A Fresh Look at a University Website: Redesigning the Graphic Communication Website

Designed over ten years ago, the landing page of the Graphic Communication website does not reflect the artistic talents of the department and exhibits poor navigation and usability. Colleen Twomey, the department chair, has expressed that prospective students, transfers, guardians, and other visitors have trouble finding relevant information on the website. As a university-affiliated site, the landing page should guide both new and returning visitors to their destination in a quick and intuitive manner. The primary goal of this project is to effectively educate new visitors who are interested in the Graphic Communication program but have minimal knowledge of what the program is. By combining hierarchy with visual aesthetics, the redesigned landing page will allow users to clearly and smoothly navigate the website based on their selected audience segment

End-To-End Modeling Reveals Species-Specific Effects of Large-Scale Coastal Restoration On Living Resources Facing Climate Change

Coastal erosion and wetland loss are affecting Louisiana to such an extent that the loss of land between 1932 and 2016 was close to 5,000 km2. To mitigate this decline, coastal protection and restoration projects are being planned and implemented by the State of Louisiana, United States. The Louisiana Coastal Master Plan (CMP) is an adaptive management approach that provides a suite of projects that are predicted to build or maintain land and protect coastal communities. Restoring the coast with this 50-year large-scale restoration and risk reduction plan has the potential to change the biomass and distribution of economically and ecologically important fisheries species in this region. However, not restoring the coast may have negative impacts on these species due to the loss of habitat. This research uses an ecosystem model to evaluate the effects of plan implementation versus a future without action (FWOA) on the biomass and distribution of fisheries species in the estuaries over 50 years of model simulations. By simulating effects using a spatially-explicit ecosystem model, not only can the changes in biomass in response to plan implementation be evaluated, but also the distribution of species in response to the planned restoration and risk reducation projects. Simulations are performed under two relative sea level rise (SLR) scenarios to understand the effects of climate change on project performance and subsequent fisheries species biomass and distribution. Simulation output of eight economically important fisheries species shows that the plan mostly results in increases in species biomass, but that the outcomes are species-specific and basin-specific. The SLR scenarios highly affects the amount of wetland habitat maintained after 50 years (with higher levels of wetland loss under increased SLR) and, subsequently, the biomass of species depending on that habitat. Species distribution results can be used to identify expected changes for specific species on a regional basis. By making this type of information available to resource managers, precautionary measures of ecosystem management and adaptation can be implemented

Research Recruitment: A Case Study on Women with Substance Use Disorder

Women with substance use disorder may evade research participation because of individual and societal factors. Limited information exists on recruitment of women with substance use disorder. The purpose of this study was to delineate recruitment challenges among women with substance use disorder and identify successful recruitment strategies. An exploratory case study was used to examine recruitment of women with substance use disorder. This case study was informed by a pilot study in 2017-2018, where data were generated from 25 direct observations and three key informants from a drug rehabilitation treatment agency. Analysis took an explanation-building approach, which incorporated chronological field notes from direct observations, memos from key informant conversations, and the extant literature to revise our initial proposition. Macro-level contextual factors influencing recruitment were: (a) establishment of a triage system, (b) reactivation of agency ethics committee, (c) scheduled accreditation site visits, (d) varied guidelines, and (e) required treatment regimen. Recruitment may benefit from multiple sites, staff training in protocol, increased researcher presence, and the opportunity for women’s voices to be heard. This study advances knowledge of macro-level challenges faced during recruitment of women with substance use disorder in southeast USA. Indirect and direct recruitment, when combined, could maximize participation

Building a Bigger Tent in Point-of-Care Ultrasound Education: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of Interprofessional, Near-Peer Teaching of Internal Medicine Residents by Sonography Students

BACKGROUND: Point-of-care-ultrasound (POCUS) training is expanding in undergraduate and graduate medical education, but lack of trained faculty is a major barrier. Two strategies that may help mitigate this obstacle are interprofessional education (IPE) and near-peer teaching. The objective of this study was to evaluate a POCUS course in which diagnostic medical sonography (DMS) students served as near-peer teachers for internal medicine residents (IMR) learning to perform abdominal sonography. METHODS: Prior to the IPE workshop, DMS students participated in a train-the-trainer session to practice teaching and communication skills via case-based simulation. DMS students then coached first-year IMR to perform POCUS examinations of the kidney, bladder, and gallbladder on live models. A mixed-methods evaluation of the interprofessional workshop included an objective structured clinical exam (OSCE), course evaluation, and qualitative analysis of focus group interviews. RESULTS: Twenty-four of 24 (100%) IMR completed the OSCE, averaging 97.7/107 points (91.3%) (SD 5.2). Course evaluations from IMR and DMS students were globally positive. Twenty three of 24 residents (96%) and 6/6 DMS students (100%) participated in focus group interviews. Qualitative analysis identified themes related to the learning environment, scanning technique, and suggestions for improvement. IMR felt the interprofessional training fostered a positive learning environment and that the experience complimented traditional faculty-led workshops. Both groups noted the importance of establishing mutual understanding of expectations and suggested future workshops have more dedicated time for DMS student demonstration of scanning technique. CONCLUSION: An interprofessional, near-peer workshop was an effective strategy for teaching POCUS to IMR. This approach may allow broader adoption of POCUS in medical education, especially when faculty expertise is limited

A retrospective study of HIV antiretroviral treatment persistence in a commercially insured population in the United States

This study examined factors associated with persistence (time from initiation to discontinuation of treatment) on initial antiretroviral (ARV) therapy in commercially insured HIV patients in the United States, a population not well researched. This retrospective analysis of US health insurance claims data from 1 January 2003 to 30 June 2008 included treatment-naive patients aged 18–65 years with an HIV diagnosis receiving ARV therapy consisting of at least two individual nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) or one fixed-dose combination NRTI, plus at least one nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) or one protease inhibitor (PI), with or without ritonavir. Descriptive statistics, Kaplan-Meier survival estimation, and Cox proportional hazards regression models were completed. Patients were considered persistent until any component of the regimen was modified or there was a gap in treatment > 90 days. A total of 2460 patients met full inclusion criteria (1388 NNRTI and 1072 PI). Mean (SD) time to discontinuation for NNRTI- vs PI-based regimens was 370 (346) vs 295 (338) days (p < 0.001). Female sex, substance use, low comorbidity score, index year before 2007, geographical region, and taking a lopinavir/ritonavir regimen predicted discontinuation. Relative to NNRTI-based regimens, PI-based regimens demonstrated a greater risk of discontinuation (hazard ratio [HR], 1.32; p <0.001). The fixed-dose efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir combination yielded the lowest risk of discontinuation (HR, 0.39; p < 0.001). HIV treatment persistence was longer with NNRTI-based regimens than PI-based regimens. The fixed-dose regimen of once-daily efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir had the lowest risk of discontinuation

Subcongenic analysis of \u3cem\u3etabw2\u3c/em\u3e obesity QTL on mouse chromosome 6

Background We previously established a congenic mouse strain with TALLYHO/Jng (TH) donor segment on chromosome 6 in a C57BL/6 (B6) background that harbors an obesity quantitative trait locus, tabw2. The B6.TH-tabw2 congenic mice developed increased adiposity that became exacerbated upon feeding a high fat-high sucrose (HFS) diet. To fine map the tabw2, in this study we generated and characterized subcongenic lines with smaller TH donor segments. Results We fixed four subcongenic lines, with maximum size of donor segment retained in the lines ranging from 10.8 – 92.5 Mb. For mapping, all the subcongenic mice, along with B6.TH-tabw2 congenic and B6-homozygous control mice were fed either chow or HFS diets, and their post-mortem fat pads were weighed. Mice were also characterized for energy expenditure, respiratory exchange ratio, locomotor activity, and food intake. As previously reported, B6.TH-tabw2 congenic mice showed a significantly larger fat mass than controls on both diets. On chow, a subcongenic line retaining the distal region of the TH donor congenic interval exhibited significantly larger fat mass than B6-homozygous controls, and comparable that to B6.TH-tabw2 congenic mice. Two nested subcongenic lines within that region suggested that the effect of tabw2 on obesity could be attributed to at least two subloci. On HFS diets, on the other hand, all the subcongenic mice had significantly larger fat mass than controls without genotype differences, but none of them had fat mass as large as the original congenic mice. This possibly implicates that further genetic complexity involves in the effect of tabw2 on diet-induced obesity. Significantly reduced locomotor activity was exhibited in B6.TH-tabw2 congenic and subcongenic mice compared to controls when animals were fed HFS diets. B6.TH-tabw2 congenic mice, but not subcongenic mice, also had significantly increased food intake on HFS diets. Conclusions It appears that at least two subloci explaining the tabw2 effect under chow feeding map to the distal region of the congenic interval, whereas the diet-induced obesity mediated by tabw2 is attributed to more complex genetic mechanism

Meningitis in children in Fiji: etiology, epidemiology, and neurological sequelae.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the etiology, epidemiology, neurological sequelae, and quality of life of children aged 1 month to less than 5 years admitted with meningitis to the Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH), Suva, Fiji. METHODS: Over a 3-year period, all eligible children with suspected meningitis admitted to CWMH had blood drawn for culture. Of these children, those for whom is was possible were tested for a four-fold rise in antibody titers to Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and pneumococcal surface adhesin A (PsaA). Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was taken for bacteriological culture and antigen testing. CSF was also tested by PCR for Streptococcus species, Neisseria meningitidis, Hib, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and enterovirus. Pneumococcal isolates were serotyped using multiplex-PCR reverse-line blot hybridization. Following discharge, cases underwent a neurological assessment, audiometry, and quality of life assessment (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) tool). RESULTS: There were 70 meningitis cases. Meningitis was more common in indigenous Fijian than Indo-Fijian children. Enterovirus was the most common etiological agent and appeared to be outbreak-associated. Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most common bacterial cause of meningitis with an annual incidence of 9.9 per 100 000 under 5 years old (95% confidence interval 4.9-17.7) and a case fatality rate of 36%. With the exception of deafness, neurological sequelae were more frequent in cases of bacterial meningitis than in viral meningitis (18.5% vs. 0%, p=0.04). Quality of life at follow-up was significantly lower in patients with bacterial meningitis than in those with viral meningitis (p=0.003) or meningitis of unknown etiology (p=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: During the study period an outbreak of enterovirus occurred making it the most common etiological agent identified. However in the absence of this outbreak, S. pneumoniae was the most common cause of childhood meningitis in Fiji. Bacterial meningitis is associated with serious sequelae and a reduced quality of life

Mesoporous Silica-Coated Hollow Manganese Oxide Nanoparticles as Positive T1 Contrast Agents for Labeling and MRI Tracking of Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Mesoporous silica-coated hollow manganese oxide (HIVInO@ mSiO(2)) nanoparticles were developed as a novel T-1 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent. We hypothesized that the mesoporous structure of the nanopartide shell enables optimal access of water molecules to the magnetic core, and consequently, an effective longitudinal (R-1) relaxation enhancement of water protons, which value was measured to be 0.99 (mM(-1) s(-1)) at 11.7 T. Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were efficiently labeled using electroporation, with much shorter T-1 values as compared to direct incubation without electroporation, which was also evidenced by signal enhancement on T-1-weighted MR images in vitro. Intracranial grafting of HMnO@mSiO(2)-labeled MSCs enabled serial MR monitoring of cell transplants over 14 days. These novel nanopartides may extend the arsenal of currently available nanoparticie MR contrast agents by providing positive contrast on T-1-weighted images at high magnetic field strengths.

Concert recording 2022-04-06

[Track 1]. Three pieces / Igor Stravinsky -- [Track 2]. Sonata for clarinet and piano. II. Lebhaft / Paul Hindemith -- [Track 3]. Fantasiestücke, op. 73. I. Zart und mit Ausdruck ; II. Lebhaft, leicht / Robert Schumann -- [Track 4]. Duo for clarinet and piano. I. Allegro / Norbert Burgmüller -- [Track 5]. Sonata for clarinet and piano. II. Allegro animato / Camille Saint-Saëns -- [Track 6.] Set for clarinet. III. Vite / Katherine Hoover -- [Track 7]. Ballade, bass clarinet & piano / Eugène Bozza -- [Track 8]. Introduction, theme and variations / Carl Maria von Weber -- [Track 9]. Five Bagatelles. IV. Forlana / Gerald Finzi -- [Track 10]. Six studies in English folksongs. V. Andante tranquillo ; VI. Allegro vivace -- [Track 11]. Grand duo concertant. I. Allegro con fuoco / Carl Maria von Weber

Concert recording 2022-04-06

[Track 1]. Three pieces / Igor Stravinsky -- [Track 2]. Sonata for clarinet and piano. II. Lebhaft / Paul Hindemith -- [Track 3]. Fantasiestücke, op. 73. I. Zart und mit Ausdruck ; II. Lebhaft, leicht / Robert Schumann -- [Track 4]. Duo for clarinet and piano. I. Allegro / Norbert Burgmüller -- [Track 5]. Sonata for clarinet and piano. II. Allegro animato / Camille Saint-Saëns -- [Track 6.] Set for clarinet. III. Vite / Katherine Hoover -- [Track 7]. Ballade, bass clarinet & piano / Eugène Bozza -- [Track 8]. Introduction, theme and variations / Carl Maria von Weber -- [Track 9]. Five Bagatelles. IV. Forlana / Gerald Finzi -- [Track 10]. Six studies in English folksongs. V. Andante tranquillo ; VI. Allegro vivace -- [Track 11]. Grand duo concertant. I. Allegro con fuoco / Carl Maria von Weber