Reasons for Their Departure: A Look at Undergraduate Women who Abandon STEM Majors

Despite surpassing undergraduate men in degree completion, undergraduate women are still underrepresented in certain STEM majors and depart from these fields at higher rates. Much of the existing research on this topic, however, is quantitative in nature and conducted at large research institutions. This study sought to gain a better understanding of the reasons why undergraduate women switched from STEM to non-STEM majors at a large, Midwest liberal arts institution. A qualitative, phenomenological design was used to identify the reasons students identify as important in their decision to switch majors, the ways in which gender might have been tied to this decision and the changes institutions might implement to encourage the persistence of future undergraduate women in STEM fields. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and Astin’s (1993) input-environment-outcomes model and Tinto’s (1993) theory of student departure served as a theoretical framework. Findings provide insight on the lived experiences of undergraduate women who departed from STEM majors and the factors that contributed to their departure

Supervised Learning and Reinforcement Learning of Feedback Models for Reactive Behaviors: Tactile Feedback Testbed

Robots need to be able to adapt to unexpected changes in the environment such that they can autonomously succeed in their tasks. However, hand-designing feedback models for adaptation is tedious, if at all possible, making data-driven methods a promising alternative. In this paper we introduce a full framework for learning feedback models for reactive motion planning. Our pipeline starts by segmenting demonstrations of a complete task into motion primitives via a semi-automated segmentation algorithm. Then, given additional demonstrations of successful adaptation behaviors, we learn initial feedback models through learning from demonstrations. In the final phase, a sample-efficient reinforcement learning algorithm fine-tunes these feedback models for novel task settings through few real system interactions. We evaluate our approach on a real anthropomorphic robot in learning a tactile feedback task.Comment: Submitted to the International Journal of Robotics Research. Paper length is 21 pages (including references) with 12 figures. A video overview of the reinforcement learning experiment on the real robot can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDq1rcupVM0. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1710.0855

Electrical conductivity and gas-sensing properties of Mg-doped and undoped single-crystalline In2O3 thin films: Bulk vs. surface

This study aims to provide a better fundamental understanding of the gas-sensing mechanism of In2O3-based conductometric gas sensors. In contrast to typically used polycrystalline films, we study single crystalline In2O3 thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) as a model system with reduced complexity. Electrical conductance of these films essentially consists of two parallel contributions: the bulk of the film and the surface electron accumulation layer (SEAL). Both these contributions are varied to understand their effect on the sensor response. Conductance changes induced by UV illumination in air, which forces desorption of oxygen adatoms on the surface, give a measure of the sensor response and show that the sensor effect is only due to the SEAL contribution to overall conductance. Therefore, a strong sensitivity increase can be expected by reducing or eliminating the bulk conductivity in single crystalline films or the intra-grain conductivity in polycrystalline films. Gas-response measurements in ozone atmosphere test this approach for the real application

Electrical conductivity and gas-sensing properties of Mg-doped and undoped single-crystalline In2O3 thin films: Bulk vs. surface

This study aims to provide a better fundamental understanding of the gas-sensing mechanism of In2O3-based conductometric gas sensors. In contrast to typically used polycrystalline films, we study single crystalline In2O3 thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) as a model system with reduced complexity. Electrical conductance of these films essentially consists of two parallel contributions: the bulk of the film and the surface electron accumulation layer (SEAL). Both these contributions are varied to understand their effect on the sensor response. Conductance changes induced by UV illumination in air, which forces desorption of oxygen adatoms on the surface, give a measure of the sensor response and show that the sensor effect is only due to the SEAL contribution to overall conductance. Therefore, a strong sensitivity increase can be expected by reducing or eliminating the bulk conductivity in single crystalline films or the intra-grain conductivity in polycrystalline films. Gas-response measurements in ozone atmosphere test this approach for the real application

Consequences of a global enzyme shortage of agalsidase beta in adult Dutch Fabry patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Enzyme replacement therapy is currently the only approved therapy for Fabry disease. From June 2009 on, viral contamination of Genzyme's production facility resulted in a worldwide shortage of agalsidase beta leading to involuntary dose reductions (approved dose 1 mg/kg/eow, reduced dose 0.5 mg/kg/m), or switch to agalsidase alpha (administered dose 0.2 mg/kg/eow). An assessment report from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) raised serious concerns about an increase in adverse events at lower dosages of agalsidase beta. We determined the influence of the shortage on clinical event incidence and the most sensitive biochemical marker (lysoGb3) in Dutch Fabry patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The incidence of clinical events per person per year was calculated from start of agalsidase beta treatment until the shortage, and was compared to the incidence of clinical events during the shortage period. In addition, plasma lysoGb3, eGFR, quality of life (SF-36) and brief pain inventory (BPI) questionnaires were analysed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>All thirty-five Dutch Fabry patients using agalsidase beta (17 males) were included. Mean clinical event incidence was unchanged: 0.15 events per person per year before versus 0.15 during the shortage (p = 0.68). In total 28 clinical events occurred in 14 patients during 4.6 treatment years, compared to 7 events in 6 patients during the 1.3 year shortage period. eGFR and BPI scores were not significantly altered. Two SF-36 subscales were significantly but minimally reduced in females. In males, lysoGb3 increased with a median of 8.1 nM (range 2.5 - 29.2) after 1 year of shortage (p = 0.001). Increases in lysoGb3 were found in both patients switching to agalsidase alpha and on a reduced agalsidase beta dose. Antibody status, treatment duration or clinical event incidence showed no clear correlation to lysoGb3 increases.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>No increase in clinical event incidence was found in the adult Dutch Fabry cohort during the agalsidase beta shortage. Increases in lysoGb3, however, suggest recurrence of disease activity.</p

Quality of life, healthcare use and costs in ‘at-risk’ children after early antibiotic treatment versus placebo for influenza-like illness : within-trial descriptive economic analyses of the ARCHIE randomised controlled trial

Objectives: To characterise the quality of life, healthcare use and costs associated with early antibiotic treatment of influenza-like illness (ILI) in ‘at-risk’ children. Design: Economic analysis of a two-arm double-blind parallel group pragmatic randomised controlled trial. Setting: Children were recruited from community-based healthcare settings, including general practices, walk-in centres and hospital ambulatory care. Participants: Children with risk factors for influenza-related complications, including respiratory, cardiac and neurological conditions, who presented within the first 5 days of an ILI. Interventions: Co-amoxiclav 400/57 suspension or placebo. Outcome measures: This economic analysis focused on quality of life measured by the EQ-5D-Y, symptoms assessed by the Canadian Acute Respiratory Infection and Flu Scale (CARIFS), healthcare use and costs including medication, hospital visits and admissions, general practitioner and nurse contacts. Outcomes were assessed for up to 28 days post randomisation. Results: Information on resource use, EQ-5D-Y (day 28) and CARIFS (day 7) was available for 265 (98%), 72 (27%) and 123 (45%) out of 271 participants, respectively. Average costs in the co-amoxiclav group were £25 lower (95% CI −£113 to £65), but this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.566). The difference in EQ-5D-Y scores between groups was also not statistically significant (−0.014 (95% CI −0.124 to 0.096), p=0.798). However, day 7 CARIFS scores were 3.5 points lower in the co-amoxiclav arm (95% CI −6.9 to −0.1, p=0.044). Conclusions: Our findings did not show evidence that early co-amoxiclav treatment improves quality of life or reduces healthcare use and costs in ‘at-risk’ children with ILI, but may reduce symptom severity though confirmation from further research would be important. Reliable data collection from children’s parents/carers was challenging, and resulted in high levels of missing data, which is common in pragmatic trials involving children with acute respiratory tract infections. Trial registration number: ISRCTN70714783; EudraCT 2013-002822-21

VectorDisk: a microfluidic platform integrating diagnostic markers for evidence-based mosquito control

Effective mosquito monitoring relies on the accurate identification and characterization of the target population. Since this process requires specialist knowledge and equipment that is not widely available, automated field-deployable systems are highly desirable. We present a centrifugal microfluidic cartridge, the VectorDisk, which integrates TaqMan PCR assays in two feasibility studies, aiming to assess multiplexing capability, specificity, and reproducibility in detecting disk-integrated vector-related assays. In the first study, pools of 10 mosquitoes were used as samples. We tested 18 disks with 27 DNA and RNA assays each, using a combination of multiple microfluidic chambers and detection wavelengths (geometric and color multiplexing) to identify mosquito and malaria parasite species as well as insecticide resistance mechanisms. In the second study, purified nucleic acids served as samples to test arboviral and malaria infective mosquito assays. Nine disks were tested with 14 assays each. No false positive results were detected on any of the disks. The coe cient of variation in reproducibility tests was <10%. The modular nature of the platform, the easy adaptation of the primer/probe panels, the cold chain independence, the rapid (2-3 h) analysis, and the assay multiplexing capacity are key features, rendering the VectorDisk a potential candidate for automated vector analysis

SPiRIT study protocol (Shoulder Pain: Randomised trial of Injectable Treatments): a randomised feasibility and pilot study of autologous protein solution (APS) vs corticosteroids for treating subacromial shoulder pain

Background The management of subacromial shoulder pain represents a significant challenge and is typically managed through either physiotherapy, joint injection or surgical intervention. Recent surgical trials have questioned the efficacy and there is a need to improve the evidence base for the non-surgical management of this condition. The study aims to provide evidence of the feasibility of conducting a randomised controlled trial to compare the efficacy of autologous protein solution (APS) against the current standard of care, corticosteroid injection (CSI) for subacromial shoulder pain. Autologous protein solution (APS) is a blood-derived biological injection which has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects. Methods A parallel-group two-arm randomised control trial will be conducted, comparing APS and CSI for shoulder pain. Fifty patients will be recruited. Feasibility will be assessed by examination of the conversion rate of eligible participants to the total number of participants recruited, whether it is possible to collect the appropriate outcome measures and the levels of retention/data compliance at follow-up dates. Discussion CSI is the mainstay of conservative management of subacromial shoulder pain. Trials and systematic reviews have reported differing conclusions, but the consensus view is that any benefits seen from CSI use are most likely to be short-term and there remains a significant number of patients who go on to have surgical intervention despite CSI. Biological injections, such as APS are being increasingly used, in the anticipation they may offer improved longer lasting outcomes for shoulder pain. However, the evidence to demonstrate the comparative efficacy of CSI versus APS does not currently exist. If feasible, a fully powered study will offer clarity to the treatment pathway of thousands of patients each year with subacromial pain