The Need for Continuity of Care in the Criminal Justice System

People with mental health and substance use disorders who would benefit from treatment are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. It has been reported that 63% of individuals in jail and 58% of individuals in prison meet the criteria for having a substance use disorder, and 36% of the population serving a state prison sentence were being treated for a mental health disorder, which is 17% higher than the general population in Tennessee. Justice-involved individuals with mental health and substance use disorders have a higher risk of recidivism, especially when they lack access to medications and behavioral health treatments both during and after incarceration. However, despite this heightened prevalence and treatment need, criminal justice entities rarely have the resources needed to ensure at-risk individuals receive continuous evidence-based care. Given Tennessee’s incarceration rate has risen to 10% above the national average, and almost half of all incarcerated individuals are rearrested within three years of release, it is critical for individuals to have access to continuous care both during incarceration and at reentry into the community

A Case-Control Study of Trace-Element Status and Lung Cancer in Appalachian Kentucky

Appalachian Kentucky (App KY) leads the nation in lung cancer incidence and mortality. Trace elements, such as As, have been associated with lung cancers in other regions of the country and we hypothesized that a population-based study would reveal higher trace element concentrations in App KY individuals with cancer compared to controls. Using toenail and drinking water trace element concentrations, this study investigated a possible association between lung cancer incidence and trace-element exposure in residents of this region. This population-based case-control study had 520 subjects, and 367 subjects provided toenail samples. Additionally, we explored the relationship between toenail and fingernail trace-element concentrations to determine if fingernails could be used as a surrogate for toenails when patients are unable to provide toenail samples. We found that, contrary to our initial hypothesis, trace element concentrations (Al, As, Cr, Mn, Co, Fe, Ni, Cu, Se, and Pb) were not higher in cancer cases than controls with the exception of Zn where concentrations were slightly higher in cases. In fact, univariate logistic regression models showed that individuals with lower concentrations of several elements (Al, Mn, Cr, and Se) were more likely to have lung cancer, although only Mn was significant in multivariate models which controlled for confounding factors. While drinking water concentrations of Al, Cr and Co were positively related to cancer incidence in univariate models, only Co remained significant in multivariate models. However, since the drinking water concentrations were extremely low and not reflected in the toenail concentrations, the significance of this finding is unclear. We also found that fingernail concentrations were not consistently predictive of toenail concentrations, indicating that fingernails should not be used as surrogates for toenails in future studies

US Cosmic Visions: New Ideas in Dark Matter 2017: Community Report

This white paper summarizes the workshop "U.S. Cosmic Visions: New Ideas in Dark Matter" held at University of Maryland on March 23-25, 2017.Comment: 102 pages + reference

Appalachian Spring

A large mural that was created by 19 studio art and education students in 2009. Renowned Latina artist Judith Baca worked alongside the students.https://scholarworks.moreheadstate.edu/university_art_collection/1090/thumbnail.jp

Two Nations, One Land: UNSCOP and the Question of Israel (1947)

This open historical game was created through an ALG Pilot Grant for Developing an Open Historical Game. In this type of historical game, students read from specially designed game books that place them in moments of heightened historical tension. The class becomes a public body, or private gathering; students, in role, become particular persons from the period and/or members of factional alliances. Their purpose is to advance an agenda and achieve victory objectives through formal speeches, informal debate, negotiations, vote taking, and conspiracy. After a few preparatory sessions, the game begins, and the students are in charge. The instructor serves as an adviser and arbiter. Outcomes sometimes vary from the history; a debriefing session sets the record straight. Authors\u27 Game Description: The setting is Palestine, 1947, where there is violent unrest between the local Arabs of Palestine and “Zionist” Jews. The British have ruled over the territory with a “Mandate” from the League of Nations since the end of WWI, after the Allied Powers dissolved the Ottoman Empire at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 and divided the region into small nation-states based on the (secretly written) Sykes-Picot agreement

Cal Poly Rose Float Electric Vehicle

(1) Background: The Cal Poly Rose Float is currently powered by a pair of V-8 internal combustion engines. This is the second project in a three phase effort to replace the existing drive engine with an electric motor powered by a DC bus. The main goal of this phase of the project is to get the motor selected in phase one spinning. (2) Results: Originally, the project involved programming a microcontroller to achieve motor control. The decision was made, early on, to approach this task in a different manner due to the team’s minimal background in programming and mechatronics. The team decided to purchase and implement a commercially available variable frequency drive to get the motor spinning, and to offer a more sophisticated level of control. After extensive research, planning, purchasing of required components, and connectivity considerations, sufficient motor control was achieved. (3) Conclusion: The selection of a variable frequency drive to gain motor control was successful, and the goals of phase 2 in the Cal Poly electric vehicle project were accomplished. The project is ready to enter the next phase which is to be completed by another team of students