Classical Christian Education and Students\u27 Christian Formation

Training young people to love and serve God is an important responsibility shared by both parents and church leaders. This study explored one approach to that mandate: classical Christian education, a modern revival of a centuries-long tradition. The modern renewal began in the 1980’s after a near century-long hiatus during which time classical methodology was replaced by a progressive, secular approach. Currently, research is still minimal, therefore this study seeks to fill a gap regarding this unique Christian pedagogy. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study is to determine if any perceived relationships exist between the distinguishing characteristics of classical Christian education and students’ Christian formation at three K-12 classical Christian schools. The research questions address four overarching elements of this educational approach: Trivium methodology, a high view of mankind, curricular integration, and an emphasis on Western civilization. Data was collected through classroom observations, interviews with teachers and parent/student groups, and homework assignments. In this multiple case study, each of the three schools was considered one bounded case. A within-case analysis was conducted on the first case, then replicated on the second and third cases. A cross-case analysis compared the findings, and conclusions were drawn regarding the potential connections between classical Christian education and students’ Christian formation

Psychometric properties of the School Leader Practice Survey (SLPS) to determine Missouri school superintendent perceptions about Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) standards performance indicators

The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file.Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on December 13, 2007)Vita.Thesis (Ed. D.) University of Missouri-Columbia 2007.The study of Missouri superintendent perceptions about the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) Standards Performance Indicators was conducted to determine psychometric properties of the School Leaders Practice Survey (SLPS). The SLPS was sent to 524 Missouri school superintendents practicing during the 2006-2007 school year of which 73 agreed to complete the survey. Factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha were applied to investigate properties of reliability and validity. Conclusions indicated the instrument was reliable and valid. Principal component analysis yielded three components confirming leadership focused on learning: (a) Ethical Leadership for Learning, (b) Management of Learning, and (c) Culture to Support Learning. A data reduction process produced a refined form of the SLPS, which was also deemed reliable and valid.Includes bibliographical reference

Extinction and Stability of Burner-Stabilized Diffusion Flames

M.S. University of Hawaii at Manoa 2016.Includes bibliographical references.A steady state solution was derived and a stability analysis was carried out for a diffusion flame produced by a reactant issuing from a spherical porous burner into a second quiescent reactant. A one-step irreversible reaction using Arrhenius kinetics, an optically thin model for radiation, high reaction and radiation activation energies and nonunity Lewis numbers were used. A small perturbation due to wrinkling produced the trivial solution. The steady state solution showed flame existence and these results suggest that the flame is absolutely stable. Numerical results were produced for steady state burning of ethylene in air. Four different flames with the same stoichiometry and adiabatic flame temperature, varying in flame structure and convection direction were analyzed. At low flow rates, kinetic extinction due to reactant leakage was observed. Increasing radiative heat losses promoted kinetic extinction. Increased flow rates resulted in increased residence times as well as increased radiative heat losses. At high flow rates, radiative heat loss dominated residence time and radiative extinction was observed. A parametric study on the Lewis number (Le) was performed. Increases in Le of the burner issuing reactant and decreases in Le of the quiescent reactant promoted flame extinction. Flame extinction was more sensitive to quiescent reactant Le variations than burner issuing reactant Le variations

Assessment of direct and indirect associations between children active school travel and environmental, household and child factors using structural equation modelling.

BACKGROUND: Active school travel (AST) is influenced by multiple factors including built and social environments, households and individual variables. A holistic theory such as Mitra's Behavioural Model of School Transportation (BMST) is vital to comprehensively understand these complex interrelationships. This study aimed to assess direct and indirect associations between children's AST and environmental, household and child factors based on the BMST using structural equation modelling (SEM). METHODS: Data were drawn from Neighbourhoods for Active Kids (NfAK), a cross-sectional study of 1102 children aged 8-13 years (school years 5-8) and their parents from nine intermediate and 10 primary schools in Auckland, New Zealand between February 2015 and December 2016. Data were collected using an online participatory mapping survey (softGIS) with children, a computer-assisted telephone interviewing survey (CATI) with parents, and ArcGIS for built environment attributes. Based on the BMST a conceptual model of children's school travel behaviour was specified for SEM analyses ('hypothesised SEM'), and model modification was made to improve the model ('modified SEM'). SEM analyses using Mplus were performed to test the hypothesised/modified SEM and to assess direct and indirect relationships among variables. RESULTS: The overall fit of the modified SEM was acceptable (N = 542; Root mean square error of approximation = 0.04, Comparative fit index = 0.94, Tucker-Lewis index = 0.92). AST was positively associated with child independent mobility, child-perceived neighbourhood safety, and parent-perceived importance of social interaction and neighbourhood social environment. Distance to school, and parental perceptions of convenience and concerns about traffic safety were negatively associated with AST. Parental fears of stranger danger were indirectly related to AST through those of traffic safety. Distance to school and child independent mobility mediated relationships between AST and child school year and sex. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing children's AST requires action on multiple fronts including communities that support independent mobility by providing child friendly social and built environments, safety from traffic, and policies that promote local schools and safe vehicle-free zones around school

Clinical, Molecular, and Environmental Risk Factors for Hodgkin Lymphoma

Epidemiological studies suggest unique occurrence patterns of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) worldwide. In most Western countries there is a clear bimodal age distribution with an early peak in young adults followed by a second peak in older adults, particularly among males. In the Middle East and Asia, HL is more common in early childhood. There also are marked racial differences in the presentations of HL and HL subtypes, and particular single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been identified as etiological factors suggesting that gene-gene and gene-environment interactions are involved. Personal health choices such as exercise and smoking may modify an individual's chances of developing HL. Numerous studies highlight the impact that exposure to Epstein-Barr virus and other environmental factors have on HL risk. Understanding the relative importance of each of these findings and their links to HL development and survival will help clinical researchers expand curative therapies and create preventative strategies for HL

Keeping kids safe for active travel to school: A mixed method examination of school policies and practices and children's school travel behaviour.

Active school travel contributes to children's physical, mental and social wellbeing. The prevalence of children's active school travel, however, has been declining in many developed countries. Gaining insights into school culture and environments in relation to school travel behaviour is crucial to inform interventions. Using a multiphase mixed methods approach, this study aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of how school policies and practices supported or inhibited school travel behaviour in Auckland, New Zealand. Data were drawn from Neighbourhoods for Active Kids, a cross-sectional study of 1085 children aged 8-13 years between February 2015 and December 2016. School representatives were interviewed regarding their policies and practices related to school travel behaviour and traffic around school, and the data were analysed thematically. An overarching theme, sub-themes and categories were contextualised for quantitative modelling using objectively measured school variables (school socioeconomic status, active school travel programme, built environments around school). Mixed effects multinomial logistic regression models were employed to determine associations between school travel mode and objectively measured child (sociodemographic characteristics, traffic safety perceptions) and school variables. Safety was the core concept of school travel policies, procedures and programmes. Significant differences in child variables, school socioeconomic status, and cycle lanes and traffic lights around school were found between children who actively travelled or used public transport to school and those driven to school. Overall, this study demonstrated the important role of school policy and procedures and the potential application of an intersectoral approach for interventions to support changes in school travel behaviour.This work was supported by the Health Research Council of New Zealand [grant number 14/436]; and the Medical Research Council [MC_UU_12015/7]. The work was undertaken under the auspices of the Centre for Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR), a UKCRC Public Health Research Centre of Excellence which was funded by the British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Economic and Social Research Council, Medical Research Council, the National Institute for Health Research, and the Wellcome Trust. Melody Smith was supported by a Health Research Council of New Zealand Sir Charles Hercus Research Fellowship [17/013]. Suzanne Mavoa was supported by an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Early Career Fellowship [No. 1121035]

Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of 40 mg/day of atorvastatin in reducing the severity of sepsis in ward patients (ASEPSIS Trial)

Introduction: Several observational studies suggest that statins modulate the pathophysiology of sepsis and may prevent its progression. The aim of this study was to determine if the acute administration of atorvastatin reduces sepsis progression in statin naïve patients hospitalized with sepsis. Methods: A single centre phase II randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Patients with sepsis were randomized to atorvastatin 40 mg daily or placebo for the duration of their hospital stay up to a maximum of 28-days. The primary end-point was the rate of sepsis progressing to severe sepsis during hospitalization. Results: 100 patients were randomized, 49 to the treatment with atorvastatin and 51 to placebo. Patients in the atorvastatin group had a significantly lower conversion rate to severe sepsis compared to placebo (4% vs. 24% p = 0.007.), with a number needed to treat of 5. No significant difference in length of hospital stay, critical care unit admissions, 28-day and 12-month readmissions or mortality was observed. Plasma cholesterol and albumin creatinine ratios were significantly lower at day 4 in the atorvastatin group (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.049 respectively). No difference in adverse events between the two groups was observed (p = 0.238). Conclusions: Acute administration of atorvastatin in patients with sepsis may prevent sepsis progression. Further multi-centre trials are required to verify these findings. Trial Registration: International Standard Randomized Control Trial Registry ISRCTN64637517

Urban green space and mental well-being of Aotearoa New Zealand adolescents : A path analysis

Background Growing evidence shows the positive influence of neighbourhood green space on mental well-being among adults through multiple health behaviours, but similar studies are lacking for adolescents. Methods Data were drawn from the 2019 wave of the Youth2000 survey series in Aotearoa, New Zealand with secondary school students (aged 10-19 years) from the city of Tamaki Makaurau, Auckland. Emotional well-being was measured with the World Health Organization-5 Well-being Index, and depressive symptoms were assessed using the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale-short form. Neighbourhood green space was assessed using three different measures: percentage of green space, Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the distance to nearest green space from place of residence. Exposure areas of these measures were calculated using Euclidean buffers of 100m, 300m, 800m and 1600m around participants’ meshblock residential addresses. Three mediating (physical activity, social cohesion, sleep) and ten control variables (in adjusted models) were included in path analysis to test the direct and indirect relationships between green space and adolescent mental well-being. Results In unadjusted models, percentage of green space had a negative relationship with emotional well-being, and inconsistent effects of NDVI were detected in different buffers. Minor indirect effects of physical activity and sleep were also found. Depressive symptoms and emotional well-being were more strongly related to other individual and neighbourhood factors (e.g., neighbourhood deprivation). After adjusting for control variables, no significant associations of green space with adolescent depressive symptoms and emotional well-being were identified. Conclusions Urban neighbourhood green space does not appear to be a dominant factor contributing to adolescent mental well-being through physical activity, social cohesion and sleep. Appropriate individual and environmental control variables are needed to take into consideration in future studies that explore the green space-mental well-being relationships in adolescents

Body size and weight, and the nutrition and activity behaviors of sexual and gender minority youth: Findings and implications from New Zealand

Objective:To describe the body size and weight, and the nutrition and activity behaviors of sexual and gender minority (SGM) students, and compare them with those of exclusively opposite-sex-attracted cisgender students. Male and female SGM students were also compared. Design: Data were from a nationally representative health survey. Setting: Secondary schools in New Zealand, 2012. Subjects: A total of 7,769 students, 9% were SGM individuals. Results: Overall, weight control behaviors, poor nutrition and inactivity were common and, in many cases, more so for SGM students. Specifically, male SGM students were significantly more likely to have tried to lose weight (aOR=1.95; 95% CI 1.47, 2.59), engage in unhealthy weight control (aOR=2.17; 95% CI 1.48, 3.19), consume fast food and takeaways (aOR=2.89; 95% CI 2.01, 4.15), and be physically inactive (aOR=2.54; 95% CI 1.65, 3.92), and were less likely to participate in a school sports team (aOR=0.57; 95% CI 0.44, 0.75), compared with other males. Female SGM students were significantly more likely to engage in unhealthy weight control (aOR=1.58; 95% CI 1.20, 2.08), be overweight or obese (aOR=1.24; 95% CI 1.01, 1.53), and consume fast food and takeaways (aOR=2.19; 95% CI 1.59, 3.03), and were less likely to participate in a school sports team (aOR=0.62; 95% CI 0.50, 0.76), compared with other females. Generally, female SGM students were more negatively affected than comparable males, except they were less likely to consume fast food and takeaways frequently (aOR 0.62; 95% CI 0.40, 0.96). Conclusions: SGM students reported increased weight control behaviors, poor nutrition and inactivity. Professionals, including public health nutritionists, must recognize and help to address the challenges facing sexual and gender minorities

Visualising Combined Time Use Patterns of Children's Activities and Their Association with Weight Status and Neighbourhood Context.

Compositional data techniques are an emerging method in physical activity research. These techniques account for the complexities of, and interrelationships between, behaviours that occur throughout a day (e.g., physical activity, sitting, and sleep). The field of health geography research is also developing rapidly. Novel spatial techniques and data visualisation approaches are increasingly being recognised for their utility in understanding health from a socio-ecological perspective. Linking compositional data approaches with geospatial datasets can yield insights into the role of environments in promoting or hindering the health implications of the daily time-use composition of behaviours. The 7-day behaviour data used in this study were derived from accelerometer data for 882 Auckland school children and linked to weight status and neighbourhood deprivation. We developed novel geospatial visualisation techniques to explore activity composition over a day and generated new insights into links between environments and child health behaviours and outcomes. Visualisation strategies that integrate compositional activities, time of day, weight status, and neighbourhood deprivation information were devised. They include a ringmap overview, small-multiple ringmaps, and individual and aggregated time⁻activity diagrams. Simultaneous visualisation of geospatial and compositional behaviour data can be useful for triangulating data from diverse disciplines, making sense of complex issues, and for effective knowledge translation