How Can Culturally-responsive Instruction Help Middle and High School Teachers Address Muslim Students\u27 Needs?

This capstone project explores how middle and high school teachers can create positive relationships with Muslim students by using culturally responsive instruction. Educators must understand that Muslim students have unique cultural identities based on their religious beliefs. Regardless of nationality, language, skin color, or cultural background, all Muslims are bound by these Islamic cultural practices. These practices directly impact students’ academic progress, social life, and self-esteem. By familiarizing themselves with these cultural and religious practices, teachers can better relate to Muslim students and address their social and academic needs. I seek answers to this research question by discussing four main subtopics: First, I discuss the history of Islam and Muslims in America, the importance of knowledge-seeking in Islam, Islamophobia; and the influence of the media on Muslims worldwide. Second, I discuss some significant challenges Muslim students face in U.S. schools. These challenges include school curricula, hidden curriculums, teachers’ ethnocentrism, home-school relations, and instruction methods. Third, I define culturally-sustaining pedagogies from different perspectives and highlight the impact they can have on Muslim students’ education. Finally, I address some critical aspects regarding Muslim students\u27 cultural and religious needs. These include accommodating the daily prayers and Friday prayers, fasting in Ramadan, Islamic holidays, dietary needs, modesty in Islam and wearing the Hijab, and gender separation. As my final product, I developed a one-week professional development for non-Muslim educators interacting with Muslim students throughout the school year. This capstone project was intended to serve as a mirror for non-Muslim educators to examine their biases and prejudices, as well as to use the wealth of knowledge and experience Muslim students bring to their classrooms rather than pressuring them to assimilate with White students through a White-centered curriculum. I built my professional development on the accommodations mentioned in Chapter Two. The literature covered in my professional development offers practical solutions and serves as an academic resource for stakeholders with similar concerns

Dielectric properties of Cu0.5Tl0.5Ba2Ca2Cu3O10-δ superconductor added with nano-Fe2O3

A series of high-temperature superconducting samples of type Cu0.5Tl0.5Ba2Ca2Cu3O10-δ, (Cu0.5Tl0.5)-1223, added with nano-Fe2O3 (0.0- 1.0 wt. %) was prepared by a solid-state reaction technique via short time preparation procedure and under ambient pressure. The prepared samples were characterized using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) for phase analysis and microstructure examination. The volume fraction results indicated that nano-Fe2O3 addition was significant in enhancing the formation rate of the (Cu0.5Tl0.5)-1223 phase, especially for x ≤ 0.2 wt. % samples. The electrical resistivity of the prepared samples was measured by the conventional four-probe technique from room temperature down to the zero superconducting transition temperature (T0). An increase in the superconducting temperature, Tc, is observed up to x = 0.2 wt. %, followed by a systematic decrease with increasing nano-Fe2O3 addition. The dielectric constants (ε\u27 and ε\u27\u27), dissipation factor (tan Δ) and real ac conductivity (σ\u27ac) were investigated as a function of temperature (113- 293 K) and frequency (102- 106 Hz). The results clarified that all these dielectric parameters show a strong dispersion with temperatures at low and moderate frequency ranges. Moreover, they are strongly dependent on nano-Fe2O3 addition. Furthermore, the high content of nano-Fe2O3 addition (x = 1.0 wt. %) enhanced ε\u27 and reduced tan D of (Cu0.5Tl0.5)-1223 phase, which is a desirable demand for practical applications

Intervention Study to Upgrade Patient Safety Practices in Pediatric Intensive Care Units of Cairo University Children Hospital

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization calls patient safety “an endemic concern.†Keeping patients safe is viewed as a global public health problem and a human rights issue. An environment where safety culture prevails is considered the biggest obstacle to improve patient safety. Proactive efforts to identify, prevent, and eliminate errors have the potential to significantly improve safety. Pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) is high-hazard and -risk environments. AIM: The aim of this study is to enhance compliance to patient safety practices within the general PICUs in Cairo University Children’s Hospital. METHODS: This is a pretest-posttest interventional study. A tailored intervention after the baseline assessment was designed and implemented followed by reassessment. All physicians and nurses present in the general PICUs who were available and consented participated in the study. A questionnaire for knowledge and attitude and a checklist for practice assessment of the participants were used. RESULTS: The median age of the participants was 30 years and interquartile range (28–40). There was a statistically significant difference between those who received patient safety training and those who did not in patient safety knowledge. The median knowledge score increased significantly after the intervention. Regarding the attitude of the studied personnel toward their perception of patient safety culture’s dimensions before and after the intervention, there was no statistically significant difference in some dimensions and a statistically significant improvement in some others. CONCLUSION: The strategies based on patient safety awareness-raising among health-care providers together with commitment and enthusiasm among senior leadership in the hospital can potentially improve compliance with practice and consequently lead to better patient safety

Job stress and burnout syndrome among critical care healthcare workers

Background: Among healthcare professions, critical care healthcare workers (HCWs) have one of the most stressful jobs. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between job stress and burnout syndrome (BOS) among nurses and healthcare technicians at the surgical emergency department and intensive care unit of Critical Care department at the Alexandria University Hospital.Methods: A cross-sectional approach was conducted from October 2014 to March 2015. Eighty-two nurses and healthcare technicians participated in the research (response rate = 80.39%). Data was collected by an interview questionnaire using selected subscales of NIOSH Generic job stress Questionnaire and Maslach Burnout Inventory of Health and human service Questionnaire. The relationship between BOS and job stress was examined using bivariate and multivariate analyses.Results: Although majority of participants reported variation of workload (84.15%), quantitative overload (76.8%), responsibility for peoples’ life (69.5%) and lack of perceived control (63.41%), yet, 85.4% were satisfied with their job. Moreover, high levels of emotional exhaustion was reported by the majority of participants (80%), while less than one third reported either high levels of depersonalization or low levels of personal accomplishment domains of BOS. In multiple regression analysis, skill underutilization, variation in workload, and intragroup conflicts were negatively associated with BOS domains. While, job satisfaction and responsibility for peoples’ life were positively associated with personal accomplishment domain of BOS.Conclusion: Critical care HCWs had high BOS. The study concluded that reducing intragroup conflict, improving skills utilization, and raising job satisfaction are crucial to reduce BOS among critical care HCWs. More attention and psychological support is recommended to critical care HCWs.Keywords: Burnout syndrome, Critical care, Healthcare workers, Job stress, Nurse

Complication of Type 1 Diabetes in Craniofacial and Dental Hard Tissue

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic systemic disease arisen under the conditions when the body cannot produce enough insulin or cannot use it effectively. Type 1 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune reaction, where the body’s defense system attacks the insulin-producing β-cells in the pancreas. Type 1 diabetes incidence has been rising all over the world, especially under the age of 15 years. There are strong premonitions of geographic difference; however, the overall annual increase in a number of affected population is estimated to be approximately 3%

Adrenocortical status in infants and children with sepsis and septic shock

AbstractBackgroundThe benefit from corticosteroids remains controversial in sepsis and septic shock and the presence of adrenal insufficiency (AI) has been proposed to justify steroid use.AimTo determine adrenal state and its relation with outcome in critical children admitted with sepsis to PICU of Cairo University, Children Hospital.MethodsThirty cases with sepsis and septic shock were studied. Cortisol levels (CL) were estimated at baseline and after high-dose short ACTH stimulation in those patients and in 30 matched controls. Absolute AI was defined as basal CL<7μg/dl and peak CL<18μg/dl. Relative AI was diagnosed if cortisol increment after stimulation is <9μg/dl.ResultsOverall mortality of cases was 50%. The mean CL at baseline in cases was higher than that of controls (51.39μg/dl vs. 12.83μg/dl, p=0.000). The mean CL 60min after ACTH stimulation was higher than that of controls (73.38μg/dl vs. 32.80μg/dl, p=0.000). The median of %rise in cases was lower than that of controls (45.3% vs. 151.7%). There was a positive correlation between basal and post-stimulation cortisol with number of system failure, inotropic support duration, mechanical ventilation days, and CO2 level in blood. There was a negative correlation between basal and post stimulation cortisol with blood pH and HCO3.ConclusionRAI is common with severe sepsis/septic shock. It is associated with more inotropic support and has higher mortality. Studies are warranted to determine whether corticosteroid therapy has a survival benefit in children with RAI and catecholamine resistant septic shock

Half-metallicity in EuN: A First-Principles Calculation

We report on the electronic and magnetic properties of the rock salt (RS) and cesium chloride (CsCl) phases of EuN. Our calculation was performed within the framework of the density functional theory (DFT), as implemented in the Wien2k package. We have used the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) for the exchange correlation potential and, in certain, cases the Local Spin Density (LSDA) approximation, with the Hubbard interaction taken into account.  Our calculation demonstrates the presence of an energy gap in both of the RS and CsCl structures when only spin-polarized calculation is used. However, taking the Hubbard potential into consideration, via the LSDA+U scheme, led to the disappearance of the energy gap, and hence to the absence of the half-metallic behavior in this system. Keywords: rare-earth nitrides; magnetic moment; DFT; DOS; half metallicity; spin density

Emerging antimicrobial resistance in early and late-onset neonatal sepsis

Background Compared to developed countries, the use of antimicrobials in Egypt is less regulated and is available over the counter without the need for prescriptions. The impact of such policy on antimicrobial resistance has not been studied. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of early and late onset sepsis, and the frequency of antimicrobial resistance in a major referral neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Methods The study included all neonates admitted to the NICU over a 12-month period. Prospectively collected clinical and laboratory data were retrieved, including blood cultures and endotracheal aspirate cultures if performed. Results A total of 953 neonates were admitted, of them 314 neonates were diagnosed with sepsis; 123 with early onset sepsis (EOS) and 191 with late onset sepsis (LOS). A total of 388 blood cultures were obtained, with 166 positive results. Total endotracheal aspirate samples were 127; of them 79 were culture-positive. The most frequently isolated organisms in blood were Klebsiella pneumoniae (42%) and Coagulase negative staphylococcus (19%) whereas in endotracheal cultures were Klebsiella pneumoniae (41%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (19%). Gram negative organisms were most resistant to ampicillins (100%), cephalosporins (93%–100%) and piperacillin-tazobactam (99%) with less resistance to aminoglycosides (36%–52%). Gram positive isolates were least resistant to vancomycin (18%). Multidrug resistance was detected in 92 (38%) cultures, mainly among gram negative isolates (78/92). Conclusions Antibiotic resistance constitutes a challenge to the management of neonatal sepsis in Egypt. Resistance was predominant in both early and late onset sepsis. This study supports the need to implement policies that prohibits the non-prescription community use of antibiotics

Effect of Earplugs and Eye Mask on Sleep Quality Among Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome at Assiut University Hospital

Background: Sleep disturbance can cause multiple negative cardiovascular effects among patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS). Aim: this study carried out to investigate effect of earplugs and eye mask on sleep quality among patients with ACS. Design: a quasi-experimental design. Setting: Coronary Care Unit at Assiut University Hospital. Subjects: Convenience sampling of 60 male and female adult patients were assigned randomly to two equal groups (30 each). Tools: Four tools were utilized to collect data of study, which were: Tool I Acute Coronary Syndrome patient assessment sheet Tool II: Factors affecting sleep quality among patients with ACS during night Tool III: 0–10 Numeric Pain Rating Scale Tool IV: ST Mary’s Hospital Sleep Questionnaire (SMHSQ). Methods: Researcher assessed factors affecting sleep quality during night as base line data and on daily basis for 3 consecutive days. Then, earplugs and eye mask were placed for study group between 7:10 PM. On morning, sleep quality was assessed for study and control groups by using (SMHSQ) between 7:8 AM. Results: Finding of this study supported stated research hypotheses with statistical significant difference between study and control groups regarding total mean of sleep quality score during 1st and 2nd nights of intervention (P=0.000**, P= 0.014*) respectively as well as some of environmental factors affecting sleep quality with P. value &lt; 0.05. Conclusion Earplugs, eye mask significantly improve sleep quality of patients with ACS. Therefore, offering earplugs and eye mask as a part of routine nursing practice for all ACS patients is highly recommended.                                                                                        Key words: earplugs and eye mask, sleep quality, acute coronary syndrome patient