Organizations that deliver programs to promote the entry of students from marginalized populations into the U.S. health workforce often struggle to demonstrate the effective achievement of outcomes, and face diminishing fiscal resources. This study was an empirical examination of the extent and manner that a statewide, precollege, health careers exploration program fostered the matriculation of underrepresented minority students into health degree education programs. Schneider and Stevenson's aligned ambitions framework provided the theoretical foundation. The research questions for this study examined the relationship between program participation and the successful health degree matriculation of racial minority students based on the extent of participation, the type of participation, and the extent and type of participation controlling for gender, profession, and region using a quantitative trend analysis of archived program data and longitudinal, preexisting matriculation data. Completion of the analysis used sequential logistic regression. The selection criteria for study included high school students who participated in the program between 2006 to 2010 and who subsequently enrolled in college (N = 246). No statistically significant relationships between program participation and matriculation into health care education programs were found resulting in the recommendation to reassess and revise data collection and analysis processes for future official program evaluation. The resulting white paper recommends that Area Health Education Consortium (AHEC) career exploration program designers create continuous and effective review and evaluation processes to ultimately enable the positive social impact of a more representative number of students from marginalized populations into the U.S. health workforce.

Preterm birth (PTB) and low birthweight (LBW) babies are the source of a large burden of infant, neonatal, and childhood morbidity. The purpose of this project was to expand the use of the CenteringPregnancyTM Group Prenatal Care Model as an evidence-based intervention for management of both medical and psychosocial risk in low-income, ethnic and racial minorities in New York City. The standardized model developed by Schindler Rising decreases the incidence of preterm birth and low birthweight and increases the rate of breastfeeding. A CenteringPregnancyTM program implementation plan, customized to meet the needs of a multisite urban hospital system, was coordinated with the Centering Healthcare Institute to ensure method fidelity while allowing for an individual site's needs based upon patient demographics and provider mix. Program evaluation showed that the logic models supported implementation and expansion of Centering Groups at 2 federally qualified health centers, with adequate progress toward site approval, method fidelity scores, and favorable patient and staff satisfaction ratings using the CenteringCountsTM data collection system. After a total of 4 Centering group cohorts with 26 women, 7 at high medical risk, 4 delivered preterm (11.5%), 2.3% less than the institutional average PTB rate of 13.8%. One out of 26 women delivered a LBW infant. Twenty-two of 24 women (92%) initiated breastfeeding compared to the institutional average of 89%. To foster a change in policy toward Centering as the default option for prenatal care, ongoing evaluation is required to assess the reduction of and fiscal impact on preterm and low birthweight rates to offset the cost of implementation.

Many adolescents are at risk of injury as a result of lifestyle, with high morbidity and mortality rates primarily affected by engagement in risk-taking behaviour (AIHW, 2004b). The study aimed to reduce injury through the design, implementation and evaluation of an intervention to affect risk-taking behaviour. The intervention was guided by theory,(Theory of Planned Behavior, TPB Ajzen, 1985) and selectively focused on increasing protective behaviour toward friends. To meet the aim, the intervention focused on the following risk-taking behaviours: alcohol use, interpersonal violence, being a passenger of, and own risky use of a motor vehicle or bicycle. The average age of participants of the study was fourteen. The program of research was divided into three stages that, as a whole, met the aim of designing and evaluating an intervention to reduce risk-taking behaviour among adolescents. The aim of the first stage was to provide the detail required for the program design (Stage 2). Stage 1 comprised a number of research processes including (i) a comprehensive literature review. The literature review included the rationale for reducing injury and risk-taking behaviour among adolescents, examination of the friendship relationship and assessing key issues and components of previously evaluated behaviour change programs. Stage 1 also included (ii) an assessment and operationalisation of the theoretical design (Theory of Planned Behavior and cognitive behavioural strategies). It was also found, in this Study 1, that the constructs of the TPB could explain friends' protective behaviour. Further, Stage 1 included (iii) Study 2, a qualitative evaluation of injury, risk-taking behaviour and key risk and protective factors for risk-taking behaviour from the perspective of young people conducted through focus groups. The information gathered in Stage 1 was used to develop the design of the program which comprised Stage 2. The next stage (Stage 3) involved an impact evaluation of the program. Firstly, in Study 3, a qualitative study was conducted to assess intervention participants' and teachers' perceptions of the program and adolescents' change in behaviour and attitudes. Intervention participants felt that they reduced their risk-taking behaviour and increased their protective behaviour toward their friends. Overall, adolescents and teachers viewed the program favourably. Secondly, in Study 4, a quantitative evaluation was conducted. Preliminary investigations found significant differences in change and behaviours among individuals from different ethnic backgrounds and, as such, analyses were conducted with the majority, Caucasian group only. The results indicated a reduction in risk-taking behaviours from baseline to follow-up in the intervention group and an increase in the comparison group. There was no support for the prediction that intervention students would increase their protective behaviour relative to the control group. Overall, the findings indicated challenges associated with designing and implementing an effective program to reduce risk-taking behaviour among adolescents.

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The diploma thesis contains an overview of the development of numerical control of machine tools and a historical excursion of the beginnings of numerical control. The work deals with the design and presentation of the component, and then the calculation documentation used to determine the load and safety of the component. After computational and design analysis, the work deals with the design of component production on CNC machines and the technological process of production. Finally, the production of the part is documented and evaluated.

Thesis deals with design of the experimental single-cylinder spark ignition engines for research purposes. The main purpose of this work is the design crankcase. Summary of possible constructions of spark ignition engines is included. Basic dimensions and 3-D design of the experimental engine resulted from the summary. The numerical analysis of proposed crankcase in ADAMS (MBS) and ANSYS (FEM) software environment is also part of the work. Generally, the proposed solution of the experimental engine was focused on the universality and simplicity of the design.

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No description available.

This study identifies effective practices in the design of alternative education programs; and more specifically, programs that support the positive social engagement and healthy development of adolescents who have left the public education system and are labeled as marginalized or street involved. Effective practices were identified theoretically through a critic of current educational practices within the North-American public system and through the application of an integral systems theory framework of human development that identifies patterns of relationships between seemingly divergent perspectives in order to achieve the broadest breath of understanding through the inclusion of the truths held within each. A case study of a program that applied these practices within a community agricultural context was then analyzed to test their relevancy in the field. Through an analysis applying qualitative descriptive methodologies the following practices were identified as being effective in supporting positive engagement: 1) an experiential curriculum geared towards developing employable skills, 2) program activities that directly contributed to the local community, 3) the provision of a wage for program participants 4) adults facilitating the program trained in providing supportive caring relationships, 5) program peer groups being composed of youth and young adults of mixed ages and socio-economic backgrounds with marginalized youth being a minority, 6) a social co-operative organizational structure to administer the program. Limitations of the study were the small number of youth sampled as a result of the nature of the structure of the program in the case study. / Graduate

Thesis (M.G.S.)--Miami University, Dept. of Sociology and Gerontology, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 40-45).