Perseverance and Play: Making a Movie for the YouTube Generation

In place of a traditional library orientation lecture at Fairfield University, librarians created a choose-your-own-adventure movie for use in the classroom with an audience response system (ARS), allowing students to vote using clickers. The library administration took a risk by sponsoring the project, but the library director believed in her staff and let us run with our ideas. When we proposed the movie, we did not have an idea for the script; we simply knew we wanted to make a movie and show it in class. Why did we decide to do this when the status quo wasn\u27t disastrous? Like people in any industry, we were pushing ourselves to change with the times, to make our information delivery more engaging—entertaining even. Working under the charge to constantly evaluate and assess our instruction program, we questioned whether it mattered if librarians or professors liked the lecture. Who was the audience after all? If we were going to be successful, we had to captivate our students, the Millennials, by showcasing the library, its spaces and its services, as the answer to many of their varied needs: social, educational, and recreational. In pursuit of this end, we worked with the Media Center, recruited student filmmakers, employed plenty of brainstorming, wrote a successful script, and produced Fairfield Beach: the Library. The ingredients were simple: perseverance and play. What follows is how we put them together

REX:a development platform and online learning approach for Runtime emergent software systems

Conventional approaches to self-adaptive software architectures require human experts to specify models, policies and processes by which software can adapt to its environment. We present REX, a complete platform and online learning approach for runtime emergent software systems, in which all decisions about the assembly and adaptation of software are machine-derived. REX is built with three major, integrated layers: (i) a novel component-based programming language called Dana, enabling discovered assembly of systems and very low cost adaptation of those systems for dynamic re-assembly; (ii) a perception, assembly and learning framework (PAL) built on Dana, which abstracts emergent software into configurations and perception streams; and (iii) an online learning implementation based on a linear bandit model, which helps solve the search space explosion problem inherent in runtime emergent software. Using an emergent web server as a case study, we show how software can be autonomously self-assembled from discovered parts, and continually optimized over time (by using alternative parts) as it is subjected to different deployment conditions. Our system begins with no knowledge that it is specifically assembling a web server, nor with knowledge of the deployment conditions that may occur at runtime

Rebirth of Accounting Information Systems Curricula

Businesses’ increased reliance upon information technologies (for improved transaction processing, process redesign, electronic commerce, knowledge management, and other key activities) has led to new roles for corporate accountants, IT professionals, and internal and external auditors (Bell, et all, 1997; Elliott, 1994). Public accounting firms are attempting to adapt to these changes by identifying new business opportunities and developing new knowledge-management capabilities (Black, 1995). Frank Marrs, KPMG national managing partner of assurance services, recently stated: “We were offering a 100-year-old product, based on techniques that have not kept pace with the technology...” (Cheney, 1995). Marrs reports that the introduction of new, more broadly defined “assurance services” are accompanied by significant changes in strategy (e.g., broader scope of work) and organizational structure (e.g., more specialists; fewer hires of recent college graduates)

A wearable microwave antenna array for time-domain breast tumor screening

In this work, we present a clinical prototype with a wearable patient interface for microwave breast cancer detection. The long-term aim of the prototype is a breast health monitoring application. The system operates using multistatic time-domain pulsed radar, with 16 flexible antennas embedded into a bra. Unlike the previously reported, table-based prototype with a rigid cup-like holder, the wearable one requires no immersion medium and enables simple localization of breast surface. In comparison with the table-based prototype, the wearable one is also significantly more cost-effective and has a smaller footprint. To demonstrate the improved functionality of the wearable prototype, we here report the outcome of daily testing of the new, wearable prototype on a healthy volunteer over a 28-day period. The resulting data (both signals and reconstructed images) is compared to that obtained with our table-based prototype. We show that the use of the wearable prototype has improved the quality of collected volunteer data by every investigated measure. This work demonstrates the proof-of-concept for a wearable breast health monitoring array, which can be further optimized in the future for use with patients with various breast sizes and tissue densities

Environmental Estrogens Alter Early Development in Xenopus laevis

A growing number of environmental toxicants found in pesticides, herbicides, and industrial solvents are believed to have deleterious effects on development by disrupting hormone-sensitive processes. We exposed Xenopus laevis embryos at early gastrula to the commonly encountered environmental estrogens nonylphenol, octylphenol, and methoxychlor, the antiandrogen, p,p-DDE, or the synthetic androgen, 17 alpha-methyltestosterone at concentrations ranging from 10 nM to 10 microM and examined them at tailbud stages (approximately 48 hr of treatment). Exposure to the three environmental estrogens, as well as to the natural estrogen 17 beta-estradiol, increased mortality, induced morphologic deformations, increased apoptosis, and altered the deposition and differentiation of neural crest-derived melanocytes in tailbud stage embryos. Although neural crest-derived melanocytes were markedly altered in embryos treated with estrogenic toxicants, expression of the early neural crest maker Xslug, a factor that regulates both the induction and subsequent migration of neural crest cells, was not affected, suggesting that the disruption induced by these compounds with respect to melanocyte development may occur at later stages of their differentiation. Co-incubation of embryos with the pure antiestrogen ICI 182,780 blocked the ability of nonylphenol to induce abnormalities in body shape and in melanocyte differentiation but did not block the effects of methoxychlor. Our data indicate not only that acute exposure to these environmental estrogens induces deleterious effects on early vertebrate development but also that different environmental estrogens may alter the fate of a specific cell type via different mechanisms. Finally, our data suggest that the differentiation of neural crest-derived melanocytes may be particularly sensitive to the disruptive actions of these ubiquitous chemical contaminants

Stressed Fracture: The Relationship Between Coping Strategies and Workload in Secondary School Athletic Trainers

Purpose: The work environment for an athletic trainer (AT) working in a secondary school is typified by heavy workloads and job-related stress. Occupational stress can have negative effects on productivity, absenteeism, employee turnover, and quality of life. Research suggests that personal and situational factors can influence the coping process adopted by an individual. The approach-avoidance framework suggests that people cope with a stressor by either attempting to reduce it or removing oneself from that stressor. Previous research on other healthcare professionals suggested that use of avoidance coping was correlated with higher levels of job stress and those who perceived greater social support possessed lower work-related stress. However, the relationship between coping strategies and perceived social support has not been examined in ATs. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among coping strategies, perceived social support, and workload in secondary school ATs. Method: This was a cross-sectional study completed via an online survey. Three hundred, ninety-two (392) secondary school athletic trainers (35.7 ± 11.1 years old) from all NATA districts responded to the survey. Outcomes included the Brief COPE, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and average hours worked. Results: The average workload reported was 44.10 ± 12.96 hours a week over the school year (i.e., fall and spring). The regression model showed that avoidant coping (B=0.34, 95% CI=0.12, 0.56, p=.005) was directly associated with the average number of hours worked (adjusted R2=.07). Approach coping (B=-0.28, 95% CI=-0.43, -0.12, p=.007) was indirectly associated with the average numbers of hours worked. However, perceived social support did not display a significant association with any variable of interest. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that a relationship between average workload and coping strategies adopted by secondary school ATs may exist. Increased workloads were related to increases in avoidance coping strategies. Further research in this area is needed to determine how coping strategies affect patient care

Differential Burden of Musculoskeletal Pain in Blacks and Whites at the Time of Total Joint Replacement Surgery

Introduction: The existence of racial disparities in total knee (TKR) and hip (THR) replacement outcomes is well established. The role of musculoskeletal co-morbidities among black and white TKR patients at the time of surgery were investigated in a prospective cohort enrolled in the FORCE-TJR consortium of 131 surgeons in 22 US states. Materials & methods: Descriptive analyses were performed on 3,306 TKR and 2,439 THR patients. Data included sociodemographic factors (age, sex, race), BMI, comorbid conditions using the modified Charlson comorbidity scores, burden of musculoskeletal disease using the Knee/Hip injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS/HOOS) in both knees and hips, emotional health based on the Short Form 36 (SF-36) Mental Component Score (MCS) and physical function based on the Physical Component Score (SF-36 PCS). Factors associated with pre-operative surgical joint pain and function were examined using multivariate stepwise linear regression models. Results: Compared to Whites, Blacks (143 hips and 201 knees) reported worse surgical joint pain (mean pain: 39.3 vs. 49.2 (hip); 43.4 vs. 53.2 (knee)), poorer surgical joint function (mean function: 38.9 vs. 45.7 (hip); 45.9 vs. 53.4 (knee)), poorer global function (mean PCS: 30.0 vs. 31.6 (hip); 31.3 vs. 33.1 (knee)), and more non-operative joints pain. (All p\u3c0.03). In adjusted multivariable models, differences at the time of surgery in surgical joint symptoms and global function were explained by differences in musculoskeletal pain in the hips, knees, and low back. Conclusion: Greater burden of musculoskeletal pain explains differences in pre-operative pain and function between Blacks and Whites and likely impacts rehabilitation and subsequent TJR outcomes

Differential burden of musculoskeletal pain in African Americans and whites patients at the time of total joint replacement surgery

Objective: African Americans patients have greater operative joint pain and functional limitation at the time of total joint replacement (TJR) compared to white patients. We examined the factors associated with this apparent disparity. Methods: A consecutive sample of 5745 patients with advanced knee and hip osteoarthritis [who elected to undergo TJR in 2011-201] reported, preoperatively, medical comorbidities, operative and non-operative hip/ knee pain using Hip and Knee Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Scores (HOOS/KOOS), function using Short Form 36 Physical Component Score (PCS). Total burden of musculoskeletal pain was quantified as moderate/severe pain in non-operative hip and knee joints and lumbar back pain using Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Associations among race, medical co-morbidites (modified Charlson), total musculoskeletal pain burden, operative joint pain, and functional limitations were examined using multivariable regression models. Results:Compared to Whites, African Americans (143 hips and 201 knees) reported worse surgical joint pain (mean pain: 39.3 vs. 49.2 [hip]; 43.4 vs. 53.2 [knee]), poorer surgical joint function (mean function: 38.9 vs. 45.7 [hip]; 45.9 vs. 53.4 [knee]), poorer global function (mean PCS: 30.0 vs. 31.6 [hip]; 31.3 vs. 33.1 [knee]), and more non-operative joints pain (p Conclusions: Greater burden of musculoskeletal pain explains differences in pre-operative pain and function between African American and white patients and likely impacts rehabilitation and subsequent TJR outcomes