Testing the Limits of Antidiscrimination Law: The Business, Legal, and Ethical Ramifications of Cultural Profiling at Work

While courts have rarely ruled in favor of plaintiffs bringing discrimination claims based on identity performance, legal scholars have argued that discrimination on the basis of certain cultural displays should be prohibited because it creates a work environment that is heavily charged with ethnic and racial discrimination. Drawing upon empirical studies of diversity management, stereotyping, and group dynamics, we describe how workplace cultural profiling often creates an unproductive atmosphere of heightened scrutiny and identity performance constraints that lead workers (especially those from marginalized groups) to behave in less authentic, less innovative ways in diverse organizational settings

Automated Source-Detector Positioner for Radiation Detection

The Nuclear Engineering Department at Virginia Commonwealth University has an unmet need for an automated source detector positioner for radiation detection experiments that are carried out in lab work. During radiation data collection in radiation detection systems it is of the utmost importance that radioactive samples are positioned and moved with the highest degree of precision possible. This high degree of precision allows for more meaningful data to be collected. The current methods employed by the Nuclear Engineering Department are not as accurate as they can be due to the fact the the current detection systems are manual. Furthermore they are aligned only by sight and have fixed shelving positions. The figure below is the solution to this issue: An automated Source-Detector Positioner for Radiation Detection. This detection system has been design to have a low tolerance so that radiation samples are always centered in the “Sample holder/clamp” over the radiation detector probe. Two stepper motors move along rods, lifting or lowering the sample holder to the desired position over the radiation detection probe. There is also an optional shielding component for the limitation of radiation emission that improves on the shelving method from previous devices. This is all supported with 3D printed rings and metal rods.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/capstone/1208/thumbnail.jp

A mixed methods exploration of antibiotic prescribing and stewardship

Unnecessary prescribing of antibiotics for viral respiratory tract infections is common and contributes to emerging antibiotic resistance and patient morbidity and mortality. Interventions aimed at promoting judicious use of antibiotics, such as prescribing guidelines, are often ineffective. Approaching the problem of overprescribing from new perspectives is key to making progress towards more effective antimicrobial stewardship. Exploring characteristics shared between patients and providers, attitudes of new antibiotic stewards, and the role of prescribing on subsequent use offer opportunities to better understand antibiotic stewardship and overprescribing at a time when new perspectives are needed to inform better interventions. This dissertation contains three studies that incorporate novel perspectives to investigate the patient, provider, and practice factors that promote judicious use of antibiotics and solicit a better understanding of the current state of stewardship from future antibiotic stewards. Study 1. A Qualitative Study of the Knowledge and Attitudes of Infectious Disease Fellows, sought to understand the attitudes and beliefs of infectious disease fellows on the front line of antibiotic stewardship. Fellows highlighted the importance of formal and informal education, explained the challenges faced when practicing stewardship, and suggested improvements to fellowship programs to encourage better antibiotic stewardship training. Study 2. Patient-Provider Race and Sex Concordance in Prescribing, explored how race and sex concordance between patients and providers predicted overprescribing. Results showed that racial concordance was one of the most important predictors of overprescribing, suggesting that concordance can be more important to the prescribing outcome than some clinical indicators and that improving cross-cultural communication may be a way to combat overprescribing. Study 3. Early Prescribing Behavior as a Predictor of Future Antibiotic Exposure and Resource Utilization, described how the decision whether or not to prescribe antibiotics at a child’s first acute bronchitis visit affected that child’s likelihood of returning for an additional acute bronchitis complaint and being prescribed an antibiotic. The results of this study suggested that the prescribing behavior of providers can affect future visits and subsequent prescribing.2019-03-11T00:00:00

The physiological expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in the human colon

Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is expressed in the colonic epithelium in both inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer. Nitric oxide (NO), the product of this enzyme, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of both conditions. However, there are conflicting data on whether iNOS is expressed in the normal, uninflamed human colon. To evaluate the expression of iNOS in histologically normal, non-inflamed human colonic mucosa. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), immunoblotting, and immunohistochemistry were used to investigate the expression of iNOS in 17 histologically normal specimens obtained at colectomy performed for colorectal neoplasia. In addition, 16 endoscopic mucosal biopsies, taken from normal individuals, were also evaluated. Eleven surgical specimens and 16 endoscopic biopsies from patients with refractory ulcerative colitis were used as inflammatory controls. All types of specimens expressed iNOS mRNA. Immunoblotting revealed a protein of approximately 130 kDa consistent with iNOS in mucosal extracts of 77% of normal individuals, and 85% of diseased controls. Immunolabelling localised this protein to the surface epithelium in most of the normal specimens and also to the crypt epithelium and inflammatory cells in the diseased controls. These findings provide evidence that iNOS is often expressed in the surface epithelium of non-inflamed human colon, suggesting that it is induced by local luminal factors, such as bacterial lipopolysaccharide (endotoxin). The resultant NO produced at this site might act as an oxidative barrier, reducing bacterial translocation and providing a means of defence against pathogenic microorganisms

Elastic moduli of model random three-dimensional closed-cell cellular solids

Most cellular solids are random materials, while practically all theoretical results are for periodic models. To be able to generate theoretical results for random models, the finite element method (FEM) was used to study the elastic properties of solids with a closed-cell cellular structure. We have computed the density ($\rho$) and microstructure dependence of the Young's modulus ($E$) and Poisson's ratio (PR) for several different isotropic random models based on Voronoi tessellations and level-cut Gaussian random fields. The effect of partially open cells is also considered. The results, which are best described by a power law $E\propto\rho^n$ ($1 < n <2$), show the influence of randomness and isotropy on the properties of closed-cell cellular materials, and are found to be in good agreement with experimental data.Comment: 13 pages, 13 figure

My Best Friend is a Smurf: Assessing Racism through Children\u27s Cartoons

Modern racism, compared to old-fashioned racism, is more implicit due to modern pressures regarding racially sensitivity. Although the notion of being multicultural is positive, the pressure is problematic as it hinders psychologists’ ability to measure self-reported racism. That is, when Caucasian individuals are given measures regarding racial bias, they tend to answer in socially desirable ways in order to appear less racist. However, those socially desirable answers are then used as evidence of their prejudice. The current study is examining the notion that explicit self-report measures are flawed because they initiate stereotype threat. This threat occurs when an individual is reminded of a group stereotype for which they are a member, worries about the stereotype, and ultimately albeit unintentionally fulfills the stereotype. Although, there is one modern test that measures racism subtly (i.e., Implicit Association Test; IAT), it is controversial, complicated to use, and many argue that it doesn\u27t measure racism as much as a strength of associations. Thus, the search continues. In attempts to locate the specific problem, and ultimately create a new, easy, and valid measure of modern racism, this experiment will examine participants’ reactions to covert vs. overt racism measures. Specifically, participants will be told that they are helping to create a measure for adolescents regarding identification with cartoon characters. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two conditions: one evaluating the cartoon as if it is a measure regarding social development, or assessing prejudice among adolescents (i.e., stereotype threat condition). Data is currently being collected

Revisiting the Jurassic Geomagnetic Reversal recorded in the Lesotho Basalt (Southern Africa)

We carried out a detailed and continuous paleomagnetic sampling of the reversed to normal geomagnetic transition recorded by some 60 consecutive flow units near the base of the Lesotho Basalt (183 &#61617; 1 Ma). After alternating field or thermal cleaning the directions of remanence are generally well clustered within flow units. In contrast, the thermal instability of the samples did not allow to obtain reliable paleointensity determinations. The geomagnetic transition is incompletely recorded due to a gap in volcanic activity attested both by eolian deposits and a large angular distance between the field directions of the flows underlying or overlying these deposits. The transition path is noticeably different from that reported in the pioneer work of van Zijl et al. (1962). The most transitional Virtual Geomagnetic Poles are observed after the volcanic hiatus. Once continents are replaced in their relative position 180 Ma ago, the post-hiatus VGP cluster over Russia. However, two successive rebounds from that cluster are found, with VGP reaching repeatedly Eastern Asia coast. Thus, the VGP path is not narrowly constrained in paleolongitude. The decrease in intensity of magnetization as the field deviates from the normal or reversed direction suggests that the decrease in field magnitude during the reversal reached 80-90%. We conclude that although the reversal is of a dipole of much weaker moment than that which existed on average during Cenozoic time, the characteristics of the reversing geodynamo seem to be basically similar.Comment: Paper No GD124 submitted to Geophysical Journal International. Received in original form 20/01/2003, accepted 09/04/200

Shuttle VLBI experiment. Technical working group summary report

The gain in interferometric resolution of extragalactic sources at radio frequencies which can be achieved by placing a very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) antenna in space is quantitatively described and a VLBI demonstration experiment using a large deployable antenna, which if realized could be a very acceptable first venture for VLBI in space is discussed. A tutorial on VLBI, a summary of the technology available for the experiment, and a preliminary mission scenario are included