Retention and Attrition Factors of Nonreturning Students at Utah State University

The purpose of this study was to determine the factors which affected the decision of students not to return to Utah State University after completion of the previous quarter. The factors were determined by a mailed questionnaire which was a modification of the Withdrawing/ Nonreturning Student Survey developed by American College Testing (ACT). One hundred twenty-two former Utah State University students who had attended fall quarter, 1979 but failed to register for winter quarter were randomly chosen for the study. The students were asked to complete the questionnaire and return it to Utah State University. The return rate through the mail was low and many were completed over the telephone. The results indicated that full-time employment, financial difficulties, marital plans, and the decision to attend a different college or university were the factors cited most frequently as reasons for not returning to Utah State University. A recommendation was made for the staff members who work with freshmen to be made aware of the large numbers of these students who do not return to Utah State University. It was also suggested that the distribution system for financial aids be reviewed to determine the most effective utilization of their resources for retention of students. Also, Utah State University may want to explore the special needs of out-of-state students with regard to social life. A study which further investigates the attrition rates of graduate students was recommended

CRYSTALLOIDS OR COLLOIDS… WHAT’S IN YOUR IV? Determining Fluid Type for Septic Shock Resuscitation

Objective: To compare the efficacy of crystalloid versus colloid solutions, specifically normal saline versus albumin, in decreasing mortality among patients with septic shock requiring resuscitation fluids in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting. Design: Systematic literature review. Methods: Research was conducted in PubMed and UpToDate, utilizing the search terms sepsis, septic shock, fluid resuscitation, colloids and crystalloids. Specifically, in PubMed, the following limits and terms were used: randomized control trial, human subjects, English, and within the last 7 years. Results: The Annane et al study found no significant difference in colloid fluid resuscitation versus crystalloid fluid resuscitation in the decreasing 28-day mortality in hypovolemic shock patients specifically in the ICU setting. The Finfer et al study found no significant difference between albumin and normal saline when assessing 28-day mortality and morbidity for patients in the ICU with severe sepsis. The Caironi et al study found no significant difference in albumin and crystalloids co-administration compared to crystalloids alone in 28-day mortality and morbidity outcomes for those with septic shock admitted to the ICU. Conclusion: The choice of fluid in aggressive resuscitation has no significant effect on patient mortality in those with septic shock in the intensive care unit (ICU)

Characteristics of Coplanar Waveguide on Sapphire for High Temperature Applications (25 to 400 degrees C)

This paper presents the characteristics of coplanar waveguide transmission lines fabricated on R-plane sapphire substrates as a function of temperature across the temperature range of 25 to 400 C. Effective permittivity and attenuation are measured on a high temperature probe station. Two techniques are used to obtain the transmission line characteristics, a Thru-Reflect-Line calibration technique that yields the propagation coefficient and resonant stubs. To a first order fit of the data, the effective permittivity and the attenuation increase linearly with temperature

High-Temperature Characterization of Alumina Substrates and Folded Slot Antenna

The characterization of 99.6% polycrystalline alumina substrates and folded slot antennas is presented in this paper. Coplanar Waveguide (CPW) calibration standards where fabricated on 99.6% polycrystalline alumina substrates. Thru-Reflect-Line (TRL) calibrations were performed at temperatures of 25 to 400 C over a frequency range from 0.5 to 50 GHz. The effective dielectric constant of the alumina substrates was determined to be relatively constant at 5.4 from 25 to 200 C and then increased steadily to approximately 6 at 400 C. The loss of the CPW lines increased as temperature and frequency increased as well noting that the increase in loss is even more profound as both the temperature and frequency increased simultaneously. A CPW fed folded slot antenna fabricated on the alumina substrates is also presented. The Return Loss (RL) of a CPW fed folded slot antenna exhibits a self impedance matching technique. The RL of the folded slot antenna at 25 C displays a resonance at 3.5 GHz and is approximately 16 dB in magnitude. At 300 C the resonance shifts down in frequency to approximately 3.3 dB and has roughly the same magnitude. However the loss of the antenna response also increases at this elevated temperature. This work is part of the initial stages of an effort at NASA Glenn research Center to develop wireless sensors for harsh environments. This work can reduce cost, space to house all the hard wired connections, and reduce the weight of the overall units such as aerospace engines and allow for the placement of the wireless sensors in the engine which are not possible with hard wired sensors

The Impact of Volunteering on Seniors’ Health and Quality of Life: An Assessment of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program

Past research suggests that senior citizens often face challenges related to deteriorating physical and men- tal health, and the quality of their lives may suffer as a result. Past research also suggests that volunteering can improve the health and quality of life for seniors. In the present study, 451 volunteers enrolled in the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) completed surveys including questions regarding their volunteer experiences and how these experiences have affected their health and quality of life. The results suggest that volunteering through RSVP is associated with improvements in health and quality of life across a variety of dimensions. Furthermore, these improvements may be particularly greater for women, current volunteers, and older seniors. These findings may help guide interventions designed to enhance the health and well-being of senior citizens in a variety of settings

Tracking the intermediate stages of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in epithelial stem cells and cancer

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an essential developmental program that becomes reactivated in adult tissues to promote the progression of cancer. EMT has been largely studied by examining the beginning epithelial state or the ending mesenchymal state without studying the intermediate stages. Recent studies using trophoblast stem (TS) cells paused in EMT have defined the molecular and epigenetic mechanisms responsible for modulating the intermediate “metastable” stages of EMT. Targeted inactivation of MAP3K4, knockdown of CBP or overexpression of SNAI1 in TS cells induced similar metastable phenotypes. These TS cells exhibited epigenetic changes in the histone acetylation landscape that cause loss of epithelial maintenance while preserving self-renewal and multipotency. A similar phenotype was found in claudin-low breast cancer cells with properties of EMT and stemness. This intersection between EMT and stemness in TS cells and claudin-low metastatic breast cancer demonstrates the usefulness of developmental EMT systems to understand EMT in cancer

Landscape and anthropogenic factors associated with adult Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus in small cities in the southern Great Plains

As mosquito-borne diseases are a growing human health concern in the United States, the distribution and potential arbovirus risk from container-breeding Aedes mosquitoes is understudied in the southern Great Plains. The aim of the study was to assess landscape and anthropogenic factors associated with encountering adult container-breeding mosquitoes in small cities in southern Oklahoma. Collections were carried out over a 10 week period from June to August 2017 along two geographical transects, each consisting of three cities, equally distant from the Red River/Texas border. Mosquitoes were collected weekly using two trap types along with data for 13 landscape, vegetation, and anthropogenic variables. After five rounds of collection, 6628 female mosquitoes were collected over 2110 trap-nights involving 242 commercial or residential sites in six cities. Of the mosquitoes collected, 80% consisted of container-breeding species: Aedes albopictus (72%), Culex pipiens complex (16%) and Aedes aegypti (8%). Regionally, Aedes aegypti was more likely present in cities closest to the Texas border while Ae. albopictus was spread throughout the region. In general, Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus were significantly more present in sites featuring no or low vegetation and residential sites. Variables associated with Ae. albopictus presence and abundance varied between cities and highlighted the urban nature of the species. The study highlighted the distribution of Ae. aegypti geographically and within the urban context, indicated potential habitat preferences of container-breeding mosquito species in small towns, and demonstrated the usefulness of Gravid Aedes traps (GAT) traps for monitoring Aedes populations in urban habitats in small cities.Peer reviewedEntomology and Plant Patholog