A Cost Effective Approach to Taxonomic Resolution For Bioassessment and Monitoring Programs in the State of Georgia

The Georgia Ecoregions Reference Sites Project has developed biological criteria for streams in Georgia according to the Rapid Bioassessment Protocols For Wadeable Streams and Rivers. Streams will ultimately be classified into categories of impairment so that management decisions can be made in accordance with the Clean Water Act. A cost-effective approach to accomplish mandates set forth by the Clean Water Act must be employed, as state budgets are limited. One means of examining costs is to assess taxonomic resolution. Taxonomic resolution not only assesses the sensitivity of biocriteria, it also allows one to make recommendations to state agencies regarding the costs and benefits of recommended taxonomic identification requirements. Due to the broad diversity in geology, topography, climate, soils and geography within Georgia, taxonomic resolution requirements may vary. Thirty macroinvertebrate samples from five reference condition streams and five or six impaired streams from three Georgia sub-ecoregions were identified to lowest possible or lowest practical level. Lowest practical level includes many taxonomic levels determined by the group identified and the availability of peer-reviewed keys. Specific data from lowest practical level were reduced to generic level then further reduced to familial level so that three identification levels, incorporated into sub-ecoregional specific invertebrate indices, were assessed for discriminatory ability. Time spent on identification was recorded at each taxonomic level so that identification costs versus benefits or degree of information could be used in conjunction with the indices in determining recommended taxonomic resolution requirements. Final analysis indicated taxonomic resolution requirements vary among subecoregions within Georgia and future benthic work, at least in some subecoregions, will require less time and money. By performing cost/benefit analyses, agencies involved in bioassessment and biomontioring programs can identify regions that may require less taxonomic effort

Human trafficking survivors, after care services, and institutional betrayal : a qualitative perspective on the effectiveness of a victim advocacy program /

This qualitative study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Missouri Sheriff's Association Victim Advocacy Program in rehabilitating human trafficking survivors. The conceptual framework for this study includes betrayal trauma theory and, more specifically, institutional betrayal. Betrayal trauma theory expounds on the posttraumatic effects of trauma on persons when betrayal occurs in an attachment relationship; the concept of institutional betrayal builds on this theory and outlines the significance of an institution betraying an individual who trusts or depends upon that institution just as they would another person (Parnitzke, Smith, and Freyd, 2014). Data collected from the one-on-one interviews will provide a more thorough understanding of human trafficking survivors and will be coded for consistencies and emerging themes in terms of trauma, betrayal, and after care. The aftermath survivors experience will be examined through the lens of institutional betrayal, specifically focusing on the services provided by the Victim Advocacy Program. This data will increase understanding of human trafficking, the impact of secondary trauma of betrayal, and why effective after care services are crucial.Dr. David Stader (dissertation advisor).|Includes vita.Includes bibliographical references

Flamenco

I studied in Spain when I was in college and was fascinated by the flamenco dancers. Their bodies, their grace, their style--all evoke power and beauty in one dance. Although I couldn\u27t dance like they did, I chose to paint one of the from memory last year. It was so dazzling that I tried to capture the movement and glitter. I used the oil and canvas because it was traditional perfect for showing the flow of the dancer\u27s movement, hopefully capturing it forever

An Ethnographic Inquiry and Evaluation into the Student's Perspective and Experience with Improvement Science at Algoma School District

Using ethnographic research in the form of an outcomes assessment, this project aims to unpack and evaluate the experiences of students and significance of the key concepts shared during the Live Algoma-Improvement Science course/and associated projects during the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 school years. Through the use of evaluative techniques such as interviews, focus groups, and a survey, I endeavor to both strengthen and inform the work Live Algoma is doing and highlight to the community and other stakeholders the valuable impact of this initiative on the students. As part of the Improvement Science course, students from the Algoma School District were trained on key concepts such as failing forward, PDSA, and ways of being to empower them to better handle individual project management, life challenges, and goal setting. While this project was expansive in overall scope, this outcome evaluation sought to understand the retention and internalization by program participants of key concepts imparted from the Improvement Science course and related projects. The findings provide strategic and targeted insights into the success of the course and opportunities for refinements in future Improvement Science courses and school and community projects with Live Algoma and the Algoma School District

The impact of concept map visualizations on the information behavior, perceptions of performance, learning and use with novices in the information retrieval context

In examining undergraduate students in the information retrieval environment for the impact of computer generated concept maps, two primary research questions were considered: 1) what is the impact of display type on the novice searcher’s information behavior; and 2) what is the impact of different display types on the user’s perceptions of performance, knowledge and overall use of the system.Sixty participants in this experiment were given hypothetical information needs on two different medical topics (cholesterol, depression). Participants’ explored one of three interactive visualization displays using these medical topics, answered a pre- and post-test instrument and then completed a final questionnaire on their perceptions of the displays. Different types of inferential statistical tests were used to examine the research questions. When appropriate, factorial ANOVAs, mixed between-within ANOVAs, and chi square tests of independence were conducted.Five main findings resulted from this research: 1) for all display types (LIST, SOM, PFNET) there is an increase in the number of participant search terms and in the incorporation of MeSH terminology from the visualizations following exposure to those displays; 2) there is a relationship between the display type and the interface level from which PFNET participants chose terms; 3) searchers’ feelings of confidence, satisfaction, success, and relevance increased across all groups after system interaction; however, pretest feelings of confidence and satisfaction seem to be dependent upon the participant’s self-reported prior knowledge of the search topic; 4) feelings of confidence and satisfaction on the topic participants reported less pre-test knowledge on (cholesterol) shifted to match post-test ratings of confidence and satisfaction on the topic they had more pre-test knowledge on (depression); and 5) participants rated the PFNET system more visually appealing, easier to understand and more likely to be used in the future if given the option. Overall findings suggest that all displays were useful to the participants in this experiment and that the PFNET display was particularly useful for the novice searcher.Ph.D., Information Science -- Drexel University, 200

Harmonizing Clinical, Research, and Teaching Aims: Team Care for Patients with Complex Needs

At the conclusion of this session, the participants will be able to: 1. Describe a team-based approach to addressing complex patients’ needs. 2. Develop engaged and experiential methods for teaching interprofessional learners about team-care for complex patients. 3. Demonstrate familiarity with an evaluation strategy and preliminary outcomes data for a team approach for complex patients

Do children unintentionally report maltreatment? Comparison of disclosures of neglect versus sexual abuse

Background and aimsChildren's initial reports often play a key role in the identification of maltreatment, and a sizeable amount of scientific research has examined how children disclose sexual and physical abuse. Although neglect constitutes a large proportion of maltreatment experiences, relatively little attention has been directed toward understanding whether and how children disclose neglect. The overarching aim of the present study was to document this process by comparing disclosure patterns in cases of neglect to those in cases of sexual abuse.MethodRedacted jurisdiction reports (N = 136) of substantiated dependency cases of neglect (n = 71) and sexual abuse (n = 65) in 4- to 17-year-olds were coded for why maltreatment was suspected, and for children's perceived awareness and disclosure of the maltreatment.ResultsNeglect was most often initially suspected via contact with emergency services (e.g., police, emergency medical services), whereas sexual abuse was most often initially suspected as a result of children's statements. Children evidenced greater perceived awareness of sexual abuse than neglect and were more likely to disclose the former in their first investigative interview. Perceived awareness was further associated with a higher likelihood of children's statements initiating discovery of maltreatment and disclosing in the first investigative interview.ConclusionsChildren may benefit from greater knowledge about their needs for safety, supervision, and provision in the home, which could increase the likelihood they would disclose neglect. Such, in turn, could lead to earlier interventions for children and families

Methodological Quality Assessment of Review Articles Evaluating Interventions to Improve Microbial Food Safety

Review articles are a means of summarizing the potentially vast volume of research on a topic. However, the methodological quality of review articles varies, and reviews on the same topic may reach different conclusions. We evaluated 65 review articles published between 2000 and 2005 that addressed the effectiveness of microbial food safety interventions, using criteria for methodological soundness developed in the medical field. Overall, the methodological quality of the review articles was poor, with none of the reviews providing information on the method of locating primary research studies or the inclusion/exclusion criteria for selecting primary studies. None of the reviews included a critical appraisal of the methodological quality of the primary studies. Less than half of the reviews stated a focused research question, explored possible reasons for differences in the results of primary studies, discussed the generalizability of results, or proposed directions for future research. There is a need to improve the methodological quality of review articles on microbial food safety interventions if they are to be of use in policy and decision making