As the wealth gap continues to increase in the United States of America, disparities in healthcar... more As the wealth gap continues to increase in the United States of America, disparities in healthcare, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, continue to grow. Healthcare patients of lower socioeconomic status (SES) are affected by such disparities through lesser quality and accessibility of healthcare services. SES is defined by the American Psychological Association as the social standing or class of an individual or group, often measured through the intersection of education, income, and occupation. However, the measurement of SES is not limited to these criteria. In order to explore areas of healthcare services where quality and accessibility vary due to the effects of SES, this study gauged SES by examining race, and income to determine an individual or household's SES. A questionnaire distributed online collected data that helped determine the healthcare quality and accessibility of households in New York City and Los Angeles County neighborhoods, in which the services, experi...
The United States has one of the highest maternal mortality rates among the developed nations, at... more The United States has one of the highest maternal mortality rates among the developed nations, at 20.1 maternal deaths per 100,000 births as reported in 2019. The nation has done little to lower this rate in the past decade, and the maternal mortality rate has increased from the 17.4 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births rate in 2018. The maternal mortality rate for non-Hispanic black women in the US was 2.5 times the rate for non-Hispanic white women in the US. We wanted to determine how healthcare services and insurance coverage play a role in the high maternal mortality rates in the United States, with a focus on the maternal mortality of black women. Due to the nature of our study, we focused on collecting and analyzing archival data instead of conducting a survey or interviews. Our methodology focused on collecting data that we ran multiple linear regression tests on. Unfortunately, there has been a lack of reporting in maternal mortality cases in general, and even more so in...
Objective: To understand the perceptions of and barriers to CalFresh participation among Asian an... more Objective: To understand the perceptions of and barriers to CalFresh participation among Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities, with the goal of developing interventions to increase food access and reduce food insecurity. Methods: Five focus groups conducted with Tongan, Korean, and Vietnamese community members and community-based organization service providers living in Greater Los Angeles. Additional insight was gathered via surveys administered to service providers who work directly with API communities. Results: Four main themes were found among twelve sub-themes: the application process, pride, shame, and citizenship status. Among the results, variations between each group were found. The Tongan population experiences a lack of knowledge about the program, the eligibility criteria, and how to apply for the program. The Vietnamese population experiences fear that CalFresh participation will jeopardize their chances of citizenship. Nevertheless, this population had a significantly higher rate of applying for CalFresh than the Tongan population. Lastly, the Korean population lacks information on how to apply for CalFresh, as it is a lengthy and complex process. This population also does not want to be labeled or identified as being needy, preferring food pantries rather than CalFresh. Conclusions and Implications: These findings suggest the need to program culturally specific interventions to mitigate these barriers in order to improve SNAP participation rates among low-income immigrant API groups. Consequently, this work has the potential to improve CalFresh utilization in low-income immigrant API communities, thus helping to reduce health disparities
The Dalat Nuclear Research Reactor (DNRR) is a 500 kW pool type reactor loaded with a mixed core ... more The Dalat Nuclear Research Reactor (DNRR) is a 500 kW pool type reactor loaded with a mixed core of HEU (36% enrichment) and LEU (19.75% enrichment) fuel assemblies. It was reconstructed and upgraded from the USA 250 kW TRIGA Mark II reactor built in the early 1960s. The first criticality of the renovated reactor was on 1 November 1983 and its regular operation at a nominal power of 500 kW started in March 1984 [1].
Development of an Integrated Mental Health and Nutrition Education Program for WIC Participants B... more Development of an Integrated Mental Health and Nutrition Education Program for WIC Participants Background: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a national program that aims to improve nutrition and health behaviors in low-income mothers and children through nutrition education, breastfeeding promotion and support, medical and social service referrals and supplemental food packages. All of these services are essential for improving health outcomes in this population, however research has shown that nutrition knowledge and food packages alone do not guarantee healthier participants. One established reason for this is that stress and depressive symptoms can lead to poor food choices and habits. Methods: This pilot program combines mental health education and nutrition education in a group setting in order to provide much needed support to WIC participants and improve health outcomes. The program is based on Cognitive Behavioral Theory and was developed in the form of 6 reusable modules and handouts, which eliminates the cost-prohibitive need for mental health practitioners. It was implemented through a partnership of PHFE-WIC, Pepperdine Graduate School of Education and Psychology, and Seaver College (Nutrition Program), and provides hands on training for students along with free service delivery for participants. This program was piloted at 2 WIC clinics in Los Angeles – one in the format of a consecutive 6-week program with the same group of participants each week, and the other in a monthly class where anyone can attend, to determine if there is a difference in efficacy depending on the format. Results & Implications: Due to low attendance rates, statistical measures of the efficacy of the program are not available; however, participant and provider feedback were positive and suggest the program has potential to be beneficial. The next steps are to correct advertising mistakes that may have led to low attendance, pilot this program again in the summer, and seek funding to test the curriculum next year. Module Title Topics Covered 1 Making Healthy Habits Nutrition Basics & Habit Formation 2 Stress Management & Self-Care Stress Management & Self-Care 3 Organize Your Life Reducing Household Chaos & Meal Prep 4 All About Mindfulness Mindfulness and Mindful Eating 5 Changing Negative Thinking Changing Negative Thinking 6 Getting What You Want Communication Skill
®The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women Infants and Children (WIC) was designed in ... more ®The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women Infants and Children (WIC) was designed in the 1970s to protect the nutrition and health of low-income pregnant and postpartum women, infants and children up to age fi ve years1. WIC provides nutrition education, medical and social service referrals, breastfeeding promotion and support, and a supplemental food “package”. The WIC food packages were designed to provide nutrients thought to be most limited in the diets of low-income women and children in the 1970s, and until recently, had not been modifi ed in any major way. The program has effectively reduced the risk for low birth weight and iron-defi ciency anemia of low-income children and currently serves over 50% of all infants born in the US 2-4 . However, in the more than three decades since the inception of the program, there have been signifi cant changes in dietary recommendations and an epidemic rise in overweight and obesity, particularly among low-income and ethnic min...
Objective. To examine the association between maternal perceptions of self-weight and child weigh... more Objective. To examine the association between maternal perceptions of self-weight and child weight status and milk consumption behavior of Hispanic WIC participants. Methods. Mixed methods design with phone survey (n=529) and one-on-one interviews (n=35). Demographic characteristics, Chi-square, and thematic analyses were conducted. Results. More than half of overweight mothers misperceived their own weight status as well as those of their children. Mothers who perceived their child to be overweight were more likely to make a healthier food choice for their family, namely, choosing reduced-fat milk instead of whole milk. Qualitative interviews revealed a cultural preference for larger size children, and mothers defined healthy weight for their child as a function of (1) the child’s ability to be as active as other children their age, regardless of child’s BMI, and (2) the pediatrician’s opinion of the child’s weight status. Conclusions. Maternal perception of self-weight and child w...
A clinical trial was conducted at the National Rehabilitation Hospital on 15 individuals to asses... more A clinical trial was conducted at the National Rehabilitation Hospital on 15 individuals to assess whether Rheparan Skin, a bio-engineered component of the extracellular matrix of the skin, is effective at promoting healing of a variety of wounds. Along with standard clinical outcome measures, a spectroscopic camera was used to assess the efficacy of Rheparan skin. Gauzes soaked with Rheparan
2013 10th International Conference on Ubiquitous Robots and Ambient Intelligence (URAI), 2013
ABSTRACT This paper provides a quantitative analysis for the longitudinal dynamic stability of a ... more ABSTRACT This paper provides a quantitative analysis for the longitudinal dynamic stability of a vertically flying insect-mimicking flapping wing system (FWS. In order to define the parameters in the equation of motion, the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) by ANSYS-Fluent was used. The aerodynamic forces and moment when the FWS was installed vertically and then inclined -15 and +15 degree for flight speeds of 0, 0.2 and 0.4 rn/s were computed. Through the eigenvalue and eigenvector analysis of the system matrix, we could make the formal description of the dynamic stability of the FWS. Three modes of motion were identified: one stable oscillatory mode, one unstable divergence mode, and one stable subsidence mode. Due to the divergence mode, the FWS eventually becomes unstable. However, the FWS could stay stable in the vertical flight during the first 0.5 second.
Abstract: Childhood obesity is an epidemic in the US and results in many short-and long-term heal... more Abstract: Childhood obesity is an epidemic in the US and results in many short-and long-term health consequences, and Latino children are particularly at risk. This dissertation research aims to advance the development of effective preventive strategies with regard to ...
Although recent numbers show a slowing or a leveling off of obesity rates in US, the current high... more Although recent numbers show a slowing or a leveling off of obesity rates in US, the current high rate of obesity is still a cause for great concern. Women of reproductive age who are low-income ar...
As the wealth gap continues to increase in the United States of America, disparities in healthcar... more As the wealth gap continues to increase in the United States of America, disparities in healthcare, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, continue to grow. Healthcare patients of lower socioeconomic status (SES) are affected by such disparities through lesser quality and accessibility of healthcare services. SES is defined by the American Psychological Association as the social standing or class of an individual or group, often measured through the intersection of education, income, and occupation. However, the measurement of SES is not limited to these criteria. In order to explore areas of healthcare services where quality and accessibility vary due to the effects of SES, this study gauged SES by examining race, and income to determine an individual or household's SES. A questionnaire distributed online collected data that helped determine the healthcare quality and accessibility of households in New York City and Los Angeles County neighborhoods, in which the services, experi...
The United States has one of the highest maternal mortality rates among the developed nations, at... more The United States has one of the highest maternal mortality rates among the developed nations, at 20.1 maternal deaths per 100,000 births as reported in 2019. The nation has done little to lower this rate in the past decade, and the maternal mortality rate has increased from the 17.4 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births rate in 2018. The maternal mortality rate for non-Hispanic black women in the US was 2.5 times the rate for non-Hispanic white women in the US. We wanted to determine how healthcare services and insurance coverage play a role in the high maternal mortality rates in the United States, with a focus on the maternal mortality of black women. Due to the nature of our study, we focused on collecting and analyzing archival data instead of conducting a survey or interviews. Our methodology focused on collecting data that we ran multiple linear regression tests on. Unfortunately, there has been a lack of reporting in maternal mortality cases in general, and even more so in...
Objective: To understand the perceptions of and barriers to CalFresh participation among Asian an... more Objective: To understand the perceptions of and barriers to CalFresh participation among Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities, with the goal of developing interventions to increase food access and reduce food insecurity. Methods: Five focus groups conducted with Tongan, Korean, and Vietnamese community members and community-based organization service providers living in Greater Los Angeles. Additional insight was gathered via surveys administered to service providers who work directly with API communities. Results: Four main themes were found among twelve sub-themes: the application process, pride, shame, and citizenship status. Among the results, variations between each group were found. The Tongan population experiences a lack of knowledge about the program, the eligibility criteria, and how to apply for the program. The Vietnamese population experiences fear that CalFresh participation will jeopardize their chances of citizenship. Nevertheless, this population had a significantly higher rate of applying for CalFresh than the Tongan population. Lastly, the Korean population lacks information on how to apply for CalFresh, as it is a lengthy and complex process. This population also does not want to be labeled or identified as being needy, preferring food pantries rather than CalFresh. Conclusions and Implications: These findings suggest the need to program culturally specific interventions to mitigate these barriers in order to improve SNAP participation rates among low-income immigrant API groups. Consequently, this work has the potential to improve CalFresh utilization in low-income immigrant API communities, thus helping to reduce health disparities
The Dalat Nuclear Research Reactor (DNRR) is a 500 kW pool type reactor loaded with a mixed core ... more The Dalat Nuclear Research Reactor (DNRR) is a 500 kW pool type reactor loaded with a mixed core of HEU (36% enrichment) and LEU (19.75% enrichment) fuel assemblies. It was reconstructed and upgraded from the USA 250 kW TRIGA Mark II reactor built in the early 1960s. The first criticality of the renovated reactor was on 1 November 1983 and its regular operation at a nominal power of 500 kW started in March 1984 [1].
Development of an Integrated Mental Health and Nutrition Education Program for WIC Participants B... more Development of an Integrated Mental Health and Nutrition Education Program for WIC Participants Background: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a national program that aims to improve nutrition and health behaviors in low-income mothers and children through nutrition education, breastfeeding promotion and support, medical and social service referrals and supplemental food packages. All of these services are essential for improving health outcomes in this population, however research has shown that nutrition knowledge and food packages alone do not guarantee healthier participants. One established reason for this is that stress and depressive symptoms can lead to poor food choices and habits. Methods: This pilot program combines mental health education and nutrition education in a group setting in order to provide much needed support to WIC participants and improve health outcomes. The program is based on Cognitive Behavioral Theory and was developed in the form of 6 reusable modules and handouts, which eliminates the cost-prohibitive need for mental health practitioners. It was implemented through a partnership of PHFE-WIC, Pepperdine Graduate School of Education and Psychology, and Seaver College (Nutrition Program), and provides hands on training for students along with free service delivery for participants. This program was piloted at 2 WIC clinics in Los Angeles – one in the format of a consecutive 6-week program with the same group of participants each week, and the other in a monthly class where anyone can attend, to determine if there is a difference in efficacy depending on the format. Results & Implications: Due to low attendance rates, statistical measures of the efficacy of the program are not available; however, participant and provider feedback were positive and suggest the program has potential to be beneficial. The next steps are to correct advertising mistakes that may have led to low attendance, pilot this program again in the summer, and seek funding to test the curriculum next year. Module Title Topics Covered 1 Making Healthy Habits Nutrition Basics & Habit Formation 2 Stress Management & Self-Care Stress Management & Self-Care 3 Organize Your Life Reducing Household Chaos & Meal Prep 4 All About Mindfulness Mindfulness and Mindful Eating 5 Changing Negative Thinking Changing Negative Thinking 6 Getting What You Want Communication Skill
®The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women Infants and Children (WIC) was designed in ... more ®The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women Infants and Children (WIC) was designed in the 1970s to protect the nutrition and health of low-income pregnant and postpartum women, infants and children up to age fi ve years1. WIC provides nutrition education, medical and social service referrals, breastfeeding promotion and support, and a supplemental food “package”. The WIC food packages were designed to provide nutrients thought to be most limited in the diets of low-income women and children in the 1970s, and until recently, had not been modifi ed in any major way. The program has effectively reduced the risk for low birth weight and iron-defi ciency anemia of low-income children and currently serves over 50% of all infants born in the US 2-4 . However, in the more than three decades since the inception of the program, there have been signifi cant changes in dietary recommendations and an epidemic rise in overweight and obesity, particularly among low-income and ethnic min...
Objective. To examine the association between maternal perceptions of self-weight and child weigh... more Objective. To examine the association between maternal perceptions of self-weight and child weight status and milk consumption behavior of Hispanic WIC participants. Methods. Mixed methods design with phone survey (n=529) and one-on-one interviews (n=35). Demographic characteristics, Chi-square, and thematic analyses were conducted. Results. More than half of overweight mothers misperceived their own weight status as well as those of their children. Mothers who perceived their child to be overweight were more likely to make a healthier food choice for their family, namely, choosing reduced-fat milk instead of whole milk. Qualitative interviews revealed a cultural preference for larger size children, and mothers defined healthy weight for their child as a function of (1) the child’s ability to be as active as other children their age, regardless of child’s BMI, and (2) the pediatrician’s opinion of the child’s weight status. Conclusions. Maternal perception of self-weight and child w...
A clinical trial was conducted at the National Rehabilitation Hospital on 15 individuals to asses... more A clinical trial was conducted at the National Rehabilitation Hospital on 15 individuals to assess whether Rheparan Skin, a bio-engineered component of the extracellular matrix of the skin, is effective at promoting healing of a variety of wounds. Along with standard clinical outcome measures, a spectroscopic camera was used to assess the efficacy of Rheparan skin. Gauzes soaked with Rheparan
2013 10th International Conference on Ubiquitous Robots and Ambient Intelligence (URAI), 2013
ABSTRACT This paper provides a quantitative analysis for the longitudinal dynamic stability of a ... more ABSTRACT This paper provides a quantitative analysis for the longitudinal dynamic stability of a vertically flying insect-mimicking flapping wing system (FWS. In order to define the parameters in the equation of motion, the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) by ANSYS-Fluent was used. The aerodynamic forces and moment when the FWS was installed vertically and then inclined -15 and +15 degree for flight speeds of 0, 0.2 and 0.4 rn/s were computed. Through the eigenvalue and eigenvector analysis of the system matrix, we could make the formal description of the dynamic stability of the FWS. Three modes of motion were identified: one stable oscillatory mode, one unstable divergence mode, and one stable subsidence mode. Due to the divergence mode, the FWS eventually becomes unstable. However, the FWS could stay stable in the vertical flight during the first 0.5 second.
Abstract: Childhood obesity is an epidemic in the US and results in many short-and long-term heal... more Abstract: Childhood obesity is an epidemic in the US and results in many short-and long-term health consequences, and Latino children are particularly at risk. This dissertation research aims to advance the development of effective preventive strategies with regard to ...
Although recent numbers show a slowing or a leveling off of obesity rates in US, the current high... more Although recent numbers show a slowing or a leveling off of obesity rates in US, the current high rate of obesity is still a cause for great concern. Women of reproductive age who are low-income ar...
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