Curriculum Design for Student Achievement

This Grants Collection uses the grant-supported open course Curriculum Design for Student Achievement from Columbus State University: http://columbusstate.libguides.com/EDAT6226 This Grants Collection for Critical and Contemporary Issues in Education was created under a Round Four ALG Textbook Transformation Grant. Affordable Learning Georgia Grants Collections are intended to provide faculty with the frameworks to quickly implement or revise the same materials as a Textbook Transformation Grants team, along with the aims and lessons learned from project teams during the implementation process. Documents are in .pdf format, with a separate .docx (Word) version available for download. Each collection contains the following materials: Linked Syllabus Initial Proposal Final Reporthttps://oer.galileo.usg.edu/education-collections/1004/thumbnail.jp

What We Know about School-Based Health Centers: Literature on Outcomes, Cost Impact, Implementation, and Sustainability

Many children lack access to adequate healthcare in the United States. School Based Health Centers (SBHC) are a useful resource for accessing those needed services. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the available research for the strengths of SBHCs with improving health outcomes and health equity, cost impact of SBHCs, and best practices for implementing and sustaining an SBHC. The focus of this study was on reviewing the current literature on the impact of SBHCs on improving health equity, health outcomes, cost impact, and to establish best practices for implementing and sustaining an SBHC. Although the current literature is limited, there is a strong consensus that SBHCs improve health outcomes and health equity, are cost-effective, and there are strategies that can make implementing and sustaining an SBHC a success

Resuspension of E. coli from Direct Fecal Deposits in Stream

Direct fecal deposits from cattle provide a significant source of E. coli to streams and therefore pose a threat to human health in agricultural watersheds. Experiments were conducted in a flume (9.1 m long, 0.6 m wide, and 0.6 m deep) with flow of 0.0106 m3 s-1 , an average velocity of 11.4 cm s-1 ,and water depth of 15.24 cm to measure the resuspension and deposition of E. coli from an undisturbed standard cowpat. Water samples were collected 1.22 m and 3.66 m downstream of the deposited cowpat, and at each downstream cross-section nine samples were collected to characterize the bacterial movement. E. coli in water samples were separated into the attached and unattached phases by filtration to assess the mechanism of transport. The cumulative load contribution from a single deposited cowpat after one hour was 2.49×10 9 cfu 3.66 m downstream. The composite E. coli concentrations at all sampling points and times exceeded the federal standards for primary contact in the United States of 126 cfu/100 ml. Between 77.2 and 99.5% of all E. coli downstream of the direct deposit were associated with particulates. The resuspension rate was 5.91×107 and 9.52×104 cfu m-2 s-1 0.5 min and 60 minutes after deposition, respectively, 1.22 m downstream of the deposit and 2.19×106 and 3.14×103 cfu m-2 s-1 0.5 min and 60 min after deposition, respectively, 3.66 m downstream of the deposit. Results from this study are useful to improve modeling techniques to predict in-stream E. coli concentrations from direct fecal deposits and emphasize the need to implement management practices to reduce livestock access to streams

Runtime Adaptation: A Case for Reactive Code Alignment

ABSTRACT Static alignment techniques are well studied and have been incorporated into compilers in order to optimize code locality for the instruction fetch unit in modern processors. However, current static alignment techniques have several limitations that cannot be overcome. In the exascale era, it becomes even more important to break from static techniques and develop adaptive algorithms in order to maximize the utilization of every processor cycle. In this paper, we explore those limitations and show that reactive realignment, a method where we dynamically monitor running applications, react to symptoms of poor alignment, and adapt alignment to the current execution environment and program input, is more scalable than static alignment. We present fetchesper-instruction as a runtime indicator of poor alignment. Additionally, we discuss three main opportunities that static alignment techniques cannot leverage, but which are increasingly important in large scale computing systems: microarchitectural differences of cores, dynamic program inputs that exercise different and sometimes alternating code paths, and dynamic branch behavior, including indirect branch behavior and phase changes. Finally, we will present several instances where our trigger for reactive realignment may be incorporated in practice, and discuss the limitations of dynamic alignment

"Technoference" and Implications for Mothers' and Fathers' Couple and Coparenting Relationship Quality

Technology devices are widely used today, creating opportunities to connect and communicate with distant others while also potentially disrupting communication and interactions between those who are physically present (i.e., technoference or phubbing). These disruptions in couple and coparenting relationships have the potential to negatively impact relationship outcomes. In this two-part study of 182 married/cohabiting couples from the Daily Family Life Project and 239 couples from the Couple Well-Being Project, we examined the role of technoference in couple and coparenting relationship quality and potential gender differences utilizing dyadic data. We found that greater technoference related to greater conflict over technology use, and greater conflict predicted lower relationship satisfaction and poorer perceptions of coparenting quality (Study 1). Using a more diverse sample (Study 2), we again found support for the main pathways tested in our first study, suggesting that results found in Study 1 and in previous work are not artifacts of sampling. As satisfaction, support, and agreement among relationship partners and parents are often critical to relationship health and family cohesion, it is important for couples and families to evaluate, monitor, and be willing to adapt their technology usage patterns so that these patterns do not cause conflict and possibly relationship deterioration over tim

Pittsboro, North Carolina, Chatham County : an action-oriented community diagnosis including secondary data analysis and qualitative data collection

PURPOSE OF COMMUNITY DIAGNOSIS The Chatham Coalition for Adolescent Health and five graduate students from the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education at the UNC School of Public Health collaborated to conduct this community diagnosis of Pittsboro’s adolescents. The purpose of this community diagnosis was to learn about the health and quality of life concerns of residents of Pittsboro, both adult and adolescent, and the resources and strengths that exist in the town for dealing with these concerns. The community diagnosis process used primary and secondary data to discover and analyze both the concerns and strengths of Pittsboro and its adolescents. INTRODUCTION TO OUR COMMUNITY Pittsboro is a small, semi-rural, Southern town that has been in existence for over 200 years. It is the Chatham County seat, located 35 miles west of Raleigh and 17 miles south of Chapel Hill. The town was founded in 1787 and until recently, the population increased very little. The “quaint” downtown is Mecca for antiques lovers, and features over ten antiques stores. In addition, there are several old-fashioned country stores, and a local farmers market situated in the town fairgrounds. However, while antique shopping and tourism entice many to come to Pittsboro, the cornerstone of the community is the people who live, work, and are educated there. Within the larger community of Pittsboro, we focused on adolescents. These teens, ages 11-18, either live or work in the town of Pittsboro or attend school in the Pittsboro District. While many of the adolescents do not actually live in the town of Pittsboro proper, those who work or go to school in the district are just as much influenced by the resources and activities in Pittsboro as are those who live there. This is particularly the case with after-school activities and the county health, educational, and recreational resources that are within reasonable distance of the schools and places of employment. Because we were working in Pittsboro with the Chatham County Coalition for Adolescent Health, it was not difficult to identify teens as our target population. The challenge came in determining which adolescents to include: only those who live within the city limits or residents as well as those who go to school or work in town. Through communications with our preceptor and the service providers we interviewed, it became clear that including the teens who come into Pittsboro daily, for school or work, along with teen residents was necessary since they all have access to the various county departments and other resources in the town and convene at local places such as convenience stores and restaurants. While adolescents are an integral part of Pittsboro, they are a group that tends not to have a collective voice. In addition, it became apparent from the interviews that we conducted that there are several issues facing the entire Pittsboro population that have both direct and indirect effects on the adolescent community. In particular, the growing number of businesses turning teens away, the lack of funding for a city-run recreational center, and the community’s lack of awareness about the existing Teen Center have precluded the ability of teens to convene in a single setting or come together around organized activities. According to one service provider, the consequence is that teens have lost their sense of community and are increasingly prevented from gaining it back. Hence, while we have defined Pittsboro as our community and teens as our focus within that community, the teens may not, in fact, sense that they belong to it. Our intent through this community diagnosis is to help Pittsboro recognize the strengths and needs of its teens and take ownership over the issues relevant to them in order to help the adolescents find their own voice and role within the larger community.Master of Public Healt

Intranasal Delivery of Human Umbilical Cord Stromal Cell Conditioned Media Improves Alveolar Growth and Vascular Remodeling In Experimental Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

Introduction: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a lung disease with high morbidity and mortality in premature neonates exposed to mechanical ventilation and oxygen support. Preclinical studies demonstrate mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) conditioned media (CdM) improves histologic changes in BPD via the release of paracrine factors. Current modes of administration include intratracheal or intraperitoneal routes with CdM cultured in ambient air. Objectives: The objective of this study was twofold: (i) assess the efficacy of intranasal delivery of CdM, and (ii) determine whether hypoxic preconditioning stimulates the therapeutic potential of CdM. Methods: Newborn rat pups were randomly assigned to four groups: (1) room air treated with αMEM vehicle (RA+Veh), (2) four days of hyperoxia (BPD+Veh), (3) BPD treated with CdM from normoxic MSCs (BPD+CdM), and (4) BPD treated with CdM from hypoxic preconditioned (1% O2) MSCs (BPD+hypoCdM). Twenty μL of human mesenchymal stromal cell CdM or hypoxic CdM (hypoCdM) was administered intranasally to rat pups on days 4, 10, and 20. Mean linear intercept, medial wall thickness, and vascular density were used to assess alveolarization, pulmonary remodeling, and vascular growth, respectively. Gene expression of cytokines and growth factors in animal lungs and CdM were measured. Results and Discussion: Intranasal CdM, but not hypoxic CdM, improved lung alveolarization. Both CdM and hypoCdM improved pulmonary vascular remodeling; however, only hypoCdM restored vascular density. CdM upregulated the expression of genes involved in wound healing and inflammation. Conclusion: Intranasal delivery of CdM/hypoCdM restored lung development in a BPD rat model. Mechanisms by which umbilical cord-derived stem cell CdM provides pulmonary benefit points toward wound repair and immunomodulation. Future directions include: (i) optimizing the timing, volume, frequency, and concentration of the CdM and (ii) improving the preconditioning approach for MSCs to enhance the therapeutic efficacy. Acknowledgements: Data were generated in the Flow Cytometry Shared Resource Facility, which is supported by UTHSCSA, NIH-NCI P30 CA054174-20 (Cancer Therapy and Research Center at UTHSCSA) and UL1 TR001129 (Clinical and Translational Science Award). Our gratitude extends to the Pathology Core at UTHSCSA

Toward a Quantitative Estimate of Future Heat Wave Mortality under Global Climate Change

Background: Climate change is anticipated to affect human health by changing the distribution of known risk factors. Heat waves have had debilitating effects on human mortality, and global climate models predict an increase in the frequency and severity of heat waves. The extent to which climate change will harm human health through changes in the distribution of heat waves and the sources of uncertainty in estimating these effects have not been studied extensively. Objectives: We estimated the future excess mortality attributable to heat waves under global climate change for a major U.S. city. Methods: We used a database comprising daily data from 1987 through 2005 on mortality from all nonaccidental causes, ambient levels of particulate matter and ozone, temperature, and dew point temperature for the city of Chicago, Illinois. We estimated the associations between heat waves and mortality in Chicago using Poisson regression models. Results: Under three different climate change scenarios for 2081–2100 and in the absence of adaptation, the city of Chicago could experience between 166 and 2,217 excess deaths per year attributable to heat waves, based on estimates from seven global climate models. We noted considerable variability in the projections of annual heat wave mortality; the largest source of variation was the choice of climate model. Conclusions: The impact of future heat waves on human health will likely be profound, and significant gains can be expected by lowering future carbon dioxide emissions

The role of conversation in health care interventions: enabling sensemaking and learning

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Those attempting to implement changes in health care settings often find that intervention efforts do not progress as expected. Unexpected outcomes are often attributed to variation and/or error in implementation processes. We argue that some unanticipated variation in intervention outcomes arises because unexpected conversations emerge during intervention attempts. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the role of conversation in shaping interventions and to explain why conversation is important in intervention efforts in health care organizations. We draw on literature from sociolinguistics and complex adaptive systems theory to create an interpretive framework and develop our theory. We use insights from a fourteen-year program of research, including both descriptive and intervention studies undertaken to understand and assist primary care practices in making sustainable changes. We enfold these literatures and these insights to articulate a common failure of overlooking the role of conversation in intervention success, and to develop a theoretical argument for the importance of paying attention to the role of conversation in health care interventions.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>Conversation between organizational members plays an important role in the success of interventions aimed at improving health care delivery. Conversation can facilitate intervention success because interventions often rely on new sensemaking and learning, and these are accomplished through conversation. Conversely, conversation can block the success of an intervention by inhibiting sensemaking and learning. Furthermore, the existing relationship contexts of an organization can influence these conversational possibilities. We argue that the likelihood of intervention success will increase if the role of conversation is considered in the intervention process.</p> <p>Summary</p> <p>The generation of productive conversation should be considered as one of the foundations of intervention efforts. We suggest that intervention facilitators consider the following actions as strategies for reducing the barriers that conversation can present and for using conversation to leverage improvement change: evaluate existing conversation and relationship systems, look for and leverage unexpected conversation, create time and space where conversation can unfold, use conversation to help people manage uncertainty, use conversation to help reorganize relationships, and build social interaction competence.</p