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1
WANG, XIAO. "A preliminary work on highway runoff treatment design in Shanghai." Thesis, Halmstad University, Ecology and Environmental Science, 2010. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-5370.
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<p> As highway runoff is one major source of non-point pollution in urban areas, removal of contaminants in runoff should be of great concern. In this paper, the necessity of highway runoff treatment in Shanghai was approved, systemic comparisons between runoff treatments were listed, detailed discussions on treatment approach selection were given based upon the availability of land. Three design models for highway runoff treatment were proposed; one focused on the urban highway, one focused on the suburb highway, and the third focused on the urban-suburb area. A survey among scientists studying runoff in China showed that the use of constructed wetlands was a remedy that was highly approved. They also supported the establishment of an urban runoff database. This paper will assist in the development of suitable treatment strategies for highway runoff in urban areas in China.</p>
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Coleman, Nigel. "E-social work : a preliminary examination of social services contact centres." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2011. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/51364/.
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The use of technology has been a feature of public sector managerialism since its introduction by the Conservative government in the 1990s. Subsequently, New Labour's modernisation agenda embraced and promoted the use of information and communication technology (ICT) through its drive towards 'electronic government' ('e-government'). The target set for all services to be 'e-accessible' by 2005 put pressure on local authorities for their services to be 'open all hours' and encouraged them to utilise call centre technology to achieve this. As a result, 'contact centres' (as they were re-designated) are now in use by local authorities to deliver a diverse range of services including social services. Call centres emerged as one of the most widely adopted organisational forms in the private sector in the last two decades of the twentieth century, and have been utilised in a number of ways, primarily in the communications and service industries. The working conditions in call centres gained a reputation for being harsh and exploitative of employees in the pursuit of efficiency and economy and the labour process in them has attracted a considerable amount of academic interest and research. The principal approach underpinning this research has been Braverman's (1974) labour process perspective. The use of call centre environments and technology for social services was pioneered by Liverpool City Council in 2001 in partnership with British Telecom. The introduction of contact centres in this context epitomised 'new public management'. The use of contact centres to deliver social services is now widespread and the thesis presents an in-depth case study of one such contact centre, 'Northshire Care Direct' (NCD) in the North East of England. It identifies how social work practice has been affected by an organisational form, which, until recently, had not been utilised in this context. In addition to its being used to underpin call centre research, Braverman's (1974) labour process perspective has also been used to analyse the social work labour process and, in this sense, was apposite as a means of shedding light on a setting that conjoined social work and call centre technology. The thesis therefore uses Braverman's labour process perspective as an overarching conceptual framework to shed light on the labour process at NCD and how it impacted on social workers from professional and personal perspectives. The findings challenge the dominant view of call centre environments, which represents them as highly controlled and inherently stressful settings that inevitably damage employees' well-being. The thesis argues that contact centre social work represents a new (and, thus far, neglected) development that further extends the incursion of ICT into the organisation and management of social work practice. The emergence of the twin phenomena of 'e-social work' and 'e-management' is identified. The thesis argues that the contact centre context takes the role of ICT in social work further than before. In acknowledging that it is a snapshot of only one such centre, and that different practices may exist elsewhere, it argues that the findings can only be indicative of the direction of travel. It concludes that the social work profession needs to engage with further developments in order to mitigate potentially negative effects for service users.
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Li, Jianshu S. M. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "Preliminary work for three-dimensional imaging of the epoch of reionization with interferometers." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2020. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/128318.
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Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Physics, February, 2020<br>Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.<br>Includes bibliographical references (pages 35-36).<br>A cm line of hydrogen hyperfine structure gives us an opportunity to study the formation of the first stars [11, galaxies 121 and black holes [3] as well as the standard cosmological model in the Dark Ages and the Epoch of Reionization via both the power spectrum and direct imaging [4]. In order to get three-dimensional images from calibrated inteferometer data, we develop a mapping algorithm called Direct Inversion Matrix (DIM) (151, [6]) that has many advantages over other existing algorithms. However, DIM tends to get computationally expensive. As data grow, the computational time and memory costs grow and become intractable for large instruments such as HERA-350. Through simulation, I will demonstrate the performance of DIM, in terms of computational speed and required memory, as well as the quality and fidelity of maps when tuning various parameters such as validpixel threshold that determines which pixels will be mapped, resolution, LST range and regularization matrix. This reveals which parameters tend to best relieve the computational burden of DIM while still maintaining sufficient data quality to achieve our scientific goal. To save computational time and reduce memory cost, I also show how to utilize parallel computing and other computational tricks for DIM. Finally, I explain the framework of the algorithm and also describe the implementation of DIM with the HERA IDR2.2 data [7] and show the preliminary results.<br>by Jianshu Li.<br>S.M.<br>S.M. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Physics
4
Mazzola, Joseph J. "Workplace Nutrition and Exercise Climate: Scale Development and Preliminary Model." Scholar Commons, 2010. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/1706.
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Obesity is a major concern in the United States and has a multitude of negative physical and mental health consequences. Proper nutrition and exercise are important elements to initiating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Since most people spend a large amount of their time working, it is important that organizations create an atmosphere that is conducive to employees being able to eat healthy diets and exercise regularly. The social and environmental climate in terms of health was examined through the construct of a Workplace Nutrition and Exercise Climate (WNEC), defined here as the situational, social, and environmental factors within an organization that encourage and provide support to employees interested in eating healthy and exercising. This study sought to develop a scale for this construct and test its reliability, validity, and relationships to important health behavior and outcome variables. One-hundred and fifty-six participants were recruited to take an online survey, as well as provide contact information for 2 co-workers. Forty-three of these participants were successfully matched directly to 1 or 2 co-workers in their organization.
The scale showed evidence for reliability, through high internal consistency and interrater reliability. The results showed that the scale should be considered a single construct, but that individual nutrition or exercise can be measured if the user has empirical evidence that it is necessary for their research question. The scale also improved on a previous measure of health climate in a number of ways. The construct was directly related to organizational health benefits, self-reported healthy diet, job satisfaction, and depression. Additionally, while the initial simple mediation model proposed was not supported by the data (neither proper diet nor exercising behaviors individually mediated the relationship between the new construct of workplace nutrition and exercise climate and the physical and mental health variables), some exploratory moderation models showed promising leads for future researchers. Specifically, males and females differed on their relationships between the current climate construct and the self-reported healthy diet and total exercise frequency variables.
Given the wealth of previous research that shows the negative effects of obesity, if these findings continue to be supported, it may indicate that WNEC plays a crucial, primary prevention role in helping employees get and/or stay healthy. Future research should continue to look at this new construct of WNEC, design studies that allow for aggregation and investigation of the shared climate, and determine how researchers and practitioners can create a healthy WNEC in an organization.
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Harding, Joseph B. "An unreached people a preliminary study of the international business and diplomatic community of Nairobi /." Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN), 1988. http://www.tren.com.
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Modesto, Kevin F. Orthner Dennis K. "Not by faith alone a preliminary outcomes evaluation of a faith-based welfare to work program /." Chapel Hill, N.C. : University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2006. http://dc.lib.unc.edu/u?/etd,627.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2006.<br>Title from electronic title page (viewed Oct. 10, 2007). "... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the School of Social Work." Discipline: Social Work; Department/School: Social Work.
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Barrett, Blake. "Drug Courts Work, but How? Preliminary Development of a Measure to Assess Drug Court Structure and Processes." Scholar Commons, 2011. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/2998.
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The high prevalence of substance use disorders is well-documented among criminal offenders. Drug courts are specialty judicial programs designed to: 1) improve public safety outcomes; 2) reduce criminal recidivism and substance abuse among offenders with substance use disorders; and 3) better utilize scarce criminal justice and treatment resources. Drug courts operate through partnerships between the criminal justice, behavioral health and public health systems. Offenders participate in an intensive regimen of substance abuse treatment and case management while under close judicial supervision. Drug courts' effectiveness in reducing criminal recidivism and drug use has been documented through numerous primary studies as well as meta-analytic reviews. The task remains now to determine the causal mechanisms of drug courts.
The current study conducted preliminary activities to develop a measure to assess drug court structures and practices based upon the Ten Key Components of drug courts (NADCP, 1997). The creation and use of such a measure is necessary to the understanding of how drug courts work, why and how best to invest scarce judicial and treatment resources to optimize drug court participant and program outcomes. An iterative process was conducted such that results from previous activities informed subsequent steps in the measurement development process. Participants consisted of a convenience sample of drug court personnel at three local drug courts as well as academic experts in drug courts and measurement.
Preliminary measurement development activities included: 1) a comprehensive review of the literature; 2) semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders to inform item development; 3) construction of a draft survey protocol; 4) expert reviews of the draft survey protocol and initial item pool to assess item construct and content validity, response format and clarity; 5) pile sort activity, wherein participants sorted items into piles, one for each measure sub-construct and one `other' pile; 6) exploratory factor analyses based on a joint-proportion matrix derived from pile sort activity data on which items best represent measure sub-constructs; 7) cognitive interviews completed by key stakeholders to review items retained from exploratory factor analyses; and 8) final revisions to the item pool based upon results from cognitive interviews.
The item pool developed through the current research will be used as the basis for a future large-scale pilot test to determine the true factor structure underlying the preliminary measure developed. Results of this future research are expected to identify similarities and differences in the underlying factor structure compared to the Ten Key Components.
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Granillo, Olga Elena Herrerra. "Teen fatherhood: A preliminary study of young Latino men as fathers." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1999. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/1856.
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Yeung, Pin-mui Maggie. "A case management model in the halfway house services of the Mental Health Association of Hong Kong : a preliminary study of effectiveness /." View the Table of Contents & Abstract, 2006. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record/B36787334.
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Bodin, Berit, and Katarina Röed. "Att konstruera en lag : en diskursanalys av förarbeten till sexköpslagen." Thesis, Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för socialt arbete (SA), 2014. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-31509.
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The aim of this study was to identify and analyze the dominating discourse in the preliminary work of the Sex Purchase Act. In order to achieve the aim of this study we selected preliminary work of the Sex Purchase Act that was produced between 1977 and 1999. The selection is based on the fact that prostitution began to be recognized as a social problem and a gender equality issue between men and women in society. The ongoing debate during the chosen years resulted in the Sex Purchase Act, which was passed in 1999. By using discourse analysis as a methodological and theoretical approach, we have empirically studied and theoretically analyzed the dominating discourse in the preliminary work of the Sex Purchase Act. This study shows that the dominating discourse in the preliminary work is based on a perception that prostitution reflects violence against women, which prevents women and men from becoming equal in society. The dominating discourse in the preliminary work is characterized by a heteronormative standard and has influences that can be recognized as feminist ideology. The content in the dominating discourse is produced by people with high social status, which gives sex buyers and sex workers limited influence on how their categories are presented in the preliminary work.
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Sobon, Michelle. "A Preliminary Perspective for Identifying Resilience and Promoting Growth Among Survivors of Sex Trafficking." Wright State University Professional Psychology Program / OhioLINK, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wsupsych1407280532.
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Dlamini, Fikile Gladys. "A preliminary assessment of the implementation of the rehabilitation programme for offenders in the Boksburg management area." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/86639.
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Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014.<br>ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Increasingly, concerns are being raised about the growing incidents of recidivism in
South Africa. Of great concern is that reoffending often involves serious crimes such
as murder, rape, robbery and substance abuse. The main purpose of this research
was to assess how well rehabilitation programmes are implemented in the Boksburg
Management Area, and to determine whether such efforts benefited offenders.
Based on a qualitative case study design, data was collected from this area using
semi-structured interviews, document analysis and observation in September 2013.
Participants included programme officials, social workers, facilitators, case
managers, inmates and representatives from participating NPOs and CBOs. A nonprobability
sampling method called purposive sampling was utilised to construct this
sample. The study used the 5C model as the basis for assessing the implementation of the
rehabilitation programme in the Boksburg Management Area and the following
findings are as identified. Firstly, the officials are conversant with the goals of the
rehabilitation programme. The country’s socio economic circumstances have an
influence on rehabilitation as evidenced by the wide variety of projects offered,
including literacy initiatives, bakery services, furniture manufacturing, and welding,
landscaping and community-based agricultural projects. Commitment can be
increased and harnessed to obtain support for organisational ends and interests
through such ploys as participation in decisions and actions. Capacity is the key to
successful execution and sustainability of rehabilitative programme. Lastly, the
offenders as clients are the key beneficiaries of rehabilitation programmes and that
formation of alliances with civil organisations is critical for effective implementation of
rehabilitation programme.
It was therefore concluded that while substantial gains had been realised in
implementing the rehabilitation programme, however more efforts were required to
improve access to rehabilitation services. Amongst other things, the study
recommended that institutional capacity be improved to ensure that inmates benefit
immensely from the rehabilitation programme.<br>AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Daar word toenemend kommer uitgespreek oor groeiende residivisme in Suid-Afrika.
Die feit dat herhalende oortredings dikwels ernstige misdade soos moord,
verkragting, roof en delmmisbruik insluit, is erg kommerwekkend. Die hoofdoel van
hierdie navorsing was om vas te stel hoe doeltreffend rehabilitasieprogramme in die
Boskburg Bestuursarea geïmplimenteer word en om vas te stel of sulke pogings
oortreders bevoordeel het. Die studie-ontwerp van die ondersoek is gebaseer op
kwalitatiewe gevallestudies. Data is uit hierdie area bekom deur die gebruik van
semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude, dokument anaslise en observasie gedurende
September 2013. Deelnemers het programbeamptes, maatskaplike werkers,
fasiliteerders, saakbestuurders, gevangenes en verteenwoordigers van
deelnemende nie-winsgewende organisasies en gemeenskapsgebaseerde
organisasies ingesluit. ‘n Nie-waarskynlikheids steekproefmetode, bekend as ‘n
doelmatigheidssteekproefneming, is gebruik om hierdie steekproef saam te stel. Die studie het die 5C model as basis vir die assessering van die
rehabilitasieprogram in die Boksburg Bestuursarea gebruik en die volgende
bevindings is gemaak. Eerstens is bevind dat die beamptes vertroud is met die
doelwitte van die rehabilitasieprogram. Die land se sosio-ekonomiese onstandigehde
het ‘n invloed op rehabilitasie soos bewys deur ‘n wye verskeidenheid projekte wat
aangebied word, insluitend geletterdheidsinisiatiewe, bakkerydienste,
meubelvervaardiging, sweiswerk, tuinaanleg en gemeenskapsgebaseerde
landbouprojekte. Betrokkenheid kan verhoog en behou word, met die oog daarop om
ondersteuning vir organisatoriese doelwitte en belange te verkry, deur byvoorbeeld
deelname aan besluite en aksies. Kapasiteit is die sleutel tot die suksesvolle
uitvoering en volhoubaarheid ‘n rehabilitasieprogram. Laastens, is oortreders as
kliënte die vernaamste voordeeltrekkers van rehabilitasieprograamme. Die vorming
van bondgenootskappe met burgerlike organisasies is van kritieke belang vir die
effektiewe implementasie van ‘n rehabilitasieprogram.
Hoewel beduidende vordering reeds plaasgevind het met die implementasie van die
rehabilitasieprogram, was die gevolgtrekking dus dat meer pogings vereis word om
toegang tot rehabilitasiedienste te verbeter. Die studie het, onder andere, aanbeveel
dat institusionele kapasiteit verbeter moet word om te verseker dat gevangenes
ontsaglik baat vind by die rehabilitasieprogram.
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Thomas, Tammara Petrill. "The Effect of Personal Values, Organizational Values, and Person-Organization Fit on Ethical Behaviors and Organizational Commitment Outcomes among Substance Abuse Counselors: A Preliminary Investigation." Diss., University of Iowa, 2013. https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/4920.
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Numerous research studies have concluded that values drive perceptions, responses to situations, judgments, interactions among people, and behaviors. In addition, studies have found that congruence or agreement between individual values and organizational values can increase job satisfaction and commitment. Minimal research has explored the concept of value congruence between substance abuse counselors and their treatment settings, and its impact on perceived ethical work behaviors and organizational commitment. This study explored how the extent of fit between individual and organizational values impacts ethical work behaviors and organizational commitment of substance abuse counselors.
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Karap, Vandana. "Preliminary Assessment: Identification of Chinese Drywall and Exposure to Particulate Matter and Metals during Cutting and Installation of Drywall." ScholarWorks@UNO, 2011. http://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/1321.
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Drywall, a popular building material made of gypsum based plaster sandwiched between two thick sheets of paper is used for building interior walls, is speedier alternative to traditional plaster, decreasing time and labor for construction. Importance of drywall increased with the demand for drywall after nine hurricanes hit Florida in 2004-05 and widespread damage caused in the Gulf Coast after Katrina in 2005. This study has two parts. First part presents an analysis of metals like strontium for the identification of Chinese drywall, and a comparison of strontium concentrations of American drywall and Chinese drywall using XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence) analysis with the Innov-X XRF analyzer. The second part presents an analysis of metal exposure during cutting and installation of drywall using 8stage Cascade impactor. The work space concentration of, different metals is analyzed using XRF analysis and particulate matter within various size ranges, were calculated and their effects are studied.
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Sigafoos, Jennifer A. "The European Court of Justice and social policy : a mixed methods analysis of preliminary references from the EU-15, 1996-2009." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2011. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:4d612059-2269-4e16-94bd-1e9180c2f3e2.
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Although social policy was once perceived to be solely within the purview of the nation state, there has been a move toward a more European social policy. The European Court of Justice for the European Communities (‘Court of Justice’ or ‘Court’) determines the scope of European law and how it affects national welfare states. The court’s decisions will affect not only the national law of the member states with regard to social policy but also the direction of European social policy as it expands. However, the ECJ does not choose the policy areas in which it makes its decisions, but instead reacts to the preliminary references that are sent by the national courts of the Member States. These preliminary references from the Member States will set the Court’s agenda. Preliminary references are unevenly distributed across the Member States of the EU, and some Member States’ preliminary references are concentrated in particular policy areas. The jurisprudence of the Court, and consequently the social policy of the EU, could be steered by this uneven distribution. This thesis will answer the threshold question of why scholars of social policy should care about the Court of Justice, with a legal analysis of some key themes in the Court’s decisions in the area of social policy. It will then employ a mixed methods research design to explain the variation in rates of social policy preliminary references from the EU-15. First, a Time Series Cross-Section (TSCS) model will be used to test a series of hypotheses generated from the literature, and three novel hypotheses, in a dataset of social policy preliminary references from the EU-15 from 1996 to 2009. Next, a Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) (Ragin 2000) will group the variables that were found to be significant into sets of conditions, or ‘causal pathways,’ that lead to higher and lower rates of social policy preliminary references. Finally, two qualitative case studies will be conducted, in the UK and France. Analysis of documentary evidence and 25 expert interviews in the two member states and at the Court of Justice will further explain and illuminate the differing usage of preliminary reference process. The analysis of the mixed methods is integrated in the final stage. Implications for the direction of EU law related to social policy and the future development of European social policy will be considered in the concluding chapter.
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Akin, Faith W., and Owen Murnane. "Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials: Preliminary Report." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2001. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/1792.
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Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) are short-latency electromyograms evoked by high-level acoustic stimuli recorded from surface electrodes over the tonically contracted sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle. These responses are presumed to originate in the saccule. The purpose of this preliminary report is to provide an overview of our initial experience with the VEMP by describing the responses obtained in five subjects. Click-evoked VEMPs were present at short latencies in two normal-hearing subjects, one patient with profound congenital sensorineural hearing loss, and one patient with a severe sensorineural hearing loss due to Meniere's disease. Additionally, VEMPs were absent in a patient with profound sensorineural hearing loss following removal of a cerebellopontine angle tumor. The amplitude of the VEMP was influenced by the amount of background activity of the SCM muscle, stimulus level, and stimulus frequency. Tone-burst evoked responses showed an inverse relationship between stimulus frequency and response latency. VEMPs may prove to be a reliable technique in the clinical assessment of vestibular function.
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Bidgood, Lee. "Is there a Belgian bluegrass? A Preliminary Report." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2015. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/1103.
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Lundström, Emma. "Stereotyper och bedömningar : En kvantitativ vinjettstudie som undersöker om ADHD-diagnosen påverkar socialsekreterares förhandsbedömningar vid orosanmälningar som gäller unga." Thesis, Hälsohögskolan, Högskolan i Jönköping, HHJ, Avd. för socialt arbete, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-44652.
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Syftet med studien är att undersöka om socialsekreterares bedömningar vid orosanmälningar kring unga påverkas av om den unga har en ADHD-diagnos eller inte. Hypotesen var att socialsekreterares bedömningar kring behov av omedelbart skydd, skäl till oro för den unge, om utredning ska inledas eller inte samt identifierade risk- och skyddsfaktorer skiljer sig åt beroende på om den unge har en ADHD-diagnos eller inte. En kvantitativ vinjettundersökning med tillhörande enkätfrågor genomfördes. Två vinjetter utformades med den enda skillnaden att i den ena vinjetten fanns det information om att ungdomen har en ADHD-diagnos. Sammanlagt besvarade 86 socialsekreterare för barn och/eller unga undersökningen, 42 besvarade vinjetten med ADHD och 44 besvarade vinjetten utan ADHD. Resultatet visar statistiskt signifikanta skillnader i socialsekreterares bedömningar gällande fem orosområden (beteendeproblematik hos ungdomen, psykisk ohälsa hos ungdomen, fysisk eller psykisk funktionsnedsättning hos ungdomen, ungdomens förmåga att klara sig själv samt fysisk eller psykisk funktionsnedsättning hos mamman) och en riskfaktor (mammans alkoholanvändning) beroende på om ungdomen har ADHD-diagnos eller inte. Det påvisades inga statistiskt signifikanta skillnader i bedömningarna när det gäller omedelbar skyddsbedömning, förhandsbedömning eller uppmärksammade skyddsfaktorer. Resultaten diskuteras i relation till om socialsekreterarnas kunskap om ADHD, sociala representationer om ADHD och stereotyper om ADHD har påverkat resultaten. Resultatet från denna studien kan bidra till diskussionen om ADHD i social barnavård samt kan användas för att öka medvetenheten hos socialsekreterarna kring hur de hanterar bedömningar av ungdomar med ADHD-diagnos, för att främja att bedömningar fattas på reella grunder. Resultatet skulle också kunna utgöra en grund för vidare forskning exempelvis genom kvalitativa studier på området för att få en djupare förståelse och synliggöra orsakerna till skillnaderna mellan vinjetterna.<br>The purpose of this study was to examine social workers’ assessments regarding a notification of concern of adolescents are affected by whether the adolescent have an ADHD diagnosis or not. The hypothesis was that social workers’ assessments of need of immediate protection, reason for concern for the adolescent, whether an investigation should be initiated or not and their identification risk and protection factors differ depending on whether the adolescent has an ADHD diagnosis or not. A quantitative vignette survey with associated questionnaire was conducted. Two vignettes were designed with the only difference that in one vignette there was information that the adolescent has an ADHD diagnosis. Altogether, 86 social workers handling investigations of children and/ or young persons, participated in the study, whereof 42 handled the vignette with ADHD and 44 the vignette without ADHD. The result shows statistically significant differences in social workers’ assessments regarding five areas of concern (behavioral problems in the adolescent, mental illness in the adolescent, physical or mental disability in the adolescent, the adolescent’s ability to cope with herself and physical or mental disability in the mother) and one risk factor (mother's alcohol use), depending on whether the adolescent has ADHD diagnosis or not. There were no statistically significant differences in assessments regarding immediate protection assessment, preliminary assessment or identified protection factors. The results are discussed in relation to whether social workers´ knowledge about ADHD, social representations of ADHD and stereotypes of ADHD may have influenced the results. The results of this study can contribute to the discussion on ADHD in social childcare and can be used to raise awareness among social workers´ about how they handle assessments of adolescents with ADHD diagnosis in order to promote that assessments are made on real grounds. The result could also provide a basis for further research, for example through qualitative studies in the field, in order to gain a deeper understanding and to highlight the causes of the differences between the vignettes.
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Lasher, Michael P., and Jill D. Stinson. "Use of Person-Identifiers in Sexual Abuse Research Across 35 Years: Preliminary Results of the Sexual Abuse Terminology Project." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2020. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/7920.
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In recent years, questions have risen regarding the language used to describe those who are supervised by the criminal justice system, participating in mental health services, and examined in research. This has resulted in recommendations to reduce labelling bias, as is evident from the recent editions of the APA Publication Manual (2009, 2019), editorials (Willis & Letourneau, 2018), and ethics discussions (Willis, 2018). In 2016, the United States Department of Justice adopted a policy of referring to their detainees and supervisees using person-first language, such as “individual who has offended,” rather than referring to individuals based on the nature of their offenses. With these developments, recent research has increased our focus on the way professionals identify those involved in the criminal justice system, how our labels impact these individuals, and the sociocultural implications of our language use (e.g., Denver, Pickett, & Bushway, 2017).
The poster presents preliminary results of the sexual abuse terminology project, which examines professionals’ use of language to identify and describe individuals who have engaged in sexually abusive behaviors, the sexually abusive behaviors themselves, and sexual interests associated with abusive behavior, between 1981 and 2020. This poster will specifically highlight person identifiers across five-year intervals from 1981 through 2015 (as data collection from publications in 2020 will still be ongoing at the time of presentation), demonstrating trends is language use over time. For this analysis, 1,223 peer-reviewed studies were evaluated for language use. Eighty-three label categories (e.g., abusers, individuals, offenders, etc.) were identified, with 410 specific labels (e.g. intrafamilial child sexual abusers, men with sexual behavior problems, deviant patients, etc.) identified in total. While “offender” labels are the most consistently used terms across all years, trends in term use over time will be presented across five-year intervals. Trends in terminology usage will be graphically depicted, and hypotheses for changes in terminology used will be discussed.
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Smith, Sherri, and Marc A. Fagelson. "Preliminary Psychometric Results of a Tinnitus Self-Efficacy Questionnaire." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2008. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/1630.
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Pumariega, Andres, M. Kilgus, Pat Wade, and Michele R. Moser. "CALOCUS: Preliminary Demographic and External Validity in Child Welfare." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2003. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/4971.
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Zullig, Keith J., Laura Lander, Rebecca J. White, et al. "Preliminary Evaluation of the WV Prescription Drug Abuse Quitline." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2010. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/6335.
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Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of the West Virginia Prescription Drug Abuse Quitline (WVPDAQ). Methods: Descriptive data and inferential analyses are provided for the period of operations from 9/11/2008 to 3/1/2010. Chi-square tests for Independence compared differences between callers completing at least one follow-up survey against callers completing only the baseline intake survey were observed. A Wilcoxon signed rank sum test tested differences between the scores of intake callers and follow-up callers at the one-week (n=177) and one-month (n=89) intervals. Results: A total of 1,056 calls were received, including 670 intakes, 177 1st follow-ups, 89 2nd follow-ups, and 36 3rd follow ups, and 84 caller satisfaction surveys. Chi-square analyses determined that callers who only completed the intake survey tended to have initiated drug use at a younger age ([less than or equal to] 39 years of age, [chi square]=7.63, p=.02). Longitudinal findings indicated significant self-reported declines in daily drug use (p<.0001), increased intentions to quit in the next 30 days (p<.0001), and declines in requesting a referral for treatment (p<.0001) at the one-month follow-up. Finally, approximately 19% (n=17) of callers reported obtaining a counseling/ treatment appointment as a result of calling the WVPDAQ at the one-month follow up. Conclusions: Preliminary results suggest the WVPDAQ has established itself as a meaningful resource to combat prescription drug abuse in West Virginia. Sustainable funding and greater integration of the WVPDAQ into existing and developing treatment infrastructure could provide more affordable options for the state of West Virginia and its citizens.
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Gorman, C. Allen, Joshua L. Ray, Caitlin Nugent, and Shristi Pokhrel-Willet. "A Preliminary Survey of Performance Management Practices in the U.S." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2012. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/437.
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Performance management (PM) research has traditionally been criticized because of its supposed lack of impact on PM practice. A survey of PM practices in the United States was conducted to determine the current state of PM in organizations and to evaluate the gaps between science and practice. Implications are discussed.
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Stone, Michael H., William A. Sands, Kyle C. Pierce, Michael W. Ramsey, and G. Gregory Haff. "Power and Power Potentiation among Strength-Power Athletes: Preliminary Study." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2008. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/4138.
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Purpose: To assess the effects of manipulating the loading of successive sets of midthigh clean pulls on the potentiation capabilities of 7 international-level US weightlifters (4 men, 3 women).
Methods: Isometric and dynamic peak-force characteristics were measured with a force plate at 500 Hz. Velocity during dynamic pulls was measured using 2 potentiometers that were suspended from the top of the right and left sides of the testing system and attached to both ends of the bar. Five dynamic-performance trials were used (in the following order) as the potentiation protocol: women at 60, 80, 100, 120, and 80 kg and men at 60, 140, 180, 220, and 140 kg. Trials 2 vs 5 were specifically analyzed to assess potentiation capabilities. Isometric midthigh pulls were assessed for peak force and rate of force development. Dynamic lifts were assessed for peak force (PF), peak velocity (PV), peak power (PP), and rate of force development (RFD).
Results: Although all values (PF, PV, PP, and RFD) were higher postpotentiation, the only statistically higher value was found for PV (ICCα = .95, P = .011, η2 = .69).
Conclusions: Results suggest that manipulating set-loading configuration can result in a potentiation effect when heavily loaded sets are followed by a lighter set. This potentiation effect was primarily characterized by an increase in the PV in elite weightlifters.
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Sole, Christopher J., Satoshi Mizuguchi, Timothy J. Suchomel, William A. Sands, and Michael H. Stone. "Longitudinal Monitoring of Countermovement Jump Mechanical Variables: A Preliminary Investigation." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2014. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/4561.
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The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of accumulated volume load on countermovement jump (CMJ) mechanical variables. Eight athletes underwent weekly CMJ testing using a force plate. Statistical changes were observed in certain CMJ variables over the observation period. Jump height (0.42±0.05 m) and allometrically scaled peak power (88.86±7.49 W·kg-0.67) exhibited multiple statistical changes. These changes appeared to exhibit a delayed effect in response to accumulated volume load. Specifically, following several weeks of large accumulated volume loads these variables declined. In addition subsequently decreasing accumulated volume loads resulted in an increase in both variables. The findings of this study indicate measuring jump height and peak power may be an effective method for monitoring a resistance training process.
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Pumariega, Andres J., Udema Millsaps, Leonardo Rodriguez, Michele R. Moser, and JoAnne B. Pumariega. "Substance Abuse in Immigrant Latino Youth in Appalachia: Preliminary Findings." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2007. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/4963.
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One-third of the US Latino population is under the age of 18. Studies show a significant percentage of Latinos aged 12 or older use illegal substances. Acculturation, family relationships, and depression are contributing factors to this abuse. Previous studies concentrated on populations along the US-Mexico border. This study examined the relationship between illegal substance abuse, acculturation, family relationships, and depression in Latino adolescents aged 12 to 19 in Northeast Tennessee. The Pan American Youth Inventory was administered to 66 Latino youth. There was a significant relationship between substance abuse and depression, as well as substance abuse and lifetime suicide ideations.
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Pumariega, Andres J., Michele R. Moser, JoAnne B. Pumariega, and Leonardo Rodriguez. "Substance Abuse in Immigrant Latino Youth in Appalachia: Preliminary Findings." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2004. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/4962.
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Zullig, Keith J., Laura Lander, Rebecca J. White, et al. "Preliminary Results of the West Virginia Prescription Drug Abuse Quitline." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2011. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/6336.
Full textAbstract:
To evaluate the effectiveness of the West Virginia Prescription Drug Abuse Quitline (WVPDAQ). Descriptive data and inferential analyses are provided for the period of operations from 9/11/2008 to 3/1/2010. Chi-square tests for Independence compared differences between callers completing at least one follow-up survey against callers completing only the baseline intake survey were observed. A Wilcoxon signed rank sum test tested differences between the scores of intake callers and follow-up callers at the one-week (n = 177) and one-month (n = 89) intervals. A total of 1,056 calls were received, including 670 intakes, 177 1st follow-ups, 89 2nd follow-ups, and 36 3rd follow ups, and 84 caller satisfaction surveys. Chi-square analyses determined that callers who only completed the intake survey tended to have initiated drug use at a younger age (< or = 39 years of age, chi2 = 7.63, p = .02). Longitudinal findings indicated significant self-reported declines in daily drug use (p < .0001), increased intentions to quit in the next 30 days (p < .0001), and declines in requesting a referral for treatment (p < .0001) at the one-month follow-up. Finally, approximately 19% (n = 17) of callers reported obtaining a counseling/ treatment appointment as a result of calling the WVPDAQ at the one-month follow up. Preliminary results suggest the WVPDAQ has established itself as a meaningful resource to combat prescription drug abuse in West Virginia. Sustainable funding and greater integration of the WVPDAQ into existing and developing treatment infrastructure could provide more affordable options for the state of West Virginia and its citizens.
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Gogichadze, N., N. Meparishvilli, and Jodi Polaha. "The AAq-II Translation to Georgian: A Preliminary Validation Study." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2017. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/6566.
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Wallace, Rick L. "Implications of Web-based LOANSOME DOC for Librarians and End-Users: Preliminary Research Findings." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 1999. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/8804.
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Smurzynski, Jacek. "Preliminary Results of Multiple DPOAE Measurements Performed using the Sentiero System." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2014. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/2159.
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Cacace, Anthony T., E. Mark Haake, Faith W. Akin, and Owen D. Murnane. "Vestibular-Related Traumatic Brain Injury: A Preliminary Voxel-Based Morphometry Analysis." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2013. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/1882.
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Vestibular-related problems (dizziness, vertigo, and imbalance) are common sequelae following concussion and blast exposures that result in mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). However, the anatomical substrate connected to these dysfunctions is not well understood. To provide a better understanding of this area, we used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) as a platform for studying vestibular-related mTBI in the human brain. Briefly, VBM is a group comparison study which evaluates structural differences in magnetic resonance (MR) images between agematched groups of individuals (11 vestibular TBI patients and 10 controls). Using the VBM-8 Toolbox and statistical probability mapping (SPM), MRI images were segmented into gray matter, white matter, and cerebrospinal fluid, normalized into a standardized anatomical space, and then analyzed statistically for significant anatomical differences between groups. Based on the VBM analysis, most notable differences in brain anatomy were characterized by reductions in gray matter volume observed in the middle frontal gyrus, mesial frontal lobe, and in the insular area in the left mesial temporal lobe. These findings provide a preliminary analysis of distributed gray matter changes in key frontal and temporal areas of the brain associated with mTBI related vestibular dysfunction.
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Nanjundeswaran, (Guntupalli) Chaya D., Nicole Y. K. Li, Karen M. K. Chan, Richard K. S. Wong, Edwin M. L. Yiu, and Katherine Verdolini-Abbott. "Preliminary Data on Prevention and Treatment of Voice Problems in Student Teachers." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2012. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/1763.
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Summary
Objectives/Hypotheses
To assess the utility of a targeted voice hygiene (VH) program compared to VH plus voice training intervention (VH+VT) for the prevention and treatment of voice problems in student teachers.
Study Design
Prospective, randomized.
Methods
Thirty-one student teachers with low (good) and high (poor) voice handicap index (VHI) scores in Pittsburgh and Hong Kong were randomly assigned to (1) a targeted, individually tailored VH program, (2) the VH program plus resonant VT (VH+VT), or (c) a control group. Participants assigned to intervention groups were monitored for their adherence to their programs for their first 4 weeks of student teaching. VHI data were collected again 4 weeks postintervention (both sites) and 8 weeks postintervention, following a no-contact washout period (Pittsburgh).
Results
Descriptive data analysis indicated that across both sites, for initially healthy participants, the VH program was sufficient to prevent worsening of VHI scores that occurred in all control participants over the first 4–8 weeks of student teaching. The addition of VT did not consistently enhance protective benefits over VH alone. In contrast, for participants with initially poor VHI scores, the VH program failed to produce VHI benefits over the control condition. The addition of VT was required to optimize results for that cohort.
Conclusions
Preliminary data suggest that a minimalist, individually tailored VH program may be sufficient to prevent voice problems from teaching in healthy student teachers. However, for student teachers with existing voice problems, VT may be required to optimize results of intervention.
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Hagemeier, Nicholas E., Ivy A. Click, Heather Flippin, et al. "Pharmacists’ and Prescribers’ Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) Prevention Behaviors: A Preliminary Analysis." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2017. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/1483.
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Background Maternal opioid use and neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) incidence have increased markedly in the US in recent years. Objectives (1) To assess prescribers’ and community pharmacists’ guideline-based NAS prevention behaviors; (2) to describe providers’ perceptions of contraceptive appropriateness in female patients of childbearing age. Method Cross-sectional study of 100 randomly selected primary care physicians, 100 prescribers authorized to engage in in-office treatment of opioid use disorders with buprenorphine, 100 pain management clinic directors, and 100 community pharmacists in Tennessee (N = 400 providers total) to evaluate self-reported engagement in 15 NAS prevention behaviors and perceived appropriateness of 8 contraceptive methods in opioid using women of childbearing age. Results An overall response rate of 17.5% was obtained. Pain clinic directors reported the most engagement in NAS prevention, engaging 80% or more of female patients of childbearing age prescribed an opioid in 11 prevention behaviors, followed by buprenorphine prescribers (8 behaviors), primary care physicians (5 behaviors), and community pharmacists (2 behaviors). Pain clinic directors, primary care physicians, and community pharmacists perceived oral contraceptive pills and patches to be as appropriate as long-acting, reversible forms of contraception (e.g., implants, injectable depots, intrauterine devices). Conclusion Provider engagement in behaviors that could prevent NAS is variable. Interventions should be implemented that equip providers to engage patients in conversations about long-acting, reversible contraception.
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Herdman, Susan J., Courtney D. Hall, Brian Maloney, Sara Knight, Marti Ebert, and Jessica Lowe. "Variables Associated with Outcome in Patients with Bilateral Vestibular Hypofunction: Preliminary Study." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2015. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/556.
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BACKGROUND: Vestibular rehabilitation (VR) improves symptoms and function in some but not all patients with bilateral vestibular hypofunction (BVH). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this retrospective study was to examine change following vestibular rehabilitation and to identify factors associated with rehabilitation outcome in patients with BVH. METHODS: Data from 69 patients with BVH were analyzed. Factors studied included patient characteristics, subjective complaints and physical function. Outcome measures included symptom intensity, balance confidence, quality of life, gait speed, fall risk, and dynamic visual acuity. Bivariate correlations were used to examine relationships of patient characteristics and baseline measures with outcome measures. One-way ANOVAs were used to compare outcomes in patients with BVH versus unilateral vestibular hypofunction (UVH). RESULTS: As a group, patients with BVH improved in all outcome measures except disability following a course of vestibular rehabilitation (VR); however, only 38-86% demonstrated a meaningful improvement, depending on the specific outcome measure examined. Several factors measured at baseline - age, DGI score, gait speed and perceived dysequilibrium - were associated with outcomes. For example, greater age was related to higher DVA scores at discharge; lower initial DGI scores were related to higher Disability scores at discharge. Compared to patients with UVH, reported previously [9], a smaller percentage of patients with BVH improve and to a lesser extent. CONCLUSION: Consideration of baseline factors may provide guidance for setting patient goals. Further research is needed determine what factors predict outcome and to develop more effective treatment strategies for those patients who do not improve.
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Landy, Cathy, and Amy J. Malkus. "The State of Outdoor Education in Preschool in Northeast Tennessee – Preliminary Results." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2017. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/4305.
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Nowak, Jiří. "Předběžná a výsledná cena stavebního díla - porovnání a zdůvodnění rozdílů." Master's thesis, Vysoké učení technické v Brně. Fakulta stavební, 2018. http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-372059.
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The aim of this diploma thesis is to compare price differences between preliminary and final price of a given construction. Thus, the basis is the given construction, whose price was increased in pursuance of construction operations from preliminary to final price, supplemented with price variations, which is, in this case, the basic concept. This thesis is divided into theoretical and practical parts. The theoretical part defines terms and concepts associated with this issue and the practical part deals with an actual case, in which the situation is laid out and the individual prices are described, along with the comparison and explanation.
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Hall, Courtney D., M. Sesay, and K. Echt. "Cognitive Training and Motor Dual-Task Ability in Older Adults: A Preliminary Study." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2016. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/2705.
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Hackney, Madeleine E., Courtney D. Hall, Katharina V. Echt, and Steven L. Wolf. "Multimodal Exercise Benefits Mobility in Older Adults with Visual Impairment: A Preliminary Study." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2015. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/544.
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Evidence-based recommendations for interventions to reduce fall risk in older adults with visual impairment are lacking. Adapted tango dance (Tango) and a balance and mobility program (FallProof) have improved mobility, balance, and quality of life (QOL) in individuals with movement impairment. This study compared the efficacy of Tango and FallProof for 32 individuals with visual impairment (age: M = 79.3, SD =11 [51–95 years]). Participants were assigned to Tango or FallProof to complete twenty, 90-min lessons within 12 weeks. Participants underwent assessment of balance, dual-tasking, endurance, gait, and vision-related QOL. The balance reactions of participants in both groups improved (p < .001). Endurance, cognitive dual-tasking, and vision-related QOL may have improved more for Tango than FallProof. Group differences and gains were maintained across time. Both programs could be effective options for motor rehabilitation for older adults with visual impairment because they may improve mobility and QOL while reducing fall risk.
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Maphis, Laura E., Lydia Israel, William T. Dalton, Gayatri Bala Jaishankar, and Karen E. Schetzina. "Shared Reading and Media Exposure in Infants: Preliminary Findings from the ReadNPlay Initiative." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2013. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/5076.
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The obesity problem in the U.S. is of epidemic proportions and affects even the youngest members of society. For instance, 10% percent of U.S. infants have excess weight for length, and early onset of obesity incites later risk. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Council on Communications and Media has linked media exposure to obesity as well as sleep, behavior issues, inattention, and decreased parent-child interaction in young children. Further, the AAP concludes that no known health benefits exist for media exposure in children under 2 and discourage use in this age range. Reading has been shown to increase secure attachment in infants and to increase the quality of parent-child interaction in addition to positive gains in child literacy. Additionally, two existing studies found that reading reduces screen time, thus serving as a healthy alternative to media exposure. Despite these findings, and the importance of anticipatory guidance in pediatric primary care for discussing shared reading, only 15% of pediatricians talk to families about media exposure. ReadNPlay for a Bright Future is a multi-disciplinary, multicomponent pilot study and healthy weight promotion initiative for families with infants aged birth to 24 months to create health-promoting home environments, set goals, and monitor progress regarding reading and active play. The setting for this study is an academic pediatric primary care practice serving a primarily Caucasian, socio-economically disadvantaged population in Southern Appalachia, with involvement from pediatricians, nurses, and a behavioral health consultant. A novel communicative tool, the ReadNPlay Baby Book, along with provider training in brief motivational interviewing, posters, social media, and participation incentives (e.g., free children’s books) are being used to improve counseling on healthy active living behaviors during infant well child visits. The current research endeavor is focused on the Play More: Shut Off the Screens aspect of the ReadNPlay initiative and utilizes data from a baseline survey completed by 40 mothers with infants aged 9-12 months and 40 mothers with infants aged 13-24 months to assess trends in one form of media exposure, television watching, and reading in this population. While the AAP recommends that children under 2 years do not watch TV, mothers in this study reported that 80% of infants 9-12 months and 87% of infants 13-24 months watched at least 30 minutes on a typical day. Sixty percent of mothers of infants 9-12 months and 82.5% of mothers of infants 13-24 months reported reading 2013 Appalachian Student Research Forum Page 71 or looking at books with their child on most days of a typical week, perhaps as a result of an existing Reach Out and Read Initiative in the practice. The current study adds to the dearth of research regarding risk factors during infancy for future development of obesity. Future research may examine whether increases in reading time may decrease time spent in media exposure.
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Schetzina, Karen E., Julie L. Ware, Peter H. Grubb, et al. "Preliminary Progress Toward a Statewide Quality Improvement Project to Enhance Prenatal Breastfeeding Promotion." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2012. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/5048.
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Case Report:
Through the Tennessee Initiative for Perinatal Quality Care (www.tipqc.org), four pilot prenatal (Family Medicine and OB-GYN) practices representing academic and private groups from across the state established primary improvement teams including relevant stakeholders. An online toolkit of evidence-based practices and published tools from the AAP, ACOG, ABM, and elsewhere was developed by an interdisciplinary team and provided to pilot practices. The toolkit included a menu of “potentially better practices” (PBPs) that could be implemented individually, or as a bundle. Success of this project relied on use of rapid Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles. Pilot practices were educated on basic QI procedures, data collection, toolkit content, etc. and shared experiences through monthly webinars called “Huddles”. Regional trainings were also provided at various intervals by the TIPQC staff.
Before implementation of a PBP, each practice collected their baseline breastfeeding rate at the 4-8 week postpartum visit. Practices used a web-based, HIPAA-compliant data-entry system through REDCap. The project was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) of participating pilots, and funded under an agreement with the state of Tennessee.
PBPs implemented by the pilot practices included:
- Providing resident and provider education
- Distributing written literature on breastfeeding benefits and advice
- Providing written breastfeeding prescriptions
- Having patients view educational breastfeeding videos
- Creating a breastfeeding-friendly office environment
Baseline pilot data revealed that at presentation for the first postpartum visit, 28.1%, 23%, and 49% of mothers were exclusively feeding breastmilk, feeding a mix of breastmilk and formula, and exclusively feeding formula, respectively (n=196).
Baseline data was successfully collected, and early data following the first PDSA has been collected across the four pilot participants. For participating practices, this is the first time they have systematically looked at their 6-week breastfeeding rates. Open communication and brainstorming across the various practices has been very helpful. A numbers of challenges have been cited, including time constraints related to large volumes of patients and inability to extract data electronically, coordination of efforts among large numbers of providers and staff who may be unfamiliar with breastfeeding, and a need for more family, hospital, and community provider support for breastfeeding.
Discussion:
This quality improvement prenatal breastfeeding promotion pilot project provides insight into the process of team building and use of thin data sets to drive practice level improvement, and lays the groundwork for statewide spread, where challenges encountered in the pilot centers can be addressed. Participants are now looking at the reliability of their implementation, and determining whether their initial selections from the menu/toolkit were effective.
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Mohamed, Hag Amani MI. "WEIGHT LOSS MEDICATION: A PRELIMINARY STUDY TO ASSESS IF IT WORKS." Case Western Reserve University School of Graduate Studies / OhioLINK, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1554472321010433.
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Bailey, B., I. Click, and Kerry Proctor-Williams. "Children with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome at 15 months of age: Preliminary small sample findings." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2017. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/1817.
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Fox, James, Pamela Mims, and Karin Bartoszuk. "Current Practices and Effectiveness of Special Education Professional Development in Rural Environments: Preliminary Analyses." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2018. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/4172.
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Results of an on-line survey of special education teachers in rural Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina and Kentucky are reported. Demographic variables, self-efficacy, burnout and professional development measures were reported by 187 teachers. Implications for content and delivery of professional development are discussed.
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Mobley, M. E., Faith W. Akin, Courtney D. Hall, Owen D. Murnane, and Jennifer R. Sears. "Longitudinal consequences of mTBI and blast exposure on vestibular and balance function: preliminary observations." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2018. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/2461.
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Lange, Alissa A., Kwanghee Jung, Irena Nayfeld, Hebbah El-Moslimany, Hagit Mano, and Alexandra Figueras-Daniel. "Preliminary Effects of a Preschool Stem Professional Development Model on Teachers’ Attitudes and Beliefs." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2018. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/4188.
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Preschool science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) is important for later learning for all children, including dual language learners (DLLs). However the preschool workforce is generally not well prepared to teach STEM or to work with DLLs, and attitudes and beliefs may play a role in teachers feeling challenged to provide high quality STEM teaching. The objectives of the SciMath-DLL professional development (PD) model are to improve attitudes and change beliefs of educators, increase preschool teachers’ knowledge, and improve classroom instruction around STEM and supports for dual language learners (DLLs). This paper provides preliminary results from a randomized trial of participation in the SciMath-DLL PD on preschool educators’ attitudes and beliefs.
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Johnson, Michelle E. "Initial Stages of Creating a Scale for Preschoolers: Measuring Nutrition Knowledge, Beliefs, Behaviors- Preliminary Results." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2017. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/8544.
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Wagle, John P., Kevin M. Carroll, Aaron J. Cunanan, et al. "Preliminary Investigation Into the Effect of ACTN3 and ACE Polymorphisms on Muscle and Performance Characteristics." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2018. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/4663.
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The purpose of this investigation was to explore the phenotypic and performance outcomes associated with ACTN3 and ACE polymorphisms. Ten trained men (age = 25.8 ± 3.0 years, height = 183.3 ± 4.1 cm, body mass = 92.3 ± 9.3 kg, and back squat to body mass ratio = 1.8 ± 0.3) participated. Blood samples were analyzed to determine ACTN3 and ACE polymorphisms. Standing ultrasonography images of the vastus lateralis (VL) were collected to determine whole muscle cross-sectional area (CSA-M), and a percutaneous muscle biopsy of the VL was collected to determine type I–specific CSA (CSA-T1), type II–specific CSA (CSA-T2), and type II to type I CSA ratio (CSA-R). Isometric squats were performed on force platforms with data used to determine peak force (IPF), allometrically scaled peak force (IPFa), and rate of force development (RFD) at various timepoints. One repetition maximum back squats were performed, whereby allometrically scaled dynamic strength (DSa) was determined. Cohen's d effect sizes revealed ACTN3 RR and ACE DD tended to result in greater CSA-M but differ in how they contribute to performance. ACTN3 RR's influence seems to be in the type II fibers, altering maximal strength, and ACE DD may influence RFD capabilities through a favorable CSA-R. Although the findings of the current investigation are limited by the sample size, the findings demonstrate the potential influence of ACTN3 and ACE polymorphisms on isometric and dynamic strength testing. This study may serve as a framework to generate hypotheses regarding the effect of genetics on performance.
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Whiton, Tara K., Kimitake Sato, Asher Flynn, et al. "Preliminary Analysis: Moderating the Stress Perception of Collegiate Distance Runners Using Branched-Chain Amino Acids." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2018. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/3819.
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Exercise-induced fatigue may be caused by increases in cerebral serotonin resulting in symptoms of central fatigue (i.e. decreased mood, and increased stress and sleepiness). Branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplementation is one intervention that can reduce symptoms of central fatigue by competing for the tryptophan transporter reducing serotonin synthesis. Psychological monitoring tools such as The Daily Analysis of Life Demands for Athletes (DALDA) Questionnaire can be used to study symptoms of central fatigue by identifying sources of general and sport-specific stress as well as an athlete’s reaction to stressors. PURPOSE: To examine the response of BCAA on stress perception of trained collegiate distance runners using DALDA. METHODS: 8 collegiate distance runners (men n=4, women n=4) took BCAA supplement (SUP) (0.08g/kg) or placebo (PLA) daily for 6 weeks, alternating conditions week to week. Each morning athletes filled out the 34-item DALDA prior to training by selecting one of 3 answers corresponding to stress symptoms: A = “feel worse than normal”, B= “feel normal”, C= “feel better than normal”. Response ratios were generated for each of the 3 answers for each condition (SUP or PLA) by taking total number of responses for each answer over number of answers overall. Response ratios were calculated as weekly mean ± SD and MANOVA was used for analysis. The alpha criterion was set to p<0.05. RESULTS: Statistical significance was found (p<0.01), and further analyses were done to examine changes from week to week. On average, athletes reported fewer ‘A’ responses in SUP weeks than PLA weeks (SUP: 9.27% ± 2.21%; PLA: 13.46% ± 7.29%), while response percentage for ‘C’ was the same between both conditions (SUP: 11.78 ± 2.12%; PLA: 11.24% ± 2.32%). Changes from SUP weeks to PLA weeks produced noticeable changes in ‘A’ responses (e.g.: 14.36% SUP week to PLA week; -9.95% from PLA week to SUP week). CONCLUSIONS: Results from DALDA revealed a noticeable change in the stress response of the athletes from condition to condition. The athletes reported higher instances of feeling “worse than normal” during PLA weeks and fewer instances of feeling “worse than normal” during SUP weeks. These results indicate that BCAA supplementation seems to be an effective means of reducing the stress perception in these collegiate distance runners.
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Bailey, Beth Ann, and Ivy A. Click. "Children with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) at 15 Months of Age: Preliminary Small Sample Findings." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2014. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/6414.
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