Intersectionality and Leadership in Context: Examining the Intricate Paths of Four Black Women in Educational Leadership in the United States

There is an emergent body of scholarship about the specific ways in which Black women lead within the context of education. In the United States, women comprise three-quarters of the educational workforce. Yet, roughly four in five senior-level leaders in education are male. Although developments continue to be made, only very recently has significant advancement been made in what remains a historically male-dominated space. Black women represent the most educated group in today’s workforce; yet, they represent a small fraction of leaders who ascend above the ranks of mid-level management. In response to this, we were compelled to add to the existing research in this sphere. Our paper incorporates social justice leadership theory as a frame for the study of Black women in the context of educational leadership. Employing a hermeneutic phenomenology, we interviewed four Black women in educational leadership to examine the intersecting factors (i.e., race and gender) that impact these women’s ability to lead. Using in-depth, timed, semi-structured interviews, contributors reflected upon their unique experiences and perceptions as non-archetypal leaders. Participants’ recounted stories of resilience, community, struggle, and perseverance revealed the need for more US-based research specific to the intricate leadership journeys of Black women in education

Building research capacity and capabilities in Fiji

Introduction: A barrier to local investigator-led research in low income settings, is the limited availability of personnel with appropriate research skills or qualifications to conduct the type of research required for evidence-informed policy making to improve access and quality of health care. In response to this, Fiji National University’s College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences in Fiji, collaborated with academics based at the University of Auckland, New Zealand to deliver a series of research capacity development workshops in Fiji. This paper aims to explore participants’ perceptions of the outcomes of these research workshops and highlights the implications for capacity building in the Pacific Region. Methods: Participants who attended any of the nine workshops (n=123) were contacted via email to take part in a brief survey regarding their perceptions of the effectiveness of the research capacity building workshops. Of the possible 123 participants, 80% (n=76) completed the questionnaire. Results: Findings demonstrate that the majority of participants reported that they had gained research skills from the workshops (75%) including proposal development skills (68%) and knowledge of appropriate research methods (59%). Furthermore, 70% agreed that the workshops built their research confidence. Since attending a workshop, 18% of respondents had successfully applied and received funding for research grants and/or fellowships. Barriers to conducting research included workload (75%), lack of research knowledge, experience or skills (51%), and lack of institutional support (41%). Suggestions for future workshops included: more focus on data analysis, regular courses rather than ‘one offs’, and preparation of research evidence dissemination. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that the research workshops increased individual research capabilities in designing sustainable, locally led initiatives, backed by institutional and supplementary technical support

Consumer preferences for Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) value-added products in Samoa

Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is an introduced low-value freshwater fish available in the Pacific that has limited scope for consumption in its fresh form. With increased fishing activity and climate change posing threats to global food security, utilisation of this cultured fish may aid in alleviating food security issues in the Pacific. This study explores the potential for better utilisation of Nile tilapia by developing four processed forms – salted-cold smoked, cured-cold smoked, surimi and fish paste – and evaluating these forms through consumer preference testing. A list of sensory terminology and a scoring system for fresh and cooked tilapia were developed prior to the testing. The consumer preference testing was conducted in the fish market, Apia, Samoa with a total of 71 consumers. Fish paste was the most preferred product, followed by salted-cold smoked, then surimi while cured-cold smoked tilapia was the least preferred. However, no significant difference (P ≥ 0.05) was observed between preference of these products, indicating the acceptability of all four products by Samoan consumers. This means that there is the potential for commercialising these products

Stakeholders\u27 Perceptions of a Hospital Based Emergency Medicine Education & Training Program: A System Change

Background: Emergency Medicine (EM) is a new and developing specialty around the world. In India, one model for capacity building has been the development of partnerships between US academic institutions and private healthcare institutions for implementing post-graduate education and training in EM. Initiated in 2007, programs have grown both in number and scope and have continued to attract new students and partner institutions. This study was undertaken to better understand the impact of EM training programs on hospital systems. Methods: A mixed-methods evaluation was undertaken at 5 program sites across India in the summer of 2016. Two researchers conducted onsite semi-structured interviews with key program stakeholders. Participants included hospital administrators, program directors, hospital consultants, and ancillary staff at each hospital. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and then analyzed using a rapid assessment process. Participants also completed a brief survey. Written surveys were analyzed with univariate analysis. Results: A total of 109 stakeholders were interviewed. Positive impacts were reported among all stakeholders, particularly among administrators, consultants, ancillary staff, and supervising physicians in the ED. 80% of hospital administrators and 90% of direct ED supervisors report improved quality of care particularly among critically ill patients. Some respondents, including 89% of administrators, attributed increased patient volumes at least in part due to the educational program. Of respondents, non-ED consultants were less likely to report improvement in quality during off-service rotations, but 92% reported improved patient care in the hospital related to the program. Positive impacts extended beyond the hospital with many examples of community outreach, layperson education, and improved hospital reputation. Discussion: Evaluation of a changing system of emergency care has proven challenging to study. These data reflect substantial impacts to a hospital and the surrounding system after development of an EM training program, extending beyond the hospital itself to community outreach programs and a wide variety of education and training programs. Further investigation may prove helpful in quantifying the reported improvement in quality and scope of impact

Challenges and Support for Pre-service Teachers’ Virtual Teaching and Practicums: Implications for Bahamian Educational Systems

Teacher education programmes, nationally and internationally, are unique both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Specifically, in the Bahamian educational system, they are designed to produce certified K-12 teachers who demonstrate academic and professional excellence in a variety of subject areas. These programmes incorporate a theoretical component and a culminating practical experience that requires pre-service teachers to be evaluated on the quality of their teaching. Normally the culminating experience has been completed in the traditional face-to-face setting. However, the onset of COVID-19 resulted in an immediate imposition of a virtual teaching practicum. This integrated literature review explores the challenges pre-service teachers faced and the support systems they needed during a virtual teaching practicum and addresses implications for practice in a Bahamian setting

Severe Preeclampsia Complicated by Placental Abruption Leads to Fetal Distress

Placental abruption is a common complication of preeclampsia. It is an obstetric emergency that occurs when the placenta partially or completely separates from the uterine wall. The diagnosis is usually made clinically or objectively. It is relatively rare but put a serious risk for both the fetus and the mother. We reported a case of a 32-year-old multigravid patient at 35-36 weeks gestation who presented with moderate vaginal bleeding and lower abdominal pain. Her obstetric history included one premature vaginal delivery. Her blood pressure started to rise in the second trimester of pregnancy. The examination revealed that her blood pressure was 190/120 mmHg, and she had pitting edema on her extremities and tender uterine fundus. The fetal heart rate was bradycardia at 100 beats per minute. Placental abruption and fetal distress were suspected. An emergency cesarean section was performed. Intraoperatively, the uterus showed intramural bleeding and was livid, with the beginning of Couvelaire-uterus. The uterus was left in situ. In conclusion, placental abruption interrupts the vital function of the placentae which leads to fetal hypoxia and even fetal death. It is an obstetric emergency that requires immediate intervention to save the fetus and reduce the risk of complications in the mother

Artificial intelligence for dementia research methods optimization

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) approaches are increasingly being used in dementia research. However, several methodological challenges exist that may limit the insights we can obtain from high-dimensional data and our ability to translate these findings into improved patient outcomes. To improve reproducibility and replicability, researchers should make their well-documented code and modeling pipelines openly available. Data should also be shared where appropriate. To enhance the acceptability of models and AI-enabled systems to users, researchers should prioritize interpretable methods that provide insights into how decisions are generated. Models should be developed using multiple, diverse datasets to improve robustness, generalizability, and reduce potentially harmful bias. To improve clarity and reproducibility, researchers should adhere to reporting guidelines that are co-produced with multiple stakeholders. If these methodological challenges are overcome, AI and ML hold enormous promise for changing the landscape of dementia research and care. HIGHLIGHTS: Machine learning (ML) can improve diagnosis, prevention, and management of dementia. Inadequate reporting of ML procedures affects reproduction/replication of results. ML models built on unrepresentative datasets do not generalize to new datasets. Obligatory metrics for certain model structures and use cases have not been defined. Interpretability and trust in ML predictions are barriers to clinical translation

Developing Product Label Information to Support Evidence-Informed Use of Vaccines in Pregnancy

Background: Product labelling information describing the use of vaccines in pregnancy continues to contain cautionary language even after clinical and epidemiological evidence of safety becomes available. This language raises safety concerns among healthcare providers who may hesitate to recommend vaccines during pregnancy. Purpose: To develop clear evidence-based language about vaccine safety and effectiveness in pregnancy for inclusion in vaccine product labels. Methods: We conducted a three-stage consensus-methods project with stakeholders, including: healthcare providers, vaccine regulators, industry representatives, and experts in public health, communication, law, ethics, and social sciences. Using qualitative and quantitative methods, we held a nominal group technique (NGT) meeting, followed by a Delphi survey, and then a consensus workshop with a subset of Delphi participants. We developed a methodological tool to analyse data for consensus. Principal results: Stakeholders (N = 14) at the NGT meeting drafted product label statements for evaluation in the Delphi survey. Survey participants (N = 41) provided feedback on statements for five hypothetical vaccines. Workshop participants (N = 27) initiated discussions that demonstrated a lack of awareness that the regulatory purpose of product labels is to provide a scientific summary of product-specific preclinical and clinical trial data. Each stage of this project built on earlier stages until we achieved strong consensus on the language, structure, and types of data that stakeholders wanted to include in inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) and tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine product labels in Canada. Conclusions: The revised statements for IIV and Tdap aligned with workshop participants’ goals that the product label be evidence-based, with a consistent structure and language that is easily understood by healthcare providers. Emergent methods uncovered stakeholder concerns about the regulatory purpose, content, and evidence used in product labels. Involving healthcare providers in the development and regular updating of product information could prevent interpretations of that information that contribute to vaccine hesitancy