‘Bonus Bonds' for Bankers: A New Type of Debt-Based Remuneration in the Financial Industry

This Capstone paper explores the logic that study abroad has long-term impact on participants’ professional development. It investigates the professional outcomes and benefits of studying abroad as perceived by Dickinson College class of 1998 study abroad alumni. Through use of a survey, phone interviews, and email follow-up, study abroad participants were questioned about the skills, knowledge, and self-awareness they acquired and maintained from their study abroad experience. Inquiries were made into how and if these acquisitions proved professionally applicable, influenced career paths, and contributed to success. Findings confirm that gains resulting from studying abroad are professionally applicable in the form of foreign language use, intercultural competences and personal growth. Evidence showed that a large majority of study abroad alumni gravitate toward a line of work with an international or multicultural dimension. The experience increased competitiveness as a job applicant and led to professional opportunities. The data further indicates that many alumni are influenced by their study abroad experience in choosing a career path. With knowledge of these outcomes, this study aims to highlight the value of study abroad and support a socially and economically driven movement to increase study abroad opportunities

Intraperitoneal Mesh Implantation for Fascial Dehiscence and Open Abdomen

Background: Postoperative fascial dehiscence and open abdomen are severe postoperative complications and are associated with surgical site infections, fistula, and hernia formation at long-term follow-up. This study was designed to investigate whether intraperitoneal implantation of a composite prosthetic mesh is feasible and safe. Methods: A total of 114 patients with postoperative fascial dehiscence and open abdomen who had undergone surgery between 2001 and 2009 were analyzed retrospectively. Contaminated (wound class 3) or dirty wounds (wound class 4) were present in all patients. A polypropylene-based composite mesh was implanted intraperitoneally in 51 patients, and in 63 patients the abdominal wall was closed without mesh implantation. The primary endpoint was incidence of incisional hernia, and the incidence of enterocutaneous fistula was a secondary endpoint. Results: The incidence of enterocutaneous fistulas after wound closure post-fascial dehiscence (13% vs. 6% without and with mesh, respectively) or post-open abdomen (22% vs. 28% without and with mesh, respectively) was not significantly different. The incidence of incisional hernia was significantly lower with mesh implantation compared with no-mesh implantation in both contaminated (4% vs. 28%; p=0.025) and dirty abdominal cavities (5% vs. 34%; p=0.01). Conclusions: Intra-abdominal contamination is not a contraindication for intra-abdominal mesh implantation. The incidence of enterocutaneous fistula is not elevated despite the presence of contamination. The rate of incisional hernias is significantly reduced after intraperitoneal mesh implantation for postoperative fascial dehiscence or open abdome

Promises and pitfalls of deep neural networks in neuroimaging-based psychiatric research

By promising more accurate diagnostics and individual treatment recommendations, deep neural networks and in particular convolutional neural networks have advanced to a powerful tool in medical imaging. Here, we first give an introduction into methodological key concepts and resulting methodological promises including representation and transfer learning, as well as modelling domain-specific priors. After reviewing recent applications within neuroimaging-based psychiatric research, such as the diagnosis of psychiatric diseases, delineation of disease subtypes, normative modeling, and the development of neuroimaging biomarkers, we discuss current challenges. This includes for example the difficulty of training models on small, heterogeneous and biased data sets, the lack of validity of clinical labels, algorithmic bias, and the influence of confounding variables

Recommendations for Landslide Early Warning Systems in Informal Settlements Based on a Case Study in Medellín, Colombia

Fatalities from landslides are rising worldwide, especially in cities in mountainous regions, which often expand into the steep slopes surrounding them. For residents, often those living in poor neighborhoods and informal settlements, integrated landslide early warning systems (LEWS) can be a viable solution, if they are affordable and easily replicable. We developed a LEWS in Medellín, Colombia, which can be applied in such semi-urban situations. All the components of the LEWS, from hazard and risk assessment, to the monitoring system and the reaction capacity, were developed with and supported by all local stakeholders, including local authorities, agencies, NGO’s, and especially the local community, in order to build trust. It was well integrated into the social structure of the neighborhood, while still delivering precise and dense deformation and trigger measurements. A prototype was built and installed in a neighborhood in Medellín in 2022, comprising a dense network of line and point measurements and gateways. The first data from the measurement system are now available and allow us to define initial thresholds, while more data are being collected to allow for automatic early warning in the future. All the newly developed knowledge, from sensor hardware and software to installation manuals, has been compiled on a wiki-page, to facilitate replication by people in other parts of the world. According to our experience of the installation, we give recommendations for the implementation of LEWSs in similar areas, which can hopefully stimulate a lively exchange between researchers and other stakeholders who want to use, modify, and replicate our system