Oral Care in New Mexico\u27s Nursing Homes: A survey for the Directors of Nursing Homes

Purpose: The aim of the study was to identify the Director of Nursing Homes (DONs) perception of oral care in New Mexico\u27s Medicaid/ Medicare certified facilities on training, assessment and utilization of a dental hygienists as an adjunct nursing home staff member. Methods: Via convenience sample,73 DONs were sent an e-mailed survey. Results: With a 23% return rate, statistical analysis indicates a mean of .063, confidence interval (CI) of -.164 to .257, with an average p-value of .32. These findings indicate an indifference of opinions towards or against specific dental care and fail to reject the null hypothesis. 88.24% of subjects believe that residents need dental care. The majority believe the Minimum Data Set (MDS) is useful in identifying residents\u27 oral care needs. Subjects reported that yearly 82.35% of residents receive dental exams by a dentist and 70.59% receive dental cleanings. The majority explained they would not hire a dental hygienist as a staff member, unless funding was present to do so. Almost 67% indicated that improvement in daily oral health care for residents is needed along with staff training, restorative and preventative dental care for residents. Conclusion: The DONs in New Mexico perceive oral care as an important health component for nursing residents. The MDS oral assessment is believed to be beneficial but a professional dental provider is preferred for assessment of oral needs. At this time funding does not allow for a staffed dental hygienists in all facilities

La Pasionaria: The Ethos of a Leader

Abstract La Pasionaria: The Ethos of a Leader was directed by Lois Agnew. This dissertation project inserts Latina activist Dolores Huerta into the feminist rhetorical tradition and traces the complicated ways in which ethos is constructed from multiply oppressed bodies within the context of social movements. Specifically, Huerta’s ethos formation is examined in order to identify the rhetorical strategies required when someone not only lacking power, but also purposefully silenced, is able to break through societal barriers and create change. The intent of this research is to build on the work of feminist rhetorical scholars and discover how attending to Huerta’s inescapable embodied identities provides a deeper conceptualization of rhetorical strategy. Through the rhetorical analysis of a variety of texts by, and about, Huerta I examine how she was positioned by others as well positions herself through language, and more specifically language that describes and/or defines her embodied identity categories. Ultimately, as a study of ethos and how it is affected by identity this dissertation project argues that the body and the embodied identities associated with it significantly shapes how ethos can and is constructed. In examining how social justice activist Dolores Huerta constructed her ethos during the initial organization of the United Farmworkers Union I aim to both highlight the role of Huerta as a co-founder of the UFW and add Huerta as an important rhetorical figure of study in the field of Rhetoric

Intergenerational Home Sharing and Public Benefits: Barriers and Potential Solutions

Intergenerational home sharing matches community dwelling older adults who have spare rooms (“hosts”) to share with graduate students (“guests”). NYU has partnered with New York Foundation for Senior Citizens to match older and younger adults through an algorithm that assesses the best match based on geographic, financial, and personal preferences. The objectives of this intergenerational home sharing program are to a) promote economic security among younger and older adults, b) bolster the ability to age-in-place and age-with-community, c) foster intergenerational cohesion, and d) increase social capital between generations

Factors Associated with Recruitment and Retention Rates of Minority Youth 4-H Members as Perceived by Adult Club Leaders and County Extension Agents in Texas

According to enrollment data from the National 4-H Headquarters, minority participation in Texas 4-H clubs has declined over the past five years. This descriptive study measured the perceptions of 4-H adult leaders and county Extension agents about minority youth recruitment and retention in Texas 4-H clubs. An electronic survey was distributed to 168 adult leaders and 58 county Extension agents who have participated in 4-H for at least two years from clubs in 54 counties across Texas that are comprised of at least 50% minority youth members. The results from this study show slight differences in the demographic makeup and project areas that are chosen among the minority youth members. Statistically significant differences do exist between the perceptions of county Extension agents and 4-H adult club leaders. While the county Extension agents tend to focus more on the competition aspects of 4-H, adult club leaders are more concerned with the views and feelings of the youth members along with the relationships that are developed. It is important to acknowledge decline in minority retention rates and develop new techniques for recruitment to improve future enrollment for the sake of the organization and prospective minority youth throughout the state

Addressing Disparities in Acute Stroke Management and Prognosis

There are now abundant data demonstrating disparities in acute stroke management and prognosis; however, interventions to reduce these disparities remain limited. This special report aims to provide a critical review of the current landscape of disparities in acute stroke care and highlight opportunities to use implementation science to reduce disparities throughout the early care continuum. In the prehospital setting, stroke symptom recognition campaigns that have been successful in reducing prehospital delays used a multilevel approach to education, including mass media, culturally tailored community education, and professional education. The mobile stroke unit is an organizational intervention that has the potential to provide more equitable access to timely thrombolysis and thrombectomy treatments. In the hospital setting, interventions to address implicit biases among health care providers in acute stroke care decision‐making are urgently needed as part of a multifaceted approach to advance stroke equity. Implementing stroke systems of care interventions, such as evidence‐based stroke care protocols at designated stroke centers, can have a broader public health impact and may help reduce geographic, racial, and ethnic disparities in stroke care, although further research is needed. The long‐term impact of disparities in acute stroke care cannot be underestimated. The consistent trend of longer time to treatment for Black and Hispanic people experiencing stroke has direct implications on long‐term disability and independence after stroke. A learning health system model may help expedite the translation of evidence‐based interventions into clinical practice to reduce disparities in stroke care

Diseño e implementación de un sistema web para optimizar el proceso de ventas en la Empresa Mepsa S.A., Lima – 2021

La presente investigación ha sido desarrollada como respuesta a la problemática que presentó la empresa MEPSA S.A, la cual limitaba el desempeño de su proceso de ventas, debido a que sus actividades se realizaban de manera manual, haciendo uso de hojas de cálculo, ocasionando retrasos, reclamos, devoluciones y una insatisfacción en sus clientes. La investigación tuvo un enfoque cuantitativo, y para realizar las pruebas de hipótesis se aplicó el tipo de diseño preexperimental, para ello, se desarrolló un sistema web teniendo como base el marco de trabajo de la metodología RUP, para el código fuente se tuvo como elección PHP y Navicat para poder gestionar toda la información. Tras la implementación del sistema mencionado, se realizó una recolección de datos, para así poder evaluar las mejoras significativas deseadas sobre el proceso, se abordó una población conformada por 30 trabajadores del área de ventas, en el cual, se elaboró la técnica de la encuesta y un cuestionario de evaluación aplicado del proceso de ventas, a modo de pretest y postest. Después de haber analizado los datos obtenidos mediante la prueba de Wilcoxon, se logró determinar que SysMepsa logró optimizar de manera significativa el proceso de ventas, así como cada una de sus dimensiones (atención de pedidos, despacho de productos y reporte de ventas), con errores estadísticos inferiores al 5%.This research has been developed in response to the problem presented by the company MEPSA S.A., which limited the performance of its sales process, because its activities were performed manually, using spreadsheets, causing delays, claims, returns and dissatisfaction in their customers. The research had a quantitative, and to carry out the hypothesis tests the preexperimental design type was applied, for this, a web system was developed based on the framework of the RUP methodology, for the source code PHP and Navicat were chosen to manage all the information. After the implementation of the mentioned system, a data collection was carried out, to evaluate the significant improvements desired on the process, a population of 30 workers of the sales area was approached, in which the survey technique and an evaluation questionnaire applied to the sales process, as a pretest and posttest, were elaborated. After analyzing the data obtained through the Wilcoxon test, it was determined that SysMepsa was able to significantly optimize the sales process, as well as each of its dimensions (order processing, product dispatch and sales reporting), with statistical errors of less than 5%

Examining the Potential of Vitamin C Supplementation in Tissue-Engineered Equine Superficial Digital Flexor Tendon Constructs

Because equine tendinopathies are slow to heal and often recur, therapeutic strategies are being considered that aid tendon repair. Given the success of utilizing vitamin C to promote tenogenesis in other species, we hypothesized that vitamin C supplementation would produce dose-dependent improvements in the tenogenic properties of tendon proper (TP) and peritenon (PERI) cells of the equine superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT). Equine TP- and PERI-progenitor-cell-seeded fibrin three-dimensional constructs were supplemented with four concentrations of vitamin C. The gene expression profiles of the constructs were assessed with 3\u27-Tag-Seq and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR); collagen content and fibril ultrastructure were also analyzed. Moreover, cells were challenged with dexamethasone to determine the levels of cytoprotection afforded by vitamin C. Expression profiling demonstrated that vitamin C had an anti-inflammatory effect on TP and PERI cell constructs. Moreover, vitamin C supplementation mitigated the degenerative pathways seen in tendinopathy and increased collagen content in tendon constructs. When challenged with dexamethasone in two-dimensional culture, vitamin C had a cytoprotective effect for TP cells but not necessarily for PERI cells. Future studies will explore the effects of vitamin C on these cells during inflammation and within the tendon niche in vivo

Construcción de una escala de comunicación organizacional interna en colaboradores de una empresa del rubro farmacéutico de Lima Metropolitana, 2018

La presente investigación de tipo psicométrico y tecnológico, tuvo como objetivo general construir una escala de comunicación organizacional interna en colaboradores de una empresa del rubro farmacéutico de Lima Metropolitana. La versión preliminar de la escala estuvo conformada por 33 ítems, los que se analizaron luego de su aplicación en un piloto en 131 colaboradores y se verificaron los indicadores de validez de contenido quedando para la muestra una versión final de 31 ítems. La muestra de 1000 colaboradores fue obtenida por un muestreo de tipo no probabilístico por juicio. Se trabajó la validez de contenido mediante análisis de ítems considerando estadísticos descriptivos; además, se realizó la esta validez mediante el juicio de 10 expertos y se obtuvieron los índices mediante la V. de Aiken p>0.80 y la prueba Binomial p<0.05 en 33 reactivos. La validez de constructo de obtuvo a través del análisis factorial confirmatorio, que permitió verificar la pertinencia del modelo teórico para explicar la comunicación organizacional interna compuesta por cuatro dimensiones de acuerdo a la teoría de Arizcuren. La confiabilidad por consistencia interna fue obtenida a través del coeficiente de Omega de McDonald obteniendo un valor de 0.96. Finalmente, se construyeron puntajes eneatipos para la interpretación de la escala, con los niveles: Bajo, Medio y Alto. En síntesis, la escala de comunicación organizacional interna – 4G reúne suficientes evidencias de validez y confiabilidad para su aplicación

Risk factors for sporadic norovirus infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Norovirus is responsible for 20% of acute gastroenteritis worldwide. The fecal-oral route of transmission is known, but we proposed a first attempt to identify the relative importance of different sources and vehicles for sporadic cases using meta-analysis models. Case-control and cohort/cross-sectional studies were systematically reviewed and analyzed to assess the main risk factors associated with sporadic norovirus infections. Suitable scientific articles were identified through systematic literature search and subjected to a methodological quality assessment. Mixed-effects meta-analyses models were adjusted by population type to appropriate risk factor categories. The quality assessment stage led to include 14 primary studies conducted between 1993 and 2014. From these, eight studies investigated exposures in children/infants, and eight concerned the mixed population. The meta-analysis confirmed the oro-fecal route for norovirus infections, with the person-to-person transmission (pooled OR=3.002; 95% CI: [2.502 -3.060] in mixed population), and the lack of personal hygiene (pooled OR=2.329; 95% CI: [1.048 -5.169]). The meta-analysis also enlightened the role of indirect transmission through the environment with pathways like untreated drinking water (mixed population), with a pooled OR=2.680 (95% CI: [1.081-6.643]) and farm environment (children population). Indirect transmission also involved the food pathway, which was finally found significant with consumption of seafood (mixed population) (pooled OR=2.270; 95% CI: [1.299-3.968]) and composite food (eating outside/uncooked mixed and young population) (pooled OR=4.541; 95% CI: [3.461-5.958]). These results are coherent with the findings from studies on outbreaks. However, a too broad definition of exposure factors limited the interpretation of results, as occurred with the seafood pathways that combined fish and shellfish. Other factors such as consumption of Food-handled products or the type of drinking water deserveE to be better investigated. Furthermore, better harmonization in case definition and appropriate case-control or cross-sectional studies would allow better addressing sporadic cases risk factors, especially for susceptible populations, such as children, elderly or immunosuppressed persons.U. Gonzales-Barron and V. Cadavez are grateful to the Foundation for Food Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER under Programme PT2020 for financial support to CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/ 2019). U. Gonzales-Barron thanks the national funding by FCT, P.I., through the Institutional Scientific Employment Program contract.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Risk factors for sporadic hepatitis A infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is responsible for common acute viral hepatitis worldwide. Improvement in sanitation and use of efficient vaccines have reduced HAV incidence in developed countries. However, naive adult population are most susceptible to severe outcomes, and high endemic areas persist in developing regions. The transmission of HAV through the fecal-oral route is established. However, considering evolving consumption habits and global market exchange of food, investigations on risk factors associated with HAV infection are needed. Thus, a systematic review and a meta-analysis of case-control, cohort and transversal studies was performed to determine the main risk factors associated with sporadic HAV infection. Relevant scientific articles were identified through systematic literature search and subjected to a methodological quality assessment. Mixed-effects meta-analyses models were adjusted by population type to appropriate data partitions. HAV infections are defined by serological testing. The quality assessment stage selected 78 studies investigating risk factors for sporadic infections with hepatitis A conducted between 1985 and 2013. This meta-analysis confirmed that HAV infections are mostly related to inter-human transmissions, either due to contact with an ill person, through oral-anal sex practice, or lack of personal hygiene. Travel to endemic countries, occupational exposure such as working in child daycare, and exposure to wastewater were associated with HAV infection. As HAV can persist in the environment, it was not surprising that consumption of untreated drinking water, shellfish consumed raw, and crop products were risk factors. Food contamination could be due to the use of contaminated water (fruits, vegetables) or originate from infected food handlers at every point of the food chain (from picking to serving). Eating or drinking outside were associated with HAV infection. A lack of recent case-control studies was identified, with only three studies eligible between 2011 and 2017. Case-control studies required a more precise definition of risk factors such as type of crop product, and storing/preparation information (e.g. washed, frozen). The frequency of consumption or duration of environmental exposure could also better inform relationship between exposure and risk of infection. In a context of epidemiological change of HAV, international travel and trade of foods, future case-control studies are needed and should focus on populations at risk of severe infections and acute cases.U. Gonzales-Barron and V. Cadavez are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER under programme PT2020 for the financial support to CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2019).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio