113 research outputs found
An Exploration of Twice-Exceptional Educators\u27 Experiences: A Hermeneutic Study
Get PDFThis qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of educators supporting and instructing twice-exceptional (2e) students. This study was guided by the central research question: What are the lived experiences of teachers working with 2e students? The sub-questions explore the participants\u27 experience regarding twice-exceptional students and how this knowledge affects student performance, the role a lack of teacher preparation has on an educator’s self-efficacy, and their attitudes about the abilities of twice- exceptional students. Using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, this topic was explored via snowball sampling within three school districts in the state of Georgia. The data collection methods included a survey, individual interviews, and a focus group. Data gathered was analyzed to find relevant themes that align with the phenomenon in conjunction with Heidegger’s hermeneutic circle. Data from each collection method was triangulated and analyzed as one to gather a synthesis of descriptions to detail the essence of the participants’ lived experience. The research was conducted via Microsoft Forms and Microsoft Teams to aid in capturing the rich thick descriptions of the participants lived experiences. The findings unveiled that the participants lived experiences of working with 2e students showed an overall lack of knowledge stemming from their education attained and university and their school districts, both of which provided little to no preparation for this population. These findings added to the literature of teachers and 2e students and the importance of knowledge with future research, including a broader geographic scope of educators and more balance between males and females
Assessing the Impact of Restrictions to Medicaid Coverage of Methadone and Buprenorphine on Opioid Users\u27 Access to and Utilization of Substance Use Treatment
Full text linkOpioid use and dependence have increased dramatically since the early 2000s. As of 2013, an estimated 2.4 million people were considered to be dependent on opioids. Medication assisted treatment (MAT), such as methadone and buprenorphine, is the most effective form of treatment for opioid dependence; yet, since 2002, MAT use has decreased steadily.
Medicaid is the largest purchaser of MAT in the United States; however, Medicaid coverage of MAT varies by state. As of 2008, fourteen states did not cover either methadone or buprenorphine, or both. This dissertation examines the factors associated with Medicaid coverage of methadone and buprenorphine, and explores the impact of this coverage on the length of time individuals waited to enter substance use treatment, and the extent to which Medicaid coverage of methadone is associated with MAT utilization.
This dissertation utilized a combination of individual-level, program-level and state-level data. Individual-level data came from the Treatment Episodes Data Set-Admissions (TEDS-A). Program-level data were obtained from the Uniform Facility Data Set (UFDS) and the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS). State-level data regarding Medicaid coverage of MAT were obtained from three sources: (1) McCarty et al\u27s study, \u27Methadone Maintenance and State Medicaid Managed Care Programs\u27; (2) Ducharme at al\u27s study, \u27State policy influence on the early diffusion of buprenorphine in community treatment programs\u27; and, (3) the State Financing for Medication Assisted Treatment study.
The main findings of this study indicate that state wealth is correlated with Medicaid coverage of MAT, Medicaid coverage of MAT is associated with an increase in treatment wait time and Medicaid coverage of methadone is associated with greater odds of MAT use. This dissertation did not include any analyses since the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), which in 2014, required that all public and private health insurance programs cover substance use treatment services. While this prioritization will undoubtedly increase access to substance use treatment, not all services must be covered. Given this, variability in the accessibility of treatment will likely persist. Further research should continue to monitor the accessibility and utilization of substance use treatment, with particular focus on MAT
Community acceptance and implementation of HIV prevention interventions for injection drug users
Get PDFIn 1997, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reviewed evidence of the effectiveness of HIV prevention programs for injection drug users (IDUs) and recommended that three types ofinterventions be implemented to prevent transmission of HIV among IDUs: 1) community-based outreach, 2) expanded syringe access (including needle exchange programs [NEP] and pharmacy sales), and 3) drug treatment. Progress on increasing the acceptance and feasibility of implementing these programs has been made at the national level, but their implementation has been varied at the local level.Understanding the conditions under which communities accept and implement interventions can help guide effective strategies to foster the implementation of these interventions in areas where programs do not currently exist
Association of microsatellite markers on chromosomes 6q27 region and 10p15 region with end-stage renal disease in a UK renal transplant population
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Comprehensive Investigation of the Caveolin 2 Gene: Resequencing and Association for Kidney Transplant Outcomes
Get PDFCaveolae are plasma membrane structures formed from a complex of the proteins caveolin-1 and caveolin-2. Caveolae interact with pro-inflammatory cytokines and are dysregulated in fibrotic disease. Although caveolae are present infrequently in healthy kidneys, they are abundant during kidney injury. An association has been identified between a CAV1 gene variant and long term kidney transplant survival. Chronic, gradual decline in transplant function is a persistent problem in kidney transplantation. The aetiology of this is diverse but fibrosis within the transplanted organ is the common end point. This study is the first to investigate the association of CAV2 gene variants with kidney transplant outcomes. Genomic DNA from donors and recipients of 575 kidney transplants performed in Belfast was investigated for common variation in CAV2 using a tag SNP approach. The CAV2 SNP rs13221869 was nominally significant for kidney transplant failure. Validation was sought in an independent group of kidney transplant donors and recipients from Dublin, Ireland using a second genotyping technology. Due to the unexpected absence of rs13221869 from this cohort, the CAV2 gene was resequenced. One novel SNP and a novel insertion/deletion in CAV2 were identified; rs13221869 is located in a repetitive region and was not a true variant in resequenced populations. CAV2 is a plausible candidate gene for association with kidney transplant outcomes given its proximity to CAV1 and its role in attenuating fibrosis. This study does not support an association between CAV2 variation and kidney transplant survival. Further analysis of CAV2 should be undertaken with an awareness of the sequence complexities and genetic variants highlighted by this study
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