804 research outputs found
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Acute Syphilitic Posterior Placoid Chorioretinopathy: A Case Report
Full text linkAbstract
Background: Acute syphilitic posterior placoid chorioretinopathy is a rare manifestation of ocular syphilis that can significantly impact the patient’s vision. However, it has been shown to have a good prognosis with the appropriate diagnosis and treatment of the underlying systemic syphilis infection. In addition to discussing the details of the case, this report also highlights the systemic staging, diagnosis, and treatment of syphilis. Case Report: This case features a 60-year-old Caucasian male diagnosed and treated for acute syphilitic posterior placoid chorioretinopathy after a recent diagnosis of syphilis. Conclusion: With the incidence rates of syphilis infections increasing, it is imperative that eye care providers understand the appropriate diagnosis and management of ocular and systemic syphilis, including rare manifestations such as acute syphilitic posterior placoid chorioretinopathy
An Exploration of How Education Stakeholders Perceive the Implications of Grade Repetition in Secondary Education in Western Uganda: A Qualitative Multiple-Case Study
Full text linkGrade repetition is one of the bottlenecks to Uganda’s vision of producing skilled human capital to transform the nation’s status from peasant to middle class. This study explored how education stakeholders perceived the implication of students’ grade repetition at a secondary school level. I employed a qualitative approach with an embedded multiple-case study design, through which cross-case synthesis on each school’s perspective revealed similarities and differences in understanding grade repetition at a secondary school level. Individualism-collectivism theory guided the study, to understand how students realized educational expectations through an interplay of educational and cultural influence on a school’s instructional process. I purposely selected 10 participants from four secondary schools (two private and two government), including four teachers and four administrators with at least 5 years of instruction, and two Parent-Teachers Association (PTA) chairpersons. I triangulated data collection through interviews, observation, document analysis, and focus group discussions and thematically analyzed the data through codes and categories to condense the voluminous field data into five themes without losing their intended meaning and focus. Study findings revealed a lack of standardized educational controls in regional schools as they raced for national examinations, ignoring the students’ individualized needs. It established how schools’ safeguards of their image and status led to more student expulsions for not meeting percentage pass marks, disparaging averages, and slow learners, impacting students’ emotional and psychological well-being. As schools overlooked government directives to satisfy their missions and belief systems, they widened the gap between rich and poor in accessing preferred schools. This study recommended the government’s intervention with financial controls and enhanced supervision to create equal access to desired schools for well-to-do and low-income families and support students’ holistic education. Schools’ academic decisions also should reflect students’ gender differences for inclusion
Synthesis of Poly-N-Methylated Peptides Against Malaria
Full text linkMalaria, a life-threatening global health concern, is primarily targeted by mainstream treatments such as artemisinin-based combination therapies, focusing on the blood stage of the disease. Primaquine, one of the few drugs active against the liver stage, faces challenges with reports of resistance in Plasmodium vivax strains and relapsing infections. With the scarcity of liver-stage-targeting drugs and increasing cases of drug-resistant malaria, the World Health Organization emphasizes the urgent need for novel therapeutic agents. Marine organisms are a rich source of new bioactive compounds, and extracts from the Antarctic Sea sponge Inflatella coelosphaeroides revealed new N-methylated peptides exhibiting promising antimalarial activity, targeting both liver (Friomaramide A) and blood stages (Shagamides A, C, and D). These unique N-methylated peptides provide a potential scaffold for antimalarial candidates. Shagamide A, with its simple yet remarkably active structure, is an ideal candidate for future structure-activity relationship studies. Our objective is to develop a synthetic route for Shagamide A, confirming its reported structure. This route will not only validate the compound\u27s structure but also facilitates the future production of analogues. These analogues aim to enhance Shagamide A\u27s biological activity, contributing to the development of potentially more effective antimalarial treatments
Subjective Experiences From the College Remedial Student
Full text linkThe purpose of the study was to write individual narrative stories about the subjective experiences of six students who entered college and had to take at least one remedial course their first semester. A subjective experience refers to the emotional and cognitive impact of the personal account of an experience (Subjective Experience, n.d.). The participants, including the researcher, were students who entered college for the first time without the minimum requirements for college enrollment; therefore, each was considered a remedial college student. The students were required to take remedial courses in math, writing, and /or reading before taking any credit bearing courses. In educational literature, the terms foundational, conditional, or probationary are interchangeable with the word remedial when referring to students who are not prepared for college coursework (Porter & Polikoff, 2012). For this dissertation, the term remedial was used. This qualitative arts-based study used narrative inquiry and rich pictures created by the participants to describe their subjective experiences. I wrote six separate narrative stories and interpreted six separate rich pictures to describe the participants’ subjective experiences. The methodology of data collection included interpretive grounded theory using a series of non-formal interviews, field notations, interpretations of rich pictures, coding cycles, and reflections. The narrative stories and the emerging theory will help the educators, administrators, and policy makers, at the K-12 level, learn the importance of college readiness at the high school level
Cultural Influences on Leadership Practices: An Examination of Culturally Diverse Leadership Influences During Organizational Change
Full text linkThis study explores the multifaceted culturally diverse influences on leadership practices, specifically in the intricate landscape of organizational change management. The primary objective is to unravel the complexities of leadership dynamics by dissecting the nuances of ethnic leadership styles. The goal of my study is to comprehensively examine how leaders from diverse ethnic backgrounds navigated and exerted influence during organizational change processes. I implemented a robust empirical framework to achieve this objective, strategically incorporating diverse study methods such as surveys, interviews, and organizational case studies. These methodological choices ensured a holistic examination of the interplay between cultural influences and leadership behaviors, aiming to uncover patterns, identify challenges, and elucidate practical strategies associated with ethnic leadership styles amidst organizational change. The anticipated outcomes are expected to significantly contribute to the theoretical landscape of cultural influences on leadership, offering insights that are both academically enriching and practically relevant within organizational contexts. By providing a more comprehensive review of ethnicity\u27s role in shaping leadership practices, I hope to enhance the effectiveness of leadership strategies in organizational change.
Ultimately, the study endeavors to contribute valuable knowledge that will inform both scholarly discourse and real-world applications, fostering a more nuanced understanding of cultural influences on leadership and its implications for navigating the complexities of organizational change. Crucial aspects such as cultural intelligence and inclusive leadership foster the development of cultural intelligence among leaders. Inclusive leadership practices, informed by a deep understanding of cultural dynamics, will contribute to creating environments that embrace diversity and empower individuals from different ethnic backgrounds. Effective communication and collaboration, grounded in an advanced understanding of cultural nuances, significantly impacted communication styles, preferences, and interpretation. A more sophisticated understanding will enable leaders to communicate effectively across diverse teams, mitigating misunderstandings and fostering a collaborative environment.
Exploration of cultural influences on leadership also provides insights into leveraging diverse perspectives for innovation and problem-solving, contributing to organizational agility. In strategic decision-making and change management, leaders with an advanced understanding of cultural influences proved to be better equipped to consider a multicultural workforce\u27s diverse needs and expectations. Navigating organizational change will necessitate understanding how cultural factors influenced employee attitudes and reactions, enabling leaders to implement more tailored and effective change management strategies. As leaders implement culturally sensitive approaches to training and development, they will ensure employees from diverse backgrounds have equal opportunities for professional growth
Incorporating the PCL-5 Self Assessment Tool in the Treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Using Virtual Reality Therapy
Full text linkBackground. Post-traumatic stress disorder occurs when individuals experience a traumatic event causing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and cognitive difficulties (Sadock et al., 2017). Failure to assess changes in post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms can result in ineffective treatments (Department of Veterans Affairs & Department of Defense, 2023). Purpose. Implement the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 screening tool as part of an outpatient clinic’s virtual reality exposure therapy protocol evaluating patients’ perceived effectiveness of virtual reality exposure therapy in post-traumatic stress disorder management. Methods. All staff and providers were educated on the use of the PCL-5 screening tool. Patients were screened at the initial appointment with the provider, at one month, and at the completion of virtual reality exposure therapy. Providers reviewed the PCL-5 results as part of their patient reassessments before making ketamine dosage adjustments in accordance with clinical practice guidelines. Results. All patients were screened at the initial consult with providers. Of the 8 patients screened, 62.5% were screened at one month, and 25% were screened at completion of virtual reality exposure therapy. This accounts for all the patients who had completed one month’s worth of virtual reality exposure therapy and who completed the entire virtual reality exposure therapy respectively. Implications for Practice. The PCL-5 screening tool assists providers in evaluating patients’ perceptions of symptom improvement in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. This helped to individualize virtual reality exposure therapy protocols for patients by determining if improvements in post-traumatic stress disorder were noted with therapy
Autosomal Dominant Optic Atrophy Plus Syndrome
Full text linkBackground: Dominant optic atrophy (DOA) is the most commonly encountered hereditary optic neuropathy in clinical practice and is the result of a mutation in the OPA1 or OPA3 genes encoding mitochondrial membrane proteins. The resultant mitochondrial dysfunction causes a distinct set of ophthalmic findings and may progress to extra-ocular systems known as OPA plus syndrome. We present a case of late-onset OPA plus syndrome encompassing both typical ophthalmic findings and the rarer extra-ocular findings. Case Report: A 41 year-old Caucasian male presents for a second opinion regarding a previously diagnosed traumatic optic neuropathy. Examination revealed decreased best-corrected acuities, optic nerve pallor, optical coherence tomography thinning of the retinal nerve fiber layers, progressive centrocecal visual field defects and tritanomalous color vision defects. All findings proved to be bilateral and symmetric. As the ophthalmic findings were inconsistent with a traumatic optic neuropathy, genetic testing was pursued resulting in a DOA diagnosis. Specialty consults demonstrated high-frequency hearing loss and mitochondrial myopathy consistent with OPA plus syndrome. Conclusion: While not a common diagnosis, hereditary optic neuropathies are most likely to present initially to primary eye care. The practitioner should be familiar with the ophthalmic findings and the need for specialty consult should a DOA diagnosis be confirmed