An Exploratory Study of the Relationship Between Community Involvement and LGB Identity

Found families are common within the LGBT community, and many models of LGB identity development include contact with other same-sex attracted individuals, or involvement in the LGBT community as important to identity development. However there has been little research investigating the connection between community involvement and identity development or acceptance. This exploratory study will compare LGB identity, measured with the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Identity Survey, to respondents’ answers to open-ended questions about their LGB community involvement. Open-ended questions will be coded by the researcher using content analysis to find commonalities between responses. Comparisons will look for any relationships between stages of identity development and the life-stage at which participants became involved in the community, as well as the method by which they became involved. Implications of the findings will be discussed at the end of the report

Betta Less Motivated: Effects of Fluoxetine on Betta Splendens

Previous studies have demonstrated that the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) Fluoxetine reduces aggression in Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens). While this finding has been replicated across multiple studies, the behavioral mechanism of Fluoxetine\u27s action upon aggression is not known. Betta splendens are great candidates for Fluoxetine exposure based on their well documented seratonergic activity as well as their choice for agressive opportunities. In particular, Fluoxetine may produce its anti-aggressive effects by altering the motivational component of aggressive responding in Betta splendens or through the sedation of motoric activity. To examine this hypothesis a maze swimming task for access to aggressive oppurtunities was designed. Results from this task indicated that Fluoxetine exposures reduce the appetitive properties of the aggressive encounters and provide evidence for a role of serotonin in the control of motivational processes. The results leave room for discussion of the impacts of antidepressant medications used by humans

We are the road

Contemporary archival art practices utilise their artefacts in a variety of ways. We Are the Road aims to develop an approach to the artefact and strategies of artists moving image production that run contrary to the typical habits of these practices. My approach foregrounds certain artefact’s own internal and pre-existing complexities, separate from the complexities of an archive. This is distinct from archival art practices that focus on specific histories and their misrepresentation or absence; and practices that critique the archival construct itself. I undertake the research through the production of moving image and sound artworks that seek to adopt and critically reformulate the processes of commercial film production and the artefacts it produces (such as the location report and the screenplay). This manoeuvre responds to the notion of instrumentality, criticised in philosophical thinking about technology, and is further informed by a variety of sources and disciplines, including literary criticism, film theory, and pop-cultural discourses. The artefacts located by this project are the material remains of nontechnical aspects (communities, ideas, events) that have accumulated around the development of moving image and screen-based technological products since the late 20th century, primarily television, the Internet and the digital moving image. Their continued existence as digital files and second-hand products is not the result of an organised recognition of their worth, rather, they have accumulated in the wake of technological advancement as so much junk floating around at the margins of the archive. The intention of the project is not to rehabilitate overlooked materials but to explore the idea that these unheroic fragments and their stubborn specificities actualise moments of lived experience entangled with technology. We Are the Road pays close attention to the transformation of the document from record to material in the precise moment of new art production, which is understood to be an active situation in which complementary and competing ideas, impulses, and opportunities are at work simultaneously. My research seeks to formulate and negotiate new articulations for such a complex and multi-dimensional experience of the present. As such We Are the Road is aligned with Raymond Williams’ assertion in Marxism and Literature (1977 p128) that ‘we have indeed to find other terms for the undeniable experience of the present: not only the temporal present, the realization of this and this instant, but the specificity of present being, the inalienably physical.’ Importantly, this articulation encompasses how the work I have generated connects to key works and ideas within the field of contemporary artists’ moving image, making the moment of production a collapse of origin and destination, reader and maker, audience and producer

Physician Perceptions of Stress and Telemedicine

Telemedicine is an emerging field in which physicians are able to interact electronically with patients to improve health. Telemedicine can be performed through virtual platforms such as email, telephone and video, and can provide or augment care to a multitude of patients. During the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the use of telemedicine has grown exponentially in an effort to continue to see patients and manage their care. The unprecedented era of social distancing and overloaded hospital systems has led many primary care providers and specialists alike to rapidly develop these capabilities in their practices. Benefits of telemedicine include: increasing access to care in areas where there are provider shortages, decreasing travel burden on patients. Drawbacks to providing care include: lack of a comprehensive physical exam, breakdown in the relationship between health professional and patients, implementing new technologies and associated training. As physicians work to provide equally high-quality care for their patients remotely, their experiences must be considered. Our project aimed to better assess the perception, comfort level and experiences of physicians using telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic

Healthcare professionals' preferences for surgery or primary endocrine therapy to treat older women with operable breast cancer

Introduction : Primary endocrine therapy (PET) is an alternative treatment to surgery for oestrogen receptor (ER) positive operable breast cancer in older women. However, there is variable use of PET in the UK, with up to 40% of patients aged over 70 receiving PET instead of surgery in some regions. Treatment options offered to patients rely heavily on healthcare professional (HCP) assessment and opinion on which treatments are appropriate. Materials and methods : This was a mixed methods study combining semi-structured interviews with HCPs working in high and low PET regions in the UK, followed by a postal questionnaire survey distributed via the Association of Breast Surgery (ABS). Results : Thirty-four HCPs (20 breast surgeons; 13 nurse specialists; 1 geriatrician) were interviewed from 14 sites across the UK and 252/641 questionnaires returned (39%). There was an overriding view that PET is not suitable for patients under the age of 80 unless there are significant comorbidities. Opinion was split regarding the best way to treat patients with dementia. Patient preference was generally stated to be the most important factor when considering treatment, however only around a quarter 65/244 (26.6%) felt that all patients over the age of 70 should be offered PET as an alternative treatment option. Conclusions : Opinions differ on the best way to treat women over 70 with operable breast cancer, especially if they have co-existing dementia, as well as whether they should be offered PET as a treatment option. This may be a significant cause of treatment variation in the UK. Keywords : Breast cancer; Primary endocrine therapy; Surgery; Elderly; Older; Mixed methods.</p

Treatment patterns and outcomes following disease progression on anti-PD-1 therapies for advanced melanoma

Background: Anti-PD-1-based therapies prolong survival in advanced melanoma, but disease progression is common. This study evaluated treatment patterns and overall survival (OS) after anti-PD-1 progression. Methods: Retrospective data from patients with advanced melanoma and progression on anti-PD-1 treatment between 2014 and 2019 were taken from Flatiron Health, which reflects largely community practice. Treatment patterns and OS were analyzed for BRAF mutant (mt) and wild-type (wt) subgroups; OS was also examined across all patients. Results: Progression following anti-PD-1 was recorded for 679 patients. Median OS ranged from 5.0 to 11.3 months. Of 275 BRAFmt and 374 BRAFwt patients, 113 (41.1%) and 228 (61.0%) received no subsequent therapy, respectively. However, 48.4% of BRAFmt and 57.8% of BRAFwt patients continued anti-PD-1 treatment beyond progression. Conclusion: This real-world study underscores the need for effective treatments for advanced melanoma post-progression on anti-PD-1 therapy

Burden of asthma exacerbations and health care utilization in pediatric patients with asthma in the US and England.

BACKGROUND: Data on asthma burden in pediatric patients are limited; this real-world study investigated exacerbation frequency and health care resource utilization (HCRU) in pediatric asthma patients from the US and England. METHODS: Data from pediatric patients (aged 6-17 years) in the Optum claims database (US) or Clinical Practice Research Datalink with linkage to Hospital Episode Statistics (England) were analyzed. Patients were categorized into four hierarchical groups: treated asthma (patients with ≥1 baseline asthma medication), severe asthma (plus Global Initiative for Asthma Step 4/5), severe refractory asthma ([SRA] plus ≥2 baseline severe asthma exacerbations), and eosinophilic SRA (SRA plus blood eosinophil count ≥150 cells/µL). Exacerbation frequency and HCRU during the 12 months postindex were described. RESULTS: Of 151 549 treated asthma patients in the US, 18 086 had severe asthma, 2099 SRA, and 109 eosinophilic SRA. There were 32 893 treated asthma patients in England, of whom 2711 had severe asthma, 265 SRA, and 8 eosinophilic SRA. In the 12 months postindex, ≥1 exacerbation occurred in 12.4% and 10.8% of patients with severe asthma, and 32.6% and 42.6% with SRA in the US and England, respectively. The proportions of patients with ≥1 asthma hospitalization in the 30 days after the first asthma exacerbation were 2.7% and 4.4% (treated), 3.5% and 8.2% (severe asthma), and 6.0% and 16.8% (SRA) in the US and England, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study provides insights into current asthma management practices in the US and England and indicates that some patients with severe disease have an unmet need for effective management

Pneumococcal Colonisation Rates in Patients Admitted to a UK Hospital with Lower Respiratory Tract Infection - a prospective case-control study

BACKGROUND Current diagnostic tests are ineffective at identifying the aetiological pathogen in hospitalised adults with lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI). The association of pneumococcal colonisation with disease has been suggested as a means to increase diagnostic precision. We compared pneumococcal colonisation rate and density of nasal pneumococcal colonisation by a) classical culture and b) quantitative real time lytA Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) in patients admitted to hospital in the UK with LRTI compared to control patients. METHODS 826 patients were screened for inclusion in this prospective case-control study. 38 patients were recruited, 19 with confirmed LRTI and 19 controls with another diagnosis. Nasal wash (NW) was collected at the time of recruitment. RESULTS Pneumococcal colonisation was detected in 1 LRTI patient and 3 controls (p=0.6) by classical culture. Using qPCR pneumococcal colonisation was detected in 10 LRTI patients and 8 controls (p=0.5). Antibiotic usage prior to sampling was significantly higher in the LRTI than control group 19 v. 3 (p8000 copies/ml on qPCR pneumococcal colonisation was found in 3 LRTI patients and 4 controls (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS We conclude that neither prevalence nor density of nasal pneumococcal colonisation (by culture and qPCR) can be used as a method of microbiological diagnosis in hospitalised adults with LRTI in the UK. A community based study recruiting patients prior to antibiotic therapy may be a useful future step

Transforming Learning: Challenges and Opportunities through School Libraries

Researchers will share papers exploring the SIG theme, Transforming Learning: Challenges and Opportunities through School Libraries. This interactive SIG session includes presentation of each research paper followed by open dialogue and Q&A regarding issues raised by the papers, implications for practice, and future areas for research. The following papers were selected for presentation: Teachers’ Perceptions of Students’ News Literacy (Lesley S. J. Farmer), Lead Like a Librarian (Pamela Harland), Challenges and Opportunities: Transforming Learning through Implementation of the 2018 National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries (Carl A. Harvey II, Jen R. Spisak, Karla B. Collins, and Audrey P. Church), and Discourses of Adolescence/ts and Collection Development (Jenna Spiering and Kate Lechtenberg)

The decision-making process for senior cancer patients: treatment allocation of older women with operable breast cancer in the UK.

Objective: Up to 40% of women over 70 years with primary operable breast cancer in the UK are treated with primary endocrine therapy (PET) as an alternative to surgery. A variety of factors are important in determining treatment for older breast cancer patients. This study aimed to identify the patient and tumor factors associated with treatment allocation in this population. Methods: Prospectively collected data on treatment received (surgery vs. PET) were analysed with multivariable logistic regression using the variables age, modified Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), activities of daily living (ADL) score, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score, HER2 status, tumour size, grade and nodal status. Results: Data were available for 1,122 cancers in 1,098 patients recruited between February 2013 and June 2015 from 51 UK hospitals. About 78% of the population were treated surgically, with the remainder being treated with PET. Increasing patient age at diagnosis, increasing CCI score, large tumor size (5 cm or more) and dependence in one or more ADL categories were all strongly associated with non-surgical treatment (P<0.05). Conclusion: Increasing comorbidity, large tumor size and reduced functional ability are associated with reduced likelihood of surgical treatment of breast cancer in older patients. However, age itself remains a significant factor for non-surgical treatment; reinforcing the need for evidence-based guidelines