Real time holographic image rendering : improvements in lighting and realism

Thesis (B.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 1993.Includes bibliographical references (leaf 36).by Kathryn M. Nelson.B.S

Screening Asymptomatic Women for Cardiovascular Risk

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has long been recognized as a significant health problem in the U.S., and is the leading cause of preventable death in women, collectively causing about one death per minute (Caboral, 2013). A myriad of modifiable risk factors including dyslipidemia, hypertension, smoking, obesity, and type II diabetes are associated with 80-90% of CVD morbidity and mortality. Despite sobering statistics, valid risk prediction screening tools, and national preventive guidelines, adequate screening in clinical practice settings is sadly deficient. An evidence-based practice project was designed and implemented at a large OB/GYN practice in southern Ohio to address this identified gap in clinical practice. Pender’s health promotion model and Stetler’s evidence-based practice model provided the theoretical foundation for the project. A critical appraisal of current evidence was executed to identify best practice recommendations. The literature was salient in articulating that CVD risk assessment in asymptomatic women was imperative to guide primary prevention interventions, improves patient outcomes, and reduce the economic burden of CVD. Synthesis of the literature supported the use of the Framingham risk score (FRS) model as a gold standard recommendation in the clinical practice setting. The FRS model was applied to a convenience sample of asymptomatic women between the ages of 35-50 who presented for their annual gynecologic exam. Statistical analysis using the SPSS 20 statistical software of the gleaned metrics demonstrated 91% of the project participants with at least one modifiable CVD risk factor. 50.5% (n=55) of the EBP project participants had significant CVD risk factors that necessitated a timely follow up appointment. Using Pearson’s r there were 27 statistically significant relational correlations discerned from the data analysis. The findings garnered from the EBP project were commensurate with the findings reported in the scientific literature. The data analysis provided compelling evidence to support the need for CVD risk screening in asymptomatic women. The literature is salient in xi elucidating anywhere from 25-46% of women consider their gynecologist as their PCP, therefore, the OB/GYN practice setting is a paramount clinical site for implementation of CVD risk screening

The Enhanced Reading Opportunities Study: Early Impact and Implementation Findings

This report presents early findings from a demonstration and random assignment evaluation of two supplemental literacy programs that aim to improve the reading comprehension skills and school performance of struggling ninth-grade readers. On average, the programs produced a positive, statistically significant impact on reading comprehension among students

Low emission vehicle integration : Will National Grid electricity generation mix meet UK Net Zero?

Acknowledgements This research was undertaken as part of the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) research programme under the ADdressing the Valuation of Energy and Nature Together (ADVENT) project. The authors would also like to thank Dr Christian Brand, University of Oxford, for giving them access to the Transport Energy and Air Pollution Model UK (TEAM - UK). Funding The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Aberdeen, UK and the Natural Environment Research Council (grant number: NE/M019691/1).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Newborn Individual Development Care and Assessment Program (NIDCAP): A Follow-up Systematic Review of the Literature

Aim: To complete a follow-up systematic review of the literature since Wallin and Eriksson (2009) to evaluate how the Newborn Individual Development Care and Assessment Program (NIDCAP) literature has evolved and what, if any, progress related to the effects of development in preterm infants has been made with a focus on neurological and psychological development, treatment and medical outcomes, family perceptions, and economic impact.Background: As a team approach model, NIDCAP requires trained health care professionals to observe the neonate during care procedures leading to individualized care recommendations appropriate for the neurological development of the neonate. Method: A literature search from 2007-2018 was performed. The reviewed papers were assessed for methodological quality and only statistically significant findings were extracted.Findings: Evidence from five articles containing a total of seven randomized control trials with an estimated 771 infants contribute to the effects of NIDCAP versus other care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Significant differences for increased neurological development were found favoring NIDCAP for infants with intrauterine growth restriction at two weeks and nine weeks corrected age. There were no significant findings for family reported quality of health; parental perception of stress, confidence, or nurse support; days in intensive care; days of respiratory support; or infant growth. No studies were found to discuss the economic impact of implementing NIDCAP. Conclusion: Results primarily show support for increasing neurological development of premature infants. Most studies are impeded by sample size or length of intervention. Further studies addressing these limitations could strengthen the findings of this study.Bachelor of Scienc

Neuropsychological evaluation of blast-related concussion: Illustrating the challenges and complexities through OEF/OIF case studies

Background/objective: Soldiers of Operations Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Iraqi Freedom (OIF) sustain blast-related mild traumatic brain injury (concussion) with alarming regularity. This study discusses factors in addition to concussion, such as co-morbid psychological difficulty (e.g. post-traumatic stress) and symptom validity concerns that may complicate neuropsychological evaluation in the late stage of concussive injury. Case report: The study presents the complexities that accompany neuropsychological evaluation of blast concussion through discussion of three case reports of OEF/OIF personnel. Discussion: The authors emphasize uniform assessment of blast concussion, the importance of determining concussion severity according to acute-injury characteristics and elaborate upon non-concussion-related factors that may impact course of cognitive limitation. The authors conclude with a discussion of the need for future research examining the impact of blast concussion (particularly recurrent concussion) and neuropsychological performance