Predictors of Success on the Credentialing Examination in Radiography for First- and Non-First-Generation Students

Background: Identifying predictors of student success is fundamental across higher education in the United States, particularly for historically underserved first-generation students. In radiologic technology programs, the literature suggests that variables prior to and during matriculation in these programs affects scores on the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) credentialing examination in Radiography. However, the evidence in this area has not considered the educational patterns for first-generation students. Purpose: This study sought to improve our understanding about how select student background characteristics and experiences prior to and during the years enrolled in radiologic technology programs accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) affect scores on the ARRT credentialing examination in radiography, especially for first-generation students. Method: The researchers surveyed graduates from radiologic technology programs in 2018 and 2019 who attempted the radiography credentialing examination in these two years. Results: A total of 286 cases were included in the analysis, which revealed different patterns and effects of predictor variables on credentialing examination scores for first- and non-first-generation students. Whereas 10 variables prior to and during matriculation affected examination scores for first-generation students, only 8 did for their non-first-generation peers. Conclusion: Identifying predictors of success in radiologic technology programs helps professionals in these programs design environments that provide opportunities for students to enhance their chances to be successful on the Radiography exam, especially first-generation students

Experiences Participating in Online Synchronous Lectures During COVID-19 Emergency Remote Teaching for First- and Non-First-Generation Students

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, emergency remote teaching (ERT) was implemented in the U.S., and some of the most vulnerable college students struggled to adapt. Purpose: The current study sought to understand the experiences and outcomes of undergraduate students enrolled in radiography programs while participating in synchronous online lectures during ERT, especially first-generation students. Specifically, this study focused on students who participated in class lectures that were taught online in a live and synchronous format due to COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. Methods: This study utilized a retrospective and longitudinal design where participants were asked to answer a series of questions retrospectively at two points in time with each question forming a pair. Survey participants were enrolled as students during ERT in 2020 through 2021 and participated in class lectures that were taught online in a live and synchronous format due to COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. Results: Wilcoxon Signed-Rank and Spearman Rank-Order tests suggest that ERT has affected the experiences and outcomes of students enrolled in radiography programs, with more pronounced negative effects for first-generation students. Conclusion and Recommendations: The researchers recommend yearly and preventative planning across three academic and administrative areas to include training, support, and technology as essential strategies for delivering remote education, specifically online synchronous lectures, in the context of ERT situations. Strategies in these three areas will keep the academic success of the most vulnerable and underserved college student populations at the forefront during emergency remote teaching scenarios

Controlling a mobile robot with a biological brain

The intelligent controlling mechanism of a typical mobile robot is usually a computer system. Some recent research is ongoing in which biological neurons are being cultured and trained to act as the brain of an interactive real world robot�thereby either completely replacing, or operating in a cooperative fashion with, a computer system. Studying such hybrid systems can provide distinct insights into the operation of biological neural structures, and therefore, such research has immediate medical implications as well as enormous potential in robotics. The main aim of the research is to assess the computational and learning capacity of dissociated cultured neuronal networks. A hybrid system incorporating closed-loop control of a mobile robot by a dissociated culture of neurons has been created. The system is flexible and allows for closed-loop operation, either with hardware robot or its software simulation. The paper provides an overview of the problem area, gives an idea of the breadth of present ongoing research, establises a new system architecture and, as an example, reports on the results of conducted experiments with real-life robots

A Nationwide Assessment of the Burden of Urinary Tract Infection among Renal Transplant Recipients

Objective. Evaluate the prevalence and outcomes of urinary tract infection (UTI) among renal transplant recipients. Methods. A secondary analysis of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample 2009–2011 was conducted. Survey-weighted multivariable regression analyses were used to examine the impact of UTI on transplant complications, total charges, and length of stay. Results. A total of 1,044 renal transplant recipients, representing a population estimate of 49,862, were included in the study. UTI was most common in transplant recipients with hypertension (53%) and prevalence was noted to be 28.2 and 65.9 cases per 1,000 for men and women, respectively. UTI increased the likelihood of transplant complications (182% for men, 169% for women). Total charges were 28% higher among men as compared to 22% among women with UTI. Such infection also increased the length of stay by 87% among men and 74% among women. Discussion. UTI in renal transplant recipients was associated with prolonged length of stay, total charges, and increased odds of transplant complications. Interventions to prevent UTI among such patients should be a priority area for future research and practice

Religion, Acculturation, and Incarceration: Determinants of Substance Use among Hispanic Adults in the United States

Objective. The influence of religion, acculturation, and incarceration on substance abuse has been studied, though predominantly among adolescents. Little research exists on how such factors influence substance use among Hispanic adults. The objective of this study was to assess key determinants of substance use among Hispanic adults. Methods. Public access 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health was utilized. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted while accounting for complex survey design to obtain population-weighted estimates. Receiver operator curve analysis was used to evaluate the relative contribution of each variable. Results. Importance of religious influence in life and Spanish language interview were associated with lower odds of substance use, while history of incarceration increased the likelihood of substance use among Hispanic adults. Other factors associated with lower odds were increasing age, being female, and currently married. Other factors associated with increased odds were high school graduate and some college in addition to living above the 200% federal poverty level. Discussion. Results from this study add to the limited body of the literature on determinants of substance use among Hispanic adults. Health education measures should target acculturated Hispanic adults and those with incarceration history to reduce substance use

Spatio-temporal dependencies in functional connectivity in rodent cortical cultures

Models of functional connectivity in cortical cultures on multi-electrodes arrays may aid in understanding how cognitive pathways form and improve techniques that aim to interface with neuronal systems. To enable research on such models, this study uses both data- and model-driven approaches to determine what dependencies are present in and between functional connectivity networks derived from bursts of extracellularly recorded activity. Properties of excitation in bursts were analysed using correlative techniques to assess the degree of linear dependence and then two parallel techniques were used to assess functional connectivity. Three models presenting increasing levels of spatio-temporal dependency were used to capture the dynamics of individual functional connections and their consistencies were verified using surrogate data. By comparing network-wide properties between model generated networks and functional networks from data, complex interdependencies were revealed. This indicates the persistent co-activation of neuronal pathways in spontaneous bursts, as can be found in whole brain structures

Transport and Health: A Look at Three Latin American Cities

Transport is associated with environmental problems, economic losses, health and social inequalities. A number of European and US cities have implemented initiatives to promote multimodal modes of transport. In Latin America changes are occurring in public transport systems and a number of projects aimed at stimulating non-motorized modes of transport (walking and cycling) have already been implemented. Based on articles from peer-reviewed academic journals, this paper examines experiences in Bogota (Colombia), Curitiba (Brazil), and Santiago (Chile), and identifies how changes to the transport system contribute to encourage active transportation. Bus rapid transit, ciclovias, bike paths/lanes, and car use restriction are initiatives that contribute to promoting active transportation in these cities. Few studies have been carried out on the relationship between transport and physical activity. Car ownership continues to increase. The public health sector needs to be a stronger activist in the transport policy decision-making process to incorporate health issues into the transport agenda in Latin America

Screening Estrogenic Activities of Chemicals or Mixtures In Vivo Using Transgenic (cyp19a1b-GFP) Zebrafish Embryos

The tg(cyp19a1b-GFP) transgenic zebrafish expresses GFP (green fluorescent protein) under the control of the cyp19a1b gene, encoding brain aromatase. This gene has two major characteristics: (i) it is only expressed in radial glial progenitors in the brain of fish and (ii) it is exquisitely sensitive to estrogens. Based on these properties, we demonstrate that natural or synthetic hormones (alone or in binary mixture), including androgens or progestagens, and industrial chemicals induce a concentration-dependent GFP expression in radial glial progenitors. As GFP expression can be quantified by in vivo imaging, this model presents a very powerful tool to screen and characterize compounds potentially acting as estrogen mimics either directly or after metabolization by the zebrafish embryo. This study also shows that radial glial cells that act as stem cells are direct targets for a large panel of endocrine disruptors, calling for more attention regarding the impact of environmental estrogens and/or certain pharmaceuticals on brain development. Altogether these data identify this in vivo bioassay as an interesting alternative to detect estrogen mimics in hazard and risk assessment perspective