Pacifc Northwest Archaeological Society (PNWAS): Reaching the Northwest Advocational Public for 36 Years

This paper is Chapter 3, pp. 35-45, of a 275+ page volume on How do we Reach More?; a free source book on trying to reach the public in the Pacific Northwest of North America: https://www.northwestanthropology.com/how-do-we-reach-more This book is freely available for those that want to see what tended to work or not work in this effort. Since PNWAS has been around for 36 years, a certain amount of success is demonstrated, including activism possible through a non-profit for education program. Abstract for Pacific Northwest Archaeological Society (PNWAS) chapter 3: As originally stated in our founding in 1985, PNWAS is a membership organization that “offers a means for individuals and organizations to declare their support for the preservation of the rich archaeological resources in our region and help to bring public archaeology programs to people of the Pacific Northwest. Benefits of membership include timely information on Northwest archaeological research, a bi-monthly lecture series, and opportunity to participate in professionally supervised research in the Northwest.” PNWAS was incorporated at that time as a non-profit organization in the State of Washington and has remained true to these original objectives. I have been the Executive Director throughout these 36 years, with a President, Vice-President, and other Officers on our Board

A Methodology to Assist Faculty in Developing Successful Approaches for Achieving Learner Centered Information Systems Curriculum Outcomes: Team Based Methods

All industries face the interrelated challenges of indentifying and training the critical skills needed to be successful in the workplace. Specifically of interest to the information systems field is that any newly trained IS professional has to be equipped to solve increasingly difficult problems with great confidence and competence. In this paper we present the case for IS curriculum implementations (Landry 2008) based on the transformational learner centered methodologies (Saulnier 2008). With this approach, student learners take responsibility for their education and are accountable for the outcomes based on a continuous feedback and self adjustment of goal. We present a methodology for learner centered outcome development by using a template approach developed within a quality process improvement environment. This approach utilizes an existing model curriculum in developing the learner centered attributes. Examples for implementing the approach utilizing team based behaviors are provided

Polycystic kidney disease in patients on the renal transplant waiting list: trends in hematocrit and survival

BACKGROUND: The patient characteristics and mortality associated with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (PKD) have not been characterized for a national sample of end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients on the renal transplant waiting list. METHODS: 40,493 patients in the United States Renal Data System who were initiated on ESRD therapy between 1 April 1995 and 29 June 1999 and later enrolled on the renal transplant waiting list were analyzed in an historical cohort study of the relationship between hematocrit at the time of presentation to ESRD and survival (using Cox Regression) in patients with PKD as a cause of ESRD. RESULTS: Hematocrit levels at presentation to ESRD increased significantly over more recent years of the study. Hematocrit rose in parallel in patients with and without PKD, but patients with PKD had consistently higher hemoglobin. PKD was independently associated with higher hematocrit in multiple linear regression analysis (p < 0.0001). In logistic regression, higher hematocrit was independently associated with PKD. In Cox Regression analysis, PKD was associated with statistically significant improved survival both in comparison with diabetic (hazard ratio, 0.64, 95% CI 0.53–0.77, p < 0.001) and non-diabetic (HR 0.68, 95% CI 0.56–0.82, p = 0.001) ESRD patients, adjusted for all other factors. CONCLUSIONS: Hematocrit at presentation to ESRD was significantly higher in patients with PKD compared with patients with other causes of ESRD. The survival advantage of PKD in ESRD persisted even adjusted for differences in hematocrit and in comparison with patients on the renal transplant waiting list

Modeling the effect of lockdown timing as a COVID‑19 control measure in countries with differing social contacts

The application, timing, and duration of lockdown strategies during a pandemic remain poorly quantified with regards to expected public health outcomes. Previous projection models have reached conflicting conclusions about the effect of complete lockdowns on COVID-19 outcomes. We developed a stochastic continuous-time Markov chain (CTMC) model with eight states including the environment (SEAMHQRD-V), and derived a formula for the basic reproduction number, R0, for that model. Applying the R 0 formula as a function in previously-published social contact matrices from 152 countries, we produced the distribution and four categories of possible R 0 for the 152 countries and chose one country from each quarter as a representative for four social contact categories (Canada, China, Mexico, and Niger). The model was then used to predict the effects of lockdown timing in those four categories through the representative countries. The analysis for the effect of a lockdown was performed without the influence of the other control measures, like social distancing and mask wearing, to quantify its absolute effect. Hypothetical lockdown timing was shown to be the critical parameter in ameliorating pandemic peak incidence. More importantly, we found that well-timed lockdowns can split the peak of hospitalizations into two smaller distant peaks while extending the overall pandemic duration. The timing of lockdowns reveals that a “tunneling” effect on incidence can be achieved to bypass the peak and prevent pandemic caseloads from exceeding hospital capacity

Using a stochastic continuous-time Markov chain model to examine alternative timing and duration of the COVID-19 lockdown in Kuwait: what can be done now?

Background Kuwait had its first COVID-19 in late February, and until October 6, 2020 it recorded 108,268 cases and 632 deaths. Despite implementing one of the strictest control measures-including a three-week complete lockdown, there was no sign of a declining epidemic curve. The objective of the current analyses is to determine, hypothetically, the optimal timing and duration of a full lockdown in Kuwait that would result in controlling new infections and lead to a substantial reduction in case hospitalizations. Methods The analysis was conducted using a stochastic Continuous-Time Markov Chain (CTMC), eight state model that depicts the disease transmission and spread of SARS-CoV 2. Transmission of infection occurs between individuals through social contacts at home, in schools, at work, and during other communal activities. Results The model shows that a lockdown 10 days before the epidemic peak for 90 days is optimal but a more realistic duration of 45 days can achieve about a 45% reduction in both new infections and case hospitalizations. Conclusions In the view of the forthcoming waves of the COVID19 pandemic anticipated in Kuwait using a correctly-timed and sufficiently long lockdown represents a workable management strategy that encompasses the most stringent form of social distancing with the ability to significantly reduce transmissions and hospitalizations

Analysis of intervention effectiveness using early outbreak transmission dynamics to guide future pandemic management and decision-making in Kuwait

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a World Health Organization designated pandemic that can result in severe symptoms and death that disproportionately affects older patients or those with comorbidities. Kuwait reported its first imported cases of COVID-19 on February 24, 2020. Analysis of data from the first three months of community transmission of the COVID-19 outbreak in Kuwait can provide important guidance for decision-making when dealing with future SARS-CoV-2 epidemic wave management. The analysis of intervention scenarios can help to evaluate the possible impacts of various outbreak control measures going forward which aim to reduce the effective reproduction number during the initial outbreak wave. Herein we use a modified susceptible-exposed-asymptomatic-infectious-removed (SEAIR) transmission model to estimate the outbreak dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in Kuwait. We fit case data from the first 96 days in the model to estimate the effective reproduction number and used Google mobility data to refine community contact matrices. The SEAIR modelled scenarios allow for the analysis of various interventions to determine their effectiveness. The model can help inform future pandemic wave management, not only in Kuwait but for other countries as well

Life After Succession in the Family Business: Is It Really the End of Problems?

The succession processes in family business are well chronicled in the business literature. Most of the research focuses on the process of transferring power within the business-family. What has not been as closely examined is the after-succession environment that exists when the management and leadership of the family business are passed on to the next generation. This article addresses that organizational climate and the potential for additional problems in the business-family if post-succession issues are not identified and addressed and suggests some steps that will be helpful in producing complete succession success.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline

Modelling study of the ability to diagnose acute rheumatic fever at different levels of the Ugandan healthcare system.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the ability to accurately diagnose acute rheumatic fever (ARF) given the resources available at three levels of the Ugandan healthcare system. METHODS: Using data obtained from a large epidemiological database on ARF conducted in three districts of Uganda, we selected variables that might positively or negatively predict rheumatic fever based on diagnostic capacity at three levels/tiers of the Ugandan healthcare system. Variables were put into three statistical models that were built sequentially. Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate ORs and 95% CI of predictors of ARF. Performance of the models was determined using Akaike information criterion, adjusted R2, concordance C statistic, Brier score and adequacy index. RESULTS: A model with clinical predictor variables available at a lower-level health centre (tier 1) predicted ARF with an optimism corrected area under the curve (AUC) (c-statistic) of 0.69. Adding tests available at the district level (tier 2, ECG, complete blood count and malaria testing) increased the AUC to 0.76. A model that additionally included diagnostic tests available at the national referral hospital (tier 3, echocardiography, anti-streptolysin O titres, erythrocyte sedimentation rate/C-reactive protein) had the best performance with an AUC of 0.91. CONCLUSIONS: Reducing the burden of rheumatic heart disease in low and middle-income countries requires overcoming challenges of ARF diagnosis. Ensuring that possible cases can be evaluated using electrocardiography and relatively simple blood tests will improve diagnostic accuracy somewhat, but access to echocardiography and tests to confirm recent streptococcal infection will have the greatest impact