Float Like A Butterfly and Sting Like a Bee with CHG: A Team Approach to Knocking Out SSIs

Temple University Health SystemA poster presented at the Oncology Nursing Society's Congress, which took place April 24-28, 2024 in Washington, DC

Breaking Down Barriers to the Integration of Assistive Technology

Although assistive technology (AT) can be life-changing for needing individuals, numerous barriers exist when attempting to introduce and integrate AT into the daily lives and routines of elementary school students with special needs and learning differences. Limited awareness and training are two of the major contributing factors. Recent reports show that approximately 240 million children have disabilities, and without access to the products and services they need, it can significantly impact them as individuals, their families, and their communities (United Nations, 2022). It is expected that the need for individuals requiring the use of AT will rise to approximately 3.5 billion by the year 2050, and therefore, it is essential to offer the needed supports and services in a timely and data-driven manner (United Nations, 2022). Introducing and teaching individuals with special needs and learning differences to use these tools at an early age and with the support of trained multi-disciplinary professionals can help meet these growing needs and challenges. In partial fulfillment of a post-professional doctorate degree in occupational therapy, I have developed this doctoral capstone to include a research study using a mixed-methods approach, including a literature review, an original survey, and semi-structured interviews to gather additional knowledge and data regarding perceptions, learning, and awareness of available AT, its use, and its direct impact on the individual users. The results of this study contributed to the development of targeted interventions and programming to address and limit barriers impeding access to AT for elementary school students.Temple University. College of Public HealthHealth and Rehabilitation Science

Kukataa: An Afrocentric Exploration of Nongovernmental Organization Refusal in the Context of Female Genital Cutting in Tanzania

Female genital cutting is often depicted in media spheres through numerical statistics and one to two-lined captions that do not effectively capture the full humanity of the Black girls and women they are describing. The numerical statistics and pictorial captions provide myopic and ahistorical interpretations of African people and paint Africa as a homogenous continent riddled by its own barbarity. Through an Afrocentric analysis of the practice of female genital cutting, Tanzania people and people throughout the African diaspora can be imagined through a Sankofa return to their Maatic and ubuntu humanity. The Maatic and ubuntu lens opens the radical possibility to understand that Black girls and women do not need to be circumcised to reach the fullest potential of their humanity. Using the Afronographic methodology, rooted in the Afrocentric metatheory, I analyzed how young Black women can become rhetorically lost in translation through nongovernmental organization (NGO) rhetoric, an extension of the fieldwork I did at the Network Against Female Genital Mutilation (NAFGEM) in 2019. Additionally, I deconstructed NAFGEM’s refusal to allow me to conduct interviews in 2022 unless their NGO personnel were present. The refusal revealed how NGOs become discursive embodiments of Eurocentricity invested in maintaining victimizing narratives based on the debasement of African humanity. Therefore, an Afrocentric metatheoretical analysis proliferates Eurocentric algorithms by centering the Kemetic humanizing principles of Ma’at and ubuntu to prioritize the word magic (nommo) of Black women and girls.Africology and African American Studie

A Bayesian Inference/Maximum Entropy Approach for Optimization and Validation of Empirical Molecular Models

Accurate modeling of structural ensembles is essential for understanding molecular function, predicting molecular interactions, refining molecular potentials, protein engineering, drug discovery, and more. Here, we enhance molecular modeling through Bayesian Inference of Conformational Populations (BICePs), a highly versatile algorithm for reweighting simulated ensembles with experimental data. By incorporating replica-averaging, improved likelihood functions to better address systematic errors, and adopting variational optimization schemes, the utility of this algorithm in the refinement and validation of both structural ensembles and empirical models is unmatched. Utilizing a set of diverse experimental measurements, including NOE distances, chemical shifts, and vicinal J-coupling constants, we evaluated nine force fields for simulating the mini-protein chignolin, highlighting BICePs’ capability to correctly identify folded conformations and perform objective model selection. Additionally, we demonstrate how BICePs automates the parameterization of molecular potentials and forward models—computational frameworks that generate observable quantities—while properly accounting for all sources of random and systematic error. By reconciling prior knowledge of structural ensembles with solution-based experimental observations, BICePs not only offers a robust approach for evaluating the predictive accuracy of molecular models but also shows significant promise for future applications in computational chemistry and biophysics.Chemistr

GEOLOGICAL LEGACY OF A HISTORIC WAVE-DOMINATED TIDAL INLET, CENTRAL NEW JERSEY

Tidal inlets are among the most dynamic of landforms and leave a geological legacy within coastal barrier systems. Background document analysis of the historic Cranbury Inlet (also known as New or Cranbury Inlet, New Jersey, USA), suggests much debate surrounding the years of its opening and a relatively poorly constrained migration history. According to coastal charts and maps dating back to the early 1700s, there have been numerous inlets along the wave-dominated central New Jersey coast but due to the unstable location and the cross-sectional area, most of them had closed or migrated, leaving little surficial evidence of their existence. Cranbury Inlet was located south of Mantoloking Beach (a breach from the 2012 Superstorm Sandy), between Barnegat Inlet in the south and the historic Herring Inlet in the north. A large channel connected Barnegat Bay with the Atlantic Ocean and was a key artery for navigation and historic Revolutionary War battles. The timing of its opening has varied from 1740 to 1760. The channel location was unclear, and some sources described it to be several km north of the Toms River mouth, while others claim it was located at the current Ortley Beach. My historical document research helped to establish a more accurate timing of the Cranbury Inlet opening between 1738-1747. The migration path and the final location of the inlet were also confirmed using a first-ever set of geophysical surveys collected along this section of the coast. This study employed a 500 MHz ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to test whether a channel sequence can be identified below an intensely developed barrier segment and to help locate the closure site of the inlet channel. With more than 3 km of high-resolution GPR images, I was able to locate the northern margin of the historic inlet and its migration to the south, consistent with the longshore transport direction. My study confirms that Cranbury Inlet was at least 4-5 m deep and started filling up several years before closing in 1812, gradually shoaling more each year until it was finally closed. In the following century, there were several failed attempts to reopen the channel. My study also helped to reveal that in 1821, there was another inlet in a close proximity to Cranbury Inlet, which most likely was opened due to an intense storm and did not stay active for a long time. Geophysical imaging confirms the presence of Cranbury Inlet seaward of a lobate region, terminating in the north at West Point Island. The latter is likely a large flood-tidal delta complex with relict ebb-shield and ebb-spits, with several undeveloped marsh-covered islands to the south representing the path of a rapidly migrating inlet prior to its closure. The paleo-inlet complex remains as a site of inverted stratigraphy (fining-upward sequence), with implications for hydrologic structure (saltwater intrusion) and stability of the barrier.Geolog

Bronchoscopy in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Patients Systematic Review Search Strategy

To identify studies to include or consider for this systematic review, the review team worked with a librarian (TN) to develop detailed search strategies for each database. The PRISMA-S extension was followed for search reporting. The librarian (TN) developed the search for PubMed (NLM) and translated the search for every database searched. The PubMed (NLM) search strategy was reviewed by the research team to check for accuracy and term relevancy. All final searches were peer-reviewed by another librarian (SB) following the Peer Review of Electronic Search Strategies (PRESS checklist). The search was limited by date from 1994 to Present.Lewis Katz School of MedicineDepartment of Thoracic Medicine and SurgeryThe databases included in this search are [list of databases: PubMed (NLM), Embase (Elsevier), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Wiley), Web of Science Core Collection (Clarivate Analytics), CINAHL (Ebscohost), and HealthSTAR (Ovid) using a combination of keywords and subject headings. A grey literature search included clinical trials registry (clinicaltrials.gov), WHO-International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) Search Portal (https://trialsearch.who.int/AdvSearch.aspx), Europe PMC (https://europepmc.org/), MedRxiv (https://www.medrxiv.org/). All final searches were performed on August 15, 2024 by the librarian and were fully reported on August 16, 2024. The full search strategies as reported by the librarian are provided in Appendix(___). They are also archived at [DOI]. A summary of the search results: PubMed (NLM) from 01/01/1994 to 8/15/2024 (586 Results) Embase (Elsevier) from 1974 to 8/15/2024 (1,816 Results) Cochrane Central Registry of Trials (Wiley) from inception to 8/15/2024 (39 Results) Web of Science Core Collection (Clarivate Analytics) from 1900 to 8/15/2024 (879 Results) CINAHL (EbscoHost) from 1976 to 8/15/2024 (7 Results) HealthSTAR (Ovid) from 1975 to 8/15/2024 (351 Results) Clinicaltrials.gov from inception to 8/15/2024 (3 Results) WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) 1900 to 8/15/2024 (3 Results) Europe PMC (https://europepmc.org/) from inception to 8/15/2024 (1,442 Results) MedRxiv (https://www.medrxiv.org/) from inception to 8/15/2024 (15 Results) The search resulted in 5,141 studies. 1,590 duplicate studies were found and omitted by the librarian (TN) using EndNote 21 and following the Wichor Bramer duplicate identification strategy. This resulted in 3,537 records to screen from databases or registers and 14 records to screen from websites, resulting in a total of 3,551 records. Studies were screened by title and abstract by two blinded and independent reviewers. If a tiebreaker was needed, a third reviewer was called in. This process was repeated for full text article screening and article selection.Rayyan, EndNoteRayya

SPORTS FAN-TO-FAN VIDEOS: A THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF A GROWING TYPE OF SPORTS MEDIA WHERE THE ATHLETES AREN’T THE FOCUS

This thesis explores the significance of “fan-to-fan videos” as a new form of sports media. Some of the sports fans in the U.S. filmed each other and asked corporate social media accounts to upload the videos on social media for them. This thesis calls this type of video “fan-to-fan videos”. This thesis attempts to succeed Earnheardt et al. 's (2012) research, and update McPhail’s (1991), Gantz et al.’s (2012), and MacIntosh et al.’s (2017) findings. This thesis uses Social Identity Theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1986) to discuss intergroup relations. This thesis used Owen’s (1984) thematic analysis to extract the themes from the visual and auditory elements of 115 “fan-to-fan videos” on Instagram and TikTok. The results found three themes of ‘commitment’, ‘insult’, and ‘inclusion’ from the elements of “fan-to-fan videos” which are emojis, hashtags, fan reaction, and jerseys/hats. The findings of the thesis contribute to the sports media research by introducing the term "fan-to-fan video" to describe videos where one fan films other fans; a phenomenon previously unnamed, and by suggesting a framework to analyze and interpret fans' new activities on social media. Keywords: Sports media, fan-to-fan video, Social Identity Theory, thematic analysisMedia Studies & Productio

What’s At Stake: Illuminating The Voices of Community Stakeholders Engaged in District Strategic Planning

Over the last few decades, the saliency of district strategic planning has increased with state mandates and federal implications, coupled with school districts and individual schools autonomously electing to engage in the planning process. Since the perspectives of community members and parents have often been marginalized in strategic planning scholarship, it is important to investigate the experiences of community stakeholders who participated in strategic planning. Using a single case study design, this dissertation investigated the nature of engagement of strategic planning participants who were community stakeholders at an urban school district. This study examined primary and secondary sources and involved 19 interviewees: twelve community members who participated in the planning process, five Rosewood residents, and two district leaders. The findings show that Rosewood Public School’s strategic planning was managed in such a way that community stakeholders were excluded from meaningful engagement. Though strategic planning participants initially felt welcomed, they were also relegated to specific sessions, given limited roles, and excluded from important decision-making opportunities. The findings make it clear that without adequate accountability or the willingness of district leaders to consistently include community perspectives, this urban school district's strategic planning process reinscribed dominant cultural practices and structures of power.Urban Educatio

Best Practice: Virtual Whiteboard for Remote Employee Engagement

Temple University Health SystemA poster presented at the Oncology Nursing Society's Congress, which took place April 24-28, 2024 in Washington, DC

The Work: An Exploration of Post-Secondary Education Leaders' Race-Based Perceptions of Equity and Access Initiative

The purpose of this study is to explore the role that the race-based perceptions of post-secondary education leaders play in the design and implementation of their equity and access initiatives supporting Black and Brown students. Through the lens of Critical Whiteness Studies, this research employed a qualitative interview methodology to address the research questions: Why have post-secondary education leaders’ equity and access initiatives serving Black and Brown students fallen short of eliminating race-based higher education disparities and what role does Whiteness play in the development and implementation of equity and access initiatives of post-secondary education leaders. To explore the research questions a purposeful sampling technique was used to recruit 16 post-secondary education equity and access initiative leaders. From the study’s findings emerged four thematic categories relating to the research questions: inadequate leadership qualifications, harmful initiative design, deceit in equity and access initiatives, and assimilation to Whiteness standards. The findings of this study show how inadequate leadership qualifications, harmful initiative design and implementation influenced by uninterrogated notions of Whiteness play a role in equity and access initiatives supporting Black and Brown students. This study advances the theoretical frame, Critical Whiteness Studies, by exposing the functions and manifestations of White normativity and White supremacy ideology in post-secondary education equity and access initiatives serving Black and Brown students.Policy, Organizational and Leadership Studie