The Figure in Art: Selections from the Gettysburg College Collection

The Figure in Art: Selections from the Gettysburg College Collection is the second annual exhibition curated by students enrolled in the Art History Methods class. This exhibition is an exciting academic endeavor and provides an incredible opportunity for engaged learning, research, and curatorial experience. The eleven student curators are Diane Brennan, Rebecca Duffy, Kristy Garcia, Megan Haugh, Dakota Homsey, Molly Lindberg, Kathya Lopez, Kelly Maguire, Kylie McBride, Carolyn McBrady and Erica Schaumberg. Their research presents a multifaceted view of the representation of figures in various art forms from different periods and cultures.https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/artcatalogs/1017/thumbnail.jp

Nicotine preloading for smoking cessation: the Preloading RCT

Background: Nicotine preloading means using nicotine replacement therapy prior to a quit date while smoking normally. The aim is to reduce the drive to smoke, thereby reducing cravings for smoking after quit day, which are the main cause of early relapse. A prior systematic review showed inconclusive and heterogeneous evidence that preloading was effective and little evidence of the mechanism of action, with no cost-effectiveness data. Objectives: To assess (1) the effectiveness, safety and tolerability of nicotine preloading in a routine NHS setting relative to usual care, (2) the mechanisms of the action of preloading and (3) the cost-effectiveness of preloading. Design: Open-label randomised controlled trial with examination of mediation and a cost-effectiveness analysis. Setting: NHS smoking cessation clinics. Participants: People seeking help to stop smoking. Interventions: Nicotine preloading comprised wearing a 21 mg/24 hour nicotine patch for 4 weeks prior to quit date. In addition, minimal behavioural support was provided to explain the intervention rationale and to support adherence. In the comparator group, participants received equivalent behavioural support. Randomisation was stratified by centre and concealed from investigators. Main outcome measures: The primary outcome was 6-month prolonged abstinence assessed using the Russell Standard. The secondary outcomes were 4-week and 12-month abstinence. Adverse events (AEs) were assessed from baseline to 1 week after quit day. In a planned analysis, we adjusted for the use of varenicline (Champix®; Pfizer Inc., New York, NY, USA) as post-cessation medication. Cost-effectiveness analysis took a health-service perspective. The within-trial analysis assessed health-service costs during the 13 months of trial enrolment relative to the previous 6 months comparing trial arms. The base case was based on multiple imputation for missing cost data. We modelled long-term health outcomes of smoking-related diseases using the European-study on Quantifying Utility of Investment in Protection from Tobacco (EQUIPT) model. Results: In total, 1792 people were eligible and were enrolled in the study, with 893 randomised to the control group and 899 randomised to the intervention group. In the intervention group, 49 (5.5%) people discontinued preloading prematurely and most others used it daily. The primary outcome, biochemically validated 6-month abstinence, was achieved by 157 (17.5%) people in the intervention group and 129 (14.4%) people in the control group, a difference of 3.02 percentage points [95% confidence interval (CI) –0.37 to 6.41 percentage points; odds ratio (OR) 1.25, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.62; p = 0.081]. Adjusted for use of post-quit day varenicline, the OR was 1.34 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.73; p = 0.028). Secondary abstinence outcomes were similar. The OR for the occurrence of serious AEs was 1.12 (95% CI 0.42 to 3.03). Moderate-severity nausea occurred in an additional 4% of the preloading group compared with the control group. There was evidence that reduced urges to smoke and reduced smoke inhalation mediated the effect of preloading on abstinence. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio at the 6-month follow-up for preloading relative to control was £710 (95% CI –£13,674 to £23,205), but preloading was dominant at 12 months and in the long term, with an 80% probability that it is cost saving. Limitations: The open-label design could partially account for the mediation results. Outcome assessment could not be blinded but was biochemically verified. Conclusions: Use of nicotine-patch preloading for 4 weeks prior to attempting to stop smoking can increase the proportion of people who stop successfully, but its benefit is undermined because it reduces the use of varenicline after preloading. If this latter effect could be overcome, then nicotine preloading appears to improve health and reduce health-service costs in the long term. Future work should determine how to ensure that people using nicotine preloading opt to use varenicline as cessation medication. Trial registration: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN33031001.NIHR Health Technology Assessment programm

Household gender regimes - what can we learn from census income data?

The paper focuses on gender relations and considers the value of aggregate income data, generated by the national census. It draws on concepts of gender order and gender regimes as well as a typology of relations of social reproduction. Utilising these concepts we examine the changing nature of gender relations and inequality in Australia between 2006 and 2011. We ask whether we can use data collected by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) in its census of population and housing to monitor changing patterns of income generation within families over time and across space within Australia? We further ask, can this data tell us much about either the changing patterns of gender relations in the domestic sphere or the changing levels of inequality in Australia

Skilling the bay - Geelong regional labour market profile: Briefing report two

The briefing paper presents a description and analysis of the employment profile of residents in the Regional Geelong Area (RGA). The focus is on RGA residents, the skills they possess, where they acquire work and how this has changed over time. Given that at least 20 per cent of the employed population work outside the Area, this means that there is no tight relation between residents' skills and where these skills are employed. This report draws out the implications of the employment profile of the RGA residents with reference to the character and potential of the local labour market. Of note, there are a number of Federal, State and Local Government initiatives that are underway to stimulate employment within the region as well as to reinforce the employment profile of the Area. By considering the skills profile and educational qualifications of Geelong residents and where they seek employment, including their distribution across employment sectors, it is possible to understand the implications of how the population make use of their qualifications and skills sets and where they work, inside and outside the Area. This is the key stepping stone for an understanding of the employment activity within the RGA and the composition of this regional economy as a Manufacturing and Service one. Such an evaluation provides the foundation for the identification of three major sectors for further examination as well as a consideration of the broader themes around jobs and skills transition. It also allows an understanding of the interrelationship between different sectors: manufacturing and service sectors, construction, and transport and logistics. This will enable an understanding of the skills and training potential in the region

Skilling the bay - Geelong regional labour market profile

This report has been developed by the Centre of Sustainable Organisations and Work (RMIT University) for the Gordon Institute of Technology (The Gordon). The aim of the report is to review the labour market for the Regional Geelong Area (RGA), in particular the major sectors of employment: Health and Community Services, Manufacturing, and Education and Training. The objectives are to: Identify the types of skills and qualifications workers currently possess, and how these may (or may not) meet current or future skills needs of Regional Geelong Area businesses; Suggest potential future skills demands of employers with a consideration of changes in demand; Understand the position of displaced and vulnerable workers along with their career aspirations as they confront changes in employment and labour market conditions; and Inform development of a long-term vision for jobs and training in the Regional Geelong Area. Utilising a combination of statistical and qualitative data, the report analyses the current state of these employment sectors and considers possible future trends. Workers' skills and aspirations are considered alongside the forecast trends, in order to inform recommendations and priorities for policy makers and training providers

Minimal handgrip force is needed for transcutaneous electrical stimulation to improve hand functions of patients with severe spinal cord injury.

Spinal cord stimulation enhanced restoration of motor function following spinal cord injury (SCI) in unblinded studies. To determine whether training combined with transcutaneous electrical spinal cord stimulation (tSCS), with or without systemic serotonergic treatment with buspirone (busp), could improve hand function in individuals with severe hand paralysis following SCI, we assessed ten subjects in a double-blind, sham-controlled, crossover study. All treatments-busp, tSCS, and the busp plus tSCS-reduced muscle tone and spasm frequency. Buspirone did not have any discernible impact on grip force or manual dexterity when administered alone or in combination with tSCS. In contrast, grip force, sinusoidal force generation and grip-release rate improved significantly after 6 weeks of tSCS in 5 out of 10 subjects who had residual grip force within the range of 0.1-1.5 N at the baseline evaluation. Improved hand function was sustained in subjects with residual grip force 2-5 months after the tSCS and buspirone treatment. We conclude that tSCS combined with training improves hand strength and manual dexterity in subjects with SCI who have residual grip strength greater than 0.1 N. Buspirone did not significantly improve the hand function nor add to the effect of stimulation