TOWARDS A MORE ETHICAL GLOBAL HEALTH RESEARCH: A CASE STUDY OF KNOWLEDGE TRANSLATION WITHIN THE ALERT COMMUNITY TO PREPARED HOSPITAL CARE CONTINUUM IMPLEMENTATION RESEARCH PROJECT

The complex form of knowledge translation (KT) that takes place when community information is used to inform interventions within implementation research (IR) has not been explored within the KT academic literature. Furthermore, research fatigue has not been taken into consideration when evaluating KT processes in the academic literature. Research fatigue occurs when a community has had too much research done to it without seeing proportionate benefit, and become weary of the process. This is an important factor to consider because successful knowledge use within IR projects has the opportunity to reduce risk for research fatigue through community perception of change based on participation in research, whilst knowledge collection without a perceived change has been shown to increase the risk. Considering this premise, the objective of this thesis was to investigate the KT process within a maternal and child health IR project entitled the Alert Community to Prepared Hospital Care Continuum Project. The IR project was funded as development aid through a branch of Global Affairs Canada. To study this KT process, a case study was designed that included a document review, participant observations, interviews with the members of the research team, and a focus group discussion. Studying the research team’s KT process, there wasn’t a structured KT or research framework, which hindered community knowledge incorporation. Additionally, weaknesses in data analysis due to time constraints and a lack of statistical expertise resulted in survey data not impacting continued implementation. However, the community-based design of the IR project allowed tacit knowledge to be integrated via KT based upon knowledge attained through relationship building and community consultations. Lastly, the structure of development aid itself was found to be problematic, as it reinforced global power inequities through funding restrictions, funding timelines, and through the physically separation of donor wealth from local knowledge. This can be addressed moving forward by doing anti-oppressive work both inside and outside of academia

Growing Local: The Role of Urban Gardening in Fostering Food Security, Sustainability, and Community

The downtown center of Lafayette, Indiana is situated in a food desert where access to healthy, nutritious food can be limited. Urban gardens are an effective way to increase access to healthy alternatives while also providing a number of benefits to the surrounding area, including opportunities for community growth, education, and physical activity. In summer 2016, researchers from Purdue University collaborated with Lafayette’s GrowLocal Urban Gardens Network (GrowLocal) to perform a baseline analysis of the current community gardening initiatives, and explore the possibilities for expansion, development, and future community involvement through urban gardening. Both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods were utilized throughout the research process. Stakeholder perceptions were collected through a series of interviews and focus groups. The findings from this process revealed motivations and barriers to participation. Additionally, the data demonstrated that the urban gardens as community spaces may actually serve a greater purpose than the fresh, healthy food alternatives they provide. Garden inventories and soil analyses were also collected at each GrowLocal affiliated garden site. The results of this study were further used to prepare a planning document for GrowLocal that contained the following strategic recommendations: (i) implement a governing structure to partition GrowLocal operations; (ii) develop internal and external communication frameworks; (iii) connect with existing events, activities, and programs; and (iv) develop a collaborative grant with Purdue University

Nutritional Status of Food Insecure Older Adults

Approximately 9.8 million seniors across America were at risk of going hungry in 2015. The percentage of seniors who faced the threat of hunger was equivalent to the percentage of seniors compared with the whole population of the United States. The prevalence rate of hypertension, which contributes to heart attacks and strokes, is over 50%, and the prevalence rate of diabetes is over 25% in seniors. Both heart disease and diabetes are among the top 10 leading causes of death in America with heart disease being number one. Appropriate dieting is recommended as a way to prevent and treat both of these diseases. The goal of this study is to determine the effectiveness of support offered by food banks to provide adequate nutrition to food insecure older adults. A total of 300 seniors will be assessed prior to their first use of food bank support and three months after initiation using the Mini Nutritional Assessment. The data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics

Case report: Use of therapeutic drug monitoring and pharmacogenetic testing as opportunities to individualize care in a case of flecainide toxicity after fetal supraventricular tachycardia

Flecainide is a class IC antiarrhythmic utilized in prophylaxis of refractory paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardias in pediatric populations. Despite being a highly effective agent, its narrow therapeutic index increases the risk of toxicity and proarrhythmic events, including wide-complex tachycardia. In the absence of direct plasma sampling in the fetus to quantitate flecainide systemic concentrations, clinicians typically make drug dosing decisions from maternal plasma concentrations and QRS duration on maternal ECGs. There remains a paucity of standard guidelines and data to inform the timing and frequency of the aforementioned test in pregnancy and timing of flecainide discontinuation prior to childbirth. Flecainide primarily undergoes metabolism via cytochrome P450 (CYP). Given the variance of CYP-mediated metabolism at the level of the individual patient, pharmacogenomics can be considered in patients who present with flecainide toxicity to determine the maternal vs. fetal factors as an etiology for the event. Finally, pharmacogenetic testing can be utilized as an adjunct to guide flecainide dosing decisions, but must be done with caution in neonates <2 weeks of age. This case report highlights utilization of pharmacogenomic testing and therapeutic drug monitoring as adjuncts to guide therapy for a newborn with refractory supraventricular tachycardia, who experienced flecainide toxicity immediately post-partum and was trialed unsuccessfully on multiple alternative antiarrhythmics without rhythm control

Faculty Recital: An Evening with Friends

Join us virtually for An Evening with Friends featuring performances by Judith Cole, Kennesaw State University Artist in Residence in Collaborative Piano. The program features faculty professors Helen Kim, Charae Krueger, Kenn Wagner, Nancy Conley, Doug Lindsey, Marc Miller, John Lawless, John Warren and former student Chani Maisonet performing several works never before heard on our concert hall stage. From Beethoven and Saint-Saens to Ewazen and music from a recently released film, this recital is designed for lovers of traditional concert music as well as those who enjoy lighter fare, all presented by a group of close friends who are School of Music faculty.https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/musicprograms/2366/thumbnail.jp

The Grizzly, December 9, 2004

Wendell Berry Visits Ursinus • In Memory of Mrs.Margot Richter • UC Theater Production Goes on the Road • DSAC Updates • New Honor Code at UC? • Ursinus Students Bring the Holidays to Campus • Civil Rights Movement Class Opens Minds • History Behind the Holidays • Reading Day • SAAC Clothing Drive • Opinions: Should Procrastination be Diagnosed as a Psychological Disease?; Out with Final Exams! Students Prefer Writing Papers; Letter to the Editor • Stanton\u27s Jersey Officially Retiredhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1574/thumbnail.jp

Size and characteristics of the biomedical research workforce associated with U.S. National Institutes of Health extramural grants

The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) annually invests approximately $22 billion in biomedical research through its extramural grant programs. Since fiscal year (FY) 2010, all persons involved in research during the previous project year have been required to be listed on the annual grant progress report. These new data have enabled the production of the first-ever census of the NIH-funded extramural research workforce. Data were extracted from All Personnel Reports submitted for NIH grants funded in FY 2009, including position title, months of effort, academic degrees obtained, and personal identifiers. Data were de-duplicated to determine a unique person count. Person-years of effort (PYE) on NIH grants were computed. In FY 2009, NIH funded 50,885 grant projects, which created 313,049 full- and part-time positions spanning all job functions involved in biomedical research. These positions were staffed by 247,457 people at 2,604 institutions. These persons devoted 121,465 PYE to NIH grant-supported research. Research project grants each supported 6 full- or part-time positions, on average. Over 20% of positions were occupied by postdoctoral researchers and graduate and undergraduate students. These baseline data were used to project workforce estimates forFYs 2010–2014 and will serve as a foundation for future research

Size and characteristics of the biomedical research workforce associated with U.S. National Institutes of Health extramural grants

The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) annually invests approximately $22 billion in biomedical research through its extramural grant programs. Since fiscal year (FY) 2010, all persons involved in research during the previous project year have been required to be listed on the annual grant progress report. These new data have enabled the production of the first-ever census of the NIH-funded extramural research workforce. Data were extracted from All Personnel Reports submitted for NIH grants funded in FY 2009, including position title, months of effort, academic degrees obtained, and personal identifiers. Data were de-duplicated to determine a unique person count. Person-years of effort (PYE) on NIH grants were computed. In FY 2009, NIH funded 50,885 grant projects, which created 313,049 full- and part-time positions spanning all job functions involved in biomedical research. These positions were staffed by 247,457 people at 2,604 institutions. These persons devoted 121,465 PYE to NIH grant-supported research. Research project grants each supported 6 full- or part-time positions, on average. Over 20% of positions were occupied by postdoctoral researchers and graduate and undergraduate students. These baseline data were used to project workforce estimates forFYs 2010–2014 and will serve as a foundation for future research