Alone in the Fog

I drove on forward into the fog - the gray, swirling, all enveloping fog. The peeping street lights appeared uncertain and dim on my either side as they feebly lit the hazy mist with an eerie, sleepy light. Often fingers of fog would reach out and suddenly snap about them, dimming them, shutting out yet more light. Queer, crazy, racing shadows leaped from nowhere in the all covering fog about me. An opening would yawn wide and inviting before me, my car lights would stab into it, I would follow. Slowly I drove on. Yet the fog, the fog - I, I couldn\u27t escape it. It was everywhere - in all outside, reaching, surrounding, descending on all, cold and uncompromising. It filled me with a mood; swirled through my brain leaving a mood

Poems

A Capital or a Comma Go and Sands Into Something by, Tom Wagle

An Analysis of Pancreatic Cancer

poster abstractThe pancreas is extremely important in various enzymatic activities, such as the production of numerous enzymes such as insulin. Pancreatic Cancer is an extremely deadly disease, which 40,000 people of the 46,000 diagnosed each year fail to survive. It is the 12th most common type of cancer and the 4th leading cause of cancer related deaths. There are 4 stages to Pancreatic ranging from stage 1 to stage 4, where the cancer has spread to a distant organ. Pancreatic cancer is an extremely difficult to diagnose as early symptoms aren’t suggestive as many other illnesses have similar signs and symptoms. Diagnosis can be done through the use of physical examinations, ct scan, ultrasound, endoscopic ultrasound, PET scan, and most effectively a needle biopsy. Currently in development are numerous different therapies. A collective effort is being put forth to further improve current established methods to combat Pancreatic Cancer. A current four-drug chemotherapy, that had results published in May 2011 has shown a 4-month improvement using a regimen called Folfirinox. Compared to treatment with gemcitabine, which is the current therapy mainly utilized, Folfirinox showed improvement on 16 percent more patients in a phase 3 trial. Another trial with a combination of Nab-Paclitaxel and Gemcitabine was conducted against just gemcitabine. Patients with the combination showed a 1.8 months higher average survival rate than without, and showed a significantly higher survival rate through two years of 13% and 5% respectively. Overall these therapies must be reformed to be compatible with a bigger patient population. Subsequently the side effects of the treatments also need to be improved as the side effects include high risk of neutropenia. Both these treatments demonstrate a more efficient therapy and have been implemented into practice but still require improvement

Analyzing trade competitiveness : a diagnostics approach

Trade has proven to be a powerful engine of growth worldwide. But not all countries have benefited equally. Despite much effort to use trade policy to catalyze exports, many developing countries have failed to achieve successful, sustainable export and economic growth. Even with the benefit of preferential market access, many developing country exporters face a broad and diverse set of constraints that limit their potential to compete in export markets. This paper discusses the concept of"competitiveness"with respect to trade and the various dimensions on which trade competitiveness might be assessed. It argues there is a need for a framework by which trade competitiveness can be assessed in a systematic way. Inspired by the"growth diagnostics"approach, it outlines a possible framework for assessing factors that facilitate or constrain trade competitiveness.Economic Theory&Research,Environmental Economics&Policies,Markets and Market Access,E-Business,Currencies and Exchange Rates

Poems

Double Identity and What an Accomplishment by, Tom Wagle

Smashing the Stigma: Promoting Mental Health and Resilience among Veterans

Goal Statement: This portfolio aims to bring awareness and identify strategies and interventions to reduce veteran suicide rates by starting with the problem\u27s source. Significant Findings: This portfolio focuses on the high rate of U.S. veteran suicide, with 16.8 suicides per day and 51% more likely to die by suicide than non-veterans ( National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, 2022; Vincent-Roller, 2022). Key findings highlight the complexity of suicide risk across various levels. The portfolio recommends enhancing mental health services, destigmatizing mental health, strengthening social support, and providing tailored interventions like peer support and trauma-informed care for transitioning veterans (Hester, 2017; Holloway, 2004;). Advocacy efforts are crucial for funding, policy support, and awareness campaigns to promote veterans\u27 mental health and resilience (Toporek et al., 2009). Objectives/Strategies/Interventions/Next Steps: Enhance veteran mental health services by expanding telehealth options, reducing wait times, and offering evidence-based therapies in collaboration with veterans\u27 networks. Implement a comprehensive transition program for separating veterans, including culturally sensitive peer support groups and trauma-informed counseling. Raise awareness and destigmatize mental health in the military through targeted campaigns with veteran organizations and community-based mental health agencies. Advocate for policy changes and increase funding for veteran mental health services in collaboration with policymakers, veteran advocacy groups, and community leaders. Establish supportive social networks for veterans by partnering with veteran service organizations and local mental health agencies to facilitate peer-to-peer support and community-based activities