STEM Education and Retention for Black Women using High-Impact Practices: Historically Black Colleges and Universities vs. Predominantly White Liberal Arts Colleges

Black women are significantly underrepresented within the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). To address this, the Association of American Colleges & Universities crafted ten high-impact practices to increase student engagement and promote retention. This research paper examines how three specific high-impact practices (learning communities, mentoring, and undergraduate research experience) are utilized in STEM education.This research paper explores and compares the best high impact approaches that successfully teach and retain Black women within the various fields of STEM within the differing academic environments of historically Black colleges & universities ( HBCUs) and predominantly white liberal art colleges (PWLACs). This paper concludes with recommendations for continuous research on Black women who pursue STEM in addition to institutional policies and practices that predominantly white liberal art colleges must do in order to contribute efforts in addressing the large disparity

Drug Resistance in Mycobacterium Tuberculosis: An Investigation of Drug Transporter P-glycoprotein and an Evaluation of Improved Diagnosis of Drug Resistant Tuber- culosis in Cameroonian Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients.

Ph.D. Thesis. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa 2017

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND CUSTOMER LOYALTY

With the growth and emerging of new hotel businesses in Cameroon, competition has intensified thereby making hotel owners to look for ways to provide quality services. Quality services means customers will be satisfied thereby leading to them being loyal to the company. Traditionally, it is understood that an increase in customer satisfaction will directly lead to an increase in customer loyalty. The target for this research was to analyze the link we have between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty, the notion of customer satisfaction and customer loyalty with elements influ-encing them. Also, to find out what the company can to improve both customer satisfaction and cus-tomer loyalty. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used in this research to collect data. In a bit to make the research more perceivable and conceivable, data was retrieve from both primary and secondary sources. Primary sources were collected from both an interview with the manager and a question-naire that were handed to the customers of the case company to respond. Secondary sources were taken from past literature on the concepts of customer satisfaction and loyalty. To be able to analyze the strength and weaknesses to be able to give relevant recommendations to the case company, a SWOT analysis was used. The results of the research are planned to help the case company improve on their customer retention rate. The outcome of the research showed that the case company should concentrate on custom-er satisfaction by improving on their customer relationship management and improving on the quality of their services. Making their employees satisfied is also a vital factor in building good customer relationship. High level of customer satisfaction can lead to customer loyalty

The Impact of Business Climate on Foreign Direct Investment in the CEMAC Region

Globally, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is often seen as an important catalyst for economic growth because it affects economic growth by stimulating domestic investment, capital formation, employment, export earnings and technological transfer. As a result, policy makers of most economies especially non-natural resource rich economies have undertaken socio-economic, legal, political and institutional reforms in order to attract foreign direct investment. This study examines the impact of the business climate on foreign direct investment in the Economic and Monetary Union of Central African States (CEMAC) region from 2007 to 2014 using panel data collected from the World Bank, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Transparency International, the Heritage Foundation and the Mo Ibrahim Foundation. Through the adoption of the Feasible Generalized Least Squares (FGLS) technique of estimation, the study finds that the doing business index, the corruption perception index and the Ibrahim Index of African Governance positively and significantly affect foreign direct investment in the CEMAC region. Moreover, the study finds that some components of the Doing Business Index (starting a business, dealing with construction permits, registering property, paying taxes, protecting investors, trading across borders, enforcing contracts and resolving insolvency) positively and significantly affect foreign direct investment in the CEMAC region. However, economic freedom index and other components that constitute the Doing Business Index (registering property, getting credit and trading across borders) though with positive coefficients do not significantly affect foreign direct investment. The study recommends that policymakers of the CEMAC region put in place laws, measures and structures that improve the business climate of the region in a bid to attract more foreign direct investment. Keywords: Business Climate, Foreign Direct Investment, CEMAC, Feasible Generalized Least Squares

Effectiveness and cost of radiofrequency ablation and stereotactic body radiotherapy for treatment of early‐stage hepatocellular carcinoma: An analysis of SEER‐medicare

IntroductionFor early‐stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, ablative strategies are potentially curative treatment options. Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) has emerged as a promising ablative therapy, although its comparison with radiofrequency ablation (RFA) remains confined to a single institution retrospective review. We sought to characterize the comparative outcomes and cost between the two treatment strategies.MethodsWe conducted a secondary analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)‐Medicare linked database (2004–2011) and identified adult patients with stage I or II HCC and treated with RFA or SBRT as the initial treatment within 6 months of diagnosis. Survival analysis was conducted using Kaplan–Meier curves and multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis. Factors associated with overall survival and 90‐day hospital admission post‐treatment were identified using propensity score (PS) adjusted multivariate analysis. We performed costs analysis and calculated incremental cost‐effectiveness ratios (ICER).ResultsFour hundred and forty patients were identified, 408 treated with RFA and 32 SBRT. In the overall cohort, 90‐day hospitalization and 1‐year mortality were similar between groups but RFA patients had better overall survival (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed advanced age, higher stage, decompensated cirrhosis, and treatment with SBRT (HR 1.80; 95%CI: 1.15–2.82) was associated with worse survival, but in the PS adjusted analysis, survival and costs were similar between the two groups.ConclusionIn a national cohort of early stage HCC patients, treatment with RFA vs SBRT resulted in no significant difference in survival, 90‐day hospitalization, or costs. These data highlight the need for a randomized clinical trial comparing these two modalities.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146355/1/jmiro12754_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146355/2/jmiro12754.pd

A cost-effectiveness analysis of provider interventions to improve health worker practice in providing treatment for uncomplicated malaria in Cameroon: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Governments and donors all over Africa are searching for sustainable, affordable and cost-effective ways to improve the quality of malaria case management. Widespread deficiencies have been reported in the prescribing and counselling practices of health care providers treating febrile patients in both public and private health facilities. Cameroon is no exception with low levels of adherence to national guidelines, the frequent selection of non-recommended antimalarials and the use of incorrect dosages. This study evaluates the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of introducing two different provider training packages, alongside rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), designed to equip providers with the knowledge and practical skills needed to effectively diagnose and treat febrile patients. The overall aim is to target antimalarial treatment better and to facilitate optimal use of malaria treatment guidelines. METHODS/DESIGN: A 3-arm stratified, cluster randomized trial will be conducted to assess whether introducing RDTs with provider training (basic or enhanced) is more cost-effective than current practice without RDTs, and whether there is a difference in the cost effectiveness of the provider training interventions. The primary outcome is the proportion of patients attending facilities that report a fever or suspected malaria and receive treatment according to malaria guidelines. This will be measured by surveying patients (or caregivers) as they exit public and mission health facilities. Cost-effectiveness will be presented in terms of the primary outcome and a range of secondary outcomes, including changes in provider knowledge. Costs will be estimated from a societal and provider perspective using standard economic evaluation methodologies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00981877