School Attendance Affects Student Outcomes: Resources to Impact Attendance

School attendance is a key component to ensuring that students gain the skills they need later in life. The primary reason for regular school attendance is the correlation it has with school achievement. Regular attendance increases students’ opportunities for learning and for building relationships with their teacher and peers. However, some students often face barriers that may impact their ability to attend school on a regular basis including school climate and bullying; transportation; homelessness; poverty; parent expectations and involvement; physical health; and mental health. Research has shown how barriers can impact students’ attendance rates in school and what schools can do to help students get to school on a regular basis. An attendance resource guide for K-12 schools to use to help increase student attendance is included. This guide includes multiple programs and interventions for individual students, small groups of students or school wide that can help address some of the barriers to attendance

The invasive colonial ascidian Didemnum vexillum on Georges Bank - Ecological effects and genetic identification

Since the discovery of the invasive colonial tunicate Didemnum vexillum Kott, 2002 on Georges Bank in 2002, research has focused on investigating the spread of the tunicate invasion, evaluating its potential impact on the benthic community, identifying it to species level, and determining its region of origin. The percent cover of Didemnum vexillum, measured from bottom photographs, ranges from 0-100% in individual photos and between 0-79% when averaged within photo transects. Individual photos represent an area of the seabed measuring ~ 0.39 m2 while photo transects range from ~ 700-1000 meters in length. Hydroids are the second most abundant epifaunal taxon. The macrofauna identified in bottom photo analysis comprises 21 different taxa, of which burrowing and non-burrowing anemones are the most numerous. Our detailed analysis of bottom photographs suggests that Didemnum vexillum is able to out-compete other epifaunal and macrofaunal taxa. An Analysis of Similarity (ANOSIM) test on macrofauna abundance data collected with a Naturalist dredge from 1994 to 2006, indicates that Didemnum vexillum has had a significant impact on the species composition of the benthic community. The abundance of two polychaete species, Nereis zonata Malmgren, 1867 and Harmothoe extenuata Grube, 1840, increased significantly in infested areas compared with uninfested areas, according to two-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). We found four distinct nucleotide sequences of the 18s rDNA gene among 17 samples of Didemnum species, three from Georges Bank and one from New Zealand. Two of the Georges Bank sequences were identified as Didemnum albidum Verrill, 1871, a species native to the northeast United States. The third sequence represents the invasive Didemnum vexillum from Georges Bank, and the fourth sequence an undescribed species from New Zealand (not D. vexillum)

Applying a menthol pain reliever prior to strength training reduces chronic low back pain and increases functional capacity in overweight or obese older adult

The combined effect of a muscle strength training program with the previous application of a topical menthol gel on the intensity of chronic low back pain (CLP) and the functional capacity of overweight/obese older women was evaluated. A randomized controlled clinical trial with parallel group comparison was conducted. In Phase 1 (12-weeks), 31 women were randomly assigned: (i) a control group that did not change their habits (CG; n = 11); (ii) group of strength training prior to application of a gel with menthol (RTM; n = 10) and (iii) group that performed the same training prior to application of a placebo gel (RTP; n = 10). After 12 weeks of no training, phase 2 of the study (32-week duration) was run, where the RTM and RTP women were randomly reassigned. It was evaluated before and after each phase: body composition, functional capacity, pain perception and Oswestry disability index. The significance level established for the study was p ≤ .05. Both training groups significantly improved all variables after stages 1 and 2, with significant post-intervention differences but no significant intergroup differences, although RTM obtained better results. The percentage of improvement in pain perception and functional parameters were related to the intervention time without positive effects for CG. In conclusion, the use of menthol gel prior to a muscle strength program reduced pain and enhanced the functional improvements achieved as a result of moderate-high intensity training in older adult women with CLP and overweight or obesity

Prospectus, November 4, 2004

https://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_2004/1026/thumbnail.jp

Examining the Attitudes and Knowledge of Pregnant Teens on the Topic of SIDS

Background: Norfolk has the second highest teen pregnancy rate and third highest infant mortality rate in Southeastern Virginia. SIDS is the third leading cause of infant death in Virginia. Providing a group education intervention modeled after centering pregnancy gives teen mothers the opportunity to learn and receive support in a safe space in hopes of making a positive impact on their attitudes and knowledge regarding SIDS. Hypothesis: Do the attitudes and knowledge of pregnant teens and recent teen mothers change positively after a group education intervention on sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Method: Quasi-experimental non-randomized group trial. This includes pregnant females ages fifteen to nineteen in Norfolk, Virginia at a city general hospital. The data will be collected from a pretest before and posttest after a group education intervention on SIDS. Data Collection: Hypothesis testing will be conducted using a t-test to determine group differences in attitudes and knowledge after the intervention. Participants will also be completing a PRAMS demographics survey. Goal: To see if the SIDS education intervention has an impact on the knowledge of teen mothers in efforts to reduce the current SIDS rate contributing to Norfolk\u27s high infant mortality rate

Prospectus, March 9, 2005

https://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_2005/1007/thumbnail.jp

Variance Decomposition of the Continuous Assessment of Interpersonal Dynamics (CAID) system: Assessing sources of influence and reliability of observations of parent-teen interactions

The Continuous Assessment of Interpersonal Dynamics (CAID) is an observational tool that measures warmth and dominance dynamics in real time and is sensitive to individual, dyadic, and contextual influences. Parent-adolescent interpersonal dynamics, which conceptually map onto parenting styles, are an integral part of positive adolescent adjustment and protect against risky outcomes. The current study’s goal was to test the degree to which sources of influence on CAID data observed in a previous study of married couples generalize to a sample of parent-adolescent dyads. We examined data from ten raters who rated moment-to-moment warmth and dominance using CAID in a sample of 61 parent-adolescent dyads (N = 122) who were largely non-Hispanic White (62%) or African American (30%) based on parent report (adolescent M age = 14; 57% female). Dyads interacted in four different discussion segments (situations). We applied Generalizability Theory to delineate several sources of variance in CAID parameters and estimated within and between-person reliability. Results revealed a number of different influences, including the person, kinsperson (adolescent versus parent), dyad, rater, situation, and interactions among these factors, on ratings of parent-adolescent interpersonal behavior. These results largely replicate results from married couples, suggesting that the factors that influence ratings of interpersonal interactions largely generalize across sample types

Owning humankind : fossils, humans and archaeological remains

Abstract: There are a myriad of laws, guidelines and unwritten agreements relating to human, hominid and hominin remains. Legal gaps and inadequate definitions of what constitutes a fossil have meant that a ‘finders keepers’ approach is often applied to the ownership and control of our ancestors' remains. Such shortcomings expose numerous legal and ethical conundrums. Should any one organisation, individual or government control access to recently-found remains, limiting opportunities to unlock the secrets of evolution? Given that humans can start fossilisation processes immediately after burial, at what point does it become appropriate to dig up their remains? And who should control access to them? Could any prehistoric Homo ever have imagined they would one day be exhumed and their remains laid out in cases as the centrepiece of a museum exhibit? This paper surveys a number of implications that arise from these foundational questions, and ultimately challenges the belief that human, hominin and hominid remains are self-evident ‘objects’ capable of clear ownership: rather they constitute creative cultural intersections, which are deserving of greater ethical consideration. Protocols for respecting, protecting and conserving remains while allowing a greater equity in access to information about our common ancestors are both desirable and urgently required

Effectiveness of a structured, framework-based approach to implementation: the Researching Effective Approaches to Cleaning in Hospitals (REACH) Trial

BACKGROUND: Implementing sustainable practice change in hospital cleaning has proven to be an ongoing challenge in reducing healthcare associated infections. The purpose of this study was to develop a reliable framework-based approach to implement and quantitatively evaluate the implementation of evidence-based practice change in hospital cleaning. DESIGN/METHODS: The Researching Effective Approaches to Cleaning in Hospitals (REACH) trial was a pragmatic, stepped-wedge randomised trial of an environmental cleaning bundle implemented in 11 Australian hospitals from 2016 to 2017. Using a structured multi-step approach, we adapted the integrated Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (i-PARIHS) framework to support rigorous and tailored implementation of the cleaning bundle intervention in eleven diverse and complex settings. To evaluate the effectiveness of this strategy we examined post-intervention cleaning bundle alignment calculated as a score (an implementation measure) and cleaning performance audit data collected using ultraviolet (UV) gel markers (an outcome measure). RESULTS: We successfully implemented the bundle and observed improvements in cleaning practice and performance, regardless of hospital size, intervention duration and contextual issues such as staff and organisational readiness at baseline. There was a positive association between bundle alignment scores and cleaning performance at baseline. This diminished over the duration of the intervention, as hospitals with lower baseline scores were able to implement practice change successfully. CONCLUSION: Using a structured framework-based approach allows for pragmatic and successful implementation of clinical trials across diverse settings, and assists with quantitative evaluation of practice change. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australia New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry ACTRN12615000325505, registered on 4 September 2015

Health Assessment and Seroepidemiologic Survey of Potential Pathogens in Wild Antillean Manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus)

The Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus), a subspecies of the West Indian manatee, inhabits fresh, brackish, and warm coastal waters distributed along the eastern border of Central America, the northern coast of South America, and throughout the Wider Caribbean Region. Threatened primarily by human encroachment, poaching, and habitat degradation, Antillean manatees are listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. The impact of disease on population viability remains unknown in spite of concerns surrounding the species' ability to rebound from a population crash should an epizootic occur. To gain insight on the baseline health of this subspecies, a total of 191 blood samples were collected opportunistically from wild Antillean manatees in Belize between 1997 and 2009. Hematologic and biochemical reference intervals were established, and antibody prevalence to eight pathogens with zoonotic potential was determined. Age was found to be a significant factor of variation in mean blood values, whereas sex, capture site, and season contributed less to overall differences in parameter values. Negative antibody titers were reported for all pathogens surveyed except for Leptospira bratislava, L. canicola, and L. icterohemorrhagiae, Toxoplasma gondii, and morbillivirus. As part of comprehensive health assessment in manatees from Belize, this study will serve as a benchmark aiding in early disease detection and in the discernment of important epidemiologic patterns in the manatees of this region. Additionally, it will provide some of the initial tools to explore the broader application of manatees as sentinel species of nearshore ecosystem health