control and resistant starch supplemented meal(52.6±22.7 vs 52.0±20.6mg/dL, respectively) or incremental area under the glucose curve (137.2+78.9 vs 164.0+83.2mmol/L/120min,respectively).BG peaked at 15, 30, or 60min for all subjects. The resistant starch supplement had no effect on when BG peaked after the meal. The results of this study indicate that 10g supplementation of resistant starch does not affect the spike in BG or overall glycemic response to a high glycemic load meal
The Closing of Inner-city Catholic Elementary Schools and the Impact on Community: An Ethnographic Instrumental Case Study of Two Neighboring Communities
Get PDFThe focus of this ethnographic instrumental case study is to communicate the seriousness of a growing trend in the United States: closings of inner-city/urban Catholic schools by the local diocese. Utilizing Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of practice (1977) and the Church’s Catholic Social Teaching, this study examined the question: What does it mean for the parish community and the church, as a whole, when the Catholic school that was once a big part of community life is no longer there? This research study examined community members’ role(s), response to, and experience of a closing; examined the implications on person-community-Church relationship; and examine the values and practices of Catholic Social Teaching in relationship to the community process of communication
The Role of Mentoring in the Development of Minority Faculty in the Texas State Higher Education System
Get PDFResearch Focus. The purpose of this study was to explore the role that mentoring played in the professional development of minority faculty in the Texas State higher education system.
Research Methods. A phenomenological qualitative research design was employed for this study. Data was collected using open ended in-depth interviews with eight minority faculty purposefully selected from across the Texas State institutions of higher learning.
Research Results/Findings. Minority faculty in the Texas State higher education system often experienced cultural taxation, marginalization, discrimination, isolation, and lack of mentoring. The study indicated that mentorship boots minority faculty support, retention, promotion, empowerment, trust, accountability, and increases self-esteem. This study revealed that mentoring played crucial roles in the form of helping early minority faculty negotiate barriers, manage time, and commitments, learn and understand the written and unwritten rules of their institutions. The study also found that most minority faculty spent most of their time preparing lecture notes and not enough time for scholarship.
Conclusions from Research. There had not been any study on the role of mentoring in the development of minority faculty in the Texas State higher education system. To address this void in scholarly literature, I explored minority faculty experience to understand the role mentoring played in their professional development. My study employed phenomenological methodology to develop descriptive themes. Eight minority faculty who identified as having been mentored were purposefully selected and interviewed to understand the phenomenon. My face-to-face in-depth interviews with the eight participants produced rich data. Finding from my study revealed three themes pertaining to how minority faculty experience and understand mentorship in their individual college and university campuses: role mentoring played, challenges encountered, and advice for prospective and existing minority educators. Participants who have experienced and understood mentorship expressed that minority faculty need mentorship in other to move on to a more professional level in their career. They suggested that mentoring programs be provided to boost minority faculty training, support, retention, promotion, empowerment in all Texas State higher educational institutions
En Sus Propias Palabras: Testimonios of Latinas in Elected and Appointed Office
Get PDFGovernance in the United States has been the domain of men since the idea of democracy and independence from England was in its infancy. The systematic oppression and exclusion of persons of color and women was the backdrop upon which the United States was founded. Many continue to experience conflict and struggle in their efforts to gain and maintain civil rights and seek personal and professional experiences free from marginalization and oppression. This purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the lived experiences group of Latinas who have been elected or appointed to public office with an emphasis critical variables of race, ethnicity, immigration story, gender, language, and socioeconomic class as defined by Latino Critical Race Theory and Chicana Feminist Theory.
The study employs Testimonio as methodology to explore oppressive and marginalizing influences throughout the personal and professional lives of seven Latinas in elected or appointed office. The use of constant comparative, iterative data analysis and testimonio methodology give voice to a collective narrative and is intended to act as demonstration of resistance to hegemony in white, male-dominated institutions of government.
The voices of the women in this study tell a cohesive story about the centrality of the family unit in Latino culture with emphasis on familismo and mariansmo and the traditional gender roles of women and girls in Latino families. Furthermore, the testimonios of the women describe oppression and marginalization suffered in personal and professional settings in the form of racism, sexism, misogyny, and sexual harassment. Despite these barriers, findings revealed that they sought public office in response to a call to public service, social justice, and altruism, especially for vulnerable persons who could not defend themselves from inequity or unfairness.
The testimonios of the seven women in this study tell a story of affection for tradition and love of family. Additionally, the testimonios reveal a shift toward women assuming prominent roles in the household and in the workplace all while navigating oppressive and marginalizing racial, gendered, and cultured experiences. The voices of the Latinas tell the story of how they adhere to dearly held cultural values and a profound fondness for tradition while, at the same time, positioning themselves as confident and capable elected officials
Early Oral Feeding After Bowel Resection
Get PDFResearch Focus: The primary purpose of this project was to determine if there was an association of factors with time to first solid meal in gastrointestinal (GI) surgery patients and the impact solid diet has on length of stay (LOS) in the hospital, GI symptoms, and incidence of post-operative ileus (POI). A secondary purpose was to observe and describe when an oral diet was started and the progression of diet after GI surgery.
Research Methods: This study was a cross-sectional, retrospective chart review of a convenience sample in a multi-centered hospital system conducted in 84 GI resection patients who were 18 years of age or older, and who underwent elective laparoscopic or open bowel resection. Primary outcome variables were postoperative LOS, return to bowel function, incidence of POI, overall complication rate, and presence of GI symptoms. Exploratory variables included pre-operative preparation techniques (pre-operative fasting, bowel preparation, and pre-medication), analgesic and anesthetic techniques used, laxative use, and nasogastric tube (NGT) reinsertion and time in situ, and time to mobilization. Demographic variables included age, sex, surgery type, incision type, and body mass index (BMI). International Business Machines Statistical Package for Social Sciences (IBM SPSS) and IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Analysis of Moment Structures (IBM SPSS Amos) were used to analyze data. A correlation table and individual linear and binary logistic regressions in SPSS Statistics, and pathway analysis in SPSS Amos were used to determine direct associations, indirect associations, and covariates.
Research Results/Findings: There were no significant associations between time to first solid meal and GI complications, sepsis, abscess, or other complications including hemorrhage, hypertensive thrombocytopenia, acute post-hemorrhagic anemia, hematochezia, leukocytosis, colovesical fistula, and prolapse of ileostomy. Time to first solid meal was significantly associated with allowing clear liquids 12 to 24 hours prior to surgery and time to mobilization. Both faster time to first solid diet and eating before bowel function return (BFR) were associated with decreased LOS. In this study, all except two patients received a clear liquid diet (CLD) as their first meal. Forty four percent of patients were not fed orally until after BFR. The NGT was not removed until after postoperative day 1 (POD1) in 25% of patients.
Conclusions from Research: The findings in this observational study concur with the findings of previous experimental research. Feeding an early solid meal is not associated with complications and is associated with decreased LOS
Map of MathWorld: Identifying Core Practices for Successful Supplemental Instruction of Community College Math Students
Get PDFAt its core, this study is about developmental math which has been a problem in the United States for decades. Math teachers, at different academic levels, have assisted students through struggles with math. Research suggests that although math is a necessary skill, some students often fare poorly in the subject. Because of that, many formal, math support programs have been developed to assist students.
MathWorld is a math support program at St. Philip’s College that is available to math students for the purpose of receiving assistance on study skills and gaining understanding of mathematical concepts. The overarching purpose of this study was to better understand and explore the impact of participation in MathWorld on student success in developmental math courses from the perspectives of math faculty and staff at a local community college. Through interviews, a survey, and student testimonials, the researcher sought to understand this from the viewpoints of the most relevant knowledge-holders: math faculty and MathWorld staff. They have a unique set of feelings and lessons learned from their experiences with the students that they serve.
Three key findings emerged from an examination of the results: Cultivating content-specific skills is a core practice by which the Bobs and instructors guide the students to a better understanding of various math subjects; Supporting life skills is a core practice by which the Bobs and instructors create an atmosphere of relatability and gauging the socioemotional well-being of the students; and Providing holistic interventions is a core practice by which the Bobs and instructors discern the academic and socioemotional needs of the students and utilize appropriate interventions
The Initial Planning Process of an International Service-Learning Pilot Initiative Under Development
Get PDFThis research explored the initial planning process of an international service-learning (ISL) initiative under development that involved a collaboration among a south-central Texas private university, a ministry of Catholic Sisters in Peru, a U.S. non-profit organization, and a Peruvian optometry school. Three collaborators were founded by the same religious order. An overlapping in mission and values influenced the context. By delving into the expectations of higher education and its pedagogical practices, ISL’s history and conceptualizations, and concepts of program planning and designing related to the fields of ISL and adult learning, this study presented significant program development aspects. Furthermore, the role of being a practitioner-researcher was highlighted. All work was viewed through John Dewey’s historical theoretical works related to service-learning theory and his early 20th century philosophies of democratic and experiential education, and framed by Pechak and Thompson’s (2009) Conceptual Model of Optimal International Service-Learning. This investigation was designed by Stake’s (2005) qualitative intrinsic case study. Data sources included interviews, archived organizational documents, and an insider perspective. Data analysis included Spradley’s (1980) Developmental Sequence and Taxonomy and Huckin’s (2004) content analysis techniques. Findings revealed four major themes: individual contributions, group dynamics, collaboration, and preparation. One sub-theme emerged under collaboration—meeting—and two sub-themes emerged under preparation—logistics and scouting. A timeline also emerged, listing occurrences that wove in the discovered themes as dynamic features. This work contributes to the ISL development before program design and implementation by modeling an initial planning process under development and introducing the holistic planning concept