Teachers\u27 and Administrators\u27 Perceptions and Experiences of Best Practices for Success in High-Poverty Schools

Two high-poverty secondary school teachers and administrators in South Florida participated in this research. This dual-case study examined administrators\u27 and teachers\u27 perceptions of the challenges, successes, and school features essential to promote students\u27 academic success in a high-poverty school as they correspond with best practices identified in educational literature. School 1 is a high-poverty school with a Florida school grade of an F. School 2 is a high-poverty school with a Florida school grade of C. Teachers and administrators filled out a demographic questionnaire describing their educational, professional, and ethnic backgrounds, They responded to a Likert-like scale rating the importance levels of items identified as best practices in the literature in successful programs in high-poverty schools. Additionally, the participants rated the identified essential school features of best practice from successful high poverty schools in terms of how satisfied they were that the feature was successfully in place in their respective schools. The researcher conducted interviews with both the administrators and teachers at School 1 and School 2 to identify the participants\u27 experiences and perceptions of challenges, successes and essential features that promote student academic success, This research clustered the perceptions for reoccurring themes and phrases to analyze information for similarities and differences indicating those features that may be critical for success in high-poverty schools. Findings indicated that the best practices utilizing inclusive and responsive techniques with students was most prominent on the minds of educators, posing a success, challenge, and critical feature for both schools. Further analysis of survey and interview data revealed that School 1, the F-graded institution, was focused on student-centered techniques while School 2, the C-graded institution was more focused on student-teacher relations and creating a safe and supportive learning environment. Based on the findings, recommendations for further research include an ethnographic research study to better inform teacher, administrators and counselors how to effectively engage students through explication of their various daily life experiences that affect their learning, and a larger, comparative, mixed-method study with similar questions between similar schools, and unlimited, time money, and resources to provide decision makers with more useful data. Practices that would be useful for practicing educators include cultural immersion activities for teachers in high-poverty areas, such as internships or summer institutes, and increased communication among staff and students

The Impact of Human Papillomavirus Educational Intervention Study on the Knowledge, Health Beliefs, Health Behaviors and Increasing the Use of Gardasil in Women of Color

Lack of human papillomavirus (HPV) knowledge and cervical cancer awareness are factors contributing to a disproportion in African American (AA) women with cervical cancer. The purpose of this intervention study was to use gender specific and culturally appropriate HPV educational materials to increase HPV knowledge and cervical cancer awareness, to increase health beliefs, and the intent for AA women to use the HPV vaccine. Convenience sampling was used to describe a sample of 98 AA women recruited from an Ambulatory Women’s health clinic between 2015 and 2017. HPV educational videos and pamphlets materials were used to collect baseline and post intervention knowledge using a self-administered questionnaire, video, and pamphlet. Results revealed an increase in HPV and cervical cancer knowledge, and recommended use of HPV vaccine with family members. HPV educational materials increased women’s knowledge of HPV and cervical cancer, increased healthy behaviors, and the intent to use HPV vaccine with family members, without personal intent to take the HPV vaccine. Future research is needed to examine the decrease in AA women’s’ intent to receive the HPV vaccine

Healthy Incentive Scheme in the Irish Full-day-care Pre-school Setting

A pre-school offering a full-day-care service provides for children aged 0-5 years for more than 4 hid. Researchers have called for studies that will provide an understanding of nutrition and physical activity practices in this setting. Obesity prevention in pre-schools, through the development of healthy associations with food and health-related practices, has been advocated. While guidelines for the promotion of best nutrition and health-related practice in the early years\u27 setting exist in a number of jurisdictions, associated regulations have been noted to be poor, with the environment of the child-care facility mainly evaluated for safety. Much cross-sectional research outlines poor nutrition and physical activity practice in this setting. However, there are few published environmental and policy-level interventions targeting the child-care provider with, to our knowledge, no evidence of such interventions in Ireland. The aim of the present paper is to review international guide­ lines and recommendations relating to health promotion best practice in the pre-school setting: service and resource provision; food service and food availability; and the role and involvement of parents in pre-schools. Intervention programmes and assessment tools available to measure such practice are outlined; and insight is provided into an intervention scheme, formulated from available best practice, that was introduced into the Irish full-day­ care pre-school setting

Social support and health outcomes among individuals living with HIV in the Deep South

Study Purposes: The purposes of this study were: 1) to provide a more comprehensive description of social support and to determine if gender and/or race were associated with social support; 2) to examine relationships between diverse forms of social support and health outcomes such as mental health, HIV disease severity, and physical quality of life; and 3) to analyze gender and racial differences in the associations between social support and health outcomes among individuals living with HIV in the Deep South. Methods: Baseline data from the Duke University Coping with HIV/AIDS in the Southeast (CHASE) Study collected in 2001-2002 were used for this study. Multivariable models based on the Commission for Social Determinants of Health Conceptual Framework were constructed to examine the associations between gender, race, and social support and social support and health outcomes. Stratified analyses were conducted to identify differences in the associations between social support and health outcomes by gender and race. Results: Men were more likely to be socially isolated than women. Non- Hispanic Black individuals were more likely to experience social conflict than non- Hispanic Whites. Greater perceived social support was associated with less psychological distress and exposure to social conflict was associated with more psychological distress. A higher degree of social integration was associated with larger CD4 count values. Interactions between severe stress and perceived social support and severe stress and social isolation were associated with physical health-related quality of life. The strongest predictor of psychological distress among males was perceived social support, while social conflict was the strongest predictor of distress for women. Social conflict was also the strongest predictor of physical health-related quality of life among women. There was a significant difference in the relationship between social conflict and physical health-related quality of life for men and women. For non-Hispanic White individuals, social isolation was associated with physical health-related quality of life, but not for non-Hispanic Blacks. The relationship between social isolation and health-related quality of life was significantly different by race. Conclusions: Multiple components of social support were associated with health outcomes in this study. Although HIV care has traditionally addressed the social needs of clients, medical treatment has increasingly become the focus of care. Reductions in financial support for social support services necessitate improvements in the effectiveness and efficiency of funded social support interventions. Identification of the components of social support that predict health outcomes for HIV-positive individuals living in the Deep South may inform intervention development or guide modifications to existing interventions. Knowledge about the differences in these associations by gender and race may further improve interventions and help identify the highest priority populations. In addition to efforts to improve social support interventions, the health effects of policies that reduce funding to address the social support needs of individuals living with HIV should be carefully evaluated

Apples and oranges? Interpreting success in HIV prevention trials.

BACKGROUND: In the last decade, several large-scale, clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of novel HIV prevention products have been completed, and eight are currently underway or about to be reported. Little attention has been given in the literature to the level of protection sufficient to warrant introduction, and there is concern that using the term "efficacy" to describe the effect of user-controlled methods such as microbicides may mislead policymakers. DESIGN: We review how the fields of family planning, vaccine science and mathematical modelling understand and use the terms efficacy and effectiveness, and explore with simple mathematical models how trial results of user-controlled products relate to common understandings of these terms. RESULTS: Each field brings different assumptions, a different evidence base and different expectations to interpretations of efficacy and effectiveness - a reality that could cloud informed assessment of emerging data. CONCLUSION: When making judgments on the utility of new health technologies, it is important to use standards that yield appropriate comparisons for the innovation and that take into account the local epidemic and available alternatives

The Impact of Cosmic Variance on Inferences of Global Neutral Fraction Derived from Lyα\alpha Luminosity Functions During Reionization

We investigate the impact of field-to-field variation, deriving from cosmic variance, in measured Lyman-$\alpha$ emitter (LAE) luminosity functions (LFs) and this variation's impact on inferences of the neutral fraction of the intergalactic medium (IGM) during reionization. We post-process a z=7 IGM simulation to populate the dark matter halos with LAEs. These LAEs have realistic UV magnitudes, Ly$\alpha$ fluxes, and Ly$\alpha$ line profiles. We calculate the attenuation of Ly$\alpha$ emission in universes with varying IGM neutral fraction, $\bar{\rm{x}}_{\rm{HI}}$. In a $\bar{\rm{x}}_{\rm{HI}}=0.3$ simulation, we perform 100 realizations of a mock 2 square degree survey with a redshift window $\Delta z = 0.5$ and flux limit $\rm{f}_{Ly\alpha}>1\times10^{-17}\:\rm{ergs}\:\: \rm{s}^{-1} \: \rm{cm}^{-2}$; such a survey is typical in depth and volume of the largest LAE surveys conducted today. For each realization, we compute the LAE LF and use it to recover the input $\bar{\rm{x}}_{\rm{HI}}$. Comparing the inferred values of $\bar{\rm{x}}_{\rm{HI}}$ across the ensemble of the surveys, we find that cosmic variance, deriving from large-scale structure and variation in the neutral gas along the sightline, imposes a floor in the uncertainty of $\Delta \bar{\rm{x}}_{\rm{HI}} \sim 0.2$ when $\bar{\rm{x}}_{\rm{HI}}$ $=0.3$. We explore mitigation strategies to decrease this uncertainty, such as increasing the volume, decreasing the flux limit, or probing the volume with many independent fields. Increasing the area and/or depth of the survey does not mitigate the uncertainty, but composing a survey with many independent fields is effective. This finding highlights the best strategy for LAE surveys aiming at constraining $\bar{\rm{x}}_{\rm{HI}}$ of the universe during reionization.Comment: 17 pages, 13 figure

Training for General Practitioners in opioid prescribing for chronic pain based on practice guidelines: a randomized pilot and feasibility trial

This study is a pilot and feasibility study that compares 2 training experiences to improve appropriate opioid prescribing for chronic pain. Both training conditions included education in relation to opioid guidelines. Following education, 1 condition included training aimed at improving psychological flexibility and the other included training in practical knowledge and skills related to pain management. Eighty-one general practitioners (GPs) took part in the study, each having been randomly assigned to 1 of the training conditions. It proved easy to recruit GPs to the training. Overall, GPs demonstrated increased knowledge of opioid prescribing for chronic pain and decreases in concerns related to prescribing following training. However, there were no changes observed in reported prescribing practices or in secondary measures of well-being. There were also no significant differences between the training conditions, other than a greater increase in intention to use prescribing guidelines in the psychological flexibility condition. Feasibility and acceptability of the training methods were generally rated high. The psychological flexibility condition was rated higher than the comparison condition in terms of interest and satisfaction. Finally, processes of psychological flexibility before and after training significantly correlated with measures of GP well-being, providing partial support for the relevance of these processes as a focus in GP training

Knowledge and attitudes of adolescents towards the human microbiome and antibiotic resistance: a qualitative study

Background Antibiotic and dietary behaviour affect the human microbiome and influence antibiotic resistance development. Adolescents are a key demographic for influencing knowledge and behaviour change. Objectives To explore adolescents’ knowledge and attitudes towards the microbiome and antibiotic resistance, and the capability, motivation and opportunity for educators to integrate microbiome teaching in schools. Methods Qualitative study informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) and COM-B model. Six educational establishments were purposively selected by rural/city and socioeconomic status, within Gloucestershire, South West England in 2019. Forty 14–18-year olds participated in focus groups, and eight science or health educators participated in interviews. Data were analysed thematically, double-coded and mapped to the TDF/COM-B. Results Adolescents were aware of ‘good microbes’ in the body but lacked deeper knowledge. Adolescents’ knowledge of, and intentions to use, antibiotics appropriately differed by their levels of scientific study. Adolescents lacked knowledge on the consequences of diet on the microbiome, and therefore lacked capability and motivation to change behaviour. Educators felt capable and motivated to teach microbiome topics but lacked opportunity though absence of topics in the national curriculum and lack of time to teach additional topics. Conclusions A disparity in knowledge of adolescents needs to be addressed through increasing antibiotic and microbiome topics in the national curriculum. Public antibiotic campaigns could include communication about the microbiome to increase awareness. Educational resources could motivate adolescents and improve their knowledge, skills and opportunity to improve diet and antibiotic use; so, supporting the UK antimicrobial resistance (AMR) national action plan