Presidential Modernity: Harry Truman and the Foreign Policy Decision Making Process

Harry Truman is an overshadowed figure in presidential politics and history. His presidency was wedged between two titans of the office, the politically savvy Franklin Roosevelt and universally beloved war hero Dwight Eisenhower, and his overall influence and impact is downplayed when compared these two men. This research examines what influence Truman exerted upon the executive branch by asking “how has Harry Truman influenced the foreign policy decision making process of office of the presidency and how, if at all, could his actions be considered modern?” Through a comparative case study analysis of four foreign policy events, this paper highlights the progression of Truman’s decision-making process and shows how it assumed a modern style

A Constraints-Led Approach to Improvisational Saxophone Practice

This practice-led research project documents the application of the constraints-led approach within my self-regulated improvisational saxophone practice. The constraints-led approach is a pedagogical framework founded on the theoretical principles of ecological dynamics, within which learners are conceived of as complex adaptative systems with the capacity to spontaneously form self-organising patterns of behaviour in response to organismic, environmental, and task constraints. Constraints-led learning designs harness this self-organising tendency, implementing practice tasks that guide learners to explore new methods of identifying and acting upon information sources within their performance environment. My practice project unfolded across a 13-month developmental period in three overlapping phases of practice, each of which featured a unique learning design founded on constraints-led principles including nonlinear learning, constrain-to-afford, task variability and representative practice design. The three learning designs implemented movement-based task constraints that were oriented towards skill acquisition and the development of improvisational dexterity rather than the internalisation of musical vocabulary. A corresponding self-assessment model was developed to evaluate the efficacy of the practice tasks in promoting the formation of new stable patterns of coordination and control. Research outcomes include newly generated understandings of the relationship between saxophone-specific movement-based processes and resultant improvised musical production, and the development of practice processes to overcome movement-based instability. Outcomes also include a creative component, featuring four recorded original works. Together, these outputs contribute new knowledge to current understandings of improvisational learning and practice, as well as illuminating the utility of the constraints-led approach within self-directed musical learning projects

Experiences of patients with mental illness’ interactions with medical students: a systematic review

Objectives Mental health is a key area for learning within undergraduate medical education. Given the nature of mental illness, interactions may have the potential to uniquely impact patients. This study set out to systematically review studies reporting experiences and perceptions of patients with mental illness’ clinical interactions with medical students. This includes which factors encourage patients to interact with medical students, and if patients perceive negative and positive effects from these interactions. Method Studies reporting patient experiences of involvement in undergraduate medicineal were included. A standardized search of online databases was carried out independently by two authors and consensus reached on the inclusion of studies. Data extraction and quality assessment were also completed independently, after which a content analysis of interventions was conducted and key themes extracted. Studies were included from peer-reviewed journals, in any language. Results Eight studies from five countries were included, totaling 1088 patients. The majority of patients regard interacting with medical students as a positive experience. Patients described feeling comfortable with medical students, and the majority believes it is important for students to “see real patients”. Patients describe benefits to them as enjoyment, being involved in student education, and developing illness narrative. Conclusions Results suggest that most patients with mental illness want to interact with medical students, and this should be encouraged during student placements. Further research however is required to understand in more depth what else can be done to improve the comfort and willingness for patients to interact with students, including barriers to this

Fundamental properties of M-dwarfs in eclipsing binary star systems

The absolute parameters of M-dwarfs in eclipsing binary systems provide important tests for evolutionary models. Those that have been measured reveal significant discrepancies with evolutionary models. There are two problems with M-dwarfs: 1. M-dwarfs generally appear bigger and cooler than models predict (such that their luminosity agrees with models) and 2. some M-dwarfs in eclipsing binaries are measured to be hotter than expected for their mass. The exact cause of this is unclear and a variety of conjectures have been put forward including enhanced magnetic activity and spotted surfaces. There is a lack of M-dwarfs with absolute parameters and so the exact causes of these disparities are unclear. As the interest in low-mass stars rises from the ever increasing number of exoplanets found around them, it is important that a considerable effort is made to understand why this is so. A solution to the problem lies with low-mass eclipsing binary systems discovered by the WASP (Wide Angle Search for Planets) project. A large sample of these systems have been followed up with spectroscopic orbits that ultimately exclude them from the planethunting process. In this work I obtained follow-up photometry for 9 of these systems and used these data to measure the absolute parameters of each star. These will eventually be used to create empirical calibrations for low mass stars when the number of EBLMs (eclipsing binary, low-mass) measured within this framework increases. Breaking the mass degeneracy required supplementary information from evolutionary models and the primary stars atmospheric parameters. I successfully created, tested and deployed a spectral analysis routine which used wavelet decomposition to analyse the spectra of FGK stars in exoplanet/eclipsing binary systems. Careful selection of wavelet coefficients filter out large systematic trends and noise typically observed in spectra. I used this principle to reliably measure Teff, V sin i and [Fe/H] from CORALIE spectra. My method had a systematic offset in [Fe/H] of -0:18 dex relative to equivalent-width measurements of higher-quality spectra. There is also a correlation between Teff and log g. The sample of eclipsing binary systems in this work highlight that only a fraction are suitable for empirical calibrations. I found that three of systems have primary stars which have evolved into the “blue-hook” part of their main-sequence evolution. They have two distinct solutions for mass and age which require supplementary information before they can be used in empirical calibrations. A further two systems have large impact parameters which increase the uncertainty in radius above the required precision of a few percent. I advocate the need for a volume-limited sample to avoid spending time observing and measuring such systems. The method used to measure low-mass eclipsing binaries is well-established, yet there is a dearth of well-studied F+M binaries. The EBLM project has provided spectroscopic orbits for 118 F+M binaries and I expect the absolute parameters for these systems to follow timely. However, there is a requirement for a hare-and-hounds style experiment to assess how absolute parameters differ between different research groups and methods of analysis. Using a subset of systems, I show that subtle choices in helium-enhancement and mixinglength parameters can introduce a 2-4% uncertainty in mass and age. A similar effect is seen for different limb-darkening laws and so an in-depth review into how this will affect empirical mass-radius calibrations is required

Solving the Problem of Organ Donation Shortage

Organ donation, a medically perfected procedure, affords a second chance at life for many people. Unfortunately, organ transplantation demonstrates the stark reality of supply and demand. Thousands of individuals are added to the transplant list each day, but many more die during the same time frame waiting for new organs. The solution to this dilemma seems simple: increase the supply. This article will discuss several ways to achieve this goal. First, through the HIV Organ Policy Equity Act, which allows for HIV-positive-to-HIV-positive transplants, more transplantable organs will hopefully be available in the future. Second, the supply of organs may increase by changing the standards of organ donation from irreversible loss of brain function to irreversible loss of cardiac function. Third, educating individuals, especially minorities, about donation and the regionally based system for transplants may result in a larger number of matching donors and a greater number of potential recipients on multiple transplant lists. Finally, efforts such as payments and advertising for organs, giving priority transplants to registered donors, and even confronting the disparate number of elderly donors whose organs are never transplanted, may result in an increase in the organ supply

Solving the Problem of Organ Donation Shortage

Organ donation, a medically perfected procedure, affords a second chance at life for many people. Unfortunately, organ transplantation demonstrates the stark reality of supply and demand. Thousands of individuals are added to the transplant list each day, but many more die during the same time frame waiting for new organs. The solution to this dilemma seems simple: increase the supply. This article will discuss several ways to achieve this goal. First, through the HIV Organ Policy Equity Act, which allows for HIV-positive-to-HIV-positive transplants, more transplantable organs will hopefully be available in the future. Second, the supply of organs may increase by changing the standards of organ donation from irreversible loss of brain function to irreversible loss of cardiac function. Third, educating individuals, especially minorities, about donation and the regionally based system for transplants may result in a larger number of matching donors and a greater number of potential recipients on multiple transplant lists. Finally, efforts such as payments and advertising for organs, giving priority transplants to registered donors, and even confronting the disparate number of elderly donors whose organs are never transplanted, may result in an increase in the organ supply

Prevalence of plantar ulcer and its risk factors in leprosy:a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Plantar ulcers are a leading complication of leprosy that requires frequent visits to hospital and is associated with stigma. The extent of burden of ulcers in leprosy and its risk factors are scant impeding the development of targeted interventions to prevent and promote healing of ulcers. The aim of this review is to generate evidence on the prevalence of plantar ulcer and its risk factors in leprosy. Methods: Databases (Medline, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL, BVS), conference abstracts and reference lists were searched for eligible studies. Studies were included that reported a point prevalence of plantar ulcer and/or its “risk factors” associated with development of ulcers (either causatively or predictively), including individual level, disease related and bio-mechanical factors. We followed PRISMA guidelines for this review. Random-effects meta-analysis was undertaken to estimate the pooled point prevalence of ulcers. Reported risk factors in included studies were narratively synthesised. This review is registered in PROSPERO: CRD42022316726. Results: Overall, 15 studies (8 for prevalence of ulcer and 7 for risk factors) met the inclusion criteria. The pooled point prevalence of ulcer was 34% (95% CIs: 21%, 46%) and 7% (95% CIs: 4%, 11%) among those with foot anaesthesia and among all people affected by leprosy, respectively. Risk factors for developing ulcers included: unable to feel 10 g of monofilament on sensory testing, pronated/hyper-pronated foot, foot with peak plantar pressure, foot with severe deformities, and those with lower education and the unemployed. Conclusions: The prevalence of plantar ulceration in leprosy is as high as 34% among those with loss of sensation in the feet. However, the incidence and recurrence rates of ulceration are least reported. The inability to feel 10 g of monofilament appears to be a strong predictor of those at risk of developing ulcers. However, there is a paucity of evidence on identifying those at risk of developing plantar ulcers in leprosy. Prospective studies are needed to estimate the incidence of ulcers. Identifying individuals at risk of ulcers will help design targeted interventions to minimize risk factors, prevent ulcers and promote ulcer healing

Evidence against Wolbachia symbiosis in Loa loa

BACKGROUND: The majority of filarial nematode species are host to Wolbachia bacterial endosymbionts, although a few including Acanthocheilonema viteae, Onchocerca flexuosa and Setaria equina have been shown to be free of infection. Comparisons of species with and without symbionts can provide important information on the role of Wolbachia symbiosis in the biology of the nematode hosts and the contribution of the bacteria to the development of disease. Previous studies by electron microscopy and PCR have failed to detect intracellular bacterial infection in Loa loa. Here we use molecular and immunohistological techniques to confirm this finding. METHODS: We have used a combination of PCR amplification of bacterial genes (16S ribosomal DNA [rDNA], ftsZ and Wolbachia surface protein [WSP]) on samples of L. loa adults, third-stage larvae (L3) and microfilariae (mf) and immunohistology on L. loa adults and mf derived from human volunteers to determine the presence or absence of Wolbachia endosymbionts. Samples used in the PCR analysis included 5 adult female worms, 4 adult male worms, 5 mf samples and 2 samples of L3. The quality and purity of nematode DNA was tested by PCR amplification of nematode 5S rDNA and with diagnostic primers from the target species and used to confirm the absence of contamination from Onchocerca sp., Mansonella perstans, M. streptocerca and Wuchereria bancrofti. Immunohistology was carried out by light and electron microscopy on L. loa adults and mf and sections were probed with rabbit antibodies raised to recombinant Brugia malayi Wolbachia WSP. Samples from nematodes known to be infected with Wolbachia (O. volvulus, O. ochengi, Litomosoides sigmodontis and B. malayi) were used as positive controls and A. viteae as a negative control. RESULTS: Single PCR analysis using primer sets for the bacterial genes 16S rDNA, ftsZ, and WSP were negative for all DNA samples from L. loa. Positive PCR reactions were obtained from DNA samples derived from species known to be infected with Wolbachia, which confirmed the suitability of the primers and PCR conditions. The quality and purity of nematode DNA samples was verified by PCR amplification of 5S rDNA and with nematode diagnostic primers. Additional analysis by 'long PCR' failed to produce any further evidence for Wolbachia symbiosis. Immunohistology of L. loa adults and mf confirmed the results of the PCR with no evidence for Wolbachia symbiosis. CONCLUSION: DNA analysis and immunohistology provided no evidence for Wolbachia symbiosis in L. loa

Optical Alignment of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Star Trackers

The optical alignment of the star trackers on the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) core spacecraft at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) was challenging due to the layout and structural design of the GPM Lower Bus Structure (LBS) in which the star trackers are mounted as well as the presence of the star tracker shades that blocked line-of-sight to the primary star tracker optical references. The initial solution was to negotiate minor changes in the original LBS design to allow for the installation of a removable item of ground support equipment (GSE) that could be installed whenever measurements of the star tracker optical references were needed. However, this GSE could only be used to measure secondary optical reference cube faces not used by the star tracker vendor to obtain the relationship information and matrix transformations necessary to determine star tracker alignment. Unfortunately, due to unexpectedly large orthogonality errors between the measured secondary adjacent cube faces and the lack of cube calibration data, we required a method that could be used to measure the same reference cube faces as originally measured by the vendor. We describe an alternative technique to theodolite auto-collimation for measurement of an optical reference mirror pointing direction when normal incidence measurements are not possible. This technique was used to successfully align the GPM star trackers and has been used on a number of other NASA flight projects. We also discuss alignment theory as well as a GSFC-developed theodolite data analysis package used to analyze angular metrology data