Edward A. Burger, Director., The Mountain Path

departmental bulletin pape

Hurdles to Health: An Exploration of the Social Determinants that Affect Attitudes toward HPV Vaccination in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

In 2014, the Brazilian government began supplying free, preventative human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines for girls between the ages of 9 and 13. This public health campaign has the potential to greatly reduce the high HPV infection rate in Brazil, but without targeted education and information to supplement this medical intervention the program is predicted to have a smaller impact. This study aims to assess how well information about the HPV vaccine is currently reaching young Brazilian girls and their families. Data was gathered by interviewing professionals who work in STD education, women’s issues, and healthcare advocacy, as well as one mother of a young girl. By speaking to this array of people a clearer picture of some of the major stumbling blocks that impede the realization of the government’s 80% HPV vaccination goal developed. The current national healthcare campaign is highly focused on cancer-prevention, which provides a good incentive for many Brazilian families to vaccinate their daughters, but does not account for the relationship between HPV and sex. This study categorizes and explores some of the other social determinants, or factors, that contribute to a family’s decision to vaccinate and, therefore, the overall future sexual health of Brazil

Systematic Review of Supported Housing Literature 1993 – 2008

Supported housing for individuals with severe mental illness strives to provide the services necessary to place and keep individuals in independent housing that is integrated into the community and in which the consumer has choice and control over his or her services and supports. Supported housing can be contrasted to an earlier model called the “linear residential approach” in which individuals are moved from the most restrictive settings (e.g., inpatient settings) through a series of more independent settings (e.g., group homes, supervised apartments) and then finally to independent housing. This approach has been criticized as punishing the client due to frequent moves, and as being less likely to result in independent housing. In the supported housing model (Anthony & Blanch, 1988) consumers have choice and control over their living environment, their treatment, and supports (e.g., case management, mental health and substance abuse services). Supports are flexible and faded in and out depending on needs. Results of this systematic review of supported housing suggest that there are several well-controlled studies of supported housing and several studies conducted with less rigorous designs. Overall, our synthesis suggests that supported housing can improve the living situation of individuals who are psychiatrically disabled, homeless and with substance abuse problems. Results show that supported housing can help people stay in apartments or homes up to about 80% of the time over an extended period. These results are contrary to concerns expressed by proponents of the linear residential model and housing models that espoused more restrictive environments. Results also show that housing subsidies or vouchers are helpful in getting and keeping individuals housed. Housing services appear to be cost effective and to reduce the costs of other social and clinical services. In order to be most effective, intensive case management services (rather than traditional case management) are needed and will generally lead to better housing outcomes. Having access to affordable housing and having a service system that is well-integrated is also important. Providing a person with supported housing reduces the likelihood that they will be re-hospitalized, although supported housing does not always lead to reduced psychiatric symptoms. Supported housing can improve clients’ quality of life and satisfaction with their living situation. Providing supported housing options that are of decent quality is important in order to keep people housed and satisfied with their housing. In addition, rapid entry into housing, with the provision of choices is critical. Program and clinical supports may be able to mitigate the social isolation that has sometimes been associated with supported housing.National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, Grant # (H133A050006

TFA e pensamento mágico dos "melhores e mais brilhantes"

This article draws on oral history testimonies to examine the experiences of participants in the inaugural 1990 cohort of Teach For America (TFA)—a group of young people dubbed the “best and brightest” of their generation and tasked with “saving” urban education. For 25 years, TFA has operated according to the principle of the “best and brightest,” in which it is assumed that participants’ personal qualities and prior academic achievement can stand in for deep professional knowledge and experience. Yet as our data show, the presumptions—that any “smart” person should be able to pick up teaching by doing it, that there is no specialized knowledge needed in order to teach, and that “outsiders” with little knowledge of a school community and its families can “swoop in” and “rescue” underserved students—ultimately set up and demoralized the participants with whom we spoke when they could not live up to such unrealistic expectations.  Through participants’ words and experiences, framed in historical context, we raise questions about the myth of the “best and brightest,” the theory of action promoted by TFA, and what it takes to teach in urban classrooms. Este artículo se basa en testimonios de historia oral para examinar las experiencias de los participantes en la primera cohorte de 1990 de Teach For America (TFA) – un grupo de jóvenes conocido como los "mejores y más brillantes" de su generación y encargados con la tarea de "salvar" la educación urbana. Durante 25 años, TFA ha operado de acuerdo con el principio de los "mejores y más brillantes", en el que se asume que las cualidades personales de los participantes y el rendimiento académico previo pueden sustituir conocimientos profesionales en profundidad y experiencia. Sin embargo, como nuestros datos muestran, las presunciones, de que cualquier persona "inteligente" debería ser capaz de enseñar desde un comienzo, que no hay conocimientos especializados necesarios para enseñar, y que "personas de afuera", con poco conocimiento de una comunidad escolar y sus familias pueden "lanzarse" y "rescatar" estudiantes marginalizados-en última instancia desmoralizó a los participantes con los que hablamos cuando no pudieron cumplir con esas expectativas poco realistas. A través de las palabras y las experiencias de los participantes, enmarcados en un contexto histórico, planteamos preguntas sobre el mito de "mejores y más brillantes," la teoría de acción promovida por TFA, y que se necesita para enseñar en aulas con alumnos de los sectores urbano pobres.Este artigo é baseado em testemunhos de história oral para examinar as experiências dos participantes na primeira coorte de  Teach For America (TFA) em 1990 –  um grupo de jovens conhecido como os “melhores e mais brilhantes” da sua geração e encarregados d a tarefa de “salvar” a educação urbana. Por 25 anos, TFA tem operado em conformidade com o princípio dos “melhores e mais brilhantes”, no qual supõe-se que as qualidades pessoais dos participantes e desempenho acadêmico anterior pode substituir profundos conhecimentos e experiência profissional. No entanto, como nossos dados mostram, presunções, que qualquer pessoa “inteligente” deve ser capaz de ensinar desde o início, que nenhum conhecimento especializado é necessário para ensinar, e “estrangeiros”, com pouco conhecimento sobre uma comunidade escolar e suas famílias podem “mergulhar” e “resgatar” alunos marginalizados – em última análise os participantes com os quais falamos ficaram desmoralizados quando não podiam atender a essas expectativas irrealistas. Através das palavras e experiências dos participantes, enquadrados em um contexto histórico, fizemos perguntas sobre o mito de “melhores e mais brilhantes”, teoria da ação promovida pela TFA, e o que se precisa para ensinar em salas de aula formadas por alunos de setores urbanos emprobrecidos

The Eccentricity Distribution of Short-Period Planet Candidates Detected by Kepler in Occultation

We characterize the eccentricity distribution of a sample of ~50 short-period planet candidates using transit and occultation measurements from NASA's Kepler Mission. First, we evaluate the sensitivity of our hierarchical Bayesian modeling and test its robustness to model misspecification using simulated data. When analyzing actual data assuming a Rayleigh distribution for eccentricity, we find that the posterior mode for the dispersion parameter is $\sigma=0.081 \pm^{0.014}_{0.003}$. We find that a two-component Gaussian mixture model for $e \cos \omega$ and $e \sin \omega$ provides a better model than either a Rayleigh or Beta distribution. Based on our favored model, we find that $\sim90\%$ of planet candidates in our sample come from a population with an eccentricity distribution characterized by a small dispersion ($\sim0.01$), and $\sim10\%$ come from a population with a larger dispersion ($\sim0.22$). Finally, we investigate how the eccentricity distribution correlates with selected planet and host star parameters. We find evidence that suggests systems around higher metallicity stars and planet candidates with smaller radii come from a more complex eccentricity distribution.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap

Banner News

https://openspace.dmacc.edu/banner_news/1028/thumbnail.jp

It\u27s All Fun and Games Until Someone Gets Hurt: An Analysis of Trampoline Injuries in the Pennsylvania Trauma System

Introduction: It is well known that trampolines can be a particular source of danger, especially in children. We sought to examine the profile of those patients with trampoline injuries. We hypothesized there would be certain injury patterns predicative of trampoline injuries. Methods: All patients submitted to Pennsylvania Trauma Outcome Study (PTOS) database from 2016-2018 were analyzed. Trampoline injury was determined by ICD10 activity code. Injury patterns in the form of abbreviated injury scale (AIS) body regions were examined in the trampoline injured patients. Patient demographics and clinical variables were compared between those with trampoline injury versus those without. Results: There were 107 patients from 2016-2018 in PTOS who had a trampoline injury. All of these patients were discharged alive and had a blunt mechanism of injury. Of the 107 patients, the most common injury type was injury to the extremities (90/107 patients [84.1%]) with 54 (50.5%) patients having upper extremity injury and 36 (33.6%) patients having lower extremity injury. 10 (9.35%) patients had injury to the spine and 5 (4.67%) had head injury. Those with trampoline injuries were significantly younger (mean age: 13.0 vs. 48.6) and more likely to be white or of Hispanic ethnicity. Almost half of the patients injured (49.5%) were under 10 years of age. Patients with trampoline injuries had significantly lower injury severity scores and significantly higher Shock Index (Table 1). Conclusions: The majority of patients with trampoline injuries had injury to an extremity and were pediatric patients. These results help better understand the demographic, physiologic and anatomic patterns surrounding trampoline injuries. Current government standards recommend that no child under age 6 should use a full-sized trampoline; however, based off of the study results, we advise that this age be increased to 10

Banner News

https://openspace.dmacc.edu/banner_news/1030/thumbnail.jp

Banner News

https://openspace.dmacc.edu/banner_news/1029/thumbnail.jp