Yes, No, Maybe So: A Conversation About Consent

A PowerPoint presentation, titled Yes, No, Maybe So: A Conversation About Consent, given by Megan Rookard and Megan Ferguson at the Justice Festival held on the campus of Morehead State University on October 11, 2023

Association of Social Needs and Healthcare Utilization among Medicare and Medicaid Beneficiaries in the accountable Health Communities Model

BACKGROUND: Integration of health-related social needs (HRSNs) data into clinical care is recognized as a driver for improving healthcare. However, few published studies on HRSNs and their impact are available. CMS sought to fill this gap through the Accountable Health Communities (AHC) Model, a national RCT of HRSN screening, referral, and navigation. Data from the AHC Model could significantly advance the field of HRSN screening and intervention in the USA. OBJECTIVE: to present data from the Greater Houston AHC (GH-AHC) Model site on HRSN frequency and the association between HRSNs, sociodemographic factors, and self-reported ED utilization using a cross-sectional design. Analyses included descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression. PARTICIPANTS (OR PATIENTS OR SUBJECTS): All community-dwelling Medicare, Medicaid, or dually covered beneficiaries at participating GH-AHC clinical delivery sites were eligible. MAIN MEASURES: Self-reported ED utilization in the previous 12 months served as the outcome; demographic characteristics including race, ethnicity, age, sex, income, education level, number of people living in the household, and insurance type were treated as covariates. HRSNs included food insecurity, housing instability, transportation, difficulty paying utility bills, and interpersonal safety. Clinical delivery site type was used as the clustering variable. KEY RESULTS: Food insecurity was the most common HRSN identified (38.7%) followed by housing instability (29.0%), transportation (28.0%), and difficulty paying utility bills (26.7%). Interpersonal safety was excluded due to low prevalence. More than half of the beneficiaries (56.9%) reported at least one of the four HRSNs. After controlling for covariates, having multiple co-occurring HRSNs was strongly associated with increased risk of two or more ED visits (OR 1.8-9.47 for two to four needs, respectively; p \u3c 0.001). Beneficiaries with four needs were at almost 10 times higher risk of frequent ED utilization (p \u3c 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: to our knowledge, this is only the second published study to report screening data from the AHC Model. Future research focused on the impact of multiple co-occurring needs on health outcomes is warranted

Preparation and characterization of polymer-SiO₂ hybrids

In a search for designed materials that mimic those found in biological systems, combining polymers with inorganic materials in sol-gel chemistry processes has gained momentum in the research world since the 1990's. This work methodically investigated the properties of several related polymer-SiO₂ hybrids prepared by a simple methodology that could be applied to a range of other polymers and organically modified inorganic starting materials. The preparation and drying conditions were varied systematically to provide the best method for combining poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polystyrene (PS), polystyrene-co-poly (methyl methacrylate) (PS-co-PMMA) and polystyrene-polyisoprene-polystyrene (PS-PI-PS) with pre-hydrolyzed tetraethoxysilane (TEOS). Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) provided the weight percent of silica contained in each hybrid and the percentage of retained solvent. The derivative of the TGA curve is useful for illuminating the effect of silica on the degradation pathway of the polymer. Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) probed the chemical interaction between the hybrid constituents. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) provided mechanical data over a range of working frequencies and temperatures. Tapping mode atomic force microscopy (TM-AFM) was used in preference to standard electron microscopies to provide the phase distribution of the constituents as well as a 3D topographical image. Overall, PMMA interacted with pre-hydrolyzed TEOS to produce more thermally stable hybrids that were stronger at high temperatures. The PS showed that pre-hydrolyzed TEOS could be added as filler as it did not change the thermal or mechanical properties appreciably. The PS-co-PMMA mixed with the pre-hydrolyzed TEOS showed higher glass transition temperatures with increasing silica content. The PS-PI-PS did not combine well with pre-hydrolyzed TEOS. One of the major findings was that small amounts (a few %) of residual solvent and hydrolysis byproducts (ethanol) act as a plasticizer that significantly reduces mechanical stiffness of the hybrids below that expected

Nonparametric survival analysis of epidemic data

This paper develops nonparametric methods for the survival analysis of epidemic data based on contact intervals. The contact interval from person i to person j is the time between the onset of infectiousness in i and infectious contact from i to j, where we define infectious contact as a contact sufficient to infect a susceptible individual. We show that the Nelson-Aalen estimator produces an unbiased estimate of the contact interval cumulative hazard function when who-infects-whom is observed. When who-infects-whom is not observed, we average the Nelson-Aalen estimates from all transmission networks consistent with the observed data using an EM algorithm. This converges to a nonparametric MLE of the contact interval cumulative hazard function that we call the marginal Nelson-Aalen estimate. We study the behavior of these methods in simulations and use them to analyze household surveillance data from the 2009 influenza A(H1N1) pandemic. In an appendix, we show that these methods extend chain-binomial models to continuous time.Comment: 30 pages, 6 figure

Generation Z, Learning Preferences, and Technology: An Academic Technology Framework Based on Enterprise Architecture

This work provides an overview of Generation X, Y (Millennials), and Z and their characteristics in academia. We present the ways that mobile technology is infused into their lifestyle. We reference how Generation Y and Z in particular expect technology to be integrated into their educational experience, as well as how it helps faculty to facilitate both synchronous and asynchronous learning. Furthermore, an overview is provided of how technology currently contributes to learning and provides a framework for how educators can better engage current students. The conceptual academic technology framework (ATF) put forth in this work will provide an immediate impact in several key areas. This framework enhances structure during course design, which may be based directly on learning outcomes and department/school objectives. It will also directly improve consistency in faculty/student communication by closely monitoring how changes in communication methods have evolved. Finally, we describe how to integrate technology in a meaningful way, in a manner that does not distract students while preparing them for careers in business

Comparison of Infiltration and Detention in the Georgia Piedmont Using Recent Hydrologic Models

Proceedings of the 1991 Georgia Water Resources Conference, March 19-20, 1991, Athens, Georgia.Infiltration is a possible alternative to detention for control of urban stormwater. Infiltration is capable of controlling peak flows as is detention, but also promises the advantages of flow volume control, base flow augmentation, and water quality improvement. However, the feasibility of infiltration in the Georgia Piedmont has been questioned because of the region's combination of high rainfall and slowly permeable soils. To test the feasibility of infiltration in this region, Patton (1986) designed infiltration systems as hypothetical replacements for existing detention systems on two urban development sites in the Atlanta area. Both the detention and infiltration systems were based on the Rational formula and equivalent design storms. When the two types of systems were compared, Patton found that infiltration, when designed to meet the same hydraulic standards as detention, was surprisingly feasible in terms of construction cost and land area occupied while offering more environmental benefits than detention. This paper summarizes a study (Ellington, 1991) to update Patton's work. In this study both detention and infiltration systems on Patton's study sites were redesigned using two relatively recent hydrologic models, the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) method of estimating storm runoff, and the long-term water balance as it applies to accumulation of standing water in closed reservoirs. Hydrologic performance was modeled, and cost indicators estimated, for four conditions: undeveloped, developed with no stormwater control, developed with detention, and developed with infiltration.Sponsored by U.S. Geological Survey, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the University of Georgia, Georgia State University, and Georgia Institute of Technology.This book was published by the Institute of Natural Resources, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602 with partial funding provided by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Geological Survey, through the Georgia Water Research Institute as authorized by the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 (P.L. 98242). The views and statements advanced in this publication are solely those of the authors and do not represent official views or policies of The University of Georgia or the U.S. Geological Survey or the conference sponsors

Association Analysis of ULK1 with Crohn's Disease in a New Zealand Population

The gene ULK1 is an excellent candidate for Crohn's disease (CD) due to its role in autophagy. A recent study provided evidence for the involvement of ULK1 in the pathogenesis of CD (Henckaerts et al., 2011). We attempted to validate this association, using a candidate gene SNP study of ULK1 in CD. We identified tagging SNPs and genotyped these SNPs using the Sequenom platform in a Caucasian New Zealand dataset consisting of 406 CD patients and 638 controls. In this sample, we were able to demonstrate an association between CD and several different ULK1 SNPs and haplotypes. Phenotypic analysis showed an association with age of diagnosis 17–40 years and inflammatory behaviour. The findings of this study provide evidence to suggest that genetic variation in ULK1 may play a role in interindividual differences in CD susceptibility and clinical outcome

Optimising the Efficiency of a Quantum Memory based on Rephased Amplified Spontaneous Emission

We studied the recall efficiency as a function of optical depth of rephased amplified spontaneous emission (RASE), a protocol for generating entangled light. The experiments were performed on the $^{3}\! H_{4}$ $\rightarrow$ $^{1}\! D_{2}$ transition in the rare-earth doped crystal Pr$^{3+}$:Y$_{2}$SiO$_{5}$, using a four-level echo sequence between four hyperfine levels to rephase the emission. Rephased emission was observed for optical depths in the range of $\alpha L$ = 0.8 to 2.0 with a maximum rephasing efficiency of 14 % observed while incorporating spin storage. This efficiency is a significant improvement over the previously reported non-classical result but is well short of the predicted efficiency. We discuss the possible mechanisms limiting the protocol's performance, and suggest ways to overcome these limits.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure

DNase1: No Association with Crohn's Disease in a New Zealand Population

DNase1 has been implicated in a number of immune disorders and is an excellent candidate gene for Crohn's disease (CD). We investigated whether DNase1 SNPs rs1053874 and rs8176938 were associated with CD in a well-characterized New Zealand dataset consisting of 447 cases and 716 controls. Furthermore, we measured serum DNase1 activity levels in a number of CD patients and controls. We did not find any evidence of association for either DNase1 genetic variation or DNase1 activity levels with CD. The lack of association indicates that DNase1 does not play a significant role in predisposing to CD in the New Zealand population