The Benefits of and Need for a Low-Barrier, Housing First Homeless Shelter in Grand Forks, North Dakota

The prevalence of substance use and mental illness are significant factors to consider when attempting to effectively resolve homelessness in the United States. By providing stable shelter or housing, individuals experiencing homelessness have a better capacity to address these obstacles that have historically caused them to lose, or prevented them from maintaining, their housing or shelter situation. Many homeless shelters in the United States have taken an abstinence-based approach that has left many homeless individuals unsheltered, and this can reduce the capacity of these individuals who may be trying to engage in services to address their other concerns. Low-barrier homeless shelters are increasing in number across the nation, as Housing First, person-centered, and harm reduction principles have been shown to successfully assist individuals to obtain and maintain housing. Grand Forks, North Dakota, is one city that would greatly benefit from a low-barrier homeless shelter to address the homeless population in Grand Forks and the surrounding region. This paper presents the rationale for the need, as well as a grant proposal with details for establishing a low-barrier shelter in Grand Forks, North Dakota

The role of gender, social class and ethnicity in participation and academic attainment in UK higher education: an update

Richardson (2008b) outlined known relationships between gender, ethnicity, and academic attainment in UK higher education. In the period since this publication, many changes to the higher education sector have occurred, including raising tuition fees, an increased focus on widening participation, and an increasing interest in diversifying the curriculum. There is a need for an updated and expanded literature review to highlight whether the relationships between gender, ethnicity, and academic attainment remain the same one decade later. This article synthesises the current literature related to the impact of gender, social class, and ethnicity on higher education participation and academic attainment. We highlight the important role of intersectionality in understanding overarching trends. Altogether, this literature review shows that there are persisting inequalities in both participation and attainment based on gender, social class, and ethnicity. To conclude, we provide several suggestions for improving our understanding of these phenomena in the decades to come

Safety of intravenous iodinated contrast medium injection in rabbits undergoing conscious computed tomography

BACKGROUND: Contrast media in CT is widely used in dogs and cats to provide superior tissue delineation and increase the diagnostic capabilities. These contrast‐enhanced imaging techniques are gaining popularity in rabbits; published studies reporting the safety of doing so are lacking. METHODS: This retrospective observational study aimed to determine the incidence of adverse events following the intravenous administration of iodinated non‐ionic contrast medium in 350 rabbits. The medical records of this subset of rabbits admitted between January 2009 and November 2018, that underwent CT examination and received intravenous contrast media, were evaluated. RESULTS: From the 350 rabbits, 342 rabbits were still alive 7 days after the scan. A total of eight rabbits died within 7 days of the scan, seven of which within the first 24 h. All deaths were presumed to be sequelae to the diseases they were being investigated for and not thought to be related to the administration of intravenous contrast medium. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that the use of intravenous non‐iodinated contrast medium was well tolerated and safe in rabbits undergoing conscious CT examination

Ocular biometry in rabbits using computed tomography

OBJECTIVE: To describe a repeatable method of measuring ocular structures and to establish ocular biometry reference ranges in adult domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) without medical history or imaging findings consistent with ophthalmic disease using a 64-slice multidetector computed tomography scanner.PROCEDURE: In this retrospective and observational anatomic study, 100 eyes from 50 rabbits without medical history or imaging findings consistent with ophthalmic disease who received a head computed tomography scan were selected for measurement of globe length, width, and height using 3D multiplanar reconstruction. Lens width and length, the anteroposterior length of the anterior and vitreous chambers, and attenuation of the lens and vitreous chamber were collected. These parameters were compared against age, sex, weight, body condition, and ear conformation.RESULTS: A reference guide was established, with globe width being the largest dimension (18.03 ± 0.81 mm), followed by height (17.18 ± 0.69 mm) and then length (16.64 ± 0.66 mm). Increased weight was associated with an increase in globe height (p = 2.43 × 10-5 ), length (p = 1.63 × 10-4 ), and width (p = 7.0 × 10-3 ). Increased age was associated with increased lens attenuation (p = 1.28 × 10-7 ) and increased transverse lens width (p = 1.64 × 10-3 ). Inter- and intra-observer agreement was excellent.CONCLUSIONS: CT is a reliable modality for measurement of ocular biometry dimensions in rabbits. These reference values can be applied to aid in identifying diseases that affect the dimensions of the ocular structures in rabbits over 18 months of age.</p

A Review of the Relation Between Dissociation, Memory, Executive Functioning and Social Cognition in Military Members and Civilians with Neuropsychiatric Conditions

Dissociative experiences, involving altered states of consciousness, have long been understood as a consequence or response to traumatic experiences, where a reduced level of consciousness may aid in survival during and after a traumatic event. Indeed, the dissociative subtype of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD-DS) was added recently to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5). Dissociative symptoms are present across a host of neuropsychiatric conditions, including PTSD, psychotic spectrum illnesses, anxiety and mood disorders. Transdiagnostically, the presence of dissociative symptoms is associated with a greater illness burden and reduced treatment outcomes. Critically, dissociative symptoms are related to impaired performance on measures of attention, executive functioning, memory, and social cognition and may contribute to the widespread cognitive dysfunction observed across psychiatric illnesses. Despite this knowledge, the relation between dissociative symptoms and reduced cognitive function remains poorly understood. Here, we review the evidence linking dissociative symptoms to cognitive dysfunction across neuropsychiatric disorders. In addition, we explore two potential neurobiological mechanisms that may underlie the relation between dissociative symptoms and cognitive dysfunction in trauma-related neuropsychiatric conditions. Specifically, we hypothesize that: 1) functional sensory deafferentation at the level of the thalamus, as observed in the defence cascade model of dissociation, may underlie reduced attention and arousal leading to progressive cognitive dysfunction and; 2) altered functional connectivity between key brain networks implicated in cognitive functioning may represent a critical neurobiological mechanism linking dissociative symptoms and cognitive dysfunction in patients with PTSD-DS and transdiagnostically

Evaluation of a two-way SMS messaging strategy to reduce neonatal mortality: rationale, design and methods of the Mobile WACh NEO randomised controlled trial in Kenya

Abstract: Introduction Globally, approximately half of the estimated 6.3 million under-5 deaths occur in the neonatal period (within the first 28 days of life). Kenya ranks among countries with the highest number of neonatal deaths, at 20 per 1000 live births. Improved identification and management of neonates with potentially life-threatening illness is critical to meet the WHO’s target of ≤12 neonatal deaths per 1000 live births by 2035. We developed an interactive (two-way) short messaging service (SMS) communication intervention, Mobile Solutions for Neonatal Health (Mobile women’s and children’s health (WACh) NEO), focused on the perinatal period. Mobile WACh NEO sends automated tailored SMS messages to mothers during pregnancy and up to 6 weeks post partum. Messages employ the Information-Motivation-Behaviour Skills framework to promote (1) maternal implementation of essential newborn care (ENC, including early, exclusive breast feeding, cord care and thermal care), (2) maternal identification of neonatal danger signs and care-seeking, and (3) maternal social support and self-efficacy. Participants can also send SMS to the study nurse, enabling on-demand remote support. Methods and analysis We describe a two-arm unblinded randomised controlled trial of the Mobile WACh NEO intervention. We will enrol 5000 pregnant women in the third trimester of pregnancy at 4 facilities in Kenya and randomise them 1:1 to receive interactive SMS or no SMS (control), and conduct follow-up visits at 2 and 6 weeks post partum. Neonatal mortality will be compared between arms as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes include care-seeking, practice of ENC and psychosocial health. Exploratory analysis will investigate associations between maternal mental health, practice of ENC, care-seeking and SMS engagement. Ethics and dissemination This study received ethical approval from the University of Washington (STUDY00006395), Women and Infants Hospital (1755292-1) and Kenyatta National Hospital/University of Nairobi (P310/04/2019). All participants will provide written informed consent. Findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals and international conferences