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This study sought to determine if speech-language pathology graduate students found peer-to-peer teaching and experiential learning beneficial in learning how to assess the cranial nerves. Graduate students in a motor speech disorders course completed an in-class cranial nerve examination in which they either portrayed clinicians or patients. Student groups utilized a reflective practice approach by teaching their peers how to assess the cranial nerves. Intensive practice sessions were offered almost daily for two weeks prior to the exam. Thirty-seven students completed an online survey about their knowledge and confidence in assessing cranial nerves and identifying diagnoses before starting the training for the exam; 36 participants completed the same survey post-exam training. Students reported feeling more confident and less anxious in evaluating the cranial nerves, assessing damages, and identifying diagnoses. This preliminary study indicates peer-to-peer teaching could be an effective strategy for learning how to evaluate cranial nerves.

Purpose: This article provided a comprehensive overview of the available peer-reviewed and grey literature on the current status of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and small African American-owned technology firms participation in the federal assistive technology research and development (AT-R&D) enterprise. Method: Authors completed a historical review of the existing literature on HBCUs' participation in STEM academic pathways to AT-R&D; the contextual framework for HBCUs federal R&D barriers; STEM pathways to small African American Technology Entrepreneurship; and small African American-owned technology firms AT-R&D participation barriers. Results: Overall, the review illuminated participation barriers experienced; exacerbated in part by narrow STEM pathways designed to help African American students successfully matriculate in related disciplines, institutional systematic barriers, a lack of funding priorities within federal research agencies, and the oversight of African American entrepreneurs in AT. Conclusions: The authors presented recommendations that might be useful for developing proactive academic pipelines to AT-R&D. The literature review is among the first to examine HBCUs' participation in STEM pathways to federally-funded AT-R&D.

This article provided a comprehensive overview of challenges that African Americans with disabilities residing in rural areas often face in the United States when accessing telehealth treatment to mitigate opioid misuse. A scoping literature review was conducted focusing on this target population, telehealth, disabilities, opioid treatment, and rural healthcare systems. Systematic searches on eight electronic databases were carried out in line with the study's aims. The results identified treatment benefits and advantages, expansion challenges, and multicultural considerations for telehealth delivery. There may be a need to increase rehabilitation research in this area to inform needed changes in policies and practice. Keywords: Rural, Barriers, Access, Telehealth, African Americans with disabilities, Opioid Use Disorder, The opioid epidemic in the United States (U.S.) has disproportionately impacted rural communities where mortality rates due to their misuse have surpassed that of urban areas (Centers for Disease Control [...]

The purpose of this scoping review was to examine the literature about Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and health and rehabilitation implications for persons of color, including those with multiple marginalized statuses (i.e., racial/ethnic minority and disability), and map out research gaps. Several themes emerged from this review that included disproportionate burdens of infections, hospitalizations and deaths; structural racism as a driver of inequity; diminished employment opportunities, and limited data on race and disability. The findings revealed the existence of serious evidence gaps relating to multiply marginalized people of color with disabilities within the COVID-19 context. A clear need exists for more research on COVID-19 outcomes disaggregated by disability and race so that the field has a fuller understanding of the impact of the pandemic on people of color with disabilities. Additionally, minority serving institutions (e.g., HBCUs and TCUs), as experts in addressing marginalized communities' needs, should play a leadership role in equity research. Keywords: COVID-19, People of Color with Disabilities, Employment, Health, and Community Living Equity, Minority-Serving Institutions, The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a global pandemic that has immensely disrupted several systems such as employment, [...]

BACKGROUND: Research examining state vocational rehabilitation agency (SVRA) sponsored service patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic is needed to improve employment outcomes among multiply marginalized persons of color with disabilities (i.e., African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans or Alaska Natives, Latinx, and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders). Scarce attention has been paid to examining outcome inequities in the crisis. OBJECTIVE: This study applied a stratified bootstrap data expansion approach to assess the relationship between race/ethnicity, gender, level of educational attainment at closure and employment outcomes among target group members. METHODS: National fiscal year (FY) 2019 Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA)-911 case records (N =114,229) closed between January 20, 2020 (date of first reported COVID-19 infection in the U.S.) to June 30 2020 were extracted and re-sampled across multiple trials using bootstrap procedures to increase logistic regression model accuracy. RESULTS: The findings indicated that African Americans, Asian Americans and Native American or Alaska Natives were statistically significantly less likely to achieve successful employment than non-Latinx Whites. Success probabilities in the COVID-19 pandemic were 'poorest' for Native American or Alaska Native VR consumers followed by African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinx, non-Latinx Whites, and then Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders. African Americans and Native Americans or Alaska Natives were more often closed unsuccessful because they could not be located when compared to non-Latinx Whites. CONCLUSIONS: These findings call for new targeted SVRA service initiatives. Keywords: COVID-19 Pandemic, Multiply Marginalized People of Color with Disabilities, Employment Outcomes, Bootstrap Data Expansion, More than 13 million multiply marginalized people of color with disabilities resided in the United States in 2019 of which 44.06% were African American, 41.47% Latinx, 10.30% Asian American, 3.67% [...]

This investigation examined vocational rehabilitation, substance abuse, and mental health service providers' perceptions about barriers and potentially translational solutions to poor community living outcomes for people of color with disabilities (i.e., African Americans, Latinx, Native Americans and Alaskan Natives, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders) who have opioid use disorder. We conducted one focus group discussion (N = 12) that identified the proliferation of opioids in the community, treatment access, employment, and transportation as community living outcome barriers. The findings point to the need for further research that address poor outcomes among target group members. Keywords: People of color, opioid use disorder, disability, community living, The opioid crisis has been declared a public health emergency in the United States (U.S.) (White House, 2017). In 2017, an estimated 1.7 million Americans experienced substance use disorders related [...]

This scoping review mapped the pertinent extant published and grey literature and policy to assess factors that promote positive community living outcomes among people of color with disabilities and concomitant opioid use disorder (OUD) in the United States (U.S.). Forty-three publications covering OUD and people of color with disabilities and people of color with disabilities and community living content were reviewed. Select community living barriers and potential interventions were identified for people of color with disabilities in general; however, the review failed to classify such factors for those with OUD. Authors offered recommendations for practice, research, and policy. Keywords: Community living, disability, health disparities, opioid use disorder, people of color, According to the United States (U.S.) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ([CDC], 2019), 1 in 4 African Americans, 3 in 10 Native Americans and Alaskan Natives, 1 in 6 [...]

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between assistive technology workplace accommodation (AT-WA) usage and employment status among racial/ethnic populations with disabilities. Chi-square tests and logistic regression were used to analyze secondary data from the 2015 Kessler Foundation National Employment and Disability Survey (KFNEDS). Results indicated that significantly more consumers who used AT-WA were currently working, and a significantly greater proportion of them were White. Moreover, a significantly lower proportion of those who did not use AT-WA had less expected odds of being currently employed. Specific implications are discussed to inform practices, policy, and/or future research. Keywords: Assistive Technology, Racial/Ethnic Minority, Employment, Disability, Workplace Accommodations, Over 61 million Americans in the United States (U.S.) have a disability that impacts major life activities such as work (Okoro et al., 2016). Participation in the workforce is a [...]

Existing models of interagency collaborations serving the United States (U.S.) Armed Forces veterans of color, i.e., African Americans, Latinx, Native Americans/Alaskan Natives and Asian Americans and/or Pacific Islanders are sparse, and few co-service partnership models are available. This article proposes two different emerging conceptual frameworks, i.e., state vocational rehabilitation agency (SVRA) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Readiness and Employment Program (VA-VR&E) co-service model, and American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation Program (AIVRP) and VA-VR&E co-service model designed to enhance successful employment outcomes for these veterans. Diffusions of Innovations Theory was used to develop the Co-Service Models. A set of recommended approaches that these agencies and researchers can consider are presented. Keywords: Veterans of color, co-service practices, partnership models, vocational rehabilitation services, Veterans of color include African Americans, Latinx, Native Americans or Alaskan Natives, and Asian Americans and/or Pacific Islanders and comprise approximately 23% of all veterans residing in the United States [...]

This study explored factors that impact telehealth service utilization for treatment of African Americans with disabilities with opioid use disorder in rural communities. A focus group was conducted involving 12 different mental health, substance use, and rehabilitation counseling professionals. The analysis was completed using NVivo (Version 12). The results identified critical barriers that included historical distrust of technology and healthcare systems, digital divide/unavailability of Internet modems, fear of losing confidentiality, and agency non-approval. The benefits were improved communication, reduction of stigma, continuity of care, and convenience of collaboration. The findings indicate the need for additional research in this topic area. Keywords: Rural, Barriers, Access, Telehealth, African Americans with Disabilities, Opioid Use Disorder, Understanding barriers to access and successful outcomes among African Americans with disabilities has been an explicit focus of rehabilitation research since the adoption of Section 21 of the Rehabilitation Act [...]

OBJECTIVE Seizures are one of the most common neurologic complications seen in a neonate. Historically, phenobarbital has been the agent of choice, but can lead to adverse neurologic outcomes, which has contributed to the use of other agents. Levetiracetam has proven great efficacy with an excellent safety profile in older patients, causing interest of its use in neonates. The objective of this study was to determine if levetiracetam would provide similar neonatal seizure resolution rates as phenobarbital. METHODS The study was a single-center, retrospective, cohort study from August 1, 2020 to August 31, 2022 investigating the efficacy and safety of using levetiracetam compared with phenobarbital as a first line treatment for neonatal seizures. The primary outcome was to assess overall seizure resolution after administration of levetiracetam or phenobarbital, without addition of a second antiseizure medication. RESULTS There were 87 patients included in the study. Fifteen neonates (27.78%) achieved seizure resolution with phenobarbital compared with 9 neonates (27.27%) who received levetiracetam first line (p = 0.959). Neonates who received phenobarbital had higher rates of adverse effects. Neonates who received a benzodiazepine prior to administration of levetiracetam had lower seizure resolution rates (p = 0.021). CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest there is no difference in using phenobarbital over levetiracetam to achieve complete seizure resolution in a neonate. Higher rates of adverse events were seen in the phenobarbital group. The use of a benzodiazepine prior to administration of levetiracetam may reduce the efficacy of levetiracetam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Pubertal attainment is critical to reproductive longevity in heifers. Previously, four heifer pubertal classifications were identified according to attainment of blood plasma progesterone concentrations > 1 ng/ml: 1) Early; 2) Typical; 3) Start-Stop; and 4) Non-Cycling. Early and Typical heifers initiated and maintained cyclicity, Start-Stop started and then stopped cyclicity and Non-Cycling never initiated cyclicity. Start-Stop heifers segregated into Start-Stop-Discontinuous (SSD) or Start-Stop-Start (SSS), with SSD having similar phenotypes to Non-Cycling and SSS to Typical heifers. We hypothesized that these pubertal classifications are heritable, and loci associated with pubertal classifications could be identified by genome wide association studies (GWAS). Methods: Heifers (n = 532; 2017 - 2022) genotyped on the Illumina Bovine SNP50 v2 or GGP Bovine 100K SNP panels were used for variant component estimation and GWAS. Heritability was estimated using a univariate Bayesian animal model. Results: When considering pubertal classifications: Early, Typical, SSS, SSD, and Non-Cycling, pubertal class was moderately heritable (0.38 ± 0.08). However, when heifers who initiated and maintained cyclicity were compared to those that did not cycle (Early+Typical vs. SSD+Non-Cycling) heritability was greater (0.59 ± 0.19). A GWAS did not identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) significantly associated with pubertal classifications, indicating puberty is a polygenic trait. A candidate gene approach was used, which fitted SNPs within or nearby a set of 71 candidate genes previously associated with puberty, PCOS, cyclicity, regulation of hormone secretion, signal transduction, and methylation. Eight genes/regions were associated with pubertal classifications, and twentytwo genes/regions were associated with whether puberty was attained during the trial. Additionally, whole genome sequencing (WGS) data on 33 heifers were aligned to the reference genome (ARS-UCD1.2) to identify variants in FSHR, a gene critical to pubertal attainment. Fisher's exact test determined if FSHR SNPs segregated by pubertal classification. Two FSHR SNPs that were not on the bovine SNP panel were selected for additional genotyping and analysis, and one was associated with pubertal classifications and whether they cycled during the trial. Discussion: In summary, these pubertal classifications are moderately to highly heritable and polygenic. Consequently, genomic tools to inform selection/management of replacement heifers would be useful if informed by SNPs associated with cyclicity and early pubertal attainment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over 600,000 of all living U.S. Armed Forces veterans of color are Native American or Alaskan Native and about 24% of Indigenous veterans have a service-connected disability rating that impedes successful employment outcomes. Currently, there is a dearth of research studying interagency co-service models and there continues to be employment disparities for this racial population. This study examined the perceptions of American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation Program (AIVRP) administrators (N = 35) about AIVRP and United States Department of Veterans Affairs Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VA-VR&E) Program co-service practices that could facilitate improved employment outcomes among Native American and Alaskan Native veterans with disabilities. Findings revealed 12 key themes that were cataloged into five domains: job placement services, referral services, cultural diversity co-service practices, co-service agreements, and co-agency procedures. Subsequently, these generated findings informed the development of an emerging conceptual framework for an 'AIVRP and VA-VR&E Co-Service Partnership Model' presented herein to be considered for possible adoption by these agencies. A brief discussion of Diffusion of Innovations Theory as the theoretical perspective for the conceptual framework which explains how to promote adoption of the model between these agencies is presented., Veterans of color (i.e., African Americans, Native Americans or Alaskan Natives, Latinos, and Asian Americans or Pacific Islanders) comprise about 18% (N = 4,019, 090) of the total universe of [...]

Background: Ovochymase 2 (Ovch2) is an epididymis‐specific gene that is required for male fertility. While a multitude of reproductive tract‐specific genes required for male fertility have been identified, OVCH2 is thus far the first protein required for male fertility that contains Complement C1r/C1s, Uegf, Bmp1 (CUB) domains located in tandem in the C‐terminus of the protein. Identifying the functional significance of this unique domain has implications in better understanding fertility and infertility and as a potential contraceptive target. Objective: The goals of these studies were to understand the influence and requirement of OVCH2 CUB domains in the localization and functional requirement of OVCH2 in sperm maturation and function. Materials and methods: To this end, we performed in vivo localization analysis of OVCH2 and reproductive phenotype analysis of mice containing C‐terminal FLAG tag on OVCH2, with either the entire protein intact, or CUB2 or both CUB1 and CUB2 genetically ablated. All mice were generated through the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing approach. Results: We found that OVCH2 is specifically expressed in the proximal caput epididymidis, and the absence of CUB2 did not affect this localization pattern. Although the absence of both CUB domains significantly reduced sperm motility and progressive motility, this effect was not manifested in a reduction in fertility over a 6‐month period mating trial, which showed no significant differences between control and CUB deletant mice. Further, the absence of one or both CUB domains did not affect reproductive organ structure or sperm morphology. Conclusions: Our studies demonstrate that the CUB domains are not required for fertility in male mice, at least under the normal animal housing conditions our mice were tested in, and suggest that the enzymatic activity of the OVCH2 protease, in the absence of its CUB domains, is sufficient for normal sperm processing in the epididymis. Although our findings do not preclude the possibility that OVCH2 CUB domains are required under a yet‐identified stress condition, our findings demonstrate that the most likely region for deleterious mutations in men with idiopathic infertility and the most vulnerable site for inhibition of OVCH2 protein function is in its protease domain, and not its CUB domains. Our findings have implications in the genetic screening of infertile men and the development of a novel non‐hormonal male contraceptive by honing in on the more critical region of a functionally required protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unemployment is common for persons with disabilities but little is known about the different reasons why people with disabilities may not be seeking employment. This study identified the reasons that people living with disabilities in the United States report for not seeking employment, from the 2015 Kessler Foundation National Employment and Disability Survey (KFNEDS), and categorization of reasons by demographic, socioeconomic, and disability characteristics. We conducted a content analysis of responses to an open-ended question on the KFNEDS. The analytic sample (n = 1,254) consisted of adults (ages 18–64) living with disabilities who self-identified as either unemployed or not seeking employment. Team coding used a hybrid inductive/deductive approach to identify nine meaningful reasons why people with disabilities may not seek employment. Overall, medical conditions, functional limitations, or their disability were more likely to be reported as reasons for not seeking work, rather than situational reasons associated with workplace engagement, such as "lack of job opportunities." Bivariate comparisons of codes across demographic, socioeconomic, and disability characteristics noted variability in reasons reported by respondents by sex, race/ethnicity, age, household income, and disability. These findings provide an understanding of diverse reasons for not seeking employment, which can inform programs and policies that promote labor force participation of people with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study examine the effect of aflatoxin B1 treatment on expression of transient receptor potential melastatin 8 in mouse ovary and testes. Topics discussed include use of Aa oats, barley, wheat, and other livestock feeds; and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), that can lead to reproductive deficiencies in a variety of species, including humans, livestock, and mice.