This Was Not on the Syllabus!: An Examination of First-Year Urban Teachers' Self-Efficacy

Many first-year teachers find it difficult to reach the needs of all their students in part, because they feel their college coursework left them ill-prepared for the complexity they face in the classroom. This is particularly true among urban teachers who often face crowded classrooms of diverse students with a wide range of instructional needs. This study is a comparative case study of two University of Connecticut graduates during their first year teaching in urban schools. Using mixed-methods, the study draws on interviews, questionnaires, and videotape data shared as a part of a monthly teacher study group of similar graduates. I also draw on group conversations in which teachers discussed their ability to reach the needs of all of their students as this was related to their preservice coursework. My findings suggest that many first-year teachers feel university coursework failed to help them. One teacher felt it did not help her at all, while the other felt it helped her but she still could not meet all of her students' needs. Many first-year, urban teachers do not feel confident in the classroom as a result of their preparation from coursework. With this lack in confidence, the teachers may be more likely to leave their urban position, and this may contribute to the high turnover of teachers in urban placements.

An examination of spirituality, self efficacy, and smoking cessation among adults in Houston, Texas

Over the past decade there has been a growing interest in the association between spirituality and health outcomes. Little is known about the role of spirituality among adult smokers who are motivated to stop smoking. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the relations among immutable individual differences, spirituality, and self efficacy among adults motivated to stop smoking. The first paper of this dissertation systematically reviewed literature to measure the concordance between spirituality and smoking status among adults in the United States. The second paper of this dissertation explored the association between spirituality and smoking cessation. We hypothesized that higher levels of spirituality were positively associated with smoking cessation. The third paper of this dissertation examined the association between perceived self efficacy and spirituality. We hypothesized that both high levels of self efficacy and spirituality were positively associated with smoking cessation.^ A total of 152 citations were identified based on the preliminary search of databases and reference lists. After a preliminary title- and abstract-based review, 17 full text articles were retrieved for further assessment. Of these, eight met the criteria for inclusion. Results of the systematic review suggest that there is inconsistent evidence to support or refute an association between spirituality and smoking status among adults.^ Smokers (N = 200) at least 18 years of age enrolled in a minimal contact smoking cessation intervention in Houston, Texas completed questionnaires. To examine our hypotheses we conducted cross-sectional analyses of responses to questions included in selected baseline questions and the final in-person visit three weeks post-quit day. Results of the logistic regression analyses indicated that individuals with higher levels of spirituality and self efficacy were significantly more likely to abstain from smoking. The positive association is also evident when controlling for employment, income, race, education, and nicotine dependence. The interaction between self efficacy and spirituality was not statistically significant in predicting smoking abstinence.^ Recommendations for future research and implications for smoking cessation interventions are discussed. Further research in this area would benefit from using standard measures of abstinence, recruiting larger and more diverse populations, and using longitudinal study designs.^

A review of Edwards's Inquiry into the freedom of the will : containing, I. Statement of Edwards's system, II. The legitimate consequences of this system, III. An examination of the arguments against a self-determining will /

A combined edition of Tappan's three books on the will was printed at Glasgow under the title: A treatise on the will, 1857.

The effect of skin examination surveys on the incidence of basal cell carcinoma in a Queensland community sample: A 10-year longitudinal study

Skin cancers pose a significant public health problem in high-risk populations. We have prospectively monitored basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) incidence in a Queensland community over a 10-y period by recording newly treated lesions, supplemented by skin examination surveys. Age-standardized incidence rates of people with new histologically confirmed BCC were 2787 per 100,000 person-years at risk (pyar) among men and 1567 per 100,000 pyar among women, and corresponding tumor rates were 5821 per 100,000 pyar and 2733 per 100,000 pyar, respectively. Incidence rates for men with new SCC were 944 per 100,000 pyar and for women 675 per 100,000 pyar; tumor rates were 1754 per 100,000 pyar and 846 per 100,000 pyar, respectively. Incidence rates of BCC tumors but not SCC tumors varied noticeably according to method of surveillance, with BCC incidence rates based on skin examination surveys around three times higher than background treatment rates. This was mostly due to an increase in diagnosis of new BCC on sites other than the head and neck, arms, and hands associated with skin examination surveys and little to do with advancing the time of diagnosis of BCC on these sites as seen by a return to background rates following the examination surveys. We conclude that BCC that might otherwise go unreported are detected during skin examination surveys and thus that such skin cancer screening can influence the apparent burden of skin cancer.

An examination of the dynamic relationship between self-efficacy and performance across levels of analysis and levels of specificity

This research used resource allocation theory to generate predictions regarding dynamic relationships between self-efficacy and task performance from 2 levels of analysis and specificity. Participants were given multiple trials of practice on an air traffic control task. Measures of task-specific self-efficacy and performance were taken at repeated intervals. The authors used multilevel analysis to demonstrate differential and dynamic effects. As predicted, task-specific self-efficacy was negatively associated with task performance at the within-person level. On the other hand, average levels of task-specific self-efficacy were positively related to performance at the between-persons level and mediated the effect of general self-efficacy. The key findings from this research relate to dynamic effects - these results show that self-efficacy effects can change over time, but it depends on the level of analysis and specificity at which self-efficacy is conceptualized. These novel findings emphasize the importance of conceptualizing self-efficacy within a multilevel and multispecificity framework and make a significant contribution to understanding the way this construct relates to task performance.

An examination of the psychometric properties of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) in Chinese acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients

The psychometric properties of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) as a clinical research instrument for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients were investigated in a translated Chinese version of the instrument. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on the RSES to establish its psychometric properties in 128 ACS patients over two observation points (within 1 week and 6 months post-admission for ACS). Internal and test - retest reliability of the RSES-TOT (all-items) and RSES-POS sub-scale (positively valenced items) were found to be acceptable. The RSES-NEG sub-scale (negatively valenced items) lacked acceptable internal reliability. The underlying factor structure of the RSES comprised two distinct but related factors, though there was inconsistency in best model fit indices at the 1-week observation point. The use of the RSES as two sub-scales (RSES-POS and RSES-NEG) may be clinically useful in evaluating the influence of this important psychological construct on the health outcomes of patients with ACS. Directions for future research are indicated.

An examination of the UK community pharmacist's role in facilitating patient self-management of cardiovascular disease through lifestyle behaviours

The progression of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is largely modifiable through lifestyle behaviours. UK pharmacists are contractually obliged to facilitate patient self-management of chronic conditions such as CVD. Pharmacists are easily accessible health professionals who are well placed to identify “at risk” patients through medication regimes. Research has identified varying attitudes towards and levels of involvement in pharmacist-led health promotion activity. Given the diverse and exploratory nature of the work, a pragmatic, mixed methods approach was used to explore community pharmacists’ role in facilitating patient self-management of CVD. The thesis presents four studies: a qualitative study with pharmacists; a cross sectional questionnaire of community pharmacists; a systematic review and a qualitative study with patients with CVD. The qualitative study with pharmacists gave an insight into pharmacists’ experiences of giving patients with CVD lifestyle advice and the factors underpinning commonly cited barriers to providing public health services. This informed the development of the cross-sectional questionnaire which identified the predictors of pharmacists’ intentions to give two different types of advice to facilitate patient self-management. The systematic review identified a small number of interventions to prepare pharmacists to facilitate patient lifestyle behaviour change and evaluated the theories and behaviour change techniques used in successful interventions; however due to poor study quality and poor reporting of the interventions limited conclusions about the efficacy of the interventions could reliably be drawn. Finally, the qualitative study gave an insight into the experiences of patients with CVD using community pharmacy services and their expectations of the service they receive from community pharmacists. Recommendations about changes to pharmacy policy and practice in order to support pharmacists’ provision of CVD self-management advice are made.

Clash of identities in South Florida: An examination of the complexity of racial and national identity and their impact on ethnic solidarity between black Americans and Jamaicans

Immigrants from the West Indies and other nations challenge the simple United States dichotomy of blacks versus whites. Many apparently black Caribbean immigrants proclaim that they did not know they were “black” until they arrived in the U.S. They seek to maintain their national identity and resist identity and solidarity with Black Americans. In response, many Black Americans respond that the immigrants are simply being naive, that U.S. society demands simple racial identity. Regardless of one's self-identity and personal history, in the U.S., if you look black, you are black, was their thinking. ^ This study examines the contemporary struggle of identity and solidarity among and between Black Americans and Jamaicans living in South Florida (Broward and Miami-Dade counties). Even though the primary focus of this study is to examine the relationship between Black Americans and Jamaicans, other West Indian nationals will be addressed more generally. The primary research problem of this study is to determine why the existence of common ancestry and physical traits are insufficient for an assumption of ethnic solidarity between Black Americans and Jamaicans. ^ In examining this problem, I felt that depth rather than breadth would provide insight into the current state of polarization between Black Americans and Jamaicans. To this end, a qualitative study was designed. A non-random snowball sample consisting of forty-seven informants was selected for this study. Realizing that such a technique presents problems with generalizations beyond the sample, this approach was, nonetheless, the most suitable for the current research problem. One of the initial challenges of this research was the use of the label “black” in discussing Caribbean immigrants. Unlike America, where distinctions based on skin color were at the bedrock of America's formation, this was not the case in the Caribbean. In the Caribbean skin color was an important marker as an indicator of class, rather than of race. Therefore, I refrained from using the label, “black Jamaicans,” but rather used Jamaicans throughout. ^

Medical advice, diabetes self-management, and health outcomes of a multi-ethnic population from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007--2008

Diabetes self-management, an essential component of diabetes care, includes weight control practices and requires guidance from providers. Minorities are likely to have less access to quality health care than White non-Hispanics (WNH) (American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine, 2000). Medical advice received and understood may differ by race/ethnicity as a consequence of the patient-provider communication process; and, may affect diabetes self-management. ^ This study examined the relationships among participants’ report of: (1) medical advice given; (2) diabetes self-management, and; (3) health outcomes for Mexican-Americans (MA) and Black non-Hispanics (BNH) as compared to WNH (reference group) using data available through the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for the years 2007–2008. This study was a secondary, single point analysis. Approximately 30 datasets were merged; and, the quality and integrity was assured by analysis of frequency, range and quartiles. The subjects were extracted based on the following inclusion criteria: belonging to either the MA, BNH or WNH categories; 21 years or older; responded yes to being diagnosed with diabetes. A final sample size of 654 adults [MA (131); BNH (223); WNH (300)] was used for the analyses. The findings revealed significant statistical differences in medical advice reported given. BNH [OR = 1.83 (1.16, 2.88), p = 0.013] were more likely than WNH to report being told to reduce fat or calories. Similarly, BNH [OR = 2.84 (1.45, 5.59), p = 0.005] were more likely than WNH to report that they were told to increase their physical activity. Mexican-Americans were less likely to self-monitor their blood glucose than WNH [OR = 2.70 (1.66, 4.38), p<0.001]. There were differences among ethnicities for reporting receiving recent diabetes education. Black, non-Hispanics were twice as likely to report receiving diabetes education than WNH [OR = 2.29 (1.36, 3.85), p = 0.004]. Medical advice reported given and ethnicity/race, together, predicted several health outcomes. Having recent diabetes education increased the likelihood of performing several diabetes self-management behaviors, independent of race. ^ These findings indicate a need for patient-provider communication and care to be assessed for effectiveness and, the importance of ongoing diabetes education for persons with diabetes.^

How Good Am I? Crude Self-Assessment vs. Examination

With the new academic year structure encouraging more in-term assessment to replace end-of-year examinations one of the problems we face is assessing students and keeping track of individual student learning without overloading the students and staff with excessive assessment burdens.
In the School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, we have constructed a system that allows students to self-assess their capability on a simple Yes/No/Don’t Know scale against fine grained learning outcomes for a module. As the term progresses students update their record as appropriately, including selecting a Learnt option to reflect improvements they have gained as part of their studies.
In the system each of the learning outcomes are linked to the relevant teaching session (lectures and labs) and to online resources that students can access at any time. Students can structure their own learning experience to their needs and preferences in order to attain the learning outcomes.
The system keeps a history of the student’s record, allowing the lecturer to observe how the students’ abilities progress over the term and to compare it to assessment results. The system also keeps of any of the resource links that student has clicked on and the related learning outcome.
The initial work is comparing the accuracy of the student self-assessments with their performance in the related questions in the traditional end-of-year examination.

Angiogenic Effects Of Cryosurgery With Liquid Nitrogen On The Normal Skin Of Rats, Through Morphometric Study.

Cryosurgery is an efficient therapeutic technique used to treat benign and malignant cutaneous diseases. The primary active mechanism of cryosurgery is related to vascular effects on treated tissue. After a cryosurgical procedure, exuberant granulation tissue is formed at the injection site, probably as a result of angiogenic stimulation of the cryogen and inflammatory response, particularly in endothelial cells. To evaluate the angiogenic effects of freezing, as part of the phenomenon of healing rat skin subjected to previous injury. Two incisions were made in each of the twenty rats, which were divided randomly into two groups of ten. After 3 days, cryosurgery with liquid nitrogen was performed in one of incisions. The rats' samples were then collected, cut and stained to conduct histopathological examination, to assess the local angiogenesis in differing moments and situations. It was possible to demonstrate that cryosurgery, in spite of promoting cell death and accentuated local inflammation soon after its application, induces quicker cell proliferation in the affected tissue and maintenance of this rate in a second phase, than in tissue healing without this procedure. These findings, together with the knowledge that there is a direct relationship between mononuclear cells and neovascularization (the development of a rich system of new vessels in injury caused by cold), suggest that cryosurgery possesses angiogenic stimulus, even though complete healing takes longer to occur. The significance level for statistical tests was 5% (p<0,05).

Influence of self-perceived oral health and socioeconomic predictors on the utilization of dental care services by schoolchildren

The influence of socioeconomic factors and self-rated oral health on children's dental health assistance was assessed. This study followed a cross-sectional design, with a multistage random sample of 792 12-year-old schoolchildren from Santa Maria, a city in southern Brazil. A dental examination provided information on the prevalence of dental caries (DMFT index). Data about the use of dental service, socioeconomic status, and self-perceived oral health were collected by means of structured interviews. These associations were assessed using Poisson regression models (prevalence ratio; 95% confidence interval). The prevalence of regular use of dental service was 47.8%. Children from low socioeconomic backgrounds and those who rated their oral health as "poor" used the service less frequently. The distribution of the kind of oral healthcare assistance used (public/private) varied across socioeconomic groups. The better-off children were less likely to have used the public service. Clinical, socioeconomic, and psychosocial factors were strong predictors for the utilization of dental care services by schoolchildren.

Study of sunless tanning formulas using molted snake skin as an alternative membrane model

Sunless tanning formulas have become increasingly popular in recent years for their ability to give people convincing tans without the dangers of skin cancer. Most sunless tanners currently on the market contain dihydroxyacetone (DHA), a keto sugar with three carbons. The temporary pigment provided by these formulasis designed to resemble a UV-induced tan. This study evaluated the effectiveness of carbomer gels and cold process self emulsifying bases on skin pigmentation, using different concentrations of a chemical system composed of DHA and N-acetyl tyrosine, which are found in moulted snake skins and their effectiveness was tested by Mexameter (R) MX 18. Eight different sunless tanning formulas were developed, four of which were gels and four of which were emulsions (base, base plus 4.0%, 5.0% and 6.0% (w/w) of a system of DHA and N-acetyl tyrosine). Tests to determine the extent of artificial tanning were done by applying 30 mg cm(-2) of each formula onto standard sizes of moulted snake skin (2.0 cm x 3.0 cm). A Mexameter (R) MX 18 was used to evaluate the extent of coloration in the moulted snake skin at T(0) (before the application) and after 24, 48, 72, 168, 192 and 216 h. The moulted snake skins can be used as an alternative membrane model for in vitro sunless tanning efficacy tests due to their similarity to the human stratum corneum. The DHA concentration was found to influence the initiation of the pigmentation in both sunless tanning systems (emulsion and gel) as well as the time required to increases by a given amount on the tanning index. In the emulsion system, the DHA concentration also influenced the final value on the tanning index. The type of system (emulsion or gel) has no influence on the final value in the tanning index after 216 h for samples with the same DHA concentration.