College-Readiness Differences by Economic Status of Texas High School Students With a Learning Disability: A Statewide Multiyear Investigation

The extent to which differences were present in college-readiness rates in reading mathematics and both subjects by economic status for students who were Learning Disabled in Texas public high schools for 2008-2009 through 2010-2011 school years were analyzed in this study Archival data were obtained from the Texas Education Agency Public Education Information Management System on all high school students who were diagnosed as being Learning Disabled Statistically significant differences in reading mathematics and both subjects college-readiness were present for all three school years Extremely low college-readiness rates were present in reading mathematics and both subjects for students who were Learning Disabled in the 2008-2009 through the 2010-2011 school year

Impact of prescribed burning on blanket peat hydrology

Fire is known to impact soil properties and hydrological flowpaths. However, the impact of prescribed vegetation burning on blanket peatland hydrology is poorly understood. We studied ten blanket peat headwater catchments. Five were subject to prescribed burning, while five were unburnt controls. Within the burnt catchments we studied plots where the last burn occurred ∼2 (B2), 4 (B4), 7 (B7) or greater than 10 years (B10+) prior to the start of measurements. These were compared with plots at similar topographic wetness index locations in the control catchments. Plots subject to prescribed vegetation burning had significantly deeper water tables (difference in means = 5.3 cm) and greater water-table variability than unburnt plots. Water-table depths were significantly different between burn age classes (B2>B4>B7>B10+) while B10+ water tables were not significantly different to the unburnt controls. Overland flow was less common on burnt peat than on unburnt peat, recorded in 9% and 17% of all runoff trap visits, respectively. Storm lag times and hydrograph recession limb periods were significantly greater (by ∼ 1 hr and 13 hr on average, respectively) in the burnt catchments overall, but for the largest 20% of storms sampled, there was no significant difference in storm lag times between burnt and unburnt catchments. For the largest 20% of storms the hydrograph intensity of burnt catchments was significantly greater than those of unburnt catchments (means of 4.2 x10−5 s−1 and 3.4 × 10−5 s−1, respectively), thereby indicating a non-linear streamflow response to prescribed burning. Together, these results from plots to whole river catchments indicate that prescribed vegetation burning has important effects on blanket peatland hydrology at a range of spatial scales

Human factors in mental healthcare : A work system analysis of a community-based program for older adults with depression and dementia

Mental healthcare is a critical but largely unexplored application domain for human factors/ergonomics. This paper reports on a work system evaluation of a home-based dementia and depression care program for older adults, the Aging Brain Care program. The Workflow Elements Model was used to guide data collection and analysis of 59 h of observation, supplemented by key informant input. We identified four actors, 37 artifacts across seven types, ten action categories, and ten outcomes including improved health and safety. Five themes emerged regarding barriers and facilitators to care delivery in the program: the centrality of relationship building; the use of adaptive workarounds; performance of duplicate work; travel and scheduling challenges; and communication-related factors. Findings offer new insight into how mental healthcare services are delivered in a community-based program and key work-related factors shaping program outcomes

Augmentation and repair of tendons using demineralised cortical bone

BACKGROUND: In severe injuries with loss of tendon substance a tendon graft or a synthetic substitute is usually used to restore functional length. This is usually associated with donor site morbidity, host tissue reactions and lack of remodelling of the synthetic substitutes, which may result in suboptimal outcome. A biocompatible graft with mechanical and structural properties that replicate those of normal tendon and ligament has so far not been identified. The use of demineralised bone for tendon reattachment onto bone has been shown to be effective in promoting the regeneration of a normal enthesis. Because of its properties, we proposed that Demineralised Cortical Bone (DCB) could be used in repair of a large tendon defect. METHODS: Allogenic DCB grafts in strip form were prepared from sheep cortical bone by acid decalcification and used to replace the enthesis and distal 1 cm of the ovine patellar tendon adjacent to the tibial tuberosity. In 6 animals the DCB strip was used to bridge the gap between the resected end of the tendon and was attached with bone anchors. Force plate analysis was done for each animal preoperatively and at weeks 3, 9, and 12 post operatively. At week 12, after euthanasia x-rays were taken and range of movements were recorded for hind limbs of each animal. Patella, patellar tendon - DCB and proximal tibia were harvested as a block and pQCT scan was done prior to histological analysis. RESULTS: Over time functional weight bearing significantly increased from 44% at 3 weeks post surgery to 79% at week 12. On retrieval none of the specimens showed any evidence of ossification of the DCB. Histological analysis proved formation of neo-enthesis with presence of fibrocartilage and mineralised fibrocartilage in all the specimens. DCB grafts contained host cells and showed evidence of vascularisation. Remodelling of the collagen leading to ligamentisation of the DCB was proved by the presence of crimp in the DCB graft on polarized microscopy. CONCLUSION: Combined with the appropriate surgical techniques, DCB can be used to achieve early mobilization and regeneration of a tendon defect which may be applicable to the repair of chronic rotator cuff injury in humans

High-resolution 3D mapping of rhizosphere glycan patterning using molecular probes in a transparent soil system

Rhizospheres are microecological zones at the interface of roots and soils. Interactions between bacteria and roots are critical for maintaining plant and soil health but are difficult to study because of constraints inherent in working with underground systems. We have developed an in-situ rhizosphere imaging system based on transparent soils and molecular probes that can be imaged using confocal microscopy. We observed spatial patterning of polysaccharides along roots and on cells deposited into the rhizosphere and also co-localised fluorescently tagged soil bacteria. These studies provide insight into the complex glycan landscape of rhizospheres and suggest a means by which root / rhizobacteria interactions can be non-disruptively studied

Harnessing agricultural microbiomes for human pathogen control

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Developing the Agile Implementation Playbook for Integrating Evidence-Based Health Care Services into Clinical Practice

Problem: Despite the more than $32 billion the National Institutes of Health has invested annually, evidence-based health care services are not reliably implemented, sustained, or distributed in health care delivery organizations, resulting in suboptimal care and patient harm. New organizational approaches and frameworks that reflect the complex nature of health care systems are needed to achieve this goal. Approach: To guide the implementation of evidence-based health care services at their institution, the authors used a number of behavioral theories and frameworks to develop the Agile Implementation (AI) Playbook, which was finalized in 2015. The AI Playbook leverages these theories in an integrated approach to selecting an evidence-based health care service to meet a specific opportunity, rapidly implementing the service, evaluating its fidelity and impact, and sustaining and scaling up the service across health care delivery organizations. The AI Playbook includes an interconnected eight-step cycle: (1) identify opportunities; (2) identify evidence-based health care services; (3) develop evaluation and termination plans; (4) assemble a team to develop a minimally viable service; (5) perform implementation sprints; (6) monitor implementation performance; (7) monitor whole system performance; and (8) develop a minimally standardized operating procedure. Outcomes: The AI Playbook has helped to improve care and clinical outcomes for intensive care unit survivors and is being used to train clinicians and scientists in AI to be quality improvement advisors. Next Steps: The authors plan to continue disseminating the details of the AI Playbook and illustrating how health care delivery organizations can successfully leverage it

Concert recording 2018-11-13

[Track 1]. Douzes etudes pour Caisse Claire. No. 1 / Jacques Delecluse -- [Track 2]. Ghost garden / Adam Hopper -- [Track 3]. Rotation no. 4 / Eric Sammut -- [Track 4]. Nine French-American rudimental solos. No. 6 / Unknown -- [Track 5]. Advanced studies for snare drum. No. 3 / Mitchell Peters -- [Track 6]. Tempest / Todd Ukena -- [Track 7]. Excerpt from Northern lights / Eric Ewazen -- [Track 8]. Caleidoscópio / Gene Koschinksi -- [Track 9]. Advanced studies for snare drum. No. 1 / Peters -- [Track 10]. Sweet dreams from Album for the young / Tchaikovsky arranged by L.H. Stevens -- [Track 11]. Furioso and valse in D minor / Earl Hatch -- [Track 12]. Pratt\u27s taps / William Schinstine -- [Track 13]. Max / J.C. Combs -- [Track 14]. Raga no. 1 / William Cahn -- [Track 15]. Sechs Miniaturen. No. 3 / Matthias Schmitt -- [Track 16]. Eden / Adam Miller -- [Track 17]. Four pieces for timpani. Mvts. 3 & 4 / John Bergamo -- [Track 18]. Swerve / Gene Kaschinski -- [Track 19]. White knuckle stroll / Casey Cangelosi -- [Track 20]. Evergreen / Benjamin Finley -- [Track 21]. Time remembered / Branden Steinmetz

Treatment seeking and antibiotic use for urinary tract infection symptoms in the time of COVID-19 in Tanzania and Uganda

Funding: CARE: COVID-19 and Antimicrobial Resistance in East Africa – impact and response is a Global Effort on COVID-19 (GECO) Health Research Award (MR/V036157/1) funded by UK Research and Innovation (Medical Research Council) and the Department of Health and Social Care (National Institute for Health Research).Background There is still little empirical evidence on how the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and associated regulations may have disrupted care-seeking for non-COVID-19 conditions or affected antibiotic behaviours in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We aimed to investigate the differences in treatment-seeking behaviours and antibiotic use for urinary tract infection (UTI)-like symptoms before and during the pandemic at recruitment sites in two East African countries with different COVID-19 control policies: Mbarara, Uganda and Mwanza, Tanzania. Methods In this repeated cross-sectional study, we used data from outpatients (pregnant adolescents aged >14 and adults aged >18) with UTI-like symptoms who visited health facilities in Mwanza, Tanzania and Mbarara, Uganda. We assessed the prevalence of self-reported behaviours (delays in care-seeking, providers visited, antibiotics taken) at three different time points, labelled as ‘pre-COVID-19 phase’ (February 2019 to February 2020), ‘COVID-19 phase 1’ (March 2020 to April 2020), and ‘COVID-19 phase 2’ (July 2021 to February 2022). Results In both study sites, delays in care-seeking were less common during the pandemic than they were in the pre-COVID phase. Patients in Mwanza, Tanzania had shorter care-seeking pathways during the pandemic compared to before it, but this difference was not observed in Mbarara, Uganda. Health centres were the dominant sources of antibiotics in both settings. Over time, reported antibiotic use for UTI-like symptoms became more common in both settings. During the COVID-19 phases, there was a significant increase in self-reported use of antibiotics like metronidazole (<30% in the pre-COVID-19 phase to 40% in COVID phase 2) and doxycycline (30% in the pre-COVID-19 phase to 55% in COVID phase 2) that were not recommended for treating UTI-like symptoms in the National Treatment Guidelines in Mbarara, Uganda. Conclusions There was no clear evidence that patients with UTI-like symptoms attending health care facilities had longer or more complex treatment pathways despite strict government-led interventions related to COVID-19. However, antibiotic use increased over time, including some antibiotics not recommended for treating UTI, which has implications for future antimicrobial resistance.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe