Habilitation Training Curriculum: Is It Useful?

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting approximately five million Americans. Paul Raia, PhD, Vice President, Clinical Services at the Alzheimer’s Association, MA/NH Chapters, developed a training curriculum called Caring for People with Alzheimer’s Disease: A Habilitation Training Curriculum. The Alzheimer’s Association’s Maine Chapter has been implementing this training in care facilities across Maine. The purpose of this project was to evaluate if this training is perceived as useful in direct care settings.A secondary goal of the project was to determine if this training should be adapted for use in other settings in which professionals of varying titles interact with elder populations

BASELINE-FREE MEASUREMENT OF TEMPERATURE, PRESSURE, AND CONCENTRATION FROM MOLECULAR FREE INDUCTION DECAY

Broadband laser absorption spectrometers have enabled sensing of temperature, pressure and absorber mole fraction in gaseous systems with high sensitivity and precision. However, recovering thermodynamic conditions from the measured spectrum can be complicated by the need to correct for the background intensity spectrum of the laser source (the ‘baseline’). Baseline correction becomes challenging for highly modulated laser spectra (e.g. from non-linear spectral broadening processes or etalon effects in the optical system) as well as in the presence of broadband absorption from large molecules (e.g. hydrocarbons). In this talk, we demonstrate a technique for measuring temperature, pressure, and species concentration from an absorption spectrum without the need to correct for the laser intensity spectrum. This technique is based on the time domain description of absorption spectroscopy – where the typical absorption features manifest as the temporal dynamics of the excited molecules. We demonstrate the fitting technique by accurately measuring temperature and pressure from the broadband spectrum of water vapor over a range exceeding 1000 K. Further, we apply the technique to a broadly absorbing mixture by accurately recovering species concentrations from a mixture of ethane and methane. This mixture absorbs continuously for more than 500 \wn \ in the near-infrared, and thus poses a significant challenge for traditional baseline correction methods. By eliminating the need to correct for the laser intensity spectrum, our results address a significant limitation of broadband laser absorption spectroscopy for sensing applications

Bisphosphonate-Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles for Contrast-Enhanced X-Ray Detection of Breast Microcalcifications

Microcalcifications are one of the most common abnormalities detected by mammography for the diagnosis of breast cancer. However, the detection of microcalcifications and correct diagnosis of breast cancer are limited by the sensitivity and specificity of mammography. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the potential of bisphosphonate-functionalized gold nanoparticles (BP-Au NPs) for contrast-enhanced radiographic detection of breast microcalcifications using two models of breast microcalcifications which allowed for precise control over levels of hydroxyapatite (HA) mineral within a low attenuating matrix. First, an in vitro imaging phantom was prepared with varying concentrations of HA uniformly dispersed in an agarose hydrogel. The X-ray attenuation of HA-agarose compositions labeled by BP-Au NPs was increased by up to 26 HU compared to unlabeled compositions for HA concentrations ranging from 1–10 mg/mL. Second, an ex vivo tissue model was developed to more closely mimic the heterogeneity of breast tissue by injecting varying concentrations of HA in a Matrigel carrier into murine mammary glands. The X-ray attenuation of HA-Matrigel compositions labeled by BP-Au NPs was increased by up to 289 HU compared to unlabeled compositions for HA concentrations ranging from 0.5–25 mg/mL, which included an HA concentration (0.5 mg/mL) that was otherwise undetectable by micro-computed tomography. Cumulatively, both models demonstrated the ability of BP-Au NPs to enhance contrast for radiographic detection of microcalcifications, including at a clinically-relevant imaging resolution. Therefore, BP-Au NPs may have potential to improve clinical detection of breast microcalcifications by mammography

DUAL FREQUENCY COMB SPECTROSCOPY FOR DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING OF HIGH PRESSURE, HIGH TEMPERATURE ABSORPTION MODELS

The development of accurate absorption models for high pressure, high temperature environments is complicated by the increased relevance of higher order collisional phenomena on the absorption lineshape (e.g. line mixing, collision-induced absorption, finite duration of collisions). Accurate reference spectroscopy at these conditions is important for the study of combustion systems and remote sensing of dense planetary atmospheres. We present a new high pressure, high temperature absorption spectroscopy facility at the University of Colorado Boulder. This facility is coupled with a dual frequency comb absorption spectrometer to record broadband (\~{}1500\wn), high resolution (\~{}0.0066\wn) spectra in a controlled environment at high pressures and temperatures. Measurements of the NIR spectrum of carbon dioxide will be compared to modeled spectra extrapolated from the HITRAN 2016 database as well as other published models that include line mixing corrections. This comparison gives insight into the effectiveness of existing absorption models in the high pressure, high temperature limit as well as the improvements required to accurately model absorption spectra in harsh systems

Precision Doppler Shift Measurements with a Frequency Comb Calibrated Laser Heterodyne Radiometer

We report precision atmospheric spectroscopy of $CO_2$ using a laser heterodyne radiometer (LHR) calibrated with an optical frequency comb. Using the comb-calibrated LHR, we record spectra of atmospheric $CO_2$ near 1572.33 nm with a spectral resolution of 200 MHz using sunlight as a light source. The measured $CO_2$ spectra exhibit frequency shifts by approximately 11 MHz over the course of the five-hour measurement, and we show that these shifts are caused by Doppler effects due to wind along the spectrometer line of sight. The measured frequency shifts are in excellent agreement with an atmospheric model, and we show that our measurements track the wind-induced Doppler shifts with a relative frequency precision of 100 kHz (15 cm/s), equivalent to a fractional precision of a few parts in $10^{10}$. These results demonstrate that frequency-comb-calibrated LHR enables precision velocimetry that can be of use in applications ranging from climate science to astronomy.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Baseline-free Quantitative Absorption Spectroscopy Based on Cepstral Analysis

The accuracy of quantitative absorption spectroscopy depends on correctly distinguishing molecular absorption signatures in a measured transmission spectrum from the varying intensity or "baseline" of the light source. Baseline correction becomes particularly difficult when the measurement involves complex, broadly absorbing molecules or non-ideal transmission effects such as etalons. We demonstrate a technique that eliminates the need to account for the laser intensity in absorption spectroscopy by converting the measured transmission spectrum of a gas sample to a modified form of the time-domain molecular free induction decay (m-FID) using a cepstral analysis technique developed for audio signal processing. Much of the m-FID signal is temporally separated from and independent of the source intensity, and this portion can be fit directly with a model to determine sample gas properties without correcting for the light source intensity. We validate the new approach in several complex absorption spectroscopy scenarios and discuss its limitations. The technique is applicable to spectra obtained with any absorption spectrometer and provides a fast and accurate approach for analyzing complex spectra

Data and code associated with “Supporting Adaptive Management with Ecological Forecasting: Chronic Wasting Disease in the Jackson Elk Herd”

Final_Data.zip contains several spreadsheets representing data collected by both the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the US Fish and Wildlife Service for elk management: Jackson feedground census, 1998-2016; Harvest data, 1997-2015; Hunt area census, 1998-2016; Chronic wasting disease test results, 1998-2015. Final_Code.zip contains several Program R scripts written for data analysis and model fitting as described in the full associated article.Adaptive management has emerged as the prevailing approach for combining environmental research and management to advance science and policy. Adaptive management, as originally formulated by Carl Walters in 1986, depends on the use of Bayesian models to provide a framework to accumulate knowledge. The emergence of ecological forecasting using the Bayesian framework has provided robust tools and supports a new approach to informing adaptive management, which can be particularly useful in developing policy for managing infectious disease in wildlife. We used the potential infection of elk populations with chronic wasting disease in the Jackson Valley of Wyoming and the National Elk Refuge as a model system to show how Bayesian forecasting can support adaptive management in anticipation of management challenges. The core of our approach resembles the sex- and age-structured, discrete time models used to support management decisions on elk harvest throughout western North America. Our model differs by including stages for CWD infected and unaffected animals. We used data on population counts, sex and age classification, and CWD testing, as well as results from prior research, in a Bayesian statistical framework to predict model parameters and the number of animals in each age, sex, and disease stage over time. Initial forecasts suggested CWD may reach a mean prevalence in the population of 12%, but uncertainty in this forecast is large and we cannot rule out a mean forecasted prevalence as high as 20%. Using recruitment rates observed during the last two decades, the model predicted that a CWD prevalence of 7% in females would cause the population growth rate (l) to drop below 1, resulting in population declines even when female harvest was zero. The primary value of this ecological forecasting approach is to provide a framework to assimilate data with understanding of disease processes to enable continuous improvement in understanding the ecology of CWD and its management.Data collection was funded as part of management efforts by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Data analysis and work for publication was funded by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service

Effects of bisphosphonate ligands and PEGylation on targeted delivery of gold nanoparticles for contrast-enhanced radiographic detection of breast microcalcifications

A preclinical murine model of hydroxyapatite (HA) breast microcalcifications (µcals), which are an important clinical biomarker for breast cancer detection, was used to investigate the independent effects of high affinity bisphosphonate (BP) ligands and a polyethylene glycol (PEG) spacer on targeted delivery of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) for contrast-enhanced radiographic detection. The addition of BP ligands to PEGylated Au NPs (BP-PEG-Au NPs) resulted in five-fold greater binding affinity for targeting HA µcals, as expected, due to the strong binding affinity of BP ligands for calcium. Therefore, BP-PEG-Au NPs were able to target HA µcals in vivo after intramammary delivery, which enabled contrast-enhanced radiographic detection of µcals in both normal and radiographically dense mammary tissues similar to previous results for BP-Au NPs, while PEG-Au NPs did not. The addition of a PEG spacer between the BP targeting ligand and Au NP surface enabled improved in vivo clearance. PEG-Au NPs and BP-PEG-Au NPs were cleared from all mammary glands (MGs) and control MGs, respectively, within 24–48 h after intramammary delivery, while BP-Au NPs were not. PEGylated Au NPs were slowly cleared from MGs by lymphatic drainage and accumulated in the spleen. Histopathology revealed uptake of PEG-Au NPs and BP-PEG-Au NPs by macrophages in the spleen, liver, and MGs; there was no evidence of toxicity due to the accumulation of NPs in organs and tissues compared with untreated controls for up to 28 days after delivery

Mad mothering: learning from the intersections of madness, mothering, and disability

The article brings together the fields of mad studies (LeFrancois et al.), matricentric feminism (O’Reilly, Matricentric Feminism) and critical disability studies (Goodley, “Dis/entangling Critical Disability Studies”). The aim is to expose and challenge “relations of ruling” (Smith 79) that both produce and discipline “mad mothers of disabled children.” The analysis begins by exploring the un/commonalities of the emerging histories of the three disciplines. The article then identifies analytical points of intersection, including critiques of neoliberalism; troubling the “norm” (including radical resistance and activism); intersectionality, post-colonial and queer theory. Finally, the article turns to points of divergence and possible tensions between these theoretical approaches as it explores the absence of disability in matricentric feminism, the contested place of mothering in critical disability studies, and the absence of mothering in mad studies