History of Civitas Branching

A brief history and description of Civitas Branching, a 5-panel mosaic depicting scenes from the College Hill neighborhood. The mosaic was created as a collaborative art project by students of the College of the Holy Cross and residents of the College Hill neighborhood in Worcester, Massachusetts

History of Lungs of the Planet Mosaic

A brief history and description of Lungs of the Planet, a tile mural depicting line drawings on individual 6 x 6 inch tiles, as well as larger color images of blossoms, fruit, and birds to symbolize the cycle of life. The mural was created as a collaborative art project by students in the Natural World Cluster of the Monserrat First Year Program at the College of the Holy Cross. The project was led by Virginia Raguin, Distinguished Professor of Humanities at the College. Particpants included students, faculty, staff and community members. The mural was installed on the west patio of Dinand Library at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts in April 2016

Motivational goals, perceived ability, and the purpose of school : a study of form five students : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in psychology at Massey University

Students' motivational goals, perceived ability, and beliefs about the purpose of school were investigated by questionnaire. 450 Form Five students participated in the study. The extent to which students differentiate between motivational goals was examined. Predictions were made regarding the relationships between motivational goals and students' perceived ability and beliefs about the purpose of school. It was found that students did not clearly distinguish between 'task', 'ego', and 'work avoidance' motivational goals. However, when these goals were considered separately they were found to be related to students' perceived ability and beliefs about the purpose of school. Predictions regarding subject - specificity of perceived ability were supported, but predictions of ethnic differences in perceived ability were not. There were slight gender differences in perceived ability and beliefs about the purpose of school. The findings were discussed in terms of their relationship to other studies, and the implications for past and future methods of studying motivational goals

The Prevalence of Delinquency in Depressed and Substance Abusing Adolescent Girls

Research conducted on the role of depression in delinquency among adolescent girls has found that depression can predict delinquency. It has been indicated that research should be conducted on how substance use and abuse play a role in depression and delinquency. Several studies have been conducted on adolescent girls in juvenile delinquent centres and institutions. Few studies have sampled subjects from community-based resources, i.e., street youth clinics, youth programs, or alternative schools. The central goal of the study was to explore delinquency in a group of depressed and substance-abusing adolescent girls in community-based settings including street clinics, youth programs, and alternative schools. Specific questions focused on examining the relationship among depression, delinquency, and substance use for adolescent girls, and the prevalence of 12 risk factors (i.e., thought problems, ADHD, rule behaviours, anxiety, aggression, attitude problems, externalized behaviours, self-esteem, social problems, and somatic complaints). Using a cross-sectional research design, the relationship among depression, substance use, and delinquency, as well as risk factors were examined for adolescent girls from community-based agencies and alternative schools. The participants included 100 adolescent girls, aged 13 to 18 years (mean age = 16.5 years). The data collection instruments that were used included the Children\u27s Depression Inventory (CDI) (Kovacs, 1992), the Achenbach Youth Self-Report (YSR) for Ages 11-18 (ASEBA) (Achenbach, 2001), Adaptation of the Self-Reported Delinquency and Drug-Use Items as Employed in the National Youth Survey (Elliott & Ageton, 1980), and an Adolescent Self-Report Questionnaire. The study found that adolescent girls utilizing community-based street clinics and alternative schools are diverse, varying in age, culture, sexual orientation, background, and living arrangement. Substance use and delinquency were found to have a strong, significant, positive relationship. Depression played a smaller role in the prevalence of delinquency with this sample. In addition, various risk factors were found to be related to substance abuse (as a predictor for delinquency), including rule behavior, self-esteem, somatic complaints, and externalized problems. The strong relationships among substance abuse, delinquency, and risk factors have implications for prevention and treatment programs, supporting the inclusion of evidenced-based drug and alcohol programs that focus on positive coping strategies for problem solving and emotional regulation for at-risk adolescent girls

A study of health care payment organizations\u27 culture and adaptability to revolutionary change

The U.S. health care system is in the midst of revolutionary change. Health care costs continue to rise, significant portions of the population remain uninsured, and government regulation is increasing. The culture of organizations influences their ability to change, and research demonstrates that those with the characteristics of learning organizations are most adaptable. This study sought to establish the characteristics of health care payment organizations and to determine how well these align with the characteristics of learning organizations. A survey was sent to 138 individuals employed by 79 organizations in multiple segments of the industry to obtain their perception of their organizations\u27 cultures. A total of 106 responses were received representing all segments. This research found that the industry overall does not demonstrate a culture profile that is closely aligned with the characteristics of learning organizations; instead, it showed a distributed culture profile with a marginal emphasis toward the Market and Clan cultures. The study provides important insight into the characteristics of the industry. Additionally, it indicates that the culture profiles and attributes vary by industry segments within the health care payment industry. The 1st conclusion is that the industry culture is not well positioned to adapt to revolutionary change. Organizations need to explore their individual culture to understand how they are uniquely positioned to become learning organizations. Second, since certain segments of the industry are better positioned; they provide a model for the rest of the industry to adopt. Third, the industry\u27s culture profile overall shows a competitive, goal-oriented environment, driven by financial results. That focus may not be the best model for successfully adapting to revolutionary change. Finally, the study confirms that organizational culture is complex and requires in-depth analysis to plan for and adapt to the continuously changing environment

An Educational Module To Improve Pre-Hospital Stroke Assessment: Stroke Mimics And The Field Assessment Stroke Triage For Emergency Destination (fast-Ed) Scale

ABSTRACT Introduction: Studies show that up to 30% of acute stroke patients brought to the emergency department (ED) are diagnosed with a stroke mimic. With more stroke systems adopting a prehospital large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke scale that includes bypass protocol, it is imperative that emergency medical service (EMS) personnel be educated on how to implement the scale, identify stroke mimics, and accurately determine the time of last known well. Studies show that LVO stroke scales demonstrated low specificity when scored by EMS personnel, as compared to those scored by physicians. In 2018 the Massachusetts Office of EMS updated the protocol for acute stroke by implementing the FAST-ED scale. without requiring formal education on the new assessment items. Purpose: To develop and present an evidence-based, expert validated educational module for Massachusetts EMS on FAST-ED assessment items, common stroke mimics, and determining the time of last known well. Methods: A didactic and experiential scenario-based educational module was developed following a literature search that included the FAST-ED scale, stroke mimics, and EMS Education. A panel of neurology and EMS experts validated the module, pre and post-test, and the delivery method. Three Western Massachusetts fire departments participated in the Beta Test which included the module presentation with pre and post-tests. Two of the departments participated in post-module focus groups for feedback. Results: Fifty-six paramedics from three fire stations participated in the Beta Test. Analysis of the test result data showed that there was a significant difference in the educational module pre-test (M=5.4, SD1.14) and post-test (M=9.4, SD1.14) scores; t(4)=-5.66, p=0.005. Conclusion: A formal acute stroke education program for prehospital personnel could help increase the efficacy and utility of the newly implemented FAST-ED stroke scale. Keywords: FAST-ED, prehospital education, acute stroke, large vessel occlusio

Disability Prevention Among Michigan Employers

This chapter briefly discusses the magnitude of the problem of disability in the workplace. It also presents an overview of the three and one-half year research project for which this Final Report is the product. It highlights the origins of the project and the major design elements that are reflected in this report. It concludes with a discussion of the remaining limitations of the research

AN EXPLORATION OF HOW THIRD SECTOR BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT ORGANISATIONS HAVE DEVELOPED THEIR SERVICES FOR DELIVERY IN AREAS OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEPRIVATION

Inequalities in UK breastfeeding initiation and continuation rates exist whereby socio-economically advantaged mothers are most likely to breastfeed. Breastfeeding peer support (BPS) interventions are recommended as a solution, and consequently third sector breastfeeding organisations are commissioned to deliver UK BPS services in areas of socio-economic deprivation. BPS interventions have a mixed evidence base, and a key evidential gap concerns understanding interaction between context and intervention. This study explored how and why these organisations have developed BPS services within socio-economically deprived contexts. The study was completed in two phases. During phase one an exercise was undertaken to establish background information about the four main UK breastfeeding organisations. Semi-structured interviews with BPS organisation strategists and representatives (n=7) were undertaken, complemented by a meta-synthesis of published literature. Phase two constituted case studies of two BPS services in different areas of deprivation in England. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with: mothers who had (n=10) and had not engaged (n=9) with the BPS services, peer supporters (PSs) (n=9), community health professionals (n=5), infant feeding co-ordinators (n=2), third sector organisation managers (n=3), and public health commissioners (n=2). Inductive grounded theory analytic techniques of open coding and constant comparisons, followed by cross case comparisons, were used to analyse data. One over-arching theme and four main themes were constructed. The over-arching theme ‘the transcending influence of society’ explains how the combination of funding availability and data sharing arrangements, determined service operation and PSs access to women. Although commissioners required that more support be given to the target group of women, this was not always achieved. The acceptability of the peer support role, operating at the individual, social group, and community levels was captured by ‘the role’ main theme. The second main theme, ‘access,’ concerns developments to improve the access of target women. The third main theme, ‘embedding’ describes the community-professional connections for supporting access. The final main theme, ‘service management’ captures issues of funding and the relationship with time, communication, and reporting. Findings suggest that organisational practices do not facilitate the discussion, collection, and use of contextual knowledge to inform ongoing development of BPS services. Recommendations include development of a theoretical tool to facilitate the use of contextual knowledge

Bacterial Removal Efficiency of a Bioswale Located in Lockwood Folly, a Coastal Watershed in North Carolina

NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has obtained, through partnerships with private sector, an engineered soil to enhance removal of fecal bacteria when used in conjunction with stormwater Best Management Practices, such as bioretention cells. The efficacy of this media is being tested at a site in Lockwood Folly, NC where a TMDL for fecal coliforms was approved by the NC Department of Natural Resources in 2010 to address shellfish harvesting impairments in the nearby estuary. Mechanisms for bacterial removal are a\ributed to: (1) retention of particles to which microbes adsorb and (2) mortality due to grazing by protozoans harbored by the soils. Funding is being provided by NC DOT as part of a program to evaluate pollutant removal efficiencies of various BMPs for road runoff treatment. NCDOT’s NPDES permit requires the retrofit of 50 stormwater BMPs in each 5 year cycle; they optimize their retrofits through results of research. The results of this assessment work are of much interest to South Carolina due to the large number of monitoring sites with fecal bacteria impairments that are located in settings similar to the Lockwood Folly watershed, the relatively low cost of the media, and the option of retrofitting existing BMP\u27s to enhance bacteria removal