From Caution to College: The Effects on Veterans with Self- Reported Trauma Symptoms Sharing their Experiences with the Campus Community

Over 900,000 veterans are using benefits for higher education today; the vast majority of them served in the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). Over 25% of GWOT service members that have been treated by the Veterans Affairs (VA) are reported to have symptoms of posttraumatic stress or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTS/PTSD). PTS/PTSD negatively impacts student veterans’ abilities to navigate stressful environments such as college and university settings. The Veterans Embracing Transition (VET) Connect Program at San José State University (SJSU) is designed to connect veterans with non-veterans as peer educators. Five of the 13 VET Connect peer educators (38.5%) who were interviewed reported having symptoms of PTSD. Through their service as peer educators on and off campus, these participants demonstrated signs of healthy coping effects through sharing experiences and educating non-veterans of the struggles related to military culture, service, combat, and loss. This study was conducted in collaboration with Sophia Alcala. We worked on independent research questions and observations using data derived from the same larger study simultaneously under the supervision of Dr. Klaw

Identification of Hemodynamically Optimal Coronary Stent Designs Based on Vessel Caliber

Coronary stent design influences local patterns of wall shear stress (WSS) that are associated with neointimal growth, restenosis, and the endothelialization of stent struts. The number of circumferentially repeating crowns NC for a given stent de- sign is often modified depending on the target vessel caliber, but the hemodynamic implications of altering NC have not previously been studied. In this investigation, we analyzed the relationship between vessel diameter and the hemodynamically optimal NC using a derivative-free optimization algorithm coupled with computational fluid dynamics. The algorithm computed the optimal vessel diameter, defined as minimizing the area of stent-induced low WSS, for various configurations (i.e., NC) of a generic slotted-tube design and designs that resemble commercially available stents. Stents were modeled in idealized coronary arteries with a vessel diameter that was allowed to vary between 2 and 5 mm. The results indicate that the optimal vessel diameter increases for stent configurations with greater NC, and the designs of current commercial stents incorporate a greater NC than hemodynamically optimal stent designs. This finding suggests that reducing the NC of current stents may improve the hemodynamic environment within stented arteries and reduce the likelihood of excessive neointimal growth and thrombus formation

Meeting the Federal Mandates: Research on Effective Reading Instructional Programs and Implications for Classroom Teachers

Both the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) mandate (2001) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) (2004), call for use of scientifically validated reading instructional practices, curricula, and accountability for successful learning outcomes. This paper highlights one of the reading programs identified as scientifically validated by independent research groups and discusses its implications for classroom teachers. On the other hand, we do not embrace the idea that other reading programs are ineffective. We believe that there is no one single method or program to teach all children effectively. However, we believe that use of programs that have been demonstrated as effective through research may reduce the number of children who are atrisk of failing to read competently

Divergence or convergence? Health inequalities and policy in a devolved Britain

Since the advent of political devolution in the UK, it has been widely reported that markedly different health policies have emerged. However, most of these analyses are based on a comparison of health care policies and, as such, only tell part of a complex and evolving story. This paper considers official responses to a shared public health policy aim, the reduction of health inequalities, through an examination of national policy statements produced in England, Scotland and Wales respectively since 1997. The analysis suggests that the relatively consistent manner in which the ‘policy problem’ of health inequalities has been framed combined with the dominance of a medical model of health have constrained policy responses. Our findings differ from existing analyses, raising some important questions about the actuality of, and scope for, policy divergence since devolution

Landscape Pattern Response to Changes in the Pattern Generation Rules: Land-use Legacies in Forestry

The Pacific Northwest of the United States is currently embroiled in an acrimonious debate over the management of federal forest lands. Constructive resolution of this debate will require better information on a broad range of forest management issues. This study focuses on one such issue: the development of landscape pattern in response to alternative forest cutting plans and the degree to which established landscape patterns can be changed. Dispersed cutting has been conducted on federal lands in the western United States for \u3e40 yr, but alternative cutting plans are now being considered. To assess the effects of different disturbance processes on the development of landscape pattern, we compare dispersed- and aggregated-cutting plans using a simple, rule-based simulation model that incorporates realistic regulatory and logistic constraints. Our results indicate that, once established, the landscape pattern created by dispersed disturbances is difficult to erase without a substantial reduction in the disturbance rate or a reduction in the minimum stand age eligible for disturbance. Change in landscape pattern can lag substan­tially behind change in the rules governing pattern generation