A Comprehensive Initiative Promoting Family Health History Development and Utilization Among Students At Olivet Nazarene University

Health care professionals agree that family health histories help detect and prevent diseases that run in families, but few Americans have taken the time to discover and utilize their family health histories. Young adults, such as college students, are generally healthy and forming habits for lifelong health. This project seeks to promote the importance of compiling individual family health histories among college students to be used to assess risk factors and methods of early prevention for genetically influenced disease processes. First, the project acknowledges a lack of preparedness and family health history awareness among college aged students as they become responsible for their own health care needs. It also acknowledges that health services and course curricula for many small universities are not providing adequate opportunities or information for students to thoroughly explore their family medical history. Secondly, the project explores the benefits and purpose of patients having access to their family health history and applying preventative measures to one’s health and wellness. Benefits provided include early detection, disease prevention or prolonging the onset of disease as a result of consistent lifestyle changes. Finally, the study addressed and provided information about specific risk assessment tools, common screening tests, and self examinations that may not be taught in detail in required wellness courses at Olivet Nazarene University. Information was compiled, and an interactive educational presentation was developed and performed. Additionally, brochures to guide note taking, a worksheet tool to assist in development of a family health history, and a practice case study were created and offered to freshman students. After completion of the education session, students in attendance completed an evaluation regarding the likelihood that they would create a family health history, analyze the history to identify trends, and implement lifestyle changes to prevent disease. Results from 3 students showed that the majority of students indicated that they would create a history, analyze for trends, and implement lifestyle changes. After evaluation, that outcomes and goals for the educational program were successfully met and completed

The Influence of Peat and Inorganic Amendments on Physical Properties of Sand-Based Rootzones

Many golf course putting greens and athletic fields are constructed with a medium consisting of a high sand content. Peat is the most common amendment to rootzone sand (RZS). However, a trend to replace peat with inorganic soil amendments (IOSA), such as calcined clay (CC) and diatomaceous earth (DE), is occurring. Laboratory studies were conducted to evaluate physical and hydraulic properties of rootzone mixtures and a field study investigated the potential of IOSA as a replacement to peat. In laboratory evaluations, amended RZS reduced the bulk density of all mixtures, while saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) for the RZS and mixtures of Canadian sphagnum peat (CSP) and CC exceeded USGA specifications. The DE mixture had the lowest Ksat, which was attributed to the 2% by weight of particles \u3c0.05 mm in diameter. Similarly, RZS water retention and drainage were influenced by amendments. In amended sand mixtures, 0.015 to 0.116 cm3 cm-3 more water was retained compared to unamended sand. Of water retained in the rootzone, the peat mixture held \u3e50% in the upper 15 cm, while straight RZS held the least (37.2%). In drainage experiments, approximately 75% of the total water was lost within the first 15 minutes; however, only 65% was lost in the first 15 minutes for the CSP mixture. After 24 hours of drainage, the CC mixture lost the most water (5.9 cm). Pressure potentials were also measured during drainage. For all mixtures, within 5 minutes of drainage, pressure potentials were negative in the surface 20-cm and positive below the 25-cm depth, indicating saturation. Twenty-four hours after drainage, positive pressure potentials were measured in the gravel layer at the 35-cm depth. In field evaluations of rootzone mixtures on turf grass growth and the rootzone environment, bentgrass (Agrostis palustris Huds. X A. sto/onifera L. \u27L-93) seeded into plots amended with peat became established 3 months prior to plots with IOSA and 15 months prior to straight RZS plots. Lower bulk densities were measured in the upper l 0- cm of field cores for amended plots. Also, soil surface strength of peat amended plots were 13 to 31 % lower than RZS and IOSA amended plots. Resistance to penetration in the lower 20 to 30 cm depths ranked in the order of CC\u3e DE\u3e RZS \u3e CSP. The capacitance probe (CP) has been used in mineral soils but not in sand-based, rootzone mixtures to measure soil water content. In laboratory studies, the CP underestimated water content as compared to gravimetric methods; however, linear calibration equations were developed for each mixture. CP readings were unaffected by soil bulk density, but were influenced by amendments. Because of differences between calibration equations for each rootzone mixture, further investigation of the CP is necessary for usefulness as an irrigation tool. Due to greater water retention, lower flow rates, reduced bulk densities, improved turfgrass establishment, and lower impact absorption characteristics, it appears peat remains the best amendment for USGA specification sands

Milk, meaning, and morality

Donated human milk’s status comes into question as it leaves the mother-child relationship and is reconfigured through practices and discursive structures that seek to stabilise it as a specific kind of object. Based on research conducted in Cape Town, South Africa, we examine the crucial role of technologies in aiding the milk’s transformation as milk moves from donors’ homes into the clinical setting where it is received by preterm, low-birth weight newborns. We show that the milk shifts back and forth between being a bodily fluid, food, and medicine in the course of this trajectory. Different techniques foreground milk’s diverse properties as a set of moral decisions converges around saving, securing, and sustaining life, and materialising relationships

Toward Actionable Support Vector Machines: A Ranking-based Approach

During the last decade, Support Vector Machines (SVMs) have attracted a great deal of attention and achieved huge success mainly as powerful classifiers. However, one of the main drawbacks of this learning method is the lack of intelligibility of the results. SVMs are "black box" systems that do not provide insights on the reasons of a classification or explanations - the results produced must be taken on faith. We are concerned about the problem of intelligibility because from our practical experience, domain experts strongly prefer Machine Learning with explanations rather than a black box even if the black box system achieves a high predictive performance. In that context, we have developed a new approach to provide explanations and make SVMs results more actionable. The underlying idea is to produce explanations by applying symbolic Machine Learning models to SVM-produced ranking results. More precisely, we are contrasting SVM results from the top and bottom of rankings to detect the main discriminative properties between classes which can be quite useful for the practitioner to direct actions and understand the system. We applied our approach on several datasets. Our empirical results seem very promising and show the utility of our methodology with regard to the intelligibility and actionability of an SVM output

Toward Actionable Support Vector Machines: A Ranking-based Approach

During the last decade, Support Vector Machines (SVMs) have attracted a great deal of attention and achieved huge success mainly as powerful classifiers. However, one of the main drawbacks of this learning method is the lack of intelligibility of the results. SVMs are "black box" systems that do not provide insights on the reasons of a classification or explanations - the results produced must be taken on faith. We are concerned about the problem of intelligibility because from our practical experience, domain experts strongly prefer Machine Learning with explanations rather than a black box even if the black box system achieves a high predictive performance. In that context, we have developed a new approach to provide explanations and make SVMs results more actionable. The underlying idea is to produce explanations by applying symbolic Machine Learning models to SVM-produced ranking results. More precisely, we are contrasting SVM results from the top and bottom of rankings to detect the main discriminative properties between classes which can be quite useful for the practitioner to direct actions and understand the system. We applied our approach on several datasets. Our empirical results seem very promising and show the utility of our methodology with regard to the intelligibility and actionability of an SVM output

Remote sensing techniques for mapping range sites and estimating range yield

Image interpretation procedures for determining range yield and for extrapolating range information were investigated for an area of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in southwestern South Dakota. Soil and vegetative data collected in the field utilizing a grid sampling design and digital film data from color infrared film and black and white films were analyzed statistically using correlation and regression techniques. The pattern recognition techniques used were K-class, mode seeking, and thresholding. The herbage yield equation derived for the detailed test site was used to predict yield for an adjacent similar field. The herbage yield estimate for the adjacent field was 1744 lbs. of dry matter per acre and was favorably compared to the mean yield of 1830 lbs. of dry matter per acre based upon ground observations. Also an inverse relationship was observed between vegetative cover and the ratio of MSS 5 to MSS 7 of ERTS-1 imagery

Mummichog

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources published guides to many threatened animals living in the state. This guide gives information about the Mummichog, including description, status, habitat, conservation challenges & recommendations, and measures of success

Globalising assessment: an ethnography of literacy assessment, camels and fast food in the Mongolian Gobi

What happens when standardised literacy assessments travel globally? The paper presents an ethnographic account of adult literacy assessment events in rural Mongolia. It examines the dynamics of literacy assessment in terms of the movement and re-contextualisation of test items as they travel globally and are received locally by Mongolian respondents. The analysis of literacy assessment events is informed by Goodwin’s ‘participation framework’ on language as embodied and situated interactive phenomena and by Actor Network Theory. Actor Network Theory (ANT) is applied to examine literacy assessment events as processes of translation shaped by an ‘assemblage’ of human and non-human actors (including the assessment texts)

Age and Growth of King Mackerel, \u3cem\u3eScomberomorus cavalla\u3c/em\u3e, from the Atlantic Coast of the United States

Whole sagittae from 683 and sectioned sagittae from 773 adult (age\u3e 0 ; 437-1.310 mm FL), and lapilli from 29 larval (2-7 mm SL) and 69 young-of-the-year (79-320 mm FL) king mackerel, were examined. All fish were from waters off the Atlantic coast of the southeastern United States (Cape Canaveral, Florida to Cape Fear. North Carolina). Back-calculated lengths at ages and von Bertalanffy growth equations were calculated from both whole and sectioned sagittae. Ages determined from sectioned sagittae were significantly greater than ages determined from whole sagittae, and the magnitude of the difference increased with age (from sections). Rings on sectioned sagittae are considered to be true annual increments, forming during June-September. There was no clear pattern to ring formation on whole otoliths. The oldest fish examined was age 21. The daily nature of rings on lapilli of age 0 king mackerel was not validated, but if the marks are formed daily they suggest growth rates of approximately 0.47 mm/d for early larvae and 2.9 mm/d for fish 1-3 months of age

Anticipatory Waivers of Consent for Pediatric Biobanking

As pediatric biobank research grows, additional guidance will be needed about whether researchers should always obtain consent from participants when they reach the legal age of majority. Biobanks struggle with a range of practical and ethical issues related to this question. We propose a framework for the use of anticipatory waivers of consent that is empirically rooted in research that shows that children and adolescents are often developmentally capable of meaningful deliberation about the risks and benefits of participation in research. Accordingly, bright‐line legal concepts of majority or competency do not accurately capture the emerging capacity for autonomous decision‐making of many pediatric research participants and unnecessarily complicate the issues about contacting participants at the age of majority to obtain consent for the continued or first use of their biospecimens that were obtained during childhood. We believe the proposed framework provides an ethically sound balance between the concern for potential exploitation of vulnerable populations, the impetus for the federal regulations governing research with children, and the need to conduct valuable research in the age of genomic medicine