Wetland Condition Matters: Amphibian Richness and Abundance Change Across Wetland Condition Gradient

In the past century, Kentucky has lost more than 80% of its wetlands, and because state-wide monitoring was historically minimal, this number is likely underestimated. The Kentucky Division of Water, with Eastern Kentucky University and a technical working group, developed a rapid wetland assessment method (i.e. KY-WRAM) to assess wetland quality and aid in establishing mitigation levels and long-term monitoring. Validation of the KY-WRAM’s ability to reflect wetland condition requires comparison to intensive biotic assessments of amphibian, plant, and bird communities. Wetland and amphibian surveys for the 2014 and 2015 seasons were conducted at 42 riverine wetlands in the Kentucky and Salt river basins in Kentucky. Wetlands were chosen from across a gradient of low-, medium-, and high-category scores to compare amphibian communities across a range of wetland condition. Seven were in the low category, twenty-four in medium, and eleven in the high category. Wetlands were surveyed for amphibians via dipnetting and minnow-trapping. Species richness and abundance were tested with AIC modeling using nutrients, dissolved oxygen, landscape disturbance, presence of predatory fish, the pesticide atrazine, and KY-WRAM scores as model parameters. Results indicated KY-WRAM score explained the majority in species richness, and was an important predictor of abundance for seven species of amphibians. Additionally, species richness was significantly and positively related to KY-WRAM score (p\u3c0.001, R2 = 0.62), and was greater among medium and high category sites than low ones. Species present at low quality sites tended to be present at all sites, and species that are sensitive to disturbance were generally only found at higher-scoring sites. KY-WRAM scores reflect a gradient of wetland condition, and anthropogenic impacts within wetland habitats and surrounding uplands are reflected in these scores. Overall, these results indicate that the KY-WRAM is a good predictor of wetland condition, and strongly relates to amphibian communities

The Reversal of Roe vs. Wade and its Effect on Contraception Access in the U.S.

Over the past year, there has been a shift in the United States healthcare system following the Supreme Court overturning of Roe v. Wade. This shift has caused a burden to fall on contraceptive use across states that either prohibited abortion or permitted it. This information poses the following question: In women of reproductive age living in the U.S., has the reversal of Roe v. Wade impacted birth control access in U.S. states with limited abortion rights compared to U.S. states that do not limit abortions over the past year? A literature search was conducted on CINAHL, PubMed, and Google Scholar using these search terms: Roe v. Wade, contraception, birth control access, abortion, and reproductive rights. The initial search on CINAHL resulted in 41 articles. On PubMed, the initial search showed 608 articles. On Google Scholar, the search showed 17,900 articles. A total of 10 articles met inclusion criteria. The evidence is favorable on the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the direct effect on contraceptive access across the U.S., with evidence suggesting that the reversal is progressing female reproductive rights in a direction that makes access even more difficult. The literature notes the most significant barriers to contraception were contingent in states with prohibited abortion rights. Limitations of this review include minimal evidence on the long-term effects of Roe v. Wade and contraception access. Based on these findings, the overturning of Roe v. Wade could allow for states to restrict access to certain contraceptives

Pediatric Surgery Nurses Lead and Coordinate COVID-19 Recovery Efforts

Background: In early 2020, the appearance of the novel COVID-19 virus became a global concern, infecting hundreds of thousands of people. To reduce the spread of the virus, the United States government instituted social distancing and required hospitals to take steps to create extra beds for patient with COVID. One method to increase hospital capacity was the cancellation of scheduled, elective surgeries. In one large pediatric hospital in the Pacific Northwest, there was no formal process in place for cancelling elective procedures or for prioritizing when or how to reschedule the case. Because nurses were being called on to provide direct patient care with increased volumes during the pandemic, non-licensed surgery schedulers were tasked with calling patients to cancel cases without ability to assess patient conditions or provide guidance on when the case might be rescheduled. As a consequence, children and their families who were impacted by cancellations experienced uncertainty and fear that, if left untreated and unevaluated, the underlying condition might worsen and lead to an emergency situation. Nurses in this pediatric surgery center therefore conducted a deep dive into the literature to identify best practices to inform when and how to resume elective surgeries in this vulnerable population. Purpose/aims: To investigate the role of pediatric nurses following unexpected surgery cancellation for at-risk children. Methods/Approach: An integrative literature review was conducted. The Cochrane Library, the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and OVID databases were searched using the key words “pediatric surgeries”, “delayed”, “COVID-19”, and “nursing assessment”. Retrieved evidence was limited to peer-reviewed publications, government websites and reputable healthcare organizations published between January 2018 and September 2020. Results: A total of 25 articles and government-sponsored websites met search criteria. Evidence supported that the following criteria merit high priority for rescheduling surgeries for patients: risk for loss of life, limb, organ function, delayed breastfeeding, and developmental delay. Furthermore, nurses are uniquely trained to prevent illness, facilitate healing, and alleviate suffering, and are recommended to assess ongoing individualized care needs that could drive prioritization of surgery rescheduling following unexpected cancellation. Conclusion: In pediatric patients awaiting non-emergent, elective surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic, literature supports that pediatric surgery nurses must provide ongoing assessment and care of each child affected by cancellation of an elective surgery. Appropriate and timely assessment of evolving family and child needs related to the cancelled surgery can reduce the likelihood of harm during the pre- and post-operative periods. Implications for practice: Pediatric surgery nurses are uniquely positioned to minimize the impact of cancelled elective surgeries by advocating for rescheduling procedures based on assessment of evolving pediatric patients’ need for care. Moving forward, pediatric surgery nurses should collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to write specific institutional policies to guide decisions regarding how and when to resume and prioritize pediatric surgeries if elective procedures need to be delayed.https://digitalcommons.psjhealth.org/prov_rn_conf_all/1022/thumbnail.jp

Characterizing the Influence of the Textile-Sensor Interface on Stitched Sensor Performance

University of Minnesota M.S.E.E. thesis. July 2019. Major: Electrical/Computer Engineering. Advisors: Lucy Dunne, Sarah Swisher. 1 computer file (PDF); vii, 155 pages.Textile-based strain sensors are first defined with examples of various sensing mechanisms and applications, focusing on on-body smart garments for biomonitoring. A current lack of research in the textile substrate influence on sensor performance is noted, with a thesis investigation outlined to highlight key variables that may be important for successful sensor design. Two conductive thread stitch-based strain sensors are chosen for the textile-based strain sensors and two fabric substrates (2-way and 4-way stretch) are used to investigate their influence on sensor performance. Part 1 investigates if fabric strain properties change due to the attachment of sensors and how the sensor performance changes due to fabric choice and attachment angle. Part 2 uses the recommendations for textile choice, stitch geometry of the sensor, and sensor placement based on Part 1 results to create a 3-sensor, 60° strain rosette. Between the two versions of rosettes fabricated, the 4-way fabric and chainstitch geometry, the strain rosette is proven to improve the overall sensor performance in predicting force, displacement, and force direction. This rosette is characterized and using machine learning model algorithms, model-fitted for future garment based strain sensing applications

SkinSafe: Comparing Staphylococcus aureus Growth Across Liner Types in Kenya

The interface between an amputee’s residual limb and prosthetic liner is at risk for high levels of bacterial growth which can lead to infection. Silicone liners have the advantage of patient comfort, but they may have a sealing effect that could exacerbate bacterial growth, which is particularly a concern in places lacking clean water such as Kijabe, Kenya. To investigate this concern, the SkinSafe team has conducted a prosthetic liner study using a bacterial skin model which suspends a liner and a layer of agar above a self-regulating heat and water source to capture the dynamic behavior of the skin–liner interface. Staphylococcus aureus was grown on this model using three different liners: the Ossur Iceross silicone liner, the Namaste silicone liner, and the sock–EVA liner. Final growth concentrations will be compared between the three liner types to determine whether silicone liners require additional hygiene protocols for use in Kenya. Funding for this work provided by The Collaboratory for Strategic Partnerships and Applied Research.https://mosaic.messiah.edu/engr2022/1015/thumbnail.jp

Exercising Metabolic, Ventilatory, and Cardiovascular Responses to Isometric Whole Body Vibration Exercise

Purpose: To determine if metabolic, ventilatory, or cardiovascular response to isometric squats with or without external load was enhanced by the addition of a whole body vibration (WBV). Methods: Fifteen subjects (28.4±6.5y; 173.7±8.6 cm; 75.5±20.8 kg) underwent four exercise sessions with three days’ rest between sessions. The sample included 7 males and 8 females. Subject performed 10-sets of one-minute isometrics squats with 45 degrees of knee flexion standing on a WBV platform under four conditions: Unloaded, Unloaded Vibration, Loaded, and Loaded Vibration. Each condition was performed on a separate day; the session order was presented at random. One-minute recovery was given between sets. During the vibration conditions, the plate vibrated at 4mm peak-to-peak displacement and 30Hz. Loaded sessions were performed with a barbell equal to 30% body weight across the subjects shoulder. Oxygen consumption (VO2) and ventilation (VE) were measured using a metabolic cart and heart rate was obtained using polar chest straps. A 2x2 ANOVA was used to evaluate main effects for vibration (vibration vs. no vibration), load (loaded vs. unloaded), and interactions. Results: There were significant vibration (p = 0.02) and load (p = 0.003) main effects for VO2. VO2 during vibration (9.2±3.3 mL.kg-1.min-1) was significantly greater than no vibration (7.9±1.2 mL.kg-1.min-1); VO2 was also greater during the loaded (9.6 ± 3.1 mL . kg-1 . min-1) condition compared to unloaded (7.5±1.1 mL.kg-1.min-1). There were significant vibration (p=0.01) and load (p=0.01) main effects for VE. VE during vibration (20.8±10.0 L.min-1) was greater than no vibration (17.8±4.8 L.min-1); VE was greater during loaded (21.5±9.4 L.min-1) conditions compared to unloaded (17.7±5.5 L.min-1). There were significant vibration (p=0.02) and load (p=0.008) main effects for HR. HR during vibration (97.0±20.3 beats . min-1) was greater than no vibration (86.8 ± 25.7 beats . min-1); HR was also greater during loaded (101.3±20.8 beats . min-1) conditions compared to unloaded (90.8±12.6 beats.min-1). No interaction effects were detected for VO2 (p= 0.16), VE (p=0.14), or HR (p=0.84). Conclusion: Significant differences were observed in VO2, VE, and HR while exercising with WBV. Differences were similar across loaded and unloaded conditions. It is unclear if these small differences would be sufficient to induce enhanced long-term training adaptations. Future research should investigate similar physiological responses during dynamic exercise with a range of loads. Further, research is also needed to determine if these responses are enhanced or diminished by the amplitude, frequency, or duration of the vibration stimulus