Everybody Wins: Creating a Successful Prize-Linked Savings Program in Arkansas

The objective of this paper is to lay the foundation for Arkansas to enact legislation enanbling a prize-linked savings (PLS) program to exist in the state. In this report, Southern Bancorp Community Partners' policy team makes the case for why Arkansas should authorize the use of PLS programs thorugh the distributions channels of fnancial institutions or the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery. This brief will illustrate the purpose and effectiveness of PLS accounts, explain why a PLS program in Arkansas would be advantageous for the state and its people, and offer three PLS program alternatives for state policy consideration

Evaluating College Savings Plans: A Case Study on Arkansas and Mississippi

In an effort to improve family economic security in rural communities, Southern Bancorp Community Partners (SBCP) sought a sustainable funding source in 2013 for Arkansas's Aspiring Scholars Matching Grant (ASMG) Program, a savings incentive for low-to-moderate income families that matches funds saved for a child's college education in the 529 GIFT Plan, and investigated the possible creation of a matched 529 savings program in Mississippi. SBCP authored this paper to illustrate and examine the current options of college savings accounts offered in both states and analyze the causes behind low participation in each state's 529 plans

The State of Asset Building in Arkansas

This paper examines the five areas of the 2012 Assets and Opportunity Scorecard released by the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED) and underlines asset-building policy triumphs, deficiencies, and recommendations for Arkansas

Making the Case for Eliminating Asset Limits: Why Asset Limits Undermine Financial Security for Arkansans

In this brief, Southern Bancorp Community Partners' policy team presents the case for why Arkansas should enact legislation or create an administrative rule to eliminate asset limits on SNAP and TANF. This paper will provide a concise background on asset limits over the past two decades, highlight key research findings from the asset-building field, and offer recommendations on how and why Arkansas should abolish asset limits on SNAP and TANF

Turning A Cycle of Debt and Dependency into Financial Security: Rerouting Payday Loan Consumers in Mississippi

In this paper, Southern Bancorp Community Partners assesses the current payday lending environment in Mississippi; highlights the need for successful payday loan alternative products and strong asset building policies by showcasing lessons learned in Arkansas; provides recommendations for increased fiancial security for Mississippians, including payday lending reform; and, features a new alternative payday loan approach in Mississippi, the New Roots Credit Partnership, which is facilitated by the Mississippi Center for Justice through traditional financial institutions and employers throughout the state

Intimate Opposition: Moderating effects of culture and closeness on the romeo and juliet effect [abstract]

MU Undergraduate Research Scholars Progra

Discovery and validation of a CD4 binding aptamer through Crossover SELEX towards the preliminary development of a point-of-care aptasensor for rapid CD4+ T-cell counting

Expected release date-April 202

19 - The Role of Chunk Strength and Grammaticality in Affecting Learning of an Artificial Grammar

The artificial grammar learning (AGL) paradigm has been used for decades to investigate the ability to implicitly learn structured patterns in the environment (Reber, 1967).Two types of information are known to influence learning: grammaticality (the extent that sequences are consistent with the rules of the grammar) and chunk strength (surface similarity to previously observed exemplars). To further investigate the role of these two types of information on learning, we administered theAGL task to eighteen participants (18–33 years old). During Training, participants were instructed to reproduce symbol sequences generated from an artificial grammar; during Test, participants had to decide whether new sequences followed the grammar or not. Apart from grammatical, sequences could also have high or low chunk strength(CS; a measure of a test item’s surface similarity to training sequences). Thus, sequences fell into four conditions: Grammatical – High chunk strength (GH), Grammatical – Low chunk strength (GL), Non-Grammatical – High chunk strength (NGH), and Non-Grammatical – Low chunk strength (NGL)].Findings revealed a statistically significant main effect for grammaticality [F(1,17)=23.777; p=h2=.583] and CS [F(1,17)=6.026; p=.025; h2=.262]. This was qualified by a significant interaction of grammaticality x CS [F(1,17)=28.504; p=h2=.626]. For the main effect of grammaticality, there was a statistically significant difference [t(17) = 5.315; p M=19.61;SD=5.393) and NGL (M=13.44; SD=3.823); but the difference between GH (M=19.61; SD=4.767) and GL (M=21.89; SD=4.600) was non-significant [t(17) = -2.195; p =.042]. Additionally, for CS the difference between GL and NGL was statistically significant [t(17) = 6.251; pt(17) = .172; p =.865]. Consistent with previous research, both grammaticality and CS influenced participants’ learning. Testendorsements were higher for items high in CS or grammaticality (or both) and lower for items that were both non-grammatical and low in CS

Overcoming Barriers: Factors of Resiliency in Refugee Students Pursuing Higher Education

This research looks at the significant barriers that exist in the United States that hinder African refugee youth from being able to pursue their educational goals. According to the literature, language, social, and economic barriers during this pivotal point in their lives are often reasons that refugee students may have a difficult time going to college. Refugee families enter the United States in hopes of a prosperous life. The following research will discuss ways that current or former refugees have overcome these barriers through forms of intervention and acts of resiliency to reach their educational goals. The findings of this study are meant to help social service agencies design a curriculum that will support refugee students as they begin their educational journey in America

Exploring Antibiotic Resistance and the Effect of Antimicrobial Stewardship on Physicians’ and Non-Physician Prescribing Clinicians through Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices and Beliefs (KAPB) Utilizing the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT)

ABSTRACT Exploring Antibiotic Resistance and the Effect of Antimicrobial Stewardship on Physicians’ and Non-Physician Prescribing Clinicians through Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices and Beliefs (KAPB) Utilizing the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) Tamika Carty Seton Hall University, 2021 Dissertation Chair: Genevieve Pinto Zipp, PT, EdD, FNAP Background: Antibiotics are one of the greatest medical discoveries, revolutionizing the field of medicine. However, antimicrobial and antibiotic over usage has become a prevalent issue among outpatients, leading to antibiotic resistance (AR) (Ventola, 2015). As a result of, its widespread usage and associated concerns, the World Health Organization (WHO) has cited AR as a growing concern for many nations (WHO, 2015). This in turn has led to the development of management programs such as stewardships which are often led by health professionals and clinicians to address this growing issue. One would argue that stewardship programs are only as effective if those leading them are adequately prepared. Therefore, it is imperative to identify physicians’ and prescribing non-physician practitioners’ knowledge, attitudes, practices, and beliefs regarding AR and the incorporation of Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs (ASPs) to combat AR. Purpose: The purpose of this study was threefold: first to create, validate and test the reliability of the novel instrument “Antibiotic Resistance & Antimicrobial Stewardship Assessment Tool (ABRASAT)”. The second purpose was to test the valid and reliable tool in physicians’ and non-physician prescribing practitioners. The final purpose was to use the valid and reliable tool in the population of interest to understand physicians’ and non-physician prescribing practitioners’ knowledge, attitudes, practices, and beliefs with regard to antibiotic resistance and ASPs as combative method for AR. Methods: This study employed a mixed methods research approach, utilizing specifically an explanatory mixed methods design. The study can also further be categorized as non-experimental, descriptive, cross sectional, correlational and explanatory. The study consisted of two practitioner groups (physicians’ and non-physician prescribing practitioners) in which their knowledge, attitudes, practices, and beliefs were explored utilizing the ABRASAT instrument which was rooted in the available “evidenced based” literature, KAPBs theory and the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). The ABRASAT consisted of 10 demographic questions and 25 questions relating to KAPBs, expectations, suggestions and thoughts on AR and ASPs. Data Collection and Analysis: Data was collected from both practitioner groups. Participants were recruited via social media (Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Reddit and LinkedIn) and research platform (Research Gate), in addition to convenience sampling. The PI utilized descriptive statistics in addition to statistical analysis tests (ANOVA, T-Test, MANOVA and Pearson’s Correlation) to analyze quantitative data. The PI employed an inductive approach utilizing descriptive and in vivo coding to analyze qualitative data. Both the quantitative and qualitative data helped to form an inclusive overview of KAPBs of physicians’ and non-physician prescribing practitioners. Results: A total of 234 participants completed the survey. The study results for both the quantitative and qualitative data for descriptive research questions (RQ) 1 -5 resulted in the following: for RQ1, the quantitative and the qualitative data shows overall both practitioner groups had high knowledge on AR. For RQ2, the quantitative and the qualitative data shows overall both practitioner groups had high knowledge on what ASPs were. For RQ3, the quantitative and the qualitative data shows overall both practitioner groups had favorable attitudes with regards to ASPs. For RQ4, the quantitative and the qualitative data shows overall both practitioner groups had good ASP practices. For RQ5, the quantitative and the qualitative data shows overall both practitioner groups had favorable beliefs with regards to ASPs. The study results for both the quantitative and qualitative data for relational research questions (RQ) and hypotheses 6 -13 resulted in the following: for RQs 6 & 7, there was no significant difference in practitioner groups on knowledge, resulting in failure to reject the null hypothesis. For RQs 8 - 11, there was a significant difference in practitioner groups on attitudes and beliefs resulting in rejection of the null hypothesis. Finally, for RQ 12 & 13, like RQs 6 & 7, there was no significant difference in practitioner groups on practices, resulting in failure to reject the null hypothesis. While the overall instrument had a high reliability of .843 and successfully measured attitudes, practices and beliefs, knowledge had a poor reliability. While knowledge had poor reliability, it did not affect the overall reliability of the tool. However, it will need to be reassessed for future use as an individual construct. Conclusion: Though knowledge scored poorer in reliability it does not dispute the fact that physicians’ and non-physician prescribing clinicians have knowledge of AR, and displayed positive attitudes and beliefs towards ASPs. As a result, practitioners are generally in favor of ASPs yet improvements should still be made to ensure maximum benefits, thus society must continue to implement and refine these programs