74 research outputs found
The Impact of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome: The View from a Rural Kentucky Hospital
Abstract
Introduction
Cases of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) increased 3-fold in the United States from 2000 to 2009, with some indication that the problem may be worse in rural areas. The purpose of our study was to report the incidence of NAS in a small rural community with a regional referral hospital and describe aspects of these infantsâ NICU stay.
Methods
Using maternal prenatal positive urine drug screens (UDS) as our initial focus, deliveries at 35 weeks or beyond between March 2015 and May 2016 were included. NAS severity score, length of NICU stay, and hospital charges for each infant were obtained from chart review.
Results
Thirty three of 981 infants developed NAS requiring NICU admission. Most of these were not identified by either a prenatal history or a routine first prenatal visit UDS. For the 7 infants who were identified as at risk by a positive UDS early in pregnancy, the average length of stay in the NICU was 10 days, the average NAS score was 8, and the average NICU charge was 3,440 charge for a term normal newborn.
Discussion
Many studies have shown that neonatal abstinence syndrome is becoming more common, and some suggest that it may be a bigger problem in rural areas. While prenatal UDS may be helpful, many exposed infants will be missed. Even when exposure is proven, without reasonable access to medication assisted treatment during pregnancy, the outcome may still be unfavorable. The precise prevalence and cost in rural hospitals that serve as regional referral centers are needed for adequate health service planning. This planning includes strategies to increase local access to treatment options for pregnant women dependent on opioids
The mental health benefits of having dogs on college campuses
College can be a stressful time for many, especially those dealing with problems like stress, anxiety, and depression. While colleges and universities typically offer counseling services, many students who could benefit do not take advantage of them. Research suggests that animals may play an important role in some forms of treatment for conditions such as anxiety, stress, and depression. A recent trend on college campuses is to offer opportunities to interact with dogs and other animals as a way to relieve stress and help individuals deal with other psychological issues. In this paper, we discuss the current research regarding using animals to assist in treatment for problems commonly faced by college students.We also describe our own experiences with a university-sponsored animal-interaction day and offer tips on how others can plan such an event on their campus
The Impact of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome: The View from a Rural Kentucky Hospital
Introduction
Cases of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) increased 3-fold in the United States from 2000 to 2009, with some indication that the problem may be worse in rural areas. The purpose of our study was to report the incidence of NAS in a small rural community with a regional referral hospital and describe aspects of these infantsâ NICU stay.
Methods
Using maternal prenatal positive urine drug screens (UDS) as our initial focus, deliveries at 35 weeks or beyond between March 2015 and May 2016 were included. NAS severity score, length of NICU stay, and hospital charges for each infant were obtained from chart review.
Results
Thirty three of 981 infants developed NAS requiring NICU admission. Most of these were not identified by either a prenatal history or a routine first prenatal visit UDS. For the 7 infants who were identified as at risk by a positive UDS early in pregnancy, the average length of stay in the NICU was 10 days, the average NAS score was 8, and the average NICU charge was 3,440 charge for a term normal newborn.
Discussion
Many studies have shown that neonatal abstinence syndrome is becoming more common, and some suggest that it may be a bigger problem in rural areas. While prenatal UDS may be helpful, many exposed infants will be missed. Even when exposure is proven, without reasonable access to medication assisted treatment during pregnancy, the outcome may still be unfavorable. The precise prevalence and cost in rural hospitals that serve as regional referral centers are needed for adequate health service planning. This planning includes strategies to increase local access to treatment options for pregnant women dependent on opioids
Depletion-Driven Morphological Control of Bundled Actin Networks
The actin cytoskeleton is a semiflexible biopolymer network whose morphology
is controlled by a wide range of biochemical and physical factors. Actin is
known to undergo a phase transition from a single-filament state to a bundled
state by the addition of polyethylene glycol (PEG) molecules in sufficient
concentration. While the depletion interaction experienced by these biopolymers
is well-known, the effect of changing the molecular weight of the depletant is
less well understood. Here, we experimentally identify a phase transition in
solutions of actin from networks of filaments to networks of bundles by varying
the molecular weight of PEG polymers, while holding the concentration of these
PEG polymers constant. We examine the states straddling the phase transition in
terms of micro and macroscale properties. We find that the mesh size, bundle
diameter, persistence length, and intra-bundle spacing between filaments across
the line of criticality do not show significant differences, while the
relaxation time, storage modulus, and degree of bundling change between the two
states do show significant differences. Our results demonstrate the ability to
tune actin network morphology and mechanics by controlling depletant size, a
property which could be exploited to develop actin-based materials with
switchable rigidity.Comment: 22 pages, 10 figures. Authors James Clarke and Francis Cavanna
contributed equally; Changes: Added modeling work, extended dynamic light
scattering analysi
Earthworms in our community
The topics addressed in this project were discovery and education of the earthworms in our community. This capstone outlines the advantages and disadvantages of earthworms, the vectors of transmittance, and the study site characteristics. This study was integrated into a classroom curriculum with students and the author as participants. It was also done in collaboration with Great Lakes Worm Watch, which processed the data and used it for their databases. The study site was heavily invaded with the European variety of earthworms but lacked any of the Asian species. This allowed an educational opportunity for the garden to prevent introduction of this species. Limitations and improvements are discussed and is concluded that education provides the best tool for limiting the spread of these non-native invasive species into our Northwood\u27s
The Alice 100 Collection at UBC
This video provides a short introduction to the Alice 100 Collection at UBC, which is devoted to copies of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and other works by Lewis Carroll (otherwise known as Charles Dodgson).Library, UBCArts, Faculty ofLibrary, Archival and Information Studies (SLAIS), School ofUnreviewedGraduat
The Batrachian Barf Bowl: An authentic research experience using ecological data from frog diets
Authentic research experiences (AREs) are a powerful strategy for inspiring and retaining students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. However,
recent demand for virtual learning has emphasized the need for remote AREs that also
foster a sense of community and interpersonal connections among participants. Here,
we describe an ARE activity that leverages digitized diet data from natural history collections to provide students with collaborative research experience across any learning environment. Using magnified photographs of frog stomach contents collected
in the Peruvian Amazon, we designed an open-source âbowl gameâ competition that
challenges students to identify, measure, and compare diet items across vouchered
frog specimens (âBatrachian Barf Bowlâ). To demonstrate learning outcomes, we ran
this activity with 39 herpetology class students from the University of Notre Dame
and the University of Michigan. We used pre- and post-activity assessments to evaluate effectiveness, scientific accuracy of results, and impact on student well-being.
With minimal preparation and training in invertebrate identification, students were
successful in identifying hundreds of frog diet items to taxonomic order, although
accuracy varied among clades (global accuracy ~70%). While we found no difference
in science identity, community, or self-efficacy between the two institutions at either
time point (pre- and post-activity), we found that well-being was significantly higher
for both sets of students after the activity. Overall, this approach offers a model for
combining active learning with museum collections to provide experiential research
opportunities that highlight the power of scientific collaboration.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/174122/1/Ecology and Evolution - 2022 - Larson - The Batrachian Barf Bowl An authentic research experience using ecological data.pdfDescription of Ecology and Evolution - 2022 - Larson - The Batrachian Barf Bowl An authentic research experience using ecological data.pdf : Main ArticleSEL
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