Building Quality in Summer Learning Programs: Approaches and Recommendations

Examines settings for summer programs for low-income youth -- schools, parks and recreation departments, community- and faith-based organizations, and childcare programs -- and their limitations and opportunities in building better programming

Nurse Practitioners\u27 Discussion Of Sexual Identity, Attraction And Behavior

ABSTRACT Background: Sexual orientation is comprised of distinct components, including sexual identity, sexual attraction and sexual behavior. Lesbian, gay and bisexual adolescents are at an increased risk of experiencing poor health outcomes compared to non-sexual minority youth. Health care professional organizations recommend that health care providers discuss each component of sexual orientation at every adolescent health supervision visits in order to best assess the adolescent\u27s health risks and needs for intervention and education. Objective: This survey assessed the frequency with which nurse practitioners (NPs) in the state of Vermont discussed sexual identity, attraction and behavior with adolescents during annual health supervision visits. Design: A cross sectional study that analyzed descriptive statistics of a small convenience sample of Vermont NPs. Setting and Participants: Attendees of the Vermont Nurse Practitioner Association 2015 annual conference. Participants in the study were licensed, practicing NPs in the state of Vermont responsible for the health supervision of adolescents. Results: Participants were overwhelmingly female (93%), with a median age between 40-49 years old, and a median length of years in practice of six to ten years. Sixty-two percent of respondents specialized in family practice. Respondents reported that they always asked adolescents about the sex of sexual partners at 49% of health supervision visits. Respondents always discussed sexual attraction and sexual identity at 31% and 24% of health supervision visits, respectively. Twenty percent of respondents reported rarely or never discussing sexual attraction, and 38% reported rarely or never discussing sexual identity. Conclusions: The Vermont NPs who participated in this survey were demographically similar to national NP cohorts. Vermont NPs discussed the adolescent\u27s sexual behavior at health supervision visits as frequently as health care providers nationally, and Vermont NPs discussed sexual attraction and sexual identity more frequently than providers nationally. However, Vermont NPs discussed sexual attraction and identity much less frequently than they discussed sexual behavior. Results of this survey illustrate that there is substantial room for improvement regarding the frequency with which Vermont NPs discuss the three components of sexual orientation with adolescents, particularly the components of sexual identity and attraction

How to...deconstruct the research paradigm: supporting the non-social scientist researching in medical education

Finding effective methods to guide novice clinical education researchers to interrogate their beliefs about paradigms can be a challenge for education practitioners leading training in this area. We share why we believe it is important for healthcare educators to build an understanding of research paradigms and how we demystified the teaching of philosophy and the ‘-ologies’ of research, to support novice researchers in their development. Through our use of gamification techniques based on Socratic questioning, we show how educators may be supported in the process of deconstructing their research project’s paradigm into its component parts. This comprises key questions about coherent alignment of their ontologies, epistemologies, and methods, and encouraging researchers to think openly about their assumptions to improve the conduct of research, particularly in the qualitative field

Enhancing Culturally Responsive Practice in a District: Engaging Families through Culturally Responsive Practice

Thesis advisor: Martin ScanlanAs the populations of public schools in the United States grow increasingly more diverse, it is critical for district and school leaders to understand how educators make sense of their responsibility to improve outcomes for historically marginalized students. Culturally responsive practice (CRP) is a framework of beliefs and practices to enhance these students’ success. Additionally, it is well established that family engagement in schools also supports student achievement. This qualitative case study explores the intersection of CRP and family engagement by focusing on two research questions: (1) How do educators understand CRP in efforts to engage families of marginalized students and (2) How do educators enact that understanding in practice? It is part of a larger case study examining understanding and enactment of CRP in a diverse Massachusetts school district. Along with Mapp’s (2013) Dual Capacity Building Framework of family engagement, I apply Maitlis’ (2005) organizational sensemaking theory to data collected from semi-structured interviews, document review and an online survey. Findings reveal that educators understood CRP in regards to family engagement as the need to know students and families and recognize differences in their cultures. Also, educator understanding emanates from both personal and professional experiences including learning from colleagues, students and families. However, educators lack a common definition or understanding of CRP in regards to family engagement. Consequently, family engagement practices vary and tend to be more traditional versus reflective of CRP. This study revealed the need for stronger district direction and support for CRP and family engagement.Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2020.Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education.Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education

Letters to Roland F. McLaughlin While in Military Hospital, February, 1919 (Transcription Only)

Transcription of three letters to Roland F. McLaughlin. The first is from his father, Harris McLaughlin dated February 1, 1919. The second is from his father dated February 4, 1919. The third letter is from his mother Sarah Jane (Scott) McLaughlin dated February 5, 1919.https://digitalmaine.com/mclaughlin_241499/1000/thumbnail.jp

The core metabolome and root exudation dynamics of three phylogenetically distinct plant species

Root exudates are plant-derived, exported metabolites likely shaping root-associated microbiomes by acting as nutrients and signals. However, root exudation dynamics are unclear and thus also, if changes in exudation are reflected in changes in microbiome structure. Here, we assess commonalities and differences between exudates of different plant species, diurnal exudation dynamics, as well as the accompanying methodological aspects of exudate sampling. We find that exudates should be collected for hours rather than days as many metabolite abundances saturate over time. Plant growth in sterile, nonsterile, or sugar-supplemented environments significantly alters exudate profiles. A comparison of Arabidopsis thaliana, Brachypodium distachyon, and Medicago truncatula shoot, root, and root exudate metabolite profiles reveals clear differences between these species, but also a core metabolome for tissues and exudates. Exudate profiles also exhibit a diurnal signature. These findings add to the methodological and conceptual groundwork for future exudate studies to improve understanding of plant-microbe interactions

Nanofluid Development Using Silver Nanoparticles and Organic-Luminescent Molecules for Solar-Thermal and Hybrid Photovoltaic-Thermal Applications

Exploiting solar energy using photo-thermal (PT) and/or hybridised photovoltaic/thermal (PVT) systems can represent a viable alternative to the growing demand for renewable energy. For large-scale implementation, such systems require thermal fluids able to enhance the combined conversion efficiency achievable by controlling the ‘thermal’ and ‘electrical’ components of the solar spectrum. Nanofluids are typically employed for these purposes and they should exhibit high heat-transfer capabilities and optical properties tuned towards the peak performance spectral window of the photovoltaic (PV) component. In this work, novel nanofluids, composed of highly luminescent organic molecules and Ag nanoparticles dispersed within a base fluid, were tested for PT and PVT applications. These nanofluids were designed to mimic the behaviour of luminescent down-shifting molecules while offering enhanced thermo-physical characteristics over the host base fluid. The nanofluids’ conversion efficiency was evaluated under a standard AM1.5G weighted solar spectrum. The results revealed that the Ag nanoparticles’ inclusion in the composite fluid has the potential to improve the total solar energy conversion. The nanoparticles’ presence minimizes the losses in the electrical power component of the PVT systems as the thermal conversion increases. The enhanced performances recorded suggest that these nanofluids could represent suitable candidates for solar energy conversion application

Voluntary exercise delays heart failure onset in rats with pulmonary artery hypertension.

Increased physical activity is recommended for the general population and to patients of many diseases because of its health benefits but can be contraindicated if it is thought a risk for serious cardiovascular events. One such condition is pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH). PAH and right ventricular failure was induced in rats by a single injection of monocrotaline (MCT). MCT rats with voluntary access to a running wheel ran on average 2km per day. The time for half the animals to develop heart failure signs (median survival time) was 28 days (exercise failure (EF) group), significantly longer than sedentary animals (sedentary failure (SF) group), 23 days). The contractility of single failing myocytes in response to increasing demand (stimulation frequency) was significantly impaired compared with both sedentary control (SC) and exercising control (EC) myocytes. However, myocytes from exercising MCT rats, tested at 23 days (EM group) showed responses intermediate to the control (SC, EC) and failing (SF, EF) groups. We conclude that voluntary exercise is beneficial to rats with heart failure induced by PAH and this is evidence to support the consideration of appropriate exercise regimes for potentially vulnerable groups