Electronic Health Record Simulator

The Electronic Health Record Simulator is exactly that; it is meant to simulate an EHR (like those found in hospitals and clinics) for use in an academic setting. Its purpose is to familiarize students with the operation of real-world EHRs in order to better prepare them for the workforce. It allows instructors to create fictional patients (with full lab values), and allows students to fill in information as in a real EHR

Port to World

Among those that are ill for long periods, there is often a mistrust created not only in one’s own body but in the institution that promises a cure to the malady. Often this stems naturally from the dogma of the institution paired with one’s desire for wellness, for the institution\u27s goals are many besides the overall health of the patient. Even when a patient is cured of an ailment, this is often just the first step in the actual healing process. The body can quickly change, and the mind takes time to catch up with the body\u27s condition. My work examines ways in which patients find cures for themselves between the physiological and psychological, alternative ways of thinking that allow people to cope and potentially subvert the rigid ideal of what is considered healthy in the western medical institution. Using clay as a medium to describe the human body, I analyze personal and shared histories surrounding illness with research focusing on virtual connection and coping mechanisms. This culminated research will result in an installation titled, Port to World, which explores ideas of personal healing, magical thinking, and the need for an unsterile space

Compact QED3 with theta term and axionic confining strings

We discuss three dimensional compact QED with a theta term due to an axionic field. The variational gauge invariant functional is considered and it is shown that the ground state energy is independent of theta in a leading approximation. The mass gap of the axionic field is found to be dependent upon theta, the mass gap of the photon field and the scalar potential. The vacuum expectation of the Wilson loop is shown to be independent of theta in a leading approximation, to obey the area law and to lead to confinement. We also briefly discuss the properties of axionic confining strings.Comment: 35 pages, LaTex, typing error correcte

Barriers to reporting non-motor symptoms to health-care providers in people with Parkinson's

Background: Non-motor symptoms (NMS) are common in Parkinson's disease (PD) and cause significant distress. A high rate of non-declaration of NMS by patients to healthcare providers (HCP) means that many NMS remain untreated. Current understanding of the factors preventing disclosure of NMS to HCPs is limited. The present study aimed to i) further assess the prevalence of NMS and associated distress, ii) establish current rates of NMS reporting across a range of sources, and iii) explore overall and any symptom specific barriers to help-seeking for NMS. Methods: 358 PD patients completed a cross-sectional survey of NMS severity, reporting and barriers to help-seeking. A series of Generalised Estimating Equations were used to determine whether barriers were symptom specific. Results: A mean of 10.5 NMS were reported by each patient. Rates of non-reporting of NMS ranged from 15 to 72% of those experiencing distressing symptoms. The most commonly reported barriers to help-seeking were acceptance of symptoms; lack of awareness that a symptom was associated with PD, and belief that no effective treatments were available. Symptom specific barriers were found for sexual dysfunction (embarrassment), unexplained pain and urinary problems (belief about lack of treatment availability). Conclusion: A diverse range of barriers prevent PD patients reporting NMS to HCPs and these barriers differ between NMS. The study provides the foundations for developing interventions to increase reporting by targeting individual NMS. Increasing rates of help-seeking for NMS by patients to their Parkinson's healthcare providers will increase appropriate clinical care which may improve quality of life and well-being

Conserved defense responses between maize and sorghum to Exserohilum turcicum.

BACKGROUND:Exserohilum turcicum is an important pathogen of both sorghum and maize, causing sorghum leaf blight and northern corn leaf blight. Because the same pathogen can infect and cause major losses for two of the most important grain crops, it is an ideal pathosystem to study plant-pathogen evolution and investigate shared resistance mechanisms between the two plant species. To identify sorghum genes involved in the E. turcicum response, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS). RESULTS:Using the sorghum conversion panel evaluated across three environments, we identified a total of 216 significant markers. Based on physical linkage with the significant markers, we detected a total of 113 unique candidate genes, some with known roles in plant defense. Also, we compared maize genes known to play a role in resistance to E. turcicum with the association mapping results and found evidence of genes conferring resistance in both crops, providing evidence of shared resistance between maize and sorghum. CONCLUSIONS:Using a genetics approach, we identified shared genetic regions conferring resistance to E. turcicum in both maize and sorghum. We identified several promising candidate genes for resistance to leaf blight in sorghum, including genes related to R-gene mediated resistance. We present significant advancements in the understanding of host resistance to E. turcicum, which is crucial to reduce losses due to this important pathogen

Metabolic Power Method: Underestimation of Energy Expenditure in Field-Sport Movements Using a Global Positioning System Tracking System

The purpose of this study was to assess the validity of a global positioning system (GPS) tracking system to estimate energy expenditure (EE) during exercise and field-sport locomotor movements. Twenty-seven participants each completed a 90-min exercise session on an outdoor synthetic futsal pitch. During the exercise session, they wore a 5-Hz GPS unit interpolated to 15 Hz and a portable gas analyzer that acted as the criterion measure of EE. The exercise session was composed of alternating 5-minute exercise bouts of randomized walking, jogging, running, or a field-sport circuit (×3) followed by 10 min of recovery. One-way analysis of variance showed significant (P &lt; .01) and very large underestimations between GPS metabolic power– derived EE and oxygen-consumption (VO2) -derived EE for all field-sport circuits (% difference ≈ –44%). No differences in EE were observed for the jog (7.8%) and run (4.8%), whereas very large overestimations were found for the walk (43.0%). The GPS metabolic power EE over the entire 90-min session was significantly lower (P &lt; .01) than the VO2 EE, resulting in a moderate underestimation overall (–19%). The results of this study suggest that a GPS tracking system using the metabolic power model of EE does not accurately estimate EE in field-sport movements or over an exercise session consisting of mixed locomotor activities interspersed with recovery periods; however, is it able to provide a reasonably accurate estimation of EE during continuous jogging and running.</jats:p

Surface induced magnetization reversal of MnP nanoclusters embedded in GaP

We investigate the quasi-static magnetic behavior of ensembles of non-interacting ferromagnetic nanoparticles consisting of MnP nanoclusters embedded in GaP(001) epilayers grown at 600, 650 and 700{\deg}C. We use a phenomenological model, in which surface effects are included, to reproduce the experimental hysteresis curves measured as a function of temperature (120-260 K) and direction of the applied field. The slope of the hysteresis curve during magnetization reversal is determined by the MnP nanoclusters size distribution, which is a function of the growth temperature. Our results show that the coercive field is very sensitive to the strength of the surface anisotropy, which reduces the energy barrier between the two states of opposite magnetization. Notably, this reduction in the energy barrier increases by a factor of 3 as the sample temperature is lowered from 260 to 120 K.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure

Discovery of an ultramassive pulsating white dwarf

We announce the discovery of the most massive pulsating hydrogen-atmosphere (DA) white dwarf (WD) ever discovered, GD 518. Model atmosphere fits to the optical spectrum of this star show it is a 12,030 +/- 210 K WD with a log(g) = 9.08 +/- 0.06, which corresponds to a mass of 1.20 +/- 0.03 Msun. Stellar evolution models indicate that the progenitor of such a high-mass WD endured a stable carbon-burning phase, producing an oxygen-neon-core WD. The discovery of pulsations in GD 518 thus offers the first opportunity to probe the interior of a WD with a possible oxygen-neon core. Such a massive WD should also be significantly crystallized at this temperature. The star exhibits multi-periodic luminosity variations at timescales ranging from roughly 425-595 s and amplitudes up to 0.7%, consistent in period and amplitude with the observed variability of typical ZZ Ceti stars, which exhibit non-radial g-mode pulsations driven by a hydrogen partial ionization zone. Successfully unraveling both the total mass and core composition of GD 518 provides a unique opportunity to investigate intermediate-mass stellar evolution, and can possibly place an upper limit to the mass of a carbon-oxygen-core WD, which in turn constrains SNe Ia progenitor systems.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, Astrophysical Journal Letters, 771, L2 (2013

Outcomes of Naviculectomy for Severe Recurrent Clubfoot Deformity

Background: Naviculectomy was originally described for resistant congenital vertical talus deformity but was later expanded to use in rigid cavus deformity. This study reviews the operative outcomes of complete excision of the navicular for recurrent deformity in the talipes equinovarus (TEV) population. Methods: After institutional review board approval, all patients undergoing naviculectomy at a single institution were identified. Clinical, radiographic, and pedobarographic data (minimum 2 years’ follow-up) were reviewed. Results: Twelve patients (14 feet) with TEV from 1984 to 2019 were included. All feet had minimum 1 prior operative intervention on the affected foot (mean age = 4.0 years, range 0.2-14.5), with 8/14 having at least 3 prior operative procedures. Complete navicular excision with concomitant procedures was performed in all patients (mean age = 11.7 years, range 5.5-16.1). Mean clinical follow-up from naviculectomy was 5.1 years (range, 2.2-11.2). During follow-up, 6 patients required subsequent surgery, most often secondary to pain and progressive deformity. One patient underwent elective below-knee amputation of the affected extremity. Of the remaining 11 patients, 7 of 11 reported continued pain and 8 of 11 maintained adequate range of motion at the ankle at the most recent follow-up. Conclusion: Clinical follow-up demonstrated deteriorating results in a large percentage of patients. The high rate of additional procedures and continued pain in the current series suggests that even as a salvage procedure, naviculectomy may not provide adequate results for patients. Level of Evidence: Level IV, case series