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An Exploration of Parent and Medical Professional Perceptions on the Role of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists Providing Nutrition Care to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
No full textChildren with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly exhibit nutrition-related challenges such as food selectivity, sensory abnormalities, negative mealtime behaviors, and gastrointestinal issues. However, despite their increased risk of poor nutrition status, there is limited literature on how medical professionals and parents of children with autism perceive the role of registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) in addressing nutrition needs. This study focused on exploring medical professional and parent perspectives about the role of RDNs providing nutrition care to children with ASD. Additionally, this study aimed to identify nutrition-related topics of interest and desired resources for medical professionals and parents. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with interdisciplinary medical professionals (i.e., board certified behavior analysts, pediatricians, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists) and parents of children with ASD. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, verified by researchers, and double coded using the constant comparative method. The study included 22 parents of children with autism (mean age 6.8 years) and 21 medical professionals serving children with ASD in the state of California. Thematic analysis of transcripts revealed that although some medical professionals and parents perceived RDNs as helpful, many questioned their competency to offer nutrition care to children on the spectrum. Consequently, despite observing nutrition-related challenges, most medical professionals rarely referred patients to RDNs and parents reported limited knowledge of or contact with RDNs. Both groups expressed a need for more education and resources on addressing food rigidity and selectivity, dietary supplementation, and dietary guidelines specific to children with ASD. These findings reveal a potential need for increased visibility of RDNs among interdisciplinary professionals caring for children with ASD. As RDNs are uniquely qualified to provide nutrition-related educational resources for medical professionals and families, those with limited experience with autism may benefit from more training opportunities to effectively address nutritional challenges of the population
Narrative Case Study: Faculty and Staff Experiences and Perspectives Following a College Mass Shooting
No full textLittle is known about how a college mass shooting affects faculty and staff survivors. The purpose of this study was to better understand how the experience of a college mass shooting affected the lives of faculty and staff involved in the incident. This study examined, in-depth, the personal accounts of six college staff and faculty who had experienced a mass shooting to determine their perspective on safety, prevention measures, the gun culture in the U.S., and personal well-being. This case study used narrative inquiry methodology, employing semi-structured interviewing to capture firsthand experiences that might aid the support of mass shooting victims and advance the knowledge on this topic. The perspectives of the study participants pertaining to personal safety, institutional safety, the U.S. gun culture, and a sense of personal well-being provided a clear picture of their experiences during the incident. The participants indicated that personal safety is their own responsibility and reported a heightened sense of awareness after the event. The participants said that the event did not change their position on institutional safety, but their opinions of institutional practices varied between the idea that institutions cannot prepare for such an event to institutions could be much better prepared. The participants explained that the event did not influence their opinions about the gun culture. Nearly all participants believed that guns were less of a problem than the issues around the people who might use them to harm others. All participants struggled to recover mentally from the event. Participants who practiced resiliency, had well-developed coping mechanisms, and had strong connections to those whom they could relate with were more successful at recovery than those who did not
Exploring the Relationships Between User Cybersecurity Knowledge, Cybersecurity and Cybercrime Attitudes, and Online Risky Behaviors
No full textOrganizations face an onslaught of threats to their mission-critical data. While organizations continue to increase their investment in cybersecurity, user awareness, and Information Security Policy (ISP) mitigations, the employee represents the greatest threat to sensitive data loss. Understanding the linkage between a user’s Information Security Awareness (ISA) knowledge, their attitudes toward cybersecurity and cybercrime, and their risky online behaviors are critical to more effective cybersecurity investments. Therefore, the purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to better understand linkages between the internal user’s information security awareness knowledge, attitudes toward cybersecurity and cybercrime, and their risky online behaviors. This research was completed online with 210 fully screened US working adults that utilized corporate information technology assets and were aware of their organization’s ISP. The Human Aspects of Information Security Questionnaire (HAIS-Q) was used to capture the ISA knowledge score, the Attitudes Toward Cybersecurity in Business (ATC-IB) was used to capture the attitude score, and the Risky Cybersecurity Behaviors Scale (RScB) was used to capture the behaviors score of each respondent. This study’s findings answered the research questions, added to the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors (KAB) research methodology, and showed strong correlations between the respondent’s ISA knowledge, attitudes toward cybersecurity and cybercrime, and risky online behaviors. A high statistically significant correlation was found between the knowledge (HAIS-Q) and attitudes (ATC-IB) scores (r = 0.65, p < .001). There was a large statistically significant negative correlation between the knowledge (HAIS-Q) and behaviors (RScB) scores (r = -0.74, p < .001). Finally, there was a large statistically significant negative correlation between scores on the attitudes (ATC-IB) and behaviors (RScB) (r = -0.73, p < .001). These findings show direct and high levels of significant correlations between the KAB triad components. As employee ISA knowledge improves, their attitude toward cybersecurity also improves. If either the employee knowledge or attitudes toward cybersecurity are improved, their risky online behaviors are significantly reduced. These findings indicate that investments and managerial emphasis on enhancing the employee’s ISA knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors can substantially lessen the organizational user cybersecurity risk
Sequential Codelet Model: A SuperCodelet Program Execution Model and Architecture
No full textIn sequential computers, the Instruction Set Architecture provides a clear division between software and hardware. Separation of software and hardware through a well defined contract enabled decades long of seamless evolution of computer systems. The end of Dennard's scaling and slow down of Moore's law has forced architects to abandon purely sequential architectures in favor of parallel/distributed and heterogeneous systems. The new era represents a new spring of computer architectures. However, the ISA contract has been broken. It is mandatory to reconcile the abstraction between hardware and software in order to recover performance, portability, and programmability. Sequential architectures take advantage of Instruction level parallelism to overlap the execution of instructions. These techniques use dataflow to implicitly perform side-effect free parallel execution of code. On the other hand, parallel programming often requires explicit reasoning of workload distribution, communication, memory synchronization and worker management. This thesis proposes the Sequential Codelet Model, a program execution model for parallel, heterogeneous and distributed execution of programs. It defines a machine abstraction (namely hierarchical Von Neumann machine), that recognizes the natural hierarchical structure of computer systems. Programming of the machine uses a hierarchical imperative programming model reassembling an Instruction Set Architecture at each level. A Codelet is the name given to an ``instruction'' of a level, as expressed in terms of instructions of the level below. By means of Instruction Level Parallelism inspired techniques, parallel/distributed execution of programs is achieved. The final system leverages the vast progress made for sequential computers. Finally, We present a the Super Codelet Architecture, a possible realization of the Sequential Codelet Model
The Paradox of Being Seen: Best-Practice Psychodynamic Treatment of Concurrent Shame and Non-Traumatic Unipolar Depression
No full textResearch shows that shame can account for significant variance in depression (Tangney, et al., 1992; Wei, et al., 2005; Ding, et al., 2012; Rice, et al., 2016), making the connection between the two factors a point of psychological interest. While the relationship between depression and shame has been researched in various ways in recent psychological history, the treatment of these two connected conditions in combination has yet to be explored. By expanding upon existing theory and treatment of each condition in isolation, researchers and clinicians might be able to identify therapeutic practices that may be considered best practice for each condition treated together. In the evaluation of both theory and existing treatments of these conditions and synthesizing a combination of best-practice psychodynamic interventions for these conditions, practitioners will better be able to serve their adult clients who present with comorbid non-traumatic depression and shame
Vendor Oversight in Pharmaceutical SMEs
No full textThe focus of this study was business practices for oversight of contract research organizations (CROs) for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the pharmaceutical industry. The business problem was that pharmaceutical SMEs lack of experience and knowledge of good clinical practices (GCPs) make it difficult for them to oversee the work of CROs, which makes them vulnerable to quality control issues. The purpose of this qualitative Delphi study was to identify forward-looking practices for pharmaceutical SMEs to manage CRO oversight effectively, as viewed by a panel of vendor oversight experts in the United States, and to determine whether those experts could reach consensus regarding the desirability, feasibility, and ranked the importance of these oversight practices. Participants included 22 pharmaceutical industry experts who reached consensus after four survey rounds. The quality management department, the data management department, and the monitoring organization are the top three departments to conduct CRO oversight. Participants rated matrix of valid SOPs, RAPID decision-making model and RASCI are the top instruments for the implementation of CRO oversight. Standardized SME tools for CRO oversight are key performance indicators (KPIs), a guidance document on the distribution of tasks, and standardized metrics. Participants agreed that instruments to document CRO oversight are vendor oversight plan (VOP), KPI monitoring, and Electronic Data Capture (EDC) software. Video conferencing, email, and web-based collaboration platforms are the best platforms for exchange between the sponsor and CRO. Participants were asked to identify how best to structure an escalation plan to address operational issues with the CRO. The findings indicated that constant communication, including live interaction between the sponsor company and CRO, allows resolving issues in an efficient manner. Knowledgeable and experienced staff allow teams to identify and solve issues in an efficient manner. The sponsor company and CRO should utilize technology for remote monitoring to ensure efficient identification of the root cause of the issue. Participants indicated how the lessons-learned process could work at a SME. Cost analysis, performing corrective actions that were done previously, and mitigation of issues that occurred in the past were among the top of the answers regarding the lessons-learned process. Project management skills, the ability to perform on deliverables in a time-efficient manner, and strong ethics are the top three skills for conducting CRO oversight. The findings from this study could add to the body of business knowledge in the area of vendor oversight in pharmaceutical company SMEs
How Academic Administrators Shape Experiential Learning Curriculum Based on Employer Feedback
No full textThis generic qualitative inquiry was guided by the following research question: How do academic administrators of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business AACSB accredited business schools shape experiential learning curriculum based on employer feedback regarding workplace readiness and employability? The study explored experiences of academic administrators regarding the use of employers' feedback in terms of incorporating experiential learning into the business curriculum. This generic qualitative inquiry utilized semi-structured interviews with 13 academic administrators of AACSB accredited universities in the United States. Data collected from the interviews were transcribed and were analyzed using NVivo macOS version 11 software, resulting in six key themes. Findings of the study indicate that (a) employers and universities are partnering to create experiential learning curriculum; (b) real-world projects are being incorporated into curriculum although internships are also encouraged; (c) the faculty, not academic administrators drive curriculum decisions; (d) trends in employer feedback are required before implementation is considered; (e) employer feedback is focused on workplace readiness skills not course content, concepts, or industry knowledge; and (f) there are still challenges regarding faculty willingness to address employer feedback through experiential learning curriculum
Principal Multidimensional and Overall Attitudes Toward Inclusion in Schools: A Correlational Study
No full textThe purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine if and to what extent a relationship exists between K-12 principal and assistant principal cognitive, affective, and behavioral attitudes towards inclusive education and overall attitudes toward inclusive education in schools in the United States. The theoretical foundations for this research included Planned Behavior Theory. The study was guided by three research questions which sought to examine if a relationship exists between principal and assistant principal cognitive, affective, and behavioral attitudes toward inclusive education and principal and assistant principal overall attitudes toward inclusive education in schools. A convenience sample of 113 K-12 principals and assistant principals were recruited through members of two Facebook groups. Participants completed an online survey which included a demographic questionnaire, the Principal Attitudes Toward Inclusive Education Survey (PATIE) and the Multidimensional Attitudes Toward Inclusive Education Survey (MATIE). The results of a nonparametric Kendall’s Tau-b correlation, evaluated at a corrected α < .016, were as follows; cognitive: tb = -.268, p < .000; affective: tb = -.234, p < .000; and behavioral: tb = .137, p = .052. The results found a statistically significant relationship between principal and assistant principal cognitive and affective attitudes and overall attitudes toward inclusive education. These findings justify further research in the relationship between principal and assistant principal multidimensional and overall attitudes toward inclusive education
Examining the Correlation Between Preferred Leadership Style and Social Orientation Using State Employees' Perceptions
No full textThe purpose of this quantitative correlational study is to examine if, and to what extent, a correlation exists between state government employees’ preference of their leader’s dominant leadership style (transformational or servant) and employees’ perceptions of their leader’s dominant social orientation (social justice or social order) for state employees located in an Upper Midwest state. The theoretical foundations for this research study were theories of organizational leadership, and political science theories. The research study was conducted with a cluster sampling of 149 state government employees who completed an online survey that included anchoring vignettes to identify social orientation, and two validated instruments: 20-item (MLQ) Form 5X Short for measures of Transformational Leadership and Ehrhart’s 14-item Scale for measures of Servant Leadership. A demographic questionnaire was administered to collect descriptive data. Two research questions were established to examine the correlation between employees’ perceptions of their preferred leader’s leadership style and the employees’ perceptions of their leader’s social orientation. The result of Spearman's rank-order correlation showed a statistically significant, strong positive correlation between servant leadership and social orientation, (rs(144) = .241, p = .003) and no statistically significant relationship between transformational leadership and social orientation, (rs(144) = -.074, p = .377). Based on the study results, public entities may want to consider employee surveys on leadership preferences and incorporating social orientation in employee selection, thus leading successful organizational outcomes and good person-organization-fit
Making Sense of Her Journey: Exploring African American Female Executives' Leadership Experiences Within Nonprofit Organizations
No full textMaking Sense of Her Journey: Exploring African American Female Executives’ Leadership Experiences within Nonprofit Organizations African American females have a desire to lead and some have even reached the executive leadership table. However, as there remains a significant absence of African American female executives at the nonprofit leadership table, by investing in this group of resilient and determined women, nonprofit organizations are better positioned to meet the critical needs of their communities, encourage diversity in decision-making and strategically tap into the leadership experiences of a group of women who are often being served by this industry. This study explored how African American female executives made sense of their leadership experiences within the nonprofit industry in the United States. Through exploring the lived experiences as narratives shared by African American female executives within the nonprofit industry, this study offered insight into the complexities of their levels of oppression and discrimination and how these uniquely positioned women made sense of their leadership journeys within their organizational settings. Specifically, this study sought to make a valuable contribution to Black Feminist Thought/Theory (BFT) in the nonprofit industry in particular, as a majority of the literature has been focused on academic settings. The research sample included nine (9) African American females who are or were executive directors of a nonprofit organization based in the United States. The time period studied was bound by the years (1990 to 2020) to ensure the foundational research related to Black Feminist Thought/Theory (BFT) and current research were captured. This study utilized qualitative research methods through narrative inquiry analysis. Data have been collected from participant interviews, as transcribed from digital recordings. This study was based on four key assumptions; 1) Sensemaking as a process was central to the participants’ unique lived experiences, 2) Oppression was a constant, ever-present and institutionalized obstacle under which the participants lived into their executive leadership experiences, 3) African American females often had interconnected experiences of multiple identities in society, and 4) African American sisterhood was an intentional relationship the women built or sought out to provide a supportive space as African American female executives within the nonprofit industry. This study showed how ultimately, who the women were could not be confined to only one identity, as their realities consistently supported them living out their experiences through the intersection of their multiple systems of oppressions connected to the interwoven nature of their race, gender, and for some class