cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
Risk Factors For Sexually Transmitted Bacterial and Viral Diseases: Analysis of 2007-2010 NHANES Data
Creators: name: Gray, Marissa
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2014

description: Background: This study examines factors that are more associated with risk of sexually transmitted bacterial and viral diseases in a representative sample of American adults.
Methods
: This is a cross sectional study using secondary data from the 2007-2010 National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) data. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) is the software used in analysis of descriptive data and logistic regression models. Univariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine associations between risk factors and sexually transmitted diseases. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine associations between risk factors and sexually transmitted diseases while controlling for confounders. A forward stepwise logistic regression analysis was to determine the best predictors of each type of sexually transmitted diseases.
Results
: The sample size for the study population is n=9,216. There were four observed risk factors that were significantly associated with both bacterial sexually transmitted diseases as well as viral sexually transmitted diseases at the 0.05 level of probability. Lack of health insurance was associated with 1.66 increased odds of sexually transmitted viral disease compared to 1.55 increased odds seen in sexually transmitted bacterial disease. History of birth control was associated with 2.61 and 1.66 increased odds in sexually transmitted bacterial disease and sexually transmitted viral disease, respectively. Having first sexual encounter in adulthood was associated with 3.01 increased odds in sexually transmitted bacterial disease and 1.72 times increased odds in sexually transmitted viral diseases. Multiple sexual partners was associated with decreased odds in both sexually transmitted bacterial and viral sexually transmitted diseases.
Conclusions
: The results of this study indicating differences in factors that are associated with sexually transmitted bacteria diseases and sexually transmitted viral diseases provide evidence for developing public health intervention that is based on type of infection. Public health intervention programs that address sex education, effect of IV drug use, the importance of health insurance, the use of birth control, circumcision, and smoking cessation may help to curb the prevalence of both sexually transmitted bacterial and viral infections in at-risk groups.
A Proposal for a Series of Studies to Explore the Phenomenon of the International Migration of Indonesian Nurses
Creators: name: Elison, Nila Kusumawati
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2014

description: On January 1st, 2014, Indonesia began implementing universal health coverage. Despite the fact that the density of human resources for health (HRH) is far lower than the International Labor Organization’s benchmark, the Indonesian government is ambitiously committed to providing equal, quality, and extended healthcare services to an estimated population of 257.5 million people by 2019 without putting them in financial hardship. In addition, the government expects to ensure a minimum of 85% of the health recipients is satisfied with attained healthcare services. With respect to nurses, the massive international migration of qualified and motivated Indonesian nurses that has taken place over the last decade is alleged to be one of the factors responsible for the low density. However, at this point, very little publicly available information exists that comprehensively displays the phenomenon. As such, to help stakeholders understand the phenomenon, mitigate the recurrence of massive international migration of Indonesian nurses, and make relevant data-driven HRH policies, a proposal for a series of studies to reveal the phenomenon of the international migration of Indonesian nurses is developed. An 18-month research project with various sampling methods, research instruments, and research methods will be conducted to explore four main international nursing migration issues from multiple study populations. The study populations include migrating and returning Indonesian nurses, nursing organizations both in Indonesia and in four foreign countries, local recruitment agencies, two government agencies in Indonesia, and several Indonesian embassies overseas.
"Structural Anthropology" Review
Creators: name: Aulia, Ahmadina
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025

description: "Structural Anthropology" oleh Claude Lévi-Strauss memperkenalkan pendekatan strukturalis untuk memahami budaya. Buku ini menganalisis struktur yang mendasari elemen budaya seperti mitos dan ritual, serta pola pemikiran manusia. Karya ini mengubah cara berpikir dalam antropologi dan tetap relevan dalam studi budaya dan sosiologi.
An Evaluation of Captain Planet Foundation's Learning Gardens Pilot Program in Atlanta, Georgia
Creators: name: House, Cassie
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2014

description: In the last two decades, school gardening programs including interdisciplinary curriculum have been on the rise across the United States and abroad. Many outcomes have been researched related to school gardening programs including children’s academic achievements, socialization through gardening activities, food preference and nutritional outcomes, and environmental impacts. Teachers often carry the greatest weight of responsibility in school gardening programs. While current literature evidences child outcomes by evaluating children, parents, teachers and principles, in this project, teachers specifically were able to identify barriers and concerns before and after teacher training workshops in a pilot program in Atlanta, Georgia and express their levels of experience as indicators of commitment and willingness to implement the program in their classrooms. This research provided an opportunity to assess how well the training addressed perceived barriers to outdoor teaching.
Principles of self-­?efficacy and social cognitive theory were used to guide the development of survey tools in this evaluation. A logic model was created to identify the inputs, activities, short, medium-­?, and long-­?term outcomes and overall impact of the Learning Gardens program to be used in program implementation and expansion and to keep goals in sight, providing measurable evaluation steps to monitor progress. Surveys were created to evaluate the efficacy of teacher training and how teachers perceived barriers and self-­?efficacy during their first year participating in the school gardens program. Surveys were given online and in-­?person before and after training and after the first year of program participation. Data was collected, analyzed and presented. Curriculum tool kits were prepared for use in the classroom.
Results indicated that with training, barriers to teaching outdoors decreased; perceived self-­?efficacy and thus the drive and motivation to continue forward movement in the Learning Gardens program increased. Once teachers became aware of their goals, and how they would be able to achieve them together, they gained understanding of how the program would be beneficial to their students. These results stress the importance of teacher training and the provision of tools and resources linked directly to standards-­?based curriculum as critical components in the implementation of successful school garden programming.
The Association between Maternal Age and Low Birth Weight Offspring, NHANES 2007-2008
Creators: name: Johnson, Dianna
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2014

description: Background: Low birth weight (LBW) is a public health issue in the United States and around the globe. Although Low birth weight is an important predictor of subsequent health outcomes, the role of maternal age as a LBW risk factor is poorly understood. Determining whether or not maternal age is a risk factor for low birth weight can help reduce the incidence of LBW and maximize the health of offspring.
Objective: This study examined the association between young mothers and LBW risk in a representative sample of Non-Hispanic Whites, Non-Hispanic Blacks and Hispanic American women. Factors such as mother’s age, smoking status, level of education, income, and marital status were evaluated to assess their associations with LBW outcome.
Methodology: The selected study factors were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Data were obtained from the 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Young mothers were defined as females between the ages of 14 and19 years old that have a baby. A live born infant weighing less than 2,500 grams was considered to have LBW. Frequencies for the selected factors were created. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were also run to examine the association between young motherhood and LBW adjusting for maternal age, smoking, education, income and marital status.
 Results: There was no statistically significant association between young mothers and LBW in Non-Hispanic Whites (OR=.51; 95% CI=.12-2.13), Non-Hispanic Blacks (OR=.21; 95% CI=.03-1.59), and Hispanic Americans (OR=1.48; 95% CI=.74-2.97) women, after adjusting for maternal age, smoking, education, income and marital status.
Conclusion: Although, the results of this study indicating the lack of association between young mothers and LBW is consistent with findings by some investigators (Reichman et al., 1997), there are several studies that have reported contrary results (Okosun et al., 2000). In light of these mixed findings, further research is necessary to examine the impact of young mothers on adverse birth outcomes, including, LBW.
Are housing improvements an effective supplemental vector control strategy to reduce malaria transmission? A Systematic Review
Creators: name: Carter, Anna
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2014

description: Malaria, a preventable disease caused by a mosquito-transmitted parasitic infection, continues to be a prominent public health problem today. Progress has been made in the last decade demonstrated by malaria mortality reductions primarily attributed to current vector control strategies. However, the continuing threat of resistance, both resistance of mosquitoes to insecticides and parasites to antimalarial medicines, requires the development of new and improved strategies to supplement those already in place. Housing improvements such as screening doors and windows, closing eaves, patching cracks in walls,  and installing ceilings are one such intervention that help stop contact between malaria vectors and humans, and therefore, help stop malaria transmission. Historically considered successful in helping fight malaria, housing improvements are being looked to again today.
A Policy and Infrastructure Analysis of Bicycle Friendly Campuses: an Examination of Three Atlanta-area Universities
Creators: name: Kincaid, Virginia
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2014

description: According to the American College Health Association, less than half of college student populations participate in regular physical activity. With continued emphasis on the importance of exercise, creating opportunities for active transportation around college campuses is becoming critical. Attributes of the community design around us play a vital role in either promoting or hindering physical activity. Additionally, because of a growing interest in sustainability, university officials are finding it necessary to prioritize the environmental impact of decisions made at college campuses.                 
While some campuses have seen an organic growth in bicycling, proper planning and implementation of bicycle-friendly policies yields a greater success in increasing the number of cyclists. Bicycling enhances overall quality of life by reducing problems associated with a dependency on automobiles. The purpose of this capstone project is to provide an analysis of built environments and policies that help promote bicycle-friendly universities. This project provides a visual assessment to compare three Atlanta-area campuses: the Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, and Georgia State University. The photo portfolio helps drive specific recommendations for these universities to improve the state of cycling through infrastructure and programmatic changes around campus.
A Comparison of Smokeless Tobacco Usage in Two NCAA Baseball Programs
Creators: name: Farrey, Andrew
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2014

description: BACKGROUND:  Smokeless tobacco (ST) is commonly associated with baseball.  The purpose of this paper is to examine and compare the ST usage patterns on an NCAA Division I baseball team and an NCAA Division III baseball team.  The collected data will be compared to patterns of use from similar age groups in a national survey. The health effects of ST will be examined, along with the background of ST and baseball.
 METHODS: An online survey was used to distribute and administer the questionnaire to willing participants on the two college baseball teams.  The survey was open from October 29th, 2013 to February 1st, 2014, at which point the data was collected and analyzed for patterns of use in SPSS. The results were then compared to smokeless tobacco use rates in baseball players and student-athletes on the whole found by the NCAA Student-Athlete Substance Abuse Surveys from 1997, 2001, and 2009.   
 RESULTS:  The NCAA Division I baseball team had substantially higher rates of use, both in terms of ever-use and habitual use when compared to the NCAA Division III baseball team.  On the Division I team, 75% of players reported ever-use and 62.5% of players reported habitual use.  On the Division III team, 35.7% of players reported ever-use, while only 14.3% of players reported habitual use. 
 DISCUSSION:     The survey found that the Division I team reported higher rates of use than the Division III team, other NCAA student-athletes generally (75% ST ever-use and 62.5% habitual ST use compared to 17.4% of other student-athletes reporting past 12 month ST use) and higher use than other NCAA baseball players (75% ST ever-use and 62.5% habitual ST use compared to 52.3% of other NCAA baseball players reporting past 12 month ST use),while the Division III team only reported only higher ever-use than NCAA student-athletes on the whole reported use in the last 12 months, (35.7% compared to 17.4%).  The Division III team reported quite a bit less use than other NCAA baseball players (35.7% ST ever-use and 14.3% habitual ST use compared to 52.3% past 12 month ST use in other NCAA baseball players).  This is an awkward comparison given the difference in definitions of use ever-use and habitual use versus past 12 month use.  The major issue with the study was the lack of a large sample size, so the data should be used cautiously.  The rates on both teams would likely be closer had more players responded to the survey.
Individual diet for psoriatic disease
Creators: name: Peslyak, Mikhail
Publisher: name: MYPE
Year: 2025
Subjects: subject: Psoriasis
subject: Arthritis, Psoriatic
subject: Diet

description: As part of series of articles of the project "Natural Way to Remission", psoriatic patients receive information about diets, gastrointestinal cleansing procedures, necessary diagnostics, ability to assess their condition according to PASI, diseases of oral cavity, upper respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract that affect the course of psoriatic disease (hereinafter referred to as PsD), SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) syndrome, phage therapy and course treatment of PsD.

This article provides information on

- potentially problematic substances in food

- impact of diets on SIBO and small intestinal permeability.

- basic diets on which you can create your own individual diet.

- how to form your individual diet
Individual diet for psoriatic disease
Creators: name: Peslyak, Mikhail
Publisher: name: MYPE
Year: 2025
Subjects: subject: Psoriasis
subject: Arthritis, Psoriatic
subject: Diet

description: As part of series of articles of the project "Natural Way to Remission", psoriatic patients receive information about diets, gastrointestinal cleansing procedures, necessary diagnostics, ability to assess their condition according to PASI, diseases of oral cavity, upper respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract that affect the course of psoriatic disease (hereinafter referred to as PsD), SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) syndrome, phage therapy and course treatment of PsD.

This article provides information on- presumable psoriagenic bacteria and a low-microbial diet (new in version e1.2)

- potentially problematic substances in food

- impact of diets on SIBO and small intestinal permeability.

- basic diets on which you can create your own individual diet.

- how to form your individual diet
Impact of Internet Usage on Risk Perceptions of Hookah Use
Creators: name: Helton, Britany
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2014

description: Hookah use has been increasing in recent years. This is possibly due to the fact that hookah is often believed to be a safer alternative for tobacco consumption. This misperception is often amplified by marketing and advertising by tobacco companies on the internet. Since advertising on the internet is not regulated, there needs to be an understanding of the relationship between how a person uses the internet and the perceptions that they hold about hookah smoking. Secondary data from a cross-sectional survey on hookah use was analyzed for this study. This survey assessed many aspects of hookah use like initiation, risk perceptions, smoking behaviors but it also assessed the participant’s internet behaviors. This study focused on the internet behaviors, risk perceptions of hookah use, and socio-demographic variables. Participants (age 18-31 years) were sampled from two public universities in Georgia. Pearson correlations, chi-squared test and frequencies were conducted to establish whether there was a relationship between internet usage and risk perceptions. Overall, participants (n=1049) believed that cigarettes delivered more toxins, were more addictive, and more likely to be associated with cancer. A large majority of participants did not believe that only hookah was associated with addictiveness, chemical toxins, and diseases. The most utilized ways the participants used the internet were for email, homework/research/work, listening to music, and contacting friends. Participants hardly used the internet for meeting new people, creating or maintaining webpages, playing games, and for spiritual/religious topics. The following internet behaviors were most likely to be associated with an increase in the acknowledgment of the risk of smoking hookah: email, shopping, news, music/theater/art, and health/medicine information. The chi squared test showed that there was a relationship between internet use and risk perception. There was also a relationship for internet use and gender and race. However, there were no relationships found between risk perception and gender or race. A relationship was found between risk perceptions for hookah and certain ways that the internet is used by young adults. More focused research is needed in order to fully understand these relationships. These findings can help influence tobacco interventions and tobacco policies related to the internet.
Method of Recruitment Produces a Group of Persons Who Look Different from the Groups with HIV in Most Studies: A Case-Control Study
Creators: name: Boumenir, Zaghla
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2014

description: 

Introduction: More than 1.1 million citizens are infected with HIV and 40,000 new cases are reported annually. Between the years 2004-2007, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported a 15% increase of HIV/AIDS incidence rate in 34 states with established HIV reporting. Although the incidence of HIV infection caused by illicit drugs injection and heterosexual activities have decreased, the CDC reported 26% of new HIV cases among men who have sex with men (MSM).
Objectives: The aim of this study is to reveal if the method of recruitment will produce a group of persons who look different from the groups with HIV in most studies. Also to examine the risk factors such as individual’s behavior and characteristics that lead to the increase of HIV incidence despite the existence of different treatments that was claimed to be effective and the increased awareness of HIV infection. The risk factors examined in the study were alcohol intake, drug use, education level, marital status, and the socioeconomic status among people affected with HIV.
Methods: The data was obtained from the National health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for the years 1999-2012, and it was retrieved from The Centers of Disease Control and prevention (CDC) website. A descriptive analysis was run on the sought variables to be examined, then cases and controls were matched for age +5 years, gender, and race/ethnic groups. The study is a case control study using a sample of 238 participants (N=238) in the age range of 0-80 years and residing in all 50 states. Demographic characteristics were examined for cases and controls. A conditional logistic regression was conducted to examine the risk factors associated with HIV status. Lastly, a comparison of cases and controls and the original data were conducted.
Results: The results reveal that the method of recruitment of participants did have an impact on the result of the study compared to other studies. It was also found that individuals who drink more than five alcoholic drinks per day increase the odds of being infected with HIV than those who do not.
Conclusion: The method of recruitment used by NHANES produced a group of persons who look different from the groups with HIV in other studies. The results of the study strongly suggests the association between risky behavior taken by individuals, such as alcohol drinking and HIV status. These findings also suggest that public health professionals have to increase the awareness of alcohol consumption among the public to reduce HIV transmission.
Identification of Medical Interpreter Services in Atlanta Metropolitan Area
Creators: name: Tran, Huong Giang
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2014

description: Background: Over 73,000 refugees entered the U.S. in 2010. The majority of the refugee population has limited English proficiency (LEP), which is a challenge for those seeking healthcare. People with LEP are often deterred by language barriers from seeking healthcare. Interpreter services are available in some healthcare settings to help improve the communication between physicians and these patients. The availability of interpreters at primary care offices could help encourage the utilization of health services among patients with LEP.
Objectives: To identify primary care offices that provide medical interpreter services in areas around the city of Clarkston, GA. To produce a reference sheet that identifies primary care doctors and the languages available for interpretation at those offices.
Methods: Data on the availability of medical interpreter services was collected through the phone. Google Map was used to identify public transit routes (bus/train) and time to travel from the center of Clarkston to the medical offices.
Results: Less than 50% of family practice, internal medicine, and pediatric offices provide medical interpreter services. It was found that the most common languages available for interpretation are Vietnamese, Spanish, and Mandarin. Interestingly, the current refugee populations arrive from various regions in Africa and Asia. The common languages among these groups are Bhutanese, Burmese dialects, and Farsi. The offices that provide interpreter services with languages relevant to the current refugee population are located more than 30 minutes of travel time by public transit from the center of Clarkston.
Evaluating and Improving Title IX and Related Federal Mandate Compliance as They Relate to Sexual Violence at Berea College
Creators: name: Raheem, Sirajah
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2014

description: This paper seeks to examine Berea College’s current policies and programs as they relate to Title IX and sexual violence. The aims of the first half of this paper are to: 1.) describe the scope of sexual violence on the campuses of institutes of higher education (IHE), with a focus on Berea College’s campus in relation to its mission, and to 2.) detail the best practices in policy, training, and programming to achieve the highest level of Title IX compliance in accordance with federal and professional recommendations. The second half of this paper will seek to 3.) identify the strengths and weakness of Berea College’s current policies, programs, and governance structure and provide policy, programming, and adjudication recommendations based on those structures that are currently in place, 4.) identify the potential cost, both human and financial, in pursuing a more comprehensive level of Title IX compliance, 5.) identify the benefits of utilizing the recommendations provided herein, or similar recommendations, to improve campus climate, and 6.) to conclude with identification of further areas of study for evaluating the success of programming and policies related to Title IX.
L'autore cieco. La scrittura e i romanzi a staffetta
Creators: name: Nicassio, Renato
Publisher: name: Università degli Studi di Cagliari
Year: 2016
Subjects: scrittura a staffetta; evoluzione; autore

description: Il presente lavoro si propone di indagare la pratica della scrittura a staffetta e le sue implicazioni teoriche e pratiche nel campo del romanzo. Nella scrittura a staffetta diversi individui, senza essersi messi preventivamente d’accordo, scrivono progressivamente le parti di un testo che, poste una di seguito all'altro, danno vita al testo finale. Si tratta di una tipologia di scrittura sequenziale che, applicata alla stesura di romanzi, solleva interessanti questioni: che tipo di romanzo è possibile scrivere separatamente e sequenzialmente? E chi ne deve essere considerato l'autore?
description: Between, Vol 6, N° 11 (2016): Forme, strategie e mutazioni del racconto seriale
Characteristics and Odds of Having LTBI among Risk Groups (NHANES, 2011-2012)
Creators: name: Zhuben, Mirwais
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2014

description: Tuberculosis (TB) is a public health challenge globally. In the US, TB is unevenly distributed based on country of birth. Since 1993, TB disproportionately has been decreasing among US and foreign born persons. In 1993, the proportion of TB among foreign born persons was 30% while in 2012, 65% of TB cases were foreign born persons. US is a country with an open immigration policy which can challenge TB control by entering more immigrants with latent TB infection (LTBI). Therefore, this study is aimed to indentify the characteristics of LTBI persons, estimate the odds having LTBI among risk groups, and compare risk factors of LTBI between foreign and US born persons. In this study, a two year sample (NHANES, 2011-2012) is considered and 6,185 observations are included in the analysis. Among all LTBI (526), 21%, 46%, 31%, 7%, and 65% were diabetic, smoker, age group?65, TB contact, and foreign born respectively. Among all risk factors, diabetes (OR=1.45, 95% CI: 1.14-1.86), smoking (OR=1.63, 95% CI: 1.33-1.86), age group ?65 (OR=1.97, 95% CI: 1.58-2.45), TB contacts (OR=2.54, 95% CI: 1.69-3.82), and foreign born (OR=5.70, 95% CI: 4.65-7.00) were significantly associated with LTBI. The association between LTBI and foreign born is approximately six times higher than the association between US born and LTBI, indicating that TB infection exposure is very high among foreign born persons. This fact is an obstacle toward achieving TB eradication goal in the US. Thus, proper interventions such as screening and treatment of foreign born persons coming from TB endemic countries, particularly those who are in high risk groups will take TB control program one step closer to the eradication of the disease in the US.
title: Lagrange Multipliers as a Metric for Early-Stage Shipboard Power System Design
Creators: name: Barnes, Magdalen A.
Publisher: name: University of Kentucky Libraries
Year: 2025
Subjects: classificationCode: 2.2
subject: FOS: Electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering

description: Integrated power systems are essential in the operation of electric ships and must function under a diverse range of conditions. In addition to routine operation, ships should be prepared to respond to challenging events that require significant amounts of power. Demanding scenarios, coupled with complex and interconnected power systems, present challenging issues. The power and energy ratings of equipment are crucial factors in the operational success of the ship; however, to meet economic constraints, balance between performance and cost must be upheld. Details regarding equipment models and specifications are typically unavailable during early-stage design. Power system modeling and simulation can be used to test many designs at low resolution with minimal investment. Optimization of power flow offers insight into the potential performance and quality of a power system’s design. Multi-period optimization solves all time steps simultaneously, indicating the upper bounds on performance by allowing for the optimal control of energy storage and other state variables. In the following study, linear programming-based techniques are used to model a notional electric shipboard power system and optimize power flow following a multi-period approach. Lagrange multipliers are extracted from the optimal solution and applied as a metric to quantify the marginal change in performance per change in rating of the equipment. The Lagrange multipliers are used to create performance road maps to visualize trade-offs between ratings and performance, producing a tool to aid in early-stage ship design. The notion of performance road maps is extended from a single scenario to the aggregation of multiple scenarios using average Lagrange multipliers and Lagrange multipliers associated with the scenario with minimum performance.
description: © 2025 Magdalen A. Barnes
Research proposal for Assessing Patient Safety Culture in Public Hospitals under the Essential Package of Hospital Services (EPHS) in Afghanistan
Creators: name: Achakzai, Haroon
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2014

description: Patient safety is an issue of global concern, which is sometimes missed due to the complexity of the healthcare systems. There is an increasing concern for negligence of patient safety in developing countries, especially countries with poor healthcare systems and less reliable data. In 2005, the Ministry of Public Health in Afghanistan developed the Essential Package of Hospital Services (EPHS) in order to promote quality of care in Afghan Hospitals. Patient safety, as one of the key objective of the EPHS, appears to need additional attention and evaluation. The main purpose of this research proposal is to develop a validated patient safety culture instrument and to evaluate the use of the instrument in Afghan Hospitals. The proposal introduces a framework for sampling hospitals followed by a plan for conducting a cross-sectional study using the survey instrument. The proposal also includes an assessment of the psychometric properties of the instrument. The findings achieved from the administration of the survey are intended to compare 12 dimensions of patient safety culture among different groups of providers, categories of hospitals under EPHS and the overall grade of patient safety culture within Afghanistan and with results from use of the instrument in other countries. The proposed research will have important implications for both the hospital management systems and policy making. The findings will help hospital managers and decision makers understand different dimensions of patient safety. Results should assist hospitals and health departments redesign strategies and policies that are focused on attitudes, behaviors and practices to improve the overall culture of safety. Additionally, hospitals will recognize their weak and strong points and will contribute in exchange of experiences and share their best practices.
Age-related Macular Degeneration and Vascular and Renal Comorbidities in Adults Aged 40 Years or Older: NHANES 2005-2008
Creators: name: Cheng, Qi
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2014

description: 
IMPORTANCE: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of low vision in elderly population. The association of vascular and renal conditions has been reported inconsistently. Unfolding the association may provide the insight to eye care providers to take account general health management into eye care.
OBJECTIVES:  To investigate the prevalence of the vascular and renal comorbidities with AMD, examine the association of a single or combination of these comorbidities with AMD.
DSIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: Population-base cross-sectional study involved the adults aged 40 years or older (N=4596) who participated in the 2005 to 2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a national representative population-based survey of non-institutionalized US residents.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: AMD was defined by the presence of drusen and presence of pigmental abnormality. Angina pectoris (AP), coronary heart disease (CHD), congestive heart failure (CHF) and myocardial infarction (MI), and stroke, assessed by self-report by the questionnaire of medical conditions, Chronic kidney disease (CKD), assessed by self-report and estimation of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and the level of urine albumin. Heart disease (HD) was defined as having AP or CHF or CHD or MI.
RESULTS: Among individuals with AMD, 6% had AP, 10% had CHD, 7% had CHF, 10% had MI, 13% had stroke, and 29% had CKD. The weighted prevalence of these conditions were significantly higher than those without AMD (All P-values
CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: These findings from the nationally-representative sample of the US population highlight the prevalence of vascular and renal comorbidities associated with AMD, the modest evidence of relationship of each single comorbidity, and strong association of combination of stroke and CKD to AMD independent of age, gender, and other factors. Because of the cross-sectional design, the results of this study can not address a causal relationship between AMD and the examined comorbidities. It is unclear whether AMD and comorbidities arise from individual predisposition to vascular and renal diseases or whether complications from these morbidities increase the risk of AMD. However, the important caveat is that preventive and care management for the examined comorbidities may lessen the severity of symptoms or prevent AMD.
A Proposed Evaluation Plan for Kaiser Permanente’s Diabetes Disease Management Program
Creators: name: Wiedeman, Kathryn
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2014

description: DM is a serious and complex public health problem in the U.S. The CDC (2013) estimated that 25.8 million people, or 8.3% of the U.S. population, were suffering from DM in 2011. DM can significantly affect patient’s quality of life. Additionally, DM places a significant economic burden on the U.S. healthcare system.
Over the past two decades, DMPs have emerged as a promising intervention to improve health outcomes for patients suffering from chronic conditions, such as DM, and to bend the cost curve. DMP’s aim is to improve communication and follow-up so that patients can better manage their chronic condition(s) to avoid costly hospital stays and emergency room visits (Fireman, Bartlett, & Selby, 2004).
The Georgia region of Kaiser Permanente (KPGA) is a fully integrated health system that serves 260,000 members at 28 medical offices along with two specialty offices in the metropolitan Atlanta area. The Center for Care Partnership, the population care division of KPGA, administers a chronic disease management program (DMP), Healthy Solutions (HS). HS exists to improve and maintain the health of chronically ill KPGA members, including patients diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (DM), by providing health coaches via telephone who counsel members on their specific chronic disease and aid members in starting or maintaining a physician approved self-care management plan.
In order to determine the impact HS has on KPGA members with DM, an evaluation plan was created to evaluate the impact HS has on members’ glycated hemoglobin (A1C), blood pressure, and emergency department (ED) utilization. This capstone thoroughly details the proposed evaluation plan created for HS by using Robert Milstein and Scott Wetterhall’s six-step framework for program evaluation. Additionally, further evaluation questions are suggested and discussed in order to provide a more complete picture of program performance to stakeholders.
A Comparative Analysis of the Health Status of Children Under 5 Years of Age in the Dominican Republic and Dominican Bateyes
Creators: name: Madrid, Fitumai
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2014

description: 
BACKGROUND: Child malnutrition contributes to more than 33% of child deaths and is directly related to the productivity and success of the adult population. To combat these stark figures, the United Nations Millennium Development Goals set out to halve levels of malnutrition by 2015. While recent U.N. reports indicate that many countries are on track to reach the MDGs, there may be sub-populations within these countries that do not fair as well. The purpose of this study is to provide a comparative analysis of the nutritional status of children younger than five years of age in the Dominican Republic and the Dominican Batey sub-population. This comparison will be based on stunting levels, reportedly the best indicator of child malnutrition, as it indicates sustained levels of nutritional deficiency.
METHODS: Cross-sectional data from the 2007 Dominican Republic Standard and Special Demographic Health Surveys involving 11,149 Dominican children and 919 children from Dominican Bateyes, respectively, were used. Version 20 of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to conduct descriptive statistics, analysis of variance tests, and independent samples T-test using selected socio-demographic variables.
RESULTS: A significant difference in height-for-age (stunting) was identified between Bateyes (M= -83.52, SD =134.783) and the general population (M = -51.88, SD = 134.576; t (10,032) = -6.301, p = .00, two-tailed). Study findings indicate that overall, children under five years of age who reside in Dominican Bateyes are more malnourished than their Dominican counterparts (15.9% in Bateyes as opposed to 10.8% in the general population). Furthermore, Batey children are .34 times more moderately stunted, and one time more severely stunted, than children who reside in other areas of the Dominican Republic.
CONCLUSION: While the Dominican Republic is on track to meet MDG Goal 1, a significant portion of the population does not fair as well. The substantial underlying differences that exist between the Dominican the Batey sub-population have led to higher rates of stunting and require further analysis. The findings of this study should guide the design of appropriate interventions aimed at reduction of malnutrition within Batey communities.
KEY WORDS: stunting, malnutrition, children, Dominican Republic, Batey, Millennium Development Goals
A Comparison of Anthropometric Measures for Classification of Metabolic Syndrome and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors, NHANES 2007-2010
Creators: name: Heath, John
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2014

description: BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are among the leading causes of death in the United States. The Metabolic Syndrome, which comprises a cluster of cardiometabolic risk factors, puts individuals at increased risk for these diseases. It is therefore important that people with Metabolic Syndrome, at high risk for CVD and type 2 diabetes, are identified and treated. Since it may not often be practical to obtain the laboratory measures necessary for diagnosing the Metabolic Syndrome, simple anthropometric measures are a useful way of quickly identifying individuals at increased risk for the Metabolic Syndrome.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the utility of three of the most commonly used anthropometric measures – Body Mass Index (BMI), Waist Circumference (WC), and Waist-to-Height Ratio (WC) – for classifying individuals with and without the Metabolic Syndrome and its component risk factors in the United States. Using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and Area Under the Curve (AUC) statistics, this thesis will assess the utility of each body measurement and compare it to BMI.
METHODS: A large, multi-ethnic, nationally representative sample from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2010 was used for this analysis. The study sample was restricted to adults aged 20-65 with complete information on height, weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, HDL cholesterol, fasting glucose, and triglycerides (n=3,769). In order to compare the utility of different anthropometric measures for classification, weighted ROC curves were constructed for each anthropometric measure-outcome combination and AUC statistics were compared. AUC statistics were calculated by approximating the definite integral of the ROC curves with the trapezoidal rule. Variances for AUC statistics and differences in AUC statistics were estimated with jackknife repeated replication. Analyses were completed for the entire sample and separately for non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, and Mexican Americans.
RESULTS: For the entire sample, WC (AUC=0.752) did a better job than BMI (AUC=0.728) at classifying individuals with and without the Metabolic Syndrome (p
CONCLUSION: Waist circumference should be considered, especially over BMI, for risk stratification in clinical settings and research. Further research should attempt to identify optimum waist circumference cut points for use in the US population.
title: Sentinel-4 Level-2 ATBD ECMWF and CAMS model data preprocessing
title: S4-L2-IUP_BIRA_KNMI-ATBD-2020
titleType: AlternativeTitle
Creators: name: Sanders, Bram
name: van Gent, Jeroen
name: Richter, Andreas
name: Eskes, Henk
Publisher: name: IUP, BIRA, KNMI
Year: 2024

description: The Sentinel-4 (S4) Level-2 (L2) algorithms require model data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) as auxiliary input. This Algorithm Theoretical Baseline Document (ATBD) describes in detail the preprocessing of the model data provided by ECMWF and CAMS that is needed before the data can be used by the respective Level-2 core processors. This preprocessing will be implemented in the S4-RI-ECA processor.
Comparative Analysis of Insurance Use Among Dental and Trauma Patients Presenting for Care in Grady Memorial Hospital’s Emergency Department
Creators: name: Conboy, Lauren
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2014

description: INTRODUCTION: Oral health is a worldwide concern that affects people of every age, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity. Having good oral health is vital to overall health and well-being. Dental caries and periodontal diseases are preventable, but disparities exist in access to preventive care. Proper oral hygiene includes brushing with fluoride toothpaste, flossing, and regular dental visits. Adults without dental insurance may have financial obstacles to proper oral hygiene. Due to lack of dental care, adults without dental insurance may seek acute dental treatment in inappropriate settings, such as an emergency department.
AIM: The purpose of this study was to examine if insurance status is associated with being dental and trauma patients presenting to Grady Memorial Hospital’s emergency department for care.
METHODS: Data were obtained from Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta, GA for the years 2010-2013. Emergency department data for trauma and dental patients aged 20-64 years (n = 27,247) were extracted using ICD-9 codes and the age variable. Chi-square analyses were used to assess differences in insurance status between dental and trauma patients. Odds ratios from bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine associations between being a dental or trauma patient and selected independent variables. The model of best fit was determined using the stepwise logistic regression technique.
RESULTS: Insurance status was significantly different between trauma and dental patients (p < .001). Approximately 78% of dental patients were uninsured, while about 57% of trauma patients were uninsured. Controlling for cofounders, being uninsured was statistically significant. Being uninsured was significantly associated with an increased likelihood of being a dental patient (OR: 2.58, 95% CI: [2.17,3.07], p < .001).
DISCUSSION: The results from this study demonstrate that insurance status is a main reason why dental patients seek care in an emergency department. Dental patients are significantly more likely to be uninsured than trauma patients. This issue of lack of insurance coverage for dental patients must be addressed in order to decrease the current disparities in care. Further research is needed to determine if there are additional driving factors which contribute to the decision to visit an emergency department for dental care. Due to the disparities that exist in access to dental care, and the repercussions that occur from a lack of dental insurance, dental insurance coverage is a public health concern that needs to be given more attention.
An Examination of Factors Associated with the Use of Breast, Cervical, and Colon Cancer Screening Among Foreign-Born and Non-Foreign Born Individuals in the United States
Creators: name: Mariga, Netsai
Publisher: name: Georgia State University
Year: 2014

description: 

Background: The number of Foreign Born (FB) individuals in the United States (US) is growing and their health behaviors and beliefs are important to know. In the US, cancer is the second leading cause of death, and there is need to explore factors that are associated with the use of cancer prevention strategies among FB individuals.
Objective: The study aimed to compare cancer screening rates, assess factors associated with use of cancer screening tests across FB and Non-Foreign Born (NFB) individuals and association between length of stay and use of selected cancer screening tests among FB people.
Methodology: Using the 2012 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 4, cycle 2 data, which comprised of 3,630 participants of which 513 were FB, logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify predictors of selected cancer screening tests. Independent variables included demographic and selected healthcare, beliefs, and information seeking factors.
Results: There were no significant differences in screening rates for cervical, breast, and colon cancers among the FB and NFB individuals. For breast cancer screening, having had a routine checkup in the last year was found to be associated with increased likelihood of having a mammography exam. For cervical cancer screening, none of the selected healthcare, beliefs and information seeking factors was found to be significant among the FB individuals. For colon cancer screening, only the information seeking factor “it took a lot of effort to get cancer information” was found to be significant among FB individuals. Length of stay in the US for FB individuals was found be associated with increased likelihood of colon cancer test only.
Conclusion: Inventive and ethnically appropriate strategies are essential to increase awareness for cancer prevention strategies. Well-designed information strategies that take into account the diversity of the US population can lead to benefits such as increased cancer screening.
