Larix decidua (Weeping Larch)

Location: on pathway to McKillop Library from the front parking lot Height: 1.5 m Diameter at breast height: 7.6 cm Radius of crown: 0.4 m Age: younghttps://digitalcommons.salve.edu/bio140_arboretum/1021/thumbnail.jp

Diagnostic accuracy of the Depression subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D) for detecting major depression : protocol for a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analyses

INTRODUCTION: The Depression subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D) has been recommended for depression screening in medically ill patients. Many existing HADS-D studies have used exploratory methods to select optimal cut-offs. Often, these studies report results from a small range of cut-off thresholds; cut-offs with more favourable accuracy results are more likely to be reported than others with worse accuracy estimates. When published data are combined in meta-analyses, selective reporting may generate biased summary estimates. Individual patient data (IPD) meta-analyses can address this problem by estimating accuracy with data from all studies for all relevant cut-off scores. In addition, a predictive algorithm can be generated to estimate the probability that a patient has depression based on a HADS-D score and clinical characteristics rather than dichotomous screening classification alone. The primary objectives of our IPD meta-analyses are to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the HADS-D to detect major depression among adults across all potentially relevant cut-off scores and to generate a predictive algorithm for individual patients. We are already aware of over 100 eligible studies, and more may be identified with our comprehensive search. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Data sources will include MEDLINE, MEDLINE In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, PsycINFO and Web of Science. Eligible studies will have datasets where patients are assessed for major depression based on a validated structured or semistructured clinical interview and complete the HADS-D within 2 weeks (before or after). Risk of bias will be assessed with the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool. Bivariate random-effects meta-analysis will be conducted for the full range of plausible cut-off values, and a predictive algorithm for individual patients will be generated. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The findings of this study will be of interest to stakeholders involved in research, clinical practice and policy

Ohio LEED Schools and Academic Performance: A Panel Study, 2006–2016

This study investigates the effect that Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) had on academic performance using a difference-in-differences (DID) estimator using data from the years 2006–2016. By obtaining data from the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, this investigation examines the effect that LEED design had on the Student Performance Index for schools that opened in the year 2012. Each LEED school was matched with a non-LEED school based on several criteria. The study determined that LEED did not have an impact on the Student Performance Index. Though we find no relationship, green schools do provide educational opportunities that standard buildings do not. We suggest that the state of Ohio should take advantage of potentially untapped opportunities in their green schools program that could enhance both social and ecological sustainability

Estimating the sample mean and standard deviation from commonly reported quantiles in meta-analysis

Researchers increasingly use meta-analysis to synthesize the results of several studies in order to estimate a common effect. When the outcome variable is continuous, standard meta-analytic approaches assume that the primary studies report the sample mean and standard deviation of the outcome. However, when the outcome is skewed, authors sometimes summarize the data by reporting the sample median and one or both of (i) the minimum and maximum values and (ii) the first and third quartiles, but do not report the mean or standard deviation. To include these studies in meta-analysis, several methods have been developed to estimate the sample mean and standard deviation from the reported summary data. A major limitation of these widely used methods is that they assume that the outcome distribution is normal, which is unlikely to be tenable for studies reporting medians. We propose two novel approaches to estimate the sample mean and standard deviation when data are suspected to be non-normal. Our simulation results and empirical assessments show that the proposed methods often perform better than the existing methods when applied to non-normal data

Increasing Crop Quality and Production on a SBCMALA\u27s Farm in Lewiston, Maine

The Somali Bantu Community Association of Maine Lewiston / Auburn (SBCMALA) is a non-profit organization founded in 2005 (SBCMALA, 2017). The goal of the association is to empower Somali Bantu families to lead successful and healthy lives in the United States. The organization runs several programs to benefit Lewiston’s Somali Bantu community such as the Community Farming Program which began in 2014. Currently the program lease farming sites in New Gloucester, Auburn, and Lewiston which allow Somali Bantu families to grow their own produce. The program also helps farmers gain familiarity in Maine’s landscape. Currently, thirty families farm on the six acre site in Lewiston. Each family receives 0.1 acres plot (0.04 hectares) and can autonomously decide which crops to plant and in what quantities on their parcel of land. There are currently four fields that have been cultivated on the Lewiston property; only one of which has been consistently productive. The overall lack of productivity may be attributed to several pressures on the crops such as pests, nutrient-deficient soil, water availability, and inefficient crop pairings. The goal of our research was to identify solutions to increase both the quality and productivity of crops, as well as increase the overall land value in a culturally relevant and cost-efficient manner. One way to maximize yield is to supplement the soil through nutrient amendments such as lime and manure. Given our soil tests and site visits, we recommend an application of non-magnesium calcitic lime applied once every year for the next two years. This will increase pH and calcium content of the soil. The soil is also deficient in a number of macronutrients. An application of manure can help to replenish these important macronutrients and support greater plant growth, thus increasing crop yield. In addition to amending the soil, a crop rotation plan could be employed in order to decrease the susceptibility of crops to pests and pathogens. Implementing rotation techniques can allow soil nutrients to replenish and potentially increase productivity in successive years. Examples of rotation techniques include rotating crop sections through each family’s parcel, and leaving a field or a portion of a field fallow each season. Productivity can further be increased through the use of chicken tractors on the fallow field. Chicken tractors may provide an additional source of subsistence for the families while simultaneously increasing soil nutrients. Crop quality can be improved by mitigating the effect of pests. This may be done through the installation of fencing, as well as strategically pairings crops. An offset electric fence can prohibit deer from entering the field and eating the crops. A plastic barrier fence is an inexpensive solution for keeping out smaller pests such as porcupines from the cultivated areas, possibly increasing crop security. Additionally, tactfully pairing crops that are culturally relevant and are already in rotation could divert pests from the main crops towards the less desirable crop. Through these recommendations, we hope to improve the quality and quantity of crops available to SBCMALA’s farmers. Additionally, introduce new sustainable farming techniques which may improve the productivity of SBCMALA’s Lewiston farm

Onset and Recurrence of Depression as Predictors of Cardiovascular Prognosis in Depressed Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients:A Systematic Review

Background: Depression after acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is associated with worse cardiac outcomes. This systematic review evaluated whether depressed ACS patients are at differential risk depending on the recurrence and timing of onset of depressive episodes. Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE and PsycINFO were searched from inception to 11 April 2009. Additionally, reference lists and recent tables of contents of 34 selected journals were manually searched. Eligible studies evaluated cardiovascular outcomes for subgroups of ACS patients with depression or depressive symptoms according to recurrence or onset. Results: Six studies were included that reported outcomes for subgroups of ACS patients with first-ever versus recurrent depression. Four of these reported also outcomes for post-ACS onset versus pre-ACS onset depression, and incident versus nonincident depression. Worse outcomes (odds ratio &gt;1.4) were reported for ACS patients with first-ever depression in 3 of 6 studies (1 study p &lt;0.05), for patients with post-ACS onset depression in 3 of 4 studies (1 study p &lt;0.05, but better outcomes in one study) and for patients with incident depression in 2 of 4 studies (no studies p &lt;0.05). Conclusions: Although it is still suggested that ACS patients with first and new-onset depression are at particularly increased risk of worse prognosis, the inconsistent results from the studies included in this systematic review show that there is no consistent evidence to support such statements. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel</p