Making Americans: Negotiating the Boundaries of Somali Identities in the Public Education System of Lewiston, Maine

With the rise of political discourse on immigration in America and the resulting linguistic, religious, and cultural diversity, American public schools must negotiate the boundaries of accommodation and assimilation for their diverse student populations. As an aspiring educator, I am drawn to the performance of institutionalized American national identity within a local school district. The arrival of Somali refugees in early 2001 to Lewiston – a former mill town in the state with the whitest demographic – challenged the parameters of what it means to be a member of the community, especially within the classroom. By analyzing the English Language Learner (ELL) program, Lewiston’s approach to the nation’s policies of secular education, and the Blue Devils Soccer Team, I argue that schools are where nations are imagined and that the Lewiston Public School system defines “Americanness” through the inclusion and exclusion of Somali identities. I also investigate theories surrounding various understandings of nationalism – ethnocentric and polycentric – and their role in determining the permeability of ascribed boundaries of acceptance and repudiation. This thesis attempts to answer the larger question of “How do schools make Americans?” in the hopes of using these findings to elicit educational reform and social change

Comorbidity, Physical Function, and Quality of Life in Older Adults with Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Purpose of review: To describe the pathology, impact of comorbidities, functional limitations, symptoms, and quality of life (QOL) related to treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in older adults. Recent findings: AML is a rare aggressive hematologic disease that occurs most often in older adults. The prognosis for older patients with AML is markedly worse due to genetic mutations and patient characteristics such as comorbidities and functional limitations. Patient characteristics may influence treatment decisions, as well as impact symptoms, functional ability, health-related outcomes and (QOL). Summary: As the population continues to age, the number of people diagnosed with AML is expected to increase. Better management of comorbidities is imperative to improving QOL and other treatment related outcomes. Prospective, longitudinal and multi-site studies are warranted to further understand the interaction between these characteristics on symptoms, outcomes and QOL

The Evolution of Gero-Oncology Nursing

This article summarizes the evolution of gero-oncology nursing and highlights key educational initiatives, clinical practice issues, and research areas to enhance care of older adults with cancer

Role of family cohesion in influencing the vocational identity status of emerging adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

This study examines the relationship between family cohesion and vocational identity among emerging adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Family Cohesion was measured using the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale (FACES IV) and Vocational Identity was measured using the Vocational Identity Scale (VIS) of My Vocational Situation (MVS). The data were collected using survey method. N=42 participants completed online surveys, and data collected from survey method were analyzed using Pearson Correlations. The findings indicated a correlation between family cohesion and the vocational identity of emerging adults with ASD. The findings also supported a relationship between disengaged family cohesion and the vocational identity of emerging adults with ASD. While the findings did not support a relationship between overall family cohesion and the vocational identity of emerging adults with ASD, the findings provided some support for more research to explore how family cohesion is related to vocational identity, career development and the overall occupational success of emerging adults with ASD

Exercise Promotion in Geriatric Oncology

Evidence of the benefits of exercise for people with cancer from diagnosis through survivorship is growing. However, most cancers occur in older adults and little exercise advice is available for making specific recommendations for older adults with cancer. Individualized exercise prescriptions are safe, feasible, and beneficial for the geriatric oncology population. Oncology providers must be equipped to discuss the short- and long-term benefits of exercise and assist older patients in obtaining appropriate exercise prescriptions. This review provides detailed information about professionals and their roles as it relates to functional assessment, intervention, and evaluation of the geriatric oncology population. This review addresses the importance of functional status assessment and appropriate referrals to other oncology professionals

A systematic review of patient reported outcomes in phase II or III clinical trials of myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia

The purpose of this systematic literature review was to identify clinical trials of MDS and AML that included patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments, and to summarize the symptom and other health related quality of life (HRQOL) concepts most frequently assessed and the PRO instruments that were used. Sixteen manuscripts describing 14 distinct trials met all criteria (i.e., phase 2 or 3 clinical trial for MDS or AML which included PRO assessment) and were published between 1996-2017. In trials evaluating anemia, PRO scores showed significant improvement in relevant domains (e.g. fatigue, function) among patients identified as responders. In trials evaluating the impact of anti-cancer therapies, improvements the baseline to end of treatment were observed in physical functioning and HRQOL, however the rates of missing data in many of the trials was high or unreported. PRO instruments have the ability to capture changes over time in patients’ function and well-being, and PRO instruments and guidance documents are available to support the assessment of HRQOL in AML/MDS clinical trials

A Systematic Review of Psychometric Properties of Health-Related Quality-of-Life and Symptom Instruments in Adult Acute Leukemia Survivors

Acute leukemia represents 4% of cancer cases in the United States (US) annually. There are over 302,000 people living with acute and chronic leukemia in the US. Treatment has been shown to have both positive and negative effects on health-related quality of life (HRQOL)

Comparison of Methods for Determining Aerobic Exercise Intensity Using Heart Rate in Acute Leukemia Patients Prior to Induction Chemotherapy

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), the gold standard of cardiopulmonary evaluation, is used to determine VO2 levels at different aerobic exercise training intensities; however, it may not be feasible to conduct CPET in all clinical settings

Cancer-Related Fatigue: Scientific Progress Has Been Made in 40 Years

Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a distressing, persistent symptom that is experienced by survivors during and after treatment. Unsurprisingly, many early CRF studies were conducted by nurses. These studies included a look at patients receiving localized radiation treatment (Haylock & Hart, 1979); an exploration of fatigue as a conceptual approach to a clinical problem (Aistars, 1987); the development of a nursing theory focused on fatigue mechanisms (Piper, Lindsey, & Dodd, 1987); an examination of fatigue mechanisms (St Pierre, Kasper, & Lindsey, 1992), as well as of fatigue in advanced cancer (Bruera & MacDonald, 1988) and in non-small cell lung cancer (Sarna, 1993); and a description of fatigue and potential nursing interventions (Nail & King, 1987). Winningham et al. (1994) wrote a state-of-the-science article about fatigue in the cancer experience for the Oncology Nursing Forum, and Mock et al. (1997) was one of the first to conduct an exercise study regarding the effects of exercise on fatigue, physical functioning, and emotional distress during radiation therapy for breast cancer. Nurse scholars from the 1970s-2000s were pivotal in advancing the science of fatigue in various cancers and have provided a scientific foundation for those four decades.