Creation of a Decision Support Tool for Expectant Parents Facing Threatened Periviable Delivery: Application of a User-Centered Design Approach

Background Shared decision-making (SDM) is optimal in the context of periviable delivery, where the decision to pursue life-support measures or palliation is both preference sensitive and value laden. We sought to develop a decision support tool (DST) prototype to facilitate SDM by utilizing a user-centered design research approach. Methods We convened four patient and provider advisory boards with women and their partners who had experienced a surviving or non-surviving periviable delivery, pregnant women who had not experienced a prior preterm birth, and obstetric providers. Each 2-h session involved design research activities to generate ideas and facilitate sharing of values, goals, and attitudes. Participant feedback shaped the design of three prototypes (a tablet application, family story videos, and a virtual reality experience) to be tested in a final session. Results Ninety-five individuals (48 mothers/partners; 47 providers) from two hospitals participated. Most participants agreed that the prototypes should include factual, unbiased outcomes and probabilities. Mothers and support partners also desired comprehensive explanations of delivery and care options, while providers wanted a tool to ease communication, help elicit values, and share patient experiences. Participants ultimately favored the tablet application and suggested that it include family testimonial videos. Conclusion Our results suggest that a DST that combines unbiased information and understandable outcomes with family testimonials would be meaningful for periviable SDM. User-centered design was found to be a useful method for creating a DST prototype that may lead to improved effectiveness, usability, uptake, and dissemination in the future, by leveraging the expertise of a wide range of stakeholders

NEOWISE: Observations of the Irregular Satellites of Jupiter and Saturn

We present thermal model fits for 11 Jovian and 3 Saturnian irregular satellites based on measurements from the WISE/NEOWISE dataset. Our fits confirm spacecraft-measured diameters for the objects with in situ observations (Himalia and Phoebe) and provide diameters and albedo for 12 previously unmeasured objects, 10 Jovian and 2 Saturnian irregular satellites. The best-fit thermal model beaming parameters are comparable to what is observed for other small bodies in the outer Solar System, while the visible, W1, and W2 albedos trace the taxonomic classifications previously established in the literature. Reflectance properties for the irregular satellites measured are similar to the Jovian Trojan and Hilda Populations, implying common origins.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journa

Developing Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives and Measuring the Effects of a Pandemic in a Civil and Environmental Engineering Department

The Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Department at Midsized Northeastern University was awarded The National Science Foundation’s Revolutionizing Engineering and computer science Departments (RED) grant in 2016 with the hopes of allowing engineering programs to improve the inclusion of minorities over the course of five years. The CEE Department used this opportunity to create a research group called Revolutionizing Engineering Diversity (RevED) that focuses on all underrepresented and underserved groups. The researchers used the grant to help change admissions as well as incorporate inclusive pedagogical practices. Currently, RevED is in the fifth year of the grant and has since spread out to utilize the Engineering Education Department and the Faculty Development Center to help broaden the impact of the grant to other students outside of the CEE Department. The RevED researchers were successful in helping develop a certification program for faculty and staff members to participate in. While there have been positive developments, the research group had to look at the effects of COVID-19 on the lives of students. RevED has utilized data regarding the impacts of the pandemic and will be looking to further develop insight on student experiences. While the poster will feature information on the changing student demographics and student perception of the climate of diversity, the impact of the pandemic will also be shown to see how students are affected and how to better address the needs of underrepresented and underserved students

Effects of Shambhavi Mahamudra Kriya, a Multicomponent Breath-Based Yogic Practice ( Pranayama), on Perceived Stress and General Well-Being

Stress-induced disorders such as anxiety represent the leading causes of adult disability worldwide. Previous studies indicate that yoga and other contemplative practices such as pranayama, or controlled yogic breathing techniques, may be effective in the treatment of mood disorders and stress. In this study, 142 individuals (mean age = 43 years; SD = 13.90) participated in a 3-day retreat program during which they learned Shambhavi Mahamudra kriya, which is a yogic practice that includes both deep breathing and meditation techniques. Participants were instructed to practice the kriya each day for 21 minutes. After 6 weeks of daily practice, participants reported subjectively lower levels of perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale) and higher levels of general well-being (General Well-Being Scale) compared to baseline. These results support the notion that Shambhavi Mahamudra kriya may represent a natural treatment for stress reduction

Genetic and systems level analysis of Drosophila sticky/citron kinase and dFmr1 mutants reveals common regulation of genetic networks

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In <it>Drosophila</it>, the genes <it>sticky </it>and <it>dFmr1 </it>have both been shown to regulate cytoskeletal dynamics and chromatin structure. These genes also genetically interact with Argonaute family microRNA regulators. Furthermore, in mammalian systems, both genes have been implicated in neuronal development. Given these genetic and functional similarities, we tested <it>Drosophila sticky </it>and <it>dFmr1 </it>for a genetic interaction and measured whole genome expression in both mutants to assess similarities in gene regulation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found that <it>sticky </it>mutations can dominantly suppress a <it>dFmr1 </it>gain-of-function phenotype in the developing eye, while phenotypes produced by RNAi knock-down of <it>sticky </it>were enhanced by <it>dFmr1 </it>RNAi and a <it>dFmr1 </it>loss-of-function mutation. We also identified a large number of transcripts that were misexpressed in both mutants suggesting that <it>sticky </it>and <it>dFmr1 </it>gene products similarly regulate gene expression. By integrating gene expression data with a protein-protein interaction network, we found that mutations in <it>sticky </it>and <it>dFmr1 </it>resulted in misexpression of common gene networks, and consequently predicted additional specific phenotypes previously not known to be associated with either gene. Further phenotypic analyses validated these predictions.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These findings establish a functional link between two previously unrelated genes. Microarray analysis indicates that <it>sticky </it>and <it>dFmr1 </it>are both required for regulation of many developmental genes in a variety of cell types. The diversity of transcripts regulated by these two genes suggests a clear cause of the pleiotropy that <it>sticky </it>and <it>dFmr1 </it>mutants display and provides many novel, testable hypotheses about the functions of these genes. As both of these genes are implicated in the development and function of the mammalian brain, these results have relevance to human health as well as to understanding more general biological processes.</p

Integrating Self-Determination and Job Demands-Resources Theory in Predicting Mental Health Provider Burnout

Limited progress has been made in reducing burnout in mental health professionals. Accordingly, we identified factors that might protect against burnout and could be productive focal areas for future interventions. Guided by self-determination theory, we examined whether supervisor autonomy support, self-efficacy, and staff cohesion predict provider burnout. 358 staff from 13 agencies completed surveys. Higher levels of supervisor autonomy support, self-efficacy, and staff cohesion were predictive of lower burnout, even after accounting for job demands. Although administrators may be limited in their ability to reduce job demands, our findings suggest that increasing core job resources may be a viable alternative

Veterans’ Pain Management Goals: Changes During the Course of a Peer-led Pain Self-Management Program

Objective Goal setting is a common element of self-management support programs; however, little is known about the nature of patients’ goals or how goals change during pain self-management. The purpose of the current study is to explore how patients’ goals and views of goal setting change over the course of a peer-led pain self-management program. Methods Veterans (n = 16) completing a 4-month peer-led pain self-management program completed semi-structured interviews at baseline and follow-up regarding their goals for their pain. Interviews were analyzed using immersion/crystallization. Results Analyses revealed six themes: motivation to do something for their pain, more goal-oriented, actually setting goals, clarity of goal importance, more specific/measurable goal criteria, and more specific/measurable strategies. Conclusion The current analyses illustrate how participants’ goals can evolve over the course of a peer-led pain self-management program. Specifically, increased motivation, more openness to using goals, greater clarity of goal importance, more specific and measurable goals and strategies, and the influence of the peer coach relationship were described by participants. Practice implications Pain self-management interventions should emphasize goal setting, and development of specific, measurable goals and plans. Trainings for providers should address the potential for the provider-patient relationship, particularly peer providers, to facilitate motivation and goal setting

An Update on Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is a concern for a large number of pregnant women due to the potential for long-term complications for both the mother and the fetus. With the increasing prevalence of obesity and diabetes in the general public, the number of pregnant women with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus has also increased. In order to adequately educate their patients, it is important for pharmacists to be aware of the general practices of treating gestational diabetes. This review will highlight recent updates to initial screening, the criteria for diagnosing gestational diabetes, and current management strategies