MyMathLab Educational Intervention to Enhance Student Performance in Calculus I at Historically Black Colleges and Universities

According to the Obama Administration, we need a workforce that is going to be STEM ready because this is the only way that the U.S. will be able to compete on a global level with other nations. Louisiana will demand a total of 66,250 STEM jobs by 2018, up from 61,610 in 2008, according to Georgetown University (Carnevale, Smith, & Melton, 2014). By 2020, sixty-five percent of the nation’s jobs will require post-secondary education. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the attrition rate between first- and second-year college students is 24.5% (2017). The purpose of this study is to explore the effectiveness of computer assisted instruction, MyMathLab, in teaching Calculus I to increase academic achievement for students majoring in a STEM discipline at HBCUs. Research in this study was conducted by a quantitative study quasi-experiment design with one independent variable and one dependent variable. This study investigated the differences in the final course grade of Calculus I students that used the computer assisted instructional tool, MyMathLab and students who did not use the MyMathLab or any assisted instructional tool. For the purposes of this study, passage rate was defined by student’s letter grade. The historical data collected span over a seven-semester period, with a total of six hundred twenty-six participants, at an HBCU in the southeastern region of the United States. The results of the Wilcoxon two-sample test equals 103,064, which is the sum of the Wilcoxon scores for the students who used the MyMathLab. The sum is greater than 90,288, which is the expected value under the null hypothesis of no difference between the two groups of students. The one-sided p-value is less than alpha 0.0001, which shows the students who used MyMathLab are significantly more than those students who did not use the MyMathLab software

LSU in the Eye of the Storm: \u3ci\u3eA University Model for Disaster Response\u3c/i\u3e

https://repository.lsu.edu/lsupress_books/1000/thumbnail.jp

Expert Consensus on Clinical Recommendations for Fractional Ablative CO2 Laser, in Facial Skin Rejuvenation Treatment

BACKGROUND: For three decades, fractional ablative CO2 lasers have been used for skin rejuvenation. With breakthroughs in laser technology and expanding popularity, new recommendations and suggestions arise on a regular basis.OBJECTIVE: To develop up-to-date clinical recommendations on safety measures, therapeutic framework, and techniques to improve treatment outcomes.METHODS: Using Google Forms, a questionnaire with 188 questions was given to a varied sample of 21 dermatologists and plastic surgeons from various countries and practice contexts. A second questionnaire with 11 items was created to resolve any gaps or discrepancies.RESULTS: Active face infections are considered a treatment contraindication by 95% of panelists. Burns, recent sun exposure, and pregnancy or breastfeeding were also considered contraindications (according to 67% of panelists). Over 90% employ bacterial and viral prophylaxis, however the majority (67%) do not prescribe antifungal prophylaxis. The most often stated anesthetic treatments by panelists are topical anesthetic cream, nerve blocks, and oral analgesics (according to 95%, 81%, and 62% of panelists respectively). Over 90% of panel members suggested treatment setting alterations for individuals with Fitzpatrick skin types III-IV. Following reepithelization, which happens between 8 and 42 days after the treatment, the majority (76%) of panelists advocate continuing standard skin care routines including active ingredients. Eighty-one percent of panelists recommend using supplementary treatment to maximize results. Supplementary treatment recommendations included use of neuromodulators (76% of panelists), Intense Pulsed Light Therapy treatments pre and postprocedure (61% of panelists), and injection-based therapies such as (Hyaluronic Acid fillers, and biostimulatory fillers) (recommended by 48% of panelists). 60% of panelists perform FACL to improve skin laxity treatment in nonfacial areas and adjust their settings accordingly.LIMITATIONS: Our results reflect only a modest panel size; with a focus on a specific device. Although experienced, the small number of panelists, recommendations, and personal adverse reactions encounters for resurfacing indication, might be biased.CONCLUSION: Fractional CO2 laser is a popular and effective skin rejuvenation treatment with minimal downtime and side effects. This study presents new therapy recommendations to resolve treatment uncertainty and provide complete care suggestions for best results.</p

Development of Functional Symptoms in Children Exposed to Traumatic Events

This chapter will review the typical symptoms occurring in children after stressful traumatic exposures. Unlike other chapters in this book, no specific organ system is the most likely focus of functional symptoms in this setting. Psychological distress may exacerbate symptoms of physical illness and injury associated with the traumatic events, may be expressed as almost any seemingly unrelated symptom, may intensify the age appropriate fears typical of any child, or may predominantly be exhibited behaviorally. In most nonsevere cases, the impact is self-limited and the individual’s functioning will be back to normal within days or weeks. We will suggest simple behavioral and environmental interventions intended to help relieve children’s distress. However, when large populations are affected and individuals suffer severe loss such as in a mass casualty disaster, the scale of events requires community-wide efforts to meet the needs of children and their families. The fact that some children are more psychosocially vulnerable than others will be discussed. The chapter will conclude by highlighting warning signs warranting professional mental health care

Using SEM to Develop a Model for Educators of Children Who are Exposed to the Trauma of Violence

This study used Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to develop a teacher-friendly model for understanding the relationship between children’s exposure to traumatic events, such as violence exposure, and their school achievement. With a sample of 146 urban elementary (grades 2-5) children, three variables (mental health behaviors, performance-related behaviors, and standardized achievement) were examined. The model suggested that children who are exposed to violence in Year I were more delinquent and ultimately underachieved in reading in Year II. This model should help teachers identify students exposed to violence and address their social and academic needs

Trauma: The impact of loss and violence exposure on the school achievement of children.

Trauma: The impact of loss and violence exposure on the school achievement of children