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Abstract The greatest burden of sickle cell anemia (SCA) globally occurs in sub‐Saharan Africa, where significant morbidity and mortality occur secondary to SCA‐induced vasculopathy and stroke. Transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) can grade the severity of vasculopathy, with disease modifying therapy resulting in stroke reduction in high‐risk children. However, TCD utilization for vasculopathy detection in African children with SCA remains understudied. The objective was to perform a prospective, observational study of TCD findings in a cohort of children with SCA from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, and Malawi. A total of 770 children aged 2–17 years without prior stroke underwent screening TCD. A study was scored as low risk when the time‐averaged maximum of the mean (TAMMX) in the middle cerebral artery or terminal internal carotid artery was 50 cm/s, conditional risk when 170–200 cm/s, and high risk when >200 cm/s. Low‐risk studies were identified in 604 children (78%), conditional risk in 129 children (17%), and high risk in three children (0.4%). Additionally, 34 (4%) were scored as having an unknown risk study (TAMMX

BackgroundThe majority of childhood deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Many of these deaths are avoidable with basic critical care interventions. Quantifying the burden of pediatric critical illness in LMICs is essential for targeting interventions to reduce childhood mortality.ObjectiveTo determine the burden of hospitalization and mortality associated with acute pediatric critical illness in LMICs through a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature.Data Sources and Search StrategyWe will identify eligible studies by searching MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and LILACS using MeSH terms and keywords. Results will be limited to infants or children (ages >28 days to 12 years) hospitalized in LMICs and publications in English, Spanish, or French. Publications with non-original data (e.g., comments, editorials, letters, notes, conference materials) will be excluded.Study SelectionWe will include observational studies published since January 1, 2005, that meet all eligibility criteria and for which a full text can be located.Data ExtractionData extraction will include information related to study characteristics, hospital characteristics, underlying population characteristics, patient population characteristics, and outcomes.Data SynthesisWe will extract and report data on study, hospital, and patient characteristics; outcomes; and risk of bias. We will report the causes of admission and mortality by region, country income level, and age. We will report or calculate the case fatality rate (CFR) for each diagnosis when data allow.ConclusionsBy understanding the burden of pediatric critical illness in LMICs, we can advocate for resources and inform resource allocation and investment decisions to improve the management and outcomes of children with acute pediatric critical illness in LMICs.

Summary: Pericytes play a critical role in promoting, regulating, and maintaining numerous vascular functions. Their dysfunction is a major contributor to the progression of vascular and neurodegenerative diseases, making them an ideal candidate for large-scale production for disease modeling and regenerative cell therapy. This protocol describes the rapid and robust differentiation of pericytes from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) while simultaneously generating a population of hiPSC-derived endothelial progenitor cells.For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Zhang et al. (2017).

The unprecedented introduction of COVID-19 in Spring 2020 has created an academic earthquake in higher education. There was an instant halt to academic programs, student support, the learning environment, instructional methods, and delivery at all levels. Teacher educational programs were no exception. These programs consist of both coursework and a culminating practicum. There was an instant need to conceptualize a model that would assist with transitioning pre-service teachers from a traditional teaching practicum to a virtual teaching practicum. This model would ensure the demand was met from the Ministry of Education for qualified teachers despite the global pandemic. Hence, a team of researchers at the University of The Bahamas designed and developed two virtual teaching practicum models. They were the foundational platform for transitioning pre-service teachers from traditional to virtual teaching practicums. Implications for theory and practice are also discussed. [The page range cited on the .pdf (pp. 1-29) is incorrect. The correct page range is pp. 1-28.]

International students pursuing higher education in the United States are faced with a multiplicity of challenges such as relocating to a new country, navigating an unfamiliar educational system, overcoming negative stereotypes associated with being an international student, and, in some instances, learning a foreign language. Despite such challenges, international students remain motivated to pursue higher education in the United States. This qualitative study, utilizing Schlossberg's adult transition model as a theoretical framework, explores the lived experiences of 16 international students pursuing higher education in the United States. Emphasis is placed on their transitional experiences in relation to their learning. The major theme that emerged is "major adjustment." Subthemes that emerged regarding these students' adjustments includes (a) diversity and cultural differences in the learning environment, (b) comparative differences in the learning environment, (c) language barriers, and (d) combatting stereotypes. Implications for theory and practice are also discussed.

In this study, we explore the perceived employability and ambition of student veterans, compare the perceived employability and ambition of student veterans and civilian students, and examine the impact of other variables (e.g., age, gender, GPA, etc.) on student veterans' perceived employability and ambition. An online survey was conducted among 85 students, including 37 veterans and 48 civilian students. The results show that most of the investigated student veterans were confident in their employability and future career success. In addition, student veterans had slightly lower perceived employability and ambition than either active military members or civilian students. The result of descriptive analysis showed clues that explained how other variables impacted the perceived employability and ambition of student veterans.

The purpose of this study is to explore the perceived employability and its factors (e.g. demographic factors, educational factors, work-related factors, language and U.S. experience factors, and family factors) among international students in the U.S. Also, the study examines how gender moderates the relationships between perceived employability and other factors. A survey was conducted among international students at a midwestern public university in the U.S. and 138 participants' responses were included in the data analysis. The result shows that international students are confident in their employability. Interestingly, compared to female international students, the advantages brought by being in the field of engineering or having more work experiences are mainly for males. The present study may attract more scholars' attention to research the education outcomes for international students and explore the strategies that improve the outcomes.

This study was to explore the perceptions of employability, ambition, and university commitment held by students in Human Resource Development (HRD) programs and examine the relationships between these perceptions and other variables (e.g. age, gender, program level, employment status, etc.). A quantitative was conducted through an online survey among students (N=103) in the HRD programs within a midwestern public university in the U.S. A principal component analysis and ordinary least squares regression were conducted. The results of this study would benefit various audiences in making useful decisions for improving academic HRD programs in higher education. The findings could also help students predict their employability and career success, as well as make appropriate decisions to better prepare for their career development in the future. In addition, the findings could facilitate more research on students' career assessment and career development.

The purpose of this study is to explore the factors that impact the experience of Caribbean nontraditional adult learners encounter while pursuing higher education in the United States and perceived support systems needed by Caribbean adult learners to be successful. On this premise, this qualitative study was conducted. A total of 15 Bahamian students participated. Data was collected via semi structured interviews and analyzed utilizing open coding. The major themes that emerged with regards to influential factors that impacted their experiences were: (a) financial constraints, (b) lack of support, and (c) cultural differences and adaptation. As it relates to support systems needed by Caribbean students, the major themes that emerged were: (a) family, (b) faculty/mentors, and (c) a network of friends.

Attrition has affected special education for decades. Understanding the influence of job satisfaction upon employee retention is vital in developing a country's work force. This qualitative study consisted of 12 participants and explored the influencing factors of Bahamian special educators' withdrawal from public education. Job Satisfaction and Social Cognitive Career Theory grounded this study, emphasizing the influence of experiences upon career decisions. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed via open coding. Findings revealed that Bahamian special educators left special education because of (a) lack of support, (b) inadequate training, and (c) burnout, resulting in poor job satisfaction.

The study's purpose is twofold and examines (a) major challenges veterans may encounter while enrolled in higher education, and (b) veterans' perceptions of utilizing higher education as a transitional tool to the civilian workforce. A qualitative design was employed in this study. Data were collected utilizing three focus groups (N = 11). The findings concerning veterans' challenges in pursuit of higher education are the following: (a) us versus them, (b) difference in the learning environment, (c) institutional barriers, and (d) networking. The current study provides an additional discussion platform for educators, institutions of higher education, and veterans affairs departments--it is a potential opportunity to design learning environments, policies, and practices that will enhance the overall process of veterans' transitions and create environments in higher education that are truly veteran-friendly.

Although the literature on veteran differences in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) occupational outcomes by gender is established and veteran/nonveteran differences in STEM outcomes are well studied, we fill a gap in the literature by examining the following two research questions in this study: (1) are rural veterans less likely than urban veterans to be employed in a STEM occupation and how does race/ethnicity modify this relationship; (2) among veterans in a STEM occupation, does total income vary by rural/urban location and race/ethnicity? We retrieved data on employed military veterans (n = 845,467) aged 18 to 65 years from the 2008–2020 American Community Survey. Results showed that rural-dwelling Black and Hispanic veterans were less likely than Whites to be employed in a STEM field. Among veterans employed in a STEM field, rural-dwelling Hispanics had lower annual incomes than Whites. As such, future STEM education programs should target rural-dwelling veterans of color. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transitioning of veterans, specifically as mature workers, from the "military world" to the "civilian world," and by extension, the civilian workforce is the ultimate career transition. Despite their motivation and resilience, veterans still encounter a multiplicity of challenges when transitioning to the civilian workforce, which quite often has a rippling impact on their attainment of employment, career development, employee engagement, and job satisfaction within the civilian sector. On this premise, the purpose of this conceptual paper is two-fold: (1) discuss veterans' career transitional challenges as civilian employees, specifically, recruitment, career development, engagement, and job satisfaction; and (2) from a Human Resource Development perspective, provide strategies, interventions, and/or best practices for recruiting, developing, engaging, and satisfying the veteran employee in the civilian workforce.

The transitioning of veterans from the "military world" to "the civilian world" and by extension the civilian workforce is the "ultimate career transition." However, to facilitate this challenge, most veterans often utilize higher education as a transitional tool to qualify themselves with credentials that are not only recognizable but valued by their potential civilian employer. Transitional challenges for the veteran student in higher education include a unified learning environment (veterans and civilians), a learning environment supported by unfamiliar learning theories, and differences in roles, for example instructor and student. Utilizing the transitional challenges veterans encounter while pursuing higher education as an underpinning, this chapter provides an overview of the veteran student, explores the transitional challenges veterans encounter while pursuing higher education and relevant support systems needed for success. Additionally, this chapter provides strategies that should be employed by adult educators in an effort to promote a veteran-friendly learning environment.

Bahamian classrooms are comprised of students with varying disabilities (emotional, physical, mental, and learning), and these students are failing to meet the requirements of their various grade levels due to inadequate interventions critical to addressing their individual needs. For these needs to be met in mainstream classrooms, Inclusive Education is inevitable. Consequently, a qualitative phenomenological study was conducted to survey perceptions of primary school teachers towards this practice. The sample included teachers from various schools within New Providence, The Bahamas. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews. Responses were qualitatively analyzed for themes and main concepts through open-coding. The study emphasizes the need to recognize teachers' perceptions towards inclusive education as a fundamental aspect of the practice's success in primary schools. Findings indicated that ninety percent of the teachers interviewed expressed negative perceptions of inclusive education. It was also revealed that the most prevalent influencing factors of the teachers' negative perceptions were lack of training in special education and inclusive education, and lack of resources. Twenty percent of the teachers expressed positive perceptions of inclusive education, stating however, that the success of such a practice depends greatly upon a myriad of elements.

Despite the paradigm shift globally regarding the adoption of inclusive education, teachers still have varying preconceived misconceptions about its successful implementation and practices in the general education classroom. This qualitative study focused on teachers' perception of adapting inclusive education policies and procedures in The Bahamas and its implication for adult education. The participants of the study were teachers (n-18) in the K-12 educational system in The Bahamas. The findings from this study revealed that there was a vast misconception of the definition of inclusive education. Secondly, five overarching factors that influenced teachers' perception of inclusive education were (a) lack of training, (b) insufficient resources and (c) administrative support, (d) teachers' attitudes and (e) inadequate /misconception of information regarding inclusive education. The study further provides an overview for implications for education and training of general education teachers charged with the resp

The purpose of this study is to investigate the perception of employability and success among workforce education and development (WED) graduates. A quantitative study was conducted through the administration of an online survey to graduates (N = 85) of a WED program located within a midwestern, state university. The survey included demographic questions and a Likert-scale questionnaire consisting of 14 items from Rothwell and Arnold's self-perceived individual employability scales (2007). A principal components analysis was conducted to explore and confirm the related measures. Ordinary least squares regression was used to evaluate the relationship between the graduates' perceptions of their employability and career success and other demographic variables. The results of this study may be useful to public administrators, higher education institutions, WED faculty, human resource development professionals, students, and researchers.

Within the past 30 years, the number of nontraditional learners who pursue higher education has increased. This gravitation to higher education can be attributed to the changing value of the nontraditional learner regarding higher education as a direct link to improving the quality of employment, family, and financial stability. Despite the desire to obtain higher education, nontraditional learners are faced with a myriad of challenges that can delay or hinder the higher education journey. This qualitative study was conducted on this premise and explored the perceived barriers and possible strategies of 100 nontraditional adult learners in the Bahamas pursuing or attempting to pursue higher education. The study revealed numerous barriers the nontraditional adult learner encounters and provides practical guidance on how to overcome them. The study has implications for prospective and current nontraditional adult learners, adult educators, and higher education program designers and developers.

Many organizations, whether private or public, invest extensively in training and development. Such investment in training and development does not guarantee that the organization is perceived as a learning organization. This study examined law enforcement adult educators' (training facilitators') perceptions of their organization promoting learning practices and culture. The theoretical framework guiding this study is based on Watkins and Marsick's framework of learning organization. A total of 29 adult educators were administered the Dimensions of Learning Organization Questionnaire. The results and data revealed that of the 21 items on the questionnaire, 16 (76.2%) means were lower than 3 and the highest mean was 3.41, which suggest the adult educators (instructors) within this training academy do not perceive the organization as one that promotes learning practices and learning culture. Furthermore, as it relates to rank, years of services, and gender, there was no significant difference in their perceptions. (Contains 4 tables.)