Quality of life scores compared to objective measures of swallowing function after oropharyngeal chemoradiation

pre-printObjectives: To compare objective measures of swallowing function with patient reports of swallowing-related Quality of Life one year after treatment of oropharyngeal cancer with chemoradiation therapy. Study Design: Patients seen for follow-up at least one year after treatment of oropharyngeal carcinoma with chemoradiation therapy were sequentially approached and asked to participate in the study. Methods: Maximum pharyngeal constriction, hyoid elevation, upper esophageal sphincter (UES) opening size and bolus pharyngeal transit time were measured from modified barium swallowing studies in a group of 31 patients at least one year after chemoradiation therapy for the treatment of oropharyngeal carcinoma. Measures were made for a liquid 1cc, 3cc and 20cc bolus. Objective measure results were compared to scores from the MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory and The University of Washington Swallowing Quality of Life Questionnaire results from the same patients

Comparing quality of life scores to objective measures of swallowing function after chemoradiation therapy for oropharyngeal carcinoma

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Timing of events during deglutition after chemoradiation

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Boundary options for a research area within Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary

Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary (GRNMS) is exploring the concept of a research area (RA) within its boundaries. The idea of a research area was first suggested in public scoping meetings held prior to the review of the Gray’s Reef Management Plan. An RA is a region specifically designed for conducting controlled scientific studies in the absence of confounding factors. As a result, a multidisciplinary group gathered by GRNMS was convened to consider the issue. This Research Area Working Group (RAWG) requested that a suite of analyses be conducted to evaluate the issue quantitatively. To meet this need, a novel selection procedure and geographic information system (GIS) was created to find the optimal location for an RA while balancing the needs of research and existing users. This report and its associated GIS files describe the results of the requested analyses and enable further quantitative investigation of this topic by the RAWG and GRNMS

Herd Immunity: Does Social Media Affect Adherence to the CDC Childhood Vaccination Schedule?

Social Media can alter herd immunity by having a subtle yet pervasive impact on the adherence to the Childhood Vaccination Schedule recommended by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Parents of children (newborn to young adults) utilize social media to acquire medical information such as the CDC’s Recommended Childhood Vaccination Schedule. Complying with anti-vaccination messages can result in parents not vaccinating their children, leading to a decline in the public’s herd immunity against known pathogens. However, there is a dearth of information about the possible impact of social media on herd immunity from childhood vaccination. Thus, this literature review will discuss the emerging themes from the current science in an effort to provide an initial understanding. In addition, the authors will provide a framework by which these themes demonstrate the ‘pitfalls’ of social media

Rethinking Retail in Indy: Reconnecting East 10th Street, Reinventing Small Town Shopping, Reevaluating 1970s Shopping Malls, and Revitalizing Fountain Square

poster abstractThe dawn of 21st century brought about significant advances in technology that affected all aspects of social life. These advances, specifically the interstate system and the automobile, revolutionized the institution of retail and the way we as consumers shop. In the 1970s, the strip center, the enclosed mall and big box stores drew business from local retail, leaving many urban neighborhood retail strips abandoned. In present day, we see yet another shift in retail trends as the presence of “dead malls” becomes more common and authentic urban shopping strips re-emerge. The gap between these two eras of retail has not been completely bridged, though. In this presentation, we will explore different perspectives on the future of urban retail throughout Greater Indianapolis through the use of ethnographic and descriptive research methods. We will look at possibilities for the re-use of the largely abandoned Lafayette Square Mall; evaluate different perspectives on how East 10th Street can reconnect retail with a struggling residential community; analyze the impact of downtown and highway oriented retail nodes on the struggling revitalization of suburban Greenfield; and examine whether the unique and independently owned eateries and pubs are truly serving as engines in spurring the economic revival of the older neighborhood of Fountain Square

An Estimate of Backcountry Day Use of Glacier National Park

Estimates the number of people entering the Glacier National Park backcountry for the summer season of 1988 using infrared beam-activated photography, embedded vibration sensing counters, and trailhead registration validated by personal observation. The study also developed an equation to estimate use levels in future seasons at low cost

LunaNet: A Flexible and Extensible Lunar Exploration Communications and Navigation Infrastructure and the Inclusion of SmallSat Platforms

As NASA establishes a sustained presence on the Moon and ventures further into the solar system, the need for a robust interplanetary communications and navigation architecture increases. LunaNet, an extensible and scalable lunar communications and navigation architecture, is being developed to answer this growing need. The LunaNet architecture will provide users with three services: networking services, positioning, navigation and timing services, and science utilization services. With LunaNet in place, users will experience an operational environment similar to that experienced by users on Earth. The agency’s plan for solar system exploration necessitates both government and commercial participation, and the LunaNet architecture supports this goal as well, encouraging global participation from commercial and international partners, other government agencies, academia, and federally funded research development centers. This paper provides a high-level description of the LunaNet architecture, discusses how SmallSat platforms and technologies may provide critical capabilities, and defines the role that SmallSats can play within the architecture